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"Sports Quote of the Day"

“When the going gets tough, I'm not always sure what you do. I'm not saying that I know how to fix everything when the going gets tough, but I do know this: when the going goes tough, you don't quit. And you don't fold up. And you don't go in the other direction.” ~ John Madden, NFL TV Analyst, Former NFL Coach and Member of NFL Hall of Fame

Trending: Breaking down the Chicago Bears' final 53-man roster and much, much more. (See the football section for Bears and NFL updates).

Trending: Blackhawks to host 2016 training camp in Chicago, not at Notre Dame. (See the hockey section for Blackhawks and NHL updates).

Trending: College football week 1 shockers, scores around the USA. (See the college football section for NCAA football news updates).

Trending: Ryder Cup is less than a month away. (See the golf section for golf tournament and PGA updates).

Trending: Cubs and White Sox road to the "World Series".   

                                                     
                                                        Cubs 2016 Record: 88-48

White Sox 2016 Record: 65-71

(See the baseball section for Cubs and White Sox updates).  

Bear Down Chicago Bears!!!!! Three prognosticators answering Bears' biggest questions before week #1. Read and see if you agree..........

One week before the Bears’ season-opener, the Sun-Times’ Patrick Finley makes his predictions for 2016:

 

By Patrick Finley

Jay Cutler is not one of the Bears' most pressing issues this season. (Photo/AP)

Be the least of their concerns. It’s protecting Cutler — both with linemen, blocking tight ends and running backs pickIng up blitzers — that concerns me more than the play of the 11^th year quarterback.

Kevin White will … 

Be promising —and still disappoint fans. In the last 18 months, the Bears have traded Brandon Marshall and Martellus Bennett and let Matt Forte walk without so much as a contract offer. Alshon Jeffery and the team failed to come to a long-term deal. Fans turned their hopes to White — and are expecting too much, too soon.

Leonard Floyd will … 

Be put in a position to succeed. Even with Pernell McPhee’s knee injury, the Bears will insert Floyd only in situations where he can showcase the pass-rush ability. It would be disappointing if he were ineffective.

Main reason to believe in the Bears … 

Their schedule. Their first three games will likely be against quarterbacks Brock Osweiler (Texans), Carson Wentz (Eagles) and Dak Prescott (Cowboys). Parlay a decent start with a last-place schedule, and the Bears could be playing relevant football games around Thanksgiving.

Main reason to doubt the Bears … 

A lack of depth. They’re a sprained ankle away from disaster at offensive line and tight end. They’re living that scenario out at cornerback already, where they finished the preseason with three starters — Kyle Fuller, Tracy Porter and slot corner Bryce Callahan — injured. This is Year 2 of a three-year plan, and the roster depth shows it.

The Bears will regret … 

Not insisting Fuller undergo arthroscopic knee surgery earlier than mid-August, which would have cleared the way for him to finish the preseason healthy. Fuller’s season will define him one way or the other; why start behind the 8-ball?

Be excited about … 

Jordan Howard. Jeremy Langford is the guy — for now — but I’d buy stock in the rookie running back. His quick feet and physical style could make him the Bears’ best runner by the end of the year.

Season prediction: 

FINLEY: 7-9. We’re talking about the soft bigotry of low expectations here, but McPhee’s lost preseason and Hroniss Grasu’s lost season make me more pessimistic than I was in July.

One week before the Bears’ season-opener, the Sun-Times’ Adam L. Jahns makes his predictions for 2016:

By Adam L. Jahns

Bears WR Kevin White. (Photo/AP)

Jay Cutler will …

Be more important to the Bears’ offense than last year. He’ll remain everything that coach John Fox wants him to be, starting with limiting his mistakes and turnovers. But he’s more than a game manager. The offense features several new starters. Cutler has to lead them through their collective growing pains.

Kevin White will …

Be a special player by the second half of the season. The first half? You might throw things at your TV at times. White’s work ethic and intelligence will transform into big plays as the season goes. He just requires time. He’s in his second season, but he’s really a rookie after missing all of 2015.

Leonard Floyd will ….

Frustrate fans and opposing quarterbacks. Does that make sense? Floyd’s speed is special. It will beat opposing tackles and tight ends, but not all of them. His handwork and power moves will come with time. But count on defensive coordinator Vic Fangio to put him in situations where his speed can win.

Main reason to believe in the Bears …

The defense. It will be better than last year’s surprisingly capable unit, which was short on overall talent. It starts with inside linebackers Danny Trevathan and Jerrell Freeman. They’re in charge of a formidable front-seven that will become even better if outside linebacker Pernell McPhee gets up to speed.

Main reason to doubt the Bears …

Youth. And that’s OK. From White to second-year safeties Adrian Amos and Harold Jones-Quartey to rookie left guard Cody Whitehair and more, the Bears have purposely gotten younger. They’ll need some lumps to make them better.

The Bears will regret …

Nothing. OK, they need help at tight end and cornerback, and the safeties need to prove themselves. But context is important. This is a rebuilding team. They’re not going to spend frivolously in free agency or lament saying farewell to 30-year-old running backs. It will take three or four solid drafts to solidify this team.

Be excited about …

The first three weeks against the Texans, Eagles and Cowboys, when the Bears face quarterbacks Brock Osweiler, Carson Wentz and Dak Prescott. That’s two rookies and a first-year starter. The Bears should be in (or win) all those games. Fangio should fluster all of them.

Season prediction:

8-8. Nothing in the preseason has changed my view: at worst, the Bears finish 7-9, and at best, they go 9-7. So let’s call it down the middle.

One week before the Bears’ season-opener, the Sun-Times’ Mark Potash makes his predictions for 2016:

By Mark Potash

Bears linebacker Pernell McPhee (celebrating a sack against the Vikings last year) had his moments in 2015, but was less effective in the second half and now will miss the first six games of the 2016 regular season because of a slow-recovery from offseason knee surgery (Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast/AP).

Jay Cutler will … have his best season as a Bear, but will be challenged to lift the offense to a new level. Though Cutler was unproductive in the preseason, he did not throw an interception for only the third time in his eight seasons. He’s more efficient than ever, but though he can win a game here or there, he still is not able to put a team on his shoulders.

Kevin White will … be up and down in his rookie season. He’ll have at least two monster Alshon-like games that show how productive he can be. But rookie mistakes and drops will prevent him from producing consistently.

Leonard Floyd will … be a work in progress all season. Like White, he’ll make plays that justify his draft status, but overall, the league will expose his weaknesses better than he can utilize his strengths. But he’ll be better at the end than the beginning.

Main reason to believe in the Bears … John Fox and Vic Fangio. Solid front seven will at least give the Bears a chance to keep games winnable and give young defensive players some room to grow. Bears figure to be better at the end than at the beginning.

Main reason to doubt the Bears … Way too many question marks on the offensive line. Even if Kyle Long returns for the opener, how long will he stay healthy? With new pieces and no continuity, the line has the most to prove.

The Bears will regret … signing Pernell McPhee. At this point it looks like one of the main knocks on him in free agency last year was right on — that he’ll be unable to stay healthy as a full-time player. Bears shouldn’t have let him try to play through the injury last year.

Be excited about … the Bears’ 2016 draft class. Cody Whitehair already looks like a solid starter at right guard. Jonathan Bullard could turn out to be a third-round bargain. Cornerback Deiondre Hall could be a starter sooner rather than later. As much as anything else this season, the Bears need evidence that Ryan Pace and his personnel staff can build through the draft.

Season prediction: 8-8. The Bears will win games they are not expected to win and lose games they are not expected to lose. They’ll have a chance to surprise, but have yet to show they can stay healthy enough to reach that next level.

Report: Bears release kicker Robbie Gould.

By Shalise Manza Young

Robbie Gould (Photo/AP)

Even though rosters had to be down to the regular-season limit of 53 players by Saturday evening, no NFL team is done churning.

Case in point: the Chicago Bears. Via ESPN’s Adam Schefter, citing a league source, the Bears have informed veteran kicker Robbie Gould that he is being released.

Chicago does not currently have another kicker on its roster. But cutting ties with Gould will save the team about $2.4 million against the salary cap.

Last year was Gould’s 11th in the NFL; he converted 33-of-39 field goals, with a long of 55 yards, and made 28-of-29 extra-point tries. For his career, Gould has made 85.45 percent of his field goals, which is the ninth-best percentage all-time. He is also the leading scorer in Bears’ franchise history.

Originally signed by the New England Patriots in 2005 as a rookie free agent out of Penn State, Gould was released (Adam Vinatieri was still with the Patriots), signed with the Bears and had been there ever since. He was a first-team All-Pro and Pro Bowler in 2006.

Breaking down the Chicago Bears' final 53-man roster.

By Bryan Perez

Now that all the cuts are done and all the injured players have been shelved for six weeks, it’s time to take a look at what the final 53-man roster for the Chicago Bears.

There weren’t too many surprise cuts yesterday with the exception of maybe Marc Mariani.  And some of the names that were released — like WR Daniel Braverman and QB David Fales — could make a return to the program via the practice squad.

Here’s how the initial 53-man roster looks for the Bears:

Quarterback

Starter:  Jay Cutler

Backup:  Brian Hoyer

Analysis:  No shock here.  Had Connor Shaw avoided a major injury in the preseason game versus the Chiefs, he might have stuck as the third quarterback on the active roster. The Bears will start the season with two and likely add one to the practice squad.

Running Back

Starter:  Jeremy Langford

Backups:  Ka’Deem Carey, Jordan Howard

Analysis:  The veteran savvy of Jacquizz Rodgers wasn’t enough to keep him on the final roster, as Ryan Pace and John Fox went the route of youth and upside.  Howard looks like he could eventually challenge Langford for a starting job if the second-year man from Michigan State suffers a slump at any point during the 2016 season.  Don’t expect that to happen, though.  Langford will thrive behind the Bears’ zone blocking scheme.

Fullback

Starter:  Paul Lasike

Analysis:  Lasike’s rough and tumbling style of play will make him a fan favorite in Chicago, especially if he gets a few chances in the passing game.  He has the physical ability to truck defenders in his path, something that diehard Bears fans will enjoy watching.  This is the first time in a few seasons that the Bears have kept a true fullback on the roster which is evidence of an evolving offense that should have some different wrinkles in 2016.

Wide Receiver

Starters:  Alshon Jeffery, Kevin White, Eddie Royal (slot)

Backups:  Deonte Thompson, Cameron Meredith, Joshua Bellamy, Marquess Wilson (PUP)

Analysis:  The starting trio is set in stone with Jeffery, White and Royal possessing the most upside of any position group on the roster.  Whether all three can stay healthy for 16 games is the only question holding them back.  The real story of training camp was the play of Cameron Meredith who, despite not receiving many headlines during the summer, played well enough to leapfrog both Marc Mariani and early camp favorite Daniel Braverman. Bellamy performed well all preseason, too, and could find himself in the mix at slot receiver if Royal goes down.

Tight End

Starter:  Zach Miller

Backups:  Khari Lee, Greg Scruggs

Analysis:  Tight end is one of the thinner positions on the Bears’ roster.  There’s no competition for Miller at the top of the depth chart, especially after the Bears chose to release two of the better pass catchers from the team.  In a bit of a surprise, the Bears went with Scruggs over the athletic Rob Housler and the accomplished — but oft-inured — Tony Moeaki.  Scruggs made the change from defensive lineman to tight end this year and it paid off for him.  His ability as a powerful in-line blocker is likely what set him apart from Housler and Moeaki.

Offensive Tackle

Starters:  Charles Leno, Jr., Bobby Massie

Backups:  Mike Adams

Analysis:  Bears fans are likely to have some indigestion over offensive tackle, where none of the three players on the roster are worthy of unconditional faith.  Massie has struggled in pass protection this summer while Adams hasn’t played a down of regular-season football since 2014.  Leno, Jr., who began the offseason as a potential liability, now looks like the best player at the position for Chicago.  If one of the starters goes down, the Kyle Long-to-tackle experiment could be revisited.

Guard

Starters:  Kyle Long, Cody Whitehair (R)

Backups:  Amini Silatolu, Ted Larsen

Analysis: The Bears have some quality talent at guard, especially if Silatolu can regain his pre-injury form.  Long is one of the NFL’s elite players at the position, while Whitehair is entering his first season with kind of skill set that suggests he’ll be a 10-year starter.  Larsen is the ultimate swing guy along the interior, as he’s currently slated to start at center.

Center

Starter:  Ted Larsen

Backups:  Cornelius Edison, Hroniss Grasu (IR)

Analysis:  Larsen is the starter for now, but if he struggles early in the season, the Bears will turn to Edison, who in his second year with the team, possesses some appealing traits. Regardless, the loss of Grasu to a torn ACL in training camp set the offensive line into a tailspin that it still hasn’t totally recovered from.  Larsen is an adequate replacement, but losing Grasu has let a lot of the wind out of the unit’s sails.

Nose tackle

Starter:  Eddie Goldman

Backup:  Will Sutton

Analysis:  The most talented defender on the team, Eddie Goldman, once again holds down the critically important nose tackle spot as he attempts to take his game from impressive rookie to NFL superstar.  Will Sutton won the competition versus Ego Ferguson, which was expected because of Sutton’s ability to line up as a nose tackle.  Sutton isn’t the best defensive lineman in the league, but he’s a high-motor guy who will be a fine replacement when his number is called.

Defensive end

Starters:  Akiem Hicks, Mitch Unrein

Backups:  Jonathan Bullard, Cornelius Washington

Analysis:  This is going to be a fun group to watch in 2016.  Hicks has been every bit the physical and imposing force during the preseason that the Bears expected when they signed him in this offseason’s free agency period.  He has a chance to become one of the NFL’s better defensive linemen under Vic Fangio.  Unrein is a servicable player for now, but it’s only a matter of time before Bullard takes the job and becomes one of the stars of the defense.  His natural ability as a football player is obvious on game day, highlighted by his cat-like quickness at the snap of the ball.  And don’t rule out Washington, either.  Much like Bullard, he proved to have a near unblockable twitch at the snap which, despite limited reps during the preseason, was enough to earn him a spot on the final roster.

Inside linebacker

Starters:  Danny Trevathan, Jerrell Freeman

Backups:  Jonathan Anderson, Nick Kwiatkoski

Analysis:  The Bears went from absolutely abysmal at inside linebacker last season to absolutely loaded in 2016.  Trevathan and Freeman are the headliners, and for good reason.  Both players are expected to be two of the most critical pieces of any success the defense will have.  Anderson and Kwiatkoski survived the final cut, with Kwiatkoski — the team’s fourth-round pick in 2016 — looking more like a legitimate starting option a year or two from now.

Outside linebacker

Starters:  Lamarr Houston, Willie Young

Backups:  Leonard Floyd, Sam Acho, Christian Jones, Pernell McPhee (PUP)

Analysis:  There’s a lot of talent at outside linebacker in Chicago, especially once McPhee comes back after sitting out the first six weeks rehabbing his knee injury.  Houston and Young will do a fine job in his place, with scrappy veteran Sam Acho filling the swingman role for the group.  Rookie Leonard Floyd is going to have to bring his A-game early in the season, as there may not be any time for a traditional learning curve for the former Georgia Bulldog.  He has to establish himself as a pass-rushing specialist early in the season while he grows into a more well-rounded player.  Then there’s Christian Jones, who will be a critical piece on special teams and an overall good and reliable defender if and when called upon.

Cornerback

Starters:  Tracy Porter, Kyle Fuller (inj), Bryce Callahan (nickel)

Backups:  Deiondre’ Hall, Sherrick McManis, Jacoby Glenn

Analysis:  The success or failure of the Bears’ defense may come down to this position group, especially if Fuller is not ready to go full-speed at the start of the season.  Porter is a very good veteran cover guy who brings an alpha-male approach to the secondary and should, once again, be the leader of the group.  Callahan is a sound nickel corner, but he has to stay healthy to take his game to the next level.  Rookie Deiondre’ Hall showed a lot of promise in the preseason — especially when matched up against Josh Gordon — and could end up pushing for starter’s reps sooner than later.  Jacoby Glenn also flashed during the preseason and should do an admirable job if forced into live action.  Sherrick McManis is an asset on special teams.

Safety

Starters:  Adrian Amos, Harold Jones-Quartey

Backups:  Deon Bush, Chris Proskinski, DeAndre Houston-Carson, Demontre Hurst

Analysis:  The Bears kept a surprising six players at safety, which could be an indication of their lack of confidence in the group as a whole.  They want to keep their options in the starting lineup fluid during the early portion of the season.  I don’t expect the team to continue carrying six safeties, especially once McPhee and Wilson come off the PUP list.  The starting duo of Amos and HJQ is exciting from a physical presence standpoint, as both players like to bring the pain on contact.  Deon Bush was expected to make the final squad after the team selected him in the fourth round of the 2016 NFL draft.  Chris Prosinski, DeAndre Houston-Carson and Demontre Hurst will have to make some splash plays on special teams to keep their roster spot once Week 7 rolls around.

No players released by Bears were claimed by other teams.

By Lorin Cox

The NFL released the full list of all players claimed on waivers Sunday afternoon following every teams’ cut down to 53-players, and it was lacking former Chicago Bears players. In fact, no players the Bears waived this weekend were claimed by other teams, as the Chicago Tribune’s Brad Biggs confirmed.

That means all of the team’s practice squad eligible players are free to return to the Bears’ 10-man squad, should Ryan Pace want them. Players like Daniel Braverman, Ben Braunecker, John Timu and De’Vante Bausby are all free to be stashed.

Pace will almost certainly look to the unclaimed players from all 31 other teams to fill his practice squad, but he is fortunate to not have automatically lost some of his more talented younger players that he decided to leave off of the full roster.

It’s also worth keeping in mind that as the Bears continue to finalize their 53-man roster and add players cast off from other teams, more players currently on the team will be released, and another waiver period starts for them before those who are eligible can be added to the practice squad.

Stay tuned for updates on who Pace adds to his practice squad.

Bears give Kyle Long most guaranteed money for offensive guard ever.

By Eric Edholm

The Chicago Bears gave Kyle Long a lucrative extension. (Photo/AP).

The Chicago Bears really like offensive guard Kyle Long. You could make the case he’s their best player, and the contract the team just gave him reflects that.

The Bears have signed Long, 27, to a four-year extension worth $40 million, with $30 million of it guaranteed — the latter of which would be the most ever handed out to an offensive guard in league history — according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.

The previous mark had been Oakland Raiders guard Kelechi Osemele, who received $25.4 million.

On an annual salary basis, only Osemele ($11.7 million per year) would rank higher than Long’s deal at $10 million per. No other guard in the league makes an average of more than $8 million annually.

Long is back to right guard after playing last season out of necessity at right tackle. He has made three Pro Bowls in his three NFL seasons but struggled in pass protection at times outside last season. But with the signing of Bobbie Massie, Long was able to move back to his best spot.

There still is a concern about Long’s health, even as he’s missed only one game in his career. After suffering a calf injury early in training camp, Long injured his labrum and the team has been very hush-hush about his status. Some reports suggest he’ll be able to play Week 1; others are not as optimistic.

This deal also could other players. The Bears have 43 players signed for 2017, but one not on that list — wide receiver Alshon Jeffery — is seeking a lucrative long-term deal. The team’s salary-cap shape is pretty solid, so there still should be plenty of money to go to Jeffery if the team wants him.

Elsewhere, Dallas Cowboys offensive guard Zach Martin is in line for a new deal in the next year or so. It’s a guarantee that his representatives are looking closely at Long’s deal with an eye on perhaps surpassing it down the road.

How 'bout them Chicago Blackhawks? Blackhawks to host 2016 training camp in Chicago, not at Notre Dame.

By Brandon M. Cain

(Photo/Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports)

The Blackhawks will not return to Notre Dame for training camp due to the World Cup.

The Chicago Blackhawks training camp is staying in Illinois this year.

For the first time in four seasons, the Blackhawks will host their annual training camp in Chicago instead of at the Compton Family Ice Arena on Notre Dame's campus, reports CSN Chicago's Tracey Myers.

As Myers notes, the Hawks will be heavily represented at the World Cup, which begins its preliminary rounds Sept. 17 at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto.

Coach Joel Quenneville will be an assistant for Team Canada and General Manager Stan Bowman is a co-GM for Team North American under-23 with Edmonton Oilers GM Peter Chiarelli. Ten Hawks players are slated to play in the tournament: Corey Crawford and Jonathan Toews (Canada), Michal Kempny (Czech Republic), Marian Hossa (Europe), Ville Pokka (Finland), Artem Anisimov and Artemi Panarin (Russia), Niklas Hjalmarsson and Marcus Kruger (Sweden) and Patrick Kane (United States). Chicago defenseman Duncan Keith was named to Canada's roster but withdrew to focus on rehabbing his right knee for the upcoming season.

The training camp will conclude with the camp festival at 11 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 24 at the United Center.

CUBS: Redemption? Jason Heyward comes through to lead Cubs to another walk-off win.

By Tony Andracki

(Photo/csnchicago.com)

No player on the Cubs roster has been scrutinized more than Jason Heyward.

Heyward signed the richest contract in Cubs history in the offseason and has struggled to find his groove at the plate, but still maintained Gold Glove level defense in right field all year.

That wasn't the case Sunday.

Heyward dropped Hunter Pence's flyball in the second inning, putting a runner at second base with nobody out. Pence came around to score the Giants' first run and what looked like the possible deciding tally in the game with Johnny Cueto locked in on the mound.

Except Heyward had other ideas.

The embattled outfielder lifted a two-out, two strike pitch over shortstop to drive home Anthony Rizzo in the fourth inning and knocked in Addison Russell with the game-tying run in the ninth on a single through the drawn in infield.

But Heyward still wasn't done.

In the 13th inning, he singled over shortstop again to bring home Rizzo again in a wild 3-2 walk-off victory in front of 41,293 fans at Wrigley Field Sunday.

"It's good to be a part of it," Heyward said. 

With Heyward's year-long struggles, Joe Maddon opted to sit the slumping outfielder for an entire three-game series in Colorado last month.

Since then, Heyward is hitting .308 with nine RBI in 52 at-bats across 13 games (11 starts). 

"I feel like it's still coming," Heyward said. "I feel like there are still flashes of it. But either way, it's just one day at a time, keep competing, keep trying to do something each game to help win. That's the bottom line."

It's not like Heyward's three hits Sunday were struck all that well — a groundball through the drawn-in infield and two soft liners over the shortstop — but it also helps make up for some of the hard shots Heyward has hit right at people this season.

"Confidence starts showing up and then all of a sudden, you become more on time, the ball gets a little bit bigger," Maddon said.

Cubs starter John Lackey has called out his teammates for fielding miscues in the past, but had no such agenda for Heyward's dropped ball Sunday.

"You're never gonna get mad at him," Lackey said. "He's played Gold Glove defense all year. He's made a lot more plays than he's missed out there. I'll take that guy out there every day of the week for sure."

Heyward admitted he was thinking about the error for a little while afterwards.

"It took me a second to let it go," Heyward said. "... There's nothing you can do after that play. It happens. I know I don't make a lot of errors. 

"Just let it go and keep playing because you know you're playing a good team. Just gotta keep being a part of the game, keep doing what you can to help."

In a hard-fought series in which every game was decided by one run, the Cubs found a way to grind out three victories and finished the homestand with a 6-1 record.

The Cubs woke up Sunday morning with a 16.5-game lead in the National League Central, but despite being on the verge of clinching a playoff spot in early September, they continue to show their killer instinct, trying to win every single game.

"My takeaway is the fact that we have the lead that we do right now and we're playing to win...," Maddon said. "There's something to be said for that. Nobody's mailing anything in. Nobody's taking anything for granted. We're playing it one game at a time."

The Cubs bullpen was dominant all series, allowing only six baserunners in 16 shutout innings. It was the third game of the season in which Cubs relievers accounted for at least eight shutout innings.

In fact, the Cubs pitching staff as a whole limited the Giants to a .106 batting average (14-for-132) in the four games. The 14 hits were tied for the lowest the Cubs have surrendered in a four-game series in Wrigley history.

Five of the Cubs' last six wins have come by a one-run margin, including two in extra innings. They've also gone 9-0-1 in series at Wrigley Field since the All-Star break.

"Isn't it beautiful?" Maddon said. "That's what I've been talking about. We have a nice record, but we're coming to play every day.

"Everybody says, 'What are you going to do in September?' Nothing different. Just try to rest people when you can, but play the same game."

John Lackey returns as Cubs move forward with six-man rotation.

By Tony Andracki

(Photo/csnchicago.com)

John Lackey hadn't pitched in a game in almost a month, but naturally came out firing with a no-hitter through four innings Sunday.

Of course. Would you expect anything less with this Cubs team?

In a way, it was almost a worst-case scenario for Joe Maddon and the Cubs as Lackey kept the Giants hitless through the first 13 outs.

Before the Cubs' wild 3-2 walk-off win in 13 innings Sunday, Maddon said he wanted to limit Lackey to around 80 pitches, which could've meant putting a run at history on the backburner.

That situation never played out, however, as Eduardo Nunez lined a double to right-center with one out in the fifth inning and Lackey was removed after five with 76 pitches under his belt.

The veteran right-hander showed no ill effects from the shoulder injury that has sidelined him since Aug. 14, dialing it up to the low 90s with his fastball and showing his typical command.

"I felt pretty good," Lackey said. "I was locating the ball pretty well today. We had a good mix goin' on.

"You're not gonna feel nothing. It's just not possible. This time of year and this point in my career. There's things you gotta grind through; there's things you gotta adjust to. I feel like I can do that pretty well."

Lackey allowed two runs (one earned) while striking out four.

Prior to Sunday's game, Maddon confirmed the Cubs will move forward with a six-man rotation, with Mike Montgomery getting the start Wednesday in Milwaukee.

With a big lead in the NL Central and a playoff spot all but assured, the Cubs are aiming to keep every pitcher at the top of their game for a potential World Series run.

"Just trying to keep guys fresh for the rest of the year," Maddon said. "It's no more complicated than that. ... "I think every factor that can be considered right now, just makes all the sense in the world."

Maddon pointed to the rest of baseball, where young pitchers are being shut down for the season and even veterans are worn down by the grind of a six-month slate of games. 

Maddon acknowledged veteran starters like Jake Arrieta and Jon Lester may not like the addition of a sixth man to the rotation as creatures of habit, but everything is about winning that final game of the season.

He also referenced the way Arrieta ran into a wall in the postseason after pitching by far the most innings of his career.

"At the end of the day, these guys have been trained to think a certain way," Maddon said. "And I get that. I totally get it. But I also believe the training that really surpasses the conventional part is to get to a World Series.

"Last year, we saw it right before our very eyes with Jake and the jump that he had encountered and what it meant at the end of the season.

"Right now, our starters are pitching probably as well as they have all year. So I like to think that if we continue along this path, we can keep that kind of freshness about them."

How Joe Maddon's Cubs experiment is changing baseball.

By Joel Sherman

Cubs third baseman/left fielder/right fielder/first baseman Kris Bryant. (Photo/Getty Images)

Three games into the season the Cubs experienced the kind of devastation that could make an organization — especially this organization — feel hexed.

Kyle Schwarber slammed into Dexter Fowler and tore the ACL and LCL in his left knee. With 159 games to go, Chicago had lost its fifth-place batter and what many of its executives felt already was the Cubs’ best hitter.

But rather than Def Con 1, the Cubs turned crisis into success. The full mad scientist tendencies of manager Joe Maddon were unleashed. The MVP candidacy of Kris Bryant was burnished. And perhaps a revolution of creating and deploying multi-positional assets was sped up.

The Cubs no longer had Schwarber, but what remained was the majors’ most versatile roster and the manager most willing to exploit the versatility by, say, using a third baseman (Bryant), catcher (Willson Contreras) or second baseman (Ben Zobrist) in left to generate favorable matchups at a few positions.

“Joe really deserves a lot of the credit,” Cubs general manager Jed Hoyer said by phone.

Maddon has been a chess master, moving pieces all around the board. There were 21 players who had started at least 10 games at three different positions, and the Cubs had two (Bryant, Baez). Plus, in June they re-acquired Chris Coghlan, who is the only player to start at least 10 games at four positions (none of this includes DH and all stats were provided by Bob Waterman of Elias Sports Bureau).

And it does not end there. Contreras was promoted to play left, first and catch — the same trio expected for Schwarber. Zobrist, a Swiss Army knife during his career, has started at second, left and right. Baez has started at all four infield positions. Jason Heyward flips from right to center when needed. Heck, Maddon has used three pitchers in the outfield to exploit a platoon advantage with another reliever, but not lose the previous pitcher from the game. The athletic Travis Wood, in particular, is used in this manner.

Maddon is not the first to try any of this — remember Davey Johnson flip-flopping Roger McDowell and Jesse Orosco, for example, between the mound and outfield. But he is the first to do this on such a massive level for a highly visible contender. Many managers make more conservative decisions because they are easily explainable to the media. Maddon does what he believes is right to play best and keep his team loose, and if it doesn’t work he doesn’t blink in the glare.

By doing this so well — the Cubs have been the majors’ dominant team pretty much all year — and so often, Maddon now provides been-done cover for others. And, really, many clubs already are seeing what it means to have maneuverable players.

The Orioles were able to move Manny Machado from third to short during an extended injury loss of J.J. Hardy. Former Nationals shortstop Ian Desmond became the Rangers’ All-Star center fielder. Theoretic Nationals shortstop of the future Trea Turner has solved Washington’s center-field conundrum.

The versatility of Matt Carpenter and Jedd Gyorko, in particular, has been critical for the Cardinals. Jose Ramirez’s ability to flip between third and left has been vital in the Indians overcoming the loss of Michael Brantley.

And Bryant’s skill to not only play third, left and right, but do it where there is no drop off and allows, say, Baez’s high-end infield skills to be utilized more favorably is bolstering Bryant’s MVP candidacy. By being versatile, Bryant is making the Cubs better by helping to cover for injuries, provide rest for others or capitalize on favorable matchups.

Organizations are noticing. The Yankees, for example, are moving players around more in the minors. One example is sending middle infielder Tyler Wade to the Arizona Fall League to play the outfield.

“It is just smart to use athleticism to give your manager more flexibility,” Cashman said.

Again, this is not new. A player such as Tony Phillips made a career on versatility. But it is more valuable now than ever because:

1. There are more injuries. Even before Sept. 1 roster expansion, every team had used between 38 and 55 players en route to what certainly is going to be a record number of players used this season. Stricter testing for PEDs has led to more players wearing down. The ability to replace injured or exhausted players from within the roster without decline in performance is huge. Again, think of what Bryant does for Maddon at several positions.

2. There are more pitchers. Teams now routinely carry 12 and sometimes even 13. That limits positional maneuverability for a manager, unless he has player(s) who can make it feel like he has more than 25 players available by being able to capably move around.

3. There are more shifts than ever. The idea, for example, that someone is a third baseman who will play just at third base is gone. That player will often shift to short, maybe move to second. The Cubs can be aggressive spotting Baez where they want within a game because he is such a good fielder. If players no longer are playing traditional spots, then it only makes sense to train them to play several.

4. There are more attempts to play matchup than ever. Maddon, for example, might want to play Tommy LaStella against a righty, but to do that LaStella has to play second or third. Thus, to keep Bryant and Zobrist in the lineup, too, one has to go left. When David Ross catches Jon Lester and the opponent starts a lefty, Maddon probably still wants Contreras’ bat. So he has to go to left. Keep in mind left is where Schwarber was going to mainly play.

The loss of his elite young bat could have been destructive. Instead, it was instructive as a reminder that injuries and underperformance are coming for every team, and the best ones — like the Cubs this year — will find solutions. Chicago is doing it with what feels like a wave of the future:

Having as flexible a roster as possible.

WHITE SOX: White Sox win high-scoring marathon in Minnesota behind Jose Abreu's big game.

By Dan Hayes

(Photo/csnchicago.com)

The White Sox rode a career game at the plate by Jose Abreu to a comeback victory on Sunday afternoon.

Abreu homered twice and drove in a career-high seven runs and the White Sox rallied from four runs down to beat the Minnesota Twins 13-11 in 12 innings in front of 22,595 at Target Field.

Tim Anderson’s two-run double off Pat Dean helped the White Sox overcome a blown save by Dave Robertson to win for the second time in seven games on the road trip.

Brian Dozier, Byron Buxton, Miguel Sano and J.R. Murphy all homered for the Twins.

Tommy Kahnle pitched out of a bases-loaded jam in the bottom of the 12th for his first save of the season and third of his career.

“This is what you really expect out of (Abreu),” White Sox manager Robin Ventura said. “It’s pretty free and easy right now.

“(It helps) when you have a guy where you feel like he’ll get something started or drive it in. “That’s what he’s doing right now.”

Anderson made sure Abreu didn’t have to do any more heavy-lifting than he already had. With runners on second and third, Anderson worked the count full before he ripped a 3-2 slider into the left-field corner to score both runs. Anderson went 3-for-7 to raise his average to .285.

“The game is going back and forth and you don’t want to give in,” Anderson said. “It’s a relief --- kind of like my first hit.”

The White Sox had earlier rallied from a 10-9 deficit in the ninth inning on Avisail Garcia’s bases-loaded, two-run single off Brandon Kintzler. But Kurt Suzuki doubled off Robertson with one out to drive in the tying run. It was Robertson’s seventh blown save in 40 tries.

Abreu, who also went 3-for-7, made Sano pay for a first-inning error when he could have turned an inning-ending double play. Red hot on the road trip, Abreu hammered a 1-1 slider from Andrew Albers for a three-run shot, his 21st.

With the White Sox down three in the fifth, Abreu showed his finesse side as he dumped a 3-2 slider into right for a two-out RBI single.

The first baseman displayed his power once more in the seventh when a 1-2 curveball caught way too much of the plate resulting in a 465-foot shot into the second deck in left. Abreu’s second three-run homer of the game got the White Sox back within 9-8.

It was the first seven RBI-performance by a White Sox hitter since Jim Thome on July 17, 2009, against the Baltimore Orioles. Abreu hit .412/.412/.794 with four home runs and 13 RBIs on the seven-game road trip.

“I would say this is my best moment of the season,” Abreu said though an interpreter.

But the Twins easily erased their early four-run deficit when Buxton continued a monster series of his own with a game-tying grand slam off Anthony Ranaudo in the second inning. Dozier’s 18th homer since July 31 and 35th overall extended Minnesota’s lead to 7-4 in the bottom of the fourth.

Murphy made it an 8-5 game with a solo homer off the foul pole in the fifth inning. Sano, who also homered on Saturday, gave the Twins a two-run cushion with a solo homer off Matt Albers in the seventh inning.

Ranaudo allowed nine earned runs and 11 hits in 4 2/3 innings for the White Sox.

Those woes nearly extended to the 12th as rookie Juan Minaya walked the first batters he faced. Kahnle also issued a walk as the Twins loaded the bases. But Kahnle knocked down Eddie Rosario’s two-out grounder and Todd Frazier retrieved it and fired to third for the final out.

“I’m not going to tell you what was going through my mind,” Ventura said. “They’re not easy. (The Twins battled).”

Jose Abreu's resurgence a relief to White Sox.  

By Dan Hayes

(Photo/csnchicago.com)

There aren’t many louder noises right now than those being produced by Jose Abreu’s bat. But the heavy sighs of relief from everyone else in the White Sox organization can’t be far behind.

For the last month, Abreu has regained the form that made him one of the biggest offensive forces in the American League the previous two seasons. That the stretch -- one that saw the White Sox first baseman reach base in 29 straight games before Saturday’s 11-3 loss to the Minnesota Twins -- arrived after a lengthy slump in which he appeared mortal comes as a huge relief to both the player and club. Instead of heading into the offseason with questions about his ability, both Abreu and the White Sox know he’s still plenty capable.

“It’s encouraging, absolutely,” White Sox manager Robin Ventura said. “Even for his own sake, that he knows it’s in there and it can come out. It’s one thing for a guy to go through something like that and not find it before the end of the season, and you have thoughts going into the next season, some doubts that other people might put on you. It’s important for him to have that. Now his confidence level is just at a different level than it has been the past couple of months because he knows how it feels and what he’s doing when he goes up there.”

When he hits as he has since Aug. 2, Abreu has no equal in the White Sox lineup. Not only does he boast tremendous power, Abreu hits with runners in scoring position as evidenced by his .329 career average before this season in 323 plate appearances. He's the kind of bat an offense can be formed around and one Justin Morneau said he enjoys watching from the on-deck circle. Morneau is impressed with Abreu’s ability to adjust as he did in the eighth inning on Friday when he got enough of a 1-2 curveball on the hands to hit it into center field and break the game open.

“I don’t know if anyone is important than anyone else, but he’s possibly the most important hitter in our lineup,” Morneau said. “It’s just that threat you need in the middle of the lineup. You make a mistake and he can hit it out of the ballpark and even when you make good pitches he’s seeming to get the good part of the bat on the ball.

“Guy makes a great pitch inside (Friday) and somehow he pulls his hands inside and hits the ball up the middle, drives in two runs. When you have a guy like that in the middle of the lineup, it just makes everyone else better. He’s been getting on base for a month straight. It’s fun to stand behind in the on-deck circle.

“When I’m old I can tell my kids about guys I’ve played with and he’s one that will be on the list for sure.”

Entering Saturday night, Abreu had hit .379/.425/.664 with nine home runs and 23 RBIs in 127 plate appearances since Aug. 2. Before that, Abreu’s OPS was .770, more than 130 points below his career mark of .904 headed into this season. His average with runners in scoring position has also increased from .240 to .266.

Abreu said his turnaround has happened for multiple reasons.

He credits the team’s hitting coaches, including assistant Greg Sparks, for a technical adjustment -- “I’ve been using more of hands and synchronized the movement of my hands with my eyes, chasing the ball,” Abreu said through an interpreter.

He also said he received extra motivation from a month-long visit from Cuba by his 5-year-old son, Dariel. Abreu doesn’t want the perception to be that his son’s absence caused his slump. But he’s very pleased to have once again found this level of performance.

“I didn’t hit because I didn’t hit,” Abreu said. “I’m glad the last month or so the production has been there.

“I don’t think that there is pressure. I think there is motivation. When the people have bad thoughts about you, that’s good because that means you are held in high consideration to them. But I don’t think I feel pressure because of that.”

The White Sox front office also shares in Abreu’s enthusiasm. As they begin to construct the roster for 2017, they have a better sense of who they have in the middle. And knowing they don’t need to find a new man for the middle of the order could make all the difference.

With Abreu in full swing, the White Sox have hit .275/.330/.441 and averaged 4.6 runs per game. Those figures are up from .249/.312/.395 and 4 runs a game.

“It was his first time probably in his life and certainly in the states where he struggled,” general manager Rick Hahn said. “Inevitably the league makes an adjustment to you and it becomes incumbent on the player to make the adjustment back. We’ve seen that now where he’s making that and he’s looking a heck of a lot more like the player he was the first couple of years.”

Just Another Chicago Bulls Session..... Veterans scramble to stay in league after new additions.

By Steve Aschburner

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Free agent Lance Stephenson is among the NBA veterans hoping to continue his NBA career. (Photo/nba.com)

With teams adding draft picks, free agents, jobs become scarce.

The promise of the new additions increases the level of excitement each NBA offseason, as embodied by the shiny new players coming into the league.

Between the guys rounded up via the Draft -- lottery picks, future rotation players, sleepers, and longshots -- and a handful of unproven international imports who dip their toes in every year, there is change and fresh looks for many teams.

But NBA rosters are fixed.

There are 450 available jobs, most of them filled, a few of them shared. So if anywhere from 45 to 65 newbies find work in a given season, an equal number tap out and get pushed out of the league.

Some, like Kobe Bryant, Amar'e Stoudemire and Tim Duncan, are ready. Many are not. Some are fortunate and accomplished enough to retire on their own terms and timetables. Others may feel forced out and do what they can to find a door back in to keep playing a game they love, many of whom had never been without the game for a long period.

"As you go through a player's career, you're always working really hard to find him the right home, the right spot," said longtime NBA agent Mark Bartelstein, CEO of Priority Sports & Entertainment. "There are only so many jobs and free agency, in a lot of ways, is like a game of musical chairs."

Maybe it's a player of some repute still scaring up workouts as summer turns to fall, the way Lance Stephenson recently auditioned with the New Orleans Pelicans. Maybe it's a veteran such as Kirk Hinrich, Kevin Martin or Andre Miller, for whom the decision of playing another year gets made by others.

"Every agent who's done this for a while has had guys who have fallen through the cracks ... You don't want him to just take anything but at the same time you've got to take something."

– Longtime agent Andy Miller

There are "name" players such as Josh Smith or Chris Kaman, who would appear to be capable of helping some team and certainly never took a farewell lap. Or someone like Ty Lawson, who at 28 is back to short-term deals just a few years after landing big money (four years, $48 million) as an allegedly indispensable piece in Denver. Lawson's personal issues (multiple DUIs) prompted him to agree last summer to a non-guaranteed salary in hopes of proving himself to the Rockets, but he'll try to do that now with Sacramento.

For every Gary Neal who hops on Facebook in frustration and throws some Washington teammates under the bus by comparing their stats and salaries, there is somebody like Jason Thompson, a starter for most of his NBA career, who split last season with Golden State and Toronto is now headed to China to play for the Shandong Golden Stars. He was the 12th pick in the 2008 draft and he's just 30.

Plenty of others -- Norris Cole, Robert Sacre, Chris Copeland and more -- are grabbing what they can or waiting by the phone, hoping their agents will call or text with good news ASAP.

"Every agent who's done this for a while has had guys who have fallen through the cracks," said veteran agent Andy Miller of ASM Sports, "or you're beating your head against the wall trying to get leverage, maybe creating some job offers overseas while you're waiting for an NBA opportunity that would make sense. Or you're pitching him around with other teams.

"You don't want him to just take anything but at the same time you've got to take something. You don't want to be left without any money. All those things are going on simultaneously, quite frankly."

Miller's clients range from Kristaps Porzingis to Kevin Garnett, from Myles Turner to Markel Brown and all levels of players in between. Most often, agents get their air and podium time, as well as their most lucrative commissions, on the big deals signed by premium players early and into the prime of their careers. But they do some of their most challenging work once the free-agent frenzy of July calms down to more selective shopping in August and September.

"There are only so many jobs and free agency, in a lot of ways, is like a game of musical chairs."

– Longtime NBA agent Mark Bartelstein

"When you get a guy with a big contract, it's easy to pound your chest and be proud of it," Miller said. "Not that getting big deals is easy, but in comparison to the smaller guys, they take more time, money and emotion than the bigger guys. You care, you want to help, you want to be a good agent, you're competitive, you have your pride, you have your ego and you don't want to see failure on any front."

Europe or other international destinations provide alternative markets that are embraced by some players who find themselves adrift but eschewed by others who won't accept anything less than the Association. The NBA D-League is getting closer, as it nears a 1-to-1 affiliation setup with the NBA, as a potential place to land, to learn, to wait and to earn a promotion. But from the salaries there to how many teams still view the talent level, it's not quite there yet.

And even as players and their agents are searching for jobs, asking for tryouts or partial guarantees to come to camp, they're aware of the calendar turning and the clock ticking. Unless they're delusional or reckless, they're preparing for the end when they're in the middle.

"You feel a tremendous sense of responsibility," Bartelstein said. "Somebody is counting on you to build their career and have a long, sustainable career where they can reach all their goals and take care of their families. But it's very hard to have a long career in the NBA."

Some careers wind down, some sputter along on life support almost from the start, some end abruptly and prematurely. At least that's how Miller saw it when Bobby Jackson, the 2003 Kia Sixth Man of the Year Award winner, still was eager to play in 2009 at age 36.

"I remember vividly, because that one hurt me," Miller said. "I knew Bobby was toward the latter part of his career, similar to Jason Terry, but I didn't think he was done. I thought he'd bounce a little bit on minimum deals for another year or two. But when his contract expired, I couldn't get a bite in the league, in Europe. I had to apologize to him finally. 'I can't get you anything. It's over.'

"I was the last one to accept that. It was mind-boggling to me because I really thought he had something left in the tank and that other people would see it as well.

Sometimes you misjudge it, whether it's because of the emotional attachment or you genuinely believe it. Not all of it ends on their own terms."

The flip side was Chauncey Billups, the former Detroit Pistons point guard, five-time All-Star and 2004 Finals MVP. Now a studio analyst for ESPN, Billups still had a market in 2014 at age 37, but didn't bother to explore it.

"I wanted to keep going," Miller said. "I told him, 'Chaunce, let's get you another year.' He said, 'Andy, I appreciate it. You can do my deals in my post-career. But I'm done. I'm satisfied. I'm in a good place.' He stopped it. I didn't want to stop it."

So few of them do when it's in with the new and out with the old.

Golf: I got a club for that..... Paul Casey eagles 18th for 3-shot lead at Deutsche Bank.

By Doug Ferguson

Paul Casey, of England, watches his tee shot on the fourth hole during the third round of the Deutsche Bank Championship golf tournament Sunday, Sept. 4, 2016, in Norton, Mass. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)

Paul Casey looked at the leaderboard late in the third round Sunday and saw a lot more names in the mix than he realized. He took care of that with a 3-iron into 30 inches on the final hole for an eagle and a three-shot lead at the Deutsche Bank Championship.

Then he looked at the forecast, and realized his work was just starting.

Casey made birdie and eagle over his last three holes for a 5-under 66, giving him a three-shot lead over Brian Harman going into the Labor Day finish as he tries to win on the PGA Tour for the first time in seven years.

Only five players were within five shots of Casey, who was at 15-under 198.

Rory McIlroy (66) and Louis Oosthuizen (64), who staged a duel at the TPC Boston four years ago, were six shots behind. It was difficult to count out anyone with a forecast for 35 mph wind and burst of showers from the remnants of Hermine due in New England.

Starting times have been moved forward to give the tournament the best chance of finishing.

''I don't think anyone's completely prepared for tomorrow,'' Harman said after his 66. ''It's more about survival and just doing the best you can.''

Harman will be in the final group with Casey and Smylie Kaufman (68), who was in the group at 11-under 202 along with PGA champion Jimmy Walker (70) and Kevin Chappell, who had the lead going into the back nine until hitting a tee shot into a divot that led to double bogey on No. 12. Chappell shot 71.

''To be sitting here at 66, I'm obviously over the moon,'' Casey said. ''Even with the great ball-striking, I found it difficult at the beginning, but to turn it around and have a lot of looks for birdies and make a few to come in, it's been great.''

Chappell, still looking for his first PGA Tour victory, made a birdie at the 10th to get to 13 under until he went at the flag from the divot in the 12th fairway. He came up short in the hazard, tried to play out of the native scrub and went over the green and wound up with a double bogey.

''I said yesterday that at some point in time during the next 36 holes, I was going to be hit with adversity,'' Chappell said. ''Felt like I hung in there and finished with six straight pars from not-the-best position. So that's what I'm going to choose to look at, and hopefully tomorrow I can get the ball in position and try to make some birdies.''

Casey made his at the right time, and his eagle at the 18th sent him home with a smile.

He had 232 yards to the hole with the wind coming out in and out of the left. The wind picked up and his caddie, John McLaren, stepped in and called him off. The wind died slightly, and the fun wasn't over.

''It looked left,'' Casey said about his shot. ''And then the wind gusted and it went right. And after that, I was happy it got over.''

Casey was amazed by the low scoring, including his own, given the wind. The tour prepared for it by moving up several tees.

''A lot of guys were tearing it up,'' he said. ''Shows how good guys are out there.''

Casey has been through that before. Asked why he only has one PGA Tour victory - he has 14 on the European Tour, mostly recently the KLM Open two years ago - Casey pointed to his early years in the Tiger Woods era.

They seemed to play the same schedule, and Casey said that made it even tougher. And then there were the injuries, which slowed his career. Casey said he has had no excuses the last couple of years, and he was determined to change that.

All he has left is one more round, and what figures to be a day of nasty weather.

Dustin Johnson wasn't among those in the mix. He was a birdie away from tying for the 36-hole lead on Saturday. Starting the third round just three shots behind, Johnson stumbled to a 75 and was 11 shots back. Jordan Spieth didn't fare much better. He was five shots behind and had to rally with two late birdies for a 72. He 10 behind.

The top 70 in the FedEx Cup advance to the BMW Championship, which starts Thursday at Crooked Stick in Indiana. Casey was at No. 59 going into the Deutsche Bank, while Harman was at No. 67. Getting to the next FedEx Cup playoff event no longer is a concern.

Ryder Cup is less than a month away.

By Jerry Zgoda

The signature seventh hole at Hazeltine National Golf Course in Chaska. (Richard Tsong-Taatarii, Star Tribune file)

Fourteen years after the PGA of America awarded it to Hazeltine National Golf Club in Chaska, the Ryder Cup with all its particular noise-making, flag-waving patriotism finally is just 25 days away.

Back then 2016 seemed so far off, there was no guarantee that advancing golf-equipment technology wouldn’t render even big, brawny Hazeltine National obsolete in 14 years’ time.

But now listed at a maximum 7,674 yards that at U.S. team captain Davis Love III’s direction will play considerably easier, Hazeltine National will be ready.

Members have hit off artificial-turf mats for the past month to protect fairways. Come Tuesday, there will be no play at all for the next three weeks, all in an effort to make Hazeltine National — already dressed up with corporate tenting and grandstands galore, accessorized with American-team red bunting and dotted with 10 large videoboards — look its best.

The home team gets its first look at this revised Hazeltine next week, when Love will use a PGA Tour break between the FedEx Cup playoffs’ BMW Championship and the Tour Championship to bring many of his first 11 players to Chaska.

Love is coming to Hazeltine National next Monday to name the first three of his four captain’s picks. He’ll announce the U.S. team’s 12th and final player during NBC’s “Sunday Night Football” on Sept. 25, the night before both teams fly to Minnesota for the three-day biennial competition that begins that Friday.

He’ll stay — or return — to accompany players on their practice rounds.

“It looks like I’m going to be up there a lot that week, if I’m going to see everybody play,” Love said.

‘Ace in the hole’

Call it the home-course advantage for a team that already has had vice captain and Minnesota’s own Tom Lehman out to Hazeltine National multiple times this summer to strategize the only course other than Pinehurst’s No. 2 to hold a Ryder Cup, U.S. Open, PGA Championship, U.S. Senior Open, U.S. Women’s Open and U.S. Amateur.

Love calls Lehman “our ace in the hole” and said he has relied upon everyone from Hazeltine National club pro Chandler Withington to two-time Masters champion and 1999 Ryder Cup captain Ben Crenshaw, whose course knowledge there dates to the 1970 U.S. Open.

Love intends to have himself, Lehman or vice captain Steve Stricker on site throughout the week as players such as Jordan Spieth and Phil Mickelson — “as many guys as possible,” Love said — come and go on their own schedules. Some will fly in for more than a day, some for a day’s round.

Love pointed out that is how many of his players prepare for major championships: They visit before tournament week to get their work done early.

“Some guys want to play early, some want to play late,” Love said. “Phil’s always on his own schedule. Between Tom, Steve and I, one of us can be there whenever anybody wants to play. They don’t need to be baby-sat, but it’s nice to have somebody around when they’re there.”

Getting home-field edge

As home-team captain, Love will consult with PGA of America chief championships officer Kerry Haigh on how a course that already has swapped parts of each nine for the competition will be manicured and set up.

The course as played in the 2002 and 2009 PGA Championships will not be the same one Ryder Cup week: Holes 5-9 will be flopped with holes 14-18. The picturesque 16th hole that bends around Hazeltine Lake will now be the seventh hole.

That is being done so fans by the thousands and thousands — and many revenue-producing corporate tents — now can line the final four finishing holes without spectator space being cramped or limited to a hilltop on only one side of the fairway.

Love has said he wants little rough grown. He also has said he wants a course that could include three par-5 holes longer than 600 yards each set up shorter to make it conducive to birdies and eagles that will stir the American home crowd.

Statistical analysis of his team that says its strength is its wedge play rather than length off the tee, though, could change his plans.

European star Rory McIlroy noted that Love said he wanted similar things when Love was the U.S. captain in 2012 at Medinah Country Club in Chicago.

“Can’t remember how that turned out,” McIlroy deadpanned.

He was referring to Europe’s Sunday charge from behind that again brought it the Ryder Cup.

Love said he wants his players to feel “prepared” for Hazeltine National before they arrive for Ryder Cup week. The 12-man European team — already finalized last week when captain Darren Clarke made his three wild-card picks — won’t see the course until it arrives that last Monday in September because of a condensed schedule in both Europe and the United States caused by golf’s return to the Olympic Games this summer.

Europe has won the Ryder Cup six of the past seven times, and eight of the past 10.

Both teams will have three practice days — Tuesday through Thursday afternoon’s opening ceremonies — before the first ball is struck early Friday morning that week.

“You can still figure out how to play a golf course,” said three-time European Ryder Cup player Henrik Stenson, the British Open champion who is playing toward the Ryder Cup despite a small tear in knee meniscus cartilage. “You know what it looks like. I’ve played there before [the 2009 PGA Championship]. We’ve still got plenty of time to play practice rounds, so I don’t see that being a big issue whatsoever.”

NASCAR: Martin Truex Jr. Wins Southern 500 In Shootout With Kevin Harvick.

By Daniel McFadin

(Photo/nbcsports.com)

Martin Truex Jr. kept Kevin Harvick at bay in a 12-lap shootout to win the Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway.

Truex grabbed his second win of the season and the fifth of the career, while Harvick finished second for the 23rd time since joining Stewart-Haas Racing.

“This is unbelievable,” Truex told NBC Sports. “Always loved this track, led a lot of laps here in my career. Something always happened.”

Truex led 28 laps Sunday night, bringing his career total at Darlington in the Sprint Cup Series to 126 laps, while leading 441 in the Xfinity Series.

The win is the second in the Southern 500 for Furniture Row Racing. The first came in 2011 with Regan Smith.

“So proud to get to victory lane with this group,” Truex said. “The pit crew was flawless tonight, they won us the race. They took a lot of heat last week for what happened (at Michigan).”

The win gives Truex, who has been snake-bitten many times this year, wins in two of the three biggest Sprint Cup races of the year – the Southern 500 and the Coca-Cola 600. If it weren’t for a difference of .01 seconds in the Daytona 500, Truex could have been the first triple crown winner since Jeff Gordon in 1997.

“We’ve had a terrible string of bad luck, we’ve had super fast race cars” said Truex, who has finished in the top 10 only four times since his Coke 600 win in May. “I knew when the bad luck would stop coming, we’d start racking (wins) off. Tonight we weren’t the best car for once and we actually won, so that’s really cool.”

Truex had to keep from making a mistake while being chased by Harvick, who started from the pole and led a race-high 218 laps around the track “Too Tough To Tame.” The win marks the first time Truex has won more than one race in a season.

Filling out the top five was Harvick, Kyle Larson, Denny Hamlin and Joey Logano.

HOW MARTIN TRUEX JR WON: The No. 78 led the final 12 laps following a late caution, holding off Kevin Harvick for the victory.

WHO HAD A GOOD NIGHT: Kyle Larson led 45 laps and finished third in his 100th Sprint Cup start, a week after earning his first series win … Joey Logano finished fifth for his second top five at Darlington … Kasey Kahne finished seventh, earning his first top-10 finish in nine races (Sonoma) … Ryan Newman led nine laps, equaling his season high (Bristol II) and finished eighth.

WHO HAD A BAD NIGHT: Brad Keselowski led 45 laps but had to pit for a loose tire twice before Keselowski finishing eighth … Brian Scott brought out two cautions, on Lap 114 and Lap 204. The second was a result of Scott crashing on the frontstretch after contact from Tony Stewart … Stewart, in his last Darlington start, would finish 35th, 50 laps down after losing an engine on Lap 316 … Lap 214 saw Jimmie Johnson spin out of Turn 4 and hit the inside wall nose-first. Johnson finished 33rd, 39 laps down … On Lap 261, Greg Biffle pancaked the outside wall to cause the sixth caution of the night before finishing 36th … Defending race winner Carl Edwards was forced to pit on a restart with 34 to go with a left front tire rub. Edward finished 19th, a lap down … Aric Almirola and Clint Bowyer brought out the 10th caution with 18 laps to go after wrecking in Turn 1. Almirola earned his fifth DNF of the season and finished 32, 21 laps down.

NOTABLE: Kevin Harvick led his 1,000th lap of the season tonight, giving him 1,000 laps led in each of the last three seasons. Harvick also surpassed 10,000 career laps led, making him the sixth active driver to reach the mark … Martin Truex Jr. is the 11th different winner of the Southern 500 in as many races … Kyle Larson has top-10 finishes in all three of his Darlington start.

WHAT’S NEXT: Federated Auto Parts 400 at Richmond International Raceway, Sept. 10 at 7:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN

Dale Earnhardt Jr. to those who say he should retire: ‘My heart wants me to continue’.

By Dustin Long

(Photo by Blaine Ohigashi/Getty Images)

The anxiety about returning to racing is nothing compared with the stress Dale Earnhardt Jr. feels walking in a store.

Earnhardt, wearing glasses to help his ocular issues, expressed confidence Sunday at Darlington Raceway that he’ll return to racing for car owner Rick Hendrick.

Earnhardt will be out the rest of the season because of a concussion he suffered in a June 12 crash at Michigan International Speedway. That was his fifth recorded concussion since 2002.

“My heart wants me to continue,’’ Earnhardt said to those who suggest he should retire. “I’m only 41. I think I have some good years left, and I think I’m as good as I’ve ever been inside the car. I feel like I’m still an asset to the team and to the company.

“Rick likes to say we have unfinished business. I certainly feel the same way. We have races to win.’’

Earnhardt’s confidence stems from his treatment with Dr. Micky Collins, director of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Sports Medicine Concussion Program. Collins treated Earnhardt when Earnhardt missed two races in 2012 because of a concussion.

“It was very scary and difficult,’’ Earnhardt said of that time. “Micky told me that I would one day be well and I would win races again and he was right. We got well, and I had some of the greatest years and greatest experiences of my career shortly after that. So, he’s telling me this is possible again and I believe it.’’

That has helped fuel Earnhardt’s commitment to his rehabilitation program, which Collins lauded.

“I am positive that we’re going to get Dale to back to being a  race car driver, and I”m excited about that prospect,’’ Collins said.

Earnhardt admits that day isn’t today.

“I definitely don’t belong in a race car today by any stretch of the imagination,’’ he said. “You don’t know how long this process is going to take and we want to be healthy and able to compete at some point, but also we don’t want to take any risks and re-injury ourselves or put ourselves in a situation where we can basically erase all the hard work that we have done to get better.’’

Earnhardt said he’s made gains in his recovery.

“I’m starting to see improvements there, which I was thrilled to wake up one day and feel a difference and start to see improvement there,’’ Earnhardt said. “Riding in a car or walking to gain stability that I’ve talked about before is starting to improve, which was a major relief for me because that was probably the most difficult thing to deal with throughout the day because it was there 24 hours a day. My balance is miles better than it was when I first went to see Micky.’’

It’s quite a difference from how he felt when he first saw Collins for this most recent concussion.

“The first four or five weeks were really difficult,’’ Earnhardt said. “I was very ill and it was hard to enjoy even the most simplest activity, but in the past couple of weeks I’ve really gotten to where I feel a lot more comfortable about going out and being out and about and being observed.

“I go to the Target or somewhere and I have symptoms, I might stumble across the aisle or something or need a little more sidewalk than the normal guy, but I’ve got to put myself through those situations for that to sort of correct itself. Like Micky said, the anxiety and nervousness of the whole process drives all that, makes it much more than it really is.

“That’s why I feel awesome at home because there’s no anxieties or issues at home. You sit on your couch and almost convince yourself that you’re 100 percent and then you’ll walk outside and realize that you’re not, or you’ll go somewhere and have a symptom and realize that you have a long way to go.’’

Earnhardt is feeling well enough, though, that he’s comfortable to drive.

“The only ting I can’t do is get in a car and race,’’ Earnhardt said. “I can drive down the highway now that my symptoms have improved.’’

Even with the improvements, doctors felt it was best that Earnhardt miss the remaining 12 races to aid his recovery.

“I feel very strongly the right decision was made to take Dale out of racing, so we can focus on getting him better and reduce the stress that is associated with that,’’ Colins said. “Stress and concussion don’t get along well and we see stress can really exacerbate and worsen things. I don’t think its coincidence that since we made that decision we are starting to see a lot of progress here that I’m excited about.”

Earnhardt admits it hasn’t been easy to sit out.

“I think any race car driver would tell you if they are not in the car it’s really weird to be at the race track,’’ he said. “I feel, even though I love to see my guys and I know they are happy to see me today, I feel like a bit of a distraction and taking them off of their focus to get their car in tech and all that good stuff.

“I think that I have a vested interest in how well the team does the future of the team and its success, and I want to be a part of that.’’

And there’s no doubt to Earnhardt that he’ll be back in the No. 88 Chevrolet.

SOCCER: Fire snap streak of home draws, put away Union.   

By Dan Santaromita

(Photo/csnchicago.com)

The noise from the crowd said it all when Michael de Leeuw headed in a loose ball in the second half on Saturday night.

His goal gave the Fire a two-goal lead in the 72nd minute and seemingly put the game away. It was the first time the Chicago Fire had a two-goal lead in an MLS match at home this season.

For a team that has struggled to hold onto second-half leads at home, especially lately, it was a welcome change for the home fans. The loud cheer that accompanied the goal, one of the loudest of the season, seemed to say ‘finally.’

"In that moment we were able to break the opponent and finally score that second goal, which was very important and part of our gameplan at halftime," coach Veljko Paunovic said.

Arturo Alvarez added a third goal in the 90th minute after Roland Alberg’s own goal gave the Fire the lead in the first half. The 3-0 win broke a streak of three straight home draws for the Fire (6-12-8, 26 points), all of which the Fire held leads in.

A number of times at home this season, the Fire have had chances on the counter while leading and had never added that exclamation point to seal a game. When Luis Solignac broke free on a counter and saw his shot saved, it seemed another chance would be wasted. Instead, de Leeuw, who has quickly built a reputation as a forward who positions himself well to clean up the scraps, was there to head in the rebound and make it 2-0.

The win could prove to be a needed confidence boost for the Fire after the most lopsided loss of the season last weekend, a 6-2 defeat at D.C.

"The most important thing is we create a lot of chances and can score a lot of goals," de Leeuw said. "You can see it in the last four or five games. We created a lot of chances. You can’t score all your chances, but it’s good to create chances. The confidence is big because of that.

"At this point I think everybody’s confidence is high.”

Alberg scored a hat trick for Philadelphia (11-10-7, 40 points) when the Union beat the Fire 4-3 on June 22, but he scored in the wrong net this time around. Matt Polster dribbled into the box and tried to slide a ball through to de Leeuw. Alberg slid to break up the play and in doing so wrong-footed goalkeeper John McCarthy, who had to watch the ball slowly trickle into the goal.

Sean Johnson had a standout game in goal for the Fire, including a highlight-reel full extension save on a curling Chris Pontius shot in the first half and a couple reaction saves later on to preserve the shutout. He was credited with five saves.

Johnson said the team did a good job of putting the ugly D.C. loss behind it.

"We finally have a foundation," Johnson said. "I think we’ve done an impressive job over the past few weeks of really building on the first result we had away at Montreal and using that momentum to get better and better. On the night, a fantastic job all the way around the pitch and just doing what I can to contribute."

The Fire remain at home next Saturday against Toronto FC.

How will the USMNT lineup against Trinidad and Tobago on Tuesday?

By Nicholas Mendola

(Photo by Scott Halleran/Getty Images)

The United States is likely moving onto the final round of World Cup qualifying, where it will join Mexico, Costa Rica, Trinidad and Tobago, Panama, and likely Honduras (There’s an outside shot Canada fills the sixth spot instead).

At stake Tuesday in Jacksonville is the top spot in Group C, thanks largely to Guatemala’s upset of the USMNT in Guatemala City on March 25.

You could argue that winning the group is in some ways a defeat. While the Yanks and T&T would both prefer to earn all three points on Tuesday — a tie gives T&T the top spot —  the first placed team will open the Hex with Mexico at home and, probably, Costa Rica on the road.

While that also means that those matches are out-of-the-way, there’s a legit chance the group winner could find itself in a hole after a pair of matches.

Still, there’s little doubt the U.S. will go for the win, and Jurgen Klinsmann has a few things to consider when choosing his starters. DeAndre Yedlin is suspended through yellow card accumulation, and Matt Besler has returned home to be with his wife and newborn daughter.

John Brooks, Jermaine Jones, Clint Dempsey, and Gyasi Zardes will again miss out through injury, though Michael Bradley and Michael Orozco return from injury.

There are so many challenges to this particular XI. Cameron has been an American rock and center back, so moving him to right back for Yedlin means the Americans would be down to their fourth and fifth choice center backs. That seems unlikely.

And what does Klinsmann do with a somewhat muddled midfield? Michael Bradley won’t be kept out of the lineup, and Kyle Beckerman, Alejandro Bedoya, and Fabian Johnson were all quite good against Saint Vincent and The Grenadines.

The most straight-forward changes would be this:

Howard
Orozco — Cameron — Birnbaum — Johnson
Beckerman

Zusi — Bradley — Bedoya

Wood — Altidore

Honestly, it seems fairly likely. Though some minor changes are possible:

• Cameron goes to right back, and Omar Gonzalez pairs with Birnbaum at CB.
• Acosta, Johnson stay on left, Bedoya moves to right mid, Zusi out.
• Bradley lies deep, Beckerman comes out.
• Bradley and Beckerman play deep; Wood, Bedoya, Johnson beneath Altidore.

Now those are all assuming that Klinsmann doesn’t opt to insert Sacha Kljestan and/or Christian Pulisic after scintillating turns as 66th minute subs against SVG. The idea of trying both of them before the Hex is more than for entertainment purposes.

Here’s a way Klinsmann could do it:

Howard

Orozco — Cameron — Birnbaum — Johnson

Bradley

 Kljestan — Bedoya — Pulisic

Wood — Altidore

What do you think?

Germany begins World Cup defense with 3-0 win in Norway.

Associated Press

(Photo.yahoosports.com; Associated Press)

Thomas Mueller helped Germany launch a confident start to its World Cup title defense Sunday with a 3-0 away win over Norway.

Mueller scored two goals and set up another for Bayern Munich teammate Joshua Kimmich as the world champions eased to a comfortable start in the Group C qualifier.

“With Thomas Mueller I’d rather he had scored a few goals at the European Championship,” Germany coach Joachim Loew joked.

Mueller opened the scoring in the 15th minute, scrambling the ball in at the second attempt after seeing his first try blocked by a combination of Even Hovland and Havard Nordtveit.

It was an unconventional goal, typical of Mueller, who hadn’t scored internationally since the 2-1 win over Georgia in Euro 2016 qualifying in October 2015.

Mueller set up Kimmich just before the break, spotting his run and laying off the ball for the 21-year-old to score his first international goal, and the forward then rounded off the scoring on the hour, heading in a precise cross from Sami Khedira.

“He worked really hard at the European Championship and had a lot of chances without scoring a goal. This will do him good for the rest of the season,” Loew said of Mueller.

Rune Jarstein prevented an even worse evening for Norway with a good save to deny substitute Julian Brandt late on.

Manuel Neuer led Germany out as designated team captain for the first time following Bastian Schweinsteiger‘s retirement but the `keeper had little to do.

It was Loew’s 139th game in charge, putting him level with Helmut Schoen, though he still has some way to go before matching Sepp Herberger’s record of 167 matches.

ALSO IN GROUP C

Northern Ireland held the Czech Republic to a goalless draw in Prague. Filip Novak missed a great chance in the second half for the home side, which had looked more like scoring in what was a frustrating debut for new coach Karel Jarolim.

Ruslan Gurbanov’s first international goal gave Azerbaijan a 1-0 win in San Marino, which had defender Cristian Brolli sent off early in the second half.

NCAAFB: College football week 1 shockers, scores around the USA.

Associated Press

Houston tight end Tyler McCloskey (45) is congratulated by Josh Jones (74) after scoring a touchdown against Oklahoma in the second half of Houston’s 33-23 victory in an NCAA college football game Saturday in Houston. (Photo/George Bridges—The Associated Press)

Brandon Wilson went end line to end zone to score a touchdown with an Oklahoma missed field goal and No. 15 Houston beat the third-ranked Sooners 33-23 Saturday, looking every bit ready to compete in the Big 12.

Regardless of whether Houston (1-0) ends up in the Big 12 if the conference expands, coach Tom Herman’s Cougars made an opening statement that could have season-long ramifications on the College Football Playoff.

Elusive quarterback Greg Ward Jr. passed for 321 yards and two touchdowns for Houston. Wilson, though, provided the key play in the biggest regular-season nonconference game the Cougars have played in 25 years.

When Oklahoma kicker Austin Seibert’s 54-yard field goal attempt came up just short, Wilson reached up to catch the ball while barely keeping his feet in bounds. Reminiscent of Auburn’s Kick Six against Alabama in 2013, Wilson came flying out of the end zone, hit the sideline and hurdled a fallen teammate to score what went into the books as a 100-yard return.

“I thought I stepped out, but I didn’t,” Wilson said. “I just saw the green grass and I scored.”

Wilson’s dash made it 26-17 Cougars with 8:28 left in the third quarter.

“I was just looking for flags,” Herman said. “It looked too good to be true.”

Oklahoma called a timeout before trying the kick, which Herman said allowed Houston to set up for the return the Cougars practice about once a week.

“You know you have to cover it, but the personnel on the field isn’t the best cover guys because the best cover guys wouldn’t be able to protect the field goal. So you’re in a little bit of a dilemma,” Sooners coach Bob Stoops said. “I don’t really second-guess. I’ve seen Austin make that quite a few times.”

Baker Mayfield threw for 323 yards and two scores for the defending Big 12 champions Oklahoma (0-1).

No. 14 Washington 48, Rutgers 13 >> Jake Browning threw for 287 yards and three touchdowns, John Ross caught two touchdowns and returned a kickoff for another score in his first game since the end of the 2014 season, and No. 14 Washington looked every bit a Top 25 team with a 48-13 rout of Rutgers on Saturday.

Entering a season of lofty expectations, the Huskies (1-0) raced to a 24-0 first-quarter lead and were never threatened by the rebuilding Scarlet Knights, in their first game under new coach Chris Ash.

Browning threw for 277 yards and all three scores in the first half as the Huskies built a 34-3 lead. Browning should have thrown four TDs in the half, but Darrell Daniels dropped a pass in the end zone late in the second quarter.

No. 7 Michigan 63, Hawaii 3 >> Wilton Speight rolled right and threw an interception on his first snap as a starter. When he got his next chance to take the field, Michigan was backed up to its 2.

No problem.

Speight led the seventh-ranked Wolverines down the field on a 98-yard touchdown drive, capping it with his first of three straight touchdown passes in a 63-3 win over Hawaii on Saturday, their most lopsided victory since 1975.

“It speaks volumes and bodes really well for our team and for his career as a quarterback,” coach Jim Harbaugh said.

The Wolverines (1-0) did not reveal who would start at quarterback until the game began.

It looked as if the right decision was made.

No. 6 Ohio state 77, Bowling Green 10 >> Ohio State scored 10 offensive touchdowns and rolled up a school record 776 yards in beating Bowling Green Saturday, but was it enough to impress coach Urban Meyer?

Maybe not yet.

After the 77-10 romp, Meyer made it clear that he wants to see what his team can do when the competition gets more difficult, especially in two weeks when the No. 6 Buckeyes have to travel to Oklahoma.

“Well, it’s one game,” he said. “Let’s chat in about four weeks and see how we’re doing.”

Meyer started the day worried about how his many inexperienced players would perform on the big stage. Thirty Ohio State players were participating in their first college game. Lots of them ended up getting involved in the record-breaking day.

The 776 yards topped the 718 yards Ohio State put up against Mount Union in 1930.

Eight players scored touchdowns on offense as the Buckeyes (1-0) overpowered the Falcons in front of a crowd of 107,193.

No. 23 Baylor 55, Northwestern state 7 >> Seth Russell threw four touchdown passes in less than a half and No. 23 Baylor beat FCS team Northwestern State 55-7 on Friday night in its first game since the dismissal of coach Art Briles.

Russell was the top-rated FBS passer when he suffered a season-ending neck injury in the seventh game last season. He completed 14 if 20 passes for 163 yards. The Bears led 41-0 when he threw his last pass, a 10-yard TD pass to Pooh Stricklin with 5 minutes left in the first half.

Baylor’s offense looked very similar to what it has in recent years under Art Briles, the two-time Big 12 champion coach who lost his job in the wake of a May report from an external investigation into allegations the school mishandled complaints of sexual assault, including some against football players.

Acting head coach Jim Grobe retained the rest of the coaching staff, including offensive coordinator Kendal Briles, the former coach’s son.

NO. 8 STANFORD 26, KANSAS STATE 13 >> Christian McCaffrey had a two long touchdown runs and Ryan Burns threw a scoring pass in his first career start to lead Stanford past Kansas State.

With the Wildcats focused on stopping McCaffrey after he set the major college football record for all-purpose yards and finished second last year in Heisman Trophy voting, Stanford turned to its new quarterback to lead the offense early in the opener for both teams.

Burns completed his first 10 passes, including a 40-yard touchdown strike to Michael Rector on the opening play of the second quarter.
More scores:

SOUTH

Boise St. 45, Louisiana-Lafayette 10

Campbell 59, Bluefield South 7

Charleston Southern 57, Kentucky St. 7

Ferrum 39, Emory & Henry 38

Gardner-Webb 31, Elon 6

Holy Cross 51, Morgan St. 24

Limestone 35, Shaw 6

Maryland 52, Howard 13

Richmond 37, Virginia 20

South Alabama 21, Mississippi St. 20

Virginia St. 34, Lenoir-Rhyne 9

Virginia Tech 36, Liberty 13

Wingate 38, Johnson C. Smith 28

SOUTHWEST

Arkansas 21, Louisiana Tech 20

Houston 33, Oklahoma 23

Oklahoma St. 61, SE Louisiana 7

Texas A&M 31, UCLA 24, OT

MIDWEST

Benedictine (Kan.) 58, Avila 6

Cortland St. 30, Heidelberg 28

Doane 45, Friends 21

Grand View 36, Cent. Methodist 17

Illinois 52, Murray St. 3

Indiana St. 41, Butler 25

Iowa 45, Miami (Ohio) 21

Michigan 63, Hawaii 3

Ohio 38, Texas St. 35

Ohio St. 77, Bowling Green 10

Purdue 45, E. Kentucky 18

St. John’s (Minn.) 49, St. Scholastica 7

W. Michigan 22, Northwestern 21

Wisconsin 16, LSU 14

EAST

Bryant 41, Merrimack 20

Gannon 31, S. Connecticut 9

Georgetown 38, Davidson 14

Georgia Tech 17, Boston College 14

Hobart 41, Brockport 35

Monmouth (NJ) 23, Lehigh 21

Navy 52, Fordham 16

Penn St. 33, Kent St. 13

Pittsburgh 28, Villanova 7

Plymouth St. 20, Castleton 7

Shepherd 27, WV Wesleyan 12

Shippensburg 16, American International 9

Utica 40, Misericordia 6

West Chester 31, Bentley 24

West Virginia 26, Missouri 11

William Paterson 43, Alfred St. 13

Texas QBs each play big role in knocking off No. 10 Notre Dame in double overtime.

By Kevin McGuire

(AP Photo/Keith Srakocic)

Just when you think you have seen it all in college football, Texas and Notre Dame served up an extra batch of crazy for you on this wildly entertaining opening weekend for college football. Down by four, Texas running back D'Onta Foreman rumbled for a 19-yard touchdown to cause the stadium to erupt. The excitement of taking a lead on No. 10 Notre Dame quickly turned to shock as the Irish blocked the extra point attempt and returned the loose ball the length of the field for a game-tying two-point conversion. That would set the pace for an overtime thriller in Austin, which would be won by the underdog Texas Longhorns in double overtime, 50-47. Tyrone Swoopes scored the game-winning touchdown with his second touchdown run of the overtime, and Shane Buechele took care of business through the air for the Longhorns in the win.

Notre Dame and Texas each struck quickly with their first overtime possessions, scoring touchdowns. Tyrone Swoopes took care of the Texas touchdown when he came in for some power running duties. It took Notre Dame just one play for DeShone Kizer to connect with C.J. Sanders to match the Longhorns. Some nifty moves by Sanders helped pick up the score, but it was that kind of productive and efficient night for Kizer, who passed for five touchdowns and rushed for another. Kizer passed for 215 yards and rushed for a team-high 77 yards. Kizer and the Irish were unable to keep the touchdowns coming in the second overtime and had to settle for a go-ahead field goal with the first possession. That gave Texas one more chance to grab the lead, this time for good.

Despite an impressive night from quarterback Buechele, it was Swoopes who would once again prove to be the hero when he took a run up the middle of Notre Dame’s defense and stretched for the six-yard score for the win. It was Swoopes’ second touchdown run of the overtime and third of the game. Swoopes as a running option should be fun to watch for Texas this season. So too will watching Buechele develop passing the ball. Both played well in their different roles, and it worked to perfection for Texas.

A few things we learned from this game…

DeShone Kizer should be Notre Dame’s quarterback. While Brian Kelly was giving each quarterback (including Malik Zaire) a series on an alternating basis, he eventually came to grips with the fact Kizer should be leading his offense. Kizer finished his night with 215 passing yards to Zaire’s 23 passing yards. If the decision should be based solely on one game, Kizer was the runaway winner for the Irish, and a big reason why Notre Dame dug out of a 17-point deficit in the second half. The only question remains whether or not Kelly will give each a shot to play again next week using a similar structure or if he was just going off of the feel of the game. Things were better for Notre Dame with Kizer at the helm, and Notre Dame’s chances to do anything special this season should fall on his shoulders moving forward.

Speaking of quarterback competitions…

Leading up to the start of the season there was some suspicion Buechele was trailing Swoopes in the quarterback competition. Did he just find a way to hit fifth gear once the lights were shining, or was that merely some gamesmanship from Texas? Whatever it was, Buechele has set the bar high, and it finally looks as though Charlie Strong found his quarterback in Austin. Or maybe Strong can have the best of both worlds with a guy who can sling it when needed and another who can bring a power ground attack under center. That can be pretty dangerous as well.

And that’s not all for Texas. Despite giving up 37 points on the night, there was a renewed energy from Texas that had long been missing and very seldom seen since Strong’s hiring. Texas is going to be a problem in the Big 12. They have improved, but they need to show this was not a one game deal. It took a little longer than many Texas fans had expected, but the Longhorns may have finally turned a corner as Strong’s plan comes together.

Texas will look to go 2-0 next week with another home game. The Longhorns will host UTEP from Conference USA. The Miners picked up a season-opening victory at home against New Mexico State. UTEP quarterback Zack Greenlee tossed three touchdowns in the38-22 win.

Notre Dame gets to open their home schedule next week in South Bend as they look to bounce back from a tough, hard-fought road loss. The Irish will play host to Nevada (1-0) from the Mountain West Conference. The Wolfpack are coming off a nail-biter of a win against FCS Cal Poly (30-27). Judging by the first weekend, Notre Dame should be in a pretty comfortable spot next week in Notre Dame Stadium (3:30 p.m. ET on NBC).

NCAABKB: Texas coach Shaka Smart signs extension through 2023, get raise.

Associated Press

Texas is giving men's basketball coach Shaka Smart a contract extension and pay raise.

Last season, Smart's team finished 23-10 and the Longhorns lost in the first round of the NCAA tournament. The school considered that good enough to give him an extra year on his original contract with an additional $100,000 per season.

With the changes, Smart will earn $3 million next season, and his contract now runs until 2023. The changes were approved Thursday by university regents; they discussed the contract behind closed doors.

Serena advances at US Open with record 307th Grand Slam win.

AFP

Serena Williams of the US celebrates her victory over Johanna Larsson of Sweden during their 2016 US Open women's singles match at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on September 3, 2016 (AFP Photo/Don Emmert)

Serena Williams powered to a record 307th Grand Slam match win on Saturday to reach the fourth round of the US Open.

Williams moved ahead of Martina Navratilova for most match wins in the majors by a woman, and tied Roger Federer's mark for men with a 6-2, 6-1 pasting of Sweden's Johanna Larsson.

The American superstar, seeking a record seventh US Open title, next faces Kazakhstan's Yaroslava Shvedova, a 6-2, 7-5 winner over China's Zhang Shuai.

"That's pretty awesome," Williams said of surpassing Navratilova. "And what better place to do than here where it all started."

Williams claimed the first of her 22 Grand Slam singles titles at the US Open in 1999. A 23rd major triumph would take her past the Open Era record she now shares with Steffi Graf and closer to Margaret Court's all-time record of 24.

Although a right shoulder injury had left Williams looking vulnerable since her triumph at Wimbledon, she needed just an hour to subdue Larsson, the world number 47 who has never made it past the third round of a Grand slam and had lost in the first round of her six prior US Open appearances.

"It was a really good match for me, because she played a different kind of game," Williams said. "It was really good for me to have a different type of rhythm and just move the ball around. So overall it was pretty good."

On This Date in Sports History: Today is Monday, September 05, 2016.

Memoriesofhistory.com

1901 - The National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues was formed in Chicago, IL. It was the first organized baseball league.

1906 - Brandbury Robinson of St. Louis University was recognized as throwing the first forward pass in football history.

1914 - Babe Ruth hit his first home run as a professional player in the International League.

1918 - Babe Ruth (Boston Red Sox) threw a six-hitter in the opening game of the World Series.

1920 - Bill Tilden won the first of seven U.S. Open men's singles crowns.

1955 - Don Newcombe (Brooklyn Dodgers) hit his seventh home run of the season. The feat set a National League record for home runs by a pitcher.

1960 - Cassius Clay won the gold medal in light heavyweight boxing at the Olympic Games in Rome, Italy. Clay later changed his name to Muhammad Ali.

1971 - J.R. Richard, of the Houston Astros, tied Karl Spooner’s record when he struck out 15 batters in his major-league baseball debut.

1972 - Arab guerrillas, the Black September movement, attacked the Israeli delegation at the Munich Olympic games. 11 members of the Israeli Olympic team, five guerrillas and a police officer were killed in the siege.

1975 - In New York, Martina Navratilova appeared at the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service office and asked for political asylum.

1983 - "Sports Illustrated" became the first national weekly magazine to use four-color process illustrations on every page.

1987 - John McEnroe was fined $17,500 and suspended for two months for his behavior during a match with Slobodan Zivojinovic.

1989 - Chris Evert retired from professional tennis after a 19 year career.

1997 - The FOX group announced a deal to purchase the Los Angeles Dodgers.

1998 - Mark McGwire (St. Louis) hit his 60th home run of the season. The home run tied McGwire with Babe Ruth.

1998 - Sammy Sosa (Chicago Cubs) hit his 58th home run of the season.

1999 - The Cincinnati Reds set a major league team record for home runs in two consecutive games. The team hit 14 home runs over the two games at Veterans Stadium.

2001 - The New York Islanders signed Alexi Yashin to a 10-year $90 million contract. It was the biggest deal in NHL history.

2002 - In New York, the NFL held a concert to celebrate its season opener. Eve, Alicia Keys, Bon Jovi, Enrique Iglesias and 'N Sync's Joey Fatone performed. The event preceded the rare Thursday-night opener between the New York Giants and the San Francisco 49ers.

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