Ricky Pearsall was drafted into the NFL by the 49ers from the University of Florida [Getty Images] NFL player Ricky Pearsall has been shot in the chest during an attempted robbery in San Francisco. Pearsall, 23, “sustained a bullet wound to his chest” and is in a “serious but stable condition” according to his team the San Francisco 49ers, following …

Former Oklahoma football coach Lincoln Riley appeared to possibly be a contender for the LSU job that eventually went to Brian Kelly. Or was he? Now at USC, Riley is set to take on the Tigers in Las Vegas on Sunday, which prompts a remembrance back to the night during the 2021 season after the Sooners fell to in-state rival …

LOS ANGELES — For as long as he can remember, Miller Moss always wanted to play for Southern California. He got to witness USC’s quarterback legacy be carried by Matt Barkley and Sam Darnold, and the hometown kid appeared to be in line to be the next signal-caller when the four-star recruit walked onto campus in 2021. Moss had to …

The first official Saturday of the 2024 college football season is in the books. Now it’s time for LSU football to take the stage with the marquee game of the day on Sunday. The No. 12-ranked Tigers take on No. 23 USC in what is now an SEC-Big Ten matchup following the latest round of college football realignment. Watch LSU …

Kyren Williams flourished last season once the Rams started to emphasize the run. He scored 15 touchdowns in 12 games. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times) They play in an offense that features one of the NFL’s premier passers and two of its most dynamic receivers. But Rams running backs Kyren Williams and Blake Corum will be pivotal pieces for …

NORMAN — Zac Alley didn’t really want to do it. He didn’t have a choice. After OU coach Brent Venables presented the new Sooners’ defensive coordinator with a game ball after a 51-3 win over Temple, Alley took a ride. OU players hoisted him in the air and Alley thought for sure he was about to take a header. “I thought …

(Los Angeles Times photo illustration; photographs from Associated Press) Maybe this is the year the Detroit Lions finally win the Super Bowl. Or perhaps the Houston Texans? Or how about the Cleveland Browns, who last won a division crown in 1989? (Incidentally, since realignment in 2002, every NFL franchise but Cleveland has won its division at least once.) Part of …

EAST LANSING – Free Press sports writer Chris Solari look back at Michigan State football’s 16-10 win over Florida Atlantic and looking ahead to the Spartans’ Big Ten opener Saturday at Maryland. Next up for the Spartans: Maryland Terrapins Matchup: Michigan State (1-0) at Maryland (1-0), Big Ten opener. Kickoff: 3:30 p.m. Saturday; SECU Stadium, College Park, Maryland TV/radio: Big …

It’s too dramatic to suggest Sanjay Lal has to mold a clump of clay into a masterpiece, but as receivers coach for the Chargers, he’s facing a significant challenge. The team has talent at the position, and certainly has invested draft picks, but in most cases those players are either untested or underperforming. On the other end of those passes …

Michigan football’s new kicker picked up right where his predecessors left off. Junior Dominic Zvada was a perfect 3-for-3 on field goal attempts and made three extra points to account for 12 of Michigan’s 30 points in the season-opening win over Fresno State. Zvada, a transfer from Arkansas State, looked like the natural successor for James Turner, last year’s kicker, …

Alabama football got its 2024 season and coach Kalen DeBoer’s inaugural season with the program started on the right foot with a 63-0 win over Western Kentucky on Saturday night at Bryant-Denny Stadium. It was a game that saw Alabama dominate in all aspects. Following the win, we asked for questions and comments from Crimson Tide fans. Now, we have …

Another week. Another nail-biting win for Florida A&M football. On Saturday, the Rattlers were staring into the eyes of losing its first game at Bragg Memorial Stadium since 2018 to the visiting South Carolina State. Instead, the Rattlers erased an 18-7 fourth-quarter deficit to outlast the Bulldogs 22-18 to extend the nation’s second-longest home winning streak to 21 wins. FAMU …

ATLANTA — Amarius Mims is a mammoth human being, so when he emerged from the Georgia football locker room Saturday after the No. 1 Bulldogs trucked No. 14 Clemson 34-3, it was another reminder of a program that changes faces but produces similar results year in and year out now. Mims was one of two NFL first round draft picks …

BLOOMINGTON — Indiana football coach Curt Cignetti was impressed with his team’s “crisp start” in a 31-7 win over FIU on Saturday, but had mixed feelings about the rest of the game with most of his concerns centered around the offense’s disappointing second half. “Just too many opportunities squandered,” Cignetti said. He thought there were as many 10 missed plays by …

As Texas football opened its 2024 season with a 52-0 win over Colorado State at Royal-Memorial Stadium on Saturday afternoon, junior quarterback Quinn Ewers attempted 27 passes. One of those attempts stood out among the rest. In the waning seconds of the second quarter, Ewers fired an 11-yard touchdown pass to receiver Matthew Golden. Upon further review, it appeared that …