In most seasons, a matchup with Vanderbilt following a loss to Georgia would be viewed as the perfect tonic for a bounce back, but 2024 has changed that perception. This isn’t the same nerdy Vanderbilt the league’s other teams figuratively bullied and stuffed into the Southeastern Conference lockers in most seasons dating back to, like, forever. Texas coach Steve Sarkisian …

Receiver Cooper Kupp is set to return Thursday night when the Rams play the Vikings. He was a full participant in practice all week. Kupp has missed the past four games with an ankle injury. The question is: Will this be Kupp’s final game with the team? He has been the subject of trade speculation. The Rams’ other star receiver, …

Louisville football is on the road this week to face another ACC opponent in Boston College. The Cardinals are coming off a home loss to Miami, which dropped them to 4-3 on the season and 2-2 in league action. U of L will face the Eagles (4-3, 1-2 ACC) at 7:30 p.m. Friday at Alumni Stadium. Bowl season is scheduled …

Browns quarterback Jameis Winston has been mostly a backup for the last five years, but he’s starting on Sunday, and he thinks he’s going to show he’s a lot more than just a backup. Winston, who will start in place of the injured Deshaun Watson against the Ravens, said he’s not just a good starter but a great starter. “I …

ORLANDO, Fla. — Sometimes college football fans, just like coaches, should be expected to make adjustments. Instead of Florida Gators fans flooding social media platforms and crippling recruiting efforts with demands that Billy Napier be fired, how cool would it be if they called an audible and demanded that he be retained? In this era of noxious negativity in which …

The status of Vikings tight end T.J. Hockenson is still up in the air for Thursday night’s game against the Rams. Hockenson (knee) has been listed as questionable for the Week 8 matchup. Hockenson is returning from injured reserve after tearing his ACL and MCL late last season. He will have to be activated to play on Thursday, but his …

The Blue Wahoos are blending Halloween, football and fireworks into a unique night with their latest themed event on Friday at Blue Wahoos Stadium. It’s a combination centering around the second First City Bowl/Halloween Spectacular, presented by Cox Mobile, featuring Pensacola High against West Florida with its kickoff at 7 p.m. The pregame is a trick-or-treat experience for children and …

Everyone on the Dolphins have missed quarterback Tua Tagovailoa during his extended absence after a Week Two concussion and wide receiver Tyreek Hill might have missed him more than just about anyone else. Hill had 10 catches for 154 yards and a touchdown before Tagovailoa’s injury, but he has had just 14 catches for 140 yards since Tagovailoa was knocked …

Welcome to the USA TODAY Network’s recruiting ladder, a statewide feature from reporter Joe Hughes highlighting prospects on the rise each week of the 2024 high school football season. Anyone is eligible for consideration, whether it be an unranked player who had a career game, a recruit with mid-level offers, or four- and five-star standouts adding to their personal highlight …

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said Tuesday that linebacker Micah Parsons and cornerback DaRon Bland would be game-time decisions for Sunday Night Football. Neither player practiced Wednesday as they worked with the rehab group. Parsons (ankle) has missed the past two games and could miss three, he acknowledged earlier this week. He had never missed a game for injury before the …

PISCATAWAY – This hasn’t been a typical week for Rutgers football. The Scarlet Knights already had a short week, but they also altered their travel schedule to head to Los Angeles on Wednesday to adjust to pacific time ahead of their game against the USC Trojans Friday night at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Needing a victory to snap a three-game …

Patrick Mahomes is far from his vintage self but the Chiefs are still 6-0.Photograph: Charlie Riedel/AP Seven weeks into their bid for immortality, the Kansas City Chiefs are undefeated. They’ve ripped off wins against the likes of the Ravens, 49ers and Bengals on their way to a 6-0 start. On defense they’ve been elite, putting a succession of the game’s …

WEST LAFAYETTE — Purdue wide receiver Leland Smith was living with six people inside of a crowded two-bedroom apartment in Fullerton, California, a 23-mile drive from the busy freeways of Orange County to Los Angeles. Smith gambled on himself when he left his home state of Texas in 2023 after he’d been a walk-on at TCU to join Fullerton College. …

Bill Belichick, who got one interview and no offers with seven jobs open in January, has crafted the ultimate media bully pulpit. And he’s possibly using it to maximize his options for 2025 — and to settle scores in 2024. He has taken shots at his old nemesis in New York, Jets owner Woody Johnson. On Monday, Belichick stirred things …

A week and a half have passed, and Ohio State’s pain from its loss to Oregon lingers. The Buckeyes have had time to process it by now. They know that when the 2024 season is over, that game in Eugene will be viewed as a turning point. But which will it be: a wake-up call on the way to a …