Eric Canha-Imagn Images New North Carolina coach Bill Belichick got a good look at what he’s set to inherit in Chapel Hill on Saturday. UNC entered its Fenway Bowl matchup against UConn as a 2.5-point favorite under interim head coach Freddie Kitchens but fell into a 20-point deficit at the start of the fourth quarter and suffered its fifth straight …

2025 NFL Draft order: Where Pats stand in first round after Week 17 loss originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston The No. 1 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft is still in play for the New England Patriots Saturday’s 40-7 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers brought the Patriots’ 2024 record to 3-13. They still own the No. 2 pick …

. A reunion between DJ Lagway and former high school teammate Jermaine Bishop Jr. could happen in Gainesville. Jermaine Bishop Jr., a four-star athlete out of Willis High (Texas), narrowed down his options to eight programs on Friday — Florida, Houston, Michigan, Penn State, Oklahoma, Texas, Texas A&M and USC — according to 247Sports. Bishop plays on both sides of …

The Dallas Cowboys were eliminated from the NFL playoff picture prior to their primetime kickoff against the Buccaneers last week, but they still notched a 26-24 win as 4.5-point underdogs. They have won four of their last five games, their lone loss coming by one touchdown against Cincinnati earlier this month. Dallas is a seven-point road underdog against Philadelphia in …

USATSI Former Mississippi State running back Dontae Walker has died, the university announced Saturday. Walker was a Mississippi high school football star who played 41 games for the Bulldogs over four seasons, finishing with 1,875 yards rushing and 22 touchdowns. Walker’s best seasons with the Bulldogs came during his sophomore and junior campaigns, and the most memorable play from his …

Five 49ers to watch in Week 17 game vs. revenge-seeking Lions originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area The rematch of the NFC Championship Game will look nothing like last season’s NFC Championship Game. The 49ers rallied from a 17-point halftime deficit for a 34-31 victory on Jan. 28 at Levi’s Stadium to advance to the Super Bowl. This season, they …

Texas Longhorns defensive coordinator Pete Kwiatkowski answer questions from the local news media during the first press conferences for the 2023 football season on August 1, 2023. The Texas Longhorns secured a spot in the Peach Bowl by defeating the Clemson Tigers at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. However, with every win, lessons are still to be learned, and defensive …

Saturday’s showdown between the Bengals and Broncos will feel like a playoff game because, in many ways, that’s exactly what it is for both teams, especially for the home team.  The Bengals’ playoff hopes are best summarized by Lloyd Christmas’ famous quote from the comedy classic “Dumb and Dumber.” Yes, the Bengals have a chance at making the playoffs, but …

No. 13 Miami and No. 18 Iowa State will clash in one of only three bowl games outside the College Football Playoff including two ranked teams. As you’d expect in this situation, it’s also a battle between two teams who came up just short of their goals. Miami began its season with nine straight wins. It was a favorite to …

Patriots quarterback Drake Maye is back after briefly exiting today’s game for a concussion evaluation. Maye was hit hard in the head along the sideline and went to the locker room to get checked out. Jacoby Brissett replaced him, and the Patriots’ offense went three-and-out on Brissett’s lone drive. But once Maye was cleared to return, he got back on …

Dec 7, 2024; Atlanta, GA, USA; ESPN announcer Jordan Rodgers before the 2024 SEC Championship game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images It’s college football bowl season in 2024! Woohoo! And in the 2024 Pop-Tarts Bowl taking place in Orlando, we’ve got Iowa State playing against Miami — the Hurricanes are ranked No. 13 in the country, and …

Breer: Patriots must ‘modernize,’ add to front office around Wolf originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston It’s no secret the New England Patriots must improve their roster this upcoming offseason, but some of the most impactful changes could be made in the front office. When the Patriots moved on from Bill Belichick last winter, they lost a legendary head coach …

More than 60% of Power Four quarterbacks were transfers at one point in their career. That percentage has carried over into the College Football Playoff, where five of the eight starters in the quarterfinals — everyone but Gunner Stockton (Georgia), Drew Allar (Penn State) and Maddux Madsen (Boise State) — are former transfers.  So how did their portal recruitments go …

Getty Images The NFC West has been tight all season, but finally some separation has occurred with the playoffs on the horizon. The Los Angeles Rams bested the New York Jets in Week 16 to win their fourth straight, securing a division lead with two games to go. The Arizona Cardinals, meanwhile, failed to outlast the Carolina Panthers in overtime …

Photo: Isaiah Hole TAMPA, Fla. — Everyone was waiting for the ‘O.G.’ of the Michigan football defense to show up as he had in his previous roles, and as Wink Martindale tells it, things started to click for the Wolverines defensively in the second half of the Oregon game. That led to closer-than-expected games against Indiana and Ohio State, with the …