STATE COLLEGE — The Penn State football defense had significant points to prove Saturday night after a shakier-than-expected season-opening. They passed, emphatically so. The defense — after a bumpy beginning — made up for various struggles on offense and special teams, locking down on the previously-unbeaten Illinois Fighting Illini. The defense and running game dragged the Top 10 Lions to …

The victory over the Cardinals was a costly one for Lions defensive back Brian Branch. The NFL fined him $20,256 for a pair of illegal actions, one of which was a hit that sent him into concussion protocol. One of his $10,128 fines was for unnecessary roughness for use of the helmet on Cardinals tight end Trey McBride in the …

Ryan Williams continues to make highlight-reel plays as a 17-year-old for Alabama football. The Crimson Tide freshman’s fifth catch of the night was one to remember, bobbling a pass from Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe and securing it for a 54-yard play, his longest of the day. In the third quarter, Williams led all receivers with five catches for 102 yards. …

When the Seahawks visit the Lions on Monday night, they’ll have one of the best offensive weapons on the field. After missing two games with an oblique injury, running back Kenneth Walker is good to go. On the final injury report of the week, Walker had no designation. That hardly means the Seahawks will be at full strength. Defensive lineman …

It sure seems as though Manny Diaz is enjoying his return to head coaching in the ACC. After leaving his job as Penn State’s defensive coordinator for the past couple of years to accept an offer to be the head coach at Duke, all Diaz has done is win games. And on Saturday, he led the Blue Devils to a …

The Broncos promoted two players from the practice squad for Sunday’s game against the Jets. Denver elevated defensive back Tanner McCalister and inside linebacker Levelle Bailey to the active roster. McCalister saw his first action as a Bronco in Week 3, playing 12 special teams snaps against the Bucs after his first elevation of the season. Bailey, an undrafted free …

CLEMSON — Clemson football wide receiver Antonio Williams exited Saturday’s game against Stanford with an injury in the third quarter. The injury occurred during the Tigers’ opening drive in the second half. Williams went into the medical tent for a few minutes, exited and caught passes without his helmet on. Then, he went on the stationary cycle and did not …

The Jets elevated two players for Sunday’s game against the Broncos. Linebacker Marcelino McCrary-Ball and defensive tackle Bruce Hector got the call-up from the practice squad. McCrary-Ball’s elevation is a sign that the Jets don’t expect C.J. Mosley to be available. Mosley is doubtful with a toe injury. McCrary-Ball played in the Week 2 game against the Patriots when Mosley …

Everything that could go wrong for Georgia QB Carson Beck did in the first half on Saturday at Alabama. The Heisman contender suffered through a bad 30 minutes. He threw a pair of interceptions, a third pass could have been picked by the Crimson Tide, and then … Beck was pressured in the end zone and unloaded a pass. Problem …

For Eagles safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson, Sunday’s win over one of his former teams came with a price tag. A price tag of more than $45,000. The NFL fined Gardner-Johnson for three different infractions from the game against the Saints. We’d previously reported he’d been fined for an illegal hit on Saints running back Alvin Kamara. The out-of-bounds takedown, which wasn’t …

Alabama’s Jalen Milroe is tackled by Georgia Bulldogs’ Daylen Everette during the 2023 SEC Championship in Atlanta. In previous eras of college football, such as when formulas determined the national championship matchup, or for the past decade when only four teams advanced to the playoff, a matchup like Saturday’s visit by No. 2 Georgia to fourth-ranked Alabama might have acted …

Commanders rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels has had a great start to his career. On Sunday, it can become historic. With 64 rushing yards at Arizona, Daniels would set the record for the most rushing yards by a quarterback in his first four NFL games. Daniels has 171 rushing yards in his first three games. The record is held by Robert …

Yahoo Sports’ Caroline Fenton and Jason Fitz react to the Fighting Irish’s 31-24 win over the Cardinals and whether they are impressed by Notre Dame’s second win over a ranked opponent this season. Subscribe to the “College Football Power Hour” podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you listen. View more Video Transcript They say hungry dogs run faster. …

Why Foerster believes Guerendo compares to former 49ers RB Mostert originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area Isaac Guerendo only has six career NFL carries, but the rookie running back is making a strong impression on his 49ers coaches despite a limited sample size. While speaking to reporters Thursday, offensive line coach/run-game coordinator Chris Foerster praised Guerendo’s Week 3 performance, …

ORLANDO, Fla. — As the pressure closed in on Shedeur Sanders, the Colorado quarterback spun away and scrambled to his left before lofting a pass over UCF defenders and into the hands of his standout receiver, Travis Hunter, for a 38-yard gain. Time and time again, when the Knights thought they had contained Sanders, the senior would evade the pressure, …