Sports

By Mark Puleo, Jeff Zrebiec and Tashan Reed

A sideline official collapsed, received CPR and was later taken off the field on a stretcher on the Baltimore Ravens sideline in the second quarter of Sunday’s game with the Las Vegas Raiders. The official, who was working the first-down chain marker, was seen waving his hand and moving his mouth as he was stretchered off.

A member of the chain gang crew collapsed. He was immediately attended to by medical personnel. Upon leaving the field, he was alert and responsive. He’s being taken to a local hospital.

— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) September 15, 2024

On the field, Ravens and Raiders players quickly took a knee as the Baltimore medical staff attended to the official and administered CPR.

The incident occurred at the 2:36 mark of the second quarter while a play was under replay challenge. According to a member of the Ravens public relations, the chain gang member was alert and responsive as he was taken to a local hospital.

The game was delayed for about 10 minutes due to the incident, then resumed.

(Photo: Patrick Smith / Getty Images)

College football has a new No. 1 team in the AP Top 25 poll, as Texas jumped past Georgia for the top spot on Sunday. The move comes after the Longhorns demolished UTSA 56-7 and the Bulldogs barely escaped Kentucky 13-12.

Texas made an early-season statement last week with its blowout win at Michigan, and now it’s No. 1 for the first time since 2008. The Longhorns picked up an easy win against the Roadrunners, a game in which quarterback Quinn Ewers was injured with a strained oblique and replaced by Arch Manning. Texas received 35 first-place votes to No. 2 Georgia’s 23 and No. 3 Ohio State’s five.

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Why Texas is the right No. 1 over Georgia: Behind the AP Top 25 ballot

The last time Texas appeared at No. 1, it lost a thriller at Texas Tech on Nov. 1, 2008. The Longhorns are the first team outside of Alabama, Georgia, Clemson, LSU and Michigan to appear at No. 1 in the AP poll since Ohio State in 2015.

Alabama and Ole Miss held steady to round out the top five, followed by Tennessee, Missouri, Miami, Oregon and Penn State. The SEC holds six of the top seven spots for the second consecutive week.

Others receiving votes: Memphis 77, Boise State 62, Syracuse 62, UNLV 54, Boston College 47, Washington State 30, Arizona 15, Iowa 15, Indiana 13, California 11, Liberty 10, Toledo 9, UCF 6, South Carolina 3, North Carolina 3, Arizona State 3, BYU 2, Pittsburgh 1

How Week 3 impacted the rankings

Though there were a few close calls, only two ranked teams lost, both to ranked opponents: No. 20 Arizona at No. 14 Kansas State on Friday and No. 24 Boston College at No. 6 Missouri on Saturday. Arizona and Boston College both tumbled from the poll and were replaced by No. 24 Illinois, which is quietly 3-0, and No. 25 Texas A&M, which easily won at Florida. Memphis just missed the cut, trailing Texas A&M by five voting points.

There was little movement in the poll, as nobody moved more than two spots up or down within the rankings, but Week 3 still created drama at the top with Texas claiming first place. And Texas’ move creates a new look for the College Football Playoff bracket based on the AP poll, as Georgia would now be hosting Northern Illinois in the first round:

What’s next?

Week 4 has four matchups of teams ranked in the AP Top 25, three of which are products of this year’s conference realignment. In the Big Ten, No. 11 USC visits No. 18 Michigan. In the SEC, No. 6 Tennessee visits No. 15 Oklahoma. And in the Big 12, No. 12 Utah visits No. 14 Oklahoma State. All of those games offer early chances to make statements in the races for both conference titles and College Football Playoff bids.

Friday night offers a surprise ranked matchup, as No. 22 Nebraska hosts No. 24 Illinois. It will be Nebraska’s first time playing in a matchup of two AP-ranked teams since a 62-3 loss to Ohio State on Nov. 5, 2016.

Required reading

(Photo: Tim Warner / Getty Images)

NEW YORK — Saturday’s drama between the New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox appeared as if it might carry over into the final game of the season between the two rivals, thanks to some pre-game comments from Red Sox manager Alex Cora.

The game itself, however, remained tame, as the Yankees pulled out a 5-2 victory, taking three of four from the Red Sox.

Prior to the game, Cora insinuated that starting pitcher Brayan Bello purposefully threw at Yankees superstar Aaron Judge in the sixth inning on Saturday as revenge for Gerrit Cole hitting Rafael Devers in the first. Cora was asked if he considered Saturday’s Devers’ intentional walk and hit-by-pitch incident a closed case.

“It was closed yesterday around the sixth inning,” Cora said. “We had our chance. It didn’t happen and we have to move on.”

Bello threw a 97.4 mph sinker behind Judge’s back on a 0-0 count; he then threw a 97.2 mph four-seam fastball far inside and off the plate.

“It’s baseball. He missed,” Judge said after Sunday’s game when asked about Cora’s comments. “Nothing I can do about it besides take it and go to first. It is what it is.”

Cora said he spoke with Judge after Saturday’s game and called it a “professional” conversation, but neither he nor Judge would divulge what was discussed.

“It was a good convo, we’ll kind of keep it at that,” Judge said.

On Sunday, Judge’s two-run homer in the third gave the Yankees a 4-0 lead. As he headed toward first, the Yankees slugger carried his bat nearly the entire way down the first-base line.

“It’s a big homer. We’re playing the Red Sox. This is a big rival, big game, big moment. I’m just having some fun with it there,” he said.

The homer helped squash any momentum the Red Sox were hoping to gain from the Saturday win.

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Yankees manager Aaron Boone said on Sunday that he believes Cora was playing up the moment to help provide a spark for a team outside the postseason picture.

“I think it’s a manager that’s using that moment to rally his troops a little bit as they’re fighting for their playoff lives,” Boone said. “They’re playing for a lot over there. And I think it’s an opportunity to kind of galvanize them a little bit. Probably a little gamesmanship to it. So that’s part of it.”

Prior to Sunday’s loss, Cora had expressed hope that the Saturday drama would serve as springboard for his club. But Boston now sits 4 1/2 games back of the third American League wild-card spot while New York owns a three-game lead in first place in the AL East.

“I was talking to a veteran today, if this happens (making the playoffs), we’re going to look back at (Saturday) and we’re probably going to thank Gerrit Cole to get us going to be honest with you,” Cora said. “And hopefully it happens. Hopefully we can face them in the playoffs because he will have to pitch. But, we still have a long way. I’m not promising we’re going to make it to the playoffs, but if we do, I think everybody’s going to look back at Saturday and hopefully it happens.” 

Required reading

(Photo: Ed Zurga / Getty Images)

The Solheim Cup again belongs to the Americans.

The U.S. team successfully finished their leftover business from a year ago, winning the cup for the first time since 2017. The final score was 15.5-12.5, the biggest gap since 2017 when the Americans won by five points.

It was Lilia Vu who earned the clinching half-point. Down by one in her match to Albane Valenzuela, Vu sent the crowd at Robert Trent Jones Golf Course in Gainesville, Va. into hysteria with an approach shot at No. 18 hit to two feet. Valenzuela left her long birdie putt short, Vu smoothly hit her ball in and got the U.S. to 14.5 points.

Vu, wrapped in an American flag, told NBC that she felt like she had not done enough to help the team this week but that Sunday was her chance to make up for it.

“On the 18th hole, in the middle of the fairway, I saw we were at 14 points and I was like, oh shoot, I better birdie this. Let me try my best,” Vu said.

U.S. captain Stacy Lewis helmed a winning strategy all week, beginning on Friday with a pair of sessions that the U.S. won 3-1. The European team fought back to tie the U.S. in both sessions on Saturday, but it left the Euros still four points down and needing a dramatic Sunday singles rally.

That did not come, with Lewis putting many of her best players all week out first. While Charley Hull dominated world No. 1 Nelly Korda 6&4 in the opening match and Georgia Hall beat Alison Lee 4&3 in match No. 3, there was enough American firepower to earn the necessary points.

Megan Khang beat Emily Pedersen 6&5 for point No. 11, and Rose Zhang (4-0 this week without ever having to play the final two holes) took down Carlota Ciganda 6&4 for the 12th point. Allisen Corpuz beat Anna Nordqvist 4&3 for the 13th point. Andrea Lee earned a half-point against Esther Henseleit.

There were then tense moments as the Americans searched for the clinching point.

Celine Boutier, three down after 11 holes, rallied in her match against Lexi Thompson, making a birdie on No. 18 to win and narrow it to 13.5-9.5. Leona Maguire, curiously only used once in the first two days despite a stellar history in this event, got the Euros to 10.5 points with a 4&3 win against Ally Ewing. Then Maja Stark made a 10-foot par putt to half her match with Lauren Coughlin, leaving the U.S. a half-point shy.

A year ago the Solheim Cup ended in a 14-14 tie so the Europeans, winners of the 2019 and 2021 competitions, retained the cup. That left a sour taste in the mouths of the Americans, who spoke openly of their desire to finish the job this time around.

The event is typically held biennially but was held back-to-back years to get away from the Ryder Cup schedule.

Required reading

(Top photo of Rose Zhang: Gregory Shamus / Getty Images)

Hearing the familiar sounds of clacking sticks and pucks banging off the boards and glass while watching Columbus Blue Jackets prospects from the stands of a cold rink on a warm late-summer afternoon was not enough to wash away the lingering residuals of grief for Don Waddell on Saturday.

That, the Blue Jackets’ general manager acknowledged, will take more time than anyone can guess — weeks, months, perhaps an entire season and beyond.

What mattered is how spending the weekend attending the Sabres Prospects Challenge represented a start to what Waddell called among the first steps in refocusing on hockey and the future in the aftermath of Columbus star Johnny Gaudreau and his brother Matthew’s deaths when struck by a suspected drunken driver while riding bicycles on Aug 29.

“We got to play hockey,” Waddell said.

“We’re not going to forget about Johnny and his family, the Gaudreau family.”

He then reflected on the speech Johnny Gaudreau’s wife, Meredith, made during the brothers’ funeral on Monday, by urging those in mourning to move forward as she will in focusing on raising her children.

“Everybody knows that Johnny wants them to play hockey,” Waddell said. “And everybody’s rallying around that.”

2:11
Johnny Gaudreau’s wife Meredith announces 3rd pregnancy during emotional eulogy: ‘A blessing’

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The resumption of hockey in Columbus began last week, when most Blue Jackets players returned to their facility to be together and lean on each other at the urging of Waddell and team captain Boone Jenner. And it will continue on Thursday, when the team opens training camp, exactly three weeks since the Gaudreaus were killed.

“Tragic. Senseless. But now we got to focus on trying to get our team ready to play hockey this year,” Waddell said.

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“We all mourn and heal differently, but I think as a team being together like that is going to be critical for them to get moving forward.”

1:37
Calgary Flames hold emotional candlelight vigil for Gaudreau brothers in Calgary

Tragedy is no stranger to Waddell or the Blue Jackets.

Waddell was general manager of the then-Atlanta Flames in 2003 when Dany Heatley lost control of his car and struck a wall, with the crash killing passenger and teammate Dan Snyder. In 2021, Blue Jackets goalie Matiss Kivlenieks died during a July Fourth fireworks accident.

Waddell placed the emphasis on himself and coach Dean Evason — both newcomers to Columbus this offseason — to guide the team through what will be an emotional season.

“Now, do I think there’s going to be some dark days? I won’t be surprised,” Waddell said.

Reminders of the Gaudreaus’ deaths remain apparent, and reflected in Buffalo on Friday night. A moment of silence was held in tribute to the brothers before the opening faceoff of a game between the Blue Jackets and Sabres.

2:52
Calgary Flames fans mourn Johnny Gaudreau

Afterward, Columbus prospect Gavin Brindley recalled the times he spent with Johnny Gaudreau in Columbus and as teammates representing the United States at the world hockey championships in the Czech Republic in May.

“He was one of the biggest mentors for me at the world championships,” Brindley said. “I couldn’t tell you how many times we hung out with Meredith, pictures on my phone. It’s just so hard to look back and see that kind of stuff.”

The NHL and NHL Players’ Association are providing the Blue Jackets help in the form of grief counseling, crowd security at vigils and addressing hockey issues, such as potentially altering the league’s salary cap rules to provide Columbus relief from having to reach the NHL minimum payroll because of the void left by Gaudreau’s contract.

“The Blue Jackets, I don’t think anybody’s focused from an organizational standpoint, from a hockey standpoint as to what comes next, because I think everybody’s still in shock,” NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman told The Associated Press last week.

“I don’t think anybody’s focused right now other than on the grieving part, which is understandable.”

Much of the burden has fallen to Waddell, who has been in discussions with the NHL, the NHLPA and dealing with outreach programs with the Blue Jackets partner OhioHealth, while also overseeing preparations for training camp and gauging his prospects in Buffalo.

There’s also his roster to attend to, which he said has two openings at forward, one involving Justin Danforth, who may miss the start of the season due to a wrist injury. Waddell didn’t have to mention the second opening.

Tiring and emotional as it’s been, Waddell found comfort being in his element, a rink, and looking ahead to the start of training camp.

“The guys are in really good shape. We’ve done a lot of testing already and they’re eager to get going,” Waddell said. “We have a reason to play for. And we’ll make the best of it.”

–with files from The Associated Press’ Stephen Whyno

3:20
Hockey fans mourn ex-Calgary Flames star Johnny Gaudreau’s death

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&copy 2024 The Associated Press

Follow live Sunday Night Football coverage of the Bears vs. Texans today

The NFL kicked off the 2024 season in grand fashion, offering a slate of action-packed contests that featured everything from renewed rivalries, new faces, comeback performances and 10 games decided by a touchdown or less.

Can Week 2 deliver a worthy encore? The action began Thursday night between divisional rivals Buffalo and Miami, with the Bills winning 31-10 — and the Dolphins wondering what’s next after Tua Tagovailoa suffered another concussion. It rolls on with 14 more contests Sunday before concluding in Philadelphia on Monday night for Falcons–Eagles.

Here are six compelling NFL storylines to follow in Week 2. (Find the schedule here.)

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NFL Week 2 roundtable: Jordan Love’s status, Cowboys hype and Bears-Texans

1. Which 0-1 teams will rebound?

The 16 teams that lost last week look to bounce back with performances that reflect improvement and promise. An 0-2 hole is undesirable, because the odds of making the playoffs after such a start aren’t great. (Since 2002, roughly 90 percent of 0-2 teams have missed the playoffs.)

Sunday probably can’t come fast enough for Aaron Rodgers and the Jets, who entered the season with Super Bowl expectations but looked supremely overmatched against a true contender in San Francisco. Rodgers returned from a ruptured Achilles tendon and escaped Sunday night’s game unscathed. But New York’s offense sputtered. Rodgers completed 13 of 21 passes for 167 yards, a touchdown and an interception, and the Jets managed just 68 rushing yards. The defensive effort was sorely lacking as well.

Up next: a road game against the Tennessee Titans, who also lost in Week 1. We’ll see if that season-opening action was enough to knock off the rust for Rodgers and his still fairly new offensive teammates, or if things will take even longer to jell. Meanwhile, the Titans hope young Will Levis can improve on the ball security issues that undid Tennessee against the Chicago Bears.

The Ravens, Packers, Bengals, Jaguars, Browns and Rams, predicted by many to make the playoffs, are also trying to rebound from Week 1 losses. (Jets at Titans, 1 p.m. ET Sunday.)

2. Can Malik Willis keep Packers afloat?

Quarterback Jordan Love last season led the Packers on an impressive playoff run, which included upsetting the Cowboys and almost beating the 49ers, then parlayed that into a massive contract extension. The sprained MCL he suffered in the closing seconds of the Packers’ loss to the Eagles in Brazil, though, could hamper Green Bay’s chances of leap-frogging the Detroit Lions for the NFC North.

Love is listed as questionable for Sunday, but Week 4 is likely the earliest he will return. Coach Matt LaFleur must turn to Willis, the former Liberty University star and 2022 Titans third-round pick.

Green Bay acquired Willis via trade Aug. 27, so he’s still working to gain a firm grasp of the playbook. And Willis remains raw as a prospect, having appeared in only 11 games before this season. He went 1-2 as a starter while throwing three interceptions and no touchdowns in 2022 and attempted only five passes in three games last season. LaFleur is an excellent quarterbacks coach, offensive architect and play caller. But can he really position Willis for success this early in the quarterback’s tenure with Green Bay? LaFleur believes the answer is yes.

The Packers need Willis to manage the game and take care of the football to keep them afloat while Love recovers. His first test comes against a scrappy Indianapolis Colts team at Lambeau Field. (Colts at Packers, 1 p.m. ET Sunday.)

Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs will face the Bengals on Sunday. (Denny Medley / USA Today)

3. Bengals-Chiefs: AFC title preview?

The NFL schedulers refused to help the Chiefs ease into their title defense quest. After a heavyweight bout with the Ravens in Week 1, the Chiefs host the Bengals — another team built to challenge them for AFC supremacy.

Patrick Mahomes is the gold standard for this generation of quarterbacks, but Joe Burrow owns a 3-1 record against his Chiefs counterpart. He bested Mahomes in both of their regular-season meetings (a 34-31 Week 17 shootout in 2021, and a 27-24 duel in Week 13 in 2022). They’re 1-1 in the postseason. Burrow topped Mahomes 27-24 in the AFC Championship Game in January 2022 and Mahomes avenged that loss with a 23-20 triumph in the next conference title game. How will this meeting play out?

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Based on last week’s showing against Baltimore, Mahomes and the Chiefs look like they just might be even more dangerous in 2024 than during last season’s title defense run. Burrow, meanwhile, is waiting for his arsenal to return to full strength. Contract disputes between the Bengals and his top two receivers, Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, have prevented him from laying a proper foundation for the season. With a rusty Chase (who also said he was recovering from food poisoning), and Higgins sidelined by a hamstring strain, Burrow managed only 164 passing yards in a 16-10 loss to New England last week. Can the Bengals bounce back this week and give the Chiefs another stiff challenge? (Bengals at Chiefs, 4:25 p.m. ET Sunday.)

4. Mayo-Macdonald rookie coach chess match

Two of the most intriguing figures of the season: New England coach Jerod Mayo, the former Patriots linebacker turned Bill Belichick assistant; and Seattle coach Mike Macdonald, the former Baltimore defensive coordinator.

The 37-year-old Macdonald was among the most sought-after coaches this past hiring cycle, while Patriots brass long viewed Mayo, 38, as their head coach in waiting. Sunday’s meeting in Foxboro between these young coaches is only the sixth time in NFL history that a pair of coaches under age 40 have faced each other.

Both directed their teams to victories in Week 1. Mayo’s Patriots upset a short-handed Bengals team despite being in the middle of a rebuild. Macdonald’s Seahawks rallied from a slow start to defeat the Broncos at home. The Patriots and Seahawks are still establishing their identities, but both coaches want to play a physical brand of football while leaning heavily on their defenses for tone-setting plays. It’s a bucking of the trend of high-scoring, offensive-centered operations, so Sunday’s game could have a bit of a throwback feel to it.

GO DEEPER

How the Seahawks and Patriots are preparing for Sunday’s clash of similar styles

An interesting sidebar to this meeting: the quarterback position, which also bears similarities. The Seahawks’ offense is led by Geno Smith, who revived his career after six years as a backup and enters his third season as Seattle’s starter. Meanwhile, New England’s starter is Jacoby Brissett, who has spent the majority of his nine-year career as a backup. He wants to prove that, like Smith, he can provide the steadying force and playmaking ability necessary to guide a winning team. (Seahawks at Patriots, 1 p.m. ET Sunday.)

Baker Mayfield and the Bucs are headed in the right direction after beating the Commanders in Week 1. (Nathan Ray Seebeck / USA Today)

5. Bucs-Lions NFC playoff rematch

The last time these teams met, in the divisional round of the playoffs, the host Lions beat the Buccaneers 31-23. Now, eight months later, these 1-0 teams aim to lay the foundation for repeat playoff runs.

Both squads orchestrated strong starts in Week 1. Baker Mayfield led the Bucs to a blowout of Washington after throwing for four touchdown passes, 289 yards, no interceptions and a 146.4 passer rating. Mayfield’s effectiveness reflected his continued comfort in Tampa. In his last eight starts, he has averaged 278.6 yards per game while recording 20 touchdown passes and only four interceptions. He’ll lead the Buccaneers against a Detroit defense anchored by Aidan Hutchinson, who has 15 sacks in 20 home games (playoffs included), and a Lions offense led by Jared Goff. Goff last week directed an eight-play, 70-yard, game-winning drive in overtime against the Rams.

We should be in for a treat between these two gunslingers and their teams. In January’s playoff meeting, Goff passed for 287 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions. But Mayfield went down firing. He amassed 349 passing yards and three touchdowns and pulled his team within 8 points with a touchdown pass to Mike Evans with 4:37 remaining. But then Detroit linebacker Derrick Barnes ended Tampa Bay’s comeback quest with an interception with 1:35 left on the clock. (Bucs at Lions, 1 p.m. ET Sunday.)

6. Stroud vs. Williams: The next generation

Sunday night’s action offers a treat: A showdown between Houston’s C.J. Stroud, the best quarterback from last year’s draft class, and Chicago’s Caleb Williams, the first pick of this year’s draft. If the projections are accurate, these two will eventually take over as the faces of the league.

Stroud certainly appears headed that way after a record-setting rookie season. Now he and the Texans host the Bears and try to build on last year’s surprising success, followed by last week’s victory over AFC South rival Indianapolis. Stroud continued to impress in Week 1, throwing for 234 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions.

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Williams kicked off his career with a victory over the Titans — but delivered a forgettable performance (14-for-29 for 93 yards and no touchdowns). Chicago’s victory came largely as a result of robust special teams and defensive play. In the second half, Chicago scored on a blocked punt that safety Jonathan Owens returned 21 yards for a touchdown and a 43-yard pick six by cornerback Tyrique Stevenson. On the bright side, Williams didn’t commit a turnover. But the Bears expect more from him, and he does as well. After the game, Williams vowed, “I will be better.” Excelling against a talented Texans defense, however, could prove challenging. (Bears at Texans, 8:20 p.m. ET Sunday.)

(Top photo of Joe Burrow and Patrick Mahomes: Kevin C. Cox / Getty Images)

And now, 18 thoughts from Week 3, which was awfully fun to watch, so long as you weren’t in Gainesville or Tallahassee, Fla.

1. Florida and Florida State claim a total of six national championships. Their state produces more blue-chip recruits than any outside of Texas. And their head coaches, Florida’s Billy Napier and Florida State’s Mike Norvell, make a combined $17 million.

How can their teams both be so bad at the same time?

2. Florida State, which went 13-1 a year ago, is now 0-3 after its latest dud, a 20-12 home defeat to Memphis. The Seminoles gained just 238 total yards and put on a Keystone Cops sizzle reel, including a muffed punt in which two players ran into each other and an offsides on a Memphis fourth-and-8 punt that allowed the Tigers to go for it and convert. FSU managed to get within one score and had an outside chance to drive for the tie, but DJ Uiagalelei was sacked twice in three plays. The beleaguered transfer quarterback was 16 of 30 for 201 yards.

Poor Memphis (3-0) thought it was going to Tallahassee to get a big resume-boosting nonconference win, but Norvell’s bewilderingly inept team is careening toward a 4-8 (or worse) kind of season.

It seems so long ago now that Florida State was the sport’s collective object of sympathy after the College Football Playoff selection committee’s snub of a 13-0 team last December. It was only a couple of weeks later that the school filed its lawsuit to get out of the ACC, with an argument that amounts to “We’re too good for your crappy TV deal.” The Noles are 0-4 since. The ACC filed its own suit against FSU, but it’s becoming harder by the week for the league to prove damages.

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3. About two hours to the east, a Texas A&M team that hadn’t won a true road game in nearly three years trounced Napier’s Gators 33-20 in the rain. It was 33-7 late in the third quarter, by which point it looked like a spring game in the stands. This, on top of Florida’s season-opening 41-17 loss to Miami in the same stadium, all but assures Napier won’t make it to Year 4. The only question is whether athletic director Scott Stricklin will keep his own job long enough to pull the plug.

Florida is a puzzling place. It has reached two extreme highs, under Steve Spurrier in the 1990s and Urban Meyer in the 2000s, and been mediocre in nearly every other era. Whoever replaces Napier will become the Gators’ fifth head coach since Meyer stepped down after the 2010 season. He better be a heck of a recruiter, because that program desperately needs a talent infusion.

4. It turns out Quinn Ewers does in fact need backup. When Texas’ starting quarterback suffered a strained abdomen (per coach Steve Sarkisian) in the second quarter against UTSA, redshirt freshman Arch Manning came in and cranked out his own personal highlight reel in a 56-7 rout. Peyton and Eli’s nephew threw for four touchdowns and broke off a 67-yard touchdown run, the longest by a Longhorns quarterback since a guy named Vince Young.

Sark indicated afterward that Ewers’ injury is not serious, but it’s uncertain whether he’ll be back for next week against Louisiana-Monroe. Fortunately, No. 2 Texas (3-0) has the best backup quarterback in the country.

5. I’m not a fan of docking teams for winning ugly on the road and thus cannot bring myself to overreact to No. 1 Georgia’s strange 13-12 win at Kentucky (1-2). If anything, it has become a tradition: Georgia (3-0) won 14-3 in Lexington in 2020 and 16-6 there in 2022. Kirby Smart likely relishes the wake-up call for his team, which has now won 41 consecutive regular-season games.

Georgia at least had one excuse for its disjointed offense, as veteran guard Tate Ratledge left with an injury early in the second quarter. Kentucky coach Mark Stoops has no such excuse for punting from his own 48, down one point with 2:58 left. The Wildcats did get the ball back — at their own 20 with 9 seconds left.

6. Kalen DeBoer’s Alabama offense came alive in the fourth quarter last week against USF and only looked more explosive in the fourth-ranked Tide’s 42-10 waltz at Wisconsin on Saturday. Quarterback Jalen Milroe threw three touchdowns and ran for two, stud freshman receiver Ryan Williams had four catches for 78 yards, Washington transfer Germie Bernard caught a 26-yard touchdown and tailback Jam Miller had a 34-yard touchdown run for the 3-0 Crimson Tide.

The Badgers (2-1) are still struggling to find themselves in Year 2 under Luke Fickell and likely will now be without quarterback Tyler Van Dyke, who was on crutches following a first-half knee injury.

7. What a missed opportunity for South Carolina (2-1), which led visiting LSU 17-0 early and 33-29 with less than two minutes left before falling 36-33. The Gamecocks had touchdown runs of 75 and 66 yards, but their offense stalled after starting quarterback LaNorris Sellers suffered an ankle injury shortly before halftime. Also, what would have been a dagger fourth-quarter pick six got wiped out by an unnecessary roughness penalty on edge rusher Kyle Kennard, arguably the best player on the field for most of the game.

One big bright spot for LSU (2-1): a breakout showing by freshman running back Caden Durham, who carried 11 times for 98 yards and two touchdowns.

8. On Thursday, Power 5 castoffs Oregon State and Washington State got to strut for the first time in nearly a year, as the rebuilding Pac-12 raided the Mountain West for four of its best programs. The Cougars (3-0) followed it up on Saturday with a cathartic 24-19 Apple Cup win over hated Washington. On a fourth-and-goal from inside the 2-yard line with just over a minute left, the Cougars defense stuffed an option play to take down one of the schools whose departure to the Big Ten helped kill the old Pac-12. Wazzu quarterback John Mateer, who broke touchdowns of 23 and 25 yards in the win, continued his emergence as one of this young season’s breakout stars.

Oregon State (2-1) was not as fortunate in its own in-state rivalry game, falling 49-14 at home to No. 9 Oregon (3-0). The Ducks offense was strangely out of sync in their first two games, but a couple of changes on the offensive line may have solved their issues. Quarterback Dillon Gabriel, sacked seven times in his first two games, was 20 of 24 for 291 yards and two touchdowns, ran for a 54-yard TD and was not sacked once, as his team averaged 9.3 yards per play. This looked much more like the Oregon team voters expected to see when they ranked the Ducks No. 3 in the preseason polls.

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Oregon State’s loss a low point, but better times — with a more certain future — on the horizon

9. No. 18 Notre Dame (2-1) must have flushed that loss to Northern Illinois quickly. The Irish went on the road and handed Purdue its worst loss in program history, 66-7, in a game Notre Dame led 42-0 at halftime. It was the kind of explosive performance fans were hoping for this season, with touchdowns of 70, 48, 34 and 28 yards on offense, plus a 34-yard pick six by defensive lineman Boubacar Traore. Quarterback Riley Leonard showed off the wheels we saw from him at Duke, with touchdown runs of 34 and 13 yards in the second quarter alone. He was still fairly quiet in the passing game, though the Irish didn’t need him to pass for very long.

10. In one of just two Top 25 games over the weekend, No. 6 Missouri (3-0) spotted No. 24 Boston College (2-1) a 14-3 lead, stormed back to lead 17-14 at halftime and won 27-21. The Tigers defense held the Eagles to 49 yards on the ground, gave up three passing touchdowns to BC quarterback Thomas Castellanos but also picked him off twice. Meanwhile, it appears Eli Drinkwitz hit in the portal jackpot when he landed Appalachian State running back Nate Noel, who had 22 carries for 121 yards.

I don’t believe Mizzou is actually the No. 6 team in the country, but it may have the most favorable schedule in the SEC. The league has four other top-10 teams, of which the Tigers face one, No. 4 Alabama.

11. In the other Top 25 game, played Friday night, No. 14 Kansas State (3-0) looked every bit like a Big 12 title contender in its 31-7 rout of No. 20 Arizona (2-1). K-State allowed an early touchdown, then shut out Arizona’s explosive offense the rest of the way, while quarterback Avery Johnson ran for 110 yards and Colorado transfer Dylan Edwards broke a 71-yard punt return touchdown. It was an impressive rebound for K-State’s defense after struggling against Tulane the week before.

Although Arizona is in the Big 12 now, this was a previously scheduled nonconference game and did not count in the league standings. Because nothing in this sport makes sense.

12. UNLV (3-0) has become one of the best stories in the sport. Barry Odom came in last year and led the Rebels to a nine-win season for the first time since 1984. Now, they are 3-0 for the first time since that season after knocking off Kansas 23-20 on Friday. Odom was the defensive coordinator at Arkansas prior to taking the UNLV job, and a pair of his former players, linebacker Jackson Woodard and safety Jalen Catalon, helped the Rebels hold Jayhawks quarterback Jalon Daniels to 153 passing yards and two interceptions.

It’s still early, but UNLV and Boise State look like the clear-cut favorites for the Mountain West championship, which this year could come with a CFP berth.

13. No. 15 Oklahoma plays its first SEC game next week against Tennessee, and I don’t know what to expect from Brent Venables’ 3-0 team. It bears almost no resemblance to the Bob Stoops/Lincoln Riley pass-crazy offenses. Quarterback Jackson Arnold threw for 169 yards and ran for 97 in the Sooners’ 34-19 win over Tulane (1-2). He has not reached 200 passing yards in a game this season. But Venables’ defense is legit. A week after lighting up Kansas State, Tulane’s Darian Mensah was just 14 of 32 for 166 yards against Oklahoma.

I’m confident the crowd in Norman will be electric next week but uncertain about everything else.

14. At his introductory news conference, first-year Indiana coach Curt Cignetti memorably told reporters, “I win. Google me.” The former James Madison head man is thus far true to his word. The Hoosiers (3-0) went to the Rose Bowl and trounced UCLA (1-1) 42-13. Cignetti nailed it when he brought in former MAC Offensive Player of the Year Kurtis Rourke from Ohio. The sixth-year quarterback finished 25 of 33 for 307 yards and four touchdowns.

The Hoosiers, who have outscored their first three opponents 150-23, play their next three games against Charlotte, Maryland and Northwestern. They may be bowl-eligible by the first weekend of October. UCLA, which plays its next three against No. 16 LSU, No. 9 Oregon and No. 8 Penn State, likely will not be going bowling this season.

15. Pittsburgh (3-0) is having a blast living dangerously. Last week the Panthers, down 27-13 entering the fourth quarter, kicked a field goal with 17 seconds left to beat Cincinnati 28-27. This week, they trailed rival West Virginia 34-24 with 4:55 left before rallying to win 38-34. The key to both wins: Alabama transfer quarterback Eli Holstein. The redshirt freshman was 21 of 30 for 301 yards and three touchdowns, including a 40-yard TD to Daejon Reynolds with 3:06 left. It’s quite the start to the season for coach Pat Narduzzi after last season’s 3-9 debacle.

16. I wasn’t kidding last week when I said Colorado’s defense has gotten better. The Buffs forced four turnovers and shut down rival Colorado State 28-9 in their best overall performance since early last season. Quarterback Shedeur Sanders threw four touchdowns, and Travis Hunter had another do-everything performance: 13 catches for 100 yards and two touchdowns and an interception on defense. But perhaps most encouraging for coach Deion Sanders’ team: It ran the ball (a little). Freshman tailback Micah Welch ran nine times for 65 yards.

Don’t go penciling in Colorado for a bowl game just yet, but that defense should be good for at least a couple of wins.

17. We said all offseason the new 16-team Big 12 would be highly competitive, and the first conference game of the season did not disappoint. UCF (3-0), down 31-13 in the third quarter, stormed back to win 35-34 at TCU (2-1) despite having three kicks blocked. Fourth-year coach Gus Malzahn has assembled quite an offense in Orlando. Running back RJ Harvey, who ran for 1,416 yards last season, scored on touchdowns of 29 and 27 yards, and former Arkansas quarterback KJ Jefferson hit receiver Kobe Hudson (six catches, 145 yards, two TDs) for the game-tying 20-yard catch with 36 seconds left.

The Knights have a week off before welcoming Colorado to the Bounce House.

18. Last week, Northern Illinois did the MAC proud. This week, it was Toledo (3-0), which housed Mississippi State 41-17 in Starkville, the most lopsided win for a MAC team over an SEC team since the Rockets beat Kentucky 35-6 in 1971. It’s a great milestone for ninth-year coach Jason Candle’s program, which won the conference in 2022 and went 11-3 last season.

But the gap between the two conferences has not completely closed yet. Also on Saturday, No. 7 Tennessee hammered 0-3 Kent State, 71-0. Though it was only 65-0 at halftime.

(Photo: James Gilbert / Getty Images)

It is perhaps easy to hear Mauricio Pochettino say his new players must “believe” they can win the World Cup and roll your eyes.

It’s the sort of flashy soundbite in first press conferences that ambitious managers often produce.

What else could he say after all those months of international courting from his new employers, the red wine and steaks, the unprecedented financial package? “We need to look good in the group stages and maybe get to the round of 16”?

No, the Argentine is a winner and he talks like one. He is also aware that he faces two jobs with the United States men’s national team — not just the task of transforming the quality of the side in a relatively short time but also changing its mindset.

Asked about that limited time (just 10 international breaks and no tournament) before the U.S. co-hosts the World Cup in 2026, he said: “Everyone thinks that there is no time to prepare and arrive in the best condition at the World Cup.

Pochettino talks to the media in New York City on September 13 (Timothy A Clary/AFP via Getty Images)

“I’m on the opposite side. I don’t want to give an excuse. I don’t want to create an excuse for the players to say, ‘Yeah, but don’t have time to buy the new ideas and the new philosophy’. No. We are talking about football and the players are so intelligent and talented and can play differently.

“We have time and we need to really believe in big things. Believe that we can win not only a game, we can win the World Cup. If not, it is going to be very difficult. We want players that show up, day one at the training camp, and think big.

“That is the only way to create this philosophy or this idea to perform and put your talent in the service of the team. That is going to be our massive challenge.”

The crop of players he inherits are, by and large, an intelligent, realistic bunch. They’re also used to questions about what represents progress for this group. Interviews before and during this summer’s Copa America saw the topic arise frequently.

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“Getting past the quarter-final,” said midfielder Tyler Adams when asked in June what a positive outcome would look like. “We need to, in a pressure situation, win in a knockout (game). That’s going to measure a lot of our success.”

It was maybe not what some fans wanted to hear; a temporary lift from a war cry that promised silverware at the competition, widely billed as a dry run for the World Cup.

But if Adams was trying to set reasonable expectations, he was right. As it transpired, winning a knockout game would have been genuine progress for a team thrashed 5-1 by eventual Copa America finalists Colombia in a friendly on June 8.

Instead, the U.S. crashed out in the group stages, victims of an individual error from Tim Weah in the loss to Panama and then of lacking the quality to prevent that from proving fatal. Charged with beating Uruguay to progress, they just did not have enough.

Adams and the USMNT could not progress against Uruguay on July 1 (Robin Alam/ISI Photos/Getty Images)

So the scale of the task ahead should be of little surprise to Pochettino. It may sound nice but speaking, as he did, of emulating the serial success of the U.S. women’s national team seems fanciful too.

Deep down, he will probably know that as well. So, instead, he is publicly challenging his players from the very beginning to stop hiding. No excuses. No buying into the narrative that there just isn’t time.

It’s a gamble for the 52-year-old because the reality is the narrative is probably true and he will eventually be judged by his words and results. The U.S. has just lost to Canada and then could only draw with a New Zealand team 78 places below them in the world rankings this week.

Confidence is low and Pochettino knows that building some sort of collective belief is a crucial part of climbing off the ropes for this team and arriving at 2026 in the frame of mind to win big games.

It is unlikely he actually believes the USMNT will win the World Cup at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey in a little under two years. But a team often accused of lacking enough fight when it really counts needs to start thinking bigger and that’s the point.

The other part of his job is adjusting quickly to the entirely different demand of managing in international football, when the opportunities to build a team who will run through brick walls for you, as he did at his best at Southampton and Tottenham Hotspur, are limited.

“Every time we have the facility to be with them, we will be very clinical in giving them the information,” Pochettino added on Friday. “We need to be clever enough in the way we approach training to get the best from them.”

But even as he preferred, understandably, not to alienate some of his new players by listing the squad’s weaknesses in his official unveiling, another reality is that Pochettino must be ruthless.

He needs to find an elite goalkeeper fast. He needs to build a defence with the aggression and smarts that teams from his South American homeland display.

A better balance in midfield must arrive too, for a squad well-stocked with clever holding midfielders but short of consistent creativity. How long, for example, will he spend trying to unlock the puzzle of Gio Reyna?

Then he must unearth the striking solution that will drive a team that fluffed its lines in front of goal all too often at the Copa. Which of the promising group of youngsters that performed well at the Paris Olympics will he fast-track into his setup?

And he has to do all that while getting enough results along the way to take a partly sceptical U.S. fanbase along on the journey with him.

So don’t roll your eyes when Pochettino talks about believing the USMNT can win the World Cup. Maybe close them, instead, and offer a silent prayer for the divine intervention he might need to meet all his objectives in less than two years.

He will need every bit of help he can get.

(Top photo: Dustin Satloff/USSF/Getty Images for USSF)

Colorado rebounded from taking a rivalry beatdown by delivering one. Playing at Colorado State for the first time since 1996, the Buffaloes rolled over the Rams 28-9 on Saturday.

The rematch of last year’s heated double-overtime thriller in Boulder lacked the scoring and dramatics, but did showcase an improved Colorado team from the Buffaloes’ ugly showing a week ago, when Colorado trailed 28-0 at halftime of a 28-10 loss at Nebraska.

Colorado State quarterback Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi and receiver Tory Horton added another jolt to the rivalry this week with some pregame trash talk. Horton argued that the Rams should have “murdered” Colorado last season, and Fowler-Nicolosi said he wanted to “see how far Instagram followers gets them.” Fowler-Nicolosi and Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders appeared to exchange words after the game. Sanders said that before the game a Colorado State player ran into and elbowed Colorado receivers coach Jason Phillips.

“The disrespect was uncalled for during the week,” Colorado coach Deion Sanders said. “We knew coming into the game it would be a bit personal. … I just pray that our kids would never act in that matter cause y’all would have a field day with it.”

On Saturday, Colorado’s play spoke loudest as the Buffaloes improved to 2-1 and earned their seventh consecutive win in the in-state rivalry, keeping the Centennial Cup in Boulder.

“Them Instagram followers got us far today, ya heard?” Colorado two-way star Travis Hunter said in a live video posted to social media.

They also spoiled the first sellout for Colorado State in Canvas Stadium, which opened in 2017.

“Oh! This was the first time they sold out here? Why was that? You know darn well why that was,” Sanders said.

Colorado led 14-3 at halftime after trailing 3-0 after the first quarter, then scored early in the third quarter to extend the lead to 18 and coasted from there. Last week’s lopsided loss in Lincoln prompted plenty of questions about how the transfer-heavy Buffaloes roster would respond. Sanders couldn’t have been more pleased with what he saw.

“I’m just so proud,” he said.

Hunter strengthens his Heisman case

Fowler-Nicolosi taunted Hunter with a “too small” gesture after a two-yard scramble in the first half, but Hunter picked off the quarterback in the second half, returning his first interception of the season 38 yards. Hunter missed most of last year’s comeback victory after suffering a lacerated liver on a late hit from Rams safety Henry Blackburn.

“How stupid is that?” Sanders said. “This is Travis Hunter. Dude, this is Travis Hunter. This is Travis Hunter. Who does that? I don’t allow my kids to do that.”

Hunter caught 13 passes, tying his career high, for 100 yards and two scores, his fourth consecutive game with triple-digit receiving yards. He also added a pass breakup and five tackles on defense.

“Travis is phenomenal,” Sanders said. “Week in and week out.”

Colorado’s offensive line shuffling pays off

Deion and Shedeur Sanders were critical of the offensive line’s play a week ago against Nebraska’s defensive front, both in protecting Colorado’s quarterback and in struggling to establish a running game.

Deion Sanders warned that a shakeup could be coming, and it was. The Buffaloes benched UTEP transfer Justin Mayers and moved Florida International transfer Phillip Houston to starting right tackle. They also moved Tyler Brown from right tackle to left guard. Five-star freshman Jordan Seaton remained at left tackle, and Hank Zilinskas (center) and Khalil Benson (right guard) stayed in their spots.

The result? Sanders had more time and better protection than he’s had all season, albeit against a Colorado State defense that ranked 85th nationally in tackles for loss and 118th in sacks with just one through two games this season. Sanders was sacked just one time for a loss of six yards.

All five offensive linemen came to the postgame press conference with Shedeur Sanders and Hunter.

“I’m so dern proud of these men I don’t know what to do,” Deion Sanders said during an in-game interview on CBS. “I want to line ’em up and kiss all of ’em. I love ’em to life.”

For the second time under Sanders, the Buffaloes had a rusher surpass 60 yards in a single game, despite missing starting running back Dallan Hayden. Colorado ran for 112 yards on 17 carries. Freshman Micah Welch, one of Colorado’s 11 high school signees in the Class of 2024, carried the ball nine times for 65 yards.

“It was very personal. It meant everything for us to go prove the world wrong,” Brown said.

(Photo: Andrew Wevers / Getty Images)

The phrase ‘Monday Night Football’ may be no stranger to heavyweight clashes but an all-time NFL great taking on Deadpool has to be a first.

This is Tom Brady tackling Ryan Reynolds, League One’s big spenders going head-to-head with Hollywood FC — or simply, Birmingham City versus Wrexham.

No matter how we dress up a fixture recently described on X by Wrexham co-owner Rob McElhenney as “an absolute banger”, Monday night’s showdown is a big deal on and off the pitch. Two clubs who are the very embodiment of globalised football will meet in a sellout clash that is being broadcast live on both sides of the Atlantic.

“A really, really high-profile match,” says CBS Sports executive vice president Dan Weinberg before Birmingham host Wrexham, which will be shown on two channels as part of the network’s four-year deal with the English Football League (EFL).

“We’ve carried every Wrexham game this season and we’ll continue to lean into them as much as we can. They are impossible to ignore in this country with the celebrity influence they have and the visibility of Ryan and Rob. We are enthused by the growth of their profile in the market.

“These two clubs have owners that resonate very well in this country.”

Not so long ago, few would have batted an eyelid in the United Kingdom over this particular Anglo-Welsh contest, never mind in the United States. The two clubs have very little shared history, other than the £1million City paid for Bryan Hughes in 1997 that remains Wrexham’s record transfer fee.

Now, though, the power of celebrity — plus back-to-back promotions for Wrexham and last May’s shock relegation for Birmingham — means this League One fixture carries plenty of intrigue.

Deadpool star Reynolds and McElhenney, through the success of the Emmy-award-winning Welcome to Wrexham documentary, have turned a previously provincial club into a global sensation with two successful pre-season tours of North America under their belts.

Birmingham are no less fascinating thanks to the 2023 takeover by Knighthead, the U.S. investment firm fronted by co-owner Tom Wagner and supported by minority investor Brady, the seven-time Super Bowl champion.

Relegation at the end of their first season was certainly not part of the script but it has done nothing to dim the group’s huge ambitions, which include building a new stadium after buying a 60-acre plot of land around a mile from St Andrew’s.

Former NFL quarterback Tom Brady became a minority owner at Birmingham in 2023 (Beatriz Velasco/Getty Images)

City clearly don’t intend on hanging around for long in the third tier, judging from the £20million ($26m) they splashed on transfers this summer. Around half of that is understood to have gone on wrestling striker Jay Stansfield from Fulham’s grasp, with Birmingham paying between £12m and £15m before add-ons.

To put that figure into context, the previous record paid by a club in this division before the recent window was the £4million Sunderland paid for Wigan Athletic striker Will Grigg.

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Wrexham co-owner McElhenney will no doubt recall that particular signing due to it featuring heavily in series two of Sunderland ‘Til I Die, the Netflix show that first gave the comedy actor the idea of buying a football club.

His team have been no slouches with recruitment, either. The £2million spent during the summer window was an unprecedented outlay for Wrexham, made possible by last season’s annual revenue smashing through the £20million barrier. Blue-chip sponsors, such as United Airlines, contributed heavily to that club-record figure.

Both camps have been entering into the spirit during the build-up to Monday’s eagerly-anticipated encounter, with Wrexham enlisting the help of Eli Manning, a long-time NFL rival of Brady.

In response to Manning donning the Welsh club’s team shirt, Brady took to X and Instagram — where his combined following stands at 18 million — with a cheeky video featuring one of his prized Super Bowl trophies that ends with an appeal to McElhenney to “educate the Wrexham fans just a little bit on the history of the NFL?”

See you Monday! @BCFC @Wrexham_AFC @RMcElhenney @VancityReynolds https://t.co/Ny87RekOPR pic.twitter.com/YyvkWmL5JK

— Tom Brady (@TomBrady) September 14, 2024

AJ Swoboda, managing director of sports intelligence firm Twenty First Group, believes Wrexham are a prime example of how to tap into the U.S. market over the longer term.

“High-profile figures like Tom Brady or Ryan Reynolds will always help bring clubs into the spotlight,” he says. “Especially in crowded or foreign markets like the U.S.

“But, while celebrity owners generate a short-term buzz, long-term fan engagement requires sustained sporting success and smart marketing — largely digital — strategies.

“The Welcome to Wrexham docuseries has been key to growing Wrexham’s global fanbase but the club’s owners have then backed up these efforts through material sporting performance improvements.”

He cites how an analysis of Google Trends data over the last year shows Wrexham had 22 times the interest in the U.S. compared to Birmingham and 1.4 times that of Premier League neighbours Aston Villa, even though the latter have qualified for the Champions League.

“Tom Brady’s appeal and status should continue creating interest for Birmingham City in new markets,” adds Swoboda. “But, as with Wrexham, this attention needs to be converted into deeper fan engagement. Celebrity minority ownership is not as unique as it used to be.”

Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds became Wrexham’s owners in 2020 (Gilbert Flores/Variety via Getty Images)

As Wrexham co-owner McElhenney made clear when tagging Brady on X, Monday night’s clash under the St Andrew’s floodlights has all the ingredients to be a cracker — but, perhaps their biggest battle lies ahead.

In a recent report titled Connecting and Winning U.S. Fandoms: A Guidebook For European Clubs, fan data specialists CLV Group suggest that 36million U.S.-based soccer fans — or 44 per cent — are still undecided on which team to support. The group’s CEO Neil Joyce estimates a potential $1.1billion is up for grabs.

The big Premier League clubs or members of the European elite, such as Real Madrid, Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain, are expected to hoover up a sizeable chunk of this bounty, but Joyce also believes clubs with high-profile celebrity owners, such as Wrexham and Birmingham, can earn a piece of the action.

“Wrexham’s story is phenomenal,” he says. “It has the underdog element, a club on the brink of extinction that starts to work its way back up. Americans love that kind of storytelling.

“Then, there’s the measurability of it all. United Airlines, one of the biggest airlines in the world, is on the jerseys. That kind of link makes a huge difference. I was on a flight with United earlier in the summer and they were handing out the (free amenity) bag with the Wrexham (pyjamas).

“It isn’t about just the match. It is the personalities around it. Look at how Taylor Swift has brought new fandom to the NFL (her partner Travis Kelce plays for the Kansas City Chiefs) in the same way Ryan Reynolds has brought Deadpool fans to Wrexham.

“Given the new EFL rights deal (with CBS), there will be a lot more exposure to Wrexham for sports fans in the U.S. They can tap into that. Same for Birmingham, with arguably the NFL’s greatest of all time.

“Look at Tom Brady’s adjacent sports investments. He has the (NFL team) Las Vegas Raiders, he has a WNBA team (Las Vegas Aces). Again, I’d be tapping into those fanbases and bringing them on the journey with Birmingham as well.”

As Joyce points out, central to making any potential inroads into the U.S. sports market is CBS Sports becoming the new home of the EFL. With 250-plus matches being shown live across the network per season for at least the next four years, the potential exposure is huge.

CBS does not reveal publicly viewing figures for individual matches but executive vice president Weinberg says he has been “really, really happy with the viewership in the first month”.

He believes a key factor in America’s increasing EFL curiosity is the promotion and relegation setup that sees clubs potentially move up and down the pyramid, such as how Birmingham dropped into League One last May and are now determined to bounce straight back up.

“The U.S. market has wrapped their arms around that,” says Weinberg, who is at pains to stress that showcasing all 72 EFL teams is important to the network. “It’s compelling and dramatic.”

Birmingham’s bid to win promotion straight back to the Championship is their season’s major plotline (Cameron Smith/Getty Images)

Recent years have seen a flurry of U.S. investors getting involved in the EFL. By last Christmas, 22 of the 72 teams were either wholly owned by or had minority investors from across the Atlantic. Fourteen of those had accepted new investment since Wrexham’s takeover in 2021.

“What Wrexham have done brilliantly is globalisation and diversification,” says Laurie Pinto, a specialist in football financing and club acquisitions. “That’s easier said than done. (Wrexham director) Shaun Harvey and others should get a lot of credit for that.

“There’s lots of people who think they can do the same. That’s the challenge: trying to make a global push with partners outside the UK to diversify the income stream.”

Asked if he felt future years will bring even more investment from North America, Pinto replies: “Yes, there is a lot more interest. Most of these American owners think global and they put money in.

“U.S. sport is expensive — if you want to buy a basketball, NFL or baseball team, we are talking in the billions.”

With the U.S. hosting the 2026 World Cup alongside Canada and Mexico, sports media analyst Larry Johnson believes the new four-year TV deal means EFL clubs are in a prime position to benefit.

“Viewership data from the last couple of World Cups shows a rise in popularity (in the U.S.) for sports in Europe,” he says. “They did quite a bit for La Liga and the Premier League, even a bit for the Bundesliga.

“All the arrows point towards the next World Cup pushing up the numbers on the Premier League and EFL. Wrexham have an opportunity here, especially if they get promoted this year, to really do something special.

“Wrexham are already drawing numbers. They had a friendly with Chelsea (in July 2023) on ESPN, one of the largest cable networks. It pulled 300,000 viewers. That’s comparable with a Major League Soccer game on the same network.”

As is perhaps inevitable in an age when regular-season games in the NFL and Major League Baseball are played in London, there has been talk of the Premier League or EFL possibly doing similar by switching one-off fixtures to the States.

Such a move would be hugely controversial. When the Daily Mail suggested this summer that Birmingham and Wrexham were in talks over a possible switch, Canada-born Reynolds was very quick to vehemently deny the story.

Wrexham’s international profile has led to high-profile friendlies against Premier League giants Chelsea (Lyndsay Radnedge/ISI Photos/Getty Images)

Nevertheless, such talk remains, with CLV Group’s Joyce believing it could help a European competition steal a march in attracting fans.

He says: “The monetary gain and attempts to capture the market would be a lot easier if European clubs played competitive games in the U.S. There is more than $1billion on the table.”

Such talk about growing audiences and realising potential is, of course, for the boardoom. On the pitch, all that will matter come Monday evening are the three points.

Dan Scarr joined Wrexham in the summer from Plymouth Argyle, where he won the League One title in 2023. He is a lifelong Birmingham fan who spent three years on the playing staff at St Andrew’s after arriving late in the professional game at 22.

“What’s been going on there is crazy,” the defender tells The Athletic. “Good for the city and, being a Birmingham City fan, it is great for them. The atmosphere will be electric and it’s a sellout. There’s also the bragging rights between the owners, both being American and stuff like that.

“But we want to stop that (title-winning) parade. Everything else doesn’t matter.”

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(Top photos: Getty Images)