Former Liverpool coach Jürgen Klopp is making a return to soccer after a break that was shorter than he expected.
On Wednesday, the energy drink company Red Bull announced that the German coach will become its head of global soccer starting in January. He will be in charge of the company’s international clubs.
“He will not be involved in the clubs’ day-to-day operations, but will provide strategic vision, supporting individual sporting directors in advancing the Red Bull philosophy,” the statement said. “Additionally, the 57-year-old will support the organization’s global scouting operation, and contribute to the training and development of coaches.”
Klopp had mentioned that he would take a “long break” from soccer after guiding Liverpool to seven major trophies during his nearly nine years at Anfield. His time there ended with a 2-0 victory over Wolverhampton in May.
However, it seems that the chance to be part of soccer without the daily pressures of coaching was appealing to Klopp.
Jürgen Klopp
”After almost 25 years on the sideline, I could not be more excited to get involved in a project like this,” Klopp said in Red Bull’s statement. “The role may have changed but my passion for football and the people who make the game what it is has not.”
In related news, German broadcaster Sky Sports reported that Klopp has a clause in his Red Bull contract allowing him to leave for the Germany coaching job if it becomes available. Julian Nagelsmann is currently the coach of the men’s national team and has a contract that runs through the 2026 World Cup.
Before his time at Liverpool, Klopp helped turn around Borussia Dortmund, winning back-to-back Bundesliga titles and achieving a league and cup double in 2012. He first gained attention as the coach of Mainz from 2001 to 2008.
At Liverpool, he led the team to the Champions League title in 2019 and the Premier League title the following season, ending a 30-year wait for the historic club.
Real Madrid midfielder Aurélien Tchouaméni said he will lead France “with a lot of pride” in their Nations League match against Israel while Kylian Mbappé is unavailable.
The 24-year-old Tchouaméni aims to be a leader “who brings people together” but doesn’t want to make the captaincy about popularity.
“To be liked by everyone—what does that really mean? In any team, some people get along better with others, but the key is to respect each other,” he said at a pre-match news conference in Budapest. “Some players are popular in the locker room, while others may not be. It’s the same in any workplace.”
Tchouaméni has played 36 times for France and brings valuable experience to a team missing its star player.
“I chose him because I think he has the right qualities to take on this responsibility,” France coach Didier Deschamps said. “Even though he’s still young, he participated in the last World Cup and the last European Championship.”
Mbappé, who usually captains the team, is recovering from a minor thigh injury in Madrid.
Kylian Mbappé celebrates after a goal
“I talked to Kylian last night, but we didn’t discuss the captaincy much. We talked about other things instead,” Tchouaméni said.
Mbappé’s absence from the national team raised some questions since he played for Madrid last weekend. Deschamps acknowledged the situation, noting that the club is Mbappé’s employer.
“Clubs have always had this influence,” Deschamps said, adding that clubs are becoming more “attentive” due to the number of games their players have to play.
“I don’t want to create conflicts between players and their clubs,” Deschamps stated.
When asked, Tchouaméni confirmed that Madrid did not pressure him to skip playing for France.
“That’s not true,” he said. “People can interpret things however they want, but all I can say is that there is no pressure from the club.”
France is also missing vice-captain Antoine Griezmann, who unexpectedly announced his retirement from international play last month after scoring 44 goals in 137 matches.
Griezmann and Mbappé were key players in leading France to the 2018 World Cup title, alongside midfielder Paul Pogba, central defender Raphaël Varane, and goalkeeper Hugo Lloris.
Varane, Lloris, and Olivier Giroud — who is France’s all-time leading scorer with 57 goals — have all stepped away from the national team. Tchouaméni noted this feels like the end of an era but believes it is time for “a new generation to emerge.”
Tchouaméni duels for the ball
Deschamps mentioned that forward Marcus Thuram is uncertain to play against Israel after injuring his right ankle while playing for Inter Milan last weekend.
Thuram scored a hat trick in a 3-2 victory against Torino but had to leave the game in the second half due to a late tackle.
Italy currently leads France and Belgium by three points in their Nations League group after two matches. France will play Israel on Thursday and then face Belgium four days later.
A young Deschamps was in the midfield when France lost a World Cup qualifier 3-2 at home to Israel in 1993, which led to their failure to qualify for the World Cup.
A reporter asked Deschamps what he remembered about that match, reminding him it was Israel’s greatest moment in soccer.
“Thank you,” Deschamps replied dryly, adding that “it was far from the happiest” moment in his career as he watched the 1994 World Cup from his living room.
Kylian Mbappé celebrates after scoring the opening goal
In a busy soccer season where top players have suggested a possible strike, the Nations League is back this week but doesn’t seem like a main focus.
France captain Kylian Mbappé has chosen to skip the tournament, his likely replacement Antoine Griezmann has retired from the national team, and Romelu Lukaku decided to work on his fitness with his new club Napoli instead of joining the Belgium squad.
With several injuries affecting players in Germany and other countries—some serious ones for Spain’s Dani Carvajal and Germany’s Marc-André ter Stegen—the Nations League will provide a chance for newcomers to step in.
Belgium coach Domenico Tedesco has called up four players who could make their debuts to test them in these games, which are part of a lower-tier competition for European teams.
Antoine Griezmann waves to fans
“We will not do it during the important World Cup qualification,” Tedesco said, looking ahead to the crucial stage in 2025.
The 2026 World Cup in North America is already on the radar for teams preparing for that tournament, with each team set to play two Nations League matches from Thursday to Tuesday.
The results over the next week, along with two more games in November, are the final opportunity to improve their seeding for the December 13 draw in Zurich for European World Cup qualifying groups.
Two teams aiming to boost their FIFA ranking and secure a spot in the second-seeded draw are Norway and Slovenia.
Europe’s most dangerous striker and one of its rising stars are set to face off again on Thursday in Oslo.
Erling Haaland and Benjamin Šeško, who were once teammates at Salzburg, are the main attractions when Norway takes on Slovenia in their League B group match.
Erling Haaland celebrates after scoring a goal
Haaland has scored 11 goals in 10 matches for Manchester City this season, including a crucial goal in the Nations League that secured a 2-1 win over Austria last month.
Šeško has six goals in nine games for Leipzig, with three of those coming in the Champions League, and he scored four in just two Nations League matches, including a hat trick in a 3-0 victory against Kazakhstan.
While Thursday’s match won’t be decisive for the group, it will determine who is in the lead at the halfway point and in line for promotion to the top tier. The second match will take place in Ljubljana on November 14.
Jannik Sinner got revenge on Ben Shelton for his loss in the fourth round of last year’s Shanghai Masters, winning 6-4, 7-6 (1) and ruining the 22-year-old American’s birthday on Wednesday.
As in their previous match, this one showcased impressive shots and strong serving, but this time the 23-year-old Italian came out on top, improving his record against Shelton to 4-1.
“Happy how I handled this situation, it’s obviously a position where I have been last year, and where I am right now, it’s different, so I’m happy to be in the position where I am,” Sinner said.
Sinner’s break in the ninth game was the key difference in the first set. Both players then held strong on their serves in the second set, but Sinner surged ahead in the tiebreak, winning the last seven points to reach his seventh ATP Masters 1000 quarterfinal of the year.
Carlos Alcaraz celebrates after the win
He will face fifth-ranked Daniil Medvedev, who defeated longtime rival Stefanos Tsitsipas 7-6 (3), 6-3 in a match where the Greek player had a lengthy outburst against chair umpire Fergus Murphy over a time violation call and initially refused to keep playing.
“You have never played tennis in your life. You have no clue about tennis, it seems like,” Tsitsipas said to Murphy. “Definitely you’ve had no career. You probably played serve-and-volley every single time.
“Anyways, tennis is a physical sport and we need some time over there. You have to show some compassion because you aren’t showing any.
“It’s a physical sport. We are not throwing darts out here, okay?
“If it’s going to be unfair, I need to talk to the supervisor. You seem like you have no idea what you’re doing,” Tsitsipas continued as the crowd started to slow clap.
In a similar situation the day before, Frances Tiafoe shouted curses at a chair umpire after losing his third-round match and later apologized.
Second-ranked Carlos Alcaraz, who recently won the China Open in a thrilling match against Sinner, continued his winning streak with a 6-4, 7-5 victory over French veteran Gael Monfils to advance to the quarterfinals.
Alcaraz relied on his shot-making skills to outplay the 38-year-old Monfils, hitting 22 winners and breaking serve in each set to finish the match in 87 minutes.
The French Open and Wimbledon champion will face Tomas Machac in the quarterfinals.
U.S. Open semifinalist Frances Tiafoe yelled a series of curses at a chair umpire after losing a match at the Shanghai Masters on Tuesday.
Tiafoe directed about 10 expletives at official Jimmy Pinoargote during a minute-long outburst after he lost 5-7, 7-5, 7-6 (5) to 61st-ranked Roman Safiullin in the third round.
Later, Tiafoe posted an apology on social media, calling his reaction “not acceptable behavior” and writing: “That is not who I am and not how I ever want to treat people. I let my frustration in the heat of the moment get the best of me and I’m extremely disappointed with how I handled the situation.”
According to the ATP rule book, verbal abuse of an official at Masters 1000 tournaments can lead to fines of $60,000. The tournament can also take away prize money, and the case might be sent to the ATP Member Fines Committee for further review.
Frances Tiafoe celebrates after winning a point
A tour spokesman mentioned that no decision has been made regarding the situation yet.
The 17th-ranked Tiafoe was upset about being penalized for a time violation at 5-5 in the crucial tiebreaker, which meant he lost his first serve.
Pinoargote decided that Tiafoe was not making a real attempt to serve when he tossed the ball in the air as the serve clock was about to run out. Tiafoe initially argued the call but continued playing; he lost that point and the next one, which ended the match.
After the match, Tiafoe congratulated Safiullin at the net before turning to the umpire and yelling the first expletives.
He then moved to his chair and claimed the umpire ruined the match, adding more swearing and saying he had been playing for three hours.
Safiullin moved on to face Novak Djokovic.
Tiafoe had a great summer, reaching the final of the Cincinnati Open, where he lost to No. 1 Jannik Sinner, and making it to the semifinals at the U.S. Open before losing in five sets to fellow American Taylor Fritz.
When IndyCar reached out to the Dallas Cowboys about possibly hosting a street race in Texas, Jerry Jones was eager to make a deal after seeing that Roger Penske was involved.
The trust between these two businessmen dates back to when Penske successfully convinced the NFL to hold the 2006 Super Bowl in Detroit. Penske was the chairman of the host committee for that game, proving that the NFL could hold its biggest event in colder cities. This effort helped Cowboys owner Jones secure the Super Bowl for Dallas in 2011.
“Bottom line is that Roger has really been a model for me in terms of how he has taken competitive racing and nailed that into an economic scenario that works,” Jones told The Associated Press. “He is my sports man.
He changed that mentality of needing (the NFL) to go where you can have sunshine and the ocean. He changed that concept and was very effective.”
Now, the two are teaming up again, along with the Texas Rangers, to create a new street race that will be added to the IndyCar calendar in 2026. The IndyCar Arlington Grand Prix will take place on a 2.73-mile track at Texas Live!, the entertainment venue next to Globe Life Field and directly across from AT&T Stadium.
Renders by IndyCar shows the car passing by
Promotion for the event and IndyCar will kick off right away during Fox Sports’ coverage of Sunday’s NFL game between the Cowboys and the Detroit Lions. Fox Sports will be IndyCar’s new broadcast partner starting next season.
The course layout and other details were revealed on Tuesday at a lively event in Arlington that featured Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders, members of the Texas Rangers Six Shooters Squad, Pro Football Hall of Fame player DeMarcus Ware, a former Cowboy, and Baseball Hall of Fame catcher Ivan “Pudge” Rodriguez, a former Ranger.
Also present were three-time IndyCar champion Alex Palou and two-time Indianapolis 500 winner Josef Newgarden, who mentioned that the Arlington Grand Prix adds another important event to the series.
“When I was a young kid and I wanted to be a race car driver, I dreamed of winning iconic events like the Indianapolis 500. And I think the Grand Prix of Arlington will be one of those events that you want to circle that you have to win every single year,” Newgarden said. “It’s an honor for us to come race here in Arlington, to be a part of an iconic brand like the Cowboys and the Rangers.”
The Arlington sports district is located just off Interstate 30, halfway between downtown Dallas and Fort Worth. IndyCar held races at Texas Motor Speedway from its first season in 1997 until 2023. Texas Motor Speedway was a major supporter of IndyCar until a change in track leadership in 2021 led to the track being removed from IndyCar’s schedule this season.
However, the Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington area is still very important to the series, with a population of 8,100,037 in 2023, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Jones also mentioned that 1,000 of the Cowboys’ season-ticket holders are from Monterrey, Mexico, which is home to popular IndyCar driver Pato O’Ward.
Neil Leibman sits with other in the ews conference
“They’ll all be here for this race and we’ll make sure they know about it,” Jones said.
Penske highlighted that the Arlington circuit will be the longest street course on the IndyCar schedule, featuring the longest straightaway at 0.9 miles. Speeds are expected to exceed 180 miles per hour on the 14-turn track, which includes sweeping curves and challenging sections.
The track will pass underneath hospitality and suite areas twice and will have a double-sided pit lane, along with a horseshoe-style carousel in Turn 6.
Having the Cowboys and Rangers as partners on this project gives Penske the kind of high-profile event he wants to add to the schedule. The Indianapolis 500 is the main event, and the Grand Prix of Long Beach is a key highlight, but Penske is looking for more must-attend events like these.
The New York Liberty are back in the Finals, aiming for their first championship in franchise history. They need to defeat the Minnesota Lynx to achieve this goal.
The Liberty reached the WNBA Finals for the second consecutive year after defeating the two-time defending champions, the Las Vegas Aces, in the semifinals. They have appeared in the championship round five times but have lost each time.
The Lynx made it to the Finals for the first time since 2017 when they won their last of four championships during a seven-year period. Minnesota had to play five games to reach the Finals, winning the final game against Connecticut at home on Tuesday night.
Game 1 of the best-of-five Finals is set for Thursday night, leaving the Lynx with little time to rest and prepare for the Liberty.
“Talk about the schedule, who cares. Nobody’s going to feel bad for us,” Minnesota coach Cheryl Reeve said. “Got to go hooping right away and we’ll do that.”
Napheesa Collier reacts in the time out
These two teams faced each other for a title earlier this year when Minnesota won the Commissioner’s Cup championship in June.
New York is eager for a championship after coming close against Las Vegas last season. The Liberty reached the finals in three of the league’s first four years but lost to the Houston Comets each time. They also lost to the Los Angeles Sparks two years later.
“We haven’t done anything yet,” said Breanna Stewart, who scored 19 points, grabbed 14 rebounds, and made five assists and four blocks in the win over Las Vegas that secured their place in the Finals. “This was a tough series, an emotional series, for a number of different reasons (there’s) just the feeling of not satisfied.”
The Liberty have carried a chip on their shoulder all season and used that motivation to achieve the best record in the league, which earned them home-court advantage throughout the playoffs.
“We went to the Finals last year,” Stewart said, “and we didn’t do nothing.”
The Lynx are not intimidated by New York, having won two out of three regular season meetings and the Commissioner’s Cup championship.
The Minnesota Lynx are three wins away from their fifth championship, aiming for a league record with a completely new team compared to their previous successes. Napheesa Collier is leading this group.
Collier scored 27 points, shooting 10-for-16, and grabbed 11 rebounds. Courtney Williams added 24 points and played well on both offense and defense to help the Lynx beat the Connecticut Sun 88-77, making it to the WNBA Finals for the first time in seven years on Tuesday night.
Collier, who is the WNBA Defensive Player of the Year, also had four blocks in a strong all-around performance.
“She’s improved every season. She’s just been incredible. Every game, it’s more than scoring how she helps our team,” coach Cheryl Reeve said. “When she plays like the MVP, we’re tough to beat.”
After the game ended and the crowd was cheering, Collier went to hug Lindsay Whalen, a Hall of Famer and former Lynx star who played on the first four championship teams. “I definitely want to do her proud,” Collier said.
Kayla McBride scored 10 of her 19 points in the first quarter for the Lynx, who will now face the top-seeded New York Liberty in Game 1 on Thursday night. The best-of-five series continues with Game 2 in New York on Sunday afternoon, and Minnesota will host Game 3 on October 16.
Alyssa Thomas reacts towards the referee in the 1st half
The Lynx finished second in the league, just two games behind the Liberty during the regular season, and they have won three out of four games against New York this year, including the WNBA Commissioner’s Cup on June 25.
For the Sun, DiJonai Carrington scored 17 points and grabbed 12 rebounds, while Brionna Jones had 16 points and 10 rebounds. However, the Sun only shot 38.5% from the field (25 for 65) and made 19 turnovers, which the Lynx turned into 22 points.
“They just kind of punched us in the face, and we got shellshocked and then we couldn’t fight back,” said DeWanna Bonner, who scored 14 points on 4-for-13 shooting.
The Sun were eliminated in the semifinals for the fourth time in six years. They lost in the finals in the other two seasons, 2019 and 2022, when Williams was part of the team that still hasn’t won the franchise’s first title.
Williams, who is in her first year with Minnesota, was determined to make an impact from the start. The passionate ninth-year point guard played a key role on both offense and defense, driving to the basket, pushing the pace during fast breaks, and bothering the Connecticut ball-handlers. Williams scored her highest points in a playoff game since 2019 and also contributed seven assists, five rebounds, and two steals.
She was 6 for 6 in the first half.
“When you start a game like that, you kind of know the hoop’s feeling big, you’ve got the super green light,” Williams said. “I think that’s the confidence that Cheryl gives us.”
The Lynx built a lead as large as 21 points in the second quarter, which was six points more than their biggest lead in any of the first four games.
Napheesa Collier reacts in the time out
They had a slow start to the second half, but the Sun’s poor shooting helped keep the Lynx in front, until Alanna Smith hit a 3-pointer to break a 4:22 scoring drought.
Then, Williams stole the ball from Bonner as she drove toward the basket and quickly scored a layup, increasing the lead to 58-41. Collier followed with a 3-pointer to finish a 12-0 run.
Connecticut had eliminated Minnesota in the decisive Game 3 of the first round last season. Since winning Game 5 of the WNBA Finals in 2017 for their fourth championship in seven years, the Lynx had a record of just 1-4 in winner-take-all playoff games.
The atmosphere at Target Center matched the importance of the moment, with a lively crowd that included Whalen, Minnesota Vikings running back Aaron Jones, and two members of the state’s congressional delegation, Rep. Angie Craig and Sen. Tina Smith.
Kensley Louidor Faustin breaks up a pass intended for Colbie Young in the 1st half
Georgia wide receiver Colbie Young was arrested on Tuesday for charges of battery and assault on an unborn child.
Records from the Athens-Clarke County jail show that Young was booked at 4:18 a.m. for these misdemeanor charges. A police report obtained by The Associated Press mentioned that his arrest followed a confrontation with a 20-year-old woman who identified herself as Young’s ex-girlfriend. She told police she went to Young’s apartment “to speak about their relationship.”
According to her, the conversation became intense “after she found out he was on the phone with another woman.” The woman claimed that Young “physically pulled her out of his room” and “grabbed her from behind,” then “picked her up and began to squeeze her torso and abdomen very hard.”
She reported to the police that she felt Young “was trying to harm her.” The arresting officer noted that Young denied causing any bruising, discoloration, or redness found on the woman and denied grabbing her.
Kirby Smart walks to the field before the game
Young’s attorney, Kim Stephens, stated to the AP that Young did not harm the woman.
“Colbie Young was arrested last night after he asked his ex-girlfriend to leave his apartment,” Stephens said. “He did not make any physical contact with her in any way that could ever be considered a crime. I expect Mr. Young to be fully exonerated once our investigation is complete and the truth revealed.”
Young, a senior from Binghamton, New York, transferred to Georgia after spending two seasons at Miami. He has 11 receptions for 149 yards and two touchdowns in five games for No. 5 Georgia, including two starts. Last week, he had three catches for a team-high 51 yards in the 31-13 win over Auburn.
Georgia coach Kirby Smart did not provide an immediate comment on the arrest. When asked about Young’s status during a news conference after practice on Tuesday for the upcoming game against Mississippi State, Smart said, “I know you guys want to know about Colbie,” but added, “it’s a pending legal matter.”
Young was released on a $3,800 bond Tuesday afternoon.
Smart mentioned that he has not spoken with Young. He typically does not announce if a player will be suspended after an arrest, so it is unclear what Young’s status will be for the Mississippi State game.
Rocco Becht hands off the ball to Jaylon Jackson in the 1st half
Texas Tech is at the forefront of several longtime programs in the new Big 12.
In the last two years, the conference has brought in eight new schools, and some are influencing the race for the title game. However, Texas Tech, Iowa State, and West Virginia represent the established teams, alongside newcomers Colorado and BYU, all of which remain unbeaten in conference play.
Last Saturday, Texas Tech won against Arizona with a score of 28-22, bringing their conference record to 3-0. The Red Raiders have won their conference games by a total of 17 points, putting them at the top of the standings. They will take a break before hosting Baylor next.
“We got to the bye, we put ourselves in a good position,” Texas Tech coach Joey McGuire said. “We’ve got to get healthy. We’ve got to fix some things, you know, and then we’ve got to go 1-0. … You can’t get ahead of yourself. You’ve got to be in the moment.”
The Big 12 was formed in 1996 when four Texas schools from the old Southwest Conference joined members of the Big 8. Iowa State from the Big 8 and Texas Tech from the Southwest were part of the conference’s first year, while West Virginia joined in 2012.
Garrett Greene looks to pass in the 1st half
None of these three teams have won a Big 12 title, but their chances of finally achieving that have greatly improved since Texas and Oklahoma left for the Southeastern Conference in July. Texas, ranked No. 1, and Oklahoma, ranked No. 18, are set to face off in Dallas on Saturday, a matchup that used to have implications for the Big 12 title.
Now, Iowa State and West Virginia are in the title hunt, both starting the league at 2-0. Iowa State is the highest-ranked team in the Big 12 at No. 11, having beaten Baylor 43-21 last Saturday, while West Virginia defeated Oklahoma State 38-14.
Iowa State’s offense has relied heavily on quarterback Rocco Becht, who has thrown for 1,173 yards and nine touchdowns this season.
Cyclones coach Matt Campbell praised Becht for his smart play.
“It’s great to have great targets to throw to, but I think the ability to have the poise in the moment and be able to read the entire field … the thing that’s been fun about those — it’s not the first read, it’s the second, third or fourth read in the progression,” Campbell said. “It tells you his moxie and his growth.”
Iowa State is at the top of the Big 12 for total defense, allowing only 271.6 yards per game.
West Virginia’s strong ground game ranks third in the conference, gaining 223 yards per game. Quarterback Garrett Greene and running backs C.J. Donaldson and Jahiem White form a powerful trio. The Mountaineers rushed for 389 yards and controlled the ball for nearly 44 minutes last Saturday.
Oklahoma State started the season as one of the favorites in the conference. The Cowboys have been hard to beat at home under coach Mike Gundy for the past twenty years, making this win significant for the Mountaineers.
Rocco Becht runs with the ball in the 1st half
“Against a team like this — even though the season may not be going for them like they would like it to, for us to come out like that for a full 60 minutes and play the way we did — that adds a lot of confidence, especially going to next week’s game with a really good team,” said West Virginia linebacker Josiah Trotter.
All three of Texas Tech’s wins in the Big 12 have come against newer conference members — Arizona State, Cincinnati, and, most recently, Arizona on the road last Saturday.
Tahj Brooks leads the conference with 679 rushing yards, averaging 135.8 yards per game. He ran for 128 yards and three touchdowns against Arizona. The Red Raiders are third in the league with 460.5 total yards per game.
The most important number for McGuire is the team’s record.
“There have been dogfights,” the Texas Tech coach said. “I think that’s how the Big 12 is going to be every single week. And then we’ll be right there as far as, like — I mean, we’re OK playing these one-score games, and we’re going to play for four quarters.”
Tez Johnson’s time in Eugene began with Bo Nix. Johnson joined Oregon last year after spending three years at Troy State, following his brother Nix. Their bond was strong, both on and off the field.
After being adopted by the Nix family as a teenager, Johnson became one of Nix’s favorite targets. He set a school record with 86 catches for 1,182 yards and 10 touchdowns.
Nix played two years at Oregon after transferring from Auburn, throwing for 4,508 yards and 45 touchdowns last season. He was a finalist for the Heisman Trophy before being drafted by the Denver Broncos.
Now, Johnson is with No. 3 Oregon, catching passes from quarterback Dillon Gabriel. He had 10 catches for 84 yards and a touchdown in a 31-10 win over Michigan State last weekend, marking his third game this season with 10 or more catches.
“I love Tez, I love who he represents as a person, so I can definitely get behind a guy like that,” Gabriel said.
Tez Johnson celebrates with the fans after the win
“His playing ability is special and he’s showed that for many years. … I only have good things to say about him. We continue to find ways to create solutions to problems, and he’s a great problem-solver so I’m glad he’s on my team.”
Johnson, who is on track to break his reception record this season, said while the recognition is nice, he wants all his fellow receivers to shine as well.
“We don’t already look at records, we look at wins,” he said. “We want to go 1-0 each week and be the best in the country — no matter what.”
So far this season, Johnson has 43 catches for 395 yards and five touchdowns, ranking sixth nationally with an average of 8.6 catches per game. He also had an 85-yard punt return for a touchdown against Boise State, bringing his total punt return yards to 134 over 11 attempts.
“Our offensive staff does an unbelievable job of moving him around, so it’s hard to get a bead on where Tez is going to be on any given play with the movements and motions that we use, and he’s just an elusive player,” coach Dan Lanning said.
Shane Beamer checks the scoreboard in the 1st half
College football is paying close attention to players making fake gun gestures at opponents.
This occurred on Saturday when freshman edge rusher Dylan Stewart sacked Mississippi quarterback Jaxson Dart for an eight-yard loss. After the play, Stewart stood over him and pretended to shoot with a fake gun.
Stewart was penalized for unsportsmanlike conduct, resulting in a 15-yard penalty for South Carolina.
However, the penalty didn’t stop Stewart. A few minutes later, after stopping Rebels runner Matt Jones for a 4-yard loss, he celebrated again by mimicking shots from a pretend shotgun. No penalty was called on that play.
At Minnesota, defensive back Justin Walley broke up a pass during his team’s 24-17 victory over then-No. 11 Southern California. He then lifted his shirt as if he was showing a handgun tucked in his waistband.
Walley was flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct for what the official said was “simulating brandishing a gun.”
Justin Walley knocks Duce Robinson in the 1st half
“There’s a list of automatic unsportsmanlike conduct fouls. One of them in our rule book is simulating firing of a weapon,” Steve Shaw, the NCAA’s national coordinator of officials, told The Associated Press by phone Tuesday. “That’s not really a judgment call.”
It seems the players showed poor judgment with these actions during their celebrations. These incidents demonstrate the NCAA’s effort to keep any form of violence, even pretend violence, out of college football.
“We’re starting to see, I hate to say it, but more and more of it,” Shaw said. “We’re just trying to say that’s not acceptable. Gun violence is not acceptable in our game.”
Getting this message across to young players like Stewart, who turned 19 last month and has quickly made a mark on the Gamecocks’ defense with 3.5 sacks and 5.5 tackles behind the line in his first five college games, can be tough.
Similar displays have also been seen in the NFL. Jets receiver Allen Lazard was penalized for making finger guns after a first-down catch against Denver two weeks ago and was fined $14,069 for “unsportsmanlike conduct for a violent gesture,” according to the NFL.
South Carolina coach Shane Beamer said he talked to Stewart after the penalty and has spoken with all his players about cutting down on penalties before and after plays.
Shane Beamer reacts in the 2nd half
The gesture was “unacceptable,” Beamer said. “And Dylan Stewart feels awful about that play. Dylan Stewart’s a really good kid, and Dylan Stewart’s mom feels awful about that play.”
Minnesota coach P.J. Fleck mentioned at his weekly news conference that he advises his players to celebrate with their teammates and not put themselves at risk for officials to misinterpret their actions.
“In our world right now, we’re talking about everybody should express themselves, rightfully so,” Fleck said. “Sometimes we’re flagging a particular move, sometimes we’re not. Our whole thing to counter that is don’t leave it up to somebody to interpret something the wrong way.”
Dart, who leads the Southeastern Conference in passing, reacted to Stewart’s fake shooting on social media by quoting late rapper Young Dolph’s song, “100 Shots.”
“How the … you miss a whole hunnid shots?” Dart said, using a line from the song after the Rebels’ 27-3 victory.
Shaw said players need to understand they can celebrate in creative ways after big plays. He mentioned that after the NCAA penalized the throat slash gesture, some players started pretending to wipe their noses, which is not against the rules.
