UCF will begin its
life in the Big 12 against the defending conference champion when it
visits Kansas State on Saturday. The Knights are off to a 3-0 start
led by their defense, which has yet to allow more than 16 points in a
game. The Wildcats are 2-1. Quarterback will be a concern for both
teams. The Knights will be without John Rhys Plumlee after he was
hurt against Boise State, meaning transfer Timmy McClain will get the
start. Kansas State's Will Howard was shaken up against Missouri and
is questionable with freshman Avery Johnson next in line.

UCF (3-0) at
Kansas State (2-1), Saturday, 8 p.m. ET (FS1)

Line: Kansas
State by 6 1/2, according to FanDuel Sportsbook.

Series record:
Kansas State leads 1-0.

UCF will be making
its Big 12 debut when it heads to Bill Snyder Family Stadium to play
Kansas State, the reigning conference champion. The Knights are
unbeaten after sandwiching a pair of easy non-conference wins around
an 18-16 nailbiter against Boise State. The Wildcats are coming off a
disheartening 30-27 loss at Missouri, where they controlled most of
the game before the Tigers' Harrison Mevis hit a 61-yard winning
field goal as time expired.

Kansas State QB Will
Howard against the UCF defense. Howard was visibly slowed by the
beating he took last week against Missouri, and it showed in his
uneven performance. He had 270 yards and three touchdowns passing
with an interception but was unable to add much in the quarterback
run game. Howard is questionable to play against the Knights, and
freshman Avery Johnson would be next in line to face a UCF defense
that has yet to allow more than 16 points in a game.

UCF: McClain
is expected to start after John Rhys Plumlee hurt his right knee in
the closing minutes of the win over Boise State. Knights coach Gus
Malzahn said Monday that Plumlee could miss multiple weeks, and that
means McClain will lead them into their Big 12 debut. The South
Florida transfer led the Bulls in passing in 2021 before redshirting
last season.

Kansas State:
Johnson could take the spotlight if Howard is unable to play. He has
been used primarily as a running threat, but the four-star prospect
and one of the nation's best dual-threat quarterback recruits has a
big arm, too.

UCF will begin its
life in the Big 12 against the defending conference champion when it
visits Kansas State on Saturday. The Knights are off to a 3-0 start
led by their defense, which has yet to allow more than 16 points in a
game. The Wildcats are 2-1. Quarterback will be a concern for both
teams. The Knights will be without John Rhys Plumlee after he was
hurt against Boise State, meaning transfer Timmy McClain will get the
start. Kansas State's Will Howard was shaken up against Missouri and
is questionable with freshman Avery Johnson next in line.UCF (3-0) at
Kansas State (2-1), Saturday, 8 p.m. ET (FS1)Line: Kansas
State by 6 1/2, according to FanDuel Sportsbook.Series record:
Kansas State leads 1-0.WHAT’S AT
STAKE?UCF will be making
its Big 12 debut when it heads to Bill Snyder Family Stadium to play
Kansas State, the reigning conference champion. The Knights are
unbeaten after sandwiching a pair of easy non-conference wins around
an 18-16 nailbiter against Boise State. The Wildcats are coming off a
disheartening 30-27 loss at Missouri, where they controlled most of
the game before the Tigers' Harrison Mevis hit a 61-yard winning
field goal as time expired.KEY MATCHUPKansas State QB Will
Howard against the UCF defense. Howard was visibly slowed by the
beating he took last week against Missouri, and it showed in his
uneven performance. He had 270 yards and three touchdowns passing
with an interception but was unable to add much in the quarterback
run game. Howard is questionable to play against the Knights, and
freshman Avery Johnson would be next in line to face a UCF defense
that has yet to allow more than 16 points in a game.PLAYERS TO WATCHUCF: McClain
is expected to start after John Rhys Plumlee hurt his right knee in
the closing minutes of the win over Boise State. Knights coach Gus
Malzahn said Monday that Plumlee could miss multiple weeks, and that
means McClain will lead them into their Big 12 debut. The South
Florida transfer led the Bulls in passing in 2021 before redshirting
last season.Kansas State:
Johnson could take the spotlight if Howard is unable to play. He has
been used primarily as a running threat, but the four-star prospect
and one of the nation's best dual-threat quarterback recruits has a
big arm, too.FACTS &amp;
FIGURES

UCF makes its Big 12 debut on the road vs. Kansas State

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs appeared to fix many of their Week 1 problems last week in Jacksonville, when All-Pro defensive tackle Chris Jones returned from his holdout, star tight end Travis Kelce was back on the field following a knee injury, and an offense that struggled against Detroit looked just a little bit better against the Jaguars.

Sure, they still had a bunch of penalties. Turnovers remained a problem. The offense was still trying to hit its stride.

Yet those issues seem like mere nuisances compared to what's going on in Chicago these days.

As the Bears prepare to visit the Chiefs on Sunday, they are without a defensive coordinator following Alan Williams' surprising and abrupt resignation and their offense is embroiled in controversy after quarterback Josh Fields blamed coaching for “robotic” play and then tried rather unsuccessfully to walk back his comments.

So how does Bears coach Matt Eberflus steer a rudderless team going forward?

“You focus on here and now,” he said. “What could we do right now during this time, with the meetings we had this morning, with the improvements we're going to make? That's all you can do. Be where your feet are, focusing on right now.”

Problem is their feet will be in Arrowhead Stadium on Sunday, facing the defending Super Bowl champions. The Bears (0-2) are nearly two-TD underdogs, according to FanDuel Sportsbook, as they try to snap a 12-game losing streak dating to last season.

“We're going through a storm right now,” Field said after last week's loss to Tampa Bay. “It's frustrating not winning. But I think at the same time, like I said, just take it day by day and not really worry about the past. The past is the past.”

It's not as if the Chiefs (1-1) are humming along perfectly, especially on offense. They turned the ball over three times, committed 12 turnovers for 94 yards and a group of wide receivers that had eight drops in their opener against Detroit continued to put the ball on the ground during their 17-9 victory over the Jaguars last week.

“The frustration is probably more of me and about myself and how the offense has been doing,” Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes said. “Everybody has been having that mentality that we just have to keep working and getting better. The defense has been playing so well. We want to take the pressure off them.”

William said Wednesday he was resigning to take care of his health and his family. Eberflus plans to call defensive plays for the Bears for the second week in a row, but that could take some of his time away from helping their struggling offense.

“I spend time with the offense on the game plan days,” said Eberflus, who was previously the Colts’ defensive coordinator. “I spend breakfast club with the quarterbacks. I meet with the coaches in the evening on the offensive side. And then I’m in the interim game plan also on Monday. ... Like I said, it’s 50-50. You’re splitting it 50-50 there, that’s what you do.”

Fields, whose 70.7 passer rating is worst in the NFL, turned heads this week when he indicated coaches are feeding him too much information. Fields later said his statement was taken out of context and that he only points a finger at himself.

“I think there’s been times where I just try to be a perfectionist and nothing in this world is perfect,” said Fields, who was sacked six times last week and 10 times through two games. “So like I said, stop thinking more and just go out there and play.”

The Chiefs gave Jawaan Taylor a four-year, $80 million contract in the offseason to play right tackle, so it was jarring to see him benched briefly against Jacksonville. Taylor was penalized five times — two false starts, two holds and an illegal formation — one week after his questionable alignment and quick get-off against Detroit were called into question.

“Been working on it this week to clean it up. Needs to be fixed,” said Taylor, whose pass-block rates nevertheless graded out among the best in the league last week. “End of the day, I'm not here to hurt my team. I have to be better.”

The Bears put left tackle Braxton Jones on injured reserve with a neck injury, while safety Eddie Jackson has been dealing with a foot injury, wide receiver Darnell Mooney with a knee problem and defensive back Josh Blackwell with a sore hamstring.

The Chiefs are just as banged up: Nick Bolton has an ankle injury and fellow linebacker Willie Gay Jr. a sore quad, running back Isiah Pacheco is dealing with a sore hamstring, and wide receivers Kadarius Toney and Richie James missed time this week with a sore toe and balky knee. Chiefs coach Andy Reid said James' knee issue could keep him out a while.

The Chiefs offense is accustomed to bailing out their middle-of-the-road defense, but their roles have been reversed through the first two weeks of the season. Kansas City is 13th in total defense, despite playing two potent offenses in the Lions and Jaguars, and tied for third in the league in scoring defense.

“We're hungry,” Chiefs cornerback Trent McDuffie said, “and I know off of last year, and just off stats and everything that went on — yeah, we won the Super Bowl, but I know the defense felt like we could have done more.”

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs appeared to fix many of their Week 1 problems last week in Jacksonville, when All-Pro defensive tackle Chris Jones returned from his holdout, star tight end Travis Kelce was back on the field following a knee injury, and an offense that struggled against Detroit looked just a little bit better against the Jaguars.Sure, they still had a bunch of penalties. Turnovers remained a problem. The offense was still trying to hit its stride.Yet those issues seem like mere nuisances compared to what's going on in Chicago these days.As the Bears prepare to visit the Chiefs on Sunday, they are without a defensive coordinator following Alan Williams' surprising and abrupt resignation and their offense is embroiled in controversy after quarterback Josh Fields blamed coaching for “robotic” play and then tried rather unsuccessfully to walk back his comments.So how does Bears coach Matt Eberflus steer a rudderless team going forward?“You focus on here and now,” he said. “What could we do right now during this time, with the meetings we had this morning, with the improvements we're going to make? That's all you can do. Be where your feet are, focusing on right now.”Problem is their feet will be in Arrowhead Stadium on Sunday, facing the defending Super Bowl champions. The Bears (0-2) are nearly two-TD underdogs, according to FanDuel Sportsbook, as they try to snap a 12-game losing streak dating to last season.“We're going through a storm right now,” Field said after last week's loss to Tampa Bay. “It's frustrating not winning. But I think at the same time, like I said, just take it day by day and not really worry about the past. The past is the past.”It's not as if the Chiefs (1-1) are humming along perfectly, especially on offense. They turned the ball over three times, committed 12 turnovers for 94 yards and a group of wide receivers that had eight drops in their opener against Detroit continued to put the ball on the ground during their 17-9 victory over the Jaguars last week.“The frustration is probably more of me and about myself and how the offense has been doing,” Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes said. “Everybody has been having that mentality that we just have to keep working and getting better. The defense has been playing so well. We want to take the pressure off them.”COORDINATOR CONCERNSWilliam said Wednesday he was resigning to take care of his health and his family. Eberflus plans to call defensive plays for the Bears for the second week in a row, but that could take some of his time away from helping their struggling offense.“I spend time with the offense on the game plan days,” said Eberflus, who was previously the Colts’ defensive coordinator. “I spend breakfast club with the quarterbacks. I meet with the coaches in the evening on the offensive side. And then I’m in the interim game plan also on Monday. ... Like I said, it’s 50-50. You’re splitting it 50-50 there, that’s what you do.”PLAYING THE FIELDSFields, whose 70.7 passer rating is worst in the NFL, turned heads this week when he indicated coaches are feeding him too much information. Fields later said his statement was taken out of context and that he only points a finger at himself.“I think there’s been times where I just try to be a perfectionist and nothing in this world is perfect,” said Fields, who was sacked six times last week and 10 times through two games. “So like I said, stop thinking more and just go out there and play.”TAYLOR'S TROUBLEThe Chiefs gave Jawaan Taylor a four-year, $80 million contract in the offseason to play right tackle, so it was jarring to see him benched briefly against Jacksonville. Taylor was penalized five times — two false starts, two holds and an illegal formation — one week after his questionable alignment and quick get-off against Detroit were called into question.“Been working on it this week to clean it up. Needs to be fixed,” said Taylor, whose pass-block rates nevertheless graded out among the best in the league last week. “End of the day, I'm not here to hurt my team. I have to be better.”INJURY WOESThe Bears put left tackle Braxton Jones on injured reserve with a neck injury, while safety Eddie Jackson has been dealing with a foot injury, wide receiver Darnell Mooney with a knee problem and defensive back Josh Blackwell with a sore hamstring.The Chiefs are just as banged up: Nick Bolton has an ankle injury and fellow linebacker Willie Gay Jr. a sore quad, running back Isiah Pacheco is dealing with a sore hamstring, and wide receivers Kadarius Toney and Richie James missed time this week with a sore toe and balky knee. Chiefs coach Andy Reid said James' knee issue could keep him out a while.GETTING DEFENSIVEThe Chiefs offense is accustomed to bailing out their middle-of-the-road defense, but their roles have been reversed through the first two weeks of the season. Kansas City is 13th in total defense, despite playing two potent offenses in the Lions and Jaguars, and tied for third in the league in scoring defense.“We're hungry,” Chiefs cornerback Trent McDuffie said, “and I know off of last year, and just off stats and everything that went on — yeah, we won the Super Bowl, but I know the defense felt like we could have done more.”

Struggling Bears head to Arrowhead Stadium

BYU will make its
Big 12 debut on Saturday when it heads to Kansas for a matchup of
teams off to 3-0 starts. The Cougars are coming off a tough
come-from-behind win at Arkansas while the Jayhawks squeaked out a
road win of their own at Nevada. BYU won the only previous meeting
with Kansas at the 1992 Aloha Bowl. Both of the quarterbacks should
have starring roles. For the Cougars, that means former Southern
California and Pittsburgh quarterback Kedon Slovis. For the Jayhawks,
that means dual-threat star Jalon Daniels, who has played well the
past two weeks after missing the season-opener to injury.

BYU (3-0) at Kansas
(3-0), Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET (ESPN)

Line: Kansas
by 9 1/2, according to FanDuel Sportsbook.

The Cougars make
their Big 12 debut when they travel to Memorial Stadium to take on
Kansas, a program that has been on the upswing under Lance Leipold
the past two seasons. Both are coming off narrow wins that took them
to 3-0. BYU squeezed out a 38-31 win at Arkansas while the Jayhawks
won 31-24 at Nevada. Kansas is trying to win its first four games for
the second straight year. It won the only previous meeting with BYU
23-20 in the 1992 Aloha Bowl.

Kansas RB Devin Neal
against the BYU run defense. Neal is the Big 12's top returning
rusher, and he's averaging more than 100 yards per game after going
for 79 with three touchdowns last week at Nevada. The Cougars allowed
177 yards and two TDs on the ground last week against Arkansas,
despite the Razorbacks missing star running back Raheim Sanders.

BYU: QB Kedon
Slovis has thrown for 660 yards and six TDs with just one
interception. More importantly, the former USC and Pitt quarterback
has been a calming influence for the Cougars. They trailed 14-0
against Arkansas before rallying to take the lead, and then Slovis
led another rally when the Razorbacks took the lead again last week.

Kansas: QB
Jalon Daniels had nearly 300 yards passing against Nevada, but the
dual-threat star wasn't much of a threat on the ground. He actually
lost four yards on seven carries during the win over the Wolf Pack.

BYU will make its
Big 12 debut on Saturday when it heads to Kansas for a matchup of
teams off to 3-0 starts. The Cougars are coming off a tough
come-from-behind win at Arkansas while the Jayhawks squeaked out a
road win of their own at Nevada. BYU won the only previous meeting
with Kansas at the 1992 Aloha Bowl. Both of the quarterbacks should
have starring roles. For the Cougars, that means former Southern
California and Pittsburgh quarterback Kedon Slovis. For the Jayhawks,
that means dual-threat star Jalon Daniels, who has played well the
past two weeks after missing the season-opener to injury.BYU (3-0) at Kansas
(3-0), Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET (ESPN)Line: Kansas
by 9 1/2, according to FanDuel Sportsbook.Series record:
Kansas leads 1-0.WHAT’S AT
STAKE?The Cougars make
their Big 12 debut when they travel to Memorial Stadium to take on
Kansas, a program that has been on the upswing under Lance Leipold
the past two seasons. Both are coming off narrow wins that took them
to 3-0. BYU squeezed out a 38-31 win at Arkansas while the Jayhawks
won 31-24 at Nevada. Kansas is trying to win its first four games for
the second straight year. It won the only previous meeting with BYU
23-20 in the 1992 Aloha Bowl.KEY MATCHUPKansas RB Devin Neal
against the BYU run defense. Neal is the Big 12's top returning
rusher, and he's averaging more than 100 yards per game after going
for 79 with three touchdowns last week at Nevada. The Cougars allowed
177 yards and two TDs on the ground last week against Arkansas,
despite the Razorbacks missing star running back Raheim Sanders.PLAYERS TO WATCHBYU: QB Kedon
Slovis has thrown for 660 yards and six TDs with just one
interception. More importantly, the former USC and Pitt quarterback
has been a calming influence for the Cougars. They trailed 14-0
against Arkansas before rallying to take the lead, and then Slovis
led another rally when the Razorbacks took the lead again last week.Kansas: QB
Jalon Daniels had nearly 300 yards passing against Nevada, but the
dual-threat star wasn't much of a threat on the ground. He actually
lost four yards on seven carries during the win over the Wolf Pack.FACTS &amp;
FIGURES

BYU heads to Kansas for first-ever Big 12 game in matchup of unbeatens

Hutchinson and Goddard have given Great Bend fits in recent volleyball seasons. That was not the case Thursday night in Goddard. The Lady Panthers remained hot with a pair of 2-set wins against both schools. Great Bend improved to 13-1 on the season with just one of those 13 wins requiring an extra set.

The Lady Panthers took down Goddard 25-13, 25-18. Junior Kara Feist and freshman Kya Behr handled the attack, splitting 15 of the team's 26 kills in the match. Senior Sadie Spray added five. Feist also had three aces and senior Lauryn Davis added two. Senior Paige Thexton led the back row with 10 digs, followed by seven apiece from Davis, Behr, and senior Macy Nachtigal. Behr finished the match with 13 assists.

Great Bend defeated Hutchinson 25-17, 26-24. Feist led a balanced attack with six kills, and she was big defensively with five blocks. Junior Cassie Ellegood put down five kills, while Spray, Behr, and senior Makenzie Premer each finished with four. Nachtigal was busy in the back row with 12 digs, followed by Spray with nine and Behr with seven. Behr again led the team with 15 assists and Spray added seven.

The volleyball team will be busy at home next week with a match against Dodge City on Thursday and the home invitational on Saturday.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1695389409337.jpeg" alt="Lady Panther junior Kara Feist puts down a block during Thursday's win against Goddard.&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>Lady Panther junior Kara Feist puts down a block during Thursday's win against Goddard.&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>Great Bend Post SportsHutchinson and Goddard have given Great Bend fits in recent volleyball seasons. That was not the case Thursday night in Goddard. The Lady Panthers remained hot with a pair of 2-set wins against both schools. Great Bend improved to 13-1 on the season with just one of those 13 wins requiring an extra set.The Lady Panthers took down Goddard 25-13, 25-18. Junior Kara Feist and freshman Kya Behr handled the attack, splitting 15 of the team's 26 kills in the match. Senior Sadie Spray added five. Feist also had three aces and senior Lauryn Davis added two. Senior Paige Thexton led the back row with 10 digs, followed by seven apiece from Davis, Behr, and senior Macy Nachtigal. Behr finished the match with 13 assists.Great Bend defeated Hutchinson 25-17, 26-24. Feist led a balanced attack with six kills, and she was big defensively with five blocks. Junior Cassie Ellegood put down five kills, while Spray, Behr, and senior Makenzie Premer each finished with four. Nachtigal was busy in the back row with 12 digs, followed by Spray with nine and Behr with seven. Behr again led the team with 15 assists and Spray added seven.The volleyball team will be busy at home next week with a match against Dodge City on Thursday and the home invitational on Saturday.

Lady Panther volleyball team bumps record to 13-1

Eight teams from seven schools made up the field at Thursday's tennis invitational hosted by Salina South. Salina Central cruised to the win with 67 points, followed by Maize with 53 points. Great Bend finished sixth with 18 points, beating Salina South's gold team and Abilene.

Clarise Snapp and Paige Stacey took over singles action for Great Bend in the same bracket. Stacey came up just shy of a win in an 8-7(4) loss to Central's Morgan Pavey, who was injured in her next match. Stacey never lost again, beating South 8-2, Junction City 8-4, and another South opponent 8-6 to finish ninth. Snapp finished at 1-3 for 14th place. She opened with an 8-0 loss to the No. 4 seed from Junction City, then fell to South 8-5. Snapp picked up an 8-3 win against Abilene before falling to another South player 8-7(1) in the 13th-place match.

Mac Lindberg and Darcy Feist finished ninth in the doubles bracket. The girls opened with an 8-2 loss to Buhler but never lost again, beating a pair of South opponents 8-2 and 8-5. The pair defeated Junction City 8-4 in the ninth-place match. Mackenzie LaViolette and Danica Strickland went winless on the afternoon. A tough draw included an 8-5 loss to the No. 3 seed from Buhler in round one. After an 8-3 loss to Junction City, the girls fell 8-6 to Salina South, then lost another close match 8-7 (2) to South in the 15th-place match.

The tennis team heads to Garden City on Saturday.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/1/1673886547614.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Great Bend Post SportsEight teams from seven schools made up the field at Thursday's tennis invitational hosted by Salina South. Salina Central cruised to the win with 67 points, followed by Maize with 53 points. Great Bend finished sixth with 18 points, beating Salina South's gold team and Abilene.Clarise Snapp and Paige Stacey took over singles action for Great Bend in the same bracket. Stacey came up just shy of a win in an 8-7(4) loss to Central's Morgan Pavey, who was injured in her next match. Stacey never lost again, beating South 8-2, Junction City 8-4, and another South opponent 8-6 to finish ninth. Snapp finished at 1-3 for 14th place. She opened with an 8-0 loss to the No. 4 seed from Junction City, then fell to South 8-5. Snapp picked up an 8-3 win against Abilene before falling to another South player 8-7(1) in the 13th-place match.Mac Lindberg and Darcy Feist finished ninth in the doubles bracket. The girls opened with an 8-2 loss to Buhler but never lost again, beating a pair of South opponents 8-2 and 8-5. The pair defeated Junction City 8-4 in the ninth-place match. Mackenzie LaViolette and Danica Strickland went winless on the afternoon. A tough draw included an 8-5 loss to the No. 3 seed from Buhler in round one. After an 8-3 loss to Junction City, the girls fell 8-6 to Salina South, then lost another close match 8-7 (2) to South in the 15th-place match.The tennis team heads to Garden City on Saturday.

Lady Panther tennis team places sixth in Salina

KANSAS CITY, Mo.
(AP) — The struggling Bears are headed to Arrowhead Stadium to take
on the Chiefs on Sunday. The Bears will be without a defensive
coordinator following Alan Williams’ surprising and abrupt
resignation and their offense has been embroiled in controversy after
quarterback Josh Fields blamed coaching for his “robotic” play
the first two weeks. Meanwhile, the Chiefs are starting to hit their
stride after their Week 2 win in Jacksonville. All-Pro defensive
tackle Chris Jones ended his holdout and was back to his disruptive
self, and tight end Travis Kelce was back on the field after missing
the season opener with a knee injury.

SANTA CLARA, Calif.
(AP) — Christian McCaffrey scored a touchdown in his 12th straight
game, Brock Purdy threw two TD passes and the San Francisco 49ers won
their 13th straight regular season game, 30-12 over the New York
Giants. The Niners weren’t particularly sharp on offense in their
home opener but got enough from McCaffrey and on big runs after the
catch by Deebo Samuel and George Kittle to earn their second 3-0
start in 25 seasons. The defense did the rest against the
short-handed Giants. New York finished with 150 yards of offense
while missing star running back Saquon Barkley and left tackle Andrew
Thomas.

FRISCO, Texas (AP) —
Dallas Cowboys cornerback Trevon Diggs has sustained a torn ACL in
his left knee in practice. It's a blow for a defense off to a great
start in 2023. The 2021 All-Pro was seen leaving the team’s
headquarters on crutches. Diggs had his first interception of the
season in last week’s 30-10 victory over the Jets. Diggs is tied
for the NFL lead with 18 interceptions since entering the league in
2020. Diggs signed a $97 million, five-year contract extension at the
start of training camp.

PITTSBURGH (AP) —
Steelers safety Minkah Fitzpatrick believes the hit that ended Browns
running back Nick Chubb’s season was unfortunate but not dirty.
Fitzpatrick hit Chubb in his left knee while Chubb was trying to
score in the second quarter of Pittsburgh's 26-22 victory. Chubb bent
awkwardly over the knee and now faces surgery and a lengthy rehab.
Fitzpatrick says he told Chubb on the field the hit was not
intentional. The All-Pro added he does not have a reputation as a
dirty player, saying football is a fast game and injuries are a part
of it.

UNDATED (AP) — UCF
will begin its life in the Big 12 against the defending conference
champion when it visits Kansas State on Saturday. The Knights are off
to a 3-0 start led by their defense, which has yet to allow more than
16 points in a game. The Wildcats are 2-1. Quarterback will be a
concern for both teams. The Knights will be without John Rhys Plumlee
after he was hurt against Boise State, meaning transfer Timmy McClain
will get the start. Kansas State's Will Howard was shaken up against
Missouri and is questionable with freshman Avery Johnson next in
line.

UNDATED (AP) — Now
that the Power Five is about to become a Power Four in college
sports, the schools left out of conference realignment are looking at
creative ways to stay relevant. One plan calls for a multi-tiered
alliance of leagues that would use a promotion and relegation system,
similar to what happens in European soccer. It’s a complicated way
to reach what might be the best move for schools like Oregon State,
Washington State, Boise State and others: A best-of-the-rest,
football-only conference.

UNDATED (AP) — Big
12 newcomers BYU, Cincinnati and UCF all play their first league
games this weekend. BYU takes a seven-game winning streak into its
conference opener at Kansas. The Jayhawks have consecutive 3-0 starts
for the first time since 1991 and 1992. UCF is also 3-0 going into
its game at Kansas State. The Knights lead the nation with nearly 618
total yards and are second at 299 yards rushing per game. Kansas
State has allowed only 50 yards rushing a game. Cincinnati is home
against 16th-ranked Oklahoma. Sooners quarterback Dillon Gabriel has
completed a national-best 82.5% of his passes and has 11 TD passes.

PHOENIX (AP) — Ten
days remain in MLB’s regular season, and the playoff races are hot,
particulary in a crowded National League. The NL wild-card race has
been tight for the better part of a month, with the Phillies,
Diamondbacks, Cubs, Marlins, Reds and Giants scrambling to claim
three playoff positions. It’s exactly the kind of drama MLB hoped
for when it expanded the playoff field from 10 to 12 teams before the
2022 season. The American League race also has some drama with the
Rangers, Astros, Blue Jays and Mariners fighting for three playoff
spots.

ST. LOUIS (AP) —
Victor Caratini hit a three-run homer and Blake Perkins added a solo
shot, leading the Milwaukee Brewers to a 6-0 victory over the St.
Louis Cardinals in the final game of a four-game series. The Brewers’
magic number to clinch their second National League Central title in
three years fell to two on Thursday with nine games to play.
Milwaukee could wrap up the division title as soon as Friday in Miami
with another victory along with a Chicago Cubs loss. The number to
just clinch a postseason berth is two over the Marlins. Wade Miley
breezed through six scoreless innings, throwing 92 pitches.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1694688181399.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY, Mo.
(AP) — The struggling Bears are headed to Arrowhead Stadium to take
on the Chiefs on Sunday. The Bears will be without a defensive
coordinator following Alan Williams’ surprising and abrupt
resignation and their offense has been embroiled in controversy after
quarterback Josh Fields blamed coaching for his “robotic” play
the first two weeks. Meanwhile, the Chiefs are starting to hit their
stride after their Week 2 win in Jacksonville. All-Pro defensive
tackle Chris Jones ended his holdout and was back to his disruptive
self, and tight end Travis Kelce was back on the field after missing
the season opener with a knee injury.SANTA CLARA, Calif.
(AP) — Christian McCaffrey scored a touchdown in his 12th straight
game, Brock Purdy threw two TD passes and the San Francisco 49ers won
their 13th straight regular season game, 30-12 over the New York
Giants. The Niners weren’t particularly sharp on offense in their
home opener but got enough from McCaffrey and on big runs after the
catch by Deebo Samuel and George Kittle to earn their second 3-0
start in 25 seasons. The defense did the rest against the
short-handed Giants. New York finished with 150 yards of offense
while missing star running back Saquon Barkley and left tackle Andrew
Thomas.FRISCO, Texas (AP) —
Dallas Cowboys cornerback Trevon Diggs has sustained a torn ACL in
his left knee in practice. It's a blow for a defense off to a great
start in 2023. The 2021 All-Pro was seen leaving the team’s
headquarters on crutches. Diggs had his first interception of the
season in last week’s 30-10 victory over the Jets. Diggs is tied
for the NFL lead with 18 interceptions since entering the league in
2020. Diggs signed a $97 million, five-year contract extension at the
start of training camp.PITTSBURGH (AP) —
Steelers safety Minkah Fitzpatrick believes the hit that ended Browns
running back Nick Chubb’s season was unfortunate but not dirty.
Fitzpatrick hit Chubb in his left knee while Chubb was trying to
score in the second quarter of Pittsburgh's 26-22 victory. Chubb bent
awkwardly over the knee and now faces surgery and a lengthy rehab.
Fitzpatrick says he told Chubb on the field the hit was not
intentional. The All-Pro added he does not have a reputation as a
dirty player, saying football is a fast game and injuries are a part
of it.UNDATED (AP) — UCF
will begin its life in the Big 12 against the defending conference
champion when it visits Kansas State on Saturday. The Knights are off
to a 3-0 start led by their defense, which has yet to allow more than
16 points in a game. The Wildcats are 2-1. Quarterback will be a
concern for both teams. The Knights will be without John Rhys Plumlee
after he was hurt against Boise State, meaning transfer Timmy McClain
will get the start. Kansas State's Will Howard was shaken up against
Missouri and is questionable with freshman Avery Johnson next in
line.UNDATED (AP) — Now
that the Power Five is about to become a Power Four in college
sports, the schools left out of conference realignment are looking at
creative ways to stay relevant. One plan calls for a multi-tiered
alliance of leagues that would use a promotion and relegation system,
similar to what happens in European soccer. It’s a complicated way
to reach what might be the best move for schools like Oregon State,
Washington State, Boise State and others: A best-of-the-rest,
football-only conference.UNDATED (AP) — Big
12 newcomers BYU, Cincinnati and UCF all play their first league
games this weekend. BYU takes a seven-game winning streak into its
conference opener at Kansas. The Jayhawks have consecutive 3-0 starts
for the first time since 1991 and 1992. UCF is also 3-0 going into
its game at Kansas State. The Knights lead the nation with nearly 618
total yards and are second at 299 yards rushing per game. Kansas
State has allowed only 50 yards rushing a game. Cincinnati is home
against 16th-ranked Oklahoma. Sooners quarterback Dillon Gabriel has
completed a national-best 82.5% of his passes and has 11 TD passes.PHOENIX (AP) — Ten
days remain in MLB’s regular season, and the playoff races are hot,
particulary in a crowded National League. The NL wild-card race has
been tight for the better part of a month, with the Phillies,
Diamondbacks, Cubs, Marlins, Reds and Giants scrambling to claim
three playoff positions. It’s exactly the kind of drama MLB hoped
for when it expanded the playoff field from 10 to 12 teams before the
2022 season. The American League race also has some drama with the
Rangers, Astros, Blue Jays and Mariners fighting for three playoff
spots.ST. LOUIS (AP) —
Victor Caratini hit a three-run homer and Blake Perkins added a solo
shot, leading the Milwaukee Brewers to a 6-0 victory over the St.
Louis Cardinals in the final game of a four-game series. The Brewers’
magic number to clinch their second National League Central title in
three years fell to two on Thursday with nine games to play.
Milwaukee could wrap up the division title as soon as Friday in Miami
with another victory along with a Chicago Cubs loss. The number to
just clinch a postseason berth is two over the Marlins. Wade Miley
breezed through six scoreless innings, throwing 92 pitches.THURSDAY SCORESAMERICAN LEAGUEFinal	Tampa
Bay	5	L.A. Angels	4	Final	N.Y.
Yankees	5	Toronto	3	Final	Cleveland	5	Baltimore	2	Final	Detroit	7	Oakland	3	NATIONAL LEAGUEFinal	Milwaukee	6	St.
Louis	0	Final	Philadelphia	5	N.Y.
Mets	4	Final	Atlanta	10	Washington	3	Final	Pittsburgh	8	Chicago
Cubs	6	Final	L.A.
Dodgers	7	San Francisco	2	NATIONAL FOOTBALL
LEAGUEFinal	San
Francisco	30	N-Y Giants	12

Friday Sports Headlines and Scores presented by Barton Community College 

By STEPHEN HAWKINS AP Sports Writer

Things to watch in the Big 12 in Week 4, when newcomers BYU, Cincinnati and UCF play their first league games:

BYU (3-0) at Kansas (3-0). BYU goes into its first Big 12 game on a seven-game winning streak while the Jayhawks have consecutive 3-0 starts for the first time since 1991-92. It was during that time that the Jayhawks and Cougars had their only previous meeting, in the 1992 Aloha Bowl that Kansas won 23-20.

After falling behind 14-0 at Arkansas last Saturday, the Cougars scored 21 in a row, then allowed 17 before scoring 17 more to give the Big 12 its second win in a Southeastern Conference stadium this season (Texas won at Alabama). It was the first time BYU overcame a 14-point deficit to win under coach Kalani Sitake, in his eighth season at his alma mater.

The last loss for Kansas was in last season's Liberty Bowl against the Razorbacks, 55-53 in triple OT.

RJ Harvey, Johnny Richardson and UCF's running game against Kansas State's league-best rushing defense.

The Wildcats (2-1) have allowed only 50 yards per game, 1.8 yards per carry and one rushing TD. Even without injured dual-threat quarterback John Rhys Plumlee, the Knights (3-0) have averaged 299.3 yards rushing per game and are tied with a league-best 10 rushing touchdowns. They are the national leader with 617.7 total yards per game, and second in rushing. Harvey and Richardson are both in the Big 12's top eight, running for more than 70 yards per game and 6 yards per carry.

Oklahoma quarterback Dillon Gabriel has completed a national-best 82.5% of his passes (66 of 80). He also tops the Big 12 with his 301.7 yards passing per game and 11 touchdowns. The 16th-ranked Sooners (3-0) play at Cincinnati (2-1), which has allowed a league-high seven TD passes even though their opponents complete only 45.5% of their passes against the Bearcats.

Third-ranked Texas and Baylor have played since 1901, and have been conference foes since the formation of the Southwest Conference in 1915. The only years since 1923 that they haven’t played were during World War II. With the Longhorns headed to the Southeastern Conference next season, Saturday night is the last scheduled meeting between the schools only about 100 miles apart.

TCU is playing its Dallas-Fort Worth rivalry game against future ACC team SMU for the 102nd time. The Horned Frogs have won 18 of the past 22 games in the series against their former SWC rival that is their second longest, behind only 118 games against Baylor.

Texas Tech RB Tahj Brooks is coming off a career-high 158 yards rushing against Tarleton State. His fifth career 100-yard game was his first since 107 last year against West Virginia, where the Red Raiders play Saturday. He is averaging 7.24 yards per carry this season. ...Kansas State QB Will Howard has multiple TD passes in eight consecutive regular-season games, the school's longest streak since at least 1982. ... Oklahoma State has held 30 of its past 33 conference opponents under their season scoring average entering the game. The Cowboys are at Iowa State, which is last in the Big 12 with 16.7 points a game. ... Houston DB Malik Fleming is tied for the national lead with three interceptions this season, and has six picks his last 10 games.

By STEPHEN HAWKINS AP Sports WriterThings to watch in the Big 12 in Week 4, when newcomers BYU, Cincinnati and UCF play their first league games:GAME OF THE WEEKBYU (3-0) at Kansas (3-0). BYU goes into its first Big 12 game on a seven-game winning streak while the Jayhawks have consecutive 3-0 starts for the first time since 1991-92. It was during that time that the Jayhawks and Cougars had their only previous meeting, in the 1992 Aloha Bowl that Kansas won 23-20.After falling behind 14-0 at Arkansas last Saturday, the Cougars scored 21 in a row, then allowed 17 before scoring 17 more to give the Big 12 its second win in a Southeastern Conference stadium this season (Texas won at Alabama). It was the first time BYU overcame a 14-point deficit to win under coach Kalani Sitake, in his eighth season at his alma mater.The last loss for Kansas was in last season's Liberty Bowl against the Razorbacks, 55-53 in triple OT.BEST MATCHUPRJ Harvey, Johnny Richardson and UCF's running game against Kansas State's league-best rushing defense.The Wildcats (2-1) have allowed only 50 yards per game, 1.8 yards per carry and one rushing TD. Even without injured dual-threat quarterback John Rhys Plumlee, the Knights (3-0) have averaged 299.3 yards rushing per game and are tied with a league-best 10 rushing touchdowns. They are the national leader with 617.7 total yards per game, and second in rushing. Harvey and Richardson are both in the Big 12's top eight, running for more than 70 yards per game and 6 yards per carry.IMPACT PLAYEROklahoma quarterback Dillon Gabriel has completed a national-best 82.5% of his passes (66 of 80). He also tops the Big 12 with his 301.7 yards passing per game and 11 touchdowns. The 16th-ranked Sooners (3-0) play at Cincinnati (2-1), which has allowed a league-high seven TD passes even though their opponents complete only 45.5% of their passes against the Bearcats.LONE STAR RIVALRIESThird-ranked Texas and Baylor have played since 1901, and have been conference foes since the formation of the Southwest Conference in 1915. The only years since 1923 that they haven’t played were during World War II. With the Longhorns headed to the Southeastern Conference next season, Saturday night is the last scheduled meeting between the schools only about 100 miles apart.TCU is playing its Dallas-Fort Worth rivalry game against future ACC team SMU for the 102nd time. The Horned Frogs have won 18 of the past 22 games in the series against their former SWC rival that is their second longest, behind only 118 games against Baylor.INSIDE THE NUMBERSTexas Tech RB Tahj Brooks is coming off a career-high 158 yards rushing against Tarleton State. His fifth career 100-yard game was his first since 107 last year against West Virginia, where the Red Raiders play Saturday. He is averaging 7.24 yards per carry this season. ...Kansas State QB Will Howard has multiple TD passes in eight consecutive regular-season games, the school's longest streak since at least 1982. ... Oklahoma State has held 30 of its past 33 conference opponents under their season scoring average entering the game. The Cowboys are at Iowa State, which is last in the Big 12 with 16.7 points a game. ... Houston DB Malik Fleming is tied for the national lead with three interceptions this season, and has six picks his last 10 games.

Big 12 newcomers BYU, Cincy and UCF play 1st league games

By BRANDON SMITH Barton Sports Info

For the third time this season the 7th ranked Barton Community College men's soccer team swept the KJCCC Division I Player of the Week awards, as freshman forward Maxence Voinier and netminder Dennis Bottcher were rewarded for their week five performances.

The duo helped the Cougars to a perfect week knocking off unbeaten 3rd ranked Cowley College 3-1 this past Saturday afternoon from the Cougar Soccer Complex.

Claiming his first recognition of the season, Voinier posted a career high week. The freshman braced the Cougars out to a 2-0 halftime lead. Supplying the offense fast and early, Voinier struck the back of the net just 1:20 into the contest for the first of his two net finders. Pressing the Tiger defense all opening half, a forced created turnover by the forward 17:11 ensuing created his second net rattler and eventual game winner.

Securing his third distinction of the year, Bottcher was near perfect in the victory denying four of the five faced shots. The sophomore made three key denials over the final 45-minutes with the lone goal sneaking past Bottcher's knock down penalty shot faced trickling past the goal line. The sophomore currently sits at 4-0-2 in net for the Cougars.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1695296834258.jpeg" alt="Barton Athletics" />
 <figcaption>Barton Athletics</figcaption>
 </figure>By BRANDON SMITH Barton Sports InfoFor the third time this season the 7th ranked Barton Community College men's soccer team swept the KJCCC Division I Player of the Week awards, as freshman forward Maxence Voinier and netminder Dennis Bottcher were rewarded for their week five performances.The duo helped the Cougars to a perfect week knocking off unbeaten 3rd ranked Cowley College 3-1 this past Saturday afternoon from the Cougar Soccer Complex.Claiming his first recognition of the season, Voinier posted a career high week. The freshman braced the Cougars out to a 2-0 halftime lead. Supplying the offense fast and early, Voinier struck the back of the net just 1:20 into the contest for the first of his two net finders. Pressing the Tiger defense all opening half, a forced created turnover by the forward 17:11 ensuing created his second net rattler and eventual game winner.Securing his third distinction of the year, Bottcher was near perfect in the victory denying four of the five faced shots. The sophomore made three key denials over the final 45-minutes with the lone goal sneaking past Bottcher's knock down penalty shot faced trickling past the goal line. The sophomore currently sits at 4-0-2 in net for the Cougars.

Barton Men's Soccer sweeps KJCCC weekly awards

- Great Bend Panther Football coach Erin Beck who will be joined by Senior OL/LB Matthew Johnson and Sophomore QB Daxton Minton

- The "Voice of the Indians" Gary Wagner previews Larned's Friday matchup at Nickerson

- Mike Courson goes "On the Prowl" with Great Bend Boys Soccer coach Chuy Loera

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1693997740304.jpeg" alt="Thursday show lineup with hosts Steve Webster, Mike Courson, Aaron Clark and Mike Hesher" />
 <figcaption>Thursday show lineup with hosts Steve Webster, Mike Courson, Aaron Clark and Mike Hesher</figcaption>
 </figure><div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/_4j55fYHnm4?si=n0daVyAUdX1tRlzL" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>- Great Bend Panther Football coach Erin Beck who will be joined by Senior OL/LB Matthew Johnson and Sophomore QB Daxton Minton- The "Voice of the Indians" Gary Wagner previews Larned's Friday matchup at Nickerson- Mike Courson goes "On the Prowl" with Great Bend Boys Soccer coach Chuy Loera- Thursday Sports Headlines- Sounds of the past 24-hours

Thursday on Sports Day(Watch)

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Royals are pushing back their self-imposed deadline of the end of September for deciding on a location for their new ballpark, though they remain confident that their final proposal will be put before voters on an April ballot.

The Royals are trying to decide between a downtown location, called the East Village, that would keep the replacement for aging Kauffman Stadium in Jackson County and a competing location across the Missouri River in neighboring Clay County.

Royals owner John Sherman has said multiple times the club hoped to decide on a location by the end of the month. But it must first reach an agreement with political leaders on a proposed financing package; the current lease with Jackson County includes a portion of a 3/8-cent sales tax that has paid for renovations and upkeep on Kauffman Stadium.

The stadium and accompanying ballpark village are expected to cost about $2 billion, the largest public-private partnership in Kansas City history. Sherman has said Royals ownership would pay for half of that total along with any overages.

“Leaders in both counties know a critical piece of the evaluation process will be negotiated lease terms so that the Royals, our future partner and, most importantly, the voters can know what to expect,” the team said in a statement Wednesday.

“With the framework of our current lease and willing partners on all sides, we are optimistic that the process will result in a win-win for the Royals and our next home,” the statement continued. “Although we will not have a site selected by the end of this month, we are more confident than ever that a world-class ballpark and surrounding district for entertainment, retail and housing will build on our region’s momentum, serve our citizens well, and further establish Kansas City as a top tier destination.”

Sherman has been planning on a replacement for Kauffman Stadium since purchasing the club in 2019, though the process was set back a bit by the pandemic. It has continued to move slowly as the Royals try to reconcile their needs with those of the two counties and the Kansas City Chiefs, who have shared the lease with Jackson County to help pay for Arrowhead Stadium.

Last month, the team unveiled plans for the two dramatically different locations. The downtown plan would consist of a ballpark anchoring a 27-acre development near the already thriving Power &amp; Light District, while the Clay County location would provide a 90-acre tract capable of developing more commercial and residential properties.

Both of the plans, neither of which is finalized, were produced by Kansas City-based sports architecture giant Populous, which has renovated or designed more than 20 stadiums currently in use across Major League Baseball.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Royals are pushing back their self-imposed deadline of the end of September for deciding on a location for their new ballpark, though they remain confident that their final proposal will be put before voters on an April ballot.The Royals are trying to decide between a downtown location, called the East Village, that would keep the replacement for aging Kauffman Stadium in Jackson County and a competing location across the Missouri River in neighboring Clay County.Royals owner John Sherman has said multiple times the club hoped to decide on a location by the end of the month. But it must first reach an agreement with political leaders on a proposed financing package; the current lease with Jackson County includes a portion of a 3/8-cent sales tax that has paid for renovations and upkeep on Kauffman Stadium.The stadium and accompanying ballpark village are expected to cost about $2 billion, the largest public-private partnership in Kansas City history. Sherman has said Royals ownership would pay for half of that total along with any overages.“Leaders in both counties know a critical piece of the evaluation process will be negotiated lease terms so that the Royals, our future partner and, most importantly, the voters can know what to expect,” the team said in a statement Wednesday.“With the framework of our current lease and willing partners on all sides, we are optimistic that the process will result in a win-win for the Royals and our next home,” the statement continued. “Although we will not have a site selected by the end of this month, we are more confident than ever that a world-class ballpark and surrounding district for entertainment, retail and housing will build on our region’s momentum, serve our citizens well, and further establish Kansas City as a top tier destination.”Sherman has been planning on a replacement for Kauffman Stadium since purchasing the club in 2019, though the process was set back a bit by the pandemic. It has continued to move slowly as the Royals try to reconcile their needs with those of the two counties and the Kansas City Chiefs, who have shared the lease with Jackson County to help pay for Arrowhead Stadium.Last month, the team unveiled plans for the two dramatically different locations. The downtown plan would consist of a ballpark anchoring a 27-acre development near the already thriving Power &amp; Light District, while the Clay County location would provide a 90-acre tract capable of developing more commercial and residential properties.Both of the plans, neither of which is finalized, were produced by Kansas City-based sports architecture giant Populous, which has renovated or designed more than 20 stadiums currently in use across Major League Baseball.

Royals push back their self-imposed deadline to decide on location for new ballpark

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Patrick Mahomes was trying to walk a tightrope taking him three different directions while negotiating his revised contract with the Kansas City Chiefs, which effectively makes him the league's highest-paid player over the next four years.

Mahomes wanted to maximize his income. He wanted to leave salary cap space so the Chiefs could continue to surround him with championship talent. And he wanted to keep pushing the bar higher for other players seeking contracts around the league.

“You have to watch and see what's going on around the league and find that right spot,” Mahomes said Wednesday in his first comments since reworking his deal. “I think we found a good one in this negotiation we did to keep cap space to get other guys signed, but obviously I've got more money up front and we'll renegotiate when we get to the right time.”

Mahomes still has nine years left on his 10-year, $450 million contract, which set the standard for overall value when it was signed in 2020.

The revision essentially pushes some of the money from the last five seasons to the first four, giving him $210.6 million over that span — the most over any four seasons in NFL history.

Mahomes is due to make $56.85 million this season, $44.5 million next season, $50 million in 2025 and $56.76 million for the 2026 season, at which point the Chiefs and his representatives have agreed to meet again and discuss the future.

“You have a lot of great players that I want to be here so we can win a lot of Super Bowls,” Mahomes said. “I want to make a lot of money but I also want to win. You look back at players, and you look back at how they won and the perception of how they did things, and that's what I want to try to manage.”

The Chiefs are approaching an important point in the future of their burgeoning dynasty.

All-Pro defensive tackle Chris Jones is not under contract after this season, agreeing only to a reworked one-year deal to end his holdout last week. Left tackle Donovan Smith, linebacker Willie Gay Jr. and cornerback L'Jarius Sneed are also staring ahead at the possibility of free agency, which means the Chiefs could have plenty of holes to fill before next season.

Then there are Pro Bowl center Creed Humphrey, right guard Trey Smith and standout linebacker Nick Bolton, all of whom are eligible for contract extensions after the season — and all of whom will command a hefty price.

That is why the two-time league MVP placed so much importance on finding the right contract, not necessarily the richest one.

“I've always kind of liked it,” Mahomes said of the negotiating process. “If I didn't become an NFL player, I wanted to be a sports agent or work in sports marketing. I've always wanted to help players. I know I'm doing it a different way than some people, but I feel like it's the right way for me. ... Hopefully I'm giving us a chance to go out there and win football games as well.”

Chiefs coach Andy Reid, who dealt with personnel decisions in Philadelphia but relinquished control of them in Kansas City, has marveled at the way Mahomes has kept an even keel even as the value of his contract has soared.

“He's not big on all of that. He just kind of moves through it like most things and wants to keep getting better,” Reid said, “and that is what he's doing. That's what makes him unique. You don't sit there and say, ‘Oh, he’s going to have a letdown.' You just say, ‘Hey, congrats,’ and keep moving. That's how he rolls. But I'm happy for him.”

In other news Wednesday, the Chiefs were missing several key players to injuries as they began practicing for Sunday's game against the Bears. Bolton is dealing with an ankle sprain and Gay has a bruised quadriceps, and while both of them went through an early walkthrough, neither of them were planning to practice.

Running back Isiah Pacheco is dealing with a bruised hamstring, Kadarius Toney with a sprained toe and fellow wide receiver and return specialist Richie James has an injured knee ligament that Reid acknowledged could keep him out for a while.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Patrick Mahomes was trying to walk a tightrope taking him three different directions while negotiating his revised contract with the Kansas City Chiefs, which effectively makes him the league's highest-paid player over the next four years.Mahomes wanted to maximize his income. He wanted to leave salary cap space so the Chiefs could continue to surround him with championship talent. And he wanted to keep pushing the bar higher for other players seeking contracts around the league.“You have to watch and see what's going on around the league and find that right spot,” Mahomes said Wednesday in his first comments since reworking his deal. “I think we found a good one in this negotiation we did to keep cap space to get other guys signed, but obviously I've got more money up front and we'll renegotiate when we get to the right time.”Mahomes still has nine years left on his 10-year, $450 million contract, which set the standard for overall value when it was signed in 2020.The revision essentially pushes some of the money from the last five seasons to the first four, giving him $210.6 million over that span — the most over any four seasons in NFL history.Mahomes is due to make $56.85 million this season, $44.5 million next season, $50 million in 2025 and $56.76 million for the 2026 season, at which point the Chiefs and his representatives have agreed to meet again and discuss the future.“You have a lot of great players that I want to be here so we can win a lot of Super Bowls,” Mahomes said. “I want to make a lot of money but I also want to win. You look back at players, and you look back at how they won and the perception of how they did things, and that's what I want to try to manage.”The Chiefs are approaching an important point in the future of their burgeoning dynasty.All-Pro defensive tackle Chris Jones is not under contract after this season, agreeing only to a reworked one-year deal to end his holdout last week. Left tackle Donovan Smith, linebacker Willie Gay Jr. and cornerback L'Jarius Sneed are also staring ahead at the possibility of free agency, which means the Chiefs could have plenty of holes to fill before next season.Then there are Pro Bowl center Creed Humphrey, right guard Trey Smith and standout linebacker Nick Bolton, all of whom are eligible for contract extensions after the season — and all of whom will command a hefty price.That is why the two-time league MVP placed so much importance on finding the right contract, not necessarily the richest one.“I've always kind of liked it,” Mahomes said of the negotiating process. “If I didn't become an NFL player, I wanted to be a sports agent or work in sports marketing. I've always wanted to help players. I know I'm doing it a different way than some people, but I feel like it's the right way for me. ... Hopefully I'm giving us a chance to go out there and win football games as well.”Chiefs coach Andy Reid, who dealt with personnel decisions in Philadelphia but relinquished control of them in Kansas City, has marveled at the way Mahomes has kept an even keel even as the value of his contract has soared.“He's not big on all of that. He just kind of moves through it like most things and wants to keep getting better,” Reid said, “and that is what he's doing. That's what makes him unique. You don't sit there and say, ‘Oh, he’s going to have a letdown.' You just say, ‘Hey, congrats,’ and keep moving. That's how he rolls. But I'm happy for him.”In other news Wednesday, the Chiefs were missing several key players to injuries as they began practicing for Sunday's game against the Bears. Bolton is dealing with an ankle sprain and Gay has a bruised quadriceps, and while both of them went through an early walkthrough, neither of them were planning to practice.Running back Isiah Pacheco is dealing with a bruised hamstring, Kadarius Toney with a sprained toe and fellow wide receiver and return specialist Richie James has an injured knee ligament that Reid acknowledged could keep him out for a while.

Chiefs' Patrick Mahomes happy for chance to keep winning Super Bowls in KC

By TODD MOORE Barton Sports Info

The 7th ranked Barton Community College men's team scored in each half Wednesday evening for a 2-0 victory at Garden City Community College.

Barton stays atop the conference standings with the victory improving to 4-0-1 in conference play and 7-0-2 on the year while Garden City drops to 0-3-2 in league and 5-3-3 overall.

On Saturday the Cougars make a dip into southwest Kansas for a 3:00 p.m. kick at first-year program Seward County Community College.

Once the 12th ranked Barton Community College women's soccer team got rolling late Wednesday afternoon, the outcome was decided quickly in picking up a 4-0 victory at Garden City Community College.

It took the Cougars over twenty-seven minutes to find the net before rattling the net three times in less than twenty minutes, tacking on an insurance tally six minutes into the final half.

The victory improves Barton to 4-1-2 overall and in league play while Garden City drops to 1-4-2 in conference and 5-4-2 overall.

Barton continues its swing through southwest Kansas on Saturday with a 1:00 p.m. kick at first-year program Seward County Community College.

By TODD MOORE Barton Sports InfoBarton Men 2, Garden City 0The 7th ranked Barton Community College men's team scored in each half Wednesday evening for a 2-0 victory at Garden City Community College.Barton stays atop the conference standings with the victory improving to 4-0-1 in conference play and 7-0-2 on the year while Garden City drops to 0-3-2 in league and 5-3-3 overall.On Saturday the Cougars make a dip into southwest Kansas for a 3:00 p.m. kick at first-year program Seward County Community College.Barton Women 4, Garden City 0Once the 12th ranked Barton Community College women's soccer team got rolling late Wednesday afternoon, the outcome was decided quickly in picking up a 4-0 victory at Garden City Community College.It took the Cougars over twenty-seven minutes to find the net before rattling the net three times in less than twenty minutes, tacking on an insurance tally six minutes into the final half.The victory improves Barton to 4-1-2 overall and in league play while Garden City drops to 1-4-2 in conference and 5-4-2 overall.Barton continues its swing through southwest Kansas on Saturday with a 1:00 p.m. kick at first-year program Seward County Community College.

Barton Men and Women get shutout wins at Garden

AMERICAN LEAGUEEast DivisionW	L	Pct	GBz-Baltimore	95	57	.625	_z-Tampa
Bay	93	60	.608	2½Toronto	85	67	.559	10New
York	76	76	.500	19Boston	75	78	.490	20½Central DivisionMinnesota	81	72	.529	_Cleveland	72	81	.471	9Detroit	71	81	.467	9½Chicago	58	95	.379	23Kansas
City	51	102	.333	30West DivisionHouston	85	68	.556	_Seattle	84	68	.553	½Texas	84	68	.553	½Los
Angeles	69	83	.454	15½Oakland	46	106	.303	38½NATIONAL LEAGUEEast Divisionx-Atlanta	97	55	.638	_Philadelphia	83	69	.546	14Miami	79	74	.516	18½New
York	71	81	.467	26Washington	68	85	.444	29½Central DivisionMilwaukee	86	66	.566	_Chicago	79	73	.520	7Cincinnati	79	75	.513	8Pittsburgh	71	81	.467	15St.
Louis	67	85	.441	19West Divisionx-Los
Angeles	93	58	.616	_Arizona	81	72	.529	13San
Francisco	76	76	.500	17½San
Diego	75	78	.490	19Colorado	56	96	.368	37½x-clinched division

MLB Standings

By BRANDON SMITH Barton Sports Info

The Barton Community College volleyball team severed up their third straight sweep Wednesday evening inside the Power Plant defeating Butler Community College 25-16, 25-19, and 25-21.

Snapping a four-match skid in the series, the Cougars remain tied atop the Jayhawk Standings at 5-1 and 15-4 overall while the loss moves the preseason favorite Grizzlies' to 3-3 in league play and 9-7 on the season.

Barton will return home Saturday for a 2:00 p.m. matinee against Colby Community College before heading back out on the road to close out the first round through the Jayhawk Conference with a trip to Hutchinson Community College next Wednesday.

Seven different Cougars recorded a kill with Phoebe Reyes reaching double digits in kills for the 11th time this season, as the freshman was the lone Cougar to finish in double figures with 10 on a .280 efficiency.

Naya Danenberg had eight kills with Anna Wierzbicki adding five, and Akeir Scales recording two on a .667 attack to also join Wierzbicki for the team lead with five blocks.

The setting crew of Maurin Reyes and Elena Stankovic helped guide the offense to a .149 attack putting up 13 and 11 assists respectively.

Defensively Clara Lindstrom paced the backline with 15 digs, with Kassidy Nixon adding 11.

By BRANDON SMITH Barton Sports InfoThe Barton Community College volleyball team severed up their third straight sweep Wednesday evening inside the Power Plant defeating Butler Community College 25-16, 25-19, and 25-21.Snapping a four-match skid in the series, the Cougars remain tied atop the Jayhawk Standings at 5-1 and 15-4 overall while the loss moves the preseason favorite Grizzlies' to 3-3 in league play and 9-7 on the season.Barton will return home Saturday for a 2:00 p.m. matinee against Colby Community College before heading back out on the road to close out the first round through the Jayhawk Conference with a trip to Hutchinson Community College next Wednesday.Seven different Cougars recorded a kill with Phoebe Reyes reaching double digits in kills for the 11th time this season, as the freshman was the lone Cougar to finish in double figures with 10 on a .280 efficiency.Naya Danenberg had eight kills with Anna Wierzbicki adding five, and Akeir Scales recording two on a .667 attack to also join Wierzbicki for the team lead with five blocks.The setting crew of Maurin Reyes and Elena Stankovic helped guide the offense to a .149 attack putting up 13 and 11 assists respectively.Defensively Clara Lindstrom paced the backline with 15 digs, with Kassidy Nixon adding 11.

Barton Volleyball picks up big win at Butler

KANSAS CITY, Mo.
(AP) — The Kansas City Royals are pushing back their self-imposed
deadline of the end of September for deciding on a location for their
new ballpark. They also said in a statement Wednesday that they
remain confident that their final proposal will be put before voters
on an April ballot. The Royals are trying to decide between a
downtown location that would keep a replacement for aging Kauffman
Stadium in Jackson County and a competing location across the
Missouri River in neighboring Clay County. The stadium and ballpark
village are expected to cost about $2 billion, making it the largest
public-private partnership in Kansas City history. Royals owner John
Sherman has said ownership would pay for half of the total along with
any overages.

KANSAS CITY, Mo.
(AP) — Nelson Velázquez hit a three-run homer, Angel Zerpa shut
down Cleveland in relief of Zack Greinke and the Royals rolled to a
6-2 win that completed a three-game sweep. Zerpa got the final out of
the fourth inning and allowed just three hits the rest of the way in
earning the win. Bobby Witt Jr. and Edward Oliveras also drove in
runs for Kansas City, which heads out on its final trip having won
six of its past seven. Lucas Giolito allowed four runs, three of them
earned, on seven hits and three walks in 5 1/3 innings to take the
loss for Cleveland.

ST. LOUIS (AP) —
Josh Donaldson hit a three-run homer in the first inning, Tyrone
Taylor homered twice and the Milwaukee Brewers beat the St. Louis
Cardinals 8-2 to take another step toward their second NL Central
title in three years. Donaldson homered off Zack Thompson, the former
AL MVP’s second home run since he was released by the New York
Yankees and signed by Milwaukee. Mark Canha hit a three-run double in
the ninth inning for Milwaukee, which began the night six games ahead
of the second-place Chicago Cubs. Canha gas 30 RBIs in 42 games with
the Brewers.

SAN DIEGO (AP) —
The Padres extended their season-best winning streak to seven games
by beating the last-place Colorado Rockies 3-2 on Wednesday. Luis
Campusano tied the game with a bases-loaded single with one out in
the seventh and Ji Man Choi followed with a sacrifice fly for his
first RBI with the Padres. Campusano and Choi were both pinch-hitting
and the moves paid off for manager Bob Melvin, whose Padres have
struggled offensively most of this underwhelming season.

UNDATED (AP) — The
Tampa Bay Rays are finalizing plans for a new ballpark in downtown
St. Petersburg, which is a positive development for baseball fans in
Florida. Indirectly, it could also mean great things for baseball
fans in a couple of other cities. MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred has
made it clear several times over the past few years that he’s
interested in expanding to 32 teams. But he's said that wouldn't
happen until all current 30 big league teams had stable stadium
situations. Now that the Rays are settled, expansion could be on the
horizon for the first time since 1998.

KANSAS CITY, Mo.
(AP) — Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes says he is happy with a
reworked contract that makes him the league's highest-paid player
over the next four years, but also pleased in the way the deal is
structured. Mahomes said Wednesday in his first comments since the
deal was announced this week that he also wanted to make sure that
Kansas City could surround him with talent. The change to his
10-year, $450 million deal essentially moves some of the money from
the last five years to the next four years, and the Chiefs and
Mahomes' representatives plan to revisit the back end of the contract
when 2026 rolls around.

LAKE FOREST, Ill.
(AP) — Chicago Bears defensive coordinator Alan Williams has
resigned, saying he needs to tend to his health and his family.
Williams' resignation comes just two games into his second season. In
a statement, Williams thanked the Bears and their front office and
ownership, and vowed to coach again. He missed last week’s loss at
Tampa Bay for what the team said were personal reasons after working
the opener against Green Bay. Coach Matt Eberflus called the defense
in Williams’ absence and figures to do so again when the Bears
visit Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday.

UNDATED (AP) —
College football's Week 4 schedule features the most September Top 25
matchups since 2006. The main attraction is No. 6 Ohio State at No. 9
Notre Dame at night. Viewers might want to consider activating
multiple screens in the afternoon. That’s when No. 15 Mississippi
visits No. 13 Alabama, No. 19 Colorado visits No. 10 Oregon and No.
22 UCLA goes to No. 11 Utah. No. 7 Penn State hosts No. 24 Iowa and
No. 14 Oregon State is at No. 21 Washington Staten at night. BYU at
Kansas is among under-the-radar games of interest.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1694688181399.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY, Mo.
(AP) — The Kansas City Royals are pushing back their self-imposed
deadline of the end of September for deciding on a location for their
new ballpark. They also said in a statement Wednesday that they
remain confident that their final proposal will be put before voters
on an April ballot. The Royals are trying to decide between a
downtown location that would keep a replacement for aging Kauffman
Stadium in Jackson County and a competing location across the
Missouri River in neighboring Clay County. The stadium and ballpark
village are expected to cost about $2 billion, making it the largest
public-private partnership in Kansas City history. Royals owner John
Sherman has said ownership would pay for half of the total along with
any overages.KANSAS CITY, Mo.
(AP) — Nelson Velázquez hit a three-run homer, Angel Zerpa shut
down Cleveland in relief of Zack Greinke and the Royals rolled to a
6-2 win that completed a three-game sweep. Zerpa got the final out of
the fourth inning and allowed just three hits the rest of the way in
earning the win. Bobby Witt Jr. and Edward Oliveras also drove in
runs for Kansas City, which heads out on its final trip having won
six of its past seven. Lucas Giolito allowed four runs, three of them
earned, on seven hits and three walks in 5 1/3 innings to take the
loss for Cleveland.ST. LOUIS (AP) —
Josh Donaldson hit a three-run homer in the first inning, Tyrone
Taylor homered twice and the Milwaukee Brewers beat the St. Louis
Cardinals 8-2 to take another step toward their second NL Central
title in three years. Donaldson homered off Zack Thompson, the former
AL MVP’s second home run since he was released by the New York
Yankees and signed by Milwaukee. Mark Canha hit a three-run double in
the ninth inning for Milwaukee, which began the night six games ahead
of the second-place Chicago Cubs. Canha gas 30 RBIs in 42 games with
the Brewers.SAN DIEGO (AP) —
The Padres extended their season-best winning streak to seven games
by beating the last-place Colorado Rockies 3-2 on Wednesday. Luis
Campusano tied the game with a bases-loaded single with one out in
the seventh and Ji Man Choi followed with a sacrifice fly for his
first RBI with the Padres. Campusano and Choi were both pinch-hitting
and the moves paid off for manager Bob Melvin, whose Padres have
struggled offensively most of this underwhelming season.UNDATED (AP) — The
Tampa Bay Rays are finalizing plans for a new ballpark in downtown
St. Petersburg, which is a positive development for baseball fans in
Florida. Indirectly, it could also mean great things for baseball
fans in a couple of other cities. MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred has
made it clear several times over the past few years that he’s
interested in expanding to 32 teams. But he's said that wouldn't
happen until all current 30 big league teams had stable stadium
situations. Now that the Rays are settled, expansion could be on the
horizon for the first time since 1998.KANSAS CITY, Mo.
(AP) — Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes says he is happy with a
reworked contract that makes him the league's highest-paid player
over the next four years, but also pleased in the way the deal is
structured. Mahomes said Wednesday in his first comments since the
deal was announced this week that he also wanted to make sure that
Kansas City could surround him with talent. The change to his
10-year, $450 million deal essentially moves some of the money from
the last five years to the next four years, and the Chiefs and
Mahomes' representatives plan to revisit the back end of the contract
when 2026 rolls around.LAKE FOREST, Ill.
(AP) — Chicago Bears defensive coordinator Alan Williams has
resigned, saying he needs to tend to his health and his family.
Williams' resignation comes just two games into his second season. In
a statement, Williams thanked the Bears and their front office and
ownership, and vowed to coach again. He missed last week’s loss at
Tampa Bay for what the team said were personal reasons after working
the opener against Green Bay. Coach Matt Eberflus called the defense
in Williams’ absence and figures to do so again when the Bears
visit Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday.UNDATED (AP) —
College football's Week 4 schedule features the most September Top 25
matchups since 2006. The main attraction is No. 6 Ohio State at No. 9
Notre Dame at night. Viewers might want to consider activating
multiple screens in the afternoon. That’s when No. 15 Mississippi
visits No. 13 Alabama, No. 19 Colorado visits No. 10 Oregon and No.
22 UCLA goes to No. 11 Utah. No. 7 Penn State hosts No. 24 Iowa and
No. 14 Oregon State is at No. 21 Washington Staten at night. BYU at
Kansas is among under-the-radar games of interest.WEDNESDAY SCORESINTERLEAGUEFinal	Minnesota	5	Cincinnati	3	Final	Washington	13	Chicago
White Sox	3	Final	Detroit	4	L.A.
Dodgers	2	AMERICAN LEAGUEFinal	Texas	15	Boston	5	Final	Kansas
City	6	Cleveland	2	Final	Houston	2	Baltimore	1	Final	Seattle	6	Oakland	3	Final	L.A.
Angels	8	Tampa Bay	3	Final	Toronto	6	N.Y.
Yankees	1	NATIONAL LEAGUEFinal	Philadelphia	6	Atlanta	5	Final	Arizona	7	San
Francisco	1	Final	San
Diego	3	Colorado	2	Final	N.Y.
Mets	8	Miami	3	Final	Milwaukee	8	St.
Louis	2

Thursday Sports Headlines and Scores presented by Barton Community College

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Nelson Velázquez continued a late-season tear for Kansas City with a three-run homer, Angel Zerpa shut down Cleveland in relief of Zack Greinke and the Royals rolled to a 6-2 victory Wednesday for a three-game sweep of the Guardians.

Zerpa (3-3) got the final out of the fourth inning and allowed three hits the rest of the way. He struck out four without a walk in the latest impressive performance by the Royals bullpen, which has been responsible for the team's last eight wins.

Velázquez has 12 homers in 33 games since arriving in Kansas City, and 11 of those have been in Kauffman Stadium, where deep alleys and a 410-foot center field wall make it one of the most difficult ballparks in baseball to go yard.

Bobby Witt Jr. and Edward Oliveras also drove in runs to send the Royals out on their final road trip having won six of their past seven games. That includes their first sweep of the Guardians since April 12-14, 2009.

Lucas Giolito (8-14) allowed four runs, three of them earned, on seven hits and three walks in 5 1/3 innings. The rough outing came after the right-hander tossed seven innings of two-hit ball against Texas last weekend.

Greinke, the Royals' erstwhile ace, had trouble loosening up after the first inning and was checked by trainer Nick Kenney before staying in game. He lasted into the fourth, allowing two runs on five hits while striking out five, but didn't get far enough to snap an 11-game losing streak by qualifying for his first win since May.

Nevertheless, it was a memorable afternoon for Greinke at Kauffman Stadium. In what may have been his final home start, the 39-year-old picked up his 1,094th strikeout for Kansas City, moving past Bret Saberhagen for fourth in franchise history.

Velázquez's three-run shot, which came after Cleveland made errors on its first two defensive plays, made it 3-0 in the first. It remained that way until the Guardians knocked Greinke from the game with two runs in the fourth.

Witt drove in a run in the bottom half to make it 4-2. The Royals added runs in the seventh and eighth to put it away.

The Royals are expected to hire longtime Braves scout Brian Bridges as their new scouting director, though they have yet to make an official announcement. The move comes after new White Sox general manager Chris Getz hired Royals senior advisor Gene Watson and could be the start of several changes to Royals GM J.J. Picollo's front office.

The Royals are pushing back a self-imposed deadline of the end of September for deciding on a location for their new ballpark. The club is deciding between a new location in Jackson County, where Kauffman Stadium currently sits, and a competing effort from neighbor Clay County. The stadium will be a part of a $2 billion development.

Guardians RHP Triston McKenzie (elbow) could return to the rotation Sunday against Baltimore. He allowed two homers while throwing 62 pitches in his second rehab start with Triple-A Columbus on Tuesday night.

The Guardians have yet to announce a starter for Thursday, when they begin a four-game series against the Orioles. The Royals also have not announced a starter for the opener of their trip Friday night in Houston.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Nelson Velázquez continued a late-season tear for Kansas City with a three-run homer, Angel Zerpa shut down Cleveland in relief of Zack Greinke and the Royals rolled to a 6-2 victory Wednesday for a three-game sweep of the Guardians.Zerpa (3-3) got the final out of the fourth inning and allowed three hits the rest of the way. He struck out four without a walk in the latest impressive performance by the Royals bullpen, which has been responsible for the team's last eight wins.Velázquez has 12 homers in 33 games since arriving in Kansas City, and 11 of those have been in Kauffman Stadium, where deep alleys and a 410-foot center field wall make it one of the most difficult ballparks in baseball to go yard.Bobby Witt Jr. and Edward Oliveras also drove in runs to send the Royals out on their final road trip having won six of their past seven games. That includes their first sweep of the Guardians since April 12-14, 2009.Lucas Giolito (8-14) allowed four runs, three of them earned, on seven hits and three walks in 5 1/3 innings. The rough outing came after the right-hander tossed seven innings of two-hit ball against Texas last weekend.Greinke, the Royals' erstwhile ace, had trouble loosening up after the first inning and was checked by trainer Nick Kenney before staying in game. He lasted into the fourth, allowing two runs on five hits while striking out five, but didn't get far enough to snap an 11-game losing streak by qualifying for his first win since May.Nevertheless, it was a memorable afternoon for Greinke at Kauffman Stadium. In what may have been his final home start, the 39-year-old picked up his 1,094th strikeout for Kansas City, moving past Bret Saberhagen for fourth in franchise history.Velázquez's three-run shot, which came after Cleveland made errors on its first two defensive plays, made it 3-0 in the first. It remained that way until the Guardians knocked Greinke from the game with two runs in the fourth.Witt drove in a run in the bottom half to make it 4-2. The Royals added runs in the seventh and eighth to put it away.CHANGES AFOOTThe Royals are expected to hire longtime Braves scout Brian Bridges as their new scouting director, though they have yet to make an official announcement. The move comes after new White Sox general manager Chris Getz hired Royals senior advisor Gene Watson and could be the start of several changes to Royals GM J.J. Picollo's front office.STADIUM SITUATIONThe Royals are pushing back a self-imposed deadline of the end of September for deciding on a location for their new ballpark. The club is deciding between a new location in Jackson County, where Kauffman Stadium currently sits, and a competing effort from neighbor Clay County. The stadium will be a part of a $2 billion development.TRAINER'S ROOMGuardians RHP Triston McKenzie (elbow) could return to the rotation Sunday against Baltimore. He allowed two homers while throwing 62 pitches in his second rehab start with Triple-A Columbus on Tuesday night.UP NEXTThe Guardians have yet to announce a starter for Thursday, when they begin a four-game series against the Orioles. The Royals also have not announced a starter for the opener of their trip Friday night in Houston.

Velázquez homers, Zerpa shuts down Guardians as KC finishes sweep with 6-2 win

BY RALPH D. RUSSO AP College Football Writer

Clemson, the reigning Atlantic Coast Conference champion, has one player on its depth chart who arrived in Death Valley via the transfer portal: The backup quarterback.

No. 4 Florida State is trying to reclaim the ACC crown from the Tigers, and has used the portal to supercharge a rebuild under coach Mike Norvell. Most of the Seminoles’ best players used to play at other schools.

Seminoles vs. Tigers is one of several huge matchups this weekend in college football and one that feels like a referendum on roster management in the sport’s new era.

Clemson sits right outside the AP Top 25, having already taken a loss that again sparked questions about whether Coach Dabo Swinney’s program is working the transfer market aggressively enough since the rules changed in 2021.

“Do I prefer the portal? No, but am I opposed to it? No, absolutely not,” Swinney said the day after the Tigers were upset at Duke.

He better not be because through three weeks of this season the transfer portal appears to be one of the big winners.

Whether it’s Florida State re-emerging as a national power, Deion Sanders’ extreme makeover at Colorado, Texas State’s stunning upset of a Big 12 team or a Pac-12 resurgence fueled by transfer quarterbacks, reasons to embrace college football free agency are everywhere.

“I do think there is a bit of a narrative out there, the portal is not sustainable,” Florida State general manager of personnel Darrick Yrary said. “Well, it’s only been around for a little bit. I don’t think anyone really knows what it is and what it isn’t. But we’re trying to field the best football team every single year. So whatever avenue that does come from we want to make sure our hat’s in the ring for that.”

According to SportSource Analytics, the percentage of production by transfers has increased across major college football compared with last season in every category, from games started to yards gained passing, rushing and receiving to tackles, sacks and interceptions.

Colorado is likely contributing to that trend as much as any school in the country.

Sanders made headlines by flipping Colorado’s roster with the most aggressive use of the portal since the NCAA changed its rules three years ago to allow all football players to transfer one time as an undergraduate without sitting out a season.

The Buffaloes have 87 new players, 58 of them transfers, including quarterback Shedeur Sanders, the coach’s son; two-way star Travis Hunter; and leading receivers Xavier Weaver and Jimmy Horn.

No. 19 Colorado (3-0) has already tripled its win total from last season and heads to No. 10 Oregon on Saturday as one of the biggest stories in sports.

Colorado is one of eight ranked teams in the Pac-12, which is having an ironic renaissance before 10 of its members depart for other conferences. Six of this weekend’s ranked-vs.-ranked matchups are Pac-12 games.

Of the league’s eight ranked teams, six are starting transfers at quarterback. Heisman Trophy winner Caleb Williams of No. 5 USC, No. 8 Washington’s Michael Penix Jr. and Oregon’s Bo Nix all arrived via the portal last season and blossomed into stars.

Nationally, the top nine quarterbacks and 16 of the top 20 in yards passing per game transferred to their current schools.

Some coaches bristled about Sanders running players off at Colorado to clear roster spots for more transfers, even though it was within the rules for a new coach. No one can argue with the results.

“You take a team that’s won one game, and you fired a whole coaching staff. So who did the coaching staff recruit? The kids. So the kids are just as much to blame as the coaching staff,” Sanders said on CBS’s “60 Minutes.” “I came to the conclusion that a multitude of them couldn’t help us get to where we wanted to go.”

The second-largest transfer class (39) coming into this season belonged to Texas State. New coach G.J. Kinne said one of the reasons he brought in so many transfers was because many of the better players from last year’s 4-8 team decided to ... transfer.

Kinne decided a slow rebuild through high school recruiting at a program with little history of success would be difficult.

“The best way to do it is to win. That helps recruiting, that helps your fanbase, that helps NIL,” Kinne said. “So for me it was like, let’s get the best players that we possibly can and go try to make a statement Year 1.”

Texas State (2-1) opened the season by beating Baylor 42-31, the program’s first victory against a Power Five conference team.

Kinne’s comments echo that of Florida State coach Mike Norvell, who took over beleaguered blue blood in 2020.

After his team went 3-6 that first season, Norvell used the portal to accelerate a turnaround. Florida State jumped to 5-7 in 2021, and then won 10 games last season before starting this season by routing LSU on Labor Day weekend.

Star quarterback Jordan Travis transferred to FSU under the previous coaching staff, but the team’s best two wide receivers, top two tight ends, leading rusher and four of its best offensive linemen transferred in under Norvell.

The defense is loaded with transfers, too. None better than defensive end Jared Verse, who arrived from FCS school Albany. Verse is among 12 players on Florida State’s roster who transferred in and stuck around for multiple years.

Ask coaches and staffers about transfers and will inevitably talk turns to fit and whether a player is a good match for the team’s culture. Sanders, again, pushes back against convention.

“I don’t care about culture,” Sanders said earlier this year. “I don’t even care if they like each other, I want to win.”

Most coaches prefer to have a previous connection between a transferring player and someone on their staff — but they can’t afford to limit themselves. The occasional leap of faith is required.

That’s how Kinne landed starting quarterback T.J. Finley, who was previously at LSU and Auburn.

Kinne said a Texas State donor stepped up with a contribution to the collective that supports Bobcats athletes with name, image and likeness compensation, and he believes it helped the program land a couple of its best transfers.

The Battle’s End, the collective that supports Florida State football, is considered one of the best run in country.

“We’ve got a tremendous amount of support around our program,” Norvell told AP.

Florida State brought in 15 transfers in the 2023 recruiting cycle, not a particularly high number. The Seminoles were about on par with USC, LSU, Miami, UCLA and Texas A&amp;M. The success rate is what stands out.

BY RALPH D. RUSSO AP College Football WriterClemson, the reigning Atlantic Coast Conference champion, has one player on its depth chart who arrived in Death Valley via the transfer portal: The backup quarterback.No. 4 Florida State is trying to reclaim the ACC crown from the Tigers, and has used the portal to supercharge a rebuild under coach Mike Norvell. Most of the Seminoles’ best players used to play at other schools.Seminoles vs. Tigers is one of several huge matchups this weekend in college football and one that feels like a referendum on roster management in the sport’s new era.Clemson sits right outside the AP Top 25, having already taken a loss that again sparked questions about whether Coach Dabo Swinney’s program is working the transfer market aggressively enough since the rules changed in 2021.“Do I prefer the portal? No, but am I opposed to it? No, absolutely not,” Swinney said the day after the Tigers were upset at Duke.He better not be because through three weeks of this season the transfer portal appears to be one of the big winners.Whether it’s Florida State re-emerging as a national power, Deion Sanders’ extreme makeover at Colorado, Texas State’s stunning upset of a Big 12 team or a Pac-12 resurgence fueled by transfer quarterbacks, reasons to embrace college football free agency are everywhere.“I do think there is a bit of a narrative out there, the portal is not sustainable,” Florida State general manager of personnel Darrick Yrary said. “Well, it’s only been around for a little bit. I don’t think anyone really knows what it is and what it isn’t. But we’re trying to field the best football team every single year. So whatever avenue that does come from we want to make sure our hat’s in the ring for that.”According to SportSource Analytics, the percentage of production by transfers has increased across major college football compared with last season in every category, from games started to yards gained passing, rushing and receiving to tackles, sacks and interceptions.Colorado is likely contributing to that trend as much as any school in the country.Sanders made headlines by flipping Colorado’s roster with the most aggressive use of the portal since the NCAA changed its rules three years ago to allow all football players to transfer one time as an undergraduate without sitting out a season.The Buffaloes have 87 new players, 58 of them transfers, including quarterback Shedeur Sanders, the coach’s son; two-way star Travis Hunter; and leading receivers Xavier Weaver and Jimmy Horn.No. 19 Colorado (3-0) has already tripled its win total from last season and heads to No. 10 Oregon on Saturday as one of the biggest stories in sports.Colorado is one of eight ranked teams in the Pac-12, which is having an ironic renaissance before 10 of its members depart for other conferences. Six of this weekend’s ranked-vs.-ranked matchups are Pac-12 games.Of the league’s eight ranked teams, six are starting transfers at quarterback. Heisman Trophy winner Caleb Williams of No. 5 USC, No. 8 Washington’s Michael Penix Jr. and Oregon’s Bo Nix all arrived via the portal last season and blossomed into stars.Nationally, the top nine quarterbacks and 16 of the top 20 in yards passing per game transferred to their current schools.Some coaches bristled about Sanders running players off at Colorado to clear roster spots for more transfers, even though it was within the rules for a new coach. No one can argue with the results.“You take a team that’s won one game, and you fired a whole coaching staff. So who did the coaching staff recruit? The kids. So the kids are just as much to blame as the coaching staff,” Sanders said on CBS’s “60 Minutes.” “I came to the conclusion that a multitude of them couldn’t help us get to where we wanted to go.”The second-largest transfer class (39) coming into this season belonged to Texas State. New coach G.J. Kinne said one of the reasons he brought in so many transfers was because many of the better players from last year’s 4-8 team decided to ... transfer.Kinne decided a slow rebuild through high school recruiting at a program with little history of success would be difficult.“The best way to do it is to win. That helps recruiting, that helps your fanbase, that helps NIL,” Kinne said. “So for me it was like, let’s get the best players that we possibly can and go try to make a statement Year 1.”Texas State (2-1) opened the season by beating Baylor 42-31, the program’s first victory against a Power Five conference team.Kinne’s comments echo that of Florida State coach Mike Norvell, who took over beleaguered blue blood in 2020.After his team went 3-6 that first season, Norvell used the portal to accelerate a turnaround. Florida State jumped to 5-7 in 2021, and then won 10 games last season before starting this season by routing LSU on Labor Day weekend.Star quarterback Jordan Travis transferred to FSU under the previous coaching staff, but the team’s best two wide receivers, top two tight ends, leading rusher and four of its best offensive linemen transferred in under Norvell.The defense is loaded with transfers, too. None better than defensive end Jared Verse, who arrived from FCS school Albany. Verse is among 12 players on Florida State’s roster who transferred in and stuck around for multiple years.Ask coaches and staffers about transfers and will inevitably talk turns to fit and whether a player is a good match for the team’s culture. Sanders, again, pushes back against convention.“I don’t care about culture,” Sanders said earlier this year. “I don’t even care if they like each other, I want to win.”Most coaches prefer to have a previous connection between a transferring player and someone on their staff — but they can’t afford to limit themselves. The occasional leap of faith is required.That’s how Kinne landed starting quarterback T.J. Finley, who was previously at LSU and Auburn.“It’s scary,” Kinne said.Money helps, too.Kinne said a Texas State donor stepped up with a contribution to the collective that supports Bobcats athletes with name, image and likeness compensation, and he believes it helped the program land a couple of its best transfers.The Battle’s End, the collective that supports Florida State football, is considered one of the best run in country.“We’ve got a tremendous amount of support around our program,” Norvell told AP.Florida State brought in 15 transfers in the 2023 recruiting cycle, not a particularly high number. The Seminoles were about on par with USC, LSU, Miami, UCLA and Texas A&amp;M. The success rate is what stands out.