MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Minnesota beat Nebraska 13-10 to ruin Huskers coach Matt Rhule’s debut. Dragan Kesich kicked a 47-yard field goal as time expired after Daniel Jackson’s toe-tap touchdown catch from Athan Kaliakmanis tied the game with 2:32 left. Tyler Nubin had two of Minnesota’s three interceptions of Nebraska newcomer Jeff Sims. That included a leaping grab in the final minute that gave the Gophers the ball at their 49 to set up the winning kick. Kaliakmanis went 24 for 44 for 196 yards and one interception. The Gophers have beaten the Huskers five straight times.
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Bryson Barnes threw a 70-yard touchdown pass to Money Parks on Utah’s first play of the game, rushed for another score and No. 14 Utes beat Florida 24-11 on Thursday night in the opener for both teams. Nate Johnson split time at quarterback with Barnes for the Utes with usual starter Cam Rising still recovering from a knee injury in the Rose Bowl. Utah clamped down on defense in Rising’s absence, forcing a turnover and getting five sacks. Graham Mertz threw for 333 yards, a touchdown, and an interception in his first start for the Gators. Ricky Pearsall had 92 yards on eight catches. Florida drove inside the red zone four times but totaled only 10 points on those drives.
UNDATED (AP) — TCU is finally getting back on the field eight months after losing to Georgia in the College Football Playoff national championship game. The 17th-ranked Horned Frogs open the season at home against Colorado, which is playing its first game for new coach Deion Sanders. TCU won in Boulder in last year's opener. The Buffaloes rejoin the Big 12 from the Pac-12 next season. There are four new teams in the Big 12 this season. BYU, Cincinnati, Houston and UCF all play their openers at home. So do 11th-ranked Texas and No. 20 Oklahoma to start their final seasons in the league.
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Quinn Ewers ditched the fried and fast food from his diet and shed about about 20 pounds. The once-flowing mullet hairstyle was shorn months ago. Still there is the mesmerizing arm talent with its effortless release. Now it’s time for leaner, cleaner and lighter Texas quarterback to deliver on the promise that he can be one of the best in the country, and deliver the Longhorns back to the top of the Big 12. Ewers and No. 11 Texas open the season Saturday at home against Rice in a long but lopsided rivalry the Longhorns have dominated.
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) — No. 7 Penn State starts a new era with quarterback Drew Allar with high expectations after returning many stars from last season's Rose Bowl winning team that went 11-2. Coach James Franklin believes the strong-armed sophomore is ready to take over what could be one of the more explosive offenses in the country. No. 7 Penn State hosts West Virginia in the season opener for both teams on Saturday. The Mountaineers are hopeful for a better season after missing out on a bowl game and finishing ninth in the Big 12's 10-team configuration last season.
FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — Colorado is about to find out if it is ready for prime time with new coach Deion Sanders after nearly nine months of extreme hype. There has also been an unprecedented roster overhaul for the Buffaloes. They will have 87 new players and only three returning starters when they play their season opener Saturday at 17th-ranked TCU, last season's national runner-up. The Frogs were 13-2 last season, which began with a 38-13 win at Colorado. They had an undefeated regular season, but now play for the first time since a lopsided loss to Georgia in the national championship game.
NORMAN, Okla. (AP) — Oklahoma opens its final season as a Big 12 member before leaving for the Southeastern Conference when it hosts Arkansas State. The Sooners seek a strong start after finishing 6-7 last season under first-year coach Brent Venables. Oklahoma needs to make its biggest jump on defense. The Sooners ranked towards the bottom of the nation in points and yards allowed per game. Arkansas State is coming off a 3-9 season under Butch Jones.
UNDATED (AP) — Houston and UTSA open the season against each other for a second straight year after Houston escaped with a 37-35 triple overtime win last season. Both teams moved to new conferences this year. The Cougars went from the American Athletic Conference to the Big 12 and the Roadrunners moved to the American from Conference USA. Donovan Smith, a Texas Tech transfer, will make his debut at quarterback for Houston. UTSA QB Frank Harris returns after throwing for a career-high 4,063 yards with 32 touchdowns last season.
UNDATED (AP) — “College GameDay” has continued its reign as the preeminent Saturday college football pregame show. But the ESPN franchise goes into its 37th year with the most changes it has had going into a season while facing competition from Fox and its upstart “Big Noon Kickoff.” The core of the “GameDay” lineup is back with host Rece Davis and analysts Kirk Herbstreit, Pat McAfee, Desmond Howard and Lee Corso. But it will still have a different look.
UNDATED (AP) — Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy is hoping to gain clarity in his starting quarterback race after four-year starter Spencer Sanders transferred to Mississippi, He says he’ll play “multiple” QBs in the season opener against Football Championship Subdivision foe Central Arkansas. Coming off a 7-6 season during which the Cowboys barely extended their streak of winning seasons and bowl appearances to 17, they would like one of the trio of Alan Bowman, Garrett Rangel or Gunnar Gundy to seize the reins.
UNDATED (AP) — Kansas City’s prolific pass catcher Travis Kelce has shattered numerous records over his 10-year career and was the unanimous choice by The Associated Press for the top spot among NFL tight ends. A panel of nine AP Pro Football Writers ranked the top five players at tight end, making their selections based on current status entering the 2023 season. George Kittle was the only other player picked on all nine ballots and he received five second-place votes to finish second. Mark Andrews got the other four second-place votes and came in third.
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Ronald Acuña Jr. hit a grand slam on his wedding night to become the first player with 30 homers and 60 stolen bases in a season, and the Atlanta Braves overcame a pair of Mookie Betts home runs to beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 8-7. In a meeting of the top NL MVP contenders, the Braves took a 7-1 lead and hung on when Raisel Iglesias struck out Kiké Hernández with two on for the final out. Acuña got married earlier in the day, then got three hits and helped the major league-best Braves improve to 88-45. He sent a 429-foot shot into the left-field pavilion off Lance Lynn in a six-run second inning for his third career grand slam. Acuña has 36 career homers in August, his most in any month. He stole his 62nd base in the ninth.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Kevin Harvick is happy to get one more chance at the NASCAR playoffs. The 2014 Cup Series champion won't spend much time on nostalgia, knowing he's left a legacy of success and leadership at the track. Harvick will end his stellar career after this season and become a TV analyst for Fox. Harvick is winless this season and will start 15th among the 16 playoff drivers. He's had 10 top-10 finishes this year, including a second place at Darlington Raceway in May. The playoffs begin at the track “Too Tough To Tame” on Sunday night.
BREMERTON, Wash. (AP) — Years after assistant coach Joe Kennedy left a Washington state high school football team over objections to his post-game praying on the field, he has returned to the gridiron thanks to a Supreme Court decision. His first game back is Friday. Kennedy’s effort to be rehired became a cultural touchstone, pitting public school employees’ religious liberties against longstanding principles separating church and state and protecting students from religious coercion. Kennedy says he has some anxiety that people are going to be watching for him to pray after Friday's game and he doesn't know how long he'll stick with the coaching job.
THURSDAY SCORES
AMERICAN LEAGUE
Final Detroit 4 N.Y. Yankees 3
NATIONAL LEAGUE
Final Miami 6 Washington 1
Final San Francisco 7 San Diego 2
Final Atlanta 8 L.A. Dodgers 7
TOP-25 COLLEGE FOOTBALL