LOS ANGELES, CA - SEPTEMBER 02: Nevada Wolf Pack against the USC Trojans on September 02, 2023, at United Airlines Field at The Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles, CA.(Photo by Jordon Kelly/fi360 News)
Los Angeles, CA – Heisman trophy winning quarterback Caleb Williams passed for 318 yards and five touchdowns to lead No. 6 USC to a 66-14 win over Nevada on Saturday at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.
USC had 668 total yards of offense and 501 yards in the season opener. USC now has now 11 games of 500 or more total yards under Lincoln Riley. USC’s 668 yards total yards were it’s most since amassing 737 total yards vs. Idaho on Sept. 12, 2015.
LOS ANGELES, CA – SEPTEMBER 02: USC Trojans quarterback Caleb Williams (13) drops back into the pocket during a college football game between the Nevada Wolf Pack against the USC Trojans on September 02, 2023, at United Airlines Field at The Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles, CA.(Photo by Jordon Kelly/fi360 News)
“I think we made a lot of improvements throughout the week,” USC head coach Lincoln Riley said. “I’m proud of all sides. A few plays here and there that we’re going to want back that we know we have to continue to clean up.
USC took a 7-0 lead in the first quarter when freshman Zachariah Branch hauled in a 22-yard touchdown.
LOS ANGELES, CA – SEPTEMBER 02: USC Trojans wide receiver Michael Jackson III (9) catches the ball for a touchdown during a college football game between the Nevada Wolf Pack against the USC Trojans on September 02, 2023, at United Airlines Field at The Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles, CA.(Photo by Jordon Kelly/fi360 News)
Nevada came right back to even the score 7-7 on the ensuing drive with a 3-yard touchdown run from Sean Dollars. Spencer Curtis had a 73-yard reception to set up the touchdown.
The Trojans regained the lead 14-7 on running back MarShawn Lloyd’s 24-yard touchdown run. After the defense forced a punt, Williams hit Tahj Washington for a 22-yard touchdown and a 21-7 lead with 2:10 left in the first quarter.
Williams threw two touchdowns in the second quarter to Michael Jackson III and Brenden Rice. USC led 35-7 at halftime.
The defense was led by linebacker Shane Lee, who finished with 10 tackles. Lee got the start for the injured Mascon Cobb.
“First off, credit to my coaches for putting me in the right position and always believing in me and instilling in me, as well as my teammates,” Lee said. “I hadn’t been on the field a whole bunch for fall camp but just always taking reps, always asking questions and just always being around the guys.”
USC’s offense continued to roll in the second half. Tahj Washington caught his second touchdown of the game.
LOS ANGELES, CA – SEPTEMBER 02: USC Trojans wide receiver Kyron Hudson (10) catches the ball for a gain during a college football game between the Nevada Wolf Pack against the USC Trojans on September 02, 2023, at United Airlines Field at The Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles, CA.(Photo by Jordon Kelly/fi360 News)
In the fourth quarter, the defense got in on the scoring when Stanley Ta’ofu’ou returned a fumble 23 yards for the score and a 52-7 lead.
Freshman running back Quinten Joyner scored on a 47-yard run and Duce Robinson hauled in a 71-yard touchdown reception to put the game out of reach.
USC will be back at home when they host Stanford on Saturday, Sept. 9. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.
LOS ANGELES, CA – SEPTEMBER 02: USC Trojans running back MarShawn Lloyd (0) runs the ball for a gain during a college football game between the Nevada Wolf Pack against the USC Trojans on September 02, 2023, at United Airlines Field at The Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles, CA.(Photo by Jordon Kelly/fi360 News)
Mikey Keene looking to throw a touchdown strike to Jalen Moss during Fresno State Bulldogs vs Purdue Boilermakers State at Ross-Ade Stadium on,September 2,2024. (photo by Andre Hollis / fi360 News )
West Lafayette, In- Fresno State Bulldogs came into Purdue ready to go toe to toe with their Big Ten opponent and shock college football world. The Bulldogs did just that with a 39-35 road victory.
In the closing minutes of the game Boilmakers looked to be in position to have the football last and bring home victory with a touchdown. A big stop with a tipped pass for Fresno State on 4th and short to secure the victory.
Winning quarterback Mikey Keene threw for 366 yards, 4 touchdowns, 1 interception while completing 31/44 pass on Purdue’s defense. They were able to dominate game from stats column with 487 total yards compared to Purdue 363 yards.
“He lit us up,” Purdue first-year coach Ryan Walters said of Keene.
during Fresno State Bulldogs vs Purdue Boilermakers State at Ross-Ade Stadium on ,September 2,2024. (photo by Andre Hollis / fi360 News )
Keene’s favorite target Erik Brooks who caught 9 pass two touchdowns for 170 yards to lead all receivers. Elijah Gilliam carried the football 20 times for 93 yards just 1 more carry could put him over the century mark.
Fresno State took their first lead of the game with an off-tackle sweep run into the endzone by Makik Sherrod with 13:44 32-28 lead.
This battle was an all-out slug fest back and forth with Purdue throwing haymakers and Fresno State just kept responding.
during Fresno State Bulldogs vs Purdue Boilermakers State at Ross-Ade Stadium on ,September 2,2024. (photo by Andre Hollis / fi360 News )
Hudson Card was able to throw for 254 yards and two touchdowns in defeat, which on most games this would been enough to win.
Boilmakers receiver Deion Burks gave the fans a lot to cheer about through out the game snagging 4 catches with 2 touchdowns amassing 152 yards a team high.
Coming out of the half Purdue special teams got involved to extend their lead 28-17. The Bulldogs just would not go away. Receive Jalen Moss caught a two-point conversion to bring the game with in a field goal at 28-25 in the 4th quarter.
“There are some plays I wish I had back along with some decision-making,” Card said. “We’ll have to look at film and learn from it. Give credit to Fresno State, they came ready to play. Everything we want to accomplish is still in front of us.”
Dylan Downing being patient finding the hole during Fresno State Bulldogs vs Purdue Boilermakers State at Ross-Ade Stadium on, September 2,2024. (photo by Andre Hollis / fi360 News )
Purdue jumped out fast on their first drive with an 84 yards shallow drag to Deion Burks who slipped out of few tackles on his way to the endzone 7-0 lead.
Fresno State answered back with a 29-yard score to Erik Brooks to give the fireworks in 1st quarter.
Bulldogs coach Jeff Tedford after this win has taken his team to its 10 victory in a row showing folks they are a team to beat. They have weapons on the ground and the air.
during Fresno State Bulldogs vs Purdue Boilermakers State at Ross-Ade Stadium on, September 2,2024. (photo by Andre Hollis / fi360 News )
Next Purdue will travel to Virginia Tech and look to get their first victory. Fresno State will host Eastern Washington with the opportunity to go 2-0.
Seattle, WA – Some predicted that this news was coming before the season even began, and although it was coming, it’s a bit disappointing to see it come to fruition. The Seattle Storm have been eliminated from playoff contention, the first time for the franchise since 2015, as the team fell apart offensively in the fourth quarter. Chicago took advantage, completing their comeback attempt and handing Seattle their 25th loss of the season. With today’s result, the Storm are well on pace to suffer the most losses in a single season in franchise history, surpassing the mark of 26 back in the very first year of the team’s existence.
After a frustrating road trip that included a loss to this same Chicago Sky team, the Storm came out of the tipoff looking to make their mark and correct the mistakes that left them on the wrong side of the result. Seattle has statistically been one of the WNBA’s best shooting teams from beyond the arch, and that showed early into the first quarter as Jewell Loyd and Sami Whitcomb found their shot to kickstart the Storm offense. With the danger from the perimeter being displayed from Seattle’s backcourt, Mercedes Russell came off the bench and brought immediate impact in the paint as she tallied eleven points in that first frame.
“In the first half I thought Mercedes gave us a boost. I thought we had a lot of possessions; Sami had a couple of threes. Our energy level in general was high. Ezi wasn’t scoring in that first half, but she found a way to score in the second half and that was the difference…A stall out of our offense, we stopped moving the ball, stopped getting to next actions and a lot of missed layups and buckets in the paint,” Noelle Quinn, Seattle Storm head coach, on what went well in the first half.
The first three quarters were strong for Seattle, building a lead as they shot well from the field and were getting contributions throughout most of their lineup. Ezi Magbegor had begun to find her scoring production, and the Storm were still able to get on the board a decent amount in the third frame to avoid a lull, something that has happened often for this team throughout the year typically in that frame. Yet, Seattle wasn’t fully in the clear towards a victory yet as the offense stalled out in the fourth and final quarter. The Storm only managed a measly ten points in the final ten minutes of the game, as Chicago took full advantage and took the lead with a little over two minutes to play.
“The ability to get into the paint and finish. They went small and we stayed with our lineup and just couldn’t find ways to get buckets or get to the free throw line,” Noelle Quinn, Seattle Storm head coach, on what went wrong in the fourth quarter.
Following today’s loss, the Storm only have five games remaining in the 2023 season and only one of them is at home. Their next contest following this defeat is on Thursday, August 31st when Seattle heads down to California for a battle against the Los Angeles Sparks. The Storm will be looking to play spoiler when the two teams go head-to-head with a 7PM PST tipoff at Crypto.com Arena, as the Sparks remain in the hunt for a playoff spot.
Los Angeles, CA- Heisman trophy winner Caleb Williams led the No. 6 USC Trojans with 278 yards and four touchdowns in a 56-28 win over San Jose State in the season opener on Saturday at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.
True freshman wide receiver Zachariah Branch made his sensational debut with a 96-yard kickoff return and caught a 25-yard touchdown.
The last Trojan to have a scoring kickoff return and a receiving touchdown in a game was Adoree’ Jackson against Notre Dame in 2016.
“There’s some big plays on all sides of the ball,” USC head coach Lincoln Riley said. “Some huge plays on special teams, but from a consistency standpoint it wasn’t there. We know we have a lot of work to do.”
USC took a 7-0 lead on its opening drive when Williams hit Dorian Singer for a 15-yard touchdown. It was Singer’s first touchdown catch as a Trojan.
LOS ANGELES, CA – AUGUST 26: San Jose State Spartans running back Kairee Robinson (32) runs the b all for a touchdown during a college football game between the San Jose State Spartans against the USC Trojans on August 26, 2023, at United Airlines Field at The Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles, CA. (Photo by Jordon Kelly/fi360 News)
San Jose State running back Kairee Robinson scored from a yard out to tie it 7-7 at the beginning of the second quarter.
In the second quarter, Williams fumbled the snap, picked it up and found a wide open Tahj Washington for a 76-yard touchdown and a 14-7 lead.
USC extended their lead 21-7 on running back Austin Jones’ 2-yard touchdown run with 3:31 remaining in the second quarter.
The Spartans cut the lead 21-14 with eight seconds left in the first half when quarterback Chevan Cordeiro connected with Nick Nash for a 28-yard touchdown.
USC opens the third quarter with a 10-play, 75- yard drive. Jones scores on a 3-yard run to give the Trojans a 28-14 lead.
LOS ANGELES, CA – AUGUST 26: USC Trojans wide receiver Tahj Washington (16) catches the ball for a touchdown during a college football game between the San Jose State Spartans against the USC Trojans on August 26, 2023, at United Airlines Field at The Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles, CA. (Photo by Jordon Kelly/fi360 News)
True freshman Zachariah Branch took a short pass and ran past defenders for a 25-yard touchdown. USC took a 35-14 lead. It’s his first career touchdown for the Trojans.
“I didn’t really have any expectations,” Branch said. “Coach Riley and the rest of the staff just told me to go out there and don’t try to do too much, execute your job and the rest will follow. I was blessed enough to get those opportunities and I just tried to capitalize off of them.”
San Jose State answered with a 32-yard touchdown reception from Nash, who bobbled the pass but came down with the ball in the end zone. The Spartans trailed 35-21. On the ensuing kickoff, Branch returned it 96 yards for a touchdown to give USC a 42-21 lead.
LOS ANGELES, CA – AUGUST 26: USC Trojans quarterback Caleb Williams (13) looks to throw the ball during a college football game between the San Jose State Spartans against the USC Trojans on August 26, 2023, at United Airlines Field at The Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles, CA. (Photo by Jordon Kelly/fi360 News)
After the defense forced a punt, Williams hit Brenden Rice for a 12-yard touchdown and USC took a commanding 49-21 lead in the fourth quarter. Backup quarterback Miller Moss added a 4-yard touchdown run to give USC a 56-21 lead.
USC returns to the Coliseum next Saturday to host Nevada. Kickoff is at 3:30 p.m.
Colorado two-way player Travis Hunter (12) makes a reception during the CU Black and Gold Spring Game at Folsom Field in Boulder, CO on Saturday April 22, 22023. "Offense" defeated "Defense" by a score of 39 to 27. (Photo by Laura Domingue/fi360 News).
The Colorado Buffaloes are entering a wild card type of year. After going 1-11 for the 2022 season, experts are unsure where the team is heading this season because most of the team and the entire head coaching staff is new this season.
Colorado added coach Deon Sanders as the new head coach last year with a five-year, $29.5 million deal which will earn him $5.5 million in the first year.
QB Shedeur Sanders and cornerback Travis Hunter at PAC-12 Media Day 2023. Photo by Jevone Moore
Since taking over Sanders has almost completely changed the roster. Well over 80% of Colorado’s 2022 roster moved on which includes 52 scholarship players who have entered the transfer portal, 43 since the conclusion of the spring game in April.
On the flip side, Colorado has added more than 35 players since last December. Several players added by Sanders followed him from Jackson State where Sanders previously coached, including cornerback Travis Hunter and quarterback Shedeur Sanders (his son).
Other notable players new to Colorado includes Arkansas defensive lineman Jordan Domineck, who had 34 total tackles, 9.5 tackles for a loss and 7.5 last season, and Washington edge rusher Sav’ell Smalls, a former five-star recruit in the 2020 ESPN 300.
Sanders even flipped a transfer who had already committed to another school: Auburn receiver Tar’Varish Dawson Jr, who originally committed to Colorado. He changed his mind for the opportunity to play for Sanders.
Coach Prime talks to the press at Colorado’s media day at Dal Ward Athletic Center in Boulder, CO on Friday August 11, 2023 (Laura Domingue/ fi360 News)
The added talent to Colorado will help with their tough schedule this year in the highly competitive Pac-12, which begins on Sept. 2 at Texas Christian University, who ended last season with a 13-2 record. The team will then follow with their first home game against Nebraska, followed by Colorado St, Oregon and USC.
Sanders previously coached in the Southwestern Athletic Conference and ended last season with a 12-1 record. The coach’s overall record is 27-6. His changes in the off season reflect his winning attitude that has followed the coach since his hall of fame NFL career.
Overall, this is a new team with a new coach at Colorado, and it’s hard to tell what will happen, but it all begins on Sept. 2.
LOS ANGELES, [August 21, 2023] – University of Southern California President Carol L. Folt announced today that Jennifer Cohen, recognized by Sports Illustrated as one of the most powerful, influential, and outstanding women in sports, will serve as the university’s 10th Director of Athletics and the Charles Griffin Cale Director of Athletics’ Chair. Cohen, who will start in Heritage Hall on Tuesday, will lead USC Athletics into one of the most transformative eras in its long and storied history.
With three decades of intercollegiate athletics experience, most recently leading the University of Washington’s athletics department for the past seven years, Cohen is recognized as a fiercely competitive national leader who takes a student-centered approach to building culture and winning the right way. Cohen joined Washington in 1998 as an assistant director of development before moving to the university’s central development office to focus on fundraising efforts on behalf of the office of undergraduate education. She also spent time with the UW’s regional gifts program before returning to athletics to oversee the department’s major gifts program prior to becoming the director of athletics in 2016. Before arriving at Washington, Cohen held a variety of roles in intercollegiate athletics administration at Pacific Lutheran, the University of Puget Sound, and Texas Tech University.
USC File Photo
“Jen is an experienced, engaged, and steadfast leader who takes a student-centered approach in building and running an athletics program. And, she has built a reputation as a fierce competitor who wants to win in every sport the right way,” said President Folt. “We are experiencing an unprecedented transformation in college athletics, and Jen has the strategic vision and experience to lead USC Athletics through this historic time which includes joining America’s premier conference, the Big Ten, and hosting several venues for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. There has never been a more exciting or important period in the history of USC athletics.”
Recently, Cohen spearheaded the University of Washington’s acceptance into the Big Ten Conference, effective in 2024. Under her leadership, the Husky Athletics programs have flourished, winning 19 Pac-12 championships during her tenure, including two in football, as well as men’s soccer, women’s volleyball, and men’s and women’s rowing, and boasting a softball program that remains one of the strongest in the nation. Several of her coaching hires were named Pac-12 Coaches of the Year, and Cohen, herself, was honored as a finalist for the Sport Business Journal’s Athletic Director of the Year in 2019.
Instrumental in the hirings of football coaches Chris Peterseon and Kalen DeBoer, Washington Football made three-straight New Year’s Six bowl game appearances during Cohen’s first five years serving as the director of athletics, winning a pair of Pac-12 titles and a trip to the College Football Playoff in 2016. In 2018, the Huskies returned to Pasadena and the Rose Bowl for the first time since 2001 after defeating Utah in the Pac-12 Championship Game. The 2023 UW team is ranked #10 in the Associated Press preseason poll.
Cohen also currently serves as a member of the College Football Playoff Committee and as a member of the National Coalition of Minority Football Coaches.
The UW athletics program also achieved unprecedented success in the classroom under Cohen’s leadership. This past year, the university posted its highest-ever, department-wide NCAA Graduation Success Rate (GSR), with eight of the university’s teams leading the Pac-12 Conference in GSR.
Among her many other accomplishments, Cohen spearheaded the effort to secure a 10-year, $119 million apparel partnership with Adidas that launched in 2019. With a background in development and revenue generation, Cohen has led the Huskies to record-setting fundraising levels over the past seven years.
“I have long admired the Trojan spirit and the USC community’s commitment to always Fight On with integrity and absolute dedication in pursuit of excellence both on and off the field,” said Cohen. “It is an honor of a lifetime to come back to Southern California to serve as USC’s director of athletics and officially join the Trojan Family. I am excited to help realize President Folt’s moonshot plan to reimagine USC Athletics, ensuring student-athletes from all of our 21 teams have the facilities and resources they need to succeed. USC is a national powerhouse in every measure of college athletics, and I look forward to honoring the Trojan heritage while working alongside the incredible USC Athletics team as we embrace both the opportunities and challenges of this complex moment.”
Over the past few months, USC Athletics’ interim leadership team, led by Dr. Denise Kwok, engaged with faculty, athletics staff, and student-athletes to better understand their key priorities for both the athletics department and its leadership. Cohen fits the criteria that was most important to USC student-athletes and other stakeholders. Parker Executive Search assisted the university in the search process.
“Jen Cohen is the best in the business! She is an elite athletic director and one of the finest leaders I have had the privilege of working with,” said Chris Petersen, former head football coach at the University of Washington. “Jen is a seasoned practitioner who uses her extensive experience to build winning environments and high performing cultures. She is tenacious, driven, and competitive, but always leads with compassion and class.”
USC is already well-positioned for its move to the Big Ten – a conference committed to academic excellence in addition to its athletic competitiveness – as USC Athletics set a new department record with a multiyear 2023 NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 990. USC also set its all-time high 2022 Graduation Success Rate of 93 percent, marking the ninth consecutive year of an increase.
In the 2022-23 academic year, USC student-athletes were also recognized with 27 First Team All-Americans and 16 All Pac-12 First Team honors; 11 teams finished in the Top 25; 16 teams made post-season appearances; and USC was named the Crosstown Cup Champions. Additionally, under Coach Lincoln Riley, USC Football was undefeated in the Coliseum in the 2022 season, and Caleb Williams was awarded the Heisman Trophy, making Williams the university’s seventh official winner of college football’s most prestigious award. USC’s beach volleyball team capped off the year winning its third straight national title. USC student-athletes can be found on the rosters for American and national teams from around the world and can be expected to be well-represented in at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
Advancing President Folt’s moonshot to position USC Athletics for success is a key priority. USC is investing in world-class facilities to prepare USC student-athletes to succeed at the highest level, including a game-changing football performance center, a new home for women’s lacrosse and soccer at Rawlinson Stadium, major enhancements to Dedeaux Field, and a significant, multi-year enhancement to the Galen Center.
Cohen, a native of Arcadia, located in Los Angeles County, received her bachelor’s degree from San Diego State University and her master’s degree in physical education with an emphasis in sports administration from Pacific Lutheran University.
Cohen has two adult sons, Tyson (21) and Dylan (18); both student-athletes at other universities.
INGLEWOOD, CA — With Tropical Storm Hilary pouring a deluge of rain over the Southland, the preseason contest between the New Orleans Saints and the Los Angeles Chargers was nearly canceled. Fortunately, SoFi Stadium has a tent canopy for these unforeseen events, and the New Orleans Saints thwarted a Los Angeles Chargers late surge for a 22-17 victory on Sunday, August 20.
Fans were hoping to see new Saints quarterback Derek Carr. The former Las Vegas Raiders QB is poised to lead New Orleans back to relevance since the retirement of Drew Brees, and it remains a mystery and wonderful plot going into the NFL season. Saints backup Jameis Winston put up another efficient performance in Week 2 against the Chargers.
He completed 13 of his 21 attempts for 169 yards, including a nice deep ball to rookie running back Kendre Miller that set up the game’s first touchdown. To those who obsess over Fantasy Football, this rookie has the potential to be a star right out of the gate.
The TCU Horned Frog made an incredible, over-the-shoulder diving catch on a throw from starting quarterback Jameis Winston that resulted in a 27-yard gain down to the Los Angeles 7.
Even with the roof keeping most of the rain out, it was a sloppy game featuring six punts but was entertaining and had the intensity and feel of a regular season game.
The credit goes to Chargers backup quarterback Easton Stick. He compiled 233 yards through the air and two interceptions while rushing for a couple scores on the ground to go along with 63 yards on seven carries.
The play of the game was when the Chargers were inside the 5-yard line, when stick rushed out of the pocket and bulldozed his way into the end zone. It appears Stick will be a reliable and steady backup should Herbert get injured.
Trailing by 5, the Chargers had one final drive to score touchdown and win the game. On 4th Down, Stick got stuck by a giant Saints lineman as he heaved the football. It was intercepted by New Orleans and that was the ball game.
One final preseason game against the San Francisco 49ers at Levi’s Stadium remains before the fun starts. The NFL regular season begins on Sunday, September 10th. As the Miami Dolphins visit SoFi Stadium to face the Los Angeles Chargers. Kickoff is slated for 1:25 pm on Sunday, September 10th.
The Bolts have garnered plenty of headlines and TV stories about how this could be their year. There’s only one way to find out.
Seattle, WA – The Seattle Storm were unable to extend their winning streak to a season-high of three games, as they fell in a hotly contest battle to the Minnesota Lynx in the first of two games that these teams will play in three days. Having won five of their last seven games, the Storm were unable to maintain their strong form of late as Seattle played sloppy all game long on the offensive end. As a result of their struggles on that end of the court, the Storm defense was only able to do so much to contain Minnesota’s stars such as Napheesa Collier and Kayla McBride.
The Storm began this game with plenty of energy, as center Ezi Magbegor got the scoring started for her team and her general activity was big for Seattle in the first quarter. While the Storm did have positives on offense, whether it was Magbegor’s general activity or rookie Jordan Horston getting involved early, there was general chaos from Seattle that the Lynx were able to take advantage of. The Storm have struggled with taking care of the basketball in recent weeks after somewhat shoring that issue up, and Minnesota was able to capitalize on that early and for the entirety of the game. At the end of the first half, both teams had committed the same number of turnovers with eight, but the Lynx had scored seven more points off those turnovers than the Storm did.
“First, our turnovers. It’s the points that they generated off of them, it’s very difficult to be in games, stay in games and not taking efficient shots on goal. It’s difficult to play an entire game without Ezi on the floor, an entire game with stretches, minutes of the game without her on the floor and the second half in particular, holding them to 32. Thought that there was better defensive effort, locked in a little bit better on McBride and Collier. Some good moments from Sami for sure. Some good defensive effort, defensive blacks in the second half, but third quarters stalled out in offense again. Not able execute, taking really tough shots and not being able to generate points,” Noelle Quinn, Seattle Storm head coach, on what went wrong in this loss.
Ahead of tonight’s contest, Seattle head coach Noelle Quinn had discussed how important this homestand was, as having the days to practice and preach the importance of avoiding stalling on offense is time that the Storm wouldn’t have if they were on the road. While working to improve on that, Seattle stumbled on the same issue in this contest as the Storm offensive attack hit a snag in the third quarter. Seattle only tallied eleven points in the frame, shooting a poor 27% from the field and turning the ball over four times. With their leading scorer in Jewell Loyd continuing to struggle from the field, Seattle was unable to find their footing and it dug them a deeper hole to try and scrape out of.
“No traps today. I think McBride was just in passing lanes and very aggressive in my opinion. Seeing this defense with Minnesota and her, lots of congestion, gaps, that makes it really difficult to find those lanes and get to the rim. Just one of those nights for Jewell, in my opinion,” Noelle Quinn, Seattle Storm head coach, on what she saw from Jewell Loyd’s tough night.
Following today’s loss to the Lynx, the Storm have wrapped up their four-game homestand and will head out on the road for a three-game trip that begins with a rematch against this same Minnesota team. These two teams will get back to action after a day off, which is just a travel day, when they meet at the Target Center on Sunday, August 20th with a tipoff time of 4PM PST. With a lot of positives to take from today’s game and obvious mistakes that need to be corrected, the Storm should have a gameplan prepared that has them in good position to knock off a Lynx team that currently sits as the three seed in the Western Conference.
Seattle, WA – On WNBA “Rivalry night,” the Seattle Storm handily defeated the Phoenix Mercury to complete the season sweep. Across the board, the Storm performed well and were able to lock up their fifth win in the past seven games as Jewell Loyd looked back to herself again with a 24-point effort and Seattle’s bench played a strong role in the win. Phoenix held a lead a little over five and a half minutes into the game, but that was all they’d get as the Storm took over from there and never looked back. Despite the loss of Gabby Williams to injury and Ivana Dojkic to overseas commitment, the Storm have won back-to-back games since losing them and have been able to play better basketball tonight than that first win.
As mentioned, the Mercury came into this game strong as they held their largest lead, seven points, with a little under five and a half minutes into the first quarter. Phoenix’s starting five was spreading the offense around and finding their spots early while Seattle tried to get set into their gameplan, as the Storm were trying to avoid another poor shooting game after barely managing to escape with a win over the Dream last time out. After a few inefficient games from the field, Seattle guard Jewell Loyd started this contest with 14 points in the fourth quarter to push the Storm into the lead and have them never look back from it. Nicknamed “The Gold Mamba,” Loyd ended up with 23 points in the first half as Seattle settled into their game and was able to get their second scorer Ezi Magbegor heavily involved, with the bench providing quality minutes to end the half with a 16-point lead.
“I think just being able to lock down defensively, especially coming out at halftime. But I think that also shows that growth, just being able to not let that lead or let their comeback kind of get to us. I think we did a great job of just being able to stop that and counter that, just kind of stay poised and stay together in that moment,” Ezi Magbegor, Seattle Storm center, on the team closing this game out.
While they’ve found ways to do it before, just not very often, the Storm have needed their superstar shooting guard Jewell Loyd to carry their offense just about all season long. Loyd’s put-up monster numbers all season en route to what an MVP campaign would be if Seattle’s record was better, but has seen a dip in production in recent weeks as teams focus on trapping her and trying to take her out of the gameplan. Jewell ensured that she was going to be a factor in the Storm win from the get-go, as her 14 points kick started the Seattle offense and helped get her teammates going as well, including the team’s second scorer in Ezi Magbegor who finished with 17 points. While Loyd scored only one point in the second half after dropping 23 in the first, her jolt of energy translated onto the scoreboard and helped Seattle grab momentum early from Phoenix.
“I have all the confidence in everyone on the team. Regardless of me scoring or not, I know that I’m able to be a screener, I know I can still play defense, I’m still involved, I’m relying on everyone else. Everyone else steps up and we’ve seen that before. It’s nice to know that regardless of if I’m hitting or not, we’re taking good shots,” Jewell Loyd, Seattle Storm guard, on the team holding on to their halftime lead.
Following this satisfying victory on rivalry night over the Mercury, the Storm will get a few days of rest/practice before they finish off their four-game homestand on Friday, August 18th. That day at Climate Pledge Arena will see Seattle hosting the Minnesota Lynx for a 7PM PST tipoff as the Storm look to win their third straight by toppling a Lynx team that currently sits in a playoff spot after struggling heavily to begin the season. Getting those few days of rest and practice before this game gives Seattle a chance to clean things up before this contest. If you’re not attending here in person in Seattle, that game will be broadcast on ION.
INGLEWOOD, CA--The NFL preseason kicked off with the battle for Los Angeles featuring the two tennats of SoFi Stadium- the Rams and Chargers. On Saturday, August 12 the Bolts new offense ran over the Rams in a 34-17 drubbing.
Numerous rookies for the Chargers were excellent in the victory. For example, three rookies combined to score the team’s four touchdowns, including an exhilarating 81-yard punt return from fourth-rounder Derius Davis.
Los Angeles Chargers new offensive coordinator Kellen Moore is already putting his fingerprints on the new look offense. Moore is putting his stamp on the Chargers ground attack, which has been lacking for years.
That was clearly not the case on Saturday night, as the Chargers steamrolled the helpless Rams defense around for 214 yards on the ground. It is early, but this appears to be a potent offense with an identity.
Imagine when Austin Ekeler joins that party. An improved running attack will also open up the playbook for quarterback Justin Herbert and the Chargers offense.
Photo by Jevone Moore / CCO
Wide receiver Quentin Johnston had a few dropped passes before catching an 8-yard touchdown pass. The first, but surely not the last time Johnston will find the end zone this season.
When stars from both teams sit in preseason games, its dificult to gauge how well the teams will perform once the regular season begins.
The Chargers sat a majority of the offense; including quarterback Justin Herbert, running back Austin Ekeler and wide receivers Keenan Allen and Mike Williams.
Ditto for the Rams, who sat quarterback Mathew Stafford, Cooper Kupp and Aaron Donald. Although it is disappointing fans were unable to catch a glimpse of their favorite players, it is something that is commonplace in the first exhibition game.
However, the simple fact remains that neither of these teams can afford the risk of losing their star players in August, otherwise their hopes of reaching the playoffs will be dashed. Their hopes as well as the season will be probabably be lost.
For the Rams, the bright spot was rookie quarterback Stenson Bennett out of Georgia. He finished his college career at Sofi Stadium by dismantling TCU, 65-7 in the National Championship in January of this year.
Bennett passed for 191 yards and a touchdown for the Rams in his first NFL action.
“It was fun to finally get out there and honestly get hit,” Bennett said. “I’m not going to win many of those, but it’s good to feel like a football player again. It’s fun to get out there and compete.”
Elijah Dotson, an undrafted rookie from Northern Colorado, had 37 and 40-yard TD runs in the fourth quarter for the Chargers. This put the game out of reach, and sealed the victory for the Bolts.
Next weekend, the Rams as well as the Chargers will be hosting games at Sofi. First the Rams welcome the Silver and Black, the Las Vegas Raiders on Saturday, August 19.
The following day, Derek Carr and the New Orleans Saints will visit SoFi to face the new and improved Los Angeles Chargers.
