After the biggest win of his coaching career, 16-14 at Notre Dame, Northern Illinois coach Thomas Hammock couldn’t help but think about what it took to get to this moment. All the hours, all the effort, the heartfelt one-on-one conversations to hold together a veteran-laden Northern Illinois team. In a world in which Group of Five programs are often prey …

Call it a mulligan. Aaron Rodgers will make his second-ever start for the New York Jets on Monday night, when he faces off against his hometown San Francisco 49ers. It’s almost perfect, in a way. The oldest active player in the NFL coming off a torn Achilles begins the 2024 season against the team he would have liked to been selected …

Getty Images The first full Sunday of the 2024 NFL season is officially in the books, and it was a wild one.  The Chicago Bears might have had the most bizarre win of the day: They overcame a 17-point deficit to beat the Titans and they did it without scoring an offensive touchdown. The Bears scored two touchdowns during their …

Former Florida football quarterback Anthony Richardson continues to amaze with his arm strength, even in the NFL. On Sunday, Richardson uncorked a 60-yard touchdown pass to Alec Pierce in the first quarter of an Indianapolis Colts game against the Houston Texans. The pass drew praise immediately on social media, as Richardson rocketed the ball, which traveled about 68 yards in …

MEDIA, Pa. — John and Matthew Gaudreau were remembered as loving brothers and husbands who put family above hockey and everything else at their tearful funeral Monday, a week and a half after they died when they were struck by a suspected drunken driver while riding bicycles in their home state of New Jersey. Widows Meredith and Madeline Gaudreau described …

Why Week 1 win was encouraging for Patriots’ ability to develop Maye originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston If you’re hoping Drake Maye will get a chance to play for the New England Patriots during his rookie season, you were probably pretty happy with the way Sunday’s Week 1 road win over the Cincinnati Bengals unfolded. One of the biggest …

Ralph Vacchiano NFL Reporter The Sam Darnold they remember in Northern New Jersey wasn’t the one they saw on Sunday afternoon. The old one was easily rattled, unnerved by “ghosts” in the secondary, burdened by expectations. This Sam Darnold was confident, accurate, unfazed by anything. This one, the starter for the Minnesota Vikings who completed his first 12 passes of …

Quarterback Garrett Nussmeier 13 throws a pass as the LSU Tigers take on the Nicholls Colonels at Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge, LA. Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024. We’re now two weeks into the college football season, and it featured the first SEC contest of 2024. Kentucky was stunned at home by South Carolina on Saturday in Lexington, falling 31-6 to …

Getty Images The Pittsburgh Steelers felt good about their kicking game entering the 2024 season. Chris Boswell showed why when he drilled six field goals in Sunday’s season-opening 18-10 win over the Atlanta Falcons. New punter Cameron Johnston was another big reason why, but he suffered an injury on Sunday that coach Mike Tomlin described afterward as “serious.”  “My heart …

Deshaun Watson hasn’t played a full season since 2020, so it’s been hard to really evaluate where his performance level is and how well he can lead a team. This season, the Cleveland Browns are hoping to get a full year out of him and with a massive contract, there is a lot at stake for the veteran to play …

Can you hear it? That’s the sound of Texas knocking on the door of its first national title game appearance since 2009 if this team’s heightened level of elite play continues. In the prelims, the Longhorns are this beauty contest’s overwhelming favorite to best Georgia at the top of the polls. We’ve only tasted the appetizer, but no team nationally …

And we’re back! The 2024 season is underway as we had a jam-packed weekend of NFL action.  Week 1 closes out with a great matchup between the San Francisco 49ers and New York Jets. Aaron Rodgers makes his return for New York after only playing four plays in the 2023 season thanks to an Achilles’ tear.  As we do every …

Patriots’ vision for 2024 on display in validating win over Bengals originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston The second offensive drive of the Patriots’ 2024 season took 14 plays, covered 85 yards, consumed 7:20 and ended with a touchdown. The Patriots had one — ONE! — touchdown drive last season that was longer: a 17-play, 78-yard odyssey that consumed 9:30 …

Oklahoma fans cheer during a Bedlam college football game between the University of Oklahoma Sooners (OU) and the Oklahoma State University Cowboys (OSU) at Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium in Norman, Okla., Saturday, Nov. 19, 2022. Oklahoma won 28-13. Bryan Terry, The Oklahoman When the Oklahoma Sooners lock up with the Tennessee Volunteers for their first game in the SEC, it …

Welcome to the Monday edition of the Pick Six newsletter!  The first full Sunday of the season is officially in the books, and if the first weekend was a sign of how crazy things are going to be this year, I’m not sure we’re going to be able to handle it. In a span of one hour on Sunday, we …