Kennesaw State (1-6, 1-2 Conference USA) also picked up its first win against a Division I team since topping FCS member UT Martin on Nov. 5, 2022. The Owls had wins over lower-level Tusculum, Lincoln (California) and Virginia Lynchburg last season. They entered Wednesday 0-10 against FBS teams in school history.
Liberty (5-1, 3-1), which entered as one of 11 unbeaten teams in the FBS, had the longest active regular-season winning streak end at 17.
According to ESPN Research, it was the sixth time an 0-5 or worse team defeated a 5-0 or better team in the AP poll era. The last time it happened was in 2001, when North Texas upset Middle Tennessee.
Kennesaw State held a 24-17 lead when Liberty decided to go for it on fourth-and-6 with eight minutes left. The Flames were flagged for a false start to move out of field goal range, and the Owls then pressured Kaidon Salter into a throw out of bounds to get the ball back.
Bryson then completed passes of 15 yards to Christian Moss and 25 to Blake Bohannon to get into Liberty territory. Austin Welch capped the drive with his 11th straight made field goal, from 42 yards out, for a 27-17 lead with 4:13 remaining.
Liberty went down the field quickly, ending with a 17-yard scoring toss from Salter to Elijah Canion with 1:49 left to get within three points.
Kennesaw State’s Preston Daniels recovered the ensuing onside kick, but the Owls were unable to pick up a first down, and Liberty got the ball back with six seconds left at its 35. Salter’s throw went out of bounds and the fans rushed the field — but the officials put one second back on the clock. After the fans returned to the stands, Liberty fumbled a lateral play to end it.
Salter threw for 206 yards and three touchdowns.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
The days leading up to the 2025 NHL trade deadline were a furious final sprint as contenders looked to stock up for a postseason run while rebuilding clubs added prospects and draft capital.
After the overnight Brock Nelson blockbuster Thursday, Friday lived up to expectations, with Mikko Rantanen, Brad Marchand and other high-profile players finishing the day on different teams than they started with. All told, NHL teams made 24 trades on deadline day involving 47 players.
Which teams and players won the day? Who might not feel as well about the situation after trade season? Reporters Ryan S. Clark, Kristen Shilton and Greg Wyshynski identify the biggest winners and losers of the 2025 NHL trade deadline:
There are some who saw what the Carolina Hurricanes did at the trade deadline — or perhaps failed to do after they traded Mikko Rantanen — and believe they’re cooked when it comes to the Stanley Cup playoffs. However, based on the projections from Stathletes, the Canes remain the team with the highest chances of winning the Cup, at 16.7%.
Standing before them on Sunday are the Winnipeg Jets (5 p.m. ET, ESPN+). The Jets had a relatively quiet deadline, adding Luke Schenn and Brandon Tanev, though sometimes these additions are the types of small tweaks that can push a contender over the edge. As it stands, the Jets enter their showdown against the Canes with the sixth-highest Cup chances, at 8.7%.
Carolina has made two trips to the Cup Final: a loss to the Detroit Red Wings in 2002 and a win over the Edmonton Oilers in 2006. The Canes have reached the conference finals three times since (2009, 2019, 2023). Winnipeg has yet to make the Cup Final, and was defeated 4-1 in the 2018 Western Conference finals by the Vegas Golden Knights in the club’s lone trip to the penultimate stage.
Both clubs are due. Will this be their year?
There is a lot of runway left until the final day of the season on April 17, and we’ll help you keep track of it all here on the NHL playoff watch. As we traverse the final stretch, we’ll provide detail on all the playoff races — along with the teams jockeying for position in the 2025 NHL draft lottery.
Points: 43 Regulation wins: 12 Playoff position: N/A Games left: 17 Points pace: 54.3 Next game: vs. NSH (Tuesday) Playoff chances: ~0% Tragic number: 8
Race for the No. 1 pick
The NHL uses a draft lottery to determine the order of the first round, so the team that finishes in last place is not guaranteed the No. 1 selection. As of 2021, a team can move up a maximum of 10 spots if it wins the lottery, so only 11 teams are eligible for the draw for the No. 1 pick. Full details on the process can be found here. Sitting No. 1 on the draft board for this summer is Matthew Schaefer, a defenseman for the OHL’s Erie Otters.
Hintz extended his stick toward Henrique, whose wrist shot sent the puck under Hintz’s visor during his club’s 5-4 loss to the Oilers. He was on the ice, with his face in a towel, as the team’s medical staff assessed him and helped him skate toward the dressing room.
After the loss, Dallas coach Peter DeBoer said Hintz was at a local hospital, receiving tests. The coach added that the initial report was fairly optimistic for Hintz, 28, who has 25 goals and 52 points.
“Everyone’s optimistic that it’s not ‘serious, serious,'” DeBoer said. “But we won’t know until we get testing.”
The short-handed Stars rallied from a 5-1 deficit before eventually losing. Trade deadline acquisition Mikko Rantanen had a goal and an assist in his debut for Dallas, which had its four-game winning streak stopped. Wyatt Johnston, Jamie Benn and Matt Dumba also scored for the Stars.