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Week 9 in college football is here as we embark on another weekend of exciting matchups that you won’t want to miss.

Friday night will feature a showdown between one-loss Mountain West teams No. 17 Boise State and UNLV. Most college football fans know the name of Boise State’s star running back, Heisman Trophy favorite Ashton Jeanty, but do you know about the Broncos’ quarterback?

No. 8 LSU and No. 14 Texas A&M meet in a big conference matchup Saturday evening. They’re both undefeated as the top two teams in the SEC standings entering Week 9, but only one team can leave Kyle Field with a win. Can Texas A&M’s defense keep LSU’s offense off the field?

Our college football experts preview big games and storylines to know, and share quotes of the week ahead Week 9’s slate.

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Top SEC matchup | Missouri-Alabama | Boise State QB
Quotes of the Week

What are the top two SEC teams doing right ahead of their matchup Saturday?

Texas A&M coach Mike Elko said the similarities between LSU and his team this season have been “eerily similar.” Both started with big Week 1 games, and both lost, A&M to Notre Dame and LSU to USC. But they both have steadily improved all season and meet at 6-1, with A&M 4-0 in the SEC and LSU 3-0. They’ve done it in different ways, though. LSU has gotten better on defense, holding Ole Miss to 26 in an overtime win, then giving up just 10 at Arkansas last week. Blake Baker’s defense now ranks third in pressure rate and seventh in sacks, despite losing Harold Perkins for the season in Week 4. Offensively, Garrett Nussmeier has five 300-yard games, as the Tigers rank eighth nationally in passing offense at 322.4 yards per game. Nussmeier leads the SEC with 18 passing touchdowns and an 82.5 QBR.

Texas A&M, meanwhile, has a stingy defense that has been complemented by a strong running game that slows down games and keeps opposing offenses off the field. The Aggies have been able to stop opponents without bringing pressure, blitzing just 16% of the time, eight lowest in the FBS, according to ESPN research. Opponents complete just 54% of passes against the Aggies, 10th best in the FBS, and they’ve made key stops, ranking 16th nationally in third-down defense. On offense, Texas A&M ranks 12th in rushing, at 218 yards per game, a stabilizing force as the Aggies navigated Conner Weigman‘s shoulder injury in Week 2. Marcel Reed starting until Weigman returned to dominate Missouri, going 18-of-22 for 276 yards. Le’Veon Moss, who has shouldered the load at running back, has five TDs in the past two games and is looking to become the third Aggie to have multiple rushing touchdowns in three straight games since Texas A&M joined the SEC in 2012. — Dave Wilson


What Missouri and Alabama need to do to win their matchup in Week 9

Alabama: It sounds simple, but Alabama needs to play a complete game and, probably even more importantly, a clean game. Starting with the second half in the 41-34 win over Georgia in Week 4, in which the Bulldogs piled up 381 yards after halftime and erased a 28-0 deficit, it has been hit or miss with the Crimson Tide. The defense again struggled the next week in a shocking 40-35 loss to Vanderbilt followed by a shaky 27-25 escape against South Carolina at home in a game Alabama led 14-0, only to see South Carolina recover an onside kick late and have a chance to win. Then a week ago, the offense was a no-show in a 24-17 loss to Tennessee.

Quarterback Jalen Milroe was sensational in the win over Georgia, but he has thrown five interceptions in his past three games. Tennessee sacked him three times, and he was held to 11 rushing yards on 14 carries. Penalties have plagued the Crimson Tide. They have 62 on the season. Only four FBS teams have been penalized more. They were penalized a season-high 15 times against Tennessee, including a 15-yard personal foul on receiver Kendrick Law during Alabama’s next-to-last drive. — Chris Low

Missouri: There’s no simple path to winning as a road team inside Bryant-Denny Stadium, where the Crimson Tide have lost only six times since the end of the 2007 season. And Missouri’s path to a historic win in Tuscaloosa won’t be helped by the expected absences of quarterback Brady Cook (ankle) and leading rusher Nate Noel (foot). Down the pair of star offensive talents, the Tigers must find a way to slow Jalen Milroe and Alabama the same way Tennessee did a week ago.

The Volunteers limited the Crimson Tide to 75 rushing yards and pressured Milroe 24 times as the junior passer threw a pair of interceptions and completed a season-low 55.6% of his throws in the 24-17 defeat. Missouri enters Saturday ranked 24th in defensive red zone efficiency, and if the Tigers can stay close early, perhaps they hang around with an Alabama team that has been outscored 81-55 after halftime in four league games. No SEC team has more comebacks down seven or more points this fall than Missouri, and the Tigers enter Week 9 with a record of 7-0 in one score games since the start of last season. — Eli Lederman


Maddux Madsen is much more than the other guy in Boise State’s backfield

Boise State’s Maddux Madsen might be the ideal person to share a backfield with the Heisman Trophy favorite.

Madsen’s path to being Boise State’s starting quarterback, where he lines up beside star running back Ashton Jeanty, hasn’t been a straight shot. He’s a 5-foot-10 QB who didn’t receive scholarship offers from the two Power 4 schools in his home state of Utah, and came to Boise State only after a highly touted QB recruit, Katin Houser, flipped his commitment to Michigan State.

Madsen, a third-year sophomore, doesn’t need tutorials about roles or teamwork, what competition requires, how opportunities are earned and how to navigate adversity. He grew up around baseball fields, as his dad, Eric, coached at Utah Valley. Maddux and his four siblings are all named after baseball standouts — Maddux after Hall of Fame pitcher Greg Maddux, and brothers Mays (Willie), McGwire (Mark) and Mick (Mantle), and sister Macee Jo (DiMaggio).

“In baseball, you almost set yourself up to fail,” Maddux said. “If you’re hitting .300, that’s pretty elite. So I learned not to let myself get beat up about certain things. Obviously, football’s a little bit different, but there’s going to be things that go wrong, and handling adversity is something I learned from baseball and translated to football.”

He has spent much of his Broncos career competing. Last season, he shared time with Taylen Green in a two-quarterback system that ended when Madsen sustained a knee injury in November. When Boise State added USC transfer Malachi Nelson in January, many assumed the starting job would go to the former ESPN No. 1 overall recruit.

But Madsen beat out Nelson in camp and has completed 63.8% of his passes for 1,273 passing yards, 12 touchdowns and two interceptions through six games.

“He doesn’t want anything given to him,” said Boise State coach Spencer Danielson, who informed Madsen after the 2023 season that the team would be seeking a transfer quarterback. “He wants to be challenged, he wants the opportunity to compete, and the stage is never too big for him. He’s always been a guy that has the mentality of a hunter. He’s going to go win. Maddux is an unwavering young man.”

Danielson saw Madsen’s approach from the start. After a pass was tipped and intercepted at Georgia Southern in the season opener, Madsen began the next possession with completions of 53 and 36 yards, and Jeanty capped the drive with a 1-yard touchdown run. The following week, Madsen completed only 17 of 40 passes in a 37-34 loss at Oregon, as the Ducks’ defense smothered Broncos receivers and quickly closed passing windows.

Since then, Madsen has completed 70.8% of his attempts.

“I understand that there’s going to be loud stadiums, there’s going to be things said, so how can I control the game with a neutral mindset?” Madsen said. “I’ve learned that the seriousness I have to approach the game with is definitely different than I have in the past. We’re in a no-joke situation right now, and we’ve got to attack every day with complete intent and focus.”

Madsen also recognizes that Boise State’s offense largely will run through Jeanty, who leads the nation in rushing yards and ranks sixth in attempts.

“It’s the best thing ever,” Madsen said of playing with Jeanty. “I tell people, I’ve got the best seat in the house, watching him do what he does.”

Jeanty will continue to dominate the spotlight, and rightfully so, but Madsen will also be a significant factor if Boise State surges to its first College Football Playoff appearance.

“Nobody wanted to hear about Maddux Madsen, because he was the 5-10 kid from Utah that wasn’t recruited,” Danielson said. “He’s really been the embodiment of what we are here at Boise State, one those guys that are counted out, got a chip on their shoulder, and all he’s done is earn everything he’s got.” — Adam Rittenberg


Quotes of the week

“I’ve always respected those coaches because that’s where I’ve come from. I started as a Division II head coach, he’s worked his way up. And any time you can hire an Ivy League grad, it makes me smarter. So that worked out well for me.” — LSU coach Brian Kelly, on hiring now-Texas A&M coach Mike Elko, a Penn alum, as his defensive coordinator in 2017 after Elko had stops at Penn, the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy, Richmond and Hofstra, among others.

“Define ‘at,'” Missouri coach Eli Drinkwitz said when asked if quarterback Brady Cook (ankle) would be at practice Tuesday (Cook has since been ruled doubtful for Saturday’s game). “I don’t know if I’d say participate. I anticipate that he will be out at practice. But that’s why I’m not letting the media at practice so that y’all can’t worry about what he’s doing or not doing in practice.”

“It’s an excellent opportunity for us on a big stage. When we recruit, we talk about big-time college football and one of the things is, you get to play Notre Dame every year,” Navy defensive coordinator P.J. Volker said ahead of Saturday’s matchup between the Fighting Irish and Midshipmen. “Obviously they’re the cream of the crop in college football. To have this opportunity is something that we all relish.”

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2025 MLB Home Run Derby: Who is the slugger to beat?

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2025 MLB Home Run Derby: Who is the slugger to beat?

The 2025 MLB All-Star Home Run Derby is fast approaching — and the field is starting to take shape.

Braves hometown hero Ronald Acuna Jr. become the first player to commit to the event, which will be held at Truist Park in Atlanta on July 14 (8 p.m. ET on ESPN). He has since been followed by MLB home run leader Cal Raleigh of the Seattle Mariners, James Wood of the Washington Nationals and Byron Buxton of the Minnesota Twins.

As the entrants are announced, we’ll add them to the running list below — and break down their chances at taking home this year’s Derby prize.

Full All-Star Game coverage: How to watch, schedule, rosters, more


2025 home runs: 9 | Longest: 467 feet

Why he could win: Acuna has been crushing it since he returned to the lineup May 23 after knee surgery. Indeed, his numbers are even better than during his MVP season in 2023. It should help that he’ll be hitting in front of his home fans in Atlanta: Todd Frazier in Cincinnati in 2015 and Bryce Harper with the Nationals in 2018 rode the loud support to Derby titles. Acuna’s raw power should also translate well to the Derby: Among players with at least 500 at-bats since 2023, he has the longest average home run distance in the majors.

Why he might not: Will he run into Pete Alonso again? Acuna competed in the 2019 and 2022 contests, losing both times to Alonso by a single home run (in the semifinals in 2019 and in the first round in 2022). The home-field advantage can also perhaps be a detriment if a player gets too hyped up in the first round. See Julio Rodriguez in Seattle in 2023, when he had a monster first with 41 home runs but then tired out in the second round.


2025 home runs: 35 | Longest: 440 feet

Why he could win: It’s the season of Cal! The Mariners’ catcher is having one of the greatest slugging first halves in MLB history, with 32 home runs, as he’s been crushing mistakes all season . His easy raw power might be tailor-made for the Derby — he ranks in the 87th percentile in average exit velocity and delivers the ball, on average, at the optimal home run launch angle of 23 degrees. His calm demeanor might also be perfect for the contest as he won’t get too amped up.

Why he might not: He’s a catcher — and one who has carried a heavy workload, playing in all but one game this season. This contest is as much about stamina as anything, and whether Raleigh can carry his power through three rounds would be a concern. No catcher has ever won the Derby, with only Ivan Rodriguez back in 2005 even reaching the finals.


2025 home runs: 23 | Longest: 451 feet

Why he could win: He’s big, he’s strong, he’s young, he’s awesome, he might or might not be able to leap tall buildings in a single bound. This is the perfect opportunity for Wood to show his talent on the national stage, and he wouldn’t be the first young player to star in the Derby. He ranks in the 97th percentile in average exit velocity and 99th percentile in hard-hit rate, so he can still muscle the ball out in BP even if he slightly mishits it. His long arms might be viewed as a detriment, but remember the similarly tall Aaron Judge won in 2017.

Why he might not: His natural swing isn’t a pure uppercut — he has a pretty low average launch angle of just 6.2 degrees — so we’ll see how that plays in a rapid-fire session. In real games, his power is primarily to the opposite field, but in a Home Run Derby you can get more cheapies pulling the ball down the line.


2025 home runs: 20 | Longest: 479 feet

Why he can win: Buxton’s raw power remains as impressive as nearly any hitter in the game. He crushed a 479-foot home run earlier this season and has four others of at least 425 feet. Indeed, his “no doubter” percentage — home runs that would be out of all 30 parks based on distance — is 75%, the highest in the majors among players with more than a dozen home runs. His bat speed ranks in the 89th percentile. In other words, two tools that could translate to a BP lightning show.

Why he won’t: Buxton is 31 and the Home Run Derby feels a little more like a younger man’s competition. Teoscar Hernandez did win last year at age 31, but before that, the last winner older than 29 was David Ortiz in 2010, and that was under much different rules than are used now.

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Pham homer ends Pirates’ 30-inning scoreless run

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Pham homer ends Pirates' 30-inning scoreless run

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Pittsburgh Pirates are back on the board after Tommy Pham‘s two-run home run in the third inning at Kansas City on Monday night ended a 30-inning scoreless streak.

The Pirates had been shut out in all three games at Seattle during their previous series.

However, they tallied another loss against the Royals, losing 9-3.

The scoreless streak included Sunday’s 1-0 loss to the Mariners in which Pittsburgh ace Paul Skenes threw 10 strikeouts in five scoreless innings before the Pirates gave up a run in the bottom of the sixth.

Before beginning this nine-game trip with the sweep by the Mariners, the Pirates had blanked the St. Louis Cardinals in three consecutive home games. Their streak of playing in six straight shutouts matched the longest in major league history.

Pham, a 12-year veteran who is in his first season with the Pirates, bookended the scoreless skid with RBIs. He drove in a seventh-inning run with a groundout Wednesday during the 5-0 victory over the Cardinals.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Vaughn homers in first Brewers AB: ‘It’s special’

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Vaughn homers in first Brewers AB: 'It's special'

MILWAUKEE — Andrew Vaughn is back in the majors with the Milwaukee Brewers and making quite an early impression with his new team.

The Brewers called up the former Chicago White Sox slugger from the minors on Monday after a sprained left thumb landed first baseman Rhys Hoskins on the injured list. In his Brewers debut, Vaughn smashed a three-run homer off All-Star right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto in the first inning of Milwaukee’s 9-1 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Vaughn acknowledged his homer felt particularly good given the circumstances.

“You definitely black out running around the bases,” he said. “It’s special. It put us ahead against a really good pitcher and really good team.”

Vaughn became the fifth player in franchise history to homer in his first plate appearance with the club. He was the first Brewers hitter to accomplish the feat since Gabe Gross in 2006.

And it’s just the start Vaughn could use as he seeks to rejuvenate his career.

The 27-year-old Vaughn hit 72 homers for the White Sox from 2021-24, but he had tailed off lately. He posted a .699 OPS last year that was a career low at the time. He followed that up by batting .189 with a .218 on-base percentage, five homers and 19 RBI in 48 games for Chicago before getting sent to the minors on May 23.

After acquiring Vaughn in a June 13 trade that sent pitcher Aaron Civale to the White Sox, the Brewers kept him in the minors. A spot on the big league roster opened up when Hoskins got hurt last weekend.

Vaughn gives the Brewers a right-handed option to pair with left-handed hitter Jake Bauers at first base while Hoskins is out. Bauers, 29, is batting .214 with a .331 on-base percentage, five homers and 18 RBI in 54 games this season.

Brewers manager Pat Murphy said Hoskins’ stay on the injured list “can be weeks, not days,” potentially giving Vaughn an extended audition. Hoskins, 32, has hit .242 with a .340 on-base percentage, 12 homers and 42 RBI in 82 games.

Vaughn had been hitting .259 with a .338 on-base percentage, three homers and 16 RBI in 16 games with the Brewers’ Triple-A Nashville affiliate.

That represented a major step forward after his struggles with the White Sox.

“I feel like my swing consistency’s been a lot better – swing decisions, just working in the cage and getting it right,” Vaughn said before Monday’s game. “There were some keys I worked on, just simple things. Don’t want to do a whole revamp of the swing because it’s probably impossible during the season, most hitters would say. Just small keys and getting it right.”

Vaughn wasted no time endearing himself to his new teammates. He started a 3-6-3 double play to end the top of the first inning before delivering his 409-foot shot over the wall in left-center field in the bottom half.

“To have him show up first day, not know anybody at noon, and then he’s in there and then kind of get a huge hit in the first inning to kind of open things up was a great way to say, ‘Here I am,'” Murphy said.

Vaughn is eager to keep making those kind of statements.

“That’s pretty cool, just to be a part of something bigger than myself, being part of the Brewers,” Vaughn said. “Just trying to do anything I can to help this team win.”

In other Brewers news, shortstop Joey Ortiz was held out of the starting lineup for a second straight game after going 0 for 3 with two strikeouts Saturday in a 4-2 loss at Miami. Ortiz is hitting .209 with a .269 on-base percentage, six homers and 28 RBI in 87 games this season, though he showed progress by posting a .748 OPS in June.

Murphy said Ortiz has been swinging better lately, but must make better swing decisions.

“I want him to give me his best approach at the plate,” Murphy said before Monday’s game. “We’ve given him a lot. We’re playing him every day, and we need him, and he can’t just have lapses at the plate like that. He’s got to fight through that.”

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