Caden Davis kicked five field goals as Mississippi (8-2, 4-2 SEC, No. 16 CFP) earned its third consecutive win. Ulysses Bentley IV had a 9-yard touchdown run in the first quarter.
A rain-soaked Ole Miss student section stormed the field with 16 seconds left, leading to a delay. The scene was repeated after Dart’s kneel-down closed it out.
Georgia (7-2, 5-2, No. 3 CFP) scored on a 2-yard run by Nate Frazier early in the first quarter. But Mississippi quickly grabbed control from there.
After the opening series, Ole Miss recorded five sacks and nine tackles for loss, forced four fumbles and intercepted a Carson Beck pass. Jared Ivey and Princely Umanmielen had two sacks apiece and linebackers TJ Dottery and Chris Paul Jr. combined for 19 tackles.
Bentley’s TD run tied it at 7, and Davis connected from 23, 43 and 53 yards to make it 16-7 at the break.
After Peyton Woodring kicked a 23-yard field goal for Georgia, Dart finished an eight-play, 75-yard drive when he found Wells for the TD.
Dart was 13-of-22 passing for 199 yards with an interception. He also rushed for 50 yards as the Rebels finished with 397 total yards.
Davis converted field goals of 24 and 32 yards in the fourth quarter to seal the win.
Georgia lost for the second time in a regular season since 2020. The Bulldogs are 1-2 against ranked teams on the road after defeating Texas 30-15 in October.
Beck was 20-of-31 passing for 186 yards. Georgia was limited to 245 yards of total offense.
Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Wander Franco will face charges of illegal use and possession of a firearm related to his arrest in an armed altercation in the Dominican Republic countryside, public prosecutors said Tuesday.
Franco, 23, was arrested in San Juan de la Maguana, 116 miles west of Santo Domingo after what police said was an altercation Sunday in the parking lot of an apartment complex in which guns were drawn. He had been held for questioning by police but is expected to be granted provisional release Tuesday, with terms of his bail yet to be defined.
Prosecutors said a Glock with its magazine and 15 rounds of ammunition but no registration papers was found in Franco’s black Mercedes-Benz at the time of the altercation.
Police said the firearm was registered to Branly Fernando Lugo Rodríguez, who Franco said was his uncle.
The armed altercation occurred Sunday between Franco, another man and the father of that man over Franco’s relationship with a woman prosecutors said lived in the apartment complex. The dispute took place in the parking lot of the apartment complex after Franco arrived there.
There were no injuries, and the involved parties agreed they will not press charges.
No court date has yet been set for Franco’s arraignment. The use and possession of illegal firearms carries a maximum sentence of three to five years plus a fine.
Franco, who was placed on indefinite administrative leave from Major League Baseball on Aug. 22, 2023, is due to stand trial in the Dominican Republic on Dec. 12 in a separate case involving charges of sexual abuse, sexual exploitation against a minor and human trafficking that could result in a sentence of up to 20 years.
Franco was placed on MLB’s restricted list in July, sources had told ESPN, after prosecutors in the Dominican Republic accused him of having a sexual relationship with a then-14-year-old girl.
He is also under an MLB investigation under its domestic violence, sexual assault and child abuse policy until the case is resolved.
The court summoned Franco and the mother of the girl for the trial after an investigation that opened in 2022. The case will be heard by a panel of three or five judges.
Franco cannot leave the Dominican Republic under his bail agreement as he awaits the trial, but he is free to travel within the country, police confirmed.
The Rays gave Franco an 11-year, $182 million extension in 2021, just 70 games into his major league career.
He made the All-Star team for the first time in 2023.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — A detailed assessment of the hurricane damage to Tropicana Field concludes that the home of the Tampa Bay Rays is structurally sound and can be repaired for about $55.7 million in time for the 2026 season.
The 412-page report released Tuesday by the city of St. Petersburg, which owns the building, found that the basic structure of the domed stadium “does not appear to have been adversely affected” by Hurricane Milton’s winds, which shredded most of its fabric roof.
“The primary structure is serviceable and capable of supporting a replacement tension membrane fabric roof,” said the report by Hennessy Construction Services.
Eighteen of the ballpark’s 24 fabric panels failed when Milton roared ashore Oct. 9, the report found. There was also damage to interior parts of the Trop, as it’s known for short, from rainwater and other storm-related causes. The ballpark opened in 1990 and has been the Rays’ home since their inception in 1998.
The Rays did not immediately respond Tuesday to a request for comment. Since the ballpark, under this damage and repair assessment, would not be ready until the 2026 season, the Rays must find another place to play next year.
Major League Baseball wants the Rays to remain in the area near their fan base if at all possible, with several Tampa Bay-area spring training sites suggested. These include ballparks in Clearwater (Phillies), Tampa (Yankees), Dunedin (Blue Jays), Sarasota (Orioles), Lakeland (Tigers) and the Rays’ own spring training home in Port Charlotte. Most of these locations host minor league teams in the summer.
Tropicana Field is already scheduled to be demolished when a new, $1.3 billion ballpark is finished in time for the 2028 season. With unforeseen costs to the city and Pinellas County from two hurricanes — vast amounts of debris removal, damage to parks and infrastructure — two of the main financial sources for the new ballpark could reconsider those plans or decide not to repair the Trop at all.
The St. Petersburg City Council will discuss the report at its Nov. 21 meeting.
“We have so much need across the city,” council member Brandi Gabbard said at a meeting last week. “I love the Rays. I love Tropicana Field. It’s not about not wanting to do this. It’s about a balance of priorities.”
The council recently approved $6.5 million to clean up the ballpark and protect it from any further damage, including waterproofing areas such as the press box, seating areas and scoreboard.
The city does have an insurance claim for the damage and repairs, but it includes a $22 million deductible and probably would cover only part of the overall costs. That means taxpayer dollars would have to be used.
The planned new Rays ballpark is part of a $6.5 billion project that will include affordable housing, a Black history museum, retail and office space, and restaurants and bars. The project is known as the Historic Gas Plant District, which was once a thriving Black community but was displaced by construction of the ballpark and an interstate highway.
O’Brien said the decision is “what’s best for the team right now” and said Castellanos “wasn’t real thrilled with that. He’s taken a couple days.”
James entered the game last week against Syracuse in the third quarter and helped lead a 37-31 victory.
Boston College hosts ACC leader SMU on Saturday, needing one more win to reach bowl eligibility.
Castellanos was just 2-of-7 for 14 yards with a touchdown an interception at that point in the game. James went 5-of-6 for 51 yards with a touchdown pass.
Castellanos has struggled at times this season, particularly in the passing game. James started one game earlier in the year in place of the injured Castellanos, going 19-of-32 for 168 yards with a touchdown and interception in a 21-20 win over Western Kentucky.