Connect with us

Published

on

LAS VEGAS — Riley Herbst scored the first NASCAR national series win of his career in dominating fashion at his home track.

Herbst led 103 of 201 laps Saturday to win at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, the home track for the third-generation racer. His grandfather, father and uncles are considered the first family of desert racing and inductees into the Southern Nevada Sports Hall of Fame.

The family also owns a large chain of convenience stores and service stations dating to 1937.

Herbst, who is 24, has ventured beyond the desert into asphalt and has been plugging away in NASCAR since 2018. His Xfinity win Saturday was Herbst’s first NASCAR national series win in 154 starts across the three series.

“Oh my goodness, you don’t even know what this means, what this takes off my chest,” Herbst said. “I can’t believe it. I love you, Las Vegas.”

He beat Xfinity Series championship leader John Hunter Nemechek by nearly 15 seconds.

Herbst is in his third full Xfinity season with Stewart-Haas Racing and fourth overall in the series. Herbst started his career with 43 races driving for Joe Gibbs Racing. He has run four Cup races this year and his assistance late in the race at Talladega last month earned praise from winner Ryan Blaney.

He failed to make the playoffs this year, which Herbst said after Saturday’s win was humiliating considering he drives for one of the top teams in the series.

“This year is such a failure to not make the playoffs and it’s so embarrassing to be in a car like this that doesn’t make the playoffs, and walk in the garage each week with your head down,” Herbst said. “I am so emotional, everyone here in Las Vegas, this is my home, this is where I was born and raised and so let’s go party because we’re going to celebrate tonight.”

SHR teammate Cole Custer finished third as Ford went first and third. Chandler Smith was fourth in a parade of Chevrolets that included Sam Mayer, Justin Allgaier, Austin Hill, Brandon Jones, Daniel Hemric and Layne Riggs closing out the top 10.

Continue Reading

Sports

USC QB pulls off fake punt wearing No. 80 jersey

Published

on

By

USC QB pulls off fake punt wearing No. 80 jersey

LOS ANGELES — No. 20 USC pulled off a remarkable fake punt against Northwestern in Friday night’s 38-17 win by sending out third-string quarterback Sam Huard in the same uniform number as the Trojans’ punter.

Wearing a No. 80 jersey, Huard came on the field with the punt team in the second quarter and completed a 10-yard pass to Tanook Hines. The first down extended the Trojans’ second drive, which ended with a TD run by Jayden Maiava.

This bit of trickery was quite legal, apparently: Huard wore No. 7 earlier this season for the Trojans, but he is listed as No. 80 on the USC roster for this week after Lincoln Riley’s team quietly made the change.

USC punter Sam Johnson also wears No. 80. College football teams frequently feature two players wearing the same number.

Huard, who is a couple of inches shorter than the 6-foot-3 Johnson, grinned widely as he high-fived teammates on the way off the field. He is a former five-star recruit who began his college career at Washington.

Bowling Green pulled off a similar stunt in last season’s 68 Ventures Bowl in Mobile, Alabama.

Third-string Falcons quarterback Baron May switched his uniform number before the game from 8 to 18 — very similar to punter John Henderson‘s No. 19 jersey.

Late in the first quarter, May came on the field instead of Henderson and threw a 43-yard touchdown pass to Malcolm Johnson Jr. — although Arkansas State overcame it for a 38-31 victory.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Continue Reading

Sports

Missouri’s Norfleet (shoulder) ruled out vs. A&M

Published

on

By

Missouri's Norfleet (shoulder) ruled out vs. A&M

No. 22 Missouri will be without star tight end Brett Norfleet (shoulder) when the Tigers host undefeated No. 3 Texas A&M on Saturday in Columbia.

Norfleet, a junior from O’Fallon, Missouri, has started in each of the Tigers’ eight games this fall and enters Week 11 leading all SEC tight ends with five touchdown receptions. His 26 catches on the season rank third-most among Missouri pass catchers, trailing only wide receivers Kevin Coleman Jr. and Marquis Johnson.

Tigers coach Eli Drinkwitz told reporters that Norflett sustained a separated shoulder in Missouri’s 17-10 loss at Vanderbilt on Oct. 25. Drinkwitz later described Norfleet as “day-to-day” during the Tigers’ bye in Week 10, and the veteran tight end was listed as questionable in Missouri’s student-athlete availability report Thursday night.

Norfleet’s absence comes with Drinkwitz and the two-loss Tigers essentially facing a playoff elimination game against the Aggies on Saturday. Missouri will also be without starting quarterback Beau Pribula in Week 11 after the Penn State transfer dislocated his ankle at Vanderbilt. Freshman Matt Zollers, ESPN’s No. 6 pocket passer in the 2025 class, is set to make his first career start Saturday, facing Texas A&M coach Mike Elko and an Aggies defense that ranks 18th nationally in defensive pressures (137), per ESPN Research.

“For our team, it’s really about us focusing on helping Matt execute at the highest level possible,” Drinkwitz said this week. “We’re excited about Matt’s opportunity and what he’s earned. He has done a really good job in practice of leadership, stepping up, embracing the moment, embracing the opportunity.”

Missouri (6-2) kicks off against Texas A&M at 3:30 p.m. ET on ABC.

Continue Reading

Sports

Sources: Kansas State RB Edwards leaves team

Published

on

By

Sources: Kansas State RB Edwards leaves team

Kansas State running back Dylan Edwards has left the Wildcats and is expected to enter the transfer portal, sources confirmed to ESPN’s Pete Thamel.

Edwards has been hampered by injuries this season and has played in just four games. He has only 34 carries for 205 yards.

In 2024, Edwards finished with 546 rushing yards while averaging 7.4 yards per carry with seven total touchdowns.

He began his career in 2023 at Colorado before transferring to K-State.

The Wildcats (4-5, 3-3 Big 12) are off this weekend.

Continue Reading

Trending