Michigan's Do-Over Hail Mary Beats Western Michigan 13-12 — and the Big Ten Says the Refs Got It Right
Quiet day on the home front — nothing on the Gophers, Twins, Vikings, Wolves, Wild or Lynx surfaced in today's national coverage. The Gophers didn't crack the college football headlines during opening weekend; the noi...
Quick Hits
- The finish everyone's talking about: Michigan beat Western Michigan 13-12 on a Hail Mary (a last-play desperation heave into the end zone) — and the wild part is Michigan got to try it twice after officials put time back on the clock. The Big Ten reviewed the ending and says the refs handled it correctly.
- Farewell, Dolly: Tennessee honored the late Dolly Parton, a lifelong Vols superfan, with multiple tributes at the team's opener.
- NASCAR's playoffs opened with a bang: Christopher Bell snapped a 33-race winless streak by winning the Southern 500 at Darlington, passing star driver Kyle Larson with 18 laps to go.
- Ferrari fell apart at its home race, and Kimi Antonelli was the beneficiary, winning Formula 1's Italian Grand Prix at Monza.
- Ten Americans are still alive at the US Open as the second week begins, headlined by Coco Gauff, Ben Shelton, Frances Tiafoe and Jessica Pegula.
Minnesota Teams
Quiet day on the home front — nothing on the Gophers, Twins, Vikings, Wolves, Wild or Lynx surfaced in today's national coverage. The Gophers didn't crack the college football headlines during opening weekend; the noise was all about Michigan's bizarre finish and Sunday's big neutral-site games.
College Sports
- The Michigan ending, cont'd: Per ESPN, Michigan connected on its second-chance Hail Mary for a walk-off touchdown in the 13-12 stunner, after the Big Ten confirmed officials correctly added time back to the clock. The kicker, per CBS Sports: Western Michigan's leadership has decided to accept the ruling and move forward rather than fight the controversial finish that flipped the game.
- Sunday's showcase games: A pair of ranked teams, Louisville and Ole Miss, open their seasons against each other in Nashville today, while Notre Dame and Wisconsin face off at Lambeau Field — yes, the famous frozen-tundra home of the Green Bay Packers. CBS Sports has a full slate of expert picks and betting previews if you're so inclined.
- Lane Kiffin's LSU debut went about as well as it could have. ESPN calls it "a smashing success," though it came amid controversy and with celebrities swarming the sidelines — the full Lane Kiffin experience, basically.
NBA
- It's the offseason, so the league's biggest story is delightfully silly: Chris Paul and Russell Westbrook — two of the greatest point guards ever, per ESPN, now framed by the outlet in retirement — are vacationing together in Italy and posting videos of themselves throwing alley-oops (lobs toward the rim for a dunk) to each other. The trash talk apparently never retires.
Other Sports
- US Open (tennis): The can't-miss match is Monday's fourth-rounder between Naomi Osaka — who ESPN says "looks formidable again" despite some struggles Saturday night — and Elena Rybakina, the Australian Open champion. Beyond that, ten Americans made it to week two, so there's a decent chance one of them plays deep into the tournament.
- Formula 1: Kimi Antonelli won the Italian Grand Prix after Ferrari turned its home race at Monza into what ESPN dubbed a "disaster-class" — the team's race was effectively over after just three laps of its own making.
- NASCAR: Worth adding to the Quick Hit above — the Southern 500 was the opening race of NASCAR's playoffs, so Bell's Darlington win is a genuine statement to start the title chase, not just a nice Sunday drive.