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  • Iowa football scores tracker: Hawkeyes offense craters against Minnesota, needs to score 325 points in 2023

    Iowa football scores tracker: Hawkeyes offense craters against Minnesota, needs to score 325 points in 2023

    Iowa has long been known as a program focused on winning with elite defense and special teams under tenured coach Kirk Ferentz. The results have been consistent, if nothing else: In 24 seasons under Ferentz, the Hawkeyes have won an average of nearly eight games per year — oftentimes with middling offensive output. 

    Offensive woes reached a level through eight games in 2023 that prompted Iowa to set the wheels in motion for a change on that side of the ball. The school announced Monday that offensive coordinator Brian Ferentz, son of longtime Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz, will not return to the Hawkeyes coaching staff in 2024. 

    The announcement comes after the younger Ferentz signed a revised one-year contract in February mandating that the Hawkeyes score at least 25 points per game (including a bowl game) — by any means, including defense and special teams — and win seven games (also potentially including a bowl win) in 2023 in order for his contract to renew in 2024.

    The revised contract came after Iowa was particularly abysmal on offense during the 2022 season, finishing 123rd nationally while averaging 17.7 points and 156.7 yards passing per game. Even worse, Iowa finished 130th — out of 131 FBS teams — in total offense at 256.1 yards per game. 

    Iowa was running well enough towards this goal through the first three weeks of the 2023 season, sitting 3.08% ahead of pace after a rousing 41-point scoring affair against Western Michigan. And then disaster struck in Week 4 when it visited Penn State. Not only did the Hawkeyes fall off pace, they failed to score a single point against the Nittany Lions.

    A month later, Iowa is painfully off pace sitting nearly 14% behind the average it should be scoring through eight weeks. Iowa has only…

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  • I’m a Titan and I’m happy to be a Titan

    I’m a Titan and I’m happy to be a Titan

    After the Titans traded safety Kevin Byard to the Eagles last week, there was speculation about what other deals the team might make ahead of Tuesday’s trade deadline and much of the chatter focused on running back Derrick Henry.

    Henry is in the final year of his contract with the Titans and there are a few teams that would become stronger contenders with him in their backfield, but Saturday brought a report that the Titans don’t plan to deal Henry in the coming days. After Henry ran for 101 yards in Sunday’s 28-23 win over the Falcons, he said he understands the business when asked about the trade chatter before adding that he’s not looking for a new home.

    “I’m a Titan, and I’m happy to be a Titan,” Henry said, via Jim Wyatt of the team’s website. “I am going to do everything I can to help this organization continue to win.”

    Rookie quarterback Will Levis threw four touchdowns in Sunday’s win and that makes the future look a bit brighter than it did heading into the game. That likely makes keeping Henry more appealing, but we’ll have to wait until 4 p.m. ET on Tuesday to know for sure.

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  • Drew Allar’s clutch pass can be tipping point for him, Penn State offense [opinion]

    Drew Allar’s clutch pass can be tipping point for him, Penn State offense [opinion]

    Oct. 29—Drew Allar didn’t even realize he had thrown an interception, the first of his college career.

    He was under pressure and committed a quarterback’s cardinal sin of throwing late over the middle. Making matters worse, it came Saturday inside the Penn State 30 late in the fourth quarter of a close game.

    “I didn’t even know I threw an interception until I got to the sideline,” Allar said. “I got hit. Usually you hear the crowd react, but there was no reaction.”

    The less-than-capacity crowd at Beaver Stadium was silent because it was stunned. Could 32-point underdog Indiana upset the Nittany Lions?

    Allar didn’t let that happen.

    “When we were about to go on the field (after Indiana made a game-tying field goal), he said the time is now,” tight end Theo Johnson said. “He really showed up. I’ve talked a lot about how impressed I’ve been with how he’s grown week by week. He showed up big for us today.”

    Allar delivered a strike to KeAndre Lambert-Smith for a 57-yard touchdown, which enabled Penn State to beat the Hoosiers 33-24 and avoid a monumental upset loss.

    “You have to flush it (the interception) and move on,” Allar said.

    The relief in the stadium, on the Penn State sideline and in his face was palpable.

    He’s carried the pressure of being coach James Franklin’s highest-rated quarterback recruit well. He’s thrown for 16 touchdown passes against the one pick in his first eight games as the starter.

    But he also has looked tentative at times, appearing to avoid throwing an interception at all costs. Maybe it’s ingrained in him. Maybe Franklin and offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich have stressed protecting the football so much to him because of how well the Lions’ defense had played before Saturday.

    With the game on the line, Penn State needed Allar to be aggressive and to be an elite quarterback and he was.

    “You throw your…

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  • Best-dressed NFL players in Week 8: A look at the top looks, costumes ahead of Halloween

    Best-dressed NFL players in Week 8: A look at the top looks, costumes ahead of Halloween

    Getty Images

    It is the weekend before Halloween and many players were in the holiday mood. Ahead of the Week 8 games, some players decided to trade in their pregame fashion for costumes.

    Every year there are players who go all out with costumes and this year was nothing new. From spooky, to funny, to just normal fashion fits and everything in between, here are some of the best looks across the league:

    Packers wide receiver Allen Lazard went as … well, no one is entirely sure, but he certainly committed. 

    The Joker was a popular costume this year. Cordarrelle Patterson brought out the purple trench coat for this look.

    Jets linebacker Quincy Williams gave a convincing performance as the Joker. 

    “What doesn’t kill you simply makes you stranger!” — The Dark Knight

    Jets’ Garrett Wilson is in a costume of a Marvel superhero out of costume. It’s a clever way to get away with not really wearing a costume. 

    Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow went as an orange, or he’s just rocking a bright monochromatic look, in Halloween colors, down to the shoes.

    His other look was out of this world.

    Group costumes are always fun and this one is inspired by anime villains.

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  • Tomorrow’s Top 25 Today: Georgia, Ohio State strengthen positions in new college football rankings

    Tomorrow’s Top 25 Today: Georgia, Ohio State strengthen positions in new college football rankings

    The college football rankings are going to undergo a major shock in the next week once the new AP Top 25 released Sunday is compared to the first set of College Football Playoff Rankings released Tuesday. AP voters, who have been submitting ballots since the preseason, are entrenched in their process at this point; however, the CFP Selection Committee’s evaluations do end up influencing the AP Top 25 over the final month of the season.

    That’s why one of the biggest rankings-related takeaways from Week 9 is how No. 1 Georgia put together the type of performance that AP voters and the committee alike were seeking from a national championship contender. 

    Georgia has been the No. 1 team in the AP Top 25 all season, but last week’s rankings showed the closest margins of the year between the Bulldogs and No. 2 Michigan. (Here in the CBS Sports 133, it has been the Wolverines on top of the Bulldogs for a few weeks now.) The first-place votes have been spread across four different teams with Ohio State and Florida State joining Michigan with No. 1 spots on ballots, and the 32 voting points difference (1,536  to 1,504) last week represented the first real threat of Georgia getting jumped without taking a loss. 

    Multiple CFP Rankings projections — including the one from our own Jerry Palm — list Georgia outside of the top four. The committee ignores preseason rankings while placing value on strength of schedule and quality wins. Prior to Saturday’s rivalry game against Florida, UGA was not only lacking wins against ranked teams but even those with winning records. The Gators may not have been ranked in the AP Top 25, but they were right on the edge of the rankings last week (26th overall) and could quickly become one of the best wins on the…

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  • Bengals’ Burrow, Taylor complimentary of 49ers QB Purdy

    Bengals’ Burrow, Taylor complimentary of 49ers QB Purdy

    Bengals’ Burrow, Taylor complimentary of 49ers QB Purdy originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

    Brock Purdy will take the field on Sunday in the 49ers’ Week 8 matchup with the Cincinnati Bengals at Levi’s Stadium with the respect of two key figures on the opposing sideline.

    In speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow praised Purdy for his performance on the field and his attitude as an NFL underdog after being selected by the 49ers with the No. 262 and final pick in the 2022 draft.

    “He’s fun to watch,” Burrow said. “He makes a lot of plays, he’s accurate with the football, you can tell he studies and he knows where he’s supposed to go with it. He’s playing really well, he’s fun to watch.

    “He’s gone about it the right way. What I always watch is body language on the field, and he’s very calm, cool and collected in a lot of situations. That’s cool to see from a guy that young playing, last pick in the draft, thrown into the fire really early and is playing really well for them.”

    Bengals coach Zac Taylor told reporters he studied Purdy before last year’s draft but not extensively and believes the second-year quarterback has done well running coach Kyle Shanahan’s system.

    “He’s done a great job. Really has done a really good job,” Taylor shared. “Again, you talk about intent, he understands the intent. He does a great job throwing with anticipation, he’s got a high level of toughness, you can see that as well.

    “So again just trying to understand what they’re trying to get out of certain plays they got, keeping them on schedule. He made some plays with his feet the other day against Minnesota, that was critical. Just seeing him throw the ball down the field with anticipation, trusting his guys to be in the windows. He’s done a really good job executing that system and proving he’s a really good player in this league.”

    Purdy was in the NFL’s concussion protocol for most of the week, but cleared the final hurdle on Saturday and officially…

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  • Tre Wilson leads Florida into end zone on on first drive against Georgia

    Tre Wilson leads Florida into end zone on on first drive against Georgia

    Florida didn’t take long to get on the scoreboard against Georgia on Saturday.

    True freshman wide receiver Eugene “Tre” Wilson III carved up the Bulldogs’ defense on the opening drive, catching four passes for 62 yards and a touchdown.

    Early leads aren’t easy to come by, especially against Georgia, and Wilson’s score marked the first time that Florida had scored first in the rivalry game since 2015.

    All scoring plays are reviewed, and there was some question as to whether Wilson’s shin or knee touched the ground before the score. The call was confirmed, though, and Florida took an important 7-0 lead to start the game.

    The score

    End zone look

    So, you’re saying there’s a chance?

    #Gators WR Eugene Wilson III is one player who can match the speed of Georgia’s D.

    — Edgar Thompson (@osgators) October 28, 2023

    You think?

    Top shot

    And he’s only a freshman…

    Eugene Wilson III is a true freshman.

    — Weiss (@ZackaryWeiss_) October 28, 2023

    Do we have an all-time great on our hands?

    Nobody’s Percy Harvin but I think Eugene Wilson III is the closest Florida has had even over Kadarious Toney #Gators

    — Dominic Robinson (@deerob05) October 28, 2023

    Cat’s out of the bag, I guess

    Eugene Wilson just put the nation on alert

    — Atl Gator 🐊🥶 (@Longwaycoop) October 28, 2023

    Let’s just enjoy the show

    Eugene Wilson III is special.

    True freshman.

    Makes plays every time he touches the ball.

    He won’t just be a star for the #Gators… he’s going to excel at the next level.

    What a start for Florida. pic.twitter.com/59rXVwwn4p

    — Big Will (@BigWillLevenson) October 28, 2023

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    Gator Nation gets ready for Florida-Georgia game day on Twitter

    PHOTOS: Pregame highlights from Florida-Georgia matchup 2023

    Five Georgia Bulldogs every Florida Gators fan should know for Week 9

    Sunday Hash: 10 key points heading into Georgia Bulldogs matchup

    Behind…

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  • NFL Week 8 injury report: Giants’ Daniel Jones, Titans’ Ryan Tannehill ruled out

    NFL Week 8 injury report: Giants’ Daniel Jones, Titans’ Ryan Tannehill ruled out

    Injuries are unfortunately a reality in the NFL, and all 32 clubs have had to weather health-related storms through seven weeks. Deshaun Watson is still dealing with a shoulder injury, Ryan Tannehill could miss significant time with an ankle injury suffered in London, Daniel Jones hasn’t played in a couple weeks due to a neck issue and the San Francisco 49ers have several banged-up stars.

    With Thursday night’s Buccaneers-Bills game in the books, let’s take a look at the injuries around the NFL for the other 28 NFL teams set to play on Sunday. 

    Odds courtesy of Caesars Sportsbook

    Patriots: OT Calvin Anderson (illness), DE Keion White (concussion), DT Christian Barmore (knee), OT Trent Brown (ankle/knee), LB Josh Uche (ankle/toe), CB Shaun Wade (shoulder), DE Deatrich Wise (shoulder), OT Vederian Lowe (ankle) QUESTIONABLE  Dolphins: WR River Cracraft (shoulder), FS Jevon Holland (concussion), CB Xavien Howard (groin), FB Alec Ingold (foot), RB Raheem Mostert (ankle), DB Nik Needham (Achilles), CB Jalen Ramsey (knee), DB Cam Smith (foot), OL Connor Williams (groin) 

    Every Patriots player with a questionable designation was limited during Friday’s practice. Fortunately for New England, running back Ty Montgomery, guard Cole Strange and defensive tackle Davon Godchaux cleared the injury report. 

    Like the Patriots, every questionable Dolphins player was limited on Friday. Ramsey (who has yet to play this season) was limited all week, while Mostert and Hill were limited Thursday and Friday after not practicing on Wednesday. Mostert told reporters Friday that he will face the Patriots. 

    Smith was limited each of the past two days after not practicing on Wednesday. Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said that he is optimistic that the veteran offensive lineman will suit up on Sunday. 

    For the Rams, Jones and Skowronek were limited during Friday’s practice, while Havenstein did not practice for a…

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