AP National Sports

By AL LESAR Associated Press KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Tennessee ran for four touchdowns, and Josh Heupel’s debut as the Volunteers head coach was a success with a 38-6 victory over Bowling Green. After rushing for just 67 net yards in the first half, the Vols gained more than 200 yards in the second half

By RONALD BLUM AP Sports Writer SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador (AP) — The United States showed promise but no ability to finish in its pandemic-delayed World Cup qualifying opener, drawing 0-0 at El Salvador in the type of Central American stadium that repeatedly has stymied the Americans. Both teams created few chances before a boisterious

By DENNIS GEORGATOS Associated Press DENVER (AP) — Adam Duvall hit a two-run homer in Atlanta’s three-run fifth inning, and the Braves overcame a grand slam by Charlie Blackmon to beat the Colorado Rockies 6-5. Jorge Soler also homered and Austin Riley had a two-run double for Atlanta, which took the opener of a four-game

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Chase Brice threw for 259 yards and two touchdowns and Appalachian State ran for 226 yards to beat East Carolina 33-19 in a season opener. Holton Ahlers gave the Pirates the lead on a 63-yard touchdown pass to Keaton Mitchell early in the first quarter. Brice engineered a pair of scoring

TULSA, Okla. (AP) — Isaiah Gomez kicked two of his four field goals in the fourth quarter and UC Davis, an FCS school, stunned Tulsa 19-17 in a nonconference season opener. Gomez gave the Aggies a 13-10 lead with a 22-yard field goal with 8:13 left in the third quarter. Tulsa regained the lead on

By MAURICIO SAVARESE AP Sports Writer SAO PAULO (AP) — Leaders Brazil and second-place Argentina have won their away matches in South American World Cup qualifiers ahead of their superclasico. Brazil beat Chile 1-0 in Santiago in a tense match after Chile lost nine England-based players due to COVID-19 quarantine restrictions. Substitute Everton Ribeiro scored

By DAVE CAMPBELL AP Sports Writer MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — C.J. Stroud passed for 294 yards and four touchdowns in his debut as the Ohio State starter in a 45-31 victory at Minnesota. The fourth-ranked Buckeyes kept coach Ryan Day unbeaten in Big Ten play to start his third full season. They flashed their five-star speed

YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio (AP) — Colten McFadden kicked a 41-yard field goal as time expired in regulation then converted from 27 yards out in overtime to give Youngstown State a 44-41 win over Incarnate Word in the season opener. Demeatric Crenshaw put Youngstown State in front, 38-34 with his second touchdown run of the game, scoring

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (AP) — Draylen Ellis threw for 325 yards and four scores to four different receivers and Austin Peay beat Chattanooga 30-20 in the season opener for both teams. Chattanooga entered as the preseason 18th-ranked team in the FCS and Austin Peay No. 20. Ellis found a diving Drae McCray in the back-right corner

BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — Kyle Vantrease threw a 63-yard touchdown pass to Jovany Ruiz within the first minute of the game, Buffalo coach Maurice Linguist collected his first win at the helm, and the Bulls routed Wagner 69-7 in the season opener for both teams. Kevin Marks Jr. and Dylan McDuffie each had a pair

MUNCIE, Ind. (AP) — Drew Plitt threw two long touchdown passes to Justin Hall and Ball State pulled away in the second half for a 31-21 victory over Western Illinois in a nonconference season opener. Plitt connected with Hall for a 49-yard score midway through the first quarter to open the scoring and fired a

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. (AP) — Nic Baker threw for a school-record 460 yards and four touchdowns and Southern Illinois beat Southeast Missouri 47-21 in a season opener. Baker finished 25-of-34 passing with his yardage total breaking Sam Straub’s record of 450 yards set against Western Illinois in 2016. Avante Cox made five catches for 187

By SCOTT ORGERA Associated Press NEW YORK (AP) — Pinch-hitter Dominic Smith broke a seventh-inning tie with an RBI single and the embattled New York Mets beat the Miami Marlins 4-3 for their fifth straight victory. Marlins leadoff batter Miguel Rojas and Mets counterpart Jonathan Villar each homered on the first pitch they saw, the

ORONO, Maine (AP) — Nolan Henderson threw for 262 yards and two touchdowns and Delaware rallied to beat Maine 34-24 in the season and Colonial Athletic Association opener for both teams. Ranked No. 5 in the FCS, Delaware built a 17-0 lead before the Black Bears scored 24 straight and led by seven at halftime.

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) — Liam Welch threw four touchdown passes as Samford rolled to a 52-14 victory over Tennessee Tech in the season opener for both teams. Welch, the Southern Conference’s Preseason Offensive Player of the Year, was 33-of-44 passing for 370 yards. Montrell Washington made eight catches for 170 yards receiving, and he scored

By AARON BEARD AP Sports Writer RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Ricky Person Jr. scored three first-half touchdowns and was one of two North Carolina State players to run for more than 100 yards in the Wolfpack’s 45-0 season-opening win against South Florida. It marked the Wolfpack’s first season-opening shutout victory in 17 years. Person ran

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Allisha Gray had 19 points and 10 rebounds, Arike Ogunbowale scored 17 points and the Dallas Wings beat the Atlanta Dream 72-68. Ogunbowale took an inbounds pass with 29.2 seconds left and dribbled down the clock before splitting two defenders at the top of the key. Her jumper was short, but

ATLANTA, Ga. (AP) — Carter Peevy threw for 139 yards and a touchdown and Tommy Pollack ran for 103 yards and two scores and Mercer beat NAIA-member Point University 69-0 in its season opener. The Bears’ total points established a new program record. Mercer amassed a total of 778 yards with 539 coming on the

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Ian Corwin ran for two scores and passed for a third in the first half as Drake opened its season with a 45-3 win over Division II West Virginia Wesleyan. Corwin, who missed one game and struggled with injuries throughout the abbreviated spring season, engineered scoring drives on the Bulldogs’

By MARK DIDTLER Associated Press ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Eduardo Rodriguez pitched four-hit ball into the seventh inning, and the Boston Red Sox beat Tampa Bay 4-0 for a split of their four-game series with AL East-leading Rays. Garrett Richards replaced Rodriguez with two on and no outs in the seventh, and the right-hander