NAPA, Calif. (AP) — Jackson Koivun helped lead the Americans to a Walker Cup victory last week at Cypress Point. Now he's competing against Americans who are playing the Ryder Cup. Koivun is the top-ranked amateur in the world and a junior at Auburn. He shot 66 in the second round of the Procore Championship and sits three shots out of the lead going into the weekend at Silverado. None of this is a big surprise. He tied for fifth at the Wyndham Championship in his last PGA Tour start. He has missed only one cut in six pro tournaments he's played this year.
COLLEGE STATION, Texas (AP) — Texas A&M receiver KC Concepcion has become a standout player, scoring two touchdowns against Utah State last weekend. Concepcion has faced challenges off the field due to a lifelong stutter. As a child, he was bullied for his speech, but he found support from his father, who also stutters. Concepcion abandoned speech classes in middle school, opting instead to practice speaking in all situations. Now 20, he embraces his stutter and encourages others to accept their flaws. Texas A&M coach Mike Elko praises Concepcion's work ethic and maturity.
UNDATED (AP) — Quarterback LaNorris Sellers was expected to shine for South Carolina this season. Instead, returner Vicari Swain has been the star, scoring three punt return touchdowns in two games. Swain made history with two return touchdowns in a single game against South Carolina State. South Carolina faces Vanderbilt on Saturday, a team they have beaten 16 times in a row. However, coach Shane Beamer warns that this Vanderbilt team is strong, especially on offense. Meanwhile, Sellers has had a slow start, but Beamer remains optimistic about the team's potential as they head into Week 3.
UNDATED (AP) — This week in the Southeastern Conference, No. 6 Georgia faces its toughest test yet against No. 15 Tennessee. Georgia dropped in the polls after a slow start against Austin Peay. Meanwhile, Florida aims to recover from an upset loss as they face No. 3 LSU. No. 16 Texas A&M visits No. 8 Notre Dame, seeking a road win over a top-10 opponent. Impact players include Ole Miss's Kewan Lacey and Missouri's Beau Pribula. Notable injuries affect Kentucky, Arkansas, Georgia, and LSU, with key players sidelined or questionable for upcoming games.
BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — LSU coach Brian Kelly calls any talk of firing Florida counterpart Billy Napier “crazy.” And yet, Kelly’s No. 3 Tigers could very well contribute to Napier’s demise when they host the Gators in both teams’ SEC opener on Saturday night. The negative speculation swirling around Napier stems from the Gators’ loss to visiting South Florida last weekend — a result that knocked Florida out of the AP Top 25. But Kelly saw that result as more indicative of a good team having a bad day than the Gators being a bad team. Kelly was not entirely pleased with LSU's recent production after a 23-7 victory over Louisiana Tech.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Georgia has dominated its rivalry with Tennessee, winning eight straight games. Coach Kirby Smart acknowledges the significance of this historic matchup, which began in 1899. Georgia enters the conference opener ranked sixth after a 28-6 win over Austin Peay. Tennessee, ranked 15th, comes off a record-setting 72-point game against East Tennessee State. The game is a sellout, and Tennessee fans plan to "Checker Neyland" in white and orange. Georgia's quarterback Gunner Stockton makes his first true road start, while Tennessee's Joey Aguilar debuts in the SEC. Both teams have strong defenses and offensive threats.
AUSTTIN, Texas (AP) — Arch Manning and Malachi Nelson were top quarterback recruits in 2023. They are now leading Texas and UTEP, respectively, in college football. Manning stayed with Texas, learning under Quinn Ewers. Nelson transferred from Southern California to Boise State, then to UTEP for a starting role. Both quarterbacks threw four touchdowns in recent wins. Texas, ranked No. 7, is favored in their upcoming matchup. Texas has struggled with penalties, while UTEP's defense aims to pressure Manning.
SOUTH BEND, Ind. (AP) — No. 8 Notre Dame hasn’t even taken a snap on its home turf and coaches and players are already using the word urgency. Early-season losses do that to a playoff hopeful and nobody knows that better than the Fighting Irish. They lost coach Marcus Freeman’s debut in 2022, lost twice in a three-game span in 2023, and then lost 16-14 to Northern Illinois in Week 2 last season. On Saturday, Notre Dame again will attempt to put its season back on track when undefeated No. 16 Texas A&M visits South Bend. Notre Dame beat the Aggies 23-13 in last year's season opener in College Station, Texas.
