Month: October 2022

Terps coach Michael Locksley told reporters it had been a rough week mentally for his quarterback ahead of Saturdays Big Ten matchup.

Maryland picked up its fourth win of the season, defeating Michigan State 27-13 behind a strong defensive performance and an impressive outing from Terrapins quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa.

But after handing the Spartans their third consecutive loss of the season, Maryland coach Michael Locksley told reporters that it was a rough week mentally for Tagovailoa leading up to Saturday’s game. Taulia, the younger brother to Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, watched Tua get carted off the field during Miami’s 27-15 loss to the Bengals on Thursday.

Taulia seeing his brother in pain came only four days after Tua was briefly removed from the Dolphins’ game against the Bills on Sunday for what appeared to be a possible head injury but was later confirmed as a back injury. However, Tua returned in the second half of the game after Miami stated that he cleared the NFL’s concussion protocol.

Locksley told reporters that Taulia did not showcase his normal flow of energy until after the team’s dinner on Friday night ahead of Saturday’s game, saying everyone in the program was concerned about him. “Everybody was really on pins and needles watching him as he worked through it Friday, which is a big mental day for us,” Locksley said. “We all knew that he was not necessarily all the way there.”

It was not until Taulia had the chance to FaceTime Tua that he began to “settle down” and really lock in for the game. “Tua basically said, ‘Hey, I’m fine, man. Go play. I’m looking forward to seeing you go play and win a game,’” Locksley recalled of the conversation between the two brothers.

Taulia, a redshirt junior, finished Saturday’s game with 314 yards and one touchdown while connecting with 10 different receivers in the contest after suffering a knee injury against Michigan last week. He also moved into third place on the program’s all-time passing list and eclipsed 6,000 passing yards to move ahead of Boomer Esiason in Maryland’s record book.

Maryland (4-1, 1-1 Big Ten) returns to action on Saturday at home against Purdue. 

More College Football Coverage:

• Kansas Is Proving Its Magical Start Is No Fluke
• Lincoln Riley’s Brother Leads TCU Offense in Oklahoma Blowout
• Alabama’s Bryce Young Heads to Locker Room With Apparent Injury
• Oklahoma’s Harmon Carted Off Field on Stretcher After Scary Hit

The free agent wide receiver continues to make headlines off the field.

Former NFL wide receiver Antonio Brown took to Twitter to defend himself following the circulation of disturbing videos that appeared to show Brown exposing himself to a woman at a pool in a Dubai hotel.

The incident reportedly occurred in May, when Brown tied a scarf around a woman’s head before tossing her head first into the water “like he was spiking a football,” according to the New York Post. 

A separate video showed Brown swimming towards the woman and exposed himself in her direction. According to the Post, Brown was asked to leave the hotel shortly after the incident, which was one of several complaints that hotel guests made about him. Brown also allegedly violated hotel dress code and left his room smelling like marijuana, which is in violation of the law in the United Arab Emirates.

“It’s crazy to me that even after I retire there is disinformation coming out about me,” Brown tweeted.

“Ironically, during a time when the NFL is getting heat for allowing players to play when they’re clearly concussed. They’ve been using black men as guinea pigs,” he said.

More NFL Coverage:

• Jones Shoots Down Idea of Rush Starting Over Dak Prescott
• Myles Garrett Out for Browns-Falcons Sunday After Car Crash
• Former NFL OL Explains Why He Took Tua’s Injury ‘Personal’

Week 5 of the college football season concludes Saturday with North Carolina State battling Clemson. Here are the top plays!

Atlanta Braves’ Dansby Swanson crushed a two-run home run off Max Scherzer to take a 3-2 lead over the New York Mets

The Heisman race is shifting, opening the door to players like Blake Corum and Adrian Martinez. Here’s the updated Heisman watch.

Nebraska Cornhuskers’ LB Chris Kolarevic blocks the punt to set up Malcolm Hartzog for the scoop and score to put Nebraska up 14-7 over the Indiana Hoosiers.

Indiana Hoosier’s DB Louis Moore comes up with the strip sack in the end zone against the Nebraska Cornhuskers and LB Myles Jackson recovers it for the Hoosier’s touchdown.

The new protocol could go into effect as soon as Week 5.

As Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa’s recent concussion evaluation last Sunday against the Bills continues to be under heavy criticism, the league and the NFLPA have agreed to modified rules surrounding the NFL’s concussion protocol.

According ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the changes to the protocol revolve around player instability, and will likely force a player who demonstrates instability after a hit to not return to a game. The new protocol could be instituted as soon as Week 5. 

The NFL and NFLPA released a joint statement on Saturday night that detailed the changes that are expected to be approved soon, according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.

“The joint NFL-NFLPA investigation into the application of the Concussion Protocol involving Miami Dolphins’ quarterback Tua Tagovailoa remains ongoing,” 

“The NFL and NFLPA agree that modifications to the Concussion Protocol are needed to enhance player safety,” the statement read. “The NFLPA’s Mackey-White Health & Safety Committee and the NFL’s Head Neck and Spine Committee have already begun conversations around the use of the term ‘Gross Motor Instability’ and we anticipate changes to protocol being made in the coming days based on what has been learned thus far in the review process.”

Tagovailoa appeared to have trouble with his balance after an apparent injury in last Sunday’s matchup with the Bills. However, after briefly leaving the game and undergoing concussion protocol, he later returned. He then played in Thursday’s game against the Bengals, where he suffered a severe head and neck injury and was stretchered off the field.

More NFL Coverage:

• Jones Shoots Down Idea of Rush Starting Over Dak Prescott
• Myles Garrett Out for Browns-Falcons Sunday After Car Crash
• Former NFL OL Explains Why He Took Tua’s Injury ‘Personal’

The 2021 Heisman Trophy winner left the game vs. Arkansas early after injuring his shoulder.

Alabama quarterback Bryce Young left Saturday’s game vs. Arkansas early after he appeared to injure his shoulder on a play.

He was evaluated in the medical tent, and then later in the locker room.

After Alabama’s 49–26 win, coach Nick Saban provided an injury update on the 2021 Heisman Trophy winner. The 70-year-old coach told reporters that Young suffered an AC sprain in his shoulder.

“We’ll have to take it day to day,” Saban said, via 247 Sports’ Brandon Marcello. “I think he’s O.K., doesn’t have a serious injury.”

However, Saban didn’t provide much detail in regards to Young’s injury other than it isn’t an injury that should worry Crimson Tide fans.

“Hopefully we’ll get some diagnosis on him and see how he goes,” Saban said, via CBS Sports’ Jenny Dell.

Because of the lack of detail, it’s still unknown what sort of timeline Young is on right now in terms of returning to play. Alabama takes on Texas A&M next Saturday.

When Young was taken off the field on Saturday, he slammed his helmet down on the sidelines in frustration. He returned to the sidelines with his helmet on in the second half.

In the meantime, backup quarterback Jalen Milroe played in Young’s place, finishing with 65 yards on four completions and one touchdown.

More CFB Coverage:

• The Lane Train Is Rolling at Ole Miss, On and Off the Field
• Alabama’s Bryce Young Heads to Locker Room With Apparent Injury
• Lincoln Riley’s Brother Leads TCU Offense in Oklahoma Blowout
• Bama Central: The Extra Point Where does Alabama need to Improve the Most? 

For more Alabama coverage, go to Bama Central. 

Things got heated between Ryan Day and Greg Schiano as well as their players during the fourth quarter of Saturday’s game.

Ohio State cruised to a 49-10 victory against Rutgers in its homecoming game in Columbus.

But before all 60 minutes had been played inside “The Horseshoe” on Saturday, things got heated between Buckeyes coach Ryan Day and Rutgers coach Greg Schiano.

With a commanding 49-10 lead midway through the fourth quarter, Ohio State converted on a fake punt. Instead of booting the ball away, Buckeyes punter Jesse Mirco kept the ball himself and ran toward the right sideline before taking a big hit from Rutgers wide receiver Aron Cruickshank.

Following the late hit, a brief scrum broke out between players from both teams. As a result, Schiano ran from the Rutgers’ sideline to help break up the scuffle. But in that moment, Schiano and Day got into a heated verbal exchange, resulting in both coaches drawing penalties.

The referees stepped in to separate both the crowd before Cruickshank was ejected from the remainder of the game. Prior to Saturday’s exchange between Day and Schiano, the two coaches served worked together on the staff of former Buckeyes coach Urban Meyer from 2017 to ’18.

Day led the Buckeyes’ offense while Schiano led Ohio State’s defense. Following Meyer’s administrative leave and then retirement in 2018, OSU named Day the head coach of the program. Schiano became the coach at Rutgers in December ’19. 

More College Football Coverage:

• Lincoln Riley’s Brother Leads TCU Offense in Oklahoma Blowout
• Oklahoma Blown Away by TCU: More CFB Week 5 Reactions, Analysis
• Alabama’s Bryce Young Heads to Locker Room With Apparent Injury
• Buckeyes Now: Ohio State’s Miyan Williams Demolished Rutgers, Ties Program Record With Five Touchdowns

For more Ohio State coverage, go to Buckeyes Now.