Sports
Ducks ignore ‘outside noise,’ improve CFP hopes
IOWA CITY, Iowa — Since entering the Big Ten last year, Oregon has shown it can win in several of the league’s most hostile environments, not losing a single road game. Perhaps more impressive: How the Ducks have won.
The latest example came Saturday at Iowa‘s Kinnick Stadium as No. 9 Oregon won 18-16 following Atticus Sappington‘s 39-yard field goal with three seconds to play. Oregon prevailed without top wide receiver Dakorien Moore and top tight end Kenyon Sadiq. Another starting receiver, Gary Bryant Jr., left Saturday’s game with a right ankle injury on the team’s second series and did not return.
As a steady rain fell and temperatures dropped, the Ducks leaned on their run game, which gashed No. 20 Iowa for 261 yards on 36 carries, and special teams, which produced 12 points, including a safety after a bad snap by Iowa.
“We said special teams had to be special today,” coach Dan Lanning said.
Iowa has won consistently under coach Kirk Ferentz by being better at the line of scrimmage and in the kicking game. But Oregon held the edge in both areas Saturday.
The Ducks outrushed Iowa by 121 yards.
“Oregon’s always been the team of the flashy uniforms and fast spread offense, explosive,” linebacker Bryce Boettcher said. “Coming to the Big Ten, I get it, Iowa’s been a classic team running the ball, I-formation, and we did it better than them tonight, which is pretty cool to see.”
Oregon’s rushing total marked the most yards Iowa has allowed since 2022, and its 7.3 yards-per-rush average is the highest the Hawkeyes have surrendered since 2014, when Indiana averaged 8.1. Led by Noah Whittington, all four Oregon rushers averaged more than 6 yards per carry, and all four had a run of 19 yards or longer.
“We went into this game saying, ‘We run in the trenches,'” said Whittington, who had 118 rushing yards. “We don’t really pay attention to the outside noise, but going into this game, it was kind of put in our faces by the coaching staff, ‘Our O-line wasn’t going to be able to hold up with what Iowa had up front.'”
Despite Oregon’s consistent running success, its game-winning drive hinged on the arm of quarterback Dante Moore, who had just 65 total passing yards as the Ducks took possession with 1:51 left, after Iowa marched 93 yards in 12 plays to take its first lead of the game. Moore had thrown an ugly interception in the end zone and never established a passing rhythm, but he completed 5 of 6 attempts, including a 24-yarder to Malik Benson that put the Ducks into field goal range.
Benson and fellow wide receivers Jeremiah McClellan and Cooper Perry all recorded their first receptions of the game on the final drive.
“Dante was lights out in that drive,” Lanning said. “It reminds me of what we do in practice. We put our guys in a lot of scenarios like that, but I don’t ever give them 1:51.”
Despite a strong special teams showing, Oregon needed one more kick to win from Sappington, who had connected from 46 and 40 yards but had three misses from beyond 30 yards on the season. Whittington initially wanted to close his eyes and pray, but Moore told him to watch the pressure-packed kick, which they both had seen Sappington make many times in practice.
Sure enough, it sailed through.
“When [Iowa] called timeout to ice me, I just go through my process, breathe, know that it’s all out there for me to go get it,” Sappington said. “That moment was made for me.”
After debuting in the CFP standings at No. 9, Oregon strengthened its playoff profile with a win that should resonate with the selection committee. The Ducks finish the regular season against three teams with winning records — Minnesota, No. 19 USC and No. 23 Washington — a challenging path for a young team, but one that doesn’t make Oregon flinch.
“Our guys are resilient, they’re tough, they can handle tough moments,” Lanning said. “If it’s a four-quarter fight, we can do a four-quarter fight. I had guys coming up to me at the end of the game, like, ‘Coach, breathe.’ That’s what I’m telling them all week.
“For them to be able to come up and say that same thing to me, it just tells you that they believe in what we’re doing.”
Sports
Jayson Tatum, 10 months after Achilles injury, expected to return to Celtics Friday vs Mavericks: report
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Jayson Tatum’s return to an NBA court appears to be coming much sooner than anyone expected.
The Boston Celtics superstar could be suiting up as early as Friday, which marks nearly 10 months since he tore an Achilles against the New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference semifinals last season, per ESPN.
The Celtics will face Cooper Flagg and the Dallas Mavericks Friday at TD Garden, and Tatum is expected to be out there with his teammates for the first time since his injury.
Tatum was officially listed as questionable on the Celtics’ injury report.
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Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum applauds from the bench in the second quarter against the Charlotte Hornets at TD Garden March 4, 2026. (Danielle Parhizkaran/The Boston Globe)
Brad Stevens, the Celtics’ president of basketball operations, noted that his star guard wouldn’t be cleared until he was definitely ready to play, both physically and mentally.
That’s especially the case considering the Celtics don’t need Tatum to rush back. They’re 41-21, which gives them the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference.
Tatum also noted he would want to return for a home game.
Boston has had players stepping up in the absence of Tatum, including his counterpart Jaylen Brown. Brown has taken on the scoring load, averaging 28.9 points per game with 7.2 rebounds and five assists.
Derrick White has added 17.3 points per game, while doing work on the defensive end with 1.2 steals.
Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum walks off the court after Game 1 of the NBA Eastern Conference semifinals against the New York Knicks at TD Garden. (Danielle Parhizkaran/The Boston Globe)
And the Celtics have had Payton Pritchard (16.8 points, 5.3 assists) and Anfernee Simons (14.2 points) helping the team every night.
The 28-year-old Tatum returning is nothing short of remarkable considering the average window for Achilles rehab is 9-12 months, and it’s usually on the later end of the timeline.
As Tatum looks to return, he was well aware of how good his team has been in his absence. He has been spotted on the bench cheering his teammates on all season, and he wants to seamlessly work his way back into the rotation.
Jayson Tatum of the Boston Celtics against the Detroit Pistons at Little Caesars Arena Jan. 19, 2026, in Detroit. (Nic Antaya/Getty Images)
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“I’m just hyper aware of what’s going on. I think it would just stem from that,” he said, according to NBA.com. “Obviously, I know what I bring to the table and bring to the team. But I’m also aware that these guys have been playing extremely well.”
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President Donald Trump paid respects to late legendary football coach Lou Holtz Thursday after Holtz’s death Wednesday at the age of 89.
Trump shared a tribute to Holtz in a Truth Social post.
Former Notre Dame football coach Lou Holtz listens before being presented with the Presidential Medal of Freedom at the White House in Washington, D.C., Dec, 3, 2020. (Doug Mills/The New York Times/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
“The wonderful Lou Holtz passed away yesterday, so sad. Lou was an absolute WINNER both on and off the field. Not only did he spearhead Notre Dame’s HISTORIC undefeated season in 1988 (including the legendary 31-30 ‘Catholics v. Convicts’ Victory against Miami), he raised Millions upon Millions for struggling student-athletes, and the AMAZING University of Notre Dame (Go Irish!),” Trump wrote.
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“He was also a true American Patriot, supporting me through thick and thin, and consistently speaking out against Democrat Insanity, including ‘Transgender for Everybody,’ and the Illegal Alien Invasion.
“It is for all this incredible work that I gave Lou Holtz our Nation’s Highest Civilian Honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Rest in Peace, Lou. Because of Patriots like you, we have made America GREAT AGAIN! President DONALD J. TRUMP.”
Holtz was a known supporter of Trump, even saying in February 2024 that Trump needed to “coach America back to greatness!”
Near the end of Trump’s first term, shortly after former President Joe Biden defeated him in the 2020 election, Trump awarded Holtz with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian award of the United States. Holtz, who also spoke at the 2020 Republican National Convention, was humbled by the honor.
“It’s the highest honor or award you could possibly receive, and I receive it with mixed emotions. First of all, I’m humbled,” Holtz told “Fox & Friends” afterward. “There are many more people far worthy than me, I can assure you.
“Nobody is more appreciative than me. So, I’m excited to have this opportunity and, at the same time, I’m excited to receive it from President Trump. The president I admire and respect. I think he did a tremendous job.”
At the time, Holtz also called Trump “one of the great presidents of my lifetime.”
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President Donald Trump presents the Presidential Medal of Freedom to former Notre Dame football coach Lou Holtz at the White House in Washington, D.C. Dec. 3, 2020. (Doug Mills/The New York Times/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Holtz was the first coach in NCAA history to take six different football programs to bowl games, including William & Mary (1969-71), N.C. State (1972-75), Arkansas (1977-83) and South Carolina (1999-2004). The only team he wasn’t able to accomplish the feat with was Minnesota, which he led from 1984-85.
Holtz finished his coaching career with a 249-132-7 record in 388 games. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2008.
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Harry Kane will miss Bayern Munich‘s game against Borussia Mönchengladbach on Friday with a calf injury in a blow to his hopes of breaking the Bundesliga record for most goals in a season.
Bayern coach Vincent Kompany said on Thursday the problem wasn’t serious but means Kane will play no part in Friday’s game, which could see Bayern open up a 14-point lead at the top of the table.
“He got a knock on his calf and hasn’t recovered yet,” Kompany said. “It’s nothing serious for the time being but we’d need maybe another a day for him to be involved. We’re pretty relaxed. Of course we would have liked Harry to be involved but these things happen.”
Kompany didn’t express concern Kane would miss Bayern’s visit to Atalanta in the Champions League round of 16 next week.
Kane has scored 30 goals in the Bundesliga and is 11 short of Robert Lewandowski‘s record of 41, with 10 games remaining.
Bayern will also be without Hiroki Ito and Alphonso Davies for Friday’s game, Kompany said.
Bayern, the defending Bundesliga champions, have an 11-point lead at the top of the table after beating second-placed Borussia Dortmund 3-2 last Saturday.
“We’ve had an 11-point lead before and we know how quickly that can change,” said Kompany.
“We’re just looking at our performance and our victories. I looked at the table once after the game against Dortmund and it looked good. But after that, once again the only thing that mattered was Gladbach. It sounds like a cliche, but it’s a way of life for me.”
The Associated Press and PA contributed to this report.
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