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.”
Barcelona‘s squad spending limit has risen by almost €100 million ($116m) to €433m ($501m), LaLiga announced on Tuesday, increasing the Spanish champions’ chances of being able to invest in the squad this summer.
Real Madrid still have the highest cap in the league at €761m ($880m), with Atlético Madrid ranking third behind the Clásico rivals with a limit of €336m ($389m).
Villarreal (€173m, $200m) and Athletic Club (€132m, $153m) complete the top five, while Levante (€17m, $19.6m), Sevilla (€22m, $25m) and Getafe (€34m, $39m) are operating with the three lowest caps in the division.
The league’s squad cost limits, which are made public after each transfer window, denote the maximum amount that each club is permitted to spend on first-team players, as well as coaching staff, reserve and youth teams.
Barça’s new limit represents an increase of €82m ($95m) on the €351m ($406m) cap they had at the start of the season and brings fresh hope of new signings.
The Catalan club remain in excess of their limit, with club sources confirming spending on the squad is still over €500m ($579) annually, but they are getting ever closer to breaking even.
Until they reach that point, league regulations limit them to investing only a percentage of what they raise or save on new recruits.
Barça are currently in an electoral period, and therefore without a permanent president, but all three of the final candidates have claimed the club will be in a position to make signings by the summer.
Joan Laporta, who is seeking to be reelected for a second successive term, has said the team’s return to Spotify Camp Nou will boost spending capacity, while Víctor Font said he is already exploring “three or four” potential signings.
Marc Ciria, meanwhile, told ESPN Barça will be able to compete with anyone if he is elected.
“In terms of signings, under our financial plan, I expect to have the situation fully normalised so that we can go to the market on equal terms with any other club or institution,” he told ESPN.
“Barça will have the capacity to make relevant signings again to be able to win the next five Champions Leagues — a competition which we have not won in 11 years.”
ESPN has previously revealed that Barça are keen to strengthen in a variety of positions. A striker, a centre-back, a left winger and depth at full’back are all areas club sources say they will target.
There are no new teams in this week’s poll, and the top three squads held their places. After a week of blowout wins (that we will get to below), Oklahoma jumped Nebraska for the No. 4 ranking. Alabama and UCLA also edged closer to the top of the table. For now, there hasn’t been much of a shakeup, but with still-undefeated Tennessee playing also-ranked LSU in a three-game series, perhaps this week could be a chaotic one for the best team in the nation.
Player to watch
Kendall Wells, C, Oklahoma
Oklahoma’s offense, as we’ll get to below, has been on fire this season, and Wells has been just as responsible for its performance as anybody. The catcher already has a whopping 15 home runs on the season. For reference, Oklahoma’s next opponent, North Texas, has 19 home runs on the season…as a team.
Top moment
WHAT A NIGHT 🤩
The Sooners scored 21 runs in a singular inning!#NCAASoftball x 🎥 SECN+ / @OU_Softball pic.twitter.com/80cT5DjQZz
— NCAA Softball (@NCAASoftball) March 1, 2026
In the third inning of a 29-6 win over Alabama State on Saturday, Oklahoma drove in a stunning 21 runs, the second-highest single-inning run total in NCAA softball history. The historic frame included two grand slams and 24 plate appearances.
Game to watch
No. 1 Tennessee vs. No. 16 LSU
6 p.m. on Friday (SEC Network+)
Undefeated Tennessee has already notched five wins against ranked opponents this season and will look to continue that streak in a three-game series against LSU that begins on Friday. The Tigers, on the other hand, have lost their only two ranked matchups–in a tight loss to Duke and a shutout against UCLA. Can they get a statement win against the Lady Vols?
How to watch
Everything college softball on ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, SEC Network, ACC Network, Big 12 Now on ESPN+, ESPN3, ESPN+, SEC Network+ and ACCNX is accessible here, in addition to being available on the ESPN App.
What’s the full schedule?
You can check out the complete scoreboard here to stay up to date this spring.
Subscribe to ESPN | Stream college softball on ESPN
Week 4 Top 25
Here is the ESPN.com/USA Softball Collegiate Top 25 ranking, plus each team’s record and next game.
All times Eastern.
1. Tennessee
Previous rank: 1
Record: 19-0
Next game: Tuesday vs. Belmont, 5 p.m., SEC Network+
2. Texas Tech
Previous rank: 2
Record: 22-1
Next game: Friday at Houston, 7 p.m., ESPN+
3. Texas
Previous rank: 3
Record: 19-1
Next game: Friday at South Carolina, 6 p.m.
4. Oklahoma
Previous rank: 5
Record: 19-2
Next game: Tuesday at North Texas, 7 p.m., ESPN+
5. Nebraska
Previous rank: 4
Record: 14-5
Next game: Thursday vs. South Dakota State, 5 p.m., Big Ten Plus
6. Alabama
Previous rank: 7
Record: 20-0
Next game: Friday at Ole Miss, 7 p.m., SEC Network+
7. UCLA
Previous rank: 9
Record: 18-3
Next game: Friday vs. Wisconsin, 10 p.m.
8. Florida
Previous rank: 6
Record: 23-1
Next game: Saturday vs. Missouri, 1 p.m., SEC Network+
9. Arkansas
Previous rank: 8
Record: 19-1
Next game: Friday vs. Georgia, 7 p.m., SEC Network+
10. Florida State
Previous rank: 10
Record: 17-4
Next game: Wednesday vs. Jacksonville University, 4 p.m.
11. Virginia Tech
Previous rank: 12
Record: 16-2
Next game: Thursday vs. Michigan, 6:30 p.m.
T12. Georgia
Previous rank: 11
Record: 17-5
Next game: Wednesday vs. Georgia State, 6 p.m., SEC Network+
T12. Oklahoma State
Previous rank: 16
Record: 15-5
Next game: Tuesday vs. Missouri State, 7 p.m., ESPN+
14. Arizona
Previous rank: 14
Record: 17-5
Next game: Thursday vs. BYU, 8 p.m., ESPN+
15. Texas A&M
Previous rank: 15
Record: 15-7
Next game: Wednesday vs. Louisiana Tech, 7 p.m., SEC Network+
16. LSU
Previous rank: T17
Record: 17-4
Next game: Friday at Tennessee, 6 p.m., SEC Network+
17. Mississippi State
Previous rank: 19
Record: 18-2
Next game: Wednesday at UAB, 6 p.m., ESPN+
18. Oregon
Previous rank: T17
Record: 13-6
Next game: Wednesday at Oregon State, 9 p.m., ESPN+
19. Stanford
Previous rank: 13
Record: 11-6
Next game: Friday vs. Pitt, 9 p.m.
20. Virginia
Previous rank: 21
Record: 19-1
Next game: Tuesday at Radford, 2 p.m., ESPN+
21. Arizona State
Previous rank: 23
Record: 19-3
Next game: Friday vs. Utah, 8 p.m., ESPN+
22. Washington
Previous rank: 24
Record: 15-6
Next game: Tuesday vs. Seattle, 9:30 p.m., Big Ten Plus
23. Grand Canyon
Previous rank: 25
Record: 22-0
Next game: Thursday vs. Wisconsin, 5 p.m.
24. South Carolina
Previous rank: 22
Record: 15-6
Next game: Friday vs. Texas, 6 p.m.
25. Duke
Previous rank: 20
Record: 12-9
Next game: Friday at Cal, 5 p.m.
- Coach Hesson, Aqib Javed interfered in selection matters: sources.
- Dar complains 20 players selected, but captain, coach chose wrong 15.
- Salman Agha showed no resistance on selection matter, says Dar
KARACHI: Following Pakistan’s poor performance in the Super Four stage of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup and the team’s exit from the event, a member of the national selection committee, Aleem Dar, has decided to resign.
According to highly reliable sources, the ICC Elite Panel umpire stepped down due to extraordinary interference in selection matters by head coach Mike Hesson and the silence of the influential selection committee member Aaqib Javed.
Aleem Dar complains that selectors had announced Pakistan’s best 20 players, but then the captain and coach chose the wrong 15, followed by incorrect selections in the playing XI. As a result, selectors are left only to face criticism.
During the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, Aleem Dar had expressed reservations over the inclusion of former captain Babar Azam and all-rounder Shadab Khan in the squad despite their lack of performance. However, Captain Salman Ali Agha, who, according to Aleem Dar, did not even merit a place in the squad as captain along with Aaqib Javed, showed no resistance. Coach Mike Hesson openly had the final say in selection matters.
Aleem Dar had also proposed that experienced wicketkeeper Mohammad Rizwan should be played at number six instead of wicketkeeper Usman Khan. His stance was that if Shadab and Babar could be part of the team despite their underperformance, then Mohammad Rizwan also deserved another opportunity.
In the current circumstances, Aleem Dar’s resignation is being viewed as a principled decision. He believes that Allah has granted him great respect through cricket, and he does not wish to work as a puppet; therefore, it is better for him to step down.
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