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Tag: Camaron Marvel Ochs

  • No. 4 USC falls to Utah in Pac-12, all but ending CFP hope

    No. 4 USC falls to Utah in Pac-12, all but ending CFP hope

    LAS VEGAS — Caleb Williams once again was starring in his own highlight video, breaking four tackles and finding himself in the open field for a 59-yard gain.

    No. 4 Southern California looked as if it would do whatever it wanted against No. 12 Utah and coast into the College Football Playoff. But, Williams pulled his hamstring on that play and was never the same.

    Neither were the Trojans, whose hope for a spot in the College Football Playoff all but ended as Utah rolled to a 47-24 win in the Pac-12 Championship game Friday night.

    “Our play didn’t really resemble the way we played the majority of this year,” first-year USC coach Lincoln Riley said. “Disappointed with some of the missed opportunities out there, but that’s the name of the game when you get to this level in these kind of games against good teams. You’ve got to go play good to win, and we didn’t do it.”

    The loss by the Trojans (11-2) could open the way for Ohio State (11-1) to take their spot in the playoffs. USC is fourth in the CFP rankings, the Buckeyes are one step behind.

    Ohio State coach Ryan Day had to be Utah’s biggest fan. The Buckeyes’ move up in playoff consideration, with 12-0 Michigan at No. 2 with the Big Ten championship game on Saturday, would give that conference two playoff teams for the first time. It also would extend the Pac-12’s playoff drought — Washington in 2017 is the last team from that conference to make the playoffs.

    “Coach Day, you’re welcome,” Utah coach Kyle Whittingham directed at Ohio State coach Ryan Day on the FOX Sports broadcast after the win.

    Utah (10-3) is heading to the Rose Bowl, but the Utes already were going there regardless of the outcome of the title game. They are responsible for USC’s only losses, having edged the Trojans 43-42 on Oct. 15 in Salt Lake City.

    The Utes rolled up 533 yards of offense in the rematch, and Cam Rising passed for 310 yards and three touchdowns and earning game MVP.

    Williams threw for 363 yards and three TDs. He entered the game as the leading Heisman Trophy candidate, but wasn’t the same after getting injured in the first quarter.

    Backup Miller Moss even took snaps on the sideline in the second half.

    “I asked (Williams) at one point, ‘Are you 50%?’” Riley said. “He was not even close to 50%. I definitely thought about taking him out. He didn’t let me. He wouldn’t even let me take him out at the end. In terms of guys I’ve coached at that position, it may be the gutsiest performance I’ve ever seen. Most guys wouldn’t even have played, and he still gave us a chance.”

    Williams, who also played with a badly cut pinky on his throwing hand, said his hamstring felt like “an old rubber band.”

    “I was in my head and encouraging (myself) the game was bigger than I was feeling,” Williams said, drawing inspiration from a Kobe Bryant quote. “I also had a group of guys looking at me to go out there and lead them to victory.”

    Williams painted his fingernails before game that read “(Expletive) Utah,” though the Utes apparently weren’t aware of that until told afterward.

    “You can put whatever you want on your nails,” Utah running back Ja’Quinden Jackson said. “I’m not going to judge him … but I hope he liked it.”

    The Trojans looked as if they were going to run away with the game, taking a 17-3 lead early in the second quarter behind some stellar play by Williams. He passed for 108 yards and two TDs and rushed for 76 yards in the first quarter

    After USC failed to pick up a fourth-and-8 from Utah’s 37-yard line, the Utes scored two touchdowns in the final 3:55 of the first half, and suddenly the game was tied at 17. Instead of a rout, the game was beginning to look like the shootout the Utes won in October.

    The game took on that tone at times in the second half, but USC had no answer for how to slow down Utah, which outscored the Trojans 44-7 in overcoming that two-touchdown deficit.

    “Just unwavering belief,” Rising said.

    ATTENDANCE RECORD

    A announced sellout crowd of 61,195 made this the largest for a neutral-site Pac-12 Championship. It beat the previous record of 58,476 fans. who watched Southern California-Stanford in Santa Clara, California, in 2015

    ———

    AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/college-football and https://twitter.com/ap—top25. Sign up for the AP’s college football newsletter: https://tinyurl.com/mrxhe6f2

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  • Giroux scores on OT breakaway, Senators beat Kings 3-2

    Giroux scores on OT breakaway, Senators beat Kings 3-2

    LOS ANGELES — Claude Giroux scored on a breakaway 20 seconds into overtime, Brady Tkachuk had a goal and an assist and the Ottawa Senators beat the Los Angeles Kings 3-2 on Sunday night.

    Alex DeBrincat had a power-play goal, Cam Talbot made 25 saves and the Senators won consecutive games for the first time since a four-game winning streak in late October.

    “When you play well, and you look after the game and you’re happy with your game but you didn’t get the result, it’s easy to go off page and start doing your own thing,” Giroux said. “But it’s good to know that we played the way we wanted to tonight and we have the result, so we know it works.”

    Arthur Kaliyev scored two power-play goals for the Kings, winners of just one of their past five games. Kaliyev became the fifth Los Angeles player in the past decade to score twice on the man advantage in one period.

    “He’s a great shot, and he knows where to be, and we just try to find him,” Kings forward Viktor Arvidsson said. “Today, he buried two, and it was good.”

    Jonathan Quick allowed three goals on 39 shots, and Phillip Danault had two assists, but Los Angeles did pick up at least one point for the seventh time in its past nine home games.

    Giroux waited out Quick for his ninth goal on the breakaway set up by Tim Stutzle’s stretch pass. Stutzle had two assists, while Giroux had an assist for his fifth multipoint game of the season.

    “I’m pretty sure it was a back-end saucer pass all the way down there. The whole goal was special,” Ottawa defenseman Thomas Chabot said. “G, what a move. And, obviously, it was big for us. It’s a lot of confidence for our group, and to see that we can do it that way, it’s big for us.”

    Tkachuk’s 99th career goal was the only scoring of the first period. He jammed the puck in at the near post after Chabot’s shot deflected wide and caromed off the boards to put Ottawa up 1-0 at 4:55.

    The power play became a factor in the second period, with Kaliyev striking twice with the man advantage to tie it. His first came midway through the period, but DeBrincat had his own power-play goal less than two minutes later to give the Senators a 2-1 lead.

    Kaliyev then unleashed a blistering wrist shot from the right circle to tie it with 2:25 left in the middle period. It was his first career game with multiple power-play goals, and his six tallies on special teams leads Los Angeles.

    “We needed something because we sure didn’t start the game very well,” Kings coach Todd McLellan said. “Power play, obviously, gave us some life. It gave us a chance to crawl back into the game. For as poorly as we were playing, it didn’t get away on us, so that was a good thing.”

    UNUSUAL STOPPAGE

    There was a lengthy delay midway through the first after a deflected shot by Kings D Sean Durzi cracked the kick plate along the bottom of the boards on the Zamboni tunnel before arena personnel were able to replace it.

    WORTH NOTING

    Kings F Gabe Vilardi, the team’s leading scorer with 11 goals, did not play because of an upper-body injury. He is day to day.

    UP NEXT

    Senators: Host the New York Rangers on Wednesday night.

    Kings: Host Seattle on Tuesday night.

    ———

    AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl and https://twitter.com/AP—Sports

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  • Today in History: November 19, Lincoln speaks at Gettysburg

    Today in History: November 19, Lincoln speaks at Gettysburg

    Today in History

    Today is Saturday, Nov. 19, the 323rd day of 2022. There are 42 days left in the year.

    Today’s Highlight in History:

    On Nov. 19, 1863, President Abraham Lincoln dedicated a national cemetery at the site of the Civil War battlefield of Gettysburg in Pennsylvania.

    On this date:

    In 1831, the 20th president of the United States, James Garfield, was born in Orange Township, Ohio.

    In 1919, the Senate rejected the Treaty of Versailles (vehr-SY’) by a vote of 55 in favor, 39 against, short of the two-thirds majority needed for ratification.

    In 1942, during World War II, Russian forces launched their winter offensive against the Germans along the Don front.

    In 1959, Ford Motor Co. announced it was halting production of the unpopular Edsel.

    In 1969, Apollo 12 astronauts Charles Conrad and Alan Bean made the second manned landing on the moon.

    In 1977, Egyptian President Anwar Sadat became the first Arab leader to visit Israel.

    In 1985, President Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail S. Gorbachev met for the first time as they began their summit in Geneva.

    In 1997, Iowa seamstress Bobbi McCaughey (mihk-KOY’) gave birth to the world’s first set of surviving septuplets, four boys and three girls.

    In 2004, in one of the worst brawls in U.S. sports history, Ron Artest (now known as Metta Sandiford-Artest) and Stephen Jackson of the Indiana Pacers charged into the stands and fought with Detroit Pistons fans, forcing officials to end the Pacers’ 97-82 win with 45.9 seconds left.

    In 2007, in Pakistan, a Supreme Court hand-picked by President Gen. Pervez Musharraf (pur-VEHZ’ moo-SHAH’-ruhv) dismissed legal challenges to his continued rule.

    In 2010, President Barack Obama, attending a NATO summit in Lisbon, Portugal, won an agreement to build a missile shield over Europe, a victory that risked further aggravating Russia.

    In 2020, Georgia’s top elections official released results of a hand tally of ballots that affirmed Democrat Joe Biden’s narrow lead over President Donald Trump in the state. With the coronavirus surging out of control, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention pleaded with Americans not to travel for Thanksgiving and not to spend the holiday with people from outside their household.

    Ten years ago: President Barack Obama became the first U.S. chief executive to visit Myanmar, where he promised more American help if the Asian nation kept building its new democracy. Former U.S. Sen. Warren B. Rudman died at 82; the New Hampshire Republican co-authored a ground-breaking budget balancing law.

    Five years ago: Charles Manson, the hippie cult leader behind the gruesome murders of actress Sharon Tate and six others in Los Angeles in 1969, died in a California hospital at the age of 83 after nearly a half-century in prison. State media and a monitoring group in Syria reported that pro-government forces had defeated the Islamic State group in its last major stronghold in the country. Longtime country music star Mel Tillis died in Florida at the age of 85. Actor and singer Della Reese died at 86 in her Los Angeles area home.

    One year ago: Kyle Rittenhouse was acquitted of all charges in the shooting deaths of two men and the wounding of a third during a night of protests over the shooting of a Black man, Jacob Blake, by a white police officer in Kenosha, Wisconsin, in the summer of 2020. The Denver suburb of Aurora agreed to pay $15 million to settle a lawsuit brought by the parents of Elijah McClain, a Black man who died after suburban Denver police stopped him on the street and put him in a neck hold.

    Today’s Birthdays: Talk show host Dick Cavett is 86. Broadcasting and sports mogul Ted Turner is 84. Former Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, is 83. Former Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy G. Thompson is 81. Fashion designer Calvin Klein is 80. Sportscaster Ahmad Rashad is 73. Actor Robert Beltran is 69. Actor Kathleen Quinlan is 68. Actor Glynnis O’Connor is 67. Broadcast journalist Ann Curry is 66. Former NASA astronaut Eileen Collins is 66. Actor Allison Janney is 63. Rock musician Matt Sorum (Guns N’ Roses, Velvet Revolver) is 62. Actor Meg Ryan is 61. Actor-director Jodie Foster is 60. Actor Terry Farrell is 59. TV chef Rocco DiSpirito is 56. Actor Jason Scott Lee is 56. Olympic gold medal runner Gail Devers is 56. Actor Erika Alexander is 53. Rock musician Travis McNabb is 53. Singer Tony Rich is 51. Actor Sandrine Holt is 50. Country singer Billy Currington is 49. Dancer-choreographer Savion Glover is 49. R&B singer Tamika Scott (Xscape) is 47. R&B singer Lil’ Mo is 45. Olympic gold medal gymnast Kerri Strug is 45. Actor Reid Scott is 45. Movie director Barry Jenkins (Film: “Moonlight”) is 43. Actor Katherine Kelly is 43. Actor Adam Driver is 39. Country singer Cam is 38. Actor Samantha Futerman is 35. NHL forward Patrick Kane is 34. Rapper Tyga is 33.

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  • Eastern Michigan holds off Akron 34-28 for 6th win

    Eastern Michigan holds off Akron 34-28 for 6th win

    AKRON, Ohio — Austin Smith and Samson Evans each accounted for a pair of touchdowns and Eastern Michigan became bowl eligible with a 34-28 victory over Akron on Tuesday night.

    Eastern Michigan (6-4, 3-3 Mid-American Conference) secured its fifth bowl appearance in six seasons and the program’s seventh overall.

    Smith threw a touchdown pass in each half. Evans had a 9-yard touchdown run in the second quarter and broke loose for a 23-yard score early in the third to give the Eagles a 31-14 lead. Smith was 16-of-28 passing for 190 yards and Evans had 133 yards rushing on 24 carries. Dylan Drummond had five receptions for 90 yards, including a 40-yard touchdown catch.

    Jesus Gomez’s 43-yard field goal for the Eagles capped the scoring.

    Cam Wiley got Akron close, running for 11- and 56-yard touchdowns early in the fourth quarter to pull to 31-28. Wiley finished with 18 carries for 144 yards. He also had a 1-yard score in the second quarter.

    DJ Irons and Jeff Undercuffler were a combined 18-of-34 passing for 223 yards with one touchdown and three interceptions for the Zips (1-9, 0-6).

    ———

    More AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/college-football and https://twitter.com/ap—top25. Sign up for the AP’s college football newsletter: https://bit.ly/3pqZVaF.

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  • Suns beat Clips 112-95, Paul 3rd NBA player with 11K assists

    Suns beat Clips 112-95, Paul 3rd NBA player with 11K assists

    LOS ANGELES — Devin Booker scored 35 points, Chris Paul became the third player in NBA history to reach 11,000 assists, and the Phoenix Suns beat the Los Angeles Clippers 112-95 on Sunday night.

    The Suns didn’t waste any time getting started on the blowout. They raced to an 11-0 lead from the opening tip and led by 20 points at halftime and again in the third.

    Marcus Morris scored 22 points, John Wall added 17 points and Paul George had 16 points in the Clippers’ home opener after winning their first two games on the road. Kawhi Leonard had 11 points and six rebounds in 21 minutes off the bench in his second game of the season.

    Paul assisted on the Suns’ first basket of the game, a 3-pointer by Booker. Paul followed with an alley-oop pass to Deandre Ayton, who dunked, to give him 11,000 assists.

    Paul joined John Stockton and Jason Kidd as the only players in NBA history with that many assists. Paul also became the first player in the league with 20,000 points and 11,000 assists.

    Stockton had 15,806 assists and Kidd, now coach of the Dallas Mavericks, had 12,091.

    Fittingly, Paul reached the mark against the Clippers, with whom he played for six seasons and is the franchise’s career assists leader.

    Paul finished with seven points, 11 assists and eight rebounds.

    Last season, the Clippers overcame deficits of at least 24 points four times.

    Not this time.

    The Clippers got no closer than 10 points on a 3-pointer by George late in the third. Booker and Cameron Payne scored to send the Suns into the fourth leading 86-72.

    The Clippers were called for offensive fouls on Luke Kennard and Ivica Zubac after getting within 12 early in the final quarter.

    Cam Johnson, former Clipper Landry Shamet and Booker hit consecutive 3-pointers that stretched the Suns’ lead to 99-81, sending the crowd to the exits.

    TIP-INS

    Suns: Shamet (left hip strain) and Johnson (right hip contusion) both returned.

    Clippers: Reggie Jackson remains limited by a groin injury. He was scoreless on 0-for-5 shooting. … George and Leonard walked to center court to address the fans before the game, with George doing all the talking. He said the team’s slogan is Why Not Us. “Let’s go get it this year,” George said.

    UP NEXT

    Suns: Host defending NBA champion Golden State on Tuesday to open a six-game homestand.

    Clippers: Play at Oklahoma City on Tuesday and Thursday in a two-game trip.

    ———

    More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba and https://twitter.com/AP—Sports

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  • Hall hurt after 62-yard TD in Jets’ 16-9 win over Broncos

    Hall hurt after 62-yard TD in Jets’ 16-9 win over Broncos

    DENVER — Rookie Breece Hall ran for a 62-yard touchdown before leaving with a knee injury and the surprising New York Jets won their fourth straight by beating backup quarterback Brett Rypien and the punchless Denver Broncos 16-9 on Sunday.

    Rookie cornerback Sauce Gardner broke up Rypien’s fourth-down pass into the end zone to Courtland Sutton with just under 2 minutes remaining. Rypien’s final heave in the closing moments fell woefully short of KJ Hamler’s grasp at the goal line.

    The Jets (5-2) are off to their best start since 2010, have their first four-game winning streak since 2015 and already surpassed their win total from last year when they went 4-13. New York also improved to 4-0 on the road.

    Denver starting quarterback Russell Wilson was ruled out 24 hours before kickoff with a pulled hamstring, missing a game for just the fourth time in his 11-year career. But the Broncos, who are last in the league in scoring, fared no better under Rypien, who was making his second career start.

    The Broncos (2-5) lost their fourth straight despite another outstanding defensive performance.

    Zach Wilson was held without a touchdown for the second straight week, but he did enough to lead the Jets to the win despite his pedestrian stats: 16 for 26 for 121 yards.

    Rypien’s only other start was also against the Jets, a 37-28 win at MetLife Stadium in 2020, but he went 24 for 46 for 225 yards and no touchdowns and threw a crucial second-half interception in this one.

    The Jets lost Hall to a left knee injury in the second quarter when he was tackled by Patrick Surtain II and Jonas Griffith after a short run. He was helped off the field and carted to the locker room.

    Coach Robert Saleh said after the game the initial diagnosis for Hall is an ACL injury.

    Hall finished with 72 yards on four carries, including the 62-yard touchdown run in which he hit a top speed of 21.87 mph according to NextGen Stats, the fastest by a ballcarrier this season.

    Rypien’s throw to tight end Greg Dulcich in triple coverage was easily picked off by safety Lamarcus Joyner, whose 27-yard return to the Denver 37 set up Greg Zuerlein’s 33-yard field goal that gave the Jets a 13-9 lead early in the fourth quarter.

    Zuerlein’s 45-yarder as the first half expired sent the Jets into halftime with a 10-9 lead.

    That field goal was into the wind at the south end zone, the same direction that Brandon McManus missed an extra point following Latavius Murray’s 2-yard TD run.

    McManus also missed a 56-yarder with the wind before making a 44-yarder to put Denver ahead 9-7.

    Hall was injured on the next play from scrimmage and was helped off the field and taken to the medical tent on the Jets’ sideline.

    The rookie second-rounder from Iowa State had established himself as a key playmaker for the Jets and was coming off a season-high 116 yards rushing at Green Bay. He leads the Jets with 463 yards and four touchdowns on 80 attempts.

    Sure enough, both teams started out slowly on a windy afternoon. Zach Wilson misfired three times on the Jets’ opening drive that lasted all of 23 seconds, including the punt. The Broncos returned the favor with a 24-second drive on their second possession.

    INJURIES

    Jets: G Alijah Vera-Tucker (elbow) and WR Corey Davis (knee) left in the second quarter, along with Hall. … DL John Franklin-Myers left in the fourth quarter.

    Broncos: RB Mike Boone left in the second with an ankle injury and OLB Barron Browning (hip) let in the third quarter. … RT Cam Fleming went out late in the game with a thigh injury.

    UP NEXT

    Jets: Wrapped up a stretch of three road games in four weeks and return to the Meadowlands next Sunday to face New England.

    Broncos: Fly out Monday to London, where they’ll play the Jacksonville Jaguars at Wembley Stadium next Sunday.

    ———

    More AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl and https://twitter.com/AP—NFL

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  • Jon Rahm roars into share of lead at CJ Cup with 62

    Jon Rahm roars into share of lead at CJ Cup with 62

    RIDGELAND, S.C. — Jon Rahm thought his 7-iron from 195 yards had come up well short of the pin because of a long shadow across the green. Moments later, he heard the crowd react to a shot that came an inch from going in on the hardest hole at Congaree.

    The way his day went, Rahm should have expected that.

    He found the middle of the clubface on just about every shot and put on an exhibition Friday at the CJ Cup in South Carolina, making 10 birdies in his round of 9-under 62 that gave him a share of the lead with Kurt Kitayama.

    Coming off a victory two weeks ago in the Spanish Open, Rahm hardly looked like a player who is easing his way toward the end of the year.

    He ran off four straight birdies on the front nine, all of them inside 10 feet. He holed a bunker shot from 60 feet on the par-4 eighth, made a 35-footer on the par-3 10th and then capped off three straight birdies with his shot into the 17th that grazed the edge of the cup. Only four other players made birdie on that hole in the second round.

    So good was this round he mentioned two swings in particular that felt perfect, and those were two he didn’t convert for birdie.

    “It was a lot of good out there today,” he said.

    Needing one last birdie for his career-low round, Rahm’s wedge into the 18th rolled off a steep slope and came to rest against a bunker rake. His pitch was strong, rolling 30 feet by and he made his lone bogey.

    Kitayama, the 29-year-old Californian who spent his first six years on the Asian and European tours, holed a tough bunker shot for eagle on the par-5 12th for a 65 and joined Rahm at 11-under 131.

    Aaron Wise spent time on a putting drill after his opening round and it paid off for him in his round of 66. He was two back, along with Cam Davis (66). Rory McIlroy (67) was two strokes behind the leaders at 9 under.

    Tom Kim, going for his third PGA Tour victory in his last six stars, was hanging with McIlroy until a late bogey dropped him into a tie for sixth, four shots behind. McIlroy birdied the 18th to cap off a 30 on the back nine.

    McIlroy, the defending champion who can get to No. 1 if he wins, was more worried about what Rahm was doing in the group ahead of him.

    “I was trying to hang on to Rahm’s coattails,” McIlroy said.

    He was an example of how it doesn’t take much to get out of position at Congaree, a fast course with severe slopes around the edges of the green. McIlroy short-sided himself twice, and while he wasn’t off line by much, it was enough to cost him two shots on the front nine.

    And then he holed a 30-foot putt at the par-3 10th and was on his way.

    Kitayama played earlier was never too far from the lead until his round took a turn for the best on the par-5 12th hole. He was in the right bunker, a popular place to miss, and thought his ball was running a little hot until it hit the pin and dropped for eagle.

    “Went in dead center, so that was good,” Kitayama said.

    He added a pair of 10-foot birdie putts late in the round and has a share of the lead going into the weekend for the first time in his short PGA Tour career.

    The UNLV grad took a while to get back home — he once played a developmental tour even in Asia where he was paid in cash on the spot after winning — but it couldn’t be a better time. He finished 40th in the FedEx Cup his first year. That means he will be in at least eight of the elevated events next year that offer at least $20 million in prize money.

    As late as it is in the year, Rahm is still going strong. The Spanish Open is important to him, and he won it for the third time to tie his national hero, Seve Ballesteros. He still has designs on being Europe’s No. 1 with the DP World Championship next month in Dubai.

    And then?

    “It’s Thanksgiving, so probably put on a few pounds,” Rahm said. “Not that I need them, but I’m for sure going to be joining that club like everybody else most likely.”

    ———

    More AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf and https://twitter.com/AP—Sports

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  • Rams RB Akers not with team; McVay: ‘uncharted territory’

    Rams RB Akers not with team; McVay: ‘uncharted territory’

    THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. — Running back Cam Akers will not play for the Los Angeles Rams against Carolina on Sunday after missing two days of practice this week for what coach Sean McVay called personal reasons.

    McVay would not give further details Friday when asked about Akers’ circumstances, though he did say the Rams’ leading rusher was not away from the team for the past two days because he was injured.

    When asked whether Akers would be part of the Rams going forward, McVay replied: “We’re working through some different things right now, so hopefully you guys understand and respect that.”

    McVay also said the team wanted to keep it “in-house,” later adding that the personal reasons cited for Akers’ absence are “more like we’re dealing with things internally. This is kind of uncharted territory. … He’s going to be OK.”

    Akers practiced with the defending Super Bowl champions Wednesday, but wasn’t with the team Thursday or Friday.

    “He’s good,” said running back Darrell Henderson, who is likely to get most of the Rams’ workload in Akers’ absence. “We trust that he’s going to be good. So he’ll be all right. We’re going to do this for him.”

    Henderson claimed he doesn’t know much about the issues keeping Akers away from the Rams.

    “That’s on Coach and Cam to talk,” Henderson said. “I don’t know what’s going on. … You all probably know more than I know. I just come in and go to work.”

    But when asked if he thinks Akers will be back with the Rams this season, Henderson replied: “Oh yeah.”

    Akers has rushed for 151 yards and a touchdown this season for the Rams, who have the NFL’s worst rushing offense at just 62.4 yards per game. Akers has been unproductive in the ground game by most statistical measures while running behind an offensive line missing three starters and two backups due to injury.

    McVay publicly called for a better effort earlier this season from Akers, who responded with mild surprise and acceptance. Offensive coordinator Liam Coen said Thursday that the Rams need more “creativity” from their running backs, particularly when obvious running lanes aren’t available.

    Akers played in each of the Rams’ first five games this season, but is averaging just 3.0 yards per carry after gaining 33 yards on 13 attempts last week against Dallas. He has acknowledged he is still attempting to recover his peak explosiveness after tearing his Achilles tendon during preseason workouts last year.

    Henderson didn’t get a carry against the Cowboys, but was used extensively as a receiver. He has only 138 yards rushing this season.

    The Rams (2-3) have lost back-to-back games. Los Angeles’ bye is next week, and when asked if the Rams expect to be in the market for a running back over the break, McVay replied: “I don’t know. I wouldn’t say no, ever. We’ll always explore our options if there’s chances to upgrade. That’s probably not something that’s at the forefront.”

    The Rams’ other active running backs Sunday are likely to be veteran Malcolm Brown and recent practice squad signee Ronnie Rivers.

    Brown spent six seasons with the Rams from 2015-20, and he scored the first touchdown in SoFi Stadium history. After a one-year stint with the Miami Dolphins, he returned to LA last month.

    Akers rushed for 625 yards as a rookie out of Florida State in 2020 after the Rams selected him with their highest pick in any of the past five drafts. He recovered remarkably quickly from the Achilles injury to rejoin Los Angeles for the regular-season finale and its playoff run to a championship.

    According to the NFL’s Next Gen Stats, Akers has minus-0.98 rush yards over expected per attempt this season, which is the second-worst performance in the league. He has just 86 yards after contact and has broken only one tackle all season.

    NOTES: LG David Edwards will visit with concussion specialists in Pittsburgh, McVay said. Edwards is on injured reserve after returning last Sunday from a one-week absence with an apparent concussion, only to take another hit to the head against the Cowboys. … WR Cooper Kupp, DT Aaron Donald and TE Tyler Higbee are all expected to play Sunday despite being questionable with minor injuries. Rookie DB Cobie Durant (hamstring) and backup QB John Wolford (neck) are also questionable.

    ———

    More AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL and https://twitter.com/AP—Sports

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  • Yellowstone’s Northeast entrance to open to traffic Saturday

    Yellowstone’s Northeast entrance to open to traffic Saturday

    MAMMOTH HOT SPRINGS, Wyo. — The northeast entrance to Yellowstone National Park will open to all traffic Saturday, even as work continues to repair roads damaged by historic flooding in June, the park service said Thursday.

    The Northeast Entrance Road, which runs from Cooke City and Silver Gate to Tower Junction, will open at 8 a.m. Saturday.

    “We are very pleased to be restoring public access to the northeast corridor just four months after the June flood event,” Superintendent Cam Sholly said in a statement.

    Yellowstone National Park was closed after heavy rain sped up the melting of late spring snowpack, sending rivers over their banks on June 13, washing out bridges, eroding river banks and forcing 10,000 visitors to leave the park.

    The flooding reshaped the park’s rivers and canyons and wiped out numerous roads. Visitors were evacuated, and the park was closed. In southern Montana, heavy flooding affected homes along the Yellowstone and Stillwater rivers and Rock Creek in Red Lodge.

    Three of the park’s five entrances reopened June 22.

    All flood-damaged sections of the Northeast Entrance Road will be paved by Saturday, except for a section of road near the popular trailhead to Trout Lake, the National Park Service said.

    Traffic will be allowed on the segment of the road, but there will be short delays, officials said. That work is expected to be done within the following 10 days.

    A short section of road in the Lamar Canyon — known for its wildlife viewing — will remain a paved, single-lane road through the winter. A temporary stop light will be in place to allow alternating one-way traffic, park officials said.

    Roadwork will continue for as long as weather permits, officials said.

    A park entrance near Gardiner, which has also been closed since June, is expected to be open to all traffic by Nov. 1.

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