The Sportsletter - The Best of Week 1 🏈

BY JEFF YODER

SEPT. 3, 2024 |  SUBSCRIBE  |  WEB VIEW

Welcome Back 👋

We hope everyone enjoyed their holiday weekend! The end of summer means the arrival of football in all its glory. Week 1 of college action is in the books, and Week 1 of the NFL is in transit.

Plus, Scottie Scheffler secured the FedExCup trophy, the White Sox have officially set their futility record (107 losses), and Novak Djokovic was sent packing at the U.S. Open. We’ll get you caught up before turning the page to the NFL's season-openers this week.

Editor’s Note: Read to the bottom of today’s edition for a short story on the passing of Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau.

Letter Rip!

  COLLEGE FOOTBALL  

The Best of Week 1

(USC's Kyron Hudson Makes One-Handed Catch)

Photo: Candice Ward / Getty Images

Week 1 of the College Football Season Showed Us Who Came to Play

After much dancing around with Week 0 games and some early teasers, Labor Day Weekend finally gave us the real deal. The first full opening weekend of CFB produced a buffet of storylines for hungry college football fans across the country. From new conference debuts to a reunion of quarterback and coach and some early "play of the year" candidates, here are some of the biggest water-cooler talking points from Week 1:

LSU-USC Sets Attendance Record

#23 USC def. #13 LSU in Vegas (27-20)

Sunday night’s holiday clash saw the Trojans and Tigers meet in the middle for a battle in Las Vegas. The game set records with more attendees at Allegiant Stadium than Super Bowl 58. In the end, USC was setting up a game-winning field goal before Woody Marks busted a touchdown run up the gut with eight seconds left.

Florida State Has Officially Fallen

Boston College def. #10 Florida State (28-13)

The Seminoles aren’t who we thought they were. After Florida State’s Week 0 collapse against Georgia Tech, FSU got doubled up by Boston College last night in another lackluster performance. The No. 10 team in the nation — the program that was snubbed from the CFB Playoff a year ago despite an undefeated season — is now 0-2. There will be no playoff debate for the 'Noles this season.

Leonard Beats Elko in Reunion Game

#7 Notre Dame def. #20 Texas A&M (23-13)

One of the weekend’s most intriguing storylines featured Notre Dame transfer QB Riley Leonard facing his old head coach Mike Elko at College Station. The Irish pulled away in a defensive battle (23-13), and that’s one tough place to open the season on the road.

Bulldogs Bulldoze 1st Test

#1 Georgia def. #14 Clemson (34-3)

The Georgia defense is special. Nothing to see here… Just another reminder that Georgia is top dawg while Clemson and Dabo Swinney’s glory days continue fading into a memory. Not even a touchdown? The No. 1 team will stay at No. 1.

Bama’s 1st Game of the Post-Saban Era

#5 Alabama def. W. Kentucky (63-0)

Saturday marked the first game in 17 years that Alabama took the field without head coach Nick Saban. But no fear, Kalen DeBoer is here. His team looks every bit as dominant as the Crimson Tide of old, but Western Kentucky isn’t the best barometer. QB Jalen Milroe scored five touchdowns on just nine pass attempts and 10 carries. Roll Tide!

Top Performers (Names to Watch)

• QB Cam Ward (Miami): 26/35, 418 yards, 3 TDs, 1 INT
• QB Jaxson Dart (Ole Miss): 22/27, 445 yards, 5 TDs
• QB Noah Fifita (Arizona): 19/31, 422 yards, 4 TDs, 1 INT

Top Plays

• Catch of the Year? USC WR Kyron Hudson Makes 1-Handed Grab
• Pittsburgh’s Desmond Reid Takes Electrifying Punt Return to the House
• Georgia DB Malaki Starks Hauls In Ridiculous Interception
• Robert Morris DB Rob Carter Makes Unbelievable 1-Handed Interception

Other College Football Highlights (Top-10)

#2 Ohio State def. Akron (52-6)

#3 Oregon def. Idaho (24-14)

#4 Texas def. Colorado State (52-0)

#6 Ole Miss def. Furman (76-0)

#8 Penn State def. West Virginia (34-12)

#9 Michigan def. Fresno State (30-10)

Get ready for a new AP Poll with at least one change in the top-10 — so long, Florida State.

Read More

CBS Sports: Good, Bad & Ugly From Each SEC Team in Week 1

FOX Sports: Early Heisman Odds: Dillon Gabriel Favored, Jaxson Dart Surges

ESPN: LSU’s Brian Kelly Slams Fist in Press Conference After ‘Unacceptable’ Loss

  GOLF  

Scheffler, Unshakable 🏆

(Scottie Scheffler Wins the FedExCup Trophy)

Photo: Kevin C. Cox / Getty Images

Scottie Scheffler (-30) Goes Wire-to-Wire to Win the Tour Championship Win & Cap One of Golf's Greatest Seasons

For years, East Lake had eaten up the best golfer in the world. Not this time. In a season where Scottie Scheffler won The Masters, became a father, was thrown in jail, and captured the gold medal at the Olympics, East Lake would not be his downfall. Scheffler — who started 10-under thanks to the Tour Championship’s starting strokes format — blitzed the field with a 20-under “true-to-par” round to win the FedExCup Playoffs. Scheffler’s final round had a few blunders on the front nine, but a string of three birdies on the turn put him back in front before a trophy-clinching eagle on Hole 14. This was Scottie’s weekend, and it was Scottie’s year. Scheffler won seven PGA events in 2024 and never relinquished his status as the No. 1 golfer in the World Golf Rankings. His season-ending prize? A $25 million bonus.

Add another title to the unfolding legacy of Scottie Scheffler: FedExCup Champion.

Tour Championship Leaderboard (Final)

1. S. Scheffler (-30) 🏆

2. C. Morikawa (-26)

3. S. Theegala (-24)

T4. R. Henley (-19)

T4. A. Scott (-19)

T4. X. Schauffele (-19)

Other Notable Scorecards: S. Im (-18), W. Clark (-17), R. McIlroy (-16), H. Matusyama (-16), V. Hovland (-15), J. Thomas (-14), P. Cantlay (-11) | Full Leaderboard

Watch: Scottie Scheffler Captures FedExCup Title

Read More

PGA: Timeline: Scottie Scheffler’s Inevitable Rise to FedExCup Champion

ESPN: ‘It’s Been Nuts’: Scheffler’s FedEx Cup Win Cements One of Golf’s Best Seasons

  HIGHLIGHTS   🎥

Labor Day Weekend Highlights

(Alexei Popyrin Celebrates After Knocking Out Novak Djokovic)

Photo: Angela Weiss / Getty Images

🎾 U.S. Open

• M: #28 Alexei Popyrin Stuns #2 Novak Djokovic in Round 3
• W: #13 Emma Navarro Ends #3 Coco Gauff’s Repeat Bid
• W: #6 Jessica Pegula Rolls Into Quarterfinals Without Dropping a Set

⚾️ MLB Quick-Hitters

• White Sox Lose Team Record 107th Game

• Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani Steals 3 Bases, Inches Closer to 50/50 Season

• Brewers’ Willy Adames Extends HR Streak to 5 Games, Ties Griffey’s Mark for Most 3-Run HRs in Single Season

⚽️ Soccer

• Man City’s Erling Haaland Sets EPL Record With 2nd Straight Hat Trick
• Liverpool Thrash Man-U (3-0) With Brace From Luis Diaz
• Bayern’s Thomas Muller Breaks Club Record With 710th Appearance

🏀 WNBA

• Caitlin Clark (28) & Kelsey Mitchell (36) Combine for 64 in Fever's 4th Straight Win
• A’ja Wilson Goes for 40 Again (41 pts, 17 rebs) in Aces’ Win
  
• Angel Reese Sets Single-Season WNBA Rebound Record

🏁 Racing

• F1: Charles Leclerc Masters Monza for the Italian GP
• NAS: Chase Briscoe Wins Southern 500 at Darlington to Sneak Into NASCAR Playoffs

  NEWS   📰 

🌭 Joey Chestnut Sets New World Record With 83 Hot Dogs in Netflix Competition With Takeru Kobayashi (Yahoo! Sports)

⚾️ Padres Activate Fernando Tatis Jr. After 2 Months on IL (ABC News)

🏈 Dancing Pat McAfee & Nick Saban Becomes Hilarious ‘College GameDay’ Meme (SI)

🏅 Para-Badminton Duo Wins Silver for Team USA’s First Paralympic Medal in the Sport (USA Today)

🏈 Bears Rookie QB Caleb Williams Named 1 of Team Captains (ESPN)

🏈 49ers WR Ricky Pearsall Released From Hospital After Shooting in Attempted Robbery (B/R)

⚾️ Nationals Call Up Darren Baker, Son of Hall of Fame Manager Dusty Baker (CBS Sports)

🏈 Eagles Release Statement Over Counterfeit Kamala Harris Ads in Philadelphia (SI)

  SCHEDULE   🗓️

Today's Must-Watch List

🎾 U.S. Open (Quarterfinals)

W: #13 E. Navarro vs. #26 P. Badosa (Noon ET)

M: #4 A. Zverev vs. #12 T. Fritz (1:15 pm ET)

W: #2 A. Sabalenka vs. #7 Q. Zheng (7:00 pm ET)

M: #9 G. Dimitrov vs. #20 F. Tiafoe (8:15 pm ET)

*All Coverage on ESPN

⚾️ MLB

Red Sox at Mets (7:10 pm ET, TBS)

Guardians at Royals (7:40 pm ET, MLBTV)

Pirates at Cubs (7:40 pm ET, MLBTV)

Dodgers at Angels (9:40 pm ET, MLBTV)

Diamondbacks at Giants (9:45 pm ET, ESPN+)

🏀 WNBA

Storm at Sun (7:00 pm ET, WNBALP)

Sky at Aces (10:00 pm ET, NBATV)

Dream at Mercury (10:00 pm ET, WNBALP)

  NHL  

Remembering the Gaudreau Bros

Photo: Justin Berl / Getty Images

Tragedy Strikes NHL Family as Blue Jackets’ Johnny Gaudreau & Brother Matthew Killed in Accident

Blue Jackets’ winger Johnny Gaudreau and his younger brother, Matthew, were killed on a bike ride in New Jersey this weekend. Police say a drunk driver hit the Gaudreau brothers with his Jeep. The accident took place the day before their sister’s wedding, too. Both Gaudreau brothers played hockey together at Boston College before Johnny, widely known as “Johnny Hockey,” was drafted by the Calgary Flames in 2011 where he spent the first eight years of his career. Johnny had 243 goals and 500 assists in 10 seasons.

Hockey fans everywhere poured out their support with social media posts and memorials on the steps of both stadiums in Calgary and Columbus. Johnny was 31. Matthew was 29.

Watch: Remembering the Gaudreau Brothers

  THE TEAM  

Writer & Editor: Jeff Yoder

Assistant Writer: Marissa Kasch

Social Media: Aaron Yorke

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