Razorbacks Wire’s Derek Oxford spills the deets on Florida’s upcoming opponent this Saturday.
Florida football faces one of the toughest second halves of the season this fall which was kicked off by a shellacking at the hands of the Georgia Bulldogs last weekend. This week, the Gators presumably get a breather before embarking on a three-game stretch against a trio of top-25 programs.
Next up are the Arkansas Razorbacks, who have struggled this season to the tune of a 2-6 overall record with a 0-5 mark in SEC play. However, Same Pittman’s team might not be as bad as their record suggests.
Ahead of the game, Gators Wire and Razorbacks Wire exchanged information for their respective Behind Enemy Lines series. Below is a look at the Q&A between managing editor Adam Dubbin and staff writer Derek Oxford, respectively, as the latter divulges the opinions of the opposition this weekend.
“This one meant a lot,” Broncos QB Russell Wilson said after beating the Chiefs in Week 8.
The Denver Broncos upset the Kansas City Chiefs 24-9 in Week 8, snapping a 16-game losing streak against KC that dated back to the 2015 season.
Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson was only in Denver for three of those 16 losses to the Chiefs (and he left with a concussion in one of those games), but helping snap the losing streak was a significant moment for Wilson.
“Every win in the National Football League is a good one,” Wilson said after Sunday’s game. “It feels great, but this one meant a lot. Winning matters and this one meant a lot, obviously. I know there’s been a lot of tough times over the years here with the Chiefs. It’s a really good football team on that side. Obviously, they’re champions [and] everything else, but we had a great week of practice.
“We knew that we could come out and win this football game and play great in front of our fans. Just to win, beat the Chiefs at home in front of our fans [and] in front of Broncos Country. The crowd was amazing tonight, and they brought us that extra energy when guys made plays on defense, guys made plays on offense [and] special teams. It was an amazing team effort and there’s nothing better than winning.”
Wilson has completed 66.1% of his passes for 1,613 yards with 16 touchdown passes so far this year. With nine games remaining, Wilson has already matched his touchdown total from last season. Things are looking up for Wilson and Denver’s offense going into the bye.
Everything you need to know for Ohio State vs. Rutgers including a prediction. #GoBucks
Will the Ohio State football team ever get a break? After taking care of Wisconsin in Madison this past Saturday for a night game, the Buckeyes face another team with a winning record, Rutgers.
I know what you’re thinking: “It’s Rutgers.”
I’m not saying you’re wrong. But this isn’t your typical doormat Scarlet Knights team. No, head coach Greg Schiano has his team playing at a much higher level than in years past. Yes, they lost to Wisconsin, and, yes, they squeaked one out against Michigan State, but this team has the tools to mount an upset bid against the mighty Buckeyes.
Time to get ready for another week in the Big Ten as Ohio State looks to keep its record unblemished. Let’s dive into our complete preview and prediction for the game.
Panthers great Cam Newton on if he belongs in the Pro Football Hall of Fame: Hell yeah
Does Cam Newton’s legacy belong in Canton, Ohio? He certainly believes it does.
The Carolina Panthers legend welcomed former All-Pro wide receiver Brandon Marshall onto his most recent episode of Funky Friday with Cam Newton. But Marshall, ever the raconteur, temporarily flipped the script on the interview and asked his host a question of his own: Is Cam Newton a Hall of Famer?
At first, Newton seemed reluctant to comment—even stating, “I don’t give a f—.” But Marshall continued to press for an answer, and he got one.
“Hell yeah,” Newton eventually replied. “I’ll say it like this . . . I think it was Kanye [West] who said it. When I first came into the league, it was only one of me. Now when I look around the league, I see so many me’s.
Those “me’s,” as Marshall would note, might include today’s talented dual-threat quarterbacks in Jalen Hurts, Lamar Jackson and Anthony Richardson. And hey, we’ll add a few more for good measure in Josh Allen, Justin Fields and Kyler Murray.
So, yes, there’s no doubt Newton helped pave the way for the guys who can dominate with their arms and their legs. Heck, it seems as though much of the league wants a Newton-esque talent under center now.
But will the voters, at some point down the line, recognize the generational impact as well as groundbreaking numbers Newton has left behind? Only time will tell.
PHOTOS: A look at Pat Summitt through the years wearing blue
Tennessee football wore white helmets, orange jerseys, orange pants and Summitt Blue accessories against UT Martin on Oct. 22, 2022.
The Vols defeated UT Martin, 65-24, at Neyland Stadium.
It was the first time Tennessee wore Summitt Blue accessories in football.
Summitt Blue accessories debuted in conjunction with the 50th anniversary of Title IX. University of Tennessee athletics updated its brand standards and renamed the blue accent color historically associated with the Lady Vols to Summitt Blue.
Check out all the top #Chiefs stories and more on today’s edition of Chiefs check-in:
Chiefs Check-inis our online newsletter at Chiefs Wire, running Monday-Friday mornings. Subscribe to get more Chiefs news delivered to your inbox every day.
It’s time for the Kansas City Chiefs to put their loss to the Denver Broncos behind them and focus on their huge matchup with the Miami Dolphins in Germany this Sunday. A win over the Dolphins would put Kansas City a game ahead of them and give it the all-important tiebreaker for playoff seeding. It will be strength versus strength when the Miami offense faces off against the Chiefs’ defense.
Check out the latest Chiefs news on this edition of Chiefs Check-in for the morning of Wednesday, November 1st:
The Commanders did the right thing — they’re focused on the future for once.
The Washington Commanders made a bold statement on Tuesday. By trading former first-round picks Montez Sweat and Chase Young, the Commanders made it clear they’re thinking about the long-term future of the franchise.
For far too long, Washington has been concerned about the present. Former owner Daniel Snyder always did enough to keep the team competitive at .500 by throwing money at players past their prime, but there was never a long-term vision.
In the first half of Snyder’s tenure, he didn’t care about draft picks. The second half of his tenure was more about covering up the numerous scandals he created. He hired people, such as Bruce Allen, who would carry out his orders, with no one ever caring about the long-term health of the franchise.
When Snyder hired Ron Rivera as head coach in 2020, he gave him all the power. Heck, after firing Allen and due to his own reputation, he probably had to provide Rivera with all the power, considering no one else wanted to work for him. But what had Rivera ever done to earn the head of football operations position he was given?
The results, four years in, are as expected. Rivera’s record as Washington’s head coach is 25-32-1. In 13 years as a head coach, Rivera’s record is 101-95-2. If you subtract that 15-1 record in 2015 from his record, Rivera is below .500 coach.
Rivera’s handling of the roster since 2020 has been full of missteps and mistakes. Whether it was terrible free-agent signings, bad draft picks, or poor player development, Washington can’t get over that .500 mark.
Keeping Sweat and/or Young would’ve meant doing enough to remain around seven or eight wins.
That’s not good enough for new owner Josh Harris. If it were up to Rivera, Sweat would have received a contract extension. And, to be fair, Sweat earned one. But in Harris’ mind, the value of obtaining a high second-round pick you may not even retain is too good to pass up.
When has Washington ever employed such critical, long-term thinking?
Think about that for a second. The Commanders have never been patient enough to think long-term, even during Joe Gibbs 1.0. Rebuilding or retooling — depending on your word choice — is much easier in the NFL than in the NBA or MLB. If you have cap space and draft picks, a lot can change in only one year.
Washington has several good pieces remaining on the roster. The biggest question, of course, is at quarterback. Has Sam Howell done enough to prove he should be the franchise quarterback? Not yet, but he has nine games to impress ownership. If he doesn’t, the Commanders have the firepower to move up and go after a potential franchise quarterback in the draft.
With over $90 million in cap room in 2024 and nine draft selections, the Commanders have a massive offseason ahead. So much depends on who they hire as general manager and, eventually, head coach. If things go right, we could be talking about Washington in a much different light at this time next year.
But, with no offense toward Sweat and Young, the Commanders did the right thing.
“Collier was a relatively late riser in the 2023 class. He was ranked in the 20s and 30s for a majority of his high school career before skyrocketing into the No. 2 slot in the final 247Sports Class of 2023 rankings. Collier has a chance to be the best freshman in college basketball because of the role he’s expected to take on from Day 1 at USC. Collier was one of the best passers in high school basketball and his facilitating is considered his greatest strength as a player. His style of play complements Ellis in the backcourt well because he is one of the top-scoring guards in the country. Collier is certainly in the conversation for the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft.”
There is a lot to like about what Collier brings to the table, and it’s worth noting that Salerno also picked the Trojans to finish second in the Pac-12 behind Arizona.
Welcome to the RACER Mailbag. Questions for any of RACER’s writers can be sent to mailbag@racer.com. Due to the high volume of questions received, we can’t guarantee that every letter will be published, but we’ll answer as many as we can. Published …
Welcome to the RACER Mailbag. Questions for any of RACER’s writers can be sent to mailbag@racer.com. Due to the high volume of questions received, we can’t guarantee that every letter will be published, but we’ll answer as many as we can. Published questions may be edited for length and clarity. Questions received after 3pm ET each Monday will appear the following week.
Q: After reading about the $2,000 tickets for Thermal Club, what is the fee to host an IndyCar race? I’m just curious, because if the event at Thermal is a giant dumpster fire, maybe they could try racing around my neighborhood if I could scrounge up the money. Think of the track layout possibilities. They could run through the different streets. Maybe up and around the cul de sac. Yes, the manhole covers may be an issue, but if we played the cards right we may be able to find enough neighbors to empty their garages so each team could have its own personal garage. We can even throw in lunch as well. What says you? Are you in? Oh, and I won’t charge $2,000 for tickets.
Cory
MARSHALL PRUETT: All depends on the sanction fee, but if we start saving now, we can get a new race on the 2025 calendar. I’m all the way in. The I Left My Wallet at the Cul de Sac in El SegundoGrand Prix is officially a go.
Q: Is the McLaren relationship with Juncos going to come off? I would doubt Zak Brown has any interest in helping Canapino or Grosjean, if he gets the No. 77 seat.
Bruce
MP: It was weird to see the news of the Ilott split with no mention of McLaren, but at the same time, the mess there isn’t of McLaren’s making, so if I’m Zak, I wouldn’t want to be associated with that nonsense. At least for how I understand the situation, it’s starting off in 2024 with the Juncos Hollinger team being a one-year placeholder for Arrow McLaren’s extra sponsor inventory.
So, one car, carrying sponsorship McLaren can’t fit on its three entries, but not exactly a “McLaren” entry where it controls all aspects of its composition. Assuming that’s accurate, it would mean one of the world’s most popular race car drivers in Grosjean would seemingly give JHR and McLaren a lot of eyeballs on that entry. Since that’s what sponsors usually want, there’s a lot of potential upside to the arrangement. That is, of course, if we assume the toxic culture that unwound things for Ilott isn’t awaiting his replacement.
Q: I am wondering if IndyCar will extend its season into October in the future, along with Pocono back on the schedule? I am from the Pocono area and enjoyed IndyCar at the track.
David
MP: Only if the NFL pushes the start of its season back to October. I’ve heard nothing about Pocono returning to the calendar.
Q: Is Takuma Sato done? No more IndyCar races? No 500 entry? Maybe he is trying to secure a seat, thereby explaining the lack of career celebration for this two-time 500 champion and all-round good guy? His 2024 performance would indicate it is bye-bye, but I for one would like to see some appreciation of this great driver in some form.
Oliver Wells
MP: Last I heard was Honda engine supply, even for a favored son like Taku, could be an issue. At the moment, I’m not overly encouraged for the Indy 500 two-timer being in next year’s field, if we limit his options to Honda-powered entries. But what if he wasn’t limited to using a Honda…
Hopefully Taku can find a home for the 500 next year. Michael Levitt/Motorsport Images
Q: You mentioned after Carpenter’s hiring of Christian Rasmussen that Oliver Askew is still being considered for one other seat in IndyCar for 2024. Can you reveal that prospect?
Jim, Indy
MP: Not at the moment, Jim. I told Oliver to call the team owner, and he did, and responded by saying the owner didn’t respond. I haven’t followed up.
Q: Noticed that Firestone conducted a test at Milwaukee a couple weeks ago with Will Power (driving a hybrid) and Linus Lunqvist (driving a non-hybrid).
If IndyCar were going to be using hybrids in 2024, why would Firestone test a non-hybrid, which would weigh less and put different strains on the tires?
Does this indicate that Firestone is not 100% convinced that IndyCar will be running hybrids in 2024?
Ed
MP: No. Because hybrid cars aren’t readily available for running whenever it might be desired, and Firestone doesn’t own an IndyCar to use when it wants to test. Also, the weight of the 2024 car is approximately three percent higher than the 2023 car, so while that’s not an insignificant amount, it wouldn’t be a game-changer for Firestone in testing.
Q: I see Pietro Fittipaldi scored the third seat at RLL and Juri Vips is on retainer for maybe a fourth entry at some point at select races. Hmmm… let me crystal ball this. I see Graham Rahal, on his terms, climbing out of his race car for the last time at the end of next season, at which point Vips slides in and Graham does Indy only. Your take?
Jeff, Colorado
MP: That’s exactly what I expect to see happen — Vips becoming a full-time RLL driver in 2025 — but I wouldn’t limit his options to filling Graham’s seat. Unless Christian Lundgaard agrees to a contract extension, he’ll be a top free agent in 2024, and I’ve already had one long conversation with a team owner who, on their own, expressed serious interest in securing his services.
If Graham chooses to make 2024 a farewell tour, I’m not sure if he’ll look to make annual returns to Indy. I’d hope he would, but I could see his days becoming filled with business interests that would make training and ramping up for the month of May being more of a distraction than a welcome respite.
Brian Ferentz’s days at Iowa are officially winding down
On Monday, Iowa announced that offensive coordinator Brian Ferentz, the son of long-time Hawkeyes head coach Kirk Ferentz, will not return as the program’s offensive coordinator in 2024. The younger Ferentz will remain the offensive coordinator through the end of this season.
Iowa interim athletic director Beth Goetz made the decision for Ferentz not to return. Goetz’s decision comes after the Hawkeyes’ offense has averaged just 19.5 points per game through eight games this season.
Before the season, Ferentz signed a contract amendment that made it mandatory for the Hawkeyes to average 25 points per game this season in order to return. That number was not chosen at random as it coincided with what the program had averaged during his first six years as offensive coordinator.
The Hawkeyes offense has failed to surpass the 25-point mark in five of seven games this season. The only games in which the Hawkeyes scored more than 25 points this season were a 41-point performance against Western Michigan and a 26-point performance against Michigan State.
Furthermore, the Hawkeyes offense scored just 19 of those 26 points against the Spartans, with seven points coming off a Cooper DeJean punt return. Ferentz will coach his last regular season game as the Hawkeyes’ offensive coordinator against the Cornhuskers on November 24.
