Good Morning! Here’s what happened in the world of sports on Thursday, August 29.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL

College Football is so back! After just one night, we’ve had an opening kick returned for a touchdown in Bowling Green and an 100-yard pick-six in Tulane. Here are the other top moments from yesterday’s game:

• My pick was correct, as North Dakota State covered the 10 point spread and hung tight with Colorado until the very end. However, Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter were superstars for the Buffalo, leading the way to a 31-26 home victory. With three receiving touchdowns and a lockdown performance as a defender, Hunter showed why he is a Heisman candidate. Oh, and you might want to check out his play of the day (below).

• Ranked teams had very little trouble last night, as Mizzou, Utah, Kansas, and NC State combined to win 186-24.

• Former Oklahoma quarterback General Booty threw his first touchdown pass of the year, and Louisiana-Monroe beat Jackson State 30-14. The Remix will provide updates on Booty all season.

• The game of the night took place in Minnesota. Down 19-17 against UNC, the Golden Gophers lined up to kick a game-winning field goal as time expired… they missed it, wide right. The Tar Heels escaped with a victory, although they lost starting QB Max Johnson to a hip injury.

TENNIS

Let’s get right to it– here’s what went down at the US Open:

• We begin with a massive upset on the men’s side, as Botic van de Zandschulp took out Carlos Alcaraz in straight sets. Carlitos never looked comfortable, but all the credit goes to the Dutchman, who took full advantage. With the favorite gone early in the tournament, could there be an opening for a new US Open champion?

• Hubert Hurkacz (7) and Elena Rybakina (4) were the other top seeds who went down yesterday. Hurkacz was upset by Jordan Thompson, while Rybakina withdrew before her match due to injury.

• American Ashlyn Krueger had a fantastic win over a seed, too, as she advanced over 17-year old Mirra Andreeva (21).

• Naomi Osaka’s return to New York has come to an end, as she fell in straight sets against Karolina Muchova. Muchova looked extremely impressive in the win, out-hitting one of the best ball-strikers on tour.

GOLF

The Tour Championship began yesterday, and I’m afraid it may have ended, too. Each golfer begins the weekend with a weighted score, reflecting their positions in the standings over the course of the year. That meant Scottie Scheffler started round one with a lead before he hit a single shot. After they started playing, that lead only grew. Scheffler was -6 on the day, and with the weighted scoring, he now sits at -16 for the tournament. Collin Morikawa and Xander Schauffele are tied for second at -9. Three rounds of golf are still to be played, but it’s going to be mighty tough to catch Scottie.

MLB

Don’t worry baseball, we didn’t forget about you:

• For the second time this season, Oakland A’s outfielder Lawrence Butler had a three-homer game. That makes five home runs in three games for Butler, too. Unfortunately for Butler, Oakland lost to Cincinnati 10-9 on a walk-off single.

• You might want to learn the name Bowden Francis… the Toronto Blue Jays starter has given up just six hits in his last four starts. While Francis is a new face, the Red Sox turned to an old one last night. Appearing in a game for the 20th season, 44-year old Rich Hill struck out a batter for Boston last night. Alas, the Blue Jays beat the Red Sox 2-0.

• Remember when everyone was worried about the Dodgers for a couple weeks? Well, after taking two of three from the Orioles, LA has the best record in baseball. They are the first team to 80 wins, and once again the favorite to win the World Series.

NOTEWORTHY NEWS

Steph Curry agreed to a one-year contract extension worth $62.6 million. The deal will keep Steph a member of the Warriors through the 2026-27 season. Super smart negotiation tactic to win a gold medal, I might try that myself.

Speaking of contracts, Brandon Aiyuk has finally agreed to a deal with the San Francisco 49ers. After weeks of holding out of practice and constant trade speculation, the star wide receiver is back in red and gold.

Do you miss the Olympics? I’ve got good news– the Paralympics have begun! NBC is continuing their Gold Zone coverage, too, so you can catch all the best action from Paris.

The Champions League draw took place yesterday, determining the schedule for the most prestigious club soccer tournament in Europe. There’s a new format this year and it’s really confusing. You can read about it if you want, or just check in after a couple months and I’ll tell you who advanced to the final rounds.

PLAY OF THE DAY

We’ve got three plays today, each from a different sport. First, Arthur Fils hits a ridiculous shot between his legs:

Next, a diving effort leads to an impressive double play:

Finally, the catch that everyone can’t stop talking about. Travis Hunter, take a bow:

TODAY’S BIG GAMES (all times Eastern)

MLB: Brewers @ Reds, 6:40 PM; Mariners @ Angels, 9:38 PM

• Two very exciting MLB debuts on today’s schedule . First, top prospect Rhett Lowder takes the mound in Cincinnati. The former Wake Forest Demon Deacon was a top ten pick in last year’s draft. Later tonight, Sam Aldegheri starts for the Angels. Aldegheri is less heralded as a prospect, but he will become the first pro ballplayer born and raised in Italy.

TENNIS: It’s been a fantastic US Open so far– these eight Americans take the court today as round three begins in New York:

• Ben Shelton (13) vs Francis Tiafoe (20)

• UPSET OF THE DAY: Brandon Nakashima over Lorenzo Musetti (18)

• Coco Gauff (3) vs Elena Svitolina (27)

• Emma Navarro (13) vs Marta Kostyuk (19)

• Peyton Stearns vs Donna Vekic (24)

• Madison Keys (14) vs Elise Mertens (33)

• Taylor Fritz (12) vs Francisco Comesana

NCAA FOOTBALL: Temple @ (16) Oklahoma, 7 PM on ESPN

• Just one ranked team in action tonight. Stanford, TCU, Wisconsin, Duke, and Michigan State are the other Power Four teams that begin their season this evening.

WNBA: Fever @ Sky, 7:30 PM

• A new chapter of Caitlin Clark vs Angel Reese rivalry… Chicago is battling for the eighth and final playoff spot, while Indiana looks to continue their recent string of victories. Should be a good one.

THIS WEEKEND’S BIG GAMES

MLB: Dodgers @ Diamondbacks; Royals @ Astros; Braves @ Phillies

• Three really intriguing series take place this weekend. Will the Dodgers further separate themselves in the NL West? Can the Phillies do the same in the NL East? And a potential ALCS preview goes down in Houston.

TENNIS: Saturday and Sunday, beginning at 11 AM on ESPN/ESPN2/ESPN+

• The US Open marches along! So many sports to watch this weekend–tennis will be on each morning before most of the others start and after most of them end.

SOCCER: Brighton @ Arsenal, 7:30 AM Saturday on USA; Manchester City @ West Ham, 12:30 PM Saturday on NBC; Tottenham @ Newcastle, 8:30 AM Sunday on USA; Liverpool @ Manchester United, 11 AM Sunday on Peacock

• Someone forgot to tell England that this was a busy weekend in America… four massive games among top teams in the Premier League. Seriously, these might be the best eight teams in the league going up against each other on the same weekend. Absolutely bananas scheduling.

NCAA FOOTBALL: There are A LOT of college football games each Saturday. For today, I’m highlighting the top five matchups. Welcoming any feedback on what format would be most helpful going forward!

• (14) Clemson vs (1) Georgia in Atlanta, Noon on ABC

• (8) Penn State @ West Virginia, Noon on Fox

• (19) Miami @ Florida, 3:30 PM on ABC

• (7) Notre Dame @ (20) Texas A&M, 7:30 on ABC

• (23) USC vs (13) LSU in Las Vegas, SUNDAY at 7:30 on ABC

WNBA: Fever @ Wings, 4 PM Sunday on NBATV

• That’s right, two Caitlin Clark games in one weekend! You know, just in case there weren’t already enough games to watch…

GOLF: The Tour Championship, Friday-Sunday on NBC/Golf Channel/Peacock

• Last but certainly not least, the PGA Tour Championship takes place at the East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta. There’s a real chance Scottie Scheffler wins by one million strokes.

Phew, that’s a lot to keep track of… but don’t worry if you miss a moment– you’ll see it all in your inbox on Monday morning!

“To me, torture would be watching sports on television” –Quentin Tarantino

Have a wonderful weekend!