KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Drew Waters hit a go-ahead double during a two-out rally in the eighth inning Monday, and the Kansas City Royals rallied to beat the Cleveland Guardians 6-4 in their series-opening matinee.

The Royals trailed 4-2 when Kyle Isbel drew a leadoff walk against Trevor Stephan. The reliever retired the next two batters before walking MJ Melendez and hitting Nelson Velázquez, loading the bases for Michael Massey, whose own walk off Stephan (6-7) scored a run to get Kansas City within one.

Cleveland brought in Enyel De Los Santos to face Waters, and his double to left gave the Royals the lead. A wild pitch from De Los Santos allowed Massey to score and give Kansas City's bullpen a cushion.

Jackson Kowar (2-0) earned the win with a scoreless inning. James McArthur handled the ninth for his first big league save.

Gabrial Arias homered and drove in a pair of runs for Cleveland, which squandered another strong start by Cal Quantrill. He allowed two runs on five hits with three strikeouts and no walks in 5 2/3 innings, but was left watching from the dugout as the Guardians wasted a chance to make him 7-0 in 10 appearances against Kansas City.

Royals starter Brady Singer continued his late-season slump. He allowed four runs on eight hits and two walks over six innings, and the right-hander has still not won a game since August 8 in Boston.

The Guardians were coming off a three-game sweep of the AL West-contending Texas Rangers, but they are 72-79 and need to win nine of their last 11 games to avoid only their second losing season under manager Terry Francona.

Bo Naylor's double and Myles Straw's sacrifice staked Cleveland to a 2-0 lead. And after the Royals got one back in the third, Gabriel Arias homered in the fourth and added a sacrifice fly in the sixth to push the advantage to 4-1.

Nelson Velázquez, who has been a rare bright spot during a dismal year in Kansas City, homered with two out in the sixth, and the game remained that way until the Royals put together their eighth-inning rally.

José Ramírez stole his 200th career base in the third inning. The five-time All-Star, whose 216th homer Sunday tied him with Carlos Santana and Hal Trosky for fifth-most in club history, became the 11th player in major league history with at least 200 steals and 200 homers through their age-30 season.

The Royals placed All-Star catcher Salvador Perez on the seven-day concussion list after he took a foul ball off his mask during Saturday's win over Houston. Perez was initially diagnosed with a “non-concussive head injury,” but a follow-up exam revealed minor symptoms. Royals manager Matt Quatraro said he hopes Perez will be back before the end of the season.

In corresponding moves, the Royals selected the contract of Tyler Cropley from Triple-A Omaha and transferred fellow catcher Freddy Fermin to the 60-day injured list. Cropley spent two days with the club earlier this season but has yet to debut.

Guardians rookie Tanner Bibee will be shut down for the season after the 24-year-old right-hander came out of Saturday's game against Texas with tightness in his hip. Bibee did not make the trip to Kansas City so that he could receive more treatment for the inflammation. He finished 10-4 with a 2.98 ERA in 25 starts this season.

The Guardians will start LHP Logan Allen (7-7, 3.60) on Tuesday night. The Royals had yet to announce a starting pitcher.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1695072079064.jpeg" alt="Kansas City Royals' MJ Melendez celebrates after hitting an RBI triple during the third inning of a baseball game against the Cleveland Guardians Monday, Sept. 18, 2023, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)" />
 <figcaption>Kansas City Royals' MJ Melendez celebrates after hitting an RBI triple during the third inning of a baseball game against the Cleveland Guardians Monday, Sept. 18, 2023, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Drew Waters hit a go-ahead double during a two-out rally in the eighth inning Monday, and the Kansas City Royals rallied to beat the Cleveland Guardians 6-4 in their series-opening matinee.The Royals trailed 4-2 when Kyle Isbel drew a leadoff walk against Trevor Stephan. The reliever retired the next two batters before walking MJ Melendez and hitting Nelson Velázquez, loading the bases for Michael Massey, whose own walk off Stephan (6-7) scored a run to get Kansas City within one.Cleveland brought in Enyel De Los Santos to face Waters, and his double to left gave the Royals the lead. A wild pitch from De Los Santos allowed Massey to score and give Kansas City's bullpen a cushion.Jackson Kowar (2-0) earned the win with a scoreless inning. James McArthur handled the ninth for his first big league save.Gabrial Arias homered and drove in a pair of runs for Cleveland, which squandered another strong start by Cal Quantrill. He allowed two runs on five hits with three strikeouts and no walks in 5 2/3 innings, but was left watching from the dugout as the Guardians wasted a chance to make him 7-0 in 10 appearances against Kansas City.Royals starter Brady Singer continued his late-season slump. He allowed four runs on eight hits and two walks over six innings, and the right-hander has still not won a game since August 8 in Boston.The Guardians were coming off a three-game sweep of the AL West-contending Texas Rangers, but they are 72-79 and need to win nine of their last 11 games to avoid only their second losing season under manager Terry Francona.Bo Naylor's double and Myles Straw's sacrifice staked Cleveland to a 2-0 lead. And after the Royals got one back in the third, Gabriel Arias homered in the fourth and added a sacrifice fly in the sixth to push the advantage to 4-1.Nelson Velázquez, who has been a rare bright spot during a dismal year in Kansas City, homered with two out in the sixth, and the game remained that way until the Royals put together their eighth-inning rally.KEEP ON RUNNINGJosé Ramírez stole his 200th career base in the third inning. The five-time All-Star, whose 216th homer Sunday tied him with Carlos Santana and Hal Trosky for fifth-most in club history, became the 11th player in major league history with at least 200 steals and 200 homers through their age-30 season.PEREZ TO CONCUSSION LISTThe Royals placed All-Star catcher Salvador Perez on the seven-day concussion list after he took a foul ball off his mask during Saturday's win over Houston. Perez was initially diagnosed with a “non-concussive head injury,” but a follow-up exam revealed minor symptoms. Royals manager Matt Quatraro said he hopes Perez will be back before the end of the season.In corresponding moves, the Royals selected the contract of Tyler Cropley from Triple-A Omaha and transferred fellow catcher Freddy Fermin to the 60-day injured list. Cropley spent two days with the club earlier this season but has yet to debut.BIBEE SHUT DOWNGuardians rookie Tanner Bibee will be shut down for the season after the 24-year-old right-hander came out of Saturday's game against Texas with tightness in his hip. Bibee did not make the trip to Kansas City so that he could receive more treatment for the inflammation. He finished 10-4 with a 2.98 ERA in 25 starts this season.UP NEXTThe Guardians will start LHP Logan Allen (7-7, 3.60) on Tuesday night. The Royals had yet to announce a starting pitcher.

⚾ Royals rally with four runs in the eighth to beat the Guardians

Fort Hays State Tiger football coach Chris Brown, wide receiver Jaden Horace and linebacker John Johnson spoke to the media Monday ahead of Saturday's game at Missouri Western State.

Hays PostFort Hays State Tiger football coach Chris Brown, wide receiver Jaden Horace and linebacker John Johnson spoke to the media Monday ahead of Saturday's game at Missouri Western State.<div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Bh-WBkl-MZE?si=McJDiIb9MagLraua" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe></div><div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/K7fmCLbxGx8?si=ZQRrOlXltvEL2Mqf" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe></div><div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/TctCw1og1y0?si=EGIxKpVYL-uJYBkJ" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>

🏈📹 FHSU weekly press conference

MANHATTAN, Kan.&nbsp;– Kansas State head coach&nbsp;Jerome Tang&nbsp;filled his last scholarship for the 2023-24 season with the signing of big man&nbsp;Will McNair Jr.&nbsp;(Philadelphia, Pa./Martin Luther King/New Mexico State/Mississippi State)&nbsp;to a Financial Aid Agreement on Monday afternoon (September 18).

A 6-foot-11, 265-pound forward, McNair arrives at K-State after playing one season (2022-23) at Mississippi State, where he was part of a Bulldog team that won 21 games and advanced to the NCAA Tournament. He also spent 3 seasons (2019-22) at New Mexico State, where he helped the Aggies win 64 games and earn a pair of WAC regular-season championships (2020, 2022) to go with a run to the second round of the 2022 NCAA Tournament.

As a graduate transfer, McNair will have one year of eligibility remaining after the NCAA granted Fall 2020 and Winter 2021 sport student-athletes an additional year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

McNair gives the Wildcats yet more Division I experience, becoming the fourth impactful transfer signed by Tang since the end of the 2022-23 season, joining fellow graduate transfers&nbsp;Tylor Perry&nbsp;(Fort Coffee, Okla./Spiro/ Coffeyville CC/North Texas)&nbsp;and&nbsp;Ques Glover&nbsp;(Knoxville, Tenn./Bearden/Florida/Samford)&nbsp;as well as junior&nbsp;Arthur Kaluma&nbsp;(Glendale, Ariz./Dream City Christian/Creighton).

The quartet have combined for 3,307 points in 348 games played at the Division I level.

All told, McNair has seen action in 116 combined games with 29 starts in his college career at New Mexico State and Mississippi State, leading teams to an 85-34 (.714) record with a pair of 25-win seasons, two regular-season conference championship (2020, 2022), one tournament championship (2022) and an NCAA Tournament appearance in 2021-22.

McNair has scored nearly 500 points (3.9 ppg.) in his college career on 52.8 percent (196-of-371) shooting from the field to go with nearly 400 rebounds (3.4 rpg.) and 60 plus blocks (0.5 bpg.) while averaging just under 15 minutes (14.7 mpg.) per game. He has 14 career double-digit scoring games, including a career-high 18 points at UTEP on Dec. 3, 2021, while playing at New Mexico State.

McNair also has a pair of double-doubles in his playing career both coming during the 2021-22 season at New Mexico State. He scored 12 points to go with a career-best 15 rebounds vs. Indiana State on Nov. 21, 2021, while he had 14 points and 14 rebounds against Seattle on Feb. 21, 2022.

McNair played in 82 games with 37 starts in his New Mexico State career (2019-22), totaling 336 points (4.1 ppg.) on 55.8 percent (149-of-267) shooting with 278 rebounds (3.4 rpg.) and 46 blocks (0.6 bpg.) in 1,267 minutes (15.5 mpg.). His best season as an Aggie came during the school’s remarkable run during the 2021-22 season, as the squad won 27 games, captured both the WAC regular-season and tournament championship and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament after an upset of UConn. He ranked fourth on the team in scoring (6.6 ppg.) and third in rebounding (5.0 rpg.) while hitting on 54.9 percent (101-of-184) from the field.

This past season, McNair helped Mississippi State to a 21-13 overall record, including an 8-10 mark in SEC play, and the school’s first trip to the NCAA Tournament since 2019. He was one of 6 players to see action in all 34 games, averaging 3.3 points on 45.2 percent (47-of-104) shooting with 3.3 rebounds and 0.5 blocks in 12.6 minutes per game. He scored in double figures 3 times, including a season-high 13 points in a win over rival Ole Miss on Jan. 7, 2023, while twice he scored 10 points in games against Alabama (Dec. 28, 2022) and Florida (Jan. 21, 2023).

Originally from Philadelphia, McNair split his high school career between Parkway Center City Prep School and Martin Luther King High School. His teams averaged more than 19 wins during his junior and senior seasons.

The countdown for the start of the season is underway, as the 15-man roster officially opens practice on Monday, Sept. 25. The lone exhibition is set for Wednesday, Nov. 1 against Emporia State, while the squad hosts first-time opponent Bellarmine in the home opener on Friday, Nov. 10.

The 120th season officially tips off on Monday, Nov. 6 against USC in the Hall of Fame Series Las Vegas.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1695068464515.jpeg" alt="Kansas State Athletics photo" />
 <figcaption>Kansas State Athletics photo</figcaption>
 </figure>Kansas State AthleticsMANHATTAN, Kan.&nbsp;– Kansas State head coach&nbsp;Jerome Tang&nbsp;filled his last scholarship for the 2023-24 season with the signing of big man&nbsp;Will McNair Jr.&nbsp;(Philadelphia, Pa./Martin Luther King/New Mexico State/Mississippi State)&nbsp;to a Financial Aid Agreement on Monday afternoon (September 18).A 6-foot-11, 265-pound forward, McNair arrives at K-State after playing one season (2022-23) at Mississippi State, where he was part of a Bulldog team that won 21 games and advanced to the NCAA Tournament. He also spent 3 seasons (2019-22) at New Mexico State, where he helped the Aggies win 64 games and earn a pair of WAC regular-season championships (2020, 2022) to go with a run to the second round of the 2022 NCAA Tournament.As a graduate transfer, McNair will have one year of eligibility remaining after the NCAA granted Fall 2020 and Winter 2021 sport student-athletes an additional year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.McNair gives the Wildcats yet more Division I experience, becoming the fourth impactful transfer signed by Tang since the end of the 2022-23 season, joining fellow graduate transfers&nbsp;Tylor Perry&nbsp;(Fort Coffee, Okla./Spiro/ Coffeyville CC/North Texas)&nbsp;and&nbsp;Ques Glover&nbsp;(Knoxville, Tenn./Bearden/Florida/Samford)&nbsp;as well as junior&nbsp;Arthur Kaluma&nbsp;(Glendale, Ariz./Dream City Christian/Creighton).The quartet have combined for 3,307 points in 348 games played at the Division I level.All told, McNair has seen action in 116 combined games with 29 starts in his college career at New Mexico State and Mississippi State, leading teams to an 85-34 (.714) record with a pair of 25-win seasons, two regular-season conference championship (2020, 2022), one tournament championship (2022) and an NCAA Tournament appearance in 2021-22.McNair has scored nearly 500 points (3.9 ppg.) in his college career on 52.8 percent (196-of-371) shooting from the field to go with nearly 400 rebounds (3.4 rpg.) and 60 plus blocks (0.5 bpg.) while averaging just under 15 minutes (14.7 mpg.) per game. He has 14 career double-digit scoring games, including a career-high 18 points at UTEP on Dec. 3, 2021, while playing at New Mexico State.McNair also has a pair of double-doubles in his playing career both coming during the 2021-22 season at New Mexico State. He scored 12 points to go with a career-best 15 rebounds vs. Indiana State on Nov. 21, 2021, while he had 14 points and 14 rebounds against Seattle on Feb. 21, 2022.McNair played in 82 games with 37 starts in his New Mexico State career (2019-22), totaling 336 points (4.1 ppg.) on 55.8 percent (149-of-267) shooting with 278 rebounds (3.4 rpg.) and 46 blocks (0.6 bpg.) in 1,267 minutes (15.5 mpg.). His best season as an Aggie came during the school’s remarkable run during the 2021-22 season, as the squad won 27 games, captured both the WAC regular-season and tournament championship and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament after an upset of UConn. He ranked fourth on the team in scoring (6.6 ppg.) and third in rebounding (5.0 rpg.) while hitting on 54.9 percent (101-of-184) from the field.This past season, McNair helped Mississippi State to a 21-13 overall record, including an 8-10 mark in SEC play, and the school’s first trip to the NCAA Tournament since 2019. He was one of 6 players to see action in all 34 games, averaging 3.3 points on 45.2 percent (47-of-104) shooting with 3.3 rebounds and 0.5 blocks in 12.6 minutes per game. He scored in double figures 3 times, including a season-high 13 points in a win over rival Ole Miss on Jan. 7, 2023, while twice he scored 10 points in games against Alabama (Dec. 28, 2022) and Florida (Jan. 21, 2023).Originally from Philadelphia, McNair split his high school career between Parkway Center City Prep School and Martin Luther King High School. His teams averaged more than 19 wins during his junior and senior seasons.The countdown for the start of the season is underway, as the 15-man roster officially opens practice on Monday, Sept. 25. The lone exhibition is set for Wednesday, Nov. 1 against Emporia State, while the squad hosts first-time opponent Bellarmine in the home opener on Friday, Nov. 10.The 120th season officially tips off on Monday, Nov. 6 against USC in the Hall of Fame Series Las Vegas.

🏀 Tang signs transfer Will McNair Jr.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Fort Hays State football players Parrish Terry and Carson Arndt&nbsp;were recognized as MIAA Football Athletes of the Week on Monday for their efforts in a 17-6 win over Northwest Missouri State this past Saturday. Terry was named Defensive Athlete of the Week, while Arndt was named Special Teams Athlete of the Week. The win knocked Northwest Missouri State out of the AFCA Top 25 for the first time since 2003 (a span of 242 consecutive polls), which released earlier on Monday.

Terry produced the key moment on defense in the fourth quarter to help FHSU preserve its lead against No. 15/13 ranked Northwest Missouri State. With about 10 minutes to play in the game and FHSU leading 10-6, the Bearcats were on the verge of scoring a touchdown when Terry forced a fumble at the FHSU 3-yard line that the Tigers recovered to hold on to the lead. On the ensuing drive, FHSU went 96 yards for the game-sealing touchdown, pushing their lead to the eventual final score of 17-6. Terry was disruptive all night, finishing with 7 tackles, 3.0 tackles for loss, and 1.5 sacks. His solo sack helped stall out a Bearcat drive that reached the red zone in the third quarter, resulting in just a field goal. NWMSU had not allowed a sack through two weeks, but the Tigers generated four as a team in their win.

Arndt made one field goal and both of his PAT attempts in the 17-6 win over No. 15/13 ranked Northwest Missouri State. His field goal of 38 yards helped the Tigers to an early 3-0 lead. He then made both PAT attempts in the second half on Tiger touchdowns. He remains a perfect 12-of-12 on PAT attempts this season.

Terry and Arndt join Kolbe Katsis of Pittsburg State (Offensive Athlete of the Week) as the weekly honorees from the conference office.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/football/roster/bryson-smith/7640">Bryson Smith</a>&nbsp;was the offensive nominee for FHSU after having a hand in 164 total yards of offense and scoring both Tiger touchdowns in the win over Northwest Missouri State.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1695064917836.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>FHSU AthleticsKANSAS CITY, Mo. – Fort Hays State football players Parrish Terry and Carson Arndt&nbsp;were recognized as MIAA Football Athletes of the Week on Monday for their efforts in a 17-6 win over Northwest Missouri State this past Saturday. Terry was named Defensive Athlete of the Week, while Arndt was named Special Teams Athlete of the Week. The win knocked Northwest Missouri State out of the AFCA Top 25 for the first time since 2003 (a span of 242 consecutive polls), which released earlier on Monday.Terry produced the key moment on defense in the fourth quarter to help FHSU preserve its lead against No. 15/13 ranked Northwest Missouri State. With about 10 minutes to play in the game and FHSU leading 10-6, the Bearcats were on the verge of scoring a touchdown when Terry forced a fumble at the FHSU 3-yard line that the Tigers recovered to hold on to the lead. On the ensuing drive, FHSU went 96 yards for the game-sealing touchdown, pushing their lead to the eventual final score of 17-6. Terry was disruptive all night, finishing with 7 tackles, 3.0 tackles for loss, and 1.5 sacks. His solo sack helped stall out a Bearcat drive that reached the red zone in the third quarter, resulting in just a field goal. NWMSU had not allowed a sack through two weeks, but the Tigers generated four as a team in their win.Arndt made one field goal and both of his PAT attempts in the 17-6 win over No. 15/13 ranked Northwest Missouri State. His field goal of 38 yards helped the Tigers to an early 3-0 lead. He then made both PAT attempts in the second half on Tiger touchdowns. He remains a perfect 12-of-12 on PAT attempts this season.Terry and Arndt join Kolbe Katsis of Pittsburg State (Offensive Athlete of the Week) as the weekly honorees from the conference office.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/football/roster/bryson-smith/7640">Bryson Smith</a>&nbsp;was the offensive nominee for FHSU after having a hand in 164 total yards of offense and scoring both Tiger touchdowns in the win over Northwest Missouri State.

🏈 FHSU's Terry, Arndt named MIAA Athletes of the Week

The Fort Hays State football hosts #15/13 Northwest Missouri State at Lewis Field, Saturday, Sept. 16, 2023.

The Fort Hays State football hosts #15/13 Northwest Missouri State at Lewis Field, Saturday, Sept. 16, 2023.<div><iframe title="Tiger Rewind: FB vs. #15 NW Missouri State (Sept. 16, 2023)" allowtransparency="true" height="150" width="100%" style="border: none; min-width: min(100%, 430px);height:150px;" scrolling="no" data-name="pb-iframe-player" src="https://www.podbean.com/player-v2/?i=b94c3-14aae0e-pb&from=pb6admin&share=1&download=1&rtl=0&fonts=Arial&skin=1&font-color=&logo_link=episode_page&btn-skin=2" loading="lazy"></iframe></div>

🎧 Defend the Fort Podcast: Tiger Replay - FB vs. #15 NW Missouri State (Sept. 16, 2023)

By ARNIE STAPLETON AP Pro Football Writer

DENVER (AP) — Sam Howell threw for two touchdowns and the Washington Commanders rallied from an 18-point deficit to beat the Denver Broncos 35-33 on Sunday, holding on after Russell Wilson connected with Brandon Johnson on a 50-yard Hail Mary but failed to complete the tying 2-point try.

Washington cornerback Benjamin St-Juste broke up Wilson's pass to Courtland Sutton on the 2-point conversion attempt. St-Juste appeared to get away with pass interference, but no flag was thrown and the Commanders celebrated the franchise's first 2-0 start since 2011 while Sutton and his teammates argued vehemently for a foul.

Howell threw for 299 yards on on 27-of-39 passing in his first road start and led Washington to the second-biggest comeback in franchise history. Washington overcame a 21-point deficit to beat Detroit on Nov. 4, 1990.

The Commanders trailed 21-3 in the second quarter. Brian Robinson Jr. ran for two scores during a 32-6 scoring outburst before the Broncos made it interesting at the very end.

With 2 seconds left and the Broncos trailing 35-27, Wilson heaved a pass toward the end zone that was deflected by a scrum of players before Johnson snared it for the score.

The Broncos (0-2) have lost back-to-back home games for the first time, not the kind of history coach Sean Payton was hoping to make in his return to the sideline after a year in the broadcast studio following a highly successful 15-year stint in New Orleans, especially after he criticized predecessor Nathaniel Hackett for doing one of the worst coaching jobs in NFL history last year.

The Broncos jumped out to their big lead by scoring touchdowns on their first three possessions for the first time since Nov. 14, 2010, against Kansas City, a game they went on to win 49-29.

Payton got the ball into his young speedsters' hands early on, and it paid off with undrafted rookie Jaleel McLaughlin scoring on a 5-yard pitch, rookie receiver Marvin Mims Jr. hauling in a 60-yard touchdown pass and second-year wideout Johnson hauling in a 16-yard score.

None of the three touched the ball again until Mims got a handoff midway through the third quarter with the score tied at 21.

Mims had two caches for 113 yards on two targets but wasn't targeted again and spent much of the rest of the game on the sideline.

Robinson's 2-yard TD run with 13:25 left gave Washington its first lead at 28-24 and his second score, from 15 yards out, made it 35-24 with 7:11 remaining.

The game turned when Howell threw a 4-yard touchdown pass to Logan Thomas on fourth-and-goal and safety Kareem Jackson was ejected for launching himself at the tight end, who suffered a concussion on the play and didn't return. Jackson also drew a 15-yard flag in the opener for a hit he put on Raiders receiver Jakobi Meyers.

With the flag moving the conversion try to the 1, Washington went for 2 and pulled within 21-11 when Robinson got the ball past the plane. Joey Slye's 46-yard field goal as the first half expired made it 21-14.

The Commanders tied it on Terry McLaurin's 30-yard TD grab on their first drive after halftime.

Commanders: Thomas didn't return after suffering a concussion on his TD. ... Broncos: S Delarrin Turner-Yell, who replaced Jackson after he was ejected, sustained an undisclosed injury early in the fourth quarter and went to the locker room. He was replaced by DB Essang Bassey.

By ARNIE STAPLETON AP Pro Football WriterDENVER (AP) — Sam Howell threw for two touchdowns and the Washington Commanders rallied from an 18-point deficit to beat the Denver Broncos 35-33 on Sunday, holding on after Russell Wilson connected with Brandon Johnson on a 50-yard Hail Mary but failed to complete the tying 2-point try.Washington cornerback Benjamin St-Juste broke up Wilson's pass to Courtland Sutton on the 2-point conversion attempt. St-Juste appeared to get away with pass interference, but no flag was thrown and the Commanders celebrated the franchise's first 2-0 start since 2011 while Sutton and his teammates argued vehemently for a foul.Howell threw for 299 yards on on 27-of-39 passing in his first road start and led Washington to the second-biggest comeback in franchise history. Washington overcame a 21-point deficit to beat Detroit on Nov. 4, 1990.The Commanders trailed 21-3 in the second quarter. Brian Robinson Jr. ran for two scores during a 32-6 scoring outburst before the Broncos made it interesting at the very end.With 2 seconds left and the Broncos trailing 35-27, Wilson heaved a pass toward the end zone that was deflected by a scrum of players before Johnson snared it for the score.The Broncos (0-2) have lost back-to-back home games for the first time, not the kind of history coach Sean Payton was hoping to make in his return to the sideline after a year in the broadcast studio following a highly successful 15-year stint in New Orleans, especially after he criticized predecessor Nathaniel Hackett for doing one of the worst coaching jobs in NFL history last year.The Broncos jumped out to their big lead by scoring touchdowns on their first three possessions for the first time since Nov. 14, 2010, against Kansas City, a game they went on to win 49-29.Payton got the ball into his young speedsters' hands early on, and it paid off with undrafted rookie Jaleel McLaughlin scoring on a 5-yard pitch, rookie receiver Marvin Mims Jr. hauling in a 60-yard touchdown pass and second-year wideout Johnson hauling in a 16-yard score.None of the three touched the ball again until Mims got a handoff midway through the third quarter with the score tied at 21.Mims had two caches for 113 yards on two targets but wasn't targeted again and spent much of the rest of the game on the sideline.Robinson's 2-yard TD run with 13:25 left gave Washington its first lead at 28-24 and his second score, from 15 yards out, made it 35-24 with 7:11 remaining.The game turned when Howell threw a 4-yard touchdown pass to Logan Thomas on fourth-and-goal and safety Kareem Jackson was ejected for launching himself at the tight end, who suffered a concussion on the play and didn't return. Jackson also drew a 15-yard flag in the opener for a hit he put on Raiders receiver Jakobi Meyers.With the flag moving the conversion try to the 1, Washington went for 2 and pulled within 21-11 when Robinson got the ball past the plane. Joey Slye's 46-yard field goal as the first half expired made it 21-14.The Commanders tied it on Terry McLaurin's 30-yard TD grab on their first drive after halftime.INJURIESCommanders: Thomas didn't return after suffering a concussion on his TD. ... Broncos: S Delarrin Turner-Yell, who replaced Jackson after he was ejected, sustained an undisclosed injury early in the fourth quarter and went to the locker room. He was replaced by DB Essang Bassey.UP NEXTCommanders: Host Buffalo next Sunday.Broncos: Visit Miami next Sunday.

🏈 Broncos squander big lead, lose to Commanders

By MARK LONG AP Pro Football Writer

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Patrick Mahomes threw two touchdown passes, including one to returning star Travis Kelce, and the Kansas City Chiefs overcame three early turnovers to beat Jacksonville 17-9 on Sunday for their third victory against the Jaguars in 10 months.

The Chiefs (1-1) won their eighth straight in the series and avoided becoming the first Super Bowl champions to start 0-2 since Denver in 1999.

The Jaguars (1-1), who insisted all week they owed the Chiefs because of a loss in the divisional round of the AFC playoffs in January, pretty much no-showed in their home opener.

Coach Doug Pederson’s team had another slow start, failed to capitalize on two of three turnovers and struggled to protect quarterback Trevor Lawrence.

Lawrence threw incomplete on a fourth-and-12 play with 4:16 remaining in an eight-point game, and Kansas City didn't let the Jaguars get the ball back.

Chiefs All-Pro defensive tackle Chris Jones, making his season debut after ending his holdout and signing a one-year contract, dominated his one-on-one matchups. Jones&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/Chiefs/status/1703473144487444561">manhandled rookie right tackle Anton Harrison</a>&nbsp;and was equally effective against the rest of Jacksonville’s line. He finished with two sacks on five QB pressures.

With extra time to prepare following a loss to Detroit 10 days earlier in the NFL opener, the Chiefs had hoped to look a lot more like their normally dynamic selves on offense. But Richie James muffed a punt, Justin Watson fumbled and Mahomes threw an interception. Kadarius Toney, who dropped three passes in the opener, fumbled late in the third but was able to scoop up the loose ball and avoid another turnover.

Mahomes completed 29 of 41 passes for 305 yards. He&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/Chiefs/status/1703481447833600419">found Kelce all alone in the end zone</a>&nbsp;to extend KC’s lead to 14-6. CBS play-by-play announcer Ian Eagle slipped in a song reference to reports linking Kelce to pop superstar Taylor Swift by saying “Kelce finds a blank space for the score.” One of Swift’s many hits is “Blank Space.”

Kelce, who missed the opener because of a hyperextended knee,&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/Chiefs/status/1703482916917940720">punted the ball into the end zone to celebrate</a>. He finished with four catches on nine targets for 26 yards.

The Chiefs converted twice on fourth down and outgained Jacksonville 399 to 271 in total yards. The Jaguars had several chances but settled for field goals in two trips into the red zone, and they averaged a measly 4.2 yards per play.

Chiefs right tackle Jawaan Taylor, who spent the first four years of his NFL career with Jacksonville, had a rough homecoming. Taylor was penalized five times and ultimately benched for a series. He was flagged twice for false starts, once for an illegal formation and twice for holding.

Pederson fell to 0-4 against his close friend and mentor, Chiefs coach Andy Reid. This was Pederson's first loss at home; the previous three were played at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City.

The Chiefs beat Pederson and Philadelphia 27-20 in Week 2 of the 2017 season; the Eagles rebounded and ultimately won the Super Bowl. The Chiefs swept the Jaguars last season, winning 27-17 in Week 10 and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-city-chiefs-jacksonville-jaguars-nfl-sports-patrick-mahomes-ii-c198676ebe3fa51c02060b1c473701ef">27-20 in the divisional round of the AFC playoffs</a>.

Chiefs: LBs Nick Bolton and Willie Gay were attended to on the field, but both were able to return to the game.

Jaguars: LB Josh Allen left the game in the second half with a shoulder injury. WR Zay Jones (knee) returned after spending time in the locker room. WR Calvin Ridley ran into the padding surrounding the goal post and was shaken up. RB Travis Etienne dealt with cramping issues late.

By MARK LONG AP Pro Football WriterJACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Patrick Mahomes threw two touchdown passes, including one to returning star Travis Kelce, and the Kansas City Chiefs overcame three early turnovers to beat Jacksonville 17-9 on Sunday for their third victory against the Jaguars in 10 months.The Chiefs (1-1) won their eighth straight in the series and avoided becoming the first Super Bowl champions to start 0-2 since Denver in 1999.The Jaguars (1-1), who insisted all week they owed the Chiefs because of a loss in the divisional round of the AFC playoffs in January, pretty much no-showed in their home opener.Coach Doug Pederson’s team had another slow start, failed to capitalize on two of three turnovers and struggled to protect quarterback Trevor Lawrence.Lawrence threw incomplete on a fourth-and-12 play with 4:16 remaining in an eight-point game, and Kansas City didn't let the Jaguars get the ball back.Chiefs All-Pro defensive tackle Chris Jones, making his season debut after ending his holdout and signing a one-year contract, dominated his one-on-one matchups. Jones&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/Chiefs/status/1703473144487444561">manhandled rookie right tackle Anton Harrison</a>&nbsp;and was equally effective against the rest of Jacksonville’s line. He finished with two sacks on five QB pressures.With extra time to prepare following a loss to Detroit 10 days earlier in the NFL opener, the Chiefs had hoped to look a lot more like their normally dynamic selves on offense. But Richie James muffed a punt, Justin Watson fumbled and Mahomes threw an interception. Kadarius Toney, who dropped three passes in the opener, fumbled late in the third but was able to scoop up the loose ball and avoid another turnover.Mahomes completed 29 of 41 passes for 305 yards. He&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/Chiefs/status/1703481447833600419">found Kelce all alone in the end zone</a>&nbsp;to extend KC’s lead to 14-6. CBS play-by-play announcer Ian Eagle slipped in a song reference to reports linking Kelce to pop superstar Taylor Swift by saying “Kelce finds a blank space for the score.” One of Swift’s many hits is “Blank Space.”Kelce, who missed the opener because of a hyperextended knee,&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/Chiefs/status/1703482916917940720">punted the ball into the end zone to celebrate</a>. He finished with four catches on nine targets for 26 yards.The Chiefs converted twice on fourth down and outgained Jacksonville 399 to 271 in total yards. The Jaguars had several chances but settled for field goals in two trips into the red zone, and they averaged a measly 4.2 yards per play.TAYLOR BENCHEDChiefs right tackle Jawaan Taylor, who spent the first four years of his NFL career with Jacksonville, had a rough homecoming. Taylor was penalized five times and ultimately benched for a series. He was flagged twice for false starts, once for an illegal formation and twice for holding.MENTOR VS MENTEEPederson fell to 0-4 against his close friend and mentor, Chiefs coach Andy Reid. This was Pederson's first loss at home; the previous three were played at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City.The Chiefs beat Pederson and Philadelphia 27-20 in Week 2 of the 2017 season; the Eagles rebounded and ultimately won the Super Bowl. The Chiefs swept the Jaguars last season, winning 27-17 in Week 10 and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-city-chiefs-jacksonville-jaguars-nfl-sports-patrick-mahomes-ii-c198676ebe3fa51c02060b1c473701ef">27-20 in the divisional round of the AFC playoffs</a>.INJURY REPORTChiefs: LBs Nick Bolton and Willie Gay were attended to on the field, but both were able to return to the game.Jaguars: LB Josh Allen left the game in the second half with a shoulder injury. WR Zay Jones (knee) returned after spending time in the locker room. WR Calvin Ridley ran into the padding surrounding the goal post and was shaken up. RB Travis Etienne dealt with cramping issues late.UP NEXTChiefs: Host Chicago next Sunday.

🏈 Chiefs overcome mistakes to beat Jaguars

HAYS, Kan. – The Fort Hays State women's soccer team tied Emporia State on Sunday (Sept. 17) by a score of 1-1. The tie moves the Tigers overall record to 4-0-2, while the Hornets are now 0-3-3.

The tie was broken in the 23' by Montserrat Diaz&nbsp;who took it herself just in front of the goal. Diaz had her first attempt deflected by the keeper, but stayed with it to notch the first goal of the contest. The goal for Diaz was her second of the season and also was the first time the Tigers have scored in the first period over the last three matches.

The Emporia State Hornets responded with a goal to tie things at 1-1 after halftime in the 65'. Mackenzie Dimarco won the open field battle against the keeper to net her second goal of the year. Dimarco was assisted by Asta Kristindottir.

Both teams pressed hard for game-winning opportunity. Forward&nbsp; Allison Worley&nbsp;was able to take two shots late in the match but was not quite able to connect.

The two teams combined for a total of 30 shots on the match. Fort Hays State was outshot by the Hornets 16-14. Emporia State had six shots on goal to Fort Hays State's five. Both goalies had their work cut out for them on the match. Isabel Robben&nbsp;recorded five saves on the day.

The Tigers will hit the road for the first time this season on Friday (Sept. 22) to take on the Washburn Ichabods. First kick is set for 6 p.m. in. Topeka. After Friday's match the Tigers will head to Emporia for a rematch with the Hornets on Sunday (Sept. 24).&nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1694988101773.jpeg" alt="Fort Hays State's Montserrat Diaz (11) goes after the ball in an NCAA soccer match vs. Augustana on Sunday, Sept. 10, 2023, in Hays, Kan. (FHSU Athletics photo/Ryan Prickett)" />
 <figcaption>Fort Hays State's Montserrat Diaz (11) goes after the ball in an NCAA soccer match vs. Augustana on Sunday, Sept. 10, 2023, in Hays, Kan. (FHSU Athletics photo/Ryan Prickett)</figcaption>
 </figure>FHSU AthleticsHAYS, Kan. – The Fort Hays State women's soccer team tied Emporia State on Sunday (Sept. 17) by a score of 1-1. The tie moves the Tigers overall record to 4-0-2, while the Hornets are now 0-3-3.The tie was broken in the 23' by Montserrat Diaz&nbsp;who took it herself just in front of the goal. Diaz had her first attempt deflected by the keeper, but stayed with it to notch the first goal of the contest. The goal for Diaz was her second of the season and also was the first time the Tigers have scored in the first period over the last three matches.The Emporia State Hornets responded with a goal to tie things at 1-1 after halftime in the 65'. Mackenzie Dimarco won the open field battle against the keeper to net her second goal of the year. Dimarco was assisted by Asta Kristindottir.Both teams pressed hard for game-winning opportunity. Forward&nbsp; Allison Worley&nbsp;was able to take two shots late in the match but was not quite able to connect.The two teams combined for a total of 30 shots on the match. Fort Hays State was outshot by the Hornets 16-14. Emporia State had six shots on goal to Fort Hays State's five. Both goalies had their work cut out for them on the match. Isabel Robben&nbsp;recorded five saves on the day.The Tigers will hit the road for the first time this season on Friday (Sept. 22) to take on the Washburn Ichabods. First kick is set for 6 p.m. in. Topeka. After Friday's match the Tigers will head to Emporia for a rematch with the Hornets on Sunday (Sept. 24).&nbsp;&nbsp;

⚽ Tigers play Hornets to draw in non-conference match

By MARC BOWMAN Associated Press

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Yordan Alvarez and Jake Meyers homered and Framber Valdez pitched seven strong innings as the Houston Astros beat the Kansas City Royals 7-1 on Sunday.

The Astros salvaged the final game of the series, expanding their American League West lead to 1 1/2 games as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/rangers-guardians-jose-ramirez-61eea76df6e6b6f46af65b9a481904ab">Texas lost to Cleveland 9-2.</a>

Valdez pitched around three Astros errors for his fifth consecutive quality start, allowing one unearned run on five hits and a walk, striking out five.

Falling behind early, Valdez (12-10) had trouble locating his changeup. He threw first-pitch strikes to 11 of 26 batters while missing the strike zone with 16 of 39 changeups.

Meyers led off the fourth with his 10th homer and Alvarez hit his 28th leading off the fifth, the 38th allowed by Jordan Lyles (4-17), tying a Royals record. Kansas City is 48-102.

Houston collected leadoff hits in all but one inning against Lyles, who limited the damage as the Astros were 2-for-13 with runners in scoring position. He completed six innings, allowing four runs on six hits and a walk with six strikeouts.

Drew Waters’ sacrifice fly opened the scoring. After Logan Porter reached on Valdez’s throwing error and threw wildly to first, Nick Loftin advanced to third. Porter was later awarded second as first baseman José Abreu threw his glove at Valdez’s wild throw for a second error on the same play.

Houston tied the game on José Abreu’s sacrifice fly in the third before Chas McCormick’s two-out RBI single gave the Astros a 2-1 lead. McCormick had three of Houston’s nine hits and stole two bases.

Meyers’ triple and Jose Altuve’s third hit highlighted a three-run ninth inning.

With a perfect eighth, Bryan Abreu extended his scoreless streak to 21 2/3 innings, matching a career high with the majors’ longest active streak.

Nick Loftin had two of Kansas City’s six hits as the Royals four-game win streak ended.

Astros: RHP Justin Verlander (11-8, 3.39 ERA) opposes Orioles LHP John Means (0-1, 5.40)

Royals: RHP Brady Singer (8-11, 5.51) opposes Guardians RHP Cal Quantrill (3-6, 5.40)

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1694987030900.jpeg" alt="Kansas City Royals' Logan Porter, left, is tagged out at home by Houston Astros catcher Martin Maldonado as he tried to score on a single by Maikel Garcia during the fifth inning of a baseball game Sunday, Sept. 17, 2023, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)" />
 <figcaption>Kansas City Royals' Logan Porter, left, is tagged out at home by Houston Astros catcher Martin Maldonado as he tried to score on a single by Maikel Garcia during the fifth inning of a baseball game Sunday, Sept. 17, 2023, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)</figcaption>
 </figure>By MARC BOWMAN Associated PressKANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Yordan Alvarez and Jake Meyers homered and Framber Valdez pitched seven strong innings as the Houston Astros beat the Kansas City Royals 7-1 on Sunday.The Astros salvaged the final game of the series, expanding their American League West lead to 1 1/2 games as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/rangers-guardians-jose-ramirez-61eea76df6e6b6f46af65b9a481904ab">Texas lost to Cleveland 9-2.</a>Valdez pitched around three Astros errors for his fifth consecutive quality start, allowing one unearned run on five hits and a walk, striking out five.Falling behind early, Valdez (12-10) had trouble locating his changeup. He threw first-pitch strikes to 11 of 26 batters while missing the strike zone with 16 of 39 changeups.Meyers led off the fourth with his 10th homer and Alvarez hit his 28th leading off the fifth, the 38th allowed by Jordan Lyles (4-17), tying a Royals record. Kansas City is 48-102.Houston collected leadoff hits in all but one inning against Lyles, who limited the damage as the Astros were 2-for-13 with runners in scoring position. He completed six innings, allowing four runs on six hits and a walk with six strikeouts.Drew Waters’ sacrifice fly opened the scoring. After Logan Porter reached on Valdez’s throwing error and threw wildly to first, Nick Loftin advanced to third. Porter was later awarded second as first baseman José Abreu threw his glove at Valdez’s wild throw for a second error on the same play.Houston tied the game on José Abreu’s sacrifice fly in the third before Chas McCormick’s two-out RBI single gave the Astros a 2-1 lead. McCormick had three of Houston’s nine hits and stole two bases.Meyers’ triple and Jose Altuve’s third hit highlighted a three-run ninth inning.With a perfect eighth, Bryan Abreu extended his scoreless streak to 21 2/3 innings, matching a career high with the majors’ longest active streak.Nick Loftin had two of Kansas City’s six hits as the Royals four-game win streak ended.UP NEXTAstros: RHP Justin Verlander (11-8, 3.39 ERA) opposes Orioles LHP John Means (0-1, 5.40)Royals: RHP Brady Singer (8-11, 5.51) opposes Guardians RHP Cal Quantrill (3-6, 5.40)

⚾ Royals can't pull off sweep of Astros

By GERARD WELLBROCK Hays Post

<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/football/2023/boxscore/vs-northwest-missouri-state/12574/pdf">BOX SCORE</a>

HAYS, Kan. –Fort Hays State used stellar defense and some big pass plays to knock off No. 15/13 Northwest Missouri State 17-6 in front of 6,237 at Lewis Field Saturday night.

The loss snapped an eight-game home losing streak to the Bearcats and improved them to 2-1 overall and in the MIAA. The Bearcats fall to 1-2 after losing back-to-back games for the first time since 2017.&nbsp;

The Tiger defense was solid all night long, holding Northwest to just 291 yards, 68 of which came on the Bearcats final possession of the game.&nbsp;The Bearcats made into the red zone three times but had to settle for two field goals. They fumbled on their third trip at the Tiger four yard line. Defensive end Parish Terry knocked to ball out of Jay Harris's hands which was recovered by linebacker Makel Williams with FHSU leading 10-6 in the fourth quarter.

Fort Hays State then marched 96 yards for a game-sealing touchdown on a 33-yard&nbsp; pass from Jack Dawson to Bryson Smith with 5:30 to play. Smith also hauled in an 18-yard strike from Dawson on the Tigers first possession of the third quarter to give FHSU a 10-3 lead.

Smith finished with 109 receiving yards on just four catches and also threw a 57-yard pass to Trevor Watts in the first quarter. Watts finished with seven receptions for 126 yards. Jayden Horace add 83 receiving yards on two catches.

The majority of the Tigers 353 yards of total offense came through the air. Dawson completed 17 of 33 passes for 289 yards with two touchdowns and one interception.&nbsp;The Bearcats held FHSU to only seven rushing yards on 24 carries and also had four quarterback sacks.

The Tiger defense also recorded four sacks on Northwest redshirt freshman quarterback Henry Martin who was making his first start following an injury to Mike Hohense last week vs. Emporia State. Jason Wallace had two sacks, one solo and two assisted. Terry finished with 1.5 sacks and Myles Menges a half. Linebacker John Johnson&nbsp;led the Tiger defense with 11 tackles.

Tigers head to St. Joseph, Mo. next week to take on Missouri Western. The Tigers will be looking to snap a four-game losing skid to the Griffons going back to the 2018 season. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m. on Saturday (Sept. 23).&nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1694926667317.jpeg" alt="Fort Hays State's Mason Perez (21), John Johnson (3) and Parish Terry (94) try to bring down Northwest Missouri State running back Jay Harris (22) in an NCAA football game Saturday, Sept. 16, 2023 at Lewis Field in Hays, Kan. (FHSU Athletics photo/Gillian Lynch)" />
 <figcaption>Fort Hays State's Mason Perez (21), John Johnson (3) and Parish Terry (94) try to bring down Northwest Missouri State running back Jay Harris (22) in an NCAA football game Saturday, Sept. 16, 2023 at Lewis Field in Hays, Kan. (FHSU Athletics photo/Gillian Lynch)</figcaption>
 </figure>By GERARD WELLBROCK Hays Post<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/football/2023/boxscore/vs-northwest-missouri-state/12574/pdf">BOX SCORE</a>HAYS, Kan. –Fort Hays State used stellar defense and some big pass plays to knock off No. 15/13 Northwest Missouri State 17-6 in front of 6,237 at Lewis Field Saturday night.The loss snapped an eight-game home losing streak to the Bearcats and improved them to 2-1 overall and in the MIAA. The Bearcats fall to 1-2 after losing back-to-back games for the first time since 2017.&nbsp;<div><iframe width="100%" height="166" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" allow="autoplay" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/1618251402&color=%23ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=true"></iframe><div style="font-size: 10px; color: #cccccc;line-break: anywhere;word-break: normal;overflow: hidden;white-space: nowrap;text-overflow: ellipsis; font-family: Interstate,Lucida Grande,Lucida Sans Unicode,Lucida Sans,Garuda,Verdana,Tahoma,sans-serif;font-weight: 100;"><a href="https://soundcloud.com/user-814667509" title="Eagle Radio" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Eagle Radio</a> · <a href="https://soundcloud.com/user-814667509/coach-chris-brown-postgame-nwmsu-sept-162023" title="Chris Brown Postgame vs. #15 NW Missouri State (Sept. 16, 2023)" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Chris Brown Postgame vs. #15 NW Missouri State (Sept. 16, 2023)</a></div></div>The Tiger defense was solid all night long, holding Northwest to just 291 yards, 68 of which came on the Bearcats final possession of the game.&nbsp;The Bearcats made into the red zone three times but had to settle for two field goals. They fumbled on their third trip at the Tiger four yard line. Defensive end Parish Terry knocked to ball out of Jay Harris's hands which was recovered by linebacker Makel Williams with FHSU leading 10-6 in the fourth quarter.Fort Hays State then marched 96 yards for a game-sealing touchdown on a 33-yard&nbsp; pass from Jack Dawson to Bryson Smith with 5:30 to play. Smith also hauled in an 18-yard strike from Dawson on the Tigers first possession of the third quarter to give FHSU a 10-3 lead.<div><iframe width="100%" height="166" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" allow="autoplay" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/1618251423&color=%23ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=true"></iframe><div style="font-size: 10px; color: #cccccc;line-break: anywhere;word-break: normal;overflow: hidden;white-space: nowrap;text-overflow: ellipsis; font-family: Interstate,Lucida Grande,Lucida Sans Unicode,Lucida Sans,Garuda,Verdana,Tahoma,sans-serif;font-weight: 100;"><a href="https://soundcloud.com/user-814667509" title="Eagle Radio" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Eagle Radio</a> · <a href="https://soundcloud.com/user-814667509/bryson-smith-postgame-nwmsu-sept-162023" title="Bryson Smith Postgame vs. #25 NW Missouri State (Sept. 16, 2023)" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Bryson Smith Postgame vs. #25 NW Missouri State (Sept. 16, 2023)</a></div></div>Smith finished with 109 receiving yards on just four catches and also threw a 57-yard pass to Trevor Watts in the first quarter. Watts finished with seven receptions for 126 yards. Jayden Horace add 83 receiving yards on two catches.<div><iframe width="100%" height="166" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" allow="autoplay" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/1618251333&color=%23ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=true"></iframe><div style="font-size: 10px; color: #cccccc;line-break: anywhere;word-break: normal;overflow: hidden;white-space: nowrap;text-overflow: ellipsis; font-family: Interstate,Lucida Grande,Lucida Sans Unicode,Lucida Sans,Garuda,Verdana,Tahoma,sans-serif;font-weight: 100;"><a href="https://soundcloud.com/user-814667509" title="Eagle Radio" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Eagle Radio</a> · <a href="https://soundcloud.com/user-814667509/parish-terry-postgame-nwmsu-sept-162023" title="Parish Terry Postgame vs. #15 NW Missouri State (Sept. 16, 2023)" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Parish Terry Postgame vs. #15 NW Missouri State (Sept. 16, 2023)</a></div></div>The majority of the Tigers 353 yards of total offense came through the air. Dawson completed 17 of 33 passes for 289 yards with two touchdowns and one interception.&nbsp;The Bearcats held FHSU to only seven rushing yards on 24 carries and also had four quarterback sacks.The Tiger defense also recorded four sacks on Northwest redshirt freshman quarterback Henry Martin who was making his first start following an injury to Mike Hohense last week vs. Emporia State. Jason Wallace had two sacks, one solo and two assisted. Terry finished with 1.5 sacks and Myles Menges a half. Linebacker John Johnson&nbsp;led the Tiger defense with 11 tackles.<div><iframe width="100%" height="166" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" allow="autoplay" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/1618251369&color=%23ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=true"></iframe><div style="font-size: 10px; color: #cccccc;line-break: anywhere;word-break: normal;overflow: hidden;white-space: nowrap;text-overflow: ellipsis; font-family: Interstate,Lucida Grande,Lucida Sans Unicode,Lucida Sans,Garuda,Verdana,Tahoma,sans-serif;font-weight: 100;"><a href="https://soundcloud.com/user-814667509" title="Eagle Radio" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Eagle Radio</a> · <a href="https://soundcloud.com/user-814667509/fort-hays-state-highlights-vs-nwmsu-sept-162023" title="Fort Hays State FB Highlights vs. #15 NW Missouri State (Sept. 16, 2023)" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Fort Hays State FB Highlights vs. #15 NW Missouri State (Sept. 16, 2023)</a></div></div>UP NEXTTigers head to St. Joseph, Mo. next week to take on Missouri Western. The Tigers will be looking to snap a four-game losing skid to the Griffons going back to the 2018 season. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m. on Saturday (Sept. 23).&nbsp;&nbsp;

🏈 Tigers knock off No. 15/13 Bearcats at home

By DAN HINXMAN Associated Press

RENO, Nev. (AP) — Devin Neal and Daniel Hishaw Jr. combined for 137 rushing yards and four touchdowns, Jalon Daniels threw for 298 yards, and Kansas pulled away from Nevada in the fourth quarter for a 31-24 victory Saturday night.

The game was tied at 24-all when Daniels went 4-for-4 for 55 yards, leading to Neal’s third touchdown on a 3-yard run and a 31-24 lead with 6:20 left to play.

Nevada was not able to cross midfield on its final two possessions.

The Jayhawks (3-0) were a 28-point favorite at Nevada sports books.

The Wolf Pack (0-3) was looking to end the nation’s longest losing streak. The now 13-game skid is also the longest in program history.

Brendon Lewis led Nevada with 113 passing yards and two rushing touchdowns.

Neither team could muster much offense in the first half, but the second half was a shootout. They combined for 20 points on 247 yards in the first half but had 35 points on 461 yards in the second.

The teams used long pass plays to trade three touchdowns in a span of 2 minutes, 7 seconds late in the third quarter. Daniels connected with tight end Mason Fairchild on a 29-yard pass to the Nevada 1.

Two plays later, Nevada’s Dalevon Campbell hauled in a 53-yard pass from Lewis to set up a short TD run by Sean Dollars to tie it at 17-apiece.

On the next play, Daniels and Neal connected on a 59-yard pass to the Nevada 1, leading to Hishaw’s TD and a 24-17 lead that Kansas took into the fourth quarter.

The Jayhawks embarked on a nine-play, 75-yard touchdown drive on the game’s first possession, moving the ball with ease and scoring on a Neal 3-yard run. But the Wolf Pack defense stiffened – with the help of five Kansas penalties – and allowed just 75 yards on 23 plays the rest of the half.

Dollars scored on a 3-yard run in the final minute and the teams went into the locker room tied at 10-10 despite Nevada having just 97 total yards of offense.

The Jayhawks opened the season 3-0 for the second straight season. Kansas stretched it to 5-0 in 2022 before losing seven of its final eight games. This marks KU’s first back-to-back 3-0 starts since 1991-92 under head coach Glen Mason.

Kansas: Will host BYU (3-0) on Saturday in what will be the Cougars’ first Big 12 Conference game. BYU had been independent the previous 12 years before joining the Big 12 this season.

Nevada: Travels to San Marcos, Texas, to take on the Sun Belt’s Texas State Bobcats (2-1) on Saturday. Texas State is the last team Nevada defeated, 38-14, on Sept. 3, 2022, in Reno.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1694931207846.jpeg" alt="Kansas quarterback Jalon Daniels throw a pass against Nevada during the first half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Sept. 16, 2023, in Reno Nev. (AP Photo/Andy Barron)" />
 <figcaption>Kansas quarterback Jalon Daniels throw a pass against Nevada during the first half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Sept. 16, 2023, in Reno Nev. (AP Photo/Andy Barron)</figcaption>
 </figure>By DAN HINXMAN Associated PressRENO, Nev. (AP) — Devin Neal and Daniel Hishaw Jr. combined for 137 rushing yards and four touchdowns, Jalon Daniels threw for 298 yards, and Kansas pulled away from Nevada in the fourth quarter for a 31-24 victory Saturday night.The game was tied at 24-all when Daniels went 4-for-4 for 55 yards, leading to Neal’s third touchdown on a 3-yard run and a 31-24 lead with 6:20 left to play.Nevada was not able to cross midfield on its final two possessions.The Jayhawks (3-0) were a 28-point favorite at Nevada sports books.The Wolf Pack (0-3) was looking to end the nation’s longest losing streak. The now 13-game skid is also the longest in program history.Brendon Lewis led Nevada with 113 passing yards and two rushing touchdowns.Neither team could muster much offense in the first half, but the second half was a shootout. They combined for 20 points on 247 yards in the first half but had 35 points on 461 yards in the second.The teams used long pass plays to trade three touchdowns in a span of 2 minutes, 7 seconds late in the third quarter. Daniels connected with tight end Mason Fairchild on a 29-yard pass to the Nevada 1.Two plays later, Nevada’s Dalevon Campbell hauled in a 53-yard pass from Lewis to set up a short TD run by Sean Dollars to tie it at 17-apiece.On the next play, Daniels and Neal connected on a 59-yard pass to the Nevada 1, leading to Hishaw’s TD and a 24-17 lead that Kansas took into the fourth quarter.The Jayhawks embarked on a nine-play, 75-yard touchdown drive on the game’s first possession, moving the ball with ease and scoring on a Neal 3-yard run. But the Wolf Pack defense stiffened – with the help of five Kansas penalties – and allowed just 75 yards on 23 plays the rest of the half.Dollars scored on a 3-yard run in the final minute and the teams went into the locker room tied at 10-10 despite Nevada having just 97 total yards of offense.BIG PICTUREThe Jayhawks opened the season 3-0 for the second straight season. Kansas stretched it to 5-0 in 2022 before losing seven of its final eight games. This marks KU’s first back-to-back 3-0 starts since 1991-92 under head coach Glen Mason.UP NEXTKansas: Will host BYU (3-0) on Saturday in what will be the Cougars’ first Big 12 Conference game. BYU had been independent the previous 12 years before joining the Big 12 this season.Nevada: Travels to San Marcos, Texas, to take on the Sun Belt’s Texas State Bobcats (2-1) on Saturday. Texas State is the last team Nevada defeated, 38-14, on Sept. 3, 2022, in Reno.

🏈 Neal runs for 3TDs, Hishaw Jr. adds another to help Kansas beat Nevada

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Kyle Isbel’s bunt single highlighted a three-run seventh as the Kansas City Royals beat the Houston Astros 10-8 on Saturday night.

Reliever Hector Neris (6-3)&nbsp;<a href="https://www.mlb.com/video/hector-neris-in-play-run-s-to-kyle-isbel?partnerId=web_video-game-index-page_video-share">flipped head over heels</a>&nbsp;trying to glove Isbel’s squeeze bunt RBI hit in the seventh inning. Breaking a 6-all tie, the Royals added two more runs, aided by third baseman Alex Bregman’s throwing error.

“The bunt was a huge play,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said. “Our speed came into play in that inning. We did some things there, putting the ball in play and using our speed.”

“I thought that was a huge momentum swing,” Isbel said. “(Quatraro) gave me the sign and it was my job to get it done.”

With the Texas Rangers losing 2-1 at Cleveland, Houston maintained a half-game lead in the American League West Division despite the loss.

“We’ve got a small lead in the division but we need to play better baseball,” Bregman said. “It starts with me. I need to make that play today. We need to execute better.”

“The leadoff walks really hurt us,” Astros manager Dusty Baker said. “And with a team that has speed and runs as much as they do, when you walk them, you’re asking for trouble. We had some real big hits, but it was the leadoff walks and a couple of errors, and we opened the gates for them, and they walked through.”

The Royals built a 4-0 lead against Astros starter J.P. France as Salvador Perez doubled in two first-inning runs, and Nelson Velázquez added a pair of RBIs. Bobby Witt Jr. had two hits, scored twice, and stole his 47th base, which is the most for Kansas City since Tom Goodwin stole 66 in 1996.

France allowed five runs on five hits and four walks in 4 1/3 innings.

“It was frustrating,” France said. “But my stuff, curveball, cutter, heater, everything was good. That’s what makes it so frustrating, because I was locating. Just two hard-hit balls.”

Houston rallied against Kansas City starter Cole Ragans, scoring three runs in the fifth with Yainer Diaz’s 22nd homer and a pair of two-out RBI hits.

Ragans completed six innings, allowing five runs on six hits and two walks, striking out seven.

“I left some pitches over the middle of the plate and they got hit hard,” Ragans said. “That happens. I felt like I made some really good pitches and a few I left over the middle of the plate.”

Jose Altuve hit a three-run homer that curved just fair inside the left-field foul pole to tie the game in the seventh.

Logan Porter capped Kansas City’s scoring with his first major league home run in the eighth, a 400-foot shot to center off reliever Joel Kuhnel, a former youth club teammate and high school opponent.

“I’ve faced Joel,” Porter said. “I faced him earlier this year when he was with the Reds, so I kind of knew what to expect. He threw me a good pitch and I put a good swing on it. It was awesome.”

James McArthur (1-0) struck out two for his first major league victory.

“To beat good teams, you’ve got to take their punches and be able to come back,” Quatraro said. “It’s rare when you face a good team with a good offense that you’re going to keep them down the whole time. Being able to battle back, that’s the kind of thing you’ve got to be able to do to beat good teams.”

After the Astros scored two ninth-inning runs, Taylor Clarke retired Diaz to earn his second save.

Houston lost their first road series since dropping 2 of 3 at Dodger Stadium June 23-25.

Rain delayed the game’s start by 36 minutes.

The clubs wore Negro Leagues uniforms, with the Astros sporting 1950 Houston Eagles road jerseys and the Royals in 1945 Kansas City Monarchs home uniforms. The game-used jerseys and caps will be auctioned with all proceeds benefiting the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum.

A fifth-inning foul tip dislodged Royals catcher Salvador Perez’s face mask; he left the game two batters later with a non-concussive head impact.

Astros LHP Framber Valdez (11-10, 3.32) opposes Royals RHP Jordan Lyles (4-16, 6.44) in Sunday’s series finale.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1694926250857.jpeg" alt="Houston Astros relief pitcher Hector Neris, right, tumbles while attempting to field the ball as Kansas City Royals Kyle Isbel, left, runs down the first base line during the seventh inning of a baseball game Saturday, Sept. 16, 2023, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Peter Aiken)" />
 <figcaption>Houston Astros relief pitcher Hector Neris, right, tumbles while attempting to field the ball as Kansas City Royals Kyle Isbel, left, runs down the first base line during the seventh inning of a baseball game Saturday, Sept. 16, 2023, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Peter Aiken)</figcaption>
 </figure>By MARC BOWMAN Associated PressKANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Kyle Isbel’s bunt single highlighted a three-run seventh as the Kansas City Royals beat the Houston Astros 10-8 on Saturday night.Reliever Hector Neris (6-3)&nbsp;<a href="https://www.mlb.com/video/hector-neris-in-play-run-s-to-kyle-isbel?partnerId=web_video-game-index-page_video-share">flipped head over heels</a>&nbsp;trying to glove Isbel’s squeeze bunt RBI hit in the seventh inning. Breaking a 6-all tie, the Royals added two more runs, aided by third baseman Alex Bregman’s throwing error.“The bunt was a huge play,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said. “Our speed came into play in that inning. We did some things there, putting the ball in play and using our speed.”“I thought that was a huge momentum swing,” Isbel said. “(Quatraro) gave me the sign and it was my job to get it done.”With the Texas Rangers losing 2-1 at Cleveland, Houston maintained a half-game lead in the American League West Division despite the loss.“We’ve got a small lead in the division but we need to play better baseball,” Bregman said. “It starts with me. I need to make that play today. We need to execute better.”“The leadoff walks really hurt us,” Astros manager Dusty Baker said. “And with a team that has speed and runs as much as they do, when you walk them, you’re asking for trouble. We had some real big hits, but it was the leadoff walks and a couple of errors, and we opened the gates for them, and they walked through.”The Royals built a 4-0 lead against Astros starter J.P. France as Salvador Perez doubled in two first-inning runs, and Nelson Velázquez added a pair of RBIs. Bobby Witt Jr. had two hits, scored twice, and stole his 47th base, which is the most for Kansas City since Tom Goodwin stole 66 in 1996.France allowed five runs on five hits and four walks in 4 1/3 innings.“It was frustrating,” France said. “But my stuff, curveball, cutter, heater, everything was good. That’s what makes it so frustrating, because I was locating. Just two hard-hit balls.”Houston rallied against Kansas City starter Cole Ragans, scoring three runs in the fifth with Yainer Diaz’s 22nd homer and a pair of two-out RBI hits.Ragans completed six innings, allowing five runs on six hits and two walks, striking out seven.“I left some pitches over the middle of the plate and they got hit hard,” Ragans said. “That happens. I felt like I made some really good pitches and a few I left over the middle of the plate.”Jose Altuve hit a three-run homer that curved just fair inside the left-field foul pole to tie the game in the seventh.Logan Porter capped Kansas City’s scoring with his first major league home run in the eighth, a 400-foot shot to center off reliever Joel Kuhnel, a former youth club teammate and high school opponent.“I’ve faced Joel,” Porter said. “I faced him earlier this year when he was with the Reds, so I kind of knew what to expect. He threw me a good pitch and I put a good swing on it. It was awesome.”James McArthur (1-0) struck out two for his first major league victory.“To beat good teams, you’ve got to take their punches and be able to come back,” Quatraro said. “It’s rare when you face a good team with a good offense that you’re going to keep them down the whole time. Being able to battle back, that’s the kind of thing you’ve got to be able to do to beat good teams.”After the Astros scored two ninth-inning runs, Taylor Clarke retired Diaz to earn his second save.Houston lost their first road series since dropping 2 of 3 at Dodger Stadium June 23-25.Rain delayed the game’s start by 36 minutes.The clubs wore Negro Leagues uniforms, with the Astros sporting 1950 Houston Eagles road jerseys and the Royals in 1945 Kansas City Monarchs home uniforms. The game-used jerseys and caps will be auctioned with all proceeds benefiting the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum.TRAINERS ROOMA fifth-inning foul tip dislodged Royals catcher Salvador Perez’s face mask; he left the game two batters later with a non-concussive head impact.UP NEXTAstros LHP Framber Valdez (11-10, 3.32) opposes Royals RHP Jordan Lyles (4-16, 6.44) in Sunday’s series finale.

⚾ Isbel's go-ahead bunt lifts Royals over Astros for fourth straight win

The Kansas City Chiefs and Jacksonville Jaguars are playing for the third time in 10 months. The Chiefs won both meetings last season, including in the divisional round of the AFC playoffs. Kansas City is coming off a 21-20 loss to Detroit in the opener, but should be better with tight end Travis Kelce and defensive tackle Chris Jones returning in Jacksonville. The Chiefs are trying to avoid their first 0-2 start since 2014. The previous defending Super Bowl champion to start 0-2 was Denver in 1999. The Broncos started 0-4 that season after Hall of Fame quarterback John Elway retired.

OPENING LINE: Chiefs by 3½,&nbsp;<a href="https://sportsbook.fanduel.com/navigation/nfl">according to FanDuel Sportsbook</a>.

AGAINST THE SPREAD: Kansas City 0-1; Jacksonville 1-0.

SERIES RECORD: Chiefs lead 9-6, including seven consecutive wins.

LAST MEETING: Chiefs beat Jaguars 27-20 on Jan. 21, 2023, in Kansas City.

LAST WEEK: Chiefs lost to Lions 21-20; Jaguars won at Colts 31-21.

CHIEFS OFFENSE: OVERALL (12), RUSH (21), PASS (9), SCORING (T22).

CHIEFS DEFENSE: OVERALL (26), RUSH (4), PASS (22), SCORING (T14).

JAGUARS OFFENSE: OVERALL (10), RUSH (12), PASS (T7), SCORING (5).

JAGUARS DEFENSE: OVERALL (15), RUSH (4), PASS (22), SCORING (T19).

TURNOVER DIFFERENTIAL: Chiefs even, Jaguars plus-1.

CHIEFS PLAYER TO WATCH: DT Chris Jones is expected to play for the first time this season after ending his holdout earlier this week and signing a reworked, one-year deal. Jones watched the opener from a suite at Arrowhead Stadium. He matched a career high with 15 1/2 sacks last season, but it’s unclear how effective he will be after missing the entire offseason, training camp and preseason games and only practicing a couple of days this week.

JAGUARS PLAYER TO WATCH: WR Calvin Ridley caught eight passes for 101 yards and a touchdown in his Jacksonville debut. He showed a combination of speed, elusiveness and playmaking ability that the franchise has lacked at the position since five-time Pro Bowler Jimmy Smith retired in 2006.

KEY INJURIES: Chiefs star TE Travis Kelce missed the opener after hyperextending his knee in practice two days before kickoff, but he's expected to play in Jacksonville. ... The Jaguars could be without two starting offensive linemen. Veteran RG Brandon Scherff (ankle) and second-year C Luke Fortner (ankle) missed practice Wednesday, with coach Doug Pederson saying Fortner is closer to being able to return.

SERIES NOTES: The Jaguars are 4-3 against the Chiefs in Jacksonville. … Jacksonville’s most recent win against Kansas City came on Nov. 8, 2009. … The previous two times the teams met in a home opener for the Jaguars, the Chiefs knocked out Jacksonville’s starting quarterback: Nick Foles (broken collarbone) in 2019 and Blaine Gabbert (gashed hand) in 2013.

STATS AND STUFF: The Chiefs are trying to avoid their first 0-2 start since 2014. … The most recent defending Super Bowl champ to start 0-2 was Denver in 1999 as the Broncos began life without Hall of Fame QB John Elway. … Kansas City's Andy Reid has 269 wins. One more would tie Tom Landry for fourth on the NFL’s career list. ... Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes needs 533 yards passing to reach 25,000. He also needs six TD passes to reach 200. ... Mahomes has 15 wins when the Chiefs have trailed entering the fourth quarter. ... Mahomes and Kelce have connected for 46 TDs. They are five behind Drew Brees and Jimmy Graham for third in QB-to-TE connections. ... Kelce needs five TD catches to pass Tony Gonzalez for second on the franchise list. ... Chiefs WR Kadarius Toney dropped three passes last week against Detroit, including one that was returned 50 yards for a TD. Kansas City dropped eight as a team. ... Chiefs RBs combined to run 14 times for 45 yards against the Lions. Mahomes had 45 yards rushing on six carries. ... The Chiefs had 11 different players catch a pass against Detroit. Nobody had more than 48 yards receiving. … The Jaguars are looking for their fourth 2-0 start in the past two decades, with the previous one coming in 2018. … Jacksonville has won six consecutive games as home underdogs, including a 5-0 record last season that was the best single-season mark in the Super Bowl era. … Pederson is 0-3 against his mentor, Reid. Pederson played and coached under Reid. ... The Jaguars have to find a way to slow down Kelce, who caught 20 passes for 179 yards and three TDs in their two games in 2022.

FANTASY TIP: Look for Toney and Jaguars WR Christian Kirk to have much better showings in Week 2 than they did in their openers. Toney combined for 140 total yards and a touchdown in the two head-to-head games last season while Kirk totaled 175 yards and three scores.

By The Associated PressThe Kansas City Chiefs and Jacksonville Jaguars are playing for the third time in 10 months. The Chiefs won both meetings last season, including in the divisional round of the AFC playoffs. Kansas City is coming off a 21-20 loss to Detroit in the opener, but should be better with tight end Travis Kelce and defensive tackle Chris Jones returning in Jacksonville. The Chiefs are trying to avoid their first 0-2 start since 2014. The previous defending Super Bowl champion to start 0-2 was Denver in 1999. The Broncos started 0-4 that season after Hall of Fame quarterback John Elway retired.KANSAS CITY (0-1) at JACKSONVILLE (1-0)Sunday, 1 p.m. EDT, CBSOPENING LINE: Chiefs by 3½,&nbsp;<a href="https://sportsbook.fanduel.com/navigation/nfl">according to FanDuel Sportsbook</a>.AGAINST THE SPREAD: Kansas City 0-1; Jacksonville 1-0.SERIES RECORD: Chiefs lead 9-6, including seven consecutive wins.LAST MEETING: Chiefs beat Jaguars 27-20 on Jan. 21, 2023, in Kansas City.LAST WEEK: Chiefs lost to Lions 21-20; Jaguars won at Colts 31-21.CHIEFS OFFENSE: OVERALL (12), RUSH (21), PASS (9), SCORING (T22).CHIEFS DEFENSE: OVERALL (26), RUSH (4), PASS (22), SCORING (T14).JAGUARS OFFENSE: OVERALL (10), RUSH (12), PASS (T7), SCORING (5).JAGUARS DEFENSE: OVERALL (15), RUSH (4), PASS (22), SCORING (T19).TURNOVER DIFFERENTIAL: Chiefs even, Jaguars plus-1.CHIEFS PLAYER TO WATCH: DT Chris Jones is expected to play for the first time this season after ending his holdout earlier this week and signing a reworked, one-year deal. Jones watched the opener from a suite at Arrowhead Stadium. He matched a career high with 15 1/2 sacks last season, but it’s unclear how effective he will be after missing the entire offseason, training camp and preseason games and only practicing a couple of days this week.JAGUARS PLAYER TO WATCH: WR Calvin Ridley caught eight passes for 101 yards and a touchdown in his Jacksonville debut. He showed a combination of speed, elusiveness and playmaking ability that the franchise has lacked at the position since five-time Pro Bowler Jimmy Smith retired in 2006.KEY INJURIES: Chiefs star TE Travis Kelce missed the opener after hyperextending his knee in practice two days before kickoff, but he's expected to play in Jacksonville. ... The Jaguars could be without two starting offensive linemen. Veteran RG Brandon Scherff (ankle) and second-year C Luke Fortner (ankle) missed practice Wednesday, with coach Doug Pederson saying Fortner is closer to being able to return.SERIES NOTES: The Jaguars are 4-3 against the Chiefs in Jacksonville. … Jacksonville’s most recent win against Kansas City came on Nov. 8, 2009. … The previous two times the teams met in a home opener for the Jaguars, the Chiefs knocked out Jacksonville’s starting quarterback: Nick Foles (broken collarbone) in 2019 and Blaine Gabbert (gashed hand) in 2013.STATS AND STUFF: The Chiefs are trying to avoid their first 0-2 start since 2014. … The most recent defending Super Bowl champ to start 0-2 was Denver in 1999 as the Broncos began life without Hall of Fame QB John Elway. … Kansas City's Andy Reid has 269 wins. One more would tie Tom Landry for fourth on the NFL’s career list. ... Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes needs 533 yards passing to reach 25,000. He also needs six TD passes to reach 200. ... Mahomes has 15 wins when the Chiefs have trailed entering the fourth quarter. ... Mahomes and Kelce have connected for 46 TDs. They are five behind Drew Brees and Jimmy Graham for third in QB-to-TE connections. ... Kelce needs five TD catches to pass Tony Gonzalez for second on the franchise list. ... Chiefs WR Kadarius Toney dropped three passes last week against Detroit, including one that was returned 50 yards for a TD. Kansas City dropped eight as a team. ... Chiefs RBs combined to run 14 times for 45 yards against the Lions. Mahomes had 45 yards rushing on six carries. ... The Chiefs had 11 different players catch a pass against Detroit. Nobody had more than 48 yards receiving. … The Jaguars are looking for their fourth 2-0 start in the past two decades, with the previous one coming in 2018. … Jacksonville has won six consecutive games as home underdogs, including a 5-0 record last season that was the best single-season mark in the Super Bowl era. … Pederson is 0-3 against his mentor, Reid. Pederson played and coached under Reid. ... The Jaguars have to find a way to slow down Kelce, who caught 20 passes for 179 yards and three TDs in their two games in 2022.FANTASY TIP: Look for Toney and Jaguars WR Christian Kirk to have much better showings in Week 2 than they did in their openers. Toney combined for 140 total yards and a touchdown in the two head-to-head games last season while Kirk totaled 175 yards and three scores.

🏈 Chiefs trying to avoid 0-2 start Sunday at Jags. 

TOPEKA, Kan. - The Fort Hays State volleyball team fell in three sets against No. 15 Washburn Saturday afternoon (Sept. 16) on the road, 17-25, 12-25, 20-25. The Tigers are now 6-5 overall and 0-2 in league action, while the Ichabods are 8-1 on the year and 2-0 in MIAA play.

The Tigers won the defensive battle at the net, recording nine team blocks compared to eight for the Ichabods.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-volleyball/roster/ashlyn-reeves/7536">Ashlyn Reeves</a>&nbsp;led FHSU with five block assists, while&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-volleyball/roster/emily-ellis/7495">Emily Ellis</a>&nbsp;added four and&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-volleyball/roster/caiya-stucky/7503">Caiya Stucky</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-volleyball/roster/claire-olson/7499">Claire Olson</a>&nbsp;picked up three blocks each. Stucky also tossed up 22 assists to lead the team.

<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-volleyball/roster/gracie-rains/7500">Gracie Rains</a>&nbsp;paced the team with eight kills, with Ellis and&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-volleyball/roster/riley-tinder/7504">Riley Tinder</a>&nbsp;recording six kills each.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-volleyball/roster/kirsten-evans/7496">Kirsten Evans</a>&nbsp;led the way with 10 digs.

The Tigers scored seven of the first 10 points in the second set to lead 7-3 before Washburn fought back to win the set, 25-12. Kills from Reeves and Ellis and a combo block from Ellis and Tinder helped FHSU close within 20-18 late in the third set, but one final Ichabod run brought the match to a close.

Fort Hays State will return to Hays next weekend when the Tigers host No. 25 Central Oklahoma on Friday (Sept. 22, 6 p.m.) and Pittsburg State on Saturday (Sept. 23, 2 p.m.).&nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1694925899898.jpeg" alt="Fort Hays State rightside hitter Olson, Claire attempts a kill in an NCAA volleyball match vs. Southern Nazarene, on Friday, Sept. 8, 2023 in Hays, Kan. (FHSU Athletics photo/Coryn Hahn)" />
 <figcaption>Fort Hays State rightside hitter Olson, Claire attempts a kill in an NCAA volleyball match vs. Southern Nazarene, on Friday, Sept. 8, 2023 in Hays, Kan. (FHSU Athletics photo/Coryn Hahn)</figcaption>
 </figure>FHSU AthleticsTOPEKA, Kan. - The Fort Hays State volleyball team fell in three sets against No. 15 Washburn Saturday afternoon (Sept. 16) on the road, 17-25, 12-25, 20-25. The Tigers are now 6-5 overall and 0-2 in league action, while the Ichabods are 8-1 on the year and 2-0 in MIAA play.The Tigers won the defensive battle at the net, recording nine team blocks compared to eight for the Ichabods.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-volleyball/roster/ashlyn-reeves/7536">Ashlyn Reeves</a>&nbsp;led FHSU with five block assists, while&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-volleyball/roster/emily-ellis/7495">Emily Ellis</a>&nbsp;added four and&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-volleyball/roster/caiya-stucky/7503">Caiya Stucky</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-volleyball/roster/claire-olson/7499">Claire Olson</a>&nbsp;picked up three blocks each. Stucky also tossed up 22 assists to lead the team.<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-volleyball/roster/gracie-rains/7500">Gracie Rains</a>&nbsp;paced the team with eight kills, with Ellis and&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-volleyball/roster/riley-tinder/7504">Riley Tinder</a>&nbsp;recording six kills each.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-volleyball/roster/kirsten-evans/7496">Kirsten Evans</a>&nbsp;led the way with 10 digs.The Tigers scored seven of the first 10 points in the second set to lead 7-3 before Washburn fought back to win the set, 25-12. Kills from Reeves and Ellis and a combo block from Ellis and Tinder helped FHSU close within 20-18 late in the third set, but one final Ichabod run brought the match to a close.Fort Hays State will return to Hays next weekend when the Tigers host No. 25 Central Oklahoma on Friday (Sept. 22, 6 p.m.) and Pittsburg State on Saturday (Sept. 23, 2 p.m.).&nbsp;&nbsp;

🏐 Tigers swept at No. 15 Washburn

By DAVE SKRETTA&nbsp; AP Sports Writer

COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) — Eli Drinkwitz and the Missouri coaching staff decided in the closing seconds of a back-and-forth affair with Kansas State on Saturday that if the Tigers crossed midfield and reached the 40-yard line, they would give Harrison Mevis a chance to kick the winning field goal.

Missouri made it to the Kansas State 38 and quarterback Brady Cook spiked the ball to stop the clock.

Then that same coaching staff inexplicably lost track of time on the sideline, and the delay-of-game penalty pushed the field-goal attempt back 5 yards. What would have been a 56-yarder became a 61-yard long shot from the wrong side of midfield.

After Cook threw incomplete trying to recoup the yardage, Mevis trotted onto the field anyway. And with the final few seconds ticking away, he boomed the SEC-record 61-yarder over the crossbar, sending the Tigers to a field-storming, come-from-behind 30-27 victory over the No. 15 Wildcats in a showdown of former Big 12 rivals.

“We took the penalty to make it more dramatic,” Drinkwitz said afterward. “This is all for TV anyway. This was in the script.”

“I told him right before the kick: ‘Listen, you’ve been doing this your whole life. This is your opportunity,'” Cook said. “I was just on a knee, watching. I just could not believe it. I could not believe it.”

The beleaguered Cook, who was booed by some home fans during introductions, finished with 356 yards passing and two touchdowns, despite hobbling around the second half on a sprained knee. Luther Burden III had both of the scoring grabs for the Tigers (3-0), finishing with seven catches for 114 yards in another star-making performance.

“Redemption is a beautiful thing," Drinkwitz said. “That pissed me off when we booed our starting quarterback to start the game — that pissed me off. And he went out there and played his butt off for the team.”

Will Howard, who was likewise left hobbling after the brutally physical game, had 270 yards passing and three scores. But the senior also threw a costly pick, and the Wildcats (2-1) blew too many chances on third down to put the game away.

“We had plenty of opportunities in all three phases,” K-State coach Chris Klieman said. “This is what Big 12 football is going to be like starting next week. You'd better get used to tight ballgames that are hard to win.”

The Wildcats started off like they finished a year ago, when they rolled to a rain-soaked 40-12 victory in the first meeting since Missouri left the Big 12 for the SEC. Howard hit four different receivers while swiftly marching Kansas State down field, and his third-and-goal throw tipped by the Tigers' JC Carlies landed in the hands of Phillip Brooks for the score.

Rather than begin a blowout, the touchdown launched a thriller.

Cook answered with a 47-yard touchdown heave to Burden, who spent most of the game making a mockery of the Kansas State secondary. And after Howard threw a pick in tight coverage, Mevis' added his first field goal to give Missouri the lead.

When the Wildcats responded with a swift touchdown drive, the Tigers needed two big plays and about 2 1/2 minutes to score again. This time, Cook finished the drive with a short run to send them into halftime with a 17-14 lead.

That's about when Cook hurt his leg, and for a while, the Missouri offense became stagnant. The Tigers punted twice to start the second half, and Kansas State turned them into a field goal and Howard's second TD pass to Ben Sinnott for a 24-17 lead.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1694896476919.jpeg" alt="Missouri kicker Harrison Mevis kicks the game-winning field goal during the fourth quarter of an NCAA college football game against Kansas State Saturday, Sept. 16, 2023, in Columbia, Mo. Missouri won 30-27. (AP Photo/L.G. Patterson)" />
 <figcaption>Missouri kicker Harrison Mevis kicks the game-winning field goal during the fourth quarter of an NCAA college football game against Kansas State Saturday, Sept. 16, 2023, in Columbia, Mo. Missouri won 30-27. (AP Photo/L.G. Patterson)</figcaption>
 </figure>By DAVE SKRETTA&nbsp; AP Sports WriterCOLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) — Eli Drinkwitz and the Missouri coaching staff decided in the closing seconds of a back-and-forth affair with Kansas State on Saturday that if the Tigers crossed midfield and reached the 40-yard line, they would give Harrison Mevis a chance to kick the winning field goal.Missouri made it to the Kansas State 38 and quarterback Brady Cook spiked the ball to stop the clock.Then that same coaching staff inexplicably lost track of time on the sideline, and the delay-of-game penalty pushed the field-goal attempt back 5 yards. What would have been a 56-yarder became a 61-yard long shot from the wrong side of midfield.It didn't matter.After Cook threw incomplete trying to recoup the yardage, Mevis trotted onto the field anyway. And with the final few seconds ticking away, he boomed the SEC-record 61-yarder over the crossbar, sending the Tigers to a field-storming, come-from-behind 30-27 victory over the No. 15 Wildcats in a showdown of former Big 12 rivals.“We took the penalty to make it more dramatic,” Drinkwitz said afterward. “This is all for TV anyway. This was in the script.”Quite the fairytale ending.“I told him right before the kick: ‘Listen, you’ve been doing this your whole life. This is your opportunity,'” Cook said. “I was just on a knee, watching. I just could not believe it. I could not believe it.”The beleaguered Cook, who was booed by some home fans during introductions, finished with 356 yards passing and two touchdowns, despite hobbling around the second half on a sprained knee. Luther Burden III had both of the scoring grabs for the Tigers (3-0), finishing with seven catches for 114 yards in another star-making performance.“Redemption is a beautiful thing," Drinkwitz said. “That pissed me off when we booed our starting quarterback to start the game — that pissed me off. And he went out there and played his butt off for the team.”Will Howard, who was likewise left hobbling after the brutally physical game, had 270 yards passing and three scores. But the senior also threw a costly pick, and the Wildcats (2-1) blew too many chances on third down to put the game away.“We had plenty of opportunities in all three phases,” K-State coach Chris Klieman said. “This is what Big 12 football is going to be like starting next week. You'd better get used to tight ballgames that are hard to win.”The Wildcats started off like they finished a year ago, when they rolled to a rain-soaked 40-12 victory in the first meeting since Missouri left the Big 12 for the SEC. Howard hit four different receivers while swiftly marching Kansas State down field, and his third-and-goal throw tipped by the Tigers' JC Carlies landed in the hands of Phillip Brooks for the score.Rather than begin a blowout, the touchdown launched a thriller.Cook answered with a 47-yard touchdown heave to Burden, who spent most of the game making a mockery of the Kansas State secondary. And after Howard threw a pick in tight coverage, Mevis' added his first field goal to give Missouri the lead.When the Wildcats responded with a swift touchdown drive, the Tigers needed two big plays and about 2 1/2 minutes to score again. This time, Cook finished the drive with a short run to send them into halftime with a 17-14 lead.That's about when Cook hurt his leg, and for a while, the Missouri offense became stagnant. The Tigers punted twice to start the second half, and Kansas State turned them into a field goal and Howard's second TD pass to Ben Sinnott for a 24-17 lead.It was still 24-20 when the Wildcats squandered two chances to put the game away, failing twice on short third downs. And when Missouri took over after Howard's third-and-1 pass fell incomplete, it took two plays — Cody Schrader's 26-yard run and a personal foul penalty, and Cook's 26-yard TD pass to Burden — to cover 77 yards and give Missouri a 27-24 lead.The Wildcats had a chance to regain the lead with 5 1/2 minutes to go. But with third-and-goal at the Missouri 3, Howard lost track of time and was called for a delay of game. Kansas State settled for a tying field goal — and a costly one at that.Mevis made sure of that with his kick — the one that bailed out his coaches — on the game's final play.“I would have preferred it from 56,” he said, “but you know, it really doesn't matter. It's going to be the same kick.”THE TAKEAWAYKansas State beat itself at the most inopportune of times. Along with the failed third downs, the Wildcats were penalized seven times for 65 yards, their running game was bottled up in the second half and Howard had far too many passes dropped. Those are all correctable mistakes going forward, but they proved costly on Saturday.Missouri has been under pressure to move beyond mediocre under Drinkwitz, who has yet to have a winning record in three seasons despite going to three bowl games; that's part of the reason Cook was booed by fans, who have been pining for backup Sam Horn to take the field. The result Saturday could go a long way toward changing those narratives.UP NEXTKansas State plays Big 12 newcomer UCF next Saturday night.Missouri plays Memphis next Saturday night in St. Louis.