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No. 23 Tennessee Volunteers looking to crank up run game, offense vs UTSA

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:28:10 GMT

UTSA (1-2) at No. 23 Tennessee (2-1), Saturday, 4 p.m. ET (SEC Network)Line: Tennessee by 20 1/2, according to FanDuel Sportsbook.Series record: First meeting.WHAT’S AT STAKE?The Tennessee Volunteers have been busy taking a good, long look at themselves after the loss to Florida. Self-inflicted mistakes ranging from too many penalties, a turnover and turning the ball over on downs didn’t help. The Vols need a win to rebuild confidence that took a big hit. UTSA has won back-to-back Conference USA championships by going 23-5 over the past two seasons. Now the Roadrunners are off to a sluggish start needing some momentum before diving into league play. KEY MATCHUPTennessee didn’t run the ball particularly well in a win over Austin Peay. Then, the Vols were held to just 100 yards by Florida finding little room to run. UTSA is giving up just 129 yards rushing. Getting center Cooper Mays back from a medical procedure on a knee that has sidelined him since August could help the...

UN reports says West Bank settler violence has displaced over 1,100 Palestinians since 2022

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:28:10 GMT

JERUSALEM (AP) — Violence from Israeli settlers has displaced over 1,100 Palestinians in the occupied West Bank since 2022, according to a U.N. report released Thursday, with officials describing the exodus as unparalleled in recent years. The report documented about three settler-related incidents each day in the West Bank — the highest daily average since the U.N. began documenting the trend in 2006. The violence has completely emptied out five Palestinian communities. Six more have seen half their inhabitants leave, and seven have seen a quarter flee, the report said. As Israeli settlements expand under the far-right government of Benjamin Netanyahu, Palestinians say the violence from radical Israeli settlers has reached a fever pitch. “The U.N. has recorded unprecedented levels of settler violence against Palestinians this year,” said Lynn Hastings, humanitarian coordinator for the occupied Palestinian territory. “The humanitarian community is responding to their imm...

2 Chainz says joint-Lil Wayne album is done, talks new ‘Amazon Music Live’ season

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:28:10 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — It’s no secret that rap superstar 2 Chainz considers Lil Wayne an inspiration, and now that admiration for the “Tha Carter” series icon has translated into another official joint album that he says will be out before 2023 ends.“We have two videos shot, photoshoot shot, (the) album’s mixed and getting mastered, so it’ll be coming sooner than later, and I’m really excited about it,” said 2 Chainz, while promoting the new season of Amazon Music Live. “It’s rapping at a high level — steel sharpens steel. And he’s one of the people that I enjoy working with the most.”The long-awaited album, expectedly titled “COLLEGROVE 2,” has been teased since 2020 as the sequel to their 2016 collaboration. 2 Chainz is credited as the main artist on that project although Wayne appeared on eight of the 12 songs, due to Weezy’s contractual issues at the time. While much of the album is shrouded in secrecy, various reports say features will include Benny the Butcher and Usher, who re...

RYDER CUP ’23: USA looks to end 30 years of losing on European soil

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:28:10 GMT

The Americans never felt more confident. The Europeans rarely felt so annoyed.A two-year wait can feel even longer when it comes to the pride and passion only the Ryder Cup can deliver in golf. Both sides were eager for the next Ryder Cup outside Rome, for different reasons.Team USA was fresh off its most lopsided victory over Europe at Whistling Straits and had reason to believe they would turn the series back in their favor with such a young, powerful squad. Jordan Spieth already was looking ahead as he celebrated that autumn evening in Wisconsin.“If we play like we did this week, the score will look the same over there,” he said.Tommy Fleetwood of England recalled how much it burned to see the Americans celebrate, speaking as if he could still smell the smoke from Xander Schauffele’s victory cigar mixed with the spray of champagne.“All of us stood there and thought, ‘We want to get our chance back,’” Fleetwood said. “The flight on the way home, we were all a little tender and hun...

And end in sight? Striking writers and Hollywood studios resume negotiations for second day

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:28:10 GMT

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Hollywood studios and striking screenwriters are resuming negotiations for the second consecutive day Thursday. The talks could potentially put an end to the nearly five-month dispute that has brought many film and television productions to a halt.In a rare joint statement issued Wednesday night, the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, which represents the industry’s studios, streaming services and production companies in union negotiations, and the Writers Guild of America, said that they’d met for bargaining Wednesday and would continue Thursday. Present at the meeting were a group of top entertainment CEOs including Disney’s Bob Iger, Warner Bros. Discovery’s David Zaslav, Universal’s Donna Langley and Netflix’s Ted Sarandos. The four are likely to be present at the talks Thursday as well. CNBC reporter David Faber wrote on X, previously Twitter, Wednesday that the writers and AMPTP were “near” an agreement and “hope to finalize the deal,” acco...

Farrell back from suspension at 10 and Smith at fullback for England Rugby World Cup match

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:28:10 GMT

LILLE, France (AP) — England captain Owen Farrell will make his return from suspension in a much-changed team for the Rugby World Cup match against Chile on Saturday.Farrell had to serve a four-match ban for a dangerous tackle in a warmup match against Wales on Aug. 12, with the suspension taking in World Cup pool games against Argentina and Japan.England won both of them to virtually secure a place in the quarterfinals and Farrell is back — at flyhalf — in a team containing 12 changes from the 34-12 victory over the Japanese on Sunday.Utility back Marcus Smith starts at fullback, while center Ollie Lawrence and wingers Henry Arundell and Max Malins also come in for their first appearances of the tournament.Prop Bevan Rodd and lock David Ribbans will get World Cup debuts, and hooker Theo Dan, lock George Martin and scrumhalf Danny Care start for the first time in this campaign.“One of the many great things about the Rugby World Cup is that the tournament provides an excellent opport...

Leeds goes back to CAS in latest transfer case with Augustin over $30M wage settlement

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:28:10 GMT

LAUSANNE, Switzerland (AP) — English soccer club Leeds is going to sport’s highest court for a second appeal case involving former striker Jean-Kévin Augustin, this time contesting a $30 million salary settlement in their dispute over a transfer deal during the COVID-19 pandemic.The Court of Arbitration for Sport said Thursday that a Nov. 16 hearing is set for Leeds to challenge a FIFA award in favor of the French striker.Leeds was ordered by FIFA in March to pay Augustin more than 24.5 million pounds ($30 million) for breach of a five-year contract agreed in the 2019-20 soccer season affected by the pandemic.Second-tier Leeds, which is owned by the San Francisco 49ers, lost a first CAS ruling last year. That upheld a FIFA decision ordering Leeds to pay Leipzig a 6.7-million euro ($7.1-million) first instalment in a transfer deal of 21 million euros ($22.4 million) for Augustin.In both cases Leeds’ lawyers have argued the deal should have been nullified. The 2019-20 soccer sea...

No. 7 Penn State ready for tough test with possibly defense leading the way against No. 24 Iowa

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:28:10 GMT

No. 24 Iowa (3-0, 0-0 Big Ten) at No. 7 Penn State (3-0, 1-0), 7:30 ET (CBS)Line: Penn State by 14 1/2, according to FanDuel Sportsbook.Series record: Penn State 17-14.WHAT’S AT STAKE?The Hawkeyes are trying to go 4-0 for the third time since 2019 in a place coach Kirk Ferentz has won before. His teams have won the last two games in the series, including a 41-21 win in 2020 in an empty Beaver Stadium during the pandemic. The atmosphere will be much more daunting this time as the Nittany Lions are playing in their second primetime game and want to make a statement against their first ranked foe. It’s a “White Out” for the Nittany Lions.KEY MATCHUPPenn State’s passing game vs. Iowa’s zone defense. Iowa defensive coordinator Phil Parker likes to eliminate big plays and force opposing quarterbacks to make mistakes with multiple zone looks. Penn State quarterback Drew Allar hasn’t thrown an interception yet. If his receivers can find holes in Parker’s defense, Allar has the vision ...

Oklahoma State, Iowa State are trying to jump-start lifeless offenses entering their Big 12 opener

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:28:10 GMT

Oklahoma State (2-1) at Iowa State (1-2), Saturday, 4 p.m. ET (FS1)Line: Iowa State by 3 1/2, according to FanDuel Sportsbook.Series record: Oklahoma State leads 34-20-3.WHAT’S AT STAKE?Both teams desperately need to get their offenses going. Oklahoma State managed just 208 yards in a humiliating 33-7 home loss to South Alabama, which had allowed 412 yards to Southeastern Louisiana the week before. The Cowboys plan to continue rotating three quarterbacks. The Cyclones, whose offense is worst in the Power Five, lost 10-7 to Ohio and has yet to crack 300 yards in a game. They have scored a combined 20 points the last two games.KEY MATCHUPOklahoma State offensive line vs. Iowa State front seven. The Cowboys’ starting linemen met Sunday morning for a mental reset after South Alabama worked them over for four sacks and held the ‘Pokes to 94 rushing yards. The Cyclones have just one sack in two games since recording five against Northern Iowa, but they have 57 quarterback pres...

Florida agriculture losses between $78M and $371M from Hurricane Idalia, preliminary estimate says

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:28:10 GMT

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Florida agriculture losses from Hurricane Idalia are estimated at between $78 million and $371 million, with producers also suffering widespread damage to such infrastructure as irrigation rigs and fences, according to a preliminary report Thursday from the University of Florida.The Category 3 hurricane came ashore Aug. 30 along Florida’s Big Bend region with maximum sustained winds near 125 mph (205 kph), sweeping across rural areas that include crops such as peanuts and cotton as well as cattle, poultry and aquaculture operations.Predicted losses for livestock are pegged at between $30.1 million and $123.4 million, according to the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences report. Estimates for field and row crop losses are between $30.7 million and $93.6 million, with greenhouse and nursery products accounting for between $4.7 million and $68.8 million.Researchers said the wide ranges in these estimates w...