Cleveland Browns franchise player Myles Garrett enjoyed sticking it to Joe Burrow with a convincing 32-13 home win over the Cincinnati Bengals in Monday's AFC North showdown.
Garrett, Sione Takitaki, Deion Jones, Taven Bryan and Isaiah Thomas all collected sacks on Bengals quarterback Burrow, while A.J. Green intercepted one of his passes off a Garrett deflection, and Tommy Togiai recovered the ball when Burrow fumbled.
It was a stat-stuffing performance from the Browns defense, holding the Bengals scoreless through the first three quarters to snap a four-game losing streak.
Garrett said this was a game his team were taking personally, indicating they felt disrespected by preseason comments from the Bengals.
"Heck yeah, we really wanted to get after them," he said. "They definitely had this one circled, as well.
"We all wanted to get after them after what they said about our defense and what they were going to do. We can’t wait to see them again in their house."
On Burrow, Garrett said: "I don't know if it's him saying the sacks are underrated or the wide receivers talking about our defensive backs, but I guess they just light a fire in us and we are able to get after them a little differently.
"Burrow and I are cool off the field, but in between the goal line and me, he is going to have to take that L."
Tallying one and a half sacks, Garrett is now fifth in the NFL with seven and a half for the season, but he said the most enjoyable part of this game was that everybody was getting involved.
"That first tipped pass leading to an interception, and then that sack," he said. "It felt like everyone was like 'the bank is open – everyone grab something'.
"I was rushing to get to the passer to make a big play, but there were a lot of guys playing lights out – it was just beautiful to see.
"[We were] just confident, just liked the matchup. [Burrow] is a great quarterback, and it is difficult to get to him, especially with how quick they get the ball off, but if and when we make him bring the ball down, we are rushing and we are going to get there.
"We had enough time to get there and have an effect on the game."
Garrett went on to talk about how he feels this could be a turning point for the Browns (3-5) as they take their momentum into their bye week.
"I think we have what it takes," he said. "We have taken our lumps, but we will show what we have and our dedication to the game and what it takes to get wins in this league, because they don’t come easily.
"Right now, to get a win like this, and in a dominant fashion, it is showing the guys how good we can really be.
"I don’t want to say perfect – perfect would have been a shutout, but it was damn close. It was a fun one to play in because it felt like everything was clicking all over the field."
Indiana Pacers center Myles Turner took his opportunity on the podcast of ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski to lay out the case for why the Los Angeles Lakers should trade for him.
Turner, 26, led the NBA in blocked shots per game in the 2018-19, 2020-21 and 2021-22 seasons. His career average of 2.29 blocks per game is second among all active players, trailing only Lakers star Anthony Davis (2.34).
Of all the players to average at least two blocks per game across the past two seasons, only Memphis Grizzlies big-man Jaren Jackson Jr has also averaged at least one made three-pointer per game.
His unique combination of shot blocking and shooting at a relatively young age has made him an intriguing trade chip for the Pacers, who are well-and-truly in the middle of a total rebuild, led by young point guard Tyrese Haliburton.
There were reports in the offseason about a potential trade between the Lakers and Pacers that would have seen Russell Westbrook and the Lakers' first round draft picks in 2027 and 2029 sent to the Pacers for Turner and shooter Buddy Hield.
Speaking on the Woj Pod, Turner, who is in the last year of his contract, said he believes it is a deal the Pacers should revisit.
"Coming into a contract year as well, you can’t lose me for [nothing]," he said.
"[The Pacers] can’t have the notion of me playing out this year, they don’t trade me, and it’s like 'okay, say free agency comes around and I don’t re-sign here'. Let’s just be real – that’s just bad on the organisation.
"If they do trade me, and they do get assets for me coming along, they’re doing what’s best for them and doing what they’re paid to do. There’s no hard feelings with that."
He then laid out his case for why he believes he would be a strong fit, and be more appreciated with the Lakers.
"I know what I can provide for a team," he said. "My leadership, my shot-blocking, my three-point ability and just my ability to make plays out there on the floor.
"If I'm the Lakers, I take a very hard look at this with the position that you're in… but as far as pulling the trigger, I get paid to shoot. I'm not paid to make these calls, so I couldn't answer that.
"I just feel like here in the Midwest we don't get the love that I think we deserve... it doesn't get taken in on the national level.
"You are under the microscope out there in the West. When you are doing bad, you're going to hear about it. When you are doing great, you are going to get a lot of love, especially with the love that the Lakers get.
"I think that another aspect that is [appealing is] playing with greatness and playing under LeBron. I feel like he demands a certain level of excellency, especially at this point of his career. It's just one of those things; when you are out there, you got to perform.
"People are going to expect you to go out there and hold on to that legacy that the Lakers have built over the years."
The NBA trade deadline is not until February 9, but with the Lakers starting their season 1-5, they may act with urgency to turn things around.
Aryna Sabalenka fought from a set behind to come back and defeat Ons Jabeur 3-6 7-6 (7-5) 7-5 in their first match of the WTA Finals on Monday.
Sabalenka, 24, has now won her past three matches against Jabeur, and this time around it was her ability to limit the effectiveness of the Tunisian's serve that turned the tide.
Jabeur's serve dominated the opening set, winning 73 per cent (16-of-22) of her service points while not allowing Sabalenka a single break point opportunity.
The second set was a different story, as some double faults crept into Jabeur's game and her success rate on her service points dipped to 51 per cent (24-of-47), allowing Sabalenka to break three times before forcing a decider with a close tiebreaker.
Sabalenka finally got on top in the third set, narrowly edging the total points count 37 to 31 in the frame while converting both of her break point chances to finish off the victory.
She now sits second in the Group B standings, trailing Maria Sakkari due to the Greek winning her match in straight sets.
BREAK POINTS WON
Sabalenka - 5/8
Jabeur - 6/10
WINNERS/UNFORCED ERRORS
Sabalenka - 21/26
Jabeur - 37/29
ACES/DOUBLE FAULTS
Sabalenka - 1/6
Jabeur - 7/5
The Cleveland Browns were never in any trouble during their 32-13 home triumph over the Cincinnati Bengals on Monday.
Things got off to a poor start for the visiting Bengals, with quarterback Joe Burrow throwing an interception on the opening drive of the game.
After a scoreless first quarter, Nick Chubb powered home a three-yard touchdown run early in the second period, also converting the two-point conversion, and a late field goal would give his Browns an 11-0 lead at the long break.
The Browns came out of halftime strongly, manufacturing an 11-play drive that culminated in a three-yard touchdown scamper from quarterback Jacoby Brissett.
A four-yard goal-line fade to Amari Cooper blew out the margin to 25-0, before a few late touchdowns finally put some Bengals points on the board.
Burrow ended up completing touchdown passes to Tyler Boyd and Tee Higgins to salvage a respectable day, completing 25 of his 35 passes for 232 yards, two touchdowns and one interception.
Brissett was strong, completing 17-of-22 for 278 yards, one touchdown and one fumble, but Chubb was the engine that made the offense move.
Chubb ran the ball 23 times for 101 yards and two touchdowns, while through the air it was Cooper leading the way with five catches for 131 yards and a score.
With the win, the Browns snapped a four-game losing streak and moved to 3-5. They remain behind the Bengals (4-4) and the Baltimore Ravens (5-3) in the AFC North.
Big performances from Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jrue Holiday and Brook Lopez carried the Milwaukee Bucks to a 110-108 victory against the Detroit Pistons on Monday.
With their win, the Bucks are now 6-0, and the NBA's last remaining unbeaten team.
Two-time MVP Antetokounmpo led the way with a game-high 31 points on 12-of-23 shooting, and he delivered in an important stretch of the game.
After the Bucks came out of halftime with a 60-52 lead, the Pistons got on a quick run, cutting the margin to one at 62-61, before Antetokounmpo scored his team's first 10 points of the third quarter to steady the ship.
He was supported well by Holiday, who scored 25 points with an efficient long-range shooting performance, finishing seven-of-15 from the field while hitting five of his 11 three-point attempts. He also added 10 assists and seven rebounds
Meanwhile, Lopez was a force in the middle of the paint, scoring 26 points (10-of-16) with nine rebounds and two blocks.
For the Pistons, Cade Cunningham was excellent with 27 points (11-of-23), seven assists and six rebounds, while the fifth overall pick from this year's NBA Draft, Jaden Ivey, had seven of his 19 points in the fourth quarter to make it a game down the stretch.
Harden narrowly misses career-high
James Harden was one assist shy of his career-high as he dished out 17 in the Philadelphia 76ers' 118-111 win over the Washington Wizards.
His 17 assists matched his regular-season high, becoming the 10th time he has reached that figure, while he had 18 assists in a playoff game for the Brooklyn Nets against the Boston Celtics in the first round of 2021.
Against the Wizards, Harden also added 23 points (eight-of-17 shooting) and seven rebounds, with Tyrese Maxey finishing as their top-scorer with 28 on 12-of-22 shooting.
Washington's Kristaps Porzingis was the game's highest scorer with 32 points (10-of-17), nine rebounds, three assists and two steals.
Durant and the Nets get back in the win column
The Brooklyn Nets snapped a four-game losing streak when they defeated the Indiana Pacers 116-109.
Superstar duo Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving led the way as Ben Simmons missed the game with swelling in his knee.
Durant finished with a game-high 36 points on 13-of-22 shooting, while adding nine rebounds and seven assists. Irving was not far behind, posting 28 points (nine-of-19) with six rebounds, six assists and four steals.
Second-year wing Chris Duarte was impressive for the Pacers, scoring 30 points on 10-of-15 shooting, hitting five-of-10 from long range.
Maria Sakkari defeated Jessica Pegula 7-6 (8-6) 7-6 (7-4) in the opening match of the WTA Finals on Monday in Fort Worth.
It was a highly anticipated first match after the same two competitors faced off in the Guadalajara Open final just eight days ago, with Pegula taking that contest 6-2 6-3 in convincing fashion.
That final lasted just 71 minutes, but the rematch would be a far more gruelling affair, with the first set alone reaching 73 minutes.
Illustrating the even nature of the contest, both players won exactly 52 out of 104 total points played in the opening set, with both players converting three of their five break point opportunities.
Sakkari created a slight edge in the second set, winning 52 per cent of the points (42-of-81) and creating four break point opportunities to Pegula's one.
Pegula took her only chance to break, and then saved two match points to force a tiebreak, but Sakkari would not be denied as she secured the victory and moved to the top of the Group B standings.
BREAK POINTS WON
Sakkari - 4/9
Pegula - 4/6
ACES/DOUBLE FAULTS
Sakkari - 3/1
Pegula - 3/4
WINNERS/UNFORCED ERRORS
Sakkari - 22/22
Pegula - 22/28
Game 3 of the World Series between the Philadelphia Phillies and Houston Astros has been pushed back a day as inclement weather prevented play from starting on Monday.
It means the entire series will also be adjusted to allow for the scheduled off-day to remain, with Game 4 now scheduled for Wednesday, Game 5 on Thursday, and a day off on Friday.
If Game 6 and Game 7 are required, they will be contested back in Houston on Saturday and Sunday after Philadelphia hosts Game 3, Game 4 and Game 5.
The series is currently tied at 1-1 after the Phillies won the opener in a thrilling comeback, before Houston levelled things with a convincing Game 2 victory.
The Philadelphia 76ers have been stripped of a pair of second-round draft picks for holding conversations with free-agent players prior to the NBA's allotted time period, the league announced Monday.
Philadelphia will forfeit their second-round selections in the 2023 and 2024 drafts after being found to have engaged in early discussions with forwards P.J. Tucker and Danuel House Jr., both of whom later signed with the team.
The NBA said in a statement that the 76ers fully cooperated with the investigation.
Tucker, a 12-year veteran and defensive specialist, signed a three-year, $33million contract in July, a move made possible by star guard James Harden declining a $47m player option and re-signing with the 76ers at a lower salary to create cap flexibility.
House, a reserve averaging 2.7 points per game this season, was signed to a two-year deal worth around $8.4m.
Philadelphia are the fourth team in the past two years to lose second-round picks for a violation in player negotiation rules. The Milwaukee Bucks, Miami Heat and Chicago Bulls were previously hit with similar penalties.
Carlos Alcaraz views fellow Spaniard Rafael Nadal as another competitor and "not my enemy", despite the pair's battle for top spot in the world rankings.
The 19-year-old continues to break records at the top table in tennis, becoming the first teenager to be crowned world number one in the Open Era.
Alcaraz, aged just 19 years and 129 days, also set a new benchmark as the youngest number-one ranked male player in the world since rankings were published in 1973.
Those feats came after winning September's US Open, where he joined Arthur Ashe (1968) and Rod Laver (1969) as the only Open Era players to win on their first or second main-draw outing at the tournament.
Now, Alcaraz has Nadal – a record 22-time major winner – chasing him for top spot, though the youngster assures there will never be bad blood between himself and his compatriot.
"I don't see it that way," Alcaraz responded to Eurosport when asked if he was embroiled in a battle with Nadal.
"It's true, Rafa is fighting for the No.1. Some players have the same goal – to be No.1, so I need to do my best. Outside the court [Rafa and I] are colleagues, at least it's the way I see it.
"Rafa is not my enemy. I say hello, I don't see that competition. With the rest of the players, it's the same. Beyond that relationship, I'll try to keep being No.1."
While Alcaraz remains the world's top-ranked male player, he intends to savour the moment after a surreal victory at the US Open.
"It is an incredible feeling, waking up as No.1, the US Open winner. It's a dream come true," he added.
"I am enjoying this moment so far. I keep working, my life is still the same, I'm still the same kid, same player. I just keep practising, keep improving."
As the teen aims to relish topping the ranks, his next focus turns to the Paris Masters – where he faces Yoshihito Nishioka on Wednesday – with a knee injury not as serious as first thought.
"It's a little pain, but the calendar is very demanding," he said of the injury. "We are playing and travelling with barely any breaks and it's normal that we have a few pains.
"All players have them and we learn how to deal with them. I am feeling good physically and I am ready to play here in Paris and in Turin in the [ATP] Finals."
Jannik Sinner and Marin Cilic were the two most notable first-round losers at the Paris Masters, where Taylor Fritz kept his slim ATP Finals hopes alive on Monday.
World number 12 Sinner, the 11th seed in the French capital this week, suffered a straight-sets loss to Marc-Andrea Huesler, as did 15th favourite Cilic against Lorenzo Musetti.
Ninth seed Fritz downed Alejandro Davidovich Fokina 7-5 6-2, with Cameron Norrie and Frances Tiafoe also recording straight-sets victories against Miomir Kecmanovic and Lorenzo Sonego respectively.
Victory for Fritz kept the American in the hunt for qualifying for November's ATP Finals in Turin for the first time, needing to reach the final in Paris to overtake Felix Auger-Aliassime or Andrey Rublev.
"Right now I'm just focused on kind of playing myself into the tournament," said Fritz. "I feel like any time this year that I've won a couple of matches in a tournament, then I've done well.
"So I'll just try to focus on these early rounds. Turin is still in the picture, obviously, but there's not much else I really could have done.
"Felix has played really, really well, so he deserves it, but I am going to try to steal his spot this week for sure."
Home favourite Gilles Simon awaits Fritz in the second round at the ATP 1000 event after defeating Andy Murray 4-6 7-5 6-3.
Alexander Bublik and Mikael Ymer played out another three-set battle, with the former triumphing 6-1 6-7 (2-7) 6-4.
Richard Gasquet, Yoshihito Nishioka, Karen Khachanov, Maxime Cressy, Nikoloz Basilashvili and John Isner were the other first-round winners on the opening day in France.
It's fair to say that, eight weeks into the 2022 NFL season, it has been a year of surprises.
The New York Giants have six wins, the Seattle Seahawks lead the NFC West and two preseason NFC favourites, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Green Bay Packers, have collapsed to 3-5 starts.
This is a campaign in which to expect the unexpected and, as such, three of the top quarterback displays from Week 8 heading into Monday Night Football are entirely in keeping with the theme of 2022.
While one star still shaking the rust off following an injury lay-off delivered the kind of game most have come to anticipate from him, the degree of accuracy displayed by the trio of signal-callers surrounding him at the top of Stats Perform's well-thrown rate chart by the end of Sunday's action was eyebrow-raising to say the least.
And there was one quarterback who tried and failed to find a new team in the offseason who rose above the rest.
Jimmy G's perfect day
There will never be a game that definitively decides the endless Jimmy Garoppolo debate in the Bay Area, where the San Francisco 49ers' quarterback who was meant to be elsewhere this season remains a beloved but polarising figure.
But nobody could argue Garoppolo was not excellent in Week 8 as the 49ers scored 24 unanswered points to sweep the Los Angeles Rams with an emphatic 31-14 win at SoFi Stadium.
So much of the attention in the immediate aftermath was rightly on Christian McCaffrey, who became the fourth player with a touchdown pass, rushing touchdown and touchdown reception in a single game since the 1970 merger in a remarkable performance just 10 days on from his trade from the Carolina Panthers.
However, Garoppolo also deserves a share of the spotlight following what was, by at least one measure, a perfect game from a quarterback frequently criticised for his volatility.
Garoppolo ended the defeat of the Rams with a 100 per cent well-thrown rate. Each of his 25 passes, excluding throwaways, was deemed to be accurate and well-thrown.
He is the 35th player to achieve such a feat and the second this season following Trevor Lawrence for the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 2 against the Indianapolis Colts.
While Garoppolo averaged only 6.76 yards per attempt, he still completed a host of big-time throws, including a third-down touchdown shot to a leaping McCaffrey and a 56-yard bomb down the left sideline to Ross Dwelley that was followed by a perfectly placed ball to George Kittle in the back of the endzone on a sprint out pass that iced the game.
At 4-4 heading into the bye with a star-studded offense and a series of players still to return from injury on defense, the 49ers are ideally positioned for a surge down the stretch. They won't get perfect every game from Garoppolo, but if he maintains a level close to what he produced in Inglewood on Sunday, San Francisco will be a major threat in the NFC.
Air Marcus has Falcons on top
Marcus Mariota had hardly been trusted to throw the ball over the four games prior to Atlanta's wild win over the Carolina Panthers by head coach Arthur Smith.
Only once over those four games had he registered more than 20 passing attempts, but Mariota was allowed to air it out on Sunday, and the Falcons should be delighted by the manner in which he did so.
The former second overall pick delivered an accurate well-thrown ball on 92.6 per cent of his 27 pass attempts, maintaining remarkable accuracy while pushing the ball down field with consistency in a captivating shoot-out.
Mariota averaged 10.15 air yards per attempt against Carolina. Just five quarterbacks – Josh Allen (12.96), P.J. Walker (12.33), Tua Tagovailoa (11.79), Russell Wilson (11.04) and Jalen Hurts (11.04) – were more aggressive in that respect.
Of that quintet, Tagovailoa (82.4 per cent) and Wilson (84.6 per cent) were the only two signal-callers to even post a well-thrown rate of 80 per cent.
Mariota blended accuracy and deep-ball aggression in a way most quarterbacks struggle to replicate and, though he tossed an overtime interception that should have cost the Falcons the game, his performance may convince Smith to diversify his approach and shift to a more balanced attack as the 4-4 Falcons look to make a surprise run at the NFC South title.
Dak looks all the way back
The case could be made that the Cowboys were still running the 'Cooper Rush' offense in Prescott's first game back from a finger injury in Week 7 against the Detroit Lions.
Dallas laboured somewhat in that one before pulling away and, though the Week 8 performance was not a faultless one from Prescott, it was one to breed hope the Cowboys can legitimately contend to go deep into the NFC playoffs with him at the helm of the attack.
Prescott posted a well-thrown rate of 92.3 per cent in the Cowboys' 49-29 win over the Chicago Bears, with arguably his most aesthetically pleasing throw coming on his first touchdown pass as he split safeties Eddie Jackson and Jaquan Brisker on a 21-yard rope to CeeDee Lamb on third-and-nine.
Third down did not prove a challenge for Prescott at any point. He completed five of his six third-down throws for 85 yards and a touchdown, with a Bears defense ill-equipped to stop the Cowboys consistently frustrated when they got into positions to get off the field.
An interception by Jackson was the sole blemish on the day for Prescott, who also had a rushing touchdown, and the room for improvement he clearly still has after a showing of this calibre should be of great excitement to the 6-2 Cowboys as they attack the second half of the season.
Fields fills Chicago with hope
The Bears did not produce the all-round performance to keep pace with the Cowboys, but it was another effort by last year's first-round pick Justin Fields to boost optimism around his prospects of blossoming into one of the league's better quarterbacks.
After finally building a gameplan around his athleticism in the Monday Night Football win over the New England Patriots, the Bears once again leant on Fields' mobility. He threw seven times on the move, with Chicago also implementing play-action and the quarterback bootleg into the attack.
The results were impressive as Fields finished the game with a well-thrown rate of 90.9 per cent while averaging 9.5 air yards per attempt. On top of that, he did not throw a single interceptable pass, though he did have one pick called back because of a roughing the passer penalty.
Fields was perfect on play-action, with all six of his passes from those concepts well thrown, and he would have had significantly more than 151 passing yards to his name had rookie receiver Velus Jones not dropped an outstandingly placed moonball down the right sideline from the Chicago 47-yard line in the second quarter.
But Fields still accounted for three touchdowns, throwing two and rushing for another in a 60-yard display on the ground. Though the Bears' decision to trade defensive stars Robert Quinn and Roquan Smith will play a role in limiting their wins in 2022, the Bears will be increasingly convinced Fields is the right man to rebuild the team around if he continues in this vein of form.
Anthony Joshua acknowledged he needed to "rest mentally" after being "torn apart" by his loss to Oleksandr Usyk, though he vowed he will eventually face Tyson Fury.
A 'Battle of Britain' clash between Joshua and Fury seemed set for December 3 at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff, only to for the bout to break down after negotiations collapsed.
The meeting between the two British heavyweights would have followed Joshua's rematch loss to Usyk, who successfully defended his WBA, IBF and WBO belts in August's title match in Saudi Arabia.
While Joshua suggested he will meet in the ring with Fury at some point, the former admitted he needed time off after a draining defeat to the Ukrainian.
"You saw after my last fight, it tore me apart," Joshua said in an interview with DAZN.
"I had so much riding on it, for me, the British fans, the undisputed fight, it just really tore me apart. So from a mental capacity, my close ones are telling me, 'you should rest mentally'.
"Physically, I'm down to fight. I'm a warrior, I like this game, I like competing. But on a mental aspect, I think people have really seen it means a lot.
"I was supposed to be in the ring on December 3. When you're saying, 'when are we going to see you back in the ring?' that was the date but obviously it's not happening.
"But I've got a good team and I've got to just leave certain things to them because all that other stuff, back and forth and social media, it's quite time-consuming. But you've got to play the game as well.
"And my dance partner, the last geezer I was supposed to fight (Fury), he's a good dance partner, he handles the social media side and I think we do good business behind the scenes to be fair.
"It will happen, we’re in the same era. Just as two competitors, two fighters. He's definitely someone that's a fighting man."
Joshua is yet to confirm his next opponent after failing to agree a deal with Fury, who settled for another all-British fight with Derek Chisora at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on December 3.
The Chicago Bears' tear down continues.
The Bears traded two-time All-Pro linebacker Roquan Smith to the Baltimore Ravens on Monday for a 2023 second-round pick along with a fifth-round selection in next year's draft. Chicago acquired linebacker A.J. Klein in the deal.
Smith becomes the second high-profile defensive player traded by the Bears in less than a week after sending pass-rusher Robert Quinn to the Philadelphia Eagles last Wednesday.
Smith leaves behind the rebuilding Bears to join a 5-3 Ravens team that is in first place in the AFC North.
Selected eighth overall in the 2018 draft, Smith requested a trade prior to the start of the season after being unable to work out a new contract before ultimately agreeing to play out his rookie deal.
The 25-year-old has been one of the league’s top linebackers and was looking to be paid like one.
He leads the league with 83 total tackles this season while also registering 2.5 sacks and two interceptions.
Since his rookie season, his 606 total tackles trail only Bobby Wagner for the most in the NFL and his 47 tackles for loss are tied for 14th.
In his final game with the Bears on Sunday, Chicago's defense was shredded in a 49-29 loss at Dallas, surrendering a season-high 442 yards with the Cowboys averaging 7.8 yards per play.
The loss dropped the Bears to 3-5, and the team has essentially conceded this season as general manager Ryan Poles goes into the offseason looking to build around Justin Fields, who put together a second straight encouraging performance in Week 8.
Chicago received a 2023 fourth-round draft pick for Quinn, who set a Bears franchise record for sacks in a single season last year with 18.5.
Auburn fired coach Bryan Harsin on Monday after less than two seasons in charge.
The decision was made to dismiss him after Saturday's 41-27 loss to Arkansas, dropping the Tigers to 3-5 on the season and 1-4 in the Southeastern Conference.
That setback was the fourth straight loss for Auburn, which included a 42-10 drubbing to top-ranked Georgia on October 8.
"Auburn University has decided to make a change in the leadership of the Auburn University football programme," the school said in a brief statement announcing the move.
''Auburn will begin an immediate search for a coach that will return the Auburn programme to a place where it is consistently competing at the highest levels and representing the winning tradition that is Auburn football."
Auburn hired Harsin in December 2020 after he went 69-19 in seven seasons at Boise State, leading the Broncos to four Mountain West titles and three bowl victories.
He was unable to find similar success at Auburn, however, going 6-7 in his first season at the helm, with a 3-5 record in the SEC.
The Tigers also struggled mightily against top-tier competition, going 2-8 against ranked opponents in the 45-year-old's time in charge.
Auburn gave Harsin a six-year, $31.5million contract, and the school still owes him more than $15m as part of his buyout
Trinidad and Tobago swimmer Dylan Carter won his third gold medal at leg two of the FINA Swimming World Cup 2022 in Toronto, Canada on Sunday.
Carter won the men’s 50-metre butterfly event in 22.28 seconds at the Toronto Pan Am Sports Centre ahead of South African Chad Le Clos in 22.45 and Italian Thomas Ceccon in 22.60.
On Friday night, Carter also swam to gold in the men’s 50m freestyle before breaking his own national record on his way to gold in the men’s 50m backstroke a day later.
Carter now has six gold medals at the World Cup. At the first leg of the World Cup in Berlin, Germany from October 21-23, Carter won the 50m freestyle, 50m backstroke and the 50m butterfly, setting national records in the first two.
Rory McIlroy could not have scripted a better start to his latest PGA Tour season.
The Northern Irishman, making his 2022-23 debut at the CJ Cup in South Carolina, carded four birdies in a five-hole stretch on the back nine to claim his third win of the calendar year. The victory moved him back to number one in the world for the ninth time in his career, but the first time since July 2020.
"I've worked so hard over the last 12 months to get myself back to this place," he said afterward. "I feel like I'm enjoying the game as much as I ever have. I absolutely love the game of golf and I think that when I go out there and I play with that joy, it's definitely showed over these last 12 months. Yeah, it feels awesome."
The 33-year-old, who captured the Tour Championship in August, became the first FedExCup champion to open his season with a win since Tiger Woods did it at the 2007 Buick Invitational. He also became the fifth player since 1983 to successfully defend a title on a different course and joined Woods as the only player in Tour history to do it multiple times (McIlroy won the 2019 and 2022 RBC Canadian Opens at two different locations, while the CJ Cup moved this year to Congaree Golf Club from The Summit Club in Las Vegas).
As always, McIlroy used his prodigious skill set with the driver to power his way to victory. He averaged 323 yards off the tee at Congaree, marking the fourth-longest average by a winner in the ShotLink era. It was the 31st time of McIlroy's storied career where he has led the field in Strokes Gained: Off-the-Tee, the most of any player since 2020.
Tom Kim chugs along
Tom Kim shocked the golf world when he burst on the scene at the PGA Tour's Wyndham Championship in August, when the youthful Korean came out of nowhere to shoot a final-round 61 and claim the regular-season finale.
The Korean would not be surprising anyone this year, though, especially after his breakout performance at the Presidents Cup. And yet there he was just a few weeks later, surprising everyone once again as he held up another trophy, this time at the Shriners Children's Open.
At 20 years, three months and 18 days old, Kim became the second-youngest player to win two PGA Tour events on the all-time list, behind only Ralph Guldahl, who won his second event in 1932 at 20 years, two months and 10 days.
Now trailing Kim on that list as a who's who of world-class players and Hall of Famers – Gene Sarazen, Horton Smith, Tom Creavy, John McDermott and some guy named Tiger Woods (he won his second event at 20 years, nine months and 20 days).
"Golf on the PGA Tour is really hard. It's really hard to win tournaments," said Kim, who also became the fastest Korean to multiple wins, taking just 18 starts. "You can't expect everything in life. I've just got to keep working hard on my game. I'm very fortunate to win twice on Tour and to be even out here. I think the mindset is for me I've just got to keep working hard and be grateful for what things come along."
Kim certainly makes the game look easy, despite what he may suggest. He became the first player since J.T. Poston in 2019 to go bogey-free in a tournament and win and was only the third to do it all-time (Lee Trevino first accomplished the feat in 1974). He hit 87.5 percent of his greens in regulation – the best mark by a Shriners winner since 2008 – and was a perfect 100 per cent in scrambling for the week.
Canadian Hughes nabs second win
But Kim was not the only player in October to card the second win of his PGA Tour career, as Canadian Mackenzie Hughes survived in the first play-off of the season to win the Sanderson Farms Championship.
The 31-year-old poured in an 8-foot birdie putt on the second playoff hole to outlast Sepp Straka, notching his first victory since winning the RSM Classic six years ago. As the sun set over Mississippi, Hughes had to convert six critical putts over his final seven holes – four of them for par – before ultimately outlasting Straka.
"I kept telling myself the whole week that I was going to do it. That was the only thing I saw in my mind," Hughes said. "Those par saves down the stretch, I was just trying to will the ball into the hole."
It seemed to work. Hughes finished with a 91.67 scrambling percentage, the highest mark of his career and best since winning the aforementioned RSM Classic, where he finished with an 85 scrambling percentage (that was good for second at that event). His +2.31 average in Strokes Gained: Tee-to-Green was also the second-best average of his career, behind last year's RSM Classic, where he finished second after carding a +3.14 average.
"The second [win] felt harder because I've had to wait a lot longer for it," he said. "The first one came in my fifth tournament as a PGA Tour member. I felt like, 'Oh, man, this is going to be easy, I'm going to be able to rack up a few of these,' and it's been six years since I did that.
"It's been unbelievable. I didn't need the validation, but it's nice to be a two-time winner instead of a one-time winner and help to add to that tally."
Daniel Ricciardo believes spending time away from Formula One could act as a "blessing in disguise" after seeing his chances of staying on the grid next year diminish.
Since McLaren announced an early termination of Ricciardo's contract in August, the Australian has seen several vacant seats filled ahead of next season.
Only Haas now have an empty seat on the grid for 2023, but Ricciardo is not interested in joining the team.
Ricciardo offered a reminder of his quality when he overcame a 10-second penalty to finish seventh at Sunday's Mexican Grand Prix, and believes the opportunity to reflect on his achievements may allow him to return stronger in 2024.
Looking ahead to the 2023 campaign when speaking to Sky Sports, Ricciardo acknowledged: "I can confidently say I won't be on the grid, behind a wheel.
"But I still want to be in the sport, I want to be working with a team, still with the ambition to be back on the grid in 2024.
"I feel like a bit of time away from a race seat will actually do me good, and then [I'll] try to rebuild something for 2024.
"The way the seasons are, it's pretty relentless, you don't really get a chance to rebuild.
"Everyone's different, but I truly believe that will be, in a way, a blessing in disguise for me. By doing less, I'll achieve more."
Ricciardo has been linked with a reserve role at Mercedes since conceding a seat was unlikely for next year, but the Silver Arrows' team principal Toto Wolff was giving nothing away when asked about a potential move.
"We very much like him; he's a great character," Wolff said. "But we are not in a position yet to decide who is going to do reserve and be third driver."
Micah Parsons believes he deserves to play some snaps on offense after his stunning fumble return for a touchdown in the Dallas Cowboys' Week 8 win over the Chicago Bears.
Parsons put the Cowboys in command in the third quarter of their 49-29 win at AT&T Stadium on Sunday when he returned a David Montgomery fumble 36 yards for the score.
Dallas' star pass rusher forced Justin Fields from the pocket before he found running back Montgomery, who subsequently coughed up the ball after a hit from Leighton Vander Esch.
Parsons got back in position to recover the ball and, after realising Fields had leapt over him rather than touch him down by contact, evaded several scrambling Bears players to find the endzone and give the Cowboys a 42-23 lead.
It marked Parsons' first touchdown of his NFL career, and he now feels he should have the chance to add to that tally on offense.
"Zeke [Ezekiel Elliott] said I look just like him," Parsons said of his touchdown.
"I think I definitely deserve a rep now. They can't say they haven't seen it in a game. So hopefully I get thrown in a goal-line package or red-zone package."
Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy, whose team are 6-2 behind only the 7-0 Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC East, is concerned the score will lead to him being pestered by Parsons to play on offense.
"I was obviously very excited," McCarthy said. "But part of me is annoyed because he wants to be on offense already.
"Now I'm going to have a hard time keeping him out of my office."
Courtney Lawes will miss England's autumn international opener with Argentina on Sunday after the captain was omitted from Eddie Jones' squad.
The forward is continuing to struggle with symptoms following a head injury sustained in September, and had been mooted as a doubt for the match at Twickenham.
Ahead of England gathering for a pre-autumn camp in Jersey, Lawes had signalled his withdrawal, with his absence an expected one.
Regardless, his departure leaves questions over who will skipper the side, though Owen Farrell could take on the captaincy once more following his inclusion.
The back is continuing through return-to-play protocols himself and will go through the latter stages in camp.
Alongside Lawes, Lewis Ludlum misses out following an abdominal wall injury, with Sean Robinson called up to replace him.
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