The Sports Report: Rams run past the Cardinals

Howdy, I’m your host, Houston Mitchell. Let’s get right to the news.

From Gary Klein: Kyren Williams was not a mystery.

A few weeks ago, the Rams’ second-year running back rushed for more than 100 yards in an overtime victory at Indianapolis.

But it apparently took coach Sean McVay and his staff time to remember.

On Sunday, after a listless first half, the Rams gave the ball to Williams and he gave them a performance that keyed a 26-9 victory over the Arizona Cardinals at SoFi Stadium.

Williams rushed for a career-high 158 yards and a touchdown, star receiver Cooper Kupp played through his balky hamstring to amass 148 yards receiving and quarterback Matthew Stafford passed for a touchdown as the Rams evened their record at 3-3.

Rookie Byron Young and Jonah Williams sacked Cardinals quarterback Josh Dobbs, Aaron Donald recorded three tackles for losses, linebacker Christian Rozeboom intercepted a pass, and Young forced a fumble for a defense that shut out the Cardinals in the second half.

So now it is out there for the taking, the kind of stretch that if optimized could solidify the Rams as a legitimate postseason contender.

They are a .500 team — but perhaps a misleading one.

Wins in upcoming games against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Dallas Cowboys and Green Bay Packers — none currently ranking in the world-beater category — could catapult the Rams into serious contender status heading into their off week.

The question is: Will McVay continue to recall he has a running game?

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Rams’ 26-9 home win over the Arizona Cardinals by the numbers

Rams box score

CHARGERS

From Jeff Miller: The challenge already figured to be significant enough, what with Micah Parsons and Dak Prescott and the weight of America’s Team descending on SoFi Stadium.

Then the Dallas Cowboys went to Santa Clara and lost to San Francisco in a prime-team pummeling during which they were mocked by everything from the scoreboard’s numbers to George Kittle’s T-shirt.

Now, the Chargers get the Cowboys on the rebound, recoiling from a 32-point loss so sobering that Prescott, in explaining the need to bounce back, told reporters in Dallas, “You don’t have time in this league to have a hangover.”

In another prime-time slot Monday night, the Chargers (2-2) will have to overcome a wounded and ornery foe if they’re going to run their winning streak to three games and resurface above .500.

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Sunday’s NFL scores
at Rams 26, Arizona 9
at Buffalo 14, NY Giants 9
Baltimore 24, at Tennessee 16
Washington 24, at Atlanta 16
Minnesota 19, at Chicago 13
at Cincinnati 17, Seattle 13
at Cleveland 19, San Francisco 13
at Miami 42, Carolina 21
at Jacksonville 37, Indianapolis 20
at Houston 20, New Orleans 13
at Las Vegas 21, New England 17
at NY Jets 20, Philadelphia 14
Detroit 20, at Tampa Bay 6
Bye week: Green Bay, Pittsburgh

Tonight’s schedule
Dallas at Chargers, 5:15 p.m., ABC/ESPN

Sunday’s NFL box scores

NFL standings

NLCS SCHEDULE

All times Pacific
All games on TBS

Arizona vs. Philadelphia
Today at Philadelphia, 5 p.m.
Tuesday at Philadelphia, 5 p.m.
Thursday at Arizona, 2 p.m.
Friday at Arizona, 5 p.m.
*Saturday at Arizona, 5 p.m.
*Monday, Oct. 23 at Philadelphia, 2 p.m.
*Tuesday, Oct. 24 at Philadelphia, 5 p.m.

ALCS SCHEDULE

All times Pacific

Texas vs. Houston
Texas 2, Houston 0 (recap, box score)
Today at Houston, 1:30 p.m., Fox/FS1
Wednesday at Texas, 5 p.m., FS1
Thursday at Texas, 5 p.m., FS1
*Friday at Texas, 2 p.m., FS1
*Sunday at Houston, 5 p.m., FS1
*Monday, Oct. 23 at Houston, 5 p.m., Fox/FS1

*-if necessary

LAKERS

From Dan Woike: The Lakers’ preseason isn’t over … but the end is getting closer.

In their final warmup game at Crypto.com Arena, Anthony Davis showed he’s ready for the season to begin, scoring 16 points, grabbing seven rebounds and dishing out five assists in one half of work against the Milwaukee Bucks.

With most of their regulars shut down by halftime, the Lakers lost to Milwaukee 108-97. The Lakers wrap their preseason Thursday against Phoenix in Palm Springs.

Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 17 points and Damian Lillard had 14, the duo playing together for the first time since the Bucks’ blockbuster trade.

LeBron James and Austin Reaves didn’t play as the Lakers continued to monitor the pair’s workload, the former because he’s in Year 21 and the latter because of his play with Team USA deep into the summer. Gabe Vincent also missed his second consecutive because of back tightness.

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DUCKS

Frank Vatrano scored three goals for his fourth career hat trick, Pavel Mintyukov got his first NHL goal and the Ducks defeated the Carolina Hurricanes 6-3 Sunday for their eighth straight victory in a home opener.

Anaheim is tied with Boston and Toronto for the longest active winning streaks in home openers. The Ducks have also earned points in each of their last 11 Honda Center debuts since 2013 (10-0-1).

Cam Fowler had a goal and an assist, and Sam Carrick also scored as the Ducks took a 3-0 lead less than 13 minutes into the game. The Ducks were clinging to a one-goal lead late in the third before putting it away with a pair of empty-net goals, including Vatrano’s at 18:41.

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Ducks box score

NHL scores and box scores

NHL standings

SATURDAY’S USC FOOTBALL GAME

From Thuc Nhi Nguyen: One was unlucky. Two were unlikely. Three interceptions were unbelievable.

Caleb Williams played his worst game as a Trojan on the biggest stage so far this year, throwing three interceptions and just one touchdown pass while limited to 199 yards on 23-for-37 passing as No. 10 USC lost its first game, a 48-20 rivalry defeat at No. 21 Notre Dame on Saturday. The Trojans (6-1) negated a mostly stout defensive performance by giving up touchdowns by Notre Dame’s defense and special teams and producing their second-fewest points of the Lincoln Riley era, trailing only a 17-point stinker at Oregon State last year.

“Been in college for three years now, I don’t think I’ve ever had a season or a game or anything like that,” Williams said. “In careers when you play for a while and want to play for a while, plays happen like that. Like coach said, you gotta get through, you gotta keep fighting, you gotta be a leader. It starts with the head of the snake and I’ll be better.”

Williams’ eyes were glassy as he spoke with a detached tone, more reserved compared to the emotional player who fought back tears after USC’s first loss last season at Utah. The quarterback responded to that setback by establishing himself as the nation’s best player. He ruthlessly picked apart the Fighting Irish last year, accounting for as many touchdowns (four) as he threw incompletions in a late-season exclamation point to his Heisman campaign.

In the first true test of his encore season, Williams flopped.

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USC box score

Pac-12 standings

McCollough: USC fans better get ready for a lengthy Lincoln Riley rebuilding project

USC takeaways: Offensive line miscues helped fuel Trojans’ ugly loss at Notre Dame

SATURDAY’S UCLA FOOTBALL GAME

From Ben Bolch: The education of Dante Moore has resembled a painful lesson written over and over on a blackboard.

It’s hard to win when you throw a pick-six.

It’s hard to win when you throw a pick-six.

It’s hard to win when you throw a pick-six.

For a third consecutive game, the UCLA freshman quarterback had an interception returned for a touchdown.

For the second time in those three games, his team was unable to overcome that critical blunder.

This pick-six was one of three passes Moore had intercepted Saturday night at Reser Stadium during the No. 18 Bruins’ dreary 36-24 loss to No. 15 Oregon State that raised more questions about Moore’s decision-making.

In three Pac-12 games, Moore has tallied twice as many interceptions (six) as touchdown passes (three). Even with UCLA’s running game piling up 284 yards and backup quarterback Collin Schlee mixing in effectively as a change-of-pace option before leaving with an injury, the Bruins could not overcome those interceptions.

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Here comes the pain again: Five takeaways from UCLA’s deflating loss to Oregon State

UCLA box score

Pac-12 standings

AP TOP 25

Team (first-place votes), record, points, Last week

1. Georgia (43), 7-0, 1,541, 1
2. Michigan (16), 7-0, 1,492, 2
3. Ohio State (1), 6-0, 1,393, 3
4. Florida State (1), 6-0, 1,388, 4
5. Washington (2), 6-0, 1,355, 7
6. Oklahoma, 6-0, 1,277, 5
7. Penn State, 6-0, 1,253, 6
8. Texas, 5-1, 1,098, 9
9. Oregon, 5-1, 1,034, 8
10. North Carolina, 6-0, 1,011, 12
11. Alabama, 6-1, 987, 11
12. Oregon State, 6-1, 834, 15
13. Ole Miss, 5-1, 825, 13
14. Utah, 5-1, 695, 16
15. Notre Dame, 6-2, 664, 21
16. Duke, 5-1, 593, 17
17. Tennessee, 5-1, 557, 19
18. USC, 6-1, 530, 10
19. LSU, 5-2, 493, 22
20. Missouri, 6-1, 365, 26
21. Lousville, 6-1, 309, 14
22. Air Force, 6-0, 245, 28
23. Tulane, 5-1, 137, 30
24. Iowa, 8-1, 125, 34
25. UCLA, 4-2, 122, 18

Others receiving votes: James Madison 70, Clemson 35, Florida 12, Washington State 11, Fresno State 6, Liberty 5, Wyoming 4, Kentucky 4, Kansas 2, Miami 1, West Virginia 1, Oklahoma State 1

Dropped from top 25: Washington State 19, Kansas 23, Kentucky 24, Miami 25

ANGEL CITY

From Kevin Baxter: In just two seasons Angel City had become the richest team in U.S. women’s soccer. It has drawn the third- and fourth-highest season attendance totals in NWSL history, fielded 10 World Cup players and signed teenager Alyssa Thompson to the league’s second $1-million contract.

What it hadn’t done until Sunday is qualify for the playoffs and it faced long odds in making that happen, entering the final day of the regular season needing a win over the league’s best team and favorable results in at least two other games.

It got all three.

Angel City took care of its business, blitzing the Portland Thorns 5-1 before a sun-splashed crowd at BMO Stadium. It was the most dominant performance and most one-sided result in franchise history. When the results from the rest of Sunday came in, Angel City had jumped over Orlando, the Washington Spirit and NJ/NY Gotham to finish fifth in the 12-team league.

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SPARKS

From Dan Loumena: Sparks forward Nneka Ogwumike has been selected Sunday for the All-WNBA team for the sixth time in her 12-year career.

She averaged 19.1 points, 8.8 rebounds and 1.7 steals a game in earning second-team honors this season. It’s her fifth selection to the second team. She was All-WNBA first team during her 2016 MVP season.

“Nneka had a fantastic 2023 season and continues to add to her legacy as one of the best players in the history of the WNBA,” Sparks coach Curt Miller said. “Her production during her 12th WNBA season has rarely been seen in our league, and she remains one of the most efficient players in our league.”

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WNBA Finals: Liberty avoid sweep by beating Aces in Game 3

THIS DATE IN SPORTS

1897 — Michigan beats Ohio State 34-0 at Ann Arbor, the first meeting between theses storied rivals.

1909 — In his 4th title defense Jack Johnson KOs Stanley Ketchel in the 12th round at Mission St Arena, Colma, California to retain his heavyweight boxing crown.

1946 — Detroit’s Gordie Howe scores a goal and gets into two fights in his first NHL game. The Red Wings tie the Toronto Maple Leafs 3-3.

1968 — Americans Tommie Smith and John Carlos give black power salutes during the medal ceremonies of the 200-meter race and are later banned for life from all Olympic competition by the IOC.

1971 — Norm Ullman of the Toronto Maple Leafs records his 1,000th point in a 5-3 loss to the New York Rangers. Ullman gets two assists to become the fourth NHL player to reach the milestone.

1976 — Tony Franklin of Texas A&M kicks two field goals over 60 yards for an NCAA record. The distances are 65 and 64 yards as the Aggies beat Baylor 24-0.

1977 — The Denver Broncos intercept seven passes off Ken Stabler of the Oakland Raiders in a 30-7 victory.

1977 — The Minnesota Vikings beat the Chicago Bears 16-10 in overtime with the only successful fake field goal in NFL overtime.

1987 — Mike Tyson retains his undisputed heavyweight title with a seven-round knockout of Tyrell Biggs in Atlantic City, N.J.

1999 — Fourth-ranked Virginia Tech hangs a record-setting 62-0 loss on No. 16 Syracuse. It’s the worst shutout loss by a ranked team in the history of The Associated Press poll.

2004 — 17-year old Lionel Messi makes his league debut for FC Barcelona in a 1-0 win.

2011 — Danell Leyva becomes the first American man gymnast to win a gold medal at the World Championships since 2003. Leyva wins the parallel bars title to become the first gold medalist for the U.S. since Paul Hamm claimed the floor exercise and all-around titles in 2003.

2011 — Dan Wheldon, 33, dies in a fiery 15-car wreck at Las Vegas Motor Speedway when his car flew over another on Lap 13 and smashes into the wall just outside turn 2.

—Compiled by the Associated Press