KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Patrick Mahomes won’t be making his first career start when the Kansas City Chiefs visit the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday. That came in Week 17 last season. But in many ways it will be the start of the Mahomes era, one that has been eagerly anticipated in Kansas City.
UNDATED (AP) — Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy considers starting quarterback Taylor Cornelius something a dinosaur. Cornelius is 22 and one of the older quarterbacks in the Big 12. He waited and is finally the starter as a fifth-year senior. Four of the starting quarterbacks in the Big 12 in Week One started their college careers at other Power Five schools: West Virginia’s Will Grier, Iowa State’s Kyle Kempt, Kansas senior Peyton Bender and Oklahoma’s Kyler Murray.
MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — Nick Fitzgerald will be back under center when No. 18 Mississippi State visits Kansas State on Saturday. The Bulldogs’ star quarterback was hurt late last season, then was suspended for the season opener. Kansas State counters with a pair of quarterbacks, Alex Delton and Skylar Thompson, who have experience from last season.
AMES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa State sophomore basketball player Cameron Lard is opening up about some of his offseason trouble. Lard left the program for a stint in a wellness center over the summer. He says he was living a “double life” last season and has grown close with Chris Herren, a former basketball player who struggled with substance abuse issues. Lard says he has found a strong support group and he can’t “mess up” again.
CARSON, Calif. (AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs travel to Los Angeles to face the Chargers in a Week 1 matchup between AFC West favorites. The Chiefs have won the AFC West the past two seasons but now have unproven Patrick Mahomes taking over at quarterback. The Chargers closed out last season by winning nine of their final 12 games but missed the playoffs because of an 0-4 start.
MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — Fans attending the Kansas State-Mississippi State game Saturday are encouraged to arrive early to look for parking spots. Kansas State Athletics announced Thursday parts of grass parking lots around the football stadium are still under standing water or muddy because of torrential rains that hit the Manhattan area this week. Some areas received up to 10 inches of rain and more is forecast through Friday, leaving little time to improve ground conditions before the 11 a.m. contest Saturday.
NORMAN, Okla. (AP) — Two of the nation’s best offensive minds will meet when Oklahoma coach Lincoln Riley matches wits with UCLA coach Chip Kelly on Saturday. Riley took over as Oklahoma’s head coach last year, and the Sooners led the nation in total offense and quarterback Baker Mayfield won the Heisman Trophy. Kelly’s offenses at Oregon were among the nation’s best, and he had success with the NFL’s Philadelphia Eagles before returning to the college ranks.
DALLAS (AP) — TCU coach Gary Patterson always views SMU as a 50-50 game even though the No. 16 Horned Frogs have dominated the series the past two decades. Patterson says it’s a rivalry game. TCU has won 16 of the last 18 games between the old Southwest Conference rivals. The Frogs lost at SMU in 2005, a week after opening with a win at No. 5 Oklahoma. SMU won in overtime in 2011 before TCU won 12 games in a row into the next season.
National Headlines
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Jay Ajayi (ah-JY’-ee) ran for two touchdowns and the Philadelphia Eagles began their Super Bowl title defense by rallying for an 18-12 win against the Atlanta Falcons. The Eagles trailed 12-10 until Ajayi rushed 11 yards for a touchdown and cracked the end zone for the two-point conversion. The Falcons reached the Philadelphia 10 with 1:55 remaining but couldn’t score.
COSTA MESA, Calif. (AP) — Los Angeles Chargers defensive end Joey Bosa did not practice Thursday, leaving his status for the opener against Kansas City in doubt. Bosa was not in pads during the early portion of practice that is open to reporters after being listed as limited on Wednesday’s practice report. The third-year player did not play in the preseason after he injured his left foot on Aug. 7.
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — A U.S. appeals court has revived a lawsuit against the NFL by former players who claim the league illegally plied them with powerful prescription painkillers to keep them on the field. A three-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled Thursday that the lawsuit is not pre-empted or superseded by labor agreements between players and teams. The NFL had argued that the players failed to exhaust the grievance procedures in those agreements.
NEW YORK (AP) — Serena Williams will take on Naomi Osaka in Saturday’s U.S. Open women’s final. Williams was broken in the first game and trailed 2-0 in the opening set before rolling to a 6-3, 6-0 victory against Anastasija Sevastova. Osaka saved all 13 break points she faced in defeating 2017 runner-up Madison Keys, 6-2, 6-4.
NEWTOWN SQUARE, Pa. (AP) — Tiger Woods shares the lead at the BMW Championship following his lowest round in more than five years. He fired an 8-under 62 that leaves him even with Rory McIlroy through one round, one stroke ahead of Xander Schauffele. Woods didn’t hit anything longer than a 9-iron into the par 4s and didn’t miss a green until the 14th hole of his best opening round in 20 years.
Thursday Scores
AMERICAN LEAGUE
Final Cleveland 9 Toronto 4
NATIONAL LEAGUE
Final San Diego 6 Cincinnati 2
Final Chi Cubs 6 Washington 4, 10 Innings
Final Atlanta 7 Arizona 6, 10 Innings
NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE
Final Philadelphia 18 Atlanta 12
