• If LSU can land Lane Kiffin, do it and don’t think twice. But don’t limit the search to big, household names.
• Scott Woodward’s obsession with big-game hunting produces mixed results.
• LSU remains a top job, even after Brian Kelly misfire.

Scott Woodward’s got something of an obsession with hiring big-name coaches. His track record shows checkered results.

LSU’s athletic director shouldn’t retire his strategy just because he failed to hit a home run with Brian Kelly. In fact, I say consider another big, big swing, because one big name looms over this coaching carousel: Lane Kiffin.

If LSU can land Kiffin, who’s charging toward the College Football Playoff at Mississippi, do it and don’t think twice.

Kiffin absolutely would mesh with Woodward’s big-name affections. He’d fit LSU’s needs, too. Unlike two of Woodward’s past football hires, Jimbo Fisher at Texas A&M and Kelly at LSU, Kiffin’s career is trending up. His Rebels beat LSU twice in the past three seasons. He’s in his prime. His floor is lofty, his ceiling untapped.

Kiffin holds an enviable hand. His toughest choice might be deciding whether to stay at Mississippi, gravitate to Florida or pounce on LSU. He’s a top name in this chaotic coaching carousel.

Woodward, though, cannot afford to be starstruck by just any name-brand coach at the expense of overlooking lesser-known options who would profile as intriguing candidates, too.

Lane Kiffin would be a hit at LSU, but who else is worth a sniff?

Louisville’s Jeff Brohm would be a boon for an LSU offense that lost its way, despite a talented quarterback and capable receivers. Never mind the optics of hiring from Tulane, an in-state Group of Five, because Jon Sumrall’s winning track record makes him worth an interview. Georgia Tech’s Brent Key could rectify LSU’s toughness problem.

Three of the nation’s top coaches — Georgia’s Kirby Smart, Ohio State’s Ryan Day and Oregon’s Dan Lanning — had not previously been head coaches before ascending to their current roles. Indiana hot shot Curt Cignetti never coached in the Power Four before he told everyone to Google him and then started shredding Big Ten foes.

The SEC’s first-place team, Texas A&M, hired Mike Elko from a Duke, a basketball school.

Point being, it’s possible to make a strong hire without raiding somebody else’s $9 million coach. It’s also possible to whiff despite plundering a household name.

Two of Woodward’s other big-name LSU hires — women’s basketball coach Kim Mulkey and baseball coach Jay Johnson — have supplied national championships. His strategy isn’t broken beyond repair. It’s not a slam dunk, either.

If Dabo Swinney seeks for a lifeline out of Clemson, sorry, pal. Tyler from Spartanburg called that freefall. LSU needs a coach on his way up and who’s suited to this NIL and transfer era. James Franklin wants back in the business, but he shouldn’t get to fail forward to LSU.

LSU can learn from its Brian Kelly misfire

By firing Kelly, LSU reaffirmed its lofty standards. Kelly went 34-14, he beat Nick Saban in his first season, and he produced a Heisman Trophy winner, but he couldn’t overcome never making the playoff at a school that expects national championships. He also never fit Louisiana’s culture.

LSU needs a ball coach, not another slick-talking politician.

Kelly showed up speaking like Nic Cage in “Con Air.” That act soured while losses mounted. Kelly’s heir doesn’t have to speak Southern or suck crawfish heads, although I personally recommend the latter.

Just don’t fake it. And beat your rivals.

Just as importantly, LSU requires a hire who’ll reinstall swagger into a program that ought to ooze it but somehow became deficient of juice during a season when its embattled coach looked tired and angry.

LSU remains a top job

Even amid a crowded coaching carousel, LSU became the best job on the market, or at the very least pulled alongside Penn State. Each of Kelly’s three predecessors won a national championship.

LSU will attract big names. At least one, Kiffin, demands strong consideration.

Woodward shouldn’t shelve his big-game hunting gear just because he misfired with Kelly. Just don’t become married to the strategy, at the cost of missing out on other prime candidates whose careers are on the rise. From Lanning to Cignetti to Elko, other schools proved that bagging a quality, ascending coach who fits the needs trumps all.

Blake Toppmeyer is the USA TODAY Network’s senior national college football columnist. Email him at BToppmeyer@gannett.com and follow him on X @btoppmeyer.

AI-assisted summary
• LSU has fired head coach Brian Kelly after a disappointing fourth season.
• Mississippi coach Lane Kiffin is considered a top candidate to replace Kelly.
• Other potential replacements include Missouri’s Eli Drinkwitz and USC’s Lincoln Riley.

LSU took big swings when its coaching job came open during the 2021 college football season with the firing of Ed Orgeron. There was talk of Lincoln Riley. And also Jimbo Fisher. The Tigers ultimately pulled of what seemed like a coup in luring Brian Kelly from Notre Dame.

The move made sense for both sides. Kelly was the winningest coach in school history with the Fighting Irish but seemed a step behind when trying to compete with the biggest programs. Better to join one that not be able to beat them. For LSU, they got a veteran coach with appearances in the College Football Playoff and Bowl Championship Series title game. Each of their last three coaches had won a national title. Kelly seemed poised to contend for one.

But the move didn’t work out. There was early success with trip to the SEC title game in his first year and quarterback Jayden Daniels winning the Heisman Trophy in his second. Consistent success, however, was elusive. There was a downturn in Kelly’s third year. His fourth season became a series of disappointments, and the school pulled the plug one day after an embarrassing home loss to Texas A&M.

LSU must now find someone to do what Kelly couldn’t: Put this team in the thick of the national championship race each season. Like the last search, they will swing big. Who will the Tigers be looking at? There are familiar names and rising stars on the list of candidates.

Lane Kiffin, Mississippi

Kiffin’s experience, track record and often brilliant offensive mind would make him a home-run hire for LSU. The same could be said for Florida, too. But LSU is the better job of the two for several reasons, including by the ability to mine one of the most fertile recruiting areas in the country with virtually no major competition. While Kelly’s inability to capitalize on a fast start to his tenure is the ultimate cause of his departure, it’s reasonable to assume that LSU was at least in some part swayed to make a move at this moment as a way to leap into the Kiffin sweepstakes. He’s as close to a sure thing as there is among active college coaches.

Eli Drinkwitz, Missouri

Drinkwitz would be a terrific fallback option for LSU if Kiffin says no. He’s essentially the off-brand Kiffin of the SEC, with a similar touch on offense, a really great run of recent success and the demeanor to handle the LSU punchbowl. Another draw is his work turning Missouri into an annual contender after taking a few years to build the depth and roster needed to compete in the SEC.

Lincoln Riley, Southern California

This might be a great opportunity for Riley and USC to come to a mutual parting of the ways, which would allow Riley to land his third upper-echelon position in as many tries. Remember, Riley was widely expected to be the Tigers’ replacement for Orgeron before shocking the sport by leaving Oklahoma for the Trojans. A few years later, Riley has probably achieved just enough at USC to be a strong candidate to be Kelly’s successor.

Joe Brady, Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator

Brady is still remembered in Baton Rouge and elsewhere for his work as the offensive coordinator for the 2019 Tigers, who won the national championship behind maybe the best offense in the history of the sport. Brady has since moved onto the NFL, where he’s continued to build a strong reputation while working alongside Josh Allen with the Bills. The lack of experience as a head coach is a major issue that LSU might not be able to overcome; Penn State may be more willing to roll the dice.

Jon Sumrall, Tulane

LSU is familiar with what Sumrall has done in his two seasons at Tulane and aware of his success during the previous two seasons at Troy. While this might be too big a position at this point in his career, Sumrall could also be the next Dan Lanning, who was a hotshot defensive coordinator with no experience as a head coach when he was hired at Oregon. If LSU or Florida or another school thinks Sumrall has that potential, they’d be foolish not to buy in at a lower price point.

Alex Golesh, South Florida

Golesh is Sumrall’s double on the offensive side of the ball after turning USF into one of the top teams in the Group of Five. Like Sumrall, he’s also worked in the SEC, serving as Tennessee’s offensive coordinator before joining the Bulls. This is the first year the program has popped, though, after two years of solid but not spectacular results. You get the impression LSU is looking at someone a little more proven.

James Franklin

The former Penn State coach will be a contender for virtually every Power Four opening because of his turns at Vanderbilt and with the Nittany Lions. Whether that’s realistic depends on a few factors, starting with the unanswered question of whether or not Franklin wants to get right back into coaching. If he does, he’d be a solid secondary option for LSU, though behind a number of other early contenders for the opening.

Former NFL running back Adrian Peterson is in police custody in Fort Bend County, Texas, according to official jail records.

Peterson, 40, was arrested the morning of Oct. 26 in Sugar Land, Texas on charges of DWI and unlawful carrying of a weapon, according to Fort Bend County records.

The Palestine, Texas native will meet with a judge on Oct. 27 after spending the night of Oct. 26 in jail, a Fort Bend Sheriff’s Office spokesperson told the Houston Chronicle. Peterson will be eligible to post bail following his meeting with the judge, the spokesperson said.

The Oct. 26 incident is at least the second drunk driving incident for Peterson this year. The 15-year NFL veteran was arrested in Minnesota on a DWI charge in April, hours after he had made an appearance at a Minnesota Vikings 2025 NFL Draft party.

Peterson has faced multiple other legal issues in the past, including a misdemeanor charge for reckless assault against his then-four-year-old son in September 2014.

In February 2022, Peterson was also arrested on suspicion of domestic violence after an incident with his wife on an airplane at the Los Angeles International Airport. No charges were filed, though Peterson agreed to domestic violence and alcohol counseling in the wake of the incident.

Peterson played for seven different teams, most notably the Vikings, across 15 seasons in the NFL. The No. 7 overall pick in the 2007 NFL Draft was named to seven Pro Bowls and four All-Pro first teams in his career and won the NFL MVP award in 2012. He accumulated 14,918 rushing yards in his career, which ranks fifth all-time in NFL history.

• Mookie Betts is chasing his fourth World Series title, third with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
• Since a February 2020 trade from the Red Sox, the Dodgers have been to the World Series three times since acquiring Mookie Betts.
• After switching to shortshop for the 2025 season, Mookie Betts’ defensive prowess has made him a Gold Glove finalist.

LOS ANGELES — He is Michael Jordan in spikes.

He is Tiger Woods with a glove.

He’s Tom Brady with bat.

He is Los Angeles Dodgers shortstop Mookie Betts.

Oh sure, he’s not an international sensation who can’t walk along the streets of Los Angeles, let alone Tokyo, without an army of photographers and reporters running after him like Shohei Ohtani.

He’s not a folk hero as the son of a Hall of Famer and beloved by everyone in his own country like Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr.

He doesn’t throw resurrect memories of Bob Gibson throwing complete games in the postseason like Yoshinobu Yamamoto.

No, all Betts does is win.

And win.

And win.

He’s obsessed with it.

Forget the glossy statistics, don’t pay attention to the numbers on the back of his bubblegum card, and don’t bother comparing him to any of the legends who have played this game.

You want to define Mookie Betts.

Just look at the rings on his finger.

Betts already has won a World Series championship in Boston. He won two more in Los Angeles. And he is three victories away from having a ring for every finger on his left hand but his thumb.

“That’s all that matters to me,’’ Betts quietly says before the Dodgers host the Toronto Blue Jays in Game 3 on Monday (8 p.m. ET on FOX). “I want to win. That’s all I think about, winning.’’

Betts, 31, in the fifth year of a 12-year, $365 million contract, wants his final baseball resting place to be in Cooperstown, N.Y., home of the Baseball Hall of Fame.

He’s not worried about his legacy, or his individual statistics, but making sure all of the victories, postseason appearances and World Series championships get him over the threshold.

“Being in the Hall of Fame is kind of a driver of mine,’’ Betts says. “The legacy comes with the winning. I just know that if I can do my end goal, which is to be in the Hall of Fame, what comes with it comes with it.

“You can’t argue with winning. You can argue with stats on the back of the baseball cards. There’s a lot of people that do that. But not a lot of people can say they won four or five rings, you know. That’s what I’m trying to say.

“And then there’s no arguments.’’

He looks at Buster Posey, who had only 1,500 hits as a catcher, but won three World Series championships with the San Francisco Giants and should be inducted in the 2027 Hall of Fame class.

He’s in awe of the late Yogi Berra, who won 10 World Series championships with the New York Yankees.

He admires Derek Jeter, the Yankees shortstop great who won five World Series titles.

Betts wants to be that guy, too, the ultimate winner who will do anything and everything possible to make his team a champion.

You want him to play right field? Ok, he won six Gold Gloves, a batting title and an MVP award as a right fielder.

You want to move him to second base? No problem, he’ll win a Silver Slugger award and make the All-Star team there, too.

And this year, you want to see if he can play shortstop? Well, he’s a Gold Glove finalist and Betts has the Dodgers back in the World Series with his brilliant defense while hitting 20 homers, scoring 95 runs and driving in 82.

“Shohei Ohtani might be the best baseball player on earth right now,’’ Milwaukee Brewers manager Pat Murphy says. “Freddie Freeman has touched our hearts many times in the wrong way. But Mookie Betts, what he’s doing in the game of baseball, is incredible, to move from outfield to playing shortstop on the Los Angeles Dodgers, a team that’s stacked with everything you can be stacked with.

“For him to do that, and do it well, is incredible. Imagine Steph Curry just saying, “Ok, he’s going to go play power forward and guard the other team’s best player.’ That’s what it’s like. So he’s going to guard the other team’s best player, who’s bigger, whatever. Never done it and he does it and they win still. And he puts up his 30-plus a game. …

‘I’m just telling you, man, if you’re talking about most valuable player [award], you’re going to go through the stats and all that kind of stuff. But if you’re talking about a player that really was valuable to this team this year, I’m saying Mookie Betts is number one.’’

Betts, who has seven top-10 MVP finishes, won’t finish in the top 10 this season with his slow starts, but he’s undeniably the finest athlete in the game.

“Makes playing shortstop look easy for a guy that’s a Gold Glover in right field,’’ Blue Jays manager John Schneider says. “He’s just consistent. I think he understands the speed of the game, understands big stages of the game. … A couple plays that he’s made, man, just going to his right against us in the first couple games, pretty impressive what he does.

“And the fact that he’s hitting at the top of the order, I think Mookie’s a hell of a player.’

Really, there’s absolutely nothing Betts can’t do.

Go ahead, name a sport, and he’ll beat you.

Grab your golf clubs, and he’ll beat you in every round.

You want to hit the nearby bowling alley? Go ahead and challenge the guy who has bowled multiple perfect games in competition, and might bowl professionally when he’s done with baseball.

Yamamoto has thrown back-to-back complete games this postseason, but when he comes to Betts’ house to bowl, uh, it doesn’t work out too well.

“He actually comes over pretty often,’’ Betts said, last bowling against him before their flight to Toronto. “He knows how to keep it on the lane. He tries to curve it a little bit. He’s learning.’’

You want to pick up a ping-pong paddle? Feel free to go ahead and embarrass yourself.

Pickleball? Good luck trying to beat him after he picked up the sport a couple of years ago.

“It’s absolutely insane what he does,’’ Dodgers third baseman Max Muncy says. “But I feel like the only person that I can think of that could do something like that is Mookie. I’m sure he could pitch. He can do everything else, why not?’’

Has there ever been a sport Betts hasn’t conquered, we ask?

“Uh, not really,’’ he says. “It’s because I try and play the stuff that I’m good at. If I’m not good at it, I’ll figure it out, learn, and at least to be serviceable in it. I think my brain just kind of works that way when it comes to sports.

“I can’t really explain it, it just does.’’

Ok, have you ever tried a sport in which you didn’t dominate?

“Honestly, I don’t even remember,’’ he says.

Well, considering he has excelled at every position he’s played on a baseball field, every outfield position, second base and shortstop, why not try the hot corner at third? How about first base? For giggles, why not put on the shin guards and catch? He pitched in high school, why not now?

“I don’t think there’s anything that his competitive drive wouldn’t allow him to do,’’ Dodgers reliever Blake Treinen says. “Could he pitch and get a few big outs? You know he could. He’d probably be a great reliever, and then win a Gold Glove doing it.’’

Sorry, Betts says, but he’s good sticking at shortstop for now.

“I don’t want to do anything else,’’ Betts said. “I just want to win, that’s it, whatever it takes.’’

Besides, Betts cares too much about winning than to turn his versatility into a sideshow. He’s too busy making sure the Dodgers don’t become vulnerable at a time when the rest of the baseball world is trying to gun them down.

“Nothing’s easy,’’ Betts says. “Winning the World Series is hard in itself, but then coming back is another animal because the target’s always on your back.

“But it’s also fun to play like that. There’s an art to it. There’s a mindset to it. It’s something that a lot of us Dodgers have learned to embrace. Not everyone can say that they got to play on a team that was expected to win, loving those expectations, and embracing those expectations.’’

Betts also is Exhibit 1-A to the argument that the Dodgers aren’t bad for baseball with their massive payroll, but actually are just smarter than most teams.

The Boston Red Sox shopped Betts a year before he was eligible for free agency in February 2020. Any team in baseball could have had him. His contract didn’t include a no-trade clause. The Red Sox were just looking for prospects in return.

The Dodgers sent the Red Sox outfielder Alex Verdugo, young shortstop Jeter Downs, catcher Connor Wong and agreed to take on starter David Price’s contract. Well, Verdugo has turned into nothing more than a journeyman. Downs is playing for the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks in Japan. Wong hit .190 in a backup role with the Red Sox. And Price retired three years ago.

The Red Sox haven’t been back to the World Series since the trade.

The Dodgers have been to the World Series three times in six years.

“So, anybody could have made that trade,’’ Betts said. “Everybody’s capable of doing the same thing. Everybody can spend money if they want to, and our guys want to.

“I’m sure there’s a whole money component to it, which I’m not here to debate all that. I just know that everybody has the ability to do this, and we chose to do it. We enjoy winning from the top to the bottom.’’

And, oh, have they won.

They’ve been to the postseason 13 consecutive times, won 12 NL West titles, five pennants and are trying for a third championship in that timeframe.

Hello dynasty, it’s Mookie.

“I don’t even know what a dynasty really is,’’ Betts says. “I just know we’ve been good. [Team president] Andrew [Friedman] and those guys keep putting a good product out there. There’s no secret. There’s no magic formula. We just want to win, and purely your will to win.

“You look in here, and everybody is driven to win. You want to be with good guys. You want to come to a clubhouse where nobody gets in trouble. Nobody’s idling. Nobody argues. Nobody fights. You kind of come in and take care of your business. We hold each other accountable, which I think is huge.

“We just want to be the smartest players, the best players, the most talented players, and yeah, the nicest as well.’’

It’s all that Mookie wants, and well, a few more of those championship rings for his other hand, as well.

Follow Bob Nightengale on X @Bnightengale.

The Los Angeles Lakers needed someone to supply the offense against the Sacramento Kings on Sunday night and Austin Reaves was willing to take on the challenge.

He set a new career-high of 51 points, surpassing his previous mark of 45, in the Lakers’ 127-120 victory over the rival Kings. He became the 12th player in Lakers history to record 50-plus points in a single game.

Reaves had the opportunity to lead the offense following the absence of Luka Doncic, who was ruled out in the hours leading up to the game due to a finger sprain and a lower left leg contusion and will miss at least a week.

‘He was fantastic and did a little bit of everything tonight,’ Lakers coach JJ Redick told reporters after the game. ‘He was all over the place and scored the basketball at an incredible level. … He lives in the moment and is ready for every moment that comes.’

Reaves filled in the void left behind and nearly produced a triple-double performance and finishing with 11 rebounds and nine assists for the Lakers.

The fifth-year player also had a career-high night from the free-throw line, shooting 21-of-22. He also became the eighth player in franchise history to make 20-plus free throws in a game.

The Lakers players celebrated with Reaves in the moments after the game and in the locker room to acknowledge his big night.

‘It means a lot,’ Reaves said. ‘We play basketball for those moments, and for them to treat me like that is special.’

Lakers vs. Kings highlights

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TORONTO — Blue Jays fans, it turns out, have been wasting all of their time booing and mocking the wrong Japanese star who spurned them in free agency.

It’s Los Angeles Dodgers ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto who is ruining the Blue Jays’ dreams of their first World Series title in 32 years.

Yamamoto carved his way into postseason history Saturday night, and tore the heart out of the Blue Jays’ high-powered attack, pitching a four-hit complete game as the Dodgers took a 5-1 victory over the Blue Jays, tying the World Series at one game apiece with the Series returning Monday night to Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles.

Yamamoto, who retired the final 20 batters he faced, became the first pitcher since Curt Schilling for the 2001 World Series champion Arizona Diamondbacks to throw back-to-back complete games in the playoffs. The last pitcher to throw consecutive complete games that included at least one World Series contest was Hall of Famer Tom Glavine with Atlanta in 1992.

And no Dodger has accomplished the feat since Orel Hershiser, who won the 1988 World Series MVP award.

It was a magnificent sequel to Yamamoto’s complete game performance in Game 2 of the NLCS against the Milwaukee Brewers, when he gave up just one run and three hits, striking out seven batters.

Yet, as good as that outing was in Milwaukee, this one was even better.

The Blue Jays’ best chance to get to Yamamoto was in the first inning when George Springer led off with a double and Nathan Lukes followed with a single, putting runners on the corners.

Yamamoto shrugged his shoulders, struck out Vladimir Guerrero, induced a soft lineout by Alejandro Kirk, and then struck out Daulton Varsho, ending the inning.

Yamamoto gave up just two hits the rest of the way, including one that was simply a blunder with a 100% catch probability when Ernie Clement’s second-inning infield popup landed harmlessly over charging first baseman Freddie Freeman’s head.

Yet, after Guerrero’s third-inning single and Alejandro Kirk’s sacrifice fly, Yamamoto was perfect.

Twenty up, 20 down.

Five strikeouts, zero walks.

Yamamoto was so dominant that the Blue Jays managed only two balls out of the infield during the 23-batter stretch.

“He’s been great all year,’ said Dodgers All-Star catcher Will Smith, who drove in three runs, including his first extra-base hit of the postseason with his seventh-inning homer that broke open a 1-1 tie. “He’s had the experience from last year. He is so focused right now.

“I have high expectations for him as always, but he’s just a competitor. He throws Strike 1. Gets ahead. He’s got nasty stuff. Just really makes it tough on hitters.’’

Make it virtually impossible.

It’s why the Dodgers shelled out $325 million two years ago to Yamamoto, who spurned the Blue Jays and their willingness to match the offer or go even higher.

“Whether it is a regular-season game, the playoffs or the World Series,’’ Yamamoto said, “I take every one as similarly as possible. Right now, I think I’m in a pretty good position mentally.”

So are the Dodgers.

The Series may be tied at 1-apiece but all of the momentum – and home-field advantage – are right back in the Dodgers’ court.

Follow Nightengale on X: @Bnightengale

TORONTO — Of the 82 pitches Kevin Gausman threw in Game 2 of the World Series, almost all of them were either untouchable or produced no damage.

Yet two swings by Will Smith did, and that was the very narrow margin between Gausman and Los Angeles Dodgers stalwart Yoshinobu Yamamoto, as Smith’s go-ahead home run in the seventh inning broke up a fantastic pitching duel and Yamamoto pitched a four-hitter, lifting the Dodgers to an eventual 5-1 victory at Rogers Centre.

This World Series is now tied, 1-1, as the clubs flee Canada for the sunny climes of Los Angeles and the middle three games of seven. In squaring the Series, the Dodgers buried some of the demons from their Game 1 shellacking at the hands of the Blue Jays.

Yamamoto briefly followed in Game 1 starter Blake Snell’s footsteps, throwing 23 pitches in a high-stress first inning that resulted in no runs and a pair of Blue Jays stranded on base. Yet unlike Snell, Yamamoto did not wear any residual damage from hanging that zero: He gave up a game-tying sacrifice fly to Alejandro Kirk in the third inning, starting a string of 20 consecutive batters retired to finish the game. 

On a night World Series walk-off legend Joe Carter threw out the first pitch and 44,607 fans at the Rogers Centre roared as the game remained 1-1, Yamamoto methodically rocked them to sleep – one night after the Blue Jays roared for 11 runs on 14 hits in an 11-4 Game 1 romp.

Yamamoto wasn’t having any of that. His pitch counts every subsequent inning after his sketchy first bordered on the absurd: 10, 13, six, eight, 11, eight and then 14 as he struck out the side in the eighth inning, unleashing every weapon in his arsenal: A curveball to set down Andrés Giménez, and then 96-mph fastballs to set down George Springer swinging, and Nathan Lukes looking.

Meanwhile, the Dodgers finally got to Gausman, as Max Muncy followed Smith out to left field two batters later, his opposite-field drive ending the right-handers night trailing 3-1. They tacked on two more runs off reliever Louis Varland in the eighth, giving Yamamoto space to complete his wizardry and keep the Dodgers bullpen idled.

The Dodgers stayed away from their weakness, and leaned into their strength: Yamamoto, who’s now led them to victory in seven of his eight postseason outings over two World Series runs. 

– Gabe Lacques

Here’s how Game 2 unfolded in Toronto:

Yoshinobu Yamamoto dominates through eight, Dodgers up 5-2

Yoshinobu Yamamoto struck out the side in the bottom of the eighth, sending Game 2 to the ninth inning with the Dodgers up 5-1. Yamamoto is at 93 pitches and Dave Roberts may send him back out to finish off a second consecutive complete game.

Dodgers tack on two in the eighth, lead 5-2

The Dodgers loaded the bases with one out in the top of the eighth against Louis Varland, who gave way to Jeff Hoffman with the Blue Jays trailing 3-1. Hoffman threw a wild pitch that brought Andy Pages in to score from third and make the Dodgers’ lead 4-1. After intentionally walking Freddie Freeman, the Dodgers got their fifth run across on Will Smith’s RBI groundout. It’s 5-1 heading into the bottom of the eighth.

Will Smith, Max Muncy home runs finally break Gausman

TORONTO – Nearly six innings of perfection from Kevin Gausman got spoiled by one swing from Will Smith. 

Smith hooked a full-count fastball just inside the left field foul net to snap a string of 17 consecutive batters retired. Two batters later, Max Muncy went to the same spot, but the opposite field, and dropped a solo homer into the Blue Jays bullpen, giving the Dodgers a 3-1 lead into the middle of the seventh in World Series Game 2. 

Gausman and Dodgers counterpart Yoshinobu Yamamoto were locked in an epic standoff featuring two of the greatest split-finger fastballs in the game. Only Smith had gotten to Gausman: He provided an RBI single in the first, and then no Dodger reached base again until Smith’s one-out homer in the seventh. 

Yamamoto, meanwhile, was touched for a third-inning sacrifice fly from Alejandro Kirk, starting his own string of 11 batters retired. 

The question now: At just 59 pitches through six innings, can Yamamoto keep the porous Dodgers bullpen idled long enough for them to square the series, 1-1?

Kevin Gausman retires 16 in a row

Kevin Gausman retired Andy Pages, Shohei Ohtani and Mookie Betts in the top of the sixth and has now retired 16 straight batters since giving up a run-scoring single in the first inning.

Halfway through six, it’s still 1-1.

To the sixth: Dodgers 1, Blue Jays 1

Kevin Gausman hasn’t given up a hit since the first inning and is through five in Toronto, holding the Dodgers scoreless since the opening frame. Yoshinobu Yamamoto has four strikeouts in his five innings of work for the Dodgers.

Alejandro Kirk sac fly ties Game 2 in the third

Yoshinobu Yamamoto hit George Springer to lead off the bottom of the third and with one out, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. drilled a ball off the left-field wall that got Springer to third. Alejandro Kirk followed with a sacrifice fly to center field, tying the game 1-1 at Rogers Centre.

Yoshinobu Yamamoto pulls off first-inning Houdini

TORONTO – Once again, the legends are out and the vibes are electric at Rogers Centre. And down on the field, World Series Game 2 is taking on the feel of hand-to-hand combat. 

For the second consecutive night, the Los Angeles Dodgers struck first, as Will Smith’s RBI single off Kevin Gausman gave them a 1-0 lead after one inning. 

Yet while the Dodgers tallied single runs in the second and third inning of Game 1, a high-stress first inning in which Blake Snell threw 29 pitches eventually came back to haunt them. 

So far, the script has held in Game 2. 

The Blue Jays put runners on first and third with nobody out and, although starter Yoshinobu Yamamoto punched out of the jam with a pair of strikeouts, he needed 23 pitches to do it. 

Both George Springer – who hit a leadoff double – and Vlaidimir Guerrero Jr. fouled off a pair of two-strike pitches and Daulton Varsho took Yamamoto to a full count before striking out looking to end the inning. 

So, the Dodgers drew first blood. But will it once again be a Pyrrhic victory? 

Dodgers take first-inning lead

After Freddie Freeman doubled with two outs against Kevin Gausman in the top of the first, Dodgers catcher Will Smith lashed a single up the middle to score the game’s first run.

Freeman’s double came on the eighth pitch of his at-bat, extending the inning to bring All-Star Smith to the plate.

Dodgers lineup today

1. Shohei Ohtani (L) DH
2. Mookie Betts (R) SS
3. Freddie Freeman (L) 1B
4. Will Smith (R) C
5. Teoscar Hernández (R) RF
6. Max Muncy (L) 3B
7. Enrique Hernández (R) LF
8. Tommy Edman (S) 2B
9. Andy Pages (R) CF

Blue Jays lineup today

1. George Springer (R) DH
2. Nathan Lukes (L) LF
3. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (R) 1B
4. Alejandro Kirk (R) C
5. Daulton Varsho (L) CF
6. Ernie Clement (R) 3B
7. Addison Barger (L) RF
8. Isiah Kiner-Falefa (R) 2B
9. Andrés Giménez (L) SS

Yoshinobu Yamamoto stats vs Blue Jays

Yoshinobu Yamamoto has a 2.82 ERA in seven career postseason starts and a 1.83 ERA in three starts in the 2025 playoffs. Last time out,the right-hander tossed a complete game in Game 2 of the NLCS, giving up just three hits in the Dodgers’ win.

‘He is so focused right now, it’s going to be a fun night for him,’ catcher Will Smith said before Game 2. ‘I have high expectations for him as always.’

Dodgers World Series roster 2025

Pitchers (12): LHP Anthony Banda, LHP Jack Dreyer, RHP Tyler Glasnow, RHP Edgardo Henriquez, LHP Clayton Kershaw, RHP Will Klein, RHP Roki Sasaki, RHP Emmet Sheehan, LHP Blake Snell, RHP Blake Treinen, LHP Justin Wrobleski, RHP Yoshinobu Yamamoto.

Position, two-way players (14): SS Mookie Betts, OF Alex Call, OF Justin Dean, INF/OF Tommy Edman, 1B Freddie Freeman, INF/OF Kiké Hernández, OF Teoscar Hernández, INF/OF Hyeseong Kim, 3B Max Muncy, DH/P Shohei Ohtani, OF Andy Pages, INF Miguel Rojas, C Ben Rortvedt, C Will Smith.

Blue Jays World Series roster

Pitchers (12): RHP Chris Bassitt, RHP Shane Bieber, RHP Seranthony Dominguez, RHP Braydon Fisher, LHP Mason Fluharty, RHP Kevin Gausman, RHP Jeff Hoffman, LHP Eric Lauer, LHP Brendon Little, RHP Max Scherzer, RHP Louis Varland, RHP Trey Yesavage.

Position players (14): C Tyler Heineman, C Alejandro Kirk, INF/OF Addison Barger, INF Bo Bichette, INF Ernie Clement, INF Ty France, INF Andrés Giménez, INF Vladimir Guerrero Jr., INF Isiah Kiner-Falefa, OF Nathan Lukes, OF Davis Schneider, OF George Springer, OF Myles Straw, OF Daulton Varsho.

World Series announcers

• Joe Davis, play-by-play
• John Smoltz, color commentary
• Ken Rosenthal and Tom Verducci, dugout reporters

2025 World Series umpires

MLB announced the umpires and full schedule for the crew chosen to call this year’s World Series. Mark Wegner has been designated as crew chief for the first time. It’s his third World Series overall overall during a 25-year career.

Here’s how the umpires will line up for Game 2:

• Home plate: Adrian Johnson
• First base: John Tumpane
• Second base: Alan Porter (crew chief)
• Third base: Adam Hamari
• Left field: Jordan Baker
• Right field: Will Little
• Reserve: Mark Wegner

World Series national anthems for Game 2

Bebe Rexha is performing the American national anthem before Game 2 in Toronto while Alessia Cara is singing the Canadian anthem.

World Series schedule 2025

• Game 1: Blue Jays 11, Dodgers 4
• Game 2: Saturday, Oct. 25 in Toronto – 8 p.m. ET, FOX
• Game 3: Monday, Oct. 27 in Los Angeles – 8 p.m. ET, FOX
• Game 4: Tuesday, Oct. 28 in Los Angeles – 8 p.m. ET, FOX
• *Game 5: Wednesday, Oct. 29 in Los Angeles – 8 p.m. ET, FOX
• *Game 6: Friday, Oct. 31 in Toronto – 8 p.m. ET, FOX
• *Game 7: Saturday, Nov. 1 in Toronto – 8 p.m. ET, FOX

World Series winners by year

• 2024: Dodgers
• 2023: Rangers
• 2022: Astros
• 2021: Braves
• 2020: Dodgers
• 2019: Nationals
• 2018: Red Sox
• 2017: Astros
• 2016: Cubs
• 2015: Royals
• 2014: Giants
• 2013: Red Sox
• 2012: Giants
• 2011: Cardinals
• 2010: Giants

How many times have the Dodgers won the World Series?

The Dodgers have won eight World Series titles in franchise history – one in Brooklyn and seven in Los Angeles

• 1955 vs. Yankees
• 1959 vs. White Sox
• 1963 vs. Yankees
• 1965 vs. Twins
• 1981 vs. Yankees
• 1988 vs. Athletics
• 2020 vs. Rays
• 2024 vs. Yankees

Blue Jays World Series appearances

Toronto won back-to-back World Series championships in 1992 (vs. Braves) and 1993 (vs. Phillies), the only times in franchise history the club has reached the Fall Classic since coming into existence in 1977.

When did the Dodgers move to LA?

The Dodgers left Brooklyn after the 1957 season, playing their first game in Los Angeles in 1958.

The Giants departed New York for San Francisco at the same time, bringing the historic rivalry to the West Coast.

Did Vladimir Guerrero win a World Series?

Hall of Famer Vladimir Guerrero never won a World Series title, making his only Fall Classic appearance for the Texas Rangers in 2010, the penultimate of his 16-year MLB career.

Dodgers vs Blue Jays tickets

Real Madrid and Barcelona face off in El Clasico on Sunday, Oct. 26 at the Santiago Bernabeu in Madrid.

Barcelona manager Hansi Flick received a red card last week and assistant coach Marcus Song will take charge for the heated rivalry match. ‘It’s an honor to be on the bench leading this team,’ Song told reporters.

Last season, Barcelona beat Real Madrid in four consecutive meetings in three competitions.

‘The match has a special flavor and is the most important one right now,’ Real Madrid manager Xabi Alonso said. ‘There will be similar situations, but it is completely different (from last season).’

What time is El Clasico Barcelona vs Real Madrid?

Sunday’s Real Madrid-Barcelona game kicks off at 11:15 a.m. ET.

How to watch El Clasico: Barcelona-Real Madrid TV channel, stream

The match will air on ESPN2 and can be streamed on Fubo.

Watch El Clasico LIVE on Fubo

Lamine Yamal stirs up El Clasico

Real Madrid manager Xabi Alonso declined to comment on Saturday after Barcelona winger Lamine Yamal suggested the capital club ‘cheat’ and ‘complain’ in a televised interview on Friday.

Alonso faced repeated questions from reporters regarding Yamal’s remarks, made during an appearance on a Kings League program alongside former Barcelona defender Gerard Pique.

The 18-year-old Barca forward compared Real to Porcinos, a Kings League team, stating: ‘Of course! Yes, they cheat, they complain …’ The comments, which Pique supported, stirred debate in the build-up to one of soccer’s most iconic fixtures. — Reuters

A week after one of the best NASCAR Cup Series drivers of all time to not win a title clinched a spot in the 2025 Championship 4 race, Chase Briscoe earned a spot in his first title race.

The Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota driver earned his third win of the season and second of the playoffs with a race to victory in the YellaWood 500 at Talladega Superspeedway.

Briscoe took the lead in the final lap of overtime and held off two non-playoff drivers, Todd Gilliland and Ty Gibbs, to get his second playoff in win in eight races.

This means two Joe Gibbs Racing drivers will be in the hunt for the title in Phoenix in the season finale, Briscoe and Denny Hamlin.

‘I don’t know what’s more unbelievable – the fact that we’re going to the Championship 4 or that I won a superspeedway race,’ Briscoe said. ‘What an amazing day.’

Two of four spots in the Championship 4 are now set. This week, NASCAR heads to one of the oldest tracks on the calendar – Martinsville Speedway – to potentially secure a third contender.

It’s the penultimate round of the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season. Here’s everything you need to know to get ready for the Xfinity 500 on Sunday, Oct. 26:

What time does the NASCAR playoff race at Martinsville?

The Xfinity 500 is scheduled to start at 2 p.m. ET on Sunday, Oct. 26 at Martinsville Speedway in Ridgeway, Virginia.

What TV channel is the NASCAR playoff race at Martinsville?

The Xfinity 500 will be broadcast on NBC, the channel for the final three races of the Cup Series playoffs. Pre-race coverage will start at 1:30 p.m. ET.

Will there be a live stream of the NASCAR playoff race at Martinsville?

Yes, the Xfinity 500 will be streamed on Peacock, HBO Max, Sling TV and Fubo, which is offering a free trial to new subscribers.

Stream the NASCAR playoff race at Martinsville on Fubo

How many laps is the NASCAR playoff race at Martinsville?

The Xfinity 500 is 500 laps around the 0.526-mile track for a total of 263 miles. The race will have three segments (laps per stage) — Stage 1: 130 laps; Stage 2: 130 laps; Stage 3: 240 laps.

NASCAR Cup Series playoff standings

Here’s how things look with one race left in the Round of 8. The bottom four drivers will be eliminated after Martinsville ahead of the finale in Phoenix. Drivers who have secured a spot in the Championship 4 are marked with an asterisk.

1. Chase Briscoe*
2. Christopher Bell (+9)
3. Kyle Larson (+10)
4. Denny Hamlin (+13)*
5. William Byron (+46)
6. Joey Logano (+48)
7. Ryan Blaney (+57)
8. Chase Elliott (+72)

Who won the NASCAR playoff race at Martinsville last year?

The race wasn’t without controversy, though, as Christopher Bell’s late pass on Bubba Wallace was ruled illegal because of ‘wall-riding’ and that kept Bell out of the Championship 4.

NASCAR playoff race at Martinsville starting lineup

1. Denny Hamlin, No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
2. Kyle Larson, No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
3. Chase Briscoe, No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
4. Ross Chastain, No. 1 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
5. Ryan Blaney, No. 12 Team Penske Ford
6. William Byron, No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
7. Tyler Reddick, No. 45 23XI Racing Toyota
8. Christopher Bell, No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
9. Austin Cindric, No. 2 Team Penske Ford
10. Zane Smith, No. 38 Front Row Motorsports Ford
11. Chris Buescher, No. 17 Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing Ford
12. Josh Berry, No. 21 Wood Brothers Racing Ford
13. Joey Logano, No. 22 Team Penske Ford
14. Bubba Wallace, No. 23 23XI Racing Toyota
15. Austin Dillon, No. 3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
16. Erik Jones, No. 43 Legacy Motor Club Toyota
17. AJ Allmendinger, No. 16 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet
18. Shane van Gisbergen, No. 88 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
19. Chase Elliott, No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
20. John Hunter Nemechek, No. 42 Legacy Motor Club Toyota
21. Ty Gibbs, No. 54 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
22. Kyle Busch, No. 8 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
23. Brad Keselowski, No. 6 Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing Ford
24. Noah Gragson, No. 4 Front Row Motorsports Ford
25. Alex Bowman, No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
26. Daniel Suarez, No. 99 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
27. Carson Hocevar, No. 77 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
28. Michael McDowell, No. 71 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
29. Cole Custer, No. 41 Haas Factory Team Ford
30. Todd Gilliland, No. 34 Front Row Motorsports Ford
31. Justin Haley, No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
32. Ryan Preece, No. 60 RFK Racing Ford
33. Riley Herbst, No. 35 23XI Racing Toyota
34. Ricky Stenhouse Jr., No. 47 HYAK Motorsports Chevrolet
35. Ty Dillon, No. 10 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet
36. Cody Ware, No. 51 Rick Ware Racing Ford

The irony is so perfectly profound, it’s almost as if someone in the great gridiron in the sky is moving the puzzle pieces.

With a sick sense of humor.

A year after whining and moaning about Indiana’s viability in the College Football Playoff race, after spending the entire offseason badgering the CFP selection committee into focusing more on strength of schedule, the SEC now has its own one-loss, historically lovable loser trying to crash the joint. 

Without a resume to show for it.  

Vanderbilt, meet Indiana, 2024. And never the twain shall be compared, if the SEC has anything to do with it.

Because what was once a hill to die on, has now become an exit ramp to avoiding all of that CFP traffic. Don’t believe what your eyes tell you, everyone.

Just look at the record. The ― I can’t believe I’m writing this after the SEC’s tantrum last November ― wins.

Hell, Vanderbilt nearly lost Saturday afternoon to Missouri, which lost its starting quarterback in the middle of what can only be described as a game of two teams who think they’re playoff worthy, but aren’t.

Indiana won 11 games and beat one team with a winning record in 2024, yet was awarded one of the seven precious at-large CFP spots. Vanderbilt, if it finishes the regular season with an 11-1 record, will have beaten (maybe) one ranked team — depending on how the seasons at LSU and Tennessee unfold. 

Before we go further, I recognize the overall schedule Vanderbilt will have faced is more difficult than what Indiana went through. But to be fair the Hoosiers, they beat the ever-loving crap out of everyone they played, with the exception of Ohio State.

Vanderbilt is winning one-possession games. 

Indiana had brash and boorish coach Curt Cignetti telling everyone to go suck it. Vandy has calm and stoic Clark Lea, the Mr. Clean of college football.

“They fought down the stretch,” Lea told the ESPN sideline reporter moments after yet another Vandy gut-check win. “If we can build off this, there’s a lot to learn.”

If that doesn’t make you want to root for the program that has never won the SEC championship, never won 10 games in a season, and isn’t that far behind Indiana in the annals of suck, I don’t know what will.

Indiana has more losses (715) than any other program in Division I history. Vanderbilt (671) is close in the Crimson wake. 

Indiana did what it was told it had to do in 2024 to reach the CFP, and then got blasted for doing it. So if I was a card-carrying member of the you’ve got to be kidding me club then (I was), I can’t very well back off now.

Because you better believe the narrative from the SEC is going to be wins, wins, wins — when last year with Indiana, it was some good losses are better than wins. It’s almost like we were all living through our own Animal Farm. 

All college football games are equal, the great George Orwell wrote, but some college football games are more equal than others. Or something like that. 

Forget that Alabama last year lost three times as a double-digit favorite, the last by 21 points to the worst Oklahoma team in three decades — with a spot in the CFP on the line. 

Or that Ole Miss lost to a putrid Kentucky team at home, then lost to a reeling Florida team (that nearly fired its coach) — with a spot in the CFP on the line. 

Then, when those arguments didn’t hold water, the SEC shifted to South Carolina, whose resume was no better than Indiana’s. But the Gamecocks, everyone, were the “hottest team” in college football. 

Absurd. All of it. 

So now we’re going to hear the SEC spin of Vanderbilt beating South Carolina when the now five-loss (and counting) Gamecocks were ranked. And beating LSU when the Tigers — who have beaten no one — were ranked.

Or the gutty, gritty win against No.15 Missouri, which lost its starting quarterback early in the second half and wasn’t the same thereafter. Frankly, Missouri hasn’t beaten anyone either. 

“That’s a really good Missouri team,” Lea said after the game. 

Of course it is, because it’s on the Vanderbilt schedule. And from here moving forward, everyone on the Vandy schedule is or was world beaters.

Which brings us all the way back to Indiana, this season’s bully on the block. A year after fighting weekly for his team that played no one, Cignetti has the best team in college football. 

They’ve left no doubt in big games, and if all goes as planned, will be playing Ohio State in the Big Ten championship game for the No. 1 seed in the CFP. Meanwhile, the SEC will be fighting for Vanderbilt to reach the big show, highlighting those wins against teams that were better when the Commodores beat them. 

Really, they were. 

What a wicked sense of humor from the college football gods. 

Matt Hayes is the senior national college football writer for USA TODAY Sports Network. Follow him on X at @MattHayesCFB.