CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Pit Pay, the only mobile pit pass app for the motorsports industry, launched today in the Apple app and Google Play stores.

Motorsport participants can purchase pit passes in advance using the Pit Pay app on their Apple and Android mobile devices, saving time when they arrive at the race track. The Pit Pay app organizes and simplifies the sign-in process, helping tracks get participants into the pits quickly and efficiently.

Pit Pay provides its users – racers, crew members and other attendees – with a simple, hassle-free experience in the app and at the track.

With hundreds of tracks and thousands of events, users can quickly and easily purchase pit passes in advance using the app.

Once they arrive at the track, users proceed directly to the dedicated Pit Pay check-in area, present the mobile pit pass on their device and receive their armband or credential, saving valuable time standing in line, signing waivers and exchanging cash.

The Pit Pay app safely and securely stores credit card information and users’ favorite tracks and series to make purchasing a pit pass as simple as a few clicks on their mobile devices.

“We’re excited to launch Pit Pay and get feedback straight from the racers and promoters,” said Frank Bolter, president of Pit Pay. “My goal with the Pit Pay app is to utilize technology to provide a better experience for racers, while helping tracks and insurance providers streamline their processes. I’ve been involved in motorsports for over 25 years, and I saw a need for the pit pass sign-in process to be standardized and simplified at the track.

“I think the Pit Pay app can help with that, improving the participant experience,” Bolter added. “Initial feedback from tracks and racers has been overwhelming, and I’m excited to see where the Pit Pay app can go as we continue to work to expand our presence and give back to the motorsports community.”

Pit Pay is currently adding new tracks to the app, and mobile pit passes will be available for select events beginning in January 2020.

Developing Pit Pay to satisfy the needs of tracks and insurance partners was a collaborative effort with leading motorsports attorneys, industry leaders and insurance providers.

“Pit Pay provides a best-in-class digital solution for executing and storing liability waivers, which we all know is a hassle at every track,” said Lauri Eberhart of Apollo Sports & Entertainment Law Group and legal advisor to Pit Pay. “It provides an authenticated, digital paper trail that is easier to access and protect than our current paper waiver system. We collaborated with leading insurance companies and legal experts in our industry to be sure Pit Pay not only meets, but exceeds, current legal standards.”

“Pit Pay is the future, and with many benefits to the racers, track owners and promoters, it will be a real gamechanger for the motorsports industry,” said Jeff Ladd, president of Sport Insurance Specialists. “Tim Troester, Don DeWitt and the Reel Racing MGA Team, along with Ryan Slagle and my team here at SIS, saw the vision in the Pit Pay technology right away, so we are excited to have contributed our efforts to get this platform introduced to the industry. It will be a winner.”

Pit Pay is free to download.

WINNIPEG, Manitoba -- The Winnipeg Jets claimed center Nick Shore off waivers from the Toronto Maple Leafs on Wednesday.

Shore had two goals and an assist in 21 games for the Maple Leafs this season. The 27-year-old former University of Denver player signed with Toronto in the summer after spending last season with Magnitogorsk Metallurg of the Kontinental Hockey League.

Shore has 17 goals, 39 assists in 257 career NHL games with Los Angeles, Ottawa and Calgary.

The Hero World Challenge got started a day early, and there's a pair of major champs at the top of the leaderboard. Here's how things stand in the Bahamas, where Patrick Reed and Gary Woodland are both off to a strong start:

Leaderboard: Patrick Reed (-6), Gary Woodland (-6), Chez Reavie (-4), Justin Rose (-3), Justin Thomas (-3), Rickie Fowler (-3), Henrik Stenson (-3)

What it means: Scoring was difficult for much of the day as winds swept across Albany Golf Club and put the elite, 18-man field to the test. Woodland got off to the best start of the bunch as he looks to cap a season that already includes a U.S. Open title, while Reed joined him with a strong close. Only 10 of the 18 players were able to break par on a blustery afternoon.

Round of the day: Reed landed at Albany with a set of new, undisclosed irons. But whatever weapons he's wielding, they clearly worked in the opening round. The former Masters champ carded five birdies in a six-hole stretch from Nos. 11-16 to grab a share of the lead. It's the second straight year that Reed leads here after the opening round. He'll look to parlay that into something better than last year's 11th-place result.

Best of the rest: Woodland started quickly, with birdies on four of his first six holes including a chip-in on No. 5. Making his second straight appearance in the Bahamas, he tallied eight birdies and posted a bogey-free 32 on the back nine.

Biggest disappointment: Tony Finau was a runner-up at this event last year, but he's unlikely to replicate that result this time around. Finau's struggles included a triple bogey on the par-3 eighth, and his 7-over 79 left him in last place, three shots worse than the next closest competitor.

Main storyline for Friday: All eyes remain on the tournament host. Tiger Woods made a charge down the stretch, at one point reaching 3 under on his round despite a wobbly start. But a bogey on No. 17 and a sloppy double on the final hole dropped him all the way back to an even-par 72, six shots behind the co-leaders, meaning there's work to be done if he's going to challenge for a sixth Hero title.

Shot of the day: Woods appeared in position for an easy birdie on the par-5 15th when he went one better, holing a pitch from just in front of the green for eagle.

Quote of the day: "Got myself kind of right there in the mix, and then hit bad shots on 17 and 18." - Woods

NASSAU, Bahamas – As an Albany resident and fan of the island life, Bryson DeChambeau was happy to sport Puma’s new Saltwater collection Wednesday at the Hero World Challenge.

DeChambeau’s polo of choice, called the “Predator Polo,” featured an array of sharks and stingrays, a perfect representation for someone who enjoys spending time under the sea like DeChambeau, now an avid spearfisherman.

“It’s an awesome collection,” DeChambeau said. “They had the turtle one, and I wasn’t about to wear that.”

The turtle shirt DeChambeau was referring to is named the “Slow Play Polo.” DeChambeau, of course, has been a target of slow-play critics in recent years, most recently during The Northern Trust in August, when he took more than two minutes to hit a putt during the second round and video of the ordeal sparked outrage on social media, prompting DeChambeau to go on a lengthy defense.

A smart man, DeChambeau apparently has opted to avoid the discussion altogether and refrain from wearing the particular shirt.

“Not going to happen,” he said.

Fellow Puma ambassador Rickie Fowler, though, thinks it would’ve been a great opportunity for DeChambeau to have a little fun.

“I understand why,” said Fowler, who wore one of the slow-play polos Wednesday along with Gary Woodland. “I thought it would’ve been awesome if he would’ve went with it. … And if people ask, ‘Well, Bryson, why’re you wearing it?’ [He could say] ‘Actually, It’s my own line. You know, [I’m a] little slow. Gary and Rickie decided to jump on board and be very supportive of me to help me through this tough time.’

“He could’ve had some fun with it, but there’s time.”

NASSAU, Bahamas – As Justin Rose stood on the interview podium Wednesday at the Hero World Challenge, his eyes couldn’t help but wander to a nearby television, which was showing Gary Woodland hit his approach shot into Albany’s par-4 18th hole.

“That's probably one of the toughest par-4s you'll play all year, so save it for December,” said Rose, who escaped the hole with par.

The 470-yard finishing hole is tricky – down the left is water from tee to green, down the right are dunes and a treacherous fairway bunker that makes reaching the green tough.

A rare westerly wind made the hole much longer.

“It’s been a while,” said Woodland of the last time he hit 5-iron into the green.

Like Rose, Woodland made par to cap an opening 6-under 66, which ties him with Patrick Reed (also a par maker on 18) for the lead. They were among the lucky ones.

The 18th produced no birdies, four bogeys and some big numbers. Tiger Woods, Bubba Watson and Bryson DeChambeau all closed with doubles. Jordan Spieth found the water twice en route to a triple bogey. And Patrick Cantlay derailed a solid round with a quadruple bogey.

Jose Mourinho's much-anticipated return to Old Trafford ended in disappointment as his Tottenham side were beaten 2-1 by a Marcus Rashford-inspired Manchester United.

The United striker gave the hosts an early lead when his powerful effort -- United's first attempt in the match -- bounced in front of Paulo Gazzaniga and inexcusably beat the Spurs keeper at his near post, only for Dele Alli's sensational effort to ensure the visitors were level at the break. But it was the impressive Rashford who had the final say, calmly sending Gazzaniga the wrong way from the spot to end Mourinho's three-game winning streak despite a late Tottenham rally in search of an equalizer.

Positives

Dele Alli's fantastic run of form continued with a strike that was nothing short of a wonder goal, while Gazzaniga responded to his early disappointment superbly with a series of confident stops, including a world-class effort to tip Rashford's dipping attempt onto the crossbar. Mourinho will be pleased with the character his side showed to bounce back and level the scores on a testing evening and the visitors can take confidence from their good fight late on despite defeat.

Negatives

Tottenham faced one-way traffic during a first half that saw the London side face a Rashford-led on-slaught and struggle to escape their own half. The visitors fell behind cheaply as the Red Devils struck with their first attempt on goal and they gifted United a second from the spot when Sissoko was deemed to have tripped Rashford, bringing Spurs' six-game unbeaten run to an end.

Manager rating (out of 10)

Jose Mourinho, 5 -- December may be the month of Christmas cheer, but it was a miserable Manchester evening for the Spurs boss who suffered his first defeat since succeeding Mauricio Pochettino. His tactics didn't go to plan in the first half, but Spurs improved after the break and Mourinho has certainly reignited something within Alli in particular.

Player ratings (1-10; 10 = best, players introduced after 70 minutes get no rating)

GK Paulo Gazzaniga, 6 -- Got off to the worst possible start when he was beaten comfortably at his near-post by Rashford's early strike, which bounced awkwardly in front of the Spurs keeper. He bounced back with a string of sharp saves, thwarting Mason Greenwood with his feet and superbly flicking Rashford's deadly, dipping effort onto the bar.

DF Serge Aurier, 6 -- The Frenchman has continued to grow in confidence under Mourinho, showing excellent composure and strength to pivot away from Greenwood on the touchline in one tricky challenge. Aurier was dealt a tough and tiring task facing Rashford, but he stuck to it well at times and still managed to provide attacking value, including drawing a save from David de Gea prior to Alli's moment of magic.

DF Davinson Sanchez, 5 -- Acted quickly to shut out Jesse Lingard and snuff out a couple of early United attacks, but it was all too easy for Rashford to skip past the centre-back and rip a powerful strike past Gazzaniga. Try as he might, Sanchez struggled to find an answer to the United forward's questions.

DF Toby Alderweireld, 5 -- The centre-back didn't have his best game and was thankful to see Gazzaniga deny Greenwood after the United youngster fired through the Belgian's legs, while Daniel James always seemed to find half a yard on the Spurs defender.

DF Jan Vertonghen, 6 -- Enjoyed a quieter evening than his counterpart on the opposite flank as the hosts looked to pick out Rashford at every opportunity. Played an important role in crafting his side's equaliser when his cross from the left was flicked on.

MF Moussa Sissoko, 6 -- Provided some vital defensive cover for Aurier against a relentless Rashford. Had to be on his toes and moved swiftly to snuff out the danger with a couple of excellently timed sliding tackles, but his best quality also proved to be his Achilles' heel when he tripped the United man in the area.

MF Harry Winks, 5 -- Picked up an early booking when he clattered James with a ruthless challenge on the byline. Unfortunately, the England midfielder didn't contribute much else as United took control in the middle of the park.

MF Lucas Moura, 5 -- Got the better of Ashley Young as Spurs attacked for the first time, but his cross had no real conviction and was easily cleared. Almost carved out another equaliser for his side when he stole possession from Young and whipped a cross towards Heung-Min Son, but United scrambled the ball clear on an otherwise quiet evening for the Spurs man.

MF Dele Alli, 8 -- The inspired midfielder is back to his best under Mourinho and made it three goals in as many games with a sublime finish at Old Trafford, coolly flicking the ball over Victor Lindelof on the turn before firing past de Gea to drag his side level. An early "Goal of the Month" contender from the 23-year-old.

MF Son Heung-Min, 7 -- The midfielder's persistence was key in the build-up to his side's equaliser just before the break when his dazzling run into the box eventually led to Vertonghen's cross being finished by Alli. Should have made it 2-2 but his effort was blocked by a determined Fred after a clever drop of the shoulder earned him room to shoot.

FW Harry Kane, 4 -- Squandered a rare opportunity to test de Gea when his free-kick from a central area comfortably cleared the crossbar. It was a desperately quiet performance from the captain who saw his speculative effort deflected wide with his only other chance of note.

Substitutes

MF Christian Eriksen, 6 -- Replaced Moura in the 64th minute but made little impact. The Dane saw a cross comfortably charged down by Rashford and lost a battle with Ashley Young when their duel in the corner ended in a goal kick to the home side.

MF Tanguy Ndombele, 6 -- Replaced Winks in the 70th minute after the Spurs man picked up a knock on his ankle. Put in a decent performance and forced a routine save from de Gea with an optimistic drive from outside the area.

Giovani Lo Celso, NR -- Replaced Sissoko in the 86th minute. Didn't have too much time to make a contribution as he saw his fizzed cross comfortably cleared in his only involvement.

MANCHESTER -- Manchester United eased the pressure on manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer with a 2-1 win over Tottenham and former boss Jose Mourinho at Old Trafford.

Marcus Rashford scored twice as United ended a run of three games without a win ahead of their trip to champions Manchester City in the derby on Saturday.

The England striker beat Paulo Gazzaniga at his near post to give United the lead after just six minutes. Tottenham equalized via Dele Alli's fourth goal in three games at the end of the first half but Rashford won the game after the break, drawing a foul from Moussa Sissoko in the box before beating Gazzaniga from the penalty spot.

Positives

Rashford is in the form of his life. He's got 12 goals in his last 13 games for club and country and that's excluding the header that went in of Tom Heaton's back against Aston Villa on Sunday. Solskjaer needed someone to fill the void left by Romelu Lukaku's departure and Rashford is doing his bit. It is frightening to think where United would be without his goals over the past two months.

Negatives

Solskjaer spent the bulk of his summer transfer kitty on his defence but it hasn't helped United keep more clean sheets. They haven't had one in the league since September and have managed only two all season. Alli's equaliser at the end of the first half required plenty of skill but the defending was still soft, particularly from Fred and Ashley Young.

Manager rating (out of 10)

8 -- It would have been tempting for Solskjaer to pick Rashford as his central striker with Mason Greenwood on the left but the gamble to do it the other way around paid off. Rashford, starting on the left, was the best player on the pitch and might have had a hat trick inside half an hour had it not been for two good saves from Gazzaniga.

Player ratings (1-10; 10 = best, players introduced after 70 minutes get no rating)

GK David De Gea, 7 -- Not much he could do about Alli's equaliser but otherwise, Spurs did not trouble him much until very late on.

DF Aaron Wan-Bissaka, 7 -- Still needs to offer more going forward but defended well against Spurs' danger man Son Heung-min.

DF Ashley Young, 7 -- Making his first league start since the defeat at Bournemouth, he might have done better for Alli's goal but his experience was vital in the closing stages.

DF Victor Lindelof, 7 -- The Swede won a lot in the air as Tottenham pushed for a late goal and helped United hang on to take all three points.

DF Harry Maguire, 7 -- Occasionally sloppy on the ball but he will be happy to have kept England teammate Harry Kane quiet for much of the game.

MF Scott McTominay, 8 -- Back in the team after injury, United have missed his bite in midfield and Solskjaer will be glad to have him back.

MF Fred, 7 -- Played well apart from letting Alli bully him in the box and pull the ball out of the air to score the equaliser. Made one good block off the line from Son in the second half.

MF Jesse Lingard, 7 -- Asked to chase down Harry Winks whenever he had the ball and ran so much he had a cramp by the end.

FW Daniel James, 7 -- Clattered by Harry Winks, and Mourinho, in the opening 15 minutes, he recovered to test Gazzaniga twice with decent efforts.

FW Marcus Rashford, 9 -- Scored twice and could have had a couple more. One of his best performances in a United shirt, as Tottenham couldn't cope with his pace and skill.

FW Mason Greenwood, 7 -- Handed his first league start of the season as a replacement for the injured Anthony Martial. Forced Gazzaniga into a good low save and his link-up play was good.

Substitutes

MF Andreas Pereira, N/R -- Replaced Greenwood late on.

DF Luke Shaw, N/R -- Was in alone alongside Rashford with a chance to put the game away late on but chose the wrong option and passed to the offside forward.

A bit like the relationship with one's parents, or the pictures on the walls in your childhood home, some memories are set in stone before you're even aware of who or what they represent.

Take the Headingley Test of 1981. How many people aged 40 or under can say for certain when they first witnessed footage of England's most storied victory? For this onlooker, it was almost certainly on a rainy afternoon at school in the mid-1980s, and undoubtedly before I was even aware that cricket was the sport that would seize control of my formative years.

But by the time cricket's rules and reputations had begun to take root in my conscience, the towering significance of Bob Willis, England's mightiest of fast bowlers, was already one of the most fundamental prisms through which I and so many others understood and loved the game - thanks to countless replays, countless newspaper and magazine reports, and countless anecdotes that bounced off the walls that connect the myth to the legend.

Willis's death today, aged 70, is a shattering and irreparable loss to the sport.

Willis was a grandee of English cricket in the most absolute sense. Iconic matchwinner, fast-bowling survivor, long-term leading England wicket-taker, Test captain and later manager, and ultimately a titan among pundits - best remembered in recent times for his pantomime savagery on Sky Sports' Debate and Verdict shows, but a king-pin commentator in his 1990s heyday too. Try to imagine, for instance, the defining moment of the world-record 375 at Antigua in 1994 without "Brian Charles Lara of Trinidad and Tobago" ringing through your mind.

But he was too a gentle, knowledgeable, and deeply humorous soul - a man who signalled his independence of thought as a teenager by adding the middle name "Dylan" by deed poll in tribute to Bob of that parish - and a man whose love of the game was absolute, in spite of that distinctive nasal voice and a deadpan delivery that could be all too easy to misconstrue, not least for the players who followed in his wake in the Test team.

"But then, Brearley made his legendary switch to the Kirkstall Lane End, and Willis clicked into his ultimate Berserker mode - eyes glazed over, fury focussed on a distant point way, way beyond the stance of Australia's rapidly scattered batsmen"

By his own admission, Nasser Hussain was one of those who initially took Willis's bombast too literally, and upon scoring an ODI century against India at Lord's in 2002, he infamously waved three fingers in the direction of the commentary box - one each for Ian Botham, Jonathan Agnew … and Willis, who had been particularly forthright about his place at No.3 in the batting order.

"He made you cross because he was so forthright with his opinions and I would go back to my room as a player wondering if he was going to crucify me on TV," Hussain wrote in his own tribute in The Daily Mail. "But it wasn't his job to get to know players and he didn't go out of the way to be nice about them yet when we did all meet him we quickly realised he was one of the good guys."

And for the even younger generations of England player, who had grown up with Willis's tyrannical commentary and saw him only as a fire-breathing beast, it wasn't until a series of meetings were brokered by Andrew Strauss in 2015, during his early months as England's director of cricket, that Willis's generosity of spirit was able to cut through.

It just so happened that his dinner with England's bowlers came on the eve of that summer's Trent Bridge Test, and having sampled his choice of wine (Willis was quite the connoisseur - he even launched his own label in conjunction with Botham) Stuart Broad emerged with the opinion that Willis wasn't "as scary as he had thought".

Whether that had any impact on Broad's subsequent 8 for 15, who knows, but by the end of that same Test victory, Joe Root (face hidden beneath an Albert Einstein mask) was able to send up Willis's style in a memorable dressing-room interview on Sky Sports - one that led Willis, teeth baring but humour shining through, to retort that "when your little purple patch comes to an end… I'll have you back in the dock!"

When it came to Willis's live commentary, Hussain et al probably had a point - as a viewer, let alone as a player, and particularly through the night on another Ashes tour drubbing, the misery of his intonation had a tendency to overshadow whatever point he had been making, however valid. As a post-match pundit, however, with a licence to channel that long run of his playing days into his off-field excoriations, Willis was for a time unequalled.

Quite apart from making for compelling television, he rarely missed his mark - whether it was incompetent umpires, shambolic batting or administrative ennui in the high towers of the ECB. It was a fitting tribute to his second innings as a broadcaster that his catchphrase "well Charles…" began trending on Twitter shortly after news of his death was made public - though the man himself would doubtless have sighed wearily at that fact, and mock-grumbled that nobody seemed to have remembered the 325 Test wickets with which he'd truly made his name.

Well, most people with any affinity for Test cricket remember eight of those wickets, no question. For nothing compared to Headingley for the dent it left in the brains of a certain generation - and if it was Willis's misfortune that the match will forever be synonymous with Botham's "village-green slogging", as Mike Brearley later dubbed it, then no-one who witnessed his role, in the flesh or otherwise, will be in any doubt that the truest quality of that contest came in its savage denouement.

As legend has it, Willis almost failed to make it to the contest at all. He had missed Warwickshire's county match the previous week due to a bout of flu, and was dropped from the squad in favour of Mike Hendrick - only for that invitation to be intercepted in the post after Willis had explained he'd been saving his energy for the Test match, rather than merely lying low on his sickbed. In spite of his hefty haul of 899 first-class wickets in 308 matches, Willis could be a reluctant county performer - the legacy of his twin knee operations in 1975 and the daily agonies that his gangly frame had to go through to perform at the very highest level.

But even after his Headingley reprieve, Willis had seemed off-colour. He went wicketless in Australia's first-innings as Australia's grip on the Ashes tightened, then struggled for rhythm in an abortive opening spell in the second, as John Dyson and Trevor Chappell eased along to 56 for 1, chasing 130.

But then, Brearley made his legendary switch to the Kirkstall Lane End, and Willis clicked into his ultimate Berserker mode - eyes glazed over, fury focussed on a distant point way, way beyond the stance of Australia's rapidly scattered batsmen. The lifter to Chappell, which snapped savagely into his upraised gloves before lobbing to Bob Taylor as the bewildered batsman scanned a full 180 degrees around his crease, was a declaration of war on a previously serene dressing room.

ALSO READ: 'That was abject, Charles, absolutely pathetic' - Bob Willis' best quips

The moment of victory was every bit as iconic - Ray Bright's middle stump demolished as Willis raised his arms in a robotic fist-pump and stormed for the pavilion before an ecstatic sea of fans could envelop him.

And no less iconic, if a more niche search item on YouTube, was his laconically drawled critique of the media during his post-match interview with the BBC. Turning on a mildly startled Peter West, Willis railed against the need to mine "small-minded quotes from players under pressure for their stories" - his point being, of course, "what on earth do you need to speak to me for?"

It certainly wasn't an obvious means by which to audition for his second innings, but then Bob Willis was never one to take the conventional route.

But he was right, of course, as he so often was. What on earth could a Willis soundbite possibly have added to the technicolor masterpiece that he and Botham had completed only moments earlier? His instincts served him well, for this was one England victory in which the deeds would do all the talking a team could ever need. Tonight, you can be sure that myriad generations of England cricket fans will be toasting that glory one more time, and this time with extra feeling.

EAGAN, Minn. -- Xavier Rhodes apologized Wednesday for his sideline outburst in Seattle that took place after the Vikings cornerback gave up a 60-yard touchdown in Minnesota's 37-30 loss on Monday night.

Rhodes was burned in coverage on David Moore's third-quarter score, which allowed the Seahawks to build a 10-point lead. Upon returning to Minnesota's sideline, the cornerback got in a heated exchange with coach Mike Zimmer and slammed his helmet to the turf two times. Television cameras also captured Rhodes brushing off linebacker Anthony Barr after the teammates were spotted talking minutes after the play.

"That's not the way I should carry myself, especially as a leader on this team," Rhodes said. "I apologize definitely to Coach Zim, and the things he's taught me -- I should never react that way toward him or toward my team, period. I know my role, I need to play it better. I need to play better out on that field, eliminate the penalties and just do well. There's a lot more football going on right now. We still have a great chance of making it to the playoffs and still have a chance to win our division. Right now I'm looking forward to doing that, helping my team day-to-day, minimize the penalties I have that's going on each and every week and bettering myself.

"I'm just at a place right now where I feel like I can do better and I can help my team out much more. We can be in better situations and make the game a lot easier on my team rather than me hurting us in the middle of the game. One play particularly, it was my fault on the play, the touchdown, and that's how I'm going to leave it, not get into any details about that. It was 100% my fault, no one else. I was supposed to be at a certain spot at a certain time, and I wasn't there. Like I said, I'm a leader on this team, I've been a leader for a while, and I need to do better and play my role a lot better than I've been playing lately."

Zimmer called the catalyst for Moore's touchdown "a busted coverage" and declined to discuss particular defensive assignments. Prior to the snap, safety Harrison Smith played up at the line of scrimmage before dropping back to cover running back Rashaad Penny. Rhodes, isolated one-on-one with Moore outside, took off after the receiver, who cut inside 10 yards into his route and sped by the cornerback. As Moore crossed into the end zone, Rhodes outstretched his arms as if expressing confusion over safety help he expected to be there.

While the cornerback would not divulge what he thought was supposed to happen, accepting full responsibility for the play, Rhodes noted his frustrations that poured onto the sideline stem from a season filled with ups and downs.

"Honestly, I just can't say it's just been that play," Rhodes said. "It's just been what's been going on this year. I've been battling some things, but that's no excuse. It's no excuse. When I'm out there on that field, everything I'm battling has to go away. I have to go out there and play for the guy beside me because I know if I mess up like I messed up on that one play, that's what it's going to lead up to. I've been in this league for a while, seven years, and I should know that. It shouldn't come to point where I'm just figuring that out. I know now what I need to work on, what I need to do."

Rhodes' struggles played a sizable factor in Minnesota's Week 13 loss. According to NFL Next Gen Stats, Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson went 5-of-5 for 105 yards and a 60-yard TD when Rhodes was the nearest defender. Including the touchdown to Moore, Rhodes has allowed four completions on six attempts of 30-plus air yards as a nearest defender this season with two touchdowns. From 2016-18, he allowed three such completions on 20 attempts and 0 touchdowns.

Rhodes has allowed the NFL's highest completion percentage as a nearest defender this season, and the throws he has been targeted on have yielded a 131.4 quarterback rating, according to Pro Football Focus.

Though Rhodes' struggles have been well-documented, Zimmer's tone toward his cornerback has consistently remained supportive. Despite the numbers saying otherwise about his performance in Seattle, Rhodes received praise from his head coach, who has been adamant that the issues the cornerback is dealing with stems from a need to fix his technique.

"I saw improvement in quite a few areas," Zimmer said. "He had the one, we busted a coverage on the one, but the one curl that they caught we were in zone coverage, and actually he did a nice job on that. But he got beat on a stop-nine [route] one time, I think, and other than that I saw some improvement technically. Really with all the corners, I saw improvement ... in the secondary. We got to continue to get better in that area, but there was improvement and something to build on."

Penalties have been a source of frustration for the 29-year-old corner. Rhodes' eight penalties (including four flags for defensive pass interference) are tied for the most among all corners, and his 139 penalty yards leads all NFL defensive backs.

Rhodes has routinely expressed a need to play better through some of the issues he has had on the field and feels physically capable of playing the position despite injuries that have piled up over the past few seasons. During this stretch of play that pales in comparison to his "Rhodes Closed" years, the cornerback has not shied away from owning his on-field issues and voicing a need to play better.

"It's a hard season," Rhodes said. "Y'all ask me time after time, 'Hey Xavier, how do you think you played this week?' Y'all know. It's just that. Me being the guy that I am, each and every day working on my craft and not getting the results I want, of course you're going to be down on yourself. You ask any player that puts so much work and time into their craft, that's how they're going to feel. Like I said, I tell my guys each and every guy, I'm never going to give up. I'm always a fighter, and that day is going to turn, that switch is going to flip, and when it does, it's over. I'm just waiting on that moment."

USC coach Clay Helton will return for his fifth season with the Trojans, new athletic director Mike Bohn announced Wednesday.

"I am pleased to let you know Coach Helton will continue to be our head coach," Bohn tweeted. "His commitment to our student-athletes and to leading with integrity is vital to restoring our championship program, which is the goal for all of our teams.

"Heading into 2020, Coach Helton and I will work together to take a hard look at all aspects of the football enterprise and will make the tough decisions necessary to compete at a championship level."

The official decision comes 11 days after the Trojans' final game of the regular season and four days after they were eliminated from contention in the Pac-12 South. The Trojans (8-4 overall, 7-2 Pac-12) will likely play in either the Alamo Bowl or Holiday Bowl.

Last year, former athletic director Lynn Swann released a similar statement after the Trojans finished 5-7, their first losing since 2000. Swann stepped down in September and was replaced by Bohn, who had been the athletic director at Cincinnati since 2014, in November.

The Trojans held a team meeting Wednesday to inform the players of the decision, sources told ESPN.

Helton took over the program as the interim coach in 2015 after Steve Sarkisian was fired. After guiding the team to the Pac-12 championship game that season, he led the Trojans to a Rose Bowl title in 2016 and the Pac-12 title in 2017.

The Trojans are 34-17 in Helton's four full seasons as coach, including a 26-10 record in Pac-12 play, which is tied with Washington for the best in-conference record during that span.

With Helton on the seemingly perpetual hot seat, USC's recruiting efforts have taken a major hit.

Traditionally one of the top recruiting schools in the country, USC has just 11 known commitments and only two of them received higher than a three-star grade from ESPN. The class is currently not among ESPN's top 40.