Carlos Vela scored his MLS leading 28th goal of the season in his return from a two-game injury layoff, but Supporters' Shield leaders LAFC settled for a 1-1 draw against the Philadelphia Union on Saturday night at Talen Energy Stadium.

LAFC (19-4-7, 64 points) have already clinched the Western Conference championship and hold a seven-point lead over New York City FC for the Shield, the trophy awarded to the team that finishes with the best regular-season record.

But they're now winless in their last four matches -- including three draws -- after having gone no more than two games without a victory for most of the season.

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Kacper Przybylko scored his team-leading 14th goal for Philadelphia (15-8-7, 52 points), which moved within five points of NYCFC in the Eastern Conference standings, and is now four points ahead of third-place Atlanta.

The Union have never finished above third in the East since entering the league in 2011. The top finisher in each conference secures a bye in the 14-team playoff field.

Vela tied the game at 1-1 two minutes before halftime. Diego Rossi sprayed the ball wide to Mark-Anthony Kaye, who struck a first-time volley over Union keeper Andre Blake and off the crossbar. Vela was first to the rebound inside the penalty area, and he poked in a finish that deflected off a couple Union players on its way over the goal line.

The longtime Mexico international played 66 minutes before exiting in his first action since Aug. 25. On that night, he departed a 3-3 draw against the LA Galaxy in the 61st minute with a hamstring injury.

Przybylko gave Philadelphia the lead after only three minutes with his fifth goal in his last six games following a flowing attack down the right flank. After taking a pass from deeper in midfield pass, Alejandro Bedoya played the ball forward to Fafa Picault, who then curled in a cross toward Przybylko near the penalty spot.

The ball was nearly too high for Przybylko. But the German arched back and managed to send a looping header back toward the right post, over wrong-footed goalkeeper Tyler Miller, just under the crossbar and across the goal line.

Australia Women 108 for 4 (Lanning 54*, Henry 2-15) beat West Indies Women 106 for 8 (Taylor 44*, Schutt 3-31) by six wickets

Australia Women carried forward their dominant performance on the Caribbean tour from the ODIs to the T20I format, with a six-wicket win over West Indies Women in the first T20I in Bridgetown, Barbados.

Australia's chase of 107 was controlled well by captain Meg Lanning's unbeaten run-a-ball 54, after the side had lost the openers in a span of three overs. Lanning found support from Ellyse Perry, who shared in a third-wicket stand of 57, even as the Australia captain made the most of a reprieve she received to bring up her 13th T20I fifty. Lanning took her overall T20I run tally to 2547 becoming the first Australian and the fourth batsman in women's cricket to score more than 2500 runs in the format. The knock was also Lanning's third consecutive fifty-plus score on the tour

West Indies' efforts with the bat followed much the same template as the ODI series, with a batting collapse hampering their chances in the game. By the end of the Powerplay, they had lost half their side with 38 on the board, and it was left to captain Stafanie Taylor to shepherd them past 100 with the help of the lower order. Megan Schutt, who had taken a hat-trick in the final match of the ODI series, was once again effective, dismissing Britney Cooper and Reniece Boyce in the Powerplay before taking her third wicket in the death overs. Perry, Delissa Kimmince and Jess Jonassen took a wicket each, with Jonassen conceding only 11 runs in four overs.

The match saw a delay in the opening over, after West Indies had opted to bat. According to cricket.com.au, after Schutt had dismissed Cooper off the fourth ball of the first over, the on-field umpires signaled for assistance, as they felt the markers for the inner fielding circle were wrongly placed. The game was delayed until the inner boundary circle was measured and the placement of the markers was corrected to 25 yards.

Guyana Amazon Warriors continue to keep pace with Trinbago Knight Riders as their spin attack dismantled the St. Kitts & Nevis Patriots at Warner Park, bowling out the hosts for 121 in 19 overs before romping past the target in a seven-wicket win on Saturday night.

Spinners accounted for seven of the first eight wickets to fall, a runout by Imran Tahir producing the other, before Keemo Paul wiped out the tail in a dominant bowling effort. Brandon King then clattered a rapid 49 in the Powerplay as half the target was knocked off by the end of the sixth over. Shoaib Malik and Nicholas Pooran picked up the slack scoring an unbeaten 24 and 18 respectively to take Amazon Warriors over the line with 25 balls to spare.

Spin to Win

Amazon Warriors' strategy of opening with spin from both ends has flummoxed opposition early in CPL 2019 and this match was no different. After struggling to get Chandrapaul Hemraj's left-arm spin away in the first over, Devon Thomas was defeated by a skiddy delivery from Chris Green to start the second. Laurie Evans had done well to negotiate Green, Hemraj and Tahir through the rest of the Powerplay until the final ball when he tried to take on Tahir's arm from short fine leg and was run out with a direct hit at the striker's end for 26.

It proved to be a pivotal moment as Qais Ahmad was soon whittling through the line-up. Mohammad Hafeez, who was brought in to open in place of Evin Lewis after the local star was injured playing football in warm-ups, couldn't get the elevation on a drive against Qais and picked out Shimron Hetmyer at long-off for 14.

Tahir then struck twice in the ninth, first trapping Jason Mohammed playing down the wrong line for 4 before Dominic Drakes top-edged a slog sweep that fell safely into the hands of Qais at midwicket in the ring for 2. Shamarh Brooks tried his best to counter-attack scoring 34 in a 44-run stand with Fabian Allen but eventually fell skying a drive to Hetmyer off Qais. Qais took his third three balls later when Allen fell sweeping to Keemo Paul at deep square leg, helping him earn Player-of-the-Match honours.

Green came back to knock over Joseph for the eighth wicket, skying a catch to King at point. By this stage captain Carlos Brathwaite was running out of partners and tried to take on Paul but only managed to find Green at long-on. Two balls later, Paul had his second to end the innings with one over to spare when he lunged to his left to pull off a sharp return catch off Cottrell. After the run-fest between the Knight Riders and Jamaica Tallawahs 24 hours earlier, Patriots' performance looked especially limp.

King of Warner Park

The 24-year-old Amazon Warriors right-hander just missed out on what would have been his second career T20 fifty. But King still did more than plenty to deflate what hope Patriots might have had of defending the meagre target by striking his 49 at better than 200.

After a skewed drive over point for his first boundary off Sheldon Cottrell in the first over, he meted out severe punishment in the third against the left-arm quick. A cut behind point produced his second boundary on the third ball of the over before he smashed a length ball out of the ground over midwicket for six. A sumptuous drive through extra cover followed for another four before he glided a full toss behind point for another boundary to end an 18-run over.

Allen wasn't spared either replacing Cottrell for the fifth. Getting his length a touch too short in the fifth, Allen was carted over long-on for six. The left-arm spinner appeared to defeat King in flight on the fifth ball of the over but King released one hand off the bat for a tennis backhand over long-off to complete another audacious six. Back-to-back fours in the sixth off Hafeez took him to 49 but his innings came to an end when he tried to pinch a tight single to square leg off the final ball of the Powerplay that Hemraj hesitated in response to, and by the time King tried to get back in his crease, Mohammed had relayed to Thomas to catch him two yards short.

But by this stage King had done the bulk of the heavy lifting for the visitors. Despite two more wickets falling - Hemraj and Hetmyer - Pooran and Shoaib set their modes to cruise control and went through the rest of the chase unfussed. Victory was eventually clinched with a wide in the 16th over.

The NFL and NFLPA have initiated a standard review of concussion protocols after New York Giants receiver Sterling Shepard suffered a concussion last Sunday and was allowed to finish the game, league sources told ESPN on Saturday.

There was a breach in the protocol and now both sides are trying to figure out how and why, sources told ESPN.

The controversial play occurred in the third quarter of Sunday's game against the Dallas Cowboys, when Shepard ran into cornerback Anthony Brown and fell backward to the ground, clearly staggered.

Shepard struggled to get up and waved off the Giants' calls to come out of the game.

The NFL deploys neurological spotters on both sidelines -- as well as another set of eyes in the press box -- to prevent players from remaining in the game after they are knocked woozy. However, Shepard somehow evaded all NFL officials -- and the Giants staff -- to not miss a play and finish the game.

Over the past two seasons, just three plays out of 1,200 concussion evaluations were reviewed. All three plays happened during the 2017 season, and they involved Russell Wilson, Tom Savage and Cam Newton.

This incident involving Shepard is reminiscent of the last time there was this much attention brought to a hit -- in December 2017, when Savage, then with the Houston Texans, took a hit on third down that left him on the ground with his hands twitching. After being checked in the sideline medical tent, Savage was allowed to re-enter the game, and controversy ensued.

"The Highlight" keeps adding to his reel.

Justin Gaethje finished Donald Cerrone by TKO at 4 minutes, 18 seconds of the first round Saturday night in the main event of UFC Vancouver.

Gaethje landed a counter right hand that dropped Cerrone, then followed with three uppercuts and another right hand that put him down for good. Gaethje landed two more punches with Cerrone on all fours, and referee Jerin Valel stepped in to call it off.

Afterward, Gaethje said he wants to fight for the UFC lightweight title next against the winner of a potential fight between champion Khabib Nurmagomedov and Tony Ferguson. Gaethje said he's not interested in fighting Conor McGregor right now.

"The Irishman is retired," Gaethje said. "I want a real fighter. I want the winner of Tony and Khabib."

However, Gaethje said later that if McGregor wanted to fight, he would be interested.

"If [McGregor is] going to fight, I definitely want to fight him. He punched an old man in the face. I want to f--- him up for that," Gaethje said.

Up until the finish, Gaethje was winning the battle on the feet at Rogers Arena in Vancouver, British Columbia. He outlanded Cerrone 40-17 in significant strikes, according to UFC Stats. Gaethje was landing hard combinations and leg kicks. Cerrone got through with a combination or two of his own, but Gaethje was leading. Cerrone overextended with a combination, and Gaethje landed the right hand that started the finishing sequence.

Gaethje actually got upset with Valel in the finishing sequence, because he thought the referee should have stepped in earlier. Cerrone, meanwhile, complained that it was called too soon -- he wanted to keep going.

"Every time I walk out here, I question everything on purpose," Gaethje said. "I think they're better than me, I think they're working harder than me. I have something to prove every time I come out here."

Added Cerrone on the ESPN+ postfight show: "It sucks to get your ass whupped that fast."

Gaethje (21-2) has won three in a row, all by first-round KO/TKO, after dropping two straight. The Arizona native has earned "The Highlight" nickname by going to decision only once in 23 career fights and winning 18 times by KO/TKO. He's tied for the most knockouts at lightweight since 2017 (4). Gaethje, 30, is the former World Series of Fighting lightweight champion and could be poised for a future UFC title shot. He's ranked No. 5 among MMA lightweights by ESPN.

Cerrone (36-12, 1 NC), who came in ranked No. 4 at lightweight by ESPN, has lost two straight by stoppage. "Cowboy" was coming off a loss to Ferguson at UFC 238 in June. Cerrone, 36, owns the UFC record for wins (23) and finishes (16) and is a surefire future Hall of Famer. He and Gaethje have trained together before and consider each other friends.

"This kid is a stud, man," Cerrone said. "It's very hard to fight a friend. What a cool dude. What a cool sport."

LAS VEGAS -- Perhaps on paper the unknown and untested Otto Wallin looked like a second consecutive soft touch for lineal heavyweight champion Tyson Fury, but it turned out nothing could have been further from the truth.

Fury had to overcome a tremendously spirited effort from Wallin and two horrendous cuts over his right eye in a memorable rumble before 8,249 in the main event of the Top Rank Boxing on ESPN+ card on Saturday night at T-Mobile Arena.

Fury won 118-110, 117-111 and 116-112, but it was a dogfight all the way with palpable drama because it seemed as though the fight could have been stopped at any time due to the severity of the cuts. ESPN also scored the fight 116-112 for Fury.

"It was a good performance. I got a good 12 rounds in," Fury said. "It was a great fight. I got cut [in the third round] on the eyelid and [it] changed the fight completely. I couldn't see out of the eye, and there was a lot of [head] clashes. I am the 'Gypsy Warrior,' and this is Mexican Independence Day! Viva Mexico!"

Fury retained the lineal title for the fifth time and did his part to fight his way into a rematch with titlist Deontay Wilder, but it was not supposed to be nearly this tough against Wallin, a 30-to-1 underdog looking to pull an upset that would have been even bigger than the one Andy Ruiz Jr. engineered on June 1 when he knocked out Anthony Joshua to take his three title belts.

In June, Fury kicked off his nine-figure Top Rank/ESPN contract by blowing away then-undefeated, unknown and untested German Tom Schwarz in the second round in Fury's Las Vegas debut. The "Gypsy King" was expected to do the same against an equally unknown, undefeated and untested Wallin, but instead Fury got perhaps the toughest fight of his career.

Top Rank promoter Bob Arum praised Fury's fortitude.

"Once the referee ruled the cut was from a blow, it means if the fight was stopped he would have lost," Arum said. "He fought back with the blood, a lot of blood. I thought it was a great performance and a terrific fight. We knew the Swede wasn't a quitter. He was a hell of a fighter. And Fury is a real warrior."

Wallin elevated his career despite the loss and was humble in defeat.

"I did everything I could. I tried my best, and Tyson is a great champion," Wallin said. "[The way I fought] tells me that no one can question my heart or question that I am a good fighter."

Fury gave Wallin credit for a performance that pushed him to the brink, and even saluted Wallin's father, Carl, who died in May.

"Congrats to Otto -- and God bless his father and let him rest in peace," Fury said. "He would be very proud of Otto's performance. The Viking Warrior!"

Wallin got Fury's attention with a left hand midway through the first round and forced him back. He did not seem undone by the moment. Instead, he was poised and moving forward, although it was hard for him to get inside Fury's long jab.

Fury, boxing for the fifth time in just 15 months following a 31-month layoff dealing with myriad personal problems, turned to a southpaw stance in the second round. When he returned to a right-handed stance, he began to land punches, including a right hand that forced Wallin back.

Fury (29-0-1, 20 KOs) suffered a cut over his right eye late in the third round that referee Tony Weeks ruled was from a punch.

Wallin (20-1, 13 KOs), a 6-foot-5½ southpaw, had a good fourth round against a seemingly agitated Fury, who was talking to him as blood streamed down the side of his face from what had become two cuts. Fury was clearly unnerved by the cuts, as he continually dabbed his eye in the fifth round, during which Wallin nailed him with a right hand that shook Fury, and then he followed up with a left.

Wallin also tried to target Fury's wound.

"I tried to hit it even more," he said. "I know it was a punch that did it. I was happy that he was cut, but I wish I could have put more pressure on it."

Weeks called timeout late in the fifth round to have the ringside doctor examine Fury's worsening cuts. When the fight resumed there was urgency from Fury, who tried to go for a knockout and was met by a Wallin who was ready to brawl.

The 6-foot-9 Fury seemed to have lost any semblance of a game plan in the seventh round. Instead, he just marched to Wallin, 28, of Sweden, looking to get him out of there because of the urgency over the cuts. He sent Wallin into the ropes with a long right hand and then another, but Wallin fired back and tied him up.

"It is all heart and determination," Fury said of getting through so many tough rounds. "If I can keep going, I will keep going. He's a tough guy. I hit him with some chin shots and some body shots, and he kept coming. He [was] undefeated, but tonight I was the man."

Fury, 31, of England, nailed Wallin with a right uppercut that forced him to the ropes in the eighth round. Blood continued to stream down Fury's face, turning the white part of his trunks pink.

By the end of the ninth round, Wallin's left eye was swollen, and black and blue. Fury opened the 10th round with a sustained flurry that hurt Wallin repeatedly and had him sagging along the ropes. He continued to unload, landing numerous punches, especially clean right hands, that were breaking down Wallin, yet Wallin somehow made it to the end of the round.

Fury continued to pound Wallin in the 11th round, finding time to dab at the massive amount of blood coming for his cuts between landing punches to the head and body.

Wallin landed a clean left hand to open the 12th round and put a few punches together that seemed to hurt Fury, who grabbed onto him. Fury then backed up to stay away from the left hand and also wiped blood from his eye as they rumbled to the final bell of an outstanding fight.

According to CompuBox statistics, Fury landed 179 of 651 punches (28%), and Wallin landed 127 of 334 (38%). Wallin landed more punches against Fury than any opponent in 15 of his fights tracked by CompuBox.

The fight was critical for Fury because he already has signed for the rematch with Wilder, which is tentatively scheduled for Feb. 22 in Las Vegas. Wilder still has to do his part, which is make it through a rematch with Luis "King Kong" Ortiz. That fight has not been officially announced but is ticketed for Nov. 23, also in Las Vegas.

Fury, who was guaranteed $12.5 million to Wallin's guarantee of more than $1 million, clearly took his training for the fight seriously. He came in at 254.4 pounds, nine pounds lighter than he was against Schwarz and the lightest he has been since he was 247 when he outpointed Wladimir Klitschko in a massive upset to become lineal champion and also win three major sanctioning body belts in 2015.

During the lead-up to the fight with Wallin, Fury declined to speak much about the prospect of a rematch with Wilder (41-0-1, 40 KOs), whom he fought to a heavily disputed draw on Dec. 1 in Los Angeles in a fight in which Wilder scored two knockdowns but was also outboxed for long stretches.

With Wallin out of the way, however, Fury was happy to talk about it, seemingly almost relieved.

"Deontay Wilder, I want you next, bum! It is all preparation," Fury said. "I had a long time out of the ring, [but] next is the big boy, the big 'Bronze Bomber' on Feb. 22."

After a ho-hum weekend in college football -- unless, of course, you're a fan of say The Citadel, BYU, UCF or Arizona State -- there will finally be some actual movement in the College Football Playoff race next week.

Two games could go a long way in separating the early contenders from the pretenders. Georgia hosts Notre Dame and Wisconsin hosts Michigan.

Though the Badgers and Wolverines had Saturday off, the Bulldogs and Fighting Irish were lopsided winners, along with almost everyone else in the top half of the polls.

Eight of the nine teams from the AP top 10 that played on Saturday won by 24 points or more. Florida, which won 29-21 at Kentucky, was the exception, and the Gators lost their starting quarterback to a season-ending injury.

Here are the ESPN Power Rankings after Week 3:

1. Clemson (3-0)

Clemson cleared the second week of what was supposed to be its most difficult stretch of the season with a 41-6 win at Syracuse. Now, the defending national champion needs only to make sure it doesn't slip up against a lesser team because it's clear there isn't any team in the ACC that can challenge the Tigers. Clemson's defense dominated the Orange, who had only 187 yards of offense, went 4-for-19 on third downs and 0-for-3 on fourth, and ran for only 57 yards in 27 attempts. The Tigers sacked quarterback Tommy DeVito six times. Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence threw two more interceptions -- he has five in three games after throwing only four last season -- but also a career-high 395 yards with three touchdowns.

Up next: vs. Charlotte (Saturday, 7:30 p.m. ET, ACC Network)

2. Alabama (3-0)

The Crimson Tide rolled past South Carolina 47-16 on the road by passing for 495 yards, the highest total in a single game in school history. Tua Tagovailoa passed for 444 yards with five touchdowns; he's the first player in Alabama history to throw for 400 yards with five touchdowns in the same game. However, the Tide ran for only 77 yards on 24 attempts (3.2 yards per carry), which ended their 69-game streak of running for at least 100 yards, which was the second longest streak in the FBS. It's the first time they failed to reach the century mark on the ground since gaining only 66 yards in a 14-13 win over Arkansas on Oct. 11, 2014. Army has the longest streak of 100-yard rushing performances at 141 games.

Up next: vs. Southern Miss (Saturday, TBD)

3. Georgia (3-0)

Through three games, Georgia's offense looks just fine under new coordinator James Coley. The Bulldogs piled up 656 yards of offense -- the fifth-highest total in school history -- in a 55-0 shutout of Arkansas State on Saturday. Quarterback Jake Fromm completed 17 of 22 passes for 279 yards with three touchdowns in two-plus quarters, and seven different UGA players scored touchdowns. One concern: receiver Tyler Simmons (shoulder) was injured and didn't return. Georgia was already without receivers Demetris Robertson and Kearis Jackson because of injuries.

Up next: vs. Notre Dame (Saturday, 8 p.m. ET, CBS)

4. Oklahoma (3-0)

After only three weeks, it's getting difficult to imagine what else Jalen Hurts can do in Lincoln Riley's offense. In the Sooners' 48-14 win at UCLA on Saturday, Hurts had 439 yards from scrimmage -- 289 passing and 150 rushing -- with four total touchdowns. He became the first Big 12 quarterback to run for 100 yards in the first quarter and the first OU quarterback to pass for 200 yards and run for 100 in a first half. He is only the second OU quarterback with multiple games of 150 rushing yards or more; Jamelle Holieway had three such games. With Hurts under center, the Sooners have scored on 19 of 27 possessions this season, including 17 touchdowns.

Up next: vs. Texas Tech (Sept. 28, TBD)

5. LSU (3-0)

It's easy to understand why the Tigers would have a bit of a hangover after last week's big win at Texas, which is probably why they trailed FCS foe Northwestern State 7-3 after the first quarter Saturday. LSU finally blew the game open by scoring touchdowns on four straight possessions in the second half of a 65-14 win. Quarterback Joe Burrow threw for 373 yards with two touchdowns on 21-for-24 passing. It was his fourth 300-yard passing game, which is second most in LSU history. The Tigers' defense was missing several key players, including linebackers Michael Divinity Jr. and K'Lavon Chaisson, and struggled to get off the field early.

Up next: at Vanderbilt (Saturday, TBD)

6. Ohio State (3-0)

The Buckeyes continue to look like the Big Ten's best chance at reaching the CFP after dismantling Indiana 51-10 on the road. Quarterback Justin Fields threw for three touchdowns and ran for one more, the third straight game he scored at least four touchdowns. That's the longest streak for an OSU quarterback in the past 15 years. OSU's defense pitched in with a safety and Damon Arnette's 96-yard interception return for a score, the fourth-longest such play in school history.

Up next: vs. Miami (Ohio) (Saturday, TBD)

7. Notre Dame (3-0)

The Fighting Irish gave Georgia's defense something to think about heading into next week's showdown at Sanford Stadium in Athens, Georgia. Notre Dame had five passing plays of more than 50 yards in Saturday's 66-14 rout of New Mexico, its most in a game in the past 15 years, according to ESPN Stats & Information research. The Irish had a one-play touchdown drive and three more of two plays. Quarterback Ian Book completed 15 of 24 passes for 360 yards with six total touchdowns (one rushing). It was the most points the Irish scored in a game since they had 69 against Georgia Tech in 1977.

Up next: at Georgia (Saturday, 8 p.m. ET, CBS)

8. Utah (3-0)

The Utes closed out their nonconference schedule with a 31-0 shutout of FCS program Idaho State on Saturday. Tyler Huntley threw for 282 yards on 15-for-19 passing with three touchdowns. Bryan Thompson, who has battled injuries throughout his career, caught two of them, including an 82-yarder. The Bengals had only 115 yards of offense, including 36 yards rushing on 25 attempts. There's still room for improvement, though, as Utah had 11 penalties for 105 yards.

Up next: at USC (Friday, 9 p.m. ET, FS1)

9. Auburn (3-0)

The Tigers returned to their roots in their final pre-SEC tune-up, running for 467 yards in a 55-16 rout of Kent State on Saturday to move to 3-0 for the first time since 2014. Auburn had three 100-yard rushers: JaTarvious Whitlow ran for 135 yards with two touchdowns, backup quarterback Joey Gatewood had 102 yards with two scores and Shaun Shivers ran 12 times for 102. It was Auburn's highest rushing total since it had 543 yards against Arkansas in 2016. Star defensive tackle Derrick Brown left the game in the first quarter because he wasn't feeling well; the Tigers still had five sacks without him.

Up next: at Texas A&M (Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET, CBS)

10. Texas (2-1)

The Longhorns bounced back from their first loss of the season by beating Rice 48-13 on the road. Quarterback Sam Ehlinger was very good again, completing 23 of 27 passes for 279 yards with three touchdowns. He went to the sideline with the Longhorns leading 38-0 in the third quarter. The Longhorns didn't give up a point until the fourth quarter and limited the Owls to only 266 yards of offense, including 87 rushing. Center Zach Shackelford reinjured his right foot and didn't return, and linebacker Joseph Ossai injured his shoulder. Both will have MRIs on Sunday. Star receiver Collin Johnson missed the game because of a hamstring injury.

Up next: vs. Oklahoma State (Saturday, 7:30 p.m. ET, ABC)

11. Wisconsin (2-0)

The Badgers played nearly mistake-free football in their first two games against South Florida and Central Michigan. Wisconsin has posted consecutive shutouts for the first time since 2013, leads the FBS in total defense (107.5 yards per game) and had only five penalties in its first two games. Last season, Wisconsin's defense gave up 444 yards of offense, including 320 rushing, in a 38-13 loss at Michigan.

Up next: vs. Michigan (Saturday, noon ET, Fox)

12. UCF (3-0)

The Knights made quite a statement as the best team from a Group of 5 league by dismantling Stanford 45-27 at home on Saturday. In his second career start, freshman quarterback Dillon Gabriel threw for 347 yards with four touchdowns. The Knights did much of their damage in the first half. They had 413 yards by halftime; the most the Cardinal had allowed in the first half since at least 2004, according to ESPN Stats & Information research. UCF's 31-point halftime lead was the third biggest by a Group of 5 team over a Power 5 opponent in the past 10 years.

Up next: at Pittsburgh (Saturday, TBD)

13. Florida (3-0)

The Gators rallied from an 11-point deficit by scoring 19 consecutive points in a 29-21 win at Kentucky to avoid losing to the Wildcats for the second straight season (after beating them 31 straight times). But the victory was costly for the Gators, who lost starting quarterback Feleipe Franks to a right leg injury. Franks, who started 24 games and was MVP in last season's Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl, was hurt while scrambling on a fourth-and-1 play. Coach Dan Mullen said Franks would miss the rest of the season. Backup Kyle Trask led the comeback, throwing for 126 yards on 9-for-13 passing and running for a 4-yard touchdown that put UF ahead with 4:11 left.

Up next: vs. Tennessee (Saturday, TBD)

14. Michigan (2-0)

The Wolverines had an extra week to fix their struggling offense after last week's closer-than-expected overtime win over Army at home. Heading into Saturday, Michigan ranked 12th in the Big Ten in scoring offense (32 points per game) and ninth in total offense (396.5 yards). It's not the start new offensive coordinator Josh Gattis envisioned. It probably won't get any easier against Wisconsin, which has posted back-to-back shutouts and has allowed only 20.5 rushing yards per game.

Up next: at Wisconsin (Saturday, noon ET, Fox)

15. Oregon (2-1)

Oregon's prized offseason acquisition, former Penn State receiver Juwan Johnson, has yet to play for the Ducks because of a nagging calf injury. It hasn't bothered quarterback Justin Herbert, who threw five more touchdowns in a 35-3 win over FCS program Montana on Saturday night. It was his second straight game with at least four touchdown passes. Herbert's first two scoring passes went to tight end Jacob Breeland and the next two to receiver Johnny Johnson III. Johnson and tight end Cam McCormick (ankle) might be back for next week's Pac-12 opener at Stanford.

Up next: at Stanford (Saturday, 7 p.m. ET, ESPN)

16. Iowa (3-0)

The 67th meeting between Iowa and Iowa State featured just about everything: hail, lightning, students storming the field during a second weather delay that lasted nearly 2½ hours, a rainbow over Jack Trice Stadium -- and another Hawkeyes victory. The Hawkeyes overcame an eight-point deficit in the second half of an 18-17 win at Iowa State to keep the Cy-Hawk Trophy for the fifth straight year. Quarterback Nate Stanley completed 22 of 35 passes for 201 yards and made plays when Iowa needed him most.

Up next: vs. Middle Tennessee (Sept. 28, TBD)

17. Washington State (3-0)

The Cougars pulled away from Houston in the second half of a 31-24 win at Houston on Friday night, and senior Anthony Gordon had another big night throwing the ball. Gordon completed 36 of 48 passes for 440 yards with three touchdowns, making him only the third FBS player in the past 15 years to throw for at least 400 yards with three touchdowns in his team's first three games. Texas Tech's Patrick Mahomes (2016) and Graham Harrell (2007) were the others. It was the 40th time in Mike Leach's 91 games at Washington State that the Cougars had at least 400 passing yards, which is the highest total in the FBS during that span, according to ESPN Stats and Information research.

Up next: vs. UCLA (Saturday, 10:30 p.m. ET, ESPN)

18. Penn State (3-0)

The Nittany Lions couldn't score in the first half against Buffalo last week and couldn't score against Pittsburgh in the second half on Saturday. Penn State scored only once after halftime -- Noah Cain's 13-yard touchdown with 5:50 to go in the third quarter -- but it was enough for a 17-10 victory in its 100th game against Pitt. PSU's defense gave up only 24 rushing yards in 25 attempts and had a huge goal-line stand from the PSU 1 with less than six minutes to go. The Nittany Lions didn't have a turnover with only three penalties.

Up next: at Maryland (Sept. 27, 8 p.m. ET, FS1)

19. Texas A&M (2-1)

The good news: The Aggies bounced back from an ugly offensive performance at Clemson last week and routed FCS foe Lamar 62-3 at home Saturday. Freshman Isaiah Spiller ran for more than 100 yards for the second time this season, finishing with 116 yards and two scores. He'll have to carry much of the load after the Aggies lost Jashaun Corbin to a season-ending hamstring injury last week. The bad news: The Aggies still weren't great in the red zone. They ran 11 plays inside Lamar's 20-yard line in the first quarter and settled for two field goals and one touchdown. They'll have to be better during SEC play.

Up next: vs. Auburn (Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET, CBS)

20. Washington (2-1)

The Huskies bounced back from their bitter loss to Cal in their Pac-12 opener by jumping on Hawaii early in a 52-20 victory on Saturday. Quarterback Jacob Eason played much better than a week ago, completing 18 of 25 passes for 262 yards with three touchdowns. The Georgia transfer has also found a favorite target -- tight end Hunter Bryant, who had five catches for 115 yards with one touchdown. The Huskies play at BYU next week, a trip that looks more difficult now after the Cougars beat traditional bluebloods (Tennessee and USC) in back-to-back games.

Up next: at BYU (Saturday, TBD)

21. Boise State (3-0)

After a slow start against FCS foe Portland State, the Broncos pulled away for a 45-10 victory on the blue turf Saturday night. Freshman quarterback Hank Bachmeier threw for 238 yards with two touchdowns and one interception on 16-for-25 passing. John Hightower returned a kickoff 98 yards for another score. The Broncos played without both of their starting offensive tackles: left tackle Ezra Cleveland was wearing a protective boot on his right foot, and right tackle John Ojukwu is sidelined because of a right leg injury. It's unclear whether they'll be back for Friday night's Mountain West Conference opener.

Up next: vs. Air Force (Friday, 9 p.m. ET, ESPN2)

22. Virginia (3-0)

The Cavaliers survived a 31-24 victory over Florida State to move to 3-0 for the first time since 2005. Virginia trailed for much of the game but scored 21 points in the fourth quarter to come from behind. After taking a seven-point lead, the Cavaliers inexplicably had four 15-yard penalties to keep FSU's hopes alive in the final minutes. Virginia had nine penalties for 97 yards and threw two interceptions. Still, the Cavaliers look like the second-best team in a league that desperately needs somebody to challenge Clemson.

Up next: vs. Old Dominion (Saturday, 7 p.m. ET, ESPN2)

23. Arizona State (3-0)

The Sun Devils were very fortunate to hang on for a 10-7 win at Michigan State on Saturday, after the Spartans' 42-yard field goal attempt with six seconds left was wiped out because they had 12 men on the field. The Spartans missed a 47-yard attempt on the next play. ASU still has a long way to go on offense, after struggling for the second week in a row, but its defense is stout in Herm Edwards' second season. The Sun Devils have given up only three touchdowns in three games -- and none of their opponents have scored in the first three quarters.

Up next: vs. Colorado (Saturday, TBD)

24. Wake Forest (3-0)

Are the Demon Deacons in the top three in the ACC's pecking order? Wake Forest survived a 38-35 victory over better-than-you-think Utah State, rolled Rice 41-21 on the road and then put the brakes on North Carolina's turnaround with a 24-18 win Friday night. The Demon Deacons jumped out to a 21-0 lead against the Tar Heels and then held on for dear life in the fourth quarter. Dave Clawson's team faces a very difficult stretch in November, when it plays at Virginia Tech, Clemson and Syracuse.

Up next: vs. Elon (Saturday, noon, ACC Network)

25. Kansas State (3-0)

The Wildcats aren't flashy on offense, but they're learning how to win again under first-year coach Chris Klieman, who knows an awful lot about winning. Klieman, who guided his North Dakota State teams to four FCS national championships, has the Wildcats way ahead of schedule after a 31-24 victory at Mississippi State on Saturday. It was Kansas State's first road win over a Power 5 nonconference opponent since 2011. Kansas State will have an extra week to prepare for its Big 12 opener against Oklahoma State on the road on Sept. 28.

Up next: at Oklahoma State (Sept. 28, TBD)

It's hard to win football games. Coaches talk about this all the time, usually to explain why fans should take some 40-point underdog seriously, but it's still probably true. At least, it was Saturday.

On a weekend in which there were zero matchups of ranked teams, we were treated to a delightful menagerie of weather delays, frisky FCS teams, brutal special-teams plays and a handful of memorably ridiculous decisions that proved, indeed, winning doesn't come easy.

Start in Happy Valley, where Pitt had a chance to tie the score on its hated rival with a touchdown after picking up a first down at the Penn State 1. Three straight plays gained nothing. The decision on fourth down with less than 5 minutes to play? A field goal attempt. That 19-yard chip shot missed, not that it would have mattered much.

For the record, since the start of last season, when teams go for it on fourth-and-goal from the 1, they score touchdowns 70% of the time.

"We needed two scores to win," Pitt coach Pat Narduzzi said afterward.

Well, that's irrefutable logic. It's the rough equivalent of saying "Weekend at Bernie's II" wasn't going to win an Oscar without being nominated first, but it's nevertheless true.

Michigan State did Pitt one better a few hours later. The Spartans also looked at the NFL rule book for the number of players allowed on the field and did that one better too.

After Arizona State took a 10-7 lead with less than a minute to play, Michigan State drove down the field and into field goal territory, aided by a questionable pass interference penalty. The Spartans lined up for a 42-yarder, and Matt Coghlin drilled it. Flag. Sparty had 12 men on the field. Backed up 5 yards, Coghlin kicked again ... and missed.

But that wasn't Saturday's low point. No, we had to wait for that one. Wait and wait and wait.

Iowa and Iowa State sat through more than three hours of delays due to weather, so perhaps that's why Cyclones sophomore Datrone Young was so enthusiastic to get downfield on Iowa's late punt that would've given Iowa State a last chance to win. Young collided with Deshaunte Jones, who was fielding the punt, and the ball rolled free, recovered by Iowa. And so it ended 18-17, Iowa.

And that didn't even include Kentucky surrendering a 76-yard run as Florida was just trying to run out the clock or Florida State and Virginia combining for seven personal fouls or pass interference flags in the fourth quarter or Southern California's interception in overtime. It's hard to capture it all, really.

Was it a good day of football? Well, it depends on your definition of "good." Was "Road House" good? Is Weird Al good? Are hot dog eating contests good? It really doesn't matter. It was fun and it was entertaining. Head-scratching too. But that's the subtle brilliance of a Saturday like this one.

Heisman Five

1. Jalen Hurts, Oklahoma

Hurts had 99 rushing yards on Oklahoma's opening drive because he isn't going to even let you think there's a chance he is not staying atop the Heisman rankings.

2. Tua Tagovailoa, Alabama

Even by Tagovailoa's standards, 444 yards and five touchdowns on the road in an SEC game is pretty darned impressive.

3. Joe Burrow, LSU

Burrow threw a pick against Northwestern State, which constitutes big news. Aside from that, another ho-hum game with more than 400 total yards and three touchdowns.

4. Justin Fields, Ohio State

Through three games, Fields has accounted for more touchdowns this season (12) than Dwayne Haskins had last season (11).

5. Sam Ehlinger, Texas

Through three games, Ehlinger has 12 touchdowns and no turnovers.

Week 3 panic index

We're just three weeks into the season, but the heat is getting turned up a bit for some big-name teams. So, how bad is it? Let's take a look.

Trevor Lawrence
Panic rating: Deep breaths into a paper bag

Yeah, Lawrence is off to a rough start. He threw two picks against Syracuse, giving him five on the season -- one more than he had all of last season. But are we really going to worry about Lawrence? He is too good for this to last long, and the rest of the schedule is too bad for him not to put up monster numbers in the next few months.

Clay Helton's job status
Panic rating: The "This is Fine" meme

What else can Helton say? He knows the writing is on the wall, and with a new athletic director and a brutal schedule upcoming, Saturday's loss to BYU was probably just another flame emerging.

Florida's offense
Panic rating: Kevin Bacon yelling "All is well!" at the end of "Animal House"

Yes, Florida came back to win at Kentucky, but the Gators lost quarterback Feleipe Franks in the process. Kyle Trask held his own, completing 9-of-13 passes for 126 yards, but it remains to be seen how the offense will respond long term. Franks is the first Florida QB since Tim Tebow to throw more than 12 TDs in a season, so it's not a foregone conclusion that another successful passer is waiting in the wings.

Michigan hopes this is the year it beats Ohio State
Panic rating: Sweating through your khakis

The Wolverines were off this week after going to overtime against Army in Week 2, but the heat got turned up a bit with another dominant win by Ohio State. The Buckeyes trounced Indiana behind a stellar day from Justin Fields and 193 yards from J.K. Dobbins.

Illinois' bowl hopes
Panic rating: Jodie Foster in "Panic Room"

Yes, it's bad. It's intruders-in-the-house, lose-to-Eastern-Michigan bad. But hey, at least they've been prepared for the worst.

#goacc, retro style

For years, the #goacc hashtag -- all lower case -- was shorthand for the league's woeful performances, but as Florida State and then Clemson won national titles, the social media sarcasm dwindled. Well ... it's baaaaack.

Week 3 was a brutal one for the league, starting with an admittedly blown call at the end of North Carolina-Wake Forest and a horrendous loss by Boston College at home to Kansas on Friday night.

On Saturday, things got worse.

Virginia Tech was losing by double digits to FCS Furman at the half. The Hokies managed to escape, but hardly in impressive fashion.

Pitt's late-game decisions doomed the Panthers to a loss at Penn State, despite numerous chances to tie or win.

Struggling West Virginia drubbed NC State 44-27.

Georgia Tech fell to The Citadel, an FCS team, in one of the Yellow Jackets' most embarrassing defeats in history.

Since the Wake-UNC game was officially a nonconference showdown, the league lost five games out of conference in Week 3.

And for old times' sake, even former ACC member Maryland got into the act, dropping its first game after cracking the Top 25 in a defeat to Temple.

Irish goodbyes

Bob Davie didn't make his return to his old stomping grounds in South Bend, Indiana, still recovering from a medical issue that hospitalized the New Mexico coach during the Lobos' opener.

Davie returned to the team last week, declining to give much information about his condition, but he didn't travel with the Lobos to Notre Dame, the place he served as head coach from 1997 through 2001.

It was just as well. Notre Dame demolished New Mexico 66-14, running its record to 2-0 versus teams coached by former Irish head coaches. The only other meeting came in 2005, when Tyrone Willingham's Washington Huskies were thumped 36-17. That game came in Seattle, however, and with Davie's absence Saturday, no former Irish head coach has ever made a return to Notre Dame Stadium.

@SECOfficiating comment of the week

First off, a big congratulations to the SEC officials for keeping their Twitter feed alive through three weeks. It seemed impossible they'd make it through the first Saturday without shutting things down. But that doesn't mean SEC fans have relaxed any.

Just before halftime in the Alabama-South Carolina game, it appeared Rico Dowdle might have stretched across the goal line before his knee touched the ground. The officials called Dowdle down inside the 1 and didn't review the play, leading South Carolina coach Will Muschamp to refuse to comment, noting, "I'll be fined for the rest of my life if I comment on that."

Twitter users, however, were happy to chime in.

There is no way they could have made that determination that quickly... Awful calls today.

— Jason Cuzzupe (@ZupeFiasco) September 14, 2019

Under-the-radar play of the day

In the end, it didn't matter much as Notre Dame romped to a 66-14 win, but don't ignore the insane catch-and-run from Irish receiver Javon McKinley late in the first half. McKinley looked like Tecmo Bo, breaking six tackles en route to the score. He hauls in the pass at the Irish 40, shrugs off his cover defender, streaks toward the sideline making another defender miss, zigzags back toward the middle of the field, spins, hits the B-button a few times for a little speed boost, then finds pay dirt. It doesn't exactly fill the void left by the lack of the college football video game, but it still was pretty sweet.

Under-the-radar game of the day

P.J. Fleck must have done something amazing in a past life, because he has plenty of karma on his side in 2019. Minnesota moved to 3-0 with a Tyler Johnson touchdown pass with 13 seconds to play to upend Georgia Southern 35-32. It was the third straight one-possession win for the Gophers, who narrowly beat South Dakota State with a late fourth-quarter TD pass in Week 1 and needed overtime to get past Fresno State in Week 2. Minnesota is only the third team in the past decade to win each of its first three games by seven points or fewer, joining 2011 Iowa State (finished 6-7) and 2012 Oregon State (finished 9-4). So, ladies and gentlemen, your mark-it-in-ink, sure-to-happen 2019 Big Ten West champs, the Minnesota Golden Gophers.

By the numbers

• Eno Benjamin scored on a 1-yard run to put Arizona State up 10-7 against Michigan State with just 50 seconds to play. The score was overshadowed a bit by how the game ended, with the Spartans blowing a late field goal attempt, but it was nevertheless noteworthy. Benjamin's TD gave Arizona State 10 points for the 122nd straight game, according to ESPN Stats & Information research. It is both the longest active streak and the second longest in the AP poll era (since 1936) behind Louisiana Tech's run of 125 straight from 2008 through 2018.

• Jake Smith hauled in a 53-yard touchdown grab late in the first quarter against Rice. It was the second TD reception of 50 yards or more in the past two weeks for Texas, according to ESPN Stats & Information data. Total number of 50-yard TD grabs in 28 prior games under Tom Herman? Zero.

• Cincinnati's Michael Warren had 113 yards and three touchdowns in only 12 carries in a win over Miami (Ohio). It marks the third time since the start of last season that Warren has had a game with 100 yards and three TDs on the ground. The only tailback in the country with more is Wisconsin's Jonathan Taylor.

• Should we ask where Murray State would finish in the SEC East? The Racers are the only team to score a touchdown against Georgia's defense so far this season, after the Bulldogs shut out Arkansas State. For the season, UGA's defense has been on the field for 37 drives and given up only one TD. The only team yet to allow a TD this season is Wisconsin, which had Week 3 off.

Scheduling up

UCF won its 27th straight regular-season game, demolishing Stanford 45-27. The 18-point beating was Stanford's second-worst loss in a nonconference game in the past decade (after last year's 21-point defeat to playoff-bound Notre Dame).

During UCF's regular-season win streak, the Knights are 3-0 against Power 5 foes, all wins by double digits. Saturday's 18-point victory follows a 45-14 win over Pitt last year and a 38-10 win over Maryland in 2017. The Knights will have a chance to add another Power 5 win to their résumé next week at Pitt.

Dealing with success

Maryland's thrashing of Syracuse in Week 2 earned the Terrapins a No. 21 ranking in the AP poll, but they're unlikely to spend much time in the Top 25. The Terps fell to Temple 20-17, extending a streak of nearly 13 years without a win while ranked for Maryland.

The last time the Terps won as a Top 25 team was back in 2006, narrowly escaping Miami 14-13. They lost a week later to Boston College.

Since then, 93 other teams have won at least one game while in the Top 25, and all but three other Power 5 schools have at least one win while ranked. All four of the winless teams in that span, however, reside in the same conference: Maryland, Indiana, Purdue and Rutgers.

Big bets and bad beats

Lines courtesy Caesars Sportsbook

• South Carolina happily reminded bettors it is dangerous to fade a heavy home underdog, but this one had to hurt Alabama backers. The Crimson Tide were 26.5-point favorites and up 47-16 with only 15 seconds to play when Ryan Hilinski's fourth-down pass fell incomplete. Unfortunately for Bama bettors, the Tide were flagged for roughing the passer, giving South Carolina another crack at pay dirt. Hilinski's next pass was an 11-yard touchdown with just 11 seconds to go, helping the Gamecocks to a mind-boggling backdoor cover.

• The Citadel upended Georgia Tech in a game that might've made former Yellow Jackets coach Paul Johnson proud. Though Tech has moved on from Johnson's option offense, The Citadel continues to run the flexbone -- and did it to perfection in Atlanta. The Citadel won 27-24 in overtime while attempting only four passes (one completion). It is the third time this year a team has attempted five or fewer passes, according to ESPN Stats & Information research, including Army's overtime loss to Michigan and Air Force's Week 1 win over Colgate. Those teams are 3-0 against the spread, and since 2000, teams throwing five times or fewer are 98-23 against the number.

• What does Mike Gundy have against Tulsa backers? Oklahoma State covered its 14-point spread by going for it on fourth-and-1 from the Tulsa 33, up 12 with 2:41 to play. The result was a 33-yard touchdown run by Chuba Hubbard, dealing a big blow to bettors of the underdog hoping for a cover.

Charlotte Hornets owner Michael Jordan has agreed to sell a portion of the team to a pair of investors, the team announced in a release Saturday.

The sale is pending NBA approval. Terms of the deal have not been released.

Jordan is bringing in Gabe Plotkin, a founder of Melvin Capital, and Daniel Sundheim, a founder of DI Capital, as partners in Hornets Sports & Entertainment, of which Jordan is chairman. He will not be giving up majority control of the team.

Jordan said he will "continue to run the Charlotte Hornets, make all decisions related to the team and organization, and remain the team's NBA Governor."

"Gabe and Dan's investment is invaluable, as we continue to modernize, add new technology and strive to compete with the best in the NBA," Jordan said. "Both Gabe and Dan are industry standard-setters and proven leaders, with a belief in philanthropy and a passion for the game of basketball.

"They share my commitment to Charlotte and the Carolinas, and I look forward to working with and learning from them."

Plotkin and Sundheim do not have previous ownership experience in a major sports franchise.

Jordan became part owner of the then-Charlotte Bobcats in June 2006. He upgraded his minority share in the team in 2010, when he bought out owner Bob Johnson for $175 million. Forbes valued the Hornets at $1.3 billion in their annual list in February.

The Charlotte franchise is 441-609 (.420 win percentage) since the start of the 2006-07 season, sixth-worst in the NBA in that span, ahead of only the 76ers, Knicks, Nets, Kings and Timberwolves.

David Ortiz said he is still trying to mentally process the shooting at a Dominican nightclub that seriously injured him and doesn't know what led to the attack.

The retired Boston Red Sox slugger spoke to Univision in an interview posted online Friday, his first since being shot June 9.

Ortiz dismissed speculation that he was a target and said he wasn't involved in anything shady that would have led to an attack.

"I don't have enemies. I don't know why anyone would want to do this to me," he said.

As for any suspicion surrounding him, he takes it personally.

"I almost died, man," he told Univision, tears in his eyes. "I was in a coma. People were criticizing me as if I deserved to be killed."

Ortiz, the 2013 World Series MVP on Boston's championship team, was shot in the back by a hired gunman who fired at close range, hitting him in the torso, police said. They said the intended target was another man.

He called the moment surreal and said he wondered if he would survive.

"When the bullet hit me, the first thing I felt was like a sting. The first five seconds I thought I was having a nightmare. [Then] a man named Eliezer, who I am very thankful for, he helped me and took me to the hospital," Ortiz told Univision.

"I was feeling something that I had never felt before, and that was just the feeling of trying to survive," he added.

Doctors in Santo Domingo removed Ortiz's gallbladder and part of his intestine, and he was flown the next day on a Red Sox plane to Boston, where he had more surgery.

Ortiz earlier in the week made his first public appearance since the shooting, throwing out the first pitch before the Red Sox played the New York Yankees at Fenway Park. Ortiz thanked the fans for their prayers and support.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.