Leipold denies UW interest
Kansas football coach Lance Leipold, who grew up in Jefferson and won Division national championships at UW-Whitewater, downplayed the idea he could be Wisconsin’s next coach.
“We’re happy here. We have no plans on going anywhere,” Leipold said Tuesday, when asked by The Associated Press about the interest he’s generated with the first 5-0 start at Kansas since 2009 – the one that has the Jayhawks ranked No. 19 as they head into this weekend’s game of unbeatens against No. 17 TCU.
“Anything else is rumors,” Leipold continued. “Some of these things are happening while we’re in the film room – I didn’t even know some of the stuff Sunday until later in the evening, when I’m getting all these text messages.”
He was referring to Paul Chryst being let go by Wisconsin, which installed defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard as interim coach.
Leipold played college football at UW-Whitewater, got his coaching start there and won six national titles as a head coach. He also spent three seasons working for Barry Alvarez in the early 1990s as a graduate assistant with the Badgers.
Kansas plucked Leipold from Buffalo to replace Les Miles and rewarded him with a one-year extension in May despite having won just two games last season. As part of that extension, the average annual value of the 58-year-old’s contract was bumped to $2.6 million, although he remains by far the lowest-paid coach in the Big 12.
NFL
Rookie quarterback Kenny Pickett will make his first start Sunday when the Pittsburgh Steelers visit Buffalo.
Pickett, the 20th pick in the draft, made his regular-season debut in the second half of a 24-20 loss to the New York Jets. He ran for two touchdowns but also threw three interceptions, including a pick late in the fourth quarter that set up New York’s game-winning drive.
Mitch Trubisky, who was signed in the offseason, was benched at halftime against the Jets as coach Mike Tomlin looked for a spark.
Colts’ Taylor hopeful: Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor , the 2021 NFL rushing champion from the University fo Wisconsin, intends to use Thursday night’s pregame warmups as a test to see if he can play against Denver despite an ankle injury.
The news was worse for three-time all-pro linebacker Shaquille Leonard. In addition to the concussion keeping him out this week, Leonard may miss even more time with a fractured nose.
Cowboys lose snapper: Dallas Cowboys long snapper Jake McQuaide, 34, is out for the season after tearing a triceps muscle against Washington, the team reported on its website.
The injury happened on McQuaide’s final snap of the game, a punt late in Dallas’ 25-10 victory.
Prescott still on hold: Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott is progressing and could be ready Sunday, owner Jerry Jones said, but he is still not able to grip a football “well enough to play.”
TENNIS
Carlos Alcaraz’s first match as the No. 1-ranked player ended with a straight-sets loss to David Goffin at the Astana Open in Kazakhstan.
The 19-year-old Spaniard lost 7-5, 6-3 in his first tour match since winning the U.S. Open and capturing the No. 1 ranking.
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
A Russian court has set Oct. 25 as the date for Brittney Griner’s appeal of her nine-year prison sentence for drug possession.
Griner, an eight-time all-star center with the WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury and a two-time Olympic gold medalist, was convicted Aug. 4 after police said they found vape canisters containing cannabis oil in her luggage at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo Airport.
The Moscow region court said Monday it will hear her appeal.
NHL
Mathew Barzal has agreed to terms with the New York Islanders on an eight-year extension, a move that keeps the franchise’s top forward under contract for the balance of his prime.
The deal is worth $73.2 million with an annual salary cap hit of $9.15 million, according to a person with knowledge of the contract, which hasn’t been announced. Barzal has led the team in scoring, or been tied for the lead, every season since he became a full-time NHL player in 2017-18.
NASCAR
Alex Bowman will miss his second consecutive NASCAR Cup Series start as he recovers from a concussion suffered in a crash at Texas Motor Speedway, Hendrick Motorsports announced. Noah Gragson will fill in again Sunday at Charlotte.