NFL

49ers sign WR Brandon Aiyuk to four-year, $120 million contract extension

This saga had to end at some point. I’ve said before that the top of the wide receiver market is overinflated, and this deal for Aiyuk further highlights the issue.

That’s not Aiyuk’s fault, though, as the 26-year-old was excellent in 2023, grabbing 75 balls for 1,342 yards and seven scores. He’s key to San Francisco’s operation, so the team will be better this year for having him around. This extension will only come to haunt the 49ers if and when the franchise signs Brock Purdy to a blockbuster contract.

Grade: C

Patriots name Jacoby Brissett starting quarterback

The Patriots made Drake Maye the No. 3 overall pick in April, but Jerod Mayo is doing the right thing in naming Brissett the team’s starting signal-caller. It’s not a knock on Maye, either, as the North Carolina product flashed in the preseason, but ultimately would benefit from time on the sideline.

New England needs to build up its roster, and with a subpar supporting cast and daunting schedule, Maye would likely struggle if tossed into the fire. Instead, Brissett can take the lumps for the franchise, setting the stage for Maye to emerge later on.

The Patriots landing the No. 1 overall pick in 2025 wouldn’t shock me. With that selection, New England could address left tackle with Will Campbell, Emery Jones or Kelvin Banks, depending on which lineman exits the 2024 season as the best prospect at the position.

NCAAF

Rutgers 44, Howard 7

Rutgers faces a fairly soft schedule this season, but if the Scarlet Knights are to take advantage of it, they’ll need to play better than they did last night. A 44-7 victory looks decent on paper, but Rutgers was particularly shaky in the first half. Injuries could be pointed to as an excuse, as the Scarlet Knights were missing defenders Mohamed Toure and Flip Dixon in this game.

Kyle Monangai may be the nation’s most underrated running back, and he helped lift Rutgers ahead in this contest, recording 165 yards and a score on the ground.

Buffalo 30, Lafayette 13

How far had Buffalo fallen? The Bulls were a trendy pick to lose this game. The Pete Lembo era is off to a good start.

Bowling Green 41, Fordham 17

You’d be hard pressed to find a more fun — and better — group of five tight end than Harold Fannin. The junior will eventually be playing on Sundays, but the Falcons get to enjoy his abilities for at least one more season. Fannin tallied six catches for 67 yards yesterday.

Wake Forest 45, North Carolina A&T 13

Wake Forest entered this game with an ongoing quarterback competition, although that battle favored Michael Kern. That should no longer be the case, as the Demon Deacons fared much better on offense with Hank Bachmeier running the show. The Louisiana Tech transfer finished 18-for-28 for 263 yards and three touchdowns.

UCF 57, New Hampshire 3

This game didn’t tell us anything new about the Knights — UCF handled business as it should have. However, we already had an idea that UCF would feature a strong running attack, and if this contest was any indication, Big 12 defenses better stack the box versus the Knights. RJ Harvey is the head of the snake for UCF, but Peny Boone will factor in as well. The two backs combined for 18 carries for 223 yards and three touchdowns last night.

Cincinnati transfer linebacker Deshawn Pace also flashed in this tilt for the Knights, tallying five tackles and an interception.

Arkansas 70, Arkansas-Pine Bluff 0

It’s obviously only going to get harder for Arkansas from here on out, but the Razorbacks should leave this one feeling good. New starting quarterback Taylen Green played well, running the ball came easy and the defense recorded four sacks. Arkansas at Oklahoma State next week should be fun.

Toledo 49, Duquesne 10

MAC defenses are going to struggle to stop the Tucker Gleason-Jerjaun Newton connection for Toledo this season. The duo connected five times for 87 yards and a score last night.

NC State 38, Western Carolina 21

It was all sunshine and rainbows for NC State entering this game. A No. 24 ranking and season-opening matchup versus an FCS opponent will do that, but the joy is gone now. It would be a mild surprise if the Wolfpack were still ranked come next Tuesday, but that’s the least of Dave Doeren’s worries.

Next for NC State awaits a neutral-site contest versus Tennessee — a team much more equipped to beat the Wolfpack than Western Carolina. The good news, though, is that NC State has a few extra days to regroup. My advice? Keep featuring Kevin Concepcion. The sophomore wide receiver is beyond electric, and he posted nine receptions for 121 yards and three touchdowns in this win.

Kansas 48, Lindenwood 3

The Jayhawks, full of aspirations this season, probably shouldn’t have allowed lowly Lindenwood to score, but whatever. The best news for Kansas from last night was that Jalon Daniels played — and looked healthy. The Jayhawks will go as far as Daniels takes them. 9-for-15 for 148 yards and a touchdown in this victory for the junior signal-caller.

Colorado 31, North Dakota State 26

The Buffaloes might not be very good, but they sure are exciting. Colorado really only thrives in one area — passing offense — but the big plays produced in said area sure are fun.

Colorado wouldn’t be as exciting — or any good — without Sheduer Sanders or Travis Hunter, and the elite duo carried the Buffaloes to this victory. Sanders was accurate and even pushed the ball down the field on several occasions, using his talented receiving group to his advantage. The senior finished 26-for-34 with 445 yards, four touchdowns and one bad-luck interception.

As good as Sanders was yesterday, Hunter was even better. The two-way superstar created more highlights on offense than defense in this particular contest, grabbing seven receptions for 132 yards and three touchdowns. Not to be outdone, Hunter was flanked by Jimmy Horn, who posted 198 receiving yards and a touchdown of his own.

This was a decent test for Colorado, but it’s going to get more difficult for Deion Sanders’ group moving forward, due to both opponent and officiating. The Buffaloes did some good things, but they inarguably benefited from at least a somewhat friendly whistle.

Coastal Carolina 55, Jacksonville State 27

This was the first of just two games yesterday featuring two FBS teams, so I figured we’d be in store for a close battle. Nope. As it turns out, Coastal Carolina might still be a thing. Without Jamey Chadwell. Without Grayson McCall. That’s a testament to a functioning program.

Tulane 52, Southeastern Louisiana 0

It remains to be seen how Tulane performs post-Willie Fritz and post-Michael Pratt, but a shutout is always an acceptable start. Next week represents a massive test, though, for the Green Wave: a home game against Big 12 contender Kansas State.

Utah 49, Southern Utah 0

Cameron Rising missed all of 2023, and Utah clearly suffered because of it, finishing just 8-5. The hope, of course, is for a healthy Rising for the duration of this season, because the signal-caller is one of the best in the Big 12, if not the country.

Showcasing his ability, the senior was excellent in his brief period of work last night, going 10-for-15 with 254 yards and five touchdowns. It won’t be as easy for Rising and the Utes in Week 2 versus Baylor, but they should still cruise to victory.

North Carolina 19, Minnesota 17

This could’ve been anyone’s game, a back-and-forth affair featuring stout defense and uninspiring offense. North Carolina lost starting quarterback Max Johnson in the third quarter, but that didn’t alter the trajectory of the game too much, as the senior struggled to find success and ended his night with just 71 passing yards and an interception.

The story of the evening for the Tar Heels was a ferocious defensive front. Kaimon Rucker is usually the headliner for North Carolina when it comes to that unit, and he recorded a sack in this game, but Jahvaree Ritzie stole the show in this particular tilt, totaling three sacks.

North Carolina winning this game looms quite large, because the program’s schedule is extremely soft until November, when the Tar Heels trek to Tallahassee. The Tar Heels aren’t a top-25 team — they might not even be close — but there’s a real chance the team starts 8-0.

Minnesota has to be kicking itself. Yes, this was an evenly-played contest, but the Golden Gophers squandered numerous chances to win, including two missed field goals.

Max Brosmer was not as advertised last night. The New Hampshire transfer will have more chances to impress, but he was pedestrian prior to the fourth quarter, and even then, the senior failed to lead Minnesota to victory. Brosmer ended the game 13-for-21 with 166 yards.

Jah Joyner is probably the Golden Gophers’ top defender, and he wreaked havoc yesterday, posting six tackles and 0.5 sacks. Joyner and company will need to keep putting their best foot forward if the offense doesn’t improve. A three-game stretch of Iowa, at Michigan and USC looms in a few weeks for P.J. Fleck’s program.

Illinois 45, Eastern Illinois 0

Bret Bielema, being the defensive-first coach he is, is surely thrilled with this shutout, but even Bielema might be more satisfied with the performance of Luke Altmyer, who struggled a bit last season. In this game, the junior capitalized on facing an FCS defense, going 19-for-24 for 213 yards and four touchdowns.

The Fighting Illini likely won’t be able to keep pace with ranked Kansas next week, but with the game in Champaign, anything is possible for an Illinois program trending positively.

NBA

Warriors sign PG Stephen Curry to one-year, $62.6 million contract extension

This pact extends the Golden State-Curry partnership through 2027, and while the point guard likely won’t be a top-10 player anymore by that year, the Warriors should still feel good about getting this deal done.

Curry spoke recently about potentially moving to another franchise if the Warriors bottomed out, but this extension should put a lid on those discussions for now. Golden State has been reinventing its roster for several years — perhaps it’s finally stumbled upon a group that can approach the success of the 2022 outfit that won the championship.

Grade: A-