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The fourth-ranked Utah gymnastics team delivered a strong performance in a tri-meet at West Virginia, securing its second-highest score of the season. Despite a valiant effort, the Red Rocks narrowly fell to second-ranked Florida while comfortably defeating host West Virginia in Big 12 competition. Utah finished with a score of 197.425, just behind Florida’s 197.575, while West Virginia trailed with 195.475.
Standout Performances Propel Utah
Grace McCallum led the way for Utah, finishing second in the all-around with a 39.575. She tied her season high on three events and shared the event win on beam with a 9.925. Makenna Smith also made a significant impact, tying for the win on vault with a career-high-tying 9.95.
Head coach Carly Dockendorf praised the team’s resilience, especially given the long trip and the challenge of competing in a different time zone. "Overall, I was pleased with their performance tonight," Dockendorf said. "To travel all the way over here and have our second-highest score of the year on the road, I think that was a real positive for us."
Event-by-Event Breakdown
Floor Exercise (49.375):
Utah opened on floor with its second-best score of the season in the event. Ashley Glynn set the tone with a 9.85, while Makenna Smith delivered Utah’s first 9.90 of the night. McCallum, anchoring the rotation, tied her season high with a 9.925.
Vault (49.225, 98.600 total after two events):
McCallum continued her strong night, posting a 9.85 to tie her season high. However, it was Smith who stole the spotlight, matching her career-best 9.95 to share the event title with Florida’s Selena Harris-Miranda.
Uneven Bars (49.300, 147.900 total after three events):
Utah overcame a slow start on bars with a trio of 9.875s from Amelie Morgan, Ella Zirbes, and McCallum. Zirbes’ score tied her season high for the second consecutive week, helping the Red Rocks maintain a competitive score.
Balance Beam (49.525, final score 197.425):
Utah finished on beam with one of its strongest performances of the season, tying its season-high score in the event. Ana Padurariu’s 9.925 led the way, tying McCallum for the event title. Camie Winger and Morgan added crucial 9.90s to solidify Utah’s final push.
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Moving Forward
Utah’s strong performance on the road demonstrated the team’s ability to compete at a high level in challenging environments. Dockendorf was particularly pleased with the squad’s ability to maintain consistency away from home. "It’s very encouraging for our staff and for our team," she said. "Everyone’s always comfortable at home, but our goal was to see if we could execute in an uncomfortable environment."
The Red Rocks now turn their attention to a home meet against No. 20 Arizona on Feb. 7 at the Jon M. Huntsman Center. The event will be a special occasion, celebrating Utah gymnastics’ 50th anniversary with its annual alumni night. Fans can expect another high-energy performance as Utah continues its pursuit of excellence in the Big 12 and beyond.
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OKC Thunder Ready for the Spotlight Next Season
The NBA’s schedule is set to release on Thursday afternoon, and the Oklahoma City Thunder are ready for whatever comes with it. Next season will be different than any other year in Thunder history. For the first time, the Thunder will enter the season as the target, not just a target. All throughout the Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook era, and even last season in their 68-win campaign, the Thunder have often been one of the teams that must be knocked off for other squads to reach their goals. Until 2025, the rest of the league had always emerged successful in those attempts. However, with the Thunder winning an NBA title, that has all changed. The Thunder have gone from a fun team with a young energy to a serious contender ready to dominate this era of the league. While that means the other 29 teams will be giving the Thunder their best shot every night, it also means that Oklahoma City will be in the spotlight like never before. Set to tip off the season against the Houston Rockets on ring night, all eyes will be on the Thunder from the second the season begins. Already slated to play on Christmas Day, MLK Day and securing a nationally televised Finals rematch on opening week, the Thunder will be on everyone’s TV all year. Although the schedule hasn’t dropped yet, it’s safe to assume that the Thunder’s inclusion on the league’s premier days won’t be their only big spotlight. Throughout the season, the league will be doing its best to ensure its new partners have plenty of great games to broadcast. As fans have recently yearned for defensive intensity and fundamental basketball, the Thunder should be able to give those fans exactly what they want. Of course, the Thunder are also now the defending champions, which will naturally lead to the team being hated. As with any other team in sports, winning brings attention, both good and bad. Considering this Thunder team has already overcome criticism and powered through all of the doubts about their youth or style of play, this group is ready for anything that gets thrown its way. Although any young team will naturally have issues blocking out all of the noise, the Thunder have already proven they can simply play their game without worrying about the rest of the world. From head coach Mark Daigneault all the way down the roster, Oklahoma City has never backed down, and being the NBA’s top dog is simply the Thunder’s newest challenge.
Five best NFL offseason value signings on offense: Bills get great deal with RB extension
Few know how to spend money like an NFL front office. This offseason, teams handed out over $4 billion in extensions alone, not to mention the several other billions spent in free agency. But which were the shrewdest investments? Below, we examine the best value signings at five positions on offense: quarterback, running back, wide receiver, tight end and offensive line. Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Geno Smith Contract: Two years, $75 million ($65.5M guaranteed) Shortly after acquiring Smith in a trade from the Seattle Seahawks, the Raiders extended the 2022 Associated Press Comeback Player of the Year to a contract that raises the Raiders' floor while maintaining flexibility. Smith has a manageable $26.5M cap hit in 2026, when Over The Cap projects Las Vegas to have the third-most cap space ($78.7M) based on an estimated 5.8 percent cap increase. Since 2022, Smith has the third-highest completion percentage (68.5 percent) among 32 quarterbacks with at least 20 starts during that span. He's also tied with Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes for the second-most fourth-quarter comebacks (10) and trails only Mahomes in game-winning drives. Buffalo Bills running back James Cook Contract: Four years, $48M ($30M guaranteed) Los Angeles Rams running back Kyren Williams pierced Cook's bubble when he signed a three-year, $33M extension on Aug. 5. The Bills running back sought $15M per year, making his $12M in annual average value (AAV) a huge win for Buffalo. Over Cook's first three seasons, he's averaged 4.9 yards per carry. In 2024, he led the NFL with 16 rushing touchdowns. With just 533 career tackles, Cook doesn't have the wear-and-tear of other backs who've made splashes early in their careers, raising hopes that he can withstand the workload that comes with being Buffalo's featured back. Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins Contract: Four years, $115M ($40.9M guaranteed) The Bengals retained Higgins at a remarkable price, keeping him in Cincinnati at less than $30M per year, the going rate for the league's top wideouts. Per Spotrac, while Higgins is No. 10 in AAV among wide receivers, he ranks just outside the top 20 in guaranteed money. Last season, Higgins averaged 75.9 receiving yards per game, his most since 2021, and scored a career-high 10 touchdowns despite missing five games due to injury. Arizona Cardinals tight end Trey McBride Contract: Four years, $76M ($43M guaranteed) The 2024 first-team All-Pro ranks No. 1 among tight ends in guaranteed salary. However, if he continues producing numbers more akin to WR1s — last season, he had 111 receptions, 1,146 receiving yards and two touchdowns — his contract will be one of the league's better bargains. Baltimore Ravens offensive tackle Ronnie Stanley Contract: Three years, $60M ($44M guaranteed) Stanley's journey back from a devastating 2020 lower leg injury culminated in the 2019 first-team All-Pro being named a Pro Bowler for the second time in his first nine seasons last year. The No. 6 overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft was rewarded with a contract that will keep him in Baltimore through his age-33 season. In terms of average annual value, his extension ranks below other left tackles who signed contracts this offseason, and not just younger players such as Rashawn Slater (Los Angeles Chargers), who was recently lost for the season, and Bernhard Raimann (Indianapolis Colts). Atlanta Falcons tackle Jake Matthews, 33, is averaging $22.5M on his current deal, while Las Vegas Raiders tackle Kolton Miller, 29, is set to earn $22M per year through 2028.
Steelers Make Strange Change to Depth Chart
The Pittsburgh Steelers have released their second depth chart of the preseason, and it includes quite an interesting development as it pertains to the offensive line. 2024 first-round pick Troy Fautanu, as expected, remains the starter at right tackle, but three-time Pro Bowler Andrus Peat has slotted in as the second-string option at the position. Peat signed a one-year deal with the Steelers last week as the team looked to bolster their depth up front. The fact that he's rather far up the depth chart isn't the surprising part, though: it's his position. Throughout his 10-year career, Pro Football Focus has charted Peat as lining up at right tackle for just 78 snaps, with all of them coming during his rookie season with the New Orleans Saints in 2015. The 31-year-old has primarily played left guard, logging 4,469 total reps there according to PFF, and he was among the league's top interior linemen during his prime. Peat's racked up 1,959 reps at left tackle, meaning he's not a stranger to the tackle position, but switching sides takes some time to get used to. After joining the Steelers last week, he told reporters that he's ready to work on adapting to right tackle and will play there if the team needs him to. “It’s definitely something you gotta work on, especially if you’ve played there your whole career,” Peat said. “But I feel like if I needed to, I could play on the right.” Peat got plenty of playing time during Pittsburgh's preseason opener against the Jacksonville Jaguars last Saturday, recording 21 snaps at left tackle and allowing a pressure. With some lingering concerns regarding Broderick Jones' performance and the health of Fautanu after dislocating his kneecap early in his rookie year, adding Peat to the mix was a sensible move for the Steelers. It's certainly interesting that he's listed as the top backup at right tackle considering he has almost zero prior professional experience there, but as a veteran with an impressive track record in the NFL, it appears Pittsburgh is confident that Peat can learn quickly and become a quality reserve option at the position.
Patriots have big Drake Maye concern surface at Vikings' joint practice
Defense ruled the day during the joint practice between the New England Patriots and Minnesota Vikings. Per Chad Graff of The Athletic, the Patriots defense did a masterful job of disrupting Vikings second-year quarterback J.J. McCarthy at Wednesday's practice. However, New England's offensive line was unable to allow Drake Maye to have enough time to finish plays. "Even with four new expected starters up front following last year’s debacle, Wednesday suggested that there will likely be some bumps ahead for this offensive line," Graff wrote. "Sure, going up against the Vikings was always going to be a difficult task. Greenard has been wrecking his own team’s practices in training camp, and everyone in New England knows how good Flores’ scheme can be. But the domination was so thorough by the Vikings’ front seven that three straight plays at one point would’ve resulted in a sack." Maye showed flashes of promise when he had time to throw downfield or was able to use his legs to buy time or scramble when pressure came. The concern is that the offensive line won't allow Maye enough time to even scramble, so he can make throws. Graff has noticed the same issues that happened on Wednesday have been a constant at training camp against the Patriots defense. With a new-look offensive line that includes first-round pick Will Campbell at left tackle, the Patriots are expected to have some bumps at training camp and in September. New England's offense probably won't look great out of the gate while the offensive line develops in offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels' scheme. If and when the offensive line improves, Maye will have a chance to show off the arm that made him the No. 3 pick in 2024. For now, the offensive line is a concern much like it was last season.
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