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OKLAHOMA CITY — A clutch showing from Oklahoma’s defense in the fourth inning turned Wednesday’s Bedlam battle.
Oklahoma starter Sam Landry found herself in a bases loaded jam with no outs and Oklahoma State already ahead, but a diving stop by OU second baseman Ailana Agbayani paired with a strikeout by the steady righty helped the Sooners seize momentum.
The jolt of energy at Devon Park was all Patty Gasso’s offense needed.
Sophomore outfielder Maya Bland hammered the second home run of her career in the bottom half of the frame, a three-run shot, and Ella Parker and Gabbie Garcia both added RBIs of their own.
The No. 2-ranked Sooners closed out the win over No. 17 OSU 11-3 to pick up the crucial midweek win in five innings.
Oklahoma moved to 35-3 overall on the year and OSU fell to 23-12 before a crowd of 9,259 fans — a mark that broke the regular season NCAA softball attendance record set in 2023’s opener between OU and Texas in OKC.
The Sooners had to overcome a pair of errors in the first inning to get back into Wednesday’s contest.
Landry was unable to cleanly field Rosie Davis’ chopper back to the mound, and her scoop over to first missed Cydney Sanders and rolled into foul territory, allowing Tallen Edwards to slide under the tag at the plate and put OSU up 1-0.
In the ensuing at-bat, Nelly McEnroe-Marinas was unable to field a grounder at third, which gave Davis enough time to come home from second to double the lead.
The Sooners were unable to cash in on a pair of two-out hits by Parker and Agbayani in the first two innings, then Davis dealt further damage.
She put Oklahoma State up 3-0 with a solo shot in the third, which was her sixth long ball of the year.
Sophomore star Kasidi Pickering finally got OU goiter in the third, however.
Bland opened the frame by drawing a leadoff walk, then Pickering belted her 12th home run of the season well beyond the wall in right field to cut the deficit to 3-2.
The fourth inning rally was aided by an OSU error that allowed McEnroe-Marinas to reach after Bland’s blast.
Parker and Garcia then took advantage of the two-out mistake to put the Sooners on top 7-3 entering the fifth.
Hannah Coor added another run for the Sooners with an RBI-single in the fifth, and Pickering nearly homered.
The ball bounced off the top of the wall, but it popped back into the outfield, so Pickering had to settle for a double that extended the lead to 9-3.
Parker added another RBI, this one a double, to complete her 3-for-3 night at the plate, then pinch hitter Riley Zache walked the game off with a single.
Oklahoma will jump back into SEC play this weekend.
The Sooners will travel to Tuscaloosa to take on No. 23 Alabama.
Saturday’s series-opener will start at 6:30 p.m., and the game will be broadcast on ESPN2.
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Steelers Rising OL Deserves Opportunity to Start
The Pittsburgh Steelers' offensive line, which had remained remarkably healthy throughout the early goings of the season, saw Pro Bowl left guard Isaac Seumalo suffer a pectoral strain in the team's loss to the Green Bay Packers during Week 8 that ultimately forced him out of the game in the second half. While Seumalo was deemed healthy enough to start against the Indianapolis Colts in Week 9, he was later pulled in the second half of the contest due to his preexisting injury. Spencer Anderson, as a result, stepped into his spot on both occasions and got a chance to prove that he's capable of both handling the starting duties at the position down the line and filling in as a short-term replacement for Seumalo. Anderson Demonstrating His Value After not seeing the field on offense as a rookie in 2023, Anderson filled in for Seumalo as the starting left guard over the first three weeks of the 2024 campaign before sliding over to right guard in Week 4 while the latter dealt with a separate pectoral injury. Anderson allowed just one sack over that stretch, per Pro Football Focus, while largely holding his own as a run blocker as well. This year, the former seventh-round pick out of Maryland became a key component of Pittsburgh's offense as a sixth linemen upon the team's increased utilization of its jumbo package beginning in Week 4 against the Minnesota Vikings. Anderson has logged 42 snaps at left guard over the past two weeks in place of Seumalo, and he could be in line for more playing time moving forward. Playing Anderson is Steelers' Best Option Pittsburgh clearly values what Anderson brings to the table as its top reserve offensive linemen, and he has the tools necessary to eventually become a fixture in the starting lineup. That's not to say he's a finished product, however, as his experience in the NFL is still rather limited, but he has a golden opportunity to pick up more game reps for as long as Seumalo's injury continues to hamper him. At this point, Pittsburgh should consider sidelining Seumalo as a means of allowing him to recover and not worsen his current condition. Anderson has already proven himself capable of standing in as a reliable substitute, and he hasn't even scratched the surface of his potential. If he can continue to perform at a high level and make the most of what may be considered a potential audition for 2026, than Anderson could become an early favorite to earn the starting left guard job next season considering Seumalo's contract will run out once the current campaign ends. There's certainly still work to do, but Anderson has a shot to cement his place within the Steelers' current and future plans, and the team should seriously consider keeping him on the field for the time being instead of sending an injured Seumalo back out there.
Vikings snap count analysis and notable PFF grades from win over Lions
The Vikings got key contributions from all three phases in a 27-24 upset win over the Lions on Sunday at Ford Field. Let's dive into the week's snap counts and take a look at some notable PFF grades to see what stands out. Vikings offensive snap counts vs. Lions (out of 62) LG Donovan Jackson: 62 RG Will Fries: 62 RT Brian O'Neill: 62 LT Christian Darrisaw: 62 C Blake Brandel: 62 QB J.J. McCarthy: 62 WR Justin Jefferson: 59 WR Jordan Addison: 57 TE T.J. Hockenson: 48 RB Jordan Mason: 37 WR Jalen Nailor: 33 TE Nick Vannett: 27 RB Aaron Jones: 26 TE Ben Yurosek: 17 WR Adam Thielen: 4 OL Joe Huber: 2 It was encouraging to see the Vikings' entire offensive line, including Darrisaw and O'Neill, stay healthy throughout 60-plus snaps. At running back, Jones was excellent in the first half and would've comfortably out-snapped Mason on the day if he hadn't left early in the third quarter with a shoulder injury. Initial reports are that Jones avoided a serious injury and has a chance to play next Sunday against Baltimore. Without Josh Oliver or C.J. Ham, the Vikings turned to Vannett and Yurosek as extra run blockers, and both put in solid performances. Four offensive snaps is a season-low for Thielen, who has played just 24 total over the past three games. Top 5 PFF grades on offense (min. 20 snaps) 1. Jones — 76.6 2. Jefferson — 72.8 3. Brandel — 68.0 4. Jackson — 67.4 5. Darrisaw — 65.7 This checks out. The Vikings' offensive line played well, and Jones and Jefferson were the top two weapons for J.J. McCarthy. Speaking of McCarthy, he just missed this list with a 63.5 grade, which feels pretty fair for how he played. Addison and Hockenson are right behind him, grade-wise. Low grades on the day went to Mason and Fries, but both were still above 55. Vikings defensive snap counts vs. Lions (out of 64) LB Blake Cashman: 64 S Josh Metellus: 64 CB Byron Murphy Jr: 64 S Harrison Smith: 64 OLB Jonathan Greenard: 62 CB Isaiah Rodgers: 61 DT Jalen Redmond: 58 LB Eric Wilson: 56 DT Jonathan Allen: 51 OLB Andrew Van Ginkel: 39 DT Javon Hargrave: 39 CB Fabian Moreau: 24 S Theo Jackson: 16 OLB Dallas Turner: 14 LB Ivan Pace Jr: 13 DT Levi Drake Rodriguez: 11 DT Elijah Williams: 4 This was quite the game for Brian Flores and the Vikings' defense, who made things tough on an elite Lions offense for most of the day. From a snap count perspective, the first thing that jumps out is Redmond playing 91 percent of the snaps. He's legitimately established himself as the best defensive tackle on a team that employs former Pro Bowlers in Allen and Hargrave. Cashman and Wilson were outstanding in this game. Allen made an impact. Hargrave was excellent. And the importance of Van Ginkel simply cannot be overstated. He changes everything. He was limited to playing 61 percent of the snaps in his return to action, but that number figures to rise next week. Van Ginkel's return coincided with Turner playing a season-low 14 snaps. It'll be interesting to see if that continues moving forward. Pace is merely a role player behind the Vikings' top two linebackers at this point, but he can still be effective when used as a blitzer. Stepping into the CB3 role in place of Jeff Okudah wasn't Dwight McGlothern, it was the veteran Moreau, who played well. Top 5 PFF grades on defense (min. 20 snaps) 1. Cashman — 90.8 2. Hargrave — 81.4 3. Van Ginkel — 75.1 4. Moreau — 73.4 5. Smith — 67.4 Cashman was simply fantastic in this game, whether it was in run defense or coverage or as a blitzer on the Vikings' many designed pressure looks with their off-ball linebackers. Hargrave and Van Ginkel were also instrumental in Minnesota's run defense. Moreau and Smith tackled well and were important in coverage. Wilson got dinged a bit for some missed tackles and ended up with a 63.5 grade, but when you watch the tape, he was absolutely everywhere. He had six pressures and two sacks, and even when he missed tackles, the fact that he arrived at the play so quickly helped lead to tackles for teammates. He looked like a star in this game. Lower grades on defense went to Redmond, Rodgers, Murphy, and Theo Jackson.
Blockbuster trade for superstar pass rusher would be Bills' final Infinity Stone
If the Buffalo Bills' win over the reigning AFC champion Kansas City Chiefs proved anything, it was that now is the time for the Bills to take a big swing. Entering Sunday’s matchup, many expected the Bills to get blown out by the Chiefs and sink right back into the pit of despair with nine weeks remaining in the regular season. Instead, Buffalo came through with a convincing win, which has placed them right back into the Super Bowl discussion. And one more significant addition could help them earn their first ever Lombardi Trophy. Infinity Stone With things once again trending in the right direction, perhaps more so than they have all season, the perfect moment to make a blockbuster trade has presented itself to General Manager Brandon Beane. Like a group of Avengers in search of the final Infinity Stone, the Bills need just one more missing piece to push themselves over the edge: Cincinnati Bengals pass rusher Trey Hendrickson. The Athletic’s Dianna Russini reported on Monday that the Bengals’ asking price remains high for Hendrickson, with a potential move requiring at least a first-round pick. And while Beane and company are always reluctant to part with top-end draft picks, there has never been a more opportune time for the Bills to do so than entering Week 10 of the 2025 campaign. Injuries have piled up along the defensive line, with the most recent of which being a season-ending Achilles injury sustained by Michael Hoecht. With the Bills’ pass rush now in need of a boost similar to that which Hoecht provided through seven quarters, Hendrickson would be just that as Buffalo continues its pursuit of a world championship. What would Bills be getting? Hendrickson is a four-time Pro Bowler and was honored as an All-Pro first-team selection for the first time a season ago, when he finished second in the voting for Defensive Player of the Year. Through seven games this season, Hendrickson has totaled four sacks, three tackles for loss and eight quarterback hits while delivering an impressive pressure rate of 13.6% while playing for one of the worst defenses in the league. While he hasn’t experienced the same level of production that he did during back-to-back 17.5-sack seasons in 2023 and 2024, the 30-year-old pass rusher has plenty left in the tank and would change the dynamic of Buffalo’s defensive line. Missing a piece On Sunday against the Chiefs, the Bills finished the game with 15 quarterback hits, providing the blueprint on how to impact Patrick Mahomes, who finished with the worst completion percentage of his career (44%) during the Kansas City defeat. Hoecht had helped bring the team’s rush unit to another level in his brief time since returning from a six-game suspension for PEDs, and now the reality that the Bills will be without him the rest of the year calls into question whether this group can keep things rolling. If the Bills offered the house for Hendrickson and were able to land the big fish, those questions would dissipate rapidly. It may take a first-round pick and then some, but Hendrickson is a player worth remortgaging your house for. And the Bills should do just that to acquire the Cincinnati superstar. It would take a bundle of draft picks, including at least one first-rounder, but this is a move the Bills should strongly consider before Tuesday's 4 p.m. deadline. Let's talk turkey It would cost the Bills $8 million in cap space to acquire Hendrickson, per Spotrac, which is something they don't have at the moment. Buffalo carries just under $2 million of cap space entering Week 10. But as has proven before, there are always ways to work around the cap if a team finds something worthy of doing so. And Hendrickson is worth it. — Sign up for OnSI’s Free Buffalo Bills Newsletter —
Auburn makes massive decision regarding HC Hugh Freeze
The college football coaching carousel is alive and well. Just one week after Brian Kelly was fired from LSU, it's now the Auburn Tigers' turn to make a coaching move. Hugh Freeze fired According to multiple reports, Auburn has officially parted ways with head coach Hugh Freeze. The firing comes after Auburn managed just three points Saturday against the Kentucky Wildcats, one of the SEC's worst defensive teams, in a 10-3 loss. Freeze's tenure Freeze will finish his tenure at Auburn with a 15-19 (44.1 percent) record, much worse than his career winning percentage of 61.3 percent. His return to the SEC after seven seasons away ultimately did not turn out the way he or the university had hoped. Expected buyout Freeze's expected buyout is set at $15.8 million, one of the largest across college football. According to ESPN's Pete Thamel, that amount "is not subject to off-set and mitigation." Potential replacements The amount of top-notch coaching talent fired this season will give Auburn plenty of options to go after to fill its head-coaching vacancy. Those names include Billy Napier, Brian Kelly, James Franklin and others. A head-coaching job in the SEC is a dream job for many coaches, meaning there should be plenty of suitors to fill the vacated role for both next season and beyond.
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