Deion Sanders has removed play-calling duties from offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur.
The change occurred after Colorado’s loss to Utah on October 25.
Passing game coordinator Brett Bartolone has taken over as the new play-caller.

Colorado football coach Deion Sanders stripped play-calling duties from offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur after the Buffaloes lost at Utah Oct. 25, demoting him to quarterbacks coach before the team got beat again last week against Arizona, a person with knowledge of the situation told USA TODAY Sports.

The person didn’t want to be named because of the sensitivity of the situation. The person said Colorado tight ends coach and passing game coordinator Brett Bartolone has called plays instead of Shurmur since the Utah game.

Colorado didn’t immediately return a message seeking comment. But Sanders hinted at coaching staff changes Tuesday during his weekly news conference in Boulder. His team is 3-6 this season and has struggled with quarterback play this year since losing Sanders’ son Shedeur to the NFL.

“I might have already changed it, and you don’t know,” Sanders said. “I don’t do stuff and blow the whistles and make major announcements.”

Deion Sanders has demoted his play-caller before

It marks the second time in three seasons Sanders has demoted his offensive play-caller during the season. In 2023, he promoted Shurmur to co-offensive coordinator to call plays while taking away play-calling duties from offensive coordinator Sean Lewis. The Buffs were 4-4 at the time after starting the season 3-0. They finished the season at 4-8, and Lewis left to become head coach of San Diego State, where his team is now 7-1.

Shurmur joined the Colorado staff in 2023 as analyst after previously serving as head coach of the NFL’s New York Giants and Cleveland Browns. He served as Colorado’s offensive coordinator and play-caller since then and helped lead the team to a 9-4 record in 2024.

In his place as play-caller last week, Bartolone took over against Arizona, a game the Buffs lost 52-17. Bartolone played college football under offensive mastermind Mike Leach at Washington State and went on to work for Sanders as his offensive coordinator when Sanders was head coach at Jackson State.

Both Shurmur and Bartolone will try to break the Buffs’ skid at West Virginia on Saturday, Nov. 8 with a new starting quarterback — freshman Julian “JuJu” Lewis, who will be making his first college start.

Follow reporter Brent Schrotenboer @Schrotenboer. Email: bschrotenb@usatoday.com

The Kansas City Royals and Salvador Perez have reached agreement on a new two-year contract, the team announced Tuesday night.

Perez has become a true club legend since making his debut in 2011. The 35-year-old catcher and first baseman is a nine-time All-Star, five-time Gold Glove winner and was named the MVP of the 2015 World Series when the Royals defeated the New York Mets for their first title in 30 years.

“Salvy is a Royals legend and one of the most important players this franchise has ever had,” Royals executive vice president and general manager J.J. Picollo said in a statement. “We had the option for next year, but everyone knew we wanted to make sure his legacy with us continued longer than that. We appreciate Salvy’s commitment to the Royals, and we’re just as excited as our fans.”

Salvador Perez stats

Perez had another solid campaign at the plate in 2025. Though his .236 average nearly matched his career low, he launched 30 home runs and produced 100 RBIs in 155 games.

Perez finds himself in the top 10 of a number of Royals offensive categories and has the chance to become their all-time home run leader in 2026. He has 303 career home runs and needs 15 next season to break George Brett’s team mark.

Here’s a look at Salvador Perez’s career statistics:

Games: 1,707
Runs: 710
Hits: 1,712
Home runs: 303
RBIs: 1,016
Batting average: .264
On-base percentage: .301
Slugging percentage: .457

Washington Commanders linebacker Frankie Luvu’s one-game suspension has been reduced to a fine after an appeal hearing.

Luvu will instead be subjected to a $100,000 fine following the decision from hearing officer, Derrick Brooks. He will be eligible to play in Week 10 when the Commanders host the Detroit Lions.

The linebacker was handed the one-game suspension on Nov. 3 as a result of repeated hip-drop tackle violations. A league statement said Luvu’s punishment was ‘for repeated violations of playing rules intended to protect the health and safety of players, including during Sunday’s game against the Seattle Seahawks.’

Luvu committed his third hip-drop tackle of the season on ‘Sunday Night Football’ against the Seattle Seahawks, sparking the initial suspension. He was fined for the previous violations in Week 4 and Week 8.

According to the release:

Luvu violated Rule 12, Section 2, Article 18 (a)(b), which states that: “It is a foul if a player uses the following technique to bring a runner to the ground: (a) grabs the runner with one or both hands or wraps the runner with both arms; and (b) unweights himself by swiveling and dropping his hips and/or lower body, landing on and/or trapping the runner’s leg(s) at or below the knee.”

Luvu’s hip-drop tackle came with 7:55 remaining in the first quarter after he brought down Seattle’s Jaxon Smith-Njigba, according to NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo.

Brooks is one of three hearing officers that could’ve heard Luvu’s appeal, with the others being Jordy Nelson and Ramon Foster.

So when Boston Bruins defenseman Nikita Zadorov roughed up the 2025 No. 1 overall pick on Tuesday, Nov. 4, his teammates jumped in to his defense.

Zadorov was called for interference against Schaefer in the second period. When the Islanders rookie got up to his knees, Zadorov objected to his stick being held and delivered a shot to Schaefer’s face.

As Schaefer fell, Islanders players went after Zadorov.

When the scrum ended, Zadorov received three penalties (interference and roughing against Schaefer and Anders Lee). Lee and Anthony Duclair were called for roughing Zadorov.

Schaefer, the NHL rookie of the month for October, showed his value in the third period when he came out of the penalty box and assisted on a goal by Bo Horvat.

He had points in his first six NHL games and a two-goal game on Nov. 2. He has 11 points in 13 games.

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The New York Jets traded cornerback Sauce Gardner and defensive tackle Quinnen Williams at the NFL trade deadline.
In return, the Jets acquired multiple first-round draft picks for 2026 and 2027, among other assets.
These trades signal a major rebuild for the 1-7 Jets, who are now without their top defensive players.
The team has accumulated significant draft capital to address its long-standing quarterback issues and reconstruct the roster.

A yard sale sign outside the New York Jets’ Florham Park team facility would’ve been appropriate.

Everything (almost) must go.

That’s precisely the message the 1-7 Jets sent at the NFL’s Nov. 4 trade deadline when they sent cornerback Sauce Gardner to the Indianapolis Colts for a 2026 first-round pick, a 2027 first-round pick and wide receiver Adonai Mitchell. And moments later, shipped defensive tackle Quinnen Williams to the Dallas Cowboys in exchange for a 2026 second-round pick, a 2027 first-round pick and defensive tackle Mazi Smith.

The Jets have two first-round and two second-round picks in the 2026 draft and three first-round picks in the 2027 draft after the trades.

The moves represent a calculated gamble by Jets general manager Darren Mougey that were undoubtedly greenlit by head coach Aaron Glenn and owner Woody Johnson.

The good news is the Jets have enough draft capital to get a top quarterback in either the 2026 or 2027 draft, and have enough premium picks to select other impact players.

Mougey and the Jets realize the quarterback position has held the team back for years. The Jets haven’t had a QB earn a Pro Bowl invitation since Brett Favre in 2008. New York currently has the worst passing offense in the NFL and Justin Fields ranks in the bottom half of the league in most major quarterback statistical categories.

Johnson even announced New York’s ineptitude at the quarterback position when he threw Fields under the bus last month.

The bad news is the Jets essentially have no blue-chip players left on defense. Gardner has not allowed more than two receptions to a single receiver in a game this season and has forced a tight window on 52% of his targets, the highest rate of any player targeted at least 20 times in coverage, per Next Gen Stats. Williams’ 190 pressures since 2022 are the fourth most among defensive tackles in that span. Gardner and Williams were linchpins on a Jets top-five defense from 2022-2024.

Mougey and Glenn have the tough task of reconstructing what was once a top-five defense while simultaneously renovating an offense that features just wide receiver Garrett Wilson as a foundational skill position player.

Buckle up for the long-haul, Jets fans. It’s a multi-year job for Mougey and Glenn. Tuesday’s fire sale was a proclamation that the Jets are in another rebuild.

Mougey and Glenn have plenty of draft assets in the next two drafts to construct the roster they envision.

Time will determine whether the Jets won the two blockbuster trades. But bold moves are necessary for a franchise that harbors the longest active playoff drought in the NFL.

Follow USA TODAY Sports’ Tyler Dragon on X @TheTylerDragon.

The New York Jets did something that most NFL teams don’t do on trade deadline day – make trades.

There was no such luck for Breece Hall, however, who is one of the players left holding the bag after the sell-off. The running back seemingly wanted a trade, as reported by Jordan Schultz, and later expressed his feelings following the deadline.

‘Sick about my bruddas man happy for them but man im sick rn,’ Hall said on X in a now-deleted post after the deadline passed.

Rumors swirled that even more deals were on the table, including one with Hall, but the Jets only managed to complete trades for Sauce Gardner and Quinnen Williams on Nov. 4.

Gardner was traded to the Indianapolis Colts for a pair of first-round picks and Adonai Mitchell, while Williams was shipped to the Dallas Cowboys in exchange for a first and a second-round pick.

Hall seemed like one of the likelier players to be on the move ahead of the deadline, but he is one of the few who remain.

The running back was taken in the 2022 NFL Draft along with Gardner, Garrett Wilson and Jermaine Johnson II. All of those players were viewed as building blocks for a Jets team that was on the upswing.

Just a few years later, New York is cleaning house and building a new roster in the vision of Aaron Glenn and Darren Mougey.

The offseason will reveal whether Hall is one of those who remain.

The UConn women’s basketball team looked like it was cruising to a blowout victory over Louisville in the season opener Tuesday, but the Cardinals made it interesting down the stretch.

The Huskies, who are ranked No. 1 in USA TODAY Sports women’s basketball coaches poll, started their title defense with a 79-66 win over Louisville at the Armed Forces Classic at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland. The reigning champions, however, stumbled down the stretch.

UConn came out red-hot and climbed to a 28-point lead over the Cardinals, but Louisville appeared to settle in during the second half and went on a 13-2 run in the fourth quarter to cut its deficit to 10 points with 2:22 remaining. The Huskies’ experience came through and UConn ended the game on a 6-2 run to ice the game.

Sure, the Huskies didn’t have the best night from beyond the arc, ‘shooting four for a thousand from the 3-point line,’ head coach Geno Auriemma said postgame, referring to his team going a 4-of-26 from 3. But Auriemma said that’s to be expected from a new mix of players and noted he’s ‘happy’ with how the Huskies responded to adversity.

‘I don’t want this to be one of those seasons where even wins feel like losses. That’s stupid. I mean, we won the game,’ said Auriemma, who admitted he wasn’t upset at his team’s lapse in the second half. ‘At some point, I think they have to enjoy the figuring things out for themselves that coach can’t bail us out all the time. So I’m proud of them. I really am. Because not having Paige (Bueckers) is losing three players.’

The Huskies improve to 44-8 all-time in season openers and have won 30 in a row.

AZZI FUDD embraces the hard as she leads UConn into her final season

Sophmore forward Sarah Strong led the way with a game-high 21 points, nine rebounds, five assists, two steals and two blocks in the win. Despite being one rebound away from a double-double, Auriemma said it ‘wasn’t a great game for her,’ which should be a scary thought for the rest of the nation. Senior guard Azzi Fudd added 20 points, while sophomore transfer Kayleigh Heckel finished with 14 points and junior guard KK Arnold had 13 points and seven rebounds.

Louisville’s Laura Ziegler finished with a team-high 16 points and 18 rebounds in the losing effort. Imari Berryand Skylar Joes each added 13 points.

USA TODAY Sports provided live updates throughout the Armed Forces Classic. Here’s what you missed:

End of 3Q: UConn 61, Louisville 40

Louisville and UConn both scored 17 points in the third quarter, but the Cardinals are trailing by 21.

Four Huskies have reached double-digits, including Sarah Strong (15 points), KK Arnold (13 points), Azzi Fudd (12 points) and sophomore transfer Kayleigh Heckel (10 points). Despite having a 21-point lead, the Huskies are struggling to get much going from the 3-point line and are 4-of-23 from beyond the arc.

Skylar Jones is the only player from Louisville to reach double-digits with 11 points off the bench. Laura Ziegler added seven points and has accounted for 16 of Louisville’s 35 total rebounds.

Kayleigh Heckel stats

Sophmore guard Kayleigh Heckel transferred to UConn following one season at USC, where she averaged 6.1 points, 1.9 assists, 1.4 rebounds and 1.3 steals in 34 games (seven starts) during her freshman campaign. Heckel is up to 12 points, two rebounds, one assist and one steal in her first game in a Huskies uniform on Tuesday vs. Louisville.

Halftime: UConn 44, Louisville 23

UConn sophomore forward Sarah Strong came alive in the second quarter, dropping 11 of her 13 points to give the Huskies a 21-point lead over Louisville at halftime. Strong rounded out her stat line with six rebounds, four assists and two blocks. KK Arnold added 13 points in the first half and Azzi Fudd is up to eight points.

The Huskies have been dominant through two quarters. UConn is not only shooting 48.7% from the field compared to 26.5% for Louisville, the Huskies have an advantage in rebounds (27-20), fast break points (11-5) and in the paint (28-8).

Imari Berry and Skylar Jones have a team-high six points each for Louisville.

End of Q1: UConn 25, Louisville 9

UConn junior guard KK Arnold scored nine points in the first quarter, single handedly tying Louisville team after 10 minutes of play. Arnold went 4-of-4 from the field including a 3-pointer. Azzi Fudd added eight points with a pair of 3-pointers. The Huskies are shooting a red-hot 55% from the field and 37.5% from the 3-point line.

Louisville is looking to find its offensive rhythm. The team was held to a dismal 3-of-18 from field (16.7%) and 1-of-6 from the 3-point line. Skylar Jones and Reyna Scott each scored three points off the bench in the first quarter. The Cardinals also gave up four turnovers for eight points.

What time is UConn vs. Louisville?

The UConn Huskies open the season against the Louisville Cardinals on Tuesday, Nov. 4 at 5:30 p.m. ET at Alumni Hall at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland.

Paige Bueckers in the building

The Huskies are playing their first game without Paige Bueckers since 2020, but she was spotted in the crowd at Alumni Hall in Maryland to cheer on her former team. Bueckers finished her career at UConn with 2,439 points, the third-most in program history.

“Definitely weird and definitely a surreal feeling of just being in a different position and watching from a different perspective,’ Bueckers told ESPN’s Holly Rowe during the broadcast. ‘Not being yelled at when a UConn game is on. So it’s all different vibes, but I’m very happy to be here and very excited to watch.’

Huskies jump to early 8-0 lead

We’re underway at the U.S. Naval Academy. UConn appeared to pick up right where they left off and got off to a hot start. The Huskies jumped to a 8-0 lead over Louisville, led by a pair of 3-pointers from KK Arnold and Azzi Fudd. The Huskies are 2-for-3 from the 3-point line, while the Cardinals are 0-of-3 from the field and 0-of-2 from 3. Louisville needs to settle in and take better care of the ball. Five of the Huskies eight points come from turnovers.

UConn vs. Louisville score: TV, streaming for Game 4

Date: Tuesday, Nov. 4
Time: 5:30 p.m. ET (2:30 p.m. PT)
Location: U.S, Naval Academy’s Alumni Hall (Annapolis, Maryland)
TV: ESPN
Stream: Fubo, ESPN Unlimited

UConn Huskies starting lineup

(2) KK Arnold
(12) Ashlynn Shade
(21) Sarah Strong
(22) Serah Williams
(35) Azzi Fudd

Louisville Cardinals starting lineup

Head coach: Jeff Walz

(0) Laura Ziegler
(2) Imari Berry
(4) Mackenly Randolph
(11) Elif Istanbulluoglu
(22) Tajianna Roberts

Check out UConn’s championship rings

The ‘Power of Friendship’ lifted the UConn women’s basketball team to the program’s 12th national championship in April and the phrase has been commemorated forever in the team’s new bling.

Nearly seven months after the Huskies defeated South Carolina 82-59 in the 2025 NCAA championship game to win the university’s first title since 2016, Dallas Wings guard Paige Bueckers returned to Storrs, Connecticut, to receive the first national championship ring of her career alongside former teammates.

‘The power of friendship … is the reason that we did win it,’ said Bueckers, who helped design the ring alongside Azzi Fudd and Caroline Ducharme. ‘We just went off of straight vibes and we stuck together through it all.’

UConn women’s basketball roster

Azzi Fudd embraces the hard as she leads UConn into her final season

Azzi Fudd opted to return for her fifth and final year of eligibility to unlock her full potential, at the advice of UConn coach Geno Auriemma. The appreciation of embracing the opportunity highlights Fudd’s maturity as a redshirt senior preparing to step into a leadership role for UConn.

The Huskies, who are ranked No. 1 in USA TODAY Sports women’s basketball coaches poll to start the season for the first time since 2017, are looking to repeat as champion. After the departure of three-time All-American guard Paige Bueckers, the Huskies will rely on Fudd, a quiet and introverted star, to take over.

Preseason women’s college basketball rankings

The defending champion Connecticut Huskies took the No. 1 spot in the initial USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll, released on Thursday, Oct. 23. UConn may have lost Paige Bueckers to the WNBA, but does return Azzi Fudd and other stars as it looks to become the first repeat champion since winning four straight from 2013-16.

However, the path for UConn will once again feature Dawn Staley and South Carolina, which comes in No. 2. The Gamecocks added firepower with Florida State transfer Ta’Niya Latson, who led the NCAA with 25.2 points per game last season.

USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll

UConn (28)
South Carolina (3)
Texas
UCLA
LSU
Duke
Oklahoma
North Carolina State
Tennessee
Maryland
North Carolina
TCU
Notre Dame
Mississippi
Michigan
Southern California
Iowa State
Baylor
Louisville
Kentucky
Vanderbilt
Oklahoma State
Iowa
Ohio State
Kansas State

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