The Penn State transfer sustained a leg injury in the third quarter of Vanderbilt’s 17-10 win. The injury occurred on a fourth-and-goal quarterback keeper from the Vanderbilt 1-yard line. He was carted off the field with an aircast on his leg after being tended to by members of the Tigers’ medical staff.

Missouri coach Eli Drinkwitz told reporters following the game that Pribula sustained an ankle injury ‘that had to be popped back in’ and that he does not have a timetable for Pribula’s return to the field.

True freshman Matt Zoller entered at quarterback for Pribula. With Pribula out for the forseeable future, Missouri is now down two of its top quarterbacks, as Sam Horn sustained a season-ending fractured tibia injury on his right leg on the first play of the season against Central Arkansas.

Pribula entered Saturday’s top-15 matchup against the Commodores with 1,617 passing yards and 11 touchdown passes through the first seven games of the season, while adding five rushing touchdowns and 210 rushing yards on 67 carries. He finished nine of 14 passing for 68 yards before he exited the game in the third quarter.

Here’s the latest injury updates on Pribula:

Beau Pribula injury updates

Pribula sustained a leg injury at the conclusion of a fourth-down quarterback keeper play.

ESPN sideline reporter Kris Budden reported on the broadcast that Pribula wasn’t visibly showing signs of discomfort as he was brought off the field and into the tunnel, but that he was frustrated and dejected on the field.

Pribula was seen being taken back to the locker room sitting in a wheelchair.

Eli Drinkwitz comments on Beau Pribula injury

Drinkwitz told reporters in Nashville that while Pribula did not break any bones on the play that led to his exit from the game in the third quarter, Pribula could be out for some time.

‘Beau has no broken bones but he did have an ankle injury that had to be popped back in. Don’t have a timetable for his return, but it could be awhile,’ Drinkwitz said in his postgame news conference following Missouri’s loss to Vanderbilt on Oct. 25.

This story has been updated with new information on Beau Pribula’s injury from Missouri coach Eli Drinkwitz

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Indiana defeated UCLA 56-6, ending the Bruins’ three-game winning streak.
UCLA’s comeback hopes were dashed early after an interception was returned for a touchdown on the second play.
The loss marked the first time this season that UCLA failed to score a touchdown.

For three weeks, UCLA might as well have been Cinderella. 

It was sporting a dirty, raggedy outfit while working to no avail. When it looked like things could only get worse, it was blessed by a fairy godmother in Tim Skipper and Jerry Neuheisel. 

With an elegant outfit and shiny glass slipper, the Bruins entered the Week 9 ball in a fancy pumpkin carriage, ready to steal the show in Bloomington.

It may have been just a few minutes past noon, but it might as well have been midnight.

It took less than a minute for that pumpkin to be smashed. Big, bad Indiana proved to be more wicked than an evil stepmother, ruining a prime opportunity for UCLA to be the belle of the ball and assert its power in the national spotlight with a rousing 56-6 win over the Bruins.

After rattling off three straight victories to recover from an 0-4 start, UCLA went into Memorial Stadium as a heavy underdog against the No. 2 team in the country. But this is Cinderella, where the most magical moments can come true even in the most unfavorable conditions. 

There was a feeling that maybe the Bruins could go toe-to-toe with the Hoosiers, make it interesting and even possibly upset Indiana.

Instead, Indiana proved it’s not going to let some fairy tale get in the way of their dominance.

The Disney magic wore off on UCLA on just the second play of the game. Quarterback Nico Iamaleava opted for a throw on a read option but threw it right in the hands of Indiana linebacker Aiden Fisher, who returned it 25 yards back to the house for a quick touchdown.

It was just the first sign of a long day in the ballroom for the Bruins. The Hoosiers were relentless, hounding Iamaleava in the pocket while not letting UCLA’s improved running game break off any significant run. 

‘We didn’t really bounce back from that moment.’ Skipper said. ‘It kind of shell-shocked us, and it took a while to get back going.’

‘That kind of set the tone for the game,’ Iamaleava said.

Then the offense continued being the offense, as Fernando Mendoza and company did just about anything it wanted. Throw or run, it didn’t matter because UCLA had no answer for it. By the time UCLA was able to score a point, Indiana had already put up 28 points and the game was well in hand before the halftime break.

There’s some coincidence in the Saturday, Oct. 25 result, given it was just last year when Indiana was on its own Cinderella run. While it dominated its way to the College Football Playoff in Curt Cignetti’s first season, there was wonder if it was just a one-off and the Hoosiers would take a step back toward the depths of college football it had occupied for so long.

But the 50-point win was just another reminder in 2025 this is no magical run. This is a team more than comfortable with being the villain to team’s dreams.

Consider Memorial Stadium the evil lair, as Indiana has now won all 14 games at home under Cignetti. This season, all home wins have been by double-digits, with an average margin of victory of 43.5. It was also the first time UCLA didn’t score a touchdown this season.

In case you haven’t yet, it’s time to recognize this is no magical run Indiana is on. It’s done wearing the glass slipper and has asserted itself as a powerful force that will take a lot more than just pixie dust to defeat. 

‘You’re playing a top notch team, and we’re going to see how you cannot have mistakes when you play somebody like Indiana,’ Skipper said of watching the film of the game.

Right before kickoff, Cignetti was asked by the Fox broadcast team what scared him about UCLA’s potential to keep the magical run going. His response?

“You can’t play scared. You got to attack.”

Attack he did, and it resulted in another dream being shattered by the new big dog in college football. The belief UCLA had a chance to pull off something stunning  — only to get run out of the ball — showed it may not be possible for even the biggest believers to take down the new powerful villain of college football.

Be wary of Bloomington, Indiana, where Cinderella dreams go to die.

Texas coach Steve Sarkisian and his representatives are shooting down the potential of him leaving the Longhorns for an NFL job.

Speculation on Sarkisian’s future was raised when Dianna Russini of The Athletic reported on Saturday, Oct. 25 hat his representatives ‘let NFL decision-makers’ know he would be interested in head coaching openings, notably the Tennessee Titans. The Titans fired Brian Callahan on Oct. 13 after a 1-3 start to the season.

The report was a talking point in the morning of Week 9 as Texas prepared for its road matchup at Mississippi State. However, Sarkisian’s agents Jimmy Sexton and Ed Marynowitz put out a statement shooting down any potential jump to the NFL prior to the game.

‘Any reports regarding communications on coaching opportunities with NFL teams are patently false and wildly inaccurate. Sark is solely focused on coaching the University of Texas football team,’ Sexton and Marynowitz said in a statement.

Steve Sarkisian: Report ‘pisses me off’

Sarkisian was asked about the report after Texas’ overtime win against Mississippi State and was visibly upset by it.

‘It really pisses me off that one person can make a report that the entire media sports world runs with as factual to the point where my agency has to put a statement out that they’ve never done,’ Sarkisian said. ‘I thought it was absolutely ridiculous.

‘I thought it was completely unprofessional of that person to put that report out, and the fact that everybody ran with it is borderline embarrassing for the media.’

While it certainly raised eyebrows, the reported news comes as the 2025 season has been a disappointing start for the Longhorns. The No. 1 team in the preseason US LBM Coaches Poll, Texas was expected to be a College Football Playoff favorite with Arch Manning at quarterback.

However, Texas lost it season opener to Ohio State and Manning has struggled in his first season as full-time starter. The Longhorns lost to Florida on Oct. 4, but have won two consecutive games since then to move to 5-2, including a win over top-10 Oklahoma in the Red River Rivalry.

Sarkisian is in his fifth season as coach of Texas. He has taken them to back-to-back College Football Playoff appearances, appearing in the semifinal of both postseasons. He has a 43-19 record with the Longhorns entering Oct. 25.

Sarkisian had a brief stint in the NFL, spending two seasons as offensive coordinator for the Atlanta Falcons in 2017-18.

Tom Aspinall and Ciryl Gane were set for a heavyweight fight in the Octagon in UFC 321. In the end, it was no contest.

Aspinall, the 32-year-old from England, finished off his past three opponents in 60 seconds, 69 seconds and 73 seconds – by knockout. And, with Jon Jones having relinquished the heavyweight title, Aspinall is the division’s reigning champion.

It’d been a decade since his last defeat and he rightfully was the heavy favorite against Gane. Aspinall had spent the last 15 months preparing for this fight, but it went a way no one expected.

The fight in total lasted less than five minutes with no clear winner. It was ruled no contest after an eye poke from Gane on Aspinall meant the reigning champion couldn’t see.

USA TODAY Sports has everything you need to know from UFC 321, including results, highlights and analysis:

Tom Aspinall vs. Ciryl Gane fight stopped due to eye injury

Gane showed off the speed early on in Round 1. He quickly landed hits to Aspinall, including one that bloodied the defending champion’s nose, and leg kicks as well. Gane poked Aspinall’s eye in the final minute of the round and that led to a time out.

After multiple minutes to pause, Aspinall maintained that the he could not see out of his right eye. Referee Jason Herzog ended the fight after four minutes and 36 seconds and it was declared no contest.

The crowd at at Etihad Arena booed that decision to end the title fight.

‘Guys, I just got f—— poked knuckle-deep in the eyeball, what the f—?’ Aspinall said to the crowd. ‘Why are you booing? What am I supposed to do about it? I can’t see.’

UFC 321 main card and results

Champ Tom Aspinall vs. Ciryl Gane: Heavyweight title (Ruled no contest – eye)
Mackenzie Dern def. Virna Jandiroba: Women’s strawweight title
Umar Nurmagomedov def. Mario Bautista by UD: Bantamweight
Alexander Volkov def. Jailton Almeida by SD: Heavyweight
Azamat Murzakanov def. Aleksandar Rakic by TKO: Light Heavyweight

UFC 321: Time, PPV, streaming for Aspinall vs Gane

The highly fight between Tom Aspinall and Ciryl Gane will take place on Saturday, Oct. 25 and can be purchased on ESPN+ PPV.

Date: Saturday, Oct. 25
Location: Etihad Arena (Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates)
Prelims card start time: 10 a.m. ET
Prelims card TV: FX; Prelims stream: ESPN+, Disney+
Main card start time: 2 p.m. ET
Main card stream: ESPN+ PPV

Catch UFC action with an ESPN+ subscription

Mackenzie Dern wins strawweight title over Jandiroba

The two fighters traded leg kicks to open Round 1 and each connected on multiple kicks. Dern took the upper hand by the end of the round with multiple big strikes and knees to close the first frame. She continued her striking in Round 2 and landed a big right hand strike to Jandiroba, whose right eye took some of the impact. Jandiroba took top control but wasn’t able to make the most of it.

Jandiroba had top control again for much of Round 3 but wasn’t able to do much with it again as Dern landed blows from her back. The two traded hits to open Round 4 and Dern ended up on the ground. She made it back up and earned a take down in the latter part of the round. Dern followed it with a big hit early in Round 5 and was on the offensive for the entire round to close the title bout.

Dern takes the title by unanimous decision 48-47, 48-47, 49-46.

Nurmagomedov wins over Bautista by unanimous decision

Bautista got Nurmagomedov stuck in a toe hold early in the first round but Nurmagomedov managed to change the angle enough to get out of it. He took control and the two exchanged blows throughout Round 1. Bautista landed a big knee to Nurmagomedov to open Round 2. Nurmagomedov bounced back again and hit many strikes to close out the round.

Bautista appeared to have a cut ear in Round 3 and Nurmagomedov controlled things at the ground. Nurmagomedov took the win by unanimous decision 30-27, 30-27, 30-27 thanks to his recovery in multiple spots and regaining the upper hand.

Volkov takes win over Almeida by split decision

The two heavyweights kept things close throughout. Volkov bounced back from an early takedown to finish Round 1 well. Round 2 looked more in Almeida’s favor in a round without a lot of action. That continued in Round 3 but Volkov got enough blows landed with his knees to make the difference. Volkov wins it 29-28, 28-29, 29-28.

Murzakanov drops Rakic early with TKO

With a minute and change left in the first round, Murzakanov, sizing up Rakic, throws a deft right that catches and we are done with the first fight nearly as soon as the main card starts.

Quillan Salkilld caps UFC 321 prelims with knockout

Quillan Salkilld delivered a devastating head kick to Nasrat Haqparast to win by KO in the final match of the prelim card at UFC 321. The main card is scheduled to start around 2 p.m. ET.

UFC 321 fight results: Prelims

Latest fights and results:

Women’s Strawweight: Mizuki Inoue defeats Jaqueline Amorim by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28).
Flyweight: Mitch Raposo defeats Azat Maksum by unanimous decision (30-26, 29-27, 29-27).
Heavyweight: Hamdy Abdelwahab defeats Chris Barnett by unanimous decision (29-26, 29-27, 29-27).
Featherweight: Nathaniel Wood defeats Jose Miguel Delgado by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-29).
Heavyweight: Valter Walker defeats Louie Sutherland by submission in Round 1 (1:24).
Lightweight: Ludovit Kleindefeats Mateusz Rebecki by majority decision (29-28, 28-27, 28-28).
Middleweight: Ikram Aliskerovdefeats JunYong Park by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27).
Lightweight: Quillan Salkilld defeats Nasrat Haqparast by KO in Round 1 (2:30).

Ludovit Klein suffers broken ankle

Ludovit Klein earned a thrilling and bloody three-round majority decision against Mateusz Rebecki at UFC 321, but the 30-year-old Slovak fighter suffered a broken ankle during the third round. Klein was announced as the winner while sitting on a stool in the center of the octagon. He was stretched back to the locker room afterward.

UFC 321: Aspinall vs Gane predictions

MMA Junkie: Alexander Volkov makes prediction that can go either way

Farah Hannoun writes on behalf of Alexander Volkov predictions: ‘It depends how the fight starts, how both of them will be prepared for this fight. I saw that Gane will be motivated a lot for this fight to get the belt. It’s 50-50, but on paper, when I fought both of them, Tom Aspinall looks better. But in the fight, it could go any way.’

ESPN: Tom Aspinall

Brett Okamoto and Ian Parker write: ‘Aspinall will defend his heavyweight belt after a 15-month layoff and will do so against the No. 1 contender in Gane. On the feet, this is a 50-50 fight with Gane being the more technical kickboxer while Aspinall is the more explosive athlete with knockout power. The difference will be Aspinall’s grappling and jiu-jitsu. Gane was submitted by Jon Jones in Round 1 in March 2023, so it wouldn’t shock me if Aspinall takes that same path. Go with Aspinall to win inside the distance, and if you are feeling greedy, take him to win by submission.’

BetMGM: Aspinall via TKO/KO

Anatoly Pimentel writes: ‘I predict a TKO/KO finish for Aspinall within two rounds because of the one-punch knockout power that he has. Additionally, he has the killer instinct to finish his opponents, which is evident in his TKO/KO rate of 100%. Once the lethal right-hand punch of Aspinall lands, it significantly compromises the opposition. He’s also very accurate with his offense and does a good job of closing the distance with caution without overextending.’

Boxing News: Aspinall

Staff writes: ‘I think Tom Aspinall blitzes straight through Ciryl Gane to be quite honest,” the Australian MMA superstar said on his YouTube channel. “Whether it’s a takedown or even with the strikes. Unless you catch him [Aspinall] coming in, he’s bulldozing you. You need to try and catch Aspinall coming in and I just can’t see that happening. “It’s going to be a win for Tom Aspinall . I think he’s a heavy favorite.”

UFC 321 odds: Aspinall vs Gane fight

Odds via BetMGM as of Thursday.

Champ Tom Aspinall (-375) vs. Ciryl Gane (+290): Heavyweight title

UFC 321 odds: Aspinall vs Gane fight card

Fight card according to ESPN: Odds via BetMGM.

(Odds as of Saturday)

Champ Tom Aspinall (-425) vs. Ciryl Gane (+310): Heavyweight title
Virna Jandiroba (+125) vs. Mackenzie Dern (-150): Women’s strawweight title
Umar Nurmagomedov (-700) vs. Mario Bautista (+475): Bantamweight
Alexander Volkov (+150) vs. Jailton Almeida (-185): Heavyweight
Aleksandar Rakic (-115) vs. Azamat Murzakanov (-105): Light Heavyweight
Nasrat Haqparast (+100) vs. Quillan Salkilld (-120): Lightweight
Ikram Aliskerov (-210) vs. JunYong Park (+170): Middleweight
Abdul-Kareem Al-Selwady (-110) vs. Matheus Camilo (+110): Lightweight
Ludovit Klein (-135) vs. Mateusz Rebecki (+110): Lightweight
Valter Walker (-400) vs. Louie Sutherland (+310): Heavyweight
Nathaniel Wood (+125) vs. Jose Miguel Delgado (-155): Featherweight
Hamdy Abdelwahab (-550) vs. Chris Barnett (+400): Heavyweight
Azat Maksum (-550) vs. Mitch Raposo (+400): Flyweight
Jaqueline Amorim (-450) vs. Mizuki Inoue (+340): Women’s Strawweight

UFC 321 Abu Dhabi preliminary and main card start times

UFC gets an earlier start than usual. Here are your start times.

Prelims: 10 a.m. ET (FX, ESPN+, Disney+)
Main card: 2 p.m. ET (PPV on ESPN+)

UFC 320: Aspinall vs Gane full card

Fight card according to ESPN: Odds via BetMGM.

Main Card:

Champ Tom Aspinall vs. Ciryl Gane: Heavyweight title
Virna Jandiroba vs. Mackenzie Dern: Women’s strawweight title
Umar Nurmagomedovvs. Mario Bautista: Bantamweight
Alexander Volkov vs. Jailton Almeida: Heavyweight
Aleksandar Rakic vs. Azamat Murzakanov: Light Heavyweight

Prelims

Nasrat Haqparast vs. Quillan Salkilld: Lightweight
Ikram Aliskerovvs. JunYong Park: Middleweight
Abdul-Kareem Al-Selwady vs. Matheus Camilo: Lightweight
Ludovit Kleinvs. Mateusz Rebecki: Lightweight
Valter Walker vs. Louie Sutherland: Heavyweight
Nathaniel Wood vs. Jose Miguel Delgado: Featherweight
Hamdy Abdelwahab vs. Chris Barnett: Heavyweight
Azat Maksum vs. Mitch Raposo: Flyweight
Jaqueline Amorim  vs. Mizuki Inoue: Women’s Strawweight

Ring walk time for Aspinall vs Gane main event

The Tom Aspinall vs. Ciryl Gane UFC 321 fight card consists of 12 fights and will begin at 12 p.m. ET on Saturday, Oct. 25, 2025. The main card for the Aspinall-Gane fight is expected to be around 2 p.m. ET. However, the duration of the undercard will impact when Aspinall and Gane actually start, which is estimated to be at about 4:30 p.m. ET. — Elizabeth Flores

The Tar Heels have now lost four consecutive games, dropping to 2-5 on the season.
Costly mistakes, including three turnovers, prevented North Carolina from securing the upset victory.
Despite a strong defensive performance, North Carolina’s offense continues to struggle, averaging just 18.7 points per game.

Bill Belichick and North Carolina fell inches short of a signature win.

The Tar Heels gambled in overtime, going for the win on a two-point conversion against No. 16 Virginia but didn’t cross the goal line to lose 17-16 despite a strong performance from the Tar Heel defense.

After Virginia scored a touchdown on its opening possession of overtime, North Carolina responded in kind on its first turn. But the offense stayed on the field, going for the win on the two-point attempt. Quarterback Gio Lopez rolled to his right and dumped it off to Benjamin Hall, but he was unable to extend the ball across the goal line, getting tackled right at the 1-yard line to end the game.

Why did Belichick decide to go for it at that moment rather than opt for the extra-point attempt and a second overtime period? 

“Trying to win the game,” Belichick said. “I don’t know what else you want me to tell you.”

North Carolina has now lost four consecutive games, dropping to 2-5 and 0-3 in the ACC. 

While the game was decided in extra time, more costly mistakes in regulation prevented the Tar Heels from pulling off the upset that would have been the first signature win in the Belichick era.

In the first quarter, receiver Kobe Paysour was heading toward the end zone as Virginia’s defense honed in on him. He tried to extend the ball on the pylon for the score, but he lost control before he could make contact and it went out of bounds. The ball was ruled out at the 1-yard line, but officials reviewed it and determined it went out of bounds in the end zone, resulting in a touchback and Virginia ball.

Another critical mistake came in the third quarter with the game tied at 10 each. After getting an interception in Virginia territory, North Carolina was in great position to score and take the lead. The Tar Heels got in the red zone, but a Lopez pass was tipped and eventually intercepted by Virginia’s Mitchell Melton. 

It wouldn’t be the last misstep either. North Carolina had a chance to set up for a game-winning field goal in the final minute near midfield, but Lopez took a deep shot that was intercepted at the 3-yard line. 

North Carolina had three turnovers, with two of them coming in the red zone, spoiling what was a strong defensive performance by North Carolina.

Virginia entered the 130th installment of the “South’s Oldest Rivalry” averaging an ACC-best 40 points per game, ninth best in the country, with an average of 462 yards of offense. But the Tar Heels made it rough for Virginia quarterback Chandler Morris and company, shutting the Cavaliers out in the second half white holding them to 259 yards of offense.

The 17 points scored was a season low for Virginia, but once again, North Carolina’s horrid offense couldn’t capitalize. 

Belichick’s squad has the worst offense in the ACC, averaging just 18.7 points per game along with 268.5 yards of offense, which is fourth-worst in the country. It’s been worse against Power 4 opponents, with North Carolina averaging just 12.8 points per game against Power 4 squads.

North Carolina put up 353 yards on the day, including a season-best 208 passing yards from Lopez, but it still wasn’t enough. The Tar Heels have yet to score more than 18 points against a Power 4 opponent.

Next on the schedule for North Carolina is at Syracuse on Halloween night on Friday, Oct. 31 as it tries to avoid another scary result.

The U.S. women’s team won two medals, their fewest at a world championships or Olympics since 2001.
The U.S. men’s team had a historic performance, winning two gold medals for the first time since 2003.
Brody Malone became the first U.S. man since 1979 to be a two-time world champion by defending his high bar title.

The Americans are leaving the world gymnastics championships with a handful of medals and mixed results.

The U.S. women won two medals and extended their 24-year streak of having at least one gymnast on the all-around podium at the world championships and Olympics. But those two medals, Leanne Wong’s silver in the all-around and Joscelyn Roberson’s bronze on vault, are the fewest for the U.S women at a worlds or the Olympics since 2001.

The men, meanwhile, had a historic performance. Brody Malone’s high bar title Saturday was the Americans’ second gold medal, the first time since 2003 the U.S. men have won two golds at a major international event. Donnell Whittenburg’s title on still rings Friday was a first for an American man.

And by duplicating the high bar title he won in 2022, Malone became the first U.S. man to be a two-time world champion since Kurt Thomas in 1979.

‘Donnell is an awesome teammate,’ Malone told Olympics.com. ‘After I saw him yesterday, the first thing he said to me was, ‘It’s your turn tomorrow.’ That was really motivating.

‘It’s pretty cool that we get to go home to the same club gym with two gold medals.’

So what’s all this mean for the United States, which is hosting the next Olympics in Los Angeles in 2028? Maybe a lot. Maybe nothing.

Worlds not a crystal ball

The first world championships after an Olympics have not been a great predictor of future success for the U.S. women in recent years. Going back to 2009, Simone Biles (2013) and Jade Carey (2017) are the only gymnasts to be on a world team the year after an Olympics and then make the U.S. squad for the next Summer Games.

The Americans also were without Paris Olympian Hezly Rivera, who injured her foot between winning the U.S. title and the world team selection camp. The rest of the Paris team – Biles, Carey, Suni Lee and Jordan Chiles – all opted not to compete this season.

Claire Pease, the 2024 U.S. junior champion who could be a factor in the run-up to Los Angeles, also was out with an injury.

But the U.S. women’s pipeline has been something of a concern for several years now, with Biles and other veterans carrying the U.S. squads at the past two Olympics. Which means the experience Dulcy Caylor and Roberson got at these worlds could wind up being invaluable.

Don’t discount experience

Caylor, 17, was the surprise winner of the all-around at the world team selection camp. But she proved it was no fluke by finishing fifth in qualifying, the best by the Americans, in her first major international event. She also qualified for the balance beam and floor exercise finals.

Caylor faltered in the all-around final, falling on both uneven bars and balance beam, and was not a factor in either the beam or floor final Saturday. But she now knows the cadence of a major international event, what the pressure and atmosphere is like.

‘I’ll be hard on myself because I know I can do a lot better, but I’m still grateful I got to get this experience,’ Caylor said after the all-around final.

Roberson has a team gold medal from the 2023 worlds and was an alternate for the Paris Olympics. But these worlds gave her a badly needed dose of confidence after those 2023 worlds were cut short by an ankle injury during warmups for the team final.

‘I got injured at the last worlds and then, when I got here, I just got really in my head about it and lost all my confidence,’ Roberson said after winning the bronze on vault.

So much so that Roberson said she and coach Chris Brooks briefly considered not competing. But the 19-year-old stuck it out. She even did a vault she hasn’t trained since the spring in the vault final – and did it so well she put herself in medal contention.

Now, whenever Roberson doubts herself, all she’ll have to do is think back to these worlds.

‘Finding that confidence again … I’m really proud of myself,’ she said.

Blakely is back

Skye Blakely, the other member of the U.S. women’s team, is no newcomer. She was on the U.S. teams that won gold at the 2022 and 2023 world championships, and she was a favorite to make the Paris team before she tore her Achilles at the Olympic trials.

Making it back to worlds, and coming up just 0.167 points shy of a medal, as Blakely did in the uneven bars final, should fuel her over these next few years.

‘In May, I didn’t think I was going to be ready to compete elite this year. To be able to turn that around from May to June, working on my path to be here today and even be in a bar final, I’m just proud of myself,’ Blakely said.

‘I feel like I still have more to give,’ she added. ‘I’m looking forward to not only being better on bars but being back on all the other events and improving there as well.’

Building on Paris

For the U.S. men, this is further proof after last year’s bronze medal in Paris that they are on the right track.

Yes, Malone and Whittenburg are veterans. Malone is a two-time Olympian while this was Whittenburg’s sixth appearance at the world championships. But the Americans also got strong performances from their next generation.

This was the first worlds for both Patrick Hoopes and Kameron Nelson, and Hoopes is coming home with a bronze medal on pommel horse while Nelson just missed a medal on floor exercise.

‘I definitely feel like I am one of them now. I feel that energy,’ Nelson said of competing alongside the world’s best gymnasts.

Now the challenge is to carry this momentum on.

LONDON — Champions Liverpool suffered a fourth successive Premier League defeat as they lost 3-2 at Brentford on Saturday, Oct. 25 to continue their miserable run of form in the capital.

Arne Slot’s stumbling side fell behind after five minutes when Dango Ouattara volleyed in following a long throw and Kevin Schade went through to make it 2-0 in the 45th minute.

Liverpool’s expected second-half siege never really materialised, however, and Igor Thiago restored Brentford’s two-goal advantage from the penalty spot on the hour mark.

Mohamed Salah gave Liverpool hope with a clinical finish in the 89th minute but they had left it too late.

It is the first time since 2021 that Liverpool have lost four successive league games, with three of those games in London after defeats at Crystal Palace and Chelsea.

They are now sixth in the table on 15 points, four behind leaders Arsenal who could extend that margin on Sunday, Oct. 26 when they host Crystal Palace.

Brentford’s second win in a row moved them up to 10th place, two points behind Liverpool.

Brentford fans taunt Arne Slot

The home fans took delight in taunting Liverpool manager Arne Slot with chants of ‘you’re getting sacked in the morning’ and while the Dutchman need not worry about that, the sense of his side’s title defence wilting was palpable.

They looked fragile at the back, were often out-muscled by Brentford and doubts about Salah’s lack of impact will continue despite him slamming home a fine late goal to end a more than month long scoreless run in the Premier League.

Brentford’s threat from long throws could not have escaped Slot’s attention but his side were caught cold by the tactic on a chilly night in south west London.

Michael Kayode wound up a long delivery into the box and when Kristoffer Ajer flicked it on Ouattara reacted superbly to hook his volley past Giorgi Mamardashvili.

Liverpool responded with chances for Florian Wirtz and Cody Gakpo but they were not convincing and were undone again as halftime loomed. Mikkel Damsgaard’s superb long pass sent Schade away and he kept his composure to beat Mamardashvili.

Kerkez fired home from close range in the fifth minute of stoppage time despite fierce Brentford protests about an infringement.

Brentford earned a penalty when Virgil Van Dijk clipped the foot of Ouattara on edge of the area and after a long VAR check referee Tim Robinson awarded a spot-kick, and Thiago coolly slotted his shot down the middle.

Salah’s instant control and finish set up a chaotic period of stoppage time that took the game into its 100th minute but Brentford held on for a thoroughly-deserved three points.