FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — Atlanta Falcons receiver Roddy White will miss the first game of his nine-year career on Sunday.
White to miss game
for 1st time in career
FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — Atlanta Falcons receiver Roddy White will miss the first game of his nine-year career on Sunday.
The four-time Pro Bowl selection was one of three starters listed as out on Friday’s injury report.
White, Atlanta’s career-leading receiver, played the first five games with a right ankle injury, catching only 14 passes for 129 yards. He hurt his left hamstring in a Week 5 loss to the New York Jets and hasn’t practiced since.
Atlanta (1-4) lost Pro Bowl wideout Julio Jones to season-ending foot surgery in the same game. Jones led the NFL in catches and ranked second in yards receiving at the time.
Running back Steven Jackson (hamstring) and left tackle Sam Baker (knee) will not play against Tampa Bay (0-5).
Starting middle linebacker Akeem Dent (knee) is questionable.
UCF rallies to upset
No. 8 Louisville, 38-35
LOUISVILLE, Ky. —Blake Bortles threw a 2-yard touchdown pass to Jeff Godfrey with 23 seconds left and Central Florida stunned No. 8 Louisville by rallying for a 38-35 victory on Friday night, ending the Cardinals’ perfect start.
Down 28-7 midway through the third quarter, the Knights (5-1, 2-0 American Athletic Conference) scored three touchdowns in a 7:22 span to tie the game. Storm Johnson had a 1-yard TD run and a 20-yard reception for another score, and William Stanback ran 12 yards for the tying score. Shawn Moffitt’s 34-yard field goal gave them the lead with 7:36 remaining.
Louisville (6-1, 2-1) reclaimed the lead on Dominique Brown’s 15-yard run with three minutes to go, but the Knights drove 75 yards in 11 plays to take the lead for good on Bortles’ TD and then held off the Cardinals’ comeback attempt.
3rd fight on tap for Velasquez, Dos Santos
HOUSTON — UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez and Junior Dos Santos will meet for the final fight in their heavyweight trilogy today in UFC 166.
And whatever the outcome, Velasquez said he won’t fight Dos Santos again — at least not anytime soon.
“I think it will be settled for a while,” Velasquez said. “I won’t say that I won’t fight him in five years or so because that could be a possibility.”
But he does enjoy the rivalry they’ve had over the last couple of years.
“It’s good to have an opponent like that that’s always pushing you to get better,” Velasquez said.
Velasquez reclaimed the belt from Dos Santos with a decisive unanimous decision in UFC 155 in December. It was the first loss for Dos Santos since November 2007.
Also on the card is UFC lightweight contender and former Strikeforce lightweight champion Gilbert Melendez against former Ultimate Fighter winner Diego Sanchez.
Gabriel Gonzaga takes on Shawn Jordan in a heavyweight fight, and flyweights John Dodson and Darrell Montague round out the competition.
Yang tied for lead
in South Korea;
Wie two shots back
INCHEON, South Korea — Amy Yang overcame early jitters while playing in her home country, shooting a 5-under 67 to finish in a four-way tie for the lead after the first round of the KEB HanaBank Championship.
With friends and family in the gallery, Yang had six birdies, including five straight beginning at the fourth hole. She was tied with Australia’s Katherine Hull-Kirk, South Korean compatriot Ju Young Pak and Sweden’s Anna Nordqvist of Sweden. Another Swede, Caroline Hedwall, was a stroke behind.
Michelle Wie eagled the par-5 18th and was at 69 with six others, including defending champion Suzann Pettersen and Brittany Lang.
Inbee Park, who leads the money list and the player of the year rankings, had bogeys on Nos. 12 and 13 and was at 70. American teenager Lexi Thompson, who won the LPGA Malaysia on Sunday for her second career title, shot a 71. Also at 71 was South Korea’s Na Yeon Choi, who won this tournament in 2009 and 2010.
Simpson opens 4-shot lead in Las Vegas
LAS VEGAS — Webb Simpson opened a four-stroke lead Friday in the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open, taking advantage of perfect scoring conditions at TPC Summerlin.
Making his first start since helping the U.S. win the Presidents Cup, the 2012 U.S. Open champion shot an 8-under 63 to reach 15 under. He had nine birdies and a bogey — on the par-5 16th in his opening nine.
The four-stroke lead broke the tournament second-round record of three set by Lon Hinkle in 1984 and matched by Rich Fehr in 1996 — both when the event was 90 holes.
J.J. Henry followed his course-record 60 with a 71 to join John Senden, Jeff Overton, Chesson Hadley and Jason Bohn at 11 under. Bohn had a 64, Senden and Hadley shot 66, and Overton had a 68.
Defending champion Ryan Moore and Russell Knox were 10 under. Moore shot 63, and Knox had a 65.
Argentina’s Andres Romero, second after a first-round 61, had an 81 to miss the cut.
By wire sources