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Deadspin | Georgia prevails at Kentucky for first time in 13 tries

Deadspin | Georgia prevails at Kentucky for first time in 13 tries

Feb 17, 2026; Lexington, Kentucky, USA; Georgia Bulldogs guard Blue Cain (0) drives to the basket around Kentucky Wildcats center Malachi Moreno (24) during the first half at Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Prather-Imagn Images

Blue Cain scored 20 points on Tuesday to help Georgia earn a rare road victory over Kentucky, helping the Bulldogs post an 86-78 victory in Lexington, Ky.

Jeremiah Wilkinson added 19 points for Georgia (18-8, 6-7 Southeastern Conference), which snapped a 12-game losing streak at Rupp Arena, winning in Lexington for the first time since March 4, 2009.

Marcus Millender had 14 points and eight assists and Somto Cyril chipped in 14 points and eight rebounds for the Bulldogs, who had dropped five of their previous six games overall.

Otega Oweh led Kentucky (17-9, 8-5) with 28 points, and Collin Chandler followed with 18. Denzel Aberdeen had 14 points for the Wildcats, who shot 12-for-20 (60%) from the free-throw line and committed 13 turnovers while losing their second game in a row.

After Georgia pushed its five-point halftime lead to eight on Kanon Catchings’ 3-pointer, Oweh scored 11 points in the first four minutes of the second half, pulling Kentucky within two.

After a deep 3-pointer from Chandler cut the margin to one, Wilkinson sank a layup and Jake Wilkins completed a three-point play, giving Georgia a 61-55 edge. The run continued as Millender’s triple and subsequent lob to Cyril extended the lead to 11 with 10:56 remaining.

Chandler’s sixth 3-pointer trimmed Kentucky’s deficit to 73-69, but Catchings answered with a triple at the 4:52 mark.

Millender and Aberdeen traded 3-pointers, the latter cutting Georgia’s lead to 81-75 with 3:03 left.

Aberdeen then made three free throws on two trips to the line, narrowing the margin to three with 2:13 to go.

After Oweh dribbled the ball off his foot and out of bounds, Cyril’s offensive rebound and putback layup gave Georgia a five-point cushion with 43 seconds remaining. Kentucky missed 3-point tries on its last two possessions.

Georgia took a 2-0 lead on a pair of Cain free throws before Aberdeen’s floater stamped a 7-0 Kentucky run.

Millender’s deep 3-pointer and Cain’s layup pulled the visitors within a point, but Andrija Jelavic’s dunk and Chandler’s triple began a 7-0 spurt that put Kentucky up 25-17.

The Bulldogs battled back, and Cyril’s thunderous dunk and Millender’s transition trey gave Georgia a 34-31 advantage with 3:25 remaining until the break.

The Bulldogs closed the first half on Wilkinson’s triple in the final seconds to take a 39-34 halftime lead.

–Field Level Media

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The first game of NFL preseason had no right to be that good. The Panthers and Cardinals gave us a Hall of Fame classic on Thursday night that came down to the final play, with rookie quarterback Haynes King rushing for a touchdown as time expired to give Carolina the win. Not only was the level of play much higher than anyone expected, but there was plenty of drama along the way.

Whenever there’s a national game like there are overreactions, especially in preseason. Let’s dive into what we’re all reacting to after Panthers-Cardinals.

No. 1: Haynes King is coming for Bryce Youngs job

There is no question Haynes King was a standout performer on Thursday night at QB, with the rookie showing poise in the pocket, an ability to move the chains, and scoring three touchdowns for the Panthers, including the game-winner.

King is third on the QB depth chart in Carolina behind Bryce Young and Kenny Pickett — and he could very well push Pickett for the backup job, but the idea he’ll supplant the starter is ridiculous. No matter how great that performance was, the rookie had been struggling in training camp up to this point, particularly with his decision making. So while it’s tempting to glean too much info from preseaon, we also need to pump the brakes on getting too hyped over watching King succeed against the Cardinals depth defenders.

If Carolina is able to land a long-term backup in King it will still be a massive win for them.

No. 2: Carson Beck is a superstar in the making

We had a standout performance from Carson Beck, with the rookie really showing off both the velocity of his arm in tight windows and some touch in small spaces where needed. It led to a lot of people getting so blown away with the performance that things got a little carried away, annointing Beck as a star in the making, a draft steal, and the reason the Cardinals won’t be picking a QB in 2027.

Let’s chill out on taking it this far. Beck had a really good game, but the Panthers defense was a mess in the secondary. Carolina started their deep-depth players and guys on the back-end of the roster, with the defense not even being called by coordinator Ejiro Evero. Beck still needed to make the throws, but the bulk of his yards came on busted coverage and throwing into giant gaping windows.

We’ll need to see that same level performance against a real defense before we can even begin the discussion in earnest.

No. 3: The Panthers pass defense is in trouble

This dovetails off the discussion of Carson Beck, because, as mentioned, there were a ton of mitigating factors here. Not only did Carolina start their extreme depth, but they didnt have their defensive coordinator use any situational playcalling. Instead they more or less sat in their base shell and allowed the defense to pick them apart.

Not that you ever want your team getting destroyed in the passing game, but it’s too early to panic.

No. 4: Getting too carried away with two receivers

On each side of the ball we had a receiver who turned heads and got people a little too excited, a little too quickly. Arizona’s Jalen Brooks and Carolina’s Ja’Seem Reed coninuted their good training camp reports with solid games, but people are getting a little carried away with both at this point.

Brooks is a former 7th rounder who struggled to hold a back-end roster spot with the Cowboys, and Reed is a UDFA. That doesn’t mean they won’t have success, but the talk after the game was whether or not these guys could become top-four rotation receivers.

If they make the 53 it will be a major achievement for either. That’s still the expectation here, and should be how we think about these players.

#overreactions #PanthersCardinals #Hall #Fame #banger">4 overreactions from the Panthers-Cardinals Hall of Fame banger  The first game of NFL preseason had no right to be that good. The Panthers and Cardinals gave us a Hall of Fame classic on Thursday night that came down to the final play, with rookie quarterback Haynes King rushing for a touchdown as time expired to give Carolina the win. Not only was the level of play much higher than anyone expected, but there was plenty of drama along the way.Whenever there’s a national game like there are overreactions, especially in preseason. Let’s dive into what we’re all reacting to after Panthers-Cardinals.No. 1: Haynes King is coming for Bryce Youngs jobThere is no question Haynes King was a standout performer on Thursday night at QB, with the rookie showing poise in the pocket, an ability to move the chains, and scoring three touchdowns for the Panthers, including the game-winner.King is third on the QB depth chart in Carolina behind Bryce Young and Kenny Pickett — and he could very well push Pickett for the backup job, but the idea he’ll supplant the starter is ridiculous. No matter how great that performance was, the rookie had been struggling in training camp up to this point, particularly with his decision making. So while it’s tempting to glean too much info from preseaon, we also need to pump the brakes on getting too hyped over watching King succeed against the Cardinals depth defenders.If Carolina is able to land a long-term backup in King it will still be a massive win for them.No. 2: Carson Beck is a superstar in the makingWe had a standout performance from Carson Beck, with the rookie really showing off both the velocity of his arm in tight windows and some touch in small spaces where needed. It led to a lot of people getting so blown away with the performance that things got a little carried away, annointing Beck as a star in the making, a draft steal, and the reason the Cardinals won’t be picking a QB in 2027.Let’s chill out on taking it this far. Beck had a really good game, but the Panthers defense was a mess in the secondary. Carolina started their deep-depth players and guys on the back-end of the roster, with the defense not even being called by coordinator Ejiro Evero. Beck still needed to make the throws, but the bulk of his yards came on busted coverage and throwing into giant gaping windows.We’ll need to see that same level performance against a real defense before we can even begin the discussion in earnest.No. 3: The Panthers pass defense is in troubleThis dovetails off the discussion of Carson Beck, because, as mentioned, there were a ton of mitigating factors here. Not only did Carolina start their extreme depth, but they didnt have their defensive coordinator use any situational playcalling. Instead they more or less sat in their base shell and allowed the defense to pick them apart.Not that you ever want your team getting destroyed in the passing game, but it’s too early to panic.No. 4: Getting too carried away with two receiversOn each side of the ball we had a receiver who turned heads and got people a little too excited, a little too quickly. Arizona’s Jalen Brooks and Carolina’s Ja’Seem Reed coninuted their good training camp reports with solid games, but people are getting a little carried away with both at this point.Brooks is a former 7th rounder who struggled to hold a back-end roster spot with the Cowboys, and Reed is a UDFA. That doesn’t mean they won’t have success, but the talk after the game was whether or not these guys could become top-four rotation receivers.If they make the 53 it will be a major achievement for either. That’s still the expectation here, and should be how we think about these players.  #overreactions #PanthersCardinals #Hall #Fame #banger

Ranjit Bajaj has decided against taking up the India Under-15 men’s national team manager’s role alongside head coach Bibiano Fernandes for the inaugural FIFA U-15 World Cup and Festival in Azerbaijan in October, Minerva Academy founder-director announced on his Instagram handle.

Bajaj’s reason is that the he and Bibiano have different footballing philosophies and putting them together would not be in the team’s best interest.

Bajaj, who was approved as the team manager by the AIFF Executive Committee following the appointment of Fernandes as head coach, said he was deeply unhappy with the decision and believed the team could suffer if its key personnel were not aligned in their approach.

“People are congratulating me but I am not happy. I am very unhappy. This is the worst thing they could have done,” Bajaj said in a post on his Instagram handle.

Explaining the rationale behind his decision, Bajaj said the AIFF had appointed him and Fernandes together despite their contrasting styles and visions, though he made it clear that his decision was not a personal issue with the head coach.

“You people (AIFF) appointed me and Bibiano (Fernandes) together. I don’t have any problems with Bibiano but I have a problem because of different playing styles and different visions,” he said.

Bajaj said the difference was fundamental, with his preferred approach built around an aggressive, attacking game while Fernandes’ methods were more defensive.

“From low block defensive style to high press attacking style, getting into opposition territory and smashing them are completely different styles. It’s not about me or Bibiano. If two people are not on same page, then team suffers,” he said.

The Minerva founder also questioned the circumstances of his appointment, saying the federation had turned to him despite their differences because of his team’s success and the process behind it.

“Also you called me because you didn’t have an option. It is not as if there are world famous coaches at your disposal. So you summoned your biggest critic, biggest hater and maybe because my team (Minerva) wins,” Bajaj said.

He also suggested that Fernandes should have been given charge of the U-15 side earlier if the AIFF had intended to make him the head coach, while urging supporters to back the former India youth coach.

“Even if you guys wanted to give Bibiano the charge, you should have given it one year back. Okay, if you given him now, I request fans, we should support Bibiano,” Bajaj said.

The AIFF Executive Committee, on the recommendation of its Technical Committee, had approved Fernandes’ appointment as head coach, subject to his acceptance, for the inaugural FIFA U-15 World Cup and Festival scheduled to be held in Azerbaijan in October.

Bajaj had earlier volunteered on social media to take charge of the team, but had made it conditional on being allowed to appoint his own coaching staff.

The inaugural tournament will feature all 211 FIFA member associations, including India. It will be played in an 8-a-side format on smaller customised pitches, with matches consisting of two 20-minute halves. Each team can register 14 players, including up to two goalkeepers.

(With PTI inputs)

Published on Aug 07, 2026

#Ranjit #Bajaj #reject #role #India #manager #U15 #FIFA #World #Cup #Festival">Why did Ranjit Bajaj reject role as India manager for U-15 FIFA World Cup and Festival?  Ranjit Bajaj has decided against taking up the India Under-15 men’s national team manager’s role alongside head coach Bibiano Fernandes for the inaugural FIFA U-15 World Cup and Festival in Azerbaijan in October, Minerva Academy founder-director announced on his        Instagram handle.Bajaj’s reason is that the he and Bibiano have different footballing philosophies and putting them together would not be in the team’s best interest.Bajaj, who was approved as the team manager by the AIFF Executive Committee following the appointment of Fernandes as head coach, said he was deeply unhappy with the decision and believed the team could suffer if its key personnel were not aligned in their approach.“People are congratulating me but I am not happy. I am very unhappy. This is the worst thing they could have done,” Bajaj said in a post on his        Instagram handle.Explaining the rationale behind his decision, Bajaj said the AIFF had appointed him and Fernandes together despite their contrasting styles and visions, though he made it clear that his decision was not a personal issue with the head coach.“You people (AIFF) appointed me and Bibiano (Fernandes) together. I don’t have any problems with Bibiano but I have a problem because of different playing styles and different visions,” he said.Bajaj said the difference was fundamental, with his preferred approach built around an aggressive, attacking game while Fernandes’ methods were more defensive.“From low block defensive style to high press attacking style, getting into opposition territory and smashing them are completely different styles. It’s not about me or Bibiano. If two people are not on same page, then team suffers,” he said.The Minerva founder also questioned the circumstances of his appointment, saying the federation had turned to him despite their differences because of his team’s success and the process behind it.“Also you called me because you didn’t have an option. It is not as if there are world famous coaches at your disposal. So you summoned your biggest critic, biggest hater and maybe because my team (Minerva) wins,” Bajaj said.He also suggested that Fernandes should have been given charge of the U-15 side earlier if the AIFF had intended to make him the head coach, while urging supporters to back the former India youth coach.“Even if you guys wanted to give Bibiano the charge, you should have given it one year back. Okay, if you given him now, I request fans, we should support Bibiano,” Bajaj said.The AIFF Executive Committee, on the recommendation of its Technical Committee, had approved Fernandes’ appointment as head coach, subject to his acceptance, for the inaugural FIFA U-15 World Cup and Festival scheduled to be held in Azerbaijan in October.Bajaj had earlier volunteered on social media to take charge of the team, but had made it conditional on being allowed to appoint his own coaching staff.The inaugural tournament will feature all 211 FIFA member associations, including India. It will be played in an 8-a-side format on smaller customised pitches, with matches consisting of two 20-minute halves. Each team can register 14 players, including up to two goalkeepers.(With PTI inputs)Published on Aug 07, 2026  #Ranjit #Bajaj #reject #role #India #manager #U15 #FIFA #World #Cup #Festival

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