Sports

Buccaneers fall 23-20 to Washington Commanders

Published

2 years ago

January 13, 2025

– The Buccaneers fell to the Commanders, 23-20, to end their season. The 49^th season in Buccaneers history resulted in the club extending its franchise record for consecutive postseason berths to five and extending its record for consecutive division titles to four. The Buccaneers remain one of just three teams to have made the playoffs in each of the last five seasons (2020-24).

– QB Baker Mayfield completed 15-of-18 passes (83.3%) for 185 yards and two touchdowns with zero interceptions to earn a 146.5 passer rating. The 146.5 passer rating is the highest in a postseason contest in franchise history, and the ninth-highest mark by any quarterback in a postseason contest dating back to 2000. Mayfield has recorded a passer rating of 100.0+ in three of his five career postseason contests, and his career postseason passer rating of 105.9 leads all active quarterbacks (min. two games).

HIGHEST SINGLE-GAME PASSER RATING – FRANCHISE POSTSEASON HISTORY

Rank Player Passer Rating

1. Baker Mayfield (1/12/25 vs. WAS) 146.5

2. Tom Brady (2/7/21 vs. KC) 125.8

3. Baker Mayfield (1/15/24 vs. PHI) 119.8

4. Tom Brady (1/16/22 vs. PHI) 115.2

5. Tom Brady (1/9/21 vs. WAS) 104.3

HIGHEST POSTSEASON PASSER RATING – ACTIVE PLAYERS (MIN. 2 GP)

Rank Player Passer Rating

1. Baker Mayfield (TB) 105.9

2. Patrick Mahomes (KC) 105.8

3. Josh Allen (BUF) 102.3

4. C.J. Stroud (HOU) 102.2

5. Matthew Stafford (LAR) 101.7

– Mayfield’s 83.3% completion rate marked the highest by a Buccaneers quarterback in postseason history, and is the second-highest figure in a postseason contest (min. 15 attempts) dating back to 2012.

HIGHEST SINGLE-GAME COMPLETION PCT. – FRANCHISE POSTSEASON HISTORY

Rank Player Comp. Pct.

1. Baker Mayfield (1/12/25 vs. WAS) 83.3%

2. Tom Brady (1/16/22 vs. PHI) 78.4%

3. Tom Brady (2/7/21 vs. KC) 72.4%

HIGHEST SINGLE-GAME COMPLETION PCT. – SINCE 2012

Rank Player Comp. Pct.

1. Josh Allen (BUF – 1/15/22 vs. NE) 84.0%

2. Baker Mayfield (TB – 1/12/25 vs. WAS) 83.3%

3. Jared Goff (DET – 1/14/24 vs. LAR) 81.5%

4. Matt Moore (MIA – 1/8/17 at PIT) 80.6%

5. Deshaun Watson (HOU – 1/4/20 vs. BUF) 80.0%

– WR Mike Evans brought in a team-leading seven receptions for 92 yards and one receiving touchdown. With his score, Evans tied Leonard Fournette (6) for the second-most touchdowns from scrimmage in franchise playoff history, and surpassed Fournette (32) for the second-most playoff points scored by a non-kicker in franchise history.

MOST TOUCHDOWNS FROM SCRIMMAGE – FRANCHISE POSTSEASON HISTORY

Rank Player TD’s

1. Mike Alstott 7

2t. Mike Evans 6

2t. Leonard Fournette 6

4. Rob Gronkowski 3

5t. Many Players Tied 2

MOST POINTS SCORED (NON-KICKER) – FRANCHISE POSTSEASON HISTORY

Rank Player Points

1. Mike Alstott 42

2. Mike Evans 38

3. Leonard Fournette 36

– RB Bucky Irving contributed 83 scrimmage yards and one score on the day. He logged 17 carries for 77 yards (4.5 avg.), establishing a new single-game high for rushing yards by a rookie in franchise playoff history and surpassing the previous mark of 72 set by Warrick Dunn on 12/28/97 vs. Detroit. Irving added six receiving yards, including four on a touchdown pass from Baker Mayfield to record his first career touchdown catch (regular season or postseason).

– Irving’s 77 rushing yards are the most by a rookie in a playoff game since Kansas City’s Isiah Pacheco amassed 95 yards on 1/21/23 vs. Jacksonville.

– TE Cade Otton brought in two catches for 32 yards. In doing so, Otton surpassed Cameron Brate (221) and Rob Gronkowski (226) for the most playoff receiving yards by a tight end in franchise history.

– LB Lavonte David finished with a team-high-tying eight tackles and 1.0 sack. His sack increased his career postseason total to 3.0 – the fifth-most in franchise history. David ranks second in franchise history in postseason tackles (79), trailing only Derrick Brooks (93).

– S Antoine Winfield Jr. also contributed a team-high-tying eight tackles.

– DL Calijah Kancey finished with one tackle (that went for a loss). He has recorded at least one TFL in each of his three career playoff games, tied with Derrick Brooks and Greg Spires for the third-longest streak by a Buccaneer in franchise history, trailing only Devin White (four) and Shelton Quarles (four).

– K Chase McLaughlin went 2-for-2 on field goal tries, connecting from 50 and 32 yards out. McLaughlin is 6-of-7 on postseason field goal attempts with Tampa Bay, with his six made field goals ranking third in club history. His two made field goals from 50+ yards out in playoff contests are the most in franchise history.

Sports

LIV Golf to begin winding down operations Nov. 9 after five years, $5 billion spent

Published

2 days ago

November 7, 2026

FNN SPORTS

LIV Golf sign in a landscaped setting in Orlando, Florida. Photo by Florida National News

NEW YORK CITY, NY (FNN SPORTS) – LIV Golf plans to begin winding down operations Monday, Nov. 9, following five years and more than $5 billion in spending.

Attorney Matthew Williams outlined the league’s plans during a bankruptcy court hearing Thursday, Nov. 5, in New Jersey. The process includes selling its remaining assets.

“We believe the wind down path is the best path,” Williams told the court.

LIV Golf confirmed the decision after a proposed restructuring deal fell through. The league said it will continue considering alternatives during the shutdown process.

Basketball

USF Women’s Basketball Opens Season With 80–54 Victory Over Furman

Published

3 days ago

November 5, 2026

NISEY LOU S.

TAMPA, Fla. (FNN SPORTS) — On Monday November 2, at the Yuengling Center, the South Florida women’s basketball team opened with a successful debut undernew head coach Kristy Curry.

The Bulls established control early with a 9–0 opening run, taking a 27–12 lead after the first quarter. Furman narrowed the margin before halftime, but South Florida maintained a 46–32 advantage heading into the break.

A dominant third quarter proved decisive, as USF outscored Furman 23–9 to extend its lead to 69–41 entering the fourth.

Balanced Scoring Leads the Bulls

Stefanie Ingram led South Florida with 15 points, followed by Hannah Kohn with 13 and Kendall Puryear with 12 points and nine rebounds.

The Bulls placed six players in double figures, shot 51.6 percent from the field and controlled the boards with a 48–25 rebounding advantage.

A Winning Debut for Kristy Curry

The victory marked Curry’s first win leading South Florida after arriving from Alabama.

Ahead of the season opener, Curry expressed confidence in the program’s potential:

“I’m so excited to be here. I truly think the sky’s the limit at USF.”

— Kristy Curry, USF Head Coach, in pregame remarks published by USF Athletics.

South Florida (1–0) will face Belmont on Friday, November 6, in Nashville, Tennessee.

– Nisey Spruill is a reporter and photojournalist for Florida National News (FNN), covering major news, sports and special events across Florida and nationwide. Contact sports@FloridaNationalNews.com

Central Florida News

USF Defeats UAB 30–10, Secures Fourth Consecutive Bowl-Eligible Season

Published

5 days ago

November 3, 2026

NISEY LOU S.

C.J. Hicks (#1) USF defensive end lines up before the snap during the Bulls’ 30–10 victory over UAB at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa on October 31, 2026. Photo by Nisey Spruill / Florida National News

Bulls overcome early deficit behind defensive touchdowns and a record-tying performance from C.J. Hicks.

TAMPA, Fla. (FNN SPORTS) — The University of South Florida (USF) secured its sixth victory of the season Saturday, October 31, defeating the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) 30–10 at Raymond James Stadium. The victory improved the Bulls’ record to 6–2 overall and 2–2 in American Conference play, making the program bowl-eligible for the fourth consecutive season.

Defense Turns the Game Around

UAB opened the game with a 10–0 first-quarter lead, but South Florida responded with 30 unanswered points, highlighted by two defensive touchdowns.

Defensive end C.J. Hicks delivered one of the game’s most significant performances, recording four sacks to tie the USF single-game record. Two of those sacks forced fumbles that resulted in touchdowns.

Late in the second quarter, Hicks forced a fumble by UAB quarterback Ryder Burton, allowing USF defender Asani Redwood to recover the football and return it six yards for a touchdown. The play gave South Florida a 17–10 halftime lead.

Asani Redwood and UAB #71 UAB defensive lineman #71 attempts to tackle USF’s Asani Redwood during the October 31, 2026, matchup at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa. Photo by Nisey Spruill / Florida National News

Hicks created another scoring opportunity in the fourth quarter, forcing a second fumble that linebacker Grayson Howard recovered and returned 13 yards for a touchdown, extending USF’s lead to 27–10.

South Florida’s defense finished with six sacks and 11 tackles for loss, limiting UAB to just 177 total offensive yards, including 17 rushing yards.

Offensive Adjustments Provide Momentum

Following an injury to starting quarterback Michael Van Buren Jr., sophomore Luke Kromenhoek entered the game and helped shift momentum in South Florida’s favor.

Luke Kromenhoek (#17) USF quarterback Luke Kromenhoek (#17) carries the football while facing pressure from a UAB defender during the Bulls’ 30–10 victory at Raymond James Stadium on October 31, 2026. Photo by Nisey Spruill / Florida National News

Kromenhoek finished with a career-high 92 rushing yards, including a 42-yard run that helped establish the Bulls’ offensive rhythm.

Running back Jason Collins Jr. added a six-yard rushing touchdown late in the second quarter to tie the game at 10–10.

Kicker Nico Gramatica contributed three field goals, connecting from 31, 30 and 33 yards to help secure the victory.

Bowl Eligibility Marks Another Program Milestone

With its sixth win, South Florida secured bowl eligibility for the fourth consecutive season, matching the second-longest such streak in program history.

The accomplishment allows USF to qualify for postseason bowl consideration, although an official bowl invitation and destination have yet to be determined.

The victory also kept the Bulls competitive in the American Conference standings, with four regular-season games remaining following the UAB matchup.

Looking Ahead

USF will return to conference competition Friday, November 6, traveling to face East Carolina as the Bulls continue their pursuit of a stronger conference finish and a postseason bowl invitation.

Final Score: USF 30, UAB 10