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Week 1 overreactions often turn into freezing cold takes by mid-October. See, 2023 Colorado, for example. We have all seen enough evidence of Clemson’s demise over the last three seasons to comfortably say the days of coach Dabo Swinney’s program as a national championship contender are over and not have to worry about looking silly later this year. In fact, what made No. 1 Georgia’s 34-3 demolition of the 14th-ranked Tigers on Saturday in Atlanta notable was just how unsurprising it was.

The Week 1 feedback on sideline-to-helmet communications: lots of praise, some frustration

Helmet communication has come to major college football, with one player — the quarterback on offense, typically the on-field play-caller on defense — being able to hear voice instructions from the sideline until 15 seconds remains on the play clock. It’s a new option for this season after being experimented with for bowl games a year ago, and in theory it’ll replace signs being sent in from the sideline through hand signals. In Week 1, the returns were mixed, with many liking the new toys and others frustrated by bugs in the system.

San Francisco 49ers player Ricky Pearsall stable after shooting during attempted robbery, police say

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Officials say a juvenile suspect is in custody after allegedly shooting San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Ricky Pearsall in the chest during an attempted robbery in San Francisco. The 23-year-old Pearsall was listed in fair condition at San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center on Sunday. Police say Pearsall was walking alone shortly after 3:30 p.m. when the suspect attempted to rob him and they both were shot during a struggle. Authorities have identified the suspect as a 17-year-old male resident of Tracy, California. The 49ers issued a statement saying Pearsall was hit by a bullet in the chest. “He’s good,” 49ers teammate Deebo Samuel posted on X. Pearsall was drafted by the team in April from the University of Florida.

Palou’s car has no power when critical IndyCar race begins at Milwaukee

WEST ALLIS, Wis. (AP) — IndyCar championship leader Alex Palou suffered a power failure seconds before Sunday’s race began at the Milwaukee Mile in a blow to the IndyCar championship leader. Palou was out of his car as it was being towed back to the garage for an evaluation of the hybrid engine as the race was roaring on around him. Chip Ganassi Racing said after Palou returned to the race 29 laps into it that the problem was with a battery. Palou went into Sunday with a 43-point lead over Will Power and the ability to wrap up his third title in four years with a strong performance. Instead, his lead had been cut to eight points when the race finally began.

Salah stars as Liverpool humiliates Man United at Old Trafford. Big-spending Chelsea held by Palace

Liverpool has reasserted its dominance over Manchester United by beating its great rival 3-0 as Mohamed Salah enjoyed another dreamy visit to Old Trafford. For United’s Casemiro, it was nothing short of a nightmare. Salah scored for the seventh straight game at Old Trafford and also provided two first-half assists for Luis Diaz in United’s latest humiliation at the hands of its fiercest opponent in what is historically the biggest match in English soccer. Casemiro was substituted at halftime by United after an error-ridden first half. Big-spending Chelsea was held 1-1 by Crystal Palace and Newcastle beat Tottenham 2-1.

Youth football safety debate is rekindled by the same-day deaths of 2 young players

HEWETT, W.Va. (AP) — The recent same-day deaths of two young football players have rekindled a debate about the sport’s safety risks. Ryan Craddock’s 13-year-old son Cohen died last month in West Virginia from a brain injury he received while making a tackle during middle school football practice. Craddock says he doesn’t want to do away with football. But he and others say there are concrete actions that could be taken to better protect young players. He’s going to recommend that players at Madison Middle School start wearing Guardian caps over their helmets. At least one medical professional who specializes in football injuries is recommending that kids not play tackle football before the age of 14.

Minority athletes hope their Olympic journeys will sway intolerant hearts and minds

Minority athletes don’t just bear their countries’ hopes for gold at the Olympics and Paralympics. They also represent their identities and culture. Social scientists proved how prejudice can be reduced through positive images of athletes. They studied reactions to Liverpool striker Mohamed Saleh, known for praying on the pitch. They found hate crimes and anti-Muslim tweets dropped after his decisive goals. But this influence can unravel if a minority athlete becomes too politically outspoken. USA Gymnastics spokesperson Jill Geer says “all sports go way beyond what happens on the field of play, but that is true to a factor of 10 for the Olympic Games.”

Paralympic triathlon events are postponed because of poor water quality in the Seine River

PARIS (AP) — Paralympics organizers say triathlon competitions in Paris scheduled for Sunday have been postponed because of concerns about water quality in the Seine River after heavy rainfall. The 11 para triathlon events are now scheduled for Monday, if upcoming water testing allows. Rainstorms hit the French capital Friday and Saturday. Heavy rains cause wastewater and runoff to flow into the river, leading to a rise in bacteria levels including E. Coli. The disruption is another hiccup for the city’s efforts to clean up the river for future public swimming, one of Paris’ most ambitious promises ahead of hosting the Olympics and Paralympics this summer.

Iranians loom over Paralympic sitting volleyball competition

PARIS (AP) — With one of the world’s tallest people on the team, Iran is chasing its third Paralympic gold medal in sitting volleyball. Iran tops its group after beating Brazil in three sets on Sunday. Elsewhere at the Paris Paralympics, Ukraine’s Oksana Zubkovska won her fifth gold medal in long jump for athletes with partial vision impairment. And at wheelchair basketball, the U.S. men’s team beat Australia 76-69 to finish pool play undefeated. And a doubles team from the Netherlands is set to defend its gold medal in wheelchair tennis, a sport long dominated by the Dutch.

No. 7 Notre Dame pulls away late to beat No. 20 Texas A&M 23-13

COLLEGE STATION, Texas (AP) — Jeremiyah Love broke a tie with a 21-yard touchdown run with 1:54 left and No. 7 Notre Dame beat No. 20 Texas A&M 23-13 on Saturday night in the opener for both teams. Love burst through the line and shed two would-be tacklers before waltzing into the end zone to give the Fighting Irish the lead. The Aggies had a chance to tie it, but Christian Gray jumped the route to knock down Conner Weigman’s pass on fourth down to give Notre Dame the ball back. The Fighting Irish added Mitch Jeter’s 46-yard field goal with 30 seconds left. Riley Leonard had a strong performance in his Notre Dame debut after transferring from Duke. He threw for 158 yards and added 63 yards rushing.