The graduate transfer from New Mexico State, last season’s Conference USA Offensive Player of the Year, needed four plays to put the Commodores ahead in overtime. He finished rushing for 104 yards and throwing for 190 yards.

“People wanted me, but it was never Power Five, and I just feel like I’m the best player in the country and I’m here to show it,” Pavia said. “That’s what I want to do week in, week out. Whatever it takes to win.”

It was the first overtime win for Vanderbilt coach Clark Lea at his alma mater and the program’s first since beating Mississippi on Nov. 17, 2018.

Virginia Tech tried switching quarterbacks on its possession in overtime, with Kyron Drones cramping on a sweltering day after throwing for 322 yards and two touchdowns.

“He just ran out of gas at the end,” Tech coach Brent Pry said.

Backup Collin Schlee ran for 14 yards to the 11 on Tech’s first offensive play of overtime, and Bhayshal Tuten gained 2. Then Drones came in to pick up 2 yards on a run, making it third-and-6. Then Schlee was sacked for a 5-yard loss, and his fourth-down throw toward Da’Quan Felton went out of the back of the end zone, starting a big celebration by Vanderbilt.

Pavia nearly won the game in regulation. After Virginia Tech took its only lead at 27-20 with 4:12 left, he capped a 70-yard drive with an 8-yard TD pass to Sedrick Alexander with 1:51 left. He set up Brock Taylor for the potential game-winning 43-yard field goal that missed wide right, sending the game into overtime.

Pavia helped Vanderbilt stun the Hokies, who came in favored by 13 1/2 points and looking to build on the momentum from winning the Military Bowl to go 7-6.

Pry called it a humbling loss after an offseason filled with expectations.

“Maybe we needed some of that,” Pry said.
Virginia Tech outgained Vanderbilt 397-371, but Vanderbilt played keepaway by holding the ball for more than 34 minutes.
Coach Clark Lea not only lured Pavia from New Mexico State, he also hired Jerry Kill as his chief consultant and senior offensive coach, along with bringing offensive coordinator Tim Beck to Music City.

Vanderbilt sold out this game with its south end zone closed to fans while under construction, though enough Hokies faithful filled the stands to make it feel like a Virginia Tech home game.

The takeaway

Virginia Tech coach Brent Pry was a co-defensive coordinator at Vanderbilt during the Commodores’ best three-year period in decades, as they made three straight bowls and won nine games in back-to-back seasons between 2011 and 2013. The Hokies had all 11 starters back on offense and 19 of 22 overall.

Lea made many changes on his coaching staff, with essentially importing the key pieces of a New Mexico State squad that won 10 games last season. Lea also took over coordinating the defense, which came up with four sacks and an early interception to set up the Commodores’ first TD.

Costly penalty

Vanderbilt might not have had a chance at overtime if not for a costly penalty in the third quarter. The Hokies forced Vandy into a delay-of-game penalty with Taylor missing a 54-yard field goal, only to then draw a penalty with a pair of Hokies wearing the same No. 0 on Vanderbilt’s punt.

That allowed Taylor another shot with the ball moved a little closer, and he made the 53-yarder for a 20-10 lead.

Up next

Virginia Tech hosts Marshall on Saturday.

Vanderbilt hosts Alcorn State on Saturday.

First, he had to hold off the driver with the fastest car to win a rain-delayed race that seemingly wouldn’t end Sunday night at Nashville Superspeedway in a NASCAR Cup Series-record fifth overtime.

Logano had a pack of pursuers on his bumper and knew he had to make one more move to block Tyler Reddick in Turn 4. Then Logano went “bonkers” after making it over the line first at the Ally 400.

“Definitely as close as you can cut it for sure,” Logano said about stretching his fuel almost to the last drop.

Logano held off Reddick’s charge in Turn 1 on the final lap and again in Turn 4. He then beat Zane Smith, Reddick, Ryan Preece and Chris Buescher to the line in the race that started nearly six hours earlier and went 31 laps longer than the 300 that were scheduled.

The fuel light in Logano’s Ford came on going into Turn 3, and Logano — who ran the last 110 laps without stopping on the 1.33-mile concrete oval — said it stumbled across the line. All the caution laps helped stretch a tank expected to last 85 laps at best.

“It’s a much-needed win for sure,” a smiling and relieved Logano said of about his first victory this year and 33rd of his career.

If the finish wasn’t thrilling enough, the mayhem continued as Logano yelled and celebrated with just enough gas left for a burnout. Chase Briscoe ran out of fuel. Daniel Suarez and Martin Truex Jr. made contact, spinning Truex into the wall. Chase Elliott spun off Turn 4 and into the grass.

Smith wasn’t happy at finishing second, though he said he wouldn’t do anything different after the rookie’s best Cup finish.

“I felt like I chose the right lane, and it’s crazy how much different these cars drive with cleaner air,” Smith said. “Just proud of our strategy there.”

Reddick was upset with himself on pit road, convinced he let his second victory of the year slip through his fingers.

“All the good cars ran out of fuel, and we were in position to pass the 22,” Reddick said about Logano. “He hadn’t been good all day long, and I didn’t get the job done.”

Denny Hamlin, who started on the pole and took the lead with seven laps left in regulation, was two laps from winning when Austin Cindric’s crash set up the chaotic finish. The Richmond-area native finished 12th after pitting in overtime to avoid running out of fuel.

“It certainly stinks,” Hamlin said,

A thunderstorm that forced NASCAR to halt the race at 137 laps for 1 hour, 21 minutes washed off the traction that had built up. As a result, several cars got loose and crashed into the wall or slid into the grass.

That helped set up a thrilling race after Christopher Bell won the first two stages before crashing.

Hamlin took the lead going high into Turn 1, and Chastain went to the apron trying to hold him off and wobbled. That was enough for Hamlin to pass Chastain’s Chevrolet in what turned out to be only the first late lead change of a race that seemed like it would never end with repeated crashes on restarts.

“I had a shot to win,” said Chastain, who led 45 laps while seeking his first win since the 2023 season finale at Phoenix.

Cindric set up the repeating overtimes when he made contact with Noah Gragson with two laps left. On the restart, points leader Kyle Larson caught the apron and slid, with the right corner of his Chevrolet sending Chastain into the wall in Turn 1 for the 12th caution.

Larson then ran out of gas on another restart, causing Kyle Busch to crash into him. That forced Hamlin to go to the pits for more gas, scrambling the field for another try at a finish.

Bell, who won the previous week at New Hampshire, won the first two stages before hitting the wall on lap 228.

“Just put myself in a bad spot and lost my cool,” Bell said. “Got back in traffic with all those yellow flags. Had a bad restart.”

Drivers tried to run as many laps as possible before an incoming thunderstorm on a steamy, humid Tennessee afternoon.

Lightning brought out the red flag, stopping the race after 137 laps with clouds in Turn 4 so heavy that it looked like a funnel was trying to form before heavy rain. The storm moved through quickly, and dryers hit the track about 25 minutes after racing stopped.

Barely a half-hour after the race stopped, a rainbow could be seen. NASCAR sent drivers back to their cars about 70 minutes after the red flag, and the stoppage lasted 81 minutes, with 143 laps remaining.

As cars hit the track under yellow, NASCAR sent Cindric to the rear as a penalty for his crew having a fan on the pit wall pointed at his car during the red flag. That was ruled as possibly cooling the vehicle for an extra edge.

Playoff update

With the win, Logano’s fretful nights worrying about making the playoffs are over. He became the 11th winner this season, leaving five spots left.

Not his day

John Hunter Nemechek raced to his second Xfinity Series victory of the year Saturday, then made his first Cup start at this track Sunday. The experience didn’t carry over. Nemechek spun into the grass off Turn 4 of lap 117 to bring out the second caution of the race.

Next

The Chicago street race is at 4:30 p.m. July 7 on NBC. It’s called the Grant Park 165.

A judge on Tuesday kept in place for now the NCAA’s rules prohibiting name, image and likeness compensation from being used as a recruiting inducement, denying a request for a temporary restraining order by the states of Tennessee and Virginia.

The attorneys general of those states filed a federal antitrust lawsuit in the Eastern District of Tennessee last week that challenged the NCAA’s NIL rules, after it was revealed the University of Tennessee was under investigation by the association for potential infractions.

The states asked for a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction, saying immediate action was needed to keep the NCAA from standing in the way of recruits monetizing their fame. The period in which high school football recruits can sign scholarship agreements with schools starts Wednesday.

U.S. District Judge Clifton Corker wrote that the states have failed to demonstrate that recruits would be irreparably harmed if the temporary restraining order was not granted.

A preliminary injunction hearing is set for Feb. 13.

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The organization asks a judge to deny both motions in its 25-page response filed Saturday with the U.S. District Court of the Eastern District of Tennessee. A judge on Feb. 13 will hear a request by the attorneys general of Tennessee and Virginia for a preliminary injunction.

“There is no reason to upend this process, invite chaos on a moment’s notice, and transform college sports into an environment where players and schools match up based primarily on the dollars that can change hands,” the NCAA wrote in asking that both motions sought be denied.

“Requests for radical change require sound deliberation.”

Chancellor Donde Plowman revealed in a scathing letter to NCAA President Charlie Baker released Tuesday that the NCAA was investigating Tennessee and The Vol Club, an NIL collective run by Spyre Sports Group. Tennessee’s recruitment of five-star quarterback Nico Iamaleava from California and his NIL contract with Spyre is among the deals receiving scrutiny from the NCAA.

Attorneys general of Tennessee and Virginia followed Plowman’s letter by filing an antitrust lawsuit against the NCAA on Wednesday challenging its ban on the use of NIL compensation in the recruitment of college athletes, and in response to the association’s investigation of Tennessee

Tennessee and Virginia have until Sunday night to respond to the NCAA’s request to deny the requests for the temporary restraining order and injunction.

The lawsuit wants both issued by Tuesday to stop the NCAA from enforcing NIL recruiting rules ahead of National Signing Day on Wednesday while the lawsuit plays out in court.

The NCAA argues granting the motions would result in “recruiting inducements tantamount to pay for athletic performance” and spoil the recruiting process of athletes choosing schools that fit them best while exposing them to “bad actors” signing people to “coercive contracts.

“They do not actually seek here to preserve the status quo, but instead to fundamentally alter the landscape of college athletics by mandating the creation of an NIL market for student-athlete recruits that does not presently exist,” the NCAA said in its motion.

The response also argues the lawsuit provides no evidence of how NIL rules are harming athletes and fail to recognize that the universities inside each state have repeatedly agreed to follow the rules now being challenged.

“Nor do they provide any convincing explanation why rules that have been in place for years, if not decades, have given rise to a state of emergency warranting extraordinary judicial intervention,” the NCAA wrote in its response.

Granting these motions would move universities and athletes closer to an employer-employee relationship, and the NCAA says many athletes don’t want that.

The NCAA also argues that the lawsuit is responding to an “impending investigation” rather than pending punishment. The organization also notes the University of Tennessee is not a party to the lawsuit, which “does not save their case.”

The response argued that the plaintiffs never mention or address that the University of Tennessee agrees every year to follow rules now being challenged and never offered alternatives or asked for clarification of those rules.

The NCAA noted the lawsuit had a declaration from only one current athlete and nothing stops students from signing NIL deals once they arrive on campus.

The response also cited a lawsuit set for trial in January 2025 with athletes asking for a permanent injunction and billions of dollars in damages as compensation. The NCAA noted nobody has asked for a temporary injunction in a case that started in 2020.

That lawsuit already has had more than 40 witnesses give depositions, including athletic department employees from Power Five conferences and the NCAA. That trial will avoid the “disruptive intervention” sought in the lawsuit filed by Tennessee and Virginia’s attorneys general.

The lawsuit filed by Tennessee’s Jonathan Skrmetti and Virginia’s Jason Miyares in the Eastern District of Tennessee claims the NCAA is “enforcing rules that unfairly restrict how athletes can commercially use their name, image and likeness at a critical juncture in the recruiting calendar.

“These anticompetitive restrictions violate the Sherman Act, harm the States and the welfare of their athletes, and should be declared unlawful and enjoined.”

The NCAA already is being challenged in court by a group of state attorneys general challenging the association’s transfer rules, plus it is the defendant in antitrust suits targeting employment status for athletes and billions in television revenue that schools and conferences make off big-time college sports.

On Tuesday, it was revealed the NCAA was investigating Tennessee and a booster-funded NIL collective that works with Volunteers athletes, the Vol Club run by Spyre Sports Group.

Tennessee released a scathing letter Chancellor Donde Plowman wrote to Charlie Baker shortly after school officials met with NCAA representatives to discuss the allegations. She said leaders of collegiate sports owe it to students and their families to act in their best interest with clear rules — and that the NCAA is nowhere close to providing that.

“Instead, 2 1/2 years of vague and contradictory NCAA memos, emails and ‘guidance’ about name, image and likeness (NIL) has created extraordinary chaos that student-athletes and institutions are struggling to navigate,” Plowman wrote. “In short, the NCAA is failing.”

The university’s athletic director and the governor of Tennessee had her back Wednesday morning.

Athletic director Danny White shared the state attorney general’s post of the lawsuit on social media within 20 minutes, writing that he appreciated Skrmetti standing up for the rights of athletes.

“At Tennessee, we are always going to work to support our student-athletes’ rights and give them all the tools needed to succeed on and off the field,” White tweeted. “This is what strong leadership looks like!”

Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee also applauded the University of Tennessee for being “nothing but forthcoming with the NCAA.”

“And I thank Chancellor Donde Plowman for taking a stand on behalf of all universities and student athletes,” Lee said in a statement.

Plowman was cheered by Tennessee fans during a pregame ceremony Tuesday night before the fifth-ranked Volunteers lost in men’s basketball to South Carolina.

Losing three teammates to a shooting last November will never be forgotten. Coach Tony Elliott made clear what they endured that day was “unprecedented” and remains hard to put into words.

“I mean, every day they’re reminded of what happened, and not everybody is done grieving or healing,” Elliott said Saturday. “We’re still healing. … That’s the victory for us.”

Joe Milton III threw two touchdown passes and ran for two other scores as the 12th-ranked Tennessee Volunteers routed Virginia 49-13 Saturday in the season opener for both teams and the Cavaliers’ first game in 294 days.

Before kickoff, a moment of silence was held. The Vols also wore a sticker on their helmets with the numbers of the late Devin Chandler, Lavel Davis Jr. and D’Sean Perry. Cheerleaders from both teams placed flowers at the 1-, 10- and 41-yard markers — the numbers of each of those players.

Virginia running back Mike Hollins, who needed several surgeries after being wounded in the shooting, helped lead the Cavaliers onto the field. He finished with three carries for minus-7 yards and one catch. Elliott called Hollins a “walking miracle.”

“Back in November, we had no idea like what his life was going to look like, much less that he was going to be able to run out with the … flag today and be able to play and be a significant part of our game plan,” Elliott said. “Just a testament to him and really proud of him. He’s an inspiration to me.”

The Vols improved to 4-1 all-time against Virginia in the first game of this series since the January 1991 Sugar Bowl.

Tennessee coach Josh Heupel said playing in Nashville is important as a prime recruiting area.

“It’s a really positive win,” Heupel said. “There’s a lot of things to take away from it on the positive side. At the same time, there’s a lot of ways that we can be a whole lot better as a program.”

Tennessee scored on its opening drive and never trailed. Milton’s 1-yard run just before halftime put the Vols up 21-3. Dylan Sampson caught a 9-yard TD pass that capped Tennessee’s first drive. He also had three TD runs of 3 yards or shorter.

James Pearce Jr. had two sacks in the first half for a Tennessee defense that ranked 90th nationally last season while giving up 405.3 yards a game. The Vols finished with four sacks and a 499-202 edge in total yards of offense.

Tony Muskett started for Virginia after transferring from Monmouth and quickly found Southeastern Conference defense is nothing like the CAA. He was 9 of 17 for 94 yards before hurting his shoulder late when tackled. Elliott said they didn’t know the extent of the injury yet.

With Tennessee up 28-3, Elliott went for it on fourth-and-1 at the Cavs’ 34. Muskett was dropped for a 4-yard loss. Six plays later, Sampson ran for a TD that padded the lead.

Heupel pulled Milton after an 11-yard TD pass to Jacob Warren early in the fourth made it 42-10. Milton finished with 201 yards passing and 33 yards rushing when replaced by five-star recruit Nico Iamaleava.

The takeaway

Virginia: The Cavaliers, who went 3-7 in Elliott’s debut season, struggled mightily against a program that went 11-2 and beat Clemson in the Orange Bowl.

The Cavs had their chances, starting in Tennessee territory three of the first six possessions, only to go three-and-out five times. Will Bettridge also missed a 28-yard field goal to finish a drive that started at Tennessee’s 29.

The Cavs had only 15 yards of total offense until a drive for the field goal late in the first half.

Tennessee: The fastest and top-scoring offense in the nation last season worked through some kinks in the first half after opening with a TD drive that took 2:47. Ramel Keyton dropped a deep pass from Milton that hit his hands, and Milton overthrew Keyton on another long pass with plenty of room to run.

Injuries

Virginia nose tackle Olasunkonmi Agunloye was carted off at the end of the first quarter. He had a sack and recovered a fumbled punt. But he slipped while celebrating amid going to the sideline on Nissan Stadium’s new artificial surface, which features shredded coconut husks and cork.

Poll implications

Tennessee certainly didn’t do anything to hurt its ranking, even if this neutral site felt like Neyland Stadium West, with the largest attendance here for a football game at 69,507.

Up next

Virginia: Hosts James Madison on Sept. 9 in its first home game since Nov. 12.

Tennessee: Hosts Austin Peay in its home opener on Sept. 9.

For example, Old Dominion coach DeLisha Milton Jones wrapped up her acceptance speech with a call to return Griner to the United States.

Penny Taylor used her induction to call for the release of her former Phoenix Mercury teammate, noting it had been 114 days since the seven-time WNBA All-Star was detained in Russia.

“BG is our family,” Taylor said in asking President Joe Biden’s help freeing Griner. “She’s yours, too. The entire global sport community needs to come together to insist that she be a priority.”

The two-time Olympic gold medalist has been detained since Feb. 17 after vape cartridges containing oil derived from cannabis were allegedly found in her luggage at an airport near Moscow.

Taylor also wished her wife, Diana Taurasi, a happy 40th birthday. Taurasi played Friday night in a Mercury win and then traveled to Tennessee to escort Taylor to the induction ceremony. Taylor helped Australia win Olympic silver medals in 2004 and 2008. She won three WNBA titles in 2007, 2009 and 2014 and was a three-time All-Star.

“If you continue to work hard, you too may be up here,” Taylor said to Taurasi.

DePaul coach Doug Bruno noted Griner has been a big part of USA Basketball’s Olympic success.

“Brittney is a great human being,” Bruno said. “No one deserves what Brittney’s going through. Enough is absolutely enough. It’s time for the powers that be to bring Brittney home.”

Other inductees included Becky Hammon, Debbie Antonelli, Wayland Baptist star Alice “Cookie” Barron as a veteran player, Paul Sanderford, who coached Western Kentucky to three Final Fours, and coach Bob Schneider, who ranked third all-time with 634 Division II victories.

The hall also honored Title IX with one of the Trailblazers of the Game award, as the U.S. law intended to ensure equity between men and women in education marks its 50th anniversary. Barron, who flew to games between 1954-1957 with the Flying Queens, going in airplanes to away games while the men traveled by bus, made a call to everyone listening.

“I want to implore all of us to keep a very close watch on Title IX,” Barron said. “The doors are open. We must never let them close.”

Milton-Jones, 47, capped her four-year career with Florida as the 1997 Southeastern Conference Player of the Year and All-American. She led the Gators to four straight NCAA Tournament berths, including the Elite Eight in 1997.

The fourth overall pick in the 1999 WNBA draft played 17 seasons in the league. When she retired in 2016, she held the league record for most games played, with 499 for Los Angeles, Atlanta, New York, Washington and San Antonio. She helped the Los Angeles Sparks win back-to-back WNBA titles in 2001 and ’02.

Milton-Jones also helped the U.S. win Olympic gold in 2000 and 2008, missing the 2004 Athens Games with an injury. She played in Spain, Italy, Turkey, South Korea, the Czech Republic and Russia. in 2005, she was the interim coach of the Los Angeles Stars in the American Basketball Association, becoming only the second female to coach a men’s pro team.

Her family made T-shirts and visors to help her commemorate this moment, and Milton-Jones said her success helped put Riceboro, Georgia, on the map.

She took a flight to Knoxville Friday morning from Colorado Springs, where she is an assistant coach on the United States FIBA national team of 18-year-olds. Milton-Jones became the latest ODU connections to the Hall, which include former All-Americans Inge Nissen, Nancy Lieberman, Ticha Penicheiro and Anne Donovan and former coach Marianne Stanley.

“I’m so proud and honored and feel so blessed to have this honor at this point in my career,” Milton-Jones said on odusports.com.

Hammon couldn’t attend the induction, with her WNBA-leading Las Vegas Aces playing the Sparks on Saturday night in Los Angeles, winning 89-72.

Bruno has coached 36 seasons at DePaul, earning 24 NCAA Tournament berths. He also has helped win six gold medals with USA Basketball.

And quarterback Tyrod Taylor from Hampton came through by doing a little bit of everything.

Even catching a pass.

Taylor threw a touchdown pass and ran for another in rallying the Buffalo Bills to a 14-13 win over the Tennessee Titans on Sunday.

With their top two running backs and top wide receiver out injured, Taylor ran for 77 yards as the Bills (3-2) snapped a five-game skid against Tennessee.

Taylor ran for a 22-yard TD late in the third quarter after a 24-yard run. The former Virginia Tech quarterback also scrambled for 24 more on third-and-23 from the Bills 7 jumpstarting an 80-yard drive he capped with a 2-yard TD pass to Chris Hogan. Taylor caught a 4-yard pass from Hogan to set up that TD.

Stephon Gilmore intercepted Marcus Mariota’s pass with 1:32 left to seal the win.

The Titans (1-3) blew a second straight double-digit lead at home and have lost two straight by a combined three points.

Tennessee outgained the Bills 279-209 and held the ball for more than 35 minutes. But the Titans settled for a pair of field goals by Ryan Succop and a 1-yard TD run by Antonio Andrews.

The Titans also had four sacks and recovered a fumble on a punt return to set up their touchdown.

The Bills played without wide receiver Sammy Watkins (calf) and running back LeSean McCoy (hamstring) for a second straight week with McCoy’s replacement Karlos Williams also out recovering from a concussion.

The Bills lost another running back to injury in the second quarter when Cierre Wood was carted to the locker room with an injured knee and did not return.

Taylor got the Bills going in the third quarter. He had plenty of room to run on the third-and 23, a play that put the Bills near midfield with a horse-collar penalty on Titans linebacker Zach Brown. The Bills’ quarterback then turned in his biggest play, finding Hogan for a 40-yard pass to the Titans 7.

Buffalo nearly had a great start to the game when Bishop Sankey fumbled the kickoff in the end zone, and the Titans recovered at the 2.

But the Bills, who lead the NFL in penalties, had to kick again with Marcus Easley offside on Billy Cundiff’s kick. After that, the Titans dominated, outgaining Buffalo 115-7 and forcing the Bills to go three-and-out twice.

Tennessee’s TD came after Titans rookie Jalston Fowler stripped Denarius Moore, who was signed Wednesday by Buffalo, of the ball at the end of a punt return. The Titans won a replay challenge and got the ball at the Bills 39.