Sports
Rams take big step toward playoffs by winning field-goal battle and sweeping 49ers
SANTA CLARA, Calif. — It’s happening.
Again.
The Rams rebounded from a dismal first half of the season and they are making a run for the playoffs.
Again.
Despite a nebulous performance on offense against the San Francisco 49ers, coach Sean McVay’s team is now the one nobody in the NFL wants to play.
Again.
On Thursday night, the Rams defeated the 49ers 12-6 at Levi’s Stadium.
Joshua Karty kicked four field goals, Kyren Williams rushed for 108 yards, and cornerback Darious Williams intercepted a fourth-quarter pass as the Rams improved to 8-6.
The Rams’ Kyren Williams (23) finds running room against the 49ers.
(Jed Jacobsohn / Associated Press)
While it might have been painful to watch, it left the Rams feeling great.
“No style points,” McVay said, “We’ll take it. Proud of this group.”
With good reason. The Rams have won three games in a row for the first time in a season that began with a 1-4 start. They also swept the defending NFC champion 49ers for the first time since 2018, when McVay led the Rams to Super Bowl LIII in his second season.
“Being able to do that, knowing how good of a team they are and knowing the history with the two organizations, it’s huge,” Kyren Williams said, “and it shows that we’re the big brothers now.”
In September, the Rams needed a patented Matthew Stafford fourth-quarter comeback and a last-second field goal by Karty to beat the 49ers 27-24 at SoFi Stadium.
Rams safety Kamren Kinchens knocks away a pass intended for 49ers receiver Deebo Samuel.
(Jed Jacobsohn / Associated Press)
Stafford mostly struggled Thursday — he completed 16 of 27 passes for 160 yards — but Karty was perfect, making a kick from 48 yards in the second quarter and kicks from 23, 27 and 29 yards in the fourth.
“It’s funny because there may or may not be evidence of me saying they were my favorite team like a year ago,” Karty, who played at Stanford, said of the 49ers. “But not anymore. So it’s great to beat them and it’s huge for the team.”
The Rams were coming off Sunday’s 44-42 victory over the powerful Buffalo Bills, a win that showcased a seemingly consistent offense along with a defense that struggled in matchups against powerful offenses such as the Philadelphia Eagles and the Bills.
It rained for much of the game Thursday, and the Rams did not score a touchdown. Still, they won for the seventh time in their last nine games.
“Our team showed we can win football games kind of any way you want in about a four-day span,” Stafford said.
The Rams remain in second place in the NFC West. The Seattle Seahawks (8-5) are in first place, the Arizona Cardinals (6-7) in third, and the defending NFC-champion 49ers (6-8) are probably out of the playoff hunt.
With the victory, the Rams have a mini-bye of sorts this weekend before traveling to play the New York Jets the following Sunday. The Rams will finish with home games against the Cardinals and the Seahawks.
“You can just feel the momentum,” said tight end Colby Parkinson, who had a key third-down reception during the Rams’ final drive. “You can feel the team coming together each and every week a little bit more and we’re peaking at the right time.
“It’s exactly what we want.”
The Rams are getting almost all they need from an offensive line that cleared the way for Williams, who matched the career high he established against the Bills by carrying the ball 29 times. For the second game in a row, Stafford was not sacked.
Receiver Puka Nacua caught seven passes for 97 yards, including a 51-yard reception that set up Karty’s third field goal.
Rams defensive tackle Kobie Turner records one of his two sacks of 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy (13).
(Godofredo A. Vásquez / Associated Press)
A defense led by lineman Kobie Turner also got a good performance from cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon, who started in place of injured Cobie Durant.
So Stafford was not sweating the lack of production in a game that qualified as a must-win.
“You score 44 four nights ago or whatever it was and come out here and score 12,” Stafford said. “They both count for one.”
For the first time in five games Stafford did not throw a touchdown pass, but the 16th-year pro extended his streak of games without an interception to a career-best five.
Stafford’s 11-yard scramble was the Rams’ longest of the game. He also sneaked for first downs and in the fourth quarter kept the ball on a read-option play from the four-yard line.
Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford is tackled by 49ers linebacker Fred Warner in the second half.
(Jed Jacobsohn / Associated Press)
“At any point we get down that close, man, I’m doing anything we can to try and score,” said Stafford, who was stopped short on a play nullified by a holding penalty. “And if that means surprising everybody in the stadium that I’m still holding on to it, trying to get in, I’m all for it.”
The score was tied 3-3 at halftime as both offenses struggled to execute in rain that soaked the gray hoodies worn by McVay and his assistants.
The skies cleared after halftime, but the Rams’ offense remained in a fog.
The 49ers led 6-3 in the third quarter before Stafford directed a 17-play drive that consumed nearly 10 minutes. The Rams got to the four-yard line, but penalties killed the threat and forced them to settle for a field goal early in the fourth quarter.
After forcing the 49ers to punt, the Rams finally cut loose.
Sort of.
Stafford connected with Nacua for the 51-yard play, but the drive stalled and the Rams settled for Karty’s third field goal.
Rams cornerback Darious Williams (24) intercepts a pass intended for 49ers receiver Jauan Jennings (15) in the fourth quarter.
(Godofredo A. Vásquez / Associated Press)
The 49ers then drove to the Rams’ 34-yard line, but Williams’ interception in the end zone quelled the threat.
The Rams got the ball with a little more than five minutes left and used nearly all of it during a drive that ended with Karty’s final field goal with 18 seconds left.
Not the most impressive showcase, but McVay was not complaining.
“It serves us well that there’s different ways we can win a football game,” he said. “Now we’d like to be able put it all together, but to be able to do that, that’s a real strength.”
Sports
Golf star records lowest round in LPGA major history with astounding performance at Evian Championship
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There are good days on the golf course, and then there is what Haeran Ryu just did on Saturday.
Ryu, 25, recorded the lowest round in LPGA major history on Saturday with an 11-under 60 at the Evian Championship. With the South Korean golfer’s historic round, she holds a three-stroke lead.
Ryu’s round comes just two weeks after winning her first major at the Women’s PGA Championship. On the 18th hole, Ryu left a 30-foot eagle putt a few inches short, and instead settled for a birdie.
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Haeran Ryu of South Korea reacts on the 18th green after the third round of The Amundi Evian Championship at Evian Resort Golf Club in Evian-les-Bains, France, on July 11, 2026. (Stuart Franklin/Getty Images)
She said after the round that she had no idea what she had done until she counted up her scorecard.
“But after the putt and I counted my score with my caddie,” she said. “Oh my God, it’s 11-under par today. It was so amazing. My caddie says, ‘Yep.’ I’m so happy right now.”
If Ryu had made the eagle putt on the 18th hole, she would have been just the second player to shoot a 59 in LPGA history.
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Haeran Ryu of South Korea celebrates a birdie on the 15th green during the third round of The Amundi Evian Championship at Evian Resort Golf Club on July 11, 2026, in Evian-les-Bains, France. (Stuart Franklin/Getty Images)
Her 60 broke the record for the lowest round in an LPGA major by one shot. Leona Maguire and Jeungeun Lee6 in 2021, and Hyo Joo Kim in 2014, each shot 61 at the Evian Championship, which was designated as an LPGA major in 2013.
The lowest round in a men’s major is 62, which is shared by four players — Branden Grace at Royal Birkdale in the 2017 British Open, Xander Schauffele and Rickie Fowler in the 2023 U.S. Open at Los Angeles Country Club, and Schauffele and Shane Lowry in the 2024 PGA Championship at Valhalla.
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Haeran Ryu of South Korea and Lottie Woad of England interact after their round on the 18th green during the third round of the Amundi Evian Championship at Evian Resort Golf Club in Evian-les-Bains, France, on July 11, 2026. (Stuart Franklin/Getty Images)
Ryu hopes her historic third round can help propel her to a second major win in three weeks.
“That is amazing, amazing dream,” Ryu said. “So I just want that one to come true, but we have one more day.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Taylor Crabb is no stranger to South California beaches. The Long Beach State alum returns home this weekend to compete in AVP League matches.
It marks the first time AVP will compete in Long Beach since 2020 and allows players to compete at the 2028 Olympics beach volleyball venue.
Crabb, 34, made his AVP debut in 2013 with his brother, Trevor, and advanced from the qualifier in Manhattan Beach before finishing 25th in his first tournament.
After years of competing with various different partners, Taylor Crabb and Andy Benesh have delivered the top performances this AVP season.
The following interview with Crabb has been edited for clarity and length.
Are you excited to compete in this weekend’s event at Long Beach?
Crabb: Very excited. A lot of my college teammates and part of the school have reached out, saying that they’re gonna come. So I’m excited to get a chance to play in front of them again.
When was the last time you were in Long Beach?
Crabb: I always try to go down there for alumni events or any big games they have. I went to UCLA against Long Beach last year, when it was No. 1 versus No. 2, so I always try to get down there and support them.
You missed out on the chance to compete in the 2020 Olympics because of COVID-19 restrictions and chose not to pursue a spot at the 2024 Olympics. Are you fired up to try to compete in the 2028 Olympics, knowing that Long Beach will host the competition?
Crabb: Yeah, it’s definitely an exciting time having the Olympics in Long Beach, and we kind of get to break it in this weekend. As you said, Tokyo didn’t go the way I wanted, but I’m going full force now. I have a great partner in Andy Benesh, who obviously went to the Paris Olympics, and if it weren’t for the Olympics being in Long Beach, and me getting a partner like Andy, I’m not even sure I’d be going for it, but because of those two things, I want to make the most of it.
You mentioned that if it wasn’t for a partner like Andy, you wouldn’t be going for it. What do you mean by that?
Crabb: I didn’t feel motivated by playing in all the international events, but now, I think, sitting out kind of lit the fire under me, and I’m really motivated now.
You’ve had different partners throughout your time. What other motivation does Andy give you?
Crabb: He’s been, in my mind, the top blocker for the U.S. the last four or five years. Seeing the professionalism he brings every day to practice, on and off the court, while traveling and when showing up to tournaments, it rubs off on you and that’s really motivating to see. And I just want to make him proud.
Why do you love volleyball?
Crabb: A lot of reasons, but it’s just a feeling I have when I’m out there on the court. It feels natural. It feels like home. I was born into a volleyball family. I had a volleyball in my hands my entire life, so I’ve always just enjoyed it.
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CM Punk appeared on “Friday Night SmackDown” ready to take on any challenger that was ready to step to him after winning the Undisputed WWE Championship against Sami Zayn.
Punk entered the ring in Oklahoma City and called back to the “Monday Night Raw” after WrestleMania 42 when he told Cody Rhodes he’d be ready to deliver if a championship opportunity fell “out of the sky.”
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Cody Rhodes and CM Punk face off during SmackDown at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, Okla. (Craig Ambrosio/WWE via Getty Images)
“When championship opportunities fall out of the sky, CM Punk catches them,” he said.
Punk named potential SmackDown superstars he’d think might come for the title, including Gunther, Finn Balor, Royce Keys, Damian Priest and Trick Williams. He even said that Zayn could come back around and get his rematch if he wanted. He didn’t mention Rhodes’ name, but the “American Nightmare” came out uncalled and marched his way down to the ring.
“I don’t think you and I can run away from each other anymore,” Punk told Rhodes.
Cody Rhodes looks on during SmackDown at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, Okla., on July 10, 2026. (Craig Ambrosio/WWE via Getty Images)
Rhodes agreed and mentioned that Punk would want a match with him, just “say when.” It was a quick retort from Punk, who said, “when.” SmackDown general manager Nick Aldis, who was in the ring for the segment, booked the match for SummerSlam.
Punk will defend the Undisputed WWE Championship at SummerSlam, which takes place Aug. 1 and 2 at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis.
First, however, Punk and Rhodes will be involved in a tag team match at Saturday Night’s Main Event in New York City next week. Aldis made the match after Gunther demanded that Aldis put him in a match against Punk. Gunther was hoping it would be for the championship. Instead, Gunther will tag with Zayn.
Gunther didn’t take too kindly to that and attacked Aldis. Rhodes came back out to break up the calamity. He wanted to take on Gunther after the show went off air but Gunther walked away.
Gunther makes his entrance during SmackDown at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, Okla., on July 10, 2026. (Rich Wade/WWE via Getty Images)
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Punk definitely has his hands full as he moves to SmackDown to become a fighting champion.
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