In his second NFL season, former Gadsden City High School standout Darnell Mooney was a 1,000-yard receiver in 2021. But in the past two seasons combined, Mooney didn’t have 1,000 receiving yards as injuries and spotty quarterback play depressed his production.
That didn’t keep the Atlanta Falcons from signing Mooney to a three-year, $39 million contract in the offseason as a free agent. In his first game for Atlanta, Mooney had one reception for 15 yards in an 18-10 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sept. 8.
But on Monday night, Mooney’s signing paid off for the Falcons as Atlanta rallied to beat the Philadelphia Eagles 22-21.
Mooney’s first reception of the game was a 41-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Kirk Cousins as the Falcons took a 15-10 lead with 1:21 left in the third quarter.
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After Philadelphia drove 70 yards on 17 plays for a touchdown and, after stopping Atlanta on downs at the Falcons 39-yard line, added a field goal, Atlanta got the football at its 30-yard line trailing by six with 1:39 to play. Mooney had back-to-back receptions of 21 and 26 yards, setting up a 7-yard touchdown pass from Cousins to wide receiver Drake London with 34 seconds to play.
After an unsportsmanlike-conduct penalty against London, Younghoe Koo made a 48-yard extra point to give the Falcons a one-point lead.
Atlanta safety Jessie Bates III ended the game when he intercepted Philadelphia quarterback Jalen Hurts at the Falcons 32 with 19 seconds to play.
Mooney had three receptions for 88 yards and one touchdown. He hadn’t had that many receiving yards in a game since Oct. 2, 2022, when he had four receptions for 94 yards in the Chicago Bears’ 20-12 loss to the New York Giants.
Six other players from Alabama high schools and colleges got on the field during the Atlanta-Philadelphia game:
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· Reed Blankenship (West Limestone) started at safety for the Eagles. Blankenship led Philadelphia with 10 tackles.
· Eagles defensive back James Bradberry (Pleasant Grove, Samford) is on injured reserve and not eligible to play.
· Landon Dickerson (Alabama) started at left guard for the Eagles.
· Eagles offensive lineman Jack Driscoll (Auburn) is on the practice squad and not eligible to play.
· Falcons safety DeMarcco Hellams (Alabama) is on injured reserve and not eligible to play.
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· Bryce Huff (St. Paul’s Episcopal) started at defensive end for the Eagles. Huff did not record any stats.
· Jalen Hurts (Alabama) started at quarterback for the Eagles. Hurts completed 23-of-30 passes for 183 yards with one touchdown and one interception and ran 13 times for 85 yards and one touchdown. Hurts threw a 7-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver DeVonta Smith as Philadelphia took a 7-3 lead with 5:15 left in the first half and scored on a 1-yard quarterback sneak as the Eagles went in front 18-15 with 6:47 remaining in the game.
· Falcons running back Jase McClellan (Alabama) was designated as a game-day inactive.
· Falcons linebacker Monty Rice (James Clemens) is on the practice squad and not eligible to play.
· Eagles cornerback Eli Ricks (Alabama) was designated as a game-day inactive.
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· DeVonta Smith (Alabama) started at wide receiver for the Eagles. Smith had seven receptions for 76 yards and one touchdown. Smith caught a 7-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Jalen Hurts as Philadelphia took a 7-3 lead with 5:15 left in the first half.
· Eagles offensive lineman Tyler Steen (Alabama) did not record any stats.
· Eagles defensive tackle Byron Young (Alabama) was designated as a game-day inactive.
Atlanta (1-1) plays the Kansas City Chiefs at 7:20 p.m. CDT Sunday at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. Philadelphia (1-1) plays the New Orleans Saints at noon Sunday at Caesars Superdome in New Orleans.
Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver DeVonta Smith catches a touchdown pass during an NFL game against the Atlanta Falcons on Monday, Sept. 16, 2024, at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia.(AP Photo/Matt Slocum)
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Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at @AMarkG1.
Alabama football is hosting an impressive group of 2027 recruits throughout this weekend. This is the first of several weekends the Tide will host top recruits for official visits.
So, will Alabama add a commit this weekend? This is very much possible, and there are a few prospects Touchdown Alabama has our eyes on.
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Justin Smith is the Managing Editor and Lead Writer for Touchdown Alabama Magazine with over 10 years of writing experience & expertise. Smith has consistently delivered high quality, extensively researched information on the University of Alabama’s Crimson Tide football team that fans can trust. Smith is official credentialed media with the University of Alabama under Touchdown Alabama Magazine. He is also the Director of Recruiting for Touchdown Enterprises, specializing in scouting and analyzing high school recruits around the nation, specifically focusing on recruits within the state of Alabama.
OKLAHOMA CITY–– UCLA’s home run power made headlines all season, but it was Alabama’s super sluggers who stepped up in the biggest moments on the biggest stage during the Crimson Tide’s opening game of the Women’s College World Series.
No. 1 Alabama was trailing by two runs heading into the fifth inning of Thursday’s game before Alexis Pupillo tied it up with a two-run shot in the bottom of the frame.
The Tide had struggled with runners in scoring position all game, but when Alabama’s home run leader Brooke Wells stepped to the plate with two on in the sixth inning, she made sure that wasn’t going to happen again. In her first ever game at the WCWS, Wells hit one over the right field wall to give Alabama a three-run lead.
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That score would hold as No. 1 Alabama beat No. 8 UCLA 6-3 to move into the winners’ bracket at the WCWS.
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The moment meant a lot for Wells after she went without a hit during the super regional round against LSU. The team rallied around her, and head coach Patrick Murphy put a card in her locker at the beginning of the week.
“It was great to do it for these girls,” Wells said after the game. “These girls are so great. They had my back all last weekend, you know, how he said. It wasn’t the best weekend for me, but they never lost trust in me, they never lost faith in me. Murph gave me a card, the girls picked me up all weekend. I walked in here feeling as confident as ever. Didn’t really cross my mind anything that happened last weekend.”
This is the first trip to the World Series for both Wells and Pupillo as transfers into Alabama. Pupillo is in her final season and has now hit a home run in three straight postseason games and is up to 20 on the season.
“This is the moment that I’ve been waiting for since I was like eight years old,” Pupillo said. “I walked through the gates today, I kind of started tearing up for a second because it just felt surreal. I just remember watching Montana Fouts pitch in the World Series when she threw the perfect game. That moment of me when I was eight years old watching it on the TV, man, I really want to do that.”
Alabama junior ace Jocelyn Briski shut down the UCLA batting order the first time through, but the Bruins bats wouldn’t stay down for long. UCLA rallied for three runs on four hits, including two home runs, in the third inning to take a 3-1 lead.
She did not allow another run to the potent UCLA offense over the next four innings. Briski finished with nine strikeouts against a team that does not strike out much.
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“You could see they hit two home runs, we hit two home runs, but the ability to come up with those timely hits with runners on obviously makes a difference,” UCLA coach Kelly Inoyue-Perez said after the game.
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Coming into the matchup, Alabama knew UCLA would score. It just wanted to limit the damage, and Briski was able to do that.
Jena Young set the tone for the offense at the top of the lineup, reaching base four times with three hits. She scored in the first inning on an RBI-single from Alabama’s senior captain Marlie Giles, Pupillo’s home run and on the Wells’ home run in the sixth inning.
Alabama (55-7) will face the winner of Thursday night’s game between No. 4 Nebraska and No. 5 Arkansas on Saturday. Winning the first game sets the tone for the rest of the series and makes the path a lot smoother. Around 90 percent of previous college softball national champions win their opening game at the WCWS.
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Alabama plays UCLA on Thursday night in the third first-round game of the Women’s College World Series
The Alabama Crimson Tide battles the UCLA Bruins on Thursday night in a first-round game of the Women’s College World Series. The Crimson Tide comes into the World Series on a five-game winning streak after sweeping through the regionals and super regional. They fell short in the SEC Tournament, as they lost to Texas 7-1, but they have been great in the postseason. They have given up just one combined run in the five postseason games and have easily moved on to the World Series. They beat USC Upstate twice and Belmont once in the regional by a combined 20-0 score. They then swept rival LSU in the super regional by a combined 11-1 score. They now sit at 54-7 on the season and are one of the favorites to win the National Championship.
How to Watch Alabama vs UCLA College Softball Today:
Game Date: Thursday, May 28, 2026
Game Time: 7:00 p.m. ET
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The Bruins, though, are looking to knock off the Crimson Tide and pick up a huge first-round upset on Thursday night.
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The Bruins also swept through the regional and super regional and come into the World Series 52-8 on the season.
The Bruins also came up short in their conference tournament, as they lost to Nebraska, but, like the Crimson Tide, have been good in the postseason. They got tested by Cal Baptist in the first game of the regional, but since that game, they have outscored their opponents 55-8.
What Time Is Alabama vs UCLA College Softball Game?
Game 3: Alabama vs UCLA will take place on Thursday, May 28, 2026, at 7:00 p.m. ET. Tune in and catch some great College Softball action.
What Channel Is Alabama vs UCLA College Softball Game?
Looking to watch this game? Fans can tune into ESPN2 to see the action. Make sure you subscribe to Fubo now to watch this matchup, as well as numerous other sports leagues.
Live stream Alabama vs UCLA College Softball on Fubo:Start watching now!
