In fact, Wednesday’s 3-2 victory at Audi Field made history for the Orange & Blue, who tied an MLS non-shootout era record with their seventh straight road win – previously set by CF Montréal in 2022.
Last year’s Supporters’ Shield winner also earned their league-best ninth away win of the season to keep pace with Miami, as the current Shield leaders also got it done on the road in Matchday 24 with a 2-1 win at Charlotte FC – their fourth straight victory without Lionel Messi or Luis Suárez due to Copa América commitments.
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It sets up a massive weekend clash at TQL Stadium between the first and second-place teams in MLS. The Herons are on 47 points, but Cincinnati are just two points back with a match in hand.
“I give the guys credit because we’ve gone on the road two games here and gotten results, and it’s not easy to do,” head coach Pat Noonan said after the win, which came courtesy of a Pavel Bucha brace that followed Kevin Kelsy’s 10th-minute opener. “I told them before the game… ‘You guys are a good team on the road,’ and it might not always be the way we want it to look.
“That’s credit to the opponent, that’s credit to going on the road in tough atmospheres, but you have to be able to adjust at times and adapt to the conditions, and I think they do a good job of that.”
Miami Heat (4-6, ninth in the Eastern Conference) vs. Indiana Pacers (5-6, fifth in the Eastern Conference)
Indianapolis; Friday, 7 p.m. EST
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BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Pacers -3.5; over/under is 230.5
BOTTOM LINE: Miami faces the Indiana Pacers after Tyler Herro scored 40 points in the Heat’s 123-121 overtime loss to the Detroit Pistons.
Indiana went 47-35 overall and 32-20 in Eastern Conference action last season. The Pacers averaged 7.7 steals, 5.9 blocks and 12.3 turnovers per game last season.
Miami went 46-36 overall and 32-20 in Eastern Conference play during the 2023-24 season. The Heat averaged 7.5 steals, 3.4 blocks and 11.8 turnovers per game last season.
INJURIES: Pacers: Aaron Nesmith: day to day (ankle), Andrew Nembhard: day to day (knee), Isaiah Jackson: out (calf), James Wiseman: out (calf).
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Heat: Jimmy Butler: day to day (ankle).
___
The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
When it rains, it pours. Just a day after the USC football program was placed on NCAA probation and fined $50,000, the Trojans took another hit with on the recruiting front.
On Wednesday morning, USC’s four-star defensive lineman commit Hayden Lowe told On3’s Hayes Fawcett that he flipped his commitment from the Trojans to the Miami Hurricanes. This comes days after USC head coach Lincoln Riley visited Lowe during his Friday night game this past weekend.
Oaks Christian edge Hayden Lowe posing for a photo at Miami. / Hayden Lowe/X
It’s a tough loss for the Trojans who have been looking to retool their defensive front with the addition of USC co-defensive coordinators Eric Henderson and D’Anton Lynn.
Lowe’s decision to play for Miami was in part to work with Miami defensive ends coach and six-time Pro Bowler Jason Taylor.
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“In order to be the best, you have to be coached by the best and someone that has actually went through what you’re going through,” Lowe said about Taylor to On3. “So, I feel like nobody in college football has that power to instill what you want other than Jason Taylor — because he’s gone through it. He’s been against the best of the best. He’s gone through all the struggles, he’s won games, he’s won Super Bowls, holds records. There’s no other coach on the planet that can really give you the information that he can.”
Greg Biggins of 247Sports wrote that Lowe has all the tools and size to be one of the best edge rushers in the class of 2025.
“Lowe is one of the top edge rushers in the ’25 class. He has a prototype 6-4, 240 pound frame…is a plus athlete and shows the ability to play just about anywhere along the defensive line. He’s a naturally strong kid who can take on double teams…he’s equally strong playing the run or rushing the quarterback…he hails from the same program that produced former Oregon and NY Giant 1st round pick Kayvon Thibodeaux and his coaches at Oaks feel his upside is just as high,” Biggins wrote.
Oct 20, 2023; Carrollton, GA, USA; Carrollton Trojans quarterback Julian Lewis (10) scrambles out of the pocket against the Westlake Lions during the first half at Grisham Stadium. The 15-year-old Carrollton High student has already committed to playing for the University of Southern California Trojans and has been considered one of the top high school quarterback prospects. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-Imagn Images / John David Mercer-Imagn Images
It’s a big loss to say the least for the Trojans as USC saw their 2025 recruiting class drop in rankings according to 247Sports. The Trojans dropped from having a top 10 class, sitting at No. 10, dropping to No. 12 after the loss of Lowe.
USC loses one of their highest rated defensive prospects with Lowe flipping. It’s been a tough week for USC off the field, not only did Lowe announce his flip to the Hurricanes, but multiple recruiting sites have pegged predicitions for the Men of Troy to lose their crown jewel of their 2025 recruiting class in quarterback commit Julian Lewis.
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On3’s Steve Wiltfong and 247Sports’ Tom Loy both put in predictions over the past week indicating that Lewis, a Trojan commit, could end up flipping to Colorado.
Georgia is set to host elite QBs and flip targets for its showdown against Tennessee, headlined by USC commit Julian Lewis and Vols 4-star WR commit Travis Smith🐶
News also broke Wednesday morning that Lewis would end up taking a visit to Georgia this week. The Trojans have had a bad season on the field and the results are translating off the field with Lewis having a wandering eye for other schools and Lowe decommitting.
The Trojans must rally to end the season to bring back more confidence from the recruiting end and if USC can piece together a positive three game stretch to end the season vs. Nebraska, UCLA, and Notre Dame.
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MORE: Nebraska Starting Quarterback vs. USC? Dylan Raiola Injury Update
While the Miami Dolphins are concentrating on making a run for the playoffs this season, it is never too early to start thinking about the 2025 NFL draft.
The Dolphins have area scouts on the road, attending various college games and visiting campuses to evaluate the best for 2025.
USA Today has come out with its latest first-round mock draft Wednesday.
Writer Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz based his mock draft on the draft order based on the current standings, and the Dolphins currently would have the 10th selection with their 3-6 record. With that 10th overall pick, Middlehurst-Schwartz projected safety Malaki Starks from the University of Georgia going to the Dolphins.
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Part of his reasoning is Jevon Holland is a pending free agent, as are fellow safeties Jorday Poyer, Marcus Mayes and Elijah Campbell.
“While the NFL hasn’t had a safety selected in the top 10 since Jamal Adams went sixth overall in 2017, Starks should earn consideration to go early on Day 1 as a do-it-all defender who constantly puts himself in position to make big plays,” Middlehurst-Schwartz wrote.
Starks has 31 tackles this season, one interception, and one pass broken up. His statistics are down this season compared to the last two seasons when he was involved in more passes broken up and had more interceptions.
Starks had one of his best games against then-ranked No. 1 Texas when he had seven tackles and led the Bulldogs to a 30-15 upset victory in Austin.
The Dolphins’ only safety under contract for 2025 is rookie sixth-round pick Patrick McMorris, who was placed on injured reserve on August 29 but began practicing again last week.
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