IN BRIEF
GREEN BAY, Wis. — The running lanes looked decidedly wider. Eddie Lacy broke tackles and barreled over defenders.
The Green Bay Packers re-discovered their rushing attack in a 42-10 rout of the Minnesota Vikings on Thursday night.
Lacy ran for 105 yards and two touchdowns on 13 carries. Aaron Rodgers threw for three touchdowns and the Packers cruised after leading by four touchdowns at the half.
Rodgers finished 12 of 17 for 156 yards passing, including a 66-yard scoring strike to Jordy Nelson, the league’s leading receiver.
EUGENE, Ore. — The look on Marcus Mariota's face was unmistakable: He was stunned.Oregon's star quarterback lingered on the field following his team's 31-24 loss to Arizona, shaking hands with the Wildcats after they upset the heavily favored Ducks for the second consecutive season.Later, he shouldered the blame for a loss that left No. 2 Oregon with a tough hill to climb if it wants an invite to college football's first postseason playoff. And he credited the unranked Wildcats, who were 24-point underdogs.True freshman Nick Wilson ran for two touchdowns and caught a scoring pass from quarterback Anu Solomon to help the Wildcats open the season with five straight victories for the first time since 1998.Terris Jones-Grigsby plowed into the end zone from a yard out for the tiebreaking touchdown with 2:54 left, and Arizona held on after sacking Mariota and recovering his fumble.
NEW YORK — The 2015 NFL draft will be held in Chicago.Hours after the Bears posted an announcement on their Twitter account, the NFL confirmed the draft will move to Chicago on April 30-May 2. It will be held at Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University.The draft was held in Chicago in 1938, 1942-44, 1951, and 1962-64.
ST. ANDREWS, Scotland — Rory McIlroy found himself nine shots off the lead after a 1-over-par 73 in the first round of the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship.Four days after celebrating a third straight European Ryder Cup victory, McIlroy could manage just one birdie against two bogeys at Carnoustie, one of the three courses.Oliver Wilson of England, ranked 791 places below the top-ranked McIlroy, equaled the Carnoustie course record with an 8-under 64.