National Football League

Thursday's Sports In Brief

Published Aug. 3, 2018 5:22 a.m. ET

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COLLEGE FOOTBALL

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) Ohio State closed ranks around the rollout of its football season as the university investigates whether coach Urban Meyer failed to report domestic abuse allegations, a scandal hitting a school already accused of not facing up to sexual misconduct allegations against a sports doctor.

The Buckeyes planned to open their first football practice Friday without Meyer, who was put on administrative leave during the probe and also suspended from an endorsement deal by restaurant chain Bob Evans. It's not clear how restrictive the paid leave will be for the coach set to earn $7.6 million for the season after getting a raise this year.

Ohio State officials said reporters would be barred from football practices until at least next week, and university trustees announced that a six-member committee will head up the investigation.

Co-offensive coordinator Ryan Day has been named acting head coach.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - Vanderbilt coach Derek Mason says backup quarterback Deuce Wallace has been suspended this season over a violation of school policy.

Mason announced the suspension before the Commodores open fall camp and would not say what Wallace did.

The Commodores have senior Kyle Shurmur returning as the starting quarterback. Vanderbilt's other quarterbacks are Mo Hasan, who played at Coffeyville Community College last season after transferring from Syracuse, and freshman Allan Walters.

NFL

CANTON, Ohio (AP) - The Ravens and Bears honored their great linebackers Ray Lewis and Brian Urlacher with some defense to make them proud in the Hall of Fame game that opened the NFL's preseason.

Oh, there was a little spark of offense, some provided by Baltimore's first-round draft pick Lamar Jackson in the second half of a 17-16 victory. His 7-yard touchdown pass to fellow first-rounder Hayden Hurst came after the Ravens' defense recovered a fumble.

Chicago put together its best drive in the final minutes and journeyman Tyler Bray connected with Tanner Gentry for a 10-yard score to cap a 92-yard march. But the 2-point conversion pass fell incomplete.

Otherwise, D was the letter of the day: there were six turnovers in all, and 12 sacks, eight by the Bears.

The teams exchanged tipped interceptions on the first two possessions of the preseason.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - The Tennessee Titans will be working out veteran safety Eric Reid in their search for a potential replacement after losing Johnathan Cyprien for the season with a torn left ACL, according to a person familiar with the visit.

Reid will work out for the Titans on Friday.

The Titans will become only the second NFL team to bring Reid in for a visit this year. Reid's visit with the Cincinnati Bengals ended with the safety filing a claim this spring arguing he was unsigned as a result of collusion by NFL owners over his protests of police brutality and racial inequality by kneeling during the anthem.

Reid, 26, has been out of work since playing out his contract with San Francisco. He started 69 of 70 games with 10 career interceptions.

The safety said in March that he does not plan to protest during the anthem this season if signed by a team.

NBA

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) - Simply redesigning uniforms wasn't enough for the Memphis Grizzlies. They seized the opportunity to change so much more.

Everything from logos to color schemes to the way their court at FedExForum will have a new look this season, part of the team's most significant reimaging since 2004.

All that and the Grizzlies also added FedEx to the jersey as the team's corporate sponsor. The unveiling ceremonies at FedExForum for the media and key fans even included a FedEx courier delivering packages containing the new jerseys.

BASEBALL

PHOENIX (AP) - San Francisco Giants infielder Pablo Sandoval will miss the remainder of the season after tearing his right hamstring while sliding.

Giants manager Bruce Bochy said the 2012 World Series MVP has a significant tear requiring surgery. Sandoval was injured while sliding into home plate Sunday against San Diego.

The 31-year-old Sandoval was hitting .248 with nine homers and 40 RBIs. He also played first and third base during his second stint with San Francisco.

NEW YORK (AP) - Mets slugger Yoenis Cespedes had surgery on his right heel, the first of two procedures that will likely sideline him for eight to 10 months.

Dr. Robert Anderson removed bone calcification in Cespedes' heel during the operation in Green Bay, Wisconsin.

Assistant general manager John Ricco said Cespedes will rest for eight to 12 weeks before getting surgery on his left heel.

Ricco also said doctors want to make sure Cespedes has some mobility in the right leg before the second surgery.

GOLF

AKRON, Ohio (AP) - Ian Poulter has never had much success at the Bridgestone Invitational until he opened with an 8-under 62. That was four shots better than Tiger Woods, who plays well at Firestone all the time.

Poulter was motivated by reading over his results and realizing he has never finished better than a tie for 13th. He made eight birdies in soft, vulnerable conditions and saved par from the bunker on his final hole to build a one-shot lead over Rickie Fowler and Patrick Cantlay.

Back at Firestone for the first time in four years, Woods had his lowest opening round of the year. He shot a 66, but on a day like this, it was needed just to keep pace.

Forty-five players in the 71-man field broke par.

Rickie Fowler and Kyle Stanley each had a 63, while Jon Rahm, Si Woo Kim and Patrick Cantlay were another shot behind. Seven players were in the group at 65, which included Rory McIlroy, Justin Thomas and Jason Day.

LYTHAM ST. ANNES, England (AP) - The big thing missing for Minjee Lee in her impressive season is a strong performance at a major championship.

She might get it at the Women's British Open.

The No. 8-ranked Australian shot a 7-under 65, including a right-to-left putt for eagle from 25 feet on the par-5 15th hole, to lead by one stroke after the first round at Royal Lytham.

Mamiko Higa was a shot behind after a 66, while five players - Georgia Hall, Teresa Lu, Park Sung-hyun, Lee Mi-hyang and Pornanong Phatlum - were a further stroke back on a day that started with showers and a breeze before brightening up.

Top-ranked Ariya Jutanugarn bounced back from a double-bogey 6 at the second hole to shoot 71. Second-ranked Inbee Park dropped four shots in her first five holes in a 76.

RENO, Nev. (AP) - Ollie Schniederjans scored five points with a closing eagle to take a three-point lead in the Barracuda Championship, the PGA Tour's only modified Stableford scoring event.

Schniederjans hit a 5-iron approach from 275 yards to 3 feet to set up the eagle on the par-5 18th at Montreux Golf and Country Club.

He finished with 17 points, also making six birdies. Players receive eight points for an albatross, five for eagle, two for birdie and zero for par. A point is subtracted for bogey, and three points are subtracted for double bogey or worse.

Denny McCarthy was tied for the lead with a hole to play just before sunset, but lost three points with a double bogey on the par-4 ninth to drop into a tie for second with Aaron Baddeley.

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