Auston Matthews: Toronto 'painful' before deadline — and more

Maple Leafs star Auston Matthews has described the current situation in Toronto as 'painful' ahead of the trade deadline.

An independent review into oil and gas company Inpex has found widespread and persistent failures in how emissions were calculated, recorded and reported, dating back to the start of production in 2018. 

Trent Dilfer says he was 'forced' to take UAB head coaching job originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

Trent Dilfer is acknowledging what many already suspected about his brief tenure at UAB. It was a mistake by the former Super Bowl-winning quarterback. 

Dilfer went 9-21 in two-plus seasons as head coach of the UAB Blazers and recently admitted he never truly wanted the job before accepting it in 2023. So why would he take it? Pressure to be great at another level. 

However, Dilfer faded fast. He was fired midway through his third season after a 2-4 start, ending an experiment that never gained traction in Birmingham.

While on OutKick's "Hot Mic" this week, Dilfer admitted he felt pressure to leave Lipscomb Academy, where he had built a powerhouse program. “I did feel a burden,” Dilfer said. “I did not want to do it. My wife will tell you this. I was vehemently opposed to it.”

Dilfer said multiple schools reached out during his final season at Lipscomb, where he went 44-10 from 2019-22 and capped his run with a 13-0 record in 2022.

Ultimately, Dilfer said he underestimated how different the college landscape had become. With NIL taking a front seat during the time of his hire, the sport became transactional with rapid career advancement the only way forward. But he wasn't chasing a bag. 

More: One NFL team asked Fernando Mendoza to get arrested to slide in the NFL Draft

“My job at Lipscomb is exponentially better than my job at UAB,” Dilfer said. “It’s not even in the conversation of comparison.”

Now back in high school football, Dilfer appears at peace and candid about a move he never truly embraced. Don't expect him to jet off to college again anytime soon. 

More college football news: 

• Oregon's Dan Lanning rips College Football Playoff, calls for major changes
• Deion Sanders buyout, contract details as Colorado Buffaloes coach
• Steve Sarkisian blasts Ohio State players for not going to class
• NCAA targets exposed calves in latest proposed college football rule change
• High school football recruits using AI-generated highlight tapes is on the rise

Zuby Ejiofor finished with 16 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists, becoming the fourth player in St. John's history to record a triple‑double. The Red Storm surged to a 30‑point first‑half lead and finished with an 89‑57 victory over Villanova at Madison Square Garden.

The win snapped a 72‑40 loss to UConn and ended a 13‑game winning streak. Coach Rick Pitino celebrated the comeback while the team embraced the annual “White Out” theme.