ATLANTA (AP) — Georgia Tech interim coach Brent Key has begun to instill a winning culture that eluded his predecessor, Geoff Collins, for over three years. “We went from trying not …

KENNESAW, Ga. (AP) — Isaac Foster scored with 21 seconds left in regulation and ran 12 yards for a touchdown in the second overtime to rally Kennesaw State to a 40-34 win over North Alabama on …

ATHENS, Ga. (AP) — Former Georgia coach Vince Dooley was hospitalized Saturday with COVID-19, a school spokesman said. Athletic department spokesman Claude Felton said Dooley, 90, was admitted to an Athens area hospital with a “mild case” of COVID-19.

ATHENS, Ga. (AP) — Georgia gets held to an almost impossible standard these days. That goes with being the defending national champions. “I think we just got to play football,” quarterback Stetson Bennett said. “I mean, it’s just football. It’s X’s and O’s. It’s have fun with your brother and go jump on him.”

FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. (AP) — Atlanta Falcons tight end Kyle Pitts will miss Sunday’s game at Tampa Bay with a hamstring injury. Pitts has 10 catches for 150 yards in Atlanta’s first four games. He missed practice all week. Pitts is the second starter on offense to be ruled out this week. Leading rusher Cordarrelle Patterson was placed on injured reserve Monday due to what coach Arthur Smith described as a minor knee procedure and will miss at least four games.

Major League Baseball’s postseason has a little more heft this year. The playoffs are here, with the first games played on Friday. The postseason begins with a field of 12 teams and includes a best-of-three format for the opening wild-card round. That's up from 10 teams last season. The playoffs include a best-of-three format for the opening wild-card round. The three games will be scheduled on consecutive days from Friday through Sunday at the higher seed’s field.

ATHENS, Ga. (AP) — Second-ranked Georgia will try to regain momentum when it plays Auburn in a Southeastern Conference game. The Bulldogs fell from the top spot in The Associated Press Top 25 this week after having to rally for a 26-22 win at Missouri. The major scare at Missouri followed a similarly uninspiring 39-22 win over Kent State. Auburn experienced the other side of a big comeback last week, leaving more pressure on embattled coach Bryan Harsin.

MIAMI (AP) — Don Mattingly went out as a winner in his final game as Miami’s manager when rookie Peyton Burdick homered and drove in four runs to lead the Marlins over the NL East champion Atlanta Braves 12-9. Matt Olson and Marcell Ozuna homered for the Braves, who finished 101-61 and have a bye into the Division Series next week. The 61-year-old Mattingly announced Sept. 25 he would not seek a new contract.

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Dallas baseball fan Cory Youmans made the catch of a lifetime, snagging the ball that New York Yankees slugger Aaron Judge hit for his American League-record 62nd home run. Youmans caught the prized souvenir on the fly Tuesday night at Globe Life Field, home of the Texas Rangers. Youmans, who works in the financial world, said he hasn't decided what he'll do with ball.

MIAMI (AP) — William Contreras drove in the go-ahead run in the fifth, and the Atlanta Braves clinched their fifth consecutive NL East title by defeating the Miami Marlins 2-1. Atlanta earned a first-round bye as the No. 2 seed in the NL playoffs, behind the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Braves were 10 1/2 games behind the New York Mets at the start of June and lost four of five to New York in early August.

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Aaron Judge has hit his 62nd home run of the season to break Roger Maris’ American League record. Judge hit a 1-1 slider from Texas right-hander Jesús Tinoco into the first row of seats in left field when leading off the second game of New York’s day-night doubleheader on Tuesday. The 30-year-old Judge had homered only once in his past 13 games. That was when he hit No. 61 in Toronto last Wednesday to match Maris. While Maris’ 61 for the Yankees in 1961 had been exceeded six times previously, all were tainted by the stench of steroids.

MIAMI (AP) — Jesús Luzardo struck out 12 in six innings, Bryan De La Cruz hit a two-run homer and the Miami Marlins prevented Atlanta from clinching its fifth straight NL East title by beating the Braves 4-0. After sweeping the rival Mets at home over the weekend, Atlanta arrived in Miami needing one win or a New York loss to wrap up the division crown and a first-round playoff bye.

ATLANTA (AP) — The Atlanta Falcons have placed running back Cordarrelle Patterson on injured reserve following what coach Arthur Smith described as a minor procedure on his knee. Patterson will miss at least four games, leaving rookie Tyler Allgeier and Caleb Huntley as the top healthy running backs for Sunday’s game at Tampa Bay.

ATLANTA (AP) — Matt Olson knew the Atlanta Braves were too talented to stay in a season-long slump. That's why no one panicked when the New York Mets' division lead swelled to double digits in May. Now the Braves are on the cusp of another NL East title.

Alabama reclaimed No. 1 from Georgia in The Associated Press college football poll in one of the closest votes in the recent years, and six teams — including Kansas — made their season debut on Sunday.

ATLANTA (AP) — Two months into the season, it looked like the New York Mets were headed for an NL East runaway. Not so fast, said the reigning World Series champions. Sparked by two budding stars, the Atlanta Braves suddenly found their mojo.

ATLANTA (AP) — Georgia Tech is starting over with its football program and its athletic department overall. The school fired coach Geoff Collins after fewer than four seasons and a 10-28 record. It also got rid of athletic director Todd Stansbury. Georgia Tech plans to hire a new AD first, then let that person oversee the hiring of a new football coach.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Ronald Acuña Jr. hit a pair of solo home runs and the Atlanta Braves beat the Washington Nationals 8-2 for their fourth straight win, moving them into a first-place tie in the NL East with the New York Mets. Orlando Arcia also homered and Michael Harris II had a two-run triple for the Braves, who caught the Mets when they lost 6-4 at home to Miami.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Bryce Elder threw a six-hit shutout for his first career complete game, and the Atlanta Braves defeated Washington 8-0 to close within one game of the first-place New York Mets in the NL East and hand the Nationals their 100th loss of the season. Matt Olson and Orlando Arcia hit two-run homers and Marcell Ozuna added a solo shot for Atlanta, which like New York has already clinched a playoff berth.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Seven-time NASCAR champion Jimmie Johnson tells The Associated Press that he is retiring from full-time racing and will turn his focus toward spending time with family. He figures his future schedule will include no more than 10 bucket-list events. The 47-year-old says he has no idea what his racing schedule will look like, or whether he'll run any IndyCar races next season.

The NFL is replacing the Pro Bowl with weeklong skills competitions and a flag football game. The new event will be renamed “The Pro Bowl Games” and will feature AFC and NFC players showcasing their football and non-football skills in challenges over several days. The 2023 Games will be held in Las Vegas, and the flag football game at Allegiant Stadium is Sunday, Feb. 5.

ATLANTA (AP) — Georgia Tech's athletic association board has called a meeting for Monday and the future of football coach Geoff Collins appears to be in the balance. Georgia Tech spokesman Mike Flynn says the meeting will be open only to board members. There has been increased speculation about Collins’ status following three consecutive three-win seasons and a 1-3 start this month.

SEATTLE (AP) — Cordarrelle Patterson rushed for a career-high 141 yards and one touchdown, Marcus Mariota threw a 14-yard TD to rookie Drake London in the second half, and the Atlanta Falcons picked up their first win of the season in beating the Seattle Seahawks 27-23. Patterson rumbled for 107 yards in the second half and the Falcons were able to avoid starting 0-3 for the second time in three seasons.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Ronald Acuña singled home the go-ahead run in the 11th inning and the Atlanta Braves stayed close in the NL East race, outlasting the Philadelphia Phillies 8-7 in a game that took over six hours to complete because of a two-hour rain delay. The Braves split the four-game series and remained 1 1/2 games behind the division-leading New York Mets.

ATHENS, Ga. (AP) — Brock Bowers scored two more touchdowns and No. 1 Georgia survived a sloppy performance and surprisingly gritty effort from Kent State, holding off the Golden Flashes 39-22. The 4-0 Bulldogs turned it over three times, struggled in the red zone, were burned on a fake punt, and gave up several big plays to 1-3 Kent State in what was easily their worst performance of the season.