LOS ANGELES -- Todd Gurley rushed for a touchdown in his preseason debut, and the Los Angeles Rams defeated the Kansas City Chiefs 21-20 on Saturday night.Gurley, who was held out of exhibition games last season as a rookie while recovering from a torn ACL, rushed for 20 yards on four carries and scored on a 3-yard run.With the Chiefs (0-2) holding out four defensive starters, including safety Eric Berry and linebacker Josh Mauga, the starting offensive line played four series and allowed Rams running backs Gurley, Benny Cunningham and Malcolm Brown to rush for 85 yards on 15 carries.Case Keenum started at quarterback and led the Rams (2-0) to two touchdowns, going 4 of 5 for 53 yards with an 11-yard scoring pass to Pharoh Cooper before giving way to rookie Jared Goff.The No. 1 overall draft pick mostly struggled for the second consecutive week despite working with the first-unit offensive line for two series. Goff lost a fumble after tripping over left guard Cody Wichmann and fumbled out of bounds while being sacked.Goffs first touchdown pass came on a 10-yard throw to Brown, who made a juggling catch to put the Rams ahead early in the fourth quarter. Goff played the entire second half and finished 8 of 12 for 82 yards.Alex Smith was 9 of 12 for 137 yards and one touchdown, leading the Chiefs to 17 points on four possessions. Smiths pump-fake on a 20-yard touchdown pass completely fooled two Rams defenders and allowed Jeremy Maclin to step into the end zone untouched.Maclin and Rams cornerback Lamarcus Joyner were ejected with 44 seconds left in the first half after trading slaps to the head.Referee Pete Morelli accidentally identified Joyner as playing for St. Louis, resulting in boos from the Coliseum crowd.Jabriel Washington recovered quarterback Aaron Murrays fumble at the Rams 23-yard line to seal the win. The Chiefs forced a three-and-out to get the ball back with 1:22 left, but Murray threw four incompletions to end the threat.ROOKIE WATCHChiefs: D.J. White started at cornerback, working opposite last seasons Defensive Rookie of the Year Marcus Peters. The sixth-round pick from Georgia Tech was effective when blitzing, but had mixed results in coverage. White finished with one tackle.Rams: The Rams loaded up on rookie wide receivers hoping to find complements to Tavon Austin and Kenny Britt, but are still waiting for someone to break through. Cooper scored on his only reception, while Paul McRoberts added one catch for 6 yards. Production is more likely to come from the tight ends Tyler Higbee, who did not play because of illness, and Temarrick Hemingway, who had a 26-yard reception from Goff.POSITION BATTLESChiefs: Nick Foles was solid against his former team, going 18 of 22 for 133 yards. With Tyler Bray status uncertain after suffering a small chip fracture in his cervical spine last week against the Seattle Seahawks, Foles experience as a starter with the Rams and Philadelphia Eagles represents a significant upgrade behind Smith regardless of when the fourth-year quarterback from Tennessee is able to return.Rams: With the secondary struggling again, cornerback E.J. Gaines first live action since suffering a foot injury in training camp last year was a welcome sign. Gaines finished with four tackles and it wouldnt be a surprise if he started opposite Trumaine Johnson next week at Denver.INJURY UPDATEChiefs: Fullback Trey Millard was taken off the field on a cart after suffering a left knee injury covering a punt. Millard previously tore the ACL in his left knee as a senior at Oklahoma.Rams: Wide receiver Bradley Marquez suffered a right leg injury in the third quarter. Marquez did not appear to be able to put any weight on his leg as he was helped off the field.---Online:AP NFL website:
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www.twitter.com/AP-NFL . - The Oakland Raiders re-signed offensive lineman Khalif Barnes on Friday. . Barcelona also left injured defenders Carles Puyol, Javier Mascherano and Jordi Alba out of its squad for the trip to Glasgow. That means that Marc Bartra will probably start again in the centre of the defence alongside Gerard Pique. . Then the Pacers gave Oladipo and his Orlando teammates the cold shoulder. Paul Georges buzzer-beating 3-pointer at the end of the third quarter spurred a 21-4 run, finally sending Indiana past the Magic 97-87 in a tougher-than-expected opening night matchup. . -- Golden State Warriors coach Mark Jackson asked his players a simple question during Fridays morning shootaround: How many of them had ever been on a team 14 games over . . - Chris Tierney snapped a tie with a power-play goal late in the third period as the London Knights rallied from a 3-0 deficit to beat the Erie Otters 5-3 in Ontario Hockey League action on Wednesday. Within seconds of crossing the finish line at the Müller Anniversary Games in London on July 22, the stoic expression on American record holder Kendra Keni Harrisons face morphed into uncontrollable emotion.With her time of 12.20 seconds in the 100-meter hurdles posted on the scoreboard, she fell to her knees and buried her face in her hands. Harrison had just broken a 28-year-old world record, previously set by Bulgarian Yordanka Donkova in 1988. When she finally peeled herself off the track, she rushed toward the stands to her coach Edrick Floréal with tears in her eyes.I told you! I told you! Floréal shouted as the two embraced.This race -- part of the prestigious IAAF Diamond League event that drew elite athletes worldwide -- was an uplifting outcome to a crushing reality nearly two weeks prior. It was widely expected that the 23-year-old hurdling sensation would make the team at the U.S. Olympic track and field trials in Eugene, Oregon. But on July 8, the day of the final, Harrison placed a disappointing sixth.It was the wrong day to have a bad race.It was all mental, Harrison admitted. Dealing with the media, coming in at number one and not having lost a race, all played a role in the way I performed.The truth is we choked, added Floréal, who is the head track and field coach at the University of Kentucky. There was pressure to make the Olympic team.Harrison, whose 12.36 earlier this year was the fastest season-opening 100-meter time in U.S. history, entered the Olympic trials with the No. 1 time in the world. But she faced a pool of deep talent. Nine of the worlds top-12 womens 100m hurdlers are from the U.S., and only three would move on to compete in Rio. Harrison is not among them. Instead, she is watching the Olympics on TV and spending time with her family and friends in Clayton, North Carolina, where she grew up.Moments following the 100m hurdles final at the trials, while Brianna Rollins, Kristi Castlin and Nia Ali, who placed first, second and third, respectively, rejoiced, Harrison forced a smile through the bombardment of questions from the media.What happened? blurted one reporter, and Was there a point you felt like all hope was lost? asked another.Im at a loss of words right now, Harrison quietly stated during a postrace interview.Floréal ordered Harrison back on the track the day after what he described as a vicariously gut-wrenching experience. He didnt want Harrison to mope in her hotel room. I wanted her to get so angry, and take it out on the hurdles, he said. So he made her go over as many as possible -- in the rain. Harrison cried throughout practice.Harrisons mother Karon anticipated that her daughter would focus on making the Olympic team in 2020. But Harrison had devised a different plan ever since the 2015 season, a turning point in her career, when she said she found her confidence and realized, I have what it takes. I just have to stay relaxed and go out there and do it, Harrison stated before the Olympic trials.Most people at 23 years of age dont dominate an event like that, Floréal said. Its a long process to come on top. She just got there so fast.Leading into the most pivotal moment of her athletic career, Harrison had spent many nights after practice watching film of herself soaring over hurdles. When curiosity struck, as it did most nights, shed texxt Floréal no matter the hour.ddddddddddddIll ask him about my velocity, Harrison said, noting that lately she had probed him about how she could improve her trail leg.Whats supposed to be a time to recharge turns into a calculated query she needs to know the answer to as quickly as possible because, as she understands, athletes that are able to hold on to their technique and are able to execute at the end of the race are the most successful, Harrison said.I call her the hurdle nerd, said Floréal of Harrison, whom he has worked with since 2013, when she transferred from Clemson to Kentucky (since graduating in 2015, Harrison transitioned to volunteer assistant coach for the Wildcats). She embraces the idea of being a professional beyond belief.That includes assessing and refining the most finite details -- like not popping up too soon before reaching the first hurdle and focusing on the placement of her trail leg leading into the last of the 10 hurdles.If shes not happy with a result, she does it again and again and again until she gets it right, Floréal said.How Harrison developed into one of the worlds best hurdlers is the by-product of her tireless commitment to the sport. Her superior talent doesnt run in the family, at least, not that shes aware of.Born in Memphis, Tennessee, Harrison was adopted when she was 3 months old by Gary and Karon. She is one of eight siblings adopted from all over the world, including from Korea and Bolivia. Gary and Karon also have two biological children.Gary, a retired U.S. Navy pilot, would often shuffle his kids around in a used Marriott shuttle bus he purchased as the family van. That included to soccer and track practices for Harrison, who is the only elite athlete among her siblings, ranging in ages from 18 to 33. Excelling in sports was her way to stand out and get attention.Harrison had her fathers full attention in Eugene, where he sat in the stands at Hayward Field and watched his daughters fate unfold. It has taken years for Harrison to grow into her own and realize that she has staying power.She never saw herself in this position, Floréal said. During our first two years together, every time wed get to big meets, shed fall apart. Shed be number one in the nation, but shed be afraid to win. It was the thought of what comes after finishing first -- the expectation that everybody has on you.Described as reserved by both her father and her coach, Harrison is learning to embrace what comes with the territory of being the best in the world.Hurdling is 80 percent mental, 20 percent physical, Harrison said. I want to be able to run under pressure. Ability-wise, I know Im gifted enough to make the Olympic team. Its mind over matter.This is what she has spent the past year working to better understand as she continues to catapult to the top. And while this Olympic opportunity slipped away, Harrison is adamant about not letting history repeat itself.Im glad to be that story that athletes can look at and see that when things dont go your way, youve got to get back out there, Harrison said. Four years is going to go by fast. Im not sure which hurdle event Ill be doing -- the 100 or the 400 -- but I will definitely be in Tokyo. ' ' '
