Last Night in Sports: Bucs Stun the Cowboys, Guardians Force a Game 5

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2026 — Twenty-two finals, and the night belonged to the teams that weren't supposed to win it. The Buccaneers walked into AT&T Stadium 0-4 and walked out with a 24-16 Thursday night shocker over the Cowboys, the Guardians turned a 9-5 slugfest into a winner-take-all Game 5 back home, and the NHL stuffed ten finals into a single night. Here's everything that happened.

NFL: The Bucs spoil Dallas's Thursday night

Nothing about this one was supposed to go Tampa's way. The Buccaneers arrived in Arlington 0-4, installed as 8.5-point underdogs, with a rookie quarterback making his second career start on a short week — and they left with the most enjoyable upset of the young NFL season. Jalon Daniels was cool and efficient in his second start, going 19-of-25 for 189 yards and a touchdown, and Bucky Irving was the best player on the field: 165 rushing yards on 21 carries with a rushing touchdown and a receiving score.

The Cowboys actually led 10-7 at halftime, and for a while it looked like the script would hold. Then Tampa ripped off 17 straight points and slammed the door. The Buccaneers picked off Dak Prescott twice, and all of Prescott's 316 yards — plus George Pickens' 9-catch, 130-yard night — came in a losing effort. Chase McLaughlin's field goals kept the scoreboard moving, and when Emeka Egbuka took a 14-yard rush to the house, the rout was quietly on.

The takeaway: Tampa avoids the 0-5 abyss and gets its first win of the season behind a rookie who looks like he belongs, while Dallas falls to 2-3 at home on national television — exactly the kind of loss that turns a season into a referendum. Bucs page · Cowboys page

Every final: NFL

• Buccaneers 24, Cowboys 16 — TB 1-4, DAL 2-3

MLB: Guardians force a winner-take-all Game 5

There will be a winner-take-all in Cleveland. The Guardians beat the White Sox 9-5 in ALDS Game 4, evening the series at 2-2 and sending it back home for a deciding Game 5 — with a trip to face the Rays in the ALCS on the line.

This one was a slugfest from the start. José Ramírez went 2-for-5 with three RBIs, Jo Adell drove in two, and Steven Kwan scored three times as Cleveland's offense did the talking — one night after the 9-3 Game 3 statement that kept the series alive. Parker Messick got the start, the bullpen bridged the rest, and the Guardians simply outhit a White Sox team that had looked in control after taking the first two games.

What happens next is simple and terrifying: one game, in Cleveland, for a berth in the ALCS. Chicago's dream of a quick October exit is gone; Cleveland has now won two straight elimination games by a combined 18-8, and is 27 outs from the pennant round. Game 4 preview · Guardians page · White Sox page · MLB page

Every final: ALDS Game 4

• Guardians 9, White Sox 5 — series tied 2-2

NHL: ten finals, one very loud night

A full Thursday slate, and the headline games delivered. The Golden Knights edged the Maple Leafs 4-3 in a shootout at home, moving to 4-1-0 and giving the home crowd a late-night payoff. The Avalanche hung seven on the Flames in Calgary on the second night of a back-to-back — the Flames fall to 0-4-0 and remain one of the league's two winless teams.

Elsewhere: the Hurricanes put seven past the Canucks, the Bruins thumped the Mammoth 6-1, the Senators edged the Flyers 2-1 to keep Philadelphia winless too (0-3-2), and the Sharks needed overtime to get past the Blues 3-2. The Stars blanked the Sabres 4-0, the Predators beat the Canadiens 5-2, the Lightning survived the Wild 3-2, and the Islanders handled the Blackhawks 4-1. The early-season footnote: two teams still have no win — the Flames (0-4-0) and the Flyers (0-3-2) — while the Senators, Bruins and Hurricanes all banked their third wins. NHL page

Every final: NHL

• Hurricanes 7, Canucks 2 — CAR 3-1-1
• Avalanche 7, Flames 3 — COL 3-1-0, CGY 0-4-0
• Golden Knights 4, Maple Leafs 3 (SO) — VGK 4-1-0
• Bruins 6, Mammoth 1 — BOS 3-2-0
• Stars 4, Sabres 0 — DAL 2-2-0
• Predators 5, Canadiens 2 — NSH 2-1-1
• Lightning 3, Wild 2 — TB 3-1-0
• Senators 2, Flyers 1 — OTT 3-1-0, PHI 0-3-2
• Islanders 4, Blackhawks 1 — NYI 2-2-0
• Sharks 3, Blues 2 (OT) — SJ 3-1-0

NBA preseason: six finals

Preseason hoops kept rolling: the Celtics beat the Cavaliers 124-113, the Heat topped the Pelicans 128-118, the Nets edged the 76ers 114-108, the Wizards slipped past the Knicks 111-109, the Hawks beat the Spurs 123-116, and the Lakers held off the Kings 114-110. NBA page

Every final: NBA preseason

• Celtics 124, Cavaliers 113
• Heat 128, Pelicans 118
• Nets 114, 76ers 108
• Wizards 111, Knicks 109
• Hawks 123, Spurs 116
• Lakers 114, Kings 110

College football: Liberty rolls, South Alabama survives a shootout

Liberty thumped Sam Houston 35-3 in a game that never got close — the 38 combined points staying well under the 52.5 the oddsmakers set. Western Kentucky handled Missouri State 34-13, UTSA edged USF 31-24, and South Alabama outlasted Arkansas State 56-49 in the night's wildest game, a 105-point shootout with no defense to be found.

Every final: college football

• Liberty 35, Sam Houston 3
• Western Kentucky 34, Missouri State 13
• UTSA 31, USF 24
• South Alabama 56, Arkansas State 49

On deck: a Game 5, and WNBA Game 3s

Friday brings a winner-take-all ALDS Game 5 in Cleveland — Guardians vs. White Sox, season on the line, Rays waiting in the ALCS — plus both WNBA semifinal Game 3s. The Dream visit the Liberty in Brooklyn and the Aces fight for their season against the Valkyries; both series sit at 2-0, and no team in WNBA history has ever rallied from 0-2. History says Friday could end two seasons. MLB · WNBA