As college football becomes a bigger and bigger business, it’s inevitable that there will be bigger and bigger legal battles.
In L.A., the as soon as 2026.
The civil justice system creates two general types of relief. One, money can be sought for financial harm caused by a violation of legal rights. Two, a court order can be pursued to prevent someone from doing something (or to force someone to do something).
The process of requesting “equitable relief” includes a procedure for pressing the brakes while the case is pending. That’s what the Rose Bowl wants — to keep UCLA from leaving until the merits of the lawsuit can be resolved.
The standard is high. Various factors are considered. Is the harm that the plaintiffs will suffer “irreparable” by an eventual award of monetary damages? How strong is the case? (There are other factors, but those are the two biggest ones.)
Hovering over the dispute is the possibility that the owner of SoFi Stadium (Rams owner Stan Kroenke) will face potential liability for tortious interference with the contractual relationship between the Rose Bowl and UCLA. If there’s evidence that SoFi Stadium attempted to lure UCLA from the Rose Bowl despite knowing about the existing contract, the Rose Bowl could attempt to invade Kroenke’s ocean-deep pockets.
If that happens, it would be the second time Kroenke has faced litigation over the relocation of a team. The NFL eventually paid $790 million to St. Louis for the return of the Rams to Los Angeles. Kroenke could potentially write a big check regarding the apparent effort to relocate UCLA within the L.A. area.
Rams Clips
Harrison Mevis will retain the kicking job for the Rams against the Seahawks this week, Sean McVay announced Monday.
The rookie was 6-for-6 on extra points in his NFL debut, though he has yet to attempt a field goal.
The Rams signed Mevis to the practice squad last week amid Joshua Karty’s struggles.
Karty missed two kicks in Week 9 and is 10-of-15 on field goals and 23-of-26 on extra points this season. Karty, though, remains on the active roster.
Mevis spent time with the Panthers and Jets in training camp the past two years, and he’s kicked in the UFL.
Long snapper Jake McQuaide returned to the Rams last week and the team’s kicking operation immediately improved.
So, on Monday, the Rams signed McQuaide to the 53-man roster — officially bringing him back to a position he manned for the franchise from 2011-2020.
A two-time Pro Bowler, McQuaide initially joined the St. Louis Rams as an undrafted rookie out of Ohio State. He was the team’s long snapper for every one of the club’s games through 2020, including the club’s appearance in Super Bowl LIII to cap the 2018 season.
He spent 2021 and 2022 with Dallas before also appearing in games for Detroit, Minnesota, and Miami from 2023-2024.
McQuaide is one of two players on the L.A. roster who were also on the team in St. Louis, with the other being right tackle Rob Havenstein.
The Rams waived long snapper Alex Ward to make room for McQuaide on the 53-man roster.
Josh Allen? Nope. Patrick Mahomes? Nope. Lamar Jackson? Nope. Aaron Rodgers? Please.
Since 2018, one of those four quarterbacks has won the NFL MVP award. Currently, none is the favorite to win it in 2025.
Right now, at +275, it’s Patriots quarterback Drake Maye. Hot on his heels is Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford, at +300.
Both had impressive road wins in Week 10, with New England toppling the Bucs, 28-23, and the Rams evening the regular-season series with the 49ers, 42-26. And Stafford is the first player to have three straight games with four or more touchdown passes and no interceptions.
Mahomes lands next, at 5-1, followed by Colts running back Jonathan Taylor at 6-1, Allen at 7-1, and Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold at 10-1.
Jackson is currently 25-1. Rodgers has plummeted to 150-1.
There’s still plenty of football to be played. And it fluctuates every week. Still, the Patriots are 8-2. They face the Jets, Bengals, and Giants before their bye. They should be 11-2 at that point.
Then come games against the Bills and the resurgent Ravens, followed by the Jets and Dolphins to end the season.
The No. 1 seed is within reach for New England. Which puts the MVP award squarely within Maye’s grasp.
Of course, the Rams could also end up with the No. 1 seed in the NFC. Which could boost Stafford. Who has never won it, and who could benefit from the perception that it’s his last chance to do so — with Maye having many more opportunities.
Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford is on an unprecedented roll right now.
Stafford became the first quarterback since the merger to throw four touchdowns and no interceptions in three straight games during Sunday’s 42-26 win over the 49ers. He’s also the first Rams quarterback to throw for at least four touchdowns in three straight games and keeping Stafford in the zone is the No. 1 thing on wide receiver Puka Nacua’s mind heading into Week 11.
“When you’re on a heater, you just don’t touch whatever he’s doing,” Nacua said, via the team’s website. “I’m like, ‘You could do whatever. You could walk on water right now.’”
One of Sunday’s touchdown passes was the 400th of Stafford’s career, so it’s not new to see him playing at a high level. This particular level is new, though, and reaching it is sparking a lot of thoughts about the Rams’ chances of making a run at a second Super Bowl with Stafford running the show.
Rams wide receiver Davante Adams left in the fourth quarter with what the team called a back injury. They listed him as questionable return, though he didn’t.
Coach Sean McVay said afterward that Adams actually has an oblique injury.
McVay added he didn’t have an update but thinks the six-time Pro Bowler could have returned if the game had been in doubt.
It’s the second consecutive week McVay has corrected an in-game announcement.
Wide receiver Puka Nacua was reported with a chest injury in last week’s game that McVay referred to as a rib injury.
Adams has a league-leading nine touchdown receptions after making another in the 42-26 win over the 49ers.
Matthew Stafford threw his 400th career touchdown pass, and the Rams blew out the 49ers 42-26 on Sunday.
The Rams quarterback was 24-of-36 for 280 yards and four touchdowns. He has 20 touchdowns and no interceptions in the past five games and a league-leading 25 touchdowns for the season.
He threw touchdown passes of 22 yards to Puka Nacua, 4 yards to Davis Allen, 2 yards to Davante Adams and 16 yards to Colby Parkinson. Stafford now has 402 career passing touchdowns, joining Tom Brady (649), Drew Brees (571), Peyton Manning (539), Aaron Rodgers (517), Brett Favre (508), Philip Rivers (421), Dan Marino (420) and Ben Roethlisberger (418) in the 400 club.
Adams caught six passes for 77 yards and a touchdown, and Nacua had five receptions for 64 yards and a touchdown.
Kyren Williams ran for 73 yards and two touchdowns on 14 carries.
The Rams led 21-0 early in the second quarter, and every time the 49ers made a run to get within one score, Los Angeles answered.
The Rams had 401 yards.
The 49ers, who beat the Rams 26-23 in overtime on Oct. 2, had 393 yards but committed two turnovers and once turned it over on downs. Mac Jones was 33-of-39 for 319 yards with three touchdowns and an interception, with George Kittle catching nine for 84 yards and a touchdown and Jauan Jennings six for 71 yards and a touchdown.
The Rams are 7-2, with four consecutive wins since their loss to the San Francisco, while the 49ers fell to 6-4.
Rams receiver Davante Adams scored his ninth touchdown of the season, the most he has had since 2022.
But Adams left early with a back injury.
In the fourth quarter, Adams pushed off and immediately pulled up and grabbed his back. He left the field for treatment.
The Rams list him as questionable to return, but considering the game is not in doubt, it would seem unlikely Adams returns.
He has six catches for 77 yards.
Adams entered Sunday’s game with 36 receptions for 491 yards and a league-leading eight touchdowns.
The 49ers are back in it.
San Francisco, which trailed 21-0 early in the second quarter, has cut its deficit to 21-14 with 9:33 remaining in the third quarter.
The 49ers scored a touchdown with 3:15 left in the first half on Jauan Jennings’ 6-yard touchdown reception. They opened the second half with a 10-play, 65-yard touchdown drive.
San Francisco, which had 31 rushing yards in the first half, had 28 on its first drive of the second half. Brian Robinson had five carries for 24 yards, including a 1-yard touchdown run on the possession.
Mac Jones is 19-of-23 for 188 yards and a touchdown.
The Rams dominated the first half, taking a 21-7 lead into the locker room at halftime.
But they provided the 49ers with hope, gaining only 33 yards on 10 plays on their final two possessions and punting twice. The 49ers got within two touchdowns on a seven-play, 36-yard drive that ended with Jauan Jennings’ 6-yard touchdown catch.
The Rams outgained the 49ers 231 to 182.
They had touchdown drives of 64, 86 and 59 yards, with Kyren Williams scoring on a 2-yard run, Puka Nacua on a 22-yard reception and Davis Allen on a 4-yard catch. Allen’s touchdown, which was Matthew Stafford’s 400th career touchdown pass, followed Jennings’ fumble.
Stafford was 14-of-23 for 173 yards and two touchdowns, with Davante Adams catching five passes for 75 yards and Nacua three for 47. Williams rushed for 50 yards and a touchdown on nine carries.
Mac Jones, making his eighth start of the season in place of Brock Purdy, completed 15 of 19 passes for 151 yards and a touchdown, with Jennings catching six for 71 yards and a touchdown. George Kittle had five receptions for 56 yards.
