Chiefs vs. Falcons final score, results: Questionable pass-interference no-call, defense bail out Kansas City

Sarah Effress

Chiefs vs. Falcons final score, results: Questionable pass-interference no-call, defense bail out Kansas City image

Three is the magic number for Patrick Mahomes and Kansas City.

The Chiefs begin the season 3-0 for the third year in a row as they continue their quest for a historic third consecutive Super Bowl title. To do so, they had to stifle a late comeback effort by Kirk Cousins in his third game as the Falcons' starting quarterback. 

It wasn't easy for Mahomes & Co. to win on the road for the first time this season. Cousins led a perfect first drive to jump out to an early lead with a passing score to Drake London, but Mahomes found Rashee Rice in the end zone at the beginning of the second quarter to even things up. 

The Falcons offense followed that up with a two minute drive ending in a rushing touchdown by Bijan Robinson, his first of the season. Unfortunately, despite entering the red zone twice before the end of the half, Kansas City could only tack on two field goals before heading into the locker room down one. 

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Whatever adjustments head coach Andy Reid made for the Chiefs at the half worked, because the Falcons only managed to put three more points on the board the entire contest. Kansas City's defense shut out Atlanta in the third quarter, and Mahomes engineered two more scoring drives — one ending in a field goal and one ending in a 13-yard touchdown pass to JuJu Smith-Schuster.

Cousins helped the Falcons add a field goal early in the final frame to cut the margin to five, and Atlanta's defense forced two three-and-outs from the Kansas City offense to give Cousins two chances for game-winning drives. 

The first of which ended in a very questionable pass interference no-call on Bryan Cook who was covering Kyle Pitts in the end zone. If the refs threw a flag, Atlanta would have had the ball at the 1-yard line and likely would have scored to take the lead with just over four minutes remaining. 

However, the Chiefs defense remained stout in the final frame and ultimately forced Cousins to turn it over on downs twice before the clock ran out. Nevertheless, Kansas City came out on top 22-17 and continued to prove why the Chiefs are favored to make a deep run this year yet again.

The Sporting News had you covered with everything you need to know about Chiefs vs. Falcons, including live scores, updates, and highlights from the NFL's "Sunday Night Football" game.

MORE: Will Vikings, Steelers & Seahawks make playoffs after hot 3-0 starts?

Chiefs vs. Falcons score

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Chiefs0139022
Falcons770317

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Who won the Chiefs vs. Falcons game?

(All times Eastern)

Final: Chiefs 22, Falcons 17

11:20 p.m. — Mahomes kneels this one out and he will take his second meeting against the Falcons 22-17 in Atlanta. 

11:18 p.m. — Bolton comes up with a HUGE stop on 4th down after falling injured earlier in the quarter and takes down Robinson for a loss of three and a turnover on downs. That effectively ends the game tonight for both teams, and Kansas City will head home with the win. 

11:17 p.m. — Allgeier receives the crucial handoff for no gain, and the Falcons fall to 4th & inches. Kansas City takes its first timeout as well.

11:15 p.m. — Cousins passes it to Mooney on the bubble again but he is taken down by Johnson for a loss of two. Then, the quarterback redeems the play with an 11-yard reception by London to the Kansas City 13 for 3rd & 1. The Falcons take their first timeout with 1:03 remaining.

11:13 p.m. — Cousins comes out after the break with a deep pass just a bit too far in front of London up the left sideline. Mooney gets the next pass short from Cousins and is tackled by Watson, but Watson uses a horse collar on Mooney and is called for a 15-yard penalty.

11:10 p.m. — The two minute warning arrives just after Cousins' pass deep to McCloud falls incomplete, but not without McDuffie committing pass interference. Atlanta will get the ball on the Kansas City 37 with a fresh set of downs and 1:56 to go.

11:09 p.m. — Cousins tries to find Mooney on the right sideline, but he's well covered by McDuffie who tips it out of the air. However, Conner is called for illegal use of the hands and Atlanta earns five yards back. Cousins then finds London for a 12-yard gain and fresh set of downs.

11:07 p.m. — Mahomes fails to find Rice on the next play and Araiza comes on to punt it away. Winchester fair catches it at the Atlanta 35 and the Falcons have 2:26 remaining to find at least five points before time runs out.

11:05 p.m. — Mahomes & Co. get it back on their own six. The quarterback's first handoff goes to Steele for two yards before he scrambles himself for six more setting up 3rd & 2.

11:02 p.m. — Allgeier gets the next handoff and only gains one as Bolton returns to the game. Cousins tries to hit Pitts in the end zone up the middle but he's well covered by Cook and is unable to hold on. On 4th & 5, going for it again, Cousins throws yet another incompletion, this time to London, and the Falcons turn it over on downs with 4:04 to go.

11 p.m. — The Falcons elect to go for it on 4th & 2, and Cousins hits London right up the middle for a 7-yard gain to the Chiefs 11. Robinson takes the next handoff for four yards to get the team inside the 10.

10:58 p.m. — Cousins passes it short to Robinson for a 4-yard gain, setting up 3rd & 8 at the Kansas City 24. Then, Reid is called offsides for the Chiefs and Atlanta receives a 5-yard boost. However, Robinson is unable to get the first down and only earns a yard on his next carry.

10:56 p.m. — McCloud takes the handoff in motion up the left sideline for 20 yards before he's pushed out of bounds at the Kansas City 26. Mooney receives the next pass short from Cousins but he's downed for a loss of two by Reid.

10:55 p.m. — Robinson carries it for two yards before Cousins hits London for a 13-yard gain. He is tackled by Bolton at the Chiefs 46. Bolton is injured during the play but walks off the field under his own power.

10:53 p.m. — Allgeier takes the next three handoffs for 10, 12 and 2-yard runs respectively. Then, Cousins passes it to Pitts along the right sideline for a 1st down at their own 39. 

10:50 p.m. — Cousins is pressured and tries to hit McCloud but can't find him. Unfortunately, Lindstrom is also called for hands to the face on the play and Atlanta is sent back five yards. 

10:47 p.m. — Mahomes hits Kelce up the middle but Bates has him well covered and knocks it out of the tight end's hands. Now at 4th & 2 on their own 38, the Chiefs elect to punt. Araiza's kick is returned by Williams to the Atlanta 11 before he appeared to have fumbled and the Chiefs recovered it. However, he was ruled down and the Falcons retain possession with 11:22 to go.

10:45 p.m. — Pinions kick goes for a touchback and Steele takes the first handoff from Mahomes for six yards. He is slow to get up on the play put runs off the field under his own power. Mahomes then finds Perine for a 2-yard gain.

Chiefs 22, Falcons 17

10:42 p.m. — Cousins pass intended to Robinson bounces off his hands and the Falcons face another 4th down with 13 minutes remaining in regulation. Koo comes in for a 54-yard field goal, and he knocks it through right up the middle, equaling his career long and shaving the margin to five with 12:52 in regulation.

10:41 p.m. — Cousins finds Mooney up the middle who then takes it for a 17-yard gain to the Chiefs 39. Robinson takes the handoff on the next play and gains three before Cousins throws an incompletion while getting rid of it under pressure to set up 3rd & 7 yet again, this time on the Kansas City 36.

10:40 p.m. — Allgeier takes the first handoff of the final frame and goes for three yards. Cousins then looks to find London deep, but his pass is swatted by Bolton in the air to set up 3rd & 7 at the Atlanta 44.

End of the third quarter: Chiefs 22, Falcons 14

10:35 p.m. — Robinson is downed for a loss of two by Bolton, but Cousins passes one to the running back on the next play and he goes for 17 yards to the Atlanta 41 as the clock ticks down to the end of the third.

10:33 p.m. — Butker's kick is returned by McCloud to the Atlanta 33, but a penalty is called on Dwelley for an illegal block in the back, sending the Falcons back 10. Cousins' first pass goes to Mooney for 11 yards, however, and he gets the first down.

Chiefs 22, Falcons 14

10:31 p.m. — TOUCHDOWN CHIEFS! On 3rd & 7, Mahomes finds Smith-Schuster around the 7-yard line and the receiver turns and powers into the end zone for the score. Butker, however, misses the extra point off the right upright which keeps this at a one-score game with 1:16 to go in the quarter.

10:30 p.m. — Rice apparently quickly jumped to his feet and jogged to the sideline under his own power.

10:28 p.m. — Worthy takes a handoff for six yards, then Rice receives a short pass from Mahomes before he's taken down by Terrell. Rice does not get back up after the play is over and is immediately tended to by trainers.

10:26 p.m. — Mahomes scrambles for 15 yards and a fresh set of downs before handing it off to Steele for an 8-yard gain to the 18. The running back takes the next carry for another two yards and another first down.

10:24 p.m. — Another carry for Steele goes two yards for the first down. Then, Mahomes makes a beautiful completion to Rice for a 27-yard gain all the way to Atlanta's 42. Worthy takes another short reception in motion for another yard the next play.

10:22 p.m. — Steele takes the first handoff from Mahomes for five yards to the Chiefs 25 before the quarterback completes a pass to Rice to set up 3rd & 1.

10:19 p.m. — Cousins is sacked by Pennel after taking a little too long in the pocket, bringing up 4th down and Pinion to punt it for a touchback.

10:17 p.m. — Butker kicks it deep and Williams returns it to the Atlanta 28. Cousins starts the drive off with a short pass to Mooney for a 5-yard gain. Robinson gets the handoff next for three yards to set up 3rd & 2 at their own 36.

Chiefs 16, Falcons 14

10:14 p.m. — Butker is called on yet again, this time for a 21-yard try and the lead. He hits it calmly, and Kansas City is now up on the Falcons by two with 9:40 to go in the third.

10:12 p.m. — The next play, Mahomes goes in motion and Steele takes the snap, pushing forward for two yards to the one. Then, Steele gets another carry but is stopped for a loss of two, setting up 3rd & Goal. Unfortunately, Mahomes can't complete his next pass to Watson, facing pressure and throwing it away, and it becomes 4th down.

10:11 p.m. — On 1st & 10 from the Atlanta 10, Steele takes another handoff for nine yards before tacking on another seven down to the 3-yard line for 1st & Goal.

10:09 p.m. — Steele takes a handoff for five yards to the Atlanta 42, and Mahomes finds Rice again for six more and a fresh set of downs. Then, he hits Kelce again for a 17-yard gain, finally bringing the tight end more into the fold of the offense. 

10:07 p.m. — Pinion kicks it out of the end zone for a touchback and Kansas City begins the half on its own 30. Mahomes first pass goes to Kelce for nine yards before he finds Rice for a 14-yard gain.

10:05 p.m. — Some bad news out of the Falcons locker room following halftime: both Dalman and McGary have been downgraded to OUT for the remainder of the contest. Neuzil and Norton will replace the lineman respectively.

10 p.m. — Steele's sister's wedding is today, which he was supposed to appear in as a groomsmen. However, he is still there in spirit as his family watches tonight's game from the reception. 

Halftime: Falcons 14, Chiefs 13

9:52 p.m. — Butker kicks it into the end zone for a touchback and Atlanta takes a knee from the 30 to end the half. Both quarterbacks have thrown for exactly 128 yards, with Cousins going 8-for-11 and Mahomes going 17-for-27, each owning a touchdown and interception in the first 30 minutes.

Falcons 14, Chiefs 13

9:51 p.m. — Reid sends on Butker yet again to try and shave off even more of the margin with a 44-yard kick. He nails it, and Atlanta only leads by one with just six seconds to go in the half. 

9:49 p.m. — Mahomes hits Perine for an 8-yard gain before the Chiefs take their final timeout of the half with 0:23 to go. The quarterback then fails to find Smith-Schuster in the end zone on 2nd & 2 and misses Watson throwing it away on the next play, setting up 4th & 2 on the Falcons 26.

9:47 p.m. — INTERCEPTION KANSAS CITY! Conner makes an easy pick before being wrapped up near the sideline and passing it off to Watson who is eventually tackled at the Atlanta 34.

9:45 p.m. — Norton is penalized for a false start on the first play of Atlanta's drive, but Cousins gains back 10 yards with a pass to London to the Falcons 35.

9:43 p.m. — Mahomes hits Perine for a 5-yard gain then throws the ball away after facing pressure on the next play to set up 3rd & 5. Then, he hits a wide open Rice's hands but the ball bounces off and Bates nearly intercepts it for Atlanta. On 4th down now, Araiza comes on to punt for the first time tonight and Williams returns it to the Falcons 30 with just under a minute to go.

9:38 p.m. — Anudike-Uzomah will get his first career sack for Kansas City, and Atlanta starts things back up on 3rd & 18. Robinson nearly fumbles the handoff but recovers it for a 5-yard gain, not enough to give the Falcons a fresh set of downs. Pinion punts it away and the Chiefs have 1:37 to get something done from their own 34 before halftime.

9:37 p.m. — The play is ruled a fumble and Robinson is called on a 10-yard penalty for kicking the ball, setting Atlanta back to their own 22. Additionally, Dalman has been ruled questionable to return as well with an ankle injury. We are now inside two minutes before half.

9:35 p.m. — Cousins is hit from behind and the ball comes out on the play quickly before Robinson kicks it out of bounds. There is a flag thrown for Robinson's kick, which was to avoid a Chiefs recovery, but officials are discussing whether Cousins was throwing the ball or not when it came out.

9:32 p.m. — In other injury news, McGary is questionable to return with a knee injury.

9:30 p.m. — Butker kicks it for another touchback and Atlanta will start on their own 30. Robinson takes the first handoff for two yards and Falcons lineman Dalman was injured during the play, yet another lineman down for Atlanta today.

Falcons 14, Chiefs 10

9:26 p.m. — Mahomes hands it off to Perine for no gain and suddenly its 4th down. Reid elects to kick a field goal and sends out Butker, who nails the 53-yard try to narrow the deficit to four with 2:43 to go in the half. 

9:24 p.m. — Steele gets another carry for four yards before Mahomes completes passes to Gray and Rice for a combined 15 yards. The quarterback targets Rice again for another six to set up 3rd & 2 at the Atlanta 35.

9:22 p.m. — Pinion boots it into the end zone, but Hardman opts to return it to the Kansas City 31. Mahomes' first handoff goes to Steele, who takes it for nine yards to the 40 for 2nd & 1.

Falcons 14, Chiefs 7

9:20 p.m. — TOUCHDOWN ATLANTA! Second-year Texas product Robinson punches it in on 1st & Goal and Koo nails the extra point to give the Falcons a 7-point lead with 6:37 to go. Pitts now has more yards today than he did in his first two games combined.

9:17 p.m. — Robinson gets his first handoff of the drive for no gain before Cousins finds a wide open Pitts streaking downfield toward the end zone. He is tackled by Wharton at the one, and a flag is thrown on Kansas City for holding on McDuffie.

9:15 p.m. — The issue with RT McGary appears to have been a left leg injury. He was helped off the field but unable to put pressure on that side as Storm Norton enters the game.

9:13 p.m. — Cousins looks deep down the sideline for London who is well covered, but a flag flies back by the line of scrimmage. Kansas City's Jones is called for roughing the passer, and a likely punt turns into a fresh set of downs near half field for Atlanta. Additionally, Atlanta's McGary was hurt on the play.

9:11 p.m. — Butker kicks it for a touchback and Cousins begins the drive from the Falcons 30 with an incompletion to McCloud. The quarterback then hands it off to Allegeier who runs it for four to set up 3rd & 6 with just under nine minutes to go in the half.

Falcons 7, Chiefs 7

9:07 p.m. — TOUCHDOWN CHIEFS! Mahomes finds Rice to his left around the 7-yard line, and the receiver simply turns and runs it in for the score. A flag is thrown on the play for roughing the passer on Atlanta's Carter, affirming the touchdown before Butker tied the game at seven with a successful extra point. 

9:06 p.m. — Mahomes misses Steele in the air on the replay but then completes a 7-yard pass to Worthy to set up 3rd & 3 at the Atlanta 13. 

9:03 p.m. — The Chiefs are marching their way downfield as Mahomes completes another pass to Watson on the sideline at the Atlanta 20. Perine gets the next handoff on first down and is downed at the line of scrimmage as flags fly. There are offsetting fouls on the play—illegal formation on Kansas City's Suamataia and holding on Atlanta's Graham.

9:01 p.m. — Perine continues a strong drive and takes two more handoffs for 10 yards, down to the Falcons 33. Then, Mahomes is rushed and gets rid of it toward Perine to set up a big 3rd & 8.

9 p.m. — Rice makes a short catch then runs it for 12 yards and another fresh set of downs before Perine takes another carry for nine more to the Atlanta 43.

8:58 p.m. — Mahomes completes a 6-yard reception to Rice to start the quarter before Perine takes a handoff for three. Kelce makes a 3-yard catch for a first down and Steele runs it for three yards to set up 2nd & 7 at their own 36.

End of first quarter: Falcons 7, Chiefs 0

8:55 p.m. — Pinion punts it 58 yards to the Kansas City nine, and Hardman returns it for 12 yards to end the first quarter. The Chiefs will get possession at their own 21.

8:53 p.m. — Robinson is tackled for a loss of one before Cousins hits Mooney for a 2-yard gain. On 3rd & 9, Cousins gets out of the pocket and tries to find Pitts along the right sideline but a flag comes in. Atlanta's Matthews is called for illegal use of hands and the Falcons fall to 4th down.

8:51 p.m. — Atlanta retains possession at their own 20 and Robinson kicks things off with two carries for a total of 12 yards and a first down.

8:48 p.m. — INTERCEPTION SIMMONS! The Falcons safety picks off Mahomes in the end zone for his sixth (!) interception on the quarterback. Simmons' play spoils an eight minute Chiefs drive and keeps Atlanta in front with 2:46 remaining in the first.

8:47 p.m. — Perine takes a handoff for four yards before Steele tacks on three more and another first down at the Falcons 16. Mahomes finds Steele for two more after.

8:45 p.m. — Rice makes a 6-yard catch and earns a fresh set of downs at the Atlanta 28. The Falcons are then penalized for too many men on the field, giving Kansas City five more yards.

8:43 p.m. — Mahomes takes a shot in the end zone to Worthy, but he is well covered by Hughes who nearly pulls in an interception. Then, Mahomes finds Smith-Schuster for a 4-yard gain.

8:42 p.m. — The Falcons lose their challenge and the ruling on the field of a first down stands. Kansas City retains possession at the Atlanta 38 with just under seven minutes to go in the quarter.

8:29 p.m. — Atlanta gets the stop on 3rd & 1 as Suamataia tackles Steele just short of the marker, but Reid elects to go for it on 4th down and Rice appears to get the first down. However, the Falcons challenged the ruling on the field and Rice's carry is under review. 

8:38 p.m. — Mahomes looks for Smith-Schuster on across the middle but he misses him, redeeming himself on the next play with a 9-yard scramble to the Atlanta 39 to set up 3rd & 1. Kansas City takes a timeout with 7:33 remaining in the quarter.

8:36 p.m. — Steele takes his first handoff for six yards and a first down before Mahomes finds Kelce for a 2-yard gain. The quarterback then fires one up the middle to Rice for a 17-yard pick-up into Falcons territory.

8:34 p.m. — Mahomes' first pass goes for an incompletion to Rice on the sideline, but he finds Worthy on the next play who runs for a first down. Worthy then makes a 6-yard catch to set up 2nd & 4 at the Chiefs 27.

8:32 p.m. — Pinion boots it to the Kansas City two and Hardman returns it to the 21, but Chenal is called for holding and the Chiefs are sent back 10 yards to start their first drive.

Falcons 7, Chiefs 0

8:30 p.m. — TOUCHDOWN ATLANTA! On 3rd & 3, Cousins finds London wide open in the left corner of the end zone and completes the Falcons' first drive with a score only 3:53 into the game. What a start for Atlanta and the quarterback, who went a perfect 5-for-5 for 66 yards in the effort. Koo hits the extra point and the Falcons lead by seven.

8:28 p.m. — On his second try, Robinson finds more success with a 5-yard run then Cousins finds McCloud again for two more to the Chiefs 14. 

8:27 p.m. — Robinson takes the first handoff of the game and is downed for a loss of one, but Cousins earns it all back with a pass up the middle to McCloud for a 15-yard gain just outside the red zone.

8:25 p.m. — Cousins begins the drive with a 9-yard completion to Mooney on the right sideline before hitting the receiver deep again at the Kansas City 35 for a fresh set of downs. 

8:23 p.m. — Butker kicks things off with a touchback and the Falcons will start with the ball on their own 30.

8:20 p.m. — Kansas City has won the toss and elected to defer. The Chiefs will kick off and Atlanta will receive to start this one.

Pregame

8:17 p.m. — Less than five minutes to go before kickoff! Tune in on NBC now to catch the action and follow along here for updates.

8:10 p.m. — Chiefs receiver Hollywood Brown, who is expected to miss the remainder of the season due to a dislocated SC joint, has taken to social media to wish his teammates, fellow receivers Xavier Worthy and Rashee Rice, good luck ahead of tonight's game.

8 p.m. — There are 20 minutes to go before kickoff, and Kansas City has confirmed that undrafted rookie fullback Carson Steele is the projected starting running back. The UCLA product has nine carries for 27 yards and one fumble through two appearances.

7:50 p.m. — Keep an eye on Falcons safety Justin Simmons, who faced Mahomes 11 times as a Denver Bronco. Simmons has the most interceptions of anyone against the Chiefs quarterback with five—no other player has done it more than twice.

7:40 p.m. — Sources on the ground in Atlanta are reporting that LT Wanya Morris, who caught a touchdown pass from Mahomes last week, will earn his first start today for the Chiefs.

7:35 p.m. — Among the celebrities attending tonight's marquee matchup are actor Samuel L. Jackson, competitive eater Joey Chestnut and NBA player Zaccharie Risacher. The Atlanta Hawks 2024 No. 1 overall draft pick, Risacher traded jerseys with LB Lorenzo Carter ahead of the game. However, there has yet to be a Taylor Swift sighting.

7:20 p.m. — One hour to go until kickoff! Kansas City is a 3-point favorite to defeat Atlanta with the over-under set at 46.5, according to BetMGM.

7:10 p.m. — Additionally for Atlanta, DB Antonio Hamilton is active tonight and will make his first appearance for the team since joining the Falcons from Arizona. He played for the Chiefs in 2020 before heading to the Cardinals for three years.

7 p.m. — Each team has announced its respective inactives for tonight. There are no surprises on either list, but keep in mind that Kansas City will be without running back Isiah Pacheco who suffered a broken fibula last weekend against the Bengals. He was placed on the IR and will be out for at least four games.

Fortunately missing from Atlanta's inactive list tonight are DTs Grady Jarrett and David Onyemata, both of whom did not practice throughout the week. OT Jake Matthews is also not on the report, which is positive considering he was a limited participant as well.

6:45 p.m. — Last time Mahomes faced off against the Falcons in December 2020, the Chiefs led 17-14 with just under two minutes remaining in regulation. Ryan led a potentially-game winning drive all the way to Kansas City's 21-yard line before resulting to a field goal try to send the game to overtime. Unfortunately, Atlanta's then-kicker Younghoe Koo missed the 39-yard kick and the Chiefs came out with the win.

6:15 p.m. — With just over two hours to go until kickoff in Atlanta, both teams are arriving at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. It's worth mentioning that tonight the Falcons will induct team owner Arthur Blank into the Ring of Honor, and as a result every fan attending the matchup will receive two hot dogs, two bags of chips and a refillable soda in a souvenir cup featuring Blank—for free.

Chiefs vs. Falcons start time

  • Date: Sunday, Sept. 22 
  • Time: 8:20 p.m. ET

Sunday's game between the Chiefs and Falcons is set to kick off at 8:20 p.m. ET from Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia. 

WEEK 3 FANTASY RANKINGS:
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What channel is Chiefs vs. Falcons on today?

  • TV channel: NBC (U.S.) | TSN 3/5/CTV (Canada)
  • Live stream: NBCSports.com, NBC Sports App, Peacock, Fubo (U.S.) | DAZN (Canada)

Chiefs vs. Falcons will be broadcast nationally on NBC. Mike Tirico (play-by-play), Cris Collinsworth (color commentary) and Melissa Stark (sideline reporter) will be on the call from Atlanta.

A live stream of the game will be available on NBCSports.com, the NBC Sports App, Peacock and Fubo, which offers a free trial.

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      Sarah Effress

      Sarah Effress Photo

      Sarah Effress is an editorial intern for The Sporting News. She is a recent graduate of Northwestern University, and loves to talk soccer and women's college sports.