nks fourth in the country and second in the conference in receptions this season.ddddddddddddHouston: Ward. Ward is eager to face Connecticut after not starting last years game because of an ankle injury. He did come in on the final drive of that game after backup Kyle Postma was injured. Ward, who ha

WASHINGTON -- Nationals right fielder Bryce Harper is back in the starting lineup after missing five straight games with a neck injury.Harper will bat third in the series finale against the Atlanta Braves on Sunday. Washington did not originally include the 2015 National League MVP among the starters, but the Nationals issued a revised lineup 90 minutes before the scheduled 1:35 p.m. ET first pitch.Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo deemed Harper day-to-day before Saturdays game and after learning the sluggers MRI came back clean.Hes got a stiff neck thats lingered on for five or six days, Rizzo said Saturday. Hopefully thats behind us now.Harper is batting .233 with 20 home runs and 57 RBIs this season.Washington was 3-2 without Harper.Cheap Wade Boggs Jersey .Y. -- The Buffalo Sabres have recalled forward Kevin Porter and defenceman Chad Ruhwedel from the minors as part of a five-player roster shuffle made by the NHLs worst team. Cheap MLB Jerseys . -- Tony Stewart is 20 pounds lighter and has a titanium rod in his surgically repaired right leg. http://www.cheapraysjerseys.com/ . The veteran safety was a starter for the Bengals from 2008-2012. He totaled 41 tackles and three interceptions while starting all but four of the 13 games he played last season. Cheap Rays Jerseys China . -- Whether Jeremy Hill deserves a prominent role in LSUs offence this early in the season is a matter for debate. Cheap Rays Jerseys . 1 position. The Mustangs (6-0), who beat Queens 50-31 last weekend, earned 17 first-place votes and 287 points in voting by the Football Reporters of Canada. Western was last ranked first in the country in October 2011.UConn (2-2, 0-1 American) at No. 6 Houston (4-0, 1-0), 8 p.m. (ESPN)Line: Houston by 27 1/2.Series Record: UConn leads 1-0.WHATS AT STAKELast season, the Huskies kept Houston from a perfect season, with a 20-17 win in Connecticut with Cougars quarterback Greg Ward sitting out with an injury. The Cougars havent forgotten the sting of that defeat and are determined not to let them blemish another season. A win would give Houston consecutive 5-0 starts for the first time in school history. Connecticut has beaten a ranked team just three times, and has never knocked off a top-10 team.KEY MATCHUPHoustons run defense vs. Connecticut RB Arkeel Newsome and QB Bryant Shirreffs. The Cougars are first in the nation by allowing just 37 yards rushing a game. Newsome leads the Huskies with 211 yards rushing and two touchdowns, but Houston will also have to watch out for Shirreffs, a dual-threat QB who is second on the team with 187 yards rushing and a rushing TD.PLAYERS TO WATCHUConn: WR Noel Thomas. He had two touchdown receptions in the win last season, and has 40 catches for 388 yards and a score this year. Thomas had a career-high 14 reception against Syracuse onn Saturday, and ranks fourth in the country and second in the conference in receptions this season.ddddddddddddHouston: Ward. Ward is eager to face Connecticut after not starting last years game because of an ankle injury. He did come in on the final drive of that game after backup Kyle Postma was injured. Ward, who has won his last 17 starts, has thrown for 936 yards and five touchdowns and ran for 113 yards and three more scores.FACTS & FIGURESConnecticut is 4-3 all-time against teams from Texas. ... UConn CB Jamar Summers has 10 career interceptions. ... K Bobby Puyol has made all five of his field goal attempts for the Huskies this season. ... S Obi Melifonwu Connecticut with 36 tackles and has broken up two passes. ... Houston LB Steven Taylor is second in the nation with 5 1/2 sacks. ... The Cougars rank fifth in the country in total defense. ... RB Duke Catalan leads Houston with 225 yards rushing. ... WR Linell Bonners 280 yards receiving is first for the Cougars.---AP college football website: collegefootball.ap.org ' ' '