The defending national champs were curtailed by a rising Red Storm squad at Madison Square Garden Sunday. Third-ranked Duke was throttled by St. John’s 93-78 in an upset loss on the road. Sunday was only the second loss of the season for the Blue Devils, who trailed 46-25 at halftime. The Johnnies overpowered Duke in front of a sellout crowd. St. John’s defeated the top-ranked Devils after losing five of their last six contests going into Sunday’s showdown. The Storm has taken some heavy punches and double digit losses to top 25 teams, but not this time. Duke’s poor shooting combined with the Storms’ Dwight Hardy’s big game made winners of the home team. St. John’s improved to 12-8 on the season in what could be considered Steve Lavin’s biggest high profile win so far as the Red Storm’s head coach.
Hardy shot 9-of-13 from the field and finished with 26 points to lead the Johnnies. Duke struggled from the arc, missing on 21 three-point attempts during the game. The Devils made just one 3-pointer in the first half and missed ten consecutive attempts. Nolan Smith tallied a game high 32 points and drained a pair from downtown for Duke. Kyle Singler put up 20 points for the Blue Devils, who turned the ball over 17 times and were limited to inside shooting. St. John’s played conservatively in the second half, clinging to a sizable lead at the break. The rumbling Red Storm shot 12 percentage points above their season average in the first half.
Justin Brownlee tallied 20 points and had nine rebounds for the Storm. Brownlee and Paris Horne’s six assists tied for the team lead. Sean Evans played his best game as a Johnnie, burying ten buckets off the bench in 11 minutes. The Storm took advantage of every Duke turnover, turning them into points of their own. The Johnnies stormed out of the halftime break to take their stunning largest lead of the day. D.J. Kennedy’s dunk was followed by a Hardy layup as the defending Devils looked uncomfortable at the Garden. The Devils did come back to score 53 points to the Storm’s 47 in the second half. But it wasn’t enough to overcome a dismal start. The Storm attacked Duke and found the open shots to erupt on the floor.
Parting Points: Happy Birthday to The Ryan Express
Monday, January 31, 2011
Saturday, January 29, 2011
Trouble in the Third
The Chicago Bulls improved to 22-4 at the United Center with Friday’s 99-90 victory over Orlando. The Magic’s Dwight Howard had a monster performance, scoring 40 points in the loss, but it wasn’t enough to snap the surging Bulls’ three game winning streak. Chicago is tied with Miami for second in the conference. Three Chicago players scored in double figures. The Bulls limited Orlando’s three point shooting and outrebounded the visitors 54-40. Luol Deng led Chicago with 26 points and MVP candidate, Derrick Rose, finished with a double-double.
Jameer Nelson, the Magic’s point guard who burned the Bulls in the last meeting between the teams, played just eight minutes. Nelson exited with an injury in the first quarter as Chicago pulled ahead 24-23 at the end of one. Howard was strong from the field and nearly impeccable from the line but received little help from his teammates. The Magic managed to hold a 51-46 advantage at the half courtesy of Howard’s rebounding and dominant offense. The rusty Bulls made just five of their first twenty field goal attempts but rallied after the half to trim the Orlando lead.
Deng scored 14 third quarter points to pace Chicago’s comeback. Rose scored 26 points and added 12 rebounds as the Bulls hit their stride heading into the fourth quarter. The Bulls held Orlando to just 4-of-14 shooting in the third. Chicago hit the 34 point mark in the third quarter, doubling up Orlando, who scored just 17. The Bulls made 13-of-21 shots in the table-turning third. Carlos Boozer contributed a massive 16 points and 16 rebounds for the Bulls, who maintained their lead throughout the final quarter. Gilbert Arenas pocketed 11 buckets off the Magic bench, but Rose put the game away on a pair of free throws in the final minute to hold off a late push by Orlando. The Central-division leading Bulls knocked down 8-of-18 from the arc in the win. Howard finished just five points shy of a career high in scoring.
Parting Points: Congrats to Kim Clijsters in her three set comeback triumph over Li Na.
Jameer Nelson, the Magic’s point guard who burned the Bulls in the last meeting between the teams, played just eight minutes. Nelson exited with an injury in the first quarter as Chicago pulled ahead 24-23 at the end of one. Howard was strong from the field and nearly impeccable from the line but received little help from his teammates. The Magic managed to hold a 51-46 advantage at the half courtesy of Howard’s rebounding and dominant offense. The rusty Bulls made just five of their first twenty field goal attempts but rallied after the half to trim the Orlando lead.
Deng scored 14 third quarter points to pace Chicago’s comeback. Rose scored 26 points and added 12 rebounds as the Bulls hit their stride heading into the fourth quarter. The Bulls held Orlando to just 4-of-14 shooting in the third. Chicago hit the 34 point mark in the third quarter, doubling up Orlando, who scored just 17. The Bulls made 13-of-21 shots in the table-turning third. Carlos Boozer contributed a massive 16 points and 16 rebounds for the Bulls, who maintained their lead throughout the final quarter. Gilbert Arenas pocketed 11 buckets off the Magic bench, but Rose put the game away on a pair of free throws in the final minute to hold off a late push by Orlando. The Central-division leading Bulls knocked down 8-of-18 from the arc in the win. Howard finished just five points shy of a career high in scoring.
Parting Points: Congrats to Kim Clijsters in her three set comeback triumph over Li Na.
Friday, January 28, 2011
Finish without a Fuss
You see the world through salty eyes,
The weight of it all heavy on your brow
With sweat that stains and sustains your flesh,
You soak it up without a fuss.
The sun will always shine through here
The start of rallies end to end,
Tosses teeming low will haunt your heart,
Your back will fear the baseline’s hand.
While in the troughs you’ll find the strength,
A whistling rocket buried deep away
The running forehand collapsing in place,
Riling a world submerged in pride.
Parting Points: Song for Friday-Tony Rich Project “Missin’ You”
The weight of it all heavy on your brow
With sweat that stains and sustains your flesh,
You soak it up without a fuss.
The sun will always shine through here
The start of rallies end to end,
Tosses teeming low will haunt your heart,
Your back will fear the baseline’s hand.
While in the troughs you’ll find the strength,
A whistling rocket buried deep away
The running forehand collapsing in place,
Riling a world submerged in pride.
Parting Points: Song for Friday-Tony Rich Project “Missin’ You”
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Columbus’ Cool Customers Continue Creaming Competition
Buckeyes Blast Boilermakers
William Buford drained 19 points and was one of six Buckeyes scoring in double figures as top-ranked Ohio State pasted Purdue in Columbus 87-64 Tuesday. Ohio State won for the 21st consecutive time and remains unbeaten after dismantling the 12th ranked Boilermakers. The streak marks the fourth longest in Buckeye basketball history. The red hot Buckeyes have been tearing up the hardwood since day one of this season. The fever pitch remains on the rise and the Bucks continue to add credibility to their number one ranking with solid defensive rebounding and stellar inside shooting. OSU shot 52% from the field in Tuesday’s Value City Arena victory. The Buckeyes outrebounded the Boilermakers by 14 and led by as many as 31 points against their Big 10 opponents. Purdue fell to 17-4 with the loss.
Ohio State made 6-of-9 from beyond the arc in the first half. The Bucks took a commanding halftime edge and shot 56.7% in the opening session. Jon Diebler poured in 10 points during the first half and finished with 19 on the night. The defense held Purdue without a second-chance point in the first half. Freshman Aaron Craft contributed nine points off Thad Matta’s deep bench as the Buckeyes spread the ball around throughout the game. Buford, David Lighty and Deshaun Thomas all had seven buckets by the break. JaJuan Johnson was the only Purdue shooter able to get anything going offensively. Johnson had 11 points by the half for a Boilermaker team that struggled to hit their three-point shots. Johnson finished with a game high 22 points and led Purdue with seven rebounds. the Buckeyes snatched any momentum back with runs of 14-2 and 13-5 to swell their lead to 35-13 with roughly six minutes left in the half. Purdue trailed 46-26 at halftime.
Jared Sullinger, the hard-to-guard rookie, made his mark in the second half for the dazzling Buckeyes. Sullinger knocked down 17 points and grabbed seven rebounds in the win. He also added seven from the charity stripe. Purdue played a better second half and trimmed their deficit to 17 three times. The lethargic Boilermakers, relying on Johnson and E’Twaun Moore as their only offensive sources, couldn’t piece together a rally. Purdue scored 38 second half points to OSU’s 41 as Buford and Sullinger exchanged late treys to seal the deal for the home team. OSU carved out a 30 point advantage, aided by Thomas’ rebound with 4:19 on the clock. Thomas finished with 13 points, while Lighty scored 11. OSU hit 11-of-19 from the rainbow and now reside two games in front in the Big 10.
Parting Points: The Big East is stacked.
A quote from the epitome of cool- “I never planned anything in my life”- Cool Hand Luke
William Buford drained 19 points and was one of six Buckeyes scoring in double figures as top-ranked Ohio State pasted Purdue in Columbus 87-64 Tuesday. Ohio State won for the 21st consecutive time and remains unbeaten after dismantling the 12th ranked Boilermakers. The streak marks the fourth longest in Buckeye basketball history. The red hot Buckeyes have been tearing up the hardwood since day one of this season. The fever pitch remains on the rise and the Bucks continue to add credibility to their number one ranking with solid defensive rebounding and stellar inside shooting. OSU shot 52% from the field in Tuesday’s Value City Arena victory. The Buckeyes outrebounded the Boilermakers by 14 and led by as many as 31 points against their Big 10 opponents. Purdue fell to 17-4 with the loss.
Ohio State made 6-of-9 from beyond the arc in the first half. The Bucks took a commanding halftime edge and shot 56.7% in the opening session. Jon Diebler poured in 10 points during the first half and finished with 19 on the night. The defense held Purdue without a second-chance point in the first half. Freshman Aaron Craft contributed nine points off Thad Matta’s deep bench as the Buckeyes spread the ball around throughout the game. Buford, David Lighty and Deshaun Thomas all had seven buckets by the break. JaJuan Johnson was the only Purdue shooter able to get anything going offensively. Johnson had 11 points by the half for a Boilermaker team that struggled to hit their three-point shots. Johnson finished with a game high 22 points and led Purdue with seven rebounds. the Buckeyes snatched any momentum back with runs of 14-2 and 13-5 to swell their lead to 35-13 with roughly six minutes left in the half. Purdue trailed 46-26 at halftime.
Jared Sullinger, the hard-to-guard rookie, made his mark in the second half for the dazzling Buckeyes. Sullinger knocked down 17 points and grabbed seven rebounds in the win. He also added seven from the charity stripe. Purdue played a better second half and trimmed their deficit to 17 three times. The lethargic Boilermakers, relying on Johnson and E’Twaun Moore as their only offensive sources, couldn’t piece together a rally. Purdue scored 38 second half points to OSU’s 41 as Buford and Sullinger exchanged late treys to seal the deal for the home team. OSU carved out a 30 point advantage, aided by Thomas’ rebound with 4:19 on the clock. Thomas finished with 13 points, while Lighty scored 11. OSU hit 11-of-19 from the rainbow and now reside two games in front in the Big 10.
Parting Points: The Big East is stacked.
A quote from the epitome of cool- “I never planned anything in my life”- Cool Hand Luke
Monday, January 24, 2011
Steelers Shine, Sail to Superbowl
The Jets’ joyride season ended in a 24-19 defeat at Pittsburgh’s Heinz Field Sunday night. New York fell into an insurmountable 24-3 halftime hole before rallying to make a game of it in the second half. Pittsburgh held on to win, the prize being a trip to the Superbowl to face the Green Bay Packers. The Steelers are headed for Dallas after grabbing their third AFC Championship in six years last night.
Pittsburgh quarterback, Ben Roethlisberger, scrambled on the Steelers’ opening drive in single digit temperatures to chew off nine minutes on the clock. Roethlisberger orchestrated a 15 play drive capped by Rashard Mendenhall’s one yard touchdown lunge to put the Steelers up by seven. The Jets struggled to get first downs and Pittsburgh maintained excellent field position throughout the first quarter. Roethlisberger was intercepted for the first time in 200 attempts on the Steelers’ second drive, but the Jets’ offense could not capitalize. Shaun Suisham booted a 20 yard field goal to put Pittsburgh out in front by ten points midway through the second session. The Steelers thundered into the end zone again with two minutes left in the half. Roethlisberger charged from two yards out to complete a 66 yard Pittsburgh drive for the 17 point advantage. Rex Ryan’s bombastic third ranked defense could do little to prevent the Steelers from adding another touchdown or slowing down Mendenhall.
Ike Taylor hit Jets’ signal caller, Mark Sanchez, to force a fumble with less than two minutes remaining in the second quarter. Cornerback William Gay scooped up the loose ball and rushed 19 yards the opposite way for a third Pittsburgh touchdown. The Steelers outgained the Jets 231-50 in yards during the first half. The Jets scooted 44 yards to reach field goal territory near the end of the second quarter. All New York could muster was a Nick Folk 42 yard field goal as time expired on the AFC Championship game’s first half. Pittsburgh dominated time of possession, leaving the trash-talking Gang Green offense down four scores heading into the locker room. The Steelers held an absurd 135-1 advantage on the ground in the first half. Mendenhall finished with 121 rushing yards (95 in the first half), only the second time a back has accumulated over 100 against Gang Green all season.
The Jets awoke from a slumber to score 16 unanswered points in the second half. Pittsburgh failed to score again after the break. In the first drive of the half, Sanchez hit Santonio Holmes for a 45 yard touchdown strike to cut the deficit to 24-10. Sanchez had two touchdown passes on the night and threw for 233 yards in the loss. Mike Devito recovered a safety in the fourth quarter following a Roethlisberger bobbled snap to miraculously make it a two possession game. New York had a chance to score again midway through the fourth, but the Steel Curtain’s goal-line stance made them come up empty. Previously injured Jets’ wideout, Jericho Cotchery caught a four yard touchdown pass from Sanchez with three minutes left in regulation. The Jets trailed by five and took the lead in yardage during the second half, but it was too little too late. Pittsburgh had too much of a first half cushion to forego the lead. Mendenhall was handed the ball three times before rookie, Antonio Brown secured a Pittsburgh first down on a 14 yard reception with two minutes to go. The Jets didn’t have any timeouts left with 1:48 left. The Steelers ran out the clock and improved to 14-4 on rout for a chance at their seventh Superbowl in franchise history. A date with Green Bay is set for February 6th at 6:30pm.
Parting Points: It should be a good Superbowl. The Pack are a 2 ½ point favorite.
Who the heck is Caleb Hanie?
Pittsburgh quarterback, Ben Roethlisberger, scrambled on the Steelers’ opening drive in single digit temperatures to chew off nine minutes on the clock. Roethlisberger orchestrated a 15 play drive capped by Rashard Mendenhall’s one yard touchdown lunge to put the Steelers up by seven. The Jets struggled to get first downs and Pittsburgh maintained excellent field position throughout the first quarter. Roethlisberger was intercepted for the first time in 200 attempts on the Steelers’ second drive, but the Jets’ offense could not capitalize. Shaun Suisham booted a 20 yard field goal to put Pittsburgh out in front by ten points midway through the second session. The Steelers thundered into the end zone again with two minutes left in the half. Roethlisberger charged from two yards out to complete a 66 yard Pittsburgh drive for the 17 point advantage. Rex Ryan’s bombastic third ranked defense could do little to prevent the Steelers from adding another touchdown or slowing down Mendenhall.
Ike Taylor hit Jets’ signal caller, Mark Sanchez, to force a fumble with less than two minutes remaining in the second quarter. Cornerback William Gay scooped up the loose ball and rushed 19 yards the opposite way for a third Pittsburgh touchdown. The Steelers outgained the Jets 231-50 in yards during the first half. The Jets scooted 44 yards to reach field goal territory near the end of the second quarter. All New York could muster was a Nick Folk 42 yard field goal as time expired on the AFC Championship game’s first half. Pittsburgh dominated time of possession, leaving the trash-talking Gang Green offense down four scores heading into the locker room. The Steelers held an absurd 135-1 advantage on the ground in the first half. Mendenhall finished with 121 rushing yards (95 in the first half), only the second time a back has accumulated over 100 against Gang Green all season.
The Jets awoke from a slumber to score 16 unanswered points in the second half. Pittsburgh failed to score again after the break. In the first drive of the half, Sanchez hit Santonio Holmes for a 45 yard touchdown strike to cut the deficit to 24-10. Sanchez had two touchdown passes on the night and threw for 233 yards in the loss. Mike Devito recovered a safety in the fourth quarter following a Roethlisberger bobbled snap to miraculously make it a two possession game. New York had a chance to score again midway through the fourth, but the Steel Curtain’s goal-line stance made them come up empty. Previously injured Jets’ wideout, Jericho Cotchery caught a four yard touchdown pass from Sanchez with three minutes left in regulation. The Jets trailed by five and took the lead in yardage during the second half, but it was too little too late. Pittsburgh had too much of a first half cushion to forego the lead. Mendenhall was handed the ball three times before rookie, Antonio Brown secured a Pittsburgh first down on a 14 yard reception with two minutes to go. The Jets didn’t have any timeouts left with 1:48 left. The Steelers ran out the clock and improved to 14-4 on rout for a chance at their seventh Superbowl in franchise history. A date with Green Bay is set for February 6th at 6:30pm.
Parting Points: It should be a good Superbowl. The Pack are a 2 ½ point favorite.
Who the heck is Caleb Hanie?
Saturday, January 22, 2011
Inhibiting Illinois
Ohio State brings their number one ranking to Assembly Hall in Champaign, Illinois this afternoon. The Buckeyes tipoff at noon against the 23rd ranked Illini hoping to extend their undefeated season another day and improve to 20-0 on the year. Ohio State faces a tough test at hostile Assembly Hall in what should be the first of a series of challenging contests in the coming weeks. The Buckeyes will face seven teams ranked in the top 25 in their next nine games.
Today, their 14-5 Big Ten opponents boast an admirable crew in defensive-minded Illinois. The Illini lead the conference in three-point shooting and three-point shooting defense. Assist man, Demetri McCamey, will be a catalyst for the home team. Last season, Evan Turner and the Buckeyes held McCamey to just nine points in a 72-53 victory on the road. The pressure will be heavier for this season’s matchup. Illinois have immense front-court size, solid shooting from beyond the arc and are savvy in the back-court. Starting guard, D.J. Richardson and forward, Bill Cole both shoot well from a distance and will be a tricky test for OSU’s outside guards. Senior Mike Davis leads the Illini in shooting and center Mike Tisdale is more than accurate from the line. The Buckeyes are capable of disposing any team in college basketball, but they must contain the high scoring Illini. Illinois is so effective in creating opportunities for their shooters. The Buckeyes must be careful not to turn the ball over.
Illinois already toppled Michigan State at home this season. The Illini are a team that struggles on the road so should be prepared for a number one ranked OSU squad. Bruce Weber will have them equipped to handle the likes of Jared Sullinger’s outside looks and David Lighty’s diligent drives to the basket. The Bucks had a difficult time defending Penn State in their win over the Lions last weekend, but rebounded to suffocate the Hawkeyes 70-48 on Wednesday. Which OSU team will show up in Champaign this afternoon?
Parting Points: Song of the day-“6, 8, 12” by Brian Mcknight
Manny Ramirez and Johnny Damon reunite in Tampa. Interesting pick-ups for the Rays.
Today, their 14-5 Big Ten opponents boast an admirable crew in defensive-minded Illinois. The Illini lead the conference in three-point shooting and three-point shooting defense. Assist man, Demetri McCamey, will be a catalyst for the home team. Last season, Evan Turner and the Buckeyes held McCamey to just nine points in a 72-53 victory on the road. The pressure will be heavier for this season’s matchup. Illinois have immense front-court size, solid shooting from beyond the arc and are savvy in the back-court. Starting guard, D.J. Richardson and forward, Bill Cole both shoot well from a distance and will be a tricky test for OSU’s outside guards. Senior Mike Davis leads the Illini in shooting and center Mike Tisdale is more than accurate from the line. The Buckeyes are capable of disposing any team in college basketball, but they must contain the high scoring Illini. Illinois is so effective in creating opportunities for their shooters. The Buckeyes must be careful not to turn the ball over.
Illinois already toppled Michigan State at home this season. The Illini are a team that struggles on the road so should be prepared for a number one ranked OSU squad. Bruce Weber will have them equipped to handle the likes of Jared Sullinger’s outside looks and David Lighty’s diligent drives to the basket. The Bucks had a difficult time defending Penn State in their win over the Lions last weekend, but rebounded to suffocate the Hawkeyes 70-48 on Wednesday. Which OSU team will show up in Champaign this afternoon?
Parting Points: Song of the day-“6, 8, 12” by Brian Mcknight
Manny Ramirez and Johnny Damon reunite in Tampa. Interesting pick-ups for the Rays.
Friday, January 21, 2011
Augustin Attacks
The Bobcats nixed the Sixers by three on Thursday night after Philadelphia rallied from an eight point deficit in the final quarter. Charlotte pulled out a 100-97 victory at Time Warner Cable Arena to snap a two game skid. The Bobcats rode D.J. Augustin’s career high 31 point performance in slipping past less- than-mediocre Philadelphia. The 76ers and Bobcats are both owners of 17 wins, with Philly possessing one more loss than the 24 loss Charlotte club. The Sixers sit in third place in the Atlantic behind Boston and New York with little hope of reaching the post-season. Ailing Charlotte is all but out of the playoff hunt, clinging to fourth place in the Southeast.
Charlotte scored 30 first quarter points in a commandeering opening session. Augustin paced the home team with 14 first quarter points, including three from beyond the arc. The diminutive point guard added 11 buckets in the second quarter, hitting a perfect 5-of-5 from the field on uncontested drives through the lane. Augustin dished out a game high eight assists in handing the Sixers their fourth lost in six games. Thaddeus Young contributed 21 points off the bench and Andre Iguodala added 19 for Philly, who trailed by six at halftime.
Iguodala had five rebounds and five assists in the loss but missed a shot off the rim in the final 11 seconds as the Bobcats held on to win. Philadelphia took the lead twice during the second half. Philly scored a quick six to open the third quarter, aided by a pair of Elton Brand jumpers. Brand finished with a game high, 10 rebounds and poured in a dozen points. Young gave the visitors a one-point edge off his own rebound with 1:52 left in the fourth. The Bobcats answered back with two of Gerald Henderson’s 11 points. Henderson then drained a 19-footer with 26 seconds to increase the Bobcat lead to three. Brand’s tip-in with just over seven ticks remaining cut the deficit to 98-95 after Iguodala’s miss. But Augustin sunk both shots from the line to put Charlotte on top by five. Nazr Mohammed played 20 minutes for Charlotte and scored 15 points. Jrue Holiday led the 76ers with seven assists and finished with 13 points in defeat.
Parting Points: The Yankees signed Andruw Jones. Seriously, Yankees?
Andre Agassi was elected to the Tennis Hall of Fame.
Charlotte scored 30 first quarter points in a commandeering opening session. Augustin paced the home team with 14 first quarter points, including three from beyond the arc. The diminutive point guard added 11 buckets in the second quarter, hitting a perfect 5-of-5 from the field on uncontested drives through the lane. Augustin dished out a game high eight assists in handing the Sixers their fourth lost in six games. Thaddeus Young contributed 21 points off the bench and Andre Iguodala added 19 for Philly, who trailed by six at halftime.
Iguodala had five rebounds and five assists in the loss but missed a shot off the rim in the final 11 seconds as the Bobcats held on to win. Philadelphia took the lead twice during the second half. Philly scored a quick six to open the third quarter, aided by a pair of Elton Brand jumpers. Brand finished with a game high, 10 rebounds and poured in a dozen points. Young gave the visitors a one-point edge off his own rebound with 1:52 left in the fourth. The Bobcats answered back with two of Gerald Henderson’s 11 points. Henderson then drained a 19-footer with 26 seconds to increase the Bobcat lead to three. Brand’s tip-in with just over seven ticks remaining cut the deficit to 98-95 after Iguodala’s miss. But Augustin sunk both shots from the line to put Charlotte on top by five. Nazr Mohammed played 20 minutes for Charlotte and scored 15 points. Jrue Holiday led the 76ers with seven assists and finished with 13 points in defeat.
Parting Points: The Yankees signed Andruw Jones. Seriously, Yankees?
Andre Agassi was elected to the Tennis Hall of Fame.
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Capitals Cede Control
The Philadelphia Flyers blew a 2-0 third period lead but were bailed out in overtime by Andrej Meszaros. The Czech native’s wrist shot at 1:07 in the extra session propelled the Flyers to a 3-2 home victory over their Eastern Conference nemesis. Washington came up on the short end after posting a pair of goals by Mike Knuble and Alexander Ovechkin to force overtime. Meszaros punched the winning goal through to beat Semyon Varlamov. It was just the second goal of the season for the first year Flyer skater. Meszaros split time in Ottawa and Tampa Bay before coming to the City of Brotherly Love. Tuesday marked the sixth straight overtime loss for the visiting Capitals.
The Capitals controlled play for most of the first 20 minutes but East-leading Philadelphia held a 1-0 edge after the opening period. Jeff Carter scored on a wraparound goal for his 20th of the season to give Philly the early lead. Michal Neuvirth started the game in net for the Caps, but was replaced after the first period due to injury. Carter fed the puck to All-Star Claude Giroux, who snuck the puck through the posts, with 6:22 left in the second period. The Capitals trailed 2-0 after two periods and were limited to less than 30 shots on goal for the 11th straight game. Washington managed just 12 shots on goal in the first 40 minutes. Sergei Bobrovsky was brilliant as the Philly netminder through two sessions. Bobrovsky finished with 23 saves.
Washington’s first goal came at 7:58 in the final frame. Rookie center for Washington, Marcus Johansson stripped the puck and tried to score. Johansson’s shot missed the goal. Knuble recovered the puck and slung his 11th goal through the net to put the Caps on board against his former team. Less than a minute later, Ovechkin fired a shot that scooted behind Bobrovsky and tied the game at 2-2. It was Ovechkin’s 16th goal and it erased the Flyers’ advantage. Washington went without a power play opportunity during Tuesday’s contest and failed to score the go-ahead goal before suffering defeat in overtime. The Flyers benefited from just one power play chance but the extra-man opportunity passed without a Philly goal. Instead, the teams battled against each other into an extra period for the third time this season. The Capitals now sit fifth in the East, seven points behind the front-running Flyers. Head coach, Paul Holmgren, earned a three year contract extension with the Flyers yesterday.
Parting Points: Federer over Simon in a five set second round thriller.
I’m tired of the Carmelo Anthony rumors already.
The Capitals controlled play for most of the first 20 minutes but East-leading Philadelphia held a 1-0 edge after the opening period. Jeff Carter scored on a wraparound goal for his 20th of the season to give Philly the early lead. Michal Neuvirth started the game in net for the Caps, but was replaced after the first period due to injury. Carter fed the puck to All-Star Claude Giroux, who snuck the puck through the posts, with 6:22 left in the second period. The Capitals trailed 2-0 after two periods and were limited to less than 30 shots on goal for the 11th straight game. Washington managed just 12 shots on goal in the first 40 minutes. Sergei Bobrovsky was brilliant as the Philly netminder through two sessions. Bobrovsky finished with 23 saves.
Washington’s first goal came at 7:58 in the final frame. Rookie center for Washington, Marcus Johansson stripped the puck and tried to score. Johansson’s shot missed the goal. Knuble recovered the puck and slung his 11th goal through the net to put the Caps on board against his former team. Less than a minute later, Ovechkin fired a shot that scooted behind Bobrovsky and tied the game at 2-2. It was Ovechkin’s 16th goal and it erased the Flyers’ advantage. Washington went without a power play opportunity during Tuesday’s contest and failed to score the go-ahead goal before suffering defeat in overtime. The Flyers benefited from just one power play chance but the extra-man opportunity passed without a Philly goal. Instead, the teams battled against each other into an extra period for the third time this season. The Capitals now sit fifth in the East, seven points behind the front-running Flyers. Head coach, Paul Holmgren, earned a three year contract extension with the Flyers yesterday.
Parting Points: Federer over Simon in a five set second round thriller.
I’m tired of the Carmelo Anthony rumors already.
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Perfect Panthers Scratch Syracuse
‘Cuse’s Claws Clipped
Jets-Steelers aren’t the only New York-Pittsburgh highlight matchup this week. Two teams with perfect slates converged in the Steel City last night. The zone-busting Pittsburgh Panthers are still undefeated after Monday’s stomping over smooth-sailing Syracuse at Petersen Events Center. The Panthers improved to 19-0 on the season with a 74-66 victory over the third-ranked Orange. Pitt scored the first 19 points of the game during an eight minute opening run against their Big East foes. The Orange missed their first ten shots of the night. Pitt’s Nasir Robinson unloaded nine consecutive points and finished with 21 as the Panthers took sole possession of first place in the conference at 6-0.
The Orange ripped off 17 straight points after the 19-0 Panther run in the first quarter. Pitt followed with seven more points only to be followed by seven from the Orange. Syracuse’s C.J. Fair pocketed 16 points and nine rebounds in the loss. Junior guard, Ashton Gibbs, knocked down a three-pointer with three seconds remaining in the first half to give the Panthers a 31-27 halftime edge. Syracuse had four fewer rebounds than the home team in the first half and the momentum appeared to shift the Orange way after the break. Syracuse tied the score at 41 on James Southerland’s trey but Pitt’s Travon Woodall responded with a downtown bucket as Pitt re-took the lead.
Syracuse’s usually strong shooting from the field stalled in the second half. The Orange had several opportunities to take the lead but failed to score each time. Rick Jackson had ten points to go along with 11 rebounds for the Orange, who played without top scorer, Kris Joseph. The visitors tried to hold their own on the road, but their 18-0 record would fall at the hands of the clawing cats. The Panthers’ defense, ignited by a Talib Zanna block in the second half, was too much for ‘Cuse. The Panthers were able to solve Syracuse’s 2-3 zone defense as well. Pittsburgh went on a 9-1 run with 10:49 remaining to take a 53-44 lead. Robinson did not slow down in the second half. He made 8-of-12 shots from the floor and contributed eight rebounds. Senior Gary McGhee helped the Panthers gain the rebounding edge (44-30) against the conference’s best on the boards, Jackson. Brad Wanamaker finished with 15 points and Gilbert Brown added 12 for the fifth ranked Panthers. The 2003 national champion Orange fell for the first time this season and the home Panthers sifted through the second half unscathed.
Parting Points: OSU=number one in the polls
Boston beats Orlando on KG’s defensive heroics. Welcome back, Garnett.
Jets-Steelers aren’t the only New York-Pittsburgh highlight matchup this week. Two teams with perfect slates converged in the Steel City last night. The zone-busting Pittsburgh Panthers are still undefeated after Monday’s stomping over smooth-sailing Syracuse at Petersen Events Center. The Panthers improved to 19-0 on the season with a 74-66 victory over the third-ranked Orange. Pitt scored the first 19 points of the game during an eight minute opening run against their Big East foes. The Orange missed their first ten shots of the night. Pitt’s Nasir Robinson unloaded nine consecutive points and finished with 21 as the Panthers took sole possession of first place in the conference at 6-0.
The Orange ripped off 17 straight points after the 19-0 Panther run in the first quarter. Pitt followed with seven more points only to be followed by seven from the Orange. Syracuse’s C.J. Fair pocketed 16 points and nine rebounds in the loss. Junior guard, Ashton Gibbs, knocked down a three-pointer with three seconds remaining in the first half to give the Panthers a 31-27 halftime edge. Syracuse had four fewer rebounds than the home team in the first half and the momentum appeared to shift the Orange way after the break. Syracuse tied the score at 41 on James Southerland’s trey but Pitt’s Travon Woodall responded with a downtown bucket as Pitt re-took the lead.
Syracuse’s usually strong shooting from the field stalled in the second half. The Orange had several opportunities to take the lead but failed to score each time. Rick Jackson had ten points to go along with 11 rebounds for the Orange, who played without top scorer, Kris Joseph. The visitors tried to hold their own on the road, but their 18-0 record would fall at the hands of the clawing cats. The Panthers’ defense, ignited by a Talib Zanna block in the second half, was too much for ‘Cuse. The Panthers were able to solve Syracuse’s 2-3 zone defense as well. Pittsburgh went on a 9-1 run with 10:49 remaining to take a 53-44 lead. Robinson did not slow down in the second half. He made 8-of-12 shots from the floor and contributed eight rebounds. Senior Gary McGhee helped the Panthers gain the rebounding edge (44-30) against the conference’s best on the boards, Jackson. Brad Wanamaker finished with 15 points and Gilbert Brown added 12 for the fifth ranked Panthers. The 2003 national champion Orange fell for the first time this season and the home Panthers sifted through the second half unscathed.
Parting Points: OSU=number one in the polls
Boston beats Orlando on KG’s defensive heroics. Welcome back, Garnett.
Monday, January 17, 2011
Cutler, Chicago Catapult to Conference Contest
Solider Field will host the NFC Conference Championship next week, pitting one of football’s oldest rivalries against each other for a chance to go to the Superbowl. The Bears will play division rival Green Bay on Sunday for the first time in an NFC Conference title game after walloping the Cinderella Seahawks 35-24 yesterday afternoon. Jay Cutler’s playoff debut went splendidly as the Bears built a 28-0 lead and never looked back. Cutler accounted for four touchdowns, including a pair of rushing touchdowns as the home team made easy work of stumbling Seattle.
Cutler connected with Greg Olsen for a 58 yard touchdown strike three minutes into the contest and Chester Taylor’s one yard run made it 14-0 in favor of Chicago after one quarter. Olsen finished with 113 yards, while Matt Forte rushed 80 yards on 25 carries. Chicago dominated both sides of the ball as the Seahawks couldn’t snap their eight game road playoff losing streak at a snowy Solider Field. Cutler continued to shred the Seattle defense by breaking tackles and finishing with 43 yards rushing on eight tries. The quarterback gave the Bears a three touchdown edge with a six yard hustle into the end zone in the second quarter. Cutler picked up where he left off after the break, scoring on a nine yard touchdown run early in the third quarter. The 70 yard scoring drive made it 28-0.
Seattle finally etched the scoreboard with just under two minutes remaining in the third quarter. The Seahawks scored ten straight points to cut into the Chicago lead. Olindo Mare knocked home a 30 yard field goal in the third quarter and Mike Williams provided Seattle with their first touchdown in the fourth. Seahawk signalcaller, Matt Hasselbeck, tossed two Williams for the two yard touchdown reception following a Bears’ turnover. It was one of three touchdown passes by Hasselbeck on Sunday. Chicago recoverd an onside kick with eleven minutes left in the game and needed just three plays to reach the end zone again. Cutler and Kellen Davis made it a 35-10 contest after hooking up for a 39 yard touchdown with 4:40 remaining. Seattle capped off a 74 yard, seven play drive with another Williams’ touchdown and drove the field for another 55 yards culminating in a Brandon Stokley nine yard touchdown catch. Twenty seven second remained on the clock, however, with Chicago still in the driver’s seat, ahead by 11. Chicago piled up 437 yards in the win and now face the Packers for the NFC title. Green Bay is on a roll, having knocked off the Eagles and Falcons. Winning on the road is clearly not a problem for the Packers.
Parting Points: Monday’s tune- “The Kids Aren’t Alright” by the Offspring
Cutler connected with Greg Olsen for a 58 yard touchdown strike three minutes into the contest and Chester Taylor’s one yard run made it 14-0 in favor of Chicago after one quarter. Olsen finished with 113 yards, while Matt Forte rushed 80 yards on 25 carries. Chicago dominated both sides of the ball as the Seahawks couldn’t snap their eight game road playoff losing streak at a snowy Solider Field. Cutler continued to shred the Seattle defense by breaking tackles and finishing with 43 yards rushing on eight tries. The quarterback gave the Bears a three touchdown edge with a six yard hustle into the end zone in the second quarter. Cutler picked up where he left off after the break, scoring on a nine yard touchdown run early in the third quarter. The 70 yard scoring drive made it 28-0.
Seattle finally etched the scoreboard with just under two minutes remaining in the third quarter. The Seahawks scored ten straight points to cut into the Chicago lead. Olindo Mare knocked home a 30 yard field goal in the third quarter and Mike Williams provided Seattle with their first touchdown in the fourth. Seahawk signalcaller, Matt Hasselbeck, tossed two Williams for the two yard touchdown reception following a Bears’ turnover. It was one of three touchdown passes by Hasselbeck on Sunday. Chicago recoverd an onside kick with eleven minutes left in the game and needed just three plays to reach the end zone again. Cutler and Kellen Davis made it a 35-10 contest after hooking up for a 39 yard touchdown with 4:40 remaining. Seattle capped off a 74 yard, seven play drive with another Williams’ touchdown and drove the field for another 55 yards culminating in a Brandon Stokley nine yard touchdown catch. Twenty seven second remained on the clock, however, with Chicago still in the driver’s seat, ahead by 11. Chicago piled up 437 yards in the win and now face the Packers for the NFC title. Green Bay is on a roll, having knocked off the Eagles and Falcons. Winning on the road is clearly not a problem for the Packers.
Parting Points: Monday’s tune- “The Kids Aren’t Alright” by the Offspring
Sunday, January 16, 2011
Steel Strong
Pittsburgh’s James Harrison says it best. The Steelers just go out there and do what they have to do. Harrison and the Steelers are moving on to the AFC Championship game after bashing Baltimore 31-24 at Heinz Field Saturday afternoon. It will be Pittsburgh’s fifth AFC Championship game in the past decade. Meanwhile, Ray Lewis and the Ravens can’t seem to overcome their playoff woes against their Pittsburgh foes. Despite a two touchdown lead at halftime, the Ravens’ Superbowl aspirations were shredded again by the men in gold and black. Lewis, the twelve time All-Star, has suffered three losses in the post-season to the Steelers. Pittsburgh is a win away from a return to their third Superbowl in six seasons.
The Ravens forced mistakes in the first half and made the Steelers pay for each one as the top-notch defense capitalized on Pittsburgh miscues. Baltimore jumped out to a 21-7 lead after scoring on two short touchdown drives. Turnovers, penalties and defense were the story of the game on both sides of the ball. The Ravens managed just 125 yards against Pitt’s vaunted defense. Baltimore committed three turnovers in the second half after an impressive thirty minutes of football. The Ravens pressured quarterback, Ben Roethlisberger all day. Big Ben was sacked six times yet went without an interception and threw for 226 yards in the win. Joe Flacco did not fare as well as his counterpart Big Ben. Flacco fumbled and was intercepted in the one-touchdown performance. Lawrence Timmons led the Pittsburgh defense with seven tackles and Harrison had three sacks. Lewis had six tackles for defensive-minded Baltimore, while Terrell Suggs matched Harrison in sacks.
Rashard Mendenhall got the Steelers rolling with a touchdown on Pittsburgh’s first possession of the game. The running back had two touchdowns despite rushing for just 46 yards. The one touchdown home lead evaporated quickly. Baltimore scored 21 unanswered points to close out the first half on top. Ray Rice ran 14 yards to cap off a Ravens’ drive with 1:20 left in the first quarter. The Ravens scored less than a minute later after Pittsburgh coughed up the ball on a Roethlisberger incompletion. Cory Redding scooped up the ball and ran it back for the Baltimore touchdown. In the second quarter, Mendenhall fumbled at the Steelers’ 16 yard line and on the next drive, Flacco found a wide open Todd Heap for a four yard touchdown grab. Tight end Heap led Baltimore with 43 receiving yards. The half ended with a missed field goal by Pittsburgh kicker, Shaun Suisham. The Ravens entered the locker room with the most points they scored against the Steelers since 2007.
Heath Miller hauled in a nine yard pass from Roethlisberger five minutes into the third quarter as the Steelers began their cutthroat comeback. The Steelers needed four plays to reach the end zone. Pittsburgh took over at the 23 yard line following a Rice fumble and Mendenhall scrambled for a 14 yard gain to set up Roethlisberger’s strike to Miller. The home team got the ball back after Flacco was picked off. Pittsburgh tied the score at 21-21 on Hines Ward’s eight yard touchdown reception. Safety Ryan Clark was credited with stripping the ball from Rice and intercepting an overthrowing Flacco for a 17 yard return the other way. Baltimore committed a third turnover in the third quarter on the next possession, much to the delight of the Heinz Field faithful. Matt Birk’s snap was too early for Flacco and Brett Keisel recovered for Pittsburgh. But the game was still knotted at 21 heading into the final stanza.
Baltimore and Pittsburgh traded fourth quarter field goals. Suisham hitt one from 35 yards and Billy Cunduff tied the game again with a 24 yard kick with 3:54 left on the clock. Pittsburgh executed a dramatic drive to finish off their comeback. The Steelers faced third-and-19 at their own 38 yard line when Roethlisberger uncorked a 58 yard pass to rookie Antonio Brown deep in Raven territory. It took Mendenhall three tries, but he managed to break through the Baltimore defense into the end zone for the game-winning touchdown with 1:33 left to play. The final was not secured until T.J. Houshmandzadeh dropped a Flacco pass that would have given Baltimore a first down on Pittsburgh terrain. Roethlisberger completed 19-of-32 passes for two touchdowns as the Steelers stymied their division rivals yet again.
Parting Points: Aaron Rodgers is playing out of his mind this post-season, much to nobody’s surprise I suspect.
The Ravens forced mistakes in the first half and made the Steelers pay for each one as the top-notch defense capitalized on Pittsburgh miscues. Baltimore jumped out to a 21-7 lead after scoring on two short touchdown drives. Turnovers, penalties and defense were the story of the game on both sides of the ball. The Ravens managed just 125 yards against Pitt’s vaunted defense. Baltimore committed three turnovers in the second half after an impressive thirty minutes of football. The Ravens pressured quarterback, Ben Roethlisberger all day. Big Ben was sacked six times yet went without an interception and threw for 226 yards in the win. Joe Flacco did not fare as well as his counterpart Big Ben. Flacco fumbled and was intercepted in the one-touchdown performance. Lawrence Timmons led the Pittsburgh defense with seven tackles and Harrison had three sacks. Lewis had six tackles for defensive-minded Baltimore, while Terrell Suggs matched Harrison in sacks.
Rashard Mendenhall got the Steelers rolling with a touchdown on Pittsburgh’s first possession of the game. The running back had two touchdowns despite rushing for just 46 yards. The one touchdown home lead evaporated quickly. Baltimore scored 21 unanswered points to close out the first half on top. Ray Rice ran 14 yards to cap off a Ravens’ drive with 1:20 left in the first quarter. The Ravens scored less than a minute later after Pittsburgh coughed up the ball on a Roethlisberger incompletion. Cory Redding scooped up the ball and ran it back for the Baltimore touchdown. In the second quarter, Mendenhall fumbled at the Steelers’ 16 yard line and on the next drive, Flacco found a wide open Todd Heap for a four yard touchdown grab. Tight end Heap led Baltimore with 43 receiving yards. The half ended with a missed field goal by Pittsburgh kicker, Shaun Suisham. The Ravens entered the locker room with the most points they scored against the Steelers since 2007.
Heath Miller hauled in a nine yard pass from Roethlisberger five minutes into the third quarter as the Steelers began their cutthroat comeback. The Steelers needed four plays to reach the end zone. Pittsburgh took over at the 23 yard line following a Rice fumble and Mendenhall scrambled for a 14 yard gain to set up Roethlisberger’s strike to Miller. The home team got the ball back after Flacco was picked off. Pittsburgh tied the score at 21-21 on Hines Ward’s eight yard touchdown reception. Safety Ryan Clark was credited with stripping the ball from Rice and intercepting an overthrowing Flacco for a 17 yard return the other way. Baltimore committed a third turnover in the third quarter on the next possession, much to the delight of the Heinz Field faithful. Matt Birk’s snap was too early for Flacco and Brett Keisel recovered for Pittsburgh. But the game was still knotted at 21 heading into the final stanza.
Baltimore and Pittsburgh traded fourth quarter field goals. Suisham hitt one from 35 yards and Billy Cunduff tied the game again with a 24 yard kick with 3:54 left on the clock. Pittsburgh executed a dramatic drive to finish off their comeback. The Steelers faced third-and-19 at their own 38 yard line when Roethlisberger uncorked a 58 yard pass to rookie Antonio Brown deep in Raven territory. It took Mendenhall three tries, but he managed to break through the Baltimore defense into the end zone for the game-winning touchdown with 1:33 left to play. The final was not secured until T.J. Houshmandzadeh dropped a Flacco pass that would have given Baltimore a first down on Pittsburgh terrain. Roethlisberger completed 19-of-32 passes for two touchdowns as the Steelers stymied their division rivals yet again.
Parting Points: Aaron Rodgers is playing out of his mind this post-season, much to nobody’s surprise I suspect.
Saturday, January 15, 2011
Spurs Sprint in Standings
The Dallas Mavericks have dropped four games in a row. San Antonio crushed the Dirk-less Mavs 101-89 at AT&T Center Friday night, making short work of their Southwest division foes. Tony Parker poured in 18 points to lift the Spurs to their fifth straight win and an NBA best 34-6 record. Parker sparked San Antonio in the first quarter and Richard Jefferson buried back-to-back three-pointers to highlight the second quarter. The visiting Mavs trailed 51-30 at the break in what has been a tailspin month for the 26-12 club. The Mavericks are just 2-7 without their big man, Nowitzki. Dallas couldn’t contain Parker or point guard,Tim Duncan during the first half. Neither Spurs’ shooter played in the fourth quarter as the Mavs were hammered on the boards all night. It was San Antonio’s 14th straight home win this season.
Shawn Marion scored 14 points to lead Dallas, who shot just 39.7 percent through three quarters. The Mavs’ Jason Terry added nine points on a 3-for-14 shooting effort. Dallas closed within 13 points on a Tyson Chandler dunk in the third quarter, put an 18-7 Spurs’ spree dismantled a Dallas comeback rally. Dallas’ bench could not surge in the fourth quarter to avoid defeat. Duncan paced the Spurs with 16 points and 12 rebounds. Former Pitt Panther standout, DeJuan Blair, collected 18 points and led San Antonio with 13 boards. Manu Ginobili contributed 11 buckets as four Spurs scored in double figures. San Antonio was a stellar 79% from the line as they carved out a 24 point lead heading into the final quarter.
Friday’s win marked the second time this season the Spurs have handed the Mavs a beat-down. The Spurs are headed for home-court advantage throughout the playoffs as long as they remain healthy and firing on all cylinders. Dallas still remains in the top three in the Western Conference (seven games behind the Spurs) but the injury-plagued Mavs must find a way to start reeling off victories instead of just reeling.
Parting Points: The Big 10 is sticking with Leaders & Legends and Cam Newton is heading to the NFL.
Shawn Marion scored 14 points to lead Dallas, who shot just 39.7 percent through three quarters. The Mavs’ Jason Terry added nine points on a 3-for-14 shooting effort. Dallas closed within 13 points on a Tyson Chandler dunk in the third quarter, put an 18-7 Spurs’ spree dismantled a Dallas comeback rally. Dallas’ bench could not surge in the fourth quarter to avoid defeat. Duncan paced the Spurs with 16 points and 12 rebounds. Former Pitt Panther standout, DeJuan Blair, collected 18 points and led San Antonio with 13 boards. Manu Ginobili contributed 11 buckets as four Spurs scored in double figures. San Antonio was a stellar 79% from the line as they carved out a 24 point lead heading into the final quarter.
Friday’s win marked the second time this season the Spurs have handed the Mavs a beat-down. The Spurs are headed for home-court advantage throughout the playoffs as long as they remain healthy and firing on all cylinders. Dallas still remains in the top three in the Western Conference (seven games behind the Spurs) but the injury-plagued Mavs must find a way to start reeling off victories instead of just reeling.
Parting Points: The Big 10 is sticking with Leaders & Legends and Cam Newton is heading to the NFL.
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Thursday Take-Twos (Unbeaten Edition)
Duke and Ohio State entered Wednesday night with unblemished records. The Blue Devils traveled to Tallahassee to face the11-5 Seminoles, while the Bucks played at Crisler Arena against 11-5 Michigan. Only one unbeaten would remain…
Florida State took down Duke in Tallahassee for the second time in five years to snap the Devils’ 25 game winning streak. The top ranked Blue Devils were defeated 66-61 at Donald Tucker Center on Wednesday for the first time this season. It was the national champ’s first setback since March 2010. FSU’s senior guard, Derwin Kitchen collected 22 points, including 17 in the second half, to carry the Seminoles to their 12th win. Chris Singleton added 18 points in the victory while Kyle Singler led Duke with 20. Duke is sure to be replaced at the top despite a strong comeback in the second half last night. The Devils struggled in the first half, missing ten 3-point attempts as the Seminoles took a 28-24 halftime lead. FSU surged to an eleven point advantage early in the second half but the Devils made it a tight game in the final minutes. Duke erased FSU’s 40-29 cushion and went on to tie the game at 42-42 with a 13-2. Singleton sunk two free throws with 33 seconds left to give the ‘Noles a five point edge. Nolan Smith’s trey cut Duke’s deficit to two with less than thirty ticks remaining but a pair of free throws and a bucket sealed the deal for the home team. Smith finished with 19 points for the number one Devils.
The Wolverines hosted rival OSU Wednesday on the day their football team announced the hiring of SDSU’s Brady Hoke. Michigan rallied from a 53-41 deficit but the Buckeyes held on to win the contest 68-64 to remain undefeated this season. Ohio State used a 12-0 second half run to put some distance between the one point halftime score. William Buford led the Bucks with 19 points and nine rebounds. David Lighty scored 12 points for the number two Buckeyes, who could be sitting pretty on the top of the college basketball world when the rankings come out this weekend. Lighty hit five free throws in the final five minutes of the game as OSU won for the 17th time this season. Darius Morgan had 18 points to carry the Wolverines, who shot over 50% from the field in a strong effort. Evan Smotrycz tied the game at 41with a shot from the arc shortly after halftime. Ohio State followed with a 12-0 run and used a barrage of defense and free throws to cling to their lead. Michigan held the Bucks without a field goal in the game’s final eight minutes. Ohio State hit 17-of-25 from the charity stripe. The Wolverines did a tremendous job containing fab freshman, Jared Sullinger. The 6’9” Sullinger has scored in double figures all but twice this season. Michigan limited him to just 12 and forced him to turn the ball over six times. Ohio State is off to the best start since 1990. That team began the season 17-0 too. The next game for the Bucks comes Saturday at Penn State. OSU looks to add to their ten game road winning streak.
Parting Points: Song for Thursday- “Hesitate” by Stone Sour
I don’t care what the Jets say off the field this week. If they don’t harass Tom Brady on Sunday, their weekly gabs really don’t matter.
Florida State took down Duke in Tallahassee for the second time in five years to snap the Devils’ 25 game winning streak. The top ranked Blue Devils were defeated 66-61 at Donald Tucker Center on Wednesday for the first time this season. It was the national champ’s first setback since March 2010. FSU’s senior guard, Derwin Kitchen collected 22 points, including 17 in the second half, to carry the Seminoles to their 12th win. Chris Singleton added 18 points in the victory while Kyle Singler led Duke with 20. Duke is sure to be replaced at the top despite a strong comeback in the second half last night. The Devils struggled in the first half, missing ten 3-point attempts as the Seminoles took a 28-24 halftime lead. FSU surged to an eleven point advantage early in the second half but the Devils made it a tight game in the final minutes. Duke erased FSU’s 40-29 cushion and went on to tie the game at 42-42 with a 13-2. Singleton sunk two free throws with 33 seconds left to give the ‘Noles a five point edge. Nolan Smith’s trey cut Duke’s deficit to two with less than thirty ticks remaining but a pair of free throws and a bucket sealed the deal for the home team. Smith finished with 19 points for the number one Devils.
The Wolverines hosted rival OSU Wednesday on the day their football team announced the hiring of SDSU’s Brady Hoke. Michigan rallied from a 53-41 deficit but the Buckeyes held on to win the contest 68-64 to remain undefeated this season. Ohio State used a 12-0 second half run to put some distance between the one point halftime score. William Buford led the Bucks with 19 points and nine rebounds. David Lighty scored 12 points for the number two Buckeyes, who could be sitting pretty on the top of the college basketball world when the rankings come out this weekend. Lighty hit five free throws in the final five minutes of the game as OSU won for the 17th time this season. Darius Morgan had 18 points to carry the Wolverines, who shot over 50% from the field in a strong effort. Evan Smotrycz tied the game at 41with a shot from the arc shortly after halftime. Ohio State followed with a 12-0 run and used a barrage of defense and free throws to cling to their lead. Michigan held the Bucks without a field goal in the game’s final eight minutes. Ohio State hit 17-of-25 from the charity stripe. The Wolverines did a tremendous job containing fab freshman, Jared Sullinger. The 6’9” Sullinger has scored in double figures all but twice this season. Michigan limited him to just 12 and forced him to turn the ball over six times. Ohio State is off to the best start since 1990. That team began the season 17-0 too. The next game for the Bucks comes Saturday at Penn State. OSU looks to add to their ten game road winning streak.
Parting Points: Song for Thursday- “Hesitate” by Stone Sour
I don’t care what the Jets say off the field this week. If they don’t harass Tom Brady on Sunday, their weekly gabs really don’t matter.
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Ducks Drown in Defensive Dual
OreGONE!
The offense that took everybody to school in 2010 was slowed on Monday night. The Auburn Tigers outrushed and outlasted offensive-minded Oregon in the BCS National Championship in Glendale, Arizona last night. The Tigers improved to 14-0 with a 22-19 victory and brought the title home to Auburn for the first time in 52 years. Wes Byrum kicked his sixth career game-winning field goal as time expired to cap off the tussle between two unbeaten teams. Oregon was held 30 points below its number one nationally ranked scoring average. The Ducks’ star tailback, LaMichael James, was limited to 49 yards as the Tigers’ defense proved the difference in the game.
The first quarter was a scoreless battle as neither team could piece together sustaining drives. Rob Beard hooked a 26 yard field goal to begin the second quarter and give the Ducks an early 3-0 edge. Auburn started rolling offensively on the ensuing drive. Heisman Trophy winner, Cam Newtom, recorded the first touchdown pass of the 2011 BCS championship game. Newton passed for 265 yards and two touchdowns in leading the Tigers. Newton’s 35 yard gem to Kodi Burns with 12:00 left in the half gave the Tigers a 7-3 lead. Darron Thomas, who threw for a pair of touchdowns in the loss, orchestrated a 93 yard drive on just four plays to set up Oregon’s second quarter touchdown. Thomas hit Jeff Maehl in stride for 81 yards and followed the launch two plays later with an eight yard pass to James. The Ducks went ahead 11-7 on Beard’s two-point conversion. Maehl led all receivers with nine catches for 133 yards.
Safety Mike McNeil led the Tigers with 14 tackles and the Auburn defense picked off Thomas two times during the game. Defensive tackle, Nick Farley was dubbed the defensive MVP of the contest. Farley had one sack and a forced fumble. It was Mike Blanc who recorded a safety with 3:26 remaining the first half to cut the Ducks’ lead to two points. Emory Blake’s 30 yard catch after the two minute mark put the Tigers ahead 16-11 at the break. Blake finished with 54 yards, as did junior wideout, Darvin Adams. Auburn began the second half by running the ball on four straight plays as the Ducks plowed their way into the red zone again. The drive stalled after two incomplete passes by Newton. Auburn settled for three on Byrum’s 28 yard kick, to increase their lead to 19-11. Byrum’s kick was the only scoring by either side during the third quarter.
The fourth quarter was a seesaw of possession changes until Thomas connected with Maehl for ten yards with just under five minutes in regulation. Thomas found D.J. Davis on fourth-and-five for another 29 yards as the Ducks’ quarterback came out firing late in the fourth quarter. David Paulson’s seven yard grab was followed by James’ second touchdown catch. James’ two yard reception and another two yard conversion tied the game at 19-19 with 2:33 left in the game. Auburn returned the kickoff to the 25 yard line, giving Newton three-quarters of a field to work with on the final drive of the night. Newton hit Blake with a 15 yard strike and Michael Dyer rushed 37 yards for another Auburn first down. Dyer chewed up another twenty yards on two carries to bring the Tigers into field goal range. The speedy running back was splendid in the final quarter as the Tigers raced against the clock, and against the Duck defense. Byrum lined up for a 19 yard field goal attempt with two ticks remaining on the clock, and nailed it, to complete the 73 yard drive for Auburn.
Parting Points: Nice job by Boise State’s Chris Petersen in shunning Stanford to stay with the Broncos. It’s good to see a coach stick with the same team.
The offense that took everybody to school in 2010 was slowed on Monday night. The Auburn Tigers outrushed and outlasted offensive-minded Oregon in the BCS National Championship in Glendale, Arizona last night. The Tigers improved to 14-0 with a 22-19 victory and brought the title home to Auburn for the first time in 52 years. Wes Byrum kicked his sixth career game-winning field goal as time expired to cap off the tussle between two unbeaten teams. Oregon was held 30 points below its number one nationally ranked scoring average. The Ducks’ star tailback, LaMichael James, was limited to 49 yards as the Tigers’ defense proved the difference in the game.
The first quarter was a scoreless battle as neither team could piece together sustaining drives. Rob Beard hooked a 26 yard field goal to begin the second quarter and give the Ducks an early 3-0 edge. Auburn started rolling offensively on the ensuing drive. Heisman Trophy winner, Cam Newtom, recorded the first touchdown pass of the 2011 BCS championship game. Newton passed for 265 yards and two touchdowns in leading the Tigers. Newton’s 35 yard gem to Kodi Burns with 12:00 left in the half gave the Tigers a 7-3 lead. Darron Thomas, who threw for a pair of touchdowns in the loss, orchestrated a 93 yard drive on just four plays to set up Oregon’s second quarter touchdown. Thomas hit Jeff Maehl in stride for 81 yards and followed the launch two plays later with an eight yard pass to James. The Ducks went ahead 11-7 on Beard’s two-point conversion. Maehl led all receivers with nine catches for 133 yards.
Safety Mike McNeil led the Tigers with 14 tackles and the Auburn defense picked off Thomas two times during the game. Defensive tackle, Nick Farley was dubbed the defensive MVP of the contest. Farley had one sack and a forced fumble. It was Mike Blanc who recorded a safety with 3:26 remaining the first half to cut the Ducks’ lead to two points. Emory Blake’s 30 yard catch after the two minute mark put the Tigers ahead 16-11 at the break. Blake finished with 54 yards, as did junior wideout, Darvin Adams. Auburn began the second half by running the ball on four straight plays as the Ducks plowed their way into the red zone again. The drive stalled after two incomplete passes by Newton. Auburn settled for three on Byrum’s 28 yard kick, to increase their lead to 19-11. Byrum’s kick was the only scoring by either side during the third quarter.
The fourth quarter was a seesaw of possession changes until Thomas connected with Maehl for ten yards with just under five minutes in regulation. Thomas found D.J. Davis on fourth-and-five for another 29 yards as the Ducks’ quarterback came out firing late in the fourth quarter. David Paulson’s seven yard grab was followed by James’ second touchdown catch. James’ two yard reception and another two yard conversion tied the game at 19-19 with 2:33 left in the game. Auburn returned the kickoff to the 25 yard line, giving Newton three-quarters of a field to work with on the final drive of the night. Newton hit Blake with a 15 yard strike and Michael Dyer rushed 37 yards for another Auburn first down. Dyer chewed up another twenty yards on two carries to bring the Tigers into field goal range. The speedy running back was splendid in the final quarter as the Tigers raced against the clock, and against the Duck defense. Byrum lined up for a 19 yard field goal attempt with two ticks remaining on the clock, and nailed it, to complete the 73 yard drive for Auburn.
Parting Points: Nice job by Boise State’s Chris Petersen in shunning Stanford to stay with the Broncos. It’s good to see a coach stick with the same team.
Monday, January 10, 2011
Answers in the Aftermath
Digging through the aftermath of 2010, I came across this poem I must have written one evening before (or during) an MBA class. It was in the back of a notebook, next to a pitiful scribble of a Yankee insignia. Luckily, I recovered the scribbling instead of tossing it in the trash. I'm not even entirely sure what this poem means, but it makes me sad and inspired at the same time. What if all I know about love is as good as it's going to get? I used to think this way about sports. What if I’ve reached my proverbial athletic peak? I figure I'm never going to be the same athlete I once was again. Regretfully, I am a self-admitted quitter. I've realized something strikingly similar about love and sports. Neither can be eroded from my memory. Both evoke feelings of sadness and inspiration, often simultaneously. I’ve resigned to give up on both. I’ve turned away. But just maybe turning back time, recalling the past, will keep me going in the present. Perhaps it will keep me striving for something better than as good as it once was. Sometimes the road back is long. I’ve since climbed back into competition and I’ve fallen harder in love than I thought was possible. I think when you come from a place that hurts, you’re apt to believe anything. So my question to this small band of blog readers is this: what answers can we derive from the aftermath? The answer, in my opinion, is to keep going. Believe anything can happen.
If I could turn back the clock for you,
I’d gladly suspend time to the day you were new.
It all seemed impossible until I tried,
Looking into your face I would not be denied.
If I could return to the moment we met,
I wouldn’t change a thing because I haven’t regret.
You were steady and sure with my shaky hand,
Your strength told me you were capable of command.
If I could go to our spot once again,
We’d sure pull off another incredible gem.
That initial advance we took without fear,
Fostered these feelings I hold so dear.
If I could capture the very second we touched,
I’d remember how the pure contact was hushed.
You with your colorful comments so plush,
Me with anticipation from the adrenaline rush.
If I could rewind time, this promise I’d renew,
The pledge to never turn my back on you.
You gave the intimation this is where we belong,
The silver lining I’d wanted too long.
If I could turn back the clock for you,
I’d take care not to ruin something unbelievably true.
It all comes back to me when I reflect,
How can anything else ever have the same effect?
And yet I know something will.
Parting Points: “And you close your eyes, he’s not coming back/so you work it out, overfeed the cat/and the plants are dry and they need to drink/so you do your best and you flood the sink/sit down in the kitchen and cry…and it makes you laugh it makes you cry”-from “Aftermath” by R.E.M.
If I could turn back the clock for you,
I’d gladly suspend time to the day you were new.
It all seemed impossible until I tried,
Looking into your face I would not be denied.
If I could return to the moment we met,
I wouldn’t change a thing because I haven’t regret.
You were steady and sure with my shaky hand,
Your strength told me you were capable of command.
If I could go to our spot once again,
We’d sure pull off another incredible gem.
That initial advance we took without fear,
Fostered these feelings I hold so dear.
If I could capture the very second we touched,
I’d remember how the pure contact was hushed.
You with your colorful comments so plush,
Me with anticipation from the adrenaline rush.
If I could rewind time, this promise I’d renew,
The pledge to never turn my back on you.
You gave the intimation this is where we belong,
The silver lining I’d wanted too long.
If I could turn back the clock for you,
I’d take care not to ruin something unbelievably true.
It all comes back to me when I reflect,
How can anything else ever have the same effect?
And yet I know something will.
Parting Points: “And you close your eyes, he’s not coming back/so you work it out, overfeed the cat/and the plants are dry and they need to drink/so you do your best and you flood the sink/sit down in the kitchen and cry…and it makes you laugh it makes you cry”-from “Aftermath” by R.E.M.
Sunday, January 9, 2011
Subpar Seahawks Silence Super Saints
There will be a new Superbowl champion this year after the New Orleans Saints lost a 41-36 shootout duel to the Seahawks in Seattle. The defending champs were ousted from the playoffs by a team who finished the regular season with a losing record. For the first time in the history of the NFL playoffs, a team with a 7-9 record has recorded a playoff victory. Just how did the Superbowl champs fall at Quest Field to a Seattle team most people believed had no right to be in the post-season? Look no further than the quarterback. Thirty-five year old Matt Hasselbeck compiled 272 yards and four touchdowns as the seven-win Hawks topped the Saints and returned to top form. Marshawn Lynch, the dynamic running back for Pete Carroll’s Seahawks, scored on an electrifying 67 yard rush with three minutes left to clinch the first playoff win for a losing team. Lynch broke tackles all afternoon and rushed for 131 yards in establishing the Hawks’ ground game. Seattle’s defense took shots at MVP Drew Brees and the Saints’ offense down after down and now will face either Atlanta or Chicago next weekend.
Garrett Hartley went 3-for-3 on field goals Saturday afternoon. The New Orleans’ kicker posted the first points of the game three minutes into the first quarter as Seattle held the high-octane Saints to three points. Heath Evans’s one yard pass from Brees gave the defending champions a 10-0 lead following Hasselbeck’s lone interception of the day (to Jabari Greer) and a passer interference penalty against the Hawks’ Walter Thurmond. Seattle found a way to answer back after trailing 10-0. The Hawks benefited from good field possession on their second possession and Hasselbeck recovered to find the hands of John Carlson. Carlson’s 11 yard touchdown grab was one of two scores for the tight end on the day.
Former Seahawk, running back Julius Jones, padded the Saints’ edge to 17-7 with a second quarter rushing touchdown from five yards out. The Seattle offense answered back again, needing only six plays to drive 70 yards down the field for another score. Carlson caught a seven yard pass from the Seattle signal caller to cut the Saints’ lead to three points. The underdog Hawks added a 29 yard field goal by Olindo Mare and a Brandon Stokley 45 yard touchdown reception to take their first lead of the afternoon with 1:15 remaining in the half. Stokley led the Hawks with 73 receiving yards and picked up his first touchdown of the season. The Saints were able to manage a field goal before time expired in the half. Brees launched a 40 yard bomb to Devery Henderson to set up Hartley’s 22 yard kick for the 24-20 halftime score in the air-it-out affair at Quest.
Seattle’s championship caliber run continued after the break on third-and-two during the first home possession of the second half. Hasselbeck connected with Mike Williams on a 38 yard lob to put the Hawks ahead by eleven. Williams snagged five receptions for 68 yards in the win. Mare’s second field goal increased Seattle’s advantage to 34-20 with 5:27 to play in the third quarter. The Saints chipped into the two touchdown lead maintained by Seattle as the Hawks’ offense stalled slightly in the final stanza. Jones found the end zone for a four yard touchdown and Hartley added his third field goal to make it a four point game again. Hasselbeck completed 22-of-35 passes on Saturday but threw five consecutive incompletions in the fourth quarter with Seattle clinging to a slim lead. The Hawks tried to run out the clock with 4:20 remaining in the game. Lynch was handed the ball on second down and went on a power run to the end zone. Six different Saints attempted to tackle the speedy Lynch, but his 67 yards was the longest by a Seahawk in six years. Most importantly, his outburst gave the Hawks the cushion they needed to finish off New Orleans. Brees added a late touchdown pass to Henderson for the final margin, but an onside kick went Seattle’s way to complete one of the biggest upsets in playoff history. Brees finished with 404 yards and two touchdowns but will not be wearing another Superbowl ring this season.
Parting Points: An exciting weekend in sports- Jim Harbaugh is San Francisco bound (here’s hoping he can make Troy Smith into an elite passer), Pitt pummeled Kentucky on the gridiron, the Mountaineers master Georgetown on the hardwood, the Jets pull off another lucky win on the toes of Nick Folk, and Matt Garza is traded to the Cubs.
Garrett Hartley went 3-for-3 on field goals Saturday afternoon. The New Orleans’ kicker posted the first points of the game three minutes into the first quarter as Seattle held the high-octane Saints to three points. Heath Evans’s one yard pass from Brees gave the defending champions a 10-0 lead following Hasselbeck’s lone interception of the day (to Jabari Greer) and a passer interference penalty against the Hawks’ Walter Thurmond. Seattle found a way to answer back after trailing 10-0. The Hawks benefited from good field possession on their second possession and Hasselbeck recovered to find the hands of John Carlson. Carlson’s 11 yard touchdown grab was one of two scores for the tight end on the day.
Former Seahawk, running back Julius Jones, padded the Saints’ edge to 17-7 with a second quarter rushing touchdown from five yards out. The Seattle offense answered back again, needing only six plays to drive 70 yards down the field for another score. Carlson caught a seven yard pass from the Seattle signal caller to cut the Saints’ lead to three points. The underdog Hawks added a 29 yard field goal by Olindo Mare and a Brandon Stokley 45 yard touchdown reception to take their first lead of the afternoon with 1:15 remaining in the half. Stokley led the Hawks with 73 receiving yards and picked up his first touchdown of the season. The Saints were able to manage a field goal before time expired in the half. Brees launched a 40 yard bomb to Devery Henderson to set up Hartley’s 22 yard kick for the 24-20 halftime score in the air-it-out affair at Quest.
Seattle’s championship caliber run continued after the break on third-and-two during the first home possession of the second half. Hasselbeck connected with Mike Williams on a 38 yard lob to put the Hawks ahead by eleven. Williams snagged five receptions for 68 yards in the win. Mare’s second field goal increased Seattle’s advantage to 34-20 with 5:27 to play in the third quarter. The Saints chipped into the two touchdown lead maintained by Seattle as the Hawks’ offense stalled slightly in the final stanza. Jones found the end zone for a four yard touchdown and Hartley added his third field goal to make it a four point game again. Hasselbeck completed 22-of-35 passes on Saturday but threw five consecutive incompletions in the fourth quarter with Seattle clinging to a slim lead. The Hawks tried to run out the clock with 4:20 remaining in the game. Lynch was handed the ball on second down and went on a power run to the end zone. Six different Saints attempted to tackle the speedy Lynch, but his 67 yards was the longest by a Seahawk in six years. Most importantly, his outburst gave the Hawks the cushion they needed to finish off New Orleans. Brees added a late touchdown pass to Henderson for the final margin, but an onside kick went Seattle’s way to complete one of the biggest upsets in playoff history. Brees finished with 404 yards and two touchdowns but will not be wearing another Superbowl ring this season.
Parting Points: An exciting weekend in sports- Jim Harbaugh is San Francisco bound (here’s hoping he can make Troy Smith into an elite passer), Pitt pummeled Kentucky on the gridiron, the Mountaineers master Georgetown on the hardwood, the Jets pull off another lucky win on the toes of Nick Folk, and Matt Garza is traded to the Cubs.
Friday, January 7, 2011
Durant Dumps Dirk-less Dallas
Shawn Marion’s hook shot and 21 first half points weren’t enough for the short-handed Dallas Mavericks to drub the Oklahoma City Thunder. Marion finished with a season-high 25 points in the 99-95 loss to Kevin Durant and the top-shooting Thunder in Dallas. Durant carried Oklahoma City, scoring 28 points and adding three assists in the American Airlines Center win. Scott Brooks’ Thunder improved to 24-13 on the season following Thursday night’s road win.
Dallas played without All-Star Dirk Nowitzki for the sixth straight game, but clung to a 55-51 edge at the half. Jason Terry pocketed 19 points, while Tyson Chandler and DeShawn Stevenson contributed 14 a piece for the Mavs. Chandler was a menace on the boards, racking up 18 rebounds. Marion had 12 first quarter points to lead the charge but the Thunder roared back to trim the deficit after in the second half. The Mavericks endured poor shooting in the third quarter as the Thunder took a three point lead heading into the final frame. Cold shooting Dallas scored only 40 second half points and went just 5-for-16 in the third quarter. Jeff Green scored 16 points for the visitors to go along with nine rebounds. Russell Westbrook also had nine assists in the win and shot 5-of-6 from the charity stripe. Westbrook finished with 15 points as the Thunder snapped a two game losing skid and rolled past depleted Dallas.
The Mavericks’ defense had trouble with the Thunder’s inside game during the final quarter. Jason Kidd was held without a point in 40 minutes on the hardwood. Kidd dished out seven assists and added 10 rebounds but the Thunder quickly pulled in front late in the game. Stevenson’s long trey in the final minute gave Oklahoma City a five point lead and Durant went to the line with half a minute remaining in the game. Durant banked both shots to account for the final margin and give the Thunder their first win over Rick Carlisle’s Mavs in three tries this season. Oklahoma City is just one-half a game behind Utah in the Northwest division. Dallas is also in second place, three back of the conference leading Spurs. The Mavs are just 2-4 in Nowitzki’s absence.
Parting Points: Song for Friday- “The Storm is Over Now” by R. Kelly
Dallas played without All-Star Dirk Nowitzki for the sixth straight game, but clung to a 55-51 edge at the half. Jason Terry pocketed 19 points, while Tyson Chandler and DeShawn Stevenson contributed 14 a piece for the Mavs. Chandler was a menace on the boards, racking up 18 rebounds. Marion had 12 first quarter points to lead the charge but the Thunder roared back to trim the deficit after in the second half. The Mavericks endured poor shooting in the third quarter as the Thunder took a three point lead heading into the final frame. Cold shooting Dallas scored only 40 second half points and went just 5-for-16 in the third quarter. Jeff Green scored 16 points for the visitors to go along with nine rebounds. Russell Westbrook also had nine assists in the win and shot 5-of-6 from the charity stripe. Westbrook finished with 15 points as the Thunder snapped a two game losing skid and rolled past depleted Dallas.
The Mavericks’ defense had trouble with the Thunder’s inside game during the final quarter. Jason Kidd was held without a point in 40 minutes on the hardwood. Kidd dished out seven assists and added 10 rebounds but the Thunder quickly pulled in front late in the game. Stevenson’s long trey in the final minute gave Oklahoma City a five point lead and Durant went to the line with half a minute remaining in the game. Durant banked both shots to account for the final margin and give the Thunder their first win over Rick Carlisle’s Mavs in three tries this season. Oklahoma City is just one-half a game behind Utah in the Northwest division. Dallas is also in second place, three back of the conference leading Spurs. The Mavs are just 2-4 in Nowitzki’s absence.
Parting Points: Song for Friday- “The Storm is Over Now” by R. Kelly
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
Fantastic Finish
SEC Streak Snapped in Sweet Success
How sweet it is! The Big 10 is back, at least for a night. The conference that was demolished demoralized and destroyed New Year’s Day redeemed itself in Tuesday’s All-State Sugar Bowl. The Ohio State Buckeyes defeated Arkansas 31-26 and snapped a nine game losing streak against the SEC in bowl games. Terrelle Pryor led the six-ranked Buckeyes over the Razorbacks with a brilliant 336 yard performance at the Louisiana Superdome. The junior quarterback tossed two touchdowns, completed 14-of-25 passes and chewed up 115 yards on the ground. Pryor was named the Most Outstanding Player, but it was a team effort for Jim Tressel’s men in scarlet and gray last night. The defense shined in ending a 33 year drought and helping the Bucks improve to 12-1 this season. OSU held Arkansas to 11 points under their season average. The Hogs mustered a forceful comeback, but OSU’s defense was spot-on. Cam Heyward boosted the Buckeyes with beastly defense to add to his repertoire as the nation’s top lineman. Defensive lineman, Solomon Thomas, picked up his first career interception to seal the thrilling win.
Ohio State’s stud receiver, Dane Sanzenbacher scored the game’s first touchdown three minutes following kickoff. Pryor fumbled the football near the end zone, and Sanzenbacher recovered to complete the 8 play touchdown drive. Ryan Mallett and the Razorbacks answered with a touchdown two minutes later. After D.J. Williams’ 35 yard catch and run was called back when the tight end was ruled down, Mallett completed a 17 yard pass to Joe Adams to tie the game at 7-7. Dan Herron’s nine yard run lifted the Buckeyes to a gaunt 14-7 first quarter lead with 7:17 remaining in the frame. Herron reeled off 87 yards on 24 carries in the victory.
The second quarter began much like the first for Ohio State. Sanzenbacher scored his second touchdown, a 15 yard reception that was reviewed before being ruled a touchdown. Speedy wideout, DeVier Posey, handed the Buckeyes a 28-7 cushion with just under two minutes before halftime. A six play, 68 yard drive culminated in Posey’s 43 yard catch from Pryor to widen the Bucks’ lead. Posey led OSU with 70 yards receiving. Zach Hocker trimmed the Hogs’ deficit to 18 with a 20 yard field goal as time expired on the Sugar Bowl’s first half.
Eighth-ranked Arkansas scored 11 third quarter points to make it a ten point game heading into the fourth quarter. Hocker added a 46 yard field goal and OSU kicker to begin the second half. After the Buckeyes and Hogs both went three-and-out, Devin Barclay matched Hocker from 46 yards to give OSU a 31-13 advantage. Jarius Wright and the Razorbacks showed some life near the end of the third quarter. Mallett orchestrated a 75 yard drive, hitting Wright in the end zone on the seventh play for the Hogs’ second touchdown. Williams caught the two point conversion to make it 31-21 in favor of the Bucks with 16 minutes left in the game.
Ohio State opened the fourth quarter with a punt and Herron was tackled by Anthony Leon in the Buckeye end zone for the Arkansas safety on the next possession. The rallying Razorbacks’ next drive resulted in another Hocker field goal to trim Ohio State’s lead to five. Pryor and the Buckeyes faced four-and-one from their own 37 on the ensuing drive. Pryor handed to Herron, who dropped and recovered the football. Ohio State punted the ball away with six minutes remaining, plenty of time for an Arkansas game-winning drive. But the Bucks’ defense got the stop and gave the offense another chance to store away the victory. From their own four yard line, Ohio State picked up a pair of first downs on three Herron rushes and two Pryor scurries. Both teams traded timeouts before Herron picked up two yards on second down from the OSU 34 yard line. The Hogs used another time out to stop the clock before Ohio State failed to convert on third down with two minutes to go. Ben Buchanan’s punt was blocked by Arkansas and you could feel the stomach of every OSU fan turn. Mallett had a final shot at the end zone. Fortunately for Buckeye backers, Mallett’s second down pass was picked off by Thomas on the ensuing drive. And so it goes, OSU wins the Sugar Bowl in electrifying fashion.
Parting Points: Hump-day lyrics - “True to your school” by the Beach Boys
The Devils held the Wild to 18 shots on goal, but managed to lose 2-1 on a fluke goal.
Note-all five suspended Buckeyes pledged to return next season.
How sweet it is! The Big 10 is back, at least for a night. The conference that was demolished demoralized and destroyed New Year’s Day redeemed itself in Tuesday’s All-State Sugar Bowl. The Ohio State Buckeyes defeated Arkansas 31-26 and snapped a nine game losing streak against the SEC in bowl games. Terrelle Pryor led the six-ranked Buckeyes over the Razorbacks with a brilliant 336 yard performance at the Louisiana Superdome. The junior quarterback tossed two touchdowns, completed 14-of-25 passes and chewed up 115 yards on the ground. Pryor was named the Most Outstanding Player, but it was a team effort for Jim Tressel’s men in scarlet and gray last night. The defense shined in ending a 33 year drought and helping the Bucks improve to 12-1 this season. OSU held Arkansas to 11 points under their season average. The Hogs mustered a forceful comeback, but OSU’s defense was spot-on. Cam Heyward boosted the Buckeyes with beastly defense to add to his repertoire as the nation’s top lineman. Defensive lineman, Solomon Thomas, picked up his first career interception to seal the thrilling win.
Ohio State’s stud receiver, Dane Sanzenbacher scored the game’s first touchdown three minutes following kickoff. Pryor fumbled the football near the end zone, and Sanzenbacher recovered to complete the 8 play touchdown drive. Ryan Mallett and the Razorbacks answered with a touchdown two minutes later. After D.J. Williams’ 35 yard catch and run was called back when the tight end was ruled down, Mallett completed a 17 yard pass to Joe Adams to tie the game at 7-7. Dan Herron’s nine yard run lifted the Buckeyes to a gaunt 14-7 first quarter lead with 7:17 remaining in the frame. Herron reeled off 87 yards on 24 carries in the victory.
The second quarter began much like the first for Ohio State. Sanzenbacher scored his second touchdown, a 15 yard reception that was reviewed before being ruled a touchdown. Speedy wideout, DeVier Posey, handed the Buckeyes a 28-7 cushion with just under two minutes before halftime. A six play, 68 yard drive culminated in Posey’s 43 yard catch from Pryor to widen the Bucks’ lead. Posey led OSU with 70 yards receiving. Zach Hocker trimmed the Hogs’ deficit to 18 with a 20 yard field goal as time expired on the Sugar Bowl’s first half.
Eighth-ranked Arkansas scored 11 third quarter points to make it a ten point game heading into the fourth quarter. Hocker added a 46 yard field goal and OSU kicker to begin the second half. After the Buckeyes and Hogs both went three-and-out, Devin Barclay matched Hocker from 46 yards to give OSU a 31-13 advantage. Jarius Wright and the Razorbacks showed some life near the end of the third quarter. Mallett orchestrated a 75 yard drive, hitting Wright in the end zone on the seventh play for the Hogs’ second touchdown. Williams caught the two point conversion to make it 31-21 in favor of the Bucks with 16 minutes left in the game.
Ohio State opened the fourth quarter with a punt and Herron was tackled by Anthony Leon in the Buckeye end zone for the Arkansas safety on the next possession. The rallying Razorbacks’ next drive resulted in another Hocker field goal to trim Ohio State’s lead to five. Pryor and the Buckeyes faced four-and-one from their own 37 on the ensuing drive. Pryor handed to Herron, who dropped and recovered the football. Ohio State punted the ball away with six minutes remaining, plenty of time for an Arkansas game-winning drive. But the Bucks’ defense got the stop and gave the offense another chance to store away the victory. From their own four yard line, Ohio State picked up a pair of first downs on three Herron rushes and two Pryor scurries. Both teams traded timeouts before Herron picked up two yards on second down from the OSU 34 yard line. The Hogs used another time out to stop the clock before Ohio State failed to convert on third down with two minutes to go. Ben Buchanan’s punt was blocked by Arkansas and you could feel the stomach of every OSU fan turn. Mallett had a final shot at the end zone. Fortunately for Buckeye backers, Mallett’s second down pass was picked off by Thomas on the ensuing drive. And so it goes, OSU wins the Sugar Bowl in electrifying fashion.
Parting Points: Hump-day lyrics - “True to your school” by the Beach Boys
The Devils held the Wild to 18 shots on goal, but managed to lose 2-1 on a fluke goal.
Note-all five suspended Buckeyes pledged to return next season.
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Bowl Blogging
TCU is coming up roses
Stanford annihilates opponents
Army erases a drought
Michigan tries to forget their clout
Syracuse survives controversy
Notre Dame shows no mercy
Tulsa takes Hawaii by storm
Boise State wins with much scorn
Oklahoma State remembers the Alamo
Iowa’s Insight comeback is a great show
Louisville holds on in the B.O.B. Bowl
Alabama gives New Mexico plenty to mull
FIU kicks their way in the Little Ceasar
Oklahoma decimates in a Fiesta pleaser
Washington extends their Holiday against Nebraska
SDSU grabs a laugher at the Poinsettia
Troy defeats as Ohio falls again
Tonight is when the real bowls begin
Parting Points: Congrats to Jim Harbaugh, one of my favorite former football players, and the Stanford Cardinal.
Rich Rodriguez is out at Michigan…I think Pitt should hire him.
Stanford annihilates opponents
Army erases a drought
Michigan tries to forget their clout
Syracuse survives controversy
Notre Dame shows no mercy
Tulsa takes Hawaii by storm
Boise State wins with much scorn
Oklahoma State remembers the Alamo
Iowa’s Insight comeback is a great show
Louisville holds on in the B.O.B. Bowl
Alabama gives New Mexico plenty to mull
FIU kicks their way in the Little Ceasar
Oklahoma decimates in a Fiesta pleaser
Washington extends their Holiday against Nebraska
SDSU grabs a laugher at the Poinsettia
Troy defeats as Ohio falls again
Tonight is when the real bowls begin
Parting Points: Congrats to Jim Harbaugh, one of my favorite former football players, and the Stanford Cardinal.
Rich Rodriguez is out at Michigan…I think Pitt should hire him.
Sunday, January 2, 2011
Swan Song
Urban Meyer’s Florida farewell went something like this: Gators 37, Nittany Lions 24. The Florida head coach who announced he is stepping down after a six year reign with the Gators finished his career a winner in Tampa’s Outback Bowl. Penn State was represented by the all-time leader in bowl wins in legendary coach, Joe Paterno. The Nittany Lions couldn’t squeeze out a victory in a horrifying New Year’s Day for the Big 10 conference. Ahmad Black’s interception return for a touchdown in the fourth quarter helped send the 46 year old Meyer home with one final coaching victory. Despite the loss, Paterno expects to return for his 46th season in Happy Valley.
Jordan Reed and Josh Brantley shared time under center for the Gators, who finished the season 8-5 two years after winning a national championship. Trey Burton also saw time at the quarterback position for Meyer yesterday. Penn State’s Matt McGloin threw for 211 yards and a touchdown as the Lions dropped their sixth game of the season. Sophomore McGloin also tossed five interceptions into the chomping Florida defense at a Gator-backing Raymond James Stadium. The Lions’ signal caller completed just 17 of 41 passes on Saturday. Brantley was picked off once, during Florida’s first play from scrimmage. The Lions took advantage of the miscue, pulling ahead to an early 7-0 lead five minutes into the contest. McGloin found Derek Moye for the five yard touchdown to cap a ten play drive. Florida intercepted McGloin on Penn State’s next possession and went on to tie the game early in the second quarter off another McGloin turnover. Omarius Hines’ 16 yard run knotted the game at 7-7.
Later in the second frame, Justin Brown dropped a third down pass near midfield and Penn State was forced to punt. Alex Butterworth’s punt was blocked by the Gators and recovered by Lerentee McCray. McCray rushed down the field 27 yards for the second Florida touchdown, and the Gators’ first lead of the bowl. PSU’s Michael Zordich plunged into the end zone from one yard out to tie the game again at 14-14. The Lions tacked on a Collin Wagner field goal to lead 17-14 at the half.
The seesaw game continued after the break. Florida’s Chas Henry booted a field goal six minutes into the third quarter to give the Gators a three point edge. McGloin’s two yard touchdown run put the Lions back in the driver’s seat with 4:39 remaining in the third. Henry then nailed another field goal, from 47 yards, to finish the third quarter scoring. Mike Gillislee took the ball in from a yard out following a Penn State interference penalty on third down. Gillislee’s touchdown extended the Gator lead to three and Henry added a field goal to push the margin to six midway through the final quarter. Penn State’s all-time leading rusher, Evan Royster, moved the ball 30 yards on two plays as the Lions marched into Florida territory hoping for a comeback. Black’s interception up the sideline ended any PSU hopes, however. The 80 yard return clinched the Outback Bowl for Florida and was Black’s second interception of the game. Will Muschamp will replace Meyer next season, but the (Urban) legendacy of Meyer’s tenure will not soon be forgotten.
Parting Points: I’m not sure which loss was more embarrassing-Michigan State or Michigan.
Charlie Weis has accepted the offensive coordinator position at Florida.
Song of the day- “All I Have to do is Dream” by the Everly Brothers
Jordan Reed and Josh Brantley shared time under center for the Gators, who finished the season 8-5 two years after winning a national championship. Trey Burton also saw time at the quarterback position for Meyer yesterday. Penn State’s Matt McGloin threw for 211 yards and a touchdown as the Lions dropped their sixth game of the season. Sophomore McGloin also tossed five interceptions into the chomping Florida defense at a Gator-backing Raymond James Stadium. The Lions’ signal caller completed just 17 of 41 passes on Saturday. Brantley was picked off once, during Florida’s first play from scrimmage. The Lions took advantage of the miscue, pulling ahead to an early 7-0 lead five minutes into the contest. McGloin found Derek Moye for the five yard touchdown to cap a ten play drive. Florida intercepted McGloin on Penn State’s next possession and went on to tie the game early in the second quarter off another McGloin turnover. Omarius Hines’ 16 yard run knotted the game at 7-7.
Later in the second frame, Justin Brown dropped a third down pass near midfield and Penn State was forced to punt. Alex Butterworth’s punt was blocked by the Gators and recovered by Lerentee McCray. McCray rushed down the field 27 yards for the second Florida touchdown, and the Gators’ first lead of the bowl. PSU’s Michael Zordich plunged into the end zone from one yard out to tie the game again at 14-14. The Lions tacked on a Collin Wagner field goal to lead 17-14 at the half.
The seesaw game continued after the break. Florida’s Chas Henry booted a field goal six minutes into the third quarter to give the Gators a three point edge. McGloin’s two yard touchdown run put the Lions back in the driver’s seat with 4:39 remaining in the third. Henry then nailed another field goal, from 47 yards, to finish the third quarter scoring. Mike Gillislee took the ball in from a yard out following a Penn State interference penalty on third down. Gillislee’s touchdown extended the Gator lead to three and Henry added a field goal to push the margin to six midway through the final quarter. Penn State’s all-time leading rusher, Evan Royster, moved the ball 30 yards on two plays as the Lions marched into Florida territory hoping for a comeback. Black’s interception up the sideline ended any PSU hopes, however. The 80 yard return clinched the Outback Bowl for Florida and was Black’s second interception of the game. Will Muschamp will replace Meyer next season, but the (Urban) legendacy of Meyer’s tenure will not soon be forgotten.
Parting Points: I’m not sure which loss was more embarrassing-Michigan State or Michigan.
Charlie Weis has accepted the offensive coordinator position at Florida.
Song of the day- “All I Have to do is Dream” by the Everly Brothers
Saturday, January 1, 2011
Dome Dominators
Florida State defeated South Carolina 26-17 at the Georgia Dome in Friday’s Chick-Fil-A-Bowl. The Seminoles never trailed against the 19th ranked Gamecocks in winning their first bowl game under head coach, Jimbo Fisher. South Carolina committed five turnovers, despite 400 yards of offense and a late fourth quarter rally. For FSU, it was program’s first ten win season since 2003. The Seminoles won for the tenth time this year behind backup quarterback, E.J. Manuel and defensive back, Greg Reid. Reid, the sophomore cornerback, forced two fumbles and Manuel was a solid and efficient passer throughout the game. Manuel finished 11-for-15 for 84 yards and a touchdown. Running back, Chris Thompson, gained 145 yards on 25 carries. Thompson scored one of two FSU touchdowns.
Dustin Hopkins kicked a pair of first quarter field goals to give the Seminoles a 6-0 lead. Thompson’s 27 yard rushing score increased the FSU advantage to 13-0 with 1:02 remaining in the first half. Manuel set up the touchdown with a 32 yard scramble on second down. It was a turnover-filled first half for the Gamecocks. South Carolina would not go into the break without scoring on Spencer Lanning’s 40 yard field goal as time expired. Junior signal-caller for the Gamecocks, Stephen Garcia, went 6-for-8 on the nine play scoring drive as South Carolina’s offense finally got into a rhythm.
Twenty-third ranked Florida State opened the second half with another field goal. Hopkins’ 35 yarder made it 16-3 in favor of the Seminoles. Stephon Gilmore picked off an FSU pass inside the Gamecock’s 10 yard line for Manuel’s only interception of the night. The Gamecocks used a Wildcat formation to mix things up on offense. Garcia keyed the attack, capitalizing on the pick by hitting Ace Sanders with a three yard touchdown catch to cut the Seminole lead to six. Florida State answered with Hopkins fourth field goal, a 45 yard kick with nine seconds left in the third quarter.
Brian Maddox found the end zone early in the fourth quarter to trim the FSU lead to 19-17. Maddox, filling in for the injured Marcus Lattimore, rushed seven yards for the score and finished with 53 on the day. FSU struggled on third down most of the game, but during their final touchdown drive, wouldn’t settle for three. Manuel went 7-for-7 during a 63 yard drive that set up Taiwan Easterling’s seven yard touchdown on third-and-goal. The 13 play drive also knocked about six and a half minutes off the clock as time began to run out on Steve Spurrier’s Gamecocks. Reid deflected a fourth down Garcia pass with just over three minutes to finish off the turnover-plagued Gamecocks. The Seminoles celebrated, ringing in the New Year with a 26-17 Chick-fil-A-Bowl win.
Parting Points: Not a great way to start off 2011 for the Pitt Panthers. New hire, Mike Haywood, was charged with domestic violence. As if recruiting high school players from the Midwest wasn’t challenging enough…in the absence of a decent coach, it’s virtually impossible.
Other Friday bowl winners-Notre Dame, USF and UCF.
Dustin Hopkins kicked a pair of first quarter field goals to give the Seminoles a 6-0 lead. Thompson’s 27 yard rushing score increased the FSU advantage to 13-0 with 1:02 remaining in the first half. Manuel set up the touchdown with a 32 yard scramble on second down. It was a turnover-filled first half for the Gamecocks. South Carolina would not go into the break without scoring on Spencer Lanning’s 40 yard field goal as time expired. Junior signal-caller for the Gamecocks, Stephen Garcia, went 6-for-8 on the nine play scoring drive as South Carolina’s offense finally got into a rhythm.
Twenty-third ranked Florida State opened the second half with another field goal. Hopkins’ 35 yarder made it 16-3 in favor of the Seminoles. Stephon Gilmore picked off an FSU pass inside the Gamecock’s 10 yard line for Manuel’s only interception of the night. The Gamecocks used a Wildcat formation to mix things up on offense. Garcia keyed the attack, capitalizing on the pick by hitting Ace Sanders with a three yard touchdown catch to cut the Seminole lead to six. Florida State answered with Hopkins fourth field goal, a 45 yard kick with nine seconds left in the third quarter.
Brian Maddox found the end zone early in the fourth quarter to trim the FSU lead to 19-17. Maddox, filling in for the injured Marcus Lattimore, rushed seven yards for the score and finished with 53 on the day. FSU struggled on third down most of the game, but during their final touchdown drive, wouldn’t settle for three. Manuel went 7-for-7 during a 63 yard drive that set up Taiwan Easterling’s seven yard touchdown on third-and-goal. The 13 play drive also knocked about six and a half minutes off the clock as time began to run out on Steve Spurrier’s Gamecocks. Reid deflected a fourth down Garcia pass with just over three minutes to finish off the turnover-plagued Gamecocks. The Seminoles celebrated, ringing in the New Year with a 26-17 Chick-fil-A-Bowl win.
Parting Points: Not a great way to start off 2011 for the Pitt Panthers. New hire, Mike Haywood, was charged with domestic violence. As if recruiting high school players from the Midwest wasn’t challenging enough…in the absence of a decent coach, it’s virtually impossible.
Other Friday bowl winners-Notre Dame, USF and UCF.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
