Hollywood Home-cooking

The Los Angeles Lakers have been enjoying some home cooking. The reigning NBA champions improved to a league best 18-3 following their 11th straight victory Friday night. The Lakers mastered Al Jefferson and the Minnesota Timberwolves 104-92 to end their long home stretch at the Staples Center. LA has played 17 of their first 21 games on home court and they’ve smoked opponents with relative ease. Now, the Western Conference’s power team heads on the road for five straight games. The cushy early season schedule has elevated the Lakers in the standings but LA must play solid ball in other cities. The quest for road dominance begins with tonight’s rematch with the Utah Jazz. Friday, LA survived the Timberwolves, but may have suffered an injury to All-Star, Kobe Bryant. Bryant sustained a fracture in the index finger of his right hand during a first quarter pass from Jordan Farmar. The 31 year old MVP wounded warrior scored 20 points despite the break, and is expected to be in the starting lineup for Phil Jackson on Saturday.
Pau Gasol had a career-high 20 rebounds along with a 17 point shooting barrage against Minnesota. Ron Artest contributed 16 points and Lamar Odom scored 13. Center, Andrew Bynum, continued his All-Star bound season with 12 points in 24 minutes on the court. Bynum has scored in double digits in each of LA’s game and has developed into a more consistent player for Jackson. The center is averaging a career high 17 points per game and has drastically reduced his fouls. The Lakers put their clamp on the Timberwolves behind Bynum’s game high three blocks. The Timberwolves were overwhelmed by the two “Bs” (Bynum and Bryant) on defense in their ninth consecutive defeat to the Lakers. Rookie head coach, Kurt Rambis, suffered his fifth loss in six games as the Twolves fell to 3-20. Rambis, the longtime Lakers assistant coach and forward, received a warm ovation from the home crowd. Rambis’ team couldn’t overcome 17 turnovers or find the rhythm to compete with the lavishing Laker talent.
Jefferson was Minnesota’s leading scorer with two dozen points and 13 rebounds. Former UCLA star shooter, Kevin Love, snagged a career high 19 rebounds. Love struggled from the floor, shooting just 3-of-14. Ramon Sessions hit one of the Wolves four three pointers and finished with 15 overall points. Minnesota managed an impressive run during Bryant’s absence in the second quarter. Sessions succeed with a sharp jumper to give the Twolves a 44-42 edge with five minutes left in the half. The Lakers had a slender 56-54 lead at halftime but pulled away to go ahead in the second half. LA’s red hot defense was too much for Minnesota to handle. The Lakers started the second half on an 11-3 run to go ahead by ten points. The Timberwolves were held to just 14 points in the third quarter. Odom drilled one in from the arch to lift LA 86-68 headed into the final quarter. Sessions’ trey with 2 ½ minutes in the game cut Minnesota’s deficit to 88-77. The Twolves never got any closer against tenacious LA the rest of the way. Ryan Gomes, who scored a team high 21 points Wednesday night, was 2-for-6 with only four points at the Staples Center. He registered just one of Minnesota’s 48 recorded rebounds. Corey Brewer and former Syracuse standout, Johnny Flynn, each tallied 10 points in defeat.

Parting Points: Tune time and one that fits the mood “I get knocked down” by Chumbawumba
Tiger on a golf hiatus is a good idea. J. J. Putz is toeing the rubber in the AL again after signing on with the Whitesox. I love to see Aaron Brooks drilled a jumper with 8 seconds left to lift my Houston Rockets!

Terrible Towels Tainted

The Pittsburgh Steelers’ playoff chances took a gigantic hit in chilly Cleveland Ohio. The arch-rival Browns earned their second win of the season and handed the defending Superbowl champions their fifth straight loss. The maligned Browns defense executed effectively in the 13-6 sacking of the Steelers. Cleveland’s superior line sacked Pittsburgh quarterback and Ohio native, Ben Roethlisberger eight times. The Browns swallowed up the Steelers’ ground attack, holding the black and gold to just 75 yards. Thursday was the first time the Browns defeated the Steelers at home in nine years, and the Roethlisberger’s first loss to Cleveland in his career. The wounds just keep getting deeper for Pittsburgh. The Steelers have dropped three unexpected games to losing teams this season (Cleveland, Kansas City and Oakland). The Browns snapped a seven game losing streak despite playing without five defensive stars and their starting running back.
Chris Jennings, rookie runner out of Arizona, notched the first Browns rushing touchdown of the season on a ten yard run to close out the first half scoring for the home team. The number one rushing defense in the NFL allowed Jennings to score the game’s first touchdown. Jennings ran around LaMarr Woodley, James Farior and William Gay to hit the pylon. His play survived an instant replay review and the touchdown stood. Phil Dawson drilled a pair of field goals in each of the first two quarters to account for the 13-0 Browns advantage with .40 remaining in the second quarter. Roethlisberger tried to drive the Steelers down the field for a last minute score before the half. The signal caller hit Hines Ward for an eight yard gain before completing a pass to the former Buckeye receiver, Santonio Holmes good for 24 more. After a Cleveland penalty for roughing the passer, Roethlisberger connected with Holmes again. Cleveland played flawless football until allowing the Steelers to drive 58 yards on the final possession of the half. The Steelers failed to find the end zone, however. Instead, the defending champs settled for a 27 yard Jeff Reed field goal. Thursday night marked the first time Roethlisberger went without a touchdown pass in 11 tries against the rival Browns. He threw for 201 yards while completing 18 of 32 throws. Running back, Rashard Mendenhall scurried for 53 yards. The Browns made the plays when they had to and kept the Steelers backed up in their own zone throughout the first half.
The second half didn’t go much better for Pittsburgh. Brady Quinn wasn’t exceptional as Cleveland’s passer, but he was mistake-free and turned in a winning performance. Quinn completed 6 of 19 passes for 90 yards. The Browns’ quarterback threw just one pass during the eight play first half touchdown drive. Josh Cribbs was sensational in the Cleveland backfield. He gained 87 yards out of the Wildcat formation. His 37 yard run spurred the resulting touchdown score for the Browns. Cleveland’s no-huddle offense stunned the Steelers. Pittsburgh was playing without Pro Bowl safety, Troy Polamalu and they looked drained defensively. The Pittsburgh offense couldn’t move the ball in blustering conditions against the 29th ranked defense in the league. Even special teams was a problem for Mike Tomlin’s club. Cribbs stymied the coverage unit with 104 return yards. Reed booted his second field goal near the end of the third quarter to trim the Browns lead to seven. The Steelers had a chance to come back after Quinn overthrew a pass to tight end, Evan Moore, with 6:24 left in the game. The fourth quarter would remain scoreless, however, as Roethlisberger and the Steelers suffered their seventh loss. Big Ben was sacked for a nine yard loss on first down and then threw incomplete to Heath Miller on second. Following the two minute warning, Miller’s 13 yard grab fell shot of the first down mark. Roethlisberger’s 4th and six pass to Holmes registered incomplete to end any late Pittsburgh rally. The Steelers did get the ball back with eight seconds. Holmes returned the ball three yards to the Steelers’ 14 yard line to send Pittsburgh home with a disappointing 6-7 record. Next week, those terrible towels will be waving wondering if the visiting Green Bay Packers will exit the Steel City with a win. This week, those towels are tainted after the Lake Erie meltdown Thursday night.

Parting Points: Brian Kelly is an outstanding hire for Notre Dame. He should have them playing at their expected level….he’ll have five years to do it.
Two weeks until Christmas. Time for some “Little Saint Nick” from the Beach Boys.
I can't wait to see mixed doubles at the 2012 Olympics...how cool!

Thursday Take-Twos

Kentucky basketball is back. At least for now John Calipari’s hoopsters are undefeated. Kentucky met the Connecticut Huskies Wednesday night at Madison Square Garden. Freshmen point guard, John Wall, had his best game. He has lived up to his status as the number one prospect in college basketball so far. Wildcat Wall scored 12 points in the final seven and a half minutes as Kentucky cruised to a 64-61 exciting victory over UConn. Number four Kentucky prevailed in the SEC/Big East New York Invitational behind 25 Wall dishes and six steals. Wall was saddled with foul trouble earlier in the game but was the difference down the stretch with amazing quickness. The 14th ranked Huskies were lead by Jerome Dyson and Gavin Edwards. Dyson logged 17 points in this back-and-fourth affair. Edwards finished with 16 points, including a dunk with 4:24 left that moved UConn to within one point of tying the game. Kemba Walker, the speedy Connecticut guard, provided his team with their final lead on a jumper with just over one minute remaining in regulation. Walker pulled the Huskies within one on two free throws with two minutes earlier in the fourth quarter. Wall’s three point play spelled trouble for the Huskies in the final minute. The rookie gave Jim Calhoun’s club a run for their money in securing the winning buckets. Walker and Edwards had their chances for UConn after Walker drained the go-ahead shot. Walker fired from the lane unsuccessfully and Edward’s attempt from downtown with 13 seconds was off the mark as the Wildcats hung on to go 9-0. Kentucky won despite a 39.1 shooting percentage from the field. Patrick Patterson ended with 16 points for the winning team. Stanely Robinson carried the Huskies in the final quarter, scoring six straight buckets. Robinson missed a jumper in crunch time but landed nine rebounds. Credit Connecticut for making it a one-possession game throughout most of the night. The Huskies defense was superb. Kentucky opened the game on a 12-0 run before UConn sailed to a 29-23 halftime lead. The Wildcats outscored Connecticut by 11 points in an impressive second half for Wall and company. The helter-skelter offenses were actually enjoyable, and playing at the Mecca of basketball made the game that much more electric.
The Los Angeles Kings and San Jose Sharks squared off on the ice in a battle between the top two Pacific Division teams. LA outlasted their in-state opponent 5-4 in overtime at HP Pavilion for their 19th win of the season. The Kings overhauled San Jose to prove they’re an elite threat in the division. Dustin Brown scored for the first time in over a month 1:16 into the extra session to lift LA to their fifth win in six tries. Goalie, Erik Ersberg, made 30 saves to earn his second win of the season. The Sharks have dropped three straight home games in the somewhat sloppy showdown. Patrick Marleau and Joe Pavelski put the Sharks on top 2-0 in the first quarter. Dan Boyle elevated San Jose to a 3-1 second quarter lead. Teddy Purcell fired the first Kings goal of the night to end his own scoring drought. Purcell had gone 26 games without a goal. LA skated to a quick 4-3 lead behind a trio of goals. The fury started with Jarret Stoll tipping Jack Johnson’s shot from the point. The puck slipped through Evgeni Nabokov’s legs to tie the game at two. Anze Kopitar, the Kings leading scorer, hit a power play goal off the perfect feed cross-ice pass from Drew Doughty to give LA their first lead. Doughty sent his eighth goal of the season into the net to finish the second period scoring barrage. The third quarter found San Jose skated back to tie the game. Manny Malhotra beat Ersberg with a wrist shot before the end of regulation. Brown won the game with a center ice slap through Nabokov’s legs again as the Kings overcame a blown third period lead. Nabokov finished with 23 saves in the losing effort. The Western Conference leaders were hurt by mental mistakes. Penalty-killers killed Jaws on Wednesday night. There were 12 penalties overall in the heated California contest.
From around the leagues:
Allen Iverson returned to the Philadelphia 76ers earlier this week. His first game back in the City of Brotherly Love was against his former team, the Denver Nuggets. That didn’t go so well for the Sixers. I wonder if AI will be on this year’s All-Star team. I hear the votes for the injured Tracy McGrady are poised to place him as a starter…
The Mets are pursuing Jason Bay, the Yankees signed Andy Pettitte and Rich Harden is headed to Texas.
Tiger Woods’ wife is sticking with him; Rex Ryan isn’t sticking with Mark Sanchez (at least this week)

Parting Points: Song of the day- “Crawl”- by Kings Of Leon
Happy Birthday to Emily Dickinson. Poem of the day- “He fumbles at your spirit”.

Courting Coveted Curtis

The first major trade of the baseball winter meetings in Indianapolis is not finalized yet. It’s still not too soon to begin discussing the three-team, seven player swap that will bring coveted centerfielder, Curtis Granderson, to the Yankees. The Detroit Tigers will give up the 28 year old along with the highly-priced starting pitcher, Edwin Jackson. Detroit sheds about $10 million in payroll by freeing the pair of stars who would be free agents in two to three years anyway. Jackson heads to the Arizona Diamondbacks in exchange for right-handed hurling talent, Max Scherzer and his southpaw teammate, Daniel Schlereth. Jackson posted a 13-9 record last season with a 3.62 ERA. He is a very solid pitcher and an All-Star. He is not an ace because he is not a high strikeout pitcher and wears down easily. The 23 year old Schlereth made his major league debut in 2009. The lefty has a promising and buckling breaking ball despite poor command. Scherzer is a hard-throwing competitive player who should fit well into Jim Leyland’s rotation. Scherzer is the more durable of the two Diamondbacks in the exchange. The 25 year old went 9-11 in his first full season with Arizona. Scherzer does lack a quality secondary pitch so he might ultimately be relegated to the bullpen.
The Tigers pick up prospect centerfielder, Austin Jackson, out of New York’s farm system. Jackson shows potential but may never pan out to be anything near what Granderson is at the plate. The Bombers’ top prospect hit .300 in his first Triple-A season. He only crushed four long balls, however. His defense and baserunning are up to speed to compete at the major league level. But with all the great tools in Jackson’s bag, he really does not hit for power. The Yankees got more athletic and perhaps a bit younger with the move. Granderson is in the prime of his career and one of the most respected players in the game. New York parted with some core bullpen arms, but justified the swap by picking up the star outfielder. Ian Kennedy has always been a question mark as a starting pitcher but he is also ill-equipped to handle a reliever role. Kennedy’s finesse pitching and his mental game were never well suited for the American League. He should provide a stable arm and make Arizona’s back-end rotation stronger in the coming years if he remains healthy. Reliever, Phil Coke, became a mainstay as the number one lefty off the bench for the Yankees last season. He throws a decent fastball but often appeared clueless and defenseless in long relief stints. The Tigers will benefit from Coke’s ability to get left-handers out. The 27 year old held lefties to a .195 average.
In Granderson, New York inherits roughly $25 million over the next three years. They also inherit a speedy and powerful player not afraid to leap walls to make outs. He has wide outfield range and most remember him scoring the winning run in last year’s All Star game. Granderson plays with a lot of energy and makes the Yankees a better team. The upbeat outfielder is the perfect fly ball pull hitter. His bat should be productive and operate well in Yankee Stadium but the slugger is not without risk. Granderson doesn’t thrive against left-handers and had a difficult off year in 2009 with Detroit. Could it be the Tigers dealt their adored player because they considered him past his peak and on the decline? Either way, the Yankee brass got the better end of this bargain deal. New York ironically essentially reduced payroll with the signing. Granderson’s reasonable contract is a cost-effective way to reel in a predominant player, much to the wrath of Yankee haters and mirth of lovers. The consensus among Yankee fans is the trade is anything but a curtly grand deal.

Parting Points: Snow day song: “High and Dry” by Radiohead
Is it really true Billy Corgan is dating Jessica Simpson?

Life Lessons from Lou

Eight Is Enough

The most defeating thing in life is self defeat. I spent seven years of my life playing against myself before I decided eight was enough. Seventy years ago today, Lou Gehrig was unanimously and unprecedentedly inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. Lou is the only player to enter the baseball elite before the mandatory waiting period. Gehrig personified excellence on every level. His will to live through strength, tremendous courage and humility were only some of Gehrig’s admirable qualities. The Yankee Clipper was forced to deal with the face of doubt. He was dealt cards some of us will fortunately never have to draw. He handled those devastating cards like a professional when doctors declared Gehrig terminally ill. The first baseman never let the illness defeat him. Even though I never knew Lou, I do know he appreciated each day and lived them with vivacity.
The strains and struggles of life don’t have to shake you. Gehrig is proof of how to take life’s curves and turn them into grand slams. The Ironhorse worked harder than any other ball player. He hit better than most in the history of the sport. All the talent in the world couldn’t save Gehrig from the incurable ALS disease. The illness was who he became and what he stood for after his premature passing. The ailment contributed to his legend because of the graceful way he dealt with the setback. His disposition didn’t waver with the daunting news.
Sports are a form of self expression. I chose to participate in athletics in order to fulfill something empty inside myself. The emptiness disappeared whenever I took the mound of swung a racquet. There will always be a void in me that only sports will fill. Athletes are like artists. They showcase their talents and skills through a game. For me, Gehrig painted the picture of the quintessential baseball player. His demeanor and manner were what I sought to become as an athlete and as a person. Gehrig had a deep passion for the game only another athlete could find meaningful. I can attest to that same passion every time I compete. In my opinion, there’s nothing comparable to being in the moment as an athlete. Those feelings never fade no matter how many tough blows are thrown our way. To quote the Clipper, we may have some bad breaks but we have an awful lot to live for.


In honor of Leona Lewis' second single from her Echo album, here's my version of "I Got You"

A hero that lasts, I got Lou
No need to ask, I got Lou
Just get out the record book, I got Lou
Go and turn on the TV if I have to
What's weird about it
Is his legacy will never end
I'm glad about it
Just figured it out in my head
I'm proud to say, I got Lou

Go ahead and say goodbye
I'll be alright
Go ahead and make me cry
I'll be alright
And when you need a person to look up to
For better or worse, I got Lou

Ain't falling apart, or bitter
Let's be stronger than that and remember
This man lived before letting go
His famous speech in July
Was without drama, no need for a show
Just wanna say, I got Lou

Go ahead and say goodbye
I'll be alright
Go ahead and make me cry
I'll be alright
And when you need a person to look up to
For better or worse, I got Lou

'Cause this is love and life
And nothing we can both control
And if it don't feel right
You're not losing Lou by letting others in the know

Go ahead and say goodbye
I'll be alright
Go ahead and make me cry
I'll be alright
And when you need a person to look up to
For better or worse, I got Lou

A hero that lasts, I got Lou
No need to ask, I got Lou

Parting Points: Parting Points: The Yankees are on the verge of trading for Curtis Granderson. He was always one of my favorite centerfielders.

Fowl Flying

The Philadelphia Eagles and Dallas Cowboys are tied for the NFC East division lead. New York (Giants) hosts the Eagles next week after sweeping the Cowboys at home this season. The Giants downed Dallas 31-24 in the final game at Giants Stadium between the two teams. Philadelphia beat the Atlanta Falcons on the road 34-7 in Michael Vick’s return to Atlanta as an Eagles quarterback. The Giants are 7-5 behind the 8-3 Cowboys and Eagles. Atlanta fell to 6-6 and sit two games behind the Eagles in the NFC wildcard standings. The Falcons weren’t exactly flying against the soaring Eagles. The game was magnified by the enormous playoff implications and Vick’s return. The second half was essentially non-competitive after two scores separated the conference rivals in the first. Atlanta nearly missed being shutout in their own building. Mike Smith’s team scored on the final play of the game to avoid the first 0-fer since the 2004 season.
Vick put up a pair of touchdowns for the Eagles. It was the first time the former Falcon danced into the end zone since 2006. The Philadelphia backup signal caller rushed from five yards out in the third quarter to give the visiting birds a 20-0 lead. Vick padded the Eagles’ lead on a five yard touchdown pass to tight end, Brent Celek. It was the final Philadelphia score of the day, giving the NFC East leaders a 34-0 advantage with 2:17 remaining. Atlanta quarterback, Chris Redman, completed a three yard touchdown pass to Roddy White for the Falcons only score of the game. The touchdown came after Atlanta drove the length of the field on 13 plays. Redman was filling in for last season’s darling quarterback, Matt Ryan. He was coming off a week in which he navigated the Falcons to a last-second win a week ago. Sunday was not his day. Redman finished 23-of-44 with 235 yards through the air. He was picked off twice by the stingy Eagles defense. Cornerback Sheldon Brown returned a Redman miscue 83 yards for a Philadelphia touchdown.
Vick vexed his former team and even with a missed David Ackers field goal in the first quarter, the Eagles seized every opportunity in Sunday’s blitzing of the birds. Donovan McNabb threw a touchdown pass to go along with a 238 yard afternoon. The former Syracuse standout connected with Leonard Weaver for the Eagles first touchdown. Weaver caught five passes, including the four yard grab to give the Eagles a 10-0 lead to end the first quarter. Akers drilled his second field goal in the second quarter. The 33 yarder was booted 1:18 before the half. Redman was successful in finding tight end, Tony Gonzalez, but the Falcons porous offensive line couldn’t protect him long enough to sustain a substantial drive. Redman and the offense struggled to get in sync. The Falcons also did not capitalize on two crucial Philadelphia penalties before halftime. Without their franchise quarterback, it was hard to find touchdowns but they had their chances. Facing a fourth-and-two at the Eagles two yard line, Jason Snelling was stuffed before crossing the goal line. The Falcons turned the ball over on downs with .21 left in the second quarter.
Atlanta was minus five offensive stars but the Eagles had a few key players on the sidelines. Philadelphia overcame their injuries to make plays happen on the field. The reeling Falcons were too loose in the secondary. The defense failed to cover Celek or stop Jeremy Maclin from snagging McNabb flicks. McNabb completed four consecutive passes on the opening drive of the third quarter. He hit Jason Avant for 15 and 8 yards, LeSean McCoy for another 8 and Maclin for 7 before Vick’s touchdown run. Maclin landed 83 yards on four receptions. Celek had only a pair of receptions but scored a touchdown. Weaver fronted the Eagles with 37 yards rushing and made a brilliant one-handed catch for a 59 yard reception. Vick sprinted and sharply shook off tackles for his current team the way he used to do in Atlanta. Number 7 went 2-for-2 in passing and scrambled for 17 yards on four runs. Vick was triumphant in his return to the Georgia Dome, much to the chagrin of faithful Falcons fans. The three time Pro Bowler heard the boos but was also showered with adoring cheers. Andy Reid let third string quarterback, Kevin Kolb, finish out the game. That’s how bad things were for the fumbling Falcons. White’s 15th career 100 yard receiving day and Gonzalez breaking the team’s single-season reception mark did little to deflect the sting from the decisive blowout loss. Their playoff chances were dealt an incredible blow yesterday. Atlanta has four games remaining to right the ship. These fighting Falcons can do it if they find ways to convert third and fourth downs, get healthy on offense and seriously begin putting up points.

Parting Points: Happy Birthday to the one and only, Tino Martinez!

Bearcat Bruising Brushoff

Sophomore holder, Andrew Janocko, mishandled the snap on a Pittsburg point-after attempt with 1:36 remaining after the Panthers scored the go-ahead touchdown. Dan Hutchins never even attempted the kick and the Cincinnati Bearcats got the ball back with a chance to win the game. The Bearcats capped off a 21 point comeback by rallying to beat Pitt 45-44 at Heinz Field in the Big East title game Saturday.
Cincinnati’s perfect season and BCS bowl bid were in danger throughout the game in Pittsburgh. The 9-3 Panthers lead the entire game until the final minute. Tony Pike, the Heisman Trophy candidate Cincinnati quarterback, was intercepted three times. The Panthers defense held the Bearcats to more than 100 yards below their season average while holding the ball nearly twice as long. Pitt dominated for essentially 50 minutes as their freshman running back, Dion Lewis, evoked memories of former Panther, Tony Dorsett. Lewis ran for three scores and 194 yard on a team record 47 carries. The battering, blazing and blistering back was brilliant. Quarterback for Pitt, Bill Stull was stellar in stalling the quick-working Bearcats. The Panthers kept the high-charged Cincinnati offense off the field. Ironically, it was one fast-scoring drive that ultimately did the Panthers in at the end. The Panthers lead 31-24 after a fourth quarter touchdown run on four plays by Lewis. Cincinnati answered with their own four play drive. DJ Woods caught an eight yard pass from Pike to pull the Bearcats within eight points. They tied the game six minutes later on an Isaiah Pead rushing touchdown and successfully completed the two point conversion. Pitt took possession with 5:40 remaining. Instead of running out the clock and kicking a field goal with less than a minute left, the Panthers ended the drive in the end zone. Lewis rushed, with very little attempt at stopping him, from five yards out to lift the Panthers again. Then, the ill-fated hold on the point after flopped, giving the Bearcats a chance to win the game with a touchdown. Pike needed three completions after starting from the Cincinnati 39 yard line before connecting with 6’4” receiver, Armon Binns for the game-winning touchdown. The Panthers’ secondary did a credible job Saturday, but it was nearly impossible for any of them to cover the towering Binns. Pike only had to throw the ball up high for Binns to come down with the Big East title in his hands.
Stull went 13 for 21 with 176 yards and two touchdowns. He also tossed a pair of picks in this mistake-prone title takedown. Both teams got on board with rushing touchdowns in the first quarter. Lewis scored his first seven on a four yard rush to end a 12 play Pittsburgh drive with just under 8:00 in the first. Lewis sliced through Cincinnati’s defense with speed and power. The Bearcats tied the game 7-7 on Jacob Ramsey’s two yard scurry. Jonathan Baldwin, the talented sophomore wideout, caught a 22 yard pass from Stull in the first minute of the second quarter to put Pitt back on top. Jake Rodgers’ 20 yard field goal made it a four point game. The Panthers charged right back and forged ahead 21-10 on a two-play 40 yard touchdown pass from Stull to Baldwin. The duo hooked up for 113 Panther yards during Saturday’s contest. Hutchins booted a 33 yard field goal and Stull found the end zone with his own legs from three yards out with 1:26 before the half. Pitt looked as if they might walk away with a laugher, but kick return terror, Marty Gilyard’s 99 yard touchdown run made it a 31-17 game. That wasn’t all from the Bearcat burner on this snowy December gray Pittsburgh afternoon.
Gilyard scored the only points in the third quarter on 68 yard scoring catch from Pike. Brian Kelly’s Bearcats intercepted the momentum following Gilyard’s magnificent return with 70 seconds before halftime. Kelly is the only Cincinnati coach to have three double-digit win seasons. In fact, there was only one other Bearcats team before Kelly to post a double digit season. After the game-changing play by Gilyard, the visiting team jolted command and seized every opportunity to land a seat in the national BCS spotlight. Pike shook off a rough opening half to complete his final 11 passes and score twice. He threw for 84 yards in the first half but revved up 218 yards and three touchdowns in the second. Binns made five catches, including the game winning receptions, for 104 yards. Gilyard was credited with a whopping 256 yards on seven kickoff returns. He provided numerous momentum-swings for the rallying Bearcats. Big-play Gilyard ran back a 49 yard kickoff early in the fourth quarter to set up Woods’ touchdown. On the final drive, the perky Panthers were silly enough to let Gilyard burn them again. A kick to Gilyard proved costly after the receiver returned the ball to the Bearcats 39 yard line. It took 63 seconds for Pike to find the end zone and break the hearts of Heinz Field fans.

Parting Points: Larry McMurty’s second biography comes out Tuesday and looks interesting.
Florida was downed by Alabama and Texas won in the final seconds over Nebraska. I guess we now know the national title game contenders.
Happy Birthday to R.E.M.’s Peter Buck!