School (Record)/Next game (Nov. 14 unless otherwise noted)/Why?
1. Florida (9-0)/at South Carolina/Did what it needed to do to remain perfect against Vanderbilt.
2. Texas (9-0)/at Baylor/Took care of business against Central Florida.
3. Alabama (9-0)/at Mississippi State/Solid, if unspectacular, win over LSU to clinch the SEC West and another December date with Florida in Atlanta.
4. Cincinnati (9-0)/West Virginia (Nov. 13)/Survived high-scoring, defense-optional thriller over UConn.
5. Texas Christian (9-0)/Utah/Another easy outing with big conference win. Up next – Utah.
6. Boise State (9-0)/Idaho/Escaped upset attempt at Louisiana Tech.
7. Georgia Tech (9-1)/at Duke/Stays in control in ACC with overtime win over Wake Forest.
8. Southern California (7-2)/Stanford/Pulled out a win at Arizona State.
9. Ohio State (8-2)/Iowa/Buckeyes suddenly back in the Big Ten hunt with drubbing of Penn State and Iowa’s loss. Huge matchup against Hawkeyes this week.
10. Miami (Fla.) (7-2)/at North Carolina/Completely dominated Virginia at home.
11. Iowa (9-1)/at Ohio State/Hawkeyes’ tendency to flirt with danger – plus the loss of Ricky Stanzi – finally catches up with them in loss to Northwestern.
12. Oregon (7-2)/Arizona State/Fell at Stanford in high-scoring contest.
13. LSU (7-2)/Louisiana Tech/Played a pretty good game at Alabama but had no answer for Tide’s running attack, especially after quarterback Jordan Jefferson went down.
14. Penn State (8-2)/Indiana/Dominated by Ohio State, basically out of the running to return to Pasadena in January.
15. Utah (8-1)/at TCU/Did what it was supposed to do – drill winless New Mexico.
16. Houston (8-1)/at UCF/Cougars pull out heartstopping last-second win at Tulsa.
17. Virginia Tech (6-3)/at Maryland/Ugly win at East Carolina, but hey, the Hokies are back in the win column.
18. Pittsburgh (8-1)/Notre Dame/Drilled conference opponent Syracuse.
19. Oklahoma State (7-2)/Texas Tech/Took care of business against Iowa State.
20. Wisconsin (7-2)/Michigan/Tough road win at Indiana.
21. Arizona (6-2)/at California/Enters rankings after demolition of Washington State. After Oregon’s loss, very much in the hunt for a Rose Bowl berth.
22. South Florida (6-2)/at Rutgers (Nov. 12)/Off this past week.
23. Brigham Young (7-2)/at New Mexico/Absolutely drilled Wyoming on the road.
24. Texas Tech (6-3)/at Oklahoma State/Off this past week.
25. West Virginia (7-2)/at Cincinnati (Nov. 13)/Back in rankings after knocking off Louisville.
Dropped out/Why?
Notre Dame. Navy’s a tough team to beat, but the Irish frankly have no business losing to a service academy team (and being thoroughly dominated most of the game at that).
Oklahoma. Held to three points in an ugly loss at Nebraska.
Sunday, November 8, 2009
Saturday, November 7, 2009
Ingram, Tide come back to clinch West over LSU, 24-15
COLLEGE FOOTBALL
Mark Ingram ran for 144 yards, Greg McElroy and Julio Jones hooked up for a big fourth-quarter score and the Alabama Crimson Tide booked a return trip to the SEC title game with a 24-15 win over LSU in Tuscaloosa, Ala., Saturday afternoon.
Alabama (No. 3 ZSN/3 AP) (9-0, 6-0 SEC) also remained unbeaten and alive in the hunt for a BCS championship berth.
Kicker Leigh Tiffin hit three field goals and an extra point to become the Crimson Tide’s all-time leading scorer with 347 career points.
Alabama was trailing 15-13 early in the fourth quarter when it overtook the Tigers for the lead. McElroy hit Jones for a 73-yard score on the first play of the drive, and Trent Richardson took a pitch and ran for the two-point conversion to take a 21-15 lead.
The Tide defense forced a punt, and then the offense got some help from a crucial LSU penalty and a controversial call to take control for good. The Tigers’ Daniel Graff made contact with Alabama punter P.J. Fitzgerald on fourth-and-6, and then Ingram ran for two yards on fourth-and-1 to retain possession. LSU’s Patrick Peterson caught a McElroy throw heading out of bounds but was ruled out of play, and on the next play, Jones caught a pass for 10 on third-and-7. Tiffin hit a 40-yard field goal for a 24-15 advantage.
Alabama’s Robby Green then intercepted Tigers backup quarterback Jarrett Lee on fourth down to end the game.
LSU (No. 10/9) (7-2, 4-2) scored the game’s first points on a 13-play drive in the second period. Deangelo Peterson caught a pass from starter Jordan Jefferson for 28 yards, Russell Shepard made a reception for 13 and Charles Scott ran for four yards on third-and-2. Jefferson ran for 15 yards on third-and-7, Shepard ran for two and a first down and Jefferson found Peterson for a 12-yard TD. Josh Jasper booted the extra point.
The Tide scored its first points on the ensuing possession. Javier Arenas returned the kickoff 40 yards, Richardson ran for 11 and Marquis Maze made a reception for 12. Tiffin then kicked a 28-yard field goal to cut Alabama’s deficit to 7-3.
That remained the score until Alabama took its first lead on the first possession of the third quarter. Ingram caught a pass for 12 yards and ran for gains of 12 on consecutive plays. Ingram then ran for 18 more yards before Darius Hanks caught a 21-yard touchdown pass. Tiffin hit the point-after for a 10-7 advantage.
The Tigers combined effective special teams and strong defense for their next points. Jasper dropped a punt at the Alabama 1-yard line, and on third down, LSU’s Drake Nevis forced McElroy to commit intentional grounding in the end zone, resulting in a safety.
LSU’s Scott then ran for four yards on third-and-4 and reeled off a 34-yard gain before leaving the game, appearing to sustain an upper-body injury. Stevan Ridley then bounced to an 8-yard score. Going for two, Lee threw incomplete for Deangelo Peterson in the back of the end zone, with the Tide’s Mark Barron defending on the play. This left the score at 15-10, LSU.
Alabama opened the final stanza by cutting its deficit to two points. McElroy ran for 11 yards and Ingram ran for gains of 23 and 10. Ingram picked up two yards on third-and-1 before Tiffin’s 20-yard kick.
McElroy threw for two touchdowns and 276 yards on 19-of-34 passing with an interception. Jones caught four passes for 102 yards and a touchdown and Maze made six receptions for 88 yards.
Jefferson hit on 10 of 17 tosses for 114 yards and a score. Lee, the starter most of last season, completed 4 of 10 passes for 44 yards and a pick. Scott rushed for 83 yards on 18 carries, Terrance Toliver made four catches for 46 yards and Deangelo Peterson hauled in two passes for 40 yards and a score.
NOTES: The Crimson Tide has won six straight regular-season meetings with top-10 teams. LSU has lost four straight games against top-10 opponents … Tiffin surpassed Philip Doyle, who scored 345 points during his Alabama career … Alabama won for just the second time in the teams’ past seven meetings and the first time in five tries at home … Jefferson was knocked out of the game on a third-quarter hit by Alabama’s Nico Johnson. He did not return, and his condition was not immediately known … The Tide has 21 straight regular-season wins, tops in the nation … Alabama’s defense has allowed just three touchdowns in its last four games. LSU has yielded three scores in three games … Alabama travels to Mississippi State Saturday night, while LSU returns to action against Louisiana Tech Saturday night.
BOX SCORE
Video credit – CBS
Mark Ingram ran for 144 yards, Greg McElroy and Julio Jones hooked up for a big fourth-quarter score and the Alabama Crimson Tide booked a return trip to the SEC title game with a 24-15 win over LSU in Tuscaloosa, Ala., Saturday afternoon.
Alabama (No. 3 ZSN/3 AP) (9-0, 6-0 SEC) also remained unbeaten and alive in the hunt for a BCS championship berth.
Kicker Leigh Tiffin hit three field goals and an extra point to become the Crimson Tide’s all-time leading scorer with 347 career points.
Alabama was trailing 15-13 early in the fourth quarter when it overtook the Tigers for the lead. McElroy hit Jones for a 73-yard score on the first play of the drive, and Trent Richardson took a pitch and ran for the two-point conversion to take a 21-15 lead.
The Tide defense forced a punt, and then the offense got some help from a crucial LSU penalty and a controversial call to take control for good. The Tigers’ Daniel Graff made contact with Alabama punter P.J. Fitzgerald on fourth-and-6, and then Ingram ran for two yards on fourth-and-1 to retain possession. LSU’s Patrick Peterson caught a McElroy throw heading out of bounds but was ruled out of play, and on the next play, Jones caught a pass for 10 on third-and-7. Tiffin hit a 40-yard field goal for a 24-15 advantage.
Alabama’s Robby Green then intercepted Tigers backup quarterback Jarrett Lee on fourth down to end the game.
LSU (No. 10/9) (7-2, 4-2) scored the game’s first points on a 13-play drive in the second period. Deangelo Peterson caught a pass from starter Jordan Jefferson for 28 yards, Russell Shepard made a reception for 13 and Charles Scott ran for four yards on third-and-2. Jefferson ran for 15 yards on third-and-7, Shepard ran for two and a first down and Jefferson found Peterson for a 12-yard TD. Josh Jasper booted the extra point.
The Tide scored its first points on the ensuing possession. Javier Arenas returned the kickoff 40 yards, Richardson ran for 11 and Marquis Maze made a reception for 12. Tiffin then kicked a 28-yard field goal to cut Alabama’s deficit to 7-3.
That remained the score until Alabama took its first lead on the first possession of the third quarter. Ingram caught a pass for 12 yards and ran for gains of 12 on consecutive plays. Ingram then ran for 18 more yards before Darius Hanks caught a 21-yard touchdown pass. Tiffin hit the point-after for a 10-7 advantage.
The Tigers combined effective special teams and strong defense for their next points. Jasper dropped a punt at the Alabama 1-yard line, and on third down, LSU’s Drake Nevis forced McElroy to commit intentional grounding in the end zone, resulting in a safety.
LSU’s Scott then ran for four yards on third-and-4 and reeled off a 34-yard gain before leaving the game, appearing to sustain an upper-body injury. Stevan Ridley then bounced to an 8-yard score. Going for two, Lee threw incomplete for Deangelo Peterson in the back of the end zone, with the Tide’s Mark Barron defending on the play. This left the score at 15-10, LSU.
Alabama opened the final stanza by cutting its deficit to two points. McElroy ran for 11 yards and Ingram ran for gains of 23 and 10. Ingram picked up two yards on third-and-1 before Tiffin’s 20-yard kick.
McElroy threw for two touchdowns and 276 yards on 19-of-34 passing with an interception. Jones caught four passes for 102 yards and a touchdown and Maze made six receptions for 88 yards.
Jefferson hit on 10 of 17 tosses for 114 yards and a score. Lee, the starter most of last season, completed 4 of 10 passes for 44 yards and a pick. Scott rushed for 83 yards on 18 carries, Terrance Toliver made four catches for 46 yards and Deangelo Peterson hauled in two passes for 40 yards and a score.
NOTES: The Crimson Tide has won six straight regular-season meetings with top-10 teams. LSU has lost four straight games against top-10 opponents … Tiffin surpassed Philip Doyle, who scored 345 points during his Alabama career … Alabama won for just the second time in the teams’ past seven meetings and the first time in five tries at home … Jefferson was knocked out of the game on a third-quarter hit by Alabama’s Nico Johnson. He did not return, and his condition was not immediately known … The Tide has 21 straight regular-season wins, tops in the nation … Alabama’s defense has allowed just three touchdowns in its last four games. LSU has yielded three scores in three games … Alabama travels to Mississippi State Saturday night, while LSU returns to action against Louisiana Tech Saturday night.
BOX SCORE
Video credit – CBS
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Virginia Tech dominates East Carolina, 16-3
COLLEGE FOOTBALL
Boy, was it ever ugly. But Virginia Tech’s typical combination of strong defense and special teams and an effective running attack helped it avoid a far more unsightly three-game losing streak.
Freshman Ryan Williams ran for a career-high 179 yards, quarterback Tyrod Taylor ran for the game’s only touchdown and the Hokies defense held East Carolina out of the end zone as Virginia Tech beat the Pirates 16-3 in Greenville, N.C., Thursday night.
The Hokies (No. 17 ZSN/22 AP) also won for the first time in three games and exacted a measure of revenge on East Carolina, who beat Virginia Tech 27-22 in the 2008 season opener.
Virginia Tech took the lead with two first-quarter field goals. Jayron Hosley returned a punt 33 yards to set up a 41-yard Matt Waldron field goal, his season long.
After another East Carolina punt – one of eight Matt Dodge hit on the day – Josh Oglesby ran for four yards on third-and-1, Williams reeled off an 11-yard run and Taylor found Xavier Boyce for seven yards and Jarrett Boykin for 11 for first downs.
Dyrell Roberts caught a pass for 23 before Waldron’s 22-yard field goal on the 14th play of the drive gave the Hokies a 6-0 lead.
Virginia Tech found the end zone for the only time in the game late in the second quarter. Boykin caught a pass for three yards on third-and-3, Taylor ran for four and a first down and Williams took off for 17. Taylor hooked up with Danny Coale for 13 yards on third-and-7 and Williams ran for five before Taylor’s 13-yard scoring dash. Waldron hit the extra point for a 13-0 advantage.
The Pirates gained some momentum heading into halftime, scoring just as the period expired. Patrick Pinkney hit Alex Taylor for eight yards on third-and-4, Brandon Jackson ran for three and a first down and Dwayne Harris caught a pass for 16. Taylor made a juggling one-handed snag as the ball deflected off a defender’s helmet for 13 yards and caught another pass for 12 to set up Ben Hartman’s 24-yard field goal for a 13-3 halftime score.
However, the Hokie defense bludgeoned the inefficient East Carolina offense the rest of the way, forcing a fumble and four second-half punts before putting the Pirates’ offense to bed. Pinkney’s third-down throw bounced off Dominique Lindsay’s hands, and Virginia Tech’s Rashad Carmichael plucked it out of the air at the East Carolina 13-yard line.
That led to a 31-yard Waldron field goal with just over a minute left in the game to close the scorebook at 16-3.
Virginia Tech’s Taylor hit 17 of 30 passes for 137 yards, running for 61 yards and a score on 11 carries. Coale made six receptions for 60 yards.
For the Pirates, Pinkney completed 16 of 33 attempts for 167 yards and a pick. Lindsay ran for 69 yards on 13 carries, Alex Taylor caught five passes for 60 yards, Darryl Freeney hauled in four passes for 50 yards and Harris corralled three throws for 45 yards.
NOTES: Virginia Tech hasn’t lost three straight games in six years … The Hokies’ Brent Bowden punted seven times … Virginia Tech coach Frank Beamer won his 225th career game … East Carolina’s string of six straight home wins was snapped … Virginia Tech has won seven of eight in the series … The Hokies have lost all nine opening coin tosses this year … The Hokies (6-3, 3-2 Atlantic Coast Conference) return to conference play at Maryland Nov. 14. East Carolina (5-4, 4-1 Conference USA) looks to remain alone atop the C-USA East at Tulsa Nov. 15.
BOX SCORE
Video credit – ESPN
Boy, was it ever ugly. But Virginia Tech’s typical combination of strong defense and special teams and an effective running attack helped it avoid a far more unsightly three-game losing streak.
Freshman Ryan Williams ran for a career-high 179 yards, quarterback Tyrod Taylor ran for the game’s only touchdown and the Hokies defense held East Carolina out of the end zone as Virginia Tech beat the Pirates 16-3 in Greenville, N.C., Thursday night.
The Hokies (No. 17 ZSN/22 AP) also won for the first time in three games and exacted a measure of revenge on East Carolina, who beat Virginia Tech 27-22 in the 2008 season opener.
Virginia Tech took the lead with two first-quarter field goals. Jayron Hosley returned a punt 33 yards to set up a 41-yard Matt Waldron field goal, his season long.
After another East Carolina punt – one of eight Matt Dodge hit on the day – Josh Oglesby ran for four yards on third-and-1, Williams reeled off an 11-yard run and Taylor found Xavier Boyce for seven yards and Jarrett Boykin for 11 for first downs.
Dyrell Roberts caught a pass for 23 before Waldron’s 22-yard field goal on the 14th play of the drive gave the Hokies a 6-0 lead.
Virginia Tech found the end zone for the only time in the game late in the second quarter. Boykin caught a pass for three yards on third-and-3, Taylor ran for four and a first down and Williams took off for 17. Taylor hooked up with Danny Coale for 13 yards on third-and-7 and Williams ran for five before Taylor’s 13-yard scoring dash. Waldron hit the extra point for a 13-0 advantage.
The Pirates gained some momentum heading into halftime, scoring just as the period expired. Patrick Pinkney hit Alex Taylor for eight yards on third-and-4, Brandon Jackson ran for three and a first down and Dwayne Harris caught a pass for 16. Taylor made a juggling one-handed snag as the ball deflected off a defender’s helmet for 13 yards and caught another pass for 12 to set up Ben Hartman’s 24-yard field goal for a 13-3 halftime score.
However, the Hokie defense bludgeoned the inefficient East Carolina offense the rest of the way, forcing a fumble and four second-half punts before putting the Pirates’ offense to bed. Pinkney’s third-down throw bounced off Dominique Lindsay’s hands, and Virginia Tech’s Rashad Carmichael plucked it out of the air at the East Carolina 13-yard line.
That led to a 31-yard Waldron field goal with just over a minute left in the game to close the scorebook at 16-3.
Virginia Tech’s Taylor hit 17 of 30 passes for 137 yards, running for 61 yards and a score on 11 carries. Coale made six receptions for 60 yards.
For the Pirates, Pinkney completed 16 of 33 attempts for 167 yards and a pick. Lindsay ran for 69 yards on 13 carries, Alex Taylor caught five passes for 60 yards, Darryl Freeney hauled in four passes for 50 yards and Harris corralled three throws for 45 yards.
NOTES: Virginia Tech hasn’t lost three straight games in six years … The Hokies’ Brent Bowden punted seven times … Virginia Tech coach Frank Beamer won his 225th career game … East Carolina’s string of six straight home wins was snapped … Virginia Tech has won seven of eight in the series … The Hokies have lost all nine opening coin tosses this year … The Hokies (6-3, 3-2 Atlantic Coast Conference) return to conference play at Maryland Nov. 14. East Carolina (5-4, 4-1 Conference USA) looks to remain alone atop the C-USA East at Tulsa Nov. 15.
BOX SCORE
Video credit – ESPN
Matsui knocks in six runs, Yanks finish off Phillies, 7-3
2009 MLB PLAYOFFS SPECIAL COVERAGE – WORLD SERIES GAME 6
One season ago, Hideki Matsui missed a couple of months with a knee injury and the New York Yankees missed the playoffs for the first time since 1995.
World Series MVP Matsui turned in another spectacular performance Wednesday night to help the Yankees return to glory, knocking in six runs to tie a Series single-game record, and Andy Pettitte, the all-time winningest postseason pitcher, got the victory as the Yankees beat Philadelphia 7-3 in Game 6 in New York to win their 27th crown.
Matsui and New York went to work in the second inning, taking the lead for good against Phillies starter Pedro Martinez. Alex Rodriguez drew a leadoff walk ahead of Matsui, who hit an upper-deck shot to right for a 2-0 advantage.
Philadelphia cut its deficit in half in the third. Carlos Ruiz tripled to left-center with one down and scored on Jimmy Rollins’ sacrifice fly.
The Yankees got all the runs they would need in the bottom of the frame. Derek Jeter singled with one out to center, Johnny Damon walked and Martinez hit Mark Teixeira to load the bases. One out later, Matsui singled to left-center to score Jeter and Damon for a 4-1 edge.
New York tacked on three more runs for insurance in the fifth inning. Jeter led off with a ground-rule double to left-center and moved to third on Jerry Hairston Jr.’s bunt. Teixeira’s single to right-center then plated Jeter.
Rodriguez drew another free pass ahead of Matsui, whose double to center scored Teixeira and Rodriguez for a 7-1 advantage.
The Phillies scored what would prove to be the final runs of the season in the sixth. Chase Utley worked a one-out walk and Ryan Howard homered to left to make it a 7-3 game.
Philadelphia could get no closer, though, as New York reliever Damaso Marte rescued Joba Chamberlain from a two-men-on situation in the seventh inning and closer Mariano Rivera got the final five outs, ending the game and the season by inducing a Shane Victorino groundout to second.
Matsui went 3-for-4 for New York. Jeter was 3-for-5.
Pettitte (2-0), the Game 3 winner, again was solid if unspectacular, working 5 2-3 innings of three-run ball on four hits, with five walks and three strikeouts. He won his 18th career playoff game and earned his sixth series-ending win, including the clinchers over Minnesota and the Los Angeles Angels in the earlier rounds of the postseason.
Martinez (0-2) only lasted four frames, allowing four runs on three hits. He walked two batters and struck out five.
NOTES: The title is the Yankees’ first since 2000 … Matsui tied former Yankee Bobby Richardson with six RBI in one game. Richardson accomplished the feat in the 1960 Series … Matsui became the first full-time designated hitter to win the World Series MVP award … Pettitte was working on three days’ rest for the first time since Sept. 30, 2006, with Houston. He is 4-1 all-time on short rest in the playoffs … Victorino started one game after New York’s A.J. Burnett hit him on the right hand with a fastball … Damon left after the third inning. He strained his calf running the bases … No Series has gone the full seven games since 2002 … Howard struck out once Wednesday, raising his total for the Series to 13, the most ever by one player in one World Series. He had been tied with Willie Wilson, who struck out 12 times in the 1980 Series with Kansas City … Martinez dropped to 1-4 against the Yankees in postseason play.
BOX SCORE
Video credit – FOX
One season ago, Hideki Matsui missed a couple of months with a knee injury and the New York Yankees missed the playoffs for the first time since 1995.
World Series MVP Matsui turned in another spectacular performance Wednesday night to help the Yankees return to glory, knocking in six runs to tie a Series single-game record, and Andy Pettitte, the all-time winningest postseason pitcher, got the victory as the Yankees beat Philadelphia 7-3 in Game 6 in New York to win their 27th crown.
Matsui and New York went to work in the second inning, taking the lead for good against Phillies starter Pedro Martinez. Alex Rodriguez drew a leadoff walk ahead of Matsui, who hit an upper-deck shot to right for a 2-0 advantage.
Philadelphia cut its deficit in half in the third. Carlos Ruiz tripled to left-center with one down and scored on Jimmy Rollins’ sacrifice fly.
The Yankees got all the runs they would need in the bottom of the frame. Derek Jeter singled with one out to center, Johnny Damon walked and Martinez hit Mark Teixeira to load the bases. One out later, Matsui singled to left-center to score Jeter and Damon for a 4-1 edge.
New York tacked on three more runs for insurance in the fifth inning. Jeter led off with a ground-rule double to left-center and moved to third on Jerry Hairston Jr.’s bunt. Teixeira’s single to right-center then plated Jeter.
Rodriguez drew another free pass ahead of Matsui, whose double to center scored Teixeira and Rodriguez for a 7-1 advantage.
The Phillies scored what would prove to be the final runs of the season in the sixth. Chase Utley worked a one-out walk and Ryan Howard homered to left to make it a 7-3 game.
Philadelphia could get no closer, though, as New York reliever Damaso Marte rescued Joba Chamberlain from a two-men-on situation in the seventh inning and closer Mariano Rivera got the final five outs, ending the game and the season by inducing a Shane Victorino groundout to second.
Matsui went 3-for-4 for New York. Jeter was 3-for-5.
Pettitte (2-0), the Game 3 winner, again was solid if unspectacular, working 5 2-3 innings of three-run ball on four hits, with five walks and three strikeouts. He won his 18th career playoff game and earned his sixth series-ending win, including the clinchers over Minnesota and the Los Angeles Angels in the earlier rounds of the postseason.
Martinez (0-2) only lasted four frames, allowing four runs on three hits. He walked two batters and struck out five.
NOTES: The title is the Yankees’ first since 2000 … Matsui tied former Yankee Bobby Richardson with six RBI in one game. Richardson accomplished the feat in the 1960 Series … Matsui became the first full-time designated hitter to win the World Series MVP award … Pettitte was working on three days’ rest for the first time since Sept. 30, 2006, with Houston. He is 4-1 all-time on short rest in the playoffs … Victorino started one game after New York’s A.J. Burnett hit him on the right hand with a fastball … Damon left after the third inning. He strained his calf running the bases … No Series has gone the full seven games since 2002 … Howard struck out once Wednesday, raising his total for the Series to 13, the most ever by one player in one World Series. He had been tied with Willie Wilson, who struck out 12 times in the 1980 Series with Kansas City … Martinez dropped to 1-4 against the Yankees in postseason play.
BOX SCORE
Video credit – FOX
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Eagles fall to Campbellsville but head confidently into KIAC tournament
COLLEGE SOCCER
WILMORE, Ky. -- The Asbury men’s soccer team will head into the KIAC tournament on a four-game losing streak after falling to Campbellsville 2-0 in the homecoming game Friday afternoon. That’s the bad news.
The good news? The Eagles’ objective has become very simple: win, and they play on. Lose, and the season’s over.
Against the Tigers, Asbury was unable to capitalize on having a man advantage for over 70 minutes, after Campbellsville’s Keiber Angulo was sent off with a red card for fighting in the 14th minute.
Instead, Campbellsville found the net twice for the only goals of the game. Gustavo Valecillos sent a long, high shot just beyond Asbury freshman goaltender Dylan Fouts’ reach for the game-winner in the 21st minute.
The Tigers tacked on one more goal in the 76th minute. Casey Clarke navigated through traffic in the box to score, with an assist credited to Emmanuel Nfor, to set the final score at 2-0.
Asbury (4-13, 3-1 KIAC) out-shot Campbellsville (7-7-2) 14-6 overall, and 8-2 in the second half, but only five of the Eagles’ shots were on goal.
Combining Asbury’s erratic offense with what coach Josh Oakley characterized as a lack of discipline on Campbellsville’s part, the Eagles can’t help but feel like that game got away from them.
“[The Tigers] weren’t that disciplined and organized, but they were skilled,” Oakley said. “For the better part of an hour we were a man up, and we knew what we had to do … we just didn’t get it done.”
Some of Asbury’s players anticipated unusually rough play from the Tigers and were prepared for the first-half incident. Asbury freshman Randy Troyer and Campbellsville’s Pontus Yngve each also received yellow cards in the 14th minute.
“We just try to understand that, hey, [the opponent is] gonna come in, they might take a cheap shot or two, all you can do is get up and try to help it make you play harder [and] try to maintain a good level of self-control, because typically it’s the second foul that gets seen,” senior captain John Greer, who played his final home game, said.
“As soon as you see somebody get in [a teammate’s] face, what I’ve been taught since high school is you get in there and try to calm things down, but you better protect your teammate if they need protecting,” Greer said.
In addition to losing the game, Asbury lost the services of sophomore midfielder Julian Botella, who was shown yellow twice and sent off in the 86th minute. Since Botella already received one red card this season, he will have to miss the Eagles’ next two games. But Oakley didn’t seem too concerned about losing Botella.
“It’s just another player that can step in and step up,” he said. “I think it’d be harder for our team to adjust if it was a change that had to be made in the back line. Julian plays in kind of a floating role at midfield, and we have other players – for instance, Phillip Mullins and Adam Hicks – who can step in and play that role exactly how we need it played.”
The Eagles now move on to the KIAC tournament, which will be hosted by Mountain State (W.Va.). Their first-round opponent will be Brescia, which was the only conference team to beat Asbury this season, besting the Eagles 2-1 in Wilmore Sept. 19.
Coaches and players alike believe Asbury is clearly capable of defeating Brescia, but must play its best game.
“Our guys need to be ready to play,” Oakley said. “As of today, we are still playing, and a lot of teams in college soccer can’t even say that right now. I really like our first-round game, we’ve got the week to prepare for [Brescia]. We’ll watch some game film, put in the work on the field, and after that, as it is a players’ game, it’s in their hands.”
“I know they’ll definitely be prepped and ready to play; we’ll see what team shows up on the weekend. If we play as we can play, I’m confident that we can play on.”
“I can’t speak for the whole team, [but] the majority of us are feeling extremely confident, and we expect to be playing in the champion’s game on Saturday,” Greer said. “It really just depends on what team we show up as that day. If we go out there and have brain fart after brain fart, you know, it’s ‘pack up, we’re heading home.’ If we go out there and stick to the game plan and keep things organized and play well, I have no doubt that we’re gonna walk away with the conference championship.”
The Asbury-Brescia game is scheduled to kick off Friday afternoon. If they win, the Eagles then advance to the tournament championship Saturday afternoon, with a shot at the national tournament on the line.
And the Eagles believe they’re the team to beat.
“[If we] focus on playing the way we can play, we’ll be OK,” Oakley said.
NOTES: The Eagles’ four-game losing skid includes losses at NCAA Division I opponent Eastern Illinois and at home to Covenant College, which is transitioning into NCAA D-III.
BOX SCORE
Reprinted with permission from the Asbury Collegian.
WILMORE, Ky. -- The Asbury men’s soccer team will head into the KIAC tournament on a four-game losing streak after falling to Campbellsville 2-0 in the homecoming game Friday afternoon. That’s the bad news.
The good news? The Eagles’ objective has become very simple: win, and they play on. Lose, and the season’s over.
Against the Tigers, Asbury was unable to capitalize on having a man advantage for over 70 minutes, after Campbellsville’s Keiber Angulo was sent off with a red card for fighting in the 14th minute.
Instead, Campbellsville found the net twice for the only goals of the game. Gustavo Valecillos sent a long, high shot just beyond Asbury freshman goaltender Dylan Fouts’ reach for the game-winner in the 21st minute.
The Tigers tacked on one more goal in the 76th minute. Casey Clarke navigated through traffic in the box to score, with an assist credited to Emmanuel Nfor, to set the final score at 2-0.
Asbury (4-13, 3-1 KIAC) out-shot Campbellsville (7-7-2) 14-6 overall, and 8-2 in the second half, but only five of the Eagles’ shots were on goal.
Combining Asbury’s erratic offense with what coach Josh Oakley characterized as a lack of discipline on Campbellsville’s part, the Eagles can’t help but feel like that game got away from them.
“[The Tigers] weren’t that disciplined and organized, but they were skilled,” Oakley said. “For the better part of an hour we were a man up, and we knew what we had to do … we just didn’t get it done.”
Some of Asbury’s players anticipated unusually rough play from the Tigers and were prepared for the first-half incident. Asbury freshman Randy Troyer and Campbellsville’s Pontus Yngve each also received yellow cards in the 14th minute.
“We just try to understand that, hey, [the opponent is] gonna come in, they might take a cheap shot or two, all you can do is get up and try to help it make you play harder [and] try to maintain a good level of self-control, because typically it’s the second foul that gets seen,” senior captain John Greer, who played his final home game, said.
“As soon as you see somebody get in [a teammate’s] face, what I’ve been taught since high school is you get in there and try to calm things down, but you better protect your teammate if they need protecting,” Greer said.
In addition to losing the game, Asbury lost the services of sophomore midfielder Julian Botella, who was shown yellow twice and sent off in the 86th minute. Since Botella already received one red card this season, he will have to miss the Eagles’ next two games. But Oakley didn’t seem too concerned about losing Botella.
“It’s just another player that can step in and step up,” he said. “I think it’d be harder for our team to adjust if it was a change that had to be made in the back line. Julian plays in kind of a floating role at midfield, and we have other players – for instance, Phillip Mullins and Adam Hicks – who can step in and play that role exactly how we need it played.”
The Eagles now move on to the KIAC tournament, which will be hosted by Mountain State (W.Va.). Their first-round opponent will be Brescia, which was the only conference team to beat Asbury this season, besting the Eagles 2-1 in Wilmore Sept. 19.
Coaches and players alike believe Asbury is clearly capable of defeating Brescia, but must play its best game.
“Our guys need to be ready to play,” Oakley said. “As of today, we are still playing, and a lot of teams in college soccer can’t even say that right now. I really like our first-round game, we’ve got the week to prepare for [Brescia]. We’ll watch some game film, put in the work on the field, and after that, as it is a players’ game, it’s in their hands.”
“I know they’ll definitely be prepped and ready to play; we’ll see what team shows up on the weekend. If we play as we can play, I’m confident that we can play on.”
“I can’t speak for the whole team, [but] the majority of us are feeling extremely confident, and we expect to be playing in the champion’s game on Saturday,” Greer said. “It really just depends on what team we show up as that day. If we go out there and have brain fart after brain fart, you know, it’s ‘pack up, we’re heading home.’ If we go out there and stick to the game plan and keep things organized and play well, I have no doubt that we’re gonna walk away with the conference championship.”
The Asbury-Brescia game is scheduled to kick off Friday afternoon. If they win, the Eagles then advance to the tournament championship Saturday afternoon, with a shot at the national tournament on the line.
And the Eagles believe they’re the team to beat.
“[If we] focus on playing the way we can play, we’ll be OK,” Oakley said.
NOTES: The Eagles’ four-game losing skid includes losses at NCAA Division I opponent Eastern Illinois and at home to Covenant College, which is transitioning into NCAA D-III.
BOX SCORE
Reprinted with permission from the Asbury Collegian.
Lee, Utley, Phillies beat Yankees, extend Series, 8-6
2009 MLB PLAYOFFS SPECIAL COVERAGE – WORLD SERIES GAME 5
Win or lose, the New York Yankees knew they would be going back north to the Bronx after Game 5 of the World Series. Now the Phillies will be joining them.
Cliff Lee won his second game of the series, Chase Utley hit two more home runs to tie Reggie Jackson’s record for most dingers in one World Series and the Phillies sent the series back to New York with an 8-6 win over the Yankees in Game 5 in Philadelphia Monday night.
Trailing 1-0, Philadelphia took the lead for good in the bottom of the first against Yankees starter A.J. Burnett. Jimmy Rollins led off with a single to center, Burnett hit Shane Victorino on his right hand against his bat with a pitch and Utley homered to right on the first pitch he saw for a 3-1 lead.
The Phillies plated three more runs in the third. Jayson Werth singled to center to score Utley, who had walked and stole second. Raul Ibanez’s single to right then scored Ryan Howard, who had walked, to chase Burnett.
Carlos Ruiz’s one-out fielder’s choice scored Ibanez for a 6-1 advantage.
The Yankees dented their deficit in the fifth, when pinch-hitter Eric Hinske drew a walk and scored on Johnny Damon’s one-out grounder.
However, the Phillies used two more seventh-inning long balls to open up a six-run lead. Utley led off with a jack to right, and Ibanez homered with two down off the right-field upper deck for an 8-2 advantage.
New York made it interesting with four runs over their final two at-bats. Damon led off the eighth with an infield single, Mark Teixeira doubled to left and Alex Rodriguez’s double to left-center knocked in two runs to chase Lee. Robinson Cano lifted a sacrifice fly to center to plate Rodriguez, cutting the Yankees’ deficit to 8-5.
Reliever Ryan Madson came on out of the Philadelphia bullpen in a ninth-inning save situation, one night after closer Brad Lidge took the loss in Game 4. New York’s Jorge Posada greeted Madson with a leadoff double to right and scored on Derek Jeter’s double-play.
Damon then singled to center and took second on defensive indifference, but Madson struck out Teixeira swinging to end the game.
New York scored the game’s first run in the top of the ninth. Damon singled to center with one out and scored on Rodriguez’s two-out double to right.
Lee (2-0) scattered five runs on seven hits over seven innings, with three walks and three punchouts. Madson earned the save in relief.
Utley went 2-for-3, with four RBI. He hit his fifth homer of the series, matching Yankee legend Jackson’s output in the 1977 series against the Dodgers. Rollins and Ibanez were each 2-for-4.
Burnett (1-1), working on three days’ rest, lasted two innings, allowing six runs on four hits with four walks and two strikeouts.
Damon went 3-for-4, while Rodriguez was 2-for-4 with three RBI. He set the record for most RBI in a single postseason in team history with 18, breaking his tie with Bernie Williams and Scott Brosius.
Philadelphia will send Game 2 starter Pedro Martinez back to the mound in Yankee Stadium Wednesday night for Game 6. The Yankees are expected to counter with Andy Pettitte, also on short rest.
NOTES: Victorino underwent X-rays on his hand during the game. They were negative … The last team to come back from a 3-1 deficit to win the World Series was Kansas City in 1985 … Lee is 4-1 against the Yankees in the past two seasons … Burnett lost for the first time in his career in five appearances on short rest … This marked the first time in World Series history both starting pitchers have been from Arkansas … The Yankees’ Melky Cabrera was deactivated after slightly straining his left hamstring in Game 4. Infielder Ramiro Pena, who has not played since the regular-season finale Oct. 4, took his place on the roster … Brett Gardner made his first career playoff start for New York.
BOX SCORE
Video credit – FOX
Win or lose, the New York Yankees knew they would be going back north to the Bronx after Game 5 of the World Series. Now the Phillies will be joining them.
Cliff Lee won his second game of the series, Chase Utley hit two more home runs to tie Reggie Jackson’s record for most dingers in one World Series and the Phillies sent the series back to New York with an 8-6 win over the Yankees in Game 5 in Philadelphia Monday night.
Trailing 1-0, Philadelphia took the lead for good in the bottom of the first against Yankees starter A.J. Burnett. Jimmy Rollins led off with a single to center, Burnett hit Shane Victorino on his right hand against his bat with a pitch and Utley homered to right on the first pitch he saw for a 3-1 lead.
The Phillies plated three more runs in the third. Jayson Werth singled to center to score Utley, who had walked and stole second. Raul Ibanez’s single to right then scored Ryan Howard, who had walked, to chase Burnett.
Carlos Ruiz’s one-out fielder’s choice scored Ibanez for a 6-1 advantage.
The Yankees dented their deficit in the fifth, when pinch-hitter Eric Hinske drew a walk and scored on Johnny Damon’s one-out grounder.
However, the Phillies used two more seventh-inning long balls to open up a six-run lead. Utley led off with a jack to right, and Ibanez homered with two down off the right-field upper deck for an 8-2 advantage.
New York made it interesting with four runs over their final two at-bats. Damon led off the eighth with an infield single, Mark Teixeira doubled to left and Alex Rodriguez’s double to left-center knocked in two runs to chase Lee. Robinson Cano lifted a sacrifice fly to center to plate Rodriguez, cutting the Yankees’ deficit to 8-5.
Reliever Ryan Madson came on out of the Philadelphia bullpen in a ninth-inning save situation, one night after closer Brad Lidge took the loss in Game 4. New York’s Jorge Posada greeted Madson with a leadoff double to right and scored on Derek Jeter’s double-play.
Damon then singled to center and took second on defensive indifference, but Madson struck out Teixeira swinging to end the game.
New York scored the game’s first run in the top of the ninth. Damon singled to center with one out and scored on Rodriguez’s two-out double to right.
Lee (2-0) scattered five runs on seven hits over seven innings, with three walks and three punchouts. Madson earned the save in relief.
Utley went 2-for-3, with four RBI. He hit his fifth homer of the series, matching Yankee legend Jackson’s output in the 1977 series against the Dodgers. Rollins and Ibanez were each 2-for-4.
Burnett (1-1), working on three days’ rest, lasted two innings, allowing six runs on four hits with four walks and two strikeouts.
Damon went 3-for-4, while Rodriguez was 2-for-4 with three RBI. He set the record for most RBI in a single postseason in team history with 18, breaking his tie with Bernie Williams and Scott Brosius.
Philadelphia will send Game 2 starter Pedro Martinez back to the mound in Yankee Stadium Wednesday night for Game 6. The Yankees are expected to counter with Andy Pettitte, also on short rest.
NOTES: Victorino underwent X-rays on his hand during the game. They were negative … The last team to come back from a 3-1 deficit to win the World Series was Kansas City in 1985 … Lee is 4-1 against the Yankees in the past two seasons … Burnett lost for the first time in his career in five appearances on short rest … This marked the first time in World Series history both starting pitchers have been from Arkansas … The Yankees’ Melky Cabrera was deactivated after slightly straining his left hamstring in Game 4. Infielder Ramiro Pena, who has not played since the regular-season finale Oct. 4, took his place on the roster … Brett Gardner made his first career playoff start for New York.
BOX SCORE
Video credit – FOX
Monday, November 2, 2009
A-Rod, Posada rock Lidge, push Phils to brink, 7-4
2009 MLB PLAYOFFS SPECIAL COVERAGE – WORLD SERIES GAME 4
The Brad Lidge of the regular season has finally shown up.
New York’s Alex Rodriguez and Jorge Posada combined to knock in three runs off the Phillies’ closer to break a ninth-inning tie as the Yankees are one win from a World Series victory after a 7-4 win in Philadelphia Sunday night.
With the score tied at 4 in the top of the ninth and Lidge on out of the Philadelphia bullpen, New York put together a two-out rally. Johnny Damon singled to left, stole second base and took third after he found no one covering the bag. Lidge then hit Mark Teixeira with a pitch to bring up Rodriguez.
Rodriguez then doubled to left field to score Damon, and Posada knocked in Teixeira and Rodriguez with a single to left-center before being thrown out at second to end the inning.
Closer Mariano Rivera then earned his second save of the series, setting down pinch-hitter Matt Stairs, Jimmy Rollins and Shane Victorino 1-2-3 to end it.
The Yankees took the lead in the first inning against Phillies starter Joe Blanton. Derek Jeter reached on a leadoff infield single, Damon doubled to right and Teixeira’s groundout scored Jeter.
Posada then lifted a sacrifice fly to plate Damon for a 2-0 edge.
The Phillies cut their deficit in half in the bottom of the inning. Victorino doubled to center with one out off New York’s C.C. Sabathia and scored on Chase Utley’s double to right.
Philadelphia then evened the count in the fourth. Ryan Howard led off with a single to center and stole second before Pedro Feliz knocked him in with a two-out single to left.
The Yankees got to Blanton for two more runs in the fifth. Nick Swisher drew a leadoff walk and Melky Cabrera reached on an infield single before Jeter and Damon hit back-to-back RBI singles for a 4-2 edge.
Philadelphia hit two solo homers to tie the game. Utley hit a seventh-inning two-out homer to right, and Pedro Feliz took reliever Joba Chamberlain deep with two down in the eighth.
Damon went 3-for-5 for the Yankees. Jeter was 2-for-4, and Posada knocked in three runs.
Sabathia, working on three days’ rest, worked 6 2-3 innings, allowing three runs on seven hits, with three walks and six strikeouts. Chamberlain (1-0) got the win despite allowing the game-tying home run. He struck out three batters.
Blanton pitched six frames, allowing four runs on five hits with two walks and seven punchouts. Chan Ho Park and Ryan Madson each worked scoreless innings before Lidge (0-1) came on.
Feliz went 3-for-4 with two RBI. Utley was 2-for-4, knocking in two.
A.J. Burnett, the Game 2 winner, will try to give the Yankees their 27th championship Monday night. Cliff Lee, who pitched a complete-game victory in Game 1, will try to keep the Phillies alive for one more game.
NOTES: Rivera has never blown a lead of three runs or more in postseason play … Utley’s home run off Sabathia was his third off the Yankee ace in this series … Lidge blew 11 saves in the regular season this year but was a perfect 3-for-3 in save opportunities in the playoffs.
BOX SCORE
Video credit – FOX
The Brad Lidge of the regular season has finally shown up.
New York’s Alex Rodriguez and Jorge Posada combined to knock in three runs off the Phillies’ closer to break a ninth-inning tie as the Yankees are one win from a World Series victory after a 7-4 win in Philadelphia Sunday night.
With the score tied at 4 in the top of the ninth and Lidge on out of the Philadelphia bullpen, New York put together a two-out rally. Johnny Damon singled to left, stole second base and took third after he found no one covering the bag. Lidge then hit Mark Teixeira with a pitch to bring up Rodriguez.
Rodriguez then doubled to left field to score Damon, and Posada knocked in Teixeira and Rodriguez with a single to left-center before being thrown out at second to end the inning.
Closer Mariano Rivera then earned his second save of the series, setting down pinch-hitter Matt Stairs, Jimmy Rollins and Shane Victorino 1-2-3 to end it.
The Yankees took the lead in the first inning against Phillies starter Joe Blanton. Derek Jeter reached on a leadoff infield single, Damon doubled to right and Teixeira’s groundout scored Jeter.
Posada then lifted a sacrifice fly to plate Damon for a 2-0 edge.
The Phillies cut their deficit in half in the bottom of the inning. Victorino doubled to center with one out off New York’s C.C. Sabathia and scored on Chase Utley’s double to right.
Philadelphia then evened the count in the fourth. Ryan Howard led off with a single to center and stole second before Pedro Feliz knocked him in with a two-out single to left.
The Yankees got to Blanton for two more runs in the fifth. Nick Swisher drew a leadoff walk and Melky Cabrera reached on an infield single before Jeter and Damon hit back-to-back RBI singles for a 4-2 edge.
Philadelphia hit two solo homers to tie the game. Utley hit a seventh-inning two-out homer to right, and Pedro Feliz took reliever Joba Chamberlain deep with two down in the eighth.
Damon went 3-for-5 for the Yankees. Jeter was 2-for-4, and Posada knocked in three runs.
Sabathia, working on three days’ rest, worked 6 2-3 innings, allowing three runs on seven hits, with three walks and six strikeouts. Chamberlain (1-0) got the win despite allowing the game-tying home run. He struck out three batters.
Blanton pitched six frames, allowing four runs on five hits with two walks and seven punchouts. Chan Ho Park and Ryan Madson each worked scoreless innings before Lidge (0-1) came on.
Feliz went 3-for-4 with two RBI. Utley was 2-for-4, knocking in two.
A.J. Burnett, the Game 2 winner, will try to give the Yankees their 27th championship Monday night. Cliff Lee, who pitched a complete-game victory in Game 1, will try to keep the Phillies alive for one more game.
NOTES: Rivera has never blown a lead of three runs or more in postseason play … Utley’s home run off Sabathia was his third off the Yankee ace in this series … Lidge blew 11 saves in the regular season this year but was a perfect 3-for-3 in save opportunities in the playoffs.
BOX SCORE
Video credit – FOX
Sunday, November 1, 2009
ZSN College Football Week 10 Top 25 Rankings
School (Record)/Next game (Nov. 7 unless otherwise noted)/Why?
1. Florida (8-0)/Vanderbilt/Dominated rival Georgia for second straight season and looked like No. 1 in doing so.
2. Texas (8-0)/Central Florida/Very good road conference win at Oklahoma State.
3. Alabama (8-0)/LSU/Off this past week.
4. Texas Christian (8-0)/at San Diego State/Took care of business against UNLV.
5. Boise State (8-0)/at Louisiana Tech (Nov. 6)/Beat a (conference) pushover handily.
6. Oregon (6-1)/at Stanford/Big conference win over USC keeps Ducks in the driver’s seat to the Rose Bowl.
7. Cincinnati (8-0)/Connecticut/Again without Tony Pike, took care of business at Syracuse.
8. Iowa (9-0)/Northwestern/Hawkeyes have a nagging habit of playing awful football against lower-caliber competition – they were dreadful for three quarters against Indiana – but keep finding ways to win.
9. Penn State (8-1)/Ohio State/Turned it on in second half to knock off Northwestern.
10. LSU (7-1)/at Alabama/Took care of business to dispatch Tulane. Big game this week against Alabama.
11. Georgia Tech (8-1)/Wake Forest/Outscored Vanderbilt for nonconference win.
12. Southern California (6-2)/at Arizona State/Trojans were dominated at Oregon.
13. Ohio State (7-2)/at Penn State/Beat a pushover handily.
14. Miami (Fla.) (6-2)/Virginia/One-point escape at Wake Forest.
15. Utah (7-1)/New Mexico/Didn’t play particularly well but had enough to come back over Wyoming.
16. Houston (7-1)/at Tulsa/Won shootout over Southern Miss.
17. Virginia Tech (5-3)/at East Carolina (Nov. 5)/Hokies lost on the last play to a good North Carolina team. Second straight rough conference loss, all but out of the conference title and BCS picture at this stage.
18. Pittsburgh (7-1)/Syracuse/Off this past week.
19. Oklahoma State (6-2)/at Iowa State/OSU looking like the same old Cowboys – pretty good but not in the Big 12’s upper echelon after rough loss to Texas.
20. Notre Dame (6-2)/Navy/Dispatched Washington State in a neutral-site tilt.
21. Oklahoma (5-3)/at Nebraska/Didn’t look spectacular overall but got the win over K-State.
22. Wisconsin (6-2)/at Indiana/First appearance in rankings after dominating Purdue.
23. South Florida (6-2)/at Rutgers (Nov. 12)/Back in rankings after taking care of West Virginia.
24. Brigham Young (6-2)/at Wyoming/Off this past week.
25. Texas Tech (6-3)/at Oklahoma State (Nov. 14)/Back in rankings after dominating Kansas.
Dropped out/Why?
Mississippi. You can only get dominated so many times before you fall out of the rankings.
South Carolina. Rough loss at Tennessee, offense not looking so hot.
West Virginia. One week after re-entering rankings, Mountaineers drop back out with loss at South Florida.
1. Florida (8-0)/Vanderbilt/Dominated rival Georgia for second straight season and looked like No. 1 in doing so.
2. Texas (8-0)/Central Florida/Very good road conference win at Oklahoma State.
3. Alabama (8-0)/LSU/Off this past week.
4. Texas Christian (8-0)/at San Diego State/Took care of business against UNLV.
5. Boise State (8-0)/at Louisiana Tech (Nov. 6)/Beat a (conference) pushover handily.
6. Oregon (6-1)/at Stanford/Big conference win over USC keeps Ducks in the driver’s seat to the Rose Bowl.
7. Cincinnati (8-0)/Connecticut/Again without Tony Pike, took care of business at Syracuse.
8. Iowa (9-0)/Northwestern/Hawkeyes have a nagging habit of playing awful football against lower-caliber competition – they were dreadful for three quarters against Indiana – but keep finding ways to win.
9. Penn State (8-1)/Ohio State/Turned it on in second half to knock off Northwestern.
10. LSU (7-1)/at Alabama/Took care of business to dispatch Tulane. Big game this week against Alabama.
11. Georgia Tech (8-1)/Wake Forest/Outscored Vanderbilt for nonconference win.
12. Southern California (6-2)/at Arizona State/Trojans were dominated at Oregon.
13. Ohio State (7-2)/at Penn State/Beat a pushover handily.
14. Miami (Fla.) (6-2)/Virginia/One-point escape at Wake Forest.
15. Utah (7-1)/New Mexico/Didn’t play particularly well but had enough to come back over Wyoming.
16. Houston (7-1)/at Tulsa/Won shootout over Southern Miss.
17. Virginia Tech (5-3)/at East Carolina (Nov. 5)/Hokies lost on the last play to a good North Carolina team. Second straight rough conference loss, all but out of the conference title and BCS picture at this stage.
18. Pittsburgh (7-1)/Syracuse/Off this past week.
19. Oklahoma State (6-2)/at Iowa State/OSU looking like the same old Cowboys – pretty good but not in the Big 12’s upper echelon after rough loss to Texas.
20. Notre Dame (6-2)/Navy/Dispatched Washington State in a neutral-site tilt.
21. Oklahoma (5-3)/at Nebraska/Didn’t look spectacular overall but got the win over K-State.
22. Wisconsin (6-2)/at Indiana/First appearance in rankings after dominating Purdue.
23. South Florida (6-2)/at Rutgers (Nov. 12)/Back in rankings after taking care of West Virginia.
24. Brigham Young (6-2)/at Wyoming/Off this past week.
25. Texas Tech (6-3)/at Oklahoma State (Nov. 14)/Back in rankings after dominating Kansas.
Dropped out/Why?
Mississippi. You can only get dominated so many times before you fall out of the rankings.
South Carolina. Rough loss at Tennessee, offense not looking so hot.
West Virginia. One week after re-entering rankings, Mountaineers drop back out with loss at South Florida.
Rodriguez, Swisher, New York out-slug Phillies, 8-5
2009 MLB PLAYOFFS SPECIAL COVERAGE – WORLD SERIES GAME 3
Playing in just the second-ever World Series game on Halloween, slumping Yankees Alex Rodriguez and Nick Swisher showed up dressed as their old reliable selves.
Rodriguez, Swisher and Hideki Matsui each hit home runs as New York came back from a three-run deficit to beat the Phillies 8-5 in Philadelphia Saturday night and take a 2-1 lead in the World Series.
Andy Pettitte got the win for the Yankees, extending his MLB record for most career postseason wins to 17. Forced to bat since the game was played in Philadelphia’s NL park, he also chipped in an RBI single and scored a run.
Trailing 3-0 in the top of the fourth inning, New York cut a chunk out of its deficit. Mark Teixeira drew a one-out walk from Phillies starter Cole Hamels before Rodriguez lifted a shot to right off a camera. Originally the umpires, who have been nothing short of beleaguered all postseason, ruled the ball remained in play, but after review, the play was overturned and ruled a homer.
The Yankees then took the lead for good in the fifth. Nick Swisher led off with a double into the left-field corner and Pettitte blooped a one-out single to left-center to score him and tie the game.
Derek Jeter followed with a single to center ahead of Johnny Damon, who drove in Pettitte and Jeter, who almost ran up the jogging, jacket-clad pitcher’s back, to make the score 5-3 and chase Hamels.
Swisher, who was slumping so badly he was benched in Game 2, hit a sixth-inning one-out bomb to left-center to give New York a 6-3 lead.
The Phillies finally found some more offense in the bottom of the sixth. Jayson Werth hit his second home run of the night off Pettitte, this one off the upper deck in left, to lead off the inning.
New York scored two more runs to effectively salt the game away. Damon drew a one-out walk in the seventh, stole second base and scored on Jorge Posada’s two-out single to left.
Then, in the eighth inning, pinch-hitter Matsui, usually the Yankee DH but forced to sit as Pettitte took his hacks, hit his second homer of the series, this one a two-out shot to left, to give New York an 8-4 edge.
Philadelphia scored once more in the ninth, on Carlos Ruiz’s one-out homer to center. However, Yankees closer Mariano Rivera came on and promptly retired pinch-hitter Matt Stairs and Jimmy Rollins to end the game.
The Phillies jumped on Pettitte in the second, scoring the game’s first three runs. Werth led off with a jack to left. Pedro Feliz doubled with one out off the right-field wall, Ruiz walked and Hamels dropped a perfect bunt toward third base that resulted in a single to load the bases. Pettitte then walked Rollins to force in Feliz.
Shane Victorino’s sacrifice fly to left then scored Ruiz to give the Phillies a 3-0 advantage.
Swisher went 2-for-4 to lead the New York offense. Damon and Rodriguez each knocked in two runs.
Pettitte (1-0), pitching in his eighth World Series and seventh as a Yankee, allowed four runs on five hits over six innings. He walked three batters and struck out seven.
Hamels (0-1), the 2008 World Series MVP, continued his 2009 playoff struggles, yielding five runs on five hits over 4 1-3 frames. He walked two batters and recorded three strikeouts.
Werth was 2-for-4 with two RBI for the Phillies. Ryan Howard struck out three times, one game after striking out four times.
New York’s C.C. Sabathia, who took the loss in Game 1, is slated to pitch Game 4 Sunday night. Joe Blanton is scheduled to work for Philadelphia.
NOTES: The game began at about 9:15 ET after a rain delay of 1 hour and 20 minutes … The first World Series game played on Halloween was Game 4 in 2001, when the playoffs were pushed back because of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. New York’s Jeter famously won that game against Arizona with a walk-off homer in the 10th inning … Rodriguez was 0-for-8 for the series with six strikeouts coming in … Philadelphia's Chase Utley saw his MLB record of reaching base in 27 straight postseason games come to an end, going 0-for-4 ... Nine of the last 10 teams to win Game 3 of the World Series when it was tied 1-1 have gone on to take the championship.
BOX SCORE
Video credit – FOX
Playing in just the second-ever World Series game on Halloween, slumping Yankees Alex Rodriguez and Nick Swisher showed up dressed as their old reliable selves.
Rodriguez, Swisher and Hideki Matsui each hit home runs as New York came back from a three-run deficit to beat the Phillies 8-5 in Philadelphia Saturday night and take a 2-1 lead in the World Series.
Andy Pettitte got the win for the Yankees, extending his MLB record for most career postseason wins to 17. Forced to bat since the game was played in Philadelphia’s NL park, he also chipped in an RBI single and scored a run.
Trailing 3-0 in the top of the fourth inning, New York cut a chunk out of its deficit. Mark Teixeira drew a one-out walk from Phillies starter Cole Hamels before Rodriguez lifted a shot to right off a camera. Originally the umpires, who have been nothing short of beleaguered all postseason, ruled the ball remained in play, but after review, the play was overturned and ruled a homer.
The Yankees then took the lead for good in the fifth. Nick Swisher led off with a double into the left-field corner and Pettitte blooped a one-out single to left-center to score him and tie the game.
Derek Jeter followed with a single to center ahead of Johnny Damon, who drove in Pettitte and Jeter, who almost ran up the jogging, jacket-clad pitcher’s back, to make the score 5-3 and chase Hamels.
Swisher, who was slumping so badly he was benched in Game 2, hit a sixth-inning one-out bomb to left-center to give New York a 6-3 lead.
The Phillies finally found some more offense in the bottom of the sixth. Jayson Werth hit his second home run of the night off Pettitte, this one off the upper deck in left, to lead off the inning.
New York scored two more runs to effectively salt the game away. Damon drew a one-out walk in the seventh, stole second base and scored on Jorge Posada’s two-out single to left.
Then, in the eighth inning, pinch-hitter Matsui, usually the Yankee DH but forced to sit as Pettitte took his hacks, hit his second homer of the series, this one a two-out shot to left, to give New York an 8-4 edge.
Philadelphia scored once more in the ninth, on Carlos Ruiz’s one-out homer to center. However, Yankees closer Mariano Rivera came on and promptly retired pinch-hitter Matt Stairs and Jimmy Rollins to end the game.
The Phillies jumped on Pettitte in the second, scoring the game’s first three runs. Werth led off with a jack to left. Pedro Feliz doubled with one out off the right-field wall, Ruiz walked and Hamels dropped a perfect bunt toward third base that resulted in a single to load the bases. Pettitte then walked Rollins to force in Feliz.
Shane Victorino’s sacrifice fly to left then scored Ruiz to give the Phillies a 3-0 advantage.
Swisher went 2-for-4 to lead the New York offense. Damon and Rodriguez each knocked in two runs.
Pettitte (1-0), pitching in his eighth World Series and seventh as a Yankee, allowed four runs on five hits over six innings. He walked three batters and struck out seven.
Hamels (0-1), the 2008 World Series MVP, continued his 2009 playoff struggles, yielding five runs on five hits over 4 1-3 frames. He walked two batters and recorded three strikeouts.
Werth was 2-for-4 with two RBI for the Phillies. Ryan Howard struck out three times, one game after striking out four times.
New York’s C.C. Sabathia, who took the loss in Game 1, is slated to pitch Game 4 Sunday night. Joe Blanton is scheduled to work for Philadelphia.
NOTES: The game began at about 9:15 ET after a rain delay of 1 hour and 20 minutes … The first World Series game played on Halloween was Game 4 in 2001, when the playoffs were pushed back because of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. New York’s Jeter famously won that game against Arizona with a walk-off homer in the 10th inning … Rodriguez was 0-for-8 for the series with six strikeouts coming in … Philadelphia's Chase Utley saw his MLB record of reaching base in 27 straight postseason games come to an end, going 0-for-4 ... Nine of the last 10 teams to win Game 3 of the World Series when it was tied 1-1 have gone on to take the championship.
BOX SCORE
Video credit – FOX
Friday, October 30, 2009
MLB: It’s time to expand instant replay
NEWS ANALYSIS
Dear Bud Selig: The alarm’s going off. Time to wake up.
We get it. You’re standing behind your umpires. That’s admirable, especially in our culture, where such loyalty is rare.
And yes, these men are far and away the best in the world at what they do. Despite all the perks of their job, they certainly have an unenviable task – making decisions governed by millimeters and instants that have a direct effect on many people’s hearts and spirits … not to mention pocketbooks.
But they’re human. They’re destined to make mistakes. So why not give them a little more assistance?
Baseball, as usual, is lagging far behind the other three major American team sports in terms of technology. The NFL, NBA and NHL have already long since instituted widespread use of instant replay. Even college sports use it … even tennis uses it, for goodness’ sake.
Bud, you don’t want to take the human element out of the game. That’s understandable. The NFL doesn’t permit the use of instant replay to change rulings on judgment calls. That makes sense. So don’t use it on ball/strike calls. You’d have to review way too many pitches to make everyone happy.
Use it on objective calls, though. Either the man beat the throw to second base, or he didn’t. The ball was either fair, or it curved just outside the line. The tag at home either brushed the runner’s back, or the catcher’s mitt found nothing but air.
You don’t want to do that silly thing the NFL does with coaches throwing little red flags onto the field to challenge a call. That makes sense to us, too. We don’t like that, either. So have another umpire, or replay assistant, or whatever you want to call him, in the press box. Give him a direct line to the home-plate umpire. Or the crew chief, or all of the umpires. Doesn’t matter.
Let the man in the booth tell the men in blue if something needs to be fixed. Yeah, you might have to move a runner back a base every so often. But that’s a much less harrowing concept than giving a man a hit if the ball was, in fact, caught.
The very best baseball umpires in the world – the men working the postseason – have blown call after call in October. Hey, it happens. Here’s a rough working list:
Game 1 of the ALDS between Boston and the L.A. Angels. First-base umpire C.B. Bucknor twice ruled Los Angeles’ Howie Kendrick safe at first, when in fact he was out both times.
Game 2 of the Yankees-Minnesota ALDS. Left-field umpire Phil Cuzzi ruled the Twins’ Joe Mauer’s drive down the line foul, though it was fair by about a foot.
Game 3 of the Phillies’ NLDS matchup with Colorado. Philadelphia’s Chase Utley topped a pitch off his leg and back into the field of play. Problem is, it hit his leg while he was still in the batter’s box, meaning it should have been ruled a foul ball. Home-plate umpire Jerry Meals, however, didn’t stop the play. Then, Rockies pitcher Huston Street threw high to first baseman Todd Helton, who appeared to drag a toe across the base after snagging the ball, but first-base umpire Ron Kulpa ruled Helton didn’t make it back to the bag.
Game 4 of the Yankees-Angels ALCS. Los Angeles starter Scott Kazmir picked New York’s Nick Swisher off second base, but second-base umpire Dale Scott said Swisher got back safely. Later in the same inning, one of the very best umpires in the business – Tim McClelland, working third base – ruled Swisher tagged and left third too early on a flyout, calling him out. McClelland later completely botched a call at third when Angels catcher Mike Napoli ran up the line and tagged out both Robinson Cano and Jorge Posada, though McClelland ruled Cano safe.
Then, in ALCS Game 5, it happened again. New York’s Johnny Damon appeared to beat out a grounder to first, but first-base umpire Scott ruled him out.
Then, on the game’s biggest stage, it happened again last night – twice – in Game 2 of the World Series. First-base umpire Brian Gorman ruled Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard caught Damon’s low liner in the air. Replays showed the ball reached Howard’s glove on one hop, but Gorman called Damon out as well as Posada, who had run to second on the play.
Later, Utley was called out at first – again by Gorman – though replay showed he beat the throw.
What’s the common denominator among several of these calls? They’re tough to make when you only see them once, at full speed, and from only one angle. This is where being able to slow down the action and use multiple viewpoints would help.
Thankfully, none of these calls have greatly impacted the outcome of any games. So, the great philosopher Conventional Wisdom says, it’s only a matter of time.
You say it’s about the fans? Well, do them a favor. Get the calls right. As many of them as possible.
The alarm’s still going, Bud. Do you hear it? It won’t go away until you fix it. It’ll just keep getting louder and louder and more annoying and more noticeable.
Dear Bud Selig: The alarm’s going off. Time to wake up.
We get it. You’re standing behind your umpires. That’s admirable, especially in our culture, where such loyalty is rare.
And yes, these men are far and away the best in the world at what they do. Despite all the perks of their job, they certainly have an unenviable task – making decisions governed by millimeters and instants that have a direct effect on many people’s hearts and spirits … not to mention pocketbooks.
But they’re human. They’re destined to make mistakes. So why not give them a little more assistance?
Baseball, as usual, is lagging far behind the other three major American team sports in terms of technology. The NFL, NBA and NHL have already long since instituted widespread use of instant replay. Even college sports use it … even tennis uses it, for goodness’ sake.
Bud, you don’t want to take the human element out of the game. That’s understandable. The NFL doesn’t permit the use of instant replay to change rulings on judgment calls. That makes sense. So don’t use it on ball/strike calls. You’d have to review way too many pitches to make everyone happy.
Use it on objective calls, though. Either the man beat the throw to second base, or he didn’t. The ball was either fair, or it curved just outside the line. The tag at home either brushed the runner’s back, or the catcher’s mitt found nothing but air.
You don’t want to do that silly thing the NFL does with coaches throwing little red flags onto the field to challenge a call. That makes sense to us, too. We don’t like that, either. So have another umpire, or replay assistant, or whatever you want to call him, in the press box. Give him a direct line to the home-plate umpire. Or the crew chief, or all of the umpires. Doesn’t matter.
Let the man in the booth tell the men in blue if something needs to be fixed. Yeah, you might have to move a runner back a base every so often. But that’s a much less harrowing concept than giving a man a hit if the ball was, in fact, caught.
The very best baseball umpires in the world – the men working the postseason – have blown call after call in October. Hey, it happens. Here’s a rough working list:
Game 1 of the ALDS between Boston and the L.A. Angels. First-base umpire C.B. Bucknor twice ruled Los Angeles’ Howie Kendrick safe at first, when in fact he was out both times.
Game 2 of the Yankees-Minnesota ALDS. Left-field umpire Phil Cuzzi ruled the Twins’ Joe Mauer’s drive down the line foul, though it was fair by about a foot.
Game 3 of the Phillies’ NLDS matchup with Colorado. Philadelphia’s Chase Utley topped a pitch off his leg and back into the field of play. Problem is, it hit his leg while he was still in the batter’s box, meaning it should have been ruled a foul ball. Home-plate umpire Jerry Meals, however, didn’t stop the play. Then, Rockies pitcher Huston Street threw high to first baseman Todd Helton, who appeared to drag a toe across the base after snagging the ball, but first-base umpire Ron Kulpa ruled Helton didn’t make it back to the bag.
Game 4 of the Yankees-Angels ALCS. Los Angeles starter Scott Kazmir picked New York’s Nick Swisher off second base, but second-base umpire Dale Scott said Swisher got back safely. Later in the same inning, one of the very best umpires in the business – Tim McClelland, working third base – ruled Swisher tagged and left third too early on a flyout, calling him out. McClelland later completely botched a call at third when Angels catcher Mike Napoli ran up the line and tagged out both Robinson Cano and Jorge Posada, though McClelland ruled Cano safe.
Then, in ALCS Game 5, it happened again. New York’s Johnny Damon appeared to beat out a grounder to first, but first-base umpire Scott ruled him out.
Then, on the game’s biggest stage, it happened again last night – twice – in Game 2 of the World Series. First-base umpire Brian Gorman ruled Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard caught Damon’s low liner in the air. Replays showed the ball reached Howard’s glove on one hop, but Gorman called Damon out as well as Posada, who had run to second on the play.
Later, Utley was called out at first – again by Gorman – though replay showed he beat the throw.
What’s the common denominator among several of these calls? They’re tough to make when you only see them once, at full speed, and from only one angle. This is where being able to slow down the action and use multiple viewpoints would help.
Thankfully, none of these calls have greatly impacted the outcome of any games. So, the great philosopher Conventional Wisdom says, it’s only a matter of time.
You say it’s about the fans? Well, do them a favor. Get the calls right. As many of them as possible.
The alarm’s still going, Bud. Do you hear it? It won’t go away until you fix it. It’ll just keep getting louder and louder and more annoying and more noticeable.
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