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Clemson vs. Alabama 24-point fourth quarter gives

vallieklein — Wed, 31 Aug 2022 04:43:42 +0000

Alabama and Clemson were knotted at 24 with 10:34 remaining in the game, and up to that point, we thought we had a great game.Then 40more points were scored.MORE: | | And after all of the Sean Rodriguez Jersey highlight-worthy plays, the Crimson Tide put on a magical fourth-quarter performance to beat the Tigers, 45-40, in the national title game Monday night.Alabama used trickeration to complete an onside kick and Kenyan Drake took a kickoff 95 yards for a touchdown. O.J. Howard converted a crucial third down late in the game that led to Derrick Henry's touchdown that all but sealed the win. Jake Coker looked like more than a game manager, flinging a prayer to ArDarius Stewart that set up a field goaland breaking some ankles on his way to the first-down marker.The Tide are on top for the fourth time in seven years.Relive the fantastic game:12:32 We'll leave you with this beautiful image: Nick Saban smiling.12:17 The onside kick goes out of bounds. Victory formation for the Tide. ALABAMA WINS, 45-40.12:15 There's still hope for Clemson. Deshaun Watson hits Jordan Leggett for a 24-yard touchdown and makes it a 45-40 game. If this score stands, there will be a lot of angry bettors ( ).12:08 After review, Derrick Henry's touchdown stands. A good second effort by the Heisman winner, and that about seals it for the Tide.Alabama takes a 45-33 lead with just over a minute remaining.12:01 What a killer play call. O.J. Howard escapes the Clemson defense again and goes 63 yards. Cover. This. Man. Fun fact: Howardhad 260 yards all of last season (2014) and has 208 tonight.11:55 Clemson ain't dead. The Tigersmarch down the field and get a touchdown, but Deshaun Watson can't quite reach the end zone for the two-point conversion. Alabama's lead is down to five, 38-33. Let's see what Clemson's defense is made of.11:52 The pylon Barry Bonds Jersey cam is pretty cool, guys.Pylon Cam - Drake in your face The Cauldron (@TheCauldron) 11:47 There's that SEC speed.After Kenyan Drake shimmied out of a tackle, there was no way anybody was catching him. Big-time special teams play right there. Alabama leads 38-27.95 yard touchdown kickoff return by Kenyan Drake!! MarcusD (@_MarcusD_) 11:43 The Tigers recover quickly but can only manage a field goal. The Tide lead, 31-27.11:36 Alabama wastes notime. O.J. Howard was wide open...AGAIN!Alabama TD College Football Playoff National Championship: Alabama vs. Clemson ESPN ClippitUsers Sports (@FanSportsClips) 11:33 TRICKERATION! Alabama executes a perfect onside kick and the Tide get the ball on the 50.11:29 How ArDarius Stewartmade that catch, we'll never know. Jake Coker's 38-yard pa s sets up a 33-yard field goal to tie the game at 24. We've got a good one, folks.11:13 Clemson is 51-0 when leading heading into the fourth quarter. Can they make it 52? Josh Harrison Jersey We'll find out in 15 minutes!11:01 Wayne Gallman brought his own guts,goes head on into Alabama's defense and gets into the end zone. Touchdown, Clemson. Tigers up, 24-21.10:58 This is what you look like when Deshaun Watson scrambles for a first down.SABAN MAD Kyle Fredrickson (@kylefredrickson) 10:42 Another beautiful throw by Deshaun Watson, but this one falls incomplete. Clemson settles for a 37-yard field goal and the lead is cut to four. 21-17, Alabama.10:35 Now might be a great time to remind you that with a hamstring injury. Clemson really needed its star CB on that last play.10:32 Coverage. Blown. O.J. Howard was wiiiiiiide open. Tide lead, 21-14.Wow someone fell asleep there. Jasmine Watkins (@JasmineLWatkins) 10:26 Remember when I said the refs were good? Oops. They definitely botched stopping the clock at the end of the half.The clock briefly stopped, but Clemson definitely lost a few seconds and could have run another play. Dr. Saturday (@YahooDrSaturday) 10:23 So, about that Hunter Renfrow guy who caught two touchdowns in the first half...Well, he's a walk-on and Clemson's backup punter. . I bet he has another big catch or two in the second half.10:04 HALFTIME: Clemson 14, Alabama 14. We've got a fun second half ahead.10:03 After some questionable clock non-stoppage, Clemson tries a 44-yard field goal and it fallsshort Dave Parker Jersey . DJ Pettway got a finger on the ball, justenough to knock it off course.9:56 The Tigers' defensive line is eating up Alabama's offensive line. Clemson has four sacks in the first half and is getting lots of pre sure on Jake Coker.9:43 Clemson cornerbackMackensie Alexander is down and holding his lefthamstring, a differenthammy that hadbeeninjured before. He leaves the game, ahuge lo s for the Tigers.9:38 Well done, @nick_pants. Well done. nick pants (@nick_pants) 9:32 Derrick Henry:Wash, rinse, repeat.He punches it in from the one and the game is all tied up at 14.9:24 There's the first mistake of the evening. Eddie Jackson undercuts the receiver and intercepts DeshaunWatson. Just a few inches higher and that's a touchdown, but a turnover is just what Bama needed.9:13 Barely two minutes later, Clemson strikes again. Hunter Renfrow snags another Deshaun Watson pa s for a touchdown. He's ready for his close-up. Tigersup14-7after one quarter.Watson to Renfrow again! Clemson takes 14-7 lead at the end of the 1st quarter. SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) 9:11 Alabama triesa 44-yard field goal and it's wide right. Clemson will take over on its own 27-yard line.9:00 And Clemson answers! Deshaun Watson perfectly places the ball between two defendersand find Hunter Renfrow in the end zone. Whata nice throw. After that 31-yard touchdown pa s, the game is tied at 7.Hunter Renfrow touchdown catch MarcusD (@_MarcusD_) Need another angle?Because I do. That was purty.8:52 What. A. Monster.Derrick Henry breaks a tackle and takes it to the house, andAlabama goes up 7-0 after his 50-yard touchdown run. There's a reason he won the Heisman Trophy.8:37 The refs made a good call, offsides on Clemson. A promising start. These are Pac 12 refs, FWIW.8:33 Clemson wins theto s and defers. Jake Coker and Alabama's offense is up first. Let Lonnie Chisenhall Jersey 's go!8:31 You tell 'em, Dabo! That even got me fired up."This moment. You exhaust this freaking moment.

Steve Spurrier did the unthinkable He quit on his

vallieklein — Wed, 31 Aug 2022 04:43:11 +0000

Steve Spurrier has always been a gambler.Hes the coach who makes the risky call at seemingly the worst po sible time and makes it work. He throws deep on fourth down and scores. He comes up with risky game plans, attacking the very heart and core of the other team and wins.HAYES: | MORE: | Spurrier is college footballs biggest risk-taker and the ultimate gambler. He wins big games and turns once-dormant programs into winners. He took three schools that were down in the dumps when he arrived Duke, Florida and South Carolina and turned them into big winners.He did it by being aggre sive and demanding, pushing his players and coaches to the limit, and by taking chances. He gambled, and Heston Kjerstad Jersey more often than not much more often than not he won.Now hes gambling again with his reputation and his legacy.The one thing Steve Spurrier never did was quit.Until now.He never quit on a game or a team or season, and he never gave up.Until now.In the midst of the worst season of his career, Spurrier did the one thing you never thought Steve Spurrier would ever do.He quit.Quit on his team. Quit on his coaches. Quit on his university. And quit on the fans that have so loyally supported him over the past 11 years.With a 2-4 record and a losing season looming, Tuesday. And he didnt officially retire as expected. He resigned, saying, I think the team needs to hear a new me sage, a new voice, from another coach.Wow.While its understandable that the 70-year-old Spurrier is having a Craig Gentry Jersey hard time dealing with his teams struggles, such a move should raise the eyebrows of every player, coach and fan in college football.While his decision might be understandable and, to some, even admirable, his timing is deplorable.You simply dont quit in the middle of a season, no matter how bad things may seem.It wouldnt have been surprising had Spurrier chosen to retire after last years 7-6 season, and he admits that he considered it. It wouldnt have been surprising had he retired after this season. Considering how far his once-proud program has suddenly fallen, you couldnt blame him for stepping down at the end of the year.But not now. Not in the middle of the season.That is shocking and should be unacceptable.But because he is Steve Spurrier, he can pull it off. Theres probably no other coach in the country who could do what Spurrier just did and get away with it, who could simply walk away in the middle of a season without being vilified.SPURRIER: | | And yet Spurrier is being lifted up and widely praised for all he has accomplished. To some, those accomplishments seem to justify his decision and exonerate him from making such a questionable move.Spurriers decision is a Cedric Mullins Jersey bit ironic. Onone hand, you would never expect a hall-of-fame coach like him to just quit in the middle of a season. Yet, hes always done things his own way without much concern for what other people think or whether he is second-gue sed or criticized.But this doesnt seem like the Steve Spurrier way. This seems like the way of a quitter, a coach who gives up when things go wrong and times get tough.In his mind, Spurrier believes hes doing the right thing, doing what is best for himself and, in the long run, the University of South Carolina. As he said Tuesday, he believes its time for South Carolina to rebuild its football program, and that should start now.You cant keep a head coach thats done it as long as I have when its heading in the wrong direction, he said. It was only two years ago that we were fourth in the nation and the last of those 11-2s, and somehow or another, weve slid. And its my fault, Im responsible, Im the head coach. And its time for me to sort of get out of the way and let somebody else have a go at it.In a way, thats admirable. Hes taking responsibility for letting the program slip and admitting that hes not the right coach to turn Roberto Alomar Jersey it around, not at his age.I get that. Hes making another one of Steve Spurriers gutsy and risky calls.But somehow this feels all wrong.Though he may have the best interest of South Carolina at heart, its hard not to conclude that he is stepping down simply because he cant stand losing and doesnt want to end his career with a losing season. Doesn't want to tarnish his sterling record.Spurrier has only had one losing season in his entire 26-year college career. That was his first season at Duke, when the Blue Devils finished 5-6. He finished 6-6 in his third season at South Carolina, but quickly turned the program around and won big over the next several years, producing three straight 11-2 seasons. At 2-4, he was almost certainly facing his first losing season since 1987. His team barely beat North Carolina in the opener and struggled to defeat winle s Central Florida the game he says started him thinking about quitting. The Gamecocks were beaten by Kentucky, blown out by Georgia and LSU and appear to have only one or two more winnable games on the schedule Vanderbilt (maybe) and The Citadel.So, instead of seeing it through and trying to turn things around, or enduring the hard times with his team, Spurrier quit.That seems wrong and gro sly unfair on many levels. Unfair to his players, unfair to his coaches, unfair to the university and particularly unfair to the 80,000 fans who fill Williams-Brice Stadium each week.And in perhaps the ultimate insult, Rio Ruiz Jersey hes not simply retiring. He emphasized that Tuesday. Hes resigning, leaving open the at another university. Gamecock fans should be livid if that happens.Though Spurrier has been heaped with praise the last two days, you have to wonder what his current players and coaches really think. Are they really OK with their coach stepping down and walking away in the middle of the season?They shouldnt be. They should feel angry and betrayed, like many Gamecock fans do.To be clear, Spurrier deserves all the praise and accolades he is getting. Hes won championships and set records everywhere he coached. Hes one of the top five college football coaches of all time. And he did it with a style and colorful personality that was both entertaining and good for the game.He deserves to be recognized for all that.Just not now.The one thing we teach our children as parents and coaches is to never quit, to never give up. If you start something, you finish it win, lose or draw. No matter how bad things get, you dont quit on your teammates and your coaches.Thats what Spurrier just did, and he deserves to be questioned and criticized for that.

Michigan vs. Alabama becoming college footballs mo

vallieklein — Wed, 31 Aug 2022 04:42:40 +0000

Forget about the satellite camps. Focus on the potential for a dream matchup between Alabama and Michigan with coaches Nick Saban and Jim Harbaugh Scott Oberg Jersey , instead.MORE: Saban and Harbaugh kicked off summer with back-and-forth jabs about satellite camps this week. You know what happened by now. Saban spoke out against the camps, Harbaugh on Twitter and Saban responded by , I don't really care what he thinks or tweets.""Amazing" to me- Alabama broke NCAA rules & now their HC is lecturing us on the po sibility of rules being broken at camps. Truly "amazing." Coach Harbaugh (@CoachJim4UM) Saban cares a little bit about Harbaugh barn-storming around half the country at those camps, however, or he wouldnt have said anything in the first place.STEELE: Predictably, we're eatingthis up.We speculate about how much Harbaugh gets under Saban's skin, chastise Harbaugh for trying to put himself in the same cla s as the five-time national champion and entrench ourselves with our beliefs on, of all things, a summer football camp for high school kids.What comes next? ESPN College GameDay personality Kirk Herbstreiton Thursday morningsaid it David Dahl Jersey best on SportsCenter."It's almost like a WWE feud,"Herbstreit said. I just want to see these two teams play, whether it's a bowl game, the playoffs this year. How much fun would it be to see Nick Saban go up against Jim Harbaugh with their two teams this year?"MORE: Sign up here.This isnt like a WWE feud. It feels more like from King Arthur, when Arthur finally meets the Saxon king Cedric. They say things like, "I fight for a cause beyond your understanding, and, "finally, a man worth killing."Insert the coach speak, instead, (nobody will die if they play)and thats kind of how mythical the buildup to a potential matchup would be. You get the feeling both coaches want this, even if they stick with the whole one-game-at-a-time-thing in public. Fans of both schools might want this one, too, if it keeps up. They both believe their coach is Arthur.It's not the matchup that would save college football the sport is fine. Its not even the best coaching matchup in college football right now. Thats still Saban vs. Urban Meyer, who led Ohio State to a 42-13 win against Michigan in Ann Arbor last year.Harbaugh needs to beat Meyer before he can even think about Saban. But weve seen Saban vs. Meyer four times, and theres a good chance well see that one again.Those two have eight national championships between them.MORE: Harbaughs persona brings something different to the table. He is page views and eyeballs. He has become the dominant personality in college football, somehow bigger than Saban and Meyer. Fans enjoy watching Michigan lose remember the reaction to the Chris Iannetta Jersey punt fumble against Michigan State as much as they enjoy watching Alabama lose. If these two ever cro s paths, somebody goes down.Michigan went down the last time these teams last met, in a top-10 showdown in 2012. Alabama e sentially knocked Michigan into a three-year coma in a 41-14 beatdown in the season opener at Jerry World. The Wolverines were never the same under Brady Hoke; not until Harbaugh arrived.Those who think Harbaugh would wilt at the mere sight of Ian Desmond Jersey Saban should look at the 2012 NFL regular-season matchup against New England and Bill Belichick. Harbaugh-led San Francisco jumped out to a 31-10 lead after three quarters in Foxborough before holding off a Tom Brady rally for a41-34 victory.If Michigan gets to the College Football Playoff, that means they will have beaten Michigan State and Ohio State. That also means they would have a team capable of playing with the Crimson Tide.Would Alabama fans prefer a rematch with Meyer or a shot at Harbaugh given the choice? Saban has beaten Bob Stoops, Mack Brown, Les Miles, Brian Kelly and Dabo Swinney to clinch national championships. Would a win against Harbaugh trump all those victories?Its a matchup that might never happen keep in mind Saban turns 65 in October. Conference championships and playoff matchups are tough to predict, and a lot of things have to happen for dream matchups like these to materialize. Yet the SEC and Big Ten have enough bowl ties to make that happen should both teams mi s the Playoff.Still, the bigger the stage, the better this would be. Alabama and Michigan have combined to claim 27 national championships. Imagine them playing for the next one.MORE: In the meantime, well be left with back-and-forth jabs. There will Kyle Freeland Jersey be more. Both of these coaches are too opinionated not to. If its not satellite camps, they will find something else to talk about.Wed just love to see them settle it on the field. Herbstreit is right in that regard. Its always the best way to settle a disagreement.Can we make that happen as soon as po sible?

Brian Kellys two-QB rotation puts Irish into win-o

vallieklein — Wed, 31 Aug 2022 04:42:11 +0000

AUSTIN, Texas Brian Kelly was going to get second Mark Reynolds Jersey -gue sed about the two-quarterback system after the first lo s anyway.No.10 Notre Dame used DeShone Kizer and Malik Zaire in a at Texas on Sunday night. Everybody knew that was coming.What we didnt know is that Kelly would stick with an every-other series rotation with Kizer and Zaire instead of riding the hot hand early, and put the Irish in a corner just one week into the season.MORE: | Despite the little moral victories, losing is losing, Kelly said. We work too hard and we sacrificed too much to feel good in any way.Kelly can feel good about one thing:Kizer is a star. He finished 15 of 24 pa sing for 215 yards in the air and added 13 carries for 77 yards on the ground. He had six total TDs, including five pa sing. Kizer led Notre Dame from a 17-point deficit in the second half. Despite all that, Kelly wouldnt commit to Kizeras the starter for the home opener against Nevada.Is DeShone Kizer the guy moving forward? "We haven't made that decision." Irish Illustrated (@PeteSampson_) Kelly should change that by Wednesday. Kizer started against the Longhorns and led the Irish on a six-play, 78-yard touchdown drive on the first po se sion. If theres question about Kellys method, its here. Why take a quarterback out while James Bourque Jersey hes in a groove? Its understandable to want to get Zaire on the field, but wait until the next series.Kizer had 22 snaps which resulted in 177 offensive yards in the first half, and Zaire had 14 snaps with resulted in 46 yards. Zaire then started the second half with a three-and-out, and Kizer went the Max Scherzer Jersey rest of the way.When the Longhorns went ahead 31-14 in the third quarter, Kizer did his finest work. He led the Irish to touchdown drives on three of four po se sions, and it couldve been four had Torii Hunter not had the ball dislodged on a .Kizer feathered a pa s to Josh Adams on a wheel route for a 17-yard TD that gave the Irish a 35-31 lead with 10:57 remaining. That silence the crowd.It was awesome, Kizer said of the comeback. It was nice to get out there after a long offseason and get the ball. I think we werent as succe sful as we wanted to be.Generic answers are expected when you consider the way Notre Dame lost, which also featured a conservative three-and-out after they took over at the 29-yard line with a chance to win in the final two minutes.MORE: Did Kelly misplay the quarterbacks? Yes, but we wouldnt have recognized thathad Notre Dame won. Ohio State went through the same thing with Cardale Jones and J.T. Barrett last season. Everybody has the benefit of hindsight there, and Zaire is going to continue to get snaps in the season. Kyle Barraclough Jersey He will probably play better than Kizer in a game at some point.Its just the every-other-po se sion rotationthat deserves questioning. Texas played two quarterback too, but Shane Buechele and Tyrone Swoopes had defined roles. Swoopes is in the same role Floridas Tim Tebow had as a freshman with the Gators. Oklahoma did the same thing with Blake Bell.Speaking of the Sooners, Notre Dame gives them company after Yan Gomes Jersey Week 1. They are the two top-10 teams that lost in the opening week who dont have the benefit of a championship game. That means they are in win-out mode. If the Irish lose another game, they are out. Even if they win out, its not a guarantee considering Michigan State and Stanford are the mostdifficult games left on the schedule.Texas was one of three true road games on the schedule along with N.C. State and USC. If Kizer continues rolling like he did against the Longhorns, then Kelly might be kicking himself in November.This was a mi sed opportunity, and Kelly owned it.We have to be better as coaches, Kelly said. That starts with me and our coaching staff, and then our players have to do their job.

First-and-10 No matter how it looks Iowa is Big Te

vallieklein — Wed, 31 Aug 2022 04:41:42 +0000

1. I dont want to get on a soapbox, but Theres something so satisfying about a big bowl of irony. Especially when youre dishing it out not choking it down.There was a time when the underachieving $4-million-a-year punching bag couldnt escape the overwhelming narrative of a win-or-walk season. Now Kirk Steven Matz Jersey Ferentz no longer can avoid this beautiful reality: Iowa is the best team in the Big Ten.MORE FIRST-AND-10: | MORE: If the Hawkeyes dont win the conference and serve up a hefty helping of Suck It to all involved, it will be crushing disappointment.Its funny, Ferentz says, There was a different headline earlier in the season about pre sure.The headline now has changed because this Iowa team, despite its lack of Ohio State star power or Michigan momentum or Michigan State big-game experience, is the one never-wavering constant in the Big Ten race.It may be ugly at times, and it may be boring and bland. But you know what its not?Its not full of drama on and off the field. Its not the hope of something that isnt, and its not a rite of pa sage.Its just Iowa football, and for 17 years under Ferentz, thats been good enough, thank you.Closing in on one of those David Wright Jersey rare seasons where everything clicks is simply the reward for grinding through the seasons when it doesn't.Weve stayed true to who we are, says Iowa quarterback C.J. Beathard. Were not a bunch of household names or superstars. Were just a group of guys who love to play football.A group of guys who keep winning and keep inching closer to a coveted top four ranking in the College Football Playoff despite the fact that its as pretty as an Iowa City winter. Keith Hernandez Jersey Six years after Ferentz was given a 10-year contract extension that jumped his salary to $4 million a year; six years after the next five seasons produced a 34-30 record and a ton of negative energy, the Hawkeyes have spackled together a season for the ages.Their quarterback, at various times this fall, has injured his groin, back and leg, and most recently, his hip in last weekends victory over Minnesota that moved the Hawkeyes to 10-0 for the first time in school history. Their star tailback has been limited by a high ankle sprain for much of the season, and played last weekend pain-free for the first time since September and had 195 yards and 3 TDs.PLAYOFFS: | | The defense that has carried the Hawkeyes much of the season has slipped the last two weeks against Indiana and Minnesota, giving up 62 points and 841 yards. But here they are, a game away (vs. Purdue) from winning the Big Ten West Division and two games away (at Nebraska) Wilson Ramos Jersey from playing the East Division winner for the right to play for it all.Their best win of the season is a road game at Wisconsin where the Hawkeyes were literally given the game: a Badgers fourth quarter fumble at the Iowa 1 ended what wouldve been a game-winning touchdown.They beat Pitt with a last-second 57-yard field goal, needed a fourth quarter comeback to beat Illinois and held on like grim death to beat Indiana and Minnesota. Not exactly CFP-worthy stuff.Yet somehow this team of misfits few wanted (have you seen ) has bonded like few teams have, ignoring what should be and delivering what cant be.In any sport, you do things because youre teammates, and the people involved, Ferentz said. Thats all that really counts at the end of the day.So let defending national champion Ohio State steal the thunder this weekend with its big game against Michigan State, the winner moving one step closer to clinching the East Division.Let Ohio State and Michigan play The Game next weekend, stealing the headlines from what will be Iowas perfect regular season.Iowa doesnt need the New York Mets Jersey attention. It just needs four quarters in Indianapolis to make it all right.And change the headline for good.FIRST-AND-10 ITEMS 2 THROUGH 9

Battle at Bristol Fans couldnt see the field but w

vallieklein — Wed, 31 Aug 2022 04:41:11 +0000

BRISTOL, Tenn. When Tenne see and Virginia Tech kicked off the Battle at Bristol on Saturday night, the beautiful green field looked like one of those 1970s-style electronic football games that made the tiny players shake and rattle like they were stumbling around drunk.Thats what the field at Bristol looked like from a distance. A great distance.MORE: Yes, the view was bad Dan Altavilla Jersey from some vantage points. The field was so far away from the pre s box that media members were given binoculars. (They helped, but not much). If not for the giant Colo sus video screen hanging over the middle of the field, no one would have known what was going on way down there.And, of course, there was some whining and complaining, mostly on Twitter, but that was to be expected. Everyone Erik Swanson Jersey whines and complains on Twitter, and then when a few complain, more dumb twits pile on, whether they know what theyre talking about or not.Who has a better view: Battle at Bristol or basketball game at Cowboys AT&T stadium Katie Szabo (@k_szabowtie) Omg...this battle at Bristol is the dumbest shit ever. Did y'all see that view!??? Dr. Coatnee (@scoatnee36) But the consensus opinion among those who were there was this: Who cares? There were more than 150,000 fans packed into one of the most iconic sports facilities on earth to watch a college football game. They broke the college football attendance record and the spectacle and energy of it all far outweighed any limited sight lines.Virginia Tech fan Tom Rebak traveled from Raleigh, N.C., and he was worried about the view from his mid-level seat in the Kulwicki grandstand in Turns 1 and 2.My only concern is the speedway is so big, youre looking at micro-ants playing football, he said about two hours before game time. But I expect the atmosphere to be tremendous.It was. MORE: The orange- and maroon-colored crowd didnt seem to mind. With Tenne see fans outnumbering Virginia Tech about 3-to-1, it looked from field level like you were standing inside a giant bowl of Guillermo Heredia Jersey oranges.They were there for an historic event, for a happening, for a sight and a scene no one had ever experienced before. And for the vast majority, it was worth it.After a national anthem that featured a patriotic card stunt depicting enormous American flags that covered the frontstretch and backstretch, the crowd responded with chants of USA, USA. Following a stirring halftime rendition of God Ble s the USA by Lee Greenwood, fireworks exploded and the chants began again.But never was the crowd louder than when the two teams entered the field, and when they scored during a wild first half. And one of the biggest roars of the night came at the start of the fourth quarter, Robinson Cano Jersey when the record attendance of 156,990 was announced.Though the environment might have been strange and the field far away, it didnt le sen the spirit and enthusiasm of fans.When Tenne see scored and the band played Rocky Top, the Shed Long Jersey noise was deafening. When the Vols scored a game-tying touchdown in the second quarter, the pre s box and suite level began to shake. It felt like a mini-earthquake. Instead, it was caused by Tenne see fans jumping up and down in pure, unadulterated joy.And thats what this game and this night was all about. College football fans showing their pa sion and enthusiasm for the game and the teams they love.And they didnt care whether they could see the action on the field.

Louisville shouldnt need an ACC title for a shot a

vallieklein — Wed, 31 Aug 2022 04:40:40 +0000

Louisville did what it was supposed to do.Lamar Jackson helped throw an early-knockout punch. The Cardinals ran up the numbers against a top-10 statistical defense. Louisville put more evidence out there that it'sthe best one-lo s team in the FBS after a 52-7 victory against Boston College on Saturday.Will it matter? Louisville wont play in the ACC championship game unle s Clemson trips up twice in its next three conference games. The College Jim Abbott Jersey Football Playoff only lets four teams in. Willy Wonka let one more kid in his chocolate factory. This isnt going to be easy for the Cardinals to get that golden ticket given the path that must be taken.Here are afew things we think will happen. Regardle s of Washingtons outcome, Louisville could replace Texas A&M as a top-four team in the College Football Playoff rankings. The Huskies should be, but the Cardinals could be. That leads to the second part.MORE: If Washington Melky Cabrera Jersey loses a game, then Louisville could and should take a top-four spot for good if itwins out even if itdoesn'tget a chance to play for the ACC title. Thats how good this Louisville team is right now. If its really about best four teams and all things even among the one-lo s teams, then the Cardinals can build that case.They have everything.They have the best offensive player. Jackson the front-runner for the Heisman Trophy set the tone on the third play from scrimmage with a 69-yard touchdown run on the third play from scrimmage. Jackson had 174 pa sing yards, 116 rushing yards and four total TDs by halftime 14.5 yards per play and helped the Cardinals build a 38-0 halftime lead.Jackson finished with 231 pa sing yards, 185 rushing yards and seven total touchdowns. Jackson now has 45 total TDs this season. Its amazing.JOSEPH: When Louisvilles offense is clicking like that, its the best in the country. Jackson also spread it out with touchdown pa ses to three different receivers in the first half. The Cardinals played a neutral second half.This wasnt one of those uncomfortable shaves like Chris Beck Jersey the Cardinals had against Duke and Virginia. Louisville came in, averaging50 points per game and acted like it against a Boston College defense that entered Week 10ranked ninth in total yards allowed.If Louisville plays like this even without the berth in the ACC championship game it'sgoing to force the i sue. The fact the College Football Playoff committee chose Texas A&M in the No. 4 spot in its initial rankings over undefeated Washington was a surprise. The fact it was Texas A&M over Louisville and Ohio State was a much-bigger surprise.A suming the Big 12 is out and the Pac-12 disrespect continues, if Washington loses a game, then the two-teams from one conference door will be wide open. MORE: From there, it comes down two conferences. Would the committee take Clemson and Louisville or Michigan and Ohio State? The Yasmani Grandal Jersey Buckeyes or Wolverines will get the benefit of the doubt, and the Cardinals might want to root for an Ohio State lo s just to be sure.Yet Louisville has a few more chances against Wake Forest, Houston and Kentucky. They can make solidify a top-four spot once they get it. If a team cannot play for a conference title and still Ryan Goins Jersey get in, then this is the best bet to do it.Jackson can build on this ridiculous TD total. The Cardinals to hang three more 50-spots on the board. Its going to be hard for the committee to deny the favorite for the Heisman Trophy and a 50-point offense if theres and sort of opening.They can force the i sue with Washington and Michigan/Ohio State. They could and should get in if that happens. The best bet to do that?Keep doing what youre supposed to do.

Lane Kiffin good student will be a better head coa

vallieklein — Wed, 31 Aug 2022 04:40:10 +0000

The viral reactions were predictable after the first series of the Cotton Bowl Cla sic.Alabama ran five consecutive plays without giving the ball to Heisman Trophy winner Derrick Henry, and the in-the-moment blame fell on offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin.MORE: | Yet not nearly as much credit went James Paxton Jersey Kiffins way after he called a beautiful game in a 38-0 blowout against Michigan State on Dec. 31. Most of the attention directed at Kiffin came after he to Crimson Tide players after they took a 31-0 lead against the Spartans in the second half.Thats life when youre Kiffin, the 40-year-old lightning rod who revived his career under Nick Saban. Kiffin deserves more credit, even if he deflects that credit elsewhere."I have a great coach, Kiffin would say on the field at AT&T Stadium afterward. What he's been able to do with Mariano Rivera Jersey situations to help me grow put the players around us and a great offensive staff. The church sermon today was about having a great coach in your life, and that's what he's been for the last two years."Kiffin elevated his stock from coaching pariah to where should he go next? after those last two seasons. Kiffin proved hes an elite offensive coordinator, at least when working with elite talent.Remember, Kiffin was the co-offensive coordinator with Steve Sarkisian under Pete Carroll at USC in 2005 when the Trojans averaged 49.1 points per game and 579.8 yards per game.Hes weaved some of that same magic at Alabama the last two seasons. In 2014, the Crimson Tide piled up 6,783 total yards, the most in the Saban era. Over the past two seasons, Blake Sims, Derrick Henry and Amari Cooper have set school single-season records in pa sing, rushing and receiving yards.Kiffin also learned his le son with Henry. A year after not giving the running back enough carries in the Sugar Bowl lo s to Ohio State, Kiffin stuck with Henry for 20 carries for 75 yards against Michigan State, which helped open up a Greg Bird Jersey big-play pa sing connection between Jake Coker and Calvin Ridley.TITLE GAME: | Alabama avenged last years 42-35 playoff lo s to the Buckeyes, and Kiffin played a huge role in that."It took a long time to get back. It took a whole year to get back, Kiffin said. Obviously we still have another game to go. We wanted to make Luis Severino Jersey sure we didn't have that feeling again. We learned from what happened.Kiffins learned from whats happened since he left USC after the 2006 season. Kiffin is a coach that late Oakland Raiders owner Al Davis used a PowerPoint presentation to fire in 2008. He , where we was .When Kiffin fails, it makes headlines. And fans eat up those headlines and wait for the next one.Yet Kiffin appears at ease in his current position. He said he's gained an appreciation the last two years under Saban for what a head coach should be. That is, a true CEO. Managing. Delegating. Learning. Understanding. Thats all part of the proce s of coaching under Saban.MORE: Kiffin sat at Media Day at AT&T Stadium two days before the Cotton Bowl, leaning back in his chair and working a piece of gum through the inevitable line of questioning. Sure, Kiffin wants to be a head coach again. Yes, he thinks it will be betternext time.Maybe then hell get a little more credit. " Joe DiMaggio Jersey I don't think anyone would ever answer the question, 'I don't want to be a head coach, Kiffin said. When and if that time comes, I know I'll be much better prepared than I was before.

NFL Draft Diary Rising up draft boards Vernon Butl

vallieklein — Wed, 31 Aug 2022 04:39:40 +0000

When the Pittsburgh Steelers selected Terry Bradshaw with the first pick in the 1970 NFL Draft, the quarterback became the first Louisiana Tech player selected in the first round.Since then, three former Bulldogs receiver Roger Carr (1974), offensive lineman Willie Brent Suter Jersey Roaf (1993) and wideout Troy Edwards (1999) have gone in the first round. But never has a Louisiana Tech defensive player been taken in the first round.MORE: | Vernon Butler hopes to change that.Oh man, that would mean a lot, the defensive tackle told Omnisport. You usually have to go to a big school to get noticed, but you put the hard work in all four years to get drafted, and thats what I did.Butler could surpa s former Chargers and 49ers defensive end Fred Dean, the 33rd overall pick in the 1975 draft, as the highest Bulldogs defender taken.He was a great player, and to be taken higher than him, well, that hasnt happened yet, said Butler, who was a first-team All-Conference USA Yovani Gallardo Jersey selection last year after recording 50 tackles, 10 for lo s, with three sacks and eight quarterback hurries.Butler is a gifted athlete for his size (6-4, 323) with great lateral quickne s. Thats a big reason he shot up draft boards following a dominant week at the Senior Bowl.It doesnt matter whats on your helmet or your jersey, just how well you play football, said Butler, who was unblockable at times in Mobile. I just had to show scouts what I could do."He finished his career with just five sacks in 49 games, but was credited with 106 tackles and 23.5tackles for lo s in 27 starts over the last two seasons.DRAFT DIARY: In the first of a series of conversations with Butler leading up to Domingo Santana Jersey the draft, he spoke with Omnisport about his NFL potential.On the draft proce s: Its been crazy, but Ive just been trying to enjoy the whole experience. Ive always wanted to go to the Senior Bowl, the combine, and walk on stage at the draft. Its all falling into place.This is most definitely the most traveling Ive done. They pull you this way and that way, especially between the combine and Mobile. You dont get any sleep at all.On getting the NFL Draft invitation: I was so happy. I had to call my mom and dad. I asked them, You want to go to Chicago?Ill be there with my two sisters and my mom and dad. Im the baby. My sisters really babied me (when I was a kid).(The draft) will probably be emotional. Im just going to enjoy it and have a good time. Ill Lorenzo Cain Jersey have those memories for life.On combine interviews: They kept it pretty profe sional. I didnt get any of the (strange questions) Christian Yelich Jersey like some of the other guys. They asked me football questions and about my background, but thats all clean.On criticism that he can be overly aggre sive: I dont think its nece sarily too aggre sive. I just like to get to the ball carrier. I would say, maybe Im a bit too anxious at times, so I might pop it too fast. Im a high-motor guy. I want to get to the ball.Butler is a Mi si sippi native who is training in Louisiana. He has worked out for the Patriots, Bengals, Raiders, Panthers, Titans and Lions. He also has visits scheduled with at least 12 teams.

Homeless former UNC football player killed riding

vallieklein — Wed, 31 Aug 2022 04:39:11 +0000

Ryan Hoffman, the former North Carolina offensive lineman whose story of homele sne sgained national media attention earlier this year, was killed Nov. 16while riding a children's bicycle into oncoming traffic on an unlit stretch of aFlorida highway. He was 41.Hoffman started at left tackle for the Tar Heels from1994 Julio Teheran Jersey -97, playing alongside futureNFL players like Jeff Saturday, Dre Bly and Alge Crumpler. But his life took a harrowing turn shortly after his playing career ended and he began living on the streets ofLakeland, Fla., where .MORE: | Hoffmanstruggled with mental illne s whichhe blamed on football andsaid he had sold drugs. He addedhe was addicted to prescription drugs and alcohol.Upon learning of hissituation, UNC arranged for Brian McCann Jersey Hoffman to visit Chapel Hill toundergo evaluation and treatment for his mental health problems.The trip,detailed in various media reports and a published Wednesday, didn't seem to alter Hoffman's course. He underwent further treatment at arehabilitation center inWest Palm Beach, Fla., which was partially paid for byNorth Carolina alumni. He stayedtwo months before being discharged, according to the Times.They turned their backs on me, he told the Times, referring toNorth Carolina officials. I feel like nothing has changed. There is still something wrong with my head.After failing to obtain a government identification card to live in a shelter, he returned to the streets inearly October. He told a Times reporter he was depre Phil Niekro Jersey sed.Hoffman was arrested Oct. 21 after running from police, who suspected hewas stealing a bicycle. His final interaction with a family member came hours before his death via a text conversation withhis mother, saying his belongings had been stolen.lovele s. homele s. no food. no clothes. no anything," he wrote at 3:59 p.m., according to the Times.ENGEL: Hoffman's bikecollided with a vehicle later thatevening on Highway 17-92 nearHaines City, Fla.,a stretch of road with a 50 mph speed limit. He died in an ambulance on the way to thehospital.Investigators said they are awaiting toxicology Hank Aaron Jersey results and a final autopsy before making a determinationbetween suicide andan accident.Hoffman's sister,Kira Soto, told the Times the family will donate Hoffman's brain, which was preserved, to research forchronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE, the degenerative brain disease commonly a sociated with former football players."(Hoffman) Atlanta Braves Jersey told me to promise that when he died, wed send his brain to be tested for CTE," Hoffman's mother, Irene, told the Times,"and I promised, and his sister promised. We all agreed that we wanted to know what happened to Ryan there at UNC.Its the million-dollar question.

Baylor LB blows up Twitter says he wont play witho

vallieklein — Wed, 31 Aug 2022 04:38:40 +0000

In the midst of all the chaos that is the Baylor football program right now, linebacker Taylor Young kept typing away on his Twitter account. There was no censoring how he felt about the .MORE: Baylor announcedit suspended Briles, "with the intent to terminate" him, at approximately 11 Marcus Semien Jersey :30 a.m.. ET in Waco, Texas. Taylor's Twitter blew up around that same time. Much like his quick feet on defense, Young apparently has quick fingers, too.It started out pretty general.He's not wrong, but he also can't skip to the Bears' 2016 opening game against Northwestern on Sept. 3.Then, a suming he found outthe specifics in regards tohis coach, his tweeting escalated dramatically.Well, if Young does follow through with his tweeted threat, the Bears would be losinga redshirt sophomoreoriginally from Santiago Casilla Jersey DeSoto, Texas.MORE: He played in 13 games for the 2014 season, recording 92 total tackles (58 solo), four sacks and one interception. He also forced two fumbles and batted down three pa ses. In 2015, he totaled 80 tackles (60 solo), four sacks and 13.5 TFLs. He also recovered a fumble and batted down a pa s.The Bears finished their 2015 season 10-3 overall and 6-3 Andrew Triggs Jersey in the Big-12. They closed out their season in the Ru sell Athletic Bowl against North Jake Smolinski Jersey Carolina, winning 49-38.Briles went 50-15 asleader of the pack.Young can fight all he wants, but Briles is being deemedresponsible for his players, which includes scandals they are involved in. Sexual and domestic violence are by no means exceptions of this responsibility.MORE:There were many people who responded to Young's tweets. Some agreed. Some disagreed. Some, per usual on Twitter, made no sense. Young retweeted and responded as he pleased. It didn' Bruce Maxwell Jersey t really make sense when he would simply retweet something that insulted him or his coach without a rebuttal, but to each hisown.Continue to tweet?Oh, good. If not, don't worry. There were plenty more where these came from originally.However, Youngdid stop eventually only took more than two hours for him to simmer down.

Navy coach Ken Niumatalolo turns down BYU will sta

vallieklein — Wed, 31 Aug 2022 04:38:10 +0000

Navy coach Ken Niumatalolo has declined an offer to joinBYU and will remain with the Midshipmen, .Niumatalolointerviewed to replace longtime Cougars coach Bronco Mendenhall who left to become coach at Virginia and was considered thelikely hire for the Bob Feller Jersey position. His Mormon beliefsand the fact his son Va'a is a sophomore linebacker for the Cougars made him the obvious choice.After mulling his options for the past week,Niumatalolodecided to remain in Annapolis.MORE: | When this (BYU)one opened up, its different, Niumatalolo said Saturday before guiding Navy to its 14th consecutive victory against arch-rival Army.It is just different for me. My faith is everything to me. This is the only reason that I feel like I need to listen to what they have to offer.,Niumatalolo had to sort out numerous i sues at BYU, including his salary(he madeper season at Navy), how much the universitycouldafford to pay his a sistant coachesand whether he wouldrun the triple-option offense like Corey Kluber Jersey hadused atNavy.WhileBYU awaited his decision, it also interviewedOregon State defensive coordinator Kalani Sitake, who figures to be the likely choice now thatNiumatalolois out.In eight seasons at Navy, Niumatalolobecame the winningest Andrew Miller Jersey coach in Academy historywith a 67-37 mark. He alsoguided the Midshipmen to seven bowls. With a victory over Pitt in the Military Bowl, Navy (10-2) will finish in the AP Top 25 for the first time since 2004 and only the second time since 1964.Niumatalolo'sdecision comes as Mendenhall and his staff, before their departure,werepreparing BYU fora postseason version of the so-called "Holy War" againstin-state rival Utah in the Las Vegas Bowl on Saturday.The BYU job, though a strong pull for Niumatalolo, wasnot without its challenges. The Cougars are independent in football, meaning they have to play and succeed against a rigorousschedule to enter the discu sion about New Year's Six bowls.MORE: | Case in point:BYU's2016 schedule includes six games against Power 5 conference opponents in the first eight games vs. Arizona (in Glendale, Ariz.), at Utah, vs. Jason Kipnis Jersey UCLA, vs. West Virginia (in Landover, Md.),at Michigan State, vs. Mi si sippi State and its two Group of 5 opponents before its bye are typicallystrong squadsToledo and Boise State.The Cougars'2017 schedule includes a neutral-site game against LSU in Houston, home games against Utah, Wisconsin and Boise State and a trip to Mi Zach Duke Jersey si sippi State.That kind of scheduling could have ledNiumatalolo and BYU to the conclusion that his triple-option offense is the best way for the Cougars to win their way into top-tier bowl eligibility.

Nebraska football will live or die by Tommy Armstr

vallieklein — Wed, 31 Aug 2022 04:37:41 +0000

Nebraska should know by now that its entire season hingeson quarterback Tommy Armstrong Jr.No Alen Hanson Jersey question.Armstrong, with a little help from IV fluids,lifted the Huskers to yet another win on Saturday over No. 22 Oregonand gave coach Mike Riley the first victory of his career over the Ducks.MORE: | Armstrong led a gutsy drive in the fourth quarter, completing a 14-yard pa s on fourth-and-9 before scoring the game-winner with a beautiful 34-yard touchdown run.What's even crazier is the fact that inthe two drives prior,Armstrong was 0-for-2 pa sing, had onerushing yard and was sacked. But it's that Dr. Jekyll-Mr. Hyde performance that makes Armstrong's best games really, truly great. And it's time to start appreciating what thegem in Lincoln brings to Mark Melancon Jersey the game."Heloves football," Riley said of his senior quarterback after the game against Oregon. "He's really tough; he competes like crazy. It's awesome. He played a great football game."MORE: Let Tyler Austin Jersey 's be real for a second: Armstrong is e sentially the Huskers' offense. Last season, the dual-threat signal-caller accounted for 62 percentof Nebraska's total yardage (3,593 of 5,810 yards)and 29 of 51 touchdowns. He also led a 91-yard drive in a huge upset of No. 6 Michigan State.On Saturday,Armstrong totaled 295 of Nebraska's 428 yards(69 percent)and had a hand in all but one of its five touchdowns. During the first quarter, Armstrong broke the Nebraska record for career pa sing yards Reyes Moronta Jersey , surpa sing the mark set by hispredece sor, Taylor Martinez, at7,258.To date,he has 7,376 career pa sing yards, and will most likely break the record for completions, pa sing touchdowns and total offense at some point this season.He is Husker football, and it's San Francisco Giants Jersey pretty dang entertaining.Nebraska's schedule doesn't get much easier when it opens Big Ten play next weekend it has road trips against Wisconsin, Ohio State and Iowa but somehow, Armstrong will make those games exciting.Let's enjoy the ride.

Because of the NCAA Syracuse couldnt raise money f

vallieklein — Wed, 31 Aug 2022 04:37:11 +0000

When in doubt, we must a sume NCAA rules Alec Mills Jersey are dumb, awful and insane. Syracuse did, and so a planned fundraiser for a cancer-stricken child never happened.ZackMahoney, a QB for the Orange, was set to auction off his hair to the highest bidder if you ever wanted to shave "BOEHEIM SUCKS" into the side of someone's head, this was your shot to raise money for7-year old Lillian Belfield (via ). The idea was for all Tyler Chatwood Jersey this to go down at Syracuse's Uplifting Athletes fundraiser this summer.MORE: Mahoney planned to put on a show at Syracuse's "Lift for Life event," getting a haircut on a tarp in the middle of Manley Field House. The football team and a handful of fans would get some laughs. The Belfields would get some support. It's easy to imagine the video going viral and drawing national attention to a good cause.Colleges, however, have set up a web of rules to protect their financial well-being and retain the idea of amateurism, often at the expense of common sense and being able to act Drew Smyly Jersey normally. Somewhere in the Syracuse football team's efforts to make sure they remained within NCAA rules, Mahoney's plan got nixed.Even Mahoney is fuzzy on which rule he'd have violated. The head of Syracuse's compliance department, Dan French, blamed an internal miscommunication about the haircut itself, whatever that means."The plans for (the haircut)didn't make it to us in the paperwork," French said."If we'd have known earlier we would have likely approved it."Better safe than sorry, though; you can't really blame the school here, because the NCAA has Chicago Cubs Jersey shown a terminal lack of common sense, if not a flagrant disregard for the well-being of individuals in favor of bureacratic madne s. Trust, if they could've dinged Mahoney for it, they would've.MORE: And that's the problem; the rules are often too complicated to parse, yes, butthe fact that there wasa fraction of a kernel of an ounceof po sibility that Mahoney donating money to a sick child, while getting nothing in Justin Steele Jersey return, would violate NCAA rules is sad and not surprising.Bright side: Lillian got to keep her hair the treatment she wound up undergoing didn't affect that and Mahoney is going to try again next summer.

Concussion doctor I would bet my medical license O

vallieklein — Wed, 31 Aug 2022 04:36:39 +0000

The forensicpathologist who discovered degenerative brain diseasein NFL players Marcell Ozuna Jersey has a strong suspicion that O.J. Simpson is suffering from CTE.In fact, the wayDr. Bennet Omalu portrayed by Will Smith in the movie "Concu sion" worded it, he has more than just asuspicion."I would bet my medical license that he has CTE," Omalu said.MORE: | Simpson, 68, has been in prison in Nevadasince October 2008, serving a 33-year sentence formultiple felonies, including kidnapping andarmed robbery. He previously was found not guilty of killing his wife, Nicole, and her friend, Ronald Goldman, in a high-profile Los Angeles trial."Given his profile," Omalu said, "I think it's not an irresponsible conclusion to suspect he Drew Robinson Jersey has CTE."Dozens offormer NFL players have been found to have the debilitating and degenerative disease caused by brain trauma, such as multiple concu sions, and characterized bymemory lo s, confusion, moodine s, unexplained fits of temper and suicidal tendencies.CTE can be confirmed conclusively only by Ozzie Smith Jersey testing cro s sections of brain ti sue after the person's death.Simpson played 11 seasons in the NFLafter his collegiate career at USC.People.com notes that in 2012, Simpson tried to persuadea Clark County,Nevada, judge that he suffered from some sort Chris Beck Jersey of concu sion-related brain damage in an effort to get a new trial on the 2008 armed-robbery conviction:MORE: During the initial stages of the proceedings, he and his attorney reportedly filed asworn statementin court outlining his history of brain injuries. In the document, Simpson stated that he sustained "numerous blows to my head and/or landed on my head violently" while playing in the NFL and at USC.Simpsoneventually abandoned this legal strategy, opting instead to blamehis attorney for botching the case.Even if he's suffering from CTE, it wouldn't have mattered in a courtroom because, even in a diminished mental state, he is culpable for the crimes, a former federal prosecutor told People.com.Simpson is eligible for parole in 2017, but would be nearing Red Schoendienst Jersey his mid-90s if he's forced to serve his entire sentence.