By Marc Topkin ,Times Staff Writer
Thursday, September 22, 2011

Times wires
Thursday, September 22, 2011

NEW YORK — Now that the Yankees have clinched the AL East, Russell Martin is not hiding his hatred for the Red Sox, and that could benefit the Rays.

The All-Star catcher, in his first year with the Yankees, is hoping New York helps play AL wild-card spoiler this weekend when it hosts fading Boston in a three-game series. The Rays trail the Red Sox by two games with six left.

"Anything to get the Red Sox out (of the playoffs) would be awesome for me," Martin said Thursday. "They are fun to play against … but I'd love to see them lose."

Martin isn't worried about possibly facing Boston, which is 11-4 against the Yankees this season, in the ALCS. His feelings are more basic.

"I hate the Red Sox," he said without hesitation.

New York manager Joe Girardi wouldn't get caught up in Martin's remarks.

"Our responsibility is to our club," he said. "That's the bottom line. I have to make sure our guys are healthy and rested and ready to go next Friday."

By Marc Topkin, Times Staff Writer
Thursday, September 22, 2011

NEW YORK — Knowing he'd be making his first major-league start the next night, Rays rookie Matt Moore came out to Yankee Stadium early Wednesday morning and stood on the mound to get a sense of how it would feel and look.

Moore is a big believer in positive thinking, but he could not have envisioned his start going this well.

Moore was downright dazzling, striking out a Rays first-start record 11 in five shutout innings, and his teammates gave him a most unlikely welcoming present, scoring early and often in a 15-8 victory over the Yankees.

"He definitely lived up to the hype," outfielder Matt Joyce said.

Even better was the bottom line. The Rays (86-70) moved back within two games of the American League wild-card-leading Red Sox and a game ahead of the Angels in the race.

They head home for the final six games of the season, starting tonight against Toronto with David Price on the hill. The Red Sox are in New York for the weekend, and the Angels host the A's.

"It's a lot better than three (games) back, I know that," manager Joe Maddon said. "We're in that position where you have to win every game pretty much. There might be room for one hiccup, but we don't have much more room than that."

Moore, 22, earned his billing as one of the game's top prospects as he soared through the minors this season, going 12-3 with a 1.92 ERA and 210 strikeouts in 155 innings, and he was impressive in a pair of relief outings last week.

But this was his first start, and it was against the Yankees (though without half their regulars), and it was in Yankee Stadium, and it was in the middle of a pennant race.

And Moore — with his dad, brother and three other relatives in the stands — made it look easy.

He struck out Derek Jeter to start the game and fanned at least two in each of his innings, mixing his blazing upper 90s fastball with a curve and a changeup that left several hitters looking bad. He allowed four hits and walked one. Of Moore's 84 pitches, 59 were strikes, including 18 swings and misses.

"Jeter and (Andruw) Jones, they were like, 'Wow, that's some easy cheese,' " catcher John Jaso said. "They were impressed."

"The young man has good stuff," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. "Eleven strikeouts in five innings, I think we saw as high as 97 (mph), a 3-2 changeup. He's got outstanding stuff."

Moore, according to the Elias Sports Bureau, became the first pitcher to strike out 11 Yankees in five innings or less. The 11 strikeouts were the most by an American League pitcher in his first start since June 1999, when Tim Hudson had 11 in five innings for Oakland. Stephen Strasburg had 14 in seven in his June 2010 debut for Washington.

Moore said the key was keeping the same approach as he had in the minors, not getting too excited and, of course, envisioning positive things.

"Facing Jeter as the first hitter, my nerves for the most part seemed to be in check," Moore said. "And I could really feel comfortable."

That seemed to work for the Rays' hitters as well. After scoring four runs in losing the first three games of the series, they ran up the score from the start Thursday, building a 13-0 lead. B.J. Upton, Johnny Damon and Ben Zobrist — no doubt in honor of new daughter Kruse — homered, and each had three RBIs. By the middle innings, most of the starters were out of the game, which should help as well.

The "only negative," Maddon said, was the inability of relievers Dane De La Rosa and Alex Torres to close out the game. The Yankees cut their deficit to 15-8, getting two runs with the bases loaded in the eighth, forcing Maddon to go deeper into his bullpen than he would have liked.

But the night belonged to Moore, who ended up with a beer shower — "That was nice," he said. "And they were freezing." — to commemorate his first big-league win.

"A pretty incredibly good night for him," Maddon said.

By Marc Topkin, Times Staff Writer
Thursday, September 22, 2011

Rays vs. Blue Jays

When/where: 7:10 tonight; Tropicana Field, St. Petersburg

TV/radio: Sun Sports; 620-AM, 680-AM (Spanish)

Starting pitchers:

Rays:

LH David Price (12-12, 3.36)

Jays:

RH Brandon Morrow (10-11, 4.98)

Quote of the day

"A sellout at the Trop would be kind of nice. … It makes a difference."

Manager Joe Maddon, looking to tonight's game against the Blue Jays

Coincidence of the day

LHP Matt Moore made his major-league debut Sept. 14, three years to the day after Rays LHP David Price made his. Then Moore on Thursday made his first big-league start — you guessed it — three years after Price's Sept. 22, 2008, game at Baltimore.

Historical hope

Seven teams have come from 2½ or more games out with seven or fewer left to make the playoffs:

Team Deficit

'09 Twins 3 out with 5 left, caught Tigers

'07 Phils 2.5 out with 6 left, caught Mets

'07 Rockies 2 out with 2 left, caught Padres

'87 Tigers 2.5 out with 7 left, caught Jays

'62 Giants 4 out with 7 left, caught Dodgers

'51 Giants 3 out with 7 left, caught Dodgers

'34 Cards 2 out with 6 left, caught Giants

Times wires
Thursday, September 22, 2011

TORONTO — Edwin Encarnacion hit a walkoff home run in the 12th inning as the Blue Jays beat the Angels 4-3 Thursday, dealing Los Angeles a blow in its chase for a playoff berth.

Encarnacion led off the 12th with a drive down the leftfield line off Garrett Richards, his 17th homer of the season. Encarnacion turned to watch the ball and with his right arm kept trying to wave it fair. The ball ended up just inside the foul pole.

Former Rays reliever Shawn Camp worked one inning for the win as the Blue Jays improved to 11-0 in extra-inning games at home. Toronto is the first team in recorded history to win 10 or more extra-inning home games without a defeat.

The loss dropped the Angels three games behind the idle Red Sox and one game behind the Rays in the AL wild-card race.

Toronto put the winning run at third in the ninth but failed to score.

Thursday, September 22, 2011

"The bottom line is we achieved substantial reforms," Oklahoma president David Boren said after school presidents met by telephone for about an hour Thursday. "We feel extremely good."

Boren said an expansion committee had been restarted but offered no details or time line. Among the schools linked to the Big 12 is BYU, which is in its first season as an independent.

Dan Beebe is gone as commissioner after five years that included securing a 13-year, $1.2 billion contract with Fox Sports but criticism for not keeping Nebraska (Big Ten) and Colorado (Pac-12) from leaving last year. Texas A&M plans to leave for the SEC by July.

"I put all my effort into doing what was best for the Big 12," Beebe said in a statement released by the league. "With great fondness, I wish the Big 12 conference a long and prosperous future."

Chuck Neinas, a former Big Eight commissioner, will serve as interim commissioner.

Revenue sharing and a change of leadership were considered by some schools, notably Oklahoma, as the top issues to address to save the league in the latest round of realignment.

The Big 12 splits revenue from its Fox Sports contract evenly. But currently, only half the money from ABC/ESPN goes into equal shares. The rest is weighted toward the programs that play on the networks most. Under the new agreement, money from ABC/ESPN would be divided equally.

Some schools must get the approval of governing boards. But if approved, schools that leave the Big 12 would leave six years' worth of TV money behind.

"These are very strong handcuffs," Boren said.

Meanwhile, Missouri chancellor Brady Deaton pledged the school's commitment to the league at a news conference in Columbia. The Kansas City Star reported the school had an offer to join the SEC if the Big 12 broke up.

Not addressed Thursday were issues surrounding Texas, which along with Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and Texas Tech considered a move to the Pac-12 until that league announced it would not expand. The Longhorns previously said it wouldn't change its $300 million, 20-year contract with ESPN for their Longhorn Network. Texas officials were not available for comment.

Beebe, who signed a three-year extension last year, became a target for schools upset about instability in the league. According to several media reports, Oklahoma said it would not stay in the league if he stayed in charge.

"I have no negative personal feelings toward our previous commissioner," Boren said. "But I'm alarmed by the fact that in 15 months, we lost three teams. And I'm aware in detail in how some of those situations played out. I don't feel it was inevitable that we lost those three teams."

Critics portrayed Beebe as being outmaneuvered by other league commissioners as they picked off his teams one by one and as someone beholden to Texas, the Big 12's biggest and wealthiest member.

Big East: The Sporting News reported some schools want Pittsburgh and Syracuse to leave for the ACC as soon as possible. Commissioner John Marinatto, who was unavailable for comment, previously said he would hold the schools to the 27-month time frame for exit mandated by the league charter.

Arkansas: Linebacker Jake Bequette will sit out Saturday against Alabama with a hamstring injury. Last season's sack leader also sat out last week.

Northwestern: Quarterback Dan Persa is expected to play in the Wildcats' next game, Oct. 1 against Illinois. He has been rehabilitating a ruptured Achilles' tendon sustained last season.

Ohio St.: Freshman Braxton Miller will start at quarterback Saturday against Colorado. Senior Joe Bauserman started the first three games. In Saturday's 24-6 loss to Miami, the two combined to go 4-of-18 for 35 yards and an interception by Miller. All four completions went to running backs.

Va. Tech: Top receiver Jarrett Boykin will sit out Saturday's game at Marshall. The school said only Boykin hurt a hamstring during practice this week.

Cincy routs N.C. State

CINCINNATI — Zach Collaros ran for two touchdowns and threw for two to lead Cincinnati past N.C. State 44-14. The Bearcats (3-1) scored against the Wolfpack (2-2) on three consecutive possessions for a 21-0 lead. Two touchdowns were set up by interceptions. UC has eight INTs in four games and has scored after 13 of its 16 forced turnovers.

Women's soccer: USF gets tie with national champs

TAMPA — Valorie O'Brien scored on a header in the 86th minute to help USF earn a 1-1 tie against Notre Dame, the defending national champions in front of 1,124 at Corbett Soccer Stadium.

The Irish (4-4-2) scored in the 27th minute. But Demi Stokes sent a cross into the middle to O'Brien for the first goal USF (4-3-3) has scored in four games against Notre Dame. Two 10-minute overtimes failed to break the tie.

Friday, September 23, 2011

Former Northside Christian pitcher and St. Petersburg native Todd Redmond will not have much of a winter break. After completing his third straight season with the Triple A Gwinnett Braves, Redmond, 26, was selected to play for USA Baseball in the World Cup/Pan Am Games in Panama City, Panama. It is the third straight selection to USA Baseball for Redmond.

In two previous years, Redmond is 5-0 for the U.S. team with a 1.29 ERA in 35 innings pitched. For Gwinnett this season, Redmond was 10-8 with a 2.92 ERA. He is the Gwinnett Braves' all-time leader in wins (28), innings pitched (477.1), games started (79) and strikeouts (390). In 2010 with Gwinnett, Redmond threw a no-hitter against Louisville.

After graduating from Northside Christian, Redmond pitched for St. Petersburg College. He helped lead the Trojans to a 2005 state championship. He was drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates then acquired by the Braves in spring 2008.

Redmond will join the U.S. team in Cary, N.C., on Tuesday for training. The Pan Am baseball tournament begins Oct. 20.

Golf

The County Golf Association held an individual tournament at the Bayou Club on Sept. 15. The regular division gross winner was Marshall Ames, who shot 72. The regular division net winner was Lathan Atkinson, who shot 71. The senior gross winner was John King, who shot 79. The senior net winner were John Barrie and Rick Lind, who shot 69s. The ladies net winner was Jeannine Wiles, who shot 70.

Another individual tournament was held Sept. 19 at St. Petersburg Country Club. The regular division gross winner was Tim Hume, who shot 75. The regular division net winner was Steve Micklo, who shot 68. The senior gross winner was Larry Vander Bie, who shot 70. The senior net winner was Tom Carver, who shot 67.

• The St. Petersburg Half Century Softball Golf Classic was held Sept. 17 at Mainlands Golf Club in Pinellas Park. The winning team was Rob Love, Skip Williams, Chris Lanigan and John Beauchamp at 16 under par. The First Flight winning team was Ken Deacon, John Jackson, John Russo and Ken Lattimer at 7 under. The Second Flight winning team was Ralph O'Connell, Fred Bauer, Nick Stelmark and Bob Aita at 3 under. The winning mixed team was Rick Metzger, Beth Daniel, Dennis Feiber and Sandi Buell at 10 under.

• The Tides Women's Golf Association in Seminole begins league play Tuesday, Oct. 4. The league plays nine holes each Tuesday morning. For those interested in joining, call Judy McNamee at 392-3576.

Tennis

The St. Petersburg Tennis Center hosted the Adult Classic Championships on Sept. 17-18. In the men's open singles, No. 5 seed Kent Wright won the championship when top seed Tye Myers had to withdraw due to injury. The men's 55 singles winner was Terry Reeb, the 60 singles winner was John Dryden, the 65 winner was Pedro Mena and the 70 winner was James Higley. The women's open winner was Kristi Schalch and the women's 45 singles winner was Brenda Sturm.

Basketball

Two former Eckerd College players have signed professional contracts to play in Chile. Dale Carn, a 6-foot-11 center who transferred from South Carolina State, will play for Societa Sportiva Italiana. Zaronn Cann, a 6-6 forward from Brandon who transferred from South Florida, will play for Club Deportes Castro. Cann averaged 13.8 points as a senior last year. Carn led the Tritons in rebounds with 5.8 per game.

Times wires
Friday, September 23, 2011

Dodgers 8, Giants 2

LOS ANGELES — Matt Kemp had a two-run homer and a career-high three doubles as Los Angeles pushed San Francisco to the brink of elimination in the NL West race. The Giants open a three-game series at first-place Arizona tonight. One loss would eliminate the defending World Series champions.

Times wires
Friday, September 23, 2011

The winner has the early edge in the ACC's Atlantic Division race. FSU (2-1) hasn't won at Clemson since 2001, dropping its past four meetings at Memorial Stadium. The Tigers are trying for their first 4-0 start since 2000 when they opened with eight straight victories.

Associated Press

WATCH OUT FOR … FSU's secondary vs. Clemson QB Tajh Boyd, left. The Seminoles made things difficult on top-ranked Oklahoma last week, picking off two passes and holding the Sooners to 199 yards through the air. Boyd was the ACC's offensive back of the week for his 386-yard, four-touchdown performance in Clemson's 38-24 victory over defending national champion Auburn. Clemson WR Sammy Watkins set school marks for a freshman in that game with 10 catches and 155 yards. He has 21 catches for 292 yards and four touchdowns so far this season.

No. 11 Florida State at No. 21 Clemson, 3:30 p.m., ESPN, 820-AM

By Brandon Wright, Times Correspondent
Friday, September 23, 2011

RIVERVIEW — Sarah Burrington has always stood out in a crowd.

Taller than most every girl, and guy for that matter, in her classes, Burrington's 6-foot-4 frame is enough to make basketball coaches drool.

So Burrington gave it a try in middle school. She pulled on a jersey, played in the paint and found the physical play to be, well, a bit too physical.

"Look at this," Burrington said pointing to a scar on her wrist. "It was a little too rough, so I switched to volleyball."

And Riverview couldn't be happier.

Burrington is a big reason the Sharks have history on their minds. Riverview won its first district title last season and hopes to set another first this season with consecutive postseason appearances.

"We know teams know who we are now, and they want to come out and beat us," said Burrington, a senior. "It's a new challenge."

The challenge doesn't get any easier Monday night when the Sharks play host to Plant, which has its own talented middle hitter in 6-3 Brynne Fruhmorgen. While not in the Sharks' district, the Panthers should prove to be a tough test.

And getting back to the postseason this year has proved to be a challenge for the Sharks and Burrington, who has committed to Florida State. Riverview lost five seniors from last season, and illness slowed Burrington earlier this season.

"It was so tough watching and not being able to play," she said. "My throat felt like it was on fire, but the emotional pain of not being able to do what you're passionate about was worse than the physical pain."

Burrington sat out two weeks with what she called "either strep throat or mononucleosis" and played only on the front line during the recent Wharton Tournament. Her first match in full rotation came Tuesday against Bloomingdale, when the Bulls overcame a 2-0 deficit to win 3-2.

"It killed me to sit there and have to watch, especially since it wasn't an injury that kept me out," Burrington said.

Burrington, who was recognized by Prep Volleyball as a sophomore and junior for her excellent play, chose the Seminoles after making an instant connection with the coaches and players.

"The coaches were what separated it for me," said Burrington, who also considered Kentucky and North Carolina. "The girls made everything feel like home."

Although Burrington's height dominates the court, the Sharks (12-5 through Wednesday's play) don't run everything through her offensively.

Riverview has four regulars with at least two kills per match.

"It's best to be that way," Burrington said. "We want to be as multifaceted as possible."

Burrington said that although her height affords her the opportunity to hit over most players and provides an advantage in vision, being the tallest girl around isn't all aces.

"Sometimes, it's a disadvantage because it's tougher for me to get down low and dig shots," she said.

"But all around, the advantages outweigh the negatives, so I'll take it."

Brandon Wright can be reached at hillsnews@sptimes.com.

By Stephen F. Holder, Times Staff Writer
Friday, September 23, 2011

TAMPA — There is just one universally accepted method of measuring the success of a pass rush.

Quarterback sacks trump everything else when it comes to judging whether a defensive line is impacting the passing game.

So, what does the fact that the Bucs' defensive linemen don't have a sack this season say about them? Not what you might think, actually.

"The way I judge the pass rush is, are you being disruptive to the quarterback?" defensive end Tim Crowder said. "How many incomplete passes has he thrown? How many times has he been hit? How many times is he having to leave (the pocket)? If he has a clean pocket, then he should have to step up because somebody's in his way. That's the truest way to judge pressure. The sacks, they'll come."

The two sacks registered by the Bucs this season, both occurring Sunday against the Vikings' Donovan McNabb, came from a linebacker (Mason Foster) and safety (Sean Jones).

But Bucs linemen feel they have made steps. Given the pressure on the unit to produce after the unimpressive results of the past few seasons, they know the coaching staff is demanding measurable improvement.

The unfortunate thing, the linemen say, is there have been few chances for sacks. The Lions, in the opener, used a quick passing game with three-step drops from quarterback Matt Stafford.

The Vikings used a number of bootleg and misdirection plays that slowed the pass rush. McNabb threw many of his passes on the run and used a number of screen plays that are useful in beating a pass rush.

The use of those tactics are not coincidental, the Bucs say.

"They're trying to counter our speed on the edge," end Michael Bennett said. "That's what I think. They would just drop back and throw if they didn't respect us.

"Last week we had a consistent pass rush. Teams are doing things like bootlegs because they see our speed. They're trying to keep us discombobulated. Now and then we'll get a straight rush. Every time we got one, we had McNabb running out of the pocket. It's coming along."

So the lack of pass-rushing situations is a key factor, but those situations are, in some cases, lacking because of the Bucs' deficiencies. With Vikings running back Adrian Peterson chewing up yardage on first and second downs, many of the seven third downs Minnesota faced in the first half were short. Four were third and 5 or less. Those situations don't require five- and seven-step quarterback drops that pass rushers long for.

The answer lies in making sure-handed tackles and clogging running lanes on first and second downs.

"It's just, like always, about stopping the run," right end Adrian Clayborn said. "We have to do a better job against the run. That way we can put ourselves in better position to get those sacks. … We need those third and longs so we can just tee off."

Maybe they get the chance on Sunday, when the Falcons visit Raymond James Stadium. They've yielded nine sacks in two games, third-most in the NFL.

In the meantime, though the Bucs' sack numbers are lacking, there has been incremental progress. But with the team coming off a season in which it ranked 30th with 26 sacks, are small steps enough? Again, that depends on how you measure success.

"When you make the quarterback make a bad decision or throw the ball sooner than he wants, that's just as big as a sack," defensive tackle Gerald McCoy said. "When (you get) an incomplete pass, he throws it out of bounds, you rush him out of the pocket, make him take a 1-yard gain instead of throwing the ball down the field, that's what you want."

By John Romano and Gary Shelton, Times Sports Columnists
Friday, September 23, 2011

This week's electronic conversation between columnists John Romano and Gary Shelton:

JR: The Saints have Super Bowl winner and former Madden cover boy Drew Brees at quarterback. The Panthers have No. 1 pick and rookie record-setter Cam Newton. Now here come the Falcons with Matt Ryan and his 34-14 career record as a starter. Tell me, Gary, would you trade Josh Freeman for any of the other NFC South quarterbacks?

GS: No, but I also acknowledge that the other three teams probably like their guys, too. It's a fine quarterback division. Most divisions have a borrowed-time guy but not this one. Its borrowed-time guys all play defense.

JR: What's fascinating is we could watch some extremely talented QBs go head to head for a long, long time. Ryan is 26, Freeman is 23 and Newton is 22. I can see a scenario where each one of those guys sits on top of the heap for a season or two.

GS: Could be. You're talking about a lot of talent. I think the difference in the careers of these guys is going to be how well their teams surround them with talent. I remember the old AFC East with Dan Marino, Jim Kelly and Ken O'Brien. Those guys need playmakers. Which is why New Orleans and Atlanta are still the favorites in this division.

JR: A few weeks ago, I would have said Freeman was surrounded by some pretty good playmakers himself. Now I would argue that point at a much lower volume. We've heard in the past that LeGarrette Blount had to be eased into the offense because he wasn't real good with his assignments on passing downs. Now we're hearing he has trouble hitting the right holes, too. And Mike Williams needs to stand up a little taller even if teams are doubling him. Am I being too critical?

GS: You? Of course not. I still think Blount and Williams are assets, but they have a ways to go before they're stars. I think that's fair. In the coming years, a third-down back with a little scat and a receiver with blazing speed would help. Also, it would help if the Bucs didn't treat the first half as if it was nap time. I swear, if I was Raheem, I'm not sure I would tell my team this week's game doesn't start until 4:15. That way, maybe they'll be moving by kickoff time.

JR: You said the Falcons and Saints remain favorites in the division. I would tend to agree. The question is how far away are the Bucs? I think they're certainly close enough that they can win any game against either team. In fact, they split with New Orleans last season and were a handful of plays away from ruining Atlanta's season. But are they close enough that you go into a home game expecting them to beat Atlanta?

GS: You should. I should. They should. Atlanta has been a very frustrating team for the Bucs the last couple of years, and I suspect if you asked the players which team annoys them the most, it would be Atlanta. The Bucs had Atlanta beat up there last year until Blount picked the wrong ramp to the end zone. They had them beat here until a kickoff return. Atlanta was the place where Jon Gruden picked an injured Brian Griese over Luke McCown, who had practiced all week as the starter. Atlanta was where Raheem faked a punt with the lead in the late going. I think Tampa Bay needs this game for its own sanity.

JR: Forget sanity. Tampa Bay needs this game for the postseason. It may only be the third week, but the Bucs needed to do two things differently in 2011 that they failed to do in 2010. No. 1 was win more consistently at home. No. 2 was beat Atlanta. They don't want the playoffs to come down to a Jan. 1 game in Atlanta. They need to get a leg up Sunday. And if I added a few curse words and a thousand brain cells, that might have sounded like Lombardi.

GS: I've always said you sounded like Guy Lombardo.

By Stephen F. Holder, Times Staff Writer
Friday, September 23, 2011

Probable starters

Bucs offense

WR: Mike Williams 19

LT: Donald Penn 70

LG: Jeremy Zuttah 76

C: Jeff Faine 52

RG: Davin Joseph 75

RT: Jeremy Trueblood 65

TE: Kellen Winslow 82

WR: Arrelious Benn 17

QB: Josh Freeman 5

RB: LeGarrette Blount 27

FB: Earnest Graham 34

Bucs defense

LDE: Michael Bennett 71

DT: Gerald McCoy 93

DT: Brian Price 92

RDE: Adrian Clayborn 94

SLB: Quincy Black 58

MLB: Mason Foster 59

WLB: Geno Hayes 54

LCB: Aqib Talib 25

RCB: Ronde Barber 20

SS: Sean Jones 26

FS: Cody Grimm 35

special teams

P: Michael Koenen 9

PK: Connor Barth 10

KO: Michael Koenen 9

PR/KR: Preston Parker 87

falcons offense

WR: Julio Jones 11

LT: Sam Baker 72

LG: Justin Blalock 63

C: Joe Hawley 61

RG: Garrett Reynolds 75

RT: Tyson Clabo 77

TE: Tony Gonzalez 88

WR: Roddy White 84

QB: Matt Ryan 2

RB: Michael Turner 33

FB: Ovie Mughelli 34

Falcons defense

LDE: Ray Edwards 93

DT: Peria Jerry 94

DT: Vance Walker 99

RDE: John Abraham 55

SLB: Stephen Nicholas 54

MLB: Curtis Lofton 50

WLB: Sean Weatherspoon 56

LCB: Brent Grimes 20

RCB: Dunta Robinson 23

SS: William Moore 25

FS: Thomas DeCoud 28

special teams

P: Matt Bosher 5

PK: Matt Bryant 3

KO: Matt Bryant 3

PR/KR: Eric Weems 14



Bucs coach Raheem Morris says this series can't be called a rivalry until Tampa Bay wins a game under his leadership. That hasn't happened yet as the Bucs are winless in their past five meetings with the Falcons (four of those under Morris). The average margin in the five games, however, is 5.2 points. Last season, both games came down to the final possession. The Bucs are healthier Sunday than the last meeting, and the Falcons are not nearly as good on the road as they are at home.

Falcons' best offensive player

Quarterback Matt Ryan has a lot of stars around him, including receiver Roddy White, tight end Tony Gonzalez and running back Michael Turner. But he has the biggest impact on the Falcons' fate. He hasn't been sharp this season and has a 5-8 touchdown-to-interception margin in six games against the Bucs.

Falcons' best defensive player

End John Abraham has 1041/2 sacks since joining the Falcons in 2006, including two against the Bears in the season opener. But he doesn't have a sack against the Bucs since 2008, when he had four in two games. Last week against the Eagles, Abraham registered a forced fumble. He will pose a great test for Bucs left tackle Donald Penn.

What the Falcons do best

Control the ball with running back Michael Turner then use their weapons in the passing game once they have sucked the defense in. The Falcons added receiver Julio Jones in the draft after paying dearly in a trade up to the No. 6 pick.

You can beat the Falcons if …

You can exploit their defense for big plays. Atlanta gave up seven plays of 20 yards or longer against the Eagles last week. During its current five-game losing streak to the Falcons, the Bucs don't have nearly enough explosive offensive plays.

The Bucs must avoid …

Drumroll … Another slow start. The Falcons won't give up a big lead like the one the Vikings did last week against the Bucs. Atlanta's defense, while inconsistent, has some playmakers who will make coming from behind tough. And Atlanta is capable of eating the clock with running back Michael Turner limiting opponents' time of possession.

Prediction

Bucs 24, Falcons 23

By Stephen F. Holder, Times Staff Writer
Friday, September 23, 2011

Mike Williams says you are one of the best Madden video game players in the world. Is that really true?

Of course, I agree. I'm a very competitive person, and I take Madden very seriously. I think right now, my record online is 26-3. They've all been close games. Those three losses really hurt my heart. I feel like I'm one of the best players around. I just like to be around the game whether I'm home playing video games or watching it on TV.

Who are you playing against? Are these really good players, too?

The thing about Xbox Live is that you can actually interact with players. I play against a couple of my college teammates. We play and talk while we're playing. Then there are some guys I don't know. You get randomly selected to play a quick game against somebody who has the same ranking as you.

Do you ever use yourself or the Bucs on the game?

Honestly, no. And I don't play with the Bucs. They have us pretty underrated on the game.

You or the team?

Me and the team in general. I don't know what that's about. I guess we don't have no respect yet. I think (Josh) Freeman got some pretty good (ratings). But as far as (Aqib) Talib and Mike (Williams) and (LeGarrette) Blount, I don't think they have them rated where they should be.

Here are my weekly questions. First, what's playing most on your iPod right now?

Right now, it's (rapper) J. Cole.

If I picked up your iPod, what would I find that would surprise me?

There's this song by (reggae artist) King Alliance called Use Somebody.

What website do you visit the most?

Probably Google. I just like to look up random stuff. I'm a guy who just likes to know a whole lot of stuff. In the wide receivers room, they call me Google. They get mad because I always know everything.

Are you a Facebook or Twitter guy?

I have both. I'm probably on Twitter more.

Who do you follow that is just over the top or the most fun to follow?

Probably (Chad) Ochocinco. You know what type of guy he is. He's always got something to say.

What reality show do you never miss?

I'm not really a reality show type of guy. I wouldn't say I never miss it, but I'll watch stuff like Basketball Wives and The T.O. Show. That's about it.

How much of that stuff do you think is real and how much is contrived?

Because I know some of the people on those shows, I know some of it's real, some of it's acting.

Would it be weird if your significant other was on Basketball Wives? Do you think it would be awkward?

Well, if you're asking this question, you must know something.

What are you talking about? Seriously. Now I'm curious.

It's no big deal to me because, well, I'm actually in a relationship with one of the people on the show. It's Royce Reed from Basketball Wives. Everybody knows. It's all over the Internet. It's crazy.

I guess I need to Google more. So is it nice seeing the real side of people on the show rather than the version you get on TV?

Outside of the show, people tend to be a lot different than they are. People tend to think that what they see on TV is who they are. That's not usually the case.

Changing gears, I read that one of your goals is to become a high school football coach. Is that still the case?

I always want to be around the game. I'm from Texas, and Texas high school football is real big. It's just something I've always wanted to do. I just want to be around the game, and coaching players and seeing it from a different perspective is something I would really want to do.

By Rick Frazier, Times Correspondent
Friday, September 23, 2011

Inshore: If you're looking for fast action on light tackle, head to the gulf beaches. Spanish mackerel, bluefish, ladyfish and jack crevalle have invaded the nearshore waters, attacking huge schools of anchovies (glass minnows) that have finally moved in. Typically, the glass minnows come to these areas in the spring, but for some reason the invasion is late this year. Regardless, they're here now.

The easiest way to find these packs of marauding fish is to look for birds. Flocks of diving brown pelicans with least and royal terns mixed in are a dead giveaway. Once you get close to the birds, look for the fish coming out of the water chasing the baitfish.

Tactics: One way to catch these fish is on a top­water plug or artificial bait. A MirrOlure 16mr11, which resembles a juvenile finger mullet, is deadly. The best technique is to get upwind of the school and cast downwind to it. Run the lure through the feeding fish and watch it get knocked out of the water.

Another way to catch these feeding fish is to use free-lined live bait. Small scaled sardines (whitebait) or threadfin herring (greenbacks) will not be ignored. It's best to use a long-shank hook with this technique to avoid being cut off by these toothy fish. Again, use the wind to your advantage.

Rick Frazier runs Lucky Dawg Charters out of St. Petersburg and can be reached at (727) 510-4376.

Andy Warrener, Times Correspondent
Friday, September 23, 2011

TAMPA — Carrollwood Day stumbled out of the gate Friday. Senior quarterback Deuce Gruden threw a pick on his first pass. He and junior tailback Robert Davis looked tired and banged up as did the rest of the team. Shorecrest committed to running the ball, gaining 170 yards while attempting just 10 passes.

But two late first-half scores by junior Dominiq Sicardo and a fumble return for touchdown by Davis set the tone for the second half, with CDS prevailing 47-10.

"I told them at halftime, they don't wanna show up to practice on Monday if they don't score 30 points in the second half," CDS coach Lane McLaughlin said.

On the Patriots' first drive of the third quarter, senior Dillon Floyd caught a 46-yard TD from Gruden. Shorecrest (1-3) then fumbled and junior Andy Embody scooped it up and took it to the house. In a blink, the 12-3 halftime score turned into a 26-3 blowout.

The Patriots (3-1) forced four turnovers in the second half, one on downs. Davis finished with 97 yards rushing while Gruden went 10-of-19 passing for 165 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. Shorecrest senior running back Alex Drexler gained 100 yards on nine carries.

Andy Warrener, Times correspondent

By Tom Jones, Times Staff Writer
Friday, September 23, 2011

Point of the day

With the 2012 presidential election about 14 months away, expect plenty of nasty banter between the major parties. As Sports Illustrated's Richard Deitsch writes, ESPN is headed for potentially dangerous territory because many of its commentators are politically active and are involved in social media, such as Twitter and Facebook.

Golf analyst Paul Azinger criticized President Barack Obama on Twitter last month and was scolded by ESPN. Same with Kenny Mayne, who made a wisecrack about Sarah Palin.

Deitsch also points out that Sports Reporters panelist Mike Lupica writes a left-leaning political column for the New York Daily News, while college football analysts Lou Holtz and Craig James are known to be involved with the Republican Party.

The danger isn't necessarily what they might say on the air, but what they might say on some form of social media. Deitsch smartly advises ESPN employees: "If you wish to be active in a campaign, you should take a leave of absence or jump into your new profession."

Rumor of the day

The New York Post reported Friday that negotiations are heating up between Time Warner and the NFL Network. That could be good news for local subscribers of Bright House Network because Time Warner handles the channel negotiations for Bright House.

One holdup in the talks has been Time Warner's stance to put the NFL Network on a separate, extra-fee sports tier; the NFL insists the channel is a part of the basic cable package. The Post reported that Time Warner has agreed to put the NFL Network on the basic package.

While this does appear to be good news for local Bright House subscribers, the excitement needs to be tempered. Our take? Believe it when the contracts are signed.

Deal of the day

The Lightning season opener is less than two weeks away and the team still does not have a radio deal. But don't be surprised if the team ends up back on one of the Clear Channel stations — the Lightning's home for the past several years.

In the past, the Lightning mostly has been on 620-AM but has been bounced to another Clear Channel station (either 970-AM or 1250-AM) when there has been a conflict with the Rays or Bucs. Both of those teams also are on 620-AM. The Lightning has never been crazy about playing second fiddle on the radio to the Rays or Bucs.

That's why it wouldn't be surprising if the Lightning ends up on 970-AM all the time. While 970 is not an all-sports station like 620, it might be a chance for all games to appear on the same station.

Media tidbits

• Fox averaged 20.5 million viewers the first two weeks of the NFL regular season, its best two-week audience ever. It edged out last year's record average of 19.6 million.

• ESPN averaged 11.9 million viewers for the Monday Night Football Giants-Rams game. That's a sizeable drop from last year's Week 2 Saints-49ers game, which was seen by 15.1 million.

• The Sunday Night Football game on NBC (Eagles-Falcons) drew 23.4 million, blowing away the Primetime Emmy Awards, which was on Fox at the same time and had 12.4 million viewers.

He said it

"You're back to small-market teams not having a way to get an edge. This was a moment in sports history, and it's passed.''

Moneyball author Michael Lewis, in an interview with MLB Network's Bob Costas, talking about how difficult it is for teams similar to the small-market A's of the early 2000s to compete in Major League Baseball

Stat of the day

After 100 games, the Pirates were 53-47, in first place in the NL Central and aiming for their first winning record since 1992. Then they went into free fall. Heading into the weekend, the Pirates had lost 40 of their past 56. According to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, that's the worst record for any team since 1900 in first place after 100 games.

tom jones' two cents

The latest in the world of sports

By Greg Auman, Times Staff Writer
Friday, September 23, 2011

WATCH OUT FOR …

USF's B.J. Daniels, left, has thrown for 741 yards in the past two games, including 355 in the first half against Florida A&M last week. … UTEP's Ian Campbell is averaging 46.4 yards per punt, eighth in the Division I-A rankings. … The Bulls have a quick turnaround, with their Big East opener Thursday night at Pittsburgh.

No. 18 USF vs. Texas-El Paso, 7 p.m., 970-AM, video on ESPN3.com

Lots to overcome for the Miners (2-1). They have lost 25 in a row to ranked opponents on the road, and they're 0-20 vs. BCS conference teams since the BCS was founded in 1998. They're 0-15-1 in the Eastern time zone, with the tie coming against West Virginia in 1949. … For a little more perspective, UTEP needed overtime to win its opener against Division I-AA Stony Brook. USF (3-0) opened with Stony Brook last season, winning 59-14.

Greg Auman, Times staff writer

By Antonya English, Times Staff Writer
Friday, September 23, 2011

The Gators (3-0, 1-0 SEC) are coming off an emotionally charged win over Tennessee, while Kentucky (2-1, 0-0) is fresh off a loss to rival Louisville. Kentucky is capping a three-game homestand, while the Gators are on the road for the first time this season. Florida has won 24 in a row against the Wildcats, but it can't afford to get complacent and assume a win is automatic. The Gators hope to spread the offensive wealth a little more, not relying solely on RBs Chris Rainey, left, and Jeff Demps. UF was hit with 16 penalties last week against the Vols, so watch to see if those mistakes have been addressed. A key for the Gators is trying to keep from overlooking Kentucky while looking ahead to next week's opponent, Alabama.

Antonya English, Times staff writer

No. 15 Florida at Kentucky, 7 p.m., ESPN, 1250-AM

WATCH OUT FOR … Whether the Wildcats can establish the run. Florida enters the game ranked No. 1 in the SEC in rushing defense, while the Wildcats are No. 10 in rushing offense (92nd in Division I-A), 108th in passing offense, 111th in total offense and 100th in scoring offense. If the Gators can stop the run, it forces junior QB Morgan Newton to complete passes. Newton is ranked No. 8 in the 12-team league in passing offense.

Times staff, wires
Friday, September 23, 2011

Miami vs. Kansas State, 3:30, ESPNU, 1470-AM

Dual-threat QB Collin Klein will be a challenge for the Hurricanes (1-1) after leading the Wildcats to a 2-0 record, running for 217 yards and completing 22 of 39 passes for 202 yards and two touchdowns. Miami opponents have scored just one touchdown in nine red-zone trips.

FAMU vs. Southern, 3:30, Atlanta, Versus

Both teams are off to 1-2 starts with the Rattlers losing their only league game. QB Dray Joseph leads Southern in both rushing (57 yards) and passing (717 yards).

FIU vs. La.-Lafayette, 6

For the first time in program history, Florida International (3-0, 1-0 Sun Belt) received votes in the Associated Press poll. The Panthers are ranked second in the country with five sacks a game. Winston Fraser had two of the Panthers' six last week against UCF. The Ragin' Cajuns are 2-1 for just the second time since 1991.

Florida Atlantic at Auburn, 7, FSN

The Owls have been routed a combined 85-3 in their first two games. The defending national champion Tigers (2-1) are 16-0 against members of the Sun Belt Conference, so it figures to be more of the same.

Times staff , wires