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Report: NFL fines Bucs $100,000 for coach Raheem Morris talking to players during lockout

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Times staff, wires
Saturday, September 24, 2011

The Bucs have been fined by the league because coach Raheem Morris talked to his players during the lockout, ProFootballTalk.com and NFL.com reported Saturday. ProFootballTalk.com reported the fine was $100,000, but NFL.com did not report the amount.

During the lockout, team officials weren't allowed to have contact with players. On Sept. 12, Morris said he violated the directive, talking to cornerback Aqib Talib and tight end Kellen Winslow.

"I called Aqib when he got (arrested). I called Kellen when he had a baby," Morris said then.

The Bucs were not available for comment Saturday.

The Titans denied a report by ProFootballTalk.com that they also were fined for talking to players during the lockout.

Colts: Quarterback Peyton Manning, out after three neck surgeries, will be in the coaches' box for tonight's game. He said he will sit next to quarterbacks coach Ron Turner and be a "resource." He also plans to participate in pregame and halftime activities.

Giants: Receiver Mario Manningham will sit out today with a concussion sustained Monday against the Rams.


Panthers lose grip on game vs. Irish

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Times wires
Saturday, September 24, 2011

PITTSBURGH — Pittsburgh spent 45 minutes knocking Notre Dame quarterback Tommy Rees around.

The sophomore needed less than five minutes to knock the Panthers out.

Rees shrugged off a poor start to hit tight end Tyler Eifert on a 6-yard touchdown with less than 7 minutes to go and lift Notre Dame to a 15-12 win on Saturday. The score and subsequent 2-point conversion — also to Eifert — capped 4:40 of perfection from Rees as the Irish won their second straight.

Rees went 8-for-8 on the winning drive, remaining patient even as the Panthers bottled up Notre Dame wide receiver Michael Floyd.

"You've just got to make the right decisions," Rees said. "We did some good things getting the ball underneath and just kind of chipping away at their defense."

Rees finished 24-of-41 for 216 yards with a touchdown and an interception and running back Jonas Gray scored on a 79-yard touchdown run for Notre Dame, which overcame eight penalties and two turnovers.

Pitt's Tino Sunseri threw for 165 yards and a score but was sacked twice on his final drive.

The Panthers hoped to prove that the announcement last week that they are bolting the Big East for the ACC in three years wasn't a distraction.

Instead, the Panthers let a lead slip away in the second half for the second week in a row following last week's loss at Iowa.

"We're so close, we can touch it," Sunseri said. "But that's the thing that's so frustrating right now. We feel like we are inches away from really busting this open and really being in that up-tempo offense and understanding it and really being able to put points on the board."

Ray Graham ran for 82 yards and added 43 yards receiving for Pitt, but the Panthers could do little else. Sunseri, who has struggled getting the ball downfield, didn't complete a pass longer than 18 yards.

Floyd caught three passes on Notre Dame's first drive had just one the rest of the way.

Still, "We had too many negative plays," Pittsburgh coach Todd Graham said.

SYRACUSE 33, TOLEDO 30, OT: Cornerback Kevyn Scott made an interception in the end zone on the first play of overtime and Ross Krautman hit a 27-yard field goal to win it for the host Orange. "I was hoping he would throw that ball," Scott said of Toledo QB Austin Dantin. "I saw it was coming, and it was like a baby seeing candy. I was ready for it." After Ryan Nassib's 18-yard pass to Alec Lemon in the back of the end zone gave Syracuse a 29-27 lead with 2:07 left in regulation, Krautman appeared to miss the extra point. Officials reviewed the kick and allowed it to stand despite a replay that showed it was just wide (more, 2X). Nassib also had a touchdown pass of 25 yards to Nick Provo.

RUTGERS 38, OHIO 26: Mohamed Sanu had a record day for the host Scarlet Knights (see 2X), who knocked error-prone Ohio from the unbeaten ranks. Rutgers scored four offensive touchdowns and cornerback Marcus Cooper returned a fumble 3 yards for another score, ending the best start since 1976 for the Bobcats.

LSU aces WVU test to cap road trip

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Times wires
Saturday, September 24, 2011

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Jarrett Lee threw three touchdowns, Michael Ford ran for two scores and No. 2 LSU made a case to be No. 1, beating No. 16 West Virginia 47-21 Saturday night.

The Tigers converted two turnovers into scores, built a big early lead and withstood West Virginia's comeback for its third win over a ranked opponent this season, all away from home. Every win has been by double digits.

West Virginia outgained LSU 533-366. Geno Smith set school records for completions (38), attempts (65) and passing yards (463), but he was intercepted twice after having one in the previous three games.

For the second straight year, the Mountaineers couldn't overcome a double-digit halftime deficit to the Tigers.

And West Virginia couldn't pad its resume with a win over a SEC foe at a time when there has been speculation the league might be interested in the Mountaineers as a 14th school. Texas A&M is set become the 13th member when it leaves the Big 12 next season.

Notre Dame rally confounds Pittsburgh

PITTSBURGH — Pittsburgh spent 45 minutes knocking Notre Dame quarterback Tommy Rees around.

The sophomore needed less than five minutes to knock the Panthers out.

Rees shrugged off a poor start to hit tight end Tyler Eifert on a 6-yard touchdown with less than seven minutes to go and lift Notre Dame to a 15-12 win. The score and subsequent two-point conversion — also to Eifert — capped 4:40 of perfection from Rees as the Irish won their second straight.

Rees went 8-for-8 on the winning drive.

"You've just got to make the right decisions," Rees said. "We did some good things getting the ball underneath and just kind of chipping away at their defense."

Pitt's Tino Sunseri threw for 165 yards and a score but was sacked twice on his final drive. The Panthers let a lead slip away in the second half for the second week in a row following last week's loss at Iowa.

"We're so close, we can touch it," Sunseri said. "But that's the thing that's so frustrating right now."

SYRACUSE 33, TOLEDO 30, OT: Cornerback Kevyn Scott made an interception in the end zone on the first play of overtime and Ross Krautman hit a 27-yard field goal to win it for the host Orange. "I was hoping he would throw that ball," Scott said of Toledo QB Austin Dantin. "I saw it was coming, and it was like a baby seeing candy." After Ryan Nassib's 18-yard pass to Alec Lemon in the back of the end zone gave Syracuse a 29-27 lead with 2:07 left in regulation, Krautman appeared to miss the extra point. Officials reviewed the kick and allowed it to stand despite a replay that showed it was just wide; the Big East later confirmed that the call was incorrect (more, 2X).

RUTGERS 38, OHIO 26: Mohamed Sanu had a record day for the host Scarlet Knights (more, see 2X), who knocked the error-prone Bobcats from the unbeaten ranks.

UConn 17, BUFFALO 3: Nick Williams had two catches for a career-best 113 yards including a 49-yard TD with 4:52 left to make the day better for Huskies coach Paul Pasqualoni in Amherst, N.Y. Pasqualoni spent an hour stuck in a hotel elevator before workers rescued him just hours before the start.

FAMU rallies behind Page's five TDs

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Times wires
Saturday, September 24, 2011

ATLANTA — Lavante Page rushed for five touchdowns, including two in the fourth quarter, as Florida A&M rallied to defeat Southern University 38-33 on Saturday at the Georgia Dome.

Page scored on a 2-yard run with 3:38 to play for the go-ahead touchdown as the Rattlers (2-2) erased a 33-17 deficit over the final 15:11.

The Rattlers picked off Dray Joseph three times, including twice in the fourth quarter. FAMU's John Williams intercepted a pass that set up a drive ending with Page's 1-yard touchdown run with 11:09 to play. That cut Southern's lead to 33-31.

Marvin Ross sealed the win for the Rattlers with an interception with less than a minute to go.

Page totaled 73 yards rushing on 16 carries.

Southern (1-3) led 19-17 at halftime.

jacksonville 57, Campbell 21: The visiting Dolphins (2-2) totaled 713 yards and scored 36 unanswered points in the second half in the Pioneer Football League opener for both teams.

Josh McGregor threw five touchdown passes for Jacksonvlle, completing 24-of-30 for 378 yards. Eight Dolphins caught passes, with Josh Philpart leading with way with six catches for 109 yards and a score.

The Dolphins have won 12 straight conference games dating to 2009 and are 4-0 against Campbell (1-2).

ucf frustrated: The Knights returned to Orlando early Saturday morning kicking themselves after mistakes sealed a second straight loss.

Leading host BYU 17-10 at halftime Friday, UCF (2-2) turned the ball over three times in the second half and lost 24-17. A week earlier, mistakes sent the Knights to a loss at FIU.

"We had our opportunities and we just didn't take advantage of it," coach George O'Leary said.

The Knights have a bye, then host Marshall on Oct. 8. O'Leary said he will reconsider which players can handle game-day pressure and avoid turnovers.

Alabama D proves superior

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Times wires
Saturday, September 24, 2011

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Trent Richardson rushed for 120 yards and caught a 61-yard touchdown and No. 3 Alabama shut down No. 14 Arkansas' high-powered offense in Saturday's 38-14 win.

The Razorbacks entered averaging 47 points and 517 yards but managed 17 yards on 19 rushes and were outgained 397-226.

"We set out to establish that we were going against the best offense in the SEC, and a lot of people were labeling us as the best defense in the SEC," Alabama linebacker Dont'a Hightower said. "So we wanted to go out and show people what we were capable of with all cylinders turning."

Alabama used trickery to take a 7-0 lead 3:12 into the game. It lined up for a 54-yard field goal. But quarterback A.J. McCarron, lined up wide, shifted to behind center and found Michael Williams open for a 37-yard score.

"We've been practicing it for a long time," Tide coach Nick Saban said. "But I just said the first time we got in field-goal range, whether we were ahead 21 or behind 21, we were going to run it."

Arkansas tied it then stuffed three runs from the goal line to force a field goal. But three plays later, cornerback DeQuan Menzie intercepted Tyler Wilson and returned it 25 yards for a score.

Early in the third, Alabama got an 83-yard punt return for a score from Marquis Maze. And Richardson's touchdown made it 31-7.

"They beat us in all three phases of the game," Razorbacks coach Bobby Petrino said. "In the first half, I thought our defense did a great job of keeping us in the game with the goal-line stand. That gave us a chance to come out in the second half and do something offensively. But we just couldn't do it."

Kansas State stuffs Miami on goal line to seal victory

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Times wires
Saturday, September 24, 2011

MIAMI — Miami quarterback Jacory Harris walked into the interview room, taking a seat on the floor. He leaned back, closed his eyes and covered his head in his right hand for what seemed like forever. One more yard would have changed everything.

"That's the game of football," Harris said.

That was the case Saturday. Harris' fourth-and-goal rollout from the Kansas State 1 was stopped by linebacker Tre Walker with less than a minute left, sealing the Wildcats' 28-24 win.

In a game with 809 combined yards of offense, a few inches made all the difference. And the Hurricanes (1-2) lost for the fifth time in six games dating to last season.

"A disappointing loss," said Hurricanes coach Al Golden, whose team trailed by 11 points twice before rallying to take a short-lived lead in the fourth quarter. "I thought we fought and were competitive. We never looked out of it. We were fighting back, but it was not good enough to win."

Walker almost personally saw to that.

As Harris rolled left in a sweeping arc on that final play, Walker shadowed him at full speed. He caught Harris around the 1, grabbing him by the shoulders and driving his knee into the grass a few inches short of the end zone. Replays made it clear, and the ruling on the field that Harris had scored was overturned.

"I knew he was down, but I don't think I was that sure," Walker said. "When I saw they put their hands up, I said no, I couldn't believe it. I thought he was down."

Running back John Hubert ran for 166 yards and the go-ahead touchdown for Kansas State, and quarterback Collin Klein passed for two scores and ran for another. Klein finished with 93 yards rushing for the Wildcats (3-0), who won despite being outgained 411-398.

"I'm proud of them for a lot of reasons," coach Bill Snyder said. "It wasn't just that play — but to have that stand down there was really special."

Harris passed for 272 yards and two touchdowns for the Hurricanes, who got 106 yards and a touchdown from running back Lamar Miller. On those final four plays, the Hurricanes had a first-down pass fall incomplete, saw two Mike James runs stopped — Miller was dealing with a bad shoulder — then Harris came up short on the final try.

"We have no one to blame but ourselves," Golden said.

And Harris almost delivered when needed. "Never did I think that we weren't going to push it in," he said.

Tampa Bay Rays beat Toronto Blue Jays, gain in AL wild-card chase

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By Marc Topkin, Times Staff Writer
Saturday, September 24, 2011

ST. PETERSBURG — The Red Sox have seemed determined to give the Rays the American League wild card. Saturday night, the Blue Jays did, too.

With tremendous compliance from the Jays, the Rays rolled to a much-needed 6-2 victory that, combined with Boston's latest loss, provided a significant boost in their bid to complete their dramatic run to the postseason.

Five unearned runs courtesy of Toronto's defense helped. So did a monumentally important five-inning relief outing by rookie Alex Torres after starter Jeff Niemann lasted only one inning. And Johnny Damon's three-run homer in the eighth provided nice insurance.

"We'll take it,'' centerfielder B.J. Upton said. "Regardless of how it was done, we've got to win, and that's all that matters.'' With the win, the Rays moved back to 1½ games of the wild-card-holding Red Sox, who lost for the 15th time in their last 19 games and play a day-night doubleheader today at Yankee Stadium.

The challenge for the Rays remains formidable, and the margin for a misstep slim to none, with only four games left.

But if the Rays, who were nine games out on Sept. 2, can win again today and the Red Sox were to get swept, the teams would be tied by the end of the night. Conversely, if the Rays lose today and the Red Sox were to sweep the Yankees, the Sox could clinch at least a tie and would need just one win in their final three games to oust the Rays.

"Hopefully this is a big pick-me-up for (today),'' Damon said. "I know our offense seems to come and go in bunches. Hopefully the next four games will be great for us.''

"It should be a fun week of baseball,'' Upton said.

Though the Rays had notice that the Sox had lost — Boston was down big early as the game was shown on the Trop video board during batting practice — their game didn't start well, with Niemann, apparently still affected by his sore back, lasting only one messy inning and putting the Rays in a 2-0 hole before a crowd of 27,773.

Niemann — whose start was pushed back from Thursday due to upper-back soreness — looked uncomfortable and struggled through a miserable 38-pitch first inning, fortunate to allow only two runs.

He had obvious trouble throwing his fastball, clocked only three times on the stadium board above 90 mph, and didn't have command, going to three balls on the first three batters.

The first flied to deep right, the second walked and the third, Jose Bautista, hit a home run, his MLB-leading 43rd. Things didn't get much better as Niemann got another long out, walked the next batter and gave up a double to Colby Rasmus, but he escaped when David Cooper grounded out.

The Rays got the two runs back, though more courtesy of the Blue Jays — who essentially gave them six outs — than their own doing.

"The first inning was a godsend to us,'' Damon said.

Upton should have been the second out, but first baseman Cooper dropped his foul popup, and Upton instead reached on a bloop single. A strikeout later, Ben Zobrist should have been the third out, but shortstop Mike McCoy threw wildly to first, allowing Upton to score and Zobrist to second.

Then Damon should have been the third out, but three Jays — second baseman Kelly Johnson, centerfielder Rasmus and McCoy — watched his popup to shallow center drop, and Zobrist scored.

Zobrist homered in the fourth to put the Rays up 4-2, and the bullpen finished. Torres went five, then rookie Brandon Gomes, Joel Peralta and Kyle Farnsworth, looking sharp in his first outing since a Sept. 10 elbow issue, one each.

Maddon admittedly was gambling a bit with his lineup, starting lefty-swinging Matt Joyce in rightfield against Toronto left-hander Ricky Romero and rookie Jose Lobaton behind the plate.

Tampa Bay Rays beat Toronto Blue Jays 6-2, gain ground on Boston Red Sox in AL wild-card chase

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By Marc Topkin, Times Staff Writer
Saturday, September 24, 2011

ST. PETERSBURG — At this stage of the season, the specifics tend to be secondary.

Knowing the Red Sox had lost again, the Rays came out Saturday night needing a win over the Blue Jays, and they got it, 6-2, to pull back within 1½ games of the AL wild-card lead.

"We'll take it," centerfielder B.J. Upton said. "Regardless of how it was done, we've got to win, and that's all that matters."

But the details were what made Saturday so special, before a raucous Tropicana Field crowd of 27,773.

With starter Jeff Niemann pulled after one uncomfortable inning, unproven rookie Alex Torres stepped up to give the Rays five scoreless frames, and by the time rookie Brandon Gomes, Joel Peralta and recovered Kyle Farnsworth were done, they had a team-record eight zeroes from the bullpen.

Then there was the offense, which came from Ben Zobrist, whose fourth-inning homer put them ahead to stay, and from Johnny Damon, whose three-run homer in the eighth provided much-needed cushion. But it came as much from the Jays, who made three errors and a handful of misplays to give the Rays five unearned runs.

"It's one thing to get a perceived break," manager Joe Maddon said. "But then it's something different to actually do something about it."

The challenge for the Rays remains formidable, and the margin for a misstep slim to none, with only four games left to play.

But on the other hand, if the Rays (87-71) — who were nine games out on Sept. 2 — win today and the Red Sox get swept by the Yankees in a double­header, the teams would be tied by the end of the night. Conversely, if the Rays lose today and the Red Sox sweep, the Sox would need just one more win to oust the Rays. (If the teams finish tied, there would be a one-game playoff Thursday at the Trop.)

"They're leaving the door open right now," Zobrist said. "So we need to take advantage, and we did a good job of that tonight."

It certainly didn't look like that as Niemann — whose start was pushed back two days due to back soreness — struggled uncomfortably in a miserable 38-pitch first inning, fortunate to allow only two runs, on Jose Bautista's 43rd home run. His fastball wasn't very fast (only three above 90 mph) and his breaking balls weren't breaking, and Maddon, frankly, didn't think it would get better.

With limited options, the Rays turned to Torres, and the 23-year-old Venezuelan acquired in the Scott Kazmir trade made the most of his fourth big-league appearance.

"I never feel nervous; pitch by pitch I was just trying to concentrate," Torres said. "It feels great to help the team still be alive to make the playoffs."

It helped, of course, that the Rays got the two runs right back through a charitable, if not comedic, performance by the Jays.

Upton's popup was dropped by first baseman David Cooper, and Upton instead reached on a bloop single. Zobrist's grounder to short should have been the third out, but shortstop Mike McCoy threw wildly, allowing Upton to score. Then Damon's popup to center also should have been the third out, but it dropped between second baseman Kelly Johnson, centerfielder Colby Rasmus and McCoy as Zobrist scored.

"The first inning was a godsend to us," Damon said.

After Zobrist gave them the lead, Maddon stuck with Torres, who struck out five and allowed only three hits. Then Maddon managed to make it interesting by using Gomes and Peralta, two of his most dependable relievers, before turning to Farnsworth, who hadn't pitched since Sept. 10 due to a sore elbow.

"We normally do the tightrope routine on a daily basis," Maddon said. "And it's kind of comfortable for us now."

Marc Topkin can be reached at topkin@sptimes.com


Volleyball: Berkeley Prep rolls

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By Basil Spyridakos, Times Correspondent
Saturday, September 24, 2011

TAMPA — It seemed inevitable that two of the top teams from ESPN's Fab 50 rankings would square off in the final of the Berkeley Premier Volleyball Tournament.

So when they met Saturday it wasn't a surprise that host Berkeley Prep and Orlando Bishop Moore battled for five games, with the deciding game featuring 13 ties and 14 lead changes.

Berkeley Prep persevered 20-25, 25-14, 21-25, 25-16 and 22-20.

"I told my team beforehand that it certainly could go to a Game 5, but I didn't realize it was going to be that (kind of) Game 5," Berkeley Prep coach Randy Dagostino said. "That's just the game of volleyball. The momentum shifts are just goofy that way."

After Maura Mulligan's kill gave Bishop Moore a 14-12 lead in Game 5, Dagostino called a timeout to regroup his players.

"He said, 'This is our home court. This is our tournament,' and we responded," outside hitter Jordan Burgess said. "We haven't won it with this group of girls, and this is was our chance."

The Hornets' Lindsey Owens committed a serving error after the timeout and Burgess blasted consecutive kills to put the Buccaneers up 15-14. Burgess led the Bucs with 33 kills and had 14 digs, earning tournament MVP honors.

Tied at 20, Berkeley Prep's Sidney Brown had an uncontested kill and Bishop Moore's Anna Lausberg made a desperation dig, which landed out of bounds on Berkeley's side to end the match.

"Bishop Moore was amazing," Burgess said. "They put up such a huge fight, and I cannot wait for the state tournament because I know they're going to be there."

Two suspended for illegal hits

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Times wires
Saturday, September 24, 2011

NEW YORK — New league disciplinarian Brendan Shanahan is having a busy preseason.

On Saturday he handed out the third and fourth suspensions of the week, to Wild wing Brad Staubitz and Blue Jackets defenseman James Wisniewski for chippy play during a preseason game Friday.

Both are suspended indefinitely pending league hearings.

Staubitz was given a five-minute major and a game misconduct for checking center Cody Bass from behind and into the boards at 4:24 of the third period. Wisniewski received a minor penalty for a hit to the head of wing Cal Clutterbuck in the third.

On Thursday, Shanahan suspended Flyers wing Jody Shelley 10 games and Flames wing Pierre-Luc Letourneau-Leblond five for hits into the boards.

game highlights: Evgeni Malkin had a goal and two assists and the host Penguins had four power-play goals in a 4-1 win over the Wild. Malkin, coming back from a torn ACL, has five points in two preseason games. … New captain Mark Streit, Matt Moulson and Frans Nielsen had three points each as the host Islanders beat the Devils 6-2. … Chris Neil scored twice for the Senators in the third period, including the winner with 27.3 seconds left, to give Ottawa a 3-2 win over the host Canadiens.

Tampa Bay Lightning beats Florida Panthers 5-3 in preseason game

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By Damian Cristodero, Times Staff Writer
Saturday, September 24, 2011

SUNRISE — Coach Guy Boucher shook his head after the Lightning's 5-3 victory over the Panthers Saturday night at the BankAtlantic Center.

"Zero," he said. "I got zero clarity."

Boucher and GM Steve Yzerman have major decisions to make ahead of today's expected cuts and a two-game road trip to finish the preseason schedule for which they want the team largely intact.

It didn't help that several players on the bubble had such good games, especially Mattias Ritola and Brett Connolly.

Ritola's winning goal with 5:20 left in the third period snapped a 3-3 tie. He also had two assists, including a nifty pass that sparked Tom Pyatt's goal that tied the score.

Connolly had a goal that gave him three points, including two assists, in his past three games. He also used his right foot to block a shot that buckled him a bit. He was limping and icing the foot after the game.

"I think I laid it on the line," Connolly said about his chances to survive the cuts. "We'll see what happens."

"It's out of my control," Ritola said.

Among those whose jobs are secure, Ryan Shannon had two assists to give him two goals and four points his past two games. Steve Downie had two assists. Pavel Kubina and Teddy Purcell also scored, and Mathieu Garon made 24 saves as Tampa Bay (2-2-0) won for the second straight game.

Really, though, the spotlight was on the bubble players, and Cory Conacher made sure he wasn't forgotten with an assist and three shots. Dana Tyrell played with energy, and Carter Ashton created a penalty shot, though his sweet backhander hit the underside of the crossbar.

"They all deserve to stay right now," Boucher said. "If we played five more games, I think I'd say the same thing."

IN THE BOX: The Lightning has been shorthanded 22 times in four games, including eight times Friday against the Panthers.

Boucher said he isn't concerned.

"It's the start of the year for the referees, and they're trying to make a statement, too," he said. "If I was them, I'm being told to make sure the standards are followed.

"They're calling what they see, so I have nothing to say about the referees. They're doing their job, and we need to adjust."

PRAISE FOR MODANO: For 17 seasons Yzerman faced off against Mike Modano, so not many can better judge his career, which ended last week with his retirement.

"Just a great all-around player," Yzerman said of the center considered the greatest American player. "Just a tremendous center man and a good penalty killer; a great faceoff man, a great shot, one of the greatest backhands I can think of."

ODDS AND ENDS: Steven Stamkos was an alternate captain for a second straight game. Nate Thompson and Mattias Ohlund also wore A's. … The Lightning does not skate today. … Practice is at 10 a.m. Monday at the Ice Sports Forum in Brandon.

USF Bulls score with big plays

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By Greg Auman, Times Staff Writer
Saturday, September 24, 2011

TAMPA — In the past two weeks, USF's offense has shown big-play potential that was missing in Skip Holtz's first season in Tampa — the Bulls had three touchdowns of 50 yards or longer Saturday against UTEP, matching their total for all of last season.

The Bulls got a 71-yard scoring run by QB B.J. Daniels, a 67-yard option run by WR Victor Marc and a 54-yard pass to Lindsey Lamar, and this after two long scoring plays in last week's 70-17 rout of Florida A&M.

The Bulls had just three such scoring plays last season, with two coming in an opening win against I-AA Stony Brook — the only touchdown longer than 50 yards after that was a 70-yard pass to WR Faron Hornes in a win at Cincinnati.

BAKER IN: With senior CB Quenton Washington sidelined with a knee injury, junior George Baker stepped to make just his second career start and first since the 2009 opener against Charleston Southern.

Baker, from Miami Archbishop Carroll, was tested often in the first half Saturday but had five tackles before halftime, second only to S Jon Lejiste, who had seven.

Washington was held out with hopes that he can return healthy Thursday against Pittsburgh, where he'll be needed against a strong passing offense.

SPECIAL PROBLEMS: Holtz talked last week about the strength of UTEP's kickoff return game, and the Miners didn't disappoint, piling up 183 yards on kickoff returns in the first half alone. Vernon Frazier, who came into the game ranked ninth in the nation, had a 67-yard kickoff return to set up the Miners' first touchdown.

After a touchback on the opening kickoff, UTEP gave itself great field position, starting drives at its 36-, 43- and 48-yard lines in addition to the long return by Frazier.

THIS AND THAT: Marc got his first career start at receiver. … Twice, USF had big gains challenged, but upheld on review. The Bulls had a 21-yard reception on the sideline to WR Deonte Welch to set up a 3-yard touchdown by Darrell Scott that was upheld, then a 54-yard touchdown pass to Lamar in the third quarter. … USF had 263 rushing yards in the first half, putting the Bulls in position to challenge the school record of 377, set against Florida A&M in 2005. USF wound up just short at 373 yards rushing.

Greg Auman can be reached at auman@sptimes.com and at (813) 226-3346. Check out his blog at tampabay.com/blogs/bulls and follow him at Twitter.com/gregauman.

USF Bulls receiver Terrence Mitchell improving after head-on collision sends him to hospital

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By Greg Auman, Times Staff Writer
Saturday, September 24, 2011

TAMPA -— USF got a significant injury scare late in Saturday's win against Texas-El Paso when sophomore WR Terrence Mitchell lay motionless on the field after a head-on collision making a tackle on a fake punt early in the fourth quarter.

Mitchell was carried off the field on a stretcher and taken to a hospital, but USF coach Skip Holtz said Mitchell had a head injury and not a neck injury, that he had feeling and motion in his extremities and was hospitalized as a precaution for a concussion. Holtz said the Hillsborough High graduate was speaking and responsive in the hospital, a huge relief for his teammates.

"We're very grateful that the injury was not as severe as it appeared it was on the field, and that he's responding really positively right now," Holtz said. "We'll keep him in our thoughts and prayers as we go through this that he'll continue to make a fast recovery."

Players and some family members circled around Mitchell as he lay on his back directly in front of the Bulls sideline, having collided with UTEP P Ian Campbell after the Miners executed a fake punt for a 19-yard gain early. Mitchell's first cousin, WR Lindsey Lamar, said he was encouraged that Mitchell's injury wasn't anything neck-related, after seeing the way he was taken off the field.

"It was a sad feeling to see him going away like that. It was hard for me," Lamar said. "They told me he was doing okay, so that's a good thing and I'm happy for that."

BIG PLAYS: In the last two weeks, USF's offense has shown a big-play potential that was missing in Holtz's first season in Tampa. The Bulls had three touchdowns of 50 yards or longer Saturday against UTEP, matching their total for all of last season.

The Bulls got a 71-yard scoring run by QB B.J. Daniels, a 67-yard option run by Victor Marc and a 54-yard pass to Lamar. These came after two long scoring plays in last week's 70-17 rout of Florida A&M. The Bulls had just three such scoring plays last season, with two of them coming in a season-opening win against Stony Brook. The only touchdown longer than 50 yards after that game was a 70-yard pass to WR Faron Hornes in a win at Cincinnati.

WINNING REVIEWS: Twice, USF had big gains challenged, but upheld on review. The Bulls had a 21-yard reception on the sideline to WR Deonte Welch to set up a 3-yard touchdown by RB Darrell Scott that was upheld, then a 54-yard touchdown pass to Lamar in the third quarter.

Greg Auman can be reached at auman@sptimes.com and at (813) 226-3346.

Captain's Corner: Two methods popular for hauling up grouper

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By Joel Brandenburg
Saturday, September 24, 2011

What's hot: Grouper season is here. To troll or bottom fish is the question. I like both. My favorite is bottom fishing because I can anchor and all my clients can participate. Sometimes trolling limits participation. Guide Oliver O'Riordan likes trolling better. He says it's more expensive but seems to yield bigger grouper. Most of the grouper O'Riordan catches trolling are gags. The rest are blacks and reds. In 1991 the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission named black grouper a subspecies of gags. The biggest visual difference is gags have a curved tail, blacks square.

Tactics: O'Riordan trolls at about 4 knots and depths of 25 to 50 feet. He uses No. 2 planers for 25 to 40 feet, Nos. 3 or 4 for 40 feet and deeper. He trolls with a conventional reel spooled with 80-pound test attached to 20 feet of 100-pound mono leader.

Joel Brandenburg of Ana Banana Fishing Company of Little Harbor Resort in Ruskin can be reached toll-free at 1-877-766-6566 or via e-mail at anabananafishing@earthlink.net.

Lineup shakeup is no help; Red Sox lose again

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Times wires
Saturday, September 24, 2011

NEW YORK — Manager Terry Francona took input from his players in writing a revamped lineup and sent his ace to the mound. Yet the Red Sox lost yet again.

Designated hitter David Ortiz has another idea: "What you got to do right now is laugh, just see if you can fool somebody."

Derek Jeter capped a six-run second inning with a three-run homer, rookie Jesus Montero had four RBIs in finishing a triple shy of the cycle and the Yankees stunned the reeling Red Sox early in a 9-1 victory Saturday.

Boston dropped to 4-15 since holding a nine-game lead over the Rays in the AL wild-card race on Sept. 4. Tampa Bay is now 1½ back.

The Red Sox and Yankees play a day-night doubleheader today, then Boston closes with a three-game series at Baltimore.

"Now it's up to us to go win," Francona said. "We know what's in front of us, we just have to play better."

Starter Freddy Garcia made his case for the No. 3 spot in the Yankees' postseason rotation. New York clinched homefield through the AL Championship Series when the Tigers lost to the Orioles.

In front of a regular-season record 49,556 at the new Yankee Stadium, the Yankees used their "A" lineup and quickly roughed up Jon Lester.

By the ninth, all the starting position players except Nick Swisher were pulled.

Russell Martin, who before the series expressed his dislike of the Red Sox, had a two-run single.

Francona sought input from players and coaches, moving Carl Crawford to the second spot and dropping Adrian Gonzalez to fifth with Dustin Pedroia hitting third.

It unraveled in the second.

"A disappointing game," Francona said.

Before the game, the Yankees culminated a season-long commemoration of the 1961 Roger Maris-Mickey Mantle home-run chase with a ceremony attended by Maris' wife, Pat, and six children, along with two of Mantle's sons and 1961 Yankees Yogi Berra, Whitey Ford, Moose Skowron, Bobby Richardson and Bob Cerv.


No. 18 USF Bulls 52, UTEP 24

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By Greg Auman, Times Staff Writer
Saturday, September 24, 2011

TAMPA — USF's offense continued to move the ball with ease in piling yards and points, but the Bulls' defense raised a new question mark Saturday, unable to consistently stop a weaker opponent in USF's 52-24 victory at Raymond James Stadium.

The No. 18 Bulls (4-0) were in control in their final tuneup before Thursday's Big East opener at Pittsburgh, scoring on their first five drives, but the defense wasn't as sharp, nor was USF's special teams units. UTEP (2-2) had more than 200 yards in kickoff returns and had the ball down 14 in the fourth quarter, staying much closer than expected as a 28-point underdog.

For the second game in a row, USF's offense came up with big plays — three touchdowns were longer than 50 yards, as much as the Bulls totaled in all of last season. But preparing for a Pittsburgh offense thought to be one of the Big East's best, the defense presented itself as a new concern, having given up more than 500 yards in the season-opening win at Notre Dame.

The scare wasn't just on the scoreboard — USF had one of its top young players motionless on the field in the fourth quarter when return man Terrence Mitchell made a running, head-on tackle on a UTEP fake punt. The Miners executed the fake punt from deep in their territory, getting a fresh start on their 43-yard line.

Mitchell, one of USF's smallest players at 160 pounds, appeared to be unconscious after slamming into UTEP punter Ian Campbell in front of the USF sideline. Trainers were immediately summoned to help him, and the Bulls gathered in a circle around Mitchell as he was strapped to a stretcher and taken off the field in a cart.

The Bulls didn't have the win locked up until Lindsey Lamar caught a screen pass from Daniels and went 18 yards for a touchdown and a 21-point lead with 6:46 left in the game. Seconds later, USF got a defensive touchdown as linebacker Sam Barrington got his first career interception and took it in 30 yards for a score.

The Bulls jumped out to a 21-7 lead in the first quarter, getting a 71-yard touchdown run from B.J. Daniels and short touchdown runs by running backs Darrell Scott and Demetris Murray. After UTEP pulled within 21-14 on an 88-yard touchdown drive, USF got a 67-yard run on an option play by receiver Victor Marc, going into halftime with a 31-14 lead.

Daniels got a 54-yard touchdown pass to Lamar for a 38-17 lead in the third quarter, but UTEP again pulled closer, converting a fourth-and-inches play with a 25-yard touchdown pass to a wide-open tight end Kevin Perry.

It has been an easy three-game home stretch, with lopsided wins against Ball State and FAMU before Saturday's victory. But now the Bulls have a major test in their Big East opener, even though Pittsburgh has lost its last two games, both by close scores to Iowa and Notre Dame. Pittsburgh was picked to finish second in the Big East, one spot ahead of USF, so Thursday's winner will be seen as the top challenger to preseason favorite West Virginia.

USF had one of the best rushing games in school history — with Daniels leading the way with 116 yards entering the fourth quarter, the Bulls were close to the school record of 377 rushing yards, set against Florida A&M in 2005.

Tampa Bay Rays news and notes: James Shields shows big heart with Rober Clemente Award; Red Sox-Yankees draws interest at Trop

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By Joe Smith, Times Staff Writer
Saturday, September 24, 2011

Rays vs. Blue Jays

When/where: 1:40 today; Tropicana Field, St. Petersburg

TV/radio: Sun Sports; 970-AM, 680-AM (Spanish)

Tickets: $12-$255, available at the stadium box office, Ticketmaster or raysbaseball.com

Promotion: A Zorilla Gorilla bobblehead to the first 10,000 kids.

Starting pitchers:

Rays

RH Wade Davis (10-10, 4.55)

Jays:

LH Brett Cecil (4-10, 4.56)

Watch for:

Wading in: Davis is coming off back-to-back losses, including giving up five runs and eight hits over 4⅔ innings against the Yankees last week. But the Rays have won his past six home starts, and he is 2-0 with a 2.96 ERA in that span.

Leaning left: Cecil has lost three consecutive starts and allowed at least four earned runs in four of his past five outings. He is 4-2 with a 4.66 ERA in nine career appearances (eight starts) against Tampa Bay.

Key matchups

Jays vs. Davis

Jose Bautista 2-for-17, HR

Edwin Encarnacion 1-for-12

Colby Rasmus 1-for-7

Rays vs. Cecil

Evan Longoria 10-for-20, HR

B.J. Upton 3-for-20

Kelly Shoppach 0-for-10

On deck

Monday: vs. Yankees, 7:10, Sun Sports. Rays — James Shields (15-12, 2.84); Yankees — TBA

Tuesday: vs. Yankees, 7:10, Sun Sports. Rays — Jeremy Hellickson (13-10, 2.90); Yankees — TBA

Wednesday: vs. Yankees, 7:10, Sun Sports. Rays — David Price (12-13, 3.35); Yankees — TBA

Big Heart James

RHP James Shields grew up in Southern California but considers Tampa Bay his "adopted community" since he has lived here the past 11 years while with the Rays organization. Shields and his wife, Ryane, have given back often, and for that he was recognized before Saturday's game as the Rays recipient of the Roberto Clemente Award, given to the player who best represents the game on and off the field. "To me, it's one of the best awards out there," Shields said. "It's a great honor."



Feel the heat

With the Rays battling the Red Sox for the AL wild-card spot, plenty of eyes were on Boston's afternoon game against the Yankees. The game was shown on the Tropicana Field Jumbotron during Rays batting practice.

Tampa Bay Rays news and notes: James Shields shows big heart with Roberto Clemente Award; relievers set team record

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By Joe Smith, Times Staff Writer
Saturday, September 24, 2011

Rays vs. Blue Jays

When/where: 1:40 today; Tropicana Field, St. Petersburg

TV/radio: Sun Sports; 970-AM, 680-AM (Spanish)

Tickets: $12-$255, available at the stadium box office, Ticketmaster or raysbaseball.com

Promotion: A Zorilla Gorilla bobblehead to the first 10,000 kids.

Starting pitchers:

Rays

RH Wade Davis (10-10, 4.55)

Jays:

LH Brett Cecil (4-10, 4.56)

Watch for:

Wading in: Davis is coming off back-to-back losses, including giving up five runs and eight hits over 4⅔ innings against the Yankees last week. But the Rays have won his past six home starts, and he is 2-0 with a 2.96 ERA in that span.

Leaning left: Cecil has lost three consecutive starts and allowed at least four earned runs in four of his past five outings. He is 4-2 with a 4.66 ERA in nine career appearances (eight starts) against Tampa Bay.

Key matchups

Jays vs. Davis

Jose Bautista 2-for-17, HR

Edwin Encarnacion 1-for-12

Colby Rasmus 1-for-7

Rays vs. Cecil

Evan Longoria 10-for-20, HR

B.J. Upton 3-for-20

Kelly Shoppach 0-for-10

On deck

Monday: vs. Yankees, 7:10, Sun Sports. Rays — James Shields (15-12, 2.84); Yankees — TBA

Tuesday: vs. Yankees, 7:10, Sun Sports. Rays — Jeremy Hellickson (13-10, 2.90); Yankees — TBA

Wednesday: vs. Yankees, 7:10, Sun Sports. Rays — David Price (12-13, 3.35); Yankees — TBA

Big Heart James

RHP James Shields grew up in Southern California but considers Tampa Bay his "adopted community" since he has lived here the past 11 years while with the Rays organization. Shields and his wife, Ryane, have given back often, and for that he was recognized before Saturday's game as the Rays recipient of the Roberto Clemente Award, given to the player who best represents the game on and off the field. "To me, it's one of the best awards out there," Shields said. "It's a great honor."



Number of the day

8 Scoreless innings by the Rays bullpen Saturday night, setting a club record. The previous best was 7⅔ innings on April 29, 2004.

No. 15 Florida Gators 48, Kentucky Wildcats 10

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By Antonya English, Times Staff Writer
Saturday, September 24, 2011

LEXINGTON, Ky. — The streak now extends to 25 and counting.

No. 15 Florida walked out of Commonwealth Stadium Saturday night with a decisive 48-10 victory over Kentucky for its 25th consecutive win over the Wildcats. Equally as important the Gators overcame adversity and the loss of their starting quarterback for a portion of the game, showing resiliency during their first road trip of the season.

The Gators (4-0, 2-0 SEC) now begin preparing for the toughest portion of their schedule, beginning Saturday with a home game against No. 2 Alabama.

Florida got a taste of what life would be like without starting quarterback John Brantley, who left the game late in the second quarter after he took shot to the upper body after releasing a throw. Backup freshman quarterback Jeff Driskel had two turnovers in two possessions in the final portion of the first half. Driskel's fumble led to a Kentucky touchdown that pulled the Wildcats within 31-10 with 1:18 remaining.

Brantley, who was 8-of-14 for 115 yards, returned for the third quarter and is expected to play this week.

If you're looking for a key to Florida's 25-game winning streak over Kentucky (2-2, 0-1), look no further than the first quarter, where Florida has dominated the Wildcats in the series.

During the 24-game winning streak Florida had outscored Kentucky 292-80 in the first quarter, and had scored at least 14 points in the first quarter in the past five years. Saturday was no exception. Florida scored 21 first quarter points and never trailed in the game. Since 2008, Florida has outscored the Wildcats 94-3.

After relying mostly on running backs Chris Rainey and Jeff Demps for its offensive production through the first three weeks of the season, the Gators' first score came on a 45-yard touchdown pass from Brantley to little used tight end Gerald Christian for a 7-0 lead with 8:10 remaining in the first quarter.

But ultimately it was Florida's rushing game that led the way again. Rainey and Demps combined for 231 yards and two touchdowns for the Gators. Demps' performance was highlighted by an 84-yard touchdown run with 10:24 remaining in the third quarter. Junior running back Mike Gillislee (six carries for 84 yards) added a 60-yard touchdown run with 7:44 remaining in the game — giving the Gators 42 carries for 389 rushing yards up to that point in the game.

And while the offense rolled up the yards — and points — Florida's defense was solid. For the past two weeks, Florida coach Will Muschamp lamented the fact the Gators didn't have many turnovers. The defense silenced that criticism on Saturday.

The Gators forced three turnovers that led directly to 21 points and held Kentucky to 105 rushing yards, 229 total through three quarters.

Kentucky entered the game ranked last in the SEC and tied for 117th nationally in sacks allowed, having surrendered 12. With 12:31 remaining in the first quarter, Ronald Powell registered the first sack of the night.

Antonya English can be reached at english@sptimes.com.

Another season, another win

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By Antonya English, Times Staff Writer
Saturday, September 24, 2011

LEXINGTON, Ky. — The streak now extends to 25 and counting.

No. 15 Florida walked out of Commonwealth Stadium on Saturday night with a 48-10 victory, its 25th consecutive over Kentucky. Equally as important, the Gators overcame some adversity — the loss of their starting quarterback for a portion of the game — showing resiliency during their first road game of the season.

Florida (4-0, 2-0 SEC) now will prepare for the toughest part of its schedule, beginning Saturday at home against No. 3 Alabama.

"I was real pleased to get the victory on the road," Florida coach Will Muschamp said. "Twenty-six players of the 70 we traveled had never been on the road in the SEC. I'm very pleased with how we responded in the game."

The Gators got a taste of what life would be like without starting quarterback John Brantley, who left the game late in the second quarter after taking a shot to the upper body.

Freshman Jeff Driskel struggled, committing two turnovers in two possessions. His fumble led to a touchdown that pulled the Wildcats (2-2, 0-1) within 31-10 with 1:18 left in the first half.

"Jeff's got to play. It's a long season," Muschamp said. "We've got to get Jeff ready to play in the game. In this league, it's tough to have one guy go through the whole season. I felt like we made the right decision (putting him in), although it was not the right result."

Brantley, who was 8-of-14 for 115 yards, returned for the third quarter and is expected to play against the Crimson Tide.

"(The hit) was just right in the midsection, and it knocked the breath out of me a little bit," Brantley said. "It hit me in the right spot. I wasn't really concerned because I knew how I was feeling. They just wanted to be sure."

After relying mostly on running backs Chris Rainey and Jeff Demps for its offensive production during the first three weeks of the season, the Gators got more from others. Florida's first score came on a 45-yard pass from Brantley to tight end Gerald Christian with 8:10 remaining in the first quarter.

"I knew it was going to come (more from other players). I wasn't worried about that," Christian said. "I just waited for my time, and when it came, I just wanted to take the opportunity and make the best of it."

Said Muschamp: "We had our vertical passing game (produce), and we'll continue to work on that."

During the first 24 wins, Florida outscored Kentucky 292-80 in the first quarter and scored at least 14 points in each of the past five games. Saturday, Florida scored 21 first-quarter points and did not trail from there. Since 2008, the Gators have outscored the Wildcats overall 94-3.

Ultimately, Florida's rushing game led the way again. It had 405 yards, and Rainey and Demps combined for 262 and two touchdowns. Demps' performance was highlighted by an 84-yard touchdown 4:36 into the third quarter. Junior Mike Gillislee (six carries for 84 yards) added a 60-yard touchdown with 7:44 remaining in the game.

And while the offense rolled up the yards — and points — Florida's defense was solid. For the past two weeks, Muschamp lamented the lack of turnovers. Against Kentucky, Florida forced four that led to 24 points and allowed 299 total yards.

"I'm pleased with the turnovers and being able to run the football," Muschamp said. "I understand this is a line of scrimmage league, and you've got to be able to do that as we move forward. We're 4-0, pleased with where we are.

"But we've got a lot of things we still need to improve on."

Antonya English can be reached at english@sptimes.com.

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