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.

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

ST. PETERSBURG — RHP Kyle Farnsworth said he didn't know what to expect Saturday in his first outing in two weeks, having been sidelined by a sore elbow.

But after Farnsworth threw a perfect ninth in the Rays' 6-2 win over the Jays, including two strikeouts, he was encouraged with how he felt. And manager Joe Maddon was impressed with how sharp he was after the layoff.

"I felt better than I thought," Farnsworth said. "I was just trying to stay within myself, knock the rust off and try to throw strikes. And I felt good, for the most part."

Farnsworth said he felt the elbow a little on a couple of sliders, but he was happy with his command, throwing 11 of his 17 pitches for strikes. And he reached 97 mph on one of them.

"I thought he was real sharp," Maddon said. "Velocity was really good — you saw 97 when he wanted it."

Maddon said if Farnsworth feels fine today, he'd have no problem using him again.

a little off: Maddon said pulling RHP Jeff Niemann after just one inning — his shortest start of his career — was not injury-related, he just didn't like how he looked on the mound.

Niemann, who had his start pushed back two days due to upper-back soreness, labored in a 38-pitch first inning in which he allowed two runs (a two-run homer by Jose Bautista) on two hits and walked two.

"I didn't see the normal snap on the breaking ball, and I didn't see the normal velocity," Maddon said. "He was not looking like he normally does, so I thought, 'Why wait?' "

Niemann said he was physically fine, other than some expected residual soreness, and while he was a little surprised with the quick hook, he understood.

"Just a little bit off," Niemann said. "These are must-win games for us, and we all know that, so that's what happened."

Wading in: RHP Wade Davis considers himself his own "worst enemy," making him as upset as anybody over his last outing, when he allowed five runs and walked five in just 4⅔ innings in a loss in New York.

"I'm way better than that," Davis said. "Should have been the exact opposite."

Davis is also confident he'll be better today in what is likely his biggest start of the season, and he hopes it's not his last.

"It's everything," he said. "It's all or nothing."

Davis had a good between-starts bullpen session and knows what he did wrong in Yankee Stadium, specifically boasting a lack of fastball command, and "overthrowing" with runners on base.

"I think you just try to do too much in certain situations when you don't have to," Davis said. "You look at some of the best pitchers in baseball, the Cliff Lees, and (Roy) Halladay, and some of those guys, they have men on first and second and nobody out and they really don't seem to change their game. You just got to stay within yourself."

No worries: CF B.J. Upton said he is fine after twisting his ankle on a stolen base attempt in the eighth. His foot just got stuck in the dirt on a slide.

Times wires
Saturday, September 24, 2011

COLLEGE STATION, Texas — Texas A&M's coaches spent halftime Saturday reminding their players about what happened in the second half last season against Oklahoma State.

It didn't work.

Brandon Weeden threw for a school-record 438 yards and two touchdowns as No. 7 Oklahoma State rallied for a 30-29 win over No. 8 Texas A&M.

The Aggies built a 20-3 halftime lead before the Cowboys took advantage of three A&M turnovers to reel off 27 consecutive points and take a 30-20 lead.

Jeff Fuller caught a 4-yard touchdown with 2:20 left to make it 30-27. And A&M forced a punt, but Ryan Tannehill threw his third interception to seal it.

"We came out confident in the second half," said Cowboys receiver Justin Blackmon, who ran 39 yards into A&M's end zone for a safety as time expired for the final score. "We knew we could come back if we played our game and executed the game plan."

In last season's game, A&M led 21-7 at halftime before errors led to a 38-35 Oklahoma State win.

"We gave the game away," Aggies safety Trent Hunter said. "We didn't step up and play with the same passion we did in the first half. We weren't going out with that same fire, and we weren't ready to fight. Regardless of what they did in the second half … we just didn't go out and want to win."

The game was the first top 10 matchup at Kyle Field since 1975.

"We didn't change anything. We just started executing," said Weeden, who also set school records for his 47 completions and 60 attempts. "Our guys did a great job up front. In the second half, things started clicking."

It could be the last time these teams meet in conference play with the Aggies likely headed to the SEC next season. The few Oklahoma State fans in attendance chanted, "Big 12! Big 12!" as the final seconds ticked away.

"It's almost exactly the same scenario, but we had a bigger lead this year," A&M coach Mike Sherman said of the second-half collapse. "They did a great job in the second half — a lot better job than we did. We certainly helped in that regard, but they did a good job."

By Bob Putnam, Times Staff Writer
Saturday, September 24, 2011

Pinellas County Athletic Conference meet

At Long Center

Girls

Team scores

Palm Harbor University 494, East Lake 282, Countryside 267, Osceola 264, Seminole 220, Northeast 176, Tarpon Springs 145, Clearwater 110, St. Petersburg 101, Lakewood 69, Dunedin 50, Boca Ciega 41, Largo 39, Gibbs 26, Pinellas Park 8.

Results

200 medley relay - Palm Harbor University (Bauer, Freeman, Perrotti, McIntosh) 1:53.80, East Lake (Pickrem, Smith, McMeekin, Peterson) 1:54.79, Osceola (Wittman, Koda, Wiser, Slockett) 1:58.38; 200 free - Turek (PHU) 1:52.94, Wittman (Osc) 1:55.67, Mayer (PHU) 1:56.12; 200 IM - Pickrem (EL) 2:05.00, Buckley (TS) 2:07.10, Finke (Cs) 2:10.25; 50 free - Hall (Cs) 24.91, Freeman (PHU) 25.01, Smith (EL) 25.31; 100 fly - Perrotti (PHU) 59.66, Veheyheweyhen (TS) 59.96, Gorman (Sem) 1:00.47; 100 free - Buckley (TS) 52.03, Turek (PHU) 53.84, Freeman (PHU) 54.75; 500 free - S. Finke (Cs) 4:58.97, A. Finke (Cs) 5:01.41, Wittman (Osc) 5:05.27; Diving - Gonzalez (EL) 460.15, Dawson (Sem) 406.50, Tarr (PHU) 362.15; 200 free relay - East Lake (Peterson, Jacobs, Pickrem, Smith) 1:42.27, Palm Harbor U (Freeman, McIntosh, Hubbard, Turek) 1:42.37, Countryside (S. Finke, Smythe, Finke, Hall) 1:43.29; 100 back - Marckese (SP) 59.77, Perrotti (PHU) 1:00.45, King (PHU) 1:02.18; 100 breast - Pickrem (EL) 1:04.99, Hall (Cs) 1:09.27, Roper (Sem) 1:10.73; 400 free relay - Palm Harbor University (Freeman, Kovac, Mayer, Turek) 3:40.62, Countryside (S. Finke, Smythe, Finke, Hall) 3:43.40, Seminole (Gorman, Miller, Russo, Roper) 3:45.57.

Boys

Team scores

Palm Harbor University 510, Clearwater 258, East Lake 241, Countryside 233, Seminole 195, Osceola 179, Northeast 170, St. Petersburg 139, Lakewood 74, Tarpon Springs 53, Dunedin 44, Pinellas Park 40, Largo 36, Gibbs 34, Boca Ciega 24.

Results

200 medley relay - Palm Harbor U (McRae, Morgan, Perrotti, Williams) 1:35.76, Clearwater (Alexiou, Buck, Hughes, Holtz) 1:42.74, East Lake (Hausman, Smith, Holdsworth, Pickrem) 1:43.47; 200 free - Alexiou (Clw) 1:39.09, Metka (Sem) 1:44.03, Peters (Cs) 1:46.05; 200 IM - Morgan (PHU) 1:53.25, Buck (Clw) 1:55.12, Willsey (Cs) 2:00.99; 50 free - Williams (PHU) 21.25, Holtz (Clw) 22.44, VanHuyssteen (PHU) 22.73; 100 fly - Perrotti (PHU) 52.07, Krastev (Ne) 53.21, Barragan (PHU) 54.29; 100 free - Alexiou (Clw) 45.99, McRae (PHU) 46.19, Williams (PHU) 47.71; 500 free - Uselis (PHU) 4:40.14, Bryant (Osc) 4:40.96, Sanders (PHU) 4:57.77; Diving - Yoder (Clw) 393.35, Burns (EL) 383.25, Berendt (Cs) 342.50; 200 free relay - Palm Harbor U (VanHuyssteen, Perrotti, Morgan, Williams) 1:28.14, Countryside (Peters, Kelly, Lush, Willsey) 1:29.18, Northeast (Krastev, Hessler, Williams, Santoyo) 1:34.06; 100 back - Krastev (Ne) 53.02, McRae (PHU) 53.14, Perrotti (PHU) 54.18; 100 breast - Morgan (PHU) 58.46, Metka (Sem) 59.71, Buck (Clw) 1:00.42; 400 free relay - Palm Harbor U (VanHuyssteen, Barragan, Uselis, McRae) 3:12.52, Clearwater (Holtz, Buck, Hughes, Alexiou) 3:16.33, Countryside (Peters, Lush, Lombardo, Willsey) 3:17.20.

CLEARWATER — Heading into Saturday's Pinellas County Athletic Conference swim meet at the Long Center, Palm Harbor University had more depth than anyone and was poised to win its ninth consecutive boys and third consecutive girls team title.

Still, Hurricanes coach Lisa Bitting wanted to keep her swimmers motivated. So she challenged her teams to win each title by more than 100 points.

The Hurricanes exceeded those expectations. In the most dominant performance ever by a program at the county meet, PHU swept both titles, scoring a combined 1,004 points. It is the first time a school has scored more than 1,000 combined. The Hurricanes won the girls title with 494 points, beating East Lake by 212. PHU's boys scored 510, beating Clearwater by 252.

"In all my years of coaching I've never seen anything like this," Bitting said. "It was far more than anything I could have imagined."

As expected, the Hurricanes' boys swam laps around the competition. PHU set meet records in three individual events and two relays.

David Morgan set a record in the 200 individual medley, winning in 1 minute, 53.25 seconds, shaving more than two seconds off the previous mark. Morgan also set a record in the 100 breast in 58.46 seconds, beating the old mark by 0.29 seconds.

"Of course, I wanted to break records, but that wasn't my goal coming in here," Morgan said. "I just wanted to swim my best."

Morgan's teammate, Jason Williams, won the 50 free in a record 21.25, bettering the previous mark by 0.03 seconds.

"It was really just a race with myself," Williams said. "I felt pretty good about (the record) because I was able to do it without the full body suit."

Morgan and Williams teamed with Ryan McRae and Zach Perrotti to win the 200 medley relay in 1:35.76, beating the previous mark by nearly three seconds. Williams, Morgan and Perrotti teamed with Shaun VanHuysteen to win the 200 free relay in a record 1:28.14.

Clearwater's Nick Alexiou set a meet record in the 200 free, winning in 1:39.09.

Youth was served in the girls meet as freshmen won five of eight individual events. East Lake freshman Sydney Pickrem won two individual events, the 100 breast (1:04.99) and 200 individual medley (2:05) and teamed with Raina Peterson, Emily Jacobs and Annika Smith to win the 200 free relay in 1:42.27.

Saturday, September 24, 2011

Players of the day

Bernard Pierce, RB, Temple

The junior rushed for 149 yards and a school-record five TDs in a 38-7 win over Maryland. Four TDs and 108 yards came during the first half.

Brandon Rutley, RB, San Jose STate

The senior rushed for 209 yards and two TDs in a 34-24 win over New Mexico State that ended the Spartans' 13-game losing streak.

Willie Snead, WR, Ball State

The freshman caught 10 passes for 180 yards and a TD in a 48-21 win over Army.

Brandon Weeden, QB, Oklahoma state

The senior threw for two TDs and a school-record 438 yards in a 30-29 win over Texas A&M.

Blown call of the day

Syracuse's extra point

After Ryan Nassib's 18-yard pass to Alec Lemon put Syracuse up 29-27 over Toledo with 2:07 left, Ross Krautman appeared to miss the extra point. But the officials ruled it good, and it stood after a replay review. So instead of Ryan Casano's 20-yard field goal on the final play of regulation giving Toledo a win, the game went into overtime, where Syracuse won 33-30. Afterward, the Big East said the officials were wrong. "We have determined that the angle from behind the kicking team shows conclusively that the ball passes outside the right upright," coordinator of officials Terry McAulay said in a release. "We are confident that our officiating staff will learn from this situation in order to prevent a reoccurrence."

Number of the day

2 Overtime wins for Syracuse this season; the record for a season is three by USF (2003), Northwestern (2004) and Buffalo (2008).

Ugly win of the day

East Carolina

The host Pirates committed a school-record seven turnovers in a 28-23 victory over UAB. Dominique Davis threw three interceptions (as well as three touchdowns), one returned for a touchdown. And East Carolina lost four fumbles, all recovered by Blazers junior LB Greg Irvin. "Wins are hard to come by at this level. So we'll take it," Pirates coach Ruffin McNeill said. "Was it pretty? No."



Receiver of the day | Mohamed Sanu

T wo weeks ago, the Rutgers junior tied a Big East record with 13 catches. On Saturday, he broke it (and the school record) by catching 16 for 176 yards and two touchdowns in a 38-26 win over Ohio. When asked if he ever looked to Sanu and found him covered, Scarlet Knights QB Chas Dodd thought for a second then said, "I don't think so. Every one he had thrown to him, he made a good catch. There was maybe one or two where the ball placement could have been better here or there. But for the most part, he was open." Sanu broke the conference record shared by six players, including current Buc Mike Williams (Syracuse). Said Sanu, whose TDs went for 7 and 4 yards, "I just tell (Dodd): 'If you ever need me I am there.' "

Tribute of the day

San Diego state

The Aztecs visited Michigan and coach Brady Hoke. Last season, Hoke led San Diego State to nine wins, its most since 1977, and its first bowl win since 1969. As a sign of respect, the Aztecs put pictures of Hoke and other former assistants on cards they used to signal in plays. "Brady will win a national championship here," Aztecs coach Rocky Long said after a 28-7 loss. "I don't know how long it will take, but he will win one here."

Run of the day

Anthon Samuel, Bowling Green

The freshman's 96-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter sealed the host Falcons' 37-23 win over Miami (Ohio).

Under-the-radar game of the day

Furman 62, Presbyterian 21

Chris Forcier threw for seven touchdowns and ran for one for the host I-AA Paladins. He finished 12-of-16 for 226 yards.

Information from Times wires contributed to this report.

Team of the day

Illinois

The Illini are 4-0 for the first time since 1951. Since then, they had started 3-0 only six times: 1974, 1982, 1999, 2000, 2001 and 2011. One reason for the breakthrough? The Illini didn't play Missouri, which beat them in the opener the previous four seasons.

By Eduardo A. Encina, Times Staff Writer
Saturday, September 24, 2011

ST. PETERSBURG — Throughout the tail end of its regular-season schedule, FC Tampa Bay's focus was on earning the right to host a home playoff game.

And though it had sealed that berth heading into Saturday night's regular-season finale against Fort Lauderdale, it was important for the team to head into the playoffs coming off a win at home.

Also, a win or a tie would clinch for Tampa Bay the third seed in the six-team NASL playoff field.

On a soggy Al Lang Field pitch, everything seemed to go Tampa Bay's way, even down to the way it scored the deciding goal in a 2-0 win.

"It was important for us to get three points (Saturday)," coach Ricky Hill said. "It's the best feeling we could have. … I wanted to finish third."

Tampa Bay (11-9-8, 41 points) edged the Strikers for the No. 3 seed, and Saturday it hosts Minnesota, which outlasted surging Montreal for the sixth spot, in a first-round playoff knockout game. Tampa Bay is unbeaten (two wins, two ties) against Minnesota this season.

"In knockout football, form goes out the window — current form, previous form, all form goes out the window," Hill said. "It's who shows up on that day. I'm hoping we have our players in the right frame of mind come Saturday because there will be no regrets. It's either do or don't."

After hitting the far post twice in the first half, Tampa Bay scored its first goal in the 68th minute when midfielder Keith Savage just avoided an offside call, breaking past the Strikers' last defender and taking a lob from midfielder Shane Hill.

Hill's pass died in a muddy patch in front of the net, the ball seemingly gift wrapped for Savage for his fourth goal of the season.

"I'm curious to see the video," Savage said. "I think I was real close to offsides, but we were coming. We were pressuring. I was in the right spot, and (the ball) came right back to me. Once it stopped, it just kind of stopped right in the water."

The goal came after Strikers defender Cristian Arrieta received a red card for a tackle on midfielder Tsuyoshi Yoshitake in the 51st minute, forcing Fort Lauderdale (9-8-11, 38 points) to play a man down for nearly 40 minutes.

Substitute Matt Clare, who had a shot hit off the post late in the second half, scored an insurance goal in injury time for Tampa Bay. Goalkeeper Jeff Attinella got his fifth shutout with 4 saves.

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

LEXINGTON, Ky. — The duo of Chris Rainey and Jeff Demps continue to dominate for the Gators this season.

In Saturday's 48-10 victory over Kentucky, Rainey rushed 15 times for 105 yards, Demps 10 for 157.

The last time two Gators rushed for more than 100 yards in a game was the 2008 national championship game against Oklahoma, when Percy Harvin and QB Tim Tebow had 122 and 109, respectively. The last running back duo with 100 yards was also in 2008, when Rainey and Emmanuel Moody rushed for 142 and 116, respectively.

The Gators have had a player rush for at least 100 yards in every game this season.

ROCK SOLID: After missing the majority of last season with a back injury, Florida's Caleb Sturgis is 11-of-11 on field goals, four from 42 yards or longer. He has made 13 straight dating to Sept. 11, 2010, against USF.

HOWARD'S LIMELIGHT: Senior DT Jaye Howard recovered his third career fumble early in the second quarter and turned it into his first touchdown.

Howard recovered QB Morgan Newton's fumble (caused by LB Jon Bostic) and scored on a 2-yard run 3:30 into the second quarter.

FAMILIAR FACES: Kentucky LB Danny Trevathan saw many familiar faces on the field.

Trevathan, a native of Leesburg, said last week he looked forward to playing Florida because of his ties to the state.

Saturday, he made eight tackles, ending a streak of at least 10 at 12 games. The last time he didn't get 10? Against Florida last season.

PRIME TIME: CBS announced Saturday it will air the Oct. 1 Florida-Alabama game at 8 p.m.

REED, DEBOSE OUT: Redshirt sophomore TE Jordan Reed (hamstring) and WR Andre Debose sat. Reed missed his second straight game.

UNEASY REUNION: Florida offensive coordinator Charlie Weis and Kentucky defensive coordinator Rick Minter once stood side by side on the field. Saturday, they were on opposite sides.

Minter was the defensive coordinator at Notre Dame when Weis was coach. But two years into his tenure, in 2006, Minter was fired.

Both downplayed the potentially strained relationship heading into Saturday's game.

"That's been a long time," Minter told the Lexington Herald-Leader. "There's a lot of water under the dam. That was five or six years ago.

"We've all progressed, gone on to other things, been involved with other people."

By Tim Rogers, Special to the Times
Saturday, September 24, 2011

LAKEWOOD, Ohio — Last year? Perhaps.

This year? Ah, not so much.

Maybe if the Jefferson football team of 2010 would have played the St. Edward team of 2010 it would have been a better game.

As it was, the matchup of respective reigning state champions was no contest Saturday as the host Eagles cruised to a 52-13 victory at Lakewood Stadium.

While Jefferson is rebuilding after losing most of its starting lineup to graduation, St. Edward has not suffered much of a fall-off. It was a physical mismatch.

"Everybody has a plan until you get hit in the mouth and then you have a decision to make," Jefferson coach Jeremy Earle said. "It is hard to prepare for or duplicate their physical style of play."

The Eagles scored on their first four possessions in running their winning streak to 20 straight games. The Dragons, Florida's reigning Class 3A champs, lost two fumbles and punted three times on their first five possessions.

The Eagles, winners of Ohio's big-school state title last season, have four players on the offensive line taller than 6-foot-3 and weighing more than 290 pounds.

"That was a very, very, very big and physical offensive line," said Jefferson senior defensive lineman Tyriq McCord, who is regarded as one of the top down linemen in the country by Rivals.com. "You can underline those words, big and physical."

St. Edward, ranked ninth in the nation by USA Today and first in Ohio by the Associated Press, rolled up 416 yards on the ground and 490 yards of total offense.

St. Edward led 31-0 before the Dragons scored. Senior receiver Adrian Jenkins caught a 19-yard scoring pass from sophomore Deiondre Porter with eight seconds remaining in the first half.

Despite giving up 52 points, the Dragons defense provided a highlight. Senior Charles Booth intercepted a tipped pass and returned it 77 yards for a touchdown in the third quarter.

Earle alternated Porter and senior Tyler Small at quarterback. Porter completed 10 of 18 for 129 yards and Small completed 3 of 6 for 33 yards. Jenkins finished with seven receptions for 78 yards.

St. Edward 21 10 21 0 - 52 Jefferson 0 7 6 0 - 13

First quarter

SE — Grant 26 pass from Fallon (Wilhelm kick), 10:38

SE — Aaron 17 run (Wilhelm kick), 6:50

SE — Aaron 10 run (Wilhelm kick), 1:00

Second quarter

SE — Aaron 33 run (Wilhelm kick) 9:10

SE — Wilhelm 33 FG 1:28

TJ — Jenkins 19 pass from Porter (Ruiz kick), :08

Third quarter

SE — Jones 16 pass from Fallon (Wilhelm kick), 9:48

SE — Fallon 7 run (Wilhelm kick), 6:27

TJ — Booth 77 interception return (run failed), 3:55

SE — Grant 8 pass from Fallon (Wilhelm kick), 0:50

By John Romano, Times Sports Columnist
Saturday, September 24, 2011

ST. PETERSBURG

In front of the locker is a small pink suitcase with a matching pink umbrella. Dora the Explorer model, if you must know.

This is what teammates handed Alex Torres a few days ago when they needed some callow rookie to carry their gum and sunflower seeds to the bullpen before games.

And inside that same locker on a shelf was a solitary baseball — not yet authenticated, not yet inscribed with the dates and details of his first major-league victory.

It is what manager Joe Maddon handed Torres on Saturday evening when the Rays needed that same fresh-faced rookie to carry a reeling team in a pennant race.

"Great moment for him. For us, too," pitching coach Jim Hickey said. "That's the kind of thing that can catapult you."

It is difficult to overstate how dire the moment was and how large Torres responded for the Rays on Saturday night.

This is a season with little time remaining and even less margin for error, and this is a 23-year-old pitcher with little justification for pitching in a game quite so large.

He was practically an afterthought when the Rays were calling up players from Triple-A Durham in recent weeks. Of the first 21 big-league batters he faced, 12 reached base.

Yet when Maddon made the decision to pull Jeff Niemann after one inning against the Blue Jays on Saturday, Torres was his default choice in the bullpen.

"I was uneasy about it. Very uneasy," Maddon said. "But I knew this kid has got good makeup. I knew he wasn't afraid, which matters. You can't put somebody skittish out there at that moment."

The first few batters Torres faced hit bullets that somehow found gloves in the outfield. Then he gave up a pair of hits and an intentional walk. Yet somehow the rookie survived. And every time Maddon thought about pulling him, Torres picked it up a notch.

"I only knew him as Torres," designated hitter Johnny Damon said. "I'm glad I know his first name now."

Five innings later, he had not surrendered a run, and the Rays were clinging to a 3-2 lead. A few innings after that, it was a 6-2 final and Rays pitchers were shoving Torres in the shower, where they doused him with cans of Bud Light. Enough to empty the clubhouse supply.

"It was freezing," James Shields said. "First big-league victory, and he deserved it. He pitched great."

At this point, the Rays are going on fumes. They have used rookie pitchers in 12 consecutive games, including three pitchers who began the month in the minors. Of their 102 innings pitched since Sept. 13, rookies have accounted for half the load.

The Rays have gone 2-4 this past week and have somehow gained ground on the hapless Red Sox. It's like being run down from behind by the neighborhood fat kid.

The biggest games of the season and the Rays are surviving with Matt Moore and Torres getting their first big-league victories.

Moore, at least, came with a certain amount of expectation. Torres is more of a wild card. His talent is undeniable, but he has spent six seasons in the minors because he has struggled throwing strikes.

He has routinely averaged nine, 10 strikeouts per nine innings but has averaged four and five walks throughout much of his minor-league career.

In recent days, Hickey and assistant pitching coach Stan Boroski have worked with Torres on getting his delivery to go more north-south instead of side to side. The idea is he can better control his pitches if he's moving in one fluid direction.

The results appear evident. Torres had given up 13 walks in his last 17 minor-league innings in Durham, but the only walk he surrendered in five innings Saturday was the intentional pass to Edwin Encarnacion.

"Absolutely, positively it says something about his heart," Hickey said. "You saw him drop first-pitch changeups to left-hander hitters and 3-2 changeups."

All for a kid who was supposedly part of Tampa Bay's white-flag surrender in 2009.

You remember Scott Kazmir, right? In the midst of another pennant race, the Rays unloaded Kazmir's bloated contract on the Angels for Sean Rodriguez and a couple of minor-league prospects.

Well, the Angels are paying Kazmir $12 million to stay away from Anaheim this season, and 3,000 miles away, one of those prospects was helping the Rays stay ahead of the Angels in the wild-card race.

"That kind of game borders on the magical," Maddon said. "The next couple of days could truly make it magical.

"But for right now, it gets us 11/2 games behind, which is huge."

John Romano can be reached at romano@sptimes.com.

By Tyler Jett, Times Correspondent
Sunday, September 25, 2011

LEXINGTON, Ky. — Jaye Howard reunited with a place he had not visited in six years: the end zone.

In the second quarter of Florida's 48-10 win at Kentucky on Saturday, the 303-pound defensive tackle recovered a fumble and trotted 2 yards for a touchdown, his first since his junior year at Apopka High, when he scored against Lake City Columbia.

If it hadn't been Howard crossing the goal line, it could have been any defensive lineman.

"I don't know how he got that ball," junior defensive tackle Omar Hunter said. "I have to watch the replay, because as soon as I picked my head up, he was in the end zone, out of breath after 2 yards."

In a nickel package, linebacker Jon Bostic rushed untouched off the right edge. The Gators had run the same play earlier, but Kentucky quarterback Morgan Newton dumped the ball off before Bostic could break through.

The second time, linebacker Jelani Jenkins picked up the tight end, forcing Newton to hold the ball longer. Bostic hit him from the blind side, jarring the ball loose for Howard.

"We do that, we take pressure off the offense," Howard said. "We get to the quarterback and make big plays — turnovers, fumble recoveries — it just brings energy to everyone around us."

Despite keeping its first three opponents under wraps, Florida's coaching staff was unhappy with the defense's inability to cause turnovers. In wins against Florida Atlantic, Alabama-Birmingham and Tennessee, Florida caused three turnovers total. On Saturday, the Gators got four.

After Florida punted on its first two possessions, junior linebacker Lerentee McCray knocked the ball out of Josh Clemons' hands and Hunter recovered. One play later, UF quarterback John Brantley hit tight end Gerald Christian for a 45-yard touchdown.

Safety Matt Elam later snagged his second interception in as many games, and the Gators had another touchdown after two plays.

Florida added two more turnovers: Howard's fumble recovery, and sophomore linebacker Michael Taylor's third-quarter interception. Florida scored 24 points off takeaways.

"We needed that," Bostic said. "We stressed that all week: 'We need to find some way to create turnovers.' We went out and did it."

By Ian Lanphier, Times Correspondent
Sunday, September 25, 2011

TAMPA — A week after breaking school records for total offense and passing yardage in a game, USF flirted with adding a rushing record.

The Bulls' ground attack nearly eclipsed the school record for a game, gaining 373 yards in a 52-24 win over UTEP on Saturday night. The record remains 377 yards set against Florida A&M in 2005.

Offensive coordinator Todd Fitch was pleased to see USF improve its ability to create big scoring plays heading into the Big East schedule.

"In terms of attacking (the field) and creating big plays, the kids did a really nice job with it," he said.

USF didn't wait long, either. Junior quarterback B.J. Daniels turned a bobbled snap into a 71-yard rushing touchdown — the fourth longest in program history — on the team's second play from scrimmage.

"I tried to handle the snap … and I decided to just keep it down and protect it," Daniels said, "and it just so happened that everybody crashed the middle, and I had the opportunity to go outside."

Receiver Victor Marc took an option pitch 67 yards for a touchdown on a winding run down the right sideline in the second quarter, and it was the fifth longest in USF history.

Daniels finished with 130 yards on 15 carries, junior running back Darrell Scott ran for 87 yards on 18 carries, and Demetris Murray added 53 yards on eight carries.

Marc said his scoring play had been designed as a pass before Daniels called a run option: "B.J., as a leader, he checked out of the play, and he checked into a play that would be good for us to run as an offense, and then I just got some blocks down the field and was able to score."

Center Chaz Hine said the line worked effectively as a unit to aid the running game.

"We were able to get our blocks efficiently and just molded together and made running lanes for running backs, and running backs would make one miss and sometimes make more than one miss," he said.

By Marc Topkin, Times Staff Writer
Sunday, September 25, 2011

The Rays got a strong start from Wade Davis and four home runs - including a inside-the-parker by Ben Zobrist - to beat the Blue Jays 5-2 on Sunday.

Combined with Boston losing again, 6-2 at New York, the Rays, who were nine games out on Sept. 2, have pulled within 1/2 game of Red Sox for the AL wild-card playoff spot. And they could be in a tie by the end of the night, as the Sox play a second game at New York tonight.

Davis worked eight innings, allowing three hits. B.J. Upton and Zobrist homered in the first, Evan Longoria added a two-run shot in the third and Kelly Shoppach a solo shot in the sixth.

By Marc Topkin, Times Staff Writer
Sunday, September 25, 2011

ST. PETERSBURG — They came back from the brink, if not further, nine games out of a playoff spot three days into September. Now for the Rays, it has come to this: one game back of the Red Sox with three to play.

"It's been real for us," third baseman Evan Longoria said. "Our goal is to play in the playoffs, and it's going to get a lot more real here in the next three days. So I think everyone in here is looking forward to it. And everyone in here believes."

The Rays got there by winning again Sunday, 5-2 over the Blue Jays, getting a strong start from Wade Davis and four home runs, as the Red Sox rallied in the 14th inning for a split of their doubleheader in New York.

Now the Rays host the Yankees for the three games, while the Red Sox go to Baltimore.

The Rays need to win one more game than the Red Sox in order to force a tie, and a one-game playoff that would be at Tropicana Field on Thursday, with the winner flying to Texas or Detroit to open the playoffs. Win two more than the Sox, the Rays can go straight there.

"It's crazy," Ben Zobrist said. "At the beginning of the month we knew that one of them, either the Yankees or the Red Sox, were going to have to give us an opening and we were going to have to keep playing well. And that's just what's happened right now. So we're very fortunate to be in the position we're at. If we keep winning and putting the pressure on, we're excited about what could happen."

The Sox have made it possible, losing 16 of 21. The Rays have not exactly taken full advantage of their historic collapse but are 14-8 since, winning the last two over Toronto when they absolutely, positively had to.

The Rays are set up well, with their top three starters — James Shields, Jeremy Hellickson and David Price — lined up and rookie sensation Matt Moore available in relief.

They haven't done well against Yankees this season, losing nine of 15, including three of four last week, and being shut out three times. They're hoping to play better, of course, but also that the Yankees, more concerned with Friday's playoff opener having already clinched the AL East and homefield advantage through two rounds, don't play as well, or as hard.

"Hopefully they're not going to think too much about us,'' Zobrist said, "they're going to think more about Friday than the next three days.''

As Saturday, the Rays needed to win Sunday to make these three games matter as much.

Manager Joe Maddon had an interesting indicator before the game, knowing the Sox were already down in their opener, that his Rays would be on task: The look in their eyes as they went through their assorted pregame handshake rituals and other dugout high jinks.

"You can just see or feel the focus and the intensity," Maddon said. "It's really obvious they were ready to play today."

Davis was oblivious to all that warming up in the bullpen but showed his readiness with a crisp 12-pitch 1-2-3 first inning. Then his teammates did their part, with B.J. Upton and Zobrist (inside the park) homering to provide a 2-0 first-inning lead before a crowd of 21,008 that cheered each scoring update from New York.

Davis treaded dangerously in the second, allowing a run, and the third, when he got Jose Bautista to ground out with the tying run on, then got all the room he needed to work when Longoria hit a two-run homer in the third and finished with a solid eight-inning outing. Kelly Shoppach added a homer in the sixth.

"(Davis) was impressive," Longoria said. "Just what we needed."

The Rays know what they have to do — keep pitching well, score enough and win.

"The goal is to go out there and win the next three games and put the pressure on them and make them win also," Longoria said. "So it's going to be a fun three days."

And as for their chances of pulling this off, the first team to make the postseason from nine games out in September?

"I like 'em," Upton said. "I like 'em a lot."

Marc Topkin can be reached at topkin@sptimes.com.

Times staff
Sunday, September 25, 2011

Times Staff

TAMPA — The Tampa Bay Buccaneers' defense forced three Atlanta turnovers then withstood a fourth-quarter charge to beat the division rival Atlanta Falcons 16-13 Sunday and remain tied atop the NFC South division.

The Bucs led 16-3 at the start of the fourth quarter, but the Falcons quickly cut it to 16-10 on a two-play, 59-yard drive. Atlanta got as close as the Bucs 5 on their next possession, but a holding call and two incompletions prevented the Falcons from getting a shot at the lead, settling for a field goal.

The Bucs offense, behind strong running by LeGarrette Blount, consumed the remaining 4:06, including a fourth and inches in which the Falcons jumped offside to keep the drive alive and allow Tampa Bay to run out the remainder of the clock.

The win improved the Bucs to 2-1 on the season, tied with New Orleans atop the NFC South. Atlanta fell to 1-2. It was Tampa Bay's first win over the Falcons in its past six tries.

The Bucs had a chance to take an early lead after Dekoda Watson caused Matt Ryan to fumble on their opening series and Ronde Barber recovered at the Falcons 17. But facing first and goal from the 4 three plays later, Josh Freeman rolled to his left and tried to hit Kellen Winslow in the back of the end zone, but Atlanta's Thomas DeCoud intercepted to end the threat.

Two possessions later, the Bucs were able to break the scoreless tie when Connor Barth nailed a 49-yard line drive field goal for a 3-0 lead with 1:19 left in the first quarter. The kick was set up by a 16-yard reception by wide receiver Mike Williams at the Falcons 39.

Atlanta tied the game on its next possession, driving 84 yards thanks to three Ryan passes — 22 yards to Roddy White, 18 yards to Julio Jones and another 30 yards to White to the Tampa Bay 14. The Bucs defense stiffened, however, and forced the Falcons to settle for ex-Buc Matt Bryant's 26-yard field goal with 11:10 left in the half.

The Bucs reclaimed the lead on a 1-yard quarterback sneak by Freeman, the first rushing touchdown of his career. But it was his arm that got them in position, completing passes of 13 yards (Blount), 24 yards (Luke Stocker), 12 yards (Williams) and 9 yards (Stocker) to the Atlanta 9. Freeman dumped the ball to Earnest Graham, who picked up 7 yards, setting up Freeman's scoring run with 3:37 left in the second quarter.

Tampa Bay's defense set up its next score, with defensive end Adrian Clayborn sacking Ryan and causing a fumble that was recovered by Michael Bennett at the Atlanta 9. The offense was unable to capitalize on the turnover, however, and after gaining just 1 yard on three plays, Barth added his second field goal with 1:56 left in the half.

Atlanta threatened late in the half, with Ryan completing six consecutive passes (for 58 yards), moving to the Tampa Bay 35. But on third and 10 from there, Ryan's pass bounced off White's hands and Barber was able to scoop the ball before it hit the ground, the interception coming with just five seconds before halftime.

The Bucs extended their lead on the opening drive of the second half, putting together a 16-play, 70-yard drive that ate 8:10 off the clock. Blount had an early 12-yard run. The Bucs benefited from a 15-yard late hit penalty against Atlanta, and Freeman picked up 3 yards on a fourth and 1 bootleg at the Falcons 32.

Freeman picked up another 14 yards on a quarterback draw to the Atlanta 14, but the red zone offense again failed to put the ball in the end zone, setting up Barth's third field goal of the day.

The Falcons threatened to cut into Tampa Bay's lead early in the fourth quarter, thanks to a William Moore interception of a Freeman pass that he returned 27 yards to the Bucs 48. Ryan hit Jones on passes of 16 and 18 yards to the Bucs 14, but two incompletions and an 8-yard pass set up fourth and 2 at the 8, and Ryan's pass for Jacquizz Rodgers was knocked away to force the turnover on downs.

Atlanta made up for it quickly. After holding the Bucs offense to three-and-out, the Falcons took over at their 41. On first down, Ryan spotted Jones all alone down the left hashmark and lobbed a 49-yard completion to the Tampa Bay 10. One play later, Ryan hit All-Pro tight end Tony Gonzalez in the back of the end zone for the touchdown, cutting the Bucs lead to 16-10 with 9:55 to play.

Ryan hit White for three passes for 44 yards, and when Tampa Bay's Gerald McCoy was flagged for roughing the passer, the Falcons had first and goal at the 5 with a chance to take the lead. But Atlanta was called for holding on first down, and after two incompletions, settled for Bryant's second field goal.

Behind some hard runs by Blount and an offsides call against Atlanta on fourth and 1, the Bucs offense at the final 4:06 off the clock to seal the win.

Times wires
Sunday, September 25, 2011

Nationals 3, Braves 0

WASHINGTON — Atlanta's top four hitters went a combined 0-for-16 with five strikeouts as Washington cut the Braves' NL wild-card lead over the Cardinals to one game. "This was a very brutal loss for us," Braves rookie first baseman Freddie Freeman said. Atlanta has lost 10 of 15 and finishes the regular season with a three-game home series against the Phillies.

Times wires
Sunday, September 25, 2011

Cardinals 3, Cubs 2

ST. LOUIS — The Cardinals headed to Houston wearing Hawaiian shirts and already dressed for a party. Nearly out of contention a month ago, St. Louis got within a game of the Braves in the NL wild-card race when Rafael Furcal hit a tiebreaking homer in the eighth. Before the game, players decided to wear island garb on the flight in a show of team unity. Manager Tony La Russa opted to go along. "I've got a shirt with palms on it," he said. "I hope that qualifies."

By Mike Manning, Times Correspondent
Sunday, September 25, 2011

Good times for kids: There is plenty of action, offshore to inshore, to keep kids entertained. Spanish mackerel, kingfish and bonito are showing up in large schools on the reefs from Clearwater to Tarpon Springs. The best baits have been small greenbacks for the Spanish mackerel and large greenbacks for the kingfish and bonito.

Search passes: There also has been plenty of action around the passes and along the beaches from Clearwater to Tarpon Springs. Look for birds diving on the baitfish, and you will find a large variety of fish, including small sharks, mackerel, bluefish, trout and jacks.

There has been a lot of action between Three Rooker Bar and Anclote Key. You can catch these fish using live baits such as pinfish, shrimp and greenbacks. If you are using artificials, try small jigs, topwater plugs, crankbaits and gold and silver spoons. You may need to use a heavy monofilament leader (40- to 50-pound test) for the Spanish mackerel, sharks and bluefish. If the water is dirty, you can even use a small piece of wire leader.

Trout schools: The trout are starting to school up on the shallow grass flats around Anclote Key, Three Rooker Bar and the north sand bar. The best baits have been topwater plugs and jigs weighing an eighth of an ounce.

Mike Manning runs Action Fishing Adventures out of Tarpon Springs. Call him toll-free at 1-800-644-5940.

Times wires
Sunday, September 25, 2011

Spectacular when needed for Browns

CLEVELAND — Colt McCoy paced Cleveland's sideline trying to rally his teammates. So bad for nearly 57 minutes, the Browns were down, not done.

Then McCoy's 14-yard touchdown to Mohamed Massaquoi won it for the Browns with 43 seconds left, capping an 80-yard drive.

"We played like garbage for the most part of the day," said McCoy, who was 9-of-13 for all 80 yards to six different receivers on Cleveland's winning drive. "As ugly as it was, it was a huge win for us."

Dropping back, McCoy pump-faked before lofting a perfect pass to the right corner over rookie cornerback Jimmy Wilson and to a leaping Massaquoi. The play was nearly a carbon copy of a leaping 33-yard TD catch by Joshua Cribbs in the first half.

"They have to believe we're going to win," embattled Dolphins coach Tony Sparano said. "I do believe the group in that room believes we're going to win. All that being said, we're 0-3. That's what we have to show for it."

Times wires
Sunday, September 25, 2011

Newton, Panthers survive in the slop

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Cam Newton spent much of Sunday fighting to keep his grip on the football amid a torrential downpour that slowed the game to a crawl. There were few of the big passing plays as in his first two games.

The No. 1 overall draft pick by Carolina ignored it all and led the clutch drive that secured the first NFL victory for him and new Panthers coach Ron Rivera. Newton found Greg Olsen over the middle for a 16-yard score with 4:20 left.

"It wasn't a pretty win," said Newton, who threw for 158 yards after surpassing 400 in each of his first two games, but the last part counts, right?"

Heavy rain arrived in the second quarter, turning the field into a slick, puddle-filled mess and sending players hydroplaning. After the rain let up in the third quarter, Newton directed a field-goal drive. Then he completed all three of his passes for 47 yards on the decisive drive.

Blaine Gabbert, the 10th pick of the draft out of Missouri, threw for 139 yards and a touchdown in his starting debut for the Jaguars.

Times wires
Sunday, September 25, 2011

Titans find a way but Britt injured

NASHVILLE — Matt Hasselbeck ran off the field holding a football over his head and celebrating both a win and his 36th birthday.

Hasselbeck threw a 4-yard touchdown to Daniel Graham with 4:24 left as the Titans rallied to beat the Broncos.

But Kenny Britt, the AFC's top receiver coming in, left in the second quarter when his right knee buckled under him. He left wearing a brace, and coach Mike Munchak said Britt would have tests to determine the extent of the injury.

Hasselbeck passed for two touchdowns to lead Tennessee to its second straight win. The Titans intercepted Kyle Orton twice, sacked him once and stopped Willis McGahee on fourth and goal at the 1 early in the fourth.

"At the end of the day on the road, fourth and not even a full yard, I'd do it again next week," Denver coach John Fox said.

Denver had a last chance but Witherspoon picked off a deflected pass with 1:39 left to seal it.