By Joe Smith, Times Staff Writer
Saturday, November 26, 2011

TAMPA — The impact of the Lightning's sweep of a home-and-home weekend series with the Panthers was big enough: It pulled them within four points of the Southeast Division leaders after a 5-1 win Saturday night.

But it was how Tampa Bay completed the feat that may mean more, especially as it hits the road this week to face two of the Western Conference's top teams, Minnesota and Detroit.

In a season in which the Lightning has been inconsistent, it appeared to find its game the past two nights, starting with Friday's 2-1 overtime win, utilizing its speed to be the relentless, yet structured team it wanted to be.

"I think guys are just starting to realize that if we do that, how good we can be," said Steven Stamkos, who had two goals for 14 on the season, two shy of league leader Phil Kessel of Toronto.

"(Florida was) on a tear, and we just took four points from them. We're not satisfied with our game, but we realized what we can do when we play our game, and we're starting to see the results."

For the third straight game, Tampa Bay (11-9-2) set the tone with a strong first period filled with ferocious, fast forechecking.

Marty St. Louis started the scoring with his 300th goal in a Lightning uniform, redirecting a nice cross-crease, backhand pass from Brett Connolly. Tampa Bay broke open the game with a three-goal second, including a highlight-reel rush and backhand by center Tom Pyatt.

Pyatt made a crafty move of passing the puck to himself off the boards at the blue line to get past Erik Gudbranson, then lifted a shot through sprawled-out goalie Jacob Markstrom for a 2-0 lead. It was Pyatt's fifth goal of his career, and first since Dec. 2, 2010. "Any time you score in the NHL, it definitely boosts your confidence," Pyatt said. "I'm hoping I can get that second one a little sooner."

Stamkos said the Lightning is playing like a confident team. St. Louis said that after a couple of tweaks, players are more comfortable, working with less thinking and hesitation. It's showing.

"We got outplayed," Panthers coach Kevin Dineen said.

It helped the Lightning to have sharp goaltending by backup Mathieu Garon, who picked up his second consecutive win with 24 saves. Garon's defense helped him out, including killing all six Panthers power plays.

"We played physical. Our system was pretty much perfect," said Garon, who also played Friday. "I think we executed the game plan as asked by the coaches. That's who we want to be."

As well as the Lightning played this weekend, center Nate Thompson said, "We haven't done anything yet." These games will mean something only if it can develop consistency.

But they were still satisfying.

"We played a full 60 minutes," Thompson said, "which I don't think we've done in a long time."

First Period—1, Tampa Bay, St. Louis 6 (Connolly, Clark), 2:07. Penalties—Kubina, TB (tripping), 13:41; Stamkos, TB (hooking), 16:54.

Second Period—2, Tampa Bay, Pyatt 1 (Bergeron), 3:49. 3, Tampa Bay, Stamkos 13 (Purcell, Tyrell), 6:02. 4, Tampa Bay, Malone 5 (Stamkos), 10:35. Penalties—Purcell, TB (hooking), 11:04; Kulikov, Fla (holding stick), 15:05; Tampa Bay bench, served by Connolly (too many men), 16:26; Hedman, TB (hooking), 19:21.

Third Period—5, Florida, Matthias 3 (Skille), 17:43. 6, Tampa Bay, Stamkos 14, 19:01. Penalties—Fleischmann, Fla (hooking), 8:19; Kubina, TB (interference), 10:50. Shots on Goal—Florida 10-10-5—25. Tampa Bay 10-11-13—34. Power-play opportunities—Florida 0 of 6; Tampa Bay 0 of 2. Goalies—Florida, Markstrom 2-3-1 (34 shots-29 saves). Tampa Bay, Garon 5-3-1 (25-24).

By John Romano, Times Sports Columnist
Saturday, November 26, 2011

GAINESVILLE

I n a game such as this, you cannot lose your focus.

So you keep one eye on the clock, and another on your assigned piece of turf. And when the moment is right, you sprint, you fall to one knee and you whip out your scissors.

This is how FSU punter Shawn Powell, a.k.a. the Sod Captain, found himself kneeling on the brightly painted F in the south end zone of Florida Field on Saturday night.

It was his job to bring back a piece of turf for FSU's sod cemetery, and he was halfway to getting a hunk of blue earth when he was accosted by UF security personnel.

Turns out, he picked the end zone closest to Florida's locker room.

Which is sort of how the UF-FSU game went Saturday night. It seemed like it should be majestic and momentous, but it was mostly a menagerie of mishaps.

Florida State won 21-7, and there was no doubt the Seminoles were the better team. But, in reality, they were just a little less inept than the Gators.

How else do you explain a team winning a game when its offense gained fewer yards than its defense? And it was by a pretty sizable (130 yards to 95) margin.

How else do you explain a quarterback completing less than 50 percent of his passes, getting sacked four times and throwing for 65 yards, and having a far better game than the quarterback on the other side of the field?

How else do you explain two programs with a combined five national championships in the past 20 years coming into a game without a pollster in sight?

Yeah, as conquests go, this was less impressive than most.

For the second year in a row, FSU is the state champ in a state that has lost its way.

"You're always measured by your rivals," FSU coach Jimbo Fisher said. "We feel very fortunate to get it done, and hopefully we can keep it going."

By night's end, the FSU band was playing and Powell was waving a gator head behind the Seminoles bench. But most of the crowd 90,798 had already fled and the rest did not seem particularly indignant.

"We beat Miami and we beat Florida, so we're state champions," FSU defensive tackle Everett Dawkins said. "That's what Coach is always saying, and so we did it."

For both of these teams, the story of the season had already been written. And in FSU's case, the plot was particularly painful.

Because there was a moment Saturday night when you probably wondered about the season that might have been at FSU.

A season in which Dustin Hopkins hits a 42-yard field goal in the final seconds against Virginia. A season with one more play against a Clemson or a Wake Forest.

A regular season that began with a No. 6 ranking and could have ended with more glory than any FSU team has seen in years.

That would have been the season you had visualized since January. A season worth the heartache of a messy coaching departure. That would have been a season to remember.

"We didn't do everything we wanted," Fisher said. "But we got a victory down here at Florida, which was nice after a disappointing loss to Virginia. Hopefully we'll learn from that, and it will propel us into the bowl game and next season."

And though you could shout that FSU lost three conference games by a total of 11 points, you might also point out Florida State faced only two ranked teams and lost to them both.

If that sounds harsh, then you do not have enough appreciation for what this rivalry used to be. It's not just that neither team came close to winning a conference title, or that neither won a single game against a ranked opponent.

There simply was not a lot of talent on the field.

This game has been as big a showcase for NFL talent as any in the nation in the last quarter century. Two years ago, it featured seven players taken in the first two rounds of the 2010 draft. There was a stretch, from 1997 to 2001, when 20 first-round draft choices played in this game. Even back in 1988, five first-round picks were on the field.

At this moment, it's a stretch to imagine even one player from either team being among the top picks in the 2012 draft.

Even so, it still meant something to the players on the field. So as the fans filed out, as the rest of the college football world turned away, Powell continued his quest to find a piece of turf to bring back to the sod cemetery in Tallahassee.

After being rebuffed in the south end zone, he settled for a less conspicuous piece of real estate.

"The guy started cussing at me, but he's a Gator fan so what do I care?" Powell said. "I was going to get the F, but he pushed me away so I went to the other side of the field and grabbed some."

By Tyler Jett, Times Correspondent
Sunday, November 27, 2011

GAINESVILLE — By nearly every measurement, Florida's defense dominated Saturday.

The Gators held the Seminoles to seven first downs, 95 yards total offense and a 2-for-15 third-down conversion rate. FSU punted nine times. The EJ Manuel-led offense averaged 1.6 yards per play.

Still, Florida coach Will Muschamp was not satisfied with his defense in the 21-7 loss.

"(FSU) got four turnovers, and we got one," he said. "It wasn't good enough."

The turnover battle was, in fact, the only place Florida's defense did not come through. Likewise, those turnovers accounted for all of Florida State's points. The Seminoles' only two scoring drives covered 20 yards and 4 yards.

Freshman running back Devonta Freeman scored on both drives, each coming after Florida quarterback John Brantley threw an interception.

The Seminoles entered the game averaging 401.3 yards, including 126.1 yards on the ground. Florida, however, held FSU to 30 rushing yards — 0.7 yards per carry. The Gators sacked Manuel four times.

Saturday's effort was a stark turnaround for UF, which was torched for 446 yards and 32 points by Division I-AA Furman last week. Overall, the defense has been inconsistent this season, though it ranked 17th in I-A in total defense (318.8 yards per game) before this week.

"I felt like we played really well on defense," junior defensive tackle Omar Hunter said. "I feel like that's one of the best games we've put together this year. … We just go out there and do our thing. We don't worry about what the offense does, what special teams does. When defense is on the field, that's all we think about."

But on a night when Florida once again had to turn to freshman quarterback Jacoby Brissett, the Gators asked for more from their defense.

Florida only came close to making potential game-changing turnovers. On FSU's first scoring drive, safety De'Ante Saunders jarred the ball away from Manuel at the goal line, but the quarterback recovered. The Seminoles scored on the next play.

In the third quarter, on a third and 10 from the UF 39, safety Matt Elam jumped in front of FSU receiver Rodney Smith, only to drop an interception. Florida's only touchdown came in the fourth quarter, one play after defensive tackle Jaye Howard recovered a fumble.

"(FSU) won the turnover battle, and when you win the turnover battle, you have a chance to win," UF linebacker Jelani Jenkins said. "We got to get the ball off people a little bit better."

By Rick Stroud, Times Staff Writer
Sunday, November 27, 2011

NASHVILLE — Buccaneers players and coaches left LP Field on Sunday still screaming for a measurement, but you don't need to stretch the yardsticks to know why they came up short.

In a game played on a cold and rainy day under a bruised sky, the Bucs committed five turnovers — fumbling five times and losing four — to fall 23-17 to the Titans.

Appropriately, the game ended with quarterback Josh Freeman dropping yet another wet football on the soggy turf. Facing fourth and inches, he fumbled the snap and was stopped short of the first down.

The Bucs' fifth consecutive loss and sixth in seven games dropped them to 4-7.

The Titans' Chris Johnson rushed for a season-high 190 yards (144 more than his season average going in). His 34-yard run helped set up Damian Williams' 2-yard winning touchdown catch on fourth down with 3:01 left. The Titans' only other touchdown came on an 84-yard kickoff return by Tommie Campbell, who took a handoff from Marc Mariani on a reverse at the 16.

"It's a shame," said Freeman, who also threw an interception. "What did we have, five turnovers? It makes it hard to win.

"We feel like we're a better team than our record portrays. We've got to stop doing things that have been killing us all year. There's nobody in that locker room that doesn't feel sick every time we lose."

What sickened the Bucs on Sunday was how their final drive played out.

With 1:08 left, no timeouts, and facing third and 10 from the Titans 34, Freeman hit running back Kregg Lumpkin with a pass. Freeman, believing Lumpkin had gained enough for the first down, ran to the line of scrimmage intending to spike the ball and stop the clock.

But referee Bill Leavy signaled fourth down. Instead, Freeman, trying a sneak, dropped the snap, picked up the ball and tried to hand it to receiver Arrelious Benn.

"I thought it was a first down," Freeman said. "I looked over, and the officials appeared to be on the other side of the first-down marker. So I'm yelling, 'Kill it! Kill it! Kill it!' to save some time. Then it was, 'Okay, it's fourth and inches.' So I'm like, 'Shouldn't they be measuring this?'

"I turn and look, and (Bucs center Jeff Faine) is trying to get a measurement. The ref was like, 'Play it.' I tried to call a sneak. Enough time had already run off the clock just trying to get a first down, and they didn't have a chance to dry the ball off or anything. So it was just a mess."

Officials are not required to measure for a first down if asked.

Faine said he knew immediately Freeman did not get the snap.

"I felt the ball hit the ground," he said. "I'm kind of standing up because I know it's below me somewhere. You know when it's not right, and I felt the ball hit my foot. I was trying to locate the ball. It wasn't a situation we handled right."

Neither team did a good job handling the weather conditions. The Titans fumbled three times, losing two. And Matt Hasselbeck was intercepted twice, including one Aqib Talib returned 27 yards for a score to give the Bucs a 17-10 lead 2:56 into the third quarter.

In fact, the Bucs' only offensive touchdown — a 3-yard pass from Freeman to Mike Williams with 13 seconds left in the first half — was set up when cornerback Ronde Barber punched the ball from running back Javon Ringer and safety Tanard Jackson returned the fumble to the Titans 29.

The Bucs' LeGarrette Blount rushed for 103 yards on 20 carries and had 56 yards receiving, but he also lost two fumbles.

"Obviously, it was slippery," Blount said. "There was nothing anybody could do except hold onto the ball tighter."

Freeman had two chances over the final three minutes to bring the Bucs back. Trailing by a field goal with all three timeouts remaining, he tried to force a pass to tight end Kellen Winslow that was intercepted by rookie linebacker Colin McCarthy. The former Miami and Clearwater Central Catholic standout started for injured former Buc Barrett Ruud.

The Bucs forced the Titans to settle for a 38-yard field goal by Rob Bironas with 1:44 remaining. But they burned all of their timeouts in the process.

Freeman completed two 23-yard passes to Williams to get to the Titans 34 with 1:14 remaining then spiked the ball.

After an incompletion to Benn, he connected with Lumpkin for what he believed was a first down. Then the chaos ensued.

"It seems like we don't ever get a call to go our way," Bucs left tackle Donald Penn said. "I hope (commissioner Roger Goodell) sends us a letter explaining why we didn't get that measurement down there at the end. You know that is the story of our season so far, penalties, turnovers. And you don't blame it on the refs, but they have a big part."

Times wires
Sunday, November 27, 2011

Texans cling to win after losing QB

JACKSONVILLE — Matt Leinart and Matt Schaub stood next to each other for the final few snaps, Leinart in a sling and Schaub in a walking boot. The scene spoke volumes about Houston's quarterback situation.

Leinart injured his right (throwing) shoulder (see notebook, 4C), overshadowing Houston's win over the offensively inept Jaguars.

Arian Foster ran for 65 yards and the Texans produced seven sacks, barely enough for Houston to win its fifth consecutive game.

Jacksonville's quarterback situation was a mess, too. Coach Jack Del Rio benched rookie Blaine Gabbert in the fourth quarter, after six sacks and an interception. Ex-Buc Luke McCown led the team to a late field goal. Del Rio said Gabbert remains the starter.

"A quarterback is only as good as the players around him," Jaguars running back Maurice Jones-Drew said. "When they pull your quarterback, they are saying something about you. It's not the quarterback."

By Antonya English, Times Staff Writer
Sunday, November 27, 2011

.TONIGHT

No. 10 Florida vs. Stetson

When/where: 7; Amway Center, Orlando

TV/radio: Sun Sports; 620-AM

Records: Florida 4-1; Stetson 3-2

Notable: The Gators continue making their presence felt around the state. After playing at the St. Pete Times Forum in Tampa last week, Florida takes on Stetson in Orlando. Of their 65 meetings, this is their first on a neutral site. … Florida starting forward Erik Murphy is out indefinitely after suffering a torn meniscus in practice last week. … The Gators have been hot from 3-point range, hitting double figures in every game. … Three Stetson players average in double figures, led by Adam Pegg (12.6 ppg), and its defense is holding opponents to 39.9 percent shooting from the field. … Florida's Billy Donovan needs one win to reach 400, which he said is a testament to the players he has coached. "I've had a lot of good players," he said. "Obviously, it's amazing. It makes me feel old, for one."

Antonya English, Times staff writer

Times wires
Sunday, November 27, 2011

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — This was one frantic finish the Jets might consider a turning point if they end up pulling off another late-season playoff push.

Mark Sanchez threw a career-high four touchdowns, including the winning 16-yarder to Santonio Holmes with 1:01 left, as the Jets kept pace in the AFC playoff race with a comeback victory over the Bills.

"He's at his best," coach Rex Ryan said of his quarterback, "in big moments."

And, this was one of them. One win down. Five more to go.

With several Jets saying they needed to win their final six to reach the postseason, things appeared bleak for New York after Dave Rayner's 53-yard field goal gave Buffalo a 24-21 lead. But on third and 11 from the Bills 36, Sanchez hit with Plaxico Burress, who reached up and made a one-handed grab along the left sideline for 18 yards and the first down.

"It was crazy," Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis said of the catch. "He's 6-foot-5 and he's got those 'Go-Go-Gadget' arms. It was probably one of the best catches I've seen in a while."

Added Sanchez: "I don't know if words could do it any justice."

Sanchez quickly ran a sneak — just to make sure there was no challenge, though replays showed Burress caught it cleanly. On the next play, Sanchez rolled right to buy some time and found Holmes alone in the right corner of the end zone.

"It's hard," quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick said of Buffalo's fourth straight loss. "They scored at the end and we had a legitimate four chances to get it in there in the end zone and unfortunately we were unable to make the plays. It hurts real bad."

By Steve Papen, Times Correspondent
Sunday, November 27, 2011

What's hot: Amberjack fishing in depths of 100 to 150 feet has been consistent. These bruisers have ranged in size from 20 to 30 pounds in the shallower depths, and 40-60 on the deeper wrecks and springs. Secure a livewell full of large baits, such as big pinfish or blue runners.

Tackle: Most anglers prefer large conventional reels, such as a 4/0 or a 6/0, loaded with at least 80-pound monofilament line. But these fish can be caught on large spinning reels and even fly rods, depending on the structure they are over. Using the heavier tackle will wear the fish out faster, so that is recommended if you plan to catch and release.

Tactics: When fishing for amberjack, anchor over the structure. If you are drifting and hook up, the school might follow the hooked fish, which will pull the other fish off the spot, thus making them harder to catch.

Live chumming is one technique that ensures a great bite. Start early at one of the passes or bridges and throw a cast net in the shadow line to catch a livewell full of scaled sardines or threadfin herring.

Once you are over an amberjack spot, toss a few dozen of these "chummers" over the side. If the amberjack are there, you will know quickly since these fish rise in the water column and swarm around the boat waiting for the next meal.

Slow-trolling a live blue runner on a downrigger is another effective tactic for amberjack. Use your bottom machine to locate the depth at which these fish are concentrated, then deploy the baits to that depth.

Steve Papen charters out of Indian Shores and can be reached at (727) 642-3411 or www.fintasticinc.com.

By Greg Auman, Times Staff Writer
Sunday, November 27, 2011

.TONIGHT

USF women vs. Stetson

When/where: 7; USF Rec Center, Tampa

Radio: 1010-AMRecords: Stetson 5-1, USF 4-3

Notable: This is a key home game against a Hatters team whose only loss came at Florida. … The Bulls will have a significant height advantage: Stetson doesn't have a player taller than 6 feet 1, and USF has two 6-4 post players in Caitlin Rowe and Akila McDonald. … The Bulls' top scorer has been junior G Kaneisha Saunders, who is averaging 12.7 points and shooting a team-best 88 percent on free throws. As a team, the Bulls are hitting 71 percent at the line, well up from 64 percent last season.

Greg Auman, Times staff writer

By Antonya English, Times Staff Writer
Sunday, November 27, 2011

GAINESVILLE — Florida coach Will Muschamp had just watched his team lose 21-7 to Florida State on Saturday night, and the frustration of a 6-6 season was evident on his face and in his body language.

"It's a very frustrating time right now to be a Florida Gator, and I understand that," Muschamp said. "It falls on my shoulders. And there's nobody else you need to look at. You don't need to blame the offensive coaches, the defensive coaches or the special teams coach or whoever's recruiting or who was here before. And it's going to get corrected."

On Saturday night, it was more evident than ever there is a lot to fix. The six wins aren't indicative of how bad this season has been. Florida defeated Florida Atlantic, UAB, Tennessee, Kentucky, Vanderbilt and Furman, who are a combined 26-54. Opponents that defeated Florida are 58-14. The Gators offense ranks No. 101 in the nation out of 120 Division I-A teams, and the running game has been nearly nonexistent against league opponents. UF is 10th in the country in total defense, but is No. 113 in turnovers gained, its Achilles' heel all season.

"I know everybody's frustrated, I get that," Muschamp said. "I'm frustrated, too, I guarantee you more than you guys are, more than anybody sitting in that stadium. Very frustrated. But it's going to get fixed. I know patience is a bad, bad word. I'm not asking for it, but I also think sometimes you've got to be realistic."

notable: Linebacker Darrin Kitchens was released from Shands Hospital after tests revealed a concussion but no major neck injury. Quarterback John Brantley also suffered a concussion. Kitchens was injured on a helmet-to-helmet hit covering a kickoff. Brantley was hurt late in the first half when he took a shot to the head from defensive end Brandon Jenkins. He left and did not return. Defensive tackle Dominique Easley (twisted knee) and offensive lineman Kyle Koehne (knee) are expected to be fine, Muschamp said. Florida did not update the status of running back Chris Rainey (hip).

Antonya English can be reached at aenglish@tampabay.com

By Greg Auman, Times Staff Writer
Sunday, November 27, 2011

TAMPA — USF finished Friday's loss to Louisville without either starting cornerback in the game, but the missed assignments that led to giving up three passing touchdowns in zone coverage remained a major frustration for coach Skip Holtz.

"Defensively, we give up three touchdown passes uncontested in three-deep zone," Holtz said Sunday. "You're in three-deep zone and the ball goes over your head, you're not doing your job. … It's one thing when you're in man coverage, and they go up and take it away from you. It's a whole other thing when you don't cover them, especially when you're playing zone defense and trying to be safe and not give up anything foolish. That's the part that hurts as a coach."

Of Louisville's three touchdowns, two had receivers beating starting defensive backs Quenton Washington and Jerrell Young, with the other on backup George Baker, who started with Kayvon Webster out with a concussion. The nature of the mistakes — he estimated USF has played 70 percent of its defensive downs in three-deep zone — is especially puzzling. Washington missed the fourth quarter with a partially dislocated shoulder, but Holtz said he should be fine for the West Virginia game Thursday.

Holtz said his players played so poorly in three-deep that he won't use it this week so as to avoid more mistakes made from being out of position.

"If we put three-deep in this week, I blame us," Holtz said. "But it's a bread-and-butter coverage. Why? I don't know. I haven't had the opportunity to ask some of the players involved with it."

Times wires
Sunday, November 27, 2011

Panthers rule road by being grounded

INDIANAPOLIS — The Panthers finally found somewhere they could pull out a victory on the road: Indianapolis, home of the winless Colts.

DeAngelo Williams ran for two touchdowns and Cam Newton added one, leading the Panthers to their first win outside of Charlotte, N.C., in nearly two years.

"This is something we can build off of, use as a springboard as we go forward," coach Ron Rivera said. "It's not where you are now — it's where you're headed."

The Panthers last won on the road Dec. 27, 2009, beating the New York Giants 41-9.

Williams, Jonathan Stewart and Newton each ran for at least 50 yards as Carolina piled up a season-high 201 yards rushing.

Meanwhile, Indianapolis is 0-11 for the first time since 1986. The Colts produced just 1 yard in the first quarter, drawing boos from a near-capacity crowd, and had only 142 total yards entering the third quarter.

Times wires
Sunday, November 27, 2011

SAO PAULO — Mark Webber won the season-ending Brazilian Grand Prix on Sunday after Red Bull teammate Sebastian Vettel struggled with a gearbox problem.

Vettel, who had already secured the Formula One title, finished second after letting Webber pass him almost halfway through the race at the 2.6-mile Interlagos track.

Jenson Button of McLaren finished third to secure second place in the drivers' standings.

Webber easily passed Vettel on Lap 30 of 71 after his teammate reduced his pace when his team told him over the radio that there was something wrong with his gearbox.

"It sounded pretty severe," Vettel said. "It started to get worse. My main priority was to finish the race."

Webber finished third in the championship after his first victory of the season. It was his seventh overall in F1.

"Today was a good grand prix for me. It's not a bad thing to finish the year like this," Webber said. "I felt good all weekend. It would have been nice to have a race all the way through (with Vettel), but he had a bit of a problem."

Vettel, last year's winner in Brazil, had 11 wins this season but was shut out in the final two races. He retired on the first lap in Abu Dhabi with a puncture.

On Saturday, Vettel took his 15th pole this season to break Nigel Mansell's 19-year record. The 24-year-old German clinched the title last month in Japan.

"I think we had a pretty amazing season, and it would be over the top being upset now," Vettel said. "So we take the second place, the 1-2 finish for the team, which is great."

Red Bull also clinched the constructors' championship weeks ago.

Times staff
Sunday, November 27, 2011

Times wires
Sunday, November 27, 2011

Falcons a bit too interesting in win

ATLANTA — Mike Smith cracked a joke after the Falcons held on for another win that was probably closer than it should've been.

"We make it exciting enough for you?" the Atlanta coach said, managing a smile.

Matt Ryan tossed three touchdowns and the Falcons came through with a goal-line stand after Percy Harvin's 104-yard kickoff return to the 3 — the longest non-scoring play in NFL history, according to Elias — to preserve a victory over the Vikings.

The Falcons led 17-0 at halftime but let the Vikings back in it. Toby Gerhart, filling in for an injured Adrian Peterson, scored on a 1-yard run late in the third quarter and former Florida State QB Christian Ponder hit former Gator Harvin for a 39-yard touchdown on fourth and 13 to make it 17-14.

After an Atlanta TD, Harvin took the ensuing kickoff 7 yards deep in the end zone and looked to be gone, but Christopher Owens made a diving tackle at the 3. The Falcons later stuffed Gerhart for a 2-yard loss on fourth down.

Times wires
Sunday, November 27, 2011

Cardinals strike, topple Rams again

ST. LOUIS — No way Patrick Peterson thought he'd get another chance to return a punt for the Cardinals against St. Louis.

Peterson tied the NFL record with his fourth punt return for a touchdown this season, three weeks after his 99-yarder in overtime beat the Rams, and Arizona won its seventh in a row in St. Louis.

"I was actually very, very surprised," Peterson said. "I just told the guys to be patient, that we'd get one sooner or later."

Beanie Wells set Arizona's franchise record with 228 yards rushing on 27 carries. His 53-yard run set up the winning field goal with 4:12 left by Jesuit grad Jay Feely. Wells broke the mark set in 1996 by LeShon Johnson (214 yards).

Peterson was untouched on an 80-yard return in the third quarter, putting Arizona up 20-10 and joining three others with four in a season. St. Louis coach Steve Spagnuolo had vowed the rookie would not beat the Rams again.

Times wires
Sunday, November 27, 2011

Bengals rookies team for comeback

CINCINNATI — A.J. Green's bruised knee kept him on the sideline for the final minutes of Cincinnati's past two games.

Finally up and running Sunday, the rookie receiver made the difference in the final minute.

Green made a leaping catch across the middle and kept going for a 51-yard play, setting up a field goal to rallied the Bengals past self-destructive Cleveland.

The surprising Bengals stayed right behind Baltimore and Pittsburgh in the AFC North.

"I did play basketball when I was younger," Green said. "It's like rebounding. A lot of it is just timing and going up strong."

"I like my chances with A.J.," quarterback and fellow rookie Andy Dalton said.

Phil Dawson was well short on a 55-yard field goal with 1:51 left after the snap skipped on the ground, the second costly bad snap for the Browns in three weeks.

Times wires
Sunday, November 27, 2011

Tennis

Federer wins Record sixth ATP World Final

LONDON — Roger Federer held off Jo-Wilfried Tsonga on Sunday for his record sixth ATP World Tour Finals title, winning 6-3, 6-7 (8-6), 6-3 at the season-ending event.

Playing in his 100th career final, Federer broke for a 5-3 lead in the decider and served out the match at love, sealing his 70th career title with an easy volley.

"I couldn't be more happy. I couldn't be more exhausted," Federer said. "Jo sucked every last bit of energy out of me today."

Federer, who finished the season without a Grand Slam title for the first time since 2002, ends the year with a 17-match winning streak.

With this victory, Federer moved past Ivan Lendl and Pete Sampras, who both won five titles at the season-ending event for the world's top eight players, previously known as the Masters Cup.

"He's the best player indoors for the moment," Tsonga said. "He's maybe the best player ever, because he's really quick."

Golf

Americans claim 24th Cup victory

Matt Kuchar and Gary Woodland ended the United States' 11-year drought in the World Cup by shooting 5-under 67 to win by two strokes at Hainan, China.

The American pair fired six birdies in the alternate-shot final round at Mission Hills Blackstone course to finish at 24-under 264 overall, notching the 24th U.S. win in the event.

English pair Ian Poulter and Justin Rose shot 63 to tie for second at 22 under with Germany's Martin Kaymer and Alex Cejka (69). Ireland's Rory McIlroy and Graeme McDowell led by two strokes going into the final round but shot par 72 to finish tied for fourth with Australia, the Netherlands and Scotland.

More golf: Hennie Otto recorded a par on the final hole for a one-stroke win over Austria's Bernd Wiesberger at the South African Open in Johannesburg. Otto shot par 72 and finished with 14-under 274 for his second European Tour title. … Greg Chalmers won the Australian PGA Championship in Coolum for his second straight major Down Under victory, beating Robert Allenby and Marcus Fraser with a par on the first hole of a playoff after shooting 12-under 276.

Skiing

Vonn's back balks

After American Lindsay Vonn withdrew with a sore back, Austria's Marlies Schild won the season-opening World Cup slalom in Aspen, Colo. Schild beat Sweden's Maria Pietilae-Holmner by 1.19 seconds.

Heralded 16-year-old American Mikaela Shiffrin was eighth.

Vonn, the Olympic gold medalist, tweaked her back last week during training. She skied Saturday in the giant slalom and was 12th.

Meanwhile, Norway's Aksel Lund Svindal raced to his third World Cup super-G victory at Lake Louise, Alberta. Bode Miller was ninth as the top U.S. finisher.

Et cetera

Soccer: Gary Speed, who took over as Wales coach 11 months ago after playing for his country a record 85 times, died at his home at age 42. No cause of death was given. Mr. Speed was the first player to reach 500 English Premier League appearances.

Times wires

By Joe Smith, Times Staff Writer
Sunday, November 27, 2011

For former Lightning defenseman Mike Lundin, a dream-come-true situation with his hometown Wild has gotten off to a depressing start.

Lundin, 27, a native of the Minneapolis-St. Paul suburb of Burnsville, Minn., who played for Tampa Bay his first four NHL seasons, signed a one-year free agent deal with the Wild over the summer. However, Lundin has been sidelined since the third day of training camp due to a freak back injury, returning to practice last week.

"It's been long, been tough, frustrating," Lundin said in a phone interview. "(It's been) just trying to stay sane mentally while watching your team win hockey games and play together, and hope you'll be back."

Lundin would love nothing more than for his season debut to come tonight, when the Wild, first in the Northwest Division, hosts the Lightning at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul.

"I know most of the guys and would love to compete against them," Lundin said. "I'll do everything I can do to be ready for that game."

Lundin had envisioned still being with the Lightning, which drafted him in the fourth round in 2004. He had been one of its better defensemen, a mobile, steady player who averaged more than 20 minutes in the 2010-11 regular season, though his play dropped off a bit in Tampa Bay's playoff run to the Eastern Conference final.

The Lightning liked him but was wary of how much Lundin, who could have been a restricted free agent after last season, could earn through salary arbitration. So it didn't make Lundin a qualifying offer in the summer, making him an unrestricted free agent.

"When the season ended, I was pretty certain I'd be back," Lundin said. "But the business side of things unfolded, and we just had to go separate directions. It didn't happen suddenly, so I kind of saw it coming but was a little bit surprised."

Tampa Bay did end up offering Lundin a multiyear deal worth more money annually than the one-year, $1 million deal he eventually signed with the Wild.

"It was still a tough decision," Lundin said. "In the end, I thought that obviously being close to home and friends and family was good. But when it came down to it, the best place to step in and hope to play some good minutes (was in Minnesota). I felt there was a hole here I could fill. That was the deciding factor."

Lundin settled into a home in Lakeville with his wife, Shelly, and 1-year-old son, Finn. But he got more babysitting duty than he had planned after suffering from back spasms on the third day of camp. What followed was a challenging rehabilitation, which included different setbacks and having him "pretty much doing nothing for two months."

"I've never had any back problems or anything like that," Lundin said. "It was kind of a freak injury."

The Lightning could have used him this season, considering its depth has been sapped by losing Mattias Ohlund for a while because of minor knee surgeries. Lundin said he has fond memories of Tampa Bay, from his former teammates and coaches to the fans.

"It was tough the first few years, being close to the bottom (in the standings) and not making the playoffs, and the coaching changes," Lundin said. "But playing in Tampa, even with a bad team, fans always stuck with us. I definitely have some memories there."

Times wires
Sunday, November 27, 2011

Illinois' Ron Zook, Kansas' Turner Gill and Arizona State's Dennis Erickson were among five football coaches fired or forced out Sunday, and UCLA's Rick Neuheisel acknowledged that the Bruins might need an enormous upset in the Pac-12 title game Friday to keep his job after a 50-0 loss to USC.

Zook, 57, a former Florida coach, was fired after the Illini followed a 6-0 start with a six-game losing streak. He will receive a $2.6 million buyout.

Gill, 49, was fired after two losing seasons and with three years remaining on a contract that owes him about $6 million.

Erickson, 64, who won two national championships at Miami, reportedly will meet with athletic director Lisa Love today and might retire rather than be fired. He still might be with the team at any bowl game it might play in. Arizona State lost its final four games following a 6-2 start. He was 31-30 in five seasons, his highlight coming in 2007 when he was Pac-10 coach of the year.

Also, Memphis coach Larry Porter, 39, was fired after going 3-21 in two seasons at his alma mater, and UAB coach Neil Callaway, 56, resigned after going 18-42 with no winning seasons in five years.

Zook was 34-51 at Illinois. He took the 2007 team to the Rose Bowl, his high point. He got emotional when he thanked the university and players for "seven special years," and said the Illini just failed to finish a few winnable games. Athletic director Mike Thomas said Zook improved Illinois, but new leadership was needed to consistently compete for championships. Defensive coordinator Vic Koenning becomes interim coach.

Gill was 5-19 at Kansas, 2-10 this season. AD Sheahon Zenger said it was a tough decision: "I have the utmost respect for Turner Gill as a quality individual who wants only the best for the young men he coaches." Recruiting coordinator Reggie Mitchell becomes interim coach.

At UCLA, where Neuheisel is 21-29 in his fourth season, athletic director Dan Guerrero will evaluate the program after Friday's Pac-12 title game.

Get ready for lsu-'bama: LSU and Alabama held the top two BCS spots for the second straight week, and a rematch in the national championship game is a near-certainty even if the Tigers are upset by Georgia in Saturday's SEC title game. Independent BCS analyst Jerry Palm said that third-place Oklahoma State was so far back that, "It's like there is no No. 3.'' Palm said the only way to prevent an LSU-Alabama rematch is to have Georgia win the SEC championship "and there would be some voter epiphany that, 'We can't have a rematch.' " Georgia does not appear to match up well with LSU, which can devour the Bulldogs running game and limit the passing of Aaron Murray.

big east update: San Diego State is talking with the Big East about joining, with discussions getting more serious after BYU fell out of consideration, San Diego's Union-Tribune reported. An SDSU move from the Mountain West likely wouldn't happen before 2013.

Late Saturday

USC 50, UCLA 0: Matt Barkley passed for 423 yards and six touchdowns and set a Pac-12 single-season record with 39 TD passes, and Robert Woods broke Keyshawn Johnson's conference single-season receptions record — finishing with 111 — for the host Trojans. The Bruins will represent the South Division in the Pac-12 title game at Oregon despite finishing two games behind USC, which ended the second of a two-year postseason ban. The Trojans, who after the game wore T-shirts proclaiming themselves the South champs, still will lose 30 scholarships over the next three years. Barkley is expected to bypass his senior season and be a top-10 NFL pick.