Don Jensen, Times correspondent; Times wires
Saturday, December 31, 2011

hockey

connolly scores in canada win

EDMONTON — Canada defeated the United States 3-2 Saturday at the World Junior Championship to finish the round-robin a perfect 4-0.

Mark Stone scored on the power play less than six minutes in to put Canada in front. Johnathan Huberdeau picked up his seventh assist on the play.

Stone then set up Jaden Schwartz for Canada's second goal at the 10:12 mark.

Lightning prospect Brett Connolly scored Canada's third goal, his fourth of the tournament, shooting on a 2-on-1 break and beating goaltender Jack Campbell cleanly with four minutes to go in the first period. Connolly has also scored in all four games for Canada in this tournament.

After a scoreless second, Charlie Coyle got the Americans on the board with 10 minutes left in the third, beating Scott Wedgewood. Then Jason Zucker scored from behind the net with 6:48 to play to make it a one-goal game.

Canada had already clinched top spot in Group B, while the United States will play in the relegation round. The Canadians advanced to Tuesday's semifinal.

soccer

Man U stunned 3-2 by Blackburn

Blackburn pulled off the biggest surprise of the Premier League season by stunning Manchester United 3-2 at Old Trafford in Manchester, England, to ruin manager Alex Ferguson's 70th birthday.

United had erased a 2-0 deficit through two second-half goals by Dimitar Berbatov, but Grant Hanley took advantage of a mistake by goalkeeper David de Gea to score the winner from a corner in the 80th minute.

"It is a disaster," Ferguson said. "I never expected it."

The surprising setback for the defending champion, owned by the Glazer family, means Manchester City can go three points clear at the top by winning at Sunderland today.

Report details player's on-field slur: Liverpool striker Luis Suarez called Manchester United's Patrice Evra "negro" seven times during an on-field confrontation before giving unreliable evidence to a racism hearing that banned him for eight matches, according to the judgment. Suarez's claim that the racial slur used in the Oct. 15 Premier League match was lost in translation was rejected by the English Football Association's independent panel, which released a 115-page report into the incident.

tennis

Murray hires Lendl in quest for major

Andy Murray hired eight-time Grand Slam winner Ivan Lendl as his coach in a bid to win a major. The fourth-ranked Scot will begin working with Lendl as he prepares for the Australian Open, which starts Jan. 16.

Murray, 24, reached the Australian Open final and the semifinal of the other three Grand Slams last season. He has lost in two other major finals — the 2010 Australian Open and '08 U.S. Open.

World Tennis Championship: Novak Djokovic routed David Ferrer 6-2, 6-1 to win the exhibition Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. The top-ranked Djokovic also beat Gael Monfils then routed Roger Federer for his first Abu Dhabi title. Earlier, Rafael Nadal overcame an ailing shoulder to beat Federer 6-1, 7-5 for third place.

et cetera

Horses: It's Me Mom scored an 81/4-length victory in the $50,000 Minaret on Saturday at Tampa Bay Downs in Oldsmar. Ridden by Willie Martinez for trainer Lynne Scace, It's Me Mom clocked 6 furlongs in 1 minute, 9.68 seconds. Moon Buzz and Yournotthebossofme were next.

Don Jensen, Times correspondent; Times wires

Times wires
Saturday, December 31, 2011

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — Indiana did it again. Three weeks after upsetting No. 1 Kentucky, the Hoosiers took down No. 2 Ohio State.

Victor Oladipo scored the go-ahead basket with 36 seconds left Saturday and Jordan Hulls finished with 17 points, giving the No. 13 Hoosiers a 74-70 victory — the school's first sweep of the nation's top two teams.

"They've been punking us the past couple years and we realized that," Oladipo said. "This year we had to go toe-to-toe with them."

The Hoosiers (13-1, 1-1 Big Ten) didn't back down.

Indiana became the ninth team since 1996-97 to beat No. 1 and No. 2 in the same season and joined Kansas in 2007-08 and Louisville in 2003-04 as the only teams over that span to achieve the feat in the same month.

Saturday, the Hoosiers needed Oladipo's layup, three free throws from Hulls and Watford, a rebound from Watford and a steal from Oladipo in the final 36 seconds.

"They (the players) just kept giving us (coaches) confidence," Indiana coach Tom Crean said. "They came to every timeout, they were totally locked in and at the 7:38 mark, you could just see it in their eyes they were so locked in. They matched the Ohio State toughness and energy."

Ohio State (13-2, 1-1) was led by Aaron Craft with 16 points and Jared Sullinger with 15 points and nine rebounds.

The Buckeyes squandered an early 19-9 lead, watching the Hoosiers close the half by converting back-to-back turnovers into easy baskets. That gave Indiana a 33-32 lead.

It was the same story in the second half.

Ohio State looked as if it might pull away after taking a 44-41 lead with 15:33 left, but the continual foul problems allowed Indiana to hang around.

"It came down to us not being able to get a stop," Craft said. "Give them credit, they just kept coming back and coming back and knocking down big shot after big shot."

No. 3 UK 69, No. 4 L'ville 62: Freshman Michael Kidd-Gilchrist had season highs with 24 points and 19 rebounds to lead the host Wildcats in a game that had with 52 fouls. Russ Smith had a career-high 30 points for the Cardinals (12-2).

No. 9 UConn 83, St. John's 69: Shabazz Napier had 17 points and nine assists as the host Huskies (12-1, 2-0 Big East) won a game coached by assistants for both teams. UConn coach Jim Calhoun was serving the second of a three-game suspension for NCAA violations, while Steve Lavin continues to recover from prostate cancer surgery in October.

Iowa 72, No. 11 Wis. 65: Freshman reserve Aaron White scored 16 of his 18 in the second half and the Hawkeyes (9-6, 1-1 Big Ten) stunned the host Badgers (12-3, 1-1). Wisconsin had its second-worst shooting game of the season (34.8 percent) on the same day its top-ranked defense allowed a season high for points.

No. 12 G'town 49, Providence 40: The Hoyas (12-1, 2-0 Big East) blew a 14-point lead and shot a season-low 30 percent in a win over the visiting Friars. Georgetown won its 10th straight despite making only eight field goals in the second half.

No. 15 Miss. St. 66, Utah St. 64: Rodney Hood scored 16, Arnett Moultrie added 15 and the host Bulldogs (13-2) escaped with a victory over the Aggies. Mississippi State needed a defensive stop on its final possession.

No. 16 Mich. St. 68, Neb. 55: Draymond Green scored 19 and Keith Appling had eight of his 14 in the last seven minutes for the visiting Spartans (13-2, 2-0 Big Ten). The Cornhuskers made just one field goal during the final 6:48.

No. 17 Kansas 84, North Dakota 58: Thomas Robinson posted career bests with 30 points and 21 rebounds, helping the host Jayhawks (10-3) overcome a sluggish start. Robinson was 10 of 14 from the field and 9 of 12 from the free-throw line.

No. 19 UNLV 74, Hawaii 69: Anthony Marshall scored 19 and grabbed 13 rebounds as the visiting Rebels (15-2) overcame a slow start in the first half.

No. 21 Creighton 68, Wichita St. 61: Antoine Young scored 19 and the Bluejays (11-2, 1-1 Missouri Valley) held the host Shockers to 22 points in the second half and pulled away.

No. 24 Harvard 74, Saint Joseph's 69: Kyle Casey scored 7 of his 26 in the closing 4:25 as the host Crimson (12-1) completed a comeback. Harvard trailed by 11 with just more than 10 minutes to play.

Women

No. 4 Stanford 77, UCLA 50: Nnemkadi Ogwumike and Chiney Ogwumike posted double doubles for the second straight game to lead the visiting Cardinal (11-1, 2-0). Stanford led by 25 midway through the second half.

No. 18 Green Bay 76, Loyola 49: Julie Wojta scored 15 in 25 minutes and Adrian Ritchie had nine points and eight rebounds as the host Phoenix (12-0, 2-0 Horizon League) held the Ramblers to 37.5 percent shooting and forced 34 turnovers.

No. 21 DePaul 65, No. Illinois 46: Anna Martin scored 30 to lead the host Blue Demons (13-2) to victory and give coach Doug Bruno his 500th victory with the school. DePaul trailed 25-22 at halftime but opened the second with a 14-0 run.

Saturday, December 31, 2011

LOS ANGELES — Andrew Bynum provided the Lakers with a powerful performance in his season debut after a four-game suspension that carried over from the playoffs.

Bynum scored 29 on 13-for-18 shooting and grabbed 13 rebounds, leading the Lakers to a 92-89 victory over the Nuggets on Saturday. The 7-foot center played 31 1/2 minutes, helping the Lakers win their third straight after an 0-2 start.

"They were looking for me a lot. I was a focal point early in the offense, so I knew the quicker I got down the court, the better it was," said Bynum, who made four of his first five shots and finished the first quarter with 10 points. "I was winded like crazy. I couldn't breathe in the first six minutes. Defensively, getting back and all those things require me to be in better condition. So it's going to take a little while."

Bynum was suspended without pay for the first four games because of a flagrant foul against Dallas' J.J. Barea in Game 4 of the Western Conference semifinals. The original ban was five games, but was reduced Dec. 23 as a result of a shortened schedule caused by the lockout.

Game highlights: Jonas Jerebko had 20 points and 12 rebounds, and the host Pistons ended coach Lawrence Frank's 20-game losing streak with a 96-88 victory over the Pacers. Frank hadn't won a game since April 13, 2009, when his Nets beat the Bobcats. The Nets lost their final game that season, and Frank was fired after New Jersey got off to a 0-16 start the next fall. He also lost his first three games with the Pistons. … Russell Westbrook scored 18, Daequan Cook hit four 3-pointers in quick succession and the host Thunder improved to 5-0 with a 107-97 win over the Suns.

Lakers 92, Nuggets 89

DENVER (89): Gallinari 3-12 1-2 7, Nene 5-10 3-5 13, Mozgov 4-7 0-0 8, Lawson 3-8 2-4 9, Afflalo 4-10 3-5 13, Miller 5-9 3-4 13, Harrington 8-17 2-2 21, Fernandez 1-6 0-0 3, Andersen 1-1 0-0 2. Totals 34-80 14-22 89.

L.A. LAKERS (92): Barnes 3-7 0-0 7, Gasol 7-10 3-4 17, Bynum 13-18 3-3 29, Fisher 3-7 0-0 6, Bryant 6-18 5-6 17, Murphy 0-0 0-0 0, World Peace 0-8 0-0 0, Blake 2-9 1-2 5, Kapono 2-6 0-0 5, McRoberts 3-3 0-0 6. Totals 39-86 12-15 92.

Denver 23 22 26 18— 89

L.A. Lakers 22 24 23 23— 92

3-Point Goals—Denver 7-26 (Harrington 3-8, Afflalo 2-5, Lawson 1-3, Fernandez 1-5, Miller 0-1, Gallinari 0-4), Lakers 2-24 (Barnes 1-3, Kapono 1-4, Gasol 0-1, Fisher 0-2, World Peace 0-3, Bryant 0-5, Blake 0-6). Fouled Out—Fisher. Rebounds—Denver 44 (Mozgov 10), Lakers 60 (Bynum 13). Assists—Denver 22 (Lawson 8), Lakers 24 (Bryant 9). Total Fouls—Denver 17, Lakers 20. Technicals—Bryant. A—18,997.

Pistons 96, Pacers 88

INDIANA (88): Granger 4-15 2-2 11, West 4-11 2-2 10, Hibbert 4-7 1-2 9, Collison 4-6 5-6 15, George 2-5 2-3 7, Hansbrough 5-14 6-7 16, Hill 7-11 1-2 16, Jones 0-3 4-4 4, Amundson 0-1 0-0 0, Stephenson 0-3 0-0 0. Totals 30-76 23-28 88.

DETROIT (96): Prince 5-13 0-0 12, Jerebko 8-14 1-3 20, Monroe 8-12 3-4 19, Stuckey 5-12 4-4 15, Gordon 6-12 2-2 16, Knight 3-8 0-0 6, Maxiell 3-5 0-0 6, Wallace 1-1 0-0 2, Daye 0-3 0-0 0, Wilkins 0-2 0-0 0. Totals 39-82 10-13 96.

Indiana 18 26 20 24— 88

Detroit 21 31 30 14— 96

3-Point Goals—Indiana 5-15 (Collison 2-3, George 1-2, Hill 1-3, Granger 1-4, Stephenson 0-1, West 0-1, Jones 0-1), Detroit 8-15 (Jerebko 3-4, Prince 2-3, Gordon 2-4, Stuckey 1-1, Daye 0-1, Knight 0-2). Fouled Out—None. Rebounds—Indiana 44 (Hibbert, Hansbrough, Collison, West, Hill 5), Detroit 53 (Jerebko 12). Assists—Indiana 17 (Collison 8), Detroit 25 (Stuckey 7). Total Fouls—Indiana 19, Detroit 23. Technicals—Ind. second 2. A—8,824

Thunder 107, Suns 97

PHOENIX (97): Hill 2-8 2-2 6, Frye 1-6 0-0 2, Gortat 5-9 2-2 12, Nash 3-10 0-0 8, Dudley 5-10 3-3 14, Childress 0-4 0-0 0, Lopez 1-4 2-2 4, Price 2-6 1-2 5, Morris 5-8 2-3 15, Warrick 5-8 5-7 15, Brown 4-8 0-0 9, Telfair 2-7 2-2 7. Totals 35-88 19-23 97.

OKLAHOMA CITY (107): Durant 4-11 2-2 12, Ibaka 4-4 0-0 8, Perkins 2-3 0-0 4, Westbrook 8-14 2-2 18, Sefolosha 4-7 2-2 12, Collison 5-7 1-1 11, Harden 1-6 8-8 10, Mohammed 4-6 1-3 9, Cook 4-5 0-0 12, Maynor 0-4 0-0 0, Hayward 3-5 0-0 7, Aldrich 1-2 0-0 2, Jackson 1-3 0-0 2. Totals 41-77 16-18 107.

Phoenix 22 24 21 30— 97

Oklahoma City 27 33 29 18— 107

3-Point Goals—Phoenix 8-26 (Morris 3-4, Nash 2-7, Telfair 1-1, Brown 1-2, Dudley 1-3, Price 0-1, Hill 0-2, Childress 0-2, Frye 0-4), Okl City 9-22 (Cook 4-5, Sefolosha 2-3, Durant 2-3, Hayward 1-2, Westbrook 0-1, Jackson 0-2, Maynor 0-2, Harden 0-4). Fouled Out—None. Rebounds—Phoenix 43 (Gortat, Morris 6), Okl City 52 (Perkins 8). Assists—Pho 19 (Nash 6), Okl City 25 (Harden 8). Total Fouls—Pho 16, Okl City 27. A—18,203

Knicks 114, Kings 92

NEW YORK (114): Anthony 6-15 11-13 23, Harrellson 5-11 0-0 14, Chandler 6-8 10-10 22, Douglas 6-18 1-1 17, Fields 10-16 1-2 21, Jordan 0-3 0-0 0, Walker 5-8 0-0 11, Bibby 1-4 0-0 3, Novak 1-3 1-1 3, Balkman 0-2 0-0 0, Lin 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 40-89 24-27 114.

SACRAMENTO (92): Salmons 3-9 0-0 7, Hayes 2-6 1-2 5, Cousins 2-10 5-6 9, Evans 6-14 1-3 13, Thornton 5-13 2-3 14, Fredette 2-10 2-2 7, Thomas 0-2 7-10 7, Hickson 2-3 1-1 5, Outlaw 0-2 0-0 0, Thompson 5-10 3-8 13, Greene 3-7 2-4 10, Honeycutt 0-0 2-2 2. Totals 30-86 26-41 92.

New York 35 21 22 36— 114

Sacramento 20 22 23 27— 92

3-Point Goals—New York 10-28 (Douglas 4-6, Harrellson 4-8, Bibby 1-2, Walker 1-2, Balkman 0-1, Novak 0-2, Anthony 0-3, Fields 0-4), Sacramento 6-22 (Greene 2-4, Thornton 2-6, Salmons 1-3, Fredette 1-7, Thomas 0-1, Evans 0-1). Fouled Out—None. Rebounds—New York 51 (Harrellson 12), Sacramento 72 (Hayes 13). Assists—New York 26 (Douglas 8), Sacramento 15 (Cousins 4). Total Fouls—New York 35, Sacramento 22. Technicals—Thompson, Sacramento defensive three second. Flagrant Fouls—Bibby. A—16,175

Rockets 95, Hawks 84

ATLANTA (84): Smith 4-12 4-8 12, M.Williams 3-7 2-2 9, Horford 6-11 3-4 15, Teague 3-7 0-0 6, J.Johnson 7-15 0-0 15, Pargo 3-5 0-0 6, Pachulia 1-2 1-2 3, McGrady 6-11 0-0 13, Radmanovic 0-5 0-0 0, Green 2-5 0-0 5, Collins 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 35-80 10-16 84.

HOUSTON (95): Budinger 7-10 0-0 17, Scola 9-19 3-4 21, Hill 5-8 1-2 11, Lowry 0-6 2-2 2, Martin 9-20 3-3 27, Dalembert 3-6 1-2 7, Lee 1-3 0-0 2, Dragic 1-5 0-0 2, Patterson 3-5 0-0 6, Parsons 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 38-82 10-13 95.

Atlanta 22 22 16 24— 84

Houston 31 20 21 23— 95

3-Point Goals—Atlanta 4-16 (McGrady 1-2, Green 1-2, M.Williams 1-2, J.Johnson 1-5, Smith 0-1, Pargo 0-1, Radmanovic 0-3), Houston 9-19 (Martin 6-11, Budinger 3-4, Dragic 0-1, Lowry 0-3). Fouled Out—None. Rebounds—Atlanta 46 (Smith 7), Houston 52 (Hill 15). Assists—Atlanta 16 (Teague 5), Houston 26 (Lowry 18). Total Fouls—Atlanta 14, Houston 18. Technicals—J.Johnson, Houston defensive three second 2. A—14,390

Times staff
Sunday, January 1, 2012

.fast facts

2012 opponents

In addition to two games each against the NFC South teams, the Bucs will face all four teams from the NFC East and AFC West and the last-place teams from the NFC North and NFC West (dates and times to be determined):

HomeAway

FalconsFalcons

PanthersPanthers

SaintsSaints

EaglesCowboys

RedskinsGiants

ChargersBroncos

ChiefsRaiders

RamsVikings

By Joey Knight, Times Staff Writer
Sunday, January 1, 2012

When/where: 1 p.m. today; Raymond James Stadium, Tampa

TV/radio: Ch. 28; 620-AMLine: Georgia by 3

Notable: Michigan State has lost five consecutive bowl games. … Senior QB Kirk Cousins needs 34 yards to break Jeff Smoker's Spartans record (8,714) for total yardage. … Georgia is 3-0 in the Outback since 1998. … The Bulldogs' 10-game win streak was the program's longest since 1982, when Vince Dooley's team notched an 11-0 regular season before losing in the Sugar Bowl. … Bulldogs sophomore OLB Jarvis Jones, a Butkus Award finalist, needs half a sack to tie David Pollack's school single-season record (14). Both offenses average more than 30 points. … The perception of the SEC holding speed supremacy over the Big Ten will be tested. Senior B.J. Cunningham, the Spartans' all-time leading receiver (211 catches, 3,020 yards), faces a pass defense that ranked third in the SEC (165.1 ypg). Junior Bacarri Rambo's seven interceptions are the second-most in the nation. … Georgia QB Aaron Murray, left, who led Plant High to a state title in 2008, faces a 4-3 Spartans alignment that led the Big Ten in total defense (272.7 ypg) and sacks (41). Murray has been sacked 10 times in his past four games. Look for two former local prep stars ­— DL Denzel Drone (Plant City) and S Jairus Jones (Wharton) — in the Spartans' defensive rotation. Georgia's backfield has four players with at least 200 rushing yards, but coach Mark Richt said redshirt freshman Ken Malcome (30 carries, 123 yards) likely will start.

Joey Knight, Times staff writer

Outback Bowl: No. 12 Michigan State (10-3) vs. No. 18 Georgia (10-3)

Times wires
Sunday, January 1, 2012

Painful Bears win

MINNEAPOLIS — First, Jay Cutler. Then, Matt Forte. Now Brian Urlacher. A late injury to Urlacher, their All-Pro linebacker, put a damper on the Bears ending a five-game skid.

Coach Lovie Smith said Urlacher sprained the medial collateral ligament in his left knee. Urlacher, who turns 34 in May, left without assistance but in obvious pain.

"It just breaks my heart to see. He is the Chicago Bears," quarterback Josh McCown said.

As for the Vikings, who clinched the No. 3 overall pick in April, former FSU quarterback Christian Ponder was relieved by Joe Webb for the third time in a month.

By Joey Knight, Times Staff Writer
Sunday, January 1, 2012

TAMPA — When the Big Ten fired off an email last summer asking its schools to nominate a player to speak at its kickoff luncheon in Chicago, John Lewandowski fired right back.

Michigan State's communications chief knew the beauty of Kirk Cousins' oratorical spirals.

"As soon as I hit the send button I called (Big Ten assistant commissioner) Scott Chipman and I said, 'Hey, I'm not trying to pressure you, but if you don't pick him, you ought to quit having someone speak on behalf of the student-athletes,' " Lewandowski recalled.

With the help of his dad and Lewandowski, Cousins — the Spartans' fifth-year senior quarterback — spent three weeks crafting a six-plus minute address focusing on the privilege of playing major college football, and the responsibility that accompanies it.

Five months and 170,000 YouTube hits later, people still talk about it.

"I've been experiencing that for four years, so in retrospect, I probably needed to be more like 'Wow,' " Spartans coach Mark Dantonio said.

"But for me, that's the standard that he has set. And when I say our (program's) culture has changed, he's largely responsible for a lot of it. In essence, he promotes excellence, and that's what he did that day."

Meet the Outback Bowl's "other" quarterback.

With much of the pregame attention focused on the homecoming of Georgia starter and Plant High alumnus Aaron Murray, Cousins wraps up his career the same way he commenced it — unassumingly.

He arrived on campus five summers ago with neither a 40-yard dash time nor a major college offer — outside of East Lansing — to speak of. He exits as the program's career leader in wins, touchdown passes, pass efficiency and public appearances.

"I feel like I've given everything I can to Michigan State," Cousins said. "Win or lose (today), I'll be very proud of the effort that I and our program have given over the past five years."

From pulpits to pediatric wards, he has charmed, challenged and inspired. He already has his degree and, barring something catastrophic, will have the school's total-offense record by the end of today's game. He is Tim Tebow on Slim-Fast, Danny Wuerffel with a Midwest accent.

"A lot of people ask me, 'Is he really that good of a guy?' " Spartans senior fullback Todd Anderson said. "But I mean, he's everything you'd ask for. He's a genuine person, strong in faith."

The son of a minister who consults at churches nationwide, Cousins grew up in Chicago but moved to Michigan with his family in time to break virtually every offensive record at Holland Christian.

Yet by the end of his senior season, only Toledo and Western Michigan had made offers. Scouts raved over his throwing technique, but he impressed exactly no one when gauged with a scale or stopwatch.

Dantonio, meantime, was struggling to sign a quarterback — any quarterback — on his recruiting board. He brought Cousins in for a visit because he hadn't seen him compete live, sent an assistant to watch him practice with Holland Christian's basketball team.

"Early impressions were a very polished young man," Dantonio said. "A young man that had definite goals, very goal-oriented, had definite virtues, was very faith-based."

By his redshirt sophomore year, Cousins (6 feet 3, 205 pounds) was the starter. He exits as only the second three-year captain in program history. The meticulous preparation that helped him win the position now has been complemented by physical development.

"He didn't come as the five-star recruit; he came as the guy that was going to get it done," Dantonio said. "He's put on 30 pounds, I think, since he's come, probably grew an inch."

That's merely height and weight. Many suggest there's no way to measure his reach.

Cousins has touched that many.

"There's no question in my mind that he is the epitome of a team player," Dantonio said. "And that's not just in the huddle, it's off the field as well, and he's the epitome of what you'd consider an MVP on your team."

By Rick Stroud, Times Staff Writer
Sunday, January 1, 2012

ATLANTA — It is sure to wind up on one of those NFL blooper videos. At the very least it's worthy of a "C'mon, Man!" segment on Monday Night Countdown.

Bucs running back Kregg Lumpkin saw the blitz and did his job, curling out of the backfield and turning to look for the pass over the middle that had already left the hand of quarterback Josh Freeman.

But that was before he was splattered like a bug on a windshield by his teammate, tight end Kellen Winslow, who missed an assignment and ran the wrong route on an audible by Freeman.

The collision resulted in a 26-yard interception return for a touchdown by Atlanta linebacker Curtis Lofton, part of a 42-0 deficit that became a 45-24 loss by the Bucs (4-12) to the playoff-bound Falcons on Sunday.

This is what will be remembered about the 2011 Bucs: Their pain was self-inflicted, and they were so bad at times that they couldn't get out of their own way.

The laugh-track defeats — and the worst defense in the history of the franchise after yielding 494 points — could result in the firing of Bucs coach Raheem Morris, who went from his self-proclaimed race to 10 wins a year ago to the disgrace of 10 straight losses in his third season.

"He'll take all the blame and probably shouldn't, but that's just the kind of guy Raheem is," cornerback Ronde Barber said. "I admire Raheem for the things he says and the things he takes upon his shoulders as his fault.

"It's all of our faults. As a unit, as a team, collectively, all six units in the building, none of them were good enough. To put it all on Raheem, that's very shortsighted. I hate to see him get all that blame because it's not him."

That's essentially what Morris said when he addressed the team after the game in a locker room full of cold stares and long faces.

Morris spoke first, telling players he appreciated their effort in the second half, even though by then the Falcons had benched most of their starters, including quarterback Matt Ryan and running back Michael Turner, who rushed for 172 yards and two touchdowns in the first half.

"His message was, 'It's not about me,' " center Jeff Faine said of Morris' postgame address. "It's about us rededicat­ing our team and everybody being committed to improving on their craft."

Faine spoke next, particularly to the Bucs' young players who were no doubt affected by the NFL lockout and lack of an offseason.

"My message to the team was that it's not going to be magic," Faine said. "It isn't just where you hit the reset button and it's all fixed. There's a lot of work we've got to put in this offseason. Regardless what happens, the core of this team is still going to be back. The work needs to be put in.

"It's going to take a lot of hard work. It's not just physical, it's mental, too. Get into the classroom and make sure we can depend on everybody to know their stuff."

Barber, 36, passed Derrick Brooks on Sunday for the most games played in franchise history with 225. But he watched the second half from the sideline in street clothes because of a right arm injury. Depending partly on Morris' status, Barber might have played his last game Sunday, but he said that decision won't be made for several months.

Still, in 15 seasons of pro football, Barber said he has never seen a team collapse so quickly in games and during a season.

"A myriad of thoughts go through your head when they've got 28 points the first 10 minutes of the game," he said. "At the end of the day, we have a bunch of guys not doing their job well enough. This game is the promise of what you have today, and I think we have a lot of guys who have to realize that. Just being out there doesn't guarantee you're good enough to play at all. You've got to put the work in.

"I've never been around a team where it went so bad, so quickly. Like, it's hard to steady the ship."

Freeman, who passed for 274 yards with two touchdowns and three interceptions Sunday, said he was frustrated by the whole season and was looking forward to getting away from football for a few days.

"I love Rah as a head coach," Freeman said. "I appreciate the effort and the intensity he brings to the team. All our guys, we have an extremely hard-working coaching staff. Being a player, I got to say from a player's perspective, a lot of it boils on us."

Morris was unshakable in his belief that he will return next season.

"I'm going to go to work tomorrow," he said. "Until they tell you to stop, man."

But even Barber sounded fatalistic about what will happen next.

"I've enjoyed the journey," Barber said. "I told Raheem, the journey doesn't end just because whatever is going to happen, happens. The 2012 Buccaneers will go on regardless of whether I'm here or Raheem is here or whoever is here."

By Antonya English, Times Staff Writer
Sunday, January 1, 2012

JACKSONVILLE — It has been a long time since Florida finished a football season with a losing record.

The Pittsburgh Pirates defeated the Baltimore Orioles in Game 7 of the World Series, Willie Mays was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame, Bjorn Borg won Wimbledon and the French Open, Magic Johnson's Michigan State defeated Larry Bird's Indiana State for the NCAA men's basketball title, and NFL star quarterback Drew Brees was born.

Can't quite place the year? Try 1979.

So it's not surprising that Florida coach Will Muschamp and his staff have spent the past several weeks impressing upon the 2011 team how important a win in today's Gator Bowl is for both this team and the program.

A loss will forever link this squad to the 1979 team that didn't win a single game (0-10-1) in Charley Pell's first season. And while 6-7 won't quite sink to that level, Muschamp wants the players to understand that for a program that has become accustomed to winning national champion­ships the past two decades, a loss today would be considered a failure.

"It's not something we want to have happen," Muschamp said. "I certainly know that these players and myself — and us as a staff — don't want to be saddled with that. Is that a motivating factor? Certainly should be. But again, playing well and putting that uniform on, whether you're a senior for the last time or as we move forward with our young players in our program, playing well and winning the game, that ought to be the motivation, too, regardless of the external circumstances."

Whichever team suffers the loss will carry a similar burden. Ohio State, which is also 6-6, has not had a losing season since it went 4-6-1 in 1988. And the Buckeyes, too, are trying to avoid being linked to a less successful past.

"It's two programs that aren't used to being in this spot," senior center Mike Brewster said. "It's really just (playing) for pride at this point."

Added OSU senior running back Dan "Boom" Herron: "It's definitely going to be a game that we want to get a win, not just for the seniors but for the whole program and the Buckeye nation."

In many ways, what this game is about for the Ohio State players is completing what has been a difficult journey. The Buckeyes have had the added burden of the resignation of coach Jim Tressel in May, then being led by interim coach Luke Fickell, who had no head coaching experience. They've tried to find normalcy amid the uncertainty of an NCAA investigation, which the players acknowledged has not been easy. A win, they said, would help end things the right way and set the tone for the future.

"It's been a growing process for all of us, especially the seniors," Brewster said. "I feel like we've just grown a ton, not only as players but handling the situation. Finishing the win against Florida would be a good way to go out."

So although their records don't impress, both sides said expect an all-out battle today. Pride and fear of failure can bring out the best — at least that's what they hope — because both teams are desperate to avoid leaving behind the legacy of being "that team."

"It is what it is," Florida sophomore receiver Andre Debose said. "It would be embarrassing to be the team to go down as the first losing team in all those years."

BRANTLEY SAYS NO REGRETS: It has not been the kind of career quarterback John Brantley had envisioned when he signed with Florida as the Gatorade national quarterback of the year in 2006.

Brantley spent the early part of his career as Tim Tebow's backup, and he has struggled as a two-year starter in a system he wasn't suited for, then under a new coaching staff this season.

Yet Brantley, who in 40 games has thrown for 4,618 yards, 29 touchdowns and 17 interceptions, insists he has never wondered what might have been if he played somewhere else.

"I grew up as a Gator and all that," said Brantley, an Ocala native. "Now that I'll be exiting this program after this game, I'll always be a Gator through thick and thin. I'll always be wearing the orange and blue and watching them on Saturdays for years to come.

"I'm just fortunate enough to wake up every day and put on the Gator uniform. To be able to have this opportunity to play major college football at such a great university and one that I have loved my entire life is a dream come true, and I wouldn't want it any other way."

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

By Mike Gore, Times Correspondent
Sunday, January 1, 2012

What's hot: It's getting to be that time of year where the temperature drops. When the water temperature drops into the low 60s, you want to have shrimp onboard. Fishing with shrimp can be very productive in the winter months. Almost every kind of fish will eat it. Other good baits are artificial lures and soft plastics. With the low tides and clear water, you want to sight cast tailing redfish. Look for mullet schools, and redfish are usually not far behind.

Tips: Find these fish around usual spots, such as oyster beds and mangroves. Using cut bait this time of year is productive. Though it is not the most exciting way to fish, it will produce. It brings the redfish to you instead of you trying to find them. Redfish are easily spooked this time of year.

Technique: The trout bite during the winter is almost hard to beat. A lot of these fish hole up in 4-6 feet on the grass flats. You can almost count on catching at least 50 fish. Some of the biggest trout I caught last year were in 1-2 feet, but if you are looking for quantity, stay a little deeper. Set up a drift over the flats. Sometimes with the wind, you might need to deploy a drift sock; this will slow you.

Mike Gore charters out of Tampa Bay. Call him at (813) 390-6600 or visit tampacharters.com.

Times wires
Sunday, January 1, 2012

Eagles end on high

PHILADELPHIA — The Eagles played their best football too late.

Michael Vick threw for 335 yards and three touchdowns, including a 62-yarder to DeSean Jackson, and the Eagles beat the Redskins for their fourth straight win.

But Philadelphia missed the playoffs for the fourth time in coach Andy Reid's 13 seasons.

"That's the unfortunate part," Vick said. "…We know what needs to be done. We'll fly under the radar and try to shock people next year."

Reid refused to discuss his future, or if oft-criticized defensive coordinator Juan Castillo will be back.

Meanwhile, in the worst year in Mike Shanahan's 17 full seasons as a coach, the Redskins finished last in the NFC East for a team-record fourth straight year.

Sunday, January 1, 2012

By Joe Smith, Times Staff Writer
Sunday, January 1, 2012

TAMPA — There's no doubt D Victor Hedman's indefinite absence due to a concussion leaves a big void on the Lightning blue line. But that doesn't mean it is insurmountable. The other defensemen have stepped up to pick up the slack in the past two games, both wins.

"It's a huge (loss), and I think players are answering with their actions," coach Guy Boucher said. "Certainly we don't want 'Heddy' to feel that he's let down the team. It's something other teams … fight through. We've been known to have a lot of character and fight through adversity. That's what we've done since the beginning of the year."

With Hedman out and Mattias Ohlund (knees) yet to play this season, it means expanded roles for several defensemen. Pavel Kubina has joined Eric Brewer in the top pairing, and he logged a season high in minutes Tuesday against the Flyers, 27:44.

"His game has been getting better and better, I'd say, the past three weeks," Boucher said.

Bruno Gervais, who has played in 16 of the Lightning's 37 games, will get more regular duty, as will Marc-Andre Bergeron, combining with Brett Clark and Matt Gilroy.

"As a hockey player, you want to be out there, you want to be on the ice," Bergeron said. "It's fun when you have a chance to play a little bit more. We just take advantage of it and make the best of it."

DOWN LOW: RW Steve Downie, coming off a career-high three-point night Saturday in a 5-2 win over the Hurricanes, has seven points in his past three games. Boucher said it's a product of Downie's work in practice, which has been impressive recently.

"He's preparing extremely well for his games because he's intense in practice, and he's one of our more intense guys in practice," Boucher said. "And that wasn't always the case. He's just getting what he deserves. If he keeps working hard like that, the details of the game and the habits, they become second nature, and that's what's happening right now. He's staying focused on the game, and it pays off."

SECRET WEAPON: The Lightning was given Sunday off, its second day off in three days. Boucher gave the team off Friday, the day after it beat the Canadiens 4-3, as a "bargain," hoping his mantra of "rest is a weapon" would lead to a better start Saturday.

"My side of the bargain was, 'I'm going to give you a day off, but if you want to dance, you have to pay the fiddler, and the next day we better have some legs.' And we were flying (Saturday). We're going to remember that. Of course, with two minutes left, players were (saying), 'Rest is a weapon.' That was my words. They come back at me."

Times wires
Sunday, January 1, 2012

Brees, Saints break several records

NEW ORLEANS — Drew Brees set a merciless tone with relentless, aggressive, pinpoint passing and the Saints shrugged off injury risks, barreling into the postseason with an all-out effort.

"Every facet of our offense is clicking right now, but yet you're constantly finding ways to advance it," Brees said. "We've raised the bar for ourselves."

Brees passed for 389 yards and five touchdowns, and the Saints set a slew of NFL and club records in a blowout of the Panthers.

San Francisco's victory meant the Saints settled for the No. 3 seed in the NFC and will host Detroit in the first round.

New Orleans set league records for offensive yards (7,474), team yards passing (5,347) and first downs (416). Brees set records for completions (468, breaking Peyton Manning's 450 last season), completion percentage (71.6, breaking his own record of 70.6 in 2009) and yards (5,476).

Times wires
Sunday, January 1, 2012

49ers clinch No. 2

ST. LOUIS — No apologies from Jim Harbaugh. Not even close.

After the 49ers had to make stops late to hold off the suddenly spunky Rams in their finale, their first-year coach was clear he did not have mixed emotions in clinching the NFC's No. 2 seed.

"I feel great," Harbaugh said after barely beating a two-win team. "I'm not going to come in here and be sad that we won."

The 49ers could use the bye week that they earned. Wide receivers Ted Ginn Jr. (ankle) and Kyle Williams (concussion) were out and running back Frank Gore sat out the second half with what Harbaugh vaguely called "something that was bothering him," though Gore said he was not hurt.

"It was a coach's decision, but I'm fine," said Gore, held to 9 yards on seven carries.

Times wires
Sunday, January 1, 2012

Packers backup better in shootout

GREEN BAY, Wis. — With Aaron Rodgers resting for the playoffs, Matt Flynn had to be ready to run the Packers offense. Was he ever.

Flynn set franchise records with 480 yards passing and six touchdowns — the final one to Jermichael Finley with 1:10 left, giving the Packers a victory over the Lions as the teams combined for a record 971 net passing yards (1,000, minus sack yardage).

"Just think of all of the great quarterbacks that have come through here," Flynn said. "It's very humbling. I just thank everybody around me and everything."

Matthew Stafford threw for 520 yards with five touchdowns but his second interception, in the final seconds, consigned Detroit to the No. 6 seed in the NFC.

By Antonya English, Times Staff Writer
Sunday, January 1, 2012

When/where: 1 p.m. today; EverBank Field, Jacksonville

TV/radio: ESPN2; 1250-AMLine: Florida by 2

Notable: This is the first meeting between the two schools since Florida's 41-14 victory over Ohio State in the 2006 BCS national championship game, and the Buckeyes' first time in the Gator Bowl since 1978 when they lost to Clemson in Woody Hayes' final game as head coach. Hayes was fired after punching a Clemson player during the game. UF is making its 21st consecutive bowl appearance, which is first in the SEC and second nationally behind Florida State. Both teams are coming off losses in their regular-season finales and in need of a victory to keep from ending the season with losing records.

What to watch for: Ohio State's leading receiver has just 14 receptions on the season, so the passing game isn't nearly the threat that QB Braxton Miller, left, poses for Florida. The Gators have struggled against dual-threat passers, and Miller has improved since the season began. Florida RBs Chris Rainey and Jeff Demps are healthy and eager to go out on a winning note, and Ohio State said its biggest concern is the speed of that duo and keeping them contained on the inside. The Gators will be without two key starters, DL Dominique Easley (knee) and OL Matt Patchan (back) out of Armwood. Both teams have spent their bowl practices working heavily on fundamentals, so it should be interesting to see how much each has improved in areas they've struggled with all season.

Antonya English, Times staff writer

Gator Bowl: Florida (6-6) vs. Ohio State (6-6)

Times wires
Sunday, January 1, 2012

Cards extra timely

GLENDALE, Ariz. — The Cardinals needed a little extra time to win. Then again, that's hardly new.

Larry Fitzgerald's spectacular one-handed grab set up a 28-yard field goal by Tampa Jesuit graduate Jay Feely to give Arizona its fourth overtime victory at home in nine weeks. Arizona won seven of its final nine after starting 1-6.

Fitzgerald caught nine passes for 149 yards after one reception for 2 yards in the first half for Arizona, which also owns OT wins over St. Louis, Dallas and Cleveland.

Byy Matt Baker, Times Staff Writer
Sunday, January 1, 2012

ORLANDO — When practice began Sunday for this week's Under Armour All-America Game, Berkeley Prep athlete Nelson Agholor watched from the sidelines in sweatpants.

The five-star athlete is recovering from a right shoulder injury sustained in the Buccaneers' Class 3A state semifinal loss to Delray Beach American Heritage. He said he's day to day, and his status is uncertain for Thursday's game at Tropicana Field.

"I'm hoping one morning I just wake up and I'm ready to go," Agholor said after watching the three-hour practice at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex.

Rivals.com ranks Agholor as the nation's No. 12 prospect, and he's one of the top uncommitted recruits after racking up 34 touchdowns in his senior season.

Agholor said he followed last week's Florida State-Notre Dame matchup in the Champs Sports Bowl carefully and that he's considering both programs. He said he liked how the Irish got the ball to WR Michael Floyd — a demonstration of how Notre Dame might use the 6-foot-2 Agholor.

For FSU, Agholor saw a strong game from QB EJ Manuel and an offensive line that "grew up really fast" with four freshmen.

Agholor has visited the Irish, Oklahoma and Florida. He said he has no concerns with the Gators' search for an offensive coordinator after Charlie Weis left to become coach at Kansas.

TEAMMATE HITS: Seminoles commit Jameis Winston was roughed up in scrimmages by two Team Blur teammates and fellow FSU recruits.

Winston, a 6-3 Alabama native and the country's top-rated QB, was knocked to the ground by Lakewood DE Dante Fowler Jr. A few plays later, Mario Edwards blew by a lineman and tagged Winston playfully.

"I'm glad those guys are on my team," Winston said.

UF booming kicker: Austin Hardin showed why he's a Florida commit and Rivals' No. 10 kicking recruit. He boomed 50-yard field goals over a fence despite a first-time holder.

Hardin blasted a 57-yarder at a recent all-star game in his home state of Georgia.

"I'm hoping they let me try a long one in the game," Hardin said. "I want to kick one that big on national television."

No trash talk: Don't expect much jawing from the six UF commits toward Noah Spence, an Ohio State-bound defensive end, heading into today's Gator Bowl between the Gators and Buckeyes.

"No, no," said WR Latroy Pittman, a UF commitment from Citra North Marion. "We leave that to the college players."

Famous DADs: Orlando Dr. Phillips WR Trey Griffey made a leaping, 35-yard grab during Team Blur's scrimmage. His father, former MLB superstar Ken Griffey Jr., watched.

Griffey, a three-star recruit, is one of several participants with famous fathers. Athlete Deion Sanders Jr. is the son of the Hall of Fame cornerback, and Oklahoma WR commit Sterling Shepherd's father was an NFL receiver.

. fast facts

Under Armour All-America Game

When: 7:30 p.m. Thursday

Where: Tropicana Field

TV: ESPN

Tickets: Start at $18. For more information, call toll-free 1-800-745-3000 or visit football.uaallamerica.com.

By Greg Auman, Times Staff Writer
Sunday, January 1, 2012

TAMPA — Down by a point to Rutgers with 17 seconds left Sunday, USF coach Stan Heath knew exactly where he wanted the ball to be: in the hands of a freshman playing just his second Big East game, having scored just four points on the day.

But point guard Anthony Collins added another chapter to his promising young Bulls career, driving the length of the court and hitting a layup (and free throw) for a two-point lead with 12 seconds left. His rival in an electric, back-and-forth showdown, Rutgers freshman guard Eli Carter, missed a shot at the buzzer, and USF earned a 67-65 win before an announced 2,486 at the Tampa Bay Times Forum.

"I had a lot of confidence that at the end of the game, the ball was definitely going to be in (Collins') hands and he was going to make the play," said Heath, whose team beat Rutgers (8-6, 0-1) for the fourth time in the past six meetings. "We had a game a few games ago, Southern Miss, where he didn't get the ball. I made sure our guys understood: 'That guy gets the ball at the end of the game.' It happened, and good things happen for us."

Heath called the same play that Anthony Crater ran for the winning layup in the closing seconds to upset Villanova in last season's Big East tournament. On Sunday, Rutgers tried to steal the inbounds pass to the 6-foot-1, 175-pound Collins, but he moved quickly downcourt and hit his layup as he was fouled by 6-8, 245-pound Gilvydas Biruta.

"It felt good," said the quiet, unassuming freshman, who had a season-high 10 assists, one short of Chris Howard's school record for a Big East game.

USF (8-7, 1-1) played well in Wednesday's Big East opener, losing to No. 9 Connecticut by three. Both coaches Sunday said much of the Bulls' victory also belonged to the post play of senior center Ron Anderson, who had 15 points, 11 in the second half.

"I thought Ron Anderson was a difference maker. He came in and changed it with rebounding, with some intensity plays, some charges. That was huge for us," Heath said.

The game saw eight lead changes in the final 2:34, after USF had led the entire second half up to that point. Four guards made plays to give USF the lead in that final span: Hugh Robertson first, then a 3-pointer by Shaun Noriega, then two free throws by Jawanza Poland with 50 seconds left, then Collins' wild drive.

"I think it does a lot for us. Now we know what it takes," Heath said. "Now we know we can get the job done. Now we have an idea of what needs to take place. It wasn't just one guy. Several guys made some very, very good plays down the stretch, offensively and defensively."

Carter, who scored 31 in Rutgers' double-overtime upset at home of No. 10 Florida on Thursday, had a game-high 23 against USF, hitting four 3-pointers and getting a season-high five steals.

USF doesn't have much time to celebrate, hitting the road Wednesday to play at Villanova.