Times wires
Sunday, October 14, 2012

CORAL GABLES — Miami quarterback Stephen Morris, perhaps the Hurricanes' best player, has a sprained left ankle and no determination had been about his status for Saturday's game against Florida State, coach Al Golden said Sunday.

X-rays showed no fracture. Golden said it's fortunate Morris doesn't have a high ankle sprain, which takes several weeks to heal. Morris spent most of Sunday in the training room.

"I don't think I can imagine a scenario where we're not going to try to do whatever we have to do to try to beat Florida State,'' Golden said. "Our kids deserve everything we've got to try to win this next game."

Ryan Williams will start if Morris is out. The assumption for now is that Williams will start, Golden said. Preston Dewey or Gray Crow would back up Williams. Neither freshman has taken a snap this season.

Morris was hurt in the fourth quarter of Saturday's 18-14 loss to North Carolina. He took an awkward step and appeared to twist the ankle inward. He left in a walking boot.

Morris has completed 154-of-268 for 1,991 yards, with nine touchdowns and six interceptions. Williams has completed 11-of-15 for 87 yards.

Key Bulls return as practice resumes

TAMPA — USF returned to practice after two days off at the end of a bye week, and the week of relative rest helped the Bulls get key players on defense back healthy and returning to practice.

Linebackers Reshard Cliett (who missed most of the past two games with a hamstring injury) and Tashon Whitehurst (who missed the last game with a knee injury) were back at practice, as was safety Jon Lejiste, coach Skip Holtz said.

"It was great to see those guys running around full speed," Holtz said. "This open date has been very good as far as getting some of the bumps and bruises (healed after) going through a long camp and then six straight weeks (of games). Having an opportunity to get refreshed mentally and physically is a huge thing for us right now, especially with what we've been through the last four weeks."

Minnesota: Coach Jerry Kill was released from the hospital one day after he had a postgame seizure following a loss to Northwestern. Kill was treated and is "in excellent health," and planned to be in the office today, university physician Dr. Pat Smith said.

south carolina: Some Gamecocks may have let the intense, hostile Death Valley environment get to them and played "scared" in Saturday's loss at LSU, defensive end Jadeveon Clowney said. South Carolina must address that vs. Florida on Saturday, he said: "Our front seven didn't come to play. We can't win like that."

virginia tech: Center Andrew Miller, the anchor of an inconsistent line, is out for the season with a fractured fibula and severely sprained left ankle.

Late Saturday

texas a&m 59, La. Tech 57: Quarterback Johnny Manziel accounted for six touchdowns and the visiting Aggies handed the Bulldogs their first loss. The game was postponed from Aug. 30 because of Hurricane Isaac. Trailing by 27, Louisiana Tech got within two, but a two-point conversion pass failed.

MISS. STATE 41, TENNESSEE 31: Tyler Russell threw for 291 yards and two touchdowns, LaDarius Perkins had 101 rushing yards and a touchdown, and the host Bulldogs (6-0, 3-0 SEC) continued their best start since 1999.

FSU basketball: Canadian shooting guard Xavier Rathan-Mayes, the nation's No. 24 senior in the ESPN 100, committed to the Seminoles over Illinois and Connecticut. His father, Tharon Mayes, starred for FSU from 1987-90. Rathan-Mayes is seen as the 2013 replacement for senior Michael Snaer.

fsu soccer: The host Seminoles women (14-0-0), ranked No. 1 in the coaches poll, beat No. 13 Virginia 1-0 on Ines Jaurena's penalty kick in overtime and set a school record for consecutive shutout minutes, 893:40. The previous record, 799:29, was set in 2003.

Times staff writer Greg Auman contributed to this report.

Times wires
Sunday, October 14, 2012

SEATTLE — Tom Brady picked apart the best defense in the NFL except when it mattered most.

Too many squandered chances and missed scoring opportunities left the Patriots blaming themselves after watching Seattle pull off a stunning rally.

Russell Wilson found Sidney Rice behind the secondary for a 46-yard touchdown with 1:18 left, and the Seahawks rallied for 14 points in the final 7:31 to stun the Patriots 24-23 Sunday.

"This was a tough one," Pats receiver Deion Branch said. "As ugly as the game was, as ugly as we played, we still had plenty of opportunities to win this game."

The matchup between the Patriots' No. 1-ranked offense and Seattle's No. 1 defense turned into a star performance for Wilson and a rally that gave Pete Carroll a win in his first matchup against the franchise he coached for three seasons in the 1990s.

"I hadn't even thought about that. That was a long time ago, and there have been a lot of games," Carroll said. "I really love (Patriots owner) Robert Kraft. He's a great man, and he's been great throughout the years about our separation of sorts. … But I'm a competitor, and heck yeah, I want to win against those guys."

Wilson threw for 293 yards, the most in the rookie's pro career, and was in a late drive with the game on the line for the fifth time in his six games. "I think I'm always comfortable no matter the situation. I think I'm just more experienced," he said.

The Patriots — who at 3-3 have as many losses as they did all last season, when they were AFC champions — had 475 yards of offense but just one TD on six trips inside the Seattle 20-yard line.

"We really squandered some scoring opportunities, and that was what the game came down to," Brady said.

He threw for 395 yards and was 36 of 58 passing, his most attempts ever. Yet one stat defines the Patriots' frustration: a 3-3 record.

"We're 3-3 for a reason," defensive tackle Vince Wilfork said. "Until we do something about it, we are going to continue to have problems."

By Antonya English, Times Staff Writer
Sunday, October 14, 2012

GAINESVILLE — Seven weeks ago, Florida opened the season with a lackluster performance in a win over Bowling Green and still was undecided on a starting quarterback. It didn't appear a banner season was on the horizon.

Sunday night, the undefeated Gators landed in the No. 2 spot in the first Bowl Championship Series standings. Florida is among four SEC teams in the Top 10. Top-seeded and defending national champion Alabama is No. 1, LSU is No. 6, and South Carolina is No. 7.

Florida's ranking surprised many. The Gators are No. 3 in the polls that help form the standings but No. 1 in the computer rankings, which gave them a slight edge over Oregon (No. 3) and Kansas State (No. 4).

Florida hosts South Carolina on Saturday afternoon in a pivotal SEC East game, then plays Georgia on Oct. 27 at Jacksonville. The Gators finish the regular season at Florida State, ranked 14th in the BCS standings, and have a potential matchup with Alabama in the SEC title game.

The Gators understand the road gets tougher, and how they handle the spotlight will be a key to how they finish the season, coach Will Muschamp said.

"You're to that point of the season where some of my stuff falls on deaf ears, so your players have to run the locker room," Muschamp said. "And that's where we're a different organization as opposed to a year ago. I feel very comfortable about how our locker room is going to be handled right now. I didn't feel that way last year. So I think the further you go on, the further the message is delivered and you start to understand what it's going to take to be successful.

"And I'm not just talking about the seniors. I'm talking about the junior class. There's a bunch of ballplayers in that class, and they understand what it takes to be successful."

Oregon State is the lowest-rated unbeaten team in the standings, at No. 8. One-loss teams South Carolina, No. 6 LSU, No. 9 Oklahoma and No. 10 Southern Cal can contend for a spot in the BCS title game if they win out. If Alabama wins out, the Tide will play for a second straight national title.

Oregon could close the gap if it keeps winning against strong opponents. The Ducks play Arizona State on Thursday and later face Southern California and Oregon State. The Pac-12 title game also is a strong possibility.

This is the first time Alabama has been first in the initial standings and the 11th consecutive week an SEC team is No. 1, one shy of the longest streak in BCS history. It is the 32nd time an SEC team is No. 1 in the BCS, the most from any conference.

Seven times since the BCS was implemented in 1998, the team that was first in the initial standings has played in the title game. Seven times the team that started second played for the title. Only twice has neither team in the top two spots in the first standings reached the title game.

Antonya English can be reached at english@tampabay.com. Here blog is at tampabay.com/blogs/gators. Follow her on Twitter at @TBTimes_Gators.

Times wires
Sunday, October 14, 2012

SAN FRANCISCO — This time, Carlos Beltran, David Freese and the Cardinals were the ones taking a six-run lead. And they held on to theirs, barely.

Beltran and Freese hit two-run homers, and St. Louis beat the Giants 6-4 on Sunday night in Game 1 of the National League Championship Series.

The defending World Series champions took an early 6-0 cushion that was just enough. Two nights earlier, they came back from a 6-0 deficit, using a four-run rally in the ninth inning at Washington in the deciding Game 5 of their NL Division Series.

"The way we play the game, we have been in this type of situation before in the regular season," Beltran said. "These guys have this mentality of not panicking."

The St. Louis bullpen delivered with 51/3 scoreless innings after starter Lance Lynn was chased. Edward Mujica, the fifth St. Louis pitcher, struck out the side in order in the seventh for the win. Jason Motte finished for his second save of the postseason.

The Giants dropped to 0-3 at home in these playoffs, outscored 20-6 at AT&T Park.

Beltran's fourth-inning drive into the seats in left-center chased San Francisco starter Madison Bumgarner, who has been a far cry from the impressive pitcher he was during the 2010 World Series run. He lost Game 2 of the division series to the Reds exactly a week earlier and has an 11.25 ERA in his two postseason starts this year.

Times wires
Sunday, October 14, 2012

Bills get last kick in an odd finale

GLENDALE, Ariz. — A record kick tied it for Arizona, a tipped one kept Buffalo in it, and Rian Lindell's chip shot from 25 yards gave the Bills an improbable win. The three kicks took place in the final frantic moments of a typically wacky NFL game in the desert.

Jarius Byrd's second interception set up Lindell's winner 3:50 into OT, which ended Arizona's home winning streak at eight.

Byrd, limited in practice last week with a chest injury, picked off John Skelton — who replaced injured Kevin Kolb — and returned it 29 yards to the Arizona 6.

Arizona's Jay Feely, a Tampa Jesuit grad, made a franchise-record 61-yard field goal with 1:09 left in regulation to tie it at 16. But his 38-yarder as the fourth quarter ended was tipped by Buffalo defensive tackle Alex Carrington and careened off the left upright.

"You go from on top of the world to feeling about as low as you can feel," Feely said.

Kolb was hit for his fifth sack and left with a rib and chest injury.

Times wires
Sunday, October 14, 2012

NEW YORK — Hitless at the plate, Robinson Cano isn't getting a break with the umpires, either.

The All-Star second baseman pleaded to no avail Sunday after a missed call by an umpire helped the Tigers beat the Yankees 3-0 and take a 2-0 lead in the AL Championship Series.

"We've just got to forget about these two games," Cano said.

Cano, an MVP-caliber player for much of the summer, is hitless in a postseason record 26 straight at-bats and is 2-for-32 overall (.063).

"It is odd," manager Joe Girardi said. "You know this is a really, really good hitter that is struggling right now, and he's not getting a lot of pitches to hit."

Cano's failure to run hard out of the batter's box has become glaring. And he let the ball pop out of his hand on a potential double play in the seventh inning, allowing Detroit's first run to score.

Then he wound up on the wrong side of a call by second-base umpire Jeff Nelson, who missed Cano's tag on Omar Infante when Infante tried to dive back into second after rounding too far. Instead of the third out, the Tigers turned it into a two-run eighth.

"If it was the right call, it'd be a different game," Cano said.

AN ODD PATTERN: Girardi was ejected for arguing the missed call, his fifth ejection this season. Four have come against the Tigers. The other was against the Rays.

CONFIDENCE IN CLOSER: Jose Valverde didn't close for the Tigers, but manager Jim Leyland said the right-hander is keeping his role for now: "We will do some work with him." Valverde blew a save in Game 4 of the AL Division Series against the A's, then coughed up a 4-0 lead in Saturday's ALCS opener. LHP Phil Coke pitched two innings for the save Sunday.

COACH TO REST: Giants first-base coach Roberto Kelly will miss at least the first two games of the NL Championship Series with a concussion after being hit in the back of the head by a foul ball in batting practice Saturday. Assistant batting coach Joe Lefebvre took over his duties.

Times wires
Sunday, October 14, 2012

Griffin back on run in Redskins' win

LANDOVER, Md. — Robert Griffin III's concussion was on everyone's mind as he dropped back on third and 6, with the Redskins trying to put the game away.

"I took off running and got to the sideline, thought about running out of bounds — because everyone's been telling me that lately," he said with a big smile. "And I felt like I had the guy outflanked, and then I just took off running. And the rest is history."

His 76-yard scoring run put the game away, and dismissed thoughts that his first serious shot to the head as a pro was going to stop RG3 from being RG3.

The longest scoring run by an NFL quarterback in 16 years was part of Griffin's 138-yard rushing performance in beating the Vikings. The former college hurdler ran for two scores and threw for another as Washington snapped its eight-game home losing streak after falling behind 9-0 early.

Times wires
Sunday, October 14, 2012

NEW YORK — A player stood at shortstop at Yankee Stadium, yet the shortstop was missing.

For 16 years and 158 consecutive games, Derek Jeter had been in the Yankees' postseason lineup, the Lou Gehrig and Cal Ripken of October.

"When you think of postseason, you think of Derek Jeter," Tigers manager Jim Leyland said.

And now Jeter was absent for Game 2 of the AL Championship Series on Sunday, off being tested a day after his left ankle cracked. Taking the captain's place was Jayson Nix, who went 0-for-3.

Trailing the Tigers one game to none after Saturday's 6-4, 12-inning loss, the Yankees faced the troublesome task of regrouping without their longtime leader.

First Mariano Rivera, whose knee tore during batting practice in May. Then Jeter. Not since Game 6 of the 1981 World Series had New York played in the postseason without both.

"We had to move on from a lot of different things this year," manager Joe Girardi said. "We've lost the greatest closer of all time, where people left us for dead. People left us for dead in August and September, said we were panicking. And we laughed at it, and we said no, we're going to be fine. We won more games in the American League than anyone."

Jeter, 38, has been as much a part of Yankee Stadium as the pinstripes, monuments and 27 World Series banners. Not since rookie Mickey Mantle's knee buckled during Game 2 of the 1951 World Series had such an integral part of the team gotten hurt so severely during a postseason game.

Jeter had scans Sunday, which confirmed the fracture. He was in a splint and on crutches and will soon see foot specialist Dr. Robert Anderson in Charlotte, N.C. Jeter will not accompany the Yankees to Detroit, and his recovery is expected to take three months.

Jeter texted Nix, hoping he would produce in this unexpected opportunity.

"He just said good luck," said the understudy, thrust into a lead role. "He said he believes in me, and go get 'em."

Stephen F. Holder and Joe Smith, Times staff writers
Sunday, October 14, 2012

Gruber inducted into Ring

Paul Gruber did not receive much recognition during his 12-year career. But that changed in a big way Sunday. The former left tackle entered the Bucs' Ring of Honor, joining Hall of Fame DE Lee Roy Selmon, coach John McKay and TE Jimmie Giles.

Gruber, 47, the No. 4 overall pick in 1988, was an ironman (183 consecutive games and 4,850 consecutive snaps) known for toughness and being an outstanding player stuck on mediocre (or worse) teams.

"I don't even know if it's sunk in yet. It's humbling," said Gruber, a Buc from 1988-99. "Just the guys I'm up there with — Lee Roy and Coach McKay and Jimmie Giles — all guys I looked up to when I came into the league. It's a real honor."

During the halftime ceremony, Gruber, wearing his No. 74, was joined by his family as well as several members of the 1997 team that beat the Lions in a wild-card game, the franchise's first postseason game since 1982 and first postseason win since the 1979 division game over the Eagles.

"It's well deserved," said former FB Mike Alstott, Gruber's teammate for four seasons. "He … deserved everything; to be on that Super Bowl team (of 2002) because he was a guy that helped a lot of us young Bucs excel."

Barber adds to record books

Ronde Barber changed positions before this season. But Sunday, the results looked awfully familiar.

The cornerback-turned-free safety recorded the 14th regular-season touchdown of his career, plucking a tipped ball mere inches above the turf and racing 78 yards during the third quarter.

It was Barber's eighth interception return for a touchdown during the regular season, behind only the 11 of the Packers' Charles Woodson among active players and tied for seventh overall. His 12 defensive touchdowns, including four on fumbles, during the regular season match Woodson and Aeneas Williams and trail only the 13 of Darren Sharper and Rod Woodson.

"I was ball aware," said Barber, 37, who on Sunday matched Derrick Brooks' franchise record of 221 starts (including 204 in a row). "When you hustle to the ball and you have an inkling of where it's going to land, you can be in the right place at the right time. I've kind of made a career out of it."

His interception Sunday came after CB E.J. Biggers broke up a pass intended for Dexter McCluster. As the two crashed toward the turf, Biggers reached underneath to keep the ball in the air.

"It's something we do in practice," Biggers said. "We try to keep the ball in the air as long as we can to see if someone can get to it. You know (Barber) is around the ball all the time. So when you keep the ball in the air long enough, he's going to make a play."

From there, all Barber had to do was corral the ball and run — a long way.

"It probably wasn't as swift as it once was," Barber said, joking.

But he wasn't about to apologize.

"If you didn't watch the game and just saw the stat line," he said, "it's a 78-yard touchdown."

Taking it the other way

Ronde Barber's 78-yard interception return was the Bucs' 41st defensive touchdown since 2000, third most in the NFL during that span behind the Ravens (44) and Packers (42). Barber has returned nine interceptions for touchdowns (his eight in the regular season are tied for seventh in NFL history), four fumbles for touchdowns (tied for third in NFL history) and two deflected punts returned for touchdowns. A look at his 15 touchdowns:

Date Opp. Touchdown

Nov. 29, 1998 Bears 31 yards, punt

Sept. 10, 2000 Bears 24 yards, fumble

Sept. 24, 2000 Jets 37 yards, interception

Dec. 23, 2001 Saints 36 yards, interception

Jan. 19, 2003 Eagles 92 yards, interception *

Oct. 6, 2003 Colts 29 yards, interception

Sept. 12, 2004 Redskins 9 yards, fumble

Oct. 10, 2004 Saints 18 yards, fumble

Oct. 22, 2006 Eagles 66 yards, interception

Oct. 22, 2006 Eagles 37 yards, interception

Dec. 16, 2007 Falcons 29 yards, interception

Nov. 18, 2007 Falcons 41 yards, fumble

Nov. 23, 2008 Lions 65 yards, interception

Nov. 8, 2009 Packers 31 yards, punt

Sunday Chiefs 78 yards, interception

* NFC title game

Bucs stuff ground game

The Chiefs entered the game second in the league in rushing offense at 180.8 yards per game. They gashed the Saints for 273 (233 by Jamaal Charles) and the touted Ravens for 214 (140 by Charles).

On Sunday, Kansas City rushed for a season-low 80.

"That's our No. 1 goal every week, to stop the run," DT Roy Miller said. "And definitely against Jamaal, you definitely didn't want him to get those home runs. Everybody did their jobs. And at the end of the day, it all added up."

Coach Greg Schiano credited his defensive front: "They did an incredible job."

Charles, who entered as the league's leading rusher with 551 yards, was shaken up on the game's first play after catching a pass. But he returned to rush 12 times with almost no success.

He finished with 40 yards, ultimately becoming a nonfactor as Kansas City fell further behind.

"I don't know what happened," Charles said. "Something just didn't … I don't know."

No Buc knows Charles better than Miller, his roommate at the University of Texas. And Miller said he could tell the Bucs defense took its toll on Charles not only physically, but emotionally.

"When you go into the game getting as many yards as he does," Miller said, "you definitely get frustrated."

Koenen's mad scramble

Michael Koenen is strong on punts (43.6-yard average) and kickoffs (19-for-27 on touchbacks, including 7-for-7 Sunday). But Koenen won't get mistaken for a prolific passer.

Koenen admits he shouldn't have tried to throw the ball from near the Bucs goal line after his punt was blocked 45 seconds into the fourth quarter. The ball ended up in the hands of Kansas City DE Edgar Jones, who ran 11 yards down the left sideline for a touchdown to bring the Chiefs within 21-10.

"I was thinking two points (taking a safety) or get it out of there," Koenen said. "I should have just fallen on it."

On fourth and 6 from the Bucs 18, Shaun Draughn came in clean and blocked Koenen's punt into the end zone. Koenen raced back, beat Draughn to the ball, picked it up and started to run.

Koenen said he tried to throw the ball out of bounds, but Draughn hit him just as he passed the goal line. The ball went right to Jones. It was ruled a fumble recovery because players can't throw a pass after a blocked punt.

"I was surprised," Jones said. "Once I saw (Koenen) pick the ball up in the end zone, he looked as if he was running the ball. But he just kind of looked at me and threw it. So I'll take it."

Koenen has had seven punts blocked during his eight-year career but said this was the first time he tried a pass. Joked Bucs K Connor Barth: "I think his passer rating is probably negative-5."

Doink! Barth finally misses a field goal

Connor Barth said he felt great when he kicked a 55-yard field goal late in the first half. The kick had enough distance. But Barth said a gust of wind pushed the ball left, and it hit the upright. That ended a franchise-record streak (and the league's longest active streak) of made field goals at 25, dating to Oct. 16, 2011, a 55-yarder.

"I can't get any luck," Barth said, smiling. "Whenever I hit the post, it never kisses in."

Barth started a new streak with a 27-yard field goal in the fourth.

"I can see it in my head. Nine times out of 10, I put that thing in there," said Barth, who is 10-of-11 this season. "I thought it would sneak in. But the main thing is we won."

Bucs make right move at right guard … with a tackle

Looking to spark their offensive line, the Bucs used last week's bye to re-evaluate their personnel. They settled on Jamon Mere­dith, left, to start at right guard, benching Ted Larsen and bypassing Jeremy Trueblood. Meredith is normally a tackle and was inactive for two of the season's first four games. But the Bucs rushed for 145 yards, 54 more than their average coming in, and allowed only one sack. The 6-foot-5, 312-pounder used his size and agility to keep defenders at bay, even if it was an eye-opening experience for a player with almost no experience at the position. "I played guard in the fourth preseason game," said Meredith, a fourth-year player out of South Carolina whom the Packers drafted in the fifth round in 2009 and the Bucs signed in March. "Before that, I played a little bit in college." At tackle, Meredith often blocks a speedy edge rusher. He found himself face to face Sunday with DE Tyson Jackson (296 pounds) and NT Dontari Poe (346). The Bucs' play selection helped. They threw the ball 26 times versus 24 runs, and Meredith said he carried over his pass-blocking skills used at tackle. "I can hold my own in there," he said. "I just have to get used to those bull rushes. But I think I had something to build on."

Talib out, Biggers in

The Bucs played their first game of the season without suspended CB Aqib Talib. But when his four-game ban ends, he apparently will have a place on the roster.

Coach Greg Schiano was clear after the win against the Chiefs that the plan is to move forward with Talib.

"When Aqib's suspension is up, I really believe he'll work hard and be ready," he said. "And then we'll go from there."

Talib has had a series of off-field issues since being drafted 20th overall by the Bucs in 2008, including two arrests. He was suspended by the NFL on Saturday for violating its policy on performance-enhancing substances. In a statement, Talib said he took a nonprescribed Adderall pill.

Schiano had reason to be pleased with E.J. Biggers, a fourth-year player whom the Bucs drafted in the seventh round in 2009.

"I'm really, really proud of the way he stepped up," he said. "It's a trickle-down effect. Guys didn't miss a beat. They went out and played Buccaneer defense."

The Bucs limited the Chiefs to mostly a quick, short passing game. Backup QB Brady Quinn found it difficult to get the ball to his top target, Dwayne Bowe. The Pro Bowl receiver, at times, was lined up against Biggers, who helped limit his fellow Miami native to 21 yards on three catches.

"You're always one play away," said Biggers, who made the 13th start of his career. "When you think like that, you're always ready."

In the third quarter, Biggers set up FS Ronde Barber's interception return for a touchdown with a hit on WR Dexter McCluster.

"We'll miss (Talib)," Barber said. "But E.J.'s played a lot of games in this league. He's started enough that everybody feels comfortable with him being out there. If there's ever an opportunity, I think you have to jump on it. And he did."

Quick hits

• Mike Williams and Tiquan Underwood had 62-yard catches. It marked the first time two Bucs had catches longer than 60 in the same game since Dec. 7, 1998, against the Packers (Trent Dilfer to Jacquez Green for 64 and Bert Emanual for 62).

• Rookie S Mark Barron got his first interception during the first quarter.

• With 58 rushing yards, LeGarrette Blount has 1,890 for his career, 10th in team history.

• Tampa Bay's 463 yards were third most for a home game, 1 fewer than on Dec. 4, 1994, against Washington and 3 fewer than on Oct. 3, 2011, against Indianapolis.

Sunday, October 14, 2012

baseball playoffs

ALCS: Delmon Young, Tigers go 2-up on Yankees. 3C

NLCS: Cardinals ride Beltran's 14th career playoff HR, top Giants 6-4 in Game 1. 3C

Monday, October 15, 2012 , Section C | S

38-10

Times wires
Sunday, October 14, 2012

Around the league

REPORT: RAVENS STAR LB LEWIS COULD MISS '12

Ravens LB Ray Lewis has a torn triceps and could be out for the season, Fox Sports reported Sunday.

The injury was not a complete tear and the Ravens will know more after an MRI exam scheduled for today, the report said.

Lewis, 37, a 13-time Pro Bowl pick and seven-time All-Pro selection out of Miami, has 411/2 career sacks and 31 interceptions.

Steelers rookie DL busted after chase

Steelers rookie DL Alameda Ta'amu was arrested early Sunday on charges of leading police on a chase while driving drunk and crashing into parked cars, injuring a woman, authorities said. Ta'amu, 22, of Kent, Wash., was driving a sport utility vehicle the wrong way on Pittsburgh's South Side at about 2:30 a.m., police said. The 6-foot-3, 348-pounder fled officers and crashed into four parked cars, injuring a woman, then fled on foot before he was restrained by four officers and arrested, police said.

BROWNS: Rookie RB Trent Richardson left with a rib injury in the first half against the Bengals. … They ended a franchise-record-tying losing streak at 11 against the same team, the Bengals, they beat in 1975 to end their other 11-game skid.

CARDINALS: S Kerry Rhodes was carried off the field against the Bills with a back injury with 5:41 to play in regulation.

EAGLES: Rookie DT Fletcher Cox was ejected in the fourth quarter after getting an unnecessary roughness penalty for punching a player on a Detroit extra point.

FALCONS: Coach Mike Smith (49-21) tied Dan Reeves for the most victories in franchise history.

JETS: Joe McKnight injured his left ankle at the end of a 61-yard run three plays after fellow RB Bilal Powell left with a shoulder injury. Both have MRI exams scheduled today.

LIONS: Jason Hanson passed John Carney for third on the career list for points (2,074) and field goals (479). Carney had 2,062 and 478, respectively.

PATRIOTS: WR Wes Welker tied Jerry Rice's NFL record with his 15th game of at least 10 receptions and 100 yards receiving.

RAIDERS: DE Andre Carter made his debut after missing 10 months with a torn quadriceps and had one tackle against the Falcons. Carter had 10 sacks last season with New England.

REDSKINS: The team is likely to face a fine for not disclosing the nature of QB Robert Griffin III's injury last week, Fox reported. … S Jordan Pugh left the fourth quarter twice with a head injury. He was cleared to return after the first injury, the team said, then was diagnosed with a concussion after the second.

SEAHAWKS: Jon Ryan averaged 60 yards on four punts. According to pro-football-reference.com he's the first punter since 1960 to average 60 yards on four or more punts.

Times wires

Times wires
Monday, October 15, 2012

HOUSTON — Aaron Rodgers and the Packers finally put it all together.

The reigning MVP tied a franchise record with six touchdown passes and the Packers played their best game of their inconsistent season, defeating previously unbeaten Houston 42-24 Sunday night.

Jordy Nelson had three touchdown catches and James Jones had two, including a beautiful, diving one-hander in the fourth quarter for the Packers. Tom Crabtree had the other, a 48-yarder Rodgers threw just before taking a hit from outside linebacker Brooks Reed.

Rodgers completed 24 of 37 passes for 338 yards. He tied former backup Matt Flynn's club record for TD passes, set in last year's finale against Detroit with Rodgers resting on the sideline in advance of the playoffs.

Arian Foster scored two touchdowns but ran for only 29 yards for the Texans, whose loss leaves the 6-0 Falcons as the only unbeaten team in the NFL.

Houston had the league's third-ranked defense coming in but badly missed star linebacker Brian Cushing, who was placed on injured reserve after tearing a knee ligament in last week's 23-17 win over the Jets.

Still, the Texans had no reason not to feel confident.

Houston was off to its best start ever, and Rodgers and the Packers had been strangely erratic. But the Texans looked like the team out of sorts from the start Sunday night.

Rookie DeVier Posey lined up offside on a Green Bay punt, resulting in a Packers first down. Rodgers then lofted a perfect pass to Nelson over the shoulder of cornerback Johnathan Joseph for a 41-yard touchdown, stunning the noisy crowd.

Houston defensive end J.J. Watt sacked Rodgers and fired the fans back up by mimicking Rodgers' "championship belt" pose after the play.

That didn't faze Rodgers, who eluded a rush from linebacker Connor Barwin and completed a 24-yard pass to Randall Cobb, who had seven catches for 102 yards. Jones made a diving, finger­tip catch in the end zone just before the end of the first quarter for a 14-0 lead.

Times wires
Sunday, October 14, 2012

NEW YORK — The Tigers got a big boost from Anibal Sanchez's arm. They got a helping hand from an umpire, too.

The reward: a commanding 2-0 lead in the American League Championship Series and a trip home with their ace ready to start.

Sanchez shut down a Yankees lineup minus injured Derek Jeter, Detroit scored twice after an admitted missed call by an ump, and the Tigers won without any extra-inning drama, 3-0 Sunday.

"He was terrific," Detroit manager Jim Leyland said of Sanchez. "This is a tough place to pitch with a tough lineup and a short porch and a whole bunch of left-handed hitters. It is not easy. That was quite a feat."

Game 3 is Tuesday night in Detroit, with reigning AL MVP Justin Verlander starting for the Tigers against Phil Hughes.

New York starter Hiroki Kuroda pitched perfect ball into the sixth inning to keep pace with Sanchez. But Robinson Cano and the slumping Yankees hitters were no match for the 28-year-old right-hander.

"I try to think backward," Sanchez said. "If the count calls for a fastball, I throw a different pitch. If the count calls for a different pitch, I throw a fastball. I try to mix my speeds."

Former Ray Delmon Young gave Sanchez his first run of support with a fielder's choice in the seventh. The Tigers then scored twice in the eighth after second-base umpire Jeff Nelson missed a call on a two-out tag at second base. Yankees manager Joe Girardi argued and was ejected on his 48th birthday.

The Tigers led 1-0 and had Omar Infante on first with two outs. Austin Jackson singled, and when Infante took a wide turn at second, rightfielder Nick Swisher threw behind him.

Cano made a swipe tag as Infante dived back. Cano missed Infante's arm but brushed his body, replays clearly showed. Nelson called Infante safe.

After seeing a replay, Nelson said, "The hand did not get in before the tag. The call was incorrect."

Said Infante, "I think the umpire got confused because he saw my hand, something with my hand made him think I was safe."

Was he out?

"Of course," Infante said.

Cano and Girardi pleaded to no avail. Boone Logan replaced Kuroda and gave up an RBI single to pinch-hitter Avisail Garcia to make it 2-0.

"It's frustrating," Girardi said. "I don't have a problem with Jeff's effort, I don't, because he hustled to get to the play. But in this day and age when we have instant replay available to us, it's got to change.

"These guys are under tremendous amounts of pressure. It is a tough call for him because the tag is underneath and it's hard for him to see. And it takes more time to argue and get upset than you get the call right. Too much is at stake."

Girardi returned to lift Logan for Joba Chamberlain, then remained on the field to resume the argument. Red-faced with neck muscles bulging, Girardi could be seen shouting at Nelson, "You were right there. How could you miss it?" He earned his first postseason ejection.

Team Pitcher Time W-L ERA Rec. W-L IP ERA

St. Louis Carpenter (R) 8:05 1-2 2.78 1-3 - -

San Francisco Vogelsong (R) p.m. 14-9 3.33 20-12 1-0 7.0 0.00

By Antonya English, Times Staff Writer
Monday, October 15, 2012

GAINESVILLE — At this time last season, South Carolina running back Marcus Lattimore had just suffered an ACL injury that crushed talk of a potential Heisman Trophy and ended his season. At that same time, Florida's Mike Gillislee was playing sparingly and biding his time behind Chris Rainey and Jeff Demps.

On Saturday afternoon, a nearly fully recovered Lattimore and a renewed Gillislee will take center stage for the Gamecocks and Gators as two of the SECs top rushers in a critical SEC East game at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.

"Very similar," Florida coach Will Muschamp said when asked how the two compare. "He's (Lattimore) a one-cut runner. He gets the ball north and south and he pushes the pile. That's the one thing you see with him in the zone read: sometimes there's not much of a hole there, but he finds it and he sticks his face in there and gets the pile moving. …

"You like to compete against these kinds of guys. He's a guy that's going to go after it and he's going to compete and play hard and play fast and play physical. You see no issues from what he had with his injury last year. A guy that's running extremely well."

Florida has the SEC's third-best rushing game, the Gamecocks are No. 4. Gillislee, 5 feet 11 and 209 pounds, is the league's No. 2 rusher (No. 1 running back). Lattimore, 6 feet and 218 pounds, is sixth.

Both are coming off subpar performances. Gillislee, who's averaging 102.5 yards per game, rushed for 67 yards on 17 carries vs. Vanderbilt. And Lattimore finished Saturday's loss against LSU with 13 carries for 35 yards and one touchdown after getting banged up early.

"He's got a bruise on his hip a little bit," South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier said. "Just typical soreness, he caught a helmet down around his hip area. He'll just be out two or three days, but he should be fine."

If Lattimore is healthy, the Gators expect him to be a force. Two years ago as a freshman against Florida he had 40 carries for 212 yards and three touchdowns to help seal South Carolina's first SEC East title.

"I like to think of myself as a mix of Marshall Faulk or Pierre Thomas," Lattimore said. "I can find those little holes and bursts to run you over or run around you. I'm not that fast, but I've got just enough speed. At this point, I'm just trying to stay healthy."

Lattimore outgained and outscored Florida all by himself in that game at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. He had 243 yards and 18 points, the Gators had 226 yards and 14 points.

"He's one of the backs that can pretty much do it all," Florida senior linebacker Jon Bostic said. "He can do some different things.

"He's hard to really stop, you know, because he's a good single-back guy. He can run it from the I-formation. He can always line up in gun and do some zone-read stuff from there. It's kind of hard to defend because you never know exactly what they're going to come out in."

Gillislee has become a surprise for the Gators — and the SEC. In his first three years, he played in 36 games with 920 rushing yards on 145 attempts and had six receiving touchdowns. He played in all but three games last season and had 328 yards in a backup role, yet had a team-best rushing average of 5.9 yards.

Gillislee said he has always known he could play in this league, it was just a matter of getting his opportunity.

"This is more my style, downhill, getting those tough yards, being a physical back," Gillislee said. "Coach (Brent) Pease just wants us to get however many yards it takes to get the drive alive and help this team win. The running back has a big impact in this offense because Coach Pease likes to run the ball."

Count Pease, the offensive coordinator, among those who isn't surprised.

"In spring, the kid showed something every day," he said. "I think he goes to practice with great preparation, work ethic and attitude. He's always got a smile on his face. I think he wants to be good. He's a kid that. I think he's very humble. He's always asking, What was this guy like? He's trying to be like some of the good ones that he knows his coaches have been around."

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

SEC leading rushers

By Mike Gore, Times Correspondent
Monday, October 15, 2012

What's hot: October is the month to be on the water. With a slight cold front pushing down last week, the water temperature is almost perfect for fishing. Spanish mackerel, big schools of jacks and black-tip sharks are all over the bay and beaches, providing nonstop action. Jacks can be caught on normal inshore tackle, but bump the leader to about 60 pounds for Spanish mackerel and sharks.

Where to look: Big schools of breeder reds are roaming just off the beach. Once you locate them, hold on. We have caught some bigger than 40 inches. Inshore, they continue to school up from Fort DeSoto to upper Tampa Bay. On extremely low water, look for deep holes just off the grass flats. The redfish will not move far off the flat. They move just far enough to find water they are comfortable in.

Snook staying put: Snook have not made the full transition into their winter homes. They continue to hold on grass flats for now. On high tide they have held pretty tight to the mangrove line. A nice scaled sardine under a cork has worked best. It seems to slow the bait and the snook are bouncing on it.

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

By Antonya English, Times Staff Writer
Monday, October 15, 2012

GAINESVILLE — Florida QB Jeff Driskel was 3 years old when then-coach Steve Spurrier led the Gators to their first national championship in the 1996 season. Driskel and most of his teammates weren't even old enough to be Gator fans.

So it's no surprise that the man who won the Gators' first Heisman Trophy, then led their rise to national prominence as their head coach, is more myth than reality to today's younger Gators. He's the guy in front of the stadium with the two other Heisman Trophy winners.

"He's definitely a Gator great," Driskel said. "I drive by his statue every day. But it's not really anything that's going to bother us."

It has been 10 seasons since Spurrier coached his final game with the Gators, and now in his eighth season at South Carolina, playing Spurrier just seems old hat now.

Senior LB Jon Bostic said Spurrier remains "a legend in Gainesville," but the Gators can't get caught up in the Spurrier's-returning hype.

"I know he's always one of those guys, he likes to air it out," Bostic said. "He can draw up a lot of different things and give a defense headaches. We got to make sure we're on our keys. We're playing smart. Everybody's eyes are in the right place."

HALAPIO HONORED: Jon Halapio on Monday was named the SEC co-offensive lineman of the week, sharing the honor with Mississippi State's Tobias Smith. The former St. Pete Catholic standout has helped anchor the line this season and graded out a team high among offensive linemen last week. Halapio has started every game this season and currently owns UF's most consecutive starts on offense, 18.

STILL IN THE HUNT: Spurrier was bitterly disappointed about the Gamecocks' loss at LSU last week, but he said during his weekly teleconference that the Gamecocks are still in the hunt for the SEC East title.

"Even if we'd somehow lucked up and won the game, we've still got to beat Florida, we've got to beat Florida if we're going to win the Eastern Division or have a chance at the Eastern Division," Spurrier said. "Florida's pretty much in the driver's seat, yet they still have got to beat us and Georgia. So it's wide open pretty much. Three teams are still in it, and a lot can happen in the next two or three weeks."

INJURY UPDATE: Florida coach Will Muschamp said he expects to have several injured players back for the South Carolina game: LB Jelani Jenkins (hamstring), DT Dominique Easley (knee), OL Jon Harrison (arm), OL James Wilson (eye) and OL Xavier Nixon (upper body) should be ready to play. WR Latroy Pittman (ankle) is questionable.

JO DRAGOTTA'S RISE: Tampa Gaither alum Jo Dragotta was named SEC offensive player of the week and is part of Top Drawer Soccer's national team of the week. The senior has scored five goals, all in the past seven matches. Last weekend, she provided game-winning goals in both matches. Dragotta has scored once in each of the past three matches.

FINAL WORD: "It has absolutely nothing to do with anything in our season right now. We have one goal, and that's to play South Carolina on Saturday. Really, nothing matters other than playing South Carolina and preparing ourselves well throughout the week."— Muschamp on the Gators' No. 2 BCS ranking

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

By Marc Topkin, Times Staff Writer
Monday, October 15, 2012

Jim Leyland is smart enough to know that the reason for the pitiful performance by the Yankees hitters in the first two games of the American League Championship Series is the prized pitching by his Detroit Tigers.

And wise enough to not assume — at least publicly — that it's going to continue.

"I am nervous about this because you know the Yankees are going to break out. They are just too good," Leyland said Monday on a conference call. "Believe me, we are not feeling real comfortable yet, I can tell you."

Uh-huh. But he'll be plenty comfy for Game 3 tonight in starting potentially the best pitcher in the game, Justin Verlander.

"The confidence as far as when he is on the mound that we can win the game is about as high as you can get," Detroit catcher Alex Avila said. "I think that's the feeling all the guys have when he's on the mound. Which, you know, really it's a good feeling, to be honest with you."

Verlander, the primary competition for David Price's Cy Young bid, followed his 17-8, 2.64 regular season with a pair of dazzling Division Series starts against the A's, allowing one run over seven innings in the opener then pitching a four-hit, 11-strikeout, 122-pitch shutout in Game 5. "In the postseason, it's a hold nothing back mentality," he said.

As good as Verlander, who won the Cy Young and MVP awards last season, has been, he has found a way to turn it up.

"I think he is even better. Yes, I do, to answer the basic question," Leyland said. "I think he is better, but I think it is because of experience. When you have a talent, the combination of talent and experience like he has, that's a pretty good combination."

Part of that experience is not stirring a slumping opponent, and Verlander stayed right down the middle of the plate with his comments. "We're not taking anything for granted," he said. "We know what the Yankees are capable of."

But with four runs in the two games, a .205 team average and .603 on-base plus slugging percentage for the postseason and Derek Jeter unable to help, the Yankees haven't looked anything like themselves.

The situation isn't promising for a turnaround, with Verlander (9-2, 1.65 at home) on the hill and a 3-0 deficit looming. While acknowledging their underdog status and long odds, Yankees first baseman Mark Teixeira said there is at least some confidence in knowing they've beaten Verlander before (winning two of his three starts this season) and, more importantly, what they're in for — the 100-mph fastball, the killer curve and tempting changeup.

"As a hitter, you want to face a familiar pitcher," he said. "Even if he happens to be the best pitcher on the planet right now and maybe the best in the last 10-15 years."

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

Times wires
Monday, October 15, 2012

CINCINNATI — Perhaps no coach in the NBA better understands the situation Jacque Vaughn inherited with the Magic than the Cavaliers' Byron Scott.

Scott was hired as Cleveland's coach on July 1, 2010, one week before LeBron James announced he would leave the Cavaliers and join the Heat via free agency. Vaughn became Orlando's coach about two weeks before the Magic sent its franchise player, Dwight Howard, to the Lakers.

Before the Magic faced the Cavaliers at U.S. Bank Arena on Monday, Scott predicted Vaughn will benefit from having no ties to Howard.

"I know LeBron from a personal standpoint from being around him, but I had no attachment," Scott recalled. "And same thing with Jacque: He's coming into a new situation where he has no attachment to Dwight Howard.

"So for him it'll probably be easier to just kind of move on. For the city, it's a little bit more difficult. For the organization, it's a little bit more difficult as well. … When you lose a franchise player like that, it's not one of those overnight successes. It's not going to happen in a year. It's going to take a little bit of time, but you've got to just stick with the process and don't defer from it."

KINGS: The team announced a multiyear naming rights deal with Sleep Train Mattress Centers. The Sacramento arena was Power Balance Pavilion but that company filed for bankruptcy.

MAVERICKS: Forward Dirk Nowitzki missed the preseason game against the Rockets. Dallas coach Rick Carlisle did not say whether Nowitzki is still bothered by a right knee which has been drained twice over the past month.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Times wires
Monday, October 15, 2012

NEW YORK — The NHL and its locked-out players will resume negotiations today in Toronto after a four-day break following two days of meetings last week.

The announcement Monday came on the day players missed their first scheduled paycheck of the regular season. The NHL called off 82 games through Oct. 24 — the first two weeks of the season.

More cancellations likely will be made soon if a deal isn't reached.

The Lightning would have opened its regular season last Saturday.

An agenda is not set for the talks that shift to the union's office from league headquarters. But the sides will look to make headway on the core economic issue — the division of hockey-related revenue. That issue took a back seat in New York last week when the league and union worked on secondary matters that also must be resolved.

NHL commissioner Gary Bettman and deputy commissioner Bill Daly are expected to meet with union executive director Donald Fehr and NHLPA special counsel Steve Fehr.

"It's fair to say that we will be looking for ways to advance the puck on the main issues — how to move the process forward," Daly told AP in an email.

Bettman and Donald Fehr took part only briefly during last week's negotiations that featured four separate bargaining sessions over the two days.

So far, the sides have set aside only today to negotiate.

"We remain committed, as we have throughout this process, to reaching an agreement so that we can get the players back on the ice," said former defenseman Mathieu Schneider, now an NHLPA special assistant to the executive director.

U.S. HALL: Mike Modano, the highest-scoring U.S.-born player in NHL history, joined longtime Devils president and general manager Lou Lamoriello and former player Ed Olczyk, who is now an NHL analyst, as inductees into the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame. Modano had 516 goals and 1,374 points in 21 seasons and won the Stanley Cup with the 1999 Dallas Stars. Olczyk played 16 seasons with six teams and won the Cup with the 1994 New York Rangers. The Devils have won three Cups under Lamoriello.

By Stephen F. Holder, Times Staff Writer
Monday, October 15, 2012

TAMPA — Da'Quan Bowers will take a major step this week toward overcoming his devastating offseason injury.

The Bucs defensive end, who ruptured his Achilles tendon during conditioning in May, will rejoin the team in practice Wednesday under guidelines governing the physically-unable-to-perform list.

Players on PUP cannot practice during the first six weeks of the season. After that, teams have 21 days to decide whether the player is ready to resume practicing. Bowers already has convinced the Bucs he's there, coach Greg Schiano said.

"He'll do some stuff the rest of this week and we'll just observe and kind of go from there and see how he responds," Schiano said.

This latest development does not guarantee Bowers will play this season. Schiano remains confident, but the Bucs must decide if and when to place him on the active roster. Once he practices, the clock begins on a 21-day window in which the Bucs must place Bowers on the active roster or injured reserve.

"You really just have to play it by ear," Schiano said. "It's how he responds to increased workload as he does a little more. He's done an incredible job in his rehab, but it's like four different phases.

"One is the post-surgical, where you're just kind of waiting. Then it's the training room. Then it's out on the grass where he's working with our trainers and strength coach, running and pushing things. And now here comes the fourth part, and that is actually playing."

Bowers overcame a pre-draft knee surgery in 2011, one that caused a fall from the first round to the late second, and ended last season as one of the team's bright spots. He had overtaken Michael Bennett as the starting left end and was expected to assume the role again before his latest injury.

THE CLOSER: The Bucs always planned to use RBs Doug Martin and LeGarrette Blount as a duo, but the specifics of that arrangement can vary from game to game.

Sunday, the Bucs enjoyed the ideal scenario, with Martin enjoying success early, allowing the physical, big-bodied Blount to finish things off. Blount ran five consecutive times on the Bucs' final drive for 53 yards, the final 12 for a touchdown.

"That is a nice model," Schiano said. "You're darn right. After playing for three hours in the 85-degree heat and now you have a 250-pound man coming at you. That would work nice regardless of how he was used earlier. That will kind of change week to week, but that played out well."

SLOTTING: The Bucs have used a number of options as slot receivers since releasing Preston Parker last month, and are enjoying success.

Sunday, Vincent Jackson's second touchdown catch came when he was lined up in the slot. Tiquan Underwood and Mike Williams also rotated into the position.

Underwood's addition has given the Bucs some flexibility in who they line up in the slot, allowing advantageous matchups or different routes in a different area of the field.

"You have Vincent and Mike on the outside, now you have a guy (Underwood) who can play the inside as well as the outside and you have the ability to bring those guys inside, too," receivers coach P.J. Fleck said. "And there's still speed. You don't lose anything on the outside."

Stephen F. Holder can be reached at sholder@tampabay.com. Follow him on Twitter at @HolderStephen.