Steve Lee, Times Correspondent
Saturday, October 27, 2012

TAMPA — Although they are based in different parts of the city, the Jesuit boys and Academy of the Holy Names girls swim teams practice together.

They also win together, a lot.

Saturday at the Steinbrenner Aquatic Center, those two squads shared in yet another victory by winning their respective titles at the Class 2A, District 8 meet. For the Tigers boys, it was their 15th straight title, and for the Jaguars girls it was their fifth in a row.

"I love it; the electricity of going back and forth," said Bill Shaffer, who coaches both teams. "I preach one team, one family."

Jesuit's boys scored 554 points to easily outdistance runnerup King (330.5 points) and third-place Hillsborough (257).

"The well's looking kind of dry for the boys and every year we come up with something," Shaffer said. "This year's districts on the boys side is a little deeper than it's been."

Jesuit swept the top three diving spots, with Dart Hutson (411.05) in first, followed by Derek Paige (338.05) and Justin Ewing (274.60).

The Tigers had the winning 200 medley relay, consisting of Thompson Marston, Austin Sellers, Trevor Schaettle and Kent Kimura. And Ben Parker added a victory in the 500 free.

For the girls, Holy Names totaled 612, nearly doubling the output of runnerup Sickles (327). Robinson (221) took third.

"The girls, we are sitting exactly where we need to be," Shaffer said.

The Jaguars racked up nine victories while Jesuit led the boys with five wins. Robinson was right behind with four.

Dual individual winners for Holy Names were: Alex Nuyianes (200-yard individual medley, 500 freestyle) and Tori Litschgi (50 free, 100 free).

Robinson standout John Nolte won the 50 free and 100 free, as well as swimming the anchor legs of the winning 200 free and 400 free relays.

Largo placed seventh and Gibbs ninth in the girls meet, while Gibbs took eighth and Largo 11th in the boys meet. Divers Sydney Wyatt and Krysta Postlethwaite were the top finishers for Gibbs, taking second (282.75) and third (240.65), respectively.

By Marc Topkin, Times Staff Writer
Saturday, October 27, 2012

DETROIT

By this time next week, the Rays officially can commence building for next season.

Though they usually proceed at a measured pace, with a big-picture strategy of improving their offense while maintaining their dominant pitching, some decisions have to come sooner than later due to the MLB calendar.

Within three days after the end of the World Series, they must decide on the four options they hold:

RHP Fernando Rodney, at $2.5 million, is an automatic yes, as is RHP James Shields at $10.25 million, whether it's to keep him or trade him (which will be a winterlong theme). Though DH Luke Scott produced some when healthy (.229/14/55 in 344 PAs), $6 million seems too much to commit, so he looks like a no.

That leaves C Jose Molina as the big decision. And though he didn't hit much (.223/8/32), his work with the pitchers was strong and for $1.8 million (actually $1.5 million since there's a $300,000 buyout), Molina might be, at the least, a worthwhile fallback as they, once again, have their annual search for a frontline backstop.

Free agency is next, with teams having five days after the Series ends to negotiate with their own, and the market opening on the sixth.

"We are busy going through the potentially available names this winter that may fit the core group of players that we are constructing our 2013 roster around," executive VP Andrew Friedman said.

Though they usually don't jump into the market early, under the new rules they do have one major decision in the first five days: whether to make a qualifying offer (one year for $13.3 million) to CF B.J. Upton, which would net them a compensatory draft pick when he signs elsewhere.

Friedman and agent Larry Reynolds have talked, and it's easy to imagine they were feeling each other out: The Rays seeking a sense he won't take the offer (which would jolt their payroll); Upton's side being coy since the offer increases his cost to a signing team because it loses a draft pick.

Most likely scenario: The Rays make the offer, Upton declines and hits the market, seeking a massive deal: four to six years, at $14 million to $17 million per. With big-budget teams such as the Nationals, Phillies and Rangers among the leading possibilities, along with the Braves, Brewers, Giants, Reds, White Sox and Brewers, among others, this should be an interesting market.

ESPN analyst Jim Bowden, a former GM, said he thinks Upton will get close to that, predicting a five-year, $15 million-a-year deal. The other top true centerfielder on the market is Michael Bourn, who was with the Braves, though Josh Hamilton's situation could also impact.

INTERNATIONAL VIEW: The Rays don't usually top any spending lists, but they did in signing international amateur free agents, doling out an MLB-most $3.8 million for 15 teenage prospects, so much so they'll have to pay another $750,000 or so in "tax" for exceeding their budgeted amount and be limited next year.

Though their strategy is surprising, the Rays certainly must like the talent, which includes hard-throwing LHP Jose Castillo, $1.55 million; RHP Jose Mujica, $1 million; and C David Rodriguez, $600,000, all Venezuelans, all ranked among the top 15 international prospects by Baseball America.

RAYS RUMBLINGS: Agent Scott Boras said 1B Carlos Peña, a 34-year-old free agent after a disappointing season offensively (.197/19/61, with a .684 OPS) and defensively, definitely plans to keep playing: "There are few men who can do what he does in a bad season; that's a good season for a lot of players." … Bench coach Dave Martinez, a finalist for the Houston manager's job that went to Bo Porter, hasn't heard, yet anyway, from the Blue Jays, Marlins or Rockies, who are all looking. … OF Sam Fuld, as projected, made the cutoff for Super 2 arbitration eligibility, which should double his 2013 salary to around $1 million. … Condolences to Rays radio man Dave Wills, whose mother passed away last weekend. … Boras, as usual, didn't see much chance of RHP Jeremy Hellickson or OF Desmond Jennings signing long-term deals: "At the point of their careers where they're at, it's usually an annual relationship."

Times wires
Saturday, October 27, 2012

COLUMBIA, S.C. — Marcus Lattimore spoke to his South Carolina teammates from the heart on Friday night as they prepared to face Tennessee.

Don't take anything for granted, Lattimore urged the Gamecocks.

"Act like every play is your last play," defensive end Jadeveon Clowney said, recalling the junior tailback's words.

Now, those players hope Lattimore hasn't played his last game after a horrific knee injury that will likely end his season prematurely for a second straight year.

Coach Steve Spurrier gave few details on Lattimore's damaged right leg, which flopped to the turf like a rag doll's might after a hit in the second quarter of No. 17 South Carolina's 38-35 win over Tennessee on Saturday. Lattimore was taken to the hospital for further evaluation.

"He's going to do wonderful things," the coach said, while acknowledging, "I don't know what field of life." (See 7C for more details on the injury.)

Connor Shaw threw for three touchdowns and a career-high 356 yards. He also ran for another as the Gamecocks snapped a two-game losing streak. Lattimore had a 28-yard touchdown run, extending his school marks to 41 TDs overall and 38 rushing.

The Vols nearly rallied from a two-touchdown deficit in the final quarter. Tyler Bray drove Tennessee to the Gamecocks' 19 with 1:08 to go before Clowney forced a fumble to end the series. Tennessee forced a punt and got a final chance, but Victor Hampton intercepted Bray's long pass to seal the win.

"One mistake when you're behind in a ballgame in the SEC can really hurt you," said senior receiver Zach Rogers, who tied a Tennessee record with three touchdown catches. "We have learned week in and week out that you can't make those kind of mistakes."

The Vols became the only SEC team besides Vanderbilt to start 0-5 in the league for three consecutive seasons.

"It's the same old song and dance on the SEC level," Dooley said. "We had a chance to win and they made a great play, got the ball out and turned it over. All you can is move on."

The Gamecocks rolled up 510 yards after managing only 368 combined the previous two weeks in losses at LSU and Florida. Tight end Justice Cunningham had six catches for 108 yards and receiver Bruce Ellington had six catches for 101 yards as South Carolina won its third straight over Tennessee for the first time in a series that began in 1903.

Bray passed for 368 yards and four touchdowns.

A season ago, the Gamecocks relied on veteran Kenny Miles and first-year player Brandon Wilds to make up for Lattimore's absence. Miles filled in for Lattimore in the second half against the Vols, but Wilds has not played this season because of injury.

South Carolina looked in control most of the half, scoring on three of its first four possessions. Shaw threw touchdowns of 33 yards to Bruce Ellington and 26 yards to Rory Anderson before Lattimore's TD run.

MISSOURI 33, KENTUCKY 10: The host Tigers got touchdowns off all three of Kentucky's lost fumbles and banged-up quarterback James Franklin presided over a strong finish in a reserve role as Mizzou earned its first win in their debut SEC season. Kendial Lawrence ran for 108 yards on 23 carries with two TDs for Missouri. Tigers starter Corbin Berkstresser was intercepted on consecutive passes by freshman cornerback J.D. Harmon to start the second half before getting replaced by Franklin, who was limited in practice this week after missing most of the previous two games with a left knee strain. Coach Gary Pinkel said Franklin went in with "great restrictions" to run an offense that kept it basic.

MISSISSIPPI 30, ARK. 27: Bo Wallace and Bryson Rose liked winning an SEC game so much that they decided to do it again. Rose kicked a 31-yard field goal as time expired to give the visiting Rebels their second straight victory. Last week Ole Miss snapped a 16-game league losing streak by defeating Auburn. "I'm thrilled," first-year Rebels coach Hugh Freeze said. "…Our team grew up today, won on the road in this tough conference, against a very good football team." Wallace, the sophomore quarterback, accounted for 316 yards of total offense including 278 passing.

By Marc Topkin, Times Staff Writer
Saturday, October 27, 2012

DETROIT — Baseball commissioner Bud Selig had a suggestion Saturday for St. Petersburg Mayor Bill Foster:

Be part of the solution with the Rays rather than the problem.

The Rays said Friday that they were "surprised and disappointed" that Foster rejected their request for a lease amendment to allow exploration of a new stadium in Hillsborough and Pinellas counties.

Selig hadn't spoken with principal owner Stuart Sternberg, but his frustration with Foster's decision seemed obvious.

"There's work to be done there," Selig said before World Series Game 3, "and he ought to try to be helpful and constructive in that process. That's all I'll say."

AARON AWARD: MLB didn't have any travel expenses in giving out the Hank Aaron Award for the top offensive performers in each league as the winners were Tigers 3B Miguel Cabrera and Giants C Buster Posey.

Cabrera won the first AL Triple Crown since 1967 with a .330 average, 44 homers and 139 RBIs — and also was presented with a baseball-topped crown. Posey, a Florida State product, led the NL with a .336 average, the first catcher to win the league batting title since 1942.

"I'm just humbled that Hank Aaron knows who I am," Posey said. "Growing up in Georgia, he's a legend everywhere but even more so there."

Cabrera said he was "very nervous" sitting with Aaron and near Frank Robinson, who won the 1966 Triple Crown, but said he felt very proud of "my biggest day here in baseball."

JUST CHILLIN': First-pitch temperature was 47 degrees, with a feels-like of 43. … The stadium concessionaire switched out its daiquiri machines for hot chocolate makers.

POMP: Tigers Hall of Famer Al Kaline threw out the first pitch. … Actor Zooey Deschanel, star of New Girl on, you guessed it, Fox, sang the anthem. … Singer Jack White was on hand.

MISCELLANY: Tigers RHP Doug Fister was cleared for all activity after additional testing Friday, a day after he was struck on the head by a line drive. … Because of several other events in town, Giants players and personnel are split among three hotels in the Detroit area.

Times wires
Saturday, October 27, 2012

PISCATAWAY, N.J. — The dream of an undefeated season and any remote hope of playing for a national title are over for No. 18 Rutgers after an upset loss at home to Kent State.

Everything else is still in place.

Saturday's stunning 35-23 nonconference loss won't deny the Scarlet Knights a chance at the Big East title. That is what their sights are set on now.

"This is a lump in the road," Rutgers linebacker Khaseem Greene said. "We control our own destiny and we can still do what we set out to do since the beginning of the year. This is all about how we respond."

Kent State was 0-22 against ranked teams, and this was its biggest win since the program began in 1920. The six-game winning streak is its longest since 1940.

"This is a great win for our program," said coach Darrell Hazell, a Rutgers assistant from 2001-03. "We came on the road against a very tough opponent. … I thought our kids prepared like crazy this week."

The biggest play was by Golden Flashes defensive end Mark Fackler — a one-handed, 25-yard interception return for a touchdown early in the second quarter for a 14-3 lead. It was his second pick and one of six by the Golden Flashes, who forced a season-high seven turnovers.

It was the second time in two weeks that a MAC team ended an unbeaten start by a Big East team. On Oct. 20, Toledo defeated then-undefeated Cincinnati.

PITTSBURGH 47, TEMPLE 17: Ray Graham had 180 yards of offense, 109 rushing and 71 receiving, and three touchdowns for the host Panthers. It was his best game since a torn ACL cut short his junior season last year. Graham said: "I just feel different. (The knee) felt a lot better and from here on out that's what I think you're going to see." Tino Sunseri passed for 321 yards and three TDs for Pitt.

LATE FRIDAY: John Wallace's 30-yard field goal in overtime lifted No. 16 Louisville past visiting Cincinnati 34-31 after the Bearcats' attempt to ice the kicker went wrong. Cincinnati got the ball first in OT but Cardinals cornerback Terrell Floyd intercepted Munchie Legaux. Bearcats coach Butch Jones called timeout right before the field-goal try, and the high snap went awry. Teddy Bridgewater hit DeVante Parker on a 64-yard catch-and-run score with 1:56 left but the Bearcats forced OT on Legaux's 26-yard TD to Damon Julian with 1:04 left.

Times wires
Saturday, October 27, 2012

State roundup

B-CU 42, N.C. Central 17: Isidore Jackson ran for 164 yards, including a career-best 93-yarder, and two touchdowns as the host Wildcats (6-2, 5-0 MEAC) outscored the Eagles 28-3 in the second half. Former Jefferson High quarterback Quentin Williams hit Preston Cleckley for a 76-yard bomb that put the Wildcats up 14-7.

Fla. Atlantic 34, Troy 27: Graham Wilbert's fourth touchdown pass, a 22-yarder to William Dukes with 17 seconds left, lifted the host Owls (2-6, 1-4), who ended a six-game skid and a streak of 14 straight Sun Belt losses.

W. Ky. 14, Fla. International 6: The host Golden Panthers (1-8, 0-5 Sun Belt) drove to the Hilltoppers' 21 in the final seconds but E.J. Hilliard was sacked and fumbled the ball away.

Times wires
Saturday, October 27, 2012

TUCSON, Ariz. — His team trailing by 15 in the third quarter, Arizona coach Rich Rodriguez urged his players to show a little life. Even after the Wildcats scored, they and much of the stadium remained quiet.

Matt Scott woke them up.

The redshirt senior accounted for 469 yards and four touchdowns in the Wildcats' 39-36 upset of the No. 10 Trojans on Saturday.

"I've said this before: Matt Scott's a stud," Rodriguez said. "He's phenomenal. He's a competitor."

The Wildcats had come up short in close games during their first season under Rodriguez and appeared to be headed toward another disappointment as USC receiver Marqise Lee raced past them into the Pac-12 record book.

Scott wouldn't let Arizona come up short again.

He ran for 100 yards and got Arizona's comeback started with a 10-yard touchdown run late in the third. He threw for 369 yards, 259 on 10 catches by Austin Hill.

Scott capped his day with his third touchdown pass, a 7-yarder to David Richards that put Arizona up 39-28 with just over five minutes left. He was wobbly and unable to play on the final possession after taking a hard hit but had already done enough to give the Wildcats their biggest win under Rodriguez.

"Matt is a warrior," Hill said.

Lee had a huge day, eclipsing the Pac-12 record for receiving yards by halftime. He finished with 16 catches for 345 yards and two touchdowns. Some big kick returns gave him 469 all-purpose yards.

Matt Barkley put up big numbers, too, matching Carson Palmer's school record for 400-yard games with his third. He was 31-of-48 for 493 yards and three touchdowns.

USC finished with 618 total yards and pulled within three on Silas Redd's 10-yard touchdown in the fourth. But it couldn't overcome five turnovers — two on interceptions by Barkley — and 13 penalties for 117 yards.

The Trojans' last shot — and likely their national title hopes — ended when Barkley's heave on the final play was swatted down.

"It was a very discouraging loss," USC coach Lane Kiffin said. "It wasn't about effort. I thought our players had great effort. We made a lot of mistakes and weren't able to catch up."

Perfect K-State pulls away

MANHATTAN, Kan. — Collin Klein accounted for four touchdowns as No. 4 Kansas State beat No. 15 Texas Tech 55-24.

Klein was 19-of-26 for 233 yards and two touchdowns and had 83 yards and two scores on the ground, bolstering his credentials for the Heisman. Most of his offense came in the second half as the Wildcats forced two turnovers and blew open a 13-10 game to improve to 8-0 for the first time since 1999.

"We got some pretty short fields, which helps a lot," said, Klein, a senior who is 19-4 as a starter and moved into seventh in Big 12 history with his 49th rushing touchdown. "It was just a great team effort, hanging in there when things weren't going well early in the game."

The Red Raiders' second-half meltdown was similar to the teams' matchup last season. Up 28-20, Tech turned it over three times in the fourth to lose 41-34.

Said Tech's Seth Doege, who threw for 331 yards and two touchdowns: "When it came down to making plays to finish, we just didn't make them."

No. 2 Oregon 70, Colorado 14: Kenjon Barner rushed for 104 yards and two touchdowns as the host Ducks didn't overlook the Buffaloes before Saturday's showdown with USC. "(USC is) a big game, but we treat every game the same," said Marcus Mariota, who threw two touchdowns in relief. Oregon pulled most of its offensive starters midway through the second quarter. It led 56-0 lead by halftime, and the 70 points were their most in a conference game. "I've been saying it all week," Colorado coach Jon Embree said. "(The Ducks) have a great opportunity to hold that crystal ball at the end of the year."

No. 21 Boise St. 45, Wyoming 14: D.J. Harper rushed for 105 yards and two touchdowns for the visiting Broncos, who have won seven straight since losing their opener. Harper scored on runs of 12 and 3 yards. And Joe Southwick was 20-of-28 for 198 yards while managing an offense that converted 12 of 14 third downs and scored on all five of its red zone opportunities. "We were very balanced," Southwick said. "I think we're just continuing to build from top to bottom."

Miami (Ohio) 23, No. 23 Ohio 20: The host RedHawks sacked Tyler Tettleton, then the final seconds ticked away as they pulled off the upset. Kaleb Patterson's 31-yard field goal with 1:24 left gave Miami the lead. The Bobcats got to the RedHawks 7. With nine seconds left and no timeouts, Ohio eschewed the tying field goal to run a play. But Wes Williams got to Tettleton, who said he didn't realize he had no timeouts. "I just totally forgot," he said. "That's my fault.

Around the nation

Indiana 31, Illinois 17: The visiting Hoosiers recorded seven sacks in ending an 11-game Big Ten skid. The Illini have lost 11 consecutive Big Ten games.

N'western 28, Iowa 17: Kain Colter ran for three touchdowns and threw for one for the host Wildcats.

Michigan St. 16, Wisconsin 13 OT: Andrew Maxwell's 12-yard touchdown pass to Bennie Fowler won it for the Spartans, who snapped the Badgers' 21-game home win streak dating to Oct 17, 2009.

Minnesota 44, Purdue 28: Freshman Philip Nelson threw three first-half touchdowns for the host Gophers.

Texas 21, Kansas 17: Case McCoy hit D.J. Grant for a 1-yard touchdown with 12 seconds left to lift the visiting Longhorns. The Jayhawks have lost 17 consecutive Big 12 games.

Oklahoma St. 36, TCU 14: Wes Lunt, playing for the first time since sustaining a knee injury Sept. 15 against Louisiana-Lafayette, threw for 324 yards and a touchdown for the host Cowboys.

UCLA 45, Arizona St. 43: Ka'imi Fairbairn's 33-yard field goal as time expired lifted the visiting Bruins. D.J. Foster's 7-yard touchdown catch put the Sun Devils ahead 43-42 with 1:33 left.

Saturday, October 27, 2012

MARTINSVILLE, Va. — Denny Hamlin ducked under Matt Crafton with five laps to go to win the NASCAR trucks Kroger 200 at Martinsville Speedway on a day when the points lead was jumbled with three races left.

The victory Saturday was Hamlin's second in the series, both on NASCAR's oldest track. Ty Dillon was knocked from the points lead he had held since mid September. Running sixth, he cut a tire with 48 laps to go, spent significant time on pit road and finished 28th. Now he is 21 points behind James Buescher, who started the day one point back.

Buescher's team struggled to get his truck working right and at one point he was running 28th and even went a lap down. He rallied to finish sixth.

"This team knows never to give up," said Buescher, the series leader with four victories this season.

Vettel on F1 pole: Formula One championship leader Sebastian Vettel took the pole for today's Indian Grand Prix in Greater Noida, edging teammate Mark Webber by 0.04 seconds for Red Bull's third straight front-row sweep. McLaren pair Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button qualified third and fourth, ahead of the Ferraris of Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa. Alonso trails Vettel by six points in the drivers' championship.

NHRA: Tony Schumacher (Top Fuel), Cruz Pedregon (Funny Car) and Jason Line (Pro Stock) earned No. 1 qualifying spots for today's finals at the Big O Tires Nationals in Las Vegas, and Eddie Krawiec won the rain-delayed final from Mohnton, Pa., and qualified first in Pro Stock Motorcycle.

By Josh Jurnovoy, Times Correspondent
Saturday, October 27, 2012

JACKSONVILLE — For most of Saturday, Florida's defense made the most of the poor hand it was dealt.

But it wasn't quite enough to win.

"Till the last touchdown drive, we played very well defensively," Gators coach Will Muschamp said.

Trailing 10-9, Florida forced Georgia into a third and 10 on its 25 with just under nine minutes remaining in the game. End Dominique Easley sniffed out a screen pass to running back Todd Gurley in the backfield. But he made the play too soon. Easley was called for holding as he wrapped up Gurley before the pass arrived.

What could have been fourth down ended up being a second chance for Georgia.

"I have zero comment on that one," Muschamp said of the call.

Five plays later, on third and 5 from the Gators 45, Aaron Murray, a former Plant High quarterback, found Malcolm Mitchell on a curl route. Cornerback Loucheiz Purifoy was on the coverage but failed to tackle Mitchell, who took it to the end zone to extend the Bulldogs' lead to the final score of 17-9.

"Loucheiz was in good coverage," Florida cornerback Jaylen Watkins said.

"He just tried to make a play on the strip and the guy got away from him."

Turnovers by the offense repeatedly forced the Gators to defend a short field. After scoring a touchdown on a 20-yard drive following quarterback Jeff Driskel's fumble on the game's first series, Georgia kicked a field goal, missed a field goal and threw an interception on three subsequent possessions that began in Florida territory following turnovers.

The defense also held Murray, who entered seventh in the nation with a passer rating of 168.63, in check. Before the final touchdown drive, he was 8-for-19 for 70 yards, three interceptions and no touchdowns.

In light of the final score, tackle Omar Hunter downplayed the defense's early success.

"We played all right," he said. "Not good enough to win. Obviously, we didn't get the win."

Florida's defense entered third in the SEC, allowing 97.3 rushing yards per game. But Gurley had 97 through three quarters and finished with 118 on 27 carries.

Linebacker Jon Bostic said he was encouraged with some of what he saw.

"Defense played very well," Bostic said. "There's still things we can definitely clean up on … in the run game, getting in the passing lanes a little bit more. It's things all over."

By Gary Shelton, Times Sports Columnist
Saturday, October 27, 2012

JACKSONVILLE

They were having one of the unexpected seasons of their history. And they left it on the ground.

They all but had their hands around the SEC East title. And they threw it to the other guys.

They were the third-ranked team in the country, which is close enough to dream. And they gave it all away.

The Florida Gators turned over most of their possibilities Saturday, when they fumbled, flubbed and flopped throughout a 17-9 loss to Georgia. Their anemic offense, which had managed to do just enough on their way to a 7-0 start, imploded against the Bulldogs.

Perhaps it was bound to happen. For most of the season, the Gators offense has eternally been struggling uphill. It has not been dynamic, and it has not been explosive. Before this, however, it had been efficient.

What's that they say? Eventually that nagging cough will come back to haunt you. That's what happened with the Gators' offense Saturday. It is hard to consistently win games against Top 10 opponents when there is no deep passing threat, when the team struggles to establish the run, when the team cannot grip the football.

All along, that had been the concern with this Gators team. Against the Bulldogs, you could see why.

"Six turnovers," Florida coach Will Muschamp said. "Wow."

Muschamp could have shortened that by one letter. Perhaps he should have summed it up for Florida fans by simply saying: "Ow."

In particular, sophomore quarterback Jeff Driskel had a long afternoon. Over the season, Driskel has flashed star potential from time to time, but this was one of those long afternoons that is going to sting for a while. He fumbled on the game's first play, and the third, and the 16th. He threw interceptions on the 41st and 46th. Also, he was sacked five times.

"I made some critical mistakes," Driskel said. "That's what it comes down to."

Want an example? Go back to the final play of the first half, when the Gators trailed 7-6 and had second and goal on the Georgia 5. A field goal would have given Florida the lead. Instead, Driskel rolled to his right, then tried to throw across his body into the end zone and had the pass intercepted.

"A dumb mistake," he called it.

At this point, it would be easy to pin the disappointment of this defeat on Driskel. Young quarterbacks sometimes have days like this.

For Florida, however, the blame should be a little more widespread. After all, the Gators should be able to do more things on offense by their eighth game of the year, shouldn't they? They should be able to make a team pay for overloading the box the way the Bulldogs did. They should be able to make a defensive coordinator do harder work than simply slowing down running back Mike Gillislee.

"We have to play better around (Driskel)," Muschamp said. "We have to protect better. You can't put everything on Jeff Driskel. You've got to be able to run the ball and create vertical plays and stretch the ball out and not let people load the box."

Also, the Gators might think about changing up the play-calling every now and again. Consider: The Gators had 27 first downs Saturday, and they ran the ball on 19 of those. Struggling as much as they did, that means Driskel was in a lot of third-and-8s and third-and-10s. For the day, Florida threw for only 33 yards on first down (24 if you consider a 9-yard sack).

For all the frustrations, there is this: Florida wasn't the only team turning the ball over. Georgia quarterback Aaron Murray had three interceptions. Despite that, the Gators scored only two field goals off them. After one, the Gators drove only 6 yards. After another, 10 yards.

Eventually, Florida is going to have to figure out the passing game. Eventually, Driskel is going to claim big games such as this as his own.

Eventually, the Gators will have to learn not to leave its opportunities on the ground.

Listen to Gary Shelton weekdays from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. on 98.7-FM the Fan. Follow him on Twitter at @Gary_Shelton.

By Greg Auman, Times Staff Writer
Saturday, October 27, 2012

TAMPA — As if taking a sixth consecutive loss weren't problem enough, USF left Saturday night's game with Syracuse with injuries to five key players, potentially impacting the season's final four games.

Most concerning was senior RB Lindsey Lamar, who rushed for a career-high 145 yards but had to be taken to Tampa General Hospital with what coach Skip Holtz called a chest injury. Holtz did not know the extent, but said he was "definitely concerned" and that Lamar had issues with breathing before leaving.

Lamar wasn't alone. Senior TE Evan Landi missed most of the game with an ankle injury, junior WR Derrick Hopkins was on crutches after a hit to his left knee in the first half, junior DE Ryne Giddins aggravated a shoulder injury and senior OG Danous Estenor left the game in the fourth quarter with an ankle injury.

"It was costly from an injury standpoint," Holtz said. "As disappointed and hurt as everybody is right now with the loss, my thoughts and prayers are definitely with Lindsey Lamar that he is okay."

KICKING STRONG: After hitting six field goals on eight attempts in USF's first seven games, senior K Maikon Bonani set a school record with five field goals, including a season-long 47-yarder in the fourth quarter. Bonani broke the record set by Steve Riggs in 1997 and matched by Bill Gramatica in 1998 and 2000. But Bonani's field goals reflected the offense's inability to close drives with touchdowns — the Bulls went 3-for-3 in red-zone scoring, but settled for kicks twice early after getting inside the Syracuse 20.

MILESTONE: With a 19-yard run in the first quarter, USF QB B.J. Daniels became just the third player in Big East history to pass 10,000 yards in career total offense, moving him closer to catching former teammate Matt Grothe's conference record.

Daniels came in with 9,962, on course to surpass Grothe's record of 10,875 yards, set from 2006-09. The only other Big East player to top 10,000 yards was West Virginia QB Pat White, who finished his career in 2008 with 10,529.

Daniels had a 53-yard run in the second quarter, a big part of USF's 273 yards of rushing in the opening half, but it wasn't his longest. That was a 71-yard carry in last year's win against UTEP.

FIRST STARTS: Two Bulls made their first career starts, redshirt freshman Thor Jozwiak at left guard and freshman Eric Lee at defensive end. Jozwiak beat out fellow freshman Brynjar Gudmundsson, who played well in relief of injured starter Mark Popek last week. Lee, with just one tackle all season, made good on the coaches' decision, with six tackles, most of any Bulls defensive lineman.

By Greg Auman, Times Staff Writer
Saturday, October 27, 2012

TAMPA — This might have been the cruelest collapse of all for USF football.

Staked to a 23-3 halftime lead Saturday, the Bulls saw that disappear in just 10 minutes, but after rallying for a 33-24 lead, the Bulls saw another late drive to beat them.

Syracuse went 75 yards in the final 1:23 without any timeouts, with Ryan Nassib connecting with Alec Lemon for a 1-yard touchdown with three seconds left for a 37-36 Orange win.

The loss at Raymond James Stadium is USF's sixth in a row — extending the school record — and the third in which the defense gave up a 75-yard touchdown drive in the final minutes to give up the lead. USF (2-6, 0-4 in Big East) had beaten Syracuse in six of seven previous meetings.

USF is the first team in college football this season to lose a game in which it led at halftime by at least 20 points.

The Bulls got five field goals from Maikon Bonani, the last of which gave them a 36-31 lead with 1:23 to play, but that gave the ball back to Syracuse.

Nassib completed passes of 19, 20 and 20 yards to get the Orange to the USF 16-yard line. After two penalties, Nassib threw a pass to the 1, setting up a final play with 0:06 left. Nassib threw a pass to Lemon, who beat cornerback George Baker for the winning score.

USF led 23-3 after a dominating first half, going directly at Syracuse's strength. The Orange had allowed just 35 rushing yards per game in its first three Big East contests, holding Pittsburgh to less than a yard per carry and stuffing Connecticut for negative yardage. But the Bulls ran from the start, rotating all three running backs on the opening drive.

USF got its first opening-drive touchdown of the season and built on that — B.J. Daniels' 53-yard run set up a field goal for a 13-3 lead, then Lindsey Lamar went 80 yards for a touchdown. By halftime, USF led 23-3 and had 273 rushing yards — seven times as many as the Orange were allowing per Big East game.

Lamar (110 yards) and Daniels (100) both reached 100 yards by halftime, impressive considering the Bulls hadn't had two 100-yard rushers in any game since beating Syracuse in 2007.

For all that dominance, Syracuse erased a 20-point deficit in the first 10 minutes of the second half. Nassib hit wide receiver Jarrod West for a 31-yard score on the opening drive, and after Syracuse blocked a punt, the Orange scored on a 4-yard Lemon run.

Demetris Murray fumbled on the next play, setting up Syracuse at the USF 23, and the Orange converted on third and goal when Nassib hit Marcus Sales for a touchdown and a 24-23 lead, silencing the Bulls homecoming crowd announced at 38,562.

But the Bulls fired back, with Daniels hitting Lamar for a 43-yard pass, then running 18 yards to set up Bonani's field goal for a 26-24 lead. Reshard Cliett's sack ended Syracuse's next drive, and Daniels led the Bulls on a 64-yard drive, converting two third downs, then hitting Davis for his sixth touchdown catch of the season and a 33-24 lead.

Syracuse answered with a 75-yard touchdown drive, capped by an 18-yard pass from Nassib to Sales after the Orange converted on fourth and 1 at the USF 26. That gave USF the ball with a two-point lead and 7:17 to play.

Syracuse is headed to the ACC after this season, but the Orange had always been a perfect salve for a Bulls losing streak. USF's three-game skid in 2007 ended with a win against Syracuse, as did a four-game losing streak last season.

Times wires
Saturday, October 27, 2012

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. — Fake. Hope. Dive. Touchdown!

Braxton Miller does stuff you can't teach, and No. 9 Ohio State is riding its Heisman Trophy contender to a memorable season — despite the limitations.

Miller ran for 134 yards and accounted for three touchdowns a week after getting knocked out of a game, leading the Buckeyes to a 35-23 victory against Penn State on Saturday.

Ryan Shazier returned an interception 17 yards for a score early in the third quarter that gave the Buckeyes the lead for good, and the Nittany Lions and coach Bill O'Brien had their five-game winning streak snapped in a matchup of the Big Ten's bowl-banned perennial powers.

Miller missed the fourth quarter against Purdue after a hard tackle sent him to the hospital with a case of whiplash. He declared himself good to go by midweek.

Was he ever. The Heisman campaign can resume.

The sophomore quarterback reached 100 yards rushing for the sixth time this season, carrying 25 times, and only avoiding contact when it was convenient. He also was 7 for 19 for 143 yards passing.

"I was so excited I missed a lot of throws," he said. "I was so excited to come back on the field from my injury. The crowd was energetic."

He added to his highlight reel with his first touchdown run in the second half.

Miller pulled the ball back just as teammate Carlos Hyde was engulfed by Penn State's Sean Stanley, did a two-step — one forward and jump back — to elude a defender, then dived past another into the end zone.

"I think a guy just came in and tried to tackle Carlos and I pulled it," Miller said. "I don't know who was around. My instincts just took over after that."

Officially, the play covered a yard, and it made the score 21-10 Ohio State with 3:30 left in the third quarter.

"We work on that," coach Urban Meyer said with a slight grin. "We have a drill. Make seven people miss and dive across.

"All I heard in my headset was 'Oh my God!'"

Matt McGloin and the Nittany Lions had turned an 0-2 start into a reason for PSU fans to get excited about football again.

It felt like a big game in Happy Valley, something many thought wouldn't happen this year after Penn State was hit with crippling NCAA sanctions for the Jerry Sandusky child sexual abuse scandal.

But the Nittany Lions weren't quite ready to step up.

"Offensively, we could have done some better things," O'Brien said. "I could have adjusted better. I could have had a better game plan."

The Buckeyes proved their mettle at maybe the toughest place to play in the Big Ten.

"When you go on the road your defense better play," Meyer said. "You better take care of the football and you better be tough."

By Antonya English, Times Staff Writer
Saturday, October 27, 2012

JACKSONVILLE — Aaron Murray got his signature win.

All week leading up to Saturday's showdown between No. 3 Florida and No. 12 Georgia, analysts kept saying even though the Plant High alumnus has had a stellar three-year career as Georgia's quarterback, he had not earned a big win for the Bulldogs.

Murray had his struggles Saturday — three interceptions in the first half after entering with only four for the entire season. But in the end, he did what he had to.

Murray's 45-yard fourth-quarter touchdown pass to Malcolm Mitchell sealed the 17-9 win for the Bulldogs.

"Coach (Mark Richt) turned to me to make a play," said Murray who finished 12-of-24 for 150 yards after his first win over a Top-10 team. "We could have just run the ball and tried to run clock. That was a good feeling that he had faith in me."

Murray and the Bulldogs can clinch the SEC East if they win their final conference games against Mississippi and Auburn.

"To move back in control of our own destiny again, it's a great feeling after everything that's happened," Murray said.

"This is a huge win. Any time Georgia and Florida play, it's big."

INJURY UPDATE: Florida WR Solomon Patton broke his left arm during the first quarter, coach Will Muschamp said. … LB Jelani Jenkins reinjured his hamstring. … DL Damien Jacobs did not play because of a hip injury he suffered last week.

WHO'S SOFT? Last week, Georgia S Shawn Williams called his defense "soft," going so far as to suggest which players should actually be playing various positions. Apparently, it sparked something. The Bulldogs forced six turnovers (the most by UF in any game since 2000) and held Florida to 266 yards, including 81 rushing.

"This was a great game for us," said LB Jarvis Jones, who had 13 tackles (12 solo), three sacks and two forced fumbles.

"Shawn gave us a challenge, and everyone stepped up. This makes me feel better. We played every snap like it was our last and executed the game plan."

Richt previously said he didn't have a problem with Williams' comments, and he reiterated that after the game. "I'd say we were not soft," Richt said. "The defense rose to the occasion, and everyone fought their tails off.

"There was a lot of emotion and two really good football teams getting after it."

A first: Georgia freshman Todd Gurley became the first player to rush for 100 yards (118) against the Gators this season.

STURGIS MOVES UP: UF would much rather have had touchdowns. But with three field goals (38, 22 and 50 yards), senior Caleb Sturgis has 61 for his career. That's six shy of the school record held by Jeff Chandler.

STILL NO VICTORY: Muschamp remains winless in the Florida-Georgia series, his record 0-6. He went 0-4 against the Gators as a player at Georgia and now is 0-2 as a coach. Georgia has back-to-back wins vs. Florida for the first time since 1987-89.

Saturday, October 27, 2012

More online: See bulls.tampabay.com

Who: UT-Chattanooga

Result: USF 33-13

Records: USF 1-0, 0-0 Big East

Chattanooga 0-1, 0-0 Southern

Who: Nevada

Result: USF 32-31

Records: USF 2-0

Nevada 1-1

Who: Rutgers

Result: Rutgers 23-13

Records: USF 2-1, 0-1 Big East

Rutgers 3-0, 1-0 Big East

Who: Ball St.

Result: Ball State 31-27

Records: USF 2-2

Ball State 3-1

Who: FSU

Result: FSU 30-17

Records: USF 2-3, 0-1 Big East

FSU 5-0, 2-0 ACC

Who: Temple

Result: Temple 37-28

Records: USF 2-4, 0-2 Big East

Temple 2-2, 1-0 Big East

Who: Louisville

RESULT: Louisville 27-25

RECORDS: USF 2-5, 0-3 Big East

Louisville 7-0, 2-0 Big East

Who: Syracuse

RESULT: Syracuse 37, USF 36

RECORDS: USF 2-6, 0-4 Big East

Syracuse 4-4, 3-1 Big East

Who: UConn

Where: Raymond James Stadium, Tampa

When: 7 p.m.

TV: ESPNU

Radio: 98.7-FM

Who: Miami

Where: Sun Life Stadium, Miami

When: TBA

TV: TBA

Radio: 98.7-FM

Who: Cincinnati

Where: Nippert Stadium, Cincinnati, Ohio

When: TBA

TV: TBA

Radio: 98.7-FM

Who: Pitt

Where: Raymond James Stadium, Tampa

When: TBA

TV: TBA

Radio: 98.7-FM

By Bob Putnam, Times Staff Writer
Saturday, October 27, 2012

ST. PETERSBURG — Shorecrest swam laps around its Class A, District 8 counterparts during the regular season. So it was only natural to skip the formalities and tab the Chargers teams as the overwhelming favorites to repeat as champions.

So in one of the more anticlimactic competitions, Shore-crest repeated as boys and girls champions at the district meet Saturday at North Shore Pool.

The boys, whose string is a modest two, were the most dominant, winning all but two races and scoring 490 points, 267 more than runnerup Sarasota Cardinal Mooney.

"I knew our boys could probably do this well," coach Patty Nardozzi said. "We have a lot of fast kids and a lot of depth."

The Chargers were led by their usual quartet: Joshua Chen, John Farese, Alex Grant and Mark Marshburn.

Farese won the 100 free (48.66) and 100 back (53.16). Chen took first in the 200 individual medley (2:02.21) and 100 breast (1:00.77). Grant was champion in the 50 free (23.73) and 100 fly (56.91). Marshburn took gold in the 200 free (1:53.51). All four had a hand in winning the 200 medley (1:43.20) and 400 free relays.

"We really wanted to come out and win both boys and girls titles again," Farese said. "I think we did better than expected. It was challenging for me because I've been sick the past three weeks. But I wanted to do my part and keep the string going of team titles."

Jack Stein, who came back from massive broken right foot and ankle injuries, won the diving competition.

The girls, who won their 10th straight district title, were led by Meredith Little, who won the 50 free (25.19) and 100 free (54.93). She swam anchor legs on the winning 200 medley relay (1:58.49) and 400 free relay (3:54.03).

"The girls, I thought it would be close," Nardozzi said. "Meredith was so strong for us. She did well in her individual events and got us out to a big lead in each of the relays she swam. I was pleased because we got through just about every swimmer I thought could get to regionals."

Class 2A-8: Largo placed seventh and Gibbs ninth in the girls meet hosted by the Academy of the Holy Names, while Gibbs took eighth and Largo 11th in the boys meet.

Divers Sydney Wyatt and Krysta Postlethwaite were the top finishers for Gibbs, taking second (282.75 points) and third (240.65), respectively.

Gibbs' Zachary Clark had a pair of seventh-place finishes in the 50 free and 100 free.

Largo's best effort came in the girls 200 free relay with Maja Konjanovska, Sophia Struzinski, Jamie Gillott and Maggie Kivett combining for third place in 2:06.72.

Times correspondent Steve Lee contributed to this report.

Times sports staff
Saturday, October 27, 2012

TODAY

Autos

Formula One: Indian Grand Prix, 5:30 a.m., Speed

Sprint Cup: Tums Fast Relief 500, 2 p.m., ESPN

NHRA: Big O Tires Nationals (taped), 8 p.m., ESPN2

Baseball: World Series

Game 4: Giants at Tigers, 8 p.m., Ch. 13; 620-AM

College volleyball

Louisville at Cincinnati, 1 p.m., ESPNU

Alabama at Tennessee, 1 p.m., Sun Sports

North Carolina at Wake Forest, 1 p.m., FSN

Mississippi State at LSU, 2 p.m., BHSN

Texas at Oklahoma, 3 p.m., ESPNU

Figure skating

Skate Canada International, 2 p.m., Ch. 8

Golf

PGA Europe: BMW Masters (taped), 9 a.m., Golf

LPGA: Taiwan Championship (taped), 1 p.m., Golf

Web.com: Tour Championship, 3:30 p.m., Golf

Champions: AT&T Championship (taped), 5:30 p.m., Golf

NFL

Jets at Dolphins, 1 p.m., Ch. 10; 98.7-FM

Falcons at Eagles, 1 p.m., Ch. 13; 1040-AM

Patriots at Rams, 1 p.m., 1010-AM

Panthers at Bears, 1 p.m., 1470-AM

Giants at Cowboys, 4:25 p.m., Ch. 13; 98.7-FM, 1040-AM

Chiefs at Raiders, 4 p.m., 1010-AM, 1470-AM

Saints at Broncos, 8:20 p.m., Ch. 8; 98.7-FM, 1010-AM

Soccer

Dutch: Ajax at Feyenoord, 7:25 a.m., ESPND

EPL: Everton at Liverpool, 9:25 a.m., ESPN2

EPL: Man U at Chelsea, 11:30 a.m., FSC

Mexican: America at Pumas, 2 p.m., Univision

MLS: Seattle at Los Angeles, 9 p.m., ESPN, ESPND

Tennis

WTA doubles championship, 8:30 a.m., Tennis

ATP: Swiss Indoors final (taped), Federer vs. del Potro, 10 a.m., Tennis

WTA Championships final (taped), S. Willliams vs. Sharapova, 2 p.m., ESPN2

TV: BHSN: Bright House Sports Network; ESPND: ESPN Deportes; FSC: Fox Soccer Channel; FSN: Fox Sports Net

By Bryan Burns, Times Correspondent
Saturday, October 27, 2012

ST. PETERSBURG — In the week leading up to the final game of the NASL final, Rowdies coach Ricky Hill was adamant that whichever team scored first at Al Lang Field on Saturday night would have a decided advantage in the championship series.

And if the Rowdies were the first to score that opening goal against Minnesota?

"Game on," Hill said.

To win the championship, which would be decided by total goals in the two matches, Tampa Bay had to overcome a two-goal deficit, the result of a 2-0 loss to Minnesota a week ago on the road.

Hill got his wish Saturday in the 24th minute when forward Carl Cort shot into an open goal for the game's first score. By the 51st minute, the Rowdies had made up the deficit.

What followed was the most intense, back-and-forth action of the season in front of 6,208 at Al Lang Field. And when it was over, the Rowdies had won the title in penalty kicks.

"What can you say about this group of players," Hill said. "Resilience all year long, resilience (Saturday) … there's no quit in this team.

"Even if we had lost, I couldn't have been any prouder of them than I am now."

The penalty kicks came after regulation ended with a 3-1 Rowdies win and aggregate goals tied at three, and two 15-minute overtimes ended scoreless. With league-best goalkeeper Jeff Attinella in net, the Rowdies had the advantage.

The 24-year-old stopped two of the Stars' first three penalty kicks and punched away the final attempt from Lucas Rodriguez to secure the title.

Luke Mulholland, Raphael Cox and Fafa Picault made their penalties for Tampa Bay.

"We came out from the first whistle and were all over them," said Attinella, a Clearwater native who played at USF.

"Minnesota didn't want to play (Saturday). They wanted to sit back and try to collect the win. We didn't let them get away with it."

The Rowdies led the game 2-1 late but were trailing 3-2 on aggregate goals when substitute forward Daniel Antoniuk provided a much-needed lifeline.

Mike Ambersley had a shot close in on goal blocked by Stars keeper Matt VanOekel in the 86th minute, but the rebound bounced to Antoniuk, who calmly scored his team-high ninth goal of the season.

"(Antoniuk's) done it all season long," Hill said. "When I've called upon him, he's been the man for all seasons. … Every time he's come on, he's impacted."

The Rowdies struck first when Cort, a former English Premier League player, blasted a rebound past VanOekel after the keeper initially stopped Keith Savage.

Savage put the Rowdies up 2-0 and tied the aggregate score in the 51st minute when he put a rebound of his shot past VanOekel.

But Minnesota answered shortly after, Rodriguez catching the Rowdies defense unaware, getting behind it and beating Attinella.

After Antoniuk's goal, Tampa Bay was forced to play the extra sessions with 10 players after Shane Hill was red carded in the 90th minute.

But the team persevered to win a second NASL title for the Rowdies franchise.

The original Rowdies won in 1975 in their inaugural NASL season.

"It wasn't the way I envisioned it," Hill said. "But I couldn't be a happier coach."

By Marc Topkin, Times Staff Writer
Saturday, October 27, 2012

DETROIT — All these San Francisco Giants do is play.

And win.

On a cold Saturday night at Comerica Park, they weren't flashy. They weren't overpowering. They weren't dazzling.

But with a couple of key hits from the bottom of the order to take advantage of some Detroit mistakes, and with some more solid pitching against a Tigers lineup that has all but disappeared, they were winners, 2-0.

And with one more victory — and four chances to get it, starting tonight with ace Matt Cain on the mound — they will be World Series champions, for the second time in three seasons.

"You try to trick yourself into thinking it's another game, but you know what's going on," Cain said before Game 3. "You definitely know what's going on, so you're going about it real focused, and just trying to get the job done."

They got it done Saturday with two runs in the second inning — on a Hunter Pence walk, a Gregor Blanco triple and a Brandon Crawford single — and a solid night's work on the mound by starter Ryan Vogelsong, converted reliever Tim Lincecum and closer Sergio Romo.

The Giants thus far have made the Tigers look very much like an 88-win team — two fewer than the Rays, in case you forgot — that struggled to win the middling American League Central.

How badly are the Tigers going? In sweeping the Yankees out of the AL Championship Series, they never trailed. In the first three games of World Series, they've never led. (Or maybe the better question is, how bad were the Yankees?)

After being shut out only twice in 162 regular-season games, the Tigers have been blanked three times in 12 postseason games. That includes back-to-back games by the Giants, the first double zeroes in Series play since the Orioles did so to the Dodgers in 1966.

The Tigers spent a lot of time talking about how being down 2-0 wasn't going to affect them. Then they went out, on a cold night, and played exactly that way, wasting prime scoring opportunities in the first, third and fifth innings and making several mistakes in the second that left them in the early hole they were trying to avoid.

First, what they didn't do right.

• With a chance to get the sellout crowd of 42,262 warmed up and into the game, the Tigers had the makings of a rally in the first as Quintin Berry drew a one-out walk and Miguel Cabrera, who earlier in the night received an actual crown from MLB to acknowledge his Triple Crown, singled. But Prince Fielder, their big slugger who has been quiet most of the postseason, failed them again, bouncing into a double play.

• And in the third, they again looked to have something going with one-out singles by Omar Infante and Austin Jackson, but Berry — with Cabrera on deck — swung at Vogelsong's first pitch and grounded into another double play.

• And in the fifth, they loaded the bases on one-out singles by Alex Avila and Infante and a walk to Jackson. But Berry did nothing to help by striking out, and Cabrera, in what could have been a crowning moment, instead popped meekly to shortstop.

Then what they did wrong.

Anibal Sanchez walked Pence — which isn't easy to do, as the free swinger had taken one free pass in his 57 postseason plate appearances. Pence then stole second (as Brandon Belt struck out), and Sanchez's wild pitch moved him up to third.

Blanco slashed a 3-and-2 pitch to right-center, scoring Pence and hustling it into a triple. An out later, Crawford hit a sinking liner to center that Austin Jackson broke in for but couldn't get to then allowed to bounce by him for an error, Blanco scoring easily.

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

World Series

Giants 3, Tigers 0

Game 1: Giants 8, Tigers 3

Game 2: Giants 2, Tigers 0

Saturday: Giants 2, Tigers 0

Tonight: at Detroit, 8:15

Monday: at Detroit, 8:07 *

Wednesday: at San Francisco, 8:07 *

Thursday: at San Francisco, 8:07 *

TV: Ch. 13 * if necessary

Times wires
Saturday, October 27, 2012

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. — Fake. Hop. Dive. Touchdown! Braxton Miller does stuff you can't teach. As a result, Ohio State remains unbeaten.

A week after getting knocked out of a game, the quarterback ran for 134 yards Saturday and accounted for three scores as No. 9 Ohio State beat Penn State 35-23 in a matchup of bowl-banned teams.

Miller missed the fourth quarter against Purdue last week after a hard tackle gave him whiplash. The sophomore reached 100 yards rushing Saturday for the sixth time this season, carrying 25 times and going 7-for-19 for 143 yards passing.

"I was so excited (that) I missed a lot of throws," he said.

Miller added to his highlight reel with 3:30 left in the third. He pulled the ball back just as teammate Carlos Hyde was engulfed by Penn State defensive end Sean Stanley. Miller then took a step forward, jumped back to elude a defender and dived past another into the end zone.

"My instincts just took over," he said.

Officially, the play covered a yard, and it put the Buckeyes up 21-10.

"We work on that," coach Urban Meyer said with a grin. "We have a drill. Make seven people miss and dive across. All I heard in my headset was, 'Oh my God!'"

After starting 0-2, Penn State had won five in a row. It felt like a big game in Happy Valley, something many thought wouldn't happen this year after Penn State was hit with NCAA sanctions for the Jerry Sandusky child sexual abuse scandal. But the Nittany Lions weren't quite ready.

"Offensively, we could have done some better things," coach Bill O'Brien said. "I could have adjusted better. I could have had a better game plan."

Arizona upsets potent USC

TUCSON, Ariz. — Quarterback Matt Scott accounted for 469 yards and four touchdowns as Arizona upset No. 10 USC 39-36. "I've said this before: Matt Scott's a stud," Wildcats coach Rich Rodriguez said. "He's phenomenal. He's a competitor."

Sophomore Marquis Lee caught 16 passes for a Pac-12 record 345 yards and two scores for the Trojans. (Kick returns gave him 469 all-purpose yards.) Senior Matt Barkley was 31-of-48 for 493 yards and three touchdowns. And USC finished with 618 yards. But it couldn't overcome five turnovers — two on interceptions by Barkley — and 13 penalties for 117 yards as its national title hopes likely ended.

"It was a very discouraging loss," coach Lane Kiffin said. "I thought our players had a great effort. We made a lot of mistakes and weren't able to catch up."

No. 2 Oregon 70, Colorado 14: Kenjon Barner rushed for 104 yards and two scores as the host Ducks didn't overlook the Buffaloes before this coming Saturday's showdown with USC. "(USC is) a big game, but we treat every game the same," said Marcus Mariota, who threw two TDs in relief. Oregon pulled most of its offensive starters midway through the second quarter. It led 56-0 lead by halftime, and the 70 points were their most in a conference game. "I've been saying it all week," Colorado coach Jon Embree said. "(The Ducks) have a great opportunity to hold that crystal ball at the end of the year."

No. 4 Kansas St. 55, No. 15 Texas Tech 24: Collin Klein passed for 233 yards and two scores and ran for 83 and two scores as the host Wildcats improved to 8-0 for the first time since 1999. Most of his offense came in the second half as Kansas State forced two turnovers and blew open a 13-10 game. "We got some pretty short fields, which helps a lot," said, Klein, a senior who is 19-4 as a starter. "It was just a great team effort, hanging in there when things weren't going well early in the game." Seth Doege threw for 331 yards and two touchdowns for the Red Raiders. "When it came down to making plays to finish," he said, "we just didn't make them."

No. 19 Stanford 24, Wash. St. 17: Ed Reynolds' fourth interception (second returned for a score) this season sealed it for the host Cardinal. The safety went 25 yards to make it 24-10 4:17 into the fourth. The Cardinal allowed minus-16 yards rushing. "We're not built to go run up the score," said end Ben Gardner, who had 1½ sacks and 2½ of Stanford's 15 tackles-for-loss. "So we have to show up every week and bring our A game."

Nebraska 23, No. 20 Michigan 9: Ameer Abdullah ran for 101 yards and a touchdown for the host Cornhuskers. Wolverines quarterback Denard Robinson left the game late in the first half when he aggravated a nerve injury in his right elbow. He entered accounting for two-thirds of Michigan's offense. His replacement, freshman, Russell Bellomy, missed on his first 10 passes and threw three interceptions while Michigan had just 52 yards in the half.

No. 21 Boise St. 45, Wyoming 14: D.J. Harper rushed for 105 yards and two scores for the visiting Broncos, who have won seven straight since losing their opener. Harper scored on runs of 12 and 3 yards. And Joe Southwick was 20-of-28 for 198 yards while managing an offense that converted 12 of 14 third downs. "We were very balanced," Southwick said. "We're just continuing to build from top to bottom."

Miami (Ohio) 23, No. 23 Ohio 20: The host RedHawks sacked Tyler Tettleton on the final play to pull the upset. Kaleb Patterson's 31-yard field goal with 1:24 left gave Miami the lead. The Bobcats got to the RedHawks 7. With nine seconds left and no timeouts, Ohio eschewed the tying field goal to run a play. But Wes Williams got to Tettleton, who said he didn't realize he had no timeouts: "I just totally forgot."

Around the nation

Indiana 31, Illinois 17: The visiting Hoosiers recorded seven sacks in ending an 11-game Big Ten skid. The Illini have lost 11 consecutive Big Ten games.

N'western 28, Iowa 17: Kain Colter ran for three touchdowns and threw for one for the host Wildcats.

Michigan St. 16, Wisconsin 13 OT: Andrew Maxwell's 12-yard touchdown pass to Bennie Fowler won it for the Spartans, who snapped the Badgers' 21-game home win streak dating to Oct. 17, 2009.

Minnesota 44, Purdue 28: Freshman Philip Nelson threw three first-half touchdowns for the host Gophers.

Texas 21, Kansas 17: Case McCoy hit D.J. Grant for a 1-yard touchdown with 12 seconds left to lift the visiting Longhorns. The Jayhawks have lost 17 consecutive Big 12 games.