By Greg Auman, Times Staff Writer
Saturday, November 3, 2012

TAMPA — USF's lead was again a precarious one, the opponent was again driving across midfield in the fourth quarter, and four-year starting quarterback B.J. Daniels had just been carted off the field with what would turn out to be a season-ending injury.

If there ever was a time for USF to get its long-awaited first interception of the season, it was exactly then. When defensive end Tevin Mims pressured UConn quarterback Chandler Whitmer, his high, deep pass was picked off by senior safety Jon Lejiste, who drew huge cheers from the Raymond James Stadium crowd.

And when UConn was driving for a potential tying touchdown in the final minute, getting clear to the USF 22-yard line, the Bulls got a second interception as defensive tackle Elkino Watson caught a deflected pass with 50 seconds left, preserving a hard-fought 13-6 victory for the Bulls to end a six-game losing streak.

"The one that was really nice was the one to seal the game," coach Skip Holtz said. "I couldn't have written a better script than to see the defense come in and hold Connecticut to six points and be able to secure the win at the end of the game and get the turnover to get the W."

While the Bulls got a huge positive fans have been waiting for, the early and sudden goodbye to Daniels — the face of USF football for four years, with more than 10,000 yards of total offense — made it bittersweet.

"I've been here for a year and a half, preparing every single day for this moment," said redshirt freshman Matt Floyd, who steps in as starter. "It's really unfortunate that it happened, but we'll continue moving forward and everybody's going to step up."

USF (3-6, 1-4 Big East) got a 5-yard touchdown run from Daniels for a 7-0 lead in the first quarter. The Bulls defense had good pressure on Whitmer, holding the Huskies to a field goal just before halftime. UConn (3-6, 0-4) got another field goal late in the third quarter to cut the Bulls' lead to 7-6.

The Bulls have struggled to get takeaways this season, with five entering the game, but USF took the ball away on UConn's final three drives. True freshman linebacker Tashon Whitehurst, making his first career start, recovered a UConn fumble to set up the first of two field goals by Maikon Bonani, who added a career-long 50-yarder after Lejiste's interception.

Still, UConn got the ball at its 25 with 4:26 left and drove 53 yards to threaten USF with another late collapse. At the USF 22 with a minute left, Whitmer's pass was deflected by defensive tackle Todd Chandler and landed in the arms of Watson, who was mobbed by teammates.

"It felt great, everybody cheering," Watson said. "I'm not going to say the defense lost the last couple of games, but we couldn't close out how we wanted to. To finally close how we wanted to, it felt pretty good. It's been a long time since we got one. Now we're going to try to keep it rolling, head to a bowl game."

The Bulls hadn't won since Sept. 8 at Nevada, the longest drought in the program's 16-year history. Three losses came on late drives by opponents to take back the lead in the final two minutes, but USF's defense didn't let that happen Saturday.

USF played without several key seniors lost to injury in last week's loss to Syracuse; top rusher Lindsey Lamar, starting tight end Evan Landi, starting right guard Danous Estenor and receiver Derrick Hopkins were all sidelined. Then in the final quarter, the Bulls lost Daniels, who threw for 199 yards and rushed for 23 and a touchdown.

In two weeks, the Bulls will turn to Floyd at quarterback, and Holtz said he has confidence from the way so many young Bulls have flourished when pressed into starting roles by injuries in recent weeks.

"I guess we'll see," Holtz said of his new quarterback. "With all the young players stepping on the field and playing, it's like the first time you throw your car keys to your 16-year-old. You hold your breath. You've taught them well, driven with them, you've done everything you can. You have to go out there and let them play. … I'm anxious to see what he can do."

Times wires
Saturday, November 3, 2012

LOS ANGELES — Kenjon Barner rushed for a school-record 321 yards and five touchdowns and Marcus Mariota threw four TDs as No. 2 Oregon produced another landmark offensive game in a 62-51 victory Saturday night over No. 18 Southern California.

Josh Huff caught two touchdowns, and De'Anthony Thomas and Daryl Hawkins also caught scoring passes for the Ducks, who outlasted USC to extend their winning streak to 12 since the Trojans won in Eugene last season.

Oregon's 730 yards and 62 points were the most ever allowed by USC, which began playing football in 1888.

Barner set a rushing record for a USC opponent by the third quarter, topping Curtis Enis' 241 yards for Penn State in 1996, and smashed the school record shortly afterward as the Ducks gradually pulled away in their closest game of the year.

Matt Barkley passed for 484 yards and four touchdowns while hitting Marqise Lee with 12 passes for 157 yards and two touchdowns for the Trojans.

Freshman receiver and former Berkeley Prep star Nelson Agholor led USC in receiving yards with 162 on just six catches and his first college touchdown, a 76-yard reception in the second quarter. He came into the game with eight catches on the season.

But the preseason No. 1 team hit a defensive nadir not even matched during Pete Carroll's final season in 2009, when several opponents destroyed the Trojans' defense.

Barner has already roared past Barkley in the Heisman Trophy race, and the product of Riverside, Calif., entertained his friends and family members at the Coliseum with another dominant ground performance, capped by enthusiastic celebrations of every touchdown.

Mariota carved up the Trojans for 304 yards passing, going 20 for 23 without an interception and rushing for 96 yards.

USC harassed Darron Thomas into a sub-par performance in this matchup last season, but the freshman who has replaced him showed no nerves in the historic stadium while playing against the team expected to be Oregon's biggest Pac-12 obstacle.

Oregon, which could move up in the BCS standings after this win and Notre Dame's narrow victory, had won every game this season by at least 17 points. USC's offense did its part, scoring more points and gaining more yards (615) than Oregon had allowed all year.

Times wires
Saturday, November 3, 2012

SOUTH BEND, Ind. — Down 20-6 in the fourth quarter, Notre Dame was going to need some big plays and a little luck to stay undefeated and keep its national title hopes alive.

It got just enough of both.

Everett Golson scored on a quarterback sneak in the third overtime as the No. 4 Fighting Irish rallied from 14 down Saturday to beat Pittsburgh 29-26.

Notre Dame (9-0) is off to its best start since 1993, when it finished ranked No. 2 behind FSU.

"We overcame some uncharacteristic mistakes," coach Brian Kelly said. "Last year that would have been a loss."

Pittsburgh (4-5) missed a 33-yard field goal in the second overtime that would've won it.

Kelly pulled Golson late in the second quarter because he was missing reads and progressions. But the coach put him back in after backup Tommy Rees threw an interception and the Irish fell behind by two touchdowns.

Golson threw an 11-yard TD pass in the fourth as Notre Dame cut the lead to 20-12, but its chances seemed to end when corner K'Waun Williams intercepted Golson in the end zone.

But the Irish defense held, and Golson completed a 45-yarder to DaVaris Daniels at the Pitt 5. Golson then threw a 5-yard TD pass to Theo Riddick and Golson ran in for two to tie it. "I think I did a great job of leading the team coming down the stretch," Golson said.

Notre Dame avoided the fate of the 2002 team, the last time the Irish started a season 8-0, then was upset by Boston College 14-7.

A win Saturday seemed unlikely when they fell behind 20-6 late in the third, then again when Williams intercepted Golson in the end zone, and yet again when running back Cierre Wood fumbled as he dove into the end zone in the second OT and safety Jarred Holley recovered.

But the Irish kept finding life, the last time when Kevin Harper missed a 33-yard field goal after Wood's fumble. "We missed a field goal, that's why we lost," Pitt QB Tino Sunseri said.

No. 12 L'ville 45, Temple 17: Teddy Bridgewater passed for a career-high five touchdowns as the host Cardinals fell behind for the sixth straight game but rallied to remain unbeaten (9-0).

Cincinnati 35, Syracuse 24: Running back George Winn ran for a career-high three touchdowns and passed for another off a trick play in a win that included a change at quarterback for the host Bearcats. Munchie Legaux was benched a in the third. Backup Brendon Kay threw a 13-yard TD that put Cincinnati ahead to stay.

By Bob Putnam, Times Staff Writer


Saturday, November 3, 2012

SARASOTA — Tampa Prep and Shorecrest had the star power among the boys teams at Saturday's Class A, Region 3 swim meet, collecting multiple individual titles. But neither team could match the collective depth of Berkeley Prep.

The Buccaneers put their numbers to good use to win their fourth straight region team title, scoring 356 to beat Shorecrest (326.5) and Tampa Prep (296).

"We just have a really full and strong team," Berkeley Prep coach Kevin Rosepapa said. "We're about as deep a team as there is. And every one of my kids had their best time of the season. That's all you can ask for."

Despite not having a champion in individual events or relays, the Buccaneers gobbled up points by having multiple swimmers place in just about every event.

Tampa Prep's Rasmus Skjaerpe won the 200 free (1 minute, 45.28 seconds) and 100 fly (51.74). He also swam legs on the winning 200 free relay (1:32.36) and 400 free relay (3:18.86).

Tampa Prep won the girls team title with 351 points, outscoring Berkeley Prep (230).

The Terrapins' 200 medley relay of Anne Myers, Savannah Savitt, Carylyn Waite and Caroline Alexander won in 1:53. Alexander and Waite teamed with Caroline Brown and Hannah Fredlake to win the 200 free (1:42.81). Fredlake, Myers, Brown and Savitt won the 400 free (3:42.51).

Berkeley Prep's Stephanie Punzak won the diving (424.55).

2A-3: AHN girls, Jesuit boys coast to victories

ST. PETERSBURG — Academy of the Holy Names and Jesuit share a pool during practice and home meets. And now the teams boast Class 2A, Region 3 titles.

Holy Names won the girls meet with 442 points, 87 ahead of second-place Osceola. Jesuit won the boys meet with 320 points, 63 ahead of Lakewood Ranch.

Clare Fleming of AHN set a school record in the 50 free with her finish in 24.49. Teammate Alex Nuyianes also set a school record in the 200 IM, at 2:12.01. Jesuit's Austin Sellers broke a 26-year-old school record in the 100 breaststroke (1:00.58).

"Our kids just swam out of their minds today," said Bill Shaffer, who coaches both AHN and Jesuit. "We have a lot of kids who are going to go to the state meet. We're excited to be moving on."

For the AHN girls, it was their third straight region title, and for the Jesuit boys it was their fourth in a row. Winners of each event are guaranteed a spot at next week's state meet. After that, the next 20 best times from the four regions earn a state meet spot.

AHN's 200 freestyle relay of Tori Litschgi, Julia Cogdill, Konner Brewer and Fleming won in 1:40.26. AHN's Margret Shumake won the 100 breaststroke (1:08.57) and AHN's 400 freestyle relay of Litschgi, Olivia Kirkpatrick, Brewer and Fleming won in a time of 3:38.22.

On the boys side, Robinson's John Nolte was a double winner, taking the 50 free (21.55) and the 100 free (47.87).

Robinson had two relay wins. In the 200 freestyle relay, Ross Brown, Alex Sparks, Connor Brown and Nolte won in 1:29.71. In the 400 freestyle relay, the same foursome won in 3:17.77.

Rodney Page, Times staff writer

Saturday, November 3, 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 37-36

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

Syracuse 4-4, 3-1 Big East

Who: UConn

Result: USF 13-6

RECORDS: USF 3-6, 1-4 Big East

UConn 3-6, 0-4 Big East

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 Greg Auman, Times Staff Writer
Saturday, November 3, 2012

TAMPA — In the surprising absence of a key defensive leader, USF's defense got a terrific first start from freshman Tashon Whitehurst, who led the Bulls with eight tackles and had a key fumble recovery in the fourth quarter of Saturday's 13-6 win against Connecticut.

"I felt great coming into this game, just came in trying to get a win, to go out there for my team," said Whitehurst, who entered with one tackle in his college career. "The fumble recovery, I was coming off the edge on a blitz, and the running back, he was already fumbling. The ball slipped out right there and I fell on it."

Whitehurst was pressed into a starting role due to the suspension of senior LB Sam Barrington, the Bulls' leading tackler who was arrested Thursday in Orlando in yet another case of driving with a suspended license with knowledge.

It's at least his sixth such citation in his time at USF. He was arrested three times in 2009-10 and again in Tampa in August and September. He has a court date Monday to address those citations and outstanding fines of $465.

Barrington is expected to return in two weeks, but Whitehurst made a case for continued playing time as well as solid contention for a starting role next season after Barrington graduates.

"When you're a backup, you're waiting for your time, and when they call your name, there's two things: You can say, 'Oh, no,' or say, 'I've been waiting for this,' " defensive coordinator Chris Cosh said. "He looked at me like, 'It's about time you called my name.' I'm proud of the way he stepped up and competed."

CAREER BEST: Senior Maikon Bonani has now connected on 64 field goals in his USF career, but the longest came in the fourth quarter Saturday as Bonani hit a 50-yarder with 4:26 left to give the Bulls a 13-6 lead.

"Last week gave me a lot of confidence, going 5-for-5," said Bonani, who had USF's only points after the first quarter. "I looked at (holder Justin) Brockhaus and we kind of smiled at each other: 'Just another kick.' I was glad it went through. It was a huge kick for us."

NEW STARTERS: Injuries forced USF to debut new starters on both sides of the ball: Whitehurst on defense and freshman TE Sean Price and redshirt freshman G Brynjar Gudmundsson on offense, filling in for injured seniors Evan Landi and Danous Estenor. Price had three catches for 45 yards.

THIS AND THAT: Staff Sgt. Matt Sitton, the brother of USF walk-on Jonny Sitton and an Indian Rocks Christian graduate who was killed in Afghanistan in August, was honored by USF with family members on the field, drawing loud applause from the fans in attendance. … USF walk-on David Aristil, an All-American hurdler who played on kick coverage, is done for the season after breaking his right arm in Thursday's practice. … Junior Marcus Shaw started at running back but had limited success, totaling 34 yards on 11 carries with a long of 8.

Times staff, wires
Saturday, November 3, 2012

ARCADIA, Calif. — Fort Larned, a 9-1 long shot, led all the way to win the $5 million Classic by a half-length Saturday, capping a weekend of upsets at the Breeders' Cup.

Brian Hernandez, aboard the winner, celebrated his 27th birthday with the biggest victory of his career. Game On Dude, the 7-5 favorite who was beaten in the closing strides in the race a year ago, was seventh in the field of 12.

"Fort Larned just gave us the greatest birthday present ever," said Hernandez, who rides mostly in racing's minor leagues at Ellis Park in Henderson, Ky., and Kentucky Downs in Franklin. He was the leading rider at both tracks this year.

Fort Larned, who won the $60,000 Challenger Stakes this year at Tampa Bay Downs in Oldsmar, ran 1¼ miles in 2:00.11 in the showcase race of the two-day world championships at Santa Anita Park. Just four favorites won in the event's 15 races.

Fort Larned, a 4-year-old colt, paid $20.80 to win. Trainer Ian Wilkes had never won such a big race. "I knew we were good when he broke sharp," Wilkes said. "That's where Brian won the race. We broke sharp, and Game On Dude broke bad."

Game On Dude's trainer, Hall of Famer Bob Baffert, has won many big races but never the Classic, and he lost with Game On Dude for the second straight year. Game On Dude ran "probably the worst race of his life," Baffert said.

"It was a tough day for me, but I've had tougher," said Baffert, who went 0-for-9 on the weekend to end a year in which he also had a heart attack in March and finished second in each Triple Crown race. "(Baseball great) Joe Torre told me that you've got to forget it."

Mucho Macho Man was second, and Flat Out was third.

Flat Out is trained by Bill Mott, who was trying to duplicate his 2011 feat of winning the Ladies' Classic and the Classic (with Drosselmeyer).

Mott got the first half of the double, winning the Ladies' Classic on Friday, again with Tampa Bay Downs graduate Royal Delta. He had three horses in the Classic; the others were Ron the Greek, who finished fourth, and To Honor and Serve, 10th. "I don't think we have any huge excuse," he said.

The Classic spotlight belonged to Fort Larned, an unheralded horse named for an old post in Kansas that protected the Santa Fe Trail, a jockey who rides in racing's minor leagues, and a low-profile trainer.

"The prestige of winning this race in front of the world is unbelievable," said Hernandez, who won the Eclipse Award for top apprentice jockey in 2004 after graduating high school and was aboard Rachel Alexandra for several of her early races.

He rebounded this year after injuring a shoulder at Ellis Park last summer. He spent some of his recovery time cleaning stalls.

Upsets dominated six of Saturday's nine races, with Little Mike pulling off the biggest, winning the $3 million Turf at 17-1 odds.

Rosie Napravnik joined Julie Krone as the only female jockeys to win a Cup race when she guided 6-5 favorite Shanghai Bobby to a head victory over He's Had Enough in the $2 million Juvenile.

Fort Larned capped a big weekend for Tampa Bay Downs connections at the Cup. It was the second consecutive year Downs graduates won the Ladies' Classic and the Classic. Two Downs horsemen recorded their first Cup victories Saturday: Jockey Willie Martinez rode 13-1 shot Trinniberg to a victory in the Sprint, and trainer William Bradley won the Filly and Mare Sprint with favorite Groupie Doll. On Friday, Downs graduate Zagora captured the Filly and Mare Turf.

Times correspondent Don Jensen contributed to this report.

Times wires
Saturday, November 3, 2012

ARCADIA, Calif. — Sports TV and radio star Jim Rome had plenty to crow about Saturday.

Rome's Jungle Racing LLC co-owns the filly Mizdirection, who beat her male counterparts in the $1 million Turf Sprint.

"I'm numb," Rome said. "Having a hard time believing that that happened."

Rome, who got his first Breeders' Cup win, said he had concerns whether Mizdirection was good enough to win, especially because she hadn't raced in six months.

She was ridden by Hall of Famer Mike Smith, who captured his 17th Cup race and second of the weekend, extending his record for wins among jockeys.

Mizdirection had 20-1 morning-line odds but was bet down to single digits by race time. Rome didn't think his listeners who he affectionately calls "clones" were responsible.

"I love my clones, but they don't roll like that," he said. "I don't think they can get 20-1 down to 5-1."

dollars and people: The on-track attendance at Santa Anita Park for the second day was 55,123. That was down from last year's event at Churchill Downs, which attracted more than 65,000, and a decrease from three years ago at Santa Anita (nearly 59,000). Saturday's wagering total across the nation was $98,782,239, compared with slightly more than $102 million last year. Track officials expected the wagering total would drop because of Hurricane Sandy. The figure was higher than 2009, when the total amount wagered was nearly $94 million.

Times wires
Saturday, November 3, 2012

FORT WORTH, Texas — Kevin Harvick became a five-time NASCAR Nationwide winner at Texas, leading 127 of 200 laps Saturday in the O'Reilly Auto Parts Challenge, but Ricky Stenhouse's fourth-place finish was more important as he tied Elliott Sadler for the season points lead with two races left.

Stenhouse battled an ill-handling car that slid around the track all night.

"I didn't think we would get it back to a top-five car. We weren't near as far behind as we were at Kansas though, so it gave us a little hope," said Stenhouse, who came from two laps down to win the last race at Kansas.

"The cautions came out and we were able to work on it as much as we could, and I don't think there were any more adjustments we could do to it to get it tight enough."

Sadler was sixth, only two spots behind Stenhouse, on the final restart with 18 laps left at the 1½-mile high-banked track. But his car started slipping back and lost the points lead after dropping out of the top 10 with three laps left. He finished 11th.

Stenhouse, the defending Nationwide champion, made up a six-point deficit in the standings. He has the tiebreaker because of his six victories, two more than Sadler.

Harvick got his second Nationwide win this year, and the 39th of his career. He finished 1.63 seconds ahead of Ryan Blaney.

Formula One: Lewis Hamilton's slim hopes of a second drivers' championship flickered when he secured the pole for today's Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in United Arab Emirates, and F1 leader Sebastian Vettel was disqualified for having too little fuel in his tank for testing and forced to the back of the grid.

Hamilton clocked 1 minute, 40.630 seconds in his McLaren on the Yas Marina circuit, 0.348 seconds quicker than Red Bull's Mark Webber.

Vettel was third fastest, but because he stopped his car soon after qualifying, he was called to a meeting with race stewards.

Ferrari's Fernando Alonso is 13 points behind Vettel in the standings with three races left. He will start seventh.

Times wires
Saturday, November 3, 2012

NO. 6 OHIO ST. 52, ILLINOIS 22: Carlos Hyde rushed for 137 yards and three touchdowns and Braxton Miller burnished his Heisman Trophy credentials by passing for two scores and running for one for the host Buckeyes. Ohio State, which is ineligible for the Big Ten title game or a bowl because of sanctions, kept its upper hand in the Leaders Division heading into a bye week. "I've been fortunate to have a couple of top-five teams; this probably has more holes than those other ones," said coach Urban Meyer, in his first year at OSU after winning two national championships in six seasons at Florida. "However, there were also some great performances (today)."

NO. 14 OKLAHOMA 35, IOWA ST. 20: Landry Jones threw for 405 yards and a season-high four touchdowns and Brennan Clay ran for a career-best 157 yards for the Sooners. Steele Jantz threw for 191 yards for the Cyclones, who lost their 21st straight home game against the Sooners dating back 52 years.

NO. 15 STANFORD 48, COL. 0: Kevin Hogan threw for 184 yards and ran for 48 in just two quarters against the nation's worst defense as Colorado was shut out at home for the first time in 26 years, a 150-game span.

TEXAS 31, NO. 20 TEXAS TECH 22: "I thought it was the best team win we've had all year," he said. David Ash threw for three touchdowns and 264 yards to lead the Longhorns to their fourth road win this season. Mike Davis had a career-high 165 yards and a career-best two touchdowns on four catches, one a 75-yarder from Ash in the second quarter, for the Longhorns.

NO. 22 LA. TECH 51, UTSA 27: Colby Cameron passed for 348 yards and Kenneth Dixon scored three touchdowns for the Bulldogs, who won a record ninth consecutive WAC game on homecoming. Texas-San Antonio played its first game against a ranked I-A team.

TCU 39, NO. 23 West VIRGINIA 38, 2OT: Corey Fuller caught a 25-yard touchdown and Trevone Boykin threw to Josh Boyce for the conversion, lifting the visiting Horned Frogs. In becoming bowl eligible, TCU snapped a two-game skid and improved to 3-1 on the road in the Big 12 with a freshman-laden team.

Around the nation

MICHIGAN 35, MINNESOTA 13: Devin Gardner replaced Denard Robinson (elbow injury) in a surprise quarterback switch right before kickoff and had two touchdowns passing and one running for the Wolverines. Minnesota hasn't beaten Michigan at home since 1977 and has lost 38 of the past 41 in the Little Brown Jug trophy game.

INDIANA 24, IOWA 21: Cameron Coffman threw for 315 yards on 21-of-33 and three touchdowns to lead the host Hoosiers who, despite a 2-3 Big Ten record, can tie Wisconsin in the Leaders Division when they host the Badgers next week. Along with unbeaten Ohio State, the second-place team in the Leaders, Penn State, is also ineligible for the Big Ten title game.

PENN STATE 34, PURDUE 9: Matt McGloin passed for 321 yards and two touchdowns for the visiting Nittany Lions, who clinched no worse than a .500 record in a year where they can't play in the postseason.

UTAH 49, WASHINGTON ST. 6: Reggie Dunn returned a kickoff 100 yards for the third time in two weeks and John White rushed for 101 yards and two touchdowns for the host Utes.

BAYLOR 41, KANSAS 14: Nick Florence threw for 367 yards and three TDs and running back Lache Seastrunk had 194 total yards for the host Bears.

WASHINGTON 21, CAL 13: Bishop Sankey ran for a career-high 189 yards and two TDs as the Huskies earned their first road win in 13 months, ending the Bears' bowl hopes late Friday.

Times wires
Saturday, November 3, 2012

ORLANDO — When Latavius Murray has played well this season, it has usually meant good things have happened for UCF.

And for the fourth straight week, the path the senior running back plowed gave way to another dominant performance by the Knights.

Murray rushed for 155 yards and two touchdowns, and caught a pass for another score as UCF rolled past SMU 42-17 on Saturday night.

Quarterback Blake Bortles also accounted for three touchdowns — two through the air and one on the ground — to help the Knights (7-2, 5-0) secure their fifth straight victory and remain on track to host the Conference USA championship game.

SMU (4-5, 3-2) fell under .500 and deeper behind West Division-leading Tulsa.

"I always say it starts up front," said Murray, who posted his third straight 100-yard game and fourth consecutive game with at least two scores. "I had to get the yards that were there and a couple of tough runs, too, but the big yards come when they open up holes, and our line was doing that tonight. I'm taking what they're giving me and making the most of it.

"UCF is on a roll. The defense is playing well, getting their offense off the field and our offense is putting points on the board."

Coach George O'Leary said Murray, who surpassed 2,000 rushing yards for his career, continues to be the biggest cog in an offense that racked up 396 yards against a SMU defense that entered the game leading the league in rushing defense and ranked third in total defense.

After posting a career passing effort (353 yards) in last week's win over Memphis, SMU quarterback Garrett Gilbert was sacked three times.

SMU coach June Jones said he was taken a little off guard with how well UCF was able to run.

"We weren't anticipating they would be able to do that," he said. "But they do a good job with their scheme. They lean on you. They get a body on everybody and Latavius does a great job of finding creases. . I could have run through a couple of those holes."

Times wires
Saturday, November 3, 2012

ATHENS, Ga. — One of Mark Richt's oldest trick plays gave Georgia the lift it needed to remain on track for a shot at the SEC title.

Aaron Murray threw four touchdowns and No. 7 Georgia overcame a slow start to beat Mississippi 37-10 on Saturday and move one win away from a spot in the SEC Championship Game.

A Bulldogs loss would have given the SEC East title to Florida, which has finished conference play at 7-1.

Georgia trailed 10-0 before scoring 37 straight points. The Bulldogs will clinch the East and a second straight trip to the conference title game with a win next week at Auburn.

"We know now it's down to one game to win the right to go back to Atlanta," Richt said.

Murray pulled off a fake handoff on a 66-yard touchdown to Marlon Brown for the Bulldogs' first points. Richt, in his 12th season at Georgia, said he brought the play from Florida State, where he was offensive coordinator under Bobby Bowden.

Murray executed a convincing fake to Todd Gurley, who was swarmed by defenders as Murray hid the ball with his back to the line. The former Plant High standout then threw to Brown, who was standing alone near the 40 when he made the catch.

Murray said he prepared for the play by watching film of former Georgia quarterback David Greene have success with his version of the fake.

"I was going to text him this morning and tell him we were going to use it," Murray said of Greene. "I didn't want to jinx us."

Richt said the play provided a lift for Georgia's players and the crowd of 92,746.

"I think there's no question about it," said Richt, who added he could tell fans "were getting kind of antsy" with Ole Miss leading 10-0.

"You could tell they were concerned about what was going on," Richt said.

Ole Miss used blitzes to record five sacks in the first half. The gambles left opportunities for Murray, who completed 21 of 28 passes for 384 yards with no interceptions and TD passes of 66, 40, 42 and 28 yards.

NO. 16 TEXAS A&M 38, NO. 17 MISSISSIPPI ST. 13: Johnny Manziel and the Aggies shredded another SEC defense.

The redshirt freshman picked apart Mississippi State by completing 30 of 36 passes for 311 yards and danced around the host Bulldogs for 129 yards rushing and two touchdowns.

A relative unknown before the season, Manziel is posting consistently terrific performances that are starting to generate whispers of Heisman Trophy consideration. He has certainly been the unquestioned star for the upstart Aggies.

"He has a green light to make plays, some improvised, some called," Texas A&M first-year coach Kevin Sumlin said.

He made those plays in bunches against the Bulldogs. Maybe the most impressive was a 37-yard TD run in the second quarter that gave the Aggies a 21-0 lead. The 6-foot-1, 200-pound Manziel rolled right, didn't see an open receiver and weaved around multiple defenders on his way to the end zone.

TENNESSEE 55, TROY 48: Marlin Lane rushed for a tiebreaking 9-yard touchdown with 1:25 left as the host Vols came from behind in the final three minutes in a game that featured 1,439 combined yards in total offense, the most ever in a Tennessee game. Tennessee set a school record with 718 total yards yet was outgained by the Trojans, who had 721 yards, the most ever by a Tennessee opponent.

VANDERBILT 40, KENTUCKY 0: The visiting Commodores shut out an SEC foe for the first time since 1968, dominating in every phase, as Jordan Rodgers passed for 220 yards and two touchdowns. It was Vanderbilt's biggest margin of victory in league play since a 48-7 win over LSU in 1948.

ARKANSAS 19, TULSA 15: Dennis Johnson rushed for 109 yards and two touchdowns and Cobi Hamilton set Arkansas' single-season receptions record for the host Razorbacks. Hamilton has 69 catches for 1,077 yards, breaking Jarius Wright's mark of 66 catches set last season.

AUBURN 42, NEW MEX. ST. 7: Tre Mason rushed for a career-high 152 yards, Onterio McCalebb added 113 and two scores and linebacker Daren Bates returned a fumble for a 62-yard TD as the host Tigers ended a five-game skid.

Times wires
Saturday, November 3, 2012

NEW YORK — Brooklyn made a winning return to major pro sports on Saturday night as the Nets beat the Raptors 107-100 in the first game at Barclays Center.

After a 55-year wait that was extended a couple of extra days by Hurricane Sandy, the borough finally has a team of its own again, and the Nets think it's going to be a good one.

Brook Lopez had 27 points and Deron Williams 19 points and nine assists to lead the Nets. C.J. Watson finished with 15 points and Joe Johnson had 14.

A soldout crowd of 17,732 that included hip-hop superstar Jay-Z, a part-owner, and wife and R&B singer Beyonce chanted "Brooklyn! Brooklyn!" a few times during the game and loudly at the end, celebrating the name on the front of the shirt much more than the back.

And with good reason. Brooklyn hasn't had a team to cheer since the Dodgers left for Los Angeles in 1957.

Kyle Lowry had 28 points, eight rebounds and eight assists for the Raptors. DeMar DeRozan added 25 points.

The Nets pulled it out after Toronto got within two with 1:17 left, an uplifting end to a difficult week for the city and the franchise.

The Nets were scheduled to open Thursday against the Knicks, but that was postponed at the request of Mayor Michael Bloomberg because travel via public transportation to Barclays Center would have been difficult and perhaps dangerous with so much of the city's mass-transit system not operating.

The Nets, still practicing in East Rutherford, N.J., this season, were forced to move their midweek workouts to Barclays Center after their practice center was flooded and lost power. Some team members were forced into hotels.

The Manhattan hotel where the Raptors planned to stay lost power, so the team stayed in Brooklyn, instead.

The Nets lined up buses to run from Manhattan on Saturday, and fans got a boost when some subways began running from Manhattan. The storm's effects were evident at the Atlantic Avenue-Barclays Center transit complex — water damage on the floor, escalators shut off — but the building appeared mostly full long before a lively pregame ceremony.

Commissioner David Stern turned boos into cheers when he announced it was an honor to "welcome Brooklyn, USA to the NBA." Former Brooklyn Dodgers Ralph Branca and Joe Pignatano, along with Gil Hodges Jr., whose father was a star with the beloved Dodgers before they moved to Los Angeles, exchanged jerseys with some Nets players.

The Nets are rebranded after 35 years in New Jersey, with a new logo, black-and-white color scheme and a new mascot called "BrooklyKnight" who was introduced.

Most importantly, they think they'll have a fan base. Never truly loved while bouncing around multiple homes in Jersey after leaving Long Island, Branca said the Nets will find the same loyal fans in Brooklyn that backed the Dodgers.

GAME HIGHLIGHTS: Ray Allen had a four-point play with 6.7 seconds left that put the host Heat ahead for good, Chris Bosh scored 40 and Miami held off the Nuggets 119-116. … Paul Pierce had 27 points and the visiting Celtics beat the Wizards 89-86 for their first victory. … George Hill scored 18, including the first four in the second overtime, and the host Pacers held the Kings to three baskets in the final 10:45 in a 106-98 victory in double overtime.

LAKERS' NASH OUT: Steve Nash has a small fracture in his left leg and will be out of Los Angeles' lineup for at least another week.

The results of the point guard's MRI exam threw another complication into the Lakers' dismaying start.

Nash got hurt in a collision with Damian Lillard on Wednesday night, bumping legs with the Trail Blazers rookie in the second quarter. The two-time NBA MVP tried to keep playing in the second half but quickly left the game again.

Nash missed the Lakers' 105-95 loss to the Clippers on Friday night, dropping them to 0-3 for the first time in 34 years and the fourth time in franchise history.

AROUND THE LEAGUE: Forward Brandon Rush, the Warriors' top reserve, has a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee and will have season-ending surgery. … Hornets coach Monty Williams blasted the league's protocol for determining when a player can return from a concussion, a day after No. 1 draft pick Anthony Davis suffered a mild one. "Now, they treat everybody like they have white gloves and pink drawers, and it's getting old," Williams said. "It's just the way the league is now." … Hawks forward Josh Smith will miss tonight's game at Oklahoma City because of a right ankle sprain. … Center Chris Kaman made his debut with the Mavericks after missing part of the preseason and the first two games with a strained right calf. … Mavericks television announcer Mark Followill missed the game after he was injured during a bicycle ride earlier in the day. … The Heat unveiled a banner to commemorate LeBron James' participation on the gold-medal winning U.S. team at this summer's London Olympics.

Nets 107, Raptors 100

TORONTO (100): Fields 1-4 0-0 2, Bargnani 6-12 0-0 13, Valanciunas 1-4 0-0 2, Lowry 9-19 6-7 28, DeRozan 8-13 8-10 25, A.Johnson 5-8 1-2 11, Calderon 1-5 0-0 2, McGuire 0-0 0-0 0, Davis 4-7 3-4 11, Anderson 1-4 0-0 3, Gray 1-2 1-2 3, Lucas 0-4 0-0 0. Totals 37-82 19-25 100.

BROOKLYN (107): Wallace 4-8 1-2 10, Humphries 1-5 3-4 5, Lopez 8-17 11-15 27, Williams 6-14 6-8 19, J.Johnson 5-13 3-4 14, Watson 6-9 0-0 15, Blatche 3-8 1-2 7, Evans 1-2 0-0 2, Brooks 3-5 2-2 8, Bogans 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 37-81 27-37 107.

Toronto 35 17 26 22— 100

Brooklyn 27 33 24 23— 107

3-Point Goals—Toronto 7-18 (Lowry 4-10, Bargnani 1-1, Anderson 1-2, DeRozan 1-2, Lucas 0-1, Calderon 0-2), Brooklyn 6-15 (Watson 3-4, J.Johnson 1-2, Wallace 1-3, Williams 1-5, Blatche 0-1). Fouled Out—None. Rebounds—Toronto 46 (Lowry 8), Brooklyn 59 (Evans 13). Assists—Toronto 23 (Lowry 8), Brooklyn 20 (Williams 9). Total Fouls—Toronto 31, Brooklyn 19. Technicals—Toronto Bench, Brooklyn defensive three second. A—17,732 (18,103).

Celtics 89, Wizards 86

BOSTON (89): Pierce 10-22 3-4 27, Sullinger 2-3 0-0 4, Garnett 7-15 1-2 15, Rondo 5-10 0-0 12, Lee 2-7 0-0 4, Bass 2-6 1-1 5, Wilcox 0-0 0-0 0, Terry 2-8 4-4 8, Green 5-10 0-2 11, Barbosa 1-3 0-0 3. Totals 36-84 9-13 89.

WASHINGTON (86): Ariza 0-4 0-0 0, Booker 5-10 1-1 11, Okafor 1-6 1-2 3, Price 3-10 0-0 8, Beal 0-5 2-2 2, Webster 1-6 2-2 4, Seraphin 8-9 3-4 19, Crawford 8-14 3-6 21, Vesely 2-5 0-0 4, Pargo 4-7 0-0 9, Singleton 0-0 0-0 0, Martin 2-2 0-0 5. Totals 34-78 12-17 86.

Boston 26 23 22 18— 89

Washington 12 30 25 19— 86

3-Point Goals—Boston 8-21 (Pierce 4-8, Rondo 2-2, Green 1-2, Barbosa 1-3, Terry 0-2, Lee 0-4), Washington 6-20 (Crawford 2-4, Price 2-5, Martin 1-1, Pargo 1-3, Ariza 0-1, Booker 0-1, Beal 0-2, Webster 0-3). Fouled Out—None. Rebounds—Boston 44 (Sullinger, Pierce, Garnett 7), Washington 57 (Booker 10). Assists—Boston 24 (Rondo 12), Washington 20 (Price, Webster, Pargo 4). Total Fouls—Boston 12, Washington 14. A—20,308 (20,308).

Heat 119, Nuggets 116

DENVER (116): Faried 11-15 0-1 22, Gallinari 3-17 6-9 13, Koufos 1-4 0-0 2, Lawson 7-15 0-0 14, Iguodala 9-15 2-4 22, McGee 6-9 4-5 16, A.Miller 8-10 1-1 17, Brewer 4-10 0-0 10. Totals 49-95 13-20 116.

MIAMI (119): Battier 2-5 2-2 8, James 8-17 4-4 20, Bosh 15-22 9-10 40, Chalmers 3-7 3-4 9, Wade 5-12 4-6 14, Allen 8-12 1-1 23, M.Miller 1-3 0-0 3, Haslem 0-1 0-0 0, Lewis 1-2 0-0 2, Anthony 0-2 0-0 0. Totals 43-83 23-27 119.

Denver 34 32 25 25— 116

Miami 35 29 23 32— 119

3-Point Goals—Denver 5-21 (Iguodala 2-5, Brewer 2-7, Gallinari 1-9), Miami 10-25 (Allen 6-10, Battier 2-5, M.Miller 1-3, Bosh 1-3, Wade 0-1, James 0-1, Chalmers 0-2). Fouled Out—None. Rebounds—Denver 60 (Faried 12), Miami 37 (James 9). Assists—Denver 13 (Lawson 6), Miami 26 (James 11). Total Fouls—Denver 21, Miami 16. A—20,104 (19,600).

Pacers 106, Kings 98, 2OT

SACRAMENTO (98): J.Johnson 1-5 2-2 4, Thompson 2-6 0-0 4, Cousins 9-27 3-6 21, Thomas 2-6 0-0 5, Evans 5-15 4-4 14, Thornton 9-21 4-4 26, Hayes 1-2 0-0 2, Garcia 1-3 0-0 2, Robinson 3-6 3-4 9, Brooks 4-11 0-0 11. Totals 37-102 16-20 98.

INDIANA (106): Green 6-9 4-4 17, West 7-21 4-4 18, Hibbert 6-11 0-2 12, Hill 7-17 4-5 18, George 6-15 2-2 16, Young 1-5 0-0 2, T.Hansbrough 1-3 4-4 6, Augustin 1-4 1-1 3, Mahinmi 0-2 4-4 4, Stephenson 4-12 1-1 10. Totals 39-99 24-27 106.

Sacramento 24 18 24 25 5 2— 98

Indiana 18 38 18 17 5 10— 106

3-Point Goals—Sacramento 8-22 (Thornton 4-10, Brooks 3-7, Thomas 1-4, J.Johnson 0-1), Indiana 4-22 (George 2-7, Green 1-3, Stephenson 1-4, West 0-1, Hill 0-2, Young 0-2, Augustin 0-3). Fouled Out—None. Rebounds—Sacramento 55 (Cousins 13), Indiana 77 (West 18). Assists—Sacramento 19 (Evans, Hayes, Thornton 4), Indiana 16 (Hill 5). Total Fouls—Sacramento 26, Indiana 19. Technicals—Thompson, Sacramento defensive three second. A—18,165 (18,165).

By Joe Polito, Times Correspondent
Sunday, November 4, 2012

TAMPA — USF got its first conference win of the season in a 13-6 battle with UConn, but it paid a steep price.

After four seasons of leading the Bulls offense, quarterback B.J. Daniels is expected to miss the rest of his final season with an apparent broken left ankle sustained in the fourth quarter.

Leading 7-6 and on the Huskies 23, Daniels ran up the middle on a draw play behind running back Marcus Shaw. He hurdled over Shaw for a gain of 15 yards but remained on the ground, clutching his lower leg. He was helped to the sideline by trainers and was eventually carted off the field.

"With his injury (Saturday) it is, from what I'm being told at this point, it is likely a broken ankle, and B.J. will be done for the year," an emotional coach Skip Holtz said after the game. "As nice as it is to win … it comes with the other part of your heart (that's) broken for a young man that has competed his tail off and given everything that he's had to this university for the last four years. It's just painful. It's hard."

Daniels' absence will be a problem for USF the rest of the season, and the immediate impact was obvious as backup Matt Floyd fumbled his first snap under center, which was recovered by tight end Jeff Hawkins. Floyd did make an accurate throw to Andre Davis two plays later, but it fell incomplete.

"I thought he threw a great ball in the back of the end zone on the little slant pass. … He can do some things; he's a good football player," offensive coordinator Todd Fitch said. "Now it's my job to get him ready to play if that's what we have to do."

Fitch added that USF's upcoming bye week will help further prepare Floyd for his new role as starter. Floyd's only completion on three attempts was a 3-yard dump to Shaw. Holtz even instructed Floyd to take the victory formation snap out of the shotgun out of fear he might bobble it under center.

The unfortunate end of Daniels' USF career mirrors that of his predecessor, Matt Grothe, who went down in his final season, forcing a young Daniels into the lineup. Before going out, he had thrown for 199 yards on 19-of-29 passing and one interception. His first-quarter touchdown run put him atop the USF leaders in career rushing touchdowns with 25. Daniels will finish third all time in the Big East in total offense with 10,501 yards, and second on USF's list behind Grothe.

Jim Tomlin, Times staff writer
Sunday, November 4, 2012

Bowl projections

Dec. 15

New Mexico: Albuquerque, 1 p.m., Mountain West vs. Pac-12. Projection: Fresno State vs. Arizona

Idaho Potato: Boise, 4:30 p.m., MAC vs. WAC. Projection: Toledo vs. Louisiana Tech

Dec. 20

Poinsietta: San Diego, 8 p.m., Mountain West vs. BYU. Projection: Nevada vs. BYU

Dec. 21

Beef O'Brady's: St. Petersburg, 7:30 p.m., Big East vs. C-USA. Projection: Ball State* vs. Houston

Dec. 22

New Orleans: Noon, C-USA vs. Sun Belt. Projection: San Jose State* vs. Louisiana-Monroe

Las Vegas: 3:30 p.m., Mountain West vs. Pac-12. Projection: Boise State vs. Washington

Dec. 24

Hawaii: Honolulu, 8 p.m., C-USA vs. Mountain West. Projection: UCF vs. San Diego State

Dec. 26

Little Caesars: Detroit, 7:30 p.m., Big Ten vs. MAC. Projection: Louisiana-Lafayette* vs. Northern Illinois

Dec. 27

Military: Washington, 3 p.m., ACC vs. Army. Projection: Arizona State* vs. Utah State*

Belk: Charlotte, N.C., 6:30 p.m., ACC vs. Big East. Projection: Virginia Tech vs. Rutgers

Holiday: San Diego, 9:45 p.m., Big 12 vs. Pac-12. Projection: Oklahoma State vs. USC

Dec. 28

Independence: Shreveport, La., 2 p.m., ACC vs. SEC. Projection: Arkansas State* vs. Bowling Green*

Russell Athletic: Orlando, 5:30 p.m., ACC vs. Big East. Projection: N.C. State vs. Cincinnati

Meineke of Texas: Houston, 9 p.m., Big Ten vs. Big 12. Projection: Minnesota vs. TCU

Dec. 29

Armed Forces: Fort Worth, Texas, 11:45 a.m., C-USA vs. Mountain West. Projection: East Carolina vs. Air Force

Fight Hunger: San Francisco, 3:15 p.m., Pac-12 vs. Navy. Projection: UCLA vs. Navy

Pinstripe: Bronx, 3:15 p.m., Big East vs. Big 12. Projection: Pittsburgh vs. Iowa State

Alamo: San Antonio, Texas, 6:45 p.m., Big 12 vs. Pac-12. Projection: Texas Tech vs. Stanford

Buffalo Wild Wings: Tempe, Ariz., 10:15 p.m., Big Ten vs. Big 12. Projection: Michigan State vs. West Virginia

Dec. 31

Music City: Nashville, noon, SEC vs. ACC. Projection: Middle Tennessee* vs. Central Michigan*

Sun: El Paso, Texas, 2 p.m., ACC vs. Pac-12. Projection: Duke vs. Oregon State

Liberty: Memphis, 3:30 p.m., SEC vs. C-USA. Projection: Mississippi State vs. Tulsa

Chick-fil-A: Atlanta, 7:30 p.m., ACC vs. SEC. Projection: Miami vs. Texas A&M

Jan. 1

Heart of Dallas: Dallas, noon, Big Ten vs. C-USA. Projection: Utah* vs. Ohio*

Gator: Jacksonville, noon, SEC vs. Big Ten. Projection: Mississippi vs. Northwestern

Capital One: Orlando, 1 p.m., SEC vs. Big Ten. Projection: Florida vs. Wisconsin

Outback: Tampa, 1 p.m., SEC vs. Big Ten. Projection: South Carolina vs. Michigan

Rose: Pasadena, Calif., 5 p.m., BCS vs. BCS. Projection: Nebraska vs. Oklahoma

Orange: Miami, 8:30 p.m., BCS vs. BCS. Projection: Florida State vs. Louisville

Jan. 2

Sugar: New Orleans, 8:30 p.m., BCS vs. BCS. Projection: Georgia vs. Notre Dame

Jan. 3

Fiesta: Glendale, Ariz., 8:30 p.m., BCS vs. BCS. Projection: Kansas State vs. Clemson

Jan. 4

Cotton: Arlington, Texas, 8 p.m., SEC vs. Big 12. Projection: LSU vs. Texas

Jan. 5

BBVA Compass: Birmingham, Ala., 1 p.m., Big East vs. SEC. Projection: Syracuse vs. Vanderbilt

Jan. 6

GoDaddy.com: Mobile, Ala., 9 p.m., MAC vs. Sun Belt. Projection: Kent State vs. Western Kentucky

Jan. 7

BCS Championship: Miami, 8:30 p.m., BCS No. 1 vs. BCS No. 2. Projection: Alabama vs. Oregon

* — Fills in as an at-large replacement where a conference is short on bowl-eligible teams.

Teams in bold accepted an invitation.

Jim Tomlin, Times staff writer

Times wires
Sunday, November 4, 2012

BATON ROUGE, La. — With Alabama's hopes of a second straight national title hanging by a thread, A.J. McCarron shook off a dismal second half and guided the Crimson Tide right down the field.

Talk about a Saturday night stunner in Death Valley.

McCarron read an LSU blitz and flipped a swing pass to freshman running back T.J. Yeldon, who did the rest on a 28-yard touchdown with 51 seconds remaining that gave the top-ranked Crimson Tide a 21-17 victory over No. 5 LSU.

Alabama (9-0, 6-0 SEC) now has a clear path to the league championship game in Atlanta and remains on course to defend its BCS national title in Miami.

But this one was a struggle. Led by embattled quarterback Zach Mettenberger, LSU (7-2, 3-2) fought back from a 14-3 halftime deficit with an offensive performance that was nothing like its dismal showing against the Tide in last season's BCS title game.

Jeremy Hill scored on a 1-yard run late in the third quarter, LSU's first touchdown against Alabama since 2010, a span of nearly three full games. Then Mettenberger threw perhaps the best pass of his LSU career, hooking up with Jarvis Landry on a 14-yard touchdown that put the Tigers ahead 17-14 with just under 13 minutes remaining.

LSU was on the verge of putting the game away, driving into Alabama territory and forcing coach Nick Saban to call his remaining timeouts. But Drew Alleman missed a 38-yard field goal, and McCarron took over from there.

He completed three straight passes to put Alabama in scoring position.

Then, when LSU brought a corner blitz, he got the ball away quickly to Yeldon. The freshman back broke one tackle, faked out another defender and raced to the end zone for the winning score.

McCarron finished 14-for-27 for 165 yards with no interceptions and the late scoring pass.

Before the final drive, McCarron was 1-for-7 for 0 yards in the second half. All was forgiven when he guided the Crimson Tide on a 72-yard drive, connecting with Kevin Norwood on three straight passes covering 18, 15 and 11 yards against an LSU defense that was giving him room short. McCarron took one shot at the end zone, the ball falling to the turf when both the receiver and the defender fell down.

But, with a much shorter throw, he helped snap LSU's 22-game home winning streak (the last team to beat LSU at home was Florida in 2009).

Earlier, Mettenberger, who had gotten much of the blame for LSU's lackluster offense this season, suddenly put it all together for the Tigers in the second half. But LSU couldn't overcome the nation's top-ranked team and some dubious calls by Les Miles.

The coach nicknamed the Mad Hatter kept reaching into his bag of tricks and getting burned. A fake field goal was stuffed. An onside kick didn't work. And going for it on fourth and 1 in Alabama territory didn't work out either. "I wish I had a couple of my calls back," he said. "That's the way it goes."

Times wires
Sunday, November 4, 2012

Flacco still perfect against Browns

CLEVELAND — There seems to be something about those plain orange helmets that fires up Joe Flacco, Ray Rice and the Ravens. When they see them, they beat them every time.

Flacco threw a 19-yard touchdown pass to Torrey Smith with 4:26 left as Baltimore won its 10th straight game over Cleveland and 11th in a row inside the AFC North in a comeback.

"We're 10-0 against them," said Rice, who entered the league in 2008. "You didn't see Joe blink."

Smith caught Flacco's strike and spun away from former Florida cornerback Joe Haden as the Ravens earned their 15th straight win following a loss.

"Whew," Baltimore coach Jim Harbaugh said. "That was a fight. That's a really good football team. They are well coached, tough and physical."

Phil Dawson kicked five field goals for the Browns, who failed to score a touchdown on five trips inside Baltimore's 20-yard line.

Times wires
Sunday, November 4, 2012

Just another rally late for Manning

CINCINNATI — Peyton Manning's two interceptions had put the Broncos behind. The four-time MVP needed yet another fourth-quarter comeback.

No one's better at it.

Manning stayed perfect against Cincinnati, overcoming his picks with three touchdown passes. His 48th career winning drive broke Dan Marino's record.

"He is special at it," coach John Fox said.

Manning improved to 8-0 against the Bengals, throwing for at least three TDs in five of those games.

His two second-half interceptions — one in the end zone, both by cornerback Terence Newman — helped the Bengals pull ahead 20-17 early in the fourth quarter.

"I think this team needs to go through different scenarios and have one of these tight second-half games," Manning said. "The more you can go through it as a unit, the more you can draw on it later in the season."

By Rick Stroud, Times Staff Writer
Sunday, November 4, 2012

OAKLAND, Calif. — You could say Doug Martin was the best player on the field Sunday and would get no argument. At 5 feet 9, the Bucs' diminutive rookie running back is leaving a big imprint on the NFL after only eight games.

What Martin did to the Raiders defense in Tampa Bay's 42-32 win at Oakland Coliseum was one thing. He pounded against the pile, bouncing off like a pinball, legs churning and then — whoosh — he was gone.

But it was how many great running backs Martin ran past in the record books that left even the first-round pick from Boise State speechless.

Martin set Bucs single-game rushing records with 251 yards and four touchdowns on 25 carries. His scoring runs included 45, 67 and 70 yards, the first time an NFL back ever has had three touchdown runs of 45 yards or longer. He averaged a first down on his 25 carries.

It was the 10th best single-game rushing performance in NFL history, tying Mike Anderson of the Broncos in 2000. And it could've been more, considering Martin lost 14 yards on the final three carries of the game as the Bucs ran the clock out.

"I got to step back and just look at it. It's surreal right now," said Martin, a native of nearby Stockton, Calif., who played Sunday in front of 70 family members and friends. "I was just doing my job out there. I'm honored."

The Bucs (4-4) matched last season's win total.

Ten days after rushing for 135 yards (and racking up a combined 214 yards from scrimmage) in a win at Minnesota, Martin easily topped that effort in his homecoming game.

The superlatives were flowing about Martin after the game and for good reason. The Bucs needed every one of his runs to hold off the hard-charging Raiders. Oakland, trailing 35-17 in the fourth quarter, cut the deficit to 35-32 on the fourth touchdown pass by quarterback Carson Palmer with 3:51 remaining.

"Oh my God, what can I say about him that hasn't already been said and will be exalted upon later?" safety Ronde Barber said of Martin. "I don't know. Man, he's turned into a heck of a player here these last two weeks. I think he's really jumped onto the scene. Just the way he's handled the pressure that he's had to be the main guy here in our offense these last couple of weeks. It's impressive, man.

"Sometimes you wish he wouldn't score so fast. He keeps the defense on the field."

An interception by safety Ahmad Black with 2:27 remaining in the game, setting up Martin's 1-yard touchdown three plays later, sealed the win.

Martin now has 794 yards rushing and seven touchdowns on the season, 1 yard more than the Redskins' Alfred Morris as the league's top rookie rusher. He ranks third in the league in rushing behind the Vikings' Adrian Peterson and the Seahawks' Marshawn Lynch.

Sunday's performance came behind a scrambled offensive line following the season-ending foot injury to All-Pro guard Carl Nicks. Center Jeremy Zuttah moved to left guard, and Ted Larsen started at center.

The line provided holes for Martin and protected quarterback Josh Freeman well enough for him to pass for 247 yards and touchdowns of 20 yards to Vincent Jackson and 4 yards to Mike Williams.

Despite the big lead late, the Bucs nearly blew the game. In field-goal range at the Oakland 27, which would have given the Bucs a three-score lead, Freeman fumbled a handoff to LeGarrette Blount, which led to an Oakland touchdown and a shaky 35-32 lead.

But Black's interception stopped the Raiders' momentum, and Tampa Bay again turned to Martin to put the game away.

"Doug is a patient runner with really good vision," coach Greg Schiano said. "That's hard to teach. Really, the great backs I've been around either have it or they don't. … When you have vision and patience and balance and strength, I think that's a pretty good package."

Martin was close to breaking some runs in the first half , when he was held to 31 rushing yards, then got some advice from Schiano that paid off.

"My head went down and coach was telling me, 'Get your head up, get your head up,' because that will increase your balance," Martin said. "After that, I started getting my head up and kept my balance, and I was off to the races."

Besides, if Martin doesn't keep his head up, how else will he see who he's running past in the record books?

Martin barges into Bucs-NFL history

• 251 rushing yards: single-game Bucs record; tied for 10th all-time in NFL; third all-time among NFL rookies; 220 of his yards were in second half.

• 4 rushing TDs: most in a game in Bucs history; first NFL player with three rushing TDs of 45 yards or more in a game.

• 486 total yards of offense in past two games.

• First Buc to have 130 rushing yards or more in back-to-back games.

Times wires
Sunday, November 4, 2012

Bears dominate in every way

NASHVILLE — Lovie Smith demanded a fast start from his Bears after a sluggish performance a week ago.

They certainly responded.

Charles Tillman forced four fumbles. Brian Urlacher scored on a 46-yard interception return. Chicago turned a blocked punt into a touchdown.

Jay Cutler also threw three TD passes to Brandon Marshall as the Bears put up their highest point total since 1980 for their sixth straight win.

"We didn't want to have a repeat of last week against Carolina," Tillman said of his team's last-second win at home against the Panthers. "This week our whole motto was, 'Let's start fast.' To create a turnover on the first play of the game was the mind-set going into the game."

Tillman did that, stripping receiver Kenny Britt on Tennessee's first offensive play. The Bears scored a franchise-record 28 points in the first quarter and forced three turnovers in the first 13 minutes, resulting in 14 points.

Urlacher became the latest Bear to score on an interception return. The Bears have done it a club record seven times.