Times wires
Sunday, November 4, 2012

Pack has the gas to pass fading Cards

GREEN BAY, Wis. — Tom Crabtree caught the ball at the Green Bay 45-yard line and chugged upfield, looking over one shoulder, then the other to be sure two chasing Cardinals were still behind him.

They were. Barely.

Crabtree had just enough gas to tumble into the end zone for a 72-yard touchdown at the end of the third quarter to seal the Packers' win. The touchdown was Green Bay's longest play of the season and Crabtree's longest TD catch since "probably high school."

"Honestly, I'm still really tired," Crabtree said. "I need to spend this bye week doing some gassers or something."

Arizona lost its fifth straight after a 4-0 start.

"That's like a broken record," coach Ken Whisenhunt said. "If you look at our five games that we've lost — which is extremely disappointing — the one thing that's consistent is that we've had opportunities to make plays and we haven't done it."

Times wires
Sunday, November 4, 2012

Unhappy return for ex-Texans star

HOUSTON — Mario Williams got to see in person just how well the Texans are playing without him.

Matt Schaub threw two touchdown passes and Arian Foster ran for 111 yards against Buffalo's league-worst rush defense as the Texans beat the Bills and their former No. 1 draft pick.

Houston kept up the best start in franchise history heading into next week's showdown with Chicago at Soldier Field.

Williams had a sack and five tackles in his first game at Reliant Stadium since signing a six-year, $100 million contract with Buffalo in the offseason. He was booed every time he made a play but exchanged handshakes and hugs afterward with several Texans and coach Gary Kubiak.

"It was great," Williams said. "I think the biggest thing for me is if you go out and make a play and you get booed, I know I'm in your heart. That's the most important thing. If it had been quiet, then I would have felt something different. But I know you're thinking about me."

Times wires
Sunday, November 4, 2012

Lions coast past hapless Jaguars

JACKSONVILLE — Given the result, the Lions probably should try to be this balanced all the time.

Mikel Leshoure ran for three touchdowns, Calvin Johnson got involved early and the Lions turned in their most complete victory of the season.

Detroit led by three scores by halftime and coasted afterward. The Lions trailed in the second half in each of their other wins.

"Coach emphasized this week that we wanted to get off to a good start, a fast start, an early start," said Leshoure, who dedicated the victory to his newborn son. "We weren't able to get a touchdown or a field goal on the first drive, but throughout the game and the first quarter, we were pretty successful. That enabled us to get off to a faster start than usual."

Leshoure had 70 yards rushing and became the first in franchise history to run for three TDs in the first half. Joique Bell added 73 yards on the ground and a score.

Johnson, who missed practice all week, had seven catches for 129 yards after getting a pain-killing shot in his left knee.

Times staff, wires
Sunday, November 4, 2012

Soccer

Gators win 10th SEC tournament title

ORANGE BEACH, Ala. — Tournament MVP Erika Tymrak scored her third goal in as many games and top-seeded Florida beat sixth-seeded Auburn 3-0 Sunday to claim its 10th SEC women's tournament title.

"It never gets old," said coach Becky Burleigh, whose 17-4-1 team won its 12th SEC regular-season title and awaits the announcement of the NCAA tournament field at 4:30 today. "For our players to be able to have the regular-season championship and the tournament championship, that means a lot."

sunshine state: Cina Salemi, Beate Jaeckel, Cici Gonzalez and Jess Frank converted penalty kicks and second-seeded Tampa (13-3-3) beat top seed Rollins for the conference tournament title after tying 1-1 in Winter Park. PKs were 4-2 Tampa.

Men: Grant Blackhurst scored twice and third-seeded Rollins beat fourth-seeded Eckerd 3-0 to win the Sunshine State tournament final in Boca Raton.

More soccer

Houston stuns East top seed in MLS

Houston extended its unbeaten streak at home to 27 matches with a 2-0 victory over top-seeded Kansas City in the first leg of the MLS Eastern Conference semifinal series. The second of the two-match series is Wednesday at Kansas City.

Victor Bernadez's stoppage-time goal lifted San Jose over host Los Angeles 1-0 in the opener of their Western Conference semifinal. The second leg in the series is Wednesday.

Tennis

Ferrer halts qualifier's Paris Masters roll

David Ferrer ended the unexpected run of qualifier Jerzy Janowicz 6-4, 6-3 at the Paris Masters, clinching his first Masters title and winning an ATP Tour-leading seventh trophy of the season.

Ferrer's seven titles is one more than Roger Federer, who did not defend his title in Paris. "Somehow I knew it was my turn," Ferrer said.

The 69th-ranked Janowicz eliminated five top-20 players in the tournament, including No. 3 Andy Murray, to reach the final.

Fed Cup: The Czech Republic won its second straight championship when Lucie Safarova routed Jelena Jankovic of Serbia in singles 6-1, 6-1, prompting on-court dancing by the Czech players in Prague. Safarova won the second reverse singles for an unassailable 3-1 Czech Republic lead in the final of the best-of-five series. Jankovic, a former No. 1, was slowed by a back injury.

Tournament of Champions: Nadia Petrova stunned top-seeded Caroline Wozniacki 6-2, 6-1 to win the final in Sofia, Bulgaria, her third WTA title of 2012.

Baseball

Rays' Price among top players award choices

Rays left-hander David Price is a finalist for the Players Choice Award as the American League outstanding pitcher. The winner will be announced tonight (8, MLB Network). Other finalists are the White Sox's Chris Sale and Angels' Jered Weaver. Price won in 2010.

Et cetera

Obituary: Milt Campbell, who became the first black decathlete to win the Olympic gold medal and went on to play pro football, died in Gainesville, Ga. He was 78 and had had prostate cancer for a decade. He won the gold in 1956. He attended Indiana University, was drafted in 1957 by the Cleveland Browns, then played for various teams in the Canadian Football League until 1964.

Speed skating: Heather Richardson won the 1,500 meters to complete a sweep of all five races at the U. S. long track championships in West Allis, Wis. She also won both 500s, the 1,000 and 3,000 in the three-day competition. Shani Davis won the men's 1,500.

Marc Topkin, Times staff writer; Times wires

By Marc Topkin, Times Staff Writer
Sunday, November 4, 2012

Rays left-hander David Price is a finalist for the Players Choice Award as the American League outstanding pitcher. The winner will be announced tonight (8, MLB Network). Other finalists are the White Sox's Chris Sale and Angels' Jered Weaver. Price won in 2010.

Arizona fall league: Shortstop prospect Hak-Ju Lee was 1-for-3 with an RBI in the Rising Stars Game on Saturday. Left-hander C.J. Riefenhauser pitched an inning, allowing a run on two hits.

By Steve Papen, Times Correspondent
Sunday, November 4, 2012

What's hot: With gag grouper season over, our offshore focus turns to red grouper. Look for concentrations of fish to move to shallower water near Sarasota. Live baits still produce the best bites. But as water temperatures fall with every passing cold front, more and larger fish spend less energy chasing live baits, preferring instead frozen baits such as threadfin, sardines and squid.

Other targets: Kingfish continue to move south toward the warmer water off Key West. The bite here has been slow. But another cold front or two will give kingfish in northern gulf waters the incentive to head our way. As always, live baits are the key for larger fish. But anglers trolling hardware around the St. Petersburg Reef and other large structures in shallow water have caught good numbers of schoolie-sized fish along with large Spanish mackerel.

Wreck fishing: Amberjack also continue their migration this month. Look for them around wrecks in 60-100 feet. Areas such as the Sulphur Barge, Fin Barge and Blackthorn will hold keeper-sized fish as well as some heavier than 50 pounds. Almost any large live bait will do the trick, but a large blue runner typically finds the biggest fish.

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

Times wires
Sunday, November 4, 2012

ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates — Kimi Raikkonen won a crash-filled Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on Sunday for his first victory since returning to Formula One this year, and Sebastian Vettel overcame a qualifying penalty to finish third and prevent a huge dent in his season points lead heading into the last two races.

Raikkonen, the 2007 champion who returned after rally driving for a year, overtook Red Bull's Mark Webber at the start to move into second. He took the lead in his Lotus on the 20th lap when McLaren's Lewis Hamilton retired because of a fuel pressure problem.

Raikkonen held off Ferrari's Fernando Alonso, who finished second. Two-time defending F1 champion Vettel clawed his way up, but his lead over Alonso was cut to 10 points. Vettel was penalized for fuel irregularities after qualifying, forcing him to start last on the grid. He tops the drivers championship with 255 points, followed by Alonso (245) and Raikkonen (198).

"I'm very happy for the team and myself but mainly for the team," said Raikkonen, who last won a race in 2009 with Ferrari at the Belgian GP.

Vettel said he always believed he would end up on the podium. "I said to myself either we go full attack or nothing," he said. "That is what we did. We had a fantastic race."

Starting from the back of the field, Vettel was in the middle of many of the mishaps and responsible for a few of them. He damaged his wing when he clipped Bruno Senna. He then misjudged the pace of Daniel Ricciardo's car in front and ran over a board, requiring a visit to the pits. Later he went off the track to pass Romain Grosjean and then collided with Felipe Massa, sending him into a spin.

Despite all that, Vettel overtook Button with three laps remaining for third.

"It was nice fight with Jenson. He was difficult to pass. With him, I was really struggling. I just squeezed my way past," Vettel said.

Alonso remained confident he can catch Vettel in points: "We will fight until the end."

EAST BAY RACEWAY: Keith Nosbisch won his third straight Late Model race late Saturday in Gibsonton.

Times wires
Sunday, November 4, 2012

SHENZHEN, China — Ian Poulter showed he can be a star even when playing for himself.

One month after leading an improbable European rally to win the Ryder Cup, Poulter won for the first time this year. He closed with 7-under 65 Sunday to come from four shots behind and win the HSBC Champions for his second career World Golf Championships title.

It won't overshadow what he did at Medinah in the Ryder Cup: five straight birdies to pick up a crucial point in fourballs Saturday and winning his singles match Sunday to complete a 4-0 week. Even so, it was important to the Englishman that the year not pass without a victory of his own.

"I've only been one season without a victory, and I certainly didn't want to go another one," Poulter said after finishing at 21-under 267 for a two-shot win. "As well as I've played this year, it would have been a disappointment personally to have gone that year without winning."

Phil Mickelson (68), Jason Dufner (64), Scott Piercy (65) and Ernie Els (67) tied for second. Lee Westwood and Louis Oosthuizen shared the 54-hole lead, but both shot 72 to tie for sixth.

Poulter won for the first time since the World Match Play Championship in May 2011.

Earlier, organizers said the HSBC Champions will become an official PGA Tour event next year. The total purse will increase to $8.5 million from $7 million.

CHAMPIONS: Tom Lehman won the Charles Schwab Cup Championship in Scottsdale, Ariz., to become the first player to win the season points title two straight years. After shooting 68-63-62 to take a one-stroke lead into the final round, Lehman birdied four of the last five holes for 5-under 65 and a six-stroke victory over Jay Haas (69). He finished at 22-under 258 to break the tournament mark for lowest score and tie the record in relation to par set by John Cook in 2009 at Sonoma Golf Club in California. Lehman received a $1 million annuity in the points competition and earned $440,000 for the tournament victory. Bernhard Langer finished second in the points race, 435 points back after entering the week with a 211-point lead. He was sixth in the tournament at 11 under after 65.

LPGA: Stacy Lewis rallied to win the Mizuno Classic in Shima, Japan, for her LPGA-leading fourth title of the year with 8-under 64 for a one-stroke victory. Lewis, seven strokes behind Lee Bo-mee entering the round, finished at 11-under 205. Lee shot 72 to finish second. The event was co-sanctioned by the LPGA and Japan LPGA tours.

TEEN TO MASTERS: Guan Tianlang is an eighth-grader from China who barely weighs 125 pounds and doesn't hit the ball far enough to reach some par 4s. The next stop for the 14-year-old prodigy is the Masters. Guan completed a wire-to-wire victory in the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship at Bangkok, making a 5-foot par putt on the final hole for a one-shot win that earned him an invitation to the Masters. Guan closed with 1-under 71 to finish at 15-under 273. "I'm so excited. I'm really happy to become the youngest player at the Masters and looking forward to going there," Guan said. "I don't know what's going to happen there, but I know I just want to do well."

Times wires
Sunday, November 4, 2012

NEW YORK — A secret bargaining session has done some good in the NHL labor fight, enough that the sides plan to get back to the bargaining table soon.

Deputy commissioner Bill Daly and players association lawyer Steve Fehr met for long stretches Saturday in an undisclosed location, the first time the sides had gotten together for formal talks in more than two weeks.

"We had a series of meetings over the course of the day and had a good, frank discussion on the most important issues separating us," Daly said in an email to the media Sunday. "We plan to meet again early in the week."

The sides tentatively were set to meet again Tuesday in New York, ESPN reported.

The sides hadn't met since Oct. 18, when the league rejected three union proposals, but a series of phone conversations between Daly and Fehr last week did enough to prompt the resumption of talks. It is unclear how long Daly and Fehr met Saturday, but the discussions lasted well into the night. Some reports said they ended around 1 Sunday morning.

"I agree with what Bill said," Fehr said in a statement. "Hopefully we can continue the dialogue, expand the (negotiation) group and make steady progress."

The union's negotiating committee, of which Lightning wing B.J. Crombeen is a member, had a conference call Sunday, Canada's TSN network reported. The committee and the union executive board have another call today, the network said.

The lockout reached its 50th day Sunday. Games have been canceled through Nov. 30.

The core issue in reaching a collective bargaining agreement is how to divide league revenue. Both sides agree the split will be 50-50. But the league wants it implemented immediately. The players, who last season received 57 percent, prefer it to be phased in so existing contracts can be honored in full. They have agreed to an immediate drop to 50 percent if the contracts are fully paid.

On Oct. 16 the league proposed an immediate 50-50 split and a "make whole" proposition that would allow players to be reimbursed over the length of their contracts the salary cut they would take from an immediate drop. That money ultimately would be charged to the players' share, meaning the players would be paying back themselves.

The league last week said during the phone conversations the owners are now willing to absorb that reimbursement.

By Tom Jones, Times Staff Writer
Sunday, November 4, 2012

Most interesting comparison

Even before Sunday, there were whispers inside the halls of One Buc Place that rookie running back Doug Martin reminded some of another bowling ball who wore No. 22: Emmitt Smith.

Let's not get too carried away here. Smith is the leading rusher in NFL history. He was great for 226 games over 15 seasons. Martin has played eight games.

But, just for fun: Martin had his first 200-yard rushing game Sunday — his eighth game. It took Smith 53 games to get a 200-yard game. It took Walter Payton until his 34th game. Barry Sanders didn't get his until game No. 42.

Martin posted his first back-to-back 100-yard rushing games in his seventh and eighth games. Smith's first back-to-back 100-yard games didn't happen until games 17 and 18 of his career.

Back and forth

Martin actually was up to 265 yards rushing at one point, but he lost 14 yards on his final three carries as the Bucs were running out the clock. The 265 rushing yards would have placed him eighth on the NFL's all-time list. He finished with 251 and tied for 10th.

And don't think Martin rolled it up on a team that can't play defense. The Raiders came into the game ranked 11th in the NFL against the run.

Glass half-empty

The Bucs secondary came up with three interceptions, but we got another sneak peek at what life will be like without cornerback Aqib Talib. The Raiders clearly targeted cornerback E.J. Biggers, and the Raiders' Carson Palmer ended up passing for more than 400 yards — the fifth time in eight games the Bucs have allowed more than 300 yards through the air. Scary when you think that the second half of the season includes dates against Peyton Manning, Drew Brees and Matt Ryan (twice).

Best numbers

Over the past four games, Josh Freeman's average has been 19-of-34 for 314 yards. In that span, he has 11 touchdowns and one interception. Sorta, kinda looks like a franchise QB, don't you think?

Three things that popped into my head

1. Imagine what kind of day Martin might have had if All-Pro guard Carl Nicks had played.

2. The presence of receiver Vincent Jackson alone has made every player on the Bucs offense — particularly Freeman, Martin and receiver Mike Williams — better.

3. The Bucs nearly blew Sunday's game because of a LeGarrette Blount fumble, but don't knock the running back. That turnover was Freeman's fault for placing the handoff too high.

Final thought

Not to rain on the parade, but last season's Bucs were 4-4 at the halfway point, too. This 4-4 does seem a bit more sturdy.

Times wires
Sunday, November 4, 2012

Angry Panthers disappoint legends

LANDOVER, Md. — So much for Cam Newton vs. Robert Griffin III. For the ticked-off visiting Panthers, it was more like Carolina vs. Sonny Jurgensen, Sam Huff and Bobby Mitchell.

Newton and the Panthers broke a five-game losing streak, topping Griffin and the penalty-prone Redskins. Newton threw for 201 yards, ran for 37 and played part of the game with a bloodied thumb.

It was "homecoming" for the Redskins, who wore 1937 throwback uniforms and welcomed back dozens of former stars. DeAngelo Williams, who had a 30-yard TD run, was so miffed about the theme that he raised the issue in a pregame speech and had the game program in his locker afterward. He said he might frame it.

"I look on there and it says 'homecoming.' And I'm thinking to myself: This is the National Football League. Are you serious? Homecoming," Williams said. "You don't say you're going to have a 'homecoming' in the National Football League. You do it in college."

By Tom Jones, Times Staff Writer
Sunday, November 4, 2012

Tampa Bay Times staff writer Tom Jones looks back at the best and worst from a weekend of televised sports.

Saddest fact

Mike Ditka of ESPN's Sunday NFL Countdown was trying to say the right thing, so I'm not jumping on him, exactly.

But in the wake of Hurricane Sandy, Ditka said, "One great thing about sport in the history of our country: It's an outlet. … So for 2½, three hours today, it's going to be football as usual, life as usual. I wrote down one thing: Life doesn't stop after a disaster like this, but it sure slows down a lot."

As much as I'd like to think that sports is a great diversion from a disaster such as Hurricane Sandy, it really isn't. Ultimately, those most affected by disasters and tragedies can't find a diversion in anything, including sports.

Like I said, Ditka was trying to say the right thing, and sports ultimately do help us return to a sense of normalcy after something tragic. But to suggest that sports erase the awful things in life, even for a couple of hours, just isn't true.

Most brow-raising comment

The NFL Network's Sterling Sharpe spouted off about comparisons between Panthers quarterback Cam Newton (below left) and Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III. "They are two totally different quarterbacks,'' Sharpe said. "After today, I want them to be compared to (players) they are actually playing like and not to each other just because of the color of their skin."

Wait a second. They are the past two Heisman Trophy winners. One was a first overall draft pick (Newton), the other was the second overall pick. Both are supposed to turn their franchises around. Coming into the weekend, they were the top two rushing quarterbacks in the league. That's why they are compared to one another, not because they are black. Speaking of RGIII, Fox NFL Sunday analyst Jimmy Johnson said the rookie has "already established himself as one of the top quarterbacks in the league. I didn't say 'running quarterback.' I said one of the top quarterbacks. Leadership, accuracy, he's got it all, and he's one of the best."

Most interesting ratings

Fox averaged 12.7 million viewers for the Giants' sweep of the Tigers in the World Series. It was the smallest audience for any World Series on record.

But this is interesting: The Series did fairly well in the Tampa-St. Petersburg market. The area had an 8.3 rating, meaning 8.3 percent of all households with televisions were tuned in. That's higher than the national average of 7.6 and put the Tampa Bay area 13th in the nation.

Worst scheduling

NBC mixed things up and put the Breeders' Cup on during prime time Saturday. Perhaps the audiences are different, but you would think most sports fans were tuned in to two of the most anticipated college football games of the season: Alabama against LSU and Oregon against Southern Cal.

Best show

The NFL Network's A Football Life has become a must-watch show. The show is just what the title says it is: It looks at the lives and careers of great NFL personalities. Shows this season have included Giants coach Tom Coughlin, late QB Steve McNair and former 49ers owner Eddie DeBartolo.

This week's episode is about former Cowboys coach and current Fox analyst Jimmy Johnson.

On the show, Miami Herald columnist Dan Le Batard said, "To see the juxtaposition between a man who was crazed and maniacal about coaching his team to Jimmy Johnson now, it's breathtaking. He hates the person that he had to be and that he was back then."

A Football Life airs at 8 p.m. Wednesday. Upcoming shows include John Riggins (Nov. 21), Barry Sanders (Dec. 5), Marcus Allen (Dec. 12) and the Immaculate Reception (Dec. 19).

Worst list

Though there is so much to like about the NFL Network, the Top 10 shows are somewhat annoying. The network puts together shows about the top 10 this and the top 10 that. They're annoying because it seems as if they purposefully make controversial selections just to be controversial.

Why do I say that? Because half the analysts commenting on the show complain about the order of the lists.

Friday I settled in to watch the top 10 quarterbacks of the 1970s. Incredibly, Steelers quarterback Terry Bradshaw was listed third. Apparently, four Super Bowl titles, eight postseason appearances, two Super Bowl MVP awards and a 14-4 playoff record in the 1970s (the last Super Bowl was for the 1979 season, played in January 1980) isn't good enough to get the top spot.

I can't tell you who the top two were because I turned the show off after I saw Bradshaw was ridiculously put at No. 3.

Best feature

CBS's 60 Minutes profiled Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers on Sunday. Reporter Scott Pelley did a nice job and even got Rodgers (left) to admit he thinks other teams try to take him out, including the Bounty-gate Saints.

"Every game I feel like they're trying to take me out,'' Rodgers said. "Now, I don't know about money. I've never felt there's been money on my head. The defense is trying to either knock you out of the game or knock you out of your rhythm. It's everything from trash talking to borderline late hit to a dirty play."

Rodgers, who went to Cal, still keeps rejection letters from some of the colleges that did not want him. I hate to hear that. Certainly Rodgers has used that as motivation, and it has worked well for him, but it seems petty. He has won a Super Bowl. He is a Super Bowl MVP. He might be the best QB in football. Let it go, man.

Best hire

Former Magic coach Stan Van Gundy has landed a job with NBC Sports. Starting in January, Van Gundy will be a regular contributor on NBC Sports Radio. And he also could end up doing college basketball analysis for NBC Sports Network.

Van Gundy will work the Florida-Georgetown game Friday from the USS Bataan in Jacksonville. Some are saying this game could be a tryout of sorts. If Van Gundy does a decent job, look for him to become a regular part of NBC Sports Network's college coverage.

Van Gundy seems made for television. Too bad he isn't doing NBA games. Rumor is ESPN was all set to hire him for NBA games, but commissioner David Stern put the kibosh on it.

Most credible

During Saturday's Nebraska-Michigan State game on ABC, Michigan State was penalized for roughing the passer, and the initial replay appeared to show the call was bad. Announcer Sean McDonough even said, "That's terrible.''

Moments later, however, ABC dialed up two other replays, which showed the quarterback was struck in the head and the referee made the correct call.

McDonough, to his credit, looked at the replays and said he was wrong and the referee was right.

That was a terrific job by ABC to find and show the additional replays, and a great job by McDonough to reverse himself. That's why he is among the most credible announcers in the business.

Three things that popped into my head

1. I don't care what the BCS standings say, Oregon, with that video-game offense, is the most formidable team in the country.

2. How shortsighted for the International Ski Federation to deny Lindsey Vonn's request to compete in a men's downhill race. What a perfect chance to get some publicity for a fringe sport.

3. The way I figure it, if the NHL lockout lasts another few weeks, people will stop caring if the NHL returns this season. Some already have.

tom jones' two cents

Times staff, wires
Sunday, November 4, 2012

BASKETBALL TONIGHT

USF vs. Eckerd

When: 7; Sun Dome, Tampa

Radio: 98.7-FM, 1010-AM

Notable: This is the first basketball game at the Sun Dome after a $35 million makeover. … PG Anthony Collins could be limited by a concussion sustained in practice. … G Jawanza Poland is healthy after missing time with a hip pointer. … Watch for two promising freshmen, G JaVontae Hawkins and F Zach LeDay, as well as South Alabama transfer G Martino Brock.

Saint Leo at FSU

When: 7; Tucker Center, Tallahassee

Notable: FSU ends its two-game exhibition season with its annual contest benefiting the Aubry Boyd Foundation. Boyd played for FSU from 1988-91. During a pickup football game in 1995 he was paralyzed from the neck down. … The Lions, who won at Miami 69-67 Friday in an exhibition, are No. 14 in the Division II coaches poll.

Greg Auman, Times staff writer; Times wires

Times wires
Sunday, November 4, 2012

One down, one to go for Oregon.

The Ducks moved up a spot and passed Notre Dame in the BCS standings Sunday, moving into third behind Alabama and Kansas State.

Oregon is coming off its biggest victory of the season, 62-51 at Southern California on Saturday night. That result, combined with Notre Dame's overtime victory against a middling Pittsburgh team, helped nudge the Ducks by the Irish this week.

Alabama, No. 1 in the media and coaches polls and the BCS computer ratings, needs only to win out to reach the BCS title game for the third time in four seasons.

Kansas State is third in the polls and in the computers, but second overall. The Ducks are a solid No. 2 in both polls but still fifth in the computers.

But the Ducks have a stronger schedule than Kansas State from this point forward, making Oregon a strong bet to pass the Wildcats if it keeps winning.

The Ducks play at Cal on Saturday before finishing their regular season against two teams in the BCS top 15, Stanford and Oregon State. If they get to the Pac-12 title game, UCLA or USC is the likely opponent.

Kansas State is at TCU and Baylor, then finishes with Texas. It's not clear if the Wildcats will have quarterback Collin Klein this week. He left Saturday's game with an undisclosed injury, and the school said Sunday it had no updates. Yahoo Sports reported there was concern about a concussion.

Notre Dame is in fourth place with only one opponent with a winning record left. The Fighting Irish are at Boston College on Saturday, host Wake Forest, then visit USC.

A hypothetical Alabama-Oregon BCS title game has the Tide favored by four, said RJ Bell of Pregame.com.

In the Associated Press poll, No. 23 Toledo is ranked for the first time since the final poll of 2001. The Rockets (8-1) are the second MAC team to be ranked this season, joining Ohio.

McCARRON revels in tide drive: A.J. McCarron had vowed he wouldn't let Alabama lose to LSU. He was true to his word Saturday night.

The quarterback guided the visiting Tide on a lightning-quick 72-yard drive with no timeouts left. He read a blitz and threw a screen to T.J. Yeldon, who went 28 yards for a touchdown with 51 seconds remaining that gave Alabama a 21-17 victory.

"It was like clockwork," McCarron said. "The offense just looked at each other, and you could just tell in everybody's eyes it was like, 'We do this every Thursday, so what's the difference here?' "

LSU took chances that didn't pay off. A fake field goal try was stuffed, an onside kick didn't work, and the Tigers failed on a fourth-down gamble.

"Our football team came in here to win," LSU coach Les Miles said. "We went after it."

During the game, former Saints quarterback Bobby Hebert, whose son T-Bob played at LSU from 2008-11, was kicked out of the press box for excessive cheering. The radio talk-show host was warned twice.

Kentucky fires coach: A day after a 40-0 home loss to Vanderbilt, Kentucky fired coach Joker Phillips. "We didn't get the results we had worked and hoped for, therefore change is needed,'' said Phillips, 49, who is 12-23 in three seasons. "I appreciate the Big Blue Nation and encourage the fans to stay behind their team going forward." Kentucky (1-9, 0-7 SEC) will honor the two years left on Phillips' contract, worth $1.7 million per season.

Notre dame gets break: Officials didn't notice the Irish used two players wearing No. 2 when Pittsburgh missed a 33-yard field goal in the second overtime Saturday, which should have given the Panthers a second chance. Notre Dame won in the third OT. "I've never had a team that's won because it was lucky. But I've had many teams that were fortunate because they were good and they found a way to win," coach Brian Kelly said.

Cal: Quarterback Zach Maynard has no ligament damage in his injured left knee. His status against Oregon this week remains in doubt.

Georgia: Senior receiver Marlon Brown, tied for the team lead in catches, had his career end with a torn ACL in his left knee.

Late Saturday

UCLA 66, ARIZONA 10: The host Bruins (7-2) have a better record than crosstown rival USC (6-3) through nine games for the first time since 2001. Johnathan Franklin rushed for 162 yards to become UCLA's career leader with 3,873, surpassing Gaston Green (3,731 from 1984-87).

SAN DIEGO ST. 21, BOISE ST. 19: The visiting Aztecs returned the opening kickoff for a touchdown and set up another touchdown with a blocked punt in the upset.

OREGON ST. 36, ARIZ. ST. 26: Terron Ward rushed for 146 yards and a touchdown for the host Beavers, getting extra work when starter Storm Woods left early with a sore left knee.

Times wires
Sunday, November 4, 2012

INDIANAPOLIS — Chuck Pagano provided the inspiration, then Andrew Luck delivered a record performance in another win for the surprising Colts.

After a 23-20 victory over Miami, the ailing coach offered even more encouragement.

Picked by many to be among the NFL's weakest team, the rebuilding Colts are in the playoff conversation at 5-3.

"You know where they had us in the beginning, every last one of them," Pagano said Sunday, surrounded by his players and with interim Bruce Arians at his side. "But you refused to live in circumstances and you decided consciously as a team and as a family to live in a vision, and that's why you bring things home like what you bring home today."

Luck wasn't too concerned that he broke Cam Newton's year-old record for yards passing in a game by a rookie. He just wanted to live up to the message from his coach, who has received treatment for leukemia since being diagnosed Sept. 26.

"His presence is felt every day in the facility," Luck said. "But to see him in the flesh, in the locker room, to hear him speak I think gave all the guys a boost."

It seemed to give Pagano a boost, too, after he watched the game from the coaches box.

"I've got circumstances. You guys understand it, I understand it," Pagano told them. "It's already beat. My vision that I'm living is to see two more daughters get married, dance at their weddings and then lift the Lombardi Trophy several times. … Congratulations, I love all of you."

Luck threw for 433 yards and two touchdowns and is the second rookie to produce four 300-yard games in a season. The other: Peyton Manning, the quarterback he replaced.

Reggie Wayne hauled in a high pass with a toe-tap on the end line and rookie receiver T.Y. Hilton, a Miami native who played in college at Florida International, made a leaping 36-yard TD catch despite double coverage.

"We knew we'd have to disrupt him (Luck) a little bit. But we weren't detailed enough, we weren't disciplined enough on our rush," Miami coach Joe Philbin said. "When you have the No. 1 defense on third down, and when a team converts 69 percent of the time on third down, it's a different feel."

Times wires
Sunday, November 4, 2012

FORT WORTH, Texas — Jimmie Johnson and Brad Keselowski are in quite a fight for the NASCAR Sprint Cup title.

With two rounds to go, five-time champion Johnson has a bigger edge after a slugfest at Texas Motor Speedway that included hard banging late.

Johnson regained the AAA Texas 500 lead on the final restart on Lap 334 of 335 before holding off Keselowski in an ending shootout for a 1-2 finish Sunday.

"It was an awesome race. It's a great way to do it when the gloves are off and it's bare-knuckle fighting," said Johnson, who won from the pole for the second week in a row and increased his series lead from two to seven points. "I got a great restart and got by him. I knew we had the speed if I could just get by him."

They were side by side on the final restart, but Johnson charged his No. 48 Chevrolet hard on the outside, cleared Keselowski on the backstretch and led for the final 1½ laps.

Though he led 168 laps, Johnson was chasing for much of the final part of the race. It wasn't until the last of three restarts in the final 19 laps that Johnson went ahead for good.

After falling from first to ninth during the previous stop, when he got slightly blocked in his stall and then caught in a jam on pit road, Keselowski opted for only left-side tires on his No. 2 Dodge when everybody else took four.

He restarted in the lead with 19 laps left, and the strategy might have worked if not for two more restarts. Johnson pulled ahead in the one that counted most.

"I felt like restarts are like rock, paper, scissors. Eventually you're going to lose them. It's just a matter of time," Keselowski said. "To win two out of three, I felt lucky to do that."

Kyle Busch, who led four times for 80 laps, finished third and Matt Kenseth was fourth.

Chase for the Championship drivers Dale Earnhardt Jr., who finished seventh, and Kevin Harvick, ninth, were eliminated from title contention.

Harvick's crew had to make repairs to the No. 29 Chevrolet even before the race. The driver's side sustained a huge dent when a parachute jumper landing in the infield as part of prerace activities swooped over the car and a weighted bag trailing the jumper and holding a huge Texas flag slammed into it.

Harvick, winless in Sprint Cup this season, posted a picture of the damage on Twitter with the message, "Never good when the day starts with a parachute weight hitting your car. Welcome to 2012."

Harvick's starting position, 23rd, wasn't affected.

The jumper wasn't injured.

Johnson's teammates at Hendrick Motorsports, Jeff Gordon and Kasey Kahne, were involved in contact in the back of the field with Greg Biffle, setting up a restart with eight laps to go.

After Johnson got loose when he was on the high side racing with Keselowski, they made hard contact close to the start-finish line. They kept going forward, and Johnson had a slight lead at the end of that lap. Keselowski pulled ahead and stayed there until Mark Martin spun out to set up a green-white-checkered finish.

"I just pointed at him, just wanted him to use his head. No need to take us out in the process," Johnson said of Keselowski. "The cool thing about it, we walked up to that line, got to the edge, and it stopped. … We brought home race cars. We weren't wadded up looking like a bunch of fools over there, handing the (No.) 5 (Kahne) and the 15 (Clint Bowyer) a big gift."

Keselowski shook Johnson's hand in Victory Lane. "I raced hard and I'm sure someone would say dirty," he said. "But … we both came back around, so there's something to be said for that."

Times wires
Sunday, November 4, 2012

Around the league

GOODELL, GIANTS FANS HAPPY THAT GAME WENT ON

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Courtney Davis has no idea what her house looks like because her town of Sea Bright, N.J., was washed away by Hurricane Sandy.

Yet Sunday, she was at the Meadowlands when the Steelers beat the Giants 24-20.

"We need this," she said. "We could really use this game and having a good time."

Davis and many others outside MetLife Stadium said they were glad commissioner Roger Goodell did not postpone the game or order it moved to Pittsburgh. And Goodell, above right, stopped by to meet and congratulate first responders, calling them "heroes."

Asked about concerns for the game, Goodell said:

"I sure didn't hear that here. I didn't hear it out in the parking lot. In fact, exactly the opposite of that … (people said), 'We want to be able to get away from what we have been dealing with all week for a while' and a couple of guys said, 'This re-energized us. We're ready to go back.' "

BRONCOS: RG Chris Kuper (left ankle) was helped off in the third quarter.

BROWNS: DT Phil Taylor started after missing the first eight games with a torn chest muscle. … Executive VP Bryan Wiedmeier attended his first game since having surgery Oct. 26 to have a brain tumor removed.

COWBOYS: TE Jason Witten set the team record for receptions. He had five for 752 career; Hall-of-Fame WR Michael Irvin had 750.

FALCONS: WR Roddy White had seven catches to break Terance Mathis' career team record of 573. White has 577.

LIONS: QB Matthew Stafford became the second-fastest to throw for 10,000 career yards, doing so in 37 games. Former Rams star Kurt Warner did it in 36.

PACKERS: LB Clay Matthews (hamstring), WR Jordy Nelson (ankle) and LB Bryan Bulaga (hip) left injured. "We need to get healthy, that's what bye weeks are for," coach Mike McCarthy said.

RAIDERS: DT Desmond Bryant was taken to a hospital in the second half against the Bucs because of a fast heartbeat; the team said it was a precaution.

REDSKINS: Coach Mike Shanahan essentially threw in the towel on the season, saying: "You lose a game like that, now you're playing to see who obviously is going to be on your football team for years to come."

SAINTS: Coach Sean Payton can be a free agent after this year despite a contract extension signed last year, ESPN reported. Jay Glazer of Fox said Payton told him he "absolutely plans" to stay.

SEAHAWKS: Starting OLB K.J. Wright (concussion) left early in the first quarter.

STEELERS: Leading WR Antonio Brown (left ankle) left in the first half.

Times wires

Times wires
Sunday, November 4, 2012

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Sometimes, real life intrudes on the games we play. And sometimes, we need those games to get away from real life.

In the wake of Hurricane Sandy and the destruction it brought to the Northeast, everyone on the Steelers and Giants understood that.

"There are so many bigger things going on around here that what we do is not as important as real life," Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger said Sunday after throwing for two touchdowns in a 24-20 comeback victory. "My thoughts and prayers go out to everyone else who are going through so much. There were so many emotions going on, I didn't know what to expect from it. But maybe we were able to take their minds off their problems just a little."

Isaac Redman, who had little relief with Pittsburgh's other two main backs injured, rushed for a career-best 147 yards and the winning 1-yard TD with 4:02 left.

The Steelers dominated the second half after they arrived in New Jersey hours before the game. Their long day began with a plane ride to New Jersey, a short side trip to their team hotel — they couldn't get enough rooms to stay in the area on Saturday night and needed a league travel waiver to arrive on game day — then on to the stadium.

"That's as disappointing a loss as we've had in a long time," Giants coach Tom Coughlin said. "Not to be overly reactionary or emotional, to play against a very good football team like that … we wanted emotionally to win the game so badly for obvious reasons, for our neighbors who are struggling, who needed some type of inspiration and we didn't provide it."

Giants linebacker Michael Boley sprinted 70 yards with a fumble recovery in the second quarter. Roethlisberger cocked his arm to throw and defensive end Osi Umenyiora hit it. The ball came loose and as the quarterback signaled his arm was coming forward, Boley sped down the right sideline. Video replay upheld the touchdown for a 14-7 New York lead.

Times wires
Sunday, November 4, 2012

Seahawks, Lynch win rushing duel

SEATTLE — Russell Wilson found himself admiring Adrian Peterson breaking tackles and Marshawn Lynch bullying through a pileup. The matchup between the NFL's top two rushers didn't disappoint.

The difference was Seattle's rookie QB.

Lynch ran for 124 yards and a touchdown, Wilson threw three first-half touchdowns, and the Seahawks overcame 182 yards by Peterson to beat the Vikings.

Peterson tore through the Seahawks defense for one of the finest games of his career yet was stuck being a spectator as Seattle pulled away in the fourth.

"I am a fan," Wilson said. "Watching those two guys run the football, you don't see it too often in this lifetime."

His passes in the fourth kept alive two long drives and capped another strong day. His 11-yard strike to Sidney Rice in the first quarter came when Wilson bought time moving out of the pocket then found Rice sprinting across the back of the end zone.

By Gary Shelton, Times Sports Columnist
Sunday, November 4, 2012

OAKLAND, Calif.

Why not the Bucs?

Why not now?

They are 4-4, and they are getting better by the week. The offense has never had this many weapons. The defense gives up acres at a time, but it manages to make big plays at crunch time. The team has won three of its past four, and it looks as if it has staked a claim on the future.

So why can't the Bucs be playoff contenders?

And why can't it be this year?

All at once, as quick as Doug Martin squirting through a hole and running to legitimacy, the Bucs are a real team again. If they have accomplished nothing else through the first half of this season, it is that they are willing to trade punches with anyone.

Yeah, it got a little turbulent in the late going Sunday, and there for a while the secondary looked like it was outnumbered. But the Bucs won again, 42-32 over the Raiders this time, and in so doing they allowed the dreamers to come up for air. Maybe, you thought. Maybe.

Did you glance at the standings this morning, and if so, what does that tell you? For a very long time, looking at the league standings has been a depressing notion for Bucs fans. These days, however, it's a reminder of just how far the Bucs have come, and how fast.

Look at the NFC and the Green Bay Packers are the only non­division leader with fewer losses than the Bucs.

What if the Bucs win next week against the Chargers? The following week against the Panthers?

How long before you believe in life after the regular season?

Around here, 4-4 looks a lot like hope. It looks like a cleansing of the past. It looks like a promise for the future. It looks like a very nice thing to say about the present.

"We keep talking about being 1-0 at the end of each individual season," coach Greg Schiano said. "I think if we keep doing that, we'll be in something. But we've got to do that. The minute you take your eye off of the immediate goal, I think you get yourself mixed up. I'm not naive that if you win enough games, you get in the tournament."

It has been some time since Bucs fans could even think that way. The team has made only two playoffs in the last decade, and it lost in the first round both times.

Given that, it's probably best Schiano preaches a little caution. On the other hand, the coach didn't have to live through the mud slide that concluded the 2011 season. That team seemed about a decade from a promising half-season. On the other hand, that team would have lost the Raiders game about a dozen ways.

"The one thing Coach has said — and it resonates with me because I'm 37 years old — is that he wants to win now," safety Ronde Barber said. "His mentality is that you are never promised tomorrow, so let's win now. That's what he preaches. That's how he handles each individual game. Guys are buying in. People believe that's how you win."

Said tackle Gerald McCoy: "Now. We want to win now."

Give Schiano credit for this: He has instilled a resiliency in this team that has been missing for a very long time. His team plays hard, and it plays tough, and it can overcome its shortcomings. It can get torched for a half by a quarterback such as Oakland's Carson Palmer and still make a standup defensive play to win the game.

Don't you like this team? Don't you like what you are seeing? Most of all, don't you like the young stars this franchise has finally imported?

Doug Martin? For two weeks now he has looked like Barry Sanders. With Martin, the end zone never looks very far away, does it? If anyone in the league can catch Robert Griffin III for rookie of the year, it is Martin.

Josh Freeman? Freeman hung up his fourth straight game with a 100-plus quarterback rating on Sunday. Suddenly he is Free-Wheeling Freeman.

Mike Williams? Gerald McCoy? Lavonte David? Mark Barron? Mason Foster?

Here's a warming thought: They're all younger than 25 years old.

So who says rebuilding takes time? Who says you shouldn't glance at the schedule ahead and wonder? Maybe it's time to stop the chatter about rebuilding and think about production.

"At the first of the season, I didn't know the team," Schiano said. "But I knew they worked awfully hard and we had some really good players. I thought if we went out and executed and did our job, we had a chance to win. In this league, that's what it's about. The talent differential is not very big."

No one is saying the Bucs are a finished product. There are moments when they look like a bloodied fighter holding on for the bell. There are areas where they remain short of talent.

But the Bucs are better this week than last, and they were better last week than the week before.

Don't you wonder how good they will be next week?

Listen to Gary Shelton weekdays from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. on 98.7-FM the Fan.