Times wires
Saturday, November 10, 2012

Tennis

Del potro gets past federer for semis spot

LONDON — Juan del Potro earned the last spot in the semifinals of the season-ending ATP Finals by beating the already-qualified Roger Federer 7-6 (7-3), 4-6, 6-3 Saturday in their last round-robin match. Del Potro faces Novak Djokovic today, and Federer takes on Andy Murray.

It was Federer's second straight loss to Del Potro, who beat him in the final at Basel last month. "Just was thinking about my match, doing the same things like in Basel," del Potro said. It was Federer's first loss in the Finals, for the world's top eight players, since 2009.

ET cetera

NHL: Representatives of the league and locked-out union had a lunch that was described as pleasant the day after the fourth straight day of formal negotiations ended in acrimony. No formal session was held.

Soccer: Host UCF beat Miami in penalty kicks to advance to the second round of the NCAA women's tournament against host Florida on Friday. The game was 1-1 after regulation and extra time. Texas Tech beat North Texas 2-0 to advance to face host Florida State on Friday. … Manchester United beat Aston Villa 3-2 and extended its English Premier League lead to four points.

Winter sports: In Alpine skiing, Germany's Maria Hoefl-Riesch won the season's first World Cup slalom at Levi, Finland. Defending overall Cup champion Lindsey Vonn skipped the race. … In figure skating's Rostelecom Cup at Moscow, Finland's Kiira Korpi won the women's title, with Americans Gracie Gold and Agnes Zawadzki second and third. Canada's Patrick Chan won the men's, and former U.S. champ Johnny Weir, 10th and last after the short program in his return from a two-season layoff, dropped out, citing a knee injury. Caydee Denney of Wesley Chapel and John Coughlin were third in pairs.

Boxing: Wladimir Klitschko kept his WBA, IBF and WBO heavyweight titles with a unanimous win over Mariusz Wach at Hamburg, Germany.

Greyhounds: Flying Soriano, the longest shot at 16-1, overtook Lily Rose to win the $20,000 Fall Juvenile Stakes at Derby Lane in St. Petersburg. It was the first career stakes victory for Red Oak Racing kennel manager-trainer Alex Hall. Flying Dimarco was third.

Swimming: Missy Franklin won the 50-yard freestyle and the 100 backstroke, and fellow Olympic gold medalist Ryan Lochte took the men's 100 back at the Minneapolis Grand Prix. Becca Mann, who trains in Clearwater, won the 200 butterfly.

Don Jensen, Times correspondent; Times wires

Saturday, November 10, 2012

ORLANDO — When the moment Tampa Prep's Rasmus Skjaerpe had been dreaming about finally came, when a gold medal was finally being draped around his neck, the junior finally showed some emotion.

Onto his normally stoic face sneaked a giddy smile as Skjaerpe heard his name called Saturday as the Class A state champion in the 200-yard freestyle.

"I tried to stay relaxed as much as I could," Skjaerpe said. "I knew it was going to be close. It was a relief to know I did it and to finally have a state title."

There were adjustments Skjaerpe had to make to achieve his goal. After placing second in the 200 individual medley last year, Skjaerpe switched to the 200 free this offseason after dramatically improving his freestyle stroke. Terrapins coach Jason Bowes also pulled Skjaerpe out of the finals of the 200 medley relay Saturday night so he could concentrate on his individual events.

Skjaerpe also had to overcome obstacles. In the spring, he strained ligaments in both of his shoulders and still has to go through rehabilitation sessions three days a week.

"Rasmus has really matured a lot and had to battle through a tough year to get to this point," Bowes said. "If you would have said a year ago that Rasmus would be a state champion in the 200 free, I don't think he would have believed it. That's a tribute to his dedication."

When Skjaerpe touched the wall in the 200 free, well clear of his opponents in a race he has dominated this season, he turned to see that he had set a personal best in 1 minute, 38.20 seconds.

"I knew a lot of people were close to me," Skjaerpe said. "In the last 50 yards, I just tried to go as fast I could."

Skjaerpe was the runnerup in the 100 fly, swimming a personal best of 49.08. He also teamed with Gregory Campo, Zach Bermeister and Alex Blustein to finish seventh in the 400 free relay in 3:17.

Tampa Prep's 200 medley relay of Van Cates, Blustein, Campo and Bermeister was sixth in 1:41.65. The Terrapins finished eighth overall with 99.5 points.

Berkeley Prep's Graham Olney was eighth in the 100 back (54.73).

On the girls side, the Buccaneers' Stephanie Punzak was seventh in diving with 364.85 points.

Jacksonville Bolles won its 25th straight boys team title (512) and 22nd straight girls title (408.5). The Bulldogs boys made virtual mincemeat of the record books, setting national high school marks in the 200 medley relay (1:28.02), 100 fly (Jose Schooling, 46.40), 200 free relay (1:19.27), 100 back (Ryan Murphy, 45.34) and the 400 free relay (2:54.43).

Times wires
Saturday, November 10, 2012

AVONDALE, Ariz. — Paul Wolfe is, in fact, a lone Wolfe.

Driver Brad Keselowski is young, brash — his competitors may say arrogant and unrepentant — loves social media and has no qualms drawing attention to himself.

Wolfe, his Sprint Cup crew chief, is the opposite.

"I don't know what most people in the garage's perception of me is now but I can probably come across as a jerk, just because I'm quiet," said Wolfe, his voice barely audible over the roar of practice at Phoenix International Raceway.

"I'm quiet. I keep to myself. … I feel like when I come to the racetrack, I'm here to do my job and I try to do it the best way I know how."

Keselowski, who enters today's AdvoCare 500 well within striking distance of his first championship, shares the objective even if his path is different.

Keselowski isn't afraid to engage fans or fellow competitors on hot topics. NASCAR fined him for criticizing its move to fuel-injection technology last season. And he has drawn the ire of many drivers, including public run-ins with Denny Hamlin, Carl Edwards and others.

Those actions might seem to run counter to the well-ordered, nose-to-the-grindstone operation Wolfe runs with Penske Racing's No. 2 Dodge team.

But here's a little secret.

"I don't really tell Brad this but probably 90 percent of the time the stuff he puts out there, I — me and the team — believe is true," Wolfe said.

"We've gotten to the point now where if Brad is running his mouth, he usually goes out there the next day and backs it up. You have to respect that about him."

Keselowski, 28, and Wolfe won the 2010 Nationwide series championship together. Since they joined forces in Cup in 2011, they have risen quickly, with three victories last year and five in 2012.

After finishing second last week at Texas, losing the lead late to Johnson, Keselowski asked Wolfe to keep his team "pumped up" and to remind them he wasn't giving up. None of that was necessary, Wolfe said.

"The guys on my race team are not the type of guys that need people to be patting them on the back. They're all racers, they work hard," he said.

For Wolfe, that comes from his background. He began as a driver, often working on his own cars. He made 16 starts in the Nationwide series and more than 40 starts in lower series. Wolfe, 35, first moved into the role of crew chief when he drove for Fitz-Bradshaw Racing.

There are so many ways Keselowski and Wolfe are different. Yet, they remain the same in one big way — performance.

"I think that he and I have a very special dynamic that's hard to quantify," Keselowski said. "It's a relationship where over time it's built on trust and every step you take, every day that you work together or live around each other, you go through those moments where you're challenged and you're looking at each other to react. … And each instance I feel like he and I have done a really good job of taking adversity and fighting through it, becoming stronger from it and making better decisions."

Times wires
Saturday, November 10, 2012

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. — A couple of defensive stands to start the third quarter had Miami feeling pretty good at Virginia. The Hurricanes were feeling even better after quarterback Stephen Morris led two touchdown drives that gave them a 38-28 lead.

Then Virginia put the ball in the hands of quarterback Michael Rocco.

Rocco led two fourth-quarter touchdown drives that included a winning 10-yard touchdown pass to Jake McGee with 6 seconds to play, and the Cavaliers stunned the Hurricanes 41-40 Saturday.

"They were calling the right plays, and at the end it just slipped away from us," said Miami defensive back Ladarius Gunter.

The Cavaliers' final drive covered 87 yards and 16 plays, and left coach Al Golden lamenting the inability of Miami (5-5, 4-3 ACC) to do anything on offense after a safety and a free kick had set it up at the Virginia 49-yard line.

On third and 6, Miami handed the ball to freshman Duke Johnson, who had been impressive all game. But he was stopped after a 2-yard run by Hokie linebackers, LaRoy Reynolds and Steve Greer.

"I gave (Johnson) the ball in the end on third and 5 because I thought he was the guy that could make them miss and get us the first down," said Golden, a former Virginia assistant. "We knew that they were bringing pressure and thought it was a safe bet inside, and it's unfortunate that we came up short."

Golden also was not happy with his team's inability to stop Virginia (4-6, 2-4).

"It was terrible," Golden said of allowing Virginia to convert nine of 14 third-down plays. "I think we were near 50 percent on offense, and I don't know if we stopped them at all on defense."

Miami lost despite three touchdown passes from Morris and Johnson's big day. The freshman ran for 150 yards, returned a kickoff for a touchdown and threw a TD pass.

But in the end, this day belonged to Rocco.

He threw four touchdown passes in all, and Virginia won its second in a row after a six-game losing streak. It was the Cavaliers' third straight win against the Hurricanes.

The loss also means the Hurricanes need a victory at Duke on Nov. 24 to win their first Coastal Division title and a spot in the ACC Championship Game., possibly against Florida State. The school is still determining whether it would accept the berth or self-impose a postseason ban for the second season in a row while an NCAA investigation into its compliance practices continues.

Miami was without four starters, including second-leading receiver Rashawn Scott, who was suspended indefinitely before the game for violating team rules, the school said. No details were available.

Scott has 35 catches for 512 yards and three touchdowns.

Starting linebacker Denzel Perryman (ankle) and safety Deon Bush (shoulder) stayed home, as did linebacker Eddie Johnson (disciplinary reasons).

Times wires
Saturday, November 10, 2012

BOSTON — Everett Golson ran for a touchdown and threw for two Saturday night to help No. 4 Notre Dame beat Boston College 21-6 and keep its national title hopes intact.

Taking the field an hour after top-ranked Alabama lost to No. 15 Texas A&M, the Fighting Irish remained unbeaten and in the hunt for a spot in the BCS title game. They also eased past a longtime rival that had twice before spoiled its title hopes.

Golson completed 16-of-24 for 200 yards, hitting tight end Troy Niklas for a 7-yard touchdown at the end of the first half and receiver John Goodman from 18 yards out early in the second. Manti Te'o grabbed his sixth interception of the season, a school record for a linebacker.

Theo Riddick ran 18 times for 104 yards and caught six passes for 67 more for the Irish, who are 10-0 for the first time since 1993. That year, BC's David Gordon hit a 41-yard field goal as time expired to beat No. 1 Notre Dame and end its perfect season in the finale. In 2002, the Irish were 8-0 and No. 4 when the unranked Eagles won 14-7 in South Bend.

Yellow Jackets win in record shootout

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — They score 118 points all the time in the ACC — on the basketball court, not the football field.

Georgia Tech and North Carolina blew up the scoreboard in the highest-scoring game in ACC history, the Yellow Jackets earning a 68-50 victory.

The 118 points surpassed the 110 of Virginia's 63-47 victory over Tulane in 1968.

Georgia Tech's Robert Godhigh rushed for two touchdowns and caught one. Jamal Golden returned a kickoff 100 yards for a score, and backup quarterback Vad Lee rushed for 112 yards and two touchdowns and threw for a touchdown.

"We were just out there scoring," Georgia Tech running back Orwin Smith said. "It was touchdown for touchdown. It was a shootout, basically."

UNC had never allowed that many points at home.

"If I would have saw that coming," Tar Heels coach Larry Fedora said, "I probably wouldn't have shown up."

No. 10 Clemson 45, Maryland 10: Tajh Boyd threw for 261 yards and three touchdowns for the Tigers, who set a school record with their 12th consecutive home victory. They won 11 consecutive from 1937-42 and 1989-91. Twelve seconds after Boyd hit Adam Humphries for a 13-yard score, end Corey Crawford forced and returned quarterback Shawn Petty's fumble 16 yards for a score. Soon after another Petty fumble, Boyd hit DeAndre Hopkins for a 28-yard score. The only downer for the Tigers was All-America receiver Sammy Watkins sustaining a lower-leg injury on a second-quarter catch. But he said he could have returned if needed.

N.C. State 37, Wake 6: Mike Glennon threw two touchdowns for the host Wolfpack. N.C. State led 17-0 in the first quarter, and Tobais Palmer made it 24-6 when he tied a school record by returning the second-half kickoff 100 yards.

Times staff
Saturday, November 10, 2012

TODAY

College basketball

Youngstown State at Georgia, 7 p.m., ESPNU

Central Michigan at Iowa, 7:30 p.m., Big Ten

Troy at Texas A&M, 8 p.m., Sun Sports

Morehead State at Maryland, 8 p.m., FSN

IUPUI at Michigan, 9 p.m., ESPNU

West Virginia at Gonzaga, midnight, ESPN

Davidson at New Mexico, 2 a.m. Monday, ESPN

Houston Baptist at Hawaii, 4 a.m. Monday, ESPN

Stony Brook at Rider, 6 a.m. Monday, ESPN

Hockey

Russia vs. OHL, 7 p.m., NHL

NFL

Chiefs at Steelers, 8:30 p.m., ESPN, ESPND; 98.7-FM, 1010-AM

Soccer

FA Cup: York City at Wimbledon, 2:30 p.m., FSC

Tennis

ATP: World Tour Finals: Djokovic vs. Federer, 3 p.m., ESPN2

TV: ESPND: ESPN Deportes; FSC: Fox Soccer Channel; FSN: Fox Sports Net.

By Josh Jurnovoy, Times Correspondent
Saturday, November 10, 2012

GAINESVILLE — Jacoby Brissett easily could've gotten complacent.

He hadn't played a meaningful down since fellow sophomore quarterback Jeff Driskel was named Florida's starter after the opening win over Bowling Green.

Rather than be idle, Brissett listened to advice from coach Will Muschamp, and in turn his performance helped bail out a stagnant offense in Saturday's 27-20 win over Louisiana-Lafayette.

"You're one snap away," Muschamp said. "That had been his approach."

With the Gators leading 13-10 late in the third quarter, Driskel sprained his ankle after being tackled for no gain on a keeper. Brissett completed a 1-yard pass on third down to running back Mike Gillislee on his first play. On the next play the Ragin' Cajuns blocked a punt and returned it for a touchdown and a 17-13 lead.

On their next three drives, the Gators mustered 9 yards on 11 plays. Brissett overthrew Frankie Hammond Jr. on a deep ball down the left sideline that would've put Florida inside of ULL's 10-yard line.

"I felt like I should've just bulleted it into him," Brissett said. "I put too much air on it and it got away from me."

Then on third down with Florida trailing 20-13, Brissett found tight end Jordan Reed open deep down the middle for 39 yards to the Ragin' Cajuns' 3-yard line. On the next play, Brissett rolled right and found receiver Quinton Dunbar open in the back of the end zone to tie the score at 20.

Reed was impressed with Brissett's ability to play after being inactive for so long.

"That says he is a great player and always working," Reed said. "I always see him in the film room whether he is starting or not."

Brissett's teammates took notice of his positive attitude after he lost the battle for the starting job.

"Not once have I seen him complain or cause a problem in the locker room or say anything bad about Driskel or anything," safety Josh Evans said last week. "He's just a good teammate. He's a great player."

Brissett finished 6-for-8 passing for 64 yards and a touchdown. He took no pleasure in the circumstance in which he entered, but he was glad he could come through.

"It's bad that it happened to Jeff at that point in time in the season," Brissett said. "But with coaches feeling that (I was) one snap away, I had to make sure that when I got my chance to make a fool of myself that I came out and did what I had to do."

Times wires
Saturday, November 10, 2012

SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Ryan Nassib threw for 246 yards and three touchdowns in his final home game as Syracuse handed No. 11 Louisville its first loss of the season, 45-26 on Saturday.

The senior led an offense that gained 524 yards. He surpassed Donovan McNabb for second in passing yards in school history (behind Marvin Graves), set a Big East record by reaching 738 completions and set a school season record with 3,114 yards of offense.

"We played mistake-free football, just tried to play our game and not do too much and had fun doing it," Nassib said.

Sophomore Teddy Bridgewater was 36-of-49 for 426 yards and three touchdowns for Louisville, which fell into second in the Big East, behind Rutgers, by allowing a season high in points. It can still win the league by beating Connecticut and Rutgers.

"This was the worst game we ever played. They came out and got us," Louisville safety Hakeem Smith said. "There's not a lot of talking (in the locker room) right now. We just have to push on. We're going to bounce back."

The Orange racked up 339 yards of offense in the first half in taking a 31-13 lead. Nassib threw two touchdown passes to Alec Lemon.

"We knew coming in Louisville plays man to man," said Lemon, who caught nine passes for 176 yards. "It came down to who wanted it more. We harped on it a lot: We need to win every play."

No. 24 Rutgers 28, Army 7: The host Scarlet Knights scored three touchdowns over the final nine minutes. Tied at 7, the Black Knights' Chris Boldt shanked a 9-yard punt to the Army 45-yard line. That set up Brandon Coleman's second touchdown catch of the game, a 31-yarder. After a three-and-out, Army sailed a snap over its punter's head, setting up Rutgers at the 1. Savon Huggins ran it in from the 2. Safety Duron Harmon returned a fumble 73 yards in the final minute.

Cincinnati 34, Temple 10: The visiting Bearcats scored on four of their final five first-half possessions. Senior quarterback Brendon Kay made his first career start, replacing ineffective Munchie Legaux. He was 13-for-21 for 244 yards and touchdowns of 75 and 65 yards, and ran seven times for 71 yards.

Times wires
Saturday, November 10, 2012

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Johnny Football and SEC newcomer Texas A&M took down the biggest bully in their new neighborhood and left No. 1 Alabama with badly bruised national title hopes.

Johnny Manziel, better known around Texas as Johnny Football, staked the No. 15 Aggies to a 20-point lead in the first quarter, then Texas A&M held on to beat the No. 1 Crimson Tide 29-24 Saturday.

The freshman passed for 253 yards and rushed for 92.

"No moment is too big for him," first-year Aggies coach Kevin Sumlin said.

Alabama did win last season's national title after losing at home to LSU.

"Two of the three national championship teams that I coached lost a game," said Tide coach Nick Saban, who won a title at LSU after losing two regular-season games. "This team still has an opportunity to win the West and go to the SEC Championship Game and win a championship. There's still a lot for this team to play for."

A.J. McCarron, who rescued Alabama last week with a 28-yard touchdown pass in the final minute for a 21-17 win at LSU, breathed life into Alabama with a 54-yard touchdown down the left sideline to Amari Cooper to make it 29-24 with 4:29 left.

A three-and-out by the Aggies put the ball in McCarron's hands again. He opened at the 40 with a 54-yard pass to Kenny Bell to the 6. But on fourth and goal, he rolled right and was intercepted by cornerback Deshazor Everett with 1:36 remaining.

Alabama forced a punt with less than a minute left, but A&M did not have to kick. On fourth down, the Tide was penalized for being offside, giving A&M a first down and a chance to kneel out the clock.

"The players were told, 'Make sure you stay onside. They are going to try to get you to jump offside with a shift or a motion or something,' " Saban said.

McCarron completed 21 of 34 passes for 309 yards but also was intercepted twice, ending his streak without one at 291 passes.

The Aggies, who came from the Big 12, previously had lost to top-10 teams LSU and Florida by a combined eight points, proving they're already challengers in the powerhouse SEC.

"We played with a chip on our shoulder," receiver Ryan Swope said. "We were just trying to make a statement that we could compete with anybody in this league."

Manziel completed 24 of 31 passes with two touchdowns and ran 18 times, including four sacks.

He kept finding Swope. They hooked up 11 times for 111 yards and a 10-yard touchdown in which Manziel bobbled the ball as defenders swarmed him, reversed field and spotted Swope alone in the back of the end zone.

The Aggies' first-quarter touchdown drives, giving them a 20-0 lead, stunned the Bryant-Denny Stadium crowd of 101,821. Christine Michael had a pair of 1-yard touchdown runs in the quarter along with Swope's touchdown.

"We weren't stunned at all," Tide linebacker C.J. Mosley said. "As a defense, we knew they were going to make plays. That's what their offense depends on. They got a great quarterback. They got a great running back. We just have to settle down and play Alabama football."

The rest of the game was an emotional roller coaster for Alabama fans who might have believed LSU was the toughest test on the road to another title.

Instead, it came a week later.

Said Saban: "They played a tremendous game and certainly outplayed us."

By Antonya English, Times Staff Writer
Saturday, November 10, 2012

GAINESVILLE — In the midst of the euphoria that comes with scoring two touchdowns in less than two minutes to win, Florida coach Will Muschamp didn't shy away from a problem that continues to plague the Gators: penalties.

"The penalties just killed us in the game, and they were penalties," Muschamp said. "We've talked about it, we've emphasized it every day, in every situation we could. We've benched guys, we've done everything we can do. I'm going to find another way, I don't know."

Florida was penalized 10 times for 79 yards in Saturday's 27-20 victory over Louisiana-Lafayette. Some penalties extended ULL drives, eventually ending in scores. Some negated big gains for Florida. All are starting to take a toll. Muschamp said he and his staff will meet this morning to evaluate the mistakes, but ultimately it's up to the players.

"The players need to understand that they need to take some responsibility, that's what I told them in the locker room," Muschamp said. "We've got to get over this. We have to get over jumping offsides on third and 10. Eventually, as a player you have to look in the mirror and realize that you need to play smarter. We're going to keep holding them accountable and do what we've got to do. We're doing all we can do."

INJURY UPDATE: Sophomore QB Jeff Driskel (ankle), OL Ian Silberman (shoulder), LB Neiron Ball (ankle) and DB Valdez Showers (shoulder) were all injured. Muschamp said he had no update on the severity of the injuries. OL Xavier Nixon missed his second game with a knee injury, and DT Leon Orr out of Gulf High will most likely miss the final two games of the regular season after contracting a kidney infection. Orr missed last week's game against Missouri with the flu.

BAER'S RECORD: When Ragin' Cajuns K Brett Baer hit a 22-yard field goal with 13:11 remaining, it gave them a 20-13 lead and Baer a unique distinction. He became the NCAA's all-time leading kicker in career accuracy; he has made 40-of-45 (.889). And who has he surpassed? Former Florida Gator Bobby Raymond, who was 43-of-49 (.878) from 1983-84.

BY THE NUMBERS: Saturday's win was UF's sixth straight at home, its longest active streak since the Gators went undefeated at home in 2009. Junior TE Jordan Reed had five catches for a career-best 85 yards for the Gators. Sophomore Kyle Christy had three punts of more than 50 yards — 58, 55 and 50 and averaged 45.6 yards per punt. WR Quinton Dunbar has had a catch in 13 straight games dating to the South Carolina game in 2011.

QUOTE OF THE DAY: "In all my years of playing football I've never seen a touchdown like that. I went ballistic. At the end of the day, it doesn't matter how the win came about, it came about." — Sharrif Floyd, Gators defensive lineman, on the winning touchdown coming off a blocked punt. Floyd, a junior, forced a fumble in the game.

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

Times wires
Saturday, November 10, 2012

AUBURN, Ala. — Aaron Murray passed for 208 yards and three touchdowns and freshmen Todd Gurley and Keith Marshall ran for more than 100 yards as No. 5 Georgia routed Auburn 38-0 and clinched a berth in the SEC title game on Saturday.

The Bulldogs allowed just 238 yards, 57 rushing.

"It's what you see," embattled Auburn coach Gene Chizik said. "It's just been one of those years where it has kind of snowballed in momentum and we haven't been able to catch any."

By the start of the fourth quarter, Georgia's fans were the majority in Jordan-Hare Stadium. After the game, their players rushed to corner of the end zone to celebrate with them.

"It was awesome," said Murray, a graduate of Tampa's Plant High. "We looked up midway through the third quarter and I was like, 'Man, we've got more fans here than they do right now.' "

No. 9 LSU 37, No. 23 Miss. St. 17: A week after throwing for a career-high 298 yards, Zach Mettenberger went for 273 and two touchdowns for the host Tigers. He strung together completions of 15, 36 and 20 yards during the final minute of the first half, the last a diving touchdown catch by Spencer Ware that made it 20-10. The Bulldogs cut it to 20-17, but J.C. Copeland's 1-yard run and Craig Loston 100-yard interception return sealed it. Mississippi State has lost three in a row, all to ranked teams.

No. 12 S. Carolina 38, Ark. 20: Connor Shaw threw for two touchdowns and ran for one for the host Gamecocks, who won six SEC games for only the second time in their 20 seasons in the conference. But South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier didn't celebrate. "We're not an all-powerful team," he said, citing dropped passes and a running game that barely surpassed 100 yards. "Arkansas, as we know, has some issues. They don't know who their coach is going to be next year. That's hard for the players."

Missouri 51, Tenn. 48 4 OTs: Dorial Green-Beckham caught a 25-yard tying touchdown on fourth and 12 with 47 seconds left in regulation then Andrew Baggett's 35-yard field goal won it for the visiting Tigers. Tennessee has lost 13 of its past 14 SEC games. Each team scored touchdowns in the first three overtimes, including Vols holder Tyler Drummer running 5 yards on a fake field goal in the second, and both failed on two-point conversions in the third. But Missouri stopped a fourth and 3 from its 18 before Baggett won it.

Vandy 27, Miss. 26: Chris Boyd's 26-yard touchdown catch with 52 seconds left lifted the visiting Commodores. Vanderbilt, which trailed 23-6 in the third, is bowl eligible for the second straight season for the first time ever.

By Greg Auman, Times Staff Writer
Saturday, November 10, 2012

TAMPA — Trailing Stetson 38-37 with 15 minutes left Saturday afternoon, the USF women's team turned up its defense and pulled away to a 70-48 win, ending on a 33-10 run in its opener in the Sun Dome.

The Bulls got a spark with three backcourt steals in 19 seconds, leading to six quick points to start an 11-0 run. USF outrebounded Stetson 60-35, led by Tahira Johnson's career-best 13.

Coach Jose Fernandez liked that his team shook off its first 25 minutes.

"We won by 22 and didn't play very well. When you look at the score, it's a little misleading," Fernandez said. "You won by 22, but you were down by one with 15 minutes to go. … I think our defensive intensity and our speed and our depth wore them down a little. You get some steals, you feed off your defense a little bit."

USF got a promising return from senior guard Andrea Smith, who played for the first time since tearing an ACL at the end of the 2010-11 season. She had a game-high 18 points and four steals.

"It felt really good to be out there and do something I've been missing for a long time," Smith said. "Just coming out there, feeding off my teammates, their intensity and hard work, it made me want to go out there and give it all I had."

Freshman Courtney Williams, who started at point guard, had nine points. Backup Kaneisha Saunders had four assists against Stetson (0-2).

NO. 6 KENTUCKY 90, DELAWARE ST. 50: A'dia Mathies scored 16 for the host Wildcats (1-0), who cruised in a warmup for Tuesday's showdown with No. 1 Baylor.

NO. 12 OKLA. 69, CREIGHTON 48: Aaryn Ellenberg had 19 points and Whitney Hand had 14 points and eight rebounds for the visiting Sooners in their opener.

NO. 16 VANDY 82, MCNEESE ST. 71: Tiffany Clarke scored 14 of her 24 in the second half for the host Commodores in the opener for both.

NO. 21 PURDUE 82, SC-UPSTATE 47: KK Houser had 17 points, leading four players in double figures for the host Boilermakers in their opener.

DAYTON 92, NO. 25 DEPAUL 80: Amber Deane scored 27 to lead the visiting Flyers (2-0) in the final of the Maggie Dixon Classic. Jasmine Penny led the Blue Demons (1-1) with 20 points.

TAMPA 73, VA. INTERMONT 49: Freshman Juliana Cavallaro led all scorers with 26 as the host Spartans (2-0) won for the second time in two nights at the Spartans' Challenge.

AVE MARIA 69, SAINT LEO 58: The Lions took their first loss in the Spartans' Challenge. Chelsea Connelly had 12 points and a team-high 14 rebounds for Saint Leo (1-1).

LATE FRIDAY: Eckerd lost 68-57 at Armstrong Atlantic in Savannah, Ga. Junior Liga Vente had 16 points and 14 rebounds for the Tritons (0-2).

Men

NO. 15 MISSOURI 83, SIU EDWARDSVILLE 69: Laurence Bowers had 20 points and seven rebounds in his return after missing last season with a knee injury for the host Tigers. Bowers outscored the Cougars 10-2 by himself in a two-minute stretch early in the second half for Missouri (1-0).

NO. 22 ND 58, EVANSVILLE 49: Jack Cooley scored the first nine points of the game and finished with 19 and Scott Martin pulled down 17 rebounds for host Notre Dame (1-0) in the Coaches vs. Cancer Classic.

LATE FRIDAY: Jordan Adams scored 21 in his college debut and fellow newcomer Kyle Anderson had 10 points and 10 rebounds as No. 13 UCLA defeated visiting Indiana State 86-59 in the opener for both.

Information from Times wires was used in this report.

Times wires
Saturday, November 10, 2012

LOS ANGELES —The Lakers, who showed Phil Jackson the door in 2004 and rehired him as coach in 2005, are considering completing the cycle again after firing his latest successor, Mike Brown, one season and five games into a four-year, $18 million contract.

Jackson met Saturday with general manager Mitch Kupchak and executive vice president Jim Buss, and the three agreed to talk again in a couple of days, the team said on its website, a day after it fired Brown in the wake of a 1-4 start.

There was no comment from Jackson, 67. He lives in Playa del Rey, Calif., minutes from the Lakers' practice center, and is still in a relationship with owner Jerry Buss' daughter, Jeanie.

Former Knicks coach Mike D'Antoni was also on the Lakers' shortlist, but he had not been contacted as of midday Saturday, the New York Times reported.

Kupchak said the Lakers are likely to hire a veteran coach who isn't currently employed.

The job is Jackson's if he wants it, the New York Times and ESPN said. Jackson would require Jim Buss to once again relinquish the organizational reins but this time hand them to him rather than back to Kupchak, Comcast Sportsnet reported.

If Jackson returns, it likely would be for a two-year deal, ESPN reported.

Since leaving the Lakers in 2011, Jackson has tried to find a front-office role with several teams but has received no offers.

When his first Lakers contract expired in 2004, Jackson intended to retire, having won three titles with them before Detroit ended their turbulent season in the NBA Finals. Never­theless, he was surprised when Jerry Buss made no attempt to persuade him to stay.

The next season, with center Shaquille O'Neal gone, new coach Rudy Tomjanovich bolted 43 games into his five-year, $30 million contract and the team fell to 34-48. Jackson signed a three-year, $36 million deal, the highest coaching salary in NBA history, to return.

Jackson wound up staying six more seasons, and the Lakers won titles in 2009 and 2010. With his contract up after their 2011 second-round playoff sweep by Dallas, Jackson retired again.

In their first game without Brown — whose new Princeton offense had been the subject of much Lakers grumbling in the young season — the Lakers beat the Warriors 101-77 at home late Friday behind assistant-turned-interim-head-coach Bernie Bickerstaff. The crowd at Staples Center broke out its first chant of "We want Phil" during the third quarter.

Bickerstaff gave the players Saturday off. He will coach tonight's game against Sacramento, the Lakers said.

Lakers star Kobe Bryant made it clear he thinks the team could switch gears and win quickly if Jackson returned with the triangle offense that made him arguably the greatest coach in NBA history with 11 championships, five with the Lakers.

"Are you doubting the Zen Master?" Bryant said after Friday's game. "Knowing him the way I do, I think it's really just a matter of health, if he feels physically up to doing it. He's a perfectionist. We all know he's a perfectionist. If he feels like he can come in here and give what he demands from himself, then I think he would be interested."

Bryant has stayed in contact with Jackson during the coach's retirement.

"A lot of it is Phil's fault," Bryant said of the struggles of the coach's successors. "He teaches guys to be thinkers. He teaches us the little nuances, the details and the intricacies of the game that just a lot of people don't know. It's no fault of their own."

Meanwhile, Brown got a vote of support from LeBron James, who was coached by him for five years with the Cavaliers. "I think (the firing is) unfortunate," James said. "I just don't think he got a fair shake, honestly. With the shortened season last year (because of the lockout), and five games into this year, he didn't really get a full season."

Rockets' McHale takes leave of absence

Rockets coach Kevin McHale has taken an indefinite leave of absence to deal with a family matter. Assistant coach Kelvin Sampson will be in charge while McHale is out, the team said.

"Kevin is a devoted family man who is needed back home in Minnesota at the moment," general manager Daryl Morey said in a statement.

"The Rockets organization will keep Kevin and his family in our thoughts and prayers during this difficult time."

He didn't provide details of the situation.

Sampson said he addressed the players in a film session Saturday afternoon and he hoped they could use the situation as a positive. Houston was 2-3 entering Saturday's late game against Detroit.

"We lost our leader," Sampson said. "I think we can use this as a catalyst to bring us together and fight for him."

game highlights: Paul George scored 20 and the host Pacers kept the Wizards winless with an 89-85 win. … The 76ers won their third straight, 93-83 over Toronto. All three victories have come on the road, the first time the 76ers have such a streak since February 2003.

around the league: Bulls starting guard Kirk Hinrich, signed in the offseason, in part to fill in for injured star point guard Derrick Rose, left a game against the Timberwolves with a right hip strain. Rose, recovering from torn ligaments in his left knee, is not expected to return until January at the earliest.

INDIANA 89, WASHINGTON 85

WASHINGTON (85): Ariza 2-5 0-0 4, Booker 5-11 0-0 10, Okafor 8-18 1-2 17, Price 5-12 0-0 12, Beal 6-11 2-3 17, Vesely 0-1 0-0 0, Pargo 0-1 0-0 0, Seraphin 2-7 0-0 4, Webster 2-4 2-2 8, Crawford 3-6 0-0 9, Singleton 2-3 0-0 4. Totals 35-79 5-7 85.

INDIANA (89): George 8-12 2-2 20, West 4-16 3-3 11, Hibbert 3-15 1-2 7, Hill 3-9 1-2 8, Stephenson 5-7 0-0 12, Green 6-12 2-2 15, T.Hansbrough 1-2 4-12 6, Mahinmi 3-4 1-1 7, Augustin 1-3 0-0 3. Totals 34-80 14-24 89.

Washington 22 27 23 13— 85

Indiana 23 26 21 19— 89

3-Point Goals—Washington 10-24 (Beal 3-3, Crawford 3-6, Webster 2-4, Price 2-7, Pargo 0-1, Singleton 0-1, Ariza 0-2), Indiana 7-16 (Stephenson 2-2, George 2-5, Augustin 1-2, Hill 1-3, Green 1-4). Fouled Out—None. Rebounds—Washington 45 (Okafor 8), Indiana 57 (Hibbert 12). Assists—Washington 26 (Price 14), Indiana 16 (Hill 5). Total Fouls—Washington 21, Indiana 12. Technicals—Singleton, West. A—12,036 (18,165).

PHILADELPHIA 93, TORONTO 83

PHILADELPHIA (93): T.Young 5-11 6-6 16, Wright 5-12 1-1 15, Allen 0-5 0-0 0, Turner 2-7 4-5 8, Holiday 6-11 3-5 16, Hawes 5-10 2-4 12, N.Young 7-12 1-2 16, Ivey 3-3 2-2 8, Wilkins 1-2 0-0 2. Totals 34-73 19-25 93.

TORONTO (83): Anderson 3-8 0-0 7, Bargnani 9-19 2-4 23, Valanciunas 3-6 2-2 8, Calderon 5-11 0-0 14, DeRozan 6-17 6-8 19, Johnson 1-2 0-0 2, Ross 2-5 0-0 6, Lucas 1-7 1-2 4, Davis 0-1 0-0 0, Kleiza 0-1 0-0 0, McGuire 0-2 0-0 0. Totals 30-79 11-16 83.

Philadelphia 20 32 17 24— 93

Toronto 26 7 29 21— 83

3-Point Goals—Philadelphia 6-14 (Wright 4-8, Holiday 1-1, N.Young 1-4, Turner 0-1), Toronto 12-26 (Calderon 4-7, Bargnani 3-6, Ross 2-5, DeRozan 1-1, Lucas 1-1, Anderson 1-5, Kleiza 0-1). Fouled Out—None. Rebounds—Philadelphia 54 (Turner 12), Toronto 45 (Valanciunas 8). Assists—Philadelphia 21 (Ivey, Holiday 5), Toronto 20 (Calderon 11). Total Fouls—Philadelphia 19, Toronto 21. Technicals—DeRozan. A—19,800 (19,800).

Times wires
Saturday, November 10, 2012

FORT WORTH, Texas — Collin Klein and third-ranked Kansas State bolstered their chances in the national title chase by doing what Alabama failed to do. The Wildcats beat one of the newcomers in their conference.

A few minutes after No. 1 Alabama lost to Texas A&M, Klein threw a 62-yard pass to set up the first of his two touchdown runs, and the third-ranked Wildcats went on to a 23-10 victory at TCU on Saturday night.

Kansas State (10-0, 7-0 Big 12) seems likely to take over the top spot in today's BCS standings.

"I have no thoughts about it whatsoever," said coach Bill Snyder, who said he didn't know about Alabama's loss until after the game.

"I just found out. My reaction was, 'Wow!' " said Anthony Cantele, who kicked three field goals. "It doesn't change what we're going to do. … We'll enjoy it for what it is and get back to work."

Kansas State's game had just started and Klein already had a rare turnover when SEC newcomer and former Big 12 team Texas A&M finished off its 29-24 victory at Alabama, the top team in the BCS standings.

Kansas State, 10-0 for the second time under Snyder, was No. 2 in the BCS, one spot ahead of Oregon. The Ducks, No. 2 in the Associated Press poll, played California late Saturday.

"We still have a lot of things to accomplish," defensive back Jarard Milo said. "So as far as the rankings, we don't pay too much attention to that because we obviously have a lot of work to do."

Kansas State plays Saturday at Baylor, then has a week off before ending the regular season at home against 19th-ranked Texas.

Klein's third interception of the season came on the fourth play against TCU (6-4, 3-4), in its first Big 12 season. Freshman defensive end Devonte Fields was back in coverage when he made a diving grab for his first career pick.

The Horned Frogs failed to take advantage, going three and out.

By time they got the ball back, they were trailing for good and on their way to their third consecutive home loss.

"There is a very fine line, and that is a team that can play for a national championship," TCU coach Gary Patterson said.

It was during the timeout for the change of possession after TCU's punt that Alabama's game ended.

Klein's next play was his 62-yard pass to Chris Harper. That drive ended with the Heisman Trophy hopeful quarterback running for a 7-yard TD.

Klein was sacked a season-high three times while completing 12 of 21 passes for 145 yards. He had 15 carries for 50 yards.

"He played reasonably well. He made the plays he had to make in the game, but we were probably a little conservative for him," said Snyder, saying that was because of TCU's defense.

By Greg Auman, Times Staff Writer
Saturday, November 10, 2012

TAMPA — There was a buzz in the air, a new banner hanging from the rafters and a lively crowd in the Sun Dome on Saturday night.

Unfortunately for USF, after celebrating last year's NCAA Tournament run, the Bulls didn't give their fans much to cheer about, stumbling badly out of the gate with a 74-56 loss to rival Central Florida in the opener for both teams.

"We're obviously very disappointed. We didn't play well," USF coach Stan Heath said. "They beat us in areas that bother me. They dominated the glass. They got most of the loose balls, the effort plays. … I was very impressed with the turnout tonight, very impressed with the students that really filled that section. We let them down, but we still have a lot of games to go."

The Knights dominated in rebounding, holding a 2-to-1 margin late into the second half, and USF couldn't piece together any substantial runs, chipping a 20-point deficit down to 12 but getting no closer. UCF point guard Isaiah Sykes went off for 26 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists, and forward Keith Clanton also had a double double with 16 points and 16 boards, leading the Knights to a 45-26 rebounding advantage.

"We've always been pretty good at taking away the other team's top players. Their top players dominated the game," Heath said. "We could not get a handle on Sykes. We couldn't get a handle on Clanton. Both players were extremely, extremely effective."

It was a disappointing result on a long-awaited night, as USF returned to the Sun Dome after spending last year off-campus during a $35 million renovation to its home arena. UCF hadn't won at USF since January 1978 — before the Sun Dome existed — and came in just 2-11 all-time against the Bulls in Tampa.

The game drew an announced crowd of 7,717, the biggest nonconference crowd the Sun Dome has had since USF joined the Big East in 2005.

UCF jumped to a 5-0 lead and nearly led the whole way; after an early 15-4 run by the Knights, USF got no closer than 12 the rest of the way.

The Bulls' only offensive spark came from guard Jawanza Poland, who had a career-high 22 points off the bench. But he was USF's only player in double figures — he went 8-for-11 from the field, while the rest of the lineup went 12-for-44.

"It's disappointing, but it's one game," said forward Victor Rudd, who missed nine of his first 10 shots and had seven points. "We had a lot of rebounds we didn't snatch and they did. We've got to snatch rebounds."

USF gets the Knights again Jan. 2 in Orlando, a preview of their rivalry when UCF joins the Big East next year. The Bulls return to action Friday, playing at home against Maryland-Eastern Shore.

"We have to spend more time in the gym, really tighten up the ship," Heath said. "There's a lot of games left. I certainly don't feel like our team is not going to be any good or we have to throw in the towel. This team is going to continue to get better, continue to work. There are a lot of disappointed heads in that locker room that know they could have played a lot better."

Greg Auman can be reached at auman@tampabay.com or (813) 226-3346. View his blog at blogs.tampabay.com/usf. Follow him on Twitter at @GregAuman.

Times wires
Saturday, November 10, 2012

LINCOLN, Neb. — For the second straight week and fourth time this season, No. 18 Nebraska overcame a double-digit second-half deficit to win.

It came from 14 points down Saturday to beat Penn State 32-23. Taylor Martinez threw a 5-yard touchdown pass to Jamal Turner early in the fourth quarter for Nebraska's first lead.

The Huskers were in danger of losing control of the Big Ten's Legends Division after Michigan beat Northwestern earlier. Nebraska and Michigan are tied with two games left. Nebraska won the teams' matchup.

The Huskers made up double-digit deficits in the second half to beat Wisconsin, Northwestern and Michigan State earlier this season.

"I wish we'd get a lead (early)," Martinez said. "But once we realize we're down by that many points, we have to start picking it back up."

After blowing a 20-6 lead Penn State looked ready to regain the lead. But after catching a short pass on second and goal from the 3-yard line, tight end Matt Lehman lost the ball. Officials ruled he fumbled into the end zone before the ball crossed the goal line. Safety Daimion Stafford, whose interception set up Nebraska's tying touchdown, pounced on it, and the call was confirmed on video review.

"We're not going to get that call here," Penn State quarterback Matt McGloin said. "We're not going to get that call ever, actually, against any team. It doesn't matter who the refs are. It's us against the world, and we're not going to get those calls in these types of games."

Allergy can't stop Trojans star receiver

LOS ANGELES — Marqise Lee showed up 45 minutes before kickoff with swollen cheeks and irritated eyes from an allergic reaction. Then he caught 10 passes for 161 yards and a touchdown to help No. 21 USC bounce back from consecutive losses with a 38-17 victory over Arizona State.

Lee caught an 80-yard touchdown during his seventh 10-catch day of the season. He said doctors haven't determined the cause of his periodic allergic reactions.

"I just have flareups," said Lee, who got ice on his face before the game and IV fluids at halftime. "I've got to figure it out. I didn't let it affect me out there, though."

No. 14 Oklahoma 42, Baylor 34: Landry Jones threw for 277 yards and two touchdowns, and Damien Williams ran for 99 yards and two scores for the host Sooners. Coach Bob Stoops' 146th win moved him past Bud Wilkinson for second in school history. He sits 11 wins behind Barry Switzer. Backup QB Blake Bell, who plays in short-yardage situations, scored on a 55-yard keeper to make it 42-26 46 seconds into the fourth.

No. 16 Stanford 27, No. 13 Oregon St. 23: Kevin Hogan threw three touchdown passes, including the winner with 5:07 left, in his first start for the host Cardinal. The sophomore, who replaced inconsistent Josh Nunes, was 22-of-29 for 254 yards. Down 23-20, Stanford recovered quarterback Cody Vaz's fumble at the Beavers' 29-yard line. Six plays later, Hogan audibled out of a run and called "Special," which Stanford ran to convert a fourth and 9 in an overtime win against Arizona this season. He then hit tight end Zach Ertz for a 13-yard touchdown.

No. 19 La. Tech 62, Texas St. 55: Kenneth Dixon ran for four touchdowns to set the NCAA freshman record for the visiting Bulldogs. Dixon's 24 touchdowns are three more than San Diego State's Marshall Faulk in 1991 and Virginia Tech's Ryan Williams in 2009. The Bobcats were outgained 627-577. But Colby Cameron reached 419 consecutive passes without an interception, breaking the NCAA record of 379 set by N.C. State's Russell Wilson in 2008.

No. 19 Texas 33, Iowa St. 7: David Ash passed for 364 yards and two touchdowns for the host Longhorns. Texas put up 609 yards of offense (222 on the ground) and held the ball for nearly 40 minutes. Ash was 15-of-16 for 245 yards. His 3-yard touchdown pass to tight end Barrett Matthews made it 20-0.

No. 25 Texas Tech 41, Kansas 34 2 OT: Running back Eric Stephens took the snap out of the wildcat and threw a 3-yard jump pass to Darrin Moore to win it for the host Red Raiders. The Jayhawks lost their 19th straight Big 12 game. Texas Tech entered 18th in I-A in total defense, allowing an average 314 yards per game. But it gave up 419 and let the Jayhawks to rally from a 27-17 fourth-quarter deficit.

Nation: Badgers clinch

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — Montee Ball and James White combined for 359 of Wisconsin's school-record 564 rushing yards and five touchdowns in a 62-14 win over Indiana that put the Badgers in the Big Ten title game.

Ball had 198 yards, and his three touchdowns moved him past Texas' Ricky Williams for second in Division I-A history. His 77 are one fewer than Travis Prentice of Miami (Ohio).

Wisconsin is 4-2 in the Big Ten but is in the title game because Ohio State and Penn State are ineligible due to NCAA penalties. It plays Nebraska or Michigan on Dec. 1 in Indianapolis.

Michigan 38, N'western 31 OT: Devin Gardner, starting for injured quarterback Denard Robinson, ran for a 1-yard touchdown in overtime, then the host Wolverines held on to win it. Gardner's 53-yard pass to Roy Roundtree set up Brendan Gibbons' tying 26-yard field goal with two seconds left. Robinson missed his second game with nerve damage in his right elbow.

Minnesota 17, ILLINOIS 3: Donnell Kirkwood ran for 152 yards and two touchdowns, including the go-ahead 3-yarder in the third, for the visiting Golden Gophers.

Purdue 27, Iowa 24: Paul Griggs' 46-yard field goal as time expired ended the visiting Boilermakers' five-game skid.

Okla. St. 55, West Va. 34: Clint Chelf, in his first career start, threw for 292 yards and four TDs for the host Cowboys.

Boise St. 49, Hawaii 14: Joe Southwick threw three TDs for the visiting Broncos, who had six sacks, three fumble recoveries and two interceptions.

UMass 22, Akron 14: The visiting Minutemen had four interceptions to earn their first win as a I-A program. UMass, which moved up from I-AA, left 0-10 Southern Miss behind as the last winless I-A team.

Bowl projections

Beef O'Brady's: Dec. 21, St. Petersburg, 7:30 p.m., Big East vs. C-USA

Projection: xxxxx

Outback: Jan. 1, Tampa, 1 p.m., SEC vs. Big Ten

Projection: xxxxx

Capital One: Jan. 1, Orlando, 1 p.m., SEC vs. Big Ten

Projection: xxxxx

Rose: Jan. 1, Pasadena, Calif., 5 p.m., BCS vs. BCS

Projection: xxxxx

Orange: Jan. 1, Miami, 8:30 p.m., BCS vs. BCS

Projection: xxxxx

Sugar: Jan. 2, New Orleans, 8:30 p.m., BCS vs. BCS

Projection: xxxxx

Fiesta: Jan. 3, Glendale, Ariz., 8:30 p.m., BCS vs. BCS

Projection: xxxxx

BCS Championship: Jan. 7, Miami, 8:30 p.m., BCS No. 1 vs. BCS No. 2

Projection: xxxxx

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

See sports.tampabay.com for projections of all 35 bowls.

Jim Tomlin, Times staff writer

Times wires
Saturday, November 10, 2012

EL PASO, Texas — Blake Bortles ran for two touchdowns and threw for another, and Latavius Murray rushed for a touchdown to break a fourth-quarter tie as UCF defeated Texas-El Paso 31-24 Saturday night.

Bortles scored on 2-yard and 10-yard runs, and he threw a 46-yard pass to Jeff Godfrey for a touchdown. Murray's 46-yard touchdown run gave UCF (8-2, 6-0 Conference USA) the lead for good. The senior finished with 23 carries for 117 yards.

The Knights defense forced four turnovers as UCF won its sixth in a row. The Knights are one win away from securing the C-USA East Division title and a berth in the conference champion­ship game.

Bortles was 16-of-27 for 214 yards, and he was sacked three times.

Shawn Moffitt added a 30-yard field goal.

UTEP (2-8, 1-5) scored on its ground game. Jeffery Nathan rushed for two touchdowns, including a 69-yard run to even the score at 24 in the fourth quarter. Blaire Sullivan was 5-of-11 for 79 yards for the Miners.

Early on, Murray had trouble finding running room behind the offensive line, but after UTEP erased a two-touchdown deficit to tie the score at 24, Murray took an inside handoff, bounced between tacklers, found some room in the middle and outraced the last defender for a 46-yard touchdown with 5:25 remaining.

Times wires
Sunday, November 11, 2012

Tuberville downplays slap

LUBBOCK, Texas — Texas Tech coach Tommy Tuberville, left, downplayed an incident in which he appeared to slap graduate assistant Kevin Oliver during Saturday's game against Kansas.

After the Red Raiders had difficulty getting the right personnel on the field, Tuberville appeared to use his left hand to strike Oliver, who oversees special teams, on the right side of his face. Oliver's headset and cap fell off.

Said Tuberville said after a 41-34 double-overtime win: "It was just one of those deals where I missed his shoulder and ended up grabbing the microphone on his headset and pulled it off."

Leach accused of abuse

Washington State star receiver Marquess Wilson quit the team, blaming the staff for what he called abuse. Wilson, suspended last week for an unspecified violation, said in a news release that first-year coach Mike Leach and the staff "preferred to belittle, intimidate and humiliate us." That included physical abuse, Wilson said.

Leach was fired as Texas Tech coach in 2009 for allegedly locking a player who sustained a concussion in a shed. Cougars athletic director Bill Moos did not comment on the allegations, saying only: "We have procedures in place that were developed to monitor student-athlete welfare in all of our sports programs."

Play of the day

Texas paid tribute to ex-coach Darrell Royal, who died Wednesday, on its first play against visiting Iowa State — with a twist. It lined up in the wishbone, which Royal created in 1968. But after David Ash pitched the ball to Jaxon Shipley, the receiver threw it back to Ash, who hit tight end Greg Daniels for 47 yards. It conjured memories of the play Royal used to beat Arkansas in 1969 in the "Game of the Century." Said Longhorns coach Mack Brown: "Maybe we had a little intervention from up above."

Dedication of the day: South Carolina played its first game of the season without running back Marcus Lattimore, out likely until 2014 with a dislocated right knee and major ligament damage. The team hung a banner marking his school career touchdown record. And the school band spelled, "We ♥ 21" at halftime. He thanked fans with a video message.

Number of the day

11 Wins among 15 overtime games for Missouri, including 51-48 in four OTs Saturday at Tennessee; that's the most in Division I-A since OT was introduced in 1996, one more than … Tennessee, which fell to 10-4

Record of the day: Ka'Deem Carey ran for a Pac-12 record 366 yards to lead host Arizona past Colorado 56-31. The sophomore, who tied a Pac-12 record with five rushing TDs (10, 13, 30, 8 and 3 yards) surpassed the 357 of Washington State's Rueben Mayes on Oct. 27, 1984.

Players of the day

Stedman Bailey, West Virginia: The junior caught 14 passes for 225 yards and a TD in a 55-34 loss at Oklahoma State.

Khaseem Greene, Rutgers: The senior linebacker made 22 tackles and forced a fumble, his sixth of the season, in a 28-7 win over Army.

Tony Pierson, Kansas: The sophomore ran for 202 yards on 16 carries in a 41-34 double-overtime loss to Texas Tech.

Recruits of the day

Asiantii Woulard, Winter Park: The QB, a USF oral commitment who last week announced he would visit N.C. State, broke his right ankle Friday. But the senior, hurt while scrambling, made the trip to Raleigh, taking in the campus from a wheelchair. He tweeted: "NC State showed love like never before! Chanting my name was crazy! This whole place just feels family oriented, so much support!"

Robert Nkemdiche, Loganville (Ga.) Grayson: The nation's consensus No. 1 recruit confirmed he has decommitted from Clemson. The defensive end said he likely will wait until January before committing. "It gives me a chance to really back up and see, take a step back and really pay attention to other schools," he said, "instead of (people) saying, 'Oh, he's cheating on Clemson with other schools.' " Ole Miss, where his brother plays, Alabama and Georgia are considered the frontrunners.

Path to perfection

Remaining games for the I-A unbeatens:

Kansas State: at Baylor, Texas

Notre Dame: Wake Forest, at USC

# Ohio State: at Wisconsin, Michigan

* Oregon: Stanford, at Oregon State, Pac-12 title game

* Played late Saturday

# Ineligible for postseason, including Big Ten title game

By Rick Stroud, Times Staff Writer
Sunday, November 11, 2012

TAMPA — When Bucs cornerback Leonard Johnson takes an interception to the house, he can actually take it to the house he grew up in, just across Tampa Bay in Clearwater.

The former Largo High quarterback made the biggest play in Sunday's 34-24 victory over San Diego, stepping in front of an ill-advised pass from Philip Rivers and returning it 83 yards for a touchdown early in the fourth quarter.

Cornerback LeQuan Lewis would like to find a home — any home — in the NFL, having spent time with five teams in the past year. He played three games this season with the Cowboys, including their Week 3 win over the Bucs.

But after being promoted from Tampa Bay's practice squad on Tuesday, Lewis registered the first interception of his career on a deep pass by Rivers intended for Danario Alexander with 3:09 remaining, setting up Connor Barth's game-sealing 45-yard field goal.

On a day that will be remembered for the aerial brilliance and brain cramps of Rivers, it was the two undrafted free agents — neither of whom played a significant Bucs role a month ago — who produced the biggest plays for the league's worst pass defense.

Johnson, who said he had not scored a touchdown since high school, received the game ball.

"I'm keeping that," said Johnson, a 22-year-old rookie from Iowa State who has three interceptions in his last three games since becoming a starter. "I'm keeping everything I can get my hands on."

The Bucs got two more touchdown passes by quarterback Josh Freeman, to Dallas Clark and Tiquan Underwood. And they scored on a blocked punt by Dekoda Watson that was returned 29 yards for a touchdown by linebacker Adam Hayward.

It was the fourth time in team history the Bucs scored on offense, defense and special teams in the same game.

The victory, before an announced 54,813 at Raymond James Stadium, was the Bucs' fourth in their past five games and improved them to 5-4, three games behind the Falcons (8-1) in the NFC South.

But when you glance at the stat sheet, you have to wonder: Who won this game anyway?

The Chargers (4-5) held a huge edge in time of possessions (36:41-23:19), first downs (23-12), total yards (426-279) and third-down efficiency (67 percent to 33 percent).

"Our guys played team football," Bucs coach Greg Schiano said. "It's like a pitcher. Maybe he doesn't have his fastball that day, but he works the whole game with different pitches and battles through it. That's what our team did, held each other up."

In his last game two weeks ago, Rivers was 18-of-20 for 220 yards with two touchdowns in a win over Kansas City. On Sunday, he carved up the Bucs for three touchdown passes in the first half.

Johnson, starting in place of Aqib Talib (who was traded to New England on Nov. 1), had a hand in the Chargers' first touchdown — an 80-yard catch and run by Alexander in which Johnson failed to make an easy tackle after 15 yards.

"You're going to have a lot of plays you want to forget, and he did," safety Ronde Barber said of Johnson.

In a game with five lead changes, the Bucs kept trying to hold serve. But when you score on a blocked punt and an interception return, it puts the defense right back on the field.

The Chargers did a good job of bottling up running back Doug Martin. Coming off a franchise-record 251 rushing yards and four TDs at Oakland, the rookie from Boise State was held to 68 yards rushing on 19 carries (3.6) but caught three passes for 51 yards.

Freeman, who has thrown 13 touchdowns and one interception in his past five games, connected with Underwood on a 15-yard pass for a 24-21 lead with 4:07 remaining in the third quarter.

That's when Rivers threw the game away. On third and 4 at the Bucs 23, Rivers rolled right and, one step from going out of bounds, tried to throw a pass over the head of Johnson to receiver Eddie Royal. Instead, he hit Johnson between the numbers.

"The funny thing is, I heard him say, 'No!' " defensive tackle Gerald McCoy said of Rivers. "I promise you he did. I looked and I thought he was about to run out of bounds. I turned around and said, 'Yeah!' "

Johnson tightroped the sideline, stepping over a tackle attempt by tackle Jeromey Clary and high-stepping the last 15 yards for a touchdown.

"The ball just kind of stayed in my hand longer than I wanted, and it took a nosedive right to him," Rivers said. "In hindsight, I wish I had thrown the ball over his head, but I probably just shouldn't have thrown the ball, period."

But he did, and Johnson knew the way home.

By Antonya English, Times Staff Writer
Sunday, November 11, 2012

GAINESVILLE — After having its original season opener shortened due to unsafe playing conditions aboard the USS Bataan on Friday, No. 10 Florida opened its season Sunday afternoon with an 84-35 victory over Alabama State.

The Gators held the Hornets to nine first-half points (2-of-25 from the field), and the 35 points were the fewest by a Florida opponent in a season opener since Stetson scored 46 in 2009.

"I think it kind of speaks for itself, but we brought a bunch of freshmen in here (seven) to play the No. 10 team in the country," ASU coach Lewis Jackson said. "We knew it was going to be a battle for us."

The Gators never trailed and led 47-9 at the half. With junior guard Scottie Wilbekin suspended, senior Kenny Boynton took over the primary point guard role, scoring a team-high 22 in 23 minutes with five assists and zero turnovers.

"I felt good at the point," Boynton said. "I just wanted to let it come to me and not turn the ball over."

Florida coach Billy Donovan said he had been concerned about what kind of intensity his team would bring into the game, considering the opponent and the disappointment of Friday's night's cancellation against Georgetown.

"You've got to be able to have a competitive maturity to move from one thing to the next," Donovan said. "I was pleased with the way our guys responded coming out of the Georgetown game up to this point."

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