Cincy Sporting News » Sports

Bengals game will be blacked out Sunday

admin — Fri, 19 Nov 2010 12:44:33 +0000

By M.Bowman / Staff Contributor and Wire Reports

CINCINNATI, OH — The Cincinnati Bengals officially announced this afternoon that the home game this Sunday is NOT a sellout and will be blacked out.

This is the first time in seven years that the team has not sold all the tickets to a home game. The team will not say how many tickets are still available for the game.

The team is playing the Buffalo Bills at Paul Brown Stadium at 1 p.m.

Colts cash in on Bengals mistakes for 23-17 win

admin — Mon, 15 Nov 2010 14:08:46 +0000

Associated Press

Indianapolis Colts cornerback Kelvin Hayden, right, celebrates as he scores a touchdown in front of Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Jordan Shipley on a 31-yard interception-return in the first quarter.

INDIANAPOLIS — The Indianapolis Colts don’t need Peyton Manning playing at an MVP level to win every game.

On Sunday, they found an old-fashioned formula — defense and turnovers — works just fine.

The Colts overcame Manning’s season-low 185 yards by scoring 17 points off five Cincinnati turnovers and stopped the Bengals twice in the final 2 minutes, 40 seconds to preserve a 23-17 victory Sunday.

“That’s the way it has been with this team over the years,” defensive end Dwight Freeney said. “We find ways to win games like this. We needed to do that today, and we did.”

The injury-depleted Colts (6-3) retook sole possession of the AFC South lead thanks to Tennessee’s loss at Miami.

But it certainly wasn’t pretty.

The four-time league MVP completed 20 of 36 yet had the lowest yardage total of any game he’s finished since Nov. 30, 2008 at Cleveland. His quarterback rating of 69.8 marked the first time he’s had sub-70 ratings in successive weeks since November 2007 and for the second time this season, Manning didn’t throw a touchdown.

The explanation: He’s working with some new parts.

Indy played again without All-Pro tight end Dallas Clark, running back Joseph Addai, short-yardage specialist Mike Hart and receivers Anthony Gonzalez and Austin Collie.

And all those absences finally caught up to the Colts, whose only offensive touchdown came on a 3-yard run from undrafted rookie Javarris James.

“We had chances to put the game possibly out of reach and we did not do that,” Manning said, referring to the offensive struggles. “Fortunately our defense was able to hang on there at the end.”

The defense played well all day.

Cornerback Kelvin Hayden scored on a 31-yard interception return. Backup linebacker Tyjuan Hagler nearly scored on another pick and Antonio Johnson’s fumble recovery set up Adam Vinatieri for a short field goal late in the first quarter.

Meanwhile, nothing went right for the Bengals (2-7).

Carson Palmer was 31 of 42 for 287 yards with two TD passes, three interceptions and three sacks. Cedric Benson ran 14 times for 24 yards and lost a fumble that led to one field goal.

Chad Ochocinco caught seven passes for 86 yards and one score but finished the game with a sore left shoulder.

“I just hit the floor; it just popped out,” he said. “It does the same thing every year. Nothing new.”

Even rookie Jermaine Gresham’s best NFL game, nine catches for 85 yards and the TD catch that got the Bengals within 23-17 with 2:35 was tarnished. He lost the fumble that cost Cincinnati its best chance to win, at the Colts’ 34, with 2:33 to go after the Bengals had recovered an onside kick.

Manning improved to 7-0 against the Bengals, who found themselves following a familiar script during this six-game losing streak.

“Everybody needs to be on the same page, like an old married couple,” Ochocinco said. “Like a man being able to say a sentence and your wife being able to finish it off. The more we’re on the same page, the easier it is.”

It wasn’t easy for Palmer & Co. on Sunday.

When Palmer and Terrell Owens had a first-quarter miscommunication, Hayden jumped the route, grabbed the ball and sprinted 31 yards for a 10-0 lead.

Benson lost a fumble on the Bengals next offensive play, and James capped the seven-play drive with his scoring run to make it 17-0.

Finally, the Bengals started correcting things.

Mike Nugent booted a short field goal, and a beautiful double toe-tap from Ochocinco for a 5-yard score got Cincinnati within 17-10 with 1:06 left in the first half.

It was too much time for Manning, who set up Vinatieri for a 47-yard field goal as time expired.

“That was huge,” Indy coach Jim Caldwell said.

Indy nearly sealed the win when officials ruled Hagler scored on a 45-yard interception return early in the fourth quarter, but Lewis contended Hagler was down by contact at the Bengals 10 and won the challenge.

So the Colts settled for another field goal to make it 23-10.

Cincinnati answered with the 19-yard score from Palmer to Gresham and got the ball twice in the final 2:40, but fumbled it away the first time. Palmer was sacked twice the second time and Ochocinco dropped the final pass of the day — a fitting end to an ugly game.

“We just have to keep working and find a way to score more points and keep our defense out of those pressure situations,” Manning said. “They came up big all day and we have to try and do our part.”

Game notes
Vinatieri’s first field goal Sunday gave him 1,600 career points. … Ochocinco’s first-half TD catch gave him 65 career scores, breaking a tie with James Brooks (64) for second in franchise history. Only Pete Johnson (70) has more. … Reggie Wayne caught three passes for 34 yards, joining former teammate Marvin Harrison as the only players in league history to top the 10,000-yard receiving mark with one quarterback. … Nugent was carried off the field by his teammates after hurting his knee on the onside kick. Lewis did not have details about the injury but said it did not look good.

Jets edge Browns 26-20 in OT

admin — Mon, 15 Nov 2010 13:51:10 +0000

Associated Press

New York Jets wide receiver Santonio Holmes (10) breaks away from Cleveland Browns linebacker Eric Barton, left, and cornerback Eric Wright (21) on a 37-yard touchdown-catch in overtime.

CLEVELAND — Santonio Holmes almost felt sorry for Rob Ryan.

The other Ryan wasn’t so sympathetic.

Holmes scored on a 37-yard touchdown pass from Mark Sanchez with 16 seconds left, giving the New York Jets their second straight overtime win, 26-20 over the Cleveland Browns on Sunday — also the AFC East leaders’ eighth straight regular-season road win.

Following a game that had a season’s worth of big plays, hits and drama, Holmes approached Jets coach Rex Ryan and said he felt bad that his TD had beaten Ryan’s twin brother, Rob, Cleveland’s animated defensive coordinator.

“He wanted to apologize to my brother,” Rex said. “I said, ‘Hey, forget all that. Don’t worry about that, buddy, he forgives you.’ ”

It was the second consecutive overtime win for the Jets (7-2), who won 23-20 in Detroit last week. They overcame three missed field goals by Nick Folk, including a 47-yarder in OT, and were pushed within seconds of a tie by the improving Browns (3-6).

“We can play with anybody and fight with anybody,” said Browns coach Eric Mangini, who played for the win in the closing seconds of OT against the team that fired him two years ago. “We fight and deal with adversity well.”

The Ryan family held an impromptu reunion in the corridor outside Cleveland’s locker room. The Ryan boys were joined by their famous father, Buddy, the longtime coordinator whose “46″ defensive scheme has become a coaching staple. There were hugs and smiles.

Rex and Rob spent the week leading up to the game making fun of each other’s diets and wardrobes. They shared a few laughs on the field before kickoff, but once the ball was in the air, they were all brotherly business.

“At 1 o’clock, everybody becomes nameless, faceless objects — whether it is your twin brother or a friend,” Rex Ryan said. “I feel bad for Cleveland. They played their hearts out. I don’t want to do this game over.”

Neither does Braylon Edwards, the Jets’ mouthy wide receiver who made his first trip to Cleveland since being traded. Edwards, booed and taunted by Cleveland fans all day, finished with four catches for 59 yards. After his first grab, he was pummeled by several Browns.

“I just came here to play football,” said a surprisingly contrite Edwards, whose tenure in Cleveland was defined by one Pro Bowl season and a slew of dropped passes. “Some guys tried to take some shots at me after the play, but nothing was dirty.”

The Browns couldn’t quite pull off their third shocking upset in a row. They had beaten New Orleans and New England in consecutive weeks, but were unable to finish the job.

Cleveland rallied to force OT on rookie quarterback Colt McCoy’s 3-yard TD pass to Mohamed Massaquoi with 44 seconds left in regulation. The Browns had a chance in OT, but their drive ended when wide receiver Chansi Stuckey fumbled at New York’s 32.

“It happened at a really crucial time,” said Stuckey, a former Jet. “I let everyone down.”

But the Jets didn’t capitalize on the turnover when Folk’s kick sailed right, whipping the Dawg Pound bleacher section into a froth.

Sanchez threw two TD passes and ran for another. He also shook off what initially looked to be a serious injury to his right leg and finished 27 of 44 for 299 yards. He threw one interception, but it didn’t hurt and actually helped set up New York’s winning score.

Sanchez underthrew a long pass to Edwards that was picked off by rookie cornerback Joe Haden with 1:35 left in OT. The interception was as good as a punt for the Jets since it backed the Browns up to their goal line.

At that point, Mangini could have called three straight running plays and run out most of the clock. But McCoy threw an incompletion on first down and was sacked on third-and-8, forcing Cleveland’s Reggie Hodges to punt from his end zone.

“You have to play to win this game,” said McCoy, who went 18 of 31 for 205 yards in his fourth straight start. “That’s what we’re trying to do, no matter what snap it is or what down it is. That’s a gutsy call down there, for sure, but we tried to go down and score.”

Hodges got off a 53-yard kick that New York’s Jim Leonhard returned 18 yards to Cleveland’s 37.

On first down, Sanchez whipped a quick pass to Holmes, who broke free from cornerback Eric Wright, stepped inside of rookie safety T.J. Ward and sprinted into the end zone. Last week, Holmes, who was suspended from New York’s first four games, had a 52-yard reception in OT to set up Folk’s 30-yard kick that downed the Lions.

Holmes was caught from behind in Detroit. He wasn’t going to let that happen again.

“When the safety came up, I saw he was flat-footed,” Holmes said. “I put my head down. The guys would have been all over my butt all week if I got caught this time.”

Before Holmes’ heroics, the teams appeared headed for the NFL’s first tie since 2008, when Philadelphia and Cincinnati played to a 13-13 draw.

Mangini did not provide updates on three costly injuries.

Joshua Cribbs, Cleveland’s Mr. Everything, hurt his right foot in the second quarter and did not return. Linebacker Scott Fujita, arguably the team’s defensive MVP, injured his left knee and sat out the second half. And cornerback Sheldon Brown hurt his left shoulder tackling Edwards.

The Jets had injuries, too. Guard Matt Slauson (knee), wide receiver Jerricho Cotchery (groin), safety Eric Smith (wrist) and cornerback Dwight Lowery (head) all went down.

Game notes
Rob Ryan fell to 0-3 in NFL matchups and 3-5 overall coaching against his brother. … The Browns were deprived their 500th win. … Browns LB Marcus Benard, briefly hospitalized after fainting in the locker room on Thursday, recorded one sack. … After allowing 196 yards in the first half, the Jets limited the Browns to 107 in the second and OT. … Browns RB Peyton Hillis had 82 yards on 19 tries. The Jets have not allowed 100 yards to any back this season.

Andre Smith breaks foot

admin — Mon, 15 Nov 2010 13:39:52 +0000

By M.Bowman / Staff Contributor and Wire Reports

Complicating the physical concerns are the financial issues. The Bengals have to decide this offseason if they want to exercise a $5 million option in his deal that would make it a six-year contract or decline it and keep it at four years.

CINCINNATI, OH — In his second season, right tackle Andre Smith has broken his left foot for the second time and indications are he could be headed to season-ending surgery as soon as next week.

But on Thursday, Jim Gould, who represents Smith along with Alvin Keels, said no decision on surgery has been made.

“It’s early in the process,” Gould said. “It’s a possibility. We all have to talk. Alvin, the family, the doctors, and see what is the best course of action.”

On Wednesday during a pass protection set, Smith suffered a stress fracture of the fifth metatarsal, the bone on the outside of the foot and next to the fourth metatarsal that he broke last season and had surgically repaired in January.

No matter what, it looks like his season is done. The procedure would shelve him for six to eight months. Head coach Marvin Lewis pronounced Smith out for Sunday’s game with Dennis Roland getting the start. Even when he broke his foot 12 days before the opener on Sept. 1 and didn’t have the surgery, Smith didn’t return to practice until eight weeks later.

Buckeyes tip PSU, 38-14

admin — Mon, 15 Nov 2010 13:28:21 +0000

Associated Press

Devon Torrence #1 of the Ohio State Buckeyes intercepts a pass in the third quarter against the Penn State Nittany Lions at Ohio Stadium on November 13, 2010 in Columbus, Ohio. Torrence returned the interception 34-yards for a touchdown in the Buckeyes' 38-14 win over the Nittany Lions.

COLUMBUS, Ohio — As the Ohio State Buckeyes left the field trailing 14-3 at halftime on Saturday, their fans really let them hear it.

By the end of the game, those boos had turned to cheers.

Devon Torrence tipped and snagged an interception and returned it 34 yards for the go-ahead touchdown, and the Buckeyes (No. 9 BCS, No. 8 AP) ran off the final 35 points for a 38-14 win.

“We know how much our fans are obsessed with Ohio State football,” said wide receiver Dane Sanzenbacher, who caught a ricochet off a defender for a quirky 58-yard score in the 21-0 fourth quarter. “Booing us? I probably would have booed us.”

Travis Howard added another interception and brought it back 30 yards for a TD, also in the fourth.

“Obviously, I didn’t pay attention to it,” defensive end Cameron Heyward said of the boos. “It’s going to happen. But we had to respond in the second half.”

They certainly did. The two defensive scores gave Ohio State six interception returns for touchdowns in the last seven meetings with Penn State (6-4, 3-3 Big Ten).

The victory sent the Buckeyes (9-1, 5-1) into a critical showdown at Iowa next week tied for first place in the conference with Michigan State and Wisconsin.

Instead of win No. 401 for Nittany Lions coach Joe Paterno, the second-half scores tagged him with his 133rd loss.

“There were a lot of things involved,” he said of his team’s second-half collapse. “I didn’t think they [the Buckeyes] did much different in the second half.”

The comeback from an 11-point deficit was the biggest in coach Jim Tressel’s 10 years in Columbus.

“They played their fannies off in the second half,” Tressel said of his Buckeyes. “I’m awfully proud of them.”

The game swung on one play.

With a 14-10 lead on second-and-9 at the Nittany Lions 37 midway through the third quarter, Penn State quarterback Matt McGloin fired a pass into the left flat meant for Michael Zordich. Torrence, a former outfielder in the Houston Astros system, had slipped off coverage of another receiver, sliding inside and streaking in front of Zordich.

“I saw it and jumped it,” Torrence said. “I had to tip it to myself.”

He flicked the ball up in the air once, juggled it off his shoulder and then finally collected it, racing for the touchdown and a 17-14 lead.

“He kind of baited me,” McGloin said. “At first he was rolling with Derek [Moye] and he came off. He just made a nice play.”

Ohio State then forced a punt and on second-and-23 from his own 42, Buckeyes quarterback Terrelle Pryor lobbed an arching pass down the middle of the field for DeVier Posey, with D’Anton Lynn and Drew Astorino pounding him as the ball arrived. But the ball squirted directly to Sanzenbacher trailing the play.

Lynn stood, hands on his hips, stunned as the Buckeyes celebrated in the end zone.

Howard then stepped in front of McGloin’s pass to end any drama.

Pryor, who was 8 of 13 for 139 yards with one interception and two scores, also hit Jake Stoneburner with a late TD pass.

The Buckeyes, down 14-3, were pinned deep in their own territory in the third quarter. But they covered 96 yards — actually 98 because they had a false start penalty before they ran a play. For the most part, they stayed on the ground, with Boom Herron, who had a career-best 190 yards on 21 carries, going the final 5 yards through a gaping hole for a TD.

Then came the interception that flipped the game.

Tressel improved to 27-4 in November games as Ohio State’s head coach — and 3-4 in the week after a bye.

The Nittany Lions, angry that they were listed as 2 1/2-touchdown underdogs, appeared to be the team that was rested and focused early.

McGloin, who finished 15 of 30 for 159 yards with the two interceptions, hit Justin Brown on a 23-yard score and Moye on a 6-yarder. They were the first touchdown passes Penn State had thrown in Ohio Stadium since joining the Big Ten in 1993, and gave the Lions the most points they’ve scored there in that span.

Torrence’s return helped the Buckeyes forget about the ugly first half and the torrent of boos.

“The halftime locker room was not a fun place,” Tressel said. “But it was not a place that looked like there was any quit in anybody.”

West Virginia beats Cincinnati 37-10

admin — Mon, 15 Nov 2010 13:17:14 +0000

Associated Press

Cincinnati quarterback Zach Collaros tries to avoid West Virginia's Bruce Irvin during the fourth quarter of an NCAA football game Saturday, Nov. 13, 2010, in Morgantown, W.Va. West Virginia won 37-10.

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Geno Smith threw four first-half touchdown passes, West Virginia frustrated Big East passing leader Zach Collaros and the Mountaineers beat Cincinnati 37-10 on Saturday.

West Virginia (6-3, 2-2 Big East) broke a two-game losing skid and is back in the conference chase after first-place Pittsburgh’s loss to Connecticut on Thursday night.

Smith wasn’t overpowering but exploited Cincinnati’s inexperienced defense when he needed to, finishing 15 of 25 for 174 yards. He threw two TD passes apiece to Tavon Austin and Jock Sanders.

Cincinnati (3-6, 1-3) couldn’t overcome a 30-3 halftime deficit. It marked the first game this season that Collaros, who has 20 TD passes, failed to find the end zone.

The two-time defending Big East champion Bearcats now must win their final three games against Rutgers, Connecticut and Pittsburgh to become bowl eligible. The Bearcats’ three-game losing streak is their longest since 2006.

Cincinnati was forced to throw after West Virginia jumped out to its big early lead and Collaros had little luck against the nation’s fourth-best defense.

Collaros, who returned from a knee injury that forced him to miss Cincinnati’s previous game, was sacked five times, intercepted twice and he lost a fumble. He also was called for intentional grounding in the end zone that gave the Mountaineers a safety and was plagued by several dropped passes.

Collaros finished 25 of 45 for 221 yards.

West Virginia cornerback Keith Tandy sent a statement when he drilled D.J. Woods and broke up a short pass that ended one Cincinnati drive late in the first quarter. On Cincinnati’s next series, Tandy got position on Armon Binns in the end zone for an interception after Collaros had completed three straight passes of more than 15 yards to Binns.

West Virginia cornerback Brandon Hogan made up for a dropped interception by picking off Collaros one series later. Collaros added one mistake to another by hitting Hogan late out of bounds.

West Virginia took over at the Bearcats’ 6 and Smith, waiting for Sanders to get open, found him for a 6-yard scoring toss in the back of the end zone for a 28-0 lead.

West Virginia coach Bill Stewart conducted a top-to-bottom examination of his offense after an overtime loss at Connecticut two weeks ago. Against Cincinnati, Stewart alternated Noel Devine, Shawn Alston and fullback Ryan Clarke with success.

Devine did all the work himself on West Virginia’s first series of the third quarter, carrying five times for 35 yards, including breaking a tackle and going 13 yards into the end zone for the final margin.

Alston got 10 carries on West Virginia’s next series, which ended when Clarke was stopped for no gain on fourth down at the Cincinnati 1.

That was about the only thing that went wrong for the Mountaineers. They made it an unhappy return to Morgantown for Cincinnati first-year coach Butch Jones, who was a West Virginia assistant coach under Rich Rodriguez in 2005 and 2006.

Things went wrong for the Bearcats from the start. D.J. Woods dropped a punt after the first series of the game and West Virginia recovered at the Cincinnati 32. Smith then found a wide-open Austin in the end zone on the next play.

Austin caught a 10-yard TD toss late in the period when he slipped past safety Drew Frey, one of eight sophomore starters on Cincinnati’s defense.

Sanders got his first score when he broke two tackles on a short pass and went 48 yards into the end zone midway through the second quarter.

Cincinnati’s only touchdown came when Isaiah Pead went 53 yards on fourth down on Cincinnati’s first series of the third quarter to make it 30-10.

Cincinnati punted eight times and the most penalized team in the Big East was flagged 10 times for 96 yards.

Devine finished with 77 yards on 18 carries and Alston, who entered the game with six carries the entire season, had 17 carries for 75 yards.

Kentucky storms past Vanderbilt 38-20

admin — Mon, 15 Nov 2010 13:09:52 +0000

Associated Press

Randall Cobb #18 of the Kentucky Wildcats runs with the ball while defended by Sean Richardson #21 of the Vanderbilt Commodores during the game at Commonwealth Stadium on November 13, 2010 in Lexington, Kentucky. Kentucky won 38-20.

LEXINGTON, Ky. — Randall Cobb ran for a career-high 170 yards and two touchdowns as Kentucky surged past Vanderbilt 38-20 on Saturday.

Cobb had touchdown runs of 5 and 73 yards to help the Wildcats (6-5, 2-5 Southeastern Conference) become bowl eligible for the fifth straight season. He finished with 279 total yards, breaking the school record for all-purpose yards in a single season in the process.

Derrick Locke ran for 145 yards and two scores in his first game in a month and quarterback Mike Hartline threw for 232 yards and a touchdown in his final home game.

Kennard Reeves rushed for a career-high 105 yards for the Commodores (2-8, 1-6), but Vanderbilt couldn’t make a 13-10 halftime lead stand up.

Cobb made sure of that. The junior said earlier in the week he’ll gauge his NFL prospects before deciding whether to return to school next fall.

He made a pretty compelling case for the pro scouts in attendance, showcasing why he’s become one of the nation’s most versatile and valuable players.

The Wildcats certainly needed it after slogging through another uninspired first half.

The defense struggled to keep the SEC’s worst offense in check and the offense looked sporadic even with Locke’s return to the lineup after missing four games with a shoulder injury.

Vanderbilt had no such problems. The Commodores rolled 242 yards in the first 30 minutes, heady territory for a team that averages just 267 yards a game.

Reeves, thrust into a starting role due to a myriad of injuries, found gaping holes to run through and wide receiver Jonathan Krause made a couple of big plays to keep the Wildcats on their heels.

Yet Kentucky, as it has done most of the season, gathered itself at halftime and turned to Cobb to get things moving in the right direction.

He lined up at quarterback in the WildCobb formation on Kentucky’s first possession of the half, took the snap, ran to his left then cut back to his right to race 73 yards for a touchdown to give the Wildcats the lead.

Cobb was at it again two possessions later, taking the snap and retreating 10 yards before somehow weaving his way through the Vanderbilt defense for a 52-yard gain.

Locke’s 1-yard touchdown dive four plays later put Kentucky up 24-13, and the Wildcats poured it on.

Hartline hit a wide-open Chris Matthews for a 55-yard score and Locke finished the Commodores off with an 83-yard touchdown run.

The victory takes some of the pressure off the Wildcats heading into their season finale at Tennessee in two weeks. Kentucky hasn’t beaten the Volunteers in more than a quarter century, and coach Joker Phillips acknowledged it was important for his team to become bowl eligible before heading to Knoxville.

Kentucky outgained Vanderbilt 370-158 in the second half to beat the Commodores for the sixth time in the last seven meetings.

The rivalry has been one-sided in recent years, but that doesn’t mean it hasn’t been heated. This time was no different. The team combined for 16 penalties and a handful of skirmishes. Kentucky cornerback Martavius Neloms and Vanderbilt’s Udom Umoh were ejected in the fourth quarter after trading punches.

South Florida tops Louisville 24-21 in OT

admin — Mon, 15 Nov 2010 13:02:43 +0000

Associated Press

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — South Florida is making a habit of winning by a hair. The Bulls rallied in a nail-biter against Louisville, erasing a two-score deficit as they notched a 24-21 win in overtime on Saturday.

Sophomore kicker Maikon Bonani, who missed what would have been the game-winning field goal in regulation, hit a 37-yard field goal to give South Florida (6-3, 3-2 Big East) bowl eligibility for the sixth straight season.

The Bulls struggled early, falling behind 14-3 in the first half.

But Louisville’s mistakes on offense and special teams allowed South Florida to get back into it.

With the game tied at 21 with two seconds left, the Bulls had a chance at victory on a 52-yard Bonani field goal. Louisville coach Charlie Strong twice called time out to ice Bonani, the second time just as he booted one that would have been successful, but was immediately waved off by the officials. Bonani’s next attempt was wide to the left.

In the first overtime series, Louisville made it as far as the 4-yard line. With a fourth-and-inches situation, the Cardinals opted to try for the first down instead of a field goal but failed to convert on a quarterback sneak.

After the Bulls’ offense ran the ball to the 20-yard line, Bonani easily hit his field goal for the win.

South Florida quarterback B.J. Daniels threw for 87 yards and a touchdown. Sophomore running back Demetris Murray added 106 yards rushing.

Louisville reserve quarterback Justin Burke threw for 146 yards and three touchdowns, while senior running back Bilal Powell added 140 yards on the ground — his sixth triple-digit rushing game this season.

Louisville (5-5, 2-3) saw its first-half lead vanish after the Bulls capitalized on a botched punt and interception.

Miami beats Bowling Green in fog

admin — Mon, 15 Nov 2010 12:59:00 +0000

Associated Press

BOWLING GREEN, Ohio — Trevor Cook kicked a 33-yard field goal on the final play to give Miami of Ohio a 24-21 victory over Bowling Green in foggy conditions Wednesday night.

Miami (6-4, 5-1 Mid-American Conference) moved into a tie with Ohio and Temple atop the East Division and became bowl eligible for the first time since 2005.

Cook made the winning field goal after D.J. Brown intercepted Matt Schilz’s pass. The kick marked the first time Miami won a game on the final play since Ben Roethlisberger completed a 70-yard pass to Eddie Tillitz in a 30-27 decision over Akron on Oct. 13, 2001.

Miami took a 21-7 lead into the fourth quarter, but the Falcons (2-8, 1-5) rallied to tie it on Willie Geter’s 1- and 2-yard TD runs — the first after Schilz’s 76-yard pass to Kamar Jorden.

Thomas Merriweather opened the scoring for the Redhawks in the first quarter with an 18-yard run.

The Falcons tied it on Schilz’s 12-yard TD pass to Alex Bayer in the second, and Miami took a 14-7 lead on quarterback Zac Dysert’s 1-yard run with 1:47 left in the half.

In the third quarter, the Falcons made it 21-7 on Dysert’s 22-yard pass to Nick Harwell.

Dysert was 19 of 25 for 221 yards for the Redhawks. Harwell had 10 catches for 125 yards, and Merriweather ran for 88 yards on 17 carries. Schilz was 17 of 29 for 176 yards for the Falcons, and Jorden had four receptions for 95 yards.

Hall of Fame manager Sparky Anderson dead at 76

admin — Mon, 08 Nov 2010 13:16:33 +0000

Associated Press

Reds fans were taken aback when Sparky Anderson showed up for his first day as a big league manager, an unknown taking over baseball’s first professional team. Most had never heard of him.

By the time he was done, he was an icon. The sentence-twisting manager with the white hair and schoolboy nickname would win three World Series titles— including championships in both leagues—and make it to the Hall of Fame.

Anderson directed the Big Red Machine to back-to-back championships and won another in Detroit during a managing career that spanned three decades. He died Thursday from complications of dementia in Thousand Oaks, Calif., at age 76.

Anderson was the first manager to win World Series titles in both leagues and the only manager to lead two franchises in career wins.
Sparky Anderson in 1974.

Sparky Anderson in 1974.

“Sparky was, by far, the best manager I ever played for,” said former Reds star Pete Rose, the game’s career hits leader. “He understood people better than anyone I ever met. His players loved him, he loved his players, and he loved the game of baseball. There isn’t another person in baseball like Sparky Anderson.”

Anderson’s teams in Cincinnati—featuring Johnny Bench, Joe Morgan and Rose — won crowns in 1975 and 1976 and rank among the best of all time. Led by Kirk Gibson and Alan Trammell, Anderson won with the Tigers in 1984.

“He was a good guy,” former Tigers pitcher Jack Morris said, choking up over the news. “Baseball will have very few people like Sparky.”

Anderson never tried to overshadow his teams, giving his stars great leeway while trying to stay in the background. At Anderson’s request, there will be no funeral or memorial service.

Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig called Anderson a gentleman and dear friend.

“I recall with great fondness the many hours we would spend together when his Tigers came to Milwaukee,” Selig said. “Sparky was a loyal friend, and whenever I would be dealing with difficult situations as commissioner, he would lift my spirits, telling me to keep my head up and that I was doing the right thing.”

The Reds put a photo of Anderson on their outfield videoboard at Great American Ball Park on Thursday afternoon, honoring the man who led them to their greatest moments.

“In one way or another, Sparky touched the life of every Reds fan,” owner Bob Castellini said.

Anderson’s win total of 2,194 was the third highest when he retired after the 1995 season, trailing only Connie Mack and John McGraw. He’s now sixth on the career list—he won 863 games in nine years with the Reds and 1,331 in 17 seasons with the Tigers.

He’ll be remembered as much for the little things that made him beloved as for the big numbers that made him a Hall of Famer.
Reds manager Sparky Anderson and catcher Johnny Bench celebrate beating the Red Sox in Game 7 of the 1975 World Series.
(AP Photo)

“Being a good baseball player and person went hand-in-hand with him,” said Trammell, the 1984 World Series MVP who is Arizona’s bench coach. “He wanted us to put our dirty clothes in the bin so that the clubhouse guys didn’t have to pick up after us.”

George “Sparky” Anderson got his distinctive nickname in the minor leagues because of his spirited play. He made it to the majors for only one season, batting .218 for the Phillies in 1959.

Anderson learned to control a temper that nearly scuttled his fledgling career as a manager in the minors, and went on to become one of baseball’s best at running a team. And he won with a humility that couldn’t obscure his unique ability to manage people.

“I got good players, stayed out of their way, let them win a lot and then just hung around for 26 years,” he said during his Hall of Fame acceptance speech in 2000.

Anderson’s win total trails only those of Mack, McGraw, Tony La Russa, Bobby Cox and Joe Torre. His overall record was 2,194-1834 and he was a two-time AL Manager of the Year.

“Sparky was one of the greatest people I’ve met in baseball,” Detroit Hall of Famer Al Kaline said. “He was a leader to his players both on and off the field. He was an incredible person and I cherish the time I was able to spend with him.”

He had the right touch with superstars, and it came in handy when he led the star-studded Reds to World Series wins in 1975-76.

“He was a people person,” Morgan, a Hall of Fame second baseman, told The Associated Press. “I don’t think anybody else could have managed that team nearly as well as he did. We had a lot of different personalities. Sparky was able to deal with all of us on an individual basis but also collectively as a team.

“Because he was close to you and cared about you as a person, you were always willing to do more for him than you were for somebody else. I never thought of him as my manager. I thought of him as part of my family.”

The only notable thing about Anderson as a player was his nickname. He was playing for Fort Worth in the Texas League in 1955 when a radio announcer, taken by his feisty play, started calling him Sparky.

The name stuck. He didn’t. Anderson made it to the majors in 1959 and singled home the go-ahead run on opening day in Cincinnati, which turned out to be the highlight of his playing career. A light-hitting second baseman, he had 12 extra-base hits—zero home runs—and 34 RBIs in 477 at-bats.

He was back in the minors the next year, and soon realized it was time to think about another career.
Tigers manager Sparky Anderson nibbles ribs in the dressing room on Oct. 13, 1984. The Tigers beat the Padres 5-2, to win the third game of the World Series.
(AP Photo/Rob Kozloff)

He decided to try managing.

That almost flamed out, too. His first job was managing a minor league team in Toronto in 1964. He was overly aggressive in his strategy and argued every close call with umpires, showing a short fuse that soon got him fired. Cardinals general manager Bob Howsam gave him a second chance to manage in the minors, then moved to Cincinnati to build the Reds.

When he needed a big league manager there, he decided to call Anderson, who was shocked to get the chance. The youngest manager in the majors at age 35, he signed the $28,500 contract—by far the most money he’d ever made—and set out to make himself known in a city asking: Sparky who?

“Bob Howsam either had to be nuts or have a lot of savvy,” Anderson said. “As it turns out, he had a lot of savvy.”

Howsam assembled one of the most talented teams of all time—Bench, Morgan, Rose, Tony Perez, Ken Griffey Sr., George Foster, Davey Concepcion. Anderson was charged with making it work.

Anderson’s plaque in Cooperstown calls him “the crank that turned the Big Red Machine,” and his players agree that it fit. Bench noted that Anderson treated his players respectfully and was always on top of game strategy.

“It’s a lot like a chess game, and Sparky was a chess master,” Bench said.

Anderson won four National League pennants in Cincinnati from 1970-78, then was stung when the Reds fired him after consecutive second-place finishes. Anderson took his disappointment to the other league and won there, too, directing the Tigers to the 1984 championship and a division title in 1987.

He refused to manage replacement players during baseball’s labor dispute in spring training of 1995, angering owner Mike Ilitch. He resigned after a 60-win season, saying the franchise needed a new direction. He hoped to manage somewhere else, but when an offer never came along, he retired.

He was voted into Cooperstown by the Veterans Committee.
Sparky Anderson, right, poses with his plaque and Commissioner Bub Selig during Hall of Fame induction ceremonies in 2000.
(AP Photo/ David Jennings)

Even then, he showed his usual self-deprecation. Anderson had refused to step foot inside the Hall until 2000 because he felt unworthy.

“I didn’t ever want to go into the most precious place in the world unless I belonged,” Anderson said.

Survivors include his wife, Carol; sons Lee and Albert; daughter Shirley Englebrecht; and nine grandchildren.

AP Sports Writer Larry Lage in Detroit contributed to this report.