Author: Anthony Stalter (Page 1085 of 1503)

      Arkansas ends Tulsa’s reign of terror

      November 1, 2008 /

      Tulsa-ArkansasHeading into Week 10, Tulsa was 8-0 and were averaging over 55 points a game. But as Arkansas proved on Saturday, even a sub .500 SEC team is usually better than any Conference USA program that the Golden Hurricane’s will face in a given week.

      The Razorbacks rode a Dennis Johnson 96-yard kickoff return with 22 seconds left in the third quarter to beat Tulsa 30-23. The loss is the Golden Hurricane’s first of the year and will likely drop them out of the top 25 depending on how the rest of Week 10’s action pans out.

      It’s kind of interesting to see how the different conferences shake out when they go head to head. Because it’s not like this is a very good Arkansas program this year. Bobby Petrino will need at least another season to get his personal in place before they start competing again in the SEC, but it’s rather impressive how they held such an explosive Tulsa offense to only 23 points.

      Is it a difference in conference strength or were the Razorbacks just a better team today? It’s an interesting debate.

      College Football

      Northwestern hands No. 17 Minnesota second loss

      November 1, 2008 /

      Northwestern-MinnesotaThe first upset of Week 10 in college football occurred at The Metrodome Saturday as unranked Northwestern picked off (literally) No. 17 Minnesota 24-17. Brendan Smith returned an interception 48 yards for a touchdown with 12 seconds remaining to break a 17-17 tie.

      Despite the loss, this has been an incredible season for the Gophers. The transformation of the program from winning one game last year to climbing to the 17th spot in the polls this year is an incredible testament to Tim Brewster and his staff.

      Northwestern has to be kicking itself even more now after losing to Indiana last week. A win against the Hoosiers and another one this week against the Gophers would have catapulted the Wildcats into the top 25. Either way, they’re one of the more underrated teams in the Big Ten and it’ll be interesting to see how they far against Ohio State next Saturday. It’ll be a good measuring stick to see where they are as a program.

      College Football

      Week 10 College Football Primer

      November 1, 2008 /

      No. 25 vs. No. 25:
      Graham HarrellNo. 1 Texas vs. No. 7 Texas Tech, 8:00 PM ET ABC
      Both of these teams are coming off convincing wins but in completely different fashions. The Red Raiders absolutely routed a Kansas team that many thought could possibly hand Tech its first loss of the season. The Longhorns, meanwhile, got a major challenge from Oklahoma State but managed to hold on to victory despite some second half mistakes by Heisman candidate Colt McCoy. This will be the fourth consecutive ranked team (Oklahoma, Missouri, Oklahoma State) that UT faces in as many weeks. Can they keep playing at a high level or are they due for a letdown? The big question surrounding this game is how UT’s defense will stack up against TT’s explosive offense and vice versa. Not that the Longhorns are playing stout defense by any means, but they’ll be Tech’s toughest challenge to date. It’s going to be interesting to watch the dynamics of this game play out between Horns’ McCoy and Red Raider Heisman hopefuls Graham Harrell and Michael Crabtree. McCoy certainly has an easier challenge this week, but Harrell and Crabtree have helped Tech average over 400 yards of offense in every game this year. Texas is arguably the most complete team in college football, while Tech can light up the scoreboard. The team that plays defense last might be the one that comes out victorious.

      No. 8 Florida at No. 6 Georgia, 3:30 PM ET CBS
      The game formally known as “The World’s Largest Outdoor Party” should be quite interesting this year after Mark Richt instructed all of his players to have a team celebration on the field after UGA scored the first touchdown in last season’s contest. The shrewd move didn’t go unnoticed by Urban Meyer and the Gators, who will no doubt seek a measure of revenge this weekend in Jacksonville. Florida has come alive since Ole’ Miss upset them a few weeks ago, pounding Arkansas, LSU and Kentucky with the greatest of ease. The Gators seem to have re-focused and a win over the Bulldogs could make a huge statement. Both of these teams still have national title aspirations and there is absolutely no love lost here. This is one of the fiercest rivalries in college football.

      Georgia TechUpset Watch:No. 15 Florida State at Georgia Tech, 3:30 PM ET
      The Seminoles have ridden strong defensive play all the way to the No. 15 spot in the polls, but does anyone else get the feeling they’re due for a letdown? GA Tech was a major disappointment last week in losing to Virginia, but that might have been more a testament to how great of a coaching job Al Groh has done turning around the Cavs than an indication that the Jackets are overrated. Even though GT isn’t ranked anymore, this is still an even matchup and I think the Jackets are going to try and make a statement to get back into the top 25.

      Other notable games:
      Nebraska at No. 4 Oklahoma, 8:00 PM ET ESPN
      The Huskers’ defense has improved over the past couple weeks, but will they be any match for Sam Bradford and the explosive Sooners’ offense?

      Northwestern at No. 17 Minnesota, 12:00 PM ET
      It doesn’t have the same luster as Ohio State-Penn State did last week, but this is the best of what the Big Ten has to over this weekend. The transformation of the Golden Gophers has been remarkable after they one just one game last year.

      College Football

      NFL Week 9 Primer

      October 31, 2008 /

      Brad JohnsonSunday’s Best: Cowboys (5-3) at Giants (6-1), 4:15 PM ET
      This game has lost a lot of its luster with Brad Johnson starting at quarterback in place of the injured Tony Romo and the uncertainty of Jason Witten’s (ribs) status. But it’s still a classic NFC East matchup and the Dallas defense is coming off its best performance of the season in a win over the Bucs. Let’s be frank – the Giants should roll. Their pass rush should eat Johnson alive, which could mean we see Brooks Bollinger before the day is over. But the wildcard in this scenario is Marion Barber. If the Cowboys can get him going and Johnson doesn’t turn the ball over, Dallas might be able to play conservative and sneak out a win. But if they get down early, a second half comeback is unlikely and New York might post a double-digit victory. The Cowboy defense will have to produce an effort similar to the one they did last Sunday against Tampa or else Eli Manning, Brandon Jacobs and the rest of the G-Men offense should have no problem putting up 30 points.

      Upset Watch: Cardinals (4-3) at Rams (2-5), 1:00 PM ET
      Since Jim Haslett took over in St. Louis, the Rams are playing more physically sound football. They hung tough against the Patriots last week in Foxboro despite not having Steve Jackson in their backfield and the defense is starting to show signs of life. The Cardinals are coming off a disappointing loss to the Panthers, a game in which they led 17-3 early in the third quarter. Arizona continues to struggle on the road and although he’s played well this year, Kurt Warner can’t seem to avoid costly turnovers. Jackson might not play again this week, but the Cards’ defense doesn’t post that much of a threat and the Rams should have enough offensively to pull out a win. Obviously they’ll need to keep Warner and ‘Zona’s prolific passing attack at bay, but this could be one of the better upsets in Week 9 if St. Louis keeps playing hard under Haslett.

      Indianapolis Colts      Intriguing Matchup: Patriots (5-2) at Colts (3-4), 8:15 PM ET
      Boy this game has lost a lot of pizzazz hasn’t it? Who would have thought that when this game was schedule, it would feature a Tom Brady-less Patriots and a 3-4 Colts team? Regardless, this is still the most interesting matchup on the Week 9 schedule. Indy has to win this game to at least keep within sniffing distance of a Wild Card berth and New England is in a great battle with the surprising Buffalo Bills in the AFC East. The Colts have major issues on the defensive side of the ball and things got worse earlier this week when it was discovered that starting CB Marlin Jackson would miss the rest of the season with a torn ACL. Without Jackson and Bob Sanders in the secondary, the Colts are giving up big plays on third downs. If they sell out to stop the run, opposing quarterbacks are picking apart the beleaguered secondary. If they play not to get burned deep, opposing backs are having a field day running against Indy’s smaller front seven. A loss to the Pats on Sunday night could mean a Colts-less postseason in the NFL. That’s hard to imagine.

      Other Notable Games:
      Packers (4-3) at Titans (7-0), 1:00 PM ET
      With “Elbow Bad” Johnson starting for the Cowboys this weekend in New York, the Green Bay-Tennessee game might wind up being the best matchup on the Week 9 schedule. With the Titans coming off a short week and finally getting the monkey off their backs in beating the Colts, are they primed for the taking? Aaron Rodgers vs. the Titans’ D should be an intriguing battle.

      Ravens (4-3) at Browns (3-4), 1:00 PM ET
      Some believe that Baltimore is a legitimate playoff contender in the AFC and Cleveland is starting to resemble the team that many thought would take the next step this year. You gotta love it when Art Modell has to travel to Cleveland, too.

      Dolphins (3-4) at Broncos (4-3), 4:05 PM ET
      Miami continues to be one of the better surprises this year in the NFL and will look to build off their impressive win over Buffalo last Sunday. Denver needs to shake off its embarrassing loss to the Patriots two weeks ago on Monday night.

      Fantasy Football, NFL

      Jeff Kent not a fan of same sex marriages

      October 31, 2008 /

      According to SPORTSbyBROOKS.com, Jeff Kent donated $15,000 to a prop that would help ban gay marriages.

      Jeff KentFrom the LOS ANGELES TIMES:

      Jeff Kent, who played second base for the Los Angeles Dodgers this season, has stepped into the emotional world of same-sex marriage, giving $15,000 to backers of the California proposition on Tuesday’s ballot that would ban it.

      In a disclosure filed with the California secretary of state, Kent listed his occupation as professional baseball player for the Dodgers and his address as Austin, Texas. He gave the $15,000 in a transaction dated Monday but which only now is public.

      A review of campaign records shows no other donations to federal or California state campaigns by Kent.

      While months ago Prop. 8 appeared to be as dead as the Dodgers’ World Series chances next year without Manny Ramirez, it is now gaining momentum and may indeed pass. Which would be rather ironic considering how the state will rubber stamp Democratic candidate Obama for President on the same day.

      Of course, Kent’s donation being made public I’m sure will have a lot to do with Prop. 8 passing, since he’s so popular here in L.A. and S.F., where he’s played the last 12 years of his career.

      OK, maybe not.

      Whether you’re for or against same sex marriages, I think we can all agree that Jeff Kent is one gigantic a-hole.

      MLB

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