random facts, tidbits, articles and most importantly my thoughts about things that i find while aimlessly surfing the web...
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Architecture, College Football, Baseball, Hockey, March Madness, The Economy, Corporate Corruption, Incomptent Leadership, Tulane, Atlanta, Florida, etc.
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travacado's thoughts
or at least "others'" thoughts that I find interesting...
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Sunday, November 30, 2003
FSU: Back to the best
Late TD pushes 'Noles by Gators
GAINESVILLE - Now Florida State can say it is back.
With a 10th victory that represents true success for FSU football and the first win over a ranked opponent this season, the No.9 Seminoles can pound their chests and declare their triumphant return to college football's elite.
"We've done some good things to hopefully get that dynasty started again," linebacker Michael Boulware said after a 38-34 victory over No.11 Florida gave FSU 10 victories for the first time in three seasons.
The Seminoles (10-2) also kept alive the dream of giving Bobby Bowden his first trip to the Rose Bowl.
FSU won a thriller over Florida (8-4) Saturday night that began with a controversial missed call and ended in a postgame melee that could bring repercussions. This game proved the rivalry remains exciting and bitter in the post-Steve Spurrier Era.
"It's my 28th (year) playing the University of Florida, and I don't think I have seen a better one than that," Bowden said. "We came back twice, and then I thought we might be dead. But we came back again and Chris (Rix) did his thing. I cannot hardly believe we won."
In between controversies, two quarterbacks named Chris kept a record crowd of 90,407 on its feet - especially in the fourth quarter, when the lead changed four times. FSU's Rix outplayed Florida's Chris Leak to secure FSU's fifth victory over Florida in the past six seasons.
Rix bounced back after Florida's Keiwan Ratliff returned a fumble for a touchdown and a 24-17 Gators lead late in the third quarter to deliver two of his best passes of the season.
With favorite receiver Craphonso Thorpe watching from home with a broken leg, Rix found replacement Dominic Robinson on a fourth-and-14 pass play late in the game. That one alone should go a long way in giving Rix and offensive coordinator Jeff Bowden peace in Tallahassee. With FSU trailing with 1:23 to play, Rix hit Robinson on a slant for 24 yards. Then Rix, as he did on a 34-yard pass to Donnie Carter the drive before to set up a touchdown, exploited the way Florida's safeties cover sideline passes. P.K. Sam worked his way behind safety Guss Scott and grabbed the 52-yard touchdown with 55 seconds remaining.
Leak, who on Florida's previous drive found Ben Troupe for one of the tight end's two touchdowns, could not rally Florida to another comeback. He finished with 273 passing yards, and Rix, thanks in part to Robinson's 102 yards, finished with 256.
And the game plan didn't even call for Rix to be the star. FSU wanted to run the ball on Florida, and the Seminoles accomplished that early. FSU rushed for 134 yards, 102 in the first half.
While the game had countless big plays, an ACC officiating crew headed by Jack Childress made sure this game will be talked around the office water cooler for weeks and months to come. Many of the game's biggest plays involved the referees, including:
• Antonio Cromartie's fumble on the opening kickoff in which he was ruled down by officials before losing the football. A replay showed otherwise.
• Chris Davis' fumble on FSU's first drive. The pass was ruled incomplete. Florida was assessed a 15-yard personal-foul penalty on the play;
• A second fumble by Cromartie, this one on FSU's second kickoff return. Florida's Billy Latsko picked it up and dashed into the end zone, but Florida was called for offsides and the touchdown was negated.
• Florida tailback Ciatrick Fason's fumble. He appeared to be on the ground when he lost the football, but former Lincoln standout Pat Watkins scooped it up and returned it 25 yards for a touchdown.
"Coach (Ron Zook) told us to be cordial," Gator guard Shannon Snell said. "But the way that was called was (expletive). They took five fumbles away from us that should have been ours. They need to bring in some refs from another conference. This was definitely a biased game.
"I give (the Seminoles) credit - they played hard. But the refs took away four or five legit fumbles. That's what I'm so (ticked) about. The game shouldn't be decided by the refs."
Zook was more diplomatic. "If we made a couple of plays here and there, we would have won it," he said.
The second-year coach pointed to FSU's two fourth-down conversions as plays that could have changed the outcome.
A missed opportunity by FSU also proved big. Jerome Carter dropped a certain interception on Florida's opening drive in the second half. A second chance allowed Florida to pull a rare trick play in which Leak found receiver Andre Caldwell, who passed back to Leak for a 30-yard gain. Leak then found Troupe for his second touchdown to cut FSU's lead to 17-14.
Rix entered the regular-season finale with seven turnovers over FSU's previous three games. His coaches walked into The Swamp with a plan to minimize those mistakes while giving their junior starter a few opportunities to shine in the air. It worked for 38 minutes and 50 seconds. Then Rix, carrying the ball recklessly away from his body, was hit by safety Scott; Ratliff picked up the loose ball and returned it. This fumble would not be called back, and the game was tied to set the stage for an excellent finish by Rix. (By Steve Ellis, Tallahassee Democrat)
FSU takes step forward, a step back in time
GAINESVILLE - They've returned.
No they're haven't.
Yes they have ... No, not yet.
Well, how about now?
Even the Florida State players weren't in complete agreement on the burning question of a frigid day.
But after the ninth-ranked Seminoles had clinched a 38-34 victory over Florida in front of a Ben Hill Griffin Stadium-record crowd of 90,407, junior FSU offensive tackle Ray Willis may have said it best when asked about the significance of ending a two-year skid of single-digit victories.
"We're stepping forward and getting back to where we want to be. We're 10-2 right now, and if you know anything about Florida State football, it's about 10-win seasons," said Willis. "That's the standard. That's how your team is measured by how you are doing."
It was a game that went back and forth - nearly four lead changes in the last five minutes - that Bobby Bowden was in danger of suffering whiplash on this roller coaster.
But at least the 74-year-old FSU head coach didn't have to look forward to a night of tossing and turning in his sleep.
"It's my 28th (year) playing the University of Florida, and I don't think I have seen a better one than that," said Bowden. "You thought I was bragging about the 31-31 comeback when we tied it up in '94. I thought this was better than that one, or any of the others I've ever seen."
Bowden had plenty of reason to be tickled with this victory.
His team didn't panic when 11th-ranked Florida (8-4) scored 18 unanswered points to erase FSU's 17-6 halftime lead to go ahead 24-17 in the third quarter.
The FSU running game again showed up, netting 134 yards behind the combo efforts of Leon Washington (15 carries for 65 yards), Greg Jones (9 for 42) and Lorenzo Booker (11 for 39).
And while the Seminoles' defense did plenty of bending while allowing Florida to compile 445 yards of offense, Pat Watkins provided a 25-yard fumble return to answer the 77-yard return the Gators got from Keiwan Ratliff after Chris Rix fumbled.
Bowden cursed that "10-point swing" since he was about to deploy Xavier Beitia for a chip-shot field goal.
"Chris did his usual, 'I'll give you one and I'll take three,'" Bowden said.
In that wild fourth quarter that didn't end until Florida quarterback Chris Leak was dragged down at the 18 on the final play of the game, Rix responded with two scoring drives in the final five minutes.
The clincher was his 52-yard game-winning touchdown pass to P.K. Sam with 55 seconds left that allowed him to comment: "That's probably as clutch as I've been."
Hey, thanks to Rix, Bowden even shook off that long-standing knock of never making the tight end a big part of the game plan. Matt Henshaw and Donnie Carter each had key receptions for a combined 54 yards.
Henshaw covered the 20 yards to the end zone to close the first-half scoring, although the way the converted quarterback bounced into the huddle it's a wonder he didn't alert the Florida defense about what was coming.
"Yeah, when you do cartwheels across the field, it does kind of give it away," joked John Lilly, FSU's tight ends coach.
In the end, there was plenty of giddiness to go around, even if Bowden did find himself apologizing for a post-game skirmish after one of his players brought out the alligator head.
The FSU coach should be able to put that behind him soon enough.
As with Rix, the good outweighed the bad.
"We really needed to have 10 wins this year," said Bowden. "Now if we had lost this one, we still would have had a shot the next game, but that's a lot of pressure."
"That's big," senior linebacker Michael Boulware said of the 10th win. "Hopefully, the guys can use it to start a new dynasty from here."
Yes, Bowden and his Seminoles are on their way back, which is at least a step in the right direction. (By Randy Beard, Tallahassee Democrat)
Cheerleader of the Week
Sheila, (Seattle) Sea Gals
TIDAL 10:39 PM
Sunday, November 23, 2003
Fans hold their breath in close LSU victory
After days of listening to her boss squawk about Eli Manning and his SEC West-leading Ole Miss Rebels, Kelly Gill and her co-workers finally got their due.
"He talked a good game all week, and now he has to settle the bet," said Gill, 44, watching the LSU-Ole Miss game Saturday on a big-screen TV at the Varsity Theater near campus.
An LSU win meant her boss would treat all eight employees to dinner at Galatoire's Restaurant on Bourbon Street in New Orleans. And he had to wear a cheerleader uniform to work.
"I think LSU will pull it off ..." Gill said. "They have to."
Ole Miss gave the Tigers fits before LSU prevailed 17-14. Gill and her co-workers were high-fiving among 60 or so fans while trying to call their boss in Oxford.
"We've talked to him several times today," Gill said. "He won't answer the phone anymore."
Saturday's nail-biter kept die-hard LSU fans on the edge of their seats and harkened back to the storied days when LSU and Ole Miss rivaled each another for national prominence.
Last year, LSU and Ole Miss fought another close one in a 14-13 Tiger win in Baton Rouge.
"The Tigers are going to win, but this will be a typical Ole Miss- LSU game," said Mel Fife, 53, sporting a "Go to Hell Ole Miss!" button. "This is blood. You're playing against people you're related to. This is war. If they don't win today, the rest of it doesn't mean anything."
Fife can breath easier. Saturday's victory keeps the Tigers in the hunt for the divisional title and a shot at the SEC championship game in Atlanta. And after Ohio State's loss to Michigan, LSU might have a chance for a spot in the national title game in the Sugar Bowl on Jan. 4.
"I'm probably the biggest Ohio State fan in Louisiana, but I was rooting against them today," said Jeff Just, 22, whose father is from Ohio.
Despite the Tigers' anemic 3-point lead for much of the game, LSU fans at the Varsity remained cautiously optimistic.
"I'm scared because we need this game," said Brandi Chevalier, 22. "I'm hoping for the Sugar Bowl."
Even with a loss, the Tigers were guaranteed a post-season bowl game.
"It will still have been a good season," said Mike Simon, 56.
People streamed into the Varsity and the adjoining Chimes Restaurant starting around 1:30 p.m. Ole Miss' surprising defense and the tight game held the fans' interest, and kept them guessing.
"I think low-scoring games are better, it keeps the tension and keeps it interesting," said LSU Junior James Gianelloni.
Fran Prawiro said, "I've been nervous ever since we've been winning. It's been surreal."
When the Rebels missed a tying field goal near the end of the game, LSU fans exhaled, then erupted into cheers.
But the room grew silent when it looked like a fairy-tale comeback for Manning in his last collegiate home game. That is, until Manning tripped on fourth down, turning the ball over to LSU, killing the Rebels' last real chance.
Exhale, cheers and music. (By Ned Randolph, The (Baton Rouge) Advocate)
Ball bounces in Tigers' favor for key SEC win
OXFORD, Miss. -- With every bullet it dodged Saturday, LSU seemed to be using up its line of credit with the football gods. The Tigers worked Ole Miss quarterback Eli Manning hard as well, harassing him to the point that his prayers went unanswered in the last home game of his college career.
There will be no Heisman Trophy for this Manning generation. There won't be a first Southeastern Conference Western Division championship for Ole Miss if No. 3-ranked LSU wins Friday at home against unranked Arkansas.
The Tigers kept the No. 15-ranked Rebels from clinching the SEC West title with a hardscrabble 17-14 victory that came only after LSU gave Ole Miss many chances. Manning and the Rebels failed at almost every opportunity the Tigers presented them.
"I think sometimes it helps that the ball bounces in your direction, whatever you call that, but I also think the way you compete in the game makes it bounce your way," LSU coach Nick Saban said. "Our defensive players went in there time and time again and made plays when they had to."
The Tigers held the Ole Miss offense, which led the SEC in scoring before the game, without a point un-til the fourth quarter, and they turned away Man-ning and the Rebels on their last three scoring op-portunities.
"The defense played and competed like gangbusters," Saban said.
LSU quarterback Matt Mauck overcame argu-ably the worst start he's had -- and a career-high three interceptions -- to throw touchdown passes of 9 yards to Michael Clayton and 53 yards to Devery Henderson, the latter for a 17-7 lead with 14:50 left in the game.
LSU (10-1) reached 10 regular-season victories for the first time since 1958, when it won the national championship. The Tigers find themselves closer to winning another than at anytime since that golden decade of LSU-Ole Miss games, of Billy Cannon, the Heisman and the Chinese Bandits.
Michigan's 35-21 victory over No. 4-ranked Ohio State creates a two-team race between LSU and No. 2-ranked Southern California as the one-loss teams with the best shot at playing in the Sugar Bowl for the national title, presumably against top-ranked and undefeated Oklahoma.
Brad Edwards, ESPN's guru of Bowl Championship Series mathematics, said last week that if LSU wins the rest of its games, including a possible SEC Championship Game, the Tigers could overtake USC in the No. 2 spot in the BCS standings. LSU projects to move up one spot to No. 3 in the BCS when the new standings are released Monday.
LSU junior defensive end Marcus Spears said the Tigers are better equipped to handle such an opportunity than they were earlier in the season.
"I think we've been pretty mature about the whole thing," Spears said calmly. "We've been playing good football, and that's what we want to continue to do. As far as any pressure on us or anything like that, I don't feel it. As long as we come out and play our type of game and come out and give 100 percent, we'll be successful most of the time."
Spears and other LSU players said they heard the score of Michigan's victory announced in Vaught-Hemingway Stadium, but they said it didn't have any effect on the way they played against Ole Miss.
"We have to kind of tune that out," Spears said.
"We can only control what LSU does, and we've been doing that the whole season. To be relying on someone else to win is not our style this year. We just come out and play our game and let all that other stuff take care of itself."
Ole Miss (8-3) saw its six-game winning streak end and dropped into a first-place tie with LSU at 6-1 apiece in the SEC West. The Rebels play Thursday at Mississippi State but can't win the division and advance to the conference title game unless LSU loses Friday against Arkansas.
"There is still a lot to play for," said Manning, who completed 16 of 36 passes for 200 yards, including a 10-yard touchdown pass to Brandon Jacobs in the first quarter to pull Ole Miss to within 17-14.
"Everything is still out there for us. We know what this game today meant, but we've still got to go out and beat Mississippi State and hope Arkansas beats LSU."
The Tigers sacked Manning three times. LSU defensive tackle Chad Lavalais helped bring him down another time, with 1:50 left and the Rebels facing fourth-and-10 from their 42. Lavalais pushed Ole Miss guard Doug Buckles backward, and Manning stepped on Buckles' foot, tripped and fell to the turf.
Manning got one more chance, lofting a rainbow into a crowd at midfield from deep in his territory with 9 seconds left, but it was deflected in the crowd and fell to the ground as time expired.
LSU turned back another Ole Miss drive with 4:15 left. Jonathan Nichols missed a 36-yard field-goal attempt wide right, missing a chance to tie the game.
"That was a tremendous defensive stand by our players," Saban said, "against a good offensive team."
Nichols has missed three field goals this season, two of them Saturday. In the first half he missed a 47-yard attempt. His other miss this year was a 52-yard try in a victory over Florida.
Mauck's bad start was shockingly abrupt. On LSU's first offensive play he threw the ball right at Ole Miss cornerback Travis Johnson, who ran 6 yards into the end zone to give the Rebels a stunning 7-0 lead -- 66 seconds into the game.
A 45-yard field goal by Chris Jackson allowed LSU to trim the deficit to 7-3 seven minutes later, but the Tigers had trouble sustaining any offensive flow for much of the first half.
Saban said LSU didn't block or protect the ball well. The running game helped the Tigers change field possession at times, especially when running back Justin Vincent broke loose for 44 yards to set up the touchdown pass to Clayton.
Vincent finished with 105 yards on 22 carries. The rest of the offense was a mixed bag of few highs and mostly lows. The defense picked up the slack.
"I didn't think we had our personality today, for whatever reason," Saban said. "As much as we preached about it, there was a lot of anxiety. We didn't look like ourselves. I did all that we could do to try and get the players to focus on what they needed to do to execute and play good football in the game and not worry about the emotional aspects of what's at stake and that kind of stuff."
Saban said LSU failed that personality test in two games this season -- a 19-7 loss to Florida and the victory Saturday at Ole Miss.
"It's not a good thing to do when you compete, to be fearful and anxious about what might happen and what could happen," he said. "You've got to go play hard and be aggressive in what you're doing. I felt like we played that way on defense, but I felt like we were tentative on offense in what we did, and their defense played well."
Saban said he didn't know why LSU struggled with anxiety.
"I just don't think we played with the character and attitude we need to," he said. "We just didn't look like we had the same energy level, and you know, that gets affected a little bit by anxiety, I really do believe.
"It doesn't seem like we ever look as fast in the daytime as we look at night either, and I don't know why that is."
LSU caught plenty of breaks in the game. Travis Daniels appeared to get away with pass interference in the end zone early. Ole Miss wide receiver Chris Collins stepped awkwardly out of bounds -- for no strategic reason -- on a run that took him to the LSU 3-yard line but came back to the Tigers 49.
Johnson had another interception in his hands in the first half -- and a clear shot at the end zone -- but he juggled the ball, and Clayton took it from him. Ole Miss nearly blocked a punt by LSU's Donnie Jones and instead took the wrong angle and roughed him.
The Rebels wasted interceptions that gave them the ball at LSU's 31 and 35, scoring no points either time. Collins nearly downed Cody Ridgeway's 48-yard punt inside the LSU 1, but the ball barely broke the plane of the goal line.
LSU cornerback Corey Webster negated Mauck's third interception with one of Manning. Daniels said the Tigers were able to keep playing through the close calls and missteps and make plays when necessary.
In the closest LSU has come to losing since the loss to Florida, he said it seemed the Tigers were able to overcome adversity and anxiety.
"I think when we played Florida, it just felt like everybody was moving at a slow pace," Daniels said, "but this game, we were pumped up. Everybody knew it was a big game." (By Carl Dubois, The (Baton Rouge) Advocate)
Tulane turns back East Carolina in finale
Unlikely heroes step up for Green Wave
Maybe it was fitting that Tulane's defense, battered by early-season injuries and forced to rely on freshmen, began reaping dividends from its perseverance.
Even more fitting was that senior wide receiver Nick Narcisse ended the year the way he started it playing a meaningful role in the team's offense.
Together, the two helped Tulane end a frustrating season with a 28-18 Conference USA victory over East Carolina on Saturday in the Superdome.
"It defined our character and our dignity when we were flat on the mat three or four weeks ago," Tulane coach Chris Scelfo said. "For us to bounce back and win two of our last three is a tremendous tribute to them."
Narcisse, who had not caught more than two passes since the season opener against Texas Christian, caught two passes for 21 yards, including a 16-yard touchdown with 9:40 remaining that gave the Green Wave (5-7) a 10-point lead.
"I knew I was going to get the ball sporadically, and when I did get a chance, I had to make something happen," Narcisse said. "It's a hit-or-miss spot."
Following the Wave's third-quarter score, Narcisse caught a two-point conversion pass that sent the Wave to a 21-10 lead.
The final word, however, belonged to the defense, which allowed a season-low 18 points.
At the end of the third quarter, East Carolina had 342 yards, and the Wave seemed ready to give in.
But the Pirates were in for a huge surprise. Tulane's defense stiffened and held ECU to minus-3 yards in the fourth quarter.
"They had worn us down, but our kids refused to stop playing," Scelfo said.
After being forced to punt on its first two possessions of the fourth quarter, ECU's final series was foiled by two Wave freshmen, tackle Alvin Johnson on third-and-10, and defensive back Israel Route on fourth-and-10 from the Tulane 41.
On a blitz from the right side, Route sacked East Carolina quarterback James Pinkney for an 8-yard loss with 3:44 remaining.
The Wave, who had trouble getting pressure on Pinkney early, forced ECU into passing situations when it took a 10-point lead, allowing it to blitz more.
"We had planned to blitz a lot," Wave safety Joey Dawson said. "We didn't get to him as much in the first half. We stepped up and got it done in the second half."
Wave quarterback J.P. Losman, who threw 15 touchdowns in the first four games of the season, threw four scoring passes two to wideout Chris Bush. One was an 87-yarder, the longest for Losman and the second-longest in Tulane history.
Losman, sacked five times in the first half, finished with 227 yards, completing 14 of 20 passes. He was intercepted once.
"He got his confidence in the second half," ECU coach John Thompson said. "They went to a three-step drop and got rid of the ball quick. When he does that, you have to tackle and get off the field and we weren't able to do that."
Holding a 13-7 halftime lead, the Wave got a boost at the start of the second half when nickel back Byron Parker intercepted Pinkney and returned the ball 19 yards to East Carolina's 5. After losing 4 yards on first down, Losman connected with Bush for a 9-yard touchdown.
Tulane had an opportunity to pull away on its next series, methodically driving through ECU's defense. The Wave gained 60 yards and used up nearly five minutes. But the drive fizzled at East Carolina's 23, and a 40-yard field goal attempt by Barrett Pepper was blocked.
Marvin Townes, who rushed for 165 yards on 28 carries, gave the Pirates some hope with a 36-yard touchdown run with 3:32 left in the third quarter, getting East Carolina to 21-18 of the Wave. But that's when Tulane's defense took charge.
"It was just the game being on the line and the guys not wanting to leave the field having any regrets," Dawson said. "We knew we needed those stops and just gave it all we had." (By Fred Robinson, The (New Orleans) Times-Picayune)
Time to Give Thanks for Mega Cheer Babes...
Philadelphia Eagles Cheerleaders in the December 2003 issue of FHM
Denver Broncos Cheerleaders in December 2003 issue of Stuff
Cheerleader of the Week
Victoria Vodar, Tampa Bay Buccaneers Cheerleaders
TIDAL 3:25 PM
Tuesday, November 18, 2003
Go 2 Guy: This story really cheers me up
What an effort. They were out there in the wind and the rain, executing despite the elements at Seahawks Stadium.
The Sea Gals knew it would be difficult, but they danced their way through it, pom-pomming until the end of yesterday's game against Detroit.
This was the Go 2 Guy's assignment -- chronicle a game day with NFL cheerleaders.
It was tough duty for all of us -- the rain caused my ink and their makeup to run.
Sea Gal Sundays begin at 8:45 a.m. when they arrive early for pre-game warm-ups.
There are 28 Sea Gals, but only 25 suited up yesterday. Sarah was in the stands after spraining her ankle in practice during an ill-fated high kick.
She played through the pain long enough to sign autographs at the Exhibition Center.
"It's really, really tough for me to miss this game," said Sarah, who is Miss August and looked to me as if she could have been Miss Any Month She Wanted to Be in the 2004 Sea Gals calendar.
Besides manning the autograph booth, several Sea Gals also greet fans as they enter the stadium. Then some do a dance routine on a stage at the Exhibition Center.
Yesterday the dancers were from squad No. 2. Amber, the Go 2 Guy's favorite Sea Gal, is on this squad. I have this to say about that: Amber should never, under any circumstances, be on the No. 2 anything.
If the BCS ever ranked Sea Gals, she's Oklahoma, and the rest are USCs.
Shelly is one of them. In what amounted to Sea Gals karaoke, Shelly grabbed the mike and sang "Black Velvet" while her six backups moved and shook their booties in front of maybe 300 Seahawks fans.
One fan in a blue poncho with a half-empty Bud in his right hand howled in delight. Shelly was alluring, and he was allured.
In the biggest disappointment of the day, this was the last time the Sea Gals exposed their flat stomachs.
After going into their locker room, they emerged all bundled up, with dark blue sweat pants and dark blue fleeces underneath white-and-blue coats.
The Sea Gals even covered up their hair with white baseball caps, letting a little cold dictate their wardrobe.
"Try hard not to let it inhibit you," Sea Gals director Sherri Thompson said. "Go for it anyway. Think warm thoughts."
Warm thoughts? I was thinking about something else, like life with Amber, which I guess were warm thoughts after all.
For the next five minutes, the Sea Gals waited for their cue to run onto the field. They stretched and talked and laughed.
Ranging in age from 19 to 36 or 38, depending on which one is lying about her age, the Sea Gals are not only attractive and athletic but seem to be genuinely nice. I couldn't find a single stuck-up Sea Gal.
First-year Sea Gals make minimum wage and are said to get 50-cent raises every year after that. The highest-paid Sea Gal is Shannon, who rakes in "13-something" an hour, working 8 to 12 hours a week.
(Note to whoever's in charge in Kirkland: C'mon you tightwads. Pay these women what they're worth!)
I took a liking to Kimberly, 36, mainly because she's not young enough to be my daughter. She's a veteran who makes $12.70. The 5-foot-4 mother of two is still a sickening 115 pounds.
"It was a great motivator," Kimberly said. "I've had to work harder because I had two children."
In the second quarter, I snuggled up to Amber. Part of me thinks she's nice to me because I write about her all the time. The other part thinks it's because I've got a shot -- that Amber and the Go 2 Guy are starring in Seattle's version of "Average Joe."
"Did you hear that "Evening Magazine" voted me the most beautiful person in the Northwest?" Amber asked.
"Well, no," I said. "Congratulations, but that's nothing. I'm putting you in the 50 most beautiful people in Seattle sports if I ever get around to it."
"That would mean so much to me," Amber said. "It would be the peak of my career."
Between her dance routines, we continued to make small talk.
"You've never seen me on game day," Amber said.
"I've never seen you with this many clothes on," I replied.
By the time the game ended, the Sea Gals were exhausted and I was, too, having put in a grueling three hours without a break.
But in my never-ending pursuit of mediocrity, I still managed to meet Seahawks owner Paul Allen as his players left the field.
A snippet from my exclusive interview with the Microsoft jillionaire and former WSU student:
Go 2 Guy: "Think the Cougs'll win the Apple Cup?"
Allen: "Yes. But that's not a prediction, that's my opinion."
In the next instant, while talking to one of the world's richest men, I noticed the underpaid Sea Gals leaving their sweat shop, high-fiving Seahawk fans in the end zone, finished with their day. (By Jim Moore, Seattle Post-Intelligencer)
TIDAL 7:09 AM
Sunday, November 16, 2003
ACCeleration
FLORIDA STATE 50, N.C. STATE 44, 2 OT
Florida State was playing for so much.
A BCS bowl and an outright ACC title were at stake. But nothing was more important to FSU players than themselves as they urged and cheered Leon Washington into the end zone for a 50-44 double-overtime victory over North Carolina State. Unless it was for teammates, current and former, who could not be part of the grand celebration.
No.13 FSU (9-2, 7-1 ACC), in just its second overtime game ever, rebounded from another hexed field goal in regulation, then used the Wolfpack's fourth-down gamble in the second overtime and Washington's 12-yard, weak-side run to win in a game that was golden for FSU's previously missing ground game Saturday.
"It felt so great to get a win for the seniors (who received the game ball) and for Craphonso Thorpe ... and for Devaughn Darling," Washington said. "... We had so many reasons to win."
Senior Day at Doak Campbell Stadium for Florida State began with an impassioned speech from Travis Johnson, who implored his teammates to win for the late Darling, who would have been a senior. He died during a 2001 offseason workout, and some of his family was at the game Saturday.
The game ended with emotions still high as Seminoles rushed toward the northeast corner, where an ambulance held the injured Thorpe, suspected of breaking his leg on the next-to-last play of regulation.
"I told Cro (while he was on the ground) that we were going to win the game for him, and we did," P.K. Sam said of Thorpe, who was taken to Tallahassee Memorial Hospital.
Sam gave Thorpe encouraging words and then returned to the party on the field. Nearby, running-backs coach Billy Sexton screamed into the Tallahassee night. "Ohhh, ohhhh, 272!," he said, repeating FSU's rushing yards after his group came up with just 11 in a defeat against Clemson the week before. "This is awesome."
The two teams tied a record for most points scored in a game at Doak Campbell Stadium.
It wasn't so great from a defensive standpoint for most of the game. But that was before Allen Augustin - recruited as a walk-on by Chuck Amato before the longtime FSU assistant coach left Tallahassee for N.C. State - perfectly played Philip Rivers' pass to dangerous James Cotchery. It was a fourth-down gamble broken up by Augustin that led to a victory so crucial to a program that faces Florida next.
"I did my best to make sure he didn't catch the ball," said Augustin, who was doubtful before the game because of a sprained ankle. "This is what we came down to for us (seniors). It was a storybook ending."
A missed 32-yard field goal by Xavier Beitia sent the game into overtime. The first overtime ended tied with both teams scoring touchdowns.
FSU escaped a shootout that featured a collected Rivers making big plays for N.C. State countered by an impressive FSU ground game that was set up by Chris Rix's newfound success in the short-passing game. FSU bounced back from a humiliating defeat to Clemson to break a two-game losing streak to North Carolina State and clinch the ACC title outright. With its 11th ACC title, FSU will play in either the Orange, Fiesta or Rose Bowl.
The two teams combined for five scores in the third quarter, including a field goal for each side. Rix found Chris Davis in blown coverage for a 13-yard reception that led to a game-tying 25-yard field goal from from Beitia on the Seminoles' first drive. That second-half opening drive for FSU was set up by linebacker A.J. Nicholson separating T.J. Williams from the football and Rufus Brown recovering to give FSU the ball at the N.C. State 32.
When N.C. State recaptured the lead in the third quarter on a field goal, Lorenzo Booker bounced outside to his right and ran 30- yards before cutting to his left en route to a 71-yard touchdown, the longest from the line of scrimmage Seminole since Davy Ford's 82-yarder in 1994. Credit offensive coordinator Jeff Bowden for showing the patience in a running game that he quickly abandoned the week before.
"We just got tired of people saying that we couldn't run the ball," Booker said. "Like we said before the season, there wasn't a deep backfield with the talent we have, and we wanted to show that today."
Meanwhile, Rix finished 15 of 32 for 183 yards and three touchdowns.
"It was a tough week not only for myself but the program," Rix added. "Words can't describe this feeling. I'm just thankful for the way everybody responded (from last week)." (By Steve Ellis, Tallahssee Democrat)
Tigers rise to occasion for 27-3 win
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- Concerns about LSU's performance after an open date turned out to be unwarranted. Speculation about the Tigers' ability to focus on Alabama, with everything that's on the line this month, proved unnecessary.
Nearly everything the Crimson Tide tried against LSU proved futile.
The third-ranked Tigers, fighting to stay in contention for the Southeastern Conference Western Division championship and maybe more, steadily separated themselves from unranked Alabama in a 27-3 victory Saturday night.
The win sets up the biggest LSU-Ole Miss match-up in generations when the two teams play at 2:30 p.m. Saturday in Oxford, Miss. The Tigers (9-1) are 5-1 in the SEC, second in the West only to the No. 17-ranked Rebels (8-2, 6-0).
LSU must defeat Ole Miss to stay in contention for the divisional title.
"We're going to enjoy this win tonight, but that is going to be a really great ballgame," said LSU wide receiver Michael Clayton, who caught a career-high 12 passes for 130 yards and a touchdown Saturday.
"We're playing a great team, and that is what it is all about."
If LSU was looking ahead to that showdown, it didn't show. Quarterback Matt Mauck completed 24 of 36 passes for 251 yards and two touchdowns. He also threw an interception that had no impact on the score.
The Tigers had 28 first downs to 10 for Alabama.
LSU coach Nick Saban didn't suggest the Tigers brought their 'A' game to Bryant-Denny Stadium, where an oversized script version of that letter is painted in white at midfield. Still, Saban liked his team's ability to win without clicking in all phases.
"We made a lot of mistakes today and had a lot of penalties," Saban said. "We were never able to just put the game away. Being able to rise to the occasion and take leadership opportunities -- I was proud of how we did that tonight."
LSU's defense, which didn't allow the Tide to cross midfield until the final minute of the first half, didn't let Alabama score until Brian Bostick's 27-yard field goal with 6:38 left in the fourth quarter. On the rare occasions when the Tide approached the LSU end zone, the Tigers put up a stone wall.
"Our defense played pretty well," Saban said. "We felt being here on the road and having been off for a while that we should get the momentum going on defense."
The Tigers did that, winning the pregame coin toss and deferring the choice, allowing Alabama to take possession of the ball first. LSU's defense and punt returns enabled the Tigers to grab a 10-0 lead with their first two possessions.
On offense, LSU was effective, if not spectacular, taking advantage of good field position to forge a 17-0 halftime lead. The Tigers displayed good balance, gaining 219 yards rushing, 251 yards passing.
Mauck threw touchdown passes of 23 yards to Clayton and 3 yards to tight end Eric Edwards. Chris Jackson kicked field goals of 20 and 33 yards.
Alley Broussard added a 4-yard touchdown run.
"Offensively we left a few things out there," Mauck said of several wasted opportunities, "but when we needed a big play we made it, and that was big tonight."
The Tigers outgained Alabama 470 yards to 219.
The Tide (4-7, 2-5) is ensured a losing record in Mike Shula's first season as its coach.
Shula said his team, which was held to one first down for much of the first half, didn't do itself any favors by failing to get off to a good start.
"It's obviously a difficult loss when you don't play well against a good football team, and they're good -- very deserving of their ranking," Shula said of the Tigers. "They're big and strong and fast.
"They don't have many weaknesses."
LSU's 9-1 start matches its best record to this point in 30 years. The Tigers won on the road against the Tide for the eighth time in 11 tries dating to its 20-10 victory in Birmingham in 1982, Bear Bryant's last season coaching Alabama.
Saturday's game continued a trend of success by the visiting team in this series. In the last 20 years, road teams are 15-4-1 in LSU-Alabama games. Dating to 1970, when the Tide began a long streak of dominance in Tiger Stadium, the traveler in this series has a 24-9-1 record.
LSU's only loss this season, a 19-7 defeat Oct. 11 against Florida, came the week after an open date. Saban said the Tigers had a bad week of practice for that game after a series of good workouts during the open week.
This time, Saban complimented LSU's practices during the open week and the game week, and the difference in performance was obvious.
"We came out ready to play tonight," Edwards said. "We made some mistakes on offense, but our defense played awesome tonight. Alabama is a really good team. They played hard, but we just came out ready."
The Tigers started the first half better than the second. Clayton fumbled on the first play of the second half, giving Alabama the ball at LSU's 29, but the Tigers kept the Tide out of the end zone.
Bostick missed a 46-yard field-goal attempt at drive's end. LSU's Jackson missed one from that distance with 2:42 left in the third quarter, then gave the Tigers a 27-0 lead with 10:11 left in the game with a 33-yarder.
Alabama quarterback Brodie Croyle completed 12 of 33 passes for 154 yards and threw one interception.
LSU led 17-0 at halftime largely because of a decided edge in field position. Skyler Green returned punts 26 and 34 yards, respectively, to set up the first two scoring drives. Jackson's 20-yard field goal gave the Tigers a 3-0 lead.
Green's second punt return, to the Alabama 23, put LSU in position for a quick-strike touchdown on its second possession. On the next play, Mauck hit Clayton on a post pattern, and Clayton powered into the end zone for a 10-0 lead.
LSU's defense kept Alabama under wraps. The Tide didn't snap the ball in LSU territory until there were 49 seconds left in the half. By then the Tigers led 17-0 after a 3-yard scoring pass from Mauck to Edwards, who caught the ball over his shoulder while headed toward the corner of the end zone.
With less than a minute remaining in the half, Croyle's 17-yard pass to Zach Fletcher put Alabama on LSU's 40, the Tide's first trip across midfield. Three incomplete passes later, LSU defensive tackle Chad Lavalais tipped a pass into the air and intercepted it at his 33, effectively ending the half. (By Carl Dubois, The (Baton Rouge) Advocate)
'Vowel line' pushes Preds’ win streak to three
Along with a bundle of sticks, shorts and jerseys, the Predators will be taking some some nice home memories on the first big road trip of the season.
They made sure of that last night by downing the New York Islanders 4-3 in front of 12,714 at the Gaylord Entertainment Center and improving their winning streak to a modest three games.
The contest was the last home game for the Predators before leaving on a trip that will see them hit Los Angeles, Anaheim, San Jose and Colorado in a seven-day stretch beginning Wednesday.
''I thought it was real important to get this because when you go on the road for a while, you always want to leave on a winning note,'' Coach Barry Trotz said. ''Hopefully this will give us a little bit of momentum.''
It was a big night for the Predators' ''Vowel Line,'' as Denis Arkhipov, Martin Erat and Vladimir Orszagh all scored. Erat also added a pair of assists, while Arkhipov and Orszagh chipped in one each.
''It had been awhile since we'd scored a lot of points,'' Orszagh said. ''(Last night) seemed like the first year when we were playing together. We were working together and keeping it simple.''
The Islanders (8-6-2-0) made things interesting in the third period, scoring twice within three minutes to trim a 4-1 Predators lead to 4-3. But Nashville (7-8-1-0) managed to hold on for the game's final seven minutes.
The Predators scored two power play goals for the second straight game, putting a dent in an Islanders' penalty-killing unit that entered the contest with a 92.2 success rate, the best in the league.
Defenseman Marek Zidlicky scored the Predators' first power play goal, collecting his team-best 14th point of the season.
Mariusz Czerkawski, Justin Mapeltoft and Aaron Asham scored for the Islanders. (By John Glennon, The (Nashville) Tennessean)
Cheerleader of the Week
Caroline, Philadelphia Eagles Cheerleaders
TIDAL 6:19 PM
Sunday, November 09, 2003
Down goes Dad
CLEMSON, S.C. - Quicker than Bobby Bowden could blow out the 74 candles on his birthday cake, No.3 Florida State's national championship aspirations were snuffed out by son Tommy's Clemson Tigers.
The fifth-year Clemson coach may have saved his job with a 26-10 victory Saturday night, but Chris Rix's role probably needs to be re-evaluated after he committed three turnovers for a second consecutive week. Rix threw two interceptions, fumbled once, and failed time and again to find open receivers. For the first time since joining the Atlantic Coast Conference in 1992, FSU lost to Clemson (6-4, 4-3 ACC). And Tommy Bowden had that elusive victory over his father and the school's first win over a team so highly ranked.
For FSU (8-2, 6-1), sole possession of first place and the BCS bowl bid that comes with it is on hold. A quarterback controversy may not be - Rix completed only 16 of 31 passes for 194 yards. His two interceptions give him 11 this season; he has 15 touchdowns.
"They just outplayed us," Rix said. "I felt great coming in; we all did. We didn't, I didn't perform like we can. I could have helped my team out more than I did."
Rix was replaced by Fabian Walker with 8:29 remaining in the game and Clemson up 26-3. Walker threw a 71-yard strike to Chauncey Stovall for FSU's lone score with 2:14 remaining.
"I'm really glad they gave me an opportunity to throw the ball a little bit," Walker said. "What ever happens, I'll be ready."
But Bobby Bowden, when asked about Rix's status, said: "We'll see where we failed. I thought there was entirely too much heat on him and he was not hot."
Although the focus will be on Rix and a running game that was slammed shut, the Seminoles defense had its worst effort of the season. It allowed 25 first downs and 424 yards of total offense, the most by an FSU opponent this season. FSU bent and then broke late in the game.
"All you can say is we got outplayed on both sides of the ball," defensive lineman Jeff Womble said.
Quarterback Charlie Whitehurst hit Derrick Hamilton for a 58-yard touchdown and a 23-3 lead with 1:23 remaining in the third quarter. Whitehurst also scored on a 1-yard run, and Clemson kicked three field goals.
But the heat will no doubt move from one Bowden son to another as FSU fans question offensive coordinator Jeff Bowden's play calling as well as Bobby Bowden's belief in Rix.
This was a game in which at least one Bowden finally reached the conclusion made long ago by FSU fans - that Rix is the FSU offense's worst enemy. Unfortunately for the Seminoles, that Bowden was Clemson's Tommy. After giving up 321 rushing yards to Wake Forest a week ago, Clemson shut down FSU's running game to make Rix beat them. The Seminoles rushed for 4 yards on nine carries in the first half, and tailback Greg Jones, who had 325 yards rushing over the previous two games, was smothered on five carries.
That strategy allowed Clemson to put the game in Rix's hands. And Rix had the kind of first half he usually reserves for rainy conditions. Rix, 8 of 14 for 69 yards at halftime, threw high and wide with regularity. He missed open receivers underneath and his first interception set up Clemson's second field goal. That led to just 73 total yards for FSU in the second half and a 13-0 deficit. It was the third time FSU was shut out in the first half this season - Georgia Tech and Miami also did it - and second-fewest total yards collected by FSU at halftime.
Rix's erratic play didn't end there. When FSU reached Clemson's 23 early in the second half, he overthrew a wide open Willie Reid. It was the Seminoles' best, and only shot at scoring, until Xavier Beitta missed a 40-yard field goal with 11:38 in the third quarter. Beitia did kick a field goal late in the third quarter to cut the lead to 16-3 after Rix overthrew Craphonso Thorpe.
Scoring from the red zone, a concern during FSU's previous four games, wasn't an issue Saturday. The Seminoles reached the 20-yard line just once in the first three quarters.
"I don't know what happened. It was like the twilight zone," receiver P.K. Sam said. "I guess we could have called some other things, but we had to just work with what (the coaches) called."
"They stopped the run and did it well, and they put it into the hands of the passing game," offensive line Matt Meinrod said. "We couldn't get any together. Every drive it seemed nothing went our way. We couldn't run the ball, and we had trouble throwing the ball.
"Fumbles, interceptions, but we can't put it all on (Rix) because none us of held the rope."
That was true for the defense, too. Penalities, including three pass interference calls midway through the third quarter, a key roughing-the-passer call that set up Clemson's third field goal, and a 16-0 lead in the third quarter plagued the FSU defense. And the Seminoles played without its most dominating player, Darnell Dockett, when he was ejected on a controversial flagrant personal foul late in the second quarter. He knocked intended receiver Kevin Youngblood to the ground with a forearm well after the play was over. Replays showed that Clemson tight end Bobby Williamson gave Dockett a shove which sent him into Youngblood.
"The Clemson guy pushed me from behind, and I ran into the one of their receivers," Dockett said. "That's what happened, and they called a fragrant foul. It was a terrible feeling standing on the sidelines and not being able to help my team."
From the sidelines, or in the action, the view was a bad one for FSU players.
"Man, that was horrible," cornerback Stanford Samuels said. "We played horrible. The officiating was horrible. ... The officials took an 'L' along with us." (By Steve Ellis, Tallahassee Democrat)
For once, father didn't know best
CLEMSON, S.C. - Tommy Bowden finally was able to give his dad a birthday spanking. And it wasn't the extra one you get for good luck.
Instead, it was the extra loss Florida State couldn't afford this season.
The Seminoles came into the night in perfect position to clinch outright the Atlantic Coast Conference title and improve their position in the national championship sweepstakes.
The fact they did neither in a 26-10 loss to Clemson made for a very unhappy birthday for Bobby Bowden, who turned 74 Saturday.
Then again, at least Bowden may have gotten his one wish that Clemson's administration will learn to be patient with their head coach.
"I told him his job ought to be safe for about another five days," quipped the FSU coach of his son.
Clemson's Bowden has faced increasing criticism from fans this season for putting together a team that at times has been undisciplined on special teams, inefficient on offense and much too yielding on defense.
Against FSU (8-2, 6-1), at least for one night, the Tigers (6-4, 4-3) finally resembled the best team in the ACC that Clemson fans have expected since hiring Tommy Bowden in 1999 following his unbeaten season at Tulane.
In Bowden Bowl V, son finally got it right as dad proved he doesn't always know best.
"They looked like No.3 and we looked like No.Unranked," Bobby Bowden said.
"You knew this was coming. You don't beat everyone forever. It was thorough, and it wasn't even close."
What the senior Bowden saw was a Clemson defense that had all the motivation and a Tigers' offense that tossed in some extra motion.
"We did enough to keep them off-balanced," Tommy Bowden said.
Papa Bowden said he was concerned about the different mental approaches of the two squads with his players coming off a 37-0 romp at Notre Dame and Tommy's squad having to bounce back from a devastating 45-17 loss at Wake Forest.
"It was a terrible situation coming into the game," the FSU head coach said. "When you put those two against each other, it's almost like a brain transplant."
It was definitely a reversal of fortunes.
But Tommy Bowden said he told his players after the loss to Wake Forest that he expected them to beat Florida State.
"We actually match up better against Florida State than we do against Wake Forest," he said.
Ouch! That's hardly a 'Happy Birthday' wish for his dad, either.
"On paper, they are still the better team. But on any given Saturday, the best team doesn't always win," he said.
"In today's football anybody can be had," echoed Bobby Bowden.
The Tigers finished with 424 yards of total offense with quarterback Charlie Whitehurst passing for 272 and scrambling for 39 - just enough to keep out of the reach of FSU's pass rush.
The Seminoles finished with 369 yards of offense, but 199 of that came in the fourth quarter after the game was essentially over. Backup quarterback Fabian Walker came off the bench to complete 11 of 21 passes in the final period for 164 yards and a 71-yard touchdown to Chauncey Stovall.
Chris Rix could muster only 194 yards passing in the first three quarters, completing 16 of 31 attempts while throwing a pair of interceptions and also losing a fumble. But nearly as damaging was the lack of a rushing attack by the Seminoles. They gained just 11 yards on 17 carries a year after having punished the Tigers with 272 rushing yards.
It was Whitehurst who made the most damaging run of the night. His scramble for a 1-yard touchdown with 15 seconds remaining in the first half gave Clemson a 13-0 halftime lead - the third time this season the Seminoles have been shut out in the first two quarters.
"I thought that was one of the biggest plays. They had the tight end well covered and instead of just throwing the ball away, he made a great scramble," said Tommy Bowden. "We had a great plan on offense and defense, but your players still have to execute."
Clemson's crowd gained plenty of inspiration early in the night from the real "Radio," the mentally challenged man who has been embraced by an area high school and whose story is now a major motion picture. James Robert Kennedy, who is a manager/cheerleader for T.L. Hanna High School in nearby Anderson, S.C., was presented a No.5 orange Clemson jersey and then followed the Tigers down the hill to a rousing ovation before the game.
As the night got longer and longer for Bobby Bowden, they had even more to cheer. (By Randy Beard, Tallahassee Democrat)
Tulane puts it together vs. UAB
Total team effort halts five-game losing skid
BIRMINGHAM, ALA. -- When Tulane's offense was asked to be productive in critical situations Saturday afternoon, it didn't waste time responding.
When it was the defense's turn, it wasn't about to be left behind. Not this time.
For the first time in more than a month, everything clicked for the Green Wave. There were big plays on offense, big plays on defense, which led to a 38-24 victory over Alabama-Birmingham at Legion Field and ended a five-game losing streak.
"This was a great victory . . . a team effort," senior tackle Terrence Tarver said. "We played as a unit."
Tailback Jovon Jackson contributed 183 yards and two touchdown runs in his first game as Mewelde Moore's replacement, and quarterback J.P. Losman threw for 255 yards and three touchdowns, dazzling UAB's defense with his scrambling.
Defensively, the Green Wave (4-6, 2-4 Conference USA) not only turned back the Blazers' offense time after time, but it forced four turnovers, including a pair of fumbles inside its 5-yard line.
The second forced fumble, by senior linebacker Brandt Quick, came at Tulane's 2 with 2:14 remaining and UAB pursuing the game-tying touchdown. The Wave was leading 31-24.
"We were just playing football," Quick said. "We needed to come up with something big. It seems like every time we got down there we did. It was 11 guys playing together, and we made something happen."
With the Wave backed up to its goal line and UAB with two timeouts, there was still a chance for the Blazers to get the ball back with excellent field position. But that didn't happen.
A 3-yard run by fullback Kris Coleman gave the offense some working room. On the next play, Jackson picked up 8 yards and a first down on a sweep to the right. After another short run by Coleman, the Blazers used their second timeout with 57 seconds to play.
Following the timeout, Jackson took the handoff from Losman and went over the left side looking to pick up another first down. He didn't have to look long before he found more. Jackson went though a huge gap in UAB's line and ran 85 yards for the Wave's final touchdown.
In his first game as a starter, Jackson rushed for more yards than he gained all of last season (168). Jackson's total came as a surprise to Wave coach Chris Scelfo.
"No, I really didn't expect (this)," Scelfo said of Jackson's performance. "What I talked to the offense about was we needed to not get frustrated, take what they gave us, move the chains and take care of the football. Any time you get anything like you got out of (Jackson), it's great."
Clinging to a 17-10 halftime lead, the Green Wave's defense allowed the Blazers to go 79 yards in 14 plays on their first possession of the second half to tie the score with 8:46 left in the third quarter. It seemed like the momentum swing UAB needed to take control.
But Tulane's offense responded with Losman scrambling to his right and then lobbing the ball over UAB cornerback Bobby Keys to receiver Roydell Williams. Keys, who expected Losman to take off and run, couldn't recover, and Williams raced the final 65 yards down the right sideline for a 78-yard touchdown.
"Great players make great plays, and I think that was an example of a guy making a great play, No. 7 (Losman) and No. 9 (Williams)," Scelfo said. "We've been missing that lately."
Williams had four receptions for 118 yards, his fourth 100-yard game this season.
The touchdown pass was the longest this season for Tulane, and the longest scoring pass in Losman's career.
Tulane's 499 yards were the most allowed by UAB this season, and the 38 points were second to the 42 points South Carolina scored against the Blazers.
Meanwhile, Tulane's defense also gave up 499 yards, but it didn't break. UAB's did.
"Our guys kept flying around and playing hard and wouldn't let them score; every down counted," Scelfo said. "They responded down on the goal line twice. Things went our way today."
Against the Blazers, it started going Tulane's way early. The Wave took the opening kickoff and marched 78 yards in eight plays, scoring on a 25-yard pass from Losman to Chris Bush. The touchdown was Tulane's first score in the first quarter of its last five games.
On the Wave's first defensive series, freshman end Billy Harrison batted a Chris Williams pass into the air and wound up with an interception after a scramble for the tipped ball. A little more than a minute later, Tulane's offense had given the team a 14-0 lead. The Green Wave had not led in a game since Sept. 20, when it beat Army 50-33.
"We had a lot of yards today, but they weren't very consistent," UAB coach Watson Brown said. "Then the turnovers that we had going in (to the end zone) were the difference in the game. We're not good enough to beat teams in this league unless we play really well." (by Fred Robinson, The (New Orleans) Times-Picayune)
Detroit shocked by Preds rally
DETROIT — In the most unlikely of all buildings, the Predators forged the most unforgettable third-period comeback in franchise history last night.
Trailing Detroit by three goals after two periods, the Predators cross-checked probability from their minds, blitzed the Red Wings for 20 minutes and wound up with a stunning 4-3 victory.
Scott Walker scored the game-winning goal for the Predators with just 57 seconds remaining, tipping Dan Hamhuis' blast past Curtis Joseph and sending the sellout crowd at Joe Louis Arena home in amazed silence.
That score was the last of four in a 14-minute span for the Predators, who'd won just once here in 14 previous attempts.
''That was probably really unlikely,'' Walker said. ''I don't think anyone would have given us a chance. We're a young team, but sometimes the best thing about being young is you don't think about being down 3-0 — you're just playing hockey in the NHL.''
The night started like many others here for the Predators, trailing 1-0 just 14 seconds into the contest when Tomas Holmstrom tipped Ray Whitney's shot past Tomas Vokoun.
The Red Wings led 3-0 heading into the third period, and had outshot the Predators 19-11 after 40 minutes.
But sparked by some motivational comments, the Predators launched a third-period offensive, outshooting the Red wings 20-12 and tying the game thanks to goals by Vladimir Orszagh, Martin Erat and Scott Hartnell.
''A lot of the guys like Rem (Murray), Jim (McKenzie), Greg Johnson and myself talked about playing with passion, showing character and trying to win the third period,'' Walker said. ''It was amazing to see it get to 3-1 and 3-2, and the guys were really getting fired up. Momentum is a crazy thing.'' (By John Glennon, The (Nashville) Tennessean)
Cheerleader of the Week
Crystal Risher, Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders
TIDAL 5:44 PM
Sunday, November 02, 2003
Cheerleader of the Week
Adriana, Miami Dolphins Cheerleaders
TIDAL 6:35 PM
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