Texas coach Charlie Strong fires two offensive assistants

After putting up only 59 yards of offense in a brutal Texas Bowl loss to Arkansas on Monday night, Texas head coach Charlie Strong decided to make a few changes to his staff.

The program announced on Wednesday night that Strong fired wide receivers coach Les Koenning and tight ends coach Bruce Chambers.

“Les and Bruce are both good men and good football coaches,” Strong said in a statement. “It’s unfortunate that it didn’t work out, but I just feel like we need to make a chance and head in a different direction in their positions. We wish them the best.”

Chambers was the only holdover from Mack Brown’s staff and Koenning, who played at Texas in the late 1970’s, joined Strong’s staff after serving as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Mississippi State from 2009-2013.

According to a release, the search for Chambers' and Koennig's replacements will "begin immediately."

After the 31-7 Texas Bowl loss to Arkansas, the Longhorns finished 6-7 in Strong’s first year with the program, losing five times by 20 or more points.

For more Texas news, visit Orangebloods.com.

- - - - - - -

Sam Cooper is a contributor for the Yahoo Sports blogs. Have a tip? Email him or follow him on Twitter!

Follow @SamDCooper

from Yahoo Sports http://ift.tt/1xhZ7nU

Mississippi State ends Orange Bowl's first half with Hail Mary (GIFs)

Georgia Tech looked to have the momentum going into halftime of the Orange Bowl until a Mississippi State prayer was answered.

The Yellow Jackets had just taken a 21-13 lead with 29 seconds left in the half. Instead of just taking a knee and going into the locker room, the Bulldogs moved the ball to the Georgia Tech 42-yard line and dialed up a Hail Mary.

Quarterback Dak Prescott had plenty of time and fired deep into a crowd in the back right corner of the end zone. The ball deflected out of a crowd of MSU receivers and GT defensive backs and into the diving arms of Fred Ross, who was trailing the play.

Ross was positioned perfectly, waiting for the tip. When the ball went his way, he laid out and scooped it up just before it hit the turf for a Mississippi State touchdown.

The score cut Georgia Tech’s lead to 21-20 at the break and was Ross’ fourth catch (for 64 yards) of the first half.

For more Mississippi State news, visit BulldogBlitz.com.

For more Georgia Tech news, visit JacketsOnline.com.

- - - - - - -

Sam Cooper is a contributor for the Yahoo Sports blogs. Have a tip? Email him or follow him on Twitter!

Follow @SamDCooper

from Yahoo Sports http://ift.tt/1rCHdM6

Willie Aikens reunited with AL championship ring after 33 years

Former major leaguer Willie Mays Aikens received perhaps his greatest Christmas gift in 33 years this holiday season. The former Kansas City Royals first baseman had been without his 1980 American League championship ring since 1981, when he says it was stolen from his apartment. But thanks to the remarkable efforts of one kind person, he was finally reunited with his coveted jewelry on Christmas Eve.

According to Shawn Anderson of Hall of Very Good, the now 60-year-old Aiken says the ring was stolen from his apartment while he was visiting his mother in South Carolina. For 33 years — 14 of which Aikens spend in prison after he was found guilty on four counts of crack cocaine distribution — the whereabouts of his ring were unknown, but that changed recently when Kim Accurso received a heads up that it may be in a Kansas City pawn shop.

“I pounded the pavement to find the owner of that pawn shop. I tracked him down and eventually we set up a meeting,” Accurso continued. “He had the ring. I told him my story and he agreed to help me out.”

The pawn shop owner told Accurso that “some big guy” pawned it more than 30 years ago and it’s been sitting in a safe ever since. It’s a mystery as to how it made its way back to Kansas City from South Carolina, but one thing is certain…that ring is back where it belongs.

“Willie was thrilled to have it back. It all worked out so wonderful,” Accurso added. “The ring is safe at home.”

I just got back my 1980 World Series ring last night. It was stolen in 1981. Thanks to my dear friend Kim. http://ift.tt/1xBhDqc

— Willie Mays Aikens (@WAikens) December 25, 2014

As Anderson readily pointed out in wake of his piece, it's fair to question the circumstances surrounding the ring's disappearance and wonder if we're hearing the whole story.

@Baseball_More I do wonder if he was "the big guy" who pawned it, but he told me it was stolen in SC and that's what I have to go on.

— Hall of Very Good™ (@HOVG) December 26, 2014

Regardless, it doesn't change the fact that Aikens has turned his life around since rejoining society on June 4, 2008 and is living a clean life, which is perhaps the best story to be told here. He's even written a book on his remarkable journey, in addition to rejoining the Royals as a minor league coach and spring training instructor.

The circumstances also won't change the kind and extraordinary efforts made by Kim Accurso, who obviously didn't owe Aikens anything, but just wanted to do the right thing. There's a lot we can learn from her actions and her determination to provide happiness and perhaps even closure to an important chapter in Aikens' life.

You're encouraged to read more on this story at Hall of Very Good.

BLS H/N: Cut 4

More MLB coverage from Yahoo Sports:

- - - - - - -

Mark Townsend is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at bigleaguestew@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Townie813

from Yahoo Sports http://ift.tt/1rCHdvH

Tim Miles and Tom Crean have heated exchange during Hoosiers' road win

Nebraska coach Tim Miles and Indiana coach Tom Crean exchanged words Wednesday during the Big Ten Conference opener between their teams won 70-65 by the Hoosiers.

Miles shouted most of what he had to say to Crean within a few feet of Crean’s face while officials held him back with 9 minutes, 42 seconds left in the game. The incident came during a stoppage in play following a hard foul by Nebraska’s Tai Webster on a dunk attempt by Hoosiers’ big man Hanner Mosquera-Perea.

Crean appeared to tell Miles to shut up from a distance and the two men came together with officials between them as Miles began to scream at Crean. The Indiana coached stood with his hands on his waist staring at Miles. When the game ended approximately 30 minutes later, Miles marched down the sideline and shook hands with Crean, pausing to say something to his counterpart.

Miles didn’t have much to say about those heated moments when asked about them in the postgame press conference. Meanwhile, Crean made a point of tracking down a reporter to tell him he did not tell Miles to shut up on television replays.

"I've been a head coach 20 years. I've just learned to coach my team," Miles said of altercation with Crean, refusing to comment further.

— Brian Rosenthal (@HuskerExtraBR) January 1, 2015

I asked Crean if he told Miles to shut up. "No." After presser, Crean came directory to me to say he would NEVER tell a coach to shut up.

— Brian Rosenthal (@HuskerExtraBR) January 1, 2015

It was a frustrating loss for the Huskers who have fallen to 8-5, including unexpected losses to the likes of Incarnate Word and Hawaii. Nebraska came back from a 16-point deficit in the first half only to fall behind again by 13 after the altercation between coaches.

Husker stalwarts Shavon Shields and Terran Petteway combined to score 43 points and snare 15 rebounds, but the rest of the team didn’t provide much to complement the pair. Shields went all out at one point during the Huskers’ second half rally diving on to the scorer’s table and into the laps of the Big Ten Network crew to save a loose ball.

The Hoosiers were the better team and came to Lincoln prepared for a fight after losing to the Huskers on the road last season. Indiana scored 38 points in the paint and 18 points off the bench.

Mosquera-Perea seemed to be the biggest problem for Nebraska, scoring 12 points and grabbing 10 rebounds in just 22 minutes. Emmitt Holt also played well inside for Crean in what has to be an encouraging start to conference play for the Hoosiers.

- - - - - - -

[Kyle Ringo is the assistant editor of The Dagger on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at kyle.ringo@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @KyleRingo

from Yahoo Sports http://ift.tt/1BngMd9

Boise State gets key defensive stop in 38-30 win against Arizona in Fiesta Bowl

Boise State can’t play in the Fiesta Bowl without making it as exciting as possible.

In its two previous appearances, the Broncos needed a trick play to secure victory. While Boise State emptied its bag of tricks Wednesday in the first half to gain the lead against Arizona, it needed a good old-fashioned defensive stop to secure the 38-30 victory.

Arizona quarterback Anu Solomon took a sack with just seconds remaining with his team at the 8-yard line driving for the game-tying score. The Wildcats did not have a timeout and the clock ran out giving the Broncos the victory.

That play was one of the many the Broncos defense had to come up with in the second half as the offense that led the Broncos to 31 first-half points went ice cold in the second half. The Broncos final score came off a pick-six by Donte Deayon late in the third quarter.

Arizona actually stormed back from a 31-17 halftime deficit while it stymied the Broncos offense. Boise State quarterback Grant Hedrick had 272 passing yards in the first half, but finished with 309 for the game. Running back Jay Ajayi, who was playing in his final game as a Bronco, had 107 yards rushing and three touchdowns in the first half and finished with just 134.

That put the entire game on the shoulders of the defense, which wobbled a bit, but came up admirably late in the game, allowing just a field goal on the Wildcats’ final three drives.

Boise State has played in the Fiesta Bowl three total times and each game — all Boise State wins — has come down to the wire. In 2007, the Broncos used a Statue of Liberty trick play in overtime for the game-winning score. Against TCU in the 2010 Fiesta Bowl it used a fake punt to ultimately set up the game-winning score. And while the Broncos used a couple trick plays in the first half, including a Statue of Liberty play, to help build their lead, it was the lack of creativity by Arizona’s offense that ultimately helped the Boise State defense secure the game.

The win gave the Broncos their 12 win of the season, their eighth season with at least 12 wins since joining the FBS.

For more Arizona news, visit GOAZCats.com.

For more Boise State news, visit Blue-Turf.com.

- - - - - - -

Graham Watson is the editor of Dr. Saturday on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email her at dr.saturday@ymail.com or follow her on Twitter! Follow @YahooDrSaturday

And don’t forget to keep up with all of Graham’s thoughts, witty comments and college football discussions on Facebook

from Yahoo Sports http://ift.tt/1xhIQiY

Doug Marrone opts out of contract, done as Buffalo Bills' coach

There's always at least one crazy firing in the NFL offseason. Except, Doug Marrone wasn't really fired.

He just opted out.

[Join FanDuel's $1.75M Wild Card fantasy league: $25 to enter; top 14,530 teams paid]

Marrone is out as Buffalo Bills coach, and that was his choice. According to a statement by the Buffalo Bills just a few hours before the calendar turned to 2015, he opted out of his contract after two years as head coach. Marrone is now a free agent, and can pursue another job. Before Marrone opted out, there were five NFL head-coaching openings. Now there are six.

"Doug Marrone informed me late today that he has decided to exercise the option clause in his contract and relinquish his responsibilities as our head coach," Bills owner Terry Pegula said in a statement. "We are disappointed that Coach Marrone will no longer be an important part of our organization. We thank him for all of his hard work and leadership during his tenure and wish him and his family the best with the next chapter in their lives.

"We will now begin the important process of conducting a thorough search for a new head coach as we continue to strive to reach our goal of returning to the playoffs and bringing a championship to Buffalo for our fans."

It's not often you see a coach just leave on his own, and it has to be a tough blow to the ego of the Bills, who haven't been to the playoffs since 1999. Buffalo made strides this season, finishing 9-7 and just out of the playoffs, though the retirement of quarterback Kyle Orton the day after the season ended made the 2015 outlook a little bleaker.

Marrone's time in Buffalo finishes with a 15-17 record over two seasons. Now the Bills have to start over. One would imagine Marrone has his eyes set on another opening. It's tough to believe he walked away from one of 32 NFL headl-coaching jobs without a backup plan in place.

- - - - - - -

Frank Schwab is the editor of Shutdown Corner on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at shutdowncorner@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @YahooSchwab

from Yahoo Sports http://ift.tt/1zRZS9z

Derrick Rose on his terrible three-point percentage: 'I’m not going to stop shooting'

It’s just fine – without sounding like a hot take-spewing blowhard – to conclude that Derrick Rose is a different player this season.

There have been flashes of greatness. Up until his last two games with the Chicago Bulls, Rose was approaching All-Star level efficiency numbers as he regained confidence in the pull-up two-pointers and floaters that made him so great prior to his ACL and meniscus tears. Over the last two contests, though, Rose has missed 28 of 35 shots (including 11 of 12 misses from behind the three-point arc), and he’s in danger of setting all sorts of records for the worst three-point shooter ever to take so many dang treys.

Rose, on record at least, isn’t backing off of those looks. From the Chicago Tribune (via Pro Basketball Talk):

“Terrible,” Rose said, when asked to describe [Tuesday] night. But Rose won’t stop shooting. “My confidence to shoot is there,” he said. “All of them were on target. They’re just not falling. I’m not going to stop shooting. If they go under (screens), I’m going to shoot the shot. I work on it enough. I just haven’t seen them go in yet.”

There is a reason why defenders are going under screens set for Rose.

Derrick doesn’t quite have his MVP-level legs back yet, but he is still faster and stronger than most other NBA point guards when it comes to penetrating the paint. His work from behind the arc, however, is approaching Antoine Walker/Kobe Bryant-levels of ridiculousness – Rose is still shooting 5.4 threes per game in only 28 minutes a contest, and he’s making only 26 percent of those looks.

Worse, and this was the case prior to Rose’s injuries, the way he attempts those three-pointers vary from chuck to chuck. Rose will sometimes toss up a line drive, sometimes he put some arc on it, sometimes he’ll twist his body far too much to the left, and sometimes he’ll square up perfectly. All approaches, even the perfect one, usually create the same result. He’ll miss three of four shots from long range whether he’s shooting a line drive or a fundamentally-sound look.

As is the case with Bryant, Rose shouldn’t be shamed for shooting too much. He should be shamed for shooting the wrong shots.

During Derrick’s ACL rehabilitation, there was the hope that the time off would help him improve his dodgy three-point stroke. Those sorts of improvements didn’t take, but that’s just fine! Rose is the rare player that you don’t mind seeing toss up an 19-footer, even a somewhat contested one, because he used to be so great at them. His percentages on the right side of the floor approximate his pre-injury numbers, and his Chicago-styled one-handed runner remains an absolute killer. His numbers from close to the rim or from 10-feet in are exemplary this season.

He has to lose the three-pointer. Playing a game as a guard without use of a three-pointer in 2015 might seem like an anachronism, but Dwyane Wade is producing yet another killer season without relying much on that sort of threat, and numbers indicate that defenses aren’t really tripping over themselves to close out on Derrick once he lines up for his own sort of threat from out there.

He has to stop. It’s not helping his team, and the so-called “threat” of his three-point dalliances aren’t aiding in his abilities to get to the rim.

“Dalliances,” if we’re frank, is a kind way of putting it. Rose is tossing up 15 shots in those 28 minutes, which is fine, but over a third of them are three-pointers that he’s missing at a miserable rate. These Bulls weren’t constructed to win with Derrick Rose having to score 29 points and bail the squad’s offense out – prior to Rose’s recent swoon, this was a top five offense.

Chicago has the horses to win it all this year, and Rose remains one of them. He has to focus on what he does best, however, to make a difference for this team. He can’t be deluded into thinking that balancing an inside/outside game is helping his squad, or his potency. Somebody is going to have to encourage him to re-find that inner-Rod Strickland, and keep things closer to that painted area.

- - - - - - -

Kelly Dwyer is an editor for Ball Don't Lie on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at KDonhoops@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @KDonhoops

from Yahoo Sports http://ift.tt/1tnUeol

Rose Bowl: The first-ever CFP game features a matchup of two Heisman winners

Rose Bowl

Oregon (12-1) vs. Florida State (13-0)

Pasadena, Calif.

Jan. 1, 2014

The matchup between this year’s Heisman Trophy winner Marcus Mariota and last year’s winner Jameis Winston is one of the most anticipated matchups of the season.

And while the focus will rightfully be on the two stellar signal callers, it should be on the defenses.

Both of these defenses have struggled with consistency this season. Florida State’s defense has been almost nonexistent in most of the first halves the Seminoles have played this year, but have rebounded to have stellar second-half performances to secure victories.

Oregon’s defense ranked 82nd in the country allowing 413.8 yards per game, but only 22.5 points per game. The Ducks had their best performance of the year in the Pac-12 title game when it limited Arizona 224 yards and just 13 points.

The Ducks will be without star cornerback Ifo Ekpre-Olomu, who suffered a torn ACL during practice earlier this month. But, Oregon plays a lot of guys on defense and some of their lopsided wins have allowed backups to get key playing time and experience.

There’s no doubt Florida State and Oregon are going to be able to score, it’s just a matter of which defense is going to be able to limit that scoring.

So far this season, few teams have been able to limit Mariota, who thrown for 3,783 yards with 38 touchdowns and just two interceptions. There is no quarterback more efficient than Mariota. And when he’s not beating teams with his arm, he’s rushing for 669 yards and another 14 scores.

Winston hasn’t been nearly as precise as he was a year ago. The sophomore has thrown for 3,559 yards and 24 touchdowns, but he’s also thrown 17 interceptions, which is 10 more than he threw a year ago as a first-time starter. Still, he’s worked wonders for the Florida State offense this season by bringing them back from multiple-touchdown deficits to keep his undefeated streak alive. Winston still has never lost a game in his collegiate career.

The biggest difference between these two teams will be pace of play. Oregon likes to jump on its opponents early and bury them before they can get into any sort of rhythm. While Florida State is used to marching back from deficits, it might not be able to slow the Oregon defense enough to close the gap.

However, if Florida State is able to keep this game close late, it puts itself in familiar territory and a place where it has excelled all season.

ODDS: Oregon (-8)

FUN FACT: Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota has the best passer rating of any quarterback in the second half. Mariota’s first-half rating of 173.05 jumps up to 208.85 in the second half, which is actually more than 13 points better than the next player.

PREDICTIONS

Graham: I have a hard time seeing this game as a close contest considering what we’ve seen from both teams this year. Oregon will be the best team the Seminoles have faced all season and the best scoring offense it's faced. While I appreciate Jameis Winston’s ability to motivate his team and lead it in come-from-behind wins, I think he’ll find himself in too deep of a hole in this one. Oregon 45, Florida State 31.

Nick: It feels imperative for Oregon to get out to a big lead in the first half. Florida State is like a crazy cat in the second half of games as it's always finding a way to escape. The undefeated streak ends on Thursday, though it won't be surprising in the slightest if it doesn't. Oregon 34, Florida State 31.

Sam: There's just something about Jameis Winston in big games, he always gets it done. With Oregon's top corner Ifo Ekpre-Olomu out, Winston will be able to exploit the Ducks' secondary. Marcus Mariota won't go down easy, but the FSU undefeated streak will continue. Florida State 38, Oregon 34.

For more Mississippi State news, visit BulldogBlitz.com.

For more Georgia Tech news, visit JacketsOnline.com.

- - - - - - -

Graham Watson is the editor of Dr. Saturday on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email her at dr.saturday@ymail.com or follow her on Twitter! Follow @YahooDrSaturday

And don’t forget to keep up with all of Graham’s thoughts, witty comments and college football discussions on Facebook

from Yahoo Sports http://ift.tt/1tnUe7O

Boise State runs its signature 'Statue of Liberty' play for a score in the Fiesta Bowl (again)

Boise State is playing in its third Fiesta Bowl, but paid homage on Wednesday to the first game that put the program on the map.

During the first quarter against Arizona, Boise State quarterback Grant Hedrick took the snap on the 16-yard line, pretended to throw a screen pass and instead held the ball down for running back Jay Ajayi to take the hand off and scamper into the end zone.

Boise State ran a similar “Statue of Liberty” play against Oklahoma in the 2007 Fiesta Bowl to win the game.

It was good to see coach Bryan Harsin throw out a oldie but goodie so early in the contest. At the time, it put the Broncos up 21-0.

For more Boise State news, visit Blue-Turf.com.

- - - - - - -

Graham Watson is the editor of Dr. Saturday on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email her at dr.saturday@ymail.com or follow her on Twitter! Follow @YahooDrSaturday

And don’t forget to keep up with all of Graham’s thoughts, witty comments and college football discussions on Facebook

from Yahoo Sports http://ift.tt/1tnyKI5

TCU makes a big statement with 42-3 win against Ole Miss in Peach Bowl

TCU spent the past few weeks trying not to comment on being left out of the College Football Playoff, and that was probably a good thing, considering the Horned Frogs’ performance in the Peach Bowl spoke volumes.

No. 6 TCU dismantled No. 9 Ole Miss 42-3 in one of the most dominating performances between two top 10 teams this season.

The 39-point loss tied for the most lopsided bowl loss in SEC bowl history (Georgia-Nebraska, 1969 Sun Bowl), and it was TCU’s first bowl win against an SEC opponent since defeating LSU in the 1936 Sugar Bowl.

And the dominance started early.

From the opening snap, TCU’s defense swarmed Ole Miss quarterback Bo Wallace. It was stronger and faster than Ole Miss’ offensive line and the Horned Frogs managed an interception on the Rebels’ first drive of the game.

TCU jumped out to a 14-0 lead with 6:23 remaining in the first quarter and never looked back. It forced four turnovers — all by Wallace — and was held to 129 yards of total offense, including just nine yards rushing. TCU punctuated its performance by mocking Ole Miss' signature "landshark" posture by pretending their hand was a fin at the front of their helmet.

Ole Miss' three points came on a field goal with 7:18 remaining in the game after a TCU turnover gave the Rebels a short field.

TCU didn’t have a stellar offensive day, but it didn’t need to with the way its defense played. Quarterback Trevone Boykin completed 22-of-31 passes for 188 yards and three touchdowns, but he also threw three really ugly interceptions. Running back Aaron Green led all rushers with 67 yards and a rushing touchdown and a receiving touchdown.

Boykin’s three picks were really the only thing that kept the game from really getting out of hand as the Horned Frogs seemed like a threat to score on every offensive drive. In fact, TCU only punted four times the entire day.

TCU ranked No. 3 heading into the final wave of rankings and soundly defeated Iowa State to make their case to stay in the top four. However, the committee essentially wiped the slate clean and promoted No. 5 Ohio State into the top four and dropped the Horned Frogs all the way down to No. 6 behind Baylor, the only team that defeated it all season.

The move sparked all sorts of controversy and debate about the validity and the politics of the rankings, but TCU coach Gary Patterson and his players stayed largely above the fray and said their only focus was on Ole Miss.

But it’s clear, the Horned Frogs knew a dominating performance against Ole Miss would be the most powerful statement they could make and it also would set them up for a potential playoff run in 2015.

If there’s one other positive TCU can take from this game, it’s that it will end its season with a statement win while only one of the teams in the College Football Playoff can claim the same.

For more TCU news, visit PurpleMenace.com.

For more Ole Miss news, visit RebelGrove.com.

- - - - - - -

Graham Watson is the editor of Dr. Saturday on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email her at dr.saturday@ymail.com or follow her on Twitter! Follow @YahooDrSaturday

And don’t forget to keep up with all of Graham’s thoughts, witty comments and college football discussions on Facebook

from Yahoo Sports http://ift.tt/1xAcQW6

Seton Hall earns a head-turning victory to open Big East action

Seton Hall didn’t have much of an argument for being ranked in the top 25 going into Wednesday’s game against No. 15 St. John’s. The Pirates had lost to two of the three best opponents on their schedule.

They significantly improved their case after beating the Red Storm 78-67 to open Big East Conference play and doing it without, perhaps, their best player, Isaiah Whitehead, who is out indefinitely with a stress fracture in his foot.

If Seton Hall can follow up with another win, or at least a solid performance, against undefeated No. 6 Villanova on Saturday, coach Kevin Willard might have to evolve from coaching an up-and-coming group to suddenly managing expectations. \

Willard started the season with a 66-66 career mark at Seton Hall in four seasons and a 24-48 record in conference games. Starting 11-2 with a victory over a ranked Big East opponent to open league play is a nice way to take some of the pressure off.

Could this finally be the year Seton Hall gets back to the NCAA tournament and Willard gets that monkey off his back? The Pirates aren’t quite to that bridge yet.

Still, it has to be encouraging for patient Seton Hall fans to see their team come together and play cohesively without Whitehead. Forward Angel Delgado was a beast on the boards collecting 12 rebounds to go with his 13 points and d Jaren Sina dropped some timely 3-pointers to keep the Red Storm at bay.

Three other players also scored in double figures fro Willard, led by guard Sterling Gibbs’ 25 points. Willard clearly has options when it comes to putting the ball in the basket and his team seems to like a high-pressure defensive style. Having depth in the backcourt has been a blessing in the wake of Whitehead’s injury and it helped take down St. John’s.

- - - - - - -

[Kyle Ringo is the assistant editor of The Dagger on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at kyle.ringo@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @KyleRingo

from Yahoo Sports http://ift.tt/1K2quYO

Did LeBron James promise Dwyane Wade that they were 'gonna re-unite again?' (Video)

This is dumb.

This is really dumb.

Is this real?

It’s still dumb.

On Wednesday, with the eyes of the nation staring down college football bowls and the same suit they’ve worn to New Year’s Eve parties for the last seven years, a Reddit user splashed online to claim that LeBron James was telling Dwyane Wade on Christmas day that James would be well on his way to Miami should the Cleveland Cavaliers fail to make something meaningful happen this year.

Watch, and turn up your speakers (and turn down your own personal brand of throbbing cynicism):

The Reddit user claims that James said "Like I said, if we aren't better this year, we're gonna re-unite again and do some bigger and better things, alright?" Others have parsed it out to "listen, we've done it before. We're gonna re-unite again and do some better things, alright?"

Now that your eyes have stopped rolling, let’s settle down a bit.

Even if the quoted variations are true, this could mean absolutely anything. This could be a discussion about a relationship – it’s not uncommon for displaced friends to promise future meetings while warming themselves in the light of the figurative Christmas fire – or some sort of post-playing career transitional partnership.

If you think this has something to do with LeBron James promising Dwyane Wade that he’ll be back in Miami once he opts out of his contract this summer, you’re taking a rather large bite.

If James fled Ohio once again this summer after his massive and much-adored love letter to the state, Cavs fans wouldn’t just burn his jerseys. They’d burn Florida. Militias would be created, and huge gobs of Gold Star Chili (they wouldn’t waste the good stuff) would be thrown at the whole of South Beach.

LeBron James has been pretty tone deaf before, as we saw during his 2010 decision, but the underlying theme in both his 2010 and 2014 choice was secrecy. Nobody had the scoop before LeBron James announced it, and as sound as his friendship with Dwyane Wade might be, the dude is not going to hint at 2015 free agency plans with all manner of microphones and cameras milling about in the NBA’s most-watched game of its season so far.

James was correct, in his post-game press conference, to point out the double standard that fans and media use when it comes to judging players and teams making transaction decisions. The Cavs are in real trouble this year of just being a pretty good team, Dwyane Wade is currently having an All-Star-worthy bounce-back year, and old habits die hard. Not only does James have a player option for next year, but so does Wade – and James’ ostensible Miami replacement in Luol Deng.

Would the entire lot of them opt out to take less money to play in Miami? If you’ll recall, the only reason James, Wade, Deng and Kevin Love (who has yet to sign a contract extension) are working with these flexible contracts is to ensure their ability to eventually make as much money as possible under NBA salary bylaws. With that in place, it’s still possible that …

… wait. Stop. Seriously.

LeBron James and Dwyane Wade both probably own cell phones, and the ability to text each other without anyone hearing anything. James isn’t going to drop something like this with the klieg lights on and the cameras rolling. Anything’s a possibility with LeBron, but let’s just wait until July to work with an air of certainty, OK?

- - - - - - -

Kelly Dwyer is an editor for Ball Don't Lie on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at KDonhoops@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @KDonhoops

from Yahoo Sports http://ift.tt/1tnk8II

Cotton Bowl: Can Michigan State's tough D contain the Baylor offense?

Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic

Michigan State (10-2) vs. Baylor (11-1)

Arlington, Texas

Jan. 1, 2015

This year’s Cotton Bowl between Baylor and Michigan State is a classic matchup featuring a high-powered offense versus a stout defense matchup.

The fifth-ranked Bears boast the top offense in the country in both points and yards per game. Led by quarterback Bryce Petty, Baylor averaged a whopping 48.8 points and 581.3 yards per game en route to an 11-1 record and a share of the Big 12 crown.

The Bears, like their Big 12 brethren TCU, just missed out on the College Football Playoff, leading to some outspoken criticism from head coach Art Briles. They’ll look up to back up their head coach’s talk with Petty in the passing game. The senior threw for 3,305 yards and 26 touchdowns to a deep and talented group of receivers. Corey Coleman led the Bears with 57 catches for 969 yards and 10. Antwan Goodley added 50 catches for 833 yards and six touchdowns while Antwan Goodley caught 51 passes for 737 yards and six scores as well.

The Bears have a solid run game too with Shock Linwood (1,226 yards, 16 TDs), but they could struggle against a Spartans defense that is third nationally in rush defense (97.5 yards per game) and fifth in total defense (293.5 ypg). Michigan State will play its final game with Pat Narduzzi as defensive coordinator after Narduzzi accepted the head-coaching gig at Pittsburgh.

While Michigan State is known for its defense, the Spartan offense was seventh in the country in scoring at 43.1 points per game and 13th in total offense with 496.5 yards per game. The Spartans’ only two losses came at the hands of Oregon and Ohio State – two College Football Playoff participants.

Junior quarterback Connor Cook threw for 2,900 yards and 22 touchdowns while only giving away six interceptions. The Spartans were extremely balanced all year with senior Jeremy Langford rushing for 1,360 yards and 19 touchdowns on the year. Cook’s favorite target was Big Ten receiver of the year Tony Lippett, who caught 60 passes for 1,124 yards and 11 touchdowns.

Baylor’s defense will be key in this one. You know the Bears will be able to score, but will the Bears be able to stop the Spartans from keeping pace?

ODDS

Baylor (-2.5)

FUN FACT

Interestingly, Michigan State coach Mark Dantonio said that Tony Lippett, the Spartans’ leading wideout, will also start at defensive back for the third straight game to help against Baylor’s pass offense. He’s played a lot of cornerback in the past, so it’s not new territory for him, but he could be in for a ton of snaps against the Bears’ quick-strike offense.

PREDICTIONS

Graham: Michigan State isn't as good as Baylor, but I wonder about Baylor's motivation in this contest after being left out of the College Football Playoff. Still, the Bears should come into this game with a chip on their shoulder and that should be enough to motivate them to victory. Baylor 28, Michigan State 17.

Nick: Is the Big 12's bowl disaster going to continue? I'm not sure this is a good matchup for Baylor. Cook will match Petty and Michigan State will get a key stop late in the game. Michigan State 31, Baylor 29.

Sam: While Baylor’s offense against Michigan State’s defense is the matchup everyone’s been talking about, I think Baylor’s defense is the key. I’m not sure the Bears will be able to keep the Spartans out of the end zone at crucial parts of the game. Michigan State 37, Baylor 33.

For more Baylor news, visit SicEmSports.com.

For more Michigan State news, visit SpartanMag.com.

- - - - - - -

Sam Cooper is a contributor for the Yahoo Sports blogs. Have a tip? Email him or follow him on Twitter!

Follow @SamDCooper

from Yahoo Sports http://ift.tt/1EKCTAs

Citrus Bowl: Minnesota can reach 9 wins for second time since 1905 vs. Mizzou

Buffalo Wild Wings Citrus Bowl

Missouri (10-3) vs. Minnesota (8-4)

Orlando, Fla.

Jan. 1, 2015

While most will be focused on the College Football Playoff-affiliated bowls of New Year’s Day, sandwiched in between is a solid matchup between No. 16 and No. 25 Minnesota in the Citrus Bowl.

A six-game winning streak helped Missouri unexpectedly make its second consecutive trip to the SEC Championship Game. The Tigers were blown out by top-ranked Alabama, but Mizzou reaching the 10-win plateau again was good enough for the invite to Orlando. And if the Tigers can beat the Gophers, Missouri will reach at least 11 wins in back-to-back seasons for the first time in program history.

Missouri’s offense, led by sophomore quarterback Maty Mauk, was one of the weaker units in the SEC. Mauk had an up-and-down season, completing just 52.9 percent of his passes, but after throwing nine interceptions in his first seven games he threw only two interceptions (along with nine touchdowns) in his final six games.

The Tigers feature a productive timeshare at running back between junior Russell Hansbrough (970 yards, 9 TDs) and senior Marcus Murphy (767 yards, 4 TDs) while 6-foot-2 senior Bud Sasser (70 catches, 935 yards, 10 TDs) leads a talented group of receivers.

Those backs face a tough task with Minnesota linebackers Damien Wilson (111 tackles, 10.5 TFL) and De’Vondre Campbell (71 tackles, 6.5 TFL) swarming to the ball.

On the other sideline, Minnesota can reach nine wins for the first time since 2003 and register its first bowl win since 2004 if it wins the Citrus Bowl – the program’s first New Year’s Day bowl since 1962. The 8-4 Gophers headed into the final week of the regular season with a shot to play in the Big Ten title game, but they fell 34-24 to Wisconsin on the road.

The Gophers rely heavily on their running attack, which is led by record-setting senior David Cobb and sophomore Mitch Leidner. Cobb set a single-season Minnesota record with 1,548 yards and also reached the end zone 13 times. The 6-foot-4, 237-pound Leidner also had a nose for the end zone – scoring 10 times to go with 462 yards.

The Gophers rarely look to pass and when they do, Leidner (1,540 yards, 10 TDs, 8 INTs) looks for All-Big Ten tight end Maxx Williams. Williams led the Gophers with 29 catches for 471 yards and seven touchdowns in his sophomore campaign.

The Gophers may look to Williams to combat a ferocious Missouri defense that will surely key in on Cobb. The Tigers ranked 31st nationally in rush defense, allowing 135.8 yards per game. Missouri also totaled 42 sacks on the season to lead the SEC. All-American defensive end Shane Ray led the way with 61 tackles, 21 tackles for loss and 14 sacks while Markus Golden added 68 tackles, 16 tackles for loss and 8.5 sacks.

If Minnesota can’t run on the Tigers, it could be a tough afternoon for Jerry Kill’s team.

ODDS

Missouri (-4.5)

FUN FACT

If Minnesota wins, it will reach nine wins for the first time since 2003. Before the Gophers went 10-3 in 2003, the program hadn’t reached nine wins since 1905.

PREDICTIONS

Graham: Minnesota has had a great season, but it hasn't seen anything like Missouri's defensive front and Shane Ray should have a great game if he manages to not get tossed from it. Missouri 35, Minnesota 17.

Nick: Missouri has been gashed by teams with power running games this season in Georgia and Alabama. And while Minnesota's rushing attack is very good, it's not as good as either of the two SEC teams. The Tigers get win No. 11. Missouri 27, Minnesota 17.

Sam: Minnesota is tough on both sides of the ball, but if it can’t put together a somewhat competent passing game against Missouri, I don’t see any way in which the Gophers can pull out a win. Missouri 24, Minnesota 14.

For more Missouri news, visit PowerMizzou.com.

For more Minnesota news, GopherIllustrated.com.

- - - - - - -

Sam Cooper is a contributor for the Yahoo Sports blogs. Have a tip? Email him or follow him on Twitter!

Follow @SamDCooper

from Yahoo Sports http://ift.tt/13TrT2J

Stanford dominates Maryland in Foster Farms Bowl

Maryland was no match for Stanford in the Foster Farms Bowl.

On a blustery night in Santa Clara, Calif., Stanford's offense capitalized on short fields and the Terrapins weren't able to do much productive with the ball as the Cardinal rolled to a 45-21 win.

After Maryland tied the game at 7-7 early in the second quarter, Stanford, 8-5, scored three unanswered touchdowns. The first drive was a quick 5-play 49-yard drive that was capped by Remound Wright's second touchdown. Wright got a third on the next drive, which was a 5-play 70-yard drive. And then Kevin Hogan tossed his first touchdown of the night on the 10th play of a 54-yard drive.

The score was 28-7 at halftime and it might as well have been 56-7.

Maryland QB C.J. Brown wasn't incredibly effective until it was late in the fourth quarter and was hampered by the lack of a ground game. After tying the game, Maryland's next seven drives accrued a grand total of 60 yards while Stanford's in the same timeframe tallied over 300. The lone bright spot in the second half was a 100-yard touchdown return by William Likely after Stanford went up 42-7.

Hogan finished 14-20 passing for 189 yards and two touchdowns before being given a break early in the fourth quarter. Brown finished 16-28 passing for 214 yards as Maryland finishes the year 7-6.

For more Maryland news, visit TerrapinSportsReport.com.

For more Stanford news, visit CardinalSportsReport.com.

- - - - - - -

Nick Bromberg is the assistant editor of Dr. Saturday on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at nickbromberg@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!

Follow @NickBromberg

from Yahoo Sports http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/ncaaf-dr-saturday/stanford-dominates-maryland-in-foster-farms-bowl-055344096.html

LeBron sits with knee pain as the Cavs fall to the Hawks

Cleveland Cavaliers superstar LeBron James turned 30 years old on Tuesday, a momentous occasion in most adults' lives. For the four-time MVP and two-time champion, though, this December 30 marks a different kind of transition, not so much a move into full-on adulthood as an opportunity to look back on what he has accomplished as an athlete and wonder if the future holds the same level of success. The Cavs are both struggling to meet lofty expectations and embroiled in a great deal of media controversy. There are reports that first-year head coach David Blatt has lost the attention of the team (if he ever had it) and that LeBron could consider leaving Cleveland as a free agent if things don't get better. At the very least, everyone around the team agrees that they're not very good team, including James himself.

It did not help that matters that James opted to sit out his birthday game at the Atlanta Hawks with left knee soreness apparently sustained during a leap into the stands in the Christmas loss to the Miami Heat. James played in the Cavs' two games since that contest (a nine-point win over Orlando and embarrassing 23-point loss to Detroit), but it appears that the team wanted to hold him out as a precaution. LeBron also missed the team's December 11 game vs. the Oklahoma City Thunder with similar soreness, so it would seem to make sense not to put too much pressure on the team's best player.

On the other hand, the context surrounding LeBron's night off does not do much to help the Cavs' public image. There are questions as to whether James or Blatt — who had never coached in the NBA in any form before this season — should (or does) hold more decision-making power in the organization, and missing a game on a birthday can cause more skeptical fans to wonder if LeBron sat out just because he didn't want to play. That belief relies on several assumptions, but we are also at a point with the Cavs where minds may wander as people wonder why things have gone wrong for a team that was expected to lay waste to the Eastern Conference.

Cleveland's performance vs. Atlanta may hold some insight into those questions, because their play was fairly similar to what's transpired when LeBron has been a part of lineup. Once again, the offense relied on two players to do most of the damage. Kyrie Irving carried the team with 35 points on 13-of-27 shooting in 43 minutes as Tristan Thompson helped make up for the loss of James with 18 points on 9-of-12 FG and 13 rebounds. Beyond that, almost everyone struggled — Kevin Love continued to occupy the fringes with 1-of-8 shooting in 24 minutes before missing most of the second half with back spasms, Dion Waiters shot 3-of-10 from the field with his usual number of poor decisions, and Mike Miller didn't even attempt a field goal.

For as one-dimensional as the offense looked, the defense was still the Cavs' biggest problem. The extremely well-balanced Hawks shot 50.6 percent from the field as five players scored in double figures. Jeff Teague (23 points and 11 assists) and Paul Millsap (26 points, nine rebounds, three blocks, two steals) helped control the game late as the Hawks won 109-101 without a sick Al Horford, their own best player. The Cavs challenged, but it was clear which team defined the terms of the game.

It's an open question as to how much blame Blatt deserves for the Cavs' underwhelming 18-13 start, but it's clear that the optics are not in his favor right now. Certain things, like Blatt getting a nosebleed in a pre-game press conference, are meaningless moments that can gain resonance for those who don't support him. Yet, no matter if he has a point, claiming moral victories after a third loss in four games is not going to help his case:

David Blatt: "I really think you saw a team that competed, I really think you saw a team that was together,"

— Ethan J. Skolnick (@EthanJSkolnick) December 31, 2014

It's much too early to reach complete conclusions regarding Blatt's fitness for the Cavs' unique challenge, but we can already begin to see a negative narrative forming. As 2014 closes, things are definitely not going his way.

- - - - - - -

Eric Freeman is a writer for Ball Don't Lie on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at efreeman_ysports@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!

Follow @FreemanEric

from Yahoo Sports http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nba-ball-dont-lie/lebron-sits-with-knee-pain-as-the-cavs-fall-to-the-hawks-044653987.html

Nick Chubb runs all over Louisville as Georgia wins Belk Bowl

There's only one running back in Georgia history who's had better rushing yardage seasons than Nick Chubb. Yes, it's Herschel Walker.

Chubb ran for a Georgia bowl-record 269 yards and two touchdowns during Tuesday night's Belk Bowl as the Bulldogs steamrolled Louisville 37-14.

The freshman entered the game with the seventh-best rushing season in Georgia history and moved to No. 4 ahead of Garrison Hearst thanks to a final drive that was simply unstoppable.

Leading 30-14, the Bulldogs, 10-3, got the ball from Louisville with just over 4 minutes left. All four plays of the 45-yard drive were runs by Chubb, and on the fourth, he scampered into the end zone for an eight-yard touchdown to put his season total at 1,550 yards, three ahead of Hearst.

Walker, who was at Georgia for three seasons from 1980-1982, has the three best rushing seasons in Bulldog history.

Chubb's standing among Georgia's greats is even more astonishing when you consider he opened the season as UGA's No. 3 back. He didn't have more than 78 yards or 11 carries in each of Georgia's first five games, but when he assumed lead back duties after Todd Gurley's suspension for receiving money for autographs, his season took off.

In Georgia's final eight games of the year, Chubb broke the 100-yard mark in every single one and his lowest output was a nine-carry 113-yard game against Charleston Southern, where he wasn't vital to Georgia's success.

And his performance against Louisville was even more noteworthy after Georgia lost quarterback Hutson Mason near halftime to an undisclosed injury and WR Michael Bennett, the Bulldogs' leader in catches, also departed to injury. With freshman Brice Ramsey in at quarterback (and who threw an interception on his first pass attempt to boot), Georgia's game plan was clear. And Louisville was still gashed by the run.

It also didn't help that Louisville, 9-4, didn't get much production from the quarterback position. Kyle Bolin started the game and played the entire second half after Reggie Bonnafon saw some time in the first half. However, Bonnafon threw a pick in three pass attempts and Bolin finished 20-40 for 301 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions.

For more Georgia news, visit UGASports.com.

For more Louisville news, visit CardinalSports.com.

- - - - - - -

Nick Bromberg is the assistant editor of Dr. Saturday on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at nickbromberg@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!

Follow @NickBromberg

from Yahoo Sports https://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/ncaaf-dr-saturday/nick-chubb-runs-all-over-louisville-as-georgia-wins-belk-bowl-033346368.html

Florida player accidentally scores game winner for Florida State

The strangest game-winning buzzer beater of the college basketball season left the team that surrendered it dancing with joy and the player who scored it burying his head in his jersey.

With rivals Florida and Florida State tied at 63 and three seconds remaining in regulation, Seminoles guard Devon Bookert attempted a fadeaway 3-pointer from the right corner that fell well short. Florida forward Jacob Kurtz attempted to grab the rebound but accidentally tipped the ball off the backboard and into his own basket with 0.4 seconds remaining, giving Florida State a most improbable 65-63 win.

That fluke play snapped Florida's five-game win streak over its in-state rival and made an already disappointing opening two months of the season all the more deflating for the Gators.

A Florida program that reached the Elite Eight each of the past four seasons has failed to live up to its top 10 preseason ranking so far this season, falling to Miami, Georgetown and Florida State in addition to national powers North Carolina and Kansas. The 7-5 Gators have one last chance to notch their first noteworthy win before SEC play begins when they host defending national champion UConn on Saturday.

Florida wouldn't have been in position to lose at the buzzer Tuesday night had it not wasted so many possessions earlier in the game. The Gators committed 17 turnovers against the Seminoles and got little production out of their frontcourt.

It's a shame that the freak play had to come at Kurtz's expense because the junior forward deserves better.

Kurtz is a former student manager who walked onto the Florida team and has been pressed into significant playing time due to injuries to some of the Gators' top big men. The 6-foot-6 forward is averaging 4.5 points and 4.9 rebounds in 22.9 minutes per game this season. He had contributed four points and seven rebounds before his stunning last-second gaffe.

Credit Kurtz's teammates for not blaming him for the loss.

"We wouldn't have even been in position to win without him," starting guard Michael Frazier told the Gainesville Sun. "We didn't lose on just one play."

Indeed one play didn't beat the Gators. But the legacy of Florida's latest disappointing loss will certainly be Kurtz's stunning last-second "own basket."

(Thanks for the video, NZAU.TV)

- - - - - - -

Jeff Eisenberg is the editor of The Dagger on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at daggerblog@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!

Follow @JeffEisenberg

from Yahoo Sports http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/ncaab-the-dagger/florida-player-accidentally-scores-game-winning-basket-for-florida-state-032133816.html

Jazz guard Alec Burks will miss the season after shoulder surgery

The Utah Jazz have not and will not challenge for a playoff spot this season, but the team has still had a fairly successful campaign so far in new head coach Quin Snyder's first season. With players like Trey Burke, Alec Burks, Gordon Hayward, Derrick Favors, and others, the Jazz boast one of the best collections of young talent in the league. They're not especially good yet, but they're growing together game by game.

It now looks as if one of those players is going to have to progress at a different rate than the rest of his teammates. The team announced Tuesday that shooting guard Burks will miss the rest of the 2014-15 season after undergoing surgery for an injured left shoulder. From the press release:

After examination by the Utah Jazz medical staff it has been decided that Alec Burks will undergo a surgical repair on his injured left shoulder. The procedure will be performed by Jazz head orthopaedic team physician, Dr. Travis Maak, on Wednesday, Dec. 31 at the University of Utah. As a result, Burks will miss the remainder of the 2014-15 season. He is expected to be ready for the start of 2015 Jazz training camp.

“Alec's long-term health has been our top priority throughout this process, and although it is unfortunate that we will be without his services on the court the rest of this season, we commend Alec's commitment and continued effort to play through considerable pain to this point,” said Jazz General Manager Dennis Lindsey. “After continued consultation with our medical staff, Alec and his representation, we have unanimously agreed that it would be most prudent for Alec to have this procedure performed now in order to ensure that he will be healthy and ready for the start of next season.”

Burks broke out last season with an average of 14.0 on 45.9 percent shooting, which was enough to earn him a four-year, $42-million extension before the deadline this October. He has plateaued a bit so far in 2014-15 — roughly the same scoring average, worse shooting overall but better from deep, etc. — but has improved in several areas and looks to be a fixture in the starting lineup when healthy. The Jazz will miss his outside shooting and the spacing it helps bring to their offense. Expect a bigger role for rookie Rodney Hood in Burks's absence.

Apart from the on-court impact of the injury, this news should serve as a reminder why players often consider taking less money in an extension instead of waiting to test the market as a restricted free agent the next summer. Burks is perhaps not the best example of a player who opted not to zero in on the biggest payday possible — his contract is probably somewhere near his upper bound in salary — but he does prove that a young player seemingly establishing himself in the NBA can have his progression derailed very quickly. If Burks hadn't agreed to his extension, he'd be looking at a very difficult decision this summer. At least he has some security during this tough time.

- - - - - - -

Eric Freeman is a writer for Ball Don't Lie on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at efreeman_ysports@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!

Follow @FreemanEric

from Yahoo Sports http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nba-ball-dont-lie/jazz-guard-alec-burks-will-miss-the-season-after-shoulder-surgery-030131441.html

Minnesota governor wants to ban 11 a.m. home kickoffs for Gophers

Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton (D) does not like 11 a.m. kickoffs and wants to use his power to do something about them.

Dayton told the St. Paul Pioneer-Press that he wants to propose legislation barring any Minnesota home game from kicking off before noon. Seriously.

"They talk about the concern about attendance at the Gopher games -- they start them at 11 o'clock in the morning," Dayton said Tuesday in an interview with the Pioneer Press. "I'm going to propose that we pass a law that no (Division I FBS) football game in Minnesota can start before noon."

He then said "If you want to tailgate, you have to be there by 9 a.m.," Dayton said. "Most students I don't think are awake at 9 a.m."

Minnesota had all four Big Ten home games start at 11 a.m. local time in 2014. Television times are usually determined two weeks prior to game time as networks make their selections based on the attractiveness of matchups.

"(When) I grew up and went to Gopher games, they started at 1 or 1:30 ... and you knew that for the whole season, so you blocked out those days," Dayton said. "Now, it's about, 'What time does TV want to put us on?' It's all driven by television and the dollars involved there."

While Dayton (67) has a point about the students, it's not an incredibly large one in the grand scheme of college football. While student attendance is a problem for some universities, it's going to take a lot of attendance struggles for it to become a widespread issue. Why? Because television dollars rule all.

Without the Big Ten's television deal with Fox, ESPN and its own network, Minnesota would have far less revenue than it currently brings in. And a ban on morning kickoffs would threaten the Gophers' standing on the television landscape.

Minnesota's final two home games were on either ESPN2 or ABC. If, on the off-chance that Dayton's proposal became reality and was passed into law, those timeslots wouldn't obviously have been available. Without those options, there's a sgnificant chance that Minnesota would end up with more games on the Big Ten Network, which doesn't have the widespread base-tier distribution that ESPN does.

And if you're of the thought that ESPN concentrates more on games it has the rights to, it pushes the Gophers away from the ESPN microscope.

Risking exposure for a football program is not worth satisfying a personal preference. And Dayton did acknowledge that his potential proposal might not get any traction, though if it does, he'd like to see if other governors with schools in the conference would be intrigued.

Our guess is that they won't be.

For more Minnesota news, visit GopherIllustrated.com.

- - - - - - -

Nick Bromberg is the assistant editor of Dr. Saturday on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at nickbromberg@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!

Follow @NickBromberg

from Yahoo Sports http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nascar-dr-saturday/minnesota-governor-wants-to-ban-11-a-m--home-kickoffs-for-gophers-003524039.html

Malik Zaire leads Notre Dame to Music City Bowl win over LSU

Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly made a change on offense for the Music City Bowl against LSU and it paid off.

Kelly started redshirt freshman Malik Zaire at quarterback and his ability to control the clock with a mix of run and pass helped the Fighting Irish pull out a last-second 31-28 win over the Tigers.

Zaire, in his first career start, threw for 96 yards and a touchdown and ran for 96 yards and another score while splitting snaps with normal starter Everett Golson.

Kelly moved the pocket often and gave Zaire quick throws off three-step drops, allowing him to make quick decisions. Kelly also dialed up designed quarterback runs in bunches.

Zaire only averaged 4.4 yards per carry, but those runs allowed the Irish to eat up clock, easily win the battle for time of possession (37:00 to 23:00) and run 25 more offensive plays than the Tigers. Then, when the Irish were in more obvious passing downs, Kelly put Golson (6-of-11, 90 yards) in the game to pick up his freshman teammate. The formula certainly worked as the Irish racked up 449 total yards.

LSU – especially freshman running back Leonard Fournette – didn’t make it easy. After Zaire hit William Fuller for a 12-yard touchdown on the Irish’s first drive of the game, Fournette capped off an eight-play, 76-yard LSU drive with an eight-yard touchdown.

Golson came in for Notre Dame next drive and drove the Irish into the red zone. Kelly then substituted Zaire back into the ballgame and the freshman scored on a seven-yard touchdown run.

On the ensuing kickoff, Fournette showed why he was considered to be one of the top freshmen coming into this season. The 230-pounder showed off his impressive speed on a 100-yard kickoff return for touchdown, tying the game at 14-14 early in the second quarter.

The back and forth play continued on Notre Dame’s next drive as running back Tarean Folston scored from six yards out to cap off another lengthy drive.

Down 21-14, LSU’s next drive culminated with a bit of controversy. Methodically, the Tigers worked their way down the field, hoping to tie things up going into the half. Instead, after 14 plays and 73 yards, the Tigers appeared to be settling for a 19-yard field goal on 4th-and-goal from the two-yard line.

But as he is known to do, LSU coach Les Miles called for a fake and holder Brad Kragthorpe was ruled to have been tackled just shy of the goal line. It appeared that the ball crossed the plane before his knee hit the ground, but the call stood after a review.

The Tigers didn’t allow the controversial call to impact them when the second half began. On the first play of the third quarter, Anthony Jennings hit John Diarse for a 75-yard touchdown to tie the game 21-21.

The game remained tied until Fournette broke off another explosive play – an 89-yard touchdown run – to give LSU a 28-21 lead. That lead didn’t last long. Notre Dame’s C.J. Prosise broke off a 50-yard run a few minutes and the game was again tied.

Defenses on both sides tightened until the Irish regained possession at their own 15 with 5:41 to go. Kelly again efficiently mixed Zaire runs with Golson passes and the Irish progressed slowly down the field until they reached the LSU 14-yard line. That set up a game-winning Kyle Brindza 32-yard field goal as time expired.

The game could be looked at as a sign of things to come for each team next season. Zaire showed that he has the capabilities to be the starter moving forward, despite Golson having another year of eligibility. For LSU, it showed off Fournette’s incredible potential while showing that the team’s passing game still has a long, long way to go.

Both teams finished with an 8-5 record.

For more Notre Dame news, visit IrishIllustrated.com.

For more LSU news, visit TigerBait.com.

- - - - - - -

Sam Cooper is a contributor for the Yahoo Sports blogs. Have a tip? Email him or follow him on Twitter!

Follow @SamDCooper

from Yahoo Sports http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/ncaaf-dr-saturday/malik-zaire-leads-notre-dame-to-music-city-bowl-win-over-lsu-235506413.html

2014 Driver Reviews: No. 15 Kasey Kahne

After doing exit interviews for Sprint Cup Series drivers in 2013, we're turning the tables. We want the drivers to sell themselves. So here are the resumés for all full-time Sprint Cup Series drivers in 2014. Then, at the end, we'll provide a summation of the driver's season in 150 words or less.

Name: Kasey Kahne

NASCAR Experience: 11 years in the Cup Series and 17 wins. 11 years!

Most recent team: Hendrick Motorsports

Most recent season finish: 15th

2014 accomplishments: A win at Atlanta, a third at Kansas and a fifth at Michigan.

Most memorable moment: Winning at Atlanta counts, right? Or do you want transparency? Because Jeff Gordon's Brickyard restart would count.

Strengths: Has won at every type of track in the Cup Series outside of Daytona and Talladega.

2015 goals: Not be the fourth car at Hendrick Motorsports and the seventh car out of eight overall in the Hendrick/Stewart-Haas organization.

FTM's Take: Kahne's entry is pretty short this year because it was a very nondescript season, especially when it came to his three other Hendrick teammates. He made the Chase via the Atlanta win, but if he hadn't won there, there would have been no complaints about Kahne potentially missing the Chase. Three top fives and seven top 10s aren't exactly world-beating statistics.

Will the return of Keith Rodden help in 2015? Rodden spent the season as Jamie McMurray's crew chief after being an engineer on Kahne's team. He's now going to be Kahne's crew chief. If Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon hold on to the form they displayed in 2014, Kahne is going to have to make a massive leap to me in their stratosphere next season.

Previous reviews: No. 16 Aric Almirola, No. 17 Kyle Larson, No. 18, Jamie McMurray, No. 19 Clint Bowyer, No. 20, Austin Dillon, No. 21 Paul Menard, No. 22 Brian Vickers, No. 23 Marcos Ambrose, No. 24 Martin Truex Jr., No. 25 Tony Stewart, No. 26 Casey Mears, No. 27 Ricky Stenhouse Jr., No. 28, Danica Patrick, No. 29, Justin Allgaier, No. 30, David Gilliland, No. 31 Cole Whitt, No. 32 David Ragan, No. 33 Michael Annett, No. 34 Reed Sorenson, No. 35 Alex Bowman

- - - - - - -

Nick Bromberg is the editor of From The Marbles on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at nickbromberg@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!

Follow @NickBromberg

from Yahoo Sports http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nascar-from-the-marbles/2014-driver-reviews--no--15-kasey-kahne-231515715.html

Iowa earns dose of encouragement while Ohio State sputters at start again

It's probably a little much to consider Iowa a Big Ten title contender based off one impressive 71-65 road win at No. 20 Ohio State to open conference play Tuesday, but the outcome is certainly an indication the Hawkeyes are dangerous no matter the venue.

Senior Aaron White, playing back in his home state possibly for the final time in his career, scored 18 points with nine rebounds and junior forward Jarrod Uthoff added 18 of his own to hand Buckeyes coach Thad Matta the first home loss to open Big Ten play in his career at Ohio State.

It has been tough to get a good read on this Iowa team this season. The Hawkeyes have battled and lost against the likes of Texas and Syracuse in the early going. They earned an impressive win on the road at North Carolina only to be swept by in-state foes Iowa State and Northern Iowa. And now they have bounced back to earn a second road win over a ranked opponent.

Maybe resilience will become the Hawkeyes' mantra as they battle over the next 21/2 months to become the first Iowa team to earn an NCAA tournament win since 2001. Obviously that is a long way off, but a strong performance against the Buckeyes is a sign of what this team might be capable of if it can find some consistency.

Ohio State was in danger of being blown out on its home court for a time early in the second half before it eventually clawed back and cut the Iowa lead to three. It's no surprise the Buckeyes made a run considering they have the best home record in college basketball since the start of the 2009-2010 season at 99-9.Still, the fact that Ohio State continues to fall behind by double-digits in the first half this season - it also happened against Louisville and North Carolina - has to be troubling Matta.

White and his teammates made 46 percent of their shots and outrebounded OSU to give themselves a nice start to the grind that is coming in what has been the toughest conference in the nation, based on RPI, in recent years.

- - - - - - -

[Kyle Ringo is the assistant editor of The Dagger on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at kyle.ringo@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @KyleRingo

from Yahoo Sports http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/ncaab-the-dagger/iowa-earns-dose-of-encouragement-while-ohio-state-sputters-at-start-again-214825857.html

LSU appears to score on fake FG, refs say otherwise (Video)

LSU coach Les Miles dialed up a fake field goal at the end of the first half of the Music City Bowl. It did not turn out like he hoped.

The Tigers were lined up for a chip shot field goal that could have cut Notre Dame’s lead to 21-17. Instead Miles called a fake for holder Brad Kragthorpe, a backup quarterback, who lunged toward the goal line. The ball appeared to break the plane of the goal line, but he was ruled short on the field.

Halftime: Notre Dame leads LSU, 21-14. #MusicCityBowl Another look at the fake FG just before the half: http://pic.twitter.com/8MqhXQS7fT

— SEC Network (@SECNetwork) December 30, 2014

After the play was reviewed, the play was surprisingly upheld.

The one angle, shown in the photo above, shows the nose of the football across the goal line.

Here’s another look.

Apparently there wasn’t another camera angle that could corroborate whether or not Kragthorpe’s knee was down. Therefore, the call was upheld and the Fighting Irish went into halftime with a 21-14 instead of what could have been a tie game.

It remains to be seen if the call will have an impact on the outcome of the game.

For more LSU news, visit TigerBait.com.

For more Notre Dame news, visit IrishIllustrated.com.

- - - - - - -

Sam Cooper is a contributor for the Yahoo Sports blogs. Have a tip? Email him or follow him on Twitter!

Follow @SamDCooper

from Yahoo Sports http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/ncaaf-dr-saturday/lsu-appears-to-score-on-fake-fg--refs-say-otherwise--video-214442561.html