NO ball. 1st and 5 on the CAR 5
Last Play: Drew Brees pass to Devery Henderson for 15 yards to the CAR 5. Tackled by Sherrod Martin.
DET ball. 1st and 10 on the SEA 38
Last Play: Julius Jones rush to the right for no gain to the SEA 38. Tackled by Larry Foote.
SD ball. 2nd and 10 on the NYG 29
Last Play: Philip Rivers incomplete pass intended for Kris Wilson.
SF ball. 1st and 10 on the SF 29
Last Play: Rob Bironas kicks off to the SF 2. Michael Robinson return for 27 yards to SF 29.
Lincoln Financial Field
Sole possession of first place in the NFC's East Division will be on the line when the Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles renew their spirited rivalry with a Sunday night showdown at Lincoln Financial Field to highlight the Week 9 schedule.
Invesco Field at Mile High
Fans in attendance at Invesco Field at Mile High to watch the Denver Broncos play host to the Pittsburgh Steelers on Monday night will have the opportunity to witness something unique. Namely, how the home team responds after a defeat.
Leaders
Passing: Jason Campbell - 196 yds
Rushing: Michael Turner - 166 yds
Receiving: Mike Sellers - 56 yds
Michael Turner recorded two lengthy touchdown runs, as the Atlanta Falcons defeated the Washington Redskins, 31-17, at the Georgia Dome.
Leaders
Passing: Jay Cutler - 369 yds
Rushing: Tim Hightower - 77 yds
Receiving: Larry Fitzgerald - 123 yds
Kurt Warner rebounded from a lackluster performance last week against Carolina by matching a career-high with five touchdown passes to lead the Arizona Cardinals to a 41-21 win over Chicago at Soldier Field.
Leaders
Passing: Carson Palmer - 224 yds
Rushing: Cedric Benson - 117 yds
Receiving: Ray Rice - 87 yds
Cedric Benson rushed for 117 yards and a touchdown on 34 carries, as the Cincinnati Bengals scored all of their points in the first half to take down the Baltimore Ravens, 17-7, in a battle between AFC North contenders at Paul Brown Stadium.
Leaders
Passing: Peyton Manning - 318 yds
Rushing: Joseph Addai - 63 yds
Receiving: Dallas Clark - 119 yds
Joseph Addai's two-yard run was the go- ahead score in the fourth quarter and Houston's Kris Brown missed a 42-yard field goal on the final play of the game, as Indianapolis remained unbeaten by squeaking past Houston, 20-17, at Lucas Oil Stadium.
Leaders
Passing: David Garrard - 264 yds
Rushing: Maurice Jones-Drew - 97 yds
Receiving: Mike Sims-Walker - 147 yds
David Garrard threw for 264 yards and a touchdown, and Maurice Jone-Drew added 97 yards rushing with a score, as the Jaguars held on for a 24-21 win over the Kansas City Chiefs at Jacksonville Municipal Stadium.
Leaders
Passing: Tom Brady - 332 yds
Rushing: Laurence Maroney - 82 yds
Receiving: Randy Moss - 147 yds
Tom Brady threw for 332 yards and hit Randy Moss with the go-ahead 71-yard score in the third quarter, as the New England Patriots opened some breathing room in the AFC East with a 27-17 victory over the Miami Dolphins at Gillette Stadium.
Leaders
Passing: Aaron Rodgers - 266 yds
Rushing: Ryan Grant - 96 yds
Receiving: James Jones - 103 yds
Philips Arena
Goals have been hard to come by for the Blues over their current losing streak. Facing a Thrashers club that just allowed a season-high six goals last night might help them break out of that slump.
Pepsi Center
The Avalanche didn't give their fans much to cheer about on home ice last year, but there is plenty of early-season buzz at the Pepsi Center now.
Leaders
Passing: Patrick Pinkney - 167 yds
Rushing: Ryan Williams - 179 yds
Receiving: Danny Coale - 60 yds
Tyrod Taylor rushed for a touchdown and threw for 137 yards, as the 22nd-ranked Virginia Tech Hokies beat the East Carolina Pirates, 16-3, in a non-conference matchup at Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium.
Leaders
Passing: Kellen Moore - 354 yds
Rushing: Jeremy Avery - 145 yds
Receiving: Titus Young - 110 yds
Kellen Moore hit Austin Pettis for a 12-yard touchdown midway through the fourth quarter and Jeremy Avery added a 44-yard TD scamper later on, as fifth-ranked Boise State pulled away from Louisiana Tech, 45-35, in a surprisingly close Western Athletic Conference battle.
Leaders
Passing: Jacory Harris - 232 yds
Rushing: Graig Cooper - 152 yds
Receiving: Laron Byrd - 56 yds
Jacory Harris threw for a pair of touchdowns and Thearon Collier returned a punt 60 yards for a score, as 16th-ranked Miami- Florida pounded Virginia, 52-17, at Land Shark Stadium.
Leaders
Passing: Colt McCoy - 470 yds
Rushing: Jonathan Davis - 71 yds
Receiving: Jordan Shipley - 273 yds
Colt McCoy threw for a career-high 470 yards with two touchdowns, leading second-ranked Texas to a 35-3 rout of UCF at Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium.
Leaders
Passing: Bill Stull - 225 yds
Rushing: Delone Carter - 143 yds
Receiving: Dorin Dickerson - 118 yds
Dion Lewis ran for 110 yards with a touchdown and Bill Stull threw for 225 yards with a score, as 14th-ranked Pittsburgh rolled to a 37-10 victory over Syracuse at Heinz Field.
Leaders
Passing: Ben Chappell - 323 yds
Rushing: John Clay - 134 yds
Receiving: Nick Toon - 123 yds
John Clay and Montee Ball each rushed for over 100 yards and combined for three touchdowns on the ground, as 24th-ranked Wisconsin held off Indiana, 31-28, at Memorial Stadium.
Leaders
Passing: Ricky Stanzi - 134 yds
Rushing: Dan Persa - 67 yds
Receiving: Marvin McNutt - 91 yds
Northwestern scored a pair of second-quarter touchdowns in a span of just over six minutes immediately following an injury to Iowa quarterback Ricky Stanzi, as the Wildcats pulled off a 17-10 upset of the eighth-ranked and previously-undefeated Hawkeyes at Kinnick Stadium.
Leaders
Passing: Max Hall - 312 yds
Rushing: Harvey Unga - 85 yds
Receiving: McKay Jacobson - 100 yds
A near-perfect Max Hall threw four touchdown passes in less than three full quarters of action, as 25th-ranked BYU pummeled Wyoming, 52-0, at War Memorial Stadium.
Leaders
Passing: Jimmy Clausen - 452 yds
Rushing: Vince Murray - 158 yds
Receiving: Michael Floyd - 141 yds
Ricky Dobbs and Vince Murray each reached the century mark in rushing with a touchdown and Navy upset 19th-ranked Notre Dame, 23-21, ending the Irish's bid for entry into a BCS postseason game.
Leaders
Passing: Riley Skinner - 263 yds
Rushing: Jonathan Dwyer - 189 yds
Receiving: Marshall Williams - 111 yds
Leaders
Passing: Terrelle Pryor - 125 yds
Rushing: Brandon Saine - 68 yds
Receiving: Graham Zug - 96 yds
Terrelle Pryor threw for two scores and ran for another, as 15th-ranked Ohio State posted a dominating 24-7 win over 11th-ranked Penn State at Beaver Stadium in a key Big Ten contest.
Leaders
Passing: Greg McElroy - 276 yds
Rushing: Mark Ingram - 144 yds
Receiving: Julio Jones - 102 yds
Greg McElroy threw a pair of touchdown passes, including a short completion that Julio Jones turned into a 73-yard game-winning score midway through the fourth, as third-ranked Alabama gutted out a crucial 24-15 win over ninth-ranked SEC rival LSU at Bryant-Denny Stadium.
Leaders
Passing: Austen Arnaud - 188 yds
Rushing: Keith Toston - 206 yds
Receiving: Hubert Anyiam - 48 yds
Keith Toston had 206 yards on 25 carries with three touchdowns, as 18th-ranked Oklahoma State crushed Iowa State, 34-8, at Jack Trice Stadium.
Leaders
Passing: Nick Foles - 136 yds
Rushing: Matt Scott - 91 yds
Receiving: Jared Karstetter - 64 yds
Travis Cobb set the tone for Arizona, returning the game's opening kickoff 95 yards for a touchdown, as the 21st-ranked Wildcats cruised to a 48-7 victory over Washington State.
Leaders
Passing: Jeremiah Masoli - 334 yds
Rushing: Toby Gerhart - 223 yds
Receiving: Chris Owusu - 111 yds
Toby Gerhart rushed for a school-record 223 yards and scored three times as Stanford shocked seventh-ranked Oregon, 51-42.
Leaders
Passing: Andy Dalton - 239 yds
Rushing: Matthew Tucker - 79 yds
Receiving: Ryan Christian - 106 yds
Andy Dalton threw for 239 yards and two touchdowns, and ran for two more scores, as sixth-ranked TCU blew out San Diego State, 55-12, to remain undefeated.
Leaders
Passing: Jordan Wynn - 297 yds
Rushing: Eddie Wide - 145 yds
Receiving: Jereme Brooks - 135 yds
Jordan Wynn threw for 297 yards and two touchdowns on 18-of-28 passing, as 17th-ranked Utah routed New Mexico, 45-14, at Rice-Eccles Stadium.
Leaders
Passing: Sean Canfield - 342 yds
Rushing: Jacquizz Rodgers - 67 yds
Receiving: Joe Halahuni - 128 yds
Sean Canfield threw two touchdowns and ran one in, as Oregon State upended 23rd-ranked California, 31-14, in a Pac-10 battle at Memorial Stadium.
Leaders
Passing: Tim Tebow - 208 yds
Rushing: Warren Norman - 65 yds
Receiving: Aaron Hernandez - 120 yds
Tim Tebow threw for 208 yards and a touchdown and ran for another score, as top-ranked Florida took a 27-3 win over Vanderbilt.
Leaders
Passing: Case Keenum - 522 yds
Rushing: G.J. Kinne - 100 yds
Receiving: Patrick Edwards - 176 yds
Matt Hogan's career-best 51-yard field goal as time expired capped a dramatic comeback and lifted 13th-ranked Houston over Tulsa, 46-45, at Chapman Stadium.
Leaders
Passing: Zach Collaros - 480 yds
Rushing: Jordan Todman - 162 yds
Receiving: Mardy Gilyard - 172 yds
Zach Collaros threw for 480 yards and a score and ran for two more touchdowns, as fourth-ranked Cincinnati held on for a 47-45 win over Connecticut to stay undefeated.
Leaders
Passing: Landry Jones - 245 yds
Rushing: Roy Helu - 138 yds
Receiving: Ryan Broyles - 74 yds
Ryan Hill's one-yard touchdown reception in the second quarter proved to be the difference, as the Nebraska Cornhuskers edged the 20th-ranked Oklahoma Sooners, 10-3, at Memorial Stadium.
Leaders
Passing: Brock Osweiler - 153 yds
Rushing: Joe McKnight - 78 yds
Receiving: Chris McGaha - 118 yds
The 12th-ranked USC Trojans needed just two big plays -- Will Harris' 55-yard interception return for a touchdown and Damian Williams' 75-yard score on a screen -- to hold off Arizona State, 14-9.
Ford Center
Orlando shoots for its third consecutive win Sunday as the Magic invade Oklahoma City to take on an improved Thunder team.
Rose Garden
Portland hopes to build on an impressive win in its last outing when it shoots for a ninth consecutive win over a reeling Minnesota Timberwolves club at the Rose Garden.
Staples Center
The reeling New Orleans Hornets kick off a tough, three- game road trip Sunday by facing the reigning NBA Champion LA Lakers at Staples Center.
ARCO Arena
A pair of Pacific Division rivals hookup in California's capital Sunday when Sacramento opens a four-game homestand by playing host to Golden State.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PHI | 19 | 18 | 22 | 22 | 81 |
| DET | 23 | 20 | 21 | 24 | 88 |
Leading Scorers
PHI: Andre Iguodala 24pts
DET: Ben Gordon 23pts
Ben Gordon had 23 points and knocked down a trio of three-pointers, as the Pistons defeated the 76ers, 88-81.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PHO | 26 | 30 | 24 | 22 | 102 |
| WAS | 29 | 22 | 20 | 19 | 90 |
Leading Scorers
PHO: Jason Richardson 22pts
WAS: Gilbert Arenas 20pts
Jason Richardson finished with a game-high 22 points and Channing Frye added 18 to go along with 10 rebounds, as the Phoenix Suns claimed a 102-90 win over the Washington Wizards at Verizon Center.
The Big East had "just" eight teams in the tournament last year -- many had predicted nine or 10 -- and considered it a disappointment. Can West Virginia and Villanova help the league top last year's performance?
Certain photos copyright © 2009 by Associated Press or Getty Images. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of Associated Press and Getty Images is strictly prohibited.
Scoreboard data copyright © 2009 by STATS LLC. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of STATS LLC is strictly prohibited.
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From Our Editors
SubscribeLive-blogging the sports day
Isiah Thomas' FIU Drops Exhibition To NAIA Team
The Isiah Thomas Era at Florida International began, well, exactly how you figured it would. With a loss to an NAIA school.
I know, it's just an exhibition game, but it's not like things are gonna get much easier for the Panthers. They have four days to figure out how they can possibly stay on the court with the defending national champions, No. 6 North Carolina. I'm sure it will go well.
Rest easy tonight, Isiah. Take solace in knowing that this still isn't anywhere near as bad as what Syracuse did last night.
by Sean Keeley • Nov 4, 2009 11:20 PM EST
Marcus Jordan Wearing Nikes After All
A few weeks after a deal between adidas and UCF threatened the special permission Marcus Jordan supposedly received to wear his dad’s Air Jordan shoes on the court, Jordan has apparently decided to say screw it and wear the shoes anyway. This should go over well with the three-stripe:
I’m still not exactly sure I get what the big deal is here. I know a thing or two about brand loyalty (Lucky Strikes for life!), but this is beyond me. Or maybe brand loyalty is just that much stronger when your own dad literally is the brand you’re loyal to.
Hmm. I need to invent some sort of cool clothing. My hypothetical kids will do whatever I say!
by Eamonn Brennan • Nov 4, 2009 7:17 PM EST
Sure, They Lost: But Syracuse's Coaches Got Skills Yo!
Courtesy of SB Nation’s Syracuse blog, Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magican, comes video of a ‘Cuse assistant coach freestyle rapping:
See? If last night’s exhibition basketball game had been decided by a battle rap, then Syracuse obviously would have won. Sadly, the only exhibitions decided by “impromptu rapping skills” are NBA summer league games... Oh well.
by Andrew Sharp • Nov 4, 2009 2:19 PM EST
ESPN's Len Bias Documentary Offers Few Answers
When Len Bias died, I was but a mere toddler. A sports blogging prodigy-to-be, just learning to string together poorly constructed fart jokes. Therefore, I have no memories of Bias. I know he was a great college player, who was drafted by the Celtics and died shortly thereafter of a cocaine overdose. That’s about it.
So I went into last night’s 30-for-30 documentary “Without Bias” with high hopes that I’d learn more about the man, and his tragic passing. Unfortunately, I did not.
Chris Littmann at The Sporting Blog has a fine review of the film, as does our own Searching for Billy Edelin, both of which share the same opinion as me: The doc answered nothing. Essentially, it was an hour-long play-by-play of the night Bias died, with a dash of politics thrown in (about a five minute tangent on how Bias’ death led to ridiculous mandatory minimum drug convictions, which may be true, but seemed awkwardly patched into the storyline).
We certainly didn’t learn whether or not this was Bias’ first time experimenting with coke, or if he was a regular user, which seemed to be the big breakthrough the film was searching to accomplish. Because it definitely wasn’t meant to be about Bias, the basketball player. This film was about Bias, the possible, but maybe not, although maybe he was, drug abuser. And if that was the focus, it failed to paint any sort of definitive picture. There were conflicting opinions from every angle — friends, family, teammates, journalists — none of which seemed to corroborate one another.
But what do I know? Watch for yourself at 10 p.m. ET tonight on ESPN2 when they re-air “Without Bias.” And if you already saw it, feel free to share your thoughts in the comments.
by Chris Mottram • Nov 4, 2009 9:24 AM EST
Sizing Up The Pac-10 Prospects
Yesterday this tweet from Sports Illustrated's Arash Markazi raised a few eyebrows:
Really? Not one? Not even Abdul Gaddy? An interesting point, and one worth investigating with Chris Dobbertean's Pac-10 preview over at Blogging the Bracket. But even worse than questioning Pac-10 talent, Markazi is overlooking the biggest baller in the country!
Percy Miller! Also known as Lil Romeo, also known as the Trojans' backup point guard who might actually play this year because USC lost so much talent. And NBA talent or not, if that ain't worth watchin... I mean, how many point guards do you know that have also done a Christmas dance song with Hilary Duff?
Yo Hilary... This Romeo.
And you know what? I'm gon' make 'em dance this Christmas.
by Andrew Sharp • Oct 30, 2009 5:14 PM EDT
Meet Siena's Just-in'love Smith
If it’s actual on-court college basketball previews you’re after, check out SB Nation’s Blogging the Bracket and Searching for Billy Edelin. But if you want a whimsical preseason All-American list that has nothing whatsoever to do with performance, check out Storming the Court’s Preseason All-Name Team.
The captain of the All-Name Team? Has to be this guy:
What makes this name so brilliant is that it’s all in the punctuation. If it was simply "Justin Love Smith," he’d be a scrub on the All-Name team. But no. This man has a hyphen AND an apostrophe in his first name. Plus, he served in Iraq for four years before returning to basketball and transferring to Siena prior to this season.
In hindsight, the second part is what really makes Just-in’love awesome. But still: great name.
by Chris Mottram • Oct 29, 2009 11:48 AM EDT
Hey, Look! College Basketball's Top 25
The start of college basketball is still a few weeks away, but that doesn’t mean we can’t start thinking about it now! The first ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll was released today, and Kansas—with Cole Aldrich and Sherron Collins pairing with superstar freshman Xavier Henry—tops the list. Michigan State, Texas, North Carolina, and Kentucky round out the top five… Now get to arguing!
(Really though, Texas is better than Kansas, and Big Ten basketball is an apocalypse. Yes, even you guys, Tom Izzo and Michigan State.)
by Andrew Sharp • Oct 29, 2009 8:47 AM EDT
James Naismith Did WHAT to Babies?
This profile of Dr. James Naismith from the New York Times made for an enjoyable read, and one definitely worth checking out. He was something of a renaissance man. Although, one couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow at this passage:
Really? He stretched babies? That’s… Uhh… Unsettling. And raises so many questions.
What else do we not know about the congenial, grandfatherly figure who spawned basketball? Did he also practice alchemy in his spare time? And what about the peach basket? Was that just an elaborate contraption for baby stretching?
(HT to Mr. Brennan for this disturbing news).
by Andrew Sharp • Oct 26, 2009 2:20 PM EDT
Positive Thinking and SEC Basketball
John Calipari is known for a lot of things. Depending on who you ask, he's either a con man ruining college basketball, a players' coach that's enlightened beyond his peers, or some combination therein, covered in gobs of hair gel.
But no matter your stance on Coach Cal, his abilities as salesman are pretty much beyond reproach. Though, even for him, his latest claim is pretty audacious. From his Twitter feed earlier today:
The emphasis was added. Seven or eight?!? This is the SEC we're talking about. And with all due respect to the conferences distinguished athletic traditions of autumn, winter just ain't their season. Beyond Kentucky, Tennessee, and Mississippi State, and probably Vanderbilt, the pickings get real slim, real quick.
Meaning there are only two ways for Calipari's prediction to come true:
(HT: This guy looks familiar)
by Andrew Sharp • Oct 22, 2009 4:25 PM EDT
Morgan's Injury Leaves UCLA Re'ling
Well, UCLA’s ’09 basketball season is getting off on the wrong foot. Err… Wrong shoulder. Or groin. Or knee. Or ankle. Or the wrong… concussed brain?
In any case, six Bruins are currently on the injured list, as the AP Reports:
Damn. Rough start for the Bruins, no? But how ‘bout some of those names. They may not have the players to beat Cal-State Fullerton in their opener on Nov. 17th, but they’ve certainly got some creatively spelled first names that’ll confuse the scorekeeper.
(Okay, so they’ll beat Fullerton regardless.)
by Andrew Sharp • Oct 21, 2009 4:22 PM EDT
John Calipari On Midnight Madness: 'Best I Ever Had, Best I Ever Haddd'
Well, say this for Kentucky's John Calipari: As players' coaches go, he's certainly one of the hippest ones in the business. USC's Pete Carrol, for example, might have invited Snoop Dogg to a USC practice and considered it a roaring success. Borrrring. Not Calipari, though, who brought in Drake, hip hop's fastest rising star, to act as an honorary coach at Kentucky's Midnight Madness this past Friday.
With Calipari, Drake, and Kentucky's uber-recruit John Wall all in the same place, I'm frankly a bit surprised the universe didn't collapse under the weight of all the expectations and hype regarding those three.
(But regardless, at least nobody stole a cop's gun and shot a toilet. Because that would be... weird, Georgetown, just weird.)
UPDATE: Louisville fans, sadly were forced to endure another week of Steve Kragthorpe coaching, and a Drake parody.
by Andrew Sharp • Oct 19, 2009 2:02 PM EDT
Marcus Ginyard's Inanimate, Completely Perfect Lunch Date
North Carolina's Marcus Ginyard enjoys many aspects of the college experience--that's why he's staying a fifth year to finish out his eligibility. But chief among those pleasures has got to be winning constantly, as his Tar Heels took home the National Championship last year.
Or... His first love could be the food at Chapel Hill's famous Sutton's drug store. Food or winning, winning or food, food or winning, winning or fo--why not both?
That would be the National Championship trophy, along with what looks like tomato soup and a grilled cheese. Annnnd now I want some tomato soup. And a grilled cheese. And I'm also jealous of Marcus Ginyard, who gets to walk around with a National Championship trophy all day. But mostly I just want a grilled cheese.
(HT: Ginyard's Twitpic)
by Andrew Sharp • Oct 14, 2009 3:45 PM EDT
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