SPORTS - Sagan takes 2nd Vuelta stage win (AP)

SPORTS - Sagan takes 2nd Vuelta stage win (AP)

AP – Defending middleweight champion Anderson Silva of Brazil celebrates after defeating Japan's Yushin Okami …

By TALES AZZONI, Associated Press Tales Azzoni, Associated Press – Sun Aug 28, 1:02 am ET

RIO DE JANEIRO – After another dominant victory, Anderson Silva went celebrating around the octagon. His opponent went straight to the hospital.

Silva beat Yushin Okami by knockout at 2:04 of the second round, winning his 15th straight fight and successfully defending his middleweight title at UFC 134 on Saturday night.

Silva sent Okami to the ground with a right-handed shot to the jaw, then pounded him with strikes to the head to force the fight to be stopped.

After several hits to the head, it took awhile for Okami to get up. He left the octagon on his own feet, but organizers later said he had to be taken to a local hospital for precautionary reasons and would undergo a series of medical exams.

Silva's opponents have been getting beat up like Okami did more often than not recently.

The 36-year-old Brazilian, touted as the MMA's best pound-for-pound fighter, improved to 29-4 (14-0 in UFC), while Okami fell to 27-6 (10-3).

Silva's last loss had been against Okami in 2006, when the Brazilian dominated the bout but was disqualified after an illegal kick.

Silva has defended his title a record nine times and is the longest-reigning champion in UFC history.

"I'm so happy," Silva said. "I've trained so hard for this.

"It was awesome to do this here in Brazil, in front of the Brazilian fans," he said.

The Ultimate Fighting Championship made a much-anticipated return to Brazil, the country where mixed martial arts came to life in the early 1990s. There hadn't been a UFC event in Brazil since 1998, when the sport was not nearly as popular as it is now.

Silva, a striker known as "The Spider," struggled to get to Okami in the first of the five-round fight, but he came out attacking in the second and dominated.

He struck a right-handed shot with 4:17 left to send Okami to the ground for the first time. The Japanese fighter recovered, but not after the second charge by Silva in front of more than 15,000 fans who packed the HSBC Arena in Rio de Janeiro.

The 30-year-old Okami had won six of his last seven fights.

He wasn't the only one to lose to a Brazilian on Saturday as local fighters won four of the five fights on the main card.

In the light heavyweight division, Brazilian Mauricio "Shogun" Rua knocked out American Forrest Griffin in the first round with a series of strikes to the head. Rua had lost to Griffin in his UFC debut in 2007, and the crowd celebrated the victory by chanting, "Shogun is back, Shogun is back."

In the heavyweights, home-crowd favorite Minotauro Nogueira defeated American Brendan Schaub by knockout despite not having fought in 18 months because of a series of injuries, giving Brazil its first win of the night in the main card. The emotional victory gave the 35-year-old Nogueira a 37-6-1 record.

Bulgaria's Stanislav Nedkov made his UFC debut by defeating Brazil's Luiz Cane by knockout in a light heavyweight fight to improve his record to 12-0, while Brazil's Edson Barboza reached 9-0 by beating England's Ross Pearson with a split decision in the lightweight division.

Some of the celebrities at the event Saturday included retired soccer star Ronaldo, whose sports marketing agency manages Silva's career.

The fans constantly chanted during the fights, and even some soccer-stadium songs made their way into the fights.

UFC President Dana White has already said he plans to return to Brazil soon and increase the number of events in the country of 190 million people. There is even talk of a possible fight at a soccer stadium, which could attract a crowd of nearly 100,000 fans.

"We might be here every weekend now," White joked after the fights. "This event was successful even before it even happened.

"I've been doing events all over the world over the years and Brazil wins for the loudest crowd ever. The place was packed from the first fight. It was incredible."

___

Follow Tales Azzoni at http://twitter.com/tazzoni

read more...

SPORTS - Meriweather cut by Pats, Herzlich makes Giants (AP)

SPORTS - Meriweather cut by Pats, Herzlich makes Giants (AP)

AP – Philadelphia Phillies relief pitcher David Herndon reacts after Florida Marlins' Gaby Sanchez hit a three-run …

– 56 mins ago

MIAMI – Cole Hamels pitched seven strong innings Saturday night and had two RBI singles.

It just wasn't enough to lead the Philadelphia Phillies to another victory.

David Herndon yielded Gaby Sanchez's go-ahead three-run homer in the eighth inning and the Florida Marlins also got two homers from Mike Cameron in an 8-4 win.

Hamels allowed three runs and four hits, including home runs to Cameron and Mike Stanton. The left-hander struck out seven and walked three.

"Every mistake I made was a homer, and that's tough — especially when you're only up by a little bit," Hamels said.

Hamels was 2 for 3 at the plate, driving in a run with an infield hit in the second and a line drive to center in the fourth.

"My game is to pitch," Hamels said. "I could get as many hits and homers as I wanted to, but my goal is to not allow runs. That's what I value more — making the pitches and not giving up runs. Unfortunately, I kept (Florida) in the game."

Antonio Bastardo (6-1) replaced Hamels in the eighth and walked Omar Infante and Logan Morrison before Herndon came in. The runners moved up on a sacrifice before Sanchez went deep, hitting a drive to left on a 1-0 pitch to give the Marlins a 6-4 lead. Cameron followed with another homer, and pinch-hitter Greg Dobbs connected later in the inning.

"We didn't want to walk Sanchez," Phillies manager Charlie Manuel said. "We talked about it, but we didn't want to walk him."

Edward Mujica (9-5) pitched a scoreless inning to get the win.

Florida starter Ricky Nolasco allowed four runs and seven hits in six innings.

Stanton left with right hamstring tightness after he grounded out to end the fifth inning. He was listed as day to day.

The Phillies went ahead 4-3 with two outs in the fourth when Hamels lined a single to center that scored Carlos Ruiz from second. Ruiz singled with one out and advanced on Wilson Valdez's groundout.

Stanton's 32nd home run in the third tied it at 3. Stanton sent Hamels' 1-1 pitch into the second deck in left field for a solo shot.

Philadelphia took a 3-0 lead in the second on Valdez's two-run triple and Hamels' run-scoring infield single.

NOTES: The game started after a 1-hour, 38-minute rain delay. The first two innings were played in a steady, heavy drizzle. ... The Marlins announced SS Hanley Ramirez will not play again this season and is expected to undergo left shoulder surgery. Ramirez should be ready for opening day next season, when the team opens a new ballpark in Miami. ... Phillies ace Roy Halladay (16-5) pitches the series finale Sunday against Anibal Sanchez (7-7).

read more...

SPORTS - Hamels pitches well but Phillies lose to Marlins (AP)

SPORTS - Hamels pitches well but Phillies lose to Marlins (AP)

AP – Oklahoma linebacker Tom Wort celebrates with a teammate after Oklahoma recovered a fumble by Tulsa in …

By JEFF LATZKE, AP College Football Writer Jeff Latzke, Ap College Football Writer – 1 hr 7 mins ago

NORMAN, Okla. – Tom Wort held back his tears and charged out onto Owen Field with the kind of reckless abandon his friend, Austin Box, always had when he played the game.

Wearing Box's No. 12 jersey, Wort thrust his arms into the air to elicit a cheer from the student section, ran to the end zone and dropped onto one knee to ask his departed teammate to help guide him.

Box would surely have been proud with his performance.

Wort earned the first game ball of his college career and the top-ranked Sooners backed the prolific combination of Landry Jones and All-America receiver Ryan Broyles with a sturdy brand of defense to beat Tulsa 47-14 on Saturday night.

"A special moment to see the crowd react like that, wearing my friend's jersey," said Wort, Box's replacement as Oklahoma's starting middle linebacker. "It was a special moment. I got to run out there, go to midfield and just see the crowd go nuts.

"I just looked up to the sky, thought of Austin. Went to the end zone thought of Austin, prayed that maybe he'd help me out with this one."

The Sooners (1-0) took the field for the first time since Box overdosed on painkillers in May, allowing Wort to become the first in a series of defenders that will wear his number as a tribute this season.

Jones, who feels new meaning with the No. 12 he wears on offense, went 35 for 47 for 375 yards and Broyles came up just shy of his own school receptions record with 14 for 158 yards. Dominique Whaley ran for 131 yards and four TDs as the Sooners extended the nation's longest home winning streak to 37.

Broyles' 4-yard touchdown catch put Oklahoma up 30-0 with 4:23 left before halftime, and Tulsa (0-1) never mounted a challenge in Bill Blankenship's first game as head coach.

"The bottom line is we can't control what they do," said quarterback G.J. Kinne, who had 271 yards on 18 of 33 passing. "We have to execute and we didn't do that very well tonight."

The Sooners opened at No. 1 for the first time since 2003, after holding the top spot for only two weeks over the past seven seasons. They were selected as the preseason favorite after a solid finish to last season that included the end of a five-game losing streak in BCS bowl games.

Jones got in a groove early by hooking up with Broyles — the nation's leader last season with 131 receptions — seven times for 120 yards in the first quarter, then everyone else got involved.

"I feel like after he got going, he started spreading the ball out," Broyles said. "When I'm playing a game, I don't think he's just looking at me."

One of the stars ended up being someone who, until recently, had been mostly off the radar as the Sooners sought a replacement for DeMarco Murray, who was drafted into the NFL after setting the school's record for career touchdowns.

Whaley, a walk-on who formerly played at Langston University of the NAIA, emerged in a tie with Brennan Clay for the starting spot at running back this week. He had three short touchdown runs in the first half and then ran through three potential tackles on a 32-yarder that pushed the Sooners lead to 44-7 late in the third quarter.

An inspired Sooners defense never gave Tulsa much of a chance, even with an offense that was the most productive in the nation two of the last four years and in the top five last season.

The Golden Hurricane were without top receiver Damaris Johnson, a second-team All-American last season and the NCAA's career record holder in all-purpose yardage and kickoff returns. He was charged this week with felony embezzlement and is suspended indefinitely with games against No. 9 Oklahoma State and No. 5 Boise State looming this month.

Tulsa went three-and-out three times in the first half and turned it over twice before finally getting on the board when Bryan Burnham caught a quick pass from Kinne against broken coverage and raced 56 yards to make it 30-7.

"It was difficult. He's one of our best players, but we don't make excuses around here," Kinne said. "We have some great guys behind him and I have to build a relationship with those guys. That will come over time and make the team better."

A couple other long pass plays after the game was out of hand provided most of the Golden Hurricane's offense. Willie Carter had receptions of 69 and 44 yards and ended up with 135 yards on five catches.

Trey Watts, the son of former Sooners quarterback J.C. Watts, scored on a 24-yard catch and run in the fourth quarter.

Wort helped cause one of the turnovers, knocking his own wind out in the process of getting the ball away from Ja'Terian Douglas.

"I'm a little disappointed about that, and I know (Box would) be giving me a hard time if he was here," Wort said.

The Sooners hadn't been No. 1 since a two-week stretch in October 2008 that ended when fifth-ranked Texas pulled off the upset in the Red River Rivalry. Oklahoma went on to lose to Florida in the national championship game, but never got back on top of the rankings.

"We always talk about '08 and how hard they worked. We show clips of it all the time," Broyles said. "So, we definitely feel like we have the team that can do those same things, and we just have to keep plugging away."

read more...

SPORTS - Africans quick off the mark in Europe (AFP)

SPORTS - Africans quick off the mark in Europe (AFP)

AFP/File – Senegalese Papiss Cisse, pictured here in 2010, was among the scorers as African goal poachers wasted …

– Mon Aug 8, 1:16 pm ET

PARIS (AFP) – Senegalese Papiss Cisse was among the scorers as African goal poachers wasted no time making their mark when the French and German league seasons kicked off at the weekend.

Cisse, who struck 22 goals in 32 matches last season for Freiburg, was on target just after half-time and Congolese Cedrick Makiadi added a second before promoted Augsburg hit back at home to force a 2-2 draw.

FRANCE

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (St Etienne)

Bordeaux's French international goalkeeper Cedric Carrasso was reduced to the role of spectator when an apparently innocuous shot from the right by Gabon striker Aubameyang dropped under the crossbar and in as St Etienne came away 2-1 winners.

Younes Belhanda (Montpellier), Alain Traore (Auxerre)

Moroccan midfielder Belhanda opened the scoring for Montpellier after 36 minutes in a 3-1 win over Auxerre with his free kick slipping through the gloves of rookie Burgundy goalkeeper Donovan Leon. Burkina Faso playmaker Alain Traore equalised for Auxerre just before half-time with a stunning shot, only for the visitors to concede two late goals.

Abdoulrazak Boukari/Kader Mangane (Rennes)

Togolese midfielder Abdoulrazak Boukari scored the third goal in Rennes' 5-1 rout of newcomers Dijon which put the Brittany side top of the early table. Boukari, who netted after 50 minutes, also helped set up the opening goal when his cross allowed Colombian Victor Hugo Montano to score after 34 minutes. Franco-Senegalese defender Kader Mangane struck Rennes' fourth with a 75th-minute header.

GERMANY

Papiss Cisse and Cedrick Makiadi (Freiburg)

Senegal striker Cisse picked up where he left off last season with the opening goal as Freiburg drew 2-2 at Augsburg. The 26-year-old, who scored 22 goals in 32 games last season, opened the scoring on 48 minutes and Democratic Republic of Congo midfielder Makiadi added the second on 55 minutes with a header.

Sami Allagui (Mainz 05)

Tunisia striker Allagui scored the first goal in his side's 2-0 win over last season's runners-up Bayer Leverkusen by capitalising on a huge blunder in the Leverkusen defence on 32 minutes. Leverkusen defender Stefan Reinartz back-passed to goalkeeper Fabian Giefer, who completely mistimed his clearance, only succeeding in rolling the ball towards Allagui, who smashed home from a tight angle.

Isaac Vorsah and Chinedu Obasi (Hoffenheim)

Ghana centre-back Vorsah and Nigerian right-winger Obasi played the full 90 minutes as Hoffenheim lost their opening game 2-1 at Hanover 96. Obasi picked up a yellow card for a foul on Sergio Pinto as goals by ex-Germany striker Jan Schlaudraff and Norway's Mohammed Abdellaoue gave Hanover victory.

ITALY

Kevin-Prince Boateng (AC Milan)

Ghana midfielder Boateng scored the winner in faraway Beijing as AC Milan came from behind to defeat city rivals Inter 2-1 and win a record sixth Italian Super Cup. Alexandre Pato raced on to a through ball and when his shot struck a post, Boateng slid to score off the rebound.

read more...

SPORTS - Dyer's TD lifts No. 23 AU past Utah State, 42-38 (AP)

SPORTS - Dyer's TD lifts No. 23 AU past Utah State, 42-38 (AP)

AP – Auburn University head football coach Gene Chizik fires up the fans at the Tiger Walk before Auburn plays …

By JOHN ZENOR, AP Sports Writer John Zenor, Ap Sports Writer – Sat Sep 3, 6:15 pm ET

AUBURN, Ala. – This resembled last season's Auburn team for about three blurry minutes. Before that, the defending national champions could barely keep up with a supposedly overmatched Utah State team.

Mike Dyer bulled through the line for a game-saving touchdown with 30 seconds left and the 23rd-ranked Tigers scored twice in the final 2:07 to escape with an opening 42-38 win over the Aggies on Saturday.

Coach Gene Chizik's blunt assessment: "Offensively and defensively we're a long way off of being able to win very many games right now."

And it showed against a team that probably should have been physically overwhelmed, but wasn't. The Tigers still pulled off their fourth comeback from a double-digit deficit in the last 13 games — and allowed hundreds of celebrating fans to head to Toomer's Corner to roll the once-stately, now sickly oak trees that were allegedly poisoned by an Alabama fan.

"As they've done so many times since I've been here, they found a way to come back and win," Chizik said. "That's kind of been instilled in this group that you never look at the clock and the scoreboard until it says zero-zero-zero.

"In that regard, we were thrilled that we won the game today. Everybody who saw the game realizes that we did not play well as a football team. There's no excuse for that."

The Aggies (0-1) seemed poised for a stunning victory before Auburn's final rally.

First-time starting quarterback Barrett Trotter hit Philip Lutzenkirchen for a 15-yard touchdown to start a Cam Newton-like comeback. Then wide receiver Emory Blake collected the onside kick to set up the game-winning drive. Trotter completed three passes and Onterio McCalebb had runs of 10 and 14 yards to push the ball near the goal line.

BCS title game MVP Dyer did the rest, ducking his head and powering through Utah State defenders from a yard out.

Poised freshman quarterback Chuckie Keeton couldn't muster a threat in the final seconds for the Aggies, who also tested Oklahoma in last year's opener.

Utah State twice led by double digits against a team clearly feeling the effects of the departures of numerous starters from last year's national champions, including defensive tackle Nick Fairley and Heisman winner Newton, who repeatedly led the Tigers from behind during their 14-0 run last season.

Only that 24-point deficit against Alabama might have been a more improbable comeback than this one from 10 points down in the final 3:38. The Tigers came in as three-touchdown favorites, but also as a question mark with 19 new starters.

They managed to avoid an embarrassing opening loss against a team that has now lost 44 straight road games against Top 25 teams and was starting a freshman at quarterback.

"I felt like we were stronger than them," Utah State coach Gary Andersen said. "I felt like we were faster than them. I felt like they made plays when they had to, and we didn't."

Lutzenkirchen didn't disagree with that assessment.

"We were wrong for thinking coming in that they might be a cupcake team and they really ran it down our throat the first half," he said. "We got lucky with this one."

Trotter completed a solid starting debut with a huge finale. He was 17 of 23 for 261 yards and three touchdowns.

Trotter marched the Tigers downfield quickly before hitting an open Lutzenkirchen to keep them alive. He followed a 13-yard completion to Travante Stallworth with a 9-yarder to McCalebb and a 7-yarder to Lutzenkirchen, one of Newton's favorite red zone targets last season.

Then, Blake came up with another big play with his midair scoop of Chandler Brooks' kick.

"It unfolded pretty much exactly the way you draw it up," Chizik said. Blake also caught a 56-yard touchdown pass in the first quarter.

Auburn still wound up trailing 21-7 in the second quarter but one of the many youngsters the Tigers are relying on came up big.

Freshman Tre Mason returned a kick 97 yards to close the gap. Dyer added an 11-yard touchdown to tie it midway through the third quarter.

Josh Thompson added a 34-yard field goal and the Tigers didn't take the lead until Trotter's 39-yard touchdown to Stallworth late in the third quarter, making it 28-24.

It didn't last. Keeton faked a handoff, went left and got the nose of the ball across the goal line for a 31-28 lead with 11:20 left.

Robert Turbin then scored a 1-yard touchdown run with 3:38 left to push the lead back to 10 after Andersen rolled the dice in a big way.

Facing fourth down deep in Auburn territory, the Aggies successfully faked a field goal, completing a pass by holder Stanley Morrison for a first down.

Keeton completed 21 of 30 passes for 213 yards and ran for 33 in his debut after beating out junior college transfer Adam Kennedy. Andersen didn't announce a starter before the game.

Close wasn't comforting for an Aggies team that wanted more.

"I don't think you guys understand how much this hurts," Turbin said. "When you're up 10 four minutes to go and you lose, you've got the defending national champions on the ropes and you lose — the focus right now is to win. Period. That's it. I don't care about nothing else."

read more...

SPORTS - Brazil's Silva knocks out Okami at UFC 134 (AP)

SPORTS - Brazil's Silva knocks out Okami at UFC 134 (AP)

read more...

SPORTS - No. 1 Sooners roll past Tulsa, 47-14 (AP)

SPORTS - No. 1 Sooners roll past Tulsa, 47-14 (AP)

AP – Rickie Fowler hits his second shot on the 15th hole during the second round of the Deutsche Bank Championship …

By DOUG FERGUSON, AP Golf Writer Doug Ferguson, Ap Golf Writer – Sat Sep 3, 7:11 pm ET

NORTON, Mass. – Masters champion Charl Schwartzel turned anger into a string of birdies for a 5-under 66 on Saturday that put him in a three-way tie for the lead with Adam Scott and Bubba Watson in the Deutsche Bank Championship.

Watson, who finally put some attention back on his golf, played in the morning and produced what he called a "boring" round of 64 that included an eagle on the seventh hole for the second straight day. Scott, who won on the TPC Boston eight years, shot 63 in the afternoon.

Schwartzel would not have imagined another 66 on his card when he made the turn. He was in perfect position off the tee on the par-5 18th until he pulled his approach, and then compounded the error with a three-putt for a soft bogey. Still stewing when he got to the first tee, he left the 5-wood in his bag and hit driver.

"I was, to say the least, fairly upset," Schwartzel said. "It's sometimes very crucial to come back straightaway, otherwise your round can get away from you. The birdie on the first just got me going in the right mindset again."

The drive set up a flip wedge to 6 week. Another massive drive left him only a 7-iron on the par-5 second, and he was on his way. Schwartzel ran off five birdies in a six-hole stretch and was tied for the lead at the halfway point.

The morning was filled with big cheers, mostly around one hole.

Brandt Snedeker hit 9-iron from 146 yards on the par-3 16th, and the ball spun back to the right and into the cup. Some 20 minutes later, Greg Chalmers also made an ace.

It proved to be a bigger boost for Snedeker, the start of a bizarre 1-5-3 on his card — the ace, followed by a sloppy bogey that got his attention, and an eagle putt on the 18th as he went on to a 64 and was one shot behind. Nick Watney, a two-time winner on tour this year, had another 67 and was two shots behind.

The leaders were at 10-under 132 as they work their way to a Labor Day finish.

"I'm happy to put myself in the hunt because I need a good week to move up in this FedEx Cup," said Scott, who is at No. 23 in the standings. "I'm running out of time quick."

The top 70 on the FedEx Cup list after this week advance to the third playoff event outside Chicago in two weeks, with the top 30 from there going to Atlanta for a shot at the $10 million prize.

Typical for these FedEx Cup playoffs, there were other scores that were significant.

Ernie Els was among the last to qualify for the playoffs, though he still faced long odds. He barely advanced out of the first round and then shot a 65 on Saturday to move into a tie for sixth with a group that included Rickie Fowler.

"I've been working quite hard to get some kind of game going, and it seems like I've got it going a bit now," Els said. "The putter is starting to cooper a little bit better."

Els currently is using a belly putter. Phil Mickelson tried the belly putter for the second straight day, although it was more his long game that led to a 73. He was 11 shots behind and made the cut on the number — 1-over 143 — at the tournament he won four years ago.

William McGirt, the 125th and last man into these playoffs, kept his hopes alive with a second straight 69 that at least gave him a reasonable chance of moving on to Chicago.

Watson hasn't missed many cuts this year. He really hasn't done much of anything aside from his two wins in San Diego and New Orleans. He attributed it to getting accustomed to a little more celebrity.

"You win three times in less than a year, all the people are writing about you in the paper, you've got more fans, you've got a lot more friends, you've got a lot more family, you've got a lot more of everything," he said. "For me, for getting a simple guy like myself, it's not what I dream to do."

He said he feared he might be sick because his energy was drained, then later realized that being in the spotlight required more energy. Watson also learned about the attention from his growing star power in France, when he joked about not knowing the names of some of the most famous landmarks and was criticized in Europe and at home.

Self-deprecating as ever, Watson had no problem making fun of himself or the situation in France. When asked about the landmarks in New England, he said, "There's a fence or something, isn't there? A green one?"

He was only joking about Fenway's "Green Monster."

"I love the Yankees, sorry," he said. "They're all going to hate me, anyways."

The FedEx Cup playoffs ended for Ian Poulter, Anthony Kim and Stewart Cink, among others. They missed the cut and already were outside the top 70 on the list of players who are trying to advance to Chicago.

read more...

SPORTS - No. 4 LSU overcomes in 40-27 win over No. 3 Oregon (AP)

SPORTS - No. 4 LSU overcomes in 40-27 win over No. 3 Oregon (AP)

AP – LSU running back Spencer Ware (11) runs for a touchdown against Oregon safety John Boyett (20) during …

By STEPHEN HAWKINS, AP Sports Writer Stephen Hawkins, Ap Sports Writer – 55 mins ago

ARLINGTON, Texas – In a rare opening matchup of top-five teams, both missing key players, Jarrett Lee admirably directed LSU's offense in place of suspended quarterback Jordan Jefferson.

Being without standout cornerback-punt returner Cliff Harris was more than mistake-prone and third-ranked Oregon could overcome.

The Ducks' fill-in punt returner had a fumble that led directly to an LSU touchdown and Lee's touchdown pass came against the defensive back playing in Harris' spot in the fourth-ranked Tigers' 40-27 victory Saturday night.

"I asked them to put to the perimeter all the things that could be considered distractions," LSU coach Les Miles said. "I enjoyed Jarrett Lee's gutty effort. I liked how the offense did the things they needed to do."

Already without the suspended Harris, the Ducks made things even harder on themselves with four turnovers — three that LSU converted into 20 points while building a 30-13 lead.

Highly touted freshman De'Anthony Thomas fumbled on consecutive touches late in the third quarter, one on a rushing attempt and then on the ensuing kickoff, and the Tigers took control with touchdown runs from Michael Ford and Spencer Ware in a span of less than 3 1/2 minutes.

"Those are self-inflicted wounds," coach Chip Kelly said. "The drops, the turnovers and the penalties are the things that really killed us. Against a team like that, you're not going to win the game."

Harris, who can be found on most preseason All-America teams, was suspended in June after police caught him driving 118 mph, and also having a suspended license at the time.

The Tigers were also without receiver Russell Shepard, who was suspended for at least this game because he discussed another NCAA inquiry with a teammate. He was third in receiving and fourth in rushing for LSU last season.

Besides the legitimate national title hopes both teams had, they had a tie in ongoing NCAA investigations into their dealings with Willie Lyles, who ran a Houston-based service that provided scouting reports of high school players.

And this was the first season-opening game of top-five teams on a neutral field since 1984, when Jimmy Johnson won his debut as coach of Miami against an Auburn squad featuring Bo Jackson a year before he won the Heisman Trophy. There was a crowd of 87,711 at Cowboys Stadium, where LSU played its second consecutive game.

The Tigers ended their 2010 season on the Dallas Cowboys' home field in January with a 41-24 victory over Texas A&M in the Cotton Bowl when Jefferson passed for three touchdowns and ran for another score.

But Jefferson is now suspended indefinitely, as is reserve linebacker Josh Johns, because they are facing felony charges of second degree battery stemming from a bar fight near campus last month.

Plenty of subplots in this one.

"We've had a lot on our minds as team coming into this game," Lee said. "It's not something that we wanted to happen. But you have to put that to the side and move forward."

Lee's 10th career start, his first since a win over Louisiana Tech in 2009, was far from spectacular. The senior completed only 10 of 22 passes for 98 yards, but didn't have an interception and appeared steady throughout the game.

The lone LSU turnover came when Lee stepped up toward the line to point out a pending blitz, at the same time the ball was snapped behind him. That set up Rob Beard's second field goal to give Oregon a 6-3 lead.

Oregon, which lost to Auburn in the BCS national championship game last season, has consecutive losses for the first time since they losing its last three regular-season games in 2007.

"This is going to show the character of this team, how hard we're going to come back and play after this loss," Ducks quarterback Darron Thomas said. "The offense had self-inflicted wounds all game."

LSU took a 16-13 lead just before halftime, going ahead to stay, on Rueben Randle's 10-yard TD catch from Lee.

Randle caught the ball in the front corner of the end zone over freshman cornerback Terrance Mitchell — in the spot Harris would have been playing on defense.

The other LSU touchdown before halftime came when fill-in punt returner Barner fielded a punt inside the 5, took a couple of steps backs. That's when Tyrann Mathieu stripped the ball away, scooped it up after it bounced on the turf and took a couple of steps into the end zone.

LSU has won 34 consecutive nonconference games, the longest such streak in the nation, including all 23 in the regular season under seventh-year coach Miles.

"Our football team is united. They play together," Miles said. "You put a ball on the line and they'll scrap you for it."

Ware had 26 carries for 99 yards while Fort had 14 runs for 98 yards and two TDs, his second on a 16-yard run in the fourth quarter.

LaMichael James had one of the worst games at Oregon, even though he scored a touchdown for the 12th time his last 13 games. James had 18 carries for 54 yards, only five more than he had against Auburn in the national title game.

"I don't think we were ready mentally. We have a lot of underclassmen and people who've never played in a college football game," James said. "It was difficult."

De'Anthony Thomas, who scored on a 4-yard run in the final minute, had his first fumble when big defensive end Sam Montgomery reached in and stripped the ball away. The ball popped directly into the hands of safety Eric Reid.

After Ford's 5-yard TD, Craig Loston punched the ball out of Thomas' hands, setting up Ware's 1-yard TD that made it 30-10 after Mitchell was called for pass interference in the end zone.

Darron Thomas was 31-of-54 passing for 240 yards with a touchdown and an interception in a game the Texas native considered "bigger than the national championship." Thomas went to Oregon instead of LSU after Miles wouldn't promise that he could play quarterback.

read more...

SPORTS - Uruguay into next round after win over Paraguay (AP)

SPORTS - Uruguay into next round after win over Paraguay (AP)

read more...

SPORTS - Edwards recovers to win Nationwide race in Atlanta (AP)

SPORTS - Edwards recovers to win Nationwide race in Atlanta (AP)

read more...

SPORTS - Column: Money Mayweather still making them pay (AP)

SPORTS - Column: Money Mayweather still making them pay (AP)

read more...

SPORTS - Schwartzel, Scott, Watson share Boston lead (AP)

SPORTS - Schwartzel, Scott, Watson share Boston lead (AP)

read more...

SPORTS - Monfils hopes to turn magic into more success (AFP)

SPORTS - Monfils hopes to turn magic into more success (AFP)

• Play Video Olympics Video:Some very special heroes are taking to the streets KVUE-TV Austin
• Play Video Olympics Video:Brazil looks to form top rugby team for Olympics AFP
• Olympics Video:Cuban hurdle champion Robles disqualified Australia 7 News

– Sat Sep 3, 10:33 pm ET

MAR DEL PLATA, Argentina – Leandro Garcia scored 19 points as Uruguay beat Paraguay 79-66 on Saturday to take a last spot in the second round of the Olympic basketball qualifying tournament for the Americas.

Paraguay joined Cuba as the first two teams to be eliminated from the competition.

The eight teams left in the tournament are: Argentina, Brazil, Dominican Republic, Venezuela, Canada, Puerto Rico, Uruguay and Panama.

In other games Saturday, Brazil beat Cuba 93-83, Venezuela had a 103-98 overtime win against Canada, and Argentina downed Panama 90-71.

The remaining teams will play another stage of round-robin games starting Monday, before semifinals and a final.

The two finalists earn places in the 2012 Olympics in London.

read more...

SPORTS - Tim Thomas brings Stanley Cup to Vermont (AP)

SPORTS - Tim Thomas brings Stanley Cup to Vermont (AP)

AP – Nationwide Series driver Carl Edwards (60) works during the NASCAR Atlanta Nationwide Great Clips 300 …

By CHARLES ODUM, AP Sports Writer Charles Odum, Ap Sports Writer – Sat Sep 3, 10:20 pm ET

HAMPTON, Ga. – Carl Edwards worked his way from the back of the pack after a penalty in a pit stop early in the race and held off Kyle Busch to win the Nationwide Series race at Atlanta Motor Speedway on Saturday night.

Starting from the pole, Edwards led the first 43 laps before being penalized for having equipment out of his team's allotted space during a pit stop. He went to the back of the field but quickly moved his way through the pack.

Edwards won a battle with Kevin Harvick for the lead after the sixth caution ended with 19 laps remaining.

Nationwide points leader Ricky Stenhouse Jr. came out of the restart in sixth but quickly moved up, passing Busch for second before finishing third.

Harvick finished fourth and Kasey Kahne was fifth after winning the pole for Sunday night's Sprint Cup race.

Edwards has 35 career Nationwide victories, two in Atlanta.

"It's a big win for us," Edwards said. "I can't believe we won the pole and the race."

Brad Keselowski, back in the Nationwide series for the first time since breaking his left ankle in an Aug. 3 crash while testing at Road Atlanta, finished seventh. He has won two Cup races since the injury.

Reed Sorenson, third in points, and Trevor Bayne were knocked both out of the race in a collision with 25 laps to go. Sorenson was bumped by his teammate, Justin Allgaier, to cause the wreck.

Allgaier finished sixth and said he would apologize to Sorenson.

read more...

SPORTS - Bogut might play in Australia during NBA lockout (AP)

SPORTS - Bogut might play in Australia during NBA lockout (AP)

AFP/Getty Images – Gael Monfils of France reacts to a lost point against Radel Stepanek of the Czech Republic during the …

by Jim Slater Jim Slater – Mon Aug 8, 12:12 pm ET

WASHINGTON (AFP) – Flamboyant leaps and an athletic frame that allows him to scramble after balls for spectacular shots in rallies have made Gael Monfils one of the best entertainers in tennis.

Thus far that has not translated into Grand Slam success for the 24-year-old Frenchman, who came away a loser to Czech Radek Stepanek 6-4, 6-4 in Sunday's ATP Washington Classic final, falling to 3-11 in ATP title matches.

But seventh-ranked Monfils, whose longest Grand Slam run was the 2008 French Open whee he reached the semi-finals, says a greater belief in his style of play rather than deeper focus is what will propel him into his first Grand Slam final.

"Have confidence in myself. Have a stronger belief," Monfils said. "I'm a believer but to reach the top I have to believe more, endure more. When I do two hours of practice, I need to add 30 minutes more.

"I need to feel something inside to go further. I think I show too much respect to my opponent. Maybe I can be more selfish. If I do that, I believe I can reach the finals."

Monfils split with Australian coach Roger Rasheed last month following three years together, saying at Washington that he was unhappy and that he and Rasheed had different goals.

Patrick Chamagne, who had been Monfils' fitness coach, is now his main coach as he heads into ATP Masters Series events at Montreal and Cincinnati ahead of the start of the US Open later this month.

"I think he can handle it," Monfils said. "I can trust in him."

That coaching comfort zone comes as critics say Monfils needs to be less of a showman on court and adopt a more tactical and focused approach in order to maximize his potential.

But Monfils also says he loves the role of entertainer, drawing roars and applause from crowds with amazing efforts on particular points.

"I want to show my passion to the people," Monfils said. "I'm pretty natural on the court. Always I remember what my parents told me. 'It's a gift to be on the tennis court.' Since I was three years old I keep it like this.

"I love playing games with my friends and trying tricky stuff. I try two percent (of those tricks) on the court. I like to try crazy stuff so I do it in a match."

The trick is turning flair into victory more often. Monfils gives a nod to such needs, but says he only needs fine tuning despite having lost a Washington final to a rival who was 2-5 against him, one he beat two weeks before on clay.

"My game is not far to be ready for big challenges against the big players," Monfils said. "I need to get back to work, be more aggressive, be more comfortable about small details, make my serve percentage a little higher.

"Physically I'm happy with where I am. Now I need to work to be stable and hopefully I can make a final."

read more...

SPORTS - Pac-12 commissioner Scott: listening, not luring (AP)

SPORTS - Pac-12 commissioner Scott: listening, not luring (AP)

AP – Miami Dolphins running back Larry Johnson (23) runs for a touchdown during the first half of an NFL pre …

By The Associated Press The Associated Press – 2 hrs 55 mins ago

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – Brandon Meriweather, Tommie Harris and Larry Johnson are former Pro Bowl players now looking for jobs.

The three were among hundreds of players cut Saturday as NFL teams got down to the mandatory 53-man roster maximum just five days before New Orleans and Green Bay kick off the regular season.

Cancer survivor Mark Herzlich made the New York Giants' roster after being signed as a free agent out of Boston College. The linebacker, who beat a rare form of bone cancer in college, was on the bubble — and still may be as teams search the waiver wire — but he's on the Giants' roster for now.

"Herzlich didn't bat an eye the whole camp," Giants coach Tom Coughlin said. "Physically, he did everything you asked and more. I saw him improve literally week by week."

Meriweather was a first-round pick of New England who has played in 64 games over four seasons. He has 12 interceptions, including a career-high five in 2008 when he earned the first of two straight Pro Bowl selections. Also among the Patriots' cuts were running back Sammy Morris, a 12-year veteran, and wide receiver Brandon Tate.

Harris, a three-time Pro Bowl defensive end, was hoping to revive his career in Indianapolis, but was among 27 waived by the Colts. He was a key cog in Chicago's Super Bowl run during the 2006 season, but was hindered by injuries the past three seasons and released by the Bears in February before the lockout.

Four other veteran free agents signed by Indianapolis — defensive linemen Jamaal Anderson and Tyler Braxton, quarterback Kerry Collins and linebacker Ernie Sims — all made the roster.

Johnson, a two-time Pro Bowl running back, was among those released by Miami. The Dolphins signed him last week after he sat out most of last season when his career was derailed by injuries and a series of off-the-field missteps. Miami also terminated the contracts of cornerback Will Allen, a veteran who missed all of last season with a knee injury, and fullback Lousaka Polite, who started 24 games over the past three seasons.

Among the Giants' cuts was Matt Dodge, giving veteran Steve Weatherford the job at punter. New York also placed Sage Rosenfels, last year's backup quarterback, on injured reserve, giving the job to David Carr, who was Eli Manning's backup in 2008-09.

Chicago let go of running back Chester Taylor and tight end Desmond Clark. Taylor appeared to be on the way out for a while, hinting he was finished in Chicago early in the week. He didn't play in the third preseason game at Tennessee and left team headquarters thinking he had been released after a meeting with coach Lovie Smith on Monday. He was back practicing the next day and started the exhibition finale against Cleveland on Thursday, struggling for 27 yards on 10 attempts.

The defending Super Bowl champion Green Bay Packers released 23 players, including third-string quarterback Graham Harrell, and traded fullback Quinn Johnson to Tennessee and rookie guard Caleb Schlauderaff, a sixth-round pick, to the New York Jets — both for undisclosed draft picks.

The Titans acquired Johnson after fullback Ahmard Hall was suspended by the NFL for four games for using performance-enhancing substances. Among Tennessee's cuts was wide receiver Justin Gage.

The Jets also traded defensive back Dwight Lowery to Jacksonville for an undisclosed pick. He spent three seasons with the Jets, filling in at cornerback and safety, after being drafted in the fourth round out of San Jose State.

New York kept Aaron Maybin, the former Buffalo first-round pick who was released by the Bills after two unproductive seasons. The former No. 11 pick by the Bills in 2009 is hoping to jump-start his career as a pass-rushing presence with the Jets despite having no sacks in two seasons in Buffalo.

"He's one of those guys we had talked about where we probably had three spots open," Jets coach Rex Ryan said, "and I thought his play rushing the passer, that's what landed him on the roster."

Denver waived Perrish Cox, cutting ties with the cornerback who is facing a sexual assault trial later this year. General manager Brian Xanders indicated it was Cox's on-field performance and not his legal issues that led to his departure.

"Everybody coming out of that lockout, it's their job to create their role," Xanders said. "No roster spot is safe. His was based on the four preseason games, the five weeks of training camp."

Cox faces one count of sexual assault against a victim who was physically helpless and one count of sexual assault against a victim who was incapable of determining the nature of the conduct. He has pleaded not guilty and is free on $50,000 bail. If convicted, he could face two years to life in prison.

Demoted defensive lineman Igor Olshansky, last year's starting fullback Chris Gronkowski and veteran kickers Shayne Graham and Dave Rayner were among the players Dallas released.

Cincinnati placed cornerback Adam "Pacman" Jones and linebacker Keith Rivers on injured lists, sidelining them for at least the first six weeks. Jones had offseason neck surgery and couldn't participate in contract drills during training camp. Rivers had surgery on his right wrist and is wearing a cast.

Kansas City put tight end Tony Moeaki on injured reserve Saturday after he was hurt in their final preseason game against Green Bay, and kept Keary Colbert, who hasn't played in the NFL since 2008. He spent last season as a coach at Southern California, his alma mater, and earlier this summer signed with a UFL franchise.

New Orleans put Chris Ivory, the Saints' leading rusher last season, on the physically unable to perform list after he hadn't yet recovered from offseason foot surgery or sports hernia surgery.

Cleveland placed running back Brandon Jackson on injured reserve with a toe injury. Jackson, who signed a two-year, $4.5 million free agent contract with Cleveland before training camp opened, got hurt in an Aug. 19 exhibition against Detroit and has been in a cast for two weeks.

Among other notable players cut Saturday were: Philadelphia cornerback Joselio Hanson and wide receiver Sinorice Moss, Oakland quarterback Trent Edwards and cornerback Lito Sheppard, Detroit punter Nick Harris and linebacker Caleb Campbell, Washington quarterbacks Kellen Clemens and Matt Gutierrez, St. Louis wide receiver Donnie Avery, Buffalo center Geoff Hangartner, Houston punter Brad Maynard, Pittsburgh punter Jeremy Kapinos and San Francisco quarterback Josh McCown.

read more...

SPORTS - Williams overwhelms Azarenka early at US Open (AP)

SPORTS - Williams overwhelms Azarenka early at US Open (AP)

AP – Serena Williams reacts during her match against Victoria Azarenka of Belarus during the U.S. Open tennis …

By HOWARD FENDRICH, AP Tennis Writer Howard Fendrich, Ap Tennis Writer – 2 hrs 17 mins ago

NEW YORK – If anyone still harbored any doubts about whether Serena Williams is back at her best, she put on a pretty persuasive performance during the first 17 minutes of her third-round match Saturday at the U.S. Open.

That's how long Williams needed to build a 5-0 lead en route to a 6-1, 7-6 (5) victory at Flushing Meadows over one of the best players the women's field had to offer: fourth-seeded Victoria Azarenka, a Wimbledon semifinalist two months ago.

Listen to Azarenka describe how it felt to stand across the net from Williams during her superb start:

"What's it like? It's painful," said Azarenka, who won eight points in those opening five games. "To have somebody just going at you like that, it's a little bit painful."

Eventually, though, Azarenka straightened her own play out enough to make things interesting in the second set. She erased four match points, broke when Williams served for the match at 5-3, and left Williams saying she wasn't pleased.

"She won the first set very easily, and it was a little bit too easy, so then she got tested — and she needed to be tested," said Williams' mother, Oracene Price.

Williams passed the test, and showed off her fitness, which is much improved from when she lost in the fourth round at Wimbledon. At the end of one point, she did the splits. On another, she raced all the way over to the blue sign near the stands to smack a forehand winner.

She and Azarenka described the level of play as being worthy of a Grand Slam semifinal, rather than the Week 1 matchup that it was. But they wound up being drawn to meet this early because Williams is seeded only 28th, a reflection of her lower-than-usual ranking as a result of nearly a year's absence from the tour because of a series of health scares.

The 29-year-old American already owns 13 major championships, including three at the U.S. Open, which is why, when she was asked how she can play so well now, Williams replied: "I mean, I was a pretty good player before. So just trying to get back into that rhythm and feel it again."

In the fourth round, Williams will face former No. 1 Ana Ivanovic of Serbia, the 2008 French Open champion, who is seeded 16th.

"It's exciting, at least for me. I think she's the hottest player out there at the moment. She's been playing so well lately. It is going to be a good challenge," Ivanovic said after ending Sloane Stephens' surprising run by beating the 18-year-old American 6-3, 6-4 in Arthur Ashe Stadium on Saturday night.

Ivanovic acknowledged that Williams will be the "favorite, that's for sure" but also said: "I know I can give her a tough match. She beat me in the past, but maybe I can go for revenge on Monday."

Her match against Stephens was followed by top-seeded Novak Djokovic's 6-4, 6-4, 6-2 victory over 39th-ranked Nikolay Davydenko, a two-time semifinalist at the U.S. Open. After improving to 60-2 in 2011, Djokovic delighted the crowd by showing off some dance moves on court while music blared over the stadium loudspeakers.

"I know most people expect top players to get to the late stages of the tournament, so there's extra pressure on us," said Djokovic, seeking his first title at Flushing Meadows after runner-up finishes in 2007 and 2010. "But it's a challenge we're ready to accept. This is what we work all our lives for, to be on this court."

At the start of the day, the woman who's seeded No. 1, Caroline Wozniacki, took to that same court and eliminated Vania King of the United States 6-2, 6-4. Wozniacki will continue her bid for a first Grand Slam title against 15th-seeded Svetlana Kuznetsova, owner of two major trophies.

Also into the fourth round with victories Saturday were 2010 French Open champion Francesca Schiavone of Italy, who got past Chanelle Scheepers of South Africa 5-7, 7-6 (5), 6-3; No. 17 Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova of Russia, who beat 2008 U.S. Open runner-up Jelena Jankovic of Serbia 6-4, 6-4; and No. 10 Andrea Petkovic of Germany, who defeated No. 18 Roberta Vinci of Italy 6-4, 6-0 to reach the fourth round at Flushing Meadows for the second year in a row.

"Grand Slams are very stressful," Petkovic observed. "I think any player that you ask — and if he answers honestly — it's a lot of stress."

That, as much as anything, could explain why so many players have been quitting during matches because of injury or illness: No. 9 Tomas Berdych (shoulder) and No. 31 Marcel Granollers (abdominal muscle) did so Saturday, raising the total retirements in men's and women's singles to a record 14 by the third round.

Never before had more than 12 players stopped during a match throughout the course of any entire Grand Slam tournament in the Open era.

"For me, it is shocking to see so many retirements. I have never retired in my whole life, except once when I played against (James) Blake in Paris, but I didn't even walk onto the court. For me it doesn't matter how bad I'm feeling, I will be out there and giving it a try, because you never know what's gonna happen," 16-time major champion Roger Federer said.

"Look, every player feels different," he added. "It's unfortunate it happens."

Federer moved into the fourth round for the 30th consecutive Grand Slam tournament by overcoming what he called "tricky wind" and a second-set blip to defeat No. 27 Marin Cilic of Croatia 6-3, 4-6, 6-4, 6-2.

The 6-foot-6 Cilic caused some problems with his wingspan, and when he hit a big forehand that Federer couldn't get back, they were tied at a set apiece.

In the third, with Cilic facing a break point while serving at 4-all, he was warned by the chair umpire for a time violation. Cilic promptly double-faulted, handing Federer a 5-4 lead and momentum.

"Did he double-fault because of the time violation? Maybe. I don't think so," Federer said. "It came a bit out of nowhere."

He's won at least one Grand Slam title each of the past eight seasons, but that streak is in danger of ending in 2011. Next up as he pursues a sixth trophy at the U.S. Open is a fourth-round match against 36th-ranked Juan Monaco of Argentina, who beat Federer's pal, Tommy Haas, 6-7 (3), 6-3, 6-2, 6-3.

Also advancing Saturday were No. 8 Mardy Fish, the top-seeded American, who has yet to drop a set after beating Kevin Anderson of South Africa 6-4, 7-6 (4), 7-6 (3); No. 20 Janko Tipsarevic of Serbia; No. 22 Alexandr Dolgopolov of Ukraine; and 2003 French Open champion and U.S. Open runner-up Juan Carlos Ferrero of Spain. Tipsarevic (Berdych's opponent) and Ferrero (Granollers') play each other next.

On Monday, Fish faces a potentially difficult match against No. 11 Jo-Wilfried Tsonga — the 2008 Australian Open runner-up who beat No. 19 Fernando Verdasco 6-3, 7-5, 6-4 — and so was pleased to finish off Anderson in three sets.

"I'll be physically fine in two days," Fish said. "But, you know, I'm 29. I don't wake up in the morning feeling like I'm 20."

___

Follow Howard Fendrich at http://twitter.com/HowardFendrich

read more...

SPORTS - South Florida upsets No. 16 ND, 23-20 (AP)

SPORTS - South Florida upsets No. 16 ND, 23-20 (AP)

AP – South Florida head coach Skip Holtz paces the sidelines during the first half of an NCAA college football …

By RICK GANO, AP Sports Writer Rick Gano, Ap Sports Writer – 2 hrs 37 mins ago

SOUTH BEND, Ind. – Skip Holtz returned to a place that educated and shaped him. As soon as he reached campus, his memories from Notre Dame jumped out.

And now he's created an even more vivid one. Holtz and the South Florida Bulls came to South Bend and upset the 16th-ranked Irish 23-20 Saturday in a wild game that was twice disrupted by heavy storms.

"I don't know if all that's hit me yet. Notre Dame's a special place," Holtz said. "And it was great to come back."

His dad, Lou Holtz, wasn't there Saturday. But there were plenty of family members there to see one of Skip Holtz's biggest wins.

Lou led Notre Dame to its last national title in 1988. Skip graduated from Notre Dame, played a year for his father and then coached with him in South Bend.

The weather wasn't cooperating for this homecoming.

Officials asked fans to leave the stadium at halftime because of severe weather, mostly lightning, and the teams then stayed in their locker rooms for 2 hours, 10 minutes until it cleared. South Florida led 16-0 at the time.

Then with 4:21 to play, the game was delayed for 43 minutes and again fans departed the stadium with wicked lightning flickering around the stadium.

Holtz praised his team's poise.

"To have the kind of adversity they had to battle through and all the highs and lows of this day," he said. "The weather, the two-hour halftime and everything we went through as a football team. It's hard enough to come in here and play the tradition and for me a very emotional day to have the opportunity to come back, but to throw everything on top," he said.

He also pointed to former South Florida athletic director Lee Roy Selmon, who is in a Tampa hospital after a stroke.

"It's bittersweet not to have the opportunity to share it with him," Holtz said.

USF's Kayvon Webster returned a fumble return 96 yards for a TD four minutes into the game, taking all the momentum from the Irish. They couldn't recover. The score came after Notre Dame took the opening kickoff and drove smartly to the USF 1.

"You look up and they have had the ball and have driven the length of the field and you look up and you are winning, 7-0," Holtz said. "Kind of a good feeling at that point. It kind of symbolized a little bit of the day."

What followed was a nightmare first half for the Irish that included two fumbles, a holding penalty that nullified a Cierre Wood TD run and then an interception of Dayne Crist by USF's Devekeyan Lattimore in the end zone.

"The first half just a disaster. Period," Wood said.

Maikon Bonani kicked three field goals and the Bulls had a 16-0 halftime lead.

Then things got even stranger.

With the crowd getting restless over Notre Dame's erratic play as the teams left the field for halftime, the storms moved in and officials asked fans to evacuate Notre Dame Stadium. The teams were kept in their locker rooms.

When the Irish finally emerged, they had switched quarterbacks from Crist to Tommy Rees, who led them to four straight victories as the starter at the end of last season. Crist was 7-of-15 for 85 yards.

"We didn't expect to have to make this move, obviously, so it's going to require us to obviously evaluate the quarterback situation and make another decision," Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly said.

"This was a step back for us as it relates to where we thought we were going. We certainly did not believe or think that we would have to make the decision that we made today. "

Right after the second delay late in the fourth quarter Jerrell Young intercepted Rees — Notre Dame's fifth turnover of the game.

Rees threw an 8-yard TD pass to Michael Floyd to cap a 99-yard drive with 21 seconds left as the Irish closed to 23-20. But USF recovered an onside kick and ran out the clock. Rees went 24-for-34 for 296 yards.

With the delays, the game lasted 5 hours, 59 minutes.

Rees also hit Floyd with a scoring pass in the third quarter and Cierre Wood's 1-yard scoring run with 7:35 left made it 23-13 before the Irish failed to convert a 2-point attempt. Floyd, reinstated to the team last month following his suspension for drunken driving, made 12 catches and became the Irish's career leader in receptions, passing Jeff Samardzija (179). Floyd now has 183.

USF's B.J. Daniels completed 18-of-30 for 128 yards and also carried 12 times for a net of 37.

After a pass interference call in the end zone on Irish defensive back Gary Gray, Daniels threw a 2-yard TD pass to Evan Landi that opened up a 23-7 lead with 11 minutes left, capping a 14-play, 80-yard drive.

The Irish moved from the 20 to the South Florida 1 on the opening drive as Wood went 31 yards with a swing pass from Crist on the game's first scrimmage play and Floyd later grabbed a 26-yarder.

Wood had four carries for 21 yards to get the ball to the 1, but his backup Jonas Gray fumbled near the goal line as USF's Young stripped the ball. Webster picked it up and ran 96 yards down the sideline, a score upheld by video replay.

Bonani hit a 49-yarder to put the Bulls up 10-0 and then USF threatened to pull way ahead. After back-to-back facemask penalties on Notre Dame safety and captain Harrison Smith, the Bulls had a first down at the Irish 5.

But the Irish defense held and when Daniels was stopped on a third down from the 1 for no gain, the Bulls sent in Bonani for a 17-yarder that made it 13-0.

Later in the first half, Riddick fumbled a punt and Victor Marc recovered for USF. Bonani hit again from 36 yards out and the lead was 16-0.

After another Notre Dame series ended with an incomplete pass, Kelly could be seen on the sidelines in an animated discussion with the struggling Crist.

Rees completed a 15-yard pass to Floyd early in the third to put the ball at the 5, but once again the Irish couldn't convert. Rees' pass intended for TJ Jones hit the receiver and deflected in the air, resulting in an interception by South Florida's Michael Lanaris.

That sent Kelly into a rage on the sideline as he lectured Jones.

read more...

SPORTS - Boise St. off and running with win over Georgia (AP)

SPORTS - Boise St. off and running with win over Georgia (AP)

AP – Boise State running back D.J. Harper (7) is brought down by the face mask by Georgia cornerback Branden …

By PAUL NEWBERRY, AP Sports Writer Paul Newberry, Ap Sports Writer – 1 hr 37 mins ago

ATLANTA – Kellen Moore and those BCS Busters from Boise State are off and running again, coming into the heart of mighty SEC country to beat up Georgia.

Moore threw for three touchdowns — giving him 102 in his career — and the No. 5 Broncos romped past the 19th-ranked Bulldogs 35-21 Saturday night, boosting their hopes of making another run to a major bowl while dealing a huge blow to embattled Georgia coach Mark Richt.

Moore, the nation's top-rated passer last season and expected to be a leading Heisman contender, carved up Georgia's 3-4 defense after a sluggish start. He completed 28 of 34 for 261 yards, with his first scoring pass — a 17-yarder to freshman Matt Miller — giving him 100 for his brilliant career.

He had two more before the night was done to lead the Broncos to yet another marquee opening victory.

In the last three seasons, Boise State has started the season with victories against Oregon, Virginia Tech and now Georgia.

"We've got some good players who have played a lot of football," Broncos coach Chris Petersen said. "They like to play on these stages. In some ways, that helps us. They don't get to play on this stage every day. They appreciate playing against a program like Georgia. They really do."

No one enjoyed himself more than Moore.

After a 12-yard scoring pass to Kyle Efaw gave Boise a 14-7 lead at halftime, Moore got the ball back on the first possession of the second half and directed a drive that broke Georgia's back. Completing seven straight passes covering 69 yards, he set up Doug Martin's 7-yard touchdown run that put the Broncos up 21-7.

Then, late in the third quarter, a big punt return helped finish off the Bulldogs. Chris Potter brought it back 49 yards to the Georgia 28, a facemask penalty gave Boise State another first down and Moore threaded a 3-yard touchdown pass over the middle to Tyler Shoemaker for a three-touchdown lead.

The red-clad Bulldog fans began heading for the exits, leaving a small contingent of blue-clad fans who made the long trip from Idaho to watch their team open another season with a de facto road victory over a major-conference opponent. Last year, it was Virginia Tech.

Boise State (1-0) had never beaten a Southeastern Conference team, and its 0-4 record included an ugly 48-13 loss at Georgia's Sanford Stadium back in 2005.

"Growing up watching football, I have a ton of respect for the SEC," Moore said. "I'm aware of all the success they've had. I watched Georgia play a lot of big games growing up. To play a game like this was a lot of fun. I enjoyed it. We were fortunate to come out on top."

These program have gone in dramatically opposite directions since that season, when the Bulldogs went on to claim their second SEC title in Richt's first five years. They haven't won another, dropping all the way to 6-7 a year ago for their first losing season since 1996. If the 11th-year coach can't turn things around quickly — and this wasn't a good start — his job could be in jeopardy.

"We have a lot of work to do," Richt said. "But SEC play hasn't even started. It's a long season. We've got to get our minds right. A game like this, no question, we know more about our football team than if we played someone and beaten them by 40. Hopefully that translates into us learning how to play better in these type of games and better see where our weaknesses are."

There's no time to sulk. Next week, the Bulldogs open conference play with another crucial game against No. 12 South Carolina, the defending SEC East champion.

The Broncos, meanwhile, have outgrown being America's Cinderella team, qualifying for major bowls two of the last five years even while playing in the lightly regarded Western Athletic Conference. They joined the Mountain West this season, but know they still have no room for error if they want to be playing with the big boys in January.

No problem in this one.

Georgia's Aaron Murray put up a couple of long touchdown passes in the second half — one after a punt was nullified by an offsides penalty. But it wasn't nearly enough against Moore and his seasoned team, even with the Broncos missing a couple of foreign-born starters who didn't make the trip because the NCAA was reviewing their eligibility.

Both teams started sluggishly, slipping and sliding on a field with which neither was familiar.

Georgia was called for three penalties on its first possession, then went three-and-out on its second. Finally, the Bulldogs broke loose with a play that Boise State couldn't have seen coming.

Brandon Boykin, a cornerback and returner for the Bulldogs, checked in for the offense. He took a handoff coming around right end, got a couple of good blocks and was gone — 80 yards for a touchdown on the first carry of the junior's career.

That huge play roused a red-clad crowd that left little doubt this was no neutral-site game.

The Broncos traveled across the country for the second year in a row to play in an NFL stadium not far from the campus of their opponent. Last season, they opened with a victory over Virginia Tech in Landover, Md., home of the Washington Redskins. This time, they agreed to play at the Georgia Dome, normally the home of the Atlanta Falcons but only 75 miles from the Bulldogs' campus.

Used to bucking the odds, the Broncos took a little time to get going, then seemed to figure out a 3-4 defense that was expected to carry Georgia in the early going while the team breaks in a new group of receivers — A.J. Green is now in the NFL — and touted freshman Isaiah Crowell at running back.

Crowell showed a few flashes of his potential but wasn't much of a factor, finishing with 60 yards on 15 carries. Murray took quite a beating at quarterback and, appropriately enough, took the last of his six sacks on Georgia's final offensive play. He went 16 of 29 for 236 yards.

read more...