Saturday, October 1, 2011

SPORTS - Paul leads team to exhibition win (AP)

SPORTS - Paul leads team to exhibition win (AP)
Andrew Luck AP – Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck (12) catches a pass near the end zone against UCLA in the first quarter …

STANFORD, Calif. – Andrew Luck threw for 227 yards and three touchdowns and padded his Heisman Trophy resume with an acrobatic one-handed catch, keeping sixth-ranked Stanford perfect with a 45-19 victory over UCLA on Saturday night.

Luck completed 23 of 27 passes and had the Cardinal (4-0, 2-0 Pac-12) in cruise control to extend the nation's longest winning streak to 12 games. Stepfan Taylor ran for 112 yards and two scores and Coby Fleener caught two touchdowns in front of a rare sellout crowd of 50,360 at Stanford Stadium.

Richard Brehaut had 202 yards passing and tossed two touchdowns to Joseph Fauria for the Bruins (2-2, 1-1), who had a better showing than a 35-0 loss to Stanford at the Rose Bowl last season but still exposed the gap between the California schools.

The Bruins' Pistol offense flexed its muscles marching down to the goal line on the game's opening drive. But the strong start hit a a wall when David Parry stuffed Brehaut on a quarterback sneak just inches from the end zone on fourth-and-goal from the 2-yard line, giving Luck the length of the field.

No problem.

The strong-armed and quick-footed quarterback added another highlight for Heisman voters to consider this season.

Luck handed the ball off to Tyler Gaffney and sprinted out to the right side between the cornerbacks and safeties. Gaffney ran left and flipped the ball to Drew Terrell on a reverse, and the receiver threw to Luck along the far sideline.

Luck made a one-handed catch and tiptoed the sideline with his left foot for a 13-yard reception that officials initially ruled incomplete. After a review, Luck had only the second reception of his career and first since a loss at Arizona on Oct. 17, 2009.

The one-handed catch might not have even been the most impressive on the drive.

Coby Fleener snatched a one-handed, 18-yard touchdown pass from Luck to put the Cardinal ahead 7-0 late in the first quarter. That capped a 16-play, 99-yard drive that spanned more than 8 minutes and actually gained 119 total yards because of penalties.

Every time the Bruins started to threaten, they imploded with mistakes.

Chase Thomas jarred the ball loose from Brehaut on UCLA's next possession. After a 15-yard personal foul penalty, Stanford only had to go 28 yards for another score, ending with Taylor's 2-yard touchdown run for a 14-0 lead.

The Bruins finally found their rhythm just before halftime. Brehaut showed poise in the pocket and connected with Fauria on a 12-yard TD catch with 8 seconds remaining to trim Stanford's lead to 17-7.

Any hope UCLA had for a second-half comeback ended in a hurry.

Taylor Embree fumbled a punt return late in the third quarter when Ty Montgomery popped the ball loose and recovered it. The Cardinal took over and punched it in the end zone again on Gaffney's 16-yard run out of a wildcat formation to go ahead 31-13.

The Bruins defense also picked the worst week of the season to be short-handed. Starting cornerback Sheldon Price and backup safeties Dalton Hilliard and Alex Mascarenas were held out with injuries.

The Cardinal had a key member sidelined, too.

Stanford linebackers spread eye black liberally across their faces to honor the signature look by leading tackler Shayne Skov, who's out for the season after tearing a ligament in his left knee in the previous game at Arizona. Jarek Lancaster and A.J. Tarpley split time in Skov's place.

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SPORTS - Cash leads US women's hoops team over Ros Casares (AP)

SPORTS - Cash leads US women's hoops team over Ros Casares (AP)
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SPORTS - Smith loses shutout, but lifts Coyotes to win (AP)

SPORTS - Smith loses shutout, but lifts Coyotes to win (AP)
Rafael Marquez, Toshiaki Nishioka AP – Japan's Toshiaki Nishioka, right, exchanges punches with Rafael Marquez, of Mexico, during a WBC World …

LAS VEGAS – Japan's Toshiaki Nishioka successfully defended his WBC super bantamweight title, unanimously outpointing Rafael Marquez on Saturday night at the MGM Grand.

Nishioka improved to 39-4-3 in his sixth title defense, receiving winning scores of 117-111, 116-112 and 115-113 from the judges. Marquez dropped to 40-7.

"The key was keeping my distance from Marquez," the 35-year-old Nishioka said through an interpreter. "He had a long jab. Marquez's punches extend. His punches are powerful. Not for a second could I rest."

On the undercard, Ramon Gonzalez retained his WBA light flyweight title by stopping Omar Soto at 36 seconds of the second round. Gonzalez improved to 30-0 with his 25th knockout, flooring Soto (22-9-1) with a left to the chin.

In the fifth round, Nishioka, a left-hander, started landing his most of his punches. He also landed two more in the sixth on the 36-year-old Marquez

"As the first time to defend the title in the U.S., the tension was high," Nishioka said. "With the support of my gym and the fans of Japan, I put on a good defense."

In the eighth, Nishioka landed three consecutive punches, backing Marquez against the ropes, and later another to the face. After a brief timeout by referee Kenny Bayless because of a cut on Nishioka's head due to a head butt, both fighters landed several punches to end the round.

Marquez came out the aggressor in the ninth, but Nishioka rallied late in the session.

Nishioka started strong in the 10th with several lefts.

"We recognize Nishioka won the last three rounds," Marquez said through an interpreter. "I think I was the winner of the fight. He was catching me with the left. I started adjusting things and came on in the end.

"I love to have a rematch. I keep going forward. I thought I was ahead on points. I don't see it as a loss. I think I was the winner of the fight."

In September 2008, Nishioka won the interim title and became undisputed champion when Israel Vazquez vacated his title. In Nishioka's previous fight, he stopped Mauricio Munoz on April 8.

Marquez had the title for five months in 2007, defeating Vazquez, but losing the rematch.

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SPORTS - Hornaday picks up 50th career Trucks Series win (AP)

SPORTS - Hornaday picks up 50th career Trucks Series win (AP)
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SPORTS - Nishioka retains WBC super bantamweight title (AP)

SPORTS - Nishioka retains WBC super bantamweight title (AP)
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SPORTS - Jones dominates Rampage Jackson to defend title (AP)

SPORTS - Jones dominates Rampage Jackson to defend title (AP)

MONTE DI PROCIDA, Italy — Swin Cash scored 17 points and Renee Montgomery added 16 to help the United States to a 78-68 victory over Ros Casares Valencia on Saturday night.

Cash earned MVP honors for the tournament which the Americans (2-0) won. Tina Charles had 15 points and Griner added 10 for the U.S., which is on a 12-day training tour of Europe.

The U.S. led 21-15 after the first quarter and expanded the advtange to 13 before Ros Casares cut it to 44-40 at the half.

The Americans saw its lead down to one in the third quarter before Griner keyed a 10-4 run to make it 66-59 at the end of the period. The U.S. wouldn't let its opponents get within six the rest of the game.

Ann Wauters had 26 points and 16 rebounds to lead Ros Casares (1-1).

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SPORTS - Watney, Na lead in Las Vegas (AP)

SPORTS - Watney, Na lead in Las Vegas (AP)
Ron Hornaday Jr., Austin Dillon AP – Ron Hornaday Jr. (2) overtakes pole-sitter Austin Dillon (3) on the opening lap of the NASCAR Trucks …

SPARTA, Ky. – Ron Hornaday picked up his 50th victory in the Trucks Series with a Saturday night win at Kentucky Speedway.

Hornaday held off Austin Dillon over the final 10 laps to take Kevin Harvick Inc. to Victory Lane for the third time this season. He beat Dillon by 0.438 seconds to the finish line.

"Unbelievable," said Hornaday. "This one will mean a lot when I hang my helmet up and sit out on the porch with my grandkids. Fifty wins."

Hornaday, a four-time series champion, is the winningest driver in Trucks Series history and the only active driver who ran the inaugural Trucks Series race at Phoenix in 1995. His first win in the series came two months later at Tucson.

The 53-year-old driver has won races on 30 tracks, is the series' all-time short track winner with 22 wins and also won three races on road courses. His best season was 1997, when he won seven times, but Hornaday has won six or more races in five different seasons.

His championships were in 1996 and 1998 with Dale Earnhardt Inc., and in 2007 and 2009 with KHI.

"Ron has been the heart and soul of the Truck series," said owner Harvick, who fielded the truck in 24 of Hornaday's wins. "Fifty wins is just one more incredible achievement in a career that I'm sure will one day land him in the NASCAR Hall of Fame."

But Hornaday is looking for a job next season: Kevin and Delana Harvick said last month they are closing the team at the end of the year. So to hold off Dillon, whom Hornaday called "the up-and-comer" of the series, made Hornaday

"I kind of needed that right now. A little boost," Hornaday said. "You talk to people and they all want you to bring money (sponsors), and I've never done that. They know I ain't got $3 million bucks, so my phone ain't ringing. There's some kids out there bringing money, and that's the way the sport is going."

Dillon finished second and picked up another point over James Buescher in the series standings. Buescher, who finished third, trails Dillon by three points with five races remaining.

"It's going to be close," Dillon said. "I feel like we're hitting our stride here at the end. I feel like I am very confident in winning this championship and I want to go to the next five races and do what I have to do to get it done."

Next up on the schedule is Las Vegas, where Dillon won last year and Buescher finished third.

"It's going to be a long five races," Buescher said. "The points battle will probably stay tight for the rest of the year."

Nelson Piquet Jr. was fourth to give KHI two trucks in the top four. Both Hornaday and Piquet are looking for jobs for next year.

Hornaday joked he's looking for a job and wants to take crew chief Bruce Cook with him.

"I need three friends and all they need is $1 million apiece," he said.

Cook was thrilled to be part of Hornaday's victory.

"To be able to crew chief him for the win is awesome for me," Cook said. "It brings me back to my driving days ... when I looked up to him as a hero."

Brian Ickler finished fifth and was followed by Ricky Carmichael, Todd Bodine, Cole Whitt, Dakoda Armstrong and David Starr.

Dillon's younger brother, Ty, made his series debut and finished 18th after running out of fuel during the race. But Austin Dillon praised the 19-year-old's performance.

"It was fun seeing him up there running, I think he learned a ton," Dillon said. "He was good enough to run in the top 10, and he ran in the top-five for a long time. Very impressed. He also helped me in lapped traffic, so that was nice of him, and he raced me clean.

"He's going to be one to beat, he'll probably have a shot at the championship next year and rookie of the year, for sure."

There were a record 15 lead changes between 11 drivers.

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SPORTS - No change in WADA rules on clenbuterol (AP)

SPORTS - No change in WADA rules on clenbuterol (AP)
Andrew Murray, Patrick O'Sullivan AP – Phoenix Coyotes' Patrick O'Sullivan (18) reaches for the puck after being tripped up by San Jose Sharks' …

GLENDALE, Ariz. – Mike Smith made 28 saves in the Phoenix Coyotes' 3-1 victory over the San Jose Sharks on Saturday night, the preseason finale for both teams.

Smith was perfect through two periods, and only a fluke goal prevented the shutout. Martin Hazel had a goal and an assist, and Radim Vrbata added two assists for the Coyotes (3-4).

The Sharks (5-1) spoiled Smith's shutout bid midway just over eight minutes into the final period when defenseman Marc-Edouard Vlasic's shot from the right point deflected off the Phoenix defense and over Smith's right shoulder.

After a scoreless first period, the Coyotes broke it open with three goals in the second.

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SPORTS - Luck leads Stanford past UCLA 45-19 with trickery (AP)

SPORTS - Luck leads Stanford past UCLA 45-19 with trickery (AP)

LONDON – The World Anti-Doping Agency updated its list of banned substances and did not change its evaluation of clenbuterol, the drug that could cost Alberto Contador his third Tour de France victory.

WADA also decided against adding nicotine to its prohibited list for 2012, but will be among the substances monoitored going into an Olympic year.

Contador blamed contaminated meat for his positive test for clenbuterol en route to winning the 2010 Tour. The Spaniard was cleared by his country's cycling federation, prompting WADA and the International Cycling Union to appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

The case will be heard in November, with Contador facing a two-year ban if found guilty of using the muscle builder.

Five Mexican soccer players used the same defense after testing positive for clenbuterol this year and were cleared by the Mexico Football Federation. WADA is also appealing that decision.

Professor David Cowan, director of the anti-doping lab for the London Olympics, told the BBC last week he backed the introduction of a minimum threshold. WADA, however, decided against any changes to its policy.

"At present, and based on expert opinions, there is no plan to introduce a threshold level for clenbuterol," WADA said in a statement released Tuesday to explain its 2012 list.

WADA does allow for the asthma drug formoterol when inhaled in "therapeutic doses," while beta blockers have been allowed in the following sports: bobsled and skeleton, curling, modern pentathlon, motorcycling, sailing and wrestling. Beta blockers, which calm nerves, remain banned from golf, archery and auto racing.

WADA had received a report from its accredited laboratory in Lausanne, Switzerland, that described "alarming evidence" of nicotine use by athletes across 43 sports studied, but it decided not to elevate the product to a prohibited level.

WADA said its intention is not to target smokers but monitor the effects nicotine can have on performance when taken in such oral tobacco products as snuff. The agency added that the monitoring will be limited to in-competition.

But while nicotine is now being watched, alcohol will no longer be banned from nine- and 10-pin bowling.

___

Follow Paul Logothetis at http://twitter.com/PaulLogoAP

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SPORTS - After losing opener, Tigers hope for '06 repeat (AP)

SPORTS - After losing opener, Tigers hope for '06 repeat (AP)
Chris Paul AP – Chris Paul talks to reporters about the Chris Paul All Star Pick-Up basketball game between NBA players …

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – Kevin Durant scored 48 points and Chris Paul added 39 to lead the New Orleans guard's team to a 175-146 victory over Dwyane Wade and LeBron James' team in a charity game Saturday night.

Rudy Gay had 38 points while Wade added 32 and James had 30. John Wall added 34 points.

The game was played at Winston-Salem State in front of a sold out crowd in the 3,200-seat arena.

Paul, who is from nearby Lewisville, gave a $25,000 check to WSSU during a football game earlier in the day. Both of his parents attended Winston-Salem State.

"Had a great time and run at @CP3 All-Star Pick-up game at Winston-Salem St! Loved the crowd, they was in 2 it from the jump!! Much love WSSU," James posted on Twitter after the game.

Paul also had 11 rebounds and eight assists to go along with five steals.

"I think that was the most fun I've ever had playing in a basketball game," he said.

The game was played as NBA labor negotiations were taking place in New York. After a seven-hour bargaining session, players and owners didn't sound much closer to a labor deal than they did when the lockout began.

"We're just continuing to negotiate and hopefully we'll get a deal done because at the end of the day we want to play this game," Paul said.

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SPORTS - Bucs embrace national TV exposure vs. Colts (AP)

SPORTS - Bucs embrace national TV exposure vs. Colts (AP)
Al Alburquerque AP – Detroit Tigers relief pitcher Al Alburquerque walks to the dugout at the end of the in the sixth inning …

NEW YORK – Quiet clubhouse. Quick turnaround.

The Detroit Tigers hope that just as they did five years ago, they'll rebound after losing their AL division series opener to the New York Yankees and ride the spurt to the World Series.

"You can't put too much in one game. Obviously you want to jump out on top early, but it's good to have short-term memory loss," Brandon Inge said after Saturday night's 9-3 defeat in the rain-interrupted opener. "If you harp on one loss, if you go into a losing streak like you do in the middle of the season, you're out, You're done. So you have to put the losses, the bad games behind you really quickly."

Doug Fister and Al Alburquerque were hit hard by the Yankees. Robinson Cano drove in six runs with a grand slam and two RBI doubles, leading the New York offense.

With the score 1-all, Cano put the Yankees ahead in the fifth with a double off Fister, a ball that hit the top of the left-field fence and bounced back, maybe an inch shy of a homer.

Brett Gardner pounced when Fister hung an 0-2 breaking ball in the sixth, driving a two-run single to right-center for a 4-1 lead.

"I really wanted to bounce the curveball. I left it up a little bit," Fister said. "He put it where he needed to put it."

Three batters later, Alburquerque relieved and Cano made sure there was no doubt about this one, depositing his second pitch into the second deck in right field.

When reporters approached Alburquerque in the clubhouse after the game, he waved them away.

"To me that was a no brainer," Leyland said. "Albuquerque has had a tremendous ratio of swings and misses. He had only faced him one time. He had struck him out."

Cano didn't miss this time. It was his fourth grand slam in less than two months.

There was no coming back for the Tigers, who looked like they were still resting after clinching the AL Central on Sept. 16.

Fister, the loser, gave up six runs and seven hits in 4 2-3 innings, failing to live up to his 8-1 record after Detroit acquired him from Seattle.

"Actually I thought Fister pitched really well," Leyland said. "I thought Fister made one bad pitch all night. I thought that was the pitch to Gardner that he got the base hit on."

Winner Ivan Nova did even better than CC Sabathia, whose heralded start against Justin Verlander was cut short when rain caused a 23-hour, 29-minute delay and suspension in the middle of second inning Friday night. Nova, a rookie, allowed four hits in 6 1-3 innings, pitching scoreless ball until he was charged with two runs in the ninth.

Detroit got its only runs Saturday in the ninth on Alex Avila's bases-loaded forceout off Luis Ayala and Ryan Raburn's RBI single.

Game 2 is set for Sunday afternoon, with Detroit's Max Scherzer (15-9) opposed by New York's Freddy Garcia (12-8). The series then shifts to Detroit on Monday, skipping a travel day.

All in all, not too dissimilar from 2006, when the Yankees spurted out to a five-run lead in the opener and coasted to an 8-4 win. The Tigers bounced back to sweep the next three games 4-3, 6-0 and 8-3, causing such tumult that the Yankees dropped Alex Rodriguez to eighth in the batting order for Game 4.

While afternoon rain cut short batting practice, it was dry by the time the game resumed at 8:36 p.m., and a record crowd of 50,940 came out to new Yankee Stadium on the first cool and blustery autumn night.

Strangely taking the mound first as the visiting pitcher because of the suspension, Fister worked out of a second-and-third, two-outs jam in the second. That started a streak of 11 straight batters he retired.

Former-Tiger Curtis Granderson ended it with a two-out single in the fifth, and Cano followed with his near homer. Umpires spent 4 minutes to go under the stands and review video, then determined the ball bounced back onto the field without touching the fan sitting in the first row, Chris Vitali, a 37-year-old from New Brunswick, N.J.

"Everyone in this row spoke about not reaching over and catching a ball," Vitali said. "We said, 'Don't do it. If it's Detroit, fine. Catch it.'"

That was the last good bounce for the Tigers, who twice ran into bad luck in the sixth.

In the top of the inning, what would have been a single up the middle by Magglio Ordonez turned into a double-play grounder because Cano sprinted over to cover second with Austin Jackson running and was in place to glove the ball, step on the base and throw to first.

Then, after Gardner singled in the bottom half, Derek Jeter hit what normally would have been an inning-ending grounder. But Gardner was running on the pitch and the ball went into right for a single, setting up a six-run inning capped by Cano's grand slam.

In the fifth, Avila had been thrown out the plate by Jeter's relay from Granderson on Jhonny Peralta's single to center.

"Initially I hesitated to make sure that Granderson wasn't going to catch it," Avila said. "The throw was like perfect."

It was that type of night.

Now the Tigers hope to gain a split before they return home, where they were 50-31 during the regular season.

"Win one tomorrow and get out of here 1-1," Verlander said, thinking optimistically, "and go home and got a chance to clinch there."

NOTES: Detroit has lost four straight postseason games dating to the 2006 World Series. The Tigers have lost eight of their last 12 postseason games. ... Fister allowed the most earned runs by a Tigers pitcher in the postseason since Verlander in the 2006 World Series opener.

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SPORTS - Trotter rallies Auburn against No. 10 SCarolina (AP)

SPORTS - Trotter rallies Auburn against No. 10 SCarolina (AP)
 Josh Freeman,  Earnest Graham AP – Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Josh Freeman (5) celebrates with teammate running back Earnest Graham …

TAMPA, Fla. – The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are eager to show NFL fans across the nation their new identity on a prime time stage.

A team that was once accustomed to Monday Night Football, the Bucs have not hosted a game on that night in eight years.

Their previous appearance was three years ago — an ugly loss that began a four-game, season-ending slide that kept them out of the playoffs and also cost former coach Jon Gruden his job.

All that's history, though.

Tampa Bay (2-1) is building under Raheem Morris, who's looking forward to showing off his young team against the Indianapolis Colts (0-3) on Monday night.

"I said in the locker room, it's an opportunity to show everybody what they've been missing," Morris said, adding that the absence of Colts star Peyton Manning will not take any luster off the occasion for the Bucs, who won 10 games last season and are off to another promising start.

"We're going to a big time game and big time environment with a bunch of guys who haven't done it before. Ronde Barber might be the only guy that's played on Monday Night Football, coaches included, so it's all hands on deck," the NFL's youngest coach said.

"Let's go play a great game on a great stage and act like we've been there before," the 35-year-old Morris said. "And the key to that is to go out there and use our formula. Play fast, play hard, play consistent and do what we do."

Barber, 36 and in his 15th season, is the lone player remaining from Tampa Bay's 2003 Super Bowl winner. He's the oldest player on the league's youngest team. He also knows what it's like to be a young guy heading into his first Monday night game.

The Bucs were fixtures in prime time during their best years, when the roster had a collection of high-profile personalities, including Warren Sapp, Derrick Brooks, John Lynch, Simeon Rice, Keyshawn Johnson, Warrick Dunn and Mike Alstott.

"When we were good back in the 90's and the early part of this decade, we were pretty well known. We had a lot of name guys. Guys who were popular across the league. We've yet to have that kind of exposure with the guys in this locker room, that kind of attention, so this is huge for us," Barber said.

Coming off their Super Bowl title, the Bucs played on Monday night three times in 2003, going 2-1.

Barber will never forget the loss — 38-35 in overtime to the Colts. Manning threw for 386 yards and Indianapolis overcame a 21-point deficit in the final five minutes of regulation.

"Believe me, that was a great game for 55 minutes. I scored a touchdown late on an interception, but they showed their resiliency," Barber said.

"It was a frustrating loss. I still cringe when I look at those highlights on NFL Network as one of the best comebacks ever. This is our chance, this 2011 team, to prove who we are. I think we're all excited about it."

Colts coach Jim Caldwell and defensive end Dwight Freeney also were part of that game and remember what it meant for Indianapolis, as well as former coach, Tony Dungy, who was returning to Raymond James Stadium for the first time since being fired by the Bucs following the 2001 season.

It was played on Dungy's birthday, although Freeney doesn't recall learning that until the game was over.

"That's one I always will remember, just based on the fact that everybody in the building thought we were going to lose," said Freeney, who remembers receiving messages from people who called his telephone while the Bucs were building a 35-14 lead.

"We ended up winning the game, and that kind of became a staple for us as an organization and team that we never say quit, never say die," Freeney added. "You never give up because you never know what might happen. That was an example of that."

The Bucs were one of the league's biggest surprises a year ago, winning 10 games but narrowly missed the playoffs. They lost this season's opener to Detroit, but rebounded with wins over Minnesota and Atlanta.

Freeney understands why they might feel their success is going unnoticed.

"They are definitely a team to be reckoned with and not to take lightly. ... But I do understand how this league is," the Colts' star said. "It's like a rookie who has a good year: Can you make it two years? ... I can definitely see how they could be underappreciated, but I definitely respect them."

Morris said the Bucs won't underestimate Indianapolis, either.

The Colts are winless without Manning, who's recovering from neck surgery. With Kerry Collins (concussion-like symptoms) status in doubt for Monday night, Curtis Painter could make his first NFL start.

"They're running their system, they're playing hard defense, they're playing their style of offense, which is high tempo, run the football, do all the correct things, and they just haven't been fortunate enough to win," Morris said.

"We've got to go out there and not let anything creep into our head that we're any bigger than what we are. We're 2-1. We're tied for the NFC South's best team," Morris added. "If we want to remain that we've got to play our best game. ... Right now they're struggling as far as wins and losses, but that could change any day."

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SPORTS - No. 7 Wisconsin beats No. 8 Nebraska 48-17 (AP)

SPORTS - No. 7 Wisconsin beats No. 8 Nebraska 48-17 (AP)
Neiko Thorpe, Brandon Wilds AP – Auburn defensive back Neiko Thorpe, left, wraps up South Carolina tailback Brandon Wilds, right, during …

COLUMBIA, S.C. – The defending national champions aren't done yet.

Auburn and its maligned defense bounced back in a big way on Saturday, defeating No. 10 South Carolina 16-13. The Tigers (4-1, 2-0 Southeastern Conference) overcame a spotty offense to wear down the Gamecocks at the end. Barrett Trotter found Phillip Lutzenkirchen for the go-ahead, 9-yard touchdown with 1:38 left.

"This was a game they willed to win," Auburn coach Gene Chizik said.

It's been a rough go for the BCS champions since beating Oregon for the title last January.

Heisman Trophy winner Cam Newton and defensive tackle Nick Fairley jumped to the NFL, leaving big holes on both sides of the ball. They lost their 17-game win streak and their aura of invincibility two weeks ago at Clemson, which ran up 624 yards.

Plus, the Gamecocks had plenty of motivation to succeed, losing twice to Auburn a year ago, including a humiliating 56-17 loss in the SEC championship.

Instead, it was the Auburn defenders who shut down South Carolina star tailback Marcus Lattimore and gave the offense enough time to pull out its 11th straight win against SEC opponents.

"It was a great atmosphere and all those kind of things and to come out with the win the way we did was great," Trotter said.

It also got Auburn off to the right start in an October filled with powerful opponents and critical contests. The Tigers travel to Arkansas next week before playing Florida and LSU their next two games.

When "you beat a top-10 team, I feel that is pretty evident what that does for you moving forward," Chizik said.

In Auburn's case, it may have saved a season teetering on the edge.

The Tigers were down 13-9 in the fourth quarter and couldn't break through on South Carolina's swarming defense. But Gamecocks assistant coach Ellis Johnson said Auburn's fast pace wore down his defenders. That was apparent down the stretch when Barrett led Auburn on a 12-play, 57-yard drive that ended with a pass to wide open Lutzenkirchen in front of the goal line. The junior fumbled the ball into the end zone, then recovered it just before sliding out of bounds to put Auburn ahead.

South Carolina advanced to Auburn's 29 on its final possession before time expired, though Gamecocks coach Steve Spurrier argued that clock should have stopped with 1 second left after a completed pass for a first down.

Spurrier said he was told that receiver Bruce Ellington's knee touched the ground when the clock had run out. "That's what he told me. I said, 'Wait a minute now, don't you review that?'" Spurrier said.

They did not, giving the Gamecocks their seventh straight defeat against Auburn.

"It doesn't matter now," Spurrier said. "It's in the history books. So it's all over. We got beat. Still haven't beaten them."

The SEC issued a statement saying a review of the end showed game officials followed correct procedure.

Auburn used Michael Dyer like Spurrier had used Lattimore this season — a clock-controller who can't be stopped.

Dyer ran for 141 yards on a career-high 41 carries. Dyer, a sophomore like Lattimore, had come into this one with 45 fewer carries than Gamecock standout, who was the SEC's rushing leader.

Lattimore ended with 66 yards on a season-low 17 rushes.

"The defense played good, the offense didn't," Lattimore said. "But we left it at that. We've got to put it behind us."

It looked like South Carolina's defense would be enough to bail it out of trouble as quarterback Stephen Garcia again had problems putting up points against an Auburn defense that was ranked last in the SEC.

Instead, the Tigers D rose and held the Gamecocks to 54 yards and one first down in the final period. And Trotter and the Tigers found their groove just in time. They converted four third downs in the go-ahead drive, including the touchdown to Lutzenkirchen.

"Holding (Lattimore) to under 100 yard and getting three or four turnovers were the goals this week and we did it and got the win," Auburn linebacker Jake Holland said.

Still, when Lattimore broke through for a 15-yard TD run midway through the third quarter, it appeared it might hold up the way South Carolina's defense was playing.

Melvin Ingram had 3 1/2 sacks and one of four South Carolina interceptions.

Trotter was 12 of 23 for 112 yards with two interceptions.

This one looked like a contest of who'd crack first: Auburn's last-in-the-SEC defense or South Carolina's can't-move-the-ball-too-well offensive attack that has struggled to score the past two weeks.

In the first half, it was the Tigers' D that came up bigger than it had this season. They held Lattimore to 36 yards on nine carries and the Gamecocks managed only four first downs on nine first-half possessions.

Garcia, a lightning rod for Gamecock criticism for his inconsistency, was at it again. He was 9 of 23 for 160 yards and two interceptions. Garcia also had a 50-yard scoring throw to Alshon Jeffery.

Garcia didn't speak to the media. His grandfather had passed away earlier this week, South Carolina said, and he wanted to be with family.

Usually, it's Lattimore who bails the Gamecocks out but even he didn't look like himself. He fumbled on one drive and could not fight his way through Auburn's charged up defense.

Not that the Tigers had much success with South Carolina's defense, led by Ingram and safety Antonio Allen. Ingram had two of the Gamecocks three first-half sacks and picked off Auburn's chance to extend a 9-6 lead right before halftime.

The Tigers' reliable kicker Cody Parkey was lined up for a 32-yard field goal try with 1:06 left when holder Ryan White took the snap, rolled right and threw toward Lutzenkirchen near the goal line. But defensive end Ingram had dropped back in coverage to end the threat.

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SPORTS - Howard's HR backs Halladay, Phils win Game 1 (AP)

SPORTS - Howard's HR backs Halladay, Phils win Game 1 (AP)
Russell Wilson, Eric Martin AP – Wisconsin quarterback Russell Wilson (16) passes against Nebraska defensive end Eric Martin (46) during …

MADISON, Wis. – Now fully settled in at his new school, Wisconsin quarterback Russell Wilson looks like the class of the conference.

Another newcomer can't quite say that same thing, as Big Red showed it wasn't quite ready for the best of the Big Ten.

Wilson gave Nebraska a harsh welcome to conference play, throwing for two touchdowns and running for another in No. 7 Wisconsin's 48-17 rout of the eighth-ranked Cornhuskers on Saturday night.

"If there's a better player in college football right now, I'd like to see it," Badgers coach Bret Bielema said of Wilson.

Montee Ball ran for 151 yards and four touchdowns for the Badgers (5-0, 1-0 Big Ten). But Wilson was the main attraction for a primetime audience as Wisconsin overcame a slow start to solidify its status as Big Ten favorites.

Badgers safety Aaron Henry compared Wilson to NFL star Michael Vick, perhaps minus some of the speed.

"His personality is through the roof, but his play on the field is tremendous," Henry said. "He can get us out of plays with his legs, and he also can get us out of tight situations throwing the ball."

Taylor Martinez threw three interceptions for the Huskers (4-1, 0-1).

"We didn't make plays," Nebraska coach Bo Pelini said. "I'm embarrassed. I apologize to the fans of Nebraska."

By the time the Camp Randall Stadium public address system blared "Jump Around" to get fans hopping before the fourth quarter, the game already was in the bag for the Badgers.

"I knew there was a lot of hype going into this game," Bielema said. "That's why I kind of challenged our players to embrace it all week. I knew if we went out and played well and did what we do, we'd get a lot more attention."

It was the sixth meeting between the teams and the first since 1974, but clearly the biggest and one of the most anticipated games in recent memory for Wisconsin. The Badgers fans didn't exactly have Camp Randall to themselves.

The crowd of 81,384 was filled with plenty of Nebraska fans — they wore black to differentiate themselves from Wisconsin fans who wear a similar shade of red — amid reports earlier in the week that thousands of fans were expected to make the trip to Madison this weekend for the Huskers' first conference game as a member of the Big Ten.

"Like coach said, that's not Nebraska football," cornerback Alfonzo Dennard said. "How we came out and played, that's not Nebraska football."

The Badgers sent the Huskers and their fans home disappointed, but the two teams could be on track to meet again.

Wisconsin is in the Leaders division of the Big Ten and Nebraska is in the Legends division, meaning the two teams could play in the conference championship game.

It was another big step for Wilson, the former North Carolina State quarterback who gave up minor league baseball to return to college football and play for a Badgers team that seemed to have all the pieces of a BCS bowl contender but needed a quarterback.

Five games into the season, there's no reason to think otherwise.

Wilson had played well in his first four games for the Badgers after joining them over the summer, but hadn't yet been tested by a top-level opponent since his days with the Wolfpack.

"He's a good football player, obviously," Pelini said. "He hurt us with his feet."

And Wilson found himself under pressure early, especially by standout Nebraska defensive tackle Jared Crick. But then Wilson started showing his ability to scramble out of trouble and extend plays — and Nebraska's defense couldn't keep up.

"Russell throws the ball on the move about as well as he throws the ball in the pocket, right or left," Bielema said.

Wisconsin's defense also appeared to be in for a long night, allowing a pair of early — and easy — touchdown drives to Martinez and the Huskers that put the Badgers behind 14-7 early in the second quarter.

Wilson answered with a drive, and Ball scored his second touchdown of the day. The extra point try was blocked by Crick, and Nebraska still led 14-13.

Later in the quarter, Wisconsin's defense picked off Martinez on two straight possessions, the first by linebacker Mike Taylor and the second by Henry.

Wilson made the Huskers pay for both turnovers, firing a 36-yard touchdown to Jared Abbrederis, then a 46-yard touchdown to Nick Toon with 0:32 left. Nebraska missed a 50-yard field goal try near the end of the second quarter, and Wisconsin took a 27-14 lead into halftime.

Martinez then threw another interception on the first play from scrimmage in the second half, this time to cornerback Antonio Fenelus.

Wilson helped the Badgers cash in again, this time with his legs. On first-and-goal at the 10, Wilson faked a handoff and took off running, leaving the Huskers' defense in his dust on a touchdown run. Wisconsin took a 34-14 lead, effectively ending the game early in the third quarter.

Rex Burkhead had 18 carries for 96 yards and a touchdown for the Huskers.

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SPORTS - Richardson, No. 3 Tide rolls No. 12 Gators 38-10 (AP)

SPORTS - Richardson, No. 3 Tide rolls No. 12 Gators 38-10 (AP)
Ryan Howard AP – Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard (6) hits a three-run home run in the sixth inning of …

PHILADELPHIA – Ryan Howard took a mighty cut, dropped his bat and admired the shot.

The big slugger didn't go down looking in a clutch spot this time, Roy Halladay overcame a shaky start and the Philadelphia Phillies beat the St. Louis Cardinals 11-6 Saturday night in the opener of their NL division series.

Howard shook off his season-ending strikeout last October in the championship series to hit a go-ahead, three-run homer in a five-run sixth inning, sending Citizens Bank Park into a frenzy.

"I left last year in the past," Howard said. "You can't let what happened last year affect this year. It's a fresh start."

Halladay retired his last 21 batters, and the NL East champions began their all-or-nothing postseason run with a comeback win.

Halladay allowed three runs and three hits, striking out eight in eight innings. He didn't allow a runner after Skip Schumaker led off the second with a single.

"That's why he's the best in the game," Cardinals slugger Albert Pujols said. "We wanted to keep adding on it, but we just never put that inning together again."

Game 2 is Sunday night, with Cliff Lee pitching for Philadelphia against Chris Carpenter, who is starting on three days' rest.

Raul Ibanez hit a two-run shot off Kyle Lohse to cap the Phillies' burst in the sixth, and Shane Victorino had three hits and two RBIs.

Last year, in his first career playoff start, Halladay threw the second no-hitter in postseason history in Philadelphia's 4-0 victory over Cincinnati.

His bid for an encore in the first round didn't last one batter, and Lance Berkman hit the first three-run homer off Halladay in three years to put the wild-card Cardinals up 3-0 in the first.

But the offense bailed out Doc.

"I couldn't think of a worse start and putting your team in a hole like that," Halladay said. "But you get to this point, you're not going to pack it in."

Lohse retired the first 10 batters before Chase Utley hit a double off the right-field fence in the fourth. The righty, who was 14-8 this season, ran out of gas in the sixth.

Down 3-1, Jimmy Rollins singled to start the inning. After Utley struck out, Hunter Pence grounded a single up the middle. That brought up Howard, who heard a lot of criticism for taking that called third strike last year in the NLCS with the tying run on second base to end the Phillies' season against San Francisco.

Howard worked a full count before launching a towering drive into the second deck in right-center to give the Phillies a 4-3 lead.

The towel-waving crowd went wild, and Howard came out for a curtain call.

"In that situation, I knew he wasn't really going to throw a fastball, so I just sat on the changeup," Howard said. "Trying to get me to chase, but he just kind of left one up there hanging for me."

Victorino followed with a single. Ibanez then lined a two-run homer to right to end Lohse's night.

Lohse allowed six runs — five earned — and seven hits in 5 1-3 innings.

The Cardinals scored three times in the ninth off relievers Michael Stutes and Ryan Madson, highlighted by Schumaker's two-run double.

The two teams took different roads to get here.

The Phillies cruised to their fifth straight division title, winning a franchise-record and major league-best 102 games. Anything less than a second World Series title in four years will be considered a failure by players, management and fans.

The Cardinals needed an incredible collapse by Atlanta and help from Philadelphia to earn the wild card. St. Louis trailed the Braves by 10 1/2 games on Aug. 25, but went 23-8 the rest of the way and got in after Game 162 when the Phillies completed a three-game sweep in Atlanta.

For a while, it seemed the Phillies might regret helping the Cardinals reach the playoffs.

A day after borrowing a line from William Shakespeare, saying he "came here to bury Caesar, not praise him," Halladay didn't back up his words right away.

Rafael Furcal led off the game with a single and stole second. One out later, Halladay walked Pujols on four pitches. Berkman drove the next pitch off the mini-scoreboard hanging on the facing off the second deck in right field.

"You have to beat those guys 3-to-whatever," Berkman said. "He's not going to give up much more than that. He's a great pitcher."

The switch-hitting Berkman hit all 31 of his homers in the regular season from the left side. No. 32 was the first three-run homer Halladay allowed since Aug. 21, 2008, when Hideki Matsui connected for the Yankees in a 14-3 loss to Toronto.

"He was kind of like a 'Rocky' movie," manager Charlie Manuel said of Halladay. "He got mad after he gave up that homer. That ticked him off and he hung in there and he got going. But he's special. He's everything people talk about."

The Phillies will turn Berkman around the next two games with lefties Lee and Cole Hamels on the mound.

Howard hit a sacrifice fly in the seventh, and Victorino and Ibanez each had RBI singles in the inning to pad Philadelphia's lead.

An unearned run got Philadelphia within 3-1 in the fourth. After Utley's one-out double, Pence struck out and Howard walked. Victorino hit a foul pop down the left-field line that should've ended the inning.

But third baseman David Freese tried to make an over-the-shoulder catch and the ball fell out of his glove for an error. Victorino hit an opposite-field single to left to score Utley.

Halladay, a two-time Cy Young Award winner who won it last year in his first season in the NL, was 19-6 with a career-best 2.35 ERA and eight complete games this season.

He made certain the relievers stayed in the bullpen until this game was out of reach.

A crowd of 46,480 was the 218th straight sellout at Citizens Bank Park, including postseason play. The stadium resembled an apple orchard with all the red-clad fans.

NOTES: Cardinals RHP Kyle McClellan was disappointed that he was left off the roster because of a tired arm. "McClellan is a real weapon," manager Tony La Russa said. "That was a very tough call, and I know he's very upset with it, and he should be. Made totally on his best interest."... Only the New York Yankees (27) have won more World Series titles than the Cardinals (10). ... The Cardinals were 6-3 vs. the Phillies in the regular season. ... The Phillies are 15-7 in Game 1s, while the Cardinals fell to 16-19. ... The Cardinals didn't have five-time All-Star, LF Matt Holliday because of a hand injury. ... Howard is 9 for 18 with three homers off Lohse. ... The Phillies, who acquired Pence from Houston on July 29, are now 8-0 with all of their regulars in the lineup. ... Pence was 2 for 5 with two RBIs and two runs in his first postseason game.

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SPORTS - A day later, Cano and Nova lead Yanks past Tigers (AP)

SPORTS - A day later, Cano and Nova lead Yanks past Tigers (AP)
John Brantley AP – Florida quarterback John Brantley (12) is helped off the field after he was injured late in the second …

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – No. 3 Alabama showed it can run and stop the run better than 12th-ranked Florida, maybe better than anyone in the country.

Trent Richardson had a career-high 181 yards rushing and two touchdowns, breaking tackles and carrying defenders along the way, and the Crimson Tide rolled the Gators 38-10 Saturday night in an early season matchup of Southeastern Conference heavyweights.

"This was very sweet because it was against Florida," said Richardson, a junior from nearby Pensacola. "I really wanted to play well in this game and help us get a win."

Richardson finished with his fourth consecutive 100-yard game, and the latest one should solidify his position as one the Heisman Trophy front-runners.

With Richardson leading the way, the Crimson Tide (5-0, 2-0 SEC) extended its recent dominance in the series. Alabama has outscored Florida (4-1, 2-1) 101-29 in the last three meetings, all wins.

The latest one was over by halftime, a clear knockout in a game billed as Florida's speed vs. Alabama's power. It also denied new Florida coach Will Muschamp a victory against his mentor, Alabama's Nick Saban.

"Obviously, we didn't do many things well," Muschamp said. "We have to correct the issues we have because we'll see them again."

If anything, the outcome showed how far the Gators have to go to get back to championship form. It was Florida's worst home loss since falling to LSU 36-7 in 2002 — the beginning of the Ron Zook era. Saban-coached teams dealt Florida both losses.

It could get worse, too. The Gators play at top-ranked LSU next week — and they might be without quarterback John Brantley.

Brantley threw a perfect deep ball to Andre Debose on the game's opening play, a 65-yard touchdown pass that energized the second-largest crowd (90,888) in the history of Florida Field. It ended up being one of few highlights for the Gators.

"We showed the maturity to overcome the adversity we created for ourselves," Saban said. "I liked our resiliency. This is about as good as it gets."

Florida couldn't run, couldn't stop the run and lost Brantley to a right leg injury late in the second quarter. A senior who has started 18 consecutive games, Brantley twisted his knee and ankle on a sack just before halftime. He was helped to the locker room and did not return for the second half. Highly touted freshman Jeff Driskel replaced him.

"When we lost John, that took the wind out of our sails," said Muschamp, who said he would know more about Brantley's injury Sunday. "I haven't even talked to the doctor yet. I have no idea."

Brantley completed 11 of 16 passes for 190 yards and a touchdown, most of it coming before Alabama's defense stiffened.

Courtney Upshaw intercepted Brantley's outlet pass and returned it 45 yards for a touchdown that changed the game in the second quarter. Upshaw later sacked Brantley and caused the injury.

Alabama was long in control by then, mostly because it stuffed Florida's vaunted running game. The Tide made Chris Rainey and Jeff Demps look ordinary.

"Just call it a punch in the mouth and regroup," Rainey said. "All we have to do is play the cards right and we'll be seeing them again (in the SEC title game)."

The Gators entered the game averaging 259 yards a game on the ground, but they finished with 15 yards, 4 from Rainey and 4 from Demps.

"We did a really good job of not letting their speed outflank us," Saban said. "Those two guys are a handful. Miss a tackle on them and they're out the door and gone."

The Tide was much more balanced.

AJ McCarron completed 12 of 25 passes for 140 yards — just what Alabama needs with Richardson and a stout defense.

Florida and Alabama each scored on its first two possessions. The game turned, though, on Upshaw's interception. As Brantley was being hit, he tried to dump a pass to Trey Burton. It landed in Upshaw's arms. He rumbled 45 yards in the other direction, with a host of defenders making sure no one caught him from behind.

The Tide forced consecutive three-and-outs after that, then turned to Richardson to put the game away. The 224-pound junior from Pensacola took a screen pass on third-and-8 from the 30, broke a tackle and got Alabama near the goal line.

Linebacker Jon Bostic, clearly frustrated with Florida's missed tackles and failure to stop Richardson, got a personal foul penalty on the next play. He took a swing at an offensive lineman, then got an earful from Muschamp.

McCarron sneaked across the goal line to make it 24-10.

Richardson turned the 14-point game into a rout with a 36-yard scamper early in the fourth. He darted up the middle, cut right hard enough to make safety Josh Evans trip and then went untouched to the end zone.

Alabama's defense did the rest, swarming Driskel and holding the Gators to two first downs in the second half.

"We got beat by a better team," Muschamp said.

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SPORTS - High school football cheerleader collapses, dies (AP)

SPORTS - High school football cheerleader collapses, dies (AP)
Robinson Cano AP – New York Yankees' Robinson Cano watches his grand slam off Detroit Tigers relief pitcher Al Alburquerque …

NEW YORK – One rainy day after Game 1 started, Robinson Cano and the New York Yankees slammed their way to a blowout.

Cano hit a grand slam and drove in six runs, rookie Ivan Nova pitched brilliantly into the ninth inning in an unusual relief appearance and New York shook off a 23-hour delay to beat the Detroit Tigers 9-3 Saturday night in their suspended playoff opener.

A day after showers wiped out aces Justin Verlander and CC Sabathia after only 1 1/2 innings, play resumed in the bottom of the second with two new pitchers on the mound.

No national anthem, all Yankees.

Cano barely missed a homer on his tiebreaking double in the fifth and New York broke it open with a six-run sixth against losing pitcher Doug Fister. Brett Gardner had a two-run single on an 0-2 pitch with two outs to make it 4-1 and, moments later, Cano connected off Al Alburquerque for his fourth grand slam since Aug. 11.

"My goal is just to win it all," Cano said.

Freddy Garcia starts for New York on Sunday afternoon in Game 2 of the best-of-five American League division series. Max Scherzer gets the ball for the Tigers, who will try to rebound the same way they did against the Yankees in 2006.

That year, Detroit dropped the postseason opener in New York before winning three straight to stun the heavily favored Yankees en route to the World Series. Game 2 of that playoff was postponed a day by rain. This time, it took two nights to finish Game 1, so the scheduled off day on Monday was eliminated.

Along with Curtis Granderson, Cano is one of New York's two leading contenders for AL MVP — and he showed why. Yankees manager Joe Girardi moved the slugger up from fifth to third in the lineup for the playoffs to get him more protection and pitches to hit.

Smart move so far.

"They put you third, so you want to do your job there. You don't want to let your manager down," Cano said. "I did my job today and hopefully I can continue doing it."

Cano added a run-scoring double in the eighth to tie a club record for RBIs in a postseason game — this is New York's 50th postseason appearance. His seventh career postseason homer was the 11th slam in Yankees postseason history and the first since Ricky Ledee connected in the 1999 AL championship series against Boston.

Rather than bring in left-hander Daniel Schlereth to face Cano in the sixth, Tigers manager Jim Leyland went with Alburquerque, a righty.

"To me, that's one for everyone else to second-guess. To me that was a no-brainer," Leyland said. "Left-handers are hitting .177 off Alburquerque, .200 off Schlereth. Cano is .320 off of left-handers, .295 off righties. Alburquerque has had a tremendous ratio of swings and misses. He had only faced him one time; he had struck him out."

Derek Jeter threw out a runner at the plate to keep the score tied and bounced a fortunate single through the right side — with second baseman Ryan Raburn covering the bag on a steal play — during the sixth-inning rally.

Nova was demoted to the minors for most of July to open a roster spot when Phil Hughes came off the disabled list. But the right-hander won his final 12 decisions during the regular season and picked up where Sabathia left off Friday, pitching shutout ball into the ninth before 50,940 fans — the largest crowd at the new Yankee Stadium.

"I just wasn't sure how he was going to control his emotions," Girardi said. "I didn't think he had his best stuff today and he still found a way to get outs. But I thought he pitched really well. He pitched to contact. ... I loved what he did today."

After loading the bases in the ninth, Nova was pulled. The 24-year-old rookie tipped his cap as the crowd gave him a standing ovation and pounded his chest when he got to the dugout.

"He's a really good pitcher. He had a good fastball, a good slider. He mixed every pitch," Tigers shortstop Jhonny Peralta said. "He controlled the plate."

Detroit scored twice against Luis Ayala and Girardi took no chances, bringing in Mariano Rivera. The career saves leader got a three-pitch strikeout in a non-save situation to end it.

Rivera also threw out the ceremonial first pitch — Friday night — to longtime teammate Jorge Posada.

Fister, who went 8-1 with a 1.79 ERA after being acquired in a July 30 trade from Seattle, replaced Verlander. The right-hander retired 11 in a row before Granderson singled with two outs in the fifth.

Cano followed with a drive to left that hit the top of the fence as several fans in the front row backed away to avoid interfering. The ball caromed back to left fielder Delmon Young and umpires ruled it in play as Granderson scored easily to give New York a 2-1 lead.

Girardi came out for a brief discussion and four umps went under the stands to take a look at the replay. After a 4-minute delay, they came back out and upheld the call.

"Everyone in this row spoke about not reaching over and catching a ball," said the closest fan, 37-year-old Chris Vitali from New Brunswick, N.J. "We said, 'Don't do it. If it's Detroit, fine. Catch it.' ... But, believe me, if it was a little bit further out, I would have dove over the top of the wall to catch it."

The opener resumed after a delay of 23 hours, 29 minutes. There was no national anthem and official scorer Jordan Sprechman announced Verlander's pitching line, a day later, one batter into the game. The Bleacher Creatures gave Yankees starters a second roll call.

The only other suspended game in postseason history was Game 5 of the 2008 World Series in Philadelphia, stopped after 5 1/2 innings because of rain and snow. Play picked up two days later, and the Phillies finished off Tampa Bay to win the title.

That bizarre scenario led Major League Baseball to adopt a rule in January 2009 ensuring that any postseason game halted after it begins will resume from the point of suspension rather than postponed and restarted another day.

The forecast was ominous for Saturday as well, and a steady drizzle cut short Detroit's batting practice after only a few minutes as the grounds crew covered the field.

But the sky cleared up and the tarp came off 50 minutes before the first pitch. Play began on time and was never interrupted on a windy, 55-degree night. The first day of the month, and it certainly felt like October.

Detroit nearly went ahead in the fifth when catcher Alex Avila tried to score from second on Peralta's sharp single to center. Granderson fired to Jeter, who relayed to the plate from just behind second base. The throw was a little wide but in time for Russell Martin to apply a quick tag.

With runners at second and third, Leyland went to his bench. But pinch-hitter Wilson Betemit, a left-handed hitter, flied out to end the inning.

Nova caught a break in the sixth after issuing a leadoff walk with a 2-1 lead. With the runner going, Magglio Ordonez hit a grounder up the middle and Cano, covering second base on the steal, turned it into an easy double play. Nick Swisher followed with a diving catch in right, and Nova pumped his fist.

Young homered for the Tigers and Alex Rodriguez had an RBI groundout, both in the first inning Friday.

NOTES: It was the 50th anniversary of Roger Maris' record-breaking 61st home run at the old Yankee Stadium on the final day of the 1961 season. ... Plate umpire Tony Randazzo was shaken up a couple of times when he was hit by balls that Nova bounced. One pitch went under Martin's arm and hit Randazzo in the chin, like an uppercut. Randazzo went down and was checked by Yankees assistant athletic trainer Steve Donohue before remaining in the game. After the final out, Randazzo was taken to a hospital for precautionary X-rays.

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