SPORTS - Edgar defends belt with TKO of Maynard (AP)

SPORTS - Edgar defends belt with TKO of Maynard (AP)

AP – Leonard Garcia, right fights Nam Phan in a featherweight bout where Phan won in three rounds before the …

By CHRIS DUNCAN, AP Sports Writer Chris Duncan, Ap Sports Writer – 21 mins ago

HOUSTON – Frankie Edgar was in trouble again in the first round against Gray Maynard, shaken by a hard right upper cut.

Just like he did on New Year's Day, Edgar rallied and this time, left no doubt to the outcome.

Edgar beat Maynard by technical knockout to defend his lightweight championship on Saturday night, finishing the challenger with a flurry of punches late in the fourth round.

The two were waited nine months for their third meeting. Maynard beat Edgar by unanimous decision in April 2008, and they dueled to a draw on New Year's Day, a match Maynard insists he won.

Maynard knocked Edgar down three times in the first round of their previous meeting, but Edgar managed to survive and earn the draw. This time, Maynard staggered Edgar with a vicious upper cut, then landed a flying left knee that cut open Edgar's nose.

"I don't plan it, believe me," Edgar said. "If I could walk away unscathed, I'd rather do that."

Maynard was frustrated that Edgar survived the early onslaught.

"He's a tough kid," Maynard said. "If there was a bat there, I would've hit him with a bat."

Edgar instantly recalled their last meeting, and that fueled his gradual comeback. Maynard seemed to back off in the second round, and Edgar started landing left-right combinations to climb back into the fight.

"That last fight we had, he hurt me in that first round," Edgar said. "I don't know, man, maybe I just want to make it exciting. Who knows?"

Edgar continued to land the combos at the start of the fourth round. Maynard went for a takedown and slipped, and Edgar took advantage, landing a hard right upper cut.

With Maynard off-balance, Edgar kept landing right hands and Maynard staggered backward. One more right dropped Maynard to the mat, and Edgar hammered him with left hooks until referee Josh Rosenthal stopped it with just over a minute left in the round.

Maynard vowed victory in August while sporting a T-shirt that read "Dethrone" across the front. Edgar also had a score to settle, looking to avenge his only professional loss.

Afterward, UFC president Dana White called Edgar the best pure boxer in the league.

"He moves well, he moves his head," White said. "He's a phenomenal athlete. He's got a huge heart and an incredible chin. What he pulled off was amazing."

In the other title fight on the card, Jose Aldo defended his 145-pound belt with a unanimous decision over Kenny Florian. Aldo (20-1) won his 13th straight bout and denied the 35-year-old Florian (16-6) his first UFC championship.

"I had to pace it a little bit," Aldo said through an interpreter. "I couldn't be as explosive as I wanted to be in the fight."

The 35-year-old Florian went the distance with Aldo, who's 10 years younger.

In June, Florian became the first UFC fighter to compete in four different weight classes when he beat Diego Nunes in his 145-pound debut.

Florian shoved Aldo into the cage in the first round and scored a takedown with about two minutes left. Aldo took control in the third round, hobbling Florian with a sharp kick to Florian's right knee. Aldo landed two punches as Florian limped away.

Aldo, a Brazilian expert in jiu-jitsu, started the fourth round with two hard punches, but Florian drove Aldo into the cage again. Florian missed on a kick and fell in the fifth round, and Aldo maintained top position for most of the rest of the match.

Before the decision was announced, Aldo climbed the cage and back-flipped off the top. All three judges scored the fight 49-46.

"It played out great," Aldo said. "He's a very strategic fighter, so he's a very smart and experienced guy. I just had to go in there and impose my game."

Also Saturday night:

_Joe Lauzon (16-5-1) got Melvin Guillard (46-10-3) to tap out only 47 seconds into the first round of their lightweight bout. Lauzon stunned Guillard with a left hook, knocked him down with a quick left jab and put Guillard in a decisive headlock.

_Featherweight Nam Phan (17-10) earned a unanimous decision over Leonard Garcia (19-8-1). Phan opened a cut under Garcia's right eye in the second round. All three judges scored the fight 29-28 for Phan, who avenged a loss to Garcia in December.

_Chael Sonnen (27-11-1) forced a submission from Brian Stann (11-4) in the second round of their middleweight bout. Middleweight champion Anderson Silva was sitting ringside, and Sonnen challenged Silva to a rematch. Silva beat Sonnen by submission last August.

The professional mixed martial-arts circuit returned to Houston for the first time since UFC 69 in April 2007. The event drew an announced crowd of 16,164.

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SPORTS - Rangers win 3-2 over Tigers in twice-delayed ALCS (AP)

SPORTS - Rangers win 3-2 over Tigers in twice-delayed ALCS (AP)

AP – The Texas Rangers react after defeating the Detroit Tigers, 3-2, in Game 1 of baseball's American League …

By STEPHEN HAWKINS, AP Sports Writer Stephen Hawkins, Ap Sports Writer – 14 mins ago

ARLINGTON, Texas – After the rain, the Texas Rangers opened the AL championship series by beating Justin Verlander once again.

Nelson Cruz broke a postseason slump with a home run that helped boost the Rangers over the Tigers 3-2 Saturday night as rain followed the Detroit ace and caused nearly two hours of delays.

The defending AL champion Rangers scored all their runs off Verlander before the game was interrupted twice for a total of 1 hour, 50 minutes in the top of the fifth. The final out wasn't until 12:03 a.m. CDT.

"I think that this was a little bit of a weird night, obviously, with the rain the way it was," Tigers manager Jim Leyland said.

David Murphy hit an RBI single in the second and scored on Ian Kinsler's single, and Cruz's leadoff homer in the fourth made it 3-0.

"Definitely important to get it going," Cruz said. "As soon as I hit the homer, I thought it should be good enough, the way C.J. was throwing. And with the bullpen we have, we were lucky enough for it to be enough."

In between the delays, Austin Jackson doubled in a run and scored on a wild pitch by Rangers starter C.J. Wilson. Alexi Ogando, who got all three of the Rangers' regular-season wins over Detroit this year, pitched two scoreless innings for the victory. Neftali Feliz, clocked at up to 101 mph, worked the ninth for his fourth save this postseason.

Game 2 is Sunday night. Derek Holland starts for Texas against Max Scherzer, who pitched 1 1-3 innings in relief for the Tigers in their AL division series clincher Thursday night against the New York Yankees.

Texas faced Verlander only once during the regular season, a 2-0 Rangers' win on April 11 when Verlander lost despite pitching a six-hitter.

The likely AL Cy Young Award winner was 24-5 during the regular and had been 3-0 with a 1.29 ERA in his three previous career starts at hitter-friendly Rangers Ballpark, allowing three runs in 21 innings. Texas matched that run total in four innings when it counted most.

"I thought tonight that his control was not good. His control was not very good," Leyland said. "He didn't really have his curveball going for strikes. He had a tough time with it. I think probably trying to overthrow it a little bit."

Verlander threw one inning and 25 pitches in the division series opener at Yankee Stadium on Sept. 30 when that game was suspended by rain. Under a rules change adopted two years ago, postseason games are suspended when called instead of being cut short or wiped out.

Verlander came back and started Game 3, winning as he threw 120 pitches with 11 strikeouts over eight innings, and he threw 82 pitches in four innings against the Rangers before the first delay. He struck out five, including Josh Hamilton and Adrian Beltre in the first without allowing a run after his only two walks.

Leyland said the plan was for Verlander to go back in after the first delay. That all changed when the game resumed for good about two hours after his last pitch.

"When the second (delay) came about, that was a no brainer," Leyland said. `I think that this was a little bit of a weird night, obviously."

Mike Napoli had a leadoff single in the second for the Rangers, in their second consecutive ALCS after never winning a postseason series before last year. He scored when Murphy got the head of his bat on a low pitch and pulled it into the right-center gap, where the ball one-hopped the wall.

Cruz's drive leading off the fourth ended an 0-for-10 postseason slump and was his Rangers-record seventh postseason homer, one more than two-time AL MVP Juan Gonzalez.

Before the fifth inning, Rangers Ballpark groundskeeper Dennis Klein went out and spoke with plate umpire Tim Welke about the weather. There had already been a couple of short periods of rain before then.

A few minutes later, after Ramon Santiago led off the fifth with a double and while Brandon Inge was batting with a 1-0 count against Wilson, the intensity of the rain picked up. Welke then stopped the game for the first time and had the field covered.

Play was stopped for 41 minutes but the teams got only 13 minutes in before the tarp came out again. In between the delays, the Tigers scored twice and loaded the bases with two outs.

The rain delays were the first at Rangers Ballpark since May 24. This season was played during one of the hottest and driest summers ever in North Texas, including 27 games when the temperature was 100 degrees or more at first pitch.

Wilson, who had thrown 72 pitches before the first delay, threw 24 more during the short resumption.

On the first pitch after play resumed, Inge grounded out. Jackson followed with a double that rolled into a puddle by the wall in right-center field and scored Santiago. Jackson eventually scored on a wild pitch while Wilson loaded the bases on three walks before heavy rain started falling again.

Michael Gonzalez replaced Wilson and needed only two pitches to induce an inning-ending groundout by Alex Avila.

Ogando, a reliver-turned-starter who is back in the bullpen in the playoffs, struck out three over the sixth and seventh innings. While he was beating the Tigers during the regular season, the other Rangers pitchers combined to go 0-6.

"What a weapon to have," Rangers manager Ron Washington said.

When Jackson struck out to end the sixth, Ogando hopped off the mound slapping his glove. He had a similar reaction when Martinez struck out to end the seventh.

Santiago led off the ninth with a bunt single before Feliz struck out the next three batters.

Rick Porcello, Detroit's scheduled Game 4 starter, had two scoreless innings after replacing Verlander. Leyland said the Tigers could alter their planned rotation for the rest of the series.

Ryan Raburn and Miguel Cabrera had consecutive sharp singles to left after Austin Jackson took a called third strike leading off the game. Raburn was playing left field and AL batting champion Cabrera batting third for only the second time this season after slugger Delmon Young was left off the ALCS roster because of an oblique injury on his left side.

Victor Martinez drew a walk on a full-count pitch that missed badly, Wilson escaped the first without giving up a run when Magglio Ordonez hit a chopper over third base. Adrian Beltre stepped on the bag and threw across the diamond for an inning-ending double play.

"The first inning was probably a huge key. We loaded the bases, and C.J. made a great pitch on Magglio, cut a fastball in," Leyland said. "That was obviously a huge inning. The ninth inning we always talk about, but tonight's game might have been the first inning — the first was a huge inning for us."

The Tigers again had consecutive one-out singles in the second, again without scoring.

Raburn had a leadoff walk in the third. Then after Cabrera took a called third strike, Martinez hit into another double play started by Beltre — the slick-fielding All-Star who in the AL division series clincher against Tampa Bay became only the seventh player ever to hit three homers in a postseason game.

Wilson struck out all three batters faced in the fourth before running into trouble in the wet and twice-delayed fifth.

NOTES: This was the ninth one-run game already in this postseason, the most since there were 11 two years ago, according to STATS LLC. ... Jackson, who was born and still lives in nearby Denton, had a tough start. After striking out on three pitches opening the game, he struggled with a wind-blown flyball in the bottom of the first. He went back, came in a few steps and the ball hit off the heel of Jackson's glove as Elvis Andrus reached second on the error.

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SPORTS - NFL mourns passing of Raiders owner Al Davis (AP)

SPORTS - NFL mourns passing of Raiders owner Al Davis (AP)

AP – FILE - In this Friday, Aug. 22, 1987 file photo, Los Angeles Raiders Managing General Partner Al Davis …

By JOSH DUBOW, AP Sports Writer Josh Dubow, Ap Sports Writer – Sat Oct 8, 3:46 pm ET

OAKLAND, Calif. – Al Davis was remembered Saturday as the AFL commissioner who helped lead the merger with the NFL that changed professional football forever.

He was praised as the trendsetting owner of the Oakland Raiders, who broke racial and gender barriers while winning three Super Bowl titles and preaching his mantra of "Just win, baby!"

Davis died at age 82, still called "Coach" by many of those around him. Coach Hue Jackson always used that respected title whenever he talked about Davis, saying there was no other owner in the NFL who could talk the intricacies of the game as well as "Coach Davis."

He died Saturday at his home in Oakland, while his beloved team was in Houston preparing to play the Texans. That Davis was not with his team was telling as he is believed to have missed only three games since joining the team as coach in 1963.

He did not appear at a single training camp practice this summer and missed a game in Buffalo last month.

"As he became older, he developed some health problems, and he just couldn't be out there each and every practice, like he used to be. That's too bad. But we all age, and things change," said Jim Plunkett, who won two Super Bowl titles after Davis revived his career by bringing him to Oakland. "But he never lost his love and his fire for the game. Just sitting in the box with him, even though he couldn't speak loudly, this year, he'd get his point across, telling everyone that they shouldn't have done this or they should've done that. He wasn't yelling anymore. But he was still into it."

Davis did attend Oakland's home game last week against New England, and Plunkett said he had a smile on his face when the Raiders led early. Oakland lost that game 31-19 to fall to 2-2, but this year's edition of the Raiders appears to be the best the team has had since losing the Super Bowl following the 2002 season.

"I sit in his box for every home game," Plunkett said. "I've gleaned so much from him. He talks about philosophies and how the game has changed, what each individual player means to a team, what they can do. An offense will huddle and come up to the line of scrimmage and right away, he can tell you what the next play is probably going to be, because he studies film so much. It was a joy being in that box. I learned so much from him, even after football."

Elected in 1992 to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Davis also was a trailblazer. He hired the first black head coach of the modern era — Art Shell in 1988. He hired the first Latino coach, Tom Flores; and the first woman CEO, Amy Trask.

"During this indescribably difficult time, let us all reflect upon what it means to be a Raider — let us all reflect upon how privileged we are to be Raiders — and let us all be Raiders," Trask wrote in an email to team employees on Saturday.

Davis was infallibly loyal to his players and officials: to be a Raider was to be a Raider for life.

"Forty eight years ago, I met Al, and every once in a while in your life, someone comes along that changes the direction of your life," Flores said. "He did that to me and changed the direction with his passion for the Raiders and professional football. He was a dear man, my mentor and most of all, my friend. I will miss him."

For decades, his team was one of the most successful in the game, living up to his trademark philosophy of "Just Win Baby." Since going to the Super Bowl following the 2002 season, the Raiders have not had a winning record.

Jackson told the team of Davis' death at a meeting Saturday morning before a walkthrough and the players immediately reacted by calling Davis a "legend" and the greatest owner in history.

"He's one of the greatest sports icons ever," Raiders cornerback Stanford Routt said. "He will be greatly missed. He believed in me, he lived for us, now we have to play for him."

Even those who feuded with Davis remembered his positives. Marcus Allen was the most valuable player in the Raiders' last Super Bowl win in 1984. But he later was ordered to be benched for two seasons by Davis and ultimately released after the 1992 season for reasons never made clear. Davis' only comment: "He was a cancer on the team."

"It's a sad day," Allen said. "When you look at the landscape of the National Football League and what Al Davis did, it's immense.

It's no secret that we didn't see eye-to-eye at times, but I've always been grateful for the opportunity that he gave me, and I'll always remember that."

New England coach Bill Belichick recalled last week his interview with Davis for the head coaching job after the 1998 season. He called it the most unique interview he ever had with an owner because of how much of time was spent on strategy and scheme that only a coach could really grasp.

"They have their style of play, they have their way of doing things," Belichick said. "As much as you can say this is a copycat league and things like that, you can't really say that about them because they've done the same thing now for decades defensively and to a certain extent, offensively."

Davis was known for taking care of his former players, and Clem Daniels called him a "father figure." Raiders assistant Willie Brown, whom Davis acquired in a trade from Denver, said becoming a Raider was the best thing that ever happened to him.

"I've enjoyed every year of being here with him, and it's a loss not only to the Raider organization, but to all of America," Brown said. "People love the Raiders, and every time they think of the Raiders, they think of Mr. Davis. He was a great leader on and off the field, and he took care of a lot of people in his lifetime. He helped guys off the field, not only guys that played for him but also guys that played for other teams. It's a sad day in the Raider Nation, but we must go on."

Fans dressed in Raiders jerseys quickly made their way to team headquarters in Alameda, where a black flag with the team logo flew at half-staff and a makeshift memorial formed at the base of the flag pole. There was a tombstone on the Raiders' website for Davis.

The memorial included a framed photo of a younger Davis. A simple cardboard sign read: Thank you Al Davis. 1929-2011, God Bless, Rest in Peace.

___

AP Sports Writers Chris Duncan, Janie McCauley, Stephen Hawkins and AP freelance Michael Wagaman contributed to this report.

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SPORTS - Two franchises fortunes changed in 2006 game (AP)

SPORTS - Two franchises fortunes changed in 2006 game (AP)

AP – San Diego Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers, left, throws around Miami Dolphins linebacker Jason Taylor …

By ARNIE STAPLETON, AP Pro Football Writer Arnie Stapleton, Ap Pro Football Writer – 1 hr 58 mins ago

DENVER – The San Diego Chargers and Denver Broncos have met 102 times. None was more monumental than a game five years ago that altered the fortunes of both franchises.

Both teams took a 7-2 record into that cool November night, and when the late Darrent Williams returned an interception for a touchdown, the Broncos were up 24-7 and looked poised to make another deep playoff run.

The Chargers stormed back behind four touchdowns by LaDainian Tomlinson to stun the Broncos 35-27, and neither team has been the same ever since.

While the Chargers changed coaches after that season, Norv Turner's in his fifth year, Philip Rivers has developed into one of the NFL's elite quarterbacks and San Diego has celebrated four division crowns.

The Broncos have gone through three coaches, three quarterbacks and plenty of heartache.

The Chargers are 50-24 with four playoff appearances since that terrific turnaround and the Broncos are 30-44 without so much as a winning record over the past half decade.

"Those records speak for themselves," Champ Bailey said as the Broncos, who are 1-3 and once again the division's doormat, prepared for a visit Sunday from the AFC West-leading Chargers (3-1). "They took off in the right direction and we haven't.

"The past is the past. We need to start making things better now and not worry about the past."

Try as he might, Bailey can't forget that game.

"I just remember how much energy we had in the first half," he said. "Second half, it was almost like a new team came out of the locker room for them. They were all over us."

Rivers also remembers it like it was yesterday.

"It was my first year starting, and it was a memorable game for the reasons you mentioned — you're down 24-7 and you've thrown a pick for a touchdown and we found a way to come back and win," Rivers said. "It was my first time playing in Denver. It was certainly a good memory from that game."

Rivers said Denver "has always been one of my favorite places to play."

And why not? He's 4-2 in the Mile High City — and would be 5-1 if not for referee Ed Hochuli's errant call in 2009 that helped the Broncos prevail 39-38 and led to a rule change the following season.

Neither team made the playoffs last season, but while the Chargers have reversed their trend of slow starts and once again look like the class of the division, the Broncos are in rebuilding mode with just four of former coach Josh McDaniels' 19 draft picks starting.

The Broncos have allowed 1,001 yards passing over the past three weeks, coinciding with Bailey's absence with a pulled hamstring. That's the biggest total over a three-game stretch since way back in 1964.

Bailey is coming to the rescue, insisting he'll play Sunday, when safety Brian Dawkins might be out.

"Him and B-Dawk are the backbones," rookie safety Rahim Moore said. "It's a great thing that he's back. I'm just blessed to be able to play with him again, I missed him."

But who will line up with Bailey to face Rivers and his repertoire of receivers?

On Thursday, the Broncos were missing both of their starting safeties as Dawkins sat out with an ankle injury and Moore was sick. So was nickel back Jonathan Wilhite, who missed his second straight practice.

Second-year pro Cassius Vaughn had a tough game at Green Bay last week and could be supplanted by undrafted rookie Chris Harris on Sunday. Rookie safety Quinton Carter is expected to at least replace Dawkins on some passing downs if not altogether.

"This is professional football. You've got to keep it moving as fast as possible and hopefully we can bring those guys along so that they're seeing it just like those veteran guys are seeing it," Broncos secondary coach Ron Milus said.

The hodgepodge of defensive backs at practice made preparing for Rivers doubly difficult, cornerback Andre' Goodman said.

"At the end of the day, the game is about matchups and what kind of concepts you're seeing. You have to see those concepts in live action before you can just throw yourself out there," Goodman said.

"It makes it a little bit tougher, but again, this is the professional level. You have to get your job done by any means necessary no matter how tough it gets. And right now we're in a tough spot."

Goodman said the young DBs have studied him, Dawkins and Bailey to see how they need to prepare to face Rivers, who owns an 8-2 record, 18 touchdown passes and a 112.4 passer rating against Denver to go with just five interceptions.

"You can't just show up and say, 'Look, I'm pretty fast. I'm pretty quick. I can jump,'" Goodman said.

"Athleticism is the last thing in this league that you're going to win with. Talent is the common denominator in the league. So, we have to learn how to anticipate stuff by studying more."

Goodman at least took solace in Bailey's impending return.

"It's comfort and chemistry," he said. "It's not different than No. 20 (Dawkins). When you go on the field with those guys, you feel it, it's electric. I mean, you know those guys are going to get their job done and you don't have to worry about OK is he a 50-50 guy or is he an all-in guy? These guys are all in."

___

AP Sports Writer Pat Graham contributed. Follow AP Pro Football Writer Arnie Melendrez Stapleton on Twitter: http://twitter.com/arniestapleton

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SPORTS - Keselowski dominates Nationwide race at Kansas (AP)

SPORTS - Keselowski dominates Nationwide race at Kansas (AP)

AP – Driver Brad Keselowski celebrates in victory lane after winning the NASCAR Nationwide auto race at Kansas …

– Sat Oct 8, 7:56 pm ET

KANSAS CITY, Kan. – Brad Keselowski has a ready answer when fans ask him why he runs the Nationwide Series instead of concentrating solely on the Sprint Cup.

It isn't for the money, he says, and it isn't for a chance to test for Cup competition.

It's so his Nationwide crew, led by Todd Gordon, won't fall victim to the economic crunch that shadows even NASCAR's money-making machine. Call it "Occupy Pit Road," if you will — or in this case, "Occupy Victory Lane."

"Todd, without this program, would be laid off on unemployment," Keselowski said after winning Saturday at Kansas Speedway. "Because of (owner) Roger Penske, because of Discount Tire and all of us putting this program together, these guys are all out there working in tough times right now. It makes me very proud to be a part of this program."

Keselowski dominated, leading all but 27 laps on his way to victory.

"I think that car was spectacular," said second-place finisher Carl Edwards, who briefly held a late lead before Keselowsi pulled ahead for the last time. "He did a good job, too. I thought we were going to have a chance to race there pretty hard at the end, but once he got by me I couldn't do anything."

Keselowski, the Sprint Cup winner at the track in June, fell behind Edwards after a late caution, but pulled ahead with 11 laps to go and won by 2.795 seconds. Elliott Sadler was third, followed by Paul Menard, points leader Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Kevin Harvick, Joey Logano, Brian Vickers, Trevor Bayne and Ryan Truex.

Keselowski, a four-time winner this year, only lost the lead twice over the course of the race, each time regaining it within 10 laps.

"You couldn't ask for more, that's for sure," he said. "This car was just hauling the mail. We have fast cars, good pit stops, all these things. Just an awesome day, very special. I wish I could have cars like this all the time."

Harvick's top-10 finish came after a day filled with repairs. He twice had to take his car behind the wall so his crew could fix the splitter.

"I don't know if I could be any prouder," Harvick said.

With the third-place finish, Sadler narrowed Stenhouse's lead in the standings to 20 points with four races to go. Still, the points leader was happy to finish in the top five after struggling on pit road.

"I stalled it once, got a penalty for speeding and had a slow stop," Stenhouse said. "To still come back and run top five is not too bad."

Reed Sorenson, who lost his ride with Turner Motorsports earlier this week despite sitting third in the standings, finished 26th in MacDonald Motorsports' second car and fell 70 points behind Stenhouse.

Edwards' second-place finish in Roush Fenway's No. 60 Ford narrowed the owner's points standings as well. The No. 60 trails Joe Gibbs Racing's No. 18 Toyota by seven points, after coming into the race down by 13. Logano drove the No. 18 on Saturday.

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SPORTS - Jones, D TDs lift No. 3 OU past No. 11 Texas 55-17 (AP)

SPORTS - Jones, D TDs lift No. 3 OU past No. 11 Texas 55-17 (AP)

AP – Oklahoma's Travis Lewis (12) dons the golden sombrero and celebrates after beating Texas 55-17 in an …

By JAIME ARON, AP Sports Writer Jaime Aron, Ap Sports Writer – Sat Oct 8, 6:04 pm ET

DALLAS – Travis Lewis took the Golden Hat trophy and treated it like a real hat, holding it to his head as he trotted along the field, waving to the thousands of Oklahoma fans still in their seats. When he got to the section where friends and family were sitting, Lewis walked alongside the railing, holding out the trophy for folks to touch.

So many people starred in this resounding victory that it only made sense for plenty of people to take part in the celebration.

Landry Jones threw three touchdown passes, Dominique Whaley ran 64 yards for a touchdown and three defensive players found their way into the end zone, too, powering No. 3 Oklahoma to a 55-17 victory over No. 11 Texas on Saturday — the kind of whipping that could help the Sooners return to the top of the poll.

OU was No. 1 from the preseason until two weeks ago. The Sooners slipped to second after struggling at home against Missouri, then to third even after whipping lowly Ball State. Voters were more impressed by what they saw from SEC heavyweights LSU and Alabama.

This performance, however, showed that Oklahoma is as good as folks originally thought.

The Sooners (5-0, 2-0 Big 12) were precise on offense and swarming on defense. They scored the first four times they had the ball and cruised to leads of 24 at halftime and 45 midway through the fourth quarter. Texas' only touchdown on offense came in the final minutes, long after Oklahoma was on its way to the most lopsided win over its Red River rival since 2003, when it won by a series-record 52 points.

"It was an excellent day," OU coach Bob Stoops said. "To come down in here in this situation and win like that is really pretty special."

Jones was 31 of 50 for 367 yards and no turnovers. He improved to 2-0 against the Longhorns, and gave Oklahoma its third win over Texas in five years.

Oklahoma's most impressive feat was the three defensive touchdowns: an interception returned 55 yards from Demontre Hurst, a sack-fumble returned 19 yards by David King and a vicious strip of a receiver taken 56 yards by Jamell Fleming . It was the first time in the school's long, proud history that its defense has scored three times in one game, and only the second time a pair of fumbles were returned for TDs. Oklahoma matched another school record with eight sacks.

"To me there is nothing more fun than a defensive touchdown when you're on that side of it," Stoops said.

Here's yet another nice bit of history for Sooners to savor: this win pushed Oklahoma ahead of Texas for the fourth-best winning percentage among major colleges. Only Michigan, Notre Dame and Ohio State are better. The Longhorns actually slipped from third to fifth.

Texas (4-1, 1-1) was trying to figure out how far it's come since being 5-7 last season. Now coach Mack Brown's knows his squad still has a ways to go, especially on offense.

Sophomore Case McCoy and freshman David Ash had their share of rookie mistakes at quarterback, such as McCoy losing two fumbles and Ash throwing two interceptions. Receiver Mike Davis was to blame for the pickpocket fumble.

The two times Oklahoma didn't immediately score on those turnovers, the Sooners still cashed them in for points, getting a field goal and a touchdown on the ensuing drives.

"You don't give yourself a chance to win," Brown said.

With the Sooners swarming running plays and getting heavy pressure on passes, McCoy and Ash couldn't keep drives going. The longest completions before the game turned into a joke were a screen for 15 yards and an 18-yarder along the sideline against a prevent defense in the final seconds of the first half.

How silly did it become? Late in the third quarter, Texas let a first-and-10 at the Oklahoma 15 turn into a fourth-and-49 from its own 47. The ensuing punt didn't even reach the first-down marker.

"You learn so much from a loss like this," Ash said. "You learn what it takes to play at the level Oklahoma plays. They're a great team. It's great to get exposed to that. We're a young team. The great thing is we have so much potential to become a really great team."

The Sooners were so ready for the Longhorns that they let them know it before kickoff. Oklahoma players lined up between the 30s and hollered at Texas players as they ran onto the field. Coaches and officials scrambled to maintain peace.

OU drove inside the Texas 10 on its first two series, but settled for field goals of 26 and 24 yards, seemingly bothered by the noise at the end of the field occupied by Texas fans. The Sooners moved into the friendly end for the start of the second quarter and, on the first play, Jones threw a 19-yard touchdown pass to Kenny Stills.

Oklahoma got the ball back on an interception by Tony Jefferson, a defensive back who picked off passes on three consecutive series against Ball State. Jones threaded a 30-yard pass between two defenders on a third-and-25, then hit Ryan Broyles with a 5-yard pass just inside the right front corner of the end zone.

The play had to be reviewed, and Oklahoma fans used the break to start chanting "Boomer! Sooner!" Longhorns fans answered with their chant "Texas! Fight!" Their cries lasted longer and were louder than their foe's, only to end with the news that the touchdown stood.

Texas fans were hardly heard from again. Once Oklahoma got its third defensive score — the strip of Davis with 11:22 left — most folks in burnt orange headed out to drown their sorrows at the State Fair going on all around the Cotton Bowl.

Jones was 31 of 50 for 367 yards and no turnovers. He improved to 2-0 against the Longhorns, and gave Oklahoma its third win over Texas in five years.

Broyles caught nine passes for 122 yards, leaving him four receptions shy of the NCAA career record. He also tied a conference record with his 42nd career TD catch. Stills caught five passes for 51 yards and two touchdowns.

Whaley ran for 83 yards on 13 carries.

McCoy was 9 of 16 for 116 yards and three sacks. Ash was 11 of 20 for 107 yards and a touchdown with two interceptions and four sacks. Jaxon Shipley caught nine passes for 89 yards, including a 4-yard TD pass from Ash with 2:31 left. He took one snap at quarterback and was sacked.

Fozzy Whitaker had the 100-yard kickoff return for a touchdown, tying the school record. He also ran for 43 yards and caught a pass for 15.

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SPORTS - APNewsBreak: Liukin says she's going for London (AP)

SPORTS - APNewsBreak: Liukin says she's going for London (AP)

AP – FILE - In this Aug. 18, 2008, file photo, U.S. gymnast Nastia Liukin performs at the uneven bars during …

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By NANCY ARMOUR, AP National Writer Nancy Armour, Ap National Writer – Sat Oct 8, 3:35 pm ET

TOKYO – Olympic champion Nastia Liukin is done being a spectator.

The gold medalist told The Associated Press on Saturday that she has resumed training in hopes of making the U.S. team for next summer's London Olympics. She plans to focus on uneven bars and balance beam, her best events, and isn't ruling out floor exercise.

Liukin has taken most of the last three years off since the Beijing Olympics.

"I don't know what's going to happen. But I want to go out there at the end of 2012 knowing I did everything I could and not have any regrets," Liukin told the AP. "I know it's definitely going to be a push and I know there are going to be days when I'm struggling and thinking, 'Why am I doing this?' But because of the passion burning inside of me, I think I just owe it to myself to see if I can do this."

Liukin, only the third U.S. woman to win the Olympic title, always left the door open to a comeback. But a hectic schedule of personal appearances, commercial opportunities and obligations as the International Gymnastics Federation's athlete representative made it hard to train on a regular basis, and she wasn't sure as recently as earlier this summer if she wanted to make the commitment another Olympic bid will take.

Even at previous gymnastics meets, she was conflicted at the prospect of competing again. Within the last two months, however, something changed and Liukin realized she still had that competitive spark.

"I feel happier," she said of her decision. "I haven't felt this happy with my life personally and my career in a few years now. When you feel that way, you feel like you're making the right decision — whatever happens."

She has been working out at Waseda University while at worlds, and will start two-a-day workouts when she returns home to Dallas. She is targeting the CoverGirl Classic next spring for her return to competition.

"The past few world championships, I haven't gone out of my way to wake up at 5 in the morning to get in a run or do stuff. I would kind of blow it off. `Whatever. If I have time,'" Liukin said. "But now I'm going out of my way every single day to either wake up early or stay up later or drive 40 minutes to go work out for a few hours. That's the commitment it takes."

Liukin is the gymnastics equivalent of royalty, the daughter of a double Olympic gold medalist and a world champion in rhythmic gymnastics. She combines her mother's elegance and grace and her father's athleticism and steely nerves, and she left the Beijing Games with five medals. Along with her all-around gold, she won silvers in the team competition, uneven bars and balance beam, and a bronze on floor exercise.

Beijing was the 20th anniversary of father Valeri's Olympic success with the then-Soviet Union, and Liukin said she always felt those games were her "destiny." London will be her choice, her dream.

"I feel really different. I feel like a new person this go-round," she said. "... Everything is so different for me now, but I'm 100 percent committed to trying to make this dream of mine come true."

And Liukin said her father, who is also her coach, is on board — even if he may not have been initially.

Liukin said she began dropping hints to her father earlier in the summer, and his reaction at first was to say how glad he was that his only child was done competing. But he realized she was serious about a comeback when he saw her at the gym day after day after day, without any prompting from him.

And when he saw Liukin start working on uneven bars again, he created another "crazy" uneven bars routine for her. Liukin had one of the most difficult uneven bars routines in the world in 2008, and she and China's He Kexin tied in the event finals in Beijing, with He getting the gold on a tiebreak.

"Actions speak much louder than words and I think by showing him I was committed and I was going to gym every day and he didn't have to push me and he didn't have to make me do that, made him believe in it," Liukin said. "He was like, 'I really think you can do this but you have to figure it out, you have to give 100 percent.'"

Though she is appearing at the Skating and Gymnastics Spectacular later this month in Moline, Ill., she's curtailed her travel schedule beyond that.

Liukin hasn't told national team coordinator Martha Karolyi officially that she's coming back — she wanted to wait until worlds are over — but her announcement isn't likely to come as a surprise. When Liukin was at the world selection camp last month — she was on the selection committee — Karolyi walked in while Liukin was working on uneven bars one day.

Bars is the Americans' weakest event, and Liukin's return would give them a huge boost.

Not that Liukin is assuming anything.

"There's nothing guaranteed," she said. "The only promise that I can make is to give 100 percent and see where it takes me."

___

Nancy Armour can be reached at http://www.twitter.com/nrarmour

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SPORTS - Boxer Bradley poised for stardom with Top Rank (AP)

SPORTS - Boxer Bradley poised for stardom with Top Rank (AP)

AP – FILE - This Aug. 1, 2009 file photo shows Timothy Bradley celebrating a TKO over Nate Campbell after …

By GREG BEACHAM, AP Sports Writer Greg Beacham, Ap Sports Writer – Fri Oct 7, 4:10 pm ET

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. – Timothy Bradley decided he needed new promoters while driving through the deserted streets of frigid Detroit in a rented van last January.

The undefeated 140-pound champion from the California desert couldn't fathom why he had to defend his title in Michigan's dilapidated, cavernous Silverdome in the dead of winter. He also couldn't understand why his opponent, Devon Alexander, was rolling in a limousine.

"Not that those things matter, but I didn't feel like a champion," Bradley said.

Eight months later, Bradley (27-0, 11 KOs) has joined industry leader Top Rank, which believes the personable Palm Springs brawler should be a superstar.

He'll fight veteran Joel Casamayor on Nov. 12 on the undercard of Manny Pacquiao's third fight with Juan Manuel Marquez in Las Vegas. He's widely expected to be Pacquiao's next opponent if Floyd Mayweather Jr. again refuses the bout.

Top Rank hasn't promised a Pacquiao fight to Bradley. Chairman Bob Arum says he has never mentioned Bradley's name to the Filipino pound-for-pound king. The potential superbout with Mayweather will always be Pacquiao's first choice, but a meeting with Bradley is moving up the list.

"We didn't sign Tim based on baloney, based on false promises," Arum said. "(But) if the stars are aligned, that's the fight we'd be inclined to make."

Bradley insists he didn't move to Top Rank just to get Pacquiao, and it's not tough to believe him. The 28-year-old veteran rose from Southern California's hotel ballrooms and Indian casinos to the heights of the competitive 140-pound division, but he has only a fraction of his peers' fame and fortune.

"It's been a little frustrating, because I see other fighters, and they're shining," Bradley said. "I was always told to go at my pace and not worry about what other fighters do, but it's hard not to. I've seen this promotional company, how they build their fighters from the ground up, and I want to be a part of that."

Bradley appeared both relaxed and eager while speaking over lunch at the exclusive Polo Lounge at the Beverly Hills Hotel. Arum and President Todd duBoef rented out the back room of the restaurant to welcome Bradley to Top Rank, already fulfilling their vow to expose Bradley to the finest things in boxing.

Yet Bradley isn't just about the money. He surprised many by turning down a $1.4 million payday for a fight with British champion Amir Khan this summer, believing the bout wouldn't help his career.

Bradley also was determined to leave promoters Gary Shaw and Ted Thompson. On top of the Detroit debacle, Bradley's manager, Cameron Dunkin, is embroiled in a feud with Shaw. Bradley wanted a fresh start, and though there's still some legal wrangling left to do, he's free to move on with his career.

When Dunkin called, Top Rank seized the chance to add another champion to its stable. DuBoef believes Bradley has both ingredients necessary for a star — ability and marketability.

"People will like him," Arum said. "People will follow him. People will root for him."

Although Bradley is unbeaten, his entertainment value as a fighter has been questioned. He hasn't knocked out any of his last nine opponents since April 2007. His bruising style often leads to ugly fights, such as his technical-decision victory over Alexander when an accidental head-butt — another common theme in Bradley's fights — opened a cut over Alexander's eye.

Bradley's decision to pass on a fight with Khan also surprised many boxing observers, because Bradley has never been a fighter who backed down from a challenge. He traveled to England to win his first title, beating Junior Witter in a split decision in Nottingham in May 2008, and he beat Kendall Holt for the WBO belt in Montreal 11 months later.

Bradley said he stayed in excellent shape while on hiatus with multiple workouts every week. He didn't eat at the Polo Lounge, preferring to stay on his diet while sitting with his wife, Monica, and their newborn daughter.

"I just can't wait to get to work," Bradley said. "I feel like I've got a fresh start."

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SPORTS - Baird next in line to end long winless streak (AP)

SPORTS - Baird next in line to end long winless streak (AP)

AP – Ernie Els, of South Africa, hits off the sixth tee during the third round of the Frys.Com Open golf tournament …

By DOUG FERGUSON, AP Golf Writer Doug Ferguson, Ap Golf Writer – Sat Oct 8, 9:40 pm ET

SAN MARTIN, Calif. – Ernie Els has won 62 times around the world, three of them major championships. And while his last one came more than 18 months ago, he's certain he hasn't forgotten how to win.

Paul Casey has 13 wins in his career, including last week in South Korea.

Both of them were two shots out of the lead Saturday in the Frys.com Open, having to chase a guy who has never won at all.

Briny Baird doesn't see that as a big disadvantage.

"It's got to be good," Baird said after a 7-under 64 made him the outright 54-hole leader for the first time in his PGA Tour career. "I'll ask them what they're thinking on every hole. I'd get some really good answers, and it would probably drive them insane."

Truth is, Baird wasn't sure what to think.

All that mattered on his gorgeous day at CordeValle was that he felt comfortable with his game, especially when standing on the 17th tee box, 294 yards from the flag over the water. He picked out a line toward the left of the green and pulled off the perfect shot, the ball rolling down the backboard to 15 feet to set up an eagle.

Despite hitting into the hazard for a bogey on the last hole, he was in foreign territory — atop the leaderboard.

It was only the third time that Baird, who was at 13-under 200, has been atop the leaderboard going into the final round on the PGA Tour, and the first time since he was tied after 54 holes at Disney seven years ago. He has never won in 357 previous attempts over 12 seasons, which was pointed out to him not long after he finished his round.

So how does he approach this opportunity?

"Whatever I thought about the other times, throw that out the window," Baird said. "At Disney, I just played so-so. Unless you have an eight-shot lead, so-so is not going to cut it. If I can feel tomorrow like I did today ... of course, if I knew how to do that, I'd be something."

Mediocre play most likely won't cut it at the Frys.com Open.

Even as Els settled into disappointing pars on the easier holes down the stretch, and Casey kept in the hunt throughout most of the sunny day along the vineyards at CordeValle, there were plenty of other players lining up behind them.

Tiger Woods wasn't among them.

Woods played steadily again for a 3-under 68, although that wasn't enough on this day. It was the first time since his season-opening start at Torrey Pines that Woods posted consecutive rounds under 70. Even so, he was nine shots behind in a tie for 38th.

"It's getting better," said Woods, playing for the first time in seven weeks. "I'm improving day by day, which is good. Obviously, tomorrow I need to improve a lot and make putts and post a really low one."

Els had a two-shot lead when he blistered a 5-wood out of the first cut of rough on the par-5 ninth and barely cleared the water to set up a short eagle putt. But he three-putted for bogey on the 10th, and that took away his moment.

He had to settle for a 67, while Casey recovered from his tee shot into the hazard for par and a 68.

Adam Hadwin, the Canadian who contended at his national open in July, was 5 under in a five-hole stretch on the back nine for a 64 that put him at 10-under 203 with a large group that included Charlie Wi (64), Bryce Molder (65) and 21-year-old Bud Cauley, who left Alabama to turn pro. Walking along side Els — the Big Easy looked like a giant — Cauley held his own with a 68.

Woods said he figured the conditions would allow for a 62 or 63. He probably didn't think it would come from Jim Renner, who made the cut on the number Saturday morning when the fog-delayed second round was completed, then shot 62 and is five shots behind.

A week ago in Las Vegas, Kevin Na ended an 0-for-210 drought on the PGA Tour by winning for the first time. Baird has that beat by miles, and his $11.9 million in career earnings is the most of anyone without a tour win.

Baird didn't take any inspiration out of Na finally breaking through, just as it didn't move him when Harrison Frazar finally won this year in Memphis and Tim Clark cashed in at The Players Championship a year ago.

"I don't look at it and say, 'If he can do it, I can do it.' My world is not going to come to an end if I play well and win the golf tournament. It's more of a bucket list," Baird said.

Els hasn't had a top 10 all year, and he only added this Fall Series event to work on his game, work out of this slump, and try to get more comfortable with the belly putter. It helps, too, that Hasso Plattner owns CordeValle. Plattner also is a founder of SAP, one of Els' primary corporate sponsors.

"Sometimes you've got to listen to the boss," Els said, laughing. "He's a good friend. It's a good golf course. I'm glad I'm here."

Els has been around long enough — and has won enough — that he hasn't forgotten how. Casey found that out himself last week when he won on the Korean Golf Tour.

They will be in the last group with Baird, who still doesn't know that feeling of winning.

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SPORTS - NHL Capsules (AP)

SPORTS - NHL Capsules (AP)

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By The Associated Press The Associated Press – 28 mins ago

DENVER – Johan Franzen broke a tie in the second period, Ty Conklin stopped 29 shots and the Detroit Red Wings beat Colorado 3-0 on Saturday to spoil a night in which the Avalanche retired the jersey of Peter Forsberg.

Henrik Zetterberg scored in the third period and Pavel Datsyuk added a late empty-net goal for the Red Wings, who showed no signs of fatigue playing in the second game of a back-to-back to begin the season.

Conklin was sensational in net as he filled in for Jimmy Howard, who played the night before in Detroit's win over Ottawa. It was Conklin's first shutout since last February.

Semyon Varlamov made 36 saves in his Avalanche debut.

In a pregame ceremony, the Avs raised a banner with Forsberg's name and number to the Pepsi Center rafters, where it will hang alongside those of Joe Sakic (19), Patrick Roy (33) and Ray Bourque (77).

Ducks 2, Rangers 1, SO

STOCKHOLM (AP) — Bobby Ryan scored the only goal in a shootout and the Anaheim Ducks offset New York goalie Henrik Lundqvist's spectacular play to beat the Rangers.

Andrew Cogliano opened the scoring for the Ducks midway through the first period, and Brad Richards tied it with 2:15 left in the third period.

Lundqvist, from Sweden, kept the Rangers close and rewarded the sellout crowd with an outstanding game in the net, stopping 27 of 28 shots. Jonas Hiller made 14 saves for Anaheim.

Both teams opened the season with losses Friday night. Buffalo beat Anaheim 4-1 in Helsinki, and Los Angeles topped New York 3-2 in overtime in Stockholm.

Sabres 4, Kings 2

BERLIN (AP) — Luke Adam scored twice in a 2:20 span early in the second period to help Buffalo beat Los Angeles in the first NHL game in Germany.

Paul Gaustad and Drew Stafford also scored, Ryan Miller made 31 saves, and Austrian star Thomas Vanek had two assists for Buffalo. Anze Kopitar scored twice for Los Angeles. He had a goal and an assist Friday night in the Kings' overtime victory over the New York Rangers in Stockholm.

Bruins 4, Lightning 1

BOSTON (AP) — Rich Peverley scored twice and Brad Marchand assisted on both to lead Boston over Tampa Bay and give the Stanley Cup champions its first win this season.

Tim Thomas made 25 saves for the Bruins in the rematch of the Eastern Conference finals. Boston won that series — with Thomas posting a 1-0 shutout in Game 7 — and went on to earn its first NHL title since 1972.

Tyler Seguin also had a pair of assists for Boston, which raised its sixth championship banner on Thursday night before losing to the Philadelphia Flyers 2-1.

Martin St. Louis scored for the Lightning, and Mathieu Garon stopped 38 shots.

Maple Leafs 6, Senators 5

TORONTO (AP) — Phil Kessel had three goals and an assist and Toronto held off Ottawa for its second victory in two games this season.

Joffrey Lupul had a goal and two assists, Mikhail Grabovski and Colton Orr also scored, and James Reimer made 27 saves for Toronto, which led 5-1 midway through the third period.

Daniel Alfredsson scored twice for the Senators, coming off a 5-3 loss in Detroit on Friday night. Colin Greening, Jason Spezza and Stephane Da Costa, with his first in NHL goal, also scored, and Erik Karlsson had three assists.

Alex Auld took the loss in relief for Ottawa after allowing two goals in the third period. Craig Anderson started and gave up four goals on 20 shots through two periods.

Capitals 4, Hurricanes 3, OT

WASHINGTON (AP) — Mike Green scored a power-play goal 2:24 into overtime and Washington won its 10th straight home opener.

Green's drive from the top of the right circle trickled between goaltender Brian Boucher's legs for the Capitals, who haven't lost their first regular season game at home since Oct. 6, 2000, against the Los Angeles Kings.

Alexander Semin and Jason Chimera scored second-period goals for the Capitals, and Brooks Laich tallied in the third period.

Michal Neuvirth had 28 saves for Washington as the surprise starter over veteran free agent signing Tomas Vokoun.

Eric Staal had a pair of power-play goals for Carolina, and Jussi Jokinen sent the game to overtime with a late goal. Brian Boucher made 32 saves for the Hurricanes.

Flyers 3, Devils 0

NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — Ilya Bryzgalov made 20 saves and Philadelphia spoiled another home opener with a win over New Jersey.

The Flyers started the season on Thursday with a 2-1 win over the defending Stanley Cup champion Bruins in Boston. Philadelphia improved to 2-0 with the victory at the Prudential Center.

Claude Giroux, Matt Read and Wayne Simmonds provided the goals to support Bryzgalov.

The Flyers win spoiled Peter DeBoer's debut as Devils coach. Martin Brodeur made 26 saves for New Jersey.

Sharks 6, Coyotes 3

SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) — Joe Pavelski and Andrew Desjardins scored two goals apiece and San Jose used its highest scoring season opener ever to beat Phoenix.

Newcomer Michal Handzus and Ryane Clowe also scored and Patrick Marleau had two assists for the Sharks, who jumped on the Coyotes from the start and finished with 52 shots on goal.

San Jose's first four goals came from four different lines to spoil Mike Smith's debut as Phoenix goalie. Acquired in the offseason to help replace Ilya Bryzgalov, Smith allowed six goals in the first two periods.

Shane Doan scored two power-play goals and Oliver Ekman-Larsson also scored on the man advantage for the Coyotes.

Penguins 5, Flames 3

CALGARY, Alberta (AP) — Evgeni Malkin, Craig Adams and Tyler Kennedy scored to lead Pittsburgh over Calgary.

Defenseman Matt Niskanen had a goal and an assist for Pittsburgh, which improved to 2-0 on the season and on their Western Canadian tour.

Jordan Staal added an empty-net goal for the Penguins.

Curtis Glencross, Rene Bourque and Olli Jokinen scored for the Flames in Calgary's first game of the season.

Wild 4, Blue Jackets 2

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Dany Heatley didn't take long to make an impact for Minnesota, giving his new team a power-play goal and an assist in a season-opening victory over Columbus.

Heatley, acquired in a summer trade with San Jose, gave the Wild a 3-0 lead when he one-timed a pass threaded into slot traffic by Pierre-Marc Bouchard midway through the second period, drawing the loudest cheer of the night from the sellout crowd of 19,040.

After a defensive lapse later in that frame, when Derek Dorsett beat him to the crease and found Aaron Johnson's rebound to knock in the puck for the first score for the Blue Jackets, Heatley responded less than a minute later. He zipped a perfect cross-ice pass to Devin Setoguchi, another key acquisition from the Sharks, for a textbook two-on-one goal and a 4-1 Wild lead.

Defenseman Marco Scandella scored his first career goal on a power play in the first period after Matt Cullen put the Wild on the board just 70 seconds into their season.

Wild goalie Niklas Backstrom made 29 saves, letting in a late rebound goal by Maksim Mayorov, but the Blue Jackets misfired often on their best scoring chances. R.J. Umberger's backhander on an open net in the second period hit the post.

Predators 4, Blues 2

ST. LOUIS (AP) — David Legwand had two goals and two assists as the Nashville Predators ended a lengthy scoring slump against Jaroslav Halak with a victory that spoiled St. Louis' opener.

Kevin Klein got the go-ahead goal at 13:14 of the third, less than a minute after Jason Arnott tied it only four seconds into a tripping penalty call on Cal O'Reilly. Legwand added an empty-netter.

Pekka Rinne was strong in net and Craig Smith had a goal and two assists for the Predators, starting the season strong with a pair of road victories on consecutive nights coming off their first appearance in the Western Conference semifinals. They won despite getting outshot 33-16, scoring three times on just five shots in the third.

Patrik Berglund also scored for the Blues.

Blackhawks 5, Stars 2

CHICAGO (AP) — Dave Bolland scored two goals while Andrew Brunette, Jonathan Toews and Patrick Sharp each had one to lead Chicago over Dallas.

Vernon Fiddler and Steve Ott scored for the Stars, who were outplayed for most of the game by the energized Blackhawks before a crowd of 21,674.

Chicago ended a four-game losing streak against Dallas by taking the second contest of a home-and-home set. The Stars had won 2-1 Friday night in Dallas in both clubs' season openers.

Chicago's Corey Crawford made 19 saves.

Dallas' Andrew Raycroft stopped 26 shots.

Panthers 2, Islanders 0

UNIONDALE, N.Y. (AP) — Stephen Weiss and Jason Garrison scored and Jose Theodore made 27 saves to lead Florida over New York.

Brian Campbell added two assists as the Panthers won in Kevin Dineen's first game as an NHL head coach. Theodore's shutout was the 31st of his career.

Al Montoya got the start in net for the Islanders and finished with 27 saves for New York.

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SPORTS - Cyclist Eijssen injured in 'freak accident' (AP)

SPORTS - Cyclist Eijssen injured in 'freak accident' (AP)

AP – Yannick Eijssen from team BMC rides past the sculptures of cyclists before the start of time trials of …

– Fri Oct 7, 10:21 am ET

BEIJING – Belgian cyclist Yannick Eijssen has been forced out of the Tour of Beijing after an accident apparently caused by a billboard loosened by a low flying helicopter.

The accident occurred during the third stage of the race Friday around the Chinese capital.

The 22-year-old Eijssen, who rides for the BMC Racing team, suffered a fracture to a small bone beneath his nose in what race organizers called a "freak accident."

A notice on the event's official website said organizers were investigating reports that a television helicopter forced billboards on to the course. A television motorcycle was also involved in the accident, but no other riders were affected.

The race ends Sunday at the Bird's Nest stadium in northern Beijing.

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SPORTS - Martinez leads No. 14 Nebraska to big comeback (AP)

SPORTS - Martinez leads No. 14 Nebraska to big comeback (AP)

AP – Ohio State quarterback Braxton Miller, left, fakes a handoff to Jordan Hall (7) during the first half …

By ERIC OLSON, AP Sports Writer Eric Olson, Ap Sports Writer – 51 mins ago

LINCOLN, Neb. – The fans who criticized Taylor Martinez all week and booed him before halftime were cheering wildly for him by the end of the biggest comeback in Nebraska history.

Martinez ran for a touchdown and passed for two others while bringing No. 14 Nebraska back from a 21-point second-half deficit, and the Cornhuskers defeated Ohio State 34-27 Saturday night in the first Big Ten game at Memorial Stadium.

Rex Burkhead scored the go-ahead touchdown on a 17-yard run with 5:10 left.

"Everyone wants to doubt him. Whatever," coach Bo Pelini said of his sophomore quarterback. "You guys can choose to write whatever you want and attack him like the fans will, and now they'll praise him."

Ohio State (3-3, 0-2 Big Ten) built a 27-6 lead behind freshman quarterback Braxton Miller, who sprained his right ankle in the third quarter and did not return. The Buckeyes' offense went dormant with backup Joe Bauserman.

Miller ran for 91 yards and went 5 of 8 passing for 95 yards before he got hurt. Bauserman completed only one of his 10 passes the rest of the way.

Huskers star linebacker Lavonte David stripped the ball from Miller in the middle of third quarter to start the rally.

"That was a game-changing play," Pelini said. "That was a huge play in the football game. He's been doing it since he got here. He's a heck of a football player."

Then Martinez took over. He ran 18 yards for a touchdown, threw a 36-yard TD pass to Quincy Enunwa and tied it with a 30-yard catch-and-run to Burkhead after Stanley Jean-Baptiste intercepted Bauserman in his first game at cornerback after moving from receiver.

Martinez ran for 102 yards and was 16 of 22 passing for 191 yards for Nebraska (5-1, 1-1). Burkhead ran 26 times for 119 yards.

Carlos Hyde led the Buckeyes with 104 yards rushing.

The biggest deficit Nebraska had overcome previously was 17 points, most recently against Texas A&M in 2002.

Martinez's performance was timely.

He lashed out Monday at fans and media who ripped him for throwing three interceptions in last week's 48-17 loss at Wisconsin, and teammates lined up to defend him.

When he threw an interception late in the second quarter, boos cut through the rain at Memorial Stadium.

"He kept fighting," Pelini said. "He led the team, and I was proud of how we played. That's why he's the starting quarterback right now."

After time ran out, Martinez flipped the ball to the referee and fullback Tyler Legate embraced Martinez and then picked him up and carried him around.

"He was having fun, that's for sure," center Mike Caputo said. "Taylor was smiling and confident. He kept coming up to the offensive line and saying we're going to win this game when we were down a couple touchdowns. His confidence was really high."

Martinez said he didn't care about the criticism he received during the week and that he didn't know if Saturday's game was his best performance as a collegian.

"If you say so," he said. "You'll write what you want."

For Ohio State, the loss marked a painful end to yet another painful week. On Friday, the NCAA suspended wide receiver DeVier Posey for five more games and three other Buckeyes for one game for taking too much money for a summer job.

Offensive lineman Marcus Hall, defensive lineman Melvin Fellows and last year's leading rusher, Daniel Herron, also missed Saturday's game. They also must repay benefits after receiving pay for summer work not performed for a booster.

"We've got to get a few stops on defense," Ohio State coach Luke Fickell said. "That's what it comes down to. We've just got to do a better job. I'm sure there are lessons out there. We've got to figure out what they are and grow from them. That's part of football, part of life."

An upset looked to be brewing in the first half, and the Buckeyes' momentum continued to roll when Hyde scored from a yard out to give Ohio State a 27-6 lead early in the third quarter.

David, who made 13 tackles, changed the game with his biggest play of the night. As Miller fought for yards up the middle, he stuck his arms in and pulled the ball away from the quarterback.

Martinez scored two plays later, going untouched up the middle on a zone read to pull the Huskers to 27-13.

The Buckeyes did a good job containing Martinez in the first half, but the sophomore broke loose for 93 yards on the ground after halftime.

Martinez's passing and decision-making had been skewered after the loss at Wisconsin, but he threw a perfect strike to Enunwa to pull the Huskers within a touchdown. Martinez freelanced in the backfield before dumping off to Burkhead, who dodged a tackler and went 30 yards for the tying touchdown with 7:35 left.

"I had to get around that guy," Martinez said. "I got the ball to Rex, and he did a great job juking that guy."

C.J. Barnett was called for a facemask on Martinez during the Huskers' winning drive, and Burkhead ran for 22 yards before he broke free for the go-ahead score.

"That was crazy," Burkhead said. "That was an unbelievable win all the way around and it feels good."

The feeling was exactly the opposite in the Ohio State locker room.

"I've never been a part of anything like that," linebacker Andrew Sweat said. "I don't know what the magical answer is. We just didn't get the job done. It's disheartening to give up that many points and give up a win when it was so close."

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SPORTS - Wade, James get to play in Miami again (AP)

SPORTS - Wade, James get to play in Miami again (AP)

AP – Miami Heat's LeBron James stretches during the first half of the South Florida All-Star Classic NBA basketball …

By TIM REYNOLDS, AP Sports Writer Tim Reynolds, Ap Sports Writer – 1 hr 13 mins ago

MIAMI – Dwyane Wade treated Saturday like a normal game day. Pregame meal, massage, long shooting workout on the court more than two hours before tip-off.

When he'll do all that again remains anyone's guess.

Wade and Heat teammates LeBron James and Chris Bosh were among the headliners Saturday night in the South Florida All-Star Classic, an exhibition game featuring nine NBA All-Stars at Florida International. On the 100th day since the NBA lockout was announced — and with Commissioner David Stern having said the first two weeks of the regular season may be canceled as early as Monday — fans and players were both jittery over the immediate future.

"This is very unfortunate, this situation, to be in when you have two sides that at the end of the day have the same goal, just two different ways of getting there," Wade said in an interview with The Associated Press. "We both want to grow this game. We both want the NBA to be as good as it can. We want everyone to succeed. But we both have two different ways of getting there.

"To know that you're close but you're so far away is sad in a sense," Wade added. "But that's the nature of business. The only thing we can do is keep plugging at it."

A person familiar with the situation told The AP that Wade called an hourlong meeting with players after the FIU game to discuss the lockout. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because talks were to remain private, saying Wade, Chris Paul and Miami Heat player representative James Jones answered questions about the status of negotations. The person also said Wade has taken "a more active role" in talks about a new labor deal of late and that he urged players to be "informed rather than accept any deal."

That would explain why plans for the NBA players' association to hold a regional meeting in Miami sometime over the weekend never materialized. Wade was heavily involved in trying to make a Sunday meeting happen, but several players had travel schedules calling for them to leave Miami before that session could take place.

Before that postgame meeting, Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony offered a blunt assessment: He expects the NBA to cancel games soon.

"They're going to cancel the first two weeks of the season," Anthony said. "We'll see what happens then. If they want to lock us out, lock us out. We're going to stick together."

James and Wade said this game wasn't about the lockout, but about fans. That's why the Heat duo were able to secure commitments from stars like Anthony, Paul, Amare Stoudemire, Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, Rajon Rondo, Rudy Gay and a slew of other NBA players.

"We'll play any day, any time," said James, who organized much of the game. "That's why we're here tonight, giving back to our fans and what they deserve and letting them know that no matter what's going on with our situation, we're going to play the game and play at a high level."

Oh, that they did — and from the way they banged bodies around, argued over calls and scrapped on just about every possession, the outcome very much mattered to the guys on the floor.

Wade made two free throws with 3.2 seconds left to seal his team's 141-140 victory — a game made closer by James swishing a half-court jumper as time expired. Anthony's deep 3-pointer for Team Wade with 2 seconds left in regulation sent the teams to overtime knotted at 127.

On Friday, word came that a late attempt to get the two sides together broke down when the NBA wouldn't move off a 50-50 revenue split with players. Players were guaranteed 57 percent of basketball-related income under the previous collective bargaining agreement and have proposed lowering it to 53 percent in a new deal, but that remaining 3 percent represents an unbridged gap of about $120 million.

The game at FIU, where Basketball Hall of Famer Isiah Thomas is a coach, sold out in less than two hours. Many fans stood for hours in drenching rain to get the best available seats in the gym on Saturday, "which shows what sort of fans we have here in Miami," Wade said. James tried to reward as many as possible with T-shirts and free samples of Sheets Energy Strips, a product he's heavily involved with.

"We are definitely in awe of their presence here tonight," Thomas said.

Thomas is a former president of the NBA players' association and while Wade, James and Bosh were getting questions about the prospects of regular-season games being wiped out, the former Detroit guard jumped to their defense.

"The players aren't canceling the game, so they shouldn't take the responsibility, nor should they have the fault of carrying the burden for canceling games," Thomas said. "They're willing and ready to play."

The gym was filled long before tip-off, fans filling the building all the way to the very top of the bleachers.

And they got the sort of show they sought, too.

Several charities benefitted from the game, notably Mary's Court, the foundation started in honor of Thomas' late mother which was able to donate $100,000 because of the game to a scholarship fund at FIU.

James and Durant went on a dunking exhibition in the third quarter, around the same time boxer Floyd Mayweather arrived to take a courtside seat amid some boos from fans, a nod to his hotly debated victory over Victor Ortiz last month.

Several players changed personal schedules to be there, and Paul — a former Wake Forest star — left immediately after the Demon Deacons' football win over Florida State on Saturday to catch a quick flight to Miami, arriving at the arena about 90 minutes before game time.

"That's the bond that we have for one another," James said. "Not only as teammates, but guys on other teams as well."

Many players wore Nike T-shirts before the game with the slogan "Basketball Never Stops," and most players had the letters BBNS — the acronym for that — on the backs of their jerseys, as has happened at the other major exhibitions players have been involved with in recent weeks. Players had hometowns, not their NBA teams, announced during the pregame introductions. For example, Wade was introduced to the Miami crowd as "Chicago's own, and your very own." Many of the basketballs on the rack were NBA ones, a half-dozen bearing the stamp "New York Knicks."

"Just pulling up and seeing the fans excited outside about the game of basketball just puts you in the right state of mind," Wade said.

___

Follow Tim Reynolds on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/ByTimReynolds

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SPORTS - Verlander washed away again; rain KOs ace in ALCS (AP)

SPORTS - Verlander washed away again; rain KOs ace in ALCS (AP)

AP – Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Justin Verlander walks back to the mound after giving up a home run to …

By JAIME ARON, AP Sports Writer Jaime Aron, Ap Sports Writer – 23 mins ago

ARLINGTON, Texas – Justin Verlander was washed out of another Game 1.

Scuffling through a wet postseason, the Detroit ace and likely AL Cy Young Award winner left a start early again Saturday night when a pair of rain delays prevented him from pitching more than four innings. He wound up the loser as the Tigers fell 3-2 to the Texas Rangers in the opener of the AL championship series.

Verlander wasn't his usual, dominant self. The Rangers scored twice in the second and got a solo homer in the fourth, matching the number of runs he'd allowed in all 21 previous innings he'd pitched at Rangers Ballpark.

He'd thrown only 82 pitches, though, when the first delay hit. After a 41-minute wait, the Tigers scored twice and had the bases loaded when more rain fell, delaying the game again for 1 hour, 9 minutes.

"When the original one hit he was actually coming back out," Tigers manager Jim Leyland. "When the second one came about, that was a no-brainer. I think that this was a little bit of a weird night, obviously, with the rain the way it was."

So Mother Nature knocked out Verlander, not the Rangers. It was the same thing in Game 1 of the AL division series, when he threw just 25 pitches against the Yankees before a storm hit. The game resumed without him the next day.

Verlander returned three days later for Game 3, which he won. Leyland resisted the temptation of bringing him back on short rest out of the bullpen in Game 5, and seemed to be rewarded with having him for this game.

Verlander gave up five hits and walked two. He also struck out five. He didn't have a single clean inning, with the Rangers reaching via hit or walk every frame.

Rick Porcello, Detroit's announced starter for Game 4, replaced Verlander and pitched two scoreless innings. A series of relievers shut down the Rangers the rest of the way, but the Tigers couldn't get anything going against Texas' bullpen, either.

"I guess it's a little weird Verlander was involved in both these rain situations," Lyland said. "And truthfully, we're going to go back when I get done with you guys and figure out what we'll do now with the pitching. We really haven't had time. We were trying to win the ballgame."

The game began under threatening skies, and Detroit got off to a promising start by loading the bases with one out against Texas starter C.J. Wilson. With Verlander ready to take the mound, the Tigers had to be feeling good knowing they were one hit from taking control.

Instead, Magglio Ordonez grounded into a double play.

"C.J. made a great pitch on Magglio, cut a fastball in and got him to ground it to third," Leyland said. "That was obviously a huge inning."

Verlander opened by walking leadoff hitter Ian Kinsler, only to see him thrown out stealing second base. Then Elvis Andrus lifted a fly to right-center and Austin Jackson dropped it. Andrus hustled the whole way and wound up at second.

After a two-out walk to Michael Young, Verlander got out of the jam when Adrian Beltre — who was coming off a three-homer game in the Rangers' clinching win over Tampa Bay — chased strike three.

Mike Napoli opened the second against Verlander with a single through the right side. Then David Murphy hit a ball to right-center that just kept carrying until it one-hopped the wall, turning into an RBI triple. A two-out single by Kinsler drove in Murphy for a 2-0 Texas lead.

Verlander gave up a two-out single to Beltre in the third, then in the fourth saw Nelson Cruz drive a pitch high and deep into the left-field seats.

The Rangers handed Verlander one of his five regular-season losses, although that came on April 11. He gave up just two runs in nine innings during that game, and hadn't faced them since. He was 3-0 at Rangers Ballpark, and 6-2 against them overall.

"His control was not very good. He didn't really have his curveball going for strikes," Leyland said. "He had a tough time with it. I think probably trying to overthrow it a little bit."

Verlander wouldn't have been on the hook for the loss if Detroit's hitters had come through a little more.

The Tigers wasted a bases-loaded chance in the first inning, and again in the fifth. After the second delay, which also ended Wilson's night, Alex Avila hit a weak grounder to second base off reliever Mike Gonzalez.

"That's not easy to come out after the rain delay and walk up there with the bases loaded and they bring in a new pitcher, a lefty," Leyland said. "He won the battle tonight. I have no problem with that. That's a tough situation for anybody."

Detroit's two runs came when Jackson hit an RBI double and scored on a wild pitch.

Alexi Ogando — who had all three of Texas' regular-season wins against Detroit, all as a starter — shut out the Tigers in the sixth and seventh to earn the win. Because Wilson didn't go five innings, the winning pitcher was at the discretion of the official scorer.

Detroit came into the game with its lineup weakened because of a strained oblique muscle that kept slugger Delmon Young off the series roster. Young hit three homers in the ALDS against the Yankees, a Tigers record for a postseason series, but was injured late in Game 5. He missed 19 games earlier this year with a similar injury and doctors decided he wouldn't be ready during this series.

"Sure, we missed that bat in there. There's no question about it. No excuses," Leyland said. "I thought it was a great game, particularly under the conditions."

Ryan Raburn started for Young in left field and went 1 for 3 with a single and two walks. He struck out swinging against closer Neftali Feliz for the last out of the game, at 12:03 p.m.

Miguel Cabrera moved up from cleanup to Young's No. 3 spot in the order, with Victor Martinez taking over at No. 4 and Ordonez at No. 5 (then Don Kelly taking his place). The 3-4-5 spots in the lineup went a combined 1 for 9 with three walks, with Cabrera having the only hit, a single.

NOTES: Rain was rare for this stadium this season. The last rain delay at Texas was May 24. ... RHP Max Scherzer will start Game 2 for Detroit on Sunday against LHP Derek Holland.

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