Friday, January 31, 2014

Hmmmm, A Plot Big Enough To Fit A Stadium....

That doesn't necessarily mean that the Rams are leaving St. Louis to return to Los Angeles.

Nod-nod, wink-wink.

Arthur Rankin, Jr., Animation Producer/Director, R.I.P.

Arthur Rankin, Jr., who along with Jules Bass, produced and directed numerous classic and even iconic Christmas and Easter holiday animated televsion specials such as "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer," "Frosty the Snowman," "Santa Claus is Comin' to Town," "The Little Drummer Boy," and many others, passed away on Thursday at his home in Harrington Sound, Bermuda, at age 89 following a bout of illness.

Thursday, January 30, 2014

Vikings Smoke Visiting Northern Colorado

At Portland, Oregon:

Gary Winston scored 19 points and dished out six assists on Thursday night as the Portland State Vikings (10-8 overall, 5-4 in Big Sky play) dominated the visiting Northern Colorado Bears (13-5, 7-2) despite the Bears' Derrick Barden scoring 19 points and grabbing 11 rebounds.

Roberto Nelson Leads Beavers Past Visiting Troy In OT Thriller

At Corvallis, Oregon:

Roberto Nelson scored four of his 24 points in overtime, including the go-ahead bucket with 25 seconds remaining in the extra period on Thursday as the Oregon State Beavers (12-8 overall, 3-4 in Pac-12 play) defeated the visiting Southern California Trojans (10-11, 1-7) 76-75, despite 23 points from USC's Byron Wesley as the Trojans have now dropped seven of their last eight starts.

Late Bucket Puts Bruins Past Ducks

At Eugene, Oregon:

Travis Wear's winning bucket with 5.3 seconds remaining lifted UCLA (17-4 overall, 6-2 in Pac-12 play) to a 70-68 Thursday road win over the Oregon Ducks (14-6, 2-6).  Jordan Adams scored 19 points to pace the Bruins while the Ducks, who have now dropped six of their last seven starts following a 13-0 start, were paced by Joseph Young's 25 points..

Wednesday, January 29, 2014

Dons Down Visiting Vikings

At San Francisco:

Cole Dickerson scored 21 points while Kruize Pinkins added 20 (to go with his seven rebounds) as the San Francisco Dons (14-8 overall, 7-3 in WCC play) defeated the visiting Portland Pilots (12-10, 4-6) 84-71 on Wednesday for their third straight West Coast Conference victory.

Monday, January 27, 2014

Vikings Top Visiting Eagles In Big Sky Play

At Portland, Oregon:

Andre Winston, Jr. scored 23 points as the Portland State Vikings (9-8 overall, 4-4 in Big Sky play) scored 62 points in the second half as they overcame a 10-point halftime deficit and knocked off the visiting Eastern Washington Eagles (8-11, 3-5)  92-83 on Monday night, despite Ognjen Miljkoic's 32 points for the Eagles.

Men's Hoops: No Love For Beaver State Quartet

None of Oregon's four NCAA men's Divsion I basketball teams received any support in either the Associated Press or USA Today/Coaches poll (what support the Oregon Ducks had in the latter poll has evaporated) that came out on Monday.

Sunday, January 26, 2014

Ducks Smash Cougs On Road, Snap Losing Skid

At Pullman, Washington:

Jason Calliste came off the bench on Sunday and scored 20 points as the Oregon Ducks (14-5 overall, 2-5 in Pac-12 play) snapped their five-game losing streak with a 71-44 road blasting of the Washington State Cougars (8-12, 1-7).

Saturday, January 25, 2014

Vikings Hold Off T-Birds; 16th Straight Defeat For Southern Utah

At Portland, Oregon:

DaShaun Wiggins scored 15 points while Marcus Hill connected on a late go-ahead three-point shot as the Portland State Vikings (8-8 overall, 3-4 in Big Sky play) handed the visiting Southern Utah Thunderbirds (1-16, 0-8) their 16th straight loss on Saturday, 67-64.

Huskies Overcome Halftime Deficit To Top Visiting Beavers

At Seattle:

With freshman Nigel Williams-Goss scoring a career high 32 points and C.J. Wilcox adding 14, the Washington Huskies (13-8 overall, 5-3 in Pac-12 play) came back from a five-point halftime deficit at home on Saturday and defeated the Oregon State Beavers (11-8, 3-4) 87-81, despite 31 points from the Beavers' Roberto Nelson and 23 from Devon Collier.

Johnny Dee Carries Toreros Past Pilots In Portland

At Portland, Oregon:

Johnny Dee scored 21 points on Saturday, including two free throws with seven seconds remaining as the San Diego Toreros (12-10 overall, 3-6 in WCC play) defeated the Portland Pilots (12-9, 4-5) 65-63 on the road, despite 21 points from the Pilots' Kevin Bailey.

Thursday, January 23, 2014

Pilots Knock Off BYU In 3OT Thriller

At Portland, Oregon:

Thomas van der Mars (who grabbed 18 rebounds) and Bobby Sharp each scored 27 points on Thursday night as the Portland Pilots (12-8 overall, 4-4 in WCC) picked up their first-ever victory over the BYU Cougars (13-8, 5-3) 114-110 in triple overtime, despite a career-high 48 points from the Cougars' Tyler Haws.

Huskies Hand Ducks Another Defeat

At Seattle:

C. J. Wilcox scored 23 points on Thursday night, including a three-point bucket with 43 seconds remaining to help seal the victory as the Washington Huskies (12-8 overall, 4-3 in Pac-12 play) handed the visiting Oregon Ducks (13-5, 1-5) their fifth straight defeat, 80-76.

Wednesday, January 22, 2014

Beavers Top Cougs On Road

Roberto Nelson scored 26 points and converted 11 free throws as the Oregon State Beavers (11-7 overall, 3-3 in Pac-12 play) defeated the home-standing Washington State Cougars (8-11, 1-6) 66-55 on Wednesday for their first conference road win of the season, despite a career-high 24 points (and hitting all four of his three-point shots) from the Cougs' D.J. Shelton.

Monday, January 20, 2014

Men's College Hoops: Ducks' Support In AP Poll Evaporates; Still Some Support In Coaches' Rankings

Following their Sunday Civil War defeat at Oregon State---their fourth in a row---The Oregon Ducks lost all remaining support in the Associated Press poll while they still have some support in the USA Today/Coaches poll, where they would be ranked #32.

Once again, there was a total absence of support in both polls for the Beaver State's three other NCAA men's Division I basketball teams.

Sunday, January 19, 2014

Beavers Top Crumbling Ducks In Civil War Contest

At Corvallis, Oregon:

Roberto Nelson scored 13 of his 22 points in the second half while Eric Moreland scored 11 of his 15 points from the free-throw line (as well as grabbing 13 rebounds) on Sunday as the Oregon State Beavers (10-7 overall, 2-3 in Pac-12 play) held off the visiting Oregon Ducks (13-4, 1-4) 80-72 as the Ducks suffered their fourth consecutive defeat after starting the season 13-0.

NFL Playoffs: It's Broncos Vs. Seahawks For All The Marbles

The National Football League's two conference championship games took place on Sunday.

At Denver:

Peyton Manning completed 32 of 43 passes for 400 yards and a pair of touchdowns (one yard to Jacob Tamme and three yards to Demaryius Thomas) while Matt Prater made four field goals (27, 35, 19, 54 yards) as the Denver Broncos defeated the visiting New England Patriots 26-16 to win their first American Football Conference championship (and their first trip to the Super Bowl, their seventh overall) in 15 years.

At Seattle:

Quarterback Russell Wilson threw a 35-yard fourth-quarter touchdown pass to Jermaine Kearse while Malcolm Smith grabbed Richard Sherman's defection in the end zone for the interception that sealed the Seattle Seahawks 23-17 come-from-behind home win over the San Francisco 49ers in the National Football Conference championship game as Niners quarterback Colin Kaepernick ran 11 times for 130 yards and threw a 26-yard touchdown pass to Anquan Boldin in the third quarter, but turned the ball over in each of San Francisco's last three possessions (a fumble and two interceptions).  Marshawn Lynch, who carried the ball 22 times for 109 yards, 40 yards for a Seahawks touchdown.  Seattle will be playing in their second Super Bowl (they lost to the Pittsburgh Steelers at Detroit in Super Bowl XL, eight years ago).

The Denver Broncos and Seattle Seahawks will battle against each other in Super Bowl XLVIII on February 2 at Met Life Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey at 3:20 PM Pacific Time (FOX).

Saturday, January 18, 2014

Waves Overcome Pilots In Malibu

At Malibu, California:

Lamond Murray, Jr. scored 16 points (and grabbed eight rebounds) while Stacy Davis added 14 as the Pepperdine Waves (12-8 overall, 5-3 in WCC play) overcame a four-point halftime deficit and overtook the visiting Portland Pilots (11-8, 3-4) 76-65 on Saturday.  Kevin Bailey paced the Pilots with 27 points.

Lumberjacks Cut Down Vikings In Second Half, Win By 21

At Flagstaff, Arizona:

Max Jacobsen scored 19 points while Kris Yanku added 17 as the Northern Arizona Lumberjacks (8-9 overall, 5-1 in Big Sky) scored 14 straight points in the second half en route to a 24-2 run in their Saturday 77-56 home beat-down of the Portland State Vikings (7-8, 2-4).

Thursday, January 16, 2014

No Post-Gonzaga Letdown: Pilots Down LMU On Road

At Los Angeles:

Bobby Sharp scored 14 points while Kevin Bailey added 13 and Ryan Nicholas added 12 (to go with his 10 rebounds) on Thursday as the Portland Pilots (11-7 overall, 3-3 in WCC play) avoided a letdown following last week's home win over Gonzaga with a 71-57 road win over Loyola Marymount (10-9, 2-5), their third win in their last four starts.

Vikings Knock Off Hornets In OT To End Long Road Losing Skid

At Sacramento, California:

Andre Winston scored six points, including his team's last four on free throws as the Portland State Vikings (7-7 overall, 2-3 in Big Sky play) upended the Sacramento State Hornets (5-9, 1-4) 68-64 in overtime on Thursday, ending a 20-game road losing streak.  Tim Douglas paced the Vikings with 13 points while Mikh McKinney topped the Hornets with 18.

Ruth Duccini, Last Surviving Female Cast Member From "The Wizard Of Oz," R.I.P.

Ruth Duccini, the last surviving female munchkin from the classic 1939 motion picture "The Wizard of Oz," passed away on Thursday at age 95.

With Mrs. Duccini's passing, 93 year-old Jerry Maren is now the only surviving Munchkin from the film.

Farewell, Professor; Now, Only Ginger and Mary Ann Remain With Us

Russell Johnson, the actor best remembered for his portrayal of Professor Roy Hinkley (or simply, the Professor) on the classic (?!) 1960's TV sitcom Gilligan's Island, passed away on Thursday at his Bainbridge Island, Washington home from kidney failure at age 89.








With Mr. Johnson's passing, only Tina (Ginger Grant) Louise and Dawn (Mary Ann Summers) Wells remain from the Gilligan's Island cast.

Monday, January 13, 2014

Shoddy Defensive Play Against Cal And Stanford Helps Ducks Fall Out Of Major Polls

After getting swept at home by the Pac-12 Conference's Bay Area schools, the Oregon Ducks fell out of both the Associated Press (formerly at #17; they would be ranked #27) and USA Today/Coaches (formerly at #13; they would be ranked # 27) polls.  Still no support for Oregon's three other men's NCAA Division I basketball teams.

Sunday, January 12, 2014

NFL Playoffs: Niners Dominate Second Half, Get Another Shot At Seahawks; Broncos Hold Off Chargers, Peyton Manning Gets Another Crack At Tom Brady

The divisional playoff round of the National Football League playoffs concluded on Sunday with two games.

NATIONAL FOOTBALL CONFERENCE:

At Charlotte, North Carolina:

Quarterback Colin Kaepernick threw for a touchdown (one yard to Vernon Davis) and ran four yards for another score while Phil Dawson kicked three field goals (49, 44, 34 yards) as the San Francisco 49ers downed the Carolina Panthers 23-10 in an NFC divisional playoff game.  The Niners will face the Seattle Seahawks on the road in next Sunday's NFC Championship Game (3:30 PM Pacific Time, FOX).  The two teams split their regular-season series, with each team winning once at home.

AMERICAN FOOTBALL CONFERENCE:

Peyton Manning completed 25 of 36 passes for 230 yards and two touchdowns (one each to Demaryias Thomas and Wes Welker) as the Denver Broncos held off the visiting San Diego Chargers 24-17.  The Broncos will host the New England Patriots in next Sunday's AFC Championship Game (12:00 Noon Pacific Time, CBS).




Ducks Fall Again At Home

At Eugene, Oregon:

Anthony Brown scored a career-high 24 points on Sunday Chasson Randle added 23 as the Stanford Cardinal (10-5 overall, 1-2 in Pac-12 play) handed the now-struggling Oregon Ducks (#17 in the Associated Press poll, #13 in the USA Today/Coaches rankings; 13-3, 1-3) their third straight setback 82-80 despite 24 points from the Ducks' Mike Moser.

Saturday, January 11, 2014

Vikings Knock Off Grizzlies In 3OT Thriller

At Portland, Oregon:

Gary Winston scored 21 points off the bench, including the game-winning three-point basket with four seconds remaining in the third overtime period on Saturday as the Portland State Vikings (6-7 overall, 1-3 in Big Sky play) racked up their first conference win of the season with a 81-78 home win over the Montana Grizzlies (6-7, 1-3).  Marcus Hall also scored 21 for the Vikings while Jordan Gregory tallied 25 to pace the Grizzlies.

NFL Playoffs: Seahawks Hold Off Saints, Will Host NFC Title Game; Pats Overpower Colts, Get Chargers-Broncos Winner Next

The National Football League playoffs continued on Saturday with two divisional playoff games.

NATIONAL FOOTBALL CONFERENCE:

At Seattle:

Marshawn Lynch carried the ball 28 times for 140 yards and a pair of touchdowns (15 and 31 yards )while Steven Hauschka kicked three field goals (38, 49, 26 yards) in blustery conditions as the Seattle Seahawks held off the visiting New Orleans Saints 23-15 in an NFC divisional playoff game.  The Seahawks will host next Sunday's NFC Championship Game against the winner of tomorrow's San Francisco-Carolina contest.

AMERICAN FOOTBALL CONFERENCE:

At Foxborough, Massachusetts:

On a night in which he ran for 166 yards, LeGarrette Blount ran for four touchdowns---three of two yards apiece and one of 73 3 yards---as the New England Patriots overpowered the visiting Indianapolis Colts 43-22.  The Patriots will play in their third straight AFC Championship Game next Sunday at Denver or at home against San Diego, depending on who wins tomorrow's Chargers-Broncos divisional playoff in Denver.

Beavers Blow 10-Point Halftime Lead, Fall At Home


At Corvallis, Oregon:

Justin Cobbs scored all 20 of his points in the second half as the California Golden Bears (12-4 overall, 3-0 in Pac-12 play) overcame a ten-point halftime deficit and upended the Oregon State Beavers (9-7, 1-3) 88-83 on Saturday despite 23 points and nine rebounds from the Beavers' Roberto Nelson.

Thursday, January 09, 2014

Beavers Knock Off Cardinal For First Pac-12 Win

At Corvallis, Oregon:

Roberto Nelson scored 21 points while Eric Moreland added 17 (to go with his 15 rebounds and four blocks) on Thursday night as the Oregon State Beavers (9-6 overall, 1-2 in Pac-12 play) defeated visiting Stanford (9-5, 0-2) 81-72 despite 30 points by the Cardinal's Chasson Randle.

Cal Bears Knock Off Ducks In Eugene

At Eugene, Oregon:

Freshman guard Jordan Matthews scored a season-high 32 points on Thursday while Justin Cobbs added 20 (to go with his 11 assists) as the California Golden Bears (11-4 overall, 2-0 in Pac-12 play) took advantage of 52.5% shooting from the field , and with five players scoring in double figures, defeated the Oregon Ducks (#17 in the Associated Press poll, #13 in the USA Today/Coaches poll; 13-2, 1-2) for the 12th consecutive time, 96-83 on the road, despite 29 points from the Ducks' Joseph Young.

Pilots Knock Off Zags, End Long Losing Streak Against Gonzaga

At Portland, Oregon:

Bryce Pressley scored 16 points and dished out nine assists on Thursday as the Portland Pilots (10-7 overall, 2-3 in WCC play), with four players scoring in double figures, ended a 20-game losing streak against the Gonzaga Bulldogs (#23 in the Associated Press poll, #18 in the USA Today/Coaches rankings; 14-3, 4-1), knocking off the visiting Zags 82-73, ending a 17-game home losing streak against Gonzaga and ended the Bulldogs' 22-game winning streak against West Coast Conference opponents.

Bobcats Hold Off Vikings In Portland

At Portland, Oregon:

Antonio Biglow scored 15 points on Thursday night while Paul Egwuonwu added 13 as the Montana State Bobcats (8-6 overall, 3-0 in Big Sky play) defeated the Portland State Vikings (5-7, 0-3) 79-76 in a contest which saw the lead change 18 times.

Wednesday, January 08, 2014

Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine, Frank Thomas Elected To Baseball Hall of Fame

Two pitchers who racked up more than 300 victories apiece, Greg Maddux and Tom Glavine, and Frank Thomas, who belted more than 500 home runs during his career, were elected on Wednesday to the Baseball Hall of Fame.  They will be joined by three managers---Bobby Cox, Tony LaRussa, and Joe Torre---who were recently elected by the Expansion Era Committee.

Tuesday, January 07, 2014

Monday, January 06, 2014

JAMEIS WINSTON THROWS WINNING TD PASS IN FINAL SECONDS AS SEMINOLES COMPLETE COMEBACK AGAINST AUBURN AS FSU ENDS SEC NATIONAL TITLE GRIP IN BCS FINALE

At Pasadena, California:

Quarterback Jameis Winston threw a two-yard touchdown pass to Kelvin Benjamin with 13 seconds remaining as the Florida State Seminoles, who were ranked #1 in the Bowl Championship Series standings as well as both the Associated Press and USA Today/Coaches polls (14-0), came back from an 18-point deficit and upended the second-ranked (in all three rankings) Auburn Tigers (12-2) 34-31 on Monday in the final BCS National Championship Game, as the Seminoles snapped a string of seven straight national titles won by Southeastern Conference schools.

The national title was the Seminoles' third.

After 16 years, the BCS is laid to rest as a new four-team playoff system takes effect next season.

Men's Hoops: Ducks Suffer Drop In Both Polls

In the wake of their first defeat of the season on Sunday at Colorado, the Oregon Ducks dropped seven spots to #17 in the Associated Press men's college basketball poll and four spaces to #13 in the USA Today/Coaches rankings.

As has been the case all season long, the Beaver State's other men's Division I basketball programs were left with no support in either poll.

Sunday, January 05, 2014

GoDaddy Bowl: Red Wolves Pull Out Late Victory

At Mobile, Alabama:

Backup quarterback Fredi Knighten threw a 13-yard touchdown pass to Allen Muse with 32 seconds remaining as the Arkansas State Red Wolves (8-5) defeated the Ball State Cardinals (10-3) 23-20 in Sunday's GoDaddy Bowl.  The Cardinals had a chance to tie the game and send it into overtime, but Scott Secor's 38-yard field goal attempt was blocked.

Buffaloes Outrun Ducks, Hand Oregon First Setback

At Boulder, Colorado:

Askia Brooks scored 11 of his 27 points in the last 4:40 of regulation while Spencer Dinwiddie 16 of his 23 in the second half as the Colorado Buffaloes (#20 in the Associated Press poll, #24 in the USA Today/Coaches rankings; 13-2 overall, 2-0 in Pac-12 play) outlasted the visiting, and previously unbeaten, Oregon Ducks (#10 in the AP poll, #9 in the Coaches' rankings; 13-1, 1-1) 100-91, despite 24 points from the Ducks' Mike Moser.

NFL Playoffs: Chargers Stifle Bengals In Cincinnati, Get Broncos In Denver; Niners Top Pack In Green Bay, Get Panthers At Charlotte

The opening round of the National Football League playoffs concluded with two games on Sunday.

AMERICAN FOOTBALL CONFERENCE:

At Cincinnati:

Quarterback Philip Rivers (who completed 12 of 16 passes for 128 yards) connected with Ladarius Green on a four-yard touchdown pass while Danny Woodhead (5 yards) and Ronnie Brown (58 yards) each ran for a TD and Nick Novak kicked a pair of field goals as the San Diego Chargers knocked off the Cincinnati Bengals 27-10, outscoring the hosts 20-0 in the second half.  The Bengals' Andy Dalton (now 0-3 in the playoffs) was intercepted twice and lost a fumble in the second half as Cincinnati dropped their sixth straight playoff game (they last won in the Wild-Card round in the 1990 playoffs against the then-Houston Oilers)

Divisional Playoff Schedule:

Saturday:

Indianapolis @ New England, 5:15 PM (CBS)

Next Sunday:

San Diego @ Denver, 4:40 PM (CBS)



NATIONAL FOOTBALL CONFERENCE:

At Green Bay, Wisconsin:

Colin Kaepernick threw for 227 yards and a touchdown (28 yards to Vernon Davis) and ran for an additional 98 yards while Phil Dawson kicked three field goals---the game winner from 33 yards as time expired----as the San Francisco 49ers defeated the Green Bay Packers 23-20 on the road in frigid conditions (5 degrees at kickoff with the wind chill factor at ten below).  Frank Gore ran ten yards in the third quarter for another Niners score.

Divisional Playoff Schedule:

Saturday:

New Orleans @ Seattle, 1: 35 PM (FOX)

Next Sunday:

San Francisco @ Carolina: 10:05 AM (FOX)

All times Pacific

Saturday, January 04, 2014

Beau Kneaus As Gaels Became A Little Too Much For Pilots

At Portland, Oregon:

Beau Levesque scored 16 points and grabbed seven rebounds on Saturday as the St. Mary's Gaels (11-4 overall, 2-1 in WCC play) defeated the Portland Pilots (9-7, 1-3) on the road 72-63.

Pilots Prove To Be Too Much For Pacific

At Portland, Oregon:

Thomas van Der Mars scored 18 points and grabbed 13 rebounds on Friday as the Portland Pilots (9-6 overall, 1-2 in WCC play) defeated the visiting Pacific Tigers (9-4, 0-2) 72-64.

Vikings Fall To Wildcats

At Ogden, Utah:

Davion Berry led the way with 21 points on Saturday as the Weber State Wildcats (5-5 overall, 2-0 in Big Sky play) racked up their 20th consecutive Big Sky Conference home victory, 79-62 over the Portland State Vikings (5-6, 0-2).

Utes Top Beavers

At Salt Lake City, Utah:

Brandon Taylor scored 23 points on 7-of-9 shooting as the Utah Runnin' Utes (12-2 overall, 1-1 in Pac-12 play) held off the Oregon State Beavers (8-6, 0-2) 80-69 on Saturday.

NFL Playoffs: Colts Overcome 28-Point Second-Half Deficit, Upend Chiefs; Saints Knock Off Eagles To Gain First Road Playoff Win, Get Seahawks In Seattle Next

The opening round of the National Football League playoffs commenced on Saturday with two games.

At Indianapolis:

In an American Football Conference opening-round game, Andrew Luck threw for four second-half touchdowns and another one on a fumble return as the Indianapolis Colts overcame a 38-10 third quarter deficit and upended the visiting Kansas City Chiefs 45-44.  T.Y. Hilton caught 13 passes for 224 yards and two touchdowns for the Colts.

At Philadelphia:

Drew Brees overcame a two-interception first half and threw a 24-yard touchdown pass to Lance Moore, while Mark Ingram (who ran 18 times for 97 yards) ran four yards for another score, and newly-signed Shayne Graham kicked four field goals---the game winner from 32 yards as time expired---as the New Orleans Saints won a road playoff game for the first time in the club's 47-year history, 26-24 over the Philadelphia Eagles in a National Football Conference opening-round contest.  The Saints will travel to Seattle for an NFC divisional playoff with the Seahawks next Saturday.

Gosh

Black Monday came awfully late in Nashville.

BISON TRAMPLE OVER TIGERS, CLAIM THIRD STRAIGHT FCS CROWN

At Frisco, Texas:

Brock Jenson threw for a touchdown and ran for another on Saturday as the North Dakota State Bison (15-0) manhandled the Towson Tigers (13-3) 35-7 to win their third consecutive Football Championship Subdivision national football championship, becoming the first school since Appalachian State (2005-7) to take the crown three straight years.  The contest was the swan song for Bison head coach Craig Bohl whose record was 104-32 in eleven seasons at the Fargo campus.

BBVA Compass Bowl: Vandy Blows Big Lead, Regroups, Tops Houston

At Birmingham, Alabama:

Patton Robinette threw a pair of 50-yard touchdown passes to Jordan Matthews (and he also ran eight yards for another score) on Saturday as the Vanderbilt Commodores (9-4) recovered from blowing a 24-point lead and defeated the Houston Cougars (8-5) 41-24 in the BBVA Compass Bowl.Vandy ended the season with five straight wins and posted back-to-back nine-win seasons for the first time in school history.

Friday, January 03, 2014

Cotton Bowl: Late Defensive Heroics Seal Mizzou's Victory Over OSU Cowboys

At Arlington, Texas:

Henry Josey ran for 92 yards and three touchdowns----scoring the go-ahead TD with 3:33 remaining----and Shane Ray retuned a fumble 73 yards for the score that sealed the victory as the Missouri Tigers (#8 in the Bowl Championship Series standings, #9 in the Associated Press and USA Today/Coaches polls; 12-2) outlasted the Oklahoma State Cowboys (#13 in all three aforementioned rankings; 10-3) in Friday's Cotton Bowl Classic.

Orange Bowl: Clemson Knocks Off Buckeyes

At Miami Gardens, Florida:

Quarterback Tajh Boyd threw for 378 yards and five touchdowns, two of them (34, 30 yards) to Sammy Watkins who made 16 catches for 227 yards as the Clemson Tigers (#12 in the Bowl Championship Series and Associated Press poll, #11 in the USA Today/Coaches rankings; 11-2) knocked off the Ohio State Buckeyes (#7 in both the BCS and AP rankings, #6 in the Coaches poll; 12-2) 40-35 in Friday's Orange Bowl game.


Phil Everly, Half Of Pioneering And Legendary Rock-N-Roll Brother Vocal Duo, R.I.P.

Phil Everly, who along with brother Don, formed one of Rock 'n' Roll's greatest vocal duos, passed away on Friday at age 74.

Mr. Everly passed away from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Phil, along with brother Don, formed one of the great acts in Rock 'n' Roll history.  Numerous hits included "Bye, Bye, Love," "Wake Up Little Susie,"  "All I Have To Do Is Dream," "Bird Dog," "Let It Be Me," "'Til I Kissed You," "Cathy's Clown," Ebony Eyes," among others.

The blending of Phil's high notes and Don's low notes made for such wonderful vocals.

Thursday, January 02, 2014

Bengals Top Vikes In Big-Sky Opener

At Pocatello, Idaho:

Chris Hanson scored 27 points and Andre Hatchett added 24 as the Idaho State Bengals (4-6 overall, 1-0 in Big Sky play) defeated the visiting Portland State Vikings (5-5, 0-1) 87-76 in Thursday's Big Sky Conference opener for both schools.

Beavers Drop Conference Opener At Colorado

At Boulder, Colorado:

Josh Scott (who grabbed 10 rebounds), Askia Booker, and Jaron Hopkins each scored 13 points as the Colorado Buffaloes (#20 in the Associated Press poll, #24 in the USA Today/Coaches rankings; 12-2 overall, 1-0 in Pac-12 play) held off the visiting Oregon State Beavers (8-5, 0-1) 64-58 on Thursday as both schools opened Pac-12 Conference play, despite 23 points from the Beavers' Roberto Nelson.

Ducks Escape With Road OT Win Over Utes In Pac-12 Opener

At Salt Lake City, Utah:

Damyean Dotson (who scored 11 points) raced down the court and delivered a slam dunk with one second remaining in overtime on Thursday night as the Oregon Ducks (#10 in the Associated Press poll, #9 in the USA Today/Coaches rankings; 13-0 overall, 1-0 in Pacific-12 Conference play) edged the Utah Runnin' Utes (11-2, 0-1) 70-68 in the Pac-12 Conference opener for both schools.

Richard Amardi scored 14 points to pace the Ducks while Jordan Loveridge tallied 21 to top the Utes.


Sugar Bowl: Sooners Knock Off Bama

At New Orleans:

Quarterback Trevor Knight threw for 348 yards and two touchdowns as the Oklahoma Sooners (# 11 in both the Bowl Championship Series standings and the Associated Press poll, #10 in the USA Today/Coaches rankings; 11-2) upended the Alabama Crimson Tide (#3 in all three aforementioned rankings; 11-2) 45-31 in Thursday's Sugar Bowl game.  This marked the first time in game's 80-year history that both quarterbacks (A.J. McCarron threw for 387 and two TDs in his final game for Bama but threw two interceptions that set up touchdown drives and lost a fumble in the final minute that was recovered and run back for a TD) threw for 300 or more yards each.

Wednesday, January 01, 2014

Tostitos Fiesta Bowl: UCF Knights Hold Off Baylor In BCS Debut (And Swan Song)

At Glendale, Arizona:

Blake Bortles threw for 301 yards and three touchdowns (two---of 50 and 34 yards---Rannell Hall and one of ten yards to Breshad Perryman) and ran 15 yards for another score while running back Storm Johnson carried the ball 20 times for 124 yards and three more TDs (11, 2, and 40 yards) on Wednesday night as the Central Florida Knights (#15 in the Bowl Championship Series standings and both the Associated Press and USA Today/Coaches polls; 12-1) knocked off the Baylor Bears (#6 in both the BCS and AP rankings, #5 in the Coaches' poll; 11-2) 52-42 in the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl.  It was the BCS debut---and swan song---for both schools.

100th Rose Bowl: Spartans Bounce Back, Bounce Cardinal

At Pasadena, California:

Quarterback Connor Cook threw for 332 yards and two touchdowns----including a 25-yard TD pass to Tony Lippett early in the fourth quarter as the Michigan State Spartans (#4 in the Bowl Championship Series standings, and both the Associated Press and USA Today/Coaches polls; 13-1) came from behind to overtake the Stanford Cardinal (#5 in the BCS and AP rankings, #7 in the Coaches poll; 11-3) in Wednesday's 100th edition of the Rose Bowl as the final edition of the Bowl Championship Series (before next year's switch to a four-team playoff) got under.

Outback Bowl: Jeremy Hill Carries Bayou Bengals Past Hawkeyes

At Tampa, Florida:

Jeremy Hill ran for 216 yards and a pair of touchdowns on Wednesday as the LSU Tigers (#16 in the Bowl Championship Series standings, #14 in both the Associated Press and USA Today/Coaches polls; 10-3) defeated the Iowa Hawkeyes (8-5) 21-14 in the Outback Bowl.

Capital One Bowl: Gamecocks Outlast Badgers

At Orlando, Florida:

Connor Shaw completed 22 of 25 passes for 312 yards and three touchdowns while runner a yard for another score and receiving a nine-yard pass from Bruce Ellington for still another TD as the South Carolina Gamecocks (#9 in the Bowl Championship Series standings, #8 in both the Associated Press and USA Today/Coaches polls;11-2)defeated the Wisconsin Badgers 34-24 (#19 in all three aforementioned rankings; 9-4)in Wednesday's Capital One Bowl.

Gator Bowl: Huskers Get By Dawgs

At Jacksonville, Florida:

Tommy Armstrong, Jr. threw a 99-yard touchdown pass to Quincy Enunwa---the longest play in school history (the twosome also connected five yards for another score)---as the Nebraska Cornhuskers (9-4) avenged last year's Gator Bowl defeat and turned the tables on the Georgia Bulldogs (# 22 in the Bowl Championship Series standings, #23 in the Associated Press poll, #24 in the USA Today/Coaches rankings; 8-5) 24-19 in this year's edition, played on Wednesday in rainy Jacksonville.

Heart of Dallas Bowl: Mean Green Too Mean For Runnin' Rebs

At Dallas:

Quarterback Derek Thompson threw for 256 yards and two touchdowns (seven yards to Drew Miller, 34 yards to Darnell Smith) while Brelan Chancellor ran for two other scores (three and fifteen yards) as the North Texas Mean Green (9-4) broke open a game that was deadlocked at halftime and wound up dominating the UNLV Runnin' Rebels (7-6) 36-14 in Wednesday's Heart of Dallas Bowl.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

Happy New Year from all of us at Bob's Place!