Labels: football, NFL

NEW ORLEANS -- Through an entire season of upsets and upheaval, teams moved in and out of the top of the polls as if it were a fleabag motel instead of the Ritz-Carlton. No one stayed long, and the ones that claimed they belonged didn't exactly look the part.

Until the last night of the season, that is. On the last night of the season, college football found an occupant for its penthouse.

Doug Benc/Getty Images For the second time in five years, the Tigers are holding the crystal football.

The LSU Tigers are a dominant champion. They are a deserving champion. And as a fitting end to a season that never followed its script, they are college football's first two-loss champion. LSU rolled over Ohio State 38-24 in the BCS Championship Game, becoming not only the first two-loss champion but the first two-time champion in the 10-year history of the BCS. That the Tigers managed to achieve both distinctions captures the uneven nature of their season, in which they lost two games in triple overtime and won three others in the final 90 seconds of regulation.

There would be no such thrills Monday night because LSU cut way down on its mistakes. The team that finished the season 118th in the nation in penalties per game (8.7) committed only four in the last, most important game. The Tigers (12-2) committed only one turnover. Ohio State (11-2), the team known for not beating itself, committed seven and three, respectively.

Labels: championship, college sports, football

Labels: football, NFL, pro sports

FLORENCE, Ala. -- Michael Terry scored a touchdown with 22 seconds left as Valdosta State beat Northwest Missouri State, 25-20, Saturday for the Division II championship, the Bearcats' third consecutive title-game loss.

Terry's 1-yard TD run capped an eight-play, 37-yard drive sparked by Willie Copeland's four straight completions for 27 yards. Valdosta (13-1) overcame a 14-3 halftime deficit as

Northwest Missouri finished the season 12-2.

"I don't know if words can describe the disappointment that I feel for these guys," Bearcats coach Mel Tjeerdsma said. "They've done a great job and we've had a great run. They got beat by a very good football team."

Valdosta State's William Montford intercepted a desperation pass by Joel Osborn with 16 seconds left to preserve the win, and Blazers fans swarmed the field, soggy after a cold rainstorm blew through.

Labels: college sports, D-II, football

Labels: college sports, football, LSU, sec, Tennessee

Labels: college sports, football, kentucky, sec, Tennessee

Labels: college sports, football, sec

Labels: college sports, football

Labels: college sports, football, sec

The first half was all Tennessee, they moved the ball at will and stopped everything SC tried to do. One play Tennessee's defense wasn't even on the field and SC failed to get a first down (j/k). A methodical offense and swarming defense led to a 21-0 Tennessee lead at the half.

The second half, both teams switched. South Carolina changed QB's and moved the ball with abandon, Tennessee's defense couldn't slow them down and the offense sputtered. One drive that wasn't a 3 and out until late (that drive stalled after a failed fourth down conversion).

Two years ago, SC won for the only time in Neyland stadium on a 49 yard field goal. Last night they scored 3 touchdowns to tie it up and then with 1:24 left nailed a, yep you guessed it, 49 yard field goal for a 24-21 lead.

On the ensuing kickoff, Tennessee's LaMarcus Coker returned it to the 49 on a great cutback run. With around 1:18 left, Tennessee drove to the 18 yard line with :28 to go. With time enough to go for the win instead of the tie; Ainge backed up to pass and was sacked and fumbled. Tennessee recovered and had to spike the ball to stop the clock at :09 (no time-outs left) for a field goal try to tie. The try was (very) wide left but there was a false start on UT and the play didn't count (thank goodness). Backed up 5 yards now it was a 48 yarder (47 yards was the kickers long) and the kick was true. Overtime! In OT UT got the ball first, bogged down and kicked another field goal for a 27-24 lead. SC got the ball and couldn't do anything (unusually) and brought in their reliable kicker for a cheap 41 yarder. He missed it BADLY and UT wins!

Both offenses are terrible but Auburn's defense is awesome. It showed in a 17-3 win by the Tigers.

Florida, even with 2 SEC losses entered the day controlling their own destiny in the East. Win out and they go to the championship game. Georgia had lost 15 of the last 17 to UF and today looked like just another loss.

Something funny happened on the way to the game. Georgia came out running and never stopped. With Tebow (UF QB) hurt, Georgia's defense held him to -15 yards rushing (he did have 2 TD's) and the Florida defense played like it was wearing UT jerseys (heh). In the end, it was too much Moroney from Georgia (188 yards, 3 TD's) and a 42-30 beatdown for UF at the hands of Georgia.

Vandy hasn't been to a bowl game since '82 I think. To get to one you have to get 6 wins in a year. They entered this game with 4 (and a difficult schedule after) so winning this one was a must. After letting Miami get back into it in the first half, Vandy pulled away in the second half for a 24-13 win and one step closer to that elusive bowl berth.

This game shouldn't have been competitive and wasn't. Arkansas could have brought cheerleaders in and still ran the ball. A 58-10 pasting looks good on your stat sheet.

Kentucky is already bowl eligible but has dreams of the SEC East (after their National title hopes were crushed in the close loss to UF last week). Mississippi State has been bad for a long time and with 4 wins, stood just 2 wins from a bowl berth (unthinkable at the beginning of the year).

This game was a terrible game if you were a KY fan (hey EMB) or even if you just pull for them. Miss. St. moved the ball at will and scored the 31-14 upset by making KY turn the ball over 6 times (including 3 interceptions from the once heisman touted QB at KY).

Labels: college sports, football, sec

Labels: football, kentucky, LSU

Labels: college sports, football

Labels: college sports, football, sec

Labels: college sports, football, kentucky

Labels: college sports, football

Labels: cardinals, football, kentucky, louisville, ncaa, sec, wildcats

Labels: college sports, football, sec

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) -- A trio of Tennessee wide receivers combine for 241 yards and two touchdowns.

Robert Meachem, Jayson Swain and Bret Smith? They're gone. The new trio of Austin Rogers, Lucas Taylor and Josh Briscoe had a breakout game against Southern Mississippi.

Erik Ainge threw a touchdown pass a piece to Rogers and Briscoe, Arian Foster ran for two scores and No. 24 Tennessee defeated Southern Miss 39-19 Saturday night.

"The potential has always been there, so we aren't shocked that they're where they're supposed to be every time," Ainge said about his new top pass catchers.

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) -- LSU didn't need any small-school sacrificial lambs on its early season schedule to post a couple gaudy blowouts.

No. 9 Virginia Tech couldn't stop the second-ranked Tigers any more than some pushover.

LSU (2-0) scored on four of its first five possessions and cruised to a 48-7 victory over the uncharacteristically hapless Hokies (1-1) on Saturday night.

Jacob Lester and Keiland Williams each scored two touchdowns and LSU's menacing defense drove Virginia Tech starting quarterback Sean Glennon from the game midway through the second quarter.

Williams highlighted an overwhelming first half for the Tigers with a career-long 67-yard run for a touchdown.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) -- Terry Grant ran 24 times for 173 yards and two touchdowns, and Alabama made Nick Saban the latest coach to oversee the Crimson Tide's dominance of Vanderbilt with a 24-10 victory Saturday.

Leigh Tiffin kicked three field goals, and Alabama (2-0) won its Southeastern Conference opener with a 20th straight victory in a series it now leads 60-19-4. The Tide improved to 18-3-1 when opening SEC play against the Commodores (1-1, 0-1).

With 18 returning starters, the Commodores came in with what looked like their best chance to defeat Alabama on their home field since 1969 when they last beat the Tide in Nashville.

ATHENS, Ga. (AP) -- Steve Spurrier tried to downplay his latest win over Georgia. Of course, he couldn't resist one little dig at the Bulldogs.

"I guess I have won two out of three here," the ol' ball coach said Saturday night, clearly savoring another victory between the hedges.

Spurrier, who beat the Bulldogs regularly while at Florida, guided South Carolina to a 16-12 upset of No. 11 Georgia that may indicate the Gamecocks are finally ready to contend for their first Southeastern Conference title.

GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) -- No. 4 Florida was nearly perfect early and sloppy late.

Tim Tebow threw three touchdown passes, ran for two more scores and led the defending national champion Gators to a 59-31 victory against Troy on Saturday night.

Florida scored on all seven possessions in the first half, moving the ball with relative ease against Troy's soft zone.

The Trojans (0-2) refused to give the Gators (2-0) anything deep, keeping two safeties well back and prompting Tebow to throw underneath.

LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) -- John Conner had two of Kentucky's six rushing TDs -- the first two of his career -- as the Wildcats' offense overcame their porous rushing defense to defeat Kent State 56-20 Saturday night.

Conner scored on Kentucky's opening drives of both halves, including a 16-yard scamper four minutes after halftime that gave the Wildcats (2-0) the lead for good. Coming into the game, Conner had only two other carries in his career.

Tony Dixon, Andre Woodson, Alfonso Smith and Derrick Locke each added TD runs, Locke's from 67 yards out on just his second career carry. Kentucky racked up 266 rushing yards, but Kent State did even better on the ground.

NEW ORLEANS (AP) -- Michael Henig passed for one touchdown and ran for another and Mississippi State outscored Tulane 21-0 in the second half on its way to a 38-17 victory Saturday night in the Superdome.

OXFORD, Miss. (AP) -- Chase Daniel accounted for a career-high 396 total yards and threw five touchdowns passes Saturday as Missouri sprinted to a 28-point lead over Mississippi then held on for a 38-25 win.

It was the eighth time in the last nine games that Daniel had at least 309 total yards. He faced little pressure as he masterfully ran the spread offense and picked apart the Ole Miss (1-1) defense in the first 35 minutes.

Rebels running back BenJarvus Green-Ellis had a career game with 226 yards rushing.

AUBURN, Ala. -- Jessie Hester Jr. caught a 14-yard touchdown pass from Matt Grothe to lift South Florida to a 26-23 overtime win over No. 17 Auburn Saturday night, another impressive upset for the Bulls.

Auburn freshman Wes Byrum made a 39-yard field goal to start overtime and then Grothe took over. He ran three times, including a sneak on fourth-and-1. Then, on the next play he hit Hester behind the defense for the game-winner.

South Florida (2-0), which had pulled off upsets of highly ranked West Virginia and Louisville in the past two seasons, won for the first time in five tries against Southeastern Conference teams.

Labels: college sports, football

Labels: college sports, football

Labels: college sports, football

Former Grambling Coach Eddie Robinson Dies
Apr 4, 8:33 AM (ET) Email this Story

By MARY FOSTER

RUSTON, La. (AP) -Eddie Robinson, who sent more than 200 players to the NFL and won 408 games during a 57-year career, has died. He was 88.

Super Bowl MVP quarterback Doug Williams, one of Robinson's former players, said the former Grambling State University coach died shortly before midnight on Tuesday. Robinson had been admitted to Lincoln General Hospital on Tuesday afternoon.

"For the Grambling family this is a very emotional time," Williams said Wednesday. "But I'm thinking about Eddie Robinson the man, not in today-time, but in the day and what he meant to me and to so many people."

Robinson's career spanned 11 presidents, several wars and the civil-rights movement.

His older records were what people remembered: in 57 years, Robinson set the standard for victories, going 408-165-15. John Gagliardi of St. John's, Minn., passed Robinson and has 443 wins. (link)

Labels: college sports, death, football

Labels: football, NFL

Manning finally wins big one, leads Colts to Super Bowl

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) -- A comeback, a drive, a legacy. And yes -- finally -- Peyton Manning gets his Super Bowl trip, too.

Football's most prolific quarterback put on a show for the ages Sunday, rallying the Indianapolis Colts from 18 points down and driving them 80 yards for the winning score in a wildly entertaining 38-34 victory over the New England Patriots.

In his nine years in the league, Manning has never played in a game like this AFC championship contest. He threw for 349 yards and one touchdown and brought his team back from a 21-3 deficit. (link)

Labels: football, NFL

(Jason Parkhurst/US PRESSWIRE)

Chris Leak was nearly perfect early as the Gators built their lead.

Gate-R Done

Ohio State started the night off with a bang but it was Florida which fired off the most rounds. The Gators routed the Buckeyes 41-14, claiming the BCS title. Box Score