Monday, November 5, 2012 Sports Briefs Alabama No. 1 in AP Top 25 for 10th straight week after win against LSU NEW YORK (AP) — After being tested for the first time this season Alabama and Oregon have held their spots at the top of The Associated Press college football poll. A thrilling Saturday produced some great finishes but no upsets and few changes among the highest ranked teams. Alabama, which scored late to beat LSU 21-17, is No. 1 for the 10th straight week. Oregon beat Southern California 62-51 and is No. 2 for the seventh consecutive week. Kansas State remains at No. 3 after beating Oklahoma State
RESPECT, from page 11
held high. As hard as it was for Shepard and Beckham, it’s something the rest of the LSU football team has to do as well. I’ve never seen LSU coach Les Miles so visibly upset after a loss. At first I thought it was because some of his quintessential Mad Hatter gambles didn’t work out or because his defense did anything but prevent T.J. Yeldon from scampering into the endzone on the go-ahead 28-yard screen pass with 51 seconds remaining in the game. Those played a part, for sure, but it was another underlying reason that Miles has pent up the entire week leading to the clash with his counterpart Nick Saban. “The idea that people would sit there and discount this football team before they even played the game is just unbelievable,” Miles said after the Tigers’ 21-17 loss to Alabama. Tell us how you really feel, Les. Coming into its tussle with undisputed No. 1 Alabama, most thought the word of the game for LSU was “revenge.” The Tigers were out for blood after the Crimson Tide embarrassed them 21-0 in the 2012 BCS National Championship. They hadn’t scored a touchdown against Alabama’s offense since 2010. Whatever the outcome, the Tigers had to regain what they lost Jan. 9. But LSU did achieve something against the Crimson Tide. It wasn’t revenge — it was respect. As Miles said postgame, everyone counted out the Tigers. It wasn’t a question of whether Alabama was going to win or not, but if LSU could even keep it close. Not only did the Tigers keep the game within striking distance, they blanked the Crimson Tide in the second half until the fiveplay, 43-second drive that will surely go down in Alabama football lore. LSU fans have been dying to see junior quarterback Zach Mettenberger have his breakout game all season long. He finally proved his worth against the best defense in all of college
44-30, and Notre Dame stays at No. 4 after rallying to beat Pittsburgh 29-26 in triple overtime. Ohio State and Georgia are tied for fifth. No. 19 Texas and No. 24 Rutgers moved back into the rankings, and No. 23 Toledo is ranked for the first time since 2001. Ian Poulter rallies to win HSBC Championship for second WGC title SHENZHEN, China (AP) — Ian Poulter showed he can be a star even when playing only for himself. One month after leading an improbable European rally in the Ryder Cup, Poulter won for the first time this year. He closed with a 7-under 65 Sunday to come from four shots behind and win the
football, throwing for 298 yards and a touchdown. Those achievements however won’t be valued as much as they should because the Tigers didn’t come away with a W. Props to the Crimson Tide and coach Saban. It takes a championship pedigree to have no momentum the entire second half and put together a drive for the ages to keep your national title hopes alive. If any other opponent were lining up opposite from the Tigers on Saturday night in Death Valley, it would have been a completely different result. They outgained the Crimson Tide, dominated the time of possession battle nearly two-to-one and won the turnover battle 2-0. LSU exposed a chink in Alabama’s armor. No team has been able to run straight at the Crimson Tide and have success. The Tigers displayed a dominant ground game against Alabama, who hadn’t given up a 100-yard rusher this season. A true freshman running back Jeremy Hill, who was fifth on the depth chart before the season began, accomplished that feat against the Crimson Tide. They were also without three of five starters on the offensive line who started the opener against North Texas or running back Alfred Blue, who had cemented himself as the starter before going down against Idaho earlier in the season. Last week it was said that Alabama could beat an NFL team. Not only did the Tigers help throw that opinion into the garbage, they took one of the best college football teams in recent memory down to the very last second. And that’s something to hold your head up high about. Micah Bedard is a 22-year-old history senior from Houma.
The Daily Reveille HSBC Championship for his second career World Golf Championships title. It won’t overshadow what he did at Medinah in the Ryder Cup — five straight birdies to pick up a crucial point in fourballs and winning his singles match to complete a 4-0 week. Even so, it was important to the Englishman that the year not pass without a victory of his own. “I’ve only been one season without a victory and I certainly didn’t want to go another one,” Poulter said after his two-shot win at Mission Hills. “As well as I’ve played this year, it would have been a disappointment personally to have gone that year without winning.” Phil Mickelson (68), Jason Dufner (64), Scott Piercy (65) and
page 15 Ernie Els (67) tied for second. Lee Westwood and Louis Oosthuizen shared the 54-hole lead, but each shot a 72 in the final round to tie for sixth. Poulter won for the first time since the World Match Play Championship in Spain in 2011. His other WGC title came in 2010 in Arizona at the Match Play Championship. 14-year-old Chinese player becomes the youngest to qualify for Masters
to beat Pan Cheng-tsung of Taiwan. Guan, an eighth-grader who weighs 125 pounds, couldn’t reach the par 4 in two shots. He chipped to 5 feet and made the putt. Guan will be the youngest player at Augusta National in April. He easily surpasses the mark set by Italy’s Matteo Manassero, who was about to turn 17 when he played in 2010. It’s the second straight year a 14-year-old from China will play in a major. Andy Zhang qualified for the U.S. Open last summer.
BANGKOK (AP) — Guan Tianlang of China won the Asia-Pacific Championship on Sunday, making the 14-year-old the youngest player to qualify for the Masters. Guan closed with a 1-under 71 at Amata Spring Country Club, needing a par on the 18th hole
Contact The Daily Reveille’s sports staff at sports@lsureveille.com; Twitter: @TDR_sports
Mon, Nov. 5
MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL SAINTS VS EAGLES WITH THIRST & $10
KELLER WILLIAMS
2 sets
Thurs, Nov. 8
Fri, Nov. 9
LSU vs Mississippi on the big screens Sat, Nov. 10
Contact Micah Bedard at mbedard@lsureveille.com; Twitter: @DardDog