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FOOTBALL
THE NEW MEXICAN Saturday, November 29, 2014
COLLEGE FOOTBALL TOP 25
No. 9 UCLA blows title shot The Associated Press
PASADENA, Calif. — Kevin Hogan passed for 234 yards and two touchdowns, and Stanford crushed No. 9 UCLA’s hopes for the Pac-12 South title and a College Football Stanford 31 Playoff spot with a 31-10 victory Friday. UCLA 10 Devon Cajuste and Michael Rector caught scoring passes for the Cardinal (7-5, 5-4 Pac-12) as the twotime defending Pac-12 champions salvaged from satisfaction from a down season by trouncing the Bruins (9-3, 6-3, No. 8 CFP) for the seventh consecutive time. With a dynamite 16-for-19 performance by Hogan and two rushing TDs from Remound Wright, Stanford snatched the South title away from UCLA, which needed a victory to advance to the conference title game. Instead, the Bruins flopped in another big game and Stanford handed the division crown to Arizona, a 42-35 winner over Arizona State on Friday. Brett Hundley passed for 146 yards in likely his final home game for the Bruins, losing a matchup with Hogan for the fourth time in three years. Hogan completed his first 12 passes, scrambled for key yards and showed poise in the pocket, particularly in avoiding a sack on a 37-yard TD throw to Cajuste 41 seconds before halftime to cap a 92-yard drive. NO. 12 ARIZONA 42, NO. 13 ARIZONA ST. 35 In Tucson, Ariz., Nick Wilson ran for 178 yards and three touchdowns and Arizona held off Arizona in the Territorial Cup to win the Pac-12 South title. Arizona (10-2, 7-2 Pac-12, CFP No. 11) needed to beat its biggest rival and have Stanford knock off No. 9 UCLA to win the Pac-12 South. The Cardinal took care of the first part by rolling over the Bruins. The Wildcats handled their end with a stream of big plays and a final defensive stand. Arizona will face No. 3 Oregon in the
By Kareem Copeland The Associated Press
Stanford quarterback Kevin Hogan runs the ball as UCLA defensive lineman Takkarist McKinley gives chase during the first half of Friday’s game in Pasadena, Calif. MARK J. TERRILL/THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Pac-12 Championship game on Dec. 5. NO. 17 MISSOURI 21, ARKANSAS 14 In Columbia, Mo., Marcus Murphy scored the go-ahead touchdown on a 12-yard run with 4:38 remaining and Markus Golden recovered a fumble to seal Missouri’s victory over Arkansas and send the Tigers to the SEC championship game for the second straight season. Missouri (10-2, 7-1, No. 17 CFP) tied it at 14 early in the fourth quarter with a 98-yard drive capped by Jimmie Hunt’s 4-yard TD reception and a reverse pass by receiver Bud Sasser to Darius White for the 2-point conversion. Arkansas (6-6, 2-6) was driving for the tie when Kentrell Brothers stripped Alex Collins and Golden recovered with 2:13 to go at the Missouri 35 to thwart Arkansas’ bid to tie it. WESTERN KENTUCKY 67, NO. 19 MARSHALL 66 (OT) In Huntington, W.Va., Brandon Doughty
threw a Conference USA-record eight touchdown passes, the last in overtime to Jared Dangerfield followed by a 2-point conversion pass to Willie McNeal that lifted Western Kentucky over Marshall. Marshall’s Rakeem Cato had seven touchdown passes but threw four interceptions as the teams combined for 1,446 yards of offense. Doughty broke the previous conference record of six TD passes. He was 34 of 50 for 491 yards. AIR FORCE 27, NO. 21 COLORADO ST. 24 At the Air Force Academy, Colo., Will Conant made a 39-yard field goal as time expired after backup quarterback Nate Romine completed a long pass, and Air Force upset Colorado State to snap the Rams’ nine-game winning streak. Fullbacks Shayne Davern and D.J. Johnson scored for Air Force (9-3, 5-3), which has won six straight over the Rams (10-2, 6-2) at Falcon Stadium.
Playoffs: If Tigers win SEC, then what? Continued from Page B-1 to the playoff. Coach Gary Pinkel’s Tigers, 17th in the playoff rankings, will play either Alabama or Mississippi State in the SEC championship game on Dec. 7 in Atlanta. If Alabama beats Auburn in the Iron Bowl on Saturday, the Tide goes to Atlanta. If Alabama loses and Mississippi State beats Mississippi in the Egg Bowl, the Bulldogs go. If both teams lose, Alabama goes.
No matter what happens with the West, a Missouri victory in the SEC championship muddles the playoff picture and creates some difficult questions for the selection committee. The Tigers (10-2, 7-1) played the two worst teams in the SEC West. Texas A&M and Arkansas are not bad teams, but they don’t fall into the category of résumé-making victories. Missouri also lost at home to lowly Indiana and was shut out at home by Georgia.
If Missouri beats one-loss Alabama in Atlanta, not only would that likely eliminate the Tide but it could scratch a one-loss Mississippi State team off the list, too. Sure the SEC West is tough, but at that point it could be difficult to justify putting a team that didn’t win its division in the playoff. Would the committee leave out the toughest conference in the country? Or just take its champion? Stay tuned.
NFL
Marshall expects to play Sunday at K.C. By Arnie Stapleton The Associated Press
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — Broncos top tackler Brandon Marshall expects to play Sunday night at Kansas City after clearing concussion protocol and practicing in full Friday. “It should be normal,” said Marshall, Denver’s versatile linebacker who leads the team with 92 tackles. Marshall was knocked out of last week’s win over the Dolphins when he ran into 6-foot-4, 265-pound tight end Dion Simms on T.J. Ward’s interception return. “I hit him with the side of my helmet and then that’s all she wrote,” Marshall said. “I remember everything. I was just dizzy. I couldn’t stand up. I tried to run and I fell twice.” Simms was unfazed while Marshall was wobbly. “He’s like 270,” Marshall marveled. “I didn’t think he was that big. I hit him and [he] just like shrugged it off. I’m like, ‘Damn.’ I knew he was big, but I didn’t know he was that solid like that. It didn’t faze him, which was disappointing to me.” Nonetheless, Marshall said as far as concussions go, this one wasn’t severe. He said he was confident he’d be cleared to play this week “because honestly, it wasn’t that bad. Right after the game I could drive. So, I was good to go.” Marshall said he was dizzy for a couple of minutes but didn’t have any memory loss, headaches or other problems this week. Marshall’s quick return to action is a stroke of luck for the Broncos, who have two linebackers on IR in Danny Trevathan (who returns next month) and Nate Irving. Also, the Chiefs’ strength is with running back Jamaal Charles, who is averaging better than 5 yards a carry and is third on the team in receptions with 26. He has eight rushing touchdowns and three TD catches. “We’ll take every healthy guy we can,” said Broncos defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio. Del Rio was preparing a bevy of backups, including rookies Lamin Barrow and Corey Nelson, and newcomer Todd Davis for
FSU just 60 minutes from school record TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — No. 1 Florida State is 60 minutes from accomplishing a feat that Bobby Bowden and the powerhouse Seminoles of the 1990s never could — putting together back-to-back undefeated regular seasons. The light at the end of the tunnel is nearing with all of Florida State’s goals there for the taking. “I think right now we’re at the point where it’s the big push, we’ve just got to stick to the process and stay consistent to what got us here,” FSU guard Josue Matias said. “We just can’t slack now. “Sometimes you do think about it, but you’ve got to stay focused. You can’t lose. The main thing now is to not lose track to what we’re trying to do.” Standing in the way Saturday is a rival Florida team with plenty of motivation. The Gators would like to send fired coach Will Muschamp out on a win and Florida was the last team to beat Florida State before it began its 27-game win streak. “Yeah, it makes us want to end it,” Florida safety Keanu Neal said. “Every team that faces it wants to end that streak. But it’s another game, we’re just going to go out and play like they should. “I mean, every team is beatable. No team is unbeatable.” The Seminoles have faced heavy criticism in 2014 for not being as dominant as the 2013 title team and their late-game victories, but coach Jimbo Fisher has focused on the bottom line — wins. He understands the team is on the precipice of another school record, but won’t let players think about being a part of history. “It’s funny, when you’re doing it, you don’t even think about it,” Fisher said. “That’s not the concern. The concern is the next game and how you prepare. “We always talk about, hey, that was a goal we had, now we’ve got to take the next step. It’s like climbing a mountain. Got to keep that going one step at a time. … We don’t ever say undefeated. Ultimately [the goal] is National Championship. That’s always our goal here, and then we build
them down, layer them down after that.” Some things to watch Saturday when No. 1 Florida State hosts Florida: Quotable: These are the things said during Florida-Florida State week. “I’ve always hated Florida,” FSU linebacker Reggie Northrup said. “They recruited me a little bit. They didn’t offer me and I wasn’t interested. I didn’t like Florida from the getgo, so it didn’t make a difference. I just don’t like Florida. Like their colors, just everything.” No problem: Florida State quarterback Jameis Winston has shined when his team has needed him most. The reigning Heisman winner has completed 65 percent of his passes for 1,275 yards and nine touchdowns while trailing. His quarterback rating is 194.26 when behind by 15-plus points this season. “He’s really good when he knows what he’s getting, whether it’s pressure or coverage, middle field or split safety,” Muschamp said. “I think you’ve just got to continue to change up and have creative looks that you are playing multiple things out of.” Muschamp’s finale: There’s no doubt the Gators love Muschamp and will try to send their fired coach out on a high note in Tallahassee. It went that way in 2004, when former Florida coach Ron Zook won his finale at FSU and got carried off the field. Muschamp scoffed at questions about how things could unfold in Tallahassee, but left tackle D.J. Humphries said players already have talked about the possibility of hoisting Muschamp on their shoulders for a victory lap. “He wouldn’t have no choice. We’re too strong for him,” Humphries said. Nothing special: Don’t look for the underdog Gators to try anything out of the ordinary against their in-state rivals. While Florida has nothing to lose in a mostly miserable season, Muschamp believes his team is capable of pulling off the upset by sticking to the game plan and having some success. So the Gators are likely to try to run, run, run, hoping to keep Winston & Co. on the sideline, play solid defense and win a close game.
NFL: League’s owners get final say Continued from Page B-1 Under its deal with City Hall, the company has until April to sign a football team. If that happens, construction of a downtown stadium could begin. However, any stadium plan would require approval from twothirds of the NFL’s 32 owners, and a franchise move to Los Angeles would need the approval of threefourths of those owners. Several teams that can exit their lease deals are considered possible transplants — the San Diego Chargers, St. Louis Rams and Oakland Raiders. All three have historical ties to Los Angeles — the latter two franchises were once based in the city, and the Chargers played their inaugural season in LA in 1960. For years Los Angeles has tried to restore the luster to its once vibrant downtown that withered decades ago after trolley lines
A rendering provided by Anschutz Entertainment Group shows a proposed NFL stadium, called Farmer’s Field, in Los Angeles. Any stadium plan would require approval from two-thirds of the NFLs 32 owners, and a franchise move to Los Angeles would require approval of three-fourths of team owners. ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE IMAGE
were dismantled and freeways begat sprawl. It’s come a long way, buoyed by the success of the LA Live entertainment complex that has grown up around Staples Center and the opening of restaurants, condos and hotels.
Eisner believes an NFL stadium would maintain the momentum. “It just felt to me that if we could pull this off, particularly in the downtown area, that the renaissance of Los Angeles … could be enhanced,” he said.
Rice: NFL accepts judge’s decision Broncos top tackler Brandon Marshall’s quick return to action is a stroke of luck for the Broncos, who have two linebackers on IR. ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO
action this weekend. “Brandon has stepped in for Danny [Trevathan] and done a nice job for us,” Del Rio said. “We’re preparing the other guys in case we have another pop up right in the middle of the game. So, you continue to work your backup guys. But him getting cleared is a good sign for us.” Marshall said he’s relieved he won’t have to miss the AFC West showdown with the Chiefs (7-4), who trail the Broncos by a game in the division race. “It’s a big game. Everyone wants to play in this game. This is the biggest game of our season so far. And I’m just glad the concussion wasn’t too bad,” Marshall said. “I came back, I’ve been studying all week. Even though I haven’t been practicing, I’ve been paying attention. So, I’m just glad to be back out there.”
Continued from Page B-1 the Baltimore Ravens running back punching Janay became public. Rice was released by the Ravens when the video went public. Rice and the union contended he was essentially sentenced twice, and Jones agreed, saying Rice “did not lie to or mislead the NFL.” She noted in her decision that after Goodell increased the punishment for a first offense under the personal conduct policy from two to six games, “the commissioner called Rice to assure him that the new policy would not affect him — that it was forward-looking and his penalty would not be increased.” But the punishment changed after the video was released. In her decision, Jones also wrote: “Because Rice did not mislead the commissioner and because there were no new facts on which the commissioner could base his
increased suspension, I find that the imposition of the indefinite suspension was arbitrary. I therefore vacate the second penalty imposed on Rice. “The provisions of the first discipline — those regarding making continued use of counseling and other professional services, having no further involvement with law enforcement, and not committing any additional violations of league policies — still stand.” The NFL accepted the decision. “We respect Judge Jones’s decision to reinstate Ray Rice from his indefinite suspension for violating the league’s personal conduct policy in an incident of domestic violence,” spokesman Greg Aiello said in an email. “Ray Rice is a free agent and has been eligible to be signed by an NFL team since he was released by the Ravens. Based on Judge Jones’
decision, he will be eligible to play upon signing a new contract.” But Rice has not played all season, and was coming off a weak 2013 season. And there is the public relations mess that could accompany any team signing him — this season or in the future. Rice said Friday in a statement released by the players’ union: “I would like to thank Judge Barbara Jones, the NFL Players Association, my attorneys, agents, advisers, family, friends and fans — but most importantly, my wife Janay. I made an inexcusable mistake and accept full responsibility for my actions. I am thankful that there was a proper appeals process in place to address this issue. I will continue working hard to improve myself and be the best husband, father and friend, while giving back to my community and helping others to learn from my mistakes.”