SouthWest Ohio Sports

SWO BB POLL

2011-11-21T16:44:00.000-05:00

1.) North Carolina
2.) Kentucky
3.) Ohio State
4.) Syracuse
5.) Connecticut
6.) Duke
7.) Louisville
8.) Memphis
9.) Baylor
10.) Wisconsin
11.) Xavier
12.) Florida
13.) Alabama
14.) Kansas
15.) Marquette
16.) Michigan
17.) Vanderbilt
18.) Pittsburgh
19.) Gonzaga
20.) California
21.) Florida State
22.) Missouri
23.) Arizona
24.) Mississippi State
25.) Cleveland State
-------------teams that just missed the cut---------------
Texas A&M, Cincinnati, Michigan State, Creighton, Villanova.

SWO SPORTS POLL

2011-11-20T13:47:00.000-05:00

1.) LSU
2.) Stanford
3.) Alabama
4.) Arkansas
5.) Oklahoma State
6.) Virginia Tech
7.) Houston
8.) Boise State
9.) Oregon
10.) Michigan State
11.) USC
12.) Oklahoma
13.) Georgia
14.) Wisconsin
15.) South Carolina
16.) Michigan
17.) Kansas State
18.) Penn State
19.) Clemson
20.) TCU
21.) Baylor
22.) Notre Dame
23.) West Virginia
24.) Georgia Tech
25.) Virginia

Urban Meyer To Coach Ohio State????

2011-11-19T13:38:00.000-05:00

By: Coop

Many sources claim that the Ohio State Buckeyes have offered Urban Meyer an offer to coach the Buckeyes starting next year. This is not confirmed, and last week Meyer said that "there is not truth to that" and that he had not been offered or accepted any deal with anybody.

Although, many sources, including ESPN say that an offer will be sent concluding the regular season.

Also, it is said that if Meyer comes to Ohio State, he will hire former Buckeye, Chris Spielman as a defense coach, and hire another former Buckeye, Kirk Herbstreit as an assistant coach.

But once again, none of this is confirmed.

Basketball Starts TODAY!

2011-11-11T15:51:00.000-05:00

By: Coop

3 of the 4 SWO Sports teams start their regular seasons today, that being #2 Kentucky, #3 Ohio State, and #15 Xavier. That's right, all 3 of those teams are ranked, the 4th team being Cincinnati, who are ranked 25th.

Here are my thoughts of all 4 teams 1st games, along with final score predictions.

Kentucky vs. Marist (7 PM ET-FS SOUTH).
Okay, most of you have never even heard of Marist College, well I hadn't either. But, wikipedia just told me that it is a small university located on the east bank of the Hudson River near Poughkeepsie, NY. And we have all heard of Kentucky. This is like David vs. Goliath. Kentucky should absolutly destroy them.
FINAL SCORE PREDICTION:
KENTUCKY: 90 MARIST: 51

Ohio State vs. Wright State (9 PM ET-BIG TEN NETWORK).
This should be a very good game for Ohio State. Wright State is no cupcake team by any means, they are a decent team, but not nearly close to the kind of team the Buckeyes are. Expect Jared Sullinger to have a good game, he is said to be the best player in the nation, he wants to go out there and prove it.
FINAL SCORE PREDICTION:
OHIO STATE: 85 WRIGHT STATE: 69

Xavier vs. Morgan State (7 PM ET-FS OHIO)
Wanna know where Morgan State University is? Well it is in Baltimore. They are a decent team, but not nearly as good as Xavier. Tu Holloway will sit out this game, after being suspended for this game only by the NCAA. That shouldn't matter at all. X has the guys to pick him up, such as Mark Lyons, Kenny Frease, and Freshman, Dez Wells.
FINAL SCORE PREDICTION:
XAVIER: 80 MORGAN STATE: 64

Cincinnati vs. Alabama State (SUNDAY, 7 PM ET-FS OHIO).
Yancy Gates and the Bearcats are coming off a great season a year ago, this season could be even better. They have a lot of talent and should be able to take down Bama State fairly easily. That's all I need to say.
FINAL SCORE PREDICTION:
CINCINNATI: 88 ALABAMA STATE: 54

Bearcats Remain Undefeated In Big East Play, Beat Pitt

2011-11-06T10:21:00.000-05:00

Isaiah Pead sings the UC fight song in the Cincy fan section
after beating Pitt

By: Coop

Last year's game between Cincinnati and Pitt was not something Bearcat fans want to remember. 28-10 was the final score. As Zach Collaros recalls "they were singing their fight song outside of our locker room". The Bearcats were ready to get revenge.

If the 'Cats did indeed get revenge, they would gain control of the Big East, and improve to 7-1, and 3-0 in the Big East.

Well UC won, 26-23. Here is a scoring summary:

FIRST QUARTER				CIN	PITT
	FG	13:28	Tony Miliano 27 Yd	3	0
	FG	09:48	Kevin Harper 52 Yd	3	3
	FG	07:23	Tony Miliano 40 Yd	6	3
SECOND QUARTER				CIN	PITT
	FG	11:00	Kevin Harper 24 Yd	6	6
	TD	10:35	Tino Sunseri 4 Yd Run (Kevin Harper Kick)	6	13
	TD	05:45	Zach Collaros 7 Yd Run (Tony Miliano Kick)	13	13
	FG	01:08	Kevin Harper 42 Yd	13	16
THIRD QUARTER				CIN	PITT
	TD	13:21	Hubie Graham 4 Yd Pass From Tino Sunseri (Kevin Harper Kick)	13	23
	FG	03:57	Tony Miliano 32 Yd	16	23
	TD	01:48	Zach Collaros 3 Yd Run (Tony Miliano Kick)	23	23
FOURTH QUARTER				CIN	PITT
	FG	14:49	Tony Miliano 41 Yd	26	23

Zach Collaros did good, as he 19/32, good for 214 yards, he did throw two picks though.

Pead had 22 carries, good for 118 yards.

Maxwell Smith Shines In First Start

2011-11-06T10:12:00.001-05:00

LEXINGTON, Ky. -- Maxwell Smith threw for 283 yards and the go-ahead touchdown in the fourth quarter as Kentucky beat Mississippi 30-13 on Saturday for the Wildcats' first Southeastern Conference win in nearly a year.

Smith, a freshman, was forced to start because of an injury Morgan Newtonsustained last Saturday against Mississippi State, and he was steady in his first career start. He had 128 yards passing at halftime, but Kentucky couldn't quite reach the red zone.

The Wildcats had four drives in the first half that ended between the Ole Miss 30-yard line and the 50; one ended in a 48-yard field goal, one ended in a missed field goal and two ended in punts.

But Kentucky offensive coordinator Randy Sanders opened up the playbook in the second half to the deep passes. Smith's 38-yard touchdown pass to La'Rod King gave the Wildcats (4-5, 1-4) a 16-13 lead with 12:22 left.

That pass marked the latest Kentucky had held a lead in any SEC game since a 38-20 win over Vanderbilt on Nov. 13, 2010.

After forcing the Rebels (2-7, 0-6) into two punts, Smith put the game out of reach with a 56-yard pass to King that set up an 8-yard touchdown throw to Gene McCaskill.

Ole Miss held an early 6-0 lead after getting into the red zone twice but coming away with field goals both times. The Rebels finished with 195 rushing yards but were consistently pinned back in their own territory by Kentucky punter Ryan Tydlacka.

CoShik Williams had 111 yards rushing and two touchdowns for the Wildcats.

OSU Survives Indiana

2011-11-05T17:16:00.000-04:00

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Luke Fickell waited all day for a big turnover.

With just over 4 minutes left and the Buckeyes holding on to a tenuous seven-point lead against Indiana, it finally came.

Braxton Miller ran for two scores including a record 81-yarder and Travis Howard ended Indiana's last chance at tying it with an interception, leading Ohio State to a 34-20 victory on Saturday.

Not until Howard picked off Tre Roberson's pass over the middle at the Ohio State 28 with 4:07 left were the Buckeyes assured of the win.

"That was the one thing that you keep staring at, looking out there: Man, we've got to get a turnover. We've got to get a turnover," said Fickell, the Buckeyes' interim head coach. "It wasn't until the very end of the game that we came up with it."

Indiana had driven from its own 28 and faced a second-and-1 when Howard made his big play.

"I locked eyes with the receiver and the quarterback," Howard said. "I was just, like, 'There's no way he's going to throw that pass.' I was able to run over there and make a great interception."

Roberson, who like Miller is a freshman, took the blame.

"I was trying to get it to (the medium receiver)," said Roberson, who rushed for 70 yards and completed 11 of 21 passes for 174 yards and a score. "But it was a bad ball by me. It was all my fault."

Moments later, Carlos Hyde added a clinching score on a 2-yard run and the Buckeyes (6-3, 3-2 Big Ten) had their third win in a row to remain in solid contention in the Leaders Division despite an 0-2 start in the conference and a season fraught with suspensions and the possibility of NCAA sanctions.

Three Buckeyes topped 100 yards rushing: Dan Herron with 141 yards on 14 carries, Hyde with 105 on 15 and Miller with 105 on 14. It was the first time Ohio State had three runners over 100 since Scottie Graham, Carlos Snow and Dante Lee did it in 1989 against Northwestern.

The Buckeyes totaled 346 rushing yards on 46 attempts.

It was another learning experience for the young Hoosiers (1-9, 0-6), who lost their seventh in a row.

"We didn't need to play perfect to beat those guys," coach Kevin Wilson said. "But we did need to play up to our potential."

After fighting to a 13-13 stalemate at the half, the teams traded scores.

The Buckeyes took leads of 20-13 and 27-20 in the third quarter, the first when Herron danced outside to cover the last 15 yards before edging inside the left pylon to make it 20-13. Miller helped the Buckeyes regain the lead when, on third and goal at the Indiana 20, he raced up the middle through a gaping hole on a draw and faked out the last defender, Mark Murphy, who never got a hand on him.

In between, Roberson had tossed a spot-on 34-yard scoring pass to Kofi Hughes to knot it at 20.

Down a touchdown at the start of the fourth quarter, the Hoosiers came right back but Mitch Ewald, who had converted two earlier attempts, was wide left on a 40-yard field goal try.

After forcing a punt, the interception killed Indiana's hopes of ending a string of 16 straight losses to the Buckeyes since 1988.

Ohio State once again had trouble passing the ball. Miller was 5 of 11 for 55 yards with an interception. He also lost a fumble.

Indiana grabbed a quick 10-0 lead, silencing a crowd of 105,195. Ewald kicked a 35-yard field goal on the Hoosiers' first possession. Three plays later, Miller was sacked by Bobby Richardson and he fumbled, with Jeff Thomas recovering for Indiana at the Ohio State 41. Stephen Houston then scored on a 5-yard run.

On the second play after the kickoff, Miller squeezed through a hole at the line and then outraced the secondary for an 81-yard touchdown -- the sixth-longest run ever at Ohio State and the longest ever by a Buckeyes quarterback.

The Buckeyes can still make the Big Ten title game if they win out and Penn State loses twice.

First, they had to survive a scare from the Hoosiers.

"We could have definitely (done) a better job coming out with better energy and better pace," Herron said. "We finished the game, you know. It's not how you start the game it's how you finish."

Jaamal Berry Suspended

2011-11-02T15:06:00.000-04:00

By: Coop

Ohio State junior running back, Jaamal Berry has been suspended by OSU for violating the university's student-athlete code of conduct.

We are not sure what he did, or anything like that.

He will remain suspended at least until charges filed against him have been resolved.

Phillips And Votto Win Gold Gloves

2011-11-02T15:01:00.001-04:00

By: Coop

The right side of the Cincinnati Reds infield received some notice after an impressive season of defense. That is Joey Votto and Brandon Phillips.

This is Brandon's 3rd Gold Glove, and Votto's 1st.

"It's a lot of hard work," Phillips said. "It never gets too old. It just lets me know that I'm doing my job and the coaches and managers respect my defense. It's an honor for them to vote for me. It shows me that hard work does pay off, and I'm going to continue to do what I do."

A Reds first baseman had not won the award until now, the award has been around since 1957, quite an accomplishment for Votto.

"I'd like to thank the managers and coaches who selected me," Votto said in a statement. "It always means a tremendous amount to be selected by your superiors for any award, especially for one of this magnitude. I'd also like to thank the Reds' coaching staff for their help, with a special mention to bench coach Chris Speier."

Last year, Phillips, Rolen, and Arroyo won a gold glove, and once again this year, Jay Bruce is robbed of one.

Bengals Beat Seattle To Cap Off Undefeated October

2011-10-31T16:48:00.000-04:00

SEATTLE -- Marvin Lewis politely acknowledged becoming Cincinnati's all-time wins leader only to immediately crack a joke when it was pointed out the Bengals had surpassed their entire win total from a year ago.

"We didn't have to go far to surpass last year, unfortunately," Lewis said.

It's not just the Bengals' win total that's surprising. They're doing it thanks to defense, a couple of rookies on offense, and on Sunday one huge special teams play.

Quarterback Andy Dalton threw a pair of first-half touchdown passes, one to fellow rookie A.J. Green,Brandon Tate returned a punt 56 yards for a touchdown with 3:22 left and the Bengals won their fourth straight with a 34-12 win over the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday.

Toss in Reggie Nelson's 75-yard interception return for a score in the final minute and every phase had a hand in the Bengals fourth straight win and first win on the West Coast since beating San Diego in 2003.

Cincinnati is 5-2 for the fourth time in the past 21 years and the previous three times it reached the postseason. The Bengals are tied with Baltimore a half game behind Pittsburgh in the tough AFC North.

"We continue to find a way to win it and continue to find a way to keep it interesting. We have to grow on the positives and we've got to correct the negatives," Lewis said.

"That's a hard-fought game. It started out with more talking than playing. We got ahead at that point, and we were able to settle down and play a little bit more better in the second half."

Dalton tossed TDs of 14 yards to Jerome Simpson and a beautiful 43-yarder that dropped into the arms of Green in the second quarter to give the Bengals a 17-3 lead.

From there, the Bengals (5-2) leaned on their impressive defense that bent, but managed to keep Seattle out of the end zone until the fourth quarter.

"To the people on the outside, they may be surprised and what not," Cincinnati cornerback Leon Hall said. "Every season we come in expecting to win. ... Just hopefully, we've got some big games coming up, so we execute in those games."

Dalton made mistakes in the second half, throwing a pair of interceptions and the Bengals managed only 252 yards of total offense. That proved to be enough thanks to special teams, defense and flubs from the struggling Seahawks.

Dalton, whom Seattle passed on in April's draft by using its late first-round pick on right tackle James Carpenter instead of the quarterback out of TCU, was 18 of 29 for 168 yards. Green finished with four catches for 63 yards.

Mike Nugent made two field goals, including a 48-yarder with 4:50 left to give the Bengals a 20-12 lead. It capped a drive where Cincinnati used 4 minutes and forced Seattle to get a touchdown and 2-point conversion to tie.

It was a moot point. Seattle (2-5) went three-and-out on the ensuing possession and Tate, filling in for Adam "Pacman" Jones who was injured in the first quarter, caught Jon Ryan's punt and sprinted nearly untouched to seal the victory.

It was Cincinnati's first punt return for a score since 2003.

"For some reason when he kicked it I had the feeling I was going to do something special with it," Tate said. "I didn't know I was going to score, but I put all the trust in my teammates. The other 10 guys did their job, I just went out and did mine."

One of Cincinnati's challenges was deciphering Seattle's quarterback. Charlie Whitehurst started after coach Pete Carroll determined he wanted to try and hold out Tarvaris Jackson, and his pectoral injury, another week. But Whitehurst was ineffective and Jackson entered midway through the second quarter.

The quarterback roulette that never hit on the right number was part of a maddening and confusing day that started when receiver Mike Williams was surprisingly inactive after not being listed on any injury reports all week.

The Seahawks (2-5) were flustered to the point where running backMarshawn Lynch was barking at coaches on the bench after Seattle was held to a field goal on the final play of the third quarter -- the second time they were stymied inside the 10.

"There were a couple plays out there where I feel myself, I didn't execute right, and I think those were plays that would have put the game in a different perspective," Lynch said.

Jackson finished 21 of 40 for a career-high 323 yards in just 2½ quarters, while Whitehurst was 4 of 7 for 52 yards and was sacked twice in his limited appearance.

And Carroll again flubbed his time management late in the first half. When Seattle was out of timeouts, Carroll called a run play on fourth-and-2 at the Cincinnati 3 with 14 seconds left. Lynch got the 2 yards, but the ball was not spotted in time to be spiked and Seattle walked away with no points.

The mistake appeared huge when Seattle trailed just 17-12 early in the fourth quarter before the Bengals pulled away.

"It would have been a good call if we made it," Carroll said. "But we didn't."

Game notes
Carroll said Williams tweaked a hamstring and that's why he was not active. ... Seattle WRs Sidney Rice (102) and Ben Obomanu (107) both topped 100 yards receiving. ... Jones said his hamstring was just a tweak and that he would do "whatever I have to do to be healthy," for next week's game at Tennessee. ... Lewis passed Sam Wyche for most wins in Bengals history.

Ohio State Stuns Wisconsin In Final Minute

2011-10-30T01:35:00.000-04:00

Devin Smith catches the game-winning touchdown from Braxton Miller

By: Coop

Last season Ohio State was #1 when they played Wisconsin. That was when the rivalry started. In 2010 the Badgers upset the Buckeyes, then did the same thing to them in basketball, hand them their first loss of the season, as the #1 team.

Ohio State was ready to get revenge. No one believe in them. According to ESPN's online poll, 85% of people said Wisconsin would beat Ohio State.

The Buckeyes had a lot to play for. Revenge, it was Homecoming, Boom's 1st home game of the season, they were wearing uniforms in tribute to the 1961 team, Eddie George was being honored at halftime, they were on nation TV, etc.

Wisconsin was coming off of a heartbreaking loss last week, Michigan State beat them with a Hail Mary. They were trying to forget about that and beat OSU.

That didn't happen. The Buckeyes upset the #15 Badgers, 33-29. It was the best game I had ever seen. Here is how all the action happened.

On the Badgers' 2nd drive, Russell Wilson threw it to Monte Ball, who was in tight coverage, Ball somehow made the catch, made a few moves to get past some Buckeyes, and took it to the endzone for a 22 yard score. 7-0 early on. That would be the only score of the 1st.

Ohio State would not score until there was 02:55 to go in the 2nd. That was when Drew Basil kicked a 39 yard field goal. The ball actually hit off the left upright but fell through, luckily. 7-3 the score going into the half.

The Bucks got the ball to start the 2nd half. Braxton Miller marched the team down the field, all the way to the 1 yard line. It was 1st and goal. No gain. 2nd and goal. No gain. 3rd and goal. No gain. Then it was 4th and goal. If Tressel was still here, there would have been a field goal attempt, but Fickell said "go for it". Miller had a nice play action and easily trotted into the endzone for the 1 yard touchdown "run". The Buckeyes took a 10-7 lead.

Wiscy got the ball back, and eventually would have to punt it. But, the punt was blocked! Ohio State picked it up at the 1 yard line. It was 1st and Goal for OSU! That would lead to a Jordan Hall touchdown run to make it 17-7.

The Badgers would answer back, however. Russell Wilson marched the team down the field until they were at the 1 yard line, then Monte Ball took it in. It was a one possession game, 17-14 at the end of 3.

The Bucks would score first in the 4th, when Basil kicked a 22 yard field goal to make it 20-14. That was with 10:39 left.

Then with 04:39 to go, it was 3rd and 2 from the 44. B Millz called his own number. He found a huge hole on the left side and ran it to the endzone! It was a 44 yard run by Miller, and the Buckeyes had a 26-14 lead! That is when Brad Nessler, an ESPN commentator, said "he might be growing up right in front of our eyes".

Wisconsin didn't like that at all. Monte Ball had a 40 yard run on the ensuing drive, that would set up a 17 yard touchdown pass from Wilson to Jared Abbrederis, the Badgers were back in it, 21-26.

OSU would get the ball back and run it 3 times, Wisconsin called timeout after all 3 runs. The Bucks would have to punt.

Wisconsin got the ball back with about 02:49 to go. Then, it happened. Wisconsin took the lead. Russell Wilson connected with Abbrederis once again, this time for 49 yards. They would go for 2 to make it a 3 point game, and they got it. It was 29-26.

Ohio State got the ball back with 01:18 to go. They needed a field goal to tie, and a touchdown to win. Jordan Hall had a nice kickoff return, taking it to the OSU 48 yard line, so good field position to start with.

Miller would move the chains a couple of times, until they were at the Wisconsin 40 yard line. It was 1st and 10 with little time left. Miller dropped back to pass, he was pressured, he ran to his right, he looked like he was going to run it, then last second, at the line of scrimmage, he threw it deep to the endzone. HE GOT DEVIN SMITH! HE GOT DEVIN SMITH! TOUCHDOWN OHIO STATE! THE BUCKS TAKE THE LEAD, 32-29! But wait a minute, was that a forward pass? Did Miller's feet go past the line of scrimmage before he threw it? It was indisputable video evidence, and the Buckeyes got the touchdown, Basil added the PAT to make it 33-29 with 20 seconds left.

But Wisconsin had to get the ball back, by rule. The kickoff went out of bounds, so they started at their own 40. The first play, Wilson went deep, incomplete. 13 seconds left. 2nd play, Wilson's pass fell incomplete. Then with 5 seconds left, there was time for one last play. Wilson's throw went to the sideline, missing everyone. The clock hit double-zero! The Buckeyes Win! The Buckeyes W-wait a minute. There were flags down, it was a facemask against O-State. So the Badgers got one last play. Sweat brought pressure, forcing Wilson to make a bad throw and it was incomplete. NOW THE BUCKEYES WIN! THEY PULL OFF THE UPSET OF WISCONSIN!

Monte Ball is one of the nation's top running backs, but was held to just 85 yards today. His counterpart, Boom Herron, he ran for an impressive 160 yards. Miller added 99.

Russell Wilson had a great game, 20/32, 253 yards, 3 TD's, no picks. But, he didn't win. Braxton Miller did. Even though he went just 7/12, had 89 yards, and 1 TD. That 1 TD couldn't have came at a better time either.

So the Buckeyes are still in the hunt for the Big Ten Leaders Division Title. They need to win out and Wisconsin lose again, and Penn State needs to lose as well. There is plenty of season left, so it could happen.

Next week the Bucks head to the state west of them to take on the Hoosiers. Game time is set for noon ET and will be on the Big Ten Network.

UK Falls To MSU, 28-16

2011-10-30T00:57:00.002-04:00

LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) - Mississippi State quarterbacks Tyler Russell and Chris Relf combined for 264 yards and each passed for a touchdown, and Relf ran for two touchdowns in the Bulldogs' 28-16 win over Kentucky on Saturday night.
Russell earned his second start of the season, and the two alternated drives in the first quarter.
The plan proved successful for the Bulldogs - Russell's style as a pocket passer contrasted with Relf's reputation as a running quarterback, and Kentucky's defense failed to adjust to either.
Then head coach Dan Mullen started mixing the two in on drives together. Russell completed a 40-yard pass to Michael Carr. As the rest of Mississippi State's offense ran to the new line of scrimmage, Russell and Relf swapped.
Two plays later, Relf ran untouched into the end zone from 3 yards out.
The Bulldogs (4-4, 1-4 Southeastern Conference) committed three turnovers, two of which were fumbles that Kentucky recovered inside the Mississippi State 25-yard line. But the Wildcats, who did not have a single turnover, were held to field goals on both drives.
Kentucky (3-5, 0-4) quarterback Morgan Newton suffered a right ankle sprain in the first quarter and did not return. Freshman Maxwell Smith replaced him and finished 26 of 33 for 174 yards.
The freshman struggled on early drives but found a rhythm in the second half. He led the Wildcats on a drive late in the fourth quarter with his team down two possessions, and he converted on third downs in the air three times on the drive.
But his fourth-and-7 pass from the Mississippi State 8-yard line sailed over La'Rod King's head.
Running back Vick Ballard added 87 yards for the Bulldogs.

Holloway Suspended For One Game

2011-10-24T21:48:00.000-04:00

By: Coop

Xavier standout guard, Tu Holloway, will sit out for the first game of the season due to violating NCAA rules. This is just a secondary violation, not a big deal. All he did was play in two summer leagues, the NCAA allows you to just play in one. Seems like a dumb rule, but rules are rules.

This should not make much of a difference to the Muskies, as they will play Morgan State on November 11th, the game that Tu will miss.

SWO POLL

2011-10-24T09:49:00.001-04:00

1.) LSU
2.) Oklahoma State
3.) Alabama
4.) Clemson
5.) Boise State
6.) Stanford
7.) Oregon
8.) Kansas State
9.) Arkansas
10.) Michigan State
11.) Oklahoma
12.) South Carolina
13.) Virginia Tech
14.) Wisconsin
15.) Nebraska
16.) Houston
17.) Michigan
18.) Penn State
19.) Arizona State
20.) USC
21.) Texas A&M
22.) Georgia
23.) Texas
24.) Cincinnati
25.) West Virginia

Frease Reinstated To Team

2011-10-24T09:45:00.000-04:00

By: Coop

Senior center, Kenny Frease, was suspended by Head Coach Chris Mack on October 14th for not fulfilling all of the responsibilities of a Xavier basketball player.

Now he has been reinstated to the team and will now take part in practices and will play in the regular season.

Bearcats Bowl Eligible With Win Over USF

2011-10-22T16:47:00.000-04:00

By: Coop

The Cincinnati Bearcats were 5-1, they needed 1 more win to become bowl eligible after not making a bowl last season. In order to pick up that 6th win, they would have to beat a very tough South Florida team. This was a great game, a nail biter for sure. It was back and forth, but it was the Bearcats who came away with the win, 37-34, here is how it all happened.

The Bulls scored first when Daniels connected with Sterling Griffin for a 14 yard score, 7-0.

The Bearcats would answer back when Collaros found Pead in the endzone for a 6 yard score, it was a tie game at the end of 1.

In the 2nd quarter, both teams had field goals, USF's game as time expired in the 1st half. So it was 10-10 heading into the locker rooms.

With 09:50 to go in the 3rd, Demetris Murray ran it in for a 1 yard score, it was 17-10.

Cincinnati answered back once again when Zach Collaros hooked up with Adrien Robinson for a 21 yard touchdown pass, we were tied once again.

Well until Maikon Bonani kicked a 40 yard field goal to put USF up by 3, 20-17. To make things worse, on their next drive, they got a touchdown when BJ Daniels connected with Shields for a 17 yard score. It was now 27-17, USF, heading into the 4th quarter.

Cincinnati scored first in the 4th when Collaros ran it in from 3 yards out, UC was now only down by 3, 27-24.

A few minutes later, Collaros threw a 30 yard touchdown pass to Chisum, the PAT would be blocked, so the Bearcats have to settle with a 3 point lead rather than a 4 point lead.

With 01:27 to go in the game, Daniels connected with Andre Davis for a 10 yard score, South Florida was back on top, 34-30.

The Bearcats got the ball back at their own 30 yard line and 1:27 to go. The senior QB lead them down the field, then before you knew it they were at the 2 yard line and it was 1st and Goal. Zach found and opening, tucked it, and ran it in for a TD! The Cats had the lead once again, 37-34 with 00:12 to go.

BJ Daniels tried the lateral play at the end of the game, but it did not work out. The Bearcats win the game by 3. They are now bowl eligible as I have said numerous times.

Collaros passed for 389 yards, 3 TD's, and 2 INT's. He also rushed for 22 yards and had 2 TD's.

Pead carried the ball 22 times, good for 79 yards.

Thomkins had 6 receptions, good for 114 yards.

UC will have another BYE week, then they will head to the Steel City to take on Pitt on November 5th. The time and TV is TBA.

UK Beats JSU To End 4 Game Skid

2011-10-22T16:30:00.000-04:00

LEXINGTON, Ky. -- CoShik Williams ran for a career-high 148 yards and Kentucky snapped a four-game losing streak with a 38-14 win over Jacksonville State on Saturday.

With injuries in the backfield, Williams took up the slack as the primary ball carrier after sophomore Raymond Sanders left in the first quarter with an ankle injury. Williams, a junior, finished with 22 carries.

Freshman Josh Clemons, the Wildcats' leading rusher on the season, had already been ruled out for the season with a knee injury.

Williams' previous career best was 95 yards rushing -- set against Charleston Southern last season.

The Wildcats were able to break out after a bye week, earning a season-best 445 yards of total offense and 340 yards of total offense despite missing their two primary tailbacks.

Kentucky (3-4) struggled to move the ball in the first quarter with its first three possessions ended with two punts and a lost fumble. The Wildcats entered this game ranked 118th out of 120 FBS teams in total offense, earning just 229 yards per game this season. Their first three possessions carried held true to that reputation, ending with only one first down, two punts and a lost fumble.

But with 3:33 left in the first, safety Martavius Neloms sacked Jacksonville State quarterback Coty Blanchard, forced a fumble and ran it back 40 yards for the game's first score.

The offense began clicking in the second quarter for the Wildcats, and they finished with 253 yards of total offense at halftime. They had gained a total of 251 yards in their previous two games combined

Washaun Ealey rushed for 120 yards for the Gamecocks (5-2). He ran for 157 yards and five touchdowns against the Wildcats last year for Georgia before transferring to Jacksonville State in the spring.

Carson Palmer Traded To Oakland For Draft Picks

2011-10-18T17:26:00.000-04:00

By: Coop

The long time Bengals QB, Carson Palmer, was traded to the Oakland Raiders for a 1st round draft pick next season and either a 1st or 2nd round pick in 2013 depending on what the Raiders do playoff wise.

SWO POLL

2011-10-16T21:33:00.000-04:00

1.) Oklahoma
2.) LSU
3.) Alabama
4.) Oklahoma State
5.) Boise State
6.) Wisconsin
7.) Stanford
8.) Clemson
9.) Oregon
10.) Arkansas
11.) Kansas State
12.) Virginia Tech
13.) Nebraska
14.) South Carolina
15.) Michigan State
16.) West Virginia
17.) Houston
18.) Michigan
20.) Penn State
21.) Georgia Tech
22.) Illinois
23.) Washington
24.) Texas A&M
25.) Cincinnati

Bengals Keep Colts Winless

2011-10-16T17:23:00.000-04:00

Andy Dalton passed for 264
yards and a touchdown in the
Bengals win over the Colts.

By: Coop

The Cincinnati Bengals were playing host to the Indianapolis Colts. The Bengals were looking to 4-2, while the Colts were trying to pick up their first win of the year. Indy had one of the worst offenses in the NFL heading into this game, while the Bengals had the best defense in the NFL. So for the first time in a long time, the Bengals were actually favored over that team a couple hours West of them.

The Bengals did not disappoint, they keep Indy winless, 27-17 the final score. Here is how it all happened.

A few minutes into the game, Andy Dalton hooked up with AJ Green for an 11 yard touchdown pass, it was 7-0. That would be the only score of the 1st quarter.

Indianapolis got on the board when Donald Brown got the hand-off, and took it to the house for an 18 yard score, it was a tie ballgame.

Cincy would retake the lead as time expired in the 1st half when Mike Nugent kicked a 20 yard field goal. 10-7 the score heading into the locker room.

To start the 2nd half for the Bengals, they marched down the field to the 1 yard line, then handed it off to Cedric Benson, and he cashed it in. 17-7 the score. Then, with 2:20 to go in the 3rd, Nugent kicked a 43 yard field goal to go up by 13, 20-7.

The Colts were showing some signs of a comeback in the 4th quarter. It all started with an Adam Vinatieri 46 yard field goal to make it 20-10. Then on their next drive Painter connected with Dallas Clark for a 1 yard touchdown pass, it was now only a one possession game, 20-17.

Indy had the ball back, looking to march down the field and tie it or take the lead. Well they could have, if there wasn't a fumble. Garcon fumbled it, Carlos Dunlap picked it up, and took it back for a 35 yard touchdown. It was not a pick 6, it was a POP 6. That put the nails in the coffin, 27-17 the score, and that is how she finished.

The game was not televised, due to the blackout rule, but it looked like there were quite a bit of people there.

Andy Dalton had another good game, he 25 of 32 passes, good for 264 yards and a touchdown.

Jerome Simpson looked great today, as he had 6 catches for 101 yards. AJ Green added 51 yards.

Both teams were good against the running game today, as both teams only had 94 yards on the ground. The Bengals defense forced 3 turnovers today.

The Bengals will not play next Sunday, but after that they will head to Seattle to take on the Seahawks. That game will be at 4:15 PM ET and televised on CBS. Until then, WHO DEY!

Bengals vs. Colts Live Stream

2011-10-16T13:22:00.000-04:00

To watch AJ Green and the Bengals take on the winless Colts, you can click right here. Or you can tune into 700 WLW or ESPN 1530 to listen to the game.

Notice: The link will take you to firstrowsports.tv, this is a safe and free streaming website.

OSU Downs Illinois In Herron's Return

2011-10-15T22:40:00.000-04:00

By: Coop

Woody Hayes is smiling in Heaven. Why? Ohio State played a Woody Hayes type game. Run game was great, I formations, great defense, and the most important thing-a win. The Buckeyes were in Campaign, Illinois, looking to beat the Illinois Fighting Illini. They had a good chance at beating them, all because their star running back, Dan "Boom" Herron was back. Boom was great, he was a big reason why OSU won the game, 17-7. Here is how it all happened.

In the 1st quarter, Drew Basil kicked an impressive 43 yard field goal, that put OSU up 3-0. That field goal was score early on in the 1st quarter.

Funny thing, that would be the only score of the half. The rest of the 1st and all of the 2nd was defensively dominated.

I bet Paul Keels, the OSU radio announcer, was happy when there was 14:06 to go in the 3rd quarter. Why? Well because he got to go back to his saying "Boom goes the Herron". That means Boom scored a touchdown. It was a 12 yard score, the Bucks were up 10-0. That would be the score heading into the 4th.

Okay, just so you know, heading into the 4th quarter, Ohio State had not completed a pass yet. Well with 13:06 to go, Braxton Miller completed one. He couldn't have picked a better time, because he happened to complete one for a touchdown to the tight end, Jake Stoneburner. A 17 yard score, it was now 17-0.

The Illini would finally get on the board when Scheelhaase connected with Evan Wilson for a 3 yard score, it was 17-7, and that is how she finished.

The Buckeyes defense looked great, holding a team with a duel threat QB and great talent all around to 7 points, that's pretty impressive.

Dan Herron looked great too, he had 23 carries, good for 114 yards. A pretty good game to start your season after being suspended for 6 games, don't you think? Jordan Hall added 56 yards.

It's a good thing that the running game was good, because the passing game was...bad, to put it in polite terms. Braxton Miller was 1 for 4, with 17 yards passing, and a touchdown.

Jake Stoneburner was the leading receiver, as he had uh, 1 catch.

So the Buckeyes hold on to the Illibuck trophy, and they can celebrate this win for a little while, but they need to improve over they BYE week, because after that, they have to play Wisconsin.

Bearcats Rally Back To Be Cards

2011-10-15T17:03:00.001-04:00

Bearcat players celebrate with the Keg Of Nails Trophy after beating Louisville

By: Coop

The Cincinnati Bearcats were hosting the Louisville Cardinals at Paul Brown Stadium. The 'Cats were looking to improve to 5-1, while L'Ville was trying to get back to .500 at 3-3. At first it looked like the Cardinals were going to win the Keg Of Nails, but it was a tale of two halves. Cincy had a great 2nd half, and rallied back to beat the Cards, 25-16, here is how.

In the 1st quarter, the Cardinals kicker, Chris Philpott kicked two field goals, one from 42 yards out, and the other from 51 yards out. Louisville had a 6-0 leading going into the 2nd.

The Bearcats would take the lead when Zach Collaros connected with DJ Woods for a 26 yard touchdown, 7-6 the score.

The Cardinals would retake the lead when Philpott added another field goal, this time from 18 yards out, it was 9-7. Then, with just 6 seconds left before the half, Mike Evans picked off Collaros' pass, and took it to the house for a 63 yard pick 6. 16-7 would be the score heading into the locker rooms.

As I said, it was a tale of two halves. Good thing for Cincinnati.

In the 3rd quarter, the 'Cats shortened the lead when Collaros ran it in from 1 yard out, it was now 16-14. That would be the only score of the 3rd quarter. So only a 2 point game with a quarter left.

Early in the 4th, Isaiah Pead ran for a 50 yard touchdown, big play for Cincinnati! That made it 20-16. Then the kicker, Tony Miliano was not on the field for some reason. The Bearcats were forced to go for two. Well it worked out because Collaros connected with Robinson for the deuce, it was 22-16.

The nails were put into the keg when Miliano kicked a 21 yard field goal to put UC up by 9. 25-16 the final score.

Collaros looked pretty good, he threw for 152 yards, had 1 TD, and 1 INT.

Pead did very good, he had 20 carries, good for 150 yards and 1 TD.

UC is now 5-1 and will take on USF in Florida next week, that game will be on the Big East Network.

Frease Suspended Indefinitely

2011-10-14T18:12:00.000-04:00

By: Coop

Xavier senior center, Kenny Frease, has been suspended indefinitely, Coach Chris Mack announced today.

“Kenny has not handled his daily responsibilities on and off the playing floor that we expect from every one of our players here at Xavier,” said Mack. “Until Kenny proves to me that he wants to be a part of our team by handling those responsibilities, he will not be a part of our program. I am hopeful that Kenny will work his way back to being a part of this team at some point. “

What all that means, I am unsure, but as soon as we know more about this issue, we'll let you know.

SWO POLL

2011-10-04T16:42:00.000-04:00

1.) Oklahoma
2.) LSU
3.) Stanford
4.) Boise State
5.) Alabama
6.) Wisconsin
7.) Oklahoma State
8.) Oregon
9.) Clemson
10.) Arkansas
11.) Texas
12.) Georgia Tech
13.) Auburn
14.) West Virginia
15.) Florida
16.) South Carolina
17.) Illinois
18.) Michigan
19.) Nebraska
20.) Virginia Tech
21.) Kansas State
22.) Arizona State
23.) Florida State
24.) Michigan State
25.) Baylor

Bengals Stun Bills With Comeback Win

2011-10-02T21:15:00.000-04:00

By: Coop

The Buffalo Bills were the lone unbeaten team in the AFC. The Bengals were trying to change Buffalo's 0 to a 1. They were also trying to get back to .500.

At the end of the 1st half, it looked as if the Bengals had no shot at winning the game. But, Andy Dalton rallied the troops, leading the team to a comeback with a walk-off field goal. Here is how it all happened.

With just over 2 minutes to go in the 1st, Mike Nugent kicked a 31 yard field goal to put Cincinnati up 3-0. That would be the score at the end of 1.

Buffalo answered back early in the 2nd quarter when Rian Lindell kicked one from 43 yards out, 3-3 the score. 10 minutes later, Bryan Scott picked off Andy Dalton, and took it to the house for a 43 yard score, the Bills had a 10-3 lead. Make it 17-3 after Fred Jackson ran it in from 2 yards out. That would be the score at the half.

Marvin Lewis must of been a mad man in the locker room. His defense was not doing well, and neither was his offense.

Well whatever he said it sure turned the game around.

To start the 2nd half, Mike Nugent kicked a 21 yard field goal to make it 17-6. A few minutes later, Andy Dalton connected with Jermaine Gresham for a 17 yard touchdown, that put the Bengals back in it, 17-13 the score.

In the 4th quarter, Lindell added a field goal to make it 20-13. Still only a 7 point deficit.

With 4:09 to go in the game, Dalton dropped back to pass, then found an opening and ran it in from 3 yards out. That would tie the game up at 20.

The Bills would get the ball back, but would later on have to punt it away. The Bengals would get the ball and move down the field until they were in field goal range. They would then call timeout so the field goal attempt would run out the clock. Buffalo then called a timeout in attempts to ice the kicker.

Nugent went over to the sidelines and kicked a few off of the mechanical holder. He was now ready to attempt a 43 yard field goal that would give the Bengals the upset win. His kick was up and.....GOOD! BENGALS WIN!!!!

The defense was great today, especially in the 2nd half. They held the Bills to only 3 2nd half points.

Andy Dalton looked pretty good as he threw for 298 yards, 1 touchdown, but did throw 2 interceptions.

Cedric Benson rushed for 104 yards on 19 carries.

AJ Green looked great as he had 4 receptions for 118 yards.

Watch The Bengals Game!

2011-10-02T14:19:00.002-04:00

You can watch the Bengals game (which is blacked out locally) by clicking on this link.

MSU's Defense Dominates Buckeyes

2011-10-02T14:18:00.000-04:00

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- All of Ohio State's NCAA investigations and sanctions might not have been as painful for Buckeyes fans as this.

Kirk Cousins threw a 33-yard scoring pass to B.J. Cunningham and Michigan State's No. 1-ranked defense overwhelmed the bumbling Buckeyes 10-7 Saturday, shutting them out until the final seconds.

Interim coach Luke Fickell, who took over when Jim Tressel was pushed out for breaking NCAA rules, could only allude to the ugly defeat as "what happened today."

Michigan State (4-1, 1-0 Big Ten) came in as the national leader in total defense (172 yards per game) and passing defense (101 ypg) -- and backed up that lofty ranking. The Spartans allowed just 178 total yards and 143 yards through the air while posting nine sacks and snuffing the Buckeyes' ground attack, permitting just 35 yards on 39 attempts.

So disappointed was a partisan crowd of 105,306 that from time to time boos cascaded down on the punchless offense.

"Am I surprised (by the boos)?" repeated Michigan State coach Mark Dantonio, the Buckeyes' defensive coordinator from 2001-3. "I used to work here. I'm just saying ..."

When the Spartans defense wasn't making plays, Ohio State was doing what it could to help them. The Buckeyes (3-2, 0-1), behind true freshman quarterback Braxton Miller, stumbled all day on offense. Joe Bauserman led Ohio State to its only score, a 34-yard pass to Evan Spencer with 10 seconds left. The Spartans then recovered the onside kick.

Fickell said after the game that he might just open up the quarterback job to the four contenders -- also including Kenny Guiton and Taylor Graham -- who had fought for it during spring and preseason practices. At another point he said Miller would remain his starter.

One thing he was not confused about was went wrong for Miller.

"Things were happening fast for him," Fickell said. "He just maybe didn't see the field real well. We thought we were going to have to throw the football, as many people as they were putting in there (on the line to stop the run) and as much heat as they were bringing. We thought our best option was to go with a guy that probably could see the field a little bit better and throw the football a little bit better."

Bauserman came on to hit half of his 14 passes for 87 yards, while Miller was 5 of 10 for 56 yards with an interception.

Dan Conroy added a 50-yard field goal for the Spartans, far from flawless but thoroughly in command.

It was a glorious homecoming for 24 Michigan State players and several coaches born in Ohio. Dantonio, an Ohio native, was in charge of the defense when Ohio State won the 2002 national championship.

Now his name will certainly pop up on the list of candidates when Ohio State looks for a new permanent coach after the season. Fickell, who worked on the defensive staff with Dantonio at Ohio State, took over in May when Tressel was forced out for not telling his superiors that he knew about players accepting cash and tattoos in violation of NCAA bylaws.

"Every year going way back, the Michigan State and Ohio State rivalry has been special," said Dantonio. The teams shared the Big Ten title a year ago with Wisconsin.

The Spartans ended a seven-game losing skid to the Buckeyes.

"This was a big program win," said Dantonio, in his fifth year at MSU. "Ohio State was the only team we hadn't beaten in the conference."

Ohio State's erratic and ineffective offense almost made history. The Buckeyes had not been shut out in 183 home games, dating to a 6-0 loss to Wisconsin on Oct. 9, 1982, and hadn't been shut out anywhere since a 28-0 loss at Michigan on Nov. 20, 1993.

Cousins completed 20 of 32 passes for 250 yards with two interceptions. Cunningham, the Big Ten's leading receiver, had nine catches for 154 yards.

Cousins acknowledged that the outcome could have been more lopsided.

"We didn't finish our drives. We could have had 20 to 25-plus points," he said.

He threw an interception in the end zone to take a certain field goal off the board and then threw another pick late in the game. But he also lofted a high spiral over the middle that Cunningham pulled away from a defender on Michigan State's second possession of the game for a quick 7-0 lead.

"When you really look at it, their wideout made a big play on a ball thrown up in the air," Fickell said.

From then on, Ohio State couldn't do anything against a ferocious Spartans defense that shut down the Buckeyes' running attack and continually harassed the quarterbacks.

Linebacker Max Bullough had nine tackles, including a sack, while Denicos Allen and Chris Norman each had two sacks.

"We really wanted a goose-egg. We thought about that at halftime," Bullough said.

But the result more than made up for the late touchdown.

"It's a big win for us to come out and beat a team like Ohio State, let alone at the Horseshoe," he added. "It's another stepping point to the Big Ten championship."

Bearcats Ring The Victory Bell...Again

2011-10-02T14:16:00.002-04:00

OXFORD, Ohio -- Isaiah Pead ran for a pair of touchdowns Saturday, and Cincinnati's dominating defense opened the second half with a goal-line stand that set up a 27-0 victory over Miami of Ohio.

Cincinnati (4-1) has won the last six games in the nation's oldest nonconference rivalry, played 116 times since 1888. The Bearcats' defense made this one a reference point -- Cincinnati's first shutout in Oxford since a 22-0 victory in 1898.

Miami (0-4) couldn't budge the Bearcats' defensive line, which put Cincinnati in control with the goal-line stand. The Bearcats then pulled away with three touchdowns in the third quarter, including Pead's pair of scoring runs.

The Bearcats overcame a season-high four turnovers, including Zach Collaros' two end-zone interceptions and his fumble at the Miami 12-yard line. Collaros was 16 of 30 for 251 yards and scrambled 15 times for 89 yards against a defense that emphasized pass coverage.

Miami's Zac Dysert was 19 of 33 for 252 yards with an interception at the goal line and four sacks. Sophomore Nick Harwell became only the second Miami player with three straight 100-yard games, one shy of Martin Nance's school record.

It was Cincinnati's first shutout since a 31-0 win over Eastern Kentucky on Sept. 2, 2006. The Bearcats' last shutout in the rivalry -- played for the "Victory Bell" traveling trophy -- was 17-0 in Cincinnati. Miami finished with minus-3 yards on 38 rushes.

Miami hadn't been shut out at home since 1983, the year Yager Stadium opened.

North winds gusting to 20 mph made it tough to pass and punt. The Bearcats made it even tougher on themselves by getting careless.

Cincinnati is one of the nation's leaders in turnover margin, losing the ball only twice in the first four games. The Bearcats had three turnovers in the first half alone on Saturday, including Collaros' interception and fumble in scoring range.

Miami had plenty of its own problems. An 11-yard punt set Cincinnati up at midfield, and tight end Travis Kelce got open behind the safeties for a 30-yard touchdown catch. The extra-point attempt was wide.

The RedHawks managed only 12 yards on 20 carries in the first half, which ended with the Bearcats up 6-0. Cincinnati's defense opened the second half with a goal-line stand that crushed Miami's chances of a comeback.

Dysert surprised Cincinnati with a 66-yard pass down the middle to Nick Harwell, who was tackled at the 1-yard line by safety Drew Frey. After two runs lost a yard, Harwell was called for pushing off to get open on a catch in the end zone. Mason Krysinski hooked a 34-yard field goal try, starting a celebration on the Bearcats sideline.

Three plays later, Collaros completed a 72-yard pass to tight end Adrien Robinson, who made a juggling at-the-knees catch while safety Pat Hinke interfered with him. Pead's 3-yard run made it 13-0.

Cincinnati then put it away with two touchdowns in an 89-second span. Pead scored on a 4-yard dive, and linebacker J.K. Schaffer returned the ball 17 yards for a touchdown off a bad snap on a punt attempt for a 27-0 lead late in the third quarter.

It was Cincinnati's third straight game with a dominating defensive showing. The Bearcats returned two interceptions and a fumble for touchdowns during a 59-14 win over Akron, and had six sacks during a 44-14 win over North Carolina State.

Tigers Scratch Harder Than Wildcats

2011-10-02T14:15:00.000-04:00

BATON ROUGE, La. -- Jordan Jefferson's LSU teammates heard the boos when the embattled quarterback stepped out on the field for the first time since his suspension was lifted this past week.

That only sweetened their celebration when Jefferson stretched across the goal line to give the No. 1 Tigers a lead they would not relinquish in a 35-7 victory over Kentucky on Saturday.

"When Jordan Jefferson scored that touchdown, and (starting quarterback)Jarrett Lee celebrated, that's when I knew right then, that the word 'team' means so much more," LSU defensive end Sam Montgomery said. "Jordan's been through a whole lot, so now he can tell the story of how, 'I went through this, bounced back, came back on the team, and now we're all a big family again.'"

Jefferson was reinstated this week after a grand jury reduced charges the quarterback faces in connection with an Aug. 19 bar fight to a misdemeanor.

Lee remained the starter and played most of the game, struggling at times but hitting Odell Beckham Jr. for a spectacular 51-yard score, and their second touchdown connection of 50-plus yards in two games.

Cornerback Tyrann Mathieu also continued to cause mayhem for opposing offenses, setting an LSU record for career forced fumbles with two strips, one of which led to his 23-yard scoop and score in the third quarter to make it 28-0.

Kentucky (2-3, 0-2 SEC) did not threaten to score until LSU (5-0, 2-0) led 35-0.

While Lee, Mathieu and Beckham had all played roles in four previous victories that lifted LSU (5-0, 2-0 SEC) to the top of the rankings, Jefferson's return added a new wrinkle.

LSU coach Les Miles had predicted Jefferson's reinstatement would not be a distraction and, if anything, give LSU even more ways to win.

"We will use Jefferson in a variety of ways," said Miles, who did not allow Jefferson to speak with reporters after the game. "At different times in the season, we will need every skill and every collective attribute of our team."

After the touchdown, when boos were drowned out by cheers, Jefferson celebrated with Lee and gave high fives to the entire offensive line.

"We know he can come in and make plays, he's won big ball games for us before, so it's not an issue at all," Lee said. "We're happy to have him back. He's got a great attitude. He's a great person. ... If he needs to come in and make a play for us, the team is OK with that."

Wildcats starter Morgan Newtonmissed on his first nine throws and completed only 2 of 11 passes in the first half, when he was sacked three times. Kentucky coach Joker Phillips gave freshman quarterbackMaxwell Smith a chance in the second half, but Smith fared even worse, completing only one of five attempts and turning the ball over when he was flattened by a swarm of Tigers.

"We just thought we needed a spark and wanted to give Morgan a chance to sit back and watch the game from a distance," Phillips said.

Mathieu got to Smith first and swatted the ball loose just as several LSU defenders arrived and steamrolled Smith, who lay face-down while Mathieu scooped up the ball and returned it 23 yards to give LSU a 28-0 lead.

That was the third forced fumble this season for Mathieu, a true sophomore, and the second he had returned for a score. The player LSU fans call "honey badger," after the popular YouTube clip featuring the small but ferocious animal, later forced another fumble, the ninth of his career, two more than the previous school mark.

"We have a scheme going into every game and luckily right now it has involved me blitzing the quarterback a lot and getting the chance to make a bunch of plays. Every time I get the chance to blitz I am going to go get them."

LSU's defense registered five sacks, with Montgomery in on two of them.

Although LSU dominated, the Tigers' offense sputtered intermittently. Lee completed 8 of 21 passes for 169 yards and one TD.

Beckham, who scored on a 52-yard reception against West Virginia last week, was Lee's top target against the Wildcats, catching three passes for 72 yards.

LSU gained 179 yards on the ground, led by sophomore Alfred Blue's 72 yards. Blue scored once on a 1-yard run that made it 21-0 in the third quarter, capping a drive sustained by Russell Shepard's acrobatic third-down catch along the sideline.

Later, freshman Terrence Magee scored his first career touchdown, also on a 1-yard run. Spencer Ware, LSU's leading rusher coming in, was limited by what Miles said was a minor left leg injury.

Kentucky did not score until Newton hit Matt Roark with a 4-yard pass with 6:09 left to play.

"Morgan made a couple of plays down the stretch, but he had to play better than he is playing right now," Phillips said. "He is not playing fast and holding the ball way too long."

LSU opened the scoring on its second drive, when Rueben Randle outleaped double coverage to grab a 37-yard pass from Lee to the Kentucky 5, setting up the score by Jefferson, who rushed four times for 29 yards and did not attempt a pass.

The Tigers extended their lead to 14-0 when Lee hit Beckham on a crossing route on third-and-10. Beckham, a true freshman, spun up field after the catch and made five defenders miss as he cut back across the field for a stunning score.

Reds Season Over

2011-09-28T17:01:00.000-04:00

By: Coop

The Cincinnati Reds, the team that many thought would repeat, and win the NL Central division once again, finished their season today. Unfortunately it ends with a loss, and even worse: it ends with a losing record.

The 2011 Reds will be remembered (well if they are remembered at all) as the underachieving team that did not live up to their expectations. The team that was supposed to win around 90 games, that only won 79. The team that started the season with a walk-off home run, were very good, then were in 1st place, then they were in 2nd, then 3rd, then 4th, then back to 3rd.

We'll say it again. There is always next year.

SWO POLL

2011-09-26T16:02:00.000-04:00

1.) LSU
2.) Oklahoma
3.) Boise State
4.) Alabama
5.) Stanford
6.) Wisconsin
7.) Oklahoma State
8.) Nebraska
9.) Oregon
10.) South Carolina
11.) Florida
12.) Clemson
13.) Virginia Tech
14.) Baylor
15.) Texas A&M
16.) South Florida
17.) Texas
18.) Arkansas
19.) TCU
20.) Georgia Tech
21.) Ohio State
22.) Michigan
23.) Illinois
24.) Florida State
25.) West Virginia

Link For Bengals Game

2011-09-25T13:08:00.002-04:00

To watch the San Francisco 49ers @ Cincinnati Bengals game, click here

Kentucky Vs. Florida Recap

2011-09-25T11:23:00.000-04:00

By: Jayson Caldwell

The Wildcats faced the tough Gators for week 4.

Florida is ranked 15th. Kentucky is not ranked, who do you think won?

It looks like the Gators won 48-10 as they are now 4-0, and Kentucky drops to an average 2-2.

John Brantley improved his passing to 752 yards and a 4-2 TD/INT. It's surprising that he only has 2 TD's over INT when he's with the Florida Gators and didn't even face a ranked team.

As for the Wildcats Morgan Newton at the QB spot has thrown 590 yards this season, along with 5 Touchdowns and 6 Interceptions.

6 INT's make you look like an average QB honestly, but I think since they faced better teams so far, I think that is pretty good, he threw only 2 interceptions in the game, no TD's.

Kentucky has now lost 25 strait games against the Gators. As UK fans we will have to say it again "next year is the year when we beat Florida and Tennessee". Well, we can hope.

Next Week they face a better team, the LSU Tigers. They are ranked #2 in the nation, behind Oklahoma.
SWO Sports Productions - Jayson Caldwell.

Bucks Down Buffs In Miller's Starting Debut

2011-09-24T20:40:00.000-04:00

By: Coop

After a tough loss to Miami last week, the Buckeyes were trying to turn the page. Coach Fickell decided to start Freshman QB, Braxton Miller, rather than Senior, Joe Bauserman.

Braxton was very impressive. Not so much with his passing game, but his running game, and his ability to make things happen helped the Buckeyes get the win. The final score was 37-17, here is how it all happened.

With just under 8 and a half minutes to go in the 1st, Jordan Hall ran it in from 1 yard out, OSU was up 7-0. About 4 minutes later, Drew Basil kicked a 28 yard field goal, the score would be 10-0 at the end of the 1st quarter.

In the 2nd quarter, Braxton Miller connected with Devin Smith for a 32 yard touchdown, 17-0 the score.

The Buffaloes would get on the board when Toney Clemons caught and 11 yard touchdown pass from Tyler Hansen, it was now 17-7.

Later on, OSU had to punt the ball. The Buffalo player who was going to return the kick, dropped the ball. OSU picked it up and had about 15 seconds with the ball on the 6. Miller would run it to about the 1 yard line and call a timeout with 6 seconds left. It was decision time for Fickell. He decided to take the guaranteed points. Drew Basil kicked the field goal, Ohio State was up 20-7 at the half.

In the 3rd quarter Braxton Miller and Devin Smith hooked up for another scoring play. This one for 17 yards, the Bucks were up 27-7.

Colorado made it a little bit closer when Will Oliver kicked a long 47 yard field goal, it was now 27-10.

But OSU was able to answer back when Carlos Hyde took it to the house for a 5 yard run, it was 34-10 going into the 4th.

Early in the 4th Basil kicked a field goal to make it 37-10.

The Buffs would get a touchdown when Hansen connected with McCulloch for a 14 yard score to make it 37-17, and that's how she finished.

Braxton Miller was not great with his passing game, as a previously mentioned. He completed only 5 passes on 13 attempts, but 2 of those completions were for touchdowns, he threw for 83 yards. However, he did run the ball 17 times, good for 83 yards, one yard shy of Jordan Hall's game-leading 84 yards.

Devin Smith had 3 receptions for 64 yards, and 2 touchdowns.

The Bucks are now 3-1, and will host Michigan State next week.

Buckeye Report

2011-09-23T21:24:00.002-04:00

By: Jayson Caldwell

Recently coming of a loss to the talented Hurricanes, the Buckeyes look to upgrade top 3-1 facing the Colorado Buffaloes. I predict the Buckeyes to win by 10-35 points. Miller will get the start, hopefully we can help him get better for when he is the starter next year, but Bauserman playing atleast 3 quarters could be the key thing for the Buckeyes to win. He is a better QB than most people give him credit for. Lets [Buckeyes fans] hope Bauserman and Miller do good so the Buckeyes will win. I see the Buckeyes moving up about 3 spots in the rankings after this game, they should win by at least 7.

SWO Sports Productions: A Jayson Caldwell report.

Bearcats Rout NC State

2011-09-23T16:35:00.000-04:00

RB Isaiah Pead rushed for 167 yards, and had 2 TD's,
1 on the ground, and 1 in the air.

By: Coop

Everyone in the stadium was wearing black. The game was on National and 3D TV. Blackout game and national TV sure got the Bearcats, and their fans, pumped for the game against NC State.

Now they one thing that would make it better is if UC won. Last year the Wolfpack had their way with the 'Cats, but not this year.

Cincy's defense looked great, as did their offense. They ended up beat North Carolina State, 44-14. Here is how.

With just over 8 and a half minutes to go in the 1st, Isaiah Pead but UC on the board with a 2 yard score. 4 minutes later Zach Collaros can it in from 13 yards out, the score was 14-0 at the end of a quarter.

Collaros would get the next score as well. And once again, it was on the ground. This time it was a 10 yard run, Cincy up 21-0.

The Wolfpack got the ball with about 5 minutes to go before the half. UC had them in deep in their own territory, and it looked as if they could stop them as it was a 3rd down. But instead, Mike Glennon connected with T.J. Graham, he broke a tackle or two, then next thing you knew he was at the 40, the 50, the 20, the 10, the endzone. It was an 87 yard score, it was 21-7.

Cincinnati wanted to answer back before the half. They did so with a Tony Miliano field goal, a 26 yarder, that made it 24-7 going into the locker rooms.

The Bearcats scored first in the 2nd half when Miliano kicked a 48 yard field goal, that made it 27-7. On their next drive, Zach Collaros connected with Isaiah Pead, Pead took it to the house for a 25 yard score, 34-7.

NC State would had another long scoring play, when Glennon and Graham connected again, this one going for 49 yards, the score was now 34-14.

UC would answer back with a touchdown pass from Collaros to Thompkins, a 4 yard score, it was 41-14 at the end of 3.

Tony Miliano would kick a 22 yard field goal in the 4th, making it 44-14, and that's how she finished.

Zach Collaros had a good day, he went 25/34, good for 263 yards, 2 TD's, and 1 pick.

Pead rushed for 167 yards.

The defense is what looked the best though. Although Glennon passed for 334 yards, they looked pretty good. Especially against the rush. NC State's leading rusher was Underwood, who only had 6 yards. The defense had 6 sacks and 3 turnovers.

UC is now 3-1 this year.

SWO POLL

2011-09-21T15:43:00.001-04:00

1.) Oklahoma
2.) LSU
3.) Boise State
4.) Alabama
5.) Stanford
6.) Wisconsin
7.) Oklahoma State
8.) Texas A&M
9.) Oregon
10.) Nebraska
11.) Florida State
12.) South Carolina
13.) Virginia Tech
14.) Florida
15.) Arkansas
16.) West Virginia
17.) South Florida
18.) Baylor
19.) TCU
20.) Texas
21.) Clemson
22.) Illinois
23.) USC
24.) Ohio State
25.) Michigan

Recap: UK vs U of L

2011-09-18T17:53:00.000-04:00

This was a tough pill to swall after UK's late rally wasn't enough to keep the winning streak vs the Cards alive. Kentucky started the game off well in the opening drive when Morgan Newton connected to Josh Clemons with a 38-yard pass but had to settle for a FG. Louisville would take the lead late in the 1st Quarter and never look back when QB Will Stein completed a 38-yard TD pass to Andrell Smith. Early in the 2nd Qtr, Stein left the game with a right shoulder injury and true freshman Teddy Bridgewater came in to replace him. Bridgewater played well despite inexperience throwing for 106 yards and two touchdown passes. Kentucky had an impressive 80 yard drive to end the 2nd Qtr that resulted in a 15-yard TD catch by LaRod King.

UK's offense showed some life in the 4th Qtr. The Cats on their opening possession of the 4th put together a 77-yard drive on 15 plays and scored on a 2-yard pass from Newton to E.J. Fields. The defense held Louisville to a 3 and out and got the ball back with 2:27 left on the clock. The Cats got to the 15 yard line but DeMarco Robinson fumbled inside the ten. Luckily UK could recover the ball back but wouldn't score as Newton's pass sailed out of bounds to end the game.

Louisville's running game was a major difference in the game while UK's was almost non-existant. Louisville rushed for 181 yards to UK's 35. The offensive line still continued to have struggles so far this year allowing 6 sacks for -41 yards. Newton attempted to run 13 times for -19 yards. Kentucky was able to convert for 21 first downs in the game. Why by no means was UK's passing great in terms of completion percentage, it showed progress in this game. Morgan Newton passed for 255 yards yards in this game and in the previous two games, he had 211 combined. UK's receivers caught 27 passes in the game. E.J. Fields impressed me with seven receptions for 57 yards and a TD pass. He emerged to give UK another WR target a long with LaRod King.

Final Score U of L 24 UK 17

Kentucky will open SEC conference play next weekend vs the Florida Gators Saturday at 7 PM.

SWO Sports Poll

2011-09-14T14:33:00.000-04:00

1.) Oklahoma
2.) LSU
3.) Alabama
4.) Boise State
5.) Florida State
6.) Stanford
7.) Oklahoma State
8.) Texas A&M
9.) Wisconsin
10.) South Carolina
11.) Ohio State
12.) Nebraska
13.) Virginia Tech
14.) Arkansas
15.) Florida
16.) West Virginia
17.) Oregon
18.) Baylor
19.) South Florida
20.) Arizona State
21.) Auburn
22.) Texas
23.) TCU
24.) Mississippi State
25.) USC

Bengals Beat Browns To Kickoff Season

2011-09-11T21:03:00.002-04:00

CLEVELAND -- Bruce Gradkowski looked up field and couldn't believe his eyes. There was nothing, just green grass and rookie receiver A.J. Green.

With a sudden snap, the Bengals had fooled Cleveland's defense, leaving them flat-footed and out of position. Now, it was up to Cincinnati's backup quarterback to complete the sneaky trick.

"I said, 'Oh my gosh, you gotta be kidding me,'" Gradkowski said.

The Browns were just as shocked.

Gradkowski caught Cleveland's defense still in the huddle and quickly lobbed a 41-yard touchdown pass to Green in the fourth quarter, giving the whatever-it-takes Bengals a stunning 27-17 win Sunday over the Browns to spoil a sloppy debut in Cleveland's first game under coach Pat Shurmur.

"The play is designed to catch them napping," said Bengals running backCedric Benson, who put the Browns away with a 39-yard TD run in the final minutes. "We caught them napping."

Green, who hadn't caught a pass all game, was left uncovered by the Browns, who were still huddled up when the Bengals lined up.

After taking the shotgun snap, Gradkowski, on in relief of injured rookie starterAndy Dalton, looked toward a wide-open Green streaking down the right side.

Green felt as if he was dreaming.

"I thought, 'Ball, please get down and into my hands,'" the speedy first-round pick said. "It's one of the slowest balls I've ever seen. It was one of the toughest catches I've ever had because I had so long to think about it. It took forever to get to me."

Green hauled it in and sprinted untouched into the end zone to shock the Browns and their fans. Cleveland fell to 1-12 in season openers since 1999.

Shurmur isn't convinced what the Bengals did was legal.

"They quick-snapped us," Shurmur said. "I'll have to watch the tape, but it's my understanding they changed personnel, lined up and then quick-snapped. There's rules that go along with that, so we'll see. My understanding is when the offense changes personnel, the defense is allowed to do so as well and have time to do it."

The play was equally surprising for the Bengals, who jumped in celebration at the improbable TD. This was the kind of play that usually happens to them.

"We just got lucky," said center Kyle Cook. "I think they knew they screwed up. We just called it at the right time."

Browns cornerback Sheldon Brown thought the Bengals got away with one.

"We were still in the defensive huddle when they snapped the ball," he said. "It happened so fast, all I know there was a lot of people running wide open down the field."

Colt McCoy threw two TD passes for the Browns, who were disorganized for much of Shurmur's first game. Cleveland committed 11 penalties -- 10 in the first half -- but the Browns' biggest offense was not being ready while protecting a 17-13 lead in the fourth quarter.

Cornerback Joe Haden, who had kept Green without a catch for more than 50 minutes and batted away five passes, was out of position and couldn't catch Green.

"We weren't ready," Haden said. "Everybody was scrambling. Everybody was standing in the middle looking at D'Qwell {Jackson) trying to figure out what the call was. We never got one and when we heard everybody screaming, they were already lined up and we just started running."

Benson, who recently served jail time on an assault charge, finished with 121 yards on 25 carries. Mike Nugent kicked field goals of 24 and 47 yards for Cincinnati.

Considered by some to be the NFL's worst team, and with veteran quarterback Carson Palmer sitting out in a standoff with ownership, the Bengals somehow won their first opener since 2007. And they did it with Gradkowski, their third-string QB, who pulled one over on the Browns.

"Every once in a while you lose a game that makes you feel sick to your stomach," Browns linebacker Scott Fujita said. "This is definitely one of those games."

Dalton was hit by Browns rookie defensive tackle Phil Taylor on Cincinnati's final offensive play in the first half. Dalton, trying to become only the fifth rookie since 1970 to win his debut on the road, finished 10 of 15 for 81 yards. He hopes to play next week at Denver.

Shurmur's first quarter as a head coach couldn't have gone much worse as the Browns were called for six penalties, gained 3 yards rushing and were badly outplayed.

Afterward, a red-faced Shurmur didn't hold back when assessing his team's disappointing outing.

"A season full of mistakes in the first quarter," Shurmur said. "No excuses. I don't care if you're a rookie. I don't care if you've been in this thing for 12 years, and I care if this is your last game. You can't make mistakes."

Brown didn't offer any excuses, but felt the officiating was one-sided. Cincinnati was only whistled for three infractions.

"It's kind of frustrating, but in my eyes some of those calls are questionable," he said. "The biggest thing is do not let this game trickle over into a whole season. That would be the most frustrating thing."

Game notes
Players and coaches on both sidelines helped hold the giant American flag that covered the entire field during a stirring pregame tribute to the 10th anniversary of 9/11. ... Jackson had 11 tackles, two sacks and forced a fumble for the Browns. ... Cincinnati leads the series 40-36. ... The Bengals improved to 20-24 in openers, 7-13 on the road. ... Browns punter Richmond McGeeaveraged 36 yards on eight punts, a poor debut that could lead to changes.

Cincy Falls To Tennessee

2011-09-10T19:57:00.000-04:00

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - Tyler Bray threw for a career-high 405 yards, passed for four touchdowns and ran for a fifth score as Tennessee cruised to a 45-23 win over Cincinnati on Saturday.
Isaiah Pead led the Bearcats (1-1) with 155 yards rushing, DJ Woods had 111 yards receiving and Zach Collaros was 21 for 34 for 230 yards.
Bray completed 34 of 41 passes and bettered his previous career high of 354 yards as the Volunteers (2-0) got their first win over a nonconference BCS opponent in six tries.
Da'Rick Rogers caught two of the touchdown passes and had 100 yards receiving, and Justin Hunter added 156 yards receiving and a score.
Both teams scored touchdowns on their first two drives. Bray found Rogers by himself on one side of the end zone for an 11-yard touchdown pass to give the Vols a 21-14 lead with 13:20 left before halftime that they wouldn't relinquish.
The pass, Bray's second TD throw of the game, marked the eighth consecutive game the sophomore has thrown multiple scoring strikes, eclipsing Peyton Manning's team record of seven games set in 1997.
The Vols held on to the momentum on the following drive, tackling Collaros for a loss of 6 yards after he dropped the ball in the backfield and they also stuffed Pead for a loss of a yard on fourth-and-1 at the Cincinnati 49.
After the teams traded punts and the Vols' Michael Palardy missed a 43-yard field goal attempt, Tennessee stopped the Bearcats again on fourth-and-1 by dropping Collaros for no gain. On the next drive, Bray found Rogers in the end zone again, this time in double coverage, and Rogers hung on to the ball while losing his helmet for a 15-yard touchdown catch with 1:15 in the second quarter.
Cincinnati marched down the field during the final minute of the half, but Hunter tipped a 47-yard field goal attempt by Tony Milano, and the Vols went into halftime with a 28-14 lead.
The Bearcats' frustrations continued after the break. Tennessee opened with a 10-play, 70-yard drive capped by a 1-yard touchdown run by Bray.
On the following drive, the Bearcats reached the Tennessee 1 on a 24-yard pass from Collaros to Kenbrell Thompkins, who had previously committed to Tennessee under former coach Lane Kiffin. The Vols kept them from getting any closer, and Cincinnati settled for a 23-yard field goal by Tony Milano to cut the margin to 35-17.
The Bearcats, who scored a Football Bowl Subdivision-leading 72 points in the opening week of the season, couldn't close the gap any more.
Pead, who had 104 yards rushing in the first quarter alone, ran 65 yards for a touchdown the first time he touched the ball, the third play of the game. Pead had a 40-yard touchdown run on the first play of the Bearcats' season opening 72-10 win over Austin Peay.

Ohio State Escapes Toledo Upset Bid

2011-09-10T19:15:00.000-04:00

Johnathan Hankins (52) celebrates with his team after a stop by the
OSU defense.

By: Coop

1921 was a long time ago. That was the last time the Buckeyes had lost to an in-state team. That was when Oberlin beat the Bucks 7-6. Teams like Cincinnati, Miami, Bowling Green, Akron, and Youngstown State have all been victims of Ohio State's streak. Toledo head coach, Tim Beckman, did not want to be the next team to lose, he wanted to be the first Ohio team to beat OSU since 1921. Well, his team sure did come close and gave the 15th ranked team in the country a serious scare, but it was the Bucks that kept the streak alive, as they won in the final minute, 27-22. Here is how.

Joe Bauserman connected with the now star-Tight End, Jake Stoneburner for a 26 yard score on the Buckeyes opening drive. It was 7-0, Buckeyes looking like they were going to start a blow out like they did last week.

Yeah, that didn't happen.

The Rockets answered back about 4 minutes later when Austin Dantin connected with Eric Page for a 6 yard score, then coach Beckman decided to be aggressive and go for 2. Well they got it when Page passed it to Keighley, the score was 8-7 Toledo.

Terrence Owens, the other Toledo QB got some action in this game, and with 2 minutes to go in the 1st, he threw the ball to Eric Page, Page would go 66 yards to the house, 15-7 the score at the end of 1.

The Buckeyes would make it a one-possession game when Carlos Hyde ran it in from 36 yards out, 15-14 the score.

Just before the half, Toledo had to punt it away. Chris Fields was the return man. Well wanna know what he did? That's good because I'm about to tell you, he returned the punt and took it to the house for a 69 yard score, that put the Buckeyes up 21-15 at the half.

The Rockets got the ball to start the 3rd quarter, and started with good field position, they eventually got down to the 4 yard line. From the 4 yard line Adonis Thomas ran it in for the score, the Rockets back on top 22-21.

With 3:17 to go in the 3rd, the Buckeyes answered back when Hyde ran for a 2 yard score, the 2-pointer was failed, but the score was 27-22.

A few drives later, the Bucks were getting close to the red zone, but then RB, Rod Smith, fumbled the ball. It was picked up by Toledo.

The Rockets had the ball back with 3:08 to go in the game. Eventually it was 4th and 14 at their own 42 yard line, Owens and Page connected for 19 yards to move the chains and keep the game alive. A few moments later, it was 4th and 6 from the OSU 17. Owens dropped back to pass, tried to get Kenny Stafford but it fell incomplete, a turnover on downs! Bauserman then took a knee a couple of times, securing the win for OSU.

So the Buckeyes avoid the upset, and go to 2-0.

Some fans were wondering why Braxton Miller was never put in the game. Well, this is Bauserman's team. He is here to be our starter, not a back up. Right now, Miller is simply just a back up.

Joe did pretty good today, 16 of 30, 189 yards, 1 TD.

Hyde carried the ball 20 times, good for 76 yards.

Devin Smith had 2 receptions, good for 67 yards.

Those are all impressive stats, but the most impressive one, Ohio State was only penalized twice today.

The 2-0 Buckeyes will now get ready for the Miami Hurricanes. Next week they head to South Florida in search of win #3. Game time is set 7:30 PM ET and it will be televised on ESPN.

For highlights, click here.

Wildcats Down CMU In Home Opener

2011-09-10T18:42:00.000-04:00

Danny Trevathan had an
INT and 13 tackles in UK's
27-13 win over CMU

LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) - Josh Clemons scored on an 87-yard run, and Morgan Newton ran in a fourth-quarter touchdown to seal Kentucky's 27-13 comeback win over Central Michigan on Saturday.
On Clemons' score, he ran inside and bounced off a tackler before he sprinted down the right sideline. His touchdown run became the longest in school history for a freshman, and the longest for a UK player of any class since Bernie Scruggs ran for 88 yards on Oct. 24, 1970.
Central Michigan controlled the first half, leading 13-6 at halftime. The Chippewas had outgained Kentucky, 227 yards to 94, and controlled possession for just over 19 minutes in the first two quarters. They took a 3-0 lead early on a 19-yard field goal by David Harman and Kentucky answered on the next possession with a 45-yard Craig McIntosh field goal.
With 1:19 left in the first quarter, Central Michigan scored its only touchdown on a 24-yard pass from Ryan Radcliff to Jerry Harris. Harman hit a 30-yard field goal in the second quarter to give the Chippewas their biggest lead. They did not score for the rest of the game.
The Wildcats' offense had opportunities in the first half but never came away with more than a field goal. UK linebackerDanny Trevathan intercepted Radcliff and returned it 28 yards to the Central Michigan 11-yard line. With 1st and 10, Kentucky went three-and-out, and McIntosh missed a 24-yard field-goal attempt off the right upright.
But in the third quarter, Newton woke up the offense. He led a drive that ended in a 34-yard touchdown pass to La'Rod King with 4:07 left to tie the game at 13.
Clemons' touchdown run gave the Wildcats (2-0) their first lead of the game in the third quarter. He became the first Wildcats freshman to record a 100-yard rushing game since Arliss Beach in 2002.
Newton added a 1-yard touchdown run on a fourth-and-goal play to give the Wildcats a two-possession lead in the fourth quarter.
Ryan Radcliff threw for 295 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions for the Chippewas (1-1).

UC, XU, OSU, and UK Announce Schedules

2011-09-07T15:37:00.000-04:00

By: Coop

To view the Cincinnati Bearcats Basketball schedule, click here.
To view the Xavier Musketeers Basketball schedule, click here.
To view the Ohio State Buckeyes Basketball schedule, click here.
To view the Kentucky Wildcats Basketball schedule, click here.

SWO POLL

2011-09-07T15:30:00.000-04:00

1.) Oklahoma
2.) LSU
3.) Alabama
4.) Boise State
5.) Stanford
6.) Florida State
7.) Wisconsin
8.) Texas A&M
9.) Ohio State
10.) Nebraska
11.) South Carolina
12.) Oklahoma State
13.) Arkansas
14.) Oregon
15.) Virginia Tech
16.) Michigan State
17.) Mississippi State
18.) West Virginia
19.) Florida
20.) Baylor
21.) Missouri
22.) Penn State
23.) South Florida
24.) Texas
25.) Arizona State

Bearcats Destroy Austin Peay In Opener

2011-09-03T22:51:00.002-04:00

Zach Collaros made the best
of the 2 quarters he played
as he passed for 4
touchdowns in UC's
72-10 win, Saturday

CINCINNATI -- Isaiah Pead ran for Cincinnati's first two touchdowns Saturday night, and Zach Collaros threw for the next four -- all in the first half -- leading the Bearcats to a 72-10 victory over Austin Peay.

The Bearcats dominated an Ohio Valley Conference team that has only eight seniors, scoring the third-most points in their history.

Cincinnati scored on six of its seven first-half possessions against a defense that features one senior starter. Pead ran 40 yards for a touchdown on the Bearcats' first play. He also scored on a 13-yard run and finished with 87 yards.

Collaros, the Big East's top returning passer, played only the first half and was 12 of 19 for 134 yards. His 34-yard pass to D.J. Woods completed a 95-yard drive in the second quarter. Collaros also threw a pair of touchdown passes toAnthony McClung in the last 39 seconds of the first half for a 41-0 lead.

Austin Peay is coming off a 2-9 season and has dropped its last nine games overall.

Cincinnati is coming off a 4-8 season that took much of the buzz out of the football program. After Brian Kelly left for Notre Dame, the Bearcats went back to losing games in front of small home crowds.

Their opener in coach Butch Jones' second season was much better, though played in front of a crowd of 23,282. Last year, they went to Fresno State and got beat 28-14 in 94-degree heat, wearing down as the game went along. No such problems on Saturday in 93-degree weather against an overmatched opponent.

Austin Peay has only 18 winning seasons in its 74 years of football. This one started badly.

Cincinnati won the coin toss, and freshman Ralph David Abernathy IV returned the kickoff 60 yards. On the Bearcats' first play, Collaros handed off to Pead and threw a downfield block on safety Amius Smith, opening the way for the Big East's top returning runner to go 40 yards untouched.

The Bearcats had a 14-play, 95-yard drive in the second quarter that left the Governors' defense running on fumes. Collaros threw a 34-yard pass to D.J. Woods, who ran past cornerback Sheldon Wade to make the catch for a 27-0 lead.

The half also ended badly for Austin Peay.

Collaros threw a 39-yard touchdown pass to McClung with 39 seconds left, and Cincinnati recovered a fumble on the kickoff. Austin Peay dropped seven defenders into pass coverage, but Collaros found McClung wide open in the middle of the field for a 29-yard touchdown that made it 41-0.

Cincinnati went with its reserves in the second half.

Austin Peay's Jake Ryan was 16 of 23 for 150 yards with two sacks, a fumble and two interceptions that went off his receivers' hands.

<a href='http://video.msn.com?vid=9d8f76d8-bfc2-4d79-ab71-c15f801d3c0e&mkt=en-us&src=FLPl:embed::tag_recent' target='_new' title='Highlights: Cincinnati tops Austin Peay 72-10' >Video: Highlights: Cincinnati tops Austin Peay 72-10</a>