1,834 -- up from 13,256 for the series opener Friday night. ... Show | Forum
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Nov 1 '18
SOUTH BEND, Ind. Arden Key Jersey . -- Simpler has meant better so far at Texas and Notre Dame, with both head coaches taking more hands-on roles to fix bad defenses.The two traditional powers showed improvement after making changes at defensive coordinator, although both are stills works in progress. The Fighting Irish (2-5) have made major changes since firing Brian VanGorder on Sept. 24, using more players and switching their defensive alignment, philosophy and attitude. The adjustments at Texas (3-3) after demoting Vance Bedford on Oct. 3 have been more subtle.Both coaches say the biggest change has been in confidence.I think we have just allowed them to play without worrying about mistakes. Just play, Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly said.The Irish have gone from giving up 33.5 points, 201 yards rushing and 253 yards passing in four games this season under VanGorder to 20 points, 153 yards rushing and 174 yards passing since. The statistics are skewed by one game being played in the remnants of a hurricane that made moving the ball almost impossible.Still, the defense has allowed one touchdown the past two games and only two in the past 10 quarters after struggling in the first half against Syracuse.The thing I wanted to do when we made the change was keep the points down and limit the big plays, Kelly said.The Irish have gone from surrendering an average of four plays of 20 yards or more the first four games to one the past two games. The Irish defense is playing faster, getting a better pass rush with a three-man line and is tackling better.Kelly is spending more time with the defense, watching practice from a tower at times so he can oversee both offense and defense. He has the team meeting in position units instead of as a whole, with him sitting in with defensive backs. Players say it helps put the focus on little things. The Irish also have changed practices to emphasize third-down defense and other critical situations throughout the week.So guys have to come ready for practice starting day one, and early in the practice as well, linebacker James Onwualu said.New defensive coordinator Greg Hudson has brought more enthusiasm, showing videos of wrestler Ric Flair and the Fresh Prince of Bel Air for inspiration.You come into a meetings hes got videos playing, hes got music playing, so he just brings a different energy, lineman Issac Rochell said.Texas got off to a shaky start after making the switch, giving up 672 total yards in a 45-40 loss to rival Oklahoma, stoking speculation coach Charlie Strong could be fired after this season.Safety Dylan Haines said first-week changes under Strong included developing new coverages in the secondary and blitzes. Haines got Texas first two interceptions of the season in the first half but the Longhorns still gave up 390 yards passing and didnt get a sack until late.Haines also joked about changes in practice. When Strong demoted Bedford, he sent Bedford to help defensive backs coach Clay Jennings.I wondered, what was going to be the dynamic? Now we have two coaches yelling at me, he said.The biggest change for the second game was the wristbands with the defensive signals in last weeks 27-6 win over Iowa State. Texas players had talked earlier in the season about a lack of communication on calls and Strong called for the wristbands to simplify things.Strong, who won two national titles as a defensive coordinator at Florida, said the improved communication allows quicker changes.That helped us a lot out there . because now theres no excuses going across the board. Everybody knows the play. Theres no, `I didnt get the call or whatever it was for that play, linebacker Naashon Hughes said.Texas played its best defensive game last week, not giving up a touchdown and piling up eight sacks.Strong insists there hasnt been many changes the players would notice. He said he hasnt had to sacrifice time away from coaching others areas, but he is taking a bigger role in developing defensive strategy week to week and keeping closer tabs on practice.Hughes did notice Strong brings a vocal element to the practice field.Its louder. Theres more yelling, Hughes said. Coach Bedford wasnt that loud.---AP Sports Writer Jim Vertuno in Austin, Texas, contributed to this report.---Online:APs college football website: www.collegefootball.ap.org ;Donald Penn Jersey . The Americans, skipped by John Shuster, seized the advantage in the eighth end by scoring five points for a 7-3 lead. The Czechs pulled two back in the ninth, but Shusters team of third Jeff Isaacson, second Jared Zezel and lead John Landsteiner ended with another point to secure the last Olympic berth on offer. Jerry Rice Jersey . Kyle Denbrook, a soccer player from Saint Marys University, took the CIS male athlete of the week honour. Stanley, a fourth-year business administration student from Charlottetown, scored both goals in a 2-0 win over Dalhousie on Friday and tallied again in a 1-0 win over Saint Marys on Sunday. http:///...-woodson-jersey-sale . The injury bothered Bledsoe in the Suns victory over the Clippers on Monday and he sat out the teams home loss to Memphis on Thursday night.ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Tampa Bay has the highest-scoring offence in the major leagues since mid-April. Its the strong pitching staff, though, that has the Rays thinking this could be a special season. Jeremy Hellickson pitched six scoreless innings and six different players drove in runs Saturday to help the surging Rays beat Baltimore 8-0, move a season-high seven games over .500 and nudge ahead of the Orioles into third place in the AL East behind the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees. "Youve got to climb over the group in front of you and keep moving forward. You first try to get to 10 games over .500, then 15," manager Joe Maddon said. "Of course you notice the teams in front of you, but youve got to be focused on what youre doing," Maddon added. "The process will take care of itself." Taking up where they left off in allowing just two hits in a 2-1 victory in the opener of a three-game series at Tropicana Field, Rays pitchers limited the Orioles to four singles to beat their division rivals for the fifth straight time. Hellickson (4-2) worked through a fifth-inning jam before watching the Rays break it open with five runs in the bottom half of the inning, three on Luke Scotts bases-loaded triple. He and three relievers combined to retire the last 15 batters to finish the combined four-hitter. Hellickson won his third straight decision, allowing each of Baltimores hits, walking none and striking out five. The Rays have struggled to maintain leads with the 26-year-old right-hander on the mound, however it was smooth sailing after Hellickson shut down the Orioles in the fifth. "It was huge, getting out of it with a zero and then in the bottom half, kind of putting the game out of reach," Hellickson said. "I cant even blow an eight-run lead, so it was nice to get out of that fifth." Evan Longoria, Ben Zobrist, Yunel Escobar, James Loney and Jose Lobaton also drove in runs for the Rays, who roughed up rookie Kevin Gausman (0-3) in his fourth major league start. The victory was the 10th in 13 games for Tampa Bay, which moved a half-game ahead of Baltimore in the division standings. The Orioles came into the series with a major league-best streak of 34 consecutive games with at least two extra-base hits. They were shut out for the first time since May 3, and the third time overall this season. "What do you do? Dwell on what happened behind you, good or bad? You cant," Baltimore manager Buck Showalter said. "(Sunday) is going to be a real challenge for us. Well show up, and Ive got a lot of confidence in good people." Gausman, the fourth overall pick in last years draft out of LSU, has made three of his four starts on the road. He allowed four runs over five innings of his big league debut at Toronto on May 23, then yielded three homers and seven runs overall while only lasting four innings during a loss at Washington in his next outing. Kenny Stabler Jersey. The 22-year-old entered Saturday coming off a six-inning stint in which he allowed one run and five hits but was not involved in the decision of his first start at Camden Yards. "Obviously, this hasnt gone the way I would have hoped. Obviously I wanted to come up here and hit the ground running, win my first four starts, but it hasnt been like that," Gausman said. "Im just trying to battle every day and just try to get back to what Ive been doing. Theres definitely a learning curve there, and Im just trying to learn it." The Rays scored once in the first and twice in the second to build an early 3-0 lead. Hellickson, meanwhile, settled after giving up singles to Manny Machado and Adam Jones in the first inning. The former AL Rookie of the Year retired 10 in a row before Matt Wieters and J.J. Hardy to begin the Baltimore fifth. The Orioles, however, wasted the opportunity to get back in the game. Hellickson struck out Chris Dickerson after falling behind 3-1 in the count, Ryan Flaherty grounded into a force play and Nate McLouth hit a routine fly ball to left field to end the threat. Tampa Bay broke it open in the fifth, when Gausman gave up a RBI single to Loney before departing with the bases loaded and one out. Scott greeted Orioles reliever T.J. McFarland, celebrating his 24th birthday, with his three-run triple on an 0-2 pitch. Jose Lobaton followed with a first-pitch double to make it 8-0. Lobaton, Escobar and Zobrist all had three hits for the Rays. Gausman allowed seven runs and eight hits in 4 1-3 innings. Still, Maddon liked what he saw of the Orioles rookie. "Hes got a great arm. ... Hes what, one year or so out of college?" Maddon said. "Heads up. This guy is going to be real good. Hes as good as they think he is." NOTES: With help from a postgame concert featuring country music star Martina McBride, the game drew an announced crowd of 21,834 -- up from 13,256 for the series opener Friday night. ... Showalter said 2B Brian Roberts (right hamstring) likely will remain with the team to continue his rehab program. Roberts, who hopes to return before the All-Star break next month, has been working out at the Orioles complex in Sarasota, Fla. ... Orioles INF Wilson Betemit (right knee) is running and taking batting practice in an indoor cage. He could return after the All-Star break. ... Tampa Bay LHP David Price, the reigning AL Cy Young Award winner, felt fine one day after throwing his first bullpen session since going on the 15-day disabled list May 16 with a left triceps strain. Barring a setback, he could be back in the rotation late this month. ... The Orioles reinstated RHP Pedro Strop (lower back strain) from the 15-day DL. 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