The Gophers red zone defense is the worst in the Big Ten, | Forum

SAN DIEGO -- Melvin Gordon ran for a career-high 196 yards and scored the go-ahead TD on a 1-yard run, and defensive backs Dwight Lowery and Brandon Flowers scored on turnovers by Marcus Mariota to lead the Chargers to a 43-35 victory Sunday against the Tennessee Titans, who still havent won in San Diego since 1990. Vernon Butler Jersey .The Chargers (4-5) won two days before the team will ask voters to approve a billion-dollar subsidy for a new downtown stadium to replace aging Qualcomm Stadium. The measure was polling well short of the two-thirds supermajority needed to pass.Gordon, who leads the NFL with 11 touchdowns, scored on a 1-yard run with 5:28 left in the third quarter to give the Chargers a 26-21 lead. He ran 32 times, and broke a 47-yard run in the closing minutes. He also caught four passes for 65 yards.Mariota, who led the Titans to a 21-19 lead by guiding two quick scoring drives on either side of halftime, helped the Chargers surge to a 12-point lead when he fumbled late in the third quarter. Lowery picked up the ball ran 43 yards for a touchdown and a 33-21 lead.With the Chargers up by eight -- and with a propensity to blow late leads this year -- Flowers jumped a route, intercepted Mariota and returned it 33 yards for a 43-28 lead with 4:51 left.Running the two-minute drill to perfection, Mariota threw a 7-yard scoring pass to Rishard Matthews with 14 seconds left before halftime. The Titans got the second-half kick and Mariota quickly moved them down the field, finishing the drive with a 14-yard run on which he held out the ball to touch the pylon.The Chargers came right back with a drive aided by three crucial penalties by the Titans defense to get Gordons go-ahead score.The Titans pulled to 33-28 with just less than 10 minutes to play when Mariota hit Delanie Walker on an 8-yard scoring pass.The Titans (4-5) have lost seven straight in San Diego since 1993, when they were the Houston Oilers. The franchises last victory in San Diego was in 1990.Philip Rivers threw a 13-yard TD pass to Antonio Gates in the first quarter and a 6-yarder to Tyrell Williams in the second for a 16-0 Chargers lead.Mariota, who passed for 313 yards and three TDs, also threw a 16-yard TD pass to Matthews in the second quarter.San Diego held DeMarco Murray to 51 yards on 14 carries. He scored on a 1-yard run late in the game.RIVERS-TO-GATES: Rivers 13-yard touchdown pass to Gates in the first quarter was the 81st time theyve connected, the most in NFL history between a quarterback and a tight end. It was also the 108th career TD catch for Gates, leaving him three shy of matching Tony Gonzalezs NFL record for a tight end.BALLOT BOWL: The Chargers are asking San Diegans to approve a ballot measure that would provide $1.15 billion via an increase in the hotel occupancy tax to help fund a $1.8 billion stadium and convention center annex downtown . The measure needs a two-thirds supermajority to pass. Polls show it might not get 50 percent. Team chairman Dean Spanos will then have to decide whether to negotiate a new deal with Mayor Kevin Faulconer and stakeholders such as the powerful tourism industry, or exercise his right to move to Los Angeles and join the Rams in a stadium scheduled to open in Inglewood in 2019. Dan Fouts, who spent his entire Hall of Fame career with the Chargers, gave the measure a plug both during his job as CBS analyst and at halftime during a ceremony honoring alumni.TOUGH WEEKEND: Mariota, who is from Hawaii and played at Oregon, had several family and friends in attendance, many of whom also watched Hawaii lose to San Diego State 55-0 on Saturday night. There were also people in Ducks colors in the crowd. Oregon lost 45-20 to Southern California on Saturday evening at the L.A. Coliseum.INJURIES: Titans RB Derrick Henry hurt a calf during pregame warmups and didnt play. ... San Diego WR Jeremy Butler hurt an ankle in the first quarter. ... Chargers rookie DE Joey Bosa was down briefly in the second quarter, but walked off under his own power and came back in.---For more NFL coverage: http://www.pro32.ap.org and http://www.twitter.com/AP-NFL Sam Mills Jersey .Y. -- Syracuse has turned up the defence at the right time all season, and when High Point threatened to pull off a monumental upset the second-ranked Orange did what they do best with their quick hands and savvy play. Cameron Artis-Payne Jersey . Pedro scored from a pass by Lionel Messi in the 33rd minute and added two more goals in the 47th and 72nd after Valdes saved his second penalty in four days following his stop in Wednesdays 4-0 over Ajax in the Champions League. http://www.cheappanthersjerseyselite.com/ . Mats Zuccarello and Derek Stepan scored shootout goals, and backup goalie Cam Talbot earned his second win in two nights as the Rangers shook off a late tying tally and beat the Maple Leafs 2-1 Monday night. CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- In a rebuilding season for Illinois, even the homecoming opponent is coming to town with a winning record and payback on its mind.For the second time in three season Illinois (2-5, 1/3 Big Ten) has lined up Minnesota as its homecoming opposition. Last time the Illini upset a Golden Gophers team that competing for a Big Ten West title, winning 28-24 on a late fumble returned for a touchdown.Minnesota quarterback Mitch Leidner was there, and he says it was one of the first things coach Tracy Claeys stressed to the Golden Gophers (5-2, 2-2) this week. Not that Claeys needed to, Leidner said.Guys are hungry and excited to go down there and redeem ourselves, the redshirt senior said.The Gophers are coming off a comeback win of their own, 34-32 over Rutgers, a team Illinois beat by 17.But after last weeks 41-8 los at Michigan, the Illini arent talking about their win two seasons ago or the win over Rutgers two weeks ago.We lost big, first-year coach Lovie Smith said. This isnt a week to talk about any of us, improvement weve made.QUARTERBACK QUESTIONSSmith refuses to discuss injuries with reporters, leaving everyone outside his team guessing the this week and last about who would start at quarterback with injuries to usual starter Wes Lunt (back), backup Chayce Crouch (shoulder). Third-string quarterback Jeff George Jr., the son the former NFL QB, started at Michigan and could see the field again this week. If so, Smith thinks the redshirt freshman will show he learned a lot from his 4-15, 95-yard day at Michigan.I think, traditionally, yes, you get that, Smith said. When you get out in the game you learn an awful lot about how life really is under center.HAVING HARDINThe Gophers will benefit from cornerback KiAnte Hardin being back in the starting lineup. The sophomore was out last Saturday against Rutgers, one of five players barred from TCF Bank Stadium because of a restraining order later requested by an allegedd victim of a Sept. Black Panthers Jerseys Online. 2 incident who works at the stadium on game days. Hardin, whos tied for the team lead with two interceptions, also missed three games earlier this season during a team-issued suspension during a police investigation that produced no arrests or charges.Because the Gophers are on the road, though, Hardin will be free to play against the Illini.One of our 11 best players, and we count on him when hes available to us, Claeys said.LINING UPThe Gophers started three junior-college transfers on the offensive line last week with left tackle Donnell Greene, right guard Vincent Calhoun and right tackle Garrison Wright. Only one starter, center Tyler Moore, was in the lineup last season. But the group has not only helped pave the way for a productive rushing attack led by Rodney Smith and Shannon Brooks, but it has allowed only five sacks, the fewest in the Big Ten and eighth-fewest in FBS.Every single week before the game, on Friday, we get a tips and reminder sheet, left guard Jared Weyler said. And every single week, one of those bullet points is no sacks and no hits. We take a lot of pride in protecting Mitch.RUNNING PREFERREDIn a season of run-heavy offenses in the Big Ten, Minnesota and Illinois are among the teams most reliant on the ground game. The Gophers average 212.4 rushing yards a game and Illinois averages 173.7.RED ZONE PROSPECTSMinnesotas scoring defense hasnt been bad, giving up 22.9 points a game. But when Illinois finds itself in the Gopher red zone, the Illini have to like their chances. The Gophers red zone defense is the worst in the Big Ten, giving up scores on 19 of the 20 trips. Thirteen of those have been touchdowns.---Follow David Mercer on Twitter: (at)davidmercerAP---Online:Associated Press college football coverage: http://www.collegefootball.ap.org/ Cheap NFL JerseysCheap NFL Jerseys China Cheap Jerseys From ChinaCheap NFL Jerseys Authentic Wholesale Jerseys China Cheap NFL Jerseys China NFL Cheap Jerseys' ' '