Written by Alex Goff Saturday, 01 December 2012 00:48
Predictions. How We Did
So how did RUGBYMag do predicting the college s pools? Not perfectly, that’s for sure. Here’s a rundown.
Pool A We said: Life 3-0 Colorado State 2-1 Wisconsin 1-2 Northeastern 0-3
Reality Life 3-0 Northeastern 2-1 Wisconsin 1-2 Colorado State 0-3
We got the top team and the #3team right on. The big surprise [for us was Northeaster’s record. The big mistake we made? Over-valuing teams from the Rocky Mountain region.
Pool B We said: Arkansas State 2-0-1 Cal 2-0-1 NC State 1-2 Middlebury 0-3
Reality Arkansas State 3-0 Cal 2-1 Middlebury 1-2 NC State 0-3
We got the top two right, and while Arkansas State and Cal didn't tie, their score was 10-7, which is pretty close.
Pool C We said: Central Washington 3-0 Kutztown 2-1 Texas 1-2 Virginia 0-3
Reality Central Washington 3-0 Kutztown 2-1 Texas 1-2 Virginia 0-3
Perfect.
Pool D We said: Dartmouth 2-1 Air Force 2-1 Cal Poly 1-2 Navy 1-2
Reality Navy 3-0 Dartmouth 2-1 Cal Poly 1-2 Air Force 0-3
Now we did say that this was a very competitive pool, and that our prediction could easily be reversed. We overvalued Air Force and undervalued Navy.
Pool E We said: St. Mary's 3-0 Texas A&M 2-1 Bowling Green 0-2-1 Western Washington 0-2-1
Reality St. Mary's 3-0 Texas A&M 2-1 Western Washington 1-2 Bowling Green 0-3
Close. We chickened out on Bowling Green v Western Washington, game and called a tie. It was a close game, but not a tie.
Pool F We said: Davenport 2-1 SDSU 2-1 Delaware 2-1 Lindenwood 0-3
Reality Delaware 2-1 San Diego State 2-1 Lindenwood 2-1 Davenport 0-3
The weird thing about this was that we picked a three-waytie at 2-1, just not this three.
Overall not bad. We picked the winners in four pools and in another we were close. Only with Navy and Pool D were we way off.
Written by Pat Clifton Saturday, 01 December 2012 00:02
Gaels, Aggies Emerge From Pool E
Like Pools B and C, E came down to the last match of the day, with two 2-0 teams facing off for the right to move onto the Cup Quarterfinals, the consolation prize being a shot at advancing, pending the first day's point differentials.This one pitted Texas A&M against St. Mary's.
The Gaels were in the black on point differential by just nine points heading into the game, while Texas A&M had racked up a bunch of points. So, had St. Mary's lost, they would have likely not had a favorable enough score advantage to advance. They had to win outright, and they did, 17-5.
The Gaels also had to do it without starter Bubba Jones, who hurt himself in the win over Bowling Green.
The host Aggies got on the board first, with Andres Diaz finishing off a Connor Mills break for an unconverted try. St. Mary's scored back-to-back tries by Cooper Maloney and Garrett Brewer to take a 10-5 lead going into halftime.
The second stanza was almost entirely defense, as neither team mustered a scoring mount until St. Mary's Michael Haley dotted down in extra time to end the match.
The Aggies, who had been solid most of the day, made some poor mistakes against St. Mary's.
"We stopped attacking the line, kind of got the ball flat footed on the outside, which we haven’t done all year," said A&M's Brian Guillen. "I don’t know if it was nerves. Just taking the ball into contact too much, not attacking the line before passing, catching it flat footed, giving them way too much time to blitz.
A&M can't afford to make the same mistakes tomorrow morning when they meet with defending National Champion Life.
"We play them every year so we kind of know some of the players," said Guillen of Life. "Fast and move the ball a lot, so we’ve just got to work hard on defense and eliminate some of those mistakes."
St. Mary's matches up against Navy in their quarterfinal.
Written by Pat Clifton Friday, 30 November 2012 23:55
Central Washington Unscathed by Pool C
Central Washington went 3-0 Friday to advance to the Cup Quarterfinals. The Wildcats opened the day with a 19-0 defeat of Texas followed by a 36-0 drubbing of Virginia and a match-up with also 2-0 Kutztown. The Golden Bears beat Virginia 50-0 and Texas 28-10.
The final game of the pool would decide who automatically advanced to the Cup Quarterfinals and who would depend on point differential to get them in. Kutztown and Central Washington had impressive differentials heading into the match, and KU opted to rest 7s All American Tim Acker, who tweaked something earlier in the day.
With these two teams having met the last two years in massive knock-out matches, the game was a showcase of concerted aggression that sometimes spilled over into foul play.
“It’s kind of like a rivalry now. Every big game we play them,” said Central’s Patrick Blair, who did his fair hare of bullying in the match. “There’s bound to be something dirty on both sides, but it’s whatever. It’s part of the game. I’m happy with the outcome.”
Kutztown drew first blood when Matthew Frederick flyhacked a poor Central Washington pass to start a break. 6-7 Mike Lawrenson advanced the ball further toward pay dirt, and Jamie Gregory eventually ended the drive with a try. The conversion was missed.
KU nearly extended its lead when Gareth Lourens took a sprint up the sideline before being caught. Central was penalized for tackling a player off the ball, and the Golden Bears kicked to the corner for a five-meter lineout. They went to a maul, committing five players to the breakdown, and spun it to the midfield for the massive Duke Makina. He crashed into contact, but lost the ball, ending what would have been a valuable scoring possession.
Central did break its drought when wing Shelby Williams sped up the touch line and cut violently against the grain, causing two would-be Kutztown tacklers to collide in touch, and jetted into the try zone.
Williams scored his second try to open the second half, and Alex Reher slotted the conversion, putting the Wildcats up 12-5.
Kutztown’s rebuttal came largely on the shoulders of Makina, who made three big carries in a matter of a couple of dozen seconds, with the third one ending in the try zone. The conversion attempt was unsuccessful, leaving the score tied at 12-12.
But Tanner Barnes and Jacob Bates scored a try a piece over the next two minutes to put the game away. Kutztown managed to join Central in the Cup Quarterfinals despite the loss.
Central finished second in this tournament last year, so a 3-0 start isn’t a goal reached. But, says Blair, this team has made the additions to accomplish what they came here to accomplish – win a National Title.
“Max (Narewski) is an impact for sure. Shelby on the wing, he’s fast. I can depend on him to make those tries late in the game to put us through,” said Blair.
“I feel good about our chances again. I feel like we’ve got a solid team we can put out there. There’s a lot more talent this year, I think. We’ve got Cal, Dartmouth, Davenport. Delaware came out and showed some power. I feel like we’ve got a better team and there’s better competition this year.”
Central draws Delaware in one quarterfinal and Kutztown gets Arkansas State in another.
11:29PM EST November 30. 2012 - So, it's not enough for Colin Kaepernick to come off the bench under immense pressure, lead the San Francisco 49ers to back-to-back victories and take the starting job amid a hurricane of controversy.
Now, Kaepernick's accused of not looking the part.
Child, please.
Kaepernick is deemed as an undesirable face of an NFL franchise because his arms are decorated with tattoos of Bible verses?
For that, he is compared to a convict? How cruel. And what a shame.
Consciously or not, David Whitley, in a recent opinion piece for Sporting News, needlessly fed into old, stale thinking that can be the foundation of racial profiling.
Whitley's editor defended the column Friday by insisting it's a generational, not a racial, issue. But the original piece included the line, "I hope it's not a white thing," and a mention of Dutch boy quarterbacks that pushed the envelope further.
Why disrespect Kaepernick, lump him in a group with criminals, with such superficial negativity? Just accept him -- as is.
This is America, 2012. We have a black President with a Muslim name, Barack Obama, who is bi-racial like Kaepernick. The Niners quarterback is of African-American and European descent and was raised by white parents who adopted him as an infant.
This is a multicultural society with many world views and means of expressions.
Deal with it. Times have changed.
Thankfully, the tattoos didn't stop 25-year-old Kaepernick from getting an NFL job. Here's hoping he never feels a need to wear long sleeves under his 49ers jersey to cover the tattoos.
"The level of acceptance now is so different than it used to be in the league," an NFL general manager told USA TODAY Sports. The executive spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the topic.
As recently as 25 years ago, the general manager said, it was typical for scouts and team decision-makers to maintain such a narrow, myopic view of the world that they would automatically scratch a prospective player from consideration for silly reasons such as tattoos, body piercing or even an aversion to particular music.
The players with such marks were viewed as non-conformists. Old-school types would see the tattoos and conclude there was some gang affiliation. That was then.
Now you have NFL players openly speaking out on political issues that would have been taboo a generation ago, such as gay rights.
I'm expecting this fresh, sociological buzz (following the debate about how 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh could demote Alex Smith following his recovery from a concussion) will roll off the second-year pro's shoulders without a hitch. He is a product of a more liberal generation than those who might wistfully refer to the 1950s as the good old days, while ignoring the existence of Jim Crow laws in the South that mandated segregated schools, restaurants and buses.
Yet mentioning Kaepernick, who has never been arrested, in the same breath with convicts -- even from Whitley, who adopted two African-American daughters -- tells me that even now Kaepernick can be subjected to a black tax.
If you don't see the racism in linking Kaepernick's tattoos to San Quentin, it doesn't mean you're racist. Maybe just naïve, insensitive or oblivious.
Just don't say that's impossible in 2012. When Obama was re-elected, social media sites lit up with venomous, racially tinged posts. College kids at the University of Mississippi even took to the streets, spewing hate.
Then consider how men of color (African Americans and Hispanics) are still incarcerated at an alarmingly disproportionate rate than that of white men. And other measures, such as the percentage of traffic stops, criminal referrals in school systems and terms of sentences, tilt in favor of white privilege.
If it's difficult for you to connect the dots, consider this: According to the website for the Center for American Progress, people of color represent 30% of the U.S. population but 60% of those imprisoned.
That's why it was so unfair to reference San Quentin, inferring that Kaepernick would be more acceptable if he looked more like, well, Ryan Leaf -- the draft-day bust now serving time.
Sure, there are liberties that allow someone to dislike tattoos and express that opinion. But intolerance of another person who doesn't fit the so-called "All-American image" -- typically portrayed in mainstream mediums as skewing white and blonde -- is yet another indication of how far this society has to grow.
Luckily, Harbaugh is judging the kid on the possibilities of Ws -- especially a string of them that can capture a Super Bowl crown.
Written by Alex Goff Friday, 30 November 2012 22:47
JMU Needs Big Score to Win Pool
Going into then last round of games for their pool, three women’s college 7s teams had aspirations of winning the pool – James Madison, Princeton, and Oregon State – and most knew it would come down to points difference.
Boy, did it.
At 2-0 Oregon State was in the driver’s seat. All they needed to do was win or tie, and they would win the pool. They faced 1-1 Princeton, who some said had underperformed on the day. Meanwhile James Madison sat at 1-1, but played Texas Tech,[ which had been beaten badly by Princeton and OSU earlier in the day.
Dogged and determined, Princeton pinned Oregon State back in their 22 and pulled out [a 21-0 victory over the Beavers. That left the Tigers with a 2-1 record and a +44 points difference, and Oregon State at 2-1, +7.
Going into the Texas Tech match, JMU was +7. They would need to win by 37 or more to win the pool.
“We knew that points were probably going to matter,” said JMU flyhalf Laura Dominick. “Then halfway through the game we realized we were going to need more. We needed to step it up.”
The James Madison coaches were doing the math throughout the game, and made sure their players knew it. In the end, they knew with time up that they didn’t have enough.
“That last play did it for us,” said Dominick. “We knew we had to score on the last play.”
The flyhalf did the job, breaking through an exhausted Tech defense to score under the posts. Stephanie Goetz hit the conversion and JMU had won 47-5, enough for a +49 and first place.
“It was pretty exciting,” said Dominick, who scored four tries and converted one for 22 points, while Goetz scored three and kicked five for 25 points.
“We watched the other teams play and tried to see where we could beat them,” added Dominick of her team’s adjustments. “We made some defensive adjustments, but we basically stuck with our plan. It was pretty exciting.”
9:41PM EST November 30. 2012 - WASHINGTON — By the end of it all, Georgetown coach John Thompson III could only smile.
What else do you do when neither team scores 40 points in a Division I men's college basketball game? And no players on either bench score in double figures? And when the game-winning shot turns out to be a jump shot taken with more than four minutes left in the game — because neither team scored after that point?
Thompson walked quietly into his postgame news conference, sat down and approached the 25th-ranked Hoyas' 37-36 win over Tennessee with the best weapon at his disposal: Humor.
Thompson was asked if the game was as painful to coach as it was to watch — and boy, was it tough to see two teams combine to shoot 31-for-90 from the field and 7-for-20 from the line.
"That wasn't nice to watch?" Thompson deadpanned, perfectly. "Some people will look at that as a thing of beauty.
"I don't know if it was pretty or ugly or what, but I've never been a part of something like that."
Thompson didn't stop there, cracking quite a few jokes in a surprisingly good mood after a game where the ball just simply wouldn't go in the basket for either team.
"Actually I have been a part of a game like this — I think I was eight," Thompson said, as reporters laughed. "The game ended 13-11. I had 10."
It was easy for Thompson to shake his head and smile at this kind of a game; he was on the winning side.
Vols coach Cuonzo Martin was less pleased — with the loss and also the way his team struggled against the Hoyas' zone. He said he wouldn't have cared much if he'd been on the winning end of a 37-36 contest.
"At the end of the day, you're trying to get out of here with a 'W,' " Martin said. "I don't need anything to be pretty. Bottom line, you play a pretty talented ball club. You get the 'W,' you leave the scene.
Written by Jackie Finlan Friday, 30 November 2012 21:02
Navy Culminates with Harvard Shutout
As expected, Navy is heading to the Cup quarterfinals of the Women’s College 7s Championship. The Midshipmen advanced to the playoffs with a squeaky clean 3-0 record; however, that doesn’t mean the Annapolis side dominated their opponents.
“We had a shaky start but got better as the day wore on,” Navy coach Sue Parker referenced the 5-0 win over Northern Iowa. “By the end of the day, we were playing our game plan the way we wanted to play it.”
But that opening game against UNI nearly derailed Navy. Northern Iowa unleashed an intimidating brand of 7s that overwhelmed defenses with big but agile ballcarriers.
“Northern Iowa was really great,” Parker commended. “They have an unbelievable alertness of their strength; they were all strong runners and tough in contact. They devised a game plan where once they got possession, they kept it with a 15s style of play – go-forward ball with tight passes. It was effective 7s for the personnel they have. Coach Steve Murra is saavy; he knows how to make it work.”
If it wasn't for Katherine Smith’s try at the end of the first half, then Navy’s day could have evolved very differently. They got the win, but just barely.
“They were surprised in the first game,” Parker said of her players. “They were disrupted from playing the game plan we wanted and were struggling.”
Some of that frustration leaked into the Midshipmen’s second game against Colorado, which took a 17-7 lead into halftime.
“We tried to force things a little bit and made a few costly ball-handling errors,” Parker said of Navy’s first half against CU. “At halftime, I made them take several deep breaths and focus more on building composure and reminding them about what we do well. The great thing was that their confidence wasn’t shaken; they just needed a reminder of what they’re capable of doing.”
Parker was more than pleased with the response, as Navy turned that 10-point deficit into a 31-17 victory.
“It was a combo of personnel changes and fresh legs,” Parker said of the day’s turning point. “This group is young in term of experience in a venue like this, but their confidence keeps growing – even when we were down against Colorado at half.”
Even though Parker credited the come-from-behind win against CU to the team, she noted Erika Pedersen, who was superb in all facets of the game and put up some big points for Navy.
By the time Navy stepped onto the pitch for their final game against Harvard, the team had reinforced their faith in their systems, and defeated the Ivy League school 31-0.
“Harvard has a lot of weapons, but we were hitting our stride,” Parker said. “It was a great pool – it was hard, and everyone was good. We struggled with Northern Iowa because of their style of play, but our success over the day strengthened our conviction. We had a different attitude and mindset, and played with confidence against Harvard.”
Navy plays Ohio State in the Cup Quarterfinals and shouldn’t have a difficult time advancing if they can contain Akua Adu-Gyamfi, who scored five tries today. Should Navy win, they’ll face the winner of Cal v Princeton in the semifinals.
Written by Jackie Finlan Friday, 30 November 2012 20:32
Cal Un-Scored Upon at 7s Nationals
One of greatest feats during the Women’s College 7s Championship belonged to someone other than reigning champion and heavy favorite Norwich. The only team to go un-scored upon was California, the top seed out of Pool C.
“I’m really happy with the girls’ performance today,” Cal coach Ellen Owens beamed, “and full credit goes to the girls and [Berkeley All Blues assistant coach] Brandon Sparks, who ran our technical program.”
Cal put forth a much improved 7s squad compared to 2011, and a portion of that uptick in performance is directly related to the Golden Bears’ connection with Women’s Premier League team Berkeley.
“We have some really great rookies who have brought a lot of speed to our squad,” Cal captain Hannah Edwards reflected on the changes from 2011, “and a lot of us played with All Blues during the summer 7s season. Last year [at nationals], our 7s had a 15s bent to it; now, we’re really playing 7s.”
Cal got off to a slow start, beating Boston College 12-0 on tries from Jessica Lewis and Jen Sever, who also slotted a conversion. It was a bit messy and choppy, but Cal managed to keep Boston College pinned in their end, starving the New England side of possession.
“We have a lot of really strong runners, but our support play could have been better,” Edwards said. “We could clean up our hands a bit, too, and make better decisions in the offload.”
The team was able to play more freely against their round-two opponent, Oklahoma, a late addition to the tournament. The 27-0 win saw five different players score tries: Lizette Del Real, Aubrey Huey, Kristara Gipson, Gen Ireland and Kelly Doran.
“Every time we play, we get better,” Edwards said. “We keep clicking, and I’m really proud of how well we played today. That said, we’re still finding our 7s groove and learning our system, regardless of our opponent.”
One blessing that California has enjoyed is their competitive fall season. During that last couple of months, Cal has played high-speed Oregon State and a tough field at the Stanford 7s. The build-up allowed the Golden Bears to enter the final round of pool play against their toughest competition – Texas, also 2-0 – more confidently.
Del Real really stepped up her performance, sacrificing her body and maintaining Cal’s perfect record with sure defense at sweeper. But the consummate leader was found in Sever. A big, strong prop, she was not afraid to run or tease the defense, or slip through a half-gap from a tap penalty, then drag some defenders to the line. She kept her side moving forward, and was rewarded with a 15-0 victory over the local side.
“We’re in a good mental space and have a positive attitude about the whole experience,” Edwards said. “There are always going to be some nerves at nationals, but it just heightens your senses and willingness to play.”
Cal will take on Princeton in the Cup Quarterfinals tomorrow morning.
Written by Jackie Finlan Friday, 30 November 2012 19:24
Playoffs Set for Women's College 7s
Day One of the Women's College 7s Championships has concluded, and the stage is set for tomorrow's Cup, Bowl and Shield competitions.
After three rounds of play, three teams exited the day undefeated: Norwich, California and Navy. The Cadets were the class of the tournament today, playing crisp, disciplined and fast 7s with little error. During their final match against Stanford, their perfect points-against record was sullied, as Smriti Sridhar, who's made a case for the fastest player in the competition, tore down the sideline for her side's lone score. Norwich still walked away with a comfortable 36-7 victory. Joya Clark was particularly potent on the day, leading the tournament's point scorers with seven tries. Ohio State took the second seed out of Pool A after their 38-0 win over Sam Houston State and also advances to the Cup round.
California, however, did manage to prevent any tries against. The Golden Bears faced their toughest opponents in Texas during the third round. Even though Boston College had played Cal to 12-0 loss earlier in the day, the teams' third match saw both sides playing at the top of their potential. Behind the leadership of Jen Sever, the Bears shut down the Longhorns and banked a 15-0 win and top seed out of Pool C. Texas' Cup hopes are still alive, though, as they take the second seed out of Pool C.
Navy really came into their own by the final round of play, dominating Harvard 31-0 in the last game of the day, and topping Pool B. The Midshipmen played quick ball, spun it touchline to touchline with ease, and relied on powerful runners like Kasey Liscomb and Erika Pedersen to keep Harvard scrambling. Harvard, too, still has a shot to advance to the final; unfortunately, their first test on Sunday comes against Norwich in the quarterfinals.
Pool D held the most drama, as dark horse James Madison surprised the field by ending the day on top. Heading into the final round, the potential for three teams to finish 2-1 loomed. JMU knew it was going to come down to point differential when determining which teams advanced to the Cup, so they ran up a 47-5 score over Texas Tech. Stephanie Goetz and Laura Dominick came up huge, accounting for all of the tries and conversions between the dynamic duo. By day's end, it turned out that JMU's last try was just enough to beat Princeton's point differential. The Tigers finished second in Pool D, relegating a very good Oregon State to the Bowl semifinals.
Check all the box scores (link), standings (link) and point leaders (link) from pool play. The following are tomorrow's playoffs:
Cup Quarterfinals Norwich (A1) v Harvard (B2) James Madison (D1) v Texas (C2) Navy (B1) v Ohio State (A2) California (C1) v Princeton (D2)
Bowl Semifinals Stanford (A3) v Oregon State (D3) Northern Iowa (B3) v Boston College (C3)
Shield Semifinals Sam Houston State (A4) v Texas Tech (D4) Colorado (B4) v Oklahoma (C4)
7:23PM EST November 30. 2012 - NBA Commissioner David Stern promised substantial sanctions for San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich's decision to send home four players instead of playing them against the Miami Heat on Thursday.
The NBA fined the Spurs $250,000 Friday for sending home forward Tim Duncan, guards Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili and swingman Danny Green instead of playing them against the Heat on TNT's nationally televised game.
In a statement, the NBA said the Spurs' action violated league policy "against resting players in manner contrary to the best interests of the NBA."
In the statement, Stern said, "The result here is dictated by the totality of the facts in this case. The Spurs decided to make four of their top players unavailable for an early-season game that was the team's only regular-season visit to Miami. The team also did this without informing the Heat, the media, or the league office in a timely way. Under these circumstances, I have concluded that the Spurs did a disservice to the league and our fans."
For years, Popovich has rested key players, but a majority of those times, including at least twice last season, came near the end of the season when the Spurs were preparing for the playoffs after a lengthy regular season. The Heat and Boston Celtics did not play star players in a game on April 24 last season. The Spurs, Heat and Celtics were not punished.
Popovich's strategy to do it November – just a month into the 2012-13 season – rankled Stern, even though the Spurs were finishing six-game, 10-day road trip and scheduled to play the Western Conference-leading Memphis Grizzlies in an important Southwest Division game Saturday.
The commissioner's carefully-worded statement makes clear the early-season timing was an issue.
While Popovich was operating in the best interest of his team and Stern in the best interest of the NBA, the decision to fine the Spurs raises questions that won't be answered Friday, when Stern is not expected to be made available for news media questions.
At what point in the season is it OK to rest healthy players? After the All-Star break? The last month of the season? Never?
What happens next time that a team's best interest is not the same as the league's best interest?
This is not the first time the league has fined teams for resting players. The Los Angeles Lakers were hit with a $25,000 fine at the end of the 1989-90 season and an undisclosed amount at the end of the 1984-85 season for resting key players.
Before Thursday's Heat-Spurs game, Popovich told news reporters, " We're making a wiser decision and not a macho decision. It'll give us an opportunity to stay on floor with Memphis Saturday."
Popovich did not address Stern's comments after Miami's 105-100 victory, other than to say, "How can I comment on something I haven't seen?"
Heat coach Erik Spoelstra stayed away from the topic.
"I had no idea what their mindset was. And I'm spending zero time trying to figure it out," Spoelstra said.
Heat guard Ray Allen seemed to support Popovich.
"Pop has won a lot games. He's won championships. He knows what he's doing," Allen said.
Popovich has led the Spurs to four NBA titles and has a .681 winning percentage in the regular season and .605 winning percentage in the playoffs. However, his coaching acumen did not buy him a pass from Stern on this particular move.
It is not unusual for the league to fine teams. The NBA also fined the Spurs $50,000 in May, 2007 for not making players available to news reporters during the playoffs.
The then-New Jersey Nets were fined 50,000 in April, 2011 for part-owner Jay-Z visiting the Kentucky Wildcats locker room, and the New York Knicks were fined $200,000 in February, 2011 for conducting illegal draft workouts.
Owners have been hit with substantial fines, too, most recently in October, 2011 when the NBA fined Heat owner Mickey Arison for public comments about negotiations during the 2011 lockout, and Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban has been fined almost $2 million during his tenure.
Written by RUGBYMag Staff Friday, 30 November 2012 17:52
Women College 7s - Round 3 Standings
Day one of the Women's College 7s Championship has concluded. Below are the standings heading into tomorrow's playoffs. Click HERE for today's box scores.
Birmingham twice fought back against high-flying Middlesbrough before Marlon King's well-taken finish claimed only a second home win in seven attempts as they recorded a 3-2 victory at St Andrew's.
Boro captain Grant Leadbitter headed his first npower Championship goal of the season to put the visitors ahead before King, who had earlier hit the outside of a post, picked himself up to draw level from the penalty spot on the stroke of half-time, an equaliser City scarcely deserved.
Scott McDonald capitalised on some shambolic defending from Pablo Ibanez to nudge Boro back in front just after the hour mark but, again, the home side drew level courtesy of substitute Wade Elliott's lob, which really should have been kept out by Jason Steele.
But there was nothing fortunate about King's matchwinning second, a sublime low finish across Steele in the 81st minute to claim three much-needed points for Lee Clark's side, ending a four-match winless run.
Lowly Birmingham's joy came on a night in which frustrated home fans had earlier unfurled a banner which read 'Clark out, Carson out', referring to Hong Kong-based owner Carson Yeung and the club's ongoing takeover talk.
Middlesbrough went into the clash knowing victory would take them joint top of the Championship and they will have felt hard done by as they slipped to a third defeat in four games.
Boro certainly went into the clash as the more impressive side this season but history was not on their side having won just one of their previous 15 visits to St Andrew's.
Blues were first to threaten courtesy of towering Serbian striker Nikola Zigic but his header from the free-kick of loanee Rob Hall, making his full debut, went narrowly wide.
The visitors' attractive passing style was certainly easy on the eye and it was they who broke the deadlock after 14 minutes.
The ball was recycled to Andy Halliday out on the left and, with unorthodox Blues right midfielder Jonathan Spector out of position, Leadbitter, back from suspension, nodded home from six yards.
Lukas Jutkiewicz should have made it 2-0 after 21 minutes but his header from Justin Hoyte's cross flew off target.
Birmingham came within inches of a leveller soon after when Steele's fingertips nudged King's low effort on to the outside of a post following a flowing counter.
Boro were playing the ball around well, with Leadbitter and Nicky Bailey pulling the strings, but Birmingham were certainly struggling to find any kind of rhythm.
Jack Butland twice saved from Emmanuel Ledesma before, out of nowhere and with half-time approaching, the hosts drew level.
King turned Andre Bikey, who tripped the striker in the penalty area, and King himself stepped up to convert.
England prodigy Butland twice came to Birmingham's rescue at the start of the second half, saving close range from Josh McEachran's cross and then clawing away McDonald's attempted lob.
But McDonald was to beat Butland just after the hour mark, capitalising on defensive hesitancy from Ibanez before firing home in a goalmouth scramble.
Boro keeper Steele saved well from Spector but was soon at fault for Birmingham's equaliser as he failed to keep out Elliott's 25-yard lob.
And it was left for King to have the final say, finishing superbly after Boro had given the ball away to sub Peter Lovenkrands in the middle of the park.
Written by Pat Clifton Friday, 30 November 2012 17:50
Pool 2 Breakdown Men's 7s Nationals
Kutztown, Central Washington, Arkansas State, Cal, Life and Navy are all still undefeated.
Navy, perhaps, is the surprise. The Midshipmen followed up their upset of Dartmouth with a 26-19 defeat of Cal Poly in round two, holding onto an early lead. They jumped out to a 19-0 advantage in the first five minutes, and staved off a Cal Poly comeback bid.
Nick Frost scored a try in the 13th minute, and converted, to pull Cal Poly to within seven of Navy at 26-19. But there was still a restart. Cal Poly took it and drove to within the Navy 22, but were held up to end the game.
Navy has a grudge match with Air Force in the final round of the day, and though the 0-2 Zoomies are out of Cup contention, they’d love nothing more than to spoil Navy’s perfect record.
If a second team from Pool D is going to advance to the Cup Quarters, they’re going to need to pile up some points in the final match, because Pool’s C, E and B have two teams at the top, each, with large point differentials. Same with Pool F’s second-place team, as the tough competition in a contentious pool has kept the scores close.
Arkansas State is plus 62 and Cal plus 43 in Pool B. Kutztown is plus 68 and Central Washington plus 55 in Pool C. The Red Wolves take on Cal and the Wildcats get Kutztown in the final round. Texas A&M is plus 62 and St. Mary’s plus 9 in Pool E. The winners of those much anticipated bouts move on, and the losers hope they piled up enough points earlier in the day.
In Pool A, Life advances with a tie or win over Wisconsin. Wisconsin, which was upset by Northeastern in Round two, would possibly need help to advance with a win, depending on the outcome of the Huskies’ match with Colorado State. But Life has been lights out so far, scoring 13 tries to one, so those scenarios may well be moot.
Teams eliminated from Cup contention going into round 3: Air Force Bowling Green Colorado State Davenport Middlebury NC State Texas Virginia Western Washington
11:52AM EST November 30. 2012 - It seems inevitable that the winner of the Southeastern Conference title game will play Notre Dame for the Bowl Championship Series title.
While there are other one-loss teams, here are five reasons why the SEC winner deserves the right to play for the crown:
1. Been there, done that
The SEC has a proven track record. The league has won six consecutive BCS titles, something the nation has grown tired of hearing about. But fans outside the SEC recognize the league's recent dominance. Why not give the benefit of the doubt to the SEC champion? If it's Alabama, just look at what the Crimson Tide proved last season given another opportunity. If it's Georgia, the Bulldogs will have just beaten a Nick Saban team loaded with talent.
2. Beat the man to be the man
And the SEC has been the man for six consecutive years. Unbeaten Notre Dame will be in the BCS title game, and deservedly so. But after each win, including road victories against Oklahoma and Southern California, skeptics have asked, "But what if Notre Dame played an SEC team?" Well, let's find out. What better test for a tough Notre Dame team than to play against the best team from the nation's toughest conference?
3. Gauntlet
It's a grueling schedule in the SEC, a league that is only growing stronger. The usual powers — Alabama, Florida, Georgia and LSU — are still that. Throw in the continued growth of South Carolina and the emergence of Texas A&M, and the task of winning the SEC becomes even greater. Finishing the season with a 12-1 record after facing that kind of schedule is no small feat. It's why the SEC has the nation's best reputation. And why the league champ deserves a BCS title shot.
4. Fans
While they might struggle with who to pull for, there's little doubt fans would be entertained by the idea of watching Notre Dame attempt to end the SEC's title run. Television executives would be giddy. That's because fans would go into anticipation overload. The month-plus buildup of discussing Notre Dame vs. the SEC champion would only grow the interest in college football.
5. Who else
Look at the other options. Kansas State and Oregon are one-loss teams, but neither will play in a conference championship game. The same critics who argued against Alabama's BCS title game appearance last season would have a difficult time arguing in favor of Kansas State or Oregon, despite their strong regular seasons. The champions of the remaining BCS conferences will each have at least two losses. So who else is there? How about the team hoisting the trophy Saturday night in Atlanta?
Ward also writes for MrSEC.com, an affiliate of USA TODAY Sports Digital Properties
Like Pools B and C, E came down to the last match of the day, with two 2-0 teams facing off for the right to move onto the Cup Quarterfinals, the consolation prize being a shot at advancing, pending the first day's point differentials.This one pitted Texas A&M against St. Mary's.
Central Washington went 3-0 Friday to advance to the Cup Quarterfinals. The Wildcats opened the day with a 19-0 defeat of Texas followed by a 36-0 drubbing of Virginia and a match-up with also 2-0 Kutztown. The Golden Bears beat Virginia 50-0 and Texas 28-10.
