USC miscues leads to blowout loss against Oregon

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November 3, 2019

Oregon_vs_USC_1122019fi360-4792 — LOS ANGELES, CA - NOVEMBER 02: Oregon Ducks quarterback Cale Millen (17) catches the ball for a a gain during a college football game between the Oregon Ducks and The USC Trojans on November 02, 2019, at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles, CA. (Photo by Jordon Kelly)

LOS ANGELES, CA – NOVEMBER 02: Oregon Ducks quarterback Justin Herbert (10) drops back in the pocket during a college football game between the Oregon Ducks and The USC Trojans on November 02, 2019, at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles, CA. (Photo by Jordon Kelly)

USC got off to a fast start against No. 7 Oregon, scoring 10 points in the fourth quarter and holding the Ducks scoreless. The Trojans snapped a streak of 14 consecutive quarters in which Oregon scored at least seven points.

That was the only bright spot for the Trojans as the Ducks would go on to score 28 points in the second quarter in route to a dominating 56-24 win on Saturday at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.

“Credit to Oregon, they are a good football team,” USC coach Clay Helton said. “We made enough mistakes tonight against a top-10 team that you can’t win a ballgame. You can’t turn it over four times and have the penalties we had and play that not-clean a football game and expect to beat that team. Not our night. As I told the group in there we’ll come back on Monday and get ready for Arizona State.”

USC quarterback Kedon Slovis threw for 264 yards and three touchdowns but had three costly interceptions and lost a fumble. All four turnovers led to 28 Oregon points.

LOS ANGELES, CA – NOVEMBER 02: USC Trojans quarterback Kedon Slovis (9) drops back in the pocket during a college football game between the Oregon Ducks and The USC Trojans on November 02, 2019, at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles, CA. (Photo by Jordon Kelly)

“I don’t think it necessarily affected my decision-making process throughout the game or my reads,” Slovis said. “You can’t commit turnovers like that, but sometimes it happens. You just have to move on and play the next play.”

Oregon quarterback Justin Herbert scored on a 10-yard run and wide receiver Jaylon Redd punched it in from two yards out to give Oregon a 14-10 lead. On the next drive, Oregon safety Brady Breeze intercepted Slovis and returned it 32 yards for the score.

Slovis led the Trojans down the field on a 9-play, 74-yard drive which he capped with a 13-yard touchdown pass to Michael Pittman Jr. with 20 seconds left before halftime. Mykael Wright returned the ensuing kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown and a 28-17 lead.

LOS ANGELES, CA – NOVEMBER 02: Oregon Ducks running back Travis Dye (26) runs the ball for a gain during a college football game between the Oregon Ducks and The USC Trojans on November 02, 2019, at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles, CA. (Photo by Jordon Kelly)

“If you watch Mykael’s (Wright) high school tape, that wouldn’t surprise you,” Oregon coach Mario Cristobal said. “That’s what he has done. Brady’s (Breeze) touchdown was a huge momentum swing and then for them to come down and score, for us to come right back with the kickoff return, that was huge.”

Herbert shook off a rocky start and threw three second-half touchdowns to put the game out of reach. Pittman Jr.’s younger brother, Micah, caught a 35-yard touchdown pass in the fourth quarter for Oregon. The Ducks scored 28 unanswered points in the second half before USC true freshman Kyle Ford would score his first career touchdown.

“You go on to the next game just like we’ve done,” Helton said. “We’ve got to play an Arizona State team that’s had a week off and they’re in preparation for us. So we’ve got to get back to work tomorrow, immediately. They’re at home with a talented offense and we’ve gotta go back and clean up the things that we did today and be ready to win the next one”

LOS ANGELES, CA – NOVEMBER 02: Oregon Ducks defensive end Kayvon Thibodeaux (5) during a college football game between the Oregon Ducks and The USC Trojans on November 02, 2019, at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles, CA. (Photo by Jordon Kelly)

UCLA Destiny Continues In Win Over Colorado

By

Manny Nunez

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November 2, 2019

COLLEGE FOOTBALL: NOV 02 Colorado at UCLA — UCLA Bruins quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson #1 during the Colorado Buffaloes vs UCLA Bruins PAC-12 football game at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, CA on Saturday November 2, 2019. (Photo by Jevone Moore)

UCLA Bruins running back Joshua Kelley #27 during the Colorado Buffaloes vs UCLA Bruins PAC-12 football game at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, CA on Saturday November 2, 2019. (Photo by Jevone Moore)

If you are a UCLA fan, it is so hard not to look ahead. It is extremely difficult to ponder the possibilities if the road remains aligned after each minute. That’s what it kind of seemed like as the Bruins opened up rather quickly against a Colorado team that hasn’t won a game in four straight.They managed to pick up the slack after losing their footing on special teams, giving the Bruins a 31-14 win, their third in a row.

“As a group our guys are collectively playing with great effort,” head coach Chip Kelly said. “I was very concerned with the passing attack tonight, but overall our group effort took command tonight.”

UCLA exploded in the first half on their first three drives. After their first two scores going up 10-0, Dorian Thompson Robinson launched a perfect pass to Ethan Ferna to the right corner. On just one play, UCLA had their hands on a 17-0 lead. Ferna was mobbed by his teammates after the score, and after that play the Bruins had a much different feeling compared to falling at its lowest point taking a loss to Oregon State at home.

UCLA Bruins running back Demetric Felton #10 during the Colorado Buffaloes vs UCLA Bruins PAC-12 football game at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, CA on Saturday November 2, 2019. (Photo by Jevone Moore)

But then the game had turned on the offense. In their next five drives, they only managed a total of 55 yards and couldn’t get any deeper into Colorado territory. Colorado found the endzone once on a successful drive of their own to cut the lead to 10. But then special teams gave the Bruins a lot of love forcing missed field goals on two occasions with the defense forcing some big stops. The second missed field goal that was tipped and hit off the post eventually woke back up the Bruin offense, managing to move down the field, getting Joshua Kelly into the endzone on the ground.

Thompson-Robinson finished with 228 yards passing and two touchdowns. Joshua Kelley had his 10^th 100 plus yard rushing game of his career with 126 yards. Eight different receivers found the stat sheet, with really nobody showing off other than Ferna’s fade catch in the corner of the endzone.

“Dorian grows every week,” Kelly said. “The neat thing about Dorian is that he keeps putting a better performance on top of a performance he did the week before. I am very happy about the decisions he made.”

“You can feel everything all around us,” Thompson Robinson said. “Things are becoming more fun overall, more fun at practice and more fun at games. Tonight was a good example.”

The Bruins are finding things fun to win football games compared to how things were a few weeks ago. Starting the season 1-5 and having the program in question from nearly everyone have at the very least quieted that crowd winning three straight and are now in prime position to steal the top spot of the Pac-12 South. Their schedule cannot be any more favorable: a week off, then dates with Utah and USC on the road. As both teams own the top two spots in the Pac-12 South, wins over these programs can slingshot them to the top with a final game against the Cal Bears. Any loss most likely means their season would come to an end fighting for a low end bowl game. While their chance at a college football playoff came to an end weeks ago, their very own playoff continues.

UCLA Bruins defensive back Elisha Guidry #20 during the Colorado Buffaloes vs UCLA Bruins PAC-12 football game at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, CA on Saturday November 2, 2019. (Photo by Jevone Moore)

“We want to be 1-0 every week. To be 1-0 every week we have to win Monday. Every day we always put our better training each day. Every week in college football is a season. You are not concerned about September and vice versa. You are concerned about what is ahead of you.”

Purdue razzle dazzle gets by Nebraska

By

Jamie Bright

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November 2, 2019

CFB: Nebraska Cornhuskers vs Purdue Boilermakers NOV 2 — During the Nebraska Cornhuskers vs Purdue Boilermakers at Ross-Ade Stadium on, November 2, 2019. (photo by Andre Hollis / fi360 News)

David Bell took a reverse for 9 yards that turned out to be the game winning touchdown for Purdue. The drive starting on their 18 yard line with 4 minutes left in the game it would be backup quarterback Aidan O’Connell’s turn to lead Purdue. He would do just that, leading a Purdue’s game winning drive going 82 yards down the field. This drive would eat up 3:13 and gave them the lead 31-27 with 1 minute remaining in the game.

Although Purdue lead at halftime it was an uphill battle to get there as Nebraska offense controlled the ball until that huge final drive by Plummer and the Boilermaker offense. Just as Purdue offense started making plays so did its defense to change the momentum and score of this game.

Purdue started on Nebraska’s 4 yard line with 4 minutes left in the first half. They went on a 96 yards 12 plays drive to close out the half making it 14-10 Purdue’s lead. This game changing drive was done with a mixture of long and short passes by quarterback Jake Plummer. Plummer looked poised and comfortable leading the Boilermakers down the field, ending with a 16 yard touchdown pass to tight end Payne Durham.

Jake Plummer would leave the game early for Purdue after having a monster impact on the game going 25/34 for 242 yards, 2 TD passes, 12 carries for 71 yards, and a rushing touchdown. O’Connell went 6/7 for 62 yards, Doerue had 15 carries for 71 yards and the game winning touchdown. While tight end Brycen Hopkins had 8 receptions for 97 yards and Milton Wright had 4 catches for 69 yards for the Boilermaker offense.

Head Coach Jeff Brohm appreciated the hard work and determination of his team and is proud of the come from behind win stating “In practice we try to coach them up but in games we have to let them play.” Coach Brohm also stated “the defense kept us in the ball game early on, holding them in the redzone several times.”

Later in the first quarter the Cornhuskers came up with an interception by their big defensive lineman D. Daniels at Purdue’s 20 yard line, the big man rumbled for 18 yards down to the 2 yard line. The Boilermakers held Nebraska to a field goal, making the score 10-0 Nebraska’s lead with 2 minutes left in the first quarter. Nebraska offense was rolling until a huge interception by Cory Trice as Purdue’s defense came up with the much needed red zone stop.

Nebraska’s punt team did their job by jamming the Boilermakers on their own 4 yard line. That’s when Purdue went on a masterful drive taking the lead going into halftime 14-10. Plummer tallied almost 200 total yards in the first half with 58 on the ground and 133 through the air and 2 passing touchdowns.

#21 Lamar Jackson with a one hand interception grab over #3 David Bell During the Nebraska Cornhuskers vs Purdue Boilermakers at Ross-Ade Stadium on, November 2, 2019. (photo by Andre Hollis / fi360 News)

Nebraska threatened Purdue while going on a 72 yard drive which consisted of 11 plays and one 4^th down conversion but was held to only 3 points chipping into Purdue’s lead making it 14-13. You hate to give up points but have to be proud of the defense for standing strong in the red zone.

The defense would have its share of game changers as well with LB Ben Holt totaling 10 tackles, Jalen Graham rounding up 8 tackle, and Cory Trice making a game changing interception that changed the momentum and outcome of the game.

The Boilermakers would start their first drive of the 4^th quarter trailing by 3, on their own 20 yard line. Jake Plummer would open up the drive throwing the ball making a 15 yard completion to David Bell giving them another 1^st down. Plummer would face another 3^rd and 5 after a holding penalty called back a 1^st down run, but they converted again on a 17 yard pass to Hopkins for the first down. Doerue would go on to make another huge run of 17 yard, followed by another 14 yard scramble bye Plummer that would leave him injured on the play.

It would be up to backup quarterback O’Connell to end this drive and the game for the Boilermakers after the injury. He would start the drive on Nebraska’s 11 yard line with 8 minutes left in the game. It would be King Doerue who would make the go ahead touchdown run, right up the gut for 7 yards taking the lead back once again 24-20.

Martinez and the Cornhuskers would march down the field after a 42 yard pass completion putting them deep in Purdue territory. Nebraska’s 4 yard touchdown run by Martinez gave them the lead 27-24 with 4:21 left in the game.

The Boilermaker defense would seal the game on 4^th and 3, when defensive end Derrick Barnes broke up a pass and gave Purdue the ball and game with 26 seconds left. This would end up being a complete team win as the Boilermakers offense and defense rolled over the Cornhuskers 31-27.

Mavs Lose Overtime Thriller to Lakers

By

Ariawna Talton

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November 1, 2019

Dallas, TX – Both Luka Doncic and LeBron James put on a show in the American Airlines Center Friday night, each earning an impressive triple-double. James and the Lakers proved to outlast the Mavericks 119-110 in an overtime thriller.

For most of the game the Mavericks controlled both the score and the clock, claiming several double-digit leads. As has been the case in the young season, the Mavericks were clicking on all cylinders. The rebounding was stellar, the team took good shots, they hustled and the celebrated duo of Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis continued to impress.

With less than 10 seconds in regulation Dallas had a two-point lead and the ball when Dwight Powell was fouled.

Powell would only make one of two free throws resulting in a 103-100 Dallas lead. Los Angeles had six seconds to make a play, when James found Danny Green in the corner. A controversial no-call on Los Angles’ Dwight Howard should have ended the game. Green, however, would rise for a three pointer right in front of the Mavericks bench, drain it and send the game into overtime.

The extra period was all about James and Anthony Davis, as the two helped the Lakers outscore the Mavericks 16 – 7.

The Lakers undoubtedly struggled early in the game, trailing by double digits midway into the first quarter. In the end, one of the NBA’s most-watched teams pulled out the victory on Dallas’ court.

“This is one of the best offensive teams in the league and we knew that,” said James of Dallas. “We’re also one of the best defensive teams over the first five games.”

Even in a heartbreaking loss, the Mavericks and their fans learned a lot about the team. Dallas has a deep bench and some key role players. While Powell did miss a much needed free throw at the end of regulation, he is a key asset to the Mavericks’ agenda. His 14 points and key rebounding proved essential down the stretch. Tim Hardaway Jr. is also proving to be a consistent threat from the perimeter.

The chemistry between Doncic and Porzingis, along with the development of Delon Wright and the reliability of Dorian Finney-Smith and Maxi Kleber will all combine to keep Dallas in the competitive Western Conference conversation.

Doncic was only four years old when his idol LeBron James began his NBA career. Sharing the court with James was special for Doncic. The two shared a special embrace following the game.

Dallas is now 3 – 2. Los Angeles improves to 4 – 1.

Oregon Stays Alive, Narrowly Defeating Washington State

By

Bryce Viglione

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October 26, 2019

EE1A0217 — PAC-12 Football: Washington State vs Oregon on Saturday October 26, 2019 at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, OR. (Photo by Megan Connelly)

EUGENE, OR – After falling to Washington State in each of their last four meetings, the No. 11 Oregon Ducks found a way to beat the Cougars 37-35 Saturday night thanks to a walk off kick from freshman kicker Camden Lewis and a monstrous night from running back CJ Verdell.

Despite having 3 losses, the unranked Washington State Cougars would prove to be Oregon’s biggest defensive challenge yet this season. Headed into the game, the Cougars led the nation in passing yards at 440.7 yards per game and were 4^th in total offensive yards.

Adding to the Oregon’s challenges, the Ducks would also be without senior linebacker Troy Dye, who suffered a broken thumb last week against the Washington Huskies. Dye’s absence was definitely felt, as Oregon struggled to get pressure on Washington State’s senior quarterback Anthony Gordon all night. Gordon completed 32/50 attempts for 406 yards, 3 touchdowns, but Andy Avalon’s relentless defense still found a way to record 2 interceptions and 1 sack.

With less than 2 minutes left in the 2^nd quarter, Oregon safety Jevon Holland intercepted and returned Gordon’s pass 19 yards for a touchdown. Chasing points due to a missed extra-point in the first quarter, the Ducks converted a 2-point attempt in which Justin Herbert found Johnny Johnson III in the back of the end zone, extending their led to 7 points.

Washington State responded with a quick scoring drive, moving 59 yards on only three plays. The drive was capped off with a 15-yard touchdown pass from Gordon to Renard Bell, tying the game 17-17.

Oregon’s offensive line dominated Washington State up front, allowing CJ Verdell to rush 23 times for a career-high 257 yards, and 3 touchdowns. Verdell’s longest run of the night came late in the first quarter, where he broke an 89-yard touchdown. At the heart of their offensive line was sophomore tackle Penei Sewell, who fellow lineman Jake Hanson stated is “a guy that comes along in a program once every decade or couple decades honestly. He’s that good.”

In the end, Oregon’s defense had a chance to win the game but failed to stop Washington State as they faced 4^th and 3 on the Oregon 5-yard line. With only 1:08 left, Anthony Gordon found Brandon Arconado for a 5-yard touchdown pass, giving the Cougars a 35-34 lead.

Only having a minute to work with, Oregon offensive coordinator Marcus Arroyo simply let Justin Herbert go to work. Herbert struggled most of the night but showed his leadership and ability in the final seconds as he calmly spread the ball across the field, quickly moving the Ducks into field goal range.

With 2 timeouts, and 18 seconds left in the game, Mario Cristobal decided against taking a shot at the end zone. Instead, he called freshman kicker Camden Lewis’s name, the same kicker who missed an extra-point in the first quarter. Lewis stepped up and knocked in a 26-yard field goal giving the Ducks a 37-35 lead as time expired in Autzen Stadium.

Cristobal had full trust in Lewis, who he stated has “great ability”, and prepared for this exact moment in practice where he went “5 for 5… Including the two-minute drill where it was a kick to win the game. It played out just like we practiced it. So, it was great to see it happen and become reality.”

Oregon will travel south next week to take on the USC Trojans in Los Angeles before heading into a bye week.

Down Goes UCLA’s Star QB, But Not The Game

By

Manny Nunez

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October 26, 2019

NCAA Football 2019: Arizona State vs UCLA Bruins OCT26 — Arizona State vs UCLA Bruins at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Ca. on October 26, 2019 (Photo by Jevone Moore)

Pasadena, CA – UCLA came home to a brand new storyline. Sitting at 2-2 in the Pac-12 South, they can be in the drivers seat if they are able to win out with USC and Utah still in the schedule. Their first step however was to face an Arizona State team that suddenly was going on a downhill spiral after starting the season 3-0.

Everything was going right for UCLA. Joshua Kelly had a monster first half, carrying the ball for the bulk of the first 24 minutes and managed four touchdowns in the process. UCLA controlled the clock and the tempo with back-to-back 16 play touchdown drives that kept Arizona State’s offense erratic to find anything that could work on such short time. Dorian Thompson Robinson executed flawlessly in the second half moving the ball with his arm and his feet. When he looked up running with the football with a 42-10 lead, all eyes were on what was a brand new UCLA football team. Suddenly, spinning to the floor and landing awkwardly on his left leg, the same leg he hurt against the Wildcats a little over a month ago, Bruin fans wondered why something so good can be taken away in an instant. While the Bruins dominated for the first home win in a 45-35 win that wasn’t close, all the attention is back to Thompson-Robinson just as when UCLA’s season turned for the better.

Arizona State vs UCLA Bruins at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Ca. on October 26, 2019 (Photo by Jevone Moore)

“I am not entirely pleased with the final result, but I am thrilled to see our team get better and better,” UCLA head coach Chip Kelly said. “Give a lot of credit to how our offense had played and how we have taken momentum throughout the game and put it out all on the field. Your guess is as good as mine with our quarterback’s injury. But I am proud of our team and executing our game plan.”

Thompson-Robinson ran for 12 yards on a quarterback keeper to the far side until he was spun, falling hard on his left leg. He did lose the football in the process, but all the concern was on their quarterback as he was helped off the field.

Either way, the Bruins nearly had a complete game without the setback in the final minutes. The Bruins managed 42 points in the first three quarters and had the game within control until their quarterback went down.

Joshua Kelly’s stat line was rather impressive, running for 164 yards and four total touchdowns on 34 carries. Stats however only tell half of the story as Chip Kelly utilized him for nearly the entire first half, running on nearly every down taking away precious time and all the momentum the Sun Devils were trying to find. Back to back 16 play scoring drives, all fueled by Joshua Kelly’s ball carrying, practically summed up everything the Bruins needed to dominate.

“Joshua is a workhorse,” Chip said. “When Josh plays well we have a shot. And Josh certainly played lights out tonight.”

Once Arizona State had the ball, it gave the Bruins a chance at predicting what the Sun Devils would do. Adjusting to a pass-heavy offense the rest of the way, UCLA put Jayden Daniels under a lot of pressure and forced him out of the pocket nearly the entire contest. His stat line bumped up in the final minutes throwing 20-for-29 with three touchdowns, all of which came in the fourth quarter.

UCLA hosts Colorado with now a different attitude. Consecutive wins was the first on Chip Kelly’s checklist on one of the better performances the Bruins have had since he has taken over. Of course, the rest of their schedule has UCLA in the drivers seat if they can win out. A team that started 0-4 and a bad loss to Oregon State suddenly has turned for the better. Does Chip think that?

“Destiny is a predetermined set of events,” Chip said. “If they are a predetermined set of events, then, well, you can’t control it.”

Morehouse offensive clinic set off homecoming

By

Terry Collins

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October 26, 2019

The Morehouse Maroon Tigers (3-5) put on an offensive clinic for its homecoming and defeated the Benedict Tigers (0-7) 34-13 on Saturday in a SIAC football matchup.

The lopsided score was not forecasted because the last 3 games between these 2 schools were decided by 4 points or less. Morehouse was motivated to rebound from last week’s 37-21 loss to Fort Valley State.

Morehouse head coach Mike White had 2 offensive weapons that were expected to carry a heavy load for the Maroon Tigers. Running back Santo Dunn was the 2018 SIAC offensive player of the year and Michael Sims was the preseason pick for conference quarterback of the year. Benedict’s head coach Mike White led a motivated team seeking its first win.

Morehouse dominated the first half with big plays and a ball control offense. Their first scoring drive went 80 yards on 11 plays. Quarterback Michael Sims threw a 27-yard touchdown pass to Albert Connel. In the second quarter, Morehouse Frank Bailey had an electrifying 69-yard run and was tackled on 1-yard line. On the next play, Bailey plowed into the end zone to give Morehouse a 14-0 lead. Later, Sims threw a 20-yard touchdown pass to Trevor Gichaba.

Benedict simply could not extend drives. Except for a 45 yard missed field goal, Benedict punted on every possession in the first half. Morehouse entered halftime leading 22-0.

The halftime show was electric. For most HBCU’s (Historically Black Colleges and Universities), halftime is showtime. On this day, the school spirit and energy were infectious. Mahogany N Motion, the official dance team of Spellman College and the Morehouse College House of Funk Band lived up to expectations and entertained the fans.

In the second half, Benedict was competitive and cut the lead to 22-13 with 9:33 remaining in the contest. Benedict’s quarterback Eric Phoenix threw 2 touchdown passes (11 yard pass to Raylen Elzy and a 50 yard pass to Elijah Watson). Morehouse just simply had too much offensive firepower. Quarterback Sims threw another touchdown to Tremell Gooden and Santo Dunn finished off a 28-yard drive with a 1-yard plunge into the endzone. The final score was 34-13.

Benedict’s Mike White summed up the game, “I thought we had nothing. I know offensively sometimes we start slow, but I thought defensively we came out flat, also.”

Colorado lets USC take the victory

By

Devon Martinez

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October 25, 2019

Boulder, CU – Penalties and a scoreless fourth quarter cost the game for CU in their 31-35 loss against the USC Trojans. This game is the fourth straight loss for the team as their record falls to 3-5.

Overall, Colorado played a decent game on all sides of the ball, including 520 yards of total offense, one defensive turnover, and flawless red-zone performance.

The game came down to a couple of lost opportunities and penalties according to some players and coaches.

“You know when you get 13 penalties for 100 yards it’s just really hard to win like that,” said Head Coach Mel Tucker, “I mean every 100 yards is a touchdown.”

Just like previous home performances, the game was close throughout. The third quarter began with a 17-14 CU lead, and right out of the gates they scored on a two-play 45-second drive that ended with a 71 yards touchdown pass from Steven Montez to Laviska Shenault Jr.

USC responded with a 75-yard, five-play drive that resulted in a 21-yard touchdown pass from Kedon Slovis to Tyler Vaughns.

The games offensive excitement continued with Montez rushing 17 yards in for a touchdown to put his team ahead by 31-21. CU held on to it’s lead at the start of the fourth quarter but failed to score again on three different drives.

The Trojans offense responded with two touchdowns.

Down by four points, and with over two minutes left; CU had one more opportunity to win the game, but the last pass from Montez to Alex Fontenot was a couple of yards shy of the first down.

The Trojans ran out the clock accepted the victory on their last drive.

Montez played almost a flawless game with three touchdowns, 324 yards, and one rushing touchdowns.

A lot criticism was directed towards Montez’s play in previous weeks, but despite that, Tucker has stayed loyal with his quarterback.

And Montez just shrugs it off.

“It comes with the position. If you don’t want to be criticized then don’t play Quarterback, it’s that simple,” said Montez, “So take those criticisms—get better from them—ignore them—whatever you want to do with them, but just got to come out and play clean football.”

Doncic and Porzingis Make Immediate Impact for Dallas

By

Ariawna Talton

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October 23, 2019

Dallas, TX – The Mavericks officially have a new winning duo in the Post-Nowitzki era.

Last years’ Rookie of the Year Luka Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis complimented one another quite nicely Wednesday night, as the Mavericks defeated the Washington Wizards 108 – 100.

Doncic had 34 points and nine rebounds. Porzingis finished with 23 points.

While Doncic started the scoring for the night, Porzingis missed his first four attempts. That didn’t deter the 7-foot-3 starter. After a quick break on the bench, Porzingis would return to the game and score nine points in the final three minutes of the first quarter. He would finish seven of 16 from the field, including three very long shots from the perimeter.

Neither Doncic nor Porzingis were shy about launching the ball from a few feet behind the three-point line. Doncic’ game-high 34 points came on an overall 12 of 19 shooting, including four made three-point field goals.

Bradley Beal scored 19 points for the Wizards. The All-Star guard signed a $72 million, two-year extension just last week. Beal is by far the Wizards best player, especially with fellow All-Star guard John Wall out for the immediate future after tearing his Achilles tendon last December.

The Mavericks dominated both the second and third quarters, with key contributions from Josh Jackson and Dorian Finney-Smith, both netting ten points respectively. Their mid-game domination allowed the Mavericks to survive a late-game surge by the Wizards.

Dallas will play the Pelicans in New Orleans on Friday night. Washington travels to Oklahoma City to play the Thunder on Friday.

Oregon State Takes Down Cal, 21-17, with Fourth Quarter Go-Ahead Score

By

Aaron Nelson

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October 19, 2019

NelsonAaron_Cal_OSU_10_19_19_fi360News-23 — The Oregon State Beavers defeat the Cal Golden Bears 21-17 at California Memorial Stadium in Berkeley, Calif., on October 19, 2019 (Aaron Nelson / fi360 News)

Berkeley, CA – The Oregon State Beavers (3-4, 2-2 Pac-12) edged out a 21-17 road victory over the Cal Golden Bears (4-3, 1-3 Pac-12) at California Memorial Stadium on Saturday, October 19, 2019, delivering on a fourth-quarter, go-ahead scoring drive to prevent a comeback win for the Bears.

The Beavers jumped out to a 14-0 lead in the first half with redshirt senior quarterback Jake Luton (6) delivering scoring passes in each of the first two quarters. In the first, Luton found running back Artavis Pierce on a seven-yard scoring pass, and in the second, it was Isaiah Hodgins (17) hauling in a four-yard touchdown.

Hodgins, who led the league in reception yards entering the game and averaged the fourth-most yards per game across the nation with just over 118 per contest, has now brought in at least one touchdown reception in each of his last six games.

Despite a struggling offensive attack, the Bears were able to put points on the scoreboard prior to the half with Greg Thomas (39) driving in a 44-yard field goal to make it 14-3.

Cal seemed to have found their identity again to start the second half as they held Oregon State to just 20 yards of offense and found the endzone twice in the third quarter to go up 17-14.

Running back Christopher Brown Jr. (34) drove in a one-yard rushing score near the midpoint of the third quarter to give the Bears their first touchdown in six quarters of play. Then it was transfer-quarterback Devon Modster (6), who took the reigns for the Cal offense since it lost its starter, Chase Garbers, to an indefinite throwing-arm injury against Arizona State, finding senior receiver Jordan Duncan on a 33-yard scoring pass with just over half a minute remaining in the quarter to give the Bears the lead.

Despite the momentum swing, the Beavers found a way to earn the win in the end.

Starting at their own 20-yard line with just over 9:30 remaining, the Beavers capped a balanced, 12-play drive with another Luton touchdown pass, this time finding fellow redshirt senior, tight end Noah Togiai (81), to go ahead for good, 21-17.

Statistically, the two teams finished remarkably even. Both offenses finished with 282 yards, with Cal rushing for 107 and passing for 165, while Oregon State earned 108 on the ground and threw for 166.

Linebacker Evan Weaver, who has earned both national and conference Player of the Week honors this season, eclipsed the 100-tackle mark on the season tallying 21 on the day to give the senior All-American candidate two-straight seasons with 100 or more recorded.

Modster finished with a team-high 76 yards rushing on 19 attempts, but was also sacked 7 times. He left the game with an undisclosed injury late in the fourth quarter, which could lead to even greater difficulty for the Bears as they look to end a three-game losing streak since Garbers’ injury.

With the win, Oregon State earned back-to-back road victories for the first time since 2013.

Having fallen to Utah 52-7 last week, the Beavers were looking to put the tough loss behind them with a strong showing against the Bears.

“We talked about putting the previous game to rest, and I thought our guys did it, learned from it and had a great week of work,” Oregon State head coach Jonathan Smith said after the game. “That’s a good football team over there, I have a ton of respect for that staff. I’m pleased to come out on top today.”

The Beavers now head into their second and final bye week on the year, while Cal will travel to Salt Lake City to take on No. 13 Utah.