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Last Word On Sports

Sports News Since 2011. Honestly.

Last Word On Sports Logo

Sports. Honestly. Since 2011

Day: October 2, 2015

Who is Appalachian State?

Posted on by Bob Drury

Appalachian State (3-0) will return to the football field in rainy, wet conditions this weekend much like the way they left it in Norfolk last Saturday. The Mountaineers attempted to put their stamp on G5 play with a 49-0 thrashing of Old Dominion, a CUSA opponent. The men from Boone draw Mountain West opponent, Wyoming (0-4) for homecoming this weekend. Appalachian has a history of strong defensive performances in bad weather conditions, and this one looks like it will fit the bill. Boone is currently in near flood conditions and the rain is not expected to hesitate through Sunday. Kidd Brewer Stadium, at an elevation of 3,333 feet will not be in danger of flooding, but it will be wet. The performance out of the black and gold has been interesting so far this season, and it is hard to get much of a read on how good they really are since they have completely overmatched and shutout two opponents. But those performances sandwiched a throttling by Clemson. So, the question really is how good they will be once they enter conference play after the Wyoming game. Who is Appalachian State? If the home team performs as expected it will be tough to figure out where they stand even after the game against the Cowboys. Let’s take a look at the offense and defense.

Offense: Taylor Lamb personifies the up and down performance of his team. He had a career high 4 touchdown passes against the Old Dominion Monarchs. His 266 pass efficiency was a career high (eclipsing his rating from the first game of the year versus Howard), and the fifth highest of any player in the nation this year. The sophomore was 11-15 with 187 yards on the day. This excellence followed the Clemson game where he threw 3 interceptions out of 4 attempts in the second quarter of the 41-10 rout by the Tigers. In addition to the turnovers in Death Valley the team really couldn’t consistently obtain first downs.

From a running back perspective, Marcus Cox has been able to post several 100 yard games this year, but some of those yards have been late in the first half against Howard (to be expected), and late in the first half versus Clemson and against Old Dominion. Judging by the eye test, it still doesn’t feel like Cox is playing like the dominating player we saw last season. Terrence Upshaw has been a valuable change of pace type player who may be outplaying Cox at this point. Some of the younger running backs were able to get playing time in the Old Dominion rout. That included a 22 yard touchdown run by Jalin Moore.

The wide receivers have been interesting to watch because Lamb has really spread the ball around. Sophomore Shaedon Meadors seems to be the best deep threat, but seniors Bobo Beathard, Simms Mcelfresh and Malachi Jones have all had their moments as well. Junior Jaquil Capel has been the biggest new threat for the offense; and I think we could see more of him as the season goes on.

Defense: The Mountaineer defense has actually been stellar all season, so far. They opened the year with the shutout of Howard; and despite the final Clemson score, they played well in that game as well. Clemson was held to just a field goal in the first quarter, and the defense wore down over time while having to spend most of the day on the field.

Last week they were able to hold Old Dominion to 175 total yards, and held the number four running back in the country, Ray Lawry to 22 yards. Linebacker, John Law, led the team with 7 tackles. Linebacker Devan Stringer had a 77 yard fumble return for a touchdown; and cornerback Latrell Gibbs added an interception. The defense held the Monarachs to just 59 yards in the second half as they were able to finish off their fourth shutout in the last 14 games. Mountaineer head coach Scott Satterfield was a quarterback by trade, but his defense to this point may more reliable than the team’s offense.

Going forward, who is this team? After the Clemson game it is pretty clear they are not a top 15 caliber team, but how highly could they rank in the Sun Belt conference and G5 in general? I think it is hard to say. The Mountain men left their mark on the state of Virginia last week and will be expected to romp on homecoming weekend. We will have to wait and see how good they can be as they get into their Sun Belt schedule as the month goes on. This team’s performance within the Sun Belt will define their season.

NC State Wolfpack Game 5: ACC Time vs. Louisville Cardinals

Posted on by Matt Whisnant

NC State Wolfpack (4-0) vs. Louisville Cardinals (1-3, 0-1 ACC)

October 3, 12:30 PM ET

Carter-Finley Stadium, Raleigh, NC

Line: NCSU -4.5

Over/Under: 47

Non-Conference Recap

Somehow NC State managed to do exactly what I asked them to against South Alabama. Last week I questioned the Wolfpack’s mental toughness when trailing, simply because they hadn’t done that yet. They had been tied for brief moments vs. Troy and Old Dominion.

I also needed State to put a up a big number against an inferior opponent so that the box score Sunday morning would impress voters who might not have tuned into ESPN3.

South Alabama went up 7-0 on the opening drive to put the Wolfpack behind for the first time this season. That was about if for the Jaguars as State went on a 28 – 0 run on the way to a 42 – 10 halftime lead.

The Wolfpack would never look back and finished on a high note with a 63-13 win in Mobile. Winning by 50 is nice way to cap off a non-conference schedule that undoubtedly left fans and pollsters wanting more.

NC State finished that non-conference schedule outscoring their opponents 185 to 48. Giving up twelve points per game is a stat some teams would kill for, but this includes the shutout of Eastern Kentucky. It is still a nice margin of victory thus far, but the defense’s real tests will come later in the season, maybe even this week.

USA was NC State’s best win as ODU went down to Appalachian State 49-0. All told State’s four opening opponents are 7-7 on the year. An average record for a run of the mill opening set of games. Two wins at home, and two wins on the road.

NC State could not be more under the radar right now, but it’s not for lack of respect. They’re getting votes in both major polls, but it’s hard to rank a team at 4-0 just because of that zero on the end. When all four wins are against Group of Five opponents, the true worth of the Wolfpack will be known in October.

Mr. Petrino Comes to Town

The Louisville Cardinals come in to Raleigh with a win under their belt after dispatching Samford 45-3.

Louisville is starting to take shape as a spoiler instead of an ACC contender. Their first half has been brutal with a 1-3 start after losses to Auburn, Houston, and Clemson.

Two of those are very forgivable and “good” losses. Auburn now seems like less of a good loss after dropping to 0-2 in the SEC. The Cardinals were a threat in all three of their losses. When I looked at NC State’s schedule many months ago, I thought Louisville would be a one possession, down to the wire type of game. Given what has transpired in their respective games thus far, I haven’t dropped that opinion.

Louisville has used three quarterbacks on the season, but seems to have settled on freshman Lamar Jackson. Jackson leads the team in pass attempts, completions, and rushing yards. NC State’s Jacoby Brissett will have another duel threat quarterback opposite him come Saturday. Louisville may not have the other threats in the backfield to assist Jackson.

Tuesday night, freshly welcomed back NC State running back Shadrach Thornton was arrested in a moped incident on campus. Thornton has played two games this season after sitting out the first two due to suspension. Thornton has had many second chances given this is his third incident as a member of the Wolfpack. The timing couldn’t be worse as State has to play a real contender of an opponent and not sacrificial lambs. Thornton was dismissed from the team following this incident.

Whoever State trots out in the backfield will likely give Louisville fits in the their rush defense. Brissett, Matt Dayes, and the rest of the Pack offense should move the ball well, but the rise in competition may keep them out of the 30’s or 40’s. The defense will have to hold down Louisville in the teens, which is an attainable goal.

However, if the Cardinals can ride the momentum of the Samford win, a consistent quarterback, and the feeling of getting a win, then the Wolfpack will be in for a fight the entire game.

This game is huge for both teams, with Louisville already down a game in the Atlantic; the Cards need a win here. NC State’s 4-0 start will be for naught if they go out and drop the first ACC game at home. Sitting at the bottom of the standings a week into conference play is something the Wolfpack needs to avoid after a hot start.

ACC in the Polls

NCSU now has 52 points in the Coaches and ten in the AP Poll. With Georgia Tech dropping out of both polls, NC State is now the next ACC team sniffing a ranking. Florida State and Clemson are now holding down the fort in the polls for the conference. NCSU, Duke, Miami (FL)** and Georgia Tech are receiving votes.

The conference has been in the discussion of “getting left out” of the CFP since the pre-season. If Notre Dame beats Clemson this Saturday, that talk will rev up even more. FSU/Clemson late in the season will decide the fate of the conference in the playoff.

NC State has two games before their bye. If the Pack can take out reeling Louisville, and go on the road to Virginia Tech and be at 6-0 and ranked before the bye, then the ACC will benefit greatly from having another team in the weekly polls.

The Hokies didn’t help the conference out as they went down to Greenville and lost 35-28 to East Carolina.

NCSU has two games before their bye and now look to be favorites in those. I’ll call at Blacksburg a pick ‘em right now.

One Last Thing

**In my preseason article on the most important non-conference games for the ACC, I listed this weekend’s Notre Dame at Clemson game, which is the last one chronologically on that list. With Miami (FL) just going down at Cincinnati, the flag is all Clemson’s to raise if anyone in the conference is going to win what I dubbed the important non-conference games. The rest of the ACC has lost all of those games. Miami (FL) will likely drop from that “other receiving votes” category as well.
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Fiji are the First Pacific Team to Head Home

Posted on by Jovilisi Waqa

Three big games with three Tier One Nations in just 13 days has finally caught up with Fiji. It was a big ask for the South Sea Islanders to upset one of the big guns in the “Pool Of Death” but in all those three games, they gave their all only for just some basic errors, a lack of discipline and lack of execution letting them down at crucial stages. That gave victory to their much experienced opponents, so now Fiji are the first Pacific team to head home.

The 23-13 loss to Wales early Friday morning was the end of the road for the Fijians [they cannot progress out of Pool A now] and they now look forward to their final game against Uruguay to end their Rugby World Cup of 2015 on a high. With this result too, Fiji must go through another Oceania Qualifier round to make it through to the Japan tournament in 2019, due to their placing outside the top three.

As usual, the Fijians were the ‘darling of the crowds’ but this time we did not see their usual flamboyant, free flowing champagne rugby. Their ‘Achilles heel’ was in their place kicking, even though they held their own in their scrums and lineouts–who would have thought that the Flying Fijians would steal throws and win tightheads against a Six nations side! If Wales want to stay in this World Cup till the end, they have to rectify that issue quickly for themselves as they were shoved around by the Fijians.

The fast paced game on Friday was entertaining to watch, they had good periods of attack and every die-hard fan in Fiji is happy with the gallant effort that their Island Warriors showed against the Dragons. They lost obviously, but the way they have improved in the set pieces is still the talk of the Nation. Applauded by all, including Prime Minister Bainimarama, fans were ecstatic when Niki Goneva crashed his way over for the try that brought Fiji to close within four points of Wales with just 20 minutes to go.

Bainimarama’s support of the Fijian rugby team expressed the thoughts of all Fijians, in how proud the nation is of their courageous effort but it was the same old mistakes that cost us in our last two games. The inability to keep possession, the aimless kicking at crucial times and most of all the failure to turn territory into points. Critically, Ben Volavola missed three crucial penalties which underlined their Achilles heel – the need for a more proficient kicker in the side if Fiji want to be a well rounded team.

The Fijian backs were lost when their lateral attack was caught out by the line speed of the Welsh defence, so they resorted to aimless kicking. Missing Nemani Nadolo through suspension was only a part of our problem, but why didn’t they use Levani Botia more?

The Fijian boys played their hearts out till the end, especially with a sort of  ‘Hand Of God’ moment in the Goneva try. He held onto the ball as the Welsh defence actually pushed him over the tryline. How he kept his hands under that ball is a miracle in which the television commentators screamed out “Take A Bow”.

Fiji had parity at times, but lost this match specifically on the outside and in silly little mistakes. From the unimpressive display of the Fijian backs in this World Cup, myself I would say is the same scenario that our Rugby Sevens Coach Ben Ryan went through in his first season at the helm. He had to work out a way in which to combine the structured aspects of the modern game to include the Fijian flair. When he did, the Fijian’s won their second World Sevens Series title in 2015.

Tabai Matson has done good work with the defencive patterns of this team, don’t get me wrong. If he can continue with Fiji rugby, they will become more clinical in their finishing and soon, they can match any Tier One Nation on any given day.

FIJIAN PLAYERS ASSESSMENT

Manasa Saulo again showed the world how far he has come, together with Sunia Koto and Campese Ma’afu, they drove the Welsh front rows backward at times and the Welsh forwards coach Robin McBryde will have a torrid session of soul searching with his tight five, before they take on the Wallabies.

The ‘turnover king’ of the tournament was Leone Nakarawa. He was at his usual best and may have found the perfect partner in crime, in Tevita Cavuibati who in his last two games stamped his mark in locking the scrum and in the lineout. Dom Waqaniburotu worked tirelessly also, with 50 times capped ‘Captain courageous’ Akapusi Qera one of the best on show. Number eight Netani Talei stood tall against the ‘Tongan Torpedo’ Taulupe Faletau and wrecking machine, ‘The WALBUR-TRON’ Sam Warburton.

Halfback Nemia Kenatale was a breath of fresh air. Volavola, apart from several missed penalties, is a future prospect and trying his best when it was clearly Botia’s role to play. When he was directing play, he had another excellent game. Botia could well have been the Man of the Match in many villages minds, but over the park guys like Goneva just made some poor decisions which cost us. Often, he was in the right place at the right time, but never had the execution to match it.

Asaeli Tikoirotuma had an outstanding game, his elusive run which lead to Fiji’s try was perfect; if you choose to forget the massive fend from George North. Timoci Naqusa had a great game which was expected of him. Metuisela Talebula is a true talent, if he could get rid of his aimless kicks and find a way to penetrate the defence more often, he would have been more deadly for the Fijian side.

The bench did their job well, with many wanting to see young Nemia Soqeta and Peceli Yato in the run-on team as a unit, because the potential is there. Maybe the World Cup is not the stage to experiment, but the outcome could have only been the same, so look out for changes in the short-term.

“That was one of the toughest Test matches I’ve ever played, and that is including sides like New Zealand, South Africa, England and France” said Sam Warburton. His men were challenged and did enough to win this match, after their impressive victory over England.

“Fiji threw everything at us, it was a tough game” said Wales coach Warren Gatland. His opposite John McKee was bitterly disappointed and will have to raise the team spirit in the final game, to restore some lost standing in World Rugby, if this tournament is to have any rewards [at all]

With Fiji’s World Cup journey coming to an end next week, calls have started all around the Fijian Islands that the parent body the Fiji Rugby Union to retain the coaching group of Coach John McKee, Frans Ludeke, Tabai Matson and Alan Muir in the set-up for another four years. Everyone in the Islands has seen the fruit of their work; in the Pacific Nations Cup victory and they want that group to take this team through to qualifying for Japan 2019.

By then, this team will be a force for all Tier One nations to deal with. No longer a push over.

But before that, Uruguay “you are next”.

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Fabber’s Believe It Or Not, Catching On and Week 4 Fantasy

Posted on by Mike Fabber

Fabber’s Believe It Or Not, Catching On and Week 4 Fantasy

Imagine how cool I must have been in fifth grade with my red hair, buck teeth and Velcro shoes. That is right: Velcro shoes!!!!! I didn’t learn how to tie my shoes till midway through my fifth grade year.

It was not because my mom and dad didn’t try to teach me or even my three older brothers and two older sisters. They all tried to teach me about loops and bunny ears and all other weird analogies to get the process. It was not because they did not spend the time for me to get it, it was that I didn’t take the time to understand it.

I never focused on how to make the shoe stay tied or even how to finish tying them. I never practiced or tried really after they walked away from showing me how they did it. I was being lazy.

I also made a cruise ship out of excuses about it being too hard, too time consuming, too silly and so on. The time I spent doing all the whining and excuse making I could have been practicing doing it.

I being in Velcro shoes was no one’s fault but mine. So anything that came from that is on me. I was not very good at taking ownership when I was young but now I will admit it was my fault, my responsibility. I cannot put that responsibility on anyone but myself.

This is like fantasy football. We can make a million excuses why your team is under achieving or losing games. You can blame me, the players, the coaches and on and on. You can use all the tissues and say all the ifs and buts you can imagine but at the end of the day your team is on you!

You got some guys not producing the way you were hoping? Well package them together and make a move. You have the waiver wire every week to help you. You can trade to every other team in the league. Sure, we all have some fun sucking team owners in every league. Trust me I have some in my league and that is filled with so-called friends.

Some guys overvalue guys and some guys undervalue guys. It is just the nature of the beast but we are three weeks in (almost four) and we all see what players are doing. Players like Jeremy Hill,  Justin Forsett, CJ Anderson and Andre Johnson all have lost most value. Now these guys like any other player could rebound to save the year. Others will fall off and lose what they built this season.

If you do not like what you got make some moves. The draft is just the beginning, it is by no means near the end. If the draft is the only work you put it you will lose 90% of the time. You have to hunt the waiver wire. You could always try to trade, sell high or buy low to turn a season around.

When you try all of those options and still cannot get it done, well then you smile and say it wasn’t your year. Sometimes that’s all we can do.

This is my weekly column where I talk about players I believe in and some not so much. This is not a start one player over another and I will not call out the obvious. If you have any questions tweet me @Coach_Mikefx and I will answer them. Thanks for reading and good luck.

Believes

Quarterbacks:

Cam Newton, Panthers

Everyone is starting to believe what I have been preaching for weeks. Cam Newton is a top-tier fantasy quarterback and that should continue this week. The Bucs only give up slightly over 15 fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks this year. But when you add that to the running ability of Cam and the play-calling allowing him to take it in close to the end zone it should be well over 20 points this week.

Andy Dalton, Bengals

Yes he is a fellow redhead but it is more than that this week. He has the best match-up you can have at this point. The Chiefs are the worst fantasy defense against opposing quarterbacks and have a short week. This should be a big game for Dalton and his red hair.

Eli Manning, Giants

He has a great match-up against the forth worst defense towards opposing quarterbacks in fantasy in the Bills. His offense is pass early and pass often and he has playmakers on the outside. This should be one of his good games this week with extra time to prepare.

Running Backs

Melvin Gordon, Chargers

I know he is a roller coaster of a ride but this is one of the peaks. The Browns defense is the third worst rushing defense in the entire NFL. They give up over 25 points to opposing running backs. This is one of those games he can gain confidence and fantasy points

Isaiah Crowell, Browns

He is another back that is taking his owners on a roller coaster ride through three weeks. His performance depends on how the game is going. If his team is behind he will lose touches. If it is close or they are ahead he will get his. He is playing the second worst rushing fantasy defense. He should be able to pull his weight this week.

Karlos Williams, Bills

He is part of a run heavy Buffalo Bills offense. He has scored double figure fantasy points all three weeks and this week he is the lead back. He will get plenty of opportunities to show what he can do and he is no fluke.

Wide Receivers

Marvin Jones, Bengals

Great match-up meets great ability. He is not just a flash in the pan. Two years ago he was a flex or WR2 option for some teams. He can play and he is fully healthy again. If you were lucky enough to get him you should play him.

Rueben Randle, Giants

The focus will be on ODB, which will free Randle up. We saw last week he can make plays. We will see it again this week with extra reps and rest. His team will air it out and Randle should be able to capitalize on it.

Brandon Marshall, Jets

The feel good story will continue for another week. I might not like him over the whole season but I do like him this week. He has a great match-up going against the Dolphins who give up almost 26 fantasy points to opposing receivers. Eric Decker is not 100% if he even plays so Marshall will be the guy.

Tight Ends

Jason Witten, Cowboys

Weeden will not throw deep because he is too scared to make a mistake. He will run often and check down quickly. That is good for Witten who faces one of the worst defenses when it comes to covering tight ends. He should be solid for any line-up.

Charles Clay, Bills

He has scored a touchdown in each of his last two games. They move him around to make sure he has the opportunity to get the ball in the offense. He plays against the fourth worst defense when it comes to covering tight ends. If you need more info you already missed it.

Kickers

Robbie Gould, Bears

Dan Bailey, Cowboys

Nick Folk, Jets

Defenses

Eagles

Bengals

Vikings

Nots

Quarterbacks

Teddy Bridgewater, Vikings

He has not found the way to coexist with AP. He took a giant step back this year in production. Vikings receivers are banged up other than Mike Wallace. They are facing the best fantasy defense against opposing quarterbacks.

Ryan Tannehill, Dolphins

Yes, he is a top ten fantasy quarterback but this is not his week. He plays the second toughest fantasy defense for quarterbacks in England. I love him this year but not this week.

Sam Bradford, Eagles

He is definitely one of the quarterbacks that are not living up to the hype of the preseason. He is too safe with the ball and doesn’t give enough time for the play to develop. The O-line is suspect at best for the Eagles and inconsistent running game is killing them as well.

Running Backs

Ameer Abdullah, Lions

He is a playmaker and clearly the lead back for the team but this week it doesn’t matter. The Seattle defense is stifling when it comes to the run. The Lions are not dedicated to running the ball and they might not be close enough to run in this game.

Jeremy Hill, Bengals

Another top draft pick disappointing this year will continue as well. He has really lost confidence in his ability and lost the ball to Giovani Bernard. Less carries and a tough opponent will make this week hell for Hill owners.

Wide Receivers

Larry Fitzgerald, Cardinals

I love the reemergence of Fitz but this week is not his week. He has a tough match-up and more weapons coming back from injury. The defense will key on him and make someone else beat them.

Mike Evans, Bucs

He is on Normans Island (ok not the same). Josh Norman is making the case to be known as a lockdown corner. This week Evans will be his victim. He might not even get 60 yards.

Terrance Williams, Cowboys

When Dez Bryant went down we all thought Williams would step up to be the man. Well the problem with that is Weeden is too scared to throw the ball deep making Williams less important. The offense with Weeden is horrible for Williams. He is a bench now and often.

Tight Ends

Jordan Reed, Redskins

He has been big this year but this is a rough one for him. The Eagles are tough against this position and should try to take this option away from Cousins. I look for Garcon to have a better game than Reed.

Heath Miller, Steelers

Many people love the idea of playing this player with Vick but they shouldn’t. Baltimore is absolutely beast at stopping tight-ends. They literally give up something like ONE point on average to tight-ends. That is CRAY-CRAY.

Jordan Cameron, Dolphins

Love this guy for the season but not this weekend. He is banged up and facing the third best team covering the tight ends. Tannehill doesn’t throw deep much and Landry takes the underneath routes. He is an all around bad play.

Kickers

Andrew Franks, Dolphins

Kyle Brindza, Bucs

Cairo Santos, Chiefs

Defenses

Rams

49ers

Colts

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Underwhelming All Blacks Were Pushed Hard by Gallant Georgia

Posted on by Scott Hornell, Managing Editor

In another below-par performance this morning at Cardiff’s Millennium Stadium in front of a packed crowd, the underdog Georgia Rugby team stood up and charged at the bigger side as the underwhelming All Blacks were pushed hard by gallant Georgia.

You have to take your hat off to this Georgian Rugby team, who in fact had some key men removed through player rotation, but they did themselves and their rugby nation proud against a Tier One nation. World Champions in fact, even though the All Blacks had moments of pure ‘magic’ mixed along with much fumbling, mis-directed rugby that will have their coaching staff examining the result closely.

The final score blew out to 43-10, but that glossed over a period before halftime and then through the second half where the outstanding commitment from the so-called, rugby ‘minnows’ gave this higher ranked team a good hurry up. They kicked the ball towards this attacking side and then absorbed whatever could be thrown at them. An interesting strategy, but they met that challenge with a gutsy display.

In scoring seven tries, New Zealand did outscore the Georgian team obviously, but that didn’t stop the gallant Georgian team crossing for their own opportunistic try and they also collected the Man of the Match gong for tireless flanker Mamuka Gorgodze. When the stadium announced that decision, it brought a worthy round of applause and the humble man [who had been subbed] was surprised to take the publicly nominated award.

He should not have, because before he gained an injury, he was phenomenal in a way that his opposite has been for so long. Big and powerful, he reflected the heart and soul of this team and they will all be pleased that the ‘big man’ was recognized for another massive effort during this World Cup tournament. On the other side of the pack, Jerome Kaino was all thumbs, off his game clearly and not nearly the same beast that he was at the last World Cup.

Incredible effort from the Georgian scrum and outside backs. While at times combative, they did get penalised often for being caught in the ruck, but the tackling was good, as too was collecting the high ball and outflanking the All Blacks wingers, with Conrad Smith subdued and Ben Smith unable to get the freedom they usually create. Many times players ran into each other, cut-back lines were closed down or the ball dropped clean.

Adjectives will be used to describe the overall New Zealand performance: disjointed, uncharacteristic and lethargic, but you must give the Georgian team a big thumbs up for a collective effort. They put men all over the park, and even as the World Champions had amassed 22 quick points to gain a bonus point in the opening quarter, the team dug deep and put a stop to any massive scoreline blowout.

Richie McCaw’s men were confronted with blocking defence, great covering tackles and can only blame themselves for leaving numerous scoring opportunities out on the park; in dropped ball, with little pop-passes mostly not coming off. Was that a tactic? If it was, it did not work and by the 70th minute when injuries and substitutions impacted on the game, they finally began to hold the ball and then broke open the skilled defencive line with two late tries.

Julian Savea scored three of those tries, which increases his terrific strike-rate in test matches, and the returning Waisake Naholo opened the scoring inside 90 seconds with his first touch of the ball. Those were highlights, but will be missed when you look over the whole match – it will be an interesting video session at Team All Blacks HQ back in London on Monday.

To walk away with the win, many of these All Blacks must acknowledge another below-par effort, Sonny Bill Williams could not free his arms as easily as he has done, but the visitors can leave with heads held high. Their lap of honour post-game was worthy of a commendable effort and they each were responsible for making this a challenging game.

The All Blacks must be concerned once again with their lack of continuity. Much to work on before the Tonga match, and if this is a lesson learned from the coaching staff (again) then they will only have one more chance to go back, re-write the gameplan and to come out next week with an improved 80 minutes. Improve now, before the likely Quarter Final or the tournament might be another sides to determine.

If they do not show their true form, then the competition will gain in confidence. Something this All Blacks team are just not showing at this point in time.

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MLS Pick ‘Em 2015 Week 31 – FC Dallas vs. Houston Dynamo

Posted on by Joseph Goldstein

MLS Pick ‘Em 2015 Week 31 – FC Dallas vs. Houston Dynamo

We are getting down to the nitty gritty now folks! With just a few weeks to go, the top and bottom of the table is still way up in the air. The same could be said for MLS. Last time out, our writers picked Portland and RBNY. The Red Bulls shocked the writers nearly as much as they shocked the league with only 3 experts picking them. I drop just a bit further down the table while Russ and Jeff battle for the top spot again. Norton remains alone at the bottom and the gap increases thanks to John picking up points again. Let’s take a look at the table

Player Points Correct Outcome Correct Score Bonus Incorrect Percentage
Russ McKenzie 30 20 5 0 13 60.61%
Jeff Krause 29 21 4 0 12 63.64%
Joseph Goldstein 28 17 4 1 16 51.52%
Alec Rivera 21 13 4 0 20 39.39%
Eric Walcott 18 18 0 0 15 54.55%
Ned Joyce 12 10 1 0 23 30.30%
John Richan 11 11 0 0 22 33.33%
Michael Norton 9 9 0 0 24 27.27%

This week, it is a battle for the Lone Star State. Dallas welcomes Houston for their final showdown of the year. Houston has had a run of good results of late, and Dallas is coming off three straight losses. The stakes are high as Dallas is still challenging for the Supporter’s Shield while Houston is just trying to close the gap for the final playoff spot. Will it be Orange Crush in Frisco or a return of the Burn? Let’s see what our experts think:

Expert Pick Comments
Joseph GoldsteinAnalyst
@LastWord_JG

FCD (3-0)

 Houston is going to struggle mightily on the road in Dallas and FC will bounce back from their 3 game losing streak in style.
Eric WalcottStaff Writer
@ericwalcott

FCD (3-1)

 The Dynamo had a good week last week and even have a sniff of a playoff chance, but they are a different team away from home and not in a good way. FCD’s attack will be just too much as they fight for a chance at the supporters’ shield.
Alec RiveraDepartment Head
@LWOSAlec

FCD (2-0)

 Houston this season is simply no match for a Dallas side full of maturing young talent. The likes of Fabian Castillo are captivating the league with their skill, and they will put on a display for their home crowd as the regular season draws to a close. Biggest question: can they upset LA/RBNY for the Supporter’s Shield? This game will give us our answer.
Jeff KrauseEditor
@DFBJeff

FCD (3-0)

 This may be the year Dallas shows what they’re really capable of, and Owen Coyle still hasn’t figured out the league. All Dallas in this one.
Russ McKenzieDepartment Head
@Russ_McKenzie

FCD (2-0)

 Owen Coyle’s boys haven’t been very good over the last stretch, and Dallas simply will outclass them in front of their home crowd.
John RichanStaff Writer
@John_Richan		 DRAW (2-2) Everything goes out the window on rivals clash. We have seen that on a number of occasions around MLS this season and we will see it again this weekend. Although Dallas is 6 points ahead in the standing this one will end in a draw.
Michael NortonEditor
@MichaelNorton95

FCD (2-0)

 Erick Torres hasn’t proven to be the midseason savior, ala Drogba, I thought he would be. Dallas still have a hand in the Supporters Shield cookie jar, and with Mauro Diaz finally back they have to like their chances at the silver plate with a win here.
Ned JoyceContributor
@nedjoyce		 DRAW (2-2) Rivalries are such for a reason. Houston will step up and Dallas will play tough. Entertaining for the fans, disappointing for the teams

DK’s 2015 Week 5 CFB Game Picks

Posted on by Don King

Week 5? Already? Wow, this season is flying by. Finally, just about all of the P5 Conference teams are into league play. That is, all of them that are actually playing this weekend, unlike four of the teams from the PAC-12, who have an early bye.

We speak truth here, so we have to acknowledge that last week’s picks were atrocious. There goes 100 basis points off my season average, just like that. Well, nowhere to go but up. Let’s get to the picks.

All game times in Eastern Daylight Time.

Last Week:    4-6       (.400)

Season:        24-13      (.649)

DK’s 2015 Week 5 CFB Game Picks

 

South Carolina @ Missouri (Saturday, October 3rd, 12:00 p.m., SECN)

The battle of the Columbias has lost some of its luster this season, as South Carolina has consistently underperformed. To its end, Missouri hasn’t really set the world on fire either. Maty Mauk doesn’t look much like he did last season, but he is at home, and that should be enough to get the win for the Tigers.

Pick: Missouri 28, South Carolina 17

 

West Virginia @ Oklahoma (Saturday, October 3rd, 12:00 p.m., FOXS1)

Why does no one seem to be talking about West Virginia? The ‘Eers are unbeaten, and they figure to have a say in who wins the Big XII. It says here that they will begin to have a say this weekend. WVU will knock off the Sooners in Norman.

Pick: West Virginia 45, Oklahoma 33

 

Minnesota @ Northwestern (Saturday, October 3rd, 12:00 p.m., BTN)

Northwestern has been the pleasant surprise of the entire B1G so far in the 2015 season. The Wildcats have notched ever-more-impressive wins over Stanford and Duke this season, and they get a chance to get out of the gate well in B1G play. Jerry Kill’s team will bring its characteristic grit to Evanston, but Northwestern will keep its record unblemished at Ryan Field on Saturday.

Pick: Northwestern 27, Minnesota 21

 

Iowa @ Wisconsin (Saturday, October 3rd, 12:00 p.m., ESPN)

Iowa is unbeaten. Now, raise your hand if you believe that the Hawkeyes are for real. My hand remains un-raised as well. The Badgers haven’t been world-beaters thus far in 2015, but they have handled their business well since the season-opening loss to Alabama. Bucky rolls.

Pick: Wisconsin 38, Iowa 14

 

Louisville @ North Carolina State (Saturday, October 3rd, 12:30 p.m., ESPN3)

Louisville has not enjoyed the usual second-year bounce that Bobby Petrino teams get, and NC State has yet to drop a game this season. Jacoby Brissett continues to improve and to impress, and he will lead his team to the brink of bowl eligibility, despite the dismissal of starting running back Shadrach Thornton.

Pick: North Carolina State 24, Louisville 10

 

Air Force @ Navy (Saturday, October 3rd, 3:30 p.m., CBSSN)

Air Force brings its ground-and-pound wishbone attack (ironic, no?) to Annapolis to kick off the Commander-In-Chief Trophy round robin tournament. Running back DJ Johnson is off to a solid start for the Falcons. Keenan Reynolds is now tied for second all-time in rushing touchdowns in FBS history, trailing Montee Ball by just four scores. He may threaten Ball’s total this Saturday. Navy wins at home.

Pick: Navy 38, Air Force 21

 

Boston College @ Duke (Saturday, October 3rd, 3:30 p.m., ESPN3)

Boston College brings the nation’s second best scoring defense to Durham to take on Duke, fresh off an impressive win over Georgia Tech. The Golden Eagles have given opposing offenses fits, and Duke’s attack has been inconsistent all season. The fighting Al Preziosis will get the mild road upset this Saturday.

Pick: Boston College 17, Duke 7

 

Alabama @ Georgia (Saturday, October 3rd, 3:30 p.m. , CBS)

Alabama travels to Sanford Stadium to take on the undefeated Bulldogs in a critical SEC match-up. Georgia is favored over the Crimson Tide for the first time in forever. Can UGA handle the expectations of success against elite competition? In (Nick) Chubb we trust.

Pick: Georgia 35, Alabama 24

 

Mississippi @ Florida (Saturday, October 3rd, 7:00 p.m. ESPN)

Ole Miss has risen all the way to the Top 5 this season, while the Gators needed a miracle to nip Tennessee by a point last weekend. Luck runs out this week, as Chad Kelly and Laquan Treadwell figure to light up the scoreboard at the swamp.

Pick: Mississippi 42, Florida 21

 

Notre Dame @ Clemson (Saturday, October 3rd, 8:00 p.m. ABC)

The national game of the week happens in Death Valley (East) under the lights Saturday evening. Young, strong-armed DeShone Kizer has played well for the Irish, but Deshaun Watson has more experience and a sure-to-be-raucous home crowd in his corner. This one figures to be every bit as close as we all hope it will be, as these teams match up very evenly across the board. If the game were being played in South Bend, the outcome would be different. It isn’t being played in South Bend, though.

Pick: Clemson 28, Notre Dame 27

Georgia Upset All Blacks Despite 43-10 Loss

Posted on by Molly Smith

Richie McCaw said earlier this week that the All Blacks had to “step up” in their game against Georgia to give themselves any chance of emulating their World Cup glory of four years ago. The fact is that, despite slipping to 15th in the world rankings, Georgia could tempt out the Kiwi’s weaknesses and highlight for other teams what the key to defeating this mighty team is. It’s safe to say that this tournament has thrown up plenty of shocks and whilst a Georgia win may be too far fetched, it was down to 80 minutes of rugby for them to put the spotlight on sore points for the reigning champions.

Georgia Upset All Blacks Despite 43-10 Loss

Georgia had encouraging first possession, intercepting the ball from the All Blacks but in a quick turn on events and with barely a minute on the clock, Waisake Naholo, drafted in for this match, galloped over the line for the Kiwi’s first try. Dan Carter converted with perfection, making it 7-0 very early on. Drama unfolded minutes later though when Georgia took advantage of an All Blacks knock on, and fullback Beka Tsiklauri making a great kick and collect with too much pace for New Zealand to stop a try. 7-7 soon turned into 12-7 with Savea thundering over in the corner after a slick phase of passing by the Kiwi’s. Conversion missed by Carter in a lively crowd at the Millennium Stadium, it didn’t take long for the world champions to slip up and allow Georgia to take it to 12-10 with a penalty kick by Malaguradze. What was McCaw saying about stepping up?

In the midst of Georgia’s continuous disciplinary errors at the breakdown (going in off their feet), the All Blacks chose to take the scrum, which drew too many players in red and white towards the centre of the field. This left an abundance of room for Savea to be thrown the ball and charge down the wing without challenge and go over for his second. 17-10 and Carter seemed anything but calm and collected, as he missed the posts again.

It wasn’t long for McCaw to open up the lungs and get a good carry, but a pop pass to hooker Dane Coles allowed him to slide over in the right corner. 22 minutes in and the All Blacks had secured their bonus point, but a third successive missed conversion for Carter threw up questions about his form from the tee tonight. Two set pieces for the leaders within ten metres of Georgia’s try line got the fans on their feet in encouragement, but by not driving straight it allowed their opponents to take a breather before having their own scrum. Stealing the set piece, the All Blacks ran the ball wide before a huge tackle by Kacharava on McCaw sent shudders through the stadium.
It was clear to see the difference between the two teams when it came to the breakdown: Georgia were laboured in getting the ball and the All Blacks capitalised on this, forcing the trailers into making errors and subsequently, the All Blacks retained possession. Just before half time Georgia managed to make metres in the All Black territory, only for Aaron Smith to undo that work and kick the ball into touch downfield. Yes, Georgia had possession, but the speed of New Zealand allowed them to overturn the ball in a whisper, before Georgia even had a chance. The half time whistle blew as the score stood at 22-10, and no doubt Dan Carter was heading into the changing room for a stern word from coach Steve Hansen.

Both teams came out eager for the restart, but it was Naholo who spiced the game up with his shot at the line, just falling short and being taken into touch by the Georgian defence. The underdogs made a few great interceptions and steals, but instead of gaining vital ground up field and retaining the ball, they continued to kick to the All Blacks – a bad move considering their speed and skill. New Zealand were punished for wheeling the scrum, but forcing their counterparts to indiscipline at the ruck, they demanded possession back. Ten minutes into the second half neither side looked dangerous enough.

A slow but steady drive from the All Blacks urged Kieran Read under the posts, easy enough for Carter to convert this time. 29-10 but Hansen’s team looked far from their usual exciting self. Georgia put a few big tackles in to interrupt the Kiwi’s flow, most notably on Ben Smith who was subject to a slicing spin-tackle by two opposing front rowers. They began to put New Zealand on the back-foot and panic, with Ben Smith making a knock on a ball as captain McCaw limped after his teammates. Substituted for Sam Cane, the skipper took to the bench where an iced leg brace awaited him, leaving his return to play in doubt.

Into the final ten minutes and New Zealand really began to tire, losing lineouts and lacking a consistent playmaker regardless of fresh replacements coming into the game. A third try for Savea flattered the All Blacks who, thanks to a Carter conversion, led by 36-10. The scoreboard failed to pay dividends to Georgia’s efforts, who looked by far the more points hungry side in the second half. Minutes later though a swerving, flashy run by 23 Fekitoa took the score to 43-10 as the crowd cheered on Georgia. Their captain and flanker Mamuka Gorgodze was awarded Man of the Match, showing how much more of a game plan Georgia seemed to have. Undoubtedly, the All Blacks had a comfortable win as the final whistle blew, and they can be happy with the score margin, but it was the underdogs who did indeed want more from this game. It seemed more important to them, and despite not quite getting the result they wanted, they can be proud in the knowledge that they prevented their opponents of their signature free-flowing game. Final score, New Zealand 43 -10 Georgia.

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NFL Week 4 Preview, Ravens vs. Steelers TNF Talk, and; College Football Week 5 Preview

Posted on by Sean Garmer (Reviews Editor)

We start things today with a breakdown of the Thursday Night Football Game between the Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers. We are joined by a fan of each team, in Mike Mitchell for the Steelers and Robert Hagan for the Ravens. We ask them how well do they think the Steelers will play going forward with Michael Vick? Can the Ravens make the playoffs after the big win? And a whole lot more.

After that, we go through all of the games happening on Sunday with our NFL Week 4 Preview, including the first NFL in London game of the season between the NY Jets and Miami Dolphins.

We will be broadcasting that Jets vs. Dolphins game live on Rabble.TV (you can either go to the website or download the app on your IOS or Android device.) Search “W2M Network” and you can find the game. We then end our NFL Week 4 Preview with discussion on what could happen in the Monday Night Football game between the Seahawks and Lions.

In between all that, we make predictions for each game, play games such as “Fact of Fiction, Over/Under, pick Fantasy Players,” and more. It all turns out to be a thorough overview when it is all said and done.

Randy then takes everyone through the big games happening in College Football Week 5 and the show ends on the “what to watch for” segment.

Did you know there is a W2M Network Facebook Page? If you “like” the page, you will get any announcements about the podcast, anything the guys write, or other various things as well.

This is an all encompassing sports podcast that discusses mainly NFL Football and College Football, but it does focus sometimes on things like North American & International soccer, and other major sports such as NBA Basketball, MLB Baseball, and NHL Hockey as well. Football 2 Futbol airs live on early Tuesday Mornings and early Friday mornings and is available immediately afterwards on-demand via these platforms: I-Tunes, Stitcher, the LAST WORD RADIO I-Tunes and Stitcher, Tune-In Radio, Spreaker.com, Youtube (Via W2M Network), Podbean.com, Satchel Media Player, VOC Nation Radio Network, Downcast, Player FM, and Blubrry. Follow the guys on twitter @football2futbol

Sean Garmer: is a crazy mix of Arkansas, Venezuela, and Texas all rolled into one. He studied Journalism at the University of North Texas and hopes to one day be able to return to finish his degree. Having been born in Arkansas, his favorite college team is the Arkansas Razorbacks, but all of his professional loves come from the DFW area, where he spent 20 years of his life. Sean’s first love is soccer, which began from having an entire latino side of the family that watched the sport. It then grew into him playing soccer all the way into high school and college. He was also able to do color commentary for the University of North Texas Women’s soccer team as well. He then transitioned that into several writing gigs on various websites, including being paid to cover every game in several World Cups. Sean is an avid FC Dallas supporter and has grown to love MLS above all other soccer leagues. His second sport is a tie between American Football and Basketball. Where Sean is a diehard Cowboys and Mavericks fan respectively, but also tries to keep up with other sports as much as he can.

Gary Vaughan: is a native of North Texas. He is also a graduate of the University of North Texas with aspirations of a higher level of education. Like a majority of Texans, football is his sports passion. Ironically, his passion for the game sparked from his love of Madden 98. From that point on he has poured hours into studying NFL history and game film. Gary is a student of the game and is a die hard Dallas Cowboys fan. His second sport is hockey, followed up by the rest of the American sports scene.

Randy Isbelle: is a New York American sports fan stuck in the Pacifc Northwest. Randy is a former writer for a few sports websites and he was also a co-founder of the Coast 2 Coast Sports Report podcast. He now splits his time between watching sports, playing video games and being a father.
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