By PETE IACOBELLI
Associated Press
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Kelly Bryant long ago laughed off those worried he couldn't succeed Clemson's national championship icon Deshaun Watson this year.
How's the ACC championship game MVP look now?
Bryant ran for a touchdown, threw for another and passed for 252 yards to help the top-ranked Tigers (12-1, No. 1 CFP) claim their likely spot atop the College Football Playoff poll with a 38-3 victory over No. 7 Miami on Saturday night.
Bryant, the smiling, lanky, 6-foot-3 junior has shaken off defenders the way he's pushed aside concerns he would not match Watson's success. But Bryant's shown week after week, he's more than up to the challenge.
Bryant proved it once more against the Hurricanes (10-2, No. 7 CFP). He set a championship game record by completing his first 15 passes — topping the mark held by teammate you know who from two years ago — and putting the Tigers ahead 14-0 on his twisting, 11-yard TD run in the opening quarter.
"We had a lot of questions about the guys who left," Bryant said. "Having the guys around me who've believed in me has helped. And like coach Dabo says, just be the best version of Kelly B I can be."
The best of Bryant certainly points to another title run for the defending champs.
Oh, no, Tigers coach Dabo Swinney, corrects, "We're the attacking champs. We're attacking to try and win another one."
Swinney said amidst the postgame celebration he hadn't been to New Orleans since going with Alabama in 1992, the then wide receiver part of that national championship squad. This time, the Tigers as top seed get their pick of sites and Swinney left no wiggle room about what he'll choose.
"Get ready, Sugar Bowl," he shouted. "Here we come."
Bryant capped his game with a 27-yard TD pass to Deon Cain on the way to Clemson's third straight ACC crown.
"It's just in our DNA. We're built for moments like this," said Bryant, named the game's MVP.
Clemson's defense made things stand up against a Hurricanes team that has been spurred on to its turnaround season by their glitzy, bling-covered "Turnover Chain" — jewelry worn by any Miami player with a pick or a fumble.
Instead, it was the Tigers who won the turnover battle (3 to 1) and held Miami to its fewest points and yards of the season to spoil the Hurricanes' first appearance in the contest since the one-time powerhouse joined the league in 2004.
Bryant and receiver Ray-Ray McCloud even mocked the Miami necklace, McCloud pantomiming putting an invisible chain around Bryant's neck after the quarterback's TD run.
Clemson's Travis Etienne opened the scoring with a 4-yard touchdown before Bryant's twisting, 11-yard run for a 14-0 first-quarter lead. It was essentially over after that as the Hurricanes (10-2, No. 7 CFP) have lost two straight after rising to No. 2 in the CFP two weeks ago.
"Obviously, it didn't go well at all," Miami coach Mark Richt said. "It just shows they're the class of our league and they're the measuring stick."
Miami fell apart in the third quarter with a pair of Malik Rosier interceptions leading to 10 points for the Tigers. The Hurricanes, who had averaged 440 yards a game this season, finished with 214 yards. The broke the shutout on Michael Badgley's 29-yard field goal with 3:29 to go.
THE TAKEAWAY
Miami: The Hurricanes showed they still have some growing to do to catch up with the ACC's elite program. Miami let early chances get away — a long pass to an open receiver overthrown by Rosier, a recovered muffed punt in Clemson territory — and paid for it as the Tigers relentless offense and dominating defense took control. "They came out and from the beginning, they jumped us," Miami receiver Braxton Berrios said.
Clemson: The Tigers have methodically proven themselves at every turn this year when the doubters were sure they'd falter with so many (11 new starters) fresh faces after last year's national championship. Once more, Clemson answered the questions and will head to its third straight College Football Playoff, a likely No. 1 and favorite to win a second consecutive crown.
THREE-PEAT
Clemson joined Florida State as the only teams to win three straight ACC championships. The Seminoles had their run from 2012-2014, right before the Tigers got going with their current streak. Clemson's win also made it seven in a row for Atlantic Division teams over Coastal opponents.
BIG RUSH
The Tigers set an ACC championship game mark with four different players scoring rushing touchdowns. Along with TDs by Etienne and Bryant, Clemson's Adam Choice had a 1-yard scoring run and Tavien Feaster had an 11-yard scoring run.
CHARLOTTE RETURN
The title game came back to Charlotte after a year in Orlando, Florida, due to the ACC's ban on awarding championships to North Carolina for a law that limited protections for LGBT people. The law was repealed earlier this year, the ban lifted and the contest restored to Bank of America Stadium.
UP NEXT
Miami will most likely head to the Orange Bowl in the ACC's usual spot.
Clemson should maintain the top spot in the CFP rankings and, with the option to choose location, will certainly choose the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans over the Rose Bowl to ensure it gets a strong crowd in the stands for the national semifinals. Its opponent will be announced Sunday.
Showing posts with label Miami. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Miami. Show all posts
Sunday, December 3, 2017
Friday, March 17, 2017
Michigan St.-Miami Preview
Stats, LLC
The Miami-Michigan State first-round matchup epitomizes a No. 8 vs. No. 9 seed line in the NCAA Tournament.
Like every game in that spot, it’s hard to pick a winner, at least on the surface.
But it will also be a pairing of accomplished coaches and teams that aren’t quite where they would like to be, though close, when the Hurricanes and Spartans tip off in the late game on Friday at the BOK Center in Tulsa.
Eighth-seeded Miami (21-11) is making its third NCAA Tournament appearance under coach Jim Larranaga, who guided the Hurricanes to the Sweet 16 in their two previous March Madness excursions. Last season, Miami advanced through the first weekend before losing to eventual national champion Villanova.
Michigan State (19-14) is making its 20th consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance. The Spartans finished lower in the Big Ten standings than usual in a four-way tie for fifth, but they’re still a team that anyone dreads to see in March.
Despite the fact that 15th-seeded Middle Tennessee shocked No. 2 Michigan State in the opening round a year ago, Spartans coach Tim Izzo has a well established reputation for building a program that delves deep in to the tournament.
Michigan State advanced at least to the Sweet 16 every year from 2012 to 2015 and earned a Final Four berth in 2015.
Izzo said his young team might still have its best basketball ahead of it this season.
“We need to work on us a little bit,” Izzo said. “We still need to improve what we do and we’ll get an extra day of that. I think they’re ready to try to make a run and that’s the time of year it is.”
Miami has lost three of four, all to NCAA Tournament qualifiers.
The Hurricanes defeated Syracuse in the ACC Tournament second round before North Carolina ousted the Hurricanes from that bracket, 78-53, in the quarterfinals.
Even so, Larranaga doesn’t believe his team is limping into the postseason.
“I think our young players have really come along of late and our upperclassmen have been very, very good throughout the season,” Larranaga said. “If we can have great balance between the offense and defense where our young guys are really defending at the level our upperclassmen are, that gives us a chance at the defensive end.”
Like Miami, Michigan State has lost three of the last four including a five-point loss to Minnesota in the Big Ten Tournament quarterfinals.
That slump followed the Spartans’ best win of the season when Michigan State defeated No. 16 Wisconsin, 84-74, on Feb. 26 in East Lansing, Mich.
With so little separating Miami and Michigan State on paper, Izzo visualized a toss-up game in which the ability to make shots will decide it. Interestingly, he put the emphasis on his fourth through seventh scorers to make the difference.
“It’s going to come down to we’re going to have to shoot the ball better and a lot of that is going to fall on (Matt) McQuaid and (Joshua) Langford and (Cassius) Winston and probably (Alvin) Ellis,” Izzo said.
On the other bench, Miami will prepare for Michigan State as if the Spartans won the Big Ten, as evidenced by Larranaga comparing Michigan State to ACC champion North Carolina.
“The very first thing you have to do is prevent the five-second layup because there’s two programs that pride themselves on scoring, even right after you score, within the first five seconds,” Larranaga said. “The two best in the country in my estimation are North Carolina and Michigan State.”
The Miami-Michigan State first-round matchup epitomizes a No. 8 vs. No. 9 seed line in the NCAA Tournament.
Like every game in that spot, it’s hard to pick a winner, at least on the surface.
But it will also be a pairing of accomplished coaches and teams that aren’t quite where they would like to be, though close, when the Hurricanes and Spartans tip off in the late game on Friday at the BOK Center in Tulsa.
Eighth-seeded Miami (21-11) is making its third NCAA Tournament appearance under coach Jim Larranaga, who guided the Hurricanes to the Sweet 16 in their two previous March Madness excursions. Last season, Miami advanced through the first weekend before losing to eventual national champion Villanova.
Michigan State (19-14) is making its 20th consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance. The Spartans finished lower in the Big Ten standings than usual in a four-way tie for fifth, but they’re still a team that anyone dreads to see in March.
Despite the fact that 15th-seeded Middle Tennessee shocked No. 2 Michigan State in the opening round a year ago, Spartans coach Tim Izzo has a well established reputation for building a program that delves deep in to the tournament.
Michigan State advanced at least to the Sweet 16 every year from 2012 to 2015 and earned a Final Four berth in 2015.
Izzo said his young team might still have its best basketball ahead of it this season.
“We need to work on us a little bit,” Izzo said. “We still need to improve what we do and we’ll get an extra day of that. I think they’re ready to try to make a run and that’s the time of year it is.”
Miami has lost three of four, all to NCAA Tournament qualifiers.
The Hurricanes defeated Syracuse in the ACC Tournament second round before North Carolina ousted the Hurricanes from that bracket, 78-53, in the quarterfinals.
Even so, Larranaga doesn’t believe his team is limping into the postseason.
“I think our young players have really come along of late and our upperclassmen have been very, very good throughout the season,” Larranaga said. “If we can have great balance between the offense and defense where our young guys are really defending at the level our upperclassmen are, that gives us a chance at the defensive end.”
Like Miami, Michigan State has lost three of the last four including a five-point loss to Minnesota in the Big Ten Tournament quarterfinals.
That slump followed the Spartans’ best win of the season when Michigan State defeated No. 16 Wisconsin, 84-74, on Feb. 26 in East Lansing, Mich.
With so little separating Miami and Michigan State on paper, Izzo visualized a toss-up game in which the ability to make shots will decide it. Interestingly, he put the emphasis on his fourth through seventh scorers to make the difference.
“It’s going to come down to we’re going to have to shoot the ball better and a lot of that is going to fall on (Matt) McQuaid and (Joshua) Langford and (Cassius) Winston and probably (Alvin) Ellis,” Izzo said.
On the other bench, Miami will prepare for Michigan State as if the Spartans won the Big Ten, as evidenced by Larranaga comparing Michigan State to ACC champion North Carolina.
“The very first thing you have to do is prevent the five-second layup because there’s two programs that pride themselves on scoring, even right after you score, within the first five seconds,” Larranaga said. “The two best in the country in my estimation are North Carolina and Michigan State.”
Monday, December 26, 2016
Blocked FG helps Mississippi State hold off Miami 17-16
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Mississippi State's sideline erupted in celebration, relieved to escape with a victory to end a challenging season.
Nick Fitzgerald rushed for 142 yards and two touchdowns in another strong performance by the dual-threat quarterback; however, the heavily favored Bulldogs had to block a field goal in the closing seconds to hold off Miami (Ohio) 17-16 in the St. Petersburg Bowl on Monday.
"Great game. Not exactly how we drew it up," coach Dan Mullen said after defensive tackle Nelson Adams got a hand on Nick Dowd's potential game-winning kick that would have helped Miami finish a stunning turnaround from a 0-6 start to the season to a winning record.
Instead, both the Bulldogs (6-7) and the RedHawks (6-7), who won six straight games to become bowl eligible , finished with losing marks.
"You know what, it's been an interesting year. We've battled. Throughout the year we've lost some tough games on the final play of the game," Mullen said. "I told the guys in the locker room afterward, we're here because we didn't give up. We found a way to go make that final play. Even though we missed a lot of opportunities, we made the final play when it mattered."
Fitzgerald, who led the Southeastern Conference in total offense, scored on runs of 2 and 44 yards on the way to his eighth 100-yard rushing performance of the season. The redshirt sophomore also completed 13 of 26 passes for 126 yards.
Gus Ragland threw for 257 yards and two touchdowns for Miami. He also threw his first interception of the season early in the fourth quarter, and Mississippi State turned the mistake into a 36-yard field goal that put the Bulldogs ahead with 12:03 remaining.
"We were one play ahead of them for most of the game, if not more than one, but they were one play ahead of us at the end," Miami coach Chuck Martin said. "We had opportunities. When you look at it, it didn't need to come down to that last kick, but it did. They made one more play than us. Tough way to end. That's sports, and that's competition."
The RedHawks drove the ball deep into Bulldogs territory on their next two possessions, turning the ball over on downs at the Mississippi State 32 midway through the fourth quarter and reaching the 17 before Dowd had his kick blocked with 5 seconds left.
James Gardner and Ryan Smith caught TD passes for Miami, which also had an extra-point blocked in the opening half.
"We had noticed on film that the kicker kind of did line drives. All that was going through my head was get your hands up as quick as you can," Adams said. "It's been a tough year for us. The only thing going through my mind was make a play, make something happen, and that's what I did."
TAKEAWAY
While there's a tendency to minimize the importance of games played before New Year's weekend, Mississippi State and Miami both felt fortunate to be in St. Petersburg for Christmas. The Bulldogs had a losing record for the first time since 2009 — Mullen's first season in Starkville — but qualified for a postseason berth because of the program's NCAA Academic Progress Rate.
Miami's rebound from a poor start was one of the feel-good stories of the year. Finishing in a bowl game against an SEC opponent attracted additional national attention for the RedHawks and also figures to help in recruiting.
"Like I told the guys a couple of weeks ago, if we invited Mississippi State down to spring practice to scrimmage us for 60 minutes, I don't think they'd come. So a pretty good opportunity for Miami football to play Mississippi State and go against some guys that don't look like the guys we normally go against," Martin said. "I thought our kids definitely took advantage of that and made the most of today."
PERSEVERANCE
Miami became the first team in NCAA history to start 0-6 and finish the regular season 6-6. The senior class that entered school in 2013 had a 5-37 record before the RedHawks began their six-game winning streak in mid-October.
"They should put statues of those guys outside of our stadium," Ragland said.
UP NEXT
Miami: The turnaround following the 0-6 start carried the RedHawks to a share of the MAC East Division title and provides a solid foundation to build on next season with 13 starters returning, including Ragland. Gardner had an outstanding sophomore season as well, finishing with 45 receptions for 750 yards and six TDs.
Mississippi State: Despite finishing with a losing record for only the second time in eight seasons under Mullen, the Bulldogs think they have a promising future with Fitzgerald at quarterback. In addition to throwing for 2,413 yards and 21 touchdowns, the sophomore rushed for 1,385 yards and 16 TDs after beginning his career as a backup behind Dak Prescott.
Nick Fitzgerald rushed for 142 yards and two touchdowns in another strong performance by the dual-threat quarterback; however, the heavily favored Bulldogs had to block a field goal in the closing seconds to hold off Miami (Ohio) 17-16 in the St. Petersburg Bowl on Monday.
"Great game. Not exactly how we drew it up," coach Dan Mullen said after defensive tackle Nelson Adams got a hand on Nick Dowd's potential game-winning kick that would have helped Miami finish a stunning turnaround from a 0-6 start to the season to a winning record.
Instead, both the Bulldogs (6-7) and the RedHawks (6-7), who won six straight games to become bowl eligible , finished with losing marks.
"You know what, it's been an interesting year. We've battled. Throughout the year we've lost some tough games on the final play of the game," Mullen said. "I told the guys in the locker room afterward, we're here because we didn't give up. We found a way to go make that final play. Even though we missed a lot of opportunities, we made the final play when it mattered."
Fitzgerald, who led the Southeastern Conference in total offense, scored on runs of 2 and 44 yards on the way to his eighth 100-yard rushing performance of the season. The redshirt sophomore also completed 13 of 26 passes for 126 yards.
Gus Ragland threw for 257 yards and two touchdowns for Miami. He also threw his first interception of the season early in the fourth quarter, and Mississippi State turned the mistake into a 36-yard field goal that put the Bulldogs ahead with 12:03 remaining.
"We were one play ahead of them for most of the game, if not more than one, but they were one play ahead of us at the end," Miami coach Chuck Martin said. "We had opportunities. When you look at it, it didn't need to come down to that last kick, but it did. They made one more play than us. Tough way to end. That's sports, and that's competition."
The RedHawks drove the ball deep into Bulldogs territory on their next two possessions, turning the ball over on downs at the Mississippi State 32 midway through the fourth quarter and reaching the 17 before Dowd had his kick blocked with 5 seconds left.
James Gardner and Ryan Smith caught TD passes for Miami, which also had an extra-point blocked in the opening half.
"We had noticed on film that the kicker kind of did line drives. All that was going through my head was get your hands up as quick as you can," Adams said. "It's been a tough year for us. The only thing going through my mind was make a play, make something happen, and that's what I did."
TAKEAWAY
While there's a tendency to minimize the importance of games played before New Year's weekend, Mississippi State and Miami both felt fortunate to be in St. Petersburg for Christmas. The Bulldogs had a losing record for the first time since 2009 — Mullen's first season in Starkville — but qualified for a postseason berth because of the program's NCAA Academic Progress Rate.
Miami's rebound from a poor start was one of the feel-good stories of the year. Finishing in a bowl game against an SEC opponent attracted additional national attention for the RedHawks and also figures to help in recruiting.
"Like I told the guys a couple of weeks ago, if we invited Mississippi State down to spring practice to scrimmage us for 60 minutes, I don't think they'd come. So a pretty good opportunity for Miami football to play Mississippi State and go against some guys that don't look like the guys we normally go against," Martin said. "I thought our kids definitely took advantage of that and made the most of today."
PERSEVERANCE
Miami became the first team in NCAA history to start 0-6 and finish the regular season 6-6. The senior class that entered school in 2013 had a 5-37 record before the RedHawks began their six-game winning streak in mid-October.
"They should put statues of those guys outside of our stadium," Ragland said.
UP NEXT
Miami: The turnaround following the 0-6 start carried the RedHawks to a share of the MAC East Division title and provides a solid foundation to build on next season with 13 starters returning, including Ragland. Gardner had an outstanding sophomore season as well, finishing with 45 receptions for 750 yards and six TDs.
Mississippi State: Despite finishing with a losing record for only the second time in eight seasons under Mullen, the Bulldogs think they have a promising future with Fitzgerald at quarterback. In addition to throwing for 2,413 yards and 21 touchdowns, the sophomore rushed for 1,385 yards and 16 TDs after beginning his career as a backup behind Dak Prescott.
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