Edge is the best way to put it. The Final Score was 20-19, closer than it ever should have been, but a W is a W is a W in the NFL. The Steelers got OUTGAINED by the WORST offense in the league coming in, some 316 to 262 yards. There were mistakes on both sides, from muffed snaps on a punt at midfield (Steelers) that led to Baltimore's go-ahead FG with 4 minutes left (19-17), to an earlier miss (wide right) by Baltimore's K Matt Stover, which caromed off the right upright and out.
The way the game started, it looked to be trouble for the Ravens. The Steelers took teh opening kickoff back to their 22, and proceeded to rack up a 15-play, 78-yard Touchdown drive that took 8:57 of time off the clock. Baltimore, not shaken, spent 4+ minutes driving down to get their own touchdown, largely on the strength of the pass, and a questionable defensive holding call on an incomplete third down pass, where the receiver did a spin-move, avoiding the defender completely who was flagged for the "holding". It was also questionable as to whether Ravens receiver Chester Taylor was out of bounds prior to the end zone -- he was given the TD, and steelers did not challenge. The ball was out at the 2 yard line, but Taylor was apparently given credit for being in the air, with the ball crossing the plane of the goal line out of bounds.
The Steelers then drove a ways before stalling on the Baltimore 37, and lined-up with Roethlisberger still in as to go for it on 4th down. Ben pooched it where it was downed inside the 1. On Baltimore's next play, RB Jamal Lewis was almost tacked in the end-zone for a safety, but escaped, only to be stripped of the ball, and the Steelers recovered on the Bal 12 yard line. The Steelers could not take advantage of this opportuntiy, and after a pair of no-gain plays, Ben was sacked for a 13 yard loss on 3rd down. No worries, though, as Jeff Reed made good from 41 yards out to make it a 10-7 game.
After Baltimore's next possession, the Steelers fumbled a punt return in the 2nd quarter, setting up a Baltimore field goal that tied the game. The Steelers also survived Roethlisberger's 2nd interception thrown on the season without giving up any points. The 2nd quarter wound down, with Baltimore making one last stab to get into field goal range. Inexplicably, with no timeouts left for the Ravens, and the clock winding down, the Steelers called a timeout with 0:08 left in the half. Coach Cowher said is was to make sure the correct personnel were on the field, but the clock may have expired prior to the Ravens getting the play off. It turned out ok, as Ike Taylor picked off Baltimore QB Anthony Wright in the endzone to end the first half tied at 10-10.
Chris Hope intercepted Wright on the first Ravens' possession of the 2nd half, and, despite a successful Baltimore challenge that negated a 22 yard return, the Steelers drove down for another Heath Miller touchdown catch, his 2nd of the night, for a 17-10 Steeler lead. Like the first half though, the Ravens did not give up, and came right back down the field, but were forced to try a field goal, but the 3rd quarter expired with the score still 17-10. First play of the 4th quarter was a Baltimore field goal to make it 17-13.
The Steelers drove, but could not get close enough for another field goal try, while Baltimore racked up another field goal, this time making it 17-16. Enter the aforementioned Steelers drive, to their own 45, where a botched 4th down snap, on what was to be a punt, turned into a Morey rush, pitched back to Gardocki (the Punter) who attempted a forward pass to Morey, who briefly had possession, but was far from the first down marker. This would lead directly to a Baltimore field goal, giving the Ravens their first lead of the day at 19-17.
Three and a half minutes to go, and the Steelers give the ball to Ben Roethlisberger, and he proceeds to hit good passes to Quincy Morgan and good runs by Jerome Bettis to drive down to the Ravens 19, forcing the Ravens to burn their timeouts, setting up Jeff Reed's game winning field goal with 1:45 to go.
Monday, October 31, 2005
Friday, October 28, 2005
Review of Battlestar Galactica Season 1 DVD
To come in this space, Rel's review of the Battlestar Galactica season 1 & miniseries DVD. Below is the working draft.
Let's start with the packaging. Season one comes as a 5-disc set, the first of which contains the minseries, with the other four discs containing the 13 season one episodes. The outer container is of a sleeve design, containing five smaller, "slim"-type DVD containers. Imagine the thickness of a slim-CD case, but the lenghth/width of a standard DVD case.
Began watching the miniseries on the night of October 30th, and made it some hour and ten minutes in, before finding it necessary to break to give our 17 month old a bath. Having seen all of Seasons One and Two on Sci-Fi as they aired (courtesy of TIVO), but not the miniseries, the miniseries sure fills in some gaps, and while similar in concept to the 1978 series pilot, the circumstances surrounding the Galactica itself are quite different.
The remake version opens as the Battlestar Galactica being readied for decommissioning, after more than forty years since the last Cylon was seen. Like the original, the Galactica was one of 12 ships, one for each colony, with Galactica representing Caprica. Under the remake, however, it is simply represented that the Galactica was the last of her class in service, now some 50 years old. In the original, the other eleven were destroyed during the Cylon sneak-attack, the Galactica only escaping because it left to check on Caprica.
The civilian government's representative to the decommissioning is the Education Secretary, Laura Roslin. Adama sees his son for the first time in two years, as a photo-op for the decommissioning, since Adama's other son was killed in a Viper accident. The Younger Adama ("Apollo") holds much resentment for his father over this event, blaming it on the Father's expectation of the family following in his footsteps. (It is revealed in a later episode that the brother's death was facilitated by one Lt. Kara Thrace, aka "Starbuck") The tension between the two Adamas is palatable.
Apollo is tasked with flying Adama's old Viper from years ago, which had been resurrected by Chief Tyrrell and his hangar staff. His duty is as the last flyby during the decommissioning ceremony.
While the Galactica's main squadron is out, the Cylons have conspired to make a sneak attack on four of the colonial homeworlds with Nukes. Enter Dr. Gaius Baltar, who inadvertently is responsible for allowing a Cylon agent access to the Defense mainframe, publishing the Colonial positions to the Cylon fleet. The Cylons have developed a way of neutralizing the Colonial computers, and just such an attack on Galactica's squadron leaves them sitting ducks, and they are all destroyed. Only the raptor with "Helo" and "Boomer" in it escapes, but is hit, loses fuel, and coasts its way back to Caprica.
Back on Galactica, they have been alerted as to the attack, and sound battlestations. The crew is surprised, thinking they had been decommissioned. All they had left on the ship were older Vipers meant for a musuem that had been made out of one of Galactica's hangar bays. Chief Tyrrell and crew knock down the museum barriers, and move the relics into the active hangar bay in preparation for combat.
A standing order on prewar Galactica prevented the integration and networking of the computer systems, and this would serve to save the ship.
11-3-05: After a few days, I got through some more of the DVD, but not the whole way.
On Caprica, Boomer and Helo have landed amidst the mushroom clouds of Cylon nukes. Helo guards the ship while Boomer repairs their broken fuel line, and they find themselves surrounded by misplaced Capricans wanting a way off the planet. The space on their Raptor is limited, and after taking the children, they draw numbers for the remaining three spots. Helo recognizes the genius Dr. Gauis Baltar amongst the crowd, and offers up his seat so that Baltar may also escape. (This fills in the reason why Helo spent the first season-plus on Caprica)
On the ship now known as Colonial One (formerly Caprica flight 498), Secretary of Education Laura Roslin hears word that the President of the 12 Colonies of Kobol and the cabinet senior to her are dead. She summons a priest to administer the oath of office, the callsign of the ship changes to Colonial One.
On the Battlestar Galactica, a Cylon raid delivers three nukes at Galactica, two of which are destroyed prior to impact. The third takes out a major section of the ship, causing fires, but most of the radiation is avoided. A major command decision has to be made on extinguishing the fire, one that could cost the lives of many men. XO Tigh is forced to make the decision, and after a few seconds hesitation, saves the ship by ordering the sealing off of the section, and venting to space. Chief Tyrrell argued for more time to get more men out, that simply 40 seconds more would have worked to get most all of them out.
Colonial One (Roslin) wants the Galactica to help them rescue survivors after Adama had decided to regroup at Ragnor station for resupply. Just then a Cylon raider appears over Colonial One, which survives due to an instinctive trick by Captain Lee Adama to fake out the Cylon.
Let's start with the packaging. Season one comes as a 5-disc set, the first of which contains the minseries, with the other four discs containing the 13 season one episodes. The outer container is of a sleeve design, containing five smaller, "slim"-type DVD containers. Imagine the thickness of a slim-CD case, but the lenghth/width of a standard DVD case.
Began watching the miniseries on the night of October 30th, and made it some hour and ten minutes in, before finding it necessary to break to give our 17 month old a bath. Having seen all of Seasons One and Two on Sci-Fi as they aired (courtesy of TIVO), but not the miniseries, the miniseries sure fills in some gaps, and while similar in concept to the 1978 series pilot, the circumstances surrounding the Galactica itself are quite different.
The remake version opens as the Battlestar Galactica being readied for decommissioning, after more than forty years since the last Cylon was seen. Like the original, the Galactica was one of 12 ships, one for each colony, with Galactica representing Caprica. Under the remake, however, it is simply represented that the Galactica was the last of her class in service, now some 50 years old. In the original, the other eleven were destroyed during the Cylon sneak-attack, the Galactica only escaping because it left to check on Caprica.
The civilian government's representative to the decommissioning is the Education Secretary, Laura Roslin. Adama sees his son for the first time in two years, as a photo-op for the decommissioning, since Adama's other son was killed in a Viper accident. The Younger Adama ("Apollo") holds much resentment for his father over this event, blaming it on the Father's expectation of the family following in his footsteps. (It is revealed in a later episode that the brother's death was facilitated by one Lt. Kara Thrace, aka "Starbuck") The tension between the two Adamas is palatable.
Apollo is tasked with flying Adama's old Viper from years ago, which had been resurrected by Chief Tyrrell and his hangar staff. His duty is as the last flyby during the decommissioning ceremony.
While the Galactica's main squadron is out, the Cylons have conspired to make a sneak attack on four of the colonial homeworlds with Nukes. Enter Dr. Gaius Baltar, who inadvertently is responsible for allowing a Cylon agent access to the Defense mainframe, publishing the Colonial positions to the Cylon fleet. The Cylons have developed a way of neutralizing the Colonial computers, and just such an attack on Galactica's squadron leaves them sitting ducks, and they are all destroyed. Only the raptor with "Helo" and "Boomer" in it escapes, but is hit, loses fuel, and coasts its way back to Caprica.
Back on Galactica, they have been alerted as to the attack, and sound battlestations. The crew is surprised, thinking they had been decommissioned. All they had left on the ship were older Vipers meant for a musuem that had been made out of one of Galactica's hangar bays. Chief Tyrrell and crew knock down the museum barriers, and move the relics into the active hangar bay in preparation for combat.
A standing order on prewar Galactica prevented the integration and networking of the computer systems, and this would serve to save the ship.
11-3-05: After a few days, I got through some more of the DVD, but not the whole way.
On Caprica, Boomer and Helo have landed amidst the mushroom clouds of Cylon nukes. Helo guards the ship while Boomer repairs their broken fuel line, and they find themselves surrounded by misplaced Capricans wanting a way off the planet. The space on their Raptor is limited, and after taking the children, they draw numbers for the remaining three spots. Helo recognizes the genius Dr. Gauis Baltar amongst the crowd, and offers up his seat so that Baltar may also escape. (This fills in the reason why Helo spent the first season-plus on Caprica)
On the ship now known as Colonial One (formerly Caprica flight 498), Secretary of Education Laura Roslin hears word that the President of the 12 Colonies of Kobol and the cabinet senior to her are dead. She summons a priest to administer the oath of office, the callsign of the ship changes to Colonial One.
On the Battlestar Galactica, a Cylon raid delivers three nukes at Galactica, two of which are destroyed prior to impact. The third takes out a major section of the ship, causing fires, but most of the radiation is avoided. A major command decision has to be made on extinguishing the fire, one that could cost the lives of many men. XO Tigh is forced to make the decision, and after a few seconds hesitation, saves the ship by ordering the sealing off of the section, and venting to space. Chief Tyrrell argued for more time to get more men out, that simply 40 seconds more would have worked to get most all of them out.
Colonial One (Roslin) wants the Galactica to help them rescue survivors after Adama had decided to regroup at Ragnor station for resupply. Just then a Cylon raider appears over Colonial One, which survives due to an instinctive trick by Captain Lee Adama to fake out the Cylon.
Tuesday, October 25, 2005
whose curse is next to be broken?
With the White Sox exorcising their curse of the black sox last night, beating the Astros 1-0 to complete a sweep, in winning their first series since 1917, on the heels of the Red Sox ridding themselves of "the curse" last year (they had last won the year after the White Sox, 1918), the question presents itself, which curses or streaks of futility are left?
Worst of the list has to be the Cubbies, who last won the series in 1908. Beyond that have to be the Indians and the Giants
Never won:
Houstoun, Montreal/Washington, Seattle, Milwaukee Brewers, Tampa Bay, Texas Rangers/2nd Washington Senators, San Diego, Colorado
97 - Chicago Cubs
81 - Washington Senators * (Records should be with Minnesota though)
57 - Cleveland Indians
51 - SF/NY Giants (As NY Giants)
26 - Pittsburgh
25 - Philidelphia Philles
23 - St. Louis Cardinals
22 - Baltimore Orioles
21 - Detroit
20 - Kansas City Royals
19 - NYMets
17 - Los Angeles/Brooklyn Dodgers
16 - Oakland/Kansas City/Philadelphia A's
15 - Cincinnati
14 - Minnesota Twins/1st Washington Senators
12 - Toronto
10 - Atlanta/Milwaukee/Boston Braves
5 - NYYankees
4 - Arizona
3 - Anaheim
2 - Florida
1 - Boston
0 - Chicago White Sox
It should be noted that MLB on its website separates the multiple city teams into separate ones, while at the same time shows all the historical record for each. For example, theirt records pages include the 1901-1960 Washington Senators as part of the Minnesota Twins, and counts the 1925 series win as one of 3 for the Twins, when the Twins themselves only won in 1987 & 1991.
I did not take the trouble to splitting the A's or the Braves out. And I can't believe how few titles the Phillies have won.
Worst of the list has to be the Cubbies, who last won the series in 1908. Beyond that have to be the Indians and the Giants
Never won:
Houstoun, Montreal/Washington, Seattle, Milwaukee Brewers, Tampa Bay, Texas Rangers/2nd Washington Senators, San Diego, Colorado
97 - Chicago Cubs
81 - Washington Senators * (Records should be with Minnesota though)
57 - Cleveland Indians
51 - SF/NY Giants (As NY Giants)
26 - Pittsburgh
25 - Philidelphia Philles
23 - St. Louis Cardinals
22 - Baltimore Orioles
21 - Detroit
20 - Kansas City Royals
19 - NYMets
17 - Los Angeles/Brooklyn Dodgers
16 - Oakland/Kansas City/Philadelphia A's
15 - Cincinnati
14 - Minnesota Twins/1st Washington Senators
12 - Toronto
10 - Atlanta/Milwaukee/Boston Braves
5 - NYYankees
4 - Arizona
3 - Anaheim
2 - Florida
1 - Boston
0 - Chicago White Sox
It should be noted that MLB on its website separates the multiple city teams into separate ones, while at the same time shows all the historical record for each. For example, theirt records pages include the 1901-1960 Washington Senators as part of the Minnesota Twins, and counts the 1925 series win as one of 3 for the Twins, when the Twins themselves only won in 1987 & 1991.
I did not take the trouble to splitting the A's or the Braves out. And I can't believe how few titles the Phillies have won.
Is it time for the line-item veto?
Virginia Senator (and former Va Governor) George Allen was on Hannity yesterday (Monday) afternoon (what little bit I head of it amongst sports stations), and he was advocating anew a constitutional amendment to give the line-item veto to Presidents on spending bills.
Right now, the purse is in the hands of Congress. All the President can do is say yes or no to their spending bills -- if he says no, it will be spun to say he's against this program or that program or some other program he may actually support. The President often gets the blame for the country spending so much, when in reality he has very little control at all.
Congress has for decades taken advantage of the spot Presidents are put in by cramming these omnibus spending bills with pet projects and other measures unrelated to the spending to get them through when they otherwise could not.
Giving the President a line item veto to do something that Congress should be doing already is not a step to be taken lightly. In one sense, I would be against it, for Congress (and the media and the People) could then rightly blame the President for any spending since he would have had the opportunity to say no. On the other hand, the Presidential veto carries a heavy burden to override -- and I don't know that the left will want to give up that power to a republican president.
In the abstract theory, the current system should work. It is apparent it does not, as Bush 43 has not vetoed anything in his near 5 years in office. Granted, his party has been in control of both houses during most all that time, so instances should have been far and few. I for one would have liked to see McCain-Feingold vetoed, but we all know where that went.... straight to SCOTUS.
Congress themselves are each out to bring their own jurisdiction back more and more money. Big names such as Rostenkowski, Byrd, Murtha and Shuster come to mind as MCs that brought large chunks home, and now many things are named after them in their respective states.
The failure last week of the Coburn amendment, which would have axed the $220M bridge to nowhere in Alaska (a 5 mile bridge to an island with a population of 50 to replace a ferry) in favor of rebuilding a major bridge down in Louisiana post Katrina, by a whopping 84-15 tells us there is a long way to go to get to fiscal sanity. If we can't get more than 15 votes in the senate, getting 67 for a constitutional amendment is going to be damn near impossible.
(See redstate chronicle of the Coburn amendment from last week: http://www.redstate.org/story/2005/10/20/154945/43)
Right now, the purse is in the hands of Congress. All the President can do is say yes or no to their spending bills -- if he says no, it will be spun to say he's against this program or that program or some other program he may actually support. The President often gets the blame for the country spending so much, when in reality he has very little control at all.
Congress has for decades taken advantage of the spot Presidents are put in by cramming these omnibus spending bills with pet projects and other measures unrelated to the spending to get them through when they otherwise could not.
Giving the President a line item veto to do something that Congress should be doing already is not a step to be taken lightly. In one sense, I would be against it, for Congress (and the media and the People) could then rightly blame the President for any spending since he would have had the opportunity to say no. On the other hand, the Presidential veto carries a heavy burden to override -- and I don't know that the left will want to give up that power to a republican president.
In the abstract theory, the current system should work. It is apparent it does not, as Bush 43 has not vetoed anything in his near 5 years in office. Granted, his party has been in control of both houses during most all that time, so instances should have been far and few. I for one would have liked to see McCain-Feingold vetoed, but we all know where that went.... straight to SCOTUS.
Congress themselves are each out to bring their own jurisdiction back more and more money. Big names such as Rostenkowski, Byrd, Murtha and Shuster come to mind as MCs that brought large chunks home, and now many things are named after them in their respective states.
The failure last week of the Coburn amendment, which would have axed the $220M bridge to nowhere in Alaska (a 5 mile bridge to an island with a population of 50 to replace a ferry) in favor of rebuilding a major bridge down in Louisiana post Katrina, by a whopping 84-15 tells us there is a long way to go to get to fiscal sanity. If we can't get more than 15 votes in the senate, getting 67 for a constitutional amendment is going to be damn near impossible.
(See redstate chronicle of the Coburn amendment from last week: http://www.redstate.org/story/2005/10/20/154945/43)
Sunday, October 23, 2005
Steelers handle Bengals on the road 27-13
The Steelers took a step toward regaining the top spot in the AFC North by defeating the previously 5-1 Bengals in Cincinnati to close within a half-game of first place in the north, even in the loss column.
The Steelers survived two red-zone trips by Cincinnati in the 1st quarter only giving up 3 points, and quickly responded in the 2nd quarter with a Touchdown drive led by QB Ben Roethlisberger. Tight End Heath Miller was the prime target on this drive, and it was Miller who was the recipient of a 3 yard TD pass from Roethlisberger.
The officiating seemed heavily biased against Pittsburgh in this game, but they did make the right call on a Pittsburgh challenge of an apparent Cincinnati touchdown on the Bengals' first posession. The receiver had been out of bounds with his forearm before getting his second foot down, but the official on the field had ruled touchdown. The Bengals dropped a potential TD on the next play, and then missed a 30 yard field goal wide left.
The Bengals scored to make it 7-6 shortly before halftime, aided by some more questionable personal foul calls on the Steelers defense. The most glaring was one where the defender simply tackled the receiver, yet was called for unnecessary roughness.
The third quarter, however, belonged to the Steelers. They scored a 27-yard field goal after a stalled drive following an interception return to the Bengals 15. They quickly got the ball back from the Bengals on a Kimo Von Oelhoffen tipped pass that defensive lineman Aaron Smith caught. The Steelers made quick work, capped off by a 37 yard touchdown run by Willie Parker to make it 17-6. Jerome Bettis found some heavy work during the following Steelers drive to extend the lead to 24-6 on a Hines Ward touchdown as the quarter expired. (Hines had been shaken up on a pass in the end-zone earier in the drive, on a play that it appeared he had possession and both feet, before dropping the ball when he hit the ground)
Jeff Reed added a 39 yard field goal in the fourth quarter as the Steelers did nothing but run. Willie Parker secured his 100 yard game on this drive, emphatically going from 98 yards to 129 on two plays. Verron Haynes would come in on the next possession, and after some good runs, fumbled just outside the Cincinnati 20 yard line. The Bengals would take the ball all the way down, but got the benefit of a long "completion" where the receiver got one foot before falling out of bounds, but was awared the catch. This being just before the two minute warning, Steelers coach Bill Cowher, who had won his lone challenge in the 1st quarter, did not challenge (much to the chagrin of the crowd at Brittany's in Woodbridge) and the play stood. The Bengals would score to close to within two touchdowns, but their onside kick attempt was unsuccessful, as Hines Ward recovered.
The hooplah coming into this game was Bengals QB Carson Palmer having nine straight games with a QB rating of 100.0 or greater -- he fell far short today, finishing with a rating of 53.8, or 100.0 points short of Perfect. Roethlisberger was 9 for 14 with 2 TDs and one INT, his first of the season. The Steelers defense promptly got that one right back, with a Chris Hope interception of Carson Palmer in the 3rd quarter, returned to the Bengals 15. Ben's rating was 93.2, and he still leads the NFL in passer rating to this point of the season.
Up next for the Stillers are the Baltimore Ravens, who come to Pittsburgh on a monday night Halloween game.
The Steelers survived two red-zone trips by Cincinnati in the 1st quarter only giving up 3 points, and quickly responded in the 2nd quarter with a Touchdown drive led by QB Ben Roethlisberger. Tight End Heath Miller was the prime target on this drive, and it was Miller who was the recipient of a 3 yard TD pass from Roethlisberger.
The officiating seemed heavily biased against Pittsburgh in this game, but they did make the right call on a Pittsburgh challenge of an apparent Cincinnati touchdown on the Bengals' first posession. The receiver had been out of bounds with his forearm before getting his second foot down, but the official on the field had ruled touchdown. The Bengals dropped a potential TD on the next play, and then missed a 30 yard field goal wide left.
The Bengals scored to make it 7-6 shortly before halftime, aided by some more questionable personal foul calls on the Steelers defense. The most glaring was one where the defender simply tackled the receiver, yet was called for unnecessary roughness.
The third quarter, however, belonged to the Steelers. They scored a 27-yard field goal after a stalled drive following an interception return to the Bengals 15. They quickly got the ball back from the Bengals on a Kimo Von Oelhoffen tipped pass that defensive lineman Aaron Smith caught. The Steelers made quick work, capped off by a 37 yard touchdown run by Willie Parker to make it 17-6. Jerome Bettis found some heavy work during the following Steelers drive to extend the lead to 24-6 on a Hines Ward touchdown as the quarter expired. (Hines had been shaken up on a pass in the end-zone earier in the drive, on a play that it appeared he had possession and both feet, before dropping the ball when he hit the ground)
Jeff Reed added a 39 yard field goal in the fourth quarter as the Steelers did nothing but run. Willie Parker secured his 100 yard game on this drive, emphatically going from 98 yards to 129 on two plays. Verron Haynes would come in on the next possession, and after some good runs, fumbled just outside the Cincinnati 20 yard line. The Bengals would take the ball all the way down, but got the benefit of a long "completion" where the receiver got one foot before falling out of bounds, but was awared the catch. This being just before the two minute warning, Steelers coach Bill Cowher, who had won his lone challenge in the 1st quarter, did not challenge (much to the chagrin of the crowd at Brittany's in Woodbridge) and the play stood. The Bengals would score to close to within two touchdowns, but their onside kick attempt was unsuccessful, as Hines Ward recovered.
The hooplah coming into this game was Bengals QB Carson Palmer having nine straight games with a QB rating of 100.0 or greater -- he fell far short today, finishing with a rating of 53.8, or 100.0 points short of Perfect. Roethlisberger was 9 for 14 with 2 TDs and one INT, his first of the season. The Steelers defense promptly got that one right back, with a Chris Hope interception of Carson Palmer in the 3rd quarter, returned to the Bengals 15. Ben's rating was 93.2, and he still leads the NFL in passer rating to this point of the season.
Up next for the Stillers are the Baltimore Ravens, who come to Pittsburgh on a monday night Halloween game.
Saturday, October 22, 2005
Bowyer wins at Memphis Motorsports Park
Running thread for the Busch race at Memphis, the fourth race from the end of the season. At this point, Truex has a 120 point lead over Clint Bowyer, and only the top four drivers are still mathematically alive for the title.
Bowyer started deep in the field, overcoming a spin during qualifying, and raced to the lead midway through the race. Bowyer ended up winning, leading the most laps, while Truex finished 3rd. Although Truex also led, the finish order was enough to cut Truex's lead from 120 to 100 with 3 races to go. Next up is Texas after a week off, then Phoenix and Homestead. At this point last season, Truex was up some 300 points on current Nextel cup rookie Kyle Busch.
Long story short, with 3 races to go, the max number points per race is 190 for a win leading the most laps. Over 3 races, that is 570 max points. The minimum points for last place (43rd position) is 34 points, or 102 points. Bowyer being down 100 is guaranteed at least 102 points if he starts all three races, but so is Truex. So the max that matters over three races is 468, and Bowyer is already 100 behind, so Truex can clinch by gaining 368 points over Bowyer. Averaged over three races, this is 123 points per race net, or such that scoring 157 points per race, or a 4th place finish without leading or 5th with leading a lap, and Truex wins no matter what Bowyer does.
The third and fourth place drivers, Carl Edwards and Reed Sorensen, are 371 and 429 points behind respectively. This means that Truex need only gain 97 and 39 points respectively to eliminate those two drivers from contention, something that can happen in the next race.
Bowyer started deep in the field, overcoming a spin during qualifying, and raced to the lead midway through the race. Bowyer ended up winning, leading the most laps, while Truex finished 3rd. Although Truex also led, the finish order was enough to cut Truex's lead from 120 to 100 with 3 races to go. Next up is Texas after a week off, then Phoenix and Homestead. At this point last season, Truex was up some 300 points on current Nextel cup rookie Kyle Busch.
Long story short, with 3 races to go, the max number points per race is 190 for a win leading the most laps. Over 3 races, that is 570 max points. The minimum points for last place (43rd position) is 34 points, or 102 points. Bowyer being down 100 is guaranteed at least 102 points if he starts all three races, but so is Truex. So the max that matters over three races is 468, and Bowyer is already 100 behind, so Truex can clinch by gaining 368 points over Bowyer. Averaged over three races, this is 123 points per race net, or such that scoring 157 points per race, or a 4th place finish without leading or 5th with leading a lap, and Truex wins no matter what Bowyer does.
The third and fourth place drivers, Carl Edwards and Reed Sorensen, are 371 and 429 points behind respectively. This means that Truex need only gain 97 and 39 points respectively to eliminate those two drivers from contention, something that can happen in the next race.
Wednesday, October 19, 2005
The travesty that was Charlotte
NASCAR had 14 cautions during the 300 mile Busch series race Friday night, almost all on tire problems, with many hard crashes. Two of the top winning drivers this year, points leader Tony Stewart and Greg Biffle, both crashed twice in testing here a few weeks back.
You would think that would be a red flag, after the spring race at Charlotte featured a NASCAR record 22 caution periods.
Despite all the prior problems this year and this past weekend, NASCAR ran the race anyway, and paid for it with 15 cautions, almost all courtesy to tire problems, including Tony Stewart yet again, Rusty Wallace, Ryan Newman, Matt Kenseth among the chasers, and Dale Earnhardt Jr, Kevin Harvick, and Elliott Sadler among those outside the top 10. Stewart at 6 laps down after his crash into the outside wall managed to finish 25th, a testament to how many other cars had problems.
There was not a single set of green-flag stops -- as no green flag run lasted longer than 23 laps. 23 laps! They could have dispensed with the rest of the race and simply held a 20-lap shootout for all the 500 mile race was worth.
NASCAR would have done well to postpone the event, but instead risked the safety and lives of the drivers by continuing with the race.
You would think that would be a red flag, after the spring race at Charlotte featured a NASCAR record 22 caution periods.
Despite all the prior problems this year and this past weekend, NASCAR ran the race anyway, and paid for it with 15 cautions, almost all courtesy to tire problems, including Tony Stewart yet again, Rusty Wallace, Ryan Newman, Matt Kenseth among the chasers, and Dale Earnhardt Jr, Kevin Harvick, and Elliott Sadler among those outside the top 10. Stewart at 6 laps down after his crash into the outside wall managed to finish 25th, a testament to how many other cars had problems.
There was not a single set of green-flag stops -- as no green flag run lasted longer than 23 laps. 23 laps! They could have dispensed with the rest of the race and simply held a 20-lap shootout for all the 500 mile race was worth.
NASCAR would have done well to postpone the event, but instead risked the safety and lives of the drivers by continuing with the race.
Monday, October 17, 2005
Rel's take on Miers
I still don't know enough.
And while I have great deference to President Bush, and faith that he will fulfill his promise to appoint originalists in the mold of Scalia and Thomas, I am not sold on Miers. But likewise, I can't say I oppose her as much as I harbor some disappointment in those who could have been...
Miers' responses to the questionnaire from the Judiciary Committee were released yesterday. NRO has them posted in PDF format. There is nothing in the answers that screams "VOTE HER DOWN NOW". The answers don't completely alleviate the concerns I might have, or my prior disappointment for those not picked for this slot.
This quip over on Redstate today might say it best:
Perhaps Bush knows something we don't, in that there is another vacancy on the near horizon, say next June at the end of OT 2005. He knows that if Miers votes against the right that he will pay a huge price for it. One has to think this is in the calculation. And one has to think that if Miers knew she could not side with the right, she, based on her friendship with Bush, should not have accepted. The early speculation for the next vacancy would be 85 year old John Paul Stevens, which, if replaced with a Bork, Luttig, Alito, McConnell, Jones, etc., would really be a meaningful shift.
Miers, at best, seems just slightly to the right of O'Connor, but not quite all the way over. Granted, similar was thought on Clarence Thomas prior to his nomination. And Souter was thought to be rock solid. It's this crap-shoot nature in court picks that has the right in a frenzy over the stealth trend.
And while I have great deference to President Bush, and faith that he will fulfill his promise to appoint originalists in the mold of Scalia and Thomas, I am not sold on Miers. But likewise, I can't say I oppose her as much as I harbor some disappointment in those who could have been...
Miers' responses to the questionnaire from the Judiciary Committee were released yesterday. NRO has them posted in PDF format. There is nothing in the answers that screams "VOTE HER DOWN NOW". The answers don't completely alleviate the concerns I might have, or my prior disappointment for those not picked for this slot.
This quip over on Redstate today might say it best:
QUOTE(Erick@Redstate)
The President believes that Miers will satisfy the conservative base. “He hasn’t sold out and all the rhetoric that he is not a conservative is bull[ ],” I’m told. Miers, says he, if she can get on the Court, would side with the right on the parental consent issue. That’s the only major abortion case on the horizon right now except possibly partial birth abortion and, again, she’d more likely than not side with the right.
More importantly, Miers will be a better business conservative than O’Connor, I’m told. She has a business background and enough practical experience to not only persuade academics on the Court, but also to write reasonable, easy to understand opinions.
I’m told that the White House has the votes. “There’ll be some in the party who oppose her, but they’ll never vote against her on the floor,” says he. “It’s a long time till 2008, for them to oppose Bush now.” He says that the senators most likely to oppose her (and he thinks Brownback, Kyl, and Coburn are three of them) will make a lot of noise, but will in the end let her through.
http://www.redstate.org/story/2005/10/19/83615/279More importantly, Miers will be a better business conservative than O’Connor, I’m told. She has a business background and enough practical experience to not only persuade academics on the Court, but also to write reasonable, easy to understand opinions.
I’m told that the White House has the votes. “There’ll be some in the party who oppose her, but they’ll never vote against her on the floor,” says he. “It’s a long time till 2008, for them to oppose Bush now.” He says that the senators most likely to oppose her (and he thinks Brownback, Kyl, and Coburn are three of them) will make a lot of noise, but will in the end let her through.
Perhaps Bush knows something we don't, in that there is another vacancy on the near horizon, say next June at the end of OT 2005. He knows that if Miers votes against the right that he will pay a huge price for it. One has to think this is in the calculation. And one has to think that if Miers knew she could not side with the right, she, based on her friendship with Bush, should not have accepted. The early speculation for the next vacancy would be 85 year old John Paul Stevens, which, if replaced with a Bork, Luttig, Alito, McConnell, Jones, etc., would really be a meaningful shift.
Miers, at best, seems just slightly to the right of O'Connor, but not quite all the way over. Granted, similar was thought on Clarence Thomas prior to his nomination. And Souter was thought to be rock solid. It's this crap-shoot nature in court picks that has the right in a frenzy over the stealth trend.
Pens lose 3-1 to Lightning
In the first of several correspondent reports from live game attending is this one from last Saturday, October 15, 2005, at Pittsburgh's Mellon Arena.
It was good to see hockey back, and this game marked a standing room only sell-out of 17,132 fans. The game started off well enough for the Pens, holding Tampa to only 6 shots in the first period, but managed to trail 1-0 after 1.
The 2nd period might have well been dubbed "lets keep the pens in the box" period, as the Pens spent much of the period shorthanded. It was during one of those penalties that a Tampa player committed what should have been called a high sticking penalty, where his stick struck Pens player Mark Recchi in the face. 10 seconds later, Tampa scores on the Powerplay to go up 2-0. Tampa added a third goal in the last minute of the 2nd period to end the period up 3-0.
The Pens owned the third period, but could not manage more than a single goal in the first few minutes from Ziggy Palffy, assisted by Sidney Crosby. The goal extended the point-streaks of both players, now to 6 games for Crosby to start his career, ringing in at 2g, 7a on the season. The Recchi-Palffy-Crosby line has worked out really well so far, and was the best line for the Pens in the game. The Malone-LeClair-Lemieux line got to that point in the third period, but it was too little too late.
OVERALL OBSERVATIONS:
The crackdown against the trap was not successful in this game, as Tampa trapped all game long. The penalty calls were one-sided, and the missed calls or bad calls energized the fans in a way the Igloo had not seen in ages. The Pens will get better and win games, as evidenced by their comeback against the Flyers the night before, when they were down 5-1 in the 2nd before tying the game at 5 with 8 mins to go in regulation. Through six games, they have lost twice, but this loss was much better than their opening 5-1 loss at New Jersey.
And the place is infant friendly, and ours had fun, was awake the whole time, and has added "hockey" and "lee mooo" to her vocabulary...
It was good to see hockey back, and this game marked a standing room only sell-out of 17,132 fans. The game started off well enough for the Pens, holding Tampa to only 6 shots in the first period, but managed to trail 1-0 after 1.
The 2nd period might have well been dubbed "lets keep the pens in the box" period, as the Pens spent much of the period shorthanded. It was during one of those penalties that a Tampa player committed what should have been called a high sticking penalty, where his stick struck Pens player Mark Recchi in the face. 10 seconds later, Tampa scores on the Powerplay to go up 2-0. Tampa added a third goal in the last minute of the 2nd period to end the period up 3-0.
The Pens owned the third period, but could not manage more than a single goal in the first few minutes from Ziggy Palffy, assisted by Sidney Crosby. The goal extended the point-streaks of both players, now to 6 games for Crosby to start his career, ringing in at 2g, 7a on the season. The Recchi-Palffy-Crosby line has worked out really well so far, and was the best line for the Pens in the game. The Malone-LeClair-Lemieux line got to that point in the third period, but it was too little too late.
OVERALL OBSERVATIONS:
The crackdown against the trap was not successful in this game, as Tampa trapped all game long. The penalty calls were one-sided, and the missed calls or bad calls energized the fans in a way the Igloo had not seen in ages. The Pens will get better and win games, as evidenced by their comeback against the Flyers the night before, when they were down 5-1 in the 2nd before tying the game at 5 with 8 mins to go in regulation. Through six games, they have lost twice, but this loss was much better than their opening 5-1 loss at New Jersey.
And the place is infant friendly, and ours had fun, was awake the whole time, and has added "hockey" and "lee mooo" to her vocabulary...
Monday, October 03, 2005
Unsatisfying or secret weapon?
Unsatisfying? or "secret weapon"?
That's the spin amongst the conservative blogosphere this AM about the Miers nomination to replace retiring associate Justice Sandra Day O'Connor.
And the lack of immediate response from PFAW and the other left-wing groups is disturbing. But Jonathan Turley is against, so perhaps the pick wasnt so bad after all.
I still think I would have preferred Samuel Alito of the third Circuit, Michael Luttig of the fourth Circuit, Michael McConnell of the tenth Circuit or Janice Rogers Brown of the D.C. Circuit.
Do I take some solace in Hugh Hewitt's thoughts? Perhaps.
Though one must say, there are few voices that positive amongst the conservative punditry.
Hewitt closes:
His bottom line: it comes down to FAITH. Faith that Bush has done what he said he would do. Hewitt had a very good point to lead his post -- GWB has known Miers for ten years. GHWB did not know Souter but took him on recommendations from others.
Beldar is out there cautionsly optimistic as well:
Beldar also hits on the consequences to Bush if he picks unwisely:
Beldar makes a strong close on the "trust Bush" argument:
Meanwhile, another positive voice out there tonight is Patrick Ruffini, who ran the Bush/Cheney 04 website/blog:
His post goes on, also drawing from others in the blogosphere that view the nomination positively. Conversely, Michelle Malkin leads a similar post on her blog on the other (pessimistic) side of things, titled "Utterly Underwhelmed", where she pulls together some of the most notable negative thoughts out there.
And not to be undone, Redstate as a group has done a formal non-endorsement.
My take:
After the day's review, of bloggers both pro and con, I have to lean a bit to the side of the "trust Bush" crowd, even if Miers would not have been my first choice. Reagan's old phrase was "Trust but Verify" in dealing with the USSR. Those against are right to bring that up, but Bush has had a clear track record in his previous judicial appointments, from Roberts to the appellate circuit judgeships to the federal district level. If there has been one area of consistency, that is it.
A gut in me says there will be at least one more vacancy left during this term, likely a liberal being replaced by a onservative, as opposed to conservative for conservative.
My advice for those on the right -- walking away will only serve to repeat 1992. Bush has the Dems on the ropes... now is not the time to leave the fight.
That's the spin amongst the conservative blogosphere this AM about the Miers nomination to replace retiring associate Justice Sandra Day O'Connor.
And the lack of immediate response from PFAW and the other left-wing groups is disturbing. But Jonathan Turley is against, so perhaps the pick wasnt so bad after all.
I still think I would have preferred Samuel Alito of the third Circuit, Michael Luttig of the fourth Circuit, Michael McConnell of the tenth Circuit or Janice Rogers Brown of the D.C. Circuit.
Do I take some solace in Hugh Hewitt's thoughts? Perhaps.
QUOTE(Hugh Hewitt)
Harriet Miers isn't a Justice Souter pick, so don't be silly. It is a solid, B+ pick. The first President Bush didn't know David Souter, but trusted Chief of Staff [John] Sununu and Senator [Warren] Rudman. The first President Bush got burned badly because he trusted the enthusiams of others.
The second President Bush knows Harriet Miers, and knows her well. The White House Counsel is an unknown to most SCOTUS observors, but not to the president, who has seen her at work for great lengths of years and in very different situations, including as an advisor in wartime. Leonard Leo is very happy with the choice, which ought to be enough for most conservatives.
As I wrote last night, Judges Luttig and McConnell are the most qualified nominees out there, but I think from the start that the president must have decided that this seat would be given to a woman, and it is very hard to argue that she is not the most qualified woman to be on the SCOTUS for the simple reason that she has been in the White House for many years.
http://hughhewitt.com/archives/2005/10/02-...dex.php#a000302The second President Bush knows Harriet Miers, and knows her well. The White House Counsel is an unknown to most SCOTUS observors, but not to the president, who has seen her at work for great lengths of years and in very different situations, including as an advisor in wartime. Leonard Leo is very happy with the choice, which ought to be enough for most conservatives.
As I wrote last night, Judges Luttig and McConnell are the most qualified nominees out there, but I think from the start that the president must have decided that this seat would be given to a woman, and it is very hard to argue that she is not the most qualified woman to be on the SCOTUS for the simple reason that she has been in the White House for many years.
Though one must say, there are few voices that positive amongst the conservative punditry.
Hewitt closes:
QUOTE(Hewitt)
If there is another opening, we will get the Attorney General, and for the first time in I don't know how long, there will be a block of Article II enthusiasts within the preserve of Article III. If we get two more, a Justice Luttig or McConnell will rise.
The president is a poker player in a long game. He's decided to take a sure win with a good sized pot. I trust him. So should his supporters.
The president is a poker player in a long game. He's decided to take a sure win with a good sized pot. I trust him. So should his supporters.
His bottom line: it comes down to FAITH. Faith that Bush has done what he said he would do. Hewitt had a very good point to lead his post -- GWB has known Miers for ten years. GHWB did not know Souter but took him on recommendations from others.
Beldar is out there cautionsly optimistic as well:
QUOTE(Beldar)
Harriet Miers may be virtually unknown to you. But she isn't to Dubya — and that's the main point of her nomination.
With even a half-hour's worth of hindsight, I declare myself unsurprised that the President chose Ms. Miers. It's absolutely consistent with his appointment style for other positions going back to his days as governor of Texas: George W. Bush has consistently preferred those who are well known to him, of proven qualities and proven loyalty, over perhaps bolder or more popular choices with flashier résumés.
http://beldar.blogs.com/beldarblog/2005/10...iers_nomin.htmlWith even a half-hour's worth of hindsight, I declare myself unsurprised that the President chose Ms. Miers. It's absolutely consistent with his appointment style for other positions going back to his days as governor of Texas: George W. Bush has consistently preferred those who are well known to him, of proven qualities and proven loyalty, over perhaps bolder or more popular choices with flashier résumés.
Beldar also hits on the consequences to Bush if he picks unwisely:
QUOTE(Beldar)
But that is emphatically not the case from the perspective of George W. Bush. And the Constitution does, after all, give him the nomination power — not "the White House," not "the Republican Party," nor "conservatives generally," nor even "us'n who put him back into office." And he knows, and he's always known, that the blame for an appointee who turned out to become "another Souter" would likewise be placed on him. It's a responsibility and an opportunity whose benefits and risks he sought, but that he obviously takes very seriously indeed, because from Dubya's perspective, Harriet Miers was the one prospective female nominee about whom he personally felt that he could be most certain in predicting what sort of Justice she will become.
Beldar makes a strong close on the "trust Bush" argument:
QUOTE(Beldar)
We're likely to see another stretch of bitching and moaning from the Democrats on the Judiciary Committee over how essential it is for the Administration to waive attorney-client, work product, and executive privileges and fork over every document that says at its top "To: George W. Bush, From: Harriet E. Miers." Expect the White House to hang very tough on this.
Conservative skeptics, I remind you that even though you haven't seen this stuff, Dubya has, so let your comfort level be in inverse proportion to the sounds of frustration and gnashing of teeth from the liberals. Sen. Brownback, your demand for guarantees as to how this nominee will vote on your key issues is like a fan in the stands insisting that the quarterback's play calling in the huddle be broadcast all over the stadium; whether you approve of the call or not, your team's odds go into the toilet when there's a microphone in the huddle.
Conservative skeptics, I remind you that even though you haven't seen this stuff, Dubya has, so let your comfort level be in inverse proportion to the sounds of frustration and gnashing of teeth from the liberals. Sen. Brownback, your demand for guarantees as to how this nominee will vote on your key issues is like a fan in the stands insisting that the quarterback's play calling in the huddle be broadcast all over the stadium; whether you approve of the call or not, your team's odds go into the toilet when there's a microphone in the huddle.
Meanwhile, another positive voice out there tonight is Patrick Ruffini, who ran the Bush/Cheney 04 website/blog:
QUOTE(Patrick Ruffini)
At the risk of drawing the undying enmity of The Herd, I'm going to state categorically that conservatism is sitting pretty at this hour. That's because Harry Reid has just been hosed – and he doesn't even know it.
The navel gazers are nabobing about another Souter. That's silly. The Court will almost certainly move to the right as a result of the nomination and confirmation of Harriet Miers. And here's why.
It's true. Little is known about the views of Harriet Miers. But what is known, through official and unofficial channels, paints a picture of a conservative Texas lawyer with rock-solid beliefs on life, strong religious convictions, and a modesty that should allay fears of a renegade Justice determined to remake society through the courts. John Roberts was the silver-tongued, inside-the-Beltway pick for the Court; Miers is the plain spoken red stater.
http://www.patrickruffini.com/archives/200...iet_miers_c.phpThe navel gazers are nabobing about another Souter. That's silly. The Court will almost certainly move to the right as a result of the nomination and confirmation of Harriet Miers. And here's why.
It's true. Little is known about the views of Harriet Miers. But what is known, through official and unofficial channels, paints a picture of a conservative Texas lawyer with rock-solid beliefs on life, strong religious convictions, and a modesty that should allay fears of a renegade Justice determined to remake society through the courts. John Roberts was the silver-tongued, inside-the-Beltway pick for the Court; Miers is the plain spoken red stater.
His post goes on, also drawing from others in the blogosphere that view the nomination positively. Conversely, Michelle Malkin leads a similar post on her blog on the other (pessimistic) side of things, titled "Utterly Underwhelmed", where she pulls together some of the most notable negative thoughts out there.
And not to be undone, Redstate as a group has done a formal non-endorsement.
QUOTE(Redstate editorial)
There is profound disappointment today on the right. Harriet Miers was rumored as the next pick for the Supreme Court, but many people laughed off the suggestion. Some of those who were laughing are now crying. Still others are abandoning hope. Said one correspondent, "This Presidency is adrift." From what we have seen lately, we tend to agree.
For all we know, and we know very little, Harriet Miers is the second coming of Antonin Scalia. But, we do not know. What we know is encouraging to the extent that she might be right on life issues. She did actively oppose the American Bar Association's position. Assuming that Miers is a conservative jurist, we still cannot, at this time, accept or endorse this nomination
For all we know, and we know very little, Harriet Miers is the second coming of Antonin Scalia. But, we do not know. What we know is encouraging to the extent that she might be right on life issues. She did actively oppose the American Bar Association's position. Assuming that Miers is a conservative jurist, we still cannot, at this time, accept or endorse this nomination
My take:
After the day's review, of bloggers both pro and con, I have to lean a bit to the side of the "trust Bush" crowd, even if Miers would not have been my first choice. Reagan's old phrase was "Trust but Verify" in dealing with the USSR. Those against are right to bring that up, but Bush has had a clear track record in his previous judicial appointments, from Roberts to the appellate circuit judgeships to the federal district level. If there has been one area of consistency, that is it.
A gut in me says there will be at least one more vacancy left during this term, likely a liberal being replaced by a onservative, as opposed to conservative for conservative.
My advice for those on the right -- walking away will only serve to repeat 1992. Bush has the Dems on the ropes... now is not the time to leave the fight.
Saturday, October 01, 2005
PSU 44 - Minnesota 14
Minnesota won the toss, and elected to receive. PSU kicked off, with their starting running back Maroney returning to the Minnesota 15. PSU's defense quickly forced a punt, and PSU's offense went to work, holding the ball over 4 minutes on a touchdown drive that featured 9 runs and only 2 pass attempts.
Penn State had a great first half, taking a 20-0 lead before allowing a 49 yard TD pas with a minute and a half to go in the 2nd quarter. Minnesota's other five drives featured 3 3 and outs, one fumble, and one missed field goal. Penn State drove down to attempt a 51 yard field goal as time expired in the half, but just missed wide right.
At the half, Penn State found itself up a little better than 3:2 in time of possession, a stat they found themselves on the bad side of a 2:1 ratio, or 40 minutes held by Northwestern and only 20 by Penn State. The first half touchdowns were runs by freshman receiver Derrick Williams.
Minnesota opened the second half by kicking off, and for the first time in three years, did not onside kick the opening kickoff, which they had done the last two years to open the game, recovering both. But the third quarter belonged to Penn State, scoring 17 points on the strength of 2 touchdowns by Tony Hunt and a 3rd field goal by Kevin Kelly. Score 37-7. The third quarter saw both Hunt and PSU QB Michael Robinson top the 100 yard mark rushing the ball.
Minnesota scored early in the fourth quarter, after barely (by the nose of the football) converting a fourth down. Penn State came right back down the field, run after run, with Robinson coming out in favor of Morelli with 7 minutes to go. Morelli directed the rest of the drive, ending in a 10 yard TD run by Rodney Kinlaw.
Minnesota drove down again, but was picked off in the endzone by Penn State with 2 minutes remaining, final score 44-14 Penn State over #18 Minnesota, taking the lions 5-0 on the season for the first time since 1999, and extending their overall winning streak to 7 games dating back to last season. The win was Paterno's 348th as Head Coach, making 350 now very makeable this season with 6 games remaining.
All told, PSU held the ball for 35:18, or a heck of a lot better than the 20:12 the week before. This was a complete win for PSU, the first real complete win this year. (yes, they beat Central Michigan 40-3, but they turned the ball over 3 times that game) They now must get ready to host Ohio State next saturday night -- Ohio State was off this week, something Penn State won't see until their 10th game on November 5, where they get a week off before playing Michigan State.
AP recap can be found here on foxsports.com. This win should vault PSU into the rankings, and with the losses by #18 Minnesota, #11 Michigan State, #22 Purdue, #23 Iowa State, #5 Florida, and #14 Arizona State, PSU could jump in to the lower teens, like Wisconsin and Minnesota had last week, after their wins over Michigan and Purdue, respectively. One would expect Michigan to break back in, even at 3-2, after beating #11 Michigan State. Today should surely improve in the computer rankings as well.
Beefcake has pointed out that PSU ranks unseemly high in some of the computer polls, as high as #1 in two different ones and #5 in another after the Minnesota win.
Penn State had a great first half, taking a 20-0 lead before allowing a 49 yard TD pas with a minute and a half to go in the 2nd quarter. Minnesota's other five drives featured 3 3 and outs, one fumble, and one missed field goal. Penn State drove down to attempt a 51 yard field goal as time expired in the half, but just missed wide right.
At the half, Penn State found itself up a little better than 3:2 in time of possession, a stat they found themselves on the bad side of a 2:1 ratio, or 40 minutes held by Northwestern and only 20 by Penn State. The first half touchdowns were runs by freshman receiver Derrick Williams.
Minnesota opened the second half by kicking off, and for the first time in three years, did not onside kick the opening kickoff, which they had done the last two years to open the game, recovering both. But the third quarter belonged to Penn State, scoring 17 points on the strength of 2 touchdowns by Tony Hunt and a 3rd field goal by Kevin Kelly. Score 37-7. The third quarter saw both Hunt and PSU QB Michael Robinson top the 100 yard mark rushing the ball.
Minnesota scored early in the fourth quarter, after barely (by the nose of the football) converting a fourth down. Penn State came right back down the field, run after run, with Robinson coming out in favor of Morelli with 7 minutes to go. Morelli directed the rest of the drive, ending in a 10 yard TD run by Rodney Kinlaw.
Minnesota drove down again, but was picked off in the endzone by Penn State with 2 minutes remaining, final score 44-14 Penn State over #18 Minnesota, taking the lions 5-0 on the season for the first time since 1999, and extending their overall winning streak to 7 games dating back to last season. The win was Paterno's 348th as Head Coach, making 350 now very makeable this season with 6 games remaining.
All told, PSU held the ball for 35:18, or a heck of a lot better than the 20:12 the week before. This was a complete win for PSU, the first real complete win this year. (yes, they beat Central Michigan 40-3, but they turned the ball over 3 times that game) They now must get ready to host Ohio State next saturday night -- Ohio State was off this week, something Penn State won't see until their 10th game on November 5, where they get a week off before playing Michigan State.
AP recap can be found here on foxsports.com. This win should vault PSU into the rankings, and with the losses by #18 Minnesota, #11 Michigan State, #22 Purdue, #23 Iowa State, #5 Florida, and #14 Arizona State, PSU could jump in to the lower teens, like Wisconsin and Minnesota had last week, after their wins over Michigan and Purdue, respectively. One would expect Michigan to break back in, even at 3-2, after beating #11 Michigan State. Today should surely improve in the computer rankings as well.
Beefcake has pointed out that PSU ranks unseemly high in some of the computer polls, as high as #1 in two different ones and #5 in another after the Minnesota win.
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