Michigan State Post Game Celebration 2015 Cotton Bowl By Geoff Preston| Published 13 hours ago
Senior running back Jeremy Langford makes a touch down Jan. 1, 2015, during The Cotton Bowl Classic football game against Baylor at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. The Spartans defeated the Bears and claimed the Cotton Bowl Victory, 42-41. Erin Hampton/The State News
It"s a moment that always brings fans to their feet and make the position players happy: when an offensive lineman scores a touchdown.
It happened in the Cotton Bowl, as LaQuan McGowan caught a touchdown in the third quarter to give Baylor a 41-21 lead in the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic. The lineman weighs 390 pounds and his touchdown set off dancing in the stands and on the sidelines.
Except MSU"s.
"Who"s laughing now?" senior center Jack Allen said. "That guy can score as many touchdowns as he wants, he doesn"t have one of these."
He then pointed to a new "Cotton Bowl Champions" hat that he was wearing.
MSU came back to win the Cotton Bowl 42-41, and it was revealed after the game that there was tension between the two sides before kickoff. Both head coaches spoke of respect all week, and then Baylor defensive end Shawn Oakman talked about getting after junior quarterback Connor Cook and his lack of interest inBig Ten football.
"We don"t watch any Big Ten football," he said. "Why would we? It"s not interesting."
Cook responded before the game started.
"We"ll see what Big Ten football is about come Thursday," he said.
Defensive coordinator Pat Narduzzi said before the game there were some things that his team took exception to.
"I won"t talk too much about them," he said. "Let"s just say, we were upset going into the locker room before the game with some of the attitudes. Our kids have class and we won the game with class. We"ll leave it at that."
Not everyone got involved in the trash talk, Dantonio and Baylor head coach Art Briles both had very kind words about each other as men and the programs they run, even after the game.
"They played just like we thought they"d play," Briles said. "We thought they were a really good football team that played with a lot of poise."
Dantonio also said before the game he thought Baylor should have been a team that was selected for the College Football Playoff, he was just a complimentary of the Bears following the game.
"We just beat an outstanding team," he said. "And we came back to do it with girt really, just grit and guts and belief in each other."
Senior safety Kurtis Drummond said while the team noticed the celebration and reaction after McGowan"s score, they didn"t need to use it as motivation.
"We noticed it," he said. "But we"re self motivated. If you saw us gabbing at anyone we were really just trying to motivate each other."
Drummond said the pre-game chatter what just that, chatter.
"It"s part of football," he said. "You"re going to talk, and you"re going to try to get in people"s heads, credit to our guys and the kind of team we have that we were able to stay resilient and keep fighting."
According to a report from ESPN, former National Championship winning Auburn football coach Gene Chizik will be the defensive coordinator at North Carolina.
Chizik was the head coach of the Tigers from 2009-2012, and led the 2010 squad to a 13-0 record and captured the BCS National Championship.
That season, Chizik was named SEC Coach of the Year by the Associated Press, and won the Home Depot Coach of the Year Award, Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year Award, Paul Bear Bryant Award and Bobby Bowden National Collegiate Coach of the Year Award.
However, things turned sour for Chizik and the Tigers, and he was fired following a 3-9 2012 season. Overall, Chizik was33-19 as the head coach at Auburn.
Chizik was hired to replace Tommy Tuberville at Auburn after compiling a 5-19 record in two seasons as the head coach at Iowa State. Prior to that, he was the defensive coordinator at Texas from 2005-07, at Auburn from 2002-04 and at UCF from 1998-2001. He also coached at Stephen F. Austin, Middle Tennessee State, and was a graduate assistant at Clemson.
From CBSSports.coms Tom Fornelli:
North Carolina fired its defensive coordinator, Vic Koenning, after the Tar Heels defense finished dead last in just about every major defensive category in the ACC, allowing a whopping 39 points per game this season.
So, to recap, Gene Chizik has gone from winning a national title at Auburn to North Carolinas defensive coordinator in only four seasons. Hes like the anti-Lane Kiffin at this point.
A national championship-winning head coach usually doesnt have to worry about becoming an assistant later in his career, however it isnt unprecedented. Dennis Erickson won multiple national titles with the Miami Hurricanes, but currently serves on the coaching staff at the University of Utah.
Chiziks return to coaching comes following a stint as an analyst on ESPNs SEC Network.
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ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) Marcus Murphy ran for 159 yards, Russell Hansbrough added 114 yards and a touchdown and No. 16 Missouri beat Minnesota 33-17 on Thursday in the Citrus Bowl.
Missouri (11-3) won its third straight bowl game to reach 11 victories for the fourth time in school history.
Minnesota (8-5) trailed 19-17 entering the fourth quarter, but Missouri pulled away on Hansbroughs 78-yard touchdown run and Maty Mauks 7-yard scoring pass to Bud Sasser.
Mauk settled down to throw two TD passes after interceptions on the Tigers first two possessions.
The Tigers forced three turnovers.
GALLERY: Gophers Battle Mizzou In Citrus Bowl
Minnesota quarterback Mitch Leidner was 21 of 31 for 258 yards and a touchdown.
The Tigers used an onside kick to open the third quarter to stretch out their halftime lead to 13-7.
The Golden Gophers responded on the ensuing series with a 54-yard touchdown pass from Leidner to tight end Maxx Williams. Williams leaped over cornerback Aarion Penton and stepped over another defender before diving into the end zone.
But Missouri quickly answered, needing just three plays after a muffed Minnesota punt for Mauk to give the Tigers a 19-14 lead on an 18-yard touchdown run.
It tightened to 19-17 by the start of in the fourth quarter before Hansbrough got free and rumbled for his score that put the Tigers up by nine with 9:28 to play.
Missouri survived a disastrous offensive start to lead 10-7 at halftime in a game that started with the teams combining for three turnovers in the first 4 minutes.
Missouris Mauk opened the game by being picked off by Derrick Wells on the Tigers third play from scrimmage. Minnesota would give it right back, though, when Leidner fumbled after being sandwiched in the backfield by defensive ends Markus Golden and Shane Ray.
The Tigers then went just four more plays before Mauks pass was intercepted for the second time, this time in the end zone by Briean Boddy-Calhoun.
The Gophers finally ended the drought on the ensuing series, capping an 11-play, 80-yard drive with a 20-yard touchdown run by Rodrick Williams.
It was part of a bruising first quarter that saw Minnesota gain 76 yards on the ground.
That was flipped in the second quarter, as the Tigers used its own rushing attack to set up the passing game.
First, following a punt, they used their best starting field position of the half to get on the board with Andrew Baggetts 21-yard field goal.
Mauk then made the best of Missouris final possession of the half, finding Bud Sasser for a 25-yard touchdown strike.
In all, the Tigers outgained the Gophers 156-41 in the second quarter.
( Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)
In one of the most exciting and dramatic Winter Classic games of all time, the Washington Capitals defeated the Chicago Blackhawks on New Year"s Day at Nationals Park by a score of 3-2.
The Caps won in dramatic fashion, as forward Troy Brouwer beat his former team by scoring with just 12.9 seconds remaining in the game in front of 42,832 fans, according to ESPN NHL:
With the win, Washington also reversed a long-running trend of home teams struggling in outdoor games, per ESPN Stats & Info:
Washington sports fans have grown accustomed to watching the Washington Nationals baseball team compete at Nationals Park, but Caps personnel did a fantastic job transforming the ballpark into an NHL facility, as seen in this photo courtesy of Nats reliever Drew Storen:
The photo also illustrates just how sunny it was, which was a major concern entering Thursday"s game. According to ESPN.comnews services, there was some thought given to delaying the game in order to get the sun under control.
However, NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly wanted to avoid that if possible.
"Nobody wants to delay the game," Daly told ESPN.com. "So if there"s any way we can avoid delaying the game, we"re going to avoid delaying the game."
Daly"s preference ultimately won out, and the festivities kicked off at 1 p.m. ET as scheduled with the caveat that the Capitals and Blackhawks would switch ends midway through the first period, per ESPN NHL:
That was done in order to ensure that the teams were on a level playing field and that neither gained any type of advantage due to the sun.
One player who took steps to combat the sunny conditions was Capitals defenseman Karl Alzner, who opted to wear sunglasses, according to SportsCenter:
When the game officially got underway, the temperature was a bit higher than it has traditionally been in past Winter Classic games, as pointed out by SI NHL:
After the usual feeling-out process for the first several minutes of the game, the hometown Caps struck first just over seven minutes into the contest.
A tough bounce of the puck on choppy ice past Hawks defenseman Brent Seabrook allowed Capitals forward Eric Fehr to go in all alone against goaltender Corey Crawford.
Fehr made no mistake as he tucked it past Crawford for his 11th goal of the season. According to NHL.com"s Dan Rosen, Winter Classic glory has become commonplace for the 29-year-old winger:
In fact, that goal made Fehr the all-time leading goal scorer in outdoor-game history, per NHL Public Relations:
Less than two minutes after the mandatory side change, the Capitals struck once again. After stopping a shot from Washington defenseman Mike Green, Crawford was beaten once again as superstar winger Alex Ovechkin lit the lamp for the 18th time this season.
The puck was right in the wheelhouse of the three-time Hart Trophy winner, and there was little chance of The Great Eight misfiring, according to Chris Johnston of Sportsnet:
With the Capitals leading 2-0, the crowd celebrated raucously. It was clear that the Blackhawks needed to turn things around quickly, and that is exactly what they did.
Caps forward Nicklas Backstrom was whistled for holding Blackhawks center Jonathan Toews at the 13:29 mark, and Chicago made Washington pay a mere seven seconds later when Patrick Sharp scored a power-play goal to make it 2-1.
Duncan Keith and Patrick Kane assisted on Sharp"s seventh tally of the season, and Sharp entered the outdoor record books in the process, per Christopher Kamka of SportsNet Chicago:
That was the extent of the scoring in what was an exciting first period, and the Caps entered the locker room with a 2-1 lead.
According to SI NHL, neither team struggled to generate offensive chances during the opening stanza:
The second period began with the Capitals pressing forward, and they very nearly scored twice in the early going. After netting a goal in the first period, Ovechkin proceeded to hit the post two times near the beginning of the second:
Chicago was clearly leading a charmed life after those two near-misses, and its great fortune improved even more just three minutes into the frame, as winger Brandon Saad beat Capitals backstop Braden Holtby to knot the contest at 2-2.
The goal was a picture-perfect one. Toews took a feed from Marian Hossa before dishing a great pass to Saad, who put the puck in a wide-open net. It was the definition of a tic-tac-toe play, although the Hawks did benefit from a Capitals miscue, according to Stephen Whyno ofThe Canadian Press:
Toews" assist also continued a record-breaking trend as he became the all-time leading NHL outdoor scorer, per Mark Lazerus of theChicago Sun-Times:
With momentum on their side, the Blackhawks had a great chance to seize the lead nearly halfway through the second period, as a pair of minor penalties to the Capitals" Tom Wilson and John Carlson gave Chicago a five-on-three power play for 1:29.
The Hawks were unable to capitalize, though, and the two teams entered the third period with the score tied 2-2.
Play was even for much of the final frame, but the Capitals had a chance to regain the lead when Blackhawks forward Andrew Shaw was called for tripping Joel Ward 8:21 into the period.
It was only Washington"s second power play of the game as opposed to five for Chicago, but the Hawks weathered the storm by killing it off and keeping the score tied.
Things seemed to be trending toward overtime in the closing minutes of the third, but the Blackhawks were given a shot to win in regulation when defenseman Matt Niskanen was called for boarding Shaw.
As pointed out by Mike Ashmore ofThe Trentonian, it was an undisciplined play on the part of the Washington blueliner:
With the Caps" penalty about to expire, the officials evened things out a bit by sending Toews to the box on a questionable hooking callwith1:13 left, per Mike Harrington ofThe Buffalo News:
That penalty proved to be a deadly one for the Blackhawks, as the Capitals took advantage with 12.9 seconds remaining in the game. With just seconds remaining on the clock, former Hawks forward Brouwer scored a power-play goal, and it proved to be the game-winner.
While Brouwer was the one who beat Crawford, Ovechkin made the play happen. He carried the puck into the zone before having his stick slashed out of his hands.
Brouwer picked up the loose puck and fired it into the back of the net to send the Caps fans home happy.
Not only was the win a big one for the Capitals in terms of the Winter Classic"s prestige, but it also moved them up to third place in the Eastern Conference"s Metropolitan Division and solidified their current playoff positioning.
Chicago missed out on a chance to extend its lead over the St. Louis Blues in the Central Division, but it remains the No. 2 team in the Western Conference with 52 points.
There is always something extra special about the Winter Classic, and the manner in which this one ended made it that much better. Both teams will try and build on the game and continue to make their push for the postseason.
Meghan Trainors new album has been announced. The main question is do you know the title of new Meghans album? Well, now you know, because its Title. The young singers debut album will include 11 songs, including the lead track called Title. Except for the symbolic name and a little confusion fans can expect quite a lot from Trainors album. First things first, her song All About That Bass, which smashed right to the top of charts, will certainly be there. Then, her new single Lips Are Movin. Also, there will be a duet with R&B singer/songwriter John Legend called Like Im Gonna Lose You.
Meghan Trainors duet partner John Legend is very familiar with singing with Nashville talents. He recently participated in filming the episode of CMT Crossroads with Lee Ann Womack. Also, Legend sang his hit All of Me at the 2014 CMT Music Awards with Jennifer Nettles and Hunter Hayes.
When it comes to awards, Trainor has been nominated for two Grammys in February. Her song All about that Bass has been nominated for song of the year and for record of the year. Star on the rise will play her first full concert in Nashville on March 20, and afterwards her tour will hit the Cannery Ballroom. This will be her first full concert since she became a pop star, and fans can see that Meghan is really enthusiastic about it.
Title is set for release in January, but 20-year-old Meghan Trainor has more plans. According to RTE, young singer is already planning some different releases.
I want it to be crazy. I want it to be awesome. I want it to be different, said Trainor. She added, I wanna be like, yo I wanna get my reggae out there!
Meghan later revealed that she is a huge fan of her current music sound by saying.
My favourite part of the doo-wop style is that its timeless. You can sing Build Me Up Buttercup and everyones, like, This is my jam!"
Meghan Trainor took part in Sundays Tennessean Portfolio cover story, which rounds up the biggest Nashville music stars that made the biggest splash in 2014. Fans cant wait for the new album, and neither can we. It will be big, and all that remains for us is to hear and enjoy the beauty of her voice. Im sure that many would like to hear that reggae album Meghan mentioned, but first, lets hear the new Title.
Edward Herrmann Dead -- Edward Herrmann "Gilmore Girls" Star Dead at 71 -- Edward Herrmann RIP
Actor Edward Herrmann attends the Museum of Television & Radio Presents "Gilmore Girls" 100th Episode Celebration at The Museum of Television & Radio on February 7, 2005 in Beverly Hills. (Credit: Getty Images)
Edward Herrmann, Gilmore Girls Father, Dies at71
Actor Edward Herrmann attends the Museum of Television & Radio Presents "Gilmore Girls" 100th Episode Celebration at The Museum of Television & Radio on February 7, 2005 in Beverly Hills. (Credit: Getty Images)
Edward Herrmann, the versatile, honey-voiced actor whose roles included patricians and politicians such as Gilmore Girls father Richard Gilmore, The Practice law professor Anderson Pearson and President Franklin D. Roosevelt, has died. He was 71.
Herrmann passed away Wednesday at a hospital in New York. The cause of death was a brain tumor, according to his manager, Robbie Kass.
Besides being an accomplished actor, was also a true gentleman and a scholar, as well as being an incredibly kind and decent man. He will be sorely missed, Kass told CNN.
My friend Ed Herrmann was the kindest, classiest, most talented man. It was an honor and a joy to know him, a devastating blow to lose him, tweeted Lauren Graham, who starred as Lorelai Gilmore in Gilmore Girls.
Over a career that stretched over more than four decades, Herrmann was rarely the star but always a standout.
In a 1980 episode of M*A*S*H, he played a visiting surgeon who starts out confident and polished but cant keep up with the pace. In St. Elsewhere, he had a recurring role as Father Joseph McCabe, the sturdy founder of St. Eligius, the shows hospital, who offered guidance to a future doctor. The latter role earned him two Emmy nominations.
And then there was Richard Gilmore, the blue-blooded father of Lorelai Gilmore, whose snappy dialogue often with his daughter or his wife (Kelly Bishop) couldnt hide his big heart, especially when it came to his granddaughter Rory, played by Alexis Bledel.
That relationship was reflected in real life, he told the A.V. Club in 2012.
I was sort of delegated from time to time to look after her, and I was very, very fond of her, he said, noting that Bledel had a number of challenges her first years on the show. One summer, I thought, Shes not going to make it. Shes going to burn out. But then she went to Italy with a friend to learn cooking, and I thought, Shes going to be fine.
Herrmann had his star turns as well. He was nominated twice for Emmys for his portrayal of FDR, first in the TV movie Eleanor and Franklin (1976) and then in the next years Eleanor and Franklin: The White House Years. (He also played Roosevelt in the 1982 movie version of Annie.)
He won a Tony for his performance in a 1976 revival of George Bernard Shaws Mrs. Warrens Profession. His performance in The Practice led to his only Emmy win.
Even people who didnt recognize him probably knew his mellifluous voice from audiobooks and History Channel documentaries.
But, in general, he was content to be a supporting performer, one of the esteemed and distinctive cadre of performers thought of as character actors. He went easily from role to role his Internet Movie Database page includes 130 credits, including small spots in American Dad, 30 Rock and Drop Dead Diva and he reveled in the work.
In the A.V. Club interview, he expresses enthusiasm for almost everything he appeared in. His co-stars are often great or wonderful, and he has kind words for forgotten films such as Harrys War and his appearance in the maligned 2011 comedy Bucky Larson: Born to Be a Star.
Sometimes Im stuck in a straitjacket with suits, playing Alger Hiss and Roosevelt and so on, and I said, These guys are really wonky, and theyre where the kids are these days, so do it! Whats the matter with you? he said. I had a great time.
Recently, Herrmann had been playing Lionel Deerfield in The Good Wife.
Jenny McCarthy Talks about Being a Single Mom and Getting Married Ryan Seacrest and Jenny McCarthy have returned again as hosts of d**k Clark"s New Year"s Rockin" Eve. While Jenny McCarthy has amassed a net worth of $14 million, Ryan Seacrest has built an empire for himself with a wealth of an estimated $300 million and a salary of about $65 million a year. On New Year"s Eve, McCarthy usually picks a handsome stranger to lock lips with, but this year, McCarthy is not allowed, as per the request of her famous new husband Donnie Wahlberg. Ryan Seacrest, however, is up for grabs. Last year, Seacrest rang in the New Year by kissing International super star Miley Cyrus. This year, Taylor Swift is performing and there"s a lot of hype that Swift and Seacrest will share a midnight smooch. While McCarthy is kissing any strangers this year, she will be setting up two random people to kiss when the ball drops and she"s excited to play match-maker. She said she"s not going to let them see each other until midnight.Now that you"ve got all the info, click through our gallery to see all the best photos of the dynamic duo, Jenny McCarthy and Ryan Seacrest, together. (Instagram) Next Image: jenny mccarthy ryan seacrest 3
