The times. (Gainesville, Ga.) 1972-current, November 06, 2018, Image 10
The Times, Gainesville, Georgia | gainesvilletimes.com SPORTS 2B Tuesday, November 6, 2018 NFL NBA Injuries continue to pile up for everyone in league Associated Press Rookie head coach Mike Vrabel has no time to imagine how much bet ter his struggling Tennes see offense might be if only three-time Pro Bowl tight end Delanie Walker hadn’t broken his ankle in the Titans’ season opener. Next man up is a necessity as much as a cliche in the NFL. “You have to adjust,” Vra bel said of losing the tight end with the most receptions in the NFL between 2013 and 2017. “I think the one thing about winners is that they’re flexible and they’re able to adapt, among other things. We have to continue to move forward with the guys that we have.” Marcus Mariota lost his favorite target, and the Titans are scraping along with the league’s 30th best passing offense after win ning a playoff game last January. Halfway through the NFL season, lots of stars, start ers and key role players are sidelined by injuries with nobody topping the emo tional departure of Seattle safety Earl Thomas after breaking his leg the same day Cincinnati tight end Tyler Eifert had his own gruesome leg injury. It’s making a big impact on the standings. OH NO, JIMMY G: Try ing to pick up an extra yard Sept. 23 cost San Francisco its quarterback, Jimmy Garoppolo, for the rest of this season with a torn left ACL when his leg buckled in the fourth quarter of a loss to Kansas City. That left the 49ers only three 2018 games with the man they signed to a $137.5 million, five-year contract after watching Garoppolo win five straight to wrap up last season. Garoppolo’s injury came three weeks after 49ers run ning back Jerick McKinnon tore his own ACL for a team that had all five offensive linemen hurt knees in a game. Now San Francisco’s play off drought is assured of reaching a fifth straight sea son with the painful lesson for Garoppolo that a team needs its quarterback to be available. “That’s something that Jimmy will probably look at differently going forward because now he’ll remem ber this the rest of his life,” 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan said. “Nothing against him. This happens with everyone. You see it every Sunday. It’s a reminder for everyone why it’s an obvious coaching point.” SO MANY ACLS: When Texans receiver Will Fuller tore his ACL, he joined a list that includes Jaguars receiver Marqise Lee , who didn’t even make it to the regular season; Eagles running back Jay Ajayi; and Miami defen sive end William Hayes, who tore his trying to avoid a roughing-the-passer penalty. Unfortunately, Hayes’ foot caught in the ground as he tried to keep his weight off Derek Carr during a sack. MISSING ON DEFENSE: Derek Barnett recovered Tom Brady’s fumble to clinch the Eagles’ Super Bowl victory in February, but season-ending shoulder surgery has sidelined Phila delphia’s young defensive star. Green Bay lost defensive lineman Muhammad Wilk- erson to an ankle injury. WAITING FOR BOSA: Defensive end Joey Bosa has not played a snap this season for the Chargers because of a bone bruise in his left foot, an injury that happened Aug. 7 during training camp. Bosa, the 2016 Defensive Rookie of the Year, tried to get back for the regular sea son, then reinjured his foot Sept. 5 and has been side lined since. The Chargers hoped he might be back after their bye, but Bosa says he’s still facing a week-to-week situ ation, while people keep asking him when he’ll be ready. Being 6-2 has allowed the Chargers to stay patient and avoid rushing him back again after what happened in September. “The second my foot is ready to practice on a Wednesday I will play that week,” Bosa said. MISSING COOK: Luck ily, the Minnesota Vikings still have Latavius Mur ray while they wait for the return of running back Dalvin Cook . He played three of the first four games this season after reconstructive sur gery on his left knee ended his rookie season, but Cook hasn’t played since Sept. 27 because of a hamstring injury. That’s not the only issue for Minnesota, which is sec ond in the NFC North after playing in the NFC champi onship last January. Rookie cornerback Mike Hughes , the 30th pick overall last April out of UCF, tore up his left knee in October. BATTERED FALCONS: Atlanta has simply been decimated across the board in a season that started with hopes the Falcons might be the first team to play the Super Bowl on their own field. Both starting safeties and both starting guards are out for the season, top run ning back Devonta Freeman (groin) is on injured reserve and can’t return until December. Even kicker Matt Bryant has been hurt. That leaves Matt Ryan trying to carry the Falcons (4-4). ANOTHER TANNEHILL INJURY: Ryan Tannehill has missed four straight games with an injured shoul der, the latest problem for the Miami quarterback who missed all of the 2017 season after tearing an ACL in train ing camp. That was the same knee that kept him out of the final four games of 2016. Tannehill hurt his throw ing shoulder in Week 5 and is trying to work his way back to the field. Luckily for the Dolphins, Brock Osweiler is 2-2 as a fill-in — even with starting left guard Josh Sitton and center Daniel Kilgore both out for the season. Cook Football/college Top 25 rankings Record Pts Prv 1. Alabama (60) 9-0 1500 1 2. Clemson 9-0 1435 2 3. Notre Dame 9-0 1381 3 4. Michigan 8-1 1304 5 5. Georgia 8-1 1263 6 6. Oklahoma 8-1 1181 7 7. West Virginia 7-1 1065 12 8. Ohio St. 8-1 1025 8 9. LSU 7-2 1020 4 10. Washington St. 8-1 1010 10 11. UCF 8-0 1001 9 12. Kentucky 7-2 780 11 13. Syracuse 7-2 624 22 14. Utah St. 8-1 586 18 15. Texas 6-3 559 15 16. Fresno St. 8-1 506 20 17. Boston College 7-2 490 24 18. Mississippi St. 6-3 486 21 19. Florida 6-3 400 13 20. Washington 7-3 342 21. Penn St. 6-3 278 14 22. NC State 6-2 264 23. Iowa St. 5-3 230 24. Michigan St. 6-3 215 25. Cincinnati 8-1 141 Others receiving votes: Utah 110, Auburn 93, Wisconsin 37, Army 32, UAB 31, Northwestern 28, Iowa 17, Boise St. 15, Purdue 14, Buffalo 11, Oregon 9, San Diego St. 5, Duke 4, Texas A&M 3, Houston 3, Texas Tech 2. FCS Top 25 Record Pts Pvs 1. North Dakota State (26) 9-0 650 1 2. Kennesaw State 8-1 624 2 3. Eastern Washington 7-2 589 4 4. Weber State 7-2 569 5 5. Elon 6-2 522 6 6. South Dakota State 6-2 520 7 7. UC Davis 8-1 492 9 8. Colgate 8-0 437 11 9. Jacksonville State 7-2 433 10 10. James Madison 6-3 417 3 11. Princeton 8-0 386 14 12. Delaware 7-2 364 16 13. N.C. A&T 7-2 315 17 14. Wofford 6-3 300 8 15. Stony Brook 6-3 296 18 16. Nicholls 6-3 249 20 17. ETSU 8-2 215 23 18. McNeese 6-3 214 12 19. Southeast Missouri State 7-2 162 24 20. Towson 6-3 148 15 21. Maine 6-3 146 NR 22. Illinois State 5-4 108 13 23. Dartmouth 7-1 103 20 24. Northern Iowa 5-4 57 NR 25. Idaho State 6-3 49 NR Others Receiving Votes: Central Arkansas 18, Samtord 14, San Diego 13, Western Illinois 11, Indiana State 9, Sam Houston State 7, Florida A&M 2, Monmouth 2, North Dakota 2, Rhode Island 2, Incarnate Word 2, Alcorn State 1, Chat tanooga 1, Montana State 1. Football/college Today’s game EAST Kent St. (2-7) at Buffalo (8-1), 7:30 p.m. Wednesday’s games MIDWEST Ohio (6-3) at Miami (Ohio) (3-6), 7 p.m. Toledo (5-4) at N. Illinois (6-3), 8 p.m. Thursday’s games SOUTH NC Central (4-4) at Bethune-Cookman (5-5), 7 p.m. Wake Forest (4-5) at NC State (6-2), 7:30 p.m. Friday’s games EAST Louisville (2-7) at Syracuse (7-2), 7 p.m. FAR WEST Fresno St. (8-1) at Boise St. (7-2), 10:15 p.m. Saturday’s games EAST Lafayette (3-6) at Army (7-2), Noon Sacred Heart (6-3) at Duquesne (6-3), Noon Fordham (1-8) at Holy Cross (3-6), Noon Kennesaw St. (8-1) at Monmouth (NJ) (7-2), Noon Wisconsin (6-3) at Penn St. (6-3), Noon CCSU (5-4) at St. Francis (Pa.) (4-5), Noon SMU (4-5) at UConn (1-8), Noon BYU (4-5) at UMass (4-6), Noon TCU (4-5) at West Virginia (7-1), Noon Columbia (4-4) at Brown (1-7), 12:30 p.m. Bucknell (1-8) at Georgetown (4-5), 12:30 p.m. Colgate (8-0) at Lehigh (2-7), 12:30 p.m. Princeton (8-0) at Yale (5-3), 12:30 p.m. Wagner (2-7) at Bryant (5-4), 1 p.m. Albany (NY) (2-7) at New Hampshire (3-6), 1 p.m. Harvard (4-4) at Penn (6-2), 1 p.m. Delaware (7-2) at Stony Brook (6-3), 1 p.m. William & Mary (3-5) at Villanova (4-5), 1 p.m. Dartmouth (7-1) at Cornell (3-5), 1:30 p.m. Virginia Tech (4-4) at Pittsburgh (5-4), 3:30 p.m. Michigan (8-1) at Rutgers (1-8), 3:30 p.m. Clemson (9-0) at Boston College (7-2), 8 p.m. SOUTH Towson (6-3) at Elon (6-2), Noon South Carolina (5-3) at Florida (6-3), Noon Tulsa (2-7) at Memphis (5-4), Noon SE Missouri (7-2) at Murray St. (4-5), Noon Campbell (5-4) at Presbyterian (2-6), Noon Navy (2-7) at UCF (8-0), Noon North Carolina (1-7) at Duke (6-3), 12:20 p.m. Mercer (4-5) at Chattanooga (6-3), 1 p.m. Robert Morris (1-7) at E. Kentucky (5-4), 1 p.m. Troy (7-2) at Georgia Southern (7-2), 1 p.m. Delaware St. (2-7) at Morgan St. (2-7), 1 p.m. Howard (4-4) at Norfolk St. (3-5), 1 p.m. NC A&T (7-2) at Savannah St. (2-6), 1 p.m. Furman (4-4) atVMI (1-8), 1:30 p.m. Grambling St. (5-4) at Alabama A&M (5-4), 2 p.m. Rhode Island (5-4) at James Madison (6-3), 2 p.m. Hampton (5-3) at MVSU (1-7), 2 p.m. Samford (5-4) at The Citadel (3-5), 2 p.m. Charlotte (4-5) at Marshall (5-3), 2:30 p.m. Jackson St. (4-4) at Alabama St. (3-5), 3 p.m. Gardner-Webb (3-6) at Charleston Southern (3-5), 3 p.m. Maine (6-3) at Richmond (3-6), 3 p.m. Jacksonville St. (7-2) at Tennessee St. (3-4), 3 p.m. Tennessee Tech (1-8) at UT Martin (1-8), 3 p.m. Liberty (4-4) at Virginia (6-3), 3 p.m. Mississippi St. (6-3) at Alabama (9-0), 3:30 p.m. North Texas (7-2) at Old Dominion (2-7), 3:30 p.m. Kentucky (7-2) at Tennessee (4-5), 3:30 p.m. Wofford (6-3) at W. Carolina (3-6), 3:30 p.m. NC Central (4-4) at Bethune-Cookman (5-5), 4 p.m. SC State (3-5) at Florida A&M (6-3), 4 p.m. Stephen F. Austin (2-6) at Nicholls (6-3), 4 p.m. East Carolina (2-6) atTulane (4-5), 4 p.m. Arkansas St. (5-4) at Coastal Carolina (5-4), 5 p.m. W. Kentucky (1-8) at FAU (4-5), 5 p.m. Georgia St. (2-7) at Louisiana-Lafayette (4-6), 5 p.m. Louisiana-Monroe (5-4) at South Alabama (2-7), 5 p.m. Ark.-Pine Bluff (1-8) at Southern U. (5-3), 5 p.m. Auburn (6-3) at Georgia (8-1), 7 p.m. Miami (5-4) at Georgia Tech (5-4), 7 p.m. Rice (1-9) at Louisiana Tech (6-3), 7 p.m. North Greenville (4-5) at North Alabama (6-3), 7 p.m. McNeese St. (6-3) at Northwestern St. (3-6), 7 p.m. Southern Miss. (4-4) at UAB (8-1), 7:30 p.m. MIDWEST Stetson (7-1) at Butler (3-6), Noon Akron (4-4) at E. Michigan (5-5), Noon Maryland (5-4) at Indiana (4-5), Noon Kansas (3-6) at Kansas St. (3-6), Noon Ohio St. (8-1) at Michigan St. (6-3), Noon Vanderbilt (4-5) at Missouri (5-4), Noon Illinois (4-5) at Nebraska (2-7), Noon N. Iowa (5-4) at Youngstown St. (3-6), Noon Morehead St. (3-6) at Dayton (4-5), 1 p.m. Illinois St. (5-4) at Indiana St. (6-3), 1 p.m. Marist (5-4) at Drake (5-3), 2 p.m. Austin Peay (4-5) at E. Illinois (2-7), 2 p.m. S. Dakota St. (5-3) at S. Illinois (2-7), 2 p.m. W. Illinois (5-4) at South Dakota (3-6), 2 p.m. Jacksonville (2-6) at Valparaiso (1-8), 2 p.m. Bowling Green (1-8) at Cent. Michigan (1-9), 3 p.m. Transactions National Football League ARIZONA CARDINALS — Re-signed WR Kendall Wright. Signed OL Zack Golditch from India napolis’ practice squad. CHICAGO BEARS — Signed OL Willie Beavers to the practice squad. CINCINNATI BENGALS — Placed LB Carl Lawson on injured reserve. Signed LS Clark Harris to a contract extension and WR Auden Tate from the practice squad. LOS ANGELES CHARGERS — Released PK Caleb Sturgis. Signed PK Michael Badgley from the practice squad. OAKLAND RAIDERS — Signed DE Jacquies Smith. TODAY ON TV BASKETBALL ■ Kansas vs. Michigan State, 7 p.m., ESPN ■ North Carolina at Wofford, 7 p.m., ESPN2 ■ Morgan State at Villanova, 7 p.m., FoxSports 1 ■ Kent State at Buffalo, 7:30 p.m., ESPNU ■ Florida at Florida State, 9 p.m., ESPN2 ■ Duke vs. Kentucky, 9:30 p.m., ESPN ■ Western Kentucky at Washington, 10:30 p.m., ESPNU HOCKEY ■ Edmonton at Tampa Bay, 7:30 p.m., NBCSports Trend becomes clear APRIL SMITH I The Associated Press Golden State Warriors guard Klay Thompson, right, shoots a 3-pointer against Chicago Bulls forward Justin Holiday, left, during the first half of the game Oct. 29 in Chicago. Record 3-pointer rates continue this season Associated Press The best 3-point shooter who ever lived, at least in terms of volume, is Ray Allen. Boston used to have him. Milwaukee used to have him. And he doesn’t figure into either franchise’s greatest single-game 3-point barrage. With NBA records being set from 3-point range this season — Golden State’s Klay Thompson has already busted the mark for 3s in a game with 14, one more than the standard his fellow War riors sharpshooter Stephen Curry established in 2016, the league is well on its way to making more shots from beyond the arc than ever before. The record, set last sea son, is 25,807. The NBA is on pace this season to make about 27,300 shots from 3-point land. Now, not even three full weeks into this season, five teams have broken their own franchise record for 3s in a game. The most recent entry into that club was Mil waukee, which connected on 22 3s — on 56 tries, as opposed to 39 from inside the arc — in its 144-109 win over Sacramento on Sunday. The Bucks used 13 players, with everyone trying at least one shot from 3-point range and 11 connecting on at least one triple. It was the second time this season the Bucks tried more 3s than 2s. Number of times in Bucks history that happened before this season? Zero. “We’ll just hopefully keep pushing that record, what ever it is,” Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer said. “See if we can get more. .. Good for us to know that we’re push ing that envelope and we want to be great behind that 3-point line.” The Bucks aren’t alone in their quest for 3-point greatness. Boston, which has had 3-point stars like Larry Bird, Paul Pierce, Antoine Walker and Allen in its rich history, made a team-record 24 3-pointers last week against the Bucks. The Celtics came into this season with 19 3s in a game being their fran chise mark; they’ve made 19 or more twice already this season. “We took what the defense gave us,” Celtics coach Brad Stevens said after the bar rage of 24 3s. Fueled by Thompson’s 14 3s in Chicago, the Warriors set a team record that night with 24 makes from deep. Atlanta set a team mark with 22 3-pointers against Cleve land, and Utah connected on its record of 19 in a loss to Golden State. “This is the NBA right now,” Miami coach Erik Spoelstra said. Curry is shooting more 3s per game than ever, mak ing more 3s per game than ever — and doing it more accurately than ever. He’s already made 59 3s through the Warriors’ first 10 games, and is shooting 51 percent from deep. Curry is fifth all-time in 3-pointers made with 2,188. Allen is the record-holder with 2,973, a mark Curry is on pace to get in about two years. MUST GET 100 In this NBA, if a team doesn’t score 100 points, they’re not winning. Then again, getting to 100 doesn’t guarantee anything either. Teams that score 100 points or more are 134-99 this season, meaning they win 57.5 percent of the time. Those who don’t score 100 are 5-40, or winning 11.1 per cent of the time. That’s a big change from recent years. Last season, teams over 100 won 62.2 percent of the time, and teams that didn’t score 100 won 20.8 percent of the time. A decade ago, those scoring 100 won at a 69.4 percent clip, and those not reaching the century mark won 30.8 percent of the time. THE WEEK AHEAD A five-pack of games to watch this week .. ■ PHILADELPHIA AT INDIANA, WEDNESDAY: Joel Embiid’s numbers are fantastic, but Myles Turner is another great young big guy. ■ MILWAUKEE AT GOLDEN STATE, THURS DAY: Bucks have been one of the season’s top early stories, and now get the ulti mate test. ■ BOSTON AT UTAH, FRIDAY: This will be Gor don Hayward’s 262nd time playing in Salt Lake City, and his first in a Celtics uniform. ■ HOUSTON AT SAN ANTONIO, SATURDAY: Spurs are 14-7 in last 21 with Rockets, and the teams play three times before Christmas. ■ ATLANTA AT L.A. LAKERS, SUNDAY: Hawks rookie Kevin Huerter was LeBron James’ scrimmage teammate at a Nike camp in 2015. ON THE MOVE Now that the Tyson Chan dler buyout by the Phoenix Suns has been completed, he’s expected to be on the Los Angeles Lakers’ ros ter later this week once he clears waivers. Portland coach Terry Stotts, who was a Dallas assistant when Chandler was with the Maverick s, said it’ll be a good move for the Lakers. “I like Tyson Chandler,” Stotts said. “Great team mate, obviously that was a few years ago but he impacts the game at the defensive end. He’s a great locker room guy. .. He’s all about winning. So, any team that has Tyson is going to be bet ter for it.” SOCCER ■ Continued from 1B Bulls at home. A loss at Dallas on the road. A loss at D.C. United on the road. Losses at Red Bulls and at Toronto on the road. That final loss cost Atlanta United the Support ers’ Shield and for manager Gerardo Martino to say that the team had betrayed itself and lost its footballing way. It’s not that Atlanta United didn’t want to win, or were flat for those entire games, but they didn’t have the intensity for 90 minutes like they did against NYCFC. Atlanta United found its way again. “That’s the way you have to play every game, regu lar season or the playoffs, it doesn’t matter,” Martino said. “That’s the attitude. In the first half, I think we played some really good football. In the second half New York City had a little bit more of the possession.” Another good example is how well Atlanta United played its set pieces, whose success can sometimes boil down to one player trying harder than his opponent. Atlanta United was dan gerous throughout the night on corner kicks and free kicks. Its player routinely beat NYCFC’s to spots. Miguel Almiron’s goal from a cor ner kick was called back. Eric Remedi’s winning goal also came from a cor ner kick. “We didn’t defend well, the set pieces espe cially,” NYCFC’s manager Domenec Torrent said. “Every single corner, every single free kick, they could finish. We have to improve because in a semifinal or a final, you have to be focused on that, in every single action.” Garza said he was told before the game to set a tone. The fullback is scrappy, often spending as much time on the ground as he does running up and down the left flank. Making his first start since undergoing shoulder injury in May, Garza played as tough as the boxer that he looks like with his square jaw and chest. Golf/PGA Season schedule Nov. 1-4 — Shriners Hospitals for Children Open (Bryson DeChambeau) Thursday-Sunday — Mayakoba Golf Classic, El Camaleon GC at the Mayakoba Resort, Playa del Carmen, Mexico Nov. 15-18 — RSM Classic, Sea Island Resort (Seaside, Plantation), St. Simons Island, Ga. x-Nov. 29-Dec. 2 — Hero World Challenge, Albany GC, Nassau, Bahamas Jan. 3-6 — Sentry Tournament of Champions, Kapalua Resort (Plantation), Kapalua, Hawaii Jan. 10-13 — Sony Open, Waialae CC, Honolulu Jan. 17-20 — CareerBuilder Challenge, PGA West (Stadium Course, Nicklaus Tournament Course) and La Quinta CC, La Quinta, Calif. Jan. 24-27 — Farmers Insurance Open, Torrey Pines GC (North and South), San Diego Jan. 31-Feb. 3 — Waste Management Phoenix Open, TPC Scottsdale, Scottsdale, Ariz. Feb. 7-10 — AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, Pebble Beach, Spyglass Hill, Monterey Penin sula (Shore Course), Pebble Beach, Calif. Feb. 14-17 — Genesis Open, Riviera CC, Los Angeles Feb. 21-24 — WGC-Mexico Championship, Chapultepec GC, Mexico City Feb. 21-24 — Puerto Rico Open, Coco Beach Golf & CC, Rio Grande, Puerto Rico Feb. 28-March 3 — Honda Classic, PGA Na tional (Champions), Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. March 7-10 — Arnold Palmer Invitational, Bay Hill Golf & Lodge, Orlando, Fla. March 14-17 — The Players Championship, TPC Sawgrass (Players Stadium Course), Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. March 21-24 — Valspar Championship, In- nisbrook Resort (Copperhead), Palm Harbor, Fla. March 27-31 — WGC-Dell Match Play, Austin CC, Austin, Texas March 28-31 — Corales Puntacana Resort & Club Championship, Puntacana Resort & Club (Corales), Punta Cana, Dominican Republic April 4-7 — Valero Texas Open, TPC San Antonio (AT&T Oaks), San Antonio April 11-14 — Masters, Augusta National GC, Augusta, Ga. April 18-21 — RBC Heritage, Harbour Town GL, Hilton Head Island, S.C. April 25-28 — Zurich Classic, TPC Louisiana, Avondale, La. May 2-5 — Wells Fargo Championship, Quail Hollow Club, Charlotte, N.C. May 9-12—AT&T Byron Nelson, Trinity Forest GC, Dallas May 16-19 — PGA Championship, Bethpage State Park (Black), Farmingdale, N.Y. May 23-26 — Charles Schwab Challenge, Colonial CC, Fort Worth, Texas May 30-June 2 — Memorial, Muirfield Village GC, Dublin, Ohio