SPORTS
The Times, Gainesville, Georgia | gainesvilletimes.com
Thursday, November 22, 2018 3B
COLLEGE FOOTBALL
Wolverines’ dual threat
Michigan has difference-making QB for a change against Ohio St.
PAUL SANCYA I Associated Press
Michigan quarterback Shea Patterson (2) runs in the first half against Indiana on
Saturday, Nov. 17, in Ann Arbor, Mich.
BY LARRY LAGE
Associated Press
ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Shea Pat
terson’s parents took him out for a
sushi dinner and to see the movie
“Overlord,” hoping to get Michigan’s
quarterback away from his relentless
preparation for the biggest game of
his life.
“We didn’t talk about football,”
Sean Patterson said in a telephone
interview Wednesday. “It was just
nice to see him sitting with his mom
and eating popcorn. We wanted to give
him a break from studying film.”
No. 10 Ohio State has been watching
some film, too, watching what Patter
son has done with the fourth-ranked
Wolverines this season. The Buckeyes
see a dual-threat quarterback who
looks nothing like the players Jim Har-
baugh had under center the previous
three years — all Ohio State wins.
“In past years, they haven’t had
a running quarterback like him,”
Buckeyes defensive tackle Dre’Mont
Jones said. “He creates his own new
dynamic we have to worry about.”
The Wolverines are favored to win
Saturday in the Horseshoe — where
they haven’t won since 2000 — at
least in part because of an offseason
victory that made Patterson eligible
to play right away. He decided to
transfer from Ole Miss nearly a year
ago to Michigan, but he had to wait
until April to find out the NCAA was
granting his request to play this season
instead of sitting out a year.
“It was a scary and anxious time,”
Sean Patterson recalled. “I think
going through what he did made him
a tougher and stronger person and it
makes him appreciate every moment
with the winged helmet even more.”
With the help of attorney Tom
Mars, the appeal was won for Patter
son — and the Wolverines.
“The best part of the experience
for me was getting to know Shea and
his family,” Mars wrote in a text mes
sage. “And, then watching what Shea’s
accomplished with his teammates this
season — game after game. I haven’t
missed any of them, and I’ll be in the
stands in Columbus on Saturday.”
Patterson, a former five-star recruit
from Toledo, Ohio, decided to trans
fer from Ole Miss after the NCAA
penalized the football program with
sanctions for rules violations under
former coach Hugh Freeze. The pen
alties included a bowl ban for the 2018
season. Patterson and other players
argued they were misled during their
recruitment by Ole Miss coaches
and staffers about the nature of the
NCAA’s investigation.
Patterson insisted he doesn’t think
much about the appeal process
these days, but acknowledged being
thankful to win it.
“Just was so fortunate to get this
opportunity to play for the team,” he
said.
Harbaugh was fortunate, too. In his
fourth year in charge of college foot
ball’s winningest team, he desperately
needed a difference-making quarter
back for a change.
Patterson has delivered. He is one
of five finalists for the Johnny Uni-
tas Golden Arm Award and may be
mentioned as a Heisman Trophy can
didate if he can help Michigan beat
Ohio State for just the second time in
15 years.
Patterson has completed 66 per
cent of his passes for 2,177 yards with
18 touchdowns and just four intercep
tions. He can throw from the pocket or
on the move, running the play called
or one he improvises.
“I can’t say we rehearsed some of
the things that come about in a game,
especially the times when you see him
scramble and make that throw across
the body and across the field,” said
Pep Hamilton, Michigan’s assistant
head coach. “I pretty much cringe
every time that happens, but he seems
to come out on the right side of it.”
Patterson has run for 255 yards
and two scores, keeping the ball
after faking handoffs in read-option
plays that have become increasingly
more effective.
“You need him to make a play, he
makes it,” Harbaugh said. “Whether
it’s throwing or running or not turn
ing a bad play into a worse play. He’s
got a great feel, talent and energy for
the game. Love his focus. Love his
intensity.”
Harbaugh has said Patterson will
be an NFL quarterback. A report sug
gested Patterson is expected to enter
the NFL draft after the season instead
of staying in school for his senior sea
son and then being part of a stronger
class of NFL hopefuls.
Rivalry week playing major role
in conference tide-game races
DAVID ZALUB0WSKII Associated Press
Washington State quarterback Gardner Minshew, left,
scrambles away from Colorado defensive lineman Mustafa
Johnson in the second half of a game on Nov. 10 in
Boulder, Colo.
Associated Press
Rivalry week should help
sort out the College Football
Playoff picture while final
izing the conference cham
pionship game matchups.
No. 3 Notre Dame (No.
3 CFP ) can pretty much
wrap up one of the four
playoff spots Saturday by
winning at Southern Cali
fornia. No. 4 Michigan (No.
4 CFP) seeks to remain in
playoff position Saturday
when it visits No. 10 Ohio
State (No. 10 CFP), with the
winner facing No. 20 North
western (No. 19 CFP) next
week in the Big Ten cham
pionship game.
No. 7 Washington State
(No. 8) also still harbors
playoff hopes as it prepares
to host No. 16 Washington
(No. 16 CFP) on Friday,
with the winner facing No.
18 Utah (No. 17 CFP) in
the Pac-12 championship
game.
The Oklahoma-West Vir
ginia and Texas-Kansas
games on Friday will deter
mine the representatives
in the Big 12 championship
game. If No. 11 Texas (No.
14 CFP) beats Kansas, the
Longhorns will face the
Oklahoma-West Virginia
winner for the Big 12 title. If
Kansas upsets Texas, No. 6
Oklahoma (No. 6 CFP) and
No. 12 West Virginia (No.
13) would meet for a second
straight week in the Big 12
championship game.
Here are some other
things to know heading into
the final weekend of college
football’s regular season.
BEST GAME
Michigan at Ohio State
Michigan has lost to Ohio
State each of the last six
seasons but heads into this
year’s game as a four-point
favorite.
Ohio State (10-1, 7-1 Big
Ten) has looked more vul
nerable than its record sug
gests, as the Buckeyes got
trounced 49-20 by Purdue
last month and eked out a
52-51 overtime victory over
Maryland last week. Michi
gan (10-1, 8-0) has won 10
straight since a season
opening 24-17 loss at Notre
Dame.
Michigan leads all Foot
ball Bowl Subdivision teams
in total defense, while Ohio
State ranks second in total
offense.
HEISMAN WATCH
Gardner Minshew,
Washington State
Minshew nearly decided
to spend this season at Ala
bama, where he almost
certainly would have
backed up Tua Tagovailoa
the entire year. The East
Carolina graduate transfer
instead chose Washington
State and has emerged as
one of Tagovailoa’s top
competitors for the Heis
man Trophy.
After throwing for seven
touchdowns last week in a
69-28 blowout of Arizona,
Minshew leads all FBS
players in yards passing
(4,325) and is tied for the
lead in touchdown passes
(36). Tagovailoa ranks first
in passing efficiency.
Minshew faces perhaps
his toughest test of the sea
son this week as Washing
ton State hosts Washington,
which leads the Pac-12 in
scoring defense and ranks
second in the league in total
defense.
Heisman Trophy voters
also should keep an eye on
the quarterback matchup
in the Oklahoma-West Vir
ginia game with Kyler Mur
ray leading the Sooners and
Will Grier taking snaps for
the Mountaineers.
NUMBERS TO KNOW
3 — Vanderbilt is seek
ing to beat Tennessee for a
third straight season, some
thing that hasn’t happened
since the Commodores won
six straight over Tennessee
from 1920-26. Vanderbilt is
4-2 against Tennessee over
the last six seasons after
going 1-28 in this series
from 1983-2011.
5 — The number of
touchdown runs No. 1
Alabama (No. 1 CFP) has
allowed all season, the low
est total given up by any
FBS team. Alabama’s oppo
nent Saturday is Auburn,
which has yielded only six
touchdown runs this year.
19 — Oklahoma has won
an FBS-leading 19 straight
true road games heading
into its game Friday at West
Virginia. The Sooners’ last
loss in a true road game was
a 37-33 decision at TCU on
Oct. 4,2014.
22 — Fresno State hasn’t
allowed any of its last 22
opponents to reach the
30-point mark. That’s the
longest such streak of any
FBS team.
36 — Florida State has
played in a bowl game each
of the last 36 seasons, an
NCAA record streak. The
Seminoles can become
eligible for a 37th straight
bowl berth with a victory
Saturday over No. 13 Flor
ida (No. 11). Florida State
has beaten Florida five
straight times, its longest
winning streak in this rival
ry’s history.
302-49 — No. 2 Clemson
(No. 2 CFP) has beaten its
last six opponents by that
combined margin after
rallying for a 27-23 victory
over Syracuse on Sept. 29.
UNDER THE RADAR
Houston at Memphis
This Friday matchup will
determine which of these
West Division teams will
get to face No. 8 Central
Florida (No. 9 CFP) in the
American Athletic Confer
ence championship game.
Each of the last four
Houston-Memphis games
has been decided by four
points or fewer.
Houston will be play
ing this game without star
quarterback D’Eriq King,
who tore the meniscus in
his right knee last week in
a 48-17 victory over Tulane.
Houston defensive tackle
and 2017 Outland Tro
phy winner Ed Oliver has
missed four straight games
with a knee injury, but his
status for Friday’s contest is
uncertain.
Memphis’ Darrell Hen
derson has rushed for 1,521
yards to rank second among
all FBS players, behind only
Wisconsin’s Jonathan Tay
lor (1,869).
DAVID GOLDMAN I Associated Press
New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees (9) is sacked
by Atlanta Falcons linebacker Vic Beasley (44) during the
second half of the game on Sept. 23 in Atlanta.
FALCONS
■ Continued from 1B
going to get up. You don’t
have to worry about people
not being ready to play this
game.... We’re just going to
be out there swinging.”
Some other prominent
story lines surrounding the
100th meeting between the
Falcons and Saints:
COMPETITIVE
BALANCE
While the teams are
spread apart in the stand
ings, they played each other
pretty close the previous
time they met in Week 3
in Atlanta. New Orleans
needed a late TD to force
overtime and won in the
extra period. The Saints are
nearly two-TD favorites in
the rematch, which would
seem appropriate given
New Orleans has outscored
its past two opponents 99-21
combined. But Brees’ expe
rience against Atlanta tells
him otherwise.
“These are always hard-
fought games,” Brees said.
“They’re games that typi
cally come down to the last
possession.”
Added Saints defensive
end Cameron Jordan: “They
have a potential high-ceiling
offense.... This is something
we have to be aware of.”
BEASLEY’S REVIVAL
Vic Beasley Jr., the 2016
NFL leader with 15)4 sacks,
finally showed a return to
his form with two sacks
against the Cowboys last
week. Beasley had five sacks
in 2017 and only one sack in
Atlanta’s first nine games
this year. The Falcons
hope Beasley’s resurgence
continues this week against
Brees. “You have to find
ways to pressure,” coach
Dan Quinn said. “His effi
ciency without getting hit or
without getting moved is so
high.”
RUNNING SAINTS
If Alvin Kamara fails to
match the 190 yards from
scrimmage he had against
Atlanta in Week 3, it might
have less to do with Atlan
ta’s defense than with fel
low Saints running back
Mark Ingram’s resurgence.
Ingram did not play in the
previous meeting because
of a four-game suspension
stemming from his positive
test for a banned substance.
In their past two games, the
Saints have averaged 208.5
yards rushing, with Ingram
have rushed for 100-plus
yards in each.
NO. 1 RECEIVER
Jones’ touchdown drought
is over. He has TD catches in
three straight games after
having none in Atlanta’s first
seven. That doesn’t mean he
wasn’t productive all along.
Jones leads the NFL with
1,158 yards receiving.
“He’s been playing so well
for us all year and has been
so consistent,” Falcons quar
terback Matt Ryan said.
COMPELLING
MATCHUP
While Brees has not
thrown an interception at
home this season, the Fal
cons counter with safety
Damontae Kazee, who leads
the NFL with five intercep
tions, a career high. He is the
first Atlanta player with as
many as five interceptions
in a season since 2012, when
Thomas DeCoud had six and
Asante Samuel had five.
NFL
QB Derek Carr
wants Raiders
to avoid No. 1
draft pick
The Oakland Raiders will
not get the No. 1 overall pick
in next year’s draft if quar
terback Derek Carr has any
say in it.
For the 15th time in the
last 16 seasons, the Raiders
will finish no better than
.500, and that’s if they run
the table over the final six
weeks.
Barring a sudden turn
around Oakland is headed
for another top five pick in
the draft. The Raiders are
tied with the San Francisco
49ers and Arizona Cardinals
for the worst record in the
NFL at 2-8. Based on strength
of schedule, the 49ers own
the top overall pick
followed by the
Cardinals and the
Raiders.
Oakland held
the No. 1 spot until
beating Arizona last
week to snap a five-
game losing streak.
Carr is deter
mined to keep the
Raiders out of that position
again.
“I want to mess up the
draft,” Carr said Wednesday.
“I don’t want the first pick. I
want to win all these games.
I want everybody to be mad
at me for that. That’s what I
want to accomplish.”
Since the merger in 1970
the Raiders have had the
first overall pick one other
time — in 2007 when they
drafted quarterback JaMar-
cus Russell. Russell lasted
just three seasons and is
widely considered one of the
biggest busts in NFL history.
Bears QB Mitchell
Trubisky listed as
doubtful vs. Lions
Chicago Bears quarter
back Mitchell Trubisky was
listed as doubtful Wednes
day for the Thanksgiving
Day game in Detroit against
the Lions.
Trubisky suffered a right
shoulder injury in the fourth
quarter of Sunday night’s
25-20 win over the Minnesota
Vikings.
If he can’t play, the Bears
will turn to backup Chase
Daniel, who has not started
or played extensively in an
NFL game since 2014.
At 32, Daniel is the oldest
player on the Chicago roster
and hasn’t thrown more than
two passes in a season since
2014 in Kansas City. He does
have extensive knowledge of
the Bears’ offensive
system run by for
mer Chiefs assistant
and current Chicago
head coach Matt
Nagy.
Earlier this week,
Chicago offensive
coordinator Mark
Helfrich said he saw
no reason for play
calling to be altered
should Daniel play.
“They’re not that signifi
cantly different,” Helfrich
said.
“Certainly, you’re going
to tailor things to one person
or another absolutely, but
within the same structure.
We’re not going to change
the offense if something hap
pens. You can’t do that.”
The Bears (7-3) have won
four straight games. Detroit
(4-6) is coming off a win over
Carolina after three straight
losses.
Associated Press
Carr
