Silva: Each NFL team enters the offseason with a series of pressing needs. Sometimes a team can address them all, sometimes they ignore them all. But if a team's smart, they'll listen to us. These are the most crucial aspects for NFC teams.
SportsTalk: Albert Pujols signs with the Angels and Prince Fielder joins the Tigers. Which team is better now?
Ryan Callahan scored three goals as the New York Rangers beat Philadelphia 5-2 on Saturday for their seventh straight win over the Flyers.
Jeremy Lin hit a free throw with 4.9 seconds left to overcome a dreadful second half and lift the New York Knicks to their fifth straight victory, 100-98, over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Saturday night.
Arc's five up, five down: After No. 11 Michigan State's 58-48 upset of No. 3 Ohio State, you'd be a fool to discount the Spartans title chances now.
CFT: Jordan Jefferson makes it clear he wasn't happy with LSU's game plan in the Tigers' BCS Championship Game loss to Alabama.
Move over, Hollywood and NFL types, golf's two real A-listers take center stage Sunday at Pebble Beach, both in need of a win.
The United States swept favored Switzerland out of the Davis Cup on Saturday when Mardy Fish and Mike Bryan beat Roger Federer and Stanislas Wawrinka 4-6, 6-3, 6-3, 6-3.
Luis Suarez's refusal to shake hands with Patrice Evra overshadowed Manchester United's 2-1 win over rival Liverpool that lifted the defending champions to first place in the Premier League on Saturday.
Marlies Schild of Austria won her sixth World Cup slalom of the season Saturday after overall leader Lindsey Vonn and defending champion Maria Hoefl-Riesch crashed out in the opening run on the windy Pyrenees course.
Robins: It’s the Year of the Dragon on the Lunar calendar, and this Chinese influence could extend to it also being the year of the Pekingese on the green carpet at the 136th Westminster Dog Show on Tuesday.
AP
EAST LANSING, Mich. - Javon Ringer is trying to share the spotlight.
He brought a slew of offensive linemen, tight ends and fullbacks to a news conference after running for 201 yards and two touchdowns on 39 attempts, carrying the Spartans to a 23-7 win over Notre Dame on Saturday.
“We were able to win because of these guys,” Ringer said. “Not because of me.”
Nice try, Ringer.
His speed, power and some spin helped him take advantage of holes, becoming the first player to run for 200 yards in consecutive games in Michigan State history.
Ringer has carried the ball 143 times this year, making him the busiest running back through four games since Iowa State’s Troy Davis had six more carries in 1996 according to STATS.
“You can hit him and hit him and he just keeps coming,” Notre Dame coach Charlie Weis said.
Ringer led the nation with nine touchdowns and 104 carries after three games, coming off career highs with 43 carries and 282 yards last week.
“You want to feature your best player,” Michigan State coach Mark Dantonio said. “And right now, that’s our tailback.”
Michigan State (3-1) took a 13-0 lead into the fourth quarter, then sealed the victory by handing off to Ringer on all seven plays of a 77-yard drive he capped with a TD with 2:16 left.
“Giving Javon the ball each time was a statement for our offensive line,” Michigan State quarterback Brian Hoyer said. “We did what we wanted to do.”
The Irish (2-1) turned the ball over three times and missed two field goals, hurting their chances of starting 3-0 for the first time since 2002 and the second time in 12 years.
Jimmy Clausen was 24-of-41 for 242 yards with a TD and two interceptions in the first half, one of which was in the end zone on a play that was overturned by a video review.
“Jimmy, with how things had gone in the first half, could have come out and gone flat in the second half,” Weis said. “But he certainly didn’t. He really stepped up and picked up his game.”
Clausen was sacked three times — after not being sacked in the first two games — and was hurried and hit numerous times.
Michigan State shut down the Irish’s running game and the sacks led to them finishing with 16 yards rushing and seven points, both of which were among the worst totals in Weis’ three-plus seasons.
“We were one-dimensional,” Clausen said.
Michael Floyd caught a 26-yard TD pass early in the fourth quarter, getting Notre Dame within six points, after fumbling at the Michigan State 20 early in the third.
The Spartans got off to a good start, limiting Notre Dame to minus-5 yards on its first two drives and kicking a field goal on their opening possession.
Clausen’s up-for-grabs pass in the end zone to a double-covered Duval Kamara was ripped away by safety Otis Wiley on Notre Dame’s third drive. It was originally ruled incomplete but overturned by replay.
Clausen threw another poor pass in the second quarter and it was picked off by Wiley at the Notre Dame 22, setting up Ringer’s first TD.
Ringer took another step toward stardom with his performance against an Irish team geared to stop him. His highlight of the day was a 63-yard run that set up his second TD.
Michigan State defensive coordinator Pat Narduzzi compared Ringer to Hall of Famer Tony Dorsett.
“Put my vote in for Javon Ringer for the Heisman Trophy,” Narduzzi said.
Weis was on the sideline without crutches, wearing a brace under his blue slacks that protected his right knee that was injured in last week’s win over Michigan.
After trying to deflect questions about his health leading up to the game, Weis tried his best after it to address a question about a laptop that officials removed from Notre Dame’s coaching box.
“It wasn’t like there was somebody trying to do something illegal,” Weis said.
It took a while for the light bulb to go on, but when it did, Jonas Gray finally showed the talent many had expected from the blue-chip prospect from Detroit. In a recent interview, Gray, who is rehabbing an ACL injury to get ready for the NFL Scouting Combine, expressed the confidence and support he has for head coach Brian Kelly.
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 | Notre Dame 2011 schedule See when all the big matchups will take place with Notre Dame's 2011 schedule. NBCSports.com |
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The Week in Sports Pictures The Giants on top of the football world, getting ready for the London Olympics and more. more photos |
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Jeremy Lin hit a free throw with 4.9 seconds left to overcome a dreadful second half and lift the New York Knicks to their fifth straight victory, 100-98, over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Saturday night.
Wesseling: Each NFL team enters the offseason with a series of pressing needs. Sometimes a team can address them all, sometimes they ignore them all. But if a team's smart, they'll listen to us. These are the most crucial aspects for AFC teams.
Silva: Each NFL team enters the offseason with a series of pressing needs. Sometimes a team can address them all, sometimes they ignore them all. But if a team's smart, they'll listen to us. These are the most crucial aspects for NFC teams.