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' national 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
MIAMI - Antone Smith rushed for a career-best four touchdowns, including a game-clinching 20-yarder with 3:57 remaining, and Florida State wasted most of an early 24-point lead before hanging on to beat Miami 41-39 on Saturday.
Smith — who scored three TDs last week — finished with 92 yards on 27 carries for the Seminoles (4-1, 1-1 ACC), who handed Miami its second straight home loss on a stormy afternoon. Christian Ponder ran for 144 yards, becoming the first Florida State quarterback since Charlie Ward in 1992 to run for triple-figures, and Tony Carter made two interceptions for the Seminoles.
Travis Benjamin had an 18-yard touchdown run on an end-around, caught a 51-yard TD pass from running back Graig Cooper, and finished with 274 all-purpose yards for Miami (2-3, 0-2), which has lost 12 of its last 15 conference games.
The Hurricanes trailed 24-3 at the half and 31-10 in the third quarter, then closed to within 34-32 with 8 minutes remaining. Two botched snaps on Florida State punts led to Miami points, Sean Spence ran an interception in for a touchdown and the Hurricanes seemed poised for what would have been an enormous rally.
But Smith sealed the win with a third-down run up the middle, giving coach Bobby Bowden just his 14th win in 34 games all-time against Miami.
Smith’s other scoring runs were for 2, 19 and 5 yards, part of Florida State’s 281-yard rushing day as a team.
Ponder completed 14 of 31 passes for 159 yards for Florida State, including a 15-yard score to Greg Carr, and looked at ease in his first taste of the Seminoles-Hurricanes rivalry.
Miami quarterback Robert Marve, meanwhile, was 17-of-40 for 122 yards and two interceptions.
And still, the Hurricanes nearly pulled it off.
Left tackle Jason Fox rushed for a 5-yard touchdown with 14 seconds remaining, but the onside kick was controlled by the Seminoles, as a downpour made it difficult from one sideline to see the other. Ponder knelt for the final play, and the Seminoles began leaping in celebration — knowing they just dealt their biggest league rival a huge blow.
|
Florida State scored the game’s first 24 points and wound up holding a 440-256 edge in total yards, largely because of Ponder’s running ability. He had nine carries for 107 yards by intermission; in the previous 13 meetings between the teams, Florida State quarterbacks ran for a combined 111 yards on 99 attempts.
It looked like a mismatch.
The first of Carter’s interceptions set up Smith’s opening score, and the Seminoles just kept rolling. When Graham Gano connected on a 53-yard field goal, the Seminoles had a 24-0 lead with 1:07 left in the half.
An odd decision followed, giving Miami some life.
Florida State tried a short kickoff after the long field goal, giving Miami possession at its own 48. The Hurricanes only got a field goal out of it on the final play of the half, but to coach Randy Shannon, that 28-yard kick by Matt Bosher was huge.
“That’s a real confidence booster,” he said, trotting off the field.
|
Of course, Florida State’s penchant for self-destruction didn’t hurt, either.
Smith fumbled early in the third quarter deep in Florida State territory, and Benjamin scored on the next play to give Miami some life. A high snap on a punt gave Miami a safety, Benjamin gave the Hurricanes great field position on the ensuing kickoff, and Cooper hit him with a perfect pass for a trick-play TD that drew the Hurricanes within 31-22.
Miami hadn’t had an interception return for a touchdown since 2003, but with 11:23 left, Spence — playing in place of injured linebacker Colin McCarthy — caught a deflected pass and rumbled seven yards to make the score 34-29, and Bosher got Miami within two points with a field goal three minutes later.
But the Seminoles went back to what worked — Ponder and Smith running right at Miami, to put the game away.
CFT: Jordan Jefferson makes it clear he wasn't happy with LSU's game plan in the Tigers' BCS Championship Game loss to Alabama.
 | Special feature |
 |
NBCSports.com |
CollegeFootballTalk headlines |
 | Video: Football from NBC Sports |
 Memphis fulfills BCS dream Tigers officials thrilled to announce that school has been accepted to join the Big East Conference in 2013. |
 | Slideshow |
 | NBCSports.com |
| Slideshow |
 | more photos |
 | Slideshow |
 | NBCSports.com |
| Slideshow |
 | NBCSports.com |
| Slideshow |
 | NBCSports.com |
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.
Doron Lamb hit a 3-pointer with 3:18 left to put No. 1 Kentucky ahead to stay, and the Wildcats took a big step toward a Southeastern Conference regular-season title by beating Vanderbilt 69-63 Saturday night for their 17th straight win.
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.
