Las Vegas, NV (SportsNetwork.
[b]P.J. Hall Raiders Jersey[/b] .com) - Former foes from the Mountain West Conference battle in the 23rd annual Las Vegas Bowl, as the 23rd-ranked Utah Utes clash with the Colorado State Rams at Sam Boyd Stadium on Saturday. Utah, which left the MWC in favor of the Pac-12 Conference, finished the regular season with a record of 8-4 which was somewhat disappointing given the fact that the program opened the campaign with six wins in seven tries. Down the stretch the Utes lost three of five, while the two victories against Stanford and Colorado came by a combined seven points. The lackluster finish to the regular season still left the Utes among the nationally ranked and gave the team an opportunity to take the field one more time, which is something head coach Kyle Whittingham is certainly thankful for. Its great to be back playing in the postseason. One of the biggest benefits is the extra practice work for the younger players. Its almost like another spring camp. Having the seniors play in a bowl game is huge. Meanwhile, the Rams took the MWC by storm this season, at one point putting together a nine-game win streak which pushed them into the national rankings as well. Unfortunately, the success was a double-edged sword for Colorado State, as the team finished second in the Mountain Division of the MWC with a record of 6-2, because it also meant that head coach Jim McElwain was a hot commodity on the head coaching market. Turns out McElwain, who was the offensive coordinator at Alabama before taking the job in Fort Collins, was lured away by Florida and has agreed to become the next coach for the floundering Gators. As a result, offensive coordinator Dave Baldwin has stepped up on an interim basis to lead the Rams into battle this weekend. From a postseason perspective, the Rams are aiming to even out their bowl record as they take part in their 14th postseason affair. The teams very first bowl game was a 21-20 loss to Occidental in the 1949 Raisin Bowl, while the most recent was a hard-fought 48-45 triumph over Washington State in the 2013 New Mexico Bowl. Utah, which is 2-1 in this particular bowl, has won 10 of its last 11 bowl outings, with the lone setback coming against Boise State in the 2010 version of the Las Vegas Bowl. Overall, the Utes have a 13-4 bowl mark, dating back to a 26-0 win against New Mexico in the 1939 Sun Bowl. The most recent postseason victory for the program was a 30-27 overtime triumph versus Georgia Tech in the 2011 Sun Bowl. These squads have a long and storied history dating back more than a century, with Utah owning a 55-22-2 advantage. This will be the first neutral-site battle and the first meeting overall since the Utes, ranked ninth in the nation at the time, crushed CSU by a score of 59-6 on Oct. 23, 2010. Coach Whittinghams offense was rather pedestrian this season, placing 84th in the nation with just 374.8 ypg. although that doesnt mean there were not standout performers on that side of the ball. Running back Devontae Booker made a name for himself as he carried the ball 266 times for 1,350 yards and nine touchdowns, while quarterback Travis Wilson registered an efficiency rating of 135.93 thanks to his 60.3 percent completions and his 17 touchdowns, against only four interceptions. Wilson had four different receivers who logged four touchdowns through the air, his favorite target being Kenneth Scott with his 42 grabs for 445 yards. Although he doesnt necessarily fit the profile of an offensive player, punter Tom Hackett was no less a valuable asset for the Utes when the offense stalled, as the All-American and Ray Guy Award winner placed second in the country with a punt average of 47.0 yards per kick and was first with punts inside the 20 (35) and 10 (19) yard lines. Utah leads the nation in total sacks with 52 and is also first in sacks per game with 4.33. Nate Orchard, who won the Ted Hendricks Award as the nations top defensive end, led the country with 1.46 sacks per outing and was second in total sacks with 17.5 to set a single-season record for Utah. The Rams have to be careful not to focus all their energy on stopping Orchard because Hunter Dimick can also disrupt plays in the backfield after posting 14.5 TFL and 10 sacks of his own. Orchard and Dimick will both be targeting CSU quarterback Garrett Grayson, the all-time leading passer in Rams history and the 2014 MWC Offensive Player of the Year. Grayson completed close to 65 percent of his passes for a fantastic 314.9 ypg and a total of 32 touchdowns, against just six interceptions on 386 attempts. Making the job that much easier for Grayson, as he led the eighth-best passing attack in the country, was the play of wide receiver Rashard Higgins. A finalist for the Biletnikoff Award, Higgins led the nation with 149.1 ypg receiving and scored 17 touchdowns. He set a school record for consecutive games with at least 100 yards receiving with seven, en route to being named the first AP All-American at CSU since 1995. Its a great honor for Colorado State football, and especially for Rashard, coach Baldwin said of his selection. Im very proud of him, and proud of what everybody in this entire program has worked to accomplish this season. The offense has claimed most of the headlines at Colorado State this season, but that doesnt mean the defense is completely void of star players. Aaron Davis led the team in tackles with 110, while Cory James stepped up to produce team highs in TFL (8.5) and sacks (6.5). Trent Matthews was not only responsible for 51 tackles, he was tied for the lead in interceptions with three and logged a pair of blocked kicks as well.
[b]Jordy Nelson Jersey[/b] . Ryan Callahan trade talks caught a lot of people off guard. Details are now emerging about why the Rangers would consider such a move. Darren Dreger: He wants a lot of money. Its been widely reported that Callahan is looking for a seven-year term around $6 million per year. That is not accurate. Im told that it is more than $6.
[b]Custom Raiders Jerseys[/b] . -- The Chicago Bears agreed Tuesday to a one-year contract with defensive lineman Israel Idonije and are bringing him back for a second stint.OAKLAND, Calif. -- During a players meeting following the All-Star break, Jermaine ONeal promised his teammates to play the rest of the regular season like he would never play again -- because he very well might not. The 18-year NBA veteran has backed up his words more than anybody ever expected. ONeal had season highs of 23 points and 13 rebounds to carry the load for an undermanned frontcourt, and the Golden State Warriors held off the Brooklyn Nets 93-86 Saturday night for their third straight victory since the break. "Whatever I have, Im going to leave it on the able. Ive said that quite a few times, but Im dead serious," said the 36-year-old ONeal, who missed extensive time following surgery on his wrist earlier this season. "You may have to wheel me out of here at the end of the season, but thats what Im going to do." With Andrew Bogut sidelined with a left shoulder injury and David Lee out with a stomach flu, ONeal followed up his game-saving block that preserved Golden States overtime victory against Houston on Thursday night with a vintage performance. ONeal shot 10 for 13 from the floor, and Draymond Green scored a career-best 18 points to go with 10 rebounds starting in Lees place. Stephen Curry banked in a big 3-pointer in the final minute to finish with 17 points, and the Warriors won three games in a row for the first time since the Nets ended their 10-game winning streak on Jan. 8 in Brooklyn -- crediting ONeal for leading the way in the locker room and on the court. "Hes getting an opportunity to put a stamp on what he says," Warriors coach Mark Jackson said. "Its no longer what he says, its what hes doing." The veteran Nets never matched the intensity. Deron Williams had 20 points and six assists, and Joe Johnson scored 15 points for Brooklyn, which struggled to shoot from 3-point range and was just as careless passing. Brooklyn made just 2 of 21 attempts from beyond the arc and committed 16 turnovers. "I thought we had a lot of good shots, they just didnt fall," said Nets forward Paul Pierce, who scored 11 points on 3-for-11 shooting. "Sometimes you live by the 3, you die by the 3. We should attack more, especially with them limited in their big men." The Nets made sure the game moved at a plodding pace untill the final minutes.
[b]Emmanuel Lamur Raiders Jersey[/b]. Johnson made an 18-foot fadeaway to tie the score at 84 with 2:22 remaining. Green followed with two free throws, then Andray Blatche converted a tying layup. ONeal drew a foul on the other end and hit two free throws -- getting another chance after missing his second attempt because of a hitch in his release that drew a lane violation -- to give Golden State an 88-86 lead. On Brooklyns next possession, Johnsons pass was deflected before hitting Williams hands and landing out of bounds. Curry quickly came back by banking in a 3-pointer to put the Warriors up 91-86 with 37 seconds remaining and put the game out of reach. The win moved the Warriors (34-22) a season-high 12 games over .500. They begin a six-game road trip -- all against Eastern Conference opponents -- at Detroit on Monday. Golden States smaller lineup gave the Nets fits from the start. Curry hit two 3-pointers during an 18-6 run to open the game. Brooklyns slow start compounded when Shaun Livingston left in the first quarter with a bruised tailbone after falling hard when he was fouled by Harrison Barnes going for a layup. The team said X-rays on Livingston were negative. Just like they did in Brooklyn, though, the Nets rallied from an early deficit against Golden States second unit. Brooklyn took the lead for the first time when Williams started a three-point play on a layup over Andre Iguodala, putting the Nets up 46-44 late in the second quarter. They never led again. "Even though we didnt shoot the ball extremely well from behind the arc, it was a game until the last minute," Nets coach Jason Kidd said. "On the road against a team like Golden State, thats all you can ask for." NOTES: Green said he was in an accident driving to the game, but that no one was injured. ... Nets G Marcus Thornton sat out with a stomach illness. He has yet to play since being traded from Sacramento on Wednesday for Jason Terry and Reggie Evans. ... Warriors coach Mark Jackson said Bogut, who missed his seventh straight game because of an ailing left shoulder, will likely return at some point during the Warriors six-game road trip. ... The Warriors signed C Hilton Armstrong to a 10-day contract, calling him from the teams NBA Development League affiliate in Santa Cruz.
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