ISML 2012: Results, Male Tournament Match Day 1
Arena 1
Ciel Phantomhive
(Kuroshitsuji) 2847
Death the Kid
(Soul Eater) 1946
Lelouch Lamperouge
(Code Geass) 5021
Sugisaki Ken
(Seitokai no Ichizon) 1855
Okita Sōji
(Hakuōki) 1532
Kōgami Shinya
(PSYCHO-PASS) 1647
Arena 2
Oz Vessalius
(Pandora Hearts) 1817
Diarmuid Ua Duibhne
(Fate/Zero) 2565
Yatogami Kurō
(K) 3053
Kinoshita Hideyoshi
(Baka to Test to Shōkanjū) 3759
Watanuki Banri
(Inu × Boku SS) 1702
Tōyama Kinji
(Hidan no Aria) 1747
Arena 3
Uchiha Itachi
(NARUTO) 2943
Sinbad
(Magi) 1323
Sakai Yūji
(Shakugan no Shana) 2377
Sakata Gintoki
(Gintama) 4770
Tsukiyomi Ikuto
(Shugo Chara!) 1434
Kazehaya Shōta
(Kimi ni Todoke) 2187
Arena 4
Kujō Kazuya
(GOSICK) 1835
Hiraga Saito
(Zero no Tsukaima) 2215
Kuchiki Byakuya
(BLEACH) 3269
Li Syaoran
(Cardcaptor Sakura) 1859
Katsuragi Keima
(Kami nomi zo Shiru Sekai) 3585
Kurosawa Yamato
(Suki-tte Ii na yo.) 1218
Arena 5
Aladdin
(Magi) 1715
Uzumaki Naruto
(NARUTO) 2216
Kyon
(Suzumiya Haruhi no Yūutsu) 3396
Natsume Takashi
(Natsume Yūjinchō) 2691
Yagami Light
(Death Note) 2842
Kida Masaomi
(Durarara!!) 2656
Arena 6
Iskandar
(Fate/Zero) 2121
Monkey D. Luffy
(ONE PIECE) 2854
Hijikata Toshirō
(Gintama) 3265
Okabe Rintarō
(Steins;Gate) 2132
Orihara Izaya
(Durarara!!) 3368
Fukube Satoshi
(Hyōka) 1679
Arena 7
Alibaba Saluja
(Magi) 1703
Edward Elric
(Fullmetal Alchemist) 3572
Natsu Dragneel
(FAIRY TAIL) 2571
Okumura Rin
(Ao no Exorcist) 2633
Miketsukami Sōshi
(Inu × Boku SS) 2324
Hei
(DARKER THAN BLACK) 1840
Arena 8
Alphonse Elric
(Fullmetal Alchemist) 1760
Gilgamesh
(Fate/Zero) 3588
Yoshii Akihisa
(Baka to Test to Shōkanjū) 2216
Okazaki Tomoya
(CLANNAD) 3106
Akise Aru
(Mirai Nikki) 2047
Akashi Seijūrō
(Kuroko no Basket) 2238
Arena 9
Waver Velvet
(Fate/Zero ) 1265
Accelerator
(Toaru Majutsu no Index) 2920
Rokudō Mukuro
(Katekyō Hitman Reborn!) 2554
Togashi Yūta
(Chūnibyō demo Koi ga Shitai!) 3359
Usui Takumi
(Kaichō wa Maid-sama!) 2927
Kōsaka Kyōsuke
(Ore no Imōto) 2040
Arena 10
Gray Fullbuster
(FAIRY TAIL) 2252
Yoshida Haru
(Tonari no Kaibutsu-kun) 2510
Ōma Shū
(Guilty Crown) 2407
Sakakibara Kōichi
(Another) 1759
Araragi Koyomi
(Bakemonogatari) 2963
Kise Ryōta
(Kuroko no Basket) 2643
Arena 11
Satō Jun
(WORKING!!) 1226
Natsume Kyōsuke
(Little Busters!) 2176
Okita Sōgo
(Gintama) 2779
Aikawa Ayumu
(Kore wa Zombie desu ka?) 2656
Emiya Kiritsugu
(Fate/Zero) 2086
Otonashi Yuzuru
(Angel Beats!) 3657
Arena 12
Gilbert Nightray
(Pandora Hearts) 1485
Hatake Kakashi
(NARUTO) 3204
Hinata Hideki
(Angel Beats!) 2923
Naoe Riki
(Little Busters!) 1597
Ayasaki Hayate
(Hayate no Gotoku!) 2325
Kuroko Tetsuya
(Kuroko no Basket) 3207
Arena 13
Roy Mustang
(Fullmetal Alchemist) 3230
Kamijō Tōma
(Toaru Majutsu no Index) 2963
Koizumi Itsuki
(Suzumiya Haruhi no Yūutsu) 2198
Tomoe
(Kamisama Hajimemashita) 1806
Sunohara Yōhei
(CLANNAD) 1968
Kotomine Kirei
(Fate/Zero) 1786
Arena 14
Archer
(Fate/stay night) 2722
Gin
(Hotarubi no Mori e) 2034
Fuwa Mahiro
(Zetsuen no Tempest) 1779
Otonashi Io
(Acchi Kocchi) 1781
Takasu Ryūji
(Toradora!) 3471
Kurosaki Ichigo
(BLEACH) 2767
Arena 15
Heiwajima Shizuo
(Durarara!!) 2917
Kirigaya Kazuto
(Sword Art Online) 4724
Kanda Sorata
(Sakura-sō no Pet na Kanojo) 1717
Hasegawa Kodaka
(Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai) 1440
Echizen Ryoma
(Prince of Tennis) 1402
Hibari Kyōya
(Katekyō Hitman Reborn!) 2842
Arena 16
L Lawliet
(Death Note) 3371
Sebastian Michaelis
(Kuroshitsuji) 2931
Yagami Taichi
(Digimon) 1698
Maeda Atsuhiro (Wien)
(Tari Tari) 882
Oreki Hōtarō
(Hyōka) 3501
Sawada Tsunayoshi
(Katekyō Hitman Reborn!) 2859
ISML 2012: Picks, Male Tournament Match Day 4
ARENA 01: [Lelouch Lamperouge] Togashi Yūta
ARENA 02: Sakata Gintoki [Otonashi Yuzuru]
ARENA 03: Edward Elric [Kirigaya Kazuto]
ARENA 04: [Kyon] Roy Mustang
ARENA 05: [Sakai Wakana] Buratei Marii Lisara Restall
ARENA 06: [Funami Yui] Shinonome Satsuki Shimao Rokka
ARENA 07: [Yūki Asuna] Dōmoto Kuzuha He Liao Diao
ARENA 08: [Millhiore Firiano Biscotti] Sakura Ichiko Felicità
ARENA 09: Momo Belia Deviluke [Himenokōji Akiko] Momozono Nanami
ARENA 10: [Kurugaya Yuiko] Kusaribe Hakaze Watanabe Saki
ARENA 11: [Takanashi Rikka] Himiko Ecarlate Juptris St. Piria
ARENA 12: Ayukawa Tenri [Aoyama Nanami] Tsunemori Akane
ARENA 13: [Cinque Izumi] Hitsugaya Tōshirō Killua Zoldyck
ARENA 14: [Kanda Yū] Nezumi Saitō Hajime
ARENA 02: Sakata Gintoki [Otonashi Yuzuru]
ARENA 03: Edward Elric [Kirigaya Kazuto]
ARENA 04: [Kyon] Roy Mustang
ARENA 05: [Sakai Wakana] Buratei Marii Lisara Restall
ARENA 06: [Funami Yui] Shinonome Satsuki Shimao Rokka
ARENA 07: [Yūki Asuna] Dōmoto Kuzuha He Liao Diao
ARENA 08: [Millhiore Firiano Biscotti] Sakura Ichiko Felicità
ARENA 09: Momo Belia Deviluke [Himenokōji Akiko] Momozono Nanami
ARENA 10: [Kurugaya Yuiko] Kusaribe Hakaze Watanabe Saki
ARENA 11: [Takanashi Rikka] Himiko Ecarlate Juptris St. Piria
ARENA 12: Ayukawa Tenri [Aoyama Nanami] Tsunemori Akane
ARENA 13: [Cinque Izumi] Hitsugaya Tōshirō Killua Zoldyck
ARENA 14: [Kanda Yū] Nezumi Saitō Hajime
ISML 2012: Picks, Male Tournament Match Day 3
ARENA 01: [Togashi Yūta] Kise Ryōta
ARENA 02: [Araragi Koyomi] Usui Takumi
ARENA 03: [Otonashi Yuzuru] Hatake Kakashi
ARENA 04: Kuroko Tetsuya [Okita Sōgo]
ARENA 05: [Roy Mustang] Kurosaki Ichigo
ARENA 06: Takasu Ryūji [Kamijō Tōma]
ARENA 07: [Kirigaya Kazuto] L Lawliet
ARENA 08: [Oreki Hōtarō] Heiwajima Shizuo
ARENA 09: [Toshinō Kyōko] Sumiyoshi Chisato Fujiwara no Takaiko
ARENA 10: [Okita Sawa] Binboda Momiji Takamura Yui
ARENA 11: [Akaza Akari] Kunitachi Rinka Hasegawa Haruka
ARENA 12: [Inaba Himeko] Oda Nobuna Sakuraba Chitose
ARENA 13: [Natsume Rin] Sakurakōji Sakura Erina Pendleton
ARENA 14: [Dekomori Sanae] Mizutani Shizuku Tsugumi Ruri
ARENA 15: [Nōmi Kudryavka] Natsume Asako Inaba Rinne
ARENA 16: Morgiana Suirenji Ruka [Sugisaki Ringo]
ARENA 02: [Araragi Koyomi] Usui Takumi
ARENA 03: [Otonashi Yuzuru] Hatake Kakashi
ARENA 04: Kuroko Tetsuya [Okita Sōgo]
ARENA 05: [Roy Mustang] Kurosaki Ichigo
ARENA 06: Takasu Ryūji [Kamijō Tōma]
ARENA 07: [Kirigaya Kazuto] L Lawliet
ARENA 08: [Oreki Hōtarō] Heiwajima Shizuo
ARENA 09: [Toshinō Kyōko] Sumiyoshi Chisato Fujiwara no Takaiko
ARENA 10: [Okita Sawa] Binboda Momiji Takamura Yui
ARENA 11: [Akaza Akari] Kunitachi Rinka Hasegawa Haruka
ARENA 12: [Inaba Himeko] Oda Nobuna Sakuraba Chitose
ARENA 13: [Natsume Rin] Sakurakōji Sakura Erina Pendleton
ARENA 14: [Dekomori Sanae] Mizutani Shizuku Tsugumi Ruri
ARENA 15: [Nōmi Kudryavka] Natsume Asako Inaba Rinne
ARENA 16: Morgiana Suirenji Ruka [Sugisaki Ringo]
Florida State: 2012 ACC Champions
CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- In a span of four days last week, Florida State lost three times.
On Saturday, the Seminoles lost a heartbreaker to rival Florida in the final game of the season on their home turf. On Sunday, they lost their leading tackler and star defensive end, Tank Carradine, to a torn anterior cruciate ligament. And on Tuesday, they lost their beloved defensive coordinator, Mark Stoops, to Kentucky. Never mind the constant swirl of rumors about head coach Jimbo Fisher following Stoops into the SEC for another head-coaching gig.
“There were a lot of distractions this week,” FSU athletic director Randy Spetman said.
With a 21-15 victory over Georgia Tech on Saturday in the Dr Pepper ACC championship game, the Seminoles knocked any perceived distractions over like bowling pins. There was no sign of a hangover from the Florida game as FSU jumped out to a convincing 21-6 lead at the half. The news about Carradine and Stoops inspired the defense to a game-changing finish in the fourth quarter, as an interception by Karlos Williams sealed the ACC title with about a minute remaining. For a fleeting moment late Saturday night, as confetti scattered in the air and the Seminoles celebrated their first ACC title since 2005, the rest of the college football world was forced to pause and finally let the Noles enjoy themselves.
They earned it.
“We are still ACC champions, and that is one goal,” FSU safety Lamarcus Joyner said. “We had a lot of goals and we met one of them. We have another one in front of us. That makes greatness, grasping opportunities in front of you.”
In order to do that, they had to forget the missed opportunities behind them -- the loss to NC State, the loss to Florida.
There’s no question there was a sense of relief from within the program Saturday night. This is a team that began the season ranked No. 3 in the country. The loss to NC State knocked the Noles out of the national title conversation and will continue to haunt them long after this season ends. Five turnovers in a loss to Florida was another statement opportunity squandered. And with Georgia Tech in position to put together a game-winning drive late in Saturday's game, NC State 2.0 looked like a very real possibility.
It was almost as if you could hear the entire city of Tallahassee exhale all the way in Charlotte when Williams snagged that pick.
“Oh man,” defensive tackle Timmy Jernigan said. “Oh, man. We’ve been trying to get here for a long time. That’s why I thank God for letting us win this game and I thank the seniors for helping this program get back to the top and get back into the national title conversations and winning these ACC championships and Orange Bowls and those types of games. We’re Florida State. That’s what’s supposed to happen. It wasn’t nothing miraculous. That’s what we’re supposed to do.”
It wasn’t easy, and it wasn’t pretty, but it didn’t matter.
Give 'em a break. In the end, Florida State is right where almost everyone predicted this summer it would be: heading to the Discover Orange Bowl. While many will continue to lament what could have been, Florida State is staring down what is: the possibility at a 12-2 season with an ACC title and a BCS win.
Not exactly a five-loss Rose Bowl team, now is it?
“I’m extremely happy for our players because I know how hard it is and how much flak they’ve taken: ‘When are you going to be back, when are you going to win a championship, when are you going to do this,’” Fisher said. “... There’s a point in time you point back and you look at it and you say, ‘That was it.’ That’s the time that you got over the hump and you got there and you didn’t let the circumstances blur your vision, and they did that.”
It doesn’t always have to be about playing in the shadow of the SEC or comparing what’s happening in Charlotte to what’s happening in Atlanta. It wasn’t time to ask whether Fisher was the right man to replace Bobby Bowden. For once -- just once -- it can be simply about putting a trophy in the case and letting a group of players -- kids -- who have been through a lot enjoy it.
“I’ll be extremely proud of it 10, 15 years from now,” quarterback EJ Manuel said. “I’ll be able to say I helped our team get back to where we needed to be as far as the BCS conversation, the national championship conversation and things like that. I want to see greatness from here on out. We have a lot of great players, a lot of great young players, and guys understand what it takes to get to this point, so I don’t see us going back to where we used to be. I think Florida State is back in the conversation.”
Thanks in large part to the defense, which held Georgia Tech and the nation’s No. 3 rushing offense to just 183 rushing yards.
“You didn’t want to work this hard for three years and not be able to finish this,” Stoops said, “because our program, Coach Fisher and the players deserved this win.”
And they deserve to celebrate it -- without any distractions.
Alabama: 2012 SEC Champions
ATLANTA -- Alabama got a hand on the ball, which wobbled into the arms of a Georgiareceiver who wasn't supposed to catch it.
Before the Bulldogs could get off another play, the clock ran out.
The Crimson Tide are heading back to the national championship game.
By a mere 5 yards.
AJ McCarron threw a 45-yard touchdown pass toAmari Cooper with 3:15 remaining, and No. 2 Alabama barely held on at the end, beating No. 3 Georgia 32-28 in a Southeastern Conference title game for the ages Saturday.
"I'm ready to have a heart attack here," Crimson Tide coach Nick Saban said.
As confetti fell from the Georgia Dome roof, the Bulldogs collapsed on the field, stunned they had come so close to knocking off the team that has won two of the past three national titles.
"We just ran out of time," Georgia coach Mark Richt moaned.
Alabama (12-1) will get a chance to make it three out of four when they face top-ranked Notre Dame for the BCS crown on Jan. 7 in Miami.
This time, Alabama will head to the big game with a championship already in its pocket -- unlike last year's squad, which didn't even make it to Atlanta, but got a do-over against SEC champion LSU in the national title game.
Even though the Tide left little doubt, it was truly the best team in the country, routing the Tigers 21-0, there were plenty who thought Saban's team didn't deserve a rematch.
There will be no complaints when Alabama heads to South Florida for a dream matchup between two of college football's most storied programs. The Tide and Notre Dame have each won eight Associated Press national titles, more than any other school.
"This group has been fantastic," Saban said. "They were able to accomplish something of significance, and something that last year's team didn't accomplish, which is win the SEC championship."
What a game it was.
After an apparent game-clinching interception by Alabama was overturned on a video review, Georgia's Aaron Murray completed a 15-yard pass to Arthur Lynch, a 23-yarder to Tavarres King and a 26-yarder to Lynch, who was hauled down at the Alabama 8 as the clock continued to run.
The Bulldogs (11-2) were out of timeouts.
Instead of spiking the ball and gathering themselves, the Bulldog snapped the ball with 9 seconds to go. Murray attempted a pass into the corner but it was deflected at the line and ended in the arms of Chris Conley out in the right flats.
Surprised to get the ball, he slipped down at the 5.
Georgia couldn't get off another play.
Richt said the offense had the play it wanted at the end, but Alabama ruined it by tipping the pass. If it had fallen incomplete instead of going to Conley, who instinctively caught it, the Bulldogs likely would've had at least one more play, maybe two.
Instead, they were done.
"I told the guys I was disappointed, but I'm not disappointed in them," Richt said. "They're warriors. We had a chance at the end."
The consolation prize will likely be one of the second-tier bowls -- the Capital One, Cotton or Chick-fil-A -- though the Bulldogs certainly looked like a team deserving of something better.
"Do I think we're worthy of a BCS bowl?" Richt said. "Yes I do."
The Bulldogs even got props from Saban.
"It would be a crying shame if Georgia doesn't get to go to a BCS bowl game," the Alabama coach said. "They played a tremendous game out there. That was a great football game, by both teams. It came right down to the last play."
In a back-and-forth second half that looked nothing like a game in the defensive-minded SEC, the Crimson Tide trailed 21-10 after Alec Ogletree returned a blocked field goal for a touchdown in the third quarter.
Alabama rallied behind a punishing run game, finishing with 350 yards on the ground, an SEC championship game record. Eddie Lacy -- the game's MVP -- rumbled for 181 yards on 20 carries, including two TDs. Freshman T.J. Yeldonadded 153 yards on 25 carries, also scoring a TD.
After the game, Lacy hooked up with the guy he replaced in the Alabama backfield -- Heisman Trophy winner Mark Ingram, now with the NFL's New Orleans Saints.
"He just told me congratulations and that I did a great job running and it was it was the best he's ever seen me run." Lacy said.
But the Tide won it through the air.
With Georgia stacking the line, McCarron fooled the Bulldogs with play action and delivered a perfectly thrown pass to Cooper, who beat Damian Swann in single coverage down the left side.
Georgia played like a champion until the clock ran out, though.
Using up their timeouts and forcing a punt, the Bulldogs got the ball back at their 15 with 1:08 remaining. Alabama broke into a celebration when a pass down the middle for Conley was deflected and Dee Milliner appeared to make a diving interception. But the replay showed the ball hit the ground, so Murray and the Georgia offense trotted back on the field for their last gasp.
And what a gasp it was.
Just not quite enough.
Todd Gurley led Georgia with 122 yards rushing, including a couple of TDs. Murray was 18 of 33 for 265 yards with one touchdown and one interception.
McCarron was 12 of 21 for 162 yards with an interception, just his third of the season.
After a defensive struggle in the first half, with Alabama kicking a field goal on the final play for a 10-7 lead, the last two quarters were nothing but run-and-gun.
The Bulldogs took the second-half kickoff and marched right down the field for the go-ahead touchdown. Gurley ran it seven times, capped by leg-churning, 3-yard drive up the middle to make it 14-10.
Alabama looked like it was about to answer, holding the ball for more than 5 1-2 minutes, before the drive stalled. Cade Foster came on for a 50-yard field-goal attempt, but his low kick was swatted down by Cornelius Washington. Ogletree scooped up the bouncing ball in stride and returned it 55 yards for a touchdown.
Suddenly, the Bulldogs led 21-10.
But the Tide wasn't about to go away that easy. Yeldon broke off a 31-yard run, Swann was called interference on a throw down the middle, and Yeldon powered in from the 10. He ran it again for the 2-point conversion, pulling Alabama to 21-18.
Georgia went three-and-out, and the ground assault resumed. Lacy barreled over right guard for 32 yards. Yeldon got it down to the 1. Lacy returned for the first snap of the fourth period, bulling over to put Alabama ahead 25-21.
The Tide's momentum lasted about 2 minutes.
Murray found King down the middle for a 45-yard completion and Gurley finished off the lightning-quick possession with a 10-yard touchdown run up the middle, putting Georgia back on top, 28-25.
But Alabama knows a thing or two about comebacks, having rebounded the past two years from regular-season losses.
Just three weeks ago, the Tide were upset at home by Johnny Manziel and Texas A&M.
Now, Bama is off to play for another title.
"It's just the never-give-up attitude," McCarron said. "You've got to keep fighting through it."
Tulsa: 2012 Conference USA Champions
Tulsa’s goal all season has been to win the Conference USA Championship. It did it with a 33-27 overtime win over Central Florida in the league title game Saturday at Skelly Field at H.A. Chapman Stadium.
The Golden Hurricane (10-3) had to rally to win, which was done with Alex Singleton leaping over a pile into the end zone for the winning TD.
“I guess we had to find something to finish the game that we hadn’t done before,” Tulsa coach Bill Blankenship said. “Done about everything else. This team came from behind. They played in the lead. They’ve done all those things. And I just couldn’t be prouder. This is a great moment for these players and hopefully for the city.”
As the 2012 C-USA Champion, the Golden Hurricane will play in the Liberty Bowl on New Year’s Eve in Memphis, Tenn.
The Knights (9-4) had possession first and were forced to kick a field goal. Cory Dorris blocked Shawn Moffitt’s 38-yard attempt and the Hurricane only needed a score to win. on a one-yard TD.
The Hurricane led 21-14 at halftime but found itself down 27-21 after UCF quarterback Blake Bortles ran in 28 yards on a third down keeper.
Trey Watts scored a 54-yard punt return with 5:06 left in the game. But Tulsa could only tie the game at 27-27 since the extra point was blocked.
Watts rushed for 134 yards on 15 carries and was named Most Valuable Player. Singleton ran for 100 yards on 25 handoffs and two touchdowns.
After UCF jumped ahead to a 14-7, Tulsa answered back fast.
Trey Watts and Alex Singleton made big gains on the ensuing drive, with Singleton getting his 40th career TD on a seven yard run to tie it at 14-14 with 2:35 left in the first half.
The Golden Hurricane did not want to go into halftime up by three points. They wanted the seven and got it.
Cody Green hit Thomas Roberson with a deep pass to the two-yard line with two ticks left in the half. On the next play, Ja’Terian Douglas scored and Tulsa led 21-14 going into the locker room.
Los Angeles Galaxy: 2012 MLS Cup Champions
CARSON, Calif. – Give the LA Galaxy five minutes, and they’ll make memories to last an entire offseason.
Fueled by two lightning-quick goals early in the second half that wiped out a gritty first half from the Houston Dynamo, the Galaxy joined Major League Soccer royalty on Saturday by winning their second consecutive MLS Cup in front of a giddy, sold-out crowd at the Home Depot Center.
Defender Omar Gonzalez scored off a header in the 60th minute and captain Landon Donovan converted a penalty kick moments later in the 3-1 win, which thrust the Galaxy into rare company in league history. They joined D.C. United as the only clubs in MLS to win four league championships, and they are the third team in league history to win back-to-back titles.
Donovan – who scored the game-winner when the Galaxy topped the Dynamo in Carson last year – also joined a select fraternity with the win, finding company with longtime league stalwarts Jeff Agoos and Brian Mullan as the only players to win five MLS Cup titles in their careers.
Robbie Keane added an insurance goal from the penalty spot in stoppage time for this league-leading sixth goal of the postseason.
The Dynamo, meanwhile, settled for the runners-up podium yet again despite controlling large portions of the first half and getting a goal from striker Calen Carr in the 44th minute that staked them to a 1-0 halftime lead.
But two lapses – one that let game MVP Gonzalez rise above the fray for his second career postseason goal and a handball by midfielder Ricardo Clark that set the stage for Donovan’s winner – were too much to overcome. The Galaxy settled in after Donovan’s goal and punctuated the win when Keane was taken down on a breakaway by Dynamo goalkeeper Tally Hall in stoppage time.
Galaxy midfielder David Beckham – who went out a two-time Cup winner during a five-year MLS career – helped set up the Gonzalez goal and keyed what should have been a breakaway goal for Donovan in the first half. He came off the field to a roar of applause after Keane’s goal and with that waved goodbye to MLS, a far more celebratory exit than when he and the Galaxy floundered for two seasons after his arrival in 2007.
Beckham also had a hand setting up the Gonzalez goal, but much of the dirty work was done by the former Defender of the Year himself. The 6-foot-5 center back towered over Dynamo defender Kofie Sarkodie on a looping cross from midfielder Juninho and thumped a header to the far post and past Dynamo goalkeeper Hall to level the score at 1-1.
That goal sent the 30,515 fans in attendance into elation, but Donovan’s winner was sheer euphoria. Clark was whistled for a hand ball when Magee attempted a bicycle kick in the box in the 65th minute, and Donovan stepped to the spot for what’s become a ritual in Galaxy soccer circles for years.
He promptly placed his shot past Hall for his MLS-record 22nd career postseason goal, and there was no looking back. The Dynamo never really found another opening as the second half wore on, failing to test Galaxy goalkeeper Josh Saunders as they had in the first 45. And Donovan – who has yet to state publicly if he’ll return to the league next season – won his third crown in a Galaxy uniform after two with the San Jose Earthquakes.
The Dynamo controlled much of the action in the early going and forced Saunders into a string of saves, but the best chance of the first 30 minutes went to Donovan after a picture-perfect Galaxy counterattack.
Beckham drifted a ball into space on the left side to a hard-charging Robbie Keane, and the Irish striker surged into space and to the edge of the Dynamo penalty box. Keane found Donovan streaking behind Houston defender Bobby Boswell and left the Galaxy captain with an open look from 10 yards out, but Donovan’s right-footed shot skipped harmlessly wide of the post.
The Galaxy never seriously threatened again before the break, as chances by Mike Magee in the 19th minute and Juninho in the 24th went wide of the mark.
Houston countered with a solid look in the 27th minute from right back Kofie Sarkodie, who skirted Magee in the right corner and put a shot on net that Saunders had to parry over the crossbar.
Then came an opportunistic surge forward from Carr for this second career postseason goal and one that left the HDC crowd in a state of shock. Midfielder Adam Moffat drifted a cross over the Galaxy back line and Carr beat defender Tommy Meyer to the ball, held him at bay and then poked a shot past Saunders to the near post for the goal.
Carr, however, buckled early in the second half when he collided knee-to-knee with Gonzalez and had to be subbed out for Macoumba Kandji.
It was, sadly, injury to insult for the Dynamo on what turned out to be day of destiny for the Galaxy, who strolled to the winners’ podium as the sun momentarily broke through the clouds in Southern California. It was the last run with Beckham, Donovan and Keane during an era when the Galaxy broke the bank to place their mark on league history, but was no denying Saturday the moment in history was theirs to savor.
MLSsoccer.com Men of the Match
| Rank | Player | What We Saw |
| 1 | Omar Gonzalez | The equalizing goal and a relentess afternoon spent keeping the Dynamo out. Just another day in the sun for the league's best defender. |
| 2 | Calen Carr | His goal was a sheer stunner that gave the Dynamo the boost they needed, and the team never recovered after he left injured. |
| 3 | Robbie Keane | Should have probably finished with two goals and an assist. Capped an incredible postseason in style. |
Northern Illinois: 2012 MAC Champions
NIU takes MAC title in 2 OT
By Fred Mitchell, Chicago Tribune reporter11:34 PM CST, November 30, 2012
NIU (21-1) has won 12 straight while Kent State (11-2) had its 10-game winning streak snapped. The No. 21 Huskies became the first NIU team ever to win 12 games in a season.
"We beat a team tonight that beat Rutgers at Rutgers. It was a great season for our conference," NIU coach Dave Doeren said. "For us to go through the entire MAC schedule undefeated and beat this team in double-overtime says a lot about our football team.
"I don't care where you play. There's a huge target on these guys' back. Because of the streaks we have, it even adds to that incentive. With all that on the line, we just keep winning."
Jordan Lynch, the MAC regular-season MVP, rushed for 160 yards and three touchdowns, including the game-winner in the second overtime. Lynch broke the NCAA record for quarterback rushing yards with 1,771, eclipsing the 1,702-yard mark Michigan's Denard Robinson set in 2010. Lynch also completed 19 of 34 passes for 212 yards with one touchdown and an interception.
Lynch played down all of the conversation about being a Heisman Trophy candidate and setting national records.
"All that stuff's great. I just feel all that stuff is for the (team) banquet," Lynch said. "I really don't want to talk about it today. It was a total team effort today. None of that (individual) stuff is possible if it wasn't for my teammates.
"I'm just so happy and proud of these guys … just happy to be MAC champion."
The Golden Flashes had their final offensive opportunity in the second overtime thwarted when Demetrius Stone intercepted Spencer Keith's fourth-down pass in the end zone.
While pollsters, selection committees and other ranked teams will determine the long shot BCS bowl fate for NIU, the players determined the outcome on the field Friday night.
Akeem Daniels rushed for 128 yards and one touchdown. He also caught four passes for 67 yards. Martel Moore and Perez Ashford also had four catches apiece.
NIU converted 10 of 19 third-down situations and 2 of 2 fourth downs.
"If we can get to fourth-and-short, we're going to try and go," Doeren said. "Leading the way with some beef and with Jordan following them or Akeem following them, it was a nice little package."
NIU's defense limited Kent State running back Dri Archer to 15 yards rushing. He entered the game averaging 9.7 yards a carry. Archer did manage to catch five passes for 81 yards.
The Huskies' Tyler Weidel executed pooch kickoffs all night to keep the ball away from Archer, but the Golden Flashes came away with excellent field position.
"He's a great football player and it hurt us the second half … they got out to the 50 several times," Doeren said.
Doeren and Kent State coach Darrell Hazell each had predicted a close game that would come down to the final seconds.
"To their credit, they made some good adjustments at halftime and threw some slant balls on us that we didn't do a good job defending," Doeren said. "Once we got that under control, we got a lot better. Our fourth-down stop is similar to a takeaway, defensively. Any time we can do that and give the offense the ball back without losing field position is big."
With representatives from the Orange and Sugar bowls in attendance, Northern Illinois led 17-10 at the half. They led 27-13 going into the fourth quarter before Kent State scored 14 points within 15 seconds to tie the game 27-27.
When Lynch scored on a 9-yard run with 3 minutes, 12 seconds left in regulation, Kent State countered with a 19-yard pass from Keith to Tim Erjavec with 44 seconds left.
Freddy Cortez kicked his third field goal of the night from 33 yards to lift Kent State into a 37-34 lead in the first OT. But NIU's Mathew Sims came through with a clutch 40-yarder to extend the contest.
Lynch scored from 2 yards out on the next possession, setting up the Golden Flashes final, futile drive.
The Huskies appeared in the MAC title game for the third straight year, having won it last season over Ohio on a last-second field goal. Friday night's contest was every bit intriguing and represented the first MAC championship game to go into overtime.
This was the first time since 2003 that two nationally ranked teams were battling for the MAC championship.
"Well, what a great football game. It's a tough one for us to swallow right now," Hazell said. "That's a great football team we played and they did an excellent job.
"I was proud of our football team for keep battling back after being down 14 points. We just needed to make a couple of more plays at the end on both sides of the ball."
fmitchell@tribune.com
Twitter @kicker34
Copyright © 2012 Chicago Tribune Company, LLC
Stanford: 2012 Pac-12 Champions
Stanford football: It’s Rose Bowl for Cardinal
With the weather relenting, Stanford beat UCLA for the second time in six days Friday night 27-24 and won the Pac-12 championship for the first time since 1999.
They’re headed for the Rose Bowl, and quarterback Kevin Hogan, the game’s MVP, is 4-4 in his starts, all against ranked opponents.
A potential tying 52-yard field goal attempt by the Bruins’Ka’imi Fairbairn was wide left with 39 seconds left.
In Pasadena on Jan. 1, the No. 8 Cardinal (11-2) will play the winner of Saturday’s Big Ten title game between Nebraska and Wisconsin.
No. 17 UCLA (9-4) had a superb 194-yard rushing performance by Johnathan Franklin, but the Cardinal made the big plays at the end.
Hogan completed 16-of 22 passes for 155 yards and a touchdown, while Stepfan Taylor rushed for 78 yards and broke the Stanford career rushing record.
UCLA quarterback Brett Hundley completed 23 of 31 passes for 177 yards and rushed for another 83 yards.
Jordan Williamson’s 36-yard field goal gave Stanford a 27-24 lead with 6:49 left. A 23-yard run by Kelsey Young followed an 18-yard punt return by Drew Terrell to help set up the field goal.
UCLA reached the Stanford 42 on the ensuing possession, but the Cardinal held and A.J. Tarpley couldn’t hang on to an interception on third down.
The Bruins forced a Stanford punt when Tevin McDonaldd broke up a pass intended for tight end Levine Toilolo.
A fourth-down pass to tight end Joseph Fauria kept UCLA’s drive alive, but Fairbairn missed the field goal.
A 31-yard field goal by Ka’imi Fairbairn on UCLA’s first possession of the second half tied the score 17-17. Franklin ignited the drive with a 32-yard run.
After holding the Cardinal to one first down on their next possession, the Bruins marched 80 yards to a go-ahead score. Hundley threw a perfect 20-yard strike to Shaq Evans on the right sideline. Franklin finished the drive with a 20-yard touchdown run to make it 24-17 Bruins.
But Hogan fired a 26-yard touchdown pass to Drew Terrell to tie the score 3:39 into the fourth quarter.
The crowd, announced as 31,622 but was probably more like 25,000 because of the threat of rain. Except for a couple of showers, it turned out to be a fine night.
Franklin nearly equaled his 65-yard rushing output of last week on the first drive. He broke loose for a 51-yard touchdown just 3:25 into the game. He ran up the middle untouched and outraced Alex Carter and Jordan Richards to the end zone for a 7-0 lead.
Stanford tied it on Hogan’s 2-yard bootleg run around the left side, completely fooling the UCLA defense. On the previous play, Taylor took a swing pass, broke a tackle by Cassius Marsh and sprinted 34 yards to the 2.
The Bruins continued to gash the vaunted Stanford rushing defense. Hundley ran 48 yards on a keeper, and Franklin ripped off a 19-yard gain before Hundley scored on a 5-yard keeper. He rolled briefly to the right, cut back and raced untouched around the left side to the touchdown, putting UCLA up 14-7.
The Bruins had 132 yards rushing in the first quarter, nearly double what Stanford’s nation-leading defense averages surrendering (71.3).
UCLA was driving again early in the second quarter when safety Ed Reynolds made his sixth interception of the season and pulled off a magnificent 80-yard return. To the Stanford fans’ displeasure, he was called down on the 1-yard line on a tackle by quarterback Hundley. The call was upheld on a review.
Reynolds grabbed Hundley’s pass at the Stanford 19, kept his feet in bounds, shook off a couple of tackles and broke into the open field before Hundley finally caught him.
Taylor scored his 14th touchdown of the season on the next play, tying the score.
In the closing minute of the first half, Taylor broke Darrin Nelson’s 31-year-old school record of 4,169 career rushing yards. His 10-yard run set up Jordan Williamson’s 17-14, which gave Stanford a 17-14 edge on the final play of the half.
UCLA had a 268-190 advantage in total yardage in the first half, chiefly on Franklin’s 113 rushing yards on 10 carries.
ISML 2012: Picks, Male Tournament Match Day 2
Picks for Match Day 1 have been intentionally omitted due to makeup. No odds will be posted during the Male Tournament, which takes place following the ISML season proper.
ARENA 01: [Lelouch Lamperouge] Yatogami Kurō
ARENA 02: [Kinoshita Hideyoshi] Ciel Phantomhive
ARENA 03: [Sakata Gintoki] Kuchiki Byakuya
ARENA 04: [Katsuragi Keima] Uchiha Itachi
ARENA 05: [Kyon] Hijikata Toshirō
ARENA 06: [Orihara Izaya] Yagami Light
ARENA 07: Edward Elric [Okazaki Tomoya]
ARENA 08: [Gilgamesh] Okumura Rin
ARENA 09: Watashi Iris [Erica Blandelli]
ARENA 10: [Horizon Ariadust] Nagase Iori Yukimura Chizuru
ARENA 11: [Kirigaya Suguha] Takenaka Hanbee Kanamori Hakata
ARENA 12: Yui [Rebecca Anderson] Aida Yurume
ARENA 13: [Shiina Mashiro] Nazuna Nel
ARENA 14: Neko Nishizumi Miho [Naze Yōka]
ARENA 15: [Nibutani Shinka] Senomiya Akiho Arnval Mk.2
ARENA 16: Tachibana Mei Fuwa Aika [Kurosaki Mea]
ARENA 01: [Lelouch Lamperouge] Yatogami Kurō
ARENA 02: [Kinoshita Hideyoshi] Ciel Phantomhive
ARENA 03: [Sakata Gintoki] Kuchiki Byakuya
ARENA 04: [Katsuragi Keima] Uchiha Itachi
ARENA 05: [Kyon] Hijikata Toshirō
ARENA 06: [Orihara Izaya] Yagami Light
ARENA 07: Edward Elric [Okazaki Tomoya]
ARENA 08: [Gilgamesh] Okumura Rin
ARENA 09: Watashi Iris [Erica Blandelli]
ARENA 10: [Horizon Ariadust] Nagase Iori Yukimura Chizuru
ARENA 11: [Kirigaya Suguha] Takenaka Hanbee Kanamori Hakata
ARENA 12: Yui [Rebecca Anderson] Aida Yurume
ARENA 13: [Shiina Mashiro] Nazuna Nel
ARENA 14: Neko Nishizumi Miho [Naze Yōka]
ARENA 15: [Nibutani Shinka] Senomiya Akiho Arnval Mk.2
ARENA 16: Tachibana Mei Fuwa Aika [Kurosaki Mea]
They made conference play look way too easy...
Wahine Seattle-bound
POSTED: 01:30 a.m. HST, Nov 26, 2012
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StarAdvertiser.com
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Hawaii won't host in the NCAA tournament, instead heading for the mainland this week
By Ann Miller
Hawaii's last live look at its Rainbow Wahine volleyball team this year ended with Emily Maeda quickly saying "yes" to Chad Reis when he proposed marriage Friday at her senior night.
Sunday, the NCAA's answer to eighth-ranked Hawaii's proposal for hosting a subregional was an adamant "no."
NCAA VOLLEYBALL TOURNAMENT
» Matchup: Hawaii (26-2) vs. Santa Clara (20-11)
» When: 3 p.m. Friday
» Where: Alaska Airlines Arena in Seattle
» TV: TBD
» Radio: 1420-AM
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The Wahine, with a win over second-seeded Stanford and no losses since Sept. 9, are not among the 16 seeds for the NCAA Championship. The program that's set the bar for attendance opens in Seattle for the second time in three years.
That news was met by utter silence as the Wahine watched the selection show at Stan Sheriff Center.
"We can definitely compete with all those teams in the top 16," UH junior Emily Hartong said. "I think we deserved to play here.
"But it will be fun to go back to Washington. It was a terrible feeling losing there in the second round (in 2010), so it will be nice for all the girls who have been here as long as I have to go back and play there again. Hopefully we don't feel the same when we come out of there this time."
Hawaii (26-2) opens Friday, at 3 p.m. at Alaska Airlines Arena, against Santa Clara (20-11), one of six West Coast Conference teams in the tournament.
The winner most likely meets fifth-ranked Washington (23-6) on Saturday. The Huskies, one of seven Pac-12 teams in the tournament, open against Southland Conference champ Central Arkansas (30-4), making its first NCAA appearance.
Washington and Hawaii were Nos. 16-17 in the NCAA RPI released Sunday, with Santa Clara 45th and Central Arkansas 49th.
Iowa State, No. 18 in the RPI and coaches' poll, got the 15th seed. Unranked Kentucky, with an RPI of 19, is the 16th seed. Both are hosting subregionals.
Hawaii coach Dave Shoji believes the brackets were set "well before this weekend." That belief is backed by the official NCAA release. It has his team's record as 25-2, which is what it was before the Wahine finished off an unbeaten Big West season Friday.
"Somebody didn't see fit to travel three teams to Hawaii like they did last year," Shoji said. "I'm not sure of the reason. Maybe it's financial. I'm not sure if we made money last year, but they (NCAA) certainly hung their hat off the attendance being better in the NCAA tournament and that was strictly because of us.
"You'd like to be inside that room and see how things came about. You want transparency, but this selection process is not transparent. That's unfortunate."
Penn State is the top seed, followed by Stanford, Texas and Nebraska. Those teams have won 15 titles dating back to 1988, when Texas defeated UH in the NCAA final. The Wahine won their fourth and last title in 1987.
To win another will take two victories in Washington, two more at the Omaha, Neb., regional and two more at the final four in Louisville the week after that.
Shoji needs five wins to reach 1,107 and become the winningest Division I women's coach in history.
That is some 9,000 miles away today.
Santa Clara was fourth in the WCC and is making its 14th NCAA appearance, but first since it upset 16th-ranked Kansas State at the 2008 Seattle subregional. Washington crushed Hawaii in the second round two years ago. Nebraska did the same in a spring exhibition this year. The 'Huskers, however, have lost four times in the last month.
"Nebraska has struggled and they're the fourth seed, so I kind of like that part of it," Shoji says. "We're not running into a hot team if you get that far. They are certainly really good. They had their way with us in the spring, but if you had your druthers you'd probably pick Nebraska out of the top-four seeds. We just want to get there. We have a long way to go before we get there."
Through all the lineup changes and inconsistency, UH takes a 19-match winning streak into the NCAA tournament. The Wahine feel ready for anything that comes their way.
"I think we're coming together as a team," says Maeda, their only senior. "We're peaking at the right point. We're working hard and we're motivated to play well wherever we are, so we were pretty ready to hear whatever they were going to say. This is not too much of a shock."
Disappointing maybe, but hardly shocking after Hawaii's NCAA history.
"I just want to thank our fans for supporting us," said Shoji, whose team drew more than 126,000 this season. "Our attendance was great again this year. Unfortunately for everyone, they don't get rewarded by seeing a playoff game. It's not in our control and it certainly wasn't that we didn't have the support."
Grey Cup 2012...
Argos close out magical season in Toronto with Grey Cup victory
Bruce Arthur | Nov 25, 2012 10:35 PM ET | Last Updated: Nov 26, 2012 12:21 AM ET
More from Bruce Arthur | @bruce_arthur
More from Bruce Arthur | @bruce_arthur
TORONTO — They broke the Grey Cup somewhere in the whirlwind of
Champagne and beer and big men in close quarters, letting out all the
joy and pain and pressure from a long and strange season. The handle
snapped clean off, but then, it’s never been the sturdiest trophy. Which
is fitting, since the Toronto Argonauts, for all the 139 years of their
history, have never been the sturdiest franchise.
On Sunday night, though, in the 100th Grey Cup, they were immovable from beginning to end in a 35-22 victory over the imploding Calgary Stampeders. The game capped a smashing Grey Cup week, during which Toronto felt more like the rest of Canada than it has in a long time; the dusty old Rogers Centre came alive in a way that it simply never does. Usually, this place is half-empty or worse, and the games feel small. This time the sellout crowd of 53,208 turned the dusty old dome into a multicoloured, raucous, sold-out festival. And their team measured up.
“It’s something we can be proud of the rest of our lives — that when all the lights were brightest, and all the eyes were on us, we answered the call and made Toronto a city of champions,” said defensive back Jordan Younger, one of this team’s most enduring presences. “As an athlete, it’s a perfect moment. I mean, perfect.”
This town has become a black hole of despair when it comes to sports, but for the Argonauts it’s been Toronto’s week, and Toronto’s year. From the moment this last-place team traded for quarterback Ricky Ray the conspiracy theories bloomed, as if the Canadian Football League had somehow convinced the Edmonton Eskimos to torch their franchise for the good of the big picture. Speculation swirled around the job security of Toronto’s general manager, Jim Barker, despite the heist. Late in Grey Cup week, speculation swirled around their immediate future. This team has always been a little uncertain, and this version was no exception.
But on Sunday, they were the best team in the country, and not by a little. No conspiracy theory would have arranged a 9-9 record in the regular season, a climb over Edmonton and Montreal in the playoffs, and the demolition of a team that had won 13 of its previous 15 games. But here we are.
“I think this was as much as anyone could have hoped for,” said Argonauts CEO Chris Rudge, standing clear of the puddles of Champagne in the plastic-wrapped winning locker room.
It was, on the balance, a very Canadian evening. Burton Cummings botched the anthem in both languages, singing what appeared to be the old version before they changed the words, but then, he was doing in the jazz style, so maybe it was just improvisation. The halftime show was Gordon Lightfoot and the kids, with Justin Bieber — who has nearly as many Twitter followers as there are Canadians — saying it was an honour to appear, even after being booed.
Yes, the turf was slippery, the officials were foggy, and the air was
so murky from the fireworks that you felt like it was the world’s
biggest restaurant in 1985. Non-smoking, please.
But the game was a coronation, to conclude a struggle. Ray, the franchise quarterback acquired from Edmonton for a bag of magic beans, chucked an interception on the game’s first play from scrimmage. But the Stampeders went two-and-out, and on Calgary’s next possession Jon Cornish, the league’s Outstanding Canadian and leading rusher, fumbled an exchange with Kevin Glenn that Toronto turned into a Chad Owens touchdown. After a Calgary field goal, Glenn — in his first Grey Cup after 12-star-crossed years — flopped a short, errant pass to his right that was picked off by Pacino Horne and returned 25 yards for a touchdown and a 14-3 Toronto lead.
The Stampeders, who had not lost a game since Sept. 23, were in trouble. Glenn just couldn’t keep a drive together. Cornish, who would be held to 57 yards on 15 carries, seemed lost in the pall of smoke.
It was 24-6 at halftime, and Calgary’s necessary miracles never came. A 105-yard kickoff return by Larry Taylor was called back for holding; receivers fell down, balls sailed, nothing worked. The Calgary Stampeders might well wake up Monday morning and wonder how, in the biggest game of what had become a remarkable season, everything fell apart.
Owens, the league’s Most Outstanding Player, caught just two passes, but running back Chad Kackert rolled up a combined 195 yards on 28 touches and was named the game’s MVP. Ray, the fulcrum, was rock solid. The defence, coached by former Calgary defensive co-ordinator Chris Jones, ate the Stampeders alive. Calgary had to negotiate its horse into the stadium; like its team, it didn’t have room to run.
And so, the end of a strange and compelling year. It’s easy to forget, but the Argonauts are a 9-9 team that struggled to mix in a sea of new faces and a first-time head coach, Scott Milanovich, in a season where the practice facility burned down. As Younger puts it in his gravel-soaked voice, “I told my teammates, man, we are blue-collar. We are not divas, we are not soft. We did this with no meeting rooms. We did this bouncing around a college campus, getting in where we fit in. We really pulled this off the hardest way we could, the most difficult and complicated way we could.”
They did, but they almost made it look easy at the end. As the Cup
was carried in late in the fourth quarter, Calgary’s horse exited stage
left, and the Stampeders committed 30 yards of penalties on one play.
Next thing you know, Owens’ daughters were doing snow angels in the
confetti.
Going forward, the Argonauts suddenly seem like a team that could be here again. Montreal is a dynasty in decline; Winnipeg is rubble; Hamilton will spend the next year as a refugee franchise, playing under bridges and in parking lots while a new stadium is built. Toronto could become the new Montreal, for a time.
Maybe the Blue Jays will put natural grass in and evict their
tenants, which is an idea that is suddenly swirling with some force;
maybe a mess is right around the corner. But on the field, the future
seems strangely bright.
Which, when you think about it, could be as unifying a force as the Grey Cup, in its own way. Toronto is a town that has been pitied of late; this will give the rest of the country something to cheer against again. It’s been too long.
On Sunday night, though, in the 100th Grey Cup, they were immovable from beginning to end in a 35-22 victory over the imploding Calgary Stampeders. The game capped a smashing Grey Cup week, during which Toronto felt more like the rest of Canada than it has in a long time; the dusty old Rogers Centre came alive in a way that it simply never does. Usually, this place is half-empty or worse, and the games feel small. This time the sellout crowd of 53,208 turned the dusty old dome into a multicoloured, raucous, sold-out festival. And their team measured up.
“It’s something we can be proud of the rest of our lives — that when all the lights were brightest, and all the eyes were on us, we answered the call and made Toronto a city of champions,” said defensive back Jordan Younger, one of this team’s most enduring presences. “As an athlete, it’s a perfect moment. I mean, perfect.”
This town has become a black hole of despair when it comes to sports, but for the Argonauts it’s been Toronto’s week, and Toronto’s year. From the moment this last-place team traded for quarterback Ricky Ray the conspiracy theories bloomed, as if the Canadian Football League had somehow convinced the Edmonton Eskimos to torch their franchise for the good of the big picture. Speculation swirled around the job security of Toronto’s general manager, Jim Barker, despite the heist. Late in Grey Cup week, speculation swirled around their immediate future. This team has always been a little uncertain, and this version was no exception.
But on Sunday, they were the best team in the country, and not by a little. No conspiracy theory would have arranged a 9-9 record in the regular season, a climb over Edmonton and Montreal in the playoffs, and the demolition of a team that had won 13 of its previous 15 games. But here we are.
“I think this was as much as anyone could have hoped for,” said Argonauts CEO Chris Rudge, standing clear of the puddles of Champagne in the plastic-wrapped winning locker room.
It was, on the balance, a very Canadian evening. Burton Cummings botched the anthem in both languages, singing what appeared to be the old version before they changed the words, but then, he was doing in the jazz style, so maybe it was just improvisation. The halftime show was Gordon Lightfoot and the kids, with Justin Bieber — who has nearly as many Twitter followers as there are Canadians — saying it was an honour to appear, even after being booed.
Darren Calabrese/National PostChad Owens.
But the game was a coronation, to conclude a struggle. Ray, the franchise quarterback acquired from Edmonton for a bag of magic beans, chucked an interception on the game’s first play from scrimmage. But the Stampeders went two-and-out, and on Calgary’s next possession Jon Cornish, the league’s Outstanding Canadian and leading rusher, fumbled an exchange with Kevin Glenn that Toronto turned into a Chad Owens touchdown. After a Calgary field goal, Glenn — in his first Grey Cup after 12-star-crossed years — flopped a short, errant pass to his right that was picked off by Pacino Horne and returned 25 yards for a touchdown and a 14-3 Toronto lead.
The Stampeders, who had not lost a game since Sept. 23, were in trouble. Glenn just couldn’t keep a drive together. Cornish, who would be held to 57 yards on 15 carries, seemed lost in the pall of smoke.
It was 24-6 at halftime, and Calgary’s necessary miracles never came. A 105-yard kickoff return by Larry Taylor was called back for holding; receivers fell down, balls sailed, nothing worked. The Calgary Stampeders might well wake up Monday morning and wonder how, in the biggest game of what had become a remarkable season, everything fell apart.
Owens, the league’s Most Outstanding Player, caught just two passes, but running back Chad Kackert rolled up a combined 195 yards on 28 touches and was named the game’s MVP. Ray, the fulcrum, was rock solid. The defence, coached by former Calgary defensive co-ordinator Chris Jones, ate the Stampeders alive. Calgary had to negotiate its horse into the stadium; like its team, it didn’t have room to run.
And so, the end of a strange and compelling year. It’s easy to forget, but the Argonauts are a 9-9 team that struggled to mix in a sea of new faces and a first-time head coach, Scott Milanovich, in a season where the practice facility burned down. As Younger puts it in his gravel-soaked voice, “I told my teammates, man, we are blue-collar. We are not divas, we are not soft. We did this with no meeting rooms. We did this bouncing around a college campus, getting in where we fit in. We really pulled this off the hardest way we could, the most difficult and complicated way we could.”
Peter J. Thompson/National PostAs
the Grey Cup was brought down to field level, the Calgary Stampeders
mascot exited and Toronto fans new that the Argonauts, who went 9-9 in
the regular season, had brought home the 100th Grey Cup.
Going forward, the Argonauts suddenly seem like a team that could be here again. Montreal is a dynasty in decline; Winnipeg is rubble; Hamilton will spend the next year as a refugee franchise, playing under bridges and in parking lots while a new stadium is built. Toronto could become the new Montreal, for a time.
Darren Calabrese/National PostRicky
Ray has appeared in four Grey Cup games — three with the Edmonton
Eskimos and one with the Toronto Argonauts — and has now won three of
them after a 35-22 victory over the Calgary Stampeders on Sunday.
Which, when you think about it, could be as unifying a force as the Grey Cup, in its own way. Toronto is a town that has been pitied of late; this will give the rest of the country something to cheer against again. It’s been too long.
Peter J. Thompson/National PostChad
Owens left his mark for the Toronto Argonauts in a record-setting
regular season, and has already had an impact with a touchdown in the
first half of the 100th Grey Cup against the Calgary Stampeders.
Darren Calabrese/National PostToronto
Argonauts receiver Andre Durie's, left, fourth quarter touchdown put
the final exclamation mark on a dominant 35-22 victory over the Calgary
Stampeders in the 100th Grey Cup.
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