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30.12.2019 12:04
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BOULDER, Colo. -- Colorado quarterback Sefo Liufau attempted to somewhat downplay the significance of facing Washington State this weekend.Thats just difficult to do.Its just another game, Liufau said, that Id like to treat as a championship game.Because it really is that big.Very few predicted No. 12 Colorado and No. 20 Washington State would be leading their respective Pac-12 divisions this late into the season. The Buffaloes (8-2, 6-1 Pac-12, No. 10 CFP) were picked last in the South in a preseason poll and the Cougars (8-2, 7-0 Pac-12, No. 22 CFP ) tabbed to finish fourth in the North.And yet they meet Saturday with both in line to make the leagues title game.How many times in life do you get to do something that nobody thinks you can do? Colorado coach Mike MacIntyre said. Its a pretty neat situation, I would say.No jitters, either. Not this crew. Not after turning around a downtrodden program and becoming bowl eligible for the first time since 2007.I dont get those (nerves) anymore because Im prepared enough and confident enough in my ability, Colorado safety Ryan Moeller said. Were practicing every week for a test. Youre studying every day, just like you would in school.So when it comes time to take the test, you see questions on the test and youre like, `I know that. Its easy, almost second nature. And thats how it is for us out there.Like Colorado, the transformation of the Cougars has been a captivating story. Theyre trying to win nine straight for the first time since 1930.To think, these two teams had a grand total of two conference wins -- both by the Cougars -- between them two years ago.Coug fans are always great, whether youre down or whether youre up, said quarterback Luke Falk, who was knocked out of the Colorado game last season in the third quarter after a hit. The vibe is just lively.Washington State coach Mike Leach has kept a partial eye on the rise of the Buffaloes. Hes been impressed, especially since this is basically the same squad that went 4-9 a season ago.They are playing harder and more cohesive, Leach said. They dont break out a bunch of bells and whistles and try to outsmart you. They are really sound.Here are things to know before Washington State and Colorado clash in a contest with huge conference implications:HEADS OR TAILS: The Buffaloes are 9-1 this season on the opening coin toss. Thats partly due to Liufau, who always picks tails when hes calling it.Tails never fails, Liufau said.On the flip side, Washington State has an intriguing coin-toss tale as well -- running back Jamal Morrow once appeared as a contestant on The Price is Right. Given that, Leach figured it would be good luck to have him out there for the coin toss. Morrow has been one of the captains for the last 19 games and the Cougars have gone 15-4. The team said Morrow is 7-1 calling the toss.KEEPING THEM HONEST: No longer is Washington State just a fling-it-all-over-the-field offense. The Cougars have a bona fide ground game thats scored 22 rushing TDs this season, which is the most since 1997.People have to play us balanced this year, because of the run threat, Falk said. Its really great this year to lean on that at times.MISSING WEAPON: There are reports that Cougars standout receiver River Cracraft tore his ACL against California last week and is done for the season. Leach wouldnt confirm anything, simply saying, we dont comment on any injuries. Hes a great player and still part of our team.Cracraft has caught 53 passes for 701 yards and five touchdowns this season.OFFENSIVE NUMBERS: Washington State averages 517.5 yards in total offense this season. Colorados defense allows just 308.4 yards per game.Statistically, theyre the best weve faced, Cougars receiver Gabe Marks said. Theyve got some athletes out there.LIUFAUS LEGACY: With one more passing TD, Liufau will tie Cody Hawkins (60, 2007-10) for most in a career at Colorado. Liufau has already set or tied 84 school marks.The guys rally around him, Falk said of Liufau. Hes part of turning the program around.---Associated Press Writer Nicholas K. Geranios in Washington contributed to this story.---More AP college football at www.collegefootball.ap.org and https://twitter.com/AP-Top25 . Jamaal Williams Jersey . Klitschkos management company says the bout will be the Ukrainian fighters 25th world championship fight. The 1.83-meter (6-foot) Leapai defeated the previously unbeaten Denis Boytsov in November to become the WBOs mandatory challenger. Aaron Jones Jersey . -- Playing time has been limited for Maxim Tissot this season, so the Montreal Impact defender made the most of his first scoring opportunity on Saturday. https://www.packersjerseysale.com/2084j-jaire-alexander-jersey-packers.html . 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RIO DE JANEIRO -- Andy Murray is making a habit of accomplishing things that hadnt been done in a while.Or ever.Murray became the first tennis player in Olympic history with two singles gold medals, winning his second in a row by wearing down Juan Martin del Potro of Argentina 7-5, 4-6, 6-2, 7-5 at the Rio de Janeiro Games in a back-and-forth, four-hour final Sunday.Anything could have happened, said Murray, who took the final four games after trailing 5-3 in the fourth set.Emotionally, it was tough. Physically, it was hard, he said. So many ups and downs.At the 2012 London Olympics, Murray won a singles gold and mixed doubles silver at the All England Club. That was also the site of his historic 2013 Wimbledon championship, ending a 77-year wait for a British man to claim the trophy.Murray won Wimbledon again last month, raising his Grand Slam title count to three.On Sunday, the No. 2-seeded Murray stopped the resurgent run of the 141st-ranked del Potro, who knocked off No. 1 Novak Djokovic in the first round after getting stuck in an athletes village elevator for 40 minutes earlier in the day then beat No. 3 Rafael Nadal in the semifinals. No man ever has defeated the top three seeds on the way to a gold, but 2009 US Open champion del Potro came close before winding up with a silver to go alongside his bronze from 2012.Del Potro had the louder support, and one fan even yelled something as Murray was about to hit a shot while two points from victory. He put the ball in the net and glared in the direction the voice came from. Soon after, a spectator was escorted out.Nadal, the 2008 gold medalist, lost 6-2, 6-7 (1), 6-3 earlier Sunday to Kei Nishikori, whose bronze is Japans first Olympic tennis medal since 1920.The final provided quite a contrast in styles: Murrays terrific returns, impenetrable defense and track-down-every-ball court coverage against the 6-foot-6 del Potros booming serves and furious forehands. In heavy humidity and on a slow hard court, there were plenty of prolonged points. Not all were pretty, though, as they combined for 102 unforced errors to 85 winners.They almost went to a fifth set. Del Potro served for the fourth at 5-4 but was broken there and again in the final game.Against Andy, del Potro said, you never know if youre going to win your serve.When del Potro dumped a backhand into the net to end the match, the opponents met at the net and hugged.dddddddddddd Afterward, both mentioned how tired they were after playing for the fourth consecutive day.Del Potro would have been the lowest-ranked man to be an Olympic tennis gold medalist, and this would have been his first title at any tournament since January 2014. A couple of months later, he had the first of three operations on his left wrist that forced him to miss 2? years worth of Grand Slam tournaments. His first major tournament back was in June at Wimbledon, and he still is not completely able to rip two-handed backhands the way he used to, often relying on righty slices.Hed done amazing, really, to get back to playing and competing again at this level after all of the issues he had, Murray said.By the 10th point of Sundays match, a 26-stroke exchange that ended with Murray netting a forehand, del Potro already looked spent. He closed his eyes, rolled back his head, stuck out his tongue and sucked air. By the fourth set, he was leaning on his racket as if it were a cane.Early on, del Potro ended a mesmerizing, 34-stroke point by pounding a forehand winner then motioned to the crowd for more noise, perhaps hoping to delay things. His supporters responded dutifully, raising a ruckus with their song of Ole, ole, ole, ole! Del-po! Del-po! -- a chorus they repeated as he stood on court after the medal ceremony, wearing an Argentine flag like a cape.During the match, they would bounce in place and shout in Spanish, Whoever isnt jumping is English! (Murray is Scottish, but you get the point.)Murray carried Britains flag during the opening ceremony in Rio, and on Sunday evening, he saw it raised in the stadium while he sang along to God Save the Queen. Before beating Roger Federer in the 2012 Olympic final, Murray had never earned one of his sports most significant titles. Since then, he has won his trio of majors and his pair of golds -- and made a successful comeback from back surgery in September 2013.Ill try and keep going. And who knows about Tokyo? Murray said with a laugh, referring to the host city for the 2020 Games. If Im still playing in four years, when Im 33, I dont imagine Ill be playing at the same level as now. ' ' ' |
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