Go long: SMU quarterback Garrett Gilbert drops back to pass against Fresno St. during the Hawaii Bowl. SMU won 43-10. APHunt, the 203-cm senior from Estonia with an 82-inch wing span, forced two fumbles that led to field goals and sacked Derek Carr for a safety as SMU (7-6) built a 22-0 halftime lead and never looked back.The Mustangs also returned two interceptions for touchdowns, giving them eight for the season to tie the NCAA record set last year by Southern Miss. Hayden Greenbauer picked off Carr and returned it 83 yards with 1:14 left, the final blow to a miserable night for the Bulldogs (9-4).SMU had seven sacks, the most Fresno State has given up all year.Garrett Gilbert was effective with his arm and his legs, running for a 17-yard touchdown for the first score of the game and throwing a perfect strike to Darius Johnson for a 21-yard score to answer the Bulldogs' only touchdown. He rushed for 98 yards on 18 carries and threw for 212 yards.But this game was decided by the Mustangs' defense, with Hunt leading the way. He was voted the game's MVP.Fresno State, which had averaged just over 47 points in its last five games, was held scoreless in the first half for the first time in two years, and Carr was too busy running for his life to get the Bulldogs into any kind of offensive rhythm.The Mustangs were playing in a school-record fourth straight bowl game since ending a 25-year drought dating to its infamous NCAA death penalty. They have won three of those bowl games, twice as big underdogs to explosive offenses — a 45-10 win over Nevada in 2009 and Saturday against Fresno State, both in the Hawaii Bowl.That's where Jones feels right at home, even though the flea market earlier in the day drew more people.He was the coach at Hawaii for eight years, leaving after its unbeaten regular season in 2007. Jones now has won 10 straight games in Aloha Stadium, dating to a December 2006 loss to Oregon State."I just want to say 'Aloha' to the seniors," Jones said during the trophy presentation. "We said we were going to do it and we did it."Without hardly breaking a sweat.Hunt, who won the Junior World Championships in Beijing in 2006 in the shot put and discus, came to SMU to work on athletics and earned a scholarship when coaches took one look at him, and saw his 4.7-second time in the 40-yard dash. He set an NCAA record this year by blocking his 10th field goal.His speed made all the difference in his final college game as Hunt zipped around tackles and harassed Carr all night. Carr finished with 362 yards on 33-of-54 passing. The 10 points were the fewest Fresno State has scored since a 20-10 loss to Boise State this year.The Bulldogs hardly looked like a team averaging 488 yards a game. Carr spent more time on his back than stepping into throws as the Mustangs' defensive front — particularly Hunt — was overwhelming.
Showing posts with label Defensive. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Defensive. Show all posts
Wednesday, December 26, 2012
Defensive star Hunt leads charge in Hawaii Bowl rout
HONOLULU — SMU coach June Jones walked out of Aloha Stadium with another win Saturday, thanks largely to a disruptive performance by defensive end Margus Hunt that set the tone for the Mustangs' 43-10 win over Fresno State in the Hawaii Bowl.Go long: SMU quarterback Garrett Gilbert drops back to pass against Fresno St. during the Hawaii Bowl. SMU won 43-10. APHunt, the 203-cm senior from Estonia with an 82-inch wing span, forced two fumbles that led to field goals and sacked Derek Carr for a safety as SMU (7-6) built a 22-0 halftime lead and never looked back.The Mustangs also returned two interceptions for touchdowns, giving them eight for the season to tie the NCAA record set last year by Southern Miss. Hayden Greenbauer picked off Carr and returned it 83 yards with 1:14 left, the final blow to a miserable night for the Bulldogs (9-4).SMU had seven sacks, the most Fresno State has given up all year.Garrett Gilbert was effective with his arm and his legs, running for a 17-yard touchdown for the first score of the game and throwing a perfect strike to Darius Johnson for a 21-yard score to answer the Bulldogs' only touchdown. He rushed for 98 yards on 18 carries and threw for 212 yards.But this game was decided by the Mustangs' defense, with Hunt leading the way. He was voted the game's MVP.Fresno State, which had averaged just over 47 points in its last five games, was held scoreless in the first half for the first time in two years, and Carr was too busy running for his life to get the Bulldogs into any kind of offensive rhythm.The Mustangs were playing in a school-record fourth straight bowl game since ending a 25-year drought dating to its infamous NCAA death penalty. They have won three of those bowl games, twice as big underdogs to explosive offenses — a 45-10 win over Nevada in 2009 and Saturday against Fresno State, both in the Hawaii Bowl.That's where Jones feels right at home, even though the flea market earlier in the day drew more people.He was the coach at Hawaii for eight years, leaving after its unbeaten regular season in 2007. Jones now has won 10 straight games in Aloha Stadium, dating to a December 2006 loss to Oregon State."I just want to say 'Aloha' to the seniors," Jones said during the trophy presentation. "We said we were going to do it and we did it."Without hardly breaking a sweat.Hunt, who won the Junior World Championships in Beijing in 2006 in the shot put and discus, came to SMU to work on athletics and earned a scholarship when coaches took one look at him, and saw his 4.7-second time in the 40-yard dash. He set an NCAA record this year by blocking his 10th field goal.His speed made all the difference in his final college game as Hunt zipped around tackles and harassed Carr all night. Carr finished with 362 yards on 33-of-54 passing. The 10 points were the fewest Fresno State has scored since a 20-10 loss to Boise State this year.The Bulldogs hardly looked like a team averaging 488 yards a game. Carr spent more time on his back than stepping into throws as the Mustangs' defensive front — particularly Hunt — was overwhelming.
Go long: SMU quarterback Garrett Gilbert drops back to pass against Fresno St. during the Hawaii Bowl. SMU won 43-10. APHunt, the 203-cm senior from Estonia with an 82-inch wing span, forced two fumbles that led to field goals and sacked Derek Carr for a safety as SMU (7-6) built a 22-0 halftime lead and never looked back.The Mustangs also returned two interceptions for touchdowns, giving them eight for the season to tie the NCAA record set last year by Southern Miss. Hayden Greenbauer picked off Carr and returned it 83 yards with 1:14 left, the final blow to a miserable night for the Bulldogs (9-4).SMU had seven sacks, the most Fresno State has given up all year.Garrett Gilbert was effective with his arm and his legs, running for a 17-yard touchdown for the first score of the game and throwing a perfect strike to Darius Johnson for a 21-yard score to answer the Bulldogs' only touchdown. He rushed for 98 yards on 18 carries and threw for 212 yards.But this game was decided by the Mustangs' defense, with Hunt leading the way. He was voted the game's MVP.Fresno State, which had averaged just over 47 points in its last five games, was held scoreless in the first half for the first time in two years, and Carr was too busy running for his life to get the Bulldogs into any kind of offensive rhythm.The Mustangs were playing in a school-record fourth straight bowl game since ending a 25-year drought dating to its infamous NCAA death penalty. They have won three of those bowl games, twice as big underdogs to explosive offenses — a 45-10 win over Nevada in 2009 and Saturday against Fresno State, both in the Hawaii Bowl.That's where Jones feels right at home, even though the flea market earlier in the day drew more people.He was the coach at Hawaii for eight years, leaving after its unbeaten regular season in 2007. Jones now has won 10 straight games in Aloha Stadium, dating to a December 2006 loss to Oregon State."I just want to say 'Aloha' to the seniors," Jones said during the trophy presentation. "We said we were going to do it and we did it."Without hardly breaking a sweat.Hunt, who won the Junior World Championships in Beijing in 2006 in the shot put and discus, came to SMU to work on athletics and earned a scholarship when coaches took one look at him, and saw his 4.7-second time in the 40-yard dash. He set an NCAA record this year by blocking his 10th field goal.His speed made all the difference in his final college game as Hunt zipped around tackles and harassed Carr all night. Carr finished with 362 yards on 33-of-54 passing. The 10 points were the fewest Fresno State has scored since a 20-10 loss to Boise State this year.The Bulldogs hardly looked like a team averaging 488 yards a game. Carr spent more time on his back than stepping into throws as the Mustangs' defensive front — particularly Hunt — was overwhelming.
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
Defensive stalwart Blackledge leaves Evessa
The Osaka Evessa have parted ways with versatile forward Lawrence Blackledge, The Japan Times has learned.Blackledge is the bj-league's second-leading shot blocker (3.0 per game) and tied for ninth in rebounds (10.0). In 22 games, he averaged 9.4 points.Blackledge's release wasn't official at press time on Tuesday. But sources confirmed he is no longer playing for the title-contending Evessa.Osaka (17-5) has also cut forward Lavell Payne, a Central Florida product. In 21 games, Payne averaged 5.0 points.Blackledge is on the verge of joining the Hamamatsu Higashimikawa Phoenix in the coming days, according to a league insider.The Evessa, meanwhile, plan to add former Oita and Sendai 89ers standout Mike Bell, a high-scoring forward, well-informed sources said.Bell, a 206-cm veteran averaged 21.3 points and 12.4 rebounds for Oita in 2009-10, both averages in the top five in the league. Last season, the Florida Atlantic University product averaged 18.5 ppg for Sendai before the March 11 Great East Japan Earthquake ended the 89ers' season. After that, he saw action for teams in Qatar and Bahrain to complete the season.Also Tuesday, the Oita HeatDevils released center Zach Atkinson.The 206-cm Atkinson averaged 6.7 points in 24 games (seven starts). On Christmas Day, Atkinson had his best game of the season, finishing with 15 points, 20 rebounds and three assists in a blowout loss to the Ryukyu Golden Kings.Oita has the league's second-worst record (5-19).League accolade: Rookie forward Justin Burrell helped the Yokohama B-Corsairs sweep the Saitama Broncos last weekend. He is the Lawson/Ponta Player of the Week, the bj-league announced on Tuesday.Burrell, the Big East Conference's Sixth Man of the Year winner last season, had 20 points, 11 rebounds and four assists in a two-point triumph over Saitama on Friday. A day later, he scored 33 points and grabbed 12 rebounds.The 23-year-old Burrell is averaging a team-high 19.3 points per game for expansion club Yokohama, which is 11-13 at the All-Star break.
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