Month: December 2013

Larry Leavitt on Pro hockey: Bulls late scoring could inspire offense

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by Larry Leavitt

DALY CITY–It was an interesting game that was very physical the game between the Stockton Thunder and the San Francisco Bulls on Friday which was the first of five in a row scheduled meeting between the two teams.The five game set up runs last Friday at the Cow Palace, then three games away in Stockton and then one game at home back at the Cow Palace next Saturday. So their going to see a lot of each other and it started out with some bad blood in the first period of the game.

The two teams didn’t take but 40 seconds to get the first fight in and there were a couple bad boardings from the Stockton players which led to more fisticuffs the Thunder and the Bulls weren’t really playing really great hockey they were just hanging in there and then comes the third period they came back and closed out the win and actually put in an empty netter so it looked better and it was a close game all the way to the end.

The Bulls stuck with it all the way through and came out with a 5-2 win which included a really good showing from coming from behind and playing the game. While it was that the Bulls Adrian Foster opened the game up with the first goal of the game you still have to play the full 60 minutes of hockey. This goes to show you you can’t let up you got to keep on playing. You got to play the game all the way through until the last buzzer the Bulls really did come with a complete game at the end.

To be fair the ice was tilted into the Stockton end quite a bit they were just missing that last pass to knock it in the net quite a bit there’s a lot of cross ice passes in front of the goalie they didn’t have the timing down and it could have been worse for the Bulls. Credit goes to where it’s due they really stuck with it and came from behind and had two quick goals which really turned it around and then Stockton was on their heels.

San Jose Sharks update: The Sharks who maybe are in a tie with the L.A. Kings in the Pacific division and they have their thrid straight win against the Coyotes Friday but their doing it in shootouts and it’s giving the other team a point there. The Sharks are not closing out games granted they came from behind a lot against the Coyotes.

The Sharks didn’t have the lead until until the third period, they finally got the lead and then they coughed up the lead where they really need to close it out. That’s a shame and the Sharks really need to get better at that if their going to continue and be an elite team they need to get that lead and shut them down.

When it comes to shootouts it’s purely whose hot now type of a thing could it be a freaky goal that happen to goaltender of the Coyotes Mike Smith at Phoenix where the puck dropped in the back of his jersey and went into his hockey pants and he backed into his own goal for the score which turned out to be the winning goal for the Buffalo Sabers.

Maybe that was in the back of Smith’s mind Friday night when he was starting to have some problems and when it comes to winning I’d rather be lucky than good. The Sharks are still putting it in the net. Right now the Sharks Patrick Marleau is gold for the shootout and he’s been one of the Sharks most consistent players of this year and the fact that he wasn’t invited to the Olympic camp might have been a way that he showed them that they might have missed something.

Larry Leavitt does Pro hockey commentary for Sportstalk each week

Stanford Pummels Bulldogs On The Road

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By Joe Lami

The Stanford Cardinal returned to action after their holiday break on Saturday with a successful trip to Fresno.  The number four-ranked Cardinal were victorious by the score of 86-54.

Fresno State came into the matchup with a record of 6-4, with three wins in the last four.  Saturday marks the second straight loss for the Bulldogs, as they were defeated last weekend by the Dons of San Francisco 76-47.

Fresno State kept it close in the first half and actually held the lead at two different points in the game.  The Bulldogs kept within two baskets with the score being 22-18 until around the nine-minute mark, and that’s when the Cardinal were able to take over.  Stanford started a two-minute 11-0 run with eight to go.  Fresno State would eventually stop it with 5:42 to go in the first half, but not before the Stanford lead would be stretched to 33-20.  Baskets were then being traded back and forth before the half would end with the Cardinal leading 43-31.

The second half would see the Cardinal scoring 43 points as well.  This time, however, they were able to hold the Bulldogs to only 23 points.  Stanford had an incredible start to the second half, as they were able to outscore the Bulldogs 16-2 to give them the big 69-33 lead.  The Cardinal would not look back as they would coast for the win.

Chiney Ogwumike had yet another outstanding performance as she led the Cardinal in scoring, with 20 points.  The All-American Senior added ten rebounds to record the double-double.  Taylor Greenfield was right behind Ogwumike, scoring 18, a season high and tying her career high.  Amber Orrange had 15 for the Cardinal and added six assists.  Mikaela Ruef had an outstanding game, as she contributed in everyway, recording eight assists, seven rebounds, five points and adding a block and a steal.

Alex Sheedy, who recorded the double-double, with 15 points and 11 rebounds, led the Bulldogs.  Guard, Taylor Thompson also saw double digits in scoring with 14 of her own.

Fresno State ends their non-conference play with loss, as their record drops to 6-5.  The Bulldogs are scheduled to start up Mountain West action on New Year’s Day, where they will travel to Las Vegas to take on the 3-9 Rebels.

With the win the Stanford Cardinal up their record to 11-1, as they end non-conference play.  They will return to action after the New Year to start conference play, as they will host the Oregon Ducks on January 3.

BYU’s rough night at AT&T Park a microcosm of the challenges facing the school as a big-time independent

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BYU-UW

By Morris Phillips

A step slow, a play short: it was a pattern that played out to BYU’s detriment throughout the Fight Hunger Bowl Friday night.   While the Cougars acquitted themselves well, riding the spirit and running of quarterback Taysom Hill, when it came time to make a critical play, the Cougars didn’t while Washington did.

In the first half alone, the Cougars amassed 297 yards in offense, but never led.  Four offensive trips inside the UW 30-yard line produced three field goals and one touchdown on the initial push.  In the second half, a big interception had BYU poised to get back in it, but an incomplete pass and a sack preceded Justin Sorenson’s 44-yard missed field goal.

ESPN commentator Dave Pasch called BYU’s offense in the first half that enjoyed huge advantage in plays and yardage “dominant.”  In truth, the Hill-led attack was relevant, but ultimately ineffective.

“That to me was two even matched teams,” an upbeat BYU coach Bronco Mendehall recounted.  “I thought we had time of possession.  I thought we had ball control, et cetera.  We weren’t able to put it into the end zone, maybe on a couple of occasions.”

“When we get down there, we have to execute at a really high level, and we didn’t do that.  We had a couple of penalties that really killed us.”

And special teams were clearly no help.  After the Cougars drove 88 yards in 12 plays—including a gutsy fourth down run and conversion out of punt formation at their own 20—to tie it, 7-7, Washington got a 100-yard kickoff return from ultra speedy John Ross that put BYU behind once again.  After the Cougars narrowed the gap to 14-13, Jessie Callier’s 47-yard kickoff return set up the Huskies for another touchdown.

The BYU offense that moved the ball so effectively in the first half, bogged down after halftime.  Hill’s favored slant route to receivers Cody Hoffman and Skyler Ridley was effectively taken away by the Huskies crowding the box.  While Hill continued to find running holes—he would amass a career-high 31 rush attempts—UW dared the athletic quarterback to throw, and more often than not, Hill couldn’t connect.

The Cougars offense that amassed all the yardage in the first half went without a major push into Washington territory after halftime.  Washington’s touchdown on the initial drive of the half effectively put the game away.

Even more humbling for BYU were the marquee individual matchups that left many of BYU stars humbled.  All-American linebacker Kyle Van Noy played well in his final game as a Cougar, but when UW back Bishop Sankey was in his sights at the 11-yard line in the second quarter, Van Noy was left grasping for air as Sankey sidestepped the Cougar and then raced into the end zone for a 21-13 Washington lead.

In the third quarter stand out linebacker Uani Unga was matched up with UW’s Austin Seferian-Jenkins near the goal line, but the massive 6’6”, 280-pound tight end had the clear size and reach advantage when quarterback Keith Price whizzed a pass to Seferian-Jenkins in the end zone that put UW up 28-16 and left Unga an arm’s length short.

Hoffman, an NFL prospect at wide receiver, made plays in the middle of field, hauling in 12 catches for 167 yards, but his turn as passer didn’t fare well.  Hoffman received a pitch and threw a short out to Hill, but Hoffman took a shot to the ribs as he threw and was limited for the entire second half.

In all, a tough night for the Cougars, but also a reminder of what challenges life as a big-time independent will entail.  BYU left the Mountain West conference after 2012 for greater television exposure and the opportunity to play a national schedule and better pursue an opportunity at an elusive national championship.

But while a hand-picked schedule may garner exposure, the Cougars will have to recruit the best players to compete at such a lofty level.  On Friday night, the best athletes on the field wore purple and gold. A humbling loss to a middle-of-the-pack Pac-12 team in Washington could not provide a better illustration of the Cougars’ conundrum: the Cougars need to win big to gain national acclaim, but those wins will clearly be more difficult to grasp outside the Mountain West and squarely on top of the national stage.

Stephen Curry’s Career Night Burns Suns in 115-86 Warriors Win

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By Matthew Harrington

The Golden State Warriors burned the Phoenix Suns 115-86 Friday night at Oracle Arena, torching the visitors from the desert to their largest margin of defeat this season. Red-hot Warriors point guard Stephen Curry established career-highs in rebounds (13) and assists (16) against Phoenix (17-11) en route to his third career triple-double and Klay Thompson notched a game-high 21 points for Golden State (18-13) on the heels of a 105-103 Christmas Day victory over the Clippers, the Dubs’ fourth consecutive win.

Warriors forward David Lee ended the night with seven baskets on ten attempts for 17 points while Thompson was nine of eleven from the field including a pair of threes for his 21-point contribution. Curry’s 14 points in 33:33 of playing time capped the career night for the guard, who became the seventh player in team history with at least three triple-double performances. His 13 rebounds were also a game-best, with the Warriors winning the battle of the boards 56-41. Suns guard P.J. Tucker’s 11 points and 12 rebounds made him the only player on the visiting side finishing in the double-digits in either scoring or boards. The Suns made a dismal 36% of shots attempted.

The lead changed four times in the game, but every change occurred during the first 3:33 of play. Ultimately, The Warriors ended the first quarter leading 28-22 before outscoring the Suns 31-18 for a 59-40 lead at the half. Golden State coasted to the win by outscoring Phoenix 26-24 in the third and capping off the contest with a 30-22 final frame for the final 115-86 margin.

Golden State seeks to move to a season-high five-straight wins when they travel to Cleveland to face the Cavaliers Sunday afternoon for a 3:00 pm showdown. It’s the first meeting between these two squads this season.

Kings Surprise Heat in OT 108-103

Published on by Charlie O. MalloneeLeave a comment

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Photo credit: Rocky Widner

By Charlie O. Mallonee

“The Big Show” came to town in Sacramento on Friday night when the Miami Heat played the Sacramento Kings. The sellout crowd was there to see LeBron, Bosh and company, and by the way the Kings as well. By the end of the night, the Kings and not the defending World Champions were the stars of the show.

The Sacramento Kings defeated the Miami Heat 108-103 in overtime at Sleep Train Arena. If you watched the game at the arena or on TV, you know that after the first quarter the final result was not foreseeable. The Kings trailed the Heat 32-19 after one quarter. You could literally feel the air leaving the building as 17,317 fans sat back preparing for another loss.

The Kings did show a little life when the second unit hit the floor. The second unit stayed on the floor to start the second quarter and the tempo of the Kings improved. Quincy Acy scored 8 points and Travis Outlaw added four. When the starters returned to the game, they appeared to have renewed energy. The Kings went on to win the quarter 26-23.

The Heat led the Kings 55-45 at the half, but there was something different about the Heat in that second period. They stopped attacking the rim and began shooting long shots, but they were only hitting 37.5% from beyond the arc. The Heat had changed their approach to the game.

The Heat came out in the third quarter playing as they had late in the first half. Miami attempted long 2- pointers and 3-pointers. The Heat’s shots were falling just short, and they appeared to be tired. Miami shot just 27.8% (5-18) from the field in the third.

While the Heat were missing shots, the Kings began making shots. The Sacramento starting five played the entire third quarter. Rudy Gay put up 11 points, Cousins scored seven, Jason Thompson added six while Isaiah Thomas hit five points. The Kings field goal percentage was 68.8% (11-16). Sacramento outscored Miami 29-18. After three quarters, the Kings led 74-73.

The fourth quarter proved to be a slug fest. Neither team shot particularly well. The Kings lead turned into a six point Heat lead with 6:31 left in the game. The Kings kept battling back and tied the game at 89 all on a Rudy Gay 14 foot jumper. LeBron James had a chance to win the game for Miami but missed a 25 foot jumper at the buzzer. An extra five minutes would be needed to decide a winner.

The Kings scored first in overtime on a Rudy Gay 24 foot 3-pointer and they would never trail again in the game. Sacramento led by as many as eight points, but LeBron James was not going to allow the Kings to cruise to a win. James had a three point play the old fashion way and two 3-pointers in OT, but it was not enough to stop the Kings from winning the game 108-103.

Isaiah Thomas scored seven points in overtime while Gay and Cousins added five points each and Marcus Thornton recorded two. LeBron James led the Heat with 11 points in OT.

The victory was just the Kings first win in the last 11 games versus the Heat. The Kings improve to 9-19 on the season while Miami falls to 22-7.

The Kings big three led the way to victory. DeMarcus Cousins recorded his 16th double-double with 27 points and 17 rebounds. Rudy Gay hit for 26 points with 20 of those points coming in the second half. Isaiah Thomas posted a double-double with 22 points and 11 assists.

LeBron James led all scorers in the game with 33 points. Chris Bosh scored 18. Mario Chalmers had a double-double with 11 points and 10 assists.

The Kings defense held the Heat to just a 44.2% (38-88) field goal shooting percentage. The Heat shot just 34.4% (11-32) for 3-pointers. Sacramento out-rebounded Miami 51-36 for the game.

The key to the win was the Kings ability to score in paint while stopping Miami from doing the same. The Kings scored 60 points in the paint while the Heat scored just 38 in the paint.

The Kings will have to remember that they beat the Heat while Dwyane Wade, Ray Allen and Chris Andersen were kept out of the game. That is not to say it was not a legitimate victory, but the Heat did beat the Lakers on Christmas Day with those three players in the lineup.

After the game, Head Coach Michael Malone had some thoughts on his team’s comeback after giving up 32 points in the first quarter: “I want to give a lot of credit to our second unit. We started out that game tonight by being down 17 points and our starting group didn’t have the best start in the world. The second unit came in and got us back in the game. Quincy Acy brought effort and energy. We cut the 17 point deficit to 10 and kept it competitive. We’ve been preaching defense, and I know we haven’t played a lot of it this year, but tonight I thought that the guys really bought in after that 32 point first quarter. We did a great job the rest of the game, really up until the last minute of overtime when LeBron James went crazy and we kept giving him open looks. I’m very proud of everybody in that locker room: starters, guys on the bench – everybody contributed.”

The Kings will not have any time to savor this victory as they must head out on a two game road trip in Texas. Sacramento will face San Antonio on Sunday and Houston on Tuesday.

Michigan State star LB suspended for Rose Bowl

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By Jeremy Harness

 

If Michigan State has any hopes of going toe-to-toe with Stanford in the trenches when the Cardinal have the ball, those hopes took a major hit late Wednesday night.

 

That’s because the Spartans’ starting middle linebacker and team captain, Max Bullough, was found to have violated team rules and has been suspended for the Rose Bowl, according to a school press release.

 

“It is extremely disappointing for all parties involved,” Michigan State head coach Mark Dantonio said through a statement that was released Wednesday night. “We will stay focused and close ranks as we prepare for Stanford on January 1 in the Rose Bowl.

 

“Max will forever remain a Spartan and valued member in this team’s achievements.”

 

The loss is especially big for Michigan State, since while he is the team’s leading tackler and has started at middle linebacker for the past three seasons, Bullough, a senior, is considered the unquestioned leader of the team, known for his passionate team speeches before games.

 

He is also responsible for making sure the rest of the defense, which is currently ranked No. 1 in the country heading into this Rose Bowl, is in proper alignment before every snap.

 

Bullough’s backup is listed as fellow senior Kyler Elsworth. However, Elsworth has not played very many snaps on defense this year, and he obviously has big shoes to fill as the Spartans prepare to face a vaunted Stanford attack that relies heavily on the running game and controlling the line of scrimmage, something that Bullough figured to have a big hand in Wednesday afternoon.

Sharks cure road woes with shootout win over Coyotes

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By DANIEL DULLUM
Sports Radio Service
Friday, December 27, 2013

GLENDALE, Ariz. – Victories away from the Shark Tank have been tough to come by of late for San Jose. In their last seven games on the road prior to Saturday, the Sharks were 2-5-0.

Thanks to shootout goals by Logan Couture and Patrick Marleau, the Sharks left the Valley of the Sun with two badly needed road points with a 4-3 overtime win over Phoenix.

With the win, San Jose has 54 points and pulled into a tie for second place with Los Angeles in the NHL Pacific Division. The Coyotes, at 46 points, are in fifth place in the Pacific, second in the Western Conference Wild-Card standings.

“To me, it’s a coin flip as to whether or not it helps us to go to a shootout,” Couture, who scored the tying goal in the shootout, said. “But in that situation, we have a lot of confidence in Antti (Niemi, Sharks goaltender) and it was great the way he shut the door. And we have a lot of guys on this team who have had a lot of success in shootouts. So yes, we were confident.”

The shootout followed a scoreless 5-minute overtime period with the score tied 3-3. Phoenix’s Mikkel Boedker scored the first goal of the shootout, but it was also the last for the Coyotes. Couture answered Boedker’s goal, and, after Radim Vrbata was turned away by Niemi, Marleau scored. Niemi then shut down Oliver Ekman-Larsson to seal the win.

It’s a situation Sharks coach Todd McLellan would rather not make a habit of.

“In a shootout, you’re looking at trends, a little luck, getting a good bounce,” McLellan said. “It was great that we had a couple of guys score tonight, but hopefully we won’t have to depend on shootouts to win games.

“To me, the game is over when that final buzzer sounds in overtime,” he added. “It’s nice to get that extra point, but we’d prefer to do it earlier.”

Marleau, who scored in regulation and the shootout, added, “Getting two points after the break is nice. It took us a while to find our legs and we did that a couple of shifts in.”

On having to go to a shootout, Marleau said, “Obviously, we’d rather close a team out in regulation. But winning in a shootout is nice. We haven’t won many of those, so this was good for our confidence. But then I hope we’re not in too many shootouts, either.”

Due to a clause in the collective bargaining agreement between the NHL players and owners, there are no games or team flights scheduled for three days over the Christmas holiday. So, the Sharks flew in to Phoenix early Friday morning.

“(The Coyotes) had a little more jump and much better execution than we did early in the game,” McLellan said. “But I was pleased with the way our guys stuck with it and fought through it.”

The sellout crowd of 17,125 had reason to get excited when the Coyotes came out aggressively in the early going, and the tact paid off at 7:43 of the first period. When the Sharks made a lackadaisical effort to clear the puck from their own zone, David Moss intercepted the pass in the slot, spun and flipped a blind shot past the outstretched glove of Sharks goaltender Antti Niemi, giving the Coyotes a 1-0 lead.

Midway through the second period, San Jose got the equalizer. Joe Pavelski took a feed from Joe Thornton and fired a shot from the left circle, beating Coyotes goaltender Mike Smith low and through traffic at 9:56.

Nearly one minute later, at 11:04 of the second period, the Coyotes regained the lead at 2-1 when Moss tallied his second goal of the game. Moss, parked outside the crease, redirected a shot from the point by David Schlemko and it fluttered past Niemi’s stick.

With Phoenix’s Derek Morris serving a minor for interference, Marleau scored his 17th goal of the season at 13:13 of the second period, tying the game at 2-2, Marleau took a pass from Tommy Wingels and fired a low wrist shot between Smith’s legs, splitting two defenders.

“That was a great play by Tommy,” Marleau said. “I was just trying to get a quick shot through the 5-hole.”

San Jose took its first lead of the night at 3-2 when Burns, cruising in from the left circle, converted a pass from Pavelski, who circled behind the net. Burns flipped a shot that beat Smith over his right shoulder for his 11th goal of the season at 10:10 of the third period.

Thornton’s assist on the Burns goal was his second of the game, giving him 37 on the season.

Moments later, Phoenix tied the game again at 3-3 with a power play goal by Radim Vrbata at 13:35. Vrbata, on a direct feed from Keith Yandle, fired a one-timer from the left circle for the equalizer.

In the goaltending battle, Niemi stopped 34 of 37 shots, while Smith turned away 29 of 32.

“The last time we got two points on San Jose, we probably didn’t deserve those two points,” Phoenix Coach Dave Tippett said. “Tonight, I thought that game was a toss-up. Unfortunately, we didn’t get the extra point, but we put the work in to get the two points.”

After a long winter day in Phoenix, the Sharks prepare for back-to-back games against first-place Anaheim. The first game against the Ducks is Sunday night in San Jose, with the rematch set for New Year’s Eve in Anaheim.

SHARK BITES: Coyotes RW Shane Doan is still recovering from a bout with Rocky Mountain Fever. His status continues at day-to-day. . … Patrick Marleau’s second-period goal was his 28th against Phoenix in 91 career games against the Coyotes. … The game marked the 10th anniversary of the opening of Jobing.com Arena. On Dec. 27, 2003, the Coyotes opened their new home with a 3-1 loss to Nashville. … This was the third of four meetings this season between the Sharks and Coyotes; San Jose visits the desert again on April 12, 2014.

(TAGS: San Jose Sharks,NHL,Phoenix Coyotes,Patrick Marleau)

Bulls win with explosive third period

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By: Phillip Torres and Kahlil Najar

DALY CITY-The San Francisco Bulls (11-15-2-1) hosted the Stockton Thunder (14-10-0-4) on Friday night at the Cow Palace. The paid crowd of 3,238 witnessed a very heated game between the two rivals from the Pacific West, as the game consisted of three brutal fights with two Thunder players being ejected from the game. Friday night’s contest was the first of five consecutive meetings between the San Francisco Bulls and the Stockton Thunder, and the Bulls took the early advantage in the five game set with a 5-2 victory on Friday night.The two teams will face off Saturday, Sunday and next Friday in Stockton, and then the fifth game will be played at the Cow Palace next Saturday January 4th.

The Bulls took the early lead with a first period goal from Adrian Foster at 14:56. Dean Ouellet and Steven Tarasuk earned the assists on the goal. The score was the lone goal by both teams as the score heading into the first intermission was 1-0 San Francisco.

Stockton scored the next two goals, one coming in the second and one in the third to take the 2-1 lead. Shawn Boutin and Corey Trivino were the two goal scorers for the Thunder.

San Francisco’s offensive surge started midway through the third period. Tyler Gron tied the game at two goals apiece with a at 11:27. Less than one minute later Jordan Morrison gave the Bulls the lead for good with a goal passed the glove side of goaltender Brian Foster as he skated behind the net. Brett Findlay and Gron assisted on the goal.

Luke Judson extended the Bulls lead with a slapshot to make it a 4-2 lead late. Foster and Kalvin Sagert assisted on the score. The final goal was scored by Morrison as he scored on an empty netter 19:22. Findlay and Ouellet earned the assists on the insurance goal.

Head coach Pat Curcio was very pleased with the performance of his team after the big victory against the Thunder. The head coach talked about it after the game.

“I’m very pleased with how the guys played. We’ve been talking about playing good five on five hockey and that’s what we did today,” Curcio said.

The Bulls will need to play great five in five hockey against Stockton in the remaining four games of the five game stretch. If the Bulls can win the remaining four games they would pull ahead of the Thunder in the standings and have sole possession of second place in the Pacific West Division.

The two rivals will meet again on Saturday night in Stockton. The puck will drop at 7:30 P.M.

Sankey leads offense in UW win

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By George Devine, Sr.

In the last annual Fight Hunger Bowl at AT&T Park in San Francisco, Washington and Brigham Young universities were evenly matched with 8-4 records. TB Bishop Sankey made a big difference for the Huskies with 95 yards and a pair of touchdowns. His accomplishment was honored with the award for Outstanding Offensive Player of the game.

At 8:55 to go in the first, Sankey’s 11-yard touchdown run drew first blood, to cap a 12 play, 17 yard drive. It was his fifth carry (total 27 yards). That was the only scoring in a defensive initial frame, in which the Dawgs dominated in offensive stats. . But with 12:10 to go in the half, a one-yard touchdown run by BYU’s Jason Hill evened the score. Immediately afterwards, though, the Brigham Young kickoff was returned 101 yards by John Ross to restore UDub’s one-touchdown advantage. A 45 yard field goal by Justin Sorensen was the best the Cougs could produce after a 10 play drive ending at 8:22. At 3:46 another, this time for 31 yards, still left Brigham Young a point short. Within a little over a minute, Sankey’s second 11-yard touchdown run extended the margin once more, and Sorensen’s 32-yarder still left BYU with a deficit despite a dramatic shift in offensive statistical values in the period.

In the third, Keith Price’s 16 yard pass to Seferian Jenkins made it 28-16 in favor of Washington, for the only scoring play of the period. The fourth quarter began with distribution of Outstanding Player Awards ballot forms in the press box, with Sankey’s name showing up prominently in the offensive category. Travis Coons’ 45 yard field goal stretched the lead to an insurmountable 31-16 halfway through the final frame.

This was the first bowl win for Washington since the 2010 Holiday Bowl.

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Price is Right in bowl win

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By Jeremy Kahn

SAN FRANCISCO-In his final game as the quarterback of the Washington Huskies, Keith Price looked like a former Huskies student-athlete who calls AT&T Park home during the baseball season.

Price, a senior out of St. John Bosco in Bellflower, CA looked like two-time Cy Young award winner Tim Lincecum, who played baseball for the Huskies went 17-for-22 with 123 yards passing with one touchdown, as the Huskies defeated the Brigham Young Cougars 31-16 in the 12th Fight Hunger Bowl before 34,136 at AT&T Park.

Bishop Sankey scored two touchdowns in the first half, as the Huskies under interim head coach Marques Tuiasosopo ended the season with their ninth win of the season.

Sankey got the Huskies on the board on their first drive of the evening, as he took a Price handoff and scampered 11 yards to the end zone for the first of his two touchdowns in the first half.

Taysom Hill tied up the game, as the quarterback scooted in from one-yard out, but that would not be the score for very long.

John Ross took the ensuing kickoff a Fight Hunger Bowl record 100 yards to give the Huskies the lead once again.

The Ross touchdown return broke the record of 95 yards set by Gee Gee Greene of the United States Naval Academy in the 2012 game versus the Arizona State Sun Devils.

The Cougars got back into the game, as Justin Sorensen kicked a 45 and 31 yard field goal to get the Cougars back within one.

After a 47-yard kickoff by Jesse Callier to the Cougars 35-yard line after Sorensen’s second field goal of the half, Sankey scored for the second time and once again from 11 yards out.

Sorensen kicked his third field goal of the game as time expired to end the first half, and shortened the Huskies down to five at the end of the first half.

Austin Seferian-Jenkins, the 2013 John Mackey Award winner as the best tight end in College Football gave the Huskies a 12-point lead, as he scored on a 16-yard touchdown pass from Price for the only scoring in the third quarter for either team.

Price was forced to leave the game after sustaining a hit to his ribs that required x-rays.

Travis Coons put the finishing touches on the scoring, as he nailed a 45-yard field goal with 7:53 remaining in the ballgame.

Hill did it all for the Cougars, as he went 25-for-48 for 292 yards passing, and gained 31 carries for 133 on the ground.

Cody Hoffman caught 12 passes for 167 yards in his final game as a member of the Cougars.

This is the 12th and final Fight Hunger Bowl to be played at AT&T Park, as the game will be heading to Levi’s Stadium, the future home of the San Francisco 49ers beginning in 2014.

Not only will it be there a new home, but a new matchup as well, as the PAC-12 will matchup with the Big 10.