San Francisco Allows Monster Arizona Comeback Losing 24-23

Arizona Cardinal quarterback Kyler Murray (1) outruns San Francisco 49ers cornerback Isaac Yiadom (left) in the first half at Levi Stadium in Santa Clara on Sun Oct 7, 2024 (AP News photo)

By Barbara Mason

The San Francisco 49ers (2-3) were looking in control in their game against the Arizona Cardinals (2-3) leading at the half 23-10. Two interceptions and a fumble later the 49ers found themselves on the losing end of this game 24-23.

The 49ers were unable to score the entire second half while the Cardinals scored in both the third and fourth quarters. Brock Purdy finished the game with 244 yards and 33 yards rushing but it was the two interceptions that hurt the 49ers.

Game recap: San Francisco took the early lead in the first quarter 10-7. Arizona quarterback Kyler Murray got the first score of the game, a 50 yard rush for the touchdown, the extra point was good and Arizona had a 7-0 lead.

Jake Moody who was able to play after being listed as questionable kicked a 28 yard field goal at 10:25 but the Cardinals retained the lead 7-3. As the opening quarter began to wind down Brock Purdy connected with George Kittle for four yards, the touchdown and their first lead of the game 10-7.

Arizona tied up the game early in the second quarter when Chad Ryland made a 30 yard field goal 10-10. San Francisco would score three times in the second quarter. In the later minutes of the quarter Jake Moody kicked a 20 yard field goal and the 49ers had a 13-10 lead.

At 4:59 San Francisco blocked a field goal which was recovered by Deommodore Lenoir for a 61 yard romp and the touchdown and the 49ers had extended their lead 20-10. San Francisco’s kicker Jake Moody left the game in the late second quarter after tackling an Arizona returner Deejay Dallas and suffering an ankle injury.

He was carted off to the locker room after limping off the field. As the clock ran out on the first half of football, San Francisco kicked a third field goal courtesy of punter Mitch Wishnowsky, a 26 yarder giving the 49ers a 23-10 lead going into the locker room at the half.

San Francisco was unable to score in the third quarter but the Arizona Cardinals Chad Ryland kicked his second field goal of the game a 42 yarder that was good and the Cardinals trailed by ten, 23-13.

The Cardinals really got a nice drive going in the fourth quarter driving deep into San Francisco territory with a first and goal on the San Francisco two yard line. There was a time-out called when Arizona’s Will Hernandez was hurt and helped off the field.

The Cardinals got back to work via a Kyler Murray two-yard pass to Elijah Higgins for two yards and the touchdown. The two-points conversion attempt was good and it was a two-point game 23-21. With a lot of time left on the clock, over 11 minutes left in the game, there was new life for Arizona.

The 49ers went back to work putting together a great drive via the pass and the rush driving deep into Cardinal territory for a first and goal. When it looked like the momentum was all San Francisco, running back Jordan Mason fumbled recovered by Arizona with 6:11 left on the clock.

The Cardinals got a rushing drive going looking to not only score but also burn the clock driving down to the San Francisco 23 yard line at the two-minute warning. San Francisco had allowed a monster Arizona comeback. The Cardinals were unable to score a touchdown but got closer for the kick attempt. Arizona settled for a 35 yard Chad Ryland field goal taking a 24-23 lead with 1:37 left in the game.

There was still plenty of time left on the clock for the 49ers to get within field goal range. That was when disaster struck; Arizona blitzed and Brock Purdy got the pass off but it was intercepted by Arizona and that was the ball game. When it didn’t look very good for the Cardinals in the second half, Arizona fought back to win the game by a single point 24-23.

It was a rough day for San Francisco running back Jordan Mason who finished the game with 89 yards and nine yards receiving. The 49ers receiving core of Brandon Aiyuk and George Kittle had impressive numbers. Aiyuk finished with 147 receiving yards and Kittle had 64 yards and one touchdown.

Game notes: Sunday afternoon the 49ers faced the Cardinals at Levi’s Stadium couldn’t get their third win of the season after opening the season with a win over the New York Jets followed by a couple of losses to the Vikings and the Rams.

They come into this game after a week four win over the New England Patriots to the tune of 30-13. San Francisco’s kicker Jake Moody was questionable but it was decided that he was be able to play Sunday. Christian McCaffrey who is still out is hoping for some good news over the next few weeks. He has rested for two weeks and now will now start hitting the rehab harder than previously.

The 49ers now have two weeks before they could have the option to play him. In week seven San Francisco will be taking on the Kansas City Chiefs and there is hope that McCaffrey may be ready to re-join the team.

He will be eligible but will he be ready, will it happen. His calf and achilles issues have lingered keeping him out of the entire pre-season and every regular season game since then. San Francisco has a short week taking the field in week six on Thursday Night Football taking on the Buffalo Bills and now the question is will McCaffrey remain inactive.

McCaffrey is back in practice and it has been reported that he is feeling well in those practices. Until then, Jordan Mason has taken over the majority of the snaps out of the backfield and he has been solid. He is doing a bang-up job for the Niners.

With a 2-3 record, the 49ers look ahead to their short week and a Thursday night matchup with Gino Smith and the 3-1 Seattle Seahawks. Kickoff is scheduled for 5:15 PM at Lumen Field in Seattle.

Las Vegas Raiders podcast with Rich Perez: Raiders bottom out in 4th quarter to Broncos 34-18; Adams trade rumors a distraction

Las Vegas Raiders tight end Brock Bowers (89) one of the few bright spots who ran for 57 yards for a touchdown in the first half against the Denver Broncos at Empower Field in Denver on Sun Oct 7, 2024 (AP News photo)

On the Las Vegas Raiders podcast:

#1 Rich, the Las Vegas Raiders and Denver Broncos were knotted up in a 10-10 tie and went to half time with a 13-10 Denver lead it looked like this game was going to be a close game.

#2 In the second half of the game the Broncos started adding points with when Bo Nix in the third quarter hit wide receiver Jaleel McLaughlin for a four yard touchdown as the Broncos broke away with a ten point 20-10 lead at 7:01.

#3 In the fourth quarter the Broncos at 10:12 Nix took a one yarder in to make it 27-10. With just 10 minutes left Raiders head coach Antonio Pierce knew there wasn’t much time left when your 17 points down.

#4 The Broncos came right back with another touchdown at 8:14 when Nix threw for a nine yard touchdown to wide out Josh Reynolds making it 34-10.

#5 The Raiders Ameer Abdullah scored on a three yard carry with 4:01 left in the game. The Raiders Alexander Mattison carried for a two point conversion. Making it 34-18.

#6 The Raiders host the Pittsburgh Steelers next Sun Oct 13th. The Steelers are 3-1 and are one of the best in the league. They did lose their first game of the season against the Indianapolis Colts last Sunday Sep 29th in a close one 27-24. For the Raiders they just have to forget this one today and get ready for Pittsburgh next week.

Rich Perez does all Raiders podcasts home and away at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Aces Self Destruct In Fourth Quarter Losing Game Four to New York 76-62; Vegas knocked out in three of four games

Las Vegas Aces guard Chelsea Gray (12) knocks the ball out of the hand of New York Liberty guard Sabrina Ionescu (22) during game 4 of the WNBA Playoffs at Barclay Center in Brooklyn on Sun Oct 6, 2024 (AP News photo)

By Barbara Mason

There will be no three-peat for the Las Vegas Aces (1-3) in this year’s post-season. They fought hard through three quarters of basketball trailing by a single basket for much of the game but came unglued in the fourth quarter.

The New York Liberty (3-1) poured it on in the final quarter winning the game 76-62 a testament of why they are the best team in the WNBA. They were unstoppable in the fourth quarter. The bright spot for the Aces was the three time MVP A’ja Wilson who has done what no players has ever done in the WNBA.

There will be a new champion this season. It all starts at Barclay Center Thursday night with the Liberty taking on the winner of the Lynx/Sun matchup who played on Sunday.

Game recap: The start from Sabrina Ionescu will be monumental and she delivered in the opening quarter. With under three minutes left in the first quarter she had already scored 12 points.

This came as no surprise after her lackluster performance in game three. She is a huge part of this offense and you will rarely see a game where she fails to score at all through three quarters. She came out with a vengeance in the opening quarter finishing with the 12 points.

The Liberty began to take a measurable lead in the quarter leading by as much as eight points but the Aces came roaring back after New York went on a 10-0 run to start the quarter. After the first ten minutes of play the Liberty had a 23-19 lead. Despite the slow start, the Aces had made up for lost ground.

Mid-way through the second quarter, this game began to go sideways for the Aces. Las Vegas only had one turnover but they had begun to miss shots and the Liberty were driving the paint successfully making layups. New York took a 37-27 lead at 5:41.

Las Vegas had a fight on their hands and they were already over the limit with a half a quarter remaining until halftime. With under four minutes left in the half, the Aces were chipping away at New York’s lead in a crazy physical game trailing by two points 39-37 with a minute and a half left in the second quarter. At 1:08 left in the half the Aces trailed by a single point 39-38.

At the half New York had a 41-38 lead and Las Vegas had put the stops on Ionescu who did not score a single point in the second quarter. The Aces would need a lot more of that in the second half. This game would be won on defense.

The only Las Vegas player with double digits was Kelsey Plum with 12 and A’ja Wilson was on the cusp with nine points and five rebounds. The team would need a big second half from Jackie Young. Las Vegas only had two turnovers in the first half which was outstanding especially against a team with the defense that New York has. The heart and determination of this team led by A’ja Wilson and Chelsea Gray makes Las Vegas a very dangerous team; this game was absolutely still up for grabs.

The New York Liberty had both Breanna Stewart and Ionescu in double digits. Stewart with 15 points and Ionescu with 12. This game had been all New York however, the Aces only trailed by a basket.

A wild third quarter got underway and while the Aces were close they did trail most of the quarter 51-49 with under a minutes left on the clock. As the clock ran out Jackie Young hit a three giving the Aces their first lead of the second half but it was determined that the clock ran out prior to Young’s shot.

Las Vegas still trailed but it was by a single basket 53-51 going into the fourth quarter. The Las Vegas defense continued to contain Ionescu only allowing her three points in the third quarter. Plum did not score for Las Vegas either in the third.

New York began to extend their slim lead as the fourth quarter got underway taking a 57-51 lead. This was not the way Las Vegas wanted to start the final quarter of this game. The Liberty had out-rebounded the Aces almost 2 to 1.

New York had 39 rebounds and the Aces 21. There was still a lot of time left on the clock but Las Vegas needed to tighten up their defense and get their offense back on track. It just did not happen. Chelsea Gray had five fouls and Jonquel Jones and Leonie Fiebich had four fouls apiece for the Liberty.

New York set the pace in the fourth quarter while the Aces were struggling offensively trailing 64-53, the Liberty’s largest lead of the game. An Aces time-out was called with 5:45 left in the game.

Jackie Young continued to struggle unable to hit any thing in the fourth quarter and the Aces were running out of time. The Las Vegas was 1 of 11 in the fourth quarter with four minutes left in the game. The Aces lost this game in the fourth quarter with the Liberty outscoring them 23-11 in a blow-out. The final was 76-62. There would be a new champion crowned this year.

Game notes: Sunday afternoon the Aces met the Liberty in game four of their series getting knocked out the 3-1. Las Vegas failed to play unblemished basketball and couldn’t keep their three peat hopes alive. The Aces will saw a more determined group in game four, and the Aces made mistakes against New York in game four.

The Aces needed to protect the ball the way they did in game three but the Liberty were able to take crucial shots and the Aces had trouble on defense. They needed the defense they had in game 3 and they didn’t get solid offense on Sunday. This was far more a difficult game to control than it was last Friday night although the first half of that game was close throughout. It sure was a battle. No team had come back after trailing 0-2 in a series.

Las Vegas had a miserable fourth quarter after playing so close in the first three quarters. Their offense fell apart and the Liberty took full advantage offensively and defensively. The Aces could not hit a thing in the fourth quarter and as the clock ran out their dreams of a three peat also ran out. Regardless, they had an amazing season after a very slow start and they have a lot to be proud of.

10-0 New York run

Headline Sports podcast with Charlie O: Universities boycott SJSU’s Volleyball games with transgender on Spartans roster; Cal gets some love on Game Day from ESPN; plus more news

San Jose State Spartans outside right side hitter Blaire Fleming (3) has been the focus of being a transgender playing on a women’s volleyball team. Three universities have boycotted against playing SJSU and did not disclose the reasons why. (SJSU photo)

On Headline Sports podcast with Charlie O:

#1 San Jose State Spartans volleyball has been in the spotlight over transgender outside right side hitter Blaire Fleming. Three universities have boycotted playing SJSU, Southern Utah, Boise State, Wyoming. The three universities did not disclose a reason for boycotting the games against SJSU. Fleming teammate Brooke Slusser has joined a lawsuit against the NCAA regarding safety issues after finding out that Fleming was transgender. How much of a conundrum is this going to cause the NCAA with teams boycotting and players filing lawsuits.

#2 Charlie, it was a special day for Cal football on Saturday as they hosted the Miami Hurricane. It was the first time in the school’s history that they host ESPN Game Day. The event went down as a big deal as Cal made the national scene. Cal had gone 3-1 previous to their game with Miami and got some love from the World Wide Sports Leader.

#3 Vice President Kamala Harris on her podcast “All is Smoke” expressed sadness about Oakland losing all it’s professional sports teams which included Golden State Warriors, Oakland Raiders and Oakland A’s. Harris was joined by former Warriors Harrison Barnes and Stephen Jackson on the podcast. Harris said “it breaks my heart.” The vice president said she feels sadness each time she passes the Oakland Coliseum when she flies in and out of Oakland Airport.

#4 It was mentioned on a local talk show that it’s 98% certain that the A’s will end up at Sutter Health Field but it’s the uncertain 2% that you have to look out for. The San Francisco Chronicle reported that A’s president David Forst said “I don’t think we have a 100% certainty.” even though renovations have been made in the dugouts the artificial turf has not been installed at all. The players of other teams behind the scenes have told their agents they do not want to play on artificial turf and using a minor league park would not be practical for big league players. According to A’s manager Mark Kotsay, “no decision (to go) from grass to turf has been made.” Charlie you were there on the last game in Oakland I know you said it’s a done deal in Sacramento but there is doubt about Sutter Health and the players really are leaning on finishing up at the Coliseum before moving to Vegas.

#5 The Arizona Cardinals (1-3) kick off against the San Francisco 49ers (2-2) at Levi Stadium. The Cardinals are a struggling bunch they had their heads handed to them by the Washington Commanders last week. Cardinal quarterback Kyler Murray was 16-22 for 142 yards, and one touchdown. The 49ers after losing two straight games defeated the New England Patriots last Sunday 30-13 and ran up the score on the Pats. Will the 49ers make easy work of the Cardinal today?

#6 The Las Vegas Raiders just got by the Cleveland Browns last week 20-16. After holding a 20-10 win the Raiders in the fourth quarter couldn’t get any offense going and the Browns returned a fumble for a touchdown but it wasn’t enough as Las Vegas came away with a four point win at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.

Join Charlie O for Headline Sports podcasts each Sunday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Sacramento A’s Relocation podcast with Daniel Dullum: Did AASEG really miss a Coliseum payment? and City Council is asking “where’s the money”

Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao announces an exclusive negotiating agreement to develop the Oakland Coliseum complex in Feb 2, 2023. Fast forward to Oct 2024 Oakland City Council Jannai Ramachandran is asking where are the AASEG payments are for the purchase of the Oakland Coliseum. Lea Suzuki / The Chronicle file photo

On the Sacramento A’s Relocation podcast with Daniel Dullum:

#1 Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao this past week said that the missed payment on the Oakland Coliseum property payment by the African American Sports Entertainment Group would not trigger and budget contingencies.

#2 Oakland City Council member Jannai Ramachandran in a statement said the City has not received the $15 million payment for September from AASEG.

#3 Oakland and AASEG came to an agreement to sell the AASEG 50% of the Coliseum property meanwhile the Oakalnd A’s sold 50% of their half of the property. The cost to AASEG was $105 million for each of the 50% purchases.

#4 Ramachandran said that the people of Oakland need to know “where this money is and the impact on public safety.”

#5 Mayor Thao’s office said the money is track. Ray Bobbitt AASEG founder said that they have met all payments. The group has said it paid $15 million in September and is scheduled to make a $10 million payment in early October.

Daniel Dullum does the Sacramento A’s relocation podcasts each Sunday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Luna’s late goal the difference in Real Salt Lake’s 1-0 shutout victory over the Earthquakes.

The San Jose Earthquakes celebrated super fan Krazy George before their game against Real Salt Lake as George posed with the team’s starting 11 as part of the team’s 50th-year celebration at Pay Pal Park on Saturday OCT 5, 2024. (San Jose Earthquakes)

by Marko Ukalovic

SAN JOSE — Sunnyvale’s Diego Luna had a happy homecoming as he returned to haunt his hometown team.

Luna scored in the 78th minute was the only goal Real Salt Lake needed to defeat the San Jose Earthquakes 1-0 in the Quakes home finale of the season on Saturday evening at Pay Pal Park.

San Jose finished 4-13-1 at home including games at Levi’s Stadium and Stanford Stadium. The Earthquakes have lost three out of its last four matches with one match remaining in the season. With the win, Real Salt Lake has earned points in five straight matches and is tied with Seattle for third place in the Western Conference.

Real Salt Lake had the presence of their leading goal scorer Chico Arango who has been out with a hamstring injury he suffered during a 2-0 loss to the Earthquakes on August 24th when he was knocked to the ground by midfielder Carlos Gruezo. Arango came in as a substitute for Anderson Julio in the 55th minute.

The first half featured a scoreless deadlock. Neither team generated that many quality scoring chances. The best opportunity for San Jose came in the 20th minute when a shot from Hernan Lopez from the center of the box missed wide right of Real Salt Lake goalkeeper Zac MacMath. Quakes goalkeeper Daniel made a nice save on RSL’s best chance of the half, a shot off of the foot of Luna in the fourth minute.

Real Salt Lake (15-7-11-56 points) looked to have broken the deadlock in the 56th minute when Arango scored with a shot from point-blank range near the left post. However, he was ruled offsides and the goal was wiped off the board.

San Jose’s (6-24-5-21 points) interim head coach Ian Russell brought in a pair of fresh legs in the 63rd minute. Jack Skahan and Amahl Pellegrino came in for Jeremy Ebobisse and Paul Marie.

“Niko [Tsakiris] and Jackson [Yueill] broke the lines decently well, but I felt like after that, we didn’t have a lot of tempo change to get in behind them. I think Salt Lake does a pretty good job. They press pretty well, but I actually liked some of the combination plays with Niko, Hernán [López] and Jackson. But I think we were missing that next step to create a big chance,” Russell said.

The Earthquakes had a close call in the 70th minute when Nelson Palacio crossed a ball into the box where Dominik Marczuk’s header hit the crossbar and into the stands. Both players were subbed out a minute later by Matt Crooks and Emeka Eneli.

Real Salt Lake’s hard work finally paid off in the 78th minute. Braian Ojeda threaded a pass past two Quakes defenders over to Luna. The South Bay native dribbled out to the left before firing a perfectly placed shot off the right post and into the back of the net for his seventh goal of the season.

“It was a really good strike by [Diego] Luna. Good player. They had some chances early on, and then most of their chances came from outside the box. Unfortunately, that one went in,” Russell said.

San Jose had a golden chance to score the equalizer in the 90th minute but MacMath stopped a point-blank shot from Preston Judd from 10 yards out in the middle of the box.

MacMath finished with one save on one attempt on target to earn a clean slate. Daniel made five saves on six shots on goal in the losing effort.

GAME NOTES: San Jose finished with two corner kicks. Real Salt Lake had nine.

San Jose is 16-15-12 against Real Salt Lake in the all-time series.

San Jose split the season series with Real Salt Lake after defeating them 2-0 in Utah on Aug. 24. The Quakes also saw their two-game unbeaten home streak against RSL snapped after drawing 2-2 with them in 2022 and beating them 2-1 last year.

The Quakes celebrated 50 years with Krazy George, who has been leading cheers since the club’s first match in 1974. The first 5,000 fans through the gates received a Krazy George wig courtesy of Habbas Law.

Cristian Espinoza extended his run of consecutive MLS regular-season games played to a current league-high of 108 (Oct. 2, 2021 – present). The streak is not only a Quakes record but tied for fifth longest in MLS history. He now stands equal with Darlington Nagbe (May 1, 2021 – Apr. 6, 2024) in the all-time annals and second among all field players. Espinoza can pass Nagbe in the season finale on Oct. 19 in a road contest vs. LAFC. Goalkeeper Luis Robles holds the league record with 183 straight appearances (Sept. 29, 2012 – May 12, 2018).

UP NEXT: San Jose close out the regular season on the road against LAFC on Sunday 10/19 at 6:00pm at BMO Stadium.

Bay FC can’t find the Bat Signal against Gotham FC get clobbered 5-1 at Red Bull Arena

Bay FC’s forward Asisat Oshoala (below) scored Bay FC’s only goal at the 18th minute she celebrated with Rachel Kundananji (9) against the Gotham FC at Red Bull Arena in Harrison NJ on Sat Oct 5, 2024 (photo from Bay FC X)

By William Espy

Bay FC’s push for the playoffs continued as they went on the road to take on Gotham FC at Red Bull Arena in Harrison, New Jersey. Gotham had only lost once so far this season at home, meaning Bay was going to have a difficult fight to walk away with three points. Difficult indeed as the Bay were defeated 5-1 by Gotham FC.

Bay FC Starting XI: Rowland, Malonson, Menges, Dahlkemper, Dydasco, Boade, Pickett, Bailey, Oshoala, Kundananji, Hill

Gotham Starting XI: Berger, Nighswonger, Sonnett, Williams, Stevens, Martin, Davidson, Lavelle, Sheehan, Ryan, Carter

In the 7th minute, Gotham appealed for a potential handball inside the box. As a result, the video assistant referee advised the official to review the play. Upon review, it was clear that the ball hit the extended arm of Asisat Oshoala and Gotham was awarded an early penalty.

Jenna Nighswonger stepped up to take the penalty, and scored after hitting the post as the ball bounced into the net. Katelyn Rowland went the wrong way, giving her no chance to make a save. After the goal, Bay FC was clearly frustrated causing them to play overly aggressively.

Gotham meanwhile was creating more chances offensively looking to extend their lead. Ann-Katrin Berger saw her first action of the night when Dorian Bailey attempted a chip pass to Rachael Kundananji, but the Gotham goalkeeper came out to play the ball.

Oshoala got the equalizer in the 18th minute when a perfectly timed through ball from Kundananji got her behind the defense, leaving her with only Berger to beat. Oshoala had now scored Bay’s last four goals, and had four in five games.

Gotham’s dangerous attack immediately started generating more offensive opportunities, but Bay FC was able to contain them for the most part. Bay had another strong scoring chance in the 32nd minute, but a bit of a broken play led to confusion resulting in Bailey not firing a shot on what would’ve likely been a clear goal.

Around that point in the match, Bay was bringing more offensive pressure than they had all night. Kundananji in particular was creating a lot of chances, but her runs weren’t being finished off by her teammates. In the 38th and 39th minutes, Gotham was trying to overload the box which led to chaos in front of Bay FC’s goal.

Although they weren’t able to score on the sequence, it definitely caused some scary moments for the defense. Ella Stevens and Oshoala collided in extra time, but after a short delay both would get back up with no issues.

Tess Boade immediately started the second half with an attack for Bay FC, but her centering pass didn’t find anyone in front of goal. The first 15 minutes of the half would feature quite a bit of end-to-end action, highlighted by Bailey nearly giving Bay a 2-1 lead when her shot went just over the crossbar.

Oshoala went down in some discomfort around the 60th minute. After getting some attention from the training staff, she remained in the game. Bailey had another chance from in close in the 67th minute, but once again got a little too much on the shot.

Stevens and Caprice Dydasco got tied up in the 68th minute, giving Bay FC a very dangerous free-kick opportunity. They were unable to convert, and Gotham gained possession launching an attack of their own. The ball would end up on the head of Rose Lavelle who gave the home team a 2-1 lead.

In the 72nd minute, Gotham would score another making it 3-1. This time, it was Esther Gonzalez who put it away. Esther got a second less than two minutes later, extending the lead to 4-1. It took less than five minutes for things to completely fall apart for Bay FC in a game that had otherwise been even.

It was very reminiscent of a few games from earlier in the season, and with a playoff push in full swing, these types of mistakes cannot happen. CeCe Kizer would add a fifth goal in the 84th minute. Kundananji left the game in the 88th minute and she was clearly upset and went directly to the locker room rather than remaining on the bench with her teammates. The game would ultimately end in a 5-1 defeat for Bay FC.

Cardinal hit with “Hokie-Doke” by VA Tech 31-7 in their ACC Home opener, on a HOT day on the Farm

Virginia Tech Hokies cornerback Dorian Strong (44) has gone airborne in an attempt to intercept a pass intended for Stanford Cardinal wide receiver Ismael Cisse (84) at Stanford Stadium in Palo Alto on Sat Oct 5, 2024 (AP News photo)

By Michael Roberson

STANFORD, Calif. — A blazing 89 degrees was a contributing factor why the Stanford Cardinal (2-3, 1-2 ACC) realized hosting the inaugural Atlantic Coast Conference game at Stanford Stadium was Too Hot to handle, and lost to the Virginia Tech Hokies (3-3, 1-1 ACC), 31-7.

The visitors from the Old Dominion State won the coin toss, but graciously deferred the ball to the hosts. Unfortunately Stanford did not cherish the benevolent gift. They failed to convert any points on the scoreboard.

As the Cardinal took the snap on the first drive of the game, there was a chang under center. Backup junior QB Justin Lamson was the starter, as Ashton Daniels was out with an ankle injury, reportedly from the game last week at Clemson.

Lamson was sacked on a crucial 3rd down play, around the 10 minute mark, resulting in a field goal attempt To the team’s dismay, senior kicker Emmet Kenney missed a 53-yarder.. Despite good intentions during the initial possession, the Cardinal ended up with a “Goose Egg, 0-0.

The Hokies on the other hand, were determined to reach paydirt. More than midway though the first quarter, redshirt-junior QB, Kyron Drones hit graduate WR Stephen Gosnell for a 9-yard touchdown pass. Virginia Tech scored first and put seven points on the board and led 7-0 late in the quarter, However, Stanford still had time to deliver the equalizer.

Lamson tried a QB keeper with :12 left in the first 15; he was hit at the goal line with the opportunity to tie the game, consequently fumbling and turning the ball over to theards into the end zone, doubling their score. Two scoring opportunities thwarted for various reasons. After one quarter of play, 7-0 Virginia Tech.

In the second stanza, the Hokies went on a nearly 7-minute drive, culminating in another score just under the 2-minute timeout before halftime. Senior running back Bhayshal Tuten scampered seven yards into the end zone, doubling their score midway through the game, 14-0. That was their third halftime shutout of the year.

The third quarter provided the Hokies the opportunity to triple their original score in only four plays and just under two minutes. Drones launched a 55-yard TD pass to graduate WR Da’Quan Felton, to give VA Tech a commanding 21-0 lead with almost 3/4 of the contest being over. However, the Cardinal had something to say and do before quarter’s end.

On a trick play, freshman running back Micah Ford tossed a 19-yard TD to redshirt sophomore WR Elic Ayomanor, with a minute remaining in the third quadrant, 21-7 VA Tech. That was all the scoring for the Cardinal, as the Hokies tagged on 10 more points in the final quarter.

Lawson threw an interception early in the quarter, in which the Hokies capitalized on the turnover. A few minutes later, Drones scores on a QB keeper for a 2-yard TD. The Hokies were up 28-7 and capped off the blistering afternoon five minutes later with a 46-yard field goal by redshirt sophomore kicker Josh Love. After 60 minutes of scorching heat, the Virginia Tech Hokies won the conference game, 31-7.

Stanford will next be in action Saturday October 12 in South Bend, IN to take on Notre Dame at 12:30 PM EST. on NBC. Virginia Tech goes back to Blacksburg Thursday October 17, to host Boston College at 4:30 PM EST on ESPN.

That’s Amaury News and Commentary: Charlie Hustle should be in Cooperstown 

Former Cincinnati Reds hitter Pete Rose at the bat against the Atlanta Braves on Aug 2, 1978 at Fulton County Stadium in Atlanta (AP file photo)

By Amaury Pi-González

When I first arrived in the United States as a young teen in 1961, I remember people saying, “In America, everybody deserves a second chance.” Well, Pete Rose, as a player, never got that chance by the MLB Hall of Fame.

Charlie Hustle was banned from baseball in 1989 for gambling on the Cincinnati Reds team he managed; that makes a lot of sense. As a manager, he made the moves; some of them could win a game, and some could not, but he had absolute control throughout any match. Common sense tells us that for baseball, it was correct to ban him for life as a manager. But as a player?

In the United States of America, even criminals, big-time felons, go to prison, serve their time, rehabilitate later, and join society again. Example: O.J Simpson, and we know that story.

As a player, Pete Rose is the all-time Hits King, with 4,256 hits. #2 in Ty Cobb, 4189 hits; if we used today’s standards, Ty Cobb should lead a new Hall of Fame, “The Racist Hall of Fame, and ‘trust me’ he will have competition, even managers.

Today, the Hall of Fame’s various committees elect participants other than recently retired players. The most active is the Veterans Committee. I hope that for the sake of the great game of baseball and future generations, Pete Rose could be elected to the Hall of Fame as a player. Why?

Because he was one of the best baseball players ever to wear a uniform. Whether or not you like his personality, you do not elect people for their personality flaws but for the merit of their performance. With 4,256 hits, who could argue with a career of such magnitude, especially during this time in baseball history when the average batting average in baseball is a paltry .240. I covered Pete Rose as a player, and he should be in the Hall of Fame. Period.

Amaury Pi Gonzalez is the vice president of the Major League Baseball Hispanic Heritage Hall of Fame Museum and does News and Commentary at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

San Jose Sharks podcast with Mary Lisa: Askarov might be on shelf until regular season gets underway

Former Nashville Predator goaltender and current San Jose Barracuda goaltender Yaroslav Askarov did not travel with the Barracuda for pre season game in Bakersfield on Fri Oct 4, 2024 (photo from nhl.com)

On the SJ Sharks podcast with Mary Lisa:

#1 How surprising is that the San Jose Sharks have demoted their goaltender Yaroslav Askarov and was assigned to the AHL affiliate San Jose Barracuda.

#2 On Friday Askarov skated with the Barracuda during the Friday morning skate but did not travel to Bakersfield for the Barracuda’s first pre season game.

#3 The Barracuda have one more pre season game on Sun Oct 3 against Bakersfield before they open the regular season on Sat Oct 12th in Ontario. It’s quite possible without risking injury to Askarov he could see action once the regular season gets started.

#4 Askarov who was with the Nashville Predators last season asked for a trade after goaltender Jusse Saros was given an eight year extension and Scott Wedgewood would be the back up goalie which would most likely equate to Askarov having more bench time.

#5 There has to be very little doubt that Askarov looks at being in the San Jose organization as a second opportunity to get a chance to see more time and work his way up back to the Sharks.

Join Mary Lisa for the Sharks podcast each Saturday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com