Rough night in San Jose: Nevens suffers scary injury; SJSU loses to UC Davis 44-38

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Photo credit: @SJSUSpartanFB

By: Ana Kieu

SAN JOSE, Calif. — The San Jose State Spartans knew how to get things going with the home crowd in their season opener versus the UC Davis Aggies inside CEFCU Stadium on a cool, breezy night.

Spartans head coach Brent Brennan officially entered his second season at San Jose State, Spartan quarterback Josh Love got the start, and the Spartan fans were a bit surprised to see a fireworks show just seconds after the Spartan Marching Band performed their typical yet talent-filled performance.

Unfortunately, the early minutes weren’t in favor of San Jose State, as UC Davis jumped to an early 7-0 lead at the 11:58 mark of the first quarter. Ulonzo Gilliam scored a 5-yard rushing touchdown and Matt Blair’s kick for an extra point was good.

Jake Maier threw a pass that was intended for a fellow Aggie, but Dakari Monroe intercepted the pass midway through the first quarter. Monroe returned the pass for 29 yards to the 1-yard line.

Just moments later, San Jose State evened the score at 7-7, thanks to a game-tying touchdown. Love threw to JaQuan Blackwell for a 5-yard passing touchdown with 9:33 left in the first.

Spartan fans danced to “This Is How We Do It” by Montell Jordan, as the old-school hip-hop song played just moments after Tyler Nevens scored a 2-yard rushing touchdown to help the Spartans to a 14-7 lead with 5:54 left in the first. Bryce Crawford’s kick for the extra point was obviously good.

UC Davis evened the score at 14-14 on Gilliam’s second touchdown of the game, a 1-yard rushing touchdown, with 2:21 left in the first. Blair’s kick for an extra point was good.

The score was tied 14-14 at the end of the first.

UC Davis regained the lead, 21-14, on Wesley Preece’s 22-yard passing touchdown at the 14:56 mark of the second quarter. Blair’s kick for an extra point was good. Not only that, UC Davis snatched the lead, 28-14, on Jared Harrell’s 49-yard passing touchdown just 1:30 later. Blair’s kick for an extra point was good.

San Jose State pulled within seven and trailed UC Davis 28-21 at the 11:29 mark of the second. Nevens, who scored his scored touchdown of the game, helped the Spartans with a 23-yard rushing touchdown. Crawford’s kick for an extra point was good.

The Aggies extended their lead to 35-21 with 9:54 left in the second. Carson Crawford scored a 9-yard rushing touchdown. Blair successfully kicked in the extra point.

The Spartans had a chance to pull within 11 to reduce the deficit to 35-24, but Crawford’s attempt at a 53-yard field goal was unsuccessful. Crawford was 10 yards short.

San Jose State trailed UC Davis 35-21 at halftime.

The Aggies’ first play of the second half was a safety, which extended its lead to 37-21 at the 14:51 mark of the third quarter. The Spartans, however, had something else to be excited about as the Spartans’ gymnastics team were honored on the field for their latest achievements.

Crawford made a 29-yard field goal to pull the Spartans within 13, but the home team continued to trail the Aggies 37-24 with 2:10 left in the third.

The Spartans pulled within six on a noteworthy, last-second 79-yard passing touchdown by Bailey Gaither, who initially caught the pass from Montel Aaron. The Aggies, however, continued to lead 37-31 at the end of three quarters.

The Aggies didn’t waste any time in the fourth quarter. Gilliam scored his third touchdown of the game, an 18-yard passing touchdown from Maier, to put the Aggies up by 13 for a 44-31 lead at the 13:46 mark of the fourth.

The Spartans were down by 13 for quite a while in the fourth, but the most important part of the game was that the Spartans’ top running back Tyler Nevens was fine after a reported head-to-head collision. The Spartan fans sent their thoughts and prayers to Nevens, who later returned the favor by giving a thumbs up as the trainers stretchered him off the field.

Gaither scored his second touchdown of the game, a 17-yard passing touchdown from Aaron, to pull the Spartans within six, 44-38, with 1:24 left in the fourth.

San Jose State lost to UC Davis 44-38.

Notes
Spartans’ defensive lineup

Spartans’ offensive lineup

Up Next
The Spartans head to Martin Stadium to take on the Washington State Cougars on Saturday, September 8 at 8:00 pm PDT.

Raiders Answer Backup QB Question After 30-19 Win Over Seahawks

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Photo credit: @NBCSRaiders

By Tony Renteria

The Oakland Raiders have spent much of the preseason looking for the backup to All-Pro quarterback Derek Carr and have found that answer in a great game by EJ Manuel.   Manuel, who spent time in Buffalo before coming to the Silver and Black last season, has looked spotty at best during the first three preseason games, but came out tonight looking like a quality starter as he went an outstanding 18-for-22 with 255 yards and three touchdowns as the Raiders won 30-19 against the Seahawks at CenturyLink Field on Thursday night.

Manuel found a security blanket in Keon Hatcher, who caught two of those touchdowns from Manuel, three overall and seemed to be everywhere on the field as he was the punt returner and on special team coverage. Hatcher did make a case for making the final 53-man roster, but might end up on the scout team.

Quarterback coach Brian Callahan took over the play calling duties tonight from head coach John Gruden and seemed to do a good job balancing the run/pass ratio. The Raiders, who did not dress 21 of the 22 starters, did a very good job with players who will be cut on by September 1.

The Raiders used this last game to ensure that Manuel had it in him to be the backup and with the team more than likely only keeping two quarterbacks this last meaningless preseason game carried some meaning for the Raiders’ coaching staff.

NFL preseason leading Rusher Chris Warren III had 41 yards on 12 rushing attempts, but looked much better in pass protection and route running and looks like he will be one of the five running backs to make the roster.

Manual, Hatcher and Waarren III all made a differance tonight, lets see if tonight turns in a roster spot for these three young men.

The Raiders host the Rams to open the season on Monday Night Football on Monday, September 10 at 7:20 pm PDT.

49ers rally late, but fall to the Chargers 23-21

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Photo credit: @49ers

By Jeremy Harness

SANTA CLARA – The best thing you can take out of the final preseason game of the year for the 49ers is this: the injury list did not grow, and for the most part, the quarterbacks showed flashes of brilliance.

Signal-callers Nick Mullens and Jack Heneghan got plenty of burn in Thursday night’s 23-21 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers at Levi’s Stadium, and each of them certainly gave solid accounts of themselves in the process.

Each guy led the 49ers on long, time-consuming touchdown drives and gave their team a chance to win, particularly when Heneghan drove the team down for a score that gave the 49rs the lead with a little more than two minutes left in the game.

In the end, however, the 49ers’ run defense let them down, as did a big kick return that put the ball in 49ers territory immediately following the go-ahead score.

The 49ers did feature a handful of starters, including Solomon Thomas, who made a pair of big tackles for losses on the first drive of the game before taking a spot on the sideline for the rest of the night. Linebacker Reuben Foster, meanwhile, blew up a screen pass for a huge loss on the Chargers’ second possession. Three plays later, the 49ers forced a punt.

Foster played considerably longer than Thomas, as he is facing a two-game suspension that starts next Sunday. On the offensive side, lineman Joshua Garnett played into the second quarter, but no other starters took the field on Thursday.

C.J Beathard started the game and played one series but accomplished next to nothing in the process. In fact, he did not attempt a single pass. Mullens, on the other hand, was able to build on his game-winning performance in the first preseason game against Dallas with another very good effort on Thursday.

Mullens did have to suffer through some pains early on, getting rocked by a pair of blindside hits in his first two possessions, and the second one – by defensive end Chris Landrum – forced him to cough up the ball, and Los Angeles took over deep in 49ers territory.

However, the 49ers defense stood up to the challenge wonderfully, and the Chargers were forced to kick another field goal to give them a 6-0 lead.

He settled down very nicely immediately following the turnover. He made a handful of nice throws and extended plays when the protection broke down during a 75-yard drive that he punctuated with a six-yard touchdown plunge to give the 49ers a 7-6 lead.

The Chargers, however, took advantage of the 49ers’ soft run defense and ended the first half by punching it in for a score, after going 73 yards on 10 plays to go in front, 13-7. Los Angeles added another touchdown early in the second half, shortly after Jeremy McNichols fumbled and gave the Chargers the ball on the 49ers’ 10.

The 49ers marched it deep into the red zone late in the third quarter but were stopped on fourth-and-one at the 2-yard line.

Heneghan responded in the fourth by leading the 49ers down the field, and when McNichols plunged into the end zone with a little more than two minutes left, the 49ers had a 21-20 lead.

That lead, the 49ers’ only one of the game, did not last. After the Chargers returned the ensuing kickoff into 49ers territory, they converted a pair of first downs before Roberto Aguayo kicked a 26-yard field goal as time expired.

The 49ers head to U.S. Bank Stadium to take on the Vikings on Sunday, September 9 at 10 am PDT.

Mariners embarrass the A’s in a 7-1 laugher

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Photo credit: @Mariners

By Jerry Feitelberg

OAKLAND — A’s starter Frankie Montas took one for his team Thursday night as he was roughed up for five runs in the first inning. A’s manager Bob Melvin decided to leave Montas in the game. Montas responded by allowing just two more runs and four hits in his next five innings of work. His line for the night was six innings of work, and he allowed seven runs and eight hits.

The Mariners trounced the A’s 7-1. Reliever J.B. Wendelken, who was recalled from Nashville, pitched three scoreless innings and gave up just one hit for a very impressive performance. M’s starter Wade LeBlanc dominated the A’s for seven innings. The A’s never mounted a threat as LeBlanc scattered three hits over his seven innings of work.

Frankie Montas, who made his first start since being recalled from Nashville, did not do well in the very first inning against the M’s. The M’s put five runs on the board, two of them were unearned, as Montas had control problems. The Mariners had four hits in the inning and were helped out by a Matt Chapman throwing error. Montas didn’t help his cause as he walked right fielder Ben Gamel with the bases loaded to force in a run. Montas threw 38 pitches in the inning.

Montas settled down a bit in the top of the second. Nevertheless, the M’s tacked on their sixth run of the game in that frame. Left fielder Denard Span started the inning with a leadoff triple. M’s second baseman singled to drive in Span. Montas retired Nelson Cruz for the first out and got Kyle Seager to hit into an inning-ending double play.

Montas retired the M’s in order in the third inning. Melvin was hoping the A’s offense will get going and that Montas can give him at least five innings of work, but that wasn’t the case. In the top of the fourth, with one out, Mitch Haniger blasted his 23 home run of the year to give the M’s a 7-0 lead.

The A’s finally put one on the scoreboard in the bottom of the eighth. With one out, Marcus Semien walked. He went to second on a wild pitch and scored on Jed Lowrie’s single. The A’s trailed 7-1 after eight.

The A’s went down in order in the ninth, and the M’s took the first game of the four-game series 7-1.

Game Notes: With the loss, the A’s fall to 80-55. The M’s improved to 75-59 and now trail the A’s by 4 1/2 games for the second Wild Card spot. The A’s remain 2 1/2 games behind the Houston Astros as the Astros lost to the LA Angels Thursday night.

Time of game was two hours and 40 minutes and a very small crowd of 10,844 watched as the A’s were subdued by Seattle.

Up Next: Game two of the four-game series will feature the A’s Mike Fiers (10-6, 3.15 ERA) vs. the M’s Mike Leake (8-8, 4.03 ERA). Game time will be at 7:05 pm PDT Friday night.

Goodbye, San Francisco: Yankees acquire Andrew McCutchen in a trade

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Photo credit: @Cut4

By: Ana Kieu

Well, Andrew McCutchen’s tenure as a San Francisco Giant didn’t last long. McCutchen, a five-time MLB All-Star from 2011-15, was acquired by the New York Yankees in a rather unexpected trade Thursday night.

The Yankees agreed to a trade with the Giants. As a result, New York will send Abiatal Avelino (infielder) and another Minor Leaguer to San Francisco for the Giants’ regular right field, according to multiple reports.

McCutchen is batting .255 with 15 homers, 55 RBIs and 13 stolen bases in 130 games this season. The 31-year-old was a longtime face of the Pittsburgh Pirates’ franchise, and now, he’s on his way to the Big Apple.

McCutchen will likely help the Yankees boost their outfield production as they’re currently waiting for Aaron Judge, a Linden, Calif. native, to make his much-anticipated return from his right wrist injury. The Yankees’ move will also likely give the team a brand-new player an additional player to spell out Giancarlo Stanton, who has played in 83 consecutive games. In addition, Yankees manager Aaron Boone will receive more flexibility when it comes to the DH slot.

The only negative is that McCutchen hasn’t been an MLB All-Star since 2015, so we may have to see how everything works out.

The Fantasy Football Doctors Are In! Podcast Episode No. 1 “The Draft Edition”

Published on by Charlie O. MalloneeLeave a comment

Fantasy Football Doctor’s Podcast 8-30-18

ff4

+ Fantasy Football is back and it’s time for the fun to begin

+ Should you draft a running back or a wide receiver in the first round?

+ Will missing the entire preseason make a player ineffective early in          the season?

+ In what round should you draft your quarterback?

+ What do you mean playing fantasy football is like playing Monopoly?

+  I don’t want much – I just want to destroy everyone in my league!

+ Dr. Vasu and Dr. Charlie O are here to help you in your time of need.

   Every week their podcast will offer the news and advice you need to

   win your fantasy football league

San Jose Earthquakes podcast with Ana Kieu: What did the Quakes do at home?; plus SJSU football preview

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Photo credit: @SutterHealth

On the San Jose Earthquakes podcast with Ana:

1. The Vancouver WhiteCaps edged the San Jose Earthquakes 3-2 at Avaya Stadium last Saturday night. What were your three takeaways from that match?

2. The Quakes hosted FC Dallas last night at Avaya. What do you have to say about that match?

3. Speaking of last night, the Quakes hosted A’s night for those who are A’s and Quakes fans. How did that turn out?

4. The Quakes head to British Columbia to take on the WhiteCaps this Saturday. What are three things the Quakes need to do in order to beat or at least draw with the WhiteCaps?

5. The Quakes will face Cruz Azul FC in an international friendly at Avaya on October 13th. Do you think that’s a good matchup?

6. The San Jose State Spartans host the UC Davis Aggies in its season opener at CEFCU Stadium tonight. What’s your prediction for the Spartans and do you think they’ll beat the Aggies?

Catch Ana on the San Jose Earthquakes podcast each week at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Oakland Raiders podcast with Tony Renteria: Conflicting trade rumors on Mack, who wants up to $11 million raise; preview of tonight’s game in Seattle

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Photo credit: @TurntSportsNews

On the Raiders podcast with Tony Renteria:

Conflicting trade rumors persist regarding the Oakland Raiders’ Khalil Mack. The team and Mack are far apart in negotiating Mack is getting $11 million per year. But he wants an $11 million raise to $22 million. This hold out has been been going on for months and knowing how the Raiders do business, they’re holding out too–they feel Mack is getting a fair deal. Mack, the best defensive player in the NFL, is asking for equal money that Denver Broncos’ Von Miller at $16 million is getting or as high as the $22 million figure.

Quarterback Derek Carr hasn’t seen a lot of snaps this preseason this maybe as a precaution to keep Carr for the regular season. Raiders head coach Jon Gruden is having his two backup quarterbacks getting the snaps to see how they do in the preseason games.

The Raiders’ last game against the Green Bay Packers used back up quarterbacks Connor Cook and EJ Manuel who combined for 14-of-27 for 159 yards. Will the Raiders look for a veteran backup quarterback? The last preseason game of the season on Thursday night in Seattle and Tony takes a look at what coach Gruden will be looking for.

Tony does the Raiders podcasts each Thursday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Oakland A’s podcast with Jerry Feitelberg: Astros avoid losing series to A’s; Cahill gets lit up for four runs in start

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Photo credit: astros.mlblogs.com

On the Oakland A’s podcast with Jerry:

#1 The Houston Astros avoided dropping the three-game series to the visiting Oakland A’s on Wednesday at Minute Maid Field with one-run 5-4 win.

#2 The game changed hands until the Astros’ Tyler White hit a home run into the left field seats off A’s reliever Jeurys Familia for a walk-off win in the bottom of the ninth.

#3 A’s pitcher Trevor Cahill continues to struggle on the road. Cahill went 3.1 innings, five hits, four runs and three unearned runs. Cahill’s record drops to 1-3 with a 6.92 ERA.

#4 The Astros would not be denied scoring twice in the first and after they got their streak snapped at six games on Tuesday night. The Astros have won six of their last seven games.

#5 The A’s leave Houston and head back to the Coliseum for Thursday night’s contest with the Seattle Mariners. A big series with Seattle in third and the A’s in second 5 1/2 games in front of Seattle in the AL West.

Join Jerry for the A’s podcast each Thursday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Giants to host Mets for three-game series starting Friday night

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Photo credit: goldstar.com

By: Ana Kieu

The Giants have been pretty darn good as of late. But let’s not forget that the Giants struggled in Flushing against the Mets in Citi Field and merely got out of the Big Apple with a 3-1 win to halt what could’ve been the Mets’ three-game sweep at home.

This weekend, San Francisco will host New York for a three-game series before embarking on a six-game road trip starting in Coors Field with the Rockies and then Miller Park with the Brewers. That’s quite a lot of airfare miles, but you gotta do what you gotta do, right?

The Giants, however, must avoid looking down on the Mets. Why’s that? The Mets are cellar-dwellers just like the Giants, so they can possibly play spoilers like they did with the Nationals and Phillies.

In other news, the Giants’ Twitter retweeted a tweet from Baseball Hall that announced an “On This Day in 1965” on Wednesday, writing that Willie Mays set a record with his 17th homer in the month of August in the Giants’ 8-3 win over the Mets. Coincidence, much?

The Giants’ Twitter also announced that on Tuesday that more than 50 volunteers from CarMax, the Giants and the American Red Cross put together 500 kits for aid in disaster relief efforts. Lou Seal and Chase d’Arnaud were also there. You can help by going on redcross.org/Giants.

And, if you have some extra bucks to spend, you can book your next three-day stay in San Francisco with Hilton–the official hotel partner of the Giants’ 60th anniversary season–and you’ll save 50% off on Sunday night stays.

The Giants host the Mets at AT&T Park for game one on Friday night at 7:15 pm PDT. You can watch the game on NSBA and SNY.