Warriors hang on to beat Nets 118-111

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Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) drives to the basket against Brooklyn Nets guard Caris LeVert (22) during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Sunday, Nov. 19, 2017, in New York. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)

by Jerry Feitelberg

BROOKLYN — The Warriors were without Kevin Durant, but were able to build a 22-point lead at halftime behind the play of their leader, Steph Curry. The Warriors then had to hang on for dear life as the Nets outplayed them in the second half and almost were able to upset the Warriors. Shaun Livingston and Klay Thompson made key buckets late in the fourth quarter, and the Warriors won 118-111.

With the Warriors trailing 10-8, they took the lead for good as they went on an 8-0 run to lead 16-10. Curry led the charge, and the team got some help from Nick Young who made two three-pointers as they finished the first quarter leading 32-20.

The Warriors ended the first half leading 64-42. Curry led the team with 22 points, and he had eight rebounds, four assists and he made three steals. Curry committed his third personal foul late in the first half and had to finish the half on the bench.

The Warriors increased the lead to 28 (78-50) early in the third quarter. The Nets refused to fold and started chipping away at the lead. The Warriors led by 20 with 2:20 left in the period when the Nets made some three-point shots and went to the free throw line as the Warriors committed too many fouls. Curry committed his fifth personal foul late in the third quarter and went to the bench. The Warriors led 98-84, but the Nets were now feeling confident that they were back in the game.

The Nets kept chipping away at the Warriors’ lead. The Warriors still led by 14 with 8:28 left to play. Little by little, the Nets crept closer and cut the deficit to four (107-103). Curry fouled out of the game with three minutes to play. It was at this point that Livingston made a huge bucket and Thompson then followed with a two-point bucket and then a three-pointer to lead 114-106. The Nets refused to go down as they made a trey. The Warriors made a two-pointer to lead 116-109. The Nets closed in at 116-111. They fouled Thompson, who made the two free throws to put the game away 118-111.

Game notes and stats: Curry led the Warriors with 39 points, seven assists, 11 rebounds and four three-point shots. Thompson also finished with a double-double (23 points and 10 rebounds). Draymond Green, Andre Iguodala, and Omri Casspi started in place of Kevin Durant. The trio played well on both ends of the court.

As a team, the Warriors had eight steals and 14 blocks. Young, Iguodala, David West and Kevon Looney all made contributions to the Warriors’ win.

The Nets had five players in double figures. Allen Crabbe led the Nets with 25. Crabbe made six three-point shots in 11 attempts. Spencer Dinwiddie finished with 21. DeMarre Carroll had a double-double with 15 points and 11 boards. Rondae Hollis-Jefferson added 15 and Caris LeVert came off the bench to tally 13.

The Nets were 27-for-39 from the free-throw line. The Warriors were 16-of-23 from the charity stripe. The Nets also made 16 three-pointers while the Dubs were 10-for-24.

After the game, Green had this to say about the game: “Not many teams can keep up with us running.” Green added: “So, slow the game down, I think you give them more of a shot. Something we always talk about is defending without fouling. We didn’t do a good job of that today.”

Coach Steve Kerr also commented on the team’s narrow escape, saying, “We had to withstand their run, and luckily, we did with some good execution in the last few minutes after Steph (Curry) went out.”

With the win, the Warriors are now 13-4 for the season, and the Nets drop to 6-10.

Durant did not play as he sprained an ankle Saturday night in Philadelphia. Durant is expected to play Wednesday night as the Warriors travel to Oklahoma City to face his former team (Thunder).

The Thunder has a new look this year as they signed star forwards Paul George and Carmelo Anthony. Game time is at 5 pm.

Reign Took Their Crown Back, Beat Barracuda 4-1

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Photo: @sjbarracuda

By Alexandra Evans

SAN JOSE—The Barracuda faced the Reign again for the second match of this week’s doubleheader. After receiving a shutout defeat yesterday, the Reign took their crown back and overthrew the Barracuda 4-1 this afternoon.

The Reign accelerated offensively after failing to score yesterday. Matt Luff notched the first goal just over two minutes into the match, but the Barracuda tied up the score five minutes later when Jon Martin sniped the puck directly past Reign goaltender Cal Petersen’s left side, his first goal of the season (assisted by Nick DeSimone). The Reign failed to take advantage of their two power play opportunities, leaving the score tied 1-1 after 20 minutes. San Jose had 14 shots while Ontario had 13.

The Barracuda outshot the Reign in the second period as well, but they were unable to score, even on the man-advantage. That being said, their defensive strength translated from the previous day and they managed to hold the Reign scoreless through the second period.

The Reign kicked things into overdrive in the final 20 minutes, though the Barracuda kept their momentum through the third period. The Reign simply managed to succeed on every chance they took. Michael Mersch notched a power play goal just under two minutes in, this time on the power play. Luff scored his second of the game at the 12:10 mark. The Barracuda had a power play opportunity beginning at 13:42, but were still held scoreless. Troy Grosenick was pulled from the Barracuda’s net, and Andrew Crescenzi put up the Reign’s fourth goal at 17:30.

Overconfidence was not the issue (given the Barracuda’s 40 shots on goal compared to the Reign’s 28), nor was a lack of effort or mistakes being made. The Barracuda’s effort remained strong as ever; the Reign just located the back of the net and put forth more momentum than the previous day.

“It was a tiring game. I don’t think we deserved the outcome that happened, but it’s just how it goes,” noted Martin (who also noted it felt good to “get the first goal [of the season] out of the way”).

Roy Sommer concurred, insisting that all the Cuda needed was “more fate.”

On a separate note, one could argue that center Rourke Chartier, who is returning from a six-month hiatus due to injury, has some shoes to fill as Danny O’Regan was called up to the Sharks yesterday.

“Whoever takes Danny’s spot needs to produce,” Sommer said. “They are going to see a lot of minutes, as Danny was our number one minute guy as far as power plays and penalty kills.

“Rourke is going to get even better [as the season progresses]; tonight was only his fourth game, but he’s got some good practice underneath him, his conditioning is good. He should be able to handle [stepping in].”

The Cuda are back at home on Wednesday, November 22 to face the San Antonio Rampage.

Brady, Patriots dismantle Raiders en route to 33-8 blowout in Mexico City

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New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady scrambles with the ball during the first half of an NFL football game against the Oakland Raiders, Sunday, Nov. 19, 2017, in Mexico City. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)

By Jeremy Kahn

MEXICO CITY — It seems that the bye week did not help the Oakland Raiders figure out how to defeat the defending Super Bowl Champion New England Patriots.

In his first ever game in Mexico, Tom Brady threw for 339 yards and three touchdowns and the Patriots defeated the Raiders 33-8 at Azteca Stadium in Mexico City.

Brady completed his first 12 passes, as the Patriots raise their record to 8-2 on the season and return home to face the Miami Dolphins on November 25 at Gillette Stadium.

The former Serra High star went 30-for-37 for 339 yards and those three touchdowns, and was sacked one time by the Raiders defense.

Dion Lewis led the Patriots running game with 10 carries for 60 yards.

Brandin Cooks, who is in his first year with the Patriots caught six passes for 149 yards that included a 64-yard touchdown pass from Brady. Danny Amendola led the Patriots in receptions, as he caught eight passes for 66 yards and a touchdown. Lewis also caught four passes for 28 yards and a touchdown.

This was the second year in a row that the Raiders headed to the capital of Mexico, and were looking for their second straight win after last year’s 27-20 victory over the Houston Texans.

Derek Carr finally got the Raiders on the board in the fourth quarter, as he found Amari Cooper for the Raiders’ only score of the afternoon.

Carr ended up going 28-for-49 for 237 yards passing with a touchdown and an interception. He was also sacked once.

Marshawn Lynch led the Raiders running game, as he carried the ball 11 times for 67 yards, including a season-long 25-yard run.

Michael Crabtree led the Raiders in receiving, as he caught six passes for 51 yards on the afternoon.

Cooper, who caught the lone touchdown for the Raiders caught three passes for 28 yards against the Patriots.

Stephen Gostkowski hit a Patriots record 62-yard field goal to give the Patriots a commanding 17-0 lead at the half. The Gostkowski field goal tied for the sixth longest in NFL history. Gostkowski ended up kicking four field goals on the afternoon.

The NFL record for longest field goal in a game is held by Matt Prater, who while playing for the Denver Broncos hit a 64-yard field goal in 2014.

Notes: After being on the road since their dramatic last-second victory over the Kansas City Chiefs on October 19, the Raiders return home on November 26 to face AFC West rival, the Denver Broncos.

Johnny Holton went to the locker room in the first half to be evaluated for a concussion, but he returned in the second half and was uncalled for an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty.

Brady became the first quarterback in NFL history to throw for 300 or more yards in three different countries. He did it twice in London and threw for 300 or more on 79 different occasions in the United States.

NCAA Podcast with Michelle Richardson: Wisconsin remains undefeated; No Mercy rule for Mercer trounced by Crimson Tide; How bad does OSU QB Mayfield look

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Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh during the NCAA Football game between the Michigan Wolverines and the Wisconsin Badgers at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, WI. Wisconsin defeated Michigan 24-10. John Fisher/CSM (Cal Sport Media via AP Images)

On the NCAA Podcast with Michelle

1 On the NCAA Football podcast with Michelle:1 Wisconsin is having an unbelievable so far undefeated season with a 24-10 win over the the Michigan Wolverines, there is also talk that Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh’s job is starting to become shaky Michelle takes a look at this game and Harbaugh’s job security standing?

2 With the win for the Alabama Crimson Tide the Mercer Bears needed the mercy rule on Saturday losing 56-0 to the Tide who remain number one and how do you see them in the major bowl games this month?

3 A look at the Kansas University captains not shaking the hands with Oklahoma State quarterback Baker Mayfield during the coin toss before Saturday’s game

Michelle Richardson takes a look at the NCAA headlines each week at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

NHL Podcast with Daniel Dullum: Wings Witkowski suspended for 10 games fighting; Matthews doesn’t miss a step upon return scores two goals; Happy Anniversary NHL

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Linesman Scott Driscoll (68) keeps Detroit Red Wings right wing Luke Witkowski (28) away from the Calgary Flames during the third period of an NHL hockey game, Wednesday, Nov. 15, 2017, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)

On the NHL Podcast with Daniel:

1 NHL suspends Red Wings’ Luke Witkowski 10 games for fighting

2 Toronto’s Auston Matthews lights the lamp twice in return to action

3 Arizona Coyotes beat Senators in OT, beat Canadiens in Montreal on Thursday for first regulation win of the season

4 Bruins, Blackhawks to meet in 2019 Winter Classic at Notre Dame Stadium

5 This week 100 years ago: NHL is created

Daniel does the NHL Podcasts each Sunday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

 

Categories NHL

That’s Amaury News and Commentary: New Poll shows Oakland Coliseum is favorite location

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photo from newballpark.org: Illustration of the new park of the Oakland A’s from behind home plate at Laney College at Lake Merritt in downtown Oakland

By Amaury Pi Gonzalez

OAKLAND–Four in five voters want the Athletics to stay at the Coliseum. That is what a recent poll revealed. This poll was taken by a group that opposes the Laney College preferred location by the A’s. Jessamyn Sabbag, Oakland Rising Executive Director said that the people we spoke with, believe the proposed site at Laney College could push out and destroy historic cultural neighborhoods.This Poll included registered voters, 82% said the A’s should stay at the Coliseum, 5% opposed and 15% had no opinion/undecided.

The greatest player in Oakland A’s history, Hall of Fame Rickey Henderson told me years ago, before all these locations today in play, Laney College, Howard Terminal and yes Jack London Square, Rickey told me that the A’s should build their new park right at the Coliseum. Irony that today the Coliseum field is named Rickey Henderson Field.

David Kaval the Athletics President told me last year prior to season start, that the Oakland Coliseum was one of the locations in play for the A’s to build their new park, although he obviously favors the Laney College location.

As a longtime Alameda County resident and tax payer, I have seen this process before. I remember attending a rally for the A’s to move to the City of Fremont, where I have lived since 1979. It took place at the Saddle Rack (a popular spot for Country music stars to perform) the land was available in Fremont, but there was opposition and…Adios Fremont! For the record, Fremont is today the fourth largest city in the Bay Area, located some 25 miles south of Oakland and 15 miles northeast of San Jose. Fremont with 214,000 residents is #4 in the bay, only: San Jose, San Francisco and Oakland have a larger population. This is not to say that all people that would attend A’s games would be from Fremont, because we know both Major League Baseball clubs in this area draw from all the nine Bay Area counties.

There are a lot of people like me, that favors the A’s build their new ballpark right at the Coliseum. However I (and many) will support any other location here in the East Bay, where the Athletics have been playing since 1968. We can all agree that the Oakland Coliseum offers the best access of any professional venue in the Bay Area; BART to the east and Hwy 880 to the west. The big negative is that there is not much to do around the Coliseum, but that could change, the land is there.

And although I do not oppose any of the available future site for the A’s, something keeps telling me that at the end, the best option would be to stay put and build at the Coliseum.

Amaury Pi Gonzalez is the vice president of the Major League Baseball Hispanic Heritage Museum in San Francisco and does News and Commentary each week at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Cal comes closer, but leaves more disappointed after eighth straight Big Game loss

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November 18, 2017: Stanford Cardinal quarterback K.J. Costello (3) is sacked during a NCAA Football game between the California Golden Bears and the Stanford Cardinal at the Stanford Stadium in Stanford, California. Valerie Shoaps/CSM (Cal Sport Media via AP Images)

By Morris Phillips

The losses to Stanford–now eight and counting–are difficult enough to process for the Cal Bears. But the latest one, both close and winnable, hurt that much more.

Stanford squeezed past Cal, 17-14, in the 120th Big Game Saturday night, and this time it was a hard fought ball game essentially decided when Ross Bowers was intercepted by Ben Edwards on a deep pass attempt to Jeremiah Hawkins that would have setup Cal with first-and-goal with 7:25 remaining. Stanford would go on a lengthy drive and exhaust the clock, winning by only three, when six of the previous seven Big Games were won by the Cardinal by at least 13 points.

“We played to win and we had our opportunities and that’s why this one hurts so much,” coach Justin Wilcox said of his Bears. “There’s a few plays here or there, both sides of the ball, that could have changed the outcome of that game.”

Undeniably, Wilcox had the Bears well prepared. Cal neutralized Heisman trophy candidate Bryce Love, fed standout Stanford defensive lineman Harrison Phillips a steady diet of double teams, and played efficiently and methodically on offense with Ross Bowers and feature back Patrick Laird. But in the end 14 points wasn’t enough for Cal to lead at any point, or impact a scoreless, fourth quarter.

“We knew each and every possession would be so critical. And we had some opportunities to get some stops in the first half and, obviously, the fourth quarter got to be able to get off the field there and get the offense the ball back,” Wilcox said. “Don’t get me wrong, I love our guys and the way they compete. They played hard, played their butts off, and we just needed another play here or there, and we didn’t quite have it.”

A missed 47-yard Matt Anderson field goal before halftime stood out because the ball careened backwards off the cross bar, but this time Cal had numerous chances when previous Big Games in the Stanford streak were basically decided by halftime. That Cal failed to secure bowl eligibility with a win made the proceedings that more agonizing.

“We just needed another play here or there,” Wilcox said.

The Bears finish the regular season at UCLA on Friday with a chance to even their record (5-6, 2-6). Stanford finishes their regular season at home against Notre Dame on Saturday. The Cardinal (8-3, 7-2) can qualify for the Pac-12 Championship Game on December 1 if Washington defeats Washington State on Saturday.

Same teams, different city with different result: Blazers down Kings 102-90

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by Charlie O. Mallonee

The Sacramento Kings traveled to Portland to play the second game of a home and home, back-to-back set on Saturday night. The Kings hoped to make it two in a row over the Trail Blazers after their big win on Friday night. Those hopes would not be fulfilled.

The Blazers took their revenge on the Kings by winning game two 102-90. Portland combined strong defense with high-percentage shooting to prevent the Kings from ever having a real chance of winning the game.

PORTLAND (9-7)

Portland backcourt comes aliveELY_2788.CR2

 

The Trail Blazers starting guards – Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum – are the focal point of the Portland offense. If the two guards cannot be shutdown, the chances of beating “Rip City” becomes very problematic.

Against the Kings Saturday night, Lillard and McCollum combined to account for 47 of the Blazers 102 points.

McCollum scored a game-high 25 points shooting 9-for-16 overall and 4-for-7 from beyond the 3-point line. He also was a perfect 3-for-3 at the free throw line while dishing out four assists, grabbing four rebounds and making two steals.

Lillard posted 22 points hitting 8-of-18 shots from the field. He did have a rough night from long-range going just 1-for-8 from downtown. Lillard did convert 5-of-6 from the free throw line and recorded six assists.

Nurkic was a different player 

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Jusuf Nurkic was not factor on Friday night in Sacramento. On Saturday, the big man scored 14 points and pulled down seven rebounds. Nurkic was factor under the basket on both ends of the court.

Meyers Leonard was a real pain

A 7-foot-1 center is supposed to be parked down low near the basket – not if you are Meyers Leonard. Leonard is a long-range shooter who really does not have a great deal of skills under the bucket.

Leonard came off the bench to score 11 points for the Blazers. He shot 4-for-8 overall and hit 3-of-5 from beyond the 3-point line. Leonard also hauled in seven rebounds.

Rip City was on fire shooting the ball

Portland shot 54.3-percent (38-for-70) from the floor in the game while hitting 10-of-21 (47.6-percent)  three-point opportunites. The Blazers took advantage of the free throw line converting 16-of-21 opportunities from the stripe.

SACRAMENTO (4-12)

Cauley-Stein leads the way again

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Willie Cauley-Stein came off the bench for the Kings again on Saturday night and for the second game in a row he was the Kings high-scorer. The big man scored 18 points and grabbed nine rebounds against the Blazers.

Cauley-Stein went 1-for-1 from 3-point land. It was the first 3-point basket for Cauley-Stein of his NBA career.

Z-Bo is back

Big Zach Randolph did not score a point and looked tired on Friday night versus Portland. On Saturday night, he looked energized and ready to play. Randolph scored 17 points and pulled down five rebounds in his 21-plus minutes on the floor.

Randolph shot 6-for-11 overall including one 3-point basket. He went an impressive 4-for-5 from the free throw line.

Four guards scored in double figures

Frank Mason is making the most of his playing time. Saturday night he scored 13 points shooting 50-percent (5-for-10) from the field in his 19-minutes of playing time. Mason also added two assists.

George Hill had another strong game shooting 5-for-11 from the field and scoring 12 points. He converted 2-of-3 three-point opportunities.

Bogdan Bogdanovic showed signs that his shot may be coming back as he went 5-for-13 from the floor and hit 2-of-6 from downtown. His form has been looking good but the ball has just not been going through the hoop.

De’Aaron Fox got the start again as Dave Joerger went with the two point guard look once again. Fox scored 11 points in 27-minutes on the floor. Fox hit 5-of-9 from the floor and dished out two assists to go with two steals.

Almost everyone played

The Kings went with a 12-man bench for this game because Buddy Hield rolled his ankle on Friday night. The good news for Kings fans is that Hield was feeling much better on Saturday but was held out as a precaution. He is expected to be available for the game on Monday against Denver.

Only Justin Jackson did enter the game on Saturday night for the Kings. Jackson did not play on Friday versus the Blazers.

UP NEXT

KINGS

The Kings will return to action Monday night when they will host the Denver Nuggets at home. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 pm.

PORTLAND

The Trail Blazers head out on the road and will play in Memphis on Monday night.

 

 

Sharks Fall to Bruins 3-1, Power Play Struggles

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Photo credit: San Jose Sharks

By M. Walsh

SAN JOSE, Calif. — The San Jose Sharks fell to the Boston Bruins 3-1 on Saturday. Boston goals came from Peter Cehlarik, Jake DeBrusk, and Danton Heinen. Bruins goaltender Anton Khudobin made 36 saves for the win, while Sharks goaltender Aaron Dell made 17 saves. The lone Sharks goal came from Timo Meier.

The Sharks played well in many short bursts, but they could not generate second chances or sustain pressure for very long. After the game, Sharks captain Joe Pavelski said:

We’ve got to be a little bit harder around the net. We had some good chances tonight, it’s just we’re one play off, it feels. You come back to the shift and it’s one play, whether it’s in your d-zone or the neutral zone or the o-zone. It just feels like it’s one play right now.

In Saturday’s loss, the Sharks extended their power-play goal drought to 22. Perhaps more improbable, they saw a fourth consecutive coach’s challenge go against them. Brent Burns continues to shoot without scoring. He now leads the Sharks with 75 shots this season.

Just 1:02 in, the Sharks seemed to have ended their 63-minute goalless streak. Joe Thornton held the puck briefly near the goal line and then passed it back in front of the Bruins net. Out of a crush of players in front of the goalie, the puck found its way over the line off of Joonas Donskoi. The Bruins challenged it and won the challenge. Instead of ending their scoring drought, the Sharks now had three consecutive goals disallowed.

Undaunted, the Sharks went back to work and did get a goal at 4:50, this time from Meier. Danny O’Regan wrested control of the puck behind the Bruins net and guided it to Meier across the goal mouth. Khudobin could not get across in time to stop it. A secondary assist went to Joel Ward.

Moments later, the Bruins came back with a goal of their own. The puck went over the line after Boston’s Jake DeBrusk slid into Aaron Dell and pushed him into the net. The Sharks challenged the play for goaltender interference. The goal held up and was credited to Peter Cehlarik. DeBrusk got an assist for his trouble. It was the fourth consecutive challenge to go against the Sharks.

Of the decision, Pavelski said: “I don’t know. They say he was tripped in there. He was already kind of going down, I think.”

The first power play of the game went to the Sharks at 8:43. Riley Nash went to the box for tripping Joe Thornton. The Bruins penalty kill was effective. It was so effective that, just as Dell was tapping his stick to signal the end of the penalty, DeBrusk broke away and scored to give Boston the lead. Assists went to Charlie McAvoy and Sean Kuraly.

By the end of the first period, the score was 2-1 Boston, though the Sharks were outshooting the Bruins 17-5.

Near the midpoint of the second, Joe Thornton was called for tripping David Pastrnak. The Sharks penalty kill started well, with Melker Karlsson and Chris Tierney leading a merry chase at Boston’s end. The Bruins got no shots with that man advantage and really had no opportunity to do so.

The next penalties called were offsetting minors at 10:46, an interference call against Zdneo Chara and an embellishment call against Jannik Hansen. The Sharks dominated the four on four play but did not change the score.

As the period came to a close, the Sharks still trailed 2-1, and still led in shots, now 25-14.

Fans in the third period saw the Sharks start slowly. It was near the midpoint of the period before they had their first shot on goal. Their game picked up after that, but so did Boston’s game. At 14:59, Danton Heinen scored his third of the season against the Sharks, catching a well-timed pass from Kevan Miller for a breakaway. Too many Sharks were too deep in the Boston zone to catch him.

The Sharks had another power play in the last two minutes of regulation, but it didn’t make a difference.

The Sharks will have a chance to repair their game on Monday when they host the Anaheim Ducks at 7:30 pm PT.

Stanford holds off Cal to keep Pac-12 title hopes alive 17-14

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November 18, 2017: Stanford Cardinal running back Cameron Scarlett (22) tries to escape Cal’s defense, during a NCAA Football game between the California Golden Bears and the Stanford Cardinal at the Stanford Stadium in Stanford, California. Valerie Shoaps/CSM (Cal Sport Media via AP Images)

By Jeremy Harness

PALO ALTO – The Big Game has almost become an afterthought, with the Stanford Cardinal establishing itself as the clear dominant force in this annual rivalry game against the California Golden Bears, but it sure didn’t play out like it on Saturday.

Although it remained close for much of the game, Stanford avoided becoming a victim of the notorious “Pac-12 After Dark” trend, which has consistently featured big upsets and high drama during conference games after the sun had gone down, and held on for a 17-14 win over Cal at Stanford Stadium.

With the win, the Cardinal kept themselves in the running for the Pac-12 North title and the right to face USC, which has already claimed the Pac-12 South, in the conference’s title game on December 1.

Stanford has done all it can do at this point, and now they have to play the waiting game. The Cardinal will need Washington State–which, like Stanford, has two conference losses and owns the tiebreaker over the Cardinal by virtue of its head-to-head victory–to lose to Washington in the annual Apple Cup next Saturday to earn that berth.

In the process, Stanford got a real scare from Cal. The Golden Bears kept it close in the first half by limiting Heisman Trophy candidate Bryce Love to 17 rushing yards in the first half. Stanford, however, held a 10-6 halftime lead, thanks to K.J Costello’s 17-yard touchdown hookup with tight end Kaden Smith midway through the second quarter.

Love has been bothered by an ankle injury, which he re-injured in the fourth quarter and eventually gave way to Cameron Scarlett, who had several key runs to keep drives alive and allow the Cardinal to bleed out the clock down the stretch, as well as Trevor Speights.

However, there was a strong feeling that it was just a matter of time before he broke at least one long run to leave his imprint on the game, which he did midway through the third quarter. With some solid blocking from the offensive line that sealed the left edge for him, Love broke off left tackle and sprinted down the sideline untouched for a 57-yard touchdown that extended Stanford’s lead to 17-6.

Love finished the game with 101 rushing yards on 14 carries.

As it appeared that Stanford was starting to pull away, Cal used the legs of junior running back Patrick Laird to march right back down the field. Laird put the Golden Bears on the doorstep with a 39-yard run, and one play later, he punched it in from a yard out.

Laird had a big hand in giving Cal a realistic chance to win on Saturday, carrying the ball 20 times for 153 yards.

After quarterback Ross Bowers found the end zone on the ensuing two-point attempt, the Cardinal’s lead was trimmed to three.

As the Cardinal ventured into the red zone, they took a huge step back when guard Nick Wilson drew a 15-yard unsportmanlike penalty. That proved to be crucial, as Jet Toner missed a 41-yard field-goal attempt.

Cal then drove the ball in to Stanford territory when Bowers decided to take a shot at the end zone. His deep ball was underthrown and had a lot of air under it, allowing safety Ben Edwards to close the gap and pick the ball off, thwarting the Cal drive and set the stage for Stanford to play keep-away for the rest of the game.

The Cardinal host the Notre Dame Fighting Irish on Saturday, November 25 at 5 pm on ABC.