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LAS VEGAS -- Just a few weeks after Fresno State appeared poised for a BCS trip and a breakthrough season, the Bulldogs ended up busted in Vegas.http://www.nflcheapjerseywholesalechina.net/ . Derek Carr didnt attempt to hide his disappointment when his college career ended with a 45-20 loss to Southern California in the Las Vegas Bowl on Saturday. The record-setting quarterback also wouldnt allow one loss to erase every good memory from a landmark season in Fresno State history. "I thought our guys were ready to go," Carr said. "There wasnt any lack of focus on any side of the ball. USC just beat us." Carr passed for just 217 yards and two TDs under constant pressure in his final game at Fresno State (11-2), which fell behind 35-6 at halftime. With their fifth straight bowl defeat, the Bulldogs failed to secure the first 12-win season in school history. Right down to the script "Bulldogs" on the helmet, Fresno State wore the same uniform combination sported by the team that beat USC in the 1992 Freedom Bowl, one of the biggest wins in school history. But the Mountain West champions still havent won a bowl game since 2007, losing six of their last seven. "I think if you look at the body of work, this team won 11 ballgames and won a second straight conference championship," Fresno State coach Tim DeRuyter said. "Theres critics out there. Everyone has got an opinion. I know in my heart we had a really, really fine football team. We didnt play our best game today, and that goes on me. Ive got to do a better job of getting our guys ready." Cody Kessler passed for a career-high 344 yards and a bowl-record four touchdowns for the Trojans and interim coach Clay Helton, the third of USCs four head coaches in less than three months. Kessler outdid Carr, his fellow Bakersfield native and friend, setting the Las Vegas Bowl record for TD passes before halftime and finishing 22 for 30. USC scored three touchdowns in a nine-minute burst in the second quarter, and Javorius Allen clinched it with his second TD run with 4:44 to play. Carr went 30 for 54 under constant pressure from the blitzing Trojans, who eliminated Fresno States running game and twice stopped the Bulldogs on fourth downs in the first half. Fresno States two TD catches by Isaiah Burse and Davante Adams both came on short drives resulting from USC mistakes on special teams, and Derron Smith returned an interception 41 yards for a touchdown. Carr, the nations leader in yards passing and total offence, became the fourth player in NCAA history to surpass 5,000 yards passing and 50 TD passes during the game. But Carr leaves Fresno State without a bowl victory, never getting the Bulldogs moving against one of the nations best pass defences. "Blame me. Blame me always," Carr said. "Ive got to do a better job of leading, and Ive got to do a better job of getting our guys in better spots. Thats my fault." Marqise Lee and Nelson Agholor had two touchdown catches apiece, Allen rushed two more scores, and the Trojans (10-4) answered every question about their own motivation by repeatedly dancing on the sideline during the storied programs first post-season victory since 2009. From Kesslers smooth offence to a dynamic defensive effort against Fresno States FBS-best passing game, USC was uniformly outstanding in its only game under Helton. The offensive co-ordinator filled the one-game gap between coaches Ed Orgeron and Steve Sarkisian on the Trojans coaching carousel, but USC picked up right where Orgeron left off after its desultory start to the season under Lane Kiffin. The Trojans ended up celebrating under confetti in the north end zone, joining friends and family on a chilly desert night in front of a sellout crowd at Sam Boyd Stadium. After the teams traded touchdowns on their opening drives, the Trojans blocked Fresno States extra point attempt -- and it started a deluge. Agholor caught TD passes of 40 and 17 yards for the Trojans next two scores. Allen made a 24-yard TD run through bad tackling midway through the second quarter, and Lee turned a short pass into a 40-yard TD with 37 seconds left in the half.www.nflcheapjerseywholesalechina.net .J. -- Thierry Henry and Lloyd Sam scored second-half goals to give the New York Red Bulls their first win of the season, 2-1 over the Philadelphia Union on Wednesday night. http://www.nflcheapjerseywholesalechina.net/Nike-nfl-jerseys_New-england-patriots-jersey.html . "Its huge," Casey said of Torontos matchup with the fifth-place Hawks, who sit 1.5 games behind the Raptors for third place in the Eastern Conference. "Its not like in the past where games dont matter. In the past we were building, getting guys experience.TORONTO – The bubble has just about burst and whatever remained of the Maple Leafs sinking playoff hopes is probably just on life support. A game they had to have Saturday fell apart like so many others during a losing skid that now numbers eight games. And a season, promising as recently as two weeks ago, has unraveled into a collapse that mirrors, if not eclipses, the infamous 18-wheeler of 2012. "I cant describe it right now," said a befuddled Joffrey Lupul following a 4-2 loss to Detroit, the Red Wings jumping two points ahead of the Leafs with two games still in hand. "This is probably the first time, after this game, that things are probably looking a little bleak for us." The scene was cheery in the visitors dressing room at Staples Center in Los Angeles after a resilient win over the Kings on March 13. The Leafs had stomped through the deathly California triangle with a pair of victories and had their sights set on claiming second spot in the Atlantic Division, a berth in the postseason all but assumed following their 15th win in a remarkable stretch of 22 games. They havent gotten a point since, losing eight straight in regulation for the first time in more than 25 years. It was more of the same in defeat against the Red Wings, still playing without their two best players in Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg. There was the stunning and all too familiar inconsistency. At once energetic, sharp and urgent in the opening period, the Leafs sputtered with errors in the second, spewing three goals in less than eight minutes. Troubling defensive breakdowns continued in that middle period meltdown. Detroit approached double-figures in odd-man opportunities for the evening, scoring three of their four goals in such situations, including two in that disastrous eight-minute stretch. "Its a very tough time," Dion Phaneuf said after the defeat, the third to the Red Wings this season. "This loss is the most disappointing out of the eight. Theres no hiding that." Perplexed Leafs like Phaneuf were struggling to comprehend how it could unravel so quickly, how a season filled with so much promise could deteriorate in a manner of a couple weeks. "Sometimes, its just been poor execution," Lupul said. "Sometimes, its been defensive lapses. Other times, the other teams played really well, but its our job to win hockey games and we havent been able to do it." Technically still alive, the Leafs would need to find an unbelievable and unlikely winning streak to revive their playoff hopes along with plenty of help from the likes of Columbus, Detroit, and even Washington. Up three points on Montreal after that win in L.A., Toronto now trails the Habs by 13, an incredible and hurried reversal rarely seen. "We went from a position where we were in control of our own destiny now to sitting at home cheering against other teams," Lupul said. "That part of its very frustrating." And now, or perhaps very soon, come the difficult questions for general manager Dave Nonis and his management team. What should the future hold for head coach Randy Carlyle? How much of what took place this season falls on his shoulders? Are the teams constant defensive failings a matter of coaching or are certain segments of the roster simply too flawed? How much of the collapse, for that matter, is the roster? Is it both the coaching staff and roster that need adjusting? Does a core featuring Kessel, van Riemsdyk, Lupul, Phaneuf, Kadri, Clarkson, Bernier and Rielly need serious tweaking? Are these the foundations of a team that can eventually win the ultimate prize? Where and what improvements can be attained? Where does the club go from here? A collapse of this magnitude should throw everyone and everything into question. Ron Wilson got the axe during the 2012 meltdown with only minor roster adjustments that summer (Luke Schenn notably traded). Mikhail Grabovski, Clarke MacArthur and Matt Frattin were among the jettisoned following the Game 7 unraveling last spring. What comes next this time around? Six games do still remain, but hope has been drained from these Leafs and a once (and perhaps still) bright future has suddenly become muddled with questions. The bubble has just about burst. "These are the tough days in sports when you dont get the job done," said Carlyle. Five Points 1. Nothing Quitte Like This Formerly with the mostly dominant Kings, Jonathan Bernier said hed never been through something quite like this. nflcheapjerseywholesalechina. . "Probably not," Bernier said. "Having a long losing streak like that, especially close to the end of the season, never happened to me before." Others like Cody Franson were forced to reflect on the horrors of 2012, which saw the Leafs lose 19 of 24 games en route to another absence from the postseason. "I dont think it brings back memories of that," he said. "We havent thought about that stretch back then. I thought weve come out with a lot of good efforts and theyre ending up on the wrong side of the stick. Its not like were playing bad hockey, its just one of those things where every mistake that we do make ends up [in the net]." "The try is there, [but] we didnt get the job done," said Lupul. "We have to deal with that now." Losers in nine of the past 10, the Leafs lost 10 of 11 before Wilson was dismissed in March of 2012. 2. Bernier Back-to-Back Probably still not at 100 per cent, Bernier nonetheless started both ends of a back-to-back for just the second time in his NHL career. Facing a slew of odd-man rush opportunities, the 25-year-old gave up four goals for the third consecutive game. "I felt really good tonight," he said. Darren Helm scored three of the four on Bernier. The first saw him pick off Jake Gardiner at the offensive blue-line shorthanded before eventually outmaneuvering Torontos power-play unit for a backhand marker. Helm would add a second on a redirection - he was all alone in front - the third and final dagger on a breakaway. Gustav Nyquist notched the other Detroit goal, beating Bernier five-hole after Johan Franzens shot attempt ricocheted off the skate of Phaneuf moving in reverse. In three starts upon returning a groin injury that kept him out five games, Bernier has allowed 12 goals on 105 shots for an off-kilter .886 save percentage. Considering his earlier theatrics this season, its worth wondering just how healthy he really is. 3. Kadri Benched Nazem Kadri was on the ice for back-to-back goals on consecutive shifts in the middle frame and was eventually benched for it. The 23-year-old was casual on the back-check on the sequence that led to the second Wings goal from Nyquist, out-muscled by Joakim Andersson in a one-on-one battle that resulted in the third marker from Helm. Kadri began the third frame on the fourth line, joined by Jay McClement and Troy Bodie. He totaled just four shifts and less than four minutes in the period, finishing with just over 14 minutes on the evening. The London, Ontario native has just one goal and four points in the past 11 games. 4. Kessel 40-Goal Chase Rightfully lost in the Leafs collapse, but still a point of intrigue, is Phil Kessels chase for 40 goals. The 26-year-old posted a career-high of 37 back in the 2011-12 season, but remains stuck on 36 this year with just six games to play. The teams leading scorer finished March with four goals and 10 points in 15 games. Stung on the foot by a James van Riemsdyk pass attempt in the second frame, Kessel was seen limping around the underbelly of the ACC afterward. Carlyle had no update on his status. 5. Gardiner Revival With two assists in defeat on Saturday, Jake Gardiner finished March with 11 points and a share of the team lead (Tyler Bozak). The 23-year-old is up to 28 points on the year, third on the defence behind Dion Phaneuf (31) and Cody Franson (30). He led the Leafs with more than 23 minutes on Saturday. Franson, who scored the first Toronto goal, set a career-high with his 30th point of the year, eclipsing the 29 he posted last season. Stats-Pack 1-9-0 – Leafs record in the past 10 games. 11 – Points in the past 12 games for Jake Gardiner. 30 – Points this season for Cody Franson, a new career-high. .886 – Save percentage for Jonathan Bernier in three starts after return from a groin injury. Special Teams Capsule PP: 0-2Season: 20.4% (6th) PK: 3-3Season: 78.4 (28th) Quote of the Night "I cant describe it right now. This is probably the first time after this game that things are probably looking a little bleak for us." -Joffrey Lupul, following the loss to Detroit. Up Next Calgary visits the ACC on Tuesday evening. cheap nfl jerseys cheap jerseys ' ' ' |
