Bleacher Report - Articles by Andrew Glover

The Houston Astros Are Making Strides Going Into The All-Star Break

Andrew Glover — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 17:41:48 -0400

The Houston Astros enter the All-Star break 44-44 and are fourth in the NL Central, three and a half games back from the division leading Cardinals. The Astros are in the best place in the division at the All Star Break since 2003, when they were leading the

division.

Here is a recap of the Astros' season before the All-Star Break.

Hitting

The Astros have scored 368 runs, an average of 4.2 per game, ranking 23rd in the major leagues. Michael Bourn leads the team with 57 runs, Lance Berkman is second with 49, Miguel Tejada has 48, Hunter Pence has 45, and Carlos Lee has 35.

The Astros have improved their average as a team, ranking ninthwith a .267 batting average. Pitcher Mike Hampton has the best batting average on the team, batting .333. Tejada leads the everyday players with a .329 average. Lee is second with a .308 average, Pence is batting .298, Bourn is batting .286, and Geoff Blum is batting .281.

Houston is among the worst in the league in drawing walks, ranking 25thwith 269. Berkman leads the team with 66 walks, Bourn has 38, Pence has 36, and Lee has 24.

The Astros rank 25th in home runs with 71. Berkman leads the team with 18, Lee has 13, and Pence has 11.

Overall the Astros started the season slow in hitting but has picked up the pace some but still need to improve their hitting.

Overall Grade: D+

Base Running

The Astros have stolen 61 bases in 92 attempts ranking 10th in the major leagues. Bourn leads the team with 32, Pence and Kazuo Matsui each have nine, and Berkman has six. Houston ranks 21st in total bases with 1,203. Tejada leads the team with 167, Lee has 159, Berkman has 153, Pence has 151, and Bourn has 135.

The Astros are 20thin doubles with 150. Tejada leads the team and the league with 30, Berkman has 18, Lee has 17, Bourn and Pence have 15 each. Houston is fourth in triples with 23. Bourn leads the team with eight, Pence has four, and Darin Erstad, Ivan Rodriguez, and Jeff Keppinger each have two.

The Astros have improved in getting extra base hits and runners in scoring position. For them to gain ground in the Central they will have to continue.

Overall Grade: C+

Pitching

The Astros are 11th in the league in ERA with a 4.21. Alberto Arias leads the team in ERA with a 1.57. Arias has not allowed a run since May 26. LaTroy Hawkins is second with a 2.39 ERA, Wandy Rodriguez is third with a 2.96 ERA, Chris Sampson has a 3.02 ERA, and Jose Valverde has a 3.43 ERA.

Houston is tied for eighth in complete games with four. Roy Oswalt has pitched two; Brian Moehler and Rodriguez each have one.

The Astros are 19th in shutouts with four. Rodriguez is the only pitcher to have a shutout. However, Moehler and Rodriguez started games that ended in a shutout.

The Astros are 22nd in hits allowed with 807. Valverde has allowed the fewest, giving up 17 in 22 games. Arias allowed 19, Tim Byrdak has given up 23, Wesley Wright has given up 24, and Hawkins has given up 34. Russ Ortiz leads the starting pitchers giving up 76 hits.

Houston has allowed 398 runs ranking 11th in the league. Arias has given up the fewest with seven, Valverde gave up nine, Wesley Wright and Hawkins have given up 11 each, and Byrdak has given up 12. Ortiz leads the starting pitchers only giving up 39.

The Astros rank 11th in walks giving up with 293. Valverde leads the team, only giving up six walks. Wright has given up eight; Hawkins and Jeff Fulchino have given up 11. Moehler leads the starting pitchers only giving up 25.

Houston is 11th in strikeouts with 626. Rodriguez leads the team with 106, Oswalt has struck out 95, Ortiz has 55, Hampton has 53, and Moehler has 51. Hawkins leads relievers with 29.

Overall, the Astros pitching has gotten stronger in the last couple weeks after a terrible start to the season. This will have to continue for the Astros to contend.

Overall Grade: C+

After going 20-29 in the first two months of the season, the Astros have gone 24-15. If the Astros play like they did in June and the first part of July they could make the playoffs for the first time since winning the National League Pennant in 2005.

Astros-Pirates: Unlucky Seventh For Houston Against Pittsburgh

Andrew Glover — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 00:29:23 -0400

Brian Moehler retired 11 in a row but the Pittsburgh Pirates blew the game open in the seventh; for a 6-3 victory over the Houston Astros.

The Pirates (38-46) won their fourth game against the Astros, and their first in Houston this season.

The Astros (40-42) failed to reach .500 for the first time since they were 1-1 in April. Additionally, they failed to gain ground in the division with the Brewers and Cubs losing.

Paul Maholm (6-4, 4.60 ERA) started for the Pirates and pitched six innings. In those six innings, Maholm gave up two runs on six hits, walked two, and struck out two. Maholm improved to 6-4 and 2-1 against the Astros.

In the win, Matt Capps earned his 19 save with a perfect ninth inning.

Brian Moehler (5-5, 5.52 ERA) started for the Astros and pitched six and one third-innings, giving up four runs (three earned), on three hits, walked two, and struck out four. Moehler is yet to win at Minute Maid Park this season (0-4).

Jack Wilson scored the first runs of the game in the third inning, with a home run to left scoring Andrew McCutchen.

After Wilson’s home run, Moehler started his streak of retiring 11 straight Pirates. During that streak, Pittsburgh failed to get a ball out of the infield.

The Astros immediately cut into the Pirates lead in the bottom of the third. After Moehler flied out to left, Michael Bourn walked. Miguel Tejada doubled to left advancing Bourn to third. Bourn scored on Lance Berkman’s groundout to second.

Berkman’s base running in the bottom of the sixth helped the Astros tie the game. After Tejada grounded out to Wilson, Berkman singled. Carlos Lee hit a fly ball to deep center, and Berkman quickly ran back to first, and tagged up to second. Hunter Pence drove Berkman in with a single.

The Pirates struck back in the seventh. Garrett Jones broke up Moehler’s streak with a four-pitch walk. Andy LaRoche reached on a four-pitch walk ending Moehler’s night. Tim Byrdak replaced Moehler and walked the only batter he faced.

Berkman fielded a ground ball and tried to get a force out at home, however Ivan Rodriguez could not handle Berkman’s throw and Jones scored the go-ahead run. Delwyn Young pinched hit for Maholm and singled to left increasing the Pirates lead to 4-2.

McCutchen singled to left and scored Vasquez, Jason Jaramillo tried to score but Lee threw out him at home. Wilson got his third RBI with a single scoring Young.

The Astros and Pirates close out their series Wednesday. Wandy Rodriguez (7-6, 3.21 ERA) starts for the Astros against the Pirates’ Charlie Morton (1-1, 2.65 ERA).

Houston-Detroit: Astros Walk to a Victory Over the Tigers

Andrew Glover — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 00:46:16 -0400

The Houston Astros overcome an early four-run deficit defeating the Detroit Tigers 5-4 with Adam Everett and Ivan Rodriguez facing their former teams.

Everett returned to Minute Maid Park for the first time since 2007 when he was a Houston Astro. Everett played for the Astros from 2001-2007 and played for the Minnesota Twins in 2008.

Rodriguez played for the Tigers from 2004-2008 and finished 2008 with the New York Yankees.

The Astros (34-37) won their second straight game and 12 of their last 18 games. With the win, Houston moves to four games behind the NL Central leading Brewers.

The Tigers (41-32) snapped a seven-game win streak and a three-game win streak against the Astros.

Chris Sampson (4-0, 2.09 ERA) was the winning pitcher, getting the last out in the eighth.

LaTroy Hawkins earned his 10th save in 13 opportunities getting Ryan Raburn to ground out to short with Josh Anderson at second to end the game.

Wandy Rodriguez (6-6, 3.35 ERA) started for Houston and after having a rough first two innings, pitched six innings. Wandy Rodriguez allowed seven hits, four runs, walked four and struck out three.

The Astros bullpen only allowed two hits during the last three innings.

Joel Zumaya (3-2, 4.32 ERA) got the loss allowing two runs in two thirds of an inning, one hit, and walked three earning his fourth blown save.

Justin Verlander started for the Tigers, pitching five and one-third innings, allowing three runs on seven hits, walked four and struck out six.

Detroit took an early lead with a pair of two out rallies. After Rodriguez got the first two batters out, Cabrera hit a home run to left, to give the Tigers a 1-0 lead.

Detroit struck again in the second. Everett doubled to left after Laird popped out to short. Rodriguez struck out Verlander but walked Granderson. Polanco made him pay with a home run to left-center expanding the Tigers lead to 4-0.

The Astros rallied in the third. Michael Bourn led off with a single but was erased when Jeff Keppinger grounded into a fielder’s choice. Miguel Tejada drove in Keppinger with an RBI double to the left field corner. Carlos Lee struck out looking, but Lance Berkman walked. Hunter Pence cut the Tigers lead in half with single.

Ivan Rodriguez tattooed his former team with a double to led off the sixth. Kazuo Matsui moved him to third with a sacrifice bunt. Matt Kata who pinched hit for Wandy Rodriguez, drove in Ivan with a single to right cutting the Tigers lead to 4-3.

After Ivan Rodriguez led off the eighth with a line out to right, Matsui singled to left. Darin Erstad pinched hit for Sampson and walked. Bourn followed with a walk leading to Keppinger tying the game in the eighth, walking on a full count with the bases loaded. Tejada put the Astros in front with a sacrifice fly to left scoring Erstad.

Houston had two other key opportunities to score runs. The Astros had a runner on third with one out in the first inning. But Lee popped out to second. After Berkman walked, Pence struck out swinging.

The Astros had a chance to tie the game in the sixth. But Keppinger grounded into an inning double play with runners on first and second.

The Tigers had a key chance to expand their lead in the fifth with the bases loaded and one out. Magglio Ordonez grounded into a double play.

The Astros and Tigers resume their series Saturday. Felipe Paulino (1-4, 6.18 ERA) makes his first start since going on the disabled list June 11 with a strained groin. Alfredo Figaro (1-0, 3.60 ERA) will start for Detroit.

Ivan Pudge Rodriguez Most games Caught

Andrew Glover — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 14:31:13 -0400

Ivan "Pudge" Rodriguez broke the Record last night for most games caught, passing Carlton Fisk with 2,227 games. Pudge played for the Rangers from 1991-2002. He played for the Marlins in 2003, winning a World Series. From 2004-part of 2008 Rodriguez played for the Tigers, winning the AL Pennant in 2006. Rodriguez played for the Yankees the other part of 2008. Now Rodriguez is playing for the Astros. This will take a look at the top five opponents Rodriguez faced, top five ballparks Rodriguez played in, and the top five pitchers that Rodriguez caught the most strikeouts from.

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Astros-Diamondbacks: Lance Berkman and Miguel Tejada's Milestones Bring Victory

Andrew Glover — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 00:00:04 -0400

Miguel Tejada and Lance Berkman achieved milestones as the Houston Astros defeated the Arizona Diamondbacks 6-4.

Tejada got his 2,000th hit with an RBI single to left off Arizona pitcher Jon Garland. The Astros’ shortstop became the 18th Dominican to achieve that milestone.

Berkman followed with his 300th home run to right field, driving in Tejada. Berkman became the 122nd person to reach 300 home runs and is tied with teammate Ivan Rodriguez for 120th all-time in home runs.

The game also featured a starting pitching matchup from Game 3 of the 2005 World Series. Roy Oswalt started for the Astros against Garland, who pitched for the White Sox in 2005.

Oswalt (3-3, 4.37 ERA) pitched seven innings, giving up one run on five hits, walking three and striking out five. Also, Oswalt improved to 8-1 against the Diamondbacks.

Garland (4-7, 5.45 ERA) pitched seven innings, giving up three runs on five hits, walking two and striking out two.

Arizona scored first in the fourth inning when Chris Young hit a Roy Oswalt pitch to left field for his sixth home run of the season.

The Astros struck back in their milestone-filled sixth inning. Michael Bourn led off the inning with a triple to right-center. After Darin Erstad flied out, Tejada got his historic hit driving in Bourn to tie the game.

After Jason Michaels grounded out to third, Berkman got his historic home run, giving the Astros a 3-1 lead.

The Astros got insurance runs in the eighth off of Diamondbacks reliever Juan Gutierrez. After Tejada led off with a groundout to third, Michaels doubled to left-center. Berkman was intentionally walked, then Rodriguez singled driving in Michaels and advanced to second on the throw home.

Matt Kata got his first RBI as an Astro with an infield single. Edwin Maysonet expanded the Astros lead to 6-1 with a sacrifice fly to right scoring Rodriguez.

The Diamondbacks rallied in the bottom of the eighth. Chris Sampson relieved Oswalt and failed to get an out.

Upton led off the inning with a walk and Stephen Drew followed with a single to right. Mark Reynolds drove in two with a double, cutting the Astros lead to 6-3.

After Reynolds' at bat, Sampson was showing discomfort and left the game with right arm fatigue.

But, Sampson was not the only Astro that left the game early with an injury. Carlos Lee left the game after lining out to third in the fourth inning.

Tim Byrdak entered the game for Sampson and struck out Miguel Montero. Alberto Arias relieved Byrdak and got Chris Young to pop out to Berkman. However, Arias allowed Josh Whitesell a double, scoring Reynolds.

Jose Valverde relieved Arias, making his first appearance since April 26. Valverde got Eric Byrnes to pop out to the catcher.

The Diamondbacks threatened the Astros lead in the ninth. Felipe Lopez led off the ninth with a single. Gerardo Parra walked.

The Astros then got out of trouble by getting Justin Upton to ground into a double play. LaTroy Hawkins struck out Drew to earn his ninth save.

The Astros (28-32) will try for their fifth consecutive series win next and have won three of their last four games.

The Diamondbacks (27-36) ended a two-game winning streak and fell to 6-9 vs. the National League Central.

The Astros and Diamondbacks close out the series Sunday at 3 p.m. Brian Moehler (2-4, 6.95 ERA) is starting for the Astros and Billy Buckner (2-2, 6.75 ERA) is starting for the Diamondbacks.

Houston-Chicago: Blum Lifts Astros Again over the Cubbies

Andrew Glover — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 18:55:38 -0400

The Houston Astros and Chicago Cubs engage in another pitching duel as the Astros comes out on top 2-1 in 13 innings.

Geoff Blum for the second consecutive game got a walk-off hit in the bottom of the 13th with two outs.

The Astros (27-31) won their fifth consecutive series and finished their 10-game home stand 7-3. Houston also moved to five games behind the National League Central leading Milwaukee Brewers.

Houston starter Russ Ortiz pitched five-and-one-third scoreless innings only giving up three hits, walked three, and struck out five. Chicago’s starter Ryan Dempster pitched six scoreless innings after giving up a run in the first.

The Astros only had four runners make it past first base. Michael Bourn led off the game with a double and Lance Berkman got a double in the sixth. Berkman also made it to second in the 11th on Blum’s single.

Matt Kata got a pinch-hit single in the tenth and reached second on Andres Blanco’s error. Hunter Pence stole second on Jason Michael’s swing in the thirteenth and scored the winning run.

The Cubs (29-28) lost their first series vs. the Astros this season, despite only allowing five runs. Chicago entered the series 5-2 against the Astros.

The Cubs only had three runners make it past first. Derrek Lee walked in the second and reached third base on Mike Fontenot’s single. In the ninth Lee homered. Dempster reached third on Alfonso Soriano’s single after leading off the sixth with a walk.

Dempster allowed only six hits and struck out four with no walks. Carlos Marmol pitched two scoreless innings. Kevin Gregg pitched two scoreless innings only allowing three hits. Jose Ascanio pitched the last inning and a third allowing one run on one hit and two walks.

The Astros started the scoring in the first inning. Bourn led off with a double to left and scored on a sacrifice fly by Lee.

The Cubs were looking to tie the game in the top of the second with runners on the corners and one out. However, Hill grounded into an inning ending double play.

Ortiz and Astros' relievers had to escape another Cubs threat in the top of the sixth. Dempster led off the inning with a walk and Soriano followed with a single sending Dempster to third. Ortiz struck out Theriot before Astros manager Cecil Cooper pulled him for Tim Byrdak.

Bourn made a key defensive play in the seventh when he made a sitting down catch on the hill.

Byrdak struck out Fukudome and was pulled for Alberto Arias. Derrek Lee grounded out to second to end the inning.

Arias pitched one and one-third innings, allowing one walk and striking out one. Chris Sampson only needed nine pitches in a perfect eighth inning striking out one.

After LaTroy Hawkins got Fukudome to ground out to second, Derrek Lee hit a home run to right field to tie the game. Hawkins earned his third blown save but got the next two batters out.

Hawkins pitched two innings allowing one run on two hits, one walk and one strike out. Jeff Fulchino pitched the last three innings of the game allowing one hit and striking out two. Fulchino picked up his second career win.

Berkman and Miguel Tejada entered the game chasing milestones. Tejada only needed two more hits to reach 2,000 for his career and got a hit in the first. Berkman only needed one home run to reach 300 for his career but was unable to do so. Berkman went two-for-four with one double.

The Astros begin a 10-day road trip on Wednesday starting in Arizona against the Diamondbacks. The Cubs return home to face the Minnesota Twins.

Cubs-Astros: Houston Mauled by Cubbies

Andrew Glover — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 00:41:58 -0400

A sign that tonight is not your pitcher’s night may be giving up six hits in the first inning. Another sign may be that eight of nine batters got to bat in the first inning. Or maybe when the opposing pitcher triples.

All of those things happened to Houston Astros starter Brian Moehler (2-4), as the Chicago Cubs won 7-1.

Moehler, who had two solid outings against the Pirates and Rockies, struggled against the Cubs on Monday night. The Astros starter only pitched three innings allowing eight hits, five runs, walking two and striking out three.

The Astros (25-31) won five of their last seven games entering this game. Houston fell to 2-6 against the Cubs and 11-25 against teams above .500. The Astros lost five straight games against teams above .500.

While Moehler struggled, Cubs pitcher Ted Lilly (7-4) pitched a strong game. Lilly pitched six-and-two-thirds scoreless innings, only giving up three hits and two walks. In the second inning, Lilly contributed with his bat, getting a triple into right-center.

Aaron Heilman added a scoreless inning and a third in relief.

The Cubs (29-26) have won four of their last five games and four of their last five against the Astros. While the Cubs scored seven runs they could have scored more, as they left the bases loaded three times.

From the first inning, things immediately went the Cubs way. Three of their first four batters got on base. Alfonso Soriano led off the game with a double. After Ryan Theriot flied out, Kosuke Fukudome hit a ground-rule double to right scoring Soriano. Derrek Lee singled and scored Fukudome.

Lee scored on a Geovany Soto single, giving Chicago a 3-0 lead. Andres Blanco got the Cubs last hit of the first with a single. Mike Fontenot ended the inning by being thrown out at home by Michael Bourn.

Things deteriorated for Moehler, as Lilly led off the second with a triple to right-center. Fukudome drove him in, reaching on a throwing error by Edwin Maysonet. Fontenot led off the third with a home run to left, expanding the Cubs lead to 5-0.

Brandon Backe relieved Moehler and pitched three innings. In his second appearance this season, Backe started off well, striking out his first two batters and pitching two scoreless innings.

The Cubs would rough him up in the sixth. After Fukudome flied out to right, Lee walked. Backe struck out Milton Bradley but would run into trouble. Fontenot and Soto both got singles loading the bases. Blanco drove in Lee and Fontenot with a double. Backe ended the inning by striking out Lilly.

Backe allowed six hits, two runs, walked three, and struck out four. Alberto Arias pitched two scoreless innings and Tim Byrdak pitched a scoreless ninth.

Lance Berkman got the Astros only run with a ninth inning home run to left. Houston only got five hits. Berkman and Miguel Tejada each had two, and Hunter Pence got a double in the first inning.

The Cubs got 16 hits on Houston’s pitchers. Bradley and Theriot were the only Cubs that did not get a hit. Fukudome and Lee each reached base in five of six plate appearances. Blanco and Fukudome led the Cubs in RBI with two each.

The Astros and Cubs resume their series Tuesday night at Minute Maid Park. Wandy Rodriguez is starting for Houston against Chicago’s Carlos Zambrano.

Astros Escape from Pirates' Clutches with Series Win

Andrew Glover — Sun, 07 Jun 2009 18:21:05 -0400

Jeff Fulchino picked up his first career win and Humberto Quintero went 3-for-4 as the Houston Astros defeated the Pittsburgh Pirates 6-4 in a battle of NL Central cellar dwellers.

The Astros (25-30) won their third series in a row and seventh of their last 10. Houston is a half game behind Pittsburgh for fifth in the division. The Astros went 5-2 on their home stand this week.

The Pirates (26-30) lost their second consecutive series to the Astros and fell to 11-19 on the road. Pittsburgh has gone 5-5 in its last 10 games.

The Astros got off to a rocky start. After Houston starter Felipe Paulino had a scoreless first inning, Andy LaRoche led off the second with a single. Jason Jaramillo drove in LaRoche with a one-out RBI double. Paulino struck out Ramon Vazquez but felt some pain after throwing one pitch to Ian Snell.

Paulino pitched only one and two-thirds innings before leaving the game, allowing three hits and one run. He struck out four.

Russ Ortiz relieved Paulino and pitched four and one-third scoreless innings. Ortiz allowed four hits, walked one and struck out three. It was the second time this season that Ortiz pitched four or more scoreless innings. The last time was May 24 against Texas.

Houston wasted no time in answering the Pirates' second-inning run. After Lance Berkman struck out and Carlos Lee was caught stealing, Geoff Blum doubled to right. Jeff Keppinger drove him in with an RBI single to right, tying the score.

The Astros took the lead in the fifth inning. After Blum flied out to right, Keppinger doubled to right. Quintero followed with a double, driving in Keppinger and giving the Astros a 2-1 lead.

Houston expanded its lead in the sixth inning. After Miguel Tejada grounded out to third, Hunter Pence walked on five pitches. Pence stole second and scored on Lee’s RBI single. Lee was tagged out in a run down trying to advance to second on Brandon Moss’ throw. Berkman followed with a double to right, but Blum flied out to end the inning.

Despite Ortiz’s solid outing, the Pirates would rob him of the win in the seventh. Jaramillo led off with a five-pitch walk, and Vazquez followed with a single off Tim Byrdak. Delwyn Young pinch-hit for Snell and singled to load the bases.

Astros manager Cecil Cooper pulled Byrdak and put in Fulchino. Fulchino got Andrew McCutchen to ground out, but Jarmillo scored to cut the Astros' lead to 3-2. Nyjer Morgan tied the game with an RBI single scoring Vazquez.

After Fulchino walked Freddy Sanchez on four pitches, LaRoche grounded into a double play. Berkman threw home and Quintero threw back to first.

The Astros took advantage of Berkman’s defensive play in the bottom of the seventh. After Keppinger grounded out to third, Quintero singled. Matt Kata pinch-hit for Fulchino and just reached first to avoid a double play.

Michael Bourn moved Kata to second, drawing a walk on four pitches. Tejada broke his O-fer with an infield single, when Vazquez was unable to get Bourn out at second. Kata scored on the play to give Houston the lead for good.

The Astros got insurance runs in the eighth. Jason Michaels pinch-hit for Chris Sampson and knocked in Lee with a double to right. Quintero drove in Berkman on his third hit of the game.

Quintero was the Astros' best hitter of the day, going 3-for-4 and driving in two runs. Berkman, Bourn, and Keppinger each went 2-for-4.

Despite blowing the save in the seventh, Fulchino ended up with the win. Fulchino pitched one inning allowing one hit and one walk. LaTroy Hawkins picked up his eighth save in his 10th attempt.

McCutchen led Pittsburgh in hitting, going 3-for-5 with one RBI. Morgan drove in two runs, and Jaramillo drove in one. LaRoche, Jaramillo, Vazquez and Eric Hinske scored the Pirates' runs.

Snell pitched six innings and gave up eight hits, three runs, one walk while striking out three. Steven Jackson was credited with his first major-league loss. Jackson pitched an inning and a third, giving up three hits, three runs and two walks.

The Astros have a day off on Monday and will close out the home stand with the Chicago Cubs. The Pirates conclude their road trip in Atlanta with a four-game series against the Braves.

If I Could Ask Houston Texans QB Matt Schaub Anything?

Andrew Glover — Mon, 25 May 2009 18:29:57 -0400

If I were to do a feature on one of the Houston Texans I would pick quarterback Matt Schaub. Here are the questions I would ask him:

--When did you get started with football?

--What were some of the challenges when you first started playing football?

--Where did you play high school football?

--Did you start all four years in high school?

--What challenges did you experience going from high school to college, and college to the pros?

--How did you pick the number eight?

--Who was your favorite quarterback to watch?

--What was it like to learn from a coach with NFL experience in college?

--What was the best advice you received in playing football?

--Describe your experience in Atlanta and backing up Michael Vick?

--How did you feel when you were traded to the Texans?

--What did you think about the situation with the Texans?

--Did you talk with David Carr about playing quarterback for the Texans?

--What do you think about what happened in Atlanta with Michael Vick the same season?

--How has Gary Kubiak and his experience in working with great quarterbacks impacted your career?

--What’s been your biggest challenge in the pros?

--Where do you see yourself in five years?

--What are your goals for the 2009 season?

Houston Texans Coaching Staff Came Through Denver to Get Where They Are Today

Andrew Glover — Mon, 25 May 2009 15:28:07 -0400

The Houston Texans coaching staff seems to have one thing in common in their coaching background.

Most of them made stops with the Denver Broncos, as either a player, a coach, or both.

Texans head coach Gary Kubiak was very familiar with Houston before coaching there. He grew up in Houston. Kubiak was also the starting quarterback for Texas A&M from 1979-1982, earning all-Southwest Conference honors as a senior.

In 1983, Kubiak was drafted in the eighth round by the Denver Broncos, playing for them until 1991. Kubiak backed up eventual Hall of Famer John Elway. From 1983-1991, Kubiak played in 41 games and started five. The Broncos were 26-15 in the games Kubiak played and 3-2 in his starts.

Kubiak also played in four of the Broncos' playoff games, including Super Bowls XXI and XXIV. The Broncos were 1-3 in the games Kubiak, played with their only win being a 34-10 victory over the Houston Oilers in the 1988 divisional playoffs. Kubiak completed 84 percent of his passes in the playoffs for 212 yards.

After his playing career, Kubiak went into coaching. Kubiak began his coaching career at his alma matter A&M as the running-backs coach. He coached at A&M from 1992-1993, coaching Greg Hill to second team All-America honors in 1993.

Kubiak continued his coaching career in the NFL, starting with the San Francisco 49ers in 1994. Kubiak was the quarterbacks coach and helped guide Steve Young and the 49ers to their fifth Super Bowl victory.

After the 1994-1995 season, Kubiak was hired as the Broncos' offensive coordinator, where he remained until becoming the Texans' head coach in 2006. From 1995-1998, Kubiak tutored Elway and all-pro running back Terrell Davis to two Super Bowl victories and two AFC West division titles.

In his career as the Broncos' offensive coordinator, Denver was 114-62 and 8-5 in the playoffs. Nine out of eleven of Kubiak’s seasons, the Broncos ranked in the top five of the NFL in yards. Ten out of eleven seasons, the Broncos ranked in the top ten in points scored.

Under Kubiak, the Broncos had 22 offensive players make the Pro Bowl. All three Bronco starting quarterbacks under Kubiak made at least one Pro Bowl Appearance. Elway was nominated 1995-1998, Brian Griese was nominated in 2000, and Jake Plummer was nominated in 2005.

Since taking over the Texans in 2006, Kubiak has led Houston to 22 wins. The Texans only won 18 games from 2002-2005. Kubiak led Houston to their first non-losing season in 2007, and led them to 8-8 again in 2008.

In 2009, Kyle Shanahan will enter his second season as the Texans offensive coordinator and fourth season with Houston.

Shanahan got a very early experience in football, being the son of former Broncos’ head coach Mike Shanahan. Kyle Shanahan was born in Minneapolis and later moved to Colorado. In high school, Kyle Shanahan played for Cherry Creek High School from 1995-1998.

Kyle Shanahan started his college career playing wide receiver for the Duke Blue Devils in 1999. In 2000, Shanahan transferred to the University of Texas. In his senior season, Shanahan averaged 8.9 yards per reception.

After playing in college, Kyle Shanahan started his coaching career as a graduate assistant for UCLA in 2003. The Bruins made it to the Silicon Valley Bowl that season. After the season, Shanahan started his professional career as the offensive quality-control coach for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

During his time with the Buccaneers, Michael Clayton broke the franchise rookie record for receptions and touchdowns. Joey Galloway finished seventh in the NFL in receiving yards.

In 2006, Kyle Shanahan joined the Texans as a receivers coach. Andre Johnson got his first start in the Pro Bowl leading the league in receptions with 103. After the season, Kyle Shanahan became the quarterbacks coach.

In his first season as quarterbacks coach, the Texans broke franchise records for most completions, passing yards and touchdowns. Houston quarterbacks were only sacked 22 times the whole season.

In 2008, Shanahan was promoted to his current position as offensive coordinator. Last season the Texans were ranked third in the league in offense and had the fourth best rated passing attack.

Frank Bush was promoted from senior defensive assistant to defensive coordinator after the 2008 season. Bush enters his third season with the Texans and 19th season overall.

Bush was a linebacker for North Carolina State and was drafted by the Houston Oilers in the fifth round of the 1985 draft. In his rookie season, Bush started 11 of 16 games and had three sacks. Bush’s pro career ended prematurely after he suffered a spinal injury in the 1986 season.

Bush worked as a scout for the Oilers from 1987-1992. He spent three more seasons with the Oilers as their linebackers coach. After the 1994-1995 season, Bush was hired as the linebackers coach for the Broncos.

Bush helped guide the Broncos from 28th-best defense to fourth-best in 1996. Bush was part of the Broncos two Super Bowl victories in 1998 and 1999. John Mobley and Bill Romanowski started to become leaders of the defense. Bush coached the linebackers until 1999.

During the 2000-2001 season, Bush oversaw the defensive secondary and nickel packages. From 2001-2003, Bush was the special teams coordinator. During that time span the Broncos were one of the best in kick and punt return averages. Jason Elam was second and fourth in points scored from 2002-2003.

In 2004, Bush left the Broncos and joined Dennis Green’s staff in Arizona to coach the linebackers. In 2006, Bush was promoted to assistant head coach as well as linebacker coach.

Bush joined the Texans staff in 2007 and spent his first two seasons as a senior defensive assistant. During the time, he helped turn Mario Williams into one of the better pass rushers in the NFL.

Joe Marciano has been the Texans special teams coordinator since the franchise began in 2002. Unlike Kubiak, Shanahan and Bush, Marciano did not have any ties to the Broncos.

Marciano played college football for Temple and earned his bachelor’s in health and physical education. Marciano began his coaching career at the high school level with Wyoming Area High School in West Pittston, Pennsylvania.

After coaching one season at the high school level, Marciano moved to the college level in 1976 coaching tight ends at East Stroudsburg State. From 1978-1979, Marciano coached wide receivers at Rhode Island. In 1980, Marciano coached tight ends at Villanova. Marciano held the same position at Penn State in 1981.

In 1982, Marciano returned to his alma matter, Templefor a season coaching tight ends. From 1983-1985, Marciano began his professional coaching career in the USFL with the Philadelphia/Baltimore Stars. During his time, the Stars won two league championships.

Marciano began his NFL coaching career with the New Orleans Saints in 1986 as special teams and tight ends coach. During his tenure, the Saints had three special teams players make the Pro Bowl.

After the 1995-1996 season, Marciano left the Saints for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Marciano coached special teams until 2001 when he left to coach the Texans. During his tenure in Tampa Bay, the Buccaneers had two team records in kickoff return (23.7) and punt returns (13.7). Shelton Quarles held the record for special teams tackles with 31.

Martin Gramatica in 2000, broke club records in field goals (28), points scored (126), consecutive field goals (16), 50-plus-yard field goals (5) and extra points (42).

Marciano joined the expansion team Texans in 2002. In Chad Stanley ranked in the top five of the NFL for punts inside the 20 in three of his first four seasons with the Texans. Under Marciano, Kris Brown became an accurate kicker especially from long distance.

Brown was also key on kickoffs recording nine touchbacks in 2004.

Marciano also has coached several strong kickoff and punt return men, during his tenure with the Texans. In 2003, J.J. Moses ranked fifth in the AFC in kickoff return average with 23.4. Jerome Mathis finished the 2005 season second in the NFL in returns with 54 for 1,542 yards. Mathis was the only player in the 2005 season to return two for touchdowns.

In 2007, the Texans tied an NFL record for kickoff returns for touchdowns with four. Andre Davis became the seventh player in history to return two kickoffs for touchdowns.

Last season, the Texans were third in the NFL averaging 12.1 yards per punt return. Jacoby Jones returned two for touchdowns.

The Texans coaches had various backgrounds—but most of them have made stops in Denver.

New Defensive Staff, Playbook Changes For Houston Texans in 2009?

Andrew Glover — Sat, 23 May 2009 13:53:16 -0400

The Houston Texans have a new defensive staff for 2009 and could have changes in their defensive playbook.

Frank Bush Sr. replaces Richard Smith as defensive coordinator. Smith was fired at the end of last season after the Texans went 8-8.

David Gibbs is the new defensive backs coach. Gibbs replaces Jon Hoke who was fired at the end of the season. Bill Kollar takes over coaching the defensive line after Jethro Franklin was fired.

Last season the Texans were 27thin points allowed averaging 24.6 per game. Houstonwas 22nd in total yards allowed, 17th in passing yards allowed, 23rd in rushing yards allowed, 27thin sacks, 21st in interceptions and 16th in fumble recoveries.

Houston only had three defensive categories last season that they ranked in the top half of the league: fumble recoveries, forced fumbles and tackles.

The change that could be in the Texans playbook is more blitzing. This could help the Texans stop more runs in the backfield and get more pressure on the opposing quarterback. By getting in the backfield and pressuring the quarterback it can force their opponents into longer yardage situations.

Houston has a strong defensive end with Mario Williams who made his first Pro Bowl last season. Additionally, the Texans strengthened their defensive line in the off-season by adding Antonio Smith and Shaun Cody.

Smith had 41 tackles, three and a half sacks and two forced fumbles last season for the Arizona Cardinals. Cody had 36 tackles for the Detroit Lions last season.

The Texans can expect Travis Johnson and Amobi Okoye to continue to develop into stronger defensive players.

Another change in the playbook could be more defensive back sets. For the Texans to blitz more they are going to need to be able to cover opposing receivers better.

Houston did not make many changes to their secondary. They drafted Brice McCain from Utah and Glover Quinn from New Mexico. The Texans can expect Dunta Robinson, Fred Bennett and Jacque Reeves to be the leaders in the secondary.

If the Texans blitz more and have better coverage, fans can expect to see more wins in the win column and bigger achievement at the end of 2009.

Houston Texans Could Rush into the Playoffs in 2009

Andrew Glover — Tue, 19 May 2009 17:43:21 -0400

The Houston Texans are looking to make their first playoff appearance in 2009. The last two seasons, the Texans missed the playoffs by a game or two finishing 8-8 in both seasons.

For the Texans to make the 2009 playoffs, they first need to stay healthy. Last season Matt Schaub missed five games, Dunta Robinson missed five, Eugene Wilson missed four games, Zach Diles missed eight games, and Ahman Green missed eight as well.

Injuries affect the chemistry of the team. If the Texans have a lot of injuries, they are not going to have the same people on the field every game. If the same people don't play, they will not have strong chemistry.

Additionally, some positions do not have as much depth as they did last season. Sage Rosenfels, who was Schaub’s backup last year, was traded to the Minnesota Vikings. Dan Orvlovsky who was acquired from the Lions, will have to learn the Texans' system and may not be as reliable as Rosenfels.

Secondly, the Texans need to finish games when they have the lead in the fourth quarter, especially if they are up by more than eight. Houston lost two games that they led in the fourth quarter.

Last season the Texans were outscored 225-180 in the second half of games, and 136-102 in the fourth quarter. The Texans will have a strong chance of making the playoffs if they can play strong in the final quarter.

Next, the Texans need to avoid slow starts in the season and individual games. In their franchise history, the Texans' best start in the first quarter of the season is 2-2. In two of Houston’s seasons, they started 0-4.

Last season, the Texans scored first in seven games, and were 5-2 in those games. The Texans were 3-6 when their opponents scored first. Houston only had six games where they led after the first quarter, and was 5-1 in those games. When the Texans were tied or when their opponents led after the first, they were 3-7.

The Texans did lead after halftime in nine games and went 7-2 in those games. Houston was 1-6 in games in which they were tied or trailed after the first half. In fact, their only win in those games was against the Miami Dolphins in Week Five.

Furthermore, the Texans need to perform better on the road. Last season, Houston was 6-2 at home and 2-6 on the road. The only road games the Texans won were against the Cleveland Browns and the Green Bay Packers. Both of those teams failed to make the playoffs with a combined 10-22.

Houston was outscored on the road 214-160. The Texans lost three of six road games by at least 10 points. However, to the Texans' credit, four of six of their road losses were to teams that made playoffs.

The Texans were outscored 130-77 in those games. Houston was 2-2 on the road against teams that missed the playoffs, and was about even with its opponents, who scored 84 to the Texans 83.

In 2009, only four of eight road games are against playoff teams. The Texans visit the Titans in Week Two, the defending NFC Champion Arizona Cardinals in Week Five, the Colts in Week Nine, and the Dolphins in Week 16.

The other four road games for the Texans are the Bengals in Week Six, the Bills in Week Eight, the Jaguars in Week 13, and the Rams in Week 15. For Houston to make the playoffs, they need to win three out of four road games against non-playoff teams and at least one against playoff teams.

Finally, the Texans need to take advantage of their schedule. In 2009, only six games are against last year’s playoff teams. Besides their four road games against playoff teams, the Texans host division foes Tennessee and Indianapolis. Last season the Texans defeated all of their opponents at home that missed the playoffs (6-0).

In 2009, the Texans face the NFC West in interconference play. The Arizona Cardinals were the only team that made the playoffs in that division last season. The Rams, Seahawks and the 49ers all picked in the top 10 of the draft.

All and in all, if the Texans can dominate at home again and at least go .500 on the road, they could make a bull rush into the playoffs.

1998 Denver Broncos: One of the Most Memorable Teams in History

Andrew Glover — Mon, 18 May 2009 16:49:57 -0400

1998 was the best season in Denver Broncos history.

The Broncos entered the season coming off their first Super Bowl victory, defeating the Green Bay Packers 31-24 in Super Bowl XXXII. The majority of that team returned for the following season including Hall of Famer John Elway at quarterback.

Mike Shanahan finished his fourth season as the Broncos coach with an 47-17 record, and a 7-1 mark in the playoffs. Gary Kubiak and Greg Robinson returned as offensive and defensive coordinators.

In 1998, the Broncos won a franchise-best 14 games. The Broncos went 4-0 in games that Elway was out due to injury. Additionally, Denver was 8-0 against AFC west opponents, winning those games by an average of 14 points.

Denver won its first 13 games in a row before losing to the New York Giants 20-16 in Week 15. Out of the Broncos 14 wins, only five were decided by seven points or less. The Broncos had the lead in 52 of 64 quarters that season.

In the playoffs, the Broncos beat the Miami Dolphins 38-3 in the divisional round. In the AFC Championship the Broncos defeated the New York Jets 23-10 to advance to their second straight Super Bowl and sixth in franchise history.

In Super Bowl XXXIII, the Broncos repeated as champions besting former coach Dan Reeves and the Atlanta Falcons 34-19. In his final game, Elway won Super Bowl MVP, completing 18-of-29 passes for 336 yards and one touchdown.

Denver had seven Pro Bowlers in 1998: Elway, Terrell Davis, safety Steve Atwater, linebacker Bill Romanowski, kicker Jason Elam, receiver Ed McCaffrey, and tight end Shannon Sharpe.

The Broncos scored the second-most points in the NFL with 501, averaging 31 points per game. Denver ranked third in total yards with 6,092, second in first downs with 347, seventh in passing yards with 3,624, fifth in touchdown passes with 32, second in rushing yards with 2,468, and first in rushing touchdowns with 26.

Defensively, the Broncos were eighth in points allowed with 309 (19 per game), third in yards rushing allowed with 1,287, and fourth in rushing touchdowns allowed with eight. Denver ranked in the top half of the league with 30 turnovers, ranked 11th in total yards allowed with 4935, 12th in first downs allowed with 283 and 10th in interceptions with 19.

In his final season, Elway led the Broncos in passing. In 13 games, Elway completed 210-of-356 passes for 2,806 yards, 22 touchdowns and 10 interceptions.

In the playoffs, Elway completed 45-of-86 passes for 691 yards, three touchdowns and one interception.

Elway, who was known for his fourth-quarter heroics throughout his career, led one of his last comebacks against Marty Schottenheimer in Week 14 against the Kansas City Chiefs. Schottenheimer was the same coach that Elway conducted “The Drive” against in the 1987 AFC Championship.

Backup quarterback Bubby Brister played in seven games and started four. Brister completed 78 passes for 986 yards, 10 touchdowns and three interceptions.

Terrell Davis had the best season of his career with 2,008 yards rushing on 392 attempts and 21 rushing touchdowns. Davis also caught 25 passes for 217 yards and two touchdowns receiving.

In the playoffs, Davis ran for 468 yards on 78 attempts and scored three rushing touchdowns. Additionally, Davis had 69 yards receiving on four receptions.

Rod Smith led the team in receptions with 86 for 1,222 yards. Smith scored six touchdowns, a total that was third on the team.

McCaffrey and Sharpe were tied for second on the team in receptions with 64. McCaffrey had 1,053 yards receiving and Sharpe had 768. Sharpe and McCaffrey tied for the team lead in receiving touchdowns, with 10 each.

Trevor Pryce and Maa Tanuvasa led the Broncos in sacks with 8.5 each. Romanowski was third on the team with 7.5.

Darrien Gordon led the team in interceptions with four. Ray Crockett had three, and Glenn Cadrez, Darrius Johnson, and Romanowski each had two. Gordon and Crockett returned interceptions for touchdowns.

Romanowski led the team in fumble recoveries with three. Tanuvasa was second with two. Linebacker John Mobley led the team in tackles with 93. Gordon was second with 58 and Cadrez was third with 56.

On special teams, Elam made all 58 extra points and was 27-for-33 on field goals. In Week Eight, Elam tied the NFL record for the longest field goal in a game, hitting from 63 yards at the end of the first half against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Punter Tom Rouen punted 66 times averaging 46 yards per punt. Rouen only had one punt blocked during the season, occurring in Week Five against the Philadelphia Eagles and resulting in a safety.

Vaughn Hebron led the Broncos in kickoff returns, gaining 1,216 yards on 46 returns. Hebron returned one kickoff for a touchdown in the Broncos 31-21 loss to the Dolphins in Week 16. Gordon led the Broncos in punt returns with 34 for 379 yards.

The 1998-1999 season was one of the most memorable in Denver Broncos history.

Los Angeles Lakers Blast Houston Rockets Out of Playoffs

Andrew Glover — Sun, 17 May 2009 18:18:18 -0400

The Houston Rockets' offense failed to get going in the first quarter as the Los Angeles Lakers easily advanced to the Conference Finals with a 89-70 victory.

The Rockets struggled mightily on offense in the first quarter, missing their first 12 shots. It took more than five minutes for the Rockets to put points on the board, with Aaron Brooks making two free throws. The Rockets did not make their first basket until 4:44 left in the first when Chuck Hayes made a layup.

Trevor Ariza led the Lakers offensively with nine points and scored six of the Lakers' first eight points of the game. Pau Gasol had five points in the first and Derek Fisher scored four. The Lakers led 22-12 after the first quarter.

The Lakers maintained a double-digit lead most of the first half. The closest the Rockets got was a one-point deficit at the beginning of the game. Los Angeles would lead by as many as 25 in the first half. The Rockets closed the half scoring the last five points with Ron Artest hitting a three and Von Wafer making a jumper.

The Rockets committed seven turnovers, which the Lakers scored 11 points from. Houston was one-for-nine from the three-point line and shot 32 percent from the field in the first half.

The third quarter was defined by runs by both teams. The Lakers opened with a 7-2 run, expanding their lead to 58-33. Kobe Bryant, Ariza, and Fisher each scored points.

The Rockets scored five of the next six points cutting the Lakers lead to 20. Luis Scola made a jumper and two free throws. The Lakers would bring their lead to 24 with Bryant and Andrew Bynum making shots.

Houston would outscore the Lakers 11-6 to end the third quarter trailing 69-50. The Rockets did not get closer than 18 in the second half. Los Angeles would lead by as many as 30 in the second half.

The loss was Houston’s third consecutive by double digits. The Rockets' three losses in Los Angeles were by at least 13 points, losing the last two by more than 20. Additionally, this was the Rockets third consecutive loss in Game Seven and the second consecutive time they were blown out when Houston lost 116-76 in Dallas in the 2005 playoffs.

Nevertheless, the Rockets won two playoff games without Yao Ming who has been out since Game Three with a broken foot.

The Rockets shot 36 percent from the field, 25 percent from the three-point line (5-for-20), and 64 percent from the free throw line. Houston had 16 turnovers, resulting in 16 points for the Lakers.

Brooks led the Rockets in scoring with 13 points in 39 minutes. Artest led the Rockets in rebounds with eight, and assists with five, and Hayes led the Rockets in steals with five.

The Lakers advance to the Conference Final for the second consecutive season and third time in the last six seasons. Los Angeles has won their last five appearances in the conference finals.

The Lakers shot 46 percent from the field, 33 percent from the three-point line and 77 percent from free throws. Los Angeles turned the ball over 19 times resulting in 19 points for the Rockets.

Gasol led the Lakers in scoring with 21. Bryant only had 14 points as he dealt with foul trouble for part of the game. Bynum, who was held scoreless in three games of the series, scored 14.

Gasol also led the team in rebounds with 18. Bryant led the team in assists with five and Gasol led the team in blocks with three.

The Lakers will host the second-seeded Denver Nuggets on Tuesday. The Nuggets beat the Mavericks 4-1 in their Western Conference semifinal.

Rockets Have Lift-Off In Game One Vs. Lakers

Andrew Glover — Tue, 05 May 2009 03:00:03 -0400

The Houston Rockets did not beat the Los Angeles Lakers during the 2008-2009 season. In their two previous playoff series against the Lakers, the Rockets did not win in Los Angeles. In this series, the Rockets were looking to change that.

The Rockets did change defeating the top seeded Lakers 100-92 in Game One of the Western Conference Semi Finals.

Houston led most of the game only trailing 47 seconds of the game. The Lakers largest lead was one which they got several times with their latest coming in the fourth quarter.

Los Angeles was off a week after finishing the Utah Jazz in Game five of the Western Conference quarterfinals. Against Houston, the Lakers struggled shooting especially from three-point territory. The Lakers were two-for-18 behind the three-point line shooting 11 percent.

The game started back and forth until the last four minutes of the fourth quarter. The Rockets scored six straight points in a minute time span to take a 19-12 lead. Yao Ming, Aaron Brooks and Luis Scola each made a basket.

The Lakers would go on a run next, outscoring the Rockets 12-4 to take a 24-23 lead with 9:38 left in the second quarter. Lamar Odom and Trevor Ariza each had four points. Nevertheless, the Rockets would go on another run.

Houston went on an 11-2 run to take a 34-26 lead with 6:15 left in the second quarter. Kyle Lowery scored three points with a layup and a free throw. Ron Artest and Brent Barry made three-pointers. The Rockets maintained a two-possession lead until 2:55 left in the first half.

Los Angeles went on a 8-3 run to close the second quarter. Kobe Bryant made two jumpers, Derek Fisher made a jumper and Pau Gasol made two free throws.

The third quarter would be defined by runs by both teams. The Rockets scored the first six points of the quarter to expand their lead to 49-40 with 10:25 left in the third. The Lakers went on a 8-0 run to bring the game within one with 7:56 left.

The Rockets went on a 10-2 run to bring the lead back to nine with 5:54 left in the quarter. Aaron Brooks scored five points during that time span and nine points in the third quarter. Brooks scored 19 points in the game.

The Lakers closed the third quarter with a 17-11 run to cut the Rockets led to three. Bryant scored 11 points in the last six minutes of the third quarter. Bryant was held to eight points in the first half, which was in large part credited to the Rockets for keeping him outside of the paint.

The first minute and a half of the fourth quarter was back and forth, but the Lakers went on an 8-2 run to grab a 77-76 lead with 8:18 left in the game. This was the Lakers last lead of the game.

On the Rockets next possession, Artest gave the Rockets the lead for good with a 19-foot jumper and was fouled. Artest made the free throw giving the Rockets a 79-77 lead. The Rockets scored the next six points. Brooks scored four and got the assist on Yao’s basket as the Rockets led 85-77 with 5:18 left in the game.

The Rockets and their fans did receive a scare with about five minutes left in the fourth. Bryant was driving to the basket and bumped his knee into Yao’s. The Rockets center fell to the court in pain and temporarily left the game. Yao worked out the soreness in his knee in the tunnel and returned to the game during the next dead ball.

The Lakers trailed by as many as 11 in the fourth quarter and did not get closer than six points. Los Angeles trailed 96-90 with 33 seconds left and nearly made the Rockets turn it over with their trapping defense. However, Odom fouled Yao with 24 seconds left and Yao made both free throws.

The Rockets shot 47 percent from the field, 27 percent from the three-point line and was 25-for-29 from the free throw line. Houston won two straight playoff games for the second time this season. They won games three and four against Portland in the conference quarterfinals.

Yao led the team in scoring with 28 points and got another double double with a team-leading 10 rebounds. The Rockets center was a perfect 10-for-10 from the free throw line.

Artest after scoring 27 points in Game Six against Portland put 21 against the Lakers. Brooks had 19 and was successful in finding the open spots on the court.

Artest led the team in assists with seven; Shane Battier led the team in steals with three. Battier took a hard hit in the first quarter when he was going up for a rebound against Gasol. Battier temporarily left in the first because his face was bleeding. Additionally they had to clean the blood off the court.

Bryant led the Lakers in scoring with 32, but did not shot well. Bryant shot 14-for-31 from the field and was only one-for-seven from three. Gasol scored 14 points, Andrew Bynum and Ariza each had 10.

Gasol led the team in rebounds with 13, assists with four and steals with three. Bryant also had four assists.

The Rockets and Lakers will continue their series Wednesday night in Los Angeles.

Astros Bullpen and Ryan Zimmerman Spoil Brian Moehler's Return

Andrew Glover — Tue, 05 May 2009 00:40:29 -0400

The Astros bullpen allows seven runs as a solid outing by Brian Moehler is wasted in the Washington Nationals 9-4 victory over the Houston Astros.

Moehler (0-2) pitched for the first time since Apr. 13 after injuring his right knee at Pittsburgh. In his return, Moehler pitched five innings, allowed eight hits, two runs, two walks, and struck out five.

Moehler reduced his ERA from 27.00 to 14.00.

Wesley Wright (1-1) got the loss, allowing three runs and two walks in one third of an inning.

Felipe Paulino gave up two runs on two hits and two walks in one third of an inning.

Jeff Fulchino pitched the last two and one third innings and gave up two runs on four hits and two walks.

Carlos Lee, Lance Berkman, and Kazuo Matsui led the Astros’ offense.

Lee was three for four with a double.

Berkman was two for four with a double and one RBI.

Matsui was two for three, scoring two runs, a double, and walked.

Michael Bourn also had an RBI double but was thrown out trying for a triple.

Jeff Keppinger and J.R. Towles scored the Astros other two runs.

Despite a rocky start, John Lannan got his first win of the 2009 season. Lannan pitched six innings, allowing nine hits, four runs (three earned), and two walks.

Joel Hanrahan got a hold pitching one inning and struck out one.

Garrett Mock pitched the last two innings allowing one hit and struck out one.

Ryan Zimmerman and Elijah Dukes powered the Nationals offense.

Zimmerman was four for four, scoring three runs, two doubles, and two RBI.

Dukes was three for five, driving in three runs.

The Astros were on top early in the game.

Matsui led off the first with a bunt single and almost got stealing, but reached second on an error by Nick Johnson.

Bourn advanced Matsui to third with a fly out to center. Berkman drove in Matsui with a double, and was caught stealing third.

The Astros did strike again in the fifth inning.

Keppinger and Towles led off the inning with singles.

Moehler put down a sacrifice bunt, advancing the runners to second and third.

Matsui doubled to left driving in both Keppinger and Towles.

Bourn followed with his own double driving in Matsui, but was thrown out trying to get to third.

After trailing 4-0, the rest of the game would belong to the Nationals. With two outs in the bottom of the fifth, Zimmerman doubled to left and Adam Dunn followed with a walk.

Dukes brought home Zimmerman with a single. Austin Kearns drove in Dunn with a single, cutting the Astros lead to 4-2.

In the bottom of the sixth, the Nationals pulled away.

Wright relieved Moehler and led off the inning by walking A Hernandez.

After getting Ron Belliard out on a fly out to left, Cristian Guzman singled. Wright followed that with walking Nick Johnson to load the bases.

Cecil Cooper pulled Wright in a double switch and put in Paulino and Geoff Blum to play third base.

Paulino walked Zimmerman scoring Hernandez.

Dunn gave the Nationals the lead with a two RBI single scoring Guzman and Johnson.

Dukes drove in Zimmerman with a single to center. Paulino loaded the bases hitting Kearns.

After getting J Flores to pop out, Paulino walked in a run by walking Hernandez who led off the sixth with a walk giving Washington a 7-4 lead.

The Astros (11-15) entered the game with closer Jose Valverde and Doug Brocail on the disabled list.

The loss ended a two game winning streak for the Astros.

The Nationals (7-17) won their second in a row.

Houston and Washington meet again tomorrow 12:35 p.m. EST.

Roy Oswalt (0-2) will try again for his first win against the Nationals’ starter Scott Olsen (1-3).

Blast Off: Trail Blazers Ripped By Rockets In Clutch City

Andrew Glover — Fri, 01 May 2009 01:45:47 -0400

Ron Artest had 27 points as the Houston Rockets outscored the Portland Trail Blazers 31-18 in the second quarter, and advanced to the second round with a 92-76 victory in Game Six.

The Rockets have not advanced past the first round since the 1996-97 playoff season when they advanced to the Western Conference finals. The win gave Yao Ming and Shane Battier their first appearance in the second round.

The Rockets started quickly, going on a 7-2 run to open the game. The Trail Blazers would tie the game two minutes later. LaMarcus Aldridge scored Portland’s first four points of the game, and he made a jump shot to give Portland their first lead, 11-9 with 5:58 left in the first.

The Trail Blazers’ largest lead in the first would be four points, leading by that total three times in a two-minute time span. The Blazers led 17-13 with more than three minutes left in the quarter.

In the last three minutes, the Rockets closed out the quarter on an 8-2 run, to lead 21-19 after one. Artest scored seven of the Rockets’ eight points to close out the quarter.

In the second quarter the Rockets started where they left off. Houston went on a 13-2 run to lead 34-21 with 7:20 left in the second.

The Rockets maintained a double-digit lead for the rest of the second quarter, with the Trail Blazers only able to draw within 10. Houston led 52-37 at halftime.

Houston maintained their halftime lead in the third quarter. The Rockets opened with a 8-4 run to increase their lead to 58-41 with 8:41 left in the quarter. The longest run for the Trail Blazers was four points.

The closest the Trail Blazers got to the Rockets in the fourth quarter was 13 as they scored the first five points of the quarter. Houston would lead by as many as 20 in the fourth.

Both teams shot fairly evenly in the game. The Rockets shot 46 percent from the field, while the Trail Blazers shot 42 percent. Houston shot 37 percent from the three-point line and Portland shot 36 percent. The Rockets shot 78 percent from the foul line; Portland shot 75 percent.

The major factor in the game was contributing. Brandon Roy and Aldridge accounted for 48 of the Trail Blazers 76 points. The Rockets had three players in double-figures. Artest had 27, Yao had 17, and Aaron Brooks had 13.

Artest led the Rockets in scoring with 27, and the Rockets' starting five (Artest, Yao, Brooks, Scola, and Battier) scored 73 of their 92 points.

Yao had a double double with 17 points and led the team in rebounds with 10. Kyle Lowry led the team in assists with three and Battier led the team in steals with three.

Aldridge led the Trail Blazers in scoring with 26. Portland’s starters were outscored 73-55. Roy scored 22 points.

Rudy Fernandez and Joel Przybilla led the team in rebounds with eight each. Przybilla led the team in blocks with five and Steve Blake led the team in assists with five.

The Rockets will face the top-seeded Los Angeles Lakers, who defeated the Utah Jazz in five, in the second round, which starts Monday at Los Angeles.

Dikembe Mutombo attended the game after his surgery and was on crutches when he greeted Yao Ming after the game.

Mile High Victory For The Denver Nuggets

Andrew Glover — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 02:50:11 -0400

The last time the Denver Nuggets made it past the first round of the NBA Playoffs, in the 1993-1994 season, the Colorado Rockies had just completed their inaugural season.

The Rockies were the only NHL team Colorado had at the time and they moved to New Jersey a decade earlier. McNichols Sports Arena was home to the Nuggets and Mile High Stadium was hosting both football and baseball.

15 years later, the Nuggets advance to the second round, with a 107-86 victory over the New Orleans Hornets at the Pepsi Center.

Denver won the series 4-1 and won their four games by an average of 30 points. The Nuggets won three of the four games by over 20 points.

Denver again started out quickly, taking an early 6-2 lead in the first two and a half minutes of the game. Kenyon Martin scored four of Denver’s first six points, with Carmelo Anthony adding the other bucket.

It took the Hornets less than two minutes to grab their first lead at 7-6. Peja Stojakovic scored the Hornets first seven points of the game. The Nuggets and Hornets would go back and forth over the next four minutes.

David West got a 9-0 run started with a layup assisted by Chris Paul. West was fouled by Anthony and made the free throw. Sean Marks scored four of the Hornets six points to open a 25-16 lead on Denver with 1:52 left in the first quarter.

The Nuggets then went on their own run to end the quarter. In the last minute and fifty two seconds, Denver outscored New Orleans 8-2, cutting the Hornets lead to three. Chris Andersen scored six of the Nuggets eight points to end the first quarter.

The second quarter was back and forth. The longest run either team had was seven points, with the Hornets making the run in more than a two-minute time span, taking a 47-44 lead. Both teams went to the locker room tied at 49 at halftime.

Denver ran away with the game and the series in the third quarter. The Nuggets outscored the Hornets 31-17 in the third quarter, taking an 80-66 lead.

The quarter started back and forth until it had six minutes remaining. The Nuggets and Hornets were tied at 62, when Denver went on an 18-4 run to close out the quarter.

With three and a half minutes left, the Nuggets made three-consecutive three-pointers in more than a minute time span, to take a 73-62 lead with 2:31 left in the quarter. J.R. Smith made two of those three pointers.

The closest the Hornets would get in the fourth quarter was 14 points, which they trailed by entering the fourth quarter. The Nuggets went up by as many as 24 points.

The first round series loss, was the first New Orleans head coach Byron Scott has suffered in his coaching career.

The Nuggets shot 51 percent from the field, 43 percent from the three-point line, and 85 percent from the free throw line.

Anthony led the Nuggets in scoring with 34 points and steals with four. Anthony played 46 of the 48 minutes and advanced to the second round of the playoffs for the first time in his career. Smith scored 20 points off the bench.

Chauncey Billups led the team in assists with 11. Martin, Nene Hilario, and Andersen led the team in rebounds with seven each.

The Hornets shot 38 percent from the field, 15 percent from the three-point line, and 83 percent from the free-throw line.

West led the team in scoring with 24 points, James Posey scored 18 off the bench, and starters Stojakovic and Paul each scored 12.

Paul led the team in assists with 10 and steals with three. West led in rebounds with nine.

The Nuggets will play the sixth seed Dallas Mavericks in the Western Conference semifinals, with Game One in Denver.

Houston Astros Are a Train Wreck After Opening Week of the Season

Andrew Glover — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 00:24:25 -0400

The Houston Astros are off to another slow start, as they finish the first week of the season 1-5.

The Astros opened the season hosting a three-game series with the defending NL Central Champion Chicago Cubs. The Astros lost the first game 4-2, won the second 3-2 in the 10th, and lost the third 11-6. Houston finished the week with a three-game weekend series at St. Louis. The Astros lost the first game 5-3, lost the second game 11-2, and lost the final game 3-0.

For the Astros, it has been the same problems as usual, lack of offense and slow starts by key players. Roy Oswalt has started the season 0-2, with a 6.23 ERA, walked three, and struck out six. Lance Berkman is batting .200 after six games, with one home run and two RBI. In the last four seasons, the Astros are 8-16 in their first six games.

Here is a recap of the first week and how the team performed.

Hitting

In the first six games of the season, the Astros have scored 16 runs, a total ranking second to last in the major leagues. The Kansas City Royals are the only team with fewer runs, at 14.

Geoff Blum, Miguel Tejada, and Hunter Pence lead the team with three runs each. The Astros were in the lower half of the major leagues in batting average, ranking 18th andbatting .250.

Geoff Blum leads the everyday starters with a .353 batting average. Jeff Keppinger leads the team with a .571 batting average.

The Astros have walked 17 times, ranking 25thin the major leagues. Berkman leads the team with five. Houston ranks 12thin home runs with seven. Pence leads the team with two.

The Astros have not produced offensively, which has significantly limited their starting pitchers chances of winning.

Overall Grade: D+

Base running

The Astros have stolen one base in three attempts, ranking 25thin the majors. Kazuo Matsui has stolen their only base so far.

The Astros rank 20th in total bases with 80. Pence leads the team with 15.

Houston is third to last in doubles with five. Carlos Lee, Ivan Rodriguez, Berkman, Blum, and Pence each have one.

Houston is tied for second in triples with two. Michael Bourn and Matsui each have one. Houston is struggling in getting runners in scoring position, which also leads to struggles in putting runs on the board.

Overall Grade: D

Starting Pitching

The Astros are among three teams that are yet to have a starting pitcher with a win. The Washington Nationals and the Oakland Athletics are the other two. Currently, the Astros' starters are 0-5 with a 6.54 ERA, which ranks 26th in the majors.

Wandy Rodriguez has the lowest ERA with 3.00 in two starts. Brian Moehler did not last two innings in his first start, leaving the game with a 37.80 ERA.

Houston is 14th in walks allowed with 14. Moehler has the fewest with one.

Houston's starters rank 24th in strikeouts with 20. Wandy Rodriguez leads the team with eight. In years past when the Astros offense has struggled, they have had good starting pitching bail them out. This year, the starting pitching is inconsistent at best.

Overall Grade: D-

Relief Pitching

Doug Brocail is the only Astros pitcher with a win, ranking the team tied for seventh in relief pitcher wins. The Astros’ bullpen has given up 13 runs for an ERA of 5.76, which ranks 23rd in the majors. Tim Byrdak, Chris Sampson, and closer Jose Valverde are yet to allow a run.

The bullpen has walked 10 batters, ranking 17thin the majors. LaTroy Hawkins, Wesley Wright, Sampson, Byrdak, and Valverde have allowed zero.

Houston ranks third in the majors with 21 strikeouts. Russ Ortiz leads the bullpen with six. Overall, the Astros’ bullpen is good, so if Houston can get a lead past the sixth, they mostly likely will win.

Overall Grade: C+

Next week, the Astros will travel to Pittsburgh for a three game series with the Pirates (3-3), and host the Cincinnati Reds (2-3) for four games.

Mike Singletary's 43 Points Rallies Texas Tech Past Texas A&M Aggies, 88-83

Andrew Glover — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 02:28:22 -0400

With 18:42 left in the second half it looked like the Texas Tech Red Raiders (14-18, 3-13) season was getting closer to coming to an end, trailing 50-29 to the Texas A&M Aggies (23-9, 9-7).

Tech head coach Pat Knight has said that his players have fought hard all season. Led by Mike Singletary the Red Raiders rallied to an 88-83 victory in the first round of the Big 12 Tournament in Oklahoma City.

Singletary, who averages 11.1 points per game, scored a Big 12 tournament record and a career high of 43 points. 35 of those points came in the last 13 minutes of the game.

In the first half, Texas A&M dominated starting the game with a 15-2 run in the opening six minutes. Tech started the game shooting 0-for-10 from the field and turned the ball over four times. Singletary made Tech’s first basket with 13:16 left in the first half.

The closest the Red Raiders would get to A&M in the first half was nine points. Tech had 12 first half turnovers. A&M led 48-29 at halftime.

After the Aggies scored the first two points of the second half on a pair of Bryan Davis free throws, Darko Cohadarevic scored six points in a 17-second time span to cut A&M’s lead to 52-35. Cohadarevic scored 10 points.

A&M would increase their lead to 18 with 15 minutes left in the half. Donald Sloan and Chinemelu Elonu both made layups giving the Aggies a 56-38 lead.

In the last 15 minutes, the Red Raiders started their rally. Nick Okorie and Alan Voskuil both made layups to cut the lead to 56-42. Michael Prince got a steal that led to an easy dunk by Singletary, which cut A&M’s lead to 56-44 with 13:03 left in the game.

With Tech down 60-50 with 10 minutes left in the game, Singletary would score Tech’s next 29 points, scoring the game-winning basket with 44 seconds left. Singletary’s 29 consecutive points without a teammate scoring is the second longest in the NCAA. Bill Mlkvy of Temple scored 54 in a row in a game against Wilkes in 1951.

Voskuil’s two free throws with 26 seconds left ended Singletary’s consecutive point run and gave Tech an 81-78 lead. John Roberson extended the lead to five with 16 seconds left, making two free throws.

The Aggies were not going to let the Red Raiders clinch the comeback too easily. Josh Carter hit a three-pointer with nine seconds left to cut Tech’s lead to 83-81.

After Roberson was fouled a second later, he missed his second free throw. Roberson fouled Sloan with four seconds left, and Sloan made both free throws cutting Tech’s lead to one. Voskuil was fouled with three seconds left and extended Tech’s lead to three.

Derrick Roland turned the ball over and Singletary clinched the game for Tech hitting both free throws.

The Red Raiders have won two of their last three games and avoided being swept by Texas A&M.

Along with Singletary’s 43, Voskuil scored 14 points and Cohadarevic scored his second best season total (10). Cohadarevic scored 12 points against Stephen F. Austin last December.

Voskuil led the team in rebounds with seven and Roberson led the team in assists with four.

The Aggies’ loss ended a six-game winning streak in the Big 12 and a three-game winning streak against Tech.

Sloan led A&M in scoring with 22, Carter scored 15, Davis scored 11, and Elonu scored 10. Carter led the team in rebounds with eight, and Sloan led the team in assists with three.

The Red Raiders will face the third seeded Missouri Tigers (25-6, 12-4) Thursday, while the Aggies will have to wait until Selection Sunday to learn their fate.

Texas Tech-Kansas: Red Raiders Tri-Fect No. 9 Jayhawks

Andrew Glover — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 03:38:35 -0500

In 2005, the Texas Tech Red Raiders beat the Kansas Jayhawks 80-79 in double overtime. In 2007, Tech won 69-64. In 2009, the Red Raiders (13-17, 3-12) won their third consecutive home game against the No. 9 Jayhawks (24-6, 13-2) 84-65.

Unlike Tech’s previous two wins, this game did not go down to the end. The Red Raiders never trailed in the game. The closest Kansas got to Tech was one point when they trailed 39-38 at the beginning of the second half.

Senior Alan Voskuil led the way for the Red Raiders on senior night. In his final game at United Spirit Arena, Voskuil scored a career-high 35 points and a career-high of nine three-pointers. Additionally, Voskuil is the 31st Tech player to score more than 1,000 points.

Mike Singletary scored 18 points, Nick Okorie scored 17 points, as Voskuil, Singletary, and Okorie combined to score 70 of Tech’s 84 points.

The Red Raiders made eight three-pointers in the first half finishing the game with 15. Tech shot 55 percent from the three-point line and 88.5 percent from the free throw line. The win snapped a six-game losing streak.

John Roberson led the team in assists with eight; Singletary led the team in rebounds with 10.

The Jayhawks’ loss ended their six-game winning streak and temporarily denied them the chance of clinching the Big XII regular season title. Kansas shot 33 percent from the field; they shot 16 percent from the three-point line and 67.9 percent from the free throw line.

Sherron Collins and Marcus Morris led the Jayhawks in scoring with 11 points each. Collins and Morris were the only Jayhawks to score in double figures. Morris led the team in rebounds with eight and Collins led the team in assist with nine.

The Red Raiders jumped out early in the first half, taking a 7-1 lead. Okorie scored the first four points of the game and Voskuil added a three-pointer. Tech did not allow Kansas a field goal until the 16:43 mark of the first half.

The Jayhawks cut the lead to two with Tyshawn Taylor hitting a jumper and Morris making a tip shot. Nevertheless, the Red Raiders went on an 8-0 run to increase their lead to 15-5. Roberson and Voskuil both hit three pointers during the run.

The Red Raiders would lead by as much as 18 in the first half, leading 39-21 with 4:33 left in the half. Kansas would score the last eight points of the half, with Travis Releford hitting two layups and Tyrel Reed making a three.

Tech led 39-28 at halftime.

In the second half, the Jayhawks started quickly. Morris hit two dunks to bring the game within seven, prompting Tech head coach Pat Knight to call a 30-second timeout. Kansas would make it a two-point game with 16:24 left. Taylor and Cole Aldrich made layups and Brady Morningstar hit a three.

The game went back and forth for over a minute until Voskuil hit a three to give Tech a 48-41 lead with 14:07 left in the game. Voskuil made another three, thirty seconds later to give Tech an eight-point advantage.

The Jayhawks got a technical with 12:16 left, Voskuil made both free throws to give Tech an 11-point lead. However, the Jayhawks would make a last rally. Over the next four minutes, Kansas went on an 11-3 run to cut Tech’s lead to 57-54 with less than eight and a half minutes.

On the Red Raiders next possession, Okorie hit a three-pointer to put Tech’s lead back to six. Morris fouled with 7:43 left in the game and received a technical for arguing. Voskuil and Okorie each hit two free throws to give the Red Raiders a 64-54 lead.

Tech would not allow the Jayhawks to get closer than six points the rest of the game. In the last minute of the game, Voskuil hit his last two three-pointers, which gave Tech their largest lead of 21 points.

Just like the two previous victories over Kansas, the students swarmed the court and were chanting Voskuil’s name when he was being interviewed by ESPN.

The Jayhawks close out the regular season at home against the Texas Longhorns (20-9, 9-6). The Red Raiders will travel to Iowa State to play the Cyclones (14-16, 3-12).

Pat Knight Suspended for Texas Tech's Game Vs. Texas

Andrew Glover — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 15:22:52 -0500

The Big XII Conference suspended Texas Tech men’s basketball coach Pat Knight for one game after making comments about the officials.

Knight told reporters after Tech’s 79-73 loss to Texas A&M, “I don’t care right now what the Big 12 thinks. They tell us to send tapes in and that obviously doesn’t work. Call (someone in the league office) and talk to them...it’s just tough. I don’t care about me, it’s my kids.

"My kids bust their butt and they have enough of a time playing against A&M let alone have somebody else they have to play against. I just think it’s a shame.”

Knight got a technical in the second half for arguing a foul. Earlier this month the conference reprimanded Knight for his behavior during the Nebraska game on Jan. 31.

Against Nebraska, Knight was ejected after getting two technicals for running on to the court to argue a foul call.

The Red Raiders (12-15, 2-10) next game is Wednesday at the Texas Longhorns (18-8, 7-5). Assistant coaches Stew Robinson and Chris Beard will take over the coaching duties for Knight on Wednesday.

Leach Still the Captain of Texas Tech Football's Crew

Andrew Glover — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 19:52:31 -0500

Texas Tech football will not be looking for a new captain for their ship as Tech head football coach Mike Leach and Texas Tech agree to a five-year $12.7 million deal.

The new contract was worked out today between Leach and Tech Chancellor Kent Hance, keeping Leach at Tech until 2013.

In earlier negotiations both sides agreed on the $12.7 million, but there were four points of contention that Leach and his agents did not agree. However, those were resolved in the new contract.

Leach does not need permission, but must notify Hance and Athletic Director Gerald Meyers about interviewing at another school.

There is no buyout if Leach chooses to leave Tech. Hance said in a news conference, Leach wants to be at Tech longer than five years and if he wants to leave he can.

If Tech fires Leach, Leach is guaranteed $2 million, about 16 percent of his new contract.

Leach will still have some of his rights to his likeness and name. Tech wants some of his rights so they can sell merchandise that would make both sides money.

Leach, Hance, and Meyers held a news conference at United Spirit Arena to discuss the new contract. Meyers emphasized to the media, he wanted Leach to be the coach throughout the negotiation process.

Hance said the Board of Regents meeting scheduled for tomorrow was called off. After the deadline passed on Tuesday, a special meeting was called to discuss the position of head coach.

Leach, Hance, and Meyers all expressed excitement for the upcoming football season.

In nine seasons at Tech, Leach is 76-39 and 5-4 in bowl games. Last season, Tech tied their record for most wins in a season, going 11-2. Leach only needs six wins to tie Spike Dykes for most wins as Tech’s coach.

Texas Tech-Baylor: Red Raiders Rally Past Bears

Andrew Glover — Sun, 08 Feb 2009 02:05:17 -0500

Last Wednesday the Texas Tech Red Raiders let a 14-point lead slip away at Oklahoma State. However, this time the Red Raiders would rally from a 10-point second half deficit to defeat the Baylor Bears 83-76 in Lubbock.

The Red Raiders (12-11, 2-6) snap a four game losing streak and a three-game home losing streak. In addition, the Red Raiders beat the Bears for the first time since their home finale in 2007.

Alan Voskuil and John Roberson led the Red Raiders in scoring with 18 points each. Robert Lewandowski contributed 15 points.

Michael Prince led the team in rebounds with 10, Roberson led the team in assist with nine, and D’walyn Roberts led the team in blocks with three.

Tech shot 51 percent from the field, 50 percent from the three-point line and 66 percent from the free throw line.

The Bears (15-8, 3-6) have lost five in a row. The loss also snaps a three-game winning streak against the Red Raiders.

Curtis Jerrells led the Bears in scoring with 20 points, Kevin Rogers contributed 17, LaceDarius Dunn had 13 and Tweety Carter had 12.

Rogers led the Bears in rebounds with nine and in blocks with one. Henry Dugat and Jerrells led the team in assists with two.

Baylor shot 40 percent from the field, 39 percent from three-point territory and 95 percent in free throws.

After the Red Raiders led 41-38 at halftime, Carter hit a three-pointer on Baylor’s first possession to tie the game at 41. The game went back-and-forth for three minutes, when Baylor went on a 12-0 run.

Dunn was fouled by Roberson while shooting a three-pointer, and made all three free throws. Rogers scored seven points during that span.

Tech rallied and got the deficit down to five, with Voskuil scoring four points in two seconds. Voskuil made two free throws and made a jumper after Rogers was called for a foul.

Jerrells brought the Baylor lead back to 10, hitting a jumper and a three-pointer. The Red Raiders went on a 13-3 run to tie the game at 65 with over six-and-a-half minutes left in the game.

Roberson scored six of Tech’s 13 during the run, and Nick Okorie hit the three-pointer that tied the game for the first time since the beginning of the second half.

Tech and Baylor would go back and forth until the last two minutes of the game. Lewandowski hit a layup to give Tech a 75-73 lead with 2:01 left in the game. Prince made one of two free throws following a Carter foul. Roberts made a layup to give Tech a 78-73 lead with 54 seconds left in the game.

The Red Raiders will travel to Manhattan, Kansas, to play the Kansas State Wildcats (16-7, 5-4). The Bears will host the No. 2 Oklahoma Sooners (23-1, 9-0).

Golf Shirts Are Not Making Par For Pat Knight and The Texas Tech Red Raiders

Andrew Glover — Sat, 07 Feb 2009 03:11:23 -0500

Earlier this season Pat Knight stopped wearing the sweater vest because he said, “it wasn’t working.” However, the golf shirts are not exactly working either.

The Texas Tech Red Raiders are 1-4 since Knight has started wearing the golf shirts, with their only win against the Colorado Buffaloes, who are the worst in the Big XII. We cannot forget about the Nebraska game when Knight earned his first ejection wearing a golf shirt.

The only upside to the golf shirts is the coaching staff is uniform with all of them wearing the same thing.

What attire options does Knight have to choose from to start winning?

First, Knight could go back to wearing the black sweater vest. The Red Raiders are 12-10 when Knight wears a black sweater vest; they are 2-4 when Knight wears a different color vest. Last season Knight wore gray and red sweater vests along with black.

The upside to the black sweater vest is the Red Raiders have won most of their games under Knight with that attire. Knight also got his first win of his career and against a ranked opponent in Tech’s 84-75 win over Kansas State last season.

The cons to wearing the black sweater vest are first Tech is 2-5 in conference games that Knight has worn the black sweater vest. Secondly, the sweater vest is more popular with high school coaches than college.

Next, Knight could wear his dad’s attire: the black sweater over a red shirt.

The advantage is Bob Knight went 138-82 with the Red Raiders and his attire. Four of Bob Knight’s milestones (800, 880, 900 and 902 wins) were clinched in that attire.

Why Pat Knight should not wear his dad’s attire is Bob Knight was at least 61 when he coached Texas Tech. His son is 38 and does not need to dress like his 65. Let's face it Pat Knight's coaching style is different than his dad's.

Finally, Pat Knight could go with the suit and tie, which is what most college basketball coaches wear.

The advantage all the coaches that are the closest to catching his dad all wear suit and ties. The only con I can think of is he would look just like the other 300 coaches in the NCAA.

To seriously look at this situation it is all about how Pat Knight’s players play on whether they win or lose.

Texas Tech Red Raiders Who Have Starred in the Super Bowl

Andrew Glover — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 02:09:11 -0500

A Slideshow showing the Texas Tech athletes that have played in the Super Bowl. Tech has had players in the first four Super Bowls and 14 out of 42. The last Super Bowl that had a Tech player was XLII Former Red Raider players are 11-6 in the Super Bowl. Tech has three defensive players, eight offensive and two special teams.

Begin Slideshow

Texas Tech-Nebraska: Red Raiders Misfire Against Cornhuskers

Andrew Glover — Sat, 31 Jan 2009 23:32:30 -0500

During his first six and two thirds seasons with the Texas Tech Red Raiders (11-10, 1-5); one of Pat Knight’s duties was to hold back his father Bob Knight when he was infuriated with the referees. However, in Tech’s 82-69 loss to the Nebraska Cornhuskers (13-7, 3-4) it seems that none of Pat Knight’s assistants has picked up that role.

With 9:49 left in the second half and the Red Raiders trailing 56-44, Alan Voskuil took a hard hit from a Cornhusker, knocking him to the floor. Nevertheless, Voskuil was called for the foul.

After a replay was shown and before the ball was inbounding, Pat Knight charged on to the court and went straight to the referee, yelling at him. The referee called Knight for a technical foul. Knight kept yelling leading to another technical, and was ejected from the game.

However, that did not stop Pat Knight as he continued yelling prompting assistant coach Stew Robinson to come out and hold Knight back after he was tossed. Knight kept yelling at the referee before exiting the court with the crowd applauding in support of their coach.

Assistant coach Bubba Jennings was talking with the referee, and Knight turned around and came back on the court and yelled some more before leaving for good.

Assistant coach Chris Beard and the other assistants coached the rest of the game.

Paul Velander shot four technical foul free throws, making two to give the Cornhuskers a 58-44 lead. The Cornhuskers would expand their lead to 17 with two Tech turnovers and two fouls by John Roberson.

For a while Knight’s fire at the refs rubbed off on the Red Raiders. Trailing 66-49 with 7:55 left, The Red Raiders went on a 16-4 run. Roberson hit two three-pointers, Singletary scored four points, Voskuil, Michael Prince and Rogdrick Craig contributed points.

The Cornhuskers would not allow the Red Raiders to get any closer as they ended the game on a 12-4 run with most of their points coming from Tech intentionally fouling to stop the clock.

The Cornhuskers snapped a three game losing streak and won their third straight against the Red Raiders.

Ade Dagunduro led the Cornhuskers in scoring with 20 points, and Cookie Miller scored 19 off the bench. Dagunduro and Balham led the team in rebounds with six each. Miller led the team in assist with five and in steals with five.

The Red Raiders lost their third straight game and five of their last six. The loss was also Tech’s third loss at home in their last four games. Knight falls to 5-12 in conference games.

Roberson led the team in scoring with 19 and Craig added 14 points coming off the bench. Craig’s point total was a career high beating his previous high of 11 in Tech’s 167-115 victory over East Central Oklahoma.

Robert Lewandowski led the team in rebounds with eight, Roberson led the team in assists with six and Prince led the team in steals with two.

The Cornhuskers started the first half strong, as they jumped out to a 6-0 lead and the Red Raiders didn’t score until Roberson hit a three-pointer with 15:44 left in the half.

The Red Raiders started the game shooting two-for-14 and falling behind 23-6 with 8:43 left in the half. Knight called a time out and chewed out his team wondering what was wrong with them.

Tech would go on a 20-6 run over the next minutes cutting Nebraska’s lead to 29-26 with 2:12 left in the first half. The Cornhuskers led 34-27 at halftime.

Nebraska will travel to Colorado and play the Buffaloes (9-11, 1-5) on Wednesday. The Red Raiders will travel to Stillwater and play the Oklahoma State Cowboys (13-7, 2-4) on Wednesday.

Texas Tech-Texas A&M: Aggies Eight Threes Shoot Down Red Raiders

Andrew Glover — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 23:51:50 -0500

The Texas Tech Red Raiders (11-8, 1-3) and the Texas A&M Aggies (15-5, 1-4) both entered the game needing a victory. B.J. Holmes six threes help the Aggies get it done winning 79-70 over the Red Raiders.

The Aggies (16-5, 2-4) wins their second conference game and their second in a row against the Red Raiders. A&M won 98-54 the last time Tech came to College Station.

Additionally, the win also snaps a three-game losing streak.

B.J. Holmes led the Aggies in scoring with 24 points. Bryan Davis and David Loubeau led A&M in rebounds with eight each. Donald Sloan and Dash Harris led the team in assists with five each. In addition, Chinemelu Elonu, Davis and Loubeau led the team in blocks with two each.

The Red Raiders (11-9, 1-4) lose their second consecutive conference game and five of their last six. The road loss was Tech’s eighth consecutive loss. Tech’s last win on the road was February 20 of last year at Colorado.

Pat Knight falls to 0-2 against the Aggies. Bob Knight was still the coach when the Red Raiders won 68-53 over A&M in Lubbock.

John Roberson and Robert Lewandowski led the Red Raiders in scoring with 20 points each. The 20 points was a career high for Lewandowski, his previous high was 16 at Missouri. Alan Voskuil had 16 points and Tech’s next highest scorer was Damir Suljagic with eight.

Mike Singletary who averages 11 points per game failed to score in eight minutes of play attempting only one shot.

Suljagic led the team in rebounds with six; Roberson led the team in assists with 13. Roberson, Suljagic and Voskuil led the team in steals with two each. Roberson, Lewandowski and Singletary each got a blocked shot.

The Red Raiders started the game strong, jumping out to a 13-4 lead in the first four and a half minutes of the game. Lewandowski scored six of Tech’s points during the run.

The Aggies went on a 9-4 run to bring the game within two. Holmes hit two three pointers, scoring six of A&M’s nine points.

The Red Raiders would go on one more first half run to take a 28-21 lead with 8:30 left in the first half. Roberson scored 11 points on three three-pointers in just over a two-minute time span.

A&M would go on a 15-5 run to take their first lead of the game, 36-33 with 4:20 left in the first half. Holmes made three, three-pointers in a minute, while the Red Raiders only scored five points in three and a half minutes. The Aggies led 43-40 at halftime.

In the second half the Red Raiders started out quickly scoring the first six points of the half taking a 46-43 lead with 16:44 remaining. Lewandowski and Voskuil hit jumpers and Suljagic made a layup.

The Aggies would go on a 12-5 run over a five-minute span. The game would go back and forth with Tech tying the game at 58 with 8:35 remaining. A&M was up 66-64 with 5:21 remaining and would go on a 10-2 run to take a 10-point lead with 1:05 left in the game.

The Red Raiders will host the Nebraska Cornhuskers (12-7, 2-4) on Saturday and the Aggies will host the Oklahoma State Cowboys (13-6, 2-3).

Texas Tech-Texas: No. 11 Longhorns Raid Red Raiders of a Victory

Andrew Glover — Sun, 18 Jan 2009 16:48:25 -0500

Damion James had 18 points and the Texas Tech Red Raiders shot 34 percent, as the No. 11 Texas Longhorns routed them in a 71-49 victory.

If you asked Tech coach Pat Knight what went right for the Red Raiders, he said nothing.

“The second half we couldn’t shoot, we couldn’t pass, we couldn’t guard, we didn’t have on guy who could play in the Big XII,” Knight said. “They kicked our (expletive) the second half up and down. Every player got their (expletive) kicked, I got my (expletive) kicked, that’s the bottom line there is no sense in trying to sugarcoat it.”

The Red Raiders (10-7, 0-2) lost their second consecutive conference game and fifth dating back to last season. Tech ended last season losing to Kansas, Baylor and Oklahoma State in the first round of the Big XII Tournament. After winning their first nine home games, Tech has lost the last two. Another costly thing for Tech was shooting 46 percent from the free-throw line.

Knight’s record falls to 4-9 in the Big XII and 14-14 overall.

Alan Voskuil and Mike Singletary were the only Red Raiders that scored in Double figures, with 12 and 10 points respectively. Michael Prince had the best field goal percentage on the team making three-of-four field goals for six points.

Tech was outrebounded 40-33, with Singletary leading the team with eight. John Roberson led the team in assists with five and lead the team in turnovers with six. Prince lead the team in blocks with two and D’walyn Roberts lead the team in steals with two.

The Longhorns (14-4, 2-1) got a win after losing two of their last three prior to this game. Texas shot 44 percent from the field, 37 percent from the three-point line and 75 percent from the free throw line.

James led the Longhorns in scoring with 18 points, Gary Johnson had 15, Justin Mason had 15 and A.J. Abrams had 11. Dogus Balbay and Matt Hill were the only other Longhorns to score as they scored six each.

Mason led the team in rebounds with 10, leading to his first career double-double. James had eight rebounds and Johnson added seven. Connor Atchley led the team in assists with three, James and Balbay each had two. Atchley also led in blocks with two, Mason and Hill each had one. James and Balbay led in steals with two apiece.

The Red Raiders got off to a fast start in the first two and a half minute. Voskuil and Roberson hit three-pointers to give Tech an 8-2 lead. From that point the Longhorns took over.

Over the next seven minutes, Tech would fail to score leading to a 12-0 run by Texas. Johnson scored five of those points. Voskuil ended Tech’s scoreless streak with a three-pointer cutting the Longhorns lead to 14-11.

The Red Raiders would not get closer than three points the rest of the half. Texas went on a 10-2 run to expand their lead to 30-19 their largest lead of the half. Tech was able to cut the lead to six at halftime.

In the second half, it took the Longhorns only a minute and a half to double their lead with Abrams hitting a three and Johnson made a jumper. This would prompt Knight to take a timeout.

Tech would not get closer than eight points the rest of the game, trailing 42-34 with 15:31 remaining. The Longhorns went on a 12-2 run to expand their lead to 18; Texas would lead by as much as 25 in the second half.

Texas coach Rick Barnes said he was pleased with his team’s second half performance.

"We did a better job too of taking care of the ball," Barnes said. "I think we only had three turnovers in the second half. Two of those came in the last minute and a half."

The Red Raiders will host the Colorado Buffaloes (8-8, 0-2) on Tuesday and the No. 11 Longhorns will host the Texas A&M Aggies (15-3, 1-2) on Saturday.

NFC Championship: Cardinals and Eagles Look To Fly South for the Super Bowl

Andrew Glover — Sun, 18 Jan 2009 02:57:18 -0500

Former divisional rivals, the Philadelphia Eagles and the Arizona Cardinals will battle for the NFC Championship in Arizona.

The Eagles and the Cardinals play in the same division from 1950-2001. The Cardinals moved to the NFC West in 2002 after the Houston Texans were added to the NFL.

The Eagles won the regular season matchup 48-20 on Thanksgiving night in Philadelphia. Since that game, the Cardinals have gone 4-2 winning their last three games. The Eagles won five of their last six including two playoff wins.

The Cardinals (11-7) are a win away from making their first Super Bowl appearance in franchise history. Arizona beat the Atlanta Falcons in the Wild Card Game 30-24, and beat the Carolina Panthers 33-13 in the divisional round at Carolina.

Kurt Warner has completed 40-of-64 passes for 491 yards, four touchdowns and two interceptions. Warner led the St. Louis Rams to two Super Bowls, winning the MVP in their Super Bowl XXXIV victory.

In nine career playoff games, Warner has completed 209 passes for 2,712 yards, 19 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. Warner is 7-2 in playoff games.

Edgerrin James has led the Cardinals in rushing during the playoffs with 130 yards on 36 carries and one touchdown. In 11 playoff games, James has rushed for 745 yards on 193 carries and six touchdowns. James first nine playoff games were with the Indianapolis Colts.

Larry Fitzgerald has led the Cardinals in receiving during the playoffs with 14 receptions for 267 yards and two touchdowns. Fitzgerald made his playoff debut this season.

The Cardinals' defense has forced nine turnovers and five sacks in their two playoff games. Arizona’s defense has given up an average of 18 points per game.

The Eagles (11-6-1) are looking to make their third Super Bowl Appearance. They played in Super Bowl XV losing 27-10 to the Oakland Raiders and in Super Bowl XXXIX losing 24-21 to the New England Patriots.

Under head coach Andy Reid, Philadelphia is 1-3 in the NFC Championship Game. The teams that beat the Eagles are 1-2 in the Super Bowl. The Rams lost Super Bowl XXXVI, The Tampa Bay Buccaneers won Super Bowl XXXVII, and the Panthers lost Super Bowl XXXVIII.

Donovan McNabb completed 45-of-74 passes, for 517 yards, two touchdowns and three interceptions in two games. In 14 career playoff games, McNabb has completed 294 passes for 3,147 yards, 20 touchdowns and 15 interceptions. McNabb is 9-5 in playoff games.

Brian Westbrook has led the Eagles in rushing in the playoffs with 38 carries for 74 yards. In nine career playoff games, Westbrook has rushed for 546 yards on 117 carries and six touchdowns.

Westbrook led the Eagles in receiving against the Minnesota Vikings, with three receptions for 83 yards and one touchdown. DeSean Jackson led the Eagles in receiving against the defending Super Bowl Champion, New York Giants with four receptions for 81 yards. Jackson made his playoff debut this season.

The Eagles' defense has forced five turnovers in two games and sacked the quarterback twice. Asante Samuel returned an interception for a touchdown against the Vikings in the Wild Card. The Eagles have given their opponents an average of 12 points per game.

The key for both teams will be establishing a running game. The team that does this will take pressure off their quarterback and keep the opposing defense off guard.

The Cardinals will have to take advantage of playing at home and use the crowd to their advantage and cause the Eagles to make mental mistakes. If the Cardinals do this, they have a good chance of playing in their first Super Bowl.

McNabb will need to play strong, and be able to dominate the Cardinals secondary. If McNabb can get into a rhythm and keep the ball out of the Cardinals hands, Philadelphia has a good chance at winning the game.