It’s a final: Barrett Trotter comes off the bench to help Auburn to a 43-24 Chick-fil-A Bowl win | al.com

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Dec 312011
 

ATLANTA — The 1,000-yard rusher was suspended and the starting quarterback was knocked out with an ankle injury early.

Did Auburn panic?

Nope.

The Tigers just opened up its playbook, turned to Onterio McCalebb to run at will and found an old friend in Barrett Trotter to step in at quarterback to help lead Auburn to a 43-24 victory over Virginia in the Chick-fil-A Bowl in the Georgia Dome on Saturday night.

Trotter was the spark, playing with moxie, turning in a remarkable performance for a player who had seen action over the last five games since losing the starting job to Moseley.

Onterio McCalebb and Kiehl Frazier each had two touchdowns.

McCalebb, subbing for the suspended Mike Dyer, was named the offensive MVP. Auburn’s Chris Davis was named the defensive MVP.

The book said it should have been tougher. Auburn didn’t have Dyer, lost starting quarterback Clint Moseley to an ankle injury in the first quarter, was saying good-bye to offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn and didn’t have a full-time defensive coordinator at all.

All Malzahn did was open his bag of tricks and find the right plays for Trotter and fellow backup QB Frazier in an emergency relief roles of Moseley. Auburn scored on a Statue of Liberty, used long runs, long passes and even blocked two punts, one for a safety.

Trotter finished hitting 11-of-18 passing for 175 yards and a touchdown. McCalebb had 109 yards on 10 carries.

Malzahn, who was named Arkansas State’s head coach earlier in the month, hung around for Auburn’s biggest output of the season.

Auburn was so hot that it had a scoring drive of minus-13 yards that ended with Cody Parkey kicking a 45-yard field goal that made it 40-24 late in the third quarter.

Auburn finished the season at 8-5. Virginia fell to 8-5.

via It’s a final: Barrett Trotter comes off the bench to help Auburn to a 43-24 Chick-fil-A Bowl win | al.com.

 Posted by at 10:29 pm

Cincinnati Bearcats vs. Vanderbilt Commodores – Recap – December 31, 2011 – ESPN

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Dec 312011
 

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Cincinnati coach Butch Jones rang the bell on the AutoZone Liberty Bowl trophy, eager to get the Bearcats’ party started.

And he knew just the place to celebrate in Memphis.

“We officially get to ring in the new year on Beale Street,” Jones yelled.

Isaiah Pead ran for 149 yards and a touchdown, and Ralph David Abernathy IV’s 90-yard kickoff return early in the fourth quarter put Cincinnati ahead to stay as the Bearcats edged Vanderbilt 31-24 on Saturday.

Looking for more information on this game? Check out our blogs for Instant Analysis.

The Bearcats (10-3) capped the season with their third straight victory by snapping a two-game skid in bowl games. It was their first bowl win since downing Southern Miss in the 2007 PapaJohns.com Bowl. They also notched their fourth 10-win season in the past five years, bouncing back from 4-8 in 2010 during Jones’ first season.

“A 10-win season is very hard to do in college football,” Jones said.

But the co-Big East Conference champs had to work to put away Vanderbilt (6-7), a team that tied for fourth in the Southeastern Conference’s East Division, despite forcing three turnovers and coming up with two sacks. The Commodores led 21-17 when Abernathy became the first Cincinnati player to return a kickoff for a TD in the program’s 13 bowl appearances.

Abernathy is the grandson of the civil rights leader who was in Memphis with Martin Luther King when he was assassinated in 1968 at the Lorraine Motel, a few miles away from the Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium.

Vanderbilt cornerback Casey Hayward called the return a dagger, and Jones called it very fitting for the Abernathy family.

“He really provided a spark for us on that kickoff return. We challenged our kickoff return,” Jones said. “We’ve been close all year, and we told them that today was the day we were going to get one. And obviously, they responded.”

Vandy’s Archibald Barnes blocked Tony Miliano’s 39-yard field goal with 3:58 left, giving the Commodores the ball with plenty of time to go ahead. Nick Temple picked off Larry Smith’s pass with 3:15 remaining, and Pead sealed the victory with a 12-yard TD run with 1:52 left.

Pead was the game’s MVP, and the senior finally got to celebrate a bowl win.

“It was just a huge burden off of our backs,” Pead said.

Vanderbilt kicked a 35-yard field goal with 35 seconds left, but the Bearcats recovered the onside kick to kneel down for the victory.

“It got exciting in the second half,” Vanderbilt coach James Franklin said. “It was fairly ugly in the in the first half from our perspective. But we did come out and make it a more exciting game.”

via Cincinnati Bearcats vs. Vanderbilt Commodores – Recap – December 31, 2011 – ESPN.

 Posted by at 10:28 pm

Louisville Cardinals vs. Kentucky Wildcats – Recap – December 31, 2011 – ESPN

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Dec 312011
 

LEXINGTON, Ky. — Freshman Michael Kidd-Gilchrist hesitantly accepted a leadership role at first as the youngest member on No. 3 Kentucky’s prospect-laden roster. Comfortable with his status, there’s no telling just how far he can carry the Wildcats.

“I’m very shy, but I’m getting better,” the 18-year-old forward said. “I just relax on the basketball court.”

In a hard-fought game, Kentucky needed a player who lives for basketball to step up. Fortunately, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist fit the bill, writes Eamonn Brennan. Blog

Kidd-Gilchrist had season-highs with 24 points and 19 rebounds to lead Kentucky in a rough-and-tumble 69-62 victory over No. 4 Louisville on Saturday to extend the nation’s longest home winning streak.

“This is what I live for right here. Why? Because I’ve always been that way,” Kidd-Gilchrist said of the physical play that at times turned it into more like a free throw shooting contest with 52 fouls called. “I’m built for this.”

And Kentucky (13-1) seems built for a long NCAA tournament run after fellow freshman Anthony Davis added 18 points, all in the second half, as well as 10 rebounds and six blocks in the annual in-state rivalry game.

The Cardinals (12-2) only led at 2-0, but gave Kentucky all it could handle after rallying from an early 15-point deficit before tying it in the second half thanks to Russ Smith, who had a career-high 30 points.

“I’ve never coached a team that is willing to give the effort that this team gives,” Louisville coach Rick Pitino said. “Unfortunately there are no moral victories. We struggled shooting the basketball tonight.”

Kidd-Gilchrist’s hustle and Davis’ emergence following first-half foul problems proved to be the difference with rapper Jay-Z, actress Ashley Judd and nearly a dozen NBA scouts watching.

With all the luminaries on hand, no one at Rupp Arena was more important to Kidd-Gilchrist than his mother, Cindy Richardson, who attended after being released from the hospital for an unspecified illness last week.

Kidd-Gilchrist said it meant a lot to see her at Rupp Arena after her hospital stay.

“It’s very hard to see my mother there,” Kidd-Gilchrist said. “I was crying my eyes out that night, but she fought through it.”

Kentucky has won 44 straight at home, including 43 in a row at Rupp Arena, for the nation’s longest streak ahead of Duke’s 43. This one will be remembered after the teams came in with the highest combined ranking in history.

via Louisville Cardinals vs. Kentucky Wildcats – Recap – December 31, 2011 – ESPN.

 Posted by at 10:27 pm
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