he first half and two in the second -- in it

The second year of the Shaka Smart tenure at Texas begins in earnest on Friday when the 21st-ranked Longhorns open their regular season as they host the University of the Incarnate Word at the Erwin Center in Austin.Its half the planet away from where Texas began the 2015-16 campaign, when it played its opener in Shanghai against Washington. Its also a whole different world from where the Longhorns were as a team at this time last year.Texas carries a roster that has just two seniors that logged significant playing time after sending an upperclassmen-heavy squad to the court last season. The Longhorns finished a 20-13 campaign that ended in a loss to Northern Iowa in the Round of 64 of the NCAA tournament.Texas doesnt return a player that averaged in double-figure scoring last year. Two sophomore guards, Eric Davis, Jr. (7.4 points per game) and Kerwin Roach (7.5 ppg) are the Longhorns top returning scorers; Davis will start Friday while Roach (and fellow sophomore guard/forward Tevin Mack) will miss the game because of a suspension for an undisclosed violation of team rules during the offseason.Fridays contest marks the collegiate regular-season debut for a talented freshman quartet -- forward Jarrett Allen, center James Banks and guards Andrew Jones and James Young -- that was ranked as a Top 5 national recruiting class.Those four players combined to register 62 of the teams 95 points and 29 of the teams 50 rebounds in a combined 113 minutes during the Longhorns exhibition win against Angelo State last week. All four freshmen reached double digits in scoring (Young 21, Jones 17, Allen 14, Banks 10).As talented as Texas is expected to be in the seasons early going, it will be only better as the season progresses, Smart said.Its not really a basketball Xs and Os thing as much as these guys figuring out how much as a team they need each other, Smart said. Especially these freshman guys who were the center of everything in their high school world and the sophomores who are now in a different role.Incarnate Word was 17-12 last season, finishing third in the Southland Conference. But the Cardinals cant be taken lightly after they upset St. Johns last season.Incarnate Word coach Ken Burmeister has posted 10 consecutive winning seasons with the Cardinals, including two conference titles, a pair of appearances in the NCAA Division II South Central Region Tournament.He has led Incarnate Word through a smooth transition into NCAA Division I play as the team has won 56 games over its first three years in the Southland Conference. That includes an 18-11 mark in 2014-15 when the Cardinals played a full Division I schedule for the first time.Were playing our share of big schools as we try to build this program, and there are times when we come away from the game excited about our potential and others when we are just ready to move on, Burmeister said. Were ready to play a game because thats when well learn the most about ourselves. We just appreciate being able to play someone like Texas.The Cardinals finished the 2015-16 season averaging 74.0 points per game, while shooting 43.5 percent from the field. Over the previous two seasons, Incarnate Word ranked in the top 10 nationally in scoring.Sophomore forward Simi Socks and junior guard Shawn Johnson return to lead the backcourt, while junior college transfer forward Devin Wyatt and freshman guard Christian Peevy headline a strong class of incoming players.Johnson is the Cardinals most athletic player and will take on an added scoring role while rebounding and defending the oppositions best player. He was first on the team in blocks and third in steals, while shooting 40.0 percent from 3-point range last year.Burmeister said his team is a fighting through some preseason injuries, most notably a back ailment for junior transfer center Myles Banks.The Longhorns have won 13 of their last 14 season openers and have posted an overall mark of 90-20 (.818) in their previous 110 season-opening games. Texas has won 14 straight home openers and is 34-5 in home openers since the Erwin Center opened prior to the 1977-78 season.Fridays contest is the first meeting between the Longhorns and Incarnate Word in mens basketball.Doug Kotar Cheap Jersey . -- Bryant McKinnie came out of his stance and lowered his shoulder into a practice squad player, causing a crisp thud to reverberate in the Miami Dolphins practice bubble. Evan Engram Cheap Jersey . Brad Jacobs and his Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., team took control of the game early. http://www.giantsonlineteamshop.com/lawrence-taylor-jersey-cheap.html . LOUIS -- Mike Smith is used to facing plenty of shots, so this was nothing new. Phil McConkey Jersey . Ryan Garbutt had a goal and two assists as Dallas snapped a six-game losing streak with a 5-2 victory over the Edmonton Oilers on Tuesday night. Oshane Ximines Giants Jersey . -- Bobby Ryan helped the U.On the first Saturday of November, the College Football Playoff contenders started to separate themselves from everyone else.No. 2 Clemson beat Syracuse by 54 points.No. 3 Michigan throttled Maryland by 56 points.No. 5 Washington routed California by 39 points.No. 6 Ohio State blasted No. 10 Nebraska by 59 points.Perhaps none of those performances were as impressive as No. 1 Alabamas 10-0 victory over No. 13 LSU at Tiger Stadium.Unless you really love defense, Alabamas 21st consecutive victory -- and its 13th straight over a ranked opponent -- hardly resembled a classic. The game remained scoreless through three quarters, and according to ESPN Stats & Info research, the 10 points combined were the fewest in an AP top-15 matchup in the past 30 seasons.You can talk about winning ugly and maybe it wasnt always pretty, because we certainly didnt execute and do things the way wed like, but youve got to give LSU a lot of credit, Alabama coach Nick Saban said. It was a tough atmosphere for us out there. But our defense was outstanding.If you had any doubts about whether this is Sabans best defense, Alabama probably answered those concerns against LSU. The Crimson Tide manhandled the Tigers, allowing six first downs and 125 yards of offense, including only 25 after halftime. Six Alabama players combined for five sacks.LSU star running back?Leonard Fournette, who ran for 284 yards against Ole Miss in his return from an injured ankle two weeks ago, ran 17 times for 35 yards against Alabama. During the past two seasons, Fournette has averaged 1.85 yards per carry against the Crimson Tide and 7.45 yards against everyone else.Weve got some pretty hateful guys that play defense around here that are pretty good competitors, Saban said. When they get challenged a little bit, they usually respond, and I think they responded really well tonight.On a day when two of the SECs other playoff contenders lost on the road against unranked teams -- No. 4 Texas A&M fell 35-28 at Mississippi State, and No. 11 Florida lost 31-10 at Arkansas -- the Crimson Tide once again looked head and shoulders above everyone else in their league, if not in the nation.The Tide still have to win home games against Mississippi State next weekend and then No. 9 Auburn in the Nov. 26 Iron Bowl to win the SEC West (theres also a game against FCS foe Chattanooga in between), but theyll be heavy favorites in those games. If Alabama wins out, it will face an even bigger underdog from the SEC East in the conference championship game in Atlanta.With a month left to play, the end of the 2016 season is starting to look a lot like how last season ended: with Alabama on top.What about the Tides top competition?If any team looks capable of contending with Alabama, its No. 2 Clemson and No. 3 Michigan.The Tigers shut out Syracuse 54-0 at Death Valley in what was their most efficient performance of the season. Even more impressive: Star quarterback Deshaun Watson missed the second half with a bruised shoulder.Our guys were just locked in, and it was a crisp day all the way for four quarters, Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said. Weve done that at times, but not consistently for four quarters. This was a great way to start the month of November.How impressive were the Tigers? Ask Syracuse coach Dino Babers, whose Orange lost to Louisville 62-28 on Sept. 9.I think [Cardinals quarterback]?Lamar Jackson is one of the best players Ive ever seen, Babers said, and I think Clemson is one of the best teams Ive ever seen.Meanwhile, Michigan steamrolled Maryland 59-3 at the Big House, scoring touchdowns on each of its five first-half possessions. Wolverines quarterback Wilton Speight threw for 292 yards on 13-for-16 passing in the first half and finished with a career-high 362 yards with three touchdowns (two passing and one rushing).Thats the best half of football Ive ever seen a Michigan quarterback play, said coach Jim Harbaugh, who was a Wolverines quarterback himself.Louisville, Ohio State turn on style points to stay within striking distanceMemo to Louisvilles future opponents: Cardinals coach Bobby Petrino might be looking to hang 100 points on you.The Cardinals dismantled Boston College 52-7 on the road, and Heisman Trophy favorite Jackson stayed in the game until late in the third quarter, long after the outcome was decided.Petrino made no apologies, saying the Cardinals might have to blow out their final three regular-season opponents to impress the committee if theyre going to have a chance of climbing into the top four.I guess we do, Petrino said. Its sad because theres something called sportsmanship, but maybe I made a mistake. Maybe looking back at it, in Florida State, we should have kept all the starters in and scored 80 points and did that.The Cardinals 63-20 win over the Seminoles on Sept. 17 was one of the more impressive victories of the season. While FSU has a winning record, the other seven teams the Cardinals beat are a combined 23-40. Louisvilles last three regular-season opponents (Wake Forest, Houston and Kentucky) currently have winning records.Not to be outdone, No. 6 Ohio State blasted No. 10 Nebraska 62-3 at the Horseshoe, handing the Cornhuskers their most lopsided defeat since 2004. The Buckeyes will have more opportunities to pile up points in consecutive road games at Maryland and reeling Michigan State. On Nov. 26, Ohio State will close the regular season against No. 3 Michigan at home.In a radio interview with College GameDay on ESPN Radio on Saturday, Texas Tech athletic director and CFP selection committee chair Kirby Hocutt said the committee doesnt take margin of victory into consideration when weighing playoff candidates.We look at performance on the field, but we do not incent the margin of victory, Hocutt said. We do not talk about that in our committee room. Louisville is a very strong team, very impressive win against Florida State earlier this season. They continue to win. Their schedule, as we talked about it last week, was just not as strong as others that they were being compared against up to this point of time in the season.Baylor blackout is another black eye for the BearsIt was hard to figure out which was worse: No. 17 Baylors woeful performance in a 62-22 loss to rival TCU, or the disgraceful drama surrounding it.On Friday night, Baylors assistant coaches released a statement on Twitter?in which they defended former coach Art Briles and disputed the schools Board of Regents claims that he didnt do enough when told of an alleged gang rape involving his players in 2011.After Saturdays loss, Baylor acting coach Jim Grobe said he was unaware of his assistants plans until after the statement was tweeted. But Grobe also said he wouldnt step in the way when the coaches wanted their perspective known.A lot of distractions dont help, Grobe said. This is a game you really got to spend all your focus on for 12 games during the season to play well, and if you dont, this is what happens.After winning their first six games under Grobe, the Bears have dropped two straight, and their season suddenly seems to be spinning out of control. Their season has seemed awkward from the start, especially after the university elected to keep Briles staff intact, including his son Kendal Briles and son-in-law Jeff Lebby.The ongoing feud between Baylors regents and Briles defenders, who want specific reasons as to why the popular coach was fired, only seems to be getting worse. Before Saturdays game, vendors were selling black T-shirts that included the hashtag #CAB, which stands for Coach Art Briles.dddddddddddd. A banner with the same hashtag also hung from a luxury suite at McLane Stadium.At this point, Baylor might want to consider self-imposing a postseason ban, which might rob its seniors of one more game but would put an end to what is becoming a very uncomfortable split with the Briles regime.Playoff teams after Week 101. Alabama: The Crimson Tide found just enough offense in a 10-0 win at LSU. It was Alabamas sixth consecutive victory over the Tigers, who were shut out at home for the first time since 2002. Alabamas defense allowed only six first downs and 125 yards of offense, including only 33 rushing on 27 carries.2. Clemson: The Tigers improved to 9-0 for the second straight season with a 54-0 shutout of Syracuse at Death Valley. It was the Tigers first shutout since beating Miami 58-0 last season and the first time Syracuse was held scoreless since a 56-0 loss to Georgia Tech in 2013. The Tigers can clinch the ACC Atlantic with a win over Pitt next week.3. Michigan: The Wolverines remained in cruise control in a 59-3 blowout of Maryland at the Big House. It was Michigans third 50-point win of the season; former UM coaches Rich Rodriguez and Brady Hoke managed three 50-point wins in seven seasons combined from 2008 to 14.?Michigan plays at Iowa next week in what might be its biggest test before its Nov. 26 finale at Ohio State.4. Washington: The Huskies rolled on the road, beating Cal 66-27 for their 12th straight win, the second-longest active FBS streak behind Alabama. Receivers John Ross III and Dante Pettis combined for 312 receiving yards and six touchdowns, and Washington intercepted Bears QB Davis Webb three times. Will it be enough to move up to No. 4 in the next CFP rankings??Next four in contention1. Ohio State: The Buckeyes rebounded from back-to-back mediocre offensive performances by piling up 590 yards of offense and 34 first downs in a 62-3 rout of No. 10 Nebraska. Quarterback J.T. Barrett completed 26 of 38 passes for 290 yards with four touchdowns. OSUs defense returned an interception for a touchdown for the fifth time this season to set a school record, then added another one in the third quarter.2. Louisville: After closer-than-expected victories over heavy underdogs Duke and Virginia, the Cardinals had no problems jumping on Boston College in a 52-7 victory on the road. Quarterback Lamar Jackson ran for a 69-yard touchdown on the third play of the game and threw a 30-yard touchdown to James Quick on his eighth play. Game over.3. Wisconsin: After beating Nebraska in overtime last week to stay in the Big Ten West race, the Badgers ended a four-game losing streak against Northwestern at Ryan Field with a 21-7 victory. Wisconsin had lost six of 10 games against the Wildcats, but pushed them around this time. Badgers tailback Corey Clement ran for 106 yards with one touchdown.4. Auburn: The Tigers narrowly defeated Vanderbilt 23-16 at home, but Auburn now has a direct path to the SEC championship game following Texas A&Ms loss. If the Tigers win at Georgia next week and beat Alabama on the road in the Nov. 26 Iron Bowl, theyll win the SEC West. The bad news: Star tailback Kamryn Pettway appeared to pull his left hamstring on a late 60-yard run.Heisman candidates1. Lamar Jackson, QB, Louisville: Hand him the Heisman? Jackson accounted for seven more touchdowns (four passing, three rushing) in the Cardinals 52-7 win at Boston College, giving him 45 this season, which is only two shy of the ACC record set by Clemson quarterback Deshaun Watson?in 2015-16. Jackson completed 12 of 17 passes for 231 yards while running 15 times for 185 yards.2. Jake Browning, QB, Washington: Browning completed 19 of 28 passes for 378 yards and six touchdowns with no interceptions. He set a new single-season record for passing touchdowns, breaking Keith Prices record set in 2011.?3. Deshaun Watson, QB, Clemson: Watson threw for two touchdowns and ran for another, but then injured his right shoulder late in the first half of a 54-0 rout of Syracuse. Tigers coach Dabo Swinney said the injury wasnt serious, and the school announced Watson could have played in the second half if needed. Watson completed 13 of 16 passes for 169 yards and ran seven times for 39 yards.4.?DOnta Foreman, RB, Texas: Foreman ran 33 times for 341 yards with three touchdowns in the Longhorns 45-37 victory at Texas Tech, which is the third-highest total in UT history and only 9 yards shy of the single-game record of 350 set by Ricky Williams in 1996. Foreman has run for at least 100 yards in each of his eight games this season, and he has 591 yards with five scores in the past two games.Best momentsTweets of the nightBest playsWorst playsQuotes of the night1. After how hard my team worked for me all day, there was no way I wasnt going to score that for them. The offensive line played fantastic today. I couldnt have asked for anything more from them. Our running backs were running extremely hard, reading the blocks. We knew we could run the ball. -- Mississippi State quarterback Nick Fitzgerald, on his 4-yard touchdown run with 3:08 left, which helped seal the Bulldogs upset of No. 4 Texas A&M.2. It happens organically. Its au naturel. -- Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh, when asked if hes forcing star Jabrill Peppers expanded role on offense3. Really disappointed with the way we played. Didnt do a very good job as coaches evidently getting them ready to play. We played about as poorly as you can play on defense, and we werent much better on offense or special teams. -- Georgia Tech coach Paul Johnson, after the Yellow Jackets allowed 623 yards of offense in a 48-20 loss at North Carolina.4. I saw my guy go to the flats and I saw [Vanderbilt quarterback Kyle Shurmur] pat the ball one too many times, and I just felt something was going to be behind me. My instincts took me to the ball. -- Auburn cornerback Josh Holsey, on his game-clinching interception in the Tigers 23-16 win.Stats that matter6: Notre Dame had six offensive possessions -- four in the first half and two in the second -- in its 28-27 loss to Navy. It was the fewest possessions by an FBS team since Northern Illinois had six against the Midshipmen in 2008, according to ESPN Stats & Info research. The Irish are 3-6, their worst start since losing eight of their first nine games en route to a 3-9 finish in 2007.3: Three SEC players have accounted for 200 passing yards and 175 rushing in a game in the past 10 seasons. Heisman Trophy winners Cam Newton of Auburn and Johnny Manziel of Texas A&M did it once and twice, respectively, and Mississippi States Nick Fitzgerald became the third to do it in the Bulldogs 35-28 upset of the No. 4 Aggies. He had 209 passing yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions, while running 20 times for 182 yards with two scores.16: Stanfords Christian McCaffrey ran for 199 yards in a 26-15 win over Oregon State, his 16th 100-yard game since the start of the 2015 season. His total is tied with San Diego States Donnel Pumphrey for most in the FBS the past two seasons, and McCaffrey is tied with Darrin Nelson for third most in Stanford history.20: Air Force won the Commander-in-Chiefs Trophy for the second time in three years with a 31-12 victory at Army. The Falcons have now claimed the CIC Trophy a whopping 20 times, which is only one fewer than Army and Navy have combined to win. ' ' '