Conference Player of the Month for February

Philadelphia, PA (SportsNetwork.com) - Familiarity breeds friendship even more than contempt. When the University of Delaware fired highly successful head coach K.C. Keeler after the 2012 season, he says one of the first people to reach out to him and offer assistance was Villanovas Andy Talley, whom for 11 seasons he would go head-to-head against regularly in CAA Football. While Keeler spent last year out of coaching, Talley invited Keeler to visit with Talley and his coaching staff at Villanova, watch film, even attend practice. I unnerved their players a little bit and Andy tried to explain, Hes not the enemy anymore. Keeler looks back on it today. But Andys been a friend for a long time. When I was a Division III coach (at Rowan), I spent a lot of time over there watching what his teams did. Saturday, the two veteran coaches will be friendly rivals again, and this time the stakes are high. Keeler is bringing his Sam Houston State squad east from Texas to take on Villanova in the FCS national quarterfinals. The two programs are meeting for the first time. There is not a lot of familiarity between the competing programs within a quarterfinal round that is quite intersectional this year. Chattanooga and New Hampshire also are squaring off for the first time, while Coastal Carolina and North Dakota State met for the first time in last years playoffs. Illinois State and Eastern Washington fill the role of old rivals, meeting for the third time. Contempt? OK, maybe there will be some of that, too, during the action this weekend. FCS PREDICTIONS Last Weeks Record (Including SWAC): 7-2 (.778) This Seasons Record: 640-191 (.770) X-Predicted Winner FCS Playoff Quarterfinals All Times ET Friday, Dec. 12 No. 8 seed Chattanooga (10-3) at No. 1 seed New Hampshire (11-1) Kickoff: 8 p.m. (ESPN2) What to Know: The Friday night spotlight belongs to two red-hot teams who have never met before. Chattanooga has won seven straight games - its longest streak since 1968 - and New Hampshire has captured a school-record 11 consecutive wins. Between the two, they have only one loss against an FCS opponent (Chattanooga to Jacksonville State). Top-seeded New Hampshire is attempting to reach the national semifinals for the second consecutive year. The Wildcats were the No. 1 seed in 2005 when they lost in the quarterfinals to Northern Iowa. The Wildcats have won 13 straight games at Cowell Stadium, affectionately known as The Dungeon, and this season, they have won in dominant fashion there. The CAA Football champions have kept seven of their last nine opponents to under 20 points. Thats not the traditional method of winning in Durham, but the 4-2-5 defense has been strong against the pass and is balanced overall, with six players above 50 tackles but none higher than linebacker Akil Andersons 70 stops. The Wildcats have terrific size on their defensive line (the four starters average 6-foot-2, 275 pounds) and their defense had six sacks in the first nine minutes and nine overall in their 44-19 second-round victory over high-scoring Fordham. With running back Nico Steriti (four touchdowns against Fordham) healthy again, the UNH spread offense can achieve exceptional balance. Fellow back Jimmy Owens suffered a season-ending knee injury last Saturday, but sophomore Dalton Crossan could see some time and take pressure off quarterback Sean Goldrich, who would get to concentrate on delivering passes to All-American wide receiver R.J. Harris (87 receptions for 1,311 yards and 13 touchdowns) and athletic tight end Harold Spears. Chattanooga, the Southern Conference champion, is coming off a 35-14 second- round win over Indiana State that was their first ever in the playoffs, and, like New Hampshire, they wear down opponents. The Mocs smothered the Sycamores by controlling the clock for nearly 43 minutes. Their average time of possession of 33 minutes, 21 seconds ranks fourth in the FCS. Junior quarterback Jacob Huesman is soaring at a high level of play as he leads a multiple offense. Hes accounted for 3,312 yards and 34 total touchdowns, and is a two-time SoCon offensive player of the year. Thats one fewer time than defensive end Davis Tull has earned SoCon defensive player of the year honors. Indiana State did everything to avoid the senior All-American, who has 17 tackles for loss and 10.5 sacks this season. That meant the Sycamores went the way of freshman cornerback Lucas Webb, who gained his team-high seventh takeway with an interception. The Mocs, who also feature All-SoCon defensive tackle Derrick Lott, rank fifth in the FCS in allowing just 273.8 yards per game. The winner will advance to face either Illinois State or Eastern Washington. Prediction: This is a game between two evenly matched teams. New Hampshire has the better offense; Chattanooga has the stronger defense. New Hampshire, 28-27. Saturday, Dec. 13 No. 7 seed Coastal Carolina (12-1) at No. 2 seed North Dakota State (12-1) Kickoff: Noon (ESPN) What to Know: Many of the visiting Chanticleers have the important experience of playing at the Fargodome in last years national quarterfinals, albeit in a 48-14 defeat. The worst news for them might be the fact North Dakota State is coming off a second-round scare. After needing to rally past South Dakota State, 27-24, with a last-minute touchdown last Saturday, the Bison figure to play with additional focus. The Bison, who are eyeing an unprecedented fourth straight FCS championship, have won 21 straight home games since 2012 - the second year of their title run. The Missouri Valley power piled up 623 yards of offense in last years win over Coastal Carolina, although this years offense isnt nearly as strong. The passing game has been up and down, so opposing defenses key themselves on stopping three-time 1,000-yard running back John Crockett, who has 1,527 yards and 15 touchdowns this season. Crocketts backups, King Frazier and Chase Morlock, and quarterback Carson Wentz, who is terrific on running the draw, make it a multi-faceted run game that averages 231 yards an outing. The Bison defense that surrenders only 12.5 points per game remains the strength of the team. When defensive end Kyle Emanuel (28 tackles for loss, 16.5 sacks) is blowing past offensive linemen, it makes the Bison better in every way. The unit has now played a playoff game without injured linebacker Travis Beck, so it figures to improve off a performance against South Dakota State that wasnt bad yet was average by Bison standards. Linebacker Carlton Littlejohn, their tackle leader each of the last two seasons, played his best in the postseason a year ago. Behind ball-hawking safeties Colten Heagle and Christian Dudzik (58 career starts), 14 different Bison have combined on 25 takeaways. Coastal has scored at least 30 points in all but one game this season. The Chanticleers ran a school-record 95 plays in their 36-15 second-round win over Richmond last Saturday. Dual-threat quarterback Alex Ross, already the schools all-time passing leader as a junior, is even more effective when running back DeAngelo Henderson (1,391 yards and 19 touchdowns on 6.6 yards per carry) stretches a defense with his speed. They have an offensive line, led by All- American left tackle Chad Hamilton and center Kevin Hart, in which all five starters have made all 13 starts this season. Much of Richmonds offensive production came after Coastal had the game in hand, so the Chants athletic defense is primed for a big effort. Senior linebacker Quinn Backus, who will be all over the field, is a three-time Big South defensive player of the year with 433 career tackles to rank 16th in FCS history. Their defensive line will have to rely on speed to compensate for a lack of size against the Bison offensive linemen. NDSUs special teams are among the nations best, but Coastals are quite strong, too, behind kickoff returner Devin Brown, place-kicker Alex Catron and holder/punter Austin Cain, who is 7-for-7 on two-point tries in his career. The winner will face either Sam Houston State or Villanova in the national semifinals. Prediction: The Chanticleers are an impressive 3-3 all-time against Top 5 opponents, but they are playing NDSU in the wrong week. North Dakota State, 31-17. Sam Houston State (10-4) at No. 6 seed Villanova (11-2) Kickoff: 1:04 p.m. (ESPN3) What to Know: The first meeting between these two programs is also Sam Houstons first game against a CAA team. The national runner-up in 2011 and 12 has rallied from a 1-3 start to the season - including a blowout loss to Colorado State-Pueblo to end a 23-game home winning streak - with wins in 10 of its last 11 games. The Bearkats are the only non-seeded team remaining in the playoffs after they defeated both fellow Southland Conference co-champion Southeastern Louisiana and then Ohio Valley Conference champion Jacksonville State, the No. 3 seed. Villanova has only two losses by one point each, but the Wildcats were stretched far by Liberty, facing their biggest deficit of the season (13 points) and trailing by eight in the fourth quarter before they won, 29-22. Coach Andy Talley is in the minority of coaches who have a winning record against Sam Houstons K.C. Keeler, his old rival from the University of Delaware. Sam Houston has come on to play relatively clean, as Keeler puts it - without mental miscues and penalties. Instead, the Bearkats utilize their team speed to force opponents into mistakes. Although leading rusher Keshawn Hill (1,049 yards, 18 TDs) has been slowed by injury in the postseason, redshirt sophomore quarterback Jared Johnson will spread the ball to key transfers, running backs Jalen Overstreet (Texas) and Donavan Williams (ASA College), and wide receiver LaDarius Brown (TCU). Johnson still needs to be a more accurate passer, but his ability to leave the pocket and get to the open field for large chunks of yards will keep Villanovas defense honest. The Bearkats defense has grown up considerably in the postseason, shutting out Jacksonville State in the second half last Saturday. Senior safety Michael Wade (111 tackles) is the veteran leader and joins tackle Sione Latu as the units only returning starters. Cornerback Trenier Orr, a transfer from Cincinnati with five takeaways, and freshman defensive end P.J. Hall have developed into terrific players. The Bearkats will have their eyes focused on Villanova quarterback John Robertson. The junior has provided terrific balance to the offense. Hes rushed for over 1,000 yards in each of his first three seasons and this year hes combined it with 218.9 passing yards per game and 35 touchdowns versus only three interceptions for 301.8 total yards per outing. The Wildcats will try to deal with Sam Houstons speed by grinding out drives with running back Kevin Monangai (team-high 14 touchdowns) mixed in with Robertsons exploits. Poppy Livers has been the teams leading receiver all season, but the big-play ability of Kevin Gulyas (26 receptions, 664 yards, nine TDs) makes a big difference, as it did against Liberty. By playing a 3-3-5 defense which Keeler describes as chaos, Villanova has a secondary that is fortified by the likes of safety Joe Sarnese (four interceptions) and cornerback Jason Ceneus (seven takeaways). But Sam Houston thinks run first, so linebacker Don Cherry needs to get back to his early season dominance. Opposing teams average only 103.3 rushing yards per game against the Wildcats, and Liberty managed just 64 yards on 37 carries. The advantage in special teams goes to Sam Houston. A deficiency in the kicking game haunted Nova in its two losses. The winner will advance to play either Coastal Carolina or North Dakota State in the national semifinals. Prediction: Asserting control through the offensive line is huge here. Villanova wears Sam Houston down. Villanova, 28-21. No. 5 seed Illinois State (11-1) at No. 4 seed Eastern Washington (11-2) Kickoff: 4:05 p.m. (ESPN3) What to Know: Illinois States last trip to the playoffs in 2012 ended with a 51-35 loss at Eastern Washington. The host Eagles are seeking their fourth trip to the national semifinals in the last five seasons, beginning with their 2010 national championship team. With quarterback Tre Roberson and running back Marshaun Coprich starring together nearly every game, Illinois State is accustomed to starting strong. The Redbirds have scored on their first series seven times and outscored opponents 117-20 in the first quarter. Working behind a physical offensive line pays dividends. Robersons 274.2 total yards per game, 157.0 passing efficiency, 25 touchdown passes and 200 points responsible for all rank No. 1 in the Missouri Valley Conference. Coprich, the conferences offensive player of the year, is averaging 152.6 rushing yards per game and has yet to be held under 100 yards through 12 games. He figures to produce first downs against Eastern Washingtons inconsistent defense. The Redbirds allowed only 127 yards in the first three quarters of their 41-21 win over Northern Iowa in the second round. But after starting the season strong, the Redbirds havent been at quite the same level since then (12.9- point average in the first seven games; 27.8-point average in the last five). Thats a big concern against an Eastern Washington offense that scores at will (44 points per game). It was actually Eastern Washington quarterback Kyle Padron (six touchdown passes) and not then-redshirt freshman Vernon Adams Jr. who fueled the playoff win over Illinois State in 2012. But current Eagles standouts Quincy Forte (116 yards on seven carries) and Ronnie Hamlin (10 tackles, one interception) both played big parts in the win. For Illinois State, its all about containing Adams because theres little hope of shutting him down. Hes thrown for 3,058 yards and 32 touchdowns in only nine games this season and leads an offense that is 20 points shy of the school and Big Sky single-season records of 592 points. The Eagles have allowed 41 sacks, so Adams might find it difficult to get out of the pocket with Redbirds pass rushers Teddy Corwin and David Perkins flying at him from the edge of the 4-3 front. But Adams has plenty of passing targets and his comfort zone is sophomore wide receiver Cooper Kupp, who is nearing his second straight 100- catch season. The Eagles defense is coming off a strong performance against Montana in the second round - a 37-20 win when it forced three turnovers. Roberson likes to look deep to his receivers, so safety Tevin McDonald will play a big part in double coverage of the Redbirds various targets. The winner will advance to face either Chattanooga or Villanova in the national semifinals. Prediction: Illinois States MO is playing ahead. The Redbirds need that against Eastern Washington and Adams may not let them do that. Eastern Washington, 38-35. Camiseta Sergio Busquets . Defensive end Jadeveon Clowney, the Houston Texans No. 1 pick in the draft, was on the field Tuesday for the first time with former NFL Defensive Player of the Year J. Camiseta Luis Suarez Niño .com) - Maria Sharapova rallied for a three- set win over Ana Ivanovic on Saturday to capture the season-opening Brisbane International tennis tournament. http://www.camisetasfcbarcelona.es/camiseta-lionel-messi-barca.html . Notes on P.K. Subban, Dale Weise, Erik Haula, Mikael Granlund, Ilya Bryzgalov and more. Camiseta Arthur . -- Zach Johnson asked his short-iron approach on the par-4 18th to "Do something right, baby. Camiseta Marc-Andre Ter Stegen . The 48th-ranked Williams made her first appearance in Dubai since she won her second straight title here in 2010. Shed missed the last three years either because of injury or Sjogrens Syndrome.(SportsNetwork.com) - The Los Angeles Clippers didnt need much help from their bench to keep a winning streak intact and look to make it six in a row Thursday against the local Lakers. The Clippers handed the Phoenix Suns a 104-96 loss on Tuesday, as all five starters scored in double digits. Matt Barnes led the bunch with 28 points, Blake Griffin followed with 22 and Darren Collison ended with 18 points. "Matt Barnes kept us in the game the way he was shooting the ball and we got stops and thats when we really got back in the game. It was intense." said Griffin. DeAndre Jordan had 10 points and grabbed 17 rebounds, while Chris Paul had 14 points and nine assists for the Clippers, who have won five in a row and eight of their last 10 contests. The Clippers have won five straight on three separate occasions this season. The Clippers bench had just 12 points and was without top reserve Jamal Crawford (calf), who has missed back-to-back games and is questionable against the Lakers. Crawford is averaging 19.0 points this season Clippers forward Jared Dudley is questionable Thursday because of back spasms. Meanwhile, Griffin needs 30 rebounds for 3,000 in his career and has scored 20 or more points in his last 20 games. He passed Dominique Wilkins for the most consecutive games with 20-plus points since the Clippers moved to Los Angeles in 1984-85. Bob McAdoo holds the franchise record with 57 such games. Griffin is averaging 27.8 pointts during his 20-game streak for the Clippers, who have won three in a row on the road and are 17-15 as the guest.dddddddddddd They are 25-11 against Western Conference opponents and have scored 107.2 ppg this season. Griffin was named Western Conference Player of the Month for February. Los Angeles will start a three-game homestand Saturday versus Atlanta, Phoenix and Golden State. The Lakers had a two-game win streak stopped their last time out with a 132-125 decision versus the New Orleans Pelicans. Pau Gasol had 29 points and 12 rebounds, Kent Bazemore scored 23 and Jordan Farmar added 20 points and eight assists for the Lakers, losers in four of six and eight of their last 11 games. The Lakers trailed 35-23 after the first quarter and 67-51 at halftime. A second-half surge (74-65) wasnt enough and the Lakers shot 54.1 percent. "We kind of had an emotional hangover to start. Took us at least two quarters to get into anybody. Youve got to every night bring it," said Lakers coach Mike DAntoni. "Its our fault. We can defend a whole heck of a lot better than that." DAntonis squad is 10-19 at home and will visit Denver on Friday. The Lakers have allowed 100 or more points in four straight and eight of nine games, while the Clippers have posted that many in five in a row and 12 of 13. The Clippers and Lakers have split two meetings this season and will meet again April 6. The Clippers have lost 10 of their last 12 at the Lakers. ' ' '