Sports

Buckeyes Won Title Behind Line Play, Elliott and Jones

Published

9 years ago

January 13, 2015

Ohio State’s Ezekiel Elliott (15) celebrates after a nine-yard touchdown run during the second half of the NCAA college football playoff championship game against Oregon Monday, Jan. 12, 2015, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

ANNE M. PETERSON, AP Sports Writers
RUSTY MILLER, AP Sports Writers

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Coming into the national championship game, there was a school of thought behind picking the best team to win.

Those who favored Oregon said that Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Marcus Mariota was too skilled, his team was too quick and played too fast, the offense was too polished and deep and the defense too pliable for them to lose.

The backers of Ohio State figured the Buckeyes were more physical on both sides of the ball, had a horse of a running back in Ezekiel Elliott and a quarterback who seemed not just unflappable but unbeatable.

Before a crowd of 85,689 at AT&T Stadium, things couldn’t have more closely followed Ohio State’s template. The Buckeyes’ big guys up front dominated, Elliott rumbled for 246 yards and four touchdowns on 36 carries and Cardale Jones continually came up with big plays with his legs and his arm.

The result was a surprisingly easy 42-20 victory for the Buckeyes (14-1), who cashed in on their first national championship since 2002. It was a bitter defeat for Mariota and the Ducks (13-2), thwarted once again from winning their first national title.

Here’s what to know about how the Buckeyes won and why the Ducks lost:

TROUBLE ON THIRD DOWN: Oregon had trouble on third down, converting just two of 12 chances. The Ducks were 0 for 2 on fourth down, including a goal-line attempt that they couldn’t punch in. That was uncharacteristic for a team that went into the game ranked fourth in the nation for third-down conversions, at 51.6 percent.

“Third down was a big deal. And part of that was precipitated by not being good on first and second down,” Oregon coach Mark Helfrich said.

BRONZE STATUETTE: When Oregon was up 7-0 early and the Buckeyes were on their heels, it was Elliott — and Ohio State’s overpowering offensive line — which took over the game. The sophomore’s 33-yard burst seemed to jump start the Buckeyes and their fans.

He doesn’t shirk from talk that he might just be the front-runner for the Heisman next year.

“Just thinking that I’m going to have the opportunity next year to compete for the Heisman, it means everything,” he said. “I’m not going to change. I’m going to keep grinding. I’m going to do all I can to win it.”

RUN DEFENSE: Oregon’s run defense was mediocre this season, allowing opponents an average of 156.1 yards per game to rank 49th in the nation. Ohio State was averaging 262 rushing yards a game going in. In the end, Ohio State rushed for 296 yards against Oregon, and Ezekiel Elliott led the way with 246 yards and four scores.

“When you have him being as fast and physical as he is and then you trump that with a 200 and-whatever-he-is 55 or 60 quarterback, those are three pretty good hammers when you add the fly sweep game and some of the other stuff that they’re able to do,” Helfrich said.

OVERCOMING TURNOVERS: Ohio State coach Urban Meyer said despite the 538 yards his offense amassed, it was the defense cleaning up after the offense that won the game. The Buckeyes turned the ball over four times — three fumbles and a bobbled interception — but those gaffes didn’t hurt them badly.

The first two turnovers resulted in zero points for Oregon. The second two turned into 10 points, but Ohio State had built an 11-point lead to maintain its advantage. Then Elliott closed out the scoring with three more touchdown runs.

“Defense won the game,” Meyer said. “We lose that game if we don’t stop them after our turnovers.”

NO MARIOTA MAGIC: Known for his ability to create plays when it appears none exist, Oregon quarterback Mariota was stymied by Ohio State’s defense. He had two touchdown passes, one on the opening drive to Keanon Lowe and a stunning 70-yard scoring pass to Byron Marshall that pulled the Ducks within 21-17 in the third quarter. In the end, this season’s Heisman Trophy winner completed 24 of 37 passes for 333 yards. He was sacked twice and intercepted once — on his final pass of the game.

“It hurts. I can’t really put it into words much more than that,” Mariota said.

WHY STOP AT ONE? Meyer conceded that he thought next year was Ohio State’s year. After all, the Buckeyes are very young — half the starters are freshmen or sophomores.

“To say we had this vision back in September or even August, no not a chance,” he said. “I thought this was a team that could battle and battle and find a way to win a bunch of games and then a year later go make a run at it.”

Remember, though, that there are three top-quality quarterbacks, Elliott and two-thirds of the starters coming back.

Wide receiver Michael Thomas cautioned Ohio State fans to save their money.

“Oh, yeah,” he said. “We’ll be back.”

___

Follow Rusty Miller on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/RustyMillerAP

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Rajah Caruth: Young Trailblazer of NASCAR

Imagine you’re only 22 years old and already making a name for yourself in NASCAR, one of the most thrilling sports in the US. That is the life of Rajah Kirby Caruth, an American professional stock car racing driver.

Published

3 days ago

May 4, 2024

Oakland Post

Rajah Kirby Caruth, an American professional stock car racing driver. (File Photo)

By Tamara Shiloh

Born June 11, 2002, in Washington, DC, he was drawn to the sport as a child after seeing the Disney Pixar film “Cars.”

Caruth dreamed of tooling around the track like the main character in “Cars,” Lightning McQueen. His enthusiasm grew when his parents surprised him with a trip to the NASCAR Cup Series race at Richmond Raceway when he was 12.

In 2018, while keeping busy with school, sports and a summer job, Caruth and his family held fundraisers so that he could buy an iRacing simulator. Then, at age 16, he traded a real driver’s license to race virtually in the eNASCAR Ignite Series, which led to him being recruited by the NASCAR Drive for Diversity Program.

His first big opportunity came in 2019 when he competed in a “Legends” car at Charlotte Motor Speedway in the Bojangles’ Southern Shootout and recorded two top-third in the semi-pro points.

People began to recognize Caruth’s talents. In 2020, he stepped up to the NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series and became the first African American to win at Greenville-Pickens Speedway in a late model race. The next year, he won at Tri-County Motor Speedway and picked up his fourth overall late model victory.

Then, he became the first person of color to win at the South Carolina track.

In 2021, Caruth announced he would compete full-time in the ARCA Menards Series East for Rev Racing, where he finished third in the standings, including a series of top-five finishes. He made his NASCAR Xfinity Series debut on a bigger stage as well.

Then, in 2022, thing really took off. A new chapter found Caruth at NASCAR’s unofficial Triple A league with GMS Racing, where he drives full-time for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, with a sponsorship from The Wendell Scott Foundation. After a few setbacks, he broke into the top 10 several times, finishing at a career-high 6th at Darlington Raceway.

Fast-forward to 2024, and Caruth’s took the third major step in his career. He is now driving full-time in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series for Spire Motorsports and has been making the news for putting on stellar performances. Oh, and he won at Las Vegas: his first career victory.

From an impressionable young racing fan to a professional NASCAR driver, Caruth is charting a new path, creating history, and inspiring people to always remember that if you have the talent, the drive, and most of all, the heart, anything can be achieved.

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Salesian Coach Knew Angel Jackson Could Play in WNBA

Back in 2019, Salesian Girls Basketball Head Coach Stephen Pezzola made a bold prediction about one of his players, Angel Jackson. “If she keeps putting in the work like she did for us, she could be in the WNBA,” the coach said. That turned out to be very true. Last month, the Las Vegas Aces selected Jackson with the 36th overall pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft. She is the second player from an Historically Black College or University, or HCBU, to be selected in the draft in 20 years.

Published

3 days ago

May 4, 2024

Oakland Post

Angel Jackson. Photo courtesy of Jackston State.

The Richmond Standard

Back in 2019, Salesian Girls Basketball Head Coach Stephen Pezzola made a bold prediction about one of his players, Angel Jackson.

“If she keeps putting in the work like she did for us, she could be in the WNBA,” the coach said.

That turned out to be very true. Last month, the Las Vegas Aces selected Jackson with the 36th overall pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft. She is the second player from an Historically Black College or University, or HCBU, to be selected in the draft in 20 years.

Jackson’s success came as little surprise to Pezzola, who last year led the Pride to their 8th North Coast Section championship since he took over the program in 2008-2009. In 2019, Pezzola commended Jackson as “a very coachable kid” from the time she arrived at Salesian.

Tomekia Reed, her coach at Jackson State, shared similar sentiments, noting Jackson worked “very hard” to reach this moment.

“She came into our program doing great things and never looked back,” Reed told the Clarion Ledger. “She has trusted our leadership as we were able to develop her into an amazing player. I have watched her improve tremendously over the years.”

The 6’-6” Jackson played three seasons at the University of Southern California before transferring to Jackson State. She was ranked 10th in the NCAA in blocked shots and averaged 10 points per game in her final college season.

She finished her collegiate career with 1,047 points and was twice named Southwestern Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Year.

As the 36th pick, Jackson was the final pick in the 2024 NBA Draft. In a television interview, Jackson said she didn’t expect to be picked, and called the moment “surreal.”

“It made me feel so appreciative that HBCU is getting back on the map again,” she said.

All she could do in that moment was cry.

“I called my mom immediately, and she started crying,” Jackson said. “It was the best moment you can feel as a young lady.”

There’s no stopping Jackson now. “The sky is the limit,” she said.

Her high school coach agrees.

“I knew that Angel could do it,” Coach Pezzola told the Richmond Standard this week. “We are so proud of Angel and what she has accomplished. It was an honor and joy to coach Angel at Salesian.”

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Oakland WNBA Player to be Inducted Into Hall of Fame

The Multi-Ethnic Sports Hall of Fame (MESHOF) announced that it will induct Dr. Alexis Gray-Lawson, a former WNBA player and Oakland Technical High School graduate at its inaugural Curt Flood Platinum Award Ceremony in February. Gray-Lawson’s Platinum Award is part of the Hall of Fame’s 24th Annual Bay Area induction and award ceremony, where four other retired professional athletes will be honored.

Published

2 weeks ago

April 20, 2024

Oakland Post

Photo Courtesy of Alexis Gray Lawson.

By Post staff

The Multi-Ethnic Sports Hall of Fame (MESHOF) announced that it will induct Dr. Alexis Gray-Lawson, a former WNBA player and Oakland Technical High School graduate at its inaugural Curt Flood Platinum Award Ceremony in February.

Gray-Lawson’s Platinum Award is part of the Hall of Fame’s 24th Annual Bay Area induction and award ceremony, where four other retired professional athletes will be honored.

The banquet and ceremony will be held from 5:45 to 10 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 24, at the George P. Scotlan Convention Center at Oakland’s Marriott Civic Center Hotel.

“I am truly honored to receive this incredible nomination,” said Dr. Alexis Gray-Lawson, who, along with college teammate Devanei Hampton, lead Oakland Tech to its second consecutive state title in 2005. “It took a village to raise me and get me here, and I truly am excited to continue the legacy.”

Gray-Lawson, a “second team” Parade All-American and an All-State honoree, as a senior in ’05, was chosen for the California Interscholastic Federation sportsmanship award. She only lost one game throughout her four-year career in high school. Her jersey was retired at Oakland Tech and placed in the National High School Hall of Fame as a four-time All-City recipient, averaging 17.2 points per game during her career.

Gray-Lawson received scholarships in volleyball, softball, and basketball before deciding to travel up College Avenue to the University of California, Berkeley. There, she played in more basketball games (143) than any other player in Golden Bears’ history. She finished her career as the Bears all-time 3-point leader (211), and she is ranked third in scoring with 1,982 points.

An All-Pac 10 and honorable mention All-American in 2010, Gray-Lawson also was the top player at 5’8” or under for the Frances Pomeroy Naismith Award. Later that year, she was a third-round pick of the Washington Mystics in 2010 and played with the Phoenix Mercury of the Women’s National Basketball Association in 2011 and 2012. She also played professionally overseas in Turkey and Israel.

Other inductees are Clifford Ray (Basketball); Lee Lacy (Baseball); Spencer Haywood (Basketball); and Mohinder Singh Gil (Track & Field).

Organizers say the event promises to be a “historic and celebratory evening,” and iconic personalities from across the professional sports industry and its various disciplines will attend.

The no-host cocktail hour begins at 5:45 p.m.; dinner at 6:45 p.m.; and the ceremony at 7:45 p.m. All times are prompt. General tickets are $250.00; Seniors (65 and older) $150.00, and students $50. This includes dinner and the ceremony. Tables of 10 are available as well, and early purchase is recommended.

MESHOF is a 501(c) (3) nonprofit organization dedicated to honoring athletes from all corners of the globe who have made significant contributions to the world of sports and broadening the public’s understanding of the contributions people of color have made to professional sports; and to provide educational life skills and mentorship opportunities for deserving youth. Proceeds will help maintain the City of Oakland’s Curt Flood Field, Oakland Parks & Recreation, and MESHOF’s after school and mental health initiatives.

Tickets can be purchased online at www.multiethnicsportshof.com. For additional information, please contact: Arif Khatlib @ afrosportshall@aol.com or India Alston @ india@beamcreativehouse.com