COLUMBIA - In a game that probably should have been decided by more than 9 points, the Vanderbilt Commodores defeated the South Carolina Gamecocks 16-9 for their 3rd win of the season, and 2nd SEC victory. Vanderbilt moves to 3-0 (2-0) on the season, with South Carolina moving to 1-2 (0-2) after this loss. Even though they came away with a win, you have to think Vandy would have liked to have won by more than 9. They dominated every aspect of this game, but struggled to convert in the red zone. In 6 trips to the red zone they came away with just 3 field goals. The lone touchdown from Vanderbilt was scored on a 22 yard reception from Caleb Scott in the first quarter. Quarterback Kyle Shurmur had another solid performance, despite the one red zone interception. Workhorse running back Ralph Webb was once again a beast, running for 171 yards on 34 carries.
Webb was stopped on a 4th and goal opportunity from the 1 yard line with over 6 minutes to go in the game, giving South Carolina one last opportunity to get something going on offense. On a promising drive that moved from the Gamecock 1 yard line into Commodore territory, quarterback Jake Bentley was picked off by Vanderbilt's Tae Daley, essentially sealing the victory.
NASHVILLE - The Commodores got their season started with a bang, defeating a conference opponent right out of the gates. Vanderbilt handed Ole Miss their first loss of the season in a 35-17 win to open the season. After a punt was blocked and recovered in the endzone for a Vandy touchdown to start the scoring, Ole Miss racked up 17 straight points to jump out to a 17-7 lead. A big touchdown pass from Kyle Shurmur to tight end Jared Pinkney just before the half gave Vanderbilt some momentum heading into the break, down just 3 points.
The second half proved to be all Commodores, as they end up scoring 28 unanswered points to grab a 35-17 win. Star running back Ralph Webb was held in check most of the game, but ended up breaking out in the 4th quarter and eventually finished with 140 yards and 2 touchdowns on 28 carries. Quarterback Kyle Shurmur did what was needed of him in this one, finishing with 169 yards with 2 touchdowns and 1 interception while completing 18 of 23 throws. Ole Miss quarterback Shea Patterson struggled mightily after a first half touchdown pass, eventually finishing with just 95 yards and 2 interceptions to go along with that lone touchdown pass. Where Ole Miss found success was on the ground, where running back Jordan Wilkins racked up 179 yards and a touchdown, but could only carry the ball 15 times with the Rebels down much of the second half.
LUBBOCK - After a lackluster loss to SMU and an expected win against an FCS opponent to start the season, the Texas Tech Red Raiders started Big 12 play with a dominating performance. Texas Tech beat up on the TCU Horned Frogs 38-3. This moves Texas Tech to 2-1 (1-0) and drops TCU to 1-2 (0-1). Led by the defense and special teams all night, the Red Raiders were aided by both a punt return and a fumble recovery for a touchdown.
Neither offense could get much going in this game, as even though Texas Tech scored 38 points, they were helped tremendously from timely turnovers and big plays on defense. Nic Shimonek struggled at times in this one, throwing 3 first half interceptions, but he made enough plays to get the job done. He finished with 249 yards, 1 touchdown, 3 interceptions, and another touchdown on the ground. TCU struggled mightily on offense after starting quarterback Kenny Hill Jr. left with an injury after just the first drive of the game. Shawn Robinson struggled with accuracy all night, leading to 3 interceptions and a fumble on top of that.
Next Up for Texas Tech: vs. Texas State 2-1 (0-0)
TCU Horned Frogs at Texas Tech Red Raiders
Sep 14, 2013
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TCU (1-2 (0-1))
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TTU (2-1 (1-0))
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Top Performers
PASS: Nic Shimonek (TTU) - 21-36, 249 yds, 2 Total TD, 3 INT
The Barons had a rough first season, going just 33-49, good for 13th in the East.
Offseason Recap Traded: 2017 first round pick (#7 overall), 2018 first round pick (lottery protected), 2018 second round pick, and 2019 second round pick to the Portland Trail Blazers for SG CJ McCollum and SF Evan Turner. Signed: C Festus Ezeli to 2 year/$8 million deal Signed: PF JaMychal Green to 2 year/$4.89 million deal
Franchise Overview Record: 33-49 Playoff Appearances: 0 Conference Championships: 0 NBA Championships: 0 MVP: 0 Rookie of the Year: 0 Most Improved Player: 0 Defensive Player of the Year: 0 Sixth Man of the Year: 0 All-NBA Team: 0 All-Defensive Team: Tony Allen (1st team, 2016-17)
BALTIMORE - It's been a struggle for the new expansion team Baltimore Barons. After losing the first game of the franchise's history to the Miami Heat by almost 20 points, they struggled to reach 80 points against the lowly Phoenix Suns. The Suns beat the Barons 90-83. Baltimore had a good start to the game, but could not finish what they started. After taking a one point lead to the half, the Barons came out flat in the second half. They were outscored by 7 in the third quarter and 1 in the fourth, leading to a 7 point loss in the home opener.
One pleasant surprise in this game was JaVale McGee. McGee totaled 26 points and 9 rebounds on 12-14 shooting to lead the Barons. An issue that appears to be constant throughout this first season is the 3 point shooting. Baltimore went just 3-17 from the 3 point line and don't appear to have anyone that is much of a threat from behind the line. Tyler Ulis struggled mightily all game, while backup Emmanuel Mudiay dropped 15 points and 5 assists off the bench. The battle for starting point guard is something fans will be interested to see throughout the Barons' inaugural season.
MEMPHIS - The Minnesota Timberwolves got their first win of the season by beating the Memphis Grizzlies 95-87. The young Wolves played well in the first half, but struggled a little with turnovers in the second half. They finished with 17 turnovers, far too many for a team trying to sneak into the playoffs.
Minnesota was led by its brightest young star, Karl-Anthony Towns. Towns finished with 27 points on 13-16 shooting, while adding 10 rebounds and 7 blocks. The other two members of the young big 3 had solid games themselves. Zach LaVine finished with 24 points and Andrew Wiggins finished with 17 points and 7 assists. The unsung hero of the night was Gorgui Dieng, who did a good job playing defense on Zach Randolph and snagged 18 rebounds in the process. Memphis was led by Mike Conley and Randolph. Conley finished with 19 points and 9 assists, while Randolph added 18 points and 7 rebounds.
Next Up: October 29th - Timberwolves (1-0) @ Sacramento Kings (1-0)
Minnesota Timberwolves (1-0) at Memphis Grizzlies (0-1)
MILWAUKEE - The new-look Bucks start this season off with a win after beating the Charlotte Hornets 102-85 at home. This was a slow and sloppy game to start, with the Hornets outscoring the Bucks 20-18 after the first quarter. Milwaukee took the lead early in the second and never looked back, however. They took a 7 point lead into halftime and extended it to 17 by the end of the game.
LeBron James, to no one's surprise, was the leader behind this Bucks charge. James scored 36 points on an efficient 14-22 shooting, while adding 6 rebounds and 6 assists. The other major difference maker in this one was the bench. Glen Rice struggled all night, scoring 0 points. Bob Dandridge and Serge Ibaka picked up the slack, though. Dandridge provided 15 huge points while Ibaka provided 10 of his own.
Up Next: October 29 - Bucks (1-0) vs. Brooklyn Nets (0-1)
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