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By Brian Consolazio, November 3, 2009 2:47 pm

#1 Star: Chase Utley, Philadelphia Phillies
Alma Mater: UCLA
Stats (10/28 – 11/2) : 6 for 18, 6 Runs, 5 HRs, 8 RBIs, 1 SB, .333 avg

With the Philadelphia Phillies playing on the biggest stage in baseball, the World Series, they are getting exactly what they need out of their all-star second basemen Chase Utley. Although down in the series three games to two right now, you certainly can’t fault Utley. His five home runs have tied Reggie Jackson’s 1977 record for most in a World Series.

Chase Utley had three multi-hit games (games one, four and five), two multi-home run games (one and five), and three games where he has recorded at least two RBIs (one, four and five). In Game One, in his second at bat against CC Sabathia, Utley homered to right field to give the Phillies a 1 – 0 lead. In his next at bat in the sixth inning, he again blasted one over the right field wall that extended the Phillies lead to 2 – 0 and turned out to be the game winning run.

In game five, with the Phillies down 1 – 0 in the bottom of the first, Utley delivered again, this time a three run shot into right field. The Phillies never looked back, and Utley’s insurance home run in the bottom of the seventh (giving the Phillies a 7 – 2 lead) ended up being the game winning run again.

The Phillies still have a long way to go if they are going to win the World Series, but if anyone is making things difficult on the Yankees, it’s Chase Utley. He is putting together an MVP-like series and would very likely win the award if the Phillies can somehow come back and win it all.

#2 Star: Gilbert Arenas
Alma Mater: Arizona
Stats (10/27 to 10/31): (Per-Game Averages) 28.0 Points, 1.7 Rebounds, 6.7 Assists, 1.0 Steals, 2.3 3-Pointers, 50% FG PCT

The Washington Wizards were a pathetic 19-63 last year (tied for second worst in the NBA) with tons of questions surrounding the team. Will Gilbert Arenas be able to get back to his 2006-07 form after playing a combined 15 games the last two years? Or will the Wizards and Arenas continue to struggle and be one of the worst teams in the league?

Of course the health question cannot be answered in the first week of the season, but so far so good for Gilbert Arenas and the Wizards. The Wizards are 2-1 this season, and Gilbert Arenas has been leading the way. Arenas has led the Wizards in points in all three games this year, and his best game this week came on Halloween Night when he was 9 for 13 shooting, 11 for 12 from the line, 3 for 4 from behind the arc, and had 32 points and 7 assists in a 123 – 104 win over the New Jersey Nets.

The Wizard’s success this season starts and ends with Agent 0. If he can stay healthy for the entire season (knock on wood), the Wizards should be a respectable team throughout the year and be a surprise team in the East after last year’s horrible season.

#3 Star: Steven Jackson
Alma Mater: Oregon State
Stats (11/1): 22 Rushes for 149 Yards, 1 TD, 3 Receptions for 17 Yards

The St Louis Rams were 0-7 going into their week eight match up with the Detroit Lions. Steven Jackson almost single-handedly made sure they didn’t fall to 0-8 with his huge game in the 17 – 10 St Louis Rams victory.

With the game tied at 10 – 10 with 1:38 left in the game, Steven Jackson put an exclamation point on the game when he broke a 25-yard run to the right side to give the Rams a 17 – 10 lead. This was the first Rams rushing touchdown of the season and it provided the game-winning score.

Slowly but surely, Steven Jackson has been putting together one of the most underrated performances of the year. With these 149 yards he is now tied for second in the NFL in rushing (784 yards), and although he only has one touch down, he is still putting up great numbers with a team that everyone knows is going to run the ball as much as possible. The Rams probably wont win many more games this year, but I really respect the effort Steven Jackson has put together all year and am glad that he is at least able to celebrate this one.

Honorable Mentions:

Cal’s Aaron Rodgers (17 for 28, 287 Yards 3 TDs 0 INTs, 5 Rushes 52 Yards, 108.5 Rating)
UCLA’s Maurice Jones-Drew (8 Rushes for 177 Yards, 2 TDs)
USC’s Mark Sanchez (20 for 35, 265 Yards 2 TDs 0 INTs, 4 Rushes 6 Yards 1 TD, 100.3 Rating)
Washington’s Brandon Roy (27.0 Pts, 4.8 REBs, 4.8 ASTs, 2.0 3-Pointers, 39% FG PCT)
Oregon’s Aaron Brooks (21.0 Pts, 3.0 REBs, 8.5 ASTs, 1.0 STLs, 2.3 3-Pointers, 50% FG PCT)

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By Dave Consolazio and Sam Saig, October 29, 2009 5:11 pm

UCLA Bruins (3-4) vs. Oregon State Beavers (4-3)
Saturday, October 31, 1:00 PM PST
Las Vegas Favorite: Oregon State -9.5

Continue reading 'Week 9 Game Matchup: UCLA Bruins VS. Oregon State Beavers'»

Comments (5,410)

By Sam Saig, October 28, 2009 10:45 am

UCLA Bruins 3-4 Overall (0-4 Conference)

This Week’s Score: Arizona 27 – UCLA 13

Next Week’s Opponent: @Oregon State


Continue reading 'Pac-10 Week 8 Notes and Observations: UCLA Bruins'»

Comments (5,347)

By Dave Consolazio and Sam Saig, October 23, 2009 6:05 pm

UCLA Bruins (3-3) vs. Arizona Wildcats (4-2)
Saturday, October 24, 3:30 PM PST
Las Vegas Favorite: Arizona -7.5

Continue reading 'Week 8 Game Matchup: UCLA Bruins VS. Arizona Wildcats'»

Comments (5,405)

By Dave Consolazio, October 21, 2009 8:14 am

UCLA Bruins 3-3 Overall (0-3 Conference)

This Week’s Score: Cal 45 – UCLA 26

Next Week’s Opponent: @Arizona


Continue reading 'Pac-10 Week 7 Notes and Observations: UCLA Bruins'»

Comments (5,417)

By Brian Consolazio, October 20, 2009 3:47 pm

#1 Star: Maurice Jones-Drew, Jacksonville Jaguars
Alma Mater: UCLA
Stats (10/19): 33 Carries for 133 Yards, 3 TDs, 5 Receptions for 45 Yards

With the Jacksonville Jaguars still struggling, and Maurice Jones-Drew publicly stating his frustration about not getting the ball enough this season, Jones-Drew showed exactly what he can do when given the opportunity this week against the St Louis Rams. His 33 rushes (most in the NFL) for 133 yards (fourth this week) and three TDs (most in the NFL) led the Jaguars to a 23 – 20 win over the Rams.

Maurice Jones-Drew scored all three touchdowns for the Jaguars this week, but the fourth quarter was really where he took over the game. Jones-Drew ran for 74 yards in the fourth quarter with two TDs. His one yard TD run with 8:05 left in the game gave the Jags a 13 – 10 lead, and his three yard shot up the middle also gave them the lead at 20 – 17.

With this big win the Jacksonville Jaguars moved back to .500, and it looks like they are starting to understand that their best chance of winning is to give opponents a healthy dose of Maurice Jones-Drew.

#2 Star: Brian Cushing, Houston Texans
Alma Mater: USC
Stats (10/19): 9 Tackles, 1 INT, 2 Forced Fumbles, 2 Pass Deflections

With the Houston Texans going into Cincinnati to play one of the hottest teams in the league, not many people were picking Houston to win. The Texans did pull off the upset though, thanks to Brian Cushing’s huge performance and allowing zero points in the second half of the game for the 28 – 17 victory.

The Houston Texans took a 21 – 17 lead in just under four minutes into the third quarter, and this is when the defense really stepped up. Cushing’s first forced fumble came on the next possession, stopping the Bengals at midfield with a hit on Daniel Coats. With 5:38 left in the game and the Bengals down 28 – 17, Cushing once again forced a fumble, this time on J.P. Foschi to all but seal the victory for the Texans. The Texans couldn’t run the clock out though, and Cushing did seal the game with 1:48 left when he intercepted a Carson Palmer pass at the Houston 26 yard line.

The Texans moved to 3-3 after their impressive win against the Cincinnati Bengals, and with the offense clicking as well as it is, if Brian Cushing and the Texans defense continue to play at a high level, they should be a tough team to beat down the stretch.

#3 Star: Zach Miller, Oakland Raiders
Alma Mater: Arizona State
Stats (10/19): 6 Receptions for 139 Yards, 1 TD

After an embarrassing 44 – 7 loss to the New York Giants last week and the Philadelphia Eagles coming into Oakland this week, it looked like it was going to be another disaster for the Oakland Raiders. Shockingly, the Raiders were able to pull off the huge upset, thanks in large part to Zach Miller. His six receptions for 139 yards and one touchdown led all Raiders receivers in all categories, and his yardage was tops among NFL tight ends.

Zach Miller’s biggest play of the game came in the first quarter when Jamarcus Russell dumped a 16 yard pass to him down the middle and let Miller do the rest of the work. Miller got a few key blocks from Louis Murphy and was able to finish the play with an 86 yard touchdown reception, the longest pass play for the Oakland Raiders in 25 years. This touchdown also proved to be the only touchdown of the game, and the Oakland Raiders were able to fight off the Eagles 13 – 9.

13 points isn’t an offensive explosion, but it was enough to get the Raiders a much needed win.

Honorable Mentions:

Cal’s Aaron Rodgers (29-37 358 yards 2 TDs 1 INT, 3 Rushes for 9 Yards, 113.7 QB Rating)
Any other week Rodgers would have made the top three with this line, but in a big week for other players I would have liked to see a few more TDs and 0 INTs against the Lions to crack the list.

Oregon State’s Sammie Stroughter (3 Receptions for 65 yards, 142 Return Yards, 1 TD)
Stroughter also had a game worth talking about where his biggest play was a 97 yard kickoff return for a touchdown to narrow the Panthers lead to 21 – 14.

Stanford’s Oshiomogho Atogwe (10 Tackles)
Oregon State’s Nick Barnett (8 Tackles, .5 Sacks)
Oregon State’s Steven Jackson (16 Rushes for 50 Yards, 6 Receptions for 78 Yards)
Oregon’s Jonathan Stewart (17 Rushes for 110 Yards, 1 TD, 1 Fumble)

Comments (5,403)

By Dave Consolazio and Sam Saig, October 15, 2009 6:20 pm

Cal Bears (3-2) vs. UCLA Bruins (3-2)
Saturday, October 17, 12:30 PM PST
Las Vegas Favorite: Cal -3.5

Continue reading 'Week 7 Game Matchup: Cal Bears VS. UCLA Bruins'»

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By Brian Consolazio, October 13, 2009 4:18 pm

# 1 Star: Andre Ethier, Los Angeles Dodgers
Alma Mater: Arizona State
Stats (10/7 – 10/10): 5 Runs, 2 Home Runs, 3 RBIs, .500 AVG

The Los Angeles Dodgers seem to go only as far as their right fielder Andre Ethier’s bat takes them. In the final 12 games of the regular season the Dodgers went 5-7 and looked to be going in the wrong direction with Ethier going 3-for-34 during the slide with one home run and five RBIs.

Things changed quickly come playoff time though, and during the Dodgers three game sweep of the Cardinals, Andre Ethier led the way batting .500 with two home runs, two doubles, one triple, five runs, and three RBIs.

Ethier’s two home runs both proved to be critical in the outcomes of those games, and if he can keep this hot streak going, it would definitely help the Dodgers in their efforts to knock off the defending champs.

#2 Star: Andre Carter, Washington Redskins
Alma Mater: Cal
Stats (10/11): 6 Tackles, 2.5 Sacks, 1 Forced Fumble, 1 Pass Deflection

In what has been a largely disappointing season so far for the Washington Redskins, it was nice to see a big performance from defensive end Andre Carter.

In the 20 – 17 loss to the Carolina Panthers, Andre Carter had six tackles, two and a half sacks, one forced fumble and one pass deflection.  Carter’s two and a half sacks this week were ranked second to only James Harrison and his three for Pittsburgh.

As Washington’s offense continues to struggle, Andre Carter and the defense will have to continue to play at a high level to give the Redskins a chance to win each week.

#3 Star: Chase Utley, Philadelphia Phillies
Alma Mater: UCLA
Stats (10/7 – 10/12): 5 Runs, 1 Home Run, 1 RBI, 2 SBs, .429 AVG

The defending World Series Champions clinched the final spot in the NLCS Monday night, and Chase Utley proved to be a key factor the entire series.

Chase Utley finished the four game series with five runs, one home run, one RBI, two stolen bases and a .429 batting average. Utley’s five runs were tops on the Phillies during the series, and his two stolen bases also led the team.

Usually known for his power, Utley showed his versatility during this big series and if he stays hot with Ryan Howard, Jayson Werth and Raul Ibanez behind him, the Phillies will be awfully tough to beat.

Honorable Mentions:

USC’s Matt Cassel (253 Yards, 2 TDs, 0 INTs, 28 Rushing Yards)
Oregon State’s TJ Houshmandzadeh (5 Receptions for 77 Yards, 2 TDs)
Cal’s Marshawn Lynch (17 Carries for 69 Yards, 6 Receptions for 56 Yards, 0 TDs)
Arizona’s Antonio Pierce (8 Tackles, 1 Fumble Recovery)
Oregon’s Nick Reed (3 Tackles, 1 Sack, 1 Fumble Recovery, 1 TD)
USC’s Terrell Thomas (4 Tackles, 1 Sack, 1 Forced Fumble, 1 Pass Deflection)

Comments (5,395)

By Sam Saig,

UCLA Bruins 3-2 Overall (0-2 Conference)

This Week’s Score: Oregon 24 – UCLA 10

Next Week’s Opponent: California


Continue reading 'Pac-10 Week 6 Notes and Observations: UCLA Bruins'»

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By Dave Consolazio, October 11, 2009 7:38 pm

The pecking order in the Pac-10 after USC and Oregon continues to get cloudier instead of clearer the deeper into the season we get. Stanford and Arizona were looking like the “best of the rest”, but both picked up losses this week; Stanford, of course, to Oregon State, who appears poised and ready for their late season run with two convincing victories in a row. With games still to come against Cal, USC, and Oregon, they’ve got ime to prove they are once again for real.

And speaking of Cal, which Cal team shows up fresh off the bye next week in UCLA; Pre-Oregon Cal or Post-Oregon Cal?

Saturday

Oregon 24 – UCLA 10 (Game Matchup)
Sam: Oregon 30 – UCLA 24 (W)
Dave: Oregon 27 – UCLA 23 (W)

Arizona State 27 – Washington State 14 (Game Matchup)
Sam: Arizona State 38 – Washington State 13 (W)
Dave: Arizona State 38 – Washington State 10 (W)

Oregon State 38 – Stanford 28 (Game Matchup)
Sam: Stanford 28 – Oregon State 24 (L)
Dave: Stanford 27 – Oregon State 21 (L)

Washington 36 – Arizona 33 (Game Matchup)
Sam: Washington 30 – Arizona 27 (W)
Dave: Arizona 38 – Washington 27 (L)

Oregon State made both of us pay for picking against them for the second straight week. With Arizona up two scores late in the 4th quarter, it was looking like Sam was going to be on the losing end of our split decision once again, but he and Washington received a twist-of-fate bounce on the pick-6 to get the Huskies the win at home.

Not a single easy one on the schedule next week; should be a fun one.

Sam’s Record: 28 – 13
Dave’s Record: 31 – 10

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By Dave Consolazio, October 8, 2009 4:07 am

UCLA Bruins 3-1 Overall (0-1 Conference)

This Week’s Score: Stanford 24 – UCLA 16

Next Week’s Opponent: Oregon


Continue reading 'Pac-10 Week 5 Notes and Observations: UCLA Bruins'»

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By Dave Consolazio and Sam Saig, October 7, 2009 6:37 pm

Oregon Ducks (4-1) vs. UCLA Bruins (3-1)
Saturday, October 10, 12:30 PM PST
Las Vegas Favorite: Oregon -3.5
*AllPac10 Game of the Week*

Continue reading 'Week 6 Game Matchup: Oregon Ducks VS. UCLA Bruins'»

Comments (5,358)

By Dave Consolazio, October 5, 2009 11:29 am

There weren’t too many surprises this week, relatively speaking of course. All the teams that were favored to win won, with the exception of Oregon State, who performed their stuck with their annual practice of waiting until everyone counted them out to pick things up and earn the win.

To Sam’s credit, he did get the score prediction exactly right on that one; unfortunately it doesn’t count when the teams are swapped.

Saturday

Stanford 24 – UCLA 16 (Game Matchup)
Sam: Stanford 28 – UCLA 23 (W)
Dave: Stanford 24 – UCLA 13 (W)

Notre Dame 37 – Washington 30 (OT) (Game Matchup)
Sam: Notre Dame 35 – Washington 28 (W)
Dave: Notre Dame 34 – Washington 20 (W)

Oregon State 28 – Arizona State 17 (Game Matchup)
Sam: Arizona State 28 – Oregon State 17 (L)
Dave: Arizona State 27 – Oregon State 14 (L)

USC 30 – California 3 (Game Matchup)
Sam: California 27 – USC 24 (L)
Dave: USC 27 – California 17 (W)

Oregon 52 – Washington State 6 (Game Matchup)
Sam: Oregon 42 – Washington State 14 (W)
Dave: Oregon 49 – Washington State 9 (W)

Oregon, USC, and Stanford roll right along and leave little doubt that they are the class of the conference. But what on earth is going on with Cal? It’s hard to blame JUST the coaching or the players when it is clearly a joint effort to perform this poorly. It’s been painfully bad for the Bears who are really doing the conference no favors in silencing its critics.

Next week marks the first week of exclusively in-conference play with everyone but USC and Cal in action. Should be fun.

Sam’s Record: 25 – 12
Dave’s Record: 29 – 8

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By Dave Consolazio and Sam Saig, October 1, 2009 4:13 pm

UCLA Bruins (3-0) vs. Stanford Cardinal (3-1)
Saturday, October 3, 12:30 PM PST
Las Vegas Favorite: Stanford -5.5

Continue reading 'Week 5 Game Matchup: UCLA Bruins VS. Stanford Cardinal'»

Comments (5,422)

By Brian Consolazio, September 29, 2009 8:28 am

#1 Star: Maurice Jones-Drew, Jacksonville Jaguars
Alma Mater: UCLA
Stats (9/27): 23 Carries for 119 Yds, 3 TDs, 4 Receptions for 28 Yds

The Jacksonville Jaguars were 0 – 2 going into this weekend’s game against the Houston Texans and Maurice Jones-Drew made sure that the Jags would not drop to 0 – 3. Jones-Drew had 23 carries for 119 yards (5.2 avg) and three touchdowns, all proving to be huge plays for the Jags.

Down 14-10 in the second quarter Jones-Drew broke a 61 yd run to give the Jags a 17-14 lead. Down 21-17 Jones-Drew found the endzone again on a one yd TD to give the Jags a 24-21 lead. With the score tied at 24 going into the fouth quarter, Jones-Drew powered his way to his third score of the game and the eventual game winner.

The Jags will need more games like this out of Maurice Jones-Drew if they are going to have any chance of making the playoffs.

#2 Star: Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers
Alma Mater: Cal
Stats (9/27): 13/23, 269 Yds, 2 TDs, 8 Rushes for 38 Yds and 1 TD

With the Green Bay Packers going up against the woeful St Louis Rams, Aaron Rodgers did exactly what was expected of him in the 36-17 blowout. Rodgers went 13 for 23 with 269 yards averaging 20.69 yards per completion and had a 126.9 QB efficiency rating.

Rodgers was able to spread the ball around the entire field, completing passes to six different receivers. His eight rushes for 38 yards was also second on the team (4.8avg), and his rushing TD made his final game stats that much more impressive.

With a big showdown coming up next week against Brett Favre and the Minnesota Vikings, look for Aaron Rodgers to build off this game and bring his best to what will be one of the biggest games of the season for the Packers.

#3 Star: DeSean Jackson, Philidelphia Eagles
Alma Mater: Cal
Stats (9/27) 6 Receptions for 149 Yds, 1 Touchdown

DeSean Jackson has become the reliable deep threat wide receiver that the Eagles had hoped he would when they drafted him two years ago. Jackson posted his third straight game with a TD, and his second straight game with over 100 yards receiving.  Jackson had six receptions for 149 yards (second only to Santana Moss’ 178 yards this week).

Jackson showed his explosiveness in the second quarter in this one when he caught a slant from Kevin Kolb and blew by the secondary for a 64 yard score.

Regardless of who takes the snaps behind center in Philidelphia it looks like DeSean Jackson is going to be their go-to receiver, and if he can continue to have big games like this, look for the Eagles to be a big threat in the NFC again this year.

Honorable Mentions:

Cal’s Scott Fujita (9 Tackles)
Arizona’s Trevor Hoffman (1 Win, 2 SVs, 0.00 ERA, 0.33 WHIP)
Arizona’s Nick Hundley (4 Runs, 2 HRs, 6 RBIs, 2 SBs, .333 BA)
Oregon State’s Steven Jackson (27 Carries for 117 Yds, 5 Receptions for 46 Yds, 1 Fumble)
USC’s Steve Smith (7 Receptions for 63 Yds, 1 TD)