Football
Texas Tech beats No. 1
LUBBOCK, Texas — They called it the biggest game in Texas Tech history.
So of course it had to be this way. Of course the biggest win in the school’s history — 39-33 over No. 1 Texas on a wild Saturday night in West Texas — came on its biggest reception ever, too.
The No. 6 Red Raiders, behind a school-record 56,333 ravenous fans at Jones AT&T Stadium, overcame a second half in which their usually sure-fire offense faltered and their big halftime lead disappeared with 1:29 to play.
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Quarterback Graham Harrell found — who else? — receiver Michael Crabtree for a 28-yard scoring play with one second left.
Crabtree, who had a quiet second half until the end and played despite an ankle injury, caught the ball over UT defensive back Curtis Brown at around the UT 5 and darted up the right sideline.
"When I attacked the ball, I saw the safety fall, so I just took a shot," said Crabtree, a Carter product. "On the sideline, I kind of dreamed I would catch a pass and go into the end zone for the game-winning touchdown. But I do that every game, so it kind of shocked me."
Officials reviewed the play to see if Crabtree stepped out of bounds, but the touchdown — and Tech’s new national status — was only confirmed.
One play before Crabtree’s touchdown, UT’s Blake Gideon had appeared to intercept Harrell, but the ball hit the ground instead. And after eight tries, Tech earned its first win ever against a No. 1 team.
No. 4 Florida dominant again
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Brandon Spikes sent a message early when he slammed Knowshon Moreno to the ground on Georgia’s opening possession. Florida coach Urban Meyer delivered another one late when he called two timeouts in the final 44 seconds.
In between, the Gators dominated the Bulldogs as if it were the early 1990s, a 49-10 romp Saturday in Jacksonville that put Florida in command of the SEC East and back in the national title picture.
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It was the fourth consecutive drubbing for the Gators, who moved up one spot to No. 4 in the latest Associated Press poll. Florida (7-1, 5-1) has outscored its last four opponents 201-43, all since a 31-30 loss to Mississippi that prompted quarterback Tim Tebow to promise something good would come from the setback.
It could happen next week.
The Gators can clinch a spot in the Southeastern Conference title game with a win at Vanderbilt
Alabama next up at No. 1
NEW YORK — Next up at No. 1, Alabama.
The Crimson Tide became the fifth team this season to sit atop the AP Top 25, moving up a spot Sunday after previously top-ranked Texas was toppled by Texas Tech.
The Red Raiders, who scored a touchdown with a second left at home to beat the Longhorns 39-33 Saturday night, jumped four spots and past No. 3 Penn State to No. 2. The unbeaten Nittany Lions were idle.
No. 4 Florida moved up one place after its 49-10 rout of Georgia and Texas dropped four spots to No. 5.
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The Crimson Tide, which beat Arkansas State 35-0, received 46 of a possible 65 first-place votes from the media panel and 1,600 points. Texas Tech got 12 first-place votes and 1,528 points and Penn State had six and 1,525. The Gators received the other No. 1 vote.
The top spot in the poll hasn’t been held by this many teams since 1990, when Miami, Notre Dame, Colorado, Michigan and Virginia all had a turn at No 1.
Georgia started this season No. 1 and was replaced by Southern California after the opening week.
Lions, Culpepper agree to pact
CHICAGO — Daunte Culpepper and the Detroit Lions have agreed on a contract, although the length and financial terms of the deal were not clear.
Coach Rod Marinelli, who made the announcement after his team’s 27-23 loss to the Chicago Bears on Sunday, would not answer questions about the deal but did say it hinges on the results of a pending non-orthopedic physical.
At 0-8, the Lions clearly need help.
How much the 31-year-old Culpepper can provide remains to be seen. He planned to retire in December because he was frustrated over not finding work after a knee injury limited him with the Miami Dolphins in 2006 and Oakland Raiders in 2007.
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Running
Goucher third at NYC Marathon
NEW YORK — Kara Goucher ran in memory of her father, took to heart a note from coach Alberto Salazar and became the first American woman to earn a top-three finish at the New York City Marathon in 14 years.
Goucher, who attended high school in Duluth, briefly led at the midway point on Sunday, finished third in 2 hours, 25 minutes, 53 seconds. That eclipsed Deena Kastor for the fastest marathon debut by an American woman. Kastor ran a 2:26:58 in 2001, also in New York.
Paula Radcliffe defended her title at the New York City Marathon on Sunday to become the second woman to win the race three times.
Marilson Gomes dos Santos of Brazil won the men’s race for the second time in three years, passing Abderrahim Goumri of Morocco with about a mile to go.
"It definitely hasn’t hit me yet," said Goucher, a 30-year-old. "(Deena) set the standard for American distance running."
Goucher, who was born in New York City, got a note in her backpack from three-time NYC Marathon winner Salazar telling her to "have faith" and "you’re ready."
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Auto racing
Edwards wins second straight
FORT WORTH, Texas — Carl Edwards won for the second straight week, squeezing a victory out of his last tank of gas. And this time Jimmie Johnson ran out of magic.
The combination of the win by Edwards and a 15th-place finish by Johnson in Sunday’s Dickies 500 at Texas Motor Speedway moved the race winner within 106 points of NASCAR Sprint Cup points leader Johnson with just two races remaining.
Although Edwards dominated most of the race, leading 199 of the first 264 laps on the 1.5-mile oval, it was a daring call by crew chief Bob Osborne that got Edwards this win after several other drivers used two-tire strategies to get ahead of him near the finish.
Golf
Palmer wins with birdie
PALM COAST, Fla. — Ryan Palmer rallied from a rules mistake and pulled himself out of a seven-way tie to win the PGA Tour Ginn sur Mer Classic on Sunday.
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Palmer, who was at No. 143 on the money list with two tournaments remaining, had to call a penalty on himself and made bogey on the 10th hole, then took double bogey on the next hole with a tee shot into the water.
But he rebounded with a 10-foot birdie he desperately needed on the final hole at Ginn Ocean Hammock Resort for his second career victory.
Michael Letzig, the 54-hole leader, needed a birdie on the par-5 18th to force a playoff. But his wedge spun 35 feet down the slope and he had to settle for par and a 73 to finish one shot behind.
Also tying for second were George McNeill, Nicholas Thompson, Ken Duke and Vaughn Taylor, who was at No. 129 on the money list and earned enough to secure his card for next year.
