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EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — For a fewglorious seconds, at least, Robert Griffin IIIconjured heroics of his rookie season.
With eight seconds on the clock and achance to extend Washington’s lead beforethe first half expired,Griffin took off runningfor the end zone and launchedhimself—ballcradled inhis hands, armsoutstretched—forthe score.
But on a hostile field, against their oldestfoe, the Redskins were jolted back to realityin the most unexpected way. Upon review,what would have been Griffin’s first rushingtouchdown since 2012 was negated, ruled atouchback instead because he temporarilylost possessionof theball ashe sailed into thecorner of the end zone.
That disappointment would lead to more.Jay Gruden’s Redskins found a new way to
surrender points en route to a familiaroutcome: another double-digit defeat.
With Giants rookie wide receiver Odell
Beckham Jr. catching all three of EliManning’s touchdown throws, Washington(3-11) lost its sixth consecutive game, 24-13, toclinch a rock-bottom finish in theNFCEast.
Griffin, just 24, has already had a career’sworth of NFL comebacks. Sunday broughtanother opportunity to re-stake a claim asWashington’s quarterback of the future afterColt McCoy, who supplanted him as thestarter last month, aggravated a neck injuryin his opening series.
In no way did Griffin reclaim the promiseof his NFL offensive rookie-of-the-yearseason Sunday. But he showed glimpses ofthe improvisational skills that once madeNFL defenses quake. He also showed costlybouts of indecision in the pocket, whichplayed a role in the seven sacks he endured.
Griffin finished 18-of-27 for 236 yards andone touchdown.
NFL GIANTS 24, REDSKINS 13
CATCH ITLIKE BECKHAM
Odell Beckham Jr. caught all three touchdown passes on the day for the Giants as New York beat Washington, 24-13, at Metlife Stadium.
AL BELLO/GETTY PHOTO
Giants receiver accountsfor three touchdowns asN.Y. takes down Redskins
Sunday’s resultsN.Y. GIANTS 24, Washington 13Pittsburgh 27, ATLANTA 20NEW ENGLAND 41, Miami 13KANSAS CITY 31, Oakland 13INDIANAPOLIS 17, Hou. 10BALTIMORE 20, Jacksonville 12BUFFALO 21, Green Bay 13CAROLINA 19, Tampa Bay 17Cincinnati 30, CLEVELAND 0DETROIT 16, Minnesota 14N.Y. Jets 16, TENNESSEE 11Denver 22, SAN DIEGO 10SEATTLE 17, San Francisco 7Dallas at Philadelphia, late
Home team in CAPS
By Liz ClarkeTheWashington Post
See SKINS/Page 4
SPORTSMONDAY, DECEMBER 15, 2014
CARY, N.C. — Veteran Virginiamen’s soccer coach George Gel-novatch and All-American seniorEric Bird admitted the 2014 Cava-liers were far from the mosttalented of the school’s sevenNCAAchampions.
But all that matters in themoment and history is Virginiajoined the school’s previous sixchamps by bringing home the2014 College Cup, winning 4-2 inpenalty kicks against UCLA inSunday’s final before 8,015 fans at
the WakeMed Soccer Park in thissuburb of Raleigh.
“We may not have been themost talented team, but we werethe best in terms of camaraderieand teamwork,” said Bird, whorecovered from a groin injury toplay a backup role in Friday’s 1-0semifinal win over UMBC and inSunday’s final.
“This was the closest team incollege soccer.”
Virginia added to its 2009NCAA title that also was con-tested inCary.
The Cavaliers are 6-1-1 in na-tional finals, sharing the title withSanta Clara in 1989 and fourstraight from 1991-94. It’s also thefirst time Virginia has defeatedUCLA in NCAA play, having lostto theBruins in the1997 final,1999quarterfinals and 2006 semifinals.
Gelnovatch, who played at Vir-ginia and has been a part of allseven titles as an assistant andhead coach, added, “We wereconstantly changing andadapting,and the whole time this was acoachable groupwho listened.”
The two blue bloods of Ameri-can college soccer played 90minutes of regulation and two10-minute overtime periods ofscoreless soccer before the titlecame down to a pair of European-sized goalies: Virginia’s 6-foot-5,200-pound senior Calle Brownand UCLA’s 6-3, 185-pound seniorEarl Edwards Jr.
Virginia won the coin flip to gofirst, and the two goalies fist-bumped as they walked towardthe goal.
COLLEGE SOCCER
7THHEAVEN: CAVS CROWNED AGAIN
Virginia players run toward the goal to celebrate after winning theCollege Cup on penalty kicks against UCLA.
ROB KINNAN/USA TODAY SPORTS PHOTO
See CAVS/Page 4
U.Va. beats UCLAon penalty kicksto claim College CupBy Tom ShanahanCorrespondent
NEWPORT NEWS — At 5-foot-6, Breven Lyons isn’t valuedfor his rebounding. But withfamily and friends watching, hewas in the right place at the righttime and helped Virginia Wesley-an survive a spirited effort fromChristopherNewport.
The senior fromWarwickHighsomehow grabbed an offensiverebound in the lane andpogoed ina follow shot that lifted the11th-ranked Marlins to an 84-83overtime victory over CNU in aSunday matinee at the FreemanCenter.
“I saw it come off the rim, so Ijust went for the rebound,” Lyonssaid. “ThankGodIwas intherightspot. I was determined not tolose.”
Lyons and Virginia Wesleyan(7-1) returned the favor afterCNU’s overtime win last year atthe Batten Center in a taut,entertaining affair between thelocalDivision III rivals.
The Captains (5-2) did withoutleading scorer and rebounderTimDaly. The 6-6 sophomore, whoaverages nearly 19 points and ninereboundspergame, injuredakneein practice last week and willundergo anMRI to determine the
COLLEGE HOOPS
LYONSLIFTSMARLINS
See MARLINS/Page 5
Wesleyan guard notchesgame-winner against CNU
By Dave [email protected]
Though thehead football coachposition at Virginia Military In-stitute requires a candidatewith acertain kind of mindset, formerVirginia assistant coach ScottWa-chenheim’s background mightjust help him fit the bill.
Sunday, Wachenheim wasnamed the new coach at VMI.He’ll leave U.Va., where he hasbeen on staff for all five seasons ofcoach Mike London’s tenure, in-cluding the last four seasonsas theCavaliers’ offensive line coach.
Wachenheim’s extensive ties toservice academy life and themilitary make him uniquelyequipped for a job at a place likeVMI. He has 28 seasons as anassistant coach at the FootballChampionship Subdivision, Foot-ball Bowl Subdivision and NFLlevels, but it all got started for himat theAir ForceAcademy.
He was a four-year starter onAir Force’s offensive line from1980-83 and graduated from Air
COLLEGE FOOTBALL
VMI TABSCAVS’O-LINECOACHBy [email protected]
See VMI/Page 4
QuarterbackMarcusMariota, left, was the runawaywinner of
the Heisman Trophy on Saturday night. The Hawaiian native,
whose humble nature was highlighted during his acceptance
speech, becomes the first player from theUniversity ofOregon to
win the award, beating out Wisconsin’s Melvin Gordon III and
Alabama’s Amari Cooper. For Chris Dufresne’s take onMariota’s
honor, please turn toPage6.BRAD PENNER/REUTERS PHOTO
COLLEGE FOOTBALL
Mariota wins in landslide
Product: DPBroadsheet PubDate: 12-15-2014 Zone: ALL Edition: 1ST Folio: B1 User: jmarra Time: 12-14-2014 21:31 Color: CMYK Notes:
