Offtopic/fun » the third round.Third-seeded Kei Nishi

Mississippi State coach Dan Mullen says a little bit of adversity isnt always a bad thing and tough times can make a team better.If thats the case, the Bulldogs hope the results come sooner rather than later.Theres no denying its been a rough first half of the season for Mississippi State (2-4, 1-2 Southeastern Conference), which has lost three of its last four games, including last weeks 28-21 double overtime loss at BYU.The BYU setback was undeniably frustrating -- especially since Mississippi State led for a big chunk of the evening -- but at least there was some reason for optimism. The Bulldogs were much more competitive than the week before, when they fell behind 35-0 at home before losing to Auburn 38-14.Mullen said the team played physical and hard in the BYU loss, but crucial mistakes -- including personal foul penalties and missed assignments -- are keeping the Bulldogs out of the win column.Some of the silly penalties we had overshadowed some tremendous efforts we had on the defensive side of the ball, but you see some young guys start to make plays and play a little better, Mullen said.Mississippi State appears to have a few winnable games ahead of it, starting with a road matchup against Kentucky (3-3, 2-2) on Saturday. The Bulldogs have won seven straight games in the series dating back to 2009.But Kentucky has played better of late, winning three of its last four.Mississippi State hasnt had nearly as much to celebrate lately.Mullen said he hopes the Bulldogs will do a better job in the passing game against Kentucky after an up-and-down week against BYU. Sophomore Nick Fitzgerald continued his inconsistent play, completing 17 of 36 passes for 214 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions.One bright spot was Fitzgeralds short pass to freshman Keith Mixon, who ran 44 yards down the sideline for the Bulldogs first touchdown against BYU. Other than that, Mississippi State struggled to create big offensive plays.Mullen says hes willing to take shots downfield. Its up to his players to execute.I dont think weve decreased the number of shots we have taken down the field, Mullen said. I think weve decreased the efficiency of our shots downfield. I think we have to hit a couple of those.Mississippi States offense is working around the absence of starting running back Brandon Holloway. The senior missed the BYU game because of an ankle injury and his return for the Kentucky game is in doubt.Thats meant larger roles for others like sophomore Aeris Williams, who ran for a team-high 82 yards against BYU. Mixon, who has scored a touchdown in two straight games, and sophomore Malik Dear have also become a bigger part of the offense.Its just opportunities for someone else to take and step up, Dear said. Brandon (Holloway) is a great player and we are going to try to do what he does best and to fill his role. But Brandon can only be Brandon, Keith can only be Keith and Malik can only be Malik. So we are going to go out there and do what we can do.-----Follow David Brandt on Twitter: www.twitter.com/davidbrandtAP . AP College Football website: www.collegefootball.ap.org .Matt Breida Womens Jersey . 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The medical staff initially thought hed torn the ligament, and the test a day later in Cincinnati confirmed it.TORONTO -- Top-ranked Novak Djokovic survived a scare to beat Gilles Muller 7-5, 7-6 (3) on Wednesday in the Rogers Cup, his final event before the Rio Olympics.I actually think that Toronto is a great way for me to prepare for the Olympic Games and whats coming up after that, Djokovic said. But also, you know, I enjoy my time in this tournament that I always love playing.The Serbian star noted that he had extra time off after falling in the third round at Wimbledon. The Rogers Cup rotates between Toronto and Montreal, with the women playing in Montreal this week.I enjoy Canada, both cities, Toronto and Montreal, and the past results in history show that I have a good time on Canadian soil, so I try to get the best out of it, said Djokovic, the tournament winner in 2007, 2011 and 2012.Djokovic struggled against Muller in his first hard-court match since March, both with his serves and his short game. Ultimately, unforced errors were Mullers undoing, with both sets easily inn reach of the unseeded player from Luxembourg.dddddddddddd.Gilles Muller is a very difficult player to play against in quick conditions, Djokovic said. He takes away the time of the opponent. He serves and volleys second serve a lot, as well, which hes one of the rare guys that does that. He likes to play quick, and I think the warm day like today played a lot in his favor.Djokovic will face qualifier Radek Stepanek of the Czech Republic in the third round.Third-seeded Kei Nishikori of Japan downed American Dennis Novikov 6-4, 7-5; and fourth-seeded Milos Raonic of Canada beat Taiwans Lu Yen-hsun 6-3, 6-3.American qualifier Ryan Harrison outlasted ninth-seeded countryman John Isner 7-6 (3), 6-7 (4), 6-4, and 10th-seeded Gael Monfils of France topped Canadas Vasek Pospisil, Canada, 7-6 (6), 6-0. Monfils won the Citi Open on Sunday in Washington. ' ' '