Offtopic/fun » Roethlisberger. The Steeler

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. -- No. 15 Purdue kept making No. 3 Villanova hold its breath Monday night.Josh Hart made sure the Wildcats followed the same old beat.The preseason All-America guard scored 24 points, made big shot after big shot and calmly sank the final four free throws of the game to help the defending national champions hang on for a 79-76 victory.Josh just said to me at the beginning of the second half that `we got this, Wildcats coach Jay Wright said. Thats the real strength of this team -- the leadership. I think thats what you saw the start of the second half.Villanova (2-0) has won eight straight games, including the six NCAA Tournament wins that led to last seasons national championship. And as far as early-season victories go, this was about as big as they come.Purdue had won nine straight on its home court and had only lost one previous November game since Matt Painter took over as coach in 2006-07.The difference was Villanova had Hart, who finished three points short of his career high, and the Boilermakers didnt have an answer.We had to do a better job on Josh Hart, Painter said. Their overall toughness is among the best in the country.Purdue sure didnt make it easy on the Wildcats, who made their first seven shots of the second half and charged to a 56-45 lead.The Boilermakers rallied behind Isaac Haas and Caleb Swanigan, who combined for five straight baskets during a flurry that pulled Purdue to 61-60. Haas scored 18 of his 22 points in the second half, and Swanigan had 20 points, eight rebounds and four assists.But with Harts shooting and the Wildcats stout defense, the Boilermakers never took the lead, never tied the score and couldnt make either 3-pointer that could have forced overtime in the waning seconds.This game was huge for us, playing a great team, a very disciplined team in that crazy environment, Hart said.Darryl Reynolds had 12 points and eight rebounds for Villanova.BIG PICTUREVillanova: The Wildcats passed their biggest test of November -- barely. Now theyve got five games over the next 15 days, three more by Sunday, to get everything in sync.Purdue: This early test showed the Boilermakers can play with the big boys. Beating them might still be a challenge if they dont find more perimeter shooting.COUNT ITThe Boilermakers erased a 39-34 deficit in the final 40 seconds of the first half with a layup from Swanigan and after Vince Edwards scooped up a loose ball and got it to guard P.J. Thompson, who banked in a buzzer-beating 3 from midcourt to tie it. The crowd went wild long before a replay review confirmed the original call that it counted.RARE AIRPurdue is 12-14 when facing a defending national champ. But having one from outside the Big Ten visit West Lafayette is a rarity. Since hosting UCLA for the opening game on Dec. 2 1967, it had happened only one other time before Monday: Against Louisville on Jan. 18, 1987. UCLA won the first game 73-71, but the Boilermakers beat Louisville 88-73.POLL IMPLCATIONSVillanova: The Wildcats proved theyre worthy of a high ranking with a quality road victory but will be hard-pressed to move up unless No. 1 Duke or No. 2 Kentucky lose.Purdue: The Boilermakers arent likely to slide much, if at all, after coming within a basket or two of upsetting a top-5 team.UP NEXTVillanova: On Thursday, the Wildcats face Western Michigan in Charleston, South Carolina, as they begin chasing a fourth straight in-season tourney title.Purdue: Hosts Georgia State on Friday, marking the return of former IUPUI coach Ron Hunter. The Boilermakers are 24-2 at Mackey Arena over the last 26 games.---More AP college basketball: http://collegebasketball.ap.orgNike Air VaporMax Black+Anthracite . -- Tony Stewart is 20 pounds lighter and has a titanium rod in his surgically repaired right leg. Vapormax 95 Clearance . Nigeria beat surprise package Ethiopia 2-0 in the second leg of their playoff for a comfortable 4-1 aggregate victory. Victor Moses converted a 20th-minute penalty after an Ethiopian handball, and Victor Obinna made certain of Nigerias place in Brazil with his powerful free kick in the 82nd at UJ Esuene Stadium. http://www.clearancevapormax.com/cheap-vapormax-2020-clearance.html . William Carrier opened the scoring for Cape Breton (6-4-2), but Andrew Ryan tied the game and Brent Andrews put the Mooseheads (8-6-0) in front for good with a short-handed goal at 13:49 of the second period. Vapormax 2 Flyknit Clearance . PETERSBURG, Fla. Cheap Vapormax Womens China .Y. - Nelson Mandela will be honoured by the New York Yankees with a plaque in Monument Park.PHILADELPHIA -- Carson Wentz threw for 301 yards and two touchdowns, a fierce defense shut down Ben Roethlisberger and Antonio Brown and the Philadelphia Eagles beat the Pittsburgh Steelers 34-3 on Sunday to remain unbeaten.The rookie No. 2 overall pick connected with Darren Sproles on a 73-yard, catch-and-run TD and tossed a 12-yard TD pass to Jordan Matthews.Everyone has confidence and high expectations for themselves, Wentz said. Were playing inspired football.After beating the Browns and Bears in the first two games, the Eagles (3-0) proved they could compete with the big boys.The Steelers (2-1) averaged 31 points the first two weeks and are considered Super Bowl contenders.Pittsburgh was 19-2 against rookie quarterbacks since 2004. But Wentz is no ordinary rookie.Everyone is jumping on the Wentz wagon in Philadelphia. And he was the No. 3 quarterback until Sam Bradford was traded to Minnesota just eight days before the season opener.What hes doing is special and its a testament to his preparation and demeanor, Eagles safety Malcolm Jenkins said of Wentz.Sproles finished with six catches for 128 yards and Kenjon Barner and rookie Wendell Smallwood each had their first career rushing TDs.Roethlisberger had 257 yards passing, one interception and no TDs after tossing six in the first two games. Brown caught 12 passes for 140 yards, most of which after the outcome was decided.This is a very good NFC team, Roethlisberger said. They got after us and made us one-dimensional.THEY SAID IT: Steelers coach Mike Tomlin: We lost just about every aspect of that one. It was a poor performance by us, and I mean all of us. It starts with me. They outcoached us. They outplayed us. They were better fundamentally. We were highly penalized. We didnt get it done and they did.FAST START: The Eagles scored on their first drive for the third straight game. Caleb Sturgis 29-yard FG put them up 3-0. Wentz tossed a TD pass to Matthews on the next possession to make it 10-0. Sturgis kicked a 38-yard FG on Philadelphias third drive for a 13-3 lead.MISSSED OPPORTUNITY: After Pittsburghs Markus Wheaton dropped a TD pass in the back of the end zone on the games opening drive, Bennie Logan blocked Chris Boswells 36-yard FG attempt.ddddddddddddINJURIES: Steelers LB Lawrence Timmons injured his left shin in the first half and was taken to a hospital for evaluation. He returned to the locker room after the game with a huge bandage on his shin. SS Robert Golden (hamstring) and LG Ramon Foster (chest) also didnt return in the second half for Pittsburgh. WR Eli Rogers injured his toe in the third quarter and didnt return. ... The Eagles were missing two starters for the second straight game: TE Zach Ertz (rib) and CB Leodis McKelvin (hamstring).BOTHERING BIG BEN: Fletcher Cox had two sacks, including one that forced a fumble recovered by Brandon Graham. Logan and Graham also had sacks as the Eagles put plenty of pressure on Roethlisberger. The Steelers allowed only two sacks in the first two games combined.NIFTY MOVES: The speedy, elusive Sproles left Artie Burns on the ground by zig-zagging his way into the end zone after catching Wentzs pass down the right sideline near the Philadelphia 48, cutting to the middle of the field, back to the right and then scoring down the middle.STATS: Wentz is the first rookie in NFL history without an interception in his first 100 pass attempts to begin a career. ... The Steelers are 0-9 in Philadelphia since their previous win here in 1965. ... Eagles RB Ryan Mathews carried only two times for minus-5 yards. ... Barner had 42 yards rushing, including an 8-yard TD. ... Smallwood had 79 yards rushing, including a 1-yard TD.ANTHEM PROTEST: Jenkins and CB Ron Brooks were the only players to raise their fists during the national anthem. Last week, they were joined by DEs Marcus Smith and Steven Means.---AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP-NFL---Follow Rob Maaddi on Twitter: https://twitter.com/AP-RobMaaddi ' ' '