Offtopic/fun » outscored South Carolinas celebrated front line 42-

Its not Mississippi State coach Dan Mullens style to reveal much about his depth chart before the first game, so it came as quite a surprise when he announced a starting quarterback during this weeks press conference.His choice: Nick Williams.Only one problem -- no such player exists on the roster.Cant say the coach doesnt have a sense of humor. The joke was a combination of the names of the two quarterbacks -- junior Damian Williams and sophomore Nick Fitzgerald -- who have worked their way to the top of Mississippi States depth chart.Mullen said both will play when Mississippi State hosts South Alabama on Saturday in the opener for both teams. He said the two-man plan isnt an attempt to deceive the Jaguars.I was wanting complete clarity and having a defined No. 1, said Mullen, who is in his eighth season at Mississippi State. But I dont think there is one yet so I plan on us playing more than one in the first quarter.A two-quarterback system might not be ideal, but its better than the situation at the start of the month. The Bulldogs opened preseason camp with a four-man race before sophomore Elijah Staley transferred after the first few weeks of camp.Redshirt freshman Nick Tiano appears to be the third-string quarterback, though Mullen said hes excited about his long-term future with the program.Williams is the veteran of the bunch, but has only one career start which was back in 2013 as a true freshman. The 6-foot-1, 229-pounder redshirted last season.The 6-foot-5, 230-pound Fitzgerald completed 11 of 14 passes for 235 yards and three touchdowns last year in a reserve role. He said he wasnt sure who was going to take the first snap against South Alabama, but that it wasnt particularly important.Were all going to play, were all going to get our snaps and show what we can do, Fitzgerald said.Williams and Fitzgerald have the unenviable task of trying to replace the departed Dak Prescott, who was easily the most productive quarterback in program history and is now the likely starter for the NFLs Dallas Cowboys.But Prescott wasnt a star at Mississippi State immediately. He didnt earn a full-time starting role until his junior season.Mullen believes both Williams and Fitzgerald have the ability to be productive quarterbacks. He notes that the limited experience both players have provided a lesson on dealing with pressure.Williams only career start was against rival Ole Miss in the 2013 Egg Bowl -- a game the Bulldogs won. Fitzgerald was used extensively in a win over Troy last year because Prescott was sick.I think both of those guys have been thrown into tough situations, and both performed well in the situations they got thrown into, Mullen said. I want to give the guys an opportunity and see how they are going to perform on Saturday.-----Follow David Brandt on Twitter: www.twitter.com/davidbrandtAP-----AP College Football website: www.collegefootball.ap.orgWholesale Shoes Nike . LOUIS -- The New Orleans Saints looked like a team playing out the string. Wholesale Shoes Adidas . Neymar curled home a free kick from just outside the area to put the 2014 World Cup host ahead in the 44th minute. Three minutes after the break, a simple through pass from Paulinho freed Oscar and the Chelsea star rounded goalkeeper Jung Sung-ryong to extend Brazils lead. https://www.wholesaleshoesforcheap.com/ . After Gasquet beat fifth-seeded Ivan Dodig of Croatia 7-5, 6-3, Tsonga followed up with a 6-7 (3), 6-2, 6-2 win against sixth-seeded Edouard Roger-Vasselin in an all-French match. Wholesale Shoes For Sale . After a lengthy wait, persistent rain finally forced the postponement of the Nationals game against the Miami Marlins on Saturday night. The teams, and a few thousand fans, waited nearly four hours from the 7:05 scheduled start time before an announcement was made shortly before 11 p. Wholesale Shoes USA . The Nashville Predators were glad their captain was still on their side. Weber had a goal and two assists, and Roman Josi scored the shootout winner to lift the Predators to a 4-3 win over the Flyers on Thursday night.DURHAM, N.C. -- Duke wants to show it once again belongs among the elite teams in womens basketball. Beating No. 3 South Carolina is a good way to prove it.Rebecca Greenwell scored seven of her 29 points in the final 5 1/2 minutes, leading the Blue Devils past the Gamecocks 74-63 on Sunday.I think it shows we can play with anyone out there, Greenwell said. We knew that from the beginning of the season, but now its just showing it to others.Oderah Chidom added 15 points to help the Blue Devils (9-1) earn their first victory over a top-three opponent since they knocked off No. 3 Ohio State in 2009.I wanted to make a statement, Chidom said, and South Carolinas a great team to do it against.Duke shot 50 percent and forced the Gamecocks (6-1) into a season-worst 19 turnovers, turning them into 28 points.Coach Dawn Staley said her team played undisciplined basketball.We wanted to stay really close to Greenwell, because we know what shes capable of, Staley said. And obviously, she made us pay.Aja Wilson scored 18 points and Kaela Davis added 14 for South Carolina, which pulled to 66-60 on Bianca Cuevas-Moores 3-pointer with 1:41 left and immediately called timeout.But the Gamecocks came out of that break and put six players on the court, earning them a technical foul. Greenwell hit two free throws with 1:40 remaining, and after Duke forced a stop, Kyra Lambert added two foul shots to push the Blue Devils lead to 70-60 with 1:05 remaining.BIG PICTURESouth Carolina: The Gamecocks have plenty to work on after this -- starting with ball security. They lead the nation with averages of 21 free throws made and 30 of them attempted, but got to the line only 14 times in this one, making nine. Staley says all of her teams problems can be corrected by simply tightening things up att the defensive end.dddddddddddd The only team to score more against her Gamecocks was Ohio State in a 92-80 loss in the opener on Nov. 14.I think if we can fix our defense, Staley said, the turnovers will help themselves.Duke: This was the kind of victory the Blue Devils needed as they try to climb back into the national rankings after some stumbles last season knocked them out of the polls. The Blue Devils had lost eight straight games against Top 25 opponents since they beat No. 12 Mississippi State two years ago in the NCAA Tournament.POLL IMPLICATIONSThis loss figures to send South Carolina dropping a few spots. As for Duke, it looked like the kind of victory that could earn the Blue Devils their first national ranking since midway through last season.KEY STATDuke outscored South Carolinas celebrated front line 42-32 in the paint. Said Duke coach Joanne P. McCallie: Thats a 10-point difference in our favor, and thats the game.WELCOME BACKSouth Carolinas Allisha Gray scored 11 points in her return to Cameron Indoor Stadium. Gray played for rival North Carolina for two seasons, scoring 24 points here in a win in 2014 and 20 in a loss the following year before transferring from the Tar Heels.UP NEXTSouth Carolina: The Gamecocks return home and have a week off before playing host to Minnesota on Dec. 11.Duke: The Blue Devils on Thursday night play host to an Elon team in a matchup that pits mother against daughter: Elon guard Maddie McCallie is the daughter of Duke coach Joanne P. McCallie.---Follow Joedy McCreary at http://twitter.com/joedyap.---More AP college basketball: www.collegebasketball.ap.org and https://twitter.com/AP-Top25. ' ' '