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Al Messerschmidt - Getty Images 1 day ago: COLUMBIA, SC - OCTOBER 9: Wide receiver Alshon Jefrey #1 of the South Carolina Gamecocks celebrates a touchdown catch against the Alabama Crimson Tide October 9, 2010 at Williams-Brice Stadium in Columbia, South Carolina. (Photo by Al Messerschmidt/Getty Images) View full size photo » Recapping Week 6 in the SEC, where South Car ...
Recapping Week 6 in the SEC, where South Carolina's win against Alabama threatens to rewrite the script. And Les Miles does something else insane in LSU's shocking win against Florida.
The No. 1 team in the country was coming off a dramatic victory against the Florida Gators as they headed toward a showdown with one of the lesser-regarded teams in the SEC East. Sure, there was talk that the perpetual also-ran -- if they could even be called an also-ran -- was going to have a special year this year, but there were still plenty of reasons to doubt it. Just the week before, the underdog had gone on the road to another rising SEC team and returned home with its first loss.
The No. 1 team was the LSU Tigers, the underdogs were the Kentucky Wildcats and the game ended up with an LSU loss. As we all know, the Bayou Bengals would win the national title that year and Kentucky would once again claim its seeming birthright with an invitation to the Music City Bowl. Which is better than can be said for the high-flying South Carolina team that defeated the Wildcats; they went on a five-game losing streak shortly thereafter that would keep them from going to any bowl at all.
That is not to say that Alabama is going to play for the BCS National Championship this year after losing to South Carolina this weekend, or that the Gamecocks will end up in Nashville in December, or that the events of this past weekend will not prove to reshape the 2010 season.
But the SEC appears to have at least five teams that could be elite -- Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn, LSU and South Carolina -- but also have reasons to think they aren't quite there. It has another team in Florida that might be good if it can find an identity, and several other teams that are question marks. All of which means that the upset in Columbia probably isn't the end of the shake-up in the SEC, and could just be the beginning of something even wilder.
History does not repeat itself, as Mark Twain reportedly said, but it often rhymes.
THE GAMECOCKS CREST; IS THE TIDE ABOUT TO EBB?
South Carolina 35, Alabama 21
Back in May, Roll Bama Roll ran a poll on which team the Tide faithful thought the reigning national champions would most likely lose to. Of course, nobody came in first by a wide margin, these being Alabama fans. Down in fourth place, behind Florida and Arkansas, sat the South Carolina Gamecocks.
There were plenty of reasons for Alabama fans to feel confident going into Columbia. It had taken the Gamecocks 11 tries to get their first on-the-field victory against the Tide. There were questions about South Carolina along both the offensive and defensive lines. This was the team against whom Mark Ingram had essentially launched his Heisman campaign in 2009. And, if all else failed, Stephen Garcia could always be counted on to make a back-breaking mistake.
And it started out like you might expect a Tide victory. Alabama drove 54 yards on nine plays in its opening volley, finishing with a field goal when South Carolina's defense characteristically stepped up in the red zone. Then, things took a turn.
South Carolina responded with a touchdown, taking a 7-3 lead. Alabama responded with a drive that ended in a punt. South Carolina followed with another touchdown -- 14-3. On the next drive, Greg McElroy was sacked and lost the football. One minute of gametime later, it was 21-3.
This was clearly not what the Alabama faithful had in mind. By halftime, it was 21-9, Stephen Garcia had played flawless football (9-of-9, 94 yards, 3 TDs), and South Carolina running back Marcus Lattimore was outrushing Mark Ingram and Trent Richardson combined.
But there was still hope. The Gamecocks almost fumbled away the opening kickoff of the second half, and Stephen Garcia seemed to remember on the first play from scrimmage that he was Stephen Garcia. The snap sailed past Garcia to the South Carolina 4, at which point the only thing Garcia could do was to fall on the ball. The one thing he absolutely could not, must not do was get caught for a safety, which would cut the lead to 10 and give the ball back to Bama. Of course, Stephen Garcia did not get caught for the safety -- he conceded it by throwing the ball out of the back of the end zone.
The ensuing Alabama drive led to a field goal, cutting the score to 21-14. And across the South Carolina fan base, a slew of flashbacks kicked in, games where this mistake or that had over the years taken away so many upsets. It was fun while it lasted, a sane fan base might have thought, but this is as long as it lasts.
But the South Carolina fan base is not sane -- more than 80,000 of them regularly turn out for home games despite more than a century's worth of evidence that this is a waste of an otherwise lovely autumn day -- and this appears to be a very different South Carolina team. The Gamecocks promptly went on their own touchdown drive, and the lead was once again two touchdowns.
What followed -- an Alabama touchdown, an unsuccessful Alabama fake field goal and a South Carolina touchdown drive that included a fourth-down conversion on the Gamecocks' own 35-yard line -- slowly confirmed that not only would South Carolina defeat the Tide, they wouldn't do it in the kind of fluke that most people thought would be the only way the Gamecocks could defeat the Tide.
Alabama outgained South Carolina slightly -- by 40 yards -- but the Gamecocks essentially outplayed the Tide for the entire game. It was Greg McElroy that often seemed like the confused starting quarterback, not Stephen Garcia. Ingram and Richardson combined for 64 yards on 17 carries, the lack of rushing attempts at first a sign of questionable coaching and then a necessity as the game began to get away.
For South Carolina's trio of offensive leaders -- Garcia, Lattimore and wide receiver Alshon Jeffery -- the game was a form of vindication. Garcia was all but perfect aside from the safety. Lattimore proved he could perform well against a respected defense (23 carries, 93 yards, 2 TDs). And Jeffery's seven catches for 127 yards and 2 TDs included a sideline grab near the end of the game in which the referee seemed to astounded by the one-handed catch to throw the obvious pass-interference call on Dre Kirkpatrick, who blatantly grabbed the front of Jeffery's jersey to try to keep him from making the catch. And the defense held well enough to give South Carolina the victory.
Gamecocks fans went from expecting the worst to watching the best, as Garnet And Black Attack recounts.
I thought our chance to make history was slipping through our grasp.
This time, though, we responded to the bell. The defense got big stop after big stop, and the offense made play after play to keep drives alive and score more points. It was a great performance, and it was undoubtedly cathartic for the many Carolina fans who have watched us fail to take a victory like this for so many years.
Alabama fans, meanwhile, are having to regroup and recalibrate their goals for the moment.
No, we're probably not going to be able to make it to Glendale -- for time being anyway, entirely too many undefeated BCS conference teams to consider that a likelihood, and we just lost all control of our own destiny -- but that should not be the focal point now anyway. When you have played as poorly as we have in two of the last three weeks, and when you specifically review the South Carolina game, this is a team with a lot of problems right now and frankly a team who should not even be thinking about the notion of a national championship at this juncture.
Next up for South Carolina is an always-tricky trip to Lexington to try to extend the Gamecocks' 10-game winning streak against Kentucky. Alabama returns to Tuscaloosa to face Ole Miss, losers for the first time since the 2009 Sugar Bowl.
WHAT DID LES MILES DO THIS WEEK?
LSU 33, Florida 29
Somewhere along the way, LSU's undefeated season has become the vampire of college football: If you want to kill it, you had best bring along a wooden stake and a clove of garlic, and you had best be prepared to use them. Otherwise, LSU is going to do what it has more or less done to North Carolina, Tennessee and Florida, to name a few: Win despite there being no discernible reason for the Tigers having done so.
Actually, the box scores look pretty much like what you would expect in an LSU win: The Bengals outgained Florida by 142 yards, ran and passed(!) the ball better than the Gators and were even in the turnover battle. The Jordan Jefferson-Jarrett Lee combo seems to have worked in spite of itself, with a combined stat line of 16-of-23 for 224 yards, 2 passing TDs, 2 rushing TDs and 1 INT.
Ah, but no box score can tell the story of the odd combination of genius and insanity that is Les Miles. And we all knew what was about to happen when Florida scored to take a 29-26 lead with 3:21 left in the game: The world would come off its axis, the space-time continuum would be torn in two, and Les Miles would do something you weren't expecting.
But at first things seemed safe and relatively sane. With one timeout, LSU drove down to the Florida 34, then lost two yards on third-and-one. That set up a potential 53-yard field goal to tie the game, and Josh Jasper dutifully trotted onto the field. LSU then called timeout, which would normally scream "fake" but didn't in this case, because it is Les Miles that we're talking about here.
A fake, of course, is exactly what LSU called. Holder Derek Helton took the snap and flipped it over his head, at which point it bounced on the ground. For any other team anywhere in America, this would be certain disaster. But this is LSU, and the ball bounced right into Jasper's waiting hands. Jasper easily ran for the first down.
The referees, as stunned as everyone else in the stadium, took four minutes to review the play and make sure that they had, indeed, just seen what they thought they had seen. The precision of the lateral was almost uncanny; it travels on a nearly perfect line between Helton and Jasper -- or, more accurately, between Helton, the ground and Jasper -- and was a legal play.
At this point, the game was no longer in doubt. Everyone in the stadium, everyone watching on television and anyone who has ever heard of Les Miles knew what would happen next. Lee threw a 28-yard pass to Terrence Toliver, spiked the ball (with time left, which is an important detail in games including LSU) and after an incompletion, threw a three-yard touchdown pass to Toliver to win the game.
And our LSU blog And The Valley Shook will hear none of your complaints.
People can whine about luck, but Les made his own luck in this game. ... He made gutsy, gutsy calls that, had they failed, would have opened him up to extreme criticism. The gambles worked, so he deserves credit. He played to win, and his players rewarded him. He didn't play it safe, he went for the jackpot. He got it.
Not that Alligator Army, our Florida blog, is really complaining about the last-minute antics. Instead, they're trying to remind fans that the goal of an SEC East title remains in play.
At no point did Florida deserve to win the game. The Tigers were the better team.
All of that said, UF still controls their own destiny. If both the Gators and Gamecocks win out, the Gators would be 5-2 in the SEC and the Cocks would be 6-1. If UF wins, they would be 6-2 with the tiebreaker over South Carolina. This season is far from over.
Next for LSU is FCS cupcake McNeese State, against whom late-game heroics will hopefully be unnecessary, followed by the always insane game against Auburn. (This game is bizarre even when Les Miles is not involved, which means it should be buckets of crazy this year.) Meanwhile, Florida welcomes Mississippi State to the Swamp.
CAM NEWTON WINS. AUBURN COMES ALONG FOR THE RIDE
Auburn 37, Kentucky 34
One of the questions that is proving to shape the college football season is: How much can you win with one great player? For Auburn, the answer has so far proven to be, "enough."
Cam Newton had another day that has begun to build his Heisman hype. The SEC's answer to Denard Robinson rang up 408 yards of total offense Saturday, 198 of those yards on 28 carries and the other 210 yards from what was honestly a pretty average day passing (13-of-21, 0 TD, 1 INT). The rest of the Tigers offense accounting for 115 total yards.
And then there's the defense. The total numbers aren't really all that bad: 336 yards on 59 snaps, an average of 5.7 yards a play. That's slightly more than Florida (5.1 yards) and Ole Miss (5.5 yards) allowed, but nothing to get overly concerned about; it's also the fewest total yards any team has allowed to Kentucky all year.
That said, when the game was being decided, the Auburn defense disappeared. Kentucky scores on five of its last six possession, including scoring drives of 55, 55, 48, 57 and and 53 yards. Only the last, 14-play drive took more than 3:13 to complete. Granted, it would have helped if the offense and special teams had given the defense 60 yards or so to work with, but you have to stop them at some point, ideally before the score is tied, 34-34, with less than seven minutes to go.
Enter Cam Newton, who carried the ball 10 times for 48 yards and passed for another 20 -- part of a 19-play drive to set up the winning field goal. And salvage what little sanity is left in the 2010 season.
Track Em Tigers, our Auburn blog, sees reasons to worry about what comes next in the defensive meltdown.
With Ryan Mallett bringing his arm to town next Saturday, I thought it was a terrible time for the secondary to regress, and for the pass rush to disappear. Auburn had no quarterback hurries, and only a single sack from Craig Stevens. For the life of me, I can't understand how a starting secondary of all-upperclassmen can't figure out how to line up.
Our Kentucky blog, A Sea Of Blue, isn't really all that surprised by the loss.
This wasn't a game Kentucky was supposed to be competitive in, let alone win. After being embarrassed by the Florida Gators and losing a winnable game to the Mississippi Rebels, Kentucky fans did not deserve to expect a win in this game, and they were properly rewarded with a loss.
As mentioned, Auburn hosts Arkansas next week in an important divisional showdown while Kentucky welcomes South Carolina and hopes for a letdown game after the Gamecocks' major victory.
MARK RICHT HOT SEAT WARNING LEVEL: ORANGE (TODD DODGE)
Georgia 41, Tennessee 14
If you're into existential arguments about college football, then Georgia has been the program to watch this year. Over the last several months, outside observers, the Georgia media and the Dawgosphere -- that's what they call themselves -- have been trading shots back and forth over the job security of Mark Richt. Not just whether he is on the hot seat or whether he should be on the hot seat, but what exactly the hot seat is.
Whatever it is, it seems relatively fair to say that Mark Richt was at least edging toward it after a 1-4 start that includes losses to Mississippi State and Colorado, whose own coach has been sitting on a seat that has been in flames for years now. And now we have a game that gives one side a partial win but allows the other side to hold onto its argument for at least a while.
For the anti-hot seat crowd: No one saw that one coming. Georgia pretty clearly annihilated Tennessee is almost every facet of the game. The Vols had 9 rushing yards -- nine! On 26 attempts! Part of this was a loss of 23 on a bad snap -- see, Florida's not alone -- and part of it was four sacks that cost the Vols 27 yards. But when justification for your team's poor rushing numbers involves pointing out a botched snap and four sacks, any comfort that is found in thinking the ground game might not be that bad or more than offset by the realization that other parts of the team are exactly that bad.
But even taking into account Tennessee's many self-inflicted wounds, this was the kind of game Georgia fans were waiting for. No turnovers, an acceptable five penalties and yet another game-changing performance by A.J. Green (six catches, 96 yards and a touchdown). Aaron Murray was 17-of-25 for 266 yards and two touchdowns. The team gained 402 yards of total offense, the most against an SEC team this year and the most against any team save (ironically enough) Colorado.
Those who were pushing for Richt to be canned are lying low for now, but they have their excuses ready for them if Richt should lose another game or two soon. And one of them is the simple fact that Tennessee is not a very good team right now. Even Volunteer fans do not really dispute this. How can you, when they needed double-overtime to beat UAB at home? The hope for Tennessee is that Derek Dooley is beginning to build a team for the long haul after a whirlwind three years in Knoxville.
Aside from that, Tennessee made several of the kinds of mistakes that Georgia has made so far this year. Three early turnovers -- all of them on the Vols' side of the field and all of them leading to Georgia points -- put Tennessee too far behind to mount a credible comeback. By the time Green cashed in the last of those turnovers, the score was 24-7, and no one has accused Tennessee of being a second-half team this year.
That said, we all know that a win is a win, and the Mayor writes at Dawg Sports that this could be the beginning of the long-awaited turnaround in Athens:
For years, Mark Richt-coached teams annually carded a one-sided victory over what was expected to be a competitive opponent: Georgia Tech in 2002, Tennessee in 2003, LSU in 2004 and 2005, and Auburn in 2006 and 2007 . . . but they haven’t done it since, until this Saturday. ...
Yes, there’s only one safe W left on the Red and Black’s slate, but there’s no guaranteed L.
Which is a pretty fair assessment of Georgia's schedule from here on out and the state of the SEC as a whole.
Rocky Top Talk is not as pessimistic as you might expect.
After awhile, though, the Vols did find their footing a bit, and from that point, they merely got beat. There would be no overcoming three turnovers, but at least it wasn't an all-out onslaught. Some in the game thread said this is the worst Tennessee has looked all season, but I still give that distinction to the UAB game. Georgia's not a bad team; they're a good team that has had a lot of bad luck (much of their own making) along the way. They had no such problem this week.
Georgia next tries its luck against Vanderbilt at home, while Tennessee takes the traditional bye week before playing Alabama in Knoxville.
BOTH TEAMS HAD THAT 2:30 FEELING?
Arkansas 24, Texas A&M 17
While almost everyone else was watching South Carolina rewrite the script for the rest of the year, Arkansas fans were watching their team win a game with a would-be SEC team, if not very convincingly. Total time the Razorbacks led Texas A&M, a team that was seriously considering joining the conference when the Big XII was spinning apart a few months ago: 45 seconds. That's the amount of time it took the Aggies to drive 64 yards down the field after an Arkansas touchdown late in the first half.
But Arkansas never trailed and Ryan Mallett was largely Ryan Mallett: 27-of-38, 310 yards, 3 TDs, 1 INT. The Hogs also rolled up 132 of some things called "rushing yards" en route to the win, including 82 yards on 10 carries from pass-blocker Knile Davis.
Oh, but it was a sloppy game. The teams combined for four turnovers, 23 penalties and 17 punts. (Yes, both of those last two numbers are accurate.) At one point in the third and fourth quarters, the teams traded eight consecutive punts, a stretch that would put even Jim Tressel to sleep.
So Arkansas Expats -- if you guessed that's the name of our Arkansas blog, my, you're clever -- is not that far off when it looks at a one-score game that virtually always a one-score game and calls it "rather dull."
Is the game over yet? Thankfully, blessedly, the answer is yes.
People say that one of the signs of a good team is that it still wins when it doesn't play well. Time will tell how good these Hogs are, but they looked awfully sluggish today, as if they hadn't quite shaken off their post-Alabama depression.
How much time? Let's see, next week's opponent for the Hogs is Auburn. So not very much time at all.
ONE GAME CLOSER
Mississippi State 47, Houston 24
When you're the Mississippi State defense, you'll take whatever wins you can get. And holding the Houston running game to 2.9 yards per carry after the Cougars had averaged 5.3 yards per carry in their other games is the kind of victory the Western Division Bulldogs might be able to build on.
Of course, Houston is not the BCS buster it almost was last year, particularly not after losing the starting quarterback and his backup. And the Cougars passing game did still generate 356 yards and three touchdowns opposite two interceptions.
And just slowing down an offense like Houston is going to be enough as long as State's offense can churn out 409 yards on the ground, 134 from Vick Ballard and 96 from Chris Relf among the total.
Big picture: Mississippi State needed this game to reach the goal of bowl eligibility. The Bulldogs now have four wins and need two games, with winnable match-ups against UAB, Kentucky and Ole Miss on the schedule and upset opportunities against Arkansas, Florida and -- if we really want to go long-shot here -- Alabama.
Next up: That game in Gainesville, which will mark Dan Mullen's return to the Swamp. Despite the fervent wishes of Florida fans, it will only be for one game.
VANDERBILT RUNS UP THE SCORE. THIS WAS OBVIOUSLY NOT PLANNED
Vanderbilt 52, Eastern Michigan 6
There are so many numbers in this game that are unusual for Vanderbilt, it's hard to know where to start. The Commodores rang up 24 first downs, 558 yards of offense and 353 yards passing. They held the Eagles to 2.8 yards per carry rushing. Eastern Michigan got into the red zone once in the course of the game. In something approaching a once-in-a-lifetime occurrence, one of Vanderbilt's mistakes went its way when the Commodores recovered an unintentional onsides kick. An embarrassed Robbie Caldwell, who knows a thing or two about being on the other side of blowouts, apologized. Think about that: The Vanderbilt coach had to apologize for accidentally running up the score. In other words, it was the kind of easy win that doesn't happen in Nashville every week.
Of course, that Vanderbilt win came against Eastern Michigan, a team that lost to Ohio by 13, to Central Michigan by 38 and to Ohio State by 53 -- so it's not like Vanderbilt should have had much trouble defeating the Eagles. Still, it has to be nice for Vanderbilt to show that it can smash a cupcake just like any of the other teams in the SEC.
Even Anchor Of Gold, our Vanderbilt blog, is careful not to overstate the importance of all those shiny numbers.
It's tough to take much away from a game featuring such disparate opponents. I think last night did underscore an important thing about Larry Smith -- he is much better once he has had some time to get into a rhythm and when he is adequately protected.
In fact, Smith had his best passer rating of the year by nearly 40 points -- and a career high for any game in which he attempted more than two passes. But if protection is an issue for Smith, the improvement might be a moot point when Vanderbilt goes up against the remaining SEC teams on the schedule.
Now it's back to reality for the Commodores, who face three ranked teams after a trip to Georgia this weekend.
[Louisville, KY, Louisville]
(
Card Chronicle)
Managing expectations is an important part of life and work, especially any sort of job with clients or paying customers. This blog, for instance. All of your monthly subscription checks are much appreciated, but in exchange for forking over those hard-earned dollars (does anyone ever fork over easily earned dollars? Or fork over anything else for that matter?) you expect prompt service. Simulated Season, Part 2 is long overdue, and for that I apologize. Managing expectations is also going ...
Managing expectations is an important part of life and work, especially any sort of job with clients or paying customers. This blog, for instance. All of your monthly subscription checks are much appreciated, but in exchange for forking over those hard-earned dollars (does anyone ever fork over easily earned dollars? Or fork over anything else for that matter?) you expect prompt service. Simulated Season, Part 2 is long overdue, and for that I apologize.
Managing expectations is also going to be critical for Charlie Strong in his first year as Cardinal football coach. Fans remembered all the "we are going to compete for a national championship" talk in 2007 and therefore Koach received very little wiggle room, even when he tried to say that we were rebuilding. Fans have short memories, but not that short.
Anyway, IRL Charlie Strong has not promised anything other than players playing so hard, a certain part of their anatomy critical for the survival of the species may spontaneously fall off. However, Virtual Charlie Strong has expectations crazy high after a 4-0 start that included a beatdown of Kentucky and a road victory over a ranked PAC-12 team of Beavers. The meat of the schedule is coming up: Memphis, then 4 straight Big East games against teams not expected to win the conference. So with everyone's expectations high, let's see how Strong handles his first taste of Big East meat....after the jump....
Game 5 (4-0, 0-0) - Memphis @ Louisville
A return date from our win there in 2008, the Memphis Tigers come into PJCS to face a much different Cardinal team than in 2008. The defense is the story here, holding Memphis to 3 points on 274 total yards of offense. The suspense is over early: Vic scores a 2-yard rushing TD in the first quarter, and the Cards answer a Memphis field goal with a 58 yard TD pass to Josh Chichester, which was beautiful to watch, for a 14-3 halftime lead. Doug Beaumont catches a 9 yard pass from Froman in the third quarter, Philpott adds another field goal to his impressive season, and Chichester catches an 8 yarder (that fade still works) to end the scoring and the Cards win easily, 31-3.
The running game was not that impressive for the Cards, only 80 yards on 33-clock controlling attempts. Froman ends the day 24-40 with the three TDs and 1 INT, and Will Stein gets some time, going 4-6 with 1 INT and a few yards here and there. Vic carries the load of the carries, gaining 67 yards on 18 attempts. Chichester's 2 TDs and 104 yards are the story for the receivers, although the secondary story (and one that will become a theme) is that a lot of guys catch a lot of balls - Vic, Doug and CmGrm haul in 5 apiece, Ashley has 3, Harris and Meagher 2, Notcha and Pascley 1 each. With no one at the Mario/Harry level (sorry Doug), the WRs this season are going to be by committee. But it'll do.
The same can be said for the defense: Canady leads the way with 8 tackles, but a lot of guys contribute, including interceptions from the safeties Simien and Shenard Holton.
An easy beatdown of a formal rival and a 5-0 start have the city hopping, national media taking notice and expectations through the roof as the Big East season starts with a visit from another old conference rival, the evil terrible no good Cincinnati Bearcats.
Game 6 (5-0, 0-0) - Cincinnati @ Louisville
Charlie Strong seeks to become the first Louisville football coach in the history of recorded time to win his first Big East game (look it up!) as the Bearcats come into Papa Johns on what I'm sure will be a cool, crisp October Friday night, but also could be snowing or 86 degrees. The Cards jump out to an early lead on a 6 yard TD pass from Froman to Doug Beaumont, and a Philpott 40-yard field goal makes it 10-0. Cinci strikes back with a 37 yard field goal halfway through the 2nd quarter, but Troy Pascley (who has been hyped as the next great Cardinal receiver since summer 7-on-7 drills during Chris Redman's final season) gets on the board with another 6 yard TD. I think both of those were bubble screens, and you can't prove me wrong.
A 17-3 halftime lead has the crowd buzzing at halftime, now that they're finally all there by then, but Cincinnati doesn't fold, cutting the score to 17-10 on a 3 yard TD run by one S. Johnson with about 6 minutes to go in the third quarter. The Cards can't score at all in the 3rd, and the Bearcats tie it up shortly into the 4th quarter on a 6 yard run by Pead. The crowd is understandably nervous after the last couple of 4th quarter defensive collapses have let better teams back into games. This has to be a product of depth - while we have some quality guys, we don't have a ton of them (thanks Koach!) so a few injuries or long defensive series or 100 degree playing conditions will understandably lead to some tired defenders in the fourth quarter this season. We have to factor that into our expectations.
Anyway, freshman sensation Michaelee Harris is a certified badass, and proves it by converting a 2 yard pass from Froman with 4:00 minutes left in the game for a touchdown and a 24-17 lead. Huge crowd reaction, as I imagine the 7 minutes of game time between Cinci's tying score and re-taking the lead were pretty tense. Look for Harris to have a big season, reasonable expectations be damned. Sidebar: that uoflsports.com description of Harris includes this attribute: "One of the most complete wide receivers in this class... catches the ball with his hands and runs great routes." I believe this is to contrast him with WRs who catch the ball with their bodies/shoulder pads, but upon first review, that's a funny scouting statement.
The defense does a great job keeping the game tied, and by that I mean they didn't let Cinci score while the game was tied and almost instantly give up another tying touchdown, with 2:16 left on a 5 yard pass from Zach Collaros, meaning that was a quick drive. Crap.
The Cards get the ball back with one last chance to get into Philpott's virtual range, and march down the field. With :49 seconds left and the ball 12 yards from the goal, you'd expect some sort of run to let the clock get down and kick the field goal, but Sanford/Strong risk their balls off and Zach Meagher catches a 12 yard TD pass from Adam Froman, and the crowd goes wild, Cards win, Cards win! 31-24. Charlie Strong takes the Keg of Nails home and eats each and every nail contained therein, because f-you, that's why.
This hard fought, dramatic win instantly moves expectation levels into the stratosphere. Potential harbinger though: Cincinnati goes on to finish 4-8 (1-6) and replace Western Michigan as their official AAA affiliate with Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
The stats are basically as close as the final score would indicate, although most of the Bearcats production comes in the 2nd half. The bad guys record 20 first downs to our 19, 317 yards to our 381, 92 rushing yards to our 116, although they ran the ball 47 times, which had to have been frustrating to watch and helped to wear out our defense. Cinci was more efficient on 3rd downs (36% to our 33%), fourth downs (2-2 v. 1-2) and in the red zone (3 trips, 3 TDs to our 6 trips, four TDs and a field goal, which still ain't bad frankly). Both teams lost a fumble, and both QBs were INT free. As the overkill on the rushing attempts shows, we lost the time of possession battle 33ish to 27ish.
Froman has a decent game, going 22-40 with 265 yards and 4 TDs (and avoids the dreaded "Game Manager" label), Vic has a good day on the ground with 18 attempts for 82 yards, a move-the-sticks-if-you-gave-it-to-me-all-three-times 4.5 yards per carry. The catches were spread around - three players with 4 (Pascley, Harris and Doug), all of whom had a touchdown. Two players with 3 (Vic and CmGrm) and Chichester and Meagher with 2 apiece. CmGrm had the most yards by far, 83 on the day, while Pascley and Harris both apparently caught bubble screens all day, averaging 4.5 and 6.5 yards per catch respectively and respectfully, because Charlie Strong makes his players respect the game and women.
Gregg Scruggs (GrgSrgs?) and Brandon Heath led the way for the defense, and Mike Privott chipped in with a bunch of assisted tackles, a fumble recovery and a team-high 3 tackles for loss. 7 players combined for 5 sacks, while the O-line only gave up 2 sacks.
Overall, a close game against a hated conference rival on a Friday night ends up with a dramatic, last-minute TD for a victory. Expectations....dangerously....increasing....
Game 7 (6-0, 1-0) - Connecticut @ Louisville
I hate UConn. Basketball, football, women's basketball, the high school friends of some people I went to college with, their football coach....just lots of stuff about the state that are objectionable. I think of all of these things as I sit and watch a rainy, cold October Saturday tilt between these Huskies (I do like the actual dog breed huskies, which makes me even madder at them for stealing such a good mascot!) and the Cards at PJCS. The rain's pain falls mainly on the offense, as the teams struggle to move the ball in the first half. We trade field goals for a 6-3 Cardinal lead with 6:48 to go in the second quarter. But thirty seconds later, Zach Fraser finds Griffin on a 55-yard TD pass on busted coverage (no doubt Randy Edsall tripped Champ Lee on the sideline or something) and UConn takes a 10-6 lead into halftime.
Philpott cuts it to 10-9 with about 3:00 to go in the 3rd quarter, breaking what must have been a boring scoring drought amidst the terrible weather. UConn answers back with another TD pass (22 yards) with 14:27 to go in the fourth quarter for a 17-9 lead. Philpott cuts it to 17-12 with 8:06, which should be plenty of time to score the game winning TD in dramatic fashion.
But it is not to be. Turnovers plague the good guys all game, and one of them no doubt occurs during the potentially game-winning drive as the Cards fall, 17-12.
The offense actually moved the ball well, better than UConn, going for 21 first downs (compared to their 14), 329 total yards (their 311) 122 yards on the ground (their 46) and 2-3 on 4th down. However, turnovers are the story: the Cards had 2 fumbles and an INT, and could only manage to pick off UConn once. UConn also had more yards in the air, thanks mainly to that 55 yard TD catch. Even more frustrating than a loss is that this appears to be a game where we were the better team, and UConn does end the season 4-8 (2-5) so they aren't really that good.
Ahh, here's the real story of this game: Adam Froman was 4-4 with 65 yards until something happens so that Will Stein played the rest of the game, going 15-34 with the aforementioned interception. UConn also apparently figured out Vic Anderson, holding him to 19 yards on 8 carries. Darius Ashley, despite my attempt to move him to CB, ran the ball 19 times for 68 yards. Cameron the Grahamnificent (?) caught 7 balls for 90 yards but couldn't get into the end zone, and Vic caught 2 balls, one of which went for 34 yards on what was surely an exciting play. Anderson and Stein accounted for the fumbles, the latter's likely coming as a result of one of his 4 sacks.
The defense did what it could but could not win the game with only 12 points. Scruggs had 14 tackles (including 7 for a loss) to lead the way, but no one else had more than 5 and a host of Cardinal tacklers had 4. Not much to speak of from special teams, except Philpott accounting for all 12 points.
Whatever. We'll always have "Refuse the ball screen" and "I f-ing love you man", so suck on that Edsall.
Game 8 (6-1, 1-1) - Louisville @ Pitt
Charlie Strong attempts to become only the second Cardinal football coach in recorded human history to win his first road Big East game (remember who was first? Weird, huh?) and get the taste of last week's frustrating defeat out of his mouth as the Cards travel to Pittsburgh on a Saturday night. It was a rough week here, as you can imagine - mainly the question being, who starts this week? Luckily, Adam Froman is okay, but either being dinged up or finally facing a good defense combine to produce his worst outing of the season, 21-45, 158 yards, 1 TD and 1 INT. But that's getting ahead of ourselves.
Who lines up under center for Pitt? None other than Tino "Krag's Top Recruit" Sunseri. We're excited about Dominque Brown and DeMarcus Smith, of course, and Froman is having a heck of a season, but Tino would have been a good fit. Sunseri shows us what we are missing out on early, connecting on a 9 yard TD pass to Jon Baldwin and a 21 yard TD pass to M. Cruz in the first and second quarters for a 14-0 lead. Expectations, downgraded. This sucks. Philpott continues his streak of carrying the scoring load, connecting from 20 yards out (red zone has to equal TD boys) with 5 minutes to go in the half.
The second half starts off with defense, and the Cards finally break the touchdown drought with, who else, Cameron Ulysses Graham from 5 yards out. We are in business at 14-10, and the defense needs to keep us in the game. They do for a possession, but our next possession is fruitless, and Dion Lewis punches it in from 3 yards out with 4:42 left in the third quarter for a 21-10 lead. Philpott gets us back to within a touchdown with 12:00 to go in the fourth, but we cannot break through. Pitt hits a clinching FG with 5 minutes left, and the Cards drop two in a row for the first time since, well, pretty recently, 24-13.
Unlike last week, Pitt was the better team today (and would be better than many in the Big East, finishing 5-2). Pitt racks up 293 yards (114 on the ground) and 16 first downs to the Cards' 209 yards and 18 first downs. UofL is held to 51 yards on the ground on 36 carries, and Froman has the rough day, as you are well aware. Pitt really dominates on 3rd down - 11-19 when trying to convert, and 16-23 preventing us from converting. Put another way, we converted only 7 of our 23 attempts on third down, but 3 of 5 on 4th down. Going for it 5 times on 4th down? Probably not a good sign in terms of whether you are winning the game or not. Unless you are playing it on PS3 against your little brother just to teach him life lessons while up 63-10. IRL this was the other way around, as my little brother is 10000x better than me at video games.
Sunseri was actually picked off twice (both by Champ Lee) and the Cards won the turnover battle 2-3, but could not convert apparently. Vic Anderson struggled, getting the ball 20 times via handoff or other non-forward pass, but only gaining 47 yards. Froman spread the ball around and did not really throw it long much: 4 catches for an average of about 27 yards total receiving each for Doug, Meagher, Graham and Harris, and the longest reception of the day was 14 yards (Meagher and Anderson each had one of those) which means lots of moving the ball, but lots of stalled drives.
After two straight losses, I think this image sums up what all of us are going through:
via 2.bp.blogspot.com
Not anger, that's for sure. I mean, we knew this going in, right? We'd take 6-2 to start the season. Right? Well, no use crying over spilled milk and an impotent red zone offense, as my mom used to say. She didn't really but I bet Charlie Strong's did. Onto the Dome, where the Syracuse Orange actually end up the season with a winning record: 7-5 (3-4). Was one of those 7/3 against us? Let's find out as we look at....
Game 9 (6-2, 1-2) - Louisville @ Syracuse
Two programs, back from the brink of extinction under failed leadership, are not-watched-outside-their-metro-areas on the Saturday noon Big East Game of the Week in non-HD with 4th string announcers. But everyone else besides us misses out on a good game, as you will soon learn.
The Orange strike first, hitting a field goal to account for the only scoring in the first quarter, and Cards fans sink lower into sadness after a 39 yard TD run by D. Carter puts the Cuse up 10-0. It gets worse: 13-0 is a tough hole to climb out of, especially with orange citrus acid squirted into your eyes, as Lichtenstein adds a 22 yard field goal with 9 minutes left in the 2nd quarter. 10-9 this one ain't.
It takes until 5:24 left in the half, but finally, a breakthrough: Vic Anderson breaks through the secondary for a 42-yard TD run, the longest for him this season. Finally, some open space and his speed make the difference. A quick 3-and-out or turnover, and we have the ball on the doorstep with 2:37 left in the first half. Froman enters the door with a 5-yard play action pass to a wide-open Zach Meagher. Just like that, we have a 14-13 lead. Take that, you Orange bastard. It was funny last year, and it's funny this year.
via cdn.bleacherreport.com
Lichtenstein has the lowest field goal distance per letter in his last name ratio in college football, but the 49-yarder he hits with 1:05 to go in the half gives them a 16-14 halftime lead nonetheless, and some momentum. But at halftime, Mr. Momentum switches jerseys and Philpott answers with a not-as-long-but-more-efficient-by-last-name-letters 48 yard FG for a 17-16 lead. Beaumont breaks the second longest touchdown-less drought of his career (the first being his entire career) and catches a 6-yard pass from Froman with 4:06 left in the third quarter for a 24-16 lead. Really, with all the touchdown passes of less than 10 yards this season, either our running game is terrible down there, or teams can't figure out how to guard the 5-wide or play action. Either way, that's a ton of short TD passes.
Can the defense hang on in the fourth quarter with the pressure of a regional afternoon telecast audience surely stuck in their minds? Early on, they give Syracuse a chance - a 4 yard TD pass from Nassib to V. Chew gets the Cuse to within 2. But the two point conversion fails! The 2 point conversion fails! Strong pumps his fist once and then stoically turns to the return team and tells them to wedge-block their balls off.
The teams trade defensive stops, and the game is in the balance with the Cards leading 24-22 late in the 4th quarter. Our last drive stalls at the 37, and Strong calls for Philpott to boot one. Which he does - a 52 yard field goal puts us up 27-22 with 2 minutes to go. Syracuse's last drive ends with a fumble recovered by James Miller, and the cards hold on for the 27-22 victory.
Syracuse outplayed us for the most part - 17 v. 13 first downs, 353 v. 267 total yards, 140 v. 119 rushing yards, equal third down conversions, equal turnovers. But the Cards scored 2 TDs in their 3 red zone trips, which the Cuse was held to 1 TD and 2 FGs in 3 trips. And, the most critical play of the game, the Cuse's two point conversion failed. Syracuse was also penalized 9 times to our 5, 84 yards to our 57.
Froman and Stein split time, and Stein does better this time - 7-14 with 80 yards and no picks. Froman had the 2 TD passes on a 10-24 day, also no picks. The game ball belongs to Vic Anderson - 21 attempts, 122 yards, and the huge TD run. Beaumont had a breakout game, with 4 catches for 73 yards (a lot of them coming on a 35 yard catch) and the TD. Another game with mostly short throws spread out among lots of people - Chichester had 4 along with Doug to lead the team in catches.
Scruggs has come back to earth the last few games, in the middle of the pack with 5 tackles. Canady led the squad with 9, and a bunch of other guys had a couple tackles each. Miller had the play of the game, recovering the Syracuse fumble to ice the game and send the Cards home into the final stretch of the season on a 1-game winning streak.
Sitting at 7-2, 2-2, the Cards have their toughest stretch of the season left: USF, WVU, @ Rutgers. But at 7-3, we are assured of a bowl, and we have an outside shot at the Big East championship with 3 straight wins.
Does this exceed your expectations? What would your expectations be at this point in the season, considering the best teams are left to play and we have lost to some bad Big East teams and barely beaten the others?
We'll find out together.....just as soon as I can get around to writing Part 3. May not be until mid-September. Probably not....just trying to manage your expectations.
[New England Patriots, Sports, Fantasy Football]
(
Bleacher Report - Front Page)
What a difference a decade can make. The 2000 Pac-10 season finished a far cry from the landscape of the conference today. The early years of the millennium were dominated by the Northwest universities, while prestigious programs such as UCLA and USC began their fight in returning to prosperity. Only one coach from 2000 (Rick Neuheisel) still remains in the conference, and Dick Tomey, Bruce Snyder, and Paul Hackett would all say goodbye following the season. Here is a look back at the 2000 sea ...
What a difference a decade can make. The 2000 Pac-10 season finished a far cry from the landscape of the conference today. The early years of the millennium were dominated by the Northwest universities, while prestigious programs such as UCLA and USC began their fight in returning to prosperity.
Only one coach from 2000 (Rick Neuheisel) still remains in the conference, and Dick Tomey, Bruce Snyder, and Paul Hackett would all say goodbye following the season. Here is a look back at the 2000 season in the Pac-10 conference.
2000 Pac-10 Standings
|
|
|
Conf
|
Perc
|
All
|
Perc
|
PF
|
PA
|
Home
|
Away
|
|
Oregon St
|
7-1
|
.875
|
11-1
|
.917
|
400
|
212
|
7-0
|
4-1
|
|
Washington
|
7-1
|
.875
|
11-1
|
.917
|
387
|
270
|
7-0
|
4-1
|
|
Oregon
|
7-1
|
.875
|
10-2
|
.833
|
351
|
249
|
6-0
|
4-2
|
|
Stanford
|
4-4
|
.500
|
5-6
|
.455
|
261
|
294
|
3-3
|
2-3
|
|
Arizona St
|
3-5
|
.375
|
6-6
|
.500
|
313
|
303
|
3-3
|
3-3
|
|
UCLA
|
3-5
|
.375
|
6-6
|
.500
|
353
|
368
|
5-2
|
1-4
|
|
Arizona
|
3-5
|
.375
|
5-6
|
.455
|
254
|
237
|
2-4
|
3-2
|
|
USC
|
2-6
|
.250
|
5-7
|
.417
|
309
|
337
|
3-5
|
2-2
|
|
Washington St
|
2-6
|
.250
|
4-7
|
.364
|
281
|
354
|
1-5
|
3-2
|
|
California
|
2-6
|
.250
|
3-8
|
.273
|
246
|
295
|
2-3
|
1-5
|
|
The Battle for a Pac-10 Championship
The 2000 season will go down as one of the most competitive, intriguing conference races in recent memory. Controlling their own destiny, Oregon traveled to Corvallis to battle the Beavers in a unprecedented Civil War in terms of importance. Led by star quarterback Joey Harrington, the Oregon signal-caller strolled into Reser Stadium to throw five interceptions in the Civil War game won by the Beavers 23-13.
The Oregon defeat placed the Ducks, Beavers, and Huskies in a three way tie to finish the 2000 Pac-10 season. A late September contest featured Oregon defeating Washington in Eugene 23-16. The Huskies squeeked by Oregon State in Seattle in a 33-30 October thriller landing Washington in the 2001 Rose Bowl. The Beavers accepted an invitation to the Fiesta Bowl, and the Ducks were relegated to play Texas in the Holiday Bowl.
The Talent of the Conference
Quarterbacks - Joey Harrington (Oregon), Carson Palmer (USC), Ortege Jenkins (Arizona), Kyle Boller (Cal), Cory Paus (UCLA), Jason Gesser (Washington State), Marques Tuiasosopo (Washington), A.J. Feeley (Oregon), Randy Fasani (Stanford)
Running Backs - Maurice Morris (Oregon), Onterrio Smith (Oregon), Ken Simonton (Oregon State), DeShaun Foster (UCLA), Justin Fargas (USC), Sultan McCullough (USC)
Wide Receivers - Bobby Wade (Arizona), Kareem Kelly (USC), Keenan Howry (Oregon), Shaun McDonald (Arizona State), Freddie Mitchell (UCLA), Chad Johnson (Oregon State), T.J. Houshmanzadeh (Oregon State), Keary Colbert (USC), Milton Wynn (Washington State), Brian Poli-Dixon (UCLA)
Tight Ends - Justin Peele (Oregon), Todd Heap (Arizona State), Jerramy Stevens (Washington), Brandon Manumaleuna (Arizona), George Whrighster (Oregon), Teyo Johnson (Stanford)
Offensive Line - Levi Jones (Arizona State), Elliot Silvers (Washington), Chad Ward (Washington), Mitch White (Oregon State), Makoa Freitas (Arizona), Victor Leyva (Arizona State), Scott Peters (Arizona State), Travis Scott (Arizona State), Langston Walker (Cal), Kwame Harris (Stanford), Eric Heitmann (Stanford), Troy Danoff (UCLA), Ryan Schmidt (Oregon), Kyle Benn (Washington), Steve Grace (Arizona)
Defensive Line - Terrell Suggs (Arizona State), Andre Carter (California), Willie Howard (Stanford), DeLawrence Grant (Oregon State), Joe Tafoya (Arizona), James Lee (Oregon State), Kenyon Coleman (UCLA), Rien Long (Washington State)
Linebackers - Markus Steele (USC), Zeke Moreno (USC), Riall Johnson (Stanford), Lance Briggs (Arizona), Soloman Bates (Arizona State), Scott Fujita (Cal), Tully Banta-Cain (Cal), Wesley Mallard (Oregon), James Allen (Oregon State), Nick Barnett (Oregon State), Robert Thomas (UCLA), Larry Tripplett (Washington), Raonall Smith (Washington State)
Secondary - Adam Archuleta (Arizona State), Hakim Akbar (Washington), Rashad Bauman (Oregon), Nnamdi Asomugha (Cal), Steve Smith (Oregon), Dennis Weathersby (Oregon State), Coy Wire (Stanford), Tank Williams (Stanford), Colin Branch (Stanford), Marques Anderson (UCLA), Ricky Manning (UCLA), Chris Cash (USC), Troy Polamalu (USC), Kris Richard (USC), Omar Lowe (Washington), Lamont Thompson (Washington State), Marcus Trufant (Washington State), Billy Newman (Washington State)
Special Teams - Nick Murphy, Punter (Arizona State), Mike Biselli, Place Kicker (Stanford), Nate Fiske, Punter (UCLA), Nick Harris, Punter (Cal)
2000 Season Reviews
Arizona Wildcats
The Wildcats began the season at 5-1, with a lone defeat at home to Ohio State early in September. Under coach Dick Tomey, the team was as exciting as any other squad in the conference. The offense was led by the versatile play-making abilities of Ortege Jenkins and receiver Bobby Wade.
The season began to tumble in week nine, as Arizona lost a close game at Oregon and then proceeded to lose their final five games of the season to finish 5-6 on the year. The 2000 season would also be the last for coach Dick Tomey who resigned following the losing campaign. The Wildcats would not post a winning season in the decade until recording an 8-5 mark in 2008.
Arizona State Sun Devils
Playing a soft non-conference schedule, Arizona State jumped to a 3-0 record after defeating Colorado State, San Diego State, and Utah State. Long-time coach Bruce Snyder would see his team run stagnant the remainder of the season with three wins over lackluster teams such as California, Arizona, and Washington State.
The Sun Devils would lose two heartbreaking double overtime games at home to Oregon and USC and finish the regular season at 6-5. The team accepted a bid to play in the Aloha Bowl on Christmas Day. The trip to Hawaii was unkind as Arizona State lost 31-17 to Boston College.
California Golden Bears
The Tom Holmoe years in Berkeley would like to be forgotten by most Cal fans. Following a 4-7 record in 1999, the Bears continued to disappoint with a 3-8 mark in 2000. After a season-opening victory over Utah, the team would then lose four straight including close games against Illinois and Washington State.
In many cases during the season, the defense would be relied upon to make up for an inconsistent offense led by young quarterback Kyle Boller. The lone bright spot on the year would be a sweep of the Los Angeles schools. The 2000 season provided little momentum for success as they returned in 2001, to go 1-10 in Holmoe's last season at California.
Oregon Ducks
As disappointing as the regular season finished, the 2000 campaign built enough confidence and momentum for a magical 2001 season. The Ducks lost a hard fought battle 27-23 against Wisconsin in Madison, and followed the defeat with eight straight victories. Coach Mike Bellotti used junior quarterback Joey Harrington to lead a balanced offense that was supported by an underrated defense.
After a defeat to rival Oregon State in the Civil War, the Ducks finished the regular season at 9-2 and accepted a bid to play in the Holiday Bowl. Playing against Chris Simms and Cedric Benson, the Ducks defeated Texas 35-30 in an exciting contest in San Diego.
Oregon State Beavers
A success none the less, the 2000 season could have resulted in the Beavers returning to the Rose Bowl for the first time in almost forty years. After decades of defeat, Oregon State made a national splash after finishing the regular season at 10-1. The comical non-conference schedule featured games against New Mexico, Eastern Washington, and San Diego State. The team opened with a 4-0 record and rolled into Seattle only to be set back with a 33-30 loss to the Huskies.
Coach Dennis Erickson then rallied his team with six straight wins including close games at California and UCLA. After missing out on a trip to Pasadena, the Beavers accepted a bid to play prestigious Notre Dame in the Fiesta Bowl. Led by Jonathan Smith, Ken Simonton, two future NFL wide receivers, and a tenacious defense, the Beavers rolled over the Fighting Irish 41-9 to finish the season at 11-1, and ranked in the top five nationally.
Stanford Cardinal
Returning from a trip to the Rose Bowl, the 2000 version of Stanford was very inconsistent. The team opened with a strong victory in Pullman, only to return to Palo Alto a week later with an embarrassing 40-27 loss to San Jose State. The Cardinal then battled a talented Texas Longhorns squad in a 27-24 Stanford victory.
Coach Tyrone Willingham then saw his team play uninspired in defeats to Notre Dame, Arizona, and Oregon State. The team would go 3-2 during the final five games of the season, only to fall a game short of bowl eligibility at 5-6 on the year. The Cardinal would bounce back in 2001 going 9-3 on the season.
UCLA Bruins
The Bruins opened the season red hot, ranking high after the first three games of the season. Bob Toledo and his UCLA squad rolled to open the season with home victories over Alabama, Michigan, and Fresno State. Depending on the running of DeShaun Foster, and receiver play of Brian Poli-Dixon and Freddie Mitchell, the Bruins expectations continued to increase.
The Bruins traveled to Eugene in late September only to fall to the Ducks 29-10, in a game that begin a downward spiral to finish the season. UCLA would go 3-5 during their last eight games of the season with mediocre victories over Stanford, Arizona State, and Arizona. Finishing the regular season at 6-5, the team proceeded to meet Wisconsin in a 21-20 defeat in the Sun Bowl.
USC Trojans
The 2000 season marks the last time that USC suffered a losing season. The roster was full of untapped potential and talent in Paul Hackett's last season at the helm. The offense was led by sophomore Carson Palmer, Sultan McCullough, Keary Colbert, and Kareem Kelly.
The team opened the season at 3-0 with victories over Penn State, Colorado, and San Jose State. The Trojans then fell apart losing five straight before a double overtime victory at Arizona State in early November. A lone bright spot for USC would be a victory over rival UCLA 38-35 in Pasadena to end their conference schedule. A home defeat to Notre Dame would cap a disappointing season with a record 5-7.
Washington Huskies
Looking back a decade for the Huskies is review into their last season of extreme success. Led by Marques Tuiasosopo, the purple and gold opened the season with victories over Idaho, Colorado, and the highly touted Miami Hurricanes. A late September defeat in Eugene, would be the only blemish to a great season for Rick Neuhiesel's squad.
The Huskies finished the 2000 regular season at 10-1 and happily accepted a bid to represent the conference against Purdue in the 2001 Rose Bowl. Washington didn't disappoint after a 34-24 defeat over Drew Brees and the Boilermakers.
Washington State Cougars
Looking to rebound following a 3-9 season, Mike Price and the Cougars entered the 2000 campaign looking to return to the top half of the conference. Much like Stanford, the Cougars were inconsistent, spotted with talent, and unable to win the close games.
An opening season loss to Stanford was followed by a win over Utah, then a pathetic home loss to Idaho. Week six and seven would see the Cougars defeat California and Boise State before the team lost four straight conference games. The season would end in embarrassment as the Cougars were drubbed at home by in-state rival Washington 51-3, to finish the season at 4-7.
[Sports]
(
SBNation.com - All Posts)
Jonathan Daniel - Getty Images 3 days ago: CHICAGO - JUNE 25: Gordon Beckham #15 of the Chicago White Sox is congratulated by teammates in the dugout after hitting his 2nd home run of the season against the Chicago Cubs at U.S. Cellular Field on June 25, 2010 in Chicago, Illinois. The White Sox defeated the Cubs 6-0. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images) View full size photo » ...
The 13th edition of our MLB power rankings, as voted on by SB Nation MLB bloggers Jim McLennan, Will McDonald, Sam Page, Kyle Lobner, Jeff Sullivan, and Randy Booth. You should probably take these very seriously, because they are uncommonly important.
I don't know very much about soccer. At all. I don't know very much because it never really captured my interest, but with the World Cup being on the tip of everyone's tongue for so long, I took it upon myself to read enough to get up to speed. I wanted to get in on the story that grips so many hundreds of millions of people, and so I took to my trusty Internet to get myself educated.
I did learn, a little bit. I'm no longer completely in the dark when I tune in to a game. But unfortunately, and mystifyingly, one thing will stick with me more than anything else. And that's that, with rare exception, there are two types of people in the world:
1) People who really, really like soccer, and want you to know it
2) People who really, really don't like soccer, and have no interest in watching it
It's a shame that [hyperbole] literally 95% [/hyperbole] of the soccer discussion I read was followed by the exact same argument:
Person 1: I can't stand soccer because it is really boring.
Person 2: The entire world seems to enjoy it and you are closed-minded.
Invariably, no matter the article - whether it be about formations, or team previews, or blown calls, or Landon Donovan's heroics - somebody would feel compelled to interject by calling soccer boring, and then it would snowball. So many snowballs. If there were a million different posts, there were a million identical avalanches. Someone would say the game is really boring, and then someone would get defensive, and then more often than not, the rest of the argument would be conducted on autopilot. We even saw this happen on our own SB Nation network mailing list.
It's pervasive, it's predictable, it's childish, and I don't get it. I don't get either side of it. And honestly, I think at least as far as Americans are concerned, both sides could stand to take a lesson from baseball.
All of the complaints that people have about soccer - that it's slow to develop, that there isn't much scoring, that it's complicated and confusing, that some players over-act - could be said about baseball. All of them have been said about baseball. Baseball, for the newcomer and sometimes even for the experienced fan, can be agonizingly glacial. Unlike soccer, baseball takes three hours. Unlike soccer, baseball has commercial breaks. Unlike soccer, baseball pauses for substitutions and has very limited actual game play.
The only real advantage in terms of generating interest is that a baseball game can't end in a tie, but that doesn't seem to be the biggest issue. It's not the fact that soccer games can tie that people don't like. It's that there's such a slow pace, such infrequent chances and such infrequent scores. People want soccer to be more exciting.
Do you really think that baseball is that exciting? Nevermind the fact that many of the same people who complain about soccer will turn around and tell you that the best baseball game is a pitcher's duel. Nothing quite like two aces going toe-to-toe and shutting batters down.
And yet there's little ongoing debate. If I go check out ESPN/MLB or read Joe Posnanski talk about the Royals, the articles won't be followed by a comment thread in which people shout back and forth over whether baseball's a boring game. The sentiment is there, and you hear it from time to time - my girlfriend told me early on that she found baseball remarkably dull - but it doesn't dominate the discussion. It doesn't shape the discussion. It makes up a small fraction of the discussion, and nobody really minds.
The fact of the matter is that, a lot of the time, baseball can be boring. I think even the most hardcore of fans would readily admit that it has a deliberate pace, and that the action takes a little time to build up. But the difference is they don't get defensive about it. If someone were to engage me in conversation and tell me he finds baseball boring, it wouldn't bother me. I'd let it roll off my back. This happens to me maybe every few weeks. People will tell me that they don't care about baseball, and I don't care that they don't care. They're not the ones that watch it every day. I am. What's most important, then, isn't that they enjoy the game, but that I do. And I know the same applies to most everybody else.
The people who don't like soccer should take a page from the people who don't like baseball. Your opinion is perfectly valid, but it doesn't need to be expressed at every opportunity. If you don't like something, you are free to ignore it.
And the people who do like soccer should take a page from the people who do like baseball. You don't need to get defensive. After all, you have the entire world on your side of the argument. You don't need to let the critics bother you. Why does it matter? Why do so many soccer fans seemingly feel this need to proselytize? There is no combination of words that would make someone that doesn't like soccer like soccer. The only way to change is to start watching, and anyone who jumps in to call soccer boring for no reason probably isn't going to start watching. And that's fine. The game doesn't need unanimous support.
It's a silly, immature debate on both sides, and if only the supporters would quit fanning the flames, then it might finally be reduced to a smolder. Baseball can be boring, too. Perhaps more boring than soccer. But because we're not engaged in an ongoing battle over the merits of the sport, it leaves more time for fans to enjoy their favorite game while others get on with whatever it is that captures their own interest.
And now let's get on with making fun of the Pirates and worshiping the AL East.
30. Pittsburgh Pirates
SBN Blog: Bucs Dugout
2010 record: 26-50
Last week's rank: 29
Last week's Beyond The Box Score rank: 29
The Pirates went 2-13 in interleague play (losing their last 12) and lost 17 straight road games, but they beat the Cubs last night and that should count for something, right? The Pirates have the NL's worst record by 3.5 games despite the fact that they're overachieving their Pythagorean record by six wins.
29. Baltimore Orioles
SBN Blog: Camden Chat
2010 record: 23-52
Last week's rank: 30
Last week's Beyond The Box Score rank: 28
Where did Adam Jones come from? Jones, who started the year unbelievably slow, has finally turned it around. In the last two weeks, Jones is hitting .341 with four home runs and a 1.024 OPS. In June he has seven home runs. All of a sudden, Jones is one of the O's best hitters. That has also translated into wins: Baltimore has won their last four games, including a sweep of their "Geographic Rival" the Nationals. And no, they didn't face Stephen Strasburg.
28. Cleveland Indians
SBN Blog: Let's Go Tribe!
2010 record: 28-47
Last week's rank: 27
Last week's Beyond The Box Score rank: 25
Cleveland finished just 5-13 in interleague play, finishing the annual gimmick with a 1-6 slide. With just 28 wins, the Indians are creeping into the Oriole-zone and could be a player in the race for next year's #1 pick in the draft. Cleveland's pitching has nearly completely fallen apart, and the Tribe are now allowing the second-most runs per game in the AL. Only, you guessed it, Baltimore, has been worse. A small bit of good news is that highly-touted catching prospect Carlos Santana has had little trouble adjusting to big league pitching. Santana hit .333/.450/.729 (BA/OBP/SLG) in his first 15 games.
27. Houston Astros
SBN Blog: The Crawfish Boxes
2010 record: 30-47
Last week's rank: 28
Last week's Beyond The Box Score rank: 30
If the Astros can take one of their last two games in Milwaukee they'll finish June with a 14-14 record, a pretty nice improvement for a team that lost 20 games in May. The Astros were one of the NL's worst teams in interleague play: Since May 21 they've gone 3-12 against the AL and 14-8 against NL opponents.
26. Arizona Diamondbacks
SBN Blog: AZ Snakepit
2010 record: 30-47
Last week's rank: 26
Last week's Beyond The Box Score rank: 22
Went 3-3 against the Yankees and Rays, and were a ninth-inning save away from taking both series. Then lost an embarrassing heartbreaker on Monday because of two errors. Edwin Jackson no-hit Tampa Bay, part of a June in which he had a 2.11 ERA, and Arizona held the Rays to just seven hits over the three games. However, Mark Reynolds' struggles continue: since his first at bat on June 13th, the slugger is 7-for-41 with an astonishing 25 strikeouts.
25. Chicago Cubs
SBN Blog: Bleed Cubbie Blue
2010 record: 33-43
Last week's rank: 21
Last week's Beyond The Box Score rank: 18
The Carlos Zambrano saga is just the latest chapter in a down 2010 season for the Cubs, who have lost 11 of 17 to fall into fourth place in the NL Central. At least they're continuing to get surprising performances from Carlos Silva, though: he's provided a quality start in seven of his last eight outings.
24. Kansas City Royals
SBN Blog: Royals Review
2010 record: 33-44
Last week's rank: 24
Last week's Beyond The Box Score rank: 24
Seemingly, about once a week the Royals have a 12- to 15-hit game and score a bunch of runs. They hit singles like crazy, and don't really do anything else. The Royals are second in the AL in team batting average (.281) but are just ninth in the league in runs scored because they don't walk (2nd fewest in the league) and don't hit any home runs (3rd worst). Still, thanks to all those singles and some improved work by the bullpen, the Royals are 21-21 under Ned Yost. It's unclear what this surprisingly old team is really accomplishing however.
23. Seattle Mariners
SBN Blog: Lookout Landing
2010 record: 31-44
Last week's rank: 25
Last week's Beyond The Box Score rank: 27
The funny thing about the Mariners is that, for as disappointing as they are, and for as weak as the lineup has been (on pace to score a record-low 551 runs), they've been playing .500 baseball for well over a month. There was an eight-game losing streak in the beginning of May that killed them, and outside of that, things haven't really gone too different from expectations. Still, that losing streak counted, and the team now has 87 games to figure out what Michael Saunders can do and test out whatever it gets in return for Cliff Lee. That's something. It's just not much.
22. Washington Nationals
SBN Blog: Federal Baseball
2010 record: 33-44
Last week's rank: 22
Last week's Beyond The Box Score rank: 26
The Nationals' playoff chances are approaching zero again, albeit much later this season. Still, Nats fans will be treated to two good shows: the trade deadline with Adam Dunn's impending free agency and Stephen Strasburg's rookie year. The latter just had his worst outing of the year, which is to say he pitched pretty well against a first-place Braves team.
21. Oakland Athletics
SBN Blog: Athletics Nation
2010 record: 37-40
Last week's rank: 20
Last week's Beyond The Box Score rank: 11
Oakland took a tour through the NL Central and came out 5-7, and though their next six games are against two of the worst teams in baseball, that doesn't matter anymore - at ten out of the division and nine out of the Wild Card, the A's are just kind of floating around. It's awkward, too, because it's not like they're an underachieving team with a bunch of veterans to trade. They're a mediocre, young team that's just going to keep on being a mediocre young team for another three months. Not one batter with more than 30 trips to the plate has an OPS over .800. Not one.
20. Florida Marlins
SBN Blog: Fish Stripes
2010 record: 36-40
Last week's rank: 19
Last week's Beyond The Box Score rank: 15
The Marlins opened up a "home" series yesterday against the Mets in Puerto Rico, which included hot weather and a sparsely populated crowd that was mostly Mets fans--so just like home. Meanwhile, after firing Fredi Gonzalez, the Marlins have reportedly balked on Bobby Valentine's price-tag. Whoever gets the job, he would surely win manager of the year, if he could turn this team's season around.
19. Milwaukee Brewers
SBN Blog: Brew Crew Ball
2010 record: 34-42
Last week's rank: 23
Last week's Beyond The Box Score rank: 16
So far, so good for the Brewers on their stretch of 16 of 20 home games: they swept the Twins for the first time since moving to the NL, and took two of three from the Mariners to get back to seven games below .500 for the first time since May 29. Rickie Weeks has been hot on the homestand, hitting .481/.576/.852 over seven games.
18. Chicago White Sox
SBN Blog: South Side Sox
2010 record: 39-36
Last week's rank: 16
Last week's Beyond The Box Score rank: 12
Thanks to an 11-game winning streak, Chicago is back in the AL Central race. Such a streak was a fairly stunning development for a team that had trouble winning even two in a row for the season's first month. Nevertheless, since April 23, the White Sox have gone 33-25, the best record in the division over that span. Just a fortnight ago, the Sox appeared headed for a tumultuous summer, but a 15-3 run through interleague play has completely altered the script in Chicago. It will be fascinating to see what Kenny Williams does next.
17. Colorado Rockies
SBN Blog: Purple Row
2010 record: 40-36
Last week's rank: 14
Last week's Beyond The Box Score rank: 23
Colorado split six interleague games, beat the Padres, and hit .298, but caught a case of the K's, fanning 69 times, most in the National League over the past week. Perhaps more of concern is a pitching staff that allowed 43 runs, a season high for any seven-game period. Closer Manny Corpas continues to meltdown - since June 19th, he has allowed 12 runs in only four innings of work. Huston Street will likely take over this week.
16. Los Angeles Dodgers
SBN Blog: True Blue LA
2010 record: 41-35
Last week's rank: 15
Last week's Beyond The Box Score rank: 21
Interleague play has not been kind to LA. Losses to the Red Sox, Angels and Yankees left them 2-8 over a ten-game span, a pace that saw the Dodgers drop out of the NL West lead, at one point falling five games back and in to third place. A win on Monday was good, but they'll need a lot more. Manny Ramirez is back to form - 22-for-49 in his past baker's dozen appearances - but Andre Ethier has a sub .600 OPS over the same time, and still seems bothered by the broken pinkie.
15. Cincinnati Reds
SBN Blog: Red Reporter
2010 record: 43-34
Last week's rank: 17
Last week's Beyond The Box Score rank: 14
The Reds are 13-12 in June and might be coming back to Earth a bit. This upcoming stretch in their schedule could go a long way towards determining their long-term path: They face two more games against the Phillies, a road trip through Chicago, New York and Philadelphia, and then a home series against the Rockies.
14. Toronto Blue Jays
SBN Blog: Bluebird Banter
2010 record: 40-37
Last week's rank: 13
Last week's Beyond The Box Score rank: 10
The only team on a worse slide than the Rays in the AL East is the Blue Jays, who are 9-15 in the month of June. The offense is a big part of the problem: in May, the Jays scored 164 runs. In June, they've scored just 75. The Jays haven't been so fortunate in interleague play either, racking up a 7-11 record. The Jays now sit eight games back in the East. It took a little while, but it would appear the AL East has finally sorted itself out as expected.
13. Detroit Tigers
SBN Blog: Bless You Boys
2010 record: 41-34
Last week's rank: 7
Last week's Beyond The Box Score rank: 7
No one's really caught Tiger mania, but the Motor City Kitties wake up on Tuesday morning in first place in the AL Central for the first time since May 20th. Detroit is just 4-4 in their last eight, so it isn't like they're on a tear. Instead, they've merely hung around. The bullpen has been a huge asset for this team, so it will be interesting to see how the injury to Joel Zumaya affects the team's ability to win close games. Of note: Max Scherzer's 2.95 ERA in six starts since returning from the minors. Scherzer has struck out 49 batters in just 36 innings over that span.
12. San Francisco Giants
SBN Blog: McCovey Chronicles
2010 record: 40-35
Last week's rank: 11
Last week's Beyond The Box Score rank: 13
Nearly stayed in second-place, but dropped series in Houston and to Boston before losing to LA on Monday, to fall five games back after a 2-5 week where they scored only 18 runs, conceding 30. A potentially crucial week for San Francisco beckons, as they face division rivals Los Angeles at home, then travel to Denver to face Colorado: none of the trio can afford to lose much more ground in the NL West.
11. St. Louis Cardinals
SBN Blog: Viva El Birdos
2010 record: 42-34
Last week's rank: 9
Last week's Beyond The Box Score rank: 8
The Cardinals went 3-3 on an interleague road trip to Toronto and Kansas City last week but that wasn't good enough to hold off the Reds, who have retaken the division lead. Nine of their next 12 games are against the Diamondbacks, Brewers and Astros (and six of those games are at home), so the Cardinals could start off hot in July.
10. Minnesota Twins
SBN Blog: Twinkie Town
2010 record: 41-35
Last week's rank: 3
Last week's Beyond The Box Score rank: 1
After losing to the Tigers on Monday night, Minnesota finds themselves in second place for the first time since April 11th. After starting 19-9 however, the Twins have gone just 22-26, which is only a game better than what the Royals have done in that span. Moreover, while the Tigers and especially the White Sox racked up wins against the National League, the Twins went just 8-10 in interleague play.
9. Philadelphia Phillies
SBN Blog: The Good Phight
2010 record: 40-34
Last week's rank: 18
Last week's Beyond The Box Score rank: 20
Check back with me after Chase Utley's MRI results, and I'll give you one of two answers on how the rest of the Phil's season might go. Good teams can overcome injuries, but Chase Utley is as irreplaceable as any player in the majors, including Albert Pujols. With Placido Polanco, a potential candidate for a shift to second, also injured and backup Juan Castro massively incompetent, Philadelphia would likely have to swing a major trade to stay in contention.
8. New York Mets
SBN Blog: Amazin' Avenue
2010 record: 43-33
Last week's rank: 10
Last week's Beyond The Box Score rank: 17
The Mets aren't losing a step in their pursuit of the Braves, thanks to the re-emergence of Jose Reyes and David Wright as themselves, pre-2009. And while their excellence comes as no surprise to anyone, the other twosome powering the Mets, Hisanori Takahashi and R.A. Dickey, are understandably being treated as ticking timebombs. Look for the Mets to make a play for one of Cliff Lee, Roy Oswalt, or Dan Haren soon, as they wait for someone to pitch themselves out of the rotation.
7. Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
SBN Blog: Halos Heaven
2010 record: 43-35
Last week's rank: 12
Last week's Beyond The Box Score rank: 19
It's cruel, winning and still losing ground, but that's what happens when the team you're chasing goes up against the dregs. Still, the Angels are 22-9 since late May and have pulled within short distance of the Wild Card, which is something I don't think a lot of people saw coming. That said, it's still probably not going to happen. Realistically, LAnaheim needs to set its sights on the division, which makes this upcoming three-game set with Texas so huge. As the Rangers are a good degree easier to deal with on the road, there's an opportunity here.
6. Texas Rangers
SBN Blog: Lone Star Ball
2010 record: 46-29
Last week's rank: 4
Last week's Beyond The Box Score rank: 5
8-1 over nine games against Houston and Pittsburgh. It's how it was supposed to happen, and it's how it happened. A lot of times, teams will look back on golden opportunities and express regret for not seizing them. The Rangers seized theirs. Now they get another, with three games against the Angels. Sweeps are unlikely, but this team is a sweep away from being able to coast to the finish line. Fun Fact I Didn't Realize: Josh Hamilton is slugging .620. It seems 2009 was nothing but a little hiccup.
5. San Diego Padres
SBN Blog: Gaslamp Ball
2010 record: 45-31
Last week's rank: 9
Last week's Beyond The Box Score rank: 1
Is it time to finally admit that San Diego is for real? Could be. The past week saw solid performances on the road in Florida, beating the Rays and sweeping the Marlins, extending the Padres' division lead to a season-high gap. The Elias Sports Bureau says the bullpen is nearly on track to be the first ever to throw 50+ innings in a calendar month, with a sub-two ERA (currently 2.06) and over ten K's per nine IP
4. Atlanta Braves
SBN Blog: Talking Chop
2010 record: 45-32
Last week's rank: 3
Last week's Beyond The Box Score rank: 6
The Braves made Strasburg lose! ...And it was kind of his fault! ...And they did it without Jason Heyward, something they'll have to do for at least the next fifteen days. A strained thumb ligament prevents Heyward from gripping a bat, not a reason for surgery, but a reason for his nearly 200-point drop in OPS this month, from 1.017 on May 30 to .821 today. Playing without Heyward may be the first real challenge for the first-place Braves, but the return of Jair Jurrjens should soften the blow.
3. Tampa Bay Rays
SBN Blog: DRays Bay
2010 record: 44-31
Last week's rank: 5
Last week's Beyond The Box Score rank: 2
Everything seems to be coming apart for the Rays. Not only are they losing, but they're fighting, too. B.J. Upton and Evan Longoria had to be separated in the dugout on Sunday. After winning 17 games in April and May, the Rays have won just ten in June. Their run differential in June is just +4, considering it was +68 in April. Tampa Bay hasn't had back-to-back wins since June 9th against Toronto. They're better than this, but on May 23rd, they held a six-game division lead. Now they're back by three and scrambling to keep up.
2. Boston Red Sox
SBN Blog: Over The Monster
2010 record: 46-31
Last week's rank: 2
Last week's Beyond The Box Score rank: 4
As the Red Sox continue to ride high, the inevitable has struck: injuries. Dustin Pedroia and Victor Martinez have both been put on the disabled list, with Clay Buchholz also suffering an injury over the weekend. With Pedroia and Martinez out, the Red Sox will need to fight to stay alive near the top of the AL East. Buchholz isn't expected to miss any time, but timetables for the returns on Pedroia and Martinez are more significant and damaging. The Sox lost a series in Colorado this week, but thanks to a Pedroia "Laser Show," the Sox managed one win. The Red Sox's next 11 games are against the AL East, minus the Yankees.
1. New York Yankees
SBN Blog: Pinstripe Alley
2010 record: 47-28
Last week's rank: 1
Last week's Beyond The Box Score rank: 1
Like a lot of American League teams, the Yankees are fans of interleague play. New York went 11-7 against its NL foes, including winning six of its last eight. The pitching staff is still led by Andy Pettite (ERA+ of 149) and Phil Hughes (128), a combo many didn't expect at the beginning of the season. Derek Jeter has also picked it up as of late, hitting .353 with an .888 OPS in the past week. There just aren't a lot of weaknesses. Nor should there be.
[SciFi & Fantasy Novels, Horror Novels]
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ellen datlow)
Abraham, Daniel “The Emperor’s Vengeance,” Enemy of the Good. Aikin, Jim “An Elvish Sword of Great Antiquity,” F&SF; January. Álamo, Alfredo “Poe,” (poem) The Magazine of Speculative Poetry, spring. Alexander, Marie “Though Thy Lips Are Pale,” Dark Delicacies III: Haunted. Alford, Andrew “A Jury of His Peers,” Alien Skin Magazine June/July. Alspaugh, Brandon “Sleeping Monster Futures,” Cthulhu Unbound 2. Anderson, Colleen “The Drowning Ones” (poem) On Spec summer. ...
Abraham, Daniel “The Emperor’s Vengeance,” Enemy of the Good.
Aikin, Jim “An Elvish Sword of Great Antiquity,” F&SF; January.
Álamo, Alfredo “Poe,” (poem) The Magazine of Speculative Poetry, spring.
Alexander, Marie “Though Thy Lips Are Pale,” Dark Delicacies III: Haunted.
Alford, Andrew “A Jury of His Peers,” Alien Skin Magazine June/July.
Alspaugh, Brandon “Sleeping Monster Futures,” Cthulhu Unbound 2.
Anderson, Colleen “The Drowning Ones” (poem) On Spec summer.
Anderson, E “Savage,” Monstrous.
Ardai, Charles “My Husband’s Wife,” Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine July.
Armstrong, Kelley “Kat,” The Eternal Kiss.
Armstrong, Kelley “The Collector,” Hellbound Hearts.
Arnott, Marion “The Persistence of Memory,” Midnight Street 12, spring.
Atkins, Peter “Intricate Green Figurines,” The Rolling Darkness Review 2009.
Atkins, Peter “Prisoners of the Inferno,” Hellbound Hearts.
Atkins, Peter “The Mystery,” Spook City.
Ball, Peter M. “Horn,” Chapbook.
Barden, Rosalind “Lion Friend,” Cern Zoo.
Barrett, Jr. Neal “Limo,” Subterranean, summer.
Barron, Laird “Catch Hell,” Lovecraft Unbound.
Bartlett, Thomas T. John “The Memory Pool” The Rolling Darkness Review 2009.
Barzak, Christopher “The Ghost Hunter’s Beautiful Daughter,” Asimov’s SF Oct/Nov.
Bashaar, Margaret, “Kalypso,” (poem) Goblin Fruit spring.
Battersby, Lee “Rabbit, Run,” Dark Recesses November.
Beagle, Peter “Vanishing,” Orson Scott Card’s Intergalactic Medicine Show.
Bear, Elizabeth “The Horrid Glory of Its Wings,” Tor.com, December 8.
Bell, Chris “Shel-el-Nessim,” This is the Summer of Love.
Berman, Steve “Kinder,” Phantom.
Berniker, Sara Joan “Sing a Seller’s Song,” Albedo One 37.
Berrie, Phillip “The Changeling Detective,” Masques.
Bestwick, Simon “Drop Dead Gorgeous,” Pictures of the Dark.
Bestwick, Simon “Never Say Goodbye,” Pictures of the Dark.
Bestwick, Simon “The Proving Ground,” Ibid.
Bestwick, Simon “Jindivik,” Ibid.
Bestwick, Simon “Red Light,” Ibid.
Bestwick, Simon “The Hours of the Dead,” Ibid.
Bestwick, Simon “The Loving of Ghosts,” Ibid.
Bestwick, Simon “The Suicide Chairs,” Apparitions.
Bestwick, Simon“ From Those Dark Waters, Where Lost Bones Lie,” Ibid.
Biancotti, Deborah “Diamond Shell,” A Book of Endings.
Biancotti, Deborah “Hush,” A Book of Endings.
Bickle, Laura “The Vampire Keeper,” Deadly Dolls.
Black, Holly “The Boy Who Cried Wolf,” Troll’s Eye View.
Black, Holly “The Coldest Girl in Coldtown,” The Eternal Kiss.
Black, Michael A. “The Golden Bug,” On a Raven’s Wing.
Block, Francesca Lia “Farewell, My Zombie,” Black Clock 10.
Bloomfield, Felicity “Ours to Tease,” Masques.
Boatman, Michael “The Flinch,” Dark Delicacies III: Haunted.
Bodard, Aliette de “The Lonely Heart,” Black Static 9.
Bolen, William “December Warming,” The World is Dead.
Borbolla, Óscar De La “Outside the Door,” Mexico City Noir.
Boston, Bruce & Ballentine, Lee “Wasp Light,” Farrago’s Wainscot.
Boston, Bruce “The Demon Coal,” Midnight Echo 3, November.
Boston, Bruce “Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Vulture,” (poem), Farrago’s Wainscot.
Bowes, Richard “I Needs Must Part, the Policeman Said,” F&SF; December.
Bowes, Richard “The Office of Doom,” Lovecraft Unbound.
Bradfield, Scott “Goodbye Lately,” Black Clock 10.
Brandel, Sarah “A Life in Pictures,” Cinema Spec: Tales of Hollywood and Fantasy.
Brannon, Thom “The Last of the Players, (poem) Return of the Raven.
Braunbeck, Gary A. “…And When it is Decided That the War is Over,” Mighty Unclean.
Braunbeck, Gary A. “Glorietta,” The World is Dead.
Braunbeck, Gary A. “Man With a Canvas Bag,” Dark Delicacies III: Haunted.
Braunbeck, Gary A. and Snyder, Lucy A. “However…” Hellbound Hearts.
Braunbeck, Gary A.“Everything of Beauty Taken From You in This Life…He is Legend.
Brenchley, Chaz “‘Tis a Pity He’s Ashore,” Hellbound Hearts.
Brennan, Marie “The Snow-White Heart,” Talebones winter.
Broaddus, Maurice “Hootchie Cootchie Man,” Black Static 14.
Brown, Eric “Taipusan,” Cemetery Dance 60.
Bryant, Andrew “Wrenning Day,” On Spec fall.
Buburuz, Cathy “Tin Lizzie,” Cover of Darkness.
Bulkin, Nadia “And When She Was Bad,” Nossa Morte February.
Burgis, Stephanie “Red Ribbons,” Black Static 11.
Burgis, Stephanie “True Names,” Strange Horizons November 9.
Burgis, Stephanie “Wolf’s Kin,” Space and Time 108.
Burke, Kealan Patrick “The Acquaintance,” Shivers V.
Cadigan, Pat “Truth and Bone,” Poe.
Caine, Rachel “Death Warmed Over,” Strange Brew.
Callahan, Barbara “My Mother’s Keeper,” Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine June.
Campbell, J. R. “Mr. Other’s Children,” Gaslight Grotesque.
Campbell, Paul “Eine Stadt, die Ausgang heist (A Town Called Exit),” New Horizons 2.
Cardamone, Tom “Lotus Bread,” Pumpkin Teeth.
Cardin, Matt “Snapshots From a Feast,” Inhuman 4.
Carson, Brendan “Yellow Mary’s Lamp,” Aurealis 42.
Cartaginese, Justin “The Portrayed Man,” Enemy of the Good.
Casson, Tim “Stone Whispers,” Black Static 12.
Castellucci, Cecil “The Bread Box,” Sideshow.
Castellucci, Cecil “Wet Teeth,” The Eternal Kiss.
Chadbourn, Mark “Farewell to the21st Century Girl,” British Invasion.
Chan, Eliza “Under Her Skin,” New Horizons 2.
Chappell, Fred “Shadow of the Valley,” F&SF; February.
Châteaureynard, George-Oliver“The DenhamInheritance,”Edison’sFrankenstein PS20/21
Cherniak, Dave “Favourite,” On Spec fall.
Choo, Mary E. “The Malcontents (from Grannie’s garden)” (poem) Room 32.2.
Church, Suzanne “The Tear Closet,” Tesseracts Thirteen.
Cisco, Michael “Machines of Concrete Light and Dark,” Lovecraft Unbound.
Cisco, Michael “Modern Cities Exist Only to Be Destroyed. Cinnabar’s Gnosis.
Clairval, Gio “Last Drink Bird Head,” Last Drink Bird Head.
Clare, Cassandra “Other Boys,” The Eternal Kiss.
Clark, Simon “Children of the Vortex,” Dark Delicacies III: Haunted.
Clark, Simon “Mine,” Exotic Gothic 3.
Clark, Simon “Our Lord of Quarters,” Hellbound Hearts.
Clarke, Roz “Haunt-Type Experience,” Black Static 9.
Clements, Dominy “Artis Eterne,” Cern Zoo.
Conatser, Trey “Goldilocks,” (poem) Mid-American Review, vol. XXIX, #2.
Congreve, Bill “Time and Tapestry,” Borderlands 11.
Conlon, Christopher “The Girl That Nobody Liked,” Dark Discoveries 13.
Connelly, Lawrence C “The Death Lantern,” Gaslight Grotesque.
Connolly, John “A Haunting,” Dark Delicacies III: Haunted.
Connolly, Lawrence C. “Painkeeper,” Cemetery Dance 59.
Cooney, C.S.C. “Goblin Girls,” (poem) Goblin Fruit spring.
Cooper, Bruce “Send in the Clowns,” Necrotic Tissue 8.
Cooper, Dennis “The Guro Artists,” Ugly Man.
Cooper, Dennis “The Hostage Drama,” Ugly Man.
Cooper, Dennis “The Worst (1960-1971),” Ugly Man.
Cooper, James “My Secret Children,” Black Static 13, October/November.
Cooper, James “The Family Face,” This is the Summer of Love.
Corey, Trina “Vacation,” Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine March/April.
Couzens, Gary “Splinters,” Midnight Street #13, Autumn.
Cowdrey, Albert E. “Bandits of the Trace,” F&SF; October/November.
Cox, D. Brett “She Hears Music Up Above,” Phantom.
Crouch, Blake “Remaking,” Thriller 2.
Crow, Jennifer “Black Ships Burning,” (poem) Goblin Fruit spring.
Crow, Jennifer “Ghost Country,” (poem) Goblin Fruit spring.
Crow, Jennifer “My Tell-Tale Heart,” (poem) The Mag of Spec Poetry, spring.
Crow, Jennifer “The Night Mayor,” (poem) The Mag of Spec Poetry, spring.
Crowther, Peter “Leaves,” British Invasion.
Curran, Tim “Fly By Night,” The Death Panel.
Currier, Jameson ‘The Theater Bug,” The Haunted Heart.
Davidson, Rjurik “The Winding Down of the World,” Edison’s Frankenstein. PS 20/21.
Davies, Robert “Bruise for Bruise,” Weird Tales 353 spring.
Dean, David “Awake,” Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine July.
DeManche, Keith “Colors That No Longer Shine,” Minnetonka Review 3.
Dinan, Kurt “Nub Hut,” Chizine #39.
Dowker, Felicity “The Bearded One,” Festive Fear.
Dowling, Terry “Two Steps Along the River,” Exotic Gothic 3.
Downum, Amanda “Aconite and Rue,” On Spec fall.
Downum, Amanda “The Tenderness of Jackals,” Lovecraft Unbound.
Dudman, Clare “Last Drink Bird Head,” Last Drink Bird Head.
Duffy, Steve “Certain Death For a Known Person,” Apparitions.
DuFresne, John “The Cross-Eyed Bear,” Boston Noir.
Duncan, Andy “The Dragoman’s Bride,” The Dragon Book.
Dunyach, Jean Claude trans. Sheryl Curtis, “Enter the Worms,” Leaves of Blood.
Eccles, Marjorie “Rearrangements,” Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine November.
Edelman, Scott “Here I Choose,” chapbook.
Edelman, Scott “Tell Me Like You Done Before,” The Dead That Walk.
Edelman, Scott “The Hunger of Empty Vessels,” Bad Moon chapbook.
Evenson, Brian “Second Boy,” Unsaid 4.
Evenson, Brian “The Dismal Mirror,” Exotic Gothic 3.
Evenson, Brian “The Moldau Case,” Black Clock 10.
Evenson, Brian “Windeye,” Pen America 11: Make Believe.
Everson, John “The Mouth,” The Death Panel.
Faulkner, Ian R. “The Sleeper’s Awakening,” Space and Time 206, spring.
Files, Gemma “at the moment I am living in a haunted house,” (poem) Not One of Us 41.
Files, Gemma “Marya Nox,” Lovecraft Unbound.
Files, Gemma “The Drowned Town,” (poem) Goblin Fruit summer.
Files, Gemma “The Jacaranda Smile,” Apparitions.
Files, Gemma “The Speed of Pain,” Mighty Unclean.
Finch, Paul “Lives Less Ordinary,” Bare Bone 11.
Finch, Paul “Men of Old,” Apparitions.
Finch, Paul “The Crazy Helmets,” British Invasion.
Finch, Paul “We, Who Live in the Wood,” Black Static 14.
Finley, Toiya Kristen “Eating Ritual,” Sybil’s Garage 6.
Finley, Toiya Kristen “The Death of a Sugar Daddy,” Electric Velocipede 17/18.
Fischer, Eugene “Animal Husbandry,” Strange Horizons April 6.
Fischer, Jason “A Rose for Becca,” Borderlands 11.
Fischer, Jason “for want of a jesusman,” Aurealis 42.
Fischer, Jason “The Patchwork Palace,” Masques.
Fletcher, Tom “The Safe Children,” chapbook.
Ford, Jeffrey “The Coral Heart,” Eclipse Three.
Ford, Jeffrey “Weiroot,” Weird Tales 353 spring.
Foster, Eugie “Sinner, Baker, Fabulist, Priest….” Interzone 220.
Foster, Eugie “Within Your Soul I Sightless See,” H.P. Lovecraft Magazine 5.
Fowler, Christopher “Piano Man,” Black Static 10.
Fowler, Christopher “The Eleventh Day,” Black Static 14.
Fowler, Christopher “The Stretch,” The British Fantasy Society Yearbook 2009.
Fowler, Karen Joy “The Pelican Bar,” Eclipse Three.
Frost, Gregory “Swift Decline,” The Stories in Between.
Frost, Gregory “The Final Act,” Poe.
Fry, Gary “Closer Than That,” Mindful of Phantoms.
Fry, Gary “Die Hard,” Mindful of Phantoms.
Fry, Gary “Discord,” Bare Bone 11.
Fry, Gary “The Night Watchman,” Supernatural Tales 16.
Fry, Gary “Unfriendly Fire,” Mindful of Phantoms.
Fry, Gary “Wafts,” Mindful of Phantoms.
Furth, Robin “Magpie,” (poem) Shivers V.
Furth, Robin “The Coroner’s Beautiful Daughter,” (poem), Shivers V.
Gaiman, Neil and McKean, Dave “Wordsworth,” (graphic novel), Hellbound Hearts.
Garriga, Michael “Zombie Revolt: On Gabriel’s Failed Insurrection…” Surreal South 09.
Garris, Mick “Tyler’s Third Act,” Dark Delicacies III: Haunted.
Gavin, Richard “Getting the Strap,” The Darkly Splendid Realm.
Gavin, Richard “The Astral Mask,” The Darkly Splendid Realm.
Gavin, Richard “Where the Scarab Dwells,” The Darkly Splendid Realm.
Genge, Sara “Counting Down to the End of the Universe,” Shimmer 10.
German, Wade “Golem Variant,” (poem) Dreams and Nightmares 83.
Gilman, Felix “Catastrophe,” Weird Tales 352 Nov/Dec 2008.
Glaze, Sandra “The Resident Ghost,” On Spec summer.
Gleason, William “The Hanged Man,” Analog October.
Godwin, Parke “Going After Timmy,” H.P. Lovecraft Magazine 5.
Golaski, Adam “Her Magnetic Field,” Cinnabar’s Gnosis.
Golaski, Adam “The Great Blind God Passed Through Us,” Strange Tales III.
Goodfellow, Cody “Rapture of the Deep,” Dark Discoveries 15.
Goodfellow, Cody “The Traveling Salesman,” Bare Bone 11.
Goodfellow, Cody “Wasted on the Young,” Cemetery Dance 62.
Goodfellow, Cody “We Will Rebuild,” Zombies: Encounters with the Hungry Dead.
Goodrich, John “The Patriot,” Cthulhu Unbound.
Goss, Theodora “The Puma,” Apex Magazine March.
Gottshall, Karin “Listening to the Dead,” (poem) Mid-American Review, vol. XXIX, #2.
Graves, Rain “Brown Hair, Brown Eyes, and I Left Once,” (poem) Barfodder.
Graves, Rain “Knowledge,” (poem) Barfodder.
Graves, Rain “The Angel of Wrong Things (Part III),” (poem) Barfodder.
Graves, Rain “The Angel of Wrong Things (The House of Sighs),” (poem) Barfodder.
Graves, Rain “The Angel of Wrong Things (The Tenderloin),” (poem) Barfodder.
Graves, Rain “The Angel of Wrong Things(The Old Boy and the Sea),”(poem)Barfodder.
Green, Christopher “Having Faith,” Nossa Morte February.
Grimmett, Neil “A Hard Water,” This is the Summer of Love.
Guibord, Maurissa “Haunt Squad,” Arkham Tales 4, August.
Gustainis, Justin “Meat Wagon,” Inhuman 4.
Haines, Paul “Slice of Life,” Slice of Life.
Haines, Paul “Wives,” (novella) X6.
Haldeman, Joe “Never Blood Enough,” Fantasy & Science Fiction. Oct/Nov.
Hammer, Jasmine “Tornado Juice,” Lady Churchill’s Rosebud Wristlet 24.
Henderson, C.J. “Locked Room,” Cthulhu Unbound.
Herbertson, Craig “Leibniz’s Last Puzzle,” The Fifth Black Book of Horror.
Herron, Mick “The Very Bad Man,” Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine March/April.
Heuler, Karen “After Images,” Phantom.
Hill, Gary “Rest in Peace, Jeremy Crandall,” Eldritch Horrors: Dark Tales.
Hill, Joe and King, Stephen “Throttle,” He is Legend.
Hobson, M.K. “The Warlock and the Man,” Enemy of the Good.
Holder, Nancy “Zombonia,” The Dead That Walk.
Houarner, Gerard “Assassin of Love,” A Blood of Killers.
Houarner, Gerard “Comes Love, Nothing Can Be Done,” A Blood of Killers.
Houarner, Gerard “Dancing With the Skeletons at the Feast,”(novella) Ibid.
Houarner, Gerard “Do Nothing Till You Hear From Me,” Ibid.
Houarner, Gerard “Soft Package,” Ibid.
Houarner, Gerard “The Man Who Wouldn’t Die,” Ibid.
Houarner, Gerard “The Mule,” Ibid.
Houarner, Gerard “The Other Box,” (novella) Strange Tales III.
Houarner, Gerard “The Shadow of His Killer,” A Blood of Killers.
Houarner, Gerard “Through Love’s Sight,” Ibid..
Houarner, Gerard “You Think You’re a Killer,” Ibid..
Hudson, Kelly M. “What Makes an Angel Cry,” The Death Panel.
Hughes, Lee “Turn the Crank,” Cern Zoo.
Hughes, Matthew “Hell of a Fix,” F&SF; December.
Hughes, Rhys “Abomination With Rice,” Cthulhu Unbound 2.
Hunter, Faith “Signatures of the Dead,” Strange Brew.
Irwin, Sharon “Begin with Water,” Dead Souls.
Jackson, Neil “Celeste,” Gaslight Grotesque.
Jackson, Nick “The Siege,” New Horizons 2.
James, M.R. and Oliver, Reggie “The Game of Bear,” Madder Mysteries.
Jaumann, Bernhard “Snow on Bloedkroppie,” Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Mag, August.
Johnson, Alaya Dawn “Far and Deep,” Interzone 221.
Johnstone, Carole “The Blind Man,” Dead Souls.
Jones, Chris “The Whispering Walls,” (poem) Masques.
Jones, Mark Howard “Trackside,” Bare Bone 11.
Jones, Stephen Graham “The Ones That Got Away,” Phantom.
Kaftan, Vylar “What President Polk Said,” Phantom.
Kaiser, Jessica E. “Come to Jesus,” Andromeda Spaceways Inflight Magazine 41.
Kalin, Deborah “The Wagers of Salt,” This is the Summer of Love.
Kane, Paul “Masques,” Return of the Raven.
Kaufmann, Nicholas “Mysteries of the Cure,” Shivers V.
Kaysen, Daniel “The Pain of Blue Eyes,” Black Static 9.
Keene, Brian “Burying Betsy,” Cemetery Dance 59.
Kek-W “Getting Old,” Bare Bone 11.
Kelly, Michael “A Blue Hand, Reaching,” Bare Bone 11.
Kelly, Michael “The Woods,” Tesseracts Thirteen.
Kelly, W. G. “Girl Like That,” Swill 4.
Ketchum, Jack “The Visitor,” The World is Dead.
Kidd, Chico “Awakenings,” Brief Encounters.
Kiernan, Caitlín R. “At the Gate of Deeper Slumber,” Sirenia Digest April.
Kiernan, Caitlín R. “The Belated Burial,” Sirenia Digest 38.
Kiernan, Caitlín R. “The Belated Burial,” Subterranean, fall.
Kiernan, Caitlín R. “The Thousand-and-Third Tale of Scheherazade,” Sirenia Digest 38.
Kiernan, Caitlín R. Galápagos,” Eclipse Three.
Kilpatrick, Nancy “The Promise,” Hellbound Hearts.
Kim, Alice Sola “The Ugly Zombie,” Strange Horizons December 7.
[SciFi & Fantasy Novels, Horror Novels]
(
ellen datlow)
King, Stephen “Morality,” Esquire July. Klages, Ellen “Singing on a Star,” Firebirds Soaring. Knight, Joel “Let No Greater Love or Promise,” Strange Tales III. Koja, Kathe “Far and Wee,” Weird Tales 352 Nov/Dec 2008. Kopaska-Merkel,David & Rathbone,Wendy“ApparitionHouse,”(poem) Star*LineJan/Feb Kornher-Stace, Nicole, “The Changeling Always Wins,” (poem) Goblin Fruit summer. Kornher-Stace, Nicole, “This is Not a Love Story,” (poem) Goblin Fruit summer. Kosmatka, Ted & ...
King, Stephen “Morality,” Esquire July.
Klages, Ellen “Singing on a Star,” Firebirds Soaring.
Knight, Joel “Let No Greater Love or Promise,” Strange Tales III.
Koja, Kathe “Far and Wee,” Weird Tales 352 Nov/Dec 2008.
Kopaska-Merkel,David & Rathbone,Wendy“ApparitionHouse,”(poem) Star*LineJan/Feb
Kornher-Stace, Nicole, “The Changeling Always Wins,” (poem) Goblin Fruit summer.
Kornher-Stace, Nicole, “This is Not a Love Story,” (poem) Goblin Fruit summer.
Kosmatka, Ted & Poore, Michael “Blood Dauber,” Asimov’s SF Oct/Nov.
Krasnoff, Barbara “In the Gingerbread House,” Electric Velocipede 17/18.
Krasnoff, Barbara “Rosemary, that’s for Remembrance,” Clockwork Phoenix 2.
Krasnoff, Barbara “Waiting for Jakie,” Apex online April.
Kressel, Matthew “Saving Diego,” Interzone 221.
Kressel, Matthew “The Spaces Between Things,” Electric Velocipede 17/18.
Kruse, Kent “I Was Walking,” (poem) Not One of Us 41.
Laidlaw, Marc “Leng,” Lovecraft Unbound.
Laken-Smith, Kim “Unearthed. Black Static 12.
Lakin-Smith, Kim “The Shadow Keeper,” Black Static 13, October/November.
Lalumière, Claude “Roman Predator’s Chimeric Odyssey,” Objects of Worship.
Lalumière, Claude “What to Do With the Dead,” Shimmer 10.
Lamb, Alexander “Eleven Orchid Street,” Lady Churchill’s Rosebud Wristlet 24.
Lambridis, Scott “Washer Woman,” Black Static 10.
Lanagan Margo “Ferryman,” Firebirds Soaring.
Lanagan, Margo “Sea-Hearts,” (novella) X6.
Lane, Joel “Face Down,” The Terrible Changes.
Lane, Joel “Sign Unseen,” Lovecraft Unbound.
Lane, Joel “Some of Them Fell,” Black Static 13, October/November.
Lane, Joel “The Witnesses are Gone,” (novella) chapbook.
Langan, John “ The Wide, Carnivorous Sky,” (novella) By Blood We Live.
Langan, Sarah “Fensted’s End,” Cemetery Dance 59.
Langan, Sarah “The Burn Victim,” Shivers V.
Langan, Sarah “The Dark Materials Project,” Hellbound Hearts.
Langridge, Huw “Last Train to Tassenmere,” Supernatural Tales 15.
Lanham, Carole “The Blue Word,” The World is Dead.
Lansdale, Joe R. “Quarry,” He is Legend.
Lansdale, Joe R. “Torn Away,” Twilight Zone: 19 Original Stories.
Lauderdale, Kevin “James and the Dark Grimoire,” Cthulhu Unbound.
Lauderdale, Robert “The Best Laid Plans,” Gaslight Grotesque.
Lebbon, Tim “The Language of the Land,” The British Fantasy Society Yearbook 2009.
Lee, Cassandra “Matty,” The Anthology of the Living Dead.
Lee, Tanith “Our Lady of Scarlet,” Realms of Fantasy August.
Lee, Yoon Ha “The Fourth Horseman,” Electric Velocipede 17/18.
Lees, Tim “Cuckoos,” Black Static 13, October/November.
Light, Jason M. “The Bear Who Swallowed the Sky,” Midnight Walk.
Link, Kelly “The Cinderella Game,” Troll’s Eye View.
Lis, Eric “My True Lovecraft Gave to Me,” Weird Tales 352 November/December 2008.
Llewellyn, Livia “Horses,” This is the Summer of Love.
Lockley, Steve and Lewis, Paul “Never Go Back,” British Invasion.
Lopez, Luciana “Julia Now,” Portland Noir.
Lukyanenko, Sergei “Foxtrot at High Noon,” By Blood We Live.
Lumans, Alexander “Elephants Are Why He Made the Oceans,” Surreal South 09.
Lustig, E. A. “The Sin Hypothesis,” Orson Scott Card’s Intergalactic Medicine Show.
Lynch, Mark Patrick “Smoke Signals,” Bare Bone 11.
Mackintosh, Paul “The People of the Island,” Eldritch Horrors: Dark Tales.
Malfi, Ronald Damien “Chupacabra,” Bare Bone 11.
Maloney, Geoffrey “Through a Lens Darkly,” Aurealis 42.
Mamatas, Nick “A Stain on the Stone,” Phantom.
Mamatas, Nick “And Then, and Then, and Then…,”Innsmouth Free Press, May 30.
Mamatas, Nick “Farewell Performance,” Tor.com December 31.
Mamatas, Nick “Seventh Son of a Seventh Son,” (novella) You Might Sleep…
Mamatas, Nick “That of Which We Speak When We Speak of …,”Lovecraft Unbound.
Mantooth, John “The Water Tower,” Fantasy Magazine, July 20.
Marvick, Louis “Pockets of Emptiness,” Supernatural Tales 15.
Matheson, Richard Christian “How to Edit,” Dark Delicacies III: Haunted.
Matheson, Richard Christian “Venturi,” He is Legend.
Matsuura, Thersa “Devils Outside,” A Robe of Feathers.
Matsuura, Thersa “Hate and Where It Breeds,” A Robe of Feathers.
Matsuura, Thersa “Taro’s Task,” A Robe of Feathers.
McAllister, Bruce “Johnny,” Cemetery Dance 61.
McDougal, Heather “The Candy Store,” Writers of the Future XXV.
McGachey, Daniel “A Ravelled Tress,” They That Dwell in Dark Places.
McGachey, Daniel “Rags,” They That Dwell in Dark Places.
McGachey, Daniel M.“’AndStillThoseScreams Resound…’”TheFourthBlackBkof Horror
McGarry, Terry “The Piper’s Chair,” H.P. Lovecraft Magazine 5.
McGuire, Seanan “Animal Husbandry,” Grants Pass.
McGuire, Seanan “Inspirations,” Edge of Propinquity October.
McHugh, Ian “Angel Dust,” Clockwork Phoenix 2.
McHugh, Maura “Beautiful Calamity,” Paradox 13.
McHugh, Maura “Exchange,” (poem) Goblin Fruit spring.
McHugh, Maura “The Garden of Death,” Fantasy Magazine, May 29.
McHugh, Maura “Vic,” Black Static 10.
McIntosh, A. J. “Melting,” Strange Tales III.
McMahon, Gary “Dead to the World,” The Dead That Walk.
McMahon, Gary “Love is in the Air,” The Fourth Black Book of Horror.
McMahon, Gary “Proof,” Apparitions.
McMahon, Gary “Punch-Drunk,” Bare Bone 11.
McMahon, Gary “Strange Scenes From an Unfinished Film,” Cern Zoo.
McMahon, Gary “Survivor Guilt,” The British Fantasy Society Yearbook 2009.
McMahon, Gary “The Chair,” Black Static 10.
McMahon, Gary “The Good, Light People,” Strange Tales III.
Mead, Donald “The Shadow Man,” Writers of the Future XXV.
Meddor, Michael “The Boy Who Sang For Others,” F&SF; January.
Meikle, William “The Tenants of Ladywell Manor,” Cthulhu Unbound 2.
Mellick III., Carlton “Lemon Knives ‘n’ Cockroaches,”Zombies: Encounters with the …
Menon, Anil “The Scorching Glass,” Return of the Raven.
Minor, Kyle “Dressing the Dead,” Surreal South 09.
Mitchell, William “The Turning of the Screw,” Midnight Street 12, spring.
Monette, Sarah and Bear, Elizabeth “Mongoose,” Lovecraft Unbound.
Moore, James A. “Emily’s Kiss,” Gaslight Grotesque.
Moore, James A. “Growing Pains,” Slices.
Moore, James A. “In the Oubliette,” Slices.
Moore, Ralph Robert “Fleeing on a Bicycle with Your Father…”The World Is Dead.
Moore, Ralph Robert “Like An Animal in a Hole,” Remove the Eyes.
Moore, Ralph Robert “My First Kiss,” Remove the Eyes.
Morrell, David “The Architecture of Snow,” Dark Delicacies III: Haunted.
Morris, Mark “Mother’s Ruin,” Hellbound Hearts.
Morris, Mark “Puppies for Sale,” British Invasion.
Morrish, Robert “Each Step I Take Is In Darkness,” Shivers V.
Morrissette, Micaela “The Familiars,” Conjunctions 53: Betwixt the Between.
Morton, Lisa “Joe and Abel in the Field of Rest,” The Dead That Walk.
Morton, Lisa “The Devil Came to Mamie’s on Hallow’en,” Cemetery Dance 60.
Morton, Lisa “The End,” Cinema Spec: Tales of Hollywood and Fantasy.
Morton, Lisa “The Lucid Dreaming,” (novella) chapbook.
Murr, Joe L. “Count of Three” Dark Recesses December.
Musk, Justine “Best Served Cold,” Zombies: Encounters with the Hungry Dead.
Nassise, Joe “Becoming Michael,” Inhuman 4.
Navroth, Linda “The Specimen,” Eldritch Horrors: Dark Tales.
Neal, D. T. “Aegis,” Albedo One 37.
Neal, D. T. “Rotgut,” Albedo One 36.
Nevill, Adam L. G. “The Ancestors,” The British Fantasy Society Yearbook 2009.
Neville, Adam L. G. “To Forget and Be Forgotten,” Exotic Gothic 3.
Neville, Adam L. G. “Yellow Teeth,” British Invasion.
Nickels, Tim “Salmon Widow,” Cern Zoo.
Nickle, David “Other People’s Kids,” Monstrous Affections.
Nickle, David “The Radejastians,” Tesseracts Thirteen.
Norris, Gregory L. “The Cove,” Monstrous.
Norum, Don “About 77 Degrees West of Nassau,” Nossa Morte May.
Nutman, Philip “The Misadventure of Fat Man and Little Boy, or…” British Invasion.
O’Bryan, Joey “The Svancara Supper Society” Midnight Walk.
O’Driscoll, Mike “The Entire City,” Albedo One 36.
O’Rourke, Monica “Cell,” This is the Summer of Love.
Ochse, Weston “The Crossing of Aldo Ray,” The Dead That Walk.
Oliver, Reggie ‘Tawny,” Madder Mysteries.
Oliver, Reggie ‘The Wig: A Monologue for an Actor,” Madder Mysteries.
Oliver, Reggie “Baskerville’s Midgets,” Madder Mysteries.
Oliver, Reggie “Countess Otho,” Strange Tales III.
Oliver, Reggie “The Black Metaphysical,” Cinnabar’s Gnosis.
Oliver, Reggie “The Head,” Madder Mysteries/ The Fourth Black Book of Horror.
Olsson, Marcus “The Hidden,” Masques.
Osborne, J. David “Amends Due, West of Glorieta,” Bare Bone 11.
Otsuichi “In the Park at Twilight, a Long Time Ago,” Zoo.
Otsuichi “The White House in the Cold Forest,” Zoo.
Owens, James “Brother,” Nossa Morte February.
Padmanabhan, Manjula “Cull,” Delhi Noir.
Paffenroth, Kim “The Covenant,” Cthulhu Unbound.
Page, Shannon “Eastlick,” Black Static 10.
Patten, Steve “Swallow,” Surreal South 09.
Paxon, Caitlyn “She Asks for Dresses, (poem) Goblin Fruit winter.
Paxson, Caitlyn “The Carnivale of Abandoned Tales,” Shimmer 10.
Pendergrass, Tom “The Circle Unbroken,” Return of the Raven.
Pepe, James B. “I Am Enkidu, His Wild Brother,” Sybil’s Garage 6.
Phillips, Holly “The Long Goodbye,” Asimov’s SF March.
Phillips, Michael “You’re a Stain,” (poem) Weird Tales 353 spring.
Piccirilli, Tom “Blood Sacrifices & the Catatonic Kid,” The Death Panel.
Pinborough, Sarah “Snow Angels,” The British Fantasy Society Yearbook 2009.
Prentiss, Norman “The Albright Sextuplets,” Shivers V.
Probert , John Llewellyn “A Dance to the Music of Insanity,” The Catacombs of Fear.
Probert , John Llewellyn “At First Sight,” The Catacombs of Fear.
Probert , John Llewellyn “Catacomb Interludes,” The Catacombs of Fear.
Probert , John Llewellyn “Mors Gratia Artis,” The Catacombs of Fear.
Probert , John Llewellyn “The Markovski Quartet,” The Catacombs of Fear.
Probert , John Llewellyn “The Neighborhood Watch,” The Catacombs of Fear.
Probert, John Llewellyn “De Vermis Infestis,” The Fifth Black Book of Horror.
Pugmire, W.H. “Some Bacchante of Irem,” Dark Discoveries 15.
Pulver, Sr. Joseph S. “A Night of Moon and Blood,Then …,”Blood Will Have Its Season.
Pulver, Sr. Joseph S. “An American TangoEndinginMadness,”BloodWillHaveIts Season.
Pulver, Sr. Joseph S. “And She Walks Into the Room…” Blood Will Have Its Season.
Pulver, Sr. Joseph S. “Blood Will Have Its Season,” Blood Will Have Its Season.
Pulver, Sr. Joseph S. “Carl Lee & Cassilda,” Blood Will Have Its Season.
Pulver, Sr. Joseph S. “Erendira,” Blood Will Have Its Season.
Pulver, Sr. Joseph S. “One Side’s Ice, One’s Fire,” Blood Will Have Its Season.
Pulver, Sr. Joseph S. “Stone Cold Fever” Blood Will Have Its Season.
Raines, Dave “Suitcase and Slow Time,” Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine June.
Rainey, Stephen Mark “ The Gaki,” Cemetery Dance 59.
Rainey, Stephen Mark “Shapes in the Illusive Night” Inhuman 4.
Ramani, Madhvi “Qasim,” Borderlands 11.
Rasmussen, Matt “Oh Cremulator,” (poem), Mid-American Review, Vol. XXIX, No.1.
Rath, Tina “Extended Family,” Exotic Gothic 3.
Red, Eric “The Buzzard,” Weird Tales 354 fall.
Reynolds, Joshua “Nemo at R’Lyeh,” Cthulhu Unbound 2.
Richards, Tony “Birchiam Peer, “ British Invasion.
Richards, Tony “The Crows,” Midnight Street 12, spring.
Rickert, M. “The President’s Book Tour,” Fantasy & Science Fiction. Oct/Nov.
Ridler, Jason S. “The Last,” Nossa Morte February.
Riley, David A. “The Fragile Mask On His Face,” Dark Discoveries 15.
Riley, David A. “Their Own Mad Demons,” The Fifth Black Book of Horror.
Riley, R. Thomas “Too Little,” The Monster Within Idea.
Rix, Phil, “A Taste of Casu Marzu,” Strange Tales III.
Roberts, Scott M. “The End-of-the-World-Pool,” OSC’s Intergalactic Medicine Show.
Roberts, Tansy Rayner “Siren Beat,” (novella) chapbook.
Robertson, Al “Changeling,” Black Static 9.
Robertson, Al “De Profundis,” Black Static 11.
Roden, Barbara “After,” Northwest Passages.
Roden, Barbara “Of the Origin of the Hound of the Baskervilles,” Gaslight Grotesque.
Roden, Barbara “The Haunted House in Etobicoke,” Exotic Gothic 3.
Rowan, Iain “A Walk in the Park,” Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine, Jan/Feb.
Royle, Nicholas “Unfollow,” British Fantasy Society Yearbook.
Runolfson, J. C. “Klabautermann,” (poem) Mythic Delirium 20.
Runolfson, J. C. “Kumiho,” (poem) (Going Going) Gone.
Runolfson, J. C. “O.D.,” (poem) Goblin Fruit winter.
Rusch, Kristine Kathryn “Turbulence,” Asimov’s SF August.
Rusch, Kristine Kathryn “What the Monster Saw,” Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine July.
Russell, R. B. “Dispossessed,” Putting the Pieces in Place.
Russell, R. B. “In Hiding,” Ibid.
Russell, R. B. “Literary Remains,” This is the Summer of Love.
Russell, R. B. “Putting the Pieces in Place,” Putting the Pieces in Place.
Russell, R. B. “The Red Rose and the Cross of Gold,” Cinnabar’s Gnosis.
Russell, R. B. “There’s Nothing That I Wouldn’t Do,” Putting the Pieces in Place.
Russo, Patricia “Palava,” Not One of Us 42.
Russo, Patricia “Wednesday,” Not One of Us 41.
Ryman, Geoff “Blocked,” F&SF; October/ November.
Sakmyster, David “Talebones 38, summer.
Sampson, Rich “The Gift,” Space and Time 106, spring.
Schaechterle, Inez “Passing Down,” Cthulhu Unbound 2.
Schaller, Eric “Number One Fan,” Edison’s Frankenstein PS20/21.
Schaller, Eric “The Sparrow Mumbler,” New Genre 6.
Scurati, Antonio trans. Anne Milano Appel “Eternal Rome,” Rome Noir.
Sebold, Gaie “Eaten Cold,” Under the Rose.
Sedia, Ekaterina “Cherrystones and Shards of Ice,” H.P. Lovecraft Magazine 5.
Sellar, Gord “Cai and Her Ten-Thousand Husbands,” Apex February.
Sernine, Daniel “Striges,” (trans by Sheryl Curtis) Tesseracts Thirteen.
Shapiro, Eric “Call Me Doctor,” Zombies: Encounters with the Hungry Dead.
Shea, Michael “Copping Squid,” Copping Squid.
Shea, Michael “The Recruiter,” Lovecraft Unbound.
Shea, Michael “Tsathoggua,” Copping Squid.
Shearman, Robert “Granny’s Grinning,” The Dead That Walk.
Shearman, Robert “Roadkill,” (novella) chapbook.
Shearman,Rob“George Clooney’s Moustache,”The Brit FantasySocietyYearbook09 5800
Shepard, Lucius “Halloween Town,” (novella) Fantasy & Science Fiction. Oct/Nov.
Sherman, Fraser “Signs and Hortense,” Arkham Tales 4, August.
Siemienowicz, Miranda “Aleph Mem Tav,” Aurealis 41.
Siemienowicz, Miranda “Penthouse,” Overland 195.
Silva, David B. “Darkness and Light,” The Shadows of Kingston Mills.
Silva, David B. “Love Never Lost,” The Shadows of Kingston Mills.
Silva, David B. “Max the Magnificent,” The Shadows of Kingston Mills.
Singer, Glen “Transfusion: A Tale of Innsmouth Reborn,” Dark Discoveries 15.
Slatter, Angela “Sister, Sister,” Strange Tales III.
Slaveiro, Susan “Melpomene, on Raising Daughters,” Goblin Fruit winter.
Slaveiro, Susan “Rose Red, on Sibling Rivalry,” (poem) Goblin Fruit spring.
Smith, John Claude “The Shadow Over Las Vegas,” Cthulhu Unbound.
Smith, R. T. “Thurston,” Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine July.
Southard, Nate “His Start,” Broken Skin.
Southard, Nate “Working the Bag,” Broken Skin.
Southard, Nate “Yellow Triangles,” Broken Skin.
Sparks, Cat “Seventeen,” Masques.
Speegle, Darren “The Horticulturist’s Daughter,” Cemetery Dance 59.
Speegle, Darren “Will O’ the Wailing Wind,” Inhuman 4.
Spencer, William Browning“Come Lurk With Me and Be My Love,”Lovecraft Unbound.
Steel, Jim “Red Christmas,” Supernatural Tales 16.
Sterner, Samantha “The Elephant God,” Necrotic Tissue 8.
Stiles, Paula R. “In the Shadow of Uluru,” Arkham Tales 4, August.
Stine, R. L. “Roomful of Witnesses,” Thriller 2.
Stone, Grant “The Living Dead Boy,” Andromeda Spaceways Inflight Magazine 41.
Strachen, Ian C. “Starlight Casts No Shadow,” The Fifth Black Book of Horror.
Strantzas, Simon “A Seed on Barren Ground,” Cold to the Touch.
Strantzas, Simon “Cold to the Touch,” Cold to the Touch.
Strantzas, Simon “Her Father’s Daughter,” Strange Tales III.
Strantzas, Simon “Here’s to the Good Life,” Cold to the Touch.
Strantzas, Simon “Like Falling Snow,” Cold to the Touch.
Strantzas, Simon “The Sweetest Song,” Cold to the Touch.
Strantzas, Simon “The Sweetest Song,” Cold to the Touch.
Strasser, Dirk “Stories of the Sand,” Realms of Fantasy December.
Straub, Peter “A Special Place: The Heart of a Dark Matter (novella) chapbook.
Straub, Peter “Variations on a Theme From Seinfeld,” Cemetery Dance 61.
Strieber, Whitley “The Good Neighbors,” Twilight Zone: 19 Original Stories.
Stuart, Kiel “Day of the Dead,” Inhuman 4.
Sutton, David “Dead Water,” The Fourth Black Book of Horror.
Tallerman, David “Rindelstein’s Monsters,” The Death Panel.
Tambour, Anna “Sincerely, Petrified,” Lovecraft Unbound.
Tambour, Anna “The Arms of Love and Death,” Andromeda Spaceways Inflight Mag.42.
Tem, Steve Rasnic “Show Night,” Dark Discoveries 13.
Tem, Steve Rasnic “Slapstick,” Bare Bone 11.
Tem, Steve Rasnic “The Cabinet Child,” Phantom.
Tem, Steve Rasnic “The Multiples of Sorrow,” Cinnabar’s Gnosis.
Tentchoff, Marcie Lynn “Midnight,” (poem) Star*Line September/October.
Tentchoff, Marcie Lynn “Scars,” (poem) Dreams and Nightmares 84.
Tessier, Thomas “The Woman in the Club Car,” Cemetery Dance 60.
Thomas, Ben “The Man with the Myriad Scars,” Weird Tales 352 Nov/Dec. 2008.
Thomas, Lee “Crack Smokin’ Grandpa,” In the Closet, Under the Bed.
Thomas, Lee “Down to Sleep,” In the Closet, Under the Bed.
Thomas, Lee “I Know You’re There,” In the Closet, Under the Bed.
Thomas, Lee “Shelter,” In the Closet, Under the Bed.
Thomas, Sarah “The Economy of Vacuum,” F&SF; December.
Tidhar, Lavie “One Day, Soon,” Lovecraft Unbound.
Tidhar, Lavie “Set Down This,” Phantom.
Tobler, E. Catherine “The Far-Springer,” On Spec summer.
Totton, Sarah “Flatrock Sunners,” Black Static 12.
Towles, T. “Rough Ride to Valencia,” Black Clock 10.
Tremblay, Paul G. “Headstone in Your Pocket,” 353 Weird Tales spring.
Trenholm, Hayden “The Last Windigo,” Gaslight Grotesque.
Trogen, Brit “Red Cage,” Campus Chills.
Unsworth, Simon Kurt “Mami Wata,” Exotic Gothic 3.
Utley, Steven and Bishop, Michael “The City Quiet as Death,” Tor.com June 9.
Valente, Catherynne M. “A Delicate Architecture,” Troll’s Eye View.
Valentine, Genevieve “The Drink of Fine Gentlemen Everywhere,” Sybil’s Garage 6.
Valentine, Genevieve “White Stone,” Fantasy March 19.
Vallorani, Nicoletta “Pasolini’s Shadow,” Rome Noir.
Vanderhooft, JoSelle “Bringing Out the Dead,” (poem) The Memory Palace.
Vanderhooft, JoSelle “My Father’s House,” (poem) The Memory Palace.
Vanderhooft, JoSelle “The Gravedigger’s Daughter,”(poem)Fathers, Daughters, Ghosts..
Vanderhooft, JoSelle “The Mad Scientist’s Daughter,”(poem)Fathers, Daughters,Ghosts..
Vanderhooft, JoSelle “The Scarecrow’s Daughter,” (poem) Fathers, Daughters, Ghosts…
Vernon, Steve “Old Spice Love Knot,” Campus Chills.
Volk, Stephen “After the Ape,” The British Fantasy Society Yearbook 2009.
Volk, Stephen “Fear,” Black Static 9.
Volk, Stephen “From the Lips of Lazarus,” Exotic Gothic 3.
Volk, Stephen “Hounded,” Gaslight Grotesque.
Waggoner, Tim “Conversations Kill,” Cemetery Dance 60.
Ward, S. E. “Nell and the Devil,” Realms of Fantasy, October.
Wellington, David “Dead Man’s Land,” The World is Dead.
Wellington, David “Off Radio,” Buried Tales of Pinebox, Texas.
Welsh, Durand “Warszawa Road,” Borderlands 11.
Williams, Conrad “Deleted Scenes,” The British Fantasy Society Yearbook 2009.
Williams, Conrad “Slitten Gorge,” British Invasion.
Williams, Conrad “The Cold,” Hellbound Hearts.
Williams, Liz “Dusking,” Lady Churchill’s Rosebud Wristlet 24.
Williams, Tad “Ants,” Twilight Zone: 19 Original Stories.
Wilson, Alex “The Spoils of Springfield,” Shimmer 10.
Wilson, Andrew J. “The Thing’s the Play,” H.P. Lovecraft Magazine 5.
Wilson, Blake “The Door to Nowhere,” Eldritch Horrors: Dark Tales.
Wilson, F. Paul “Recalled,” He is Legend.
Wilson, Mehitobel “The Quarantine Act,” Zombies: Encounters with the Hungry Dead.
Wise, A. C. A Mouse Ran Up the Clock,” Electric Velocipede 19.
Wisker, Gina “Binding,” Dissections November.
Witcover, Paul “The Silver Ghost,” Everland.
Witcover, Paul “Where Balloons Go,” Everland.
Wittman, Jason D. “Fiddler,” Talebones winter.
Woodworth, Stephen “The Silent Majority,” The Dead That Walk.
Yaniv, Nir “A Painter, a Sheep, and a Boa Constrictor,” Shimmer 10.
Yaniv, Nir “Cinderers,” The Apex Book of World SF.
Yoachim, Caroline M. “Pageant Girls,” Andromeda Spaceways Inflight Magazine 42.
Yolen, Jane “The Selchie's Children's Plaint,” (poem) Goblin Fruit summer.
Yolen, Jane and Stemple, Adam “Little Red,” Firebirds Soaring.
Youers, Rio “Mama Fish,” (novella) chapbook.
Youmans, Marly “The Ghost Crab’s Woman,” (poem) Electric Velocipede 17/18.
Youmans, Marly “The Red King’s Sleep,” Enemy of the Good.
Young, Marty “Black Peter,” Festive Fear.
Yovanoff, Brenna “Obedience,” Strange Horizons February 9.
Zelazny, Trent “The House of Happy Mayhem,” The Day the Leash Gave Way.
One need not look far to grasp the scope of this country’s food safety problems, and the personal devastation that can happen when somebody is infected by E. coli, Salmonella, Campylobacter, or any other foodborne pathogen. Stephanie Smith, who, at the time of her illness, was a 19-year-old dance instructor from Cold Springs, Minnesota, suffered an E. coli O157:H7-hemolytic uremic syndrome illness so severe that it left her paralyzed. And Linda Rivera, who was sickened from contaminated Nestle cookie dough, was just flown from a Las Vegas Hospital to a long-term rehabilitation center after almost a year-long hospitalization from her own E. coli O157:H7 infection.
