NFL Week 2 � Adrian Peterson injures knee; Patriots win, lose QB and now face a daunting task

Every Jimmy Garoppolo Throw (Week 2) | Dolphins vs Patriots | NFL

NFL Week2

Top Story Lines | Injury NewsFantasy Football| ATS Betting Tips/Picks

[Looking for Redskins coverage? Click here.]

The Patriots were already without the suspended Tom Brady and injured tight end Rob Gronkowski, now they may be without Jimmy Garoppolo as well.

Facing the Miami Dolphins, the Patriots were cruising to a 2-0 start to the seasonbehind three touchdown passes from Garoppolo before his right shoulder was driven into the turf on a hit by Kiko Alonso. Garoppolo was takento the locker room and ruled out for the remainder of the game, giving way toJacoby Brissett.

Brissett, who played college footballat both Florida and N.C. State and was selected in the third round of the 2016 draft by the Patriots, finished the game completing 6-of-9 passes for 92 yards. He orchestrated a touchdown drive on the Patriots first drive of the second half, capped by a run by LeGarrette Blount.

[Absent Tom Brady, Bill Belichicks brilliance is on full display]

The Dolphins crawled back into the game late in the second half, scoring 21 straight points to applysome pressure in the fourth quarter, but a last-second heave into the end zone was intercepted by the Patriots to secure the victory.

New England will no doubt savor the win, but faces a challenge in Week 3 should Garoppolos injury prove serious.ThePatriotsplay Thursday night against the Houston Texans and star defensive end J.J. Watt. The Texans had four sacks Sunday in their game against the Kansas City Chiefs, including one-and-a-half by Watt.

Elsewhere, the Browns appear to have survived aQB injury scare of their own against the Baltimore Ravens, though they could not survive a ferocious second-half comeback by the Ravens. Replacing injured starter Robert Griffin III, Josh McCown came out firingfor the Cleveland Browns, throwingtwo touchdowns torookie receiver Corey Coleman and giving the Browns an early 20-2 lead over the visiting Ravens after the Ravens blocked an extra point try and returned it for two points. McCown went to the locker room for X-rays on his shoulder after the second touchdown pass, though he later returned to the field.

The blocked point-after return helped spark the Ravens, who scored the final 23 points of the game to win on the road.

[Jacoby Brissett takes over for injured Jimmy Garoppolo]

The Steelers and the visiting Cincinnati Bengals squared off in Pittsburghwithboth teams promising a punishing, physical game following last seasons playoff meeting. Pittsburgh narrowly won that meeting after two personal fouls by Cincinnati defenders including a brutal hit by Vontaze Burfict to the head of receiver Antonio Brown. With a persistent rain soaking both teams, Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger overcame two interceptions to give his team an eight-point victory.

In a game featuring two of the NFLs most potent offenses, the New York Giants and New Orleans Saints instead combined for a nip-and-tuck affair that featured only one offensive touchdown. The last of Josh Browns three field goals, a 23-yarder with two seconds remaining, gave the Giants the win to move New York to 2-0.

There was no shortage of points in Carolina, as the Panthers put up 43 points on the visiting San Francisco 49ers to rebound from their season-opening loss to the Denver Broncos. Cam Newton threw for over 350 yards and four touchdowns in the win.

The Houston Texans also improved to 2-0 with a win over the Kansas City Chiefs, who could not overcome three lost fumbles, falling 19-12.

A season after winning the NFC East, the Washington Redskins begin their schedulebylooking up at the rest of the division after losing at home, 27-23, to the Dallas Cowboys and rookie quarterback Dak Prescott. Former Redskins running back Alfred Morris supplied the decisive touchdown run. Washington falls to 0-2, while the Cowboys move to 1-1.

The Detroit Lions couldnt muster any late-game magic at home this week, falling to the Tennessee Titans on a touchdown pass from Marcus Mariota to Andre Johnson with 1:13 remaining.

[Blow-by-blow details of the Redskins loss to the Cowboys]

In the late afternoon games out West, the NFLreturned to Los Angeles, with the Rams claiming their first win of the season at L.A. Coliseum, a 9-3 upset of the Seattle Seahawks. The league appears to already be a big winner, though, as Forbes estimates the Rams value has already doubled, ranking the franchise as the sixth-most valuable in the NFL at $2.9 billion. The Denver Broncos reached 2-0 behind Trevor Siemian, beating the visiting Indianapolis Colts, 34-20.

The Arizona Cardinals also won at home, a 40-7 drubbing of the Tamba Bay Buccaneers. The San Diego Chargers also won in a rout, 38-14, over the Jacksonville Jaguars, while the Atlanta Falcons won a 35-28 shootout over the Oakland Raiders.

On Sunday Night Football, the Minnesota Vikings opened their new stadium with a victory over the rival Green Bay Packers. The team is seeing the emergence of a star in wide receiver Stefon Diggs, who has finished with more than 150 receiving yards in his first two NFL games, but may have lost another when running back Adrian Peterson went down with a knee injury in the third quarter.

Top Storylines

California love: Rams embraced in return, and reward fans with a win

In first L.A. home game in 22 years, the hosts surprise Seattle, 9-3. (Read More)

Dak Prescott is the Cowboys next quarterback. Its just a matter of when.

Dallass rookie quarterback averaged 9.7 yards per pass, but his coaches continue to play it safe.

Dak Prescotts first win helps Cowboys avoid panicking two games into season

Jacoby Brissett takes over for injured Jimmy Garoppolo

The Patriots were cruising behind their backup QB until he got hurt and now must rally around their third-stringer. (Read More)

NFL denies report that Lady Gaga will perform at Super Bowl

US Weekly previously reported the singer would headline the halftime show. (Read More)

No hard feelings: Alfred Morris makes Redskins pay for letting him leave

The Dallas Cowboys running back scored the game-winning touchdown against his former team Sunday. (Read More)

Cam Newtons straw hat earned him all the Internet jokes

Online jokesters teed off on the quarterbacks latest eye-catching lid. (Read More)

[Fantasy football: The most important, must-read tips and takeaways from NFL Week 2]

At long last, NFL action returns to Los Angeles

Throughout his entire adult life, Matthew Gunn has been a displaced Denver Broncos fan, wearing the foreign orange and blue while living in a city illuminated by stars except for the one that truly matters in todays American sports landscape: the NFL. But Sunday, all that changes when the Rams host division rival Seattle inside Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum the franchises first home game in L.A. since 1980.(Read More)

L.A. Coliseum morphs from college field to pro venue

Converting the stadium from USCs home field to the Rams temporary field is a labor of love. (Read More)

Andrew Luck and Colts offensive line faces a referendum in Denver

The quarterback took a pounding last season and now faces one of the NFLs best pass rushes. (Read More)

Roger Goodell says eliminating kickoffs still an option

The commissioner says he would not balk at radically altering the game if it can promote safer conditions for players. (Read More)

Eagles plan anthem protest for Monday Night Football

Philadelphia players signaled their intention to support Colin Kaepernick, but arent yet sure exactly how theyll do so. (Read More)

NFL Week 2 Power Rankings

The Patriots and Steelers look potent, even without their top players. (Read More)

Tim Tebow isnt worried about the inglorious life of the minor leagues

A lifetime working on service projects in the Pacific has taught the former quarterback to accept less than glamorous conditions. (Read More)

Injury News

Latest updates: 11:48 p.m.

Minnesota Vikings RBAdrian Petersonsuffered a right knee injury in the third quarter. The veteran player, who suffered a torn left ACL in 2011, hopped off the field on his own, but then was helped to the locker room.

New England Patriots QB Jimmy Garoppolo left the game and went to the locker room with an apparent shoulder injury. Meanwhile the Dolphins are reportedly treating running back Arian Foster for a groin injury.

Josh McCown seems to having trouble with his shoulder. He went to the locker room for X-rays in the first half but returned to the game. Now backup Cody Kessler is again loosening up on the sideline.

Detroit Lions pass-rusher Ziggy Ansah left the game against the Titans and gone to the locker room. Trainers were reportedly looking at his left ankle.

In Carolina, Panthers running back Jonathan Stewart left the game against the San Francisco 49ers with a hamstring issue that had dogged him throughout the week. He is questionable to return.

Pregame injury reports

Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski and Chiefs running back Jamaal Charles will miss a second week due to injury. Gronkowski continues to battle a hamstring issue, while Charles has been not returned to full strength after last years season-ending ACL injury.

Chris Ivory, hospitalized prior to Week 1s game with a still-unknown condition, will not play in Week 2.

Most other fantasy-relevant players are active/or look like theyll play as of now, with the Steelers Markus Wheaton (shoulder) the only exception, as h**l sit out against the Bengals.

Fantasy Football

Well monitor some key fantasy story lines throughout the day in this space, starting with the fact that the New Orleans Saints defense may not have the Midas Touch when it comes to opposing fantasy players. Most predicted big days from all of the New York Giants skill position players after the Oakland Raiders scorched the Saints in Week 1. Instead the Giants didnt manage a single offensive touchdown and running back Rashad Jennings put up just 21 yards on 13 carries.

Rookie receivers seem to be a bit of a thing so far this season. While he didnt score, Giants rookie Sterling Shepard put up 117 yards on eight receptions and was outproduced by a few of his other first-year counterparts. The Browns Corey Coleman scored two touchdowns in addition to racking up 104 yards receiving against the Ravens. And down in Houston, Will Fuller again bettered the century mark with 104 yards on four catches.

Check back later for a more comprehensive rundown from the Posts John Romero, but in the meantime, here are a few lingering questions entering the late games:

Is Devonta Freeman destined for a down year? He saw a pretty even split with Tevin Coleman in Week 1 and the Falcons coaches promised more of the same. That doesnt bode well for people drafting him in the first two rounds.

Can Todd Gurley get it rolling? After a bad start against the Niners, the Rams RB faces another tough defense in Seattle. If he struggles again, he could become a great buy-low candidate from panicking owners.

The fantasy scout: Your incredibly in-depth guide to Week 2

The key questions owners will want to monitor closely Sunday. (Read More)

Week 2 player rankings

How everyone stacks up heading into Sunday. (Read More)

Podcast: The Fantasy Football Beat

The best way to prep for Week 2. (Read and Listen)

ATS Betting Tips/Picks

Week 2NFL ATS picks

The top trends and insights from Las Vegas. (Read More)

Fancy Stats: Week 2picks

Heres how Week 2should play out according to the numbers. (Read More)

Source: http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&ct2=us&usg=AFQjCNHns_vZSLyvzOt6Wl6KS_hmxrpQEw&clid=c3a7d30bb8a4878e06b80cf16b898331&cid=52779213466140&ei=y6PfV9iqBMHN3QHxkr_oDw&url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/sports/wp/2016/09/18/nfl-week-2-scores-latest-news-fantasy-football-and-betting-tips/

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Florida QB Luke Del Rio will miss at least two games with sprained MCL

Luke Del Rio welcome to gator nation

UPDATE: Florida announced Sunday that quarterback Luke Del Rio suffered a sprained MCL in his left knee, and that injury will keep him out for at least the next two games. That means Del Rio will miss Florida"s games against Tennessee and Vanderbilt -- both on the road -- but could be back in time for the Gators game against LSU on Oct. 8.

Del Rio was injured during the third quarter of Florida"s 32-0 win over North Texas.

ORIGINAL STORY: Looks like Tennessee won"t be the only team banged up heading into its rivalry game against Florida. Barring a miracle, it looks as though the Gators will be without starting quarterback Luke Del Rio.

"We"ll probably be missing him," coach Jim McElwain told an ESPNU broadcast about Del Rio"s availability for Tennessee.

Del Rio was injured in the third quarter of Florida"s 32-0 win over North Texas when a Mean Green defender hit the quarterback low on his left knee. Del Rio fell awkwardly but was able to walk off the field under his own power.

Here"s the hit in slow motion ...

"Obviously, I took that low hit on Luke awful personal. I told him after the ballgame that I"m sure his guy was just scrambling trying to make a play," McElwain continued on the broadcast. "You know what, I really care about these players. I care about them in more ways than just as football players. When you see something like that, it"s my responsibility when their parents aren"t here to be their parents. Each and every guy on this football team knows how much I care for him. I got their back.

"Like I said, no bad blood there at the end at all. I"m sure, like I said, their guy was probably just trying to make a play. They had been called on it a couple times in previous games, but it"s not something they coach, I know that."

Del Rio was 14-of-25 for 186 yards and an interception before the injury. He started all three games this season for the Gators, completing 62-of-101 passes for 762 yards with six touchdowns and two interceptions.

Source: http://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/florida-will-probably-be-missing-starting-qb-luke-del-rio-for-vols-game/

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Police: Several injured in stabbings at Minnesota mall

Live News Donald Trump Rally DC Trump Obama Birther CNN Live Stream News Minnesota

An Islamic State-run news agency claims the man who stabbed and wounded eight people at a mall in Minnesota before being shot dead by an off-duty police officer was a "soldier of the Islamic State." (Sept. 18) AP

People stand near the entrance on the north side of Crossroads Center between Macy"s and Target Saturday night as officials investigate a reported multiple stabbing incident. (Photo: Dave Schwarz, dschwarz@stcloudtimes.com)

ST. CLOUD, Minn. AnIslamic State news agency on Sunday said aman dressed as a security guard who talkedabout Allah as hestabbed at least eight people at a shopping mall was a "soldier"for the extremist group, the Associated Press reported.

St. Cloud Police Chief WilliamBlair Anderson told the Timesat an earlySunday news conference that the victims were stabbed at the multiple locations Saturday evening inside Crossroad Centerby a man dressed in a private security companyuniform.

An off-duty police officer from another jurisdiction shot and killed the attacker around 8:15 p.m. Saturday, Anderson said. According to St. Cloud Mayor Dave Kleis, the shooting happened inside Macy"s.

Eight peoplewere taken to St. Cloud Hospital. On Sunday morning, hospital Communications Specialist Chris Nelson told the Times thatfive were released, and three were admitted with injuries that were not life-threatening.

The ISIL news agency, Rasd, claimed lateSunday morning thatthe man was a soldier of the Islamic State whohad heeded calls from the extremist group for attacks in countries that are part of a U.S.-led anti-ISIL coalition.

According to the Associated Press, itwas not immediately clear if the extremist group had planned the attack or even knew about it beforehand. ISIL has encouraged so-called lone wolf attacks. It has also claimed past attacks that are not believed to have been planned by its central leadership.

St. Cloud Police Chief William Blair Anderson told a Times reporter Sunday morning that the report was the first he"d heard of a possible connection to ISIL.

On CNN Sunday, Anderson said there was no evidence to connect the stabbings with theNew York City explosion thatinjured 29 people Saturday evening. He also said police were investigating the possibility of a ninth person who was attacked and may have driven himself to ahospital.

At the early Sundaypress conference, Anderson said the attacker, who was armed with a knife, reportedly made references to Allah and asked at least one person whether they were Muslim.But Anderson pointedly declined to call the attacks an act of terrorism, saying the motive isn"t yetknown.

"Wewill be diligent and get to the bottom of this," Anderson said.

Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D.-Minn.,said in a Facebook post Sunday morning that the incident had shaken the community"s sense of safety. "We are thankful for the bravery of the off-duty officer and first responders who went beyond the call of duty to save lives," she wrote.

In a statement posted on Facebook Sunday afternoon, Sen. Al Franken, D-Minn., likewise praised the heroism of the off-duty officer and other first responders."My thoughts are with the victims of last nights horrific stabbing attacks at the Crossroads Center in St. Cloud, and I wish them all a swift and full recovery," Franken wrote. "This attack is an affront to the people of Minnesota, and we need to do everything that we can to prevent attacks like these from happening."

Local police had hadabout three previous encounters with the suspect, most for minor traffic violations, Anderson said. The attacker was not named by authorities early Sunday.

He said the FBI had offered to help with the investigation.

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The stabbings occurred in several places within the mall: corridors, businesses and common areas.

"The entire mall is an active crime scene," Anderson said. The mall is expected to reopen on Monday, according to its social media page.

Sydney Weires was shopping at the mall with her friends, Jenna Remmele and Maggie Gelke, all three freshmen at the College of St. Benedict. Weires said they got to the mall at about 8:10 p.m. and started shopping in stores near J.C. Penney.

They werewalking down the hallway toward Sears when they heard a loud scream.

"I saw this security guard sprinting down the hallway toward Target," Weires said. "He was yelling, "Call the cops!Call the cops!" "

Police say attacker referenced Allah and asked at least one person if they were Muslim

Weires said she and her friends followed the guard because they thought maybe there was a shoplifter or a kidnapping.

"We saw these two guys. One guy was bleeding from the side of his face," Weires said. "He was screaming at us, "get the F out!""

The second man had blood on the back of his shirt, Weires said.

"They were just drenched," Remmele added.

Weires said a few red lights on the drive to the mall and an impulsive decision to shop in Victoria"s Secret might have been pivotal for the friends.

"We would"ve been in that hallway. We could have been one of those victims," Weires said. "It"s insane."

The girls left the mall before the lockdown was implementedand saw a policecar arriving as they left the mall parking lot, Weires said. They went back to their apartment and called family members.

Weires and Remmele broke down crying from the shock of their experience.

"We don"t really know what to think," Remmele said. "Hearing the possibility of the number of people who could have been injured ... it"s really scary."

Danny Carranza of Willmar was with his children at the play area near Macy"s when the chaos started.

"People came running around the corner and I freaked out because I thought it was a terrorist attack or something because I saw a lot of people, so I grabbed my kids," he said.

"I ran asmuch as I could and I heard someone yell "Stop! Stop!"As soon as the door shut I heard gunshots."

He and his children made it out of the mall before it was locked down, but his wife was still inside the mall hours later.

Carranza said police were checking identification and taking names of everyone as they were released from the mall.

Vivian Woods, an employee at Forever 21, said employees of the fashion storehelped one victim who came into their store while they awaited an ambulance.

That right there, I started crying," Woods said. "That was hard for me to swallow. Its hard to fathom this happened here at this mall."

Harley and Tama Exsted of Isle, who were in St. Cloud on Saturdayto watch their son play in a college golf tournament at Blackberry Ridge, were in the mall when the incident occurred.

"All of a sudden I heard pop pop pop," Harley said. "I thought someone tipped over a shelf. All of a sudden these people started running. I just saw everybody running our way."

"It was a "pa-pow"and then we saw the peoplestart to run, which didn"t catch me at first," he said. "But when we heard the screaming, then we knew it was time to go."

The couple escaped unharmed and said they helped another woman who was running from the scene to her car.

Worried relatives of shoppers and mall workersgathered near the scene Saturday night.

Anthony Bello, 18, a Technical High School studentwho recently moved to St. Cloud from Columbus, Ohio, went to the mall to visit his brotherDominic, 21, who works at Target butwas told to leave. He wasn"t sure why.

Anthony Bellosaid his brother, whose shift was about a half-hour from ending when the violence broke out, sent him a text from inside Target that said there was a shooter in the mall.

"My brother and I have always been really close. I want to make sure he"s OK and give him a hug," Anthony Bellosaid.

Target employeeshuddled in the men"sclothing department, Bellosaid his brother had communicated by text message. Theylater moved up to the registers, he said.

Their mother, who is still in Ohio, asked Dominic to text her a photo from inside the mall to show he"s safe,and he did, Bellosaid.

Adonis Samuels, 42, St. Cloud, also was outside the mall wherehis wifeRoxanne isa manager at Clinique at Macy"s.

"She called me on the phone and told me she was hidingunder the counter with a customer," Samuels said.Shelater called and saidshe was safe in a secured area.

Samuels remained outside, watching for her.He said he"dseenher through the glass doors at one pointso he knew she was safe.

Desi Spoden, 52, of Sauk Rapids, and her husbandwere in the parking lot awaiting word from their 17-year-old daughter, Carly, who was inside the mall at Lady Foot Locker. They raced to the scene after hearing about the incident.

Spoden saidher daughter"s friend reached her. "Her friend called to let us know they were OK;they are on lockdown," she said.

The seriousness of the incident wasn"t immediately obvious to those who couldn"t see it happening.Emee Jagielski, who works at Apricot Lane and was preparing the store for closing time, said: "All of a sudden we see the gates of the other stores go down and Iasked "is it 9 oclock already?"

Shortly before 9 p.m., a St. Cloud police officer with an assault rifle could be seen near the west entrance of Macys. Other officers were searching shrubbery near the mall with flashlights, according to Times staffers on the scene.

Nelson said the hospital was placed under containment on Saturday night as a part of the mass causalities response. She said the hospital gathers a team of two dozen that trains year-round to respond to incidents like Saturday"s.

Authorities saidthere were about 20 witnesses left to interview around midnight and 50 others still in the mall waiting to be allowed toget their belongings.

Contributing: Associated Press

EMT workers move an empty stretcher near an entrance to Macy"s at Crossroads Center Saturday in St. Cloud. (Photo: Dave Schwarz, dschwarz@stcloudtimes.com)

Read or Share this story: http://usat.ly/2cvp9xE

Source: http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2016/09/17/reports-several-hurt-attack-minnesota-mall/90609734/

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Emmy Awards 2016: How to Watch

Tatiana Maslany ("Orphan Black") chats on 2016 Emmy Awards acting nominee reception red carpet

TV"s biggest night, aka the Primetime Emmy Awards, is upon us Sunday at 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT. The star-studded event, hosted by Jimmy Kimmel, will feature appearances by television royalty, including Claire Danes, Bryan Cranston, Terrence Howard, Rami Malek, Tina Fey and Amy Poehler. Check out all the nominees here.

So, how can you watch the ceremony?

Check out our complete Emmy Awards coverage here

The easiest way is on ABC, which will broadcast the Emmys live on both coasts beginning at 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT, preceded by a red carpet special beginning at 6:30 p.m. ET. Other networks, including E!, will also carry red carpet coverage and pre-coverage beginning at 4:30 p.m. ET.

You can also watch red carpet coverage live via CBSN here.

Pay TV subscribers can also stream the awards on ABC.com and also through the ABC app. (Yep, that means only people with a cable subscription will be able to stream the awards online.)

The awards will also be available on-demand on Monday.

Who are you rooting for?

(Full disclosure: TVGuide.com is owned by CBS.)

Source: http://www.tvguide.com/news/emmy-awards-2016-how-to-watch/

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isportsweb: Yet again, Michigan State football flying under radar

Furman at Michigan State 2016 Tight Cut

By Mike Sterner, Special to Detroit Free Press 1:38 a.m. EDT August 22, 2016

Michigan State football coach Mark Dantonio talks to the crowd during a timeout in the Michigan State-Florida NCAA college basketball game, Saturday, Dec. 12, 2015, in East Lansing, Mich. Michigan State won 58-52.(Photo: Al Goldis, Associated Press)

Mike Sterner is an MSU writer for the Michigan-based sports website isportsweb.com. His opinions do not necessarily reflect those of the Detroit Free Press nor its writers. Read isportsweb"s column every Monday. Follow Mike on Twitter @isportsMSU.

Entering his 10th year at the helm of the Michigan State football team, Mark Dantonio has indelibly marked the program with a blue-collar attitude; specifically, the belief that hard work, effort, team chemistry and buying into a program mean much more than star ratings and preseason rankings. It is a culture that teaches that everything needs to be earned with effort and production in the moment -- rather than a flashy potential that may pay off sometime in the future. This mentality has led to both conference and national success for the Spartans under coach Dantonio.

Early in Dantonios era, there was a doubt from outsiders that the Spartans would be able to compete with -- let alone defeat -- rival Michigan. Yet the Paul Bunyan trophy has resided in East Lansing in seven of the last eight seasons.

In addition, it was doubted that MSU would be competitive on both a Big Ten and a national level. Yet over Dantonios nine completed seasons, the Spartans have won three conference titles and have finished in the top 10 of major polls in four times. Also, MSU remains the only Big Ten school to defeat Urban Meyers Buckeyes during his four seasons as Ohio States head coach (having done so twice). During Dantonio"s tenure, Michigan State has also defeated the following nationally relevant programs: TCU, Georgia, Oregon, Baylor and Stanford.

Despite all this success and a proven track record, MSU is again facing doubts and flying under the radar as the 2016 season approaches. The Spartans are predicted to finish third in an admittedly stacked Big Ten East division this fall despite coming off of a Big Ten championship.

The Spartans need to replace one of their best quarterbacks of all time and will need to plug some gaps in the wide receivers unit, offensive lineand secondary. However, MSU"s main competition in the Big Ten East -- Ohio Stateand U-M -- also have similar hurdles to overcome.

This year, Michigan State has the advantage of playing both of those programs in Spartan Stadium.

You might think that the Spartans would be given an even chance to win these games at home, but that is not the case. The Spartans are underdogs in both of these games.

It seems clear that most analysts expect MSU to have a good season -- they are, after all, ranked No. 11 and No. 12 in the preseason polls -- yet finally take a step back and yield ground to the Buckeyes and the Wolverines. These preseason predictions have been a constant during Dantonio"s time at MSU. And, for the most part, Dantonio has excelled at surpassing the expectations that others have for the Spartans.

When MSU kicks off against Furman in less than two weeks, the Spartans will be flying under the radar once more in their quest for back-to-back Big Ten championships. And the success they"ve seen of late shows that"s just the way they like it.

Source: http://www.freep.com/story/sports/college/michigan-state/spartans/2016/08/22/isportsweb-yet-again-michigan-state-football-flying-under-radar/89091226/

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Week 3"s college football schedule full of big games

Wofford Releases 2016 Football Schedule
BATON ROUGE, LA (WAFB) -

Big games are backthis weekend after a boring Week Two of football.

No. 1 Alabama travels to No. 19Ole Miss to face the Rebels in the SEC"s game of the week. Ole Miss has won the last two meetings against the Tide.

Other SEC games of interest include No. 17Texas A&M traveling to the Plains to face Auburn and No. 20LSU hosting Mississippi State.

There are a few big matchups outside of the SEC this weekend. No. 14Oklahoma hosts No. 3Ohio State, No. 2Florida State travels to play No. 10Louisville and No. 12Michigan State plays at No. 18Notre Dame.

SEC SCHEDULE FOR SATURDAY, SEPT. 17Ohio (1-1) at Tennessee (2-0, 0-0 SEC) 11 a.m. on the SEC NetworkKnoxville, TN Neyland Stadium Vanderbilt (1-1, 0-1 SEC) at Georgia Tech (2-0) 11:30 a.m. on the ACC NetworkAtlanta, GA Bobby Dodd Stadium Alabama (2-0, 0-0 SEC) at Ole Miss (1-1, 0-0 SEC) 2:30 p.m. on CBS Oxford, MS Vaught-Hemingway Stadium East Carolina (2-0) at South Carolina (1-1, 1-1 SEC) 3 p.m. on the SEC Network Columbia, S.C. Williams-Brice Stadium New Mexico State (1-1) at Kentucky (0-2, 0-1 SEC) 3 p.m. on SEC Network Alternate ChannelLexington, KY Commonwealth Stadium Mississippi State (1-1, 1-0 SEC) at LSU (1-1, 0-0 SEC) 6 p.m. on ESPN2 Baton Rouge, LA Tiger Stadium Texas A&M (2-0, 0-0 SEC) at Auburn (1-1, 0-0 SEC) 6 p.m. on ESPN Auburn, AL. Jordan-Hare StadiumNorth Texas (1-1) at Florida (2-0, 1-0 SEC) 6:30 p.m. on ESPNUGainesville, FL Ben Hill Griffin Stadium at Steve Spurrier-Florida Field Georgia (2-0, 0-0 SEC) at Missouri (1-1, 0-0 SEC) 6:30 p.m. on the SEC Network Columbia, MO Faurot Stadium / Memorial Stadium Texas State (1-0) at Arkansas (2-0, 0-0 SEC) 6:30 p.m. on SEC Network Alternate ChannelFayetteville, AR Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium

Copyright 2016 WAFB. All rights reserved.

Source: http://www.wafb.com/story/33102807/week-3-of-college-football-full-of-big-games

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European migrant crisis

Breaking News RT reports US Coalition Bombed Syrian Army

The European migrant crisis or European refugee crisis began in 2015, when a rising number of refugees and migrants made the journey to the European Union (EU) to seek asylum, traveling across the Mediterranean Sea or through Southeast Europe. They came from areas such as Western and South Asia, Africa, and the Western Balkans. According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, the top three nationalities of the over one million Mediterranean Sea arrivals between January 2015 and March 2016 were Syrian (46.7%), Afghan (20.9%) and Iraqi (9.4%). Of the refugees and migrants arriving in Europe by sea in 2015, 58% were men, 17% women and 25% children. The number of deaths at sea rose to record levels in April 2015, when five boats carrying almost 2,000 migrants to Europe sank in the Mediterranean Sea, with a combined death toll estimated at more than 1,200 people.

The shipwrecks took place in a context of ongoing conflicts and refugee crises in several Asian and African countries, which increased the total number of forcibly displaced people worldwide at the end of 2014 to almost 60 million, the highest level since World War II. Amid an upsurge in the number of sea arrivals in Italy from Libya in 2014, several European Union governments refused to fund the Italian-run rescue option Operation Mare Nostrum, which was replaced by Frontex"s Operation Triton in November 2014. In the first six months of 2015, Greece overtook Italy as the first EU country of arrival, becoming, in the summer 2015, the starting point of a flow of refugees and migrants moving through Balkan countries to northern European countries, mainly Germany and Sweden. Since April 2015, the European Union has struggled to cope with the crisis, increasing funding for border patrol operations in the Mediterranean, devising plans to fight migrant smuggling, launching Operation Sophia and proposing a new quota system to relocate and resettle asylum seekers among EU states and alleviate the burden on countries on the outer borders of the Union. Individual countries have at times reintroduced border controls within the Schengen Area, and rifts have emerged between countries willing to accept asylum seekers and others trying to discourage their arrival.

According to Eurostat, EU member states received over 1.2 million first time asylum applications in 2015, a number more than double that of the previous year. Four states (Germany, Hungary, Sweden, and Austria) received around two-thirds of the EU"s asylum applications in 2015, with Hungary, Sweden, and Austria being the top recipients of asylum applications per capita. The main countries of citizenship of asylum seekers, accounting for more than half of the total, were Syria, Afghanistan and Iraq.

Source: http://www.breakingnews.com/topic/european-migrant-crisis/

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