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SPORTS Friday, January 1, 2016 East Oregonian Page 3B NFL Wilson eager to return to site of Super Bowl loss Seattle plays at Arizona in regular season finale By TIM BOOTH Associated Press RENTON, Wash. — The Seattle Seahawks’ last trip to Glendale, Arizona, is not a popular conversation topic inside the locker room. Understandably so considering the outcome. For the ¿rst time since the heartbreak of the Super Bowl in February, the Seahawks will return to University of Phoenix Stadium on Sunday to take on the Arizona Cardi- nals. But the Seahawks are downplaying any Àashbacks or thoughts of February’s loss to New England. “That’s in the past. I don’t think anybody on the team thinks about that,” said cornerback DeShawn Shead. “We’re playing a whole different team, it’s a whole other atmosphere. This is what is right here in front of us and this is the next opportunity” Quarterback Russell Wilson, who made the fateful throw from the 1-yard line that was intercepted by Malcolm Butler in the closing seconds and clinched the Patriots’ victory, is the only one who has been open about looking forward to being back there this week. In the midst of his postgame availability after losing to St. Louis last Sunday, Wilson dropped a little nugget regarding the season ¿nale against the Cardinals. “Going to Arizona, the last time we were there, it didn’t work out our way. I know for me, I’m looking forward to being on that turf again,” Wilson said. Asked about that comment on Thursday, Wilson again brought up the challenge of getting past a dif¿cult moment in his career. “I think it builds you up. I think it helps you understand the ball doesn’t always bounce your way. AP Photo/John Froschauer Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson walks on the ield against the St. Louis Rams in the irst half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 27, 2015, in Seattle. We’ve had it bounce our way a lot and hopefully we can keep that going,” Wilson said. “But I think this game is so much bigger than just a game. Winning is what it’s all about. We all come here to win. .... But when it doesn’t work out, how can you use that? How can you use that for encouragement for others? How can you use that for yourself? How can you continue to build and evolve and progress? It’s been a constant progression, this journey.” During training camp and leading into the season, how Seattle would get past the Super Bowl disappointment was the main topic of conver- sation. But as the season progressed, there were other issues that surfaced so any Super Bowl hangover took a backseat. Whether it was Kam Chancellor’s holdout to begin the regular season, to starting 2-4, to the injury problems of Marshawn Lynch, it’s been a newsy enough season for Seattle that the Super Bowl was somewhat forgotten. It’s been brought up on various occasions. Offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell — who called the famous slant pass that went horribly wrong for Seattle — spoke earlier in December about still having that play in the back of his mind but understanding the team had to move on. “There’s really not time that doesn’t go by where you still think about it. I know how I feel about it and I know the feelings that it conjures up inside of me when I think about it,” Bevell said. “But it’s one play, and I have to look at it that way, and I was able to put it behind me. That doesn’t mean that it didn’t happen. That doesn’t mean that I don’t still have a reaction to it.” The topic of returning to Glendale popped up this week in part because of Wilson’s initial comment. There is very little for the Seahawks to play for. They are already in the playoffs as a wild card and the only remaining question is whether they are the No. 5 or No. 6 seed and if they’ll open the postseason at Green Bay, Washington or Minnesota. Jermaine Kearse, who made one of the most memo- rable catches in Super Bowl history that almost immedi- ately became an afterthought, said the Super Bowl won’t cross his mind when he walks in the stadium. And coach Pete Carroll dismissed the idea that going back to that stadium was any sort of issue. “Just that it’s not a big deal. It’s not a big deal for us going back,” Carroll said. “That’s where we’re playing, that’s all.” Mariota con¿dent Kelly will win again Associated Press NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Quarterback Marcus Mariota is focused only on the Titans’ season ¿nale, not a reunion in Tennessee with his former Oregon coach Chip Kelly. Mariota said Thursday he obviously has a connection to Kelly who recruited him AP Photo/Michael Perez This Dec. 26, 2015 shows Philadelphia head to Oregon where he was the quarterback’s coach for two coach Chip Kelly watching from the sidelines. seasons. The Eagles ¿red Kelly on Tuesday night, and the Titans (3-12) must hire a permanent coach after ¿ring Ken Whisenhunt on Nov. 3. “It’s unfortunate that coach Kelly is in this situation, but I’m sure whatever team he ends up going to he’ll ¿nd success,” Mariota said. Mariota already has been declared out of Sunday’s season ¿nale at Indianapolis because of a sprained right knee. Mike Mularkey is 2-6 as the Titans’ interim coach. A new coach would be the quarterback’s third before starting his second NFL season, which Mariota conceded is a bit daunting. “It’s part of the business, and you got to do your best to handle it and whatever happens, you only control certain things,” Mariota said. “You have to do the best to handle whatever’s thrown at you and always take everything with a grain of salt.” Mariota credited Kelly for a lot of his development at Oregon and said his former coach proved he could win in the NFL, especially with his ¿rst two seasons. “To win 10 games his ¿rst two years says a lot about what he’s able to do and a lot about his coaching,” Mariota said. College Basketball Pac-12 deeper, more balanced than previous seasons Arizona guard Kadeem Allen (5) muscles his way around Long Beach State guard Branford Jones (14) during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game Tues- day, Dec. 22, 2015, in Tucson, Ariz. By JOHN MARSHALL Associated Press PHOENIX — Arizona has been the runaway favorite to win the Pac-12 the past two seasons and lived up to those expectations by winning the conference by three games each year. The Wildcats are again the team to beat this season, but the gap has closed. The teams at the top end of the conference have gotten better and so have the ones at the bottom, making it one of the deepest in the country. “From top to bottom, the depth of our league from all 12 teams with so many having improved from a year or two ago, this is the deepest conference we have competed in as a coaching staff,” Arizona coach Sean Miller said. “”It is strong at the top and equally strong in the middle and whoever ¿nishes at the bottom, I think will be among the better bottom teams in the Pac-12 in recent seasons.” Despite losing four starters from a year ago, Arizona (12-1) is the Pac-12’s top-ranked team at No. 8 in The Associated Press poll. The Wildcats’ only loss was to No. 12 Providence and Kelly Presnell/ Arizona Daily Star via AP they’ve played the past eight games without 7-foot center Kaleb Tarczewski, who’s recovering from a stress reaction in his foot. After that are four 11-2 teams: No. 21 Utah, Colo- rado, Oregon and surprising Southern California. Oregon State is 9-2, Arizona State, another surprising team, is 10-3 with California. UCLA (9-4) moved back into the poll at No. 25 this week. The Pac-12 has 10 teams in the NCAA RPI Top 100, tying the Big Ten and ACC for most in the nation, and conference teams have combined for seven wins over Top 25 opponents. “There is not an easy team on the schedule,” Utah coach Larry Krystowiak said. “I talked to some folks out east who know college basketball and they all thought that top to bottom, this is as strong of a league as there was in the country.” A few more things to look for as the Pac-12 season gets ready to start: TROJANS RISE: One of the season’s biggest early surprises has been the rebound by USC. The Trojans went 3-15 in the Pac-12, 12-20 overall last season and were picked 10th in the preseason poll. USC hasn’t exactly played the most dif¿cult schedule in the nation, but did knock off Wichita State and has the kind of talent on its roster — particularly in the backcourt — to be competitive most nights in the Pac-12. POELTL SHINES: The Pac-12 is loaded with talented players. Utah’s Jacob Poeltl may the best of the bunch. The 7-foot sophomore was a nightmare matchup last season and has been even more dif¿cult to defend so far this year. Poeltl was a preseason All-American and played like it through the Utes’ nonconference schedule, averaging 17.8 points and 9.7 rebounds while shooting 71 percent from the ¿eld. CAL’S TALENT: Cal opened the season at No. 14 in the AP Top 25, thanks to a talent-laden roster that included All-Pac-12 point guard Tyrone Wallace and ¿ve-star recruits Ivan Rabb and Jaylen Brown. The Bears didn’t live up to expectations early, losing consecutive games in Las Vegas to San Diego State and Richmond. With coach Cuonzo Martin emphasizing toughness and defense, the Bears played better as they headed into conference play, their only loss in overtime to No. 5 Virginia. INJURED DUCKS: Though Oregon has gotten off to an impressive start, coach Dana Altman spent most of the preseason juggling lineups as the Ducks dealt with injuries to key players. Senior guard Dylan Ennis, a graduate transfer from Villanova, suffered a preseason foot injury and forward Jordan Bell took a while to get back from his offseason foot injury. The Ducks had a healthy lineup for the ¿rst time in a win over Western Oregon on Tuesday and should be a team that gets better as the conference schedule continues. BRUINS’ SCHEDULE: UCLA moved back into the Top 25 this week after beating a team it was expected to beat, McNeese State. The Bruins’ schedule may have had something to do with it. UCLA’s resume includes wins over Kentucky and Gonzaga, while it has losses to North Carolina, Kansas and Wake Forest. There’s a lot of talent in Westwood, so don’t be surprised to ¿nd them battling for the top spot by season’s end. SUN DEVILS RISING: Arizona State was expected to undergo a transition in its ¿rst season under Bobby Hurley. So far, the excitement on the court has matched the buzz that came with the hiring of the former Duke point guard. The Sun Devils play hard and fast, just like Hurley, and have picked up some solid wins since opening the season with a home loss to Sacramento State. Expect them to make some noise during the Pac-12 season. Outback Bowl Northwestern (10-2) vs. Tennessee (8-4), 9 a.m. (ESPN2) Citrus Bowl Michigan (9-3) vs. Florida (10-3), 10 a.m. (ABC) Fiesta Bowl Notre Dame (10-2) vs. Ohio State (11-1), 10 a.m. (ESPN) Rose Bowl Iowa (12-1) vs. Stanford (11-2), 2 p.m. (ESPN) Sugar Bowl (New Orleans) Oklahoma State (10-2) vs. Mississippi (9-3), 5:30 p.m. (ESPN) Saturday’s Games TaxSlayer Bowl Penn St. (7-5) vs. Georgia (9-3), 9 a.m. (ESPN) Liberty Bowl Kansas St. (6-6) vs. Arkansas (7-5), 12:20 p.m. (ESPN) Alamo Bowl Oregon (9-3) vs. TCU (10-2), 3:45 p.m. (ESPN) Cactus Bowl West Virginia (7-5) vs. Arizona State (6-6), 7:15 p.m. (ESPN) WESTERN CONFERENCE Southwest Division W L Pct GB San Antonio 28 6 .824 — Dallas 19 13 .594 8 Memphis 18 16 .529 10 Houston 16 18 .471 12 New Orleans 10 22 .313 17 Northwest Division W L Pct GB Oklahoma City 23 10 .697 — Utah 14 17 .452 8 Portland 14 21 .400 10 Denver 12 21 .364 11 Minnesota 12 21 .364 11 Paciic Division W L Pct GB Golden State 30 2 .938 — L.A. Clippers 21 13 .618 10 Sacramento 12 20 .375 18 Phoenix 12 23 .343 19½ L.A. Lakers 6 27 .182 24½ ——— Thursday’s Games Milwaukee 120, Indiana 116 Detroit 115, Minnesota 90 Golden State 114, Houston 110 L.A. Clippers 95, New Orleans 89 Oklahoma City 110, Phoenix 106 Utah 109, Portland 96 Today’s Games Orlando at Washington, 4 p.m. Charlotte at Toronto, 4:30 p.m. Dallas at Miami, 4:30 p.m. New York at Chicago, 5 p.m. Philadelphia at L.A. Lakers, 7:30 p.m. SCOREBOARD W-M Pilot Rock Local slate PREP BOYS BASKETBALL Saturday Riverside at Mac-Hi, 12:30 p.m. Pilot Rock at Echo, 1 p.m. Dayton vs. Irrigon (at The Dalles), 2 p.m. Ione at Helix, 5:30 p.m. Kennewick (WA) at Hermiston, 7:30 p.m. PREP GIRLS BASKETBALL Saturday Pilot Rock at Echo, 1 p.m. Riverside at Mac-Hi, 2 p.m. Ione at Helix, 4 p.m. Kennewick (WA) at Hermiston, 5:45 p.m. PREP WRESTLING Today Hermiston at The Clash (Rochester, MN), TBD Saturday Hermiston at The Clash (Rochester, MN), TBD Prep Standings BOYS BASKETBALL Columbia River Conference (5A) Conf. Ovr. PS PA Rnk Hermiston 0-0 5-5 614 643 24 Pendleton 0-0 4-5 463 493 8 The Dalles 0-0 2-8 540 793 26 Hood River 0-0 1-9 572 679 33 Greater Oregon League (4A) Ovr. Conf. PS Baker 0-0 5-6 584 Mac-Hi 0-0 4-7 456 Ontario 0-0 3-7 553 La Grande 0-0 2-2 221 Eastern Oregon League (3A) Conf. Ovr. PS Umatilla 1-0 6-7 683 Nyssa 0-0 4-7 544 Riverside 0-0 3-7 427 Vale 0-0 2-8 417 PA Rnk 637 27 503 29 655 13 194 30 PA Rnk 722 17 554 12 35 547 33 Columbia Basin Conference (2A) Conf. Ovr. PS PA Rnk 0-0 10-1 612 484 5 0-0 8-2 554 424 4 0-0 6-1 430 345 16 0-0 4-6 430 469 37 Hepner Irrigon Stanield Culver 0-0 0-1 3-4 340 392 5-8 538 562 Big Sky League (1A) Conf. Ovr. Arlington 0-0 6-5 So. Wasco 0-0 5-1 Mitch/Spray 0-0 5-3 Sherman 0-0 5-4 C/W 0-0 4-5 Dufur 0-0 3-5 Horiz. Christ. 0-0 2-4 Ione 0-0 0-6 36 28 PS 510 331 311 554 391 414 259 141 PA Rnk 446 44 188 8 325 27 522 12 420 32 418 31 312 10 378 54 Old Oregon League (1A) Conf. Ovr. PS Powder Val. 2-0 7-2 493 Echo 2-0 4-7 482 Nixyaawii 1-0 11-1 888 Wallowa 1-1 2-8 310 Joseph 0-1 4-5 375 Helix 0-2 2-8 317 Pine Eagle 0-2 1-7 287 PA Rnk 334 6 492 38 606 2 495 35 425 22 460 63 476 50 GIRLS BASKETBALL Columbia River Conference (5A) Conf. Ovr. PS PA Rnk Hermiston 0-0 9-3 652 535 7 The Dalles 0-0 6-4 457 401 11 Pendleton 0-0 3-7 451 516 26 Hood River 0-0 1-7 278 412 33 Greater Oregon League (4A) Conf. Ovr. PS La Grande 0-0 7-3 602 Mac-Hi 0-0 6-4 389 Baker 0-0 5-5 426 Ontario 0-0 1-7 234 Eastern Oregon League (3A) Conf. Ovr. PS Umatilla 0-0 9-4 632 Nyssa 0-0 8-4 515 Vale 0-0 7-4 476 Riverside 0-0 2-7 294 PA Rnk 469 4 410 15 435 13 387 29 PA Rnk 461 16 447 15 461 12 383 36 Columbia Basin Conference (2A) Conf. Ovr. PS PA Rnk Pilot Rock 0-0 8-5 583 497 6 Culver 0-0 6-4 403 319 32 Stanield 0-0 4-3 299 244 19 W-M 0-0 3-5 334 323 26 Irrigon 0-0 3-7 354 399 25 Heppner 0-0 2-9 306 464 31 Big Sky League (1A) Conf. Ovr. C/W 0-0 9-1 Arlington 0-0 7-4 Horiz. Christ. 0-0 3-3 So. Wasco 0-0 3-3 Ione 0-0 3-3 Mitch/Spray 0-0 3-5 Dufur 0-0 1-7 Sherman 0-0 0-7 PS 432 474 195 195 261 244 240 168 Old Oregon League (1A) Conf. Ovr. PS Helix 2-0 8-2 417 Powder Val. 2-0 5-5 473 Nixyaawii 1-0 11-1 636 Echo 1-1 6-5 423 Joseph 0-1 4-5 422 Wallowa 0-2 1-10 171 Pine Eagle 0-2 0-8 128 PA Rnk 312 5 322 29 265 15 246 20 259 37 254 49 387 47 397 59 PA Rnk 327 10 356 27 362 12 364 21 363 33 536 40 427 52 Football NFL AMERICAN CONFERENCE East W L T Pct y-New England 12 3 0 .800 N.Y. Jets 10 5 0 .667 Buffalo 7 8 0 .467 Miami 5 10 0 .333 South W L T Pct Houston 8 7 0 .533 Indianapolis 7 8 0 .467 Jacksonville 5 10 0 .333 Tennessee 3 12 0 .200 North W L T Pct y-Cincinnati 11 4 0 .733 Pittsburgh 9 6 0 .600 Baltimore 5 10 0 .333 Cleveland 3 12 0 .200 West W L T Pct x-Denver 11 4 0 .733 x-Kansas City 10 5 0 .667 Oakland 7 8 0 .467 San Diego 4 11 0 .267 NATIONAL CONFERENCE East W L T Pct y-Washington 8 7 0 .533 PF 455 370 357 290 PA 295 292 342 379 PF PA 309 307 303 384 370 418 275 393 PF 395 395 312 266 PA 263 307 377 404 PF PA 328 276 382 270 342 376 300 371 PF PA 354 356 Philadelphia N.Y. Giants Dallas South 6 9 6 9 4 11 L 1 7 9 9 T 0 0 0 0 Pct .933 .533 .400 .400 PF 462 322 332 388 PA 298 325 379 459 W L x-Green Bay 10 5 x-Minnesota 10 5 Detroit 6 9 Chicago 6 9 West W L y-Arizona 13 2 x-Seattle 9 6 St. Louis 7 8 San Francisco 4 11 T 0 0 0 0 Pct .667 .667 .400 .400 PF 355 345 334 315 PA 303 289 380 373 T 0 0 0 0 Pct .867 .600 .467 .267 PF PA 483 277 387 271 264 311 219 371 y-Carolina Atlanta Tampa Bay New Orleans North W 14 8 6 6 0 .400 342 400 0 .400 390 407 0 .267 252 340 x-clinched playoff spot y-clinched division ——— Sunday’s Games Jacksonville (+6) at Houston, 10 a.m. Washington (+3.5) at Dallas, 10 a.m. Detroit (+1) at Chicago, 10 a.m. N.Y. Jets (-3) at Buffalo, 10 a.m. New England (-10.5) at Miami, 10 a.m. New Orleans (+4) at Atlanta, 10 a.m. Baltimore (+9) at Cincinnati, 10 a.m. Pittsburgh (-10.5) at Cleveland, 10 a.m. Tennessee (+6) at Indianapolis, 10 a.m. Philadelphia (+3.5) at N.Y. Giants, 10 a.m. St. Louis (-3.5) at San Francisco, 1:25 p.m. San Diego (+9) at Denver, 1:25 p.m. Seattle (+6.5) at Arizona, 1:25 p.m. Oakland (+6.5) at Kansas City, 1:25 p.m. Tampa Bay (+10.5) at Carolina, 1:25 p.m. Minnesota (+3) at Green Bay, 5:30 p.m. NCAA Bowl Games Thursday’s Games Peach Bowl Houston 38, Florida State 24 Orange Bowl (Playoff Semiinal) Clemson 37, Oklahoma 17 Cotton Bowl Classic (Playoff Semiinal) Alabama (12-1) vs. Michigan State (12-1), 8 p.m. (ESPN) Today’s Games Basketball NBA EASTERN CONFERENCE Atlantic Division W L Toronto 20 13 Boston 18 14 New York 15 18 Brooklyn 9 23 Philadelphia 3 31 Southeast Division W L Atlanta 21 13 Orlando 19 13 Miami 18 13 Charlotte 17 14 Washington 14 16 Central Division W L Cleveland 21 9 Chicago 18 12 Indiana 18 14 Detroit 18 15 Milwaukee 13 21 Pct GB .606 — .563 1½ .455 5 .281 10½ .088 17½ Pct .618 .594 .581 .548 .467 GB — 1 1½ 2½ 5 Pct .700 .600 .563 .545 .382 GB — 3 4 4½ 10 Hockey NHL Thursday’s Games N.Y. Islanders 2, Buffalo 1 Pittsburgh 5, Detroit 2 Carolina 4, Washington 2 Minnesota 3, St. Louis 1 Chicago 4, Colorado 3, OT Dallas 5, Nashville 1 Los Angeles 4, Calgary 1 Anaheim 1, Edmonton 0 Arizona 4, Winnipeg 2 Today’s Games Montreal vs. Boston at Foxborough, MA, 10 a.m. Anaheim at Vancouver, 7 p.m.
