Breitmann Tuning » tching a second one go astray. Gostkowski misfired

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Jabrill Peppers pressed a phone against his right cheek, head bowed, and swayed from side to side.He picked his head up when he heard unexpected news.Wow. Hey, he said, tilting his head back with a huge smile upon finding out he was a Heisman Trophy finalist. Ahhhhhhhhhhhh!The do-it-all, three-way dynamo had quite a year for No. 6 Michigan, and the team says he played 15 positions across offense, defense and special teams.But the nations most versatile star wasnt necessarily projected to be among the final five players up for the Heisman.I was in shock when I got that call, Peppers told The Associated Press. Im still in shock. Its surreal. When youre a child, you set goals and you work hard for things like this.The East Orange, New Jersey, native had to work harder than most. He was 7 when his father, Terry Peppers, went to jail and was 14 when his older brother and role model, Don Curtis, was shot and killed.Ivory Bryant , his mother, made sure sports ranked second behind school.His mother will join him at the Heisman Trophy ceremony on Saturday night in New York. He wasnt planning on inviting his father.With my dad, our relationship is still growing, Peppers said. Hes trying to get back on his feet.Peppers is a star who contributed this season in three facets of the game . In the rare moments he wasnt on the field, he was standing near coach Jim Harbaugh on the sideline, ready to roll when his name was called.Peppers won the Hornung Award as the nations most versatile college football player. On defense, the 6-foot-1, 205-pounder usually lined up as a linebacker after spending most of the previous two years as a defensive back.Michigans Charles Woodson is the only player to win the Heisman while primarily playing defense -- though, like Peppers, Woodson also played on offense and special teams.Its rare that defensive players are even among the Heisman finalists. Since 1986, the list includes just Oklahoma linebacker Brian Bosworth, Washington defensive lineman Steve Emtman, Miami Hurricanes defensive tackle Warren Sapp, Nebraska defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh, LSU defensive back Tyrann Mathieu and Notre Dame linebacker Manti Teo.It means a lot to be a part of that group, Peppers said. I didnt finish the season as well as I thought and hoped I would, and there were a lot of guys that could have been finalists ahead of me.Many expect Peppers to skip his senior season to enter the NFL draft, though hes declined to talk about it because he doesnt want to distract from Michigans preparation for the Orange Bowl against No. 10 Florida State on Dec. 30.We have one more game to play and thats where my focus is, he said. I absolutely want to end the season on a good note and get the sour taste out of my mouth.The Wolverines closed the regular season with two losses in three games, including a stinging setback as a third-ranked team to second-ranked Ohio State, 30-27 in two overtimes. The Buckeyes beat their rival in part because they didnt let Peppers make any game-breaking plays on offense or special teams.Peppers did have seven tackles and intercepted a pass, but he had just four yards rushing on four carries. On special teams, he returned one kickoff for 44 yards and a punt for 5 yards.Harbaugh, though, wouldnt trade him for any player in college football.Hes an amazing player that does everything that anybody asks, any of the coaches or teammates ask him to do, Harbaugh said. Whether its play safety or corner or nickel or linebacker or quarterback or slot receiver or running back, punt returner, kick returner, he does it all and without hesitation, without flinching. He does it to the best of his God-given ability every time.---HEISMAN-DEFINING MOMENT: Like Woodson, Peppers returned a punt for a touchdown into the south end zone in Michigan Stadium for his signature play of the season. Peppers showed his speed, strength and agility on the 54-yard score in the fourth quarter that helped the Wolverines pull away to beat Colorado 45-28.BEST GAME: Peppers scored on a punt return, had a season-long, 55-yard kickoff, a 17-yard run and nine tackles, including a sack, against the Buffaloes, who are No. 11 going into the postseason.WORST GAME: In a loss 14-13 loss at Iowa, the Wolverines needed a spark and their best all-around player couldnt provide it. Peppers was held to 11 yards rushing on four carries, returned a kickoff just 16 yards, a punt 19 yards and made five tackles.PRO PROSPECTS: Unless he makes a stunning return to college, Peppers is projected to be among the top picks in the draft. He fits the profile of what NFL teams are looking for, a player they can line up against a slot receiver or send on a blitz. Peppers will also be viewed as an asset in the kicking game.---More AP college football: www.collegefootball.ap.org and https://twitter.com/AP-Top25---AP Sports Writer Tim Reynolds in Hollywood, Florida contributed.---Follow Larry Lage on Twitter at www.twitter.com/larrylageJamie Benn Stars Jersey . The formidable trio of Canadian receivers -- individually known as Chris Getzlaf, Rob Bagg and Andy Fantuz -- will share the field at Mosaic Stadium one more time on Sunday. Jaromir Jagr Stars Jersey . Varlamov made 33 saves and Ryan OReilly had a goal and scored in the shootout as the Avalanche beat the New Jersey Devils 2-1 on Thursday night. http://www.thedallasstarshockey.com/jon-casey-hockey-jersey/ . LOUIS -- Theres no telling how these wacky World Series games will end. Mattias Janmark Stars Jersey . DAmigo scored twice in regulation and added the shootout winner as the Toronto Marlies edged the San Antonio Rampage 5-4 in American Hockey League action. Esa Lindell Stars Jersey . The Clippers were angry about blowing a big lead; the Kings didnt like being in that kind of hole and nearly digging themselves out only to lose.PITTSBURGH -- Their momentum gone and the Pittsburgh Steelers surging behind backup quarterback Landry Jones, the New England Patriots needed something to get them going.They found inspiration in the usual places: LeGarrette Blounts churning legs, Tom Bradys accurate right arm and Rob Gronkowskis massive hands.Twice the undermanned Steelers needed one stop to give their offense the ball with a chance to take the lead on Sunday afternoon.And twice the Patriots instead went right down the field instead, pulling away for a 27-16 victory that left little doubt as to where the balance of power in the AFC sits as the season reaches its halfway point.The Steelers were within 14-13 when Blount broke runs of 11 and 25 yards to set up a 36-yard touchdown from Brady to Gronkowski early in the third quarter.When another Pittsburgh field goal brought Pittsburgh within four, the Patriots responded with another long touchdown drive fueled by a 37-yard catch-and-run by Gronkowski that set up Blounts second touchdown of the game.It was good to score like that and good to make plays in the second half that we needed to, Brady said. They certainly made it tough on us.Maybe, but the Steelers (4-3) also made it tough on themselves. Pittsburgh scored one touchdown in four trips to the red zone and was flagged 10 times for 85 yards, including a holding call in the second quarter that wiped out a touchdown pass that would have tied the game.Instead, Chris Boswell missed a 42-yard field goal and Pittsburgh never legitimately came close to evening the score again.You cant waste red zone trips, you have to come off blocks and make tackles in the run game, you cant give up explosion plays, we did, Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said. Thats why we lost.Brady, Blount and Gronkowski had plenty to do with it too. Brady completed 19 of 26 for 222 yards and two touchdowns to improve to 9-2 against Pittsburgh. Gronkowski caught four passes for 93 yards and his 68th touchdown catch, tying Stanley Morgan for the most in club history. Blount finished with 127 yards rushing and two scores against the team he walked away from 2014 .His runs were able to settle us down, New England coach Bill Belichick said of Blount.New England (6-1) remained perfect since Brady returned from his four-game Deflategate suspension and while the Patriots lost a pair of fumbles they also didnt throw an interception, making them the third team since 1960 to get through the first seven weeks of the season without throwing it to the other team, joining the 1960 Browns and 2008 Redskins.ddddddddddddMISSED OPPORTUNITIESSteelers offensive coordinator Todd Haley hardly limited the playbook with Jones under center. The fourth-year quarterback did what Roethlisberger likes to do, particularly getting the ball to running back LeVeon Bell and wide receiver Antonio Brown.Bell finished with 149 yards of total offense and Brown caught seven passes for 106 yards, but too often Pittsburgh settled for field goals (or field goal attempts) when touchdowns were required.We just got to the red zone a lot of times and turned the ball over, you cant have that, Bell said. I mean, it is a small margin for error against a team like that.FLEET FEETThe 39-year-old quarterback who once ran the 40-yard dash at the combine in a not-so fleet 5.28 seconds can still run away from the bad guys. Brady ran for three first downs in the first half, mashing his way on a quarterback sneak and twice escaping pressure and outrunning defenders a decade or more younger for the necessary yardage.NOT-SO RELIABLENew England kicker Stephen Gostkowski missed a regular season extra point during his rookie year in 2006 and then didnt miss another one until last week against Cincinnati, an NFL record streak of 479 attempts between misfires (though there was that costly missed kick in last years AFC championship game ). Gostkowski didnt have to wait nearly as long until watching a second one go astray. Gostkowski misfired on a third-quarter extra point that kept the Steelers within seven.This is a tough place to kick, Belichick said. Im not making any excuses. The kicker on the other side of the field had trouble too.In addition to the 42-yarder he missed, Boswell misfired on a 54-yarder with the Steelers down two scores in the fourth quarter.QUOTABLEWere looking like garbage right now. This is terrible right now. -- Steelers linebacker Ryan Shazier on his teams run defense.UP NEXTPatriots: visit Buffalo next Sunday. The Bills beat the Brady-less Patriots 16-0 in New England on Oct. 2.Steelers: off next week then visit AFC North rival Baltimore on Nov. 6. ' ' '