Titans, Eagles advance to NFL's Final Four
NASHVILLE, Jan. 12 (UPI) -- Tennessee and Philadelphia advanced to the conference championships Saturday and the NFL found itself with more controversy on its hands.
In a thrilling game with a bizarre finish, Tennessee eliminated the Pittsburgh Steelers in overtime, 34-31. Philadelphia then relied on its defense to fight off the Atlanta Falcons, 20-6.
Joe Nedney brought Tennessee its victory with a 26-yard, second-chance field goal 2:15 into overtime. There were three lead changes and two ties in the second half of a game that had one dramatic turning point after another. But the brief overtime period and controversial ending overshadowed all the rest of the often-brutal confrontation between fierce rivals.
Nedney kicked a 42-yard field goal with 5:40 remaining in regulation to tie the game and then missed a 48-yard attempt into the wind on the final play of the fourth quarter to bring about the 17th overtime playoff contest in NFL history.
Tennessee won the coin toss to start overtime and quarterback Steve McNair, one of the many players injured during the course of the evening, teamed up with unlikely hero Justin McCareins to move the ball into field goal range.
A short pass from McNair to McCareins turned into a 31-yard gain when Pittsburgh cornerback Dewayne Washington missed a tackle and McNair then completed a 22-yarder to McCareins that took the ball to the Steelers' 16. Those were the only two catches for McCareins all night.
Robert Holcombe, filling in for the injured Jeff George, gained three yards on first down and Tennessee Coach Steve Fisher decided not to wait any longer to attempt a field goal.
Nedney came on for a 31-yard attempt and just before the ball was snapped, Pittsburgh Coach Bill Cowher called a time out. Nedney went ahead with the kick, which went through the uprights. Thinking the game was over, those in charge of touching off celebratory fireworks did so and the stadium was filled with the sounds of explosions.
Nedney had to try the kick again and this time, he missed it. But Washington, who previously had missed the tackle on McCareins, ran into Nedney, bringing about a five-yard penalty and giving Nedney another chance.
This time the Tennessee kicker was perfect.
Cowher ran onto the field and yelled at 18-year veteran referee Ron Blum at the end of the game, enraged that a penalty had been called on Washington. The confrontation was brief, however, and Cowher quickly headed for the locker room as the Tennessee fans celebrated.
"For a game to be decided on that call is ludicrous," Cowher said. "A game can't be decided because a kicker takes two steps and we have someone slide into him. We had some chances to win, but we had some taken away from us, too."
The Titans will play next weekend against the winner of Sunday's Oakland-New York Jets game. A victory in that contest would put Tennessee in the Super Bowl for the second time in four seasons.
In Philadelphia, Donovan McNabb ended a 75-yard, fourth-quarter drive with a 35-yard touchdown pass to James Thrash that finally gave Philadelphia some breathing room.
With the chill factor near zero, the Eagles still were made to sweat by an Atlanta team trying to pull off its second huge playoff upset.
The Falcons came back from a series of early-game mistakes, chief among them an interception thrown by Michael Vick and returned for a touchdown by Bobby Taylor, to shut down the Eagles' offense and threaten to steal the contest.
Atlanta even appeared to have scored a tying touchdown with four minutes remaining in the third quarter on a 20-yard run by Vick, but the play was called back on a holding penalty.
That left the Eagles protecting a 13-6 lead, which they finally extended in the fourth quarter with a drive that included two third-down conversions and a fourth-down touchdown pass.
Philadelphia will host the NFC Championship game next weekend in what will be the final professional football game scheduled for Veterans Stadium. The Eagles will play either the Tampa Bay Buccaneers or San Francisco 49ers for a berth in the Super Bowl.
McNabb, returning to action after a broken ankle forced a two-month absence, completed 20 of 30 passes for 247 yards as he displayed little rust.
Yao injured in Houston win
HOUSTON, Jan. 12 (UPI) -- Steve Francis scored 25 points Saturday night as Houston held off a fourth-quarter rally for an 87-85 victory over Denver.
Houston won for the fifth time in seven games but lost rookie center Yao Ming and starting forward Glen Rice to injuries. Yao left after the first quarter with a sprained left knee and Rice suffered a left shoulder strain in the third quarter.
The Rockets led by as many as 18 early in the fourth quarter, but the Nuggets exploded for 38 points in the final period. Rookie Junior Harrington scored 10 of his 17 points during a 21-7 run that brought Denver within 77-73 with 2:58 remaining.
Francis and James Posey responded with consecutive baskets to extend the lead and Houston held on by making four of its final five free throws.
Other NBA results: Atlanta 87, New Orleans 80; Indiana 116, Golden State 104; Milwaukee 89, Detroit 87; Washington 89, New York 84.
Capitals score a dozen goals
WASHINGTON, Jan. 12 (UPI) -- The Washington Capitals rewrote their record book Saturday night, getting seven points from Jaromir Jagr en route to a 12-2 rout of Florida.
Jagr had three goals and four assists, matching a career high and team record for points in a game. Named an All-Star starter earlier in the day, he recorded his 10th career hat trick and first in two seasons with Washington.
Mario Lemieux, Jagr's former linemate in Pittsburgh, was the last NHL player to total eight points in a game, doing so on Dec. 31, 1988.
Peter Bondra scored twice for the Capitals, who matched franchise records for goals in a game and largest victory margin. They defeated the Quebec Nordiques by the same score on Feb. 6, 1990.
The Colorado Avalanche, when they were the Nordiques, were the last NHL team to score 12 goals in a game, doing so in 1995.
The Panthers also established records for most goals allowed and most decisive defeat. Jani Hurme and Roberto Luongo took the beating in net for Florida, combining to stop 28 of 40 shots. Hurme allowed the first five and last three.
Other NHL results: Dallas 6, Colorado 3; Philadelphia 3, Detroit 2; New York Rangers 3, Pittsburgh 1; Boston 6, Toronto 2; Buffalo 3, Montreal 2; New York Islanders 7, Atlanta 3; New Jersey 3, Tampa Bay 3; Nashville 4, Phoenix 3 in overtime; Columbus 7, Calgary 2; Ottawa 2, Edmonton 0.
Els takes two-shot lead
KAPALUA, Hawaii, Jan. 12 (UPI) -- Ernie Els established the PGA Tour's 54-hole scoring record Saturday and he still could not pull away from K.J. Choi.
On another ideal day for scoring at normally blustery Kapalua Resort Plantation Course, Els carded an 8-under-par 65 for a two-shot lead over Choi after the third round of the season-opening Mercedes Championships.
Els double-bogeyed the 17th hole Satursday, but still had a 54-hole total of 25-under 195, one lower than the aggregate record set by John Cook at the 1996 St. Jude Classic and matched by Mark Calcavecchia at the 2001 Phoenix Open.
Choi ended the day as the only player within six shots of Els, setting a Plantation Course record with a bogey-free 11-under 62. Steve Pate shot a 63 in 1997 and David Duval matched it in 1999.
Retief Goosen was third at 18-under 201 after shooting a 66. Bob Estes, Jerry Kelly and Chris Riley were tied for fourth at 202.
Arizona cruises past Washington
TUCSON, Ariz., Jan. 12 (UPI) -- Salim Stoudamire scored 23 points and Jason Gardner added 11 Saturday night in carrying Arizona past Washington, 79-61.
Arizona shook off a sluggish start while improving to 11-1 and 4-0 in the Pac-10. The Wildcats trailed early in the contest, but Stoudamire got hot from three-point range and Arizona was able to beat Washington for the 18th time in 19 meetings.
Doug Wrenn and freshman Nate Robinson had 11 points apiece for Washington (6-7, 1-3). The Huskies have lost three of four since a three-game winning streak.
In Nashville, Matt Freije scored 19 points and Russell Lakey hit a key three-pointer late in the contest as Vanderbilt extended its home winning streak against fourth-ranked Alabama to seven games with a 70-69 triumph.
Vanderbilt upset a top-five opponent for the first time since knocking off UCLA in November 1995.
Other upsets in the top 10 came when LSU whipped No. 8 Mississippi State, 85-72; and No. 10 Oregon fell to Stanford, 81-57.
Veteran umpire dies
TEXARKANA, Texas, Jan. 12 (UPI) -- Durwood Merrill, who Tony La Russa once called the best umpire in all of baseball, died Saturday from complications of a heart attack suffered earlier in the week.
An American League umpire for 23 years, Merrill suffered a heart attack last Sunday and had been in critical condition since.
Merrill is survived by his wife Carolyn and two children.
East wins Shrine Game
SAN FRANCISCO, Jan. 12 (UPI) -- Avon Cobourne rushed for a pair of touchdowns Saturday to lead the East to a 20-1 victory over the West in the annual Shrine Game.
Donald Lee caught 122 yards worth of passes and scored once for the East.
Cobourne, a star at West Virginia, scored on runs of 41 yards in the first quarter and four yards in the fourth to give the East a 20-10 lead. He carried seven times for 72 yards.
Lee, who played for Mississippi State, was named the Outstanding Offensive Player after catching a five-yard touchdown pass from Curt Anes of Grand Valley State.
A native of nearby Orinda, Calif., Ken Dorsey played for the first time since his Miami Hurricanes lost to Ohio State in an epic Fiesta Bowl on Jan. 3. He completed nine of 18 passes for 192 yards and an interception.
Jason Johnson of Arizona had a big game for the West, completing 17 of 30 passes for 275 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions. He threw a 76-yard touchdown to running back Sultan McCullough of Southern California in the second quarter and a 14-yard scoring strike to Oregon's Keenan Howry with three seconds left in the game.
