Funkerstation » tal mindset of the guys, particularly now

TEMPE, Ariz. -- Washington State coach Mike Leach earned himself a big fine and some harsh words from Arizona State coach Todd Graham after accusing the Sun Devils of stealing signs this week.Even if the Sun Devils knew what was coming, they had a hard time stopping Luke Falk and the Cougars.Falk threw for 398 yards and three touchdowns, helping Washington State hold off Arizona State 37-32 Saturday night in a game punctuated by heated words during the coaches postgame handshake.I respectfully decline on grounds that I might be publicly reprimanded and fined, so any questions about them I really dont plan to answer, said Leach, who repeated the refrain four times.Leach irritated the Sun Devils and Graham this week by repeating a comment from last season about Arizona State stealing signs. Washington and Oregon both used sheets to block their signs from Arizona State last season, so the sign-stealing accusations were nothing new.But the Pac-12 came down hard on Leach for his comments this time, hitting the coach with a $10,000 fine. Graham retorted during the week and again during the postgame handshake, using a pair of expletives picked up by TV cameras that sent Leach walking away, but would not elaborate when asked about the encounter after the game.Thats between me and him, Graham said.Washington State (5-2, 4-0 Pac-12) had more trouble with Arizona States defensive scheme in the first quarter, unable to get anything going as the Sun Devils dropped deep into coverage and forced Falk to throw underneath.Once Falk adjusted, he picked the Sun Devils (5-3, 2-3) apart, leading the Cougars to 28 straight points, a run triggered by Robert Taylors 100-yard kickoff return for a touchdown.Falk hit Tavares Martin on a 9-yard TD late in the second quarter and Jamal Morrow on a 3-yard score in the third. The junior also laid the ball in perfectly for Gabe Marks, who became Washington States all-time receptions leader, on a 52-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter that put the Cougars up 37-21.Falk completed passes to 11 different receivers and connected on 42 of 53 overall to keep Washington State tied atop the Pac-12 North Division with No. 5 Washington after its fifth straight win.We started off slow. Thats on me, Falk said. Youve got to put the ball in play and give it to our playmakers, but ultimately we did a nice job of having a gutsy win and finishing the game.Arizona State was down to its fourth-string quarterback after Manny Wilkins was injured on the opening drive and had four other starters out. The Sun Devils still managed to lead by 11 early and clawed most of their way back from a 16-point deficit in the fourth quarter.Tim White had a 70-yard touchdown on a punt return and Zane Gonzalez hit a 29-yard field goal to pull Arizona State within 37-32. But Falk and the Cougars ground down the games final 4:36.Wilkins ran for a 3-yard touchdown by hurdling a defender -- his third hurdle of the season -- before going out and freshman Sterling Dillon-Cole completed 7 of 16 passes for 86 yards in his place.Dillon did what he could do, he played with heart and all we had to do as an offense is keep him motivated and confident because you never know what can happen on the last series of the game, White said.INJURED SUN DEVILSArizona State was banged up heading into Saturday and it only got worse as the game wore on.The Sun Devils were missing two starters from their offense, Sam Jones and AJ McCollum, and safety Armand Perry was out with a turf toe injury.Wilkins did not play after the first series and linebacker Salamo Fiso, one of the keys to Arizona States defense, had to be helped off the field in the fourth quarter.THE TAKEAWAYWashington State: The Cougars have come a long way since their 0-2 start to the season, keeping themselves on course for a season-ending showdown against the rival Huskies that could decide the Pac-12 North.Arizona State: The Sun Devils struggles against the pass continue and their offense could be in more trouble if Wilkins continues to miss time. Arizona State has lost three of four.UP NEXTWashington State plays at Oregon State next Saturday.Arizona State plays at Oregon next Saturday. Carolina Hurricanes Pro Shop . -- Aaron Murray threw for 408 yards and three touchdowns, ran for another score, and led No. Custom Carolina Hurricanes Jerseys . With his new coach and six-time Grand Slam singles champion Boris Becker watching him during an official match for the first time, Djokovic appeared tentative early against the Slovakian player, who often appeared content to keep the ball in play. https://www.cheaphurricanes.com/ . On Mar. 16, coming off a "fight of the year" performance at UFC 154 the previous November, St-Pierre faced Nick Diaz at UFC 158 in what would be his eighth defence of the welterweight title. Using his superior athleticism, St-Pierre cruised to a five round, unanimous decision victory setting up a much-anticipated title defence against number one contender Johny Hendricks. Carolina Hurricanes Store . 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Not every spinner - hardly any in fact - possesses the sort of confidence we saw from a Shane Warne or a Graeme Swann at their peak, and the confidence of the captain is the bedrock on which they gain it.Thats why I was intrigued by the way Steve Smith used Nathan Lyon at the WACA Ground, specifically only giving him 12 overs on the third day, with none before lunch. Ive seen Steves explanation about wanting to focus on using the reverse-swinging ball early in the day, but I also know that when Nathan did come on to bowl in the afternoon, he almost immediately created the first clear chance of the day. I wonder how much confidence the decision to hold him back showed in him.This isnt to say that Steve and Nathan dont have a great relationship - they do. But theres a difference between being friends off the field and strong collaborators on it. One of Michael Clarkes great strengths was a terrific instinct for when and how to use Nathan for maximum impact. Its easy for us to forget that Steve remains a young captain, learning his tactical craft, and a big part of that will be finding ways to get the best out of his spinner.There was a contrast here between Australia and South Africa, one of many in a Test match where the visitors ran out handsome winners. The game turned on the second day around the time that Dale Steyn left the field injured, as Faf du Plessis gambled boldly and successfully on his dwindling pace resources. Kagiso Rabada was given licence to go after the Australians with a piercing spell of reverse swing, and South Africa never surrendered their advantage.To be perfectly honest, I was shocked how skilful Rabada was for someone so young. He actually reminded me of Pat Cummins on his Test debut at the Wanderers in 2011. That week, in a high-pressure game, immediately after we had been bowled out for 47 in Cape Town, Patty put on an amazingly complete display as a fast bowler, delivering different kinds of spells, gearing up and down in pace, swinging the ball both ways, and contributing to a nail-biting victory - he even hit the winning runs.Unfortunately for Pat, hes not been able to stay fit long enough to play another Test since then. But the maturity he showed then, beyond his teenaged years, was mirrored in the way Raabada went about his work in Perth.dddddddddddd. Once he got a sniff of a wicket he geared up from around 135kph to 145kph, found reverse swing in both innings, and seemed generally to know what he was trying to do at any given moment to work a batsman out. These skills are rare enough in the game, let alone for a 21-year-old. Above all, Rabada bowled like a leader of the attack, taking it upon himself to change the direction of the game. Thats something I look forward to seeing from Josh Hazlewood, who is now getting really settled in the Australian side. Josh played quite a lot of Shield cricket before he took his first big bag, in the 2014 final at Manuka Oval, and I reckon a similar breakthrough moment for him in Tests is just around the corner.It was no good for the team to lose both Shaun Marsh and Peter Siddle. Shaun looked very much the part as an opening partner for Davey Warner, while Sidds is always a selfless contributor to any team. Coming off his back injury, Sidds would have known the risks going into the game, and really he has fallen prey to the need to back up so quickly after the first-innings batting fell away.One part of the game we dont always take into calculations is the mental mindset of the guys, particularly now they have lost four Test matches in a row. At key moments in games, like the second day in Perth, a few losses under your belt can mean a feeling of here we go again and negative thoughts starting to build up.Thats where Ill be looking for something more from Davey and Steve in Hobart. Davey played beautifully in the first innings but probably left a few runs out there, maybe even 100 more. Steve was looking secure in the second innings when Rabada tempted him into error. The true test of where the Australians are at as a cricket team will be how they respond at Bellerive Oval this week. One thing the team has done really well over recent years - with Davey and Steve often at the forefront - is to counterpunch from a loss.Theres a lot of pride in the group about playing for Australia, and there will also be an awareness of the way Darren Lehmann works as a coach. Hes all about letting people make mistakes, because thats how you learn to play the game. But his fuse will shorten if he sees guys repeat similar mistakes a few times, and over the past four Test matches that has certainly been the case, particularly among the batsmen. ' ' '