Ken McMillan|Times Herald-Record

WEST POINT Its been an eventful two days for the Army football team.

On Friday, the team learned it would serve as host of the Dec. 12 Army-Navy football game, being played at West Point for only the fourth time, and first since 1943.

On Saturday, following a 49-3 win over Mercer, head coach Jeff Monken revealed a secret he had been keeping under wraps from his players.

Frank Auer, chairman of the Independence Bowl, made a surprise visit to the locker room and extended an invitation to the late-December bowl contest in Shreveport, La., setting off a wild celebration.

Army became the first team in the nation to receive a postseason bowl berth, even before a number of major conference programs had even played their first contest in a season tossed about by the COVID-19 pandemic.Ironically, Army, with seven games already played, will face a Pac-12 Conference foe, which doesnt even start play until Nov. 7.

I'm just really proud of our team to be at this point in the season and being able to accept a bid to a great bowl game,"Monken said. Thats one of the exciting experiences in college football, being able to play in a bowl game."

Armys players celebrated in the locker room after Auer made a short address to the team.

Just going down to the Independence Bowl, that is amazing,"said senior Sandon McCoy, who had three 1-yard touchdown runs against Mercer. We didnt go to a bowl game last year (with a 5-8 record) and that kind of twisted our stomachs a lot, and we made sure that was not going to happen again."

It will be Armys ninth postseason berth since its first appearance in 1984s Cherry Bowl and a win over Michigan State. It is also the fourth in the past five seasons on Monkens seven-year watch.

"We are absolutely delighted to extend a bowl invitation to the Army West Point Black Knights football team,"Auer said in a prepared release. "The Independence Bowl celebrates the independence and freedoms we enjoy in America, and we are well aware that those freedoms are protected by our Army and the other armed forces. We deeply appreciate the role they play in our national landscape and will roll out the red carpet for them for their trip to Shreveport."

The plans for Army to play in the Independence Bowl were actually made a year ago, with a six-year bowl contract deal signed with ESPN Events. Between 2020 and 2025, Army if it could meet NCAA-mandated wins requirements would play in even-numbered years in the Independence Bowl, and odd-numbered years in another ESPN-owned and -operatedbowl. Army also signed a deal with the Charlotte Sports Foundation to accept an invitation into the Belk Bowl twice within the next six seasons should one be offered.

The minimum requirements used to be posting six wins against Division I-A schools, or Football Bowl Subdivision as it is known today. But with the college football world turned upside down in the year of COVID, the NCAA Division I Council did away with any wins requirements for 2020 two weeks ago, so Army was probably wise to secure the bid.

Four 2020 college bowl games have already been canceled, including a recent decision by the Holiday Bowl.

It will be Armys second appearance in the Independence Bowl. The first was a celebrated 32-29 loss to Auburn on New Years Eve 1996. In that contest, Army roared back with 22 fourth-quarter points but J. Parker pushed a 27-yard field goal try wide right with 30 seconds left that would have tied the contest.

We want to thank the Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl,chairman Frank Auer and the entire bowl committeefor this incredible opportunity to play in this outstanding bowl game,"said Army director of athletics Mike Buddie. We are very excited to accept the first bowl invitation of the 2020-21 season and to make our first trip to Shreveport since 1996."

Army had a three-year victorious bowl run from 2016-18, beating North Texas State in the Heart of Dallas Bowl, San Diego State in the Armed Forces Bowl and Houston again in the Armed Forces Bowl.

Notable

Hat tricks: McCoy posted the third three-touchdown performance of his career. He did so against Massachusetts last season and in the 2020 season opener against Middle Tennessee. He has 16 touchdowns for his career.

Four quarterbacks: Monken started Cade Ballard for the second consecutive week and filled in with Tyhier Tyler much the way he did a week ago at Texas-San Antonio. Christian Parrish entered with a minute left in the third quarter and got five snaps. Maurice Bellan got the final snap of the third quarter and all but four during a 17-play, 91-yard scoring drive in the final period.

Injury front: Center Noah Knapp went down midway through the third quarter. He had been splitting time with Connor Bishop. Running back Anthony Adkins hurt himself late in the UTSA contest and did not play. Defensive lineman Kwabena Bonsu returned after missing two contests.

Defensive leaders: Spencer Jones and Jon Rhattigan each posted seven tackles to lead Army. Rhattigan returned an interception 50 yards just before halftime. Cameron Jones made a diving interception to short-circuit Mercers second series. Jabari Moore returned a pick 29 yards, marking the second time hes taken a turnover for a score (he had a TD off a fumble recovery at Cincinnati).

My fault: Brandon Salyers pushed a 39-yard field goal attempt to the left on the final play Monken blamed himself for not centering the ball with one more play and two timeouts available.

kmcmillan@th-record.com

Twitter: @KenMcMillanTHR

Original post:
Army will play Pac-12 team in Independence Bowl - Times Herald-Record

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Snippet Octobers gardening to-do list. Preparing landscapes for winter. Keeping the Fall garden healthy through Autumn. Easy Fall maintenance for a healthy yard.

October is a critical month in landscape maintenance and should not be ignored. As we transition into Autumn and the first frosts in November, these key steps keep our landscapes healthy, weed-free, and ready for their long slumber through winter. These strategic steps also will provide a rich harvest from the vegetable garden through the holidays. Broccoli at Christmas is possible with task #5, weed prevention with # 6, and vibrant green evergreens right through the coldest winter days with #1. So here are the essential October gardening tasks that should be completed by the end of the month.

#1 Feed the Yard The most critical job of fall is also the easiest: feeding everything in your landscapes. The entire yard should be fed within the next few weeks. Stay away from synthetic winterizer plant food. Much safer results are delivered with Watters 7-4-4 All Purpose Plant Food. This organic blend plant food is safer for pets and people, and less likely to poison your drinking well than MiracleGro or Scotts 20-20-20 chemical foods. Evergreens will keep their vibrant green color through winter with this October feeding. Its a must for spring bloomers like lilacs and forsythias. Native pinion and ponderosa pines should receive this meal to fend off bark beetles, scale, and aphids.

#2 Evergreen Pine Health This is the month to treat pinion pines for scale, and it doesnt take an arborist. Each evergreen is treated with Watters Plant Protector, Diluted with water in a 2-gallon watering can and applied at the base. The roots absorb this bug antibiotic and do the rest. Reapply in March, and you will have superior, pest-free trees all of 2021.

#3 Tree Aphids Watch for large aphids. If the leaves and rocks are glistening like a mornings dew, aphids have begun their assault. Get on them right away by hosing down these pests with Watters formulated Multi-Purpose Insect Spray. It also eliminates spiders and ants from coming into your home for winter when sprayed as a barrier around doors and windows.

#4 Insulate Irrigation -This move saves more money over the years from froze water pipes. Every fall, I buy next springs mulch, manure, and shredded bark products and use them as insulating bags. They are the perfect size for cold protection over inground value lids, around the well house, and around backflow preventers. The garden needs them next spring anyway, so why not get double duty out of those bags of soil amendments?

#5 Add Winter Blooming Flowers By the end of October, trees are bare and summer flowers dead. Strategically place some blooming autumn plants in your landscape, containers, and vegetable gardens. Pansies, kale, mums, violas, broccoli, cabbages, lettuces, and cauliflowers all look bright through the shortest winter days.

#6 Kill Winter Weeds Weeds like foxtail and dandelions emerge and become a severe problem by the end of the year. Spread Weed Beater Complete at 1 bag per 5200 sq.ft. for total weed control. Go ahead and apply your plant food and Weed Beater Complete simultaneously, just make sure this critical task is done in October.

With these minimal maintenance tasks, youll find winter-blooming flowers brighter, evergreens greener, all with vigorous spring growth. If you have questions about any of these six tasks, please stop by the garden center where the Watters staff is here to assist.

Latest Garden News Its been seven months in the making, and the first edition is now online. Watters digital garden center just makes researching local plants easier. Plant organization is precisely how a designer investigates them in the landscape. Trees are broken up into Evergreens, Shade and Fruit Trees to narrow down your search. This is an active list of plants that often changes as crops are harvested and brought to Watters Garden Center.

Top10Plants.com is for locals of central Arizona only. Amazon will not be delivering a 300-pound tree to your doorstep. We have local delivery and planting teams hired to install plants or pick plants up yourself here at Watters Garden Center. Take a look and let me know how to make this new digital garden center even better.

Until next issue, Ill be here at Watters Garden Center helping local gardeners with their October gardening list.

Ken Lain can be found throughout the week at Watters Garden Center, 1815 W. Iron Springs Rd in Prescott, or contacted through his web site at WattersGardenCenter.com or FB.com/WattersGardenCenter.

Read the original:
6 Gardening Tasks You MUST Complete this Month - Signals AZ

Some players are lucky enough to have their exploits reach iconic status. Some are even luckier and have that happen when they are at their best.

With the Giants, when you think of Odell Beckham Jr. there is probably one catch that comes immediately to mind. Same for David Tyree. From Bobby Nystroms goal to Derek Jeters flip, our sports landscape is riddled with quick flashes of images that define athletes.

Daniel Jones now sits at the other end of the spectrum. The one reserved for players such as Joe Pisarcik or Ernest Byner or Bill Buckner, whose careers were perfectly fine and worthy of pride but for that one ignominious moment that came to define them.

Jones had an opportunity to be among the first group when he took off with the football midway through the third quarter of Thursday nights game against the Eagles and had nothing but open space between himself and the end zone. Had he wanted to, he probably could have kept going after that, all the way up the Turnpike and right to his front door.

Instead he wound up running maybe a little too fast. He started to turn his head a bit to make sure he was in the clear. His center of gravity started to get out in front of him. And when he reached the 15-yard line, down he went. Splat.

"I just tried to run faster than I was running and I got caught up," Jones said.

That the play, an 80-yard run in which he topped out at a speed of 21.23 miles per hour -- the fastest an NFL quarterback has moved with the ball in his hands since 2018 according to NFLs Next Gen Stats -- quickly became a meme and a viral sensation.

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Maybe he was the anti-Icarus, flying too close to the ground.

Even his teammates on the sideline were pointing at the video board and laughing. A few plays later, the Giants scored a touchdown to take the lead, and Jones was able to smile about it himself.

"That was a relief to me for sure," he said.

But it wasnt over. Because the Giants blew an 11-point lead in the 22-21 loss, it became an instant metaphor for the team and for Jones and for their inability to finish. The biggest winner on the play may have been Josh Norman, the Bills cornerback who was stiff-armed off his feet by Derrick Henry two weeks ago. Norman is no longer the NFLs Photoshop du jour.

Jones is. And for a while now, until the next poor sap comes along with a more grotesque gaffe, he will be a punchline.

"Internally, that will be something that eventually well be able to laugh about," head coach Joe Judge said.

As for the rest of the world, theyve been chuckling since it happened.

"Look, the internet is undefeated," Judge said. "There are funny things all over the place. You just have to have a sense of humor. When someone sends you something or shows you something you have to be willing to laugh at yourself sometimes."

Like most of Jones play throughout his career, there was plenty to be impressed by on the run before it all collapsed. It was the longest carry by a Giants quarterback, breaking the record Jones himself set just five days earlier with a 49-yard dash against Washington. It was the longest run by an NFL quarterback since Marcus Mariota ran 87 yards for the Titans against the Jaguars in 2015 (though Jones, had he scored, would have topped that by a yard at 88).

It was tied for the fourth longest run in Giants history, behind Tiki Barbers 95-yard play against Washington in 2005, Hap Morans 91-yard run against the Packers in 1930, and Ahmad Bradshaws 88-yard play in Buffalo that clinched a playoff spot for the eventual Super Bowl champs in 2007. Eddie Prince also had an 80-yard run for the Giants against the Eagles in 1951.

Morans scamper of 91 was, like Jones, not a touchdown. Moran, who died in 1995, was lucky enough to live in a time when he did not have to watch whatever happened to him on that play over and over again on televisions and social media.

The good news is that Jones career is very young. He has time to replace that lowlight with a highlight. He literally has a chance to get back up.

Heck, some players are even lucky enough to have a couple of great plays they are remembered for. Eli Mannings throws to Tyree, Plaxico Burress and Mario Manningham are interchangeable as the defining moments of his career. Jeter had the flip, but also had the dive into the stands. And the Mr. November home run.

Maybe one day, when people think of Daniel Jones, theyll immediately conjure images of some great achievement on the field when he hoisted the Giants to a victory or made someone else look foolish with his obviously impressive athleticism. Maybe Jones faceplant into infamy, tripped up by the 15-yard line, the turf monster, or, as the old-timers at Giants Stadium used to say, a "tackle by Hoffa," will be a footnote to his sizzle reel.

Just not today.

Today, Jones is the the guy who fell down while the world was watching.

Tom Rock began covering sports for Newsday in 1996 and has been the Giants beat writer since 2008.

See the original post:
Jones, for now, on the wrong side of memorable moments - Newsday

Les East | 19 minutes ago

Freshman TJ Finley threw 2 touchdowns passes and ran for 1 touchdown in his college debut as LSU dominated South Carolina 52-24 Saturday night in Tiger Stadium.

Finley started in place of injured Myles Brennan and helped produce a balanced attack as the defending CFP champions improved to 2-2.

He got a lot of help from his friends as the offensive line created running room for John Emery Jr. and Tyrion Price-Davis as well as protecting Finley. Price-Davis rushed for 135 yards and Emery added 88.

The LSU defense, which allowed an SEC-record 623 passing yards to Mississippi State and nearly 600 total yards to Missouri in its 2 losses, played better despite allowing several big plays.

Freshman Eli Ricks ran 45 yards for a touchdown after intercepting Collin Hill, and the Tigers forced the Gamecocks to attempt 4 field goals and Parker White missed 3 of them.

The defense put a consistent pass rush on Collin Hill, which helped it withstand a 100-yard rushing game by Kevin Harris.

The LSU special teams chipped in a score on Trey Palmers 95-yard kickoff return for a touchdown that short-circuited South Carolinas attempt to turn the game around early in the 3rd quarter.

The loss ended the Gamecocks 2-game winning streak and dropped them to 2-3.

South Carolina trailed 31-10 at halftime, but Harris 1-yard touchdown run on the first possession of the 3rd quarter put some pressure on Finley and the Tigers.

Palmer removed any pressure the offense might have been feeling on the sideline. He dropped the ensuing kickoff, picked up the football, calmly surveyed the landscape and weaved his way to the end zone.

It was the first kickoff return for a touchdown by an LSU player in Tiger Stadium since Eric Martin did it in 1981.

The Gamecocks tried to answer quickly, but Hills 57-yard pass completion to Keveon Mullins went for naught when White missed a 40-yard field goal.

The Tigers stretched their lead to 45-17 on Davis-Prices 4-yard touchdown run with 4:12 left in the 3rd quarter.

LSU couldnt have scripted the games first possession any better than it went for Finley.

The Tigers put most of the responsibility on the offensive line and Emery.

Emery had runs of 4, 8, 14 and 9 yards to put Finley in favorable down-and-distance situations. Finley completed his only 3 passes on the drive 6 yards to Arik Gilbert and 6 and 7 yards to Terrace Marshall Jr.

Davis-Price had 5 rushes for 13 yards after a minor shoulder issue sent Emery to the sideline temporarily.

The drive concluded with Finley sneaking the final yard of a 75-yard march on the 16th play. Almost as importantly the drive kept the LSU defense on the sideline for 7 1/2 minutes.

The value of that was show on the ensuing possession when the Gamecocks needed just 3 plays, the last of which was a 45-yard run by Harris that tied the score.

Finley marched the Tigers into scoring position again on the next possession before stalling. Cade Yorks 27-yard field goal gave LSU a 10-7 lead at the end of the first quarter.

The Tigers made it 3 scoring possessions in a row when Finley threw a 7-yard touchdown pass to Marshall for a 17-7 lead. That gave Marshall 9 touchdown receptions this season.

South Carolina kicked a field goal to pull within 7, but LSU quickly answered when Finley hit Marshall for a 51-yard TD, and the margin never dipped below double digits.

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Rapid Reaction: TJ Finley and friends lead LSU to dominant win over South Carolina - Saturday Down South

Todd Parsons heard the CalWood Fire before he saw any flames.

Parsons, who lives in Lake of the Pines off U.S. 36, stepped into his backyard Oct. 17 to check the air quality he wanted to go for a bike ride, and he had already noticed smoke from the Cameron Peak Fire in the distance.

From his yard, Parsons watched a massive column of smoke rising in the sky, already taking over the horizon, already too close for comfort. Another fire.

People have described the roar of wildfires to jet engines or freight trains.To Parsons, it was a constant, audible whoosh.

Parsons, who cares for his father, quickly realized they would probably have to evacuate.

I didnt think it would be in two hours time, he said.

He had already started packing valuables and important papers, listening to sirens drive by with increasing regularity, when the reverse 911 call came. He moved his fathers 1964 Chevy Corvette down the street in an effort to protect it from the oncoming flames the car Parsons was brought home from the hospital in. And then he drove away, embers flying through the sky, unsure if he would see his home intact again. Parsons met with stunned neighbors a few miles away, watching as the fire drew closer.

Scott Leach was working to clean out his garage that Saturday afternoon when they heard about the wildfire. Thirty minutes later, he and his wife were throwing what they could into their car, loading in children and his mother-in-law, and evacuating. He watched homes in nearby Mountain Ridge catch fire as he drove.

But the CalWood Fire did not overtake Lake of the Pines, and most of the homes have come out largely unscathed. Less than a mile away, homeowners in Foothills Ranch and Mountain Ridge have returned to find their houses burned to the ground.

The fire came within 40 yards of Parsons property, and hes waiting to get the house assessed for smoke damage before he and his father move back in. At some homes in the neighborhood, the fire lines came within 50 feet of their homes.

Parsons is stunned, grateful and flummoxed that his house and neighborhood is still standing. He had resigned himself to losing the house hes lived in for 15 years.

It really could have been another 80 houses, he said.

Leach said it comes down to luck the wind shifting north at just the right moment that spared his neighborhood.

The emergency responders and the sheriff did an absolutely incredible job, he said. They were focused on making sure everyone was out, and were incredibly grateful for what people have done and the resources that were deployed.

Parsons, Leach and their neighbors have been allowed back into their homes for limited periods of time. On Friday, Parsons was waiting on an Xcel worker to get his power restored and throwing out food that had gone bad, including frozen items he stocked up on during the pandemic.

Youre looking at the landscape a lot differently as youre coming home, and right away you could see the charred landscape, that reminder of how powerful nature is and how susceptible we are to climate change. Its a stark reminder of how lucky we are and how small we are, he said.

The close brush with disaster also has Parsons wondering if there are more evacuations in his future. Colorados three largest wildfires in recent history have all occurred this year, spurred on by dry conditions and parched vegetation and raising further alarm about the ongoing impact of climate change.

Part of this is orienting toward the new normal in Colorado, and maybe the new normal for Boulderites, he said.

Leach, who works on building renewable energy projects across the country, said it was surreal to see a climate change-induced event come right to his doorstep.

I came away with the thought that I havent done enough, he said. I havent done enough to try to fix the problem. Ive probably been responsible for thousands of megawatts of renewable energy, and if thats the case it shows how challenging of a problem this is and how people should be focused on solving it rather than fighting it.

See the article here:
Lake of the Pines residents recall near-miss with CalWood Fire - The Daily Camera

The proposal perhaps most directly adhering to history is that of Cambridge, Massachusettsbased Reed Hilderbrand. Following the 1902 McMillan Plans idea of creating a Washington Common, the team took a flexible, yet nonradical approach to preserving the basin, proposing landforms to protect it from daily flooding as well as a series of open lawns, circling pathways, and new cherry groves to allow for additional recreation on-site. Brooklyn-based DLANDstudio, similarly, proposes a land bridge from the Jefferson Memorial to the White House, but takes its phased solution to protecting the shoreline directly into the water via a jetty, weir, and berm.

The DLANDstudio-proposed land bridge between the Jefferson Memorial and the White House.

Seattle-based GGNs approach is gradual, allowing for bureaucratic project approval timelines in a plan that would be achieved in three stages until 2090. Looking at the basin as an ecological whole, says founding partner Kathryn Gustafson, the firm recommends new floodplain forests, tidal marshes and boardwalks, and the introduction of native flowering trees as solutions to naturally curb flooding and allow generational evolution of the site. Also with ecology in mind, James Corner Field Operations sets forth three future scenarios to mitigate rising waters: an earthwork levee to protect the site in its current state, an entropic solution in which nature takes over the site, and a middle way that protects the monuments as garden islands within this natural floodplain.

GGN proposes floodplain forests and tidal marshes as gradual solutions to rising water levels on the site.

Walter Hood of Oakland, Californiabased Hood Design Studio instead takes a social approach to the sites challenges, envisioning the Tidal Basin as an opportunity to rebuild an urban ecology through remembrance of its past. Three anthems guide this new Tidal Basin: Tell the Truth!, Invention: Making New Things, and Let the Waters Be Free. All replace romantic narratives with true stories of perseverance, resilience, and the values of these wetlands held by indigenous and enslaved peoples. Exploring passive and active technologies, Hood proposes a sustainable future and a new story of the iconic landscape.

At the Tidal Basin, Hood proposes educational opportunities to overtake the more romantic narratives of the site. Here, a proposed group learns about hush harbors, wetlands that served as hidden meeting places of worship for enslaved people.

As the public weighs in on the five proposals, the stakeholder team may adopt one, none, or parts of several of the solutions set forth by the design teams. What Hood emphasizes is likely to come into play: The historical significance of this project could be vast if it leads to a national change in approach to waterside green space when it abuts some of our most treasured structures. Landscape is a medium of exchange between humans and the environment, he explains. It can tell a very powerful story.

Read more here:
See How D.C.s Iconic Tidal Basin Is Being Reimagined by Five Design Teams - Architectural Digest

Betty Kornegay-Kaneft with her artwork Photo contributed by Betty Kornegay-Kaneft

Martha Fowler, a resident of Historic Melrose Heights, says the neighborhood is increasingly becoming an artist colony. She says, Ive sort of grown up in the neighborhood as my grandparents bought the home where I live in 1941.

Fowler says she and many of her neighbors have been walking outside for exercise and to safely spend time together during the COVID-19 pandemic. She said during their outside walks, We began talking about all the artists in the neighborhood and where everyone lived. We decided to reach out to the artists and have an afternoon when we invited each other to get to know each other better and celebrate our neighborhood. It was also about that time we started having food delivered for whoever wanted to join in. Our goal was to help so many who could not work due to the pandemic.

This was the origin of the Historic Melrose Heights Art in the Yard events that have brought people together safely with food, art, music, and friendship.

The festival has grown and several hundred attended the October 4 Art in the Yard. The first was held in the spring after the COVID-19 restrictions were ordered and many businesses and events around the city were shut down. Another Art in the Yard was held in July. The next Art in The Yard event is planned for December 6. Masks are required and social distancing is encouraged during the events. Hand sanitizing stations are placed at each of the intersections of the neighborhood.

Fowler says, Melrose has not only filmmakers, photographers, and painters but also musicians, plantsmen, potters, writers, arts administrators, quilters, and now during the pandemic others have discovered their artistic talents developing their skills in painting, candle making, and stained glass artisans.

Residents of Melrose who are featured artists in the Art in the Yard events include Jay Bender, painter; Diana Stevenson, jewelry; Betsy Kaemmerlen, potter and landscape architect; Harriet Green, arts administrator; Rob Shaw, painter and gallery owner; Josh Whiteside, photographer; Jenks Farmer, plantsman; John Sherrer, historian and writer; Christopher Berg, musician; Elaine Delk, antique and art collector; Hope Sypert, designer; Julie Webster, stained glass; Betty Kornegay Keneft, painter; Big Dad Keneft, painter; Van Kornaguy, photographer and media arts professor; and more.

Lee Ann Kornegay, planner and organizer of the Historic Melrose Heights Art in the Yard says, Melrose Art in the Yard events have allowed us to get to know our neighbors and invite other communities to walk our streets and enjoy the talents of many in a safe and fun way. Not only has it nurtured families to create things but has nudged folks that may have never considered themselves artists to show their work. That is pretty exciting. We have kids making tarts, Melrose signs, and jewelry along side established artists, and it has created a sense of community with a welcome breath of fresh air.

The Historic Melrose Heights neighborhood is listed on the National Register of Historic Places by the South Carolina Department of Archives and History as the Historic Melrose Heights, Oak Lawn, Fairview Historic District. The neighborhood is located west of Woodrow Street, south of Gervais Street and Trenholm Road, and north of Millwood Avenue and Michigan Street and is comprised of over 600 houses bringing together the original Melrose Heights, Oak Lawn, and Fairview communities.

See the rest here:
Melrose Heights hosts "Art in the Yard" events during pandemic - Columbia Star

We didnt know if this day would ever come, but alas, here we are!

The Ohio State Buckeyes played their first game of the year on Saturday, facing off against the Nebraska Cornhuskers. There was an unfamiliar sense of unity between these two teams fighting it out in The Shoe, as there is mutual respect among the pair of Big Ten foes as the most vocal entities trying to resurrect this season. The sense of camaraderie was quickly put aside upon kickoff, as there was now a game to be won.

After a slow start by the Buckeyes, Ryan Day and crew handled business, taking down Scott Frost and the Huskers 52-17 to open the new campaign with a win. Justin Fields was exactly as advertised, throwing for 276 yards on 20-of-21 passing with another 54 yards on the ground and three total TDs. Ohio States defense really struggled for a lot of the afternoon, but a pair fumbles by Nebraska allowed the Bucks to cruise to victory in Week 1.

Its a trend we have seen all across the college football landscape in this weird, pandemic-shortened season. Even the best teams in the country have gotten off to slow starts in games early in the new campaign especially on the defensive side of the ball. Ohio State was certainly no different in following this trend.

Nebraskas offense got off to an incredibly fast start, making it look rather easy as they marched down the field and scored a touchdown on their opening possession, aided by a long 47-yard option run from backup QB Luke McCaffrey. Adrian Martinez waltzed in on the keeper one play later, and quickly the Cornhuskers led 7-0.

The Buckeye offense looked a little slow coming out of the gates as well. Following a run for no gain by Master Teague and a sack of Justin Fields, Ohio State was faced with a 3rd-and-long. They would get some of it back, but were faced with an early 4th-and-5. Ryan Day elected to go for it, and it was the right call as Garrett Wilson converted. The Bucks would go on to punch it in with Teague to tie it up a 7-7.

This offseason, Ohio State lost a ton of talent at wide receiver. Theyll miss guys like Austin Mack and Binjimen Victor, but the biggest loss in that group was of course slot receiver K.J. Hill. Finishing his Buckeye career with 201 receptions, he surpassed David Bostons record of 191 to leave Columbus with the school record for catches in a scarlet and gray uniform. Hill was a big part of Ohio States offense, catching 57 passes for 636 yards and 10 TDs a year ago.

This season, the Buckeyes look to replace Hill with second-year wide receiver Garrett Wilson. Wilson was phenomenal as a freshman, catching 30 balls for 432 yards and five touchdowns. Could he make the necessary leap to fill the huge shoes left by Hill in a critical role for this offense?

Well, those questions were answered in the first quarter. After hauling in a pair of catches for 38 yards on Ohio States opening drive, Wilson made perhaps the biggest play of the first half. Burning his man over the middle, Justin Fields dropped a perfect dime into Wilsons hands for a 42-yard TD to give OSU its first lead of the afternoon.

The spectacular afternoon for the Buckeyes new slot receiver continued until the final whistle, as he finished Saturdays action with seven catches for 129 yards and the long TD.

I don't mind the splitting of carries between two running backs if its done situationally, but I don't agree with the way Ohio State is handling it. We saw a similar system a few years ago when the team tried to rotate J.K. Dobbins and Mike Weber, and it did not work out as well as people had hoped. At least early, it seems to be a similar scenario brewing for this Buckeyes offense.

Trey Sermon and Master Teague are two different style runners. Teague is more of the power back, and Sermon is more of your breakaway speed guy. By rotating the RBs in series by series instead of situationally, you are not using the two guys to the best of their abilities. Multiple times in the first half Ohio State was faced with 3rd-and-1 with Sermon in the backfield, but elected not to bring in the power back, and it did not work out.

Sermon finished as the teams leading rusher, padding the stat sheet late as he finished with 55 yards on 11 carries. Fields was right behind him with 54 yards on 15 carries, followed by Teague with 12 carries for 41 yards and two scores. Steele Chambers actually looked perhaps the best of the Buckeye RBs in limited action, picking up 32 yards on just four touches.

After his unbelievable season a year ago, the expectations for Justin Fields heading into 2020 were astronomical. As a first-year starter in 2019, Fields threw for almost 3,300 yards with 41 TD passes to just 3 INTs, while also rushing for 484 yards and an additional 10 scores. With how good he was in his first season in Columbus, could he really improve upon himself in year two?

The first half was a good indication that he certainly hasnt lost a step. Fields threw just one incomplete pass in the first 30 minutes of play, and that one incompletion was a potential touchdown that was knocked out of the hands of Chris Olave. He ended up with 187 yards and a TD on 12-of-13 passing heading into the break.

Not just a pocket-passer, Fields was making the defense pay with his legs as well. He showed off that speed and elusiveness on the teams first drive of the second half, spinning his way around a defender en route to a 17-yard TD run.

Fields was phenomenal all game long, completing 20-of-21 passes for 276 yards and three total touchdowns.

Ohio States defense was certainly not up to snuff in game one especially against the run. The Silver Bullets were getting seriously gouged on the ground game, with Nebraskas entire offense basically being comprised of read-option plays. The linebackers were playing out of position, tackles were being missed, and it seemed a lot like a certain crowd-favorite middle linebacker specifically was struggling to make the correct read.

When all was said and done, the Buckeyes allowed a total of 217 rushing yards more than they allowed in any game last season. Adrian Martinez himself racked up 77 yards on the ground compared to his 105 through the air as the Achilles heel for the Buckeyes was that read-option; backup QB Luke McCaffrey ran for a team-high 87 yards. Ohio State made up for some of their issues by forcing two fumbles, but as a whole, the defense was average at best.

It is entirely possible that this Nebraska offense will be better than expected this year, as the Huskers did actually manage to put up the second-most yards rushing of any team against OSU last season with 184. However, the Silver Bullets will definitely have to sure things up before their big matchup against Penn State next week, as the effort they got on Saturday will certainly not cut it in Happy Valley.

Ohio States offensive line was built up to be one of the best in the country heading into the new campaign. The returning starters Wyatt Davis, Thayer Munford, and Josh Myers were all awesome a year ago, and the two empty spots have been filled by five-star prospects in Harry Miller and Nicholas Petit-Frere. On paper, they should have been dominant against a Nebraska front replacing a ton of last years starters.

That wasnt exactly the case on Saturday. Its kinda nit-picky to talk about any O-line struggles, as, for the most part, the blocking was solid, but it looks like they went through a bit of growing pains to start the year. Fields was sacked four times which is partially the fault of the QB trying to extend some plays longer than he should and the Huskers tallied up seven tackles for loss as the OSU run game was stymied much of the afternoon.

Offensive lines take some time to gel, and I wouldnt say it is a concern for this team moving forward with how good the offense looked otherwise. There is too much talent along this front five for them to be anything less than great.

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What we learned in Ohio States 52-17 beatdown of Nebraska - Land-Grant Holy Land

Steve Boehme, Correspondent Published 8:25 a.m. ET Oct. 23, 2020

Timing is critical in the battle against invasive Japanese Honeysuckle.(Photo: Photo by GoodSeed Farm)

Ive sounded the alarm about invasive Japanese Honeysuckle, an aggressive shrub that takes over and smothers everything in its path. Under our noses, our woods and stream banks have been taken over, and the bright red berries of mature honeysuckle bushes are being spread everywhere by birds.There are huge, spreading mother plants covered with berries, and a carpet of seedlings under them where their berries have fallen.

Ill bet you have a few in your yard. If you own wooded acreage, Id be surprised if the same invasion isnt well advanced on your property. You need to take action and destroy them before your entire landscape turns into a jungle. In doing so youll contribute to one of the most important environmental battles of our time. Just ask any urban forester, forest ranger, park manager or conservationist. Theyre losing sleep over this problem right now.

Since I first realized that our farm was being invaded by Japanese Honeysuckle, we have devoted many days of hard work to beating back this scourge. Weve tried many different methods, over several years, but our efforts felt like Whack-A-Mole as new colonies continued to appear. We have 180 acres, much of it wooded, and we couldnt seem to turn the tide.

The key to success is timing. Japanese honeysuckle is one of the last woody plants to go dormant and drop its leaves in fall. This gives us a two-week window in late October and early November when we can spray glyphosate on the invaders with little or no damage to other plants. The plants really stand out right now, because most other woodland plants have lost their leaves. Amur honeysuckle bushes practically glow with neon green foliage and shiny red berries.

Small infestations can be treated with an inexpensive pump sprayer, however we have many acres to deal with. Our weapon of mass destruction is our Stihl backpack fogger, suggested to us by ODNR Urban Forester Wendi Van Buren. Similar to a backpack leaf blower, this dandy machine has a 2-1/2 gallon tank and an injector nozzle that mixes glyphosate with a powerful blast of air, creating a fog that can reach plants 15 feet tall and over 30 feet away. The air blast ruffles the leaves, thoroughly coating both the top and underside of the leaf with a fine mist.

We can unleash a glyphosate fog into dense honeysuckle thickets, the wind at our back, hitting the tops of the tallest plants while dousing the carpet of seedlings underneath, as fast as we can walk. We can cover many acres along hedgerows and hillsides in a single afternoon. Hiking with the backpack sprayer is a workout, soaking us with sweat, but so much faster and easier than any other method weve tried by far.

Starting with easily available 44% glyphosate concentrate, we simply measure two cups (16 ounces) into the sprayer tank and top it off with water. Setting the injector nozzle on 2 seems to give just the right amount of coverage. It takes about fifteen minutes per tankful to empty the tank, at a brisk walk.

A key strategy is to focus on the big, established mother plants first, because Japanese honeysuckle cant reproduce until the plants mature and start to have berries. Birds, attracted by the shiny red berries, spread the invader far and wide. Berries drop under the mature plants and create a carpet of seedlings.

Over the years, readers of this column have admonished us for using glyphosate in landscaping, but no one has ever presented us with convincing proof. Experts disagree. For our part, there is a tradeoff between the possible harmful effects of glyphosate and the uncontrolled spread of invasive plants like Japanese honeysuckle, thistle, multiflora rose, poison ivy and autumn olive. An online search turned up no evidence that eating glyphosate-treated berries is harmful to birds.

Armed with our newfound weapon of mass destruction, well take up the battle again in the coming weeks. I urge you to join it, in your own yard. Mark your calendar, and seize this opportunity to turn the tide of the honeysuckle invasion.

Steve Boehme is a landscape designer/installer specializing in landscape makeovers. Lets Grow is published weekly; column archives are on the Garden Advice page at http://www.goodseedfarm.com. For more information is available at http://www.goodseedfarm.com or call GoodSeed Farm Landscapes at (937) 587-7021.

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Let's Grow: Beat back the Japanese Honeysuckle invasion - Chillicothe Gazette

Illinois believes its upset of Wisconsin last year showed how far the program has come. The oddsmakers are reminding the Illini how far they still have to go.

Even after beating a Wisconsin team that was favored by 30 points last year, Illinois heads into Madison as a 19 -point underdog as the two West Division rivals prepare to open the pandemic-delayed Big Ten season Friday night.

I guess were going to have to go prove them wrong again, Illinois quarterback Brandon Peters said.

Illinois took a big step forward last year in coach Lovie Smiths fourth season by earning its first bowl bid since 2014, but the Illini are still searching for their first winning season since a 7-6 finish in 2011.

Beating Wisconsin for a second straight year would be a major move in the right direction. The 14th-ranked Badgers want to make sure that doesnt happen.

Illinois definitely deserves a butt-whooping from last year, Wisconsin running back Nakia Watson said earlier this month.

Watsons comments notwithstanding, Wisconsins players generally have downplayed the revenge motive.

Obviously last year didnt go the way we wanted it to, but we try not to dwell too much on the past, Wisconsin wide receiver Kendric Pryor said. Obviously theyre not the same team as last year and were not the same team as last year.

Wisconsins offense definitely isnt the same as it was last year.

The Badgers lost two-time Doak Walker Award-winning running back and Indianapolis Colts rookie Jonathan Taylor as well as All-America center Tyler Biadasz and leading receiver Quintez Cephus from last years team. Redshirt freshman quarterback Graham Mertz will make his first career start for Wisconsin after preseason foot surgery left returning starter Jack Coan out indefinitely.

Yet the Badgers still have enough talent in place to believe they can win the division for a fourth time in five seasons, whereas Illinois is still attempting to move its way up the standings.

Illinois stunned Wisconsin last year by showing the ball-hawking mentality that the Illini have adopted under Smith, a former NFL head coach and longtime NFL defensive assistant. Illinois had a Big Ten-leading 28 takeaways last season, including an interception against Wisconsin that led to James McCourts game-winning 39-yard field goal as time expired.

Now they want to take the next step.

Last year we were a six win-team, Smith said. And I think were a strong football team right now. We lost a few guys, but for the most part, our best players are back, and weve added quite a few players. So were excited about seeing exactly how we fit into the landscape in 2020.

PLAYING WITHOUT FANS

There wont be any spectators for the first Big Ten game of the season as part of the protocols in place due to the coronavirus pandemic.

STRONG ON THE LINE

Illinois returns four starters on the offensive line. Kendrick Green, Doug Kramer, Vederian Lowe and Alex Palczewski have 125 combined starts.

Wisconsin must replace three of its starting offensive linemen from last season, but the Badgers return Associated Press preseason All-America second-team tackle Cole Van Lanen. Wisconsin also got a boost from the return of Jon Dietzen, who has made 32 career starts but stepped away from the football program in 2019 due to injuries.

REPLACING TAYLOR

Watson and fifth-year senior Garrett Groshek figure to get the bulk of the carries Friday as Wisconsin attempts to replace Taylor, though sophomore Isaac Guerendo also should have a role.

Groshek rushed for 198 yards and two touchdowns and also had 29 catches for 289 yards last season. Watson ran for 331 yards and two touchdowns.

ILLINOIS TRANSFERS

Illinois will be counting on big contributions from plenty of transfers this season.

Some transfers to watch, with former schools in parentheses, include running back Chase Brown (Western Michigan), tight end Luke Ford (Georgia), wide receiver Brian Hightower (Miami), tight end Daniel Imatorbhebhe (Southern California), defensive tackle Roderick Perry (South Carolina State) and defensive back Derrick Smith (Miami).

SHOWCASE FOR MERTZ

Coans injury provides a showcase opportunity for Mertz, one of the most hyped recruits in recent Wisconsin history.

When Mertz signed with Wisconsin, it marked the first time since 2007 that the Badgers had signed a 247Sports Composite top-100 recruit who wasnt an offensive lineman. Mertz went 9 of 10 for 73 yards last season while playing in blowout victories over Central Michigan and Kent State.

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Illinois seeking to surprise No. 14 Wisconsin one more time - Greater Milwaukee Today