Dein erstes Forum » is has come a constant stream of standout

Really good or really lucky?Which is Clemson? Probably a bit of both.The No. 3 Tigers (8-0, 5-0 ACC) won five games by seven points or fewer this season with the latest nail-biting installment a 37-34 squeaker at Florida State last week.That kept them on course for the Atlantic Division title, a berth in the ACC Championship Game and a likely spot in the College Football Playoff as they prepare to host Syracuse on Saturday at Memorial Stadium (3:30 p.m. ET, ABC).Tigers coach Dabo Swinney would add a third trait to the list: Toughness.For our guys to overcome adversity and find a way to win at their place, its something pretty special, Swinney said. I cant say enough about the heart and toughness these guys have. They just find ways to win games in difficult situations.The Tigers had to go to overtime to beat North Carolina State 24-17 and got that opportunity only because the Wolfpack missed a chip-shot field goal attempt as time ran out in the fourth quarter with the game tied.Against Louisville, the Tigers lost a 28-10 halftime lead and trailed 36-28 midway through the fourth quarter before rallying for two touchdowns. A fourth-down stop at their own 4-yard line preserved their 42-36 victory.And they trailed by eight points again entering the fourth quarter at Florida State, and it could have been more if a fortuitous flag not nullified a big run by Seminoles running back Dalvin Cook that could have put the Seminoles in position for a least a field goal and 11-point cushion. The Tigers took advantage of the break and went on to a 17-point fourth quarter.Junior quarterback Deshaun Watson had one of the best games of his career, passing for 378 yards and two touchdowns against the Seminoles. He passed for 300 yards in four of the Tigers last five games.The defense also has gotten a boost from the return of defensive end Austin Bryant, who missed the first six games of the season with an injury. The sophomore has two sacks in the last two games.Anytime you get a great player back on your team, its very important, Swinney said. Its great to get a player like him plugged back in.Syracuse (4-4, 2-2), operating under first-year coach Dino Babers, is coming off an open date after getting to the .500 mark with consecutive victories over Boston College and ACC Coastal Division frontrunner Virginia Tech in its last two games.Babers was glad for the break.It gave quarterback Eric Dungey the chance to rest up from the punishment he has been taking in the pocket and outside it. Hes on pace to challenge or break a number of Syracuse offensive records -- if he can stay healthy against some tough defenses. He is seventh nationally in passing yards per game (328.9) and has six 300-yard passing games.We really needed the bye, Babers said. You know, a lot of times when you have a bye, you start off the next game a little bit slower, but we really needed the time to heal.The Virginia Tech, the Boston College, the Connecticut, those were physical games, they really were, and were banged up. We need our guys to get some rest. We need to go out and do some coaching. Our players need to work on their studies a little bit, and then we need to come back together and get ready for the last third of the season.Syracuse also has goals of its own in the final month, needing two more wins to get to bowl eligibility. For Clemson, the goals are slightly more ambitious, which adds to the stakes.When we get into November, the air gets a little thinner, Swinney said. This is what we call the championship phase of our journey.Its a fun time. Weve got a great opportunity in front of us, and the best part is were 8-0 and havent played our best football yet.Hydro Flask Café .C. -- After a listless first half, the Washington Wizards used a big third quarter run to beat the Charlotte Bobcats Bradley Beal scored 21 points and the Wizards used a 17-0 run in the third quarter to take control of what had been a close game and beat the Bobcats 97-83 on Tuesday night. Hydro Flask 32 Oz . Those lessons were more than enough to overwhelm the Utah Jazz. Lou Williams scored 25 points and the Hawks continued their offensive upswing as they rolled to an easy 118-85 victory over the Jazz on Friday night, winning their third straight and for the fourth time in five games. http://www.botellashydroflask.es/hydro-flask-40-oz.html . Neymar curled home a free kick from just outside the area to put the 2014 World Cup host ahead in the 44th minute. Three minutes after the break, a simple through pass from Paulinho freed Oscar and the Chelsea star rounded goalkeeper Jung Sung-ryong to extend Brazils lead. Hydro Flask Boca Ancha . And when it opened, every player was at his stall. Thats a sure sign that a team is in a slump and is searching for answers. "Its embarrassing to be at home and play the way we did," said defenceman Josh Gorges. Hydro Flask Baratas . Fellow centre Pavel Datsyuk remains out because of a concussion. Zetterberg has 11 goals and 19 assists for a team-high 30 points, and Datsyuk has a team-high 12 goals and 11 assists.Yes I know numerous New Zealand rugby supporters take delight in ridiculing their Australian counterparts... and it can be so mind numbing.The Kiwi baiting has continued for some time, leading to a rugby inferiority complex this side of the Tasman; not surprising considering Australia has not sighted the Bledisloe Cup for 14 seasons.Painful as it is to admit, Australia still must give thanks to New Zealand this season for at least making the revamped Super Rugby tournament watchable, enjoyable at times.We even should not quibble if any of the New Zealand teams which have made the Super Rugby quarterfinals go on to win the title. It would be the right outcome, because the New Zealand conference has quality wise been by far the best of the four.For those who follow the Australian provinces, this seasons competition has been a tough ride.If just working out the logistics of a flawed and lopsided tournament format was bewildering enough, adding to the confusion was the dismal form of those in the Australian conference.A once confident, exuberant brand of rugby has become hesitant, lacking in intelligence and relying more on hope than instinct, to the extent that the winner of the Australian conference- the Brumbies- stumbled instead of marched their way into the finals.The Brumbies, while industrious, are not the team of enlightenment they once were. Solid rather than spectacular. Cautious rather than creative. They survive another week, but are spluttering. Even the benefit of hosting a final in Canberra on Friday night is not likely to be enough of an advantage against a special Highlanders outfit who could easily successfully defend their title.The figureheads of Australian Rugby- such as national coach Michael Cheika are making the necessary rallying the troops messages at the moment by arguing that it is not all doom and gloom. It is still impossible to avoid the fact that the fodder provided by the five Australian provinces over the past few months has often been dire.In a season where two of the provincial coaches- Richard Graham and Michael Foley- were replaced during the season and the Australian Rugby Union had to prop up several financially struggling provinces- its hardly startling that Australian teams have sometimes appeared distracted.With the talent spread too thinly across the five Australian provinces, it has led to numerous substandard matches, and late in the season when injuries took its toll, round 16 turned nightmarish when Australian teams were roundly humiliated by New Zealand sides in all four encounters- losing by a collective 140 points.The last round was a little more encouraging, with Rebels backrower Sean McMahon enlivening the match against thee Reds by showing what actually can happen if someone has the courage to takes risks and the Waratahs pack providing some menace against the Blues.dddddddddddd.But this was countered by constant elementary errors in either game and that the Waratahs over the final two rounds badly wasted their opportunity to make the finals through poor finishing and average options.In another disconcerting sign for Australian Rugby, just two years after winning the Super Rugby title, the Waratahs have collapsed to tenth spot.Thankfully we have been able to watch the New Zealand local derbies to revive our faith in rugby, and remind us that when played properly, it can still enlighten and invigorate.Unlike the Australian conference, where the low skill level and predictable coaching methods were often exposed, the New Zealand matches have constantly been of the highest standard because the players are willing to trust their own abilities.Their skill set and level of fitness is exceptional, leading to a succession of high intensity games played at a frenetic rate, often with virtually no interruption. More often than not when under pressure they do not make mistakes. They instead lift.New Zealand coaches also trust their players to allow them to try something different and seize the moment, which has prompted numerous memorable individual performances.With this has come a constant stream of standout games- as good as anything witnessed at the top level in recent times. It doesnt get much better than what the Highlanders and Chiefs offered in Dunedin on Saturday night, which involved endless highlights, in particular the home team winger Waisake Naholos leap of faith that enabled him to score one of the best tries of the season.This followed a mighty performance by the Hurricanes in Christchurch, where through the ingenuity of such vast talents as their All Black five-eighth Beauden Barrett they succeeded in a bonus-point triumph over the Crusaders that saw them unexpectedly finish on top of the ladder.And so four New Zealand teams are in the finals to Australias paltry one.Even though a competition structure, which is stacked in favour of the South African conference, makes it difficult for the Crusaders and Chiefs to continue on as they are respectively off to Johannesburg and Cape Town for their finals match, they should never be under-estimated. Its again about faith. They dont get hung up about hardships.As for the Hurricanes and Highlanders, you really cannot complain if they continue on, as those with initiative who want to entertain deserve just rewards. ' ' '