A Grip on Sports: There was a certain script to Sunday’s games, one the Seahawks followed and so did Gonzaga a bit later
A GRIP ON SPORTS • We had a question Sunday morning about the Seahawks’ game. Why watch? The Hawks answered it. Emphatically. Though it took a lot of hemming and hawing to get them to spit it out.
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• For three quarters the Hawks really didn’t show why anyone would want to watch them play. Against an awful Houston team, they treaded water early, with just a touchdown run from Rashaad Penny and a long pass to Tyler Lockett to get anyone sitting at home out of their seats.
Unless, of course, you enjoy watching the opposing quarterback throw 14 consecutive completions.
The third quarter was even worse, with even the pro-Seattle radio booth of Steve Raible and Dave Wyman criticizing the Seahawks for letting Houston hang around. When Steve Raible says something even a bit critical, you know you are in trouble.
Then they weren’t.
The fourth quarter harkened back to the old days. Solid defense. Explosive offense. A ground game to kill the clock.
It was enough. Enough to send the hundreds of people in attendance at NRG Stadium to their cars for the ride home, bemoaning a 33-13 Seahawk win.
With the win, 5-8 Seattle remained a game out of the playoffs, though the gap is actually larger than that. The 6-7 teams include Washington, Minnesota and New Orleans (among others). The Hawks have lost to all three, costing them in any head-to-head tiebreakers.
What’s left? The final four games begin next Sunday in Los Angeles against the Rams. That’s not good, though there is hope. Los Angeles plays in Arizona tonight, meaning the Rams will have one less day to prepare and will be coming off a emotional showdown. Find a way to win that game and Seattle can hoave hope. Why? Back-to-back home games against the woeful Bears and Lions follow. Heck, it wouldn’t be out of the question for Seattle to take an 8-8 record into its season finale at Arizona. Who knows? Maybe the Cardinals will have clinched the NFC’s top seed by then, so they will be more than amiable to allow the Hawks a little leeway.
Ya, right.
• A sparse crowd in the Kennel last night were entertained by a Gonzaga performance that sort of mirrored the Seahawks’.
Stephen F. Austin’s switching defenses slowed the GU attack most of the night, allowing the Ladyjacks to stick around. Until it came time to decide the issue.
The final 3 minutes belonged to the home team. How much so? How does a 14-2 run to end it sound?
All game long SFA coach Mark Kellogg implored his team to know where Cierra Walker was at all times. He didn’t want to give the left-handed sharpshooter space to see the hoop, let alone launch 3-pointers.
And, for much of the game, his team fulfilled his wishes. Until it mattered most. Walker broke open and didn’t miss, hitting two key 3-pointers to give the Zags the separation they needed.
It wasn’t a masterpiece by any means but the 64-54 nonconference win served a dual purpose. It allowed the 8-2 Bulldogs to wash away the sour taste of a late home loss to Washington State. And it gave them a positive lift heading into finals week.
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Gonzaga: Jim Allen was sitting in the middle of McCarthey on Sunday evening with his computer and he has this game story. Jesse Tinsley was on the floor with is camera and he has this photo report. … The men didn’t play yesterday – Washington is still sidelined due to COVID-19 protocols – but that didn’t stop Theo Lawson from writing this piece on their long unexpected layoff. … The Zags are still going to be in the top 5 today despite not playing. Baylor will probably rise to No. 1. … Around the WCC, the loss to Creighton exposed some of BYU’s flaws.
WSU: Travell Harris will get a chance to show his skills to professional scouts in January at the Hula Bowl. Colton Clark has more here, including the fact the game will be in Orlando, Fla. … Elsewhere in the Pac-12 and college football, John Canzano reported yesterday Dan Lanning wasn’t the Ducks’ first choice. In fact, Oregon offered its head coach position to alum Justin Wilcox, who turned down the school. This came after a group of former UO football stars wrote a letter urging a hire with Wilcox’s resume. … Oregon State’s bowl appearance is also about the future. … Not only did Utah win the conference title, it did it with a young defense. … Arizona State is turning its attention to recruiting before Wednesday’s early signing day. … In basketball news, Stanford won the lone conference game, going into Eugene and topping Oregon 72-69. … USC hosted Long Beach State and remained undefeated. … Colorado is trying to improve its 3-point shooting. … A key Arizona player turned it on in the second half in the win at Illinois. … Finally, top-ranked Washington had its first chance to win an NCAA soccer title. The Husky men failed, losing 2-0 to Clemson.
Idaho: Former Vandal Logan Kendall is headed to Pac-12 champion Utah as a grad transfer. Kendall played his high school football at Cheney. … Around the Big Sky, Montana State decided not to play last spring. Now it is in the FCS semifinals. Is there a correlation? … Neither did Montana but it seems to have enjoyed the fall schedule. … In basketball, Weber State rolled on Saturday, winning by nearly 50.
Shock: Spokane added size to its secondary over the weekend, signing former Washington State defensive back Sean Harper Jr. to a contract. Colton Clark has more details in this story.
UFC: Julianna Peña’s win over Amanda Nunes on Saturday night is still reverberating through the mixed martial arts community.
Seahawks: There are many reasons why the Hawks won by 20 points Sunday but none more important than the career-best performance from Penny. … Lockett has reached a mark only Steve Largent has ever done for Seattle. … There are always grades. This week they are actually pretty good. … And there are always things to learn. … Jamal Adams again has a long road to recovery. … A Seattle player had to stay in Houston after an injury.
Mariners: Ryan Divish answers a question it’s hard to believe anyone would be asking. It’s about J.P. Crawford.
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• It’s important to get the Christmas shopping done this week. Why? So next week can be calm and quiet, that’s why. It seems silly to add stress to an already stressful time of year. My philosophy is simple: Put yourself in the recipient’s shoes, decide what they really want and then go online and buy it. Most of the time that strategy leads me to buying people more comfortable shoes. Until later …