Detroit Free Press from Detroit, Michigan • 35

p. The Detroit News Section BOB 3 WOJNOXSK! I High school playoffs Who's No. Detroit Country Day wins soccer championship, football district titles are decided. Page8-9D Golf Tiger contends Woods, winless in 19 stroke-play tournaments, is tied for lead with Haas. Page 14D SportsWire 20 Baseball UD For the Record 12D College hockey 14D Sports xjot.

The Detroit Newt OnHne All day, everyday httpyAJetnews.com SundJy, Novem BER 7, 2004 Different foe some heartbreak for fragile MSU, frustrated Smith EAST LANSING Same tough effort, stunningly similar result. For Michigan State, it hap Redskins vs. Lions: ip.m. today at Ford Field Channel 2 1 WKRK 97.1, WXYT 1270 Does think playoffs pened again and a-Ginn, and it's now fair to wonder how I 1 j. Zg) 3 (L (A Impact player Detroiter Antonio Gates is being hailed as the NFL's best young tight end.

Page 7D II Win over Redskins would give Detroit a 5-3 mark at halfway point of the season. By Mike O'Hara The Detroit News DETROIT It Isn't a playoff game, but it could lead to one. The implications are clear would give them their first two-game losing streak of the season. "There are a lot of reasons to win this game," Coach Steve Mar-iucci said. To be 5-3 at the halfway mark is a considerable improvement over last year, but that's not the most important thing.

"The most important thing is, it keeps us in the hunt. It's going to be a physical game." Please see LIONS, Page 7D for what the Lions have at stake today against the Washington Redskins at Ford Field. Division battles and playoff races are taking shape in the NFL, and the Lions want to be in the picture. The Lions trail first-place Minnesota by one game in the NFC North. A victory today would make the Lions 5-3 at the halfway point of the season and force the Vikings (5-2) to win at Indianapolis Monday night to hold first place alone.

The Lions squandered a chance to strengthen their position with last week's loss to Dallas. They don't want to do the same against the Redskins. A defeat Daniel Mean The Detroit News The Lions are confident receiver Roy Williams' return to the lineup today will open space for the running game. Pistons get by Sixers Blverson scores 31, but defense keeps rest of Philadelphia's players in check. mt MM the Spartans recover, if they recover at all this season.

Good enough to compete, just flawed enough to get beat. This time, it was Ohio State and swift receiver Ted Ginn Jr, who scored three touchdowns in the Buckeyes' 32-19 comeback victory. Last week, it was Michigan and swift receiver Braylon Edwards, who scored three touchdowns in U-M's comeback victory. Next week, it's Wisconsin's turn to taunt the Spartans, whose bowl hopes now dangle by a thread. John Smith officially has the toughest task of his young tenure here, trying to lift his shaken team, and he knows it.

He went into protection mode after this one, loudly taking all the blame, snapping at one question and then stalking out of the news conference. "Not a lot to say" is what he said, and that's true. The Spartans played well for long stretches, just as they did against U-M, and led 19-17 with 97 seconds remaining. That's when they were burned by their decision to blitz, and Ginn went 58 yards for the winning touchdown. This loss wasn't totally Smith's fault, just as it wasn't totally Damon Dowdell's fault, or the secondary's fault But know this: It's Smith's job to fix it We'll overlook his strange post-game meltdown.

But he has to smooth out his team's rough emotional edges, because when the Spartans get down, they get way down. "We looked a little out of it, a little tired," kicker Dave Rayner said of the first quarter Saturday. "It hurt us. But we played good enough to wia" After blowing a 17-point lead in the fourth quarter the previous week, the Spartans adopted a different strategy. They built a J7-point deficit, then methodically rallied.

Puzzling? Oh yes. Frustrating? You could see it etched on the players' faces. Redundant? That's what's so amazing. "It's like a recurring pain," cornerback Roderick Maples said. "Team-wise, frustration is setting in a little bit.

We're playing well against teams we know we can beat. We're basically dominating, and one letdown hurts us." The Spartans are understandably crushed. They had more first downs (22-12), more yards (407-307) and more opportunities than the Buckeyes. But Dowdell, who threw Michigan State quarterback Damon Dowdell threw for 262 yards and ran for 32 against Ohio State. By Chris McCosky The Detroit News AUBURN HILLS This one probably was a bit easier for convalescing Larry Brown to take.

Watching from his hospital bed in Troy, Brown watched the Pistons bounce back from their loss in Toronto Friday with a 99-91 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers on Saturday before uSSHitl the 34th straight ATI sellout crowd at jmk, Ginn's third score seals victory after Spartans rally from 17-0 deficit to lead. By Dave Dye The Detroit News EAST LANSING The only thing faster than Michigan State Coach John Smith's postgame news conference Saturday was Ohio State Ua The Palace. w4 OSU32 freshman sensation Ted Ginn Jr. Ginn's third touchdown a 58-yard reception with 1:37 remaining erased a 19-17 MSU lead, "AVaV f-y MSU 19 "Our focus was to give better effort," said Chauncey Billups, who led the way with 20 points, 10 assists and seven rebounds. "We make our living playing defense.

We're supposed to be the best, so we have to come out and prove that every night." Don't let the 91 points fool you, the Pistons' defense controlled the game. The Sixers scored the final nine points of the game after the issue had long been decided. The Pistons held the Sixers to 39 percent shooting, blocking 15 shots. "It's a nightmare in there," said Sixers Allen Iverson, who scored 31 points (u-for-19 shooting). "Every time you take the ball inside, it comes right back out at you." For the third straight game, all five Pistons starters scored in double figures.

Richard Hamilton scored 17 points and Rasheed Wallace 16. Ben Wallace produced points, 16 rebounds and five blocked shots. Tayshaun Prince was pretty good, too. He had 12 points, five rebourids, three assists and even filled in admirably at point guard when both Billups and Lindsey Hunter got into foul trouble. Antonio McDyess had 12 points, nine rebounds and five blocks by far his best night as a Pistoa "That's the type of defense we need to play," said Coach Gar Heard, filling in for Brown.

"If we continue to play like that, we'll be all right." breaking the Spartans' hearts for the second straight game. A week after blowing a 17-point lead in the final seven minutes and losing in triple overtime to Michigan, MSU was dealt another severe jolt with a 32-19 loss to the Buckeyes. Dave Rayner's fourth field goal with 3:06 left had allowed the Spartans to overcome an early 17-0 deficit. Please see MSU, Page 4D iBJI 'J Meltdown Smith leaves postgame news conference after 29 seconds, one question Page 4D Photos by Dale G. Young The Detroit Sews Ohio State freshman Ted Ginn Jr.

scores the first of his three touchdowns, on a 17-yard reverse. EMU wins thriller lasting impression on the crowd of 24423. Andrew Wellock, who kicked a 50-yard field goal in the second overtime, drilled a r. f-jtfWMP'iw- S' New jewelry Former Piston Williamson receives his championship ring. PagelOD a bad interception early but played fairly well, couldn't get them in the end zone often enough.

It could be the sad footnote to his career, with three games left to salvage something. MSU must beat Wisconsin, Penn State and Hawaii to reach 7-5 and land a bowl bid. It doesn't look likely, but it sure looked likely for significant chunks of the last two games. That's why Smith snatched the blame before it could be tossed on anyone else. He knows his team is tough physically, but fragile emotionally.

"I played my heart out and gave us a chance to win," said Dowdell, who was 2o-for-46. "That was a tough one. We had a win, as you all saw." We saw it briefly and then it was gone in a shot of Ginn. The Spartans keep flashing their possibilities in these big games, then end up with nothing new to show, and nothing new to say. It's too bad because MSU has been too good at times to be 4-5, stuck in a cycle that just keeps spinning.

Bob Wojnowski's column appears regularly on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays. Reach him at viojofaaol.com 24-yarder in the fourth overtime to give Eastern a 61-58, Mid ern Michigan since 1986. Eastern beat WMU, 35-31. three weeks ago. "Pride for our players, pride for our coaching staff, pride for the University," first-year Coach Jeff Genyk said about the victory.

"This type of five-hour exposure on Comcast will, hopefully, be on ESPN Classic. This will help our university tenfold." Please see EMU, Page 3D Eagles go four OTs to top Chippewas, complete rare sweep of instate rivals. By Jim Spadafore The Detroit News DETROIT Point-a-minute offense had a genuine meaning Saturday night as Eastern Michigan and Central Michigan put-on an offensive barrage at Ford Field that left 1 ,1 YiTil mi in American Conference victor)' its longest game ever. Eastern (4-5, 4-2) accomplished its first sweep of state rivals CMU (3-6, 2-4) and West- Daniel Mears The Detroit News Eastern Michigan's Eric Deslauriers, left, bobbles a pass. He finished with 14 catches for 207 yards.

i 'fey GLIAC GALA Quarterback Marcus Spencer and Michigan Tech are upset by riranH Vaitou at Mifhinan QoHi. UPSET SPECIALS Quarterback Brady Quinn and Notre Dame tame No. 9 Tennessee; Cincinnati hammers No. 21 Southern Mississippi. Page 5D CLOSE CALLS No.

2 Oklahoma rallies to defeat Texas No. 4 California holds off Oregon and No. 18 Virginia Tech barely beats North Carolina. Page 50 Clarence Tabb Jr. The Detroit Newi Carlos Delfino drives to the basket against former Piston Corliss Williamson, now with the 76ers.

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