Browns are a mentally fragile bunch heading to Pittsburgh for the season finale. Watch video

BEREA, Ohio – Phil Taylor walked slowly out of visitors’ locker room Sunday afternoon with a hood pulled tight over his head.

The Browns’ nose guard had embodied the early-season swagger that accompanied a 3-2 record. But following a 24-13 loss to the New York Jets – the club’s ninth in 10 games – Taylor was nursing a concussion. He looked for the team bus that would transport him to a plane that in all likelihood carried him home for a premature start to his offseason.

Down the hall, quarterback Jason Campbell told reporters he found himself pressing in the second half after the Browns had blown yet another double-digit lead. It’s an admission that came days after he spoke of how lingering disappointment with the New England defeat on Dec. 8 had impacted his performance versus Chicago on Dec. 15.

Campbell was in need of either a pep talk from Rob Chudzinski or a hug from Stuart Smalley.

Once brimming with confidence, the Browns seem bereft of it heading into their last game with the Steelers in Pittsburgh. No team, with the possible exception of the Washington Redskins, needs the season to end faster.

Mounting injuries aside, the Browns are a mental mess. They can’t hold leads. They come unhinged in the final minutes of first halves and at winning time.

The trust and togetherness so evident at midseason have been replaced by tentativeness and foreboding at the first sign of adversity. Since beating Buffalo on Oct. 3, the Browns have squandered advantages of 10, 13, 16 and 10 points.

After losing a 12-point lead to the Patriots in the final minutes, Chudzinski said the meltdown would be a good learning lesson for players. But the collapses keep coming and management, coaches, players and all three phases of the team have been culpable.

Each week a different problem arises: The failure to cover an onside kick, poor execution in the red zone, the inability to defend on third down, a bad game from the quarterback. Chudzinski has more holes than fingers with which to plug them. A lot of it, however, starts from the neck up.

 “It’s about a mindset to begin with,” Chudzinksi said Monday. “We’ve talked a lot using the term, ‘the last five,’ the last five minutes of each half, of wanting to win the last five, and that’s been a huge point of emphasis. So the guys are aware of it. They know it. They want to do well. But you have to execute as well, and you have to make plays when you have the opportunity.”

The Browns surrendered 10 points in the final two minutes of Sunday’s first half to head into the locker room tied. In the past nine games, they have been outscored 53-3 in the final two minutes of the first half. It’s a staggering statistic and one that speaks to a team ill equipped to handle pressure situations and clock management.

“From a coaching standpoint, we have to do everything we can to put them in the very best position for that, and we need improvement in all those things,” said Chudzinksi, whose eyes were outlined by dark circles Monday.

The Browns fail to close out halves and games in part because they can’t run the ball – and by extension the clock. They rank 27th in rushing and their most impressive back, Edwin Baker, was plucked off Houston’s practice squad Dec. 10.

Any mistake offensively seems to kill a drive. On Sunday, dropped passes in the end zone from Greg Little and Josh Gordon could not be overcome. The same goes for a Gary Barnidge false-start penalty early in the fourth-quarter that nullified a potential game-tying Baker 2-yard TD run.

The Browns, who scored 13 points in four red-zone opportunities, could have built a 21-0 first-half lead, Campbell said.

“I missed a couple of throws, and we had a couple of drops,” the quarterback added. “We just were doing things that we normally don’t do. I think we just started to unravel a bit. It starts with me as the leader, first and foremost. I just have to rally the guys around me, make sure I’m doing my job and make sure we’re in a good position to score points.”

The defense hasn’t been getting sustained pressure on quarterbacks for weeks, save for the New England game. They registered no quarterback hits on rookie Geno Smith. One of the NFL’s worst offenses converted 12-of-18 third downs and generated scoring drives on 80, 79, 81 and 80 yards.

The story of the Browns’ defense turned ugly in the second half of the Oct. 13 loss to Detroit, in which it allowed 24 unanswered points. Entering that game, the Browns were ranked top-10 in sacks (third), total yards (fourth), passing yards (seventh), rushing yards (eighth), points allowed (ninth).

Much of their team’s confidence and bravado emanated from this side of the ball. (Don’t forget Gordon’s terrific run has come during the six-game losing streak.) When the defense began to falter, it sapped the entire team. Coordinator Ray Horton said last week his unit is pressing, which sometimes can lead players to try to do too much and create more problems.   

After recording 18 sacks in the first five games, the Browns have managed 21 in the last 10. After limiting opponents to 18.8 points per game in the first five games, they have yielded 29.2 points over the last 10.

And here’s the stat that will hurt team captain D’Qwell Jackson the most. Opponents have averaged 119 yards rushing over the last 10 games – a whopping 25.8-yard difference since their 3-2 start. So much for no teams running on the ball on the Browns’ defense. Sunday, it gave up a season-high 208 yards.

Sarcasm alert: Of course, that’s immaterial because as anyone will tell you it’s a passing league.

The Browns head to Pittsburgh a mentally fragile bunch. Contrast the image with the Steelers, who despite an 0-4 start and not possessing the talent of years past, still have an outside shot at the playoffs.

After managing to keep the Browns together through quarterback changes, poor roster construction and early adversity, Chudzinski has watched his team, to borrow Campbell’s description, unravel.

The Browns seem out of ideas -- and confidence.

Dion Waiters missed his third straight game with right wrist tendinitis, and his absence leaves minutes to fill off the bench.

CLEVELAND, Ohio – Dion Waiters sat at his locker before Monday's game against the Detroit Pistons, a large brace strapped to his right wrist to keep it immobile.

Waiters was about to miss his third consecutive game with right wrist tendinitis that he says began to bother him gradually, eventually leading to him being shut down Friday against Milwaukee. He said he's feeling better and hoping to return soon.

But the Cavaliers are willing to let their second-leading scorer take his time returning to the court.

They just need to figure out a way to manage without his 14.9 points per game off the bench.

"The one thing Dion gives us is a nice punch off the bench with the ability to play pick and roll and create shots not only for himself, but for his teammates, too," Cavaliers coach Mike Brown said." So guys just have to step up. That's why we have a 13-15 man roster. You have confidence in the other guys, and it's there opportunity to go out and show that they deserve minutes."

Without Waiters, Brown has turned to backup point guard Matthew Dellavedova more often, as the Australian rookie logged 29 minutes in Cleveland's loss in Chicago, matching his career-high with four assists to go along with 10 points and two blocks.

Brown said he'd also try C.J. Miles, Alonzo Gee and even rookie Sergey Karasev for spot minutes to fill in for Waiters – whose lengthy absence is somewhat concerning.

"Any time anybody gets hurt, you're concerned, especially the longer it lasts," Brown said. "But there's nothing I can do about it. We just follow what the doctors say, and Dion follows what the doctors say, and we go from there."

Minutes crunch: While Brown struggles to find players to fill minutes at shooting guard with Waiters out, he's also trying to divvy up minutes to his bevy of big me.

Brown theorized that he's trying to split 96 minutes combined between power forward and center among five players: Andrew Bynum, Tristan Thompson, Anderson Varejao, Tyler Zeller and Earl Clark.

"And to split 96 minutes up five ways is almost impossible," Brown said. "Nobody will get a rhythm and it will be hard for guys to concentrate and stay confident all the time splitting those 96 minutes between guys all the time."

AB back: Rookie Anthony Bennett's locker is right next to Kyrie Irving's. So, it makes sense that as Irving played Friday's game against Milwaukee with a nasty case of the flu, Bennett missed two games, himself, with illness. He's not sure if it's the same sickness that struck Irving; he just knows it wasn't pretty. 

Bennett was back for Monday's game against Detroit, but wasn't sure how effective he might be. He said he lost five pounds with the illness, bringing the 6-foot-9 forward's weight down to 240. The fact that Bennett suffers from asthma made it more difficult to recover from the congestion.

"It's hard for me because my asthma acts up 50 times more," Bennett said. "Just me going up and down the court two times, I have a hard time breathing."

To illustrate his point, Bennett promptly coughed up a substantial chunk of phlegm and spit it into a nearby garbage can.

Georges Niang scored 15 of his 22 points in the second half, and No. 14 Iowa State beat Akron 83-60 on Monday to match the best start in school history.

Anton Grady scores 19 in Cleveland State win.

CLEVELAND — Anton Grady had 19 points in 21 minutes on Monday as Cleveland State defeated Division III La Roche 89-42.

Cleveland State (7-6) opened the game on a 28-2 run, led 44-15 at the half and built an 81-27 advantage before letting up in the final 7 minutes. Trey Lewis had 17 points and Bryn Forbes had 16. Grady was 9 of 14 from the field and Lewis was 7 of 9.

The Vikings shot 59.4 percent from the field while holding La Roche to 33.9 percent. Cleveland State assisted on 26 of its 38 field goals.

La Roche missed its only free-throw attempt of the game. David Jackson and Lionel Perkins led the Cardinals with nine points each.

Cleveland State improved to 6-1 at home this season. The Vikings won the only other meeting with La Roche, 72-56 in the 2008-09 season.

Detroit's Josh Smith, Greg Monroe and Andre Drummond combined for 50 points and 30 rebounds while the Cavaliers shot just 38.6 percent in the loss. Andrew Bynum was 0-for-11 in his first scoreless game.

CLEVELAND, Ohio – With an intimidating frontcourt that includes three strong, powerful and athletic big men in Josh Smith, Greg Monroe and Andre Drummond, the Detroit Pistons have proven to have a dominating presence in the paint. This is not a secret.

The Cavaliers, too, have cobbled together a more-than-competent rotation of big men, themselves. Andrew Bynum at center, Tristan Thompson at power forward and Anderson Varejao coming off the bench has resulted in an effective and active group.

When the two groups faced off Monday, however, it was The Battle of the Big Men That Never Was – because the Pistons thoroughly dominated while cruising to a 115-92 victory in front of 19,215 at The Q.

The loss was the worst home loss for the Cavaliers since an April 3, 2012 125-90 blowout stumbling to the San Antonio Spurs, and it was the Cavaliers' fourth loss in their last five games.

The Detroit starting big men combined for 50 points and 30 rebounds, as both Drummond (14 points, 11 rebounds) and Monroe (11 points, 11 rebounds) logged double-doubles. Smith wasn't far off while tallying 25 points and 8 rebounds – with 20 of those points coming in the first half.

"You name it, we didn't execute it right," Cavaliers coach Mike Brown said. "Everything went wrong when it came to their bigs"

The thorough outplaying -- particularly down low -- the lack of defense, the lack of fire and nonexistent urgency all were troubling for Brown.

"Our grittiness, our sense of urgency defensively has not been there," Brown said. "Not just the last two games, even some of the games we've won."

The outcome never was even in question against the Pistons, as the Cavaliers began with woeful shooting, fell behind 28-18 by the end of the first quarter, saw the Detroit lead balloon to 28 points, and never cut it to less than 11.

Andrew Bynum (0-for-11) and Jarrett Jack (0-for-6) couldn't find the bottom of the net.

Anthony Bennett (3-for-7), C.J. Miles (2-for-9) and Earl Clark (2-for-10) weren't much better.

It all resulted in the Cavaliers shooting 38.6 percent, while they also were outrebounded by 11. Only Kyrie Irving (21 points on 7-for-14 shooting, 7 assists) seemed engaged.

Of Bynum's first shut-out in 23 games this season, Brown didn't have much explanation.

"Most of the shots were wide open," Brown said. "Even his post-ups when he backed a guy down. Just didn't make them."

When facing a formidable Detroit frontcourt, it's not exactly the type of performance the Cavaliers hoped for. But neither was anything else against the Pistons.

"We talked about fronting the post; we didn't front," Brown said. "We allowed them to catch. We didn't box out. Any time they caught the ball, they were able to work middle and get into their moves. Our guards weren't necessarily aggressive, but our bigs also gave up direct-line drives to the middle of the floor."

How does that lack of direction keep happening to the 10-17 Cavaliers?

"Just not following the gameplan," said Tristan Thompson who had 17 points and six rebounds. "Coach tells us what to do, we didn't execute. It's simple. We don't do what Coach says or do what he feels is the way to win, we get our butt handed to us."

Check out the trailer for the upcoming movie about the Browns' draft starring Kevin Costner.

"Draft Day," the movie starring Kevin Costner in the role of GM of the Browns -- which, let's be honest, that's where we're headed someday anyway -- finally has a trailer.

The movie, slated for an April 11 release in 2014, also stars Jennifer Garner, plus Denis Leary as the ring-wielding head coach of the team. The trailer starts off with the voices of local sportstalkers Tony Rizzo and Aaron Goldhammer and from there is filled with lots of Kevin Costner talking to people, shots of NFL stadiums and sites that every Clevelander will recognize. Also Denis Leary setting stuff on fire.

Check out the trailer below and tell us what you think in the comments.

Akron Zips assistant head football coach Alan Arrington dies in Mississippi after an automobile accident.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- There was sad news Monday when Akron's athletics department learned that assistant head football coach Alan Arrington died earlier in the day from an automobile accident while visiting in his home state of Mississippi.

Arrington, 44, a 1994 graduate of Mississippi and native of Oxford, Miss., just finished his second season with the Zips as offensive line coach.

In a statement head football coach Terry Bowden said of the coach nicknamed 'Tank'; "I can't put into words how tragic this is. We have lost someone who was truly special and had dedicated his life to guiding young men. Tank was a very good friend and a great person.

My thoughts are with his famliy and those who had the chance to know him and play for him. In all my years of coaching I have never known someone who loved and cared for his players more than Tank. I have lost a best friend and I'm heartbroken."

Arrington is survived by his wife, Gail. Funeral arrangements will be made available later.

Braxton Miller and Ohio State will wear their alternate uniforms against Clemson in the Orange Bowl on Jan. 3. The uniforms will also include an Orange Bowl patch on the top left portion of the front of the jersey. That, and more, in today's Buckeye Breakfast.

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Do uniforms provide an extra sense of motivation?

Maybe they do, maybe they don’t.

Ohio State swears it doesn’t need any extra incentive to play well after losing to Michigan State in the Big Ten Championship Game, and the Buckeyes promise they have completely moved on from missing on a shot to play for a national championship.

But if wearing alternate uniforms matters in the least bit when it comes to extra motivation, Ohio State won’t miss out on the help when it faces Clemson in the Orange Bowl on Jan. 3.

Through its official YouTube channel, Ohio State released a video Monday that shows the Buckeyes will wear their red alternate uniforms against the Tigers. 

The alternate uniforms – ones Ohio State wore three times this season, twice in red and once in white – will also include an Orange Bowl patch on the upper left area on the front of the jersey.

Ohio State wore the red alternates twice this season in night home games against Wisconsin and Penn State, both wins. The Buckeyes also wore a white version of those uniforms in their 42-41 win at Michigan in the final week of the regular season. 

How mch money will it take for the Indians to sign Ubaldo Jimenez and extend Justin Masterson --- a lot.

Hey, Hoynsie: Now that the Tribe freed a little money from trading Drew Stubbs, do you think there's any chance they could go after Ubaldo Jimenez? Or maybe get a long-term deal with Justin Masterson or Michael Brantley? – Aaron Gates, Mansfield.

Hey, Aaron: Yes, they freed some money by trading Stubbs to Colorado for reliever Josh Outman, but that's chump change compared to the truckloads of cash needed to sign Jimenez or extend Masterson. Brantley would be cheaper because he still has three years of control left, but it would still take a lot more money than they saved in the Stubbs deal.

It’s estimated that Stubbs will make $3.8 million if he goes to arbitration this winter, while Outman could make $1.4 million. I don’t think the difference between those two figures is going to bring Jimenez back to Cleveland or convince Masterson or Brantley to sign an extension.

Hey, Hoynsie: Can you explain the Indians weird relationship with the Rockies? Why does it seem like they are the only team we are interested in trading with or acquiring players from? – Eliot Clasen, Cape Coral, Fla.

Hey, Eliot: In light of the Ubaldo Jimenez deal in 2011 and last week’s trade of Drew Stubbs for Josh Outman, I can see why you’d say that, but a check of the 40-man roster that the Indians ended last season with shows players obtained in trades with Arizona, Toronto, Milwaukee, Boston, Seattle, San Francisco, St. Louis, Philadelphia, the Dodgers, the Yankees and the Mets.

Hey, Hoynsie: Do you think Eric Chavez would be a good insurance policy at third base? He has a good glove and a veteran presence. – Frank Galas, Los Gatos, Calif.

Hey, Frank: I always liked Chavez, especially when he was at the top of his game with Oakland. I also admire the way he has put his career back on track after multiple surgeries with the A’s, but as you probably know by now, he re-signed with the Arizona Diamondbacks.

The Indians recently signed free agent David Adams, who played a little third base with the Yankees last year, as insurance at the hot corner. But I don’t think they’re done at third base.

Not only is catcher Carlos Santana playing third in the Dominican Republic, but the Indians showed interest in Kevin Youkilis early in the offseason before Youkilis went to Japan. They’ve also bee connected to free agent third baseman Wilson Betemit.

Hey, Hoynsie: With the signing of Matt Treanor could we see Carlos Santana being used more at DH and first base than catcher? – Angelo Costanzo.

Hey, Angelo: Whether Treanor makes the club or not, Santana is going to be see more time at first base and DH because Yan Gomes is going to be the starting catcher. Treanor missed all of last season following surgery on his left knee. So I’m sure the Indians want to see how he holds up in spring training.

Hey, Hoynsie: If Ubaldo Jimenez takes a one-year deal with the Indians, do they have the ability to tag him with a qualifying offer again? If not, do you think Ubaldo considers taking that deal in order to shed that shackle and thus maximize his value? – Paul Dalalau, Raleigh, N.C.

Hey, Paul: Yes, they could make him a qualifying offer again.

Cleveland.com's OSU team of Doug Lesmerises, Zack Meisel and Ari Wasserman break down the Buckeyes and Tigers and what you should watch.

PARMA HEIGHTS, Ohio - Ohio State and Clemson are only 10 days away from their showdown in the Orange Bowl on Jan. 3.

In this last video preview for the Orange Bowl, cleveland.com's OSU coverage team of Doug Lesmerises, Zack Meisel and Ari Wasserman joined former Buckeye offensive lineman Andrew Moses at Harry Buffalo in Parma Heights to discuss how the Buckeyes and the Tigers will match up.

Don't miss the first three parts of our Orange Bowl preview:

• Part 1: Braxton Miller and what his future holds
• Part 2: How the Buckeyes' roster is shaping up for 2014
• Part 3: How bowl prep is different than the regular season

As the anchor of the defensive line, Michael Bennett led what might have been the most productive unit for Ohio State this season.

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Now that we’re getting into this territory of the countdown, we’ll be talking about the most influential players on an Ohio State team that was on the brink of playing for a national championship.

No. 6: Michael Bennett, junior defensive lineman

From: Centerville, Ohio

Height, weight: 6-foot-3, 285 pounds

Recruiting rating: Rivals pegged Bennett as a four-star recruit coming out of high school. He was rated the No. 3 defensive tackle prospect, the 41st-best prospect in the nation and the No. 2 prospect in the state.

2013 stats: Bennett has tallied 38 tackles this season. He ranks fourth on the defense with 11.5 tackles for loss and second with seven sacks. He has forced two fumbles and recovered two fumbles.

Michael Bennett forced and recovered a fumble against San Diego State in September.Marvin Fong, The Plain Dealer

What went right: Bennett was one of four Ohio State defensive players -- and three defensive linemen -- to record at least six sacks. The defensive line as a whole, a bit of an unknown commodity at the start of the season, blossomed during the year, an unexpected result given the unit's youth and inexperience. The Buckeyes hit their stride in late October and November, when they amassed 20 sacks and 38 tackles for loss over a four-game stretch. Bennett logged a season-high three tackles for loss in the snow against Indiana in late November. Urban Meyer also lauded Bennett for his leadership throughout the season.

What went wrong: Bennett admitted that the defensive line contributed to the pass defense's struggles. When the line failed to get pressure on the opposing quarterback, he said, the quarterback had too much time to stand back and wait for a receiver to get open. Bennett battled through a few nagging injuries during the season, but missed only one game. In 2012, he missed five games because of injury.

Looking at 2014: Bennett will be back to anchor a defensive line that could be the team's greatest strength. The junior said he did not file paperwork to the NFL to learn about his draft stock. So, in his final season in Columbus, Bennett will again join forces with defensive ends Joey Bosa and Noah Spence, young, skilled players who will have an extra year under their belt. Adolphus Washington moved inside and played next to Bennett at tackle late in the year. That could be the lineup again for 2014.

What we’ve written about Bennett:

Sept. 13, 2013: From 'liability' to leader: Michael Bennett, the 'chubby boy who didn't want to do anything', becoming a force on Ohio State's defense

Sept. 27, 2013: With defensive linemen Michael Bennett, Adolphus Washington ready, Ohio State pledges to "stop the run, so they're gonna have to pass" vs. Wisconsin

Nov. 28, 2013: With school sack record in reach, emerging Ohio State defensive line will attack young, unsteady Michigan offensive line

Get your questions ready and join Terry Pluto today at 1:30 p.m. as he talks Cleveland sports with cleveland.com's Glenn Moore.

Terry Pluto tackles your questions today at 1:30 p.m.

Get your questions ready and join Terry Pluto today at 1:30 p.m. as he talks Cleveland sports.

Pluto will talk with cleveland.com's Glenn Moore about Browns-Jets, MLB hot stove and the Cavaliers struggling.

You can jump in the chat room and ask your questions as well as interact with other users and respond to Pluto's remarks, or you can just listen. The chat will also be made available shortly after its completion in MP3 format.

With a mediocre opponent, the Browns defense nevertheless were unable to manage sacks, picks or fumbles.

CLEVELAND, Ohio – The Browns’ defense played its worst game of the season Sunday in a 24-13 loss to the Jets in East Rutherford, N.J.

Upon dvr review of the CBS telecast, here are some other observations:

All-Pro: Jets quarterback Geno Smith channeled Joe Willie Namath in completing 20 of 36 passes for 214 yards and two touchdowns. Smith did not throw an interception and was not sacked in helping the Jets improve to 7-8.

Smith accounted for three touchdowns, the third coming on a 17-yard scramble in the fourth quarter. He finished with 10 carries for 48 yards, the vast majority of carries coming on read options (five) and kneel-downs (three).

Smith’s stress-free afternoon is the main reason that the Jets game is the worst of the year for the Browns’ defense. The Browns did not face Aaron Rodgers or Tom Brady or Ben Roethlisberger or Joe Flacco or Andy Dalton. Heck, they didn’t even face Chad Henne.

The following are facts about Smith entering Sunday:

• Rookie on a mediocre team.
• Benched multiple times, the most recent in Week 13 against the Dolphins.
• Had thrown 10 touchdowns and 21 interceptions.
• Had lost four fumbles.
• Had been sacked 43 times.
• Had posted eight Total QBR’s of 20.0 or below and six passer ratings of 55.0 or below.

Yet the Browns managed zero sacks, zero picks and zero forced fumbles against him. In the postgame locker room, Smith might have checked his body parts and wondered if he actually had played a flag-football game, given that the Browns amassed – count ‘em – zero QB hits, according to the NFL game book. (The Jets were credited with 10 hits on Jason Campbell.)

Smith posted a Total QBR of 83.1 and passer rating of 91.7. His offense’s TD drives consisted of 13 plays/80 yards, 14 plays/81 yards and 14 plays/80 yards. The field-goal drive covered 79 yards. The Jets finished with a sizable advantage in time of possession (32:43-27:17).

Third-down meltdowns: Nothing spells trouble for the Browns’ defense quite like the third down. The Jets converted a tidy 12 of 18, pushing the opponents’ season total to 104-of-232 (44.8 percent). Entering Monday night, Minnesota ranked second in the NFL in total third-down conversions allowed at 97. Yes, the Browns ranked tied with Buffalo for most third downs faced, but the 44.8 success rate was 30th.

Here is a capsule look at the Jets’ 12 conversions, the final 10 occurring in TD drives:

First quarter, third-and-1 @ NY 29: Chris Ivory run for 2 yards. Basic blast over right guard.

Second quarter, third-and-9 @ NY 3: Smith complete to Santonio Holmes for 12. Holmes dived in front of corner Buster Skrine on left side. What seemed like an opportune time for a jail-break blitz or at least an exotic blitz look – struggling rookie QB, in end zone, no Hall of Fame receivers – did not happen. The Browns went vanilla, showing four and rushing four, and the Jets handled it.

Second quarter, third-and-12 @ NY 18: Smith to Jeremy Kerley for 22. Jabaal Sheard pressured Smith, who found Kerley wide-open over middle. Jets picked up blitz by Skrine, who had lined up opposite Kerley. D’Qwell Jackson trailed play and Jordan Poyer made the tackle. Too easy.

Second quarter, third-and-3 @ NY 47: Smith to tight end Jeff Cumberland for 12. Smith play-faked, then connected with Cumblerland open over middle in front of safety T.J. Ward. Browns rushed five.

Second quarter, third-and-3 @ C13: Smith to Kerley for 5. Browns, as has been the case most of the season, provided too much cushion underneath. When Kerley stopped and turned at the 10, nobody was near him. The Jets easily picked up blitzing Ward.

Second quarter, third-and-6 @ C6: Smith to David Nelson for TD. The Browns’ four-man rush did nothing as Smith connected with Nelson in the middle of the end zone. Poyer’s dive went for naught. It was just the Jets’ ninth touchdown in goal-to-go situations.

Third quarter, third-and-13 @ C40: Smith to Kerley for 17. Smith’s line gave him a clean pocket against a six-man rush. Kerley beat Leon McFadden on a simple in-route from the left. Analyst Rich Gannon said: “They’re really hurting (the Browns) with the underneath route to Jeremy Kerley, playing a little too far off.’’

Third quarter, third-and-1 @ C14: Ivory rush for 5. Basic blast over right side. John Hughes scraped from his right but missed tackle at line of scrimmage.

Fourth quarter, third-and-10 @ NY 20: Smith to Nelson for 15. Huge play in a 17-13 game. Browns five-man rush was neutralized as Nelson broke open at the 24. Poyer eventually dragged him down. Gannon: “They run a little crossing route, and Cleveland gets confused; they don’t do a good job passing it off. Look how wide-open Nelson is.’’

Nelson came out of a tight bunch set on the right side. Such a set has confounded Cleveland’s defense all season.

Fourth quarter, third-and-1 @ NY 44: Bilal Powell run for 5. Basic blast up middle against a stacked box. Gannon: “That’s just an attitude run.’’

Fourth quarter, third-and-6 @ C47: Smith to Nelson for 7. Nelson, lined up wide left, beat McFadden on an in-cut. Gannon: “The thing about David Nelson is, he’s got some size too him. He’s 6-5 and 215 pounds, pretty tall for a wide receiver. McFadden has struggled, as have some other cornerbacks today, trying to pin down David Nelson.’’

David Nelson. The same David Nelson the Browns cut in camp. Nelson didn’t exactly stuff the stat sheet, but his four receptions for 33 yards had meat on the bones. He caught two TDs, including a 5-yarder on second-and-goal in the fourth quarter (schooling Skrine), and converted three third downs.

Fourth quarter, third-and-2 @ C17: Smith scramble for TD. Ball game. Smith somehow had plenty of room up the middle despite seven Browns being behind the line of scrimmage at the moment Smith decided to go. (Browns rushed five; Paul Kruger and Jackson flowed to running backs.) Nelson was open over the middle if needed.

Fourth-quarter flameouts: The Jets outscored the Browns, 14-3, in the fourth quarter. The Browns’ defense has given up at least 10 points in the fourth quarter not once, not twice, not thrice....but eight times. In the past 10 games, the defense has allowed 113 points in the fourth.

Touchdowns galore: The Jets’ three touchdowns pushed the total allowed by the Browns’ defense to 40.

The Browns’ defense has given up at least three TDs in four straight games, five of six and eight of 11. It has allowed at least two TDs in every game except Week 4 against Cincinnati (zero).

Smith’s two passing TDs pushed opposing quarterbacks’ total to 28. The Browns have given up at least two passing TDs in 10 consecutive games.

Those numbers are ugly enough for a defense projected to be bad. They are that much worse attached to a much-hyped collective that talked a great game in camp and figured to get better, not worse, as the season unfolded.

Toothless: The fun element of the “attacking’’ 3-4 defense, its blitz packages, has been drudgery in Cleveland for the past six games. It has produced one sack; the other six in that span have come from four-man rushes. The Browns’ blitz performance against the Jets was their worst of the season for a variety of reasons, including volume and quality of opposing line and quarterback.

Here is a breakdown of the slump. (Note: Calculations only pertain to non-penalty QB dropbacks, not blitzes on plays that are designed runs, which include read options.):

• Week 11 at Cincinnati: 0 sacks overall, 0/10 on blitzes.
• Week 12 vs. Pittsburgh: 0 sacks overall, 0/14 on blitzes.
• Week 13 vs. Jacksonville: 2 sacks overall, 0/17 on blitzes.
• Week 14 at New England: 4 sacks overall, 0/15 on blitzes.
• Week 15 vs. Chicago: 1 sack overall, 1-for-15 on blitzes.
• Week 16 at Jets: 0 sacks overall, 0-for-26 on blitzes.

Against the Jets, the Browns had five rushers at the time of the pass on 24 dropbacks and six on two dropbacks. Most of the blitzes had the same look to them.

The Browns’ blitzes, especially during the second half of the season, don’t even rattle quarterbacks. Smith rarely appeared to be caught off-guard or confused by what he saw pre-snap, and once he did drop back, he need not have worried: The Browns weren’t going to hit him.

Overall grade for Browns’ defense: F

See the spreadsheet as a separate page

CLEVELAND, Ohio – Great plays happen every week of the boys basketball season. We're happy to give fans a weekly video feature where they can watch a handful of the best plays, along with a poll to vote for the play you liked best, through a partnership with 3rdcoasthoops.com.  This week’s video highlights and poll are below.

CLEVELAND, Ohio – Great plays happen every week of the boys basketball season. We're happy to give fans a weekly video feature where they can watch a handful of the best plays, along with a poll to vote for the play you liked best, through a partnership with 3rdcoasthoops.com. 

This week’s video highlights and poll are below.

The contenders for this week’s play of the week are LaTron Rowe from John Hay, TJ Steele of Shaker Heights, CJ Franklin from Warrensville Heights, Isaiah Walton from Elyria and Jimond Ivey from Glenville.

Now it's time to vote.

Steven Newton and Robert Holmes of 3rdcoasthoops.com will be in studio every Tuesday to talk about the feature and the week’s top basketball video highlights with cleveland.com reporter Lexi Pluym. 

Last week in the Week 2 poll, Glenville's Jimond Ivey won with almost 53 percent of the votes with his right-handed dunk down the lane.

Do you have video of a play you think belongs in the poll? Be sure to email your highlight videos weekly to Lexi Pluym via email or Twitter by Mondays at noon. See contact information below.

You can also follow the highlights providers on Twitter (@3rdcoasthoops).

CLEVELAND, Ohio – Can you believe it? Four of the top five cleveland.com Top 25 teams are unbeaten. These teams are eight and nine games deep, and they still haven’t lost. There’s a new member in the top 5 too.

CLEVELAND, Ohio – Can you believe it?

Four of the top five cleveland.com Top 25 teams are unbeaten. These teams are eight and nine games deep, and they still haven’t lost. There’s a new member in the top 5 too.

We are excited to introduce comments to all cleveland.com high school sports stories this school year. Please sound off and share your top 25 in the comments section at the bottom of this post.

Make sure to also check out our talking points article, which explains some of our Top 25 decisions. It’s posted every Tuesday, too.

Which girls basketball team do you think is the best in Northeast Ohio? Let us know in the comments.

Without further ado, here is the cleveland.com girls basketball Top 25 for the week of Dec. 24.

 (Records through Sunday. Last week's ranking in parentheses.)

1. St. Vincent-St. Mary, 8-0 (1) 

Trending: Steady.

Last week: Defeated Holy Name and East Tech.

This week: Saturday at Highland.

The Irish have cruised to a pretty easy 8-0, with only one really close call in their game against St. Joseph Academy two weeks ago. The schedule doesn’t seem to be bumpy this week either.

2. Wadsworth, 8-0 (2)

Trending: Steady.

Last week: Defeated Tallmadge and Medina.

This week: Friday at McDonald’s Holiday Classic at Lima Bath.

The Grizzlies are cruising through their Suburban League contest, expanding their league winning streak and giving up less than 30 points in their last two contests.

3. Solon, 5-1 (3)

Trending: Steady.

Last week: Defeated Brunswick and Perrysburg.

This week: Friday at Pickerington North Invitational.

Solon’s Kristen Confroy continues to lead the Comets to success and big victories. The only team that’s been able to stop them hasn’t moved from the No. 1 position again this week.

4. Berea-Midpark, 9-0 (5)

Trending: Rising.

Last week: Defeated Brecksville-Broadview Heights, North Olmsted and Cleveland Heights.

This week: Friday vs. No. 10 Hudson.

The Titans are the fastest rising team this season on cleveland.com’s Top 25 poll. The first-year team continues to impress with its unbeaten streak. Berea-Midpark is also the first team to win nine games this season.

5. Stow, 7-0 (6)

Trending: Rising.

Last week: Defeated Cuyahoga Falls and Brush.

This week: Friday at Stow in Davis Eye Center Holiday Classic with Firestone, Ravenna and Nordonia.

Another victory, another spot up in the poll. Remember, this is the team that handed North Royalton its only loss this season. Stow is also one of four teams in the top 5 that remains unbeaten.

6. North Royalton, 8-1 (7)

Trending: Rising.

Last week: Defeated Parma, Beachwood and Magnificat.

This week: Friday at Bears Holiday Tournament with Bedford, Olmsted Falls and Padua.

The Bears jumped two spots thanks to their discipline, patience and victories. Cleveland.com watched the Bears counteract Beachwood by spreading the floor, allowing them to take over the game from the beginning. Then a huge victory over then-No. 4 Magnificat raises the Bears to No. 5.

7. Magnificat, 6-2 (4)

Trending: Falling.

Last week: Defeated Walsh Jesuit and Elyria. Lost to North Royalton.

This week: Monday vs. Medina

The Blue Streaks dropped two spots due to Berea-Midpark and Stow’s continued success and North Royalton’s big victory against Magnificat. Last time the Blue Streaks lost, they recovered with a four-game win streak. With Solon coming up Jan. 8, that recovery could be crucial for Magnificat.

8. Lakewood, 8-1(9)

Trending: Rising.

Last week: Defeated then No. 19 Elyria Catholic and Normandy.

This week:  Friday in Cleveland Heights Holiday Tournament with Cleveland Heights and Shaker Heights.

Another team that keeps rising in cleveland.com’s Top 25 poll and the final week of 2013 may not slow them, but the new year brings a matchup with the team ranked directly below.

9. Westlake, 8-1 (8)

Trending: Falling.

Last week: Defeated North Olmsted.

This week: Friday at No. 10 Hudson.

Westlake’s single victory versus Lakewood’s two victories, one against a top 25 team, is the reason for the switch. What’s bigger is that they face the now No. 10 team at the end of this year.

10. Hudson, 5-3 (11)

Trending: Rising.

Last week: Defeated Brush and Kenston.

This week: Friday at No. 4 Berea-Midpark and Monday vs. No. 9 Westlake.

The Explorers face the toughest final week of the year of any team in cleveland.com’s Top 25 with back-to-back top 10 matchups. The last time Hudson faced back-to-back top 25 teams (back in November), they dropped both contests. What will this time bring?

11. St. Joseph Academy, 4-2 (14)

Trending: Rising.

Last week: Defeated Avon.

This week: Saturday vs. No. 14 Walsh Jesuit.

SJA bounced back from the heartbreaking three-point loss to St. Vincent-St. Mary to beat Avon, with the help of four scorers in double digits.

12. Eastlake North, 8-0 (13)

Trending: Rising.

Last week: Defeated Geneva.

This week: Friday in Mayfield Tournament with Kenston, Mayfield and No. 14 Mentor.

The Rangers may be unbeaten but they have yet to face a top 25 team. It’s possible they could meat up with Mentor in their holiday tournament.

13. Walsh Jesuit, 5-3 (12)

Trending: Falling.

Last week: Lost to then No. 4 Magnificat. Defeated Notre Dame-Cathedral Latin and Bellevue

This week: Saturday at No. 11 St. Joseph Academy.

The Warriors won back-to-back games, but don’t end 2013 with an easy matchup when they go to St. Joseph Academy. Will Walsh Jesuit’s seniors step up or will SJA be too much to overcome?

14. Mentor, 5-2 (15)

Trending: Rising.

Last week: Defeated Normandy and then-No. 10 Chagrin Falls.

This week: Friday in Mayfield Tournament with Kenston, Mayfield and Eastlake North.

The Cardinals jump two spots after a big win against then No. 10 Chagrin Falls. The Cardinals, once a No. 5 team in this poll, seem to be building their case to rejoin the top 10.

15. Cuyahoga Heights, 8-0 (22)

Trending: Rising.

Last week: Defeated then-No. 10 Chagrin Falls and Aurora.

This week: Friday in Berkshire Holiday Classic with Berkshire and Maple Heights.

The Redskins picked up two more victories to stay undefeated, but haven’t really been tested with any top 25 talent. They’ll face ranked Beachwood in the new year.

16. Nordonia, 8-1 (23)

Trending: Rising.

Last week: Defeated Highland and Kent Roosevelt.

This week: Friday at Stow in Davis Eye Center Holiday Classic with Firestone, Ravenna and Stow-Munroe Falls.

The Knights are on a three-game win streak and have their only loss to No. 2 Wadsworth.

17. Holy Name, 5-2 (18)

Trending: Rising.

Last week: Lost to No. 1 St. Vincent-St. Mary. Defeated Warren John F. Kennedy.

This week: Friday in Landair Ladies Classic at Tennessee.

Holy Name suffered just its second loss of the season but the Green Wave turned around with a 38-point victory.

18. Villa Angela-St. Joseph 5-1 (20)

Trending: Rising.

Last week: Defeated Martin Luther King Jr.

This week: Friday vs. No. 25 Rocky River and Monday vs. Lincoln West.

The Vikings picked up its fourth straight victory before they have to face their second top 25 opponent of the season. Their only loss is from a top 25 opponent, Holy Name.

19. Elyria Catholic, 8-2 (19)

Trending: Steady.

Last week: Defeated Lutheran West. Lost to then-No. 9 Lakewood.

This week: Monday vs. Keystone.

The Panthers suffered their first loss of the season to a top 25 team

20. Twinsburg, 5-4 (NR)

Trending: Rising.

Last week: Defeated Strongsville and Elyria.

This week: No games listed.

After opening the season with three-straight losses, the Tigers have bounced back with four straight wins, including two last week.

21. Strongsville, 6-2 (24)

Trending: Rising.

Last week: Lost to Twinsburg. Defeated Valley Forge.

This week: No games listed.

The Mustangs suffered just their second loss of the season, this time it was to a team that was unranked. However, Twinsburg is now ranked.

22. Richmond Heights, 7-1 (23)

Trending: Rising.

Last week: Defeated Kirtland and Garfield Heights.

This week: No games listed.

The Spartans expanded their win streak to six games with back-to-back victories against unranked teams this week.

23. Beachwood, 6-3 (16)

Trending: Falling.

Last week: Lost to then No. 7 North Royalton and Africentric Early College.

This week: Friday at Lake Catholic.

Beachwood struggled to play as a team against No. 7 North Royalton, relying mainly on Anesiah Hardin. The Bison suffered their first back-to-back losses of the season.

24. Chagrin Falls, 6-3 (10)

Trending: Falling.

Last week: Lost to Cuyahoga Heights and Mentor.

This week: No games listed.

The Tigers struggled, picking up their first back-to-back losses of the season. Will they be able to recover after the loss of leading scorer Hallie Thome who is out for the season with an ACL injury?

25. Rocky River, 4-2 (NR)

Trending: Rising.

Last week: Defeated North Ridgeville.

This week: Saturday at No. 18 Villa Angela-St. Joseph

The Pirates eek into the top 25 after three teams dropped out.

Dropped out: Akron Manchester, Gilmour and Tallmadge.

Contact high school sports reporter Stephanie Kuzydym by email (skuzydym@cleveland.com) or Twitter (@stephkuzy). Also contact high school sports reporter Mark Kern by email (mkern@cleveland.com) or on Twitter (@MarkKern11). Or log in and leave a message in the comments section below.

While I'm blessed to write sports, helping my mother in-law reach her 93rd birthday would be a big win for our family.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- I'm looking at a Christmas card with Snoopy holding a present.

He's staring up at Woodstock, his little friend who is a bird.

I opened the card and it read, "Sometimes, the very best gifts are the ones we already have."

That's how I feel this Christmas.

I'm thankful for what I have, from good health, to a great wife, to a wonderful job.

I'm thankful for you -- the readers. And I'm thankful that God gave me the ability to write.

I'm especially thankful my soon-to-be 93-year-old mother-in-law has made it to Christmas.

She has been battling congestive heart failure and other physical issues for years. The people from Hospice didn't think she'd see last Easter.

But she's still here. Many friends have been praying for and with her. That is part of the reason that she is still alive.

Her birthday is December 30. Our goal is to make sure that she is well enough to enjoy it.

Some would say that she shares that date with Tiger Woods, LeBron James and Sandy Koufax.

My mother in-law shares the same birthday as LeBron James. She turns 93 on December 30, and she doesn't care if he comes back to Cleveland.(Lonnie Timmons III / The Plain Dealer)

She'd say that she got there first, being born in 1920 -- and she has no opinion about James returning to the Cavs.

The main responsibility for the care of Libby Monroe rests with my wife, Roberta, and two excellent caretakers who help us.

But I do spend two or three nights a week at my mother-in-law's place, making sure things are OK with her.

Her breakfast is a combination of Cheerios, Special K with a slice banana, and sugar.

There also is a small juice (combination grape and cranberry) and black coffee.

Every morning, same breakfast.

I keep threatening to go wild and make toast.

She doesn't do toast for breakfast.

It's Cheerios, Special K, banana … etc.

I've known her for about 40 years, and some of our best talks have been in 2013. The blessing of her illness is how we have gotten to know each other at a much deeper level.

My mother-in-law doesn't care anything about sports. All she knows about the Browns is that I work weekends to cover them. She never asks about who they should draft.

She doesn't even know how the draft works. Of course, some fans would say that's been true of too many of the recent Browns front offices.

Right now, our battle is to make sure we keep her oxygen at the right settings and that she can squeeze whatever joy is possible from Christmas and her upcoming birthday.

My guess is some of you have a person like her in your family -- someone with issues far beyond what the Cavs should do with Anthony Bennett and how will the Tribe replace Scott Kazmir and Ubaldo Jimenez in the rotation.

At these times, there are far greater gifts than one of the Cleveland teams finally delivering a championship.

It's the people we still have in our lives, some who are clinging to life.

Yes, I'm thankful for the gifts that I already have … to quote Charles Schulz.

My guess is that's also true of many of you.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The fifth cleveland.com girls basketball Top 25 poll is out. Check it out by clicking here. Each week after posting the updated Top 25, we'll post another story like this with talking points, including insight into why some teams moved up or down, or in or out of the rankings.

Despite the Cavaliers attention to defense with coach Mike Brown, they are allowing opponents to shoot .476 in the last five games.

CLEVELAND, Ohio – For the duration of the Cavaliers' training camp, they had a singular focus: defense. They learned defensive rotations, defensive schemes, defensive theories.

They endured defensive drills throughout lengthy shootarounds before preseason games.

They watch film highlighting, above all else, defensive miscues and defensive mistakes after games, now.

And first-year coach Mike Brown's attention to that side of the floor has worked – on the surface. The Cavaliers currently are ranked 16^th in the NBA in opponent field goal percentage, holding opponents to .452 per game.

But in the last five games, four of which were losses, somehow, none of that attention to defense has resulted in steady play on that side of the floor.

The Cavaliers are allowing opponents to shoot .476 in the last five games, while they have shot .422.

Predictably, and easily, they've been outscored.

For a defensive-minded coach like Brown, it's vexing and infuriating.

"I'm not sure why, right now, why we're playing like that defensively," he said. "All of us can see the mistakes we're making defensively. We can see it on the film, our lack of physicality. We'll go through stretches where we'll try to pick it up, like we did coming out in the third (against Detroit). But then we revert right back after making a little run. It's tough going down double-digits, especially the type of double-digit deficits we're facing, trying to fight back and then win a game.

"That's something we're going to correct. I'm going to keep moving pieces and searching until I feel like I have a group of guys who are going to consistently play at a high level defensively."

So, the search continues.

And that goes for Cavaliers players, too, who say the right things about how to improve.

"Take some pride," forward Tristan Thompson said. "And take accountability on our part. There's only so much Coach can say to us before a game, halftime, post-game. When it comes down to it, it's us as players that go out there and play and show some life."

Brown theorizes that the Cavaliers have allowed their woeful offense of late – that includes plenty of missed buckets – to deflate their energy, and, in turn, affect their defense.

"For us defensively, I think it's been that way for a while," Brown said. "Maybe because we went through a stretch of scoring and we think we can win ballgames that way. It was pretty easy when we scored.

"I'm not quite sure. But I know the physicality is not there, and the sense of urgency from us as a team is not there on the defensive end of the floor."

Players are searching for answers, too.

"We'll have to figure that out internally," Kyrie Irving said. "We'll have to figure out as a team how we want to start games and go out and execute."

Added Brown: "We haven't arrived. We've taken a couple steps backward. And we're getting hit in the mouth right now. I'm interested to see if we can respond the right way as a group."

T.J. Ward is hoping Sunday's finale in Pittsburgh isn't his last game with the Browns. He'll be a free agent March if he's not re-signed or franchised.

BEREA, Ohio -- Browns safety T.J. Ward will have more on his mind Sunday in Pittsburgh than just knocking the resurgent Steelers out of playoff contention.

He knows it could be his last game as a Brown, and he's hoping that's not the case.

"You can't block that out,'' Ward said Tuesday. "I spent four years here and I've given a lot to this team and this city and they've given a lot to me, so you can't completely block it out, but I try to  stay focused on the task and one week at a time and finish it off right.''

In the midst of a Pro Bowl-caliber season, Ward stressed that he wants to finish what he started when he was drafted in the second round of 2010 out of Oregon.

“I definitely want to be back,'' he said. "I like my team. I love my teammates. I love being in this city. I love the organization. We haven’t had many wins, but I think we’re building something here, and I think it’s being built the right way. When you start something, I’m a person that wants to finish things and I want to finish things on a winning note. I want to play in the playoffs here, I want to bring this city a championship. I’ve been doing everything in my power to help this team win so I definitely want to see that through.”

Ward knows the Browns have the option of franchising him if they don't wrap him up a to a long-term contract before free agency hits March 11. The projected one-year salary for a franchise safety in 2014 is about $8 million, according to Joel Corry of cbssports.com. Ward's rookie contract was a four-year deal worth $4.027 million, including $3 million guaranteed.

“If I get the tag, I get the tag,'' he said. "That would just be one more year here. It is a sort of free agency, but you’re still with the team. So it’s like a one-year contract, and I’ve just got to continue to do the things that I’ve been doing. That’s all it is, basically just another year.”

 Ward said he's not sure if he'd prefer to hit the market to see what he could get or sign with the Browns beforehand, but the idea of testing the waters is intriguing.

"It's an opportunity I haven't had, but who knows?'' he said. "I just want to win this last game. That’s it. Just want to beat Pittsburgh this week and after the season, all that offseason stuff will handle itself and my agent will handle that but I have no control over that right now.”

 One reason Ward wants to stay is to bring the city a championship along with his close friend and 2010 draft classmate Joe Haden, who's hopeful he'll receive an extension before his deal expires in 2014. The two have gone 18-45 with no playoffs since they were drafted.

“"We were brought in here to do a job and a task and to help this team improve and once we start something we want to finish it,'' he said. "We haven’t done pretty well the last four seasons but like I said, we have signs of improvement, signs of a championship quality team and I think there’s a lot of pieces in place here and it’ll be great to finish it off together especially me and Joe coming in together.”

Ward is in the midst of arguably his finest year as a pro, with a team-highs in solo tackles (94) and tackles for a loss (15). He also has two touchdowns -- a 44-yard interception for a touchdown against the Bills and a 51-yard fumble recovery for a TD against the Bears.

"I think I had a Pro Bowl season,'' he said. "I know I had a Pro Bowl season, but like I said it’s up to the fans and the other players. (If) you get the other players' and coaches' respect then that helps. I’ve put a lot of work in since Day One and it is satisfying when your hard work pays off. We haven’t had the team wins and victories, but those will come. Those will definitely come if everyone starts doing those types of things and finishing things off, you’ll start seeing a lot more wins.”

So why would Ward want to come back to a place that's lost at least 11 games in his four seasons?

"If you look at our season, we've had some ups and downs, but for the most part we were very competitive,'' said Ward. "We lost some games by a little bit and I think just the sleight of hand would turn all of those losses into wins, so you look at the Kansas City Chiefs who went 2-14 and they were undefeated for most of the season, so anything can happen. Anything can change with the snap of a finger. I think the hard work we've out in, it's going to show results.''

Will he be around to enjoy them?

Reynolds returned two fumbles for touchdowns, helping the Beavers beat Boise State 38-23 in the Hawaii Bowl on Tuesday night.

HONOLULU -- Rashaad Reynolds and Oregon State made the most of their final chance to stop a costly losing streak.

Reynolds returned two fumbles for touchdowns, helping the Beavers beat Boise State 38-23 in the Hawaii Bowl on Tuesday night.

Oregon State won six of its first seven games of the season. Then a 20-12 home loss to then-No. 8 Stanford started a five-game slide that came to an end when the Beavers (7-6) set several records in handing Boise State its worst loss in two months.

Oregon State coach Mike Riley said stopping the skid was the biggest deal for his team.

"They've worked hard, they haven't lost their focus even though there's been some discouragement, they didn't let it stay with them," Riley said. "I loved how they've responded all year."

Biletnikoff Award-winner Brandin Cooks grabbed eight balls for 60 yards and a touchdown. He extended his Pac-12 single-season record to 128 receptions and broke the conference record for yards receiving with 1,730, passing Southern California's Marqise Lee.

Sean Mannion threw for 259 yards and a touchdown, giving him a Pac-12-record 4,662 yards passing for the season.

"When you win, you'd like to say it's a good ending -- a good beginning for the upcoming year," Riley said.

Oregon State kept Boise State (8-5) out of the end zone until the third quarter, well after the Beavers had opened a big lead.

Reynolds had his first fumble recovery about 12 minutes into the game when Scott Crichton stripped Boise State quarterback Grant Hedricks in the end zone. The ball popped forward to the 3-yard line, where Reynolds picked it up and ran it in.

Reynolds tacked on another fumble return in the second quarter on his way to game MVP honors. Troy Ware caught a 6-yard pass near the sideline for Boise State, but Larry Scott punched the ball out as Ware was falling to the ground. Reynolds picked it up and ran 70 yards to the end zone.

"You just can't overcome those -- it's very difficult to overcome those versus a Pac-12 team," Boise State interim coach Bob Gregory said. "That's tough when we're not on the field on defense, but we didn't make enough plays on defense either."

Matt Miller led Boise State with 11 catches for 206 yards and a touchdown, with most of the production coming after the game was decided. Miller, who set a school record with 88 catches this season, was the Broncos' MVP for the game.

Boise State's most successful drive came in the third quarter after Oregon State went 94 yards and scored a touchdown to make it 38-6. The Broncos responded with a nine-play, 76-yard drive spent partially in a hurry-up offense. Jay Ajayi took a shotgun handoff from Hedrick and ran up the middle for a 1-yard TD.

After the successful extra-point attempt went into the stands, the mostly-empty stadium provided its loudest ovation of the night in support of the fans who tried to keep the ball away from security by throwing it around the seats.

Oregon State finished with 454 total yards, averaging 6.8 per play. Storm Woods had 16 carries for 108 yards and a touchdown, and Terron Ward had a 9-yard TD run.

"That's exactly how we would like to look, we want to have that balance," Riley said. "We just frankly blocked better."

Hedrick threw for 382 yards and a touchdown, closing out a difficult stretch for the Broncos (8-5).

Joe Southwick was sent home by interim coach Bob Gregory after the quarterback was accused of urinating off a hotel balcony in Honolulu last week, though he later told a TV station he didn't do it and was unfairly dismissed.

It was Gregory's first major issue after taking over for Chris Petersen, who left the team to take over at Washington.

"I mean there were a lot of distractions for us, but we've got a bunch of resilient guys," Miller said. "It was looking like we were going to come out and play well and that just didn't happen there."

Gregory said he didn't think the distractions affected his team.

"There wasn't a loss of focus," he said. "I think we had really good bowl practices, I think we had good practices when we were here and again we just didn't make as many plays as we had to make to make a difference in the game."

Both teams started the game with similar drives, making progress on big plays before stalling in the red zone and kicking field goals. But Oregon State grabbed the lead for good on Cooks' 2-yard TD reception with 4:15 left in the first quarter, capping a 92-yard drive.

___

Oskar Garcia of the Associated Press wrote this report.