Renovations at Progressive Field include new bullpens and terrace seating in the upper deck from center field to right field.

CLEVELAND, Ohio – The Indians still aren't saying how much it will cost, but the renovations at Progressive Field are moving along nicely.

The concrete for the Indians half of the new bullpens in centerfield has been poured. Space for two or three rows seats in front of the bullpens has been cleared.

The concrete wall separating the Tribe's pen from the visitors has been erected as well. The Indians will have the bullpen closest to the field with fans having easy access to watch relievers from both teams.

The new entrance at Gate C has been cleared of the one of the ballpark's bridges and a bar so fans can get a clear view of the park from East 9^th Street.

The new entrance is being built around Heritage Park, the Indians Hall of Fame. The statues of Bob Feller and Jim Thome have been moved for safekeeping. It's not yet clear where the statues of Feller and Thome will be placed.

Team President Mark Shapiro said a statue of Hall of Famer Larry Doby, who broke the color line in the American League while playing for the Indians, will be part of the renovation.

Almost all of the upper-deck seats starting in center field and wrapping around the right field foul pole have been removed. They will be replaced by terrace seating to create a more social atmosphere.

Several sections of terrace seating are currently under construction.

In the right field corner, part of the mezzanine formerly known as Pronkville, has been removed to make way to a two-story bar.

Workers just started to install the steel framework for the bar. Several sections of seats at the field level in the same area have been removed. The seats will be replaced by terrace seating and drinking rails for bar patrons.

Above those seats the Indians have turned two levels of suites into a revamped Kids Clubhouse.

Space for five neighborhood-themed areas behind the upper deck from center field to right field has been cleared. The areas will resemble Cleveland neighborhoods such as Ohio City and Tremont. A Whiffle ball field and batting cages will also be constructed.

The old visitor's bullpen in the right field corner is being turned into a multi-level section of seats. There will be seats on top of the bullpen with a staircase leading to field level seats.

The Indians and Delaware North, which runs the concession at Progressive Field, are funding the renovations. No public funds are being used. It is unclear if the Indians will use part of their revenue sharing package from MLB on the project.

The deal was struck when the Indians and Delaware North Cos., extended their contract. An Indians spokesman said this is not the first step in Delaware North purchasing a part of the ballclub from the Dolan family.

The Indians open their home season April 10 against Detroit. It's essential that the bullpens are completed by then and the Indians say construction is on schedule.

CLEVELAND, Ohio — Plain Dealer photographers are at Quicken Loans Arena tonight as the Cleveland Cavaliers face the Brooklyn Nets. The gallery will be updated throughout the game. Check back for all the action.

CLEVELAND, Ohio — Plain Dealer photographers are at Quicken Loans Arena tonight as the Cleveland Cavaliers face the Brooklyn Nets. The gallery will be updated throughout the game. Check back for all the action.

The Bulldogs stayed undefeated with a win on Friday.

The Bulldogs stayed undefeated with a win on Friday.

No. 1 North Royalton needed a 3-pointer with 4.4 seconds left Friday night to beat No. 13 Berea-Midpark 64-62 in a cleveland.com Top 25 girls basketball game.

No. 1 North Royalton needed a 3-pointer with 4.4 seconds left Friday night to beat No. 13 Berea-Midpark 64-62 in a cleveland.com Top 25 girls basketball game.

The Bulldogs stayed undefeated for the season.

The Bulldogs stayed undefeated for the season.

Good defense by Kent State overcomes poor foul shooting in a 71-57 victory over North Carolina A&T.

KENT, Ohio -- Kent State was drawing sparks off the rim for all the free throws missed in a 71-57 victory over visiting North Carolina A&T on Friday night. But behind the arc senior swingman Dev Manley had a hot hand.

Combined with closing the game out cleanly the final five minutes the Golden Flashes turned a tight five-point lead into a double-digit victory.

Manley was the catalyst with a career-high 24 points, going 7-of-10 on 3-pointers as the Flashes were 10-of-22 behind the arc. Sadly, they were about the same from the line, 13-of-27.

"We have to step up to the foul line with some confidence," Kent coach Rob Senderoff said.

It marked the fifth time this season Kent shot 55 percent from the line or worse, even while lifting their record to 7-2 overall while A&T dropped to 1-12.

Once again, the defense was key as Kent held the Aggies to 38.6 percent from the field and forced 23 turnovers that led to 29 of Kent's points. With the game in the balance, 56-49 with 4:30 to play, KSU senior guard Derek Jackson slapped the ball out of the Aggies hands on the baseline as Jackson was laying on the ground.

Kent held defensively, then got a Gary Akbar layup on its next possession. A Jackson steal followed and led to a Kent dunk, then a Manley 3-pointer salted the game away, 61-49, with 2:59 left. Manley's scoring, combined with 11 points from Kris Brewer off the bench, overcame a night when Hall, averaging 14.5 points a game, was held to eight.

"Hard fought win for us, happy that we got it,'' Senderoff said. "We didn't play perfect, but we guarded.''

And that points to Jackson, who finished with seven points, six assists and four steals.

"The defense is progressing to where we need it to be,'' the coach said.

LeBron James scores 22 points and moves up to 23rd on NBA's all-time scoring list

CLEVELAND, Ohio – LeBron James scored eight points in the fourth quarter and nailed a free throw with 1.3 seconds left to finalize a 95-91 victory over the Brooklyn Nets.

James finished with 22 points and moved into 23^rd place on the NBA's all-time scoring list, surpassing Charles Barkley. James also registered nine assists -- four to Mike Miller, who returned from a seven-game stint on the sidelines (concussion) and scored 21 points in his first start this season.

Here is an instant, quarter-by-quarter briefing on James' performance against the Nets.

1^st Quarter

Stats: 8 pts, 1 rb, 5 ast, 2-6 FG, 3-4 FT

Highlight: A three-pointer with 4:00 left allowed James to move past Barkley (23,757 points).

Briefing: The Nets were on their way to shooting 67 percent from the field and make 4-of-6 threes. Mason Plumlee converted an uncontested layup, and James looked over at Blatt like "this isn't working." No sooner, guard Shawn Marion was immediately off the bench and into the game for center Anderson Varejao, who had apparently lost Plumlee on the play. A coincidence, surely. As for Marion's replacement in the starting lineup –Miller – he knocked in three treys. All were assisted by James.

2^nd Quarter

Stats: 2 pts, 0 rbs, 0 ast, 1-3 FG, 0-0 FT

Highlight: After an Irving steal, the ball ended up in James' hands for a left-handed slam with 1:33 to go and the Cavaliers on a 13-0 run.

Briefing: Defense was much better for Cleveland, obviously, as a seven-point deficit became a five-point halftime lead. James, though, seemed to have trouble getting back on defense. Or he simply wasn't doing it. He guarded Joe Johnson quite a bit, who had 14 points through two quarters. James also had a bit of misfortune. He was heading out for a fastbreak after a steal, but Dion Waiters, who was just a few feet from James, fired the ball to him so fast that it bounced off James' face.

3^rd Quarter

Stats: 4 pts, 2 rbs, 4 ast, 1-5 FG, 2-2 FT

Highlight: James put the ball over his head, and with two hands heaved it (yes, like Kevin Love) the length of the floor to Marion for a dunk with 2:41 remaining.

Briefing: Keep in mind, the following play ended with a James basket. But on a quasi fastbreak, James had the ball at the top of the key with slower Nets defenders in the vicinity. Instead of attacking, though, James sort of hesitated as he trotted into the lane. He ended up lobbing one off the rim that bounced in. It was one of those moments where you see him missing that extra burst.

4^th Quarter

Stats: 8 pts, 1 rb, 0 ast, 3-4 FG, 1-2 FT

Highlight: This time, he was aggressive. On a fastbreak, James wasted no time going right to the hole, finishing with a finger roll in trading with 4:16 to go.

Briefing: It wasn't the prettiest of games or fourth quarters, but James did enough. He buried an impossible turnaround jumper with 5:53 to go after he was locked down by Johnson and the shot clock was running out. His last free throw cemented the win with 1.3 seconds left, and there was pressure. He had missed the first one.

Totals: 22 pts, 4 rbs, 9 ast, 7-18 FG, 6-8 FT, 40 mins

 

Alison Smolinski hit a 3-pointer with just 4.4 seconds to play to give No. 1 North Royalton a 64-62 win over No. 13 Berea-Midpark on Friday night.

Alison Smolinski hit a 3-pointer with just 4.4 seconds to play to give No. 1 North Royalton a 64-62 win over No. 13 Berea-Midpark on Friday night.

Mentor's Micah Potter had a double-double as the Cardinals upset Shaker Heights.

Mentor's Micah Potter had a double-double as the Cardinals upset Shaker Heights.

New starter Mike Miller went 7-of-8 from 3-point range as the Cavs defeated the Nets, 95-91, Friday night at The Q.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Cavaliers defeated the Brooklyn Nets, 95-91, Friday night at The Q. Here is a capsule look from The Plain Dealer reporter Dennis Manoloff:

Short memories: The Cavs (15-10) needed to work hard against an inferior opponent, but they can feel good about having rebounded nicely from a terrible performance. On Wednesday night at The Q, they were routed by Atlanta, 127-98.

The Nets (10-15) have lost three straight.

Welcome back: Cavs shooting guard Mike Miller scored 21 on 7-of-8 shooting -- all 3-pointers -- in 34 minutes. He missed the previous seven games because of a concussion.

Miller, inserted into the starting lineup by coach David Blatt, entered averaging 1.5 points in 13 games.

Finding a way: The Cavs won despite shooting 40.3 percent (31-of-77) from the field. The trio of LeBron James, Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love combined to go 14-of-46. Love went 1-of-10.

Cavs starters other than Miller shot 30 percent (15-of-50). Anderson Varejao was 1-of-4.

King delivers late: LeBron played superbly at both ends in the fourth quarter to help the Cavs fend off the pesky Nets. LeBron scored eight, including five in a 24-second span, and factored in an assortment of stops.

LeBron finished with 22 points, nine assists, four rebounds, two steals and four turnovers in 40 minutes.

Milestone Man: LeBron moved past Charles Barkley and into 23rd place on the NBA's all-time scoring list. LeBron has 23,776 points; Barkley, 23,757. Allen Iverson ranks No. 22 with 24,368.   

Tough luck for Brooklyn: With 4:22 left in the second quarter, Nets starting point guard Deron Williams fouled his counterpart, Irving. Williams hobbled away from the contact and went directly to the locker room. He did not return because of a calf strain.

Williams scored one point, but he had five assists and the Nets led, 45-39, at the time he exited.

Williams' injury forced former Cav Jarrett Jack into extra minutes.

No ordinary Joe: The Cavs overcame a 26-point performance by Nets small forward Joe Johnson, who made 10 of 18 shots. In the previous meeting between the teams, Dec. 8 in Brooklyn, N.Y., Johnson did not play because of a stomach illness and the Cavs rolled, 110-88.  

Early issues: The Nets capitalized on the Cavs' leaky defense in building a 33-26 lead after one quarter. They were 14-of-21 from the field.

The Cavs struggled to control the player in front of them. The Nets -- specifically, former Cav Sergey Karasev -- moved freely and secured the shots they wanted. Lefty Karasev scored nine on 4-of-5 shooting.

Late in the quarter, Fox Sports Ohio analyst Austin Carr said: "Everybody is just having a field day on us. It has to stop, sooner or later.''

The Cavs went 8-of-19 from the field. If not for Miller, they would have been in even more trouble. Miller, making his first start of the season, was 3-of-3 for nine points. He sank three 3-pointers.

Flipping the switch: The Cavs outscored Brooklyn, 28-16, in the second quarter to take a 54-49 advantage into intermission. Their defensive intensity picked up dramatically from the first to the second quarters; the defense created a faster pace, which, in turn, created better offensive opportunities. Their second unit provided the impetus.

Miller's right-corner 3-pointer with 2:30 remaining put the Cavs in front, 48-45 -- their first lead of the game. The shot was part of Cleveland's 15-0 run that turned a six-point deficit into a nine-point lead (54-45).

Miller launched six deep jumpers in the half and sank five. His 15 points led all players at the break.

Miller played through discomfort. With 3:30 left in the second quarter, he landed awkwardly on his ankle. He winced and hobbled but remained in the game. He waved off a sub-out.    

Brooklyn, forced into tougher shots, was 7-of-22 in the second quarter. By halftime, Karasev had established his career-high with 12 points.

Karasev did not score in the second half.

Bumpy ride: The Cavs played an uneven third quarter and were outscored, 22-20. Still, they managed to enter the fourth with a 74-71 lead despite shooting 23-of-60 (38.3 percent). Through three quarters, LeBron was 4-of-14, Irving 5-of-13 and Love 1-of-10.

Thanks goodness for Miller. His sixth 3-pointer of the game occurred with 8:33 remaining in the third. It snapped Brooklyn's 10-0 run over two quarters and gave the Cavs a 57-55 lead.

One minute later, Miller's seventh triple made it 60-56.

Both of the third-quarter threes were from deep topside right.

Mike Miller ignites a spark in a starting role to lead Cavaliers to a 95-91 victory over the Brooklyn Nets.

CLEVELAND, Ohio – After making what may have been viewed as a questionable move initially, Cavaliers head coach David Blatt came out smelling like a rose Friday night. Mike Miller's seven 3-pointers and his insertion into the starting lineup proved to be the key in getting the Cavaliers a 95-91 win over the Brooklyn Nets at The Q.

Miller got the start in his first game back from a concussion. Shawn Marion was relegated to a reserve role.

Considering the Cavaliers were coming off of a 127-98 thrashing handed down by the Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday, their defense was a major concern. Miller didn't fit the bill as a defensive repair man.

Brooklyn (10-15) started out hitting seven of its first nine shots, but Miller's 3-point barrage made up for some of the deficiencies on the defensive end.

When Cleveland (15-10) labored to put up points in the first quarter, Miller kept them in the game. He knocked down all three of his first-quarter 3-pointers. LeBron James, who has tremendous chemistry with Miller dating back to their time in Miami, assisted on all of them.

Miller's teammates penetrated, sinking the defense in and leaving Miller wide open. He knew what to do from there, nailing 7-of-8 from downtown to conclude with a season-high 21 points.

While the game was close in the fourth quarter, the threat of Miller on the court spaced the floor for James to maneuver and come through. James scored eight points in the quarter as the Nets' defense focused on not leaving Miller.

Down three, the Nets had a chance to tie the game late, but Kevin Garnett's 3-point attempt clanked off the rim with 2.2 seconds remaining. James gathered the rebound and was immediately fouled. Because the Nets weren't in the penalty, they had to foul James again.

He went on to make 1-of-2 from the line to seal the game.

James played a relatively quiet, yet effective game. He recorded 22 points, four rebounds and nine assists in 39 minutes. Kyrie Irving ended the night with 16 points, and Kevin Love pulled down a game-high 14 boards. Tristan Thompson provided nine points and 10 rebounds off the bench.

Cleveland leads the season-series 2-0.

Joe Johnson led Brooklyn with 26 points, four rebounds and five assists. Sergey Karasev had a career-high 12 points.

Play of the Game

Irving threw the ball up the floor to James in transition, and Johnson hurried to get in front of him. James drove hard right and crossed over to the left, sideswiping Johnson and proceeding with a left-handed dunk.

After the finish, James stared at his left hand in amazement for a few seconds. That play put the Cavaliers up 52-45, their largest lead at the time.

A milestone

At 29 years of age, James surpassed Hall of Famer Charles Barkley for 23^rd on the NBA's all-time scoring list. He has 23,776 career points.

Injuries

Brooklyn's Deron Williams left the game in the second quarter. He was seen slightly limping to the locker room on his own accord. He would not return to the game. The Nets later diagnosed him with a strained right calf.

Who's on deck?

Cleveland will get a big test when the Memphis Grizzlies (21-4), possessing the NBA's second-best record behind Golden State (22-3), make their first appearance of the season at The Q. Memphis' big man Marc Gasol is playing at an MVP level.

Some of the top local basketball teams will be in action Saturday at the LeBron James Classic in Akron.

Some of the top local basketball teams will be in action Saturday at the LeBron James Classic in Akron.

Utah State collects 10th win of season, and a bowl win for the third straight year

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. -- Nick Vigil ran for a touchdown and also combined with his brother to make 16 tackles as Utah State shut down UTEP 21-6 Saturday in the New Mexico Bowl.

Utah State (10-4) won a bowl game for the third straight year.

UTEP (7-6) is 0-6 in postseason play since winning the 1967 Sun Bowl.

The Aggies have one of the top-ranked defenses in the nation. Linebackers Nick and Zach Vigil helped prevent the Miners from putting together consistent drives, with senior Zach making nine stops.

Sophomore Nick Vigil scored on a 3-yard run for a 14-3 lead early in the third quarter.

Kent Myers threw for 68 yards and rushed for 70 and a touchdown for Utah State. The freshman was the fourth quarterback used this season by the resilient Aggies, who had been hampered by injuries.

UTEP's Aaron Jones ran for 88 yards, but was held to only 3.5 yards per carry because of the strong Aggies line. He came into the game ranked 23rd nationally, rushing for an average of 112 yards.

The Miners stayed close with a stingy defense, making an interception and forcing two fumbles.

Jameill Showers threw for 126 yards for UTEP.

Utah State is now 4-5 in bowl games. UTEP, coming off its first winning season since 2005, is 5-9 in bowl play.

According to a report from ESPN's Brett McMurphy, Ash and USC associated head coach John Baxter interviewed for the head coach vacancy at Colorado State.

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Urban Meyer brought Chris Ash to Ohio State from Arkansas during the offseason to help the Buckeyes repair a secondary that cost them a chance at a national title this year. 

Ash helped Ohio State turn around its coverage problems. People apparently noticed and now Ash's stint in Columbus could be shorter than Meyer probably anticipated. 

According to a report from ESPN's Brett McMurphy, Ash and USC associated head coach John Baxter interviewed for the head coach vacancy at Colorado State. 

Ohio State co-DC Chris Ash & former USC associate head coach John Baxter interviewed for Colorado State job source told @ESPN

— Brett McMurphy (@McMurphyESPN) December 20, 2014

Last season Ohio State ranked No. 112 in the nation in passing defense when it allowed 268 yards per game through the air. This season, under Ash's guidance, the Buckeyes rank No. 17 in the country and allow only 188.2 passing yards per game. 

Ash, who served as Arkansas' defensive coordinator last season, applied for an opening that was created when Colorado State coach Jim McElwain was hired by Florida. 

The potential of losing Ash puts Ohio State in a tough position, especially considering Meyer lost offensive coordinator Tom Herman to the head coaching job at Houston. 

Herman is staying with Ohio State through its College Football Playoff run, but Meyer has agreed to let Herman spend a fixed number of hours preparing for Houston. 

The Browns have admitted that they'll still have doubts about Johnny Manziel even after these three starts. Therefore, they'll explore every possible option to upgrade the position, including the No. 1 quarterback in the draft, Marcus Mariota.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- With coach Mike Pettine admitting this week that the Browns will have doubts about Johnny Manziel even if he hits "it out of the park'' in the final two games and "a ton of doubts'' if he doesn't play well, the Browns will explore all of their options at quarterback, including trading up into the top five to draft Heisman Trophy winner Marcus Mariota.

Browns general manager Ray Farmer has repeatedly said that he'll always explore every option at all positions -- and Mariota is one glaring and tempting possibility for the Browns this offseason. The Browns have scouted him this season and will continue to do so.

It would be an incredible longshot, but not impossible.

Since last year, league sources have been telling cleveland.com that Farmer is enamored with Mariota, the 6-4, 215 phenom from Oregon. Mariota cemented his status as the top quarterback in the draft -- and likely No. 1 overall pick -- with another terrific season for the high-flying Ducks.

If the Browns reach the conclusion after Manziel's three starts that he's not their quarterback of the future, they'll consider every possibility for an upgrade at the position, including making a pitch for the premier quarterback in the draft.

The Browns will have two mid-first round picks in 2015, their own and the one they received from Buffalo in the trade down from No. 4 to No. 9. (they then moved back up a spot to take cornerback Justin Gilbert at No. 8). The Browns would likely have to trade both of those picks, and next year's No. 1 for a shot at Mariota.

If the season ended today, the Browns would have the No. 14 (their own) and No. 19 (Buffalo's) picks in the first round. The price tag for Mariota would be similar to what the Redskins paid the Rams to move up from No. 6 to No. 2 in 2012:  two more No. 1s and a No. 2.

But if Mariota is as good as advertised, he could be worth it.

After Mariota, the next best quarterback in the draft is Florida State's Jameis Winston, who comes with a ton of off-the-field baggage, unlike the squeaky-clean Heisman Trophy winner. The one knock against Mariota is that he might actually be too nice and might need to develop the requisite edge to succeed at this level.

If Manziel doesn't show enough flashes of the Johnny Football he was at Texas A&M over these next two games, the Browns might even consider trading him and cutting their losses. With Cowboys owner Jerry Jones admitting on several occasions earlier this season that he regrets passing on Manziel at No. 16, perhaps he'd still be willing to part with a pick for him. The Browns haven't made a huge financial investment in Manziel, and wouldn't be out much from a financial standpoint if he doesn't work out.

His four-year contract is worth $8.248 million, including $7.998 million guaranteed. He averages $2.062 million a year. For comparison's sake, Browns defensive tackle Ahtyba Rubin has made $20.3 million over the last three seasons, including $6.6 million this year alone.

Of course, the Browns might also decide that three games is too small a sample to give up on their No. 22 overall pick. Offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan said this week that he still feels the same way about Manziel and that "Johnny's a playmaker.'' Shanahan seems convinced he can bring the best out in Manziel once he really grasps the offense.

But if Manziel is going to live up to his first-round status, he'll have to work harder than he ever has in his life -- and certainly harder than he has this season. Manziel might think he's been grinding, but it's nothing compared to the level of dedication and commitment it takes to be great in this league. Even if he puts in all the necessary time and effort in the offseason, he still might not have what it takes.

Or he might. The Browns won't know for sure until next season when he has a full offseason to study the playbook and a full training camp as the starter under his belt.

Even if the Browns conclude that Manziel can be their franchise quarterback, they'll still need to find a veteran who can step in and win games for them in the event he can't cut it. Next year can't be all about developing a young quarterback. After the Browns got a taste of winning this season and remained in the AFC North race until week 14, owner Jimmy Haslam won't tolerate losing next season -- and he'll undoubtedly expect a playoff berth in his third full year.

Brian Hoyer is actually one of the best quarterbacks set to hit the free agent market after this season. But will the Browns want to head into 2015 with Manziel and Hoyer again, especially after Hoyer's late-season four-game tailspin? Manziel's failure last week to provide the spark the Browns were seeking from the quarterback position against the Bengals somewhat vindicates Hoyer, but the Browns still don't view him as a long-term starting answer.

Besides, with as many as a dozen teams looking for a starter next season, Hoyer will likely get some looks as a No. 1 -- or at least have a chance to compete for a job. If he garners only backup attention, he'd probably consider re-signing with the Browns because he wants to raise his family here.

The way he's handled the aftermath of his benching has kept the door open for him to return in some capacity. Hoyer handled it like a true pro and helped Manziel and Shanahan during the game last week.

"He's handled it exactly how you would have expected him to handle it,'' said Pettine. "He's very mature, professional, team guy, wants us to win. Does it sit well with him, what happened? Absolutely not. He's made that clear, and knowing the type of competitor that he is, it wouldn't be any other way. Absolutely, what you see with Brian is what we're getting.''

If Hoyer leaves in free agency and the Browns still think Manziel can be the guy, they'll need to find another veteran somewhere -- either on the market, on the street or through a trade.

Chicago's Jay Cutler - who's 44-37 with the Bears -- will likely be available, but he comes with a huge price tag, including $15.5 million guaranteed next year for any team that trades for him. Besides, Farmer has made it clear that he doesn't think it takes a marquee quarterback to compete at the highest level. The Browns are all about building the team around the quarterback, who only has to compliment the supporting cast, not carry it.

Griffin III might become available -- and enjoyed his greatest success as a rookie under Shanahan -- but he seemed to blame the Shanahans for his second-season woes, and that ship may have sailed. Other quarterbacks poised to hit the market are Jake Locker, Michael Vick, Ryan Mallett, Mark Sanchez (whom Pettine liked when they were in New York together), Christian Ponder, Colt McCoy and Jason Campbell. Shanahan also likes Redskins backup Kirk Cousins, who showed promise when Shanahan coached him.

The Browns also have developmental quarterback Connor Shaw on their practice squad, and he's impressed the staff this season with his ability and work ethic.
Of course, Manziel can make the organization breathe a little easier by playing well against the 5-8-1 Panthers on Sunday and next week in Baltimore. Even if he doesn't win, he can show enough that they might not feel compelled to spend another high pick on a quarterback.

"Everybody's going to have an off day, and for us, obviously it wasn't our best day,'' Manziel said of his disappointing debut. "It wasn't the way that I wanted to get my start off here in Cleveland. Obviously, I didn't want to come out and lay an egg like that my first start, especially at home.

"Nobody wants that, but at the same time, one game doesn't define you as a player. It doesn't define you. Really, what defines you is how you bounce back from that and what you do in the following weeks.''

But as Pettine noted, three games does not a franchise quarterback make, and the Browns will have to keep everything on the table in the offseason -- even a blockbuster trade for another Heisman Trophy winner.

Utah offense racks up 548 yards as defense clamps down on Colorado State

LAS VEGAS -- Utah quarterback Travis Wilson ran for three touchdowns and passed for another Saturday, leading the No. 23 Utes to a 45-10 rout of Colorado State in the Las Vegas Bowl.

Wilson rushed for a season-high 91 yards on 11 carries and completed 17 of 26 passes for 158 yards.

Utah (9-4) scored three times in the first quarter and finished with 548 total yards, including 359 on the ground. Devontae Booker ran for 162 yards and a TD and Troy McCormick ran for 86.

Colorado State (10-3) fell behind in the first three minutes and never got its vaunted offense in gear. The Rams played a ranked team for the first time this season -- they have lost their last 16 games against teams in the Top 25.

Garrett Grayson completed 21 of 35 passes for 242 yards, but he was unable to avoid Utah's rush in the second half when the Rams were forced to throw the ball.

Utah, which led the nation with 52 sacks, dropped Grayson twice in the game, one each by Jason Fanaika and Nate Orchard.

Grayson threw an interception and lost a fumble in the fourth quarter, and Utah turned both into touchdowns.

Wilson ran for a 12-yard touchdown and backup running back Bubba Poole scored on a 10-yard run.

Colorado State interim coach Dave Baldwin hoped to confuse Utah's defense by using multiple formations, but it didn't work. The Rams ran the ball early with little success and couldn't mount a passing attack in the second half. They finished with 8 yards rushing.

Rams wide receiver Rashard Higgins caught seven passes for 109 yards.

Utah didn't do much wrong in the opening half, taking a 24-10 lead, rolling up 327 yards and scoring on its first three possessions. The only time the Utes stumbled came on the final play of the second quarter, when a 38-yard field goal attempt by Andy Phillips hit the post.

But by then, the Utes were in high gear. They combined with Colorado State to score 31 points in the first period, a Las Vegas Bowl record, and used big plays to set up each of their touchdowns.

A 36-yard pass from Wilson to wide receiver Clay Kaelin on their initial drive put the Utes in position for a touchdown. Two plays later, Wilson scored on an 8-yard run.

On the next possession, McCormick broke two tackles for a 49-yard sideline run to set up a second Utah score, a 16-yard TD pass from Wilson to Delshawn McClellon.

Booker later ran off-tackle for a 60-yard score and a 21-7 lead late in the first quarter.

Colorado State used a trick play to get its only first-half touchdown, a pitch from Grayson to wide receiver Charles Lovett, who threw back downfield to Grayson for 39 yards.

Alabama's leading rusher nursing an ankle injury

TUSCALOOSA, Alabama -- It's been more than a month since T.J. Yeldon sprained his ankle at LSU. His hamstring injury occurred in the season's first month, but the cumulative effect is real.

Alabama's leading rusher has been taking it easy in the past week of Sugar Bowl practice and it's by design.

"It's a medical decision as to what would be the best way for him to be able to come back and be able to be most effective playing," Nick Saban said. "That decision was to really limit what he does until we come back after Christmas. So he's doing a lot of rehab and a lot of conditioning-type stuff that is not going to put strain on the hamstring and some of the injuries that he's sorta had."

Yeldon's carries dropped from the Iron Bowl to the SEC title game a week later. He ran 19 times for 127 yards against Auburn, then 12 times for 47 yards in the Missouri win.

Since then, he's been suiting up in a full-contact uniform, but the junior has been skipping most of the drills. Alabama practices Sunday and Monday before taking a few days off and reconvening in New Orleans on Dec. 27.

"So we're trying to use this extra time to get him healthy rather than sorta staying on this treadmill of, OK, he never really gets better," Saban said. "So that's the plan. If that works, we'll feel great about it and he'll be ready when the game comes."

Yeldon 932 yards on 184 attempts leads the team ahead of Derrick Henry's 895 yards on 159 tries.

To see previous Brownstowns from this season, click here.

To see previous Brownstowns from this season, click here.

Billy Buehl's title at 152 leads Hudson to first Holiday Tournament win in 48 years

Billy Buehl's title at 152 leads Hudson to first Holiday Tournament win in 48 years

Akron Zips snap a two-game losing streak with a thumping of Bluffton to go into the holiday break with a 7-4 record.

AKRON Ohio -- A get well card the Akron Zips needed arrived Saturday night in the form of the Bluffton Beavers. The Zips promptly set about snapping a two-game losing streak with a 92-53 victory in Rhodes Arena to go into the holiday break.

It marked the most points scored by the Zips this season.

Center Pat Forsythe led the Zips (7-4) with 14 points as coach Keith Dambrot's team scored more than 61 points for the first time in the last three games. The quest to get some solid scoring inside showed some spark as the 6-11 Forsythe and 6-10 Isaiah Johnson combined for 23 points.

It's a victory that sets the stage for a pair of home games after Christmas against Marshall on Dec. 30 and Coppin State before the start of Mid-American Conference action begins against defending MAC champion Western Michigan.

A road game follows at Toledo, the consensus favorite to win the MAC this season, then a home game with Bowling Green, one of several contenders to win the MAC's East Division.

Clearly, Akron needs to get its act together quickly.

"We're still trying to put the pieces together,'' Forsythe said. "We'll get a little (holiday) break, then get back into the swing of things."

The Zips were up, 48-27, at halftime with Forsythe already in the books with 10 points. Perhaps as an indication of changes to come, Dambrot started 6-6 freshman swingman B.J. Gladden, who responded with six of his 11 points in the opening half.

Bluffton (4-4), even being down 21 at halftime, was putting up a fight as center Thayne Recker had scored 11 of his 16 points and finished with a game-high seven rebounds.

"He played hard, he played physical and the ball bounced his way,'' Forsythe said of the 6-4, 240-pound Recker.

Akron's lead was up to 71-38 with 11:05 to play which was a signal to many in the crowd to grab their coats and start for the exits. Bluffton out-rebounded the Zips, 32-28, and had an equal number of offensive rebounds with 13-13.