O’Neal says in the book, "Kareem was never around. And, whenever I did see him, he usually ignored me. The disappointing thing to me was, being in LA all those years and trying to fill those shoes, I would have liked to have a conversation with him."

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar says he'd have helped Shaquille O'Neal if O'Neal asked. (AP Photo)

In his upcoming autobiography, Shaq Uncut: My Story, Shaquille O’Neal takes swipes at seemingly everyone in his path. We’ve already read excerpts about Kobe Bryant, Dwight Howard, LeBron James and more. Next up: Fellow great Lakers center Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who Shaq complains was not there for him as a mentor.

In an excerpt cited in the Los Angeles Times, O’Neal says in the book, "Kareem was never around. And, whenever I did see him, he usually ignored me. The disappointing thing to me was, being in LA all those years and trying to fill those shoes, I would have liked to have a conversation with him. ...

"He'd say hello, but I was looking for, 'Hey, do this' or 'Watch out for that,'" O'Neal said. "He knew everyone was comparing me to him. He knew better than anyone what I was up against, but he gave me nothing."

Abdul-Jabbar responded on his Facebook page (via the L.A. Times) that had Shaq asked for advice, he would have been happy to give it.

"If I had any idea that Shaq wanted to learn from me, I would have been happy to have worked with him, but all indications that I had received was that he felt he was doing fine and he didn't need or want my help," Abdul-Jabbar said. "I am totally surprised by Shaq's comments as I tried to respect his privacy and never got any indication from anyone that he wanted or needed any input from me with regard to how he played the game. Shaq had a great career, and I, like everyone else, respect what he has achieved."

The book, co-written with Jackie MacMullan, will be in stores on Tuesday and call also be ordered on Amazon.

The Cleveland Browns have not seen the fruits of Tom Heckert's free agent labor.

Chuck Crow | The Plain DealerBrowns General Manager Tom Heckert.

With a few exceptions, General Manager Tom Heckert has done a fairly good job when it comes to the draft for the Cleveland Browns.

Free agency is another matter.

Marla Ridenour of Ohio.com writes how Usama Young is the worst free agent signed in Heckert’s two-year tenure.

Coming as close to being handed a starting job as anyone in Berea of late, Young has been unable to beat out Mike Adams, who continues to prove his reliability and versatility eight months past his 30th birthday. Young has three more tackles than Adams, but Adams has started every game at free safety.

Young’s poor tackling skills were on display in Sunday’s 30-12 loss to the Houston Texans when he whiffed at the Browns’ 16-yard line on Ben Tate’s 27-yard touchdown run on the Texans’ opening drive. In a 31-13 home loss to the Tennessee Titans on Oct. 2, tight end Jared Cook broke Young’s tackle at about the Browns’ 45 on an 80-yard touchdown reception.

But Young isn’t the only one of Heckert’s free-agent misses, Ridenour writes. There’s also right tackle Tony Pashos, signed from the San Francisco 49ers in March, 2010.

More Cleveland Browns

Pat Shurmur and Josh McDaniels have seen plenty of changes.

The injuries continue to pile up for the Browns.

McCoy and Bradford stuck in similar roles.

Guess which two Browns players made the mid-season all division team.

Rams active wide receiver Mark Clayton.

The school hopes to hear the NCAA's final ruling in the near future.

PD fileOhio State AD Gene Smith

"Over the past three months, our athletics department staff has continued to work cooperatively with the NCAA to conclude our inquiry into the remaining items related to our football program," said athletics director Gene Smith in statement released by the university. "Throughout the entire process since we discovered possible infractions, the athletics department has consistently worked with the NCAA to investigate any allegation, take responsibility, self-report its findings to the NCAA in a transparent manner, and take necessary remediation steps. That is what we have done on this last open issue, and we accept that we should have done more to oversee Mr. DiGeronimo's activities.

"We look forward to working with the staff and the Committee on Infractions to reach a timely resolution of the case. On a personal note, I deeply regret that I did not ensure the degree of monitoring our institution deserves and demands."

Punter Ben Buchanan has given the Buckeyes a solid boot.

APFormer Ohio State coach Earle Bruce.

MorningJournal.com reporter John Kampf writes how punter Ben Buchanan has been a weapon for the Ohio State Buckeyes.

We're not talking about Ray Guy here, but heading into Saturday’s game at Purdue, Buchanan has punted 50 times — more than five punts per game — for an average of 41.3 yards per punt.

Perhaps most importantly has been his marksmanship. He ranks second in the nation with 11 punts dropped inside the 10-yard line. He is seventh in the nation with seven additional punts being downed inside the 20.

Buchanan takes great pride in his trade.

“I want to give (the defense) the best field position I possibly can,” he said. “Kicking and punting has everything to do with your confidence.”

Kampf also writes how Ohio State is giving up only 6.1 yards per punt return this year, as opposed to 10.5 yards-per-return last year.

Around the Horseshoe

Earle Bruce and John Cooper reflect on Paterno's exit.

The last trip to Purdue was a bad memory for the Buckeyes.

Purdue's offense is sputtering.

The wrangling over removing the Ballville Dam on the Sandusky River in Fremont, Ohio and completing a new, 140-acre city reservoir now seems far from over.

 The wrangling over removing the Ballville Dam on the Sandusky River  in Fremont, Ohio and the completion of a new, 140-acre city reservoir now seems far from over. Making the issues even more complicated is new Mayor James Ellis, a Tuesday election winner.

 For many, walleye are the issue, not water. There is hope a Sandusky River without a dam will be more user-friendly to spawning walleye. The walleye run in the river has severely declined since the Sandusky River was reworked by the Corp of Engineers in 1972 to improve flood control.

 Ellis said in campaign literature he wasn't for or against the dam removal. He found fault with the way long-time former mayor Terry Overmyer put the package together, especially the creation of the reservoir to replace the one behind the dam. Arcadis, the city's engineering firm, drafted a design that was not buildable, said Judge John Dewey recently in Sandusky County Common Pleas Court.

 Trucco Construction Co., the original contractor on the reservoir, is in Dewey's court asking for an extra $2.2 million on top of the $3 million it has already been paid. H.M. Miller Construction Co. is the new contractor and should finish the reservoir this winter on a site Fremont bought for $750,000. Because of porous karst bedrock in the reservoir site, a liner is now needed to keep water in the reservoir, and may drive up the cost from a budgeted $18 million to $30 million, or more.

 "I've been keeping track of all this for quite a while, and don't think we should remove the dam until everything has been settled in court," said Joe Michles of Fremont. "We don't know if the reservoir will hold water, if sediment behind the dam will be a major problem or even if walleye will want to swim further up the Sandusky if the dam is removed."

 Roger Knight, the head of Lake Erie fisheries management for the Ohio Division of Wildlife, believes in removal of the dam.

 "I helped Fremont to get $2 million in grants to remove the Ballville Dam," said Knight. "Any time you can remove a dam, you've improved a river. In this case, we don't know if walleye will want to spawn upriver once the dam is gone, but we have released thousands of walleye above the dam and they're spawning.

 "Removing the dam will allow gravel to move throughout the river system, improving degraded habitat to make it suitable for walleye spawning. Other fish species, such as white bass, and aquatic organisms are sure to benefit."

 Punderson trout: The popular annual fall stocking of trophy rainbow trout at Punderson Lake at Punderson State Park in Geauga County is Nov. 22, and it will be the last. The trout released are surplus brood stock from the London Fish Hatchery, and won't be needed to produce trout eggs in the future. State officials plan to purchase trout eggs from a private Idaho producer, saying the new system will provide more reliable trout production for the catch-and-keep trout stocking programs around the state, and save money. Surplus brood stock will also be released at Antrim Park Lake in Franklin County on Nov. 23.

 "It will cost about $2,000 a year to buy trout eggs, the same as we pay just to perform needed tests on the trout eggs we produce," said Tim Parrett, the new fish hatchery program administrator.

 Ohio had stocked about 80,000 rainbow trout around the state each spring, and 25,000 in the fall. The fall trout stockings are to be discontinued, while spring trout releases will be increased to about 100,000 fish. This year, fall trout stockings were cut from 25,000 to just 4,000 because of renovations at the Castalia State Fish Hatchery, which also raises more than 400,000 year-old steelhead trout released in the northeast Ohio tributaries.

 Hunting slump: Ohio's bowhunters saw an 11 percent decline in the number of bucks and does killed during the first six weeks of the archery deer season. A total of 45,836 deer were checked, compared to 51,543 a year ago. There was also a slump in the totals for the early primitive weapons deer season at special public hunting areas in southeastern Ohio. Deer biologist Mike Tonkovich of the Division of Wildlife said the lower deer harvest is a sign that regulations designed to reduce the number of deer in Ohio are working.

 Licking County was the top deer county during the early archery campaign. For county-by-county totals, visit cleveland.com/outdoors.

 Coming right up: The youth deer gun season has hunters 17 years old, and younger, out in the woods on Nov. 19-20 with a non-hunting adult . . . The second half of the new Lake Erie Marsh Zone and Lake Erie Canada Goose Zone seasons begin Saturday, with the North Zone waterfowl hunting to resume Nov. 19 . . . It's Buck Fever Night on Nov. 25, a celebration of deer hunting by the Ashtabula Chapter of Whitetails Unlimited at the Ashtabula County Fairgrounds . . . Plan on checking at accuracy of deer slug guns at the Lake Milton Fish & Game Club's annual Sight-In Day for Deer Hunters at noon on Nov. 27 at 4374 Bedell Rd., Berlin Center.

 Eagle airborne again: An eagle found in Marion County in June with an injured wing is soaring. The bird was treated at The Ohio Bird Sanctuary in Mansfield and delivered to the students at Elgin High School in Marion on Wednesday for release. The school is located next to the Big Island Wildlife Area. There are 194 nesting pairs of bald eagles in Ohio, producing 254 eaglet this year. Quite an increase from the four bald eagle pairs that nested in the Buckeye State about 30 years ago, when eagles produced thin-shelled eggs because of contamination from the pesticide

FAIRBORN, Ohio - Beaumont's bid for a Division II state volleyball title came to an end Thursday night inside Wright State's Ervin J. Nutter Center. The Blue Streaks squandered too many freeball chances in their final four debut during a 22-25, 29-27, 25-22, 25-22 semifinal loss to Columbus Bishop Hartley.

Beaumont loses to Columbus Bishop Hartley, 22-25, 29-27, 25-22, 25-22, in a volleyball state semifinal.

FAIRBORN, Ohio - Beaumont's bid for a Division II state volleyball title came to an end Thursday night inside Wright State's Ervin J. Nutter Center.

The Blue Streaks squandered too many freeball chances in their final four debut during a 22-25, 29-27, 25-22, 25-22 semifinal loss to Columbus Bishop Hartley.

Hartley will play for its first state championship in Saturday's 1 p.m. title match.

With Derek Lowe joining the Indians starting rotation, it's going to be open season on ground balls. Here's hoping the infielders catch them.

John Bazemore, Associated PressDerek Lowe brings his ground-ball propensity from Atlanta to Cleveland next season.

CLEVELAND, Ohio — Derek Lowe is the latest addition to ground ball central. He should fit in nicely.

The Indians acquired Lowe from Atlanta on Oct. 31 for minor-league left-hander Chris Jones. With young starters Julio Teheran, Randall Delgado, Mike Minor and Arodys Vizcaino on the way, and the pain of a September collapse still running hot, General Manager Frank Wren told Lowe he would almost certainly be traded.

During Atlanta's September skid, Lowe went 0-5 with an 8.75 ERA. He finished the worst season in his career at 9-17 with a 5.05 ERA.

Lowe, 38, still managed to do the two things that he has done his whole career -- put the ball on the ground and stay healthy.

He produced 374 ground balls, third most in the National League, and sixth most in the big leagues, according to ESPN. He made 34 starts in 187 innings.

Lowe, with the Indians, joins sinker-ball starters Justin Masterson and Fausto Carmona. Masterson's 379 ground balls ranked fourth in the big leagues this year. Carmona, who lost 15 games, finished seventh with 365.

Ubaldo Jimenez and Josh Tomlin, the other two starters, didn't live that close to the earth. Jimenez finished 65th with 264 grounders and Tomlin was 98th with 220.

Jimenez, percentage-wise, wasn't that far removed from his teammates. He induced ground balls at a 47.2 percent rate, according to Fangraphs.com. That tied him for 33rd among all big-league pitchers. Tomlin, a fly ball pitcher, had a 38.2 percent ground ball rate.

Here's the percentage breakdown for the other starters and where they ranked in the big leagues: Lowe was second at 59 percent, Masterson seventh at 55.1 percent and Carmona eighth at 54.8 percent. That AL average was 44.4 percent.

"You want to put the ball on the ground for so many obvious reasons," said Lowe. "Anytime you can keep the ball on the ground, you give your defense a chance to make a big play."

GM Chris Antonetti wasn't overly enthralled by Lowe's ground ball percentage. He needed a durable starter in line for a bounce-back year. Lowe, who has averaged 33 starts and 203 innings a season since 2002, fit.

The price was right, too. The Indians will pay Lowe $5 million with the Braves absorbing the remaining $10 million on the final year of a four-year, $60 million deal.

Now that Lowe is an Indian, the question is do they have enough infield defense to turn ground ball central into an advantage? Second baseman Jason Kipnis and third baseman Lonnie Chisenhall are far from tested. Shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera was an All-Star in the first half, but faded in the second half. First base is wide open even with Matt LaPorta still on the roster.

Jack Hannahan, who played well at third last season, will help Chisenhall. Jason Donald will contend for playing time at second, short and third.

"We can't predict or project anything just yet," said manager Manny Acta. "We have battles in at least two spots [first and third base]. If our young kids end up playing every day, they should continue to get better."

The Indians made 110 errors last season and finished tied for eighth in the AL in fielding percentage. Infielders, including pitchers and catchers, made 91 errors.

Lowe, sinker or no sinker, says he has to improve. He has been trying to correct his mechanics since the season.

One down, one to go: After interviewing in Boston on Wednesday for the Red Sox's managerial job, Indians bench coach Sandy Alomar Jr., will interview for the Cubs job today in Chicago.

GM Ben Cherington told Boston reporters after Alomar's interview, "He's going to be a major-league manager. Whether that's in 2012 or sometime after that, I'm very confident to say that he'll be a big-league manager sometime."

Posting: The Yakult Swallows will post center field Nori Akoi, a three-time batting champ of the Japanese Central League. The Indians have a working agreement with Yakult and know Akoi well, but they're unlikely to bid on him.

The Indians reportedly have some interest in Japanese right-handed reliever Shinobu Fukuhara, 34. He's a free agent and pitched for the Hanshin Tigers last season.

Backstop: The Indians have signed catcher Michel Hernandez and invited him to big-league camp in February. Hernandez played with Class AA Akron and Class AAA Columbus last year.

To reach this Plain Dealer reporter: phoynes@plaind.com, 216-409-7853

On Twitter: @hoynsie

As the Browns' offense plummets, Phil Dawson keeps on ticking and kicking. He leads the NFL with six field goals of 50 or more yards.

View full sizeMark Duncan, Associated PressPhil Dawson has been with the Browns since the team's return to the NFL in 1999 and remains one of the league's best kickers.

BEREA, Ohio — Another year of offensive doldrums for the Browns means that every field-goal attempt by Phil Dawson takes on unusual importance.

He has responded by making every field goal he has tried -- except for two that were blocked. The blocks occurred in the same game, and Dawson atoned by belting field goals of 52 and 53 yards -- the team's only points in a classic 6-3 win against Seattle.

That was the Browns' last victory but hardly Dawson's last hurrah. He followed with a 52-yard field goal in a 20-10 loss in San Francisco -- a tough place to kick, even on a windless, sunny day -- and then field goals of 50 and 51 yards in last week's loss at Houston.

While long field goals have become the season's most unforeseen trend, Dawson, 36, leads all kickers with six makes of 50 or more yards in six attempts. Counting a far-too-rare point after, Dawson's little right foot has accounted for 16 of the Browns' 28 points in the past three games.

When coach Pat Shurmur announced Thursday that Dawson had been sent home because of migraine headaches, a collective gasp from Browns fans was heard in the Internet and Twitter worlds.

"Now what?" they wondered. But the headaches are not expected to affect Dawson's status for Sunday's game against the St. Louis Rams.

View full sizePDPhil Dawson, on his success with long field goals: "I'm just making them."

Dawson entered this season having attempted only 19 field goals from 50 or more yards and making 11 in his 12 previous years with the expansion Browns.

The day before his migraines hit, Dawson struggled to offer a reasonable explanation for his sudden burst in power and accuracy.

"I'm just making them," he said. "I mean, I don't think I'm doing anything differently. I think when coaches show confidence and throw you out there, that gives you more confidence. When you only try one or two a year, sometimes you think this is a bigger deal than it really is. But when you're out there more, you kind of get used to it and treat it like any other kick."

Shurmur said he never flinches to call on Dawson for a long attempt.

"When I look over and I say, 'Punt or field goal?' and [Dawson says], 'Let's kick it' . . . I trust him," Shurmur said. "I never had the thought process where I didn't feel comfortable. He sets the mark, and when we get to that point, we kick it. That's how much I trust him."

Just think what the Browns would be without Dawson. And hold that thought, because it could happen.

Rather appropriately, Dawson became the first player the expansion Browns tagged with the franchise designation in February. Because a long-term deal couldn't be worked out, Dawson received a guaranteed one-year salary of $3.125 million -- the average of the top-five paid kickers the previous season.

Dawson sold his house, relocated his family and was emotionally prepared to move on to free agency after last season. The franchise designation surprised him, but he had little choice but to accept the deal.

The Browns have shown no interest in re-signing him to a multiyear contract. They would have had to act before a league deadline of Sept. 19 to do so. Dawson and two other players were the only three among 14 tagged by their teams not to get new contracts.

The Browns can retain Dawson in 2012 by franchising him again. But a new rule in the collective-bargaining agreement changes the compensation formula to the highest-paid player at his position during the past five years. That will lower the franchise numbers at every position. In other words, Dawson will have to take a pay cut to return if the Browns franchise him again.

"We'll see. I'll find out in February. I'm done trying to predict," he said of his future with the Browns. "I thought I was done last year, and here I am. I'm just gonna finish this thing out, and if I make it through February without that, then I'll know I'll be a free agent and I'll tackle that and see what happens."

Kicking for the Browns has had its hardships in the expansion era. The historically bad offense and lack of winning routinely disqualify Dawson from gaining Pro Bowl recognition. Within the culture of NFL kickers, he's cast as somewhat of a sympathetic figure.

"It does get old every week, hearing the same thing from my competitors," he said. "They'll have extremely complimentary stuff to say, stuff about how I deserve the Pro Bowl."

No player has suffered the franchise's losing syndrome more than Dawson. In that regard, he is bonded to the rest of us. He feels the anger as it cranks up a notch year after year.

"[The fans are] obviously scratching their heads," he said. "They just want to see improvement. I don't blame them. The guys that have been here a while understand that. We try to communicate that to some of the newer guys."

Like most everyone else, Dawson had hopes of seeing a real turnaround this year. He's at a loss to explain the season's downward trend.

"I think I've kind of given up trying to figure out how this team works," he said. "We have good guys in here, and guys are working hard, so at some point, it's got to translate on the field."

Until the winning starts, Dawson has the usual seasonal challenges of kicking in Cleveland to keep him motivated. Plus some individual goals. He currently ranks 10th all-time in field-goal accuracy at .833. In the top 10, only Matt Stover and Ryan Longwell have more field goals made than Dawson, so he would like to surpass their percentages.

Also, he has his sights set on Lou Groza's franchise record of 1,349 points scored. Dawson is at 1,110. He will need a new contract -- and a burst of extra points -- to catch "The Toe."

To reach this Plain Dealer reporter: tgrossi@plaind.com, 216-999-4670

On Twitter: @Tony Grossi

No matter which statistic you look at, the Browns run defense is allowing opponents too many yards. St. Louis running back Steven Jackson will be this week’s test.

View full sizeJoshua Gunter, The Plain DealerBrowns defenders have done little to slow running backs like the Texans' Arian Foster, who rushed for 124 yards last Sunday in Houston's 30-12 victory.

BEREA, Ohio — According to Browns defensive coordinator Dick Jauron, total rushing yardage allowed in a game isn't the most important number for a defense to assess its ability.

It's a good thing Jauron doesn't mind what that statistic says, since the Browns' 144.0 rushing yards allowed per game ranks 30th in the 32-team NFL. Not exactly that good.

Yards per carry is where it's at, according to Jauron, and a more accurate assessment of how a defense performs against the run. Ideally, Jauron has lofty goals for his Browns defense when it comes to that statistic.

"I'd like to see it at zero," he deadpanned Thursday.

With the unlikelihood of that ever happening, Jauron would like to see the Browns' defense allowing 3.8 or 3.9 yards per carry. Which makes the Browns' current 4.4 yards per carry, a middling 14th in the league, unacceptable.

View full sizeAPRams running back Steven Jackson.

That's a statistic that rose considerably after last week's pitiful performance against Houston's rushing attack, when Texan running backs Arian Foster and Ben Tate combined for 239 yards on the ground. Seven times, the two dashed for gains in double-digits, and each had long runs of 27 yards.

"We've given up too much in the run game," Jauron said. "Last week, it got out of hand."

This week, the Browns' defense must slow St. Louis Rams running back Steven Jackson. The 6-2, 236-pound back is "bigger and stronger" than anyone the Browns have faced this season, Jauron said. And in Jackson's past two games, he rushed for 130 yards (4.5 yards per carry) and 159 yards (6.4).

His most recent yards per carry is well above Jauron's hopes for his defense and is what they'll focus on limiting Sunday.

Ward out, Hagg in? Strong safety T.J. Ward sat out practice Thursday, again, with his injured right foot still in a cast. Coach Pat Shurmur said it's likely that Ward will miss Sunday's game against the Rams, though he hasn't officially been ruled out.

And with the defensive secondary ranks running thin -- Dimitri Patterson (knee) and Usama Young (hip) also missed practice -- that means Eric Hagg is probably going to get his big opportunity against St. Louis.

The rookie from Nebraska wasn't even sure if he would play this season after a knee injury in the preseason required surgery. This week, Hagg has been practicing with the first-string unit.

"I didn't know what was going to happen, I didn't know if they were going to keep me, or how all that works," Hagg said of his injury. "There were a whole bunch of questions. I'm glad what's going on now. It's a pretty good situation."

First-round pick update: Defensive tackle Phil Taylor was the Browns' first-round draft pick in the spring and has been a starter since Game 1. His past few games, however, he has been less noticeable and his production has tapered off. After logging 23 tackles in his first five games, Taylor has only three in his past three combined.

"He might have leveled off some in the last couple of weeks," Jauron said. "It's a long season, and for a rookie, it gets particularly long."

Taylor admitted he has been working on his hands while blocking, something he noticed on film that needs improvement.

"I'm just learning everything," he said. "I've just got to get better at the little things I need to work on."

Cribbs closing in on 10,000: Browns returner extraordinaire Josh Cribbs didn't know that he's 148 yards from having 10,000 career return yards until someone told him Thursday. But now that he's aware, Cribbs said he's going to aim to obtain the round number against the Rams.

Briefly: Receiver Mohamed Massaquoi (concussion) was sent home again Thursday. He hasn't practiced all week. . . . Kicker Phil Dawson was excused from Thursday's practice with a migraine headache, but Shurmur said he wasn't concerned about Dawson's game status. . . . Offensive lineman Shaun Lauvao said Thursday that he hasn't heard from the NFL office about any potential fine for head-butting Houston linebacker Brian Cushing. He was flagged for unnecessary roughness on the play.

To reach this Plain Dealer reporter: jvalade@plaind.com, 216-999-4654

The Monsters score within the first two minutes of each period en route to tying their highest goal total of the season.

View full sizeJohn Kuntz, The Plain DealerMonsters goalie Cedrick Desjardins blocks a shot on goal by San Antonio in the second period Thursday at The Q.

CLEVELAND, Ohio — The Monsters have struggled this season in large part because of injuries to centers Mark Olver, Mike Carman, Patrick Rissmiller and Joey Hishon.

Carman became the first of the four to appear in a game, going scoreless in a loss Saturday at Hamilton. Five days later, in his second game, Carman became the first to contribute.

Carman scored unassisted during the first period as part of a 5-2 victory against San Antonio on Thursday night at The Q.

The Monsters (5-9-1-0) snapped a three-game skid in which they were outscored, 9-3, and shut out twice. They improved to 3-5 at home.

"They're all important, but we needed this one," Monsters coach David Quinn said. "To score five goals and create the offense we did are good signs."

San Antonio (4-7-0-0) has dropped six of seven. The Rampage entered with a 13-3 all-time record against Lake Erie, including 4-0 last season.

View full sizePDThe Monsters' Ryan Stoa, left, celebrates with teammate Luke Walker after Stoa scored in the second period.

The teams return to The Q tonight for a 7:30 faceoff.

The Monsters scored within the first two minutes of each period en route to tying their highest goal total of the season.

"You want to set the tone to start periods, and we were rewarded with goals," Quinn said. "We worked hard all night and did a good job possessing the puck. We didn't give it away easily."

Justin Mercier opened the scoring at 1:40 of the first. He sent the puck to the net front and watched it pingpong past goalie Jacob Markstrom.

Midway through the first, Carman intercepted an outlet pass, zipped down the slot and went blocker side on Markstrom. Carman tapped in his rebound. Ben Wilson and Patrick Bordeleau set up the play.

"The credit goes to my linemates. I really didn't do a whole lot," Carman said. "I don't remember having that much time to shoot a puck. I actually double-clutched."

During the summer, Carman suffered a broken foot in a freak accident at a hockey camp. He tripped over a bag. The injury required surgery.

"It feels great to be back, great to be part of the team again," he said. "I did a lot of rehab work to get here."

The Monsters took a 3-0 lead at 0:57 of the second period. Ryan Stoa followed a shot by Luke Walker for his first goal in 15 games this season.

Stoa moved into first place, alone, in franchise history with his 40th goal. T.J. Hensick and Matt Ford have 39.

"I've been on that milestone -- or whatever you want to call it -- for a while," he said. "I really wasn't thinking about it."

San Antonio cut the deficit to 3-1 at 18:57 of the second, with Colby Robak scoring his third goal.

David van der Gulik re-established a three-goal cushion at 0:26 of the third. The Rampage made it 4-2 midway through the period, but Lake Erie's Brad Malone bagged an empty-netter in the final minute.

Monsters goalie Cedrick Desjardins did a lot of watching because of his skaters' superior puck possession, but he was ready when needed. Desjardins made 22 saves.

To reach this Plain Dealer reporter: dmanoloff@plaind.com; 216-999-4664

A letter from Gordon Gee to Gene Smith expressed the Ohio State president's disappointment with the athletic director's role in the latest NCAA issues.

Associated PressGordon Gee

Only one MAC team, Northern Illinois, has scored more than three touchdowns on Kent's defense this season, and a big reason for that is because of Roosevelt Nix.

View full sizeKent StateDefensive lineman Roosevelt Nix is having another stellar season for Kent State.

KENT, Ohio — In Mid-American Conference football, where offenses dominate and scores in the 30s and 40s are common, it's tough to say much defense is being played.

Yet there is still a gleam of hope in the MAC's East Division, and it is coming from Kent State and its sophomore defensive lineman, Roosevelt Nix.

Only one MAC team, Northern Illinois, has scored more than three touchdowns on Kent's defense this season. A big reason for that is because the MAC's 2010 Freshman of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year, Nix, has suffered no sophomore slump.

It would be no surprise if the 6-0, 245-pound disruptive force earns the MAC's top defensive honor again.

His numbers are down a bit from last season, but his impact on the game isn't.

"He's very sudden, very quick," Akron coach Rob Ianello said as the Zips prepared to face rival KSU this week.

"He's got to be one of the top players in the league. That's my opinion," Kent coach Darrell Hazell said. "That is where your game plan starts: 'How are we going to block this guy? How are we going to keep this guy out of our backfield all day?' You can't single-block him, from Alabama [the season-opener] on down."

In 2010, Nix led the MAC in sacks (10) and tackles for a loss (20), despite not starting, playing in an eight-man rotation on the defensive line and getting just 43 tackles on the season.

This season, he is a starter but is still part of an eight-man rotation, and he still makes his presence felt -- even if his numbers are down a bit from last season: 27 tackles, 11 1/2 tackles for lost yardage, 3 1/2 sacks, three forced fumbles and one fumble recovery for a touchdown.

"I feel like I'm having a successful year. But I'm not playing to be anything, I'm just playing football," Nix said.

Hazell said Nix's limited numbers speak volumes, noting that the minus-30 yards in sacks and minus-57 yards in tackles for loss indicate Nix isn't just getting through gaps and making tackles, he's running opposing players down behind the line of scrimmage.

And even when Nix doesn't get a notch on his belt, he's still in the picture.

While Kent's recent 24-21 win against Central Michigan was by virtue of a missed chip-shot field goal by CMU, Hazell said there may have been a reason the kicker shanked it.

"If you watch the film, somehow, Rosey makes a hole on the left side," Hazell said. "The kicker misses just as Rosey's jersey shows up, right at the last second. It's got to be a distraction [for the kicker]. Very disruptive, unbelievably disruptive."

None of which is lost on Ianello or the Zips.

"Two guys show up," Ianello said of the missed kick. "Nix is one of them."

On top of it all, Nix has played the entire season with a dislocated big toe.

"To me, he's shown tremendous toughness, with an extremely painful injury," Hazell said. "All year, he's played with that and been one of the most dominant guys in the league, in my opinion."

To reach this Plain Dealer reporter: ealexander@plaind.com, 216-999-4253

New England and the New York Jets meet in a key AFC East matchup.

View full sizeDavid Duprey, Associated PressJets quarterback Mark Sanchez has a chance to put up some big numbers against a porous Patriots defense.

New England (5-3) at N.Y. Jets (5-3)

When: 8:20 p.m.

TV: WKYC Channel 3.

Early line: Pick 'em.

The skinny: Latest installment of one of NFL's most intense rivalries will leave the winner with at least a tie for first place in AFC East. . . . Teams have alternated wins and losses in series starting with Jets' season-opening win in 2009, with both 3-3 -- including New York's 28-21 playoff victory last season. . . . Patriots trying to avoid first three-game losing streak since 2002, when they lost four in a row en route to 9-7 season and missing playoffs. . . . Patriots QB Tom Brady 15-5 in career vs. Jets, including postseason, but 3-3 in last six with 10 TDs and five INTs. Has thrown at least one TD pass in 24 straight games, a franchise mark. . . . Brady tied with Joe Montana for eighth on NFL career list with 39 300-yard passing games. . . . WR Wes Welker moved passed Ben Coates for third place on Patriots' career list with 498 catches. He trails Troy Brown (557) and Stanley Morgan (534).

Baltimore (6-2) at Seattle (2-6)

When: 4:05 p.m.

TV: WOIO Channel 19

Early line: Ravens by 7 1/2.

The skinny: Baltimore trying for second 7-2 start in franchise history. Previous was 2006 when Ravens finished 13-3. . . . Game in Seattle sandwiched around last week's division game at Pittsburgh and next week vs. Cincinnati. All three teams have six victories. . . . Including playoffs, QB Joe Flacco's 42-21 record since 2008 is most wins for any starting QB in NFL, one ahead of Ben Roethlisberger and Drew Brees. . . . WR Torrey Smith and his four TD catches are two behind Jamal Lewis for most TDs by any Ravens rookie. . . . Seahawks' three-game losing streak is second of Pete Carroll's tenure with Seahawks. . . . Seattle called for 10 penalties last week vs. Dallas, third time in four games it was called for 10 or more. In 24 games since Carroll took over, Seattle's picked up eight or more penalties 11 times.

Detroit (6-2) at Chicago (5-3)

When: 4:15 p.m.

TV: WJW Channel 8

Early line: Bears by 2 1/2.

The skinny: Lions 4-0 on road this season. . . . Lions third in league in scoring (29.9 points per game) and sixth in points allowed (18.4 per game). Their 92-point scoring margin ranks second. . . . Matthew Stafford fourth in TD passes (19) and passer rating (99.1). . . . Bears have won three straight since loss to Lions, beating Minnesota at home, Tampa Bay in London and Eagles at Philadelphia on Monday after off week. . . . With 61 TD passes as Bear, Jay Cutler needs three to move ahead of Ed Brown and Erik Kramer (63 each) into fourth on club's list. Jim McMahon third with 67. . . . Matt Forte ranks second in yards rushing (805), and fifth overall and fourth among RBs in yards per carry (5.4). Leads league in yards from scrimmage (1,241) and averaging 155.1 this season, fifth highest in NFL history.

View full sizeAPCowboys running back DeMarco Murray.

Buffalo (5-3) at Dallas (4-4)

When: 1 p.m.

Early line: Cowboys by 6.

The skinny: Chan Gailey in second season as Buffalo's coach. His only other NFL head coaching job was with Cowboys from 1998 to '99, when he was 18-14, plus pair of playoff losses. . . . Cowboys defeated Bills in consecutive Super Bowls at end of 1992 and 1993 seasons. . . . Buffalo plays next three games, and four of five, on road. . . . Bills have chance to get to 6-3 for first time since 1999, last time they made playoffs. . . . Twelve sacks by DeMarcus Ware put him one from overtaking Greg Ellis for fourth-most in single season by Cowboys linebacker. Top three are all Ware, a list topped by his 20 in 2008. . . . DeMarco Murray is first Dallas running back with multiple 100-yard rushing games in same season since Julius Jones in 2004. Murray had 139 yards against Seattle, his second 100-yard game this season.

Denver (3-5) at Kansas City (4-4)

When: 1 p.m.

Early line: Chiefs by 4.

The skinny: Kansas City's four wins have come by combined 40 points. Its four losses have been by 110. . . . Chiefs have picked off 13 passes, tied for third in NFL. . . . Only other team Kansas City has beaten at least 55 times is Oakland (also 55). . . . Broncos QB Tim Tebow completing 46.4 percent of passes (45-of-97). Tebow has led seven scoring drives in fourth quarter or OT in last four games. Tebow has three of top four rushing games by a QB in Broncos history. . . . RB Willis McGahee ran for 163 yards last week, most by Broncos running back since 2004. He leads league in yards rushing per start (103.3). . . . Denver's 833 yards rushing over last four games are sixth-most over four-game stretch in franchise history.

Washington (3-5) at Miami (1-7)

When: 1 p.m.

Early line: Dolphins by 3 1/2.

The skinny: First meeting between teams came in Super Bowl, which 1972 Dolphins won to cap NFL's only perfect season. Redskins beat Miami in Super Bowl 10 years later. . . . Both teams are minus-8 in turnover differential, tied for second-worst in league. . . . Redskins have yet to score TD on an opening drive, while Dolphins outscored, 59-28, in fourth quarter. . . . Washington QB John Beck is 0-9, including 0-7 as starter. . . . Redskins kick returner Brandon Banks tied for third in NFL in fumble recoveries with four. They are all his own fumbles. . . . Dolphins have lost 13 consecutive home games since Christmas 2009. . . . In past four games, Miami's Reggie Bush has rushed for 308 yards while averaging 6.4 yards per carry.

Arizona (2-6) at Philadelphia (3-5)

When: 1 p.m.

Early line: OFF.

The skinny: Cardinals QB Kevin Kolb, suffering from turf toe injury, was Donovan McNabb's successor in Philadelphia. He was traded to Arizona for CB Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and a draft pick in July. Other former Eagles on Cardinals include LB Stewart Bradley, DB Sean Considine, OL Jeremy Bridges. . . . Cards WR Larry Fitzgerald has six TDs receiving in three games vs. Eagles. . . . S Adrian Wilson has had at least a half-sack in four of last five meetings. . . . Arizona RB Beanie Wells tied for third in NFL with seven TDs rushing. . . . Eagles QB Michael Vick 2-0 as a starter vs. Cardinals. His last win was Oct. 1, 2006. . . . RB LeSean McCoy first player since Hall of Famer Emmitt Smith to score TD in each of first eight games. He's tied for NFL lead with 11 TDs, including two receiving.

Tennessee (4-4) at Carolina (2-6)

When: 1 p.m.

Early line: Panthers by 3.

The skinny: Titans have won 12 of past 13 games against NFC teams. . . . QB Matt Hasselbeck has six TDs vs. three picks on road this season. . . . In 12 career games vs. NFC, RB Chris Johnson has averaged 106.3 yards rushing per game. Johnson needs 36 yards rushing to join Eddie George and Earl Campbell as only players in franchise history to reach 5,000 . . . Cam Newton has more yards passing (2,393) after eight games than any rookie QB in league history. Peyton Manning is next closest with 1,873 in 1998. . . . Newton has led Panthers to more touchdowns (21) in eight games than they scored during entire 2010 season (17). Newton has directly accounted for 18 of those scores with 11 touchdown passes and seven rushing scores. . . . DE Charles Johnson has seven sacks in first half of season and 181/2 over last two.

Pittsburgh (6-3) at Cincinnati (6-2)

When: 1 p.m.

Early line: Bengals by 3.

The skinny: First capacity crowd this season at Paul Brown Stadium, with thousands of Steelers fans expected. That ends streak of seven straight regular season Bengals home games that failed to sell out. . . . Steelers swept series last season and have won eight of last nine in Cincinnati. . . . QB Ben Roethlisberger 6-1 career in Cincinnati. . . . Roethlisberger has thrown for more than 300 yards in each of last three games, a franchise first. . . . Bengals trying for sixth straight win, which would match second-longest streak in club history. They also won six in a row in 1973, 1975 and 1988. They won last seven games in 1970 -- their third season as expansion franchise. . . . Andy Dalton's 12 touchdown passes are most by rookie in first eight games of season since 1970 merger. Dalton trying to become first rookie QB with six wins in row since Vince Young in 2006.

Houston (6-3) at Tampa Bay (4-4)

When: 1 p.m.

Early line: Texans by 3.

The skinny: Although Texans and Buccaneers have faced each other nine times in exhibitions, teams are meeting for third time in regular season. Tampa Bay won at home in 2003, and Houston won at home in 2007. . . . Texans have won three straight despite playing without WR Andre Johnson, sidelined by right hamstring injury. They are three games over .500 for first time in franchise history and have best record ever through nine games. . . . Houston QB Matt Schaub excels on road, completing 64 percent of passes for 1,119 yards, eight TDs and one interception in four games. . . . With Arian Foster and Ben Tate each running for over 100 yards, Texans amassed club-record 261 yards rushing in last week's win over Cleveland. Foster seeking fourth consecutive 100-plus game. . . . Bucs QB Josh Freeman has thrown 10 interceptions after having six last season, his first as full-time starter. . . . Tampa Bay RB LeGarrette Blount returned to lineup last week after missing two games with knee sprain. He averaged 5.5 yards per carry, however Tampa Bay fell behind early and had to abandon running game.

New Orleans (6-3) at Atlanta (5-3)

When: 1 p.m.

Early line: Falcons by 1.

The skinny: Teams split season series last year with each team winning on road. Each game decided by three points, including Atlanta's 27-24 win in OT. . . . Saints 8-2 against Falcons with Sean Payton as coach. . . . Saints QB Drew Brees first player in NFL history with more than 3,000 yards passing (3,004) in first nine games of a season. . . . Jimmy Graham leads NFL tight ends with 55 catches for 791 yards. . . . Falcons QB Matt Ryan 8-1 in home division games with 10 TDs and three interceptions. . . . Atlanta's Julio Jones had three catches for 131 yards against Colts last week and become league's first rookie since 1970 with TD catches of at least 50 and 80 yards in same game. They were first two TD catches of Jones' career.

Jacksonville (2-6) at Indianapolis (0-9)

When: 1 p.m.

Early line: Jaguars by 3.

The skinny: Game features two worst offenses in NFL in yards per game. . . . Indianapolis could match worst start since losing first 10 games in 1997. . . . Colts WR Pierre Garcon ninth in AFC in yards receiving with 591. . . . Colts DE Dwight Freeney has 981/2 career sacks -- none since Week 5. He ranks third among active players. . . . Jaguars 45-12 under coach Jack Del Rio when they score first. Colts have had deficits of 31-0, 20-0 and 21-0 past three weeks. . . . Jacksonville RB Maurice Jones-Drew needs 12 yards to reach 6,000 for career. He would join Fred Taylor as only Jaguar to accomplish feat. . . . Jacksonville only team in league that has not scored at least 100 points this season. . . . Jacksonville K Josh Scobee 14-for-14 on field goals.

N.Y. Giants (6-2) at San Francisco (7-1)

When: 4:15 p.m.

Early line: 49ers by 3 1/2.

The skinny: Giants have won last three meetings since San Francisco's 39-38 win at Candlestick Park on Jan. 5, 2003, in which Niners rallied from 24 points down in one of best comebacks in playoff history. . . . New York leads regular season series 14-13, while 49ers lead postseason series 4-3. Giants 5-10 overall at Candlestick. . . . 49ers RB Frank Gore, with a franchise-record five straight 100-yard games, has 7,196 career yards rushing and needs 149 to pass late Hall of Famer Joe Perry (7,344) for most yards rushing in club history. . . . San Francisco K David Akers has 78 points -- making 19-of-21 field goals and all 21 of PATS -- ranking first in franchise history for most points scored in team's first eight games. . . . 49ers top-ranked run defense hasn't allowed 100-yard rusher in 30 straight games, tied for fourth-longest streak since 2000. . . . Giants have forced at least one turnover in 21 straight regular season games.

Minnesota (2-6) at Green Bay (8-0)

When: Monday, 8:30 p.m.

TV: ESPN

Early line: Packers by 13 1/2.

The skinny: Vikings rookie QB Christian Ponder won first NFL game in Week 8, completing 18-of-28 passes for 236 yards with one TD. He made first career start in Week 7 against Packers, throwing two TDs in loss. . . . RB Adrian Peterson rushed for 175 yards and one TD in last meeting with Packers. Peterson has a TD rushing in six of his past seven games against Packers. . . . WR-KR Percy Harvin aims for third Monday night game in row with TD. . . . Packers have won 14 in row, including playoffs, longest streak in team history. . . . QB Aaron Rodgers has passed for 2,619 yards and 24 TDs, first QB in NFL history with 2,600-plus yards and 24-plus TDs in first eight games of season. . . . WR Greg Jennings has six TDs in past four meetings with Vikings.

NOTE: Tony Grossi's picks and the Browns-Rams preview will appear online this weekend.

Ohio State travels to Purdue, Akron faces Kent State, and John Carroll takes on Baldwin-Wallace.

View full sizeAndy Manis, Associated PressPurdue quarterback Robert Marve.

Big Ten Conference

Ohio State at Purdue

Kickoff: Noon at Ross-Ade Stadium, West Lafayette, Ind.

TV/radio: Big Ten Network; WKNR AM/850.

Notable: OSU coach Luke Fickell isn't sure about the standings in his own Big Ten division. He's also not certain what other teams around the country are up to. Yet he knows that the Buckeyes are just 2-2 in their past four trips to West Lafayette. That fact is of prime importance, since Ohio State (6-3, 3-2) rides a three-game winning streak into the game against Purdue (4-5, 2-3). The Buckeyes are a touchdown favorite, but that hasn't meant much in recent years. In 2009, the seventh-ranked Buckeyes were unbeaten in conference play, while Purdue was winless and stuck in a five-game slide. But the Boilermakers still pulled out a stunning 26-18 upset. This season, the Buckeyes are 1-2 away from home, losing at Miami, 24-6, and at Nebraska, 34-27, and winning at Illinois, 17-7.

Next for OSU: Saturday vs. No. 12 Penn State, 3:30.

-- Compiled from AP reports

Mid-American Conference

Akron vs. Kent State

Kickoff: 2 p.m. at InfoCision Stadium, Akron.

TV/radio: SportsTime Ohio; WARF AM/1350. WNIR FM/100.1.

Notable: Records mean little in the battle for the Wagon Wheel, particularly for the Akron Zips (1-8, 0-5) who own a comfortable 30-21-2 edge in the series against Kent State (3-6, 2-3). The Golden Flashes won last season, 28-17, but that doesn't bode well for KSU, considering it has not won back-to-back games in this series since 1987 and 1988. Interestingly, first-year Kent coach Darrell Hazell and second-year Akron coach Rob Ianello will both be looking for their first Wagon Wheel victory.

Next for Akron: Saturday, noon, at Buffalo.

Next for Kent State: Saturday, 1 p.m. vs. Eastern Michigan.

-- Elton Alexander

Division II

Lake Erie vs. Ashland

Kickoff: 1 p.m. at Jack Britt Memorial Stadium, Painesville.

Notable: LEC is feeling good after last week's 52-42 win at Tiffin. Freshman RB Rod Smith rushed for a career-high 172 yards and a school-record three TDs, helping the Storm earn its first win as a member of the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. LEC is 2-8, 1-8 GLIAC. Smith and senior QB Sean Bedevelsky (Brunswick) helped propel LEC to a season-high 270 yards on the ground. Ashland is 6-4, 6-3 after last week's 20-17 loss to Ohio Dominican. Former Akron coach Lee Owens is in his eighth season at Ashland and has a 55-32 record there.

Next for LEC: End of season.

Notre Dame College at No. 23 N. Greenville (S.C.)

Kickoff: 1 p.m. at Younts Stadium, Tigerville, S.C.

Radio: KNR2 AM/1540.

Notable: NDC (5-5) will play its season finale against the Crusaders for the second straight year. QB Rob Partridge threw for a school-record 353 yards last week in a 38-13 loss to Kentucky Wesleyan. Falcons RB Pedro Powell needs 90 yards to become the program's first 1,000-yard, single-season rusher. The Crusaders are 8-2 and one of the South's top contenders in Division II. UNG has won six straight and hasn't lost at home since Sept. 18, 2010 -- a streak of eight consecutive games. North Greenville topped NDC a year ago at Brush High School.

Next for NDC: End of season.

Division III

Case Western Reserve vs. Carnegie Mellon

Kickoff: 2 p.m. at Gesling Stadium, Pittsburgh.

Notable: CWRU (8-1, 2-0 University Athletic Association) has won seven in a row and can claim a fourth UAA title in five seasons outright with a victory. The Spartans also remain in contention for an NCAA playoff berth. Defensively, CWRU is the No. 1 team in the nation in red-zone efficiency, allowing just 10 opponent scores in 22 trips inside the 20 (45 percent). The Spartans are also ninth in rush defense (79.7 ypg) and 10th in scoring defense (11.7 ppg). Senior tackle Dale English (Holy Name) is CWRU's all-time sacks leader. He has UAA bests of 61/2 sacks and 15 tackles for loss this season. Junior safety Dan Calabrese (Notre Dame-Cathedral Latin), the reigning UAA Defensive Player of the Week, has six interceptions and three return touchdowns. Senior K Daniel Vasil is the league's Special Teams Player of the Week and is 10-for-13 in field-goal tries during the past five games, with a career-best 43-yarder.

Next for CWRU: Potential Division III playoff berth.

Hiram vs. Ohio Wesleyan

Kickoff: 1 p.m. at Henry Field, Hiram.

Notable: Hiram (1-8, 1-4 North Coast Athletic Conference) is coming off a 44-14 loss to Allegheny (Pa.). In the loss, senior DB Dominick Harper (Kenmore) continued his strong play, with a game- and career-high 17 tackles (10 solo and seven assists). It is Senior Day for the Terriers. OWU is 3-6, 2-3.

Next for Hiram: End of season.

John Carroll at No. 24 Baldwin-Wallace

Kickoff: 1:30 at Finnie Stadium, Berea.

TV/radio: SportsTime Ohio, delayed (Sunday at noon; Monday at 6 a.m.); WBWC FM/88.3; WJCU FM/88.7.

Notable: This is the 23rd annual Battle for the Cuyahoga Gold Bowl Trophy. The all-time series is tied, 23-23-4, and the Gold Bowl series is tied at 11-11. B-W (7-2, 6-2 Ohio Athletic Conference) needs to beat JCU (5-4, 5-3) to clinch second place in the OAC and keep its Division III playoff hopes alive. B-W junior QB Ryan O'Rourke (Avon) leads the B-W offense. He has completed 123-of-212 passes for 1,524 yards and 12 TDs. Wildcat-formation QB Andrew Dziak (Padua) has five rushing TDs, including two in last week's loss to Mount Union. Junior RB Tyler Lohr (Kent Roosevelt) tops the B-W running game with 802 yards and six TDs. Senior DE Derron Hamilton (Euclid) leads the OAC with 11 QB sacks. JCU QB Devin O'Brien caused B-W all kinds of problems in last year's 31-28 JCU win. He is 130-of-205 passing for 1,688 yards and 13 TDs. This season, he has run for a team-leading 537 yards and nine TDs. Junior WR Wayne Robilotto (Riverside) is the top receiver with 27 grabs for 371 yards and two TDs. The defense is led by linebacker C.J. Seitzinger's 86 tackles.

Next for B-W: Potential Division III playoff berth.

Next for JCU: End of season.

No. 2 Mount Union at Muskingum

Kickoff: 1:30 at McConagha Stadium, New Concord.

Notable: Mount is (9-0, 8-0 OAC). The Muskies are (4-5, 3-5). The Purple Raiders claimed their 23rd overall and 20th straight OAC title, along with an automatic bid to the 2011 NCAA Division III Football Championship, with an exciting 25-20 win against Baldwin-Wallace last week. Junior RB Jeremy Murray rushed for 155 yards in the win. The Mount defense was led by junior safeties Nick Driskill and Alex Nicholls. Driskill had a career-high 14 tackles, while Nicholls had a pair of interceptions. Muskingum has lost five straight, including, 19-14, at Capital last week. QB Dalton Smith passed for a career-best 300 yards with two touchdowns for the Muskies.

Next for Mount: NCAA Division III playoff game TBA.

Oberlin at Allegheny

Kickoff: 1 p.m. at Fuhrer Field, Meadville, Pa.

Radio: WOBL AM/1320.

Notable: Oberlin is 2-7, 1-4 in the NCAC. Allegheny is 5-4, 4-2. The last time Oberlin beat Allegheny was in 2007, as a Gators' Hail Mary pass on the game's final play was batted down, allowing Oberlin to hang on for a 27-22 win. Oberlin QB Josh Mandel needs just 161 yards passing to become the fourth player in school history to throw for 2,000 yards in a season. He needs just one TD pass to tie Willie Martinez for the single-season record of 19.

Next for Oberlin: End of season.

-- Compiled using information from the colleges' sports-information departments.

Ohio State's men's team opens against Wright State, while the Akron, Kent State and Cleveland State women's teams also play.

View full sizeAPOhio State men's basketball coach Thad Matta.

Men

No. 3 Ohio State vs. Wright State

Tipoff: 9 p.m. at Value City Arena, Columbus.

TV/radio: Big Ten Network; WFUN AM/970.

Notable: OSU coach Thad Matta wasn't thrilled with Sunday's exhibition win over Walsh, but the Buckeyes don't have long to get things figured out. Four days away is a visit from the No. 8 team in the country, so Ohio State needs to settle on a rotation and work in two new starters in its regular-season opener. Mostly keep an eye on big man Jared Sullinger. His game is changing, with his jump shot more involved, and how he improves on a sensational freshman season is worth watching.

Next for OSU: Vs. Florida, Tuesday, 8 p.m.

-- Doug Lesmerises

Women

Akron at No. 2 Notre Dame

Tipoff: 7 p.m. at Purcell Pavilion, South Bend, Ind.

Radio: WARF AM/1350.

Notable: Season opener for Akron, which is 0-3 in program history against ranked opponents. Akron (14-16 last season) is led by Rachel Tecca (15.8 ppg). Notre Dame finished last season 30-8 and returns four starters.

Next for Akron: Tuesday vs. St. Francis, 7 p.m.

Kent State at Marshall

Tipoff: 5 p.m. at Henderson Center, Huntington, W.Va.

Notable: Kent State opens its season with eight new players (six freshmen) and a new starting five from last season, which ended 20-10. Marshall (9-21) is rebuilding.

Next for KSU: Tuesday at Robert Morris, 7 p.m.

Cleveland State vs. Tennessee State

Tipoff: 7 p.m. at Wolstein Center.

Notable: The Vikings open the season with four starters back from last season's 21-12 team. Forward Shalonda Winton is the key returner after averaging 12.5 ppg and 9.1 rpg in 2010-11. Tennessee State was 9-21 last season.

Next for CSU: Sunday vs. Illinois, 2 p.m.

-- Elton Alexander

Some prominent agents, including Cleveland-based Mark Termini, believe the NBA is using the collective bargaining agreement to limit their influence.

View full sizeJohn Minchillo, Associated PressNBA Commissioner David Stern speaks to the news media Thursday after a marathon meeting with the Players Association in New York ended with talks breaking down.

CLEVELAND, Ohio — Cleveland native Mark Termini has been an NBA agent for 25 years. So has Bill Duffy, one of the so-called Super Seven, an unofficial advisory group of highly respected agents that represents roughly 50 percent of the players in the league.

In their admittedly biased opinions, one little-discussed consequence of the recent deals struck between the NBA and its players association is the diminishing impact agents have in the league.

They don't think it's unintentional, and they don't think it's likely to be reversed whenever the new collective bargaining agreement (CBA) ends the lockout that reached its 133rd day on Thursday.

"The agents represent a threat to the control of the owner and the team," said Termini, who has represented many of the top players from Ohio, including Jim Jackson, Brad Sellers, Earl Boykins and Kosta Koufos. "They want to just deal with the player. They're going to tell him what to do, where to go, when he's hurt, when he's not hurt, what doctor to go to, what's a good deal, what's a bad deal, when he's traded, what time to report.

"The agent gets involved in all of those decisions on behalf of the player and it's burdensome to the team. They don't like it. They'd like to eliminate that. So in these negotiations, as the options for the players become fewer and fewer, it has the hand-in-glove effect of reducing the role of the agent."

When Duffy was asked if he and the other members of the Super Seven agreed with that assessment, he said emphatically, "Without question."

According to Termini, seminal changes occurred in 1999 when the league and players association approved a CBA with a wage scale for rookies and a maximum-salary deal for veterans.

This followed a huge growth spurt in the 1990s, when agents like the omnipotent David Falk, who represented Michael Jordan and more than 100 other players, were able to push salaries to levels never seen before in deals that had few restrictions.

Whereas Termini was able to negotiate a six-year, $20 million deal for Jackson in 1992 after he was the No. 4 pick in the draft by the Dallas Mavericks -- setting the bar for all the draft choices that came after -- now rookies were going to receive a pre-set salary based on where they were drafted. Furthermore, the biggest stars in the league also had a pre-determined salary, no matter where they played or what they meant to their teams. No other pro league has such a deal.

In addition, other options that were available to agents trying to make deals -- like the ability to hold out a client, force a trade or reject one -- were eliminated. Lengths of contracts were shortened. Even scheduled raises were trimmed 2 percent.

"I used to have 10 tools in my toolbox," Termini said. "Now I'm down to one or two. I can still build a house for my client, but it won't be as nice and it will be just like all the rest in the neighborhood."

While the NBA declined to comment for this story, it would appear that the statistics bear out the opinions of these agents. The New York Times recently reported that a record 160 players were on minimum contracts last season, with 107 players on rookie contracts and 63 on midlevel exception deals. That left between 90 and 100 players on actually negotiated contracts not bound by a salary slot.

"The league wants to have, as much as possible, a menu of salaries where the agent's ability to negotiate is minimal," Termini said.

Of course, given the current economic climate, neither Commissioner David Stern and the owners, nor the athletes and their agents are garnering much sympathy during this lockout. The agents know this. What upsets them is when outsiders suggest they are in this for themselves. They do get paid more when the players get paid more, but they don't get paid at all unless the players get paid. Typically, an NBA agent receives 4 percent of a client's salary.

"People are questioning the agents' agenda," said Duffy, whose firm represents the Cavs' Baron Davis and Ryan Hollins. "Our interests are aligned strictly with the players. Our job is to protect the players. Our job is to get them paid.

"This is no different than the CEO of a company having his lawyer do his contract. I'm sure when David Stern does his contract, he has another set of eyes look over it. Every other professional coach has an agent. General managers have agents. Everyone has someone to serve their business interests. In most of those cases, most of those professionals are trained negotiators and/or lawyers. In this case, these are athletes who, in some cases, haven't even completed their education because of the gift they have. The fact that they're young and inexperienced. . . . They need a savvy negotiator to protect their interests."

The agents know not everyone agrees. Some think all players make too much money.

"It depends where you sit whether that's good, bad or indifferent," Termini said. "But it's definitely a factor as to why the owners are saying, 'Look, we want to do away with the involvement of Falk and Termini and Duffy.' The tighter the system is, the less involvement these guys will have."

The Associated Press contributed to this story.

To reach this Plain Dealer reporter: mschmitt@plaind.com, 216-999-4668

On Twitter: @pdcavsinsider

It's the weekend, so expect a cold front to make the fishing difficult. The near-shore Lake Erie walleye and yellow perch fishing has been a roller coaster ride, while the steelhead trout fishing is slow on rivers that are low and clear.

With a forecast of snow and big winds, weekend fishing will be an adventure for the brave anglers eager to make a cast. The good news is that precipitation is needed to kick up the rivers and rejuvenate steelhead fishing. Near-shore walleye and yellow perch fishing on Lake Erie has been fair to good. Inland lakes have been good for walleye and crappie.

Cleveland area Yellow perch fishing has been spotty, with some perch caught off the Cuyahoga River Lighthouse. A few walleye are hitting minnow-style plugs trolled in 20 to 35 feet of water from Lakewood's Gold Coast to Bratenahl, or try casting from shoreline piers and breakwalls after sunset. The rocks at Edgewater Park have been a top spot for walleye after dark while floating or suspending Husky Jerk lures in perch, blue-silver and black-silver color patterns.

Central Lake Erie Yellow perch fishing has been fair to good from Huron to Fairport Harbor, but anglers need to do plenty of scouting to find big schools of perch. The best depths have been 25 to 35 feet. Top locations include the Avon Lake area, off the mouth of the Rocky River and east of Wildwood State Park.

Walleye fishing west of Cleveland has been good this week in the Huron-Vermilion area, where fishermen are trolling Reef Runner, Husky Jerk and Long A Bomber lures in 25 to 40 feet of water. After-dark angling has been best. Some staging steelhead trout are being caught while casting or trolling river mouths with spoons and small diving plugs.

Rivers and streams Steelhead trout fishing has been erratic with low, clear water conditions around the area. Look for that to change this weekend if the snow and rain mix kicks up river levels and stains the water. The Chagrin and Rocky rivers are providing action, while the Grand River and Conneaut Creek have yet to live up to their reputations. Anglers are casting small spawn bags and jig-maggot and jig-minnow combinations. Fly fishers are relying on small streamers, nymphs and egg patterns.

Inland lakes, reservoirs The blade bait bite is on for walleye, with good numbers of fish being caught at Pymatuning, Mosquito and Berlin reservoirs in 20 feet of water or less. After dark, fishermen are wading the points and casting minnow-style plugs and jig-minnow combinations. Shallow-running diving plugs are also catching walleye in extremely shallow water, especially early and late in the day. With docks now vacant at Pymatuning's Jamestown Marina, anglers are allowed to wander the docks and dunk jig-maggot and jig-minnow rigs for bluegill and crappie. (Note: Ohio anglers need a Pennsylvania fishing license while on shore.)

Water level is a problem. Berlin, West Branch and Mosquito reservoirs and Lake Milton are low. With Berlin's Bonner Road ramp being repaired, the lake is down 17 feet this week. That is letting Berlin anglers see the rock piles and structure that will attract fish when the water level is back up next spring and summer. The boat launch on the west side of Berlin Lake is still usable, but beware of shallow conditions.

Yellow perch fishing is very good at Lake Milton, as well as along the Pymatuning Lake causeway and near the new Bowers Launch Ramp on the Ohio side.

Western Lake Erie Pier and breakwall fishermen are starting to take some walleye after dark on minnow-style plugs. Trolling fishermen have picked off a few walleye south of Gull Island Shoal and northeast of Kelleys Island. Yellow perch fishing has been good when the wind and waves cooperate all along the shoreline in 20 to 30 feet of water.

-- D'Arcy Egan

Fishing tournaments

Fall Brawl Walleye Derby

Jim Jack of Parma is the new leader with a 29.5-inch, 10.88-pound walleye caught while trolling in the Cleveland area of Lake Erie.

Dog trial results

All-Breed Hunter's Trial

Bostwick Memorial

Cuyahoga Coon Hunters Association

Hinckley, Ohio

Dogs of the day -- Pointing: Earl Williams, English pointer (EP), Champ. Flushing: John Denczak, English springer spaniel (ESS), Powder.

All-age -- Pointing: Earl Williams, EP, Champ; Joe Kusmierczyk, EP, Scarlett; George Roudebush, weimaraner, Luke. Flushing: Gary Killiany, ESS, Sam; Dave Rydzinski, Labrador retriever (Lab), Amber.

Open -- Pointing: Joe Pitts, EP, Rocky; Lou Dell'Osso, Brittany (Brit), Lakota; John Harbert, German shorthaired pointer, Rebel; John Harbert, GSP, Meadow. Flushing: Bob Rinehart, ESS, Tober; John Kristof, golden retriever, Molly; John Rizzo, Lab, Martie; Dale Reckart, English cocker spaniel; Lola.

Derby -- Pointing: John Harbert, GSP, Gage; Lou Dell'Osso, Brit, Tatonka. Flushing: Eric Lingler, Lab, Duke; Lee Nelson, Lab, Josie; Shawn McCraw, ESS, Duke.

Puppy -- Pointing: No awards. Flushing: John Denczak, ESS, Powder; Ashford Hawley, Lab, Belle; Tim Dettmer, Lab, Ruby.

Senior -- Pointing: Joe Kusmierczyk, GSP, Sniper; Ralph Sucku, GSP, Dolly. Flushing: Gary Killiany, ESS, Charlie; John Masseria, ESS, Saffron; John Denczak, ESS, Pearl; John Rizzo, Lab, Teke.

Darren Mattocks was named Player of the Year; Wil Trapp, Newcomer of the Year; and Caleb Porter, Coach of the Year.

View full sizeJeff Harwell, Zips Sports PhotographyDarren Mattocks has 18 goals in 18 matches.

AKRON, Ohio — For the fifth straight season, the Akron men's soccer team swept the Mid-American Conference specialty awards that were announced Thursday.

Darren Mattocks was named Player of the Year; Wil Trapp, Newcomer of the Year; and Caleb Porter, Coach of the Year.

Mattocks, who is third in the country with 18 goals in 18 matches, is the seventh straight Akron player to earn the league's highest individual honor. He follows Darlington Nagbe (2010), Teal Bunbury (2009), Steve Zakuani (2008), Corey Sipos (2007), Sinisa Ubiparipovic (2006) and Ross McKenzie (2005).

Trapp, a freshman, becomes the 10th UA player to earn newcomer honors. He has started every game this season for the Zips and has five assists on.

It is the fifth consecutive season that Porter, who has the highest career winning percentage among all active Division I coaches, was named MAC Coach of the Year. Porter enters this weekend's conference tournament with an overall record of 103-16-13 (.830) and a mark of 32-1-1 (.956) in MAC play.

Joining Mattocks and Trapp on the All-MAC first team were midfielders Scott Caldwell and Aodhan Quinn; forward Luke Holmes; and defenders Chad Barson and DeAndre Yedlin.

As the No. 1 seed in the MAC Tournament, UA will kick off against fourth-seeded Western Michigan in the first semifinal game today at 5 p.m. at FirstEnergy Stadium. No. 2 Northern Illinois will meet No. 3 Buffalo in the second contest beginning at 8 p.m.

The winners will advance to the MAC championship game Sunday at 4 p.m.

Tom Cousineau, the former St. Edward All-Ohioan and two-time Ohio State All-American linebacker, played nine years in the pros, including four seasons with the Browns. You might say Cousineau is doing the same thing he did in 1973 and 1974, preparing to face rival St. Ignatius. OK, it's not exactly the same. Back then he prepared as a player....

St. Edward assistant coach Tom Cousineau. - (Tim Harrison, Special to PD)

Tom Cousineau, the former St. Edward All-Ohioan and two-time Ohio State All-American linebacker, played nine years in the pros, including four seasons with the Browns.

You might say Cousineau is doing the same thing he did in 1973 and 1974, preparing to face rival St. Ignatius. OK, it's not exactly the same. Back then he prepared as a player. Today, he prepares as a volunteer assistant coach (linebackers, what else?) at his alma mater, a place that remains close to his heart.

"I love the esprit de corps that exists, not only in athletics but in all the extracurricular activities," said Cousineau, 54. "It is a great learning environment. The kids come prepared to be successful. It is not cool simply to be average."

Despite all his success, Cousineau contends he gets a kick out of high school football.

"I like helping the kids," said Cousineau, in his second stint as a St. Edward assistant after one season at St. Vincent-St. Mary.

Cousineau, active in the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, guesses that most of the current St. Edward players are aware of his past. But you have to wonder if they're aware of his place in history: MVP of the 1977 Orange Bowl, his second of four bowl game appearances; he played in the infamous 1978 Gator Bowl, the last game Woody Hayes would coach; the first pick of the 1979 draft, he snubbed the NFL and chose to play in the Canadian Football League; Sports Illustrated cover boy; he came to Cleveland as a free agent after three years in Montreal; and he was once the highest-paid player in the NFL. Cousineau made millions in pro football and went on to a successful career in real estate.

He had both hips replaced within a five-month span last year. He hopes to soon return to the active life he cherishes. When healthy he played tennis, was an avid snow and water skier, hiked and biked.

-- Tim Rogers

Send suggestions on people or stories we should update for the weekly "Whatever happened to . . . ?" series to Metropolitan Sports Editor Kristen Davis at kdavis@plaind.com, or call 216-999-6163.

The league offers players a revised deal after nearly 11 hours of bargaining, but union President Derek Fisher says it doesn't address all the necessary system issues that are important to the players.

View full sizeJohn Minchillo, Associated PressNBA Players Association executive director Billy Hunter says the union will try to bring player representatives to New York by Monday or Tuesday to decide what the next step is.

It seems the only thing softer than the league's salary cap is its deadlines and ultimatums.

Negotiations between the NBA and its players union ended after 11 hours in New York late Thursday night with no deal, but a revised offer to ponder. Commissioner David Stern also held out the promise of a 72-game season to players -- just as their first paychecks are about to be missed.

Union chief Billy Hunter said his 30 player representatives will return to New York, probably on Monday, to review and discuss the latest proposal that supposedly includes changes to systems issues. It's believed an agreement on a 50-50 split of basketball-related revenue (BRI) remains intact.

But Stern, who asked for a final answer from players on Wednesday regarding the league's previous proposal, is again threatening a reset offer. It would reduce the players' share to 47 percent and include a hard cap and rollbacks on existing contracts.

The sides met for 23 hours the past two days without a resolution to the 133-day lockout.

"There comes a time when you have to be through negotiating," Stern told reporters in New York. "And we are."

The union's decision to take an entire weekend before assembling its representatives is a curious one. Some believe it allows too much time for hard-liners -- upset with perceived league intransigence -- to politic and poke holes in the proposal.

There remains a distinct possibility the players, with the help of agents, could begin a union dissolution process that could wind up in the court system. It's worth noting, however, such a move would not prevent the NBA Players Association from potentially reaching a deal next week.

One theory for the three-day recess is to give as many players and reps as possible time to make it to New York. Cavaliers representative Anthony Parker said players didn't realize how unfavorable the last offer was until they huddled and discussed it.

After making BRI concessions, the union wants owners to compromise on systems issues aimed at restricting player movement to luxury-tax paying franchises and reducing contract terms and team payrolls.

One union source told ESPN.com that he expects the latest league proposal to be rejected: "Nothing was addressed, it's the same offer as before."

Hunter told reporters, "It not the greatest proposal in the world, but I have an obligation to at least present it to our membership."

It would seem small-market owners are trying to hold firm on a goal of achieving competitive balance.

"The [proposal] will create a better league where fans in more markets will be able to hope their teams can compete for championships," deputy commissioner Adam Silver said.

Stern dangled the 72-game carrot in his news conference. If players agreed to a new deal, the season would begin on Dec. 15. The start of the playoffs and NBA Finals would each be delayed by a week, Stern said.

What went unsaid is the league has canceled two more weeks of the regular season -- with potentially more cuts to follow.