Plauderkasten^^ » six Tide backs have been drafted in the first three ro

NACOGDOCHES, Texas -- Zach Conque passed for 283 yards and three touchdowns and ran for another 120 yards to lead Stephen F. Austin to a 45-31 win over Northwestern State on Saturday night.The senior concluded his career as both teams finished the season. Conque became just the fourth player in SFA history to amass 8,000 yards in total offense as he finished his career with 8,469 total yards.Kijana Amous rushed for 103 yards and Tamrick Pace hauled in eight passes for 142 yards for the Lumberjacks (5-6, 4-5 Southland Conference).SFA held a 30-21 lead at the break but Northwestern States DeMard Llorens scored from the 6 early in the fourth to close to 37-31.SFAs Loren Easly then capped the scoring on an 11-yard run with 3:35 left.Brooks Haack led Northwestern State (1-10, 0-9), throwing for 347 yards and three touchdowns. Bobby Chan-Chan hauled in eight of those for 182 yards. Shoes NZ Sale . -- The Bishops Gaiters are showing they belong among the countrys top varsity football teams. Wholesale Shoes NZ . 1 position. The Mustangs (6-0), who beat Queens 50-31 last weekend, earned 17 first-place votes and 287 points in voting by the Football Reporters of Canada. Western was last ranked first in the country in October 2011. https://www.shoesnzonline.com/ . The parade and rally were held to celebrate the Saskatchewan Roughriders 45-23 win over the Hamilton Tiger-Cats on Sunday in the CFLs championship game. Shoes NZ Nike . -- San Francisco 49ers linebacker Ahmad Brooks was fined $15,570 by the NFL on Wednesday for his hit on Saints quarterback Drew Brees last Sunday. Shoes NZ Outlet . -- Kyrie Irvings last-minute 3-pointer helped seal another victory for Cleveland -- and the Cavaliers longest winning streak since LeBron James left. TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- Alabama will trot out an unproven quarterback, insert a new tailback and replace a collection of NFL draft picks.Its not the conventional formula for contention but it worked just fine for the Crimson Tide last season, when Nick Saban and `Bama navigated a similar scenario to claim their fourth national title in seven years.-New season, same old expectations. It seems a given these days that Alabama is as well stocked with talent as any team in college football, but Sabans standard theme is about mind-set and attitude not recruiting rankings.When we have a critical mass of players that buy into the team ... we seem like weve done pretty well in the past, he said. When we have lots of people preoccupied with other things like how much theyre going to play or who their agents going to be next year or whenever, we dont seem to do nearly as well.For the third straight season, the Tide carried a quarterback competition into fall camp. Cooper Bateman, Blake Barnett, David Cornwell and freshman Jalen Hurts all have been in the mix, though Cornwell was limited during the summer and early in camp by a foot injury.The biggest hole is the one left by Heisman Trophy-winning tailback Derrick Henry, who ran the ball more times (395 carries) than Jake Coker threw it (393).Henrys replacement -- likely a combination of Bo Scarbrough and Damien Harris -- will still be able to run behind All-SEC left tackle Cam Robinson. Ross Pierschbacher moves from starting left guard to center, replacing first-round draft pick and Rimington Award winner Ryan Kelly.Calvin Ridley headlines a loaded receiving corps that also includes tight end O.J. Howard, offensive MVP of the national championship game.A defense that led the nation against the run and ranked third in points allowed per game, total yards given up and sacks is loaded with returning stars like defensive end Jonathan Allen and safety Eddiie Jackson.ddddddddddddYoung players like run-stopper DaRon Payne and cornerbacks Minkah Fitzpatrick and Marlon Humphrey look like future stars. Others like defensive end DaShawn Hand and Reuben Foster could be poised for breakout seasons.KEY GAMESat Mississippi, Sep. 17; at LSU, Nov. 5; Auburn, Nov. 26.SEASON OPENERFaces Southern California -- offensive coordinator Lane Kiffins former team -- Sept. 3 in Arlington, Texas. Its the kind of neutral-site game thats become a regular staple as `Bamas opener under Saban, and hes won all six by double-digit margins.NEW BACKFIELDThis is the first time Saban hasnt been able to insert an experienced tailback to replace the latest NFL-bound star (six Tide backs have been drafted in the first three rounds over the past six years). Scarbrough and Harris are former five-star recruits who got limited carries as freshmen so theyre still unproven. Plus, two recruiting services rated freshman B.J. Emmons as the nations top runner. It will almost certainly not be a one-man show like last season, when none of Henrys understudies even reached 80 carries.FRONT SEVENThe defensive front seven might lack last seasons tremendous depth, but Jonathan Allen and Tim Williams both put off entering the NFL draft to return after racking up double-digit sacks.PREDICTIONArguably the teams toughest SEC games come on the road against Mississippi, Arkansas, Tennessee and LSU. The Rebels have beaten Alabama the past two years. Theres plenty of backfield talent, if minimal experience. But the Tide remains strong on both sides of the line of scrimmage, and Ridley is one of the SECs top receivers. The result: An 11-1 (12-0 is certainly a possibility) regular season and another SEC West championship.---AP college football website: collegefootball.ap.org ' ' '