Michigan hyper-prepared for MSU special teams trickery

ANN ARBOR, Mich. – If there’s one place where Michigan is certainly on high-alert for Michigan State this Saturday, it’s the Spartans’ penchant for trick plays on special teams. The mishandling of a snap in 2015 not included, there are several key …

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ANN ARBOR, Mich. — If there’s one place where Michigan is certainly on high-alert for Michigan State this Saturday, it’s the Spartans’ penchant for trick plays on special teams.

The mishandling of a snap in 2015 not included, there are several key plays that MSU has had over the years on the third unit that have given the Spartans a lot of key success. So, naturally, for special teams coordinator Chris Partridge, the preparation for Saturday’s matchup requires a little bit of reverse engineering, taking a look at how and where MSU might attack the Wolverines in that light and knowing how to handle those situations should the Spartans attack in-kind.

“Really, it’s about, we have to look at what our weaknesses might be and how they might attack them,” Partridge said. “That’s the first and foremost. Then we have to look at what they do, trick play or not, we’ve gotta prepare for everything. But yeah, we just have to make sure our eyes are disciplined and we’re ready for anything they can throw at us and be ready to understand the situations they could throw at us and go from there. But it’s really looking at ourselves and how they can attack any of our weaknesses and then looking at what they’ve done and what their strengths are and how they can try to do something like that.”

Doing that is one thing, but knowing what might be coming is another.

Partridge & Co. are being quite fastidious when it comes to studying what MSU likes to do on that front, going all the way back to the beginning of the Mark Dantonio era to study the team’s tendencies when it comes to trickeration.

That doesn’t mean that every past situation is replicated in practice, but the team is well aware of what could be should MSU decide to trot out a surprise special teams play.

“Michigan – Michigan State – 12 years ago, they ran a fake punt or something – we’ve seen it all,” Partridge said. “We’ve seen every fake punt that they’ve run, probably, for 12 years. We’ve seen all their trickery on field goal. We watch it all. We’re not gonna practice it all, but we’re gonna make sure we’re aware of all of it.”

But not every play in that light is different. Some are wildly different, Partridge notes, pointing out that the field goal tricks all have different looks. But the fake punts are something that MSU tends to use out of the same formation and look.

In that light, Michigan has to be ready, because if MSU does pull out some kind of fake or trickery, it’s likely due to the level of success that the Spartans feel they could have against a particular look.

“The last three fake punts are exactly the same,” Partridge said. “They’re the exact same one. The field goal stuff has been quite different. But they’ve run some different fake punts as well, but the last three have been the same. Again, opportunities presented themselves. They’re not going out there – I don’t know if people are saying, ‘Hey, there’s a trick play,’ – they’re not going out there doing crazy stuff for no reason. When you watch their fakes, they’re executing them because the opportunity presented itself from what the the other team was doing. It’s smart coaching, it’s smart football on their part, I believe.”

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Basketball recruit Corey Walker signs with Vols

Corey Walker signs with Tennessee.

KNOXVILLE — The Tennessee Volunteers men’s basketball program has signed four-star recruit Corey Walker to a letter of commitment, kicking off college basketball’s fall signing period. He was the first high school player to verbally commit to the Vols, as well as the first official signee of the 2020 class.

The 6-foot-6 small forward from Hastings, Fla. is one of three top-40 prospects in Tennessee’s 2020 class, and ranked 36th overall according to 247Sports ratings. He was the first elite prospect to commit to UT back in March after an unofficial visit convinced him Knoxville is the place to be.

According to Walker’s former high school coach Vince Martin, the University of Tennessee is a perfect fit for the talented prospect.

“Three things stuck out to him. Number one, the academics at Tennessee, being able to get a degree from a prestigious school. Number two is Rick Barnes and he’s huge. He feels really comfortable with coach Rick Barnes. That was the biggest thing. Then the culture at Tennessee, those guys are all bought in.”

Walker had also considered a litany of other schools, including Baylor, Clemson, Florida, Florida State, Georgia Tech, Georgetown, Louisville, Michigan, USC and Xavier. Ultimately, he chose to bring his talents to Rocky Top, where he will undoubtedly make an immediate impact next season.

 

UFC on ESPN+ 22 pre-event facts: What record will Charles Oliveira set next?

The best stats and figures about UFC on ESPN+ 22, which features a Jan Blachowicz vs. Ronaldo Souza main event.

The UFC makes its final Brazil stop of the year on Saturday with UFC on ESPN+ 22, which takes place at Ginasio do Ibirapuera in Sao Paulo with a 12-fight lineup set to stream entirely on ESPN+.

An important light heavyweight matchup headlines the card. [autotag]Jan Blachowicz[/autotag] (23-8 MMA, 6-5 UFC) will look to improve his status as a top contender when he meets [autotag]Ronaldo Souza[/autotag] (26-7 MMA, 9-4 UFC), the former Strikeforce champ who is moving up to 205 pounds for the first time with hopes of a fresh start.

For more on the numbers behind the main event, as well as the rest of the card, check below for 60 pre-event facts about UFC on ESPN+ 22.

* * * *

Main event

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Blachowicz competes in his second UFC headliner. He’s 0-1 in previous main events.

Blachowicz is 5-1 in his past six UFC appearances dating back to October 2017. The only defeat in that stretch came to Thiago Santos.

Blachowicz is one of two light heavyweights in UFC history to earn a knockout stemming from a body kick. He accomplished the feat at UFC Fight Night 53.

Blachowicz lands 52 percent of his takedown attempts in UFC light-heavyweight competition, the second highest rate in divisional history behind Lyoto Machida (65 percent).

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Souza competes in the light heavyweight division for the first time in his career. He’s never fought above 194 pounds.

Souza has alternated wins and losses over his past six fights. He was defeated in his most recent bout at UFC on ESPN+ 8 in April.

Souza has earned 22 of his 26 career victories by stoppage. That includes seven of his nine UFC wins.

Souza’s 14 victories in UFC/Strikeforce middleweight competition are tied for third most in combined divisional history behind Michael Bisping (16) and Luke Rockhold (15).

Souza’s 12 stoppage victories in UFC/Strikeforce middleweight competition are second most in combined divisional history behind Rockhold (13).

Co-main event

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[autotag]Mauricio Rua[/autotag] (26-11 MMA, 10-9 UFC) competes in his 20th UFC light heavyweight bout, tied with Ryan Bader, Rashad Evans and Ovince Saint Preux for the second most appearances in divisional history behind Jon Jones (21).

Rua’s 22 victories in UFC/PRIDE light-heavyweight competition are the most in combined divisional history.

Rua’s 18 stoppage victories in UFC/PRIDE/WEC/Strikeforce competition are fourth most in combined organizational history behind Mirko Filipovic (21), Wanderlei Silva (20) and Donald Cerrone (20).

Rua’s 17 knockout victories in UFC/PRIDE light-heavyweight competition are the most in combined divisional history.

Rua’s eight knockout victories in modern UFC light-heavyweight competition are second most in divisional history behind Chuck Liddell (nine).

Rua is the only light heavyweight in UFC history to earn his first six victories with the organization by knockout.

Rua’s 14 knockdowns landed in UFC light-heavyweight competition are tied with Liddell for most in divisional history.

Rua’s eight fight-night bonuses for UFC light-heavyweight fights are tied with Jones for most in divisional history.

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[autotag]Paul Craig[/autotag] (12-4 MMA, 4-4 UFC) makes his second UFC appearance in a 56-day stretch. He won at UFC on ESPN+ 17 on Sept. 21.

Craig has alternated wins and losses over his past six fights. He won his most recent bout at UFC on ESPN+ 17 in September.

Craig has earned all 12 of his career victories by stoppage.

Craig’s victory at 4:59 of Round 3 at UFC Fight Night 127 is the latest submission in a three-round UFC fight.

Remaining main card

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[autotag]Charles Oliveira[/autotag] (27-8 MMA, 15-8 UFC) is 6-1 since he returned to the UFC lightweight division in April 2017. He’s 8-3 (with one no contest) in the organization at 155 pounds.

Oliveira’s average fight time of 5:08 in UFC lightweight competition is the second shortest in divisional history behind Manny Gamburyan (4:45).

Oliveira’s five-fight UFC stoppage streak is tied with Marlon Vera for the longest active streak in the company.

Oliveira’s 14 stoppage victories in UFC competition are tied with Anderson Silva and Vitor Belfort for second most in company history behind Cerrone (16).

Oliveira’s 13 submission victories in UFC competition are most in company history.

Oliveira’s six submission victories in UFC featherweight competition are the most in divisional history.

Oliveira’s four guillotine-choke victories in UFC competition are tied with Nate Diaz for most in company history.

Oliveira is one of two fighters in UFC history with multiple submission victories via anaconda choke. Phil Davis also accomplished the feat.

Oliveira is one of two fighters in UFC history to earn submission victories with six different techniques. Frank Mir also accomplished the feat.

Oliveira is one of two fighters in UFC history to earn a calf-slicer submission victory. Brett Johns also accomplished the feat.

Oliveira has been awarded 14 fight-night bonuses for UFC bouts, the fourth most in company history behind Cerrone (18), Diaz (15) and Joe Lauzon (15).

Oliveira has been awarded eight “Performance of the Night” bonuses, the most in company history.

Oliveira is the only fighter in UFC history to be awarded five or more fight-night bonuses in two separate divisions.

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[autotag]Markus Perez[/autotag] (11-2 MMA, 2-2 UFC) is one of 17 fighters in UFC history to earn a submission victory by anaconda choke. He accomplished the feat at UFC on ESPN+ 2.

[autotag]Wellington Turman[/autotag] (15-3 MMA, 0-1 UFC), 23, is the youngest of the 24 fighters scheduled to compete at the event.

Preliminary card

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[autotag]James Krause[/autotag] (26-7 MMA, 7-3 UFC) returns to competition for the first time since August 2018. He hasn’t fought more than once in a calendar year since 2015.

Krause is 3-0 in the UFC when competing at welterweight.

Krause enters the event on a five-fight UFC winning streak. He hasn’t suffered an octagon defeat since February 2016.

[autotag]Ricardo Ramos[/autotag] (13-2 MMA, 4-1 UFC) moves up to the featherweight division after spending his previous five UFC appearances at bantamweight.

Ramos is one of two fighters in UFC history to earn a knockout victory stemming from a spinning back elbow. He accomplished the feat at UFC 217. Dong Hyun Kim is the other fighter to win with the technique.

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[autotag]Francisco Trinaldo[/autotag] (23-7 MMA, 13-6 UFC), 41, is the oldest of the 24 fighters scheduled to compete at the event.

Trinaldo, 41, is the oldest active fighter in the UFC lightweight division.

Trinaldo becomes the 12th fighter in UFC history to make 20 or more lightweight appearances.

Trinaldo is the only fighter in UFC history to earn two arm-triangle submission victories from half-guard.

[autotag]Bobby Green[/autotag] (24-9-1 MMA, 5-4-1 UFC) is 1-4 (with one no contest) in his past six fights dating back to November 2014.

[autotag]Warlley Alves[/autotag]’ (13-3 MMA, 7-3 UFC) three guillotine choke submission victories in UFC competition are tied for third most in company history behind Oliveira (four) and Diaz (four).

[autotag]Douglas Silva de Andrade[/autotag] (25-3 MMA, 3-3 UFC) returns to the featherweight division for the first time since his UFC debut in February 2014. He went 4-2 at bantamweight.

Andrade is 3-3 in his past five fights after starting his career on a 23-fight unbeaten streak.

Andrade is one of seven fighters in UFC history to earn a knockout stemming from a spinning backfist. He accomplished the feat at UFC Fight Night 98.

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[autotag]Renan Barao[/autotag]’s (34-8 MMA, 9-7 UFC) four-fight losing skid is the longest of his career. He hasn’t earned a victory since September 2016.

Barao is 2-7 in his past nine fights after going on a 33-fight unbeaten streak that lasted more than nine years.

Barao returns to the featherweight division for the first time since September 2016. He went 0-4 during his most recent bantamweight stint before moving up.

Barao is one of three fighters in UFC history to earn a knockout stemming from a spinning back kick to the head. He accomplished the feat at UFC 165.

Barao defends 92.5 percent of all opponent takedown attempts in UFC competition, the sixth highest rate in company history.

Barao holds the record for most consecutive takedown attempts stopped in UFC history (33).

Barao’s five fight-night bonuses for UFC bantamweight bouts are tied for second most in divisional history behind T.J. Dillashaw (eight).

[autotag]Veronica Macedo[/autotag] (6-3-1 MMA, 1-3 UFC) is 1-2 since she dropped to the UFC women’s flyweight division in May 2018.

Macedo’s submission victory at 1:09 of Round 1 at UFC on ESPN+ 15 is the fastest finish in UFC women’s flyweight history.

UFC research analyst and live statistics producer Michael Carroll contributed to this story. Follow him on Twitter @MJCflipdascript.

Watch as Patriots’ Jamie Collins Sr. does incredible backflip at practice

A typical day at New England Patriots’ practice Wednesday. Watch as the team goes through its drills and all 6-foot-3 and 255 pounds of linebacker Jamie Collins puts on an incredible display of athleticism and agility. Check this out: So we all knew …

A typical day at New England Patriots’ practice Wednesday. Watch as the team goes through its drills and all 6-foot-3 and 255 pounds of linebacker Jamie Collins puts on an incredible display of athleticism and agility.

Check this out:

Pretty good for a 30-year-old who is in his seventh season in the NFL.

Collins is thriving in his second go-round in New England.

What do you think it is more athletic, Collins’ backflip or the cartwheel by Ohio U’s OL Hagen Meservy?

Report: Caris LeVert has ligament damage in right thumb

Caris LeVert may miss some time for the Brooklyn Nets because of his right thumb.

The Brooklyn Nets may be without Caris LeVert longer than initially anticipated. The shooting guard was ruled out against the Utah Jazz due to a right thumb sprain.

But now, Shams Charania of The Athletic is reporting LeVert’s injury is more than a sprain. LeVert has ligament damage in his right thumb and is in the process of visiting specialists.

With Wilson Chandler still having 15 games left on his suspension for violating the NBA’s drug policy in the offseason and LeVert’s status being up in the air over the next few weeks, the Nets were in need of another body. Both Chandler and LeVert’s situation, combined with Brooklyn’s defensive struggles through the first 10 games of the season, all could have played a role in the Nets agreeing to a deal with Iman Shumpert, which was reported by ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

Prior to his injury, LeVert was averaging 16.8 points per game on 42.1% shooting (36.1% from three).