Tag: Spencer Ware

Best LSU football recruit from every state since the year 2000

LSU is in a football recruiting hotbed, but who are the top recruits from states out of Louisiana signed by LSU?

LSU is fortunate to be in a hotbed of football recruiting in the state of Louisiana. LSU has traditionally been able to keep much of the state’s top talent close to home, but sometimes the Tigers have to go on the prowl beyond the state’s borders if they want to build the best recruiting class possible.

With another recruiting cycle in the books, now is a good time to take a look at the LSU recruiting efforts since the turn of the century and see who the best LSU recruit in each state has been.

To put together this list, the 247 Sports composite rankings are referenced. In all, 20 states are included in LSU’s recruiting efforts since 2000. The most fertile grounds for LSU recruiting are close to home in Louisiana and Texas. Those two states have produced players like Derek Stingley, Grant Delpit,  Jarvis Landry, and Joseph Addai, just to name a few. LSU has also claimed some recruiting victories in Florida, Georgia, and Mississippi and brought a recruit home from California, Michigan, and Ohio.

For the purposes of this list, JUCO players are included, and they are specifically noted. Keep in mind JUCO recruiting rankings are not necessarily the same as the traditional recruiting class rankings.

Cordarrelle Patterson avoided serious knee injury, could play vs. Jaguars

Bears KR/RB Cordarrelle Patterson is day-to-day with a knee injury heading into a Week 16 game against the Jaguars.

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The Chicago Bears had a bit of an injury scare in last Sunday’s win against the Minnesota Vikings when kick returner/running back Cordarrelle Patterson left the game with a knee injury in the first half.

Patterson later returned the game, where he returned kickoffs but wasn’t involved much in the run game, which gave starting running back David Montgomery more touches.

While Patterson returned, his status isn’t without its concerns. He is officially day-to-day with a knee injury, according to head coach Matt Nagy.

But according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, Patterson avoided a serious knee injury, and there’s a chance he could play against the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday.

If Patterson doesn’t suit up, the Bears will likely turn to receiver Anthony Miller to return kickoffs while relying heavily on Montgomery in the run game. Chicago did sign veteran running back Spencer Ware to the practice squad on Tuesday, which would give the Bears’ running back room some depth. Especially considering there are two inexperienced guys behind Montgomery.

We’ll see if Patterson’s condition improves headed into a pivotal match-up against the 1-13 Jaguars, where a playoff spot is on the line for Chicago in the final two weeks.

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Bears protect QB Tyler Bray, RB Spencer Ware on practice squad in Week 16

The Bears have protected two players on their practice squad this week ahead of Sunday’s game against the Jaguars.

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The practice squad has become even more important this season for NFL teams with injuries and COVID-19 designations. Teams are allowed to designate up to four practice-squad players every week that are protected from being signed away from other teams.

The Chicago Bears have protected two players on their practice squad this week ahead of Sunday’s game against the Jacksonville Jaguars in quarterback Tyler Bray in new addition running back Spencer Ware.

Chicago has protected Bray every week, as he’s someone with experience in Matt Nagy’s offense that provides emergency assistance. That came in handy several weeks ago when Mitchell Trubisky was sidelined with a shoulder injury and then-starter Nick Foles suffered a hip injury at the end of the Minnesota Vikings game in Week 10.

With running back/receiver/kick returner Cordarrelle Patterson day-to-day with a knee injury sustained in last week’s win against the Vikings, the Bears signed Ware to the practice squad as added depth. If Patterson doesn’t suit up — or if he’s limited to just kick returns — Chicago needs someone with experience to back up starter David Montgomery.

Ware, who has worked with Matt Nagy during his time in Kansas City, brings with him an understanding of Nagy’s offense. Although, to be fair, the Bears haven’t exactly been running Nagy’s offense over the last month. Still, Ware provides some veteran leadership to Chicago’s running backs room.

Depending on how Patterson progresses this week, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Ware elevated to the active roster for game day on Sunday against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

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Bears sign RB Spencer Ware to practice squad, activate DeAndre Carter off COVID-19 list

Chicago made some roster moves on Tuesday, activating two players off the reserve/COVID-list and signing RB Spencer Ware to practice squad.

The Chicago Bears added some depth to their running backs room with the addition of running back Spencer Ware, who the team signed to their practice squad on Tuesday.

Chicago lost veteran running back Lamar Miller off the practice squad when he was signed to Washington’s active roster a few weeks ago. Ware has previously worked with Bears head coach Matt Nagy during his time in Kansas City.

The Bears also activated two players off the reserve/COVID-19 list, including receiver DeAndre Carter and practice squad receiver Thomas Ives.

Carter, who was claimed by the Bears off waivers from the Houston Texans on Nov. 18, served as Chicago’s punt returner for two games. Carter returned one punt for five yards. He was the fifth punt returner used by the Bears this season, with Tarik Cohen, Ted Ginn Jr., Dwayne Harris and Anthony Miller being the others.

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LSU’s best wins vs. Florida: 2011 season

LSU dominated the Florida Gators in 2011 by a score of 41-11 on their way to one of the most memorable seasons in school history.

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The 2011 season for LSU was a memorable one. The blowout win over the Florida Gators showed the country that the Tigers were a true national championship contender.

LSU entered the game ranked No. 1 with a 5-0 record, while the Gators were No. 21 and held a 4-1 record entering Baton Rouge.

Tigers running back Spencer Ware torched the Gators defense for 109 yards and two touchdowns on 24 carries, quarterback Jarrett Lee went 7-of-10 for 154 yards and one touchdown.

For the Gators, quarterback Jacoby Brissett finished 8-of-14 passing for 94 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions. Florida accounted for 213 total yards of offense in the 41-11 loss.

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LSU totaled 453 yards on offense and the defense was equally productive, forcing two turnovers.

The Tigers opened the game with a quick score as Lee completed a 46-yard pass to wide receiver Rueben Randle to give the Tigers a 7-0 lead. Ware scored on a two yard touchdown run with 6:40 left in the first quarter to put LSU up 14-0.

In the second quarter, LSU went up 17-0 on a 35-yard field goal by kicker Drew Alleman. With 6:50 left before the half, Ware ran an eight yard rush for another touchdown as the Tigers took a 24-0 lead.

Florida would add their first points of the game just before halftime as Caleb Sturgis sent a 34-yard field goal through the uprights with eight seconds left in the quarter.

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The Tigers hit a 23-yard field goal by Alleman with 4:40 left in the third quarter to take a commanding 27-3 lead. With 40 seconds remaining in the quarter, Brissett found receiver Andre Debose for a 65-yard touchdown to cut the deficit to 27-9. Florida converted a two point conversion and trailed 27-11 heading into the fourth quarter.

With 12:20 left in the fourth, Tigers quarterback Justin Jefferson hit tight end Mitch Joseph in the end zone for a two yard touchdown to extend the Tigers lead to 34-11. Then with 1:27 left, running back Alfred Blue scored from two yards out to give LSU a 41-11 lead to close out the victory in dominant fashion.

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LSU’s best wins vs Mississippi State: 2011 season

The 2011 LSU Tigers team went into Starkville and defeated Mississippi State by 13 points to continue their path for an SEC Championship.

The 2011 season for the LSU Tigers was a memorable one, at least until the BCS National Championship game. The team cruised through the regular season with a 12-0 record and undefeated in SEC play.

One of those marquee wins came against the Bulldogs of Mississippi State. The Tigers won 19-6 in Starkville in a defensive battle.

Both teams earned a field goal in the first quarter to be tied at 3-3. Then in the second, LSU kicker Drew Alleman nailed a 42-yard attempt to put LSU up 6-3 at the half.

Tigers quarterback Jarrett Lee finished the game 21-of-27 for 213 yards with one touchdown and one interception. The LSU offense recorded 361 total yards of offense. Receiver Reuben Randle hauled in six catches for 98 yards and a touchdown.

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Out of the backfield, Spencer Ware carried the ball 22 times for 107 rushing yards.

However, the Tigers defense was the storyline of the game. Mississippi State only had 193 total yards of offense and 13 first downs while also turning the ball over twice. Bulldogs quarterback Chris Relf completed 11-of-17 passes for 96 yards and an interception. Running back Vick Ballard had 38 rushing yards on 10 attempts.

What set LSU apart in this game was their ability to stuff the run and react quickly to the ball. The 2011 season was a historic one, especially on the defensive side of the ball for the program. Holding Mississippi State to six points on two turnovers helped set the tone for an elite defense in a remarkable season for LSU.

The win moved the Tigers to 3-0 on the season while Mississippi State fell to 1-2 on the season, and 0-2 in SEC play.

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NFL Free Agency: 5 running backs Giants could target to backup Saquon

The New York Giants need a backup to Saquon Barkley, so here’s a look at five running backs they may target in free agency.

The New York Giants have many positions to address in free agency and the 2020 NFL Draft, some of which are far more important than others.

Somewhere in the mid-tier of needs is a backup running back or two; someone to spell Saquon Barkley so that he’s not forced to take on a massive workload.

That’s not to say Barkley can’t handle a massive workload because he certainly can, but it’s not beneficial to his long-term viability. So with that in mind, here’s a look at five running backs the Giants could poke around in free agency.

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Kenyan Drake

At some point or another, someone is going to realize the worth of Kenyan Drake and let him take over as their starter. That time could arrive here in 2020, but in the event it doesn’t and Drake again finds himself backing someone up, why not Saquon?

Drake is a talented all-around back who averaged a career-high 5.2 yards per carry (200+ carries) for the Arizona Cardinals last year. And while his production out of the backfield slipped, he is a more than capable pass-catcher.

The one drawback? Drake is reportedly seeking upwards of $8 million per season, which would price the Giants out of his market. However, if he can’t land that, Drake is worth keeping an eye on.

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Former Colts get a chance at a Super Bowl ring

These former Colts get a chance at a ring.

When the San Francisco 49ers and Kansas City Chiefs face off in Super Bowl LIV on Sunday in Miami, there will be a few former Indianapolis Colts vying for a ring.

There aren’t a whole lot of former Colts on both sidelines, but there are a few players that used to wear the horseshoe—regardless of whether it was for a full season or just a short amount of time.

49ers

OL Mike Person: Now a starting guard for the 49ers and their incredible rushing attack, Person had two separate stints with the Colts. He spent nine days with the team in 2012 after he was claimed off of waivers. He also spent 12 games while making four starts with the Colts during the 2017 season.

S Jacob Thieneman: Though he won’t be playing in the game, Thieneman spent five days with the Colts during August.

Chiefs

OT Jackson Barton: A seventh-round pick with the Colts in 2019, Barton spent most of his time on the practice squad until the Chiefs signed him to the active roster in November.

RB Spencer Ware: Ware was with the team for the majority of the spring and offseason. He worked until he was released by the Colts in September just a few weeks after the regular season started. He’s currently on the injured reserve list.

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