Page 31 - bon-dia-aruba-20201016

A31
sports Diabierna 16 OctOber 2020

No. 2 Alabama vs. No. 3 Georgia takes center stage in SEC

(AP)- Here are things to Two games — LSU-Florida bers but has also been picked
watch in Week 4 in the and Missouri-Vanderbilt — off nine times already and the
Southeastern Conference: have been postponed to Dec. Bulldogs haven't put up the
Game of the week No. 3 12 because of COVID-19 points to quite match those
Georgia at No. 2 Alabama. outbreaks. ... Alabama has yards. The Aggies are giv-
The mid-week news that won 27 consecutive meetings ing up 299 yards per game
Alabama coach Nick Sa- against teams from the SEC through the air while allow-
ban tested positive for East, dating back to a 35-21 ing nine passing touchdowns.
COVID-19 added a chal- loss at then-No. 19 South That secondary and defense
lenging backdrop for the Carolina on Oct. 9, 2010. will be tested, though the Ag-
season's first Top 5 match- ... Auburn has held South gies are only four-point fa-
up. Carolina to just three rush- vorites.
ing touchdowns since 1996,
Saban figures to be commu- while scoring 22 of them Impact player
nicating his marching orders against the Gamecocks. ... Arkansas quarterback Feleipe
and input from home while The SEC has six teams rank- Franks had a huge game —
offensive coordinator Steve ing worse than 50th in the 318 yards, four touchdowns
Sarkisian likely serves in his run for 10 touchdowns in Two games were postponed, nation in points allowed per — against No. 15 Auburn.
stead on the sidelines. The three games while the Bull- the league's most promi- game: LSU, Vanderbilt, Flor- It wasn't enough, partly be-
Crimson Tide sends quar- dogs haven't allowed a TD on nent coach is off the side- ida, Texas A&M, Missouri cause of an officiating call on
terback Mac Jones and the the ground. Alabama receiv- lines and Mississippi had an and Mississippi. All of them a backward spike by Tigers
nation's top scoring offense ers like Jaylen Waddle, John outbreak affecting an undis- are giving up 32-plus points. quarterback Bo Nix. Franks
against linebacker Monty Metchie III and DeVonta closed number of players. It and the Razorbacks will try
Rice and the No. 2 scoring Smith face their biggest test also happens to come on the Upset watch to rebound against Mississip-
defense. by far. week when the SEC was go- Mississippi State (1-2) brings pi, which has a pass defense
Georgia coach Kirby Smart ing to be dominating the na- the nation's top passing attack that ranks 73rd of 76 teams
attempts to become the first Matchup of the week tional spotlight in a good way against a Texas A&M defense nationally. They'll have to
ex-Saban assistant to beat COVID-19 versus the SEC. thanks to Georgia-Alabama. that is pretty close to the bot- keep up with the fast-paced,
their old boss. Alabama run- This week has provided the tom (64th). K.J. Costello has high-scoring Rebels offense,
ning back Najee Harris has toughest test yet for the SEC. Inside the numbers put up huge yardage num- though.

More England discipline problems put Southgate on defensive

(AP) — Indiscipline games even as the Manches- United, either. The world's
among England players is ter United captain was being most expensive defender was
becoming a concern for tried in absentia in Greece in the lineup that lost 6-1 to
Gareth Southgate. after a holiday melee. Once Tottenham before the in-
“We’ve had an incredible the verdict came in hours ternational break. And he is
chain of things to deal later — he was found guilty now awaiting the outcome
with,” Southgate said, re- of assaulting a police officer of an appeal process against
flecting on the challenges and attempted bribery while the conviction and suspend-
after an unwelcome land- on holiday — Maguire was ed 21-month sentence in
mark night in the team's dropped from the England Greece.
history. trips to Iceland and Den-
mark. “He has got a little spell at
Harry Maguire being red the moment where a lot
carded during the game and It put England players on no- of things are going against
Reece James being dismissed tice of the standards expected him,” Southgate said. "But
for dissent after Wednesday's of them. The message didn't he has got to show the resil-
1-0 loss to Denmark meant get through to Phil Foden ience I know he has to come
two England players were and Mason Greenwood. through that.”
sent off in the same game for They celebrated making their The dismissal of James as
the first time in the team's England debuts in Iceland by were not followed when they play most of the match with tensions continued after the
148-year history. meeting up with women at were pictured at a gather- 10 men. final whistle did frustrate
On-field misconduct their Reykjavík hotel. ing of more than six people There was sympathy, not Southgate.
brought an end to a third Even in non-pandemic times a couple of days before they scorn from Southgate. "It's obviously something
consecutive gathering of the that would have breached were due to link up with the “He is having a difficult pe- as a young player he has to
England squad, and South- squad rules. But the misde- England squad. riod and in these periods you recognize is not acceptable,”
gate has also had to grapple meanor was exacerbated by Southgate couldn't risk them learn a lot about yourself, Southgate said. “I thought his
with off-field issues. the women being from out- being near the squad until you learn a lot about other individual performance was
side of a biosecure bubble medics could be sure they people," Southgate said. "You outstanding with and with-
In November 2019, Raheem designed to limit the players' didn't have the coronavirus. learn who is there for you in out the ball."
Sterling was dropped follow- risk of exposure to the coro- They all missed a 3-0 victory those difficult times. He will But a first game in England's
ing a training ground alterca- navirus. over Wales in a friendly last come through it. He will be starting lineup will be re-
tion with Joe Gomez as the Medical precautions forced Thursday. Chilwell eventu- a better player and a stronger membered for how it ended
Manchester City-Liverpool Southgate to send Foden ally left the squad through man for it. He knows there for the 20-year-old Chelsea
rivalry spilled over into inter- and Greenwood home. another illness. Abraham will be criticism after this and right back.
national duty. They were dropped for this was declared fit but not used, you have to accept that.
Because of the COVID-19 month's triple header. while Sancho was only a sec- It's only a month until Eng-
pandemic, it took almost ond-half substitute in Sun- "To go down to 10 men is land plays another three
10 months for the squad to Yet, Southgate's message day's 2-1 win over Belgium costly for the team. But we games in this congested pan-
gather again. And Maguire about having to respect and the loss to Denmark. fully back him, we fully sup- demic-impacted season. It's
never even got to check in to coronavirus regulations still port him. He has been a top a chance for the squad to re-
the hotel. didn’t get through to his It was against Denmark that player and is a top player. He gain its self-control
On a farcical day, Maguire squad. In the case of Tammy Maguire's second rash chal- will come through it.” “I don’t think we have disci-
was selected by Southgate for Abraham, Ben Chilwell and lenge in the opening half It has not been an easy start pline issues," captain Harry
September's Nations League Jadon Sancho, national rules hour left England having to to the season for Maguire at Kane said.