Bills RB C.J. Spiller running toward high expectations

By Tom Pedulla, USA TODAY

Updated

PITTSFORD, N.Y. � The Buffalo Bills' recent release of Aaron Maybin, an undersized linebacker they drafted 11th overall in 2009, provided the latest example of how poorly the struggling team has fared with many of its first-round selections.

• 

  By Dennis Wierzbicki, US Presswire

  Running back C.J. Spiller says he wants to prove his worth as a first-round pick of the Buffalo Bills.

By Dennis Wierzbicki, US Presswire

Running back C.J. Spiller says he wants to prove his worth as a first-round pick of the Buffalo Bills.

Running back C.J. Spiller, a much-debated choice when he was selected ninth overall in 2010, wants to make certain his name is not added to a list of prominent flops that includes plump offensive lineman Mike Williams (2002), erratic quarterback J.P. Losman (2004) and injury-plagued defensive tackle John McCargo (2006).

"I know I can play at this level," Spiller says firmly. "It's about me going out and doing it."

The 5-11, 193-pound back must rebound from an alarmingly unproductive rookie season and emerge as a key figure if Buffalo is to improve on its 4-12 record and close ground on the New England Patriots and New York Jets in the brutal AFC East.

Spiller did not nearly live up to the hype after a sensational Clemson career that allowed him to join Reggie Bush as the only collegiate players with 3,000 yards rushing (Spiller had 3,547), 1,500 yards on kick returns (2,052), 1,000 yards receiving (1,420) and 500 yards in punt returns (569).

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Although Buffalo chose him with the expectation that he could change a game on any touch, he is still searching for his first rushing touchdown after carrying 74 times for 283 yards. He did not break off any run longer than 20 yards. He turned 24 catches into 157 yards and one score. On special teams, he brought back 44 kickoffs for 1,014 yards and a touchdown. He returned 12 punts for 175 yards.

Bills key additions/losses

The Bills lost three high-profile players. Eighth-year WR Lee Evans was traded, and S Donte Whitner, a first-round selection in 2006, and LB Paul Posluszny, a second-round pick in 2007, left as free agents.

Additions: LB Nick Barnett, DL Marcell Dareus, WR Craig Davis, QB-WR Brad Smith, QB Tyler Thigpen, CB Aaron Williams

Subtractions: Evans, LB Aaron Maybin, Posluszny, DE Marcus Stroud, Whitner, LB Pierre Woods

Spiller must do a better job with ball security after losing three of five fumbles. He must do a much better job in pass protection, something he rarely concerned himself with in the Atlantic Coast Conference.

Second-year Bills coach Chan Gailey is confident the once-heralded rookie can take a major step forward. He looks for Spiller to become more than a complement to undrafted Fred Jackson, who led the Bills with 222 rushing attempts for 927 yards and five TDs last year in his fourth season.

"He had a lot to learn. He has learned, I think, a great deal," Gailey says. "It is our responsibility also to put him in position to be more successful, to give him more touches during the ballgame. He's got to get better, too."

Spiller concedes he might have underestimated the difficulty of excelling in the NFL. "This is the best of the best league," he says.

He wants to do a better job of allowing the game to come to him, of allowing his instincts to take over as they did at every previous level.

"The main thing is being patient," he says. "Not every block is going to be perfect. You have to take what the defense gives you. You have to take those NFL runs of 2 and 3 yards, and eventually those 50- and 80-yarders will start breaking."

Quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick is confident Spiller will grow through adversity.

"It was a good year last year for him to get used to the game, to get used to what happens in order to prepare for the game," Fitzpatrick says. The quarterback noted how fine a line there may be between a handoff that leads nowhere and a run to daylight. Sometimes the result depends on an offensive lineman sustaining his block for another beat. Sometimes it depends on whether Spiller will wait a split-second longer before hitting the hole and bursting through.

"In looking back at the film last year, we were so close with him on a lot of plays," Fitzpatrick says. "He's the kind of guy who can go 80 yards.

"He can have those explosive plays that break the game wide open. We're really hoping for huge things from him this year."

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Serena tested late before advancing at U.S. Open

Serena Williams ousted Victoria Azarenka in a meeting of two of the women's favorites.

Jessica Rinaldi/Reuters

2011 U.S. Open

NEW YORK (AP) -- If anyone still harbored any doubts about whether Serena Williams is back at her best, she put on a pretty persuasive performance during the first 17 minutes of her third-round match Saturday at the U.S. Open.

That's how long Williams needed to build a 5-0 lead en route to a 6-1, 7-6 (5) victory at Flushing Meadows over one of the best players the women's field had to offer: fourth-seeded Victoria Azarenka, a Wimbledon semifinalist two months ago.

Listen to Azarenka describe how it felt to stand across the net from Williams during her superb start:

"What's it like? It's painful," said Azarenka, who won eight points in those opening five games. "To have somebody just going at you like that, it's a little bit painful."

Eventually, though, Azarenka straightened her own play out enough to make things interesting in the second set. She erased four match points, broke when Williams served for the match at 5-3, and left Williams saying she wasn't pleased.

"She won the first set very easily, and it was a little bit too easy, so then she got tested -- and she needed to be tested," said Williams' mother, Oracene Price.

Williams passed the test, and showed off her fitness, which is much improved from when she lost in the fourth round at Wimbledon. At the end of one point, she did the splits. On another, she raced all the way over to the blue sign near the stands to smack a forehand winner.

She and Azarenka described the level of play as being worthy of a Grand Slam semifinal, rather than the Week 1 matchup that it was. But they wound up being drawn to meet this early because Williams is seeded only 28th, a reflection of her lower-than-usual ranking as a result of nearly a year's absence from the tour because of a series of health scares.

The 29-year-old American already owns 13 major championships, including three at the U.S. Open, which is why, when she was asked how she can play so well now, Williams replied: "I mean, I was a pretty good player before. So just trying to get back into that rhythm and feel it again."

In the fourth round, Williams will face former No. 1 Ana Ivanovic of Serbia, the 2008 French Open champion, who is seeded 16th.

"It's exciting, at least for me. I think she's the hottest player out there at the moment. She's been playing so well lately. It is going to be a good challenge," Ivanovic said after ending Sloane Stephens' surprising run by beating the 18-year-old American 6-3, 6-4 in Arthur Ashe Stadium on Saturday night.

Ivanovic acknowledged that Williams will be the "favorite, that's for sure" but also said: "I know I can give her a tough match. She beat me in the past, but maybe I can go for revenge on Monday."

Her match against Stephens was followed by top-seeded Novak Djokovic's 6-4, 6-4, 6-2 victory over 39th-ranked Nikolay Davydenko, a two-time semifinalist at the U.S. Open. After improving to 60-2 in 2011, Djokovic delighted the crowd by showing off some dance moves on court while music blared over the stadium loudspeakers.

"I know most people expect top players to get to the late stages of the tournament, so there's extra pressure on us," said Djokovic, seeking his first title at Flushing Meadows after runner-up finishes in 2007 and 2010. "But it's a challenge we're ready to accept. This is what we work all our lives for, to be on this court."

At the start of the day, the woman who's seeded No. 1, Caroline Wozniacki, took to that same court and eliminated Vania King of the United States 6-2, 6-4. Wozniacki will continue her bid for a first Grand Slam title against 15th-seeded Svetlana Kuznetsova, owner of two major trophies.

Also into the fourth round with victories Saturday were 2010 French Open champion Francesca Schiavone of Italy, who got past Chanelle Scheepers of South Africa 5-7, 7-6 (5), 6-3; No. 17 Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova of Russia, who beat 2008 U.S. Open runner-up Jelena Jankovic of Serbia 6-4, 6-4; and No. 10 Andrea Petkovic of Germany, who defeated No. 18 Roberta Vinci of Italy 6-4, 6-0 to reach the fourth round at Flushing Meadows for the second year in a row.

"Grand Slams are very stressful," Petkovic observed. "I think any player that you ask -- and if he answers honestly -- it's a lot of stress."

That, as much as anything, could explain why so many players have been quitting during matches because of injury or illness: No. 9 Tomas Berdych (shoulder) and No. 31 Marcel Granollers (abdominal muscle) did so Saturday, raising the total retirements in men's and women's singles to a record 14 by the third round.

Never before had more than 12 players stopped during a match throughout the course of any entire Grand Slam tournament in the Open era.

"For me, it is shocking to see so many retirements. I have never retired in my whole life, except once when I played against (James) Blake in Paris, but I didn't even walk onto the court. For me it doesn't matter how bad I'm feeling, I will be out there and giving it a try, because you never know what's gonna happen," 16-time major champion Roger Federer said.

"Look, every player feels different," he added. "It's unfortunate it happens."

Federer moved into the fourth round for the 30th consecutive Grand Slam tournament by overcoming what he called "tricky wind" and a second-set blip to defeat No. 27 Marin Cilic of Croatia 6-3, 4-6, 6-4, 6-2.

The 6-foot-6 Cilic caused some problems with his wingspan, and when he hit a big forehand that Federer couldn't get back, they were tied at a set apiece.

In the third, with Cilic facing a break point while serving at 4-all, he was warned by the chair umpire for a time violation. Cilic promptly double-faulted, handing Federer a 5-4 lead and momentum.

"Did he double-fault because of the time violation? Maybe. I don't think so," Federer said. "It came a bit out of nowhere."

He's won at least one Grand Slam title each of the past eight seasons, but that streak is in danger of ending in 2011. Next up as he pursues a sixth trophy at the U.S. Open is a fourth-round match against 36th-ranked Juan Monaco of Argentina, who beat Federer's pal, Tommy Haas, 6-7 (3), 6-3, 6-2, 6-3.

Also advancing Saturday were No. 8 Mardy Fish, the top-seeded American, who has yet to drop a set after beating Kevin Anderson of South Africa 6-4, 7-6 (4), 7-6 (3); No. 20 Janko Tipsarevic of Serbia; No. 22 Alexandr Dolgopolov of Ukraine; and 2003 French Open champion and U.S. Open runner-up Juan Carlos Ferrero of Spain. Tipsarevic (Berdych's opponent) and Ferrero (Granollers') play each other next.

On Monday, Fish faces a potentially difficult match against No. 11 Jo-Wilfried Tsonga -- the 2008 Australian Open runner-up who beat No. 19 Fernando Verdasco 6-3, 7-5, 6-4 -- and so was pleased to finish off Anderson in three sets.

"I'll be physically fine in two days," Fish said. "But, you know, I'm 29. I don't wake up in the morning feeling like I'm 20."

Copyright 2011 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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Former champ Sharapova stunned by Pennetta at U.S. Open

NEW YORK -- Maria Sharapova is out of the U.S. Open, upset in the third round by Flavia Pennetta.

The 2006 champion lost 6-3, 3-6, 6-4 to the 26th-seeded Italian on Friday. Sharapova had been 12-0 in three-set matches this year, including her first-round win.

Pennetta broke serve to clinch the victory in a match full of breaks, with the third-seeded Russian struggling with her serve.

Sharapova had reached her first Grand Slam final since 2008 shoulder surgery when she was the runner-up at Wimbledon.

Pennetta will next face 13th-seeded Peng Shuai of China, who beat 19th-seeded Julia Goerges 6-4, 7-6 (1).

Meanwhile, Juan Martin Del Potro had little trouble moving on in his quest for another men's title.

The 18th-seeded Argentine beat countryman Diego Junqueira 6-2, 6-1, 7-5 Friday to advance to the third round. The 2009 champion was unable to defend his title last year because of wrist surgery.

While Del Potro had little trouble, last year's women's runner-up, No. 2 Vera Zvonareva, needed two hours to defeat No. 30 Anabel Medina Garrigues, 6-4, 7-5.

Defending champion Rafael Nadal, No. 4 Andy Murray and No. 21 Andy Roddick were among those in action later.

The Zvonareva match in Ashe ended a long streak of lopsided affairs on the U.S. Open show court.

On Thursday, five matches produced five blowouts, in which the losers combined to win a total of 14 games.

No. 1 Novak Djokovic defeated Carlos Berlocq 6-0, 6-0, 6-2 to close out the day.

"One of the guys, on the way out, said, 'Listen, I paid 100 bucks and you're only staying for an hour and a half on the court. Give me something else. Give me a racket or something,'" Djokovic said.

Other winners Thursday included No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki and No. 28 Serena Williams on the women's side and No. 3 Roger Federer on the men's side. In the best match of the day, in Louis Armstrong Stadium, No. 7 Gael Monfils lost to 2003 French Open champion Juan Carlos Ferrero, 7-6 (5), 5-7, 6-7 (5), 6-4, 6-4.

After dealing with injuries all year, Ferrero -- a former world No. 1 -- is making his first appearance at a major in 2011. He has won two five-setters.

"This match means a lot for me because it was a long time that I didn't enjoy myself inside the court," Ferrero said.

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Kahne claims Atlanta pole, seeks spot in Chase

Kasey Kahne calls Atlanta Motor Speedway his favorite Sprint Cup track.

Kevin Liles/US Presswire

ATLANTA (AP) -- Atlanta Motor Speedway's slippery track made an impression Saturday during qualifying for Sunday night's Sprint Cup race.

Kasey Kahne won the pole but made his 29.775 seconds around the track sound like a survival test.

Kahne said his car "got away from me a little bit" and he had to make an unexpected tap on his brakes coming out of a turn.

"It was definitely not a perfect lap, but it was a little better than what everyone else did," Kahne said.

Kahne will start one spot ahead of Clint Bowyer, as two long shots in the Chase for the Sprint Cup championship will have another shot at a much-needed win.

Kahne, who called Atlanta Motor Speedway his favorite track, won the pole with a speed of 186.196 mph. He is 15th in the points race and acknowledged he must win Sunday or next week in Richmond to have a shot to qualify for the Chase.

"We need to win if we want to make the Chase," Kahne said. "Right now we're one of the ones on the outside looking in."

Kahne said he likes racing in Atlanta because the slippery track reminds him of his background on dirt tracks. Kahne and other drivers said clouds over the track during qualifying affected the speeds.

"I've ran better laps than that before and not been on the pole," Kahne said. "You never know what you're going to get, but the track is pretty slippery right now and I like it like that."

Bowyer is 12th in the points standings.

"A good qualifying run is a breath of fresh air for all of us," Bowyer said.

"We need a good run desperately."

Bowyer sounded as if he had to hold his breath as he qualified second with his speed of 185.922.

"She was loose, holy cow!" Bowyer said. "It was a handful for all of us."

Bowyer called the track "really greasy."

Weather could change the track conditions and threaten the race. There is rain in the forecast for Sunday night as Tropical Storm Lee pushes north from the Gulf Coast.

"Hopefully we can look forward to a good run because I want to run tomorrow night," Bowyer said. "The weather isn't looking too good."

Points leader Kyle Busch qualified third, one spot ahead of Brian Vickers.

Jeff Gordon, Matt Kenseth, Carl Edwards, Martin Truex Jr., Ryan Newman and Kurt Busch round out the top 10.

Brad Keselowski, who has won two of the last four races, qualified 14th.

Failing to qualify were Tony Raines, David Stremme, Geoffrey Bodine and T.J. Bell.

Copyright 2011 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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Sporting KC completing deal to add Peterson Joseph to roster

Two months, two reserve matches and a friendly have given Sporting Kansas City enough time to learn about midfielder Peterson Joseph. On Thursday, the club announced it had signed Joseph and was preparing to add him to the roster.

Joseph, 21, is from Haiti. He will wear No. 19 and help at a position where injuries have left the team thin.

"Peterson is a good, young talent, with strong qualities that over time will make him a valuable asset to the way we play," coach Peter Vermes said in a statement. "We've been trying to complete this signing for a while and we are excited to add him to our roster at such a critical time in our season."

Joseph's deal with the team took awhile to get done as Sporting KC made a rights agreement with SC Braga, the Portuguese club he had been with since 2007. All that remains is for Joseph to get his International Transfer Certificate and P1 Visa.

His nickname is "the Haitian Xavi," a reference to Spanish international and Barcelona midfielder Xavi. And like that legendary player, Joseph figures to play the central midfield position.

"He's very composed and has an excellent first touch on the ball," Vermes told MLSSoccer.com. "He's got a very good sense for the game in the middle of the midfield, but he can go both ways. He can attack. He can defend. He's got both. He's also really good in tight spaces but sees the game long as well."

That's just what Sporting KC needs. With midfielders Jeferson, Davy Arnaud and Craig Rocastle nursing injuries, Joseph could provide an impact.

"For me it is a change to come from Europe, obviously, but this is a step up in my career so I am happy to be able to provide my skills to the team and help the team score goals," Joseph said in a statement. "I feel that my pace and my experience can hopefully help the team win a championship this year."

Sporting KC is second in the Eastern Conference ahead of Monday's 6 p.m. ET home match against the Los Angeles Galaxy.

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Power Rangers: Texas hammers Red Sox

AL West leaders hit 3 HRs in 10-0 win, knock Boston out of AL East lead

Adam Hunger / Reuters

Ian Kinsler is congratulated by Rangers manager Ron Washington after hitting a three-run home run off Red Sox starter Andrew Miller in the second inning on Friday night.

By HOWARD ULMAN

updated 11:12 p.m. ET Sept. 2, 2011

BOSTON - Derek Holland keeps getting plenty of run support and tries to pitch as though he doesn't.

Ian Kinsler, David Murphy and Elvis Andrus homered to back Holland's two-hit performance over seven innings and the Texas Rangers beat the Boston Red Sox 10-0 on Friday night. The Rangers have provided the left-hander with a major league-best 7.52 runs per game.

"That's something to be thankful for," Holland said, "but at the same time they may be giving me that, I've got to do my part and that's to make pitches and keep the momentum on our side. It's amazing, but, at the same time, I've got to stay focused."

Holland (13-5) did when he held Boston to singles by Jacoby Ellsbury and Adrian Gonzalez. Neither made it to second base as Ellsbury was caught stealing and Gonzalez was stranded when Kevin Youkilis struck out.

Holland won for the seventh time in eight decisions, striking out six and walking none. Merkin Valdez and Michael Gonzalez finished up with one hitless inning each. That was an outstanding job against a lineup with strong lefty hitters such as Ellsbury, Gonzalez and David Ortiz.

"Against that team, whether you're throwing righty or lefty, you have to execute pitches," Texas manager Ron Washington said. "You certainly can't get into a slugging match with them. You have to pitch, and tonight we pitched."

They also hit, starting with two runs in the first and four in the second. For the 14th time in Holland's last 19 starts, the Rangers scored in the opening inning.

"We would like to" start strong, leadoff hitter Kinsler said. "It doesn't always turn out that way. The game's not that easy, but we love to get our pitchers the lead early, especially on the road (to) take the crowd out of it and give our pitchers something to work with. And tonight we were able to do that."

The Rangers' first homer came on a three-run shot by Kinsler in the second, his 24th of the year and his third in four at bats. In the fifth, Murphy hit a solo homer, his eighth, and Andrus added a two-run blast, his fourth, after a single by Craig Gentry.

Murphy went 4 for 5 and Andrus scored four runs as the Rangers posted their 12th road shutout, the most in the majors since Atlanta had 12 in 1998. The shutout was their 17th of the season, tying a club record.

Texas improved its AL West lead to four games over the Los Angeles Angels, who played the Minnesota Twins later Thursday. Boston fell a half-game out of first place in the AL East behind the New York Yankees, who beat the Toronto Blue Jays 3-2.

"It was kind of a bad night all around," Red Sox manager Terry Francona said. "They did a lot offensively. We did very little. We just didn't play a very good game."

The Rangers capitalized on the wildness of Andrew Miller (6-2). He left after retiring just four batters ? one on a sacrifice fly and one on a sac bunt. Michael Bowden allowed an RBI single by Adrian Beltre that made it 7-0 in the fourth.

"I put us back on our heels and never really made a correction," Miller said.

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His usual control problems had subsided in his previous three starts with a total of five walks. But on Friday he walked the first two batters, Kinsler and Andrus, before striking out Josh Hamilton. Michael Young then singled in a run and Beltre followed with a sacrifice fly.

Yorvit Torrealba led off the second with a single and took second base on a single by Murphy. Gentry then sacrificed both and Kinsler homered. Miller's wildness returned as he loaded the bases on a walk to Andrus, a single by Hamilton and a walk to Young.

Bowden came in and retired Beltre on a fly ball before forcing in a run on a walk to Mike Napoli that made it 6-0.

"Everything went our way tonight," Washington said.

Notes: The Red Sox sellout streak reached 700 games since May 15, 2003 with a crowd of 38,083. ... Youkilis was activated from the 15-day disabled list after recovering from a low back strain. ... Leonys Martin singled in his first major league at-bat in the eighth as a pinch hitter for Hamilton. Martin defected from Cuba after its national team played in Japan at the FISU World Championship in July and August 2010. ... Napoli was the only Rangers starter without a hit. ... Red Sox LF Carl Crawford was a late scratch from because of illness. He was replaced by Conor Jackson, who played his first game since being obtained Wednesday night from the Oakland Athletics. ... Ortiz's hitting streak ended at 15 games. ... Colby Lewis (11-9) pitches for Texas against Erik Bedard (4-9) in Saturday's second game of the three-game series.

� 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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Power Rangers

Ian Kinsler hits one of Texas' three home runs and Derek Holland allows two hits over seven innings to beat the Red Sox 10-0 at Fenway.

Yankees take AL East lead with win over Jays

Ivan Nova won his 11th straight decision with some help from a rangy outfield and Robinson Cano hit a tiebreaking single in the fifth inning, lifting the New York Yankees to a 3-2 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays on Friday night.

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"No chance" of rule change, IAAF chief says

By Ossian Shine

DAEGU, South Korea | Sat Sep 3, 2011 3:29am EDT

DAEGU, South Korea (Reuters) - Athletics chief Lamine Diack maintained the hardest of lines on Saturday, telling Reuters there would be no changing or bending of the rules to prevent big names being disqualified.

"No chance," the International Association of Athletics Federation (IAAF) president said in an interview at the Daegu world championships.

The start of the championships was marred by the disqualification of two of the sport's biggest names on technicalities, depriving fans and broadcasters of the chance to see the greatest names in the biggest races.

The world's fastest man Usain Bolt was scratched from the 100 meters final for making a false start under the IAAF's one-false-start-and-you're-out rule.

A day later, Cuba's Dayron Robles was dramatically stripped of his 110 meters hurdles gold medal for bumping China's Liu Xiang along the track.

The rules are the rules, Diack stressed, and they are good ones. He said that the biggest eye-opener of the championships so far had been Bolt's disqualification but that he had seen nothing to persuade him any rules needed changing.

"I think it was Bolt disqualified by false start, I did not expect this," he chuckled, when asked what had surprised him most about these Games.

"(But) I work for this rule. I like very much this rule, I vote for having this rule.

"(In the past) all athletes have the possibility to have one (false start), so you can have eight," he said, warming to his theme in a suite of the south-east Korean city's Inter-Burgo hotel.

"Think about television... it was disturbing to have everybody able to make a false start.

"After that we said 'one'. And we see that some are making it voluntarily and still stay in the competition. So now we say we do not want one voluntarily disturbing the competition.

"So I am happy with the rule," he added, stressing there was "no chance" of changing it.

"He (Bolt) understands that because he made a false start and immediately he takes off his T-shirt and says 'ok I go out'."

The 78-year-old Senegalese was equally dismissive of any suggestions of leniency for burly world record holder and Olympic champion Robles in the traditionally physical 110 meters hurdles.

"I am in favor (of the disqualification).

"If he obstructs Liu he has to be disqualified. But not to ask the others to re-run. I don't know why you ask the others of the eight to run because Mr Robles obstruct Mr Liu.

"He has to be out... it is the rule."

(Editing by John O'Brien)

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After perfect season, No. 14 TCU bows to Baylor

Horned Frogs almost stage amazing comeback, but upset 50-48 in wild opener

Lm Otero / AP

TCU quarterback Casey Pachall pays a price after scoring a touchdown against Baylor on Friday. In was a rough night for the No. 14 Horned Frogs, who fell 50-48 after having won 25 consecutive regular-season games.

By STEPHEN HAWKINS

updated 12:42 a.m. ET Sept. 3, 2011

WACO, Texas - Aaron Jones kicked a 37-yard field goal with 1:04 left and Baylor averted a monumental collapse to pull out a 50-48 season-opening victory over 14th-ranked TCU on Friday night.

TCU, which had won an FBS-best 25 consecutive regular-season games, overcome a 47-23 deficit in the fourth quarter to briefly take the lead. New starting quarterback Casey Pachall threw three touchdowns passes in the rally and a fumble by Bears quarterback Robert Griffin set up a go-ahead 27-yard field goal by Ross Evans, who earlier missed twice from behind 40 yards.

But Baylor, which hadn't beaten a ranked team since 2004, then went 60 yards in 11 plays ? including Griffin's 15-yard catch from Kendall Wright on a third-and-10 ? to set up Jones.

The Frogs had one more chance, but Pachall's last pass was intercepted by Mike Hicks and he ran the clock down to 2 seconds in Baylor's most-anticipated opener in a long time.

Griffin took one more snap, knelt down and immediately the field was swarming in gold as students and fans rushed out to celebrate. Many of those in purple sat in the stands staring out in shock.

Wright threw for a score of his own before catching two of Robert Griffin's career-high five touchdown passes as Baylor avoided another crushing loss to the defending Rose Bowl champion and its old Southwest Conference rival.

This would have certainly hurt more than the Bears' 45-10 loss in Fort Worth a year ago because Baylor was never in that game.

Griffin hit 21 of 27 passes for 359 yards, with Wright catching 12 of them for 189 yards. Terrance Williams had six catches for 126 yards and two scores.

This is not the same TCU team that was a BCS buster the last two seasons. There are missing pieces on a defense that finished the last three seasons No. 1 overall in the country, and four-year starting quarterback Andy Dalton is now a rookie starter in the NFL.

Pachall was 25 of 39 for 251 yards and four TDs with that one interception. He threw to 10 players, with Josh Boyce making nine catches for 96 yards.

The only time Baylor really appeared to be going backward before TCU's big comeback was when Wright was excitedly backpedaling after throwing his pass, a 40-yard touchdown to Williams only 2� minutes into the game. Wright took a quick pass behind the line from Griffin, drawing the defender and leaving Williams wide open.

TCU allowed only 229 yards per game last season, and the most allowed in the regular season was 361 by SMU. The Bears had 360 at halftime, when they led 34-23, and finished with 564.

It was the most yards and points allowed by the Horned Frogs since Sept. 24, 2005, in their 51-50 overtime victory over BYU, which had 614 yards.

Baylor was 0-4 against Top 25 teams last season, when the Bears finished 7-6 with a bowl appearance for the first time since 1994. Their last win over a ranked team was a double-overtime victory over No. 16 Texas A&M in 2004.

Griffin is back for his fourth year, though he is only listed as a junior after a hardship redshirt for that early season-ending knee injury in 2009.

Baylor built a 40-23 lead when Griffin appeared to underthrow Lanear Sampson streaking down the left sideline. But cornerback Greg McCoy, who had some big kickoff returns for the Frogs, misplayed the ball and Sampson caught it for a 64-yard touchdown.

Griffin's fifth TD pass came on the next drive, a 42-yarder to Williams. And even that wasn't enough.

Pachall, the sophomore who threw only nine passes behind Dalton last season, threw two TDs in a span of 3:18 early in the fourth quarter.

The Frogs drove 80 yards on 14 plays before Pachall threw a 1-yarder to Logan Brock. Skye Dawson's 30-yard punt return and a 15-yard penalty then set TCU up at the 12 before Pachall had a 9-yard TD throw to Boyce and they then connected for 2-point conversion.

After a short punt set TCU up at midfield, Pachall threw a 19-yard TD to David Porter. But another 2-point try to Boyce was incomplete.

Stansly Moponga caused and recovered a fumble by Griffin at the end of the 10-yard run that started the ensuing Baylor drive.

For Gary Patterson, TCU's defensive-minded coach, and new Baylor defensive coordinator Phil Bennett, the opener certainly couldn't have been too enjoyable.

During one span in the first half, there were scores on six consecutive possessions ? three touchdowns by Baylor and two touchdowns and a field goal for TCU. Griffin threw TD passes of 35 and 27 yards to Wright during that span, and Pachall had a 23-yarder to Brock.

� 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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Not a perfect start for No. 14 TCU

The Horned Frogs went 13-0 last season, but it will be a different story this time around as Baylor averted a monumental collapse to pull out a 50-48 upset Friday.

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Roddick not ready to bow to youth at US Open

Veteran beats rising star at US Open; Murray, Nadal also advance

Matthew Stockman / Getty Images

Andy Roddick defeated fellow American Jack Sock 6-3, 6-3, 6-4 to reach the third round of�the US Open on Friday night.

U.S. OPEN MEN'S ROUNDUP

updated 12:35 a.m. ET Sept. 3, 2011

NEW YORK - Andy Roddick remembers being grateful for a chance to spend time with Andre Agassi and soak up what he could from a Grand Slam champion.

So a similar offer was extended by the 29-year-old Roddick when he finished beating 18-year-old Jack Sock 6-3, 6-3, 6-4 in a veteran vs. kid, American vs. American matchup at the U.S. Open on Friday night.

After shaking hands at the net, Roddick invited Sock to visit him and practice together during the offseason in Austin, Texas.

"I certainly feel the need to pay it forward. This game has been great to me; it's pretty much an impossibility for me to do it," Roddick said. "I enjoy having the young guys at home. I think I can help them. It's inspiring for me. You can kind of feed off of their hunger a little bit."

Roddick said he and Agassi hit together a decade ago in Florida. Roddick was 18, Agassi was 30; it was during the offseason before Agassi won the 2001 Australian Open for one of his eight major titles.

"He was my hero. You know, it was surreal. I felt like I was in a daze. It was really cool, because my dad put this court together in our yard in Florida. (Agassi) would come over there and hit," Roddick recalled. "So the neighbors who would complain that we were out there hitting balls at 6 in the morning all of a sudden would look through the bushes ? and they didn't complain anymore."

Roddick, the 2003 champion at Flushing Meadows who is seeded 21st this year, and Sock were both born in Nebraska ? and now Sock, like Roddick a decade ago, is a young guy being pegged as a future tennis star.

"I didn't think I'd ever play another guy from Nebraska in my career. You know, it was just cool. I could draw so many parallels to what he was going through," Roddick said. "But also I could draw on my experience a little bit. I had a good time."

Sock earned a wild card into the U.S. Open each of the last two years by winning the boys' national championship. Against Roddick, he showed off some of the skills that make some think he could be the country's next star tennis player.

"I went out there and I soaked up all the experience I could and learned a lot from it and had a good time," Sock said.

One stat: Sock hit 10 of the match's first 11 winners.

One more: He smacked two aces in the very first game.

"His forehand's got some serious RPMs on it," Roddick said. "You can't teach that."

But Roddick converted 5 of 5 break points. Sock only managed to make good on 1 of 7. Sock whiffed on his first six break chances, including four in the fourth game of the match, which Roddick ended with one of his 11 aces.

In the very next game, Roddick broke to go ahead 3-2 when Sock netted a volley at the end of a 13-stroke exchange.

"Changed the whole dynamic of the match," Roddick said.

Struggling with various injuries, former No. 1 Roddick is having a tough season, and his ranking dropped outside the top 20 for the first time in a decade. Most recently, he was sidelined by a torn abdominal muscle that made him unsure of whether he'd even be able to enter the U.S. Open.

Now he's into the third round for the ninth time in 12 appearances at the year's last Grand Slam tournament and will play 81st-ranked wild card Julien Benneteau of France.

Sock, meanwhile, has a memory that'll stick with him ? playing Roddick at the U.S. Open in Arthur Ashe Stadium at night ? and an invitation to go to Austin.

"He was the guy to watch for guys my age growing up. He was the up-and-comer, doing really well on tour. Obviously, being from Nebraska, that was more incentive for me to watch him. I enjoyed watching him. I watched him a lot," Sock said. "To be able to play him was the best tennis experience of my life."

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� AB R H RBI BB K LOB SEASON�AVG. EllsburyCF �2� �0� �1� �0� �0� �0� �0� �.314� Pedroia2B �2� �0� �0� �0� �0� �0� �0� �.308� Aviles2B �0� �0� �0� �0� �0� �0� �0� �.244� Gonzalez1B �2� �0� �1� �0� �0� �0� �0� �.342� ReddickLF �0� �0� �0� �0� �0� �0� �0� �.276� Youkilis3B �2� �0� �0� �0� �0� �2� �1� �.264� OrtizDH �2� �0� �0� �0� �0� �1� �0� �.312� LowrieSS �2� �0� �0� �0� �0� �1� �0� �.266� JacksonLF-1B �2� �0� �0� �0� �0� �0� �0� �.248� VaritekC �2� �0� �0� �0� �0� �1� �0� �.237� McDonaldRF �1� �0� �0� �0� �0� �0� �0� �.194� TOTALS �17� �0� �2� �0� �0� �5� �1� � CAUGHT STEALING Ellsbury� (12) BOSTON�PITCHING � IP H R ER BB K HR SEASON�ERA Miller �1.1� �5� �6� �6� �4� �1� �1� �5.27� Bowden �2.2� �2� �1� �1� �1� �5� �0� �2.31� Albers �1� �3� �3� �3� �0� �1� �2� �4.69� Wakefield �1� �0� �0� �0� �0� �1� �0� �5.06� PITCHES / STRIKES Miller� 52-26,�Bowden� 49-31,�Albers� 22-14,�Wakefield� 10-8 � GROUND / FLY Miller � � 4-2,�Bowden � � 2-2,�Albers � � 3-2,�Wakefield � � 2-0 � TOTAL BATTERS FACED Miller� 13,�Bowden� 11,�Albers� 6,�Wakefield� 3 �

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