Vandy aims for upset of 'Bama

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01/17/2007 - Nashville, TN (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Vanderbilt Commodores hope to thrill the Nashville crowd with an upset of the 10th-ranked Alabama Crimson Tide this evening in an SEC tilt.

Alabama opened league play with an ugly 88-61 loss to Arkansas, but the club was able to rebound for a 71-61 decision over LSU in the next outing. It has been eight days since that most recent contest, and Alabama is undoubtedly eager to improve on its outstanding 14-2 overall record. On a down note, the Tide enters tonight's clash with a 1-2 mark in true road games.

Vanderbilt, which is 8-2 at home, owns a solid 11-6 overall record, but the team has only one win in three conference games thus far. On Saturday, the Commodores dropped an 85-73 decision to Georgia on the road.

Alabama holds a 65-59 edge in the all-time series with Vanderbilt, but the Commodores have won the last eight meetings at home.

The Crimson Tide is scoring 77.9 ppg this season on 48.3 percent shooting from the floor, including 39.3 percent accuracy from three-point range. Defensively, the squad is limiting its opponents to 63.4 ppg on 37.3 percent shooting from the field. Richard Hendrix leads a balanced offensive attack with 14.9 ppg, and he is ripping down 8.8 rpg. Alonzo Gee is close behind offensively with 14.8 ppg, and Jermareo Davidson accounts for 13.9 ppg, 9.4 rpg and 3.2 bpg. Mykal Riley (12.3 ppg) and Ronald Steele (10.5 ppg) round out the team's tremendously talented group of scorers. Hendix tallied 18 points in the win over LSU, and Gee managed 15 points. Riley and Davidson posted 12 points apiece, and Davidson also secured 12 rebounds. Strong defense was undoubtedly the key to that win, as 'Bama limited the Tigers to 35.7 percent shooting from the field.

Vanderbilt connected on only 38.6 percent of its field goal attempts in the loss to Georgia, and the Commodores scored only six points from the foul line in the contest. They also suffered a 43-33 rebounding disadvantage and permitted the Bulldogs to shoot 55.2 percent from the floor. Derrick Byars led the team with 23 points in defeat, and Dan Cage pitched in 17 points for Vandy. As for Shan Foster, he was limited to 3-of-13 shooting from the floor, including an 0-of-5 effort from three-point range. Byars holds the team scoring lead with 15.1 ppg, and Foster is close behind with 14.8 ppg. Cage has been a solid offensive contributor as well, as he is netting 11.5 ppg on 43.5 percent shooting from behind the arc. The Commodores are averaging 78.6 ppg while allowing 69.5 ppg to their opponents.

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FOOTBALL BETTING : Cassel Signs Contract

Kansas City, MO - Kansas City has not officially named Matt Cassel its starting quarterback, but there can be no doubt now.

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After praising his leadership and work ethic through spring workouts, the Chiefs announced Tuesday they had signed the 27-year-old Cassel to a multiyear contract. Terms were not disclosed, but he will almost certainly be one of the highest-paid members of the team.
"We are excited to be able to reach a long-term agreement for Matt Cassel to be a Kansas City Chief for many years to come," owner and board chairman Clark Hunt said in a statement. "His proven leadership on and off the field will be a tremendous asset to the organization."
Patriots made him their franchise player, meaning his salary for this season will be about $15 million.
New head coach Todd Haley, taking over for Herm Edwards after a 2-14 season, refused to name a starter at any position during offseason workouts. But it was obvious to everyone the team belonged to Cassel.
"I go out there each and every day with that focus that I'm the starter," Cassel said during a June minicamp. "Competition brings out the best in everybody."
The signing will come as welcome news to Cassel's new coaches and teammates. Amiable and hardworking, online football betting he appeared to win over everyone at minicamp.
"I think he's got some unique leadership qualities. I think his teammates like him and have respect for him. I think he's doing a pretty good job on the field, too," Haley said last month. "He's doing everything that I'm asking him, that our coaches are asking him to do. I don't have one single complaint how he's carrying himself."
After one workout, wide receiver Devard Darling declared Cassel "a breath of fresh air."
"He has a lot of swagger, a lot of confidence. It's good for us," said Darling. "We trust in him that he's going to go out there and lead us all the way."
nse to accommodate his specific abilities.
Trapped on the bench behind Heisman winners Carson Palmer and Matt Leinart at USC and then unable to unseat Super Bowl MVP Brady at New England, Cassel seemed destined to be a backup all his life. As Brady was helped off the field last September, Cassel seized the opportunity he'd been waiting for since high school.
In his only sustained action since his teens, he hit 349 of 555 passes for 3,949 yards at New England. He had 23 touchdown passes and 13 interceptions as the Patriots, who had gone unbeaten through the regular season the year before, finished 11-5 and out of the playoffs.
Chiefs general manager Scott Pioli, who had been Bill Belichick's assistant in New England, engineered the trade after the Patriots became convinced that Brady would recover fully from his knee operation.
"Since Matt arrived in Kansas City, he has embraced the team and the community," Pioli said. "His work ethic, his ability and competitive presence is what we expect from our players."

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