DS Talk » .Rohan is Sydneys X-factor, but only touched t

(STATS) -- San Diegos unbeaten run to the Pioneer Football League title came after it suffered its only defeat of the season. Unfortunately for the Toreros, the team that handed them that loss is their opponent in the first round of the FCS playoffs.The 24th-ranked Toreros get another shot at No. 21 Cal Poly of the Big Sky on Saturday at Alex G. Spanos Stadium in San Luis Obispo as they take on a Mustangs team that has won each of the five meetings in the all-time series.San Diego (9-1) opened the season with a 27-0 win over Division II Western New Mexico before visiting Cal Poly (7-4) the following week. The Mustangs outscored the Toreros 21-3 in the second half of a 38-16 win, their fourth in the series over the last five years by a combined score of 151-49.The Toreros rolled through their eight PFL games, outscoring opponents 343-83 to earn the leagues automatic bid to the playoffs for the second time in three years while winning at least a share of the PFL title for the eighth time in the past 12 seasons.Cal Poly secured its fourth trip to the FCS playoffs and first since 2012 with a 55-48 win over Northern Colorado last weekend to finish 5-3 in the Big Sky. The Mustangs had dropped their previous two games.If I am shocked about anything, its the fact were playing at home after those two losses, coach Tim Walsh said. ... I think we were an underestimated team from the get go. I knew we had a lot of good players returning from last year and that wed be one of the 24 teams in the playoffs.The Mustangs finished the regular season No. 1 in the FCS in rushing offense (360.6 yards per game), passing efficiency (183.86 rating) and third-down conversion percentage (54.8) while ranking sixth in total offense (496.5) and 14th in scoring offense (35.9 points per game).Cal Poly is one tough opponent with a unique offense that will be hard to get ready for, said San Diegos Dale Lindsey, a finalist for the STATS Eddie Robinson Award as FCS Coach of the Year. It has been in the past. We dont choose how we get the draw so we are going to go up there and do the best that we can do.Running back and All-Big Sky first-team selection Joe Protheroe was seventh in the FCS with 1,212 rushing yards while adding 11 touchdowns on the ground. Running back Kori Garcia (834 yards, six TDs), quarterback Dano Graves (684, nine) and running back Kyle Lewis (587, six) also contributed to Cal Polys rushing attack. Lewis led the Mustangs with 372 receiving yards and four TD catches while Graves passed for 1,445 yards and 17 touchdowns to only four interceptions.That offense will face a San Diego team that led the FCS in scoring defense (12.1), passing efficiency defense (84.36) and total defense (249.6) while finishing sixth in rushing defense (82.2). The Toreros are also strong on the other side of the ball, ranking fourth in third-down conversion percentage (52.8), seventh in passing efficiency (162.52), 10th in scoring offense (38.6) and 15th in total offense (452.2).San Diego is led by quarterback Anthony Lawrence and running back Jonah Hodges. Lawrence finished third in the FCS in completion percentage (68.9) and fifth in passing efficiency (164.6) while throwing for 2,515 yards and 22 touchdowns to just five interceptions. Hodges was ninth with 1,190 rushing yards and fifth with 17 total TDs.I like the matchup, but it will be a difficult one for us, Walsh said. They like to throw the ball and we have not been extremely successful in defending the pass (the Mustangs ranked 109th in the FCS with 269.1 passing yards allowed per game). They are extremely well-coached and I have thought that every time we have played them. We have to take care of what we can take care of.The winner of this matchup will visit top-seeded and five-time defending FCS national champion North Dakota State in the second round on Dec. 3. Anthony Miller Jersey . Darren Helm scored on Detroits sixth attempt in the shootout and then Jonas Gustavsson stopped Andrew Shaws shot, lifting the Detroit Red Wings to a 5-4 win over the Chicago Blackhawks on Wednesday night. Dick Butkus Youth Jersey . -- Chicago Bears cornerback Tim Jennings was selected Monday to his second straight Pro Bowl, while guard Kyle Long made it after a solid rookie season. https://www.bearssportsgoods.com/Womens-Tarik-Cohen-Inverted-Jersey/ . Malkin got tangled up with Detroits Luke Glendening early in the third period and his left skate took the brunt of collision with the boards behind Pittsburghs net. Akiem Hicks Womens Jersey . -- Most satisfying to Russ Smith about No. Tarik Cohen Womens Jersey .05 million next season unless Graham and the Saints subsequently agree on a long-term deal. The designation was released Monday after the deadline passed for NFL teams to use franchise or transition tags on players becoming free agents. A limp AFL grand final performance from Sydneys forward line has reopened the debate about the Swans relying too much on talisman Lance Franklin.While Sydneys new-look forward line has won plenty of plaudits from their coach this season for their pressure, they were clearly found wanting in an offensive capacity on Saturday.Franklin battled on bravely after a first quarter ankle injury in Saturdays 22-point loss to the Western Bulldogs, but got little support in the goalkicking stakes from his forward colleagues.The Swans forwards kicked only three of their 10 goals, one of them a Franklin trademark long-distance bomb in the final quarter to give his team some brief hope.Sydney continued to direct plenty of kicks inside their forward 50 to him, but Franklin was generally well contained and often had to deal with more than one defender.Kurt Tippett, Xavier Richards and Gary Rohan had little impact as did the small forward brigade of Tom Papley, George Hewett and Ben McGlynn, with those six players mustering a combined tally of just two goals..Tippett alternated between the ruck and forward line but finished goalless for the seventh time in his past eight matches.dddddddddddd.Rohan is Sydneys X-factor, but only touched the ball five times on Saturday and tallied just seven disposals in the 2014 grand final.Hewett and Richards were both converted to forwards this season but struggled to stamp their presence on the grand final.Sydney missed the proven marking ability of key forward Sam Reid, who didnt play a senior game during the season due to injury.Reids return in 2017 would surely take some pressure of Franklin, who with 81 goals, finished a staggering 52 majors ahead of Papley, Sydneys next highest goalkicker.No other club had anywhere near as big a gap between their top two goalkickers.The Bulldogs had only two goals separating their top two goalkickers Jake Stringer (42) and Tory Dickson (40), and Greater Western Sydney Giants had four players finish between 38 and 53 goals.GAPS BETWEEN LEADING GOALKICKERS .AT THE SAME AFL CLUB* 52 - SYDNEY: Lance Franklin, 81, Tom Papley 29* 39 - GOLD COAST: Tom Lynch 66, Peter Wright 27* 38 WEST COAST: Josh Kennedy 82, Jack Darling 44* ' ' '