Oregon State DL sets bench press record

Most people aren't terribly excited about the NFL Scouting Combine, unless a favorite college player really shines with a blistering 40 time, or incredible leaping ability.

But when Oregon State defensive lineman Stephen Paea completed his turn at the bench press over the weekend, it was something to look up and notice. Paea did 49 reps of the 225-pound bench, which was four more than the previous record. Here's Paea in action, but notice the men around the bench, and the great line, "We've got a live one."

Spring Training Questions to Prepare For Opening Day

Here are 10 of the main storylines in baseball this season that will dominate the rest of spring training as we inch toward Opening Day.

Spring Training Questions to Prepare For Opening Day

Tax Tips: Credits and Deductions Are Everywhere

As winter gives way to spring, it’s a good time to clean out the house, re-organize closets and shelves, and update your financial records. Tax season forces us to gather W-2s, charity statements and figure how we will lower our taxable income.

We're taking advantage of new energy efficient windows, and have made more than a few trips to a thrift store across the street. What is your family doing in the way of tax credits and deductions?

Tax Tips: Credits and Deductions Are Everywhere

Before Green Bay, Masthay was a Kentucky HS all-star from Murray

Dust off the archives, here's a story I wrote as an intern at the Lexington Herald-Leader way back in 2005. The punter for the Kentucky all-stars that summer was Murray's Tim Masthay. Less than eight years later, after a career at the University of Kentucky, he's in the Super Bowl with the Green Bay Packers.

Thursday, June 16, 2005 MASTHAY'S FOOT IS A SIGHT FOR BLUE EYES MURRAY ALL-STAR COULD HELP UK Edition: Final Source: By Keith Farner, Herald-Leader Staff Writer Section: Sports Page: C1

When Tim Masthay steps into Commonwealth Stadium on Sept. 4 he'll be surrounded by eyes.

Yes, speed will be a factor for the freshman punter. Yes, the potential of a blocked punt will increase from high school. But the biggest difference will be the sheer number of people watching him catch, set, and punt the pigskin. At least that's what John Buchanan, the kicking coach this week for the Kentucky football All-Stars told Masthay on Sunday.

"There's just going to be more eyes on you," said Buchanan who has coached at Boyle and Mercer County and at Lafayette. "You've just got to concentrate on the ball and forget all those eyes that will be on you."

But that shouldn't be a problem for Masthay, a Murray High School product who is the odds-on favorite to start at punter for the University of Kentucky this fall.

Masthay grew up playing soccer, basketball, baseball and then football as a junior in high school so eyes in stadiums have been on Masthay since he was 4.

The multi-sport athlete will cut his load from four sports in high school to football and possibly baseball at UK. Masthay, a center fielderand left-handed pitcher, said he has talked with UK baseball coach John Cohen about walking on the team.

Athleticism is what UK football coach Rich Brooks and special teams coach Steve Ortmayer told Masthay they wanted.

And with a 39.4 yards per punt average last season, that's what The Associated Press first-team all-state player delivered.

"I think right now I'm just a solid punter, nothing spectacular," Masthay said yesterday. "What they really wanted was a good athlete and that they could teach me to be a good punter."

The teaching began last summer when Masthay attended a camp that Brooks hosted. That's where Masthay grasped the techniques and fundamentals that are crucial for every punter.

"You have to drop the ball perfectly or it doesn't matter how hard you kick the ball, it's not going to go anywhere," said Masthay who also received an offer from Purdue to start this season on kickoffs.

Masthay will battle walk-on Kris Kessler for a starting role at UK. Masthay said he's not nervous now but if he does in fact start, the butterflies will be fluttering.

"I don't know if it's added pressure," he said, "but I know it's serious business and I've got to get the job done."

Brooks said on national signing day that Masthay, in all probability, will start at punter. The coach also compared him to Josh Bidwell, who played at Oregon under Brooks and now punts for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Football won't be the only transition for Masthay to handle. He'll also have to adjust to classes and living away from Murray. Buchanan said there's no way to figure how freshmen will adjust. But he does know one thing about Masthay.

"He can kick the snot out of the ball," he said.

Football
Kentucky- Tennessee All-Stars
When: 7 p.m. Friday
Where: Papa John's Cardinal Stadium, Louisville
Tickets: $10 at gate Parking: $5

Willian vs. Farner vol. 4

Willian vs. Farner

Since Brent went 3-3 last week, while I was 2-4, I'm working with a two-game lead, 10-8 versus 8-10. He's again falling in love with the chalk this week, taking three road favorites. He's admittedly reluctant about the Hawkeyes, but I'm equally worried about the Trojans. Here we go.

Florida State (-4) at NC State:

Brent: NC State had been one of the surprise teams this year until a bad 33-27 loss last week to East Carolina. The magic may be starting to wear off, as they’ve had trouble on the defensive side of the ball the last few weeks. The ‘Noles, meanwhile, have really picked it up since a blowout loss to Oklahoma in early September, responding with 5 straight wins, including a 28-point beat-down at Miami. I like Florida State to cover on the road. FSU 30, NC State 21

Keith: While Florida State has somewhat established itself as a favorite to get to the ACC Championship game, I'm not yet sold on this conference having one team above the rest. The underdog is undefeated ATS in the last nine games in this series. The Wolfpack are strong at home, despite the Virginia Tech loss, which shouldn't have happened. The Wolfpack are strong in every major offensive category, and look for them to benefit from the mid-week home game. N.C. State 28, FSU 24

Louisville (+9) at Pitt

Brent: UofL’s defense responded with another shutout last week against UConn, holding Jordan Todman to just 80 yards on 19 carries in the process. UofL will need another big defensive performance against Dion Lewis and a steadily-improving Pitt offense. I don’t know if UofL has enough to go into Pitt and steal a road victory, but I do think they will stay under the spread. Pitt 31, Louisville 24

Keith: The Cardinals are still trying to gain traction under Charlie Strong, and while they've played well against sub-par teams like UConn and Cincinnati, it's tough to stay close with an experienced Pitt team on the road. Take out the Miami game, and the Panthers have had a solid season. Throw in a few confidence-boosting wins against Rutgers, Syracuse and Notre Dame, and we're seeing the team many picked to win the Big East. UofL might win this game in a couple years, but it won't be close this time. Pitt 31, Louisville 14

Iowa (-6.5) vs Michigan State

Brent: One has to believe that barring something crazy, Iowa is the only hurdle remaining between Michigan State and an undefeated season, as Minnesota, Purdue, and a disappointing Penn State remain on the schedule. However, Iowa needs to bounce back after a close loss to Wisconsin last week in order to stay in the Big 10 title hunt. The home crowd is the difference in this one as an Iowa victory turns the Big 10 into a big mess. Iowa 28, Michigan State 20

Keith: The Spartans are undefeated as an underdog this season (Wisconsin and Michigan) and have a bit more at stake in the Big 11 standings than the Hawkeyes. Michigan State knows if it wins this game, it can coast over Minnesota, Purdue and Penn State. Iowa would need one of those teams to knock off the Spartans, and concern itself with Ohio State. Look for MSU to learn from last week's slow start against Northwestern, and put on a strong showing. This is my double shot pick of the week. Iowa 28, MSU 24

Auburn (-7) at Ole Miss

Brent: The big question is, can Auburn keep this up? They are #1 in the BCS standings for the first time in school history, and Cam Newton is playing like a man among boys. Neither Auburn nor Ole Miss has shown the ability to consistently stop an opponent from scoring, so I look for a shootout in this one. Newton leads Auburn to another victory. Auburn 41, Ole Miss 31

Keith: Well, let's cue the weekly broken record: Auburn can't possibly continue this another week. Houston Nutt loves to be the underdog, and Jeremiah Masoli should put up big numbers if he can stay away from Nick Fairley. Even if Auburn wins, it hasn't done a good job of putting teams away. Five of its wins are by a touchdown or less. Ole Miss 28, Auburn 27

Oregon (-7) at USC

Brent: I am going to continue to pick Oregon until someone shows that they can even come close to containing the Ducks’ offense. Oregon has averaged over 49 points in Pac-10 games, and is winning by an average of almost 25 points per game. Those are scary numbers for a USC defense that is ranked 85^th nationally (107^th in pass defense). USC was impressive against Cal in its last game, but I can’t see them staying within a TD this week. This is my double-shot pick of the week. Oregon 44, USC 28

Keith: This has been a season as seemingly untouchable teams have fallen off three straight weeks. While USC hasn't shown much, especially against a high-powered offense like Oregon. But this kind of season, don't be surprised if the Ducks stumble. Oregon 35, USC 30.

Willian vs. Farner vol. 3

Brent dug out of his 1-4 showing two weeks ago to win last week's matchup, 3-2, and counting double shot picks, has climbed to 5-7 over the two weeks. I'm looking to build on my two-game lead. We're all over the map this week, with a little Pac-10, Big 12, ACC and two SEC games. Let's go.

Willian vs. Farner

Oregon (-24) vs UCLA:

Brent: 24 points is a lot of points to be giving anyone. But the stakes are too high for Oregon to let off the gas. UCLA pulled off an upset in Austin a few weeks back, but don’t let that fool you. They were also pounded by Stanford and Cal, managing to score only 7 combined points in those two games. Oregon brings the #1 offense in the nation into this game, and of particular concern for UCLA is the Bruins’ 87^th ranked rush defense. This one won’t be close. Oregon 41, UCLA 13

Keith: We've seen the No. 1 team fall the last two weeks, and while Oregon will likely win this game, UCLA will cover late. Aside from the Stanford and Cal games, the Bruins have put up at least 22 points in every game. The Ducks, meanwhile, have given up at least 23 in every conference game. Oregon 42, UCLA 28

Clemson (-5.5) vs Georgia Tech:

Brent: Not going to pretend I know anything about either of these teams, but what the hell, I’ll go with Clemson to cover at home. Clemson 30, Georgia Tech 24

Keith: Just when you think Clemson is ready to get on a roll following a confidence-boosting win over Maryland, the Tigers have trademarked underachieving. What's more, Maryland is the best team Clemson has beaten. Georgia Tech also is one of the more underrated teams in the country. The Jackets lost two of three, but have since won three straight, and have scored at least 25 points in every game this season. This is my double shot pick of the week for the Jackets to win outright. Georgia Tech 31, Clemson 28

Oklahoma (-2.5) at Missouri:

Brent: I’m just not sold on Missouri yet. Maybe they will prove me wrong this weekend. Missouri has been pretty consistent on the defensive side of the ball this year, but I still look for Landry Jones to have a big game, and give the Missouri defense problems. Oklahoma 34, Missouri 27

Keith: Again with the highly ranked teams going on the road (Alabama and Ohio State) and playing in an ESPN GameDay setting, the Sooners are vulnerable here. Missouri's defense is the best its been in several years. The Tigers have only allowed more than 13 points once, to San Diego State. The Sooners, meanwhile, have had close calls against Utah State, Air Force and Cincinnati. Missouri 28, Oklahoma 24

Auburn (-6.5) vs LSU:

Brent: LSU is quite possibly the worst 7-0 team ever. It took one of the biggest coaching blunders in recent memory for LSU to beat Tennessee, and they were not exactly convincing against West Virginia and McNeese State in Baton Rouge. Auburn, on the other hand, has put up 102 points the last two weeks, and Cam Newton is playing like a true Heisman contender. Auburn’s defense is suspect, no doubt, but luckily LSU has one of the worst passing games in college football. Newton comes through with another big performance and Auburn wins an important SEC game at home. Auburn 31, LSU 17

Keith: Auburn has yet to face a defense as talented as LSU, and the Tigers' talent more than makes up for the coaching deficiences of Les Miles. Cam Newton will be forced to pass early and often, and Auburn, due for a let down for several weeks, finally drops a game. While some like Brent would say LSU is lucky, I can't go against teams like this that appear destined to have a special season. LSU 28, Auburn 21

Kentucky (+3.5) vs Georgia:

Brent: To say that UK has momentum after its unexpected comeback last week against South Carolina would be an understatement. Suddenly UK is actually alive in a mixed up SEC East. Georgia has scored 84 points the last two weeks, but against Vanderbilt and Tennessee, probably the two worst teams in the division. While that is somewhat concerning, given UK’s recent habit of letting teams jump out to big leads and having to come back, Randall Cobb is playing as well as anyone in the country right now and UK has too much to play for. UK wins outright for my double shot pick of the week. Kentucky 38, Georgia 31

Keith: What a difference two weeks make as Georgia is no longer talking about Mark Richt's coaching status, and the defense has turned in two strong outings. This line tells me the teams would be even on a neutral field. Kentucky isn't as good as last week's fortunate win over South Carolina and its coaching blunder. The Wildcats' confidence is fools gold as its only signature win, which shouldn't have happened. Georgia 31, Kentucky 28