New Zealand's eyes are still firmly fixed on trying to save, or even win, the opening Test in Perth but if, as is very likely, Australia come out on top they may have won a few little battles late on the third day.

Their short-ball tactics, led by Neil Wagner and this time implemented by Tim Southee as well, are so well telegraphed yet still continue to reap considerable reward. "The five men out on the pull gave it away," Joe Burns said with a smile.

Burns was one of the five Australia second-innings wickets to fall to the short delivery, when he gloved Southee to gully, the odd one out being Tim Paine who was cleaned up second ball.

Significantly, the plan worked for the second time in the match against Steven Smith, who picked out deep square leg having been given a working over by Wagner which included a painful blow on the gloves. It meant that for the first time in his career, Smith had gone three Tests without a half-century.

David Warner miscued a pull to mid-on, Marnus Labuschagne picked out midwicket (although not until he had scored another fifty and become the first batsman to 1000 Test runs this year) and Travis Head flicked straight to leg gully, his second poor dismissal of the match. Those moments are unlikely to have much bearing on this game, but they are little markers for the Tests to come.

"First and foremost it's to try and get through this match but we have wait and see what the wicket's like in Melbourne," Ross Taylor said. "It's definitely a tactic we've used in New Zealand to good effect and Neil has been a fantastic exponent of doing that. The match-ups throughout this whole series, not just this match, will be key and we'll get a lot of confidence from that."

Burns acknowledged that knowing the plan was coming and play it are two different things, highlighting the fact that the pace of New Zealand's - around the low 130kph-mark without the injured Lockie Ferguson - presents a different challenge to when the ball is fired down at 150kph.

"We spoke it, they've done it to us and all sorts of different teams in the past," he said. "We spoke about being clear how you want to play. It's always disappointing when you lose wickets but credit to the New Zealand bowlers, to get through the overs they've done and get executing the short ball for long periods of time. It's probably why they are No. 2 in the world

"It's easier said than done to say you'll come round the wicket, or for Wagner to bowl long periods of the short ball to that field, there isn't much margin of error if you miss. If you bowl bad balls you'll leak a lot of runs. Credit to them, it's a big part of their bowling plans. As a batter you just try to wear them down, pounce on bad balls, but they didn't miss too many times.

"It's awkward because you feel like you can play it. At the speeds they bowl it's challenging, different because they are asking you to play the shot to get off strike and you are bringing in all their catchers. Credit to them because they can execute it for a long period of time. They find a way to keep creating wickets when they flatten out."

BCB president Nazmul Hassan is hopeful that the Bangladesh team will get security clearance from the government to tour Pakistan next month for a series comprising three T20Is and two Tests. However, he also said that there remained a couple of more steps that needed to be taken before a final decision could be arrived at.

Last week, BCB chief executive Nizamuddin Chowdhury had said that the board was expecting a decision from the government imminently, but that time was running out. However, Hassan struck a more positive tone on Saturday.

"We had written to the government about our security clearance for Pakistan," Hassan said. "We had sent a women's team and an Under-16 team previously. We don't have the clearance for the senior men's team yet. Security is paramount even if it is for an Under-12 side. It is going to be the same for everyone, which is why I believe that we are likely to get the security clearance."

Bangladeshi sides have toured Pakistan in the recent past, but the men's team haven't done so since 2008. Seven years ago they were close to deciding on a tour to Pakistan, only for the AHM Mustafa Kamal-led BCB to pull out shortly after the decision to tour was taken.

Hassan has said that after the government announces their decision, it would be up to the BCB to speak to the players who could decide for themselves whether they were keen to tour or not. BCB director Akram Khan has already suggested splitting the tour so that the Tests could be played later.

"The government had sent their security team, so once we get the clearance we can tell you our decision. After the security clearance, we also must ask the cricketers, whose opinion is important.

"We also have to consider the board's decision, but we are at the final stages of our decision. I think we will know about it in the next 4-5 days," said Hassan.

The tour comprises of three T20Is, scheduled to be held in Lahore on January 23, 25 and 27, and two Tests, which are slated to be held in Rawalpindi and Karachi.

NEW YORK -- Wilson Chandler shrugs as he sees Spencer Dinwiddie's pull-up 3-pointer clank off the left side of the rim.

"That's a good shot, though," Chandler says. "You can't get mad when you miss a shot you normally make. You got to live and die with it."

It is Wednesday night, and 45 seconds remain as the Brooklyn Nets host the Charlotte Hornets at Barclays Center. Had Dinwiddie's shot fallen, Chandler's teammates would have regained a one-point edge in a game they once led by 20.

And Chandler can do nothing but watch.

He is a borough away, a 30-minute subway ride from the arena as the seconds tick down on the Nets' 11th loss of the season.

Dressed in a black, graphic T-shirt, black sweatpants and a black hat, Chandler has his eyes locked on one of two 60-inch flat-screen TVs in a wood-paneled private room in Jay-Z's 40/40 Club in Manhattan.

Normally when a player is sitting out, he puts on a suit jacket and takes in the game from the bench. An injured player might watch from the locker room or trainer's office.

Chandler's absence is different. He is serving the 24th of a 25-game suspension after testing positive for a banned substance in August. (His final game covered by the suspension is Saturday night at the Toronto Raptors.) League rules dictate that Chandler cannot be inside an arena where the Nets are playing two hours before and after games.

Chandler, who signed with Brooklyn over the summer on a one-year, veterans minimum contract, will be eligible to return for Sunday's home game against the Philadelphia 76ers and is expected to play. "We will throw him to the wolves, so to speak," Nets coach Kenny Atkinson said.

For the past three months, though, Chandler has watched his teammates play from the 40/40 Club -- Chandler is represented by Jay-Z's Roc Nation Sports -- or from his apartment in Brooklyn Heights.

"Being suspended," Chandler says, "you're being banished."

Chandler, 32, says this has been the most challenging stretch of an 11-year career. Tougher than the adjustments he had to make during his rookie season in 2007-08. More frustrating than missing the entire 2015-16 season with a torn labrum. More trying than being traded.

At one point during his suspension, Chandler admits, he contemplated retiring from the NBA altogether.

"You start to think about, 'Is it really worth it?'" Chandler says. "Not because you don't want to play, but because you're in a dark place."

---

CHANDLER WAS DRIVING home from Brooklyn's practice facility when the call came one afternoon in August. He wishes he'd had more time to turn his car around. He wanted to tell his team in person.

On the phone was the league office, notifying Chandler he had tested positive for Ipamorelin, a growth hormone that has been on the NBA's list of banned substances since 2016. Chandler had spent the summer rehabbing from a quadriceps injury sustained during the 2018-19 season. During his treatment, Chandler said, his personal physician gave him "small doses" of the drug. He added that neither he nor his doctor was aware he was taking a banned substance.

"I was trying to get healthy, and I took something I didn't know was a bad substance," Chandler said. "I felt a lot of shame."

Chandler wanted to get in front of the situation as quickly as possible. The first calls he made were to his agents, Sam Permut and Juan Perez, Nets general manager Sean Marks and Atkinson.

Chandler didn't contact his teammates until he got back to his apartment. Then he pulled out the list of the Nets players phone numbers that an administrative assistant gave him when he signed, started at the top and made his way down, one by one.

"I just told them, 'I'm sorry,'" Chandler said. "And I hope they forgive me."

Next, Chandler called his aunt Delia, whom he refers to as a sister. Chandler didn't want to tell his 87-year-old grandmother, Olivia, the woman who raised him, about what happened. Delia, though, was sitting next to Olivia when Chandler delivered the news.

Chandler and his grandmother didn't speak for several weeks after. It wasn't that Olivia didn't call -- she did -- Chandler just didn't have the stomach to talk yet. The feeling of embarrassment was too much.

Eventually, he dialed her back. She picked up after a few rings.

"At that point, she was more worried she hadn't heard from me," Chandler said. "She wasn't really mad."

Even after he had smoothed things over with Olivia, a hum of anxious thoughts persisted. He feared that the suspension would napalm his career. Again and again, replays of the day the news broke would cycle through his head.

What could I have done differently? Why didn't I double-check the banned list?

"Even with my teammates, they ride with me. Everybody was real supportive. They could've cut me a long time ago."

Wilson Chandler

On some days during the suspension, Chandler would reach out to a handful of friends to chat over the phone. On other days, he would retreat back into himself; he spent most of those in his home listening to music and reading Ta-Nehisi Coates' "The Water Dancer."

Chandler already had been planning to meet with the Nets' team therapist, and those appointments became more important after the suspension.

But during the hours and days alone, his mind continued to wander.

"I just thought, 'This has to be it,'" Chandler said of his career. "And that is scary in itself -- especially to go out and have the last thing be a suspension."

---

CHANDLER HAS STUCK to a strict training regimen during his suspension. Five or six days a week, he arrives at the practice facility at 10 a.m. and undergoes 45 minutes of manual treatment -- massage, mobilization exercises and low-impact, soft-tissue work with the Nets' physical training staff. Then he heads to the weight room for 30 minutes to get warm. After that, on-court work begins.

On some days, it was just Chandler and an assistant coach in the gym. On other days, he would play 2-on-2, 3-on-3 and, occasionally, 5-on-5. Sometimes, that meant playing with Brooklyn reserves David Nwaba, Theo Pinson and Iman Shumpert -- whom the Nets waived Thursday to open a roster spot for Chandler -- or with the G League players on two-way contracts.

Chandler often worked out with Nets assistant coach Bret Brielmaier, whom Chandler calls "One T." After each of Chandler's workouts, Brielmaier would tick off how many days remained until the forward would be allowed to play again.

"It's almost like they're doing the time with me," Chandler said. "Even with my teammates, they ride with me. Everybody was real supportive. They could've cut me a long time ago."

Since August, Chandler has spent a lot of time using stationary bikes and sprinting. The amount of time he spends doing cardiovascular workouts has impressed him teammates, earning Chandler the nickname "Cardio King."

"We have included him in everything we can," Atkinson said. "I said to him the other day, 'You must just be dying right now, because you've been working your tail off.' I think he's champing at the bit."

But Chandler said his work during practices feels empty.

After all, the corner 3 he executes to perfection or the pocket pass to a big after a smooth pick-and-roll would be stuck inside a practice gym until game No. 26. So would any on-court chemistry he built along the way with his new teammates.

Chandler can't help but dwell on what they might think of him.

"You're focused on reading other people's minds and how they look at you," Chandler said. "Your teammates, other teams, coaches, GMs, everyone in the league office -- you're wondering how they feel about you ...

"I've always been a person that people kind of like, so it's kind of hard to wonder if people look at you in different ways."

Chandler has traveled with the team for every road trip except for one -- an overtime loss at the Memphis Grizzlies on Oct. 27 -- even though he isn't allowed in visiting arenas. (He watches from the hotel.) He still rides the team plane, eats team meals and participates in the few full 5-on-5 practices the team has held. He even went on the team's preseason trip to China.

But two hours before every tipoff, he becomes exiled.

Chandler has tried not to wait until the last minute to leave the arena. On game days with a normal 7 p.m. start, Chandler usually will be done with his workout in the early afternoon, with adjustments made for any of Brooklyn's early tips this season.

Plenty of game days would come and go without Chandler seeing most of his teammates.

"I definitely felt bad having to leave," Chander said. "Most times I am there so early that a lot of guys aren't."

---

HORNETS POINT GUARD Devonte' Graham drills the dagger -- a step-back 29-footer over Nets guard Joe Harris that would become the final three of Graham's career-high 40 points. It puts the visitors up by five with 22.7 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter.

Back at the 40/40 Club, Chandler hangs his head in disappointment.

There have been so many moments like this one. He doesn't say it, but it is etched into his face. Missed offensive rebounds make him wince. Silly celebrations on the Nets' bench put a smile on his face.

Chandler wants to be out on the court doing something -- anything -- to help his team in a crucial moment.

"I bring a little grit, a little toughness," Chandler says. "All the dirty thi ..."

He stops himself to clarify, not wanting anyone to think that he is actually a dirty player.

"I wish I was out there," he says.

Charlotte leaves the door open for some late-game Brooklyn magic, and two of the Nets' best shooters -- Harris and Taurean Prince -- get off clean looks that don't fall in the final 14 seconds. The Nets' fate is sealed.

For Chandler, it's one more game off the list.

In less than five days, he'll be able to rejoin his teammates for game action. Any lingering thoughts of the suspension ending his career are gone, replaced with butterflies like the ones that show up the night before a season opener.

"You know," Chandler says, "I'm a little nervous. It's been a while since I've played."

The final buzzer sounds across the bridge at Barclays Center when Chandler reaches for his phone.

It's the customary game-night ritual he has done 23 times already this season: a message to the team's group chat commending its effort.

On Sunday, Chandler will deliver it in person.

INDIANAPOLIS – Reigning NOS Energy Drink USAC National Midget Series Rookie of the Year Andrew Layser will embark on his second season with the series in new pastures.

Layser has inked a deal with Tucker/Boat Motorsports to compete full time on the USAC National Midget trail, hoping to add to his top-rookie status from a year ago with a championship in 2020.

The Collegeville, Pa., teenager moves over to Tucker/Boat Motorsports from the Clauson/Marshall Racing stable, where he recently completed his first year on the road with the United States Auto Club.

“I think it’s a great opportunity for me,” Layser noted. “(Team owner) Chad (Boat) is a great driver, a great crew chief and a great mentor, and I’m really looking forward to working with him for the whole 2020 season.  They have a great foundation for a team, and I think that showed with how strong they were this past year.”

Layser finished 11th in USAC National Midget Series points this year on the strength of eight top-10 finishes in 24 starts and highest among the rookie contenders that competed during the coast-to-coast schedule.

While it wasn’t necessarily the year he’d hoped to have, Layser is optimistic about the lessons he’s learned so far in his midget career and eager for the days to come.

“Seeing the results that Chad’s had over the years, and with the others who’ve driven for him, it’s obvious his cars are top notch,” Layser relayed.  “On any given night, you can win, and that’s the goal for me this year, to go out there and have good runs, and hopefully, the wins will fall into place. I see what he’s doing not only as a team, but what he does for his drivers.

vThat really appealed to me and I really couldn’t be more excited to be working with him.”

After already adding veteran Chris Windom to his stable this week, team co-owner Chad Boat is looking forward to what a young rising star like Layser brings to the table as Tucker/Boat Motorsports continues to grow and strengthen.

“I think Andrew has a great foundation,” Boat said.  “Obviously, he’s worked with some good teams and I think that foundation will carry him into next year. I believe that by him going to these tracks for a second time, he’ll be able to pick up right where he left off.

“When somebody gains experience then has a little bit of an offseason to think about, you see them excel,” Boat continued. “I think you saw that with Zeb (Wise) last year and I think there’s no reason Andrew can’t put up the same results.”

Mark Boucher has been appointed as the new head coach of the South Africa men's team on a four-year deal, running until 2023, with Enoch Nkwe, who was the interim team director, taking up the role of assistant coach.

"I have brought Boucher on board because I feel he will bring the toughness to turn a young and inexperienced Proteas squad into a battle-ready outfit," Graeme Smith, the newly-appointed CSA acting director of cricket, said in his first interaction with the media after taking up the new position. "With his experience of a long career as an international cricketer he has first-hand experience of what it takes to succeed in the Test arena.

"I have the highest regard for Enoch as well and I want to create a clear path for him to grow into a top international coach. At the same time there is a clear need to maintain continuity and stability in the Proteas management team and we will be retaining the technical support staff along with Volvo Masubelele continuing as team manager and Justin Ontong as fielding coach."

Smith mentioned that he would be appointing batting and bowling consultants over the "next couple of days", with it looking increasingly likely that Jacques Kallis could take up the first of those positions.

The Boucher update came just three days after Smith was named director of cricket on a three-month term. A key part of Smith's job was to appoint coaching staff for the men's national team as it prepares to take on England at the turn of the year.

In other appointments and updates announced on the day, Linda Zondi has resumed as convener of the national selection panel, Faf du Plessis has been confirmed as the Test match captain, and Ashwell Prince will take charge of the South Africa A side for their upcoming three-day tour match against England, starting December 20 in Benoni. There will also be a two-day tour game prior to that in Benoni, from December 17, between the visiting side and a CSA Invitation XI. The first Test starts in Centurion on Boxing Day, and Zondi is expected name the squad for it on Monday.

"We will be announcing both the Proteas Test squad and the South Africa A squad to play England on Monday," Smith said. "The Test squad will then go into immediate camp to prepare for the Test series and some of them will be included in the South Africa A team. Aiden Markram is likely to be the only player released for franchise duty in the 4-day series as he is in need of match practice after his lengthy injury-enforced absence.

"As far as my vision for the future is concerned, we need to rewind to performance excellence and that will be the focus going forward. Our public want and demand a world-class Proteas side and we must deliver on that. As far as my own future is concerned, I face a very busy and at times hectic three months and I am not going to look further ahead than that. I am sure everybody will understand that.

"Because of the time frame the Proteas Test squad is my most immediate concern and we will be rolling out plans for the Proteas Women and the under-19s, who both face important ICC global events next year, in the immediate future."

More to follow…

The stars are aligning for West Indies' T20 World Cup defence. Phil Simmons, who had coached them to the title more than three years ago, is back at the helm. Kieron Pollard has taken over the limited-overs captaincy, Lendl Simmons is back in form, and Dwayne Bravo has come out of retirement, making himself available for T20I selection next year. Then, there are exciting talents from the CPL like Brandon King and Hayden Walsh Jr.

West Indies' ODI side, however, is searching for some stability in a transitional phase. In the 50-overs World Cup earlier this year, they went either cray-cray or so very quiet. As a result, they finished second from last on the World Cup points table, with just two wins from nine games.

When they stuck to this lop-sided ODI approach against England and Australia, they wound up losing from winning positions. In Southampton, West Indies were 144 for 3 in the 30th over. While boundaries weren't a problem, they couldn't quite rotate the strike enough to keep the scorecard ticking.

A fairly well-set Shimron Hetmyer miscued a drive down the ground and Carlos Brathwaite swished and nicked off, adding to West Indies' irreparable collapse. They gave up their last seven wickets for 67 runs to be bundled out for 212, with more than five overs unused in their innings.

Earlier in the tournament, against Australia, West Indies had been in a similar position - 149 for 3 - in pursuit of 289, but they were eventually pinned down to 273 for 9. The likes of Shai Hope, Shimron Hetmyer, and Jason Holder found the boundary semi-regularly, but the rest of the West Indies batsmen struggled to rotate the strike.

All told, West Indies had a dot-ball percentage of 57.7 in the 50-overs World Cup. In order to address this issue and tighten the middle order, West Indies roped in allrounder Roston Chase, who had been ignored for the World Cup.

The 27-year-old offspin-bowling allrounder made an immediate impact, playing a starring role in West Indies securing their first ODI series win in more than five years, against Afghanistan.

ALSO READ: 'I see myself as someone who can be the No.1 allrounder some day' - Chase

Batting at No.3 in the ODI series opener against Afghanistan in Lucknow, Chase shepherded West Indies' pursuit of 195 on a sluggish track, with an assured 94 off 115 balls. Then, in the third ODI, Chase floated down to No. 7 and made a rapid 32-ball 42 to help West Indies overhaul Afghanistan's 249. Chase was also at it with the ball, finding drift and turn to provide West Indies with vital breakthroughs.

Pollard conceded that Chase's selection was a "left-field" one, but was particularly impressed with the flexibility he has added to the line-up. Chase's strong form, Pollard said, could allow West Indies to play an extra batsman or a bowler depending on the conditions.

"I think he brings balance to the whole team," Pollard said at the pre-match press conference. "He's first of all a Test batsman - he has Test hundreds - and that in itself is a great asset for us. Having a guy who bats in the middle order in Test cricket coming in and in one-day cricket can do any role.

"Given that, he can bowl as well, it gives an opportunity to play an extra bowler or an extra allrounder or an extra batter. So, he has been very valuable for us. We saw his talents and we're trying to exploit what we can give for himself as he can up there in terms of being the No.1 allrounder in the world. And no better way than the opportunity to do it. He has come in [as] a left-field selection, but that's something that has worked for us."

Another West Indies batsman who is more known for his stickability than muscle is wicketkeeper-batsman Shai Hope. The 26-year-old has been in stellar form in ODI cricket in the last two years, hitting 2023 runs in 44 innings at an average of 56.19 and a strike-rate of 76.71. Hope is a batsman in the mould of India's Ajinkya Rahane, who is technically compact and can play some glorious drives, but doesn't quite have the higher gears.

However, the likes of Nicholas Pooran, Hetmyer and Pollard have the higher gears and the bigger shots. So, West Indies need to find the balance between power and strike-rotation if they're to topple India.

"We come with a clear mission and plan on how to approach 50-over cricket," Pollard said. "We need to be clear on how to play the game and we need to get guys who are responsible and accountable for those things. It's a process that we are going through. The results might not show straightaway. Yes, we won 3-0 against Afghanistan. We are coming up against better opponents. There are things we are working on internally and hopefully the results will take effect in time to come. It's not going to happen overnight obviously, but we are willing to work."

West Indies will have to contend with the conditions - both overhead and underfoot - in the ODI series opener in Chennai. Rain has lashed the city in the days leading up to the game and wet weather even interrupted West Indies' training session on Saturday. West Indies are also sweating over Evin Lewis' fitness. The in-form opener had been stretchered off the field in Mumbai and is recovering from a soft tissue injury in his right knee.

West Indies haven't been able to field a full-strength side in the past few years due to various factors. But, despite that, the T20I side dug deep into its reserves and challenged India. Can the ODI side now veer away from the old lop-sided approach and spring a surprise on Virat Kohli's men?

Joe Burrow entered the year largely as an unknown for LSU. He played well at times last year in his first season on the Bayou after transferring from Ohio State, but overall it looked like more of the same for an LSU program that has seemingly struggled forever to find a dynamic offense to compete with the game's best.

Burrow's Heisman odds were as low as 200-1 to start the season. Now they're off the board.

How did he go from question mark to slam-dunk Heisman winner? How did he change the entire narrative around what was possible for LSU football and coach Ed Orgeron?

Here's the story of Burrow's season, as told through the biggest moments of his year. It's a story filled with lots of touchdowns and a good bit of trolling, and it should culminate in a Heisman trophy Saturday night.

Week 2: Waving goodbye to the Horns
LSU 45, Texas 38

After throwing for 471 yards with four touchdowns in a 45-38 victory at Texas on Sept. 7, Burrow sat behind a microphone in front of dozens of reporters in a small room in the bowels of Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. A reporter asked Burrow whether what he saw from the Tigers in their first two games -- more than 1,000 yards of offense and 100 points -- was an indication of what was to come. "It's a long season," Burrow said. "But you can take a look at the last two scoreboards, and you can figure that one out." When another reporter asked Burrow whether he considered himself among the best quarterbacks in the country, he didn't hesitate before answering. "I always kind of knew it," he said. "I think everybody's starting to see it a little bit." After Burrow outdueled Longhorns star Sam Ehlinger in a Texas-like shootout, throwing his last touchdown, a 61-yarder to Justin Jefferson, with 2:27 left, there was little doubt about that. -- Mark Schlabach

Joe Burrow waved goodbye to Texas fans late in the 4th ? pic.twitter.com/HGOtITdRjp

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) September 8, 2019

Week 7: Gators go down
LSU 42, Florida, 28

If they didn't buy in before, if the game against Texas and the cupcakes in between weren't enough, then they did now. Against one of the best defenses in the country -- one that led the nation in interceptions and the SEC in sacks -- Burrow was magnificent, attempting 24 passes and throwing the same number of touchdowns (three) as he had incompletions (three). He even showed off his wheels, running for 43 yards. But it was his final drive of the night that was the most impressive. Instead of nursing a seven-point lead, running the ball and running out the clock, coaches put the ball in Burrow's hands, and he delivered. He immediately hit Ja'Marr Chase with a 15-yard strike down the sideline, found Thaddeus Moss for an 8-yard gain moments later, and then went deep to Chase again, this time for 54 yards and a touchdown. In the blink of an eye, LSU was ahead 14 points and the game was over. Afterward, Orgeron said of Burrow: "I believe he's one of the best quarterbacks in America." -- Alex Scarborough

Week 9: Tigers get tested
LSU 23, Auburn 20

LSU's offense would go on to put up video game numbers all season, reaching 50 points six times. But not against Auburn's stout defensive front. Burrow & Co. faced a challenge in this game unlike any other. And although they still rolled up 508 yards of offense, they scored only 23 points and needed to recover a late onside kick to clinch the victory.

Burrow was his usual efficient self, throwing for 321 yards and one touchdown, while rushing for another 47 yards and a TD. But it was an otherwise ordinary 14-yard, second-quarter scramble from the quarterback that set the tone in this one.

On third-and-12 from the 9, Burrow scrambled toward the Auburn sideline, and as he picked up the first down was driven out of bounds with a vicious hit from Auburn corner Javaris Davis. Burrow hopped right back up and didn't miss a beat. Seven plays later, he connected with receiver Terrace Marshall Jr. on a 20-yard touchdown pass to give LSU a 7-3 lead.

"If your quarterback shows toughness like that, it can kind of get your team going," Burrow said. "If you lay down on the field and don't hop right back up, it shows your team that you are not really into it." -- Ryan Canner-O'Mealy

Week 11: Joe slays the beast
LSU 46, Alabama 41

If it's true that every Heisman Trophy winner requires a so-called "Heisman moment," then this was it. And by "this" we mean pretty much the entire game, because Burrow came out against big, bad Alabama, which hadn't lost to LSU in eight years, and put it on the Crimson Tide defense from start to finish. Burrow was pinpoint accurate, not throwing a single interception, and a tough runner, rushing for 64 hard-earned yards. By the time it was over and the Tigers had won 46-41 -- an unthinkable score in years past -- Burrow had completed 31 of 39 passes for 393 yards and three touchdowns. His teammates hoisted him on their shoulders and he stuck out his tongue as he was carried across the field in celebration. During a postgame news conference, Orgeron was asked whether Burrow had just given a Heisman-caliber performance. "I don't vote," he said, "but if I get a vote, I'm giving it to him, I promise you that." -- Scarborough

LSU carried Joe Burrow off the field ? pic.twitter.com/prbFfDyH8H

— ESPN (@espn) November 10, 2019

Week 14: Joe Burreaux
LSU 50, Texas A&M 7

"Excited for Saturday."#LSU Joe Burrow is ready for Texas A&M.

"Chance to go 12-0."

(Swigs water) pic.twitter.com/px199ZVjsc

— Jacques Doucet (@JacquesDoucet) November 24, 2019

Burrow's Tiger Stadium sendoff began with a custom-made, Cajun-inspired jersey, with BURREAX on the back, which the quarterback wore during senior introductions. After hugging his parents, Burrow, who had come up with the idea earlier in the week, pointed to the back of his jersey as he saluted the crowd.

"I thought it would be an awesome tribute to the state, to the university," Burrow said.

He came to LSU as an Ohioan who couldn't win the starting job for the Buckeyes. He leaves as the best quarterback in Tigers history, and an adopted son of the Bayou.

"Joe's meant a lot to Louisiana," Orgeron said. "Louisiana's very proud of LSU football. People in Louisiana have heart, man. When they love you, they love you, and they love Joe and Joe loves them."

Burrow led LSU to scoring drives on its first five possessions against Texas A&M, removing any doubt of another seven-overtime thriller. In the third quarter, Burrow set the SEC's single-season passing record on an 11-yard pass to Clyde Edwards-Helaire.

Later in the quarter, he tied the SEC's single-season touchdown pass record with his 44th, an 18-yard strike to Chase. Burrow recorded his sixth consecutive 300-yard passing performance (352 yards).

"I said in the past my goal was never to be the quarterback of an NFL team," Burrow said afterward. "I wanted to be the quarterback of a top-10 team, playing in the national championship game, and we have a chance to do that. This is a dream come true for me." -- Adam Rittenberg

Absolute Legend ?

Joe. Burreaux. Forever. pic.twitter.com/xnnBf27M6I

— LSU Football (@LSUfootball) November 30, 2019

SEC title game: Another Heisman moment
LSU 37, Georgia 10

With an SEC championship and potential No. 1 seed in the College Football Playoff on the line, Burrow delivered another masterpiece.

He threw for 349 yards, four touchdowns and no interceptions in a dismantling of No. 4 Georgia. It was a performance that left no doubt as to whom would win the Heisman and was enough for the Tigers to leapfrog Ohio State for the top spot heading into the playoff.

"He's one of the top recruits in LSU history," Orgeron said after the game. "He's changed the face of the offense, he's the reason we could go to the spread.

Need proof? Look no further than this magical play from the third quarter.

Heisman Moment pic.twitter.com/V2Yw0bjiBT

— CBS Sports (@CBSSports) December 7, 2019

From there, the Tigers rolled and it was time to start engraving Burrow's name on the trophy. -- Canner-O'Mealy

He Has Set College Football Off

A Name You Will Never Forget pic.twitter.com/PN7cif69v2

— LSU Football (@LSUfootball) December 9, 2019

Scarlets have confirmed New Zealand want head coach Brad Mooar to become part of the All Blacks backroom staff under Ian Foster.

Foster succeeds Steve Hansen who left the post at the end of the World Cup.

New Zealand would like Mooar in place for the two Test series against Wales in July 2020, which could see him leave Scarlets at the end of the season.

Scarlets say "early discussions" have taken place.

A Scarlets statement said: "We have been made aware that newly appointed All Blacks head coach Ian Foster would like Scarlets head coach Brad Mooar to join his New Zealand coaching team at the end of the 2019-20 season.

"Discussions between the Scarlets and New Zealand Rugby are at an early stage and we are unable to comment further until those discussions are concluded.

"In the meantime Brad, the coaching team and playing group are firmly focused on this evening's crucial European Challenge Cup match against Bayonne, followed by the big Welsh derby matches over the festive season."

Foster will announce four assistants, with Mooar in line for one of the positions.

Mooar is in his first season with Scarlets after replacing fellow New Zealander Wayne Pivac, who left Parc y Scarlets to take over from Warren Gatland as Wales head coach.

The 45-year-old has made an impressive start with seven wins in his first 10 matches in charge.

Mooar was assistant coach at Crusaders for four seasons working under Scott Robertson.

He was also head coach at Mitre10 Cup side Southland Stags as well as backs coach with South African sides Eastern Province Kings and Southern Kings in the Super 15.

New Zealand Rugby contacted 26 coaches over the head coach vacancy, but Foster and Robertson - who has overseen three successive Super Rugby titles with the Crusaders - were the only two confirmed candidates.

Foster served as Hansen's assistant for eight years and saw off competition from Crusaders coach Robertson to earn his promotion.

MELBOURNE, Australia –International captain Ernie Els has implored the galleries to stand behind the home team and even after an unsavory incident involving Patrick Reed’s caddie, the South African is standing with the masses.

Reed’s caddie, Kessler Karain, was suspended by the PGA Tour for Sunday’s singles play after he pushed a fan who had yelled at Reed, “you f***ing suck," after the morning fourball matches.

U.S. captain Tiger Woods made his thoughts clear on unruly behavior. “There's obviously some yelling. There's people who have had a lot to drink and have gone over the top,” he said.

“All we ask is for them to be respectful.”

But Els responded to Saturday’s incident with a slightly different take, pointing out that the International team endured its share of verbal abuse two years ago when the Presidents Cup was played at Liberty National in New Jersey.

“If you look back at New York and how these players were treated in New York, this crowd is pretty quiet,” Els said. “We just get treated the same wherever you go as an away game, there's some heckling going on and we all know that, and you prepare for that, and that's just the way it goes. We shut up and we get on with things. That's what we did in New York.”

Els also said that he’s against “heckling” and crowds being disrespectful, but acknowledged that it happens, particularly in team events when passions are high and that it’s up to players to deal with it.