Handel » the Spartans finally connected with a 13-play, 75-

BARCELONA, Spain - Barcelonas 0-0 draw at Osasuna on Saturday left the Spanish champion one win short of matching the league record for most victories to start the season. Atletico Madrid could take over as the league leader with a late victory at Espanyol that would equal the 45-year-old league milestone of nine wins through the first nine rounds held by Real Madrid. Lionel Messi went on as a substitute in the 68th minute after he recovered from a right leg injury this week, but not even Barcelonas all-time leading scorer could unlock Osasunas defence. The draw left Barcelona three points ahead of Madrid following its 2-0 win over Malaga thanks to goals by Cristiano Ronaldo and Angel Di Maria. Barcelona hosts Madrid next weekend in the first clasico of the season after both play Italian rivals, AC Milan and Juventus, in the Champions League midweek. Also, Real Sociedad broke an eight-game winless streak in all competitions with a morale-boosting 2-1 victory at Valencia before it travels to Manchester United on Tuesday in the Champions League. Di Maria scored for Madrid seconds after halftime with a cross intended for Ronaldo that caught Malaga goalkeeper Willy Caballero out of position. Madrids 100-million-euro winger Gareth Bale went on for the final 15 minutes after recovering from a leg injury and earned a questionable penalty that Ronaldo converted in injury time. Ronaldos eighth goal of the season took him level with Messi. Both trail Atletico striker Diego Costa with 10. "My players attitudes were much better," said Ancelotti, who this week said his team played so poorly recently it could only improve. "We defended well, were more aggressive and played with our lines closer together," he said. "I hope to see this same intensity in the games to come. We recovered the ball well, applied pressure well and maintained our positions. That was the difference from other games." Ancelotti said striker Karim Benzema would be back in his squad against Juventus on Wednesday after he missed Saturdays game due to a leg knock he had picked up in training. Youngster Alvaro Morata started in his place and was Madrids most active player in an otherwise dull first half that only saw Ronaldo hit the crossbar in the eighth minute. While Madrid again failed to impress, it improved as the match went on and was stopped from recording a bigger win only by Caballero. Caballero made an excellent reflex save with his left foot to deny Ronaldo from close range in the 82nd and two minutes later used his right hand to parry substitute Jese Rodriguezs low shot past his upright. Di Maria said he wanted to see Caballero join him on Argentinas national team as it prepares for the 2014 World Cup. "I believe Caballero deserves to go," Di Maria said. But Caballero couldnt reach Ronaldos well-placed spot kick after Bale went flying to the turf following what appeared to be light contact with Malaga defender Weligton. Bale had done little before the penalty in his first action since injuring his left hamstring last month. An organized Osasuna renounced the ball from the start but did well to keep Barcelona in check throughout. With Messi watching, Barcelona was limited to Neymars occasional incursions with his diabolic dribbling and a header from defender Marca Bartra that he thumped well high from outside the six-yard box in the 44th. The first cracks began to show in Osasunas defence in the second half when Cesc Fabregas wasted Xavi Hernandezs throughball by shooting over the bar in the 61st. Messi went on shortly after but he was unable to get a clear look at goal as Osasuna took off its lone striker and added midfielder Francisco Punal to hang on to the point. "We knew it would be a complicated game," said Barcelona defender Carles Puyol, who played his first game in seven months after recovering from knee surgery. "These grounds are always tough. We had our chances but just lacked that finishing touch in the final meters." At Mestalla Stadium, Antoine Griezmann opened for Sociedad in the 41st and Ruben Pardo sent a swerving long strike just inside the post to effectively seal the result in the 59th. Dorlan Pabon snatched Valencias consolation goal before the final whistle. Nike Air Max 90 From China .C. -- Duke sophomore Rodney Hood is entering the NBA draft. Wholesale Nike Air Max 90 .The Hamilton Tiger-Cat defensive back always has the required receipt. But he also walks around with a tangle of metal screws, rods and plates after breaking his neck in 2006 playing high school football in Louisiana. https://www.cheapnikeairmax90china.us/ . Villarreals victory in Valencia kept it in fourth place and in control of Spains last Champions League spot. Uche broke free in the area in the 10th minute and was brought down by goalkeeper Keylor Navas, who was shown a direct red card. Fake Nike Air Max 90 . According to a report from the Vancouver Province, the Lions are expected to replace former DC Rich Stubler with defensive backs coach Mark Washington. Cheap Nike Air Max 90 . Buffalos defensive co-ordinator had his second interview with Cleveland owner Jimmy Haslam and CEO Joe Banner on Tuesday night, a person familiar with the Browns plans told The Associated Press.PASADENA, Calif. -- Connor Cook passed for a career-high 332 yards and hit Tony Lippett with a tiebreaking 25-yard touchdown pass early in the fourth quarter, leading No. 4 Michigan State to a 24-20 victory over No. 5 Stanford on Wednesday night in the 100th Rose Bowl. Cook also threw a TD pass to Trevon Pendleton, and Jeremy Langford rushed for 84 yards and a score in the first Rose Bowl victory in 26 years for the Big Ten champion Spartans (13-1), who finished the season with 10 straight wins. Michigan States defence capped its dominant season with one more old-school, smash-mouth performance during the centennial celebration of the Granddaddy of Them All. "Its a special time for all Spartans, and we came here in force," coach Mark Dantonio said. "Im very happy for our football team, the resilience we showed all season long." The nations best defence ended it by stopping the Pac-12 champion Cardinal (11-3) on fourth-and-1 with 1:46 to play, utterly stuffing a run play up the middle. Kyler Elsworth, who started in place of suspended senior leader Max Bullough, hurdled the pile to deliver an electrifying, head-on hit to fullback Ryan Hewitt. "When I saw their offensive linemens stance, I knew the way to make a play was to go over the top," said Elsworth, selected the games defensive MVP. Tyler Gaffney ran for 91 yards and an early TD for Stanford, and linebacker Kevin Anderson returned an interception 40 yards for a score late in the first half. But the Cardinal couldnt follow up last seasons victory in Pasadena with back-to-back Rose Bowl wins, managing just three points from their offence after the first quarter. The Spartans have long laboured in the shadow of Michigan and Ohio State, but coach Dantonios seven-year rebuilding project in East Lansing has put them on top of the Midwest this season with an unbeaten run through conference play. After knocking off the unbeaten Buckeyes in the league title game, Michigan State earned only the Big Tens second Rose Bowl win since 2000, even rallying from its first double-digit deficit of the entire season to do it. Cook led the way in his own inimitable fashion, making incredible plays and huge mistakes along the way. Along with his costly interception to Anderson, he also thrrew two passes that went through the hands of Cardinal defenders, and an interception in the third quarter was wiped out by a defensive holding call.dddddddddddd But when the Spartans needed big plays in the second half, Cook repeatedly delivered, finishing 22 for 36. Kevin Hogan beat Wisconsin in last years Rose Bowl, but he couldnt match Cook, going 10 for 18 for 143 yards and a key interception for Stanford. A mere 112 years after the game considered the first Rose Bowl was played in a park elsewhere in Pasadena, Stanford and Michigan State engaged in an old-fashioned slugfest in the venerable stadium that will host the BCS title game Monday night. Michigan State fans dominated the Rose Bowl grounds and stands, with about 70 per cent wearing green in the crowd of 95,173 -- the games largest turnout since 1998. After Tournament of Roses Parade grand marshal Vin Scully flipped the coin, Stanford started with a 77-yard drive culminating in Gaffneys 16-yard TD run. Michigan State had never trailed by double digits all season long until Jordan Williamsons field goal put Stanford up 10-0 late in the first quarter, but the Spartans finally connected with a 13-play, 75-yard drive culminating in Langfords bounce outside for a 2-yard TD. The Spartans dominated the second quarter, but Cook handed seven points to the Cardinal shortly before halftime. With Usua Amanam bearing down on him unblocked, Cook inexplicably threw a soft looping pass directly to Anderson, who returned his first career interception untouched for a score -- the first defensive touchdown allowed by Michigan State all season. A hush fell over the partisan crowd, but Cook responded with a stellar drive in the waning minutes, moving Michigan State 75 yards in 99 seconds and evading pursuit to deliver Pendletons 2-yard TD catch 28 seconds before halftime. The Spartans had every bit of momentum after Michael Geiger hit a tying field goal, Trae Waynes made a diving interception and the Michigan State defence stuffed Gaffney on a big fourth down. Stanfords Shayne Skov forced a fumble by Langford inside the Cardinal 10 late in the third quarter, but Cook connected down the middle with Lippett for the go-ahead score early in the fourth. Stanford kicked a field goal with 5:05 left. ' ' '