least compared to last year.After five games in 20

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. -- Beating Southeastern Conference teams has almost become routine for Middle Tennessee.Giddy Potts scored a season-high 27 points and MTSU won its third straight over an SEC opponent with a 71-48 win over Vanderbilt on Thursday night.MTSU (9-1) has won seven of its last 12 against the SEC, including a 77-62 win at Ole Miss on Nov. 30.I think the culture of our program is about toughness, MTSU coach Kermit Davis said. Not in an arrogant way at all, but I talk to our team a lot about trying to become a national program and weve been doing that for the last three or four or five years, and I think they look forward to these games.Middle Tennessee earned national attention with an upset of Michigan State in last seasons NCAA tournament.Potts made four 3-pointers and grabbed nine rebounds in the Blue Raiders seventh straight win.We just came out and played our game and really locked up on defense, Potts said. We played really hard on both sides of the ball.MTSUs Reggie Upshaw added 14 points, six rebounds and five assists going against 7-foot-1 Luke Kornet.Thats probably the biggest person Ive ever played against or one of them, said Upshaw, shaking his head. All week in practice coach Davis just kept telling us that he kind of struggles if you get him off his sweet spot and if you dont let him catch the ball too deep in the post.The Blue Raiders, ranked fifth in the RPI ratings, are off to their fourth-best start in school history and the best since opening 12-1 in 1980-81.Arkansas transfer JaCorey Williams had 13 points and a career-high 10 rebounds.Matthew Fisher-Davis led Vanderbilt (5-5) with 13 points and Jeff Roberson scored 11.The Commodores struggled offensively, hitting 32 percent from the floor on 17-of-53 shooting while being held to a season low in points against MTSUs 1-3-1 zone defense.We never really got that stretch in the second half where we could string together a couple of stops and a couple scores to ever get it close, Commodores coach Bryce Drew said. And credit them. They continued to play good defense and continued to attack the rim on the other side.Two nights after breaking a school record with 19 3-pointers in a win over High Point, Vanderbilt made 5 of 19 from beyond the arc.MTSU went 7 of 24 from 3-point range.Its frustrating, Roberson said. We knew (for them to be) playing a home game theyd be making a lot of runs and stuff and it was on us to bounce back and we never really did that.BIG PICTUREVanderbilt: Still searching for consistency during the Commodores up-and-down start.Middle Tennessee: The Blue Raiders only blemish is a 74-63 loss to Tennessee State on Nov. 19 and Williams has given the team a big lift.GREAT TREATVanderbilts first-year coach Bryce Drew, a former Valparaiso coach, seemed surprised to inherit a road game at MTSU. I can tell you up North schedules like this dont happen very often, Drew said. Nobody would ever come into our gym in Valpo, never a Big 10 team. So this is a great treat for Middle Tennessee to get an SEC team in their building and credit them, they took full advantage of it and played a great game.SECOND-HALF SURGEVanderbilt trailed by eight early in the second half when Middle Tennessee made an 18-6 run to stretch its lead to 51-31 on Upshaws exclamation-point dunk with 12:52 left. The Commodores never got closer than 18 the rest of the way.UP NEXTVanderbilt takes a nine-day break before hosting Chattanooga on Dec. 17.Middle Tennessee visits Belmont, another Nashville team, on Wednesday before traveling to VCU on Dec. 17.Atlanta Braves Store . -- Lou Brocks shoulder-to-shoulder collision with Bill Freehan during the 1968 World Series and Pete Roses bruising hit on Ray Fosse in the 1970 All-Star game could become relics of baseball history, like the dead-ball era. Ronald Acuna Jr. Braves Jersey . Lack made 20 saves for his third shutout of the season as the Canucks blanked the St. Louis Blues 1-0 in the first post-Olympic game for both teams night. https://www.cheapbraves.com/2083o-gary-matthews-jersey-braves.html . Thats not a comment on the suspension that banished the Portland Winterhawks general manager and coach from his Western Hockey League teams bench for most of the 2012-13 season. Clete Boyer Jersey . -- Canadian Andrew Wiggins got the ball on the wing, made a nifty spin move and then let go with a soft floater from about 10 feet that swished through the net in Allen Fieldhouse. Billy Hamilton Jersey . He was followed closely by David Clarkson, donning red, seconds later. Clarksons actions one night earlier, leaping off the bench in defence of Kessel during a pre-season game against the Buffalo Sabres, will cost him the first 10 games of the regular season.EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- Ben McAdoos honeymoon with the New York Giants is over.After getting off to a 2-0 start, the rookie coach has seen his team lose three straight games and fall into last place in the NFC East.The offense is having trouble scoring. Eli Manning seems a little off. The line has been inconsistent and the dynamic receiving trio of Odell Beckham Jr., Victor Cruz and Sterling Shepard are not producing as expected.Thats only half the problem.The Giants invested a ton of money in the defense in the offseason and the returns are not matching the investment after five games.While Steve Spagnuolos unit produced its first two turnovers in Sundays nights 23-16 loss to the Packers in Green Bay, the highly touted defensive line has not applied pressure to opposing quarterbacks this season.Injuries took a toll on the secondary in road games at Minnesota and Green Bay, and there have been plenty of missed tackles.I think when you face two tough road games like weve had, two tough opponents, I think we need to regroup, we need surrender our ego, stay together and work to win this week, McAdoo said Monday.When the penalties, turnovers and mistakes on both sides of the ball are added, it makes for a losing record and some disgruntled followers, who entered the season believing that McAdoo had the talent to end New Yorks four-year playoff drought.However, the Giants problems go beyond football.The first five weeks also been dominated by Beckhams tantrums on the field and the sideline. He was on his best behavior in Green Bay.Left tackle Ereck Flowers, however, was not. The 2015 first-round draft pick put his hands on ESPN reporter Jordan Raanan in the locker room after the game.Flowers was talking to two reporters and Raanan walked over to interview him. Flowers did not want to speak to him and told him a couple of times to leave. Raanan replied a couple of times that he was just doing his job and wanted to stay.Flowers eventually either shoved or pushed the reporter.McAdoo, general manager Jerry Reese and the teams public relations department all met with Flowers on Monday. Flowers also apologized to Raanan, McAdoo said.He understands that he cannot behave that way, McAdoo said. Its unacceptable, and its important for us to all have a pprofessional relationship with the media, players and coaches.ddddddddddddRaanan did not return a telephone message left by The Associated Press seeking comment.McAdoo refused to say whether Flowers would be disciplined, noting that would be handled in house. NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy said in an email to the AP that the team was handling the incident.The Giants will return home this weekend to play the Baltimore Ravens (3-2).When you face two tough road games like weve had, against tough opponents, I think we need to regroup, we need to surrender our egos together and work to win this week, McAdoo said.The Giants have a lot to fix. Manning has thrown five touchdowns and four interceptions this season. He has had two games without a TD pass. He missed a certain scoring pass late in the first half Sunday night when he overthrew wide-open tight end Will Tye with New York trailing 14-6.When asked if Manning was hurt, McAdoo said that he knew of no injury.The running game has suffered with Rashad Jennings missing the last three games with a hand injury and Shane Vereen out for the year with a torn triceps. Orleans Darkwa has started the last two and he was held to 11 yards on seven carries by the Packers.The receivers also struggled. Beckham had five receptions for 56 yards and a touchdown. Cruz did not catch either of the two passes thrown his way, and Shepard had season-low totals of two receptions for 14 yards.Its not good, at least compared to last year.After five games in 2015, New York was 3-2, had scored 132 points and given up 109 in Tom Coughlins final season. This year, New York is 2-3, has 89 points and surrendered 108.Honeymoon over.Game notesMcAdoo said CBs Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie (groin) and Eli Apple (groin) would either not practice or be limited early this week. ... WR/Returner Dwayne Harris sprained a big toe against the Packers. ... When asked if veteran T Will Beatty would be given a shot at playing with fellow tackles Flowers and Bobby Hart having problems, McAdoo said every lineman gets a chance to push for a job every week.---AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP-NFL ' ' '