"They made a couple shots, we made a couple shots," Cla

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Titans linebacker Avery Williamson had a big game against a quarterback hes been watching for years, sacking Ben Roethlisberger not once, but twice.Now the rookie is working to make sure ego doesnt take his attention off the job at hand.Im happy with the way Ive been playing, Williamson said. Some plays I left on the field, but its never going to be a perfect game. Just got to continue forward and progress each week. Im definitely excited about my future, and I feel like its going to keep getting better.So do the Titans with Williamson looking to be a steal as a fifth-round draft pick out of Kentucky. His success has been a bit overshadowed with three other rookies starting on offence.The linebacker from Milan, Tennessee, grew up a fan of the Titans, and he has played in every game this season. Williamson now has started the last six games, and he already ranks third on the team with 70 tackles. He easily is in position to top Alterraun Verners 103 tackles in 2010 for most tackles by a rookie since 1999.Williamson also is tied for second with three sacks, and he has six quarterback pressures along with seven tackles for loss.Hes getting better and better every week, coach Ken Whisenhunt said. I think his recognition of what hes seen on the other side of the ball, hes got a lot confidence in how hes playing. He doesnt make a lot of mistakes, which is unusual for a young player like that. Hes grown up quickly. Its been a great asset to have him, especially after Zach got hurt earlier this year.The Titans lost Zach Brown a few plays into the season and tried to replace him with Zaviar Gooden. Despite not starting until the fifth game, Williamson currently is tied for third among NFL rookies in sacks and is second recovering two fumbles.Speed and hard work are Williamsons biggest strengths. Film study is one of the habits that helped the 6-foot-1, 236-pound linebacker as a team captain at Kentucky last season. Whisenhunt said the Titans really liked Williamsons maturity after four years in college and were impressed with him during pre-draft interviews.Obviously, he loves football, Whisenhunt said. I dont think you can ever anticipate that he would progress the way he did. You hope so, but its been a real pleasant surprise.The Titans now trust the rookie enough that Williamson wears the helmet with the communication device hearing from coaches to get his defensive teammates lined up each play.But the Titans visit Philadelphia (7-3) on Sunday, and the Eagles high-paced offence means defences have to line up much more quickly than usual. So the Titans plan to help the rookie out by signalling in schemes from the sideline.Were not putting it all on him, Titans defensive co-ordinator Ray Horton said. Well make a couple adjustments how we call the game so everybody will be responsible, not just him.Thats fine with Williamson who just wants to help the team he grew up rooting for win. Taking time to savour everything hes doing will just have to wait until the off-season when hes back in Milan.Theres a lot of people really supporting me back home, Williamson said.Notes: The Titans added LB Derrick Morgan to the injury report Thursday with a swollen knee, and he was limited along with CB Blidi Wreh-Wilson (back) and S Daimion Stafford (shoulder). TE Delanie Walker (concussion) was scheduled to meet with an independent doctor later Thursday for final clearance. He practiced fully along with WR Justin Hunter (knee).___Online:AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP_NFL___Follow Teresa M. Walker at www.twitter.com/teresamwalker Cheap Nike Free Wholesale .Y. -- Mike Zigomaniss goal at 5:53 of the third period stood up as the winner as the Rochester Americans hung on to defeat the visiting Hamilton Bulldogs 3-2 on Saturday in American Hockey League action. Nike Free Clearance Sale . - Golden State Warriors coach Mark Jackson sat on the scorers table at Oracle Arena on Wednesday morning. http://www.cheapnikefree.net/ . The Redskins announced Monday that the quarterback who led the team to the Super Bowl championship in the 1987 season will serve as a personnel executive. Nike Free Wholesale China . The Blue Jays lost to the New York Yankees 3-1 Tuesday night, their seventh defeat in 10 games. Rasmus was put on the 15-day DL on May 15 because of a sore right hamstring. Hes hitting .222 with nine home runs and 19 RBIs. Cheap Nike Free China . Ashley Wagner will skate in the womens short program for a U.S. team thats in seventh place. Davis and White won the silver medal at the Vancouver Games and are two-time world champions.LAWRENCE, Kan. -- Naadir Tharpe finally got to stand in the middle of the court at Allen Fieldhouse, bask in the adulation of another sellout crowd and celebrate a conference championship. The junior guard, who wrapped up his first two Big 12 titles on the road, had 19 points to lead five Kansas players in double figures Monday night, and the fifth-ranked Jayhawks held off Oklahoma 83-75 to ensure a share of their 10th consecutive league crown. "Just a great feeling," Tharpe said. "To be at home, to hear the fans and all that, its a beautiful feeling. It just shows the tradition of Kansas and what it means to us." Wayne Selden and Andrew Wiggins added 15 points each, and Joel Embiid had 12 points and 13 rebounds for the Jayhawks (22-6, 13-2), who poured off the bench at the buzzer to celebrate the latest addition to their nation-leading 57 conference titles. It might be the only one for Wiggins and Embiid, the dynamic freshman duo projected to be lottery picks if they come out this season. Wiggins has already stated his intention to do so. "Winning the championship," Wiggins said, "just a great feeling on the court." Only two schools in mens Division I basketball have won more consecutive conference titles than Kansas: UCLA captured 13 straight from 1967-79 in the Pac-10, and Gonzaga won 11 straight in the West Coast Conference from 2001-11. "Its something you know," Selden said. "When you come in here, thats the standard." Cameron Clark had 18 points and Buddy Hield finished with 16 for the Sooners (20-8, 9-6), who have lost 12 of their last 13 games against the Jayhawks, including both this season. Oklahoma still has not won in the Phog since 1993, when Billy Tubbs was on its sideline. "Its so tough here for a lot of reasons," current Sooners coach Lon Kruger said. "Bill does a great job, theyre very talented, the atmosphere is great, the difference really is in the runs they make, and thats what you have to avoid. Easier said than done." The first half Monday night boiled down to an old-fashioned Big Eight tussle. The Jayhawks threw the first body punnch, picking up right where they left off in a rout of Texas by taking a 15-4 lead.dddddddddddd Oklahoma answered with a few haymakers of its own, going on a 13-2 charge and eventually pulling ahead 27-25 with 5:26 left in the half. Selden took over down the stretch, though, scoring seven straight points to give Kansas the lead back. Frank Masons three-pointer capped a 10-0 surge and made it 42-33 at halftime. "We handled the ball well, made tough plays, but two or three stretches is why Kansas is so tough," Kruger said. "We gave them moments of run that you have to try to avoid." The Jayhawks, arguably the deepest team in the Big 12, forged their lead despite playing without a handful of players due to foul trouble. Wiggins, Tharpe, Perry Ellis, who finished with 11 points, and Jamari Traylor all had two fouls, and Connor Frankamp was on the bench with three. Wiggins picked up his third on the first play of the second half, when Ryan Spangler drove to the basket for an and-one. It was the start of a 10-2 run that got the Sooners back in the game. "They made a couple shots, we made a couple shots," Clark said, "but the main thing is we didnt take care of the ball at critical times." Clarks hot shooting and a couple of timely three-pointers by Hield gave Oklahoma the lead, only for Kansas to come back once more. Wiggins scored on a putback of his own miss with 8:01 left to give the Jayhawks a 60-59 lead, and their advantage grew to 69-63 a few minutes later. The Sooners kept finding answers. When Wiggins hit a three-pointer to make it 74-66, Isaiah Cousins promptly scored in the paint. When Tharpe got a home-rim bounce on a pull-up jumper, Hield was there to hit a fall-away three-pointer to close within 76-71 with 1:30 left. Oklahoma simply ran out of time, and as the final seconds ticked off the clock, another sellout crowd at the Phog began to chant, "Ten straight! Ten straight!" "In a league this competitive, thought by many to be the toughest league in the country, to have a three-game lead with three to play is pretty special," Kansas coach Bill Self said. ' ' '