you do have some casualties along the way, Parker said. I

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- The old Alvin Kamara might have pouted, maybe even lashed out at his coaches as he waited his turn.The new Alvin Kamara just sat back, his fire burning as brightly as ever, as teammate Jalen Hurd got the starts and majority of carries early in Tennessees season. Kamara just told himself somebody down the road was going to pay.That somebody was Texas A&M, which looked as if it was grabbing at ghosts for most of this past Saturday at Kyle Field in trying to tackle Kamara, who tends to have that effect on defenders. He racked up a school-record 312 all-purpose yards in the Vols 45-38 double-overtime loss to the Aggies and showed the college football world what he already knew.That hes an elite running back.We couldnt tackle him, Texas A&M defensive coordinator John Chavis said. We had him hemmed up I dont know how many times for little or no gain, and hed get away. Thats how they got back into the game. You dont see many guys who can change direction the way he can, and hes a lot tougher than people think he is.The truth is, a lot of people had been wondering what Kamara could do if he ever got 20-plus touches in a game. He got 26 on offense against Texas A&M -- 18 rushing attempts for 127 yards and two touchdowns and eight catches for 161 yards, including an 18-yard touchdown to send the game into overtime. Hes the only player from a Power 5 conference to have 125 rushing yards and 150 receiving yards in the same game in the past 20 years.Not bad for a guy who was filling in for Hurd, the Vols injured starter.Oh yeah, I was ready, sort of silent but deadly, Kamara told ESPN.com. A lot of the talk was about Jalen not playing and what the Vols were going to be able to do without him. But all the time, I had a little grin on my face like, Yep, theyll see. Boy did they see. Kamara did his best Barry Sanders impression -- starting and stopping, cutting on a dime and turning no gains into big gains -- to immediately jump on everybodys radar. Then again, to some, it wasnt a huge surprise. At least two SEC coaches told ESPN.com before the season that the player they most feared on Tennessees offense was Kamara. They werent dissing Hurd and agreed he was a very good player in his own right, but they pointed out that nobody on the Vols offensive roster could change the complexion of a game as quickly as Kamara.Thats fitting because Kamara has changed dramatically since his first season of college football at Alabama, where he lasted a semester and got caught up in a ridiculously talented logjam at running back. He signed in the same class as eventual Heisman Trophy winner Derrick Henry, a class that included two other four-star running backs in addition to Kamara. And already on campus were T.J. Yeldon, Kenyan Drake, Jalston Fowler and Dee Hart.You get there and realize that there really is just one ball with that many good backs, said Kamara, who redshirted that 2013 season. I remember thinking not long after I got there, This might not be the best situation for me. Kamara, who just turned 21 this past summer, is the first to admit that he made things even harder on himself at Alabama by the way he acted. He expected to come right in and play, and, when he didnt, he grew less and less coachable and ended up being suspended the week of the LSU game for what Nick Saban said were behavior reasons. Kamara was also suspended for the Sugar Bowl to cap the 2013 season.I was young and immature and ready to take on the world, Kamara said. You think you can do anything and should be out there playing right away. It was hard, and I didnt handle it the best way, the transition from high school to college, because you realize pretty quickly that everybody at Alabama was the best player on their high school team.I dont think the competition was too much for me, but the concept of the coaching and understanding some of the things you have to do on and off the field were the hardest things for me.Kamara got his release from Alabama after the 2013 season and spent a year at Hutchinson (Kansas) Community College. He went the junior college route because he was determined to play in the SEC and didnt want to have to sit out for two years.Looking back, he says the whole junior college experience helped to humble him.I kind of took a step back and was able to see things for what they really were, and that helped me a lot, said Kamara, who chose the Vols over several SEC suitors out of Hutchinson.One of the surest signs Kamara has matured immensely is that he didnt pop off when he got only two carries against Florida or when he got just three carries against Virginia Tech two weeks earlier. He knew his time would come. Moreover, he hasnt spent any time worrying this week about how he and Hurd will be used against Alabama. Coach Butch Jones has said Hurd will return to the lineup.Me and Jalen understand our strengths and what we can bring to the offense, Kamara said. Its going to take both of us along with John Kelly. We all know each of us deserve carries, so theres not any animosity. Its not taking carries away from each other but sharing the load.Its equally telling that the Vols players voted on permanent team captains in the spring and Kamara, a redshirt junior, was the only non-senior to make the cut along with?Josh Dobbs, Cam Sutton and Jalen Reeves-Maybin.Hes a great athlete and an even better person off the field. Its amazing the dedication he puts in and his work ethic and all the film he watches, Tennessee junior safety Todd Kelly Jr. said of Kamara. Even though hes not the No. 1 running back, in the back of his mind, he prepares like that and knew his time was going to come, and when it did, he was going to make the best of it, and you saw that [against Texas A&M]. Everybody on this team has a lot of confidence in him.Kamara has shied away this week from a lot of Alabama talk. He said the games special because of what it could mean for the Vols, not because of his history.One game never defines a season, Kamara said. The main thing is that we can still reach all of our goals as a team. But, yeah, these are the games you grow up watching, especially in the South when its 3:30 on CBS and the TVs on and you hear that little jingle. You know its game time.Even though Kamara is a blur in the open field, he would like to dispel one myth. He has seen his weight listed as light as 192 pounds in some places and jokes that part of the reason people think hes small is that hes standing around 6-4, 240-pound Hurd much of the time.Im 215 pounds, a rock-solid 215, and can promise you I run like it, Kamara said.The Vols would like to think hes just revving up. T.J. Hockenson Womens Jersey .ca looks back at the stories and moments that made the year memorable. T.J. Hockenson Jersey .Y. -- The Buffalo Sabres have recalled forward Kevin Porter and defenceman Chad Ruhwedel from the minors as part of a five-player roster shuffle made by the NHLs worst team. http://www.lionsfanspro.com/Black-Kenny-Golladay-Lions-Jersey.html?cat=929 . 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. Darius Slay Jr Jersey .Y. -- Syracuse has turned up the defence at the right time all season, and when High Point threatened to pull off a monumental upset the second-ranked Orange did what they do best with their quick hands and savvy play. Austin Bryant Lions Jersey . Mats Zuccarello and Derek Stepan scored shootout goals, and backup goalie Cam Talbot earned his second win in two nights as the Rangers shook off a late tying tally and beat the Maple Leafs 2-1 Monday night. RIO DE JANEIRO -- The United States again got off to a slow start in womens field hockey but regained its composure and knocked off a world power for its second straight win against a top-three team.On Monday, the United States defeated No. 3 Australia 2-1 as Michelle Vittese and Caitlin van Sickle scored for the Americans. The U.S. team defeated No. 2 Argentina 2-1 in its Olympic opener on Saturday.The Americans said their ability to bounce back has been consistent.I think thats just kind of our DNA, van Sickle said. We dont have the greatest start. Were always going to keep coming and keep coming after you.United States goalie Jackie Briggs had six saves and allowed just one goal on 15 shots. Australia couldnt convert any of its four penalty corners against her. The crowd chanted: Jackie! Jackie! after the match.The fifth-ranked Americans, who lead Pool B with six points, moved closer to qualifying for the quarterfinals. The top four teams in each six-team pool advance. The United States has the maximum point total two games into pool play and already has played the two highest-ranked teams. The Americans said that wont affect their focus as they prepare to play Japan on Wednesday.We literally focus on just one game at a time, van Sickle said. We dont necessarily look at the draw. Youve got to play every team in your pool, so it doesnt really matter.The Americans havent medaled since 1984, and Argentina and Australia have been good for years, while the United States is an emerging program. But the United States beat Australia for third place at the Champions Trophy event in June, fueling the teams confidence heading into the Rio de Janeiro Games.Its not the underdog, its not whatever, its just us, united as strong and resilient and gritty, Vittese said.The Americans dealt a major blow to Australia. The Hockeyroos dropped their opener to Britain 2--1 on Saturday and now have zero points with three pool play matches remaining.dddddddddddd They play India next.Its managing the distractions in the [Olympic] Village, managing the distractions of the other results going on in the competition, Australias Georgie Parker said. Were going to be scouting really hard against India, preparing as well as we can, making sure we do that right recovery and everything will go smoothly from there, we hope.This one was especially rough for Australia because it was hit with two yellow cards and a green card in the third period alone, forcing the Hockeyroos to play shorthanded.We are a really physical side, and were very aggressive in going for the ball, so sometimes you do have some casualties along the way, Parker said. I guess its about managing to get the right balance of being aggressive at the ball with playing within the rules.The United States spent the early part of the match defending its goal as the aggressive Australian attack put the Americans on their heels. Briggs stopped four shots in the first period, and the match remained scoreless.Vittese scored on a penalty corner to put the United States up 1-0 in the second period. The Americans went up 2-0 in the third period when van Sickle scored on a penalty corner. There was a video referral because the pass near the goal was high, but it was not considered and the goal was upheld.Australia came back less than two minutes later with a goal by Kathryn Slattery.The Hockeyroos got another penalty corner with two minutes remaining in the fourth period, but Briggs deflected a shot high.We just took it moment by moment, Briggs said, tried to stay in the moment and not think about, `Oh, theres only so much time left and the score. ' ' '