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  February 27, 2018 10:04 PM PST

  (STATS) -- Jacksonville States quest to return to the FCS national championship game begins this weekend, and thats the only place where its mind will be. Lawson Crouse Jersey .If you look ahead this time of year, you will be taking up equipment on Monday, coach John Grass said. It is a do-or-die situation and you have to do your very best.Two years ago, the Gamecocks were the No. 3 seed and enjoyed a first-round bye but were stunned 37-26 by Sam Houston State at home in their playoff opener. Those still around from that squad admitted their collective mind back then wondered to what was potentially down the road.Grass and Co. werent about to let that happen again in 2015.The Gamecocks lived only for the moment, and it paid off with a trip to the FCS title game. Though the season ended with a rather uncompetitive performance in that 37-10 loss to North Dakota State in suburban Dallas, the mental path in which Jacksonville State took to reach the FCS promised land is one it expects to again follow starting Saturday at home against Youngstown State (9-3).All of our guys understand how to approach each week after being here last year, and even the guys that are freshmen this year understand it, senior quarterback and Ohio Valley Conference offensive player of year Eli Jenkins said.Its certainly worked for the Gamecocks (10-1), who again are the No. 3 seed this season.Since a 34-13 loss at then-No. 21 LSU on Sept. 10, Jacksonville State has averaged 33.7 points while winning nine in a row. Third in the FCS in scoring defense, the Gamecocks have yielded just 67 points in their last six games.Grass, the first coach in FCS history to begin his career with three straight undefeated conference seasons, credits his teams continued success to their strong practice habits and attention to detail.They are more locked in to the preparation, and it is about how we play, Grass said. I think they enjoy practicing because that is how you get good at something, because they rep it.You cant look at who you are playing and what they are like. It is staying focused on us and how we approach and how we play the game.Youngstown has subscribed to that same theory, but as the underdog is also taking the us against the world mantra into the weekend. Despite recording a third consecutive victory, 38-24 over Samford in the first round, the Penguins have heard talk that they dont stand a chance against these Gamecocks.As far as Youngstown is concerned, thats just more incentive to prove its doubters wrong even through its three defeats came at current No. 14 West Virginia and the Missouri Valley Football Conference co-champions, top-seeded North Dakota State and No. 8 seed South Dakota State.Come out and just compete, Penguins safety Jameel Smith said. This is kind of a big challenge to us, and we kind of took (the negative talk) personally.Its Youngstown against everybody else and thats how we look at it.Back in the playoffs for the first time since 2006, the Penguins have totaled 103 points in two games and of late rode the legs of senior Jody Webb, who has rushed for 507 yards in the last three contests. He gained a career-high 174 and scored twice against Samford.The Penguins also feature fellow senior Martin Ruiz, the schools all-time leading rusher who has gained 1,086 yards and scored 11 times on the ground in 2016.No matter who is behind us we know that were behind one another, and we are going to do what it takes, Webb said.The Penguins have allowed only four rushing TDs, but the multi-threat Jenkins has rushed for a team-high 795 yards with 12 touchdowns. He is 5-3 in playoff action, passing for 1,218 yards with seven touchdowns and rushing for 935 with nine scores.The winner of this first meeting between the schools will face either No. 6 seed The Citadel or Wofford in the quarterfinals. Brendan Perlini Jersey . The Swede became the first golfer to win the PGA Tours FedEx Cup and European Tours Race to Dubai in the same season. "It is still taking a little time to sink in what Ive achieved this week as was the case when I won the FedEx Cup but then it just kept getting better and better as the days went on and I am sure this will be the same," he said. Christian Dvorak Jersey .  Breaking three of his own world records on his way to winning in Paris, Chan silenced the critics and left the audiences standing in appreciation and awe. http://www.authentichockeyshopcoyotes.com/customized-c-3/ . A lawyer for MLB, Matthew Menchel, confirmed Wednesday the league dropped its case against Biogenesis of America, its owner Anthony Bosch and several other individuals. The lawsuit had accused Biogenesis and Bosch of conspiring with players to violate their contracts by providing them with banned performance-enhancing substances. ST. LOUIS -- Jaime Garcia said all along there was no reason to panic.Matt Holliday drove in three runs, Garcia threw eight solid innings and the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Milwaukee Brewers 7-1 on Friday night.The Cardinals ended a seven-game home losing streak, their longest since Aug. 2-15, 1983. It was their first home win since a 6-3 victory over San Francisco on June 5.Were very confident in ourselves, Garcia said. We have the team, we have the talent. We werent worried. Its a long season.Milwaukee has lost four of five and fell to 13-24 on the road, the second-worst road record in the National League behind the Cincinnati Reds.Garcia (6-6) allowed four hits. He struck out six and walked four. He also beat Milwaukee 7-0 with a complete-game one-hitter on April 14.He was his typical self, Milwaukee infielder Scooter Gennett said. Hes a different type of pitcher. Everything he throws looks the same up there. Its not overpowering, its not crazy movement going on. Everything starts in a general area and moves in a lot of different ways.Rookie shortstop Aledmys Diaz had two hits and reached base three times. He recorded 11 assists, the most by a St. Louis rookie since Stu Martin had 11 assists at second base on June 6, 1936.Diaz missed the previous three games after fouling a pitch off the area around his right eye on Monday. The eye was still red, but the swelling had gone down, so he felt OK to play.With Jaime youve got to be ready, hes a great sinkerball guy, Diaz said. I was ready to go.Garcia was appreciative of Diazs effort.He played pretty well behind me with one eye, Garcia said.Chris Carter hit his 20th homer of the season for the Brewers in the second inning.Holliday highlighted a five-run outburst in the fourth with a two-run single. Yadier Molina, Garcia and Matt Carpenter also drove in runs in thhe inning. Wayne Gretzky Jersey. Milwaukee starter Matt Garza (1-1) gave up seven runs, four earned, in 5 2/3 innings. He struck out six and walked four.Im getting better every time out, Garza said. My stuff is getting crisper and Im hitting my spots more often, throwing more strikes.Molina had two hits and sits at 1,499 for his career.St. Louis manager Mike Matheny, like Garcia, remained calm during the home-field losing skid.Weve won at home and well win a lot more at home, Matheny said. Hopefully, now we can roll off quite a few in a row.FULL OF MOSSSt. Louis OF Brandon Moss led the major leagues with a .792 slugging percentage in June. He had eight home runs in the month and recorded at least one extra-base hit in 12 of 21 games.BACKES LOVEFormer St. Louis Blues wing David Backes was given a standing ovation when introduced midway through the game. Backes signed a 5-year, $30 million dollar free agent contract with the Boston Bruins earlier Friday.WRITING LEGENDHall of Fame sportswriter Rick Hummel celebrated his 45th anniversary with the St. Louis Post-Dispatch on Friday.The press box at Busch Stadium is named in Hummels honor.TRAINERS ROOMCardinals: LHP Kevin Siegrist has been placed on the 15-day disabled list with mononucleosis. RHP Sam Tuivailala will replace Siegrist on the roster. Tuivailala was 2-1 with a 5.06 ERA in 29 games at Triple-A Memphis and converted 13 of 16 save opportunities. Siegrist was 5-2 with 2.78 ERA in 35 appearances.UP NEXTRHP Adam Wainwright (6-5, 5.04) will take on Milwaukee RHP Jimmy Nelson (5-6, 3.60) in the second game of the three-game set on Saturday. Wainwright is 12-8 against the Brewers with a 2.32 ERA. Nelson leads the Brewers with eight quality starts. ' ' '