TEMPE, Ariz. -- Arizona States young secondary was uneven in its first test, allowing a quarterback from an FCS school to pick them apart.The competition is about to take a big step up.A week after allowing Northern Arizonas Case Cookus to throw for 369 yards, the young Sun Devils will face Texas Tec

TEMPE, Ariz. -- Arizona States young secondary was uneven in its first test, allowing a quarterback from an FCS school to pick them apart.The competition is about to take a big step up.A week after allowing Northern Arizonas Case Cookus to throw for 369 yards, the young Sun Devils will face Texas Techs Patrick Mahomes and the Red Raiders Air Raid offense.Itll be a big challenge, Arizona State coach Todd Graham said. Probably as good as a quarterback as there is out there. Hes got be one of the best, if not the best in the Big 12.Arizona State had the worst passing defense in the FBS last season, allowing 337.8 yards per game. The Sun Devils had to replace three starters and have a new coach leading the defensive backs this season, so questions about the group lingered.Slowing Mahomes will be a huge test for the young Sun Devils.He threw for 1,547 yards and 16 touchdowns as a freshman at Texas Tech in 2014 and last season, his first as the full-time starter, had 4,653 yards and 36 TDs.Mahomes got his junior season off to a strong start, throwing for 483 yards and four touchdowns with 57 yards and two more scores rushing in a little over a half of last Saturdays 69-17 rout of Stephen F. Austin.The only concern: His protection.Mahomes was sacked twice and absorbed numerous other hits as Texas Techs offensive line struggled at times to keep Stephen F. Austins pass rushers at bay.Though Arizona State is trying to gear back its blitzes this season, the Sun Devils are still an attacking defense and will look to put plenty of pressure on Mahomes.Our offensive line has to play better, Texas Tech coach Kliff Kingsbury said. Some of those plays, he was forced to get out of the pocket sooner, after watching the tape. But he continued to make plays. Hes playing at a high level.A few more things to look for when Arizona State hosts Texas Tech:REMATCH?: Arizona State and Texas Tech played just three years ago, a 37-23 victory by Texas Tech in the 2013 Holiday Bowl. Graham and Kingsbury both coached in that game, but there arent many other similarities.That was a long time ago. Completely different teams, said Kingsbury, who earned his first bowl victory in that game. I think Coach Grahams evolved a lot on both sides of the ball and we have, too.OFFENSE AND MORE OFFENSE: Sun Devil Stadium could light up with offense Saturday night. Texas Tech is annually one of the nations most prolific offenses and put up 758 total yards against Stephen. F. Austin, fourth-highest in school history. Arizona State has been similarly productive in five seasons under Graham, playing at a fast-snapping pace few teams can keep up with. The Sun Devils started slow last week against NAU, but reeled off 24 points in the fourth quarter once they found their rhythm. Leave to get a drink and you could miss not just one score, but two or three.WILKINS RISES: Arizona State quarterback Manny Wilkins found himself on the highlight reels last week after hurdling a Northern Arizona defender during a second-quarter run. The rest of his performance was up and down. Wilkins won a lengthy duel with redshirt freshman Brady White to earn the starting nod for the season opener and gave the Sun Devils a run dimension they didnt have with Mike Bercovici last season. Wilkins threw for 180 yards and ran for 89 more, but Graham was most impressed with his poise and leadership in the opener. Kevin King Super Bowl Jersey .Y. - New Orleans forward Anthony Davis was chosen Friday to replace the injured Kobe Bryant in the NBA All-Star game that will be played in his home city. Packers Super Bowl Jerseys . Defencemen Drew Doughty, Shea Weber and forward Ryan Getzlaf also scored for the Canadians, who started their gold-medal defence 2-0. Goalie Roberto Luongo, getting the call in place of Game 1 starter Carey Price, was solid when needed in making 23 saves for the shutout. http://www.officialgreenbaypackerspro.com/Elgton-jenkins-packers-jersey/ . The Hall of Fame defenceman told Landsberg that he believes fighting still has a place in todays game, but thinks staged fighting needs be outlawed. Jaire Alexander Super Bowl Jersey . -- Former San Diego Chargers safety Paul Oliver was found dead at his Atlanta-area home Tuesday night, and a medical examiner said Wednesday that the ex-player committed suicide. Josh Jackson Super Bowl Jersey . -- Washington Redskins tight end Fred Davis was charged Thursday with driving while intoxicated, a day after he was suspended for an NFL substance-abuse policy violation. CHICAGO -- So much for October closer. With his Dodgers desperate for a win, Clayton Kershaw delivered the best start of his checkered playoff career.The ace left-hander pitched seven sparkling innings, Adrian Gonzalez homered and Los Angeles beat the Chicago Cubs 1-0 Sunday night to tie the NL Championship Series at a game apiece.Kershaw retired his first 14 batters and allowed just two hits in first outing since he pitched three times in the NL Division Series, including a two-out save in Game 5 on Thursday night in Washington. The three-time NL Cy Young Award winner struck out six and walked one while throwing just 84 pitches in a brisk outing that could help when he returns later in the NLCS.It was one of those games where one pitch could have been the deciding factor, Kershaw said. So, really just kind of couldnt look up for a minute for air and just kind of kept going through it and fortunate to get through it tonight.Kenley Jansen then struck out four in two perfect innings for his third save of the playoffs. The teams combined for just five hits for the lowest total in a playoff game since the Cardinals and Pirates had four in Game 4 of their 2013 NL Division Series.I think that you couldnt have scripted it any better, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. And it was just another fun ballgame.Roberts almost went to Jansen with a runner on first and two out in the seventh, but Kershaw argued successfully to stay in the game. Javier Baez then hit a drive to the warning track in deep center, but Joc Pederson was there for the catch.He hit it pretty good, Kershaw said. And yeah, after Dave came out and that, I kind of talked my way into it. I really wanted to -- he was probably not going to trust me again after that, but, fortunately, he hit it at somebody, so it was good.Baezs drive was one of a precious few hard-hit balls for the Cubs. Kershaw was that good.The Dodgers needed a clutch pitching performance after their heartbreaking 8-4 loss in the series opener. And Kershaw responded with a gem that continued his reputation repair after a handful of playoff duds over the years. He was just 3-6 with a 4.79 ERA in 16 career postseason games coming into this series.I feel like every start he has the chance to be great, catcher Yasmani Grandal said. Its just unbelievable to see him pitch, its unbelievable to see him compete.Game 3 is Tuesday night in Los Angeles. Cubs right-hander Jake Arrieta, who pitched a no-hitter at Dodger Stadium last August, faces left-hander Rich Hill.The Cubs lost a 1-0 game in the postseason for the first time since Babe Ruth and the Boston Red Sox blanked them in the 1918 World Series opener.Playoffs is always about pitching and defense, said Miguel Montero, the Game 1 star for the Cubs. Tonight we played great defense as well and we couldnt score.Chicago, trying for its first pennant in 71 years, waasted a solid start by major league ERA leader Kyle Hendricks, who pitched 5 1/3 innings of three-hit ball in his first outing since he left his Division Series start against San Francisco with a bruised right forearm.ddddddddddddHendricks only mistake was a second-inning fastball that Gonzalez drove over the wall in left-center for his second homer of the playoffs. Gonzalez also had a tying two-run single in the eighth inning of the series opener, but Monteros pinch-hit grand slam was the big blow in a dramatic win for Chicago.A day later, the Cubs couldnt get anything going against Kershaw.He kept the ball off the fat part of our bat, manager Joe Maddon said. He threw strikes like he normally does. So despite not having rest, his command and velocity were still good.Slumping slugger Anthony Rizzo just missed a home run with a foul drive in the fourth, and then bounced out. Baez and Willson Contreras hit consecutive two-out singles in the fifth for Chicagos first baserunners, but Jason Heyward fouled out to third.Nothing seemed to bother Kershaw on a muggy night at Wrigley Field. After Grandal dropped a foul popup in the seventh, Kershaw responded with a wry grin, and then struck out Ben Zobrist.I honestly thought with him pitching with a couple of days rest, he wasnt going to be that nasty, Baez said, but obviously he came ready for us and he just did his job.Jansen backed Kershaw with flawless relief. The big right-hander struck out Dexter Fowler and Kris Bryant before Rizzo lined meekly to second for the final out.ABOUT GONZALEZGonzalez became the seventh player in major league history to homer in at least six consecutive playoff series, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. It was the third go-ahead homer of his postseason career.WHAT A RELIEFWhile the Cubs struggled against Jansen and Kershaw, Hendricks and their bullpen gave them a chance. Carl Edwards Jr., Mike Montgomery, Pedro Strop and Aroldis Chapman combined for 3 2/3 innings of hitless relief.Josh Reddick got Los Angeles last hit of the night in the sixth, putting runners on first and second. Edwards then came in and got Pederson to hit a soft liner to second that Baez let drop before starting a heady inning-ending double play .UP NEXTThe Cubs and Dodgers work out in Los Angeles on Monday, and then Arrieta and Hill return to the mound for the first time since the Division Series. Arrieta made one start against Los Angeles this season, pitching seven scoreless innings in a no-decision at Wrigley on May 31. Hill, a fourth-round draft pick by the Cubs in 2002, has made one appearance against his first major league team, recording two outs in relief for Boston on May 21, 2011.---Jay Cohen can be reached at http://www.twitter.com/jcohenap ' ' '