Bucs Bus-ting loose [AP photo] If you concentrate too much on his size, Jerome Bettis might outrun you to the corner. If you think too much about his nickname - "The Bus" - he'll fake you out of your cleats. Christensen wants to run ball earlier TAMPA -- For good reason, the Bucs threw the ball 50 times Sunday against the Titans. They were behind, and time was running out. Expand offense, Deion declares TAMPA -- Former All-Pro cornerback/returner Deion Sanders, now a member of CBS' NFL Today, was at One Buc Place on Thursday conducting interviews, including with defensive end Warren Sapp and quarterback Brad Johnson.

Baseball playoffs
Yanks quiet M's again
SEATTLE -- The Yankees are making things a little easier on themselves this time.

Midseason switch proves beneficial for Lopez
ATLANTA -- He began the season with a locker between Juan Guzman and Esteban Yan in the Rays clubhouse.

ALCS notebook
Sunday schedule tight

NLCS notebook
Burkett not ready for return to lanes

Lightning
Prospal shines in limited role
TAMPA -- Physical skill identifies itself much quicker than the "urgency" and "desperation" coach John Tortorella is seeking.

Golf
Langer's putting is a long, long story
He has tried about every club and technique, but now is confidently stroking the ball with a long putter.

Woods bemoans round
LAKE BUENA VISTA -- His first tournament in five weeks was about what you would expect, even for the best golfer in the world. Tiger Woods appeared rusty during the first round of the National Car Rental Golf Classic.

Colleges
Bulls find it pays to chase star
Winter Haven girls basketball coach LeDawn Gibson said perseverance was the key to South Florida getting an oral commitment from Blue Devils star Angela Hawkins.

Spartan shorts
TAMPA -- After its first-ever final four last season, the University of Tampa men's basketball team is ranked No. 3 in Street & Smith's Division II preseason poll. The Spartans, 25-7 last season, are ranked behind defending champion Kentucky Wesleyan and No. 2 Western Washington.

Bulls bits
TAMPA -- Junior Brian Mullins had an assist and the game-winning goal as South Florida defeated UNC-Greensboro at the Greensboro Tournament last weekend.

At long last, Tampa ready for title run
TAMPA -- For four years, one school has been the dominant force in Sunshine State Conference cross country: Florida Southern College.

College football
Football has USF's Daley smiling and humming now
For many people, the tragic events of Sept. 11 have placed certain things in perspective. Things such as sports.

Practice reports
FSU will let punter keep job

Extra points
SCOUTING REPORT

Motorsports
New owner gets his press
TALLADEGA, Ala. -- Chip Ganassi did not have to read between the lines.

Restraint system still has Stewart anxious
TALLADEGA, Ala. -- Tony Stewart has tried but not found a head and neck support device he feels comfortable wearing.

Et cetera
A lesson in the numbers game
My dad taught me a lesson about questions and answers when I was a kid, passing along a puzzler a math teacher once asked him: "How many telephone poles would it take to reach the moon?"

On The Air
Walton works his way to top of NBA on NBC
Bill Walton has been No. 1 before, but reaching the top has never made him happier than it did this week.

Preps
Hernando coach gets tough
Several top players have sat out recent matches as focus shifts to the district tournament, but Pete Lahey is confident they'll respond.

Tonight's games
Lakeland (6-1) at Riverview (6-1)

Return of the Vikings
Northeast fell from the elite ranks last year, but is building another impressive winning streak.

Wesley Chapel pours it on
WESLEY CHAPEL -- When the final seconds ticked away, it was almost anticlimactic. No Gatorade showers, no excessive celebration, perhaps because the game had effectively ended two hours earlier.

A half is more than enough for Lemons to shine
HUDSON -- Dale Lemons watched the first half of Hudson's game against Gulf in agony from the sideline, shelved not by injury but suspension.

Gators shut out Knights
LAND O'LAKES -- It never fails.

Chamberlain hangs on
The Chiefs take a 16-0 halftime lead, then struggle to a 16-12 win.

Spongers shut out Falcons
TARPON SPRINGS -- With Dunedin's two-tight end, receiverless formation, one would believe a confusion factor could be at work. Defenses rarely face such sets.

Lakewood dumps Countryside, nears playoffs
CLEARWATER -- Lakewood got a game it had to have, but it nearly cost the Spartans a player they can't afford to be without.

Armwood makes the most of 1 completion
TAMPA -- Quarterback Ryan Watts rushed for 139 yards and two touchdowns, but it was his one completion that proved vital as Armwood outlasted Wharton 35-21 Thursday.

Pinellas football digest
Clearwater 30, Bogie 28

Tampa Bay Tech wins in bizarre finish
A broken play and a desperate pass give the Titans a 21-18 win over Brandon.

Jesuit runs over Blake for 21-6 win
TAMPA -- Jesuit did what it usually does on Friday nights: punish opposing linemen, grind it out on the ground, chew up chunks of time.

Hillsborough football notebook
East Bay 21, Plant City 20

Busy weekend on tap
Taper time is right around the corner, when area swimmers will begin to shut down serious training to begin tapering for November's district and state meets.

East Lake captures ho-hum PCAC title
ST. PETERSBURG -- By the time Thursday's Pinellas County Athletic Conference championship was over, the East Lake faithful still could have made it home to watch NBC's Must-See-TV programming lineup starting at 8 p.m.