so Sunday, two big-time quarterbacks called out their res

TROY, Ala. -- The Troy Trojans face a big challenge to their first national ranking just four days after cracking the Top 25.The 25th-ranked Trojans (8-1, 5-0 Sun Belt Conference) host Arkansas State (5-4, 5-0) Thursday night in Troys second straight battle of teams with perfect league marks.The Trojans survived the first such challenge with a 28-24 win over Appalachian State. Now, the stakes are potentially even higher.Troy is the first ranked Sun Belt team and also the only one to start a season 8-1. The Trojans havent joined fellow Group of Five teams Boise State (No. 20) and Western Michigan (No. 21) in the playoff rankings.It sets up an exciting opportunity for us, Troy coach Neal Brown said. It is a good opportunity to measure ourselves to what has been the premier program in the Sun Belt over the last five years.The Red Wolves have indeed been the leagues team to beat in recent seasons, a mantle once held by Troy. They havent lost since starting out 0-4 and have won 14 consecutive conference games and 17 of 20 road contests within the league.Arkansas State is the only FBS program to win four league titles over the past five seasons.No Sun Belt team has been hotter than the Trojans, who have won seven straight since a 30-24 loss to No. 5 Clemson. None would be bigger than the Appalachian State victory, when Jordan Chunn scored the go-ahead touchdown with 1:02 left.I dont know if I expected them to be 8-1 but I surely expected them to be in the mix in the conference race, Arkansas State coach Blake Anderson said.The result of both teams hot streak is the first Sun Belt game between teams with 5-0 league records or better.---Some other things to know about the Arkansas State-Troy game:SUN BELTS BEST? Troy once dominated the Sun Belt much like Arkansas State has lately. The Trojans havent won a league title since capturing their fifth in a row in 2010, when Brown was offensive coordinator.PROTECTING QBS: Which team will be able to pressure the quarterback best? No team in the nation has given up fewer sacks this season than the three allowed by Troy, and the Trojans defense also leads the Sun Belt with 25 sacks. Arkansas State has strong pass rushers in JaVon Rolland-Jones (7.5 sacks) and Chris Odom (7.0).PICK ARTISTS: Arkansas States Money Hunter, the Sun Belt defensive player of the week, just set the league record with his fourth career interception return for a touchdown. Troys Blace Brown has six interceptions and leads the nation in picks per game.TOP RUSHERS: The game features two of the leagues top four rushers. Troys Chunn is tops with 1,028 yards and 10 touchdowns; Arkansas State counters with Warren Wand, who is averaging 67.4 yards per game.JUSTICE DEPARTMENT: Arkansas State quarterback Justice Hansen is second in the league in pass efficiency. Taking care of the ball will be huge in this one since hes facing a defense with 16 interceptions.---More AP college football: www.collegefootball.ap.org and https://twitter.com/AP-Top25 Cheap Air Max 97 Wholesale . -- Jimmie Johnson held off a teammate, passed a pair of Hall of Famers, and dominated once more at Dover. Cheap Nike Tn Shoes China .2 billion agreement with Rogers Communications for the leagues broadcast and multimedia rights. http://www.airmaxwholesaleforsale.com/air-max-720-wholesale.html . The CFLs leading rusher kept adding to his gaudy numbers this season and scored the winning touchdown with just over two minutes to play. The New Westminster, B.C., native plowed three yards into the end zone for the last score of a heated, see-saw battle between the two teams with the best records in the CFL. Cheap Air Max 95 Wholesale .com) - The Montreal Canadiens embark on their first road trip of the season as they head out west to battle the Calgary Flames on Wednesday night. Cheap Air Max 720 . John Tavares, Thomas Vanek and Kyle Okposo were also being counted on to slow down sizzling Rangers forward Rick Nash. That plan didnt go so well early. ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- Just last month, Joe DeCamillis, the Denver Broncos special teams coach, vehemently defended the NFL rule that allows players to leap over the snapper to block a field goal or extra point attempt so long as any contact is incidental.DeCamillis shared his thoughts after Arizona coach Bruce Arians complained about Seattle linebacker Bobby Wagners leaping block of a 39-yard field goal attempt in a frustrating 6-6 tie.The reason that is a prevalent play in my opinion is because of what theyve done to field goals as far as your restrictions in trying to block things, DeCamillis said. The way people are doing it now, they bury their heads and they cut block you so you cant go through them. The only way to get a field goal blocked, against certain teams, is to go over top.He begged the leagues gatekeepers to keep this particular gate open and not to succumb to the notion that its an unsafe play.In my opinion, I think it would be a mistake to take that play out, DeCamillis said. I think you have to play it on the other side. I think the more you make things easy on people, the less coaching is involved.The antidote, he said, was the same mantra coaches tell kids from the time they first strap on shoulder pads and a helmet: Heads up!The snapper has to see whats happening, DeCamillis said, adding teams have to vary their snap count to keep opponents from timing their leap just right.Theres things you have to do, in my opinion, for that to not happen to you, DeCamillis said. I just think its another thing that doesnt need to be taken out of the game. I dont see thats any bigger of a deal with safety than any other play thats going on, a receiver going across the middle, whatever it is.The Broncos (7-3) pulled off the perfect block Sunday when the Saints lined up for the potential game-winning extra point. New Orleans (4-5) had just tied the game at 23 on Drew Brees 32-yard TD toss to Brandon Cooks with 1:22 remaining.Justin Simmons timed his leap perfectly, cleared seventh-year long snapper Justin Dresher and blocked Wil Lutzs kick. Fellow rookie safety Will White Shoes Parks scooped up the football and raced 84 yards for the first game-winning defensive 2-point conversion in NFL history.Im just glad he had the right cleats on, safety Darrian Stewart said. I think thats what saved us.The play was upheld because officials couldnt determine whether Parks stepped out of bounds as his white cleats blended in with the white sideline and no CBS angles were available to prove otherwise.Twitter blew up with fans wondering if Parks had gone out of bounds or whether it was even legal for Simmons to leap the snapper or for defensive lineman Jared Crick to push the snapper toward the ground just as Simmons jumped over him.Dean Blandino, the NFLs senior vice presiddent of officiating, said it was all legal .ddddddddddddBlandino explained that Simmons cleared the line without using his hands or arms and didnt land on a player, so his action is legal.Cricks was, too. Lined up over the right guard, he twists at the snap and pushes the snapper toward the ground.Thats legal, open-hand push: legal, Blandino said. If there was a grab and a pull, that would be defensive holding. This is a similar concept as an offensive lineman blocking a defensive player. If he can get up on top of that defensive player and push him toward the ground its legal versus grabbing and pulling him.Then, the return.There was a question as to whether the defender steps out of bounds with the right foot at about the Saints 35-yard line. White shoe, white sideline, very difficult to tell from all available angles, Blandino said. ... We need something looking right down the line from either end zone, thats going to be your best look. And unfortunately, we just dont get that look.It looks like the foot could be out but you just cant tell, Blandino said, adding, Its important to remember in replay, were not re-officiating the play. Replay is designed ... to fix obvious mistakes. And if its not an obvious mistake, then the call on the field must stand.NBC affiliate WDSU had an end zone angle of Parks racing down the Saints sideline but even that was inconclusive.Coach Gary Kubiak gave game balls to Simmons and DeCamillis in the jubilant locker room.Also Sunday, two big-time quarterbacks called out their respective teams following demoralizing losses that continued monthlong slumps by two of the early-season Super Bowl favorites.After Zeke Elliotts 32-yard touchdown sprint in the closing seconds gave Dallas a 35-30 win over Pittsburgh, Ben Roethlisberger said the Steelers, who havent won since Oct. 9, were undisciplined and not accountable. Pressed for specifics, he said, Just a feel.Following Green Bays 47-25 loss at Tennessee, the Packers fourth in five games, Aaron Rodgers criticized his teams focus and energy for the second straight week.There has to be that healthy fear as a player that if you dont do your job theyll get rid of you, Rodgers said. So, I think weve all got to go back and the urgency has got to pick up, the focus has to pick up and we got to play better.Such comments by the quarterback can galvanize a team, but Roethlisberger and Rodgers also risk losing the locker room for the home stretch with their teams just one game out of first in their division.---For more NFL coverage: http://www.pro32.ap.org and http://www.twitter.com/AP-NFL---Follow Arnie Melendrez Stapleton on Twitter: http://twitter.com/arniestapleton ' ' '