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SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 2014 SPORTS ‘Don’t think, just play’: MIT engineers football success NEW YORK: The Massachusetts Institute common.” The architect of the school’s because it gives him a chance to “not place in pop culture decades ago when “Four years ago, we didn’t get a lot of of Technology’s reputation of academic new-found gridiron greatness is 42-year- think.” He said it’s natural for MIT players late comedian George Carlin read the people out to the games,” said senior superiority is well chronicled. But the pri- old Chad Martinovich, a soft-spoken to be analytical because their days in scoreline “MIT, 3 to the 4th power.” running back Justin Wallace, who has vate research university is now excelling coach who has the team riding a never- class revolve around problem-solving. No one is suggesting MIT is ready to scored 16 touchdowns this season while in a sector of society once deemed before-seen three-year winning streak. Still, the books versus ball balancing take on undefeated and top-ranked averaging an eyebrow-raising 7.4 yards unthinkable for a bastion of brainpower: He endures the kinds of problems act is a delicate one, he said. “I’m much Mississippi State, as the list of its victims per carry. “We do now.” With 81 Nobel football. you might expect coaching a bunch of more productive during the season,” this year includes Becker College, Salve laureates having ties to MIT, the percep- MIT is undefeated going into its last rocket scientists. “It’s both rewarding and Goldsberry said. “When you have your Regina University, Pomona-Pitzer, and tion of the student body is one of book- regular season game on Saturday challenging at the same time,” whole day lined out, you need to be effi- Maine Maritime. But it’s hard to find fault ish scholars. With 33 varsity sports, how- against the U.S. Coast Guard Academy Martinovich said. “You can throw a lot at cient. People here try to do as much as with an 8-0 team that’s averaging more ever, there aren’t just a bunch of aca- and headed to the Division III playoffs. them from a mental standpoint in terms possible, as well as possible.” than 42 points a game heading into demics walking around the Cambridge “I hate to say it - because people say of memorization - scheme and tech- The team cannot escape MIT’s cere- Saturday’s regular season finale. campus just outside Boston. it a lot - but back in high school I wasn’t niques. bral roots, as its moniker is (of course) MIT dropped football in 1901, 15 “What people don’t realize is that just even sure MIT had a football program,” “What we have to break them of is the Engineers. The mascot? Tim (MIT years after it lost a game to Yale 96-0, about 25 percent of the undergraduate said senior wide receiver Brad paralysis of analysis, where they tend to spelled backwards), a beaver, chosen but resurrected the program in 1988. population at MIT are varsity athletes,” Goldsberry, a Colorado native majoring overthink things and it slows them 100 years ago, the school says, “because The lean years have disappeared since Martinovich said. “That’s the most in in electrical engineering and computer down as athletes. We’re always saying, of its remarkable engineering and Martinovich arrived on campus six years Division III nationwide. “People don’t science. ‘Don’t think, just play.’” mechanical skill and its habits of indus- ago. Last year’s 6-3 record set the table think of that because all they think of is “I’m hoping that’s becoming less Goldsberry said he enjoys football try.” The team’s brainy reputation won a for this year’s stellar campaign. the stereotype.”—Reuters Nigeria revive Cup bid as South Africa qualify ABUJA: Defending champions Nigeria beat Congo Brazzaville 2-0 yesterday to revive their bid to qualify for the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations as South Africa and Cameroon ensured their presence in the finals. South Africa beat Sudan 2-1 in their first outing since the slaying of captain Senzo Meyiwa to top Group A, while Cameroon edged past DR Congo 1-0 to claim Group D. Zambia pipped hosts Mozambique 1-0 in Maputo to qualify in Group F with table top- pers Cape Verde Islands. Burkina Faso and Gabon qualified from Group C. Burkina Faso beat Lesotho 1-0 in Maseru and Gabon held home team Angola to a goalless draw in Luanda. On Friday, Tunisia held Botswana to a goalless draw to also advance to the finals. Second-half goals by Ikechukwu Uche and Aaron Samuel against Congo in Pointe-Noire boosted Nigeria’s prospects of making it to Equatorial Guinea, who stepped in as hosts on Friday in place of barred Morocco. Nigeria now have to beat group leaders South Africa in Uyo on Wednesday to ensure automatic qualification behind Bafana Bafana regardless of Congo’s result in Sudan also on Wednesday. Villarreal striker Uche celebrated his long- awaited return to the Super Eagles in style when in the 59th minute he tucked away a penalty after Congo goalkeeper Massa FINLAND: Tina Maze smiles on the podium after winning an alpine ski, women’s fouled goal-bound Emmanuel Emenike. World Cup slalom, in Levi. —AP Congo failed to draw level in the 65th minute, when Vincent Enyeama saved a Maze wins World penalty taken by Thievy Bifouma after Godfrey Oboabona handled a goal-bound shot inside his box. Cup slalom opener Substitute Aaron Samuel then made the game safe for Nigeria a minute to full time LEVI: Slovenia’s Tina Maze won yesterday’s “I’m really happy to have held on to the when he struck from inside the box. opening World Cup slalom race at Levi, set- lead I had from the first leg, which has South Africa secured their ticket against ting a blistering first leg pace and then proved to be difficult for me to do in the Sudan in Durban to record 11 points from keeping her rivals at bay. past,” said the 31-year-old Maze. The win five matches, meaning they will now not be The former World Cup winner timed 1 represented a big step forward for Maze, under pressure when they visit Nigeria on minute 55.15 seconds to underline her who took gold in the downhill and giant Wednesday. Ajax midfielder Thulani Serero return to top form, 00.34secs clear of Frida slalom at the Sochi Winter Olympics in scored his first international goal for South Hansdotter of Sweden and 00.52secs ahead February. Africa in the 38th minute, when he slotted of Austria’s Kathrin Zettel. She finished a disappointing 22nd home a cut-back from inside the box to give Olympic and World Cup slalom champi- behind joint winners Anna Fenninger and Bafana Bafana the lead. on Mikaela Shiffrin of the United States Shiffrin in the giant slalom which opened Tokelo Rantie then doubled Bafana could only manage 11th place over two the season in Solden, Austria on October Bafana’s advantage in the 53rd minute, when seconds behind Maze. 25. —AFP he dribbled his way past his markers before stabbing home past the Sudan goalkeeper. Sudan pulled a goal back through Al Hilal forward Salah Ibrahim in the 77th minute Ogier extends from close range. Cameroon won Group D YAOUNDE: Cameroon’s Moting Choupo (13) vies for the ball against DR Congo’s Junior courtesy of a 71st match winner by Vincent Kabananga (13) during their 2015 African Cup of Nations (CAF) qualifier, group D, football Aboubakar against DR Congo in Yaounde. match. —AFP lead in Wales In Kampala, Uganda pipped Black Stars of Ghana 1-0 after both teams played a 1-1 tom team Guinea in a final game and Ghana Kanyenda earned Malawi only their second draw in Kumasi three months ago. host Togo. win in the qualifying series. The Flames now DEESIDE: World champion Sebastien Ogier ing the year with a morale-boosting win Uganda match winner was Savio Kabugo, Malawi revived their hopes of qualifying have six points from five matches, the same stretched his lead in the season-closing are all but over when he slithered into a who fired the Cranes ahead after just 10 min- for the Nations Cup after they beat Mali 2-0 as Mali, with Algeria already qualified. On Wales Rally GB yesterday after his closest ditch in stage nine, the Finn finishing the utes. But Uganda face a daunting trip to at the Kamuzu Banda Stadium in Blantyre. Wednesday, Mali host Group winners Algeria rival, Volkswagen teammate Jari-Matta day over three and a half minutes adrift. Morocco in midweek when they battle bot- Second-half goals by Robert Ngambi and and Malawi are away in Ethiopia. —AFP Latvala, span into trouble. Ogier, who was Ogier told the sport’s official website only 6.4sec in front of Latvala overnight, is wrc.com: “The battle with Jari-Matti was now 58sec clear of Mikko Hirvonen’s Ford enjoyable and exciting. Now the gap is Focus, and over a minute clear of Citroen quite comfortable but in these conditions driver Kris Meeke. Latvala’s hopes of finish- it’s easy to make a mistake.” —AFP Time running out for big four ahead of Asian Cup SEOUL: Time is running out for Australia, Australia, Aguirre has recalled some familiar encouraging performances: defeats to Japan, Iran and South Korea, Asia’s four faces. Makoto Hasebe, 2010 and 2014 World Uruguay and Costa Rica were close, and failed participants from the 2014 World Cup, Cup captain, returns along with midfield sandwiched by exciting wins over Paraguay to find form before the continental champi- partner Yasuhito Endo.

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