Pirate Galaxy » West Virginia coach Dana Holgorsen said

A preview of some of the key battles ahead of Saturdays PRO12 semi-final between Connacht and Glasgow Warriors, live on Sky Sports. Defending champions Glasgow are aiming to become only the second side ever to retain the PRO12 title and are appearing in the play-offs for a fifth successive season.Connacht are moving into uncharted territory having never reached this point in the competition before. Pat Lams side have the confidence of a recent 14-7 victory over their opponents but know that knockout rugby is a whole different ball game. Ahead of this highly anticipated match we look at some of the key battles that could decide this semi-final.John Muldoon v Josh Strauss Connacht captain John Muldoon will play his 274th game for the province this weekend Both No 8s will be key to their sides attempts to build momentum. Strauss has grown over the course of the PRO12 season, he never takes a backward step and almost always breaks the gain line.The ever-present Muldoon provides Connacht with momentum and leadership. Connacht are in new territory, they must embrace the challenge ahead of them and it will be up to their captain to lead the way.Both Muldoon and Strauss should be quick to introduce themselves to their opponents fly-halves, set their stall out early with gain line breaks and provide the benchmark when it comes to work rate.Ultan Dillane v Leone Nakarawa Leone Nakarawa is aiming for the perfect final season at Glasgow Warriors Dillane and Nakarawa will look to disrupt their opponents set-piece and this both should add plenty around the park.Its Dillanes athleticism and physicality make him standout and hes one of a number of players that Joe Schmidt will be keeping a close eye on this weekend.Nakarawa does things on a rugby field that others can only dream of and makes it all look effortless. So far the Fijian has made 48 offloads, 14 more than any other player, and provides solid set piece proficiency alongside his attacking spark.Nakarawa has magic in his locker than few in world rugby can unlock so Connachts 22-year-old will need to play to his own strengths and step up on the semi-final stage.Bundee Aki v Peter Horne Connachts Bundee Aki will be looking to add to the 6 tries hes scored so far this season Both centre pairings will be instrumental in this Guinness PRO12 semi-final in order to ignite their respective back lines and ensure that opportunities are created and taken.Aki has been at the very heart of Connachts rise and has beaten more defenders (83) and made more carries (251) than any other player in the competition. Its his ability to read the game, his flair and his distribution that drives the province.Peter Horne will be making his 100th appearance for the Warriors and needs to be ready to use every ounce of that experience. In attack Horne will need to fire and then defensively he needs to be as robust as can be to limit Akis impact on the game. Connacht earned a home Guinness PRO12 semi-final courtesy of a 14-7 win over Glasgow Warriors at a rain-soaked Sportsground Watch Connacht v Glasgow live on Sky Sports 1 HD on Saturday from 6.00pm. Catch the match for £6.99 with a NOW TV day pass. Also See: PRO12 semi-finals on Sky PRO12 home Fixtures and results Rugby Union on Sky Custom Nike Houston Astros Jerseys . After a replay, the winner will meet Sunderland in the quarterfinals. Sagbo did well to control Sone Alukos right cross and fire past Brighton goalkeeper Peter Brezovan. Aluko was making his first start in four months after recovering from an Achilles injury. Custom Nike Baseball Jerseys Sale . Jordan Lynch, the all-purpose Heisman Trophy finalist from Northern Illinois, failed to make it into that exclusive club. https://www.customnikebaseballjerseys.com/271n-custom-nike-minnesota-twins-jerseys-baseball.html . -- An ugly goal by Nick Bonino helped the Anaheim Ducks overcome the defensive-minded Phoenix Coyotes on a night when their ragged power play continued to struggle. Custom Nike Chicago Cubs Jerseys . R.J. Umberger scored twice to lead the Blue Jackets to a franchise-record for consecutive wins with a 5-3 victory Tuesday night over the Los Angeles Kings. Custom Nike Baseball Jerseys Store .com) - Yankee Stadium is the home of the Bronx Bombers, but on Sunday afternoon it will open its gates to host the latest addition of the Hudson River Rivalry. KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Charlie Strong began his weekly news conference Monday by spending a couple of minutes discussing the multitude of self-inflicted wounds that cost Texas in its lost to Kansas State on Saturday.Turnovers. Penalties. Blown assignments.It could eventually serve as the epitaph for his tenure leading the Longhorns.Strong dropped to 14-18 in his third season with the 24-21 defeat in Manhattan . And with eighth-ranked Baylor rolling into town, the chances of turning things around this week appear bleak.You look at the job -- I know this, we havent played well, Strong said. But I know this football team can play a lot better, will play a lot better. We just have to continue to develop.Time is running out to develop, though. Longhorns athletic director Mike Perrin has already said he will evaluate everything about the program after the season.Strong isnt the only coach whose grasp of their job is tenuous.Texas Tech coach Kliff Kingsbury could be headed for another losing season after a shootout loss to Oklahoma on Saturday. He is just 22-23 in his fourth season, and 11-20 in the Big 12, which makes the tenures of Spike Dykes, Mike Leach and Tommy Tuberville before him appear even more impressive. All those coaches had winning records in Lubbock.Then there is Kansas coach David Beaty, who still has just one win in his second season. There is little doubt he took over the worst program in major college football, and there is plenty of evidence to suggest hes making progress. But another blowout loss on Saturday, this time to Oklahoma State, also showcased the gap that still exists between Kansas and the rest of the league.Weve got great kids. Theyre tough dudes and they understand the task at hand, understand what were trying to get done, Beaty said. Theres no quit in those guys. Theres no spirit problem. They hate losing, just like we all do. But we dont feel sorry for ourselves.Kingsbury and Beaty at least have a few things going for them.In Kingsburys case, he still has plenty of goodwill among fans from his own playing days with the Red Raiders. And his score-a-minute offense is fun to watch, even if the defense is a disaster.In Beatys case, he took over a proogram so deep in the dumps that even the most optimistic of fans would admit that it would take Nick Saban or Urban Meyer at least a few years to turn it around.ddddddddddddheyre much improved, Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops said of the Jayhawks. Defensively they play really solid, offensively they spread it around and throw it more consistently. Coach Beaty and his group have done a really good job.Here are some other tidbits from the Big 12s weekly teleconference with coaches:MOUNTAINEERS ROLL ONWest Virginia climbed to No. 10 this week after a lopsided win over TCU , and now gets ready to face Oklahoma State as the grind truly begins. The Mountaineers (6-0, 3-0) have No. 16 Oklahoma and eighth-ranked Baylor in their final six games.Its hard to win in college football. Theres lots of good teams out there that have lost games and were fortunate not to be one, West Virginia coach Dana Holgorsen said. You have to celebrate the victories very short-term and then great ready for the next one.SNYDER ABSENTKansas State coach Bill Snyder missed the call to attend a funeral. Big 12 coaches often have assistants replace them on the call if they are unable to make it, but Snyder does not allow his assistant coaches to speak to media outside the Wildcats annual media day.TUCKERED OUTBeaty got exhausted just watching the track meet Oklahoma and Texas Tech put on Saturday. The teams combined for more than 1,700 yards of offense in the Sooners 66-59 victory .It was amazing, amazing to watch both those teams go to work, said Beaty, whose Jayhawks play the Sooners this week. It was really amazing, and they played as hard as they could, there just wasnt much left in the tank. ... I imagine living that (for a coach) was a nightmare.MIXON A STARKingsbury walked away Saturday night with greater appreciation for Sooners running back Joe Mixon, who ran for 262 yards and two touchdowns against his Red Raiders.Hes phenomenal, Kingsbury said. Hes one of the best Ive coached against because he can do so much. Hes physical when they ask him to block. Hes the complete package. ' ' '