GREEN BAY, Wis. — No need for ice andwind and record low temperatures. Even inrelatively balmy conditions for Green Bay,and with a somewhat stationary All-Proquarterback, thePackers survivedagainst theDallas Cowboys.

GreenBayrallied froman8-pointdeficit asAaron Rodgers threw for two second-halftouchdowns to beatDallas 26-21Sunday.ThePackers (13-4), helped immensely by a videoreversal with 4:06 remaining, went unde-feated at Lambeau Field this season. Theyhead to Seattle next weekend for the NFCtitle game.

TheSeahawks (13-4) beatGreenBay in theseason opener, 36-16.

“I think I got 120 minutes left in me,”Rodgers said.

DezBryant’s leaping, bobbling catch at thePackers 1 on fourth-and-2 was reversed byreferee Gene Steratore after Green Bay

challenged. Instead of first-and-goal forDallas (13-5), the ball went over to thePackers.

“Some people think throwing the red flagis fun,” Packers coach Mike McCarthy said.“It was such an impactful play, you had tochallenge. Itwasaconfidentchallenge.Andahopeful one, too.”

GreenBay closed it out before aLambeau-record 79,704 on Randall Cobb’s diving12-yard reception on third-and-11. That gaveCobb eight catches for 116 yards and set off araucous celebration at the iconic venue.

“Well, I was happy it went the right way,”

NFL PLAYOFFS

Green Bay’s Andrew Quarless celebrates a first-quarter touchdown by jumping into the stands at Lambeau Field on Sunday afternoon.

SMILEY N. POOL/DALLAS MORNING NEWS PHOTO

Packers ‘O’ awakens intime to rally past Cowboys

SPORTSMONDAY, JANUARY 12, 2015

DALLAS—WhatOhio State isattempting to pull offMondaynight is, quite frankly, ridiculous.

TheBuckeyes have notmerelyadvanced to the first CollegeFootball Playoff title gamewith athird-string quarterback. Theyactually think they canwin itwitha third-string quarterback.

Cardale Jones,who started theseason in cold storage, is 60 foot-ballminutes away frombecominga story on “60Minutes.”

“It’s unreal, like amovie or abook,” Jones said Saturday, two

days before he takes the field atArlington’s AT&TStadium. “Ican’t pinchmyself any harder.”

Jones’ story, as far as anyoneknows, has no precedent.

At least seven backupNFLquarterbacks have led their teamsto Super Bowl titles, but thesearch continues to find a risefrom so lowon the totempole.Late in the1965 season, afterinjuries to JohnnyUnitas andGaryCuozzo, BaltimoreColtsrunning backTomMattewasforced to play quarterback. CoachDonShula drewup someplaysandhadMatte tape them to hiswristband, but that venture endedwith a playoff loss to the Packers.

Once, in a Barry Switzer fairytale, freshman JamelleHoliewayledOklahoma to a national title

after starter TroyAikman brokehis leg.

Way back in the spring of1998,Florida State quarterbackMarcusOutzenwas third string behindChrisWeinke andDanKendra.Outzenmoved up one pegwhenKendra blewout his knee in thespring and then ended up starting

COLLEGE FOOTBALL COMMENTARY

REMARKABLE JOURNEY SET FOR FINALEThird-string QB: ‘I can’tpinch myself any harder’

By Chris DufresneTribune Newspapers

Ohio State quarterback Cardale Jones made his first two career startsin the Big Ten championship game and the Sugar Bowl.

PHIL MASTURZO/AKRON BEACON JOURNAL PHOTO

Monday’stitle gameOhio State (13-1)vs. Oregon(13-1)When: 8:30 p.m.TV: ESPN

See DUFRESNE/Page 4

WILLIAMSBURG — Winningwas a tall order for William andMary’s women’s basketball team.The Tribe needed to be darn nearperfect against James Madison,the CAA’s gold standard, andreceive somehelp fromtheDukes.

Didn’t happen.JMU’s pedigree prevailed in a

65-43 win Sunday at KaplanArena, while William and Marycontinued the incremental build-ing process under Ed Swanson.

“I thought we got better today,”Swansonsaid. “I thoughtwemadesomeprogress.”

The Tribe (6-9, 0-4 CAA) haslittle to show for it recently after asixth consecutive loss, the firstfour of which were one-pos-session affairs when W&Mcouldn’t close the deal.

William and Mary had noanswer for JMU post player Lau-ren Okafor (16 points, 9 rebounds,6 blocks), and the Dukes’ defensegradually squeezed the Tribe intoa 28 percent shooting effort in thesecondhalf and 23 turnovers.

Still, W&M went toe-to-toewith James Madison (13-2, 4-0)for most of the first half and waswithin striking distance to startthe second half. That against aprogram that swept the Tribe by acombined 66 points in two gameslast season.

“We have bought more into thesystem, his system, than we hadlast year,” Tribe senior Kyla Ker-stetter said.

“I think the first 10-12 minutesshowed that, when we do whatthe system is meant to do and wetrust each other. The first 20points, we got the shots wewanted and theywere good shots,but I don’t think we know how tomaintain that for a whole game

WOMEN’S HOOPS

DUKESTOOMUCHFORTRIBEWilliam and Marycontinues makingstrides under Swanson

By Dave Fairbankdfairbank@dailypress.com

See W&M/Page 6

SOUTH BEND, Ind. — When DarionAtkinswasbeing recruited,he tookavisit toNotre Dame and enjoyed it so much henearly committed. But the forward’s visit toVirginia was just a little more pleasant, andhe ultimately chose the Cavaliers over theFighting Irish.

Atkins again enjoyed his trip to PurcellPavilion late Saturday night.

Third-ranked Virginia’s stifling defensesuccessfully disrupted No. 13 Notre Dame’sprolific offense.

Yet the Cavaliers found themselves

trailing and in need of an offensive boost.Known for his consistent defensive pres-ence, Atkins provided an offensive spark,scoringa team-high14points ina62-56win.

“Just like this program prides itself onhaving a chipon its shoulder, I thinkDarionhas a chip onhis shoulder andwants to be athreat on the offensive end just likeeverybody else,” junior Malcolm Brogdonsaid.

Notre Dame entered the game as thenation’s best shooting team at 54.8 percent,and though the Cavaliers (15-0, 3-0 ACC)beat the Irish (15-2, 3-1) by at least 15 pointsin both meetings last season, Notre Damewas considered a trendy upset pick.

Virginia’s defense rose to the challenge.The Cavaliers held the Irish to 33.9 percentshooting and their season low in points.Notre Dame’s leading scorer, Jerian Grant,was held to just six points with Brogdonguarding him most of the game. But in agamethatsaw10leadchanges, theCavaliersdidn’t take control until the final fourminutes because of a disjointed offensiveeffort.

“It was like we were stuck in mud,”Virginia coach Tony Bennett said. “Part ofour strategy against a team like this isthey’ve got to work defensively and hope-

COLLEGE BASKETBALL VIRGINIA 62, NOTRE DAME 56

Virginia’s Darion Atkins challenges a shotfrom Notre Dame’s Zach Auguste.

JOE RAYMOND/AP PHOTO

ATKINS PROVIDES SPARK IN SOUTH BENDBy Isabelle KhurshudyanTheWashington Post

See CAVALIERS/Page 6

DENVER — Andrew Luck has his signa-ture NFL win, and it came against hispredecessor, at that.

Hardly pressured all afternoon, Luckthrew two touchdown passes and led theColts past Peyton Manning and the Broncos24-13 Sunday.

The Colts (13-5) advanced to the AFCchampionship game at New England (13-4),which beat Baltimore 35-31Saturday night.

“I think we’re playing good team ball,”Luck said. “We’re feeding off each other.Offensively, we’re making enough plays toput somepoints on theboard.Great night. Soproud to be apart of theColts in this victory.”

TheBroncos (12-5) are left to dealwith thehangover of yet another playoff debacle —andmaybequestionsaboutManning’s futureaswell as that of coach JohnFox.

Luck shines in Denver;Colts earn date with PatsBy Arnie StapletonAP Pro Football Writer

See COLTS/Page 3

Sunday’s conferencechampionship games

NFC: Green BayIat SeattleWhen: 3 p.m., FOX

JAFC: Indianapolisat New EnglandWhen: 6:30 p.m., CBS

By BarryWilnerAP Pro Football Writer

See PACKERS/Page 3

MAKING THE LEAPMAKING THE LEAP