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RICHMOND, Va. -- It was yet another Denny Hamlin runaway for Joe Gibbs Racing on Saturday night in what turned out to be an anticlimactic end to NASCARs regular season.The fireworks came off the track at Richmond International Raceway, where Ryan Newman angrily chided former boss Tony Stewart after an accident between the two officially ended Newmans chances to make the playoffs.The verbal beat down from Newman came with 37 laps left, before Hamlin finished off his third career Sprint Cup win at his home track while giving JGR its third consecutive victory at the track and ninth in the last 15 races.Newman called Stewart bipolar, said the retiring race car driver had anger issues, and all but outright referenced the 2014 incident in which Stewart fatally struck a sprint car driver.I guess he thought he was in a sprint car again and didnt know how to control his anger, Newman said after the two made contact three times before finally wrecking. Dylan Lupton couldnt avoid the accident and his car ended up wedged between the wall and on top of Newmans car when the crashing finally ceased.The wreckage caused a stoppage of just over 20 minutes and sent Newmans temperature soaring. Newmans team was penalized 15 points this week by NASCAR for failing post-race inspection at Darlington, and the punishment made his task of trying to race his way into the Chase extremely difficult.But few expected him to be so harsh toward Stewart, who employed Newman for five years until Newman was let go from Stewart-Haas Racing at the end of the 2013 season.Just disappointing that you have somebody old like that that should be retired the way he drives. Its just ridiculous, Newman said. I dont think there was any reason other than him just being bipolar and having anger issues. Google Tony Stewart, youll see all kinds of things hes done. Look it up on YouTube, everything else. Quite the guy.Stewart is retiring at the end of the season and already had his spot in the Chase secure headed into Richmond.There were three spots available in the Chase at the start of the night, but Newman was going to need a near-miracle.He didnt get it, and the remaining playoff positions in the 16-driver field went to rookie Chase Elliott, Austin Dillon and Jamie McMurray. Chris Buescher also made the Chase by virtue of his win at a rain-shortened race and by maintaining a spot in the top 30 in points.The rest of the Chase field is made up of the other 12 race winners this season.JIMMIES LONG NIGHT: Six-time NASCAR champion Jimmie Johnson didnt appear to be Chase ready in the final tuneup. He had a tire go down, hit the wall, and his crew had an uncontrolled tire on pit road during Johnsons 11th-place finish. Although he has two wins this year, hes at career lows in nearly every category, including laps led.BUSTED BLANEY: It was a short night for Ryan Blaney, who guessed stubbornness was to blame for an accident just 11 laps into the race. Blaney made contact with Trevor Bayne that caused a flat tire and sent Blaney into the wall. He was baffled because he thought he was clear of Bayne, but figured Bayne thought otherwise and neither driver would yield.I should know better than that, Blaney said. We didnt even give ourselves a shot at it, that is something I will have regret about.UP NEXT: The opening race in the Chase for the Sprint Cup championship on Sunday at Chicagoland Speedway. The field starts with 16 drivers, which will be whittled down over nine rounds to create a final four to race for the title Nov. 20 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Parris Campbell Youth Jersey . -- Bobby Ryan helped the U. Khari Willis Colts Jersey . Coach Mike Munchak says Fokou stretched ligaments in his left knee Oct. 13 against Seattle, which could keep out up to five weeks even though the linebacker didnt need surgery. http://www.officialindianapoliscoltspro.com/Margus-hunt-colts-jersey/ . Woodson said during a radio interview Thursday that the Knicks Carmelo Anthony doesnt get the same calls as other superstars. Kenny Moore Colts Jersey . -- Bryant McKinnie came out of his stance and lowered his shoulder into a practice squad player, causing a crisp thud to reverberate in the Miami Dolphins practice bubble. Marshall Faulk Youth Jersey . Despite dominating possession, Schalke needed an own goal from Nicolas Hoefler for the breakthrough a minute before the interval. The Freiburg midfielder misjudged Jefferson Farfans corner and bundled the ball into his own net. CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. -- Bronco Mendenhall had never started a season with three consecutive losses before coming to Virginia.When the Cavaliers finally broke through with a 49-35 victory against Central Michigan on Saturday, giving Mendenhall his 100th career victory, the team figured it was time to celebrate.They were waiting for me to come in like it was a big deal to them to celebrate for me. I couldnt wait to celebrate for them, Mendenhall said. Thats gratifying when it meant a lot for them to make me feel special and vice versa. Its one of those things I wont ever forget. Ever.It almost didnt happen.Kurt Benkert threw five touchdown passes, the last three after Virginia had squandered all of a 28-0 lead, to awaken a hushed stadium and invigorate a team that appeared to be slipping back into its history of seeing things go from good to bad quickly.Were not immune from that being past history and Im not sure the stadium was, Mendenhall said. It seemed like there was this cultural `we know what this feels like, and I felt that. We are fighting that as hard as we can but you have to be able to battle through that a few times before that becomes the new normal. Hopefully this will start that.Benkert hit Olamide Zaccheaus with a go-ahead 82-yard pass after the Cavaliers defense forced its first punt since the opening quarter. Virginia (1-3) forced another punt, and Benkert hit Albert Reid for a 5-yard touchdown, capping a 73-yard drive. Taquan Mizzell also scored twice for Virginia on runs of 4 and 53 yards.The Chippewas (3-1), seeking their first 4-0 start since 1985, scored on four of five possessions after going behind 28-0 less than 20 minutes into the game. Cooper Rush passed for 402 yards and two touchdown passes to Corey Willis, including an 85-yarder, and Amari Coleman read a screen pass perfectly and scored on a 47-yard interception return.This is a game of execution, and when you drop balls, miss tackles and let peoplle behind you in coverage, thats when you get beat, Central Michigan coach John Bonamego said.dddddddddddd It doesnt matter who you are playing or what their record is.Mendenhall, in his first year at Virginia, was 99-43 in 11 seasons at BYU before coming east.THE TAKEAWAYCentral Michigan: The Chippewas are a confident team, and showed it even when trailing by three touchdowns in a loud stadium. They used timeouts when Virginia had the ball late in the second quarter to stop the clock, and cashed in with two touchdowns in the last 4 1/2 minutes of the half to get within 28-14.Virginia: Rush picked apart the Virginia secondary, which lost cornerback Juan Thornhill on the first play of the game. The unit also lacks speed and played off the Central Michigan receivers for much of the day, allowing several long completions that produced third-down conversions. Kareem Gibson was a frequent target, but acquitted himself with a fourth-quarter interception to set up an insurance TD.MOTIVATORReid and Mizzell were getting ready to leave the hotel for the game when they heard a commentator talking Virginia down.They disrespected us, Reid said. They made us the laughingstock of TV today just because they said this game for Central Michigan was going to be a look-ahead game because the Chippewas are slated to play rival Western Michigan next Saturday.I want to thank everyone for not believing in us, Reid said, because we proved you wrong.UP NEXTCentral Michigan: The Chippewas head into Mid-American Conference play at home against Western Michigan.Virginia: The Cavaliers, losers of 17 in a row on the road, will try to end that skid as they open their Atlantic Coast Conference schedule at Duke.---Online: The APs college football page http://collegefootball.ap.org---Follow Hank on Twitter: www.twitter.com/hankkurzjr ' ' '