Stover

Matt Stover had a hand in this. Or a foot. Johns Hopkins plays in the NCAA Division III football quarterfinals Saturday, in part because its kicker studied last summer with Stover, the former Ravens great. That kicker, Alex Lachman, booted a last-second, game-winning 43-yard field goal last week in Hopkins' 31-29 playoff victory over Thomas More. The win sends the Blue Jays (10-2) to Dover, Del., to face Wesley (12-0) at noon. It's the third straight postseason road game for Hopkins, which has scored back-to-back victories over previously undefeated teams.

The Game: A lot of blame to go around in disappointing loss PG 2 The Analysis: Ravens simply not good enough to beat elite teams PG 3 The Return: Stover back as Colt, winner PG 4

For three hours, it was like any other football game he had ever played in, a blip on the big-screen picture that is Matt Stover's illustrious NFL kicking career. Only when it was over, when his new team, the Indianapolis Colts, beat his old team, the Ravens, did Stover let down his guard and hint at what this meant. "I am emotionally exhausted," he said in the Colts' locker room. "I'm toast. I may not show it, but I'm toast. That's hard, especially against friends and a team you love so much.

For three hours, it was like any other football game he had ever played in, a blip on the big-screen picture that is Matt Stover's illustrious NFL kicking career. Only when it was over, when his new team, the Indianapolis Colts, beat his old team, the Ravens, did Stover let down his guard and hint at what this meant. "I am emotionally exhausted," he said in the Colts' locker room. "I'm toast. I may not show it, but I'm toast. That's hard, especially against friends and a team you love so much.

It's an emotional reunion for fans every time the Indianapolis Colts return to Baltimore, but there will be a stronger tug on the heartstrings Sunday. Matt Stover, one of the most beloved Ravens in team history, will kick against his former team for the first time as a member of the rival Colts. For 13 seasons, Stover remembers hearing thunderous cheers from Ravens fans after countless clutch kicks. When he takes the field Sunday - suiting up for a Colts team that crushed this city in 1984 by moving to Indianapolis - he doesn't know what reaction to expect.

MINNEAPOLIS - - In the past, with two seconds left in the game, most Ravens fans would have gone to the refrigerator, popped a brew and gone outside to celebrate victory. Instead, the Ravens are coming off one of their most demoralizing losses ever, falling to the Minnesota Vikings, 33-31, Sunday, as Steve Hauschka's 44-yard field goal with no time remaining went wide left. Deep down inside, it was one of our worst nightmares. Where was Matt Stover? Answer: Probably depositing his Indianapolis Colts paycheck into the bank.

The Game: Ugly trends - bad penalties, big plays allowed - have arisen in three close defeats PG 2 The Analysis: Ravens pay dearly for not bringing back veteran Matt Stover PG 3

If he was unable to kick for the Ravens any longer, Matt Stover wanted the chance to kick for a Super Bowl contender. He got his wish Wednesday when his resume and the Indianapolis Colts' need matched up nicely. "That's why I've been so patient," Stover said after his introductory news conference in Indianapolis. "I made all these decisions in the offseason to give myself options. It wasn't about money; it was about the opportunity to go to the Super Bowl." The former Ravens kicker signed a guaranteed one-year contract with the Colts after acing a Tuesday workout in which he hit a pair of 53-yard field-goal attempts.