NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Opening the season on Thursday night has become quite the tradition for Vanderbilt, taking advantage of the chance to lure a few more eyes.Now the Commodores want to tweak that trend.By winning.The Commodores open Thursday night hosting South Carolina -- the fifth straight year theyve helped open the college football season. Theyve come so very close to wins over the past four seasons but have not won an opener at home since beating Elon in 2011.Coach Derek Mason isnt sure if theres any benefit to being among the first to play each season.I like getting the season started early, Mason said Tuesday. Its nice to have a kickoff game that people talk about and everybody knows and understands when college football starts. So to hit it on a Thursday night, weve done it for the last couple of years, so for me its become old hat. I like where its at, and thats good.Being on national TV never hurts, even a team in a Power Five conference with its own network. The competition on Thursday night will be stiffer with 29 other games being played, though adding the Southeastern Conference opener certainly helps.The Commodores havent beaten South Carolina since 2008, and this gives them a big chance to kick off the season in style. But the Commodores have lost three of their past four season openers by a combined 10 points. Last years loss may have been the most painful, losing 14-12 to Western Kentucky when Vandys 2-point conversion failed at the end to force overtime.The only game that wasnt close came in 2014 in a 37-7 rout at the hands of Temple in Masons coaching debut, a game that didnt finish until the wee hours of the next day because of a lightning delay.Vanderbilt is coming off a 4-8 season, and Mason has written an open letter to fans asking for their support Thursday night to fill up the stadium. Hes also asked students to turn out as well. The coach said the Commodores need momentum along with the opportunity to do something they havent done his first two seasons.This team knows how important it is just based on our recent history, Mason said. Theres an opportunity to win the first home opener in I dont know six years or whatever it is, to beat south Carolina for the first time in a long time. So theres some important factors for us that really dont ride necessarily on just it being the first game.Linebacker Oren Burks said the Commodores see opening on Thursday night as an opportunity to showcase themselves on a national stage.Its Thursday night, all eyes are on you, Burks said. Theres not a lot of games ... Im excited for this season.Vanderbilt has 15 starters back, including seven from a defense that ranked 28th nationally in total defense last season and 22nd allowing 21 points per game. Kyle Shurmur started five games last season at quarterback, a job he has a firm hold on this season.Weve all been chomping at the bit to get ready for this game, Shurmur said. Were all ready to go and were real excited. Anytime you can get it two days earlier a game, its great.--Online:AP College Football website: www.collegefootball.ap.org---Follow Teresa M. Walker at www.twitter.com/teresamwalkerCyber Monday Air Jordan . The 27-year-old Scrivens will be joining his third NHL club since signing with the Toronto Maple Leafs as a free agent in 2010. The move also reunites with him with head coach Dallas Eakins from their time together with the American Hockey Leagues Toronto Marlies. Wholesale Air Jordan . 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Cheap Air Jordan Online . -- Linebacker Myles Jack ran for four touchdowns, defensive end Cassius Marsh caught a scoring pass, and No. Air Jordan Outlet .com) - The red-hot Los Angeles Kings will try to extend their winning streak to a season-high seven games when they visit the Edmonton Oilers for Sundays clash at Rexall Place.SAN DIEGO -- A tourist is coming to town, which generally is not big news in San Diego.However, when that visitor is Zack Greinke, the San Diego Padres take notice.Greinke leads the Arizona Diamondbacks against San Diego on Friday night in the second contest of this three-game series. The Padres won a 9-8 in the series opener Thursday.Both teams are playing out the string on disappointing seasons, but Greinke, no matter what team is on the front of his jersey, does well at Petco Park.The right-hander, who left the Los Angeles Dodgers as a free agent in the offseason, is 3-1 with a 1.69 ERA in eight career starts in San Diegos downtown digs. That includes winning his only decision in two starts against the Padres this year, and it came at Petco.Overall, Greinke has dominated the Padres to the tune of 7-1 with a 1.91 ERA.San Diego could be the soothing tonic Greinke seeks after getting blistered in his last outing. He lasted only 1 2/3 innings against the Boston Red Sox, as they ambushed him for nine runs, 10 hits and three home runs on Sunday.It just happened so fast, I didnt realize how bad it actually was, Greinke said.It was the second-most runs ever allowed by Greinke, falling short of the 11 he yielded to the Arizona Diamondbacks in a 2005 game while he was with the Kansas City Royals.Greinke pitched like royalty before the Boston massacre. In his previous 10 starts, he was 8-0 with a nifty 2.47. That is why Arizona manager Chip Hale expects Greinke will find his groove again while battling a lineup consisting mostly of rookies iinstead of proven hitters who litter the Red Soxs order.ddddddddddddWell, they just hit everything he threw up there, Hale said after the Sunday game. It was good pitches they hit. He obviously had some bad locations on some that they hit also. But it was one of those days. Weve all been there. Weve all been on the good side, and weve all been on the bad side.The Padres are looking for the good side from their Friday starter, Jarred Cosart, who was acquired in July from the Miami Marlins.Cosart (0-1, 5.03 ERA overall) is making his fourth start as a Padre and his eighth in total this year. The right-hander pitched well his last time out on Saturday, although he didnt figure in the decision. In six innings, he allowed one run on three hits and two walks while striking out two as the Padres dropped a 3-2, 11-inning decision to the New York Mets.Cosart recorded 15 of his 18 outs via groundballs.Thats usually the kind of pitcher I am, Cosart told MLB.com. Ground-ball guy -- thats what Ive been in the past, going all the way back to the minor leagues.Earlier this year and my last two starts, I was up in the zone a little bit, a little sporadic. If you pitch up in the zone to any big league team, youre going to get hit.The Padres (51-70) and Diamondbacks (50-71), battling to avoid the NL West cellar, will be familiar with each other down the stretch. Over the final 41 games, they will play each other nine times. ' ' '