ALAMEDA, Calif. -- The most daring gambler on the NFLs first weekend turns out not to be much of a betting man at all.Raiders coach Jack Del Rio isnt a big fan of horse racing and probably wont be seen at a poker or craps table any time soon.Im not a gambler, but I do believe in having the courage to do what I think is best for this football team, Del Rio said Monday, one day after the Raiders scored on a two-point conversion with 47 seconds left and held on to beat the New Orleans Saints 35-34.Good or bad, Im willing to do that when Im doing what in my gut I believe is the right thing. Part of that was showing the belief in our football team -- showing the belief in Derek Carr, showing the belief in Michael Crabtree. Showing the belief in our group to go down and do the things we needed to do to win that game.The Raiders trailed 24-10 early in the second half before scoring 22 points over the last 12 minutes of the fourth quarter, including the final two on Oaklands gutsy two-point conversion with the game on the line.Carr had just thrown his only touchdown of the game, a 10-yarder to Seth Roberts, when Carr immediately signaled for the two-point try. In a stroke of confidence and pre-planning, Del Rio had informed his third-year quarterback the team would be going for the win rather than having Sebastian Janikowski attempt a game-tying extra point.Following a quick timeout to discuss things, Carr found Crabtree with a perfectly placed fade pass that Crabtree caught despite tight coverage from Saints cornerback Ken Crawley. Crawley, an undrafted rookie, was in the game because starter Delvin Breaux was out with a broken leg suffered in the third quarter.The Raiders had also successfully gone for two earlier in the game after whiffing on their first try.Del Rio wouldnt say what went into the decision to do it with the game on the line, only that it was not an off-the-cuff move.I prefer to keep strategy inside, in-house, Del Rio said. A lot of factors went into it. At the end of the day, you have to go with what you believe is right for your football team. I believed that we would come back and win that game. I believed that going for it was the right thing to do.Del Rio also stood by his decision to bench starting cornerback Sean Smith midway through the third quarter after the eighth-year veteran was repeatedly beaten by the Saints receivers, most notably on a 98-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Drew Brees to Brandin Cooks that was the longest in franchise history.Del Rio said that Smith, one of Oaklands top free agent acquisitions this offseason after signing a four-year contract worth nearly $40 million, will start again this week in the Raiders home opener against Atlanta.The Raiders coach also emphasized that he expects much more from Smith and told him so after the game.I said, `Hey, youve got to own up to that, Del Rio said. That certainly wasnt anywhere near where it needed to be and I know youll bounce back. Be ready to face the music because theyre going to be coming at you. Hes a big boy. Hell bounce back. Hes going to be a good player for us. It was not what we need and he knows that.Del Rio also praised Oaklands running game after the Raiders rushed for 167 yards, including a 75-yard touchdown by undrafted rookie Jalen Richard.Oakland also scored on two short touchdown runs, something Del Rio hinted might have factored into the decision to go for the game-winning two-point conversion.Its going to create almost mandatory one-on-one situations, Del Rio said. And a guy like Michael one-on-one is a pretty good bet there.---Online:AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and AP NFL Twitter feed: https://twitter.com/AP-NFL Adidas Futurecraft 4d Nederland . They hope to persuade the other team owners and commissioner Roger Goodell to put pressure on Redskins owner Daniel Snyder to drop the nickname they find offensive. 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Cuban testified Thursday that he was upset when the companys CEO told him news that would reduce the value of his shares, for which hed paid $7.5 million. But he said he did nothing improper when he sold those shares over the next two days. STARKVILLE, Miss. -- Mississippi State stars Victoria Vivians and Morgan William were at their best during the 10th-ranked Bulldogs 79-68 victory over No. 8 Texas on Sunday.That wasnt a surprise. Its what the Bulldogs did without those two on the floor that turned some heads.William scored 23 points and Vivians added 19, but it was a second-quarter run largely led by the teams reserves that helped put the Longhorns away.Our kids, that second quarter, really answered the bell and got after it, Mississippi State coach Vic Schaefer said. We got some real critical stops and then we really were attacking the rim.Mississippi State (4-0) pulled away in the second quarter thanks to some valuable minutes from the bench -- especially backup guards Roshunda Johnson and Jazzmun Holmes -- and a suffocating defense that held the Longhorns without a field goal for the final 9:40 of the half.The Bulldogs had a 26-9 advantage in the second quarter to turn a tie game into a 42-25 halftime lead. Johnson had seven points and Holmes added three during the run while Vivians and William were their biggest cheerleaders on the sideline.Everybodys stepped their game up, Vivians said. Everybody can go to the basket. Everyone can score.Texas (1-2) had 15 turnovers in the first half and 24 in the game.We got a little frantic in some situations, Texas coach Karen Aston said.Brooke McCarty led Texas with 19 points, and Ariel Atkins added 18. Texas lost despite shooting a respectable 27 of 56 from the field (48.2 percent) and outrebounded the Bulldogs 36-26.The Longhorns pulled within 48-40 in the third quarter, but couldnt get any closer.There were a whole lot of positives, Aston said. Even the turnovers, most of them were in the first half. We pulled within in eight points, but then we forced some things. Young kids trying to make something happen every possession.William shhot 5 of 11 from the field and 13 of 14 from the free-throw line while also adding six rebounds and three steals.ddddddddddddDominique Dillingham added 10 points for the Bulldogs.INSTANT OFFENSEMississippi State played 10 players on Sunday, including nine who were on the roster last season. The only new player was Johnson, a 5-foot-7 junior guard who transferred from Oklahoma State and sat out last season.Shes been excellent so far this season, averaging nearly 12 points per game as a consistent scoring option with the second team off the bench.BIG PICTURETexas: Its been a tough start to the season for Texas, which has now lost two of its first three games. Both of those losses -- against Stanford and Mississippi State -- came against good teams, but they provide ample evidence that the Longhorns have some work to do to be among the nations elite.Mississippi State: The Bulldogs lost to Texas in Austin last season, but won against the Longhorns with relative ease on their home court. Vivians -- who is inarguably the teams best scorer -- had a solid game, but it was the consistent production from others like William, Dillingham, Chinwe Okorie and the bench that was most important for Mississippi State.LIMPING SCHAEFERSchaefer was noticeably limping during the second half of the game, and the coach said he believed it was his due to a case of gout in his feet. Vivians and William had to nearly carry Schaefer into the postgame press conference.UP NEXTTexas: The Longhorns return home to face Northwestern State on Wednesday.Mississippi State: The Bulldogs face Oregon on Friday in the opening round of the Waikiki Beach Marriott Tournament in Honolulu on Friday.----Follow David Brandt on Twitter: www.twitter.com/davidbrandtAP ' ' '