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Show Page 6—THE HERALD. Provo. Utah Wednesday, January 2. 1980 Sports: What's happening on the national scene, State and local sports, columns and opinions ALK Bowl Roundup Tide Stakes Claim to No. 1 With Victory By United Press International Nothing's certain when it comes to the national football ratings but Alabama Coach Paul ‘Bear’ Bryant thinksthetitle that eluded his Crimson Tide a year ago is in the bag “The point spread is enough to win the national championship’ said Bryant Tuesday after Alabama overwhelmed Arkansas for a 24-9 victory in the Sugar Bowl Alabama. which extended the na- tion's longest winning streak to 21 games. emerged as the only major un- ofhis team’s triumph “One point would have been enough for me. I really believe we have the best team in the country this gameshould be the national cham: pion.” said Ohio State Coach Earle Bruce after the heartbreaking loss. “I will vote USC No. 1 There were few dissenters in New Trojan Coach John Robinson was not Orleans after the top-ranked Tide as convince crushed the Razorbacks. rolling up 284 We deserve consideration yards with a powerful ground attack Robinson said. “We played the team while their nationallytop-rated defense that is 1ated No 1 in one poll and we held Arkansasto only 97 yards rushing beat them. Alabama alsodeserves con: Razorback Coach Lou Holtz wascer- sideration. | have a good idea who I'm tainly impressed. going to vote for I've neverseen a team playeny bet Major Ogilvie. who was named the ter, any harder than the University of beaten and untied college team when Alabamadid today,” he sa:1. “I went third-ranked Ohio State fell to Southern in saying they were the bes: in the California, 17-16,-in the Rose Bowl, and countryand I'll say that coming out Oklahoma knocked off fourth-ranked But, just like last year when USC won Florida State. 24-7, in the Orange Bowl. the Rose Bowl to grab the national The UPIratingswill be released this championship away from Alabama. the evening. viewwasdifferent in Pasadena Calif “It tickled me to death said Bryant “T've said all along that the winnerof Sugar Bowls most valuable piayet scored on runsof 22 and | yards and set up a 25-yard field goal by Alan McElroy with a 50-yard punt return, enabling Alabama to complete its first perfect season (12-0) since 1966 Except for two briefs lapses at the outset of each half, diring which Arkansas managed both of its scores. Sa terceptions to start a 65-yard drive. S-vard plunge. The Buckeyes had taken a 16-10 lead the Crimson Tide werein total control on a pair of second-half field goals by building a 17-3 halftime lead Fullback Steve Whitman scored on a Vade Janakievski Three plays after Ohio State's Todd 12-yard run for the Crimson Tidein the tinal quarter to cap a 98-vard drive and Bell knocked the ball out of White's hands deep in Buckeye territory wrap up the contest We are a good football team and sophomore quarterback Art Schlichter ig. hit they beat us” said Arkansas quarter- whofinished with 297 yardsp: back Keith Scanlon. “We sure were split end Gary Williams with a 67-yard outplayed today. scoring pass to tie the game 10-10 with Bowl records for carries and yardage. Oklahomawith a 61-yard TD run early and sparked USC's late 83-yard drive State dominated the opening period eight plays in the march to the winning from the | to cap a 74-yard drive. Watts capped by Stanley Wilson's MichaelKeeling added a 24-yardfield goal on the Sooners next possession and Watts teamed with 1978 Heisman Trophy winnerBilly Sims on a 34-yard touchdownrun for the final tally with 1:58 left in the game. In other Bowl action. sixth-ranked Houston scored a wild 17-14 Victory Heisman Trophy winner Charles 21 secondsto go before halftime. White was the story in Pasadena. The Quarterback J.C. Watts sparked two-timeAll-America established Rose lugging the bali 39 times for 247 yards. over eighth-ranked Nebraska in the Cotton Bow! Eric Herring caught a deflected 6- in the second quarter after Florida vard pass from Terry Elston for a TD with 12 seconds remainingtorally the White carried the ball on six of the scoring when Mike Whiting ran over Cougars over the Cornhuskers. The TD pass — thefirst for Elston this season score getting the series under way brokeoff the right side on a keeper to with two dazzling runs of 32 and 28 tie the score and Oklahoma scored vards before capping the march with a again only36 secondslaterafter safety Bud Hebert madehisfirst of three inl-yard scoring plunge. — ended a bizarre fourth quarter filled with Nebraska trick plays and gave No 6 Houston its second Cotton Bowl triumph in four years. 2s - nd ALABAMA COACH BEAR BRYANT is crowded by Alabama fans as he leaves Sugar Bowl field after watching his Crimson Tide cream Arkansas, 24-9, in the Sugar Bowl yesterday afternoon. — Marion Dunn the first quarter yesterday then fell from grace, 24-7. That left only Alabama and nia egainst Ohio State in Rose Bowl yesterday afternoon. USC added PAT and won 17-16. UPI Telephoto scrimmage and into end zone backwards to score winning touchdown for Southern Califor- A Visit to Remember By PAT EDWARDS with a gift and spent the morning PALO ALTO,Calif. — The 55th an- visiting and playing a game with the nual Shrine East-Westfootball All-Star child. classic will he played Saturday at StanMarc and Collen Wilson played a ford Stadium here. The themeforthis game with a young boy who had ungameis ‘Strong Legs Run So Weak derwent orthopedic leg surgery Legs May Walk.” Mendenhall gave 5-year-old Daniel Here’s One Vote for Alabama When the current bowl season began back on Dec. 15. there were five schools with perfect unbeaten and untied records and one with only a tie to marits slate. Thefive undefeated and untied teams were: Alabama. Ohio State, Florida State, BYU and McNeese State. Southern Cal was unbeaten but oncetied Yesterday the curtain dropped on the bow! melodramas and the only one of the five perfect record teams able to take a curtain call was Alabama. Southern Cal won butthereisstill that tie with Stanford chalked against the Trojan record McNeeseState wasthefirst to fall, bowing to Syracuse, 31-7, in the Independence Bow! in Shreveport, La., Dec. 15. Then BYU lostits bid for a 12th straight victory when the Cougars were edged by Indiana in that wild shoot-out in the Holiday Bowl on Dec. 21. The Cougarslost by one, 38-37. Ohio State — like BYU — held out until the final seconds then lost to Southern Cal in yesterday’s Rose Bow!thriller, 17-16. Florida State was in its Orange Bowl game with Oklahoma for TROJAN RUNNER Charlie White (12) goes over line of Bryantagrees with fan at back, that his Alabama team deserves to be ranked No.1. coach Bear Bryant's Crimson Tide was an impressive 24-9 win ner over Arkansasin yesterday's Sugar Bow!battle. There are still the All-Star games to watch but they are special events involving only a few players and none of the schools have anything al stake but a chance at morereflected glory from the performance of their selected stars. For all practical purposes there is only one more big item on the college football business agenda That is the final ranking of the top 20 by the two wire services and the crowning of a national champion. 1 think that the national champion is a cinch after yesterday's Big Fourcontests. Alabama should be a shoo-in for No. 1 honors The Crimson Tide is the only major unbeaten and untied team in the land. They ownthenation’s. longest winning streak at 21 con- secutive victories. The Tide beat Arkansas sound. ly, What more is there to say” The UPI rankings will be released tonight and will appear in Thursday's Daily Herald Outside of Alabama, I don’t have the foggiest as to how the teamswill be ranked, but I have myown idea So. after watching the Big Four and most of the other bowl games, here's the way I would rank the teamsfor the year: Dunn’s Top 20 1, Alabama (12-0) 2. Southern Cal. (11-0-1) 3. Ohio State (11-1) 4. BYU (11-1) 5. Oklahoma(11-1) 6. Houston (11-1) 7. Florida State (11-1) 8, Nebraska (10-2) 9. Washington (10-2) 10. Purdue (10-2) 11. Pittsburgh (11-1) 12, Indiana (8-4) 13. Michigan (8-4) 14. Texas (9-3) 15, Baylor (8-4) 16. Temple (8-2) 17. Clemson (8-4) 18. Penn State (8-4) 19. South Carolina (8-4) 20. Tulane (9-3) I don't think I have to defend anyof the above choicesalthough I have reason to suspect the wire service rankings will disagree in a place or two. And now that the bowl games are over, I think the Holiday Bowl mustrate as the most exciting of them all Mostof the others were deadly dull. A couple had someexciting moments. But there wasn't another one that had the pitch of sheer excitement and scoring ac- tion that was produced and sustained by BYU and Indiana In that game, the excitement started when BYU drove for a touchdown on the opening series and Indiana came right back to tie the score in a hurry, and it didn’t end until BYU missedits last bid for victory in the final 11 seconds Thereis a chancethat the wire services will drop BYU from the top 10 because of the loss. But if that happens, the voters weren't paying attention. eee This Saturday there will be a conflictof interest for BYU fans The Cougar basketball game with UTEPin El Paso will be on regional television at about the same time that the East-West Shrine game will be beamed from Stanford Stadium Fansin this area will have to do a lot of channel switching to catch the Cougarcagers against one of their toughest foes in the WACand also follow LaVel! Edwards as hedirects the West team and watch thefortunes of quarterback Mare Wilson, offensive lineman TomBell and defensive end Mat Mendenhall Lots of luck BYUhasfour participating on the West squad this year. LaVell Edwards is head coach of the West team Quarterback Marc Wilson, guard Tom Bell and defensive end Mat Mendenhall are team members On the last day of 1979 the coaches and players spent the morning at the Shriners’ Hospital in San Francisco visiting with the children. Each child there hada player assigned to them as their very own All-Star. The players presented their child Wong a ride ona stretcher table up and down the hospital halls. Tom and Rosemary Bell played games with Jonathon Lewis. Jonathonis seven and adjusting to life without a rie hand. Last New Year's Eve will long be Temembered by a group of All-Star football playersforit was the night the players realized just how great an honor they have received for being selected to play in the East-West Shrine football game, a game played for strong legs to run so that weak legs may walk BowlStatistics Rose Bowl ' Unio State 0 Ww 3 3-16 Southern Cal 3708-17 USC-EG Hipp 41 USC-K Willams 93 pass from MeDonald (Hipp kick? FG Janakievski 35 OSU-G William 67 pass from Schlichter (Janakievski kick) OSU-FG Janakievski 37 OSU-FG Janakievski 24 USC-White 1 run (Hipp kick A105 526 ost USC First downs 16 Rushes-yards Passing yards Return yards Passes Punts Furbles-lost Penalties-vards 40-149 289 52 6 W-21-1 3-43. 1-1 th 2-18 4-33 Orange Bowl Florida State 700 0-7 Oklahoma On FSU Whiting 1 run \Cappelen kick Okla Watts 61 run 0 7-8 Keeling kick Okla Wilson 5 run s Keeling kick Okla eeling 24 Okla A 66714 run First downs Rushes vards Passing yard Return vards Passes Punts Eumbles-tost Penaltics-vards ‘Keeling kick 420 Cotton Bowl Nebraska qb Ua Houston 070 10-17 Neb -Redwine 9 run iSukup_ kick) How -Elston 8 run (Hatfield kick) Hou-FG Hatheld 41 eb Finn 6 pass from Quinn (Sukup kick How Herring 6 pass from Elston Hatheld kick 64017 Neb Hou First downs Rushes-yards Passing vards Kelurn yards Passes 0 Punts Fumbles-lost Penalties: yards 3275, Sugar Bowl Arkansas 306 0-9 Mahama 1907-24 Ark-FG Ordones a4 MaOgilvie 22 run «Mekifrov_ kick \-Ogilvie 1 tun iMckIroy. kick MakG McElroy 25 \rk-Farrell 3 pass from Scanlon irun tailed! Ma-Whitman 12 run (McElroy. kick \iT 486 Ark Ala t down 21 18 Wet 41-97 93-284 Bassin vr 245 i0 Return vard 12 102 Vas 2-40-2 4-7-0 Punt 7-362 8-362 Fumbls-Ist 1 a Palts-vr 1-15 7-61 |