Show Tn Tuesday October 21 1997 The Herald Journal Logan Utah Big West honors D’Amato for his D Sports snapshot broke up a pass in the Aggies' league opener By Shawn Harrison sports writer Junior linebacker Tony D'Amato AP photo Chicago Bulls head coach Phil Jackson addresses reporters about Dennis Rodman's contract status Rodman is unhappy about the contract ha agreed to a week ago and is threatening to sit out the season's start Sports briofs Sauk earns Utah State Athlete of Week honors Senior football player Matt Sauk was named Utah State Alhlele-of-th- e Week for the period ending Oct 21 after helpe losing the Aggies break their ing streak in Saturday's 38-- 7 win over New Mexico State The Aggie quarterback threw for a 371 yards his second highseason-hig- h est career game at L'SU (He had 390 vs Oklahoma State in 1996) Sauk is now in fifth place in the L'SU record book for career passing yards with 4228 four-gam- 23-of-- 4l pass attempts and for the fourth time this season did not throw an interception Sauk is ranked second in the Big West and 20th in the nation in total offense while the Aggies are third in the Big West and 27th in the nation as a team in total offense Other nominees included: Freshman Jayme Gordy from the women's soccer team freshman Melissa Schocpf from the women's volleyball team senior Shane Bingham from the men's cross country team and freshman Beka Barron from the women's cross country team Paralyzed gridder loses loses suit against TCU AUSTIN Texas (AP) — A jury ruled against a paralyzed former college football player who hoped to prove he was an employee of Texas Christian University and eligible for workers' compensation coverage After deliberating about an hour 10 of 2 jurors concluded Alvis Kent Waldrcp Jr was not a TCU employee when hurt in a game against Alabama on Oct 26 1974 On that day he sustained a spinal cord injury that has left him paralyzed from the waist down 1 Fisher offered job MOBILE Ala (AP) — Fired Michigan coach Steve Fisher has reportedly been offered the coaching job at South Alabama and the school has given him two days to think it over the Mobile Register reported South Alabama president Frederick Whiddon refused to confirm the report The newspaper reported an anonymous member of the search committee said efforts were made to contact Fisher arid a message was left at his home in Ann Arbor Mich informing him the job uas his if he wants it Fisher 32 was the seventh candidate to fill the position left vacant earlier this month when Bill Musselman abruptly resigned Monday's scores NFL Buffalo 9 Indianapolis 6 played fairly well” said D'Amato after Aggie linebacker coach Mike Cox was impressed with D’ Amato’s (day That was about the best game Tony has had all year” Cox said “He played with great effort He showed up every time his number was called and made practice Monday theplay” “I For the third straight week and the sixth time this year the Big West Conference honored a Utah State football player Sauk completed i'wm I thought “I ran around hard made a few key earned Big West Defensive Player of the Week for his efforts against New Mexico Stale last Saturday Nevada quarterback John Dutton picked up the Offensive Player of the Week and Boise State place kicker Todd Bekastro was tabbed Special Teams Player of the Week it was announced Monday afternoon D'Amato made 13 tackles (eight solo) in USU's 38-- 7 win The Orange Calif native also had a tackle for loss and tackles I thought I played a good a game but to be named player of the week that is Tony D'Amato hard to tell “I just go out there every game and try to do my best If it happens it happens I'll take it” The Aggie defense bent last Saturday but didn’t break Four times New Mexico State reached the Red Zone but the Southern Aggies only came away with one score and that was with just over two minutes to play with the second unit in the game “We had a pretty good sense of urgency” D’Amato sud of the defense “TTiat was the theme all week We can't lose any more games or are season is pretty much over “Down on the goal line ns a defense we knew we had to step h up Our goal was a shutout so when they got dose to the red zone we stepped it up pretty welL” The USU win ended four-galosing streak But more importantly it got the start in league action Aggies off to a To me those four losses felt like 1- -0 eight loses” D’Amato said “Each game was worth two loses because they were so close They stayed with you all week It felt so good to get a W We needed it bad” For the year D’Amato leads the team with 83 tackles (30 solo) He is second See D’AMATO on Page 11 Series hits The Jake Aggies prep for Smith’s return to the Dome Leyland says Fish won’t freeze in frigid Cleveland CLEVELAND ( AP) — Jim Ley-lan- d saw the foreboding sky and heard the grim forecast A frost warning for Monday night snow flurries later this week The World Series weather concerned the Florida Marlins manager Not so much however for the way it might aggravate Bobby Bonilla's hamstring or affect Al Leiter's grip “I'm more worried about the cold for my mom more than I am the players" Leyland said al an off-da-y workout “But I'm not going to buy her a fur coat today I can tell you By Shawn Harrison sports writer For the moment the ship is back on course Utah State opened Big West Conference play last Saturday with a 38-- 7 win over New Mexico State in Romney Stadium The victory snapped a e losing streak “It was good to get a win but we are going to have to play better this week” said USU head coach John L Smith at his weekly Monday press conference at the Logan Golf A Country Club “A win is a kit better than losing” The Aggies now prepare to head four-gam- that” Suffice to say Leyiand's old mother Veronica could use one' when she attends Game 3 Tuesday night Temperatures may drop into the upper 30s by the end of the evening and it might be even more frosty Wednesday In fact these could become the first World Series games with snow since the 1979 opener in Baltimore between Pittsburgh and the Orioles Florida and the Cleveland Indians tied I -- 1 both got a feel for what may come during Monday's r- practices held in blustery north to Smith’s former stomping grounds — Moscow Idaho USU will try and put an end to Idaho's home winning streak which currently stands at 21 The Vandals' last hone loss came back in 1993 when with Smith to the helm they fell 34-3- 4 to Montana “They (Vandals) have a great tradition at home” Smith said “When we had the old lights and the old carpet it was much more of a home-fiel- d advantage than it is now” The Kibbie Dome now has “good” lighting and new carpet Smith feels confident he will have his team ready 50-degr- ec conditions The Marlins traded in the and shorts they wore while taking batting practice in the heal before Game 2 for heavy pullovers as did the Indians Players on both teams wore gloves — not the kind made by Rawlings either — while standing on the sidelines Not that anyone was complaining At least not yet “I found that this kind of weather is kind of a mind over matter” Indians manager Mike Hargrove said you don't mind it really doesn't matter" Marlins second baseman Craig Counsell a Notre Dame alum said he was actually looking forward to having an October chill in the air “I grew up in Milwaukee I went to school in South Bend so this is outstanding weather" he said “I 'if See SERIES on Page 11 come Saturday at 6 pm “You just have to prepare the kids let them know what it is going to be like” Smith said “You are going to have great footing and you will feel like you are as quick ns you have ever been The problem is that you are not going to feel the air rushing around you like you normally da It is kind of like you are in a vacuum It's like dead air Some teams have a tendency to come in there and think they can't breathe but it is not a problem” Smith assured the Monday gathering that there is plenty of air inside the dome It will also be warm between 70 and 73 degrees Fahrenheit “You won't need a coat it won't rain and there will be no wind” he said Looking back at the New Mexico State game Smith was happy with how the team “clicked" in the second AP photo Florida's Bobby Bonilla shares a laugh with teammates while warming up during teem practice on Monday Bonilla despite a tender hamstring win start at third base for the Marins in Game 3 of the Worid Series tonight in Cleveland Bonilla will start at third CLEVELAND (AP) — Bobby Bonilla's sore hamstring hurls when he runs He didn't do much running in Game 2 qf the World Series The Florida Marlins' cleanup hitter went Sunday stranding four runners in a 6-- 1 loss to the Cleveland Indians Despite his injury Bonilla remains in the lineup for tonight's game — and he remains at third base too Manager Jim Leyland chose Jim Eisenre-ic- h as the Marlins' designated hitter for Game 3 Leyland earlier ruled out the option of using Bonilla as the DH whose disdain lor that role fueled his feud with manager -4 Davey Johnson in Baltimore last season Bonilla and teammate Gary Sheffield who was hit on the wrist by a pitch Sunday both took batting practice Monday at Jacobs Field and pronounced themselves ready to pby Sheffield didn't require Bonilla occasionally The grabbed his leg in pain during Game 2 and temperatures in the 40s tonight could make it even harder far him to get loose ar But the veteran playing in his first Worid Series said sitting out Game 3 isn't an option X-ra- 12-ye- See BONILLA on Page 11 See AGGIES on Plage NHL NY Rangers 4 Carolina 2 St Louis 3 Detroit 3 tie Bills get a leg up on Colts IHL Houston 3 Las Vegas 2 SO Three Christie field goals lift Buffalo to win over AFC East foes On television 6 INDIANAPOLIS (APj — The Buffalo Bills didn’t need a comeback this time Steve Christie's three field goals were enough to keep die Indianapolis Colts winless pm NBC — Major League Baseball World Series game 3 Florida at Cleveland 6 pm ESPN2 — NHL Hockey Anaheim at Phoenix 12:30 26-poi- nt Christie’s third field goal a 27-yar- as time expired gave the Bills a 9--6 victory Monday nighL “Our defense played good enough to win You hold somebody to no touchdowns that's good enough to win” Colts conch Lindy Infante said “We just didn't generate enough offense We bad Wednesday pm ESPN2 — Soccer UEFA Champions League Paris St Germain at FC Bayern Munich some opportunities but for whatever reason we couldn't do h" The game was just the second in the history of die NFL to be played without a touchdown or a turnover The first was New England’s 6-- 3 victory over Miami in 1988 “It's a frustrated bunch in there and rightfully so” Infante said “The difference in this team and the team Today's quote “It would be different if I was a guy who hadn't accomplished anything in this league Now you're trying to tell me you're putting restrictions on my contract? There are like 23 different incentive clauses in there I'm 36 yean old I can't do iL" The Chicago Bms' Demis Rodman who is threatening to sit out the start of the regular season if certain Incentive clauses in the contract he agreed to a week ago am) rewritten or eliminated 11 AP photo Buffalo Bia wide recafvur Eric Moulds center la wrapped up by Coda defender Sammie Burroughs M and Monty Montgomery Monday night In Indhunpola Buffalo defeated to Cofts 9-- thanka to two Stavo ChrMfo field goal of the last couple years is we're not winning close games for whatever reason” It was the Colts’ fourth loss this season by six pouts or less It also was (he seventh straight game between the two AFC East rivals that was decided by six or fewer points I “The Colts suffered n tonight” Bills coach Marv Levy said “I thought they fought their hearts out but sometimes you just get on a tough luck path and that is where they are aL” The Cohs (0-7who Mew a lead the Bills last month in the third best comeback in league hisfield goal by Cary Blantory tied die game oo a chard with 6:12 to go but they never got the boll back Todd Collins completed passes of 20 and 16 yards to to Andre Reed to Quinn Early and added a to the Indianapolis 20 with two minget Buffalo (4-utes to go Three runs by Antowain Smith took the Bills to the 7 then Collins took n knee and let the clock run down to three seconds before calling a timeout Christie who kicked earlier field goals of 22 and 47 ywds then kicked the game-winnleaving the Celts red the Chicago Bears as the only winless teams io the NFL “Todd didn’t get in the end zone but he played well and he certainly helped us on our Inst drive" Levy said "One thing for sue is that he is unflappable He realizes not everything will be smooth sailing and he handled it welL" heart-break- er £" 26-poi- nt 32-ya- rd er 3) er Sec BILLS an Plage 9 fJ |