The Cincinnati Enquirer du lieu suivant : Cincinnati, Ohio • Page 31

'i. ZD i jwiPismarr i szmtsimt: Houston 3 CINCINNATI 1 Toronto 3 Cleveland 2 Pittsburgh 8 Chicago 6 Boston 5 Oakland 2 St. Louis at Philadelphia ppd Kansas City at Baltimore (n) Montreal 10 New York 1 Chicago 2 California 1 Atlanta at Los Angeles (n) New York 4 Seattle 1 San Diego at San Fran. ppd Minnesota 8 Detroit 7 Texas at Milwaukee (n) Cincinnati (Browning 15-11) at Houston (Clancy 7-12), 2:35 p.m. Armstrong takes bad breaks ir stride, Page D-4.

Pirates end Cubs' six-game winning streak, Page D-4. Blue Jays beat Indians on error in 11th inning, Page D-4. i I lIWl Cubs at Pirates, 12:35 p.m., WGN-Cable Mets at Expos, 1 :30 p.m., WOR-Cable Braves at Dodgers, 4 p.m., WTBS-Cable EDITOR: GREGNNOBLE, 369-1917 THE CINCINNATI ENQUIRER SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 1989 SECTION MO ScoreboardD-2 DigestD-3 College footballD-12-16 GolfD-19 Tim SulHyan Wary Bengals await Stealers At a glance Cornerback Lewis Billups felt the loss last week gives this game a kind of urgency. "This is a must win game for us," Billups said. "From now on, all games are a must win." That's why the Bengals have been trying to overlook the Steelers' performance against Cleveland last week.

Cincinnati has convinced itself that the Steelers are just as tough as the Bears. "You can't look at them on film and think you'll have a cakewalk," said strong safety David Fulcher. "Each given week any team can beat you. "We're not looking at it as a light game. We're looking at it as Pittsburgh is going to be ready to play.

Things just didn't go there way last week. We can't (Please see BENGALS, Page D-18) BY TIMOTHY W. SMITH The Cincinnati Enquirer Bengals' coach Sam Wyche has been trying to build up Pittsburgh to his team all week. It hasn't been an easy task. The Steelers were slapped around by Cleveland, 51-0, in their opener.

Wyche's message: Don't expect Pittsburgh (0-1) to do a repeat performance for Cincinnati (0-1) this afternoon at 1 o'clock when the Bengals open their home schedule with the Steelers at Riverfront Stadium. He's also added a history lesson. "I reminded them of what happened last year to Pittsburgh," Wyche said. "We beat them, 42-7, here one week and they went down to Houston the next week and beat them, 37-34. Houston was riding high at the time." Actually, Pittsburgh had three losses sandwiched in between the two games, but to mention that would weaken the dramatic effect.

Besides an opportunity to notch their first win, the Bengals could also get their first AFC Central division victory by defeating Pittsburgh. This is the kind of game that separates the good teams from the mediocre teams. Winners win when they're supposed to and have to. "If we're as good as we potentially could be, we'll win games like this," Wyche said. "If we're vulnerable and the other team is fired up and come in with a little bit of a spoiled reputation and they want to recover.

"The good teams find a way to win this kind of game. We'll find out if we're a good team." WHO: Cincinnati Bengals (0-1 vs. Pittsburgh Steelers (0-1 WHEN: 1 p.m. WHERE: Riverfront Stadium. RADIO: WKRC-AM (550).

TV: Channels 5, 22. TICKETS: Sold out ODDS: Bengals favored by 10. Inside Timothy W. Smith's NFL report, Page D-10. Steelers scouting report, Page D-10.

Rosters, statistics, Page D-10. Today's matchups, Page D-11. Bengals notebook, Page D-11. Buckeyes topple Cowboys Frey, Snow lead 37-13 victory mi 0 vkw4 QTTj X- Vir Irish deflate Michigan BY RICK WARNER The Associated Press ANN ARBOR, Mich. Notre Dame launched a rocket that destroyed Michigan on Saturday.

Raghib Ismail, nicknamed "Rocket" because of his blazing speed, returned two kickoffs for touchdowns in the second half as the top-ranked Fighting Irish beat No. 2 Michigan, 24-19, and took a major step toward defending their national championship. Ismail, the nation's leading kick returner last season, ran back the opening kickoff of the second half 88 yards, and added a 92-yard return with 12:46 left to give Notre Dame its third straight win over the Wolverines the first time any school has done that in Bo Schembechler's 21 seasons as Michigan coach. "He's faster than the speed of sound," Schembechler said. "He may be the best I've ever seen.

We couldn't tackle him." The two runs were shocking considering that no one had returned a kickoff for a touchdown against Michigan in 32 years. The last to do it was Ron Engel of Minnesota, who had a 95-yarder on Oct. 26, 1957. "If I make one person miss, we usually do pretty good," said Ismail, a 175-pound sophomore flanker. It was the 25th meeting between the (Please see IRISH, Page D-18) BY D.

ORLANDO LEDBETTER The Cincinnati Enquirer COLUMBUS, Ohio Greg Frey passed for a career-high 285 yards and threw two touchdowns to lead Ohio State over Oklahoma State, 37-13, Saturday afternoon as the Buckeyes kicked off their 100th season before a crowd of 88,670 at Ohio Stadium. Frey, from St. Xavier High, had some input from other Cincinnati players. Carlos Snow, of Cincinnati Academy of Physical Education, rushed for two touchdowns and 67 yards. Cornerback Vincent Clark, also of CAPE, had a key interception.

Linebacker-tight end Jay Koch, of Purcell Marian, made four tackles and played tight end in the Buckeyes's zoom (goal-line) Frey started out slowly, but as the game progressed he got the hot hand. Frey, who completed 16 of 21 passes, finished the game by hitting nine straight passes. "I felt more comfortable, but it took me awhile to get settled," said Frey, who missed three practices with a shoulder problem. "My arm felt good." Ohio State coach John Cooper was" elated with the victory. "I'm proud of them," Cooper said.

"I thought it was a good opening win. Certainly, we've got to play better than that. Eliminate our mistakes, especially (Please see OSU, Page D-18) Raghib Ismail: 'Dangerous' is his middle name ANN ARBOR, Mich. As they say in the record business, Notre Dame is No. 1 with a bullet.

The bullet's name is Raghib Ismail. He is to kickoff returns what Mozart is to music: a prodigy, a revelation. He is to kickoff returns what Capone was to Chicago, what Nero was to Rome: "the most dangerous player around." That last phrase is Bo Schembechler's, the Michigan football coach whose continuing quest of a national championship was probably quashed for another season Saturday by Ismail's flying feet. The spindly sophomore wenfall the way with two Wolverine kickoffs to make a personal track meet of the cataclysmic contest between college football's two top-ranked teams. He provided the fuel for the Fighting Irish in their 24-19 victory and he likely launched a new Heisman Trophy campaign: his own.

Within the space of 20 minutes during Saturday's second half, and needing no more than perhaps 20 total seconds, Ismail struck a spark in the gathering grayness, awoke 105,912 fans from numbingly fundamental football and dazzled a nationwide television audience with his twin touchdown runs. The first return opened the second half, covered 88 yards and represented the first time since 1956 that any Michigan opponent has returned a kickoff for a touchdown, The second came early in the fourth quarter, covered 92 yards and sent statisticians scrambling for the archives and strategists scratching at their heads. "What insthe name of Knute Rockne is Michigan doing kicking to that guy again?" the soggy assemblage wondered. Schembechler had to wonder himself as he watched Ismail streak down the sideline. "I said to him, 'They are going to squib it.

They are not going to kick deep Notre Dame coach Lou Holtz said. "When the ball was kicked deep, the player behind me said, 'Ok, here we "It seemed that they wanted to challenge him," said Notre Dame quarterback Tony Rice, "and Raghib answered the challenge." Ismail's reputation should have preceded him Saturday. He was, after all, the only player in Division I-A to return two kickoffs for touchdowns last season. He was also declared the NCAA's kickoff return champion in 1988, although he was two short of the necessary number of returns to qualify. With an average of 36.1 yards per return, Ismail could have taken two more returns and gained no more yards and still finished higher than his closest competitor.

It was on that basis that he was made the return champion, though it is almost inconceivable that he could touch the ball twice and not do something stunning. "I said from the first time he walked out there (on the practice field) in shorts, that young man is something special," Holtz said. "There are a lot of people who are track men playing football. Raghib Ismail is a football player who runs track. He's got a lot of natural instinct for the game.

He likes it. He's tough. "There are a lot of guys who run fast and run in a straight line. They don't have the elusiveness he does. We've all seen guys who run real fast but can't run far." The player most obviously compared with Ismail, in terms of team, talent and timing, is Tim Brown, Notre Dame's Heisman Trophy winner of 1987.

Two years ago this week, Brown returned two punts for touchdowns in a televised game with Michigan State, and thereby seized the frontrunner's position in the race for college football's most significant individual award. Like Brown, Ismail is a threat both as a kick returner and as a receiver from scrimmage. In Notre Dame's opener against Virginia, he caught five passes for 121 yards even though he did not start, the game and played with a mild ankle sprain. Raghib Ismail was not interested in pursuing his parallels with Brown Saturday. "Not this year," the sophomore said.

Still, the decision is not entirely his. As the nation's top-ranked team, Notre Dame will promote Ismail's candidacy whether or not he throws his helmet into the ring. For the moment, at least, he prefers to distribute the praise. "Our entire kickoff return is very confident," Ismail said. "We feel if we all do our assignments correctly, something positive is going to happen.

The only thing I have to do on a kickoff return is to make one person miss. If everybody takes care of their blocking assignments, I usually do pretty good." Saturday, he was good enough for a game ball. "He said he wanted to give one to the whole return team," Holtz said. "But he also made a comment that he understood the budget." Tim Sullivan is Enquirer sports columnist. The Associated PressTimothy E.

Black Ohio State's Carlos Snow (25) storms upfield Saturday with Devin Jones of Oklahoma State in pursuit. Snow, a graduate of Cincinnati Academy of Physical Education, rushed for 67 yards and two touchdowns. Pirates dodge UC bullet, 21-14 Top 25 BY TOM GROESCHEN The Cincinnati Enquirer Cincinnati's Bearcats turned the football over five times and allowed two safeties in losing to East Carolina, 21-14, at Nippert Stadium Saturday night. UC is 0-1-1 and ECU 2- 0. ECU, which beat UC by an average score of 46-20 in three previous games since 1986, was an 11-point favorite.

First-year UC coach Tim Murphy was disappointed but encouraged, as UC came within minutes of beginning the season 0-0-2 or even 1-0-1. "We're pleased with the effort," Murphy said. "We're just not pleased with the result." ECU running back David Daniels scored the go-ahead touchdown on a 3- yard run with 3:23 left, How tht Associated Press Top Twenty Flv cofege football teamt fere 1, Notre Dam (2-0-0) beat No. 2 Michigan, 24-W. I Michigan (0-1-0) tost to No.

1 Notre Dame, 24-19. 3. Miami Ra. (2-0-0) beat California, 31-3. 4.

Nebraska (MM) beat Utah, tt-30. 5. Auburn (10) beat Southern Misslsslp-PIM4 t. Oklahoma at Arhona, night 7. Oemton (J0) beat VtrgWa Tedv JJ-7 I.

Colorado (30) beat No. 10 Illinois, 37. Arkansas 10) beat Tutsi, 26-7. 10. Illinois (1-1-0 1 tost to No.

I Colorado, 3M. II. Syracuse (80) beat Army, 10-7, 1 J. West Virginia (30) beat South Can na, 45-21. 13.

Southern Cat (0-1-0) vs. Utah State, night 14. Pittsburgh (20) did not play. 15. Washington (20) beat Purdue.

3M. 14 Alabama (10) beat Memphis State, J5-7. Tennessee (20) beat Duke, 7a 11. Houston 10) dk) not play. North Carolina State (20) beat Wake Forest, 27-17 20.

UCLA (O-t-0) at San Diego State, night 21. Louisiana Stat (0-2) lost to Ftorkta State, 31-21 22. Texas (2-1-0) beat Texas Christian, 44-7 23. Washington Slat (20) beat Oregon State, 41-3 24. kwa (0-1) lost to Oregon, 44-a.

25. Mississippi Stat (20) did not play. College football roundup, Page D-12-16 Astros frustrate Reds, 3-1 BY MICHAEL PAOLERCIO The Cincinnati Enquirer HOUSTON Ron Robinson had one bad inning. The Reds had eight. Put them together and it equals six.

As in losses in a row. The Houston Astros, behind the superb pitching of Jim Deshaies, dumped the sadly slumping Reds, 3-1, here Saturday night. The six-game losing streak, which began on this seven-game road trip, is the second-longest of the season, surpassed only by the 10-game skid in late July. The Reds have also had a five-game losing streak, which preceded the 10-game skid by one victory. Not only did the loss keep the dubious string alive, but it put the Reds in danger of falling into fifth place for the first time since Aug.

17. Cincinnati went into the game tied for fourth place with Los Angeles, which had a West Coast night game Saturday against Atlanta. Robinson, who has struggled in his previous five outings despite posting a 2-1 record, made his best start since Aug. 17 when he got a no-decision in a four-hit, seven-inning effort against Chicago. (Please see REDS, Page D-17) j.

1 lw Michael Snyder for The Cincinnati Enquirer UC's Ron Tram, left, reaches out to sack East Carolina quarterback Travis Hunter. i breaking a 14-14 tie. "When you consider East Carolina averaged half a hundred points on this program the past two years, it shows we've made some progress in building a program," Murphy said. UC's final drive ended when reserve quarterback Glenn Farkas in for his first series after relieving ineffective starter Don Hoog threw an interception with 12 seconds left. A driving UC was on the ECU 19 at the time, and ECU corner-back Ricky Torain picked off Farkas to end it.

"We were ready to win," Murphy said. "We believed we were going to score, and we had our two-point conversion play ready. We just fell short." A crowd of 18,153 watched on a chilly evening. ECU, quicker and more seasoned than the rebuilding rather, building UC team, felt lucky to win. "I feel like we dodged a bullet," ECU coach Bill Lewis said.

"Cincinnati was ready to play and we weren't." UC's youthful offense only one senior among the top 22 players reared its callow, mistake-prone head Saturday. After committing only one turnover in a season-opening tie with Rutgers, UC made five. The green offensive line, which played well in the opener, allowed three sacks. The less-than-nimble Hoog was taken down for two safeties. The running game (Please see UC, Page D-17) iMiitaini.