The Cincinnati Enquirer from Cincinnati, Ohio • Page 47

rwy- angerine Succulent For Miami Again 'Skins Never Trail Big Georgia Team By DAVID FUSELIER Enquirer Sports Reporter ORLANDO, Fla. The indomitable Miami Redskins concluded their second straight undefeated football season here Saturday night by dumping the University of Georgia, 21-10, In the Tangerine Bowl. The 'Skins dominated the J-ff 'Ml 335S: 1 I (TN y.4 if tei Ki f' i il Hum If 1 "IT AP Laserphoto Biletnikoff Pulls It Down For Raider TD snags pass In end zone despite close defensive play of Miami's Foley in third quarter Raiders Win In Waning Seconds Dolphins Die Hard, 28-26 On The Inside TVo More A'FL Playoff Games Today Page 3-D Heavy Sports Activity In Courtrooms Page 3-D lletls Set Date For Talk With Hunter Page 3-D XU's Bunny Well-Hounded Young Lady Page 6-1) Bosc Bonl Foes Study In Contrasts Page 9-D Boh Rankin Finds Ahundancy In Texas Page 10-D mistake-prone Bulldogs In the first half, scoring three quick touchdowns and taking a 21-3 lead to Intermission. Georgia regained some dignity In the second half but Miami's nationally ranked defense saved the victory. It was the final game for a group of seniors hailed as the best ever to play at the Ohio Valley school.

During their four years at Miami, they never lost a single non-conference game. The Redskins' record during that period was 35-6-1. Two of those seniors shared the game's most valuable lineman award. They were middle guard Brad Cousino and linebacker John Roude-bush. For the latter it was only his second complete game during a courageous two-year come back after a serious knee injury.

Outstanding back was Miami Junior quarterback Sherman Smith. Georgia's highly regarded offense began by fumbling on its first play and setting up a quick and easy Miami touchdown. Redskins linebacker John Roudebush discovered the ball bouncing around and fell on it on Georgia's 23 yard line. Miami quarterback Sherman Smith carried twice for 16 yards and fullback Rob Carpenter took it the last 13 yards In three successive short runs. Dave Draught kicked the extra point and Miami led, 7-0, with only 2Vi minutes elapsed.

The Bulldogs again fumbled on their second play, but this time recovered both the ball and their poise. Two perfectly thrown passes by sophomore quarterback Matt plays. What wasn't so noticeable was that two starting Miami defensive backs, safety Jake Scott who already had his knee in a cast and Curtis Johnson, were out with injuries. Twice in a row Stabler hit ol' reliable Fred Biletnikoff, once for 18 yards on crucial third down, and for 20 more on the next play. Then Stabler, using time-outs carefully, hit Branch for four yards on the sideline, Frank Pitts the third receiver for nine, then sent Clarence Davis around the left side for six yards and a first dow taking a final timeout with 35 seconds left.

Them came the pass to Davis, another Blanda kick, and the Raiders had an American Conference championship date with either Buffalo or Pittsburgh, who play today, out here next Sunday. "I never felt I couldn't do it," Stabler said strongly. "Miami has a good team. We knew we were going to be in a street fight all the way. We feel we are never out of a game until it is over as long as we do what we have to do." For nearly three periods the game was somewhat less that crowd-pleasing as the teams, like two giant armies, sparred and fired at each other with no noticeable damage.

But it started spectacularly, nonetheless, when Nat Moore, Miami's rookie speedster, ran the opening kickoff back 89 yards for a 7-0 Dolphin lead before much of the crowd was even in the stadium. "When you lose like that you know It wasn't meant to be your dreams go down the drain," Miami coach Don Shula said later. It was a perfect epitaph. MIAMI 7 3 6 10-76 OAKLAND 0 7 7 14-28 MIAMI N. Moor, klckoff return (Yepremian kick) OAKLAND Smith, 21, pass from Stabler (Blanda kick) MIAMI-Yepremlan.

33. field goal OAKLAND-Biletnlkoff, 13, past from Stabler (Blanda kkk) MIAMI War field, 11, past from Grlese (kkk failed) OAKLAND Branch, 72, past from Stabler (Blanda kkk) MIAMI-Walooe, 73, run (Yepremian kkk OAKLAND Davis, I past from Stabler (Blanda kick) ATTENDANCE 52,117 1203 no thows). Vikes Win, 30-14, The 'Wright' Way By DICK FORBES Enquirer Sports Reporter OAKLAND, Calif. There's no sense In going to New Orleans, where they will play Super Bowl IX In January. The Super Bowl was played here Saturday in the first round of the American Football Conference playoffs, and there will never be another one like it along the championship trail in this season.

It was football's answer to Russian roulette. In a game of unsurpassable thrills and great plays, the Oakland Raiders came from behind for the third time to eliminate the two-time world champion Miami Dolphins, 28-26, on the strength of Ken Stabler's four touchdown passes. The last one came with only 26 seconds to play, on a sort of shotput throw as Stabler was falling down. It was caught by Clarence Davis, a fourth-year running back from Southern California, who wrested the ball out of the hands of Miami linebacker Mike Kolen. It was a miraculous play.

"I didn't think I had enough on the ball because I was hit as I threw it," the' serious Stabler said later. "I didn't see Clarence catch it. I didn't know it was a touchdown until I saw the referee's hands go up In the air." At least half of the crowd of 52,817 in Oakland-Alameda County Stadium couldn't see what happened either with the catch coming in the corner of the end zone behind a six-foot concrete partition. Even those who saw it weren't sure until the touchdown signal was given. Davis and Kolen fell down In a heap, along with Miami safety Charlie Babb, who also was in on the play.

"The ball was still up In the air, said a panting and exhausted Davis later. "My arm was underneath the ball and I was able to get the other arm over It before the other guy (Kolen) could get his up. My body was in a better position than his. "As for the other guy (Babb), he just missed the ball. I can honestly Super Bowl Decided? MIAMI II 41-J11 1 7-14-1 0-0 3-1S OAKLAND le 37-135 274 71 20-J0-1 0-0 1-5 Firit Downs Ruihes- Yards Passing Yards Return Yards-Passes Punts Fumbles-Lost Penalties-Yards say I made the catch by the grace of God and a lot of luck.

I didn't know I was that strong." The winning touchdown, the third In rapid succession In a span of four minutes, 11 seconds in the last five minutes, came when it seemed Miami couldn't lose. The Dolphins recovered from the shock of Stabler's 72-yard touchdown pass to Cliff Branch, who nrn-e a swan-dive catch on the Miami 15-yard line, then got up and raced into the end zone when Miami corner-back Henry Stuckey slipped and fell on the wet turf. George Blanda kicked another of his four successful extra points on the day, and Oakland led, 21-19, with Just 4:39 left to play. But in virtually no time at all, Miami's gifted quarterback Bob Criese dreaming as were all the Dolphins of an unprecedented third Super Bowl victory took his team 68 yards in four plays, rookie Benny Ma-lone blasting around the right side for 22 yards and a touchdown, breaking three tackles en-route. Garo Ycpre-mian's kick put Miami ahead, 26-21, with 2:08 left.

That's when the Raiders "sucked up their guts and went to work." The words were coach John Madden's. "You don't have time to think about what happened in a situation like that," Madden said later." You've got to think, 'What do I have to do You can't worry when something like that happens. You can't think back and look at it negatively. "So that's when we went to three' wide receivers for the rest of the game, and you know what happened." Implementing this offense, the Raiders who also had 68 yards to go after the klckoff did it in eight Sunday, December 22, 1974 1-D Robinson, one for 44 yards to Richard Appleby, helped move Georgia quickly down field to Miami's 10 yard line. But another of many Miami goal line stands this season left the Bulldogs with a fourth down and goal at the three yard line and coach Vince Dooley elected to let Allan Leavitt kick the easy 20-yard field goal, making it 7-3.

Given the ball again, Miami marched for 68 yards for another touchdown with 1:36 left in the first quarter. Georgia's defense, statistically the worst in the Southeastern Conference this year, yielded yardage rather easily as Miami needed only seven plays before Smith's nine yard scoring pass to tight end Ricky Taylor. And again on its third possession, Georgia fumbled on the first play. This time Miami's Jeff Kelley recovered and the Redskins were only 22 yards away from their third quick touchdown. Smith carried it over from eight yards out at the start of the second period and Draudt converted to make it 21-3.

During this streak, Miami's Smith gained 70 yards rushing. By the end of the half, Georgia's entire team rushing output was only 24 yards. The Redskins had run 42 offensive' plays to Georgia's 28. Seeing Bed-skin MIAMI If Firsf Downs 45-221 Rushes-Yards 14 Passing Yards 7-3-0 S-14 Punts-Avg. 3-3 Fumbles-Lost 3-25 Penalties-Yards GEORGIA 17 4W4 700 2S-1J-0 4-30 $-2 2-24 The second half began with a lot of punting back and forth untlL a critical Miami mistake set up a Georgia touchdown that came with almost five minutes left In the third period.

Having been held to one yard in three plays, Georgia punted to the Redskins' John McVay, who called for a fair catch. McVay slipped and failed to make the catch, however, and Georgia took over the ball on Miami's 41. Bulldog running back Glynn Harrison carried for 28 yards on the next play and subsequently Ray Goff scored on a one yard plunge. Leavitt kicked the extra point to make it 21-10. As time passed, Miami's offensive line seemed to weaken against the big Georgia defenders.

Holes got smaller and ground yardage got more difficult. But the Redskins' fifth ranked defense was enough to keep the game under control. Midway through the last quarter Georgia threatened again after recovering a Smith fumble on its own 36 yard line. The Bulldogs moved to Miami's 19 largely on three more passes by Robinson that totalled 34 yards. But there the 'Skins dug in and took over on downs with 5:13 left to play.

That ended Georgia's chances and Insured Miami's 23rd game without a defeat. MIAMI 14 7 0 GEORGIA 3 0 7 Mia; Carpenter 1 run (Draudt kkk). Geo: Leavitt 21. FG. Mia: Taylor 7 past from Smith (Draudt kick).

Mia: Smith run (Draudt kkk), Geo: Gotf 1 run (Leavitt kick). 0-21 0-10 IS ill AP Laserphotot Vikings quarterback Fran Tarkenton completed the second of two touchdown passes to John Gilliam; a 38-yarder, to give Minnesota a 23-7 advantage. Tarkenton also passed to (iilliam for the Vikings' first touchdown, a 16-yard effort which came with only 1:11 left in the half after the Cardinals had moved ahead. Hart passed to Earl Thomas for 13 yards for the first Cardinal touchdown with 5:05 left In the first half and St. Louis had a chance to go ahead Just before the half ended but Jim Bakken missed a 23-yard field goal attempt.

In the first half each team had possession of the ball five times and the Cardinals carried into Viking territory every time. Minnesota, left In bad field position by the two consecutive punts by Hal Roberts which were downed inside the Vikings' two-yard line, got Into Cardinal territory only twice. But in the second half the story was the opposite. The Cardinals got across midfield only three times and finally scored with one minute re-maining when Metcalf ran 11 yards for the touchdow n. ST LOUIS MINNESOTA 7-14 7-30 STL Thomas 13 pan from Hart Bakken kkk MINN Gifcam 14 pan from Tarkenton (Co kick) MINN FG Cox if MINN N.

Wright 10 run with tumble (Cot kkk MINN Giftam 31 pall from Tarkenton (kick tailed) MINN Foreman 4 run (Co kkk I STL-Metcalt 1 1 run (Bakken kick) A 44424. BLOOMINGTON, Minn. (UPI) The Wrights, In the right places, graciously accepted a couple of gifts from the St. Louis Cardinals Saturday and turned them Into Christmas presents for their Minnesota Vikings teammates. The Cardinals made only two turnovers in their playoff game against the Vikings but the Wrights, Jeff and Nate, took advantage of them.

They turned the momentum of the National Football Conference playoff game their way and the Vikings posted a 30-14 triumph to continue on the path to a second straight Super Bowl appearance. Only 60 seconds separated a pass interception by Jeff Wright which set up a 37-yard field goal by Fred Cox, and a 20-yard fumble recovery touchdown by Nate Wright which gave the Vikings a 17-7 lead and the confidence and desire to get better the rest of the way. The rival coaches Bud Grant of the Vikings and Don Coryell of the Cardinals put their finger on the two turnovers and the 10 points as the 'difference. "Yes, I'm excited," Grant said In the dressing room. "It's Christmas.

Actually, we got a couple of Christmas presents from the Cards, the fumble and that interception." Coryell said, "We had the momentum going and they got a couple of scores In a hurry. We got behind and couldn't get back into the game." Grant, who said before the game that very few teams in the NFL could dominate from whistle to whistle, proved a prophet. The Cardinals dominated the first half, parading into Minnesota territory every time they had the ball, and the Vikings dominated the second half, spurred on by the two turnovers. But Grant saw the performance by his defensive line as a major reason for the second half turnabout. "St.

Louis had the edge In the first half," he said, "and those two punts were big plays. They kept us in the Cards Turn It Over ST. LOUIS 17 3J-W0 It 40-1 2-1 VIS MINNESOTA 1 42-W7 W4 41 11-73-2 0-0 4-3 First downs Rutnet-yerdi Pasting yards Return Yards Passat Puntt Pumbles-lost Penalties-yards hole." He spoke of punts which were downed on the Vikings one and two yard lines. "In the third quarter, our defensive line came on Grant said. TOey put the pressure on their passer." Jeff Wright intercepted St.

Louis quarterback Jim Hart's pass and re-' turned it 18 yards to the Cardinal 44 to set up the Cox field goal which gave the Vikings their first lead in the game, 10-7. A minute later Nate Wright scored and three minutes after that www Raiders9 Davis, Left Photo, Gathers In Pass Thrown By Falling Stabler, Right Photo Oakland quarterback gets of game-winning aerial while being tackled, and Davis wrests ball from pair of Miami defenders in end zone with only 26 seconds left to play..