The Tennessean from Nashville, Tennessee • Page 7

3 Florida taffies To Hifi .2 Penn State Gets Late TD I More MFL Talks Slated College Football Seores ft Brave II if tin One dame I Arm SUNDAY September 26, 1982 Section 0) 0)0 By JIMMY DAVY players, coaches or fans who know winners when they see 'em. As the teams gathered for the customary handshake after the memorable battle was over, Bama center Steve Mott slapped a Vandy player on the shoulder pad and said, "Keep your 'head up big fellow, you kicked our butts here today." THE COMMODORES, SOME crying, then headed to the tunnel at one end of the stadium, when they were paid high tribute by the portion of the 00,210 Alabama zealots who had packed this campus stadium site of 71 Bama wins in the last 72 games here. Bryant-Denny Stadium and almost scored one of the biggest knockouts in SEC history with a courageous second half performance. And the Commodores did it with ace quarterback Whit Taylor out of the game with a concussion and sophomore Kurt Page stepping in to join receiver Allama Matthews and the aroused Vanderbilt defense in an astonishing 30 minutes of football. "Perhaps in the past some Vanderbilt teams would have folded under such circumstances, but this team doesn't know the meaning of the word," said Vanderbilt head coach George Maclntyre Such a performance is never lost on Alabama's The sea of red erupted in applause for the Vandy team and the ovation grew as the Commodores surged under the stadium.

But the highest praise came from the other end of the facility where Paul "Bear" Bryant, wet with persperation freely admitted, "We're lucky to have gotten out of it." "Vanderbiit's defense whipped us all over the field in the second half. Coach (George) Maclntyre and his staff have done a terrific job. They (Vandy) deserved better than they got." (Turn to Page 2, Column 1) TfiiiicsM'aii Spurts Writer TUSCALOOSA, Ala. Vanderbilt lost a football game to fourth-ranked Alabama 24-21 here yesterday, but won the hearts of the most discriminating football audience in college football. The underdog Commodores were throwing desperately for what would have been the winning touchdown when the Southeastern Conference struggle ended with an Alabama interception at the final horn.

VANDY, A 28-POINT underdog, had absorbed a 24-7 first half drubbing, gotten up off the floor of N. 7 Dgs Win 34- 8 crowd ever to see a college football game in the state. Georgia's record is now 3-0 for the year. South Carolina drops to Walker, who suffered a broken thumb in August, seemed recovered from the injury in the second half and finished 143 yards on 32 carries. South Carolina's Todd Berry ran for 101 yards on 20 carries.

Frenchman Turns In Year's Top Pole Vault PARIS (I'Pl) Frenchman Bellot Saturday recorded the best pole vault in the world for 1982 when he cleared 18 feet, lO'-t inches at a club track and field meet. Bellot, who last month failed to even qualify for the European Championships, cleared 18-10 14 at his second try improving on his personal record of 18-4 Vz despite being hampered by rain. He then made an unsuccessful attempt to raise the world record to 19-1 Mi. COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) Junior quarterback John Lastinger passed for two touchdowns and ran for another last night leading the 7th-ranked Georgia Bulldogs to a 34-18 college football victory over South Carolina.

The Gamecocks were able to contain Heisman candidate Her-schel Walker in the first half to 33 yards on 15 attempts, but Lastinger ran one yard for Georgia's first touchdown early in the second quarter. South, Carolina had the lead briefly after Mark Fleetwood hit a 37-yard field goal with a minute left in the first quarter. Lastinger passed IS) yards to tight end Clarence Kav with 2:31 left in the half. Georgia led 14-6 at the half and struck quickly for another touchdown early in the third quarter. South Carolina rallied for two fourth quarter touchdowns, but the game was never close after intermission.

The contest at Columbia's expanded Williams-Briee Stadium was a sellout and the 74,200 who attended made up the largest urn Statt photo by Bill Welch On the Run Against the Tide yards, but the defense caught up to the Gallatin, product, forcing a fumble on the third-quarter play. Vanderbilt tailback Jeff Holt (7) looks ahead for daylight after a pass completion as the Alabama defense pursues. Holt gained 14 fishbone A ip Tennessee X71 JOHN BIBB I SPORTS EDITOR Milt ax 1 Wtmms: -if AUBURN, ALA. A rip-snorting Auburn football team handed its loyal rooters one of their more satisfying victories here yesterday, thumping Tennessee, 24-14, in a classic demonstration of wishbone devastation. The Tigers, sulking over their narrow, 10-7, defeat in Knoxville last fall, blazed to an early lead when they struck 65 yards in 3 plays on their first possession.

It happened almost before the capacity crowd of 73,600 fans could get their stadium seats adjusted, and except for some outstanding kicking by Volunteer punter Jimmy Colquitt that cooled Auburn's momentum a bit, the issue might have gotten out of hand right then and there. But, after Al Del Greco missed the first extra-point try of his college career he'd kicked 55 straight Colquitt kept Auburn off balance long enough for the Vols to catch their breath and make a game of it. QUITE FRANKLY, the way Auburn breezed in front so convincingly the first time it had the ball, there were those on hand who felt Del Greco might have a chance to kick 55 more on this one afternoon. The first score was a 20-yard ram by Bo Jackson, the brilliant 224-pound Tiger freshman. It came immediately after Randy Campbell passed for 39 yards to Chris Woods.

Nevertheless, despite this spectacular Auburn start, Tennessee actually got in front of the rapidly rebuilding Tigers when Fuad Reveiz kicked an extra point after a 38-yard pass from Alan Cock-rell to Willie Gault squared the count early in the second period. Still, Auburn's wishbone was just too much for the Vol defenders to handle, and late in the period, the Tigers rushed 10 times from their 1 1 to the Vol 8, where on fourth down, Del Greco booted a 25-yard field goal to put the hometowners ahead 9-7, and they never trailed again. At the start of the second half, Auburn continued its relentless ground attack, moving 80 yards in 8 rushes to push the score to 15-7 on Lionel James' 32-yard reverse scoot. A 2-point conversion by Jackson made it 17-7. THE VOLS fought back with their most lethal weapon of the afternoon, the Cockrell-Gault combination.

Gault hauled in one of Cockrell's passes back of the Auburn secondary and hauled it all the. way for a 78-yard score, the fourth longest pass play in UT history. The fleet Gault, once he realized it was clear sailing, waved the ball above his head and scampered unmolested for the final 20 yards. Reveiz' kick made it 17-14. Auburn added a moment of bedevilment for variation in its final scoring surge.

James took a pitchout from Campbell and in turn threw a pass to Jackson. The play covered 43 yards and was the big chunk jn an 86-yard drive for the clincher; James got his second touchdown of the game when he lunged over the top from the 2. The Auburn victory was produced just about as had been anticipated. The Vol defense simply could not contain the Tiger attack and at the end had given up 439 yards, 357 on the ground and 82 on Auburn's two pass completions. ALL FOUR of Auburn's scoring possessions resulted in lengthy drives, the shortest being the 65-yard, three-play swifty in the early moments.

On the other hand, Tennessee once more demonstrated its big-play capacity, striking forjts scores on long gainers. The Vols finished with a total offense of 306 yards, 212 of which came on Cockrell passes. Gault caught six of the passes for 174 yards and both the Vol scores. Brightest running performance of the "game for UT was by sophomore Johnnie Jones who earned 82 yards in 17 carries. "I THOUGHT Jones made a good all-around effort and ran very hard for the yardage he got," Tennessee's coach John Majors said after summarizing the afternoon by pointing out he felt both teams are improved over this time a year ago.

"Auburn pursues well and tackles well. Their quarterback handles the option well and their halfbacks are very explosive. Jackson helps their offense tremendously and makes a big difference." Jackson did, indeed, have an outstanding' game, 110 yards in 17 carries, but he finished second to teammate James in the Tiger rushing effort. James had 129 yards in 14 carries. "We felt we could move the ball on Tennessee," said Auburn's coach Pat Dye whose club now is 3-0-for its big intersectional battle with Nebraska here Saturday.

"On defense we went into the game with a crippled team. You couldn't tell it the way they played, but there was something wrong with nearly every one of them." Asked about the upcoming game with Nebraska, Dye winced and responded: "My god, let me enjoy this ona a little Stoff photo by Don Loftin Johnny's arch in AUBURN, Ala. Tennessee tailback Johnnie I (47) as Greg Carr (54) mores in to make the stop Jones is slowed by Auburn defender Dennis Collier on the Volunteer runner. TV Readies for mod Football ion Toronto Argonauts at 12:30 p.m., CDT. The second game will send the Calgary Stampeders against the Eskimos at Edmonton.

Jefferson will make his CFL debut with the Argos before an estimated crowd of 45,000 at Exhibition Stadium and the NBC peacock. Until the players struck last Monday, the linebacker was waiting for a telephone call from the NFL's Seattle Seahawks. TORONTO (AP) The National Football League's player strike has given Americans a chance to see the Canadian game, linebacker David Jefferson a job and former backs-turned-announcers scrambling to learn new terminology. NBC will televise a Canadian football League doubleheader Sunday, beginning with the Columbia Lons against the THE MIAMI of Florida graduate was a ninth-round draft choice of Seattle and was one of the final players cut. "When I left Seattle, they told me to stay in shape because Uhey'd be getting back to me," Jefferson said Saturday.

When Toronto called, Jefferson started to turn down the offer. But his agent advised him that the NFL players talking strike, it might not hurt to fly to Toronto for a 14-day trial with the Argos. "I just thought I'd be here for 14 days and then I'd go home," he said. "I was surprised that they wanted me to play this week. I didn't think I'd be getting into a game this quickly." A DEFENSIVE back at Miami (Turn to Page 4, Column 1).