The Tennessean from Nashville, Tennessee • Page 31

J5 I U'ilCAlJTO RACING SECTION vi2CoirnKX)Rs -t vvi 1 TtiE Sunday TENNESSEAN OCTOBER 22, 1989 'S Li Y4 Vanity makes Bawgs' day Georgia exploits errors to spoil homecoming, 35-16 Spoflt tditw Li LARKY WOODY -Spurts Wmer Vaaderbilt's homecoming went to the Dawps yesterday, and with It likely went the Commcxlores' centennial season. Vandy lost to Georgia 35-1 6 In a mistalie-riddled contest that leaves the team 1-5 and Just one lossaway from a seventh consecutive losing season The Commodores must sweep tlielr final five games, starting with Ole Miss Saturday In Ox- ford. In order to salvage a winning record. Vandorbllt's chances of pulling off such a five-game sweep were summed up by coach Watson Brown': grim postmortem, "We liave no chance to beat Ole Miss or anybody else If we make three-game losing streak with a win highlighted by three touchdown runs by Rodney Hampton who finished with 1 67 yards and a pair of touchdown tosses by Greg Talley. Vanderbilt gave the Dawgs a helping hand by committing six turnovers three fumbles and three interceptions.

The Commodores were also guilty of five drive-numbing penalties, gave up a 71-yard kickoff return that set up a Georgia touchdown, was burned for a 93-yard touchdown bomb, and missed a field goal. "1 don't know If we could have won the game or not," said Brown, "because we never gave ourselves a chance." Turn to PAOt 7C, Column I the kind of mistakes we made today," said Brown. "This was our worst game of the season, from that standpoint We cannot turn the ball over Uke that and beat -anybody in this league. Tout's it in a nutshell." A Dudley Field homecoming crowd that started out at 40,691 but dwindled to less than half that number by the end of the game, at times booed the struffil Ing Commodores. "The fans are just human," shrugged Junior fullback Brad Gaines, whose 1 3 catches for 1 68 yards provided one of Vands flickering bright spots.

"It (booing) doesn't bother me, I can understand why they booed us; rm as frustrated as they are," Georgia, now 3-3, snapped a Ricky (tor.8fi Mall Georgia quarterback Greg Talley lofts a pass over Vanderbilt defensive end Derrick Sartor in the first half. iff wm mi Win puts Bama atop ECrace itOAVIDnJMFR ri Stuns Writer 1 BIRMINGHAM. Ala In what was iSupposed to be a return to the grand old days of the Alabama-Tennessee rivalry, the Crimson Tide kept up its .1 4 1 Tennessee? Well, nobody's quite sure what happened to the Vols because the outfit that showed up here yesterday tooked nothing like the poised, polished team that had won five previous games and owned a uNo.6 national ranking. In a pressure game amid a perfect football setting, Tennessee tailed to materialize as Alabama sped away with a 47-30 victory that puts the 'jCrlmson Tide In the Southeastern Conference driver's seat The lOth-ranked Tide, unbeaten In four SEC games and 6-0 overall. 'smrftl lflrnilrlc nninttjfin thAhptiid.

tiled Vols, added a pair of touchdowns early in tne second nau and kept Ten- Alabama's QB waddles out to glory BIRMINGHAM. Ala Alabama's ugly duckling, a gangling, waddling quarterback named Gary Hollingv worth, paddled his way Into Crimson Tide football lore here yesterday. In the process of leading Bama past Tennessee in one of the nation's storied rivalries, Holllngsworth added Immensely to his credentials as the most effective quarterback in the Southeastern Conference. Such Crimson Tide alums as Joe Namath, Ken Stabler, Bart Starr. Richard Todd, and Scott Hunter never matched the 32 single-game pass completions Ilolltngsworth poured Into Tennessee's defenders.

And, to put this historic developni st Into per-spectlve, Holllngsworth been on the Tuscaloosa campus for four years and until the second game of this season, he'd never taken a snap from center In game competition. The redshirt junior's previous record sounds like an echo: 1 986 did not see varsity action. 1 987 did not see varsity action. 1 988 did not see varsity action. BUT, WHEN highly touted Jeff Dunn went down with an Injury in me second game of the season, Holllngsworth turned around to answer Coach Bill Curry's beckon: "Get in there Hottingsworth." In what some say is the fastest he's ever moved on a football field, Holl-ingsworth ambled Into action, and he has been stumbling around with devastating savvy ever since.

At the moment he is the No. 1 quarterback on the No. 1 team in the SEC and has Bama gunning for serious contention in the race for the nation's mythical championship. When the annual duel with Tennessee was over, there was a tough decision as to who should receive the game ball Since it was his birthday, perhaps, Curry was the choice. But in all candor, Curry should consider ar-.

ranging for a duplicate for Holllngsworth, for without his performance that humbled Tennessee's defenders. It might not have been such a memorable occasion for the coach. CURRY, ALONG WITH the other 75362 eye witnesses to yesterday's Alabama victory, readily recognizes Holllngsworth's role in Bama's undefeated surge this yean "Gary Holllngsworth continues to amaze me. To come in here and start just four games and establish a school just amazing." And, If Curry is amazed as his come-from-nowhere quarterback, Tennessee's skipper, Johnny Majors, Isdazed: "He's a remarkable player. Some people say he's slow, and maybe he is, but he also has the best field presence of any quarterback I've seen in a number of years.

I don't care whafs going on in his immediate vicinity, he has a wonderful feel for what he's -trying to da You can get a lot of mileage out of that kind of poise, and be-lieve me, Holllngsworth hasa lot of that" Holllngsworth, 6-4, 179, grew up and played his high school ball in Hamilton, Ala 60 miles north of Tuscaloosa. Buddies discouraged him from going to Alabama after Tide recruiters had signed two outstanding prepsters, Billy Ray and Dunn. "You'll never play at Alabama," he was warned. "Don't care. Just want to go to Ala- bama, and I'm going." IT WAS A persistence that is making an Indelible mark on Alabama football history.

Holllngsworth's physical appearance and his deliberate delivery of handoffs, pltchouts and passes, sometimes leave an Impression he's confused. That may be what It looks Uke to some people, but lemme tell you, he's a fine one," said Tennessee's defensive coordinator Doug Mathews. "He may have slow feet as some folks say but he sure has quick ears and eyes. He's uncanny to sensing trouble, and he certainly kept us off balance He's one of those gifted quarterbacks who has the knack for doing exactly the right thing at the right tirne." Holllngsworth's reaction to all this sudden attention matches his calm football presence: "It's just one of those things. Today it just all came together.

I knew we had the capability if we put everything together." y( I jj Vj inessee at a long arm's reach the rest theway. Quarterback Gary Holllngsworth, 1 ne of the SECs greatest success sto- hit 32 of 46 passes for 379 yards 1 to direct the Crimson Tide win. 1 Tailback Siran Stacy, another seo 'ond-team star, accounted for 283 'yards. Including 125 rushing yards on 33 carries. Stacy also turned nine short receptions into 158 yards, Including a 75-yard beauty midway through the second quarter.

1 0 "Obviously, it was a very, very emo- 4 4, monai game ana great u) come away with a win," said Alabama Tiaach Bill Currv. "It was another ex- '( RkkMuucchn Start Turn to PAGE 7C, Coluim 1 Tennessee receiver Terrence Oeveland reaches for a pass from Andy Kelly, but Alabama defender John Mangum breaks up the play. 'i Luck of Irish Mrifes again TvtlKE I QPRFSTl Gannett News Service SOUTH BEND, Ind. This rivalry was ba'lt on days ti htm it S. wfw kkH tHt CAN Ccrmnnsioms- Fiiy Vine-it eii "M-i mny be yi forcrd Tranc-co Giants to CO' o) p.

vVa 1 cut tl workout Short. "i('3 n.ot I V. tut it f. Vincont told Tne Ar hi 3 sr. i at CnnJ i .1 'si i u' tin earth- JlMtk0 ffX-kea Li:) 8ria, is n.t t- c.i,!y fiirtjr ni To) 3 aiu'3Ctlior things.

this a fearless redshirt freshman, forward 1 to almost gun down tne no.i team in tne country. Almost Had It been anybody except Notre Dame Impossible-o 'to-klll Notre Dame Southern California and Todd Mart- novlch might have pulled It off yesterday. OVC win for Gilliam, TSU, 23-14 TOM WOOD Sports Writer One week after being burned for the big plays, Tennessee State's defensive players came out with fire In their eyes last night And It was senior safety Joe Stone who lit the match under the Big Blue defense, igniting TSlTs 23-1 4 victory over Morehead State before a Hale Stadium crowd of 4,187. On a night of TSU firsts, Stone had two Interceptions to lead a spirited defense, including a 51-yarder for his first collegiate touchdowa This was a big win for us," said Stone, whose interceptions made up for missing a key tackle in last week's 27-24 loss to Murray State. "It was a bit of a redemption," Stone added.

"I just wanted to come out this week and do my best" First-year Coach Joe Gilliam, who collected his first Ohio Valley Conference victory, said that precisely what happened. "It might have been Joe Stone's best game of the year," said Gilliam. "He was always around the ball and making plays." The defensive stand was accompa- Turn to PAGE 10C, Columa 3 fCr iiui wnue me ino. i insn naa uieir oigjjesi scare in rwo wtyears, Tony Rice led them out of the valley, running 15 'yards for a touchdown with 5:18 left for a 28-24 victory overUSC "ITs the best In the West against the best in the East," Rice said, "and we Uke to be the best It capped a frantic final quarter of three lead changes. -And almost a fourth.

Marinovlch drove the Trojans to the Irish 7 before running out of downs with 1:46 left Tl felt we had a chance to win It all the way," said Southern Cal Coach Larry Smith, his team now 5-1 -They're a great team. They should win the national z'r l'J 1 2. 4-5SO 1 1 C.iii Co. il 24 4. Nbrasha 48, OU.iNjnis Ct.

ta 23 5. ZS, lu a 12 O- niion 30, 1Z C. 10 1J. lii.rK.ls 14, in 10 22. Anzona 23, 1 i.

h. f.tu'.a 21 13. Houston 85. SMU 21 13. st Virginia C9, Cincinnati 3 Teas Chnaiian 27, 1X Air force 9 21.

Yotfrrj 43, KTi 2 23. T. 1" 1 1 I 'h G. a 21, W. 3 i Ok'.

ifirma 4'j, 3. 13. Ak i 47. -'-3 lJ M.riori.iC"f-'..MtAubun14 SlFSorWar.f. jito21 vs.

wtfur! t. 1 5. noon. s. 5 3 13 V9.

C.5 5 1 2 4, noon.l 23. M01 i i 14 cjn Franf SW I CU 3, ,,1 7 v. -w -nd Murrey 31. Ahrr-n31 4, 3 p.m. E.

Kentucky 33. 23 7- -ZH K. CM '114 At -17 UT-Ch-M. 1 J.vk-.Hi'. cam wait to get at tnem again, Martnovicn saia So what if the 7-0 Irish had five turnovers? So what If shredded them for 333 passing yards and Stlhree touchdowns, while John Jackson roamed free for a -V -school-record 14 catches? So what if the Trojans rolled to Zz 17-7 halftime lead, the first time since the 1988 Cotton Bowl the Irish trailed at halftlme? So what if the Trojans had fire in their eyes after a brawl between the two teams going off the field following pre-game warmups Ana tney were rasn enougn to sing the Notre Dame fight song at the Irish going Into the lock- Turn to PAGE 5C, Column 1 ,4: -ift wm 1 1 mm -A.