The Tennessean from Nashville, Tennessee • Page 41

I THE TENNESSEAN Sumtoy. September 29 1994J 0 COLLEGE FOOTBALL: SOUTHEASTERN CONFERENCE Florida lias reason to crow Gannett News Service GAINESVILLE, Fla. Watch out Rooster Pood, wherever vou are. NO. i 4..

East SEC All Toam Florida 2 0 4 0 South Carolina 112 2 Tennessee 0 12 1 Georgia 0 112 Kentucky 0 113 Vanderbilt 0 2 0 3 West SEC All Team Alabama 2 0 4 0 LSU 10 3 0 Miss. State 10 2 1 Auburn ,113 1 OleMiss 0 12 1 Arkansas 0 112 This was Kentucky's SEC opener in a year in which Curry is clinging to his job. "It is embarrassing, a little bit," Gators linebacker Jevon Kearse said of the beating. "I think they should recruit better athletes." Wuerffel, who completed 21 of 31 passes for 279 yards in the first half, set a school record with a stretch of 121 passes in regular-season games without an interception. The streak was broken in the second quarter.

"Cool," Wuerffel said when told of the record. "That's really the first IVe heard of it" The reality is this was one game Florida just wanted to get out of the way. The Gators hit the meat of the SEC schedule the next three weeks, playing at defending Western Division champion Arkansas before coming home to play Louisiana State and Auburn. "We're happy to get it out of the way because people expected so much out of us In this game," Kearse said. the third quarter and Tim Couch made his first start as the Kentucky quarterback.

It was a big deal to Kentucky fans that Couch, arguably the most decorated football recruit ever to sign with the Wildcats (1-3, 0-1), made his first collegiate start yesterday. One pass into that first start, Couch had an interception. He finished the day 6-oM3 for just 13 yards. Kentucky had 67 total net yards in the game compared with 489 for Florida. Make that "Couch" as in "ouch." "Tim's going to be an outstanding player," Kentucky Coach Bill Curry said.

"He's just in a difficult situation with the whole team right now." Couch's interception, which led to a Gators field goal and a 10-0 lead, was the start of Kentucky's worst beating since a 73-7 loss in 1994 to the Gators at Florida Field. The Wildcats never recovered from that one, finishing the '94 season 1-10. 1 Top-ranked Florida (4-0 overall, 2-0 SEC) rolled past Kentucky 65-0 yesterday at Florida Field, but Gators players are anything but complacent about their new status as the nation's No. 1 team. "We have to get ready to play the best we can every week, even if it's against Rooster Poop, Junior College," senior guard Don-nie Young said.

"We played well but we can play better than this." "We didnt try to make too big a deal about the No. 1 ranking," Coach Steve Spurrier said. "We just tried to improve upon our play from last week. I think we played better than we did last week." The crowd of 85,422 certainly spent much of the day crowing as Danny Wuerffel threw four touchdowns in the first half, Jacquez Green returned two punts for touchdowns in AP Florida's Ike Hilliard breaks away from Kentucky linebacker Anwar Stewart for a 34-yard touchdown on the Gators' first possession yesterday to start the onslaught. Yesterday's results Miss.

State 14, S.C. 10 Florida 65, Kentucky 0 Arkansas 38, NE Louisiana 21 LSU 63, New Mexico State 7 Thursday's game Tenn. vs. Miss, at Memphis, 6:30 Saturday, Oct. 5 Kentucky at Alabama, 1 p.m.

Florida at Arkansas, 2 p.m. South' Carolina at Auburn, 1 p.m. Georgia at Miss. State, 6 p.m. Vanderbilt at LSU, 7 p.m.

'B Miss. State's pressure melts South Carolina Associated Press Bill Marinangel's commitment pays off as he finally begins to etijoy college football By JEFF PEARLMAN Sports Writer For some reason, word has gotten out that Bill Marinangel doesn't care. He is the type of guy who'll show up for practice, do what has to be done, then rush off the field and dart home. It's been that way since his freshman year, when the Vanderbilt punter was redshirted with season-long flu symptoms. A nice kid, the scouting report goes, but more on his mind than just football.

mmmmmmmmmm So now Marinangel Arkansas' QB gets confidence in 38-21 victory LITTLE ROCK Arkansas quarterback Pete Burks needed a dose of confidence when along came Northeast Louisiana Burks committed four turnovers in a season-opening loss to Southern Methodist and was tentative when the offense produced one touchdown In a loss to Alabama. Burks, a 47 passer in those two games, missed on his first four passes last night, but he hit 12-of-13 for 149 yards during the remainder of the first half as Arkansas built a 31-0 lead. Me finished 17-of-25 for 207 yards in a 38-21 victory that stopped a five-game losing streak. Northeast Louisiana contributed three first-quarter gifts that resulted In 17 points and helped the Razor-backs avoid their worst start since 1958. The Razorbacks (1-2) got the ball at the Northeast 41 on a fumbled punt, the Northeast 26 on an Interception and the Northeast 43 on a short punt.

Those possessions ended with Todd Latourette's 43-yard field goal, Chrys Chukwuma's first touchdown and a 2-yard TD run by Oscar alone. "I iaI Ivca Aortu In tha noma anri 1 if 'm mm $0 Iff sits, looking over a plate of meatloaf at a back table in Rotier's, telling a story of the punter, the coaches and the near-nervous VANDY AT LSU I Saturday: 7 p.m., 99.7-FM. COLUMBIA, S.C Mississippi State linebacker Dwayne Curry was panting but proud minutes after the Bulldogs' first Southeastern Conference game of the year against South Carolina. Weakside blitzes, stunts, all-out rushes Curry and the rest of the Bulldogs used it all yesterday, and in the process forced two interceptions that led to Mississippi State's 14-10 victory over South Carolina. "Our preseason conditioning paid off," Curry said.

"We got on the QB a lot more today." The Bulldogs' two touchdowns came directly from defensive efforts first a Curry interception that led to a 42-yard touchdown pass, then a 28-yard interception return for a touchdown by Izell McGill. The Bulldogs (2-1, 1-0 SEC) also picked up eight sacks during the game, and countless hurries and tipped passes. The Bulldogs seem to be adapting well to the schemes of new defensive coordinator Joe Lee Dunn. "He's a quarterback's nightmare," Mississippi State linebacker Paul Lacoste said. "He's bringing everything he's got at you." Gamecocks quarterback Anthony Wright ended up with 16of-36 passing for 352 yards and the two fatal interceptions.

"Their defense showed us some things we hadn't seen," South Carolina Coach Brad Scott said. "I thought there was nothing I hadn't seen this defense do, but they showed us some new things." Mississippi State's Keffer McGee, the nation's third-leading rusher going into the game, finished with 108 yards before leaving the game in the third quarter with an injured knee. Freshman Matt Wyatt finished his first start as a Mississippi State quarterback 8of-22 for 91 yards and one interception. South Carolina (2-2, 1-1) started the scoring with a touchdown strike on the first play of the second quarter. Wright hit wide receiver Corey Bridges streaking up the sideline.

Bridges outrun the Bulldogs secondary for a 77-yard touchdown. But on South Carolina's next series, Curry intercepted Wright and ran the ball back to the Gamecocks 42. Wyatt hit Lamont Woodberry for 42-yard touchdown on the next play to tie the score 7-7. The Bulldogs would strike again in the second quarter, with McGill stepping in front of a Wright pass to Duce Staley and running the ball in for a 21-yard touchdown. yS VKU I If I I 'W that helped our offense Burks said.

"We needed this win very badly, not just for this season but for the future of Razorback football. It feels great to be able to sing the fight song again. It's been way too long since I've heard it." The 38 points was more than the Razorbacks had scored In their last five games. Arkansas' last victory was 24-13 over Southwestern Louisiana on Nov. 11.

Northeast (2-3), which moved to Division l-A In 1994, had one first down and 20 yards at the half and trailed 31-0. The Indians ran 26 plays in the first half and only seven gained FRANK EMPSON STAFF Bill Marinangel always has been a gifted athlete, and now his enjoyment of playing for Coach Rod Dowhower is showing with improved play. I 4 breakdown. Once upon a time, it starts, there was a naive boy named Billy recruited by dozens of schools. He was a star in high school a running back with power, a safety who could hit and a booming punter.

Northwestern and Stanford wanted him. Purdue and Michigan, too. But Billy visited Vanderbilt and fell in love. The town was nice. The distance from his home, McHenry, 111., was perfect The coach seemed fair and, most importantly, badly wanted a player like Billy.

He would contribute immediately, maybe even at two or three positions. Then, the story gets real. Billy always loved football. He gave things up fishing, motor biking to pursue it full time. But then he was redshirted.

The next year, he only punted. Two times he ran the ball, both in practice. The following season was the same. His coaches didn't communicate. They yelled, he remembers treated players like dirt.

Billy grew his hair heavy-metal long, started bar-hopping five nights a week. He played pranks football players don't play stole a trainer's golf cart He got in trouble, had to do 5 a.m. sprints. "What can I say?" he asks, lifting a fork to his puffy cheeks. "I didn't care." Now a year and a half removed from Gerry DiNardo, Marinangel, the nation's sixth-leading punter before yesterday's games (46.7 yards on 20 attempts), reveals a player once besieged by misery.

"It was as close to a nervous breakdown as I've ever come," he says. "Two years ago, right before the Tennessee game, I called my parents and told them I was leaving the team. That was it for me no way I was coming back. I was the most miserable person on campus, and it all came from football. "I love playing I always have.

To say I don't care is ridiculous." While the 0-3 Commodores have hardly improved in the win column under second-year coach Rod Dowhower, there is a new Marinangel roaming the Vandy football field. For the first time in Nashville, he is having fun. "Bill has lightened up considerably from the time I arrived," Dowhower says. "I think there was a period of mutual understanding between us of feeling each other out" If nothing else, Marinangel feeds off the emotion of those around him. "What I like about it here now is that they'll give you two, three times to ex Arkansas 38, Northeast Louisiana 21 NE Louisiana 0 0 14 7-21 Arkansas 17 14 0 7-30 First Quarter Ark FG Latourette 43, Ark-Chukwuma 13 run (Latourette kick), Ark-Makme 2 run (Latourette kick), 14:45.

Second Quarter. Ark-Malone 1 run (Latourette kick), 5:44, Ark-Eubanks 18 pass from Burks (Latourette kick), 10:40, Third Quarter: NLU-Gardner 21 pass from Philyaw (Babineaux kick), NLU-Spencer 1 pass from Philyaw (Babineaux kick), 14:31. Fourth Quarter Ark-Chukwuma 1 run (Lalourelte kick), NLU-Book-er 7 pass from Philyaw (Babineaux Yesterday's summaries No. 1 Florida 65, Kentucky 0 Kentucky 0 0 0 0-0 Florida 20 21 17 7-45 First Quarter Fla Hilliard 34 pass from Wuerffel (Edmiston kick), 1D3; Fla FG Edmislon 39, Fla-Antho-ny 13 pas from Wuerffel (Edmislon kick), Fla FG Edmislon 27, 14:51 Second Quarter: Fla-Anlhonv 17 pass from Wuerffel (Edmislon kick), Fla-Tavlor 21 run (Edmislon kick), Fla Williams 1 run (Edmislon kick), 15M. Third Quarter: Fla-Green 66 punt return (Edmislon kick), Fla-Green 79 punt return (Edmislon kick), Fla FG Edmislon 34, 11:47.

Fourth Quarter: Fla-Richardson 19 pass from Johnson (Cooper kick), 5:04, 7 A kick), m. A 48,816. NLU Ark 19 43-185 207 17-25-0 34 1-1 12-106 First downs 17 Rushes-yards 24-11 Passing 2 Comp-Att-Int 27-43-2 Return Yards 7 Punts-Ayg. 6-43 1 Fumbles-Lost 4-3 Penalties-Yards 6-65 Time of Possession 28 36 points to a muffler burn on his right leg, a scar that says maybe punters ain't all wimps. Part of his past unhappiness at Vanderbilt seems to stem from a lack of kinship.

Marinangel has friends at Vandy, but perhaps no one close enough. No one like Roy, an Illinois accountant who six years ago underwent a heart transplant It was the hardest thing Marinangel ever experienced knowing his best friend was on life's edge. "He's doing very well," Marinangel proudly says. "He's a very strong person." If Roy dies, Marinangel says, he will get a tattoo on his chest, the same one his friend has right now. It's a picture of Jesus holding a heart, with the numeral 222 Roy's transplant number.

"Maybe people don't understand Bill sometimes," Roy says. "He can seem quiet or, I guess, indifferent, but he's one of the greatest people you'd ever want to meet To me, he's, a brother." Why don't more people see this side of Marinangel? Maybe because, unless pressed, the punter doesn't really care what the outside world thinks. "Being a fifth-year senior, I don't know as many people as I used to," he says. "I'm an old man on this campus. But when I look back and see all the I went through, I realize that I've grown more from that than anything else.

It wasn't fun playing football, but maybe because of it I'm more mature than the average college senior. Maybe, in a way, it made me an adult" Maybe it's time to realize Bill Marinangel cares. Fla 27 29-146 343 20-43-2 282 1-32 1-0 7-82 Ken 5 35-24 43 9-23-1 38 1-0 7-65 First downs Rushes-yards Passing Comp-Att-Int Return Yards Punts-Avs. Fumbles-Lost Penallies-Yards 3U4 AP 2737 32:23 Time of Possession INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS Bill Marinangel entered Vanderbilt legend and the record book with his 81-yard run for a touchdown on a fake punt against Alabama this year. chewed you out There wasn't anyone to confide in or trust" Deep underneath the black-and-gold helmet Marinangel, 22, is someone who needs kinship.

As a wild child in McHenry, a northern suburb of Chicago, it came from Jason Roy, his best friend since first grade. Those two would spend hours upon hours on dirt bikes and motorcycles, jumping cars, churning through mud-filled groves and slamming into each other. Marinangel proudly yardage. Raymond Philyaw completed 3-of-13 passes in the first half, but threw three touchdown passes in the second half. "We came out in the first half and weren't able to really do anything because we weren't very relaxed," Philyaw said.

Arkansas Coach Danny Ford saw it differently: "We're not mature enough yet to make sure our opponent doesn't come back on us in the second half." Arkansas plays top-ranked Florida next Saturday. ASSOCIATED PRESS Shaky offense can't stop Tide With the first month of the season 1 gone, Alabama's offense Is shaky, its defense solid and its record perfect. That's about what everyone expected at this point for the No. 14 Crimson Tide (4-0, 2-0 SEC), which has a bye this week before heading into the heart of its schedule. it begins Oct.

5 at home against Kentucky, a game in which Wildcats Coach Bill Curry will be making his first return to Tuscaloosa since being replaced In Alabama by Coach Gene Stallings 1990. Stallings said despite Alabama's 4-0 record, the team has work to do to make the SEC title game for the fourth time In five years. The Tide still faces a three-game road stretch against Tennessee, LSU and Mississippi State before It plays Auburn to close the regular season. "We've still got missed assignments out there," Stallings said. "There are a lot of guys who haven't played a lot of football." Tops on that list could be quarterback Freddie Kitchens, a junior In his first year as the full-time starter.

Typical of an inexperienced QB, Kitchens (55-for-94, 728 yards, four TDs, four Interceptions) has made great plays and bad ones. So far, this looks Nke a team that will need to avoid mistakes on offense, score a few points, then let the defense carry the rest of the load. Alabama also has not Impressed voters In the AP poll. Twice khis year, the Tide have gone down in the rankings after a victory. ASSOCIATED PRESS INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS RUSHING NE Louisiana, Ricard 7-19, Williams 8-5, Loye 2-4, Holmes 2-(-2), Philyaw 5-(-15).

Arkansas, Ma-lone 22-86, Chukwuma 15-62, Burks 5-34, Nichols 1-3. PASSING-NE Louisiana, Philyaw, 27-42-2-296, Gardner 0-1-0-0. Arkansas, Burks 17-25-0-207. RECEIVING NE Louisiana, Booker 11-133, Gardner 6-66, Holmes 3-36, Hudson 2-27, Spencer 2-9, Williams 1-14, Bridges 1-9, Allen 1-2. Arkansas, Eu-banks 8-130, Smith 3-34, Chukwuma, 2-16, Sidney 1-11, Loudermilk 1-8, Snowden 1-6, Williams 1-2.

No. 17 LSU 63, New Mexico State 7 New Mexico St 0 0 0 7-7 LSU 14 28 14 7-63 Fret Quarter LSU-LaFleur 12 pass Tyler (Rich kick), 1406; LSU-Mealey 17 run (Rickie kck), 14:32. Second Quarter LSU Foster 38 pass Tyler (Richey kick), LSU-Fai 1 run (Richey kick), 334, LSU-Meatey 44 run (Richey kick), LSU-Mealey 31 run (Rickey kick), 11.55. Third Quarter LSU-Cleyeland 7 run (Richey kick), LSU-Mealey 3 run (Richey kick), 1034. Fourth Quarter NMS-BirdweK 6 pass Salisbury (Hopkins kick), LSU-Sparacino 5 run (Rickey kick), RUSHING-Kentucky, McLaurin 13-34, Logan 7-8, Daies 5-6, White 2-2, Couch 5-(minus 4), Haskins 3-(minus 22).

Florida, Jackson 7-46, Taylor 6-45, Williams 4-29, McCaslin 8-15, Hilliard 1-13, Schollenheimer 1-2, Richardson 1-0, Wuerffel 1-lminus 4). PASSING-Kentucky, Couch 6-18-1-13, Haskins 3-5-0-30. Florida, Wuerffel 21-31-1-279, Schollenheimer 3-6-0-21, Johnson 3-5-1-41, Brindise 1-1-0-2. RECEIVING Kentucky, McCord 3-32, Simms 1-9, Spencer 1-5, Mason 1-5, Curtis 1-1, Daies 1-1, McLaurin Hminus 10). Florida, Anthony 7-126, Green 4-46, Hilliard 3-63, Richardson 3-26, Taylor 3-19, McGritf 2-24, Motxey 1-11, Dubose 1-9, Allen 1-7, Williams 1-5, McCaslin 1-5, SchiraHi 1-2.

Mississippi State 14, South Carolina 10 Msussippi Si 0 14 0 0-14 Sou Carolina 0 7 0 3-10 Second Quarter SCar-C Bridges 77 pass from Wright (Leayifl kick), MSt-Woodberrv 42 pass from Wyatt (Hazlewood kick), MSt-McGill 28 Interception return (Hazlewood kick), 11:20. Fourth Quarter SCar-FG Morton 22, plain something, then chew you out, he says. "With the old coaches, they just Mealey helps LSU rout N.M. State 9-. 12.

A-75JM Associated Press SCar 16 31-59 367 17-39-2 21 1-1 4-26 MSt 13 43-160 91 8-22-1 61 3-1 11-106 LSU 31 47-340 269 15-22-0 47 1-1 8-65 NMS 14 39-186 123 9-29-1 145 9-386 1-0 8-71 First downs Rushes-yards Passing Comp-Att-Int Return Yards Punts-Ayg. Fumbles-Lost Penalties-Yards First downs Rushes-yards Passing Comp-Att-Int Return Yards Punts-Avg. Fumbies-Lost Penalties-Yards BATON ROUGE, La. Ron-dell Mealey scored four touchdowns and ran for 121 yards last night as No. 17 LSU buried inept NO.

17 30.46 2914 Time of Possession 30:11 249 Time of Possession INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS when Wade Richey was wide with a 37-yard field goal attempt But LSU made up for the slow start by scoring three times in 71 seconds. David LaFleur caught a 14-yard pass from Tyler with 54 seconds left in the first quarter and Mealey's 17-yard run made it 14-0 only 26 seconds later. Tyler's 38-yard pass to Larry Foster made it 21-0 on the first play of the second quarter. LSU went up 284) on a 1-yard run by Kevin Faulk three minutes later and Coach Gerry DiNardo, a former Vanderbilt head coach, began substituting passes for 136 yards and two touchdowns in playing just over a quarter. Bryan Spar-acino, a freshman playing in his first game, was 8of-12 for 133 yards.

New Mexico State started freshman Ty Houghtaling at quarterback but his misfired on eight of 10 attempts and went to the bench In favor of Chad Salisbury, who was 7-of-19 for 85 yards and a touchdown. New Mexico State averted a shutout when Salisbury threw a 6-yard TD pass to Charles Birdwell 1:35 into the fourth quarter. Mark Roman fumbled a punt at the LSU 8 to set up the score. LSU came up empty on its first threat New Mexico State 63-7. The Aggies 0-5), the lowest-scoring team in the nation with only 28 points, got 141 rushing yards from Devin Means in 31 carries, but little else.

Mealey had scoring runs of 17, 44, 31 and 3yards as LSU, 3-0 for the first time since 1987, outgained the Aggies 598 yards to 278, and 329-155 on the ground. LSU's Herb Tyler completed 7-oMO RUSHING-Mississippi 24-106, Isaac 6-23, Greer 2-13, Buckhal-ter 6-W, Wyatt 5-6. South Carolina, Staley 17-99, Moriti 3-7, Mixon 1-5, Bush 1-4, T.Hambrick 1-2, Bernhardt Hminus 8), Wright 7-(minus 50). PASSING-Mississippi Wyatt 1-22-1-91. South Carolina, Wrighl Bernhardt 1-3-0-15.

ReJEIVING-Mississippi Wood-berryll3-56, Isaac 2-13, Jennings 1-9, KeHY Buckhalter 1-5. South Carolina, Staley 6-72, Robinson S-190, Davis 3-20, CBridges 1-81, Lawson 1-1 RUSHING New Mexico Manns 31-164, Salisbury 4-19, Murray 1-0, Houghtaling 3-3. LSU, Mealey 12-124, Fauk 15-80, Cleveland 13-61, Tyler 2-56, Sparocmo 4-19, Tyter 1-0. PASSING-New Mexico Salisbury 7-19-1-85. Houghtaling 2-10-0-38.

LSU, Sparacino H2-0-133, Tyter 7-10-0-136. RECEIVING New Mexico hf-lev 3-46. (Gregory 2-26, Patterson 1-Jl, Payne 1-7, Shaw 1-7, Birdwel 1-6. LSU, LaFleur 5-54, Savoie 2-41, Beard 2-35, Foster 1-38, Adams 1-33, Freiier V31, Taber 1-17. Bates 1-13, Cleveland 1-7..