The Tennessean from Nashville, Tennessee • Page 37

PREDATORS Can Year 1 be repeated? 9C COLLEGE FOOTBA Vanderbilt came to play Alexander, No. 20 Alabama hold off much-improved Commodores mm ii Game report on 3C. minutes to help the Tide rally for a 28-17 victory. It wasn't the first time Vandy has given Alabama fits, but it was the first time in a long time that the Commodores played a quality opponent with so few blunders. And that's why none of the players were hanging their heads in the locker room afterward.

Please see VANDY, 3C By MIKE ORGAN Sports Writer It was an atypical effort, but typical results for Vanderbilt yesterday. A nearly flawless effort just wasn't quite enough to upset 20th-ranked Alabama, but it was enough to ignite hope for the future for a team whose clumsy habits have caused great headaches in the past A sun splashed capacity crowd of 41,600 watched the 1 A Commodores keep Alabama on the ropes until the fourth quarter. That's when Heis-man Trophy candidate Shaun Alexander took the game into his own hands, scoring two touchdowns in the final 10 FREEMAN RAMSEY STAFF Vanderbilt quarterback Greg Zolman (12) tries to get a pass under the intense pressure of Alabama's defense. Tonight TSU debuts at Adelphia Tennessee State begins its season tonight in a new house 67700-seat Adelphia Coliseum when the Tigers host Alabama State in the John Merritt Classic at 6 p.m. It will beTSU's first appearance in Adelphia after 50 years of home games at Hale Stadium.

"We know how much playing in this new stadium means to the said quarterback Leon Murray, above at left. Last season's Ohio valley Conference champs rank in the top 13 of several Division l-AA polls. On7C. LT Hoftz loses in debut Lou Holtz was back on the sideline last night, but couldn't rekindle his old magic as South Carolina lost 10-0 to No. 24 North Carolina State in torrential rain and wind from Tropical Storm Dennis.

The Gamecocks fumbled six times in the first half and wasted numerous scoring Vt i chances against the i. I Wolfpack. On 5C. Momentum carries over as UT rips Wyoming Gators struggle in tuneup for UT No. 4 Florida's 55-26 victory over Western Michigan raised a few areas of concern for the Gators, who host Tennessee on Sept.

18. WMU quarterback Tim Lester went wild, finishing with 405 yards (314 in the first half) against an inexperienced Florida defense. The Gators will be looking to avenge last year's overtime loss to the Vols at Neyland Stadium. On 5C Also in the SEC No. 12 Georgia 38, Utah State 7 By CHRIS LOW Sports Writer KNOXVILLE Tennessee, fresh off its first national championship in 47 years, looked poised to win another one last night before 107,997 orange fanatics in Neyland Stadium.

The No 3 Vols ran for touchdowns, threw for No. 18 Arkansas 26, SMUO Auburn 22, Appalachian State 15 Louisville 56, Kentucky 28 LSI) 29, San Jose State 21 Mississippi 3, Memphis 0 Wolverines edge Irish in thriller Til Jl touchdowns and even scored on defense in their season-opening 42-17 victory over Wyoming. The only problem was that all the damage came during one 42 d) 17 Game report on4-5C Notre Dame safety Deke Cooper can't bear to watch as Michigan jjlayers celebrate after the Wolverines scored the game-winning touchdown yesterday in a 26-22 victory over the Fighting Irish. Michigan tailback Anthony Thomas ran in from a yard out with 1:38 left to secure the win for No. 7 Michigan.

Story on 6C lis '4 -J- -x i "at -o-A v. i Minium in ii -mmm i null i i i ymA -iv i ter stretch a span of 7 minutes, 36 seconds that proved to be the only difference in the game. Ultimately, Tennessee had too much muscle and too much depth for a Wyoming team that refused to go quietly into the muggy night "We didn't close the door, and we should have," said Tennessee senior center Spencer Riley, Please see VOLS, 5C Other Top 25 scores No. 2 Penn State 70, Akron 24 No. 5 Nebraska 42, Iowa 7 No.

6 Texas 37 Louisiana Tech 17 No. 8 Miami 57, Florida 3 No. 9 Wisconsin 49, Murray State 10 No. 10 Georgia Tech 49, Navy 14 No. 11 Virginia Tech 47 James Madison 0 Colorado State 41 No.

14 Colorado 14 No. 17 UCLA 38, Boise State 7 No. 21 Southern Cal at Hawaii No. 22 Purdue 47 Central Florida 13 No. 23 Virginia 20, North Carolina 17 No.

24 North Carolina State 10, South Carolina 0 LARRY MCCORMACK STAFF The Tennessee defense was staunch all game, here bringing down Wyoming's Alex English last night at Neyland Stadium. The unit went on to hold the Cowboys to only a touchdown during the final three quarters. ,1 1 I MTSU gels rude welcome in I-A debut BaddSe: Great effort, but do it again The challenge now for Vandy is to take the same effort, the same execution, with it to every game. The Commodores can't accept complacency. On 3C.

Blue Raiders hang in with Mississippi State for about a quarter before hosts pull away Sports Editors Henderson sits Geno Henderson, a defensive back at MTSU who transferred from Memphis last year but left the squad before the season began, was suspended Thursday for an undisclosed violation of team rules. Game report on 7C. defensive team we played," Andy McCollum said after his team fell to 0-1 in his head coaching debut. "We had a couple of defensive breakdowns that made it worse than it should have been But I was pleased with some things we were doing." Jermaine Francis's fourth-quarter interception of reserve Please see MTSU, 7C The visitors had their worst fears come to fruition committing a couple of costly turnovers, giving up big plays and failing to cash in on their own opportunities all in the second period, when Mississippi State tallied on four of five possessions to take a 23-0 lead. "We said we weren't good enough to turn the ball over, and we did but that's a great Have a news tip? To report sports news: E-mail: tnsportstennessean.com Acting Sports Editor.

Michael H. Jones, 259-8013 Assistant Sports Editor Kevin Procter, 259-8014 Senior Writer David Climer, 259-8020 By MAURICE PATTON Sports Writer STARKVILLE, Miss. For about a quarter, Middle Tennessee State had to be thinking, This I-A stuff ain't so bad." Then Mississippi State scored. And scored. And scored again And yet again.

And by the time the Blue Raiders caught their breath, the host Bulldogs were off and running to a 40-7 victory, ruining MTSLTs NCAA Division I-AA debut in the process. Like it or not, Vols to be judged by whole new set of standards ff David Climer debts come due. UTs first-quarter struggle showed that just because Lewis is back in the huddle, the Vols can't live by the tailback off-tackle play alone. And Wyoming's hybrid offense exposed some coverage lapses on defense that were usually masked by UTs pass rush against an outmanned offensive line. No, Tennessee "99 is a work in progress.

And, yes, the paint's still wet David Climer is a Ten-nessean senior writer. He can be reached at 2594020 or dcSmertennessean.corn. snappy little inside reverse Wyoming used, do you? Right about here, it's fair to wonder in print exactly what the Vols did to themselves in the ratings last night If a team can drop from No. 2 to No. 3 without even playing a game as was the case in the AP poll last weekend what happens if a voter dwells too long on a 10-7 first-quarter deficit to Wyoming? But maybe this was the best thing that could happen to Tennessee, a wakeup call from the sweet national championship dream a reality check before the serious pnship born of perseverance as much as performance.

One game in it is impossible to tell if this team is cut from the same orange cloth. Last night is typical of most first games for most teams, whether they have a big trophy on site or not I figure any time Jamal Lewis fumbles twice in one game, there's considerable room for improvement All those open Wyoming receivers running short and intermediate routes certainly left something to be desired. And you dont think Steve Spurrier will pick up on that place grew strangely quiet. When Wyoming nudged on top 10-7 late in the period, the only noise you heard was from the breeze created by 107,597 shaking heads. All together now: "This wouldn't have happened to last year's team" How quickly we forget UT "98 was a team that lived on the edge from the opening game at Syracuse to the Gatorade shower in the final seconds of the Fiesta BowL They were No.

1 in the polls, No 1 after the bowls and No. 1 at dodging bullets. It was a national champi- title run Living in the past is one thing. Living up to the past is another. The point was brought home last night, especially during the first quarter when Wyoming threatened to stencil its own name on Neyland Stadium.

Yes, a team a conference that sounds more like a long-distance carrier than a football league Mountain West was making itself right at home in the Orange Palace. When the Cowboys buzzed up a four-play, 57-yard drive to tie the game 7-7, the KNOXVILLE Early arrivals to Neyland Stadium yesterday caught a maintenance crew in the process of stenciling yet another reference to Tennessee's national championship on a retaining wall at Neyland Stadium. It was an extra coat of irony. Opening Day "99 arrived and they were still waiting for the paint to dry on National Championship "98. Success at this level is accompanied by great acclaim and greater expectations.

The Sears Trophy casts a larger-shadow in Knoxville than the Sears Tower casts in Chicago. This is the challenge Tennessee will face all year or least until the day after the first loss, whenever it might come. The bar has been set at a dizzying height with the national championship. Everything that happens this year good, bad or bdifferent will be measured against the www.tennessean.cotn.