The Anniston Star from Anniston, Alabama • Page 25

1C be AtttttetOtl $tar Sunday, November 11,1973 IT Blossom Oraiig VV "N.v iv'-X 7 M4 rumored as' Jax rlniAhn TPimir By GEORGE SMITH Star Sports Editor TROY Ralph Brock, the quarterback Auburn forgot, pitched his way into the Jacksonville State record book here Saturday night. And shoveled some coal in what may become yet another "Orange Blossom Special" 1973-style. Brock, turning what was supposed to be a close one into a complete A from a new bowl, the Poultry, in Gainesville, Ga. And there was even the remote possibility the Jaxmen might, jusi might, get back into the NAIA playoff picture "We'll need some help for that," said Pell "and we'd certainly have to beat Florence next week in our final game." What all that says is a lot of things can happen for the Jaxmen and here Saturday -night they looked ready to handle anything. The licking the Jaxmen paddled on Troy's collective bottoms is the worst a Tom, Jones' team has suffered since he came here, two seasons back after years of coaching Auburn's frosh.

And it did put something of a tarnish on Troy State's already-won Gulf South championship. "It was just the greatest win I've ever been asociated with since I first put a uniform on for old AlbertvUle back in 1958. "It was a great win over a very fine Troy football team. We got some breaks early, but then I think our kids made those breaks." Brock hit just four of 12, but those four did cover 94 yards for those two touchdowns, giving Brock 16 scoring passes in his two seasons at JSU. The old record of 15 was held by Richard Drawdy.

On the ground, fullback Gordy Knowlton, a (See Jax on page 8C) rout, threw touchdown strikes of 50 and 21 yards to Terry Grammar as the Jaxmen zapped arch-rival Troy on a cool Alabama evening. It was an old-fashioned mugging and sprung rumors of a return trip to Miami and the Orange Blossom Classic. The other one was in 1970, Charley Pell's second year SMITH at JSU, and that trip capped off a perfect 10-0-0 season. This one isn't perfect, now 6-2-0 into a winding-down season, but it is known Jax StaU is one of two "white" teams under consideration for Florida annual classic; There, too, were representatives on hand Stir plitt by tract McOtnaW Auburn's defense cracks in on big Maroon Wayne Jones near goal line Mclntyre zip Auburn past Maroons INSIDE By WAYNE HESTER Assistant Sports Editor AUBURN Auburn's stumbling, fumbling kids of 1973 resembled the Amazings of '72 here Saturday, at the expense of Mississippi State. Randy Walls was the man in charge.

Walls, the quarterback who steered Auburn's '72 Amazings to a 10-1 record, including an upset of Alabama, regained No. 1 status on Auburn's crippled list of quarterbacks and fired the Tigers to a 31-17 victory before 48,000 fans at Jordan-Hare Stadium. It was an important victory for the "tC hO Tieers, assuring them of a winning season and a probable Pech Bowl berth. Apparently, the only thing standing between Auburn and a Peach appearance is an indication from the Tigers that they would accept an invitation to Atlanta's bowl. Several Auburn players expressed a desire to play in the Liberty Bowl in Memphis, but the Peach was the only bowl represented at Jordan-Hare Saturday.

TOP 20 'i HESTER is1 1. OHIO STATE bucked Michigan 35-0 2. ALABAMA was. idle 3. OKLAHOMA peppered Missouri, 31-3 4.

MICHIGAN toppled Illinois, 21-6 5. NOTRE DAME slapped Pitt, 31-10 6. PENN STATE escaped NC 35-29 was idle 8. SOU CAL edged Stanford, 27-26 9. UCLA powdered Oregon, 27-7 10.

MISSOURI was bombed by Oklahoma, 31-3 11. NEBRASKA flipped Iowa 31-7 12. TEXAS TECH hammered TCU, 24-10 13. TEXAS flattened Baylor, 42-6 14. ARIZONA ST.

blanked Wyoming, 47-0 15. HOUSTON dropped Colorado 28-20 16. TENNESSEE was idle 17. MIAMI OHIO decked Kent 20-10 18. KANSAS clipped Colorado, 17-15 19.

KENT ST. was defeated by Miami (0), 20-10 20. PITT fell to Notre Dame, 31-10 Auburn (31) Mil. SI. 07) Pint Dwm 11 11 "Up until today, I haven't even thought about bowls," said Auburn coach Shug Jordan after the victory.

"And really, I still haven't had much time to think about it." Walls, who said he received "several letters" after Auburn's 21-0 loss to Tennessee on Sept. 29, seven games ago, telling him to "stay out of the game if you can't do. better," was obviously at his peak performance of the season against the Maroons from Starkville. i Walls was dropped all the way to third-team after the Tennessee game, and had not been No. 1 quarterback until Jordan jerked freshman Chris Vacarella after a wild pitchout in the first quarter Saturday.

Walls, the lanky junior from Brundidge, was in on every Auburn scoring drive, and forSheday completed six of 13 passes for 65 yards and rushed for another 24 yards on eight carries. Auburn's offense hasn't looked better since the Gator Bowl. win over Colorado last December. Walls was one of the reasons, Jordan said blocking In the offensive line was another, but probably the biggest reason i (See Auburn on page 8C) 1 111 SI a ns Yirtft RutMnf Virdi Patilf TMil OMrnt rnm Attmpt4 Pm CmpttH4 Pmmi Int. by PumMM Lt Pwntlnf Avo.

Ytrdi Ptnalli4 Mi 7 t-M. 1 i stir pht by Hortc McDwidd Rob Spivey takes pass from Walls, lick from State Stan Black For 4A 's first round Huntsville Friday ght 111 Bulldogs travel to 9 FARRELL Grissom defeated Butler earlier in the year and had to be rated above Butler. Fairhope's tie-breaking points fell short of both Grissom and Butler, despite their unbeaten record." So the rumors buzzing around town that Anniston was to charter a jet to Mobile for its first game were shot down with such an announcement. However, it did shorten the trip considerably for the Bulldogs, as well as for the fans. In addition, it shoved the Bulldogs in the bracket with the winner of the Baldwin Co.

vs. West End (or possibly Wenonah should West End loose Sat. night), a place Anniston head coach Bill Farrell had rather be in than in the top It was originally thought that Anniston, rated sixth prior to its final game with Oxford Friday night, would remain in that position if it defeated Oxford (which it did, 19-6), and would play third ranked Fairhope in Mobile. However, tie-breaking factors rearranged the 4A lineup to where Anniston remained the number six team, but Grissom, ranked fourth last week, moved up to third. Fairhope, last week's third-ranked team, dropped to fifth, with Butler, also of Huntsville, moving up to fourth.

Scott, In making the announcement, said "Butler actually had more tie-breaking points than Grissom, however JIM FARRELL Star Sports Writer Alabam'a High School ''Athletic Director' Bubba Scott made a surprise announcement that Anniston High School would play Grissom of Huntsville on Friday, Nov. 16 at Huntsville's Milton Frank Stadium in the first round of the Alabama" 4A State Playoffs. Scott made the announcement in Montgomery Saturday noon after a state-wide-meeting of school officials and roaches involved in the upcoming playoffs. bracket. Should Anniston win, its second game would be in Anniston.

"We would, have been happy to play Fairhope," Farrell said after arriving from the meeting in Montgomery, "but we're equally pleased to have the opportunity to play Grissom. Actually we're just pleased to be here regardless -of who we had to play." The meeting in Montgomery turned out to be a surprise (or (See Bulldogs on page 8C).