The Palm Beach Post from West Palm Beach, Florida • Page 33

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 6, 1991 Sports Talk about what FSU Orangemen get ahead, FSU leaves them behind 46-14 does to opponents, you're talking stuff TALLAHASSEE Terrell Buckley's terrifying proclamation caused my heart to sink in despair. "We are not into that talking stuff anymore," he said. "We will communicate with our playing." Oh, Terrell, say it isn't so. i This is the Florida State cornerback who had begun the week with these words: "Anyone who doesn't believe we're the No 1 showed the ability to adjust and shut down its opponent. A 51-point performance last week at Michigan was followed by an explosive 642-yard effort against Syracuse (4-1).

Both games earned the Seminoles a spot in their opponents' record book the most points ever scored by an opponent at Ann Arbor and the most yards ever recorded against Syracuse. "We have so many weapons," quarterback Casey Weldon said. "It's pretty awesome to be the quarterback behind them all." Saturday was no different: Weldon, who is 11-0 as a starter, established career highs Please see FLORIDA STATE 12C By TOM D'ANGELO Palm Beach Post Staff Writer TALLAHASSEE Despite its 4-0 start and No. 1 ranking, Florida State entered the month of October with one question still unanswered. The Seminoles proved they could beat a passing team (Brigham Young) and a running team (Michigan).

They showed they could get up for inferior competition (Tulane and Western Michigan) and they could win on the road (Michigan) against a quality team. Yet, through it all, Florida State never trailed and the question begged to be answered: Could this team fight back from adversity? That answer was provided on a soggy Saturday afternoon at Doak Complete coverage 1 2-1 3C Campbell Stadium as Florida State twice spotted Syracuse a touchdown before crushing the 10th-ranked Orangemen 46-14. "Now, we can truly call ourselves No. 1," said flanker Shannon Baker. "We were losing, we were bruised, we were a little sluggish.

We came back from a disadvantage." A crowd of 61,231 braved a steady rain for most of the game to watch Florida State (5-0) bury a top 10 opponent for the second consecutive week with a dizzying display of offensive firepower and a defense that at times would bend, but lv I team in the nation belongs IT I in a psycho ward." If1 1 A i -4 Now, in the aftermath of a 46-14 burial of Syracuse, Buckley announces that the Seminoles no longer will be the trash poets of the NCAA? It is too horrible to fathom. Such a loss. All the mean adjectives, all the ALLEN EYESTONEStaff Photographer FSU safety John Davis breaks up a pass for Syracuse's Shelby Hill. Dan MOFFETT SPORTS EDITOR A Atlanta waves in "1 1 r. Braves beat! Houston to clinch West street verbs, all the rag and jive ended by decree.

The silent Seminoles? It cannot be. Such a waste. Overcome by melancholy, I wandered toward the locker stall of fullback Edgar Bennett. A month ago, Bennett had complained openly that he wasn't being used enough in the Seminoles' offense. Giving the charge credence was the fact that he had carried only one time against Western Michigan.

Against Syracuse, Bennett rushed 10 times and caught five passes but most impressive was that he converted six third-down situations and scored two touchdowns. Fear and loathing "Our goal was to put fear in the hearts of other teams," Bennett said. "A lot of people will look at this game and be afraid to play Florida State. A lot of teams will doubt themselves when they play us." Who knows how Bennett might have analyzed the day if the Seminoles were still "into that talking stuff" and not following Buckley down some quiet path to urbane restraint. "We were never frightened out there at any time, even when we were down 14-7," said FSU linebacker Kirk Carruthers.

"You know, they didn't ever seem confident they were going to beat us, even when they were ahead. No way were we scared at all." For a quarter, this game had the look of two weeks ago at Syracuse when the Florida Gators were caught voguing in the Carrier Dome and soundly upset. The Seminoles had seen that game film yet they indulged in some ill-advised voping of their own, allowing speedy Syracuse all-purpose guy Qadry Ismail to score two touchdowns from long range. Unlike the Gators, however, Florida State was burned but not consumed. It was a peculiar service Florida had performed for FSU.

"If we hadn't seen that game, we'd probably have gotten beat," said Bobby Bowden. "We had to be ready for Syracuse." Clockwork Orange By ROSS NEWHAN Los Angeles Times News Service ATLANTA In the end, with the war whoops echoing up Capitol Avenue and down Peachtree Street, with the improbability of the Atlanta Braves having won the National League West championship still sinking in, Ron Gant acknowledged that he remembered the demeaning remarks of Darryl Strawberry. It wasn't that long ago, with the Braves biting into what had been a 9Vi-game Los Angeles Dodgers lead at the All-Star break, that Strawberry said: Braves fans go crazy 1 7C Giants stop Dodgers 17C Box score 15C Erickson wins 20th 14C "We aren't worried about the Braves. Why should we worry about the Braves? "We've done well against them head-to-head, and that's the main thing." Gant smiled in a rocking clubhouse. Only the Pittsburgh Pirates have to worry about the Braves now.

Atlanta beat the Houston Astros 5-2 Saturday to win the West. A 4-0 loss in San Francisco left the Dodgers two games back with one regular-season game left. The Braves, following the example of the Minnesota Twins, became only the second team to finish last one season and first the next. Atlanta will open the NL playoffs at Pitts-; burgh on Wednesday. "A thousand to one," catcher' Please see BRAVES 17C" THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Fans celebrate Atlanta's NL West-clinching win Saturday as the Braves joined the AL West champion Minnesota Twins as baseball's only 'worst-to-first' teams.

No. 1 pick Smith signs with Heat year, $9 million offer to Sherman Douglas off the table and negotiations have broken off; Kevin Edwards, who did agree to a one-year contract Friday, came down with the flu and was unable to travel from his home in Cleveland. The team hopes Edwards will be well enough to travel today, take his physical this afternoon and work out this evening. The team is Please see HEAT1 1C I want to get out on the court." Those are welcomed words for Loughery. With the exhibition opener Friday and the regular season beginning in less than four weeks, the Heat received bad news on three fronts Saturday: Center Rony Seikaly, who had been expected to join workouts Monday or Tuesday, instead had his injured right ankle placed in a cast and could miss another 10-14 days; The Heat have taken their four- By BRIAN BIGGANE Palm Beach Post Staff Writer LAKE WORTH Not even the signing of first-round draft choice Steve Smith late Saturday night can ease the frustrations of what already has been an unsettling training camp for first-year Miami Heat coach Kevin Loughery.

But it's a start. "I'm not even going to celebrate it (signing the contract)," Smith said. "I just want to start playing ball and contribute. Czyzewski's FGs, defense help UF beat LSU 16-0 UM overpowers 'helpless' OSU in 40-3 victory I IK "It was a blessing for that (Florida's loss) to happen," said Carruthers. "We went after them and didn't get complacent.

By halftime, they had I about had it. We were proving to the country that we are a dominating team. I think everybody can see that." But if only the Seminoles were "into that talking stuff," and Carruthers were able to expound on this dominance, as in the good old days. So unfortunate. Such a void.

Take away Qadry's touchdown reception and his kickoff return touchdown and there is little evidence Syracuse even appeared here. Through I the third quarter and the first five minutes of the jj fourth, the Seminoles built a 292-10 advantage in i offensive yardage. "There comes a time when you just have to say no," said FSU linebacker Marvin Jones. "That time came after that kickoff return. We don't want to 1 give anybody a chance to think we're a fluke." Carefully chosen word At least the Seminoles are saying no, if little else.

As Bowden jogged of the field Saturday evening, he took off his FSU baseball cap and flung it into the cheering crowd. It was an act of spontaneous flamboyance, but it should be noted that he said nothing as the cap flew. But back to Terrell Buckley. "They weren't that bad," he said, "it was just that we were that good." And about Qadry "The Missile" Ismail? "He's a pretty good player," said Buckley. "He's no Desmond Howard.

Desmond is just better." Howard is the Michigan wideout who scored two touchdowns on Buckley's watch. But that was last week when the Seminoles were more verbal and directing all doubters to the psycho ward. I "What you're going to be hearing a lot of around here is how nobody is going to take that national championship ring away from us," said Buckley. "This game should put fear into other teams. We keep licking and come back ticking.

We are not worried when we get behind. "There is an abundance of stars on this team." And remember. Terrell Buckley isn't even into that talking stuff anymore. By PATRICK McMANAMON Palm Beach Post Staff Writer MIAMI It was over in a hurry, this alleged gam between the University of Miami and Oklahoma StateS By the end of the first period, the second-ranked Hurricanes (4-0) led 17-0. By the middle of the second period, it was 24-0.

By JEFF SNOOK Palm Beach Post Staff Writer BATON ROUGE, La. Florida kicker Arden Czyzewski returned Saturday night to the site of his greatest moment. At the same time, Florida's defense seems to have returned to normal. The Gators relied on both Saturday as Czyzewski kicked three field goals and the defense didn't let LSU near the goal line in a 16-0 victory in front of 72,019 fans at Tiger Stadium. Complete coverage 7C! 8C Complete coverage By the end of the half it was 30-0 and when 42,751 fans saw the game mercifully end, Miami had its 40thi consecutive victory in the Orange Bowl, 40-3 over an! outmanned, overmatched Oklahoma State (0-4) team.

I "The exhibition season's over now," UM coachj Dennis Erickson said, looking ahead to Saturday's 'v. game against renn state, we have to get ready to gefi 4 going." Said Oklahoma State coach Pat Jones: "It was the most helpless I've felt in a long time." With their fourth consecutive victory over LSU, the 13tb-ranked Gators (4-1, 3-0 in the SEC) remain on track for a showdown with fourth-ranked Tennessee (4-0, 2-0) Saturday at Florida Field. It was the second shutout for Florida in three SEC games. "Anytime you come into this ballpark and win, especially a shutout," defensive tackle Brad Culpepper said, "it is a great feeling." LSU, under first-year coach Curley Hallman, dropped to 1-3 overall and 1-2 in the SEC. 4 It seemed like Jones knew his team would be helpless.

As Miami piled the points on Oklahoma State, the Cowboys stuck to their conservative plan, running the ball 25 times and throwing just once in the first half. C.J. WALKERStarf Photographer UM's Kevin Patrick celebrates after tackling Kenny Ford in the fourth quarter of Saturday's 40-3 win over Oklahoma Please see FL0RIDA8C Please see MIAMI7C SCOREBOARD SCORELINE: (407) 820-4567 (Code 4000) 1.7: DOLPHINS NO COLOSSUS ON ROAD Miami faces the New England Patriots and first-year coach Dick MacPherson today in Foxboro, Massv trying to halt a six-game losing streak on the road that is the longest in Don Shula's 22 years as head coach. STORY, 2 1C Toronto 8 Detroit 5 Vancouver at San Jose late Roundup, standings IOC COLLEGE FOOTBALL State schools Florida State 46 Syracuse 14 Miami 40 Oklahoma State 3 Florida 16 Louisiana State 0 Central Florida 31 Arkansas State 20 Top 25 Washington 54 Arizona 0 Oklahoma 29 Iowa State 8 Georgia 27 Clemson 12 AMERICAN LEAGUE Milwaukee 13 Boston 4 Cleveland 7 New York 5 (12) Baltimore 7 Detroit 3 Minnesota 3 Toronto 1 Oakland 12 Texas 5 Kansas City at California late Chicago at Seattle late NATIONAL LEAGUE Atlanta 5 Houston 2 San Francisco 4 Los Angeles 0 Philadelphia 1 New York 0 Chicago 3 St. Louis 2, 1st Michigan 43 Iowa 24 Baylor 38 Houston 21 Ohio State 31 Wisconsin 16 Southern Mississippi 10 Auburn 9 Pittsburgh 24 Maryland 20 North Carolina State 28 Georgia Tech 2 1 California 27 UCLA 24 Alabama 53 Tennessee-Chattanooga 7 Illinois 24 Minnesota 3 Texas 37 Texas Tech 14 Penn State 24 Temple 7 Notre Dame at Stanford iate Complete coverage 3.9c Chicago 7 St.

Louis 5, 2nd Pittsburgh 4 Montreal 3 Cincinnati at San Diego late Roundup, standings 14C Box score ISC Major League Statistics 16C NHL N.Y. Islanders 4 Boston 3 New Jersey 7 St. Louis 2 Quebec 4 Hartford 2 Washington 3 Buffalo 1 N.Y. Rangers 2 Montreal 1 (OT) Minnesota 4 Chicago 2 4 MacPherson.