The Palm Beach Post from West Palm Beach, Florida • Page 48

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 6. 1988 The Palm Beach Post SECTION port 59-0 eminoles destroy South Carolina By JEFF SNOOK I Palm Beach Post Staff Writer COLUMBIA, S.C. Bobby Bowden stood outside the Florida State locker room Saturday night ind talked about the most impor-; iint game his team has played this ason. FSU faced a South Carolina hm which had won seven of eight It was a team that was It was South Carolina's first loss at home since FSU beat the Gamecocks 45-28 Nov. 8, 1986.

"We haven't played this well since the Auburn game (a 34-6 victory) last year," Bowden said. "I told my team if we didn't peak this week, we weren't going to peak." Willis did much of the peaking, Please see SEMINOLES9C point. The Seminoles gave him 58 to spare. Peter Tom Willis, subbing for an injured Chip Ferguson, passed for 271 yards and four touchdowns as the fifth-ranked Seminoles pounded South Carolina 59-0 at Williams-Brice Stadium. FSU, which did not have to punt, totaled 638 yards and 30 first downs while holding the Gamecocks to 205 total yards.

The Seminoles took advantage of five South Carolina turnovers. The Gamecocks' farthest penetration was the Florida State 35-yard line and they did not cross midfield after the half. "We played about as good as we can play," said Bowden, whose team surely impressed a national television audience. "I hope it enhances us." The victory ensures the Seminoles (8-1) of a major bowl bid, probably to the Cotton Bowl to play Arkansas Jan. 2 in Dallas.

It was the first time the Gamecocks (7-2) were shutout since 1981 when they lost to Georgia 24-0 and it was their worst loss since a 63-0 loss to Navy in 1910. Statistics 9C Complete Coverage 9C Miami routs Tulsa 8C ranked No. 15, had 75,000 fans on its side and had not lost at home in two years. "I would have taken a win by one point," Bowden said, holding up his index finger to illustrate his Watch out, pardner, swainps Gators Georgia be careful where you aim that finger JACKSONVILLE We enter the Florida Gators locker room prepared for the worst, though considerable evidence exists that their worst was 'left on the Gator Bowl field Saturday during a 26-3 loss to Georgia. Crime scene investigation is at best a it-, 4 Mi.

messy business. Nobody ever said the search for accountability could be conducted without peril. First comes testimony from Lynn Amedee, the Florida offensive coordinator who must somehow explain how last week William Mary scored 24 points against this 1 Dan Moffett SPORTS EDITOR Georgia defense that held the Gators to but 3. It was a borderline 3 at that; another coat of paint on the crossbar and John David Francis' field goal might have fallen the other way. Who is to blame for this ineptitude? "It's on me," says Amedee.

"It's my fault." Well then, what do you propose to do about it, sir? "I can't play for 'em," says Amedee. The fault is Amedee's, we are told, yet we are asked to remember that coaches participate only at the vicarious level and cannot be held If accountable for the misdeeds of those who actually play. So, the search for the Scapegator moves to Emmitt Smith, the elegant runner whose return to the lineup was thought to have held the potential for a Florida revival. "We've got to go back and ask ourselves if we ii timiairiii i Miiwiiii i yt really want to play football or just go out there and loaf around," says Smith. "There are a lot of us guys who really want to play but there are some of those who don t.

We ve got to find out who really wants to go out and play to win." As verbs go, "loaf" is perhaps the least desirable that can be used in the description of acts JEFF GREENEStaff Photographer Georgia running back Rodney Hampton is tackled by Florida's Huey Richardson (90), Bill Lang (24) and Pat Moorer (45) after a big gain- UF loses fourth straight as Bulldogs romp 26-3 by football players. Better to call a linebacker Alice or nickname him Marshmallow than to accuse him of loafing. Most major college players take great pains to wear shoes with strings so as not to be linked to loafers. Smith's charge cuts to the soul, which is about where we find Kyle Morris the freshman quarterback whose return to the lineup was thought to have held the potential for a Florida revival. "I don't think anyone was loafing out there," says Morris.

"I think maybe some of our players By PATRICK McMANAMON Palm Beach Post Staff Writer JACKSONVILLE The beatings go on. Like a metronome's constant ticking, the Florida Gators continued their rendition of losing football Saturday at the Gator Bowl. Lack of offense, an overwhelmed defense, poor kicking, silly mistakes the negatives pound and pound at UF coach Galen Hall like Chinese water torture. Saturday's result a 26-3 thumping from the 19th-ranked Georgia Bulldogs (7-2, 5-1 in the SEC) in front of 81,958 -sent the Gators (5-4, 3-3) tumbling to their fourth consecutive loss and fur- Tailback Tim Worley led the way for the Bulldogs, gaining 135 yards on 22 carries and scoring on runs of 1 and 51 yards. Place-kicker John Kasay missed an extra point, but made field goals of 47 and 45 yards.

Wayne Johnson added a 22-yard touchdown pass to John Thomas in the second period, Johnson's second scoring pass of the season, which matches him with Worley. The Gators, meanwhile, managed three points against one of the SEC's poorer defenses. A week ago Division I-AA William Mary gained 462 yards against the Bulldogs; Saturday the Gators gained 219. UF had two first downs the first period and scored no points after recovering a fumbled punt at Georgia's 33. Its possessions the final period ended with a punt, interception, fumble and, mercifully, the end of the game.

Tailback Emmitt Smith returned to UF's lineup and gained 68 yards on 19 carries. Quarterback Kyle Morris didn't start, but after two series he replaced Herbert Perry. Morris may have had the longest day of many who had long days. He finished 12-of-25 for 134 yards, two interceptions and no touchdowns. "I've got no one to blame but myself," Morris said.

Please see GATORS 140 Statistics 15C Complete coverage 14-15C ther dimmed their fading bowl hopes. "This is getting monotonous," Hall said with a sigh. "No one likes it; I can tell you that. No one but the opponents." "It's been a pretty long month," said nose guard Jeff Roth. If Hall needs solace and he didn't ask for any he can find it in Georgia coach Vince Dooley's statement that the Bulldogs played their best game of the season.

"We really showed the best and most complete game that we have all season long," said Dooley, whose next win will be the 200th of his career. got a little down. But tninK tney an gave iuu percent. You give 100 percent just out of respect for the guy next to you." All together now The influence of the guy next door has been nothing short of remarkable at times for the Heat in history: First pass, shot, rebound, loss By BRIAN BIGGANE Palm Beach Post Staff Writer MIAMI The Miami Heat had better keep the indoor fireworks show, Don Johnson and Ben Vereen on call. As entertainment, the basketball isn't there yet.

Alysheba races to Classic win, record winnings The Associated Press LOUISVILLE, Ky. Alysheba became history's richest racehorse when he beat Seeking the Gold by a half-length and nightfall by a few minutes Saturday at Churchill Downs. Results 12C Personal Ensign retires unbeaten 12C Also with dramatic results was the filly Personal Ensign, who won a race it looked like she had no chance of winning. Trainer D. Wayne Lukas, too, had bright results on a damp, dark day.

Alysheba took the lead about 70 yards from the finish line and won the $3 million Breeders' Cup Classic. The first money of $1,350,000 raised his career bankroll to $6,679,242 and pushed him past John Henry, who retired with $6,591,860. Alysheba is now Please see BREEDERS'I 2C IOC IOC Game summary George column Long on enthusiasm but short on talent and experi Gators. Their best drive of the day crashed and burned in the third quarter at the Georgia 22-yard line on third-and-2. The entire right side of the Florida line pulled in unison one count before the snap was delivered.

Such precise, coordinated movement wasted in comic ballet. "If it was just one guy," Amedee grumbled, "I would have pulled him right then. But it was three of 'em." But again, he cannot be expected to suit up and play. Even if he did he could not fill three spots. The guy next to Morris often during this Jekyll then hide campaign has been Herbert Perry, the sophomore quarterback from Mayo who has found himself cast in the role as poor man's Kerwin Bell and part-time starter.

Amedee abruptly yanked Perry out of Georgia's way after Florida's first six plays of the game netted a mere 15 yards. Perry had started under the assumption he might be permitted to finish. "I thought it was my game," says Perry. "I saw Kyle (Morris) running onto the field and I thought, what's happening? Nobody said anything to me. When I saw him go out I left.

Nobody told me I was being taken out." The yank and the reason Amedee says he pulled Perry for missing two play calls during his six snaps. Perry says he might have missed one, but not two. "He hurt us bad early out there," says Amedee. "Quarterbacks can't play scared," says Perry. "Kyle and I aren't really playing scared, we're just not playing great.

We're almost waiting for a chance to mess up." Caught in the middle of the cross-firing emotions is Galen Hall, head coach and the ultimate coordinates for the convergence of accountability. Point all the fingers in whatever direction you wish; they ultimately will lead to Galen Hall. "Hopefully everyone realizes that we re doing everything we can," says the coach. "We're young where we need to be experienced. We self-destructed.

Our kids are trying. Our coaches are trying. I think we have a great staff. We'd just like to win a game." Through all the clutter of dissent and self-doubt, the simplest of aspirations blinks faintly somewhere in the distance. A victory would mean so much.

A victory, any victory, could change everything. Where is Montana State when you really, reall" neethem? ence, the Heat made their NBA debut a losing one Saturday night, falling 111-91 to the Los Angeles Clippers at Miami Arena. First-quarter jitters had Miami in an early 24-9 hole and, though the Heat got as close as seven points while outscoring L.A. 31-26 in the second period, they never seriously threatened. We had a bad case of opening-night jitters, said Viamn mi wimiiilniiM Miami coach Ron Rothstein.

"We had trouble passing and catching the ball, but that's sort of to be expected. PATRICK MURPHY-RACEYStaff Photographer Heat's Pat Cummings (42) goes up against Clippers' Charles Smith (54) during Miami's loss. Please see HEAT IOC UP TO THE CHALLENGE Denver at Seattle late Phoenix at Golden State late Sacramento at Portland ate NHL N.Y. Islanders 4 Washington 3 Vancouver 3 Hartford 2 St. Louis 5 Quebec 2 Los Angeles 6 Toronto 4 Calgary 9 Buffalo 0 Montreal 7 Winnipeg 2 Chicago 5 Minnesota' SCOREBOARD NBA L.A.

Clippers 111 Miami 91 New Jersey 112 New York 102 Philadelphia 129 Boston 1 15 Chicago 111 Washington 98 Detroit 94 Charlotte 85 Cleveland 105 Indiana 99 Dallas 1 14 Houston 1 13 San Antonio 122 L.A. Lakers 107 Atlanta 107 Milwaukee 94 Michael Andretti out-duels Al Unser Jr. to win the Marlboro Challenge and its $225,000 first prize Saturday at Tamiami Park. The Indy Nissan Challenge will be held today. STORY, 13C A Andretti.