The Palm Beach Post from West Palm Beach, Florida • Page 32

2Z 4C THE PALM BEACH POST SATURDAY, JANUARY 2, 1993 Orange Bowl: Florida State 27, Nebraska 14 3owden, FSU finish by pounding Nebraska MIAMI Bobby Bowden won another game that doesn't count Friday night, defeating Nebraska in an Orange Bowl game nobody watched. 27-14. The 57.324 who walked through the turnstiles was the lowest Orange Bowl attendance since 1987. Those who dsdnt stay home to watch the Srfr Row! left just after a ik-'ufp of rain to start the third QMTtet. It was amazing how s-h snwll group of drenched FU fins could make so much jojse every time a score was announced.

For Bowden, the sound of Alabama's rout had to be bittersweet. This made 11 straight bowl games without a defeat and a 12-3-1 postseason games six straight seasons. Since 1987, he has not finished out of the top four. It still isn't good enough and Bowden knows it. It will not be good enough until he goes undefeated and wins a national championship.

He lost this one by three points, a 19-16 Wide Right Again defeat against Miami three months ago. "I'd love to win a national championship, but I'm not going to lose any sleep over it," Bowden said. "I've always said if I hang around long enough, one of these days we'll luck into one of them. That will probably happen. If we can continue to stay in the top four or fives, one of these days we'll slop one out." The Seminoles slopped one out against the Corn-huskers.

Was this the best team in college football, as proclaimed by CBS's Dick Vermeil? It was hard to tell through the sheets of rain. It's hard to fast-break in a monsoon, so Florida State went to its half-court offense and put the ball in Sean Jackson's hands. The power forward rushed for 101 yards and one touchdown and caught four passes for 61 yards. It was a Charles Barkley kind of night and he should have won the MVP Trophy but it went to Ward. The voters must not have been able to see the field through the rain on the pressbox windows.

"Next year's my last year," Jackson said, shrugging it off. "I want a national championship." There was a theory that FSU wouldn't be into this game. That its heart was broken when Alabama beat Florida to break up the rematch with Miami. That playing for 2 again would result in an upset. It didn't happen or at least FSU's talent wouldn't let it happen.

"We did better than I thought we would, really," Bowden said. "Our team played good enough to win." Good enough to beat Nebraska is just a shade above mediocre. The Cornhuskers have not won in the postseason in six straight years. In its last three Orange Bowls, Nebraska has lost by a combined score of 72-17. It will not change until the Cornhuskers figure out a way to schedule Kansas State in a bowl.

"We played well enough to win," Osborne said. "I imagine many people in the media won't see it that way." This one certainly didn't, but I was too busy watching the Sugar Bowl like everybody else. What I did see between Alabama touchdowns was an ugly game in which FSU dominated. I saw Bowden finally win an Orange Bowl, which concluded a cycle. I saw a lot of empty stands.

"We finally got the Orange Bowl trophy," Bowden said. "There's one more out there we ain't got. We're going to try and miss it by one again next year. We like second place so good." Bowden was asked if it gnawed at him, if; he thought the Seminoles deserved to be No. 1.

He wouldn't play politician. He said he would be back next year, at age 64, and if it didn't work out, he'd be back at 65 and 66 and 67 and as long as he was healthy. As long as they wanted him back. He can see coaching until he's 70. "Do I think we are the best?" Bowden said.

"We must be pretty darn close. We must be a shot away. But I did not say we deserved to win a national championship. The people who deserve it are winning it tonight." Those were the people from his home state of Alabama, where Bowden grew up and played lugh school football in Birmingham and college football and tiny Samf ord. "We'll just try again," Bowden said.

"I'm just happy to be here, to be honest with you. When Miami beat us in October, that was it. What gnaws to me is losing. I thrive on winning games. I get excited about it, no matter what ranking we are.

We tried our best to win the national championship this year. We almost did it. Not quite." Words that Bobby Bowden has said before. Not quite. Like Wide Right.

Again. tA Tim rosaforte v.L record. It was his 227th career victory, seventh on the all-" time list behind Bo Schembechler, Woody Hayes, Joe Paterno, Pop Warner, Amos Alonzo Stagg and Bear Bryant. It concluded another ho-hum 11-1 season. He is the 2 only coach in Division I history to win more than 10 Jones to announce decision Monday A If "I guess this was the perfect game for me," Jackson said.

"It was my best all-around game.1' Jackson had 17 carries for 101 yards and one touchdown. He also had a team-high, career-high four catches for 61 yards. He was even 1-for-l passing, completing a 28-yarder to Ward in the first quarter. "I never thought I'd do all three in one game," he said. Jackson is an opportunistic star.

Last year, Jackson was Cotton Bowl MVP, rushing for 119 yards on 27 carries. This year, he had only one 100-yard game before Friday. "All year, we knew we could play smash-mouth football," Jackson said. "We went to the. gun (shotgun) to score easier.

But if we have to, we can grind it." And for an update from, the Sugar Bowl: For Pahokee's John Davis, Friday's Orange Bowl, win would have been a sweet swan song if it weren't for an annoying public-address announcer. "When you keep hearing Alabama's beating Miami 13-6, 20-6, it's a letdown, because you're playing for No. 2 and not No. 1 anymore," said Davis, a senior safety. "It's a lot of mind, psychological games.

"We all came in hyped, hoping Miami-Alabama would play to the wire and the voters would see us dominate Nebraska. For us to hear Alabama dominating Miami took a little fight out of the guys. Next thing, we're only winning 27-14." jr SHERMAN ZENTStaff Photographer Nebraska's Corey Dixon pulls in a 41 -yard touchdown pass that was bobbled between FSU's John Davis (18) and Corey Sawyer. Nebraska's Devaney steps aside after 31 years By SCOTT TOLLEY Palm Beach Post Staff Writer MIAMI Marvin Jones played some mind games in the locker room about the possibilities in his future. Then he let everyone play the waiting game about reality.

Jones Florida State's junior linebacker, Butkus Award winner and everybody's penciled-in first-round NFL draft pick passed on the opportunity Friday night to announce his plans to enter the April 25 NFL draft or return for a final year with the Seminoles. Instead, he said his announcement would come Monday. "Oh, sometime in the future nah, Monday, yeah, Monday," he said, toying with reporters. "Over the weekend (I'll think about it)." Jones will announce his intentions at 2 p.m. Monday at the Veranda 2 Room of the Sheraton Bal Harbour Hotel.

After last year's Cotton Bowl victory over Texas FSU defensive back Terrell Buckley seized the opportunity to announce his move to the NFL. Jones didn't see Friday as being so opportune. "I just believe in taking different steps," he said. "That's the way to do it." Should he return, what would be Jones motivation after winning the Butkus? "Lombardi, maybe?" he said smiling. Heisman, maybe? "I think it would be hard for a defensive guy to do," Jones said.

"You're not in position to put up numbers like a quarterback or running back. They look at this guy runs for 2,000 yards. They don't look at this guy making 100 tackles. It's just more impressive. I was in a position and I got a lot of votes (fourth place)." A national championship would be the obvious motivation.

"Being that we've been so close, we've had our opportunities," he said. "We just haven't come up with the plays to make it happen. "Maybe I'll light some candles and put them in a circle. It sure isn't talent. We've got guys on second string that could start for anyone in the country." No MVP, but Jackson will take it: Florida State junior tailback Sean Jackson didn't know that quarterback Charlie War a had been named Orange Bowl MVP, but in case the votes weren't in, Jackson was willing to do some self lobbying.

FSU Bowl History (1986-92) have the longest streaks of top five finishes in NCAA history of seven years. The Seminoles, Oklahoma (1971-76) and Notre Dame (1987-92) are the schools with five consecutive top five 1950 Cigar Bowl-Florida St. 19, Wofford 6 I9SS Sun Bowl-Texas Western 47, Florida St. 30 1958 Bluegrass Bowl-Oklahoma St. 15, Florida St.

6 1965 Gator Bowl-Florida St. 36, Oklahoma 19 1966 Sun Bowl-Wyoming 28, Florida St. 20 1967 Gator Bowl-Florida St. 17, Penn St. 17, tie 1968 Peach Bowl-Louisiana St.

31, Florida St. 27 1971 Fiesta Bowl-Arizona St. 45, Florida St. 38 1977 Tangerine Bowl-Florida St. 40, Texas Tech 17 1980 Orange Bowl-Oklahoma 24, Florida St.

1981 Orange Bowl-Oklahoma 18, Florida St. 17 1982 Gator Bowl-Florida St. 31, West Virginia 12 1983 Peach Bowl-Florida St. 28, North Carolina 3 1984 Citrus Bowl-Florida St. 17, Georgia 17, tie 1985 Gator Bowl-Florida St.

34, Oklahoma St. 23 1986 All American Bowl-Florida St. 27, Indiana 13 1988 Fiesta Bowl-Florida St. 31, Nebraska 28 1989 Sugar Bowl-Florida St. 13, Auburn 7 1990 Fiesta Bowl-Florida St.

41, Nebraska 17 1990 Blockbuster Bowl-Florida S. 24, Penn St. 17 1992 Cotton Bowl-Florida St. 10, Texas A8.M 2 1993 Orange Bowl-Florida St. 27, Nebraska 14 By TOM D'ANGELO "-Palm Beach Post Staff Writer MIAMI Friday's Orange Bowl marked the last official function for Nebraska Athletic Director Bob Devaney.

Devaney steps down Monday to be athletic director emeritus. He will be succeeded by Bill Byrne. "Bob Devaney has been an inspiration," said Florida State coach Bobby Bowden. "I admire him and I admire Tom (Osborne) because of the purity of the Nebraska program." Devaney is in his 31st season at Nebraska. He coached the Corn-" huskers for 11 years after spending i five years at Wyoming.

Devaney "won eight Big Eight titles and the national championship in 1970 and 1971. Devaney is a member of the National Football Hall of Fame. "It would be nice for Bob for Nebraska to go out with a win," Osborne said. "But I don't know if you can sum up 31 years of service in one football game. I'm going to miss him as an athletic director." Footloose: Senior defensive ') ii-end Dan Footman thought he had his first career touchdown in the second quarter when he picked up a fumbled pitch at the 2-yard line and ran into the end zone.

But the play was ruled down when Footman picked up the loose ball. A player can only advance a fumble beyond the line of scrimmage. The bad pitch by Nebraska quarterback Tommy Frazier resulted in an 18-yard loss. Fumble-itis: Nebraska, which led the nation in turnover margin with a plus 18 (30 for, 12 against), had trouble holding onto the ball once the rain started falling in the second quarter. The Cornhuskers fumbled four times in the first half, losing one.

The Cornhuskers went six games during the season without a turnover. They had seven interceptions and lost five fumbles. Exit polls: Florida State's victory caps an impressive six-year run in which the Seminoles have finished in the top five of the final poll and are 64-9. Florida State, which is expected to be No. 2, was second, third, second, fourth and fourth from 1987 to 1991.

Oklahoma (1952-58) and Miami Coaches split decision: Bowden has been a staunch opponent of a playoff system and Osborne favors a revised postseason. "One of the really tragic things about the present setup we have is the national championship is voted rather than determined on the field," Osborne said. Osborne said a playoff system would have benefited Florida State more than any team in the nation. "I have no doubt if it were determined on the field sometime in the last 10 years Florida State would have won at least one," he said. "As it is now, if you lose one game, the odds are you won't win it.

If you lose two, you certainly won't win it." Future shock: Nebraska and Florida State have signed for a home-and-home series in 1999 and 2000. Although Bobby Bowden, 63, has not indicated he is ready to retire, he has no plans of coaching the Seminoles when the Cornhuskers come to Tallahassee for the first time in 2000. "I just hope I'm above ground for that game," Bowden said. "If not, tell Nebraska to come out and pay their respects." Noteworthy: Nebraska junior split end Corey Dixon had a career-high five catches for 123 yards and a touchdown. He was one catch and 15 yards from the Nebraska bowl record, but was team MVP Until Nebraska's Byron Bennett missed field goals of 23 and 39 yards, he was 6-for-6 on kicks under 40 yards.

the lone senior starters on offense. On defense, ends Footman and Carl Simpson, linebacker Reggie Freeman and safeties John Davis and Leon Fowler concluded their careers at Florida State. Swan song: Seven seniors started their final game for the Seminoles. Center Robbie Baker and tackle Robert Stevenson were Hearst, Hastings carry No. 8 Georgia past Ohio State 21-14 the defense that we better get points on the board and win the thing," Hearst said.

Georgia totaled 444 yards and 26 first downs and converted 10-of-16 third downs. "Hastings was outstanding and Hearst was the difference in the game," Cooper said. "He was everything he was advertised to be." I if Ga 26 49-202 242 6 21-31-0 6-39 2-2 3-30 31:01 osu 18 47-179 110 29 8-24-1 8-37 1-1 5-35 28:59 First downs Rushes-yards Passing Return Yards Comp-Att-Int Punts Fumbles-Lost Penalties-Yards Time of Possession By JEFF SNOOK Palm Beach Post Staff Writer ORLANDO Georgia's Garrison Hearst ran around, through and over Ohio State in Friday's Citrus Bowl. Now he probably will run to the NFL. Hearst's 163 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 28 carries led the No.

8-ranked Bulldogs to a 21-14 victory over the Buckeyes in front of 65,861 fans. haven't made up my mind yet," Hearst said when asked if he would return to Georgia for his senior season. "I'll talk to my family and decide." Hearst, who led the SEC with 1,547 rushing yards and 19 touchdowns, reportedly has told teammates and friends that he will enter the NFL draft. He might announce his decision today. The Bulldogs' other star Friday, wide receiver Andre Hastings, also said he may leave early.

Underclassmen must announce their intentions by Wednesday. Hastings caught eight passes for 113 yards. "I'll support whatever each of tfyem decides," Georgia coach Ray "I believe you have to have a balanced offense to win nowadays," Goff said. "Eric played like he has all year." Herbstreit admitted he played his worst game of the season. "I normally don't press, but I was pressing on every play," he said.

The biggest play came with less than nine minutes remaining and the game tied 14-14. Smith had just gained 45 yards after catching a screen pass to give the Buckeyes a first down at the Georgia 15-yard line. On third-and-9, Herbstreit and fullback Jeff Cothran miscommun-icated on a handoff, resulting in a fumble recovery by Georgia tackle Travis Jones. "It was a trap play that we check to one side of the line of scrimmage or the other," said coach John Cooper, 0-4 in bowl games at Ohio State. "The fullback did not hear the audible." The Bulldogs then drove 80 yards in 11 plays, capped by Frank Harvey's 1-yard run with 4:06 remaining.

"We knew after that big play by Citrus Bowl Goff said. "But I would hate to see both leave." The victory secured Georgia's first lO-'win season since 1983. The Bulldogs lost to Tennessee 34-31 and to Florida 28-26 this season. "You can't look back and think, 'What Goff said. "There's not a lot we can do now about Florida or Tennessee.

We strive for perfection around here so you can't be totally pleased. "But if you told me I could win 10 games each season for the rest of my career at Georgia, I would be one happy son of a gun." Tailback Robert Smith rushed for 112 yards and two touchdowns on 25 carries for 15th-ranked Ohio State (8-3-1). While both teams ran well Georgia rushed for 234 yards; Ohio State 202 the difference was the Bulldogs' ability to pass. Georgia sophomore Eric Zeier completed 21-of-31 passes for 242 yards. Ohio State's Kirk Herbstreit was 8-of-24 for 110 yards.

He was intercepted once. Georgia Ohio St. 7 0 7 7-21 0 7 7 0-14 Ga Hearst 1 run (Peterson kick) OSU-R Smith I run (T. Williams kick) Ga-Hearst 5 run (Peterson kick) OSU-R. Smith 5 run (T.Williams kick) Ga Harvey 1 run (Peterson kick) A -65, 86 1, vf few 1 igr-n.

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS THE ASSOCIATED PRESS RUSHING-Georgia, Hearst 28163, Davis 7-42, Strong 5-14, Harvey 3-10, Zeier 6-(mlnus 27). Ohio Slate, R.Smith 25-112, Harris 7-38, By'not'e 4-17, Cothran 3-11, Herbstreit 8-1. PASSING-Georgia, Zeier 21-31-0-242. Ohio State, Herbstreil 8-24-III0. RECEIVING Georgia, Hastings 8-113, Strong 3-20, Mitchell 2-39, Bohannon 2-29, Graham Elh-eridge 1-10, Thomas 1-13, Harvey 1-5, Hearst I-minus 2.

Ohio Slate, R. Smith 2-49, Stableln 2-31, Saunders 2-16, Beatty 1-8, Cothran 1-6. Georgia's Andre Hastings (1), who had 113 yards in receptions against Ohio State, and Garrison Hearst, who ran for 163, enjoy Friday's Citrus Bowl, which might have been their last game for the Bulldogs if theiwo opt for the NFL..