St. Louis Post-Dispatch from St. Louis, Missouri • Page 52

5 OCT' "6 1991 SFSPORTS ST LOUIS POST-DISPATCH SUNDAY, OCTOBER 6,1991 COLLEGE FOOTBALL II Dados Rainbow's End At Faurot? ti oi I- By Tom Wheatley Of the Post-Dispatch Staff COLUMBIA, Mo. Not one, not two, but three rainbows appeared beyond the scoreboard in the second half Saturday at rain-soaked Faurot Field. Two of the rainbows appeared simultaneously in Mizzou's 33-21 victory over Memphis State. "One of them definitely had a black and gold streak in it," said Haskell Monroe, chancellor of the University of Missouri. Monroe's academic background is history, not optics.

As omens go, the triple rainbow with or without Mizzou's school colors may be no more reliable than Nancy Reagan's astrologers. The victory gave Mizzou its best start since 1982, 2-1-1. The 31-7 halftime lead was certainly a welcome. In the press box, retired Mizzou sports information director Bill Callahan had a question for his successor, Bob Brendel. "When's the last time you felt this comfort- start to his third year at Mizzou had been winless? "We might be," Stull said, "but we wouldn't feel like it and you wouldn't be writing that we were." As a matter of historical fact, Stull's staff put a lot of importance on a good non-league start "The coaches were stressing that Missouri hadn't had a winning non-conference record in awhile," said freshman cornerback Javan Lenhardt, who had two interceptions.

"It meant a lot to us." The Tigers want to feel good about themselves, but not too good. They start this year's stroll down the Big Eight gauntlet Saturday at defending national champion Colorado. "We can't get overconfident," Lenhardt said. "We beat Illinois. Then we went to Baylor and got overconfident, and they put a whup-ping on us.

"We still haven't played four quarters of hard-nosed football. Like today, they kicked our butt ln the second half." Memphis State also kicked Mizzou around in able with a halftime lead?" Callahan asked his protege. "I don't know," Brendel said, "but you were still working here." As it turned out, the Tigers were still scuffling in the late stages of the second half to hold onto that lead. Factor in the dropped pass in the end zone by Illinois that would have beaten the Tigers. Then remember the controversial two-point conversion run by Mizzou quarterback Phil Johnson that salvaged a tie with Indiana.

The Tigers easily could be 1-3 instead of 2-1- 1. Mizzou coach Bob Stull was more than happy to look at the sky over his program and see rainbows at one end while ignoring the gray clouds at the other end. "We've only lost one game," Stull said. "Before the season, some of you reporters asked me, 'You guys could be 0 and 4 and be a better football team, couldn't "That was asked by a lot of you people." Would his team be more improved if this the first quarter to win three-fourths of the game. Optimism was the operative word in the Mizzou interview room.

"We're upbeat," said senior safety Brad Scrivner. "You have to be. We need to focus on the positives. There's negatives with winning and negatives with losing, and there's positives from losing, if you learn from your mistakes. "Yeah, there are negatives today, but we have to focus on the positives." As quarterback Phil Johnson said, "Our goal is to have a winning season.

If we're l-and-3 now, we have to play catchup and beat one of those teams like Oklahoma and Nebraska." Instead, Mizzou has four Big Eight rivals who are certainly beatable Kansas State, Kansas, Oklahoma State and Iowa State. A sweep of that Gang of Four would give Mizzou a record of at least 6-4-1 and a shot at a minor bowl. One reason that Mizzou has not had a winner since 1983 is that past teams got giddy at such speculation and failed to deliver. "This is a totally different team," said Junior tailback Ronnell Kayhill. "We've come together.

We realize the potential we have in our team." Kayhill has a rebuttal for skeptics, burned by false signs of past optimism, who say only lucky breaks stand between Mizzou and a 1-3 record. "We've got some breaks," Kayhill said. "But I think that comes with how hard we work, and it shows how far we've come. When you do that, you're going to get some breaks." Stull was asked to capsulize what he likes and dislikes about the non-league portion of the 1991 program. "I like the way we compete and the attitude of our kids," Stull said.

"But we're still not executing on a consistent basis on both sides of the ball." The bottom line on Saturday's game? "A win's still a win," Stull said. And 2-1-1 is still 2-1-1. It wasn't long ago that two wins at Mizzou were an entire season's output. tl I MIZZOU NOTEBOOK Lenhardt Has Answer To Taunts Petrus' TD Catch Came On Uncalled Pass By Johnson By Vahe Gregorian Of the Post-Dispatch Staff COLUMBIA, Mo. The most illustrious moment of the football career of the University of Missouri's Bob Petrus, a lineman by trade, wasn't exactly by design.

On a feathery pass from quarterback Phil Johnson, Petrus scored Mizzou's first touchdown in its 31-21 victory Saturday over Memphis State at Faurot Field. The wrinkle? "All week, even if he was wide open, offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter said, 'Don't ever throw it to said Johnson, who was supposed to run on the play, a bootleg on fourth down at the Memphis State 1-yard line. "But the corner back came up, and the only thing I could do was throw it to him. "He was wide open, and I tried to make it as soft as I could." As Johnson held his breath, the ball floated to Petrus, a junior out of CBC. If it seemed like a long time to Johnson, it was an eternity to Petrus, who said he had caught the ball both times they had practiced the play.

"It felt like it was in slow motion," Petrus said, laughing. Only one thing flashed through his mind. "Catch the ball, catch the ball," he said. Ever-so-gently, Petrus, who said he had "scooted out the side door" unnoticed, held on. It was the first touchdown he had scored since he began his career at age 12 with the Florissant Raiders.

Mizzou coach Bob Stull was asked why he didn't perhaps save such sleight-of-hand for a more desperate time. "Listen, we don't save anything," Stull said, smiling. "We're trying to score anyway we can. Every game's Death Valley for us." It might have been Death Valley for Johnson had Petrus not caught the ball. "I was just thinking, 'I hope he catches it or I'm going to get a Johnson said.

1 "I wasn't sure what happened," said senior offensive tackle Russ "The Bus" McCullough," whose back was turned. "I thought somebody must have fumbled and that he picked it up. I can't believe they threw it to him. "People really don't take tight ends like that seriously. They come out there with hand pads.

I guess that's why he was so open." I Li 'Lt By Vahe Gregorian Of the Post-Dispatch Staff COLUMBIA, Mo. Freshman corner-back Javan Lenhardt, playing in place of injured junior Maurice Benson, continues to show remarkable poise. "I don't think he realized that he was a freshman the first day he got here," MU coach Bob Stull said. "He didn't act like it. He has a lot of self-confidence." That self-confidence was evident again in Saturday's 31-21 victory over Memphis State.

Lenhardt had two of Mizzou's five interceptions, despite apparently being taunted by Memphis State receivers Russell Jones and John Bush. "A couple times they were saying, 'We're going to welcome you to college Lenhardt said. What was Lenhardt's response? "I guess I answered it with the two said Lenhardt. Missouri's 31 -point second quarter tied a school record for most points scored in a quarter. That total was achieved in the fourth quarter of MU's 45-15 victory over San Diego State in the 1979 opener.

Memphis State's Mac Cody, a freshman from Vashon High, had one reception for 7 yards and rushed twice for 44 yards on reverses. One of those was for 41 yards, and Memphis State ran reverses first 19 plays. "The reverse killed us early in the game," Stull said. With reason, Cody said. "Baylor was the only team that ran the reverse against them, and that went for 20 yards," Cody said.

"We thought we'd run a few reverses and maybe throw a reverse pass, but we didn't need to because they never stopped the reverse." James A. finleyAP Missouri quarterback Phil Johnson scrambling for a loose football with Memphis State's Danton Barto during the first quarter. Missouri recovered the ball. ILLINI NOTEBOOK MEMPHIS ST. MISSOURI 7 0 0 14-21 0 31 0 0-31 Mizzou FIRST QUARTER MEMPHIS ST.

Crawford 1 run (Allison kick), 7:10. SECOND QUARTER TIGERS Jacke 40 FG, 13:44 TIGERS Petrus 1 pass from Johnson (Jacke kick), 10:30 TIGERS Washington 1 run (Jacke kick), 4:50 TIGERS Washington 1 run (Jacke kick), 4:03 TIGERS Kayhill 3 run (Jacke kick), 2:39. FOURTH QUARTER MEMPHIS ST. Safety, Johnson tackled in end zone, 10:46 MEMPHIS ST. Bosby 1 run (run failed), 3:33 MEMPHIS ST.

Crawford 3 run (run failed). A 42,925. bootleg duped Memphis State defenders. In deliberate fashion, Petrus cradled the soft pass for the touchdown. "Fat man's dream," Stull said, laughing.

After the conversion, MU led 10-7. After forcing a Memphis State punt, MU drove 55 yards to make it 17-7 on a 1-yard run by Washington, the first touchdown of his career. The score was set up by Ronnell Kayhill's 1-yard run on fourth and 1 at the Memphis State 7 MU's third successful conversion of a fourth-down play in its first three scoring drives. Mizzou's next points weren't as difficult to negotiate. True freshman Javan Lenhardt, making his second start in place of injured junior Maurice Benson, intercepted a Benton pass and returned it 21 yards to the Memphis State 3.

Two plays later, Washington scored from a yard out, making it 24-7. That gave MU two touchdowns in 47 seconds, and it took MU just 84 seconds to score again. Kayhill's 3-yard run culminated the four-play drive set up after MU sophomore cornerback Jason Oliver grabbed out of the air a fumble by Memphis State's Xavier Crawford. The fumble, caused by MU senior safety Sharron Washington, set up MU's 31-7 halftime lead. Despite setting the tone, though, Missouri accomplished little in the second half.

In the half, MU had just 50 yards offense and never got farther than the Memphis State 41. "In the second half, we kind of shut down the factory with the big lead we had," said sophomore quarterback Phil Johnson, who completed 20 of 31 passes and was dropped for a fourth-quarter safety. TEAM STATISTICS Memphis St. From page one opportunity. Reiner's interception, the second of his careeer, gave Missouri possession at the Memphis State 36.

But after Mizzou moved to the Memphis State 10, freshman Joe Freeman was inserted and fumbled what was his second career carry. "He lined up the wrong way and just took the ball," said an amused Stull, who added that Freeman and sophomore Michael Washington had transposed their alignments. But obliging Memphis State senior quarterback Keith Benton, who threw all five interceptions, threw to the wrong Tiger team for the second time. Junior Jermaine Wilkins' interception was converted into a 40-yard field goal by junior Jeff Jacke, making it 7-3 with 13:44 to play in the second quarter. Time for Memphis State's next miscue a Jeff Buffaloe punt blocked by Mizzou junior Marcus Martin, who charged up the middle and apparently absorbed the ball cleanly.

"In my astonishment, I really didn't know what I did at first," said Martin adding, "I've got 'Wilson' right across my stomach," a reference to the name on the ball. That set the stage for an unlikely spotlight on Bob Petrus, a 6-foot-5, 265-pound junior from CBC who normally is tucked away on the offensive line. On fourth and goal at the 1, Petrus lined up at tight end and was left unattended in the corner as Johnson's First downs 18 6-18-33 Tigers 12 4-18-22 345 82 51-80 165 64 31-20-165 0-0 3-2 6-64 34:03 Third down efficiency Total net yards Total offensive plays Rushes-yards Passing yards Total return yards Passes Sacks-yards lost Punts Fumbles-lost Penalties-yards Time of possession 357 79 45-243 114 3 9-34-5 2-13 5-1 8-45 25:57 INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS RUSHING lllini Howard, Poloskey Pull Sharp Efforts Out Of Their Sacks By John Sonderegger Of the Post-Dispatch Staff CHAMPAIGN, 111. Freshman linebacker Dana Howard came of age Saturday for the Illinois football team. "Dana played very well," lllini coach John Mackovic said.

"He's a heavy hitter and he is improving against the pass." Indeed. Howard, from East St. Louis, had 14 tackles, a season-high for Illinois. Thirteen of his stops were solo tackles, and two of them went for lost yardage. He also broke up two passes.

"This was my most active college game," Howard said. "I try to get around." Howard wasn't the only Illinois defender to shine in Saturday's 24-3 victory over Minnesota. Mike Poloskey, the Big Ten's leader in sacks, added two more. He now has nine sacks for 35 lost yards against opposing quarterbacks. Julyon Brown, a senior linebacker from East St.

Louis, came up with his first interception of the season. He has three in his Illinois career. And freshman cornerback Robert Crump-ton (Hazelwood Central) made three tackles and broke up one pass, which he probably should have intercepted in the first quarter. Defensively, the game was a confidence-builder for Illinois, which lost nine of 11 starters from last year's team. The performance should be tempered, however.

Minnesota has scored only three touchdowns this season, and its offense has produced only one TD in the last 13 quarters. "I don't know what the problem is," said receiver Keswic Joiner, who was one of the only productive Gophers with four receptions for 66 yards on Saturday. "If I knew what the problem was, there wouldn't be a problem," he added. "The problem is points. We don't score any." lllini fullback Kameno Bell never before had lined up as a punt returner in a game before Saturday.

He was told on Friday that he would be returning punts. Illinois decided to use two deep men as kick returners because of the wind. Bell was back with regular punt returner Filmel Johnson, and six of the seven Minnesota punts came his way. "When I was a freshman in 1987, 1 was a backup punt returner, but the only time I practiced it was in the pregame drills," he said. He did more than OK Saturday.

He returned the punts for 66 yards. Next Saturday's game against Ohio State will be televised by ABC-TV, so the starting time will be moved to 2:30 p.m. As a result, Illinois will have been featured on national television in four of its first five games. Only the game at Missouri was not televised. Memphis St.

Aft. Yds. Avg. Lo TD Benton 6 39 6.5 27 0 Cole 2 32 16.0 30 0 Jones 3 53 17.7 24 0 Cody 2 44 22.0 41 0 Bosby 8 18 2.3 6 1 Crawford 12 46 3.8 14 2 Porter 12 11 0.9 5 0 Tigers Att. Yds.

Avg. Lg TD Freeman 4 13 3.3 5 0 VanZant 5 13 2.6 8 0 Johnson 5 -20 0 0 Kayhill 18 43 2.4 5 1 Plunkett 1 -37 0 0 Madison 1 3 3.0 3 0 Washington 17 65 3.8 16 2 PASSING Memphis St. Art. Comp Yds. Int.

TD Benton 18 5 48 5 0 Cole 16 4 66 0 0 Tigers Att. Comp Yds. Int. TD Johnson 31 20 165 0 1 RECEIVING Memphis St. No.

Yds. Lg TD Bush 1 12 12 0 Bouldin 2 17 12 0 Jones 2 25 13 0 Cody 17 7 0 Crawford 3 53 37 0 Tigers No. Yds. Lg TD Leach 5 31 15 0 Dunn 3 44 22 0 Kayhill 4 15 11 0 Hall 1 11 11 0 Holly 15 5 0 Chamberlain 5 58 23 0 Petrus 1111 PUNTING Memphis St. No.

Avg. Lg Buffaloe 5 29.6 41 Tigers No. Avg. Lg Plunkett 7 32.7 46 PUNT RETURNS Memphis St. No.

Yds. Lg TD Robinson 3 3 4 0 Tigers No. Yds. Lg TD Chamberlain 3 13 8 0 KICKOFF RETURNS Memphis St. No.

Yds. Lg TD Crawford 5 163 64 0 Tigers' No. Yds. Lg TD Oliver 1 15 15 0 MISSED FIELD GOALS None. Gophers got inside the Illinois 39 only once on Saturday.

The Gophers got their field goal out of that thrust in the second quarter, and they would have been denied that had it not been for a 15-yard personal-foul penalty against free safety Marlon Primous, an infraction that moved the ball from midfield to the Illinois 36. Aaron Piepkorn kicked a 38-yard field goal with 37 seconds left in the half. But Illinois led 10-3, on a 28-yard field goal by Chris Richardson in the first quarter and Feagin's 5-yard run in the second quarter capping a 98-yard drive into the wind. The key play in the game occurred on that drive. Illinois led 3-0, had the ball at its 44 and it was fourth-and-1.

There were more than 7 minutes left in the first half. "I just thought we could make it," Mackovic said. Verduzco said the lllini offensive line was handling the Minnesota defensive line throughout the game and that that boosted their confidence on the play. "We were trying to get a little momentum and keep the ball," Mackovic said. "It was an important play for us to get, and it was a sweep so everyone had to do his job." It was a pitch back to Feagin, who broke one tackle and fought his way to the first down.

That kept the 15-play, six-minute drive alive. Illinois added two fourth-quarter touchdowns on runs of 1 and 9 yards by Bell, and the lllini were safely into the Big Ten season at 1-0. "All in all, I think it was a solid game for us, a good way to get started in the conference," Mackovic said. "This is the first week, and five teams are going to be 1-0 and five are going to be 0-1. So we're in first place, and I don't believe anyone picked us to be first.

We're going to enjoy that." For one week, at least. Ohio State (4-0 and 1-0) comes calling next Saturday. From page one 45 yards on nine carries and scored the other rushing touchdown. Bell also caught seven passes for 72 yards, most of them short tosses that he turned into long gains with his shake-and-bake moves on linebackers. "I caught a couple of flares where I was the primary receiver, but I was a secondary receiver on most of them," Bell said.

"I was open all of the time. It didn't seem like they respected our backs as receivers." Bell added 51 yards on six punt returns, so he had a total offensive output of 208 yards. For his part, Verduzco said he was more than happy to have another offensive player take some of the limelight. But Mackovic wasn't unhappy with the play of his quarterback. "I thought under the circumstances, he did what we could expect in a game like this," Mackovic said.

"He had a good game with the wind blowing like it was." Verduzco, who wasn't sharp with his passes, was asked how he would grade his performance. "I could have done some things a little better," he said. "But in my role of getting the offense going and moving up and down the field, I think I did all right. As long as we win, that's my grade." When the offense is grounded, as it will be at times in the Big Ten season, Mackovic said it was imperative for the type of defensive effort that the lllini came up with Saturday. "As much as anything, the Big Ten is a defensive conference," he said.

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