The Pittsburgh Press from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania • Page 66

D-2 Pittsburgh Press, Nov. 1, 1981 The Blount Truth: Mel's Still One Of The Best 'V 4. k' HE SAN FRANCISCO 49ers pose a different sort of test for the Steelers than the Houston Oilers or the Cincinnati Bengals, who came before them. Mel Blount will be ready, however, as he's been for 13 mostly star-studded sea- X's O's sons with the Steelers. "We have to take these games week by week," says Blount.

"We have to take everybody seriously and make sure we do our yfi pf A I Jr best every time we take the field. "I just hope beating Houston gives us the pnod momentum we and talks that way. His bearing tells you all you need to know about him. He's always been respected by the opposition. He has had breakdowns, of course, and been beaten for touchdown passes.

But Blount never hinted that he was perfect. Today, his task is to keep Dwight Clark and Freddie Solomon from catching too many passes. The 49ers flip-flop their wide receivers, but Blount will be covering Clark most of the time. Clark and Solomon are near the top of the statistical leaders for pass-catching in the NFC. They are the prime targets of the 49ers sensational young quarterback, Joe Montana, the pnde of Monongahela, Ringgold High School and Notre Dame University.

It's harder to chart the 49ers than the Oilers. They're not as predictable as the Houston team. And, at the moment they're much hotter. They have won five straight games and their 6-2 record is two games ahead of Los Angeles and Atlanta in the NFC West. "Against LA, they threw the ball a lot on first down," pointed out Widenhofer, after screening film on the 49ers.

"Against Green Bay, they ran it on the early downs. They vary their offense more, go with some gimmick plays, and it'll take a while for us to determine what they want to do." Widenhofer doesn't have to worry about Blount being ready. "Guvs like him and Donnie Shell don't even know what beer tastes like," he said. "They're like rocks. Mel is physically like a 25-year-old kid.

When he's concentrating, nobody beats him. If he could concentrate for 60 minutes, he'd be the best who's ever played the game at that position. As it is, he still comes pretty close. I wish we had a dozen like him." was close, you still had to respect Campbell." Some Houston sports writers were critical in the clubhouse of the Oilers' decision to have Campbell carry the ball so often since the Steelers were stopping him, limiting him to 15 yards on 10 carries in the first half, for instance. Blount didn't buy "That's the smartest thing to do when you've got a guy like Earl Campbell on the field," he said.

The sports columnist at Newsweek wanted to talk to Blount about the difference in the Steelers nowadays from when they ruled the league. As if that were so long ago. Blount recognized that attack, too, and buried it the way he had Campbell on those end sweeps. "We have the same kind of attitude today as we did then," said Blount coolly. "Even during our Super Bowl years, we lost games.

Maybe in those days we were ahead of the league. People studied us and copied us. We set a standard throughout the NFL. "But I don't think we're getting too old. If you watched the big plays, they were made by veterans.

There was Franco's big run to set up the go-ahead touchdown, and Terry Bradshaw and John Stallworth hooked up on the big touchdown pass, and, defensively, Jack Lambert made a lot of big plays. Being a veteran is just a state of mind, as far as I'm concerned." There isn't a Steeler who's in better shape physically than Blount who works hard on a year-round basis to keep his body hard and toned up. At 6-3, 205, he is still one of the most fearsome-looking Steelers. Blount is a proud individual who walks that I've ever seen," praised Perles. Blount always seemed to be there when Earl Campbell carried the ball to the left side.

Blount and Robin Cole combined to form a veritable wall there, frustrating Campbell just about every time he came their way. The Steelers have been so successful in containing Campbell, the best running back in the National Football League these last few years, and they did it again. "We knew basically the plays they wanted to run," observed Blount, as usual not making a big deal about his role. "Their quarterback, Ken Stabler, is a lefty, and they've had success running there. We were pretty well prepared.

We were getting good penetration into their backfield, and I had clear shots at Campbell several times." Woody Widenhofer, the defensive coordinator, who calls all the defensive formations from a booth high above the stadium, was eager to boast about Blount "That was the best he's played against the run since I've been here," said Widenhofer. "All week long, Mel was kinda in a hyper state, so I wasn't surprised by his play. "When he lined up on Ken Burrough in man coverage, he didn't allow Burrough to catch the ball once. Burrough caught it when he went the other way against zone I coverage. Mel enjoys playing Burrough because he respects him much alter all these years." The Steelers respected Campbell even more, though, and that's why they concentrated more on stopping him than they did Stabler's passing game.

As a result, Stabler had his best passing day of the first half of the season. need for the second By Jim O'Brien half of the season." Blount was a bit surprised last Monday night when he was among those who were awarded a game ball as testimony to their standout contributions in a 26-13 victory over the Oilers. After all, the 33-year-old Blount didn't come up with the milestone 50th career interception he is seeking. But his play at right cornerback did not go unnoticed by Chuck Noll and his staff. "Mel played well, particularly supporting the run," noted Noll.

"He forced things to the outside and jammed up the blocking. He does a lot of things well." George Perles, the defensive line coach, said he would have to see the film to determine bow well most of his charges performed, but he didn't have to go into a dark room to rate Blount's outing. "It was one of the best displays of support against the run by a cornerback MEL BLOUNT A proud part of the Steelers' success. "If we had scored the way we should have early in the game, and taken a 21-3 lead, it would have been a different game," said Widenhofer, coming to the defense of the secondary. "As long as it Myuu.1iw,imapM'11'1 Panthers Lucky In Surviving Boston College pHESTNUT HILL, Mass.

Boston hadn't seen (C anything like it since its historic tea party. For Pitt, the Panthers hadn't been harassed so much by a single individual since Eric Tipton kicked one of the late Jock Sutherland's immortal teams into anonymity. But the Panthers are still unbeaten, managing to survive one of the most frenetic comebacks, and near upsets, that a Pitt team ever has been subjected to. Long after this season is over, the fans who saw yesterday's 29-24 triumph over underdog Boston College Scoreboard will recall the name Doug Flutie, a reckless tyke who took unbelievable liberties with a defensive platoon that all of Boston had expected him to quail to. As the game unfolded, Flutie, a 5-10.

172-Dound freshman from nearby Natick, suddenly became a house-' hold word around Chestnut Hill, the well-heeled suburb which encloses Boston College. The fourth quarterback tried by a frustrated coach. Jack Bicknell, this season, the callow 19-year-old became an instant legend, ranking a shade ahead of, Dokes Blasts Toward Top; Chaplin Next By BILL NAAB As the Dynamite blasts off, remarks still permeate the explosive atmosphere. Mostly, the words describe the ultimate danger of Dynamite. George Chaplin and Mike Weaver, in particular, should heed caution.

Michael "Dynamite" Dokes's well-oiled chest and shoulders glisten as he tugs on a T-shirt, and his rumpled hair seems to do a salute to promoter Don King's electrifying hairdo. Once in the ring, Dokes fires his hands in and out and crouches and weaves. When his fists strike out, he unleashes the "oohs" and "uhs" more suitable to a blackbelt in karate. In between rounds at the Civic Arena afternoon training sessions, Dokes sometimes walks to one end of the ring and admonishes a few smart mouths. Now, he could listen to guys like Buddy Frazier all day.

The 6-3, 208-pound native of Akron respects the things Frazier has been saying as if he were the second coming of E.F. Hutton. "He may be the best fighter in the world today, and he's just 23," said Frazier, a local attorney who managed former heavyweight contender Mike Koranicki. "He's awesome; he does what he wants." Watching Dokes toy with sparring mates Tom "Roughhouse" Fisher of Dayton, Ohio, and Kelvin Whittle of Homewood, Frazier smiled and recalled his introduction to the World Boxing Council's second-ranked heavyweight. "He was 15 then," Frazier said.

"But you would have thought that he was the lawyer. He's a smart kid." Whittle continued flicking left jabs tentatively at Dokes, who appeared to be able to fire back at will. "See Whittle taking those body shots," Frazier noted. "He doesn't even flinch." Yanking his protective head gear off minutes later, Whittle was asked his opinion of Dokes. He quickly smiled, a few drops of blood dotting his lower lip, and said: "He'll be the champ of the world.

He just has to mature a little and he'll be in Larry Holmes's category." Dokes (22-0-1) considers Chaplin (16-4-2) just another step on his ladder. The two square off Friday night at the Arena on the undercard of the Larry Holmes-Renaldo Snipes heavyweight championship fight. Dokes then would like to climb into a title bout against World Boxing Association champion Mike Weaver, who has not responded to a $2 million offer for such a match. "If he faces Weaver, Dokes will beat him," Whittle said. "I'd lay odds on that.

"Weaver punches one at a time. He gets a man hurt and then sets to deliver another punch. Dokes keeps coming at you. He has a variety of combinations and moves well. He's a mix of a boxer and a puncher and fol- By Pat Livingston Sports (ditof Press Photo by Carol Morion with George Chaplin Friday at the Arena.

Michael "Dynamite" Dokes trains for bout Gloves and AAU tournaments. "Page isn't in the same class with me." Someday, though, Whittle expects Dokes and Page to hook up in the kind of duels reminiscent of Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier days. Page struggled to capture a pair of hard-fought decisions against Dokes's next foe. "I saw Chaplin fight Page on TV, and if Page had been in top shape, he would have killed him," the local heavyweight said. "Dokes will knock out Chaplin within six.

He doesn't have the techniques to compete with Dokes." Lewis added: "Page is no Dokes. And if Chaplin is banking on that, he's got a damn big problem. If Chaplin stands for 10 rounds, it'll be a month before he enjoys the money he gets in Pittsburgh." At the end of the day's workout, Dokes looked like a candidate for a wet T-shirt contest after pouring water over his head. Lewis snipped away the tape from his boxer's hands as Frazier strolled up to them, saying, "Remember, Michael, when you wore a derby hat when you fought here in 73? You beat a fighter from Charlie Daniels's club." Dokes, grinned boyishly, and replied, "I beat all the guys from Pittsburgh, Cleveland, New York, Kansas, wherever." Asked what he sees in his future, he said, "Millions." Ringside observers have been whispering the same kind of optimism. lows through; that's what it takes to knock a man out" Dokes has kayoed 12 of his 22 opponents, but hits harder today than when he first acquired the Dynamite nickname.

"I can hit hard and fast at the same time now," Dokes said. "If given the opportunity, I can knock out anyone. But I've gone back to what I'm really good at that's speed of hands, and I try to capitalize on that." When people used to question his punching power, he would accent that aspect and neglect the importance of speed and accuracy. "Speed makes his punching better," said former U.S. Olympic trainer Bobby Lewis, who has been working with Dokes for three years.

"He has helped me to improve my balance and look at what I'm good at, not just be a one-punch guy," Dokes said. "I got up to 217 and became too slow. I thought it would help my power, but it backfired on me. "I wasn't putting things together and letting it click for itself. But that's part of becoming mature, learning where you're most effective." A debate currently rages concerning whether Dokes or Greg Page rates as the world's best young heavyweight.

"People who like Page over me are talking with their hearts instead of their minds," said Dokes, a former runner-up and champion in both the national Golden W. Virginia Gets By East Carolina, 20-3 believe it or not Steve Grogan or Matt Cavanaugh. Flutie came that close to doing the impossible, upsetting the No. 2-ranked team in the country. And he would have, too, had it not been for a Panther defense that deserves all the accolades that have been hurled at it this season.

Facing every conceivable form of adversity in a wild-and-woolly fourth quarter, playing with their backs to the goal posts after a series of interceptions and fumbles put incredible pressure on a defense so young, Captain Sal Suhseri's remarkable platoon saved a season. Flutie, a drop-back passer, suddenly shifted his tactics and rolled out all over Alumni Stadium, as the Golden Eagles roared back from 29-10 a deficit that on another Saturday might have had them folding their tents and stealing away. Yesterday, Flutie ignited them. But the outcome for the Panthers was foreseeable. Right off, things went against Pitt.

Oh its second possession, a sophomore end named Steve Lubischer swarmed through Pitt's impenetrable protective wall to smother a punt by Dave Hepler. Once, when the Eagles were first-and-goal at the Panther 8 a situation that usually results in a field goal at most Kevin Benjamin danced merrily through a hole the likes of which Pitt's line hasn't opened up in seasons. Flutie completed passes while being banged to the turf. He escaped a wild rush time and again to hit receivers on the dead run. Once, when there was nothing else to do, he flipped the ball underhanded to one of his safety valves who took the Eagles deep into Pitt territory and turned the hair of Foge Fazio, the defensive coordinator, a couple of shades whiter.

In a period that was played exclusively in minus territory, the shadow of their own goal posts, the Panthers were guilty of every misdemeanor in which a football team might be indicted. Penalties, fumbles, interceptions, all of which the Johnny-on-the-spot Eagles might have turned to their own advantage, plagued Coach Jackie Sherrill's Panthers. People will say, of course, that Pitt was flat. But don't Sou believe it. It moved the ball well, when it was olding onto it, but Boston College played as it hadn't all season.

Yesterday, the Eagles were a coach's football team. When the chips were stacked against them, when another team might have given up the ghost, they came back at the Panthers with a pair of touchdowns, a couple of, passes by Flutie to Rob Rickard, that turned what was a dull, insufferable game to the Boston fans into a lively and boisterous one. And all of this, of course, speaks highly of the Panthers, particularly in those last 14 minutes when nothing went right for the offense. After the Eagles had pulled up to within five points at 29-24, the Panthers' defense showed its character. On their next two possessions, quarterback Danny Marino coughed up interceptions, one ot them bringing the ball down to Pitt's 8-yard line.

On another, Boston College got the ball at the 36. On a third occasion, it appeared that Marino might take the Panthers beyond midfield. Bryan Thomas fumbled, however, setting up a field-goal attempt after the Eagles had penetrated again inside the 10-yard line. Fortunately, as things turned out, John Cooper, a reliable kicker who was well within his range, missed it. But on each of these occasions, the Panthers stiffened, which is the mark of a winner.

It is also the mark of an undefeated football team that luck plays a major part in it. Yesterday, luck was riding on the Panthers' bandwagon. On another day, they might not be so lucky, so it is not wise, even for an avid Panther rooter, to figure they'll be undefeated going into the final game of the season. It is entirely possible that there is another Boston College, this one a shade more successful, lurking out there in the schedule. From then on, the game went according to script and West Virginia had clinched its first winning season since 1975.

MOUNTAIN-EARS Place-kicker Murat Tercan connected on two of three field goal attempts, one from 40 yards and another from 42, completing the WVU scoring East Carolina's Chuck Bushbeck, who suffers from Hodgkins Disease, kicked a 23-yard goal in the first quarter. Scouts from the Tangerine and Hall of Fame bowls were on hand. Despite their presence and a very real possibility of the Mountaineers going 9-2 this season, there is virtually no talk of bowls among the coaches, players or athletic department officials One rumor yesterday had WVU going to the Tangerine Bowl to face Florida State and former Mountaineer Coach Bobby Bowden. costly penalties prevented the Mountaineers (6-2) from securing a victory until only 3:40 remained in the game. That's when Luck took matters into his own hands and completed a 66-yard touchdown drive by keeping the ball on a rollout from the East -Carolina 7 and driving through two tacklers for the clinching points.

"I figured they were a wishbone team and their quarterbacks were doing a lot of running, so it was about time we did some, too," the smiling Rhodes Scholar candidate said facetiously. It wasn't the senior signal-caller's feet so much as his right arm that did the big damage to East Carolina (4-5). He completed 21 of 32 passes for 257 yards and one touchdown, boosting him past Dan Kendra for the WVU record in career passing yardage. Luck now has 4,983 yards compared to Kendra's old mark of 4,781. The effort also added to his total offense record, now at 5,382.

Nine of Luck's completions were to tight end Mark Raugh, who has jumped into the NCAA leaders in pass receptions. Last week against Penn State, Raugh tied the school record with 10 receptions and yesterday he grabbed nine more good for 90 yards. He now has 43 for the season, third best mark in West Virginia annals. The banged-up but scrappy Pirates from Greenville, N.C., were in range of pulling off a stunning upset until well into the final quarter but, as the Mountaineers learned against Pitt and Penn State, an underdog can't make mistakes. East Carolina made its share.

The first came in the opening series of the game when Jimmy Walden fumbled and WVU safety Tim Agee recovered at the 21. On the next play, Luck hit tailback Mickey Walczak with a swing pass out of the backfield and he followed a convoy of blockers down the left sideline into the end zone. "When that happened, I wasn't sure whether it was a good thing or not," Nehlen said. "Maybe it came too easy for us and we relaxed after that." Whatever, the Mountaineers had only a 10-3 lead in the third quarter when a poor punt by Paul Woodside gave East Carolina the ball on the WVU 35. The Pirates drovS to the WVU 9 where they had the ball first-and-goal.

Two running plays moved it to the 6. On third down, quarterback Greg Stewart threw to a wide-open John Felton deep in the end zone. The ball hit Felton right on the numbers but he dropped it Next came the play of the game for WVU fans. East Carolina, apparently readying for a field goal attempt, had its line in a muddle-huddle to the left of snapper Whitley Wilkerson. He side-centered the ball to Stefon Adams, who handed off to Walden on a reverse, but outside linebacker Jeff Seals had the play diagnosed and blew in untouched to spill Walden on the 15.

"We knew about that play because we had seen it on the films, so it didn't surprise us. In fact, (linebacker) Jeff Deem saw the center holding the ball kind of funny and he yelled, 'They're gonna run I came in from the left side and saw the handoff and just tackled the guy," Seals explained. By TERRY SHIELDS Press Sports Writer MORGANTOWN, W. Va. Before yesterday's game at Mountaineer Field, Steeler scout Art Rooney on hand to take a look at WVU quarterback Oliver Luck, was talking about what he felt was undeserved criticism by fans and media alike common to the Steelers and other teams expected to win football games.

"Sometimes I don't understand you guys (newspapermen). The mark of a good football team is being able to win even on a bad day," Rooney explained to a reporter. It remains to be seen how Rooney's favored Steelers fare today against San Francisco, but he was downright prophetic in dealing with West Virginia's situation. The Mountaineers stumbled through a less-than-inspiring performance to overcome a pesky East Carolina squad, 20-3, before 41,364 fans. "Last year if we would have played like we did today, we would have lost," WVU Coach Don Nehlen said.

"But good teams find a way to win games like that and that is what really impressed me about the team today. There was probably little else that could have impressed the second-year boss of the Mountaineers. Despite his offense rolling up 414 yards and the ever-reliable Luck setting yet another school record, West Virginia committed too many errors against a mediocre team that was missing 10 starters. The WVU miscues most notably three fumbles, all coming after sizable i gains on completed passes, and five" Sports On The Air RADIO TODAY Steelers vs. 49ers, 1 p.m.

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7, 10. Chiefs vs. Chargers, 4 p.m. 11..