The Akron Beacon Journal from Akron, Ohio • Page 30

D4 Akron Beacon Journal Monday, December 31, 1984 tuf: A lame-duck running hack' USC's Crutcher survives despite detractors "i 'Freddie's not the kind who's going to bust a lot of big plays, but he's one of the most determined runners I've ever seen. He doesn't give you any bad runs. He's not a dancer. He earns everything he USC coach Ted Tollner and south" not "east and west" behind the Trojans' famed "Student Body" left, and right plays. He's a slasher like White; Knight is a dodger like Allen or Simpson.

Physically, Crutcher is stumpy at 5-foot-10, 195 pounds. Knight is lithe at.fi; 1, 205 and with great speed. "There's no question," said "that Knight is going to be a great back) Our concern this year was that his pub licity had placed him under great sure and we didn't want to put him in tight situations. Not when we had a tough veteran like Crutcher. "But," added Tollner, indicating Ohio State may see a lot of Knight "Ryan responded well subbing for Freti when he was hurt.

He handled the presi sure and now he's got a season behinjj him, so he's not really a risk anymoreitt "I guess," said Knight, "if thereS one thing I've got to learn here it's to run straight ahead. I've always felt why run over someone if you can avoid hirg But USC has made a lot of tailbacks great by running right at people. I caj do that if needed." Crutcher, however, has an extra in centive in hoping to lead the Trojafgj past Ohio State. "I grew up two blocks from the Rose Bowl," he said. "I rial member parking cars there when I a kid.

Then I played there three times in high school games and was awed. And we lost all three games. "Then I came here and we've played! UCLA twice in the Rose Bowl. I was still awaed. We lost both games.

So I'm 0-5 in Rose Bowl It's time to! do something about that." Ohio State coach Earle Bruce is' wary of both Crutcher and Knight, de-; spite a Trojan offense that sometimes moved at a snail's pace this season. "They've got quite a 1-2 said Bruce. "They can blast you with! Crutcher- and then finesse you with Knight. They may not have gotten the publicity that Keith Byars did, but then! who did? We probably didn't face two tailbacks as good as they are all seasonJ "And they're both on the same team." Associated Press Aloha Bowl foes Bobby Collins (left), Gerry Faust got low ratings Several big names didn't make grade in coaching ratings to bust a lot of big plays," said USC coach Ted Tollner, "but he's one of the most determined runners I've ever seen. He doesn't give you any bad runs.

He's not a dancer. He earns everything he gets." Still, when Ryan Knight arrived on campus, USC's offensive linemen greeted him at a team meeting by dropping to their knees and bowing to him. Knight, subbing often for Crutcher this year, racked up a couple of 100-yard games and five touchdowns in gaining 485 yards. He is likely to get much playing time against Ohio State if for no other reason than to keep unhappy Trojan alumni off Tollner's back. Says Crutcher, "I let the public think what they want.

They don't know the inside of our football team. They can say anything they want as long as I'm playing. Sure, it bothered me when Ryan enrolled here amid all the publicity. But it just made me play harder." Knight is a Crutcher fan. "Fred is the perfect sportsman," Knight said.

"Most athletes I know would have gotten jealous with all the attention I've gotten. But he still always gives 100 percent. We're great friends off the field, and that just shows what kind of person he is." The difference between Knight and Crutcher that has stirred debate is that Crutcher has tailored his style to USC's power football aproach. He runs "north By Jack Patterson Beacon Journal staff writer PASADENA, Calif. Fred Crutcher is a survivor.

The Southern California tailback is like a fighter who always goes 15 rounds, never scores a knockout but just keeps punching and pays the price. When it's over, he leaves by the back door, licking his wounds, sans the adoring crowd. For this, Crutcher has been tagged "Four-yard Freddie" by USC fans. Crutcher hates the tag. His teammates treat him better.

They call him "Boom Boom." Says Crutcher, "Call me anything but Four-yard Freddie. It's demeaning." Over at Ohio State, which will challenge Crutcher here Tuesday in the Rose Bowl, they call All-America tailback Keith Byars "Brambell." It's a loving term because Byars, they say, reminds them a lot of a combination of Jim Brown and Earl Campbell. Byars also is a Heisman Trophy runner-up. Fred Crutcher? Well, he's only ninth on Southern Cal's all-time rushing list at a school that is famous for tailbacks. Forget the fact that ahead of him are four Heisman Trophy winners Charles White, Marcus Allen, O.J.

Simpson and Mike Garrett and there are 10 Ail-Americans behind him. Hey, there are many Trojan fans who say Four-yard Freddie shouldn't even be starting, despite his 1,129 yards and 10 touchdowns rushing this season. They say that freshman backup Ryan Knight, who once rushed for 501 yards in a high school game, is a better tailback right now. Crutcher's detractors say that he fumbles a lot, always seems to be hurting and is not a threat as a breakaway runner, thus giving Southern Cal a horse-and-buggy offense. A typical afternoon for Crutcher is the 116-yard, 35-carry performance he had when the Trojans clinched their Rose Bowl berth with a win over Washington.

He had no run longer than 8 yards but crashed over for two touchdowns that won the game. "Freddie's not the kind who's going Byars says he'll stay with OSU Continued from page Dl consider a pro offer and I really can't see that happening." The USFL will hold its draft in January and the New Jersey Generals own territorial draft rights to Ohio State players. The Generals have former Heisman winner Herschel Walker as their running star. "I don't think," said Ohio State coach Earl Bruce, "that many of the USFL teams are financially stable enough to offer what Byars would command. He isn't really that hot a ticket, either, around the country.

If he'd have won the Heisman, maybe it would be different." Talk of Byars' pro future has been only one of many distractions the big fellow from Dayton has had to face since the Heisman award ceremony, at which Boston College's Doug Flutie was named this year's winner. Byars missed three practice sessions for the Rose Bowl in Columbus while committed to banquet appearances. His every step since arriving here has been hounded by the media. Ohio State has done its best to shield Byars, but he admits he'll be glad when the game is on and the pregame harassment is over. "I just want to get the new year off to a good start," he said.

"I know the Rose Bowl won't count in next season's statistics, but I want to give the fans something to remember me by. I know Robbie Bosco, Bernie Kosar, Bo Jackson and Ken Davis want to do the same thing. Bosco (Brigham Young), Kosar (Miami), Jackson (Auburn) and Davis (Texas Christian) are considered Byars' top challengers for next year's Heisman Trophy, and all have played or will play in holiday bowl games. "Not winning the Heisman this year is going to make me work all the harder next season. I think I know now how Flutie felt when he finished second in the voting a year ago." Byars figures Southern Cal's great defense, particularly its line, which was eighth best nationally against the rush will pose his sternest test of the season.

"I'm guessing they are going to try and swarm me and force us to pass," said Byars. "But I like the challenge." Something definitely has to give Tuesday because Byars leads the nation with an average of 150 yards a game rushing, and USC has held foes to but 103 yards a game in that category. Southern Cal All-America linebacker Duane Bickett sums it up this way: "We're pitting our strength against their strength. When we had clinched the Rose Bowl and the Big Ten was still up for grabs, I was hoping Ohio State would make it because of the chance of going against a leading Heisman Trophy candidate and probably the winner next year." Byars, who led the nation with 24 touchdowns and 144 points, figures his all-purpose running abilities could be a vital cog in breaking up the Trojans game plan. "They've been easier to pass on," said Byars, "especially underneath to backs coming out of the backfield.

Tbey By Gary Shelton Knight-Ridder Newspapers MIAMI Oh, what programs they were. Pittsburgh, national champion 1976. Notre Dame, national champion 1977. Alabama, national champion, 1978-79. They were the giants.

The titans that played somewhere above the clouds, above the mere mortal teams of college football. And when they fell, it was a long, scary drop. Hello there, 1984. Pittsburgh is 3-7-1. Alabama ia 5-6.

It took a late rush for Notre Dame to finish 7-4 before losing to Southern Methodist in the Aloha Bowl. The meek have inherited the earth. Hello there, Foge Fazio, Ray Perkins and Gerry Faust. Certainly, there are reasons other than coaching why these three powerhouses have crumbled. But none of the three graded high in the Miami Herald's poll of college football coaches.

Perkins scored 66, Faust 58 y2 and Fazio 59 out of a possible 100 (Washington's Don James was first with a 90). The most prominent omissions from the top 10 were: DANNY FORD, Clemson (15th with 78 V2 points) Fond's biggest problem, of course, is off the field. His team spent two seasons on probation, leaving him with a 10 in the category (14 is average, 1 1 and below is failing) and just out of the top 10. Ford gets-strong grades in coaching, recruiting and winning. "Forget the ethics," said ABC's Beano Cook.

"People don't pay to see IQs." Clemson fans love his good-ol'-boy approach. He drives a pickup truck, chews tobacco and he's not afraid of a beer with a high school coach. BO SCHEMBECHLER, Michigan (19th with 76'A) No active coach in Division I has won as many games as Schembechler, and few stand any firmer on ethics and academics. But many in the Big Ten feel the 30-95 scholarship rule, and the improvement of coaching in the league in the last six years have shown some chinks in his armor. "Bo Schembechler is a good coach throughout the week," says Cook, "but he would do his team a favor if he'd stay at home on Saturday.

He's not a very good game-day coach, but then, not many (college coaches) are." Schembechler scored 12 in coaching, and scored 15 in winning despite indications that he is mellowing. He has left the Bluebonnet and Sugar bowls irked at the way he ignores schedules to which he earlier agreed. In the Bluebonnet Bowl three years ago, he argued with officials over the clock until the teams were marched back on the field for a field-goal try. After Michigan made it, and the teams again began to leave the field, Schem--bechler cut in front of UCLA coach Terry Donahue and flashed three fingers in front of Donahue's face. BOBBY COLLINS, Southern Methodist (20th with 76) Collins has recruited well, but how legal it has been remains the question.

SMU has been on probation, as has Southern Mississippi, Collins' former school. There are some who say it was less the fault of Collins than with overzealous boosters, a cry heard in every location where a school has gone on probation. Like Ford. Collins scored well in most other areas and would have broken into the top 10 if not for recruiting scandals. EARLE BRUCE, Ohio State (21st with 75) Bruce is a good recruiter, but he hasn't satisfied the Ohio State fans with his on-the-field coaching.

Critics say Bruce is a better coach when he doesn't have a superb running back, such as Keith Byars this year. Otherwise, they say, he leans too heavily upon his running back for his offense. Bruce's teams are not known for their improvement during the season. One loss that stilt stings to an Ohio State fan was a 23-20 defeat in 1982 to a Stanford team that would finish 5-6. The Buckeyes led 20-16 in the final minute and were moving downfield before Bruce ordered a pass instead of running out the clock.

The ball was intercepted and Stanford pulled out the game with a touchdown. (Bruce was rated with 14 points in coaching. 17 in recruiting. 14' in winning. 16 for off-the-field, and 14 for intangibles.) MIKE WHITE, Illinois (22nd with 75) Another who has turned around a program with recruiting that was good enough to bring in top players and questionable enough to leave the school on probation.

White lost a little ot his reputation as a coach who could adapt on the sideline last year when UCLA buried his team in the Rose Bowl. His team showed it could win the big one when it beat Michigan last year but returns enough players to be one of the teams to beat in 1985. BARRY SWITZER, Oklahoma (23rd with 74'A) Switzer leads the nation with an .830 winning percentage but. like Schembechler. hadn't won a big game in a while before downing Nebraska.

Until his team thrashed Pitt earlier this year, when Pitt was just beginning its slide. Oklahoma was 1-9-1 against top 20 teams the last three years. "People are just upset with says Cook. "Oklahoma is a tough place to win. They don't just want you to win.

they want you to cover (the spread) Out there they bet wells." After last year, the Sooners' third in a row with four losses. Swrtzer's job was on the line. He had tost three in a row to Nebraska and four ot five to Texas. There were more problems than on-the-field. The regents expressed concern with Swrtzer's business dealings, discipline of players, decorum of Switzer and his assistants and commitment to academics.

"tf you go by the record," said former Notre Dame coach Ara Parseghian. "he grades out real well. If you go by other things, it pretty checkered." LOU HOLTZ, Minnesota (26th with 73) About this story The Miami Herald set out to find the best Division I football coach in the country and determined it was Washington's Don James. To arrive at its ranking of the top 60 coaches (which appeared in Sunday's Beacon Journal) the Herald talked to 46 columnists and beat writers, former coaches Dan Devine and Ara Paraseghi-an, recuriting analysts Max Emfinger and Joe Terranova, Sports lllustrated's John Underwood and ABC-TV's Beano Cook. Coaches were rated on a 100-point scale, 20 points each in the following categories (a rating of 17 in a category is excellent, and 1 1 or below is failing) 1.

Coaching Being a sideline tactician is important, but it isn't everything. Can a coach move players to proper positions? Does he adjust during games? Does he have his team ready mentally and fundamentally? 2. Recruiting Recruiting well can solve a lot of other problems. Does a coach get blue-chippers? Does he get sleepers? Does he go out of state by want or necessity? Is the walk-on policy strong? 3. Winning The won-lost record is important, but so are the big games where the stakes are national titles, conference titles, rivalries and bowls.

Upsetting more opponents than vice versa also is important. 4. Off the field Coaches should be ethical in their recruiting and adamant in their efforts to see that players get a strong academic background and graduate. Players should be students and solid citizens. 5.

Intangibles Is the football program better off now than before the coach arrived? Does the coach represent the college well? Does the coach delegate responsibility well? Does his team play a quality schedule? Following James, the top 10 included Georgia's Vince Dooley, Penn State's Joe Paterno, Virginia's George Welsh, Nebraska's Tom Osborne, Louisville's Howard Schnellenberger, Florida State's Bobby Bowden, Auburn's Pat Dye, Brigham Young's LaVell Edwards and Texas' Fred Akers. Today, Herald reporter Gary Shelton looks at selected "big-name" coaches who weren't ranked so highly and some reasons why. Holtz has won only four games at Minnesota, but remember where he is. He was in contention for the conference coach of the year honor, which reaffirms his reputation as a good on-the-field coach. However, Holtz did not recruit well his final seasons at Arkansas, which led to the team's decline.

And some of his one-liners about the state weren't quite as funny when he wasn't winning as big as he had in the past. A newspaper report after Holtz left said the coach suffered from "depression, self-pity and erratic behavior" in his final months as Arkansas coach, and four times threatened to quit. Finally, the prospect seemed fine by the Razorbacks. JACKIE SHERRILL, Texas A (30th with 71) Once upon a time, Jackie Sherrill had three consecutive 11-1 seasons and a wealth of talent returning to his team at Pitt. But he was lured away by Texas A three years ago, and things haven't been as magical.

Sherrill has been criticized for his infatuation with the l-formation (there are those, former SMU coach Ron Meyer among them, who insist that it takes an option attack to win in the Southwest Cnference). Sherrill has also been criticized for shifting the blame to his assistants and for recruiting the best class in the conference for three years in a row but not transforming the success onto the field. JOHNNY MAJORS, Tennessee (34th with 69) Perhaps no coach has been hurt more by the 30-95 scholarship limit than Majors. When Majors took over at Pittsburgh, he was able to recruit as many athletes as he wanted. That paid off in 1976, when Pitt won the national title.

Majors hasn't been able to do similar things for Tennessee, his alma mater, however. Those close to the situation say Majors has not had the same recruiting success as he did at Pitt, and those he recruited do not seem fundamentally sound. He delegates authority well, but he has had constant turnover among his assistant coaches. One of biggest criticisms of Majors came from former academic adviser Alan Beals, who resigned because Majors continually tried to squeeze poor students into school. RAY PERKINS, Alabama (39th with 66) The Alabama program, the truth be known, started to decline in the final two seasons under Bear Bryant.

Perkins has not been able to stop the decline. No longer does Alabama own the state in recruiting. No longer is it the bully of the Southeastern Conference. No longer does it dominate the fouth period as it was once famous for doing. Perkins has also rubbed several Alabama supporters the wrong way with his abruptness, his play-calling and.

most of all. the further decay of the program. It has gotten to where he is criticized for almost everything. GERRY FAUST, Notre Dame (53rd with 59 'A) Although Faust has recruited well three consecutive years, and he has such people as Mai Moore (former offensive coordinator for Bryant) and Rick Lantz (former defensive coordinator tor Howard Schnellenberger) he hasn't won. "What concerns me are the simple fundamental errors that don't get corrected." said Parseghian, who has been a Faust supporter.

"They continually have handoff problems, deiay-of-game penalties, substitution problems. Those problems have recurred." FOGE FAZIO, Pitt (54th wtth 59) Another coach who is criticized for his failure to maintain a program's previous excellence. Injuries played a large part, but Pitt lacked the on-the-field flexibility most sohd teams have, leaving most to speculate that Fazio was of the Phil Bengtson mode, the great assistant who simply isn't a head coach. Pitt has been able to recruit well, although critics say not enough of an emphasis has been placed on wide receivers with speed. Much of the blame pointed at Fazio concerns his assistant coaches.

Keith Byars will be glad when hoopla is over and Rose Bowl begins IIP Associated Press are seniors," he said. "They've just been dying for four years to get herel Without them, I'm nothing, and being a junior, I just don't want to let them down now that they've attained their goal. "I think," Byars said, "that there isn't a better offensive line in the coun-: try than mine. I owe them something, now they're seniors, for all they've done for me this season. Hopefully, I can re-' pay them Tuesday." Byars knows that the Buckeyes will have to come up with some fantastic replacements in the line next season if he is to make a run again at the Heisman.

The heart of the running convoy will be gone with tackle Mark Krerowr icz, guard Jim Lachey, center Kirk Low-dermilk and guard Scott Zalenski play their final college game against the Trojans. "I guess I feel kinda like that confe. mercial," Byars said. "You know, the one that goes 'For all you've done, this one's for Well, as far as I'm concerned, 'This Rose Bowl's for team wins 2 more score in the second game as Akron de? feated Southern Mississippi 14-12. Joe Allegretto scored first, followed byV Brian Weighaus.

Conversion passes front Hale to Slanta and Allegretto, each good for one point, gave Akron its margin of victory. Akron was to face Georgia Southern today at 9:15 a.m. and, if it won, would face the winner of the Mississippi Statei Lamar game at 11:15 a.m. The championship game was scheduled for 3:15 p.m. The top two teams will play an exhibition during half time of the Sugar Bowl Tuesday.

really play back to guard against the big pass play." Byars led the nation in all-purpose running with 2,284 yards, 453 of it coming on pass receptions. He was Ohio State's second leading receiver with 37 catches and two touchdowns. Byars already holds the Big Ten regular-season rushing record with 1,655 yards and needs just 41 yards against the Trojans to break the total season record of 1,695 set by 2-time Heisman Trophy winner Archie Griffin of Ohio State in 1974. "We just haven't played against anyone like Keith Byars," said USC coach Ted Tollner. "We've played against a lot of fine backs, but when you watch films of Byars' performances against Iowa and Illinois, he really catches your eye.

"There are backs and then their are special backs," added Tollner. "Byars is something real special. He has the ability to run over people, even the strongest of people." Byars said he has a "good feeling" about the Rose Bowl. "Most of our key people, especially in our offensive lines, Akron flag football Special the Beacon Journal NEW ORLEANS The University of Akron's Arocom flag football team moved into the quarterfinal round of the national collegiate tournament at the University of New Orleans with two victories Sunday. John Hale passed for touchdowns to Scott Keglovic and Barry Roy to lead Akron to a 27-6 victory over the University of Central Connecticut in the first game.

Mike Hill scored from 5 yards out off a pitch from Larry Reeder to cap a 75-yard punt return, and Mark Slanta caught a pass from Roy to round out scoring. Hale and Roy each passed for a.