Albuquerque Journal from Albuquerque, New Mexico • Page 17

SPORTS Business 5-8 Wednesday, January 3, 1990 Albuquerque Journal Sportsline 8214800 Page 1, Section WAC Already Full of Surprises Coaches Having Tough Time Early in Season By Dennis Latta JOURNAL STAFF WRITER Here are the results from the media preseason poll taken in October (first-place votes in parentheses, and total points): 1. Texas-El Paso (26) 266 2. New Mexico (4) 243 3. Hawaii 193 4. Colorado State 174 5.

Wyoming 149 6. Brigham Young 105 7. Air Force 94 8. Utah 73 9. San Diego State 68 Rick Wright OF THE JOURNAL Decade's First Wild Prediction: Denver Will Lose New Year's resolutions, like records and Christmas toys, are made to be broken.

So why wait for the February rush? I hereby break both a New Year's resolution The WAC schedule opens with a game between the two teams that went to the NCAA tournament last year. Colorado State, which finished first during the 1988-89 season, plays at UTEP Thursday. The Miners were preseason favorites to win the league, but they've been struggling. UTEP got a real boost when point guard Joe Griffin became eligible. He has played in five games and has 37 assists.

He set a school record with 14 assists against Stephen F. Austin. With one obvious exception, December was a disappointing month for WAC teams: The only impressive victory was Colorado State's 78-67 victory over North Carolina. The Rams lost to Montana and Marshall early but have won five in a row. WAC teams had a combined record of 72-32 in pre-conference, not including Air Force at the University of Portland Tuesday night.

Mixed in this record are wins over Central Connecticut State (San Diego State), Humboldt State (Utah), Cal-State MORE: See WAC on PAGE C4 openers this week. Utah started the year with a new coach and in December got an even newer one. Rick Majerus, a man with a quick wit and too many extra pounds, underwent heart bypass surgery after having chest pains. Joe Cravens, a 35-year-old assistant coach, has taken over this season with Majerus expected back next season. "The foundation has been laid by Rick," said Cravens.

"There will be adjustments made. During the course of the game, I can't stop and think about what Rick might have done. "Rick has made it easy by saying that he didn't want to be looking over my shoulder," continued Cravens. "He kind of wants to be kept abreast of the program, but he doesn't want to know about the intricate things. Basically, he and I have switched positions for a year.

He'll do the recruiting and I'll do the coaching." The other new coach in the league, Roger Reid of Brigham Young, has a congenital hip problem and walking is painful for him. He is hoping to be able to wait until the end of the season to have corrective surgery. After just one month of the basketball season, the Western Athletic Conference already has two head coaches on the injured list and another one might join them. This already has been a tough season in the Western Athletic Conference. The unexpected has happened with a quiet Don "Bear" Haskins at Texas-El Paso and with Hawaii and Colorado State having the best pre-confercnce won-lost records.

Haskins had started his 29th season as the head coach of the Miners and handled the team until the last week of December. He had been fighting a sore throat for a few weeks and finally was told by doctors that he had to take some time off as a cure for his laryngitis. Haskins' top assistant, former New Mexico head coach Norm Ellenberger, took over the team. Haskins isn't even allowed to go to practice. UTEP athletic department officials say it's uncertain when Haskins will return, but it won't be for the WAC If the poll were taken today, these are what the results might be, with each team's current non-conference record.

1. Colorado State 10-2 2. Hawaii 11-2 3. New Mexico 8-4 4. Texas-El Paso 7-4 5.

Brigham Young 9-2 6. San Diego State 8-5 7. Wyoming 7-4 8. Utah 7-4 9. Air Force 5-5 Elected ChamBiom Hurricanes Win Closest Vote Since BYU's Title in 1984 The Top Twenty Five teams in the final 1989 Associated Press college football poll, with first-place votes in parentheses, season records and total points based on 25-24-23-22-21-20-19-18-17-16-15-14-13-12-11-10- 9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 and previous ranking: Record Pts Pvs THE ASSOCIATED PRESS 1.

Miami, Fla. (39) 2. Notre Dame (19) 3. Florida St. (2) 4.

Colorado 5. Tennessee 6. Auburn 7. Michigan 8. Southern Cal 9.

Alabama 10. Illinois 11. Nebraska 12. Clemson 13. Arkansas 14.

Houston 15. PennSt. 16. Michigan St. 17.

Pittsburgh 18. Virginia 19. Texas Tech 20. Texas 21. West Virginia 22.

Brigham Young .23. Washington 24. Ohio St. 25. Arizona 11- 1-0 1,474 2 12- 1-0 1,452 4 10- 2-0 1,384 5 11- 1-0 1,320 1 11-1-0 1,228 8 10-2-0 1,161 9 10-2-0 1,091 3 9- 2-1 1,067 12 10-2-0 1,029 7 10-2-0 1,019 11 10-2-0 860 6 10- 2-0 820 14 10-2-0 807 10 9-2-0 748 13 8-3-1 633 18 8-4-0 507 22 8- 3-1 478 23 10-3-0 455 15 9- 3-0 451 24 8-4-0 330 16 8-3-1 260 17 10-3-0 231 19 8-4-0 200 8-4-0 154 21 8-4-0 77 "There is no doubt in my mind that we're the best team in the country," Erickson said.

"Regardless of what anyone else says, we're No. 1." The Hurricanes (11-1) jumped from No. 2 to No. 1, Notre Dame (12-1) rose from fourth to second and Colorado (11-1) fell to No. 4 in voting by a nationwide panel of sports writers and broadcasters.

Miami received 39 first-place votes and 1,474 points, with Notre Dame getting 19 first-place votes and 1,452 points. The other two first-place votes went to No. 3 Florida State, the only team to beat Miami this season. The 22-point margin was the second closest since the AP began its postseason poll in 1968. Brigham Young edged Washington by 20 points at the end of the 1984 season.

Miami also was chosen No. 1 in United Press International's coaches' poll, and MORE: See MIAMI on PAGE C4 -i ArT' I'd' Dennis Erickson has no doubt that his Miami Hurricanes are the best team in the country. Lou Holtz has plenty of doubt. In an emotional statement that is bound to renew debate over a playoff system, the Notre Dame coach questioned the choice of Miami as the national champion in Tuesday's final Associated Press poll. "You can justify why Miami won it.

What you can't justify is why we didn't," Holtz said. "We played the toughest schedule, we had the best record and we beat the No. 1 team quite decisively." Miami won its third national championship in the last seven years by beating Alabama, 33-25, in the Sugar Bowl on Monday night Notre Dame defeated top-ranked Colorado, 21-6, in the Orange Bowl and also finished with one loss, but voters picked Miami because the Hurricanes beat the Irish, 27-10, on Nov. 25. and a personal record (for quickest breaking of a New Year's resolution) with my first wild, barely supportable prediction of 1990.

To wit: the Pittsburgh Steelers will beat the Denver Broncos on Sunday. Too much egg nog? Maybe. Do I really believe it, or am I just trying to make trouble? I'm not sure. And remember, this comes from the same source that told you Steve Walsh would beat out Troy Aikman in Dallas. Still, I've watched the Broncos all year.

I've noted Leir improved defense and beefed-up running game. But I'm sorry, I still don't see a Super Bowl team. What I saw most of the season was the best of a mediocre AFC lot. But in the past month-and-a-half, the Broncos seem to have sunk to the level of the pack. Out of that pack come the Steelers, a playoff team only through the good graces of underachievers like the Cincinnati Bengals.

The Broncos, of course, will be a healthy favorite. Yes, they have the better season record. Yes, they beat the Steelers, 34-7, just two months ago. Yes, they're playing at Mile High Stadium, where Denver is 8-1 lifetime in the playoffs. Yet, every time I think about Sunday's matchup, I remember the one home playoff game the Broncos lost to the Steelers in 1984.

The situations are eerily similar. Back then, the Broncos entered the playoffs with the AFC's best regular-season record and the homefield advantage. They had John Elway and one of the NFL's best defenses. And they had the apparent good fortune to be playing the Steelers, who were 9-7 and highly suspect. The '84 Steelers were quarterbacked by Mark Malone, who might have been able to spell "cat" without being spotted any letters but who otherwise compared unfavorably to Terry Bradshaw.

Their running backs were Frank Pollard and Walter Abercrombie, who, combined, didn't add up to one Franco Harris. Most people felt that team had gone as far as their pretty decent defense (led by ex-Lobo Robin Cole) and two fine wide receivers (John Stallworth and Louis Lipps) could take them. But the Steelers upset the Broncos, 24-17. Five years later, they may do it again. And the script could be very much the same.

Running behind powerful blocking on that unseasonably warm day, Pollard and Abercrombie (now it's Tim Worley and Merril Hoge) combined for 165 yards at five yards a pop. When Denver tried to shut down the run by inching free safety Steve Foley (Steve Atwater) closer to the line of scrimmage, Malone (Bubby Brister) took advantage of single coverage on Lipps (Lipps). Meanwhile, Cole and the Pittsburgh defense held the Broncos to 51 fyardsVushing and intercepted two Elway passes. The result? Victory for Pittsburgh, elimination for Denver. There are, of courses, differences as well as similarities.

The Broncos didn't have Bobby Humphrey in '84 (though Sammy Winder had the best year of his career). Elway was just a second-year quarterback, Dan Reeves but a third-year head coach. Then again, consider the Steelers' record in the regular season's last six weeks (5-1). Consider the Broncos' (3-3). Consider Hoge's 17-rush, 100-yard day against Houston.

Consider that the Steelers are blocking and tackling as well as anyone in the conference. Will the Broncos physically dominate Pittsburgh, as they did on Nov. Doubtful. Craig Erickson celebrates. Upset Over Poll Results Irish Coach Bases Case on Schedule Difficulty THE ASSOCIATED PRESS ours was this year." The Irish have one change in their 1990 schedule they drop Southern Methodist and pick up Tennessee.

Notre Dame plays Miami Oct 20 in South Bend. "It'll be a great game," he said. "You'll see an emotional team." Holtz will lose three assistant coaches who took head coaching jobs elsewhere, including defensive coordinator Barry Alvarez, the new coach at Wisconsin. The Irish also will lose quarterback Tony Rice, but three Ail-Americans return nose tackle Chris Zorich, cornerback Todd Lyght and flanker Raghib "Rocket" Ismail, the most valuable player in the Orange BowL Contrary to repeated rumors, Holtz said, he has never thought about resigning. Holtz said he was disappointed but not bitter about the outcome of the poll.

"To get this close and feel you had a legitimate reason to be No. 1 is exceptionally disappointing," he said. "But hey, my wife told me 'no' once when I asked her to marry me. You get over those disappointments." What changed his wife's mind? "It wasn't a poll," Holtz said. top two independents in the East" Notre Dame knocked Colorado out of the No.

1 spot with a 21-6 victory Monday night in the Orange Bowl. Miami climbed from second to first by beating Alabama 33-25 in the Sugar BowL That, and a 27-10 victory over Notre Dame on Nov. 25, was what earned Miami the national championship. When asked if Notre Dame is better than Miami, Holtz said, "There isn't any best team. It's who did the best against the toughest schedule over the period of time.

"Who accomplished the most in 1989? That's how I look at it." Holtz declined to say whether he now supports a playoff system that would take the decision about the national champion out of the hands of the sports writers and broadcasters who vote in the AP polL "I really don't know," Holtz said. He later said the national championship "should be determined by computer." Under the current system, ins tough schedule the Irish play doesn't pay, Holtz said. "It's just Notre Dame's way of doing things," he said. "I don't think any team has ever played a schedule as difficult as MIAMI Shortly after learning his team came up short in its bid for a second consecutive national championship, Notre Dame coach Lou Holtz asked for a glass of water so he could take some aspirin. Holtz appeared stunned Tuesday morning when informed that the Fighting Irish (12-1) had finished second to Miami (11-1) in the final Associated Press poll.

The Hurricanes received 39 first-place votes to 19 for Notre Dame. "It's very depressing," Holtz said at a news conference. "I wear my feelings very poorly." Miami beat Notre Dame, 27-10, on Nov. 25, but Holtz said the Fighting Irish still deserved to be No. 1 because they had the nation's best record and played the toughest schedule ever.

"I want somebody to justify, why they didn't pick us," Holtz said. "Doggonit, we played nine teams that were in a bowL We played everybody when they were at an emotional peak. We the ACC champ, we beat the Big Ten champ, we beat the Pac-10 champ, we beat the Big Eight champ and we beat the THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Notre Dame coach Lou Holtz believes his 12-1 team should have been voted No. 1 after it faced nine bowl participants this season. AP Names Montana I -e' San Francisco Quarterback Also Voted Top Offensive Player THE ASSOCIATED PRESS So the Broncos' fate may once again rest with Elway, who failed to deliver (throwing a fatal interception that set up Pittsburgh's winning touchdown) in '84 after guiding Denver to several comeback victories during the regular season.

This year, Elway's late-game heroics have been missing. But if he can regain his touch in the playoffs, the Broncos may indeed return to the Super Bowl. Still, it says here: Steelers 24, Broncos 17 again. You can take it to the savings and loan. Rick Wright's column appears Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays in the Albuquerque Journal 0 INSIDE SPORTS CZ3 Aggies Win at Buzzer Randy Brown's last-second basket helped New Mexico State to a 71-69 win over Fresno State in the Big West Conference opener for both clubs on Tuesday night.

The Aggies are scheduled to meet Pacific Thursday night, then play host to lOth-ranked Nevada-Las Vegas Monday night. Page C4. At? SI" 1 yi is preparing for Saturday's home playoff game with Minnesota. "There were a lot of players around the league who had good seasons, and to be singled out is rewarding. "These types of awards are always unexpected It's a personal award, but it is also a team award.

This award also means our team had a good season, which is the most important thing." The 49ers, the NFL leader in total offense in 1987 and 1989 and second last season, have monopolized the Offensive Player honors for three years. Jerry Rice was MVP and Offensive Player in 1987 and Roger Craig the Offensive Player in 1989. Rice was a distant runner-up for Offensive Player this year. Montana had 50V2 votes to 8 for Rice. Majkowski had 6 and Kansas City running back Christian Okoye had 2Vj.

and a career-low eight interceptions, also won the AP's Offensive Player of the Year award. In balloting by a national media panel, Montana received 62 votes for MVP. Green Bay quarterback Don Majkowski was second with 6. The only other vote-getter was Minnesota defensive tackle Keith Millard, with 2. Montana, the all-time NFL leader in quarterback rating (94.0) and completion percentage (63.9 percent), is a two-time Super Bowl MVP and was an overwhelming choice this fall as AP Pro Football Player of the Decade.

But despite six selections to the Pro Bowl, five as the NFC starter, and an NFL passing title in 1987, he had never been the league MVP. "It's a great honor," Montana said at the 49ers' camp in Santa Clara, where the team SAN FRANCISCO Joe Montana, who raised his career to new heights in 1989 with the best all-around passing year in league history, added a new honor Tuesday when he was named NFL Most Valuable Player by The Associated Press. Three years after undergoing major back surgery and a year after his starting job was put up for grabs by Bill Walsh, Montana, 33, guided the San Francisco 49ers to four fourth-quarter comeback wins and the league's best record (14-2). He had a sixth season of passing yards, tying Dan Fouts' league record, and at one point threw 150 passes without an interception. Montana, completing a near-record 70.2 percent of his passes for 26 touchdowns -1- THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Joe Montana NFL's Most Valuable Player.