Florida Today from Cocoa, Florida • Page 25

FLORIDA TODAY, Saturday, January 2, 1988 7C By John Donovan FLORIDA TODAY Sentinels (114) TEMPE, Ariz. Nebraska blew several great chances to win the Fiesta Bowl and at least gain partial redemption Friday for its loss to Oklahoma last month. 40. Tech. .16 44 East Carolina 3 41 Memphis State 31 Michigan State.

.3 25... Miami 61 So.Miss....,....10 32 9 73. .14 34 6 41 Furman 10 28 .......14 31 Nebraska 28 And Florida State capitalized and completed its greatest season in history with a dramatic victory. The No. 3-ranked Seminoles climaxed a 97-yard drive late in the fourth quarter with a fourth-down, 15-yard touchdown pass to slip by the Cornhuskers 31-28 in yard sideline pass to tailback Dexter Carter, which set up the Seminoles with a first-and-goal at the Nebraska 2.

Three plays later, after a personal foul penalty on Carter, it was fourth-and-goal at the 15. The winning call was a "460 Dip," basically a square-in route for Lewis. The sophomore wideout found himself with one man to beat, cornerback Lorenzo Hicks, and McManus hit him easily as he cut from right to left across the end zone. "It was a good call," McManus said. "That square-in pattern is 16 yards long, and that's just enough." Said Bowden on not taking the field goal at that point: "We all felt like we might not ever get that close again.

To be honest with you, it's probably the only call we had. "I was talking to the coaches upstairs, and I asked them, 'If we kick a field goal here, can we kick an onsides kick and get the ball "Then I asked them if we could hold them if we kicked a field goal and then kicked deep. And they said, 'Well So we figured it was now or never." Even after the FSU touch The 375 yards is also 100 more yards than McManus has ever passed for in his collegiate career, which ended with this game. On the day, he completed 28 of his 51 attempts, threw three touchdown passes and had one interception. He was named the game's most valuable offensive player.

The defensive player of the game went to Nebraska's Neil Smith. Florida State came from behind twice in the game. The Seminoles spotted the Cornhuskers 14 first-quarter points after a 3-yard run by Jones and a 52-yard punt return by Dana Brinson, but came back with 21 points in the second quarter. Two of those scores were passes from McManus to senior receiver Herb Gainer, one for 10 yards, the other for 25. Sandwiched in between was a 4-yard run by fullback Dayne Williams.

The Huskers jumped back ahead in the third quarter, though, with a 2-yard run by quarterback Taylor and a 4-yard-er by Knox. Derek Schmidt kicked a 32-yard field goal to bring the Seminoles within 28-24 going into the climactic fourth quarter. Clemson wins, 6C. down, the Huskers had one more chance. But a couple penalties in the final drive probably cost Nebraska the game.

One was an illegal procedure call that nullified a 56-yard pass play from quarterback Steve Taylor to split end Morgan Gregory that had put the ball at the Florida State 2. Tight end Tom Banderas had lined up on the wrong side of the formation on that play and had gone downfield. Since he had lined up incorrectly, and had not reported as a receiver, officials ruled him an ineligible receiver. "I think it was just a couple of crucial mistakes that we made that cost us the ballgame," I-back Keith Jones said. "Other than that, the game went exactly as we anticipated." The Seminoles, on the other hand, had to scramble on offense once their running game was shut down.

FSU had 457 yards in total offense, and 375 of that was on McManus passes. That's 82 total rushing yards for FSU, a team that had been averaging 272 a game. "We were going to throw the ball, but I didn't think we were going to throw it that much," McManus said. "Fifty-one? No wonder my arm hurts." wild shootout before 72,112 fans at Sun Devil Stadium. Quarterback Danny McMa nus, who threw a Fiesta Bowl-record 51 times, found wideout Ron Lewis with just 3 minutes, 7 seconds left to pull Florida State from behind against fourth- noles finished at No.

5 after a 10-2 season in 1980. "We're very lucky to win," Florida State coach Bobby Bow-den said. "I feel luckier than I do good. But I'll be honest with you I'd rather be lucky than good." A fumble by Nebraska fullback Tyreese Knox at the FSU 3 set the stage for Florida State's final drive. A touchdown there by the Cornhuskers would have put them up by at least 10 points with less than seven minutes remaining.

After the fumble was recovered by tackle Eric Hayes, McManus used 11 plays to get the Seminoles into the end zone. The biggest play in the drive, before the final one, was a 43- FSU humbles No. 4 Nebraska By Mike Blanch! FLORIDA TODAY TEMPE, Ariz. Broderick Thomas, No. 4 All-America defensive end, didn't have to think long when asked how Friday's 31-28 Fiesta Bowl loss to third-ranked Florida State compared to a regular-season 17-7 defeat to Oklahoma.

"No comparison," Thomas said. "Oklahoma just outplayed us. Florida State played well, but we did alot to kill ourselves." Even with a severely sprained ankle undermining his effectiveness, Thomas is big and bad enough to describe the loss as a gridiron suicide if he wants. But a more appropriate description might be a collective mental breakdown. Three times late in the game, the Cornhuskers made mental mistakes that cost them a chance at winning.

It all started when fullback Tyreese Knox fumbled on Florida State's 2-yard line with 6:58 left. The Seminoles recovered, and quarterback Danny McManus proceeded to go on their winning 97-yard drive. "We should have been up by 11," said Nebraska coach Tom Osborne. "That fumble hurt us badly. But, then again, we had plenty of chances to stop them." Said Thomas: "When I saw they had 97 yards to go, I was happy.

I didn't think they could move it on us like they did." Florida State's game-winning 15-yard pass on 4th-and-15 from McManus to Ronald Lewis was the result of another Nebraska error. The Cornhuskers were in their "Robber" zone defense, according to cornerback Lorenzo Hicks, the man responsible for keeping Lewis from catching the TD pass. As it turned out, the "Robber" got his pocket picked. A mixup in coverage left the field ranked Nebraska, which finished the season at 10-2. "I think they very well could be a national championship team, but I think Oklahoma is an awfully good football team, too," Nebraska coach Tom Osborne said.

The victory all but ensures Florida State (11-1) of its highest final ranking ever. The Semi- ewis fi nds soot to v. catch between McManus and Lewis open, meaning McManus was able to rifle a line-drive to Lewis. As a result, Hicks wasn't able to reach Lewis in time to deflect the ball. By John Donovan FLORIDA TODAY "It was a great throw, but it was an easy throw," Hicks said.

"My mother could have completed that pass. "There should have been somebody under 4 neath. There was supposed to be help. Maybe I should have made the play myself, but it's tough to do everything. HOW THEY SCORED FIRST QUARTER NEBRASKA K.Jones 3 run (Drennan kick), 5:29.

Drive: 18 yards, 3 plays. Key play: Bell 27 punt return to FSU 18. Nebraska J' I v. V- I hi A 7, Florida St. 0 NEBRASKA Brinson 52 punt return (Drennan kick), 13:45.

Nebraska 14, Flordla St. 0. SECOND QUARTER FLORIDA STATE Gainer 10 pass from McManus (Schmidt kick), 4:30. Drive: 40 yards, 6 plays. Key play: S.Smith 16 run.

Nebraska 14, Florida State 7 FLORIDA STATE D.Williams 4 run (Schmidt kick), 10:12. ing on a team loaded with receivers is his hands. "We've all been catching the ball well this year," he said. "I'm just happy I got to be part of this." The highlight was his clutch catch in the fourth quarter. Lewis, running a play called the "460 Dip," sprinted out from the 15-yard line on fourth-and-goal, gave cornerback Lorenzo Hicks a fake to the outside and cut back across the end zone.

McManus, who completed 28 of 51 passes, hit him for the game winner. "I knew if I got open, Danny would get me the ball," Lewis said. "We caught them in man-toman coverage. In the second quarter, he cut across the middle of the field, caught an 18-yard pass from McManus and was immediately leveled by Nebraska's Hicks. Lewis felt a twinge in his right knee and had to be helped from the field.

He came back later in the quarter as FSU scored 21 unanswered points. "They were very aggressive, defensively," Lewis said. "We knew we were going to have to throw the ball. I didn't think we were going to throw the ball that much, but I'mglad we did." Before Friday, he was best known this season for grabbing the clutch touchdown pass in the last minute of the FSU-Miami game that brought the Seminoles within 26-25. They missed the two-point conversion for their only loss this season.

75 yards, 6 plays. Key play: McManus 19 run, McManus ,17 pass to D.Carter. Nebraska 14, Florida State 14 TEMPE, Ariz. Back on Sept. 5, Florida State receiver Ron Lewis pulled in an 11-yard scoring pass from quarterback Danny McManus against Texas Tech to begin the Seminoles' finest season ever.

Friday, in the Fiesta Bowl, the sophomore from Jacksonville ended the season with an exclamation point, hauling in a fourth-down, 15-yard touchdown pass with just 3 minutes, 7 seconds left in the game that gave the Seminoles a 31-28 victory against Nebraska. "We had 97 yards to go," he said of the final drive, "and we figured this would separate the men from the boys. I guess it did." If that's so, he is definitely among the men. He got up from a second-quarter knee injury and caught four passes for 59 yards. And he's only a sophomore.

"I was able to make the first touchdown of the year, and now I've made the last one," a beaming Lewis said. "Now, I just hope this can carry over to next year." He finished third on the team in receptions, with 23, and averaged 18.2 yards a catch. He also was used extensively when the Seminoles employ a reverse, a standard FSU play. In the 31-3 victory against Big Ten champion Michigan State, he ran a reverse 57 yards for a touchdown. But the reason Lewis is start i FLORIDA STATE Gainer 25 pass from McManus (Schmidt t'kick), 14:16.

Drive: 55 yards, 7 plays. Key plays: McManus 17 pass to Bennett, McManus 16 pass to Lewis. Florida state zi Nebraska 14. THIRD QUARTER NEBRASKA S.Taylor 2 run (Drennan kick), 3:19. Drive: 77 yards, 7 plays.

Key play: S. Taylor 48 pass to banoeras Nebraska 21, Florida State 21 'maf FLORIDA STATE FG Schmidt 32, 7:11. Drive: 42 yards, 8 plays. Key plays: McManus 15 and 17 pass to P.Carter. Florida State 24, Nebraska 21.

NEBRASKA Knox 4 run (Drennan kick), 14:20. Drive: 52 yards, 9 plays. Key play: S.Taylor 23 pass to Gregory. Nebraska 28, Florida State 24. 1 FOURTH QUARTER FLORIDA STATE Lewis 15 pass from McManus (Schmidt kick), 11:53.

Drive: 97 yards, 11 plays: Key plays: McManus 21 pass to Anthony, McManus 43 pass to u.oarter. nonaa state ji Nebraska 28. "Florida State 0 21 3 7 31 Nebraska 14 0 14 0 28 Neb 20 14 FLORIDA TODAY AP WINNING TOUCHDOWN CATCH: FSU's Ronald quarterback Danny McManus in the end zone Lewis (7) catches the winning touchdown from during the fourth quarter of the Fiesta Bowl. 4-11 1-2 364 Minus one loss: FSU best team in the nation Attendance 72,112. TEAM STATISTICS FSU FIRST DOWNS 26 Rushing 6 Passing 19 Penalty 1 THIRD DOWN EFF 9-17 FOURTH DOWN EFF 2-2 TOTAL NET YARDS 457 Total Plays 80 AvgGain 5.7 NET YARDS RUSHING 82 Rushes 29 Avg per rush 2.8 NET YARDS PASSING 375 Completed-Att.

28-51 Yards-Pass Play 7.4 Had Intercepted 1 PUNTS-Avg. 4-30 TOTAL RETURN YARDAGE 112 Punts Returns 2-12 I i Kickoffs Returns 4-97 I Interceptions 1-3 PENALTIES-Yds 2-20 FUMBLES-Lost 2-1 TIME OF POSSESSION 31:07 68 5.6 242 54 4.5 142 7-14 10. 1 1 4-36 192 3-69 3-68 1-35 9-78 4 28:53 INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS niwuu, r-i A CCmilh Q-9fl MrMnmis Bennett 7-16, D.Williams 3-5, D.Carter 4-4, Butts 1-3. Nebraska, Jones 15-80, S.Taylor 20-75, Knox 13-62, Brinson 2-16, Heibel 3- MIXE BIAWCH1 SPORTS (, carpenter 1-2. i PASSING Florida McManus 28-51-1-375.

Nebraska s. I aylor 7-14-1-142. No. 1 instead of No. 2 right now.

Betcha the 'Canes couldn't beat them again. Betcha. And besides, wouldn't you like to see FSU at the top of the polls instead of Miami? The 'Noles are fun. They are normal. They take Pepto Bismol for upset stomachs, not diuretics.

And coach Bobby Bowden's hair is always a mess and he says things like: "Dag-gummit, boys, I went to this formal dinner the other day and felt more out of place than a porcupine in a balloon factory. I tell you what, I felt like a screen door in a submarine." Quarterback Danny McManus looks like a younger version of Captain Kangaroo, not a major college quarterback. And he doesn't care. "Look at me. I don't look like an athlete," he said earlier this week.

"I'm going bald and I have Dunlop's disease over my belt." As for Oklahoma The Sooners would suffer the same fate against the Seminoles as their Big Eight brothers did Friday. At times, Nebraska's secondary looked like the Keystone Cops trying to defend against FSU's passing attack. These guys couldn't cover their mouths when they cough. Face it, the Big Eight defending the pass is like Fred Astaire doing a disco dance or Gomer Pyle in the role of Rambo. Or, better yet, Sylvester Stallone reading Hamlet: "Yo, to be or what?" McManus' numbers say it all.

The poised FSU senior attempted a Fiesta Bowl-record 51 passes for a record 375 yards. "Nebraska's conference is a running conference, so naturally they are probably better at stopping the run," FSU quarterback coach Mark Richt said. "That's what they prepare for week in and week out In the WAC (Western Athletic Conference), those TEMPE, Ariz. The Florida State Seminoles didn't march into the Fiesta Bowl wearing battle fatigues or flexing steroid-swollen biceps. They didn't have to.

They are a team Michael Jackson would love to sing for. After Friday's 31-28 thriller against fourth-ranked Nebraska, the No. 3-rated Seminoles have proven that they are truly BAD. The baddest and the bestest team in the nation. The sad fact is that everybody knows it but nobody will vote it.

"At the beginning of the season you don't want to play a lot of extra games," FSU receiver Lawrence Dawsey said. "Right now, though, I wish there was a playoff system. I'd love to play the winner of the Miami-Oklahoma game. I think we're the best team in the country." The No. 2 Miami Hurricanes upset the No.

1 Oklahoma Sooners in their the Orange Bowl national championship matchup ocrciuiun carina St ftniner 5-89. P.Carter 5-54 teams are probably better suited to stop the pass." Added Dawsey: "Big Eight teams aren't used to seeing sophisticated passing attacks. Our receivers go against a great secondary every day. Nebraska doesn't nave to really worry about stopping a passing attack until a bowl game." The Seminoles actually started Friday's game trying to mix up their play-calling, just as they did in the regular-season finale against Florida. But the Gators cut FSU off at the pass, forcing the Seminoles to win the game with an infantry assault.

The 'Huskers showed they know the X's and O's of run defense, but don't know diddly about pass coverage. "Florida's like us they know how to stop the pass," FSU receiver Ronald Lewis said. "We thought we had to be more balanced against Nebraska, but as it turned out all we needed to do was pass." D.Carter 4-89. R.Lewis 4-59, Bennett 4-47, Anthony 2-29, Dawsev 1-17. Smith 1-5, D.Williams 1-(minus 7), Butts 1 a ..,11:1.....

1 Ol aAnHApaa 1 tminus I). NeDraska, uregory whihhoh i-ji, b.ii. 48, Heibel 1-13. t. ni v-m EU.In Parlor 1 -H P.flrtor 1 1, Dodge 2-1 Freeman 1-0, Gabbard 1-2, Grant 2-0, Hagglns 3-4, Harp 1-4, Hayes o-o, Maygew o-i, wcuowan a-i, Newell 5-3, Palmer 0-2.

Sanders 2-1, Shivers 3-1, Thompson 2-1 2-1, O'Malley 1-0, Williams 3-0, Schuchts 1-0 4j.k,L. Am, i.i aiaTak- 9-1 r.hnlnha 1-0. CooDer 0-1 Friday night, 20-14. No matter. Neither of those teams could beat the Seminoles right now.

Certainly, you can argue that Miami trimmed the Seminoles 26-25 earlier this season. But only after rallying from a 19-3 deficit late in the third period, and only after FSU coach Bobby Bowden opted to go for a two-point conversion and the victory after his team's final touchdown. If he played for the tie, FSU might be Crennan 0-1, Etienne 8-2, Forch 7-0, Fryar 2-2, Gregory 1-0 Jackson 3-2, Jamrog 3-2, Jobman 1-0, Kelley 0-1, Murray 2-0 Neuburt 0-2, Pete 0-2, N.Smith 5-2, Thomas 4-2, Tomjack 3-0 Washington 0-3, welnlak l-i, sianaara i-u, miubiwmvi. INTERCEPTIONS Florida St Sanders. Nebraska, Wash -Ington.

MISSED FIELD GOALS Florida Schmidt 43. Nebraska None..