The Galveston Daily News from Galveston, Texas • Page 11

OKPSB RSHING NflWMJCCANKM MtCCAMHt JEANLMTTi MHJ DAH.Y GahtMton Party Gotta, Inc. MER18 Section dafoestim latto Pagel SEASON'S GREETINGS BANK THE WEST niVART M. MEMMI r.MkC. MLVUIM Local, State, World Sports Friday Morning, December 29,1978 Sports Phone 744-3611 Earl Campbell Collects AFC Player Of Year Crown NEW YORK (UPI) Earl Campbell, the record- setting rookie running sensation who helped carry the Houston Oilers into the playoffs for the first time in a decade, Thursday completed a clean sweep of postseason awards when he was named United Press International's 1978 American Conference Player of the Year. Campbell, who earlier was named unanimously to UPI's All-Rookie and All- AFC teams, earned a starting berth for the AFC in the Pro Bowl and was a runaway winner of the AFC Rookie of the Year Award, was named on 35 ballots cast by UPI's selection panel of 56 writers, four from each AFC city.

He easily outpolled quarterbacks Terry Bradshaw of Pittsburgh and Jim Zorh of Seattle, who tied for second with eight votes each. Campbell, the 1977 Heisman Trophy winner from the University of Texas, continued his running heroics in the pros this season as he became the first rookie to lead the league in rushing since Cleveland's Jim Brown in 1956. The 5-foot-ll, 224- pounder from Tyler, Texas, carried 302 times for 1,450 yards and averaged 4.8 yards a carry. Campbell, who broke Don Woods' rookie rushing record in the process, also scored 13 touchdowns to rank second in the AFC. Campbell was the NFL's top draft choice last May, being selected by the Oilers after they prepared a lucrative package for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who owned the first pick.

He signed a reported $1.38 million contract with Houston and was handed a starting job in the Oiler backfield. His philosophy is very simple. "I really just want to play football," he says. "I think the most important thing is that I come out every day and do my best on the football field. I just want to go out and do my best.

If my team wins, I want to be part of it. And when we lose, I want to be part of it. "One thing I don't want to be is different. People shouldn't pattern themselves after me. I try to live the way I think is right.

I believe in God and my faith isn't a part-time thing. But nobody should put me on a pedestal. I don't want to be thought of as someone who does the right thing all the time. I try to do my best. If my best is wrong, then that'll have to be it." Despite his heroics, Campbell still epitomizes the team player.

"Earl is not the franchise," says Coach Bum Phillips. "I don't think Earl wants to be the franchise. He's just a good person. He's a team player who wants to do his share. "I knew the first time I saw him play at Texas that I had to have him.

If there's one thing Texans hate more than losing their oil, it's losing their football players. I didn't want some other people claiming he was theirs. "You all don't appreciate him like us coaches do. You see him run and gain yardage but you don't see the other things that count. You ought to see him pick up a safety on a blitz and put him right on his back or run in there and cut a defensive lineman's knees right out from under him.

"Everything he does, he does that way. He doesn't just carry the football. He blocks like the devil when somebody else is carrying. He pass protects every time. That's the difference to me in Earl Campbell and the other people.

"He is the ultimate team player. He wants to do everything in his power to help the team. And if he keeps up this pace, you can be damned sure he'll be the NFL's best player ever." Bradshaw led the AFC in passing as he helped the Steelers to a 14-2 record, the best in the league. He completed 207-of-3G8 passes for 2,915 yards and threw a league-leading 28 touchdown passes, the highest figure since the NFL-AFL merger in 1966. Zorn took the young Seahawks to the brink of the playoffs with his dramatic riverboat gambler style.

He teamed with Steve Largent to form one of the NFL's most effective passing combinations and led Seattle to a 9-7 record in only its third season. NEW YORK (UP!) Winners of United Press International's Player of the Year Award in the American Football Conference: 5978-Earl Campbell, Houston 1977-Cralg Morton, Denver 1976-Bert Jones, Baltimore 1975-0. J. Simpson, Buffalo 1974-Ken Stabler, Oakland Simpson, Buffalo Simpson, Buffalo 1971-OtisTaylor, Kansas City I9TO-George Blanda, Oakland lS69-Daryle Lamonica, Oakland 1968-Joe Namath, New York Jets 1967-Dary le Lamonica, Oakland 1966-Jim Nance, Boston 1965-Pau) Lowe, San Diego 1964-GinoCappelleUl, Boston 1963-Lance Alwarth, San Diego 1962-Cookie Gilchrist, Buffalo 1961-George Blanda, Houston 1960-AbnerHaynes, Dallas Pokes, Pats, LA, Steelers Picked Playoff Winners PITTSBURGH (UPI) There are four key questions to be answered in this weekend's National Football League semifinal playoffs. Can the Denver Broncos recapture their playoff magic against the Pittsburgh Steelers and move on to another AFC title? Can the Houston Oilers their regular season miracle upset of the New England Patriots? Can the Atlanta Falcons continue their seasonMong comeback 'heroics against the NFL champion Dallas Cowboys? And can the Minnesota 'Vikings resume their hex over the Los Angeles Rams? The answer to all four is probably not.

Denver won the AFC championship last year with a superb defensive effort but the Broncos may be overmatched this time around. Pittsburgh compiled the best record in the NFL (14-2) and the Steelers will be playing in Three Rivers Stadium, where they are almost invincible. Houston roared back from a 23-0 deficit to defeat New England during the regular season but a brutal schedule may have taken its toll on the Oilers. Houston's receiving corps has been depleted by injuries and the Oilers are hoping quarterback Dan Pastorini can stay in one piece for the entire game. And while Houston had to play Miami in a wild card playoff last week, the Patriots took a week of rest.

New England is virtually 100 per cent physically well for the playoffs. Atlanta won four games this season by identical 2017 scores in the final 10 seconds and the Falcons had a "mini-miracle" comeback by rallying from a 13-0 deficit in the final quarter to beat Philadelphia 34-13 in last week's wild card playoff. But the Falcons simply are no match for the powerful Cowboys, who have peaked for the playoffs. Minnesota had not lost to Los Angeles in 10 years up to this season but this is not the same Vikings team that once dominated the NFC Central Division. The Vikings won the division this year not so much because they won more than Green Bay but that they lost less than the Packers over the second half of the season.

Both clubs finished with 8-7-1 records, hardly championship credentials. The Rams, meanwhile, didn't overwhelm anyone this season but did manage to establish themselves as legitimate Super Bowl contenders. Here's the way the NFL playoffs shape up this weekend: Saturday Pittsburgh 24, Denver 10 The Steelers showed their superiority in the opening half of their final game of the season when they manhandled the Broncos in Denver and took a 21-0 lead. Forget the second half comeback and the 21-17 finish. Both clubs were going with reserves.

Pittsburgh's biggest enemy might be overconfidence. Dallas 31, Atlanta 10 Falcons aren't in the same class and the offensive line will be hard pressed not to get manhandled by Dallas' front four. Atlanta did not play well in the second half of the season and was more of a survivor than a winner of the wild card playoffs. Sunday New England 23, Houston 20 Patriots are well rested and ready to go. Oilers look like Washington's army at Valley Forge lots of wounded and lots of bandages.

Oiler RB Earl Campbell will be the key but it's tough to run against New England. Los Angeles 31, Minnesota 24 Fran Tarkenton will keep the Vikings in the game with his years of playoff experience but it's simply another case of being overmatched. The Viking running game is nox- existent and the Rams' line can tee off on Tarkenton all day. Santa Fe Loses Two In Tourney BRAZOSPORT-The Santa Fe Indians team fell on hard times in the Brazosport Junior College Basketball Tournament played on Thursday night. In their first round match, the Indians were beaten by West Columbia 72-48.

Danny Riddle poured in 26 points for Santa Fe, but it wasn't enough. West Columbia, led by Darrel Thompson's 24 points, broke out to a 28-14 halftime lead. Although they scored 34 points in the second half, Santa Fe was unable to contain its opponent. The consolation contest with In 12th Play off In 13 Years Dallas Big Favorite To Defeat Atlanta SNOW, FREEZING rain and frigid weather are forecast for New Year's weekend and the AFC playoff game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Denver Broncs. Ground crew inflates this large heated balloon to protect the playing field in Pittsburgh.

(UPI photo) Paterno To Make 12th Try For National Grid Title By United Press International In 13 years as head coach at Penn State, Joe Paterno has led the Lions to 11 bowl games, but never a national championship and never a victory against Alabama. He'll try for the national championship for the 12th time on New Year's Day. The Nittany Lions, 8-3-1 in post-season play, have a 0-1 mark against the Crimson Tide under Paterno, losing 13-6 in a defensive struggle in the 1975 Sugar Bowl when the Crimson Tide defense stopped Penn State on a fourth-and-one try with 1:19 left to preserve the victory. The teams had met once before, in 1959, when, under Rip Engle, Penn State defeated Alabama 7-0 in the Liberty Bowl. Since that Liberty Bowl, Alabama Coach Bear Bryant has taken his team to 19 consecutive bowls a national record.

Clerc Defaults In Aussie Open Beeville ended in much the same manner. Darrell Beasly popped in 23 points in leading Beeville by the Indians 65-54. The contest was close throughout, but a strong fourth quarter effort by Beeville proved to be too much for Santa Fe. Coach Bobby Knox' leading scorer was Marty McCollough with 13. Riddle and Tommy Harryman added 11 apiece.

The two losses drop Santa Fe's recurd to 9-8 on the year. The Indians' next game is Tuesday night in Bay City against the Black Cats. MELBOURNE, Australia (UPI) Second-seeded Jose Luis Clerc broke down during his first-round match against Australian John Marks and withdrew from the $300,000 Australian Open Tennis championships Thursday because of a recurrence of a knee injury. The 20-year-old Argen- tinian took the first tiebreaker 7-6 after Marks serviced for the set at five games to four. There appeared no problems with Clerc as he walked from the court without trouble.

But he later explained, "I felt a twinge of pain during a tournament in Buenos Aires four weeks ago and again in another event in Santiago and when I arrived in Sydney two weeks ago it hurt again. It was impossible for me to continue today. I just forfeited after winning the first set." Clerc, ranked No. 12 in the world, was beaten in a second round match of the New South Wales championships in Sydney last week in straight sets by the eventual winner, American Tim Wilkison. Australian Ross Case, a Wimbledon doubles champion, battled for almost four hours to beat the talented 18-year-old French star, Yannick Noah, in a five-set thriller, It was a superb performance from Noah, who came from the French Cameroon Islands three years ago to make his permanent home in Paris.

Earlier this year Noah took French finalist Guillermo Vilas to four sets in the fourth round in the French championships. Upper Co ami Fishing Survey FRIDAY'S poor. OUTLOOK-Continued Paterno and Bryant will go into Monday's Sugar Bowl (ABC, 2 p.m. EST) with a combined winning percentage of .791, the highest combined percentage in bowl history. Paterno has a 13-year record of 123-24-1 while Bryant has a mark of 28377-16, ranking third on the all-time win list behind Amos Alonzo Stagg (314) and Pop Warner (313).

There is little some, but little argument that the national championship will go to the winner of the New Orleans matchup between the top-ranked and undefeated Nittany Lions, led by quarterback Chuck Fusina and defensive tackles Bruce Clark and Matt Millen, and No. 2 Alabama, paced by quarterback Jeff Rutledge. "We are excited about having the opportunity to play for the national championship," said Paterno. "We have said all along that we wanted to play the best team available and now we have that chance. Alabama is the best team we could possibly play and has as much right as we do to play in a game to decide the national championship." Perhaps things would be simpler, however, if Alabama had not lost its third game of the season, By United Press International The Dallas Cowboys, making their 12th playoff appearance in 13 years, are heavily favored to shoot down Atlanta in the NFC Divisional playoff Saturday, but as is always the case no one expects the Falcons to be easy prey.

you're in the playoffs, if you're looking for an easy touch, you're not going anywhere anyway," said Dallas Coach Tom Landy, whose team built a 12-4 mark this season. "I'm not really happy that we're not playing Minnesota. I mean, I didn't particularly care who we played. You have to play at a high level and you have to play at a high level for three games if you want to win the Super Bowl. "If you play anything short of that, anybody you play can beat you." The Cowboys, the defending Super Bowl champions, lead their series with the Falcons 5-1 but lost in their last meeting, 17-10, in November of 1976.

Since then, Falcons Coach Leeman Bennet has turned the team around, building a 9-7 mark in his second year at the helm and tormenting his opponents with an excellent blitzing defensive unit. "It's difficult preparing for them," said Cowboy quarterback Roger Staubach. "They like to use a variety of defenses and come at you with so many different blitzes to keep you off-balance." Atlanta won the right to continue in playoff action by defeating Philadelphia 14-13 in the NFC wild card game Christmas Eve. It is Atlanta's first playoff appearance in its 13-year history and Dallas' experience in the playoffs which includes four Super Bowls and two cham- pionships has made the Cowboys the 14-point favorites to advance to the NFC championship game Jan. 7 against the winner of Sunday's Minnesota-Los Angeles game.

"Anytime people are talking about the Super Bowl and giving you a 14- point spread, then you've got to worry a little bit about overconf idence," said Landry. "I believe our club has learned for us to win they have to play well, not take any team lightly." In the American Conference Saturday, Denver (10-6) visits Pittsburgh (142) in a rematch of the last game of the season while on Sunday, NFC Central champion Minnesota (8-7-1) travels to Los Angeles (124). The AFC continues its divisional playoffs with Houston (10-6) at New England (11-5). Los Angeles, although favored, has not fared well against its old nemesis, the Vikings, who are 4-0 against the Rams. Minnesota defeated the Rams in the NFC title game in 1974 and '76 and in the divisional playoffs last year in the rain at Los Angeles.

The Rams lost to Dallas hi the first round in 1973 and in the NFC championship game in '75. The AFC divisional playoffs, which begin Saturday with Central Division champion Pittsburgh hosting Western Division winner Denver, is also a rematch of last year's first-round playoff encounter won by the defending AFC champion Broncos 34-21. The winner advances to the Jan. 7 AFC championship game'-against the winner of the Oilers- Patriots match. The Broncos captured the second Western Division title under Red Miller and are making only their second playoff appearance in the club's 19-year history.

Sunday's AFC game features wild card entry Houston at Eastern Division champion New England in a rematch of the Nov. 12 thriller in which the Oilers charged back from a 23-0 deficit to win 26-23. O'Connell To Host Northwest Tonight The O'Connell High School Buccaneers return to home court tonight to play Houston Northwest Academy. Tipoff time for the game is 7:30 p.m. The game will be one of two for the Bucs Friday.

At 12 noon today O'Connell will play a game in the consolation bracket of the Friendswood basketball tournament. O'Connell lost its opener in the Friendswood meet Thursday by bowing to the Pearland Oilers 46-45. Pearland jumped to a 1611 first period lead that was shaved to 31-29 at nalftime. The Bucs came on strong in the third period to grab the lead 41-37. Pearland rallied in the final period 9-4 to turn the game around.

Randy Knust of O'Connell took scoring honors with 24 points. Bob Raska was high for Pearland with 20 points. O'CONNELL: Knust 104-24, Flnegan2- 2-fl, Waller 1-0-2, Cashman 2-1-5, Sinegal 30-6, Eggleston Rice (KM), Totals 197-45 PEARLAND: Collins Roche 2-1-5, Raska 84-20, Bratton 1-0-2, Worrell 1-0-2, Bell 2nGrice 3-1-7, Totals O'CONNELL 1118124-45 PEARLAND 1615 69-46 Youth, Experience Meet In Annual Gator Bowl WATER CONDITlONS-Rough and 24-14, to USC, which plays Michigan in the Rose Bowl, also on New Year's Day (NBC, 4:45 p.m.. Trojan Coach sandy. FRIDAY TlDES-High at 1:45 am (1.0 It.) and 5:31 pm (1.3ft.), low am (0.8 fUand 10:43 FRIDAY SUN-Rise at 7:13 am, set at 5:30 pm.

FRIDAY MOON-Rise at 6:47 am, set SATURDAY T5DES-High at 2:32 am (1.0 ft) and 6:17 pm (1.3 low at 10:24 10:43 SATURDAY SUN-Rise at 7:13 am, set at 5:31 pm. SATURDAY MOON-Rise at 7:47 am, set at Brisk winds and unsettled water conditions continued to make area fishing very poor. There were a few widely scattered sand trout catches along the beachfront and in the ship channel. John Robinson continues to press his point about No. 3 USC being a national championship contender.

"We should be given serious consideration for the national championship if we beat No. 5 Michigan, and Alabama beats Penn State," Robinson said. "And if Michigan wins, they should be considered. If Penn State loses, I think those who vote should make their final decision among once beaten teams, including us." JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (UPI) Friday night's Gator Bowl clash between Ohio State and Clemson is a classic example of experience versus youthful enthusiasm.

Ohio State's Woody Hayes, 65, is one of the oldest coaches in the nation and making his llth bowl appearance. Clemson's Danny Ford, 30, became a head coach for the first time less than three weeks ago when Charley Pell resigned to become coach at Florida. "If I have one advantage in this game," Ford said, "it's I know a heck of a lot more about Coach Hayes than he knows about me. I met him today (Thursday) for the first time, 1 almost asked for his autograph." Ford has one other advantage, one in keeping with the experience versus youth theme. His quarterback is 23-year-old senior Steve Fuller, most prolific performer in Clemson history, while Hayes will be going with Art Schlichter, an 18-year-" old freshman.

"Don't let Schlichter's youth mislead you," Ford told a Thursday news conference. "He's going to be another Steve Fuller in two years, maybe one. We know, we tried to recruit him ourselves." The Sth-ranked Clemson Tigers, losers only to 7th- ranked Georgia (12-0) in a 10-1 season and champions of the Atlantic Coast Conference, are rated two- point favorites. The Buckeyes were 7-3-1 with losses to top-ranked Penn State (19-0), Sth-ranked Michigan (14-3) and nth- ranked Purdue (27-16) and a 35-35 tie with SMU. "It doesn't bother me at all to be the underdog," Hayes said Thursday.

"We're a better team than our record indicates. After all, we opened the season against Penn State with a freshman quarterback and we didn't have our fullback or center. "I really don't like to talk about things like that," Hayes said. "It makes it seem that we are trying to alibi. But we did not do as well this past season because of some things we could not have anticipated some things we could not change." Ford says the Tigers are not as much concerned about their last-minute coaching change as they are to make amends lor last year's visit to the Gator Bowl when they lost 34-3 to Pittsburgh..