Clarion-Ledger du lieu suivant : Jackson, Mississippi • Page 21

SCOREBOARD DLS-4 UJj, 1 6-16 S. HIGH SCHOOLS' CLASSIFIED' THE CLARION-LEDGER I JACKSON, MISSISSIPPI THURSDAY, JANUARY 27, 1994 Fans aim wrath at Archie Manning RICK CLEVELAND Columnist The Clarion-Ledger I I Hii ml 7 p- Miss fans have misinterpreted his involvement in his son's recruitment and decision-making. "I've got people calling me who are angry because they think I turned my back and didn't help out Ole Miss and that I steered him to Tennessee," said Archie Manning. "That kills me somebody would think that I would do that." He said he and his wife, Olivia, and Peyton's older brother, Cooper, a sophomore at Ole Miss, did their best to convince Peyton to become a Rebel. "Ole Miss has got some great qualities and we pointed those out numerous times," Archie Manning said.

"But in comparison with other schools we've got some shortcomings. Overall, the football program is not at the magnitude of some of those other schools he was considering and I did my best to cover up some of those things." See MANNING, 5C Some UM fans believe he turned his back on the Rebs when his son chose Tennessee. By Rusty Hampton Clarion-ledger Stan WritM Peyton Manning's life became somewhat normal again Wednesday. Archie Manning's probably won't be for sometime. Peyton Manning, a 6-foot-5 quarterback from Newman High School in New Orleans, on Tuesday orally committed to Tennessee.

He has met NCAA academic eligibility requirements and plans to sign with the Volunteers Feb. 2. One of his other finalists was Ole Miss, where Archie Manning became famous as a scrambling quarterback from 19G8-70. Since the choice was revealed early Tuesday, Archie Manning has been besieged by Mississippians. Many of the "I've got people calling me who are angry because they think I turned my back and didn't help out Ole Miss and that I steered him (Peyton Manning) to Tennessee.

That kills me somebody would think that I would do that." Archie Manning callers have been nice. Some haven't "We had some messages on our recorder that were nasty, from people who didn't leave their names," Archie Manning said. "But for every angry one there's been three very supporting, understanding calls." What hurts most, he said, is some Ole A. Manning P. Manning Peyton Manning Isadore Newman High School 1903 Jefferson Ave.

New Orleans, LA 70 11 5 Archie Manning Gold's Gym 8936 Veterans Blvd. Metairie, LA 70003 WW, iT 'lhJ. I. knee injury that kept him out of practice Tuesday. I LSU scored its lowest total since a 49-47 loss to State in 1988.

The-Bulldogs played a zone most of tha acnnH half arA Vi Ti ncirti rri hit their shots. Freshman guard, nonnie nenaerson missea iz oi msn lb snots, ana junior torwara Clarence Ceasar missed 11 of 14. Henderson and Ceasar are two of the Tigers' top three scorers this season. nenaerson, a lviurran graduate, said it was a combination of poor shooting and good Bulldog defense. Twv nut refll cmnH nrvMiciirp An Vio i i ii ii i i These Cowboys may be Super Bowl regulars for long time to come ATLANTA Tell you something scary about these Dallas Cowboys besides the fact they can attack an opponent with more weapons than a SWAT team.

Trying to cover Michael Irvin or tackle Emmitt Smith is bad enough, but here's something for the league's other front offices to consider Average age of pro football's reigning champions is 26. Average NFL experience is about four years. In other words, pro football's best team is also one of pro football's youngest Few Cowboys remain from Jimmy Johnson's first Dallas team in 1989. You remember them, don't you? The Cowboys opened that season by getting pounded 28-0 by the New Orleans Saints. And things never got much better.

Johnson's first Cowboys were equal opportunity losers. They lost heartbreakers and blowouts, low-scoring games and shootouts. Only a 13-3 early November upset of Washington ruined an otherwise perfectly imperfect season. There have been 51 trades, numerous free agent sign-ings and five successful drafts since Johnson took over. Only nine Cowboys remain from his first team.

But they form, Johnson insists, the nucleus for what Dallas has become. And they provide the incentive other than Jerry Jones' paychecks for staying on top. Sometimes the older Cowboys don't feel the Johnny-come-latelys understand where've they've been. Said six-year veteran linebacker Ken Norton "Those of us who were here throughout the struggle remind the other guys that this didn't just happen. You don't just get drafted and go to the Super Bowl.

We were in the outhouse and we got to the penthouse, but you don't forget where you came from." Losing in Dallas isn't tolerated Those veterans also remember how Johnson dealt with losing. He didn't suffer fools gladly. In fact, he didn't suffer them at all. If you didn't meet his standards, you got cut and somebody else got signed and brought to camp. Guys were signed on Tuesday, played on Sunday, were cut on Monday and so on.

The message got across: Perform or else. "We say to ourselves we don't want to lose," Jim Jeff-coat, an 11 -year veteran defensive tackle, said. "You've got the boss man over there, Jimmy Johnson, and Jimmy Johnson does not accept losing at anything. I'd rather face the Buffalo Bills any day than face Jimmy Johnson when he's mad. It was tough," Jeffcoat said, and he wasn't just talking about on the field.

"You couldn't get reservations at restaurants. Nobody wanted to know you. The only friend I had was my dog and sometimes he'd even bark at me," Jeffcoat said. What made matters worse is that Dallas had become so used to winning. "To be on a team that was 1 and 15, we'd kind of sneak into places," Jeffcoat said "People would look at you strange." It was harder for Irvin, a high-profile, No.

1 draft choice, to sneak around. "People didn't recognize a lot of players but they recognized me," he said. "I could be with 20 other guys and hear, 'Michael, what's wrong with y'all?" And now? Irvin smiled broadly. "Now I don't mind leaving the house and getting out. Matter of fact, I leave my BMW at home and drive my Mercedes convertible.

I put the top down so I can wave and say, 'Hey, we won You can appreciate it when you've been where we been. You know what I mean?" I think so. Super Bowl champions drive Mercedes convertibles with the top down. One-and-15 losers drive BM Ws with the windows rolled up. Simple.

America's Team: Love 'em or hate 'em Besides Nortqn, Irvin and Jeffcoat, those nine Cowboys survivors include Troy Aikman, Bill Bates, Kevin Gogan, Nate Newton, Tony Tolbert and Mark Tuinei. Only Bates, Jeffcoat and Tuinei, 1 1-year vets all, remain from the other "America's Team" glory years under Tom Landry. There was no in-between back then where the Cowboys were concerned. Either you loved them or you hated them. And it carried over to Johnson's regime.

VI remember one time we played the Chicago Bears," Newton said. "They were pounding us late in the game, and I asked Wilbur Marshall, Yo man, why are you still out here pounding He said, 'Because you're the Dallas Cowboys. You're America's Team. We're going to whip your That's why I'll never let up late in a game. I want to get all of it back." Johnson took the guys who performed like winners on a losing team and he built around them.

His message: "We don't have all the parts now, but we will." Speaking of missing parts, someone asked Jeffcoat if he could put his finger on the intangible that most helped to create the new winning attitude. After a long pause, Jeffcoat broke into a grin and answered "Yeah, Emmitt Smith." Call Rick Cleveland at 961-7294. The Bulldogs overcome numerous deficiencies and LSU 66-52. By Mike Knobler Clarion-Ledger Staff Writer BATON ROUGE If you don't believe defense wins basketball games, you need to watch Mississippi State. State went scoreless for the first IVi minutes Wednesday night and beat LSU by 14 points.

The Bulldogs had 13 points and 13 turnovers at the same time and still led 13-12. State missed its first six free throws and still won 66-52 before a Maravich Assembly Center crowd of 11,441. LSU shot 27.1 percent, its worst performance in recorded history. The Tigers had more turnovers (20) than field goals (19). Give credit to State's defense.

"I don't like ugly games, but it seems like when the game's ugly we do pretty well," Bulldog coach Richard Williams said. "Coach said when you play as bad as we did tonight and still come away with a win, that tells you something about your team," forward David Do-mingue said. "Defense has been pulling us through so far this year, and it did again tonight" State, 12-3 overall, improved to 6-1 in the Southeastern Conference, a game ahead of Alabama in the West-em Division standings. State plays at Alabama Saturday. The Bulldogs are 4-0 on the road and have already surpassed last season's SEC victory total.

LSU is 8-7 and 2-4. Darryl Wilson led the Bulldogs with 23 points and hit 11 of his 12 free throws. Marcus Grant had one of his best games this season 12 points, six rebounds despite a DasKeioaii, ana mey aeienaea very well," he said. "Our team, the last cou- pie of games we've been shooting the ball from the field pretty poorly. The teams we've played are putting a lot of defensive pressure on me.

I can hear the coaches on the sideline: 'Get Henderson. Get For the first minutes Wednesday, the Tigers were getting tha Bulldogs. State went scoreless" while committing 10 turnovers and missing six shots and two free throws through 15 possessions. "I didn't know if we'd ever score," Williams said. "I thought if we made a basket we might (have a -chance).

I wasn't really worried if we had a chance. I was just thinking of a way to get us a shot and not con-; tinue turning the ball over." State scored the next 13 points and led the rest of the wav. The bie-1 v- 1 1 gest lead was 17. Forward Jamie Brandon got 15 of his 21 points during a six-minute stretch as LSU cut the margin to three. But three free throws and a bucket by Wilson and a free throw by Bubba Wilson made it 56-47, and State pulled away.

"It was an inept performance, and I have no answer," LSU coach Dale Brown said. Kentucky repels S. Carolina, 6C The Associated Press Mississippi State center Bubba Wilson tries from scoring a first-half basket Wednesday in vain to stop LSU's Jamie Brandon, No. 4, night in Baton Rouge. Rebs get player of the year; center picks Dogs state.

Louisville running back Moine Nicholson, The Clarion-Ledger Player of the Year, committed to Ole Miss. Water Valley center Eric Allen, considered the state's ton and Daleville (Ala.) running back Tony Buckhalter (State). Rudd, the state's No. 1 recruit, said his choice came down to Alabama and Tennessee after he eliminated LSU, Ole Miss and State. But the 6-foot-3, 240-pound Rudd said he never committed to the Volunteers as many believed.

"I called a radio station and said they were leading at the time," Rudd said. "But that was it." Rudd apparently picked Alabama before his official visit. "Deshea and I kind of decided before we left," Rudd said. "Having him go there with me is a big plus. "It was a tough decision.

I couldn't come out negative either way. Alabama was a little closer and everything was just a cut above." Townsend (5-10, 170) picked Alabama over Ole Miss, State and Vanderbilt. No. 5 on the Ten Most Wanted list, he's expected to play wide receiver in college. Reed, Mississippi's No.

2 recruit, chose Arkansas over State. He canceled visits to Alabama and Oklahoma. Reed (6-1, 190), who announced his choice Wednesday afternoon, said he made up his mind Sunday after returning from an unofficial visit from Fayetteville. "The coaching staff is great and they tell you straight up what you can expect," Reed said. "Coach (Danny) Ford told me whatev-See COMMITMENTS, 5C Moine Nicholson and Eric Allen stay in state, but four other top recruits choose to leave.

By Todd Kelly Clarion-Ledger Staff Writer Six players on The Clarion-Ledger Ten Most Wanted list made verbal commitments in the past 48 hours and for instate schools the news was mixed. South Panola linebacker Dwayne Rudd (Alabama), Northwest Rankin quarterback Robert Reed (Arkansas), South Panola quarterback Deshea Townsend (Alabama) and Madison-Ridgeland Academy defensive lineman Darryl Gibbs (LSU) are headed out of offensive line prospect, Nicholson committed to Mississippi State. More commitments: South Panola fullback Paul Morgan (Vanderbilt); Louisville defensive tackle Morris Scott (Ole Miss); Tupelo offensive lineman Glen Davidson (Arkansas); Magee wide receiver Eddie Shaw (Southern Mississippi); Northwest Rankin kicker Brad Houston (Arkansas); NOTEWORTHY BY THE NUMBERS TV TODAY THE HOT CORNER nuTTm 1 For someone who wasn't even playing at the start of the season, Emmitt Smith did all right for himself. The Dallas Cowboys running back was named NFL Player of the Year on Wednesday, beating out five other finalists, including last year's winner, San Francisco quarterback Steve Young. Smith missed the first two games because of a contract dispute.

No. 8 Massachusetts travels to Cincinnati for a 6:30 p.m. game on ESPN. The Minutemen, 15-2, rely on junior forward Lou Roe. The Bearcats, 12-5, have one of the top freshmen in the country in forward Don-tonio Wingfield.

They are Bruce Smith of the Buffalo Bills said Wednesday he and his teammates are angered by the Georgia state flag and its Confederate symbol flying over the site of the Super Bowl. "Racism exists, period," said Smith, who is black and received hate mail in Buffalo two years ago. "It's unfortunate. It's ignorance. It offends me.

I don't think they should use national attention to promote this issue." Officials have said the state flag must fly at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, where Sunday's game will be played. "My focus is on Dallas, not this situation," Smith said. 4. N. Carolina 90 Florida St.

77 1 1. Indiana 78 17. Minnesota 66 18. Maryland 73 Clemson 53 19. W.

Virginia 87 Duquesne 67 20. Ala. -Birmingham 62 DePaul 59 N.C. State 84 ....21. Georgia Tech 78 23.

St. Louis 76 22. Marquette 66 NBA Celtics 103 98 76ers 104 Mavericks 90 Magic 145 Hornets 120 Hawks 116 Suns 107 Timberwolves 100 Jazz 98 Lakers 103 Pacers 99 Warriors 108 Pistons 92 State Men Miss. State 66 LSU 52 Tougaloo81 Rust 72 State Women Southern Miss. 91 LSU 82 Rust 73 Tougaloo63 SEC 9.

Kentucky 79 S. Carolina 67 Florida 100 Georgia 78 Vanderbilt 85 Tennessee 73 Top 25 2. Duke 74 Notre Dame 72 3. Kansas 62 Oklahoma St. 61 Smith to coming off a 62-55 Great Midwest loss Memphis State Sunday.

When he returned in the third week, the defending Super Bowl champions were 0-2. Dallas would lose only two more games all year. Smith led the NFL with 1,486 yards, his third straight rushing title. Super Bowl coverage, 3C ESPN will show the Australian Open men's semifinals at 1 1 p.m. Listings, 2C..