Clarion-Ledger from Jackson, Mississippi • Page 41

NFL! gram COLLEGE FOOTBALL- SCOREBOARD THE CLARION-LEDGER JACKSON, MISSISSIPPI SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 1992 REBELS COMPLETE JOB 1 RICK f- CLEVELAND VX' Columnist The Clarion-Ledger mi hi- r1' Liberty-bound UM eyes Mississippi State after beating Louisiana Tech 13-6. By Rusty Hampton Clarion-Ledger Staff Writer last year's 24-9 loss to the Bulldogs at Starkville. A 60-yard touchdown pass from Lawrence Adams to Marvin Courtney on on tipped ball, and two Brian Lee field goals helped the Rebels win their sixth consecutive game in Mississippi and fifth straight here. A defense that allowed 214 total yards and only one touchdown sealed the victory by forcing Tech to turn the ball over on downs on the Rebel 13-yard line with 3 minutes, 58 seconds remaining. Linebackers Dewayne Dotson and Cassius Ware had two sacks each for the Rebels.

Russ Shows passed for 118 yards and Cory Philpot rushed for 103 yards his fifth 100-yard game of the season to lead the offense. Game coverage, 8D OXFORD Ole Miss reached one goal Saturday by beating Louisiana Tech 13-6 before an estimated 22,500 fans at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. The victory put the Rebels in the Liberty Bowl at Memphis, where they will play Air Force at 7 p.m. on New Year's Eve. But before that game, the Rebels, 7-3, have some unfinished business.

"We most definitely have one goal left," said Rebel cornerback Danny Boyd. "We want to win eight games. We won't be satisfied with seven." That would mean beating Mississippi State here Nov. 28 and avenging The Associated Press Ole Miss running back Marvin Courtney eludes Louisiana Tech for a 60-yard TD reception in the second quarter. TO MSU's chances had never been better STARKVILLE It's always something.

Most times, Alabama's just been better. But even when the Crimon Tide hasn't been, Bama has bewitched Mississippi State football teams in some strange way. Add Saturday night's 30-21 victory on an electric night at Scott Field to the latter side of the ledger. Alabama has defeated State 63 times in 77 meetings and in 34 of the last 35. State has never, ever beaten Bama in Starkville.

The Bulldogs have had few better chances than this one. No. 2 Bama, playing crisp, precision football, led 14-0 little more than seven minutes into it. The Tide led 20-3 at halftime. In baseball terms, the Bulldogs were down 9-0 in the fifth inning and Sandy Koufax was on the mound.

If not singing, the Fat Lady was stepping to the microphone, vocal cords poised. Think about it. Bama's relentless defense has been far and away the nation's best. The Tide had never allowed more than 11 points in a game. Bama's defense had given up only six touchdowns season long.

Time to sack up the footballs? Hardly. State fought back magnificently. Against a team that allowed only 15 first-half points in nine previous victories, State scored 18 in the third quarter. The Bulldogs led 21-20 with 15 minutes to play in a game they had been pointing toward for months. Trailing 13-7 last year, State drove to the Alabama 1 in the waning moments and then jumped offsides.

Outplayed for the most part, Bama escaped. See, it's always something. Second comeback wasn't in stars This time, there were some things. Weird things. Crazy.

And, for State, heartbreaking. Four seemed most critical: Trailing 20-18 late in the third quarter, State drove to a first and goal at oh, no the I dpi 1 li State rallies but Alabama overcomes By Mike Knobler Clarion-Ledger Staff Writer STARKVILLE Chalk up one more year of frustration for Mississippi State, one more step toward a national championship for Alabama. The No. 16 Bulldogs put together a third quarter to remember, but the No. 2 Crimson Tide came from behind in the fourth quarter Saturday night for a 30-21 victory.

Alabama clinched the Southeastern Conference Western Division title and a spot in the SEC champion- -ship game Dec. 5. A victory there VII If Alabama 1. On first down, Randy Brown went over the left side for an apparent touchdown and 24-20 lead. Instead, State was called for, nightmarishly, illegal participation.

The Bulldogs had 12 men on the field an extra wide receiver, to be precise resulting in a 15-yard mark-off. State settled for a short field goal and a 21-20 lead. With about 13 minutes remaining and State leading 21-20, Bulldog linebacker Daniel-Boyd broke through and stripped the ball from quarterback Jay Barker. State recovered inside Alabama territory and the State crowd thundered approval. But referee Mack Gentry ruled an incomplete pass and Alabama kept possession.

Replays clearly showed Boyd stripped the ball away before Barker's arm started forward. With about 12 minutes remaining and still leading 21-20, the Bulldogs fumbled twice on one punt. Usually dependable Tony James in iTtl and Nov. 26 against Aubum could set up a No. 1 vs.

No. 2 Sugar Bowl matchup with Miami. The Sugar Bowl's dream matchup looked in jeopardy when State's 18-point third quarter gave the Bulldogs a 21-20 lead enteringthe final 15 minutes. State had a chance to end an 11-game losing streak against the Tide and beat Bama for only the second time in 35 years. Alabama didn't regain the lead until Michael Proctor's 21-yard field goal with 8 minutes, 10 seconds left An interception and a 19-yard touchdown drive put the game away.

The Bulldogs, 7-3 overall, 4-3 in the SEC, appear headed for the Peach Bowl, although State coach Jackie Sherrill didn't mention any bowl by name. See BULLDOGS, 6D fumbled first, but the ball bounced up into the arms of State's Johnny Curtis, who fumbled again. Alabama's Willis Bevelle recovered at State's 43. Eight plays later, Michael Proctor's 26-yard field goal put Alabama ahead to stay. Far from out of it, State began its next pos-session from its own five.

After getting one first down, State quarterback Greg Plump threw into the arms of Alabama's George Teague at the 19. The Tide scored five plays later for a 30-; 21 lead. Greg JensonThe Clarion-Ledger I Dogs earn Tide's respect, 6D Alabama's Antonio Langham blocks a punt by Mississippi State's Todd Jordan. Langham recovered and ran it in for a touchdown. "A USM keeps on kickin JSU takes no prisoners James Johnson runs for 193 yards and 3 TDs as the Tigers whip Prairie View 46-0.

Two magnificent comebacks against Ala-i bama's splendid defense were too much to hope for. The second never materialized. i Things still look rather Peachy So State, 7-3 appears headed for the Jan. 2 Peach Bowl. Expect the announcement soon, possibly today.

The mostly likely opponent is i North Carolina. Meantime, the Bulldogs have two weeks to prepare for Ole Miss at Oxford. Alabama, 10-0 with Auburn left to play at 1 Birmingham, keeps alive national champion-i ship hopes. Said Jackie Sherrill, a Bama alum-! nus, "I hope they go all the way. I'd love to see an SEC team win it all." i But Sherrill knew well just how close his sec-i ond State team had come to ruining those hopes.

This evenly played game between two evenly matched teams could have gone the oth- er way if not for an illegal participation here, two fumbles on one play there, and a terrible, I terrible call somewhere else. It's always something. This time, there were i many. By Derrick Mahone Clarion-Ledger Staff Writer loss. The Hokies, 2-7-1, have lost fourth-quarter leads in five games.

The victory keeps alive USM's hopes for an Independence Bowl bid. USM rebounded from a 12-3 deficit when tailback Michael Welch threw a 64-yard touchdown pass to short-yardage quarterback Kevin Bentley with 42 seconds left in the third quarter. That set the stage for Nations' second game-winning field goal of the season and 14th field goal of theyear. He kicked a 21-yarder with 5 seconds left to beat Tulsa. Johnny Lomoro also has two game-winning field goals.

Game coverage, 9D losing streak to 23 games as the Panthers dropped to 0-10 and 0-6. Johnson's 193 yards give him 1,115 yards for the season as he became the first JSU running back to go over the plateau since Lewis Tillman had 1,436 in 1988. JSU lead 31-0 at the intermission after piling up 326 total yards and 199 on the ground before 3,000 at Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium. "The team executed well and (we were) able to give our younger players some playing time," JSU coach James Carson said. Game coverage, 7D Golden Eagles win for the fourth time on a late field goal to finish 7-4.

By Robert Wilson Clarion-Ledger Staff Writer BLACKSBURG, Va. Southern Mississippi kicked a winning field goal in the final 2 minutes for the fourth time this season to beat Virginia Tech 13-12 Saturday to finish 7-4. A crowd of 27,342 at Lane Stadium saw senior Lance Nations kick a 22-yard field goal with 1 minute, 34 seconds to play to hand Tech its sixth straight James Johnson rushed for 193 yards and three touchdowns in the first half to lead Jackson State to a 46-0 victory over Prairie View Saturday night. The win snapped JSU's two-game losing streak and helped the Tigers increase their record to 7-3 overall and 4-2 in the Southwestern Athletic Conference. The loss extended Prairie View's THE SOUTH 1 TOP 25 INSIDE I.Miami 48 Temple 0 2.

Alabama 30 16. Miss. State 21 11. Florida 14 South Carolina 9 Illinois 22 3. Michigan 22 Auburn 10 OleMiss13 Louisiana Tech 6 12.

Georgia 14 Tulane 7 5. Florida State 70 Virginia Tech 12 23. Tennessee 26Memphis St. 2 1 USM 13 Oregon State 16 6. Washington 45 Kentucky 13 Jackson State 46 Prairie View 0 Cincinnati 17 itofe pWIc mmsimimm ii" i No.

10 Syracuse 27 I I SLvw No. 17 Boston College 10 1 XrT No3Cotoraol251r-- No. 18 Southern Cal 14 1 I No, 9 Arizona 7 Xgt 7. Nebraska 10 Iowa State 19 Navy 7 Alabama State 35Miss. Valley 19 Vanderbilt 27 22.

Penn State 16- 8. Notre Dame 17 Miss. College 34 Delta State 23 9. Arizona 7 BELL-RINGER: Mississippi College defeated Delta State 34-23 in the annual Heritage Bell battle. 3D HEART-STOPPER: Auburn's James Bostic was stopped at the goal line with about 15 seconds to go and time expired as No.

12 Georgia escaped with a 14-10 victory. 5D CATFISH: One of the wildest ways of catching catfish you'll ever hear about happens every fall at Bolivar County Lake near Rosedale. 12D 18. Southern Cal 14 Trinity 17 centre 21 Millsaps40 Rhodes 18 10. Syracuse 27 17.

Boston College 10 Sewanee 26 Ky. Wesleyan 19 20. Kansas 18 13. Colorado 25 Duke 27 14. North Carolina State 45 Valdosta 24 N.

Alabama 24 15. Stanford 40 21. Washington State 3 Jacksonville 63 Kentucky St. 21 Grambling27 Florida 10 Indiana 10 19. Ohio State 27 Texas So.

6 Lane 0 Southern U. 34 West Georgia 62 24. Hawaii 28 San Diego State 52 MafaV4lrfclaV49Ma1k4llhM tlefcadfcee.