Clarion-Ledger from Jackson, Mississippi • Page 33

LETTERS 3 PREP POLLS 12 OUTDOORS 14 TO SHARE TIPS, IDEAS: Contact: Mike Knobler, sports editor Jackson area: 961-7293 Toll free: 1-800-222-8015 Fax: 961-7224 E-mail: Mknoblerjackson.gannett.com THE CLARION-LEDGER I JACKSON, MISSISSIPPI OCTOBER 26, 1997: Indians win, force Game 7 tonight I RICK CLEVELAND Columnist YY The Clarion-Ledger and later doubled and scored. He lasted barely beyond the fifth inning, but it was enough to beat Kevin Brown for the second time in the Series. A sensational play by shortstop Omar Vizquel, strong work by the bullpen and a record-tying two sacrifice flies by Manny Ramirez helped Cleveland continue the teams' pattern of alternating wins. Now, a week that has often lacked drama has the ultimate the first World Series Game 7 since 1991 when Jack Morris pitched all 10 innings and led Minnesota over Atlanta 1-0. For Cleveland, tonight marks one more chance to overcome a legacy of losing that spans nearly a half-century.

The Indians have not won the World Series since 1948, with their fans' frustration starting about the time Willie Mays robbed Vic Wertz in the 1954 Series. Cleveland gets shot at ending misery of its long-suffering fans By Ben Walker The Associated Press MIAMI Chad Ogea's un-likely bat gave the Cleveland Indians one more chance to beat the Florida Marlins and a cursed history. The Indians forced a seesaw Indians show true grit, 6C Leiter to get Marlins' call, 6C World Series to a Game 7, defeating Florida 4-1 Saturday night when Ogea became the first Cleveland pitcher in 25 years to drive in a run. Ogea, who had never gotten a hit in his major league career, battled for a two-run single early Hans DerykThe Associated Press Indians' Jim Thome celebrates af-l ter scoring on a Chad Ogea i -T -2" a I Y. I 1 i r-9 rrv Defeat means Rebels' stay in AP poll likely a short one By Robert Falkoff Clarion-Ledger Staff Writer OXFORD It's apparently not a good idea to play Alabama at home immediately after being anointed as a nationally ranked team.

Last year, the Ole Miss basketball team popped into the rankings and then popped right back out when the Tide won in Oxford. Now the Ole Miss football team knows the feeling. One week after their stunning win at LSU, the Rebels couldn't stop the run, couldn't pressure the quarterback and probably won't maintain their No. 25 national ranking. Alabama spotted Ole Miss a two-touchdown lead and then roared back for a 29-20 victory Saturday before 41,548 soggy fans at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium.

"Alabama's back was against the wall and they responded," Ole Miss coach Tommy Tuberville said. "We weren't the same team as last week." The undersized Ole Miss defensive line, a major question mark going into this season, had held up well through six games. Given that the Alabama offensive line had been struggling, Tuber- Full-page color coverage, 9D ville never would have imagined that the Tide would gain 526 net yards and rush for 200 yards in the second half. That's the poorest job our de- fense has done," Ole Miss middle linebacker Nate Wayne said. "We rose up at times, but overall we didn't play to our ability." The Rebel offense didn't help matters when three players Robert Reed, John Avery and Rufus French were stripped of the football after positive plays in Alabama territory.

But early on, Ole Miss had managed to grab a 14-0 lead on Avery's 10-yard touchdown run with 3:38 left in the half. If the Ole Miss defense had been able to shut down Alabama at that point, the Rebels would have been in great shape at the intermission. Instead, the Rebel defense went into a passive mode. Alabama used a hurry-up passing attack to move 80 yards in 2:35. Quarterback Freddie Kitchens scored on an 8-yard run and the feeling among Rebel fans was suddenly as ominous as the dark clouds hovering over the stadium.

"Alabama was about ready to See REBELS, 9D i t- 'V" YwV'' I I 1 1 mi 1 Avery had every right to celebrate, even if he did OXFORD First things first: Alabama thoroughly deserved its 29-20 victory over Ole Miss here Saturday. Down 14-0, the Crimson Tide fired back by doing what Bama has done best over the years, that is, by dorninating the line of scrimmage. Alabama's oft-maligned offensive line whipped Ole Miss. The Rebels had allowed 147 yards rushing per game. The Tide rushed for an even 200 yards in the second half, alone.

No official's call beat Ole Miss. Alabama did. No doubt about it. If you saw it, you know it. The excessive celebration call against John Avery following his 100-yard kickoff return was a terrible interpretation of football's worst rule.

If you saw it, you know that, too. Avery's run was one for the yearly highlights tape. He reversed field several times, ran out of a couple would-be tackles and, then, with two Tide players on his heels, he dove into the end zone. Immediately, an official threw his flag. His call: unsportsmanlike conduct for excessive celebration.

The call was as critical as it was absurd. Almost. Avery's return cut Alabama's lead to 29-20 with 6:04 left. The obvious strategy was to go for the 2-point conversion. But after officials marked off 15 yards against the Rebels, Tuber-ville had little choice but to try and kick the conversion.

The kick was blocked, and that was that. The score ended that way. Avery: 'I wasn't celebrating' Afterward, Avery seemed more puzzled than angry. "I thought you could dive into the end zone if you're trying to get away from people," Avery said. "I wasn't celebrating, I was trying to get in the end zone.

"I knew at least one guy, the kicker I think, was right behind me," Avery continued. "I had rumbled on my last carry, and I was trying to make sure that didn't happen again. If somebody was going to grab me, he was going have to grab my feet or my shoestrings. He wasn't going to get the ball. I was just making sure." Rebel coach Tommy Tuberville said the official who made the call told him that SEC officials have been instructed by the league office to penalize players for diving in the end zone.

After calling it "the worst call in history of football," Tuberville said, "I don't blame the official. He was doing what he's instructed to do. It'sjustabadrule." In this case we had the football equivalent to fining somebody 100,000 bucks for jaywalking a step outside the crosswalk. "When I saw the flag, I didn't think it was on me," Avery said. "I didn't think I had done anything wrong." He hadn't, Tuberville said.

"That's what we teach," Tuberville said. "And well continue to teach it. If you have to dive to get into the end zone, then dive. John didn't know how close the guys were behind him. He was running for his life.

You shouldn't make that call. That's not college football. If it is, I'm in the wrong business." Celebration rule needs changing My opinion: It shouldn't matter how close pursuers are. You want to dive in the end zone, dive. You run 100 yards against Alabama, you deserve to dive.

You have to go all the way back to 1970 to find the last time anyone returned a kickoff for a touchdown in the regular season against Alabama. Longtime Rebel fens may remember it Vernon Studdard did it. If memory serves, he did not dive. But back to the point. In college football, there should be no rule against a spur-of-the-moment display of happiness.

You go through winter workouts. You go through spring training. You work out all summer. You go through 2-a-days. You do all this to prepare yourself so that you can do something wonderful like John Avery did Saturday.

And then you get rewarded with a 15-yard penalty. It's a disgusting rule that ought to be changed. "Football's supposed to be fun," John Avery said. "Something like that kind of takes the fun out of it." To contact Rick Cleveland, call 961-7210 or e-mail RCIevelandjackson.gannett.com J. D.

SchwalmThe Clarion-Ledger Ole Miss' John Avery sheds the attempted tackle of Alabama's Deshea Townsend moments before completing an electrifying 100-yard kickoff return for a TD. ft, nil djjt VY-Y-Y Johnson powers State past UCF Bulldogs win 35-28 after trailing 28-21 in fourth quarter By Rusty Hampton Clarion-Ledger Staff Writer STARKVILLE Tailback J.J. John-son tied Mississippi State's "modern day" record with four rushing touchdowns Saturday, leading the Bulldogs to a 35-28 homecoming victory nMana over Central Florida be- iltfitiitJ fore 28,621 at Scott puy pag6i rj Field. Johnson rushed for a career-best 146 yards on 26 carries. He scored twice in the first half on short runs, then scored the tying and winning TDs in the fourth quarter as State improved to 5-2.

Daunte Culpepper passed for 359 yards and two TDs for Central Florida, 3-5. Rick GuyThe Clarion-Ledger Jackson State's Destry Wright tries to get outside against Grambling State's Chris Lazard. JSU gives Robinson early gift, late pain Jackson State puts 23-0 exclamation Steve ColemanThe Associated Press USM quarterback Lee Roberts runs free in the open field as Tulane's Dwight Jones gives chase. Eagles beat emotion out of Wave 34-13 USM plays with excitement, takes over lead in Conference USA with 3-0 record By Robert Wilson Clarion-Ledger Staff Writer HATTLESBURG Southern Mississippi had an emo- point on its farewell to Coach Rob By C.B. Bryant Clarion-Ledger Staff Writer 4, i Just before the game got underway, Jackson State hon ored Grambling State coach Eddie Robinson with a little memento for his farewell tour.

Once play started, No. 20 JSU wasn't tional game plan gomg into Saturdays Conference USA showdown with Tulane. The Golden Eagles wanted to make sure that Tulane didn't continue their I Full page, 10D I Full page, 7D so generous. The Tigers celebrated homecoming Saturday at Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium by beating Grambling State before 35,430. It was the Tigers' second straight shutout over the G-Men and college football's winningest coach.

JSU won 52-0 last year at Grambling. "There's nothing more beautiful than to shut out Eddie Robinson," said JSU coach James Carson. See TIGERS, 7D emotional play that led to the Green Wave's surprising 4-2 record this season. And USM had to regain its emotional intensity it had played with in every game with the exception of its last one against East Carolina. The Golden Eagles succeeded on both fronts, as their 34-13 victory plainly showed.

"They were on top and we wanted to be there. Now, we See EAGLES, 10D William MaslinThe Associated Press J.J. Johnson races past UCF's Emory Green for the Bulldogs' first score. NFL TODAY 1 BY THE NUMBERS INSIDE I 10. Wash.

State 35. 34 Missouri 51 12. Okla. State 50 13. UCLA 35 California 17 14.

Kansas St. 26 7 18. Iowa 62 Indiana 0 2 1 W. Virginia 30 19. Va.

Tech 17 Texas Tech 1620. Texas 13 22. Purdue 48 Illinois 3 24. Toledo 35 Bowling Green 20 Junior Colleges Jones 34 East Central 15 Pearl River 17 East Miss. 13 Co-Lin 20 Gulf Coast 18 Northeast 22 Coahoma 18 BASEBALL World Series Game 6 Indians 4 Marlins 1 FOOTBALL State Colleges Alabama 29 25.

Ole Miss 20 Miss. State 35 Central Fla. 28 USM 34 Tulane 13 Jackson St. 23 Grambling 0 Miss. Valley 13 Texas So.

10 Southern U. 25 State 16 WestGa. 28 Delta State 9 Miss. College 31 Sul Ross 26 SEC 1 1. Auburn 26 Arkansas 2 1 16.

Georgia 23 Kentucky 13 S. Carolina 35 Vanderbilt 3 Conference USA Houston 36 Louisville 22 East Carolina 32 Memphis 10 Cincinnati 34 Miami-Ohio 31 SWAC Ala. State 20 Ala. 13 UAPB44 LangstonO Top 25 1. Nebraska 35 KansasO 3.

FSU47 Virginia 21 5. Michigan 23 15. Mich. State 7 7. Washington 45.

Ore. State 17 9. Ohio State 49 NWstrn 6 Purvis player suffers paralysis Tragedy struck the Purvis High School football team Friday night during the Tornadoes' 39-6 victory over Forrest County AHS. Joseph Parker, 16, a junior safety, suffered a broken neck on a play and remained paralyzed from the neck down Saturday at Hatties-burg's Wesley Medical Center. His fifth and sixth vertebrae were crushed and his fourth vertebra was damaged.

Story, 12D 49ersVS. SAINTS The San Francisco 49ers, 6-1, roll into New Orleans to play the Saints tied with the Denver Broncos for the best record in the NFL. The Niners are riding a five-gaming winning streak and boast the league's top-rated defense. On the other hand, the Saints 2D witTora narowooa 1 ouciaioo nos Kentucky's Anthony White is swallowed up by Georgia's Rich Robich during the first half of the Dawgs' 23-13 victory. SEC, 6D.