Clarion-Ledger from Jackson, Mississippi • Page 53

Sunday, September 20, 1981 9D The Clarion-Ledger Jackson Daily News No touchdowns, no victories and no excuses from Tigers Statistics, Page 14 By RICK CLEVELAND Clarion-Ledger Sports Writer MEMPHIS Three games into 1981, Memphis State's Tigers have no touchdowns and no victories. In their somber Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium locker room Saturday night, after a brutally disappointing 7-3 loss to arch-rival Ole Miss, they also had no excuses. Actually, the Tigers' locker room wasn't opened to the media until long after Ole Miss coach Steve Sloan had completed his interviews across the way. Presumably, the Tigers needed time to compose themselves. If so, it is understandable.

After all, this was their third straight loss, despite playing splendid defense three straight times. What does a coach tell his team after they have fought so hard only to lose again? "I told them that Ole Miss played the second half and that we didn't," first-year Memphis State boss Rex Dockery said. "They had the poise to win in the second half and we didn't. "I also told them I was proud of them and I am. We fought 'em all the way, and that's all I can ask.

We were prepared to play well and we did." Memphis State might have won without a touchdown had it not been for John Fourcade's 35-yard touchdown sprint in the third quarter. It was Ole Miss' basic option play, Fourcade going down the line to the right with an option to run or "We know what it takes, we just got to execute." Sanders wound up completing six passes to his team but four to Ole Miss defensive backs in 15 attempts. "The turnovers, the interceptions beat us," Sanders said. "I can't worry about it. I got to shake it off and come back.

Their defense played good, they made the big plays when they had, too." The biggest of all might have been late in the game when an Ole Miss fumble actually a bad pitch from Fourcade to McGee on the same play that had earlier scored awarded Memphis State one more scoring opportunity at the Ole Miss i2. On the very next play, Sanders went back to pass but his throw was batted high into the air by a leaping Bryan Kennedy, who at 6-4, towered seven inches over Sanders. "It was just a rollout pass and that real big guy just jumped up and batted the ball," Sanders said. "My man was open, but I couldn't get it over him Andre Townsend came down with, a game-saving interception for the Rebels. At the end, Dockery had to make his way across the field to congratulate his longtime friend and former boss, Ole Miss coach Steve Sloan.

What was said? i "You know, I really don't remember," Dockery said. "I just said 'Good I guess." There was a long pause, before Dockery added, "What else is there to say." pitch to trailing tailback Buford McGee. This time, Fourcade faked the pitch to McGee. Memphis State cornerback Marvin Chatman took the fake. However, Chatman, who earlier this season blocked two punts against Mississippi State in a 20-3 defeat, wasn't at fault on the play.

"On that particular play, I had the pitch man (McGee)," Chatman explained. "I'm supposed to take him. We're supposed to get help from the inside on the quarterback. I guess the help never got there." "Fourcade just made a great play," Chatman continued. "You gotta give him credit.

He faked the pitch and tucked in and we never got help from the inside linebacker. That was it." Chatman and his defensive mates have now limited nationally ranked Mississippi State to 20 points, nationally ranked Florida State to 10 points and normally high-powered Ole Miss to a paltry seven. "All we can do," said CHatman, "is keep trying. We can't give up. We got to get some breaks and we got to put some points on the scoreboard." Despite outgaining Ole Miss 163-46 in the first half and racking up 13 first downs to the Rebels' two, Memphis State went into intermission with an ever-so-slim 3-0 lead.

"We kept moving the ball but we couldn't put it in." quarterback Greg Sanders, who at 5-foot-9 had trouble heaving the ball over Ole Miss linemen. jfw 1 ri -if Vf a -f 1 i rV i ilk 'WAV i V' III It 'a I. 'i ifAf HX'V ScA I5 1 II I I MM mmm AP Staff photo by Jay Koelzer Ole Miss defenders Lee Cole, 50, and Earry Wil-burn, 27, pile up Memphis State's Anthony Carter Mississippi State's John Bond gets wrapped up by Vands Manuel Young. iiiimii irnnw fl 7 A 'vfyVt The 0leMiss Game 91981 12 3 4 Ole Miss 0 0 7 0 Memphis State 0 3 0 0 on the goal line during Ole Miss' 7-3 victory in Memphis. The win gives Ole Miss a record of 3-0.

Rebels hang on for third victory Continued From Page ID Memphis was able to get the ball back again, but with only 22 seconds left. Sanders went for all the money, but Melvin Brown intercepted the desperation heave to seal the win. "We're very fortunate to win this game," Sloan said. "Ver fortunate. I'm proud of our players for the way they played in the second half.

We've played well in the fourth quarter all three games." After surrendering 163 yards the first half, the Ole Miss defense held Memphis to just 83 yards in the second. The Rebels, while gaining only 43 yards the first half, came back with 192 in the second. Since the game was being played in Memphis State's backyard, the Tigers treated the football as if it were their very own. With the exception of one drive, in which Ole Miss picked up two first downs, it was three downs and kick for the Rebels, In the first quarter alone, the Tigers had possession of the football for 12:04, compared to the Rebels token 2:56. The Rebels ran only eight plays in that time, two of which were punts.

But thanks to the Rebel defense grittiness, and a mixture of some hard tackles and slippery Tiger fingers, Memphis State was held scoreless in that time. The Tigers' first drive ended when Hauss missed a 39-yard field goal attempt. AFter the Rebels' perfunctory three downs and a kick, Memphis State drove entirely on the ground tt from its own 32 to the Rebel 3-yard line. On second down, the pitch went to Eric Becton right, but Barry Wilburn, playing in front of the hometown folks, jarred the ball loose with his tackle and the Rebels Bryan Kennedy recovered at the 9. After four more Ole Miss plays, Memphis State mounted it scoring drive.

Beginning at their own 2 1, the Tigers drove to a first-and-goal at the Ole Miss 4. The Ole Miss defense then dug in. Three plays went nowhere, and after taking a delay of game penalty to gain a better angle, Hauss hit his field goal. Not until then, did Ole Miss inch the football forward. The Rebels first first down of the game came with 9:48 left in the half.

In fact, the only scoring opportunity the Rebels had in the first half came via the defense. James Otis recovered a Mike Dion fumble at the Memphis State 28 with 11 seconds left in the half. But after an unsuccessful pass attempt, Ole Miss' Robert Robinson missed a 46-yard field goal attempt. USM reverses form in victory Continued From Page ID A clipping penalty brought the Eagles back to the Tulane 48 where Winder took over. On a second and 7, he went off left tackle for 31 yards to the 14, shedding several would-be tackles in the process.

The drive ended three plays later when Collier hit tight end Jim Brown with a 7-yard touchdown pass, and Steve Clark's kick made it 7-0. A blind-side hit by linebacker Greg Kelley on Tulane quarterback Wade Elmore caused on fumble on the Green Wave's next series, but Clark failed on a 34-yard field goal attempt. The Eagles next drive ended more successfully, though. Taking the ball at their own 25, USM marched down the field in 4 minutes, 31 seconds using the running and passing game to baffle Tulane's defense. Finally, with a second-and-goal at the 3, Collier ran around left end for the score.

USM had several golden chances to tack on more pints before the half, but came away empty-handed. One drive ended in futility at midf ield thanks to a penalty and a sack, and after a fumble by Tulane's Marvin Lewis, Clark's 38-yard attempt fell just short at the buzzer. A key play came when offsetting penalties nullified a long gain by Collier which could have set the stage for a third score. Collins said the offensive lineman, Charley Carter, had simply raised his hand to defend. "An offensive guy and pick up his hand and defend himself," said Collins.

"I've never seen it called. I don't know why I expected it to be called since it's never been called before." It didn't matter. After stopping Tulane on its inital possession of the second half, USM marched down the field. The key play in the last drive, which just about ended any doubt of the outcome, came when Winder bootlegged left and picked up 8 yards, plus a 15-yard late-hit penalty, which gave them a first down at Tulane's 21. Collier then picked up 14 on a bootleg, and three plays later Winder went over from the 1.

Winder's touchdown, his third of the year, tied him for the career rushing touchdown record of 30 with Ben Garry. He needs six to tie the overall scoring record. Hidden Factors The Ole Miss offense, which has had problems in short yardage situations, failed again on a third-and-1 situation in its first possession, helping Memphis State to control the football throughout the first quarter. They also failed with a first-and-goal from the five in the second half. The Rebels had the ball for only eight offensive plays in the first quarter, two of which were punts.

The first quarter time of possession: Memphis Stale 12:04, Ole Miss 2:56. Eye openers Memphis State picked up 13 first downs and l63yardsto-tal offense compared to two firsts and 46 yards for Ole Miss in the first half, yet the Tigers held only a 3-0 lead. Of Memphis State's three scoring opprotunities one ended with a tumble, one with a missed field goal and the other with a successful field goal. Costly mistakes Eric Becton, fighting to pick up extra yardage, fumbled at the Ole Miss 9-yard line, after Memphis State had driven 59 yards in 16 plays in the first quarter. The Hero The Ole Miss defense.

Mickey Spagnola Ml Kiiiminiiiii ii Sianptioto By Mike Barren sc rambles for yardage in 21-3 win..