The Greenville News from Greenville, South Carolina • Page 25

i Section Outdoors football scoreboard The Greenville News and GREENVILLE PIEDMONT Sunday, October 1, 1978 ports I Gam cocks Georgia 1 By KERRY CAPPS New sports writer Phils clinch title special night From wire reports Saturday's developments in major league baseball include a win, a tie and a COLUMBIA It was more than a victory for South Carolina's football team Saturday night; it was a release from 19 years and 15 games of 'bondage. It had been all of those since the Gamecocks last beat Georgia, before the 27-10 rout of Saturday night. Two South Carolina head coaches had come and gone and prayer. Richie Hebner drove in four runs witn doubles in the first and eighth innings and Greg Luzinski smashed a three-run go-ahead homer in the sixth to power the Philadelphia Phillies to tneir tnira straight National League Eastern Divi COLUMBIA It's been 19 years since a Georgia football team has known the feeling of losing to South Carolina. But it may have been even longer since the last time the Bulldogs saw a Gamecock rushing attack the likes of what they encountered here Saturday night.

The Gamecocks, whose offense had sputtered during a tie with Kentucky and a loss to Duke, found the right combination and crushed Vince Dooley's Bulldogs 27-10 before more than 54,000 fans at Williams-Brice Stadium. It was the first Gamecock victory over Georgia since 1959, and the first ever over a Dooley-coached Bulldog team. The approach the Gamecocks used to break the string was a strategy tried' and proven over the years by Georgia a relentless inside ground attack sea- soned with an infrequent, but effective, passing game. With the Carolina offensive line blasting holes in the Georgia defensive front, George Rogers and Johnnie Wright slashed into the secondary for big gains. The Gamecocks rolled up 323 yards and 20 first downs rushing, led by Wright's 157 yards and Rogers' 128.

Meanwhile, Gamecock quarterback Garry Harper ran the offense flawlessly, hitting nine of 12 passes for 103 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions. On the defensive side, the Gamecocks broke down just once that on an 81-yard touchdown scamper by Georgia's "Willie McClendon, who gained 160 yards on the ground. Outside of McClendon's yardage, the Gamecocks stifled the Georgia attack, holding the 'Dogs at bay in the second half while the offense worked its magic. USC coach Jim Carlen called the. vie-(See USC, page 11-C) sion Championship witn a iu-s triumpn over the Pittsburgh Pirates.

i That was the win. The New York Yankees clinched a tie for the American League East title as Ed Figueroa, the catalyst in New York miraculous comeback, brought pride to another was four years into his era since it last had happened. It would take us on into the evening to count the numbers of Gamecock quarterbacks who had been sent out against Georgia, and who had finished the fray sadly shaking their heads in front of their lockers. Then, after so many years of quarterbacks with such buildups who never did it, the one who finally did finds it hard to Puerto Rico and glory to the Bronx. Fi gueroa' stopped the Cleveland Indians 7-0 on a five-hitter.

Boston, meanwhile, stayed alive and has prayers of tying New York to force a playoff for the championship. Foster Kea box uennis tcKersiey sun xeeis the burden is on New York to win the title. "Tomorrow is it," said Eckersley, who pitched a five-hitter to record his 20th win as the Red box beat tne toronio Blue Jays, 5-1, to remain one game be hind. "Everybody will know what pressure Statistics is, but it more on tnem (tne Yannees) than on us. They have to wait for every out.

We can't do anything but go out and play," he said. Eckersley fanned nine and walked one to push his record to 20-8. It was the believe himself. Garry Harper is one of the few college football players in the country billed as his team's weak link. After the brilliant performance he gave against Georgia Saturday night, that title may be discarded in the minds of everyone in the crowd of 56,114 but not by Garry himself.

After he completed 9 of 12 passes for 103 yards, and after he coordinated Carolina's total of 426 yards against the famed "Junkyard Dogs" defenders from Georgia, the area around Harper's locker room was crowded. "I had butterflies before the game, and this was the first time," he said. "Not because it was Georgia, but because it was a game we had to win." And he had them a little bit too, because, he admitted, "Sometimes before the games, during the week, I can't picture myself as a football player. "I mean I look at my scrawny body, and I just can't picture myself as a football player. But I know I can go out and play football, but I don't understand it.

I just go out and do the best I can, and God has blessed me." Gwrlla 1.1 JJ KI.1 70133 IW 103 lie to 17 12 0 0 IM 152 a 3 2 219 16th complete for the Red box ace. First drmm Rushpu yards Passing varrts Return satrts Passes Pitnt.s nmhltts lost Penalties-yards "What a year that kid had, said Kea Sox manager Don Zimmer. 'It was great watching him pitch today." Zimmer was less enthused about tne Jamn C. Wilton 010 011-10 7 7 7 27 GentRla S-tarolma Clemson's Marvin Sims (31) picks up ground Villanova's Dan Burke avoids Mock to make tackle prospects of catching the Yanks, even though the Red Sox have won seven straight and 11 of 13. "What can we do about we are doing everything' we can.

We're winning everyday." Tigers enjoy romp, 31-0 'Too emotional' Statistics VKIanova rirmson First dnns 2S Hushes yards Passinfi yards 10 111 Return yards Passes 1 4-1. 0 pis 8 39 5 5.U lust I 32 Penalties-yards 27 94 Vlllarwa (lemson 7H71-JI Aifendanre aftntxi South Carolina coach Jim Carlen shook his head when he talked about the young sophomore from Hialeah, Fla. Carlen has, spent many words telling the world that everything else about the 1978 Gamecocks was all right, but not to expect much from the quarterback operation. Saturday night, Carlen observed, "I can't say enough about him. I get too emotional about him." Before he decided it was too emotional, Carlenhad said one, of the most impressive features of the Carolina attack was that Harper had "stayed in the pocket and we protected him, and he hit some receivers." Carlen was grateful, because without Harper's Figueroa, by winning tor tne Yankees, posted his eighth consecutive triumph and 13th victory in his last 15 decisions.

He became the first Puerto Rican-born pitcher in major league history to win 20 games in a season and climaxed the greatest comeback by a club in A.L. annals. The triumph was the Yankees' sixth straight and their 47th in 66 games under low-keyed Bob Lemon, who took over for the fiery Billy Martin as manager of the Yankees on July 25. Under Lemon, the Yankees, who trailed Boston by 14 games on July 19, pulled off the second most miraculous comeback in baseball history. Only the 1914 "Miracle Boston Braves" who wiped up a 15-game defecit from July 4, ever came from further back to win.

Figueroa was perhaps the biggest factor in the Yankees' surge. A 7'-7 pitcher under Martin, Figueroa welcomed the new regime with open arms and was practically unbeatable down the stretch. The Phillies snapped a 24-game home winning streak by the Pirates and winner Randy Leach, 11-8, aided his own cause with two solo home runs off Pirates' rookie starter Don Robinson. and the pass catching of All-American candidate Jerry Butler. But the Tigers failed to score again until Obed Ariri kicked a 33-yard field goal at the final has a good football team," said Pell.

"Villanova is going to beat a lot of people. hey never let up. When we put our second team in after that first touchdown (nf the second half), they dominated play." The Wildcats lived up to their nickname on their first play from scrimmage as Dana Shelton burst up the middle for' 34 yards to the Tiger 49. But Clemson's defense stiffened and forced Villanova to punt. The Wildcats seriously threatened to score only once, and they were stopped on a fourth and one at the Clemson six in the third quarter.

"We had to score on that first drive," said Villanova coach Dick Bedesem, whose team is now 2-2. "When Dana broke that long one, it looked as.if we. (See Tigers, pagcUl-C) By RICK WARNER News sports writer CLEMSON Villanova is an Eastern school known primarily for its basketball and track teams, not for its football squads. After Saturday's game at Death Valley, that pecking order isn't likely to change. Cfemson, still smarting from its shutout loss to Georgia last week, shut off the Wildcats' wishbone rushing attack and coasted to a 31-0 victory on an overcast, drizzly afternoon before 46,000 fans at Frank Howard Field.

The Tigers outgained Villannva 496 to 167, had twice as many first downs, and never let the visitors from Philadelphia in the game. Clemson coach Charley Pell said improved pre-game preparation was the secret to victory, Clemson's second in three games. "This was a big win for Clemson," Pell said. We fold the squad we were cool operation, it is not likely Carolina would have just as proud of the way the team worked in practice as we were of the victory today. The team has come closer together this week and that's an important step for us in 1978.

"I saw some signs of leadership that we've been hoping to sec for a long time," said Pell, who went on to praise a long list of Tiger performers, including game captains Rich Tuten, Willie Jordan and Billy Hudson. Clemson led 28 0 early in the second half on the strength of its rushing attack won what Carlen called the biggest and the best victory it has captured in his four seasons here. Beating Georgia was the most visible, the most irritating, the most urgent single plateau which Carlcn's program had not yet reached. His first team not only defeated the hated rival Paladins outscore Mount. es from Clemson, but it also satisfied the long and acute hunger for a bowl.

Georgia Tech, another favorite target of Carolina fans, had been downed three times out of three. But not Georgia. Georgia was the never-never team, and this looked like the right year to take them before it started. After it started though, the Carolina-Georgia battle seemed to be a race between whether the Bulldogs would mature first, or whether Garry Harper would. The drama heightened as Harper made his mistakes against Kentucky and Duke, and as Georgia beat Baylor then Clemson.

But Harper won. He really did, and it is important that the record show that when Carolina finally broke the shackles, they did it with a quarterback who didn't own a college block letter to his name. Epitome of poise It seems almost funny now that the thing which has given Harper the most trouble besides his passing has been his poise. That's where inexperience, of which he has an abundance, takes its toll. But Saturday night, when he threw the second-ouarter touchdown pass that sent the Gamecocks By ABE HARDESTY Piedmont sports editor BOONE, N.C.

It may have been the most enjoyable birthday party Greg Laetsch ever had. And the wildest one. When it was over, urmaii coach Dick Sheridan embraced his senior end who turned 21 Saturday, praised Laetsch for his blocking, and tried to explain a stunning 52 34 football victory. "We had a good offensive day, and beat a good from 7-10 behind to 13-10 ahead, the contact in the Statistics 1 Furmalt AppSt. first downs 21 Rushes yards 113 30 211 Prs-one yards 3M Reiurr yards 4( ISO Pay-.

13 210 24 Vi 2 Punts 10 iy i-ai fumbles Inst ID 0-0 Penalties-yards 7-96 5 44 Furman 24 1 0 20 92 Appalathlan SI. 0 7 20 7 14 A 1.1. IV) both offense and defense in the third quarter, and it almost cost us. I appreciate the way our kids reacted when it got close in the fourth quarter." A further explanation could have included the. fact that Furman did not make a single turnover in its first Southern Confer end zone left Georgia defender Scott Woerner writhing on the artificial turf.

Harper was the first man to his side. Poise? When he appeared trapped and down once in the tense third quarter, he made a pitch to Johnnie Wright which gained 16 yards. And while Georgia's defenders were clearing their heads from that, Harper drilled Zion McKinney for a 21-yard pass to the Georgia two. The score was then only 13-10, the name far ence outing, while the hosts lost the ball six times on from resolved, bondage far from broken. The ball was at the Georgia two, and it was time tor something big.

The noise was so great Harper asked the officials to tell the crowd to cool it. Then he lined up, and called all those numbers, and all those colors, and complicated things which 12-year pro quarterbacks, and three- fumbles and twice on pass interceptions. The surprise party began when Chris Buonn took the opening kicknff and followed a Furman wall into the middle of the field, where he used a Bruce Lancaster block and then outran three pursuers on a 95-yard return. The fun continued on the first play from scrimmage, when Kevin Morgan pounced on a fumble by Greer native Charles Fowler at the ASU 24. It led to another Furman touchdown with the game barely three minutes old.

While the Mountaineers hid bf.hind the mid day fog which surrounded Conrad Stadium, the Paladins continued to celebrate by scoring 24 first-quarter points. And when Mark Stowers raced around left end for a 50- Sce Furman, page 11-C) i year college lettermen can. He canca tnem jusi like the big boys. He was still calling them when the ball was snapped into his hands, and he lurched into the end zone for the touchdown that told Georgia and everybody else that the streak was over. For a few minutes there, he looked very much United Rrcst International like a college football player.

Furman's Mark Stowers (21) gains yardage he dives over Appalachian's Wiley Fox (48) and Stove Hobbs (45) 4.