Asheville Citizen-Times from Asheville, North Carolina • Page 23

ASHEVILLE CITIZEN-TIMES, Sept. 7, 1980 3B Can Stabler Lead Oilers To Victory? By BRUCE LOWITT AP Sports Writer All the speculation ends Sunday. Will Ken Stabler make a difference? Can he lead the Houston Oilers past Pittsburgh? Of course, one game does not make a season but if the Oilers and their brand-new 35-year-old quarterback hope to make this a championship season, they'll have to battle their way past the Steelcrs to do it. They'll make believers out of a lot of people if they can do it Sunday in Pittsburgh, where they've won just three of 12 games. In the second weekend of the 1979 season, Houston was blasted 38-7 in Pittsburgh.

"Well, we played them second last year and that was a disaster, so I guess opening up is better than playing them second," Houston Coach Bum Phillips observered. Sunday's other games in the first weekend of the National Football League season are Detroit at Los Angeles, Oakland at Kansas City, Chicago at Green Bay, Cleveland at New England, Atlanta at Minnesota, Miami at Buffalo, the New York Giants at St. Louis, San Francisco at New Orleans, Tampa Bay at Cincinnati, Baltimore at the New York Jets, Denver at Philadelphia and San Diego at Seattle. Monday night's game is Dallas at Washington. "1 feel good throwing the ball," said Stabler.

"I'm in good physical shape, and I'm throwing the ball as well as I ever have, however good that is I think the last couple of years in Oakland I was starting to get a little stale and maybe starting to lose a little interest in it. The trade here gives me new blood, new life." And Houston hopes it'll give the Oilers some life. For the past two seasons, their offense has been heavily ground-oriented with Earl Campbell carrying the vast majority of 1 I -Flit Photo Oilers' Sin bier To Fnee Sleelors For the Lions, whose promising 1979 season wound up as a 2-14 disaster when quarterback Gary Daniclson was injured in an exhibition game. 1980 holds even more promise. Danielson is back and now he has Billy Sims In the buckfiold' with him.

In Cincinnati, Ken Anderson is injured once again so Jack Thompson, the No.l draft choice in 1979, will be the quarterback as Forrest Gregg, Cleveland's head couch dur-ing 1975-77, takes over the Bengals' reins. The other head coaches of 1980 are Baltimore's Mike McCormack (formerly head coach in Philadelphia, 1972-74), and Louis' Jim Hanifan, who was an assistant coach with the Cardinals during 1973-78. day. I'm doing pretty good too," he said. "I don't foresee playing a down Sunday and for the team's sake I hope I don't," he added.

The Rams, who came close to upsetting the Steelers in the Super Bowl, begin a new era. They 'll be a few miles down the road from the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in their new home, Anaheim Stadium, once the home of the World Football League's California Sun. For the moment, the great quarterback debate seems to be settled. Pat Haden, who lost his starting job to Vince Ferragamo midway in 1979 due to a broken finger, has regained his No. 1 spot, due In part to Ferragamo's hamstring pull.

the load, enough to win rushing titles in each ol his first two pro seasons. For Pittsburgh, the quarterback will, of course, be Terry Bradshaw, winner of the Most Valuable Player award in Super Bowl XIV, when he guided the Steelers past Los Angeles 31-19. His kid brother, Craig, will be watching him work on Sunday from Houston's side of the field. The rookie out of Utah State, a seventh-round draft pick, is the Oilers' No.3 quarterback behind Stabler and Gifford Nielsen. He probably has a bit of an idea what his brother will be going through.

Craig assumes the role of the Steelcrs' quarterback in Houston workouts. "1 play Terry Bradshaw every Cardinals Begin 1 980 Without Wilkinson, Pisarkiewicz "I don't feel vindicated," Wilkinson said. "I feel Steve is a very fine person and a reasonably good athlete. His being cut is an interesting development, but not really related to me." "I believe I'm a scapegoat," Pisarkiewicz said from his St. Louis condominium.

"I think 1 was given an opportunity, but not a real fair shake. "I come in and almost never play in three years, then all of a sudden they fire the head coach and the boss benches the starter and says to me, 'Here's the ball; go And everyone's at each other's throats because we're not winning. That, to me, isn't the best of conditions. By BRUCE LOWITT AP SporH Analylil Sometime on Sunday in St. Louis, while Jim Hart is looking for a receiver, Steve Pisarkiewicz will be looking for something to watch on television and Bud Wilkinson will be looking for his luggage.

The two quarterbacks and the man who coached them are inextricably linked. Hart, a 15-year veteran in the National Football League, is the starting quarterback of the St. Louis Cardinals, which is where Wilkinson thinks he should be. The problem is, he also thought that late last year. "If Jimmy had gotten hurt, suddenly I'd be the greatest guy in the world," Pisarkiewicz went on.

"But with him healthy 1 was like a nobody." Pisarkiewicz said he never leauy cum-municaled with Wilkinson, feeling the best thing he could do was stay out of his way. "He was trying to orient himself to the game. He'd been out of it for such a long time. He had a lot more important things to think about than bringing along a young quarterback. One thing he didn't need was me complaining about not playing.

So I let things go." And then Hanifan let Pisarkiewicz go. "My feeling at the time bf my meeting with Mr. Bidwill, and it's the same now, is that we owed it to our fans to make the best effort to win and not just to write off the year as a lost cause." Pisarkiewicz, the Cardinals' No.l draft choice in 1977, started the final three games in 79. St. Louis won two of them and finished at 5-11.

But under Jim Hanifan, the new head coach, he was shunted aside again in '80, appearing in parts of just two exhibition games. And on Labor Day, the axe fell. Steve Pisarkiewicz, the man who cost Bud Wilkinson his job, was himself out of a job. Billy Bidwill, who signed Wilkinson's checks, looked at the crumbling 1979 season and said, in effect, let's begin working toward 1980. Start Pisarkiewicz, he commanded.

No, said Wilkinson. You're fired, said Bidwill. "That was a first for me. 1 guess you could say I left the Cardinals rather unceremoniously." said Wilkinson, who will be doing television commentary on college football games this year for ESPN, the cable television network. "If you can't be involved in coaching, I guess covering the game on television is the next best thing.

Collins Big Star East Carolina Routs Duke Fighting For Yards DURHAM, N.C. (AP) East Carolina shook loose haltbacx Anthony Collins for three touchdowns and held Duke to only two yards rushing in routing the Blue Devils 35-10 Saturday in the opening game for both teams. East Carolina's Anthony Collins (33) is brought down by Duke dclenders Aaron Stewart (7) and Emmett Tilley (32i after a long run that set up East Carolina's first touchdown. Collins scored three I Ds and rushed for 60 yards in' the Pirates victory over Duke. pass from freshman quarterback Ben Bennett to Cedric Jones.

East Carolina scored again shortly before the half when Collins raced around right end from the Duke 11. The touchdown was set up when Mike Davis recovered Bennett's fumble on the Blue Devil 25. The Pirates added a touchdown in the third period and two in the fourth. Duke's only other points came in the third period on a 39-yard field goal by Scott McKinney. Duke, coming off a 2-8-1 record last season, was held to a net 2 yards rushing in the entire game.

Bennett, widely heralded freshman from Sunnyvale. was sacked six times for a net loss of 55 yards. East Carolina, ahead 14-7 at the half, scored in the third period on a 41-yard run by halfback Mike Hawkins. The Pirates added another touchdown early in the fourth quarter when Collins banged over from the one to end an 80-yard drive in 20 plays. The final ECU score came late in nthe game when fullback Ted Sutton crashed over from the 1.

The drive began at midfield. Collins led the Pirates with 60 yards in 12 carries. Hawkins had 59 in eight carries. Bobby Brower led Duke's attack with 51 yards in 11 carries. "The defense did a great job," enthused Ed Emory, who picked up a victory in his first outing as the East Carolina head coach.

"We did not make a mistake in the kicking game all day," he added. "I still think Duke has the makings of a good football team. They'll surprise some people this season." Duke Coach Red Wilson, after getting off to a poor start in his second season as the Blue Devils' head coach, saw the need for more work by his squad. "We got a lesson in an oldfashion, ball-control, tail-whipping type of game," he said. "There will be no rest for the weary." Held scoreless the first period, East Carolina put across two touchdowns in the second quarter and dominated play the remainder of the game, which was played in humid, 92-degree weather before a crowd of 27,400 people.

The Pirates, who looked impressive both on offense and defense, got on the scoreboard early in the second quarter when Collins took a pitchout and raced around right end from the Duke 1 to cap a 44yard drive. Duke came back on a 73-yard drive climaxed by a five-yard Virginia Tech Defeats Wake Forest Special Factory Purchase Brut Savingt On Ntw 71 Kawiitkl KZ-1000'i ACC yards on 36 carries, went over from the one. Chuck Bushbcck booted a 36-yard field goal for Villanova with 1:48 remaining in the first half. He missed from 37 yards In the third period, during a series of turnovers on which Villanova failed to capitalize. Dale Caat.ro, who missed tield goal attempts uf 43 and VI yards in the first half, had a punt blocked early in the third quarter.

Villanova took over at the Maryland 20, failed to gain, and Bushbeck missed his second field goal try. Villanova recovered a fumble on the Maryland 30 on the next series, but on third down Pete Glamp Intercepted a Pal Brien pass. The Wildcats also lost two fumbles at the Maryland 32 and 17 in the fourth period, and had a pass intercepted at the Maryland 16 in the second quarter. Maryland, which beat Villanova for the eighth consecutive time and had been favored by 14 points, mounted its best drive following Bushbeck's field goal Just before halftime. Mike Tlce completed two passes for 44 yards as the Terps drove to the Villanova 18 with 11 second remaining.

Two penalties and a two-yard run by Wysocki preceded Castro's second unsuccessful field goal attempt. WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (AP) Virginia Tech receiver Sidney Snell bobbled two passes in the second half but managed to hold On to them for touchdowns as the Gobblers beat Wake Forest 16-7 in a regionally televised game in Groves Stadium. Wake Forest's highly touted passing game was overshadowed by an impressive aerial display by the two VP1 quarterbacks. Starting quarterback Steve Casey was knocked out of action in the third quarter and backup Jeff Bolton had to take over.

Both threw scoring passes to Snell who showed off his juggling skills on the receptions. Wake Forest took a 7-3 halftime lead, but Virginia Tech completely dominated the second half. Following the opening kickoff Tech drove 78 yards to touchdown. It came on a 28-yard pass from Casey to Snell with 11:27 left in the third quarter. VPI missed the point after but had a two point lead, all it needed as it turned out.

Sneil's other juggling act came in the fourth quarter, a 24-yard pass from Bolton bounced off his hands three times before he finally held on in the endzone with 9:44 left to play. Wake Forest tried to come back behind the passing of quarterback Jay Venuto. He passed the Deacons to the VPI 21-yard line, but after being sacked for the sixth time in the game, his pass on fourth down and 26 yards to go missed in the endzone. Nn 71 Kmuhl U-IOW. Shift Orhf.

4 CrHlrfw, irufWImM, OIK trakH, OrMt Tmirlnf llkat Forget 2995 Venuto only completed 12 of 30 passes for 124 yards while the duo of Casey and Bolton completed 13 of 24 passes for 205 yards. Wake Forest's rushing game was almost non-existent as they gained only 13 yards. Virginia Tech on the ground gained 232 yards as Cyrus Lawrence rushed for 182. Neither offense seemed able to get much going early in the first half. But Wake Forest finally managed to grab a 7-3 halftime lead.

Virginia Tech scored on its first possession but was held to a 35-yard field goal by Dennis Laury after driving 58 yards in 13 plays. Maryland, 7-3 COLLEGE PARK, Md. (AP) Charlie Wysocki scored on the fifth play of the game, after Villanova fumbled away the opening kickoff, and the Maryland defense held off repeated second-half threats by the Wildcats to win a college football opener, 7-3, Saturday. Villanova's David Martin fumbled the opening kickoff after being hit by Sam Johnson. Howard Eubanks caught the ball in the air and returned it six yards to the Villanova 20.

After an illegal procedure call produced a thlrd-and-slx situation for the Terps, Wysocki ran nine yards for a first down at the seven. Two plays later, the Maryland tailback, who gained 177 your feet Most-ley Shoes IM('olll-. Si Bob Dotton'l Wayneivllle Cycle Center 19-23 By-Pin, WiynMvlllt 452-5831 Andorson XHBUUb, CHEVROLET-OLDSMOBILE I LIKE CALLING TH CAROLINA 8. Welch it U.S. 276 Wiynttvlll, N.C, Phone 456-3595 LIFETIME WMMNTIED MUFFLER IS L0NB AS fOVJ OWN THE CM.

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