Battle Creek Enquirer from Battle Creek, Michigan • Page 13

COLLEGE FOOTBALLSPORTS Monday, Jan. 3, 1994 Battle Creek Enquirer 5B bowl win pleases U-M's Moellef Wolverines end up with 8-4 mark, ranked No. 21 in the final AP poll Strong finish The Associated Press Bowls roundup The Wolverines outgained North Carolina State 466 yards to 312 and forced six turnovers, converting four of the Wolfpack's mistakes into touchdowns. Tyrone Wheatley was the game's most valuable TAMPA, Fla. Michigan, loser of four of its first eight games, finished the season the way Coach Gary Moeller felt the Wolverines should have performed all along.

"I see guys playing with such excellent effort that I didn't see at the beginning of the year. As a coach, you always wonder -whv." "I guess our saving grace was the fact we didn't lose everything and our kids came back and played very, very hard. U-M Coach Gary Moeller rW" Moeller said after a 42-7 Hall of Fame Bowl victory over North Carolina State on Saturday. "I guess our saving grace was the fact we didn't lose everything and our kids came back and played very, Very hard. I think we're a pretty good team now." The Wolverines (8-4) climbed two spots to No.

21 in the final Associated Press poll on Sunday. They finished with a four-game winning streak in which they outscored opponents 153-24, 'Tradition, character and all those things when things are going tough mean the difference," said Moeller, whose team began the season with expectations of winning the Big Ten and contending for the national championship. "We're just playing more aggressive now. I think we were sitting back waiting for things to happen and enjoy a championship," the coach added. "Those things you've got to go out and earn.

Those things just aren't going to happen. You've got to go out and take them." 1 t4t Associated. Press7 ON THE FLY: The University of Michigan's Derrick Alexander, right, runs past North Carolina State kicker Chad Robson (5) en routed to scoring on a 79-yard punt return in the second quarter of Saturday's Hall of Fame Bowl in Tampa, Fla. -vW try," said offensive line coach Dave McMichael. "They're loyal, good people.

It's a shame we couldn't have played better. We shot ourselves in the foot." Neil Bucklew, the university president, was among those to attend the modest homecoming. "It was a great season," he Nebraska kicker takesr Some homecoming Only 35 fans turned out Sunday night in Morgantown, W.Va., to greet the West Virginia football team after its 41-7 loss to Florida in the Sugar Bowl on Saturday. "I was very surprised we even had any fans out here," said sophomore tackle Kil- Florida State tops Irish for top spot late FG miss in stride The Associated Press MIAMI Nebraska's Byron Bennett always thought about kicking the winning field goal to decide the national championship. 'Tve waited all my life to kick the game-winning field goal and unfortunately it didn't happen," Ben- Box SCQre from Saturday-S nett said.

"I late Orange Bowl. 2B thought I had it player, rushing for 124 yards and two TDs. It was the second straight MVP performance in a bowl game for Wheat-ley, who gained 235 yards and scored three times in Michigan's victory over Washington in last year's Rose BowL "It was almost exactly the same except the yardage," said Wheatley, a junior who hasn't decided if heU slap his final year of eligibility to enter the NFL draft. "Both of my scores I went in untouched. The team just played outstanding." Quarterback Todd Collins said it's a shame the Wolverines weren't consistent early in the season because they looked like one of the best teams in the nation during the last four games.

"If we had, we'd deserve consideration," said Collins, who threw for 189 yards and one touchdown against N.C. State (7-5). "But people don't judge" it over one-half of the season. Since we had some failures early on, and some disappointments, I don't believe we should be considered a top team. We didn't do it for the long hauL" tre Dame, even though he had said after the game Saturday night he thought the Irish were the second-best team in the country.

"Maybe that was unfair," Bowden said of his vote. History, more than anything, leaves Holtz bitter. His team went 1 1-1 in 1989 but lost out in the final poll to 1 1-1 Miami The Hurricanes played a weaker schedule but beat the Irish 27-10 in the last game of the regular season. Head-to-head carried the day. Not this time.

Tm disappointed for my players;" Holtz said. "I didn't think there was any way possible we wouldn't win after what happened in 1989." Controversial or not, Florida State's title ends a long and maddening string of near misses for the Seminoles, who had finished in the top four the past six seasons. This bid may have been saved in the loss at South Bend, when the Seminoles rallied with a late touchdown at the end It didn't win the game, but it did keep the Seminoles high enough in the polls for a second chance at No. 1. "All of that fit into the puzzle," Bowden said.

Saturday's big losers were clearly West Virginia and Miami The Mountaineers' bid for an unbeaten season and national championship was badly dashed, and they finished No. 6 in USA Italian Restaurant (13260 S. Helmer Road). For more information call 965-5284 or 781-7849. The Old Kent River Bank Run will take place May 14.

The 25K will begin 8 a.m., followed by Old Kent 5K run at 8:10 a.m. and 1-mile Grand Rapids YMCA Fun Run at 8:15 a.m. Wheelchair division of 25K race will begin 7:50 a.m. Also, starting at 8:30 a.m., is first Old Kent 5K Community Walk, which will follow 5K run course. Registration for the walk by mail is $7.

Entry forms are available at any Old Kent Bank. VOLLEYBALL Springport Community Education is currently taking registration for its co-ed rec volleyball leagues. The Tuesday evening team league will run for 10 weeks, and will begin Jan. 11. The Sunday afternoon 4-on-4 league will run for seven weeks, and will begin Jan.

23. For more information call Francie (517) 857-3446. BASKETBALL The Lakeview Optimist Club is sponsoring a Saturday basketball program for Lakeview fourth, fifth and sixth graders. The program begins Jan. 8 at the Lake- -view High gym.

Boys meet p.m., girls p.m. The program will include skills and games. Lakeview varsity 0 said. "It was a great opportunity for Student athletes and everyone else whifbl-v lows the university and the team.s.st' closely. "The team did far more than we hoped" and expected.

The pride gets greater greater." Some thought the game had with the pass to BelL Players, coacbSa and photographers ran onto the field. But officials cleared the field. -ai3 spent minutes debating whether" spot the ball at the 33 or 28. "To the officials' credit, they went to somebody up in the press box'aM put the ball tfcfrfi; on the line," Cojp'-'; huskers CpqcljT Tom Osborne said. Meanwhile, Bennett waited.

"I was just trying to get focusedou the game-winning field goal because knew we were going to get a shokat kicking a field goal," he said. "I know when it was going to 'Be or where it was going to be from." Bennett said his teammates. supportive as he headed to theififeld moments later. "They just said they were behind me, they knew I could do it and saicT'If you make it, that's great If you-don-t, God's just got another things like that," Bennett said. "The" hold was OK, everything was OK They had a pretty good rush and that rijay have altered my kick a little, bltl I could just feel it I Mowed it all Jhe way.

When I hit it I kind of knejt was off. I knew the way my leg came off the ball. My leg didn't follow through the ball properly." k' And after the miss? "We didn't have to say anythiijgo i him," Frazier said. "No need tcrfay -j anything. We have confidence iA py- ron.

We knew he can kick It just so ij happens he didn't get that ji Program, a cooperative effort of Michigan State University and the University of Michigan in Great Lakes education and extension. TABLE TENNIS The Battle Creek Table Tennis Glnb meets Mondays from 6-9 p.m. at Territorial School on Arbor St: Tennis shoesYe-quired. Fee is $2 for adults, $1 for college and school children. New Lynn Johnson 965-2646.

AUTO RACING Michigan Ideal Speedway, 23845v30 Mile Road, Springport, will hold its 1994 Cabin Fever "100" on Saturday, Racing begins 2 p.m., qualifying open 11 a.m. Three races an A Feature, Feature and slated, plus Dwarf cars. Pit admissipn $10, grandstand admission $5. "The BAIL YOU niiT RAT FEE NO PFR Mil TODAY! CHARGE 1-gnn-npn. mat FREE SCORFSfl IHESJUPDtTES l-SOO-MSCffiiP HAPPY SPA OPEN 24 HOURS Sauna Whirlpool Massage 232 Raymond Rd.

Battle Creek. Ml 962-2885 fjjr 13. FLORIDA STATE, from IB place gap only 36-25. Notre Dame ended its season with a 24-21 Cotton Bowl victory over Texas on Saturday. Nebraska, losing its seventh straight bowl matchup in an heroic upset bid, finished third in both polls.

Auburn, unbeaten but ineligible for the bowls and the coaches' poll because of NCAA probation, finished No. 4 in AP, giving the Bow-den family two of the top four spots. Bobby's son, Terry, went 1 1-0 bis first season as Tiger coach. Florida, which pounded previously unbeaten West Virginia 41-7 in the Sugar Bowl, finished No. 4 with the coaches, No.

5 with the media. The University of Michigan (8-4), a 42-7 winner over North Carolina State in Saturday's Hall of Fame BowL finished No. 2 1 in the AP poll and No. 1 9 in the coaches' poll Florida State's margin in the AP poll was especially surprising, given the attention put on its game with Notre Dame. "For whatever reason, Lou Holtz is not always a popular coach with the media," Holtz said.

One of the 36 firsts for Florida State in the coaches' poll came from Bowden. That wasn't exactly a surprise. But this was: He admitted voting Nebraska No. 2 instead of No -r. 11- Vann Washington.

West Virginia had national title hopes entering Saturday's Sugar Bowl against the Gators. However, the Mountaineers (11-1) wound up No. 7 in the AP poll and No. 6 in the USA TODAY-CNN poll. "We have the greatest fans in the coun- if 5T ft BASEBALL Ernie Harwell, longtime announcer for the Detroit Tigers, will visit Battle Creek on Friday, Jan.

7, 1994, as receipt of an Expert in Residence program. His presentation will be held at the McQuis-ton Learning Center at 7 p.m. Admission is free. Willard Library will host the event thanks to a grant from the Kellogg Foundation and the collaborative efforts of the American Amateur Baseball Congress, the Battle Creek Area Amateur Sports Association, B.C Parks and Recreation Department, Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Kellogg Community College and McDonald's of Calhoun County. OUTDOORS The Lake Michigan fishery will be the focus of a series of workshops sponsored this winter by Michigan Sea Grant Exten- sion.

The workshops are scheduled for Jan.1 8 at the Ramada Inn in Ludington, Jan. 22 at Cook Energy Information Center at Bridgman, and Feb. 5 at the Holiday Inn in Spring Lake. The Ludington work shop will feature presentations on the 1993 charter boat and sport angler catch, the contribution of naturally produced chinook to the Lake Michigan fisheries, progress toward controlling bacterial kidney disease in Michigan salmon, an update on charter boat inspections, reducing contaminants in Great Lakes fish through cooking methods and fish mortality at the Ludington Pump Storage Facility, and a report on microtagged returns. The AssocidtGc! Press WINNING BOOT: FSU kicker Scott Bentley (3) celebrates in the arms of teammates Danny Kanell (13) and William Floyd (44) after Bentley kicked the winning field goal against Nebraska in the Orange Bowl late Saturday night in Miami.

TodayCNN and No. 7 in AP. both polls, the worst record and Miami's plunge was even worse, final ranking in nine years. The Hurricanes were blown away Miami had gone 1 3 7 straight AP by Arizona 29-0 in the Fiesta Bowl polls in the top 10, going back to and finished 9-3 and No. 15 in 1985.

in the bag. Bennett's 27-yarder with 1:16 left Saturday night looked like it would be the winner for Nebraska, putting the Cornhuskers ahead 16-15 with 1:16 left in the Orange BowL Scott Bentley's 22-yard field goal put Florida State in front 18-16 with 21 seconds to go, but the Cornhuskers came right back and moved to Florida State's 28 with one second left following Tommie Frazier's 29-yard pass to Trumane BelL "The first field goal was a short field goaL I had the confidence to kick it," Bennett said. "I was nervous, of course. Everybody is nervous when they kick a game-winning field goal for the national championship. I hit it pretty good and made it" At first, it appeared Nebraska wouldn't be given "a chance for the second kick But officials reset the clock to one second, allowing Bennett a chance to win it "The second field goal, I think the wild ending may have taken its toll on me," Bennett said.

"Florida State put up a real good rush and that may have had something to do with it, too." Bridgman workshop will offer tri-state (Michigan-Indiana-Illinois) perspectives on various southern Lake Michigan concerns, the St. Joseph River fishery management plan, and an assessment of contaminants in five species of Great Lakes fish at the dinner table. At the Spring Lake workshop, topics will include the 1993 creel census, contaminants in cooked fish, and inspections of charter vessels. Speakers from Michigan Sea Grant Extension, Michigan State University, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, the Illinois Department of Conservation and the Indiana DNR will be making presentations. Anyone interested in the Lake Michigan fishery especially anglers and established charter captains is welcome to attend.

Registration for each workshop is $10 per person. For more information call Charles Pistis (616) 846-8250. Additional workshops in other regions of the state will be offered later in the winter and in early spring. Michigan Sea Grant Extension is part of the outreach of the Michigan Sea Grant College Local noticesannouncementscalendar of events YOUTH PROGRAM The Battle Creek Parks and Rec Department will run a Youth Sports Kids Program for children in grades K-6 interested in playing or learning about floor hockey, basketball and indoor soccer. Seven-week program begins Jan.

11 at Fremont Elementary; activities will take place Tuesday evenings and Saturday mornings. Registration is now through Jan. 11 at the Parks and Rec office. For more information call 966-3431. DARTS Luck of the Draw tournaments take place Mondays at Irish Pub (962-5561), Thursdays at Springbrook (965-6512), Fridays at Log Cabin (966-9402) and every other Friday at FOP No.

153 (964-8374). Signups at 7:30 p.m., start 8 p.m. The Bars Unlimited Darts Association banquet will take place Sunday, Jan. 9, at noon at the Eagle's Lodge. Each member can bring one guest Each additional guest will cost $4 per person.

Tourney format will be discussed. Any other items to be discussed must be submitted in writing before start of the meeting. RUNNING The Battle Creek Road Runners will hold their monthly meeting on Wednesday, Jan. 19, at 6:30 p.m. at Bellavigna's team members will assist with the program.

Cost is $15 and includes a t-shirt Sign-up is on Jan. 8 during the session. For more info call Bill Dolezal 979-1948. Springport Community Education is currently accepting registration for then-men's and women's winter basketball leagues. Games will start on Sunday, Jan.

9. The eight-week women's league (guaranteed 8 games) will run Sunday afternoons. The men's league (guaranteed 14 games) will run Sunday afternoons and Wednesday evenings. For more information call Springport Community Ed. 857-3446.

Wattles Park Men's Club is offering boys' and girls' youth basketbalL Sepa--rate leagues for girls grades 1-8, and for boys grades 1-8. For more infoto sign up call Gary Lincoln 9794336. The Athens High 3-on-3 Basketball Tournament will take place Saturday, Jan. 22. Entry fee is $35.

Registration deadline is Jan. 10. For more info call Corey 729-5449. CARD SHOWS "The Coldwater High baseball and Softball programs will hold their third annual sportscard show on Saturday, Jan. 22, from 10 a.m.-4 p.m.

at the high school. For table information call Jack Ferguson (517) 279-9141. Mia IT: Sauna 1 Body Shampoo Japan Special Massage IT 963-8495 575 E. Michigan Battle Creek fed irsv.