The Town Talk from Alexandria, Louisiana • Page 9

ALEXANDRIA SECTION PAGE ONE Nebraska Stakes Claim to National Title DAILY TOWN TALK, ALEXANPRIA-PINEVILLfc, LA, SATURDAY, JANUARY 2, 1971 run Cornhusker's Offense Bruised LSU's Proud Defense; Tagge Surprises With Pass Attack By Bill Carter (Town Talk Bport Editor) MIAMI, Fla. The vain in Bob Devaney's name is silent. And that's one reason his Nebraska Cornhuskers are expected to be named National Champions of college football this season. After No. 1 Texas and No.

2 Ohio State were beaten in bowl games New Year's Day, Coach Devaney figured his No. 3 Nebraska team could win the national title by beating LSU in the Orange Bowl Friday night. The Cornhuskers did what seemingly was needed to wrap up the championship, losing a 10-point lead and then coming from behind to defeat the Tigers 17-12 with an attack most LSU opponents apparently were too proud to employ. Nebraska has one of the strongest running attacks in the country, but Devaney didn't choose to make an obvious challenge of the nation's best rushing defense, which LSU owns. So, the Cornhuskers, with gritty Jerry Tagge at the controls, came out throwing and I fA 'Ayr- I MjMlf few! vj i '1 llll th i'J (AP Wlre.ihoto) of the Orange Bowl game Friday night.

LSU goal defenders are Louis Cascio (48) and Mike Anderson (45). Nebraska quarterback Jerry Tagge (14) plunges from one yard out to score a touchdown in the fourth period this enabled them to use their running game to great advantage. The result was not only a victory that is expected to net CARTERS the national title, but also some AP Wlreohoto) LSU Tigers. Nebraska was ranked third in the nation prior to their win, one that came after top-ranked Texas and second-ranked Ohio State were upset in the Cotton and Rose Bowls, respectively. bruises on LSU's proud defense.

Nebraska fans in the Orange Bowl Friday night bad good reason to name their team number one in the country after the Cornhuskers protected their undefeated record with a 17T2 triumph over the The Big Eight champions ham mered out 132 yards on the ground and added 161 through Statistics the air, plus scoring both touchdowns by rushing. COLUMN TEAM STAT1STCICS Devaney Believes Huskers No. Mac Convinced of It 18 132 First Downs Yards Hushing Yards Passing 161 Total Offense 293 Anderson Praises Foe Quarterback Jerry Tagge yards with rushes by Orduna voted the game's most valuable and Jeff Kinney and quarter Passes Attempted 28 Passes Completed 14 Interceptions By 1 Punts 6 Punting Average 38 Fumbles Lost 3 Yards Penalized 67 NEBRASKA RUSHING Yds. Orduna 13 63 Tagge 16 40 Kinney 13 33 Schneiss 1 3 Kodgers 3 0 Brownson 2 -10 For the clincher, with nine minutes left in the game, Tagge carried the Cornhuskers on a steady 67-yard drive in 13 plays, personally delivering the big play, a 17-yard pass to tailback Jeff Kinney at the Tiger five on a third-and-seven situation, and then sneaking over from the one on what proved to be the winning touchdown. "Our game plan was to throw on first down every series in the first half," said Devaney, whose Big Red wound up the season back directed the.

Cornhuskers on a 45-yard drive that found running room through and around the LSU defense. When the drive faltered at the LSU 11, Paul Rogers kicked NEBRASKA PASSING A Comp. Yds. HI TD Tagge 25 12 153 1 0 Brownson 3 2 8 1 0 a 26-yard field goal. back keepers.

Tagge kept the ball for a surge into the end zone from a half-yard out for the score and Rogers added the point. LSU got a last-gasp chance with less than a minute left when Tagge fumbled and Buddy Millican recovered at the LSU 40. But on the next play, alternate quarterback Bert Jones threw an interception to Bob Terrior and that was iU A half minute later, LSU auarterback Buddy Lee with an 11-0-1 record, the lone dropped the ball while being NEBRASKA RECEIVING Yds. List 4 63 Rodgers 4 45 Kinney 2 27 Ingles 2 22 Schneiss 2 4 chased through his backfield by Larry Jacobson. Willie Harper the most valuable lineman-made the first of two recoveries and Nebraska had the ball on the LSU 15.

Joe Orduna ran to the three TD 0 Yds. 79 30 3 -7 -12 -54 Dantin Walker Cantrelle Lee Coffee Jones LSU RUSHING 20 5 2 9 1 8 LSU PASSING A Comp. on the first play and into the Lee Jones 23 12 9 5 Yds. HI TD 182 0 1 45 1 0 Yds. TD zone on the second, and Rogers kicked the point after.

Tigers Stymied By Charles E. Taylor MIAMI (UPI) Nebraska's Bob Devaney thinks he has the best team in college football and LSU's Charlie McClendon agrees. "I think we're Number One. I don't see how it could be any other day," Devaney said after his Cornhuskers' defeated LSU 17-12 in Bowl Friday night. Nebaska, third-ranked in the national ratings, was the only one of the top three teams to escape defeat in the New Year's Day bowls.

Top-ranked Texas was beaten by Notre Dame 24-11 in the Cotton Bowl and second-ranked Ohio State was upset by Stanford in the Rose Bowl. But the activity came too late to affect the ratings which ended with the regular season. Devaney feels if there was another vote his team would be Number One. "I don't see how the Pope could vote for Notre Dame for Number One," he said. The Cornhuskers did their own voting, holding their forefingers in the air and shouting, "We're Number One!" as they ran off the field Friday night.

"You don't make mistakes and win against the number one team in the country," he said. The costliest mistakes by the Tigers were two fumbles in the opening quarter that sent the Cornhuskers off and running. The first, by tailback Chris Dantin, was recovered by Dave LSU RECEIVING 9 Hamilton 146 39 19 9 8 6 Coffee Michaelson Keigley Kavanaugh Walker 2 2 1 1 2 Stymied by the tough Nebraska defense which dropped the LSU quarterback 14 times in all for 115 yards in losses the Tigers had trouble moving blot being a 21-21 tie with Southern California the second week of the campaign. Tagge consistently came up with the crucial yardage, either with a pass or a run, and often on third down the rangy junior quarterback, who was named the game's most valuable back, completed 12 of 25 passes for 153 yards and rushed for 65 yards, although his net was 45. What was important, though, Tagge made the yardage when it was necessary, like the clutch pass to Kinney that kept the Cornhuskers from having to try a field goal while trailing 12-0.

Nebraska made its first 10 points in the opening quarter, due to LSU fumbles on two consecutive offensive plays. After the first Tiger bobble, by Chris Dantin at the Nebraska 44, the Cornhuskers, thanks to Tagge's timely completions and despite two costly motion penalties, made the scoreboard on a 26-yard field goal by Paul Rogers. On the first play after the ensuing kickoff, quarterback Buddy Lee fumbled and defensive end Willie Harper, voted the game's most valuable lineman, They finally drove 56 yards to set up a 36-yard field goal by Mack Lumpkin with 49 minutes left in the half. MIAMI, Fla. Mike Anderson, (pictured), whose bad knees make him a questionable professional football prospect despite his being one of the finest college linebackers in the country, sat by his locker after the Orange' Bowl game, seemingly in pain while trying to undress.

Asked if he suffered an injury in LSU's 17-12 loss to Nebraska in the Orange Bowl game, Mike "I'm just beat up all over." Then he volunteered: "That's the best team (Nebraska) I've ever played against. And I thought I had played against some great individuals, but none to compare with that No. 77." Mike referred to Dick Rupert, a 6-2 216-pound offensive tackle. Anderson survived with only knots and but in a way the Tigers finished the season just as they started it hard hit by injuries. Junior tailback Art Cantrelle, who during the season broke school records for scrimmage carries and yards rushing, was in for only two plays before suffering an ankle injury that kept him out for the rest of the game.

And senior quarterback Buddy Lee got knocked out in the fourth quarter when his head struck the poly-turf, and was too woozy to make the last two "As I went down," explained Cantrelle, "somebody hit my leg just above the ankle." Lee was fine after the game, but agreed that it was best he wasn't in the game after he got the lick on the head. EVEN THE POPE "Thers is no question but that Nebraska is No. 1, even the pope would have to vote us No. 1 now," said Cornhusker coach Bob Devaney as he stood dripping water after being tossed, fully clothed, into the shower by his jubilant players. "I don't think the game was won until the last 45 seconds when we intercepted the pass.

I felt that 45 might be our lucky number. There were 45 seconds to play and No. 45 (Bob Ter-rie) intercepted the pass. "I felt that we could come from behind when they were ahead 12-10. We have come from behind before.

I thought to beat LSU we would have to run on them and, I felt that we could do that because we have run on everybody else. "LSU is a good football team, a very good team. I would have to classify them with southern California." MCCLENDON AGREES LSU Coach Charley McClendon thinks Nebraska should be National champion, too. "They'll be no. 1, they have to be," said McClendon after the game, which started after No.

1 Texas had lost to Notre Dame and No. 2 Ohio State had been upset by Stanford. "Nebraska is a real tough team, especially offensively," said McClendon. "I thought our best defense would be to have the ball. We just didn't have it enough.

And we couldn't get to their quarterback." Did the losses by Texas and Ohio state have much effect on Nebraska? "No question about that," answered the coach. "We knew they would be blowing smoke after those teams ranked ahead of them got beat." McClendon said he was a little surprised that Nebraska went to a passing game as early as it did. "They were awfully strong," he continued. "Their leverage disturbed us. Our linebackers were shoulder height to their men and couldn't see.

They stunted a lot and squeezed us in. "We couldn't move at all in the first half. We adjusted in the second half and went to a passing game. We threw well. Having our No.

1 tailback hurt on the second play of the game didn't help us at all. ORANGE BOWL RECORDS A crowd of 80,699 saw the game, the most ever to witness an Orange bowl classic, and also the most ever to attend any kind of game in the Orange Bowl stadium. The seating capacity was increased only recently. Wide receiver Andy Hamilton of LSU tied an Orange Bowl record by catching nine passes. The record was also set against Nebraska, by Ray Perkins of Alabama.

McClendon, who became the first ex-Sugar Bowl participant to win that classic as a coach, could have been the first ex-Orange Bowl player to win as a coach. He was on the 1950 Kentucky team that lost to Santa Clara 21-13. Instead, he was saddled with his very first defeat in a New Year's day game. Earlier, McClendon had won twice in the Cotton Bowl and twice in the Sugar Bowl. After the halftime spectacle that thrilled a record crowd of 80,699, LSU came on strong in East-West Game Today OAKLAND (AP) A toss of a coin is becoming standard procedure in deciding which players start in the 46th annual Shrine East-West Classic here Saturday.

East defensive coach Carmen Cozza of Yale made a flip Friday determining that Tom Neville of Yale will be in the lineup as left side linebacker ahead of Wilt Martin of Michigan. Barry Brink of Dartmouth will start ahead of Randy Rustik of Virginia at defensive left tackle because of a Cozza coin toss. Earlier, head East coach John Pont had flipped a coin to decide on Don Moorhead of Michigan as his starting quarterback. Pont explained that something unusual had to be done to cope with a situation involving players of virtually equal abilities. Both teams skipped major workouts Friday in favor of watching bowl games, parti the opening minutes of the third quarter with a 72-yard march curled around the ball at the LSU 15.

Tailback Joe Orduna, who netted 63 yards in 13 carries, ripped off a 12-yard gain, and then crashed the remaining three yards off left guard for the game's first touchdown. The rest of the half, in fact the next two quarters, belonged to LSU, but Nebraska, with its balanced attack and exceptionally strong defense, was able to finish stronger, and for the kill rammed the ball down LSU's throat on a sustained (Turn to Page B-2) that ended with Lumpkin 25-yard field goal. The Tigers went ahead just before the quarter ended on Lee's 31-yard throw to Al Coffee, who grabbed the ball three yards outside the end zone and scooted in. LUmpkin missed the point after. Behind for the first time, Tagge marched the Huskers 67 Walline on the Nebraska 44 cularly Stanford's late afternoon 27-17 Rose Bowl Victory over Ohio State.

The West team loosened up about 20 minutes in the morning BINGLE'S CLAMBAKE PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. (AP) Over the years one of the most popular stops on the pro golf tour is the Bing Crosby pro-Amateur. The 30th annual event will be held over three Monterey Peninsula courses Jan. 14-17. Top winning pro will receive $75,000 with play in 168 pro-amateur twosomes at the Pebble Beach, Cypress Point and Spyglass Hill courses.

For the 10th year the 3M Company will bring the event to millions of viewers over NBC-TV Saturday and Sunday, Jan. and the East took to the field for about 39 minutes after the Pasadena game. Paul J. Bailey was the only New York rider to enjoy a per feet day with as many as five mounts during the mutuel era which began In 1940. On June 26, 1959, P.

J. won all five of his rides at Belmont Park. Rams Ink Prothro as New Coach ny Lu6 Bowl Results ORANGE BOWL Nebraska 10 0 0 7-17 LS.U 0 3 9 0-12 COTTON BOWL Notre Dame 10 14 0 0-24 Texas 3 8 0 0-11 SUGAR BOWL Tennessee 24 0 7 3-34 Air Force 7 0 6 0-13 ROSE BOWL Stanford 10 0 3 14-27 Ohio State 7 7 3 0-17 Cleveland In 1940. i'rothro piloted two Rose Bowl teams in successive years. He led Oregon State to Pasadena In 1965 and UCLA In 1006, when the Bruins scored a 14-12 upset over top-ninked Michigan Slate.

Prothro is known as a coach willing to gamble and to attempt unexpected tactics. Allen, 48, with a five-year mark of 49-17-4, has said he has hnd several feelers from other professional clubs. "Yes, I'd like to conch In the NFL again," Allen said this week, "but after this experience I wouldn't take a position unless the general managership went with It." Prothro Is nationally known for his ability to school a team for one particular opponent. This was evident In the narrow loss by the Bruins to highly rated Texas at Austin, last Oct. 2.

It enmo out again this fall when UCLA upset crosstown rival Southern California. Prothro on several occasions had Indicated he might like the challenge of couching In the professional ranks but always said it would have to bo under suitable conditions, LOS ANGELES (AP) The Los Angeles Rams today dipped Into collegiate ranks for a new coach and chose Tommy Prothro of UCLA. Prothro, 50, replaces George Allen at the helm of the club, which finished second in the Western Division of the National Football Conference. Allen's five-year contract expired this year and was not renewed by owner Dan Reeves, Prothro is the ninth conch hired by the Rams slnco they moved to Los Angeles from.