Longview News-Journal from Longview, Texas • Page 21

INSIDE: 0 SCOREBOARD 20 BASKETBALL 20 NHL 3D Longview News-Journal Tuesday, December 24, 2002 Gun f1 Lnyu SECTION 0 S(n) 4 1 -1 1 lifers Campo remains 7 upbeat Coach being positive despite current situation By JAIME AR0N Associated Press IRVING Dave Campo's favorite buzzword is "positive," and he does his best to approach life with that kind of attitude. So even though his status as coach I t' VS ST 1 of the Dallas Cowboys is shaky, Campo remained upbeat Monday and tried lifting the spirits of everyone around him, too. He told players in a team meeting that they Kingsbury leads Red Raiders to 55-15 Tangerine Bowl win By KEITH PARSONS Associated Press ORLANDO, Fla. A monthlong layoff and an ankle injury did little to slow down Kliff Kingsbury. Kingsbury became the third Division I-A player to top 5,000 yards passing in a season, throwing for 375 and three, touchdowns as Texas Tech defeated, Clemson 55-15 in the Tangerine Bowl on Mondaynight.

"Five thousand yards, that's a big number," Kingsbury said. "That shows how well our offense played this season." Texas Tech (9-5) won its first bowl game since beating Air Force in the 1995 Copper Bowl and gave coach Mike Leach his first postseason victory. Five different receivers caught touchdown passes for the Red Raiders, and Wes Welker had a 59-yard punt return for a score. It was the worst loss of the season for Clemson (7-6), and the worst in a bowl since a 41-0 defeat to Syracuse in the 1996 Gator BowL Tm totally embarrassed," defensive tackle Nick Eason said. "This was my last game as a Clemson Tiger, and I got destroyed.

I might have more games, in the NFL; maybe some All-Star games, but this is one 111 always remember." Kingsbury, who was named the game's MVP, completed 32 of 43 passes and finished his career with 5,017 yards. The only other players to reach the mark are BYlFs Ty Detmer, who had 5,188 yards, and Houston's David Klingler, who had 5,140. Both players did it in 1990. Detmer played in 12 Dave Campo Cowboys coach WerCosgroveAP Photo Texas Teen's Nehemiati Glover runs for a touchdown after catching a pass from quarterback Kliff Kingsbury as Clemson's Justin Miller, cen ter, and Travis Pugtv right miss tackles during the Tangerine Bowl game on Monday. games, "He wasn't keeping me off the field," fl felt like we could do some things, Kingsbury: said.

"I was going to get seeing their defensive base package and back out how they lined up," Kingsbury said. "I The Red Raiders were playing for the should tune out all the talk about him being fired and Bill Parcells possibly being hired. Instead, he wants their attention squarely on extending a 10-game winning streak against Washington, Dallas' opponent in the season finale Sunday. "His demeanor has been the same," running back Emmitt Smith said. "He's been on an even keel, trying to stay positive, trying to not lose focus." Campo said Sunday he wasn't sure if or how he'd discuss his job status with the team.

Figuring it was too big to ignore, he brought it up in a meeting Monday morning. See COWBOYS, Page 4D He left midway through the fourth quarter but returned for the final play with 4 seconds left, taking a knee to end the game. Texas Tech punted just three times including the block and piled up 555 yards of offense. "We went out there and really played with a good tempo, and I think that everybody fed off one another," Leach said. 'Tm proud of the way we came down here and stuck to business." Charlie Whitehurst, a redshirt fresh-man who led the Tigers to victories in See TANGERINE BOWL, Page 4D first time'since a 60-15 loss to Oklahoma on Nov.

23, but they went ahead 30 lead after taking their opening possession 82 yards in 13 plays. It was 240 in the second quarter before the Tigers blocked a punt out of the end zone for a safety and their first points. Kingsbury was intercepted once on a poorly thrown pass in the first quarter, but he had little problems solving Clemson's coverage. felt like we could exploit it f.s Kingsbury left briefly in the third quarter after Clemson defensive end Khaleed Vaughn appeared to roll onto his right leg. Kingsbury quickly got up, but he hopped only a few yards before falling to the turf and motioning to the training staff.

He got his ankle re-taped and jogged on the sideline without a limp, and he returned on the next possession after approval from the trainer. Maddox, Steelers drill Bucs, clinch AFC North with victory Arkansas responds to NCAA's inquiry By DOUGLAS PIS Associated Press LITTLE ROCK Arkansas released a lengthy report detail- I Chad Scott intercepted King's second pass of the night and returned it 30 yards for a touchdown that made it 14-0. The Steelers also forced two fumbles inside the Pittsburgh 10 to keep the Bucs out of the end zone. Pittsburgh rushed for 220 yards and sacked Johnson 10 times in a 17-10 victory over Tampa Bay last season. The Bucs didn't let Jerome Bettis run wild this time, but Maddox completed 17 of 23 passes, including an 11-yard TD throw to Antwaan Randle El on the opening drive.

The Bucs avoided a shutout when Rob Johnson threw an 18-yard scoring pass to Keyshawn Johnson with 1:14 remaining. Flowers' comments after last year's game were re-printed last week and the bad blood between the teams spilled over into pregame warmups when Tampa Bay's Nate Webster engaged in some, pushing and shoving with a group of Steelers. Keyshawn Johnson stepped between the players to defuse the situation, and a few minutes later Bettis gave Warren Sapp a playful shove as the Bucs defensive tackle pranced out of the tunnel to By FRED C00DALL Associated Press TAMPA, Fla. The Pittsburgh Steelers made the Tampa Bay Buccaneers look like championship pretenders again. Tommy Maddox threw for 236 yards and one touchdown as the Steelers dominated the Bucs 17-7 Monday night to clinch the AFC North championship, their seventh division title in coach Bill Cowher's 11 seasons.

The Bucs (11-4) claimed the NFC South on Sunday when New Orleans lost to Cincinnati, but they were hoping to keep pace with the Philadelphia Eagles and Green Bay Packers in the race for home-field advantage throughout the NFC playoffs. It was the second straight year Pittsburgh (9-5-1) came 1 into Raymond James Stadium and physically whipped the Bucs, who Steelers safety. Lee Flowers called "paper champions" who talk a better game than they play. Tampa Bay played without quarterback Brad Johnson, who sat out with a severe lower back bruise. Shaun King made his first start in nearly two seasons and struggled against a defense that had only allowed 178 yards in its previous two games.

Chris ffMearaAP Photo the locker room. 1 1H Ml DtUokiiMik IamIaM iiIm MMiiiA Im(iikH DMIa T1 kAit TmU filii AnMlMir nAulAH ltUAM 4lt V. Ivuaaox launcnea uie oieeiers WlUia riuuuiyiioieciciniueici.civci nnmaaimanuicuucais lauipooay uciaiuci ucalo jatftiyiuu the end rone to score on a pass from quarterback Tommy Maddox during Monday's game. long completion. Mavericlis spill Wizards, 92-86 considered a repeat violator for a case involving allegations of improper payments by a former booster.

In its response to an NCAA letter of inquiry, the university reaffirmed two major points from the 32-month investigation conducted by the school and the NCAA enforcement staff into possible violations concerning payments by Dallas booster Ted Harrod to Arkansas athletes. "We answered those questions about where we think this issue is a violation or not and whether we think they are major or secondary in nature," university lawyer Scott Varady said. Several student athletes were overpaid for their work, but the "available information does not support a finding that any student-athletes received wages for not working." The university and the enforcement staff also concluded that Arkansas athletic director Frank Broyles was not aware that student-athletes were overcompensated and didn't know of any other violations. Broyles acknowledged a personal friendship with Harrod. The Arkansas basketball team imposed its own penalties with NCAA approval in 1997.

In that "caTArkahsas erroneously cer" tified three basketball players as eligible and permitted them to practice, compete or receive financial aid. Varady said in November that Arkansas and the NCAA had previously reached the conclusion that payments to athletes would not justify a finding of repeat violations. By JAKE ARM Associated Press DALLAS Dirk Nowitzki hit a jumper as the shot dock expired, then put back a rebound for another score, helping the Dallas Mavericks take control in the final minutes and beat the Washington Wizards 92-86 Mondaynight Nowitzki tied his season-high with 17 rebounds and scored 10 of his 30 points in the fourth quarter as Dallas bounced back from its first home loss to improve to 13-1 at American Air came after a rare traveling call on Michael Jordan, and gave Van Exel career assists. Jordan's turnover started several minutes of unraveling by Washington, which lost its second straight after a three-game winning streak. Jerry Stackhouse, who scored 28 points and tied his season-high with 10 rebounds, fumbled a pass out of bounds on Washington's next possession, and Nowitzki answered with a short shot that stretched the leadto84-79.

X. After a time out the Wizards' next "two sersHendeiI wlffiTdrdah missing a 15-footer and Christian Laett-ner getting called for three seconds, respectively Stackhouse's next shot was a layup that jammed into the bottom of the rim. Dallas pulled away with Steve Nash and Nowitzki scoring the game's last six points. Nash had 16 points and Finley had 14 Jordan scored 13. 1 1 Tines Center" this season.

1 It wasn't easy, though, as the usually high-scoring Mavs didn't crack 90 until the final minute. This was their third straight game under 100 after being in triple-digits for nine straight They remain the only team averaging more than 100. The Wizards were within 80-79 when Nowitzki made an 8-footer off a pick-and-roll from Nick Van ExeL It Tony (kitierrezAP Photo Dallas Mavericks' Michael Finley, left gets past the defense of Washington Wizards Byron Russell during the first half of Monday's game. The Mavericks won 92-86..