The Times from Shreveport, Louisiana • Page 53

dhcgimta Sunday, Nov. ii, 1984 ygu cbvns Texas Vcclij Fljers name Rinaudo rp, SITS Ariicnoas ctefcatte Baylor 2 head football coach p3 lii Bengals get ogly with Banna AP Loserphoto Brooks block provides chance in key victory jll the Southeastern Conference standings. The Tigers may have won ugly Saturday, but they did win, 16-14, over rival Alabama, and that, coupled with Florida's 27-0 victory over Georgia, means that the Tigers are just one count it triumph away from a share of the league title. On a day marked and marred by what the staff meteorologists like to call torrential downpours spawned by tornadic gales, located just a few miles from Legion Field, not even the dark of day could keep the Tigers from making their appointed rounds. So now the magic number for LSU is one, as in one win over Mississippi State, before the Bengals wind up, in all likelihood, in the Sugar Bowl.

The way things went on the field Saturday, though, just getting out of Alabama with pride intact might have been victory enough. The Crimson Tide outgained the Tigers, 332-161. Alabama had 22 first downs to the Bengals' eight. It controlled the ball more than twice as long as LSU. It had two runners who matched the Tigers' entire ground-game output.

But in the only stat that matters, the one that separates the champs from the chumps, the Tigers walked away proud. "It may not have been pretty, but it's a win, and we'll take it," said LSU coach Bill Arnsparger. "This was as tough, as ought a game as I've ever been associated with. And now wall in the way ot Alabama's Greg Richardson who tries unsuccessfully to gather in a pass. LSU defenders Norman Jefferson (12), Gregg Dubroc (44) and Ricky Chatman (37) form a By YALE YOUNGBLOOD Times Sports Writer BIRMINGHAM, Ala.

First, ignore the part on the stat sheet that is labeled total yards. Then do your best to forget the time of possession. You might even ignore the list of would-be heroes. But if you're a Louisiana State University football fan, and rumor is there are quite a few of those in the area, whatever you do, don't disregard Bulldogs are kings in SLC By RICK THOMAS Times Sports Writer RUSTON Help had already been radioed, but Louisiana Tech didn't need any assistance in blowing away Texas-Arlington, 34-0, Saturday night to wrap up the Southland Conference football championship. Tech's victory before an estimated 14,200 fans at Aillet Stadium, coupled with Northeast Louisiana's shocking 10-3 upset to North Texas State Saturday afternoon, gave the Bulldogs the SLC crown outright.

Tech quarterback Kyle Gandy made a complete turnaround from last week, passing for 213 yards and three touchdowns. The senior completed 13-of-22 throws with no interceptions. His touchdown throws were 25 yards to Michael Sherman, 16 to Paddy Doyle and 59 to Todd Breske, with the latter two coming in the second half. Against Northeast last week he had hit a paltry 9-of-35 attempts. "I was aiming the ball last week and tonight I was throwing it," Gandy said.

"And I wasn't holding back tonight, either." The Bulldogs built a 20-0 halftime cushion and were never threatened. However, if you're looking for Tech's catalyst, it had to be the radio relay of Northeast's loss. All Tech had to do was beat UTA. "I was jacked up after hearing the Northeast score and I think it fired up our players, too," said normally serene Tech head coach A.L. Williams.

"After we heard it, our players played their hearts out. I wish I had the vocabulary to tell you how I feel." "Everybody was glued to the radio in the dormitory," said split end Sherman. "When it was over, it was pure chaos. Everybody was dancing in the hallways and screaming. It was wild." "The radio and Northeast loss pumped us up," added Tech cpr-nerback Napoleon Farrow, who made an interception, blocked a field goal and recovered a fumble against UTA.

"It gave us all the incentive we needed." The Bulldogs, who won their eighth SLC football title since joining the conference in 1971, begin a new season in the NCAA Division I-AA playoffs, which start on Nov. 24. "I don't know who we'll play or where we'll play, but at least we know we're in," said Tech athletic director Bob Vanatta. "We'll find out that information on Sunday, Nov. 18." A total of 16 Division I-AA teams will make the playoffs and four will get first-round byes, Vanatta added.

"We'll probably play a first-round game because we don't have a high national ranking," he said. "I couldn't even guess where we'll play, though. We'll just have to wait and see." In the Bulldogs' last trip to the I-AA playoffs in 1982, they reached the semifinals before losing 17-0 to Delaware in Ruston. The Bulldogs didn't need any help in halting the Moving Mavs. Tech physically whipped UTA (6-4 overall, 3-2 SLC) from start to finish.

The Mavs' troubles started from the See TECH, 5-D morning find Gerry Robichaux Almost a rerun of Super On familiar scenes: The television picture Saturday recalled a similar view of thorough bred racing for local fans, only this time there were three on a match When strong-finishing Gate Dancer pulled alongside Wild Again and Slew o' Gold in the stretch of the Breeders' Cup Classic, it brought back memories of the stretch drive in Super Derby V. The difference was that this was a gang war, no holds barred. The three jockeys involved in the duel Saturday appeared to be beat ing, banging and slapping one another with almost martial arts in tensity it made the incident between Bill Shoemaker and Gate Dancer, ridden by Laffil Pincay in Super Derby look like a tea party Shoemaker, you will recall, was suspended for striking Gate Dancer in the furious stretch drive of Super V. In addition to the jockey byplay Saturday, the horses were bent on having their own shoving match. Gate Dancer took the fall, the stew ards dropping the Super Derby wia ner from second to third after an inquiry.

But Wild Again veered out from the rail in the last few jumps as much as Gate Dancer closed in, cut ting Slew o' Gold's path off. Had not Gate Dancer been around to be the whipping boy, would the stewards have zeroed in on Wild Again? For our money, the problems In bringing together the Breeders' Cup field and some of the criticism be cause of some horses included only point up what the Super Derby has been through and had to overcome in the past Ron Volkman, one of the owners of Classic winner Wild Again, is president of the Dallas- based company that manages Rain tree, Brandywine and Chimney Hill apartment complexes in Shrcveport and is a suite owner at Louisiana Downs since the local track opened. It's not how, but how many, as any good LSU football fan can attest. Outgained by 796 total yards to 510 in their last two games, the Tigers still have a couple of big Southeastern Conference victories to show for their work Tiger split receiver Eric Martin, who dropped enough passes Saturday in LSU's two-point win over Alabama to have made things a lot easier, climbed to 140 career receptions for 2,426 total yards That third position in total yards in Louisiana's all-time figures, where he probably will wind up his career Chances of catching all-time leader Tommy Spinks of Louisiana Tech (2,963) or displacing No. 2 Roger Carr (2,717) in the remaining games are slim Martin could pass Duane Floyd of Southeastern for second in career catches with five more receptions Did you notice that former LSU Tiger Hokie Gajan has been the Saints' top ground gainer in each of the last four games? Not bad when you consider the competition, George Rogers and Earl Campbell Hokic's now 14th in the NFC in the rushing standings and his average (6.7 yards per rush) is the best of any of the 40 backs ranked in both the AFC and NFC.

On his role as a receiver for David Woodley and Mark Malone, compared to the days he caught passes from Terry Bradshaw, Pittsburgh's John Stallworth says, "There's a learning process involved. With Terry, I could do things that I can't do with them. It isn't that they're not capable of doing the things Terry did, it's just that they're not used to me. Now I'm more precise in running my patterns. I'm playing it more by the numbers." AP Loserphoto a touchdown over the block of first period against Houston.

I Vi if lsfe: Ji: -1 Wild Again (right), a 30-1 longshot, fights to stay ahead of Slew o' Gold and Gate Dancer (left) in the final strides of the Breeders' Cup Classic Saturday. we need just one more win to wind up with a share of the title." The difference between the clubs suggested an ironic twist in this lengthy rivalry, one that has all but belonged to Alabama for the last 20 years. What it finally boiled down to was an LSU team that has learned how to win, no matter what the circumstances, and a Crimson Tide outfit that has converted the same situation into a way to lose. With the victory, before 74,301 drenched partisans, LSU raised its record to 7-1-1 and 4-0-1 in SEC play, earning in the process a tie for the league lead with Florida. Interestingly, the Tigers and Gators have shared the same record throughout the year after fighting to a 21-21 draw in the season opener.

Alabama, meanwhile, fell to 3-6 and 1-4. The whys were probably three-fold. First, LSU converted its initial possession into a touchdown and stayed close with a field goal before the rains hit. Then, when it became obvious offensive strategy would take a backseat to opportunism because of the storm, they turned opportunistic, blocking a punt to set up the winning score. And finally, and probably most importantly, the Tiger defense bent to the limit, but it never broke.

The game's first 10 minutes had all the markings of an offensive slugfest as both teams marched up the field for scores on their first tries with the ball. LSU, riding Jeff Wickersham's on-the-numbers passing, zipped from its own 38 to the end zone in just seven plays, scoring on a two-yard pass from the junior quarterback to wide receiver Herman Fontenot. To get there, Wickersham completed back-to-back passes to Fontenot's counterpart on the other side, Eric Martin, that took up 46 yards of the drive. Then, with the Tide defense guessing run when LSU came out in the three-back I formation, the Tigers fooled it with a flat pass to a wide open Fontenot. "We mixed them up with some plays they weren't expecting," Wickersham said, recalling the drive.

"We ran several plays we hadn't used all year." Whatever, Ronnie Lewis' con version kick capped what was probably the Tigers' best scoring march of the year. But Alabama was undaunted. The Tide's quarterback, Mike Shula, completed three key passes of his own, and the power running of Paul Carruth and Ricky Moore, who finished with 79 and 74 yards, respectively, helped Ala- Please See LSU, 6-D and is 5-4 for the season. "This is the biggest day I've ever had, one I've always dreamed about," said Bowden, who intercepted one Dodge pass in the Houston end zone and returned his other 62 yards for the clinching touchdown. Texas' game against Texas Christian at Fort Worth next Saturday could determine the conference winner and Cotton Bowl representative, although both teams have other games remaining.

"You can say now the race has tightened," said Akers, whose team lost its first conference game and is now 6-1-1 for the season. Texas in eight games has had 16 passes intercepted and has lost 19 fumbles. "Everybody had told me that everyone has bad days, and I guess this was meant to be mine," Dodge said. The Houston victory broke an 18-game conference winning streak for AP Loserphoto quarters. "Actually he interfcrrcd with both inside horses," said Pedersen.

Slew o' Gold was fifth going down the backstretch, as first his stablematc Mugatea, then Wild Again led the eight-horse field. Gate Dancer was seventh. Then, Slew o' Gold, ridden by Angel Cordero began to move on the final turn and seemed to take the lead. As they turned for home, Laffit Pincay Jr. moved Gate Dancer into contention and the three horses put on a brilliant stretch duel.

Slew o' Gold's disappointing second was worth $675,000, which made him the second horse to top $3 million in earnings John Henry has won more than $6 million. Wild Again, who carried 126 pounds, was timed in 2:03 2-5. Slew o' Gold also carried 126 and Gate Dancer 122. In the 1 'z-mile Turf race, Cordero sent All Along, the 1983 North American Horse of the Year, into the lead with about a quarter-mile to go and See BREEDERS Page 8-D Texas fullback Terry Orr scores tailback Jerome Johnson in the JWW It's Wild (Again) at finish By ED SCHUYLER JR. AP Sports Writer INGLEWOOD, Calif.

Trainer Vincent Timphony says "I'm a man with one good horse," and Saturday that horse, Wild Again, was even better than Slew o' Gold. Wild Again, a 30-to-l shot who had to be supplemented into the race for $360,000 because he was not nominated, outdueled Slew o' Gold and Gate Dancer in the stretch and won the $3 million Breeders' Cup Classic. "He deserved to be here 100 percent because we couldn't pass on a $3 million race when he had a chance of winning," Timphony said. The bettors didn't think and so he paid a winning mutuel of $64.60 in ruining what was supposed to be Slew o' Gold's victorious last hurrah. The Related Story, 8-D son of Seattle Slew, who needed treatment for a quarter crack in his right front foot Friday, is being retired to stud.

Wild Again, a 3-year-old colt, was ridden by Pat Day, who got the mount when Eddie Maple switched to Track Barron, who finished fourth. And he had to withstand an inquiry involving his two closest finishers in the l'A-mile race. Wild Again finished a head in front of Gate Dancer, who was a half-length in front of Slew Gold. But the stewards disqualified Gate" Dancer to third for bearing in in the stretch and moved Slew o' Gold to second. Wild Again's victory was worth $1.35 million and gave him earnings for the year of $2,054,409.

His owners are William Allen, Terry Beal and Ron Volkman. But Beal missed the big victory because he had a quadruple bypass heart operation performed Friday. Timphony had heart surgery last year when Wild Again was out of action with bone chips, and the two recuperated together. The second richest race on the $10 million, seven-race program was a Texas, which also was unbeaten in its last 24 regular season games. It was the Cougars who earlier this season upset Southern Methodist.

Houston scored 17 points in the second quarter on a 79-yard pass from Landry to split end Anthony Ketchum, a 48-yard field goal by Mike Clendenen and a 7-yard scoring toss from Landry to tight end Carl Hilton with only 9 seconds remaining in the half. Texas' only touchdown came on a 2-yard run by Terry Orr after the Long-horns recovered Landry's fumble on Houston's first posession at the Cougar 13. Before a fourth-quarter completion, Dodge, who had been closing in on Texas' passing record, was 0-for-13 and had four interceptions. He later was intercepted a fifth time, which tied a school record set 40 years ago. Boos could be heard from the overflow Texas crowd of 80,348.

Dodge finished with only two com foreign affair. Lashkari, an English-bred owned by the Aga Khan, overtook French-bred mare All Along just before the wire and won the $2 million Breeders' Cup Turf Stakes by a neck. He paid a winning mutuel of $160.80, which made Wild Again's winning return of $64.60 pale. In the first two stakes on the program, each worth $1 million, Chief's Crown won the Juvenile and became the solid favorite for next year's Kentucky Derby, while Fran's Valentine, a 70-1 shot, almost won the Juvenile Fillies Stakes. She finished a half-length in front of Outstandingly, but was disqualified and placed 10th.

In the other three $1 million stakes on the card, Eillo won the Sprint, Royal Heroine tied a world record in winning the Mile on the grass, and Princess Rooney dominated the Distaff. Steward Pete Pedersen, in explaining the inquiry, said Gate Dancer lugged in during the last sixteenth of a mile and placed Slew o' Gold in close pletions in 16 attempts for 23 yards, and was replaced with just under 7 minutes left in the game by red-shirt freshman Bret Stafford. Stafford fumbled the first snap, and Clendenen capped Houston's scoring with a 27-yard field goal. The Cougar kicker had three field goals, including a 25-yarder in the third quarter, to give him a school record of 13 for the season. Texas placekicker Jeff Ward kicked his ninth field goal in a row, a 42-yarder, to narrow the score to 20-10 midway through the third quarter.

Ward's streak was broken when he missed a 44-yarder into a 27-mph wind, but he later used the wind to his advantage in kicking a 34-yard field goal in the fourth quarter. Houston punier Lonnie Stokes took an intentional safety with 17 seconds left in the game for Texas' final point. Landry's two touchdown passes were among only four completions in 17 attempts. Texas turns it over to Houston I By JACK KEEVER Associated Press Writer AUSTIN, Texas Unranked Houston had to be counting its Thanksgiving blessings a little early Saturday after cashing No. 3 Texas' record nine turnovers into a 29-15 upset of the floundering Longhorns.

"I guess we are leading the world in turnovers now," Texas Coach Fred Akers said. Houston quarterback Gerald Landry threw two touchdown passes and cornerbacks DeWayne Bowden and Greg Purcell each had two interceptions off quarterback Todd Dodge as the Cougars rolled to their second upset this season of a nationally ranked Southwest Conference school. The nine turnovers tied a record for an Akers-coached Texas team and set a record for ball-grabbing Houston. "We just kind of hunt and pecked," said Houston coach Bill Yeoman, whose team has lost two SWC games.