The Orlando Sentinel from Orlando, Florida • Page 44

C-8 The Ortando Sentinel, Sunday, November 10, 1996 METRO 1 1 Culpapper puts on a clinic with Nonsan ucntruE norma i vs. With the possible exception of quarterback Daunte Culpepper, it is doubtful anyone enjoyed Saturday at Legion Field more than University of Central Florida Athletic Director Steve Sloan. It was his personal homecoming. "I have some great memories from days on this field," Sloan said, thinking back to when he was the starting quarterback for Alabama (1963-65), then an Alabama assistant coach for Bear Bryant (1968-70) and Alabama's athletic director (1987-89). The His 209 yards also is the second best in UCF history, behind 231 yards on 10 catches by David Rhodes in 1992 against Western Kentucky.

"Losing Todd was a challenge to all of us," Nonsant said. "We had great practices all week, and I really felt good about today." Some days things go right UCFs first touchdown was a 58-yard pass. Culpepper threw as he was being sacked, and it looked ill-advised as Nonsant had three Blazers circling him. Somehow the ball fell into Nonsant's hands -i and he won the 30-yard race to the end zone. I Said Nonsant: "I thought it was uncatchable for me, so I was actually trying to keep one of the other guys from getting it" Culpepper and Nonsant both might have broken the school's all-time records.

With 5:21 to play, Culpepper came out for series at quarterback. A 23-yard pass to Nonsant would have put both at the top of UCFs record lists. However, UCF had just changed centers and Culpepper fumbled two consecutive snaps, losing the second one to UAB. Two new pages in the record books will have to wait UCF's Daunte Culpepper, who threw for 421 yards, sent nine passes for 209 yards to Mark Nonsant By Jerry Greene OF THE SENTINEL STAFF BIRMINGHAM, Ala Give Daunte Culpepper two halves of football and he'll give you a show. On Saturday in Legion Field, he put on a clinic.

Culpepper's passing was nearly flawless. He completed 24 of 36 throws for three touchdowns and 421 yards. The yardage was UCFs second best ever and 16 yards short of the school record. A highly impressed Birmingham reporter asked Culpepper whether this was a good day for him, apparently assuming 421 yards comes easily for the imposing 6-feet-5, 235-pound quarterback. "Oh, yes, sir," Culpepper said.

"It's my best, yet, at UCF." The key word is "yet." "He (Culpepper may be the greatest athlete to play on Legion Field this year," an awed Alabama-Birmingham coach Watson Brown said. "We couldn't stop him." UCF coach Gene McDowell backed down slightly from that appraisal. "Who can say about the greatest athlete to play here," McDowell said, "but I'm pretty sure he's the greatest quarterback to play here this year." Culpepper, meanwhile, praised his offensive line that gave him excellent protection, and he praised his receivers who responded to the loss of receiver Todd Cleveland. After violating team rules the previous weekend, Cleveland and tailback Mike Grant were suspended for the final three games. Cleveland was sixth nationally in receiving.

"The biggest loss in football I've ever experienced," Culpepper said. "But you don't have to be a great athlete to get the job done. All of our guys are fine athletes with great hearts." Nearly lost in Culpepper's glow was the nine-catch, 209-yard receiving day for Mark Nonsant UAB coach says UCF 'physically whipped us' Crimson Tide played nine games at Legion Field with Sloan at quarterback, including three in 1965 when Sloan was an All-America quarterback and the Tide were national champions. Sloan said his best memory was of "the Auburn game In 1965," Sloan said. Why? "We won, 35-3." That was the same point total that the Knights reached Saturday.

How did the quarterbacks compare? "That quarterback in '65 wasn't as good as Culpepper," Sloan said with a smile, "but he had a good day, too." UCF coach Gene McDowell walked the sideline wearing his houndstooth hat, much like the hat Bryant always wore. Asked why he chose to wear it at Legion Field, McDowell, who has worn the hat in previous seasons, grinned and said: "I just wanted to upset the Alabama folks." The play of the day for senior offensive tackle Kevin Stewart of Orlando came in the third quarter. Culpepper threw a screen pass to tight end Donald Huzzie, and Stewart, 285 pounds, escorted Huzzie 22 yards down field like a destroyer protecting the flag ship. A play the Blazers will lament was a lost touchdown near the end of the second period. With 28 seconds remaining before halftime, Kenny Causey thought he had caught his second touchdown pass from Rodney Hudson, a 38-yard throw.

An illegal motion penalty nullified the play, however, and kept UAB from taking a 17-7 toad into the locker room. Causey would catch only one more pass for 5 yards. Minutiae: The Knights held UAB to three third-down conversions on 17 attempts and have held their past six opponents to 31 conversions in 98 tries, a 31.6 percent effort. UCF tied its season high for sacks by the defense with five. Knights senior linebacker John Bryant was credited with 1 1 tackles, the high for the day.

The Knights' ground game continued to struggle as they finished the day with just 37 net rushing yards. Junior tailback Mike Huff led the Knights with 10 carries for 53 yards, including a 22-yarder and a 6-yarder for a i touchdown. Freshman tailback Edward Mack was limited to 3 yards on four carries, and Culpepper carried the ball nine times for minus-19 yards. Unless it happens in their final game, the Knights will not have had a player run for 100 yards in a game this season. JERRY GREENE irt- 'V I I i Ij 1 r.

Mj NT 7jk rr 5 field. Good enough. Five plays later, the Knights totally fooled the Blazers with a short pass in the flat to Hall. He turned it into a 34-yard touchdown, and UCF took the lead for good. If the game had a turning point, it was late in the third period.

UCFs only holding penalty of the day and a 5-yard sack put the Knights into a second-and-30 situation on, their 22. Culpepper found Nonsant for 22 yards, then found Huff in the flat for another 15 and a first down. Eric Leister made a 25-yard catch, and a few plays later, Culpepper rolled out and rolled over the Blazers' strong safety for a touchdown and 21-13 lead with 2 seconds remaining in the period. It was over. Hits by Jermaine Benoit and Tarveres Tate had put Hudson, the Blazers' quarterback, out of the game.

UCFs lead also forced the Blazers' out of their option running game, which featured tailback Carl Sanders (21 carries for 144 yards). The Blazers had four possessions in the fourth and gained 2 yards. Many Knights left the field whooping and hollering as if they had made history. And they had. UCF from C-1 Junior Rufus Hall caught five passes for 62 yards, scoring twice on catches of 34 and 5 yards.

Tailback Mike Huff picked up the final score on a 6-yard run. Charlie Pierce contributed the five extra points to boost his career scoring record at UCF to 294 points. "It was our receivers against their man-to-man coverage and Daunte's arm," UCF coach Gene McDowell said. "This validates what we've said all along that we're a good, young team that is going to play hard every week." The Knights made a believer out of UAB coach Watson Brown. "They physically whipped us," Brown said.

"I don't know that we really ever stopped them all day." Not in the second half, although the Knights occasionally stopped themselves. Their six possessions in the half ended in four touchdowns and two lost fumbles. Yes, the Knights did lose the turnover battle, giving up three fumbles to none for the Blazers. This time, however, it didn't matter. It seemed like it would early, however.

The opening five minutes looked GOLDEN KNIGHTS 35, BLAZERS 13 Team Roland 8 Davis 2 Drake 6 30 30 4 4 6 -24 UCF UAB 18 20 Pasting 5 15 12 4 1 Player AH Com kit Ydt TO Hudson 19 7 0 92 1 Drake 10 3 0 0 1 Receiving Pleyer No Ydt Avg TO Nonsant 209 23 2 1 Hall 5 62 12.4 2 Sum 3 60 22 6 0 Huzzie 2 28 14 0 0 Hut! 2 19 95 0 Leister I 25 25 0 0 Mack 1 9 90 0 Sessoms 1 1 1.0 0 Punt return Player No Ydt Avg TO Leister 4 26 6 5 0 Poster 1 -2 -20 Kickoft return Receiving No Ydt dt Avg 31 15.5 14 7.0 TO 1 0 0 0 0 0 1st DOWNS Rushing Passing Penalty TOT. NET YDS -NET YDS. HUSHING Rushes Sack-Yds lost Avg. per rush NET YDS PASSING Had int. -PUNTS-Avg.

Had Mocked RETURN YDS. Punt Returns Kickoft Returns Interceptions ri' PENALTIES-Yds. FUMBLES lost TIME OF POSS A-12 500 Player Causey Sanders Davis Roland Lynch Johnson 2 2 2 2 1 1 453 293 37 192 23 48 3- 32 5-36 17 4 0 421 101 84-36 10-29 0 0 0 0 116 106 5-24 3-16 4- 92 5-90 0-0 00 4-40 5-33 4-3 0-0 26:56 3304 14 70 4 2.0 34 340 4 40 ASSOCIATED PRESS Punt returns Player No Ydt Avg TO 1 16 160 0 3 76 25.3 i 0 Hull it Mack No Ydt Avg TO 3 16 53 0 Player Causey Paying the price. UAB's Anthony Blevins (33) and Pernell Davis take down UCF senior Donald Huzzie (30) after 1 of his 2 receptions. Klckott returns Player Parker No Ydt Avg TO 5 90 16.0 0 like a lowlight film of plays that Tacklet-assists-sackt Bryant 4-7-1; Reddick 5-3-1; Dick-erson 5-2-0; Benoit 5-2-1; McWhorter 3- 4-1; Washington 3-3-0; Palmer 1-5- Tate 4-1-1; Doster 3-2-0; Moore 1- 4- Green l-M; Thomas 00; Reid 0-3 Bush 1-1-0; Cordrey 1-1-0; Spencer 1-1-0; Carter 10; Rice 0-1-0; Osuna 0-1-0.

Individual CENTRAL FLORIDA SINCE 1964 Rushing 16 LOCATIONS Tackles-asslsts-sacks Brooks 20; Reese 4-1-0; Parker 40; Sidney 3-1-0; Frazier 2-2-0; Davis 2-1-0; Davis 2-1-0; Roberto 2-1; Turner 2-1-0; Alexander 2-1-0; Smith 1-2-0; French 20; Winbom 1-1-0; Willis 1-1-0; Roberto 1-1-0; Lampley 1-1-1; Blevint 0-2; Coleman 11; Bristow 10; Jones 10; Jeter 1 Craft 10; Godfrey 0.1-0; Banks 0-1-0; Gay 0-1 MISSE0 FG ATTEMPTS None. Player No. Ydt. Net LG Huti 10 56 53 22 t. Mack 4 9 3 6 (Culpepper 9 17 -19 11 ALABAMA-BIRMINGHAM GOODflEAR INTREPID Rushing 7 GOOD'ifYEAR T-METRIC Passing 99 99 Player No Ydt Net LO Sanders 21 144 144 18 Hudson 9 46 36 15 35 Alt Com Int Ydt TO 36 24 0 421 3 Pleyer Culpepper 155R12 wm mm $1 155R13 165R13: 17570R13 18570R13 18570R14 27.99 28.99 32.99 33.99 35.99 15580R13BL 43.99 47.95 49.95 55.95 63.95 66.95.

17570R13BK 18575R14NW 19575R14NW 20575R14NW 21570R15NW 22570R15NW have haunted the Knights all season. The Blazers struck quickly. They completed a 34-yard pass over the middle and immediately scored on a 26-yard throw from quarterback Rodney Hudson to wide receiver Kenny Causey just 3:47 into the game. Big plays, bad news. Four plays later, Nonsant lost a fumble.

Nothing came of it, but it was not looking like a good day for the Knights. Trailing, 10-0, Culpepper and Nonsant teamed for their 58-yard touchdown pass play in the second quarter that kept the Knights close. "We were not playing with any intensity, any heart, in the first half," McDowell said. "We were horrible, and we talked about that at half-time." McDowell talked and his players listened A different team came onto the field after the band marched off. Edward Mack started the turnaround with a 44-yard run on the kickoff to give the ball to Culpepper at mid- 40,000 MILE WARRANTY QOODfYEAJR REGATTAA GOODfYEAn VyiNGFOOTA A "795 1B570R13BSL A95 T15580R13BW 18575R14NW 56.95 19575R14NW 60.95 18560R14BSL 49.95 i Central Florida Knights 0 7 14 14 35 Alabama-Birmingham Blazers 7 3 3 0 13 Time UCF-AB Scoring pley PAT Keyptsy Drive left Fln Quarter 07 Causey 26 pass Irom Hudson Ananskick Lynch 34 pats from Hudson 641 11:13 Second Quarter 0-10 FGAnar35 Roland 9 run on 3rd-and-2 11-42 1053 7-10 Nonsant 58 pass Irom Culpepper Pierce luck Hut 16 kickofl return loUCFs 40 2-60 9:53 TNrd Quarter 14-10 Hal: pass som Culpepper Pieroeleck Mack 44 kKoW return loUCFs 49 5-51 13:34 14-13 FGAnans36 fleese renwery of Nonaani's famble 9-30 4:32 21-13 Culpepper3run Pierce kick Lastet 25 pass from Ciipepper 9O0 0:02 Fourth Quarter 28-13 Hal 5 pass from Culpepper Pierce kick Stipe 21 pass from Culpepper 7-57 9:01 35-13 Hutl6run Pierce kick Nonsant 41 pass from Culpepper 3-47 7-13 Iks saijo Fi 20575R14NW 62.95 g21570R14NW 68.95 19560R14BSL 19570R14RWL 20570R14BSL 21570R14 21565R15BSL 50.95 51.95 54.95 57.95 58.95 20570R15NW 69.95 21 57041 5NW 70.95 25575R15NW 74.95 27560R15RWL 77.95 SIMILAR TO ILLUSTRATION 60,000 MILE WARRANTY FOR ROADSIDE SERVICE all" 7 CALL 1 I I I.

I ll iff 1 TREAD DESIGN WW WW TREAD WiijS- DESIGN 299-1900 WE AREA DRUG FREE WORK PLACE TREAD DESIGN MAV VARY 3 PI 558UR13 P15580R1 560R13 17570R13BK RESULTS, SCHEDULE Date Opponent Aug. 29 UCF 39, William Mary 33 Sept 7 South Carolina 33, UCF 14 Sept 14 New Mexico 17, UCF 7 Sept 21 Ball State 31, UCF 10 Sept 28 East Carolina 28, UCF 7 Oct 12 UCF 38, Samford 6 Oct 19 NE Louisiana 39, UCF 38 Oct 26 Georgia Tech 27, UCF 20 Nov. 2 UCF 42, Illinois St 15 Nov. 9 UCF 35, Alabama-Blrm. 13 Nov.

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