The Orlando Sentinel from Orlando, Florida • Page 11

The Orlando Sentinel Anfernee Hardaway works overtime to provide leadership for Magic, B-8 MONDAY, January 2, 1995 Nebraska 24, Miami 1 7 1 i Mm nr i noes ffl DO Larry Guest THE SPORTS COLUMN UF vs. UF undercard to tonight's main event EW ORLEANS The early stats just in from the French Quarter re flect the intensity of this year Sug Barry Cooper SENTINEL COLUMNIST it fa I No. 1 Nebraska's Orange Bowl victory should secure Tom Osborne's first national title. By George Diaz OF THE SENTINEL STAFF MIAMI Tom Osborne finally shed the humbling image that defined his college coaching career, all but clinching his first national title in 22 seasons Sunday night in an Orange Bowl matchup against the Miami Hurricanes. The Cornhuskers' 24-17 victory completes an undefeated season for Nebraska (13-0), which began the day ranked No.

1 in The Associated Press and CNNUSA TODAY coaches poll. The final AP poll won't be released until Tuesday morning, after all of today's bowl games are played. But even if second-ranked Penn State (11-0) beats Oregon in the Rose Bowl today, Nebraska seems certain to finish No. 1. Every other No.

1 team that has won its bowl game has won the national championship. "If they give it to us, we'll be very grateful and we'll take it home," Osborne said. Cory Schlesinger's 14-yard run through the middle of Miami's defense with 2 minutes, 46 seconds remaining completed an inspired comeback for the Cornhuskers. Nebraska had trailed, 17-9, going into the final quarter. Nebraska quarterback Tommie Frazier who had been benched after two ineffective series to begin the game returned in the fourth quarter to lead an effective option game.

Frazier, named the game's Most Valuable Player, rescued Osborne from the New Year's Day Please see ORANGE, B-6 3 5. i 'Huskers have finally done it MIAMI In 22 years as the football coach at Nebraska, Tom Osborne had established himself as a gentleman and a scholar. Those are nice things to say about a chemistry professor, but Osborne is supposed to be winning national championships, darn it. Sunday, he did. Mark it down.

Come this week when college football pollsters cast their ballots, only Osborne and the Cornhuskers are going to be holding an index finger aloft. Nebraska is No. 1 thanks to some daring personnel decisions and deft play calling by Osborne, college football's Mr. Nice Guy. The Cornhuskers, behind 17-7, rallied to win the Orange Bowl here Sunday and college football's mythical championship 24-17 over the University of Miami.

It was a shocking turn of events that left Osborne looking as he always does: He stared on blankly as the final seconds ticked off on his first national championship. Please see COOPER, B-6 ar Bowl matchup: 738 unsportsmanlike conduct penalties, 923 taunting calls, 173 contusions and 72 lacerations. -Fortunately, almost all of those have involved not the competitors, but the mature adults who followed Florida and Florida State to New Orleans to vent their love for one another. Local police are thanking the heavens for steady rains on New Year's Eve they say helped keep the expected hostilities between Gators and Seminoles faithful to a minimum. From what I gather, plans to call in Jimmy Carter to negotiate a truce have been put on hold.

A beefed-up force of New Orleans' finest have, to this point, been able to keep sporadic outbreaks of violence between rival boosters from turning into wholesale ugliness. "We got through New Year's Eve without iCgetting out of hand," said NOPD Detective Marco Demma. "The other time we're worrying about is right after the game on iloiday night. We won't be upset if it's a one-sided game. That tends to defuse some of iJie emotions." tfn large part, the players have sat back shaking their heads at the unseemly conduct of their supportive elders.

Most players at Florida and FSU confine the rivalry to the field and interact cordially during the days and months between their annual grudge thatch. The only known altercation involving players at this Sugar Bowl, oddly enough, was an intramural tussle between two Gators during Saturday night's team meal. I knew New Orleans food affects some people in dramatic ways, but this is ridiculous. It seems Gators linebackers Darren Hambrick and Anthony Riggins renewed an old love affair, suddenly tearing at one another in a death match that saw plates and glasses shattered. Before teammates coM intercede, Riggins incurred a deep facial gash reportedly inflicted by a glass and had to be hospitalized overnight Perhaps plastic tableware, or chopsticks, will become the norm at UF team meals.

Do you limit the menu to finger foods as a safety precaution? Coach Steve Spurrier, always a commendable disciplinarian, suspended both combatants from the squad He immediately- sent Hambrick home, and Riggins will follow as soon as doctors at Tulane Hospital "I ASSOCIATED PRESS Nebraska's Tommie Frazier celebrates the 2-point conversion that tied the score, 17-17. Rivalry sweetens Sugar's significance Citrus pairs 2 of a kind Ohio State and Alabama were second-best in their conferences, and their styles are quite similar. By Jerry Greene WHAT: Sugar Bowl. I WHO: Florida vs. Florida State.

2 Gators suspended after fight By Mike Dame I WHERE: Superdome, New Orleans. WHEN: 8:30 p.m. OF THE SENTINEL STAFF I TV: ABC (WFTV-Ch. 9). I RADIO: 580 AM (WDBO), 740 AM (WWNZ), 540 AM (WWZN).

OF THE SENTINEL STAFF The game will settle the regular-season tie and the state battle for superiority. By Alan Schmadtke OF THE SENTINEL STAFF NEW ORLEANS Who cares that Florida State is running out of offensive tackles faster than those linemen can consume Cajun food? So what if Florida's defense still does not know what to expect, a run offense or that cursed Shotgun? Or that Gators linebackers Darren Hambrick and Anthony Riggins cannot agree to disagree? In tonight's 61st Sugar Bowl, all game-related matters lie in the dark shadow of the teams' intense rivalry. Discerning state school superiority, settling November's dramatic tie, jockeying for recruiting leverage those issues blanket the second rematch in Sugar Bowl lore. For your enjoyment, finally, Please see SUGAR, B-4 Tell Mickey to take a hike and Shamu to take a dive. After all the pregame distractions last week, the universities of Alabama and Ohio State finally are ready for some football today.

They respectfully will try to bash each other silly in the CompUSA Florida Citrus Bowl before a capacity crowd of 70,000 and an ABC-TV national audience. The only question is, "Why?" The classical answer is that this is a reward to the players for successful seasons, and the fiscal answer is that millions of dollars are involved. Ohio State and Alabama expect to be at a major bowl every year. That's what their followers expect Tmttifully, many of their followers expected them to win the poll popularity contest for the mythical national championship. This year that especially was true of sixth-ranked Alabama (11-1), a contender until it fell one point short of Florida, 24-23, in the SEC Championship NEW ORLEANS The fear during the past week was that Florida and Florida State players would get involved in a fight as they crossed paths before tonight's Sugar Bowl, Instead, it was Florida teammates Darren Hambrick and Anthony Riggins who had a bloody fight Saturday during the team dinner.

Coach Steve Spurrier suspended both players indefi I WHAT: Citrus Bowf. I WHO: Alabama vs. Ohio State. I WHERE: Orlando. I WHEN: 1 p.m.

I TV: ABC (WFTV-Ch. 9). say ne can travel. Jf there were going to be a knife fight this week, you figured it would feature two guys wearing opposing colors and stoked by several beakers of fluids indigenous to the French Quarter. Upon arrival last Tuesday, FSU coach Bobby Bowden warned his athletes their self-control would be tested by opposing fans.

A mere two hours after his talk, several FSU players emerged from dinner at the Acme Cafe in the Quarter to be booed by a knot of Gators' fans. "We just smiled and walked on," said FSU center Clay Shiver. "I can see where later in the evening, they would have been worse." At 7 a.m. the next morning, Florida publicist Norm Carlson winced at the sight of two FSU fans obviously emboldened by all-night consumption noisily Seminole-chopping through the lobby of the Gators' team hotel, shouting: up, Gators! Get your expletives out of bed!" Charitably, the two intruders staggered out into the dawn with their molars intact. Another FSU booster was not as lucky Saturday night outside the Old Absinthe House on Bourbon Street when woofing between fans became obscene and then physical.

Punches were exchanged in the rain, a tag-team wrestling match floundered among the puddles and, when cops broke it up, a 'Nole had to be hauled off, his shirt now garnet and gold and red. i players find that sort of behavior hard to fathom. 'To some of our fans, it's like a death in the when the Gators lose," sighs UF wideout Aubrey Hill. "Jhat kind of stuff goes on between fans," says FSU defensive end Derrick Alexander, "because they don't have the respect for each other like we players do. They'd probably be surprised to see how well the players on these two teams get along after the game is over." "It's only a game," says UF tackle Henry McMillian, offering a shocking slant.

"Sometimes you have to let that go. Too many fans take it to heart." Actually, Henry did have one bout one night this week. With three bowls of jamba-laya. Henry thought he had gotten the upper hand, but it turned out the spicy concoction won in the end. Np jjtun intended.

4 Hambrick was sent I RADIO: 580 AM (WDBO). Complet bowl results, prevlewt B-4, Please see FIGHT, B-4 3 Please see CITRUS, B-5 Bears blow by erring Vikes; Browns halt run of Patriots COMPILED FROM WIRE REPORTS r' SATURDAY'S RESULTS NFC: Green Bay 16, Detroit 12 Vl AFC: Miami 27, Kansas City 17 j' SUNDAY'S RESULTS V' H'J4 AFC. Cleveland 20, New England 13 v-Vtl NFC: Chicago 35, Minnesota 18 i SATURDAY'S GAMES O'Sm' AFC: Cleveland at Pittsburgh, 12:30 ('g NFC: Chicago at San Francisco, 4 pmB J'- SUNDAY'S GAMES 'associated press Smreen Data' 1230 Quarterback Vinny Testaverde AFC: Miami at San Diego, 4 p.m. passes Cleveland to a 20-13 victo-O ry over New England on Sunday. on a 29-yard run, the Bears' longest this season.

Earlier at Cleveland, the Browns defeated New England, 20-13. Vinny Testaverde threw a 5-yard touchdown to Mark Carrier, Leroy Hoard scored on a 10-yard run and Matt Stover kicked two field goals. New England's Drew Bledsoe, who set an NFL record with 691 attempts during the regular season, was 21 of 50 for 235 yards, with one touchdown and three interceptions, two in the fourth quarter. The Bears will play San Francisco on Saturday, and the Browns will face division foe Pittsburgh for the third time this season, also on Saturday. Stories, statistics B-2, 3 4 i it The Chicago Bears and Cleveland Browns started off the New Year with impressive, wild-card victories Sunday in the NFL playoffs.

The Bears, who lost lost three of their final four games in the regular season, reverted to their opportunistic form to rout the host Minnesota Vikings, 35-18. It was their first road victory after November since 1987. Chicago, which had lost six times in a row to the Vikings, forced four turnovers in frustrating Warren Mooa Chicago's Steve Walsh threw for 221 yards and tjKo touchdowns, and Raymont Harris, scored.