The Orlando Sentinel from Orlando, Florida • Page 45

Central Florida vs. Mississippi State IT. -W JM. TOO MUCHDAUMTP play Alabama in 2000 and Tennessee in AD7. He said either Michigan or Arizona State also will be added to the 2002 schedule.

BOWL SCOUTS SENIOR RECEIVE Rkick returner Todd Cleveland was the main rea son a scout from the Senior Bowl was at the game. "He picked a good day to come," Cleveland said before catching nine balls for 112 yards and posting 43 yards on kick returns. Pro scouts from the Dallas Cowboys and 'V Mnzona uarainais also were watching DEVINE INJURED UCF MIDDLE linebacker Deau- brev Devine. back in the startlna lineup for just the second time this season, lett tne game in the second quarter because of a dislocated left shoulder. The same injury in the preseason knocked him out of the lineup, in fact, it is the fourth time that shoulder has been dislocated ETC.

MISSISSIPPI STATE'S victory was only seconds old when the Bulldogs' coaches in the press box were hugging and high-fiving each other. Suddenly, defensive line coach John Hendrick shouted: "Thank the Lord, no more Culpepper! I'm Daunteed out!" An MSU fan suggested the Bulldogs' defense might have a stiffer test than UCF quarterback Daunte Culpepper next week when they face the other D.C. Dameyune Craig of Auburn. "Not as strong," Hendrick said, "not as strong." Later, MSU coach Jackie Sherrill added about Culpepper "He throws the ball as well as I've ever seen." VIDEO REPLAY THE TEAMS acted as they were doing a football version of the movie Face-off as they switched offensive identities. It was the Bulldogs who were quick-strike artists.

Their five touchdown drives took a total of just 20 plays. Meanwhile, UCF's three touchdown drives and two successful field-goal drives took 55 plays. SUNSHINE IN CATHY WEEDEN, assistant general manager of the Sunshine Network, is looking forward to finding out how many persons in the Orlando-Mel-bourne-Daytona area watched their telecast of the game. She announced that the earlier pay-per-view telecast of UCF-Auburrj had more than 2,500 buys, five times more than UCF-Geor-gia Tech the previous year. Weeden: "This should greatly increase sponsor interest in UCF next year." The Mississippi State telecast will be replayed Monday night at 10:30.

MORE SEC GAMES UCF ATHLETIC Director Steve Sloan said the Knights definitely will CULPEPPER NOW has 49 TD passes in his UCF career, second on the all-time list. He also has thrown a touchdown pass in 11 consecutive games. JERRY GREENE 'K 5-- i A -V RESULTS, SCHEDULE Date Opponent Aug. 30 Mississippi 24, UCF 23 SeptS South Carolina 33, UCF 31 Sept 13 Nebraska 36, UCF 24 Sept 20 UCF 41, Idaho 10 Sept 28 Auburn 41, UCF 14 Oct 4 UCF 59, Kent 43 Oct 11 UCF52, Samford7 Oct 25 Mississippi St 35, UCF 28 Saturday at NE Louisiana, 8 p.m. Nov.

15 Eastern Michigan, 4 p.m. Nov. 22 Toledo, noon i I nra BULLDOGS 35, GOLDEN KNIGHTS 28 i Team Passing Receiving Att Com kit Yds TD Player Wyatt 18 8 0 171 1 Pllytf Burley Cleveland Nonsant Grant Lee No Yd. Avg 9 138 15.3 9 112 124 4 64 169 4 15 3.8 3 30 10.0 TO 1 0 0 0 Receiving No Yds Player Prentiss 171 UCF 29 11 15 3 486 127 32 4-15 40 359 2952 4 ASSOCIATED PRESS Evasive action. UCF's Todd Cleveland, who had 112 receiving yards and 43 on kick returns, hurdles safety Tim Nelson.

Valiant loss no longer satisfies Knights MSU 13 6 6 1 31S 147 38 2-14 39 171 8-16 0 Punt returns 42 42.0 36 36.0 24 24.0 Woodberry i 1 Kelly. fO'1 i Butler Isaac 1 Player No Yds Avg TD Cleveland 1 3 3.0 0 0 0.0 1st DOWNS Rushing Passing Penalty TOT NET YDS NET YDS. RUSHING Rushes Sack-Yds lost Avg. per rush 'W NET YDS PASSING iil 'Had Int. i Had blocked RETURN YDS.

Punt Returns Kickoff Returns Interceptions PENALTIES-Yds. FUMBLES-Lost TIMEOFPOSS. A 3 Punt returns Kickotf returns 344 0 No Yds ds No Yds Avg TD 1 18 18.0 0 Player Isaac TD 0 Player Cleveland Avg 43 21.8 2 STARKVILLE, Miss. The ambitious lads from Central Florida have made a good accounting of themselves so many Kickotf returns 0 48 242 1-3 1-18 2-43 5-203 0- 0 3-21 S40 848 1- 0 34:04 25:58 times this season, they should be the Price Player No Yds Avg TD 0 176 44 0 Waterhouse Golden Knights. Isaac 4 Armstesd 1 27 27.0 0 They ought to play in green eyeshades in Tackles-assists-sacks E.Green 11-6-0, Benoit 8-2-1, Washington 7-1-0, McWhorter 7-40, Devine 6-2-0, Latimore 6-30, flicker-son 4-34, Miranda 3-1-0, Damps 2-0-0, J.Moore 20-1, Doster 2O0, Harley 2-1-0, Spencer 2-1-0, Osuna 1-0-0, Jenkins I-OO, Rosser 1-0-0, Moore too, Nonsant 1-00, Waczewski lO-0, Fye 1-0O, Lee t-1-0.

Knights a 28-21 lead with less than nine minutes to play. A quiet murmur settled in among the cowbells as the little knot of UCF fans screamed in delight, certain their team's day had finally arrived. The cowbells, a longstanding tradition at State, are banned for stead of helmets and draw their plays on ledger Tackles-assists-sacks sheets. Individual CENTRAL FLORIDA In just their second season in the college Rush 20-9-', Brown 14-3-0, Favors 7-3-1. Simpson 6-2-1, Daniel 5-2-0, Nelson 4-1-0, McGill 4-2-0, Sluder 300, Wyms 3-1-2, Smirh 3-2-1, Hilliard 3-2-0, Badon 2-0-0, Keys if- i SENTINEL COLUMNIST football majors, they've won national attention Rushing MISSISSIPPI STATE Hooerson z-i-u, uampoen Dinkins 1-00.

Earls 1-0O. Clinton Player No. Yds. Net LQ Grant 13 68 67 14 Culpepper 18 78 61 16 Collins 1 0 -1 -1 1O0, Knight 1-00, Grier 1-1-0, E.S- Rushing and local support. They've won respect and hearts and curiosity.

They've won everything but a football game against one of the prime-time big shots on their murderers' row schedule despite coming oh, so close against the Nebraskas, Auburns, Ole Misses and South Carolinas. Passing mitn 1-1-0. MISSED FQ ATTEMPTS Central Florida, Waczewski 37; Mississippi Hazehirood, 42, 37. No Yds Net LQ 26 146 146 40 6 12 12 4 1 4 4.0 4 5 3 3 Player Johnson Isaac McKinley Wyatt Player Att Com Hit Yds TD Culpepper 52 29 3 359 2 And so it was one more time on a gray 359 yards passing and the heartfelt admiration of the MSU players and staff. "I know a lot of their coaches," UCF Athletic Director Steve Sloan said afterward.

"They came up to me just now and said they didn't want to see that guy, ever again." The cowbells had returned with a vengeance, as State uncharacteristically used big plays to burn the UCF defense for the tying and win-1 ning touchdowns in the closing minutes. Knights defensive coordinator Brian Van- Gorder was near speechlessness. "I don't know," he said blankly, his palms turned skyward. "And we had them doing what we wanted them doing throwing the ball. I don't know.

His voice trailed off. Near exhaustion, Culpepper had battled to the final gun, desperately flinging one last time out of a swarm of Bulldogs for the interception that sealed the game. Said UCF offensive coordina-; tor Mike Kruczek: "He was under a lot neat-That's the toughest guy in the history of the. world. I love him.

He'll fight for 60 minutes." Little by little, help is arriving. Junior Siaha Burley continues to emerge as the star of an improving receiver corps. He pulled down nine balls for 138 yards, including the most spectacular grab of the day a clutch, diving, 30-yard reception to keep UCFs go-ahead drive alive in the final period. Burley mirrored every other Knight un-: moved by personal numbers and weary of narrow losses to the big shots. "We already got Our consolation games.

We came to win today," the little transfer from Mesa (Ariz.) Community College said. "Everybody knows we can play now." Saturday afternoon in a charming Mississippi village that one big scalp slipping through their hands after scaring the bejabbers out of another proud Southeastern Conference program. The Little Team That Could plodded off Scott Field shortly before dusk, the clatter of happy Mississippi State cowbells ringing in SEC games. Only when the Bulldogs play a non-conference opponent are their fans permitted to exercise their bovine birthright. But when Culpepper hit sophomore Charles Lee to give the Knights their third lead of the day, the cowbell clappers went silent.

"I thought we had one, but they just kept bringing the heat," sighed Culpepper, a portrait of contrasts with his crestfallen expression and jaunty, stars-and-stripes boxer shorts (a gift from "Miss Emma," his adoptive mother). "This game hurt. We'll just have to go to work tomorrow and get better for next week. I still feel real confident in this team." The Knights (3-5) now must run the table for an official winning season in what already is a 1997 triumph by every other measure. On the field, Culpepper had been the usual portrait of courage, gamely shaking off the relentless Bulldogs rush to engineer a game plan of short-to-intermediate passes dictated by the expected pressure.

He would finish with JLL" 1 mmmss Central Florida Golden Knights 7 7 6 8 28 Mississippi State Bulldogs 7 7 7 14 35 TVne UCF-MS ScorUgplay PAT KeyrHey Prlvt left First Quarter 0-7 Johnson 9 run Bazetwood kick Isaac 64-yard kicko return 2-16 14:00 7-7 Grant 2 run Waczewski kick Cleveland 19 passhm Culpepper 857 ail Second Quarter 14-7 Burley 13 pass Irom Culpepper Waczewski kick Cleveland 14 paas ton Culpepper 12-75 11:28 14-14 Johnson 3 run Hazelwood kick focCTcnjrasrceptsCufrep 7-37 4:04 Third Quarter 17-14 FG Waczewski 35 GrantMrun 1402 956 17-21 Woodberry 42 pass from WyaH Hazelwood kick Isaac 22 klckoH return 304 8:33 a55i FQ Waczewski 25 Cleveland 26 pass Irom Culpepoer 12-72 3:23 Fourth Quarter 28-21 Lee 17 pass from Culpepper Burteypaas Burtey30 paas from Culpepper 900 alt 26-26 Johnson 1 run Hazelwood kick Kely 36 pass Irom Wyatt 6-57 6:38 35 jgrraon 7 run Hajerwood kick Prentiss 37 past from Wyatt 2-44 5:13 their ears and the excruciating pain of another close loss to a big-time foe chewing at their lower colons. This one may have hurt worst of all, this Mississippi-State, 35-28 homecoming escape after the sun had popped out figuratively and literally for the Knights in the fourth quarter. Daunte Culpepper, heroic again in the face of a fierce rush, had guided UCF during that brief break in the clouds on an 80-yard drive to give the outmanned, undersized Knights post big numbers, but Bulldogs make big plays UCF from C-1 overrides losing1," UCF coach Gene McDowell said, "but, yeah, it's frustrating to not win one of the three SEC games when we could have won all of them." Mississippi State coach Jackie Sherrill was pleased to see his Bulldogs (5-2) get out on top of the upstart Knights (3-5). "UCF had a great game plan, nnH Daunte CulDeDDer is as good Defensively, UCF had a strong first half as the Bulldogs first two touchdowns were set up by the opening kickoff return and the first pass of Culpepper's that was intercepted. "We felt comfortable with what we were doing at half-time," UCF defensive end Ja-miel McWhorter said.

"But they came out in the second half and popped some big plays on us." The Knights' game plan of quick, short passes worked but, somehow, as Gould said about UCF's big games this year: "Same old thing." Frustration spread through the UCF locker room like a winter virus: Burley: "I thought we had it. We had the momentum." Grant: "We should have won this one, hands down." McWhorter: "Quite frankly, it's frustrating we didn't win all three of our close games with SEC teams." The next time UCF gets a chance to make school history by beating an SEC team is against Auburn on Nov. 7 of 1998. ing the Knights badly on kickoff returns and coverage. The Bulldogs' Robert Isaac had 176 yards on four returns, including an 84-yard jaunt to UCF's 16 on the game's opening play.

Mississippi State scored two plays later for a 7-0 lead after one minute of action. The Knights kept fighting back and led three different times at 14-7, then 17-14, then 28-21. UCF's offense played without a huddle the entire game to try to tire the Bulldogs' starting defensive linemen, who weighed up to 360 pounds and no less than 331 pounds. At least, that's what they weighed at the start. "They were some big dudes," UCF's 290-pound guard, Ray Gould, said, "but the ho-huddle tired them out real quick." Somewhat ironically, UCF's 84 offensive plays appeared to wear out the Knights, too.

Culpepper was visibly tired at the end of the game, and his re: ceivers no longer were getting the separation from defenders that they had earlier. nine catches each: Siaha Burley for 138 yards and a touchdown and Todd Cleveland for 112 yards. Charles Lee caught UCF's final scoring pass, a 17-yarder from Culpepper. Tailback Mike Grant also rushed for 67 yards and his 12th touchdown of the season. Fred Waczewski was good on two of three field-goal attempts.

Not enough. UCF had 84 plays, 30 more than the Bulldogs and had a yardage edge of 486-318. The Knights also had the ball 8:08 longer than the 'Dogs. Still not enough. Big Bulldog tailback James "J.J." Johnson had a career day, with 146 yards rushing and four of MSU's five touchdowns.

Quarterback Matt Wyatt completed 8 of 16 passes for 171 yards. Four of his passes totaled 139 yards, and his 42-yarder to Lamont Woodberry in the third quarter put the Bulldogs ahead, 21-17, in the third quarter. Mississippi State had the "hidden edge" by turning a UCF strength into a weakness, beat- I 4 cj i v. as anybody," Sherrill said. "But this football team has won five games by going 60 minutes." The statistics only add to the Knights frustration.

On paper, they had a great day. On the field, it didn't look so good. Culpepper completed 29 of 52 passes for 359 yards and two touchdowns. He also ran for 61 yards for a 420-yard day. However, he also had three passes intercepted, including the two late in the game.

"My tauu, ne saia. everybody hurts, but we've got to put this behind us." UCF had two receivers make Run with It UCF quarterback Daunte Culpepper, despite pressure from Mississippi State's defense, racks up 420 yards of offense..