Tallahassee Democrat from Tallahassee, Florida • Page 37

i in i Tallahassee Oct. 16, 1988 College football, 2-5 Golf, FSU basketball, 7 Scoreboard, NFL, 9 rrn )yoo) "o)U Irish Miami's end streak Two-pointer fails in the final minute By Don Markus Baltimore Sun SOUTH BEND, Ind. The echoes finally woke up again Saturday at Notre Dame. After more than 59 minutes of breathtaking, breakneck football, it came down to a decision by Miami coach Jimmy Johnson that backfired and a sellout crowd at Notre Dame Stadium that went absolutely bonkers. When a two-point conversion SEC games, page 2D I I pass from mm Steve Walsh to Leonard Conley was knocked down by Pat Terrell, and an onside kick attempt was covered by the Irish, it was just a matter of the Notre Dame holding on for 45 seconds.

The fourth-ranked Irish (6-0) did, and preserved a 31-30 upset over the top-ranked Miami Hurricanes (5-1). The victory set off a wild celebration by a crowd of 50,075. "Usually when a game like this has so much hype, it ends up being disappointing, but this was a great football game," said Notre Dame coach Lou Holtz. The defeat ended Miami's 36-game regular-season winning streak, 20-game road winning streak and 16-game overall winning streak, the longest in the nation. It also erased the bitter memories of four straight defeats to the Hurricanes.

"I'd like to give Notre Dame credit, they did what they had to do to win," said Johnson. "As many mistakes as we made and we made a ton of them in my mind we should have won the game. We should have not let it come down to that." The Hurricanes were plagued by seven turnovers, but still had a chance to win after Walsh hit Andre Brown for a touchdown on fourth down and six from the Notre Dame 11 with 45 seconds remaining. The loss offset a magnificent, though somewhat erratic performance by Walsh, who completed 32 of 50 passes for 424 yards and three touchdowns. Three of his passes were intercepted, including one by Terrell that was returned 60 yards for a touchdown.

After the Irish saw their 21-7 lead midway through the second Please see IRISH, 5D Phil SearsDemocrat FSU's Chris Parker starts the scoring with a 7-yard run; he finished his first start with 158 yards and 2 TDs on 25 carries Parker sparkles in FSU's 45-21 victory over East Carolina By Bill McGrotha Democrat sports editor course, the injuries. "I think probably we played our best game in a while," said the coach. "The offensive line played real well except for some mistakes. Our offensive-line blocking was the best we've had. If it jells that's what I'm hoping, buddy! Our running game was so good today, it was pretty high-percentage when we started to pass." Similarly, the defensewith cornerback Deion Sanders playing again, performed well, though it, too, had its share of mis-Please see FSU, 12D of the new kid on the block.

"Today we were depending on him. "Missing class, missing breakfast oh, yeah, that's held him down some." What Parker did not miss on this sunny afternoon was many holes. Among the tailbacks, neither Sammie Smith (shoulder) nor Keith Ross (knee) dressed for the game. Victor Floyd (ankle) and Dexter Carter (ankle) did dress, but the former still seemed slowed and Carter, after a fine showing, limped to the bench before the half and could not return. Bowden was happy with everything, except an assortment of mistakes and, of Page11D: Bill McGrotha's column; notes quotes; statistics Parker accepts his role FSU defense holds its own Page 12D: more photos loose redshirt freshman Chris Parker, who said how-do-you-do to a Campbell Stadium crowd of 56,391 by romping for 158 yards on 25 runs.

"He's a player we never doubted his athletic ability," said Coach Bobby Bowden In charge early, late and really whenever it had to be Florida State's football team skipped past East Carolina 45-21 here Saturday. If it was not as easy as the score suggests, it was maybe about what it figured to be under player-ailing circumstances. There was a time, you remember, when the Seminoles' cup runneth over with quality tailbacks. But by halftime Saturday, they were pretty well down to one. One was aplenty.

The Seminoles turned 1 Rattlers drive over Morgan By David Lee Simmons Democrat staff writer nm -nwy WMjfWWSjf rv" if i Hurt knee keeps Gibson in dugout New York Times LOS ANGELES Kirk Gibson, who battled his way through the National League playoff in spite of an ailing left hamstring, was forced out of the opening World Series game Saturday night because of an injured right knee. Gibson hurt the knee sliding into second base in the playoffs. "He can't do it; he just can't do it," Tommy La-sorda, the Los Angeles manager, said of his left fielder and team leader. Asked about Gibson's status for the second game, tonight, Lasorda said: "I can't say. I was hoping in the next two hours he'd get well.

It's tough to lose him right now." Asked if Gibson might be able to serve as the designated hitter in the games in Oakland, when the DH. will be used, the manager said, "If he can't run and he can't field, he can't DH." Gibson won the fourth game of the playoff against the Mets with a 12th-inning home run, Saturday night's World Series game between the Florida played it safe at home, and came away with an expected win as well as an impressive running game. The Rattlers spent the better part of this beautiful Saturday evening going straight up the middle, parlaying it into a 35-14 whipping of Morgan State in the home opener of the season at Bragg Stadium. Though it was the first home game and six games into the season, only 8,894 showed up for the game. The win officially put the Rattlers over the .500 mark with a 3-2-1 record including the forfeit loss to Delaware State, a loss that is being appealed to the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference.

It also gave FAMU a 2-1 mark in the conference. Morgan State remained winless, 0-7 overall and 0-4 in the MEAC. With halfback Derrick Gainer continuing a strong showing begun last week against North Carolina the Rattlers ran all over the Golden Bears. Instead of trying to open things up, Coach Ken Riley kept things conservative, staying up the middle. Maybe because that seemed like the easiest way to crush Morgan, which knew what was coming but could do little to pun coaieoemocrat Los Angeles Dodgers and Oakland A was not Howard Huckaby runs away from James Stokes for his fourth punt-return TD of the season Pleted in time fT this edition- Please see FAMU, 5D Vandy leaves the banged-up Gators singing a second sad verse By George Maselli Democrat staff writer Tony Lomack's fingertips in the end zone; 3) had one missed field goal from 35 yards, another that was blocked, and a missed extra-point kick; 4) ran the wrong play and failed on a fourth-and-inches play at the Commodore 4, after receiving signals incorrectly from the sideline, The latter play sort of summed up Florida's problems.

Trailing 7-0, the Gators desperately needed a score before half-Please see GATORS, 6D few as we have," said Vandy coach Watson Brown. "Other times, we've outscored somebody, but this time we controlled the football game." From the Florida perspective, however, there had to be disagreement on that point. Florida simply continued to make mistakes that have plagued it even in victory over the past few years. The Gators: 1) had four personal fouls and totaled 12 penalties for 99 yards; 2) resumed dropping passes and had another that went off Saturday knocked out No. 2 tailback Wayne Williams and starting receiver Ernie Mills (an injured hand in pre-game drills, of all things), the Gators left here singing sadder tunes than Johnny Cash in a jail cell.

Florida, 5-2 and 3-1 in the SEC, will have an open week before taking on SEC big guys Auburn and Georgia in succession. Vanderbilt, 3-3 and 2-2 in the SEC, has never been considered in that realm. "They're all big when you've won as by the Vanderbilt Commodores 24-9 with a WTBS television audience and 41,000 watching at Vanderbilt Stadium. An injured and ineffectual Florida offense could mount only 275 yards against the No. 9 defense in the Southeastern Conference.

Coming off a shocking loss last week to Memphis State, and with star tailback Em-mitt Smith, receiver Stacey Simmons and quarterback Kyle Morris in Gainesville recovering from injuries, the Gators came to town hurting. But after additional injuries NASHVILLE, Tenn. In the home city of the Grand Ole Opry, the Florida Gators know that somewhere in all of this is a sad country song. Something twangy about a perfectly good football season suddenly turned down and out Just two weeks removed from a 5-0 record and a No. 14 national ranking, the banged-up Gators were beaten Saturday i.