Daily Record from Morristown, New Jersey • Page 44

C4 Dally Record, Northwest N.J., Sunday, December 13, 1981 ete Tip Browns 'Unlikely Heroes Help ly gave this one back to the Browns, who 4: 25 left and decided enough was enough. The offensive line charged, Scott Dierking and Kevin Long followed, and four first downs later, Todd was falling on the ball, killing the clock. For once, Michaels said It best: "The most important thing Is to win and get out of town." Related story on C5. JETS NOTESiFor tha first tlma this yaar, Lam Jonaa was not It mated aa a maaaangar, but ptayad a vary down, and ha raapondad with tlva catchas (tiaing hia paraonal bait) for 63 yarda. "Wa wantad to show tham wa could go daap If wa had to," aald Richard Jata thraw Juat alght paaaaa In tha aacond half.

Todd wa 1S-for-28 for 150 yarda, 2 TDa, 2 Scott Diarklng ruahad for 70 yards on 13 carrlaa, and racaivad gams ball along with fullback Kavln Long and dafanaiva tackl Abdul Salaam, who had two sacks and btockad tha fiald goal try on which Matt Bahr Sipa was 20-for-3S for 280 yarda, 1 TD, no TD to Lam waa pott oattam daaignad to go to Darrfck Gaffnay on tha othar slda, but faka handoft froza tha linabackar on Lam's slda and Todd hit Todd got sloppy, threw an interception, and Brian Sipe took the Browns in for a score, hitting 12-year veteran Calvin Hill to make it 14-10. As the Jets groped for lost momentum, the Browns kept coming in the fourth quarter. The Sack Exchange was in recession again, and Sipe was shredding the secondary. The Browns reached the six-yard line, but two runs picked up just three yards. On third down Sipe went after Jesse Johnson, burned by the Seahawks last week, but Johnson made a great play knocking a pass away for Dave Logan and the Browns settled for three, closing to 14-13.

Plenty of time, coach Sam Rutigliano reasoned. Sure enough, the Jets had to punt. Sipe's right arm was smoking as he took the ball at his 28. But on first down he tried to step up in the pocket and Salaam gobbled him up, a loss of 11 and a huge play. Sipe couldn't make up the loss.

The Browns punted, the Jets took over with come a beauty for the Jets. At 9-5-1, they have lost only twice in the last 12 weeks, both to Seattle. The Jets can even clinch a playoff spot today, if Pittsbugh, San Diego, and Kansas City all lose. At worst, they are assured of a playoff spot with a win at home next week against Green Bay in the finale. It is inevitable, of course.

The unlikeli-est of heroes are seeing to that. People such as Abdul Salaam, Jesse Johnson, and even Lam Jones saved the Jets from taking a fall in Cleveland; can there be any question? That the Jets needed to be saved was the fault of the coaching staff, which tried to build a fort around a 14-3 half-time lead, and barely survived. "We were going a little conservative," said quarterback Richard Todd, "but Joe (Walton) calls the plays. I think sometimes we do get a little too conservative, but we're 9-5-1, and last year when I was calling the plays we were 4-12." But by sitting on the ball the Jets near By JOHN HARPER SUff Sports Writer CLEVELAND There are times when you are convinced the Lords of Football have reached down, tapped the Jets on the shoulder, and whispered, 1 "This is your year." And there are times when you just know that as long as the Seattle "Seahawks stay on their side of the Mississippi River, the Jets will be playing in January maybe even winning. Only sometimes the Jets don't seem willing to accept fate.

Yesterday, for ex-' ample, the Cleveland Browns (5-10) were begging them to make victory swift and painless so they could get out of the cold and forget 1981. The Browns fumbled and stumbled and yet the Jets insisted on dragging ithings out. It got very messy before it was over but finally, there were the Jets, passing cigars in the locker room after winning, 14-13. Even coach Walt Michaels said, "It wasn't pretty." Still, the season has be fumbled the first two times they had the ball. When Michaels ordered a punt from the Browns' 32-yard line, his thinking for the afternoon was obvious.

Still, after Todd hit Lam his five catches for 83 yards made the Jets forget Wesley Walker for a 28-yard TD, and then hit Bruce Harper for a nifty seven-yarder just before the half, the Jets had their lead. Twice the Browns had stalled inside the Jets' 15, and got only one field goal because Matt Bahr slipped on the other and Salaam blocked it. So when Harper returned the second half kickoff 42 yards, and a roughness penalty was added, the Jets were at the Browns' 45, about to finish things early. "We thought they were going to die, being out of the playoffs and everything," said Harper. One quick drive and they probably would have.

But the Jets powered their way to exactly one first down in the third quarter, and the Browns got interested. aijj Lions End Vikings 9 Mopes PONTIAC, Mich. (AP) Detroit quarter 188 yards, tossed a 7-yard touchdown pass to i A VWsWiw- .2 av.f II. streak to four games while the Lions' who have won four of their last five remained unbeaten in seven home games this season. Kramer, who was far off-target on several of his passes, finished with 17 completions in 42 attempts for 155 yards, but gave up a pair of interceptions.

Kramer's second interception was a pass picked off by Detroit linebacker Ken Fantetti and returned 17 yards to the Lions' 47 yard line with 5: 32 remaining in the second quarter. Hippie then engineered a drive that went 53 yards in seven plays. On the touchdown play, Hippie rolled left on a second-and-goal situation from the 7, drawing the Vikings' defense with him, then passed back across the field to Scott ail alone in the right corner of the end zone. Sims contributed a 23-yard run to the drive, after apparently being hemmed in along the sideline for a loss. back Eric Hippie passed for two touchdowns yesterday as the Lions romped to a 45-7 National Football League victory over the Minnesota Vikings, keeping the Lions' title hopes alive while knocking Minnesota out of the playoff picture.

Detroit improved its record to 8-7, a half game behind the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 8-6, in the National Conference Central Division. The Bucs, who host the San Diego Chargers today, can wrap up the division title with one more victory. The Lions still could gain a playoff berth with a triumph over Tampa Bay when the two teams meet in the Silverdome next Sunday. The Vikings, who entered the game in a three-way tie at 7-7 with Detroit and the Green Bay Packers, now are 7-8 with a game remaining next Sunday with the Kansas City Chiefs. Hippie, who completed 13 of 21 passes for Freddie Scott with 1: 54 remaining in the second quarter and 85 seconds later tossed a 10-yard TD strike to Leonard Thompson that gave Detroit a 31-7 halftime lead.

Billy Sims scored on a twisting 14-yard run and Robbie Martin returned a punt 45 yards as the Lions zipped to a 14-0 lead in the first quarter. Minnesota quarterback Tommy Kramer threw a 3-yard scoring pass to Joe Senser on the third play of the second quarter, closing the margin to 14-7, but it was all Detroit after that in the nationally televised game before a crowd of 79,428 in the Silverdome. Detroit placekicker Eddie Murray kicked a 26-yard field goal in the second period and Thompson scored on a 1-yard run in the third quarter. Gary Danielson passed 27 yards to Tracy Porter for the Lions' last touchdown with 6: 14 remaining in the game. The defeat extended Minnesota's losing iw -rj fry Ranger goalie Steve Weeks caught this first period shot.

Garden State Bowl IV Badgers Favored Over Vols said of Krumrie, "You may faction with the state of the pro Majors said, "Looking back, if knock him down, but you'd better stay with him because he won't be on the ground long." And Tennessee offensive line Rangers Win, 5-3 By ABBOTT KOLOFF Staff Sports Writer After a tour of New York City, a night on the town and a Broadway show, Tennessee and Wisconsin football players finally remember why they are here. Practices have been mixed with sightseeing; there has been little time to think about football. But now, there is little time to think about anything else. Wisconsin has been rated a 6 point favorite in today's 12: 30 p.m. Garden State Bowl IV at Giants Stadium (Channel 11, delayed tape, 4 p.m.).

The spread might have been larger. Wisconsin (7-4) had the second-best defense in the Big 10 this year, and just missed a trip to the Rose Bowl. Meanwhile, Tennessee (7-4) has been struggling all season, and the Volunteers are thankful just to be in a bowl game. As Tennessee coach Johnny gram. When Majors returned to his alma mater after leading Pittsburgh to a national title, ex-, pectations were high.

"I thought at this stage we'd be farther ahead than this," Majors said. "Sure, like anybody else, I want a great team. It's been 12 years since Tennessee won a Southeastern Conference championship." While Tennessee is grasping for the success it once had, Wisconsin is a team that has just arrived. The Badgers have never won a bowl game; the last time they were invited, they lost to USC in the 1963 Rose Bowl. But Wisconsin defeated Michigan, Ohio State and Purdue this season.

The Badgers' have won with their defense, which is led by All-America candidate Tim Krumrie, a 6-3, 237-pound nose guard. Wisconsin coach Dave McClain we had made another mistake here or there, not even a lot of mistakes, we could have lost several more games. After we lost our first two games (44-0 to georgia, 43-7 to USC), it was like taking care of somebody who was real sick. We had to take one step at a time." The Volunteers stumbled twice more, a 38-19 loss to Alabama and a surprising 21-10 loss to Kentucky. Still, they had taken a potentially disastrous season and turned it into their 24th bowl appearance.

"I'm proud of this team," Majors said. "I'm proud of the way they fought back, never quit, never gave up. I think this team has lived up to expectations. There have been a lot more positive aspects to this season than negative ones." But the negative side remains, surfacing in Majors' own disatis- men have had trouble knocking anyone down all season. Majors said, "At the beginning of the season, we had the worst offensive line I've ever seen." While there has been improvement, Tennessee's offensive line will face a severe test today.

The line must block to give senior quarterback Steve Alatorre time to throw. If he can survive the Wisconsin pass rush and the Giants Stadium wind, Alatorre has receivers who can fly, people who can turn a football game around Anthony Hancock, Willie Gault, and Mike Miller. If not, the Volunteers' memories of Broadway will be much fonder than those of the game. "I got the puck at the blue line and just shot," Talafous said of his sixth goal of the year, which proved to be the game-winner. "I don't beat too many goalies from there.

I think the puck deflected off somebody." Islanders 3 Flamaa 3 CALGARY, Alberta A goal by Swedish rookie defenseman Tomas Jonsson midway through the third period earned the New York Islanders a 3-3 tie with Calgary Flames. The goal, on a shot from the blue line at 10: 05, capped a wild sequence inside the Calgary bne during which Flames defense-man Paul Reinhart had broken his stick. Jonsson took a pass from Denis Potvin and beat Pat Riggin with a shot that deflected in off the Calgary goalie's left skate. Other scorers for New York, which rebounded from a 3-0 second-period deficit, were Bob Nys-trom and Mike Bossy. PHILADELPHIA (AP) With the New York Rangers off to a fairly slow start this season, rookie Coach Herb Brooks was glad to see the Philadelphia Flyers on the schedule again.

The Rangers scored three third-period goals yesterday afternoon to beat Philadelphia 5-3 snap the Flyers' five-game National Hockey League winning streak. "We have played well against Philadelphia this season," said Brooks, whose team is 3-0 against the Flyers this year. "It's about a third of our wins. I don't know what it is. We've gotten a few bounces and with the respect we have for them, I think it fuels our emotions." For New York, now 11-15-3, center Dean Talafous scored twice in the third period.

His second goal snapped a 3-3 tie and Ron Duguay added an empty-net goal with 18 seconds left to clinch the win. More Deals In One For Mets? Analysis Guidry 'Agrees 9 To Terms By ROGER FARRELL Sports Editor The New York Mets' acquiring 31-year-old reliever Jim Kern from the Texas Rangers Friday night in exchange for second baseman Doug Flynn and pitcher Dan Boitano leaves their fans with plenty of questions. Who will play second base next season? Who will play shortstop, since last year's regular, Frank Ta-veras, was dispatched to the Montreal Expos earlier Friday night in exchange for right-handed relief pitcher Steve Ratzer and an undisclosed amount of cash? Will the Mets' star reliever, Neil Allen, be in the starting rotation next season? Does general manager Frank have a contract," attorney who have been rebuilding for eight seasons, would head to spring training with a rookie second-base combination as part of their plans. Other second base possibilities are utility player Bob Bailor and rookie Wally Backman, who sounded off when he was demoted to Tidewater last season and then became injured there and sat out much of the minor league season. Mets' fans who were hoping for sweeping changes during the winter meetings in Hollywood, were disappointed, but there is little chance the Mets won't be making more moves, as the roster they have now isn't much better as the one that turned in another dismal season as last year.

Cashen obviously feels Kern can be the right-handed stopper in the bullpen, and although he said there was no certainty Allen would become a starter, the chances are good that he will, as the Mets are very high on lefty Jesse Orosco, who would team with Kern in the bullpen. Other trades should be forthcoming. The Mets are looking to peddle one of their two catchers, John Stearns or Alex Trevino, and probably will move Ellis Valentine or Joel Youngblood, or both. Even Allen could go in a trade to bring a quality player at shortstop or second base. Rookies Ron Gardenhire finished the season at shortstop for the Mets and Brian Giles saw some play at second, but it's unlikely the Mets, Cashen have any other deals up his sleeve? Mets fans must be hoping he does.

In 1981, Kern was 1-2 with a 2.70 ERA in 23 games for Texas. He had six saves. In 1979 for the Rangers, Kern was 13-5 with 29 saves and a 1.57 ERA in 71 games. He had 136 strikeouts in 143 innings. But in 1980 he was considered washed-up by some observers.

He injured his pitching elbow at the end of spring training against Atlanta, then was bothered by a pinched nerve in his neck. Later, he was hit in the mouth by a foul ball. His record in 38 games was 3-11 with a 4.83 ERA. NEW YORK (AP) Pitcher Guidry generally has agreed to terms with the New York Yankees and will probably sign a new contract with the American League champions within a week, his lawyer said last night. "Based on Ron's perception of what George (Steinbrenner) and I have agreed to, if that can be reduced to writing, we John Schneider said.

Schneider declined to disclose terms of the deal, but reportedly the contract will be for four guaranteed years with a fifth year at the Yankees' option. The value of the contract is reportedly in the $4 million to $5 million range, depending on whether the left-hander pitches four or five years. College Football Texas Takes Independence Bowl Victory SHREVEPORT, La. (AP) Quarter tailbacks Johnny Hector and Thomas ing as fullback Ernest Anderson, who Idaho Stat 41 S. Carolina State 1 2 passed for three touchdowns and Donnie Williams ran for two more to lead Southwest Texas State to a 42-13 NCAA Division II championship over North Dakota State in the Palm Bowl.

Elon41.Hllladalo13 BURLINGTON, N.C. Quarterback John Bangley and tailback Ray Dalton ran for two touchdowns each, while fullback Fred Jordan rushed for 139 yards on 27 carries and another score as Elon College whipped Hillsdale College of Michigan, 41-13, to advance to the finals of the NAIA football playoffs. Elon will meet Pittsburg State next weekend at home for the national back Gary Kubiak hit flanker Jimmy Williams for two first-half touchdowns to spark Texas to a 33-16 victory over Oklahoma State in the Independence Bowl last night. The Kubiak-to-Williams aerials ered 50 and 38 yards and put the Aggies for good. The 50-yarder was the longest in Independence Bowl history, and the two TD passes were the most ever for one team in the five-year-old bowl's annals.

Kubiak connected on 15 of 20 passes for 215 yards. The Aggie offense also featured the running of fullback Earnest Jackson and Sanders. The Aggies added to their winning margin with an 80 yard drive in 11 plays, ending with Hector going in from the left side in a 4-yard run. David Hardy kicked a bowl-record four field goals, including a 50-yarder for another Independence Bowl record. His long boot came in the third quarter after an drive stalled on three incomplete Kubiak passes.

took the lead in the third quarter on the 50-yard scoring pass, and followed two minutes later with the second scoring pass. Oklahoma State had opened the scor ruA i tioAj, Idaho Senior quarterback Mike Machurek threw two touchdown passes in the first half to stake Idaho State to an 18-point halftime lead and carry the Bengals into the NCAA Division I-AA football championships with a 41-12 victory over mistake-prone South Carolina State. After Machurek left the game early in the third quarter with an ankle injury the ISU defense forced three Bulldog fumbles and intercepted three passes The Big Sky Conference champions are ranked No. 2 in Division I-AA SW Toias 42 N. Dakota State 1 3 McALLEN, Texas Mike Miller left the game with a pulled hamstring, tallied from the 1-yard line.

E. Kentucky 23 Bolaa SUta 1 7 BOISE, Idaho (AP) Senior quarterback Chris Isaacs directed the offense and defensive backs George Floyd and Gus Parks intercepted two passes each as Eastern Kentucky held on for a 23-17 victory over Boise State in an NCAA Division I-AA football semifinal. The victory puts Eastern Kentucky, ranked No.l in the division by the NCAA, into the championship game next Saturday in the Pioneer Bowl at Wichita Falls, Tex. against Idaho State, which defeated South Carolina State, 41-12. i 1.