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The Montgomery Advertiser from Montgomery, Alabama • 39

Location:
Montgomery, Alabama
Issue Date:
Page:
39
Extracted Article Text (OCR)

SECTION BP OCTOBER 31, 1982 Trov gets 1st r-win ol season Jul A Pge 5D ive Florida revem I. Gainey ge Statistics end, Gainey's kick spoiled a gallant effort. The Tigers trailed 10-7 at halftime, but after a sluggish first half, battled back to take the lead with 8:59 to play in the third period on a 7-yard touchdown run by freshman running back Bo Jackson. Al Del Greco's second extra Doint kick put the By DARRYAL RAY Journal Sports Editor GAINESVILLE, Fla. Florida placekicker Jim Gainey turned a sunny Saturday afternoon into a virtual Halloween nightmare for the Auburn Tigers.

The lanky blond senior kicked field goals of 18, 32, 39 and finally one maining here Saturday afternoon, lifting the Florida Gators to a last-gasp, come-from-behind 19-17 victory over the Tigers. A record Florida Field crowd of 73,532 roared its approval as Gainey's kick upped the Gators' record to 2-2 in the Southeastern Conference, 5-2 overall, and atoned for a similar missed opportunity in a 14-12 loss against the Tigers a year ago. It was only one day short of the first anniversary of Brian Clark's 40-yard missed field goal with 1:06 remaining against the Tigers in Auburn last year, but Gainey, who held the ball for Clark at that time, had not forgotten. "I dedicated this game to my parents who have stood behind me for five years, and to Brian Clark," Gainey said. "Brian has really helped me, and I appreciate what he has done.

"I knew it was good as soon as I kicked it. Bob Hewko (who was holding the ball on the kicking tee) knew it was good, too. It was sort of like when you hit a golf ball, and you know it was a good hit before you evenlook up." Florida's winning drive began with 2:57 left to play after a 39-yard field goal by Gainey had cut the Gators' deficit to a mere 17-16. The Gators went to Gainey for an onside kick, which Leon Pennington re covered from under a pile of Auburn jerseys at the Tigers' 45. "That was a very courageous call that Mike Shannahan, our offensive coordinator, made on that onside F7' xr in iiih 12-yunl la id out of Hob I M-t i.iul rt'inainiiifi.

ftu' Hornet rally ties Bulldogs i Jim kirks IOI Itlil kick. I'liolo In I fi i' I utille pesky Then Bond cranked his team up from the 13. Lamar Windham had a 16-yard run and Bond completed passes of 7, 3, 15 and 8 yards. A 15-yard penalty for a late hit helped along the way to a first down at Alabama's 29. After Mississippi State took its final timeout with 28 seconds left in the game, Bond ran to the 15 on the quarterback draw.

He hustled his team to the line of scrimmage and fired his pass to Knight on the right sideline. Knight made the catch and ran into Castille. And the story was told. Hectic finishes are nothing new in i Auburn i Florida i Fla J. Jones 9 run (Gainey kick) 0 7 7 3-17 10 3 6-19 11 ru uamey is Aub-Edward 13 pass from Campbell (Del Greco kick) Aub B.

Jackson 7 run (Del Greco kick) Fla FG Gainey 32 Aub FG Del Greco 23 Fla FG Gainey 31 Fla FG Gainey 42 Aub Fla 14 24 40-159 47-171 57 250 78 36 First downs Rushes-yards Passing yards Return yards Passes Punts Fumbles-lost Penalties-yards Time of Possession 8-14-0 23-30-1 7-43 7-40 3-3 2-13 25:43 2-0 11-107 34:17 kick," Gator coach Charley Pell said later, "but it was a good call. "There was no hesitation on it at all. We just decided that that was what we weret going to do. Fate played a big part in the play. The percentage of recovering an onside kick is very low maybe one in 11 or 12, or even lower.

It was a game of fate." And as fate would have it, Florida quarterback Wayne Peace hit wide receiver Tyrone Young with an 11-yard pass for a first down at the Auburn 34 two plays later. Two plays later, Florida sat at the Tigers' 25, and after calling time out, Peace took the ball up the middle but failed to gain. Peace let the clock run down to 5 seconds before calling another timeout to formulate the Gators' field goal plans. "The timeout didn't bother me at all," said Gainey. "In fact, it helped me.

It gave me time to relax, time to stretch and move around and I got to look at the angle of the ball." The angle of the ball, as it turned out, was perfect for Gainey, kicking the ball through the uprights with room to spare. For Auburn, 6-2 overall and 3-1 in the SEC with a date with Rutgers upcoming next week but it was enough to push the ninth-ranked Tide's record to 7-1 and keep Southastern Conference championship hopes burning. But until Mississippi State's players helplessly watched the final seconds tick off the clock, this one was in question. Bulldog quarterback John Bond rallied his team again and again and was in position to possibly tie the game until the fateful final play before a crowd of 62,110. It was Mississippi State's sixth straight defeat since opening with three straight wins.

Mississippi State stopped Ala-. bama on fourth-and-2 at its own 14 Tigers up 14-10. Jackson's run capped a 22-yard, four-play Auburn drive, which began on a sensational 63-yard punt return by Lionel James. James took Ray Criswell's 39-yard punt on the 18, then broke to the right and back down the left sideline for the longest Tiger punt return of the season. Two possessions later, Florida had scored again.

Ivory Curry returned a Lewis Colbert punt 10 yards, giving the Gators good field position at the Auburn 39. On the first play, Peace, who completed 23 of 30 passes for 250 yards (and one interception), connected on a 20-yard pass to wide receiver Dwayne Dixon, bringing the Gators to the Tiger 19. Three plays later. Florida began to mire down at the Auburn 8. John L.

Williams, the Gators' heralded freshman running back, fumbled a pitchout but recovered for a 13-yard loss. Fullback James Jones gained 7 to the Tiger 14, but a Peace pass to running back Lorenzo Hampton lost 2 yards. Again, Gainey was called to the rescue. This time he booted a 32-yarder to cut the Gator deficit to one at 14-13 with 2:06 left in the third period. The fourth period appeared that the Gators were headed for a date with disaster.

A 27-yard Peace pass to Chris Faulkner put Florida at the Auburn 33. But Hampton fumbled and recovered on the next play for a loss on three. Then, it See GAINEY, page 6D Slalislics Alabama Mississippi St. Ala Turner 1 run (Kim kick) 0 7 13 0-20 8 3 6 3-12 MsSt-FG Moore 21 Ala Turner 1 run (Kim kick) MsSt-Koonti I run (run failed) Ala Jones 28 pass from Lewis (pass failed) MsSt-FG Moore 43 Ala 21 81-241 209 1 10-15-1 3-42 3-1 3- 25 31:39 MsSt 19 35125 231 30 18-33-1 8-40 4-1 4- 14 28 21 First downs Hushes-yards Passing yards Return yards Passes Punts Fumbles-lost Penalties-yards Time of Possession with 2:21 left in the game when Craig Turner went straight up and straight back down on his attempted dive. 1 1 "1 iJ CZZZZZ3 --13 1 I I J- I pl fpy Cjk ft 4rf 1 'C A By DONNIE WEBB Advertiser Sports Writer BIRMINGHAM Alabama State University found out what a fighter's second wind was all about in the 41st annual Magic City Classic here Saturday afternoon.

Down for the count in the first half, the Hornets battled back courageously but couldn't deliver a knockout punch of their own and had to settle for a 13-13 tie with Alabama before 35,603 fans at Legion Field on a sunny day. The Bulldogs stormed to a 13-0 halftime lead and had more than enough opportunities to send Alabama State back to Montgomery thoroughly embarrassed. But a "down-to-earth" halftime chat by head coach George James inspired Alabama State, and the Hornets clearly showed in the second half they had plenty of fight left. Two field goals by freshman placekicker Addie Nobahar in the third quarter lit the fire and reserve quarterback Anthony Benjamin passed 6 yards to Woody Welch for a fourth-quarter touchdown as the Hornets fought back from what seemed an impossible predicament. The Hornets even had two golden opportunities after Welch's touchdown to win the game.

Alabama State defensive back Alfonza Edwards intercepted quarterback Ananias Harris at the Miss. llcwko's lnld rewiifj' for in Viilnim la-l i ar Malislic Alabama State Alabama 0 I) I 10 3 0 0-13 Gipson 55 run IMalone kick I 22 FG 31 FG ASU-Nobahor 40 FG ASU-Nobahar 35 FG ASU Welch 6 pass from Benjamin (Nobahar kick) ASt 17 13 46-187 32-202 84 89 3 14 8-33-2 9-34-1 7-43 0 9-34 3 4-2 3-2 8-80 12-125 First downs Rushes-yards Passing yards Return yards Passes Punts Fumbles-lost Penalties-yards Bulldog 26 with 5:33 left in the game and the Hornets were appeared ready to deliver the overhand right. The Hornets could get no closer than the 24 and Nobahar, in only his third competitive football game, was called upon to try the winning kick with 3:36 left. But the boot never got more than seven feet off the ground and the ball lined-drived into the end zone. Alabama drove to the Hornets' 41, but could get no further and had to punt on fourth-and-7 with 1:06 left in the game.

The Hornets went 7 yards backwards in three downs and Archie Moore was summoned to punt from out of his own end zone. But punt returner Willie May, a junior who played in high school at Jeff Davis, fumbled and Alabama See HORNET, page 6D State Alabama got the ball in threatening position at its own 45 on its first possession of the game and promptly moved to take control. With Walter Lewis hitting a 17-yard pass to Ricky Moore, the Tide earned a first down at the Mississippi State 9. But on second down at the 6, Paul Ott Carruth fumbled and Mike McEnany recovered for Mississippi State at the 8. For the next 15 minutes, the two teams slugged it out in the trenches.

Then, midway through the second quarter, Alabama mounted another attack. See ALABAMA, page 7D Alabama Willie May (2 1 a former Jeff Uavis llifjh star, has running room al Legion I iel.l to bring him for Alabama Stale in City Classic are William ToIImtI (90) anil Johnson Alabama holds of By PHILLIP MARSHALL Advertiser Sports Editor 'JACKSON, Miss. The south end of Mississippi Memorial Stadium, burial ground for Alabama's national championship hopes two years ago, was treacherous territory again here Saturday. The Crimson Tide, dazed and on the ropes, fought off a last-minute Mississippi State comeback when Jeremiah Castille tackled receiver Danny Knight at the 5-yard line. Knight couldn't get out of bounds and Alabama left with a 20-12 victory, It wasn't the kind of win that builds national championship talk, this series.

Alabama suffered a 6-3 upset here two seasons ago when Don Jacobs fumbled at the Mississippi State 4 in the final seconds. In Tuscaloosa last season, Tommy Wilcox stopped a late Mississippi State drive for victory with an interception. "I'm just so proud and so happy for our players getting us out of here with a conference victory," Alabama head coach Paul Bryant said. "It looked early like we might win the game easily, but that's not the way it turned out. It was a win.

The Good Lord and a good tackle on the sideline saved it." i.

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