The Montgomery Advertiser from Montgomery, Alabama • 17

1C THE journal Wmtxftm SATURDAY, JANUARY 1, 1933 ar -winner gets sweet prize Phillip MARSHALL Advertiser Sports Editor Air Force win deserves salute NEW ORLEANS (AP) Top-rated Georgia and runner-up Penn State, two long-time college football powers with only one national championship between them, meet for the first time Saturday night in the Sugar Bowl with a No. 1 ranking almost certainly at stake. The rival coaches held their final news conference Friday at a seafood and beer party and pretty much reiterated what they have been saying all week so much so that Penn State's Joe Paterno has developed a touch of laryngitis. "It's getting close and I don't know if there's a great deal to say right now," said Georgia's Vince Dooley, whose Bulldogs won their only national title here two years ago by defeating Notre Dame. Penn State has never been No.

1 at the end of a season. The nationally televised (ABC) New Year's night contest, which begins at 7 p.m., CST, is the sixth bowl game ever between 1-2 teams. If 10-1 Penn State defeats 11-0 Georgia, both teams would have identical records, as would third-ranked Nebraska the Cornhuskers' only loss was to Penn State if it defeats LSU in the Orange Bowl. No. 4 Southern Methodist could end up the nation's only unbeaten team (the Mustangs are 10-0-1) if it beats Pitt in the Cotton Bowl.

"I have no way of knowing if we're the best team in the country," Paterno said. "Two of the best teams in the country are playing Saturday night, that's all I can tell you. "If we wind up 11-1, beating Georgia and the other people on our schedule, I think we'll be the best team. But I've been at the other end. We've been unbeaten and weren't ranked No.

1, so I can understand SMU's position." Dooley had a slightly different viewpoint. "I don't know if we're the best team in the country," he said. "I'll be able to answer that Saturday night after the game. Even if we win, I'm not sure we can say without a doubt we're the best, and if Penn State wins, I'm not sure they can say without a doubt they're the best." Nevertheless, barring a tie which is what Nebraska and SMU are hoping for one of these teams will leave the Louisiana Superdome pointing their index fingers sykward in the familiar "We're No. 1" pose.

The 1982 national champions will be crowned when The Associated Press announces the results of its final poll at 5:30 p.m., CST, Sunday. Dooley and Paterno surprised no one by predicting the winner will be the team which makes the fewest mistakes and executes the most big plays. BIRMINGHAM They say it is the coming thing in college football, but the passing game is no sure road to victory. For Vanderbilt in the Hall of Fame Bowl Friday and for Illinois in the Liberty Bowl Wednesday, passing records fell like dominoes. But in both games, it was the wishbone teams that came out ahead on the scoreboard.

Whit Taylor passed Vanderbilt up and down Legion Field's artificial turf here Friday, zapping the Falcons for 452 yards and four touchdowns while completing 38 of 51. But he also threw three interceptions, one of which led directly to an Air Force touchdown. And the Commodores couldn't run a lick, sticking to the ground just seven times for 32 yards. Air Force, meanwhile, was hammering away with its wishbone and an occasional pass. The Falcons were outgained 495 yards to 451, but they took home the trophy.

Probably no team was ever more excited about beating Vanderbilt. The celebration was long and loud, the kind normally reserved for a victory over a football power. In the eyes of the Air Force, maybe Vanderbilt and its 8-3 record was just that. But Air Force earned the respect even of the hordes of Vanderbilt supporters waving their black and gold shakers. These young men are among America's best.

They are in school to become Air Force officers, not professional football players. They play the game like it was meant to be played, for fun. They aren't big enough or fast enough, but they don't quit. They didn't quit Friday, even when they trailed 28-17 at the end of the third quarter Mirrihl Georgia's Vince Dooley (left) offered a shrimp by Penn State's Joe Paterno learns play for the college football national championship in Sugar Bowl tonight See SUGAR, page 2C Vandy falls to Air Force i siY7 Vn ft i Cv-- 1,1 tv vT (fit Jfit, w-' 'r "People who saw this bowl game will remember it forever." Vanderbilt head coach George Maclntrye, who saw his team go from a 1-10 record three years ago to 8-4 this season, refused to be discouraged. "It was a great game and a great week," he said.

"The game just didn't turn out the way we wanted it to. We just couldn't stop their wishbone. "I told the team in the locker room that there were no losers in there. I think the seniors who came from 1-10 to 8-4 made some tremendous personal growth in their four years." Taylor echoed his coach, but mourned a couple of passes that would have been better not thrown. "I threw a couple of balls I wish I could get back," he said.

"They were bad passes and I should have thrown both balls away. "But I never thought anything like this season could happen for Vanderbilt. Like coach said, coming from 1-10 to 8-4 is mighty good." Vanderbilt romped 75 yards in seven plays on its first possession of the game to take early control. Taylor hit Jordan for 29 yards and the touchdown and Ricky Anderson kicked the extra point to give the Commodores a 7-0 lead with 11:06 left. Air Force got its first chance when nose guard Steve Kelly recovered a Keith Edwards fumble at the Vanderbilt 37.

Eight plays later. Louthan sneaked over for the touchdown from the 1. Sean Pavlich's extra point tied the game with 1:16 left in the first quarter. After a Vanderbilt punt. Air Force stormed 80 yards in 13 plays, with fullback Jeff Kershner gaining 26 on See VANDY, page 2C By PHILLIP MARSHALL Advertiser Sports Editor BIRMINGHAM The Air Force Academy, reeling from Whit Taylor's record-breaking passing barrage, was hanging on the ropes.

Vanderbilt had just taken a 28-17 lead and the Falcons were on their own 8 on the final play of the third quarter. A record Hall of Fame Bowl crowd of 70,000 waited for the execution. But the victim turned on its tormentor, the underdog got off the deck. Air Force exploded for three fourth-quarter touchdowns and romped to the first bowl victory in its history, whipping the Commodores 36-28. Vanderbilt's magical passing game obliterated virtually every Hall of Fame record.

Taylor broke records for most attempts with 51, most completions with 38, most yards with 452 and most touchdowns with four. Receiver Norman Jordan broke records with 20 receptions for 173 yards and three touchdowns. But Taylor broke another record that might have been the difference. He threw three interceptions, one of which resulted in an Air Force touchdown. Another in the end zone cost Vandy a touchdown.

Air Force head coach Ken Hatfield stepped outside of the wildly celebrating dressing room for a long and happy hug with his wife. He was clearly delighted. "First off. we have to give credit to Vanderbilt for what they've accomplished and what they stand for," he said. "Our kids played hard and I feel that was the winning edge.

Our kids never quit all year and our whole season has been just like this game. and looked ready to be blown away. Probably no one typifies Air Force better than junior fullback John Kershner. At 5-foot-10, 190 pounds, he is far from the ideal size for a wishbone fullback. All he did to Vanderbilt was punish the middle for 132 yards and a touchdown on 32 carries.

"This was probably better than beating Notre Dame," he said. "We play Notre Dame every year. There would always be another chance at them, but we don't go to a bowl very often." Vanderbilt spent the afternoon romping up and down the field. The Commodores, it seemed, were threatening to take it all the way on every possession. But the Falcons didn't have any trouble moving the ball either.

Defense didn't come to this party. "Vandy is a lot fancier than we are and we've had trouble with passing teams all year," Kershner said. "But they had the turnovers and we didn't. When you run an offense like that, you are taking a bigger chance. I like our offense the way it is." Air Force didn't bring glittering credentials here.

Its record was 7-5 and the only victories of consequence were over Notre Dame and Brigham Young. Seven times this season the Falcons surrendered 30 or more points. But Kershner knew Wednesday that his team had a fighting chance. "After the press conference two days ago I felt more comfortable," he said. "They seemed a little overconfident.

Maybe they'd just seen us around and seen how small we were. I don't know what it was, but I don't think they thought we could win." In winning, the Falcons threw a little egg on the face of the Southeastern Conference. The Commodores finished tied for third with Auburn but couldn't handle an also-ran from the Western Athletic Conference. "I sure hope we did something for our conference," Kershner said. "I know the WAC isn't considered the strongest conference in the nation, but we play good football out there.

I'm just sorry New Mexico (10-1 record) didn't have a chance to show what it could do somewhere else." Quarterback Marty Louthan drove Vanderbilt to the ropes late in the fourth quarter when he broke free on a fourth-and-one option play and sprinted 46 yards for a touchdown. "I was surprised," he said. "I didn't expect it to open up like that at all. but you have to give our coaches credit for making a great call." Vanderbilt led 21-14 at halftime, but Louthan said the Falcons decided in the dressing room to put it all on the line. "We went back out there to give it everything we had." he said.

"The odds were all stacked against us and we had nothing to lose. We knew what was at stake and we were going to fight to get it." One Falcon who won't be returning to Colorado Springs is assistant coach Chan Gailey. He'll' arrive in Troy Saturday night to take the helm of the Troy State program. His last game as defensie coordinator at Air Force was a satisfying, though frightening, experience. "Whit Taylor is a great quarterback," Gailey said.

"Vanderbilt didn't just get here on luck. When we had to get the breaks, they came our way. "This was just an awful lot of fun. These young men deserve everything they've gotten. They've fought back from all types of adversity and had a great year." Playing football at a service academy is no piece of cake.

There are no training tables, no athletic dormitories and no easy courses. Athletes get no special consideration. Kershner agreed that it is not the easiest way to play college football. Air Force quarterback Marty Louthan hurdles Vanderbilt defenders scored two touchdowns in leading Falcons to 36-28 Hall of Fame Bowl victory Former Calhoun star receives honor By JOHN REIMER Advertiser Sports Writer Prior to her senior season, former Calhoun High School star Jacqueline Jones had never experienced the thrill of individual achievement. The 1982 graduate had been on three state champion outdoor teams, but second place was as close as sue mine iu wiiiiuiic "I just didn't know how to react when I heard about it." Jones said.

"Coach (Calhoun's Annye) Burch told my mother and she called and told me about it." Although her performance in the 100 placed Jones above her peers, she says winning the team title will, also hold a special place in her heart. "I remember the smile on Ms. Burch's face when we won the state track meet for the fourth time in a row," she said. "She was so excited she was crying. She was a very good coach." Jones says Burch gave her the inspiration to run.

"When I was in the ninth grade. I didn't want to run." she said. "Ms. Burch told me I was going to run. She saw something in me.

She told me I was going to run. "When we were out there practicing, she'd say I know it's hard, but don't give up, you can do it." Jones' time in the 100 meters was 11.80, which earned her a place on the National High School Track All-America squad announced recently. The teams is sponsored by the American Textile Manufacturers Institute and the National High School Athletic Coaches Association. Sam Palmer was the only other Ala-bamian named to the squad. The Williamson speedster ran the 100 meters in 10.5 to earn the honor.

Albert Robinson of Chicago, 111.., had a 10.2 for the nation's top time. The top athlete in each event in a state meet in each state is considered for the honor. The top 10 performers are named All-America, with the remainder being named honorable mention. Jones, whose time was topped by Indi-anola, Mississippi's Janet Davis' 11.6, will be honored at an assembly Wednesday at the school. Jones credits Thomas Brutton.

a member of Calhoun's boys' team, with making her a more successful runner. "He was always getting out and making me run against him." she said. "The harder he ran, the harder I tried to run. I never got very close to him. but it made me work." Jones spent the first quarter of the 1982 school year at Alabama She said she is transferring to Alabama State at the beginning of the winter quarter.

Although she says she hasn't talked to Hornet track coach Barbara Williams, she says she will run for her new school. just wasn't for me," she said. "It wasn't the track practice or anything. I just didn't like it there. "I had three other offers.

I had letters from Stanford, Georgia and Florida See FORMER, page 2C an event. Calhoun won its fourth straight title this past May in Selma, and Jones con- 3 tributed first places in ine iw meiers ami uie long jump, a second in the 110 hurdles and a Jones leg on the Tigers' 440-yard relay team. he said. "But it's a lot easier when you His smile said the rest..