The Montgomery Advertiser from Montgomery, Alabama • 21

MONTGOMERY ADVERTISER MONTGOMERY, ALABAMA (Lofeoom s(LoCo)dlaos Mfilh Mi Jim i Johnston Advertiser a Sports y-Editor .7 rvv 2 The Tigers hold the Golden Eagles scoreless until surrendering a 22-yard touchdown pass with 2:40 left in the game By RAGAN INGRAM Executive Sports Editor AUBURN Pat Dye could probably find a lot reasons to be disappointed this morning. For starters, the offense sputtered and the defense allowed a touchdown on a fourth-and-19 play. But the Auburn coach has one big reason to be happy. Dye's Tigers won the type of game they would have been prone to lose the last two seasons. -1 Auburn subdued Southern Mississippi 16-8 here Saturday afternoon at misty Jordan-Hare Stadium before a crowd estimated at 72,296.

"I feel a lot different than I did this, time last year," Dye said. "It's not th first time Southern Miss has given trouble." That's an understatement. Auburn defended its home turf sue cessfully against the Golden Eagles for. the first time after consecutive defeats in 1990 and 1991. The Tigers, winning their third straight game in a row? improved to 3-1.

Southern Mississippi fell to 2-2. "We played hard, and that's all you can ask for," Southern Mississippi coach Jeff Bower said. "I think we are going to be a good football team. I think we'll win some games." The Tigers started with a bang Alex Smith's 51-yard sprint on Auburn's first offensive play. And finished with a whimper 58 total yards in the second half.

In between, there was a lot of defense for both teams. Auburn had four offensive possessions" that it moved the ball to the Southern Mississippi 20 or better. Only two of them culminated in scores both of which came on field goals by Scott Etheridge. Please see AUBURN, 14B Related stories, 4-5B Xx By PATRICIA MIKLIKStaff Auburn linebacker James Willis sacks Southern Mississippi quarterback Aaron Hightower All wasn't sky high, but it won AUBURN When Reid McMilion woke up Saturday morning and looked out his window at Sewell Hall, the weather fit his mood. "It was cloudy and gloomy," Auburn's starting fullback said.

"1 felt the same way. I wasn't real motivated to play." After last week's 30-28 victory over Louisiana State in the final eight sec-' onds, McMilion knew it would be difficult for the Tigers to touch those low-hanging clouds at Jordan-Hare Stadium with a mountain-top performance. Southern Mississippi had beaten Auburn two straight seasons, but it didn't make it any easier to play on Saturday. Two or three times a season is still the limit when it comes to reaching the sky emotionally. "It's hard to hit that peak two times in a row," he said.

"You just can't do it ev-" ery week. That's human nature." For the past two seasons, it has been Auburn's nature to lose games it wasn't psyched up to play. Saturday was a dif-, ferent matter. Weren't on fire The Tigers weren't on fire and neither were the 72,296 fans who braved light rain to see if Auburn could end the Golden Eagles' reign of terror. It didn't make any difference.

A business-like Tiger team didn't invoke many memories of any of Auburn's Southeastern Conference championship teams of the 1980s, but it also didn't revive any nightmares of the past two seasons in subduing Southern Mississippi 16-8. The Tigers merely went to work at 1 p.m., punched out 2 hours later, took showers and enjoyed a job done well enough. "I guess that's a good sign," said McMilion, reflecting on his team's work-" manship. "It sure isn't a Quarterback Stan White must have shared his roommate's mood. He completed only six of 21 passes for 79 yards and two interceptions, White didn't resemble the poised junior who led Auburn to its victory a week ago, but he did the job he needed to do.

He handed off well as Auburn gained 199 yards on the ground. Despite his blue mood, McMilion rushed for 68 yards, breaking one tackle for every yard he gained, it seemed. His 28-yard scoring run, Auburn's only touchdown of the day, was a carbon copy of his entire afternoon's work. Hit a tackier, bounce off, hit a tackier, throw out a stiff arm, and finally, hit a tackier, drag him through the chalk into the end zone. It wasn't football artistry, but it got the job done.

Defense did painting The offense left the painting to the Auburn defense. Tim Cromartie and company brushed past the Golden Eagle offensive line like they were wax models and kept USM quarterbacks Tommy Waters, Kevin Bentley and Aaron High-tower on the canvas all afternoon. The Tiger defensive line recorded six sacks for 45 yards in an effort reminiscent of group that contained names like Stall-worth and Rocker. "Those guys were tough," acknowledged true freshman Hightower. "They wouldn't let you breathe." But the Auburn defense did allow its offensive teammates a little air, which was greatly appreciated by McMilion and his friends.

"You have to give them (the defense) the credit for this win," he said. "They played good enough to carry everybody." Now, Auburn is 3-1 and life is much more pleasant for head coach Pat Dye and his team. The cloud of Eric Ramsey is not shadowing the Tigers as closely and Auburn is not suffering from the confidence crisis it faced a year ago. Aside from the season-opening loss to Ole Miss, Auburn is actually exceeding expectations. "I feel a lot different than I did at this time last year," Dye said.

"This was a big win for our football team." He has spoken the same words three weeks straight. It's getting to be a welcome habit for Pat Dye. Palinraeir leadls QJA to victory He returns a punt 63 yards for a touchdown as the Tide blanks Louisiana Tech 13-0 for its 14th straight win By TOMMY SIMS Staff Writer 2 0 BIRMINGHAM Louisiana Tech came to Birmingham's Legion Field with high hopes of knocking off No. 7 Alabama Saturday and for 3 quarters the Bulldogs' defense kept the dream alive. However, midway through the fourth quarter Alabama's "Deuce" got loose and turned the Bulldogs' dream into a nightmare.

When Louisiana Tech awoke, the Crimson Tide had taken a 13-0 win over Bulldogs for Alabama's 14th straight victory. Alabama improved to 4-0, while Louisiana Tech fell to 2-2. Please see TIDE, 14B Related stories, 6-7B 1 I By JAMIE STURTEVANTStaft Alabama's David Palmer is brought down by Louisiana Tech's Chris Gray Yroy Stiatte foainramnieirs Alabama Sttafte, 4 By JIM JOHNSTON Sports Editor By MIKE NADEL Associated Press Writer center of attention. "Cut it out!" Kevin told Sean as his father, John, tried to conduct a post-victory press conference Saturday. Please see U.S., 11 Hornets 31-14 Saturday night to remain unbeaten.

With the victory, Troy State improved to 4-0, its best start since the Trojans' Division II national championship season in 1984. Alabama State's second Please see TROY, 14B Related story. 9B TROY Eddie Coleman and the Troy State Trojans made Alabama State's first trip to Memorial Stadium a forgettable one. The senior tailback rushed for 145 yards on 20 carries and scored a touchdown as the Trojans sloshed past the MINNEAPOLIS Moments after their daddy shined at center court, Kevin and Sean McEnroe were the SSBE3 I lagJEnyia-EtriEL- I IWHIiHi' I The Atlanta Braves close out a three-game series against the Padres in San Diego at 3:05 p.m. on WTBS.

The Braves will throw John Smoltz (15-12), while the Padres will counter with Andy Benes (13-13). Eighth-ranked Tennessee celebrated Coach Johnny Majors' return with a 40-0 victory over Cincinnati In Knoxville on Saturday. Shawn Summers returned a punt 77 yards tor a touchdown as the Volunteers Improved their record to 4-0 on the season. Story, SB. Groundskeepers labored Saturday to re-sod the Oakland Coliseum outfield In time for the Athletics' next homo game following a rampage by turf-tossing heavy metal music fans.

The regular Coliseum crew and 15 reinforcements began unloading huge rolls of bluegrass to cover a area ripped up by fans during breaks at Thursday night's "Day On The Green Concert" Concert goers ripped up a protective blanket and threw torn-out chunks of sod on each other between sets by Guns N' Roses, Ice-T with Body Count and Metallic. The bands reportedly paid $50,000 to cover the damage. Head groundskeeper Mark Razum said the field would be playable by Tuesday night, when the A's are to host the Texas Rangers. But he said there could be some bad bounces. AP Top SS Score Continued Boston College 14 Michigan State 0 Other Score of Interest Auburn 16 Miss 8 Kentucky 13 South Carolina 9 Memphis State 22 Arkansas 6 Colorado State 17 LSU 14 Troy State 31 Alabama State 14 Tuskegee40 Miles 6 Air Force 33 New Mexico 32 Rutgers 40 NavyO Citadel 15 Army 14 West Virginia 18 Virginia Tech 7 Wyoming 26 Louisville 24 SMU 21 TCU9 Indiana 20 Missouri 10 Oregon 59 UNLV 6 AP Top 25 Scores (I) Miami (3) Florida State 35 (4) Michigan 61 (6) Notre Dame 48 (7) Alabama 13 (8) Tennessee 40 (9) Penn State 49 (10) Colorado 28 (II) UCLA 35 (14) Virginia 55 (15) Nebraska 45 Georgia Tech 20 (18) Georgia 37 (19) Stanford 37 (23) N.C.

State 27 Arizona 7 Wake Forest 7 Houston 7 Purdue 0 Louisiana Tech 0 Cincinnati 0 Maryland 13 Iowa 12 (21) San Diego State 7 Duke 28 Arizona State 24 (16) Clemson 16 Ole Miss 11 San Jose "State 13 North Carolina 20 Top-ranked Miami (Fla.) survives a scare, edging Arizona 8-7. Story, 10B. The San Francisco 49ers meet the Saints In New Orleans on TNT at 7 p.m. Listings, 2B..