The Montgomery Advertiser from Montgomery, Alabama • 37

PDt Major league roundup 5C College football roundup 8C National Football League 9C SUNDAY. SEPTEMBER 2. 1990 Phillip i Marshall j-A, Advertiser -Jf Sports Editor Hornets feel like victory slipped awayl By ROGER HEPBURN BIRMINGHAM Saturday night's football game at Legion Field was the first ever meeting between, the state's only two Division I-AA schools, but when the game was over, still nothing was settled between Alabama State and Samford. Samford tailback Brady Jones nn I I 1 vlW 'x 'i: iuii i vy i vj i hi Aa uiiu mu wuur downs, including the game-tying score midway through the fourth quarter, as Alabama State and Samford fought to a 24-24 deadlock. The game, played in front of a small crowd estimated at 10,500, was dominated by Alabama State in the early going.

The Hornets led 24-10 at halftime, only to see the Bulldogs dominate the second half. A dejected Alabama State coach Houston Markham said he felt like his team let a sure victory slip away. "There's nothing we can do about it," Markham said of the tie. "We'll try to use it to improve. We'll put it behind US Sunday night after we watch the film." Samford quarterback Ted Darby, who finished with 266 yards passing, helped bring his team back in the second half.

The Bulldogs tied the game with 6:05 left to play in the game. A seven-play, 63-yard drive ended with Jones running 6 yards for a touchdown. Michael O'Neal's extra point ended the scoring with the score at 24-24. "The third quarter was key, probably more than the Markham said, "because we didn't do anything offensively, and we kept the defense out there too long. We had some ter-.

rible penalties at crucial Earlier, however, it was all Alabama State. Linebacker Darren Hardy got things going in Alabama State's favor. On Samford's first possession of the game, Hardy hit i Darby in the backfield, causing a fumble which was recovered by teammate Charles Northern. On the next play, Alabama State quarterback Ricky Jones By PATRICIA MIKLII08t.lt ASU's Anthony Shamburger (13) puts a hard lick on a Samford ballcarrier during first quarter action at Legion Field I Capriati sets sights on match with Graf rJ The two young rivals meet Monday in the fourth ET round of the U.S. Open Associated Press Report 'v NEW YORK Jennifer Capriati, never a shy teen, says she's i "psyched up" and set to attack a suddenly vulnerable Steffi 4 Graf in the renewal of their growing rivalry at the U.S.

Open. 4 Capriati, 14, the youngest player to reach the round of 16 in U.S. Open history, played superbly Saturday while beating Sweden's Maria Standlund 6-1, 6-4 before a packed crowd on the stadium court. On the more intimate grandstand court, though, Jennifer Capriati Please see open, 4C 'Cats rally to salvage Curry win Kentucky is forced to rely on a pair of FGs in the second half to edge Central Michigan 20-17 Associated Press Report LEXINGTON, Ky. Doug Pelfrey kicked two field goals in the second half as Kentucky rallied to defeat Central Michigan 20-17 and give Bill Curry a victory in his debut as coach of the Wildcats on Saturday.

Pelfrey connected from 50 yards out with 8:27 left in the third quarter to give Kentucky a 17-14 advantage. His 32-yarder with 12:23 remaining in the game was the final margin. Linebacker Jeff Brady sealed the victory for Kentucky when he intercepted Jeff Bender's pass at the Central Michigan 47 with four minutes left in the game. Curry came to Kentucky after leading Alabama to a share of Pleat sea CURRY, 3C Pie I ASU, 3C A glimpse back before I action starts I close my eyes and I can picture him still, leaning on the goalpost, houndstooth hat on his head. It was as sure a sign of autumn as the turning of the leaves when Paul Bryant, the man they called Bear, led another Alabama football team into manly combat.

Like another snapshot in a photo album, I can see Ralph Jordan, the man they called Shug, clasping his hands over his head as he walked onto the field at Jordan-Hare Stadium for his final game as Auburn's head coach. College football gets under way in earnest around these Carts next Saturday when Ala-ama and Auburn open yet another season full of hope. The future beckons and the young men who wear their colors so proudly go eagerly toward it. Maybe Auburn will open a national championship march against Cal State-Fullerton. Maybe a new era will dawn at Alabama under Gene Stallings when they Tide takes on Southern Mississippi.

Only time will tell. The present and the future generate the excitement, but college football would be nothing without its past. The pros play for money, to entertain. The colleges have something different and immensely more attractive. It's called tradition, and it is the lifeblood of this game played by large and swift college boys.

I look through the photo album in my mind, and I see A young boy gripping his mother's hand, a little scared and very excited, walking up the steps at Legion Field. I don't remember much about the game, but I remember the delicious feeling of being there. It is a feeling that remains today on those crystal autumn afternoons. picture, frozen in time, of Greg Gantt falling over backward as David Langner picked up the punt snuffed out by Bill Newton and fled to the end zone to give Auburn the most improbable of victories in 1972. Van Tiffin's 52-yard field goal that split the uprights as the horn sounded, and the wild celebration that followed the 25-23 victory over Auburn in 1985.

Bryant, surrounded by an honor guard of his players, walking off the field at the Liberty Bowl after beating Illinois 21-15 in his final game as head coach. Jordan happily holding a piece of Georgia's famed hedge after Auburn whipped Georgia 35-20 in the battle of the unbeat-ens in 1971, locking up the Heisman Trophy for Pat Sullivan. Mike Turk scooting and dodging all over the place in leading Troy State to a Division II national championship. -Butch Wilson running some 91 yards with the opening kickoff tp send Alabama on its way to a 38-0 victory over Auburn in 1962. And now his son plays for Alabama.

I am getting old. Sullivan throwing and Terry Beasley catching as Auburn wjped out a 17-0 deficit to beat Alabama 33-28 in 1970. Clements throwing ftom his own end zone to get Ntre Dame out of trouble and beat Alabama in a national championship showdown in the 173 Sugar Bowl. 'Kerwin Bell throwing the hull high into the air out of sheer ((plight after scoring a two-point conversion that gave Florida' an lg-17 victory over Auburn in 1H86. The Gators had trailed 17-Olearly in the fourth quarter.

"Cornelius Bennett smashing Notre Dame quarterback Steve Buerlein to the turf with as vi-cjous a hit as I've ever seen in a football game. The mass of humanity that stormed the field to celebrate after Auburn beat Alabama 23-22 id 1982, ending 10 long years of frustration. Bryant and Jordan embracing after Jordan lost his final game to Alabama in 1975. It was a- sign of respect between honorable foes. Now it's time to add some more photos to that album, to reserve some more memories to relived in the years ahead.

That's tradition. That's college football. Related story, 9C Reserve QB sparks Central Florida by TSU kept alive at 3:35 when Johnson scrambled for a 12-yard gain on fourth-and-six at the Troy 46. Troy had taken the lead, 10-9, with 5:06 left to play after a bizarre turn of events changed a blocked field goal into a go-ahead touchdown. Trailing 9-3, the Trojans marched from their own 47 to a fourth-and-14 at the UCF 25.

Tony Lasseter's field goal was blocked, but traveled over the line of scrimmage, turning it into a live ball. Robert Lindsay tipped it, Lasseter recovered for Troy at the 25, and the Trojans had a first down and new life. Three plays later, halfback Derrick Troy State Red Wave falls in season opener 16-10 Staff Report ORLANDO, Fla. Reserve quarterback Ron Johnson came off the bench to spark Central Florida to a 16-10 comeback win over Troy State here Saturday night in the season opener for both schools. The winning touchdown, a 4-yard run by tailback Willie English, came with 45 seconds left and capped a 10-play, 58-yard march Moore rolled right and floated a 20-yard' scoring pass to Lance Sasser.

Lasseter's PAT gave Troy its only lead. UCF led 3-0 at the end of the first half, which saw the Knights gain 82 yards to Troy State's 79. The only scoring of the first half was a 38-yard Franco Grilla field goal at 6:35 of the first quarter, set up when Penn Hol-sapple got a hand on a Rodney Glass punt. The partially-blocked kick traveled just eight yards, setting UCF up at the Trojan 24. Shawn Jefferson dropped a sure scoring Please see TSU, 3C Stallings anxious as UA debut nears The Tide coach says he's getting 'a little apprehensive' with Southern Miss a week away By JOHN AIELLO Advertiser Sports Writer TUSCALOOSA If Alabama head football coach Gene Stallings could have things his way, the Crimson Tide would have already played its first game of the season.

Stallings feels that Southern Mississsippi, the.Tide's season-opening opponent, has an advantage because the Golden Eagles AU's Dye ponders 'one mountain left' The Tigers were dominant in the SEC during the '80s, but they've yet to claim a national championship under Pat Dye By RANDY ROUGHTON Advertiser Sports Writer AUBURN Many mountains have been climbed in Auburn since Pat Dye arrived on the scene in 1981. People expect even higher altitudes in 1990 and Dye has a good feeling that the only remaining Mount Everest could be reached in 1990, If has been the key word for Auburn where national championships are concerned. Dye has led Auburn to four Southeastern Conference championships, including its last three in a row. The Tigers begin their 1990 campaign ranked third in the Associated Press poll. But, so far, the national title has escaped the Dye's grasp.

While he refuses to let high expectations and conversation interfere with his team's goals this season, Dye has a special feeling about this team. He recognizes that the potential is there, more than at any other time in his career, because of the quantity, as well as the quality, of talent. "We've been so darned close to having a chance to play for the national championship the past couple of years and we hadn't done it," Dye said. "We hadn't won the critical game to get into that big game at the end. "I think depth on a football team is much better than ability or talent.

I think everybody in this part of the country has got good football players. But I think we have more depth than some of them." Dye likes what he's seen from the chemistry on this team, but admits he will find out more about that after the season begins. "I really like the attitude of this football team. I haven't seen any obvious individualism or selfishness on the part of any one player, which in my opinion, is where you start." Another good place to start has been Auburn's defense, Please see AU's probable lineup, AC opened the season Saturday nignt against Delta State. "If I had my druthers, I'd rather have a game behind me," Stallings said.

"I know Southern Miss is over there saying that we have an advantage because we've seen them play and they haven't seen us. "But I don't buy that type of thinking. I think it's an advantage to have a game under your belt. On the other hand, I don't think we're ready to play just yet." Alabama will play Southern Miss at Birmingham's Legion Field on Saturday with kickoff is set for 1:30 p.m. With Stallings' first MA IT Stallings game as Alabama's head coach less than a week away, he said he feels somewhat nervous.

"I'm a little apprehensive," Stallings said. "I don't really know exactly what to expect. But, naturally, I'm excited because I love game day. I love Saturdays. "I'm anxious to see the team on the field playing because that's what it's all about.

Practicing is one thing but playing a game is something else." Stallings said the year has gone by faster than he imagined since he was named Alabama's head coach on Jan. 11. "I know I will get a special feeling when I walk out on the turf at Legion Field for the first time as Alabama's head coach," Stallings said. "But I know it will a feeling I'll never forget. "It doesn't seem to me that it has taken a long time for this By MICKEY WELSHSlatt Pat Dye likes the chemistry on this Auburn football team Pis I STALLINGS, 3C.