The Montgomery Advertiser from Montgomery, Alabama • 33

Hlontcjomcnj 2Vdertiscr port J.C demons Sports editor Phone (334)261-1522 Fax (334) 261-1 548 200 Washington Ave. Montgomery AL 361 04 Sunday Oct. 25, 1998 Baseball 4D Prep football 13D NFL 14D TIGERS BEAT LOUISIANA TECH IN OLIVER'S DEBUT Sportsline Housel: i I ,1 Tigers Bowden ate ten to left on MmL Vs Bamas his own mQ er I ffi wf Montgomery Advertiser Kelvin Sims SCOREBOARD SEC (1 1) Georgia 28, Kentucky 26 LSU 41, (24) Miss. State 6 Vanderbilt 17, So. Carolina 16 Ole Miss 30, Arkansas St.

17 STATE (23) Virginia Tech 41, UAB 0 Tuskegee 23, Ft. Valley St. 21 Soouthern Arkansas 58, W. Alabama 13 Jacksonville St. 31, Sam Houston 19 Miles 24, Alabama 20 TOP 25 (1) Ohio State 36, Northwestern 10 (2) UCLA 28, California 16 (4) Kansas St.

52, Iowa State 7 (6) Florida St. 34, (20) Georgia Tech 7 (7) Nebraska 20, (19) Missouri 13 (8) Texas 17, (25) Texas Tech 10 (9) Wisconsin 31, Iowa 0 (12) Oregon 17, Southern California 13 Miami 34, (13) West Virginia 31 (14) Arizona 45, NE Louisiana 7 (16) Virginia 23, No. Carolina State 13 Kansas 33, (17) Colorado 17 (18) Notre Dame 20, Army 17 (22) Tulane 52, Rutgers 24 BRIEFLY Montgomery Advertiser I-v 'smZSZy, jr 'J)f 1 I 1 1 V- 1 Photos by Mickey Welsh Staff Auburn quarterback Gabe Gross celebrates the first touchdown of the day. Gross threw for one touchdown and ran for another as the Tigers beat Louisiana Tech 32-17 in their debut under interim head coach Bill Oliver. AUBURN When 24 of the most topsy-turvy hours of his life were over, "Brother" thought of the father who had made it all possible.

It is no small irony that in one of the strangest 24-hour periods in Auburn history, an Alabama man was making the first steps to help bring Auburn together. But Bill Oliver's day of healing a 32-17 win over Louisiana Tech in his interim role as head coach extended beyond the Auburn family to thoughts of his father who died two weeks ago. "I've talked to my three sisters and we all get along pretty doggone good," said Oliver, who was named Friday as Terry Bowden's stand-in after the former coach abruptly resigned. "Then I saw my father's number in my cell Oliver's voice trailed off as he finished his first official press conference. But, oh brother, did they ever get the point that the 58-year old Oliver knows a thing or two about commitment.

A Bear Byant disciple who played for and helped the legendary coach win national championships as an assistant at Alabama, Oliver might not be an Auburn man by pedigree, but those most immediately connected with the Auburn team think he's the right fit for right now for not so-right times. "I would love for Coach Oliver to get the job," defensive end Leonardo Carson said. "He deserves it. Everybody trusts him and knows he will not turn his back on us." Carson was knocking Bowden, who felt he had become a divisive presence at Auburn after a 1-5 start and ended a five-and-a-half year career of high and low moments on the Plains. But just like the emotion he BROTHER PagelOD ON 9D Players have mixed emotions after first game without Bowden.

Auburn keeps distractions off field. Injury bug bites Tigers again. i I Vj "TCS: AUBURN Both Auburn University president Dr. William Muse and athletic director David Housel insisted on Saturday that football coach Terry Bowden was not forced out of his position by anyone associated with the university, and they were shocked and disappointed by Bow-den's resignation Friday. "People have a right to their opinion," Housel said in a news conference on Saturday.

"People who love Auburn and support Auburn have the right to believe what they want to believe and they have the right to point any finger they, want Coach Bowden was not asked to do this, he was encouraged not to do this, and I know of no one at Auburn University that wanted him to step down." Just hours before the Tigers defeated Louisiana Tech 32-17 in the first game since Bowden resigned after five and half years at the school, Muse and Housel addressed the media. They were repeatedly asked if any members of the Auburn Board of Trustees and more specifically influential Montgomery businessman Bobby Lowder had a hand in Bowden's sudden decision. "As an athletic director, it is my responsibility to maintain a beat on the pulse of the Auburn people," Housel said. "I have talked to a number of people around our football program I have talked to Bobby Lowder and I have talked to many, many others." Housel downplayed reports that claim Bowden mentioned to him on Friday that there was outside pressure to influence who was hired and fired on his staff. "I'm not aware of any discussions at all.

I will not dispute coach Bowden's word but I am not aware of any pressures at all." Bowden is being replaced on an interim basis for the rest of the season by defensive coordinator Bill Oliver. Housel and Muse said talks for formation of a search committee to find a permanent replacement for Bowden would start next week. Williams rumbles for 259 yards AUSTIN, Texas Ricky Williams can thank the Texas defense for a happy ending Saturday night. The records will show Williams ran 39 times for 259 yards, including a game-clinching 14-yard touchdown run with 2:03 left as Texas came from behind to beat Baylor, 30-20, in a thriller played in front of a deafening overflow crowd of 81,437 at Royal-Memorial Stadium (capacity Williams, who added a seven-yard TD run for comfort with 1:02 to play after Baylor's Elijah Burkins fumbled a kickoff, moved past USC's Charles White into second place on the NCAA Division I-A career rushing list. He now trails by 444 yards only Tony Dorsett's 22-year-old record of 6,082 yards, and has four games to play.

He must average 111 yards in UT's final four games to break the record. College football, 7-1 2D. Auburn athletic director David Housel said he tried to talk Terry Bowden into staying as head coach. "We really haven't had Bowden was in the first much of chance to do much yeai of a seven-year "agree- thinking at this point and ment" Auburn University time," Muse said. The 58-year policy prohibits guaranteed old Oliver, one of the most contracts beyond spected defensive minds in five years and Housel said college football, will be con- both parties are engaged in sidered as a candidate.

1. 1 Interim head coach Bill Oliver watches during warm- Housel said. housel Page 10D The Associated Press Mike Piazza reportedly agreed to a seven-year, $91 million contract with the Mets. 'i Piazza signs deal with Mets NEW YORK Remnants of the Yankees' ticker tape storm were still blowing around lower Broadway on Saturday, When the Mets reminded everyone that baseball's remarkable year was not over yet. The Yankees won the World Series in four games, but the Mets needed just four days to secure the biggest offseason prize they could have imagined.

Six-time All-Star catcher Mike Piazza and the Mets reached agreement on Saturday on a seven-year contract worth $91 million that made him the highest-paid player in baseball history. The Mets did not formally announce the record deal, but the club was making arrangements on Saturday for a noon news conference on Monday at Shea, which Piazza will attend after he arrives from Los Angeles. Where do the Yankees fit in history? 4D. Medialine FOOTBALL New England at Miami, WA-KACBS, Noon Atlanta at New York Jets, WCOVFOX, Noon Jacksonville at Denver, WA-KACBS, 3:15 p.m. Buffalo at Carolina, ESPN, 7:15 p.m.

GOLF PGA, National Car Rental Classic, final round, at Lake Buena Vista, ESPN, Noon Nike Tour Championship, final round, at Mobile, ESPN, 2 p.m. AUTO RACING NASCAR, Dura LubeK-Mart 500, at Phoenix, TNN, WJCC-FM 101.9,2 p.m. SOCCER MLS Championship Game, Chicago Fire vs. D.C. United, at Pasadena, WHOAABC, 2:30 p.m.

COMING MONDAY A full report on a day's worth of action in the NFL. Scrappy Tide can't slow Peerless Vols lA i TENNESSEE 35, ALABAMA 18 THE BIG PLAY Following an Alabama touchdown and two-point conversion that trimmed Tennessee's lead to 14-11, Peerless Price fielded Mark Wisniewski's kickoff at the goal line, burst through a seam on the right side of the field and ran 100 yards to give the Volunteers a 21-11 lead. ups before Saturday's game. i 4 I 4 -T 0 1 1 1 If 7 1 i -IU ByTimGayle Montgomery Advertiser KNOXVILLE, Tenn. Alabama's special teams weren't so special against storied SEC rival Tennessee on Saturday.

Tennessee broke open a game with special teams play and Alabama broke down again as the third largest crowd in Neyland Stadium history watched the No. 3 Volunteers storm to a 35-18 win over the Crimson Tide on Saturday. "We had a heart-to-heart talk before the game about what to do," Tennessee coach Phillip Fulmer said. "We felt a sense that this wasn't just another football game. Never underestimate Alabama." Despite missing three field goals, there was underdog Alabama, 4-3, standing toe to toe with the mighty Volunteers, 6-0.

A Shaun Alexander touchdown run and two-point conversion stunned the crowd of the celebration on hold. The band held back any temptations to play "Rocky Top." The fireworks that follow every touchdown were on hold. Fans feared the worst. Surely a clipping call or a holding penalty would bring the ball back. "I've never seen the coverage team ever get a flag," Tennessee offensive coordinator David Cutcliffe said, "so I was ready to start running the offense and I told the guys upstairs not to worry about it because it was coming back." The call from referee Rom TIDE Page8D October matchup unbeaten, only to leave with a loss and plenty of questions.

Peerless Price answered the questions by fielding Mark Wisniewski's kickoff at the goal, veering right through a seam at the 20 and sprinting to the end zone. Only a weak shove from Wis- niewski near midfield threatened to stop the Vols' momentum; "I saw a seam," Price said. "The guy's up front blocked great and I hit the seam hard. The coaches say if you hit the seam hard, you have a chance to make a play." Back on the Tennessee 23, a yellow flag threatened to put The Associated Press Alabama kicker Mark Wisniewski tries in vain to take down Peerless Price as he glides by on the way to a back-breaking touchdown to help beat Alabama. 107,289 and left the Crimson had to be filtering through Tide trailing just 14-11.

the minds of Tennessee fans. Memories of the Alabama's Several times a Volunteer 9-6 win in Knoxville in 1990 football team has entered the.