The Miami News from Miami, Florida • 27

THE MIAMI NEWS, Sunday, January 2, 1966 7C 1 "i i .1 4 ill: I 'i '4 .4 i in Alabama Coach Bear Bryant Is Just Heads Above The Crowd During Orange Bowl Victory Ride Alabama's First Scoring Strike No. 1 Fever Hits Tide Fans Early 1 "rY ALABAMA phins of the AFL want a good prospect, end Eddie Perkins is their man. Last night's nine catches was the best of his career. The best previous game was a year ago, also in the Orange Bowl, when he caught five against Texas. "I'd sure like to play here By JACK HOUGHTELIXG Miami Newt Sporti Writer It started with 8:13 remaining in the game and Alabama ahead 39-20.

"We're No. shouted the Bama rooters in the northwest corner of the Orange Bowl. It was echoed by the Tides' football squad as they trooped into the dressing room following their 39-28 walloping of previously undefeated Nebraska. "We're No. 1," they whooped.

It was confirmed by Bear Bryant, the graying head man of all the Alabama football fortunes. "Certainly I think they're No. 1," he proclaimed in the locker room. "I don't know of anyone else who is left." Unlike previous seasons, the final vote on this year's No. 1 team in the nation will come after the bowl games are completed.

With Nebraska, Michigan State and Arkansas all beaten in the post-season competition yesterday there isn't anyone ahead of the No. 4-rank-ed Alabama squad, now 9-1-1. "I wanted to control the ball some," he explained. Bryant had praise for Sloan, his stellar quarterback. "I've said it before: He's a real fine passer and the most accurate passer I've ever had." Would Steve make a good pro quarterback? "I sure do think so, if he decides he wants to play." And if the Miami Dol A all the time," he exclaimed.

Perkins, a junior, was a future draft choice of the. Baltimore Colts. MORRIS McLEMORE 3 Sport i Editor Sloan Spots lVrkins In Open After Play Started On Nebraska 21 Cont'd, from 1st Sports Page vou oeople are eoinsr to be embarrassed against 1 1 And Now i no- i iSenkbcil (N) a whole, country-load of football fans 'PViia ia tiroir if urrmf a nnnt-A in or A ixrliof For Some Relaxation i Alabama and Nebraska football players trade their Orange i A ilia jo Lilt; vv ajr v.n avwvi uuii this reporter is told. And this is the way it worked, with the swift, resolute Alabama lightweights blinding the Midwesterners with speed and running their ribs loose. Passes? podner, Sloan hit 20 of 29 with the sweetest kind of timing, the deftest touch one can imagine and when the passes had Nebraska's defenders groggy Steve Bowman and Leslie Kelley and the other 'Bama backs ran for 222 yards and that's prob-.

ably the figure that Bear will goggle at more than any other this morning. Within a few hours, it will be my lot to cast the vote we must send in for the final rankings of college football teams. The vote will be for Alabama as the nation's No. 1 team. I'm not sure Alabama is the best team in the country, although brilliant performance last night might justify that opinion.

But I am positive that the Alabama team sets more out of itself than any other team that Bowl uniforms for fishing togs today for the Sixth Annual Or- jt ange Bowl Fishing Tournament sponsored by Miami Rod and I Reel Club. "We expect ,40 to 50 players I to be at breakfast at 7 a.m. at Hibiscus Island, followed by a day of deepsea fishing." said Osment Moody, Rod tand Reel J. Club commodore. i Boats and fishins tackle are I 2 provided the players by the Trouble Is On The Way Perkins Hangs On To Toss "I don't have a vote," continued Bryant "but if I had I sure would vote' for these boys of mine.

They certainly deserve it." The Bear was as playful as a cub as he talked about his team's great showing. "I'm so proud and happy. I wish I didn't have such a limited vocabulary to say how I feel about them." Just then, a photographer interrupted things to get a picture of Bryant with his record-breaking passing combination of quarterback Steve Sloan and end Ray Perkins. i "I could eat them up," he beamed as he wrapped an arm around each one's shoulders. "Everyone played as hard as they could and Steve and those ends were terrific.

And that lit-. tie ol' line of ours must have been doing something out there, too. "Everyone wasn't just running and passing." Bryant revealed that he had a good omen when he stepped out onto the Orange Bowl turf for the pre-game warmup. "I told our trainer, Jim Goos-tree, that I thought we might win big. It was something I felt as" the team warmed up.

"I was right, there, for the first half but I was wrong at the finish. Bue we did win. "This is the finest offensive team I've ever had," he continued, "I always thought that i played in a bowl game yesterday. Nebraska's completely respectable performance was far better than most we see in Orange Bowl classics. The 'Huskers were precisely prepared for everything Alabama threw at them except the ball itself and had they previously met a passer that remotely resembled Sloan, they might have been prepared for him, too.

By the way, only one Alabaman, Paul Crane, received any sort of notice when All- America nominations were made last fall and four Nebraskans made the honor team. It would seem the' vote coming up gives us a second guess on honors headed for Alabama. Last night, Alabama made the world safe 1 fishing club, and only players from the two bowl teams participate. "Some of these boys have never caught more than a minnow before and get quite a thrill from pulling in one of the hundred-pounders you sometimes catch along our coast," Moody said. The players are met at the dock in the evening by the Orange Bowl queen and her court.

The fish are weighed In, and prizes are awarded at a reception. Power Failure Dims Floats' Lights A crisis occurred during last night's Orange Bowl pageant at half time when power went off and lights on the floats failed to light up. "The lights were to be the highlight of the show," said Dan McNamara, Orange Bowl official. "They came on briefly then went out. We don't know what happened." llJJlVllJUAL.

It Looks Like The End And Away lb Goes For Touchdown NEBRASKA Rl SUING Long Tr'4 O'nri Lout Net Ave. Ualn Sloan Played Despite Hurt Ribs ALABAMA HI SHIM, G'n I.o,t Nl Aver. LO 111 111 4 5 IS 21 It 1 IS 4.6 If 7 I 1 11 0 0.0 PASSING Att. Com. Int.

Ydi. LO TD 20 20 1 391 39 3 Player Kelley Bowman Canterbury Sloan PaiH-r Kbrkland Solich Wilson Duda Gregory Tatman Winters Churchich we could move against anyone. "There wasn't any turning point in the game as that Nebraska team just kept coming back. They're the finest offensive team I've seen while at Alabama." By JACK HOLGHTELIXG Miami Mr Sport Writer Sloan (A) hurchl (N) Duda (Nl 17 12 I 131 0 10 1 00 PASSING Alt. Com.

Int. Ydi IP TO RECEIVING Cau't Yds. LP TO 150 3 1 53J 0 17 1 Churchich Duda Player I'erkln, (A) Cook (A) Diinran A Hotnan (A 34 15 I 12 17 0 RECEIVING 37 31 21 21 0 Caught Yds LP TD Bowman (A) 0 0 0 1 I 0 30 33 49 33 1 el 73 55 42 1 White Jeter Gregory Wintera Solicit The modest Sloan also said that he wasn't aware until after the game that he had broken the old O.B. record of 18 completions set last year by Alabama's Joe Namath. "I shouldn't break any of his records," Sloan commented.

"He's just tremendous. "And, our receivers were just tremendous. They just make catches that are almost unbelievable. Sloan, despite a year that about to cry," said an Alabama aide as he ushered Sloan into the dressing room alter the game. Steve said that he did not know just when he received the injury, but it was sometime during the first half.

Did it bother his throwing? he was asked. Steve started to answer twice, then paused. "Naw," he finally said. "I just wasn't aware of it." saw him complete a regular season with a 60.6 completion percentage, is doubtful of his ability to play professional football although he was drafted by Atlanta of the NFL. A dedicated church-worker, Steve always adds a reference to the Bible to his autograph.

Last night it was Romans 1:16. "I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ; for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth." Kelley (A Tllen (A) Vthlte (Nl Jeter (N) (N) Wlnleri (N) Soiled (N) 4 3 3 1 1 PUNTING 01 20 0 71 33 2 SS 40 1 42 23 0 A pair of badly battered ribs could not keep Alabama quar-terback Steve Sloan from setting the Orange Bowl passing record. The slender 'Bama senior played the entire second half with his ribs wropped tightly by tape but still finished with a record 296 yards based on a record 20 completions out of 29 attempts. "He's hurting so bad that he's The onside kickoffs weren't anything new for the Tide, either. "We've always used it over the years.

But it sure does make a difference, a real boost, when you can get the ball back that way." Alabama shifted from its wide-open passing game to a running attack in the second half. Varity Of Smells Spectators had a variety of imells to go along with the sights and sounds of the Orange Bowl. When touchdowns were scored, a display of fireworks went off at the east end of the stadium, almost bankcting the playing field with gray smoke and filling the- stadium with the odor of burned powder. PCNTINa Punter No. Yd.

Ave. tj. pt. DavU 1M 11.1 40 PI NT RETURNS Player Ne. Ydi Long Run Kelley I 21 1 Moteley 1 11 KICKOFF RETIRNS Pinner o.

Ida. L(. Run Kelley 1 17 17 Homan 1 11 11 Klrker No. Y'arda Ave. L'Punt Kuehl 3 12S 41 7 41 PINT RETrRNS Player No.

Y'arda Long Run Warhholts 1 3 3 Poggtmeyer 1 KKKOt'F RETIRNS Player No. Yarda Long Run Solich 4 130.