The Tampa Tribune from Tampa, Florida • 38

6-D THE TAMPA TRIBUNE-TIMES. Sunday. December 24, 1978 Curtain Going Up On. College Bowl Production Big College Football who has an ankle injury. Purdue is led by sophomore quarterback Mark Herrmann.

And even with Mrs. Rodgers' the Peach Bowl may not attract as many as 40,000 specta- tors. Thn FiPQta Rn.l will have a Dlethora of fin runnprc Ben Cowins and Jerry Eckwood of Arkansas vs. Theotis Brown and James Owens of UCLA. On defense, keep an eye on UCLA linebacker Jerry Robinson, a three-time All-American, and Arkansas tackle Dan Hampton.

In the Gator Bowl, it will be Clemson senior quarterback Steve Fuller, two-time Atlantic Coast Conference Plaver of gan, both once-beaten and hoping for an eventual No. 1 ranking. So is fourth-ranked Oklahoma, which closes out the bowls by taking on No. 6 Nebraska in the Orange Bowl in Miami under the lights. The Peach Bowl, which has a national television contract for the first time, received a mandate from the National Collegiate Athletic Association to sell 40 percent of Atlanta Stadium's 60,000 seats locally.

"If we don't sell 6,700 more tickets, I would say the Peach Bowl Is a thing of the past" George Crumbley, the bowl's executive director, said last Wednesday. However, Mrs. Rodgers started an all-out telephone sales campaign, along with the wives of some assistant coaches. "People may not believe it," she said, "but I'm not doing this because my husband is the football coach at Tech. This isn't Tech's bowl; it's Atlanta's bowl.

I was really upset when I read that the Peach Bowl was about to lose its NCAA sanction because they couldn't sell enough tickets locally. I just decided it was time to get the troops together." Georgia Tech's troops, however, will be without Eddie Lee Ivery, one of the nation's top runners with 1,562 yards. the Year, aaainst Ohio State freshman Art Schlichter. But By The Associated Press The curtain goes up this week on the next-to-last act of the college football season, a four-scene, four-bowl production that will serve as a lead-in to the national championship showdown on New Year's Day. The melodrama begins with a pair of games on Monday, including the Peach Bowl in Atlanta, apparently rescued from the clutches of the arch-villain Non-attendance thanks to an llth-hour telephone campaign by the heroine, Janet Rodgers.

Fair Janet also is known as Mrs. Pepper Rodgers. Mr. Rodgers also is known as Franklin Cullen Rodgers and coaches the Georgia Tech team, which meets 17th-ranked Purdue in the 11th and almost the last Peach Bowl. Also on tap Monday as part of a merry college football Christmas is the Fiesta Bowl at Tempe, between' eighth-ranked Arkansas and No.

15 UCLA. This scene tea-tures the annual tragedy involving a couple of Arkansas players and a member of the opposite sex. The stage is then quiet until Friday night when seventh- thp his news came when Pell left Clemson to take the Florida ranked Clemson, minus Coach Charley Pell and with 30-year-oid Danny Ford at the helm, opposes No. 20 Ohio State and ageless Woody Hayes in the Gator Bowl in Jacksonville. And while everyone still is sober on New Year's Eve well, almost everyone No.

1 1 Georgia meets high-powered Stanford in the Bluebonnet Bowl in the Houston Astrodome. The last and national championship act will be played out on Jan. 1, headlined by the Sugar Bowl shootout in New Orleans between No. 1-ranked Penn State and runner-up Alabama. At the same time, defending national champion Notre Dame, ranked No.

8 in The Associated Press poll, meets ninth-ranked Houston in the Cotton Bowl at Dallas. That's where the Fighting Irish won the 1977 crown by demolishing Texas, but this time it's just a fun game. Later in the day comes the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, between third-ranked Southern California and No. 5 Michi- job ar.d the resulting uproar and bitterness over the move re-suited in his not coaching the Tigers in their bowl appear-' ance. The low-key Bluebonnet Bowl, which annually sits back and lets the other postseason games go crazy issuing invitations and then winds up with a stellar attraction anyway, has r-.

i i V. I i Diaiuoiu aim olcvc ijum, uie imuuu a induing ijdbsei, lacing a Georgia team which likes to run the football, led by yard rusher Willie McClendon. ii. 'V I i 4 Ull Wolfpack Rips Panthers, Jones Boys Lead Texas ByTerps Tangerine Bowl Upset The drive was an 11 -play, 80-yard booted the point after to give State a 7-0 lead. In the second period, State capitalized on a break'.

With Pitt backed up on its own 25, Mike DeLisio partially blocked Joe Gasparovic's punt. The ball iimcu uui ui uuuiiua ai uic nil 01. State couldn't move the ball and was forced to kick a 52-yard field goal against the wind. But Ritter, who had missed earlier, atoned for it when he drilled it between the cross bars. The kick set a Tangerine Bowl record.

It was also Ritter's 18th successful boot of 21 this year. The long field goal seemed to put life into the State attack if that was needed. After the second half kickoff, Pitt held the Wolfpack. Then, Delaney lofted a bomb to halfback Ray Jones. Jones outiumDed two State defenders i -Kir- A'A X- On the ensuing kickoff, State's Wayne McClean fumbled.

But State's Dwight Sullivan recovered at the Wolfpack 18. Although Pitt gamely tried to come back, State wrapped up the contest when safety Mike Nail intercepted quarterback Rick Trocano and returned it 66 yards down the left sideline for a touchdown. That put the Wolfpack in front 30-10 with 5:04 left in the game. And for all intents and purposes, the game was over except for a smoke bomb or two expelled from the crowd. North Carolina State dominated the first half on both offense and defense.

The Wolfpack used its veer offensive attack to perfection. With Brown and fullback Billy Ray Vickers exploding into the Pitt secondary for important ground gains, while Smith and Isley had timely pass completions, the State offense rolled. Not to be left out, North Carolina State's defense allowed Pitt past its midfield stripe only twice in the first half. After being stopped on the Pitt 20-yardline when Nathan Ritter missed a 36-yard field goal attempt. State racked up its first touchdown Jate in the first quarter.

The Wolfpack took over on their own 20 after a Pitt punt rolled into their endzone. Like clockwork, State marched down the field. Smith hit a couple of passes which put the pigskin on the State 46. Then, Brown took a pitchout around right end and rolled to the Pitt 43. A personal foul penalty was tacked on which moved it to the 32.

Five runs by Brown and another by Vickers put the ball one-yard from the Pitt goal line. And Brown notched State's first touchdown on a one-yard run with 4:44 showing on the clock. By STEVE LEWIS Tribune Sports Writer ORLANDO The talented feet of the North Carolina State Wolfpack made the difference in the 33rd Tangerine Bowl Saturday night. Led by the running of All-America halfback Ted Brown, the place kicking of Nathan Ritjer and a tenacious defense, N.C. State ripped the Pittsburgh Panthers 30-17 before a crowd of The game wasn't as close as the score indicated as Pitt scored a meaningless touchdown with 1:35 left in the game.

The loss broke a string of three straight Pitt bowl victories. It was the second straight bowl win for Bo Rein's Wolfpack. (State captured the Sun Bowl last year.) It was the Wolfpack's ball controll offense and stingy defense which were responsible for the victory. Brown eluded Pitt tacklers throughout the contest. The game's Most Valuable Player showed the Panthers how he became the fourth leading rusher in NCAA history.

While Brown was running through Panthers, Ritter was booting the pigskin over them. He was successful on three of four attempts, including a Tangerine record setting 52-yarder. However, that kind of performance is not uncommon for Ritter. Previ. ously, this year, he had connected on 17 of 19 field goal attempts.

North Carolina State led from the start. Pitt actually had only one chance to get into the game in the fourth quarter, trailing 23-3. When fullback Billy Ray Vickers scored on a 1-yard run around left end and Mark Schubert booted the point after, Pitt had narrowed the gap to 23-10 with 7:55 left in the game. and gathered it in on the State 25. The play covered 47 yards.

But the Wolfpack closed in on the Panthers and stopped them. Pitt had to settle fnr Mark Srhnhprt'c T7.vari4 taA l.WH goal. That narrowed the State margin to' 17-3 at 10:49 of the quarter. After State was held, Pitt took over deep in its own territory. But Bubba Green, State's left defensive tackle, intercepted Delaney hurried screen pass at the Pitt 20.

Pitt stopped State. But-Ritter booted his second field goal, a 29-yarder, to give the Wolfpack a 20-3 LSU's Hokie Gajan (47) dives for an extra before being brought down by Missouri's Eric Berg (36) in the first quarter of Saturday's Liberty Bowl. AP Photo ByDENXE FREEMAN AP Sports Writer EL PASO, Texas The biggest rout in Sun Bowl history was triggered Saturday by a questionable Maryland strategy and a wild offensive show by the University of Texas' Jones boys Ham, Lam and Jam. The 6-point favorite Texas Long-horns stampeded Maryland, 42-0, in this 44th annual classic, and it was all over after the first quarter. In fact, it may have been over after Maryland Coach Jerry Claiborne instructed his team to receive after the winning the opening coin toss, giving away the option to take a wind that was gusting to 45 miles an hour.

Texas scored three quick first-period touchdowns after Maryland had to punt into a wind that was so bad the National Weather Service put out a travelers' advisory because of blowing dust. Texas Coach Fred Akers said: "I was extremely pleased they did take the wind. If we had won it, I wanted to go with the wind." He added, "The wind was a big factor. It was important, let me say that." Asked if he felt Maryland underestimated the wind because it plays back east, Akers said: "Surely they've played in a wind before." Senior Johnny "Ham" Jones rushed for 109 yards on 14 carries and scored a touchdown to be named the game's most valuable offensive player. Olympian- Johnny "Lam" Jones scored on a reverse and caught a 29-yard, touchdown pass, and freshman A.J.

"Jam" Jones rushed 19 times for 100 yards and scored two touchdowns. That made five touchdowns for the Jones boys, who are not related. Ham Jones, playing his final game, said; "Today was my birthday (his 23rd), and this sure makes it a good one. And this is a great way to end my career at Texas." Jam Jones said: "I was sick as a dog last night, with the flu I guess, but I just made up my mind to put that out of my mind. It's a freshman's dream to get all this yardage in a bowl game." Lam Jones said: "We were just ready to play.

There's no doubt about that. I guess I had an okay game." Claiborne said: "If I had it to do over again, I believe I would take the wind. I believe I would. In warmups, it didn't seem that strong. But at 42-0 I'm not sure it would have made any difference." Maryland quarterback Tim O'Hare said: "Well, I don't know about the wind.

It did make a big difference early, and it put us in a hole to start." The previous largest winning margin in a Sun Bowl was Nebraska's 45-6 victory over Georgia in 1969. The Longhorn defense was particularly stout, intercepting four passes and holding rusher Steve Atkins to just 15 yards on 10 carries. aavaniaee ai 1.11 01 ine cuaner. 19 30 14 17 Wilder, Missouri Stop LSU In Liberty Bowl North Carolina State 7 10 Pittsburgh 0 0 NC-Brown 1 run (Ritter Kick) NC-FG Ritter 51 NC-Jukes 55 pass from Isley (Ritter kick) Pitt-FG Schubert 36 NC-FG Ritter 29 NC-FG Ritter 23 Pitt-Jacobs 1 run (Schubert kick) NC-Nall 66 run (Ritter kick) Pitt-Carter 1 run (Schubert kick) NFC, lanta wins, it will visit defending Super. Bowl champion Dallas on Saturday.

The Eagles had a more consistent offense during the season as Montgomery uiutic olcvc van UUICH3 uuc-yecu tiuu record by rushing for 1,220 yards. Passing figures for the starting kicker penalty, which enabled Missouri to keep alive its second touchdown drive "really hurt us." McClendon said the Bengals, trailing 20-3 at the half, "had to throw the ball more than we wanted to." LSU, sparked by All-American tailback Charles Alexander, produced some second-half heroics that led to two touchdowns, but two other Bayou Bengal threats were cut off by a fumble and a pass interception. Missouri quarterback Phil Bradley alternated the 6-2, 220-pound sophomore Wilder with his senior running mate, Earl Gant. But it was Wilder, picking up 63 yards on 17 carries in the first half, who collected most of the Missouri yardage in the team's first possession. Wilder carried seven times, providing key gains to set up Bradley's pitchout to Gant, who collected the touchdown.

LSU, with quarterback Steve Ens-minger at the helm, roared back with a 73-yard drive that stalled on the Missouri 15 and Mike Conway kicked a 37-yard field goal. qucii ici rmiaueipma rton jav worski and Atlanta's Steve were almost identical. Jaworski hit on 206 of 398 attempts for 2,487 yards and 16 touchdowns and Bartkowski, who rode the bench until the second half of the third game, completed 187 of 369 for 2.489 vards and 10 From Page ID nett, in his second year at the Atlanta helm. "As for a game plan, it's the same as it has been throughout the season. We cannot make turnovers and expect to win." The Eagles, a one-point favorite, beat the Falcons 24-7 in a preseason game here, but Atlanta logged a 7-1 home field record during the regular season.

The Falcons have won six straight home games since a 24-16 loss to Cleveland. "We are an emotionally tense, tough football team," said Coach Dick Vermeil of the Eagles. 'rWe play consistent every week. We may not play great, but we play hard every Sunday. I think we'll play good football.

I don't know if we can beat Atlanta, but we'll try." The winner will advance to the National Conference semifinals next week. If Philadelphia the Eagles will play at Los Angeles next Sunday. If At I. A MEMPHIS, Tenn. (UPI) Missouri Coach Warren Powers completed two of three goals in whipping LSU, 20-15, Saturday in the 20th annual Liberty Bowl to close out his first season as the Tiger coach.

And with young players such as sophomore running back James Wilder, the game's Most Valuable Player with 1 15 yards on 28 carries, and sophomore quarterback Phil Bradley, Powers appears well on the road to completing his final ambition winning the Big-8 conference title. Powers, who moved to Missouri earlier this year from Washington State, had said his ambition was to win football games, go to a bowl, and win the Big-8 title. Sparked by Wilder and Bradley, the 15th-ranked Tigers jumped off to a 20-3 halftime lead and then withstood a determined rally by 18th-ranked LSU. "Wilder's very strong and catches the ball well," said an elated Powers in the excited Tiger dressing. "He's going to do nothing but get better." He said Bradley "came out and performed.

He's got great football instinct and judgment." Wilder, a 220-pounder, bore the brunt of the Missouri attack, scoring one touchdown on a three-yard run. Bradley hit ll-of-21 passes for 117 yards and one touchdown. Wilder praised the LSU defense as "pretty tough, one of the toughest I've run into," although he said the Bengals were not as strong as Nebraska. He said he did not get tired despite carrying the ball three and four times in a row on occasion. LSU Coach Charlie McClendon said his team just made too many mistakes in the first half.

"The only good thing was our comeback in the second half," said McClendon. "That's when we made a game of it." McClendon said a roughing the scores. One of the key figures in Atlanta's drive to the playoffs was an Eagles' re- 1 15 20 3 0 6 8 7 13 .0 0 Louisiana State Missouri jeui ueiuie ine season openea, piace-kicker Tim Mazzetti. He was rescued from his bartending job in a Philadelphia pub in time to kick 13 field goals III 1U QLLCIIIULA. IIIITI II1JIIIV 1 1 I I in Maryland 0 0 6 0 0 Teias 21 7 14 0-42 Tex Lam Jones 7 run (Erxleben kick) Tex Jam Jones 1 run (Erxleben kick) Tex tarn Jones 29 pass from McBath (Erxleben kick) Tex McBath 2 run (Erxleben kick) Tex Jam Jones 14 run (Erxleben kick) Tex Ham Jones 32 run (Erxleben kick) Monday night televised victory over the Los Angeles Rams.

Dick Vermeil emotionally tense, tough Statistics AFC. Mis Gant 13 run (Brockhaus kick) LSU-FG Conway 37 Mis-Winslow 16 pass from Bradley (Brockhaus kick) Mis-Wilder 4 run (kick tailed) LSU-Alexander 1 run (kick tailed) LSU-Woodley 4 run (pass failed) Statistics LSU Mo First downs 22 18 Rushes-yards 46-194 50-200 Passing yards 170 117 Return yards 2 65 Passes 14-31-4 11-21-1 Punts 4-37 6-38 Fumbles-lost 2-1 0-0 Penalties-yards 6-49 8-75 INDIVIDUAL LEADERS RUSHINGM-Ouisiana State, Alexander 24-133. Wilder 28-t 15, Gant 8-45. PASSING-Louisiana State, Woodley 9-22-2-123. Missouri.

Bradley 11-21-1-117. RECEIVING-Lousiana State. Quintella 641, Carson 6-77. Missouri, Wilder 4-20. Tei 18 58-220 45 20 2-7-0 7-41 3 3-1 7-42 Maty 20 40-34 214 0 17-43-4 8-37 4 2-1 S-35 INDIVIDUAL LEADERS First downs Rushes-yards Passing yards Return yards Passes Punts Fumtrfes-tost Penalties-yards 7t 'V RUSHING-Maryland.

Alkins 10-15. Texas. Jam Jones 19-100. Ham Jones 14-104. PASSING-Maryland.

O'Hare 12-27-9-146, Tice 5-16-1-68 Texas. McBath 2-5-0-45. RECEIVING Maryland. Richards 4-52. Carinci 4-52.

Texas. Lam Jones 2-45. The Morning After, Dolphins' left cornerback Norris Thomas said. "Everybody is going all- out. When we get down there with our backs against the wall, we're making the plays.

Whether it's one guy or two guys or eleven, somebody's going to make the play, and that's the attitude we've got." Linebacker Steve Towle said Campbell can expect many, many white shirts around him when he gets the ball. "The first game," Towle said, "I was a little over-anxious. I wanted to get the big hit on him and "you just can't do that. You have to make sure you get a hold of him and wait for your teammates to come around. You can't knock him down, he's such an excellent runner.

"We're known as a swarming defense, so we've got to continue that. He's strong, but he can't run with six of us climbing aboard." The Dolphins won the right to host this game by beating New England Monday night following Houston's loss last Sunday to San Diego. The Oilers could have forced Miami to return to the Astrodome, but the Chargers wal-lopped the Oilers 45 1. From Page ID ribs while Pastorini, about to play his first playoff game, has a twisted knee, three cracked ribs and a sore hamstring. Dolphin guard Larry Little is doubtful with a knee.

"I really think Dan will play," said Houston defensive end Elvin Bethea, the only Oiler remaining from the team's last playoff appearance nine years ago. "I think the guy is strong inside. I don't think he is going to let anything keep him out of there." Campbell, too, is hurting, although Houston officials say the cracked rib that has slowed him for the last two weeks shouldn't bother him today. What might bother Campbell more than his rib though is a Dolphins' defense that promises to be different than the one he humiliated on Nov. 20.

Miami has allowed only one touchdown and nine points in the last three weeks, all must games if the Dolphins were to host the playoffs. Thafs a marked contrast to some earlier performances this year when teams like the New York Jets and Buffalo, were able to move through Miami with ease. "We're coming together as aUnit," From Page ID When the Bucs felt Carlton's youth would fit better with their building plan, they swapped the big former Tampa Spartan for Mike, also giving up a fifth round draft pick. The Bucs seemed then to have made the better deal. Miami has to conclude it made the better deal.

Current has fit in well. He beat out another veteran acquired by trade, Winston Hill from the Jets, for the starting job. Started All Games But Houston This year he has started all games except Houston. He tore the fibers loose from the front of a knee on the last play of the Buffalo game and sat out Houston, Houston only. "Why did I fit in so well? Well, several reasons.

First, the staff gave me time to come around physically (a knee then, too) and time to learn the system. This is the most complex system of all, I believe. I got well, learned it and then competed for the job. You see, it's much easier to play in a line that includes Larry Little, Bob Kuechenberg, Jim Langer and Wayne Moore. It's a privilege, in fact.

And when I came, they were looking primarily for someone quick off the ball. I think that's how I beat out Hill. "Whatever, I'm a happy fellow," and is in the process of-building a new home in Clearwater. He sold the Tampa place to move to Clearwater. "My family's in it.

I haven't seen it yet," he said. "And I hope I don't see it for a few weeks. The worst thing would be for me to see my new home because we were knocked out of the playoffs. "Not after these 12 years of waiting and only two winning seasons in the Jg." i i ft WuiKaii VimiTiflFW-i eif Earl Campbell will be at full speed.