The Tampa Tribune from Tampa, Florida • 27

7 77 777T THE TAMPA TRIBUNE Sunday, January 2, 1994 Am A 'henir 'v TV 7 The Morning after Tom McEwen 1 fvi.v Florida State stakes claim to the national championship as Nebraska's last-second field-goal attempt fails. By JIM HENRY Tribune Staff Writer MIAMI From the moribund loser he took over in 1976, coach Bobby Bowden has constructed one of the country's top programs at Florida State. Despite the success, Bowden and the Seminoles have never been called the best Until Saturday. Top-ranked FSU probably clinched its first national championship with a spellbinding 18-16 victory over No. 2 Nebraska in the 60th Orange Bowl before a record crowd of 81,536 and national television audience.

"Everytime I looked, somebody 9 else was winning," Bowden said. "It was just our time." Trailing 16-15 with 1:16 remain- I si Coming Monday The Tribune looks back at Florida State's rise to No. 1 with an eight-page special section. ing after Byron Bennett's 27-yard field goal, the Seminoles recorded their miracle comeback when freshman Scott Bentley, recruited just for the moment, made a 22-yard field goal with 21 seconds left It was his fourth field goal of the game. The 65-yard drive was helped by two Nebraska personal fouls, the second a pass interference that gave FSU possession at its 3 with 28 seconds left FSU began to celebrate.

But not so fast. After Bentley's kick, the Corn-huskers had one last opportunity, but Bennett's 45-yard field goal attempt was wide left on the final play of the game. "Today we won a national championship when somebody else missed the kick," Bowden said. It was a controversial finish as time appeared to have expired on Nebraska's previous play, a 29-yard pass completion to the FSU 28. FSU players rushed the field and had to be escorted back to the sideline.

Bowden was doused with the traditional bucket of water as he began his way across the field. A two-minute delay ensued as officials looked at replays to determine how much time remained. "We won it twice," Bowden said, "but Nebraska deserved to win it as much as we did." FSU has six consecutive top-four finishes since 1987, including haunting memories of wide right, the See SEMINOLES, Page 8 yT rt' -4: 1Ty I it t- --rr fn.iin. iir CLIFF McBRIOETribune photo Florida State's defense closes in for the sack against Nebraska quarterback Tommie Frazier. Heavyweights fight to finish for title claim One television network called it Championship Saturday.

And it was that, with a full card of mid-dleweights, light-heavyweights and heavyweights from 16 college football teams playing in eight bowl games through 13 hours of the televised sport for pride, improved final national ratings, for the heavyweight championship of this great sport. Michigan got its victory with surprising ease against North Carolina State, 42-7, in Tampa's Hall of Fame Bowl, as did Boston College 31-13 in the Carquest Bowl in South Florida against Virginia. Then came two stunning upsets, not because of the victory necessarily but by the nature of the wins, knockouts, cold-turkey knockouts. Master bowl coach Joe Paterno of Penn State solved Tennessee's offense as he has so many others and kayoed the Volunteers in the Orlando Citrus Bowl 31-13, while at the Fiesta the longtime ministers of defense were clubbed unconscious by Arizona 29-0. Next on the undercard was a special ethnic event between two super-middle-weights, with Wisconsin beating UCLA 21-16 in the Rose Bowl.

Next came the of the heavyweight triple-header, the Cotton Bowl in which Notre Dame had to win to continue to make claim to the national title no matter what happened later between Florida State and Nebraska at the Orange, and Florida and unbeaten West Virginia in the Sugar. Notre Dame does its job Well, Notre Dame never led talented, gritty Texas and its home crowd in Dallas, until 2:22 remained. Then Notre Dame led 24-21 on a 31-yard field goal and with the help of a divine Texas fumble. So, the hopes of FSU and West Virginia that Texas would dispatch Notre Dame from the competition did not happen. So the Irish then became the waiters, comforted by the memory of the only victory anybody managed against FSU.

The hopes of FSU, Nebraska and West Virginia lay in their own hands as the bells rang for the start of the main events, the twin heavyweight bouts of Championship Saturday at Miami and New Orleans. Surely FSU, led by irrepressible quarterback Charlie Ward, could handle the one-dimensional Nebraska team, but could Florida, with its questionable defense, handle a West Virginia team better than judged by most? It was an honor for this state's college football to have FSU and Florida involved in New Year's Night games with the national title on the line. Nebraska played off its behind in the first half of the Orange Bowl, used a tipped pass for a touchdown, shut down Ward like nobody has for a half this year and led after two quarters 7-6, but Ward and FSU appeared to be waking up at intermission. The Gators trailed 7-0 to a confident West Virginia team but the offense scored twice for Florida and Lawrence Wright ran back an interception sort of danced back an interception 52 yards for a score to atone for a late hit at Auburn this year that may have cost the Gators that game. Down to the wire Championship Saturday was two quarters away from the final bell in both title bouts without resolutions.

Notre Dame had to like that. However, quickly into the second half, the Gators blew away West Virginia and did their part in the FSU quest for a national title, winning 41-7. But even though FSU increased its lead to 15-7, Nebraska, behind quarterback Tom-mie Frazier of Bradenton, would not go away. Nebraska closed to 15-13, then decked the Seminoles with a 27-yard Byron Bennett field goal for an apparent 16-15 victory and the national title. But guile and grit got the Seminoles in place for a 22-yard field goal by Scott Bentley, who was on the cover of Sports Illustrated's football issue.

No jinx there. And FSU hung on, 18-16, when Bennett missed a last-second field-goal attempt. So who's No. FSU beat Nebraska and Florida beat West Virginia and Notre Dame beat Texas but Notre Dame beat FSU earlier. Should they share it? One thing is sure: If Notre Dame and FSU played Saturday at a neutral site, FSU would be favored.

Does that matter? Fiesta Arizona 29, Miami 0 8 Orange Florida State 18, Nebraska 16 1 Sugar Florida 41 West Virginia 7 1 Citrus Penn State 31, Tennessee 1311 Carquest Boston College 31, Virginia 13 7 Cotton Notre Dame 24, Texas 21 12 Rose Wisconsin 21, UCLA 16 12 Hall of Fame Michigan 42, N.C. State 7 1 Wolverines pull power play, 42-7 Michigan ends season in style over N.C. State in the Hall of Fame Bowl. By DAVID ALFONSO Tribune Staff Writer TAMPA Clearly these were two teams headed in opposite directions at season's end. Michigan 42, North Carolina State 7.

Guess which way is up? For the No. 23 Wolverines (8-4) the victory in the eighth annual Hall of Fame Bowl at Tampa Stadium was their fourth straight to close out the season. They won those games Purdue, Minnesota, Ohio State and N.C. State by a combined 153-24. For the Wolfpack (7-5), it was their second straight humiliation, by a combined 104-10.

Florida State beat them 62-3 in the last regular season game. "Our four losses seem like ancient history; I won't even remember them," said senior center Marc Milia. "I want to remember the way we finished. If we had played a really quality team today, a Top 10 team, I think we would've beaten them too. I don't think of us as an 8-4 team; more of Rhett romps as UF stomps W.

Virginia Gators cap most successful season with 41-7 win in the Sugar Bowl. By CHRIS HARRY Tribune Staff Writer NEW ORLEANS The University of Florida, in resounding fashion, did its part Saturday night to make sure the national championship was being contested in Miami. But of far greater significance to the Gators, they put the finishing touches on the most successful season in school history. Eighth-ranked Florida dominated previously unbeaten West Virginia in a 41-7 Sugar Bowl blowout that unmasked the overwhelmed Mountaineers as national-title pretenders before 75,437 at the Superdome. The victory was a milestone 11th of the season for UF, the most in school history, and also lifted the Gators (11-2) to their first Sugar Bowl win as well as their first New Year's Day bowl victory since Steve Spurrier's 1966 Heis-man Trophy-winning season.

As for the Mountaineers (11-1), their pre-game cries and politicking and dreams of a national crown came crashing See GATORS, Page 10 crc'v DAVIO KADLUBOWSKITribune photo Michigan's Derrick Alexander leaves a couple of N.C. State defenders in his wake en route to a See NO. 23, Page 13 79-yard punt return for a touchdown. Capitals tie Lightning JufeiM Jr. i TCPrTTTX Controversial no-goal call sEf vV a9ainst neps sPJk fisVsa yO Washington rally, 5-5 3 -Q vj Lightning vs.

Ducks it A Lightning goalie Pat Jablonski de- Chargers at Bucs Whew: Orlando Arena. ni.e hOt by the Capitals' Mike Klckoff: 4 p.m. at Tampa Stadium. When: 7:35 p.m. I wO is taken down by Tam- Radio: WQYK (99.5 FM, 1010 AM).

Broadcast info: Sunshine Network. JE? Pa Bay' Denis Savard in the On sale today at 9 a.m. at WFNS (910 AM), WLVU (106.3 FM). -r' I teams' 5-5 tie Saturday. the stadium ticket office (cash only).

SCOUTING REPORT 4 Associated Press photo SEASON ENDING TOO SOON 15 a 1 i 5.