Austin American-Statesman from Austin, Texas • 31

Sports: Football Tuesday, December 12, 1995 D5 Austin American-Statesman Switzer still going for it a day later 1 GDonaBnue leaves (SLA for (DISS job Associated Press LOS ANGELES Saying the timing was right and he couldn't pass up a great opportunity, Terry Donahue resigned as UCLA's football coach Monday to take a television job. the Cowboys a month ago at Texas -Stadium. For the Cowboys to regain the home field, they must win their re- maining two games (home to the New York Giants on Sunday, atj Arizona on Christmas night) and I hope the 49ers lose or tie one (home to Minnesota next Monday, at Atlanta on Christmas Eve). The Cowboys need to be con- 't cerned about Philadelphia (9-5), too. If the Cowboys and Eagles are tied at the end of the season, Phil-! adelphia would be declared the NFC East champion and the high- er seed because of a better division record.

Quarterback Troy Aikman, suf- fering from a swollen right knee, is expected to play against the Giants after having a magnetic resonance imaging exam. "We have an incredible oppor- tunity here. Everyone has written us off," Switzer said. "If we win our last two games, we'll finish with the same record as last year. -If we reach the NFC champion-, ship game again, I don't care if it's in Dallas, San Francisco or in a cow pasture.

The most important thing is how we're playing." I Owner Jerry Jones said he re- spected the decision to try the fourth-and-one play. Jones added, that Switzer will not be fired over the call. Jones had said earlier this sea--son Switzer would be back "unless he's shot or hit by a truck." Continued from Dl another opportunity. Switzer said he never considered a punt "If we had punted," Switzer continued, "and Philadelphia would have driven down and kicked a field goal with 30 seconds left, people would have criticized us for not going for it on fourth down." Perhaps, but Switzer has taken extreme heat for the decision. A banner headline in Monday's edition of the Philadelphia Daily News read: Thank You Barry Much.

A headline in the Philadelphia Inquirer stated: A coaching error of epic proportions." Switzer said such criticism doesn't offend him. "I'm a thick-skinned S.O.B. And I don't read the papers." In Switzer's defense, the offense has played poorly during the past two games. In consecutive losses to Washington and Philadelphia, the Cowboys have scored a total of seven points in the second half. Smith, the leading rusher in the NFL, has had crucial fumbles in both games.

He was so upset after Sunday's game, he could hardly talk when approached by reporters. The loss means the Cowboys (10-4) no longer own the home-field advantage in the playoffs. If the season ended today, San Francisco (10-4) would be the No. 1 seed in the NFC, Dallas No. 2, courtesy of the 49ers blowout victory over I j-irtV-iifl Nina's backpay moms World Cup fortunes decided today at draw Critics far and wide say it was JJ 'The sequel to 'Dumb and Dumber.

MikeDitka, NBC analyst 'A foolish decision. Jimmy Johnson, Fox analyst and Barry 's predecessor 'I don't care what level of football you're at Pop Warner, even Pee Wee ball you've got to punt. He just gave the game away. Joe Theismann, ESPN 'They deserve to lose. John Madden, Fox analyst and former Raiders coach 'So little Barry Switzer is in school and he goes to the blackboard and writes that 2 plus 2 equals 5, and the teacher says no, Barry, that's wrong.

Here's the eraser. And Barry says no, it's right, and I'll show you Bill Lyon, Philadelphia Inquirer columnist 'This was the football equivalent of intentionally fouling Penny Hardaway in the final second of a tied NBA Bill Conlin, Philadelphia Daily News columnist Donahue leaves as the leader in victories at UCLA and in Pac-10 games against conference opponents. "A dream of mine is coming to an end," Donahue said Donahue at a news conference on campus attended by his wife and three daughters. "It's a very emotional decision for me, but one I felt had to be made. "It's been a wild and wonderful ride.

It's been more than one person should ever get in a lifetime. This is really not based on anything like burnout, being fatigued, not enjoying the job. "This has nothing to do with that. This has to do with an opportunity that came." Donahue, 51, will work as a football analyst for CBS. His first game will be the Sun Bowl in El Paso between Washington and Iowa on Dec.

29, and he also will work the Fiesta Bowl between No. 1 Nebraska and No. 2 Florida on Jan. 2. College football returns to CBS on a weekly basis next season.

UCLA will play one final game under Donahue, in the Aloha Bowl against No. 11 Kansas in Honolulu on Christmas Day. Donahue has been the Bruins' head coach for 20 years, and only three other current coaches have put in more years at one university than Donahue Perm State's Joe Paterno (30), BYU's LaVell Edwards (24) and Nebraska's Tom Osborne (23). UCLA Athletic Director Peter Dalis said he hoped to have a new coach in place by the first of the year. Among names already mentioned are Northwestern Coach Gary Barnett, Oregon Coach Mike Bellotti, St.

Louis Rams Coach Rich Brooks and Colorado Coach, Rick Neuheisel, a former UCLA quarterback and assistant coach. Sources have said Neuheisel, completing his first year at Colo-' rado, wouldn't leave that school so soon after being hired. Donahue didn't close the door to coafthing in the future, but said his focus after the Aloha Bowl would be in broadcasting. "I have some apprehensions," he said. "I'm going into a new arena.

There are certain things I'm leaving behind I'll never have again, and I know that. But there's an element of excitement and adventure when you go into something new." Donahue's record at UCLA is 151-73-8. The second-leading winner among UCLA coaches is William Spaulding, whose teams were 72-51-8 from 1925-38. Donahue, who played at UCLA as a walk-on tackle in 1965-66, succeeded Dick Vermeil following the 1975 season. He was barely 32 years old.

Donahue's bowl record of 8-3-1 (.708) ranks him second behind Florida State's Bobby Bowden for all-time winning percentage. Bow-den's bowl record is 14-3-1 Donahue's best vears came from 1982-91, when he led the Bruins to eight straight bowl victories, including Rose Bowl wins in 1983, '84 and '86 and a Fiesta Bowl win in '85. However, when they face Kansas, the Bruins (7-4) will be playing in only their third bowl game in the last eight years. "I'm happy for him. It's great for his family," UCLA senior offensive lineman Matt Soenksen said.

"It ended for him beating USC five years in a row and, hopefully, beating Kansas in the Aloha Bowl. He's been the coach here since basically, everyone's been alive." VonAppen reportedly to be named Hawaii coach HONOLULU Fred vonAppen, defensive line coach at Colorado, reported will be named head coach at Hawaii. He will receive a three-year contract worth about $150,000 each year, according to the the Honolulu Advertiser. VonAppen's current position is his 14th coaching job since 1967. His positions included defensive line coach for the San Francisco 49ers from 1983 to 1988 and defensive coordinator at Stanford from 1992 to 1994.

'Admittedly, there may have been worse decisions made in the annals of time. The Edsel. The leisure suit. Adam biting on the apple. But this wasn't just a colossal blunder yesterday.

This was irrational. This was Switzercide. GilLebreton, Fort Worth Star-Telegram columnist 'I saw them come out and I told the guys in the huddle, "Watch out. They're trying to draw us offside. Then I see Jay Novacek go in motion, and I say to myself, 'I don't believe it.

They're actually going to run this play. Greg Jackson, Eagles safety 'That's the sign of a good team. I'm sure they've been in that situation before, and they felt they could take a shot at it and make it. I think I would have punted. Believe me, I don't think you'll see that from them again.

Ray Rhodes, Eagles coach 'I'm a thick-skinned SOB. I was trying to go win a football game. It was the right thing to do at the right time. I know the pulse oj our team. 1 Barry Switzer, Cowboys coach Associated Press PARIS For many European nations the World Cup draw will be a nailbiting thriller.

For defending champion Brazil and host France, it's a lottery show they can happily skip today. For U.S. Coach Steve Sampson? Well, he's going to the Moulin Rouge first. The World Cup fortunes of 172 nations will be decided at today's draw. And two days before the warring parties of the former Yugoslavia officially sign a peace treaty in Paris on Thursday, some already could be slated to play one another in the preliminaries starting next fall.

Another summer has passed since Brazil beat Italy in the last World Cup final in 1994. And with fresh hopes, anyone from newcomer Bosnia-Herzegovina to China will be hoping to reach the expanded 32-team tournament for the first time. Not even a French strike will stop them. Despite traffic chaos all around caused by a biting rail strike, the 1-hour draw at the Carrousel du Louvre should go ahead as planned. "Life goes on for everyone.

So does the draw, it's only logical," said Michel Platini, president of the local World Cup organizers. Nigeria, which impressed in last year's tournament, will be glad to make it under any circumstance to the qualifying draw. France belatedly granted visas for its delegation despite a European Union sports ban after the Lagos regime executed nine human rights activists last month. The organizers have invited stars such as Alexi Lalas, Zico and George Weah to choose the teams from the glass bowls. Brazil and France are granted exemptions so that the 30 other spots will be filled through various qualifying procedures in the six continental confederations over the next two years.

On Tuesday, most eyes will be on Europe, which provided seven of the eight quarterfinalists in last year's World Cup. The way the draw is set up for the 49 European entries, strong teams such as Germany, England, Turkey and Yugoslavia could all be drawn in one group with only the winner guaranteed a place in CARS from s89 TRUCKS Auto Alarms from 1 69 SHADE (All major ertdH cards accepted) 444-TINT jj 0 Ben White 1H-35 0 Don't miss a word. Austin American-Statesman W1M the tournament, to be played from June 10-July 12, 1998. There is little in it at this stage for the United States as well. Based on its past World Cup performance, it has one of the top seedings in CONCACAF, the confederation that includes and Central America and the Caribbean nations.

The U.S. team won't play until the fourth round of qualifying, when it will grouped with either Costa Rica, El Salvador and Honduras along" with two other teams. U.S. the favorite to host 1999 women's World Cup PARIS The United States be-'-came an overwhelming favorite to be host for the 1999 Women's World Cup after Australia and Chile withdrew Monday. FIFA spokesman Keith Cooper that unless Australia and Chile re-' considered before the February bid deadline, FIFA's 'executive committee would have no other choice.

"It would appear at the moment that the 1999 women's World Championships will take place in United States of America," he said. The United States won the inau- gural Women's World Cup in Chi-' na in 1991 and finished third last summer in Sweden. SUGAR BOWL CHARTER Round Trip, December 31st, 1995 Austin to New Orleans to Austin $419 00 per person round trip includes all airfare transfers to and from the game First Class, $519.00 per person GAME TICKETS ARE AVAILABLE! TEL: 2I0-22M33) I TOLL FREE 800433-3016 1 FAX; 210-226-4034 MASTERCARD VlSAl AMERICAN EXPRESS (Qj mmsim priGBifljii jtaimD0KtoiiDji Don't miss a word. Austin American-Statesman 1 Ron HeflinAP I -rm mn 1.