Austin American-Statesman from Austin, Texas • 25

-r Long ride is over Cycling legend Miguel Indurain of Spain retires from the sport Indurain, 32, takes five Tour de France triumphs and an Olympic gold with him. C2 NBA Inside Charlotte 107, Dallas 97 Cleveland 103, Phoenix 94 Top 25 men Ohio State 73, (8) Michigan 71 (12) Indiana 77, Michigan St 65 Weekend TV C2 Of College basketball C3 NFL playoffs C4 2aT Friday; January 3, 1997 NBA C7 Neighbor Sports C8 praise Ml 1 T'Y J'- mil Sewe 5 1 ih'4T''mm NO. 3 FLORIDA 52, NO. 1 FLORIDA ST. 20 Florida gives Florida State its sugary lumps second time around in national title statement By Richard Rosenblatt Associated Press NEW ORLEANS Throwing out of the shotgun, Danny Wuerffel delivered more hits than he took Thursday night, leading No.

3 Florida to a 52-20 victory over No. 1 Florida State in the Sugar Bowl and an almost cer-. tain first national championship. The Heisman Trophy winner shook off brutal shots all night and came through with three touchdown pass-, es to Ike Hilliard and a 16-yard scoring run that helped the Gators avenge two defeats with one win. Just 33 days ago, the Seminoles (11-1) knocked the Gators out of the No.

1 ranking with a 24-21 win in Tallahassee. In the rematch, just the 11th time two teams have met in the same season, the Gators not only avenged that loss, but made up for last year's 62-24 whipping by Nebraska in the title game at the Fiesta Bowl. "God has smiled on the Gators, no question about it," Florida Coach Steve Spurrier said. "Texas did what they had to do and then Ohio State did it. Of course, we haven't won it yet, we have to wait until the vote tomorrow." The Associated Press Top 25 will be released this morning, but with the top two teams having lost in bowls, the Gators (12-1) are likely to win the title with their record-breaking performance.

Wuerffel withstood everything the 1 Seminoles threw at him, including All-American ends Peter Boulware and Reinard Wilson, as Spurrier devised a shotgun offense that allowed running backs to remain in the back-field for pass protection. Since the loss to Florida State, Spurrier has accused the Seminoles of late hits and dirty play against Wuerffel, who was sacked six times and intercepted three times. In the game that counted most, though, Wuerffel was 18-of-34 for 306 1 yards as the Gators scored more points than any other team in Sugar See Florida, C3 Commentary Wonderful, Wuerffel, wonderful By Edwin Pope Miami Herald NEW ORLEANS Here's how it goes for No. 1 Florida State. Ah, make that formerly No.

1. Here's Florida breaking its back, trying to hike its 31-20 lead in the third quarter, and Danny Wuerffel throws a pass that goes into and out of the arms of both Shevin Smith and Mario Edwards. Two chances at one interception go down the drain. And five plays later Wonder Boy Wuerffel takes one look at the wide-open artificial turf of the Super-dome and lopes in 16 yards for the touchdown that makes the score 37-20 and wrenches the Sugar Bowl game and the national college football championship from as gritty a gang of Seminoles as anyone will ever see. Wuerffel has legs, too! And the Gators who flog the Seminoles 52-20 will get their title when today's polls come out, and nobody is remotely as responsible for this historical first than Wuerffel.

And some people still insist he isn't good enough to be a pro. I hope the more than 300 Heisman Trophy voters who refused to vote Wuerffef either first, second or third for the award were watching Thurs-, day night. I suspect a bunch of those votes Wuerffel missed were the result of voters resenting Spurrier's yappi-ness rather than any lack of respect for Wuerffel. Whatever, when "Steve See Pope, C3 Bizabeth HefelfingerKRT Ike Hilliard hauls in a pass for Florida's first touchdown over Florida quarterback Danny Wuerffel weren't done yet, connecting twice State's James Colzie early in the Sugar Bowl. Hilliard and Gators more for scores.

The Gators swamped Florida State 52-20. Big play turns around and bites Horns By Mark Wangrin American-Statesman Staff Texas slew giant Nebraska with the big play, but the Longhorns' biggest weapon turned against them in the Fiesta Bowl. Three plays an interception, a kick-off return and a double reverse stripped away any momentum the Longhorns had built in the first half from a steady running game and solid defense. Texas wasted a five-point halftime lead in falling 38-15 to the steady Penn State Nittany Lions on Wednesday in the Fiesta Bowl. "Those three plays first gave them the momentum, then helped them regain it and then pushed them ahead with the momentum," Coach John Mackovic said.

"We were able to overcome the first two, but not the last." The first mistake was the result of a great read by Penn State cornerback Mark Tate, who broke off a deep pattern by Matt Davis and stepped in front of a James Brown pass intended for Mike Adams on an out pattern. Tate's interception set the line to set up a touchdown to put Penn State up 15-12. After the Nittany Lions put together a 65-yard drive to take a 22-15 lead, they struck the third big blow. After an aggressive Texas defense stopped backup tailback Chris Eberly for a 2-yard loss, the Lions ran a play they've run several times this season, never with much success. Eberly took the ball from the wing on a reverse and then handed to Chafie Fields on a double reverse.

Fields ran 84 yards to the Texas 5 to set up the touchdown that forced Accused Cowboys don't deserve this legal limbo Nittany Lions up at the Texas 26-yard line and they scored three plays later to jump to a 7-0 lead. The Longhorns controlled the first half, outgaining Penn State 242 yards to 95 and holding the Lions to only 38 yards rushing. They led 12-7 at halftime, and appeared ready to reassert themselves in the second half. But on the second half's opening kick-off, Penn State returner Kenny Watson found a seam in the Horns' coverage and took the ball 81 yards to the Texas 19-yard rJii 'X Tim JohnsorVAP in Fiesta Final Top 25 poll will come out this morning. Texas to abandon its productive rushing attack.

"I had a feeling that if they played well defensively, it would be a lower-scoring game," Mackovic said. "The kickoff and reverse gave them two easy scores. "Then it was a matter of Penn State wearing us down. You have to stay with them and watch them. If they get up on you, they can wear you down." Dallas at Carolina When: 3 p.m.

Sunday Where: Ericsson Stadium Charlotte, N.C. Records: Dallas 11-6, Carolina 12-4 Favorite: Cowboys by 3 TV: KTBC (Channel 7) Radio: KVET-AM 1300, KBAE-FM 104.7 Dallas police investigation stalls, C4 Commentary more caution about the reputations of these players, especially in the months since law-enforcement people identified Jewell as the Olympic Park bomber and men were forced to publicly clear him? The man's life and reputation were ru- ined, for months and maybe years to come. With their statement clearing him, law enforcement was attempting to repair the irreparable. The attempt was See Hofmann, C4 Banged-up Spurs stun Jazz 33-30 By Keuley Shannon Associated Press SAN ANTONIO Avery Johnson scored 22 points, including 12 in the fourth quarter, to lead the injury-depleted San Antonio Spurs past the Utah Jazz 83-80 Thursday night Utah had the chance to tie the game in the final seconds, but consecutive three-point attempts by Karl Malone, John Stockton and Jamie Watson all failed. Time expired, and the cheering Spurs ran off the court celebrating a rare victory.

It was only the fourth win of the year for the Spurs against a team with a winning record, and it came against the team that eliminated San Antonio from the playoffs last season. Sean Elliott scored 18 points for the Spurs and Will Perdue had 12 rebounds. Malone led Utah with 26 points and Jeff Hornacek added 25. John Stockton had 11 assists. San Antonio was more shorthanded than usual Thursday In addition to missing All-Star center David Robinson, Chuck Person and Charles Smith, who are on the injured list, Dominique Wilkins was out with a strained right knee tendon and Vinny Del Negro couldn't play because of sprained right shoulder joint Johnson and Vernon Maxwell combined for 11 points in a 14-7 run that gave the Spurs a 77-71 edge with 2:24 left in the game after trailing 60-58 heading into the foruth quarter.

Utah didn't give up, though, and pulled to 82-80 with 28.5 seconds left on a layup by Adam Keefe. A free throw by Elliott with 25.3 seconds left put the Spurs ahead 83-80, setting up the final sequence. The Spurs outrebounded the Jazz 45-31 and outshot lie Jazz 55 percent to 41 percent during the final By Rich Hofmann Philadelphia Daily News Just Why is it that we are able to know, before the police have determined that there is enough evidence to arrest Michael Irvin and Erik Williams, that a woman has filed a complaint alleging that Irvin held a gun to her head while Williams and an unidentified man sexually assaulted her? Couldn't this wait? For a day? For an hour? If the police in Dallas had enough evidence, they would have arrested Irvin and Williams by now. And maybe they will get the evidence. And maybe they will arrest and convict these guys.

And if they do, here's hoping that the judges involved impose the maximum sentences allowed and then double them for aggravated arrogance and serial stupidity. But couldn't it wait? In the name of Richard Jewell, couldn't it? The police could still have their well-attended press conferences after they had enough for an arrest. They could still bask in the bright lights and answer all the questions and get their faces on coast-to-coast television after they were sure of their information and prepared to proceed. But why now? Why doesn't a "no comment" suffice until everybody's story has been sorted out? Why Isn't there Rocket meltdown Arvydas Sabonis lays it in on Houston's Hakeem Olajuwon, right, and the Portland Trail Blazers beat the Rockets for the first time in three tries, 112-96. The loss broke Houston's three-game streak.

Story, C7.