The Atlanta Constitution from Atlanta, Georgia • 61

Efje Atlanta 2ournal THE ATLANTA CONSTITUTION (C SECTION Friday, Jan. 1,1932 mmm College Football Morning Sports For The Record Comics 2-8 8 10 11 Wayne Gretzky thinks he can score 50 more goofs. Page 9-D. Rice has another college basketball sur- prise. Page 9-D.

tftf iiiia To I Yirg Florida In "Peach 4 i By Sally Wilson CoraiHutlon Stiff WrtMr West Virginia coach Don Nehlen had been joking before Peach Bowl about the strength and versatility of his running game: "We've only got one running play," Nehlen had said, "and we don't know how to run that one." Some joke. If ever a coach has been accused of statement and they all have been Nehlen had to take the charge Thursday His Mountaineers, known as strictly a passing team, used a surprisingly powerful running I xh i-- i 5 5: la 1 1 I The complete statistical story. Page 4-D. West Virginia's defense had plenty of Incentive and something to prove. Page 4-D.

Florid coach Charley PeB points to two mala factors for the defeat Page 4-D. Paul Woodside and Mickey Walcxak kept West Vlr giala In Its game plan. Page 4-D, game and a smart, aggressive defense to upset the Florida Gators 26-6 on the muddy, rain-soaked field at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium. Although more than 50,000 tickets were sold to the Hth Peach Bowl, 37,582 came out to weather the dank, Si-degree day. West Virginia fullback Dane Conwell, who had gained 370 yards this season, had team season-high 97 yards rushing as the Mountaineers accumulated 194 rushing yards well above their average of 137.7.

Florida's offense, which was shut out until the final 3:03, lost 86 yards on the ground on running plajs and sacks to end up with minus-30. "They ran the ball better on us than we thought they could," said Florida coach Charley Pell, whose team ended 7-5. "Our tackling was poor. We underestimated their running game, both in the number of times they would run the ball and how effective they would be doing it" Perhaps just as surprising to Florida was the potency of West Virginia's defense. The Mountaineers contained both quarterback Wayne Peace and any semblance of a running game, SMI Pktii Met Imn Keith Jones (73) Helps Carry W.

Virginia Coach Don Nehlen Away See PEACH BOWL, Page 4-D Kicker Paul Woodside (6) Was One Of Stars For West Virginia 2' Clemson Playing Georgia Anxious For Tiffe Ghance By Tom McCollister By Ivas Maisel ComlltulkKi Staff Wrlltf 1 MIAMI A few minutes into Saturday morning, Gem-son will know whether its team will go down in college football history or just go down among the also-rans. Nobody ever makes a list of teams that were almost No. 1. A few minutes into Friday evening, Nebraska will know whether its team is playing to keep its No. 1 hopes alive or to keep Clemson's No.

1 hopes from living. Cornhusker faithful will fervently watch the Cotton Eowl Friday afternoon and root for Texas to beat No. 3 Alabama. As for No. 2 Georgia, well, Nebraska fans won't be able to watch Friday night's Sugar BowL Their attention will be elsewhere.

It will be riveted upon the Orange Bowl Friday at 8 p.m. (EST) (Channel 11 and WRNG 680), when No. 4 Nebraska hopes to ruin No. 1 Clemson's national title hopes. Nebraska is 9-2, Clemson 11-0.

1 The Tigers have not played a game as the No. 1 team and got the recognition only because there was no one else to See ORANGE, Page 6-D NEW ORLEANS Bourbon Street isn't all swept up in what'B about to take place Friday night The beer flows freely, women take their clothes off to the beat of the drums in the strip joints and the sound of jazz floats through the French Quarter from the doors of Al Hirt's -place- But at 123 University Place, the residents of the Hotel are chomping to get on with what them here to play in the Superdome in the Sugar- Bowl against the Pittsburgh Panthers for a J. chance to be the No. 1 football team in the nation. This could be Vidalia as far as the Georgia Bulldogs are con- cerned.

The status of being called national champions, 't mythical or not is all that really matters. VX came here a year ago with the same calling, but this time it's different On New Year's Day 1981, t. the Bulldogs already were No. 1 when they lined up against Notre Dame Win and nobody could take it away from them. Friday night when they kick off at 8 (EST) (Channel 2 and WGST (920) Georgia is No.

2. "What -it comes down to is this," said Bulldog quarterback Buck Belue. "Clemson has it (No. we want it and Pittsburgh can't get it We've got to have "some help from Nebraska (Clemson's opponent) in the Orange Bowl and we have to take care of our own business. But gosh, just being this close again, with a chance to do what so few teams have done, is the most exciting thing Tve been through." There's another difference.

The tension here last yearrthey say, was heavy. So was the pressure. So was' the revelry of Bulldogs fans Now, there's almost a mood that approaches being blase. "There i still some pressure," said fullback Ronnie Stewart, "but when you're No. 2 and have to hope some one helps you out it's not the same.

Our purpose hasn't "changed, just the way we have to get it done." J. And, getting it done won't be all that easy. When Georgia played Notre Dame last year it faced a team strong in the run and average in the pass. Pittsburgh See SUGAR, Page t-D The Bowls Inside A profile oi Ronnie Stewart Forma Ulster's Dam 9-T I Gemson coach Danny Ford is upset over comments made, by Herscbel Walker. Page 7-D.

Mississippi State tops Kansas 104 in the Hall of Fame Bowl. 'J '''V Rose and Fiesta previews, rage 9-u. Alabama t3j '12 i ff A tn jureams uj i vw. i Bulldogs To Befecti Pitt 34-24 8' lUi.Ul'.'.WU,. 1 -Aw i Jesse I I By Bill Banks Cmttliuflon Sim wnur DALLAS You have to feel sorry for Bear Bryant How's a man supposed to keep his mind on the game when his main' worries are gauze instead of footballs, bond money Instead of meal money? Your heart just bleeds when the Bear says, "We're In the poorest physical condition we've ever' been." Kjtht, Mike Baab? "Mysblf," said the Texas center, "if their whole starting team got kicked off, I'd be very happy." The allusion was.

to Thomas Boyd, Linnie Patrick, Bob Cayavec and Gary Bramblett, each of whom was suspended for various reasons. Add injured players Eddie Lowe (Boyd's replacement at weakside linebacker) and quarterback Ken Coley and, well, don't get the idea Bryant is crying or anything. "I'm just happy to be Bryant -said Wednesday. Here is the Cotton BowL where third-, rated Alabama will meet Texas (rated fifth by United Press International and sixth by The Associated Press) in a 2 p.m. (EST) klckoff Friday.

Don't get the impression, however, that the Crimson Tide is your average accumulation of pretty mugs. It is 9-1-1 going into this one, with legitimate hopes for a national championship. For that matter, Texas (9-M) has some dreams, too. Bryant and Texas coach Fred Akers have mastered the contemporary art form of non-communication. Both skirt the issue with ease.

"Oh, we'd have to be very lucky to win a national championship," said Bryant. "We'd have to be very lucky if we won the -game." "We're not concerned about a national championship," Akers said. "We're coik cerned about beating Alabama." It is your quintessential pre-bowl rhetoric. But players on both sides will tell you they chose their respective school for one principal reason. "Every year you have a chance to win a national championship here," said Tide quarterback Alan Gray.

"There's other things incorporated within, like winning the SEC championship and going to a bowk but the main goal is the na-. tional championship." Four and one-half months after sweat- i Ing summer drills commenced, both teams See COTTON, Page 6-D Cutlar best passing attack of any team we've faced in -my 18 seasons at Georgia. You can't let Pittsburgh keep the ball and hope to beat them. We've never faced a better passer than; Dan Marino, and he has great receivers and a tremendous offensive tine. Marino is so great that people are inclined to forget that Pittsburgh is not a one-dimension team.

Their halfback Bryan Thomas gained more than a thousand yards and fullback Wayne DiBartola is a tough runner. "Our kicking game and Herschel Walker are the only two pluses I see on our side," Dooley continued. "I just hope that we can control the football On offense, Pittsburgh is like Rocky Marciano. They don't jab. They come out going for the knockout" 'i Pittsburgh coach Jackie Sherrill, who Is 49- 9-1 in five seasons, has expressed similar views about the Bulldogs.

"We're going to concede that Herschel Walker gets his 170 said Sherrill, "but what we have to do is contain NEW ORLEANS Vince Dooley was i lapsing into his customary pre-game trance before sending his Georgia Bulldogs through their final: practice session for the Sugar Bowl against Pittsburgh Friday night, when a guy remarked, "Coach, you've come a long, long way from El Paso." El Paso was the site of the first of 13 bowl games for Dooley, and the trip will always rank high among his football memories. It was there in the Sun Bowl in 1964 that his first Georgia team upset highly favored Texas Tech for the eighth of his 140 victories. Re needs one more triumph to pass Wallace Butts as the win-ningest Georgia coach ever. A trip to the Sun Bowl would depress Georgia boosters now, but since the Bulldogs I had won only 10 games in three seasons before Dooley arrived, they were very elated over the 7-0 victory. "That was a very important year for our Erogram," said Dooley.

"No one expected us to reak even, but we finished That will ix always be one of my favorite bowl victories. Of course there haven't been too many (5-7 in bowls), but the most memorable will always be the win over Notre Dame right here in this Superdome last New Year's that gave us, our first national championship. Now, we have a shot at repeating, if we can beat Pittsburgh and Clemson loses to Nebraska in the Orange BowL beat Pittsburgh, we'll have to stop the See OUTLAR, Pae 3-D.