The Atlanta Constitution from Atlanta, Georgia • 77

i 2a1 By John McGrath Staff Writer Won Lost Pet. GB Dodgers 85 63 .574 since jumping to the Braves from Cleveland on Aug. 28 wasted, but a couple of superb lunging catches as well one by center-fielder Dale Murphy, to rob Tony Gwynn of an RBI hit in the sixth, and the other by Brad Komminsk, whose eighth-inning sprawl helped seal his newfound home in right field. So much for masterpieces. "It doesn't matter anymore about who gets the victory or who gets the defeat," Jerry Royster was saying afterward.

"Those kind of statistics don't mean anything. Braves 81 66 .551 ZVi The Atlanta Braves, behind Len Barker, produced their second pitching masterpiece in two days Saturday afternoon, but were able to fortify it with only a single run. It wasn't enough. The San Diego Padres, who hadn't recorded a run off Braves pitching in 16 innings, chased Barker out of the game with the score 1-0 in the top of the eighth and then put two runs across against Steve Bedrosian to beat Atlanta, 2-1. Temporarily derailed, in the process, was the team's last earnest drive at the National League West title.

It left the Braves ZVt games still behind Los Angeles. It could have been 2V4, since the Dodgers lost for the second straight day to San Francisco, 4-1. Thus, not only was Barker's best sustained effort 20D See BRAVES BEVERLY CRAWFORDStaff HARD LOSS: Barker now 1-2 with Braves. SECTION EfteAttaM0ttntal the Atlanta constitution SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 18. 1983 Jfa sci vf J2)W I r.

"mi COMPLETE COVERAGE 10D By Thomas M. SUnson Staff Writer The loss left Tech with an 0-2 record and the roughest part of the schedule ahead. Furman is 2-1, having first beaten Carson-Newman last week. But that mattered little to the West Stands alumni crowd, who had booed Tech as early as the third quarter. They left the grounds in amazement, having seen a Tech team lose to a Furman team for the first time since before World War I.

In the coolness of the locker room, Curry was asked if this was the hardest loss to take of any of the 26 he has suffered in his four years as Tech's head coach. He paused briefly and then said quietly, "I think so." Tech had moved well between the 20-yard lines for a total of 383 yards but two interceptions off quarterback Stu Rogers A hapless victim in the most disconcerting defeat of the Bill Curry regime, Georgia Tech watched with wonder as tiny Furman came from behind twice over the course of Saturday afternoon at Grant Field to upset the Yellow Jackets 17-14 before a stunned home-opener crowd of 24,311. Kevin Esval, Furman's sophomore placekicker, was perfect on a 27-yard field goal attempt with just 60 seconds left for the crowning blow. Furman had to score twice in the last 9:42 to achieve the win but the game was inevitably decided during the first three quarters, when Tech had chances to assert itself against the smaller and lesser-equipped Paladins and never did. 11D See TECH Dogs and Clemson kick it around 16-16 Pen COMPLETE COVERAGE 8D By Jesse Outlar Constitution Sports Editor iU fi-- E2 GEORGIA CLEMSON Bitter rivals Georgia and Clemson literally kicked each other all over Frank Howard Field Saturday afternoon, attempting six field goals each; but They finally settled for a 16-16 draw, but neither team gave up on the field goal right down to the wire.

After Kevin Butler banged in a 31-yarder to give Georgia a tie with 38 seconds remaining, Clemson's Donald Igweb-uike attempted a futile 68-yard goal. With one second left, Butler missed from 66 yards out Fortunately for Georgia, AU-American Terry Hoage, most valuable player in the opening victory over UCLA, blocked two of Bob Paulling's five attempts. He blocked a 52-yard attempt the first time Clemson had possession and he made a saving block of a 40-yard attempt by Paulling late in the third quarter with Clemson leading 16-6. IS? the largest crowd ever to see a football game in South Carolina didn't get too much kick out of the game. Some 75,000 Clemson boosters were disappointed that their Tigers permitted a 10-point lead to evaporate in the fourth quarter, and about 6,000 Georgia fans were disgruntled that their Bulldogs faltered after assuming a 6-0 advantage in the second period.

MICHAEL PUGHStaff See GEORGIA 9D THE BUTLER DID IT: Georgia kicker Kevin Butler was the hero when his late field goal tied Clemson. COMPLETE COVERAGE 6D if By Ed Hinton Staff Writer i I Ui left to play, after coach Pat Dye had inserted backup quarterback Pat Washington for starter Randy Campbell, who had given the sellout Jordan-Hare Stadium crowd of 73,500 very little to cheer about all afternoon. "Our offense was so tentative," Washington, who directed a 95-yard touchdown drive, said of his observations from the sidelines during the first half, in which the Tigers could pick up only two first downs and 51 net yards while the Longhorns ran roughshod over the defense. I vis V- 1 AUBURN, Ala. Maybe it was stage fright due to national television.

Maybe it was fear of heights because of Auburn's lofty 'ranking. More likely it was because the Tigers were outmanned and overpowered Saturday by a superior Texas team. Whatever the reason, Auburn's Tigers failed sadly to prove to a national audience that they belong among the nation's top five teams, falling flat to the third-ranked Texas Longhorns 20-7 in a game that was consider- ably more of a mismatch than the score indicates. Texas breezed to a 20-0 halftime lead and waltzed from there because fourth-ranked Auburn's pure wishbone offense was by no means equipped to play catch-up. The Tigers, virtually without a passing threat, kept running the ball until the final five minutes of the game.

Auburn's touchdown came with only 1:33 See AUBURN 7D 0 A Texas lark in the village of Auburn FT Tint if. a-itm Furman Cvl Bishcr 1 ma' Editr strange people clad in a strange hue of orange, driving vans or long vehicles or flying their jets with decals of a set of steers' horns prominently displayed. These Texans hadn't roamed this far from Austin, to a town where there were no rooms for wayfarers, just for the pleasure of a trip. It became apparent early that their trip was not made in vain. And "early," I might add here, is a word of double meaning.

This was a game that kicked off before noon. It wrecked all the traditional tailgating schedules, playing through lunch and into the heat of the afternoon. This was an accommodation for a fee to the CBS network, which 1 1 AUBURN, Ala. Well, the score has been written in lights and the University of Texas band is playing the alma mater while its conquering heroes stand at leisurely "attention on the field below, gloved hands held wearily above their heads in the traditional "Hook 'em Horns" salute. They are tall, large and fierce warriors, though peculiarly hon-menacing in their pallid white garments.

Awesome is more the word. The Texas Longhorns had come to the village of Auburn to explore the qualities of a team rather significant in their ambitions of the season. Both Texas and Auburn have been appointed prospective national champions by different selectors. Rarely do these two teams play. To call it a "series" is misleading.

They played first in 1910. This was the fourth time. This was one Auburn would as soon forget. Its people should have suspected that something dire was afoot when they awoke Saturday morning and noticed that East Alabama was being invaded by a number of 7D See BISHER RICH ADDICKSStaH THE SACK MEM: Auburn QB Randy Campbell is surrounded by Longhorns. IJU 1 i.