Sunday Gazette-Mail from Charleston, West Virginia • Page 41

Homecoming Blues Hit VU By A. L. Hardman MORGANTOWN Somebody always shows up to spoil all the fun for the West Virginia Mountaineers on homecoming day. Here Saturday it was Boston College. Or, to be more specific, a couple of guys named Ken Smith and Joe O'Brien, who passed and ran the Mountaineers into the Astroturf of Mountaineer Field to post a somewhat surprising 28-24 victory before 36,211 heartsick fans.

Sun First downs Rushes-yards Passing-yards Return-yards Passes Puirts Fumbles-Lost Penalties-yards WVU 8 23 25-37 59-125 93 183 183 57 6-15-1 17-25-1 4-33 5-39 3-2 2-1 8-69 8-69 CharL It was the largest crowd of the season and they cheered lustily. But that old jinx held true as West Virginia dropped its fifth straight homecoming decision. It was a game of one turnover after another with the most legitimate thrill of the day an 88-yard punt return for a touchdown by the Mountaineers' freshman hero from Martinsburg, Fulton Walker. This put the Mountaineers into a 24-17 lead after a 17-17 first half but the script called for additional Mountaineer miscues in the fourth quarter that enabled the Eagles to forge into the lead. They held on to even their record at 3-3 on the season while West Virginia suffered its second loss in six games.

TURNOVERS bedanged, there was nothing fluky about the B. C. win its fourth in the last five games with the Mountaineers. Final statistics gave the Eagles all the best of it with the passing of quarterback Smith accounting for 183 yards, which in itself was 53 yards. more than the total of West Virginia's offense.

Smith pitched 17 completions in 25 tries. O'Brien almost equalled the WVU total offense with 112 yards in 32 busy carries. "We just made too many errors," WVU coach Frank Cignetti, "but I was proud of my boys. They gave it all they had. I was especially proud of some of my young players." Reference was, of course, to Walker's punt return and also a 35-yard touchdown scored by Fayetteville's Jody McKown, which put West Virginia ahead, 14-10, in the second quarter.

Jody also is a freshman and a backup ID --Ociober 16, 1977 for co-captain Tommy Pridemore, whose injury forced him to miss his fust college game. Actually, in retrospect, it might be- said that a foolish mistake on a Boston pass near the end of the half was to prove fatal to the Mountaineers. BILL MCKENZIE had just kicked a 42-yard field goal to hike the West Virginia lead to 17-10 with 12:34 gone in the second quarter. And when McKenzie booted the next kickoff into the end. zone, it looked like the situation was well in hand.

But it was here that Smith put on one of his best passing performances. He pitched 17 yards to wide receiver Paul McCarty, hit halfback Mike Curry for nine and wide receiver Mike Godbolt for eight before throwing an incomplete pass. But there was more to come. He found McCarty again for a 26-yarder on a beautiful catch at the seven. On the next play, his pass to the left side of the end zone didn't make it but WVU defensive back Harold Woods swiped at a BC receiver in the other extreme side of the end zone and interference was called.

This gave the Eagles the ball at the one with 17 seconds left on the clock. John Cassidy then ran over for the score to deadlock matters at the half. This was, indeed, a bad break for West Virginia. TM MOORMAN kicked the first of his two field goals for B. C.

in the first quarter a 41-yarder and he added another, this one good for 22 yards, as a clincher for the Eagles with 3:44 left in the game. Smith's passing started to assert itself in the first quarter after the first Mountaineer fumble of the game--this one by tight end Randy Swinson after he had caught a 28-yard pass from Dan Kendra. The Eagles drove right on in with Smith completing passes of nine and eight yards to wide receiver Pete Laboy and O'Brien. The last 20 yards were covered on a toss to tight end Steve Giardiano. The Mountaineers got a break early in the second quarter when Fran Gleason grabbed up a B.

C. fumble at the Eagle 47. A 19-yard pass to Swinson got things going and then fullback Walter Easley ate up the last 15 yards with three thrusts at the line. McKenzie kicked his 42-yard field goal a little later in the quarter and it was after this that the Eagles drove in for their second touchdown Woods interfering with wide receiver Mike Godbolt, despite the fact both of them were clearly out of the real action on the opposite side of the field. B.

C. HAD the ball for 13 plays after the second half kickoff and then had to punt. At this point, Walker made his sensational 88-yard punt return and it was 24-17 for WVU. But the fatal fourth was coming up. Dave Riley fumbled a little later and B.

C. got the ball at the WVU 20. The Eagles went into score on a pass to McCarty. Then Jack Kent intercepted a WVU pass and fell on the WVU 40. O'Brien then ran for gains of 8, 6, 3, 10, 2 and six yards before the drive bogged down.

But Moorman's field goal was to cap it off from 22 yards out. Boston College rolled up a 23-8 advantage in first downs and clearly outplayed WVU in every department of the game. Kendra completed only six of 15 passes and had one intercepted. Wist Vlrfllnli 0 7 7 0 1 4 10 7 0 11 It Boston BC-FG Moorman 41 BC-Giordano 19 pass from Smith (Moorman kick) WVU-Easley 1 run (McKenzie kick) wvu-McKown 35 interception return (McKenzie kick) WVU-FG McKenzie 42 BC-Cassidy 1 run (Moorman kick) WVU-Walker 88 punt return (McKenzie kick) BC-Cassidy 2 run (Godbolt pass from Smith) BC-FG Moorman 22 UNBEATABLE' Guidry Feels Yankees Have Lock After Win By Hal Bock LOS ANGELES (AP) "I think," said Ron Guidry, "we're in an unbeatable situation." The slender New York lefthander was talking about the Yankees' commanding 3-1 lead in the World Series following Saturday's 4-2 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers. And if the Yankees, one triumph away from their' first World Championship since 1962, are unbeatable now, they can thank Guidry, who pitched a brilliant four- hitter for the victory.

Guidry was low man on the Yankees' pitching pole during spring training and almost didn't make the club. "He had a terrible spring," said Manager Billy Martin. Guidry disagreed. "I thought it was horrible," he said. BUT WHEN injuries sidelined some of the higher-priced pitchers on Martin's staff, the manager turned to the slender southpaw and Guidry came through.

Guidry had a 16-7 regular-season record and fired a three-hitter against Kansas City in the second game of the American League playoffs. "I just wanted to do my job," he said. "I wanted to prove I could do it. Some people didn't think I could pitch up here." Still, World Series starts sometimes shake seasoned veterans. But Guidry stayed cool against the Dodgers.

"I didn't feel any jitters," he said. "I never do." They will go for the clincher today, with Don Gullett opposing the Dodgers' Don Sutton. Jackson, so often the center of controversy in this troubled Yankees season, settled his latest squabble with Manager Billy Martin in a brief meeting Friday before Game 3. Jackson had criticized Martin's selection of ailing Catfish Hunter to start the second game of the series for New York. THE right fielder had driven in one run and scored others in the Yankees' 5-3 third-game victory.

He ripped his way out of an extra-base slump with his double and homer Saturday. Until Game 4, Jackson had managed only four hits--all singles--in 25 at-bats during the American League playoffs and the World Series. After the Yankees had beaten Dodgers ace Tommy John in Game 3, Los Angeles Manager Tom Lasorda gambled on sore-armed Doug Rau to get Los Angeles even Saturday. (Please Turn to Page 5D) Rau Roughed Game 4 NEW YORK LOS ANGELES ab bi ib bl -Staff Photo by Dave Vick Mike Curry (3) of Boston College Is on Move Against WVU In Hot Pursuit, West Virginia Linebacker Jeff Macerelli Bares Teeth Furman Ends Herd Title Hopes, 42-24 By Bob Baker Rivers Rndlph Munson Jacksn Blair Pinlella Chmbls Nettles Dent Guidry cf 2b rf If 4 0 1 0 Lopes 4 0 0 0 Russell 4 0 1 0 Smith 4 2 2 1 0 0 0 0 Garvey 4 1 1 1 Baker Ib 3 1 1 0 Lacy 3 3 0 0 1 Yeager ss 3 0 1 1 Rau 2 0 0 0 Rhoden Mota Garmn 31 4 7 4 Total 2 2 1 1 2 4 0 0 0 4 0 0 0 3 4 0 2 0 Ib 4 0 0 0 -APWIrephoto Miss Lillian Carter Tosses Out First Ball in Game Four Dodger Manager Tom Lasorda Looks Ovw Arm of President's Mother If 4 0 0 0 rf 2 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 1 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Total 31 4 7 4 Total 1 4 2 New York 0 3 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 4 Los 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 I OP-LOS Angeles 2. LOB-New York 1, Los Anoeles 4.

2B-Jackson, Chambllss, Rhoden, Cey. HR-Lopes (1), Jackson (1). SB-Lopes. 5-Guldry. VfflN Guidry Rau (L.0-1) Rhoden :07.

4 4 2 1 2 3 1 0 ER 2 3 1 0 BBSO 3 7 0 0 0 0 0 GREENVILLE, S. C. You couldn't blame the Marshall University football players if they sang, "Country roads, take me But they weren't in any mood for singing after losing their third straight game away from home. The Furman Paladins handed Marshall a 42-24 licking here Saturday and killed any chances the Thundering Herd had of winning the Southern Conference football championship. Marshall Coach Frank Ellwood shook up his defense with six new starters but Furman shook it up even worse by storming to a 35-0 lead in the third quarter and winding up with 515 total yards.

To make matters worse, defensive tackle Brian Kite was hurt on the fourth play of the game. He was taken to a hospital for x-rays of a possible broken collarbone but flew home with the team. With Kite out, the Herd had seven new men on defense. FURMAN ALSO MADE a lineup change but this one worked. With the top two tailbacks injured, quarterback Jimmy Kiser was shifted to tailback and sub David Henderson took over at Q.B.

Henderson ran for 71 yards and passed for 126 against the green Marshall defenders. He tallied one touchdown on a 19-yard run and passed for two more. Riser also had a good day with 57 yards rushing. Fullback Kent Woerner was the top Furman runner with 84 yards, including a 49-yard T.D. gallop in the third period.

Marshall finally got on the scoreboard in the last two quarters. Oaude Geiger capped an 80-yard drive with a one-yard scoring plunge. Quart- erbackfiud Nelson passed 16 yards to --T First Downs Rushes-Yards Passing Yards Return Yards Passes Punts Fumbles-Lost Penalties-Yards Marhalt Furman. 15 21 43-173 67-393 223 126 04 061 15-25-1 10-16-0 5-37 3-40 3-2 1-1 3-29 8-64 Ray Crisp and seven yards to Todd Ellwood for the final two Marshall touchdowns on 57 and 61-yard drives against Furman reserves. The purple Paladins held Geiger under 100 yards rushing breaking his four-game string over that mark.

Geiger got 59 yards in 18 carries, with a long run of 26'yards. He had a 12-yard T. D. run nullified by a penalty late in the game. "I don't know what to say.

I just don't know what to say," commented Coach Ellwood after the defeat. "I'd like to cry but I can't. I hurt for our players, those who have had their ups and downs. But I guess for them, the hurt isn't quite strong enough. They still work like hell, and that's all I can goon." The Marshall players were hurt even more when they returned to their hotel after the game.

Several players had watches, rings and money stolen from the locked room where they had left their valuables. So the Herd was "ripped off" in more ways than one on their trip to South Carolina. Coach Ellwood's pre-season forecast that "we'll probably be the Southern Conference champions" is now inoperative. Marshall is 0-2 in the conference and 2-4 over-all. Furman leads the S.

C. with a 2-0-1 record and 3-2-1 overall. The defense changes in the M. U. lineup had George Elliott at middle guard for Joey Brison, David Kirby at tackle for Jim Johnson, Mike Johnson of at buffalo man for Mike Sprouse, Rodney Gibson at safety for Danny Wright, Hobart Phillips at outside linebacker for Dennis Bellamy and Glenn Bradford at inside linebacker for Luke Spencer.

When Kite was hurt, he was replaced by Larry Bayes. Spencer was suspended for one game for disciplinary reasons and didn't make the trip. Bradford, a freshman. saw his first action for Marshall. AFTER FURMAN took a 6-0 lead on a 41-yard drive capped by Henderson's 19-yard run on a keeper play, Marshall had two chances to score and didn't cash in on either.

A 30-yard run by Tim Campbell on a fake punt play moved the Herd to the Furman 26. But the drive was stopped and Ed 46-yard field goal try was blocked by Furman nose guard Frank Moses. Marshall got the ball back and a 26-yard scamper by Geiger helped put the Herd on the Furman 33. Mike Bailey then broke through the line and it looked like he might go all the way. But Bailey was hit from behind and fumbled on the Furman 15, the Paladins' Bob Bowers recovering.

"There really wasn't a turning point," said Coach Ellwood. "When Bailey fumbled on the drive, he did lose the ball and then a long run took Fur- (Please Turn to Page 5D) Marshall 0 0 a li-24 Furman 6 22 7 7--42 Furm-Henderson 19 run (kick failed) Furm-Kaiser 4 run (pass failed) Fur --Laetsch 10 pass from Henderson (Southard pass from Henderson) hurm-southard 25 pass from Henderson (LaPrade run) Furm-woerner 49 run (Behr kick) Mar-Geiger 1 run (Crisp pass from Nelson) Furm-Davis 2 run (Behr kick) Mar-Crisp 16 pass from Nelson (Geiger run.) Mar-Elwood 7 pass from Nelson (Elwood pass from Nelson).