The Record from Hackensack, New Jersey • 39

07 Rscord TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 16. 1976 11 Eutgers awaits call. Rutgers received some better news when it learned that it had been ranked in the top 20 in both the Associated Press and United Press International polls. The Scarlet Knights were rated 18th in the UPI poll, selected by college coaches, and tied for 19th with Missouri in the AP poll, chosen by sports writers. The rankings, the first for 10-0 Rutgers this season, followed a 29-20 victory over Tul an Saturday night.

Rutgers coach Frank Burns, a UPI selector, had complained about the Scarlet Knights' lack of recognition following their exclusion from the polls after a 24-0 victory over Louisville nine days ago. By Mike Farber Satf Wnrer No news may have been bad news for the Rutgers football team yesterday. University officials waited by the telephone all day to hear if ABC-TV would ask the Scarlet Knights to switch Saturday's 1 p.m. game against Colgate to 8:35 Thanksgiving night and change the site from Rutgers Stadium to Giants Stadium in East Rutherford. The telephone never rang.

So unless ABC decides today that the game deserves an Eastern regional television audience, the Scarlet Knights will seek their first undefeated season since 1961 against once-beaten Colgate as the schedule originally dictated. "ABC is calling all the shots," said Rutgers athletic director Fred Grurun-ger. "We were told during the Saturdav scramble of scores that we were under consideration for a regional game. But ABC may decide not to do a regional game at all. "The initial official contact came last Thursday when ABC asked about our willingness to shift the game.

We were pretty optimistic about our chances of playing in the Meadowlands but not so optimistic now. Perhaps the Colgate loss 29-13 to Army Saturday, well maybe I shouldn't say it, I don't know, but if both teams were undefeated, there probably would be more appeal." A Rutgers spokesman said that the absence of ABC-TV executive producer Roone Arledge from the discussion may have prevented a final decision yesterday. Arledge was reportedly in Dallas for the Cowboys-Bills telecast last night. The spokesman also said that originally four schools were asked about shifting games to Thanksgiving night to accommodate ABC-TV, including East Carolina, although Gruninger would not confirm that. The athletic director did say, however, that he understood the Iowa State-Oklahoma State game might be televised in the Midwest.

VVV" (f- v- szzrmiL 5 Xt 1 I c. fj iiiTh Hiirffii UPI football poll AP football poll 1. Pittsburgh (10-O)- l. ULLA I 3 1 Cr-O-1) Pittsburgh 44. (10-0-0) UCLA 13.

(9-0-1) Southern Cal 1. (8-1-0) Michigan 2. (9-1-0) Texas Tech 1. (8-0-0) 1,093 834 786 663 Georgia, Cr-l-OJ PTS 3S9 330 303 268 235 20O 186 U9 41 28 25 24 23 12 tie Maryland 1. (1 0-O-ni- 663 3.

Southern California (1) (8-1) Michigan (3) (5-1) 5. Texas Tech (8-0) 6. Georgia (9-1) 7. Maryland (1) (10 0) i. Ohio State (8-1-1) 9, Oklahoma (7-2-1) 10.

Iowa State (8 2) 11. NeDraska (7-2-1) 12. Texas AIM (7-2) 13. Houston (6-2) 14. Notre Dame (7-2-0) 15.

Tulsa (7-2) Ohio State. (8-1-1) Houston. (6-2 0) Oklahoma, (7-2-1) Texas 1. (7-2-0) Nebraska. (7-2-1) Noire Dame.

(7-2-0) Iowa State. (8 2 0) 555 -315 285 271 203 189 188 10O 99 31 28 26 26 Colorado. (7-3-01- 16. Colorado (7-3) 17. Oklahoma State (6-3) is.

Kuigers 10-0) Oklahoma State, (6-3-01- Penn State. (7 3-0) Alabama. (7-3-0) Missouri, (6-4-0) tie Rutgers. (10-0-0) 19. (tiei Brigham Young (8-2) sue) Wyoming ib-) AP Photo Benny Barnes of Dallas brings O.J.

Simpson of the Bills to a halt. Cowboys uninspired His road to glory has no passing lane "Pearson just seemed to always get open when it was a critical situation," said Buffalo coach Jim Ringo, still looking for his first NFL victory after five tries. Buffalo now is 2-8 for the season. Staubach "Our offensive performance wasn't good at all." Pearson added, "The coach has to do something to get us fired up so he'll probably chew us out. We just haven't played to our potential." Buffalo's celebrated running back, O.J.

Simpson, agreed, saying, "I think they have some problems to work out before they can go to the Super Bowl." Simpson was held to 78 yards on 24 carries by the tough Cowboys' defense in the soldout nationally televised game which had 13,236 no-shows because of bitter 35-degree cold. Buffalo offensive guard Reggie Mc-Kenzie said, "I think Dallas can get back to the Super Bowl, but it's going to be tough. They are going to have to get by some tough teams. They were there last year, weren't they? They are good enough The Cowboys were given today off before preparing for Atlanta on Sunday. well," said Landry.

"It shows you something when you don't play well and still can win." Dallas is playing well enough to lead St. Louis by one game in the National Conference Eastern Division. The teams meet in a Thanksgiving Day showdown at Texas Stadium. "It still all comes down to that game," said Landry. Dallas played good defense but had an almost nonexistent rushing game.

Virtually the only offense were passes from quarterback Roger Staubach to his favorite receiver, Pearson. The duo clicked for 61 yards on two passes in 13 seconds just before the end of the first half for the go-ahead touchdown after Buffalo had tied the score 7-7 on a 29-yard touchdown pass from Gary Marangi to Reuben Gant. Dallas led briefly 7-0 in the second quarter on Preston Pearson's two-yard touchdown run. "That was the big drive of the game," said Landry. "We scored with 13 seconds to play in the half, and that takes something out of the other team." The payoff was a 21-yard touchdown pass from Staubach to Drew Pearson.

DALLAS (AP) Wide receiver Drew Pearson of the Dallas Cowboys had just caught nine passes for 135 yards, but he displayed a hang dog look on the sidelines as the final seconds ticked away in a 17-10 victory last night over the Buffalo Bills. "Boy, he's going to chew us out this time," Pearson said to a teammate. The other player nodded. "He" is Dallas coach Tom Landry, who has a 9-1 team that is playing bad and winning. In fact, the Cowboys are off to their finest start in their 16-year history in the National Football League.

Pearson said later, "We are professionals and if we don't play up to our level than we should expect to be chewed out." He was told that Landry says he never chews out players. Pearson answered with a smile, "If he says he doesn't chew us out then he doesn't." Landry did not sound like the Cowboys were in for too severe of a tongue-lashing. "We are not playing real good, but I remember last year we got beat three or four times when we didn't play When Tom Franco was an eighth-grade midget-league football player in Ridgefield Park four years ago, his teammates marveled at his ability to grasp the football. They called Franco "Sticky Fingers" then. The nickname had nothing to do with his ability to hold the ball, but rather his inability to let go of it.

Franco was a quarterback then, but one who showed only passing interest in passing. "I used to drop back to pass, and I really intendc': to pass," Franco says now, "but somehow I'd usually end up running. They used to mock me all the time. They used to say 'The arm goes up, but the ball stays I guess running was in my blood." Franco's blood is unchanged four years later. But Athlete of the Week Franco is now a running back in name as well as in action.

And run he does. Take, for instance, Saturday's Ridgefield Park game against Saddle Brook. The onetime quarterback carried the ball 32 times and gained 177 yards. Three of the carries and 78 of the yards were for touchdowns. The Record's Athlete of the Week also scored on a 90-yard kickoff return.

He did not throw, or even think about, a pass. "I don't really have anything against passing. Running is just more fun," Franco says. "Even when I was a quarterback. I didn't want to be.

The only reason I ever was was because of injuries to the other guys. "When I was in midget football, I played all over center, halfback, linebacker and quarterback. I was a halfback for a while. Then our regular quarterback, Steve Keenan now Ridgefield Park's basketball star, broke his collarbone. I took over.

Rick DiManno now the Ridgefield Park quarterback was on another team and he broke his collarbone too. "So when we were freshmen, I was the quarterback and Rick was a running back. Keenan stuck with basketball. My sophomore year, I was backup quarterback and -backup running back and Rick was a backup running back. Then my junior year, I was a running back all the way and coach Pete Natale started making Rick a quarterback.

"I think Rick wanted to be a running back too, but he played so well at quarterback he kind of made it impossible not to use him there." So Franco is a running back who has scored 19 touchdowns this season. He had 16 as a junior last year, tying Jim Rhodes of Northern Highlands for the County scoring title and earning a position on the all-Bergen County offensive first team. Not bad for a 5-foot-10, 175-pound would-be basketball star who doesn't like running off the field and feels he's not that gifted a runner. RP, St. Mary's are on, top Unbeatens rule roost Ridgefield Park's TOM FRANCO Unbeaten teams still rule the top three spots in The Record's scholastic football poll.

Ridgefield Park, Clifton and Northern Highlands remain 1-2-3 in the Group 3-4 competition, while St. Mary's, Hasbrouck Heights and Mahwah hold fast in Group 1-2. GROUP 3-4 1. Ridgefield Park (10 2. Clifton (3) -8 -8 -8' -6 -6 Pis.

62 54 40 24 9 3. Northern Highlands A. Bergenfield 5. Cliffside Park Also-rans: Queen of Peace 3, Ridgewood 1, River Dell 1, Passaic Valley 1. "I don't think I'm fast," Franco says, "and I still haven't learned to run that well.

When I was in the midgets, I used to run over guys. I'm just learning to use moves now. I'm not as quick as Keith Collova of Saddle Brook or Howie Thomas of Northern Highlands. "Coach wanted me to run track last spring improve my speed, but I really didn't concentrate on it that much. I used to play basketball and then run track and then play basketball again.

"But I increased my speed anyway. I'm having less problems going around the ends. And I hope it'll help in basketball. I really like basketball a lot, ya know. I don't mind passing in that game." MARTY NOBLE GROUP 1-2 1.

St. Mary's (9) 2. Hasbrouck Heights (3) 3. Mahwah (1) 4. Tenafly 60 51 45 25 14 Mahwah did pick up some ground with a first-place vote.

There was movement below the Thunderbirds as Tenafly moved up a notch into fourth and Rutherford returned to the top five. Among the larger schools, "Bergenfield stayed in fourth place despite 13-7 loss to Clifton. Cliffside Park picked up enough to support to take fifth place, however. Queen of Peace (7-1) drew some recognition and is on the verge of crashing the top five if one of the others falters. 5.

Rutherford First-place votes in parentheses. Votes tabulated on 5-4-3-2-1 basis). ets' Grote makes painful decision Catcher retires because of bad back Grote's back, Grote responded by hitting .435 in his next six games. Then, on Aug. 27, he injured his rib cage making a throw and didn't play again until Sept.

15. He played sparingly thereafter, especially after Stearns was recalled from Tidewater. "He will be missed," said Matlack. "He was a great asset to this pitching staff. He had stockpiled all that knowledge, and I think he was the best defensive catcher in the National League." Grote finished with a .272 average last year and a .251 lifetime mark.

"He really had improved as a hitter," said Unser. "Offensively, he was at the top of his game. But the pain I guess was too much." "We're certainly sorry to lose him," McDonald said. "And if he ever wants to come back, the door is open. By Marty Noble Staff Wnter NEW YORK Jerry Grote's decision to retire has come as no surprise to the Mets.

Grote has contemplated and discussed his retirement from baseball for the past three seasons. Now it's final. The pain in his back that prevented him from playing in the late stages of the 1976 season, and being away from his family and his Smiley, ranch have caused the Mets' veteran catcher to retire at age 34. He spent 11 of his 12 full seasons in the major leagues with the Mets. Grote last week told Mets general manager Joe McDonald of his intentions to retire.

Although no official announcement has been made, Grote's wife Sharon and McDonald have confirmed the retirement. Grote, as has been his prac- fe i. tice, chose not to talk. "He's been threatening for three years, and he's finally done it," said Jon Matlack, Grote's onetime roomate. "I can't say I'm surprised.

We all knew the pain he was putting up with." McDonald said Grote first spoke seriously of retiring in August and September of last season. "For awhile we thought he'd be coming back because he's talked about it before. He was earning a good salary, one which he deserved. But when a man is going through physical pain, who am I to say he should keep playing and keep hurting." Del Unser, was Grote's roommate in 1975 and last season before he was trad ed. He became one of Grote's closest friends.

"There were some pretty bad nights for Jerry," Unser has said, "when he couldn't sleep because of the pain. "He wanted to get out of baseball before the injury to his back became permanent. He wanted to be able to work on his ranch which he truly enjoys after he got out of baseball." "You know, he's accomplished a lot. He's been the catcher in a couple of World Series and he's caught some great pitchers. I know he wanted to get his hit and he got that this season.

Grote finished with 1,018 career hits." The loss of Grote elevates John Steams to the Mets' No. 1 catching position, a status McDonald said would have belonged to Stearns next season even if Grote returned. "I think Jerry's career had reached the point where, for physical reasons, he couldn't play every day," McDonald said. "We're prepared for losing him. John Stearns, we feel, can develop into another Jerry Grote.

He's a similar-type player." Grote played fairly regularly until midsummer when his back problems worsened. He twice visited Dr. Leroy Perry in Los Angeles in August. Perry had worked with members of the United States Olympics team. After the chiropractor and kinesiologist worked on Jerry Grote.