The Daily Advertiser from Lafayette, Louisiana • 21

USL 15 Florida ft 4 Auburn 16 Ga. Tech 1 Virginia ft 2 Notre Dame Navy ft 9 3 Nebraska y-3j Ole Miss LSU La. Tech NLU SFA McNeese i I Vr College IVFL Football iMIA SECTION Sunday, November 4, 1990 soar over luckless Cajuns .14 .13 .19 .10 .31 ...7 .30 ...9 C-4 C-9 C-10 Eagles By BIUCE BROVIN Sports Editor Time stood still Saturday for USLs Ragin Cajuns. Too bad it couldnt have gone backwards a few seconds. In a game played without a malfunctioning scoreboard clock, the Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles scored on the last snap of the ball to edge the Cajuns 14-13, spoiling USL homecoming festivities and plungihg Coach Nelson Stokley to his first losing season at the school.

It was almost a mirror image of last years meeting between the two, when Mike Lemoines 50-yard field goal at game's end lifted the Cajuns to a 24-21 win in a USM homecoming game USL dominated. This time around, Coach Curley Hallmans Eagles had 405 yards to just 194 for their hosts, and yet needed every second of action to erase five lost fumbles and tenacious play by the Cajuns. The Eagles didn't need a 50-yard field goal, but they did need senior quarterback Brett Favre to wave running back Michael Welch into position for an 11-yard touchdown pass at games end. Jim Taylors extra point decided the issue, as most of the 17,860 fans stood in stunned disbelief. Until that last pass, it looked as though the Cajuns had dodged enough bullets to survive.

This was especially true with 1 53 remaining when senior cornerback Todd Scott claimed a Tony Smith fumble in the north end zone to blunt what could have been the game-winning drive. Scott's first-half 63-yard return of a Smith fumble had set up USLs only touchdown of the day, and it appeared he had collected the daily double. All the Cajuns needed was a first down or two for a ninth straight homecoming win. But first downs came hard (10 total), as did rushing yards (18 Rebels Randy Baldwin (21 48 ..7 41 38 52 31 27 12 1 i' i 4 -JC- Tt I S. The Advertiser-KENT DAVIDSON Saturday.

Scott wasn't enough to Southern Mississippi victory, and Chad Loup may also be in jeopardy of being lost. I dont know who we will have to play next week, said Archer, but we will go to Alabama and play hard. The 79,634 fans, fourth largest crowd in Tiger Stadium history, may have sensed it would not be a good night after the Rebels took the opening kickoff in for a touchdown. Ole Miss quarterback Russ Shows was methodical as he drove his team 84-yards for the score a one yard plunge by Randy Baldwin, his first of three scores. It was the fifth time this year the Rebels had scored on their first possession.

I thought their first drive set the tempo of the game, said Archer. We thought coming in that this was the best Ole Miss team wed seen here, and they proved it tonight. LSU tried to answer, but to no (See LSU, page C-3) The Associated Press Laserphoto i i I i I 1 I 1 i USL senior Todd Scott cuts through traffic, homecoming including Gerald Blake (21), en route to a 41- prevent a 14-13 yard punt return that set up a Cajun field goal at Ole Miss overcomes Tigers in ho-hum renewal of rivalry net), so it was little surprise when three thrusts got just eight yards and USL had to punt the ball away. Kim Heberts kick sailed to Smith at the USM 40, and Smith, who had earlier set up Quentis Caseys first Eagle TD of 26 yards (coming with 8:14 to play) with a 19-yard runback, got 25 to the USL 45. Favre, operating without timeouts since the USM defense used all three on the previous USL series, got a break when interference was called on USLs Van Ray Alexander for tripping Michael Jackson.

A 16-yard walk-off placed the ball at the 29, and Favre hit passes of eight, six and four yards to Dwayne Nelson, Mark Montgomery and Welch before stopping the clock with a spiked incompletion with 12 seconds left. Favre bought time with a scramble before lofting one too high for Montgomery. Then on fourth down from the 11, Favre waited for Welch to clear, waved him into position, and fired a strike that Welch clutched with a leaping reception. It couldnt have hurt more if the Cajuns had been shot. This was a tough, tough loss for us, said an exhausted Stokley.

Theres nothing that I could tell them thats going to help. Youre always super-excited to win any football game, said Hallman, who coached with Stokley on Clemsons 1981 national champion team. If you take a lead early and hang on, or trade points back and forth all night its exciting. But to come back and win the 5 way we did I dont know if Ive ever felt any stronger feelings in my career, including being with national champions, than I do for that bunch. For Scott, whose 41-yard punt return set up one of two Mike (See Cajuns, page C2) The Associated Press Laserphoto dives for a touchdown erfront Stadium.

The last time they played there was Sept. 23, when they drubbed New England. Women reporters in the locker room werent yet an issue. The Bengals were still unbeaten. And Saints starting quarterback John Fourcade was trying to cut down on his interceptions.

As they get comfortable at home again, Wyche is $27,000 poorer for barring a woman reporter, the Bengals have the NFLs most unpredictable offense, and Saints starting quarterback Steve Walsh is trying to cut down on his interceptions. A lot to take in. A lot to forget. Its good to be home, running back James Brooks said wearily. Its over with.

Six of the Bengals last eight games will be at Riverfront Stadium, an antiseptic concrete circle that feels awfully warm and cozy right now. The fans are behind you instead of booing you. That hasnt Wliat now for Cajuns? WHY do these things just keep happening to USL? Its kind of hard to explain why we didnt win, said Todd Scott, who set up a touchdown and a field goal with a fumble runback and punt return, and almost saved the game with a late recovery, only to see USL lose 14-13 to Southern Mississippi on Saturday. In football, said Scott, you never know until its over. We tried to take away their big plays, but they kept coming at us.

This was probably the most simple team we had to prepare for. We had a simple gameplan. But they just line up and kill people. THE EAGLES killed the Cajuns homecoming victory streak at eight, stifled their will with 278 yards and 20 first downs in the second half alone and halted USL Coach Nelson Stokleys streak of winning seasons at four. Coach Curley Hallmans team was 6-3 coming in, with losses coming by margins of one, three and four points, and was eager to hear from bowl scouts with a win at Cajun Field and a solid game next week at Auburn.

USM turnovers five lost fumbles) and Cajun tenacity had USL ahead 13-0 after three periods. But woeful offense finally proved too much for the Cajun defense to carry. Same song, repeat the verse, in a six-of-seven losing streak for the 3-6 Cajuns. OUR GUYS wanted this win very badly, and this ones going to take a lot out of them, said Stokley. Were just going to have to play hard in our last two games.

Its tough to try to motivate people after something like this. A winning season is out the window, and its down to just having pride in the way we play. Just to go out there and have the opportunity to win should be enough motivation, but were going to have to do a great job of coaching from here on in. Thats unlikely at this point. IT isnt much fun right now, said Stokley.

I wish we could start over from day one and have some good things happen. Nothing good has happened to this team for most of the year, and youve got to make those things happen. I dont know what the stats were, but we played hard and made some things happen on defense. Offensively, we dont have a lot of confidence in ourselves right now, so we knew we would have to play very well on defense. CLEARLY, the Cajun defense held on for as long as possible.

Scott (nine tackles), linebackers William Sims 14 tackles), Dwayne Fontenette (18-yard sack, two forced fumbles) and Lamar Evans (two recoveries) and safeties Van Ray Alexander and Peter Hypolite spent themselves. And Terrance Matthews excelled on defense and in the kicking game. But when the offense does nothing all night, it becomes impossible to hold your finger in ti dike any longer. USM got yards and 12 first down? in the fourth period. EN Cajun scoring was set up mainly by Scott, not by any impressive drives or well-executtd strategy.

This is a team Without punch. This a team without a carrot dc ngling in front, save that of in iividual pride. I feel 'or Nelson and his players," aid Hallman. Sometim when you get in a rut its ver difficult to get out. No kidding.

Auburn 48-7 Saturday night. LSU, who must next travel to Tuscaloosa to face Alabama, fell to '4-4 overall and 2-3 in SEC play. This win ranks right up there with some of the biggest weve had at Ole Miss, said Ole Miss head Coach Billy Brewer. When you come into a place like this, you have to have a plan and great faith. We had both tonight.

I told this team tonight that I wanted them to take us to the next level and they did, Brewer said. LSU may be young, but they have a very talented football team. Unfortunately, LSU lost some of that talent as well as the game as both linebacker Anthony Williams and wide receiver Todd Kinchen went down to season ending injuries. Williams, who injured his knee in the first half, will have surgery today while Kinchen, who suffered a broken clavical (collarbone), is also lost for the season. But the bad news doesnt stop there as both Derriel McCorvey By PHILIP TIMOTHY Staff Sports Writer BATON ROUGE There were no 89-yard punt return, no goal line stands, no touchdown passes at the final gun.

Why it wasnt even October, it was November. LSUs 19-10 loss to the University of Mississippi Saturday night certainly wasnt one of the classics in this storied 79-year old series between the two rivals. It was just another low point in an already frustrating season for the LSU Tigers. Were not at a level where we can have so many mistakes and expect to win, said LSU head coach Mike Archer. This is the eighth game of the year and its ridiculous for us to continue to be making this many mistakes each ball game.

With Saturday nights win the 17th ranked Rebels (8-1, 4-1) now share first place in the Southeastern Conference with Florida (7-1, 4-1). The Gators beat third ranked happened for a while, Brooks said. You play harder at home. This will be a fresh start because were playing at home, Wyche said. Maybe well have to drive to the stadium and practice there, just to refresh our memory of how it is.

For starters, they might try to remember what its like to have a balanced offense. The Bengals were wildly inconsistent on the road trip. Consider the variation in passing yards: 161, 464, 135, 85, 228. Or their rushing totals: 69, 99, 116, 223, 84. No one in tiger stripes can explain it.

Right now, were bouncing like a ping pong ball, quarterback Boomer Esiason said. Maybe we can develop some consistency at home. Theyd like to start against a New Orleans team thats been consistent in just one area: giving the ball away. (See Saints, page C-2) Weary Bengals host Saints CINCINNATI AP) No crosscountry flights this week for the Cincinnati Bengals. No room service.

No hostile crowd to jeer them at the pre-game introduction. No wonder theyre feeling good about playing the New Orleans Saints on Sunday. Its been six weeks since the Bengals (5-3) have played at home. Their five-week road show, made necessary by the Cincinnati Reds playoff success, made them travel-weary just halfway through the season. The five-game road trip did take something out of us, coach Sam Wyche said.

No one can deny that. Just how much is anybodys guess at this point. They went 2-3 on their swing through Seattle, Los Angeles, Houston, Cleveland and Atlanta, winning two impressively and losing three by lopsided scores. The only constant is they still hold first place in the AFC Central as they get reacquainted with Riv Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Boomer Esiason tries to get back on track against New Orleans Saint defense 1 i 1 i I Ml iOi i Ifc.