The Daily Advertiser from Lafayette, Louisiana • 8

LOOKING FOR NINTH VICTORY Revenge-Minded Cajuns Await Weber State Wildcats Zft Bailg Aiiucrtiscr Sports they aren't in Ogden tonight, they're Blackham Coliseu dubbed the Black Hole of college basketball for the way opponents seem to disappear. USL sports a 72-10 record (.878) in Blackham over the past six years, including 5-0 thus far this season, 13-1 last season, and a 16-1 standard in 1981-82. Cajun teams have won 37 of their last 39 home contests. The Cajuns start the new year fresh off a rousing performance in the Sugar Bowl Basketball Tournament last week, in which they disposed of Florida 74-65 and Kansas 54-45 to annex their first Sugar Bowl crown. Senior forward Dion Brown was the tournament MVP and was joined on the All-Tournament Team by sophomore guard George Almones.

Strangely absent from the team 47.2 for the opposition. It is a team that played smothering defense in the Sugar Bowl event, and a team that feeds off the rabid fans it attracts to Blackham. Word has it the crowd is thinking revenge, too. CAJUN CLIPPINGS Alonza Allen continues his assault on the USL scoring ledger, standing now at 974 points after his Sugar Bowl performance. He is aiming to become the 17th player in USL history to reach 1,000 points.

Already at 1,000 on this year's club are Warner (13th-place 1,373, six short of passing Boo Cutrer for 12th place) and Brown 1,107 in 15th). The home stand continues for the Cajuns Saturday night against New York State-Fredonia, before next Monday's big matchup with the Marquette Warriors closes the three-game stand for Paschal's red-hot club. was senior Alonza Allen, who scored 32 points in the two games. Allen leads the Cajuns with a 16.7 scoring average, while also contributing 6.3 rebounds, three assists, and almost two steals per game. Brown, who had 23 points and 28 rebounds in the Sugar Bowl, comes in at 15.8 points and 10.6 caroms per contest.

Next for the balanced Cajuns is Almones, with a 15.7 scoring average, 3.1 rebounds, and 3.3 assists. Senior forward Graylin Warner averages 13.1 points and 7.7 rebounds per game. Rounding out the starting nve is point guard Drexal Allen, owner of a 10.8 average and 4.3 assists per tilt. Paschal 106-49 at USL) has a team outscoring foes 81.8 to 63.3 and out-rebounding them 37.2 to 26.3, a team hitting 54.2 of its shots to just McCarthy, who in eight years at Weber State has produced five 20-win seasons, four NCAA Tournament berths, and four of the last eight Big Sky Conference crowns, has another productive outfit this season. The Wildcats are 9-2 after defeating Texas 82-67 last Friday night in the finals of the Utah Classic, are averaging 79 points a game while surrendering 70, and start three players who had a part in last year's dismantling of the Cajuns.

Junior forward Randy Worster had 15 points in that matchup, and the 6-7 reoounder is averaging 12 points and five rebounds per game this campaign. Senior 6-2 guard John Price i Four points vs. USL) is at 13 points per game. And senior 6-2 guard Greg Jones 113 vs. the Cajuns) comes in at 10 points and five boards per night.

WSU's other two starters are 6-3 ByBRUCEBROWN Advertiser Sports Editor A revenge-minded band of USL Ragin' Cajuns are primed tonight to reverse one of the worst basketball losses in the school's history when they take on the Weber State Wildcats in Blackham Coliseum. Last January, Coach Bobby Paschal's crew ventured to Ogderi. Utah to play the Wildcats of Coach Neil McCarthy and came out on the short end of an 85-59 licking that still lurks in the recesses of the Cajuns minds The Cajuns went on to post a 22-7 overall finish, complete with their second straight NCAA Tournament bid, while Weber State also went to the NCAA tourney and finished up 23-8, so the game was not pivotal for either club. But still, losing by 26 points does tend to stick in one's craw. 8 LafaycrteJLa, Tuesday, Jon.

3, 1984 junior forward Charles Carradine (11.0, 7.2) and 7-0 junior center Shawn Campbell (11.4, 7.5). The only losses for the Wildcats were a 58-55 home loss to Lamar and a 69-63 setback to Utah State. Against Eastern Washington, a team USL defeated 83-70, WSU took a 74-63 triumph. McCarthy's team is nearly unbeatable at home but then again NEBRASKA TOPPLED IN ORANGE BOWL CLASSIC Hurricane Warning Miami Stakes Claim To No. 1 record, and Gill with an empty feeling.

"I knew we could come back and score I didn't know if we could win," said the senior quarterback, who completed 16 of 30 passes for 172 yards. "We just had to keep on going It feels like we haven't done anything all yearlong." Kosar, who hit 19 of 35 passes and was intercepted once, helped Miami to a 17-0 'Surely we should be No. 1. Is there any Howard Schnellenberger By FRED GOOD ALL AP Sports Writer MIAMI (AP) Pour months of hard work and sweat came down to a two-point conversion for No. 1.

Success would have assured powerful Nebraska of its first national championship since 1971, but the Cornhuskers' bid to be perfect may well have cost them the crown that's been within their grasp twice in the past three years. "We were trying to win the game," Nebraska Coach Tom Osborne said Monday night after fifth-ranked Miami foiled the Big Eight champion's last-minute, two-point conversion attempt and came away from the golden anniversary Orange Bowl with a 31-30 vitory. "I don't think our players would have been satisfied to back into it (national championship) by kicking a point after touchdown," Osborne added. "You can't go for a national title that way. We wanted to win and remain unbeaten." A tie with Coach Howard Schnellen-berger's Hurricanes may have been all the Cornhuskers needed to become the first tem since 1945 to hold on to No.

1 in the Associated Press rankings from the preseason to postbowl poll. 'I don't think our players would have been satisfied to back into it (national championship) by kicking a point after touchdown. You can't go for a national title that way. We wanted to win and remain Tom Osborne first-quarter lead, throwing touchdown passes of 2 and 22 yards to tight end Glenn Dennison and setting up Jeff Davis' 45-yard field goal with pinpoint throwing. Mike Rozier, Nebraska's Heisman Trophy winner, rolled up impressive statistics, meanwhile, gaining 138 of his 147 yards in the first half.

But it was guard and Outland Trophy winner Dean Steinkuhler who ran for the Cornhuskers' first touchdown on a trick play, sweeping left end after picking up Gill's intentional fumble. "We had been told they might use that play," said Tony Fitzpatrick, Miami's middle guard. When he picked it up, he looked Tike Herschel Walker running out there." Gill sneaked the final yard of a 10-play, 64-yard drive that enabled Nebraska to pull within three points by halftime. "We played really well early," said Schnellenberger, whose team ran its record to 25-2 in the Orange Bowl, its homefield, over the past five seasons. "I reminded them (at halftime) that we were still ahead 17-14 and that we had won the first half.

"We had to go back out, regain the momentum, move the football and win the second half," added Schnellenberger. "We did that." The Hurricanes regained control, scoring two touchdowns on runs of 1 and 7 yards by Alonzo Highsmith and Albert Bentley respectively in a five-minute span of the third quarter. The burst gave Miami a 31-17 lead that Nebraska sliced to seven points when Smith, who replaced Rozier when the Heisman winner left with an ankle injury late in the (Continued On P99) Miami 17 I 14 0 31 Nebraska 14 3 13 10 Mia-Dennison 2 pass from Kosar (J. Davis kick) Mia-FG J. Davis 45 Mia-Oennison22 passtrom Kosar (J, Daviskick) Neb-Steinkuhler 19 run with intentional tumble by QB Gill I Livingston kick) Neb-Gill 1 run (Livingston kick) Neb-FG Livingston 34 Mia-Highsmithl run (J, Daviskick) Mia-Bentley 7 run (J, Daviskick) Neb-J, Smith 1 run (Livingstonkick) Neb J.

Smith 24 run (pass tailed) GILL NETTED Nebraska quarterback fourth quarter two-point conversion pass fell Turner Gill leaves the field in dejection incomplete in a 31-30 defeat at the hands of Monday night at the Orange Bowl after his the Miami Hurricane. AP Laserphoto DENNISON DOUBLE University of Miami tight end Glenn Dennison 86 is held by teammate C. Schnellenberger after he scored one of his two touchdowns against Nebraska in the 50tn Annuai Orange Bowl Classic Monday night in Miami. The Hurricanes blew down the Cornhurskers, 31-30. (APLaserphoto) Now, with No.

2 Texas falling to Georgia 10-9 in the Cotton Bowl, it appears Miami as the best bet of ousting the Cornhuskers from the top spot when the AP releases its final poll EST. "Surely we should be No. 1," said Schnellenberger. "Is there any question?" "We'll just have to leave it to the pollsters," said Osborne, whose team dropped a 22-15 decision to national champion Clemson in the 1982 Orange Bowl. Miami redshirt quarterback Bernie Kosar passed for an Orange Bowl-rccord 300 yards and two touchdowns to pace the victory, the Hurricanes' 11th straight since a season-opening 28-3 loss at Florida.

Nebraska, held to 459 yards offensively -nearly 100 below its per game average overcame a 17-0 deficit and came within a point of wiping out a 31-17 Miami lead when Jeff Smith took a pitchout from Turner Gill and ran 24 yards for a touchdown on fourth-and-eight with 48 seconds remaining. There will be some who'll second guess Osborne's decision to go for the two-point conversion and a victory, but not Schnellenberger. "I wasn't surprised," he said. "He (Osborne) knew he was going to do it. I knew he was going to do it.

Everybody in the stands knew and everybody in Nebraska knew," added Schnellenberger. "He's a winner, a player's coach and he did what those people would do." Nebraska's dream of an unbeaten season was shattered when Gill's two-point conversion pass bounded off Smith's hands in the end zone as Miami's Kenny Calhoun defended. The loss left the Cornhuskers with a 12-1 DYE SA YS TITLE IS CUT AND DRIED Auburn Tigers Slip Past Wolverines First downs 22 Rushes yards 28 1 30 56 287 Passing yards 300 1 72 Return yards JO 40 Passes 19 35 1 16 30 1 Punts 4-42 3 38 Fumbles lost 1-1 6 1 Penalties yards 13-101 4 51 Time ot Possession 27:53 3 2:07 INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS RUSHING Miami, Highsmith 1 50 Bentley 10-46, K. Gritlin 9 41. Nebraska, M.

Rozier 25-147, J. Smith9 99, Gill 11 19. PASSING Miami, Kosar 19 35 1-300, Nebraska, Gill 16 30 1-172 RECEIVING Miami, Brown 6 115, Shakespeare 3 63. Dennison 3 44. Bentley 3 36, Griffin 3 35 Nebraska, Fryar 561, Simmons 2 36, Kimball 221, Engebritson 221, Schellen 2 15, Roner 2 4 By AUSTIN WILSON AP Sports Writer NEW ORLEANS (AP) It was the narrowest of victories, but still wide enough that Auburn Coach Pat Dye felt justified in staking his claim for college football's national championship.

Third-ranked Auburn, 11-1 downed eighth-ranked Michigan 9-7 in the Sugar Bowl Monday night. The victory came as top-ranked Nebraska was falling to Miami in the Orange Bowl and after No. 2 Texas lost to Georgia in the Cotton Bowl. Dye said that Auburn deserved the national title for two reasons: it's the highest ranked surviving team, and it played the nation's toughest schedule during the regular season. "It's cut and dried," he said.

"If they are going to have a No 1 football team in America, and it's going to have any credibility if there's any credibility in scheduling if Nebraska loses tonight, there's no way that Auburn shouldn't be No.l." The Associated Press releases its poll at EST. Kicker Al Del Greco accounted for all of Auburn's points with three second-half field goals, chipping away at the 7-0 lead Michigan established in the first quarter on a 4-yard run by Steve Smith. Del Greco's field goals were from 31 yards out with 6:17 left in the third quarter, from 32 yards with 8:51 left in the fourth quarter, and from 19 yards with 23 seconds remaining. "That's the first time I ever kicked one in the final minute," the senior kicker said after the game. "I have no words to FREE FREE FREE FREE FREE "The defense was outstanding.

We lost the game on offensive mistakes," he said. "In the second half, penalties or something seemed to stop us on every drive." Michigan did draw penalties on two of its six possessions in the second half, but Smith's inability to complete his passes was the big factor. He hit his passing hand on a helmet in the second quarter and played with a swollen finger the rest of the way. "I lost the feeling in it," he said. "But it didn't affect me that much we just didn't play well." "I couldn't throw a spiral to save my life," he said.

"The biggest trouble I had was that I kept getting hit," he said. "We wanted to throw the football, but on a third down situation, when they know you're going to throw the ball, that defensive line sort of pins its ears back and comes at you. Schembechler, whose team finished 9-3, would not be drawn into Dye's campaign for the national title. "As long as Michigan is not No. 1 don't care who is, "he said.

"If Auburn wins the national championship, I am for it. They are a class team. But I don't have a vote." s500.00 Free furniture for Every SS00. 00 Purchase I Whether You Charge or Pay Cash Furniture Mart Snake Rejects Offer From Memphis Showboats describe now nappy am." He said he went through the game-winning scenario over and over in his mind at practice during Sugar Bowl preparations and dreamed of booting the winning kick as he sat alone in his room. "A kicker always sits back at night and dreams about something like that." he said.

When it came, it was almost an anticlimax, he said. "All I did was go in and kick. Everybody expected me to make it, and I should, because it was a close field goal," he said. "The only thing that worried me was out of the corner of my eye, I saw this guy rushing from the left," he said. "I said.

'Please, don't block It missed his hand about 6 inches. "I saw it hit the net, and then all hell broke loose." Auburn halfback Bo Jackson, who rushed for 131 yards on 22 carries, was named the game's most valuable player, but he said the trophy went to the wrong man. "I would like to present it to Lionel James," he said. James, Auburn's other starting halfback, got 94 yards on 18 carries. "He's my Jackson said of the 170-pounder Jackson said that when he went on to the field and saw that Michigan was noticeably smaller than teams Auburn played through the year, he thought he was in for an easy night But the longer the game went, the bigger the swarming defenders got, he said "At times, I wanted to throw my helmet down and say, 'To heck with it.

Let's go back to "he said. Michigan, averaging over 400 yards of offense a game, managed just 243 against Auburn 118 rushing and 125 passing. And 60 of those passing yards came on the final two plays of the game Smith was 9-25-1 passing and rushed nine times for 14 yards. Rick Rogers had 58 yards rushing in the first quarter for Michigan and finished with 86. Four of Smith's completions came in the first quarter, as well, as the Wolverines got 116 yards of offense to 61 for Auburn.

Michigan Coach Bo Schembechler said his team played hard, but not always well. A Local Family Owned Operated Store NEW ORLEANS (AP) Kenny Stabler it Hilton Duplechi rejected a II million offer to forsake the Bert Duplechien Sales New Orleans Saints of the National Football League for the new Memphis Showboats of the fledgling United States Football League. 18 MONTH INTEREST FREE FINANCING! txampies ot the Free Furniture Sale Purchase of You Get: 1 i 1 fc I A A I 500.00 $1000.00 $2000.00 $4000.00 Stabler was hired by Coach Bum Phillips after being waived by Houston, from fired Phillips prior to the 1981 season. Plagued by knee problems, Stabler finished the 1983 season with 176 completions in 311 pass attempts for 1,988 yards and nine touchdowns. He also threw 18 interceptions.

Although Stabler will become a free agent if he isn't signed by Feb. 1, Phillips has said the veteran has a job with the team "as long as he wants it." He reportedly was paid $600,000 for the 1983 season Memphis confirmed the $1 million offer, even though Stabler is scheduled for arthroscopic knee surgery this month Showboats lawyer Robert Fraley said Dec. 21 that the team had reached "an agreement in principle" with Pitts, but Stabler said that day that he had not yet been informed of the offer Everybody approved Fast free delivery within 100 miles Layaways welcomed The Fast9St Growjnq Furnitur0 Sfore. MkMfjtn 0 0 7 Auburn 1 MICH-S Smith 4 run (Bererofl kick) AUB-FG Del Greco 31 AUB-FG Del Greco 32 AUB-FG Del Greco If Mich Aub First down I 21 Rushes yards 3I H8 67 301 Passing yards I3J 31 Return yards '3 I Passes 35 1 2 6 1 Punts 131 4-41 Fumbles lost '3 Penalties yards 3 IS Time ot Possession 21: Jl 37 33 INDIVIDUAL LEADERS RUSHING Michigan, Rogers 17 86, Smith 9-14, Auburn, Jackson 22 130. Agte 16 93, James II 83 PASSING Michigan, Smith 9 25 1 125 Auburn.

Campbell 26 I 31. RECEIVING Michigan, Markray 3 61, Bean 3 37. Nelson 3 20 Auburn. James I IS. Jackson 1 6 his lawyer-agent said Monday.

In a telephone interview, Henry Pitts of Selma, said Stabler rejected the Memphis offer because he felt obliged to continue building the Saints into a championship contender. Stabler, a 38-year-old whose brittle knees face a surgeon's knife again this month, led New Orleans to an 8-8 finish in his second season with the club, tying the Saints' best record ever in 17 NFL seasons "He said he was very flattered as it was a very lucrative offer, but that he did not feel like the job had been completed that he started in New Orleans," Pitts said Bb WE LI TURN YOU ON TO VALUE Jj FURNITURE MART OF LAFAYETTE, INC. 401 St. John St. (Second Floor) 427 St.

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