North County Times from Oceanside, California • 39

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2000 COLLEGE FOOTBAU NORTH 0 )t NTY TIMES Cl vols outplay Florida, butlose ASSOCIATE) PRESS on LTD 7 t. completion Palmer hit Gaffney. "In the huddle, we said 'let's go make some Palmer said. "You know you're a long way away, but you can see it. You can see you can get there." When the game ended, the crowd booed and the Gators celebrated on the field.

Trailing 23-17 after Alex Walls kicked a school-record tying fifth goal a 42-yarder early in the fourth quarter the Gators closed to 23-20 on Jeff Chandler's 32-yard field goal with 7:35 left. coach Steve Spurrier said. "And somehow we got more points." With a Neyland Stadium-record crowd of 108,768 cheering on the Vo Is, they failed to hold off the Gators' game-winning, 91-yard march that brought an end to Tennessee's 23-game home winning streak. "Right now our pride is hurt," Tennessee coach Phillip Fulmer said, "and we're really disappointed." It was the Vo ls inability to score touchdowns in the first half that eventually led to their downfall. And the defeat could n't have come in a more demoralizing fashion.

On the winning play, a firstand-goal from the Tennessee 3, Palmer threw a quick strike to Gaffney just over the goal line. Gaffney had the ball for an instant and then it was knocked loose by cornerback Willie Miles. But line judge Al Matthews ruled Gaffney made the catch, and the call stood after a brief conference with referee Al Ford. "I had it long enough for it to be a touchdown," said Gaffney, who finished with six catches for 91 yards. Miles had a different view.

"I saw the ball fall," he said. "I'm not a ref. What I think doesn't matter. The Gators won but the world knows about the last play. I thought they were going to overrule.

I don't think they were sure." The officials were not available for comment. What was certain, though, was the Gators (3-0, 1-0 SEC) had beaten the Vo ls (1-1, 0-1) for the 12th time in the last 15 meetings and now have the upper hand in the SEC East race. The winner of this game has won the division six times and the loser twice in the eight years since the league went to division play. Palmer is familiar with game-winning passes, but it's the first time in a real game he has pulled it off. "I've been in that situation five million times in Play Station," Palmer said, "but never in person.

It's something I've dreamed about." Florida took over on its own 9 and Palmer hit Gaffney for 33 yards, and then found Reche Caldwell for 21 yards to the Vo Is 5. A 5-yard penalty and a 7-yard Wisconsin in overtime Sub saves PRESS MADISON, Wis. Eddie Faulkner, subbing for the nation's second-leading rusher, scored on a spinning 16-yard run in overtime NWT as No. 4 Wiscon- andmiat 25 sin beat Cincinnati, 28-25, on Saturday to avoid a second straight loss to the Bearcats. The Bearcats (2-1) were about to wreck Wisconsin's season again when Faulkner bounced off the line and spun away from safety Dejuan Gossett, who had him by the sleeve.

As Faulkner pranced into the end zone, the Badgers (3-0) 6 1,, bl' k. it tz 0 ell r'C''1 4 11. ''N 0 ,..) 1 1 i ---111 1. 1 NI, clot, 11114 fa 3 30t WI I ,04 13.3k 7. 1-t 3 7 KNOXVILLE, Tenn.

Rocky Top hit rock bottom against the Florida Gators. Jesse Palmer threw a disputed 3-yard touch- FiOtidaillE down pass to Tennessee 23 Jabar Gaffney with 14 seconds remaining, lifting No. 6 Florida to an unlikely 27-23 victory over No. 11 Tennessee on Saturday. "No question, God was smiling on us because the other team outplayed us," Gators Neuheisel wins in Boulder PRESS BOULDER, Colo.

Marques Tuiasosopo rallied Washington to two fourth-quarter touchdowns, and the No. 9 Huskies held off Colorado, 17- 14, on Saturday as coach Rick Neuheisel made a triumphant return to Boulder. Washington (3-0) trailed 7-3 on 1 until Willie ashingt Hurst ran 2 Colorado yards for a touchdown on the second play of the fourth quarter, capping a 63-yard drive. When Colorado (0-3) followed with one of its many ineffective offensive series and punted, Washington went 69 yards in eight plays for the clinching touchdown. Tuiasosopo, who made key third-down plays all afternoon, scrambled for a 13-yard gain on third-and-9.

He passed 15 yards to tight end Jerramy Stevens, then hit Wilbur Hooks on a 24- yard scoring pass with 8:33 left for a 17-7 lead. Colorado, without an offensive score to that point, marched 97 yards in 10 plays for a touchdown. Bobby Pesavento, making his first start after two solid performances in relief, passed 19 yards to Javon Green for the score with 3:46 remaining. Green kept the drive stormed the field, relieved after their third straight close call. A loss to the Bearcats would have been devastating to the Badgers, but not as stunning as last year's 17-12 stumble.

This time, the Badgers were depleted by suspensions and the Bearcats, fresh off a victory over Syracuse, were strengthened by experience and a 2-0 start. In addition to star running back Michael Bennett, the Badgers were without their two best defensive players (tackle Wendell Bryant and All-American cornerback jamar Fletcher) and their top two receivers (Chris Chambers and Nick Davis). They were among a dozen downs for the Ho Ides (3-0), who led 35-0 at halftime in obliterating Rutgers' hope for its first 3- 0 start since 1981. Vick alone outgained the Scarlet Knights in the half, 209-131. The sophomore, quiet in Virginia Tech's 45-28 victory at East Carolina 10 days earlier, passed for 105 yards and rushed for 104 in the opening half, including the 8-yard flip that made it 28-0 10:29 before halftime.

On second-and-goal from the players who served suspensions for receiving unadvertised discounts at a shoe store. It all made for a thrilling afternoon at Camp Randall Stadium. Wisconsin went ahead 22-19 on quarterback Brooks Bollinger's 1-yard dive with 23 seconds left in regulation. But Antonio Chatman returned the kickoff 26 yards to the Bearcats' 33, then caught passes of 12, 13 and 13 yards from Deontey Kenner before Jason Mammarelli kicked a 46- yard field goal as time expired. In overtime, Cincinnati's Jonathan Ruffin, who missed an extra point in the fourth quarter, kicked a 20-yard field goal for a 25-22 lead.

ran right, cut inside a defender and dove for the end zone, somersaulting in the air before he landed, then popping up to his feet to the roars of the sellout crowd. Last season, in his much-anticipated debut, Vick ran for three TDs against James Madison, including a similar dive and flip, but sustained a leg contusion on the play and was forced to miss the Hokies' next game. Rutgers is latest Vick-tim of Hokies A ATEI) Washington tailback Braxton Cleman, center, is stopped by Colorado's Sean Jame, left, and Tyler Braxton (99) during first quarter Saturday. BLACKSBURG, Va. Michael Vick scored on a dazzling flip into the end zone, threw for a Virgirdlear touchdown Rutgers 01 and set up a third with a 45-yard escape and run as No.

8 Virginia Tech beat Rutgers, 49- 0, on Saturday. Lee Suggs ran for four touch alive with a one-handed, 53- yard reception to the Huskies' 12-yard line. Washington was unable to run out the clock and kicked the ball back to Colorado with 57 seconds left. A pass-interference penalty moved the ball to near midfield, but receiver Eric McCready was stripped of the ball on a reception arid the Huskies recovered. Neuheisel, who coached the Buffaloes for four seasons (1995-98), departed for Washington at the height of recruiting season 20 months ago, creat school passing records, appeared to injure his leg on the first drive of the second half.

He did not return. Luck and an incredible punting performance by Cal's Nick Harris helped the Golden Bears (14) keep pace with Illinois (3-0). A bizarre first half ended with Illinois up 14-9, and the Cal punter a serious candidate for player of the game. Four times in the half, Harris punts pinned the Illini inside their 5. Another punt was downed at the Illinois 10.

Illinois knocks down Cal's upset bid ing considerable ill will. His Huskies beat Colorado, 31-24, in Seattle last season. Freshman cornerback Phil Jackson returned an interception 28 yards for a touchdown as Colorado, despite being out-gained 194-107 in the first half, led 7-3 at intermission. Washington drove inside the Colorado 10 on its first two possessions but managed only a field goal. The Buffaloes, victimized by penalties and dropped passes, had won their previous 12 home openers.

The bad field position paralyzed Illinois. Kittner's 5-yard touchdown pass to Josh Whitman on the first drive put the Mini up 7-0. But after that, starting deep in their own territory on almost every drive, the Mini struggled to mount an attack. Harris' uncanny kicking helped Cal get its first points. He dropped a 47-yard punt at the Illinois 2.

Two plays later, Cal's Shaun Paga sacked Kittner in the end zone to make it 7-2 with 13 minutes left in the first half. Paddock was Just for hors. it '4k .,4,.. Ror 4. to, 01 Amur A 1 i 1 I 1 A 0 AL 1 ON LEcT FooTwEAR AppADEL 1 i When you take es an additional 30 off.

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