Johnson City Press from Johnson City, Tennessee • 17

rr JOHNSON OHY-PRESS-CHRONICLE oo Mriu MUII M(M Oct 21 1984 8: Sin defeat :4 By Chris Dortch P-C Managing Sports Editor GREENVILLE NC East Tennessee States football team has followed a definite' pattern the last two seasons Simply put that pattern very much in evidence during ETSUs 24-6 loss to East Carolina Saturday calls for the Buccaneers to play well defensively and just good enough offensively to reach their opponents 20-yard line Indeed though ETSU has won four games this season its offense has scored but five touchdowns This modus operandi is hardly acceptable to ETSU head coach Buddy Sasser or his team but it has been tough enough to adequately define some have blamed plain old bad luck much less correct Two examples of the problem occured in the' fourth quarter Saturday with the Bucs trailing 14-6 and still in the game With 11:57 to play East Carolina flanker Henry Williams having gotten the football on a reverse fumbled ETSU linebacker Gary Ingman recovering on the ECU 34-yard line On the Bucs first play from scrimmage quarterback Robbie White lofted a pass to flanker Paul Rose who had broken free of coverage on a stop and go pattern Realizing he was beaten ECU comerback Kevin Walker knocked Rose to the ground and the ball sailed into the waiting hands of the Pirates Stefon Adams at his own goal line Pass interference was not called on the play "There wasnt any question about it said Rose about a potential pass interference call "The official had his hand on his flag and took it off when the ball was intercepted Thats home cooking Par for the course "We ran the stop earlier to Keith Rutledge and he caught the ball We knew it would be open if their comerback bit He bit but then he came back and hit me If he hadnt hit me it was six points I was looking around for a flag thinking surely somebody would throw one but no one ever did "Their whole coaching staff told us after the game it was interference that they couldnt believe the call wasnt made Sasser said "It was an obvious call I hate to use that as an excuse why we lost the game but every now and then you get messed over and you have to say something about it Despite that wild series of events the Bucs were still in the game when ECU running back Bubba Bunn fumbled and the Bucs Pemell Latham recovered on the ETSU 42-yard line A 16-yard pass play from White to tight end Danny Cox advanced the ball to the ECU 42-yard line but after a four-yard gain by tailback Jerry Butler White was dropped for a four-yard loss Shaken up on the play White was removed from the game and did not return That play put the Bucs in a third down and 10 situation but substitute quarterback Walt Bowlin drilled a pass to Rose who caught the ball on the ECU 24-yard line for a gain of 18 yards As if on cue Bowlins next pass was intercepted by ECUs PJ Jordan The Pirates failed to move the football however and the Bucs seemingly still had their chances until Rutledge fumbled Jeff Bolchs punt on the ETSU 24- yard line Seizing that opportunity the Pirates drove for a clinching field goal by Jeff Heath and got a touchdown two minutes later when Bunn trying to run out the clock knifed his way for a 42-yard touchdown run "It sure didnt look like they were that much better than us Sasser said pointing at a still-illuminated scoreboard in ECUs empty Ficklen Stadium "We had our chances We can move the football as well as any team Ive ever coached we just cant seem to stick it in The statistics wfould seem to support Sassers comments The Bucs had an edge in first downs (24-9) total yards (314-312) offensive plays (83-50) and time of possession (38 minutes to 21) The difference in the game seemed to be the Pirates ability to make big plays ECUs first-half touchdowns came on a 29-yard run by Bunn who finished with 161 yards rushing on 14 carries and a 46-yard pass from Ron Jones to Ricky Nichols Thats a lot of real estate chewed up in a Please see BUCS Page 19 ETSUs Jerry Butler is stopped by East Carolina linebacker Robert Washington AP Laserphoto' in Saturdays game Lack of scoring frustrates ETSU players By Keith Kimberlin P-C Assistant Sports Editor GREENVILLE NC For the last two football seasons offensive explosivness has not exactly been the trademark of East Tennessee State football Except for a 45-0 blitzing of The Citadel last season the Buccaneers offense has been virtually ineffective when it comes to putting points on the scoreboard It was the same old story in Saturdays 24-6 loss to East Carolina Five times ETSU drives carried inside ECUs 30-yard line ETSU ran 84 offensive plays and rolled up 314 net yards two more than the Pirates The Bucs had poses-sion of the ball for 38:15 of the game ECUs defense spent most of the second half on the field The Bucs outgained the Pirates 110-41 in the third period we cant put it in Its very frustrating for our offense to get that close and not score Especially painful were the two opening drives of the second half On the initial drive of the third period ETSU marched down the field A personal foul by ECU after an eight-yard run by quarterback Robbie White gave the Bucs the ball on the 10-yard line Three plays netted three yards After driving 67 yards and using 5:12 of the clock the Bucs had to setttle for a 21-yard field goal by Campbell The second drive of the half began when Pemell Latham recovered a fumble by ECU running back Bubba Bunn at ETSUs 49 The Bucs began moving again and had a first and 10 at the 14 Three plays lost eight yards and Campbell missed a 39-yarder Two golden opportunities had gone by the wayside Vols ignite to edge past Alabama by 1 White who had to leave the game in the fourth quarter says the Bucs have to come together offensively "I think its a matter of concentration White said "We had some plays for Jerry on the goal line and he was hurt when we got down there a couple of times But I dont think that was the difference We still should have scored "We just have to concentrate more on offense We seem to lose it every time we get in scoring position What makes this so hard to take is we felt like we could and should have beaten this team It hasnt always been like that but it was for this game ETSUs offense is now averaging only eight points per game The Buccaneers have not exceeded the 20 point mark in any game this season In fact its only happened twice in the last 18 games Allen for no gain Johnny McAdams stopped Don Horstead for no gain and Tommy Sims successfully defended against a Vince Sutton pass intended for flanker Greg Richardson Tennessee then seized the opportunity ns freshman Andre Creamer returned the Alabama punt -Ti yards to the Tide's 11-yard line Johnnie Jones picked up six yards Robinson kept for three Jones gained one for the first down and on the next play carried into the end zone One of college font balls biggest derisions was obviously ut hand With 2 09 left in the game do umj attempt the extra point or do you run or pass for two points? Tennessee calUid a timeout Majors huddled with the coaches and decided on a pitchout to Jones or a Robinson keeper for the two points Robinson said later "I faked the pitch to Johnnie and when I saw their defender go for him I cut luck up and dove into the end lone Robinson said they were thinking we were going to pass The Vol quarterback credited Creamers punt return for being the tog play Maor said defensive coordinator larrv Marmie recruited Creamer" hut said he had viuli 1 in reamer's Baltimore home where "his mother sang mime Piease so VOLS Page 19 On paper the Bucs should have scored at least 24 points Instead they had to settle for a pair of Herbie Campbell field goals ETSU has not scored but two offensive touchdowns in the last 22 quarters The total for the season stands at five ETSUs 4-3 record has to be a tribute to its sterling defense "I really dont know what the problem is said ETSU running back Jerry Butler who gained 99 yards on the day Despite Butlers best effort of the season since his 209-yard performance in the opener against Tennessee Tech the Bucs could not score a touchdown "I dont think we need to change anything Butler said "Were running the right plays but we just dont have the execution when we get near the goal line "We can go the distance but of William Howards path Alabamas nightmare continues By Kelly Hodge PC Sport Writer KNOXVILLE Surely this is all one gigantic nightmare Ray Perkins will eventually wake up with his Alabama football team well on its way to another Southeastern Conference title and possibly a national championship That's the way things are supposed to be Lord knows the mighty Crimson Tide couldnt be 2-5 holding down the SEC cellar at 0-3 and struggling just to stay afloat Right? Sorry Ray this is no nightmare Unbelievable as it may soem this stuff is for real Alabama is in trouble The latest chapter in the saga was written Saturday at Neyland Stadium ns Tennessee rallied to stun the Tide 28-27 The Volunteers who appeared to be headed for a third straight conference loss put 15 points on the board in the finul five minutes to pull the victory out of the fire Perkins whose problems have been well-publicized since he took over for the legendary Paul Bear Bryant last season appeared dazed after the Ions He kept his composure os he went through the post-game ritual of trying to explain what hnpened on the field but it was dear Perkins didnt exactly know what Went wrong this tune "We lost tn-cause of a combination of things he said "Hut more than anything else I'd like to look at this gnme as one where time jiiHt ran out on us Pleat so TIDE Pag 19 By Jimmy Smyth Eocutiv Spots Ediio KNOXVILLE Johnny Majors used the term "spontaneous combustion" to describe what fin-ully happened to ignite Tennessee to a 28-27 come-from-behind victory over Alabama on Saturday at Neyland Stadium The same description fit the post-game show when the goal posts came down and Majors joined his Volunteers in the happy linker rom "I don't worry about the goal posts" Majors said "Let Hob (Woodruff) worry about that I'm still thinking about the terrific joy in the ho kcr room The Vols were down 27-13 after the (rini'-on Tide's Van Tiftm kicked a 21 yard field goal with 12 on the game clmk Hig Grange fans who had nothing to rave utmut and very little to "wave" utsmt except a 10-10 tie late in the first half were impreed when Vol miurterbuik Tony Kohinvon guided hm team mi a 70 yard march in 10 plays to bring the Vols within seven int 27 20 ludutison threw 17-yard pans to Tim Mi lee for the touchdown Tcnnev-ee's defense which hadnt fared well up to that nnt wruil the growing excitement of the lane and lulled the Tide oti three Mine sro ve pllVs following the kn kolt Carl Zander stopped Doug irr's Bill Mayo (f7) knocks Tides Wayne Davis out.