Kenosha News from Kenosha, Wisconsin • 25

Saturday November 26 1994 College Football KexoshA News 25 Irish loss to USC would cause bowl turmoil Notre Dame underdog despite streak ys USC geles Coliseum (7 pm ABC) USC (7-3) is coming off a dis-mal upset by UCLA But odds-makerS- swayed by Notre Dame fortunes and the 11-year law of averages have installed the Trojans a three-point favorite Irish coach Lou Holtz buy averages a coin flip comes up heads 50-times in a he said still 50-50 on the next beat its time-honored intersectional rivaL Even when Robinson returned last yeaf he seemingly had lost the old touch and the Trojans took a 31-13 pounding But Robinson still has a 6-2 career edge over the Irish who have languished through an uncharacteristically shaky 6-4 campaign and put their equally shaky bowl hopes on the line tonight in the Los An By Jack Saylor Knight-Ridder Newspapers Not since 1982 the last year John Robinson coached Southern Cal before going to the NFL has USC enjoyed a victory over Notre Dame Since then USC has gone through 11 seasons and two coaches Ted Tollner for four years and Larry Smith for six in a futile effort to Knlght-ftldder Newspapers CHICAGO When Cotton Bowl officials look at this mediocore Notre Dame football team they see a 6-5 record They see dollar signs And so it came as little surprise this week that representatives of the Cotton Bowl said they still would be interested in inviting Notre Dame for a $3 million payout even if the I Irish lose to Southern Cal to-' night and finish with a 6-5 record I can say is at 6-5 they would still be on our short said Rick Baker executive director of the Cotton BowL not saying we would pick them but they would not fall off our list just because Baker is aware of the backlash that could erupt if the Cotton chooses the Irish at 6-5 but each member waived the provision in the coalition agreement that allowed the Irish to go only to one of the four major bowls The Sun Bowl which is played Dec 30 in El Paso Texas and televised by CBS wants Notre Dame and Texas The Sun Bowl guarantees a payout of $11 million to each team In the past that is about what it has cost Notre Dame to take its team and entourage to a major bowl You can be sure Notre Dame go to a bowl if it loses money i Coach Lou Holtz badly wants the extra practice time that goes along with bowl preparation Notre Dame is a very young team whose inexperience has hurt this season He already has a tentative practice schedule planned if the Irish go to a bowl The absence of a bowl also could hamper recruiting said revenue takes priority think everyone understands that each individual bowl has to do what is best for the community and their Baker said Dame has its fans and obviously turns on television Dqwn here in Dallas we compare them to the Cowboys Everyone either loves them or hates them but either i way everyone turns them on to watch NBC which has an exclusive contract to televise all Notre Dame home games is also the network that broadcasts the Cotton Bowl The coalition met by teleconference Wednesday to discuss among other things the sticky issue of what to do with Notre Dame if it loses today If the Irish win they will finish the regular season at 7-4 and under the coalition agreement are guaranteed an appearance ferences will have better records If the Irish go to the Cotton six of those teams will go to lower-tier bowls and one of them might not be able to go to any bowl If the Irish or the Cotton Bowl want to incur the wrath that is sure to follow a Notre Dame Cotton Bowl bid at 6-5 the coalition members left the Irish with an out By a roll call vote asked for by Sun Bowl Executive Director Tom Starr in a major bowl In current circumstances that most likely would mean an appearance in the Sugar or Fiesta bowL If the unranked Irish lose seven other ranked teams that are members of coalition con Orange Bowl bid bores Comhuskers Cotton-bound Texas Tech loses to TCU Cw he Comhuskers were merely here to take care of business and they did so in a fashion that exactly put a bullet next to their No 1 ranking By Mike Cochran Associated Press Writer i FORT WORTH Texas (AP) Texas Tech formally accepted an invitation to the Cotton Bowl on Friday a bittersweet reward after a 24-17 ambush by Texas Christian team with a 6-5 record go to the Cotton grumbled Tech defensive end Tony Daniels But Red Raiders coach Spike Dikes under fire much of the season by Tech fans disagreed guys have played hard all year and I am just tickled to death that they are getting a chance to play in the Cotton he said adding wistfully would have been more eventful if we would have "The mood in our locker room was that of a championship gushed TCU coach Pat Sullivan whose Frogs did indeed seize a share of the SWC crown with the upset victory Max Knake burned the Raiders with two touchdown passes to Jimmy Oliver and trailing 17-16 TCU tailback Andre Davis ran 9 yards for the winning score with 3:52 remaining The victory earned the Horned Frogs a share of the SWC championship for the first time since 1959 and gave them the inside track to the Independence Bowl By A Adande The Washington Post NORMAN Okla Top-ranked Nebraska had just beaten Oklahoma 13-3 Friday to wrap up a second consecutive undefeated regular season and another trip to the Orange Bowl Comhuskers Coach Tom Osborne looked impatient and uncomfortable while Orange Bowl President Ed Williamson proceeded with the hokey bid presentation that included a ceremonial orange guess they want to take a photo of you with the Williamson said Osborne replied in a blase manner There was little to be excited about Friday The Comhuskers were merely here to take care of business and they did so in a fashion that exactly put a bullet next to their No 1 ranking in the Associated Press media poll and CNNUSA Today poll The team ranked tops in the country in rushing offense (3585 yards a game) and third in scoring offense (384 points) produced only 179 yards on the ground and get its lone touchdown until QB Brook Berringer plunged in from a yard early in the fourth quarter offensive line normally dominant had its hands full with an inspired Oklahoma defense that was playing its last game under Coach Gary Gibbs who announced his resignation Monday Lawrence Phillips have the holes he is accustomed to running through and as a re- suit finished with 50 yards on 21 carries his first game with less than 100 yards this season Even though Nebraska had beaten then-No 2 Colorado on Oct 29 and was incapable of finishing in a tie for first with anyone else in the Big Eight Conference the Huskers could have forfeited their bowl bid if they had lost In the event of a tie the Orange Bowl would get to select its Big Eight representative and probably would have taken Colorado partly due to the fact that Nebraska has been there the past three years Despite accomplishment the players stay on the Memorial Stadium field to party and seemed almost oblivious to their happy fans as they trudged back into the locker room locked up the Big Eight championship but there was more celebration after we won against Colorado than this Phillips said was kind of like we expected to win but after it was kind of hard out there we came unexcited AP photo iAvr' Steve McNair rises after sack by Leon Jones (50) Reggie Brown (7) McNair completes 5 2-of-8 2 for 514 yards but loses still not known CHARLOTTESVILLE Va (AP) Wisconsin fans still know which Atlantic Coast Conference team will oppose their Badgers in the Hall of Fame Bowl Jan 2 30-27 upset victory by North Carolina State over No 13 Virginia only muddied the picture Playing in front of scouts from the Sugar Fiesta Peach and Independence bowls the Wolfpack (8-3 6-2 ACC) clinched second place in the league behind Florida State NC all would have been easy so said Tom Fridena a member of the Fiesta Bowl selection committee really throws everything up in the air Virginia (8-3 5-3) was a two-touchdown favorite to defeat the Wolfpack wrap up second place in the league and go to the Sugar Fiesta or Cotton bowls The net result was that Virginia wound up in a third-place tie in the ACC with Duke and North Carolina and probably played itself out of the major bowl picture The Hall of Fame Bowl gets the fourth pick among ACC teams but select until after a bowl coalition and the Peach Bowl select on Monday NC State freshman Tremayne Stephens burned top-rated rushing defense for 133 rushing yards including an 84-yard score that rallied the Wolfpack from its fourth deficit The fourth-quarter touchdown by Stephens the first rusher this year to gain 100 yards against Virginia capped a wild game the previous I-AA playoff mark of 78 by Rhode Tom Ehrhardt against Furman in 1985 His completions beat the 44 of Mississippi Valley Willie Totten against Louisiana Tech in 1984 The most regular-season completions are 47 by Jamie Martin of Weber State in 1991 most attempts 77 by Neil Lomax of Portland St in Youngstown State (11-0-1) set school records with its 63 points and nine touchdowns Next week the Penguins will be host to the winner of Boston University at Eastern Kentucky game tions in 82 attempts But even 514 passing yards and three TDs near enough for Alcorn State (8-3-1) still in the McNair said of his Heisman chances did all I could do today I did all any individual could have done this Youngstown State forced seven turnovers as its defense scored or set up four touchdowns The biggest were a 94-yard interception return by Leon Jones for a touchdown and a 95-yard fumble return by Randy Smith attempts broke 63-20 defeat in 1-AA playoff hurts Heisman chances By Rusty Miller AP Sports Writer YOUNGSTOWN Ohio (AP) Steve McNair hobbled into the NCAA I-AA playoffs Friday and saw his Heisman Trophy hopes crippled in a 63-20 first-round loss to top-ranked and defending national champion Youngstown State McNair hurting from a pulled hamstring still set I-AA records with 52 comple AP photo Penn State deals with fired-up Michigan State Down and out STATE COLLEGE Pa (AP) Come-from-behind victories at Michigan and Illinois? So what The idea of a fired-up Michigan State club worries Penn State quarterback Kerry Collins more than any previous opponent has going to come in here with a lot of emotion and play he said going to be our toughest ball Penn State is headed to play Oregon in the Rose Bowl and the Spartans would love to knock he Nittany Lions out of the national championship race in coach George last regular season game Record-setting Georgia quarterback Eric Zeier throws down a towel In disgust after having to leave the game with Georgia Tech Friday after suffering sprained ligaments in his right knee Georgia won 48-10 Zeier assured any bowl committee that might be wondering about his Injury status going to be ready for the bowl Zeier said not that Georgia (6-4-1) qualified for a bowl game by winning its finale Zeier Is No 3 on the NCAA pass yardage list with 11153 trailing only Brigham Ty Detmer (15031) and San Diego Todd Santos (11425) The Spartans (5-5 4-3 Big Ten) will be eligible for a bowl game if they upset No 2 Penn State (10-0 7-0) (3 pm ESPN) also have revenge on their mind after last game when Penn State erased a 20-point third-quarter deficit to win 38-37 and knock the Spartans out of the Citrus Bowl.