The Miami Herald from Miami, Florida • 225

www.heraid.com A SUNDAY, OCTOBER 3. 1999 SECTIC1 E'E a IN It Q.J1 1L11L1 1 ALABAMA 40, FLORIDA 39, 01 barm ball Mors 9 1 itt itadbi los -At 1, '''t l'. 40 i i oos. 0..... 4,, s.

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III I --s. 1 1 irk 1,1 fr l'er' I i 1 A 1 81 7 i tt" ''e 1:114 18...,.. ,01 '(. .44 I 31. 0 0 I .6 1 1, 1 itj r-, 7'' id, 1 Wild game settled in OT by extra points: UF's goes wide right, then Alabama's second try after a penalty sails true but this is even worse than what happened last year." Last season, UF's Collins Cooper missed an extra point in overtime against Tennessee in the Vo Is' 20-17 win.

Chandler inherited the kicking duties after that and had been unflappable since. It was his three-field-goal performance against Alabama last year that secured a 16-10 victory. The missed kick "is the last image everybody's going to have from this Alabama game," Chandler said. "They're not going to remember the turnovers or anything like that, just me missing the kick. It's going to be tough to forget about that." Chandler's miss was set up by a six-yard scoring pass from Doug Johnson to Reche Caldwell.

But Heisman Trophy candidate Shaun Alexander answered right back on Alabama's first play after Chandler's miss, running in for a 25-yard score to set up the dramatics on the final extra point. But while Chandler was right about the lasting memory of this game, the Gators will remember a lot more than the missed kick. They will remember the amount of time their defense stayed on the field, especially in the second quarter. BY RANA L. CASH rcashherald.com GAINESVILLE The Gators made a huge mistake.

Then they caught a huge break or appeared to. Then they lost. Simple and stunning as that. After Jeff Chandler, who hadn't missed a kick all season, missed the extra point after the Gators scored on the opening drive of overtime Saturday, Alabama kicker Chris Kemp tried to return the favor after the Tide followed with a touchdown of its own. But Kemp's extra-point miss was called back by an offsides penalty against UF cornerback Bennie Alexander, and Kemp chipped his second attempt barely through the uprights to give Alabama an improbable 40-39 victory.

A victory that toppled the No. 3 Gators (4-1) from their perch atop the SEC, ended their 30-game home winning streak in front of a Florida Field record crowd of 85,721, and put a huge dent in their national-title hopes. No. 21 Alabama (4-1), which defeated then-No. 14 Arkansas last week, is now in command in the SEC West.

"I feel bad," Chandler said. "I let a lot of guys down. I tried to let them forget about what happened last year, 4 4Z, A --) DEDE SMITH THE GAINESVILLE SUN. IT LOOKS Alabama kicker Chris Kemp, right, and holder Patrick Morgan celebrate after Kemp's game-winning extra point. Kemp was given a second chance after missing his first attempt because of an offsides penalty on Florida.

i': 'S '7 't 7'1' i', 0 PLEASE SEE UF, 5C 1 FLORIDA STATE 51, DUKE 23 Warrick (four TDs), Notes roll toward INI A i eo '4'1 IA --V: I), I :,,,1 ...:.:,..4:,4, 44 1,1 Heisman hopeful catches 3 scores from Weinke, throws touchdown pass to fellow receiver Coles dropped the Blue Devils to 0-4, and the difference was that stark. Laveranues Coles, a senior receiver like Warrick, blocked one Duke defender and shielded another on Warrick's 39-yard, first-quarter score with a Nk'einke pass. Warrick targeted Coles for the 35- the second half of a 51-23 Atlantic Coast Conference romp in which coach Bobby Bowden could have dictated the score. Quarterback Chris Weinke passed for five touchdowns, the fifth during a second-half cameo, and wide receiver Peter Warrick caught three of those and lofted a TD pass of his own in a final tuneup for Miami in Tallahassee next Saturday. The Seminoles improved to 5-0 and "Mercy," it pleaded.

It's safe to assume the sign was printed before the mascot departed Durham, N.C., on Friday. It didn't take a fortuneteller. Top-ranked Florida State kept the heat on high through a near-perfect 44-0 first half before losing interest in BY GARY LONG giongheraid.com JACKSONVILLE The Duke Blue Devils' costumed mascot sprawled flat on his back on the sideline Saturday afternoon and unfolded a one-word sign across his blue chest hair. CHRIS O'MEARA AP TD TARGET: FSU's Peter Warrick is congratulated after one of his three touchdown catches Saturday. I PLEASE SEE FSU, 7C I UM SENIORS LOOKING FOR WIN OVER NOLES, 6C 0 el og Florida State (5-0) d.

Duke, 51-23. r- Penn State (5-0) did not play. rn. Florida (4-1) lost to Alabama, 40-39. Michigan (5-0) d.

Purdue, 38-12. Texas (3-1) lost to Texas Tech, 21-19: Nebraska (6-0) d. Oklahoma 38-14. Tennessee (3-1) d. Auburn, 24-0.

Virginia Tech (4-0) d. Virginia, 31-7. Georgia Tech (3-1) d. Maryland, 49-31. Cieorgia4(4-0) d.

LSU, 23-22. Wolverine walloping No. 4 Michigan, led by QB Tom Brady left, rolls past Purdue, 38-12. Brady went 15 of 25 for 250 yards, Led by linebacker Jules Jackson, Nebraska's defense sets up three first-quarter TDs in a 38-14 victory over Oklahoma State, 2C. 0 David Alien returns a punt for a TD and also runs for a score as No.

13 Kansas State beats Texas, 35-17, 3C. 0 WM Witherspoon bats away Josh Booty's 2-point conversion pass to give Georgia a 23-22 win over tStJ, 2C. Delaware State 43 Bethune-Cookman 29 Jacksonville 28 Austin Peay 21 Central Florida 31 Eastern Illinois 21 Florida ALM 78 Morgan State 17 South Florida 21 Southern Illinois 14. ,.,4 aro 0 4.. Wolveri ne I Led by linebacker lilts Delaware State 43 I- cp al 0 Florida State (5-0) d.

Duke, 51-23. rLeel Jackson, Nebraska's defense Bethune-Cookman 29 0 Penn State (5-0) did not play walloping 0 E) k. sets up three first-quarter 0 0 E) Florida (4-1) lost to Alabama, 40-39. No. 4 Michigan, led by QB TDs in a 38-14 victory over Jacksonville 28 v) --1: -At-- Tom Brady left, rolls past Oklahoma State, 2C.

Austin Peay 21 0 0 Michigan (5-0) d. Purdue, 38-12. 25 for Texas (3-1) lost to Texas Tech, 21-19. Purdue, 38-12. Brady 0 David Allen returns a punt Central Florida 31 went 15 of for a TD and also runs for a 0 Nebraska (6-0) d.

Oklahoma 38-14. A score as No. 13 Kansas State Eastern Illinois 21 tli Tennessee (3-1) d. Auburn, 24-0. 250 beats Texas, 35-17, 3C.

Florida ALM 78 0 Virginia Tech (4-0) d. Virginia, 31-7. yards, 0 Van Witherspoon bats away Morgan State 17 03 11 ill Josh Booty's 2-point conver- 0 Georgia Tech (3-1) d. Maryland, 49-31. sion pass to give Georgia a South Florida 21 CD Cleorgia (4-0) d.

LSU, 23-22. 23-22 win over 2C. Southern Illinois A A ASIA A A JI .11 41, AG 00 4.