The Miami Herald from Miami, Florida • 33

I Sports on the Air Television FOOTBALL Championship Minnesota at Dahas SECTION litrath Sunday December 30 1973 1 NFC Channel 4 4 tn AFC 7 and 5 NFC Chamalanstvtp Oakland at Miami Lrp 0 1 Radio FOOTBALL Championshm Oakland at Miami 4 rn AFC WIOD WO) Dolphins Raiders Match Strengths at 4 pm TOarlay Linemen Lle tC itle Game eY in A ndL National Football eag Commissioner Pete Rozelle said Saturday Los A ries not Minna is the likely site of the 1975 Super Bowl if construction of the Superdome in New Orleans is not completed on time Story on page 6C Ipy1 A5c 441- Ati" 1 4 :410 mi 41 10:: :4 -1: 4 Fg s0: it :4 11 i pl i -1 41 iiiii '''aE) 11ot A Ot: 1 1 14 4 NI re "1 :::4 7 '''1'if '''''''t: -4: 4 L'1': i 4 :4 i r-74 i 1 -1 A 's -i A '1z: f-1 Z7 i-' -lft'''k ''-'s I 'i )f't -'rs' s4 I ''st 4 ''v-4 -b- 04 4 41-s -f -4 s'4--- 0 Nc- T- N4 le 4 4 i744'' '''Ar Ak '1- 4 4 2 gs IA 6' li i i 14 I 'k 4' s' i As 4v 0 4 1 Tv yf sls' I 144 innate gifts is the time he is awarded by an offensive line bent on fatherly protection In the 33-14 playoff rout of Pittsburgh Stabler had time to estimate no-shows in the audience before cutting loose The result was 14 completions of 17 passes T11OSE responsible for his waiting time were Shell Upshaw center Jim Otto George Buehler and John Vella of the interior line Biletnikoff and Mike Siani the other wide receiver helped as usual by breaking pass routes coming across under zones or retracing their steps toward Stabler and away from the coverage The linemen also blast open the cracks for runners Hubbard Smith Clarence Davis and Pete Banaszak In both cases the jobs of stopping Oakland's variable attack will be largely up to Stanfill Fernandez Bob Heinz and Vern Den Herder of the Dolphins' front an ar By BILL BRAUCHER Herald Sports Writer Much has been made of names like Ken Stabler Mary Hubbard Charlie Smith and Fred Biletnikoff of Oakland Bob Griese Larry Csonka Mercury Morris and Paul Warfield of Miami But both the history and approach to elimination tournaments like today's in the Orange Bowl suggest that less familiar names will decide the American Football Conference representative in Super Bowl VIII Those names include Art Shell Marvin Upshaw Otis Sistrunk and Tony Cline of the Raiders Larry Little Jim Langer Bill Stanfill and Manny Fernandez of the Dolphins MI are linemen And from the 4:05 kickoff until dusk this afternoon before some 75000 spectators and a national television audience (Channels 7 and 5 in South Florida) the success of such men at socking one another is apt to determine the AFC Rozelle smeared their jerseys with Vaseline deflated footballs and hosed down their home field which is already below sea level Shula said: "There's a tendency to worry to) much about the Oakland mystique and forget to worry about the Oakland execution" Indeed the factor in Stabler's passing success over and above the lefthander's champion FOOTBALL is usually reduced to its basics in matches like today's and both sides have had experience enough in postseason showdowns to know it Don Shula reflected on it briefly Saturday after supervising the last Dolphin workout in the Orange Bowl In view of losers' accusations that the Raiders have -UT Criee: Cool and Experienced svehs third $traight AFC tube Les 1 A Ai )44 Stabler Keys Oakland Offense completed 627 per cent of passes Turn to Page 6C Cot 3 -1101100 Stabler: Dropout To Star 3arnes' Passes Cut town Vo Is For Texas Tech' II' ei ksk400 I' rN tiit 1 Alio nk 104010 403 401 Titiipiii 4 "i''r i 7' i5 A )'''''' ''il': x' 1 'tv 4: li iv 1 (7 Atov 4 '''1 t' 11 0 C'1 0 I i ''1: 41tf: '11 4 dic tt 1 'tte'0a A It: 1 (ktli 004 1 (14 )1 K11! 4: Iv Lsk 1 1 3 0004 4A4e 1 4440 ''i etitioti ik4 00! dot 4 0xr 0pill i ::4::: -r -si By GARY LONG Herold Sports Writer A pro football dropout in 1969 and an impatient reserve the next three seasons Ken Stabler now is firmly in command of a team just one victory removed from a coveted Super Bowl date The path to prominence for the Oakland Raiders' dart-throwing lefthander has been fraught with frustrations But the last was removed three ganfes into this season when Stabler confronted Oakland Managing General Partner Al Davis and apparently talked his way into a starting shot Daryle Lamonica sat down Stabler stood up and the Raiders have risen to challenge Miami today in its quest for an unprecedented third straight American Conference title Stabler flashing a brilliant 627 pass completion percentage has been the key I ess than four minutes remaining But barefoot kicker Ricky Townsend failed on a 32-yard field goal attempt Tech then put its ninth straight victory on ice when James Mosley exploded through the middle hit the left sideline and raced for 70 yards to the Tennessee 10 longest run from scrimmage in Gator Bowl history It set Lip a three-yard scoring run by Larry Isaac with 2:37 left BARNES scored his touchdown on a seven-yard run in the opening quarter and connected with speedster Law- rence Williams on a 79-yard Tech Tenn Firsf Downs 19 IA Rushesyards S5276 49-153 Passing yards 154 19a Passes 110 17-201 Punts 6-41 4-41 Fumbles-lost 11 Penalties-yards 6-S5 14 JACKSONVILLE Ha (AP) Joe Barnes fired two touchdown passes and scored another as Texas Tech survived a second-half comeback by Tennessee to beat the Vo Is 28-19 Saturday night in the Gator Bowl football game Tennessee trailing 14-0 at one point cut the Red Raiders' lead to 21-19 early in the fourth period and got in position to go ahead with touchdown pass play in the second period to give the 11th-ranked Raiders a 14-a lead His other scoring pass a seven-yarder went to All-American tight end Andre Tillman in the third quarter right after Tennessee had cut the lead to 14-10 Tennessee got field goals of 30 and 37 yards from Townsend Haskel Stanhack scored the Vol touchdowns on a five-yard rim and a seven -yard pass from Condredge Holloway following a 62-yard punt return by Eddie Brown Tech ended its season with an 11-1 record while Tennessee ranked No 20 closed at 8-4 Press International Telephoto Around End for 7Yard TouchiloiNn Joe Barnes Romps first touchdown started Texas Tech to Gator 11011 I it in THOUGH still under contract to the Raiders in 1969 Sta bier left camp because of "some personal problems" and a knee problem that "frustrated me a little bit" The former two-sport All-American for the University of Alabama went back to Foley Ala "got myself together again and got myself ready to play" The anxiety didn't cease in 1970 when he rejoined the Raiders however Though ready to play he wasn't getting the chance That changed after his session with Davis LSU's Freshmen Pair Journey 7 7 7 7-78 in 4--V7 TOO Tennnssee ank to From River 1 run (Grimes kick) 19 pass from Barnes 0 (Grimes kirk) 0 TE Townsend 10 litiam IF 5 run (Townsend kick) TECHllman 1 pass from Bernal (Grimes kick) IF Townsend 11 TENN- Slanback 1 PMS from H0110WaY (pass failed) 3 run (Grime!) kick) A-- 67109 al "I REALLY wasn't ready to say 'Trade me I want to play'" Stabler said Saturday after the Raiders' final workout in the Orange Bowl But I wanted to let them know the way I felt I wanted to let them know I was displeased a lot more than they really thought I wanted a shot to get the job and to keep it" Stabler got it and the Raiders have battled to nine victories and a tie in the 12 games since What's more the man Stabler unseated is no aging broken-down relic Lamonica was a two-time Most Valuable Player (1967 and 1969) in the American Football League and in 1972 he passed for 18 touchdowns At 32 he has several good seasons left That reflects all the more favorably on what Stabler has accomplished ORANGE BOWL TEAM c2-- I a i I 'lila liol 1 i 7 Ks 4 a4 ti the season with a hairline fracture of the wrist he managed to gain 252 yards on 55 carries and score three I ouchdowns And Ins 46second pc in the 40yard dash plus high school credentials of 90 touchdowns (62 rushing 28 passing) are making Tiger fans happy he'll he around for alive more years Duhe who just recently turned 18 earned a starting defensive tackle jot) after only two games The six-font three-inch 240-pounder has been one of the Tigers' leading tacklers getting 47 solos 20 assists and dropping opposing runners eight times behind the line of scrimmage Rohiskie 6-2 198 reputed to be one of the finest athletes ever developed In Louisiana saw considerable action as a reserve tailback Despite missing the middle of By JIM MARTZ Herald Sports Writer Adam Duhe calls himself "the Bob Hope" of the LSU football team Coach Charley McClendon calls Terry Robiskie "a player who possesses innate football sense" Together freshmen Duhe and Robiskie can be called LSU's answer to the Women's Lib credo "You've Come a Long Way Baby" Indeed they've come a long way from their high College school teams in Lucy and Reserve La to prominent roles on the LSU team which plays Penn State New Year's Night in the Orange Bowl game followers uickly attest Duhe and Robiskie have rapidly bridged the gap between prep football on the banks of the Mississippi to major college football in the Southeastern Conference STABLER'S direct approach to his dilemma as backup to an established veteran might well have produced extraordinary pressure But not for the personable drawling Stabler "I'm comfortable on the field" he said "That's why I Turn to Page 6C Col 7 BUT this freshman duo has GATOR BOWL 'Dons Taf 7f1 Tommyfte 19 BLUEBONNET BOWL Houston 17 Tulana SUN BOWL Miviouri 31 Auburn 7 SHRINE BOWL East 35 West 7 AS their coaches and LSU Turn to Page 3C Cot I Two est Ever' Clash Dolphins Picked (11 71 1)) ED11111 POPE sports editor 124'w eitzitl Ai0P1" ID ir ISlachoul Lifted Not better than Bart Starr but his equal Johnny was over the hill before he hit a Super Bowl Joe Namath's purity of style which won Super Bowl has been only a sometime thing Don Shula taken altogether is the best coach who ever went into a playoff Maybe he wasn't when he was at Baltimore Right now he is Vince Lombardi fans forgive me: Shula before he is through will dwarf Lombardi's achievements John Madden is underrated as Oakland coach because Al Davis is such a consummate conniver as managing general partner While we're at it Raider Willie Brown may be the best cornerback football has seen The trouble with a game like today's is that two such even clubs can get too conservative Against heavy money even The Cincinnati Kid never went on into a pot until he had at least a nair on the first two cards It can make a dull game when the players have that good-grief-the-first-guy-to-make-a-mistakeblows-the-whole-thing feeling That's part of why I like the Dolphins They will This should be Super Bowl VIII instead of just the American Conference championship Football's two best teams are in it Moreover the Dolphins and Raiders may be the two best ever to meet in any playoff surely better than any two who have played in a Super Bowl yet But that's the way the conferences crumble The tendency is to elevate by hindsight the Green Bays with their Bart Starrs and Jerry Kramers and the New York Jets with their Joe Namaths and Matt Snells Time gilds the abilities of old heroes Just before he died a marvelous sports writer named Jimmy Cannon said the trouble with people in this business is that we are "entombed in a prolonged boyhood" Bullseye Good memories warm us but they also delude us by pushing away reality Football is a Now game We have to Wrench away from the players and plays we treasured before and accept Miami and Oakland as better than the great teams of the 1960s and early 1970s simply because athletes get larger and stronger and faster and better-coached and thus smarter Dutch Van Brock lin the Atlanta coach who lives in the past takes a nauseating delight in referring to The Orange Bowl football game New Year's Night will be shown on local television following the purchase of all remaining tickets Saturday by a local race track Elmer Vickers general manager of Tropical Park announced that the race track's management had bought the remaining SOO tickets The tickets were purchased before the 8 pm (72 hours before game time) deadline assuring that the television blackout would be lifted 'I he game will be televised in South Florida by Channels 7 and 5 Vickers said the track turmA the tickets over to the Oiange Bowl Cornnnt tee for distribution to the under-privileged and senior chiens "This will provide an opportunity fnr the many shut-ins underprivileged and other local fans to view the game and pageant" Vickers said in announcing the purchase Vickers said the track turned the tickets over to the Oiange Bowl Comm Mee for distribution to the under-privitered and senior citiens "This will provide an opportunity fnr the many shut-ins underprivileged and other local fans to view the game and pageant" Vickers said in announcing the purchase the days when the National Football League was a "truck drivers' league" because he says all the players were hungry He forgets that some also ran and tackled like truck drivers (Besides what respectable truck driver ever used the language that Van Brocklin does?) Hunger is a better stimulus to bank robbers than football players Give me a 95 sprinter with money in the bank against a 10-flat man who is broke Any time That's the difference between football now and 15 or even 10 or even five years ago I KEEP FORGETTING this is the AFC title match and not the Super Bowl Still Bob Griese is as good a quarterback as ever played in a Suptr BowL Turn to lisp 6C Col 1 4.