The Miami Herald from Miami, Florida • 37

yrr 'r ff rr Ff? rTT7TrT7T rr fTT? rrrrrr-rrryrrr ttt rrMfn FLORIDA STATE 27 NEBRASKA 14 SATURDAY JANUARY 2 1993 0 Classic chapter closes OB win likely finale By GREG COTE Herald Sports Writer Florida victory in the Federal Express Orange Bowl was winding down to its final seconds late Friday night when hundreds of remaining Seminole fans stood along the south sideline and began chanting more The thundering plea was aimed at No 55: junior inside linebacker Marvin Jones I heard Jones said softly minutes later Yet in another way the chant fell on deaf ears One more year will not happen for Jones The brilliant college career spawned at Miami Northwestern High ended in the OB New night in the solid 27-14 dispatch of Nebraska Barring a complete and unexpected change of heart in the next day or so the premier collegiate defender will forgo his senior season and enter the 1 993 NFL draft as a likely top-five pick Jones himself coyly withheld an official announcement in the cramped sauna that was dressing room but nobody doubted it Certainly not his older brother and personal adviser Fred be Fred Jones revealed around midnight Friday meaning the official word The NFL deadline for underclassmen to declare themselves for the coming draft is i ACTION JACKSON: Florida State tailback Sean Jackson celebrates with teammates after his 1 1-yard touchdown run in the third quarter CW GRIFFIN Miami Herald Staff gives the Semlnoles a 27-7 lead IFSU(llTl) FSU dominating 48-21 Duke 24-20 at Ctemson 34-13 at NC State W3-7 Wake Forest 19-16 at Miami 36-13 North Carolina 29-24 at Georgia Tech W13-3 at Virginia 69-21 Maryland Tuiane 45-24 Florida 27-14 Nebraska Bowl history (13-7-2) 1950 Cigar: FSU 19 Wofford 6 19S5 Sun: Texas Western 47 FSU JO 1954 Bluegrass: Oklahoma St IS FSU 6 1945 Gator: FSU 34 Oklahoma 19 1944 Sun: Wyoming 38 FSU 20 1947 Gator: FSU 17 Penn St 17 1944 Poach: Louisiana St 31 FSU 27 1971 Flesto: Arizona St 45 FSU 34 1977 Tangerine: FSU 40 Texes Tech 17 1940 Orange: Oklahoma 24 FSU 7 1941 Orange: Oklahoma 18 FSU 17 1942 Gator: FSU 31 West Virginia 12 1943 Peach: FSU 28 North Carolina 3 1984 Citrus: FSU 17 Georgia 17 1945 Gator: FSU 34 Oklahoma St 23 1944 AM Amartcan: FSU 27 Indiana 13 1944 Flosta: FSU 31 Nebraska 28 1989 Sugar: FSU 13 Auburn 7 1990 Fiesta: FSU 41 Nebraska 17 1990 Blockbuster: FSU 24 Penn St 17 1992 Cotton: FSU 10 Texas 2 1993 Orange: FSU 27 Nebraska 14 NEBRASKA (9-3) 49-22 Utah 48-7 Mictdte Tennessee St' 29-14 at Washington 45-24 Arizona State 55-0 Oklahoma State 34-24 at Missouri 52-7 Colorado 49-7 Kansas 19-10 at Iowa State 33-9 -I at pktahomsf'llllll 38-24 at Kansas State 27-14 Florida St Bowl history (14-17) 1941 Rosa: Stanford 21 Nebraska 13 1955 Orange: Duke 34 Nebraska 7 1942 Gotham: Nebraska 34 Miami 34 1944 Orange: Nebraska 13 Auburn 7 1945 Cotton: Arkansas 10 Nebraska 7 1944 Orange: Alabama 39 Nebraska 28 1947 Sugar: Alabama 34 Nebraska 7 1949 Sun: Nebraska 45 Georgia 4 1971 Orange: Nebraska 17 LSU 12 1972 Orange: Nebraska 38 Alabama 4 1973 Oranga Nebraska 40 Notre Oame 4 1974 Cotton: Nebraska 19 Texas 3 1974 Sugar: Nebraska 13 Florida 10 1975 Flosta: Arizona St 17 Nebraska 14 1974 Bluebonnet: Neb 27 Texas Tech 24 1977 Liberty: Nebraska 21 NC 17 1979 Orange: Oklahoma 31 Nebraska 24 19f0 Cotton: Houston 17 Nebraska 14 1900 Sun: Nebraska 31 Mississippi St 17 1982 Orongo: Clemson Nebraska IS 19(3 Oranga: Nebraska 21 LSU 20 1904 Oranga: Miami 31 Nebraska 30 1985 Sugar: Nebraska 28 LSU 10 1984 Flasta: Michigan 27 Nebraska 23 19(7 Sugar: Nebraska 30 LSU 15 19M Flosta: FSU 31 Nebraska 28 1989 Orange: Mieml 23 Nebraska 3 1990 Fieste: FSU 41 Nebraska 17 1991 Citrus: Georgia Tech 45 Nebraska 21 1992 Oranga: Miami 2 2 Nebraska 0 1993 Orange: FSU 27 Nebraska 14 1 i again CW GRIFFIN Miami Herald Staff after reception CW GRIFFIN Miami Herald Staff A different approach One year earlier FSU corner-back Terrell Buckley announced immediately after the Cotton Bowl that he would turn pro Jones winner of the Lombardi and Butkus trophies this season and a fourth-place Heisman finisher has chosen the more ceremonial stage of a planned news conference want to think about it over the Jones said but the little smile seemed to say more said one FSU athletic official as the game wound down Asked if there was any chance Jones might change his mind the official replied: Nebraska had scored 33 or more points in all nine victories this year including 45-plus six times The Comhuskers led the nation in rushing offense behind I-backs Calvin Jones and Derek Brown both of whom surpassed 1000 yards this season They refer to time-sharers Jones and Brown as Jones said all but sneering call them Soft-Backs They much as far as I could see out Jones (Marvin) was upset because Jones (Calvin) and Brown became upset this week with some of game-week comments Marvin had been asked if he could stop big-two runners and said could stop the world from Later he said consider running backs blood and the The two Comhuskers took this personally and allowed as how Marvin had a large mouth and was getting too much publicity of that ticked me Jones said I like guys with big mouths because more room to put their foot right in Runners shut down premier runners combined were held to a fairly modest 107 yards on 23 carries The Huskers overall were held to a very ordinary (for them) 42 net average per carry and only 290 net total yards Jones set the tone on first defensive series Nebraska had a fourth-and-one at the 24 threatening to open the scoring Quarterback Tommie Frazier rolled left and before he could pitch back Marvin Jones nailed him for a one-yard loss with a flying tackle knew basically that he was gonna keep Jones said was the short side of the field he had no room to The end of Jones college career after two straight years as a consensus All-American shows only a national-championship ring as missing been so close had he said national championship is something you plan on coming back and winning I can say I am pretty satisfied with what It official yet but it sounded like farewell RUBIN FROM 1C stats against the midgets of the Big Eight and every year those numbers prove a fraud at bowl time when leaner swifter more versatile teams leave the beefy farm boys wondering which way did they go Reportedly Nebraska was quicker this year Perhaps but not quick enough But in fairness to the Comhus-kers they were playing in heat unfamiliar to them and in front of a mostly hostile crowd And you wonder if anyone could slow down the Noles the way been playing since showcasing quarterback Charlie extraordinary talents in the shotgun Whatever the reason or reasons Tom Nebraska teams have lost six straight bowls and 11 of their past 1 5 They have scored in only two of their past nine quarters in the Orange Bowl over a span of three games Osborne has called his bowl futility and got that right In contrast bowls bring out the best in the Noles who have won an NCAA-record eight straight and will finish with their sixth straight ranking of fourth or higher As usual they closed the season looking like they belong in the NFL playoffs As usual left thinking of what might have been The memory of Wide Right I and II still bums Among the biggest cheers of the night from the largely FSU crowd of 57324 were periodic announcements of the score from the Sugar Bowl where Alabama was beating Nole nemesis Miami The crowd needed the diversion The game they were watching was over midway through the second quarter when the Semi-noles went ahead by 20 points ka-thunka ka-thunka offense is ill-equipped to play catch-up certainly not against Marvelous Marvin Jones and Co Oh the Huskers tried trickery reverses a pass by a wide receiver and a pitch to a back that was by a wideout going the other way But not their game and not much of it worked On the other hand trickery flash and dash are FSU staples and they were very much in evidence in the first half The Noles may or may not be the best team in the country one vote for them) but the most fun to watch In the second quarter super freshman wideout Tamarick Vanover ran a reverse 91 yards for a touchdown displaying speed around the comer that took your breath away Officials ruled he stepped out of bounds (if he did it was with one toe) and HIGH FIVE: Tackle Robert Stevenson hoists Kez McCorvey into the air it was called back for a gain of 24 but still oh my what a burst In the second quarter Vanover ran a reverse again and gained 29 yards One play later Ward handed off to tailback Sean Jack-son who threw back to Ward who ran 28 yards with it Noleball Ward who was named most valuable player is so elusive and unpredictable he can make the most ordinary of plays an adventure He ran around for what seemed like 10 minutes dodging platoons of tacklers before throwing incomplete on a third-down play in the first quarter It was just an incompletion but oh my what fun to watch Ward will take over as point guard of the basketball team next week First Deion Now Charlie Rain began to fall in the second quarter thoughtfully stopped for the halftime show then came down in buckets in the second half Most of the crowd left early presumably to get dry find a tel-evison root against Miami and dream of what might have been SIX POINTS: Kez McCorvey catches a 4-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Charlie Ward in the second quarter ft Si 1 wt mmmmm.