The Miami Herald from Miami, Florida • 33

TV 9 TT VTTTTITT TT Trrrrrr REGULAR SPORTS SECTION: FLORIDA ROLLS IN SUGAR UM FLAT IN FIESTA 1C HERITAGE Southern 11 Carolina St 0 ORANGE No 1 Florida St No 2 Nebraska 18 16 SECTION SUNDAY JANUARY 2 1994 She ilTtami Herald tA X4? xddz Np Jf- i 3 A I X-' A A Vxx vX irvr AaA'' a IVrV: XAJ Jr W-gi 1 4 -tv' A 4 dm 4 jsrfssi J- lSXSXSfZXii JS -a -iV Xk vw wa as? a- J- 44 V- kMXbX 5 6 4Pi 1 'iiifit': 'W -k i i Urf 1 4 vi 5 rW A I tv' XS 4 I1 A M4 4 x- 4 I A if rf TV 444 Ai til frf Af 7 77 1 i PHIL SEARS Tallahassee Democrat NO 1 AT LAST: Florida State Coach Bobby Bowden gets the dousing of his life before time runs out Saturday night in the Orange Bowl Bowden claims 1 st national title Frazier does all but win FSU the one Six consecutive seasons they were to Nos 2 3 or 4 in the AP poll Always so close Always so far But Florida State and Coach Bobby Bowden should be perched at No 1 today The Seminoles held off unbeaten Nebraska 18-16 in the Federal Express Orange Bowl Saturday night The Cornhuskers (1 1-1) had been ranked No 1 in the CNNUSA Today poll FSU likely will reign Fie walked through the crowd the world coming at him now a mist kick had popped wide left and the clock had clicked to all zeros and Tommie Frazier slogged over the field All these faces Florida State players were lying at his feet crowding slapping hugging each other because they had won this great football game beaten the Cornhuskers 18-16 in the Orange Bowl But all these faces kept com- 1 I mg up to Tommie Frazier now smiling regarding him nodding yes Spike face loomed up from nowhere Lee has spent the entire season following FSU quarterback Charlie Ward because he knows he is special but here he had sought out Frazier the other QB game Lee said grabbing hand played a Good Frazier nodded kept going Fie had played a wonderful game He is just a sophomore and few knew him not like they knew Ward the 1 993 Heis-man Trophy winner But he played as well as Ward even better directing two drives the final minutes of the fourth quarter eluding Seminole defenders over and over completing the pass of the game With eight seconds left Frazier hit Trumane Bell for 29 yards to set up the final field-goal attempt But Byron 45-yard attempt By GARY LONG Herald Sports Writer Freshman Scott Bentley recruited to solve the stigma of Florida State heartbreaking dance with No 2 No 3 and No 4 post-bowl polls served up a probable No 1 Satur- day night His 22-yard field goal with 2 1 seconds remaining broke the hearts of big-hearted Nebraska in a stirring 60th Federal Express Orange Bowl It countered a 27-yard field goal by the Byron Bennett with 116 remaining and staked FSU to an 18-16 victory But not until 45-yard bid to reverse the outcome after officials put one second back on the clock could FSU Coach Bobby Bowden claim his first national championship guess it was just our time it was just our1 Bowden said Nebraska played as good as or better than we Nebraska quarterback Tommie Frazier completed a 29-yard pass to tight end Trumane Bell to FSU's 38 as the final seconds of a hectic night ticked away The clock hit 0 00 Bowden was doused with celebratory shower and Seminoles and fans stormed the field However officials ruled that a second remained and checked the television replays for an accurate spot of the end of the play The field was cleared Order was restored Bennett then yanked his 45-yard attempt well wide of the left upright and this time the celebration was for real lost national championships we feel by missing Bowden said we finally won one when somebody else missed a FSU quarterback Charlie Ward the first Heis- thanks to a helping hand from rival Florida The Gators knocked West Virginia 1 1 -1 No 2 in the CNNUSA Today poll) from the unbeaten ranks in the Sugar Bowl 41-7 Notre Dame No 4 both polls did pull out a 24-21 Cotton Bowl victory over Texas But the Irish would have needed to rout the Aggies to have a serious shot The only chance for the Irish is that pollsters decide today to give more weight to Notre 31-24 victory over FSU back in November sailed wide left and undefeated season was gone deserved to win it as much as we FSU Coach Bobby Bowden said later Yes Frazier was the biggest reason Saturday JOE RIMKUS JR Miami Herald Staff HAPPY SEMINOLES: FSU receiver Matt Frier salutes victory atop the shoulders of tackle Todd Fordham PLEASE SEE PRICE 50B PLEASESEE ORANGE 50B 1 rjtjt Mn 1 1 4.