Journal Gazette from Mattoon, Illinois • Page 16

MID-ILLINOIS NEWSPAPERS SPORTS SATURDAY, OCTOBER 30, 1399 improving at a ra via Pace EIU lineman 1 1 tW r3. I i Plenty of hard work Has put Eastern senior into good position BY BRIAN NIELSEN T-C Sports Editor CHARLESTON No matter how much coach Bob Spoo praises the guy's morals, this scandal has been uncovered concerning Ryan Pace. He used to put 5-pound weights in his pockets when Eastern football players lined up at the scales. "StiU does," a friendly teammate said. "I do not," Pace shot back.

They laugh now, but this guy really wanted to be a college football player, and he did more than just cheat a bit at weigh-ins to doit This story goes from parents who graduated from Areola to a kid who was raised in Texas and had a father take him all over the Midwest looking for colleges before this kid became the captain of an NCAA Division I-AA football team as a senior and the boyfriend of a Charleston girl who is the captain of EUTs cheerlead-ing squad. I'! -N I A v( look for a So we went to every place from Augustana to Purdue. We paid for our hotels. They weren't official visits or anything" Pace was not the most recruited athlete in football-crazy Texas, but he was good enough to get a scholarship at Eastern. Ironically, in Pace's first year of college his father moved from Illinois to San Francisco, meaning EIU's game this year at Hawaii was an easier trip than several others.

Regardless, the businessman Michael Pace has made it to all of his son's games this year, and all but one last year because Buck Pace's grandson bucked the odds becoming a defensive lineman in college. "He came here as a linebacker," EIU defensive coordinator Bob Krieger said. "We moved him down to defensive end. He showed promise. The question was his weight" Pace began college "200 pounds, soaking wet," he said.

Through work in the weight room and paying attention to nutrition, Pace is now a 6-foot-3, 250-pound senior. It did not come accidentally. "If I don't concentrate on eating right, I'm in trouble," he said. "I don't think my frame is supposed to have this much weight. When some people don't work out, they get fat.

When I don't work out I get skinny." Krieger said: "He lives as healthy of a life as a college kid can. Through a dedicated work program he is if riot the strongest, he's one of the strongest on the team." That is partly why Pace as a junior led Eastern's 6-5 team in tackles for losses and is now again one of the leaders of the defense. Do not think Spoo has not noticed and appreciated this bright spot for an Eastern team that stands just 1-7 going into this afternoon's home game against Western Kentucky. "He is a classic overachiever who has made himself into a top-flight player," the Panthers' head coach said. "Everything about him is effort.

A great sense of values. "He's a super young man great ideals and morale character. He was almost a unanimous selection for captain." Having those comments relayed to him, Pace was humbled a bit and then Longtime Areola fans might remember Michael Pace, who was the son of former Washington Senators major-league baseball player Buck Pace and a quarterback for the Purple Riders in the early coaching days of Steve Thomas. Maybe some from Areola also remember i ill KEN THEVARTHANSTAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Ryan Pace (38) ranks 10th on Eastern's football team with 32 tackles and also has two quarterback sacks. Pace passed around the credit.

"When I first came here we had guys like Tim Carver, Chris Hicks, Willie High I could go on down the list," Pace said. "I looked up to those guys. They kind of led by example and I followed their lead. I hope the younger guys look up to me that way now. "Plus, I've always wanted to make my dad and mom proud.

My dad instilled a hard work ethic and my mom has instilled good morale values. She tried to make me nice. Sometimes I think I'm too nice." He is nice enough to be the guy many would let date a daughter, and his girlfriend, Stephanie Brooks, is from Charleston. But Pace is not too nice to be a starting defensive lineman for Eastern. "When I graduated from high school, I never dreamed I'd be a starting defensive end in college," Pace said.

"It's been a testament to the fact that if you work hard enough you can achieve your dream. It was hard to come this far from home, but I think I've learned more this way." Lessons have also come from this year's defeats, a tough senior season to take after the Panthers were NCAA Division I-AA qualifiers in Pace's first two years at Eastern. "I've seen the good times and the bad times," Pace said. "We're struggling this year. You can attribute it to injuries or whatever.

But experiencing this will hopefully help us out later in life." Krieger still sees this senior coming out a winner. "It's a tough time for him because the program is down this year," the assistant coach said. "But he's never wavered! I respect him for that and always will." cheerleader Ginger Phillips, who married Michael Pace. While Ryan lived with his mother in Flower Mound, Texas, Buck Pace lived in the Chicago area but would make the plane flights to all of his son's high school games. Then the father tried to shorten his weekend football game trips when his son got to college.

"He sent some tapes to about every school," Pace said. "I got calls from about every Midwest school, places I'd never heard of. He said, 'Come up here and we'll INTERIUnOIUL OUMPIC COMMITTEE Illini shoot for second straight stunner IOC commission holds final reform meeting The age limit and site visits remain controversial issnps and believed, it didn't matter." Still, turning around and beating Penn State is a long shot. The Illini haven't beaten two ranked teams in a single season since 1991. The last time they beat ranked opponents in consecutive games was way back in 1983, their last Rose Bowl season.

And Penn State brings a 10-game winning streak, second-longest in Division I-A, into the game. The Nittany Lions also are unbeaten against Illinois since they joined the Big Ten, winning five straight. Big deal, Turner said. Penn State's got all the pressure in this one. "It's late in the season, and they've got a lot at stake," Turner said.

"They cannot afford a letdown." There won't be one, Arrington promised. "We're so close, we can see the end now," he said. "We have four tough games left. If we can't get up enough to go out and play these games all out, then we never will." And if they still need some inspiration, there's probably a post-Michigan party going on somewhere. the top teams can't help but look at certain games and think, "Finally.

A break." That's when the season usually falls apart. Look at then-No. 1 Notre Dame's loss to Boston College in 1993. Or Wisconsin's loss to Cincinnati earlier this season. Or even Penn State's last trip to Illinois as the No.

2 team. The Nittany Lions had to rally fromUl points down in 1994 to get by the Dlini 35-31. They didn't drop in the polls, but they couldn't take advantage of No. 1 Nebraska's close win that weekend, either. "There is an awful lot of pressure on these kids right now," Paterno said.

"Emotionally as well as the physical part of it." Two weeks ago, the Illini seemed the perfect pit stop for the Nittany Lions. Illinois was reeling after a home thrashing by Minnesota, and the possibility of a winless Big Ten season was growing. Penn State, meanwhile, would come to Illinois after playing Ohio State and Purdue, two of its toughest games of the season, and then wrap up its season with Minnesota, Michigan and Michigan State. CHAMPAIGN (AP) Those parties at Illinois this week were felt all the way to Penn State. Last weekend's upset over Michigan in Ann Arbor didn't just give the Illini their biggest victory in years.

It saved Joe Paterno from having to give his tired, beaten-up No. 2 Nittany Lions (8-0, 4-0 Big Ten) that "there-are-no-easy-games" spiel. "We have been in two tough, physical and emotional games the last two weeks. Now all of a sudden Illinois gets a hot streak," said Paterno, whose Nittany Lions travel to Illinois (4-3, 1-3) on Saturday. "They're going to be pumped up.

It's good for us." Linebacker LaVar Arrington agreed. "They don't want to be seen as the doormat of the Big Ten, and you can see that with how they play," he said. "That's a tough team to play, a tough team to beat, when you're playing a team with a lot of heart and a lot of pride." Coaches and players go on and on about not overlooking teams, how every game is tough, that any team can win, blah, blah, blah. But come on. When they're chasing the national championship, playing bigger and bigger games, "If Illinois would have gotten blown out by Michigan, and we went out there not ready and they would have done what they are capable of doing as they did against Michigan, we could have been in trouble," Paterno admitted.

But that didn't happen. The Illini rallied from a 20-point deficit to stun then-No. 9 Michigan 35-29 last week. It was their first victory over a ranked team since 1995 and their first over a top-10 team since 1989.. It also was Illinois' largest comeback in school history.

"They beat Michigan at Michigan," Penn State guard Eric Cole said. "That's something we haven't done in a while." The Illini hadn't done it since 1993, either, also the last time they beat the Wolverines. "I don't think anybody in their right minds believed we were going to win," quarterback Kurt Kittner said. "But as long as we to renew Georgia, Florida ready LAUSANNE, Switzerland (AP) Facing pressure from critics in Congress, the International Olympic Committee faces an important test this weekend in completing reforms driven by the bribery scandal. IOC president Juan Antonio Samaranch could be pressed to push through some key recommendations, especially those calling for an age limit of 70 and a ban on members' visiting Olympic bid cities.

In addition, many IOC members say they don't want to enact reforms just to appease those in Washington. IOC 2000, an 80-member reform commission, was set up earlier this year to reshape the 105-year--old organization following the scandal surrounding Salt Lake City's winning bid for the 2002 Winter Games. The panel's 26-member executive committee has drafted more than 50 recommendations that will be discussed by the full commission today and Sunday. The final proposals -r- related to age limits, terms of office, makeup of the membership, financial openness and the host city selection process will be submitted to the IOC general assembly for a vote at a special session in Lausanne on Dec. 11-12.

The reform commission is made up of IOC members and outside delegates, including former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger and former U.N. Secretary General Boutros Boutros-Ghali. A copy of the executive commit-tee's recommendations was obtained by The Associated Press. Key proposals include: appointment of 15 "active" athletes, eligible for up to four years after their last participation in the Olympics, as full IOC members. creation of a special committee to screen candidates for IOC membership.

introduction of an eight-year term of office, with the possibility of re-election. an age limit of 70 for all members (the current limit is 80). a single eight-year term, with no re-election, for the IOC president (Samaranch has been in office since 1980). introduction of a bid acceptance procedure, requiring cities to meet certain technical requirements before being allowed to submit a bid. ban on visits to bid cities.

could undergo changes this weekend. The limit was changed in 1995 from 75 to 80 to allow Samaranch to seek another term. The proposal does not specify how soon the 70. limit would take effect, although a transition period is envisioned. Jjf the rule were applied immediately; 24 current members would have to leave.

The age restriction is also; opposed by some possible successors to Samaranch, whose term expires in 2001. If the 70 limit is adopted, several presidential hopefuls, including Kevan Gosper of Australia and Kim Un-Yong of South Korea, would be virtually ruled out. Meanwhile, the question of visits to bid cities continues tb" divide the membership. 1 Samaranch has been adamant in arguing against visits, which' were at the root of the scandal over' gifts and other inducements; offered to IOC members by Salt Lake bidders. But many members think visits with tight controls are neces: sary to make an informed choice' on the host city.

The weekend meetings come at a time of increased scrutiny of the IOC in the United States. At a congressional hearing this month, the third this year on IOC issues, lawmakers expressed skep-' ticism about the reform efforts and threatened swift retribution if the organization fails to enact change in December. Possible sanctions include legis-1 lation to cut off American corpo1' rate support for the Olympics and strip the IOC's tax-exempt status in the United States. "We are going to be staying on top of them," said Rep. Fred Upton, a Michigan Republican who chairs the House subcommit tee on oversight and investigations.

"Our effort is not to trash the Olympics. We want to clean it up." Samaranch declined to testify at this month's hearing, saying he was too busy working on the reforms. But he is to appear before Upton's panel Dec. 15 three days after the reform vote. "We don't want to vote under pressure just to please the American Congress," Italian' member Mario Pescante said.

"We want to decide without having the impression there is a threat above our heads." airv Kev ouaj snowuowii nv Steve Spurrier always has emphasized winning the SEC over everything That earns a ring, even if the national title is out of reach. That's what has replaced a void with a legacy at Florida over the last decade. Over the past two years, Florida has missed out on a trip to Atlanta to play in the SEC title game. A victory over Georgia would almost guarantee the Gators a trip back, assuming they don't slip up against Vanderbilt or South Carolina. To Spurrier, a shot at the SEC is just as important as revenge or healing the wounds from the memorable 27-10 loss in 1966, when he was quarterback and the Bulldogs ruined his best chance at winning a championship.

"We all know the situation we're in, we're all looking forward to it," said Spurrier, who is seeking his 100th victory at Florida. "We're all extra up for it because we know so much is at stake for us." Of course, no player leaves a meeting during Georgia week without a lesson in what this game has meant in the past. Although Florida has recently dominated this series, winning eight of nine, there was an earlier 25-year period in which Florida went 8-17. That stretch is what defined the series to alumni, coaches and fans who have been around a while, "We've got a bunch of coaches on our team who played here when Georgia beat them and knocked them out of championships," linebacker Eugene McCaslin said. "Not only do we play for ourselves, but we play for our coaches and family and friends." Even with a victory, Georgia would need help to contend for the title.

Because the Bulldogs lost to Tennessee, the Vols would take control of the SEC East if Georgia wins. Of course, spoiling an archrival's season still means something when it's Georgia-Florida. It also would validate Georgia's season, which has been marred by the loss to Tennesseeand by a couple of one-point victories in which the Bulldogs didn't dominate the way they were expected. "We want to show everybody in the country we can play a top five team and that we deserve to be in the top 10," freshman wide receiver Terrence Edwards said. "Things are always a couple of steps higher for the Georgia-Florida game." JACKSONVILLE, Fla.

(AP) History, tradition and old wounds that haven't healed. All will play a role in today's game between Florida and Georgia. And most of that baggage has at least something to do with the Southeastern Conference title. In the 95-year history of the storied rivalry, No. 5 Florida (6-1, 4-1 SEC) never has won the SEC without beating No.

10 Georgia along the way. Not all of those losses are distant memories. In 1997, the Bulldogs (6-1, 4-1) snapped their seven-game losing streak in the series to knock Florida out of title contention. When they renew the series at Alltel Stadium capping a week known as "The World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party" the stakes will be the same as ever. "This game is not like every other game," Florida receiver Darrell Jackson said.

"Those guys beat up on us a couple years ago. It hurt us a lot. We were getting ready for an SEC title. That loss broke all our dreams and hurt our hearts. We knew We were the better team and we didn't play like it." Since he became Florida's coach in 1990,.