Detroit Free Press from Detroit, Michigan • Page 51

television highlights: Sunday, Oct.12, 1080 tho scoroboard Complete sports rundown. Page 4. 0 1:00 p.m. NFL football: Cincinnati at Pittsburgh 2:00 p.m. CFL football: Ottawa at Montreal 3:30 p.m.

NFL Today 4:00 p.m. Lions' football: New Orleans at Detroit 13.24 DETROIT FREE PRESS CLASSIFIED ADS INSIDE OF SPORTS 10 HORSE RACING 11 OUTDOORS 12 BOP 3)00 t-X U-M wins, M. can bra 2723 By MICK McCABE Free Press Sports Writer ANN ARBOR Michigan football coach Bo Schembechler is beginning to realize that nothing will come easy to his football team this season. This Saturday, it was a rejuvenated Michigan State team ftSJ I Jim f4f HawZdns II that gave the Wolverines fits before U-M escaped with a 27-23 victory before 105,263 fans at Michigan Stadium. The Spartans of first-year coach Muddy Waters were Inspired by the gutty performance of quarterback John Leister and the superior effort of place-kicker Morten Andersen.

But, in the end, the Wolverines (3-2 overall, 2-0 in the Big Ten) had too much talent for MSU (1-4 and 0-2). "They're all struggles," said Schembechler. "It was about what we anticipated. People tend to underrate them, but they played a good gme. We just hung in there and persevered." THE LOSS WAS especially tough on Waters, whose team was as emotionally charged as it was in last week's 26-21 loss to Notre Dame.

"This is the first time I've seen a team as high as we were two weeks In a row," Waters said. "It was almost a carbon copy of last week's game. I'm mighty proud of them. We played as good as we can." The Spartans may have played better than they can, except when they made a couple of key mistakes. The biggest error came midway through the third quarter, with the score tied, 13-13.

U-M's Ali Haji-Sheikh booted a 36-yard field goal, but MSU's Thomas Morris knocked down the U-M kicker as he had twice before. This time, he was was hit with a roughing the kicker penalty. That gave U-M a first down at MSU's nine-yard line. Three plays later from the four-yard line, John Wangler lofted as pass that Anthony Carter i an under for a touchdown. See U-M, Page 13D Photos bv Free Press Chief Photographer TONY SPINA The Michigan-Michigan State contest hinged on the kicking game.

The Wolverines' Ali Haji-Sheikh (right) kicked two field goals, and MSU's Morten Andersen (left) connected on three. But that wasn't all. A penalty for roughing the kicker kept a U-M scoring drive alive, and U-M also tried a fake field goal. Michigan freshman Don Bracken averaged 50.3 yards on four put ts, and MSU's Ray Stochowicz averaged 47.4 yards on five. Tale of the no-name Astros is not written in the stars HOUSTON The year was 1965, and the $30-million Astrodome, that revolutionary glass-roofed edifice being billed as "the Eighth Wonder of the World," was brand new.

The star of the struggling baseball team that called the Dome home was a rookie second baseman named Joe Morgan. The year was 1972 and the Astros, still struggling, decided they no longer needed a chunky little second baseman who flapped his wing like a chicken every time he stepped up to the plate. So they made him a Cincinnati Red. But before he left town, Joe Morgan made a vow. "I'll come back some day," he promised, "and help this team win a pennant." How, pray tell, do they do it? Now, like Gen.

Douglas MacArthur, Joe Morgan, an Astro once again, is determined to keep his promise. You look at the Houston Astros and you have to shake your head. How in the heck do they do it? How In the heck! Their ace pitcher, James Rodney Richard, who threw out the ceremonial first pitch before Saturday's hectic 5-3 loss to Philadelphia, is still battling back from a stroke. The Astros hope and pray he may someday be able to lead a normal life again. None dare even dream of the day he will be able to return to the mound In earnest.

Spartan QB silver lining on dark day ft A Xy'dt 'tjCrLr sjf v- If If MP miafr s' ik Their centerfielder, and their one true star, Cesar By GEORGE PUSCAS Free Press Sports Writer ANN ARBOR Call back the kickoff, turn back the calendar. Start the season over again. Now Michigan State is ready. Or so it would seem. The luckless Spartans lost the big game to Michigan Saturday, as everyone expected it would, but 'Something far more significant happened to the Spartans.

They discovered theiffuture. Their future is a tall, 19-year-old sopho-. more quarterback named John Leister. Unfortunately, they discovered him weeks too late. JUST A FEW weeks ago, few knew Leister existed, but suddenly he is the kid of the hour and the promise of the next several years for Michigan State.

It that seems small consolation for a team that now has fallen four times in five you are wrong. The battered Spartans are ready to grasp for any hope, any sign, that can suggest better days are ahead. John Leister is it. See LEISTER, Page 8D Cedeno, has his right foot encased in a plaster cast. The season he had been awaiting for 10 long years is already over for him.

Their best catcher, Alan Ashby, can barely bend over because of badly bruised ribs. Their back-up catcher, Luis Pujols, has a couple of stitches in one of his fielding fingers, and a badly bruised right ankle. Viimw if Mrtrpnn. thpir cnnrlrnlno eet. Notre Dame defeats Miami of Florida, S2-14.

Story on Page 7D. Ninth-ranked Ohio State demolishes Northwestern, 63-0. Story on Page 8D. Free Press Photo bv ALAN KAMUDA Lawrence Ricks (with ball) finds putting U-M ahead 9-0 in the first quarter is an uplifting experience. Phils series to wire sen top 20 teams trom and Houston's million-dollar man, Nolan Ryan.

The Phillies prevailed Saturday with two runs in the top half of the 10th when Pete Rose singled and pinch hitter Greg Luzinski and Manny Trillo put doubles back-to-back. VIRTUALLY FORGOTTEN by the end was the fact that the Astros kayoed Phillies' ace Steve Carlton, or that Vern Ruhle, the ex-Tiger and Houston starter, pitched exceedingly well. Along the way, there was the stirring appearance by James Rodney Richard to toss out the ceremonial first ball, a triple play that wasn't (see accompanying story), a lot of crazy baseball, plus plenty of frenzied cheering by the 44,952 Houston fans. It has been suggested by some that the Phillies lack heart and character. But, if true, that certainly was not apparent in the late innings Saturday.

"It looked like it was going to be a frustrating game," said Phillies manager Dallas Green. "It looked like we weren't going to be able to scratch any runs together. "But we didn't quit. If ever anybody had their backs to the wall, we did. And Philadelphia came through." "It was a strange game," admitted Astros manager Bill Virdon.

"But that's baseball." The players agreed. "I've been in some strange games, but never one like this," said Philadelphia third baseman Mike Schmidt. "You could write a whole book, publish it, it would be in the top 10 in two weeks, and a lot of it would be fiction." See PHILLIES, Page 13D By JIM HAWKINS Free Press Sports Writer HOUSTON Four times in the past five years, the Philadelphia Phillies have fought for the right to represent the National League in the World Series. Three times, the Phillies' foe from the Western Division has turned them down. Sunday night, they try again.

One game. Winner take all. All or nothing. That stage was set Saturday afternoon as the Phillies twice battled back to finally thwart the relentless Houston Astros, 5-3, and even this annual playoff at two wins apiece in a wild and emotional 10-lnning struggle that was filled with clutch play and key, controversial calls by the umpires. So, Sunday night, they go at it again: Philadelphia's unbeaten (5-0) rookie sensation Marty Bys- Joe Morgan ond baseman, is hobbling on a sore knee and way past his prime.

Their gifted third baseman, Enos Cabell, has a pulled groin muscle and probably shouldn't even be playing. Still, the persistent Astros persevere. "Most successful clubs have problems," sighed Bill Virdon, the bespectacled boss, trying to sound philosophical. "They have to overcome them if they're to become champions. And we certainly have had our share." You can say that again.

The Houston Astros lead the major leagues in nobodies. "They ought to call us the Houston Owls," chuckled bench warmer Dave Bergman Saturday. "Whenever anybody talks about us, they go all the time." Who, indeed. Talk about your bargains The roster of the Houston Astros reads like it was put together at a rummage sale. No fewer than five of the Astros arrived in Texas Incognito, as anonymous, innocuous, "players-to-be-named-later." Bruce Bochy, Danny Heep ahd Gordy Pladson were so impressive as kids they were totally ignored in the amateur draft.

Pitcher Ken Forsch was the 341st player picked in 1968. Relief ace Joe Sambito was No. 395 in 73. Leftf lelder Jose Cruz cost the Astros $25,000 when they purchased his contract from the St. Louis Cardinals.

Joe Niekro cost Houston 20 grand. Vern Ruhle came free. Joaquin Andujar was acquired in trade from the Cincinnati Reds for a couple of minor leaguers. Alan Ashby was a flop, first in Cleveland, then in Toronto. Bergman came from the Yankees, Enos Cabell from the Orioles, Art Howe from the Pirates.

Houston got Denny Walling from Oakland, Bobby Sprowl from Boston, Frank LaCorte from Atlanta, Craig Reynolds from Seattle, and Rafael Landestoy from Los Angeles. "We've been scrapping like this for two months," said Bergman, "and we've shown we can be successful. But we don't do anything easy. "We've been blessed with some talent, and big hearts." Still, you look at the Houston Astros and you have to shake your head. How in the heck? HHIi sizcups: Free Press sports writer Bill McGraw offers team-by team assessments, while five of the Red Wings' staunchest fans offer their own views.

Inside Sports page, 10D. Ghost triple play CMU streak dies in 24-9 Ohio loss How the top 20 teams in the Associated Press colleoe football poll fared Saturday (records in parentheses): 1 Alabama (5-0-0) beat Rutgers, 17-13. 2 Southern Cat (4-0-0) at Arizona, incomplete. 3 Texas (5-0-0) beat Oklahoma, 20-13. 4 Pittsburgh (4-1-0) lost to Florida 36-22.

5 UCLA (5-0-0) beat Stanford, 35-21. 6 Georgia (5-0-0) beat Mississippi, 28-21. 7 Notre Dame (4-0-0) beat Miami, 32-14. 8 North Carolina (5-0-0) beat Wake Forest, 27-9. 9 Ohio State (4-1-0) beat Northwestern, 63-0.

10 Nebraska (4-1-0) beat Kansas, 54-0. 11 Florida State (5-1-0) beat Pittsburgh, 36-22. 12 Oklahoma (2-2-0) lost to Texas, 20-13. 13 Miami, Fla. (4-1-0) lost to Notre Dame, 32-14.

14 Penn State (4-1-0) beat Maryland, 24-10. 15 Arkansas (3-1-0) vs. Wichita incomplete. 16 Stanford (4-2-0) lost to UCLA, 35-21. 17 South Carolina (5-1-0) beat Duke, 20-7 18 Baylor (4-0-0) vs.

SMU, incomplete. 19 Missouri (4-1-0) beat Oklahoma 30-7. 20 SMU (4-0-0); at Baylor, incomplete. By TERRY FOSTER Free Press Special Writer ATHENS, Ohio Central Michigan University's 23-game unbeaten streak ended where it began Saturday as Ohio University manufactured a surprisingly easy upset of the Chippewas, 24-9. CMU began its 23-game unbeaten string here Oct.

7, 1978, with a 17-3 victory. But Saturday the story was all Ohio. Ohio quarterback Sam Shon led the Bobcats with 20 completions out of 32 tries for 175 yards and three touchdowns. OHIO TALLIED the first 24 points of its Homecoming game, with tight end Shawn Silcott collecting two touchdown passes for 12 and seven yards while flanker Mark Green collected the other on a 14-yard aerial. See CMU, Page 9D erased by umpires HOUSTON It was a triple play, and then it wasn't.

Whatever it was, it delayed Saturday's Astros-Phillies game for 20 minutes while the entire umpiring crew and the National League president mediated the rhubarb. It began when Bake McBride led off the fourth inning with a single, and Manny Trillo immediately did the same. That put Phillies on first and second base with nobody out. A rally seemed imminent; a run appeared almost inevitable. But Garry Maddox popped meekly back to the mound and then the fun began.

Ruhle gloved the ball near the ground and flipped it to first: Meanwhile, both McBride and Trillo had advanced to the next base. But was it a double play or only one out? Did Ruhle catch the ball before it struck the ground, or didn't he? No one seemed to know. PLATE UMPIRE Doug Harvey called time and strolled out to confer with his colleagues. Art Howe, the Astros' first baseman, trotted to second with the ball and stepped on the bag, just In case. See PLAY, Page 13D Contest response is un-Billy-vable! When we asked you to suggest nicknames for Detroit Lions' football hero Billy Sims, we expected a good response.

But we didn't expect what we got more than 37,000 suggestions by the Oct. 1 deadline So we're still opening and sorting and reading. We'll finish this week, and we'll announce the winners next Sunday. The Texas Longhorns, ranked third in the nation, defeat the No. 12-ranked Oklahoma Sooners, 20-1 J.

Story on Page 9D..