Detroit Free Press from Detroit, Michigan • Page 41

1 The Assembly Hall blues: Michigan and Michigan State prepare to make the dreaded trip into Indiana's den. Details are on Page 3D. Sports Phone, 1-976-1313 Today's television highlights: ESPN 7:00 p.m. NCAA: Georgetown at Pitt PASS 7:30 p.m. NCAA: Michigan at Indiana 7:30 p.m.

Hockey: Canada vs. Soviets SD 8:30 p.m. NBA: Detroit at Chicago Thursday, Ian. 2, 1988 BOWLING 3 RED WINGS 4 SCOREBOARD 5 Call with tports ntw: 222-6660 1 DETROIT FREE PRESS it Not just OK Oklahoma No. 1 Hitch rl Albom Sooners Ilo.

UH Ho. Who's No. The official answer according to the Associated Press and United Press International will be announced this afternoon. Because No. 1 Penn State, No.

2 Miami and No. 4 lowa lost Wednesday, it appears likely that Oklahoma will be crowned national champion, v-lto Michigan No. 2. Here's how the top five teams in the final AT1 regular-season poll fared in Wednesday's -bowls: John Shaffer (three interceptions), halfback D.J. Dozier (39 yards) and the rest of the Lions offense most of the evening.

"National championships don't come easy, and this one didn't tonight," Sooners coach Barry Switzer said. "Our defense was the difference it was outstanding tonight." Penn State's offense looked good early in the game, moving 62 yards in 10 plays on its first possession. The key play of the drive was a leaping catch at the 1-yard line by Penn State flanker Eric Hamilton. Two plays later, Tim Manoa's scored on a one-yard run for a 7-0 Penn State lead. THE NITTANY LIONS had no trouble solving Oklahoma's wishbone attack in the early going, forcing the Sooners into three plays and a punt on their first two offensive series.

Oklahoma finally began moving the ball on its third possession, driving to the Penn State 6. But the Lions ganged up on Holieway on an option play, throwing the freshman quarterback for a loss and See ORANGE BOWL, Page 9D By GENE GUIDI Free Press Sports Writer MIAMI Who was that team in the generic white uniforms and black football shoes, anyway? It couldn't have been Penn State, could it? Certainly not the top-ranked Penn State that had played smart, error-free football and won 11 straight games. The Penn State that got whipped by Oklahoma, 25-10, in the Orange Bowl Wednesday night committed one blunder after another. The Nittany Lions threw interceptions, fumbled and committed costly penalties. Coupled with Tennessee's upset of Miami in the Sugar Bowl, No.

3 Oklahoma is certain to end the season as the top-ranked team in both the Associated Press and United Press International polls. Oklahoma placekicker Tim Lashar booted an Orange Bowl record four field goals, freshman quarterback Jamelle Holieway tossed a 71-yard touchdown pass and Lydell Carr raced 61 yards to account for the Sooners' scoring. Oklahoma's defense did the rest, harassing Penn State quarterback No. 1 Penn State (11-1) lost to Oklahoma in Orange Bowl, 25-1Q. No.

2 Miami, Fia. (10-2) lost to Tennessee in Sugar Bowl, 35-7. No. 3 Oklahoma (11-1) beat Penn State in Orange Bowl, 25-10. No.

4 lowa (10-2) lost to UCLA In Rose Bowl, 45-28. No. 5 Michigan (10-1-1) beat Nebraska in Fiesta Bowl, 27-23. in the final regular-season UPI poll, Penn State was No. 1 followed by Oklahoma, lowa, Miami and Michigan.

Mi From siesta to Fiesta Taste of half time elixir was all Michigan needed TEMPE, Ariz. I don't know what they put in the locker-room water out here, but I'm not leaving until I get some. Cactus juice? Iguana blood? Something magical. Must be. For there were the Michigan Wolverines, down 14-3 at half time of the Fiesta Bowl, and looking meek.

Nebraska was whomping them. The thousands of Michigan fans who had flown thousands of miles and endured thousands of hangovers to get up for this New Year's Day kickoff were watching a genuine maize and blue Desert Disaster. Grab an ice bag. Pop some aspirin. For the Michigan defense had already allowed two touchdowns more than twice what the Wolverines allowed on average for a whole game.

And quarterback Jim Harbaugh was overthrowing receivers, running for his life, fumbling snaps. There was one play where he dropped back, scrambled, turned, scrambled, turned, and was knocked to the ground by his own man. A 22-yard loss. This was ugly. And then, halftime.

The teams disappeared into the locker rooms. And when they emerged, it was like that Monty Python movie. And Now for Something Completely Different. What's in that water? Prairie dog milk? What? low-key talk from Bo Must be something. For Nebraska, which had not committed a single turnover in the first half, developed a sudden case of the desert dropsies.

The Cornhuskers fumbled three of their first five plays in the second half. And the Michigan players who can recognize Christmas presents, even on New Year's Day turned the mistakes into touchdowns. The U-M offense sprung to life, mostly in the legs of sophomore running back Jamie Morris. He was magnificent, gaining 88 yards in the third A if 1 IF if' 4 4 i vi if I 1 a 9, 1 1 J. 9- Sis quarter alone.

By the time the quarter was over, "mistake-free" Nebraska had lost three fumbles, had a punt blocked, and was trailing, 27-14. What's in that water? Rattlesnake juice? You can't attribute the turnaround to any almighty halftime speech by Bo Schembechler. "I didn't if iViiiif Jamie Morris the coach claimed. "I just really say much at -'v told them to play like Michigan." Free Press Photo by MARY SCHROEDER Michigan's Gerald White (22) goes to the air over Nebraska fumble set up the touchdown, Michigan's first in the game. The defenders on one-yard touchdown in third quarter.

Doug DuBose's Wolverines scored a Fiesta Bowl-record 24 points in the quarter. Slow start, fast finish beats Huskers, 27-23 strong as any team in the country? "I don't know," Schembechler said. "But I think we can play with anybody in the country. And Nebraska can, too." In the first half, Nebraska's defense hounded Michigan quarterback Jim Harbaugh and allowed only Pat Moons' 42-yard, first-quarter field goal. Doug DuBose's five-yard touchdown catch and three-yard scoring run gave Nebraska its halftime lead.

Michigan had possession longer in the half (15:09 to 14:51) but drove no farther than Nebraska's 25. Schembechler even tried an unsuccessful fourth-and-one quarterback sneak at Nebraska's 45 four minutes into the second quarter. The Wolverines' offense had no punch, little continuity. "(Quarterback) McCathorn Clayton was doing a good job on the option," said Nebraska coach Tom Osborne, "and I thought we went into halftime emotionally up and prepared." BUT THE CORNHUSKERS self-destructed in the first 10 minutes of the third quarter. DuBose fumbled at Nebraska's 21, and Michigan's Jeff Akers recovered.

Clayton fumbled at his 38, and tackle Mark Messner recovered. And David Arnold blocked punter Dan Wingard's punt at Ne- See FIESTA BOWL, Page 6D all the time at halftime. I simply told 'em we had to stop their first drive, get the ball and score." Michigan accomplished that and more, capitalizing on two Nebraska fumbles and a blocked punt for 24 third-quarter points and a 27-23 victory Wednesday before a crowd of 72,454. The victory at Arizona State's Sun Devil Stadium before the state's largest crowd ever for a sporting event lifted No. 5 Michigan to 10-1-1 and gave U-M a shot to move as high as second in the national rankings.

No. 7 Nebraska dropped to 9-3. IS MICHIGAN 6-6 last season and figured a Big Ten also-ran this season as By TOMMY GEORGE Free Press Sports Writer TEMPE, Ariz. Michigan's Fiesta Bowl victory over Nebraska was unlike the Wolverines' previous games, in a place different from all the other settings. Natural grass instead of artificial turf.

Palm trees and mountains surrounding the stadium rather than parking lots. And touchdowns two of them by Nebraska for a 14-3 halftime lead against a U-M defense that had not allowed more than one in the first half of any game, and only five all season. "I'm not Knute Rockne," said Michigan coach Bo Schembechler. "I don't have to yell "Maybe Nebraska coach Tom Osborne told his guys to play like Tuscaloosa High School. Whatever the case, by the time the Cornhuskers came gasping out of the third quarter, the game was all but out of reach.

Nebraska changed quarterbacks from Clayton McCathorn to freshman Steve Taylor and started to move. The Cornhuskers scored a touchdown to pull within 27-21. They held Michigan on a critical series of downs, after which U-M took a safety to make it 27-23. And they were driving toward a winning score with less than a minute left. It looked like the halftime elixir had worn off.

And then Taylor threw a long bomb to the end zone, Michigan intercepted, and Schembechler and his Wolverines had that rarest of winter jewels a bowl win. 'Fess up. Is it Possum juice? Scorpion syrup? -M on a split decision "I don't know what happened to us," said Osborne. "We haven't had a punt blocked in what, three four, five years? I can't explain it." Nor can most people who watched these Cornhuskers all year. They are better than they played in the third quarter.

But then, U-M fans would argue that the Wolverines are better than they played in the first half. In fact, people will be arguing over this one for a while. Nebraska dominated the numbers game, gaining 304 yards on the ground to Michigan's 171, and easily winning the Time Of Possession Battle. If this game was a boxing match, Nebraska would have won three rounds to U-M's one. But the one was a knockout.

"That third quarter won it for us," said Schembechler. "No question." And for statistics buffs, let the record show that the Wolverines have outscored their opponents, 103-6, in the third quarter this year. So it wasn't that much of a surprise. "They're the toughest team we've played all season," said Morris, who rightfully earned the offensive MVP honors with 156 yards rushing. "But we found a way to beat them." That cannot be denied.

A bowl win is a bowl win "I don't have too many of these, so I have to cherish the ones I get," said Schembechler and this one likely knocks the Wolverines up a few pegs in the final polls. Their season is officially over. A year in which no major pre-season poll picked them to make the top 20 sees them finish in the top five. Not bad. All that remains is to wait for the final polls.

Underdog Vols spoil Miami's title hopes Jinxed again! Iowa mauled by UCLA By CHARLIE VINCENT Free Press Sports Writer PASADENA, Calif. Jim Plunkett had done it. And Pat Haden. And Charles White, a couple of times. Each, in their turn, stepped forward to perpetuate the jinx the Big Ten says does not exist.

Wednesday, in the haze and chill of the Rose Bowl, the mantle fell to Eric Ball, a red-shirt freshman from Ypsilanti. In the biggest day of his young college career, Ball scored four touchdowns on runs of 30, 40, six and 32 yards and led the Bruins to a 45-28 victory over the Iowa Hawkeyes that left the West Coast laughing its insides out at the Big Ten again. In all the history of this game, which likes to call itself the "Granddaddy of Bowls," only Neil Snow has scored more touchdowns and he did that 84 years ago when Michigan won the first Rose Bowl, 49-0. Sometimes it seems that was the last time the Big Ten Tha Psc la bach UCLA'8 45-28 victory over lowa gave the Pac-10 five consecutive victories over the Big Ten in the Rose Bowl, 11 of the last 12. and 15 of the last 17.

Here are the results of the past 10 games: 1977: No. 3 Southern Cal beat No. 2 Michigan, 14-6. 1978: No. 13 Washington beat No.

4 Michigan, 27-20. 1979: No. 3 Southern Cal beat No. 5 Michigan, 17-10. 1980: No.

3 Southern Cal beat No. 1 Ohio State, 17-16. 1981: No. 5 Michigan beat No. 16 Washington, 23-6.

1982: No. 12 Washington beat No. 13 lowa, 28-0. 1983: No. 5 UCLA beat No.

19 Michigan, 24-14. 4 Illinois. 45-9. 1985: No. 18 Southern Cal beat No.

6 Ohio State, 20-17. 1988: No. 13 UCLA beat No. 4 lowa, 45-28. was never in the game after Tennessee scored two touchdowns in the second quarter and opened a 14-point lead late in the third.

The Hurricanes finished 10-2 in their quest for a second national crown in three years. TENNESSEE (9-1-2) was an eight-point underdog, but the Vols never looked it after a shaky start. The Vols' defense forced one turnover that led to a touchdown and kept Tennessee in excellent field position, leading to scoring drives of 41, 50, 31 and 60 yards. The Vols claimed their sixth victory in a row and extended their unbeaten string to eight pmes. AP and UPI NEW ORLEANS Jeff Powell raced 60 yards for one touchdown and eighth-ranked Tennessee's swarming defense sacked Vinny Testaverde seven times as the Vols ended No.

2 Miami's dream of a national championship with a 35-7 victory in the 52d Sugar Bow Wednesday night. Dale Jones, Mark Hovanic and Richard Brown pressured Testaverde throughout the game, and the Hurricanes never were able to get their offense untracked. Testaverde, averaging more than 300 passing yards a game, was held to 217, and much of that came against a prevent defense in the finsd quarter. won this game. And to findf out what's in that water.

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