Detroit Free Press from Detroit, Michigan • Page 81

I -wr vm 'm High school football playoffs: Today's television highlights: Sunday, Ilov. 4, 1S04 The second season begins next weekend for 12:30 p.m. Football: NFL Today PETER GAMMONS 3 i ii Michigan's high school teams, and the match- 1:00 p.m. Football: NY Giants at Dallas HORSE RACING 5,6 I ups are beginning to take shape. Page 7H.

4:00 p.m. Football: Miami at NY Jets OUTDOORS 15 I I Sports Phone, 1-976-1313 4:30 p.m. Football: CFL Playoffs oil with sports newt: 222-666O I Jl-J L-l DETROIT FREE PRESS 29 31 Purdue passes George Puscas By TOMMY GEORGE Free Press Sports Writer WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. Purdue rolled out its shotgun Saturday, and surely blasts could be heard for miles. With quarterback Jim Everett at the trigger, the Boilermakers marched up and down the field, leaving Wolverine casualties along the way, in a punishing 31-29 victory over Michigan at Ross-Ade Stadium.

Despite the closeness of the score, Michigan was trampled. It was 31-7 Purdue early in the fourth quarter. Only a rousing rally by the Wolverines three touchdown passes by quarterback Chris Zurbrugg in the game's final four don't know if it was our formations so much as it was our offensive line." MICHIGAN COACH Bo Schembechler had trouble finding words to describe Everett's performance. "It didn't matter if he threw from the shotgun, split back, or Schembechler said. "When a guy throws the way he does and the receivers catch the way they do it was as good a performance we've ever had against us." Purdue coach Leon Burtnett was short and sweet: "It was the greatest game I've ever seen a quarterback play." See MICHIGAN, Page 12H minutes prevented a blowout before 60,159 fans.

Throwing off balance and from the shotgun, sidearmed and from the pocket, Everett had U-M on the run for most of the game. His favorite target was speedy Steve Griffin, who grabbed six passes for 1 12 yards. Operating against the Big Ten's leading pass defense, Everett completed 23 of 32 passes for 290 yards and two touchdowns. Tailback Rodney Carter (92 yards, one TD) and fullback Bruce King (82 yards) complemented Everett with a potent running game. "I was really surprised," Everett said.

"From films, I saw Michigan had been doing a great job of covering the pass and they had been putting a lot of pressure on the quarterback. I I Spartans win with frosh star Rebuilding Spartans could go to a bowl game EAST LANSING It might not happen this year, but those suffering souls of Spartanland are feeling the bowl game vibes their daddies remember. Michigan State beat Northwestern on Saturday, 27-10, marking its fourth victory in five games though only its fifth of the season and there are murmurs of a 'Spartans bowl appearance. Imagine that. It might be nothing more than wishful thinking.

But then, it really doesn't take much to qualify for a bowl these days. There was a time, not all that long ago, when only the Big Ten champion was allowed to play beyond the regular season. Now, four teams, maybe five, get to do it. The Spartans haven't played in a bowl since 1966, which is incredible if you remember what they were in the 1950s and into the '60s. They fell on bad times and naughty habits managing their athletes, but now, at last, they are shaking their miseries and reviving memories.

A bowl game anywhere even the Cherry Bowl at the Silverdome would mark 1 984 as the turnaround year for MSU. Pedes' promise comes through Their record, 5-4, says the Spartans are reviving, just as George Perles had promised. Two years ago, they were at a 65-year low, their 2-9 record their worst since 1917. That horror brought Perles home from the Pittsburgh Steelers to coach. He made a lot of promises, some of which backfired, in 1983.

But now, he need apologize to no one. "We're not where we want to get," Perles said. "But we've got something going. I feel good that we've put another block in the wall." Perles picked a perfect day to invite several dozens of the state's finest high school players to an MSU game, and then to his post-game interview. He used the interview to make a pitch to them.

"We're gonna get better," he said. "When we get enough of these young guys who want to come 4, 1 I 1 ts' By JACK SAYLOR Free Press Sports Writer EAST LANSING It was Band Day at Spartan Stadium Saturday and Michigan State forced Northwestern to face the music. Freshman Lorenzo White ignited a sleepy Spartans offense in the second half and scored two touchdowns and Northwestern paid the piper, 27-10. It was the fourth victory in five games for the Spartans, who moved modestly into sixth place in the Big Ten and toward what they hope will be a bowl bid. Michigan State is 5-4 overall and 4-3 in the Big Ten.

The ninth-place Wildcats (2-8 and 2-6) dropped their fifth game in the last six. It wasn't a daylong rockfest for MSU. The Spartans dawdled to a 7-3 halftime lead, making only three first downs. But once the bandsmen departed from the halftime show and White got in tune, the Spartans played with elan. White, a 6-foot, 201 -pound tailback from Ft.

Lauderdale, sprinted for 170 yards in 26 carries, all but 27 of the yards in the second half. "WE STARTED off very slow," said MSU coach George Perles. "We had opportunities and didn't capitalize on them. We were like two different teams in the first and second halves. "But we haven't lost a game in which we were generally picked as the favorite and that's what you have to do in a consistent program." White's running augmented the Spartans' customary stern defense, which limited Northwestern to a school record 49-yard See MSU, Page 9H vjl' here, they will take us to the Rose Bowl." Not next year, for sure.

Or even the year after. The Spartans are coming along nicely, but they are not a power, not in accepted sense, and in fact are far from it. They are learning to win with what they have, and that's half the battle, at least. They do some things very well such as defense, the source of their George Perles best of the rest TEXAS PULLS IT OUT: The Longhorns needed two late field goals to top Texas Tech. Page 10H.

CAVS STUN MOUNTAINEERS: West Virginia, playing before scouts from five major bowls, fell to Virgin-; ia, 27-7. Page 11H. and more CMU UPSET: Northern Illinois knocked off Central Michigan, 8-7. MAC roundup, Page 9H. HOPE IS PERFECT: Hope College downed Olivet for its first perfect record in school history.

State roundup, Page SH. Free Press Photo bv MARY SCHROEDER MSU's Kelly Quinn (57) takes the high road and Jim Rinella (93) the low road to sack Mike Greenfield. Lions simply need a win Tripucka back soon; Roundfield hurting tat-- They struggle still with their offense. It's spotty, a hit-and-miss operation, and it has led Perles into a type of play never expected of him. He's super-cautious, almost as if he doesn't trust his team with the ball.

He has a fine young passer in Dave Yarema, yet he allowed him to throw only a dozen times against Northwestern. The result is, the Spartans can bore you asleep right in your seat, as they did through the first half against Northwestern. Conservative on offense The game should have been a romp in the first half for MSU, but it let Northwestern stay in it by giving up two fumbles and an interception when the Spartans were in scoring range. That's the reason Perles has been turning to a conservative offense. He'd rather wait for rivals' errors than risk more from his own players.

The scheme paid off against Northwestern, as it has in recent games. When the second half started, the Wildcats muffed a punt, and a moment later, the Spartans had what proved to be their winning touchdown. "We obviously started off very slow," Perles said. "We had opportunities. But the second half, we were like a different team." Well, they are a different team.

Three of their four losses (to Notre Dame, Purdue and Ohio State) were by four points or less. Illinois whomped and embarrassed them, 40-7, but nobody else had such a picnic. More than anything, the Spartans have been different in mood and the way they are perceived from the moment they beat Michigan three weeks ago. It was a lift they needed. Perles senses it.

He knows no one can question his team's progress, whether a bowl game results from it or not. "We're only in our sophomore year here," he said. "I really want to turn this all around for a lot of people you don't even know about." MSU might not win another game this season its final two are with Iowa and Wisconsin and it probably will not go to a bowl game after all. Even so, there's satisfaction here, if for no other reason tharj the Spartans know their time is again. By CURT SYLVESTER Free Press Sports Writer Less than four months ago, Lions veterans reported to training camp talking of a division title, the playoffs and, yes, even the Super Bowl.

Nine games six losses later, there is no such talk. Going into their game against the Philadelphia Eagles at 1 p.m. today at the Silver-dome, the Lions and Monte Clark just want a victory, something to get the critics off their backs for at least a week. "We've got to put a string of a few victories together," said tight end Rob Ru-bick, who is expected to start against the Eagles. "Then we can get a better outlook on things.

Right now, we're just struggling to get a win. "Two or three more losses, we can kiss it (the season) goodby. What the heck, we've got to go out, play hard and hope for the best." Linebacker Jimmy Williams says he isn't concerned with the division race or the recent criticism of the team. "I'm thinking in terms of playing each game one at a time and winning them, and the rest will take care of itself," Williams said. See LIONS, PaAgei4H "He doesn't know how it happened, but it's swollen and tender and he's having difficulty just walking on it.

He's definitely out for Monday's game, and probably for Wednesday's, too." For Long, the bad news had nothing do to do with health. A letter from Pistons general manager Jack McCloskey contained the Pistons' "tender offer." It is a one-year contract offer, matching Long's salary of last season The Pistons had offered Long $1 million over three years with a substantial portion of that deferred. Rick Brode, Long's agent, has been asking for something around $400,000, with a much smaller amount deferred. As a result of the tender offer, Long has only until Nov. 24 to secure an offer sheet from another NBA club.

If he obtains one, the Pistons must match it to keep him. If he fails to obtain an offer sheet by that time, Long may reject the Pistons' offer, but may play with no other team the5 rest of the season. By CHARLIE VINCENT Free Press Sports Writer For Kelly Tripucka, the news Saturday was good; for Dan Round-field and John Long, it was not. Dr. Ben Paolucci, the Pistons' team physician, took X-rays and bone scans of Tripucka's right ankle, injured in Thursday's win over Atlanta, and said it was not fractured.

"What happens is athletes undergo some arthritic changes," said Paolucci, "and what. I see there is something I've seen in Kelly's ankle for a while. If I were looking at it for the first time, I might think it's abnormal, too. But for Kelly it is (normal). "He's questionable for Monday's game (in Cleveland), but he'll probably play Wednesday (against Chicago at the Silverdome)." ROUNDFIELD APPEARED recovered Saturday from the allergic reaction that sent him to Massachusetts General Hospital Friday night.

But, Paolucci said, "there's an additional problem with his left caff. A Free Press Photo by MARY SCHROEDER Troubled Spartan Scott Skiles. Michigan State's star basketball guard, is the biggest hero Plymouth. ever had. but his All-America image has been tarnished.

See Inside of Sports, Pag.e 8H..