Detroit Free Press from Detroit, Michigan • Page 28

iiSr-iir-ajavirti'kViitu Mow perspective: Leonard's manager discounts Hearns' fight plans. 2C Title hopes: Colorado controls its destiny; Irish must win Orange Bowl and convince poll voters. 5C Copper Cowl: California holds off Wyoming rally for 17-15 win. 5C Right combination: Recchi scores two Barrasso wins seventh straight as Pittsburgh beats Blues, 4-3. GC I Section Tuesday -A Hi X.

Sports JANUARY 1, 1991 MSU 17, SOUTHERN CAL 16 Hawldinis Spaurt rFV S'V'i i leads 4 4 ii i At- til Bryan BURWELL Afews conferences before games are the worst places to seek and find the absolute truth JACKSONVILLE -It is one of the delightful consis-. tencies of college football that no truth shall be found Or at any pregame news conference. Put a couple of rival coaches in the same room before a New Year's bowl game, and suddenly it's a cock-and-bull festival. The gentle blarney and out-and-out falsehoods that are spun in the space of these 30-minute affairs are enough to make even a politician blush. In Monday morning's final briefing before Michigan and Mississippi face off in the New Year's Day Gator Bowl, Ole Miss' Billy Brewer and Michigan's Gary Moeller were culling canards out of thin air.

"Gary Moeller is the perfect man to be coaching Michigan," gushed Brewer. "He is the classiest individual in college football." "I have watched Billy Brewer's team on film, and let me tell you, I'd be proud to say I coached that team," Moeller said. "Yeah, it is kinda funny, isn't it?" Moeller admitted much later. "It's sort of the rules, you know, that you're supposed to be kind to your opponent. But I swear, this time, I really mean it, those boys can play." News conferences are certainly not the place for seekers of the truth.

What you get here are misleading nonsense and counterfeit compliments. Behind the scenes, the truth comes out. At Sunday's Michigan pep rally on Amelia Island, there was enough truth to stir the masses into a cheering frenzy. First came words from U-M linebacker John Milligan. "The boys from the North plan on showing the boys from the South how to play some football Milligan told about 1,000 Maize and Blue witnesses, not to mention a few eavesdroppilg sportswriters.

Milligan's teammate, fullback Jer-rod Punch, thought this bit of news was simply hilarious. "They found out what you said, John?" Bunch hooted. "Oooooh man. Oh boy. I can't believe it.

Ooooooh oooooh. And are you guys gonna write about what he said?" Several note-pad pushers nodded their heads in the affirmative. "Oooh baby," Bunch laughed, slapping his meaty hands on his thick thighs. "Ohh brother." "Yeah, well why don't you tell 'em what you said, Jerrodi" Milligan said. "Oh yeah, I did say something, huh?" "And what was that?" wondered one media snoop.

Unbeknownst to Bunch and Milligan, a Detroit TV crew was at the rather enlightening pep rally and recorded their fits of honesty. When it was Bunch's opportunity to address the thousand or so Wolverines well-wishers, he said: "You know, when I was a freshman, Jim Harbaugh said something at a pep rally before one game that sort of reminds me of this game. 'What makes them think they can beat Now that is honesty. That is what is really going on inside the minds of college football coaches and players before a big game. "Yeah, but that's exactly the kind of attitude a coach has to protect against with his players before games like this," Moeller said.

"The emotional kick-in is the key in this game. Look at Ohio State against Air Force. Ohio State just didn't show up for that game. Nothing against Air Force, but Ohio State just wasn't ready to play. Now here we are, 11-point favorites, and that's when all those things like overconfidence come out.

People imply that you're supposed to win, so if you're not careful that attitude can work against you. "I look at what happened to Lou Holtz at the Orange Bowl last year and I have to laugh. For once, a guy tells the truth about what he feels, and he gets in a world of trouble. Besides, I just think you better make sure your players understand just how good your opponent is when they're preparing for them. You try to bring out every point.

Show them tons of film. Constantly remind them how tough these guys are that they're about to face." In other words, you lie like a rug? "Well, let's just put it this way," said Moeller, grinning ever so slyly. "You don't start telling 'em how bad they're gonna kick the mess out of the other guys until right before the game." BUSINESS 7C CLASS. AUTO 13C MVP: Touchdown catch, kickoff return spark Spartans' 3rd-quarter surge. By Terry Cabell THE DETROIT NEWS EL PASO, Texas Here's a hypothetical question: If Michigan State junior flanker Courtney Hawkins wouldn't have missed six weeks with a broken collarbone, would the Spartans have been playing in the Touchback: Goal-line stand sparks Spartans.

Page 4C. Rose Bowl today? Hawkins, an All-Big Ten selection in 1989 and a 1990 preseason All-America selection, was named Most Valuable Player of the John Hancock Bowl Monday after leading No. 22 Michigan State to a 17-16 victory over No. 21 Southern Cal before a bowl-record crowd of 50,562 at Sun Bowl Stadium. Hawkins, who suffered the broken collarbone against Rutgers in the third game of the season and didn't return until the final three games, caught six passes for 106 yards, including a 21 -yard touchdown pass from quarterback Dan Enos.

He also returned three kickoffs for 103 yards, including a 57-yarder, and was credited with a 7-yard punt return after a clipping penalty nullified a 64-yard return to the USC 8. "They were playing man-coverage, and I must say, I can give a team a lot of trouble with one man on me," Hawkins said. Michigan State finished the sea-Please see MSU, 4C Today's games Gator Bowl: Michigan vs. Mississippi, 1 1 :30 a.m., ESPN. Hall of Fame Bowl: Illinois vs.

Clemson, 1 p.m., Ch. 4. Citrus Bowl: Georgia Tech vs. Nebraska, 1 :30 p.m., Ch. 7.

Cotton Bowl: Texas vs. Miami, 1:30 p.m., Ch. 2. Fiesta Bowl: Louisville vs. Alabama, 4:30 p.m., Ch.

4. Rose Bowl: Iowa vs. Washington, 5 p.m., Ch. 7. Orange Bowl: Colorado vs.

Notre Dame, 8 p.m., Ch. 4. Sugar Bowl: Virginia vs. Tennessee, 8:30 p.m., Ch. 7.

uphold. There's nothing on the line except pride and tradition." It's an unusual game in that the most important factors appear to be the emotional ones. The Wolverines, who gained a share of their third straight Big Ten title, were in the Rose Bowl the past two seasons and are playing in a lesser bowl than expected. Their Run for the Roses Please see U-M, 5C Wings notes: Shank sent to Adirondack. Page 6C.

second shutout of the season. Graham finished the scoring at 17:31 of the third period. It is the first time the Wings have been shut out in back-to-back games since March 30 and April 1, 1978, and Coach Bryan Murray pointed to a problem. "We're forcing shots," he said "I think it's because there's so much talk about the power play that when the point men get the puck it's almost careless shooting. I didn't think this team would have trouble Please see Wings, 16C MSU's Alan Haller beats USC's It wasn't CLARENCE TABB JR.

The Detroit News Pat Harlow to a free football in the end zone during the second quarter. Haller recovered for a touchback. MSU's style, but it was a win and levitated into orbit, the game evolved backward. Back into the rock-em, knock-em, sometimes sock-em defensive war that had been raging since the opening kickoff. George Perles' crew feasted on this kind of fare.

Hawkins had not scored on a pass all season, mostly because he missed a great chunk of it with a broken collarbone. And partly because the Spartans owned one of the most prolific backfield combinations in Please see Strother, 4C couple of angry Southern Cal defenders that ignited a slumbering Michigan State offense in the third quarter. Then, moments later, it was the junior flanker's 21-yard touchdown catch that gave the Spartans the lead in the John Hancock Bowl. Such frequent flying has not been sighted in green since Andre Rison tore up the Gator Bowl two seasons past. From there, aside from a duel between field-goal kickers frolicking in air so light that any UFO sightings might only have been tortillas that slipped loose from grasp EL PASO, Texas At Michigan State, where Paul Revere's horse might be more admired than its rider, a gimmick play has almost become anything that travels through the air.

George Perles likes football in its most primordial, most base form. Well-executed handoffs are the daily bread. Forward passes? That's dessert. Except when you have someone like Courtney Hawkins. Then you'd better have your cake and eat it, too.

It was Hawkins' improbable catch of a 4 1 -yard pass while sandwiched between a Wolverines out to prove a point or two SHELBY STROTHER U-M vs. Ole Miss What Gator Bowl. When: Today, 1 1 :30 a.m. Where: Gator Bowl (80,120 capacity), Jacksonville, Fla. TV: ESPN.

Radio: WJR-AM (760). Records: Michigan 8-3, Mississippi 9-2. AP Rankings: Michigan No. 12, Mississippi No. 15.

Line: Michigan by 1112. Coach Billy Brewer can re-establish the program as a national power. No. 12 U-M wants to prove it's better than its 8-3 record indicates, quieting those who doubt Coach Gary Moeller can maintain U-M as a national power. "Mississippi looks like a team on a mission," Wolverines fullback Jarrod Bunch said.

"But we're on a mission, too. We have our own standards and the standards of the Big Ten to By Bob Wojnowskl THE DETROIT NEWS JACKSONVILLE, Fla. On a day when bowl games from Dallas to Orlando to Miami will decide who gets to point a solitary finger skyward, the Gator Bowl matchup between Michigan and Mississippi would appear to be pointless. If you believe that, you're missing Recipe: Both schools mix styles, players. Page 5C.

the point. The Wolverines and Rebels, contrasting teams with contrasting styles from contrasting conferences, both believe they have points to prove. Fifteenth-ranked Ole Miss wants to prove it's as good as its 9-2 record indicates, quieting those who doubt TT Blackhawks down Wings 4-0 as Belfour makes 22 saves Andersen kicks Saints to wild-card spot, 20-17 By Cynthia Lambert THE DETROIT NEWS You might say Chicago was due. It had been 251 games since the Blackhawks last recorded a shutout on the road. It came on Nov.

17, 1984, when Warren Skorodenski got one at Hartford, winning 7-0. But Ed Belfour, the best goalie in the league this season, got them another one Monday night when he helped to defeat the Red Wings 4-0 in the traditional New Year's Eve game at Joe Louis Arena. Dirk Graham (two, one on a power play), Michel Goulet and Steve Larmer scored for Chicago. Belfour, with a league-leading 24 victories, stopped 22 shots en route to his DETROIT NEWS WIRE SERVICES NEW ORLEANS Morten Andersen kicked a 24-yard field goal with two seconds left to put New Orleans into the NFL playoffs for the second time in franchise history with a 20-17 victory over the Los Angeles Rams on Monday night. Andersen's first attempt was blocked by nose tackle Alvin Wright.

But Wright was offsides, and Andersen, a standout at Michigan State, got a second chance to make Saints history. Dallas lost to Atlanta 26-7 Sunday. But having beaten the Saints this year, the Cowboys still would have gone to the playoffs with a 7-9 record if New Orleans had lost to Los Angeles. The wild-card Saints (8-8) play Sunday at Chicago (1 1-5), champion of the NFC Centra). Their only other trip to the playoffs was in 1987, and Minnesota ended that with a 44-10 victory.

Please see Saints, 3C 1 fx rp )-! 11 1 i -a i The Blackhawks' tangle at 13:11 of DIANE WEISS The Detroit News Stu Grimson and Bob Probert the second period. 3.