Fry Taking His Shots at Southland, Bruins Before Leaving Iowa

Hayden Fry said he has nothing against Terry Donahue, but he admitted he was rooting for Arizona State to get into the Rose Bowl instead of UCLA.

Fry, noting that the Bruins will be playing on their home field, said he remembers how it was when Iowa lost to Florida, 14-6, in the Gator Bowl two years ago.

“The Gator Bowl is real close to the Florida campus and they play there a few times during the year,” Fry said. “With all their fans there, it was like a home game for them. That’s obviously a big advantage.”

Fry said he will make sure all the Hawkeyes get flu shots before departure.

“When we played Washington in the Rose Bowl four years ago, I got bronchial pneumonia,” he said. “I was so doped up for three days that I didn’t know whether I was coming or going, and I called all the plays.”

Washington won, 28-0.

Add Fry: Promising to cut down on the social functions, he said: “This will be beneficial because there’s so many exciting and beautiful things to do and see out there. It’s very difficult to get a young man’s mind on the ball game.

“You have the great coverage by the news media and the Hollywood stars come in. One night you’re eating with Bob Hope and the next Jimmy Stewart. It’s always been a difficult thing for Big Ten people to handle.”

Question: How did the Big Ten manage to win 12 of the first 13 games in the series?

Trivia Time: If USC loses to Oregon in Tokyo, it will be 5-6 going into the Aloha Bowl. Would the Trojans be the first team to bring a losing record to a bowl game? (Answer below.)

If the Chicago Bears win at Miami next week, they will be 13-0, equaling the record of the 1934 Bears, but Coach Mike Ditka said, “Don’t talk about the 1934 team. They lost the championship.”

In a huge upset that year, the New York Giants beat the Bears, 30-13, at the Polo Grounds in what became known as the “Sneaker Game.”

The Bears took a 10-3 lead at halftime on a field that became frozen. At halftime, Giants Coach Steve Owen outfitted his team with basketball shoes for better traction, and in the fourth quarter, the Giants turned it into a track meet by scoring 27 points.

Wait a Minute: World B. Free, explaining why he shoots less these days, told Terry Pluto of the Akron Beacon Journal: “I used to have to do it all. If I didn’t score, no one did. I still respect my talent, but I like the idea that I finally have talent around me.”

When Free played for the Philadelphia 76ers, his teammates included Julius Erving, George McGinnis, Darryl Dawkins, Doug Collins and Bobby Jones.

Trivia Answer: No. In 1963, Southern Methodist took a 4-6 record into the Sun Bowl where it lost to Oregon, 20-14. The coach of the Mustangs was Hayden Fry.

Quotebook

Penn State Coach Joe Paterno, asked after the 31-0 win over Pittsburgh how he would defend against Oklahoma’s wishbone in the Orange Bowl: “Geez, you don’t even let me enjoy one night.”