College Football / Richard Hoffer : Even Lou Holtz Has Unleashed Passing Attack

Notre Dame Coach Lou Holtz said, “Last year, of the top 23 rushing teams in the nation, 17 went to a bowl and 1 was on probation. Of the top 22 passing teams in the nation, 6 went to bowl games and 3 were looking for new coaches at the end of the year.”

This conventional wisdom remains a tough sell, however. Just as in the last three seasons, when passing yardage exceeded rushing yardage, it’s pass, pass, pass. Besides Miami, which has quarterback Vinny Testaverde, or Fresno State (Kevin Sweeney), or Florida (Kerwin Bell) or Brigham Young (Steve Lindsley), there are a host of other schools resorting to the forward pass.

Most notable might be North Carolina Central, where sophomore Earl Harvey has thrown for 1,260 yards in three games this season. He passed for 3,190 yards last season, the first freshman quarterback in NCAA history to pass for more than 3,000 yards in a season.

But there are other examples as well. Last week, Steve Beuerlein completed 21 of 33 passes for 263 yards. Beuerlein plays for Lou Holtz at Notre Dame.

Passing Game, Cont.: The Big Ten went 0-3 with the Pac-10 last week, and you hardly have to wonder why. Except for Michigan State, which gave Arizona State a scare, the other two losers from the Midwest steadfastly declined any play riskier than a fullback plunge.

Most spectacularly old-fashioned was Ohio State, now 0-2 after Washington beat the Buckeyes, 40-7. Coach Earle Bruce, whom you hardly ever think of when it comes to the great innovators, directed his team to a real death march. The Buckeyes completed just 10 of 22 passes for 104 yards. And resorting, quite technically, to the glory years of the Big Ten, the Buckeyes averaged three yards, but no cloud of dust, per running play.

Illinois, which lost to USC, 31-16, hardly aired it out, either. Illinois had just 148 yards passing.

Minnesota Coach John Gutekunst says the Big Ten’s early mediocrity--the conference is 7-6 overall so far--has to do with the departure of so many quarterbacks, people such as Chuck Long of Iowa, Jack Trudeau of Illinois and Jim Everett of Purdue. “A lack of experience sometimes makes you slower out of the chute,” he says.

Still, Purdue managed a nice win with the pass-happy Jeff George, who threw for 225 yards against Bowling Green. George is a freshman.

Has Oklahoma linebacker Brian Bosworth been muzzled for good or has his silence, as requested by university President Frank Horton, been a temporary thing, like some of his hair? We’ll probably find out today when the Boz tackles Minnesota and all it stands for.

Two weeks ago, after he thrashed UCLA on the field, he trashed the Bruins off it, calling UCLA a “legitimate doormat.” The prez ordered an apology, which Bosworth dutifully performed. But those who’ve watched and heard the Boz didn’t feel his heart was in it.

Already a backlash has begun to develop, and it didn’t start with Horton. An Oklahoma newspaper has received a letter from somebody glad his son was too young to idolize the Boz. Worse, Coach Barry Switzer said: “I told him that now he is hurting me and my program.”

Poor Boz. He hardly means anything he says and he seems surprised when anybody takes him seriously. Certainly he doesn’t take himself seriously. Ever seen that haircut?

College Football Notes

Asked about the execution of his team’s defense in Tulane’s 48-31 loss to TCU, a surprised Mack Brown said: “I don’t think we ought to execute them right now.” . . . Sibling rivalry gets a field day in Nashville when Tulane Coach Mack Brown meets Vanderbilt Coach Watson Brown. It’s the first time the Browns have met as opposing coaches, but not the first time brothers have clashed. In 1971, Vince Dooley of Georgia stood across the field from Bill Dooley of North Carolina. And the Elliott boys met several times in the 1960s when Pete was at Illinois and Bump at Michigan. . . . The Brown brothers, incidentally, descend from Eddie (Jelly) Watson, 86 years old and holder of the record for most victories by a Tennessee high school coach. After the TCU loss, the elder advised grandson Mack, “You know if you’d stopped old No. 27 (Tony Jeffery, who rushed for 343 yards) better, you’d have had a chance to win the game.” Said Mack: “That’s what made you the winningest coach in Tennessee history?”

Wisconsin’s Badgers will enjoy something of a home-field advantage today when they play UNLV--at Las Vegas. Wisconsin fans have somehow bought 20,000 tickets to the game, leaving just 12,000 for the UNLV fans. Let them try and order a bratwurst, though. . . . The annual Academic Bowl is played today, Carnegie-Mellon vs. Case Western Reserve. They are in a newly formed league, the University Athletic Assn., which is supposed to place as much emphasis on the academic accomplishments of its athletes as it does its athletic achievements. Tab Carnegie-Mellon: The Tartans are 1-0 this season, 8-1 last year, and know their way around an isosceles triangle. . . . Twenty years ago, Ara Parseghian had his Notre Dame Fighting Irish play for the most famous tie in college football when he directed the team in a series of game-ending running plays to preserve a 10-10 score with Michigan State. Parseghian, who’ll also be at today’s game between the Irish and the Spartans, says he’d do it again. Anyway, the Irish did finish No. 1 that year.

Speaking of coaches, anybody notice that Howard Schnellenberger’s Louisville team is 0-2 and that it has yet to score a point? . . . Furthermore: Coach Gerry Faust is 2-0 at Akron. He turned that trick just once at Notre Dame. . . . Baylor Coach Grant Teaff has banned the use of smokeless tobacco in the football facilities. They play clean. . . . Holy Cross junior Gordie Lockbaum last week made 9 solo tackles, returned an interception 34 yards, carried the ball 6 times for 29 yards, caught a pass for 20 yards, returned 2 kickoffs for 30 yards and recovered 2 fumbles, one of which he ran in for a 4-yard touchdown. Altogether he was in on 110 plays. They never made them like they do now. . . . Georgia Tech is sending out a postcard showing an old picture of center John Davis moving aside William (the Refrigerator) Perry. He’s called the Refrigerator Mover. . . . Eastern Illinois will probably never play on TV, but it can pretend. Last week, the school had “Make Believe We Are on ESPN Day,” complete with a satellite dish and fake cameras. Kickoff was even delayed seven minutes. The phony telecast was such a success they’re doing it again today. The first 5,000 fans get “Hi, Mom” signs. . . . Speaking of satellite dishes: Not only does Notre Dame throw its coach’s press conference to the stars for grabs, but so do the Southwest Conference, the Big Ten and the Pac-10. The SWC advises: “Dial Galaxy 2, Transponder 23, Audio 6.2 and 6.8.” Go ahead, dial it. . . . And finally: USC sports information director Tim Tessalone and his wife named their newborn boy, wouldn’t you know it, Troy. Aren’t we all glad Tim doesn’t work at Arkansas?