Iowa, Tennessee Play Today as College Football Season Gets Under Way

The 119th season of college football gets under way today when 16th-ranked Iowa and No. 17 Tennessee meet in the fifth annual Kickoff Classic.

Neither coach seems to be overly concerned about the long season, which runs until Dec. 5, although Iowa finishes on Nov. 21 and Tennessee a week later. Both have their sights set on a bowl trip that would prolong the season even further.

“I’ve had a lot of questions about accepting this game,” says Tennessee’s Johnny Majors, whose Vols closed out 1986 at 7-5 thanks to a five-game winning streak, including a Liberty Bowl victory over Minnesota. “But it didn’t take a long time to decide to come.

“I’ve never experienced a regular season this long, but our kids are excited and we’re looking forward to making it an exciting opportunity rather than a pressure event. There’s more upside than downside.”

Iowa’s Hayden Fry, whose Hawkeyes defeated San Diego State in the Holiday Bowl to cap a 9-3 season, says that “because we’re young at many positions, the game offers us an opportunity to gain experience, plus we gain extra practice time (Iowa’s second game is Sept. 12 at Arizona). Both should work to our advantage later in the season.

“The exposure, the national TV (ABC, 10 a.m., PDT), the prestige of the game--I really can’t find anything negative about it at all. Win, lose or draw, I look at it as a very positive experience.

“I’ve got a good feeling about this team, even though we have a lot of new starters. We could use the Tennessee game as a springboard to another fine season. Do we belong in the Top Twenty? Probably so. I can’t think of 20 teams better than Iowa.”

Both clubs expect to be potent offensively, with defenses that need some rebuilding. That’s OK with the New Jersey Sports & Exposition Authority, which conducts the game and loves offensive fireworks, especially after Alabama’s boring 16-10 victory over Ohio State a year ago.

“Hayden is the kind of fellow who always has a trick or two up his sleeve,” Majors says. “Never turn your back on his exciting offense.”

If you do, you might miss 6-foot-8 sophomore Dan McGwire, who may be the tallest quarterback in college football history.

“From all reports, we’ve come across some guys 6-6 and 6-7, but never anyone taller than that,” Fry says. “Dan’s a legitimate 6-8, and very likely closer to 6-9. He’s still growing.”

If McGwire’s name seems familiar, he’s the little brother--make that the younger brother--of Oakland Athletics rookie slugger Mark McGwire.

“There’s a great battle going on between McGwire, (senior Chuck) Hartlieb and (junior Tom) Poholsky, but nothing’s changed in the last few weeks,” Fry says.

Tennessee is led by junior Jeff Francis, the nation’s seventh ranked passer a year ago. Francis, along with a flock of speedy pass-catchers, have Majors experimenting with a four-wide receiver formation and have Fry concerned.

“I know one thing--Tennessee will be the fastest team we’ll play this season,” he says.

Francis can pick his long-distance receivers from among Anthony Miller, Terence Cleveland, Thomas Woods, Vincent Moore and redshirt freshman Alvin Harper, a 6-5 jumping jack who caught four passes for 178 yards and two touchdowns in Tennessee’s spring game.

“We’re just trying to get our best athletes and fastest people in the ballgame at one time,” says assistant coach David Cutcliffe. “Obviously, we can put four guys out there who can scare a secondary coach.”

On Wednesday night, Pitt visits Brigham Young. The season gets into full swing next Saturday with all but six members of the Associated Press preseason Top Twenty in action, including 11th-ranked defending national champion Penn State, which entertains Bowling Green, and two games between Top Twenty teams--Florida, tied for No. 20, at No. 10 Miami, Fla., and sixth-ranked LSU at No. 15 Texas A&M.;

Top-rated Oklahoma plays host to North Texas State, runnerup Nebraska entertains Utah State and No. 3 UCLA plays San Diego State in the Rose Bowl.

Elsewhere, Texas visits fifth-ranked Auburn, No. 8 Florida State entertains Texas Tech and ninth-ranked Clemson is at home with Western Carolina.

In the Second Ten, Stanford is at No. 13 Washington and Virginia at Georgia, which is tied for 20th with Florida.

Fourth-ranked Ohio State, No. 7 Michigan, No. 12 Arkansas, No. 14 Arizona State, No. 18 Notre Dame and No. 19 USC are idle.