Yes, It’s Sherrill’s Household

Lou Holtz of Notre Dame and Jackie Sherrill of Texas A&M;, the opposing coaches in the Cotton Bowl, are hardly strangers. When Holtz was coaching at Arkansas and Sherrill at Pitt, Holtz said he had a standing offer from Sherrill to visit him at his Pennsylvania home.

“I was in the area recruiting one time and decided to take him up on his invitation,” Holtz said. “Unfortunately, I got lost and I didn’t get to his house until 3 in the morning.

“To make sure I was at the right address, I honked the horn and Mrs. Sherrill appeared at the front door.

“I said, ‘Is this where Jackie Sherrill lives?’

“She said, ‘Yeah, just bring him in and lay him down in the hall like everybody else does.’ ”

Wait a Minute: Said USC basketball Coach George Raveling on the eve of the game against North Carolina: “Not many coaches relish the prospect of opening against North Carolina, but it will be a positive experience for our team. It’s a great opportunity for us.”

When Raveling was coaching at Iowa, he was accused of fattening his record by scheduling cream puffs and was asked why he didn’t schedule more top 20 teams.

“I know a lot of coaches who did,” said Raveling, “and they’re now working at K Mart.”

Trivia Time: What National Football League team drafted a father and his son on the first round at the same position? (Answer below.)

From Sport Magazine, which lists USC’s Marcus Cotton among the most overrated college players of 1987: “He ranked second to Chris Spielman among linebackers this season, but hasn’t played to that level. The word on Cotton is that he doesn’t work hard. ‘He has a soft body and he’s soft at the point of attack,’ says one NFL scout.”

Said Seattle SuperSonics assistant coach Tom Newell after his first look at 5-3 Tyrone Bogues of the Washington Bullets: “The biggest problem Muggsy will have is when he sits on the bench, his feet won’t hit the floor.”

58 Years Ago Today: On Thanksgiving Day in 1929, Ernie Nevers of the Chicago Cardinals scored 40 points against the Chicago Bears at Comiskey Park, setting a record that still stands. Nevers scored six touchdowns and kicked four extra points, accounting for all the Cardinal points in a 40-6 win.

The only Bear touchdown was scored by Grange, but it wasn’t Red. It was younger brother Garland Grange, who scored on a 60-yard pass play.

Add Nevers: When Gale Sayers of the Chicago Bears tied his record of six touchdowns in a game, in the Bears’ 61-20 win over the San Francisco 49ers in 1965, he said Sayers should have been given a chance to score a seventh touchdown.

“I’ve seen a lot of football and Sayers put on the best performance I’ve ever witnessed,” Nevers said.

The final Bear touchdown was scored by former USC and Ram star Jon Arnett.

Trivia Answer: The Kansas City Chiefs. In 1963, they drafted offensive guard Ed Budde of Michigan State on the first round. In 1980, they drafted offensive guard Brad Budde of USC on the first round.

Idle thought: Will the Buddes still be buddies on New Year’s Day?

Quotebook

University of Colorado nose tackle Kyle Rappold, claiming the Buffaloes are deserving of a bowl bid: “I’ll go anywhere. I’m good lookin’ on the beach, in the Gulf, on the Mississippi, in the desert and in any time zone.”