Expect Teams in End Zone for the Holiday

By CURT HOLBREICH

Dec. 30, 1988 12 AM PT

Times Staff Writer

SAN DIEGO —

Take a good, long look tonight at 12th-ranked Oklahoma State and Barry Sanders, the school’s first Heisman Trophy winner.

For those who don’t live in Stillwater, Okla., or spend their falls following the Cowboys around the Big Eight Conference, this could be your last chance for a while.

They are about to ride off into the muted sunset of a National Collegiate Athletic Assn. probation.

Their ESPN-televised appearance in the 11th Sea World Holiday Bowl against No. 15 Wyoming at San Diego Jack Murphy Stadium (5 p.m.) figures to be the last national and postseason exposure that Sanders and the rest of the OSU underclassmen see anytime soon.

“From what we hear, this will probably be the last bowl game that I’ll ever be in,” said Mike Gundy, Oklahoma State’s junior quarterback. “We’ll probably be off TV, too. Of course, we don’t know anything about (the probation), but if I had to take a guess, I’d guess that.”

That impending announcement of the NCAA sanctions casts an uncomfortable edge on what otherwise promises to be one of the better, and possibly more exciting, bowl games of the season.

These Cowboys (Wyoming shares Oklahoma State’s nickname) are a couple of potent offensive teams.

Oklahoma State (9-2) is the highest-scoring team in the land, averaging 47.5 points per game and having scored 40 or more in 10 of 11 games. Wyoming (11-1) is not far behind, averaging 41.4 points.

“This game is a tossup because the offenses are so powerful,” Sanders said. “It will be a high-scoring game.”

Sanders not only has fact on his side, he has history.

When these teams met last year in Wyoming, they combined for 38 fourth-quarter points as Oklahoma State won, 35-29. Such dramatics would be in keeping with a game that year in and year out has produced some of the closest finishes of the bowl season.

Of the previous 10 Holiday Bowls, half have been decided by a point, including the past three. Four others have been determined by 7 points or fewer. Only Ohio State’s 47-17 rout of Brigham Young in 1982 disrupts the pattern.

Wyoming knows this as well as any team. In last year’s game, it watched Iowa overcome a 12-point deficit in the fourth quarter to win, 20-19. That was Wyoming’s first Western Athletic Conference title and bowl appearance since 1976.

“We were content with just making it out here last year,” said senior quarterback Randy Welniak, who was recovering from shoulder surgery last year. “Our attitude was: It would be nice to win, but at least we made it here. This year, we are coming here with a whole different approach. We’re a little more businesslike. We know this game will be determined by whoever has the ball last.”

That sounds like a cliche, and is. But in this game, it has had some meaning.

In 1986 and 1980, the game was won on the last play from scrimmage. In 1986, Iowa’s Rob Houghtlin kicked a 41-yard field goal to defeat San Diego State, 39-38. In 1980, BYU ended an incredible comeback, rallying from 20 points behind with 2:44 left to defeat Southern Methodist, 46-45, on Clay Brown’s touchdown catch of Jim McMahon’s desperation pass.

The elements, starting foremost with Sanders, are gathered again for another big-play affair.

Sanders is completing a junior season in which he broke or tied 24 NCAA records, including a record 2,628 rushing yards and 39 touchdowns.

But he is not all there is to Oklahoma State’s offense.

Gundy’s season completion percentage of 64.8 (153 of 236) was the best in Big Eight history, and his 2,163 yards passing brought his career total to 5,794, third in conference history.

Most of those yards (1,278) went to Hart Lee Dykes, the 6-foot 4-inch, 225-pound All-American receiver. Dykes caught nearly half of Gundy’s completions (74) and 14 of his 19 touchdown passes.

Interestingly, Oklahoma State’s only losses came in its highest scoring (63-42 at Nebraska) and lowest scoring (31-28 to Oklahoma) games.

The offense averaged 515.2 yards per game, and the defense gave up 454.5, quite a bit more than the 288.7 average allowed by Wyoming. But then, the Laramie Cowboys never had to face an offense led by the likes of Sanders, Dykes and Gundy.

Wyoming did go undefeated through its WAC schedule for the second year in a row. But when it stepped out of the conference late in the season, it was humiliated at No. 14 Houston, 34-10, as the Cougars recorded 16 sacks. The loss, which ended Wyoming’s nation-leading 19-game regular-season unbeaten streak and spoiled hopes of an unbeaten season, came a week after a 51-6 victory over Texas El Paso clinched the Holiday Bowl berth.

“Houston really knocked us off our high horse,” said Wyoming tackle Pat Rabold, the WAC’s defensive player of the year. “We have a good record and everything, but we play in the WAC. We’re not a great team; we’re not that much better than everyone else.”

A means of overcoming that inferiority complex is what the Holiday Bowl has become for the WAC. For the first seven Holiday Bowls, that job fell to BYU, which won four times, the last its 24-17 victory over Michigan in 1984 to earn the conference’s only national championship.

After a one-year break, the Holiday Bowl resumed inviting the WAC champion in 1986. The result has been a pair of one-point losses to Iowa by WAC representatives San Diego State and Wyoming.

This has helped the game take on a kind of us-against-the rest of the major college football world edge for the WAC host. The haves vs. the have-nots.

In that respect, the conference could not have found a better representative than the Cowboys from the high plains of Laramie.

While Oklahoma State comes to town flashing its Big Eight pedigree, Sanders’ Heisman Trophy and Dykes’ gold chains and silver tongue, Wyoming counters with Paul Roach, Rabold and Welniak--a 61-year-old coach and his two medical wonders.

Both Rabold (back fusion) and Welniak (rotator cuff) are fifth-year seniors finishing their college careers after operations that threatened to end them. And Roach, who also serves as athletic director, is his second year of a job he took when Dennis Erickson fled to Washington State after one season on the job. Roach, 59 at the time, had been out of coaching for 6 years and never had served as a head coach.

All he has done is lead Wyoming to a 21-4 record and its first consecutive WAC titles since 1966-68. Last week, he was rewarded with a 9-year extension on contract that will carry him through the 1998 season. Roach would be 71 at the time and now jokes about outlasting Amos Alonzo Stagg, who coached until he was 98.

But there is more to Wyoming than Roach’s homespun wit.

The offense might lack Oklahoma State’s big names, but its numbers were just as impressive.

Welniak not only passed for 2,633 yards and 21 touchdowns, he ran for 418 yards and 14 touchdowns. Dabby Dawson, a junior running back who grew up with Sanders in Wichita, Kan., and at one time was his brother-in-law, ran for 1,125 yards and 9 touchdowns. And Rabold had 16 sacks on a defense that produced 62 sacks in 12 games.

That gives Oklahoma State plenty to worry about tonight, never mind what the NCAA might have waiting for it next week.

Notes

Each team is expected to receive a Holiday Bowl-record payoff of more than $900,000, an increase of about $130,000 from last year, bowl officials have said. . . . Wyoming is reporting three injuries--wide receiver Ted Gilmore (knee), outside linebacker Mike Schenbeck (shoulder) and offensive guard Shawn Wehrer (knee). But all three are expected to be available, a school spokesman said. Gilmore is second on the team in receptions with 38, one behind Freddie Dussett. Oklahoma State is not reporting any injuries.

WHAT TO LOOK FOROKLAHOMA STATE

Offense

Quarterback--With a running back such as Barry Sanders, it’s easy to see why Mike Gundy could be overshadowed. After all, a passing quarterback often is noticed as much in the Big Eight as a running back is in the Western Athletic Conference. But before Gundy, a junior, finishes his career, he likely will be the most prolific passer in Oklahoma State and Big Eight history. He threw for 2,163 yards this season, completing 64.8% of his passes, and finished ranked No. 2 behind Washington State’s Timm Rosenbach in passing efficiency. Gundy was an honorable mention UPI All-American and is third on the Big Eight’s all-time passing list.

Running back--The numbers and honors speak for themselves when it comes to tailback Barry Sanders. Only a junior, Sanders has set or tied 24 NCAA records this season while rushing for 2,628 yards and 37 touchdowns in 344 carries. He won the Heisman Trophy and was a consensus All-American. Among Sanders’ records were the single-season rushing mark previously held by USC’s Marcus Allen and that of all-purpose yards per game (295.4) previously held by Supreme Court Justice Byron (Whizzer) White (246.3). Gerald Hudson averaged 7.9 yards per carry as Sanders’ backup. The fullback is Garrett Limbrick, who rushed for 223 yards when not blocking for Sanders.

Receivers--Hart Lee Dykes was another OSU record-breaker this season, setting six Big Eight and seven school marks while catching 74 passes for 1,278 yards and 14 touchdowns. Dykes averaged 17.3 yards per catch and caught at least 9 passes in 4 games. When Gundy wasn’t throwing to Dykes, he completed 20 passes for 309 yards to Jarod Green.

Line--Chris Stanley, a 4-year letterman and honorable mention AP All-American this season, anchored the all-senior line at left guard. Byron Woodard is the team’s largest player at just over 300 pounds, and his development on the right side was a key reason OSU had one of the best lines in school history.

Kicking--Only a sophomore, Cary Blanchard has already set an NCAA record for consecutive extra points with 67. He also made 11 of 12 field goal attempts, including a 52-yarder; his only miss was from 45 yards. Blanchard is also the punter, averaging 37.5 yards on 37 kicks. His punts were returned a total of only 65 yards, and none were blocked.

Defense

Line--Brandon Colbert started at nose guard as a freshman and had an excellent sophomore season. Colbert led the line with 63 tackles, including 39 unassisted, and 3 1/2 sacks. Defensive tackle Shawn Mackey added 45 tackles and 3 1/2 sacks.

Linebackers--Sim Drain led the team with 89 tackles, 54 unassisted. Drain started as a true freshman last season and had 60 unassisted tackles. David Bailey had 66 tackles and 1 interception. He also led the team with 6 tackles for a loss.

Secondary--Rod Smith made 80 tackles at strong safety and also had 2 interceptions, returning them for 105 total yards and a touchdown. Smith had 5 interceptions as a sophomore last season, including 1 against Wyoming. Senior cornerback Melvin Gilliam led the team with 3 interceptions this season and has 12 for his career.

WYOMING

Offense

Quarterback--Randy Welniak’s numbers are impressive, but not nearly so much as his comeback. Welniak had rotator-cuff surgery before the 1987 season and came back this year to be ranked ninth nationally in passing efficiency and 11th in total offense, averaging 254.3 yards per game. Welniak, the WAC offensive player of the year, passed for 2,633 yards and 21 touchdowns and ran for another 418 yards and 14 touchdowns. His biggest day was against Air Force: 359 passing yards, 108 running.

Running backs--Running used to be something the Cowboys did only when leading late in the game. But Dabby Dawson became only the fourth Cowboy to rush for more than 1,000 yards in a season in 1988. Dawson, a community college transfer and WAC newcomer of the year, rushed for 1,125 yards in 149 carries. Peter Gunn ran for 426 yards and 9 touchdowns and averaged 23.5 yards on kickoff returns.

Receivers--Wyoming spreads the passes around: Five receivers have 20 or more catches this season. Freddie Dussett leads the team with 39 catches for 552 yards and 6 touchdowns, and Ted Gilmore has 38 for 564 yards. Tight end Tom Kilpatrick has 27 catches, 7 for touchdowns.

Line--Center Grant Salisbury, a first-team All-WAC selection, is the anchor. Junior tackle Steve Slay, 6-7 and 290 pounds, is the best pro prospect. Senior Shawn Wehrer, one of the top guards in Wyoming history, has started since his freshman season.

Kicking--Freshman Sean Fleming set a school record with 57 consecutive extra points but has been average on field goals, making 17 of 25 attempts, including a 52-yarder. Kilpatrick, the tight end, is also one of the WAC’s top punters, with a 42.6-yard average and no blocks this year.

Defense

Line--Tackle Pat Rabold was a second-team All-American, leading the WAC in sacks (16) and tackles (80, including 57 unassisted). His best game was the season opener against Brigham Young--12 tackles, 3 sacks and 10 quarterback hurries. Defensive end Mitch Donahue had 59 tackles and 10 sacks. Wyoming had 62 sacks this season but was also hard on the run, allowing just 1,314 yards (109.5 per game) and a 3-yard average per carry.

Linebackers--Steve Addison was a walk-on transfer from Nebraska and established himself in the middle--he is tied with Rabold with 80 tackles. Mike Schenbeck had 75, including 2 sacks, and he forced 2 fumbles.

Secondary--Eric Coleman finally found his spot after coming to Wyoming as a split end, moving to running back and settling at cornerback. Coleman is regarded as the team’s best cover man and led the Cowboys with 85 tackles, also breaking up 9 passes and intercepting 2. The Wyoming secondary has allowed 179 yards a game but only 11 touchdown passes. At the other corner, Steve McMillon had 3 interceptions and 55 tackles.

THE SEASONWYOMING (11-1)

Wyoming 24, Brigham Young 14

Wyoming 44, Louisville 9

Wyoming 38, Louisiana Tech 6

Wyoming 48, Air Force 45

Wyoming 35, CS Fullerton 16

Wyoming 55, San Diego State 27

Wyoming 55, New Mexico 7

Wyoming 61, Utah 18

Wyoming 48, Colorado State 14

Wyoming 51, UTEP 6

Houston 34, Wyoming 10