TODAY’S OTHER BOWL GAMES : FIESTA AT TEMPE, ARIZ.

No. 18 LOUISVILLE (9-1-1) vs. ALABAMA (7-4)

Time--1:30 p.m., PST. TV--Ch. 4, 36, 39. Radio--KNX (1070).

Nearly 30 years ago, Louisville Coach Howard Schnellenberger and Alabama Coach Gene Stallings were young assistants to Paul (Bear) Bryant at Alabama. Stallings was in charge of the defensive secondary, and Schnellenberger coached the quarterbacks. As Stallings remembers it, his side lost the scrimmages--often. Schnellenberger remembers having Joe Namath on his side. Careers may have changed, but Schnellenberger’s team still has the upper hand. The Cardinals are an offensive powerhouse, having gained 4,062 yards of total offense while relying heavily on the pass. Senior quarterback Browning Nagle has passed for 2,000 yards in successive seasons and ranks third on the school’s all-time passing list. While Louisville has breezed through its best season since 1972, the Crimson Tide has struggled. After getting off to an 0-3 start, Stallings regrouped his team and set it on a four-game winning streak, despite an offense slowed by injuries. Freshman running back Chris Anderson stepped up and led Alabama with 492 yards. He is one of six Alabama running backs expected to see playing time. With the loss of two receivers, Stallings has improvised to patch together a corps that has combined for 1,529 yards. And, although Alabama is appearing in its 32nd bowl game in 33 years, upstart Louisville is an eight-point favorite.