NOTEBOOK : Poll on Tiebreaker Ends With 1-1 Vote

A poll of the Holiday Bowl head coaches on whether college football needs a tiebreaker ended in a tie.

After playing to a 13-13 deadlock in the 14th Holiday Bowl, BYU Coach LaVell Edwards felt they had played long enough.

“I’ve never been in favor of (a tiebreaker),” Edwards said. “I prefer to leave it the way it is. It’s unreal that this is my 20th year and I only had about one tie going into this year. Now I get two and they’re both on this field.”

Iowa Coach Hayden Fry would just as soon have a winner. A tiebreaker? “Oh definitely,” he said. “Like Bo Schembechler says, I told Lavell after the game, ‘What a waste of time. Let’s get it settled, one way or the other.’ ”

Iowa All-American defensive lineman Leroy Smith left the game late in the first half with an injured right knee. It was diagnosed as a strained ligament. Smith didn’t return to the game, but the early prognosis was for a four- to six-week rehabilitation period with no surgery.

Freshman John Hartlieb filled in ably for Smith, but senior linebacker John Derby said Smith’s loss hurt. “It really hurt to lose Leroy. Hartlieb did a great job but it’s tough to lose Leroy’s emotion and leadership.”

Despite holding him to 13 points, Iowa players was ready to call Ty Detmer the best quarterback they’ve seen. “Ty is an unbelievable quarterback,” linebacker John Derby said. Said defensive back Brian Wise: “Detmer is every bit as good as they say, if not better. We had pressure on him, we thought we had him. He’d find a way to get out of it.”

Monday’s coin toss was conducted by the Kings’ Wayne Gretzky, who just happens to have an endorsement contract with the car rental firm that is the Holiday Bowl’s official sponsor.

Gretzky, looking natty in suit, tie and suede long coat, tossed in Iowa’s favor.

Iowa may have checked into the Holiday Bowl with a 10-1 record and Big Ten credentials, but BYU players didn’t think the Hawkeyes were anything better than what they’d seen during the regular season.

“They’re about even with teams in the WAC,” offensive guard Bryan May said. “They’re a good team, but nothing incredible.”

Said Cougars defensive back Tony Crutchfield: “Compared to teams in the WAC, we face a lot better patterns in our conference. Like 40 to 50 patterns every week.”