COLLEGE FOOTBALL / BOWL REPORT : ORANGE : Ward Is Enjoying the Heat

While his teammates have been sampling the Miami night life, Florida State quarterback Charlie Ward has been staying in his hotel room. Ward says he has spent his time phoning his girlfriend back home in Tallahassee.

Ward hasn’t been a recluse, however.

Ward, who is also the starting point guard for the Seminole basketball team, attended his first NBA game Monday when he watched the Lakers play the Miami Heat at the Miami Arena.

He also planned to attend Wednesday night’s Heat-Chicago Bulls game, where he hoped to meet Bull stars Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen.

After losing five consecutive bowl games, including a 22-0 loss to Miami in the 1992 Orange Bowl, Nebraska has changed its approach.

“Last year we came to Miami on Dec. 23rd and we were in full pads Dec. 23rd and Dec. 24th and we scrimmaged on Christmas Day (with the first-team offense against the first-team defense),” Nebraska linebacker Trev Alberts said. “It was just a battle. We couldn’t believe that we had a major scrimmage on Christmas Day. But the philosophy then was that we just had to work harder than Miami.

“But I think, come game time, a lot of the guys were just absolutely dead and ready to get the thing over with. This year we had very hard practices in Lincoln, but we haven’t been in pads once since we got here. We’re going to be fresh because we haven’t been hitting anybody at all. We won’t have an excuse of being tired.”

Nebraska Athletic Director Bob Devaney, retiring Monday after 31 years at the school, received a two-minute standing ovation at the Orange Bowl luncheon.

“I thank you very much for the standing ovation,” Devaney said. “But I realize that a lot of you fatter guys out there did it just to give yourselves a chance to adjust your underwear.”