SPOTLIGHT: SATURDAY’S GAMES AT A GLANCE : AUBURN DAYS

There’s nothing like being 9-0 and not a chance in the world of going out on New Year’s Day to make you feel, well, sort of unfulfilled.

Since Auburn is ineligible for a bowl or the coaches’ poll because of NCAA probation, this is just the situation in which Auburn coach Terry Bowden finds himself. While his team was grinding up New Mexico State, 55-14, Bowden stood on the sidelines at Auburn and listened to some other scores as they were announced.

Bowden heard that No. 5 Alabama was upset by LSU, which guarantees that his No. 8-ranked Tigers would move up at least one spot in the AP poll.

“The AP poll is all we’ve got,” Bowden said. “The poll keeps us motivated.”

Bowden admitted that there’s not much of a chance that the Tigers will ever get to No. 1.

“We’re looking for anything, any circumstances that might move us up in the polls,” he said. “We realize that there’s not a big chance they’re going to name us national champion in the AP poll, but as long as they keep us up there in the rankings, you never know what will happen.”

MEOW

Pity poor Kansas State. Off to its best start since 1931 at 5-0 and nationally ranked for the first time since they paved the streets in Manhattan, Kan., the Wildcats blew a 17-6 lead, their No. 18 ranking and maybe a chance to play in a major bowl when they were upset, 17-13, by Iowa State.

Kansas State (5-2-1 and 2-2-1 in the Big Eight) still needs one more victory to get the required six it needs over Division I-A teams. One of their victories was over I-AA Western Kentucky.

Kansas State running back J.J. Smith said it was a big letdown to lose. So what went wrong? He identified the problems.

Said Smith: “Our offense didn’t execute well, our defense couldn’t hold the lead in the second half and our kicking broke down. We just couldn’t get any points on the board when we had to.”

Oh, so besides offense, defense, scoring and the kicking game, everything else was fine. At least the halftime show went off without a hitch.

NEXT WEEK VS. HULK HOGAN

How’s this for a warm-up? The night before Florida’s game against Southwestern Louisiana in Gainesville, Gator wide receiver Willie Jackson apparently socked a university police officer in the chest and forced him against a wall.

Jackson may face charges in the alleged scuffle. Police said they plan to file a complaint with prosecutors on Monday recommending that Jackson be charged with opposing a law enforcement officer during the school’s Gator Growl homecoming festivities Friday night.

According to university police, Jackson, 22, was entering a section of Ben Hill Griffin Stadium when an officer asked to see a ticket. Jackson refused and struck the officer in the chest, forcing him into a wall, police said.

So after all the fuss, how did Jackson react against Southwestern Louisiana? He caught two touchdown passes in a 61-14 victory.

TOO MUCH FUN

When Armando Avina kicked a 30-yard field goal with 11 seconds left, Nevada led San Jose State, 46-45. But Nevada was penalized for unsportsmanlike conduct for too much celebration and was forced to kick off from its own 10-yard line.

San Jose returned the ball to Nevada’s 45 and Joe Nedney attempted a 62-yard field goal on the final play of the game. He missed.

Nevada, trailing, 45-28, with 10:33 left, scored 18 points in the fourth quarter. Chris Vargas threw two touchdown passes to lead the comeback.

POLITENESS COUNTS

You’re trying to bat away a game-winning field goal, you’re Marlon Kerner of Ohio State playing Wisconsin. What are you thinking?

Well, Kerner said: “It was, ‘please, please, please, let me block it.’ Then ‘thank you, thank you, thank you.’ ”

NOTEWORTHY

Northern Illinois running back LeShon Johnson went over 300 yards for the second time this season when he rushed for 306 yards in 32 carries against Iowa. Johnson, who has 1,917 yards, could be the first back to rush for more than 2,000 yards in a season since Barry Sanders set the record of 2,628 at Oklahoma State in 1988.

Chris George caught 13 passes for 172 yards and two touchdowns for Glenville State in a 50-0 victory over West Virginia Tech, giving him Division II season records for receptions (117) and yardage (1,896).

Quarterback Perry Klein of Division II C.W. Post set records of 614 yards passing and 623 yards total offense in a 58-18 victory over Salisbury State.

Jackson State’s William Arnold rushed for a Division I-AA record 346 yards, breaking the record of 345 set by Idaho’s Russell Davis in 1981.

QUOTEWORTHY

From Maryland quarterback Kevin Foley about Florida State, which defeated the Terrapins, 49-20: “They’re overrated.”

Florida State quarterback Charlie Ward didn’t play against Maryland because of a rib injury, but Coach Bobby Bowden didn’t sound as if there was much of a chance that Ward would not play against Notre Dame: “Charlie Ward will go, unless a train runs over him. Even then I will start him.”

NOTHING WORSE THAN BIRDS WITHOUT WHEELS

The day’s top cliche comes from the Associated Press writer in Knoxville, covering Tennessee’s 45-10 victory over Louisville.

Louisville got to within 24-10 in the fourth quarter. The AP report went on: “But from there the wheels fell off for the Cardinals.”

SHELL GAME

They were a beaten but happy bunch of Maryland football players, all right, which is what happens when you are a seven-touchdown underdog to unbeaten, untied and uninspired Florida State and lose by only 29 points. Yes, that’s only 29 points.

These Terrapins discovered that a 49-20 defeat was, well, nothing to snap at.

Maryland (1-8) trailed by only 21-13 at the half, did not allow a sack and passed for 313 yards.

“It was a phenomenal effort by our offensive line,” Maryland quarterback Scott Milanovich said.

Imagine what the Terrapins would have said if they had come within, say, three touchdowns.

WAIT ‘TIL YOU SEE TOMORROW

Indiana, the worst passing team in the Big Ten, had one of those totally unexpected and unpredictable days. Thomas Lewis of the Hoosiers caught 12 passes for a Big Ten-record 285 yards and two touchdowns in a 38-31 loss to Penn State. One was a 99-yarder in the fourth quarter that broke the 38-year-old Big Ten record of 95 yards.

Lewis’ reaction: “Today is very weird.”