SPOTLIGHT / SATURDAY’S BOWL GAMES AT A GLANCE : FAUST’S FOOTBALL

Nineteen bowl games for those illustrious Division I-A schools . . . 38 teams earning bids. These are the times that fry men’s, and women’s, souls, if not brains.

Then again, it might be one of life’s little necessities. Because without this football feast how could Corporate America survive? Excluding the Rose Bowl, the postseason has the smell of a mercenary. The Federal Express this, the Thirty Car Rental that.

The IBM OS/2 Fiesta Bowl, played Saturday, is our personal favorite, although we have yet to compute exactly what an OS/2 is.

Even worse, we’re wondering how we missed the OS/1 game.

COME ON

First, it was the West Virginia Mountaineers. Now we have to put up with Notre Dame Coach Lou Holtz.

The Mountaineers are no longer mentioning national-ranking rip-offs after their 41-7 trouncing in the Sugar Bowl. That leaves Holtz alone on the soapbox.

According to Holtz, his 11-1 Irish deserve to win the national championship as a result of Florida State’s victory over previously unbeaten Nebraska. He reasons that Notre Dame defeated Florida State during the regular season.

Never mind Notre Dame escaped the Cotton Bowl with a 24-21 victory over Texas A&M.; Holtz had an answer for that, too.

“Playing A&M; here is very tough,” he said. “It’s a home game. We couldn’t hear. Nobody wants to play A&M; in Dallas. It’s never easy playing on road.”

Of course, Florida State’s only loss came at South Bend, Ind.

HOLD ON

Didn’t UCLA Chancellor Charles Young, a member of the NCAA’s prestigious Presidents Commission, have a seat in the Rose Bowl? What was he doing on the sideline in the third quarter during a heated moment as Bruins and Badgers were mixing it up?

HOLD OUT

Terry Donahue said the third-quarter ejections of four players were regrettable, but he understood the foundation of frustrations.

“I honestly believe that a lot of the reasons for that happening were . . . there was a lot of holding, I mean a lot of holding, going on out there--by both sides--and I don’t think it was controlled properly by the officials.”

PAR FOR THIS COURSE

Golfers among the 100,000-plus Rose Bowl crowd might have been aghast at seeing the lush turf of Brookside’s two municipal courses trampled by cars, spectators and concessionaires.

On the 16th hole of the No. 1 course, children were using one of the manicured bunkers as a temporary sand box. And sharp-legged lawn chairs were digging some ugly divots.

Officials of American Golf, operators of the two courses, said play will be under way today, however.

SOFTLY INTO THE NIGHT

Is this the last of the Texas A&M; Aggies at the Cotton Bowl for a while?

Many Texas football fans think so. Texas A&M;, which has appeared in three consecutive New Year’s Day games in Dallas, might be forced out because of NCAA rules violations (See Auburn and Washington).

The NCAA Committee on Infractions is expected to rule this week on a case alleging Texas A&M; football players were paid for work they did not complete. Aggie fans are bracing for two years of probation.

UNBURDENING BOBBY

Understandably happy for Coach Bobby Bowden, who was drenched with a victory shower before the game had officially ended, Florida State’s players said they won this one for their coach.

“I didn’t get caught up in that ‘poor old Bobby’ thing because he’s a great person,” free safety Richard Coes said. “This is something different for his trophy case, though. I think it’s fitting that we did this for him.”

CONFERENCE COUNTDOWN

Notre Dame and Louisville gave independents, a dying breed, some recognition with their postseason victories. The Big West, that bastion of athletic prowess, followed with Utah State’s victory over Ball State in the Las Vegas Bowl. But when it comes to conference bragging rights, the Big Eight and Pacific 10, each 3-1 in bowls, will boast the loudest.

The breakdown:

Independents 2-0 Big West 1-0 Big Eight 3-1 Pac 10 3-1 Big East 2-2 Big Ten 4-3 SEC 2-2 ACC 2-3 Mid-American 0-1 Southwest 0-2 WAC 0-4

WISCONSIN WOES

A sea of red-and-white passengers heard this special greeting on American Flight 1293 en route from Chicago to L.A. on Friday.

“We want to welcome all you Bruin fans!”

Then, there was this sign outside one Pasadena residence near the Rose Bowl before Saturday’s game:

“Need Tickets? We don’t have any. Ha ha.”

WISCONSIN WONDERS

Michael Feldman, host of American Public Radio’s “Whad’ya Know?” comedy show at the University of Wisconsin, sees a boon in the Badgers’ victory.

“We’re about a mile from Camp Randall (Stadium), so we get five bucks a car to park ‘em,” he said from his Madison home. “This looks like a good franchise in the future.”

Feldman, watching the game on television, noted: “The announcers still call us Wes consin like there is an East consin.”

About the only flaw in this beautiful Badger day was the cow representing the state in the Rose Bowl Parade, Feldman said.

“We’re trying to lessen that profile, the bovine thing,” he said. “There’s a lot here besides cows. There (are) bulls for one thing . . . and quite a few sheep.”

LEADERS

A look at some of the day’s top performers.

PASSING

Player Comp. Att. Yds. TD FOLEY, Boston College 25 36 391 3 COOK, UCLA 28 43 288 1 WARD, Florida State 24 43 286 0 DEAN, Florida 22 37 255 1 PULLIG, Texas A&M; 17 31 238 1 WILLIS, Virginia 19 34 207 0 FRAZIER, Nebraska 13 24 206 1 SHULER, Tennessee 22 42 205 1

RUSHING

Player Carries Yards TD MOSS, Wisconsin 36 158 2 LEVY, Arizona 17 142 1 BECTON, Notre Dame 26 138 0 WHEATLEY, Michigan 18 124 2 RHETT, Florida 25 105 3 DOWNS, No. Carolina St. 13 102 0 CAMPBELL, Boston College 22 99 1 CARTER, Penn State 19 93 2

RECEIVING

Player No. Yards TD STOKES, UCLA 14 176 0 W.JACKSON, Florida 9 131 1 ENGRAM, Penn State 7 107 1 FLEMING, Tennessee 7 101 1 C.T.JONES, Miami 6 98 0

ELUDING THE RUSH

One of the better escapes by Heath Shuler, Tennessee quarterback, didn’t come on the football field. It happened right before Christmas at the Westown Mall in Knoxville, Tenn.

“My brother Benjie and I were shopping for a birthday when he says, ‘We’ve got to go,’ ” Shuler said. “I turn around and there were 20 or 30 fans walking real abruptly toward us. He and I just took off running out of the mall. We just didn’t have time to stop and sign autographs. You sign one and it’s like a chain reaction. It can be a good hour’s wait.”

Shuler has even resorted to disguises, wearing hats and glasses. But it doesn’t work.

“People just come up to you and ask you if you’ve got bad eyes.”

MAKING THE BIG PLAY

As soon as the Rose Bowl game ended, safety Scott Nelson of Wisconsin proposed to Becky Klieforth, and, voila , they were engaged. The couple are from that little piece of paradise known as Sun Prairie, Wis.

“I got down on my knees,” Nelson said. “She seemed a little shaky at first, but she finally said yes.”

OH, NO, NOT THAT SONG AGAIN

A longstanding tradition at Tennessee is the playing of the song, “Rocky Top,” just about any time the Volunteers do something. It’s almost enough to make you want to hear “Conquest.”

Almost.

But now, in this era of thought police and political correctness, this song could easily be interpreted as the story of lurid animal sex, rampant alcoholism and a hint of multiple murder. In addition, its reference to smog is a clear slap at Los Angeles. How can this song be played in the let’s-not-offend-anyone 90s? Judge for yourself.

(Editor’s note: The Times takes no responsibility for any emotional harm that reading these lyrics might cause.)

“I wish that I was on old Rocky Top “Down in the Tennessee hills “Ain’t no smoggy smoke on Rocky Top “Ain’t no telephone bills.” “Once I had a girl on Rocky Top “Half bear, other half cat “Wild as mink but sweet as soda pop “I still dream about that.” “Rocky Top, you’ll always be home sweet home to me “Gold old Rocky Top “Rocky Top, Tennessee “Rocky Top, Tennessee.” “Once two strangers climbed old Rocky Top “Looking for a moonshine still “Strangers ain’t come down from Rocky Top “Reckon they never will.” “Corn won’t grow at all on Rocky Top “Dirt’s too rocky by far “That’s why all the folks on Rocky Top “Get their corn from a jar.”

NOTEWORTHY

Penn State has won the coin toss nine times this season, all victories. . . . Coach Joe Paterno of Penn State tied Bear Bryant for the most bowl victories for a coach with 15. The breakdown: Fiesta (5), Orange (3), Cotton (2), Aloha (1), Citrus (1), Holiday (1), Liberty (1), Sugar (1).

At Atlanta, Matthew Dorsett returned a fumble 12 yards for the game’s only touchdown and Southern University beat South Carolina State, 11-0, in the Heritage Bowl. . . . California’s football players paid tribute to kidnap victim Polly Klaas of Petaluma by wearing her initials on their helmets in Friday’s Alamo Bowl.

Florida State extended its bowl unbeaten streak to 12 and its winning streak in bowls to an NCAA record nine. . . . Miami, college football’s best team in the last 10 years, has lost all three Fiesta Bowl appearances. The Hurricanes also lost twice in Sugar Bowl games that determined national championships. . . . Only 69,855 tickets were sold for the Cotton Bowl, the least since 67,381 watched Boston College beat Houston, 45-28, in 1985.

Lawrence Wright’s interception return for a touchdown in the second quarter of the Sugar Bowl was the first by a Florida player in a bowl game in school history. . . . Florida, 10-11 in bowl games, won consecutive postseason games for the first time.

QUOTEWORTHY

Said Coach Don Nehlen of West Virginia, after his team was routed by Florida in the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans: “Bourbon Street didn’t bother us. The guys in orange pants bothered us.”

Said Penn State quarterback Kerry Collins, forgetting the team’s games against Rutgers (31-7), Maryland (70-7) and Northwestern (43-21): “They’re (Tennessee) not used to playing in big games. We’re in the Big Ten, we’re used to playing bowl-type games every week.”

Said Tennessee quarterback Heath Shuler, upon being asked about his future: “I’m going to get on the bus. Go back to the hotel. Then go some place next week where none of you (reporters) can find me.”

And junior Tyrone Wheatley, Michigan tailback, when asked about his future: “I’m not talking about it.”

NBC’s Tom Hammond, at the Fiesta Bowl, noted: “The first big play of the day will be the coin toss.”

Notre Dame quarterback Kevin McDougal, recalling the previews: “We knew what Texas A&M; was about. We saw the film.”

Defensive back Brandon Sanders of Arizona, on Miami’s attitude about the Wildcats’ vaunted defense: “I don’t think they really believed in the ( Desert) Swarm.”

EXTRA POINT

Tony Kornheiser of the Washington Post wonders:

“Do we really need the new Carquest Bowl? What is Carquest, a computer dating service for sedans?”