Fresno State’s Dilfer Says He Will Try NFL

Trent Dilfer, who set an NCAA record with 318 consecutive passes without an interception, said Tuesday he will give up his final year of eligibility at Fresno State and make himself available for the NFL draft.

Dilfer is expected to be drafted early because he led major college passers with a 173.1 efficiency rating and has the size at 6 feet 5 and 230 pounds to be an NFL quarterback.

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Morningside College, a Division II school in Sioux City, Iowa, must forfeit football victories and limit scholarships and visits by recruits because of NCAA rules violations under former coach Dave Dolch. The NCAA also barred the football team from postseason play in 1994 and put the program on probation for three years.

Pro Football

Tailback Jerome Bettis of the Rams was voted the Associated Press’ offensive rookie of the year.

Wide receiver Tim Barnett of the Kansas City Chiefs was sentenced to 10 days in jail after pleading guilty to assault and battery, but he will be available for the playoffs, pending appeal.

New Orleans Saints’ owner Tom Benson named Coach Jim Mora a team vice president in charge of everything on the field. Mora then fired offensive line coach Paul Boudreau.

Linebacker Mike Merriweather, waived by the New York Jets on Dec. 29, has signed with Green Bay as the Packers try to replace injured players before Saturday’s playoff game.

Baseball

After getting an assurance that the Padres won’t move, Tony Gwynn, 33, agreed to a two-year contract extension, through 1997, that virtually guarantees he will finish his career in San Diego.

The Angels have opened negotiations with free agent starting pitcher Mike Harkey and have scheduled a meeting Thursday at which they are expected to formally offer a one-year contract with incentives worth about $1 million.

Miscellany

Center Ted Drury, projected to be among the U.S. Olympic hockey team’s top scorers at Lillehammer next month, might sit out the Games because of a knee injury.

Team USA officials also said that left wing Jim Storm would skip the Olympics and stay with the Hartford Whalers.

Former welterweight and junior welterweight champion Buddy McGirt (61-3-1) continued a comeback from shoulder surgery with a unanimous decision over James Hughes (17-6) in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.

Kansas State’s track program was banned from postseason events, among sanctions levied by the NCAA because former coach John Capriotti made cash payments to athletes.

Names in the News

Thoroughbred trainer Jeff Lukas, who suffered skull fractures when hit by a runaway horse on Dec. 15 at Santa Anita, remains in a coma, but his condition has been changed from critical to serious. . . . Dennis Rodman of the San Antonio Spurs was fined $10,000 for refusing to leave the court after he was ejected from a game against the Lakers last Sunday. . . . Dick Dozer, a former sportswriter for the Phoenix Gazette and the Chicago Tribune, died after falling from the roof of his Phoenix home. He was 68. . . . Guard Chris Ford has left the UC Santa Barbara basketball program for personal reasons.