College Football Spotlight

MAYBE HE STILL LIKES DISCO AND WEARS BELL BOTTOMS

One of the best rushes during the UCLA-Tennessee game at the Rose Bowl came from a fellow in the stands. One of the best tackles from security guards.

It was all part of a prank by Gabor Fabian, 21, who paid homage to the ‘70s by streaking during the third quarter.

Fabian, who told police he was a UCLA student, was booked on a misdemeanor count of trespassing after being captured at the 50-yard line by security guards. If convicted, the fine would probably be less than $1,000, said Gary Bennett, Pasadena police commander.

NOW THIS WAS REALLY GRAPHIC VIOLENCE

Washington tailback Napoleon Kaufman of Lompoc has become accustomed to people misspelling his name. Oftentimes, he will see his first name as “Napolean.” Saturday, ABC put a new twist into things when the opening kickoff graphic showed him as Nepoleon Kaufman.

Wonder how Peter Jinnings would feel about that?

IT HAD THE MAKINGS OF THE PROBATION BOWL

The Southeastern Conference opened the 1994 season with two of its finer representatives--Auburn and Mississippi.

Auburn is serving a two-year NCAA probation for rules violations exposed by Eric Ramsey, former Tiger defensive back. Coach Pat Dye, who was football coach and athletic director when the scandal broke, resigned after the 1992 season.

The Tigers, allowed on television for the first time since 1992, defeated Mississippi, 22-17.

Mississippi is being accused by NCAA investigators of everything from illegal booster-funded prospect entertainment to questionable scores on entrance exams.

In July, Billy Brewer, the coach, was fired and Warner Alford, the athletic director, resigned the next day.

THEY MAKE 11 O’CLOCK NEWS FOR SOMETHING POSITIVE

And down in scandal-plagued Tallahassee, Fla., the Florida State Seminoles were quite happy to face a football opponent instead of another in the mounting NCAA allegations.

Danny Kanell passed for 330 yards and four touchdowns as the defending national champions crushed Virginia, 41-17, although playing without seven suspended players, including All-American linebacker Derrick Brooks and three offensive linemen who were penalized for accepting illegal gifts from agents.

“I think the whole team was really excited to get on TV for something other than scandal,” Kanell said.

INTERFERENCE CHARGED IN TEXAS A&M; INVESTIGATION

A Texas A&M; football booster who was forced to disassociate from the school said officials urged him to stonewall the NCAA’s investigation into a summer jobs scandal.

Warren Gilbert Jr. told the Dallas Morning News that Coach R.C. Slocum, former vice president Robert Smith and others convinced him not to meet with investigators. Gilbert said university officials ultimately portrayed him as a lone violator of NCAA rules.

The Dallas businessman paid nine football players for work they didn’t do between 1990 and 1992.

According to NCAA rules, evidence that school representatives have been untruthful during a probe can be grounds to reopen the case and sanction those involved.

Smith’s attorney, Dick DeGuerin, called the allegations a lie. “There are documents showing the efforts of both (Smith) and the school to get this guy to cooperate,” he said.

THIS LOSS LEAVES HIM AT A LOSS FOR WORDS

From a confused Fisher DeBerry, Air Force coach, after the Falcons lost to Colorado State, 34-21:

“Our defense played a heck of a second half, but I don’t know what happened to them in the first half.”

And:

“Our offense moved the ball in the first half, but I don’t know what happened to them in the second half.”

Well, then, who does?

OREGON CAN’T LIVE UP TO THIS PREGAME HYPE

Rich Brooks, Oregon’s coach, used to be a UCLA assistant. So, it is apropos that he was sounding like the Bruins’ Terry Donahue before the mighty Ducks met the Vikings of Portland State.

Said Brooks: “It could be disastrous. I mean, if we lose, it’s all over. We’ll be crucified.

“There is not as big a difference as people think between the top quality Division II teams and the Division I teams. If we don’t play well, Portland State will come down and hand us our lunch.”

Not quite.

Oregon 58, Portland State 16.

MASCOT DIES AFTER RUNNING INTO WALL

While former mascot riders were in the stands celebrating their 40th reunion, Texas Tech’s mascot, a black quarterhorse named Double T, died during the Red Raiders’ game against New Mexico at Lubbock, Tex.

The horse threw its rider, Amy Smart, ran across the playing field and slid head-first into a cement wall.

STARTING FROM SCRATCH IN FOOTBALL’S HINTERLAND

Joe Walton, former New York Jet coach, returned to the sidelines as Robert Morris--a school, not a player--won its inaugural football game with a 24-19 victory over Waynesburg in Waynesburg, Pa.

The business college in Corapolis, Pa., took 73 years to start a football program. It took Walton a New York minute to accept the job.

Since losing his job as offensive coordinator for the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1991, Walton, 58, was doing public relations for a moving company.

“I was getting bored,” he said.

Now, he has little time to waste in starting up the program.

“When I started, we had no chin straps, no tape, nothing,” Walton said of the Division 1-AA non-scholarship program.

HE THREW IN A SURPRISE FOR HIS COLLEGE DEBUT

Dan Henning is another NFL refugee--and there are many in the college ranks today--who made his debut with the ’94 season opener.

Henning’s Boston College team led No. 12 Michigan, 12-0, before the Wolverines rallied for a 36-24 victory before 105,936--the largest crowd to watch Boston College play.

Henning is enjoying his new status as college coach.

“In the pros, you walk on eggs, worried about upsetting high-priced players,” said the former coach of the San Diego Chargers and Atlanta Falcons.

Henning’s team came out throwing like the pros with a big play in the first 16 seconds that led to a 7-0 lead.

When was the play selected?

“I think it was between the continental breakfast and the pregame meal,” Henning said.

IT HAS BEEN A GAME OF CHANCE ALL THIS TIME

Football simply is a big guessing game, said Johnny Majors of Pitt, who became the fifth active coach to participate in 300 games.

After calling for an ill-fated pass on a two-point conversion that could have tied No. 19 Texas in a 30-28 loss, Majors said:

“We could have made a lot of calls there, but what might have worked there we’ll never know.”

Now, that’s something we knew.

NOTEWORTHY

Terry Dean tied an NCAA record with seven touchdown passes in the first half as No. 1 Florida opened with a 70-21 rout of New Mexico State. . . . Grambling’s Kendrick Nord passed for 485 yards and seven touchdowns in a 62-56 victory over Alcorn State. . . . Auburn extended Division I-A’s longest winning streak to 12 games. . . . Alex Smith, the first Indiana freshman to start at running back since 1945, rushed for 152 yards and two touchdowns in a 28-3 victory over Cincinnati. . . . Nicholls State defeated Connecticut, 16-7, at Storrs, Conn., spoiling the head coaching debut of Lou Holtz’s son Skip Holtz.

Robert Baldwin set a Duke rushing record with 238 yards and four touchdown runs in a 49-16 victory over Maryland. . . . Curtis Martin of Pittsburgh rushed for 251 yards against Texas, the most allowed in Longhorn history. . . . Vanderbilt, the only Division I-A team not to complete a touchdown pass in 1993, broke the drought in the fourth quarter against Wake Forest.

QUOTEWORTHY

“What it sounds like to me is the plot of a Dan Jenkins novel.”

--Dick DeGuerin, attorney for Robert Smith, former Texas A&M; vice president, on latest accusations against school officials.

“I wanted to see him carry 30 times on a hot day.” --Auburn Coach Terry Bowden, on running back Stephan Davis.

“I’d like to say I was a genius, but I can’t say that with a straight face.” --Colorado State Coach Sonny Lubick, after his Rams defeated Air Force, 34-21, in a Western Athletic Conference opener.

“I don’t know how well you all know your geography, but 20 miles south of us is water. We don’t get much recognition.”

--Rick Rhoades, Nicholls State coach, after his Colonels ruined Skip Holtz’s debut at Connecticut.

“It was an embarrassment to even let them get past the 50-yard line.”

--Alabama safety Willie Gaston, after the Crimson Tide’s 42-13 victory over Division I-AA Tennessee-Chattanooga.

“Miami is not dead. We’re not going to let what happened in the past bother us. If it takes a blowout like this to open people’s eyes, so be it.” --Quarterback Frank Costa, after leading Hurricanes to 56-0 rout of Georgia Southern.