College Football SPOTLIGHT

SAME TIME NEXT YEAR

Whenever Rutgers plays Virginia Tech, it’s a good idea to stay for the entire game.

After spotting Virginia Tech a 41-13 fourth-quarter lead, Rutgers scored three unanswered touchdowns only to fall short in a 41-34 loss at Blacksburg, Va.

It’s the third consecutive year that Rutgers made a furious rally against the Hokies.

Last year, the Scarlet Knights trailed, 35-7, at halftime and closed to 49-42 before losing. In 1992, Rutgers trailed, 42-23, but won, 50-49, on a touchdown pass on the game’s last play.

“Three times! Oh boy, it’s not a coincidence anymore,” Virginia Tech Coach Frank Beamer said. “I don’t quite understand what happens when we play that team.”

Quarterback Ray Lucas, who completed 25 of 44 passes for a career-high 374 yards and four touchdowns, led the Scarlet Knights’ comeback with fourth-quarter touchdown passes to Chris Hutton and Marco Battaglia.

Rutgers’ hopes for a victory ended when the Hokies recovered an onside kick with 1:54 remaining.

“We dug ourselves too deep of a hole again,” Rutgers Coach Doug Graber said. “I can’t understand why we can’t play football in the first half against Tech.”

THEY ARE PICKING UP. . . .

Prairie View set an NCAA record with its 45th consecutive loss in a 52-7 defeat to Jackson State. The Panthers, who had shared the record of 44 with Columbia, have not won since a 21-12 victory over Mississippi Valley State in November 1989. Prairie View’s football program was suspended for the 1990 season, but the team posted consecutive 0-11 records in 1991 and 1992.

. . . .WHERE LIONS LEFT OFF

Prairie View can take heart by looking at former losing streak record-holder Columbia.

Behind Jamie Schwalbe’s four touchdowns, Columbia guaranteed its first winning season since 1971 with a 38-33 victory over Cornell.

The Lions, 5-3-1 overall and 3-3 in the Ivy League, last finished above .500 with a 6-3 record 23 years ago.

They close the season at home next week against Brown (6-3).

SMITH TAKES A GAMBLE, LESSON WILL BE LEARNED

Former USC and current Missouri Coach Larry Smith gambled and lost in the Tigers’ 21-18 loss to No. 11 Kansas State.

Smith passed up a chip-shot field goal attempt and went for the victory, but came up empty when freshman Chris Canty knocked down a fourth-down pass in the end zone with 39 seconds to play.

Smith asked his players what they wanted to do during a timeout before the final play.

“Life is about taking risks,” said Smith, whose Tigers have lost six consecutive games at home. “If you don’t, you’re not living.”

LET THE FIRING BEGIN

Despite reports that he might resign this week, Oklahoma Coach Gary Gibbs stood firm following the Sooners’ 33-14 victory over Oklahoma State.

“No, I’m just happy about (the victory),” Gibbs said. “My focus now will turn to Nebraska tomorrow morning.”

Oklahoma plays the top-ranked Cornhuskers on Nov. 25.

The Tulsa World reported that university officials have been working on a deal in which Gibbs would resign before David Boren takes over as school president Thursday.

Asked whether he had held any such discussions, Gibbs shook his head.

“I talk to (athletic director) Donnie Duncan every day. Certainly he knows my phone number,” Gibbs said. “People can write whatever they want to. My focus has been solely on doing my job.”

When asked whether he expects to be back for his seventh season as coach, Gibbs said: “I don’t have any idea right now.”

Oklahoma has a record of 6-4 this season (4-2 in the Big Eight) and Gibbs’ record over six seasons is 44-21-2.

SHUTOUT ANYONE?

Previously unbeaten Grambling was shut out for the first time in six seasons in a 13-0 loss to Florida A&M; in the 62nd Orange Blossom Classic at Joe Robbie Stadium in Miami.

The Tigers (9-1), who came into the game averaging 49.4 points per game, were held to 271 total yards by the Rattlers (6-4).

The loss means that Grambling Coach Eddie Robinson, who has 397 career victories, will not notch his 400th this season. Robinson, however, did have a complaint against Florida A&M; Coach Billy Joe.

Robinson charged that Joe had refused to provide his staff with Rattler game films, despite the fact that the Tigers produced films for Florida A&M;’s review.

Joe responded that Grambling assistant George Small violated NCAA rules by attending the Rattlers’ game against Southern on Nov. 5.

McNAIR UPDATE

Steve McNair, who is already the NCAA career leader in total offense with 16,259 yards, passed for 476 yards and rushed for another 110 in Alcorn State’s 47-44 victory over Troy State.

McNair scored three touchdowns and added a two-point conversion in his final game at Spinks Stadium, as the Braves (7-2-1) rallied from a 44-30 fourth quarter deficit to defeat Troy State (7-3), which entered the game ranked sixth in Division I-AA.

OUT WITH A WHIMPER

Napoleon Kaufman, Washington’s career rushing leader, re-injured the big toe on his left foot in the first half and did not play in the second and gained only 11 yards on six carries in the Huskies’ 31-19 victory over California.

It was a disappointing final home game for Kaufman, a senior. He had his lowest rushing total since he gained 10 yards in two carries against Washington State as a freshman in 1991.

“It was kind of hard to sit out the second half,” Kaufman said. “But I can’t complain much. I’ve broken almost every record they have here. I’m not going to hang my head because I’m very proud of what I’ve accomplished.”

THE BEAT GOES ON. . . .

Alleghany broke school and North Coast Athletic Conference records for most points scored in a game with an 83-0 victory over winless Oberlin at Meadville, Pa.

Paul Bell completed all seven of his passes for 157 yards and three touchdowns and Kyle Smesko rushed for 128 yards and two touchdowns as Allegheny (10-0) rolled up 635 yards total offense to Oberlin’s 47 yards.

Alleghany, which led 42-0 at the end of the first quarter, broke the previous scoring mark of 75, set against Earlham in 1991, the only other year in which Allegheny has finished the regular season 10-0.

. . . . AND ON

Running back Sherriden May became the NCAA I-AA career touchdown leader as Idaho routed Weber State, 79-30, at Moscow, Ida.

Idaho scored 51 points in the first half with its defense accounting for 16 of those points with two returned fumbles for touchdowns and a safety.

Weber State could have used former quarterback Brad Otton, who transferred to USC before the season. Wildcat quarterback Bryan Martin completed 14 of 32 passes for 153 yards.

. . . . AND ON

Georgia Southern set team records with 66 points, 729 total offense yards and 31 first downs in a 66-13 victory over Glenville State at Statesboro, Ga.

Freshman quarterback Kenny Robinson ran for 139 yards to lead three Georgia Southern rushers with more than 100 yards as the Eagles ran for a school-record 665 yards.

Chris Wright added 110 yards for the Eagles and Roderick Russell had 108. All nine Georgia Southern touchdowns came on the ground.

A FALSE CALL

The Coliseum public address announcer certainly got the attention of the 61,264 fans attending USC’s 45-28 victory over Arizona Saturday when he disclosed late in the second half that Penn State had lost to Illinois, 31-28.

Of course, the score he read was not a final but only a late fourth-quarter update. The announcer made a correction minutes later when he found out that Penn State, which defeated the Trojans early in the season, rallied for a 35-31 victory to gain its first Rose Bowl berth.

NOTEWORTHY

--Carey Bender scored eight touchdowns in Coe College’s 63-48 victory over Beloit. The 5-foot-8, 185-pound senior has scored an NCAA record 528 points. His four-year rushing total of 6,125 yards is an NCAA Division III record.

Bender, who averaged 224.2 yards per game, rushed for 347 yards and moved into second place on the NCAA all-division rushing list behind Texas A&M-Kingsville;’s Johnny Bailey.

--Pat Barnes of California passed for 389 yards, the most ever in a game against Washington, in the Bears’ 31-19 loss. In his second career start, Barnes completed 33 of 44 passes for two touchdowns.

--Mike Alstott, who rushed 18 times for 181 yards in Purdue’s 42-30 loss to Michigan State, has 1,087 yards for the season. That makes him only the fourth Boilermaker to rush for 1,000 yards and the first since 1976. The others were Otis Armstrong, who did it twice, Leroy Keyes and Scott Dierking.

--Melvin Williams became Southern University’s first 1,000-yard single-season rusher in 40 years when he ran for 146 yards and one touchdown to lead the Jaguars over Texas Southern, 21-10, in a Southwestern Athletic Conference game at Baton Rouge, La. Williams and his 1,110 yards tied a school record held by three others.