COLLEGE FOOTBALL / Spotlight

THEY TRAIL IN THE POLLS BUT WON’T GIVE UP ELECTION

Most prognosticators have already given the Heisman Trophy to Colorado running back Rashaan Salaam, who has 2,046 rushing yards, but that doesn’t mean Penn State’s Ki-Jana Carter and Alcorn State’s Steve McNair have written concession speeches.

Carter, who rushed for 107 yards and three touchdowns last Saturday, gained 227 yards and scored five touchdowns in a 59-31 victory over Michigan State on Saturday.

Carter has 1,539 rushing yards and 23 touchdowns.

McNair, barely able to run because of an injured hamstring, threw 82 passes, completing 52 for 514 yards, in a 63-20 loss to Youngstown State on Friday.

McNair finished the season with 4,903 passing yards and 904 rushing yards and nine touchdowns.

HE’S MISSING AN ARM, BUT ONLY FOES ARE HANDICAPPED

DaWuan Miller, a defensive back who has only one arm, made the key interception as Boise State rallied for a 24-20 victory over North Texas in the opening round of the Division I-AA playoffs in Boise, Ida.

No. 3-ranked Boise State trailed, 20-17, with less than six minutes left when Miller intercepted a pass from North Texas quarterback Mitch Maher and returned it to the six-yard line. Tailback Willie Bowens scored on a pass from quarterback Tony Hilde on the next play to give Boise State a school-record 11th victory this season.

THIS EXCUSE ALONE SHOULD DROP NEBRASKA IN POLLS

Yes, No. 1 Nebraska looked awful in defeating winless Iowa State, 28-12, on Nov. 12. True, the Cornhuskers didn’t look much better in defeating Oklahoma, 13-3, on Friday. And yes, No. 2 Penn State trounced Michigan State, 59-31, on Saturday. But the Cornhuskers don’t want voters in the top 25 polls getting any ideas about vaulting the Nittany Lions ahead of them this week.

They say that Iowa State and Oklahoma were difficult opponents because their coaches, Jim Walden and Gary Gibbs, had both announced their resignations, effective at season’s end.

“I’d like to see any other team in the country come in here and play Oklahoma when their coach is quitting,” said Nebraska offensive lineman Zach Wiegert. “They are a really tough ballclub, and they had the extra inspiration today.”

Said Nebraska linebacker Ed Stewart: “We’ve played under tough circumstances for two weeks in a row.”

HE’S NO BUDDY RYAN WHEN IT COMES TO BOASTS

Penn State’s Joe Paterno was uncharacteristically upbeat about his team after the victory over Michigan State. His view of the race for No. 1:

“Nebraska’s got a tough game to play, we’ve got a tough game to play and Alabama’s got two tough games to play. A lot can happen. But it’s hard for me to believe that anybody can beat us.”

That’s bad news for Oregon in the Rose Bowl.

AND WHERE WERE YOU FOR THE FIRST 99 GAMES?

North Dakota-North Dakota State probably won’t make many lists of top college football rivalries, but the two schools met for the 100th time when they played in the NCAA Division II playoffs on Saturday.

A sellout crowd of 10,060 at North Dakota’s Memorial Stadium in Grand Forks witnessed the game, the first between the rivals in the playoffs. For the record, the Fighting Sioux won, 14-7. For those who missed the first 99 games, the Fighting Sioux is North Dakota’s nickname.

CHARITY BEGINS AT HOME, OR IN PLYMOUTH, N.H.

It’s a good thing Joe Dudek wasn’t around to see this.

Dudek gained 5,570 yards for Plymouth State from 1982-85, good enough for fifth on the NCAA career rushing list coming into this season. Dudek’s alma mater needed him Saturday, losing five fumbles and having five passes intercepted in a 22-7 loss to Ithaca in the NCAA Division III East Regional final in Plymouth, N.H.

AND THERE’S A REASON YOUR TEAM IS NOT

Nevada Las Vegas Coach Jeff Horton was philosophical about his team’s 42-3 loss to 11th-ranked Kansas State. “There’s a reason they’re ranked,” Horton said.

It was the second meeting between the two teams. The Wildcats won the first meeting last season, 36-20.

HE MADE EVERY ONE COUNT

Washington and Jefferson quarterback Jason Baer completed only 11 passes in a second-round NCAA Division III playoff game against Widenerin Washington, Pa. But four of the passes went for touchdowns as Baer led a 37-21 victory.

THE TOP 25

* No. 1 NEBRASKA (11-0): Defeated Oklahoma, 13-3. Get ready for a barrage of will he or won’t he play in the Orange Bowl speculation about Cornhusker quarterback Tommy Frazier, whose blood-clot condition has improved.

* No. 2 PENN STATE (11-0): Defeated Michigan State, 59-31. What to get that Nittany Lion on your Christmas list? Try an Alabama loss to Florida in the Southeastern Conference title game and a Nebraska loss in the Orange Bowl. And some dead Ducks Jan. 2.

* No. 3 ALABAMA (11-0): Idle.

* No. 4 FLORIDA (9-1-1): Tied Florida State, 31-31. Does this mean Florida’s Terry Dean, the deposed quarterback and not-too-long ago Heisman candidate, gets the last laugh? Would Dean have produced more than seven points in the second half?

* No. 5 MIAMI (10-1): Defeated Boston College, 23-7. Things keep falling in place for the Hurricanes, who should move up to fourth this week and need a couple bowl breaks to finish No. 1. It isn’t over yet.

* No. 6 COLORADO (10-1): Idle.

* No. 7 FLORIDA STATE (9-1-1): Tied Florida, 31-31. Don’t feel too badly for Seminoles. Atlantic Coast Conference title guarantees them a top bowl bid and they were lucky to tie Gators. But why didn’t they go for two?

* No. 8 TEXAS A&M; (10-0-1): Idle. Aggies will begin the new year watching 6-5 Texas Tech playing in Cotton Bowl while they are on an NCAA-mandated vacation. Cheating sometimes carries a high price.

* No. 9 AUBURN (9-1-1): Idle. See Texas A&M; entry, although Tigers would have gone to a smaller bowl because of their loss to Alabama.

* No. 10 COLORADO STATE (10-1): Idle.

* No. 11 KANSAS STATE (9-2): Defeated Nevada Las Vegas, 42-3. The Wildcats finish impressively; now if only a bowl official somewhere will notice they deserve better than the Aloha.

* No. 12 OREGON (9-3): Idle.

* No. 13 VIRGINIA (8-3): Lost to North Carolina State, 30-27, Friday. The Cavaliers ruin their chances of playing on Jan. 2 and make a mess of the bowl picture. Thanks for nothing.

* No. 14 OHIO STATE (9-3): Idle.

* No. 15 UTAH (9-2): Idle.

* No. 16 ARIZONA (8-3): Defeated Arizona State, 28-27, Friday. The Wildcats were very fortunate to escape with a victory. Quarterback Dan White injured his shoulder in the first half but was able to return.

* No. 17 USC (7-3-1) Tied Notre Dame, 17-17. Who would ever think that the key play in the Notre Dame game would be turned in by a Nigerian? But without Israel Ifeanyi’s blocked field-goal attempt, Trojans might not have tied.

* No. 18 VIRGINIA TECH (8-3): Idle.

* No. 19 MISSISSIPPI STATE (8-3): Defeated Mississippi, 21-17. Fact of the day: This is only the second time in five decades that Bulldogs have won consecutive games against Rebels. The Bulldogs won in 1976 and 1977, but those victories were later forfeited.

* No. 20 MICHIGAN (7-4): Idle.

* No. 21 NORTH CAROLINA (8-3): Idle.

* No. 22 SYRACUSE (7-4): Lost to West Virginia, 13-0, Thursday. The Orangemen have been impossible to figure this season and their loss to the Mountaineers continues that trend.

* No. 23 BRIGHAM YOUNG (9-3): Idle.

* No. 24 WASHINGTON STATE (7-4): Idle.

* No. 25 BOSTON COLLEGE (6-4-1): Lost to Miami, 23-7. The Eagles led, 7-3, at halftime but couldn’t sustain the upset bid. Hope they have a good time in Hawaii.

INJURY REPORT

Tennessee running back Aaron Hayden broke his right leg when tackled 30 seconds before halftime of a 65-0 victory over Vanderbilt at Nashville.

Doctors planned to operate Saturday night.

The senior from Detroit was making his final regular season appearance and carried 14 times for 77 yards. That ranks him sixth on Tennessee’s all-time list with 2,061 yards.

OF TWO COACHES ON OUTS, AT LEAST ONE WANTS BACK IN

George Perles’ last game as coach of Michigan State won’t be his last game ever.

“I’m not going to sit at home and retire, that’s for sure,” he said after the Spartans’ 51-39 loss to Penn State. “The only thing I’m looking for is some opportunities that would keep me in football or around football.”

Perles finished his 12-year career at Michigan State with a 73-62-4 record. He was forced to resign after starting the year 2-5.

Also Saturday, Louisiana State ended the regime of coach Curley Hallman with a 30-12 victory over Arkansas. Hallman was fired before LSU’s victory last week against Tulane. The Tigers, 4-7 overall and 3-5 in the Southeastern Conference, were 16-28 during Hallman’s four years.

The Bowl Picture

You call this a picture? Alabama and Florida are still the biggest dominoes to be played, and after its tie against USC, Notre Dame is free to travel wherever it can get an invitation. This should clear up by next weekend, but who wants to wait that long? Here’s a look at the probable matchups:

Bowl Game: Las Vegas. Las Vegas, Dec. 15, 6 p.m. (ESPN)

Probable Opponents: Central Michigan (9-2) vs. Nevada Las Vegas (6-5)

Comments: For some reason, teams actually met in regular season with Chippewas winning, 35-23.

*

Bowl Game: Aloha. Honolulu, Dec. 25, 12:30 p.m. (ABC)

Probable Opponents: Kansas State (9-2) vs. Boston College (6-4-1)

Comments: After playing five bowl team, including Michigan and Miami, Eagles deserve Honolulu vacation.

*

Bowl Game: Freedom. Anaheim, Dec. 27, 6 p.m. (Raycom)

Probable Opponents: Arizona (8-3) vs. Utah (9-2)

Comments: Wildcats still hoping to get bid to a coalition bowl but it seems unlikely.

*

Bowl Game: Independence. Shreveport, La., Dec. 28, 5 p.m. (ESPN)

Probable Opponents: Texas Christian (7-4) vs. Virginia (8-3)

Comments: Say what? Horned Frogs beat Texas Tech, finish with a better record and go here. Go figure.

*

Bowl Game: Copper. Tucson, Dec. 29, 5 p.m. (ESPN)

Probable Opponents: Oklahoma (6-5) vs. Brigham Young (9-3)

Comments: Sooners keep playing while Air Force (7-4), Georgia (6-4-1) and Syracuse (7-4) stay home.

*

Bowl Game: Gator. Gainesville, Fla., Dec. 30, 4:30 p.m. (TBS)

Probable Opponents: Virginia Tech (8-3) vs. Miss, St. (8-3) or Tennessee (7-4)

Comments: As usual, Hokies will depend on play of erratic quarterback Maurice DeShazo.

*

Bowl Game: Holiday. San Diego, Dec. 30, 6 p.m. (ESPN)

Probable Opponents: Colorado State (10-1) vs. Michigan (7-4)

Comments: This could be the only Rams team playing in Southern California by Dec. 30.

*

Bowl Game: Sun. El Paso, Texas, Dec. 30, 11:30 a.m. (CBS)

Probable Opponents: Texas (7-4) vs. North Carolina (8-3)

Comments: Tar Heels benefit from Virginia’s loss to North Carolina State.

*

Bowl Game: Alamo. San Antonio, Dec. 31, 5 p.m. (ESPN)

Probable Opponents: Baylor (7-4) vs. Washington State (7-4)

Comments: If coalition surprises and takes Arizona, Cougars could go to Freedom and Alamo would have to go fishing.

*

Bowl Game: Liberty. Memphis, Tenn., Dec. 31, 10 a.m. (ESPN)

Probable Opponents: Illinois (6-5) vs. East Carolina (7-4)

Comments: We still would rather have seen Steve McNair and Alcorn State play in this game.

*

Bowl Game: Peach. Atlanta, Jan. 1 5 p.m. (ESPN)

Probable Opponents: Tennessee (7-4) or Mississippi St. (8-3) vs. NC State (8-3)

Comments: Tennessee reportedly does not want to play in Gainesville, Fla., at Florida’s home field.

*

Bowl Game: Orange. Miami, Jan. 1, 5 p.m. (NBC)

Probable Opponents: Nebraska (12-0) vs. Miami (10-1)

Comments: A big victory by Cornhuskers could render all Jan. 2 games moot.

*

Bowl Game: Hall of Fame. Tampa, Fla., Jan. 2, 8 a.m., (ESPN)

Probable Opponents: Wisconsin (6-4-1) vs. Duke (8-3)

Comments: blue Devils won seven in a row to open the season, then faded; Badgers never got in gear.

*

Bowl Game: Citrus. Orlando, Fla., Jan. 2, 10 a.m. (ABC)

Probable Opponents: Ohio State (9-3) vs. Alabama (11-0) or Florida (9-1-1)

Comments: It’s hard to figure which team the Buckeyes are better off facing.

*

Bowl Game: Fiesta. Tempe, Ariz., Jan. 2, 1:30 p.m. (NBC)

Probable Opponents: Colorado (10-1) vs. Notre Dame (6-4-1) or USC (7-3-1)

Comments: North Carolina and Arizona are longshots to play the Buffaloes.

*

Bowl Game: Carquest. Miami, Jan. 2, 10:30 a.m. (CBS)

Probable Opponents: West Virginia (7-5) vs. South Carolina (6-5)

Comments: Syracuse apparently edged out by season-ending loss to the Mountaineers.

*

Bowl Game: Cotton. Dallas, Jan. 2, 10 a.m. (NBC)

Probable Opponents: Texas Tech (6-5) vs. Notre Dame (6-4-1) or USC (7-3-1)

Comments: They can’t be happy about Red Raiders, but the Southwest Conference has only one season left.

*

Bowl Game: Rose. Pasadena, Jan. 2, 1:50 p.m. (ABC)

Probable Opponents: Penn State (11-0) vs. Oregon (9-3)

Comments: Nittany Lions did their part, staying undefeated and giving game national title significance.

*

Bowl Game: Sugar. New Orleans, Jan. 2, 5:30 p.m. (ABC)

Probable Opponents: Alabama-Florida winner vs. Florida State (9-1-1)

Comments: If Florida wins SEC title game, Gators could balk at ABC’s preferred rematch. USC, Notre Dame also in picture.