COLLEGE FOOTBALL SPOTLIGHT

CRIMSON TIDE ROLLS, IT JUST GETS LATE START

From the Dept. of Narrow Escapes, we give you Alabama. Roll Tide tape, please.

Only 17 seconds away from losing at home to Southern Mississippi, the 13th-ranked Crimson Tide scored on a 35-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Brian Burgdorf to Toderick Malone for a 24-20 victory.

There are different ways to view this result. To some, Alabama must be good, especially since the Crimson Tide is on NCAA probation and has no chance at the Southeastern Conference championship or a bowl game. The other way to look at it is Alabama is lucky.

Malone’s leaping catch convinced Alabama lineman Shannon Brown.

Said Brown: “Unbelievable. Alabama has got to be, in a sense, one of the luckiest teams alive.”

Alabama, said Burgdorf, is good, man.

“That’s just Alabama,” he said. “That’s the way to play football.”

NOT A MARSHALL OR A PETER, BUT A WHOLE NEW FAULK

Let’s see, Marshall Faulk is in an Indianapolis Colts uniform, Peter Falk is in perpetual raincoat syndication as Columbo and LSU freshman tailback Kevin Faulk is in college making a name for himself.

Kevin, one of the most highly recruited high school players last year, rushed for 171 yards and two touchdowns in a 34-16 victory over Mississippi State in Starkville, Miss., in the Southeastern Conference opener for both teams.

In his last three years in high school in Carencro, La., Faulk ran for 4,877 yards, oddly enough the same number of “Columbo” episodes.

OH, NICK, YOU WEREN’T PLAYING THE OILERS, OK?

One potentially ugly situation presented itself in East Lansing, Mich., where Michigan State got outgained on the ground by Nebraska, 552-35, and outscored, 50-10.

Afterward, new Spartan Coach Nick Saban was breathing fire into his headset. Maybe this is because Saban was a defensive coordinator by trade with the Cleveland Browns before his new job.

Said Saban: “To put it bluntly, I felt that our players quit.”

However, Saban’s quarterback didn’t think so. In fact, Tony Banks defended his team’s effort, even if the coach wouldn’t.

“I’m not the type that quits and I know a lot of guys on offense pretty well, and I don’t think they quit,” said Banks, who was 21 of 35 for 290 yards and one touchdown.

ONE IS A CAL-AMITY

Cal Ripken, 2,133 and counting. Cal Bears, 0-2 and counting.

BUT DO THEY HAVE ANY

ELIGIBILITY STILL LEFT?

At halftime, Missouri retired the jerseys of Kellen Winslow, Roger Wehrli and Johnny Roland.

The Tigers of Larry Smith could have used all three against Bowling Green, which scored a 17-10 victory at Columbia.

IS HE ORDERING A MARTINI OR LOOKING FOR CAN OPENER?

Sure, Howard Schnellenberger said, he really was happy about his first coaching victory at Oklahoma, a 38-22 decision over San Diego State in Norman.

“Lest you all think I’m not elated to win this football game, let me reiterate: The first olive to come out of the jar is always the hardest,” Schnellenberger said. “We’ve got the first olive out.”

Obviously, he is not a lemon twist man.

FLOOR COVERING UPDATE

California played its first game on its new $1.5 million grass field, which replaced the artificial playing surface used at Berkeley’s Memorial Stadium for 14 years.

The score was not artificial, either, a 25-24 upset victory by Fresno State.

QUOTEWORTHY

“I’m not overjoyed. It’s only against FAMU.”

--Miami quarterback Ryan Collins after the Hurricanes defeated Florida A&M;, 49-3.

“A big paycheck.”

--Division I-AA Florida A&M; Coach Billy Joe on what the Rattlers get from their game against Miami.

“We have a long way to go before we’re a solid football team.”

--Oklahoma Coach Howard Schnellenberger after a 16-point victory by the Sooners over San Diego State. “I feel bad for [Cal coach] Keith Gilbertson . He’s a marvelous man and a good coach. Unfortunately, he has four losses versus the WAC and he’ll get crucified for that.”

--Fresno State Coach Jim Sweeney after a 25-24 victory over California.

“That kills you to lose a football game like that.”

--Texas Tech Coach Spike Dykes after No. 4 Penn State kicked a 39-yard field goal with four seconds left to win, 24-23, despite being favored by three touchdowns.

THERE ARE COSTLY LOSSES AND REALLY COSTLY LOSSES

Randolph-Macon lost more than a season opener at Franklin & Marshall in Lancaster, Pa.

Thieves entered the visitors’ locker room through a broken vent above a locked door and stole thousands of dollars worth of jewelry, compact disc players and cash belonging to players.

Also taken was the team’s meal money for a four-hour trip back to Ashland, Va., police said.

The team estimated its losses at about $12,000 in cash and possessions.

“I can’t say what I want to say about Franklin & Marshall in print,” Randolph-Macon senior Bryan Lewis said. “I’m trying to hold back my bad energy.”

Randolph-Macon Coach Joe Riccio said he would put the team’s dinner on his credit card.

Franklin & Marshall won the game, 28-27.

IRISH EYES ARE SMILING (THEY CAN OPEN THEM NOW)

Notre Dame blew a 15-point lead to Purdue, which brought back memories of last weekend, when the Irish lost to Northwestern. The Irish gave up two touchdowns in less than two minutes in the fourth quarter, but won anyway when tailback Randy Kinder broke free for a 52-yard touchdown run and a 35-28 decision over the Boilermakers at West Lafayette, Ind.

How big a victory was it? Do you really have to ask?

“This win was huge,” said Notre Dame quarterback Ron Powlus said. “We needed a win and we needed it now. An 0-2 start would have really hurt us.”

Maybe the Irish had read the form chart. Notre Dame is 44-21-2 against Purdue and the Boilermakers haven’t won in the rivalry since 1985.

COME BACK, YOU HUSKER, YOU

It wasn’t a well-publicized comeback, but Nebraska mascot Herbie Husker returned to the sidelines for the Cornhuskers’ game at Michigan State. Herbie is an overall-clad farmer with an aw-shucks grin.

He had been retired in August when the school announced his image did not market well nationally. He is unretired now.

IT’S POOH’S CORNER

Pooh Bear Williams, Florida State’s 280-pound fullback, had two touchdowns against Clemson and now has six touchdowns in nine carries this season.

THIS IS A SMALL CROWD?

Michigan drew only 100,862 at Michigan Stadium for Memphis, the smallest crowd for a Michigan home game since 100,824 showed against Northwestern in 1980, and the third-smallest crowd since Michigan began its streak of 124 home games before crowds of 100,000 or more in 1975.

NOTEWORTHY

Lou Holtz got his 200th college coaching victory when Notre Dame defeated Purdue, becoming the 15th to reach the milestone.

Maurice Sydnor of Towson State took the second-half kickoff 89 yards for a touchdown in 34-3 victory over Butler. It was the second time in his career he returned a kickoff for a touchdown, tying David Meggett’s school record.

Missouri Coach Larry Smith was beaten by Bowling Green, his alma mater.

Madre Hill scored a school-record six touchdowns and ran for 178 yards as Arkansas beat South Carolina, 51-21.

Lawrence Phillips of Nebraska rushed for 206 yards and four touchdowns, including a 50-yard run, in a 50-10 victory over Michigan State.

Marcus Crandell threw for a career-high 392 yards and four touchdown passes, three in the second half, as East Carolina rallied from 21 points down to defeat Syracuse, 27-24.

Warrick Dunn rushed for 180 yards and two touchdowns, including a back-breaking 55-yard sprint in the fourth quarter, to lead Florida State past Clemson, 45-26.

Brent Conway, who missed two field goals earlier, kicked a 39-yarder with four seconds left as Penn State rallied to beat Texas Tech, 24-23.

HARD-FOUGHT CONTEST BETWEEN GUTTY OPPONENTS

Notre Dame’s game against Purdue produced not only an exciting decision, but a rash of post-game cliches.

A sampling:

Purdue Coach Jim Colletto: “The fans got their money’s worth.”

Purdue linebacker Chike Okeafor: “We came out and we knew what we had to do, but we gave up the big plays.”

Notre Dame tailback Randy Kinder: “Everything just really came together today.”

FLAG FOOTBALL

Oklahoma had 15 penalties against San Diego State. However, none were from the NCAA, which are the only ones they remember in Norman.

--Compiled by Thomas Bonk, Bob Cuomo and Emilio Garcia-Ruiz.

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

TOP PERFORMERS

PASSING *--*

Player Comp. Att. Yds. TD CRANDALL, East Carolina 31 59 392 4 MANNING, Tennessee 26 38 349 2 LEDBETTER, New Mexico St. 30 49 333 2 SARKISIAN, BYU 21 38 305 1 WALLWORK, Wyoming 22 39 301 0 BANKS, Michigan St. 21 35 290 1 MAXWELL, Nevada 21 35 281 3 WILLIAMS, Kansas 17 23 279 3 BURGDOFF, Alabama 19 27 265 3

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RUSHING

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Player Carries Yards TD McCOY, Navy 26 273 1 PHILLIPS, Nebraska 22 206 4 WILSON, Nevada Las Vegas 35 200 2 McCULLOUGH, Miami, Ohio 32 196 1 TOLBERT, C. Michigan 36 190 3 DUNN, Florida St. 12 180 2 HILL, Arkansas 31 178 6 FAULK, LSU 23 171 2 J. MOORE, Oklahoma 14 159 3

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RECEIVING

*--*

Player No. Yards TD KEDZIOR, Tulsa 10 139 1 MOULDS, Mississippi St. 8 157 1 JOHNSON, USC 8 124 0 TILLMAN, Wyoming 8 100 0 McPHAIL, East Carolina 7 122 1 HARRIS, Wyoming 7 120 0 ENGRAM, Penn St. 7 106 0 VANTERPOOL, West Virginia 6 135 0 SMITH, Kansas 6 118 1

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