COLLEGE FOOTBALL SPOTLIGHT

CRIME AND PUNISHMENT

Nebraska tailback Lawrence Phillips says he is learning to overcome the problems that led to his six-game suspension for attacking a former girlfriend.

“I’m working on anger problems and going to counseling to get that situated,” he said. “I’m sorry that that has had to take place and hopefully, something like that will never happen again.”

Phillips, who gained 68 yards on 12 carries in the Cornhuskers’ 73-14 rout of Iowa State, also defended Coach Tom Osborne’s decision to reinstate him. Osborne’s decision has been criticized as a move to help the Huskers return to a national championship game.

“If that was his [Osborne’s] motive, he would have never suspended me in the first place,” Phillips said. “He’s never been a guy that’s all about winning. If there’s a problem with discipline, then you’re going to face the consequence no matter who you are and what you do for the team.

“He showed throughout the years that everybody has to pay for their wrongdoings and that’s what he did for me. He just gave me a second chance. He believed that I could get help and come back and do a good job.”

Phillips is scheduled to be sentenced Dec. 1 for misdemeanor assault and trespassing convictions.

Several women’s groups have said Phillips should have been thrown off the team. Reaction Saturday at Lincoln, Neb., was mixed.

“It’s sending a bad message across the country that beating women is OK,” said Tammy McChesney of Omaha.

Said Pam Persing of Omaha: “We’re glad he’s back. In this stadium, he’s part of the team.”

YOU CAN’T TELL THE PLAYERS EVEN WITH A SCORECARD

Shell out a couple of bucks for a program and a roster and you expect to be able to tell who’s who.

Not at Gainesville, Fla., where walk-on Noah Brindice finished the game at quarterback for the Gators in their 58-20 pummeling of Northern Illinois.

He followed third-string quarterback Brian Schottenheimer, the son of Kansas City Chief Coach Marty Schottenheimer. The younger Schottenheimer connected with scout-teamer David Nabavi on a six-yard touchdown pass.

FANNING THE FLAMES

Chad Davis says fans pay their money, so they’re entitled to boo. But the Washington State quarterback would like them to pay for criticizing him.

Asked last week how he’d respond to fans who have booed him and called for him to be benched in favor of sophomore Ryan Leaf, he said: “I’d probably go up in the stands and whip somebody’s [butt]. Face-to-face. Let’s go. Right now. I would do it in a heartbeat.”

That won’t win him a warm reception at the Cougars’ next home game. Nor will their 27-11 loss to Cal on Saturday, which was--luckily for Davis--played at Berkeley.

TAKE HEART, GUYS

Hey, Prairie View Panthers. So you lost your 56th consecutive game. Remember, Northwestern once had a 34-game losing streak and look where the Wildcats are now.

Well, maybe things never got this bad for the Wildcats. Prairie View’s latest loss was the Midwestern State, an NAIA Division 8 school, 37-15.

But the end is in sight. The Panthers finish the season next week at Jackson State.

HE’S A REALLY SORE LOSER

Missouri Coach Larry Smith will never win any sportsmanship awards.

After Kansas State passed for a touchdown with about a minute left to cap its 42-23 victory over Smith’s Tigers, an unhappy Smith made an obscene gesture to Jayhawk Coach Glen Mason.

“I didn’t see it,” Mason said. “You guys [reporters] keep wanting to make this a bitter rivalry. He’s bigger than I am so he could probably beat me in a fight, but I can run faster than him.”

AND THE WINNER IS. . . .

The Lombardi Trophy, annually awarded to college football’s best lineman, will go to a player in the Pac-10 or Big 10 this year.

The list of candidates was cut to four: Arizona defensive end Tedy Bruschi, UCLA offensive tackle Jonathan Ogden, Ohio State sophomore offensive tackle Orlando Pace and Illinois linebacker Simeon Rice.

The Lombardi Trophy is presented by the Rotary Club of Houston to the player selected by more than 300 voters, including former winners, coaches, sports writers and broadcasters. The winner will be announced Dec. 7.

HAIL TO PURPLE

Through all of Northwestern’s upsets, through the victories over Notre Dame and Michigan and even after the Wildcats’ 21-10 triumph over Penn State on Saturday at Evanston, Ill., Coach Gary Barnett has remained low-key.

“We have self-respect and that’s all that counts for us,” he said. “We’re a pretty good team.”

Pretty good? The crowd that braved 30-degree temperatures at Dyche Stadium thought the Wildcats’ exploits were terrific. After Northwestern won its eighth game, equaling the victory total of its 1948 team--which won the Rose Bowl in the Wildcats’ only postseason appearance--thousands of purple-clad fans mobbed the field.

They had plenty to celebrate in Northwestern’s seventh consecutive victory, including Darnell Autry breaking the school’s single-season record of 1,291 yards, set in 1989 by Bobby Christian. Autry has 84 points this season, also a school record.

“I think I recognize critical situations at the critical times,” said Autry. “When the players count on me, I deliver.”

SEEING DOUBLE

Don’t blame North Carolina’s Tar Heels if they became confused during their 17-10 loss at Clemson.

The Tigers intercepted quarterback Mike Thomas five times, including once each by twin brothers Andy and Peter Ford.

A COVEY OF CONCORDIAS

Keeping up with all the Concordias can be a full-time job.

For the record, Concordia, Wis., defeated Concordia, Ill., 28-7. And Concordia, Moorhead (Minn.) took care of Concordia, Ill., 28-7.

And let’s not forget Concordia, Neb., which beat Hastings, 28-7.

INJURY REPORT

Notre Dame quarterback Ron Powlus, who missed his freshman year after breaking his collarbone, is out for the rest of the season after breaking his left arm Saturday against Navy at South Bend, Ind. Powlus broke his left humerus, the bone between the shoulder and elbow, while scrambling on a second and 13 with about 11 minutes left in the third quarter. . . . Louisiana State wide receiver Chris Hill was hurt against Alabama at Tuscaloosa, Ala., when his leg was bent back as he was being tackled. He was carried off on a stretcher and his condition wasn’t immediately known.

NOTEWORTHY

Purdue’s Mike Alstott set the school record for career touchdowns with the first of his two scores in the Boilermakers’ 38-27 victory over Wisconsin at West Lafayette, Ind. He had shared the record of 37 with Leroy Keyes. Alstott also extended his school records of consecutive games with 100 yards rushing (eight), most career rushing touchdowns (36), most points (236) and most career 100-yard rushing games (15). . . . Dwayne Mobley scored the first touchdown by a Florida fullback since 1993 on a one-yard pass in the Gators’ 58-20 rout of Northern Illinois at Gainesville, Fla. His backup, Jerome Evans, scored his first career touchdown on a one-yard run, the only non-passing touchdown by the Gators.

Tulsa’s Jason Jacoby tied a Cougar Stadium record with a 100-yard kickoff return during the Hurricane’s 54-35 loss to Brigham Young. . . . When Michigan State’s Derrick Mason returned a punt for a touchdown in the Spartans’ 28-25 upset of Michigan at East Lansing, he became the first Spartan player to do so since 1984. . . . David Thompson became the first Oklahoma State tailback since 1990 to top 1,000 yards when he ran for 159 yards and a touchdown in the Cowboys’ 45-32 loss to Colorado. . . . Auburn safety David McClinton and Northeast Louisiana defensive back Dee Jefferson were ejected for unsportsmanlike conduct after a fourth-quarter tussle during Auburn’s 38-14 victory at Auburn, Ala. . . . UTEP’s Toraine Singleton, the second-leading rusher in the WAC, topped 1,000 yards by gaining 83 on 17 carries in a 56-10 loss to Colorado State at Fort Collins, Colo. . . . Maryland’s Jermaine Lewis returned a punt 66 yards--the longest in the ACC this season--to lead the Terrapins past North Carolina State, 30-13, at Raleigh, N.C. . . . Freshman Jarett Vito caught 21 passes as Emporia State beat Northeast Missouri State, 36-19, at Kirksville, Mo. Vito has 83 catches, a freshman record for all levels of NCAA football. The previous record of 67 was set by Bill Strombers of Johns Hopkins in 1978.

QUOTEBOOK

Nebraska tailback Lawrence Phillips, who returned Saturday after a six-game suspension for attacking a former girlfriend, on his goal for the rest of the season:

“To stay out of trouble.”

Oklahoma Coach Howard Schnellenberger after his team’s 49-10 loss to Kansas State:

“It’s obvious that this game today was a low point in our struggle to revive this program. This was the worst physical beating any team I’ve ever been associated with has taken. And one of the worst, I expect, that Oklahoma has been involved with -- I don’t know--ever.”

--Compiled by Bob Cuomo, Helene Elliott and Emilio Garcia-Ruiz.

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

TOP PERFORMERS PASSING

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Player Comp. Att. Yds. TD LaRUE, Wake Forest 41 65 501 3 KRESSER, Florida 26 42 458 6 SELLERS, New Mexico 28 36 351 1 BUTTERFIELD, Stanford 29 47 345 1 JOHNSTON, West Virginia 16 21 334 4 BLANTON, San Diego St. 17 24 328 3 HUARD, Washington 21 36 327 1 SARKISIAN, BYU 23 34 326 1 HESSLER, Colorado 22 31 301 5

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RUSHING

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Player Carries Yards TD JONES, San Diego St. 35 208 3 ABDUL-JABBAR, UCLA 35 207 1 ALSTOTT, Purdue 36 204 2 WATSON, Purdue 21 194 2 BIAKABUTUKA, Michigan 37 191 1 GEORGE, Ohio St. 23 178 3 BURTON, Nevada Las Vegas 29 177 1 GREEN, Nebraska 12 176 3 THOMPSON, Oklahoma St. 24 159 1

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RECEIVING

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Player No. Yards TD ALEXANDER, Utah St. 13 236 2 PAGADOR, New Mexico 11 138 1 LEWIS, Maryland 11 106 1 VAN DYKE, Nevada 11 105 0 HARRIS, Stanford 10 187 1 DAVIS, Wake Forest 10 120 0 POOLE, Arizona St. 9 167 0 McLEMORE, Oregon 9 155 0 BLACKWELL, San Diego St. 8 210 1

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