COLLEGE FOOTBALL SPOTLIGHT

IN ANNAPOLIS, THEY HAVE A REAL OFFENSE

Maryland showed Saturday in a 34-8 loss to North Carolina State why it has one of the most inept offenses in college football. Some examples:

--The Terrapins’ deepest penetration in the first half was to their own 38.

--Maryland gained only 61 yards the first three quarters and didn’t cross midfield until there was 14:50 left--which was an improvement considering the Terrapins hadn’t advanced past midfield in eight consecutive quarters.

--When Brian Underwood scored from a yard out, he broke a Maryland streak of 11 quarters without a touchdown.

All of this against a team that was previously winless and had allowed 40 points a game.

INTRODUCING THE REST OF THE BIG 12

Iowa State and running back Troy Davis were idle this week, and that gave the nation a chance to notice some of the other great running backs in the Big 12 Conference.

Going into Saturday, five of the nation’s top 10 rushers were from the Big 12. Davis led with an average of 229.2 yards per game, Texas Tech’s Byron Hanspard was second (206.2), third was Kansas senior June Henley (201), No. 6. was Oklahoma State’s David Thompson (155.2), and No. 7 was Oklahoma’s DeMond Parker (144).

Despite the big numbers, no back other than Davis has received much national attention. So, Saturday was a chance for the four non-Davises to shine, and they did not disappoint.

Parker had 146 yards on 19 carries against Kansas and Henley had 118 total yards in splitting time between running back and receiver. Thompson had 153 yards against Texas, and Hanspard totaled 287 yards against Baylor.

“This is an amazing group of backs in this conference,” said Iowa State Coach Dan McCarney. “I can’t imagine a conference in the country that can match the backs that we have.”

CLINTON READY TO SIGN ANTI-SPURRIER BILL?

Florida was leading, 35-7, midway through the fourth quarter at Arkansas, and was still throwing. This did not go over well with the Razorback fans, who booed quarterback Danny Wuerffel every snap.

Said Wuerffel: “I wasn’t trying to make a stat. I was just trying to play the game. It was the coaches’ decision.”

Apparently it was a decision Gator Coach Steve Spurrier would make again.

“These Arkansas people get mad when you keep throwing the ball,” he said. “It must be against the rules here in Arkansas.”

AND HE WAS A FINE ACTOR TOO

Syracuse honored Orangeman and NFL great Jim Brown at halftime of its game against Rutgers, unveiling a bust of the great running back that will be put on display inside the Syracuse football complex.

During the game, Syracuse did its best Jim Brown impression, rushing for 380 yards, as five different players gained more than 50 yards.

TRADE YOU MY PONY FOR YOUR PUMA

It was clear that the suspension of four starters hurt USC, as the Trojans fell, 22-15, to California. But what about the Oregon volleyball team, which also had players also suspended for swapping school-issued shoes for personal apparel?

Well, the Ducks also lost 15-3, 15-2, 15-8, to Washington on Friday.

. . .CAME IN THROUGH THE COACH’S WINDOW

Alabama won its sixth consecutive homecoming game by defeating Kentucky, 35-7. The Crimson Tide also beat former Alabama and current Kentucky Coach Bill Curry.

Curry does not have fond memories of Alabama homecomings. He lost, 9-0, to Penn State in 1990, and also was part of the most infamous homecoming defeat in school history, a 1988 loss to Mississippi in which Alabama gave up 15 unanswered fourth-quarter points to lose, 22-12.

After that loss, which came in Curry’s second season, somebody lobbed a brick through the window of Curry’s office.

THE TRANSITIVE PROPERTY GONE MAD

Boise State interim Coach Tom Mason before his team was routed by Arizona State: “I’m excited about playing these guys. All we have to do is score a touchdown and we’re better than Nebraska.”

REASON TO QUIT A LOSS TO PITT

Temple Coach Ron Dickerson gambled and lost, cried, then said he was going to quit. Yes, these are the things coaches do when they lose to lowly Pittsburgh.

Dickerson said he would resign at the end of the season after his Owls lost, 53-52, Saturday to the Panthers after a coaching blunder cost his team a much-needed victory. Temple was ahead by five and facing fourth and one from its 43, when Dickerson ordered a fake punt with 2:33 left. The result was one-yard loss by reserve quarterback Pat Bonner, and a Panther drive to the game-winning touchdown.

“I wouldn’t blame the university if they fired me tonight,” Dickerson said. “This team deserves better and they deserve a smarter coach than me. This is a much better team than I have ever had at Temple, but we’re losing games we should not lose.”

Temple, 5-33 under Dickerson and 1-4 this season, led 52-33 with 10 minutes left.

“We’re still making undisciplined mistakes and stupid mistakes and those things shouldn’t happen,” said Dickerson. “And I made the biggest blunder of them all.”

IT’S AWAY, IT’S GOT THE DISTANCE, IT’S . . .

While Los Angeles was enjoying its Saturday morning cartoons, football fans in New York were watching Michigan versus Northwestern on WABC-TV. The game came down to a came down to a Wildcat field-goal attempt with 17 seconds left.

With Brian Gowins poised to try a second attempt for the field goal that could give the Wildcats a one-point victory, screens across New York went blank and then were filled with a promotional tape for the station’s news programming.

A minute or so later, Keith Jackson was on the air with the Penn State-Ohio State game on the ABC network telecast. The score flashed across the screen: Northwestern 17, Michigan 16.

Gowins kicked a 39-yard field goal with 13 seconds left. He had to kick it twice because officials ruled the first one was before they whistled the play ready to start. The New York area audience saw the first kick, but didn’t see the game-winner.

Several phone calls to WABC-TV produced no explanation. ABC was quick to blame the station, which picked up the Northwestern-Michigan telecast through syndication.

“It was not an ABC Sports telecast,” said Mark Mandel, chief spokesman for ABC Sports. “I hope fans won’t take it out on us.”

They will take it out on somebody. They always do.

--Compiled by GEORGE DOHRMANN