COLLEGE FOOTBALL SPOTLIGHT

MELLOW, HAYDEN; YOU HAVE A DEFENSE

Iowa Coach Hayden Fry has been a bitter, bitter man the last few weeks but hopefully Saturday’s big victory over Penn State will ease his anger. Prior to the game, Fry tore into reporters and fans alike. It was as if he had been watching Craig T. Nelson on “Coach” and liked what he saw.

Fry on the fans: “The people sitting in the stands, all the booing and so forth. How many times have they been out on the field getting knocked around? Zippo! I’ve been coaching for 45 years and I think I know what I’m doing.”

Fry to a reporter who said the coach hadn’t returned any calls for seven years: “Seven years what? Itch? Horse? Don’t give me that junk?”

But for all his comments and the traditional bad-mouthing of his team that comes at this time of the year, Fry cannot argue that the Hawkeyes are suddenly a title contender in the Big Ten after a 21-20 victory. Iowa will find out just how much of a contender next week when it hosts Ohio State, and the Buckeyes may have reason to worry.

Penn State did not score in the second half and opponents have managed only three fourth-quarter points against the Iowa defense this season. Also, since giving up 17 points in the fourth quarter of a 41-27 loss to Penn State last year, Iowa has given up only 26 points in the final quarters of its last 10 regular-season games.

A WEIGHTY ISSUE IN MADISON

Wisconsin Coach Barry Alvarez promised his team a guest speaker before facing Northwestern, but would not tell his players who it would be. Then, right before the game, Alvarez brought in former Saturday Night Live star Chris Farley.

It is unknown why Alvarez picked Farley (perhaps because they look alike) or what Farley chose to discuss with the team (possibly Bratwurst), but it failed as the Badgers lost, 34-30.

A WORD FROM OUR SPONSOR . . . GERITOL

When coaching oldies Joe Paterno and Fry met it was only the seventh time in history that two Division I-A coaches with at least 200 career victories faced each other.

The first time was in the 1978 Sugar Bowl, when Ohio State and Woody Hayes squared off against Alabama and Bear Bryant. The last time it happened was last year’s Orange Bowl when Florida State’s Bobby Bowden faced Notre Dame’s Lou Holtz.

Paterno and Fry are two of only six active coaches with more than 200 victories.

A FINISHING KICK

If you missed Ohio State versus Purdue, you missed a fine first half where Purdue used trick plays to stay even with the second-ranked Buckeyes, 14-14. You would have also missed Ohio State quarterback Stanley Jackson auditioning for the Buckeye place-kicking job.

Before the Buckeyes pulled away for a 42-14 victory, Jackson was ejected in the third quarter for kicking a Purdue defender.

“I got sacked and one of their players was twisting my ankle. I retaliated,” Jackson said. “I have to be smarter than that.”

PAYBACK

Arkansas Coach Danny Ford, who was a farmer in South Carolina before joining the Razorbacks, about his allegiance to the state and the Gamecocks, who Ford’s team beat, 23-17, on Saturday: “The only thing I am doing in South Carolina is paying taxes, and I wish I wasn’t doing that.”

MORE LIKE POWLUS THAN MANNING

Not wanting to be too quick to judge Kentucky quarterback Tim Couch, we waited until the Wildcats’ sixth game before commenting on the play of last year’s super-duper, all-everything, can’t-miss, NFL-caliber, extra-crispy, Marino-like prep quarterback, who was supposed to save Kentucky football.

His numbers, including a two-for-four performance in the Wildcats’ 41-14 loss to Louisiana State: 29 of 77 for 255 yards with one touchdown.

While waiting to make his first start, a six for 18 performance against Florida, Couch said: “If I’m patient, someday I’ll get my chance.”

Since earning more playing time, Couch has begun regurgitating a familiar quote.

“I know one game didn’t get me to where I’m at, and one game isn’t going to knock me from where I’m at.”

Where exactly are you at, Tim?

AND WE WOULD LIKE TO THANK . . .

--Oregon State for ending its losing streak at 15 games, the longest active in major college football, by defeating Stanford 26-12. The Beavers set a school-record with 11 sacks. Division I-A’s longest losing streak now belongs to UNLV, which has dropped its last nine.

--Jersey City State and Kean, who combined for 24 fumbles--13 by Jersey City State--in a game played in a torrential downpour. JC State won the the battle of offenses, 3-2.

--Iowa linebacker Damien Robinson, who had 14 tackles against Penn State and prompted Coach Fry to say: “He is so far ahead at this point of Merton Hanks, who I understand recently signed for $7 million with the 49ers.”

--Northwestern, which extended its Big Ten winning streak to 12 games with a 34-30 comeback victory over Wisconsin. However, Darnell Autry’s streak of 100-yard rushing games ended at 19 when he separated his shoulder in the first half.

--Mississippi Coach Tommy Tuberville, who used this logic to explain what made an Alabama defense that shut out the Rebels, 37-0: “[It’s] all those Mississippi guys they’ve got starting for them.” The Crimson Tide has four starting defenders from Mississippi.

--Army, which after defeating Tulane, 34-10, improved it’s record to 6-0 for the first time since 1950.

HOW MUCH IS A FLIGHT TO JOHANNESBURG?

Central (Ohio) State University withdrew from a scheduled football game in South Africa, finally acknowledging that a school that is a reported $16 million in debt should not be traveling halfway across the world for a football game.

School officials made the call Saturday, and game organizers said Johnson C. Smith University of Charlotte, N.C., will replace Central State and face Morehouse College of Atlanta in the African Heritage Classic on Nov. 16 at Johannesburg, South Africa.

“When we first heard about the possibility of the trip, we were excited,” said Coach Jack Bush. “But in light of everything that has happened here--the debt, the fact the dorms are closed and kids are still living in hotels--the excitement of the trip wore on us. It looked to become a hassle.”

Bush’s opinion is not shared by Athletic Director Ken Hudson.

“It’s not about whether it’s good for the students,” he said. “It’s about politics.”

0 FOR CALIFORNIA

Not one major college game was played in California on Saturday. USC, UCLA, Stanford, Cal, San Diego State, Fresno State and San Jose State all played out of the state.

MAYBE THE LORD HAS NEVER BEEN TO LUBBOCK

Texas Tech’s Byron Hanspard entered Saturday’s game against mighty Nebraska as the Division I-A rushing leader with a 217-yard average, and although he was held to 107 yards in 31 carries, he still was the first player to reach the century mark against the Cornhuskers.

Which leads us to an interesting story about Hanspard, who was recruited by Nebraska as a Texas high school star.

One day Hanspard just settled on Lubbock and could not be swayed, a rarity Nebraska Coach Tom Osborne couldn’t explain. “For some reason, he seemed to be locked into Texas Tech,” Osborne said.

The reason turned out to be pretty big, as Hanspard, an ordained minister, tells it. One day, while the running back was taking a shower, he said the Lord directed him to Texas Tech.

Such divine intervention has made Texas Tech Coach Spike Dykes wonder if Hanspard will be directed to enter the NFL draft early. To prevent this, Dykes has done his best to keep Hanspard from repeating the experience that brought him to Texas Tech.

“So far we have done a good job making Byron take baths,” Dykes said.

--Compiled by GEORGE DOHRMANN