Lombardi Award Is Pace’s--Again

Ohio State offensive tackle Orlando Pace is the first two-time winner of the Lombardi Award, being selected Thursday night as the nation’s top college lineman of 1996.

The 6-foot-6, 330-pound, was the first sophomore to win the award in 1995. This year, he beat out Arizona State tackle Juan Roque, Nebraska defensive end Jared Tomich and Virginia Tech defensive end Cornell Brown.

“This is truly amazing that I’ve done this,” Pace said. “It’s history-making, and I’ll always remember the city of Houston.”

His mother noted that she didn’t even want her son playing football.

“I can’t stand football,” said Joyce Pace of Sandusky, Ohio. “It’s too rough.”

Pace’s play helped the Buckeyes to a 10-1 record and their first Rose Bowl berth in 12 years. Pace has also been mentioned as a Heisman candidate.

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Greg Mattison, defensive coordinator at Michigan the last two years, was named to that position at Notre Dame.

Mattison, 47 replaces Bob Davie, elevated to head coach last month after Lou Holtz announced his resignation.

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Matt Cavanaugh, a former Pittsburgh quarterback and assistant coach, apparently is the Panthers’ new coach--if he wants the job.

Cavanaugh, the San Francisco 49ers’ quarterbacks coach, met with new Pittsburgh Athletic Director Steve Pederson last Monday and reportedly was offered the job.

He will attend a meeting today with the Pittsburgh football team, but it is not certain if it is to discuss the coaching situation.

Cavanaugh, an assistant coach on former Pittsburgh coach Johnny Majors’ staff in 1993, is considered one of the NFL’s top young coaches and is a candidate for a coordinator’s position as early as next year.

A native of Youngstown, Ohio, Cavanaugh spent 14 years as an NFL player, including two with Super Bowl championship teams, before being hired by Majors in 1993.

Majors resigned before last week’s season-ending victory over Rutgers. He was 12-32 in his second four-year stay as Pittsburgh’s coach, a near reversal of his 33-13-1 record from 1973-76.

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Arizona defensive tackle Daniel Greer underwent surgery to repair his right ankle.

Jon Nisbet, a consulting orthopedist, installed a screw to stabilize the bones while torn ligaments heal.

Greer was injured late in Arizona State’s 56-14 victory Nov. 23 when offensive lineman Glen Gable of the Sun Devils felled him during a 95-yard interception return for a touchdown by Arizona’s Mikal Smith.

The fourth-quarter play, which television cameras missed, nearly incited a riot. Gable and two other players were ejected before the game ended, and last week Arizona State Coach Bruce Snyder and Arizona Coach Dick Tomey issued a joint appeal for a more sportsmanlike rivalry.