Randle El Wins Numbers Game, but Not Much Else

The only thing Indiana quarterback Antwaan Randle El doesn’t have in his favor is the scoreboard, or else he might be revered in Heisman circles.

Randle El, whose 13-25 record for the Hoosiers is like fingernails on a chalkboard to voters, added to his legacy Saturday in a 56-21 victory over Northwestern, becoming the first 40-40 player in NCAA Division I-A history, having passed for 40 touchdowns and scored 40 touchdowns.

The player who at one time or another the past four seasons has been called the most gifted, most athletic, most feared and has been compared to lighting, a tornado, a jackrabbit and a gazelle, can do everything except lead his team to victory consistently.

But that doesn’t deter supporters of Randle El, who also has played basketball for Bob Knight and was drafted by the Chicago Cubs.

“Just try to imagine what that young man would be like playing at the University of Nebraska, with that sort of supporting cast,” Minnesota Coach Glen Mason said earlier this season.

Illinois linebacker Robert Franklin was asked what it’s like trying to stop Randle El.

“Have you ever tried to hold onto butter when it’s halfway melted?” he said.

Making Waves

Seattle may be part of a country that is the land of the free, but is it also the home of The Wave?

The man credited (or perhaps blamed?) by some with originating The Wave 20 years ago during a Stanford-Washington game was honored Saturday as the two teams met again at Husky Stadium.

Washington alum Robb Weller first led the crowd in the famous cheer, in which fans stand up, raise their arms and sit down sequentially, on Oct. 31, 1981.

Wonder what “Krazy George” thought of Saturday’s ceremony.

He’s also known as George Henderson, who proclaims to anyone who will listen that he, in fact, is the creator of The Wave. Henderson has said he first did The Wave two weeks before Weller at an Oakland Athletics playoff game.

“Seattle, why do they lie about it?” Henderson told the Seattle Post Intelligencer in 1996. “I have it on film. There’s no dispute. But somehow it’s been covered up. “

Keeping the Spirit Alive

With the nation at war, reminders of the military’s spirit were not limited to the field during the Air Force-Army game.

“It’s real close to home, you better believe it,” said Air Force Coach Fisher DeBerry, whose team won, 34-24. “It makes football seem somewhat trivial whenever you see families that are going to be separated and you don’t know for how long.”

Even with Air Force winning the Commander-in-Chief’s trophy--the Falcons also defeated Navy earlier--for the fifth consecutive year, it still didn’t dampen the spirits on either side.

Helicopters roared overhead as the Air Force and Army bands played in unison 30 minutes after the game.

Son Doesn’t Shine

Bowden Bowl III seemed to have some of its luster.

After Florida State Coach Bobby Bowden improved to 3-0 against son Tommy Bowden’s Clemson team, the aftermath felt subdued.

“Today, I felt like both of us had to have it,” Bobby said. “But it didn’t feel real good.”

Tommy was amused by that.

“It’s wearing on him?” Tommy said. “He won all three times, how about it wearing on me?”

Unique Perspective

Tim Olmstead, a former Parade All-American and one-time Florida quarterback, threw his first pass at Florida Field during the Gators’ 71-13 rout of Vanderbilt.

Olmstead, who transferred to Vanderbilt three seasons ago, saw that pass intercepted and returned for a 25-yard Florida touchdown.

“Now, I’ve been on both sides of this,” said Olmstead, who was at Florida in 1997 when the Gators beat Central Michigan, 82-6. “It didn’t seem real out there.”

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HOOSIER HYSTERIA

Indiana quarterback Antwaan Randle El--with three touchdown passes against Northwestern Saturday--became the first NCAA Division I player to pass and rush for 40 touchdowns. He’s also one of only 16 players to account for more than 10,000 yards of total offense. Randle El’s yardage, touchdowns and win-loss record while at Indiana compared with those of NCAA all-time total offense leader Ty Detmer, this season’s leading Heisman Trophy candidate Eric Crouch, and three quarterbacks noted for their running and passing ability who went on to star in the NFL--Steve Young, Donovan McNabb and Randall Cunningham:

TY DETMER, BYU, 1988-91

Games: 46

Yds Passing: 15,031

Yds Rushing: -366

Yds Total: 14,665

Avg per game: 381.8

TDs Passing: 121

TDs Rushing: 14

TDs Respond.: 135

School Rec.**: 37-13-7

*

STEVE YOUNG, BYU, 1981-83

Games: 31

Yds Passing: 7,733

Yds Rushing: 1,084

Yds Total: 8,817

Avg per game: 284.4

TDs Passing: 56

TDs Rushing: 18

TDs Respond.: 74

School Rec.**: 30-7

*

DONOVAN McNABB, Syracuse, 1995-98

Games: 45

Yds Passing: 8,389

Yds Rushing: 1,561

Yds Total: 9,950

Avg per game: 222.0

TDs Passing: 77

TDs Rushing: 19

TDs Respond.: 96

School Rec.**: 35-14

*

RANDALL CUNNINGHAM, Nevada Las Vegas, 1982-84

Games: 33

Yds Passing: 8,020

Yds Rushing: 204

Yds Total: 8,224

Avg per game: 249.2

TDs Passing: 59

TDs Rushing: 8

TDs Respond.: 67

School Rec.**: 21-14

*

ANTWAAN RANDLE EL, Indiana, 1998-2001

Games: 40

Yds Passing: 6,903

Yds Rushing: 3,496

Yds Total: 10,450*

Avg per game: 259.9

TDs Passing: 40

TDs Rushing: 42*

TDs Respond.: 82

School Rec.**: 13-25

*

ERIC CROUCH, Nebraska, 1998-2001

Games: 41

Yds Passing: 4,223

Yds Rushing: 3,166

Yds Total: 7,389

Avg per game: 180.2

TDs Passing: 29

TDs Rushing: 56

TDs Respond.: 85

School Rec.**: 39-6

*--includes a 51-yard reception for a touchdown.

**--Record while player was at school.