Parseghian is no clay pigeon

Ara Parseghian was honored before Miami (Ohio) played Army on Saturday when a statue of his likeness, along with those of John Pont, Bo Schembechler and Earl Blaik, was added to the school’s “Cradle of Coaches” plaza.

The plaza recognizes the accomplishments of eight Miami graduates who earned recognition as college or professional coaches of the year or have been inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.

The statues unveiled Saturday joined those of Weeb Ewbank, Paul Dietzel and Carmen Cozza that were dedicated last year. The plaza will be updated again next year when Paul Brown joins the group.

Parseghian was the first Miami alumnus to coach at the school, taking the reins when Woody Hayes left for Ohio State in 1951. He was head coach there until 1955, but won fame as the head coach at Notre Dame from 1964 to 1974.

Now 88, Parseghian is displayed wearing a Notre Dame jacket, crouched by the sideline, and holding up two fingers toward the field.

At first, he admitted, he wasn’t sure he liked that he was squatting while the others were shown standing. Then, an epiphany:

“I got to thinking, everybody’s taller,” Parseghian said, “so they’ll catch the pigeon crap before I do, so it’s a pretty good deal.”

S.O.S.

As in, “Save our season.” At least that seemed to be Florida State Coach Jimbo Fisher’s message to quarterback E.J. Manuel, who had been nursing an injured left shoulder and hadn’t played in a game in three weeks when he was inserted with the Seminoles trailing Wake Forest, 16-7, late in the first half.

“They told me he could play, but one [hard hit] could set us back six weeks,” Fisher said. “He could go in an emergency if we had to have him. The way the game was going ... it was an emergency.”

Manuel completed 19 of 35 passes for 286 yards and two touchdowns with two interceptions, but Wake Forest (4-1 overall, 3-0 in Atlantic Coast Conference play) came away with a 35-30 victory. Florida State dropped to 2-3, 0-2.

Texas misstep

To say Oklahoma’s defense dominated Texas is an understatement.

The Sooners sacked Texas quarterbacks six times and came up with four turnovers -- the defense scoring on two fumble recoveries and an interception return.

Then there was this, a sequence late in the third quarter that sent hundreds of burnt orange jerseys heading for the Cotton Bowl exits: Texas ball, first down at the Oklahoma 14. Quarterback David Ash recovers his own fumble for a four-yard loss. Ash is sacked for a loss of 15. Ash is sacked and fumbles but Texas recovers for a loss of 20. A booming 46-yard punt took the ball back to the Oklahoma seven. Had it been a pass, it still wouldn’t have earned a first down.

Iowa had a similar series in the fourth quarter of its 13-3 loss to Penn State, when three consecutive sacks resulted in fourth and 39 from the Hawkeyes’ own one.

This really stinks

Texas A&M; found its buses vandalized before its game against Texas Tech in Lubbock. Athletic Director Bill Byrne said manure was spread all over the inside of one bus that wasn’t locked. The others had the smelly stuff along the outside, and all the vehicles had vulgarities painted on them.

The Aggies had the final word, though, winning the game, 45-40.

Quick hits

Kansas came into its game against Oklahoma State giving up a Bowl Subdivision-worst 44.3 points per game. In a 70-28 rout, its highest point total in 94 years, Oklahoma State already had 49 points four minutes before halftime. Next up for Kansas: No. 3 Oklahoma. . . .

The 92 points scored by Notre Dame and Air Force established a Notre Dame Stadium record. . . .

Michigan State had a bye Saturday, but Coach Mark Dantonio emerged a winner. The school announced Dantonio had been awarded a new five-year contract calling for annual compensation of $1.83 million. . . .

Illinois is 6-0, 2-0 in the Big Ten, the Illini’s best start since they went 7-0 in 1951, a mark they can match with a win at home next week against Ohio State. . . .

Howard scored all of its points in the fourth quarter -- including 16 in the final 1:27 -- to defeat Florida A&M;, 29-28.

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mike.hiserman@latimes.com

Times wire services contributed to this report