European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - August 22, 1987, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Saturday. August 22,1987 the stars and stripes Page �3 College football 87 86 finalists might watch this time Caferno Fufai Brinni " Johnson doubts Psi can repeat by Ralph Bernstein state College a. A i doubt it. I Don t Sec Haw coach Joe Palermo said when asked about the possibility that Penn state could win the National collegiate football Champion for the second straight year. No team has accomplished consecutive a National lilies since Alabama in 1978 and 1979. Penn state capped a 12-0 season on Jan. 2 with a 14-10 Victory Over Miami in the fiesta bowl we Are losing so Many Fine football players. These Are the Guys who made the big plays Paterno said. We be got to replace leadership. It s not just the tangible things we have to address. It s the intangibles As  Pat Emo whose team opens defense of its title on sept. 5 against Bowling Green lost 15 fiesta bowl starters. Among them were ail american line Backer Shane Conlan defensive tackle Tim Johnson safety Hay Isom tackle Chris Conlen and running Back . Dozier. The kicking game and the defense Are major concerns for Paterno who comes to his 22nd season looking to add to a record that include two National titles four coach of the year awards 15 top 10 rankings six undefeated seasons 18 bowl appearances and 199 victories. I m probably As worried As much As anything about the kicking game. 1 hive no punter no Long snapper no kicker placekicker Kay Tarasi is the heir apparent to Massimo Manca s place kicking Job and the Sophomore collegiate experience is three extra Point kicks. Seniors Chris Gauss and Brennan Gaertner Are attempting to replace John Bruno who averaged 41 Yards a punt and put 16 of 35 inside the 20 Yard line. Pat Emo says he has two excellent in Side linebackers in Trey Bauer and Pete Giftopoulos the latter recalled for his put interception inside the 5-Yard line that thwarted Miami s last second scor ing threat in the fiesta bowl. Paterson can also Start two of College football belter defensive backs in Eddie Johnson and Marques header son. Other than that i Don t know what we have on defense Pat Emo said. I Don t know what Well do about Down linemen after losing three of Penn stale s Joe Pat Emo ,., got to replace leadership four starters. Only Pete Curkendall de scribed by Paterno As one of the nation s Best returns. Palerno said he in t worried about offence even though the absentees in clude Dozier quarterback John Shaffer and fullbacks Steve Smith and Tim Manoa we should be of offensively. We have a Fine quarterback in mall Kinzner. Blair Thomas running Back is a very key Guy in our offence. Our hideouts Are our strongest position. We should have a Fine offensive line Al though we could use some  Kiu incr a fifth year senior was Shaffer s backup for two years and is considered a belter pure passer. He completed 11 of 69 passes last year for 415 Yards and four touchdowns one on an 82-Yard play. As a Sophomore last season behind Dozier Thomas ran for 502 Yards and returned 12 kickoffs for an average of 31.9 Yards including a 91-Yard scoring return. Paterno whose Basic offence hinges on a punishing running game admits the Lions May have a different too because of defensive concerns and such talented receivers As Ray Roundtree Jim Coates Michael Timpson and Mike Alexander. We re probably going to have to be different Paterno said. Without Tak ing away from the great Job our defens Edid last Yea everything was predicated on putting the Burden on the de sense. 1 made the offensive coaches play with one hand behind their backs. We did Little passing Over the Middle Little throwing Over the Middle on late Downs because i thought we could kick so Well and bad Good people with a lot of experience on defense. We May have to throw More i Don t know. I m still trying to gel a fee for this  stews Over Quad Ferback a  Coral Gables Fla. A the University of Miami football team has lost a National championship and five Al americans so far this year. How Many More losses it sustains depends on How the team rebounds from those first two. Coach Jimmy Johnson said he does t think the fiesta bowl loss to Penn slate will have much Impact on this year s Cam it a new season he said with a completely different group of seniors involved. That is part of the problem. The hurricanes certainly will be Hurt by the Elevation to the professional ranks of Heisman trophy winning quarterback Vinny Tesla Eric fullback Alonzo Highsmith defensive lineman Jerome Brown Center Gregg Rakoczy and line Backer Winston Moss. All five were nicked in the first two rounds of the nil draft. They were the nucleus of the foot Ball team last year Johnson said. They were the motivating Force be Hind the team. But now we have a new group of seniors to do  the seniors on this year s team have seen National title Hopes dissolve in bowl games each of the last two seasons the fiesta bowl earlier this year Anda sugar bowl loss to Tennessee Jan. 1, 1986. But they be also helped the team to records of 8-5, 10-2 and lt-1 in the past three seasons. Johnson believes the tradition will continue. I think we have a Chance to be an excellent football team Johnson  s obvious to everyone that we re going to drop some offensively because we lost some great players especially Testaverde Highsmith Rakoczy. But think we can have a Good offensive  then comes the scary part. The fourth year hurricanes coach believes his team s defense could be even better than the group thai forced 44 turnovers and recorded 32 quarterback sacks in the regular season last year. Defensively we lost Jerome Brown and Winston Moss so on the surface it might seem we would drop some. Bui i actually think thai we could be a belter defensive team that last  he has proven backups to replace Highsmith Brown Moss and Rakoczy. The key to the season will be the quarterback position. Miami has become spoiled in recent Yean by a succession of standout pass ers. This year i is Sophomore Greg Walsh. Fir a a Miami s Jimmy Johnson. A a s under i gun although he threw Only two passe last season Walsh earned the starting spot with an impressive Spring  freshman Greg Jones and True freshman Craig Erickson will pro vide some preseason  biggest concern thai 1 have is that we have a quarterback oriented of sense and we be got an inexperienced quarterback going into a very difficult Early schedule Johnson  coach is confident Walsh can do the  can learn a lot in practice but the place he can really team is behind the Center on the Field Johnson said. Steve made a tremendous amount of Progress in the Spring but again he s got to be under the  advantage Walsh will have is he will be throwing to an outstanding receivers corps. Junior All amen can hideout Michael Irvin already owns he school record for touchdown recep Tion 20, and catch 51 passes for 868 Yards last season. Brett Perriman 34receptions for 647 Yards and Brian Blades 18 receptions for 392 Yards also return at wide  team s no. 2 and no. 3 running backs from last season Warren Wil Liams and Melvin Brayton will teaming the Backfield. They ran for a combined 826 Yards and caught 27 passes for 263 Yards last  offensive Fine could be a prob Lem area with three of last year s Start ers gone. But the top four tackles All return. On defense linebacker Randy Shan non and linemen Jimmie Jones Der win Jones and Gary Mahon played Al most As much As backups last season As the starters. Six of the top tight defensive backs  end Danny Lubbs and defensive Back Bennie Blades should both be Early draft picks next  Jeff Feagle and kicker Greg Cox also will return. Alconbury claims Safe fast pitch Crown by Jesse cr1ce stiff writer Span Dahlem a Germany Alconbury saved the Best for last when Robbie Robertson in his second Start of the Day hurled tix innings of shutout Ball As the spar Tan cruised to a 5-1 Victory Over the Bent Waters Phu Toms and won the 1987 Safe fan pitch softball championship. The Victory a me after the phantoms id beam Roberson and Alconbury 3-2 in Friday s Fini game on last inning Solo Home run off the Bat of James lev Ter. The first game Victory had pulled Ben Waters into a temporary tie atop the standings in this four Day tournament at 5-1. Stunt by f e first game defeat Alcon Bury put together four hits to take � 3-0 Lead in the first inning of the championship dash. Spartans shortstop Mark Merlo slapped a two run single into right Field and took second on a bad throw to Home plate. Alconbury third baseman Pat Balte Joi followed with an rib single up the Middle. That was enough to make a loser of bunt water starter Larry Moore who won the opener and gave Way to Rodney Johnson m the fourth inning of the championship game. Robertson who pitched All 14 innings for the spartans on Friday got the win. Alconbury struck for iwo insurance runs in the fourth on Juit one hit. Rand Johnson s rib double and a passed Ball. The phantoms tried to make a comeback in the fifth but managed Only one run. Home runs wore the Story in the first game. In addition to Lester s game winning clout Ben Walen Randy Smith powered a line drive Solo blast Over the left Cen ice lied Fence in the third and Alcon Bury $ Mark Merlo had an inside the Park Solo shot in the fourth. Jerry sir Roan got the spartans other rib in the opener on a deep sacrifice Fly to Center and Ben Waters Chris Cotugno had a run scoring single for the Phan Toms