European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - December 28, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Friday december 23, 1990 the stars and stripes a a a Page 23 /.v.,- a 4 a Colleg football Aims to avoid Fumble Bygren Wojciechowski los Angeles times Boulder Colo a Eric Bieniemy is a big fan of negative reinforcement. He has no Choice. He closes his eyes and there it is him arcs of the Fumble. Lie wakes up and there on his dorm room Wall a photograph taunts him. It is a picture of the Fumble. He attends a Colorado team meeting and there on the film screen is the Fumble played again and again like some a loopers reel. He agrees to an interview one Dew. Two questions into the session someone asks Quot us Eric about the Fumble this Wasny to any bobbled Ball mind you. This was a National championship Blunder watched by an so Orange bowl crowd and another 59.5 million on television. This was a turnover so big that then no 1- i ranked Colorado never recovered that j night against notre Dame worst of All it was a Fumble caused and j executed by Bieniemy himself. Not a single i notre Dame defender touched him. Not a i hand grazed him. A Recap. / a. J second and 5 at the Irish 35. About five j minutes gone in the first Quarter. Bienne i my took the Handoff from quarterback i Darian Hagan broke free and sprinted toward the end zone. He dashed past the 30. The 25the 20. I no cd a Dick Enberg made the Call those 59.5 million heard. I a Bieniemy Quick off the Block. And he drops the Ball and notre Dame recovers Pat Terrell. As he was shifting the Ball without a hit Bieti Ieuv drops it at the 19-Yard line Quot and that was that. A sure Colorado touchdown was lost. So was Colorado momentum. Later the buffaloes missed a Field goal and then botched a fake Field goal attempt. Notre Dame went on to score three second half touchdowns and won 216. A we watch the Fumble every Day a Bieniemy said a we rewind it rewind it. Its heartbreaking. We Learned As a Jeanv to never take the Little things for granted. Three or four plays and we probably could have been up 24-0.&Quot instead the game was scoreless at halftime. From there a tiny notre Dame wide receiver named Raghib Ismail took control. Bieniemy watched. And Learned a a in a rather get caught than Fumble in the open Field Quot a Bieniemy says. He plans to do neither when Colorado again ranked no. 1, faces no. 7 notre Dame in the Orange bowl. At stake is another National championship another Opportunity to do the improbable and in Bieniemy Scase another Chance to make things right. If nothing else this has been the theme Fobie Mcmyn a strange 1990. He has taken a step Back to take two Steps Forward. On new years night he fumbled. On july 3, he tried to prevent firemen in Aurora colo., called to his parents House to extinguish a Small garage fire from poking holes in the Walls while searching for possible hot spots. He was Given a deferred sentence by a municipal judge meanwhile Colorado coach Rill Mccartney suspended him rom the Butla docs opener against Tennessee. On aug id the Doak Valker award steering committee whose Job it was to compile a list of the nation s Best collegiate running backs removed Bieniemy a name from its list of candidates. Reason doubts about Quot the important dimension of citizenship a on aug. 2h, Tennessee rallied to lie Colorado 31-31. A Phis is How it went for Bieniemy during the first eight months. Adversity followed by Embarrass men followed by calamity he reported to fall practices in tie Best shape of his career but he could t play he visited local elementary and Junior High schools to give anti drug speeches and yet his commitment to citizenship was. Questioned. Now look at hindu Llis regular season began on the Bench and ended at the downtown athletic club where he finished third in the Heisman trophy voting. Bieniemy All 5-feet-7, 195 pounds of him missed that Tennessee game but not much else. He gained 1,628 Yards scored 17 touchdowns set in school records and averaged 148yards this season which was second in the country. Against Nebraska Bieniemy scored Lour fourth Quarter touchdowns to beat the Cor huskers. And except for a 99-Yqrd Effort against Texas there was t a game in which Bieniemy did no to gain at least 115 Yards. Quot he a a Little snot nosed kid a said Joe g a r t e a c us a i ame r i Ca n g u a r a b u t h e Suid it with affection Colorado a Eric Bieniemy. Pushes for i,b28 Yards a Quot when he puts on those pads he thinks he s 6-8. 329 pounds and nothing can Stop him. Lie feats failure i think Erie a giving to have a hell if a game against notre Dame Quot. / a this is obviously Hie Niemyt a final Colorado game. A Here is talk of retiring his Jersey no 1,-which seems tilling. Hie re Atso is talk about Bieniemy s place in the. In l draft barring injury he probably will be a top-10 pick maybe top five. But Bieniemy said he has greater considerations on his mind. His brother c Orey a Marine Isola ironed Iii saudi Arabia. Coincidentally the Heisman trophy Eeten Iony was dedicated to american soldiers sent to the Middle East. As you might expect Bieniemy would like to replace the memory of that awful Orange bowl Fumble and defeat and replace it with More pleasant highlights. He needs no More reminders about tin mistake in m Miami. .7 by Rick Warner a football writer College football will offer a 3-for-l special on new years Day a three bowls with a Chance to produce the i no. 1 team. \ / v v the National Champion could emerge from the Orange Colorado notre dam Cotton Miami Texas or Citrus Georgia tech Nebraska. All of those teams except Nebraska have a shot to win Taii a a a. Top ranked Colorado 10-1-1 has the clearest path spite the lingering controversy Over their fifth Down Victory against Missouri the buffaloes can lock up their first National title by beating no. 5 notre Dame. However a Colorado loss would open the door for no. 2 Georgia tech 10-0-1no. 3 Texas j0-1no. 4 Miami 9-2 or notre Dame 9-2. Tech could grab the top spot if it beats Nebraska and Colorado loses. But even then the lightly regarded yellow jackets might lose out to Texas if the longhorns come up with an impressive win Over Miami a if Colorado arid tech lose any kind of Texas Victory would probably vault the longhorns to no. 1. But what of Colorado tech and Texas lose a that would set up an intriguing Battle Between Miami and notre Dame one strikingly similar to the photo pinks for last years National title. Quot \ last year Miami and notre Dame finished with one Joss. The hurricanes edged the Irish in the final poll mainly because they won their head to head meeting. If they both win on Jan i Miami and notre Dame Guin will finish with the same number of losses. This time the Irish would have the Edge because they beat the hurricanes during the season the debate promises to be Lively. So do the three top panics on new years Day.  Orange. Did somebody say Dejavu for the second straight year notre Dame plays top inked Colorado in the Orange bowl. And for the Sec it and straight year the Irish Hope to spoil the buffaloes bowl predictions bid for a National championship and claim it themselves. Last year notre Dame beat Colorado 21-6. This year the buffaloes will get  boils Down to this notre Dame Isnit As Good As last year and Colorado is better. The buffaloes played one of the toughest schedules in the nation and still cume within three Points of a perfect season the on a blemishes on their record Are a 31-31 tie with Tennessee and a 23-22 loss to Illinois a two of five Colorado opponents playing in new years bowls Quot 1. A a sceptics might mention that Colorado had a perfect record last season before playing notre Dame but there Are two important differences Between the i99f and 1991 versions of the Orange bowl one is notre Dames Leaky defense which gave up nearly 400 Yards and 23 Points per game this season. The other is Colorado s experience. Last year the buffaloes were the new kids on the Block and did no to know what to expect in their first National championship game. This time they should be Betler prepared for the hype and pressure a the Odd makers Are calling it a toss tip. Colorado 2820. A Cotton. A. Finally a Cotton bowl that matters. After a decade of decline he Colton has a Chance to produce its first National Champion in 13 years. Miami made a habit of winning National titles in the 1980s, the hurricanes Are going for their second straight championship third in four years and fourth since 1983. They also have a Chance to become the first school to finish no. 1 or no. 2 for five straight years. Texas which won a pair of National titles under Darrell Roui in the 1960s, rebounded from successive ios eng seasons to win its first Southwest conference championship in seven years. But the longhorns wont be Able to Hook the hurricanes Miami has one of the nations most potent offences 483 Yards and 36 5 Points per game and a Stellar Rushing defense Jed by outland trophy Winner Russell. Maryland Texas May he abbe to score through the air hut not enough to beat the explosive hurricanes. Miami is favored by six Points mlamf24-14, a a a a a Citrus  for real unfortunately this game wont provide the answer. Although they re unbeaten the yellow jackets Are still searching for respect because of  relied ule that included Only one foe currently in the top 25 what they need is a big time win Over a Hig time team Nebraska which lost its Only two games against ranked opponents does no i fi11he description. Still tech can Cap a remarkable season with a Victory Over tie 19th-Rankcd Cor huskers 9-2the yellow jackets won their first Atlantic coast conference title gained their highest ranking since 1956 and were the Only major unbeaten team in the country. Sophomore quarterback Shawn Jones directs techs High octane offence while All american safety Ken Swilling anchors a stingy defense. Nebraska is appearing in a howl game for i he 22nd straight season but this is not a i n 1 age Cor Busker team. After going 8- against Erea puff Competition the Cor huskers lost two of their last three including a 45�?T10 debacle against Oklahoma. Despite that Nebraska is favored by la Points. Georgia tech 24-23. V. Other new y ears games Gator a Michigan minus 11 is Mississippi Michigan 42-21. Hall of Fame a Clemson minus 1 1-2 is. Illinois. Clemson 17-14. Fiesta a Alabama minus 9 is Louisvill Alabama 24-14. Rose a Washington minus 9 is.  34-17. Sugar a Tennessee minus 5 Tennessee 42-38. Season record 183-52 spread. I-2 is. Virginia. Straight. 102 his