European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - December 29, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse A a. The stars and stripes Pago �3college football Moore says he s ready for by Austin Wilson new Orleans apr a Dixieland band and Chilly weather Welcome Virginia to new Orleans wednesday to begin on site preparations for its new years Day Date with Tennessee in the sugar bowl. Quarterback Shawn Moore proclaiming his injured thumb healed says its an All business trip. A i think a lot of our people Are looking at this As a Chance to get a Sot of respect Back for our program. It was unfortunate the Way the season ended but we re looking at this game As a positive a Moore said. Virginia had already tumbled from the no. 1 ranking in a 41-38 defeat by cd Riga tech in the eighth game of the season. Moore dislocated a thumb in the second loss a to Maryland a and Matt Blundin was at quarterback in the season ending defeat at Virginia bowl a we can go into the sugar bowl and with a Victory it will mean a lot to this program later on a Moore said. His thumb bore an angry scar and it appeared swollen but he said he is ready to play. A a it a getting stronger a he said. A i threw some at Home. Yesterday was the most i have thrown a about half an hour. After that i sort of keep it on ice a he said. A there Are some Little problems but i think it will be of by game he said he has taken no stiff snaps from Center yet. A i just had a teammate to pop the Ball up to me a sort of like a snap. You have the same velocity of the Ball coming up a he said. Coach George Welsh said he would find out More about the Progress of Moore a thumb at practice. A we have both of our starting guards Back and i feel pretty Good about our quarterback a Welsh said. A the tells me he is almost there. He a been Able to throw the last couple of Days. He has a couple of More Days to get ready three Days of practice arid that a enough for him a the one Well be missing is our tight end Bruce Mcgonnigal a Welsh said Mcgonnigal injured his spleen and kidney in a fall unrelated to football. A the s been ruled out. That was a bad fall he took in mid october and he Hasni to healed a Welsh said. A if this team is healthy i still say we re one of the better offences in the country our defense has to play As Well As it played in september and defensive tackle Joe Hall said the defense is ready to shake off the aftereffects of the Tumble from no. 1 and play As. It did in october. A the last few weeks we be put that behind us. We re ready to win a football game a he said. S v. A a i. A. Quarterback Shawn Moore will play with an injured thumb while pursuing a new years Day win Oyer Tennessee. Flo state return to by Bernie Wilson Anaheim Calif. A thanks to Earle bruces bowl magic Jan 1, 194d, will no longer be a Date that will live in obscurity at Colorado state on that new years Day nearly 42 years ago the rams played in their Only bowl game losing 21-20 to Occidental in the Raisin bowl in Fresno Occidental is now a division Iii school and the Raisin bowl did no to outlast the Truman administration. Bruce has Colorado state Back in postseason play the rams 8-4 will play Oregon 8-3 saturday in the Freedom bowl at Anaheim stadium. The Freedom bowl May still be considered a minor affair but this will be the seventh game compared to Only five for the Raisin bowl. V a a this is an Ideal bowl game for us to go to a said Bruce who has led a big turnaround at Csc in just two seasons a it s Ideal for recruiting and its an Ideal location since we have a lot of players 18 on our team from California. A a it a a Good bowl to be your first in 42 years a Bruce said. A look at teams that have been there. Colorado was there by was there Washington was there and they have All moved up a a it a fun. Its great for our team. Its still hard to believe we re going to a bowl this Bruce joins notre Dames Lou Holtz. A a file former Ohio state coach Earle Bruce is taking Bis rams to their first bowl in 42 years. And Indiana a Bill Mallory As the Only Active coaches to take four different schools to bowls. Bruce took Tampa to its Only bowl game and Iowa state to two of its four bowl games. At Ohio state he took the buckeyes to eight bowls in nine seasons. By comparison Woody Hayes took the buckeyes to 11 bowls in 28 seasons Bruce 6-5 in bowl games does t want his players to be overwhelmed by their first bowl appearance. While they re at a Dom be tending the usual social functions they Are also practising hard. A i m going to approach this bowl game the same Way As the others,11 Bruce said. A a it a always Nice to think about getting to a bowl game but now that we Are there we be got to Start thinking about winning Bruce was fired by Ohio slate in 1987. He poached one season at division i a a Northern Lawai going 5-6, before taking the Colorado state Job. The rams were 5 5-1 in bruces first season and their 8-4 record this year was their Best since 1977 and Only their 14tli winning record since the Raisin bowl season of 1948, in the two seasons prior to truces arrival the Ranis were 2-21, senior offensive guard John Laii riia has started every game in his career so he has seen some of. The worst and now Soine of the Best at Colorado stale lie said bruces style has a lot to do with the rams revival. A a coach h Bruce de n l a n d s a to l a u t of you a Laurita said. A a there a a Josof hard work involved and a Jot of preparation Lime a lot More Lime than what we were used to when coach Leon at Colorado state. However with coach Bruce coming in we re finally seeing some success.�?�. The players have really adjusted to him. Well. A the players Are Starling to believe that we Ean win a Lauri a said. A we saw that Wrhen we came in with coach Bruce and played Tennessee really close in Knoxville losing 17-14 in the 1989 opener. That just started the whole Chain reaction of changing our attitude and giving us some Confidence that we c a n p 1 a y w i l h any it Ody in the country.�?�. Laurita has started 46 consecutive games a school record. His 47th will be in a bowl game finally
