European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - January 03, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Thursday january 3,1991 the stars and stripes ago 17colorado holds off Iris by Rick Warner i am i apr Colorado got one big break instead of five Downs and claimed its first National championship. Backup quarterback Charles Johnson who scored the winning touchdown in the infamous fifth Down Victory Over Missouri took Over for injured Darian Hagan and led the top ranked buffaloes to a 109 win Over no. 5 notre Dame in the Orange bowl on tuesday night. The Victory was Colorado a first in eight bowl games and it almost got away i the final minute. 7 Quot a notre Dames rocket Ismail returned a punt 91 Yards for an apparent touchdown with 35 seconds left Only to have it called Back because of a clipping penalty on senior Greg Davis. _ a we got a Little Lucky on the clip on rockets Lunback a Colorado coach Bill Mccartney admitted. A a the return by rocket was one of the greatest individual efforts in be seen a a said notre Dame coach Lou Toltz. A i done to know if the clip had anything to do with the run. I sure Hope it  the Victory apparently clinched the National title for the buffaloes 11-1-1a goal that eluded them last year when they were beaten by notre Dame in the Orange bowl. Every top ranked team that has Wop a bowl game has been crowned National Champion so it would be a major break with tradition if Colorado does no to finish no. 1 when the final associated press poll is released. A a that s the Way i feel a Mccartney said. A i think historically if you play a a team As worthy As notre Dame and you beat them you should hold your ranking. Comparative scores really mean nothing. If you look at what Colorado has done All year the teams we be beaten we should maintain our  second ranked Georgia tech 11-0-1 bolstered its claim to the title by beating Nebraska 45-21 in the Citrus bowl and no. 4 Miami 10-2 made its Case by routing no. 3 Texas 46-3 in the Cotton bowl. But it seems highly unlikely that either team will pass Colorado in the rankings. Holtz was in no position to argue with either Colorado or Georgia tech. A Colorado was no. 1 going in and they beat us so i guess that a who you have to give it to a lie said. Then remembering. Tits disappointment a year ago when Miami was voted National Champion ahead of the Irish Holtz added a but you never know. 1 Hope Colorado gets it but i  be upset if Georgia tech got it. Both Are very  things looked Bleak Ely in the second half for the buffaloes Iho were trailing 9-3, struggling on offence and missing. Hagan who ruptured a Tendon in his left knee after being tackled shortly before halftime. But Johnson a Junior who started two games this season a came in and led the buffaloes to the go ahead touchdown a a 1-Yard run on third and goal by Eric Bieniemy with 4 26 left in the third quaites. A a a a a a. Hurricanes Romp Over longhorns Dallas apr the defending National Champion Miami hurricanes done to give of it their Crown easily. The fourth ranked hurricanes making a desperate attempt to impress the poll voters battered no. 3 Texas 46-3 on tuesday in a record smashing Cotton bowl. Texas coach David Mcwilliams said a Miami deserved to be considered for consideration As no. 1. If Miami Isnit the National Champion then i done to want to play the Best  Only the Brash hurricanes could be penalized a record 16 times for 202 Yards and yet inflict the worst rut in the 55-r ii year history of the Cotton bowl on the Cotton longhorns. Bowl Craig Erickson threw a Cotton bowl record four touchdown passes to earn offensive map honors. A i think any team in the country would have a Tough time beating us a Erickson said. No team with two losses has won the National championship and Miami lost to Brigham Young and notre Dame while winning 10 games. Miami coach Dennis Erickson said he Rolald let the score speak for  i think we Are the Best team in the country but 1 m. Not going to politic a he said. A we lost twice. We made our bed and have to sleep in it. That Sall i have to say about it. I would politic for a playoff  top ranked Colorado beat notre Dame 10-9 in the Orange bowl on tuesday night and no. 2 Georgia tech Defeated Nebraska 45-21 in the Florida Citrus bowl. The hurricanes made a Strong Appeal to the voters by scoring the most Points in Cotton bowl history and producing the widest margin of Victory. _ a the previous Cotton bowl record was 45 Points by Boston College in 1985. Oklahoma a amp mrs 34-0 Victory Over Texas Christian in 1945 was the previous largest margin of  Texas the Southwest conference Champion finished the year with a 10.-2 record after Erickson destroyed its Man to Man defense and Russell Maryland led the mauling of quarterback Peter Gardere with three of the eight sacks the hurricanes recorded. A we weren to getting a lot of respect and i think today we proved we re a very Good team a said Maryland the defensive map. A we got a lot of penalties. Everybody hates the a canes. We re the team you love to  Erickson was 17 for 26 for 272 Yards in his near flawless performance. Miami led 19-3 at halftime a despite 132 Yards in penalties a on two Erickson to Wesley Carroll touchdown passes and two Field goals by Carlos Huerta. Georgia techs St fun Scotton scores a first Quarter to Georgia tech whips Nebraska Orlando Fla. Apr Georgia tech counted on a great year. On new years Day the yellow jackets count stopped at no. 1. No. 2 Georgia tech routed no. 19 Nebraska 45-21 in the Citrus bowl tuesday ending its season As the nations Only unbeaten division i a team. Shawn Jones accounted for three touchdowns and William Bell scored three for tech 11-0-1top ranked Colorado squeaked past no. 5 notre Dame 10-9 in the Orange bowl at Miami late tuesday night but the a Lik Citrus bowl yellow jackets did no to feel like waiting for the  it would be an injustice if we beat Nebraska Ana did no to get no. 1, regardless of the notre Dame Colora do result a Ken Swilling the yellow jackets All american defensive Back said before the Galihe. The associated press final poll of the season waste leased wednesday crowning College footballs National Champion. Coach Bobby Ross had been downplaying the possibility of overtaking Colorado saying tech had to take care of other business first. A techs offence took care of business in impressive fashion building an Early 21-0 Lead on Nebraska before the traditional Power from the big eight conference staged several rallies. ,. _ Jones scored on a 1-Yard run and threw touchdown passes of 22 Yards to Emmett merchant and 2 Yards to Bell. Belles other scores came on runs of 6 and 57 Yards in the fourth Quarter. Jones completed 16 of j for 111 Yards and he added 41 Yards on the ground. Bell ran for p7 Yards. It was techs sixth straight Victory which extended the nations longest unbeaten Streak to 16 games. It was techs first unbeaten season since the 1952 jackets went 12-0 and finished second behind Michigan state in the final a poll. See Citrus on Page 19it s Colorado Georgia tech Miami in a by Rick Warner Miami apr Colorado which overcame controversy dose Calls and a crucial injury won its first National championship in College football wednesday. The buffaloes who edged notre Dame 10-9 in the Orange bowl beat out Georgia tech for the no. 1 ranking in the final associated press poll of sports writers and broadcasters. J. Colorado 11-1-1 and Georgia tech 11-0-1 were ranked 1-2 going into the bowls and they remained that Way after the bowls. The yellow jackets beat Nebraska 45-21 in the Citrus and finished As the Only major unbeaten team but they  overtake a Colorado squad that finished the season with 10 straight wins. Re what a tremendous moment it is for our school our kids the state of Colorado and the City of Boulder a Colorado coach Bill Mccartney said. Colorado received 39 first place votes and 1,475 Points while tech got 20 first place votes and 1,441 Points the 34-Point margin was  since the a went to a permanent postseason poll in 1968. Miami which demolished Texas 463 in the Cotton bowl Rose from fourth to third with one first place vote and 1,388 Points. The hurricanes 10-2 fell just Short of becoming the first team in College football history to finish first or second for five consecutive seasons. Florida state 10-2 jumped from sixth to fourth after beating Penn state 24-17 in the blockbuster bowl and Washington 10-2 climbed from eighth to fifth following a 46-34 Victory Over Iowa in the Rose bowl. Notre Dame 9-3 fell from fifth to sixth. Rounding out the top 10 were Michigan 9-3tennessee 9-2-2clemson 10-2 and Houston 10-1. V. Penn state finished 11th, followed by Texas Florida Louisville Texas a amp a Michigan state Oklahoma Iowa Auburn Southern California Mississippi Brigham Young Virginia Nebraska and Illinois. Colorado is Only the second team to win the National championship with a loss and a tie since the a started its poll in 1936. Alabama won the title after the 1965 season with a 9-1-1 record. No team has been voted National Champion with two losses. The last time the Only unbeaten team did no twin the National title was 1982. Southern methodist went 11-0-1 that season but finished second in the. Final poll behind 11-1 Penn slate. The National championship is the first for Colorado in any sport except skiing where the buffaloes have collected 12 titles. When the buffaloes got off to a 1-1-1 Start their chances of winning the title seemed Remote. But they turned their season around with consecutive wins Over Texas and Washington and a Quot controversial fifth Down Victory Over Missouri. Those Tough tests May have helped prepare the buffaloes for the Orange bowl where they overcame the loss of starting quarterback Darian Hagan