European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - September 14, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 22 a the stars and stripes saturday september 14, 1991 the rocketeer ii Pickens skills lift vols off by Mal Florence the los angles times i Here is in other rocket launching under Way in College football Only this time it s in the South not South rend. Raghib rocket Ismail of notre Dame the runner up for the Heisman trophy last year was arguably the most exciting player in the country whether he was returning kicks catching passes or carrying the Ball. Quot he has a counterpart at Tennessee. C Arl Pickens excels As a wide receiver As Well As in returning kickoffs and punts and even was a two Way player in 1989 when he was used As a free safety. He made an auspicious season debut a week ago thursday night against Louisville. On Tennessee a first series he teamed with quarterback Andy Kelly on a 7.5-Yard touchdown pass play then later returned a punt 67 Yards Tor a touchdown. And he was Only filling in As a pull return specialist because Dale Carter who led the nation in that specially last season was suffering from leg cramps. Quot he s an Ismail Type athlete Quot said David Gentry Pickens High school coach at Murphy , Quot you just have to play him All Over the Field and he wants the  Urcla will play Tennessee today at Knoxville Penn., and the Bruins will be looking warily at Pickens wherever he May he. A 6-foot-3, 200-Pound Junior Pickens is aware that he will most Likely attract double coverage As a receiver. Quot i saw sonic of that against Louisville last week Quot he said. A a double coverage just gives someone else a Chance to get the Ball or the running game May pick  Pickens was the leading receiver in the Southeastern conference last year with 53 catches for 917 Yards and six touchdowns. He caught a school record 13 passes in a 34-29 loss to notre Dame. He also averaged 23.5 Yards on six Kickoff returns As a Rcd shirt freshman in i9s9, he returned a Kickoff 93 Yards for a touchdown against Louisiana state. A Pickens is an exceptional athlete probably As Fine an All around athlete As i be Ever had the pleasure to coach Quot Tennessee coach Johnny majors said. Quot he s versatile having played both was for us. Quot a now there s a heavy responsibility on him in the receiving corps to come through Lor us. Since four of our receivers were drafted by the nil one in the first round a Alvin Harper by the Dallas Cowboy Quot Carl has height very Good Speed and Good jumping ability. He can catch Low High inside outside and blocks very  anything else Well in High school he cleared 7 feet 1 Inch in the High jump averaged 25 Points a game in basketball and was the key player on two state 2-a championship football teams. Quot in football he had All the state records for All classes a said Gentry referring to Pickens 41 touchdown catches and 3,616 receiving Yards. With such credentials College recruiters descended on Murphy a Small City in the Eastern portion of North Carolina. A Penn state came Down Florida and Florida state were interested and Alabama recruited him heavily a Gentry said. A we just had to Cut a lot of schools  but Pickens chose Tennessee because Knoxville was close to Home less than 100 Miles. There was also another reason. A Tennessee has a reputation for very Good receivers and i wanted to Challenge myself to see if i could play Here a he said. Pickens does no to have Ismail s Speed but Gentry recalled that Pickens was once timed in just under 4.5 seconds at 40 Yards while running in High top basketball shoes. Pickens had a conflict with the tonnes see coaching staff in 1988. The volunteers lost their first six games and Pickens a freshman was urged to play rather than wait out the rest of the season. He declined. A i could t see my coming out making any difference in our record a a Pickens said. A there was a lot of pressure to make my decision  so he saved his eligibility and Tennes a Jeff Spiro us a a 4 i  a a a. Vav. A i a versatile Carl Pickens big plays either Way see won its last five games without him. It s doubtful though considering his considerable Talent that he will return to Tennessee for his senior season. Asked if plans to make himself available for the. Nil draft next Spring Pickens said he would make that decision at the end of the season. He said he would rather he a wide receiver in the nil but added Quot if a team needed me As a defensive Back i would have no problem with  in his five games at free safety in 1989, he distinguished himself with four interceptions and was named the defensive most valuable player in the Cotton bowl where Tennessee beat Arkansas 31-27. Pickens is not hopeful of winning the Heisman trophy this year because the award usually goes to a quarterback or running Back. However if there were an award for the country a most versatile player Pickens would be the leading candidate. Missile follows rocket s Trail by William Kates the associated press Syracuse . A Syracuse has a missile it believes can do As much damage As the rocket did at notre Dame. A the missiles launch has been successful Quot Syracuse wide receiver Qadry Ismail said in an uncharacteristic moment of swagger. A soon when they talk about me it will he about what Qadry the missile Ismail has done today not Qadry the rockets Little brother  a its not that is Nail has a problem being identified with his More successful older brother. Faghih Quot rocket Quot Ismail Heisman trophy runner up at notre Dame and now with the Canadian football leagues Toronto argonauts. Quot in a proud to say he a my brother Quot the younger Ismail a Junior said. A the and 1 Are great  its just that Ismail wants to be known Lor his own Success a and wants to redeem himself from a frustrating confusing Sophomore season. Quot Syracuse is known for its great receivers like Rob Moore of the new York Jet Tommy Kane Seattle so Hawks and Rob Carpenter new England patriots Quot Ismail said. A i want to be one of those Premier elite  Ismail already has left his Mark on Syracuse football and track. He is on course to becoming the schools All time leading kick returner. He stands second with 1,457 Yards. He also is the big East conference 55-meter indoor hurdles Champion and an All America hurdler with school records in the 55-Mcter and 110-meter events. He won a starting Job last season but injured a hand in a pc season scrimmage. He started anyway then dropped several passes in Syracuse a 1990 opener against Southern California before coaches realized his hand was broken. Suddenly Ismail a ability to catch the Hall was suspect. Then As the season wore on his Confidence collapsed. Now both hand and mind Are healed. Quot catching the Hall has never been a  Ismail said. Quot i played receiver in High school and never had any problems. But my ability to catch was put in doubt. Any time a coach doubts you it affects  Ismail lost his Job to Shelby Hill an other receiver with Strong athletic blood lines his father is former nil Star . Hill. Ismail did no to have one reception in 1990. A it was a setback a Ismail said. Quot i never think of my cell As failing. 1 try to look for positives. It made me hungry to perform better and cast away All  Ismail worked hard during the of season on his pass catching techniques. He credits new receivers coach Dennis Goldman with helping restore his Confidence. A the just needed More Confidence in himself a Goldman said. A we worked hard on concentration. I believed he could catch the Ball. Soon he was believing it  Ismail made his first collegiate catch last saturday against Vanderbilt for 15 Yards on a crucial third and six play to sustain a drive. And he showed How dangerous he could be in the third Quarter when he bolted 31 Yards Tor a touchdown on a reverse. Quot Qadry is very focused a coach Paul Pasqualoni said. A the is very Well aware that he has to catch the bail that if he catches the Ball Good things can  Streak to end by us k Warner a football writer the big ten has big problems against notre Dame. Notre Dame has won 14 straight Over big ten teams including last week s -19-27 Victory Over Indiana. The sex Ems ranked Irish will try to extend the Streak today when they meet no. 3 Michigan in Ann Arbor. After Lour consecutive season opening losses to notre Dame the wolverines finally got off to a Good Start this year with a 35-13 win Over Boston College. But Michigan trailed at halftime and failed i put by away until the fourth Quarter. Notre Dames offence rolled against Indiana but the defense leaked giving up 418 Yards. A we re probably not As Good on offence As we appeared. And i think we re better on defense than we showed in some situations a coach Lou Holtz said. The game will be the first on the new grass Field at Michigan stadium where artificial turf was used from 1969-90, the last time Michigan played on grass at Home Ron Johnson rushed for 347 Yards in a 34-9 rout of Wisconsin in 1968. It wont be that easy saturday. But the favored wolverines will win. Michigan 34-28. In other games Western Michigan no line at no. I Florida St. A the seminoles play the real Michigan in two weeks. Florida St. 45-10. No. 5 Penn St minus 6vi at Southern Cai a the Kittany Lions have won first two games by combined score of 11522,. Penn St. 27-10. No. 16 Alabama plus 7 at no. 6 Florida a the tide is 6-0 in Gainesville. A. Florida 38-28. North Texas no line at no. 9 Oklahoma a sooner Roll Over division i a foe. Oklahoma 45-14. No. 21 Urcla plus 7 at no. Ii Tennessee a Bruins have scored in record 228 consecutive games Tennessee 28-24. No. 23 Baylor plus 8 at no. 12 Colorado a Darian Hagan is now a triple threat. Baylor 20-17. Colorado St. Plus 23 at no. 13 Nebraska a Corn Husker have won 12 straight Over wac opponents. Nebraska 44-21. No. 14 Iowa minus 14 at Iowa St. A Hawk eyes have beaten cyclones eight straight times Iowa 38-17. Mississippi plus 12 at no. 15 Auburn a tigers have won eight in a Row Over rebels Auburn 24-17. No. 17 Georgia tech minus i5f2 at Boston College a yellow jackets rebound bom opening loss to Penn state Georgia tech 38-24. I. 5en,ral Michigan no line at no. 18 Michigan St. A spartans win intrastate Battle Michigan St. 34-17. Louisville plus 17 at no. 19 Ohio St. A Butler by note rushed for 189 Yards in first Start. Ohio St. 28-14. Lslie plus 12 at no. 20 Texas a amp my , Slocum is 1- is. Leu Texas a amp a 27-24. No. 22 Syracuse minus s i at Maryland terms Are Back Maryland a r_4. Temple plus 17 i at no. 24 Pitts or amp Temple makes big East debut. A Pittsburgh 35-17.tulane plus 14 at no. 25 Mississippi St. A bulldogs coming off upset of Texas. Mississippi St. 24-7. Last week a 13-3 straight 6-7 spread. Season a 18-4 straight 9-8 spread