European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - January 14, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse Tuesday january 14, 1992 the stars and stripes a Page 25 acc championship Bennett thrived on pregame rap v so a yous i. A Bills linebacker Carlton Bailey lumbers towards the goal line after his , not Bills finally gets Elway by David Germain Orchard Park n y. A John Elway recall How he got Hurt. All he knew was that he did no to want to leave the game. A i did no to have the heart to take myself out a said Elway whose right thigh was bruised Early in the third Quarter of Denver a 10-7 loss to Buffalo in the acc championship game on sunday. Injured in the opening series of the second half Elway stayed in until Early in the fourth Quarter when coach Dan Reeves replaced him with Gary Kubiak. Quot Dan came to me and said in a going to go with that was probably the right decision a Elway said. Elway was hurting As he struggled onto the podium to answer questions after the game. During his news conference he nearly fainted and had to steady himself with his hands on his Knees and his eyes closed. Quot in a getting awfully lightheaded a Elway said. Quot pm going to have to Call this Elway was scrambling when Buffalo s Leon seals tackled him around the legs. He said the pain in his leg worsened As time went on. A it was tightening up and tightening up every series and finally it got too tight. In be never really been in that situation before. To be in a championship game with a Chance to go to the super bowl and then not be Able to play it was frus by John f. Bonfan it Orchard Park. N y. A Here s a tip for the Washington redskins Don t crities a buffaloes Cornelius Bennett prior to the super bowl. The pro bowl linebacker used just such criticism directed at him by Denver Broncos defensive coordinator Wade Phillips As motivation for sunday s acc championship game. Quot he said a remark about me and Darryl Talley not being As Good As Denver a Simon Fletcher Quot Bennett said. A a in la see him in Hawaii. He is going to have to coach the acc team in the pro bowl so ill hopefully get a Chance to buy him a Bennett led a defense that seized buffaloes Only touchdown and limited Denver to a touchdown in a 10-7 Victory that earned the Bills their second straight super bowl appearance. A they made a comment that they thought Simon Fletcher was better than him a Bills nose tackle Jeff Wright said. A they can say that All they want but we got biscuit Bennett a nickname and we re pleased with Bennett set the tone Early deflecting a John Elway pass on Denver a first series. Three times Bennett stopped Gaston Green for losses. On the pity that followed his second Stop of Green behind the line Bennett caught Vance Johnson from behind on a reverse and tackled him for a 1-Yard loss. Bennett said the Broncos assigned ? ends Shannon Sharpe and Clarence Kay Block him but that he used his quickness to get the better of both of them. Quot i guess i had a Little extra Turbo in me and got around the blocks about tour five times and was in a position to make the plays Quot he said. Quot when the Field is Halfway decent Here. In a at my Bennett had nine tackles seven of them unassisted and half a sack. He May have been the Best of the Bills defenders but several others checked in with Stellar performances. Cd Orne Baek Kirby Jackson caused and recovered Steve Sewells Fumble when the Broncos were driving for what could have been the tying Field goal in final minutes lie also had an interception until a review of the play took it away. Strong safety Leonard Smith had nine tackles seven unassisted and half a sack. And Wright and linebacker Carlton Bailey combined to give the Bills their Only touchdown of the game and break a scoreless tie in the third Quarter. With the Broncos at their it Elway threw a screen pass Over the Middle. Wright hit it with his hand and the Ball chromed to Bailey who was sep Ralpd from the goal line by 11 Yards of Field and Elway. Quot i saw the Ball and i said. A in be got to catch it because i know that when i came in the monday meeting if id dropped the Ball they would have been All Over me Quot he said. Bailey a receiving skills Are so shaky his teammates Call him Quot Mongo Quot a reference to the lumbering Behemoth Alex Karras played in the movie a blazing Broncos Trainer Steve Antonopulos works on quarterback John Elway a leg during sundays acc championship loss to the Hills. the Lack of mobility showed. Elway completed 10 of 15 passes for 113 Yards in the first half but Only one of six for 8 Yards in the second half with an interception that Carlton Bailey returned 11 Yards for buffaloes Only touchdown. Kubiak had earlier announced he was retiring after this season and said sundays game did no to change his mind. Quot i thought this might be my last Day out there and then to get called on like that a Kubiak said. A i thought i might have a Chance to pull it Kubiak brushed off questions about whether Reeves left Elway in the game too Long. A if John thinks he can play that a it Quot Kubiak said. A a he a the greatest in the game. He a played Hurt a lot of a a he a not going to come to me and say a hey take me that a just not John Quot Reeves said. Kubiak completed 11 of 12 passes for 136 Yards and scored Denver a Only touchdown on a 3-Yard run with 1 46 left in the game capping an 85-Yard drive that got the Broncos within three Points. The Broncos recovered an onside kick but Steve Sewell fumbled after catching a pass from Kubiak on the next play. A i know How Steve feels Quot said Steve Atwater who recovered the onside kick Quot but i can to say that that was the play that made us lose. We had a couple of plays where we missed David Treadwell missed three Field goals in the first half. He said he was shocked when his second and third attempts both hit the right upright. I have hit the uprights twice in a Row if i Treadwell said Atwater said he dreamed saturday night of a 10-7 game. The difference was that Treadwell kicked a Field goal to win it. 1 did dream it but we won. We won it Quot Atwater said adding with a laugh
