European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - December 23, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse Wednesday december 23, 1992 sports the stars and stripes b Page 25alabama trails Miami in polls Speed by Mary Foster new Orleans apr Alabama has won 22 games in a Row has the top ranked defense in the nation and is ranked no. 2 in the nation. So Why is the tide an underdog in the sugar bowl because Crimson tide is playing the top ranked team in the nation a Miami. Even Alabama coach Gene Stallings admits his team will have a Tough time against the hurricanes saying a a they re better than anyone we be Stallings studied film of Miami for the first time sunday and again on monday morning. Looking at them convinced him the hurricanes deserved their ranking he said. What stands out As he looks at the hurricanes Speed Stallings said. Speed on defense and offence and an offence that can play pitch and catch against anyone. A they have no weaknesses a the Alabama coach said. The sugar bowl matches no. 1 Miami against no. 2 Alabama for the National championship. That alone will add pressure for both teams Stallings said. After All its not something that happens very often. A when no. 1 plays no. 2, there a pressure on both sides. They re the reigning champions and we re trying to take it away from them. Of course that a going to make things More intense a he said. The last time no. 1 played no. 2 in a bowl was the 1988 Orange bowl when second ranked Miami Defeated Oklahoma. Before that in the 1987 fiesta bowl Penn state beat Miami 14-10 for the National championship. Its not that Alabama Hasni to played some Tough teams Stallings said. He noted that six of the Southeastern conference teams Are going to postseason bowls and Alabama has beaten five of them. A we have a Good football team a Stallings said. A a we be beaten 22 teams in a Row. Of course they be beaten 28 or 29.�?� Miami has a 29-game winning Streak going Back to the sixth game of 1990, when they lost 29-20 to notre Dame. The hurricanes also have five straight bowl victories. Going undefeated this season was something of a Surprise for Stallings who thought inexperience at quarterback would hamper his teams chances. Jay Barker the Sophomore starter had played Only four games going into the season. Alabama a goal was just to get into the Sec championship game Stallings said. In doing so the Crimson tide took the nations no. 1 ranking in defense and went 12-0 on the season. Still there were questions about whether they deserved to be ranked second. A a i done to think people underrated us a Stallings said. A a there la always be some people who question you. People want to see you beat everyone 45-0. First of All that a not my Stallings style developed during 14 years working under Alabama coach Bear Bryant and 14 years under Dallas Cowboy coach Tom Landry is Low key. He likes big defense conservative offence and to see his players hold onto the football. In the three years since he has been Alabama a head coach Stallings is 30-6. He also still works under Bryant. The ghost of the legendary coach is very much alive and Well in Tuscaloosa Stallings said. A it always will be there a Stallings said. A no matter what i do Bear will be there. If i win the National championship this year say a Well he won 10 of a it does no to bother me. I loved Bear. In a Happy to still have him after studying films of the Miami hurricanes for two Days Alabama coach Gene Stallings said a they have no weaknesses. They re better than anyone we be go to Pasadena with excess baggage by Jim Cour Seattle apr the Washington huskies Are confident they can put their off the Field horrors behind them and turn that adversity into a history making Rose bowl Victory Over Michigan. While the football program is under investigation the huskies flew from Seattle on sunday to Southern California to Complete their preparations for the new years Day game. For the past two months the huskies have been battered in the Media. Their once clean image has been tarnished by allegations from former players that boosters gave them jobs for which they did Little work. The latest Flap concerns a published report that a car loaned to tailback Beno Bryant was registered at the address of a los Angeles sports agent. Bryant received a loan of a late Model Ford Mustang last Spring from a childhood Friend Chris Mims now with the san Diego chargers. But the car is registered at the los Angeles Home of sports agent Harold a a Doc Daniels Mims agent. The report was carried in fridays Seattle Post intelligencer. There is no evidence Daniels paid for the car. But a possible link Between a professional agent and Bryant has been investigated by University officials. Athletic director Barbara Hedges said matter also will be investigated by the University a outside counsel. The huskies began november with an 8-0 record and ranked no. 1 in the nation. They finished with a 92 record in a horrendous month that also Cost them quarterback Billy Joe Hobert and linebacker Denianke Smith. Hobert was ruled ineligible for $50,000 in Loans in violation of Mcaa rules. Smith was arrested and charged with Selling cocaine. Mike Lustyk a senior tackle said the huskies need to put their bad press behind them focus on the wolverines. He thinks they will too. A we can take some of the frustrations that we have about All the negative publicity that we be been getting and Channel it to beat Michigan a Lustyk said. A when you take a championship team like this you just done to get there by letting things distract Lustyk a 6-foot-3, 270-Pounder, started Washington a first seven games this season. Then was he sidelined by a torn Tendon in his left Arch while trying to sack the quarterback against Pacific. With Lustyk out for All but three series in Washington a regular season finale Washington had a 22-game winning Streak broken at Arizona and then lost in a snowstorm at Washington state. Lustyk said a major motivator for the huskies will be to try to become the first team to win three consecutive Rose bowl games. A a it a a real big Deal for us a he said. A we know we have an Opportunity to do something that no team in history has been Able to do a none of the great Southern California teams in the 1970s or the Ohio states or the , Fame move rivalry to heritage bowl by Craig Walker Tallahassee Fla. A Grambling state University will be looking for a repeat performance in the heritage bowl. Florida a amp a University coach Ken Riley will be seeking a first. Riley a rattlers have never beaten Grambling even during his playing Days. Grambling state coach Edoie Robinson figures meanwhile that Fame already has plenty of motivation after losing an earlier game Here to the tigers. A you can to just go to a Many a House and whip him twice a a know a Robinson said. His tigers will return to Tallahassee Jan. 2 to face the Hometown Florida a amp a University rattlers in the second edition of the heritage bowl. The Ligers 9-2 beat the rattlers 7-4 in Tallahassee 27-10 on nov. 14th. The tigers Victory was their fifth straight Over Florida a amp a which last beat Grambling in 1979. But that was before Rattler coach Ken Riley returned to head the football program at his Alma mater. Riley has never beaten Grambling or Robinson who has been head coach at the Louisiana school for 50 years. That includes Riley a Days As a player for the rattlers in 1965-68 before he spent 15 years As an All pro defensive Back with the Cincinnati bengals. A a we re living on the legacy a a said Robinson who has a about six sons or grandsons of former players playing for him now. A if he does no to score we Tell him he can to carry his daddy a current and former nil stars who played for Grambling often talk with the current players providing a sense of tradition and continuity. Both teams ended the regular season in second place of their respective conferences. Florida a amp a had a Chance to win the mid Eastern athletic conference but late season losses to Delaware state and Cross state rival Bethune Cookman created problems. Grambling in the southwestern athletic conference stumbled Early against Alcorn state and also lost to Delaware state. The motivation is different for the rattlers who want another Chance at Home in Bragg stadium to beat the tigers. A mental attitude is the key a said Riley. A we lost our mental toughness and had some inexperience due to injuries toward the end of the year. We know the is and Riley also believes the loss to Bethune Cookman in the final game of the regular season will help since the wildcats were major underdogs. The game is the annual grudge match Between Florida a two historically Black colleges. A the last two games have been devastating losses a said Riley. A a we a really like to finish 8-4.�?� mean officials say they Are getting As much support from Tallahassee a White businesses and residents As from the Black Community
