8 - The Michigan Daily -- SPORTSMonday - Monday, January 9, 1995 Cowboys set up NFC title game showdown . IRVING, Texas (AP) - No sur- prise. It's the defending champion Dallas Cowboys against the San Fran- cisco 49ers in the NFC title game for the third consecutive year-just like everyone predicted in August. The Cowboys, despite losing All- Pro running back Emmitt Smith to a hamstring injury formost of the game, gave rookie coach Barry Switzer his first playoff triumph by defeating the Green Bay Packers 35-9 on Sunday behind the pinpoint passing of Troy Aikman. Smith, who scored the Cowboys' first touchdown, re-injured his left hamstring late in the first quarter and did not return. His status for Sunday's championship game was uncertain. The Cowboys, 12-4 in the regular season, will play San Francisco next Sunday in Candlestick Park. The 49ers eliminated the Chicago Bears 44-15 in the other NFC divisional playoff game on Saturday. Dallas, a 21-14 loser to the 49ers earlier in the season, is trying to be- come the first team to win three con- secutive SuperBowls and become the first franchise to win five. Pittsburgh, Miami, San Francisco, Green Bay, and Pittsburgh all have won two con- secutive Super Bowls. Aikman, 7-0 in playoff games he has started, had only one touchdown pass in his last five games. But he was on target Sunday, hitting 23 of 30 passes for a club playoff record 337 yards and two touchdowns - includ- ing a record-setting 94-yard hookup with Alvin Harper - before leaving in favor of Rodney Peete with 7:55 left. Tight end Jay Novacek caught 11 passes for 104 yards, Michael Irvin had six catches for 111 yards and Harper had two catches for 108 yards. It marked the first time since 1982 that three receivers topped 100 yards in the playoffs. Aikman was 16 of 21 for 272 yards in the first half as the well- rested Cowboys took a 28-9 lead over the Packers to put the game away early. Kevin Williams' 36-yard return of the opening kickoff got the Cow- boys rolling on a 51-yard drive with the payoff coming on Smith's 5-yard run. Smith sustained apulled hamstring in the first quarter and missed the rest of the game after he had 44 yards on seven carries. After Chris Jacke kicked a 50- yard field goal, Aikman and Harper put their names in the playoff record book with their long TD play. Harper outran the coverage of Terrell Buckley and George Teague and caught Aikman's 55-yard pass. Buckley and Teague ran Harper down on the 14-yard line but he cut back, broke Teague's arm tackle and scored. It broke the record of 93 yards from Buffalo's Daryle Lamonica to Elbert Dubenion in 1963 against Boston. Dallas made it 21-3 in the second period behind Aikman. He hit Irvin on a 53-yard pass and found Novacek open for a 22-yard pass to the Pack- ers' 1. Blair Thomas, who replaced Smith, scored three plays later from the 1, the first of his two TDs. Brett Favre, who was 18 of 35 for 211 yards and an interception, hit a 59-yard pass to Robert Brooks on a 74-yard scoring drive which was fin- ished off by Edgar Bennett's 1-yard run on fourth down to make it 21-9. A pass for 2 points was broken up by James Washington. Aikman, helped along by a 39-yard kickoffreturnby Williams, victimized Green Bay with short passes while working the clock. He hit Irvin with a 12-yard slant pass. Tight end Scott Galbraith scored his first TD of the season on a 1-yard pass from Aikman with five seconds left in the half. Dallas wentconservative in the sec- ond half but Aikman pieced together a fourth quarter drive in which Thomas, a free agent picked up late in the sea- son, finished it off with a 2-yard TD run. Smith reaggravated his left ham- string on an 8-yard run late in the first quarter. He pulled the muscle on Dec. 19 against New Orleans and sat out the last game of the season against the New York Giants. Smith also pulled his right hamstring earlier in the sea- son but hasn't been bothered by it again. Dallas defeated the Packers 42-31 on Thanksgiving Day in a game Ster- ling Sharpe had fourTDpasses. Sharpe is out with a career-threatening neck injury. The Cowboys also beat the Pack- ers 27-17 in the divisional playoffs last year. 01 AP PHOTO The Cowboys' defense swarms Green Bay quarterback Brett Favre during Dallas' 35-9 victory over the Packers' Sunday. The win sent the Cowboys to the NFC Championship game, where they will face San Francisco. Missed field goal ends Miami's season SAN DIEGO (AP) - Somehow, Stan Humphries and the San Diego Chargers overcame the crazy calls and the Miami Dolphins. And in the end, the ball finally went the Chargers' way. Pete Stoyanovich missed a 48-yard field goal with one second left Sunday and San Diego emerged with a 22-21 victory over the Dolphins that sent them into the AFC championship game. Humphries, deprived of an appar- ent touchdown pass late in fourth quar- ter on an official's call, threw an 8-yard touchdown pass to Mark Seay with 35 seconds left to tie it and John Carney kicked the winning point. The Chargers will play at Pitts- burgh next Sunday for a trip to the Super Bowl. San Diego defeated the Steelers 37-34 in the final regular-sea- son game, although Pittsburgh had al- ready clinched the home field and rested some injured starterS. Sunday's game was filled with sev- eral controversial calls, including a rare illegal double pass in which Miami's Keith Jackson appeared to lose the ball. The Chargers advanced to the AFC title game for the first time since Dan Fouts got them there following the 1980 and'81 seasons. They have never been to the Super Bowl. San Diego joined Pittsburgh, San Francisco and Dallas-each of whom have four Super Bowl titles - in the NFL's final four. The Chargers also blocked what could have been Dan Marino's last realistic shot at getting the Dolphins back to the Super Bowl, which is at Miami's Joe Robbie Stadium. Marino moved the Dolphins to the San Diego 31 in the final seconds and Stoyanovich - 8-for-10 between 40 and 49 yards this season - came on with a chance to win it. But a high snap seemed to throw off his timing, and Stoyanovich missed badly to the right. WINKLER Continued from page 1 especially the freshmen and the other underclassmen. "We don't have to prove anything. We just have to show our talent and let our opponents know that we are serious," Brian. Coach Bob Darden agrees. He expects his Wolverines to go all the way to the NCAA Nationals hosted by fellow Big Ten rivals Ohio State university this year. In his 12th season as coach, former member of the Michigan men's team Darden feels very confident about his team this year. Next week the Wolverines will get the chance to formally compete as they head to the Windy City Invitational hosted by the University of Chicago. Afteran impressive career, Brian Winkler will be ending his four-year reign as the gymnast to beat. "I feel that this will be one of my best years personally. I know how it feels to sit out, and I am very anxious to compete." For the future, Brian will be graduating with a degree in Civil Engineering, with plans to take this summer off to rest and relax while spending time with his fiancee, before he begins job hunting in the fall. As for his childhood Olympic aspirations, he plans on going to Atlanta in 1996, as a fan instead of a participant. Dedication has offered him many rewards, but has also taken its tole. "I would like to still compete, but unfortunatly my body can't take another year." OPENER Continued from page 1 people. We've been fooling around with it since late September, early October." Roberson has set up a committee within the athletic department to or- ganize other activities to occur in con- junction with the Pigskin Classic, in- cluding a possible parade and/or ce- lebrity golf tournament. The second reason the Wolver- ines will play in this game is their schedule for next season. For the first time since 1982 when Michigan de- feated Wisconsin, 20-9, the Wolver- ines open their schedule with a Big Ten game atIllinois. The Pigskin Clas- sic provides the Wolverines with a "warm-up" game prior to the confer- ence slate. In three of the past four seasons, Michigan altered its schedule to get a game in prior to facing Notre Dame and won all three contests. The rear- ranging of the games created an open week in each of those years. The Wolverines already have two open Saturdays in 1995, making the regular season one of the longer cam- paigns in school history. Beginning with the Pigskin Classic, which will be Michigan against most likely an ACC opponent (Duke, North Caro- lina or Virginia), the Wolverines sea- son extends into the last weekend in November. On Nov. 25, Michigan hosts Ohio State. The newly installed game will force players to report four days ear- lier for training camp. "The four extra days didn't seem like a lot," Roberson said. "Part of the attraction of (the game) is the two weeks off." Tickets for the game will be in- cluded in the general public's sea- son ticket package but not in the student plan. Yet, students will have an option to purchase seats for the game. Proceeds from the game go to the American Football Coaches Retire- ment Trust (AFCRT), NACDA and its foundation and the participating institutions. Each team is guaranteed at least $650,000 for appearing in the sixth edition of the Pigskin Classic; all additional funds will be split roughly 40/40/20 amongst Michigan, the other team playing and the two associations. 0,1 INTRAMURAL SPORTS PROGRAM AWESOME! UPCOMING ACTIVITIES . ; ,I }I BASKETBALL TEAM RACQUET- BALL BROOMBALL (Sgis & Dbls) Instant Scheduling: Tues 1/10 11am - 5:30pm IMSB Entry Fee: $59.00 per team Manager's Meeting (Mandatory): Tues 1/10 6pm/9pm Play Begins: Thurs 1/12 at IMSB and Sports Coliseum NOTE: BASKETBALL OFFICIALS NEEDED (see below) Instant Scheduling: Tues 1/10 11am - 5:30pm IMSB Entry Fee: $35.00 per team Manager's Meeting (Mandatory): Tuesday 1/10 7:15pm Play Begins: Monday 1/16 at IMSB Instant Scheduling: Tues 1/17 11am - 4:30pm IMSB Entry Fee: $40 per team Manager's Meeting (Mandatory): Tuesday 1/17 7:00 pm Play Begins: Thursday 1/19 at Yost Ice Arena I (As. ~ (AM H~ ~A~Id 4~ 1 _ I 99' 9: <. Ii. C41EIS~I PLUS I TOPPI~I O~3&D OR ThIN CR DW3IP DI~d 11.00 ORE The deadline for SWIMMING and DIVING entries is Thursday February 2 while entries for the RELAYS MEET are due Tuesday February 28. OFFICIATING OPPORTUNITIES OFFICIALS NEEDED!!! 1 ~Cx C~A~ M~p4Z~I \~~I At pArlklp ~4~I A(A AP~ MZAbIA. 0u .iA ~ ~~minmMw~a~__- NOR=