The Michigan Daily - SportsWednesday - January 5, 2000 - 5s

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Bowl Roundup

Michigan State squeezes by Gators in Citrus

ORLANDO (AP) - Paul Edinger's
39-yard field goal on the final play of the
2itrus Bowl lifted Michigan State over
Florida on Saturday, 37-34.
The kick gave the Spartans (10-2)
their first 10-win season since 1965 and
a victory in their first New Year's Day
bowl appearance in 11 years.
xico Burress set a school record
with 13 receptions, including three
touchdowns, to help coach Bobby
Williams win his first game as MSU
coach. He replaced Nick Saban, who left
for LSU.
It was the third straight loss for
Florida (9-4). The Gators had not lost
three in a row since 1988, two years
before Steve Spurrier arrived as coach.
Th finished without 10 victories for
th st time since 1992 and likely out of
the top 10 for the first time since 1990.
OUTBACK BOWL
No. 21 GEORGIA 28, No. 19 PURDUE
25: Hap Hines' 21-yard field goal in
overtime capped the greatest comeback
in bowl history and gave Georgia its vic-
tory Saturday over Purdue.
The Bulldogs trailed 25-0 in a game
reminiscent of last year's Peach Bowl,
when Georgia rallied from a 21-0 deficit
to feat Virginia 35-33.
ew Brees of Purdue (7-5) threw for
378 yards and tied an Outback Bowl
record with four touchdown passes.
Georgia (8-4) tied the score on Quincy
Carter's desperation 8-yard touchdown
pass to Randy McMichael with 1:19
remaining.
COTTON BOWL
No. 24 ARKANSAS 27, No. 14 TEXAs
6: Arkansas (8-4) scored on four
strght second-half drives Saturday, and
won its first bowl game since December
1985. The Razorbacks had lost seven
straight bowl games.
Cedric Cobbs caught a 30-yard touch-
down pass and scored on a 37-yard run
and Michael Jenkins had a 42-yard
touchdown run to lead the victory over
Texas.
The Longhorns (9-5), with two key
starters and two reserves suspended, ran
for inus-27 yards - the worst in
scI history - and were sacked eight

times. It was the third straight loss for
Texas, which failed to score an offensive
touchdown over its final 10 quarters.
GATOR BOWL
No. 23 MiAMI 28, No. 17 GEORGIA
TECH 13: Playing on New Year's Day for
the first time in five years, Miami held
Georgia Tech to its fewest points in 17
games.
Clinton Portis had a 73-yard TD run
and he and James Jackson each rushed
for more than 100 yards. The Hurricanes
(9-4) also got a touchdown pass from
each quarterback, Kenny Kelly and Ken
Dorsey.
Miami's defense extended its streak to
27 quarters without giving up a touch-
down pass against a Tech team that led
the NCAA in total offense and was sec-
ond in scoring at 40.7 points a game.
The Yellow Jackets scored their fewest
points since a 34-7 loss last year to
Florida State. And Joe Hamilton, who
set 18 school records, failed to throw a
touchdown pass for the first time in 14
games.
ALAMo BOWL
No. 13 PENN STATE 24, No. 18 TEXAS
A&M 0: Jerry Sandusky is history at
Penn State, and so is All-American line-
backer LaVar Arrington. Penn State's
long-time defensive coordinator and his
star linebacker didn't disappoint in what
was the final game for both men with the
Nittany Lions.
The Nittany Lions defeated the
Aggies behind powerful defense and the
talents of junior quarterback Rashard
Casey.
"It seemed like a Hollywood scnpt,"
said Arrington, a junior All-American
who made himself available for the NFL
draft last Friday. "It's too bad it's too late
to show what we had - but better late
than never."
Penn State (10-3) started the season 9-
0, achieved a No. 2 ranking and hoped
for a shot a national title. But the Lions
finished the regular season by losing
their last three games.
Instead of playing in the Sugar Bowl
in New Orleans, Penn State was bound
for San Antonio and trying to avoid the
first four-game losing streak of coach

AP Photo

Michigan State kicker Paul Edinger celebrates his game-winning field goal defeating Flodda, 37-34, in the Citrus Bowl.

Joe Paterno's 34-year tenure.
The way Paterno grinned after defeat-
ing Texas A&M (8-4) in the Alamo
Bowl, it looked as though he'd won an
even bigger contest.
"It was a great effort by our team, and
I'm very, very proud of them," he said.
Paterno, accepting the Alamo Bowl
trophy, thanked Sandusky.
After more than 30 years as an assis-
tant to Paterno and 23 years as defensive
coordinator, the 55-year-old Sandusky is
retiring. Sandusky coached nine All-
Americans and was instrumental in get-
ting Penn State known as "Linebacker
U"
MICRONPC.COM Bowt.
ILLINOIS 63, VIRGINIA 21: The unre-
hearsed celebration by Illinois was well
deserved.
Moments after dousing coach Ron
Turner with water, several Illinois play-

ers jumped into the stands at Pro Player
Stadium. They frolicked with their fans,
hugging and high-fiving them.
As typical as it might seem, the
postgame scene was fairly new to the
Illini.
They had just beaten Virginia and
capped a remarkable turnaround for a
team that lost 19 of 22 games before this
season.
The Illini were 0-l two years ago, 3-
8 last season and had not been to a bowl
game since 1994.
There was a time when many of the
players questioned their choice of col-
leges, and the coaches wondered if they
were on the right track.
Not anymore.
"I told the guys it's not the end, it's the
beginning,' Turner said.
Quarterback Kurt Kittner scored three
different ways - throwing for two

touchdowns, running for one and catch-
ing a pass for another - as Illinois (8-4)
hammered the Cavaliers to end the sea-
son on a four-game winning streak.
SUN BOWL
OREGON 24, No. 12 MINNESOTA 20:
It wasn't the Big Ten versus Pac-10
matchup that football fans outside of
Oregon and Minnesota were waiting for,
but it proved to be a more exciting game
than the game in Pasadena.
Oregon quarterback Joey Arrington
hit streaking wide receiver Keneen
Howry on a 10-yard strike with 1:32 left
on the clock to propel the Ducks to the
first nine win season in school history.
The loss kept the Gophers from their
first nine win season since 1905, and
gave the Pac-10 its first and only win of
this year's bowl season.
-Daily sports writer Chris Grandstaff
contributed to this report.

GAME RECAP
eFIRST QUARTER:
Through four drives, neither team can muster a
first down - although they are pretty good at
racking up penalties. On Michigan's third drive
of the game, the Wolverines finally get the first
first down of the game - on a fake punt. With
Spunter Hayden Epstein pretending to miss a
bad snap, linebacker an Gold takes a direct
snap and runs five yards on the fourth-and-
one. Four plays and two penalties later,
Michigan really does punt.
SECOND QUARTER:
On Alabama's first drive of the quarter, Shaun
Alexander begins to show why he's one of the
best running backs in the country. He starts the
Sdrive with a 32-yard run and finishes it with a
five-yard touchdown jaunt. Quarterback Tyler
Watts mixes in two key scrambles on the drive.
Alabama 7, Michigan 0
Haunted by a struggling ground game and
quickly mounting penalties, the Michigan
offense still can't get anything going. When
Michigan is forced to punt from its own 31
Alabama wide receiver breaks a 23 yard return,
rand 15 more yards are tacked on thanks to a
late Epstein hit.
Alabama quarterback Andrew Zow finds Tim
Bowens at the nine yard line, setting up Shaun
Alexander's second touchdown run.
Alabama 14, Michigan 0
Trying to get some points on the board before
halftime, Michigan starts to use the air a little
more. Quarterback Tom Brady finds Marquise
Walker twice and DiAllo Johnson once, driving
the Wolverines to the 27 yard line, but
Michigan still wasn't testing Alabama deep.
After a timeout with 1:04 left in the half, Brady
finally throws downfield and hits David Terrell
on a post pattern for a touchdown.
Alabama 14, Michigan 7
THIRD QUARTER:
Armed with a new gameplan - pass, pass and
pass - Michigan's offense comes alive. On the
third play of Michigan's first drive of the half,
Brady hits David Terrell, who easily sidesteps
cornerback Milo Lewis' tackle attempt and
bolts to end zone for a 57-yard touchdown.
Michigan 14, Alabama 14
Alexander answers Terrell's challenge on the
fourth play of the Crimson Tide's next drive
with an impressive 50-yard touchdown run, his
third of the game.
Alabama 21, Michigan 14
Just minutes after Alexander's touchdown, the
Alabama defense forces a Michigan three-and-
out. Milons takes Epstein's 51-yard punt and
breaks free for a 62-yard touchdown return,
and it appears the rout is back on.
Alabama 28, Michigan 14
Down 14 points again, Michigan turns to its
sophomore star wide receiver. On Michigan's
next drive, Brady passes to Terrell on the first
four plays, completing three of them. After an
incomplete pass to Marquise Walker and a 13-
yard completion to Aaron Shea, Brady finds
Terrell twice more, the second time for a 20
yard touchdown.
Alabama 28, Michigan 21
Four completions to three different receivers
put Michigan on the Alabama 15, and Anthony
Thomas finishes the job, coveringthe 15 yards
in three carries, the last a three-yard touch-
down run. For the second time, Michigan eras-
es a 14-point deficit.
Michigan 28, Alabama 28
FOURTH QUARTER:
Breaking down the left sideline, Marquise
Walker makes a spectacular backward-diving
catch at the Alabama two yard line, good for
28-yards.
An incomplete pass after an Alabama penalty
gives Michigan first-and-goal from the one,
Thomas attempts to dive into the end zone.
Migue Merritt hits Thomas at the goalline, forc-
ing the ball loose. Alabama's Darius Gilbert
recovers the fumble in the end zone for a
touchback.
After getting the ball with 2:05 to play and the
game still tied, Michigan drives to the Alabama
18. When Michigan sets up for the game-win-
ning field goal with two seconds left, Alabama
calls a timeout to ice the kicker. After the time
out, Michigan kicker Hayden Epstein gets the
kick off, but it's a low line drive, and Alabama's
Phillip Weeks leaps and blocks the ball, ending
regulation with a tie score and forcing
Michigan's first-ever overtime game.
OVERTIME:
Alabama wins the coin toss and opts to play
defense first irthe overtime period. Michigan
decides to play in the end zone facing its stu-
dent section.

On Michigan's first play, Brady finds tight end
Shawn Thompson about eight yards out of thee
end zone, and Thompson easily glides in for a
touchdown. Hayden Epstein connects on the
extra point.
Michigan 35, Alabama 28
On a second-and-six from the 21, Alabama
wide receiver Antonio Carter lines up at the line
of scrimmage against Michigan reserve line-
backer Eric Brackins, an obvious mismatch.
After a play-action fake to Alexander, quarter-
back Andrew Zow takes advantage of the mis-
match for a touchdown pass to Carter, who
was wide open.
Michigan 35, Alabama 34
With players and fans still regrouping after the
Carter touchdown, Alabama kicker Ryan
Pflugner attempts the extra point - and misses
wide right. Michigan wins the game.
Final Score: Michigan 35, Alabama 34 ,

Orange Bowl provides perfect finish

KLEIN BAUM
Continued from Page 18
backs. Twice, Michigan found itself
trailing by 14 points. Twice, Brady engi-
neered a pair of scoring drives to tie the
game. Twice, Michigan showed the met-
tle and tenacity that has characterized
this team throughout this up-and-down
season.
Four months ago yesterday, Thomas
dove into Michigan Stadium's south end
zone with 1:38 to play in Michigan's sea-
son opener, giving the Wolverines a 26-
22 . come-from-behind victory over
Notre Dame. In the 10 games between
then and the Orange Bowl, the
Wolverines came from behind to win
three times, and saw one comeback
effort fall just short in East Lansing.

Then there was the three-game stint
when Michiean's defense looked more
like Washtenaw Community College
than a Big Ten powerhouse. How did the
Wolverines respond to that? They only
won their last four games, including an
imposing three-game stretch of Penn
State, Ohio State and Alabama.
These Wolverines didn't win a nation-
al title. They didn't even win a Big Ten
title. Two years ago, Michigan football
spoiled us -now, anything short of per-
fection just isn't good enough.
But this team, maybe more so than
that great '97 squad, exemplified what
being from Michigan is all about. Like
their students and fans, this team wasn't
perfect. The Wolverines didn't get all

bad, and sometimes they looked even
more frustratingly brilliant. This was a
working-man's team, led by a working-
man's quarterback. But this past
Saturday, like all season, they thrived
under pressure and delivered when it
counted.
Ian Gold said it was the best ending to
a football game ever. Well, maybe not,
but as far as an ending to this season
goes, you couldn't have written a more
fitting script.
- Josh Kleinbaum wrote this story
poolside, in 80-degree heat, sipping a
daiquiri. But now that he's back in
Michigan. he's in hibernation, attempt-
ing to get used to this frigid weather If
you e-mail him atjkbaumcoumich.edu,
he'llget back to you when he regains
feeling in his outer limbs.

DANA LINNANE/Daily
Throughout the season, Tom Brady led Michigan in comeback after comeback.
This past Saturday was no different, as he orchestrated two 14-point rallies.

the breaks.
sometimes

Sometimes they struggled,
they looked frustratingly

2000

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