6B - The Michigan Daily - SportsMonday - December 2, 2002
WEEKEND'S BEST
HOW THE AP TOP 25 FARED
NEW AP
TOP 25
SWEET ARKANSAS-sY MoLASsY: After escap-
ing Kentucky thanks to what is now
known as "Bluegrass Miracle,"
Louisiana State got a taste of its own
medicine as Arkansas marched down
the field with less than a minute left and
scored a touchdown on a Matt Jones to
DeCori Birmingham 31-yard connection
with just nine seconds left on the clock.
Louisiana State got the ball back inside
its own 5-yard line, but could not muster
enough magic to score again.
yard bomb the Tigers needed to defeat
Kentucky, the game was much more
meaningful. Now it is the Razorbacks
who will face Georgia next week in the
SEC Championship game, rather than
Louisiana State.
No SIESTA EN ROUTE TO FIESTA: After being
held scoreless for nine straight quarters
of play, Syracuse finally got in the end
zone against Miami (Fla.) in the second
quarter. The touchdown was the high-
light for the Orangemen, who were rout-
ed 49-7, behind two long touchdown
runs of 61 and 51 yards by Hurricanes'
running back Willis McGahee.
The speed of the Hurricanes was just
too much for Syracuse, as was quarter-
back Ken Dorsey's amazing accuracy.
Dorsey began the game by completing
his first 10 passes and torched the Syra-
cuse secondary for nearly 300 yards in
the first half.
Miami (Fla.) is now just one win away
from meeting Ohio State in the Fiesta
Bowl and a shot at the team's second
national title in a row. With Virginia
Tech ending the season with a whim-
per, the Hurricanes' ticket looks to be
stamped.
Associated Press Poll for week of November 26.
All games played November 29, 30.
Team:
1. Miami (Fla.)
2. Ohio State
3. Oklahoma
4. Iowa
5. Georgia
6. Southern Cal.
7. Notre Dame
8. Kansas State
9. Washington State
10. Texas
11. Penn State
12. Michigan
13. Colorado
14. Alabama
15. Florida
16. Colorado State
17. Pittsburgh
18. Louisiana State
19. Boise State
20. Auburn
21. North Carolina State
22. Virginia Tech
23. Florida State
24. West Virginia
25. Maryland
Last week:
beat Syracuse 49-7
idle
lost to Oklahoma State 3828
idle
beat Georgia Tech 51-7
beat Notre Dame 44-13
lost to Southern Cal. 44-13
idle
idle
beat Texas A&M 50-20
idle
idle
idle
beat Hawaii 21-16
lost to Florida State 31-14
lost to UNLV 36-33
lost to West Virginia 2417
lost to Arkansas 21-20
idle
idle
idle
beat Virginia 21-9
beat Florida 31-14
beat Pittsburgh 24-17
beat Wake Forest 32-14
This week:
vs. Virginia Tech
idle
vs. Colorado
idle
vs. Arkansas
idle
idle
idle
at UCLA
idle
idle
idle
vs. Oklahoma
idle
idle
idle
idle
idle
idle
idle
idle
at Miami (Fla.)
idle
idle
idle
TEAM
1. Miar
2. Ohio
3. Iowa
4. Geor
5. Sout
6. Kane
7. Was
8. Okla
9. Texa
10. Per
11. No'
12. Col
13. Mic
14. Ala
15. We
16. Flo
17. No
18. Virg
19. Bo
20. Auk
21. Ma
22. Ark
23. Flo
24. Col
25. Pit
(first-place votes in parentheses)
PTS I
mi (Fla.) (73) 1,825
State 1,749
1,663
rgia 1,597
:hern Cal. 1,542
sas State 1,402
hington State 1,315
homa 1,304
as 1,296
nn State 1,070
tre Dame 1,052
lorado 1,041
CHIGAN 1,023
bama 943
st Virginia 616
rida State 559
rth Carolina State 495
ginia Tech 494
ise State 482
burn 470
ryland 386
ransas 379
rida 262
lorado State 239
tsburgh 221
PVS
1
2
4
5
6
8
9
3
10
11
47
13
12
14
24
23
21
22
19
20
25
NR
15
16
17
Dropped out: Louisiana State
Sooner bloopers: Oklahoma
falls to Cowboys yet again
STILLWATER, Okla. (AP) -
Rashaun Woods and Josh Fields did it
to Oklahoma again.
One year after ruining the Sooners'
postseason plans with a late touchdown
in Norman, Fields and Woods connect-
ed for three TDs as Oklahoma State
pulled off a 38-28 upset of No. 3 Okla-
homa on Saturday.
Woods had 12 catches for a school-
record 226 yards, while Fields complet-
ed 18-of-27 passes for 357 yards and
four touchdowns against the nation's
ninth-ranked defense.
"We played our best opponent; we
played our best football," Cowboys
coach Les Miles said. "Considering all
of our big wins this year, this was
undoubtedly our best one."
The Cowboys (5-3 Big 12, 7-5) beat
Nebraska and Oklahoma in the same
season for the first time. As the last
seconds ticked off the clock, orange-
clad Oklahoma State students and fans
ran onto the field and tore down the
goal posts.
In beating the Sooners for the fifth
time in eight years, Oklahoma State
enhanced its chances of going to its first
bowl game since 1997. The Cowboys
also never let Oklahoma take the lead,
something no team had done against
Bob Stoops in his first 49 games as
Oklahoma's coach.
"We just wanted to prove that last
year wasn't a fluke," said tight end
Billy Bajema, who had a 58-yard
catch on a second-quarter scoring
drive. "It will improve our bowl desti-
nation, but that's not what we were
thinking coming in. Playing Okla-
homa was enough motivation."
Last year's 16-13 stunner by Okla-
homa State cost Oklahoma a trip to the
Big 12 title game, where a victory would
have sent the Sooners to the national title
game. Oklahoma (6-2, 10-2) came into
this game with the South Division title
sewn up, but the Sooners have no shot of
playing for a national title.
"There are no excuses," Stoops said.
"They did an excellent job all around -
their coaches and players - and just
beat us."
Oklahoma, which will play No. 13
Colorado for the Big 12 title next week
in Houston, had no answer for Woods.
He caught TD passes of 41, 60 and
13 yards in the first half and had three
catches on the Cowboys' first drive of
the third qu~rter, when they took a 35-6
lead. Woods then had two more recep-
tions on a clinching fourth-quarter drive
that led to a field goal and a 38-21 lead.
"Their defensive backs are known for
sitting on short passes," Woods said.
"When they do that, they're susceptible
to the double move."
The Cowboys set the tone for the
game by driving 64 yards for a touch-
down on their first possession. Mixing
the pass and run, the Cowboys drove to
the 30 before Seymore Shaw broke free.
He fumbled at the 1, but receiver John
Lewis picked it up and fell into the end
zone for a touchdown.
Oklahoma State needed just two
plays to make it 14-0. After a personal
foul put the ball at the Oklahoma 41,
Woods got behind cornerback Andre
Woolfolk on a post pattern and was
wide open when he caught Fields'
perfect pass.
The Sooners used the final 6:35 of
the first quarter to drive from their 17 to
the Oklahoma State 1, where Kejuan
Jones scored on the first play of the sec-
ond quarter. The extra-point kick failed.
The Cowboys immediately seized the
momentum back, going 71 yards in
three plays for another touchdown --
this one a 60-yard pass to Woods, who
again burned Woolfolk.
Inish make
no case for
Orange
LOS ANGELES (AP) - Before
Saturday night, Notre Dame had
played 1,081 games since the school
first put a football team on the field in
1887. And the Fighting Irish had never
been so overrun as they were by South-
ern California.
Carson Palmer threw for 425 yards
and four touchdowns, and Southern
Cal. outgained Notre Dame by an
astounding 610 yards to 109 as the
sixth-ranked Trojans beat the No. 7
Irish 44-13.
Both the passing yards and the total
yards were the most ever against Notre
Dame.
"After the way we played, we don't
deserve to play in the Orange Bowl,"
Irish offensive tackle Jordan Black said.
"This wasn't this year's team, it was last
year's team that showed up tonight ... I
just want to go home and throw up."
The Trojans (10-2, 7-1 Pac-10) also
dominated the Irish offense, allowing
just 70 yards passing and 39 rushing,
and giving up just two field goals.
Notre Dame's touchdown came on a
blocked punt, and the Irish didn't score
in the second half.
With Notre Dame (10-2) still under
consideration for a Bowl Champi-
onship Series at-large berth, Irish
coach Tyrone Willingham did a bit of
lobbying.
"I can make a case to the BCS," said
Willingham, who has turned the Notre
Dame program around in his first year
as its coach. "We played 12 games. We
won 10 of them. We've been very
good and very sound. This game is not
a true indicator of what kind of team
we can be.
"Our team had a heck of a season,
nothing to sneeze at. It's disappointing
tonight, without question. Now we have
to be patient and wait until someone
makes a decision."
The Trojans, meanwhile, believed
their performance should enhance their
standing in the BCS rankings.
"It proved we're a heck of a team. I
couldn't imagine why somebody
wouldn't want us to play in their
game, although I know that some
people might not want to play us,"
Carroll said.
In his final game at the Coliseum,
Palmer completed 32-of-46 passes and
was intercepted twice.
Rix comes
back to
lead 'Noles
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) - All
of a sudden, the season doesn't seem
so bad for Florida State.
Taking advantage of his second
chance, Chris Rix ran for 83 yards
and threw two touchdowns to
Anquan Boldin to help the No. 23
Seminoles earn their biggest win of
the year, 31-14 over No. 15 Florida
on Saturday night.
"We finally looked like Florida
State," a relieved coach Bobby Bow-
den said.
Freshman tailback Leon Washing-
ton ran for 134 yards in the place of
Greg Jones. Linebacker Kendyll
Pope returned an interception for a
touchdown.
A week of turmoil melted away
with a big post-game celebration,
and a season of disappointments
took a long-awaited positive turn for
the Seminoles (9-4).
"We knew we had the receivers,
we knew we had the quarterbacks,
we knew we had the runners," Bow-
den said. "But it just wasn't hap-
pening. Tonight was the first night
it happened."
The Seminoles beat their biggest
rival for the fourth time in five
years, and now they have a month to
get ready for a trip to a major bowl
- probably the Sugar.
"It doesn't get much better than
that," Pope said.
On the other side, Ron Zook had
no more luck in his first year than
Steve Spurnier did in 12 seasons
when it comes to winning at Doak
Campbell Stadium. The Gators (8-4)
< still haven't won in Tallahassee
since 1986.
"I guess the streak continues,"
Florida offensive lineman Shannon
Snell said.
01
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More fun than a box of socks
from Grandma.
AP PHOTO
Wide receiver RaShaun Woods powered Oklahoma State past rival Oklahoma with
three touchdown catches.
FINAL PUSH FOR HEISMAN
As the college football season draws to a close, the Heisman candidates are
making a final push for their case in the balloting. In particular, Southern Cal.'s
Carson Palmer and Miami (Fla)'s Willis McGahee took advantage of their oppor-
tunities on national television to show the nation - and their opponents -
why they deserve college football's top award.
CARSON PAIlMER,- --
SOUTHERN CAL.
Why Palmer?: Although the southern:
part of the country saw Florida State"
destroy Florida, the rest of the United
States saw Carson Palmer lead the Tro-
jans' romp over Notre Dame, 44-13. In
doing so, Palmer threw for four touch-
downs and 425 yards on 32-of-46 pass-
ing, though he may be hampered by two
bad interceptions. He also helped South-
ern Cal. rack up over 600 yards of total
offense on what was once considered
one of the nation's premier defenses.
Should he not walk away with the Heis-
man, Palmer's amazing turnaround this
season has solidified him as a first round,
draft pick and is atop the big board of
ESPN's draft guru, Mel Kiper. Southern Cal.'s Carson Palmer
WILLIS MCGAHEE,
MIAMI (FLA.)
Why McGahee?: On the Hurricanes'
second play from scrimmage against
W Syracuse, McGahee scampered 61
yards for a touchdown. That was as
close as the Orangemen would get to
catching him. Though he briefly left
the game with injury, McGahee came
back later and rushed for another long
touchdown. He finished the game with
,2 134 yards on 14 carries. McGahee
has one game to woo voters against
Virginia Tech next week.
And, just like Palmer, McGahee's
record-setting play this season has
made him a sure-fire first round pick,
Miami's Willis McGahee should the redshirt sophomore decide
AP PHOTOS to enter the NFL draft.
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