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The Michi an Daily - Sports Tuesday - January 6 2004 - 8B
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PRESENTS
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out of control
if you're like us, you love football. But with 28 bowl games, it's hard to find time for
all the action. Luckily, our staffers combined to watch almost all the games - more
than 80 hours of college football. So check out what you missed as the Daily counts
A
down the best bowl games:
First annual "Edens" presented by Elen McGarrlty
Page desiWby
JIM WEBER
28. Humanitarian Bowl
,.;rge , Y h 5, Tulsa 10
* PRE-GAME: What genius decided to put the Humanitarian Bowl on
Jan. 3rd, after all bowl games beside the national championship?
* STORYLINE: I wouldn't know since I didn't actually watch the game. I
respect the fact that they played it, though, and Georgia Tech running
back PJ. Daniels, who rumbled for 307 yards on the ground.
" WORTH THE TIME? No, that's why I didn't watch. - Jim Weber
27. Alamo Bowl
N braska 17, Michigan State 3
* PRE-GAME: The Mastercard Alamo Bowl, it's nowhere anybody
wants to be. Michigan State fans only swiped up just over half of
their allocated tickets, and unless there was 25,000 people
dressed as blue seats, they weren't alone in passing on the trip to
San Antonio. ESPN went so far as to nestle the game away in a 9
o'clock start with no College Gameday pre-game show to get the
viewers hyped.
* STORYLINE In a non-televised ceremon before the game started,
Jeff Smoker was awarded the Michigan State player of the game.
Despite his three turnovers and being out-thrown by Nebraska's
running-oriented offense, that decision was not reversed.
Michigan State's communication department must have been
proud of the effort, because all those big football players were
using their communication skills over football skills. That makes
them winners in life, and losers on the field.
e WORTH THE TIME? See above. - Ryan Sosin
26. Las Veas Bowl
Grem n !a 5 5, New Mexco14
* PREGAME: ESPN promised viewers an exciting
match-up between Oregon State and New
Mexico in the Las Vegas Bowl for a Christmas
Eve event. They presented a tale of two
downtrodden football programs with little
success in the past, determined to gain
the respect of the nation by appearing
',r+in a televised bowl game.
" STORYLINE: Somewhere after the
first possession of the game, when
Oregon State running back Steven
Jackson scored a touchdown, the
story changed. It became obvious
that New Mico was about to be
dominated by Beavers, and the
Steven Jackson Show had just
begun. Jackson, the Las Vegas
native, finished the game with five
touchdowns, tying a bowl game record and
adding his name to a short list in the NCAA
books alongside legends like Barry Sanders.
* WORTH THE TIME? Highlights included Jackson
signing autographs for teammates on the side-
lines with 10 minutes to go in the fourth quarter,
as well as the announcement of his decision to
Ne enter the NFL draft next season. I think I was brain-
washed by the stream of commercials touting the
wonders of Sin City because I found myself hoping
that Michigan would be so lucky as to one day play
in this event. The game wasn't close, but in the end,
what football fan wants to watch a stimulating
game when you have a Christmas music montage
0regn 6tsthat sounds like Carol of the Bells on acid to get
infvo hJackson you in the holiday spirit. - Gabriela D'Jaen
N25. Peach Bowl
Clemson 27, Te nissee 14
" PRE-GAME: Promoted as a game of redemption for the Vols, who
had been embarrassed on the same field last year against Mary-
land, ESPN announcers promised a very physical bowl game. But
the most physical act turned out to be Clemson's Duane Coleman's
pre-game swing at the head of Tennessee's Rashad Baker.
* STORYINE: Chicken sandwiches at halftime were about the only
things keeping the Georgia Dome-record crowd awake. Everyone in
the stadium needed some kind of surge to stay awake in this four-
hour long Tennessee disaster. Clemson even pulled "Another Bow-
den 'Rooskie' " with a trick play into the endzone against a
lethargic Volunteer team, who ooked more like deer caught in
head-lights than a program hungry for revenge.
* WORTH THE TIME? Chickens with their heads cut off were cer-
tainly running all around in the Chick-Fil-A Peach Bowl. This
year though, they shed their Kaiser rolls for some orange uni-
forms. - Jamie Josephson
24. Liberty Bowl
Ut h 17, Southern Mississippi 0
" PRE-GAME: Unheralded. Upon pressing the info button on the
remote, that was the word staring me in the face to describe Utah
and Southem Miss. Underrated, underappreciated, underestimated,
overlooked, disregarded and neglected would have worked, too.
" STORYLINE: Ten fumbles (six lost) and an interception. Seventeen
punts. Twenty-four penalties for 177 yards. Four-for-31 on third
downs and for-4 on fourth down. The quarterbacks completed
just 21 of 58 passes. The coaches, players and commentators
were all quick to ive the defenses credit, but the game boiled
down to the horrible, unwatchable ineptness of the offenses.
" WORTH THE TIME? To their credit, the Utes and Golden Eagles rede-
fined "field position battle." Like most people, I prefer the kind of
game in which players give the ball to players with the same jersey
and treat points as if they're a good thing. - Sharad Mattu
23. Gator Bowl
Mrland 41, West Virginia 7
" PRE-GAME The Purina Dog Chow Incredible Dog Challenge. The Arena
Football League. Brian Boitano's Skating Spectacular. These were
some of the wonderful "sporting" events hyped during NBC's coverage
of the 2004 Toyota Gator Bowl. eke the Roman Empire, whose domin-
ion disintegrated into chaos and destruction, NBC's sports dynasty has
entered its own dark ages. With a smorgasbord of 28 bowl games to
choose from, NBC covers only one. Maryland quarterback Scott
McBrien, who transferred from West Virginia in 2001, entered the
game hoping for a third consecutive victory against his former team-
mates. The Mountaineers came to Jacksonville looking for revenge,
after submitting to a 347 spanking earlier in the season.
" STORYLINE: Maryland's team speed was too much for West Vir-
ginia to handle, as the ACC continued its rough treatment of the
ig East.
* WORTH THE TIME? It was a travesty, with seven fumbles, a lack of
fire on both sides, and no doubt as to the outcome. Like finding an
old Tamagotchi in a bedroom drawer, I felt some nostalgia watch-
ing a major sport on NBC, but it vanished within minutes. Playin
with that little electronic beast would have been a more enjoyable
use of three hours than watching the error-filled, uncompetitive
2004 Gator Bowl. - Matt Singer
22. Houston Bowl
tm Thh 38, Navy 14
" PREGAME The announcers wamed that viewers should prepare them-
selves for an "offensive show of epic proportions" and a tasty "offen-
sive buffet"
" STORYUNE: Seeing Texas Tech QB BJ. Symons pick a part the anemic
Navy defense was impressive to say the least. On the flip side, being
forced to witness the Navy offense in its pathetic attempt to inch the
ball downfield was enough to make any football fan lose the will to
live. In fact, the Midshipmen did not even complete a pass for positive
yardage until the fourth quarter.
" WORTH THE TIME? It was worth my time for two reasons: The
outstanding individual performance by Symons, and the tasty
treat Symons served up by launching the football like a grenade
following Texas Tech's last touchdown of the game. Afterward, all
11 players fell to the ground simultaneously and kicked their legs
into the air in celebration. One of the ESPN announcers screamed
belligerently, "I love college football because I don't have to watch
crap like that!" Priceless. - Brad Johnson
20. Tangerine Bowl
,Q. t. 5 M, Kansas 26
* PRE-GAME: One thing was for sure coming into the Tangerine
Bowl. It would be Phil lip Rivers' final game in a Wolfpack uniform.
So just how many yards would he throw for in his final collegiate
performance? Would he break any bowl records? Would he com-
plete his four-year legacy at N.C. State? Oh yeah, and Kansas was
in its first bowl game since 1995.
" STORYLINE: For those of you who like games with offensive explo-
sions, bon appetit. There is a reason teams play prior to Christ-
mas, and it usually has something to do with a lack of defense.
This game didn't disappoint, as Rivers went off for a Tangerine
Bowl- record 475 yards passing and five touchdowns. Oh yeah, and
con rats to Kansas for making a bowl game this year.
* WORTH THE TIME? Yes, thanks to coach Chuck Amato. Hats off
to him for knowing what was really important, waiting to pull
Rivers out of the 56-26 blowout only after he broke the
yardage record. - Josh Holman
W .e New Orleans Bowl
I) mphis 27 ,North Texas 17
"" ep , as .Iowa's
* PRE-GAME: Question: What's better than sitting knee deep in
some boring textbook struggling to understand its words and con-
cepts in preparation for a challenging exam?Answer: Tuning into the
first game of the college bowl season in the middle of December.
The New Orleans Bowl, which should probably be renamed the
North Texas Bowl because the Mean Green have played in the
game in each of the bowl's three years of existence.
* STORYLINE: Led by quarterback Danny Wimpine, who was 17-for-
23, throwing for 254 yards and touchdown and running for another
score, the Tigers rolled over the Mean Green.
* WORTH THE TIME? If not the biggest of bowl games, it was one of
the most entertaining. It's always nice to see small schools go at
each other and play with the passion that is usually reserved for
games like the Iron Bowl and the annual bloodbath between Flori-
da and Florida State. - Michael Nisson
18. Silicon Valley Bowl
FIVE REASONS WHY YOU SHOULDN'T HAVE CHANGED THE CHANNEL IN THE 2ND
QUARTER AFTER FRESNO STATE BUILT A 17-0 LEAD OVER UCLA:
1. Torrential San Jose downpours earlier in the afternoon provided
for poor playing conditions at Spartan Stadium. Nothing is more
entertaining than watching smash mouth football on a muddy field.
2. The big fight that broke out between the teams with 15 seconds
left in the first half.
3. The privilege of watching UCLA's Jarrad Page throw up, then
mouthing "that's bullshit" after being ejected for vulgarity. Got to
love ESP2.
4. Learning salsa-dancing tips from Fresno State freshman Vincent
Mays during the team's lesson, profiled by ESPN.
5. Mud-covered Fresno State coach Pat Hill getting doused with
Gatorade at the end of FSU's 17-9 victory, then proclaiming the
WAC was 3-0 in bowl games this season. A truly classic finish for
the underdog. Yeah, it was worth the time. - Eric Ambinder
17. Music City Bowlm
" PRE-GAME: Have you ever stayed at or even heard of Gaylord
Hotels? I haven't either. So hopefully that didn't stop, you from
watching the Gaylord Hotels Music City Bowl. Auburn, a preseason
No. 1 by some publications and sportscasters, finished the regular
season at 7-5 and wanted to become the first SEC team to win at
the Music City Bowl in six years. Wisconsin coach Barry Alvarez was
looking for his 100th win.
" STORYLINE: Auburn used its sixth-ranked defense to continually fend
off potential Badgers' comebacks. With less than three minutes
remaining, Auburn sacked Badgers quarterback Jim Sorgi who fum-
bled the all inside the Wisconsin 5-yard line. Two plays ater, the
Tigers sealed their 28-14 victory on a one-yard touchdown run by Car-
nell "Cadillac" Williams. (I wish my nickname was something cooler
like "Cadillac." But it's not.) Aubum's "Cadillac" and Ronnie Brown
each rushed for two touchdowns, accounting for all 28 Tiger points.
" WORTH THE TIME? Apparently the ACC officials messed up a lot in
this game, with the same crew admitting to mistakes in previous
games. So, the ACC isn't that perfect. It's always fun watching refer-
ees screw up, except when they knock the New York Giants out of the
playoffs. Also, the sideline shots of Alvarez, who looks like a bulldog,
were pretty entertaining. As for the game itself, not much happened
through three quarters, as Auburn took a 13-6 lead into the fourth.
During the fourth quarter, I would have suggested watching the fun at
badgerbadgerbadger.com. - Eric "Little Bird"Ambinder
14. Outback Bowl
Iowa 37, Florida 17
NEW YEAR'S DAY IN CENTRAL FLORIDA WITHOUT
MICHIGAN? The Outback Bowl started at 11
a.m. eastern time, that's 8 a.m. for those
,t attending the Rose Bowl in Pasadena.
Those early-risers who were pre-partying
for the later games should have
switched to the Capital One Bowl on
ABC, a better bowl game that started
only one hour later. But if you are a big,
~ big Big Ten fan, then watching Iowa destroy
Florida in Tampa may have been special.
The Hawkeyes' 37-17 win over the Gators
excited fireronzook.com fans, fueling
rumors of a Steve Spurrier comeback, and
Iowa's quarterback Nathan Chandler, a 6-
foot-8 freak, was surprisingly graceful for
his size. Iowa's win kept the Big Ten from
further bowl-ame embarrassment, but the
Hawkeyes still suck because they messed-
AP PHOTO up Michigan's season. - Eric Ambinder
than Chandler-
13. San Francisco Bowl
Boston College 35, Colorado State 21
" PREGAME: The Diamond Walnut San Francisco Bowl? Is that a dia-
mond company or a walnut company? Or is it both?
* STORYLINE: Colorado State quarterback Bradlee Van Pelt sat out the
first quarter because of a broken hand with a two-and-a-half inch rod in
in it. The game looked like it was going to be a snoozer when the
Eagles jumped out to a 21-0 lead. But Van Pelt had seen enough, and
came in to cut the lead to seven before the Eagles pulled away in the
4th quarter.
* WORTH THE TIME? It wasn't as dramatic as Willis Reed fighting off
injury for the Knicks or Michael Jordan playing sick during the NBA
Finals, but the way Bradlee Van Pelt almost willed his team to win
made for an interesting game. - Jim Weber
12. Continental Tire Bowl
* PREGAME: Pittsburgh wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald held a string
of 18 consecutive games with a touchdown catch - an NCAA
record - going into the game. Everyone expected the Heisman run-
ner-up would play his heart out to prove his doubters wrong, right?
STORYLINE: Fitzgerald, rumored to petition the NFL for early entry
into the 2004 draft, played like he could smell the signing bonus.
He had five catches for 77 yards and no touchdowns. Trailing by
only seven late in the fourth quarter, Pittsburgh quarterback Rod
Rutherford fumbled with two minutes to play. The disappointed
Fitzgerald could only watch as Virginia quarterback Matt Schaub,
the game MVP, took a knee in Virginia's victory.
WORTH THE TIME? Honestly, all you really wanted to watch in this
game was Fitzgerald making circus catches. And when he didn't,
you stopped watching. You did miss a fairly entertaining game.
The teams played very efficient football, combining for only six
penalties, five punts, and 48 first downs. For those of you who
watch bowl games for the NFL prospects, the match-up of quarter-
backs Rutherford and Schaub provided a glimpse of two future
pros. Mel Kiper Jr. thinks that Schaub is a second round pick. You
hear that Ernie Accorsi (New York Giants GM)! - Eric Ambinder
11 Motor CityBowl
Bm ,*Northwestern 24
MENTAL NOTES FROM FORD FIELD:
* Detroit expects to host a Super Bowl in two years? They can't handle
will call or concessions for 52,000 college fans, let alone 80,000 NFL
fans. Many fans missed the first quarter waiting for tickets at will call
and it took a good half hour to get a soda.
" Notre Dame? Pittsburgh? Perhaps thea12th team in the Big Ten
should be Bowling Green, who beat Purdue and almost pulled the
upset against Ohio State earlier this year.
T Perhaps there needs to be better regulation with spotting the ball
and restarting the play clock. Officials took at least 10 seconds after
placing the ball before starting the play clock, with the game clock
running all the while, potentially costing Northwestern a chance for a
last possession. - James V. Dowd
1o. Sugar Bowl
Louisiana State 21, Oklahoma 14
* PRE-GAME: What's cooler than being cool? Definitely not Snoop
Dogg. In his most desperate attempt to gain recognition, he sold
out to corporate America and found himself rapping in a detective
outfit.
" STORYLINE: It was a game that could have simply been named the
Coke Bowl with Snoop Dogg featured as the mascot. At the end of
the ame the nation had no doubt about the champion, but was
still left wondering why the hell Snoop Dogg was rapping about
Nokia. Oh, and how did Jason White manage to win the Heisman?
" WORTH MY TIME? Only because of the emotion involved in the
game. After getting through the god-awful rap commercials and the
feeling of remorse for Snoop Do 's career, the game fell short of
last year's exciting Fiesta Bowl. is wasn't a national champi-
onship, this was a competition of painful mistakes and horrible
advertising. Fo sheezy. - Anne Uible
9. Fort Worth Bowl
Boise State 34, TCU 31
" PRE-GAME: Oddly enough, Texas Christian (7-1 C-
USA, 11-2 Overall) is located in Fort Worth, Texas,
where this bowl game was held. Any other team
would have objected to the location of the matchup,
but Boise State (8-0 WAC, 13-1) clearly had no "Grossest" Mascot
complaints due to the fact that in three of the TCU
past four years, the Broncos have hosted and
won the Humanitarian Bowl, in Boise, Idaho, where the only blue
field in the country lies.
" STORYLINE: The highlight of the first half was when the sideline offi-
cials mishandled the chain, allowing it to tangle. This enraged Boise
State head coach Dan Hawkins, who was strangely wearing sunglass-
es in a night game. The game wasn't over until TCU kicker Mike
Wynn's 51-yard field goal attempt fell short with seven seconds left.
" WORTH THE TIME? Yes. With Boise State suspending six players
due to academic ineligibility and TCU suspending five of their play-
ers due to unspecified team violations, it's nice to see that some-
one cares about a bowl game. - Waldemar Centeno
6. Rose Bowl
Southern Cal. 28, Michigan 14
e PRE-GAME: Michigan came to its first Rose Bowl since 1997, setting
up one of the biggest Rose Bowls in a long time. Even the announcers
said it had the feel of a national title game. It should have. Southem
Cal. was playing for part of the title.
* STORYLINE: Michigan moved the ball like clockwork on its first drive,
leaving its fans to wonder when the Wolverines were going to mess it
up. It didn't take long. Braylon Edwards dropped a pass, John Navarre
was sacked and - of course - the field goal was blocked. Edwards'
attempt to catch the ball with his feet was equally unsuccessful and
after the ensuing interception, everyone knew it was over.
" WORTH THE TIME? Watching any Rose Bowl is a special experi-
ence. Still, fans must have been wondering where the Michigan team
was that showed up for the Ohio State game. I just wish this team
had won ONCE on the West Coast while I was here. Oh well, at least
the claw traveled well ... Just kidding people - relax, we won't talk
about it anymore. -Jim Weber
3. Cotton Bowl
ississippi 31, daCom SBte 28
" PREGAME: If you follow college sports and you watched the Cotton
Bowl, you were probably watching to see Heisman finalist and Missis-
sippi quarterback Eli Manning in his final collegiate game. If you are a
big-time fan of college football, you were also probably excited to see
Al-American Oklahoma State receiver Rashuan Woods play his last
game of a stellar senior season.
* STORYLINE: If you watched the Cotton Bowl for either of these reasons,
you were not disappointed. Manning threw for 259 yards and two
touchdowns and ran for another score to lead Ole Miss to a 31-28
victory over Oklahoma State. In defeat, Rashuan Woods was sensation-
al. He set Cotton Bowl records with 11 catches for 223 yards.
* WORTHTHE TIME? Among other reasons, I watched the Cotton Bowl so
I could form my opinion about a question that will undoubtedly be
asked every Sunday for years to come. How will Eli measure up to Pey-
ton? Eli's arm strength and poise were very impressive, and he looked
very worthy of being the top pick in this year's draft. - Jeremy Antar
[;2 . Insight Bowl
LZa iCalforn Ia52, Virginia Tech 49
* PRE-GAME: On paper, the Insight Bowl seems to be
anything but insightful. The pairing of Cal. (7-6), a
team which had finally learned how to defeat its less-
er opponents at the end of the season by winning
four of its last five, and Virginia Tech (84), a team
which went 1-3 in its last four games, seems to "Cutest" Mascot:
scream of mediocrity. But wait, wait, wait just one Calfornia
minute. The Hokies arguably have the best tail-
back in the nation in KevinJ ones, and they have some guy playing
back up quarterback who's last name starts with a 'V' and rhymes
with "sick." The Golden Bears accomplished something Michigan
could only dream about- handing Southern Cal. a loss.
* STORYUNE: Fortunately, this game was far from mediocre in excite-
ment, with 1,081 total yards of offense and the game coming down
to an all too familiar last-second Cal. field goal for the 52-49 win.
* WORTH THE TIME? Great entertainment for the avid college football
fan, it's just too bad the game lacked any meaning for two teams
who are lucky to have a game in December. - Steven Shears
3. Sun Bowl
krun ;rs; twx31Oregon 30
" PREGAME The Sun Bowl is one of the few bowls that CBS has the
rights to, and they love it like a male college student loves Paris
Hilton. Instead of talking about the Gophers and the Ducks before
the game, CBS decided to give the viewers a 70-year history of the
Sun Bowl, including clips from some
of the more prominent
announcers from CBS who
6 shavecovered the game.
. STORYLNE The end of the
game was as good as
any this year. The
game was sus-
penseful to the end,
thanks to Oregon
coach Mike Bellotti's
decision to give Min-
nesota a chance to kick
a game-winning field
h., goal by calling two
timeouts wi 30 sec-
onds left.
" WORTH THE TIME
A game that started
out slow ended with a finish that
made sitting through the Minnesota
running game, the Aflac/Oregon
duck jokes, and the musical Jamiro-
quai intros all worthwhile. - Ian Herbert
2. Capital One Bowl
Georgia 34, Purdue 27
" PRE-GAME: Looking at the game in a mascot perspective, Georgia
was the clear favorite to win, pitting the spiked collared bulldog ver-
sus the gold-clad engineer.
. STORYLINE: "What's in your wallet?" More like, "Will this game
ever end?" The Capital One Bowl featuring Georgia and Purdue
lasted nearly four hours, finally being settled in overtime.
Georgia sunk its teeth quickly into Purdue, jumping out to 24-0
lead. Getting tired of their chew toy, the Bulldogs rolled over in the
fourth quarter, giving up 14 points and letting the Boilermakers get
within three points. Georgia then spit up the ball, and Purdue
recovered after the ball slipped through four players' hands. The
Boilermakers tied it with less than a minute to go. The 'Dogs won in
overtime, thanks to penalties, 34-27.
- WORTH THE TIME? A sloppy game, but it was nice to see a team fight
back from a blowout and almost pull off a miracle. - Phil Kofahl
1. Hawaii Bowl
.__Hawaii 54, Houston 48 (3 OT)
FIvE REASONs WHY THE HAWAII BWL WAS THE No. 1 BOWL GAME OF
THE SEASON:
1. OffensIve showcase: The game itself rivaled the excite-
ment of the post game brawl. The teams combined for 1,158
yards in an offensive showcase that lasted three overtimes.
2. Desperation plays: With the Warriors leading 34-27 late
in regulation, poor clock management and a missed 29-
yard field goal allowed Houston one last possession. With
22 seconds left in the game, Houston's Vincent Marshall
caught a short dump pass and scrambled 81 yards to tie
the game at 34.
3. Quarterback controversy: Before the game, Hawaii
coach June Jones opted to start Jason Whieldon at quarter-
back instead of year-long starter Timmy Chang. Chang
replaced Whieldon early in the first quarter after the starter
was shaken up. Chang's first pass was a 48-yard touchdown
strike, his first of five touchdown passes. Chang went on to
win game MVP honors.
4. A History of Fighting: Apparently Hawaii has a history of
ruckus on and off the field during home games. The brawl that
ensued after this year's game was too similar to one that
occurred last year after Hawaii's 20-19 win over Cincinnati.
Last year's brawl spilled into the stands where Cincinnati fans
and their AD complained to the NCAA.
5. The Big Fight: After Hawaii stopped Houston on fourth
down in the third overtime, players from both teams charged
the field in a brawl that even Jeff Van Gundy would back off
from. Players were swinging helmets, throwing punches and
kicks and wrestling for several minutes until security inter-
vened. Does it get any better than that? You wouldn't think
that a team that gets "leid" a lot would fight a lot, but appar-
ently they do.-Eric Ambinder
- 16. Orange Bowl S
#4Miami (FL) 16, FlorIda State 14
* PRE-GAME: This was the Bowl Game Nobody Wanted. After facing
each other in October (a 22-14 Miami win), the Hurricanes and
Seminoles will face each other this September in the 2004 season
opener, making it three games in 11 months.
" STORYLINE: It might be safe to add the Curse of the FSU Kicker to
that of the Bambino after XavieraBeitia missed a 39-yard field goal
wide right with 5:30 left, making it the fifth time in the last 13
years that a missed Seminoles kick decided a Miami-FSU game in
the Hurricanes' favor. The hit of the night came on Berlin, who took
a helmet-to-helmet shot from defensive end Charles Howard before
bumping heads with Eric Winston (his own lineman). Berlin was
helped off the field looking like the guy who had a few too many.
* WORTH THE TIME? Despite all the complaints from the media,
coaches and others, a Miami-Florida State showdown is always
a pleasure to watch no matter how many times it happens. It
was also fun to watch so much NFL talent. - Gabe Edelson
1 i IndenPndenc Rowl
w 8. Fiesta Bowl
0hio State 35, Kansas State 28
" PRE-GAME: Kansas State discovered that it was indeed,
not in Kansas anymore. Quarterback Ell Roberson disap-
peared and could not be located by team curfew. Later,
reports surfaced that an unnamed woman accused the
senior play caller of sexual assault Coach Bill Sny-
der did not decide until game time that Roberson Dumbest Player:
would play. ElI Rbenon
w STORYUNE: The Wicked Witch of the (Mid)West,
Craig Krenzel, responded to the beating the Buckeyes took in the Big
House by coming out strong and passing for four touchdowns, his most
ever in a non-overtime game. Ell Roberson was this game's goat and
will have to live with the possibility that his pre-game antics might have
cost his team a bowl win in his senior season.
. WORTH THE TIME? This game was akin to pouring salt, then lemon
juice, on the wounds of any Wolverine fan and not giving him or her
tequila to go with it After watching Michigan suffer through the Rose
Bowl, they then had to watch the Buckeyes triumph again in their bowl
game. Not only that, like every Ohio State game, this one was boring.
Kansas State's comeback made it worthwhile. - Beth Adelson
F . 7. Holiday Bowl-_
.