6B -- The Michigan Daily - SPORTSMonday - Monday, November 27, 1995 FOOTBALL Nobody said 'Go Blue' louder Northwestern was Michigan's biggest suppofter Saturday fY Nicholas J. Cotsonika and Alan Boldonbach Daily Sports Writers EVANSTON - Even the pizza guy wasn't sure. His inspirational message, scrawled on the top of one of the boxes he deliv- ered to Northwestern's John C. Nicolet Football Center, was filled with all of the pride, hope and uncertainty the Wildcats were feeling Saturday. It read: "IT AIN'T OVER 'TIL THE FAT LADY SINGS IN PASADENA OR ORLANDO!" Pasadena or Orlando? No one knew Where the best Northwestern football team in 47 years would end up. Play- eas, coaches, alumni, friends and fain- iN' gathered in the team's film room, where they had studied themselves abd their opponents so many times before; to watch Michigan and Ohio State determine their team's fate in Ann Arbor. They had come so far. Last season, they were 3-7-1, playing their tradi- tonal role of Big Ten doormat, and 4)w they had beaten Michigan, Notre D~ame and Penn State. They were 10- t ranked fourth in the nation, Big 'tn Champions and bowl-bound. Ab All that kept the Purple from Pasa- dena was second-ranked Ohio State. 'the Wildcats' fate was Michigan's to 4etermine. S"1 expected Michigan to win,"~ Northwestern coach Gary Barnett said 4fter the game, half-joking, half-seni- ous. The Wolverines had to beat the L~uckeyes to make the Cinderella story complete. Everyone in Evanston did what they could to make sure it did. People hung. "GO MICHIGAN!" banners out of their dorm windows, "N" flags waved from cars, and Barmett displayed a' flag of his own next to the big screen the game was shown on. "I borrowed the Michigan flag from my next-door neighbor, who went there," Barnett said. "I had to hang it up. They're my favorite team today." The Northwestern players were par-. tial to the Wolverines as well. Every yard Michigan gained brought cheers, and every Ohio State success made the room groan. Flashbulbs explod- ing at their every reaction, the players were cautious with their optimism.," "Go! Go!" they quietly urged oil Michigan's Tshimanga Biakabutuka,, the same man they hated in Octobie~.: "Let's go! Come on!" Then came Wolverine Charles Woodson's interception in the third' quarter. Screams and cheers, and even1 a. few smiles, were allowed. But Obits State came back to score a touchdown;, and it was back to white knuckles again "I was more intense watching this game than I was in some games I' played in," Northwestern tight end Shane Graham said. The tension came and went, teasing everyone in purple and black. After Michigan's Clarence Williams scored in the third, the room erupted.. Then the TV went out. In a pan- icked silence, everyone looked over their shoulder, stomachs turning over, "Comne.on clock! Tick!sTic!" G.- ary Barnett, Northwestern lootball-,coach, near the end of Michigan's} 3t.-23 win over Ohio State waiting. It came back on after an eter- nal minute or so, rand' it was back to business. The cheer _,nd shouts':got, louder.. Ohio State's Terry Glen~n dropped a5 pass from quarterback Bobby Hoy ing, and several players playfujl yelled* "HE'S THE.MAN I" 4,.Q J-.vgr at the screen, The cheers' got louder and loude~r again. Cornfidence wasbiiglgaa dena' was insighZ, , Michigan gjterb~i B41 re convered a~tird dprn pass tb tight end~a]imrm~n 3ant"fd finally cikacW tbe'~ lel'Q , ""Id allow the AB1~cxn( s ef -t "At ..latIt.vw geh at time" hesaid, relfemrngQ" his ear~r on-air frown. Biakabiituka 'saipered,':r niot of his 313 yards and ran fin ,far 4 touchdown to put Michigan .up, 31I- 15, and the room roared.:flarnett smiled. The players looked, at eaich other in disbelief. farnel's wifq, said' she was goinig to have a ,hart attack. "Thank you, Biakabutuka," said six year-od James kurzaws ki, he son of eysas he saw Michigan help his Wildcats qualify for the Rose!So*C-B a frietd '~a4i',' i that Florida was beating FIorida State and said, "Th e'eging,'t4 iui6i~opr national tit~e'hbpe. M pions? N.orthwestem. It was all com- ing true. As'tfi&ga~n woun down, the cheep iid~h<,t~r "Come on click!" Barnett said. "Tick! Tick!" g Then~ carpe Woodson's second in- terceptioni - and. euphoria. "RO§E -BOW,! ROSE BOWL! RQSE.3OWL!" The roses were passed out. The cam- eras clicked on. The celebrationbe gan. Someon brought the pizza box in, with Orlando scratched out, 'and p~ddIaround. it was over. It was for sure.'99h'ett had kept the promise he made when he was hired: The Purple were- qn& to Pasadena. "This is the greatest', ay ofm, ,f, offensive tackle Brian Kardos said p the same room where he wi tutidy film of Southern Cal throughout e= cember. "WE'RE GOING TOt' 1-" ROSE BOWL BABY!" Thank .you, Biakabutuka. _ ° Elorida neCxars national tit 'The Associated Press SFlorida won its state championship and an almost certain trip to~ the Fiesta bowl with a 35-24 victory over Florida $tate on Saturday. Now the Gators have *eir sights set on a bigger goal - the itional title. SDanny Wuerffel threw for 443 yards a id four touchdowns, including two long ones to Ike Hilliard, as the No. 3 Gators beat No. 6 Florida State before a record crowd of 85,711 at Florida Field. If the Gators (1 1-0 overall) beat Ar- kansas in the Southeastern Conference championship game next Saturday - and they will be heavily favored to do so - they will play top-ranked Ne- braska in the Fiesta Bowl Jan. 2. Nebraska finished the regular sea- son at 1 1-0 after beating Oklahoma, 37-0, Friday. The Fiesta Bowl now shapes up as a clear-cut national championship game because No. 2 Ohio State lost to Michi- gan, 31-23, Saturday. Despite its loss to Florida, Florida. State (9-2) still will play in a lucrative bowl alliance game, either the Orange or the Sugar. Florida tied a school record with its 11th straight victory and beat its archri val for only the second time since 1987. No. ;5 Tennessee "12, Vaioderbllt ' Jay Graham rushed for 211 yards and scored on a . ne-yard run--with three minutes left to rally No. 5 Ten-f nessee past determined Vanderbilt,, 12-7, Saturday in a battle of in-state rivals. Tennessee (10- 1) also scored on a 1- half, butnnt th~xrxon a rlce P~ lp~ ~ L4---~(Btffhv;C~ and Vanderbilt{(2-9 clungtoa7-6 lead pe,2~ op ~;Texas Teh (Big 12six~th) vs. BYU, Utah or Air Force (WAC ~secondl) until Graham bulled in on third downto - - .2Sg Aa6,,- 5 -", 01 asex asAM loser (Big12 fourt h) vs. Michigan (Big Tenforth} c p 6- 'r ~ rv .,e .2 u eE a 6 o a{ i e ffh v .W s i g o Peyton * M anning began the w inning } 2 ' ri e ~ d n e h + L , LSU E ~ ix h , s.M c ir t drive w ith footrpass com pletions for 50 b .29 H ll'c404 Clor d -tdAG c a pi n v .K ns s S . y r s t y n o e T n e s e to t e--0Lyn a t C rl na .S a f r Vanderbilt 1* . 30 Cart4 X t ', Alabama, Arkansas or Auburn (SEC third) M an n n g i n sg O 2irAf"4; %fF a.2O h io .. B ig T e n s on ) v s . T e n n e s s e e (S E C . s e c o n d)ya d to s t s h o a s ,re d O R1a ir ' : t n f . 4 : r k k v F e > V rg ia T c { B g E t s c nd v .C e mn th $© s . ' vSQ n - F n ti. ;,.tt r - 2 aI i:°, -'Coo'do (Big E1it second) vs. Oregon (Pacific-10 seconid) -- isled '9~s 4 o-300 X906 Jan. 1 R4O O - - 'Calif: '-Nrhwtestern (Big Ten champion) vs. Southern Cal (Pacifice4 champibt d) y a rd s R !'ta *P 0 N o tre D a m e (A llia n c e third ) vis M i am i ( Fla .) (A llia n ce f ft h ) r h n s 2 , , . r s , e e a . a , i *lara e s r y1d "N9araska . (Alliance first) vs, Florida (Alliance second) high and helped -hi nitset s 3nnss ee:-,. - season record of 1,438 yards, surpas- o .,, . ~ gtan ouhet ofrecs ing Johnnie Jones' 1984 mark.. __ _ Displays The Names Project AIDS Memorial Quilt View five 12x 12's of the Quilt. November 27-December 1 Michigan Union ArtLounge AIDS Awareness Posters On display by School of Art students. November 27-December 8 North Campus Commons Atrium. Day Without Ark For more details call, 747-4284 or message jmgiroux@umich.edu Friday, December 1 Speakers Brown Bag Discussion Cutting edge AIDS activism and education strategies featuring K. C. Quirk from the HIV/AIDS Resource Center. Mon., November 27, 12-1:30 pm ~School of Public Health I, Room 3001 Panel Discussion Personal sharing by persons living with AIDS. Tue., November 28, 7:30-9:30 pm :Michigan Union Kuenzel Room Lisa Tiger HIV-positive, Native American woman whose message stresses the importance of AIDS awareness. Wed., November 29, 8-9:30 pm Michigan Union Ballroom AIDS Awareness Speak-Out, An opportunity to share personal thoughts, feelings and experiences with students and faculty. Thu., November 30, 8:30-10:30 pm Michigan Union Kuenzel Room Workshops t^,. '. INTRAMURAL - - SPORTS Shared Rights, Shazred, Re~spof bfiiese, Film& AIDS Awareness Videos Mon., November Z27 , prp SPH L, 3rd Floor Lounge and 1'=I, asemenf Lounge Common Threads: ~ i~ Sto ries From The Quilt A very moving and educational film. Mon., November 27, 730 pm. RchmAd Also offered by TVQ on: Thu., November 30, 7:00 pm _ LGBPO Lounge - A moving portrayal of AIDS fi s el1 so y International film Ietival, prize winner! Tue., November -28,9:00 p~i* Natural Science Building.Auditonlum : N n eN e etbBet a:Marlon Riggs' documentary'Abeiit, gay, HIV-posit' ve, :fri re Thu., November 30, 73:00 pm e Michigan Union, LGBPO Loun :e - 4th Annual -world AIDS -Day LCandlelight VIgil-and.. rCh Gather at 6:30 pm fotf the'open ing ceremony.- March through-town,- closing ceremony id reception vw lfollow.. h r , Fri., December 1, 6:30O4:O0pm Michigan Union Anderson Room RE-SEASONr' Entries Taken: Mon 11/27 - Thurs 11/30 11 am - 4:30pm BASI(16ACLL Entry Fee: $35 per team Manager's Meeting (Mandatoy: Thurs 11/30 6pm IMSB Tournament Dates: Sat & Sun 12/2 & 12/3 PRO GRAM ICE HOCKEY Entries Taken: Tues 12/12 11 am - 4:30pmn IMSB Entry Fee: $355.00 per team $ r Manager's Meeting (Manatory): Tues 12112 6pm IMSB tPlay'Beginys: Sun 1/14 at Yost Ice Arena (state street) 4 ,WNTER TERM ACTIVITIES Baa~jhllT~a Racquetball,, Racquetball - Singles & Doubles, ,W U Rnge & Doubles, 3-Point Shootout, Pt~g~optet, Swimming & Diving Meet, Relays Meet, j ,Pre-Season Volleyball, Volleyball, ay 'aalo~ , Broomball, Cross Country Run OFFTING OPPORTUNITIE M-SE DSO N BA~SKETBALL clinic begins 7:00pm Mon 11/27I 9 ~WTNTER TIERM OFFICIATING