Unlikely foes in new bowl
Web posted December 29, 1997
Welcome to the inaugural Sports Humanitarian Bowl. If December in Idaho is your idea of college football paradise, you'll fit in just fine with Cincinnati (7-4) and Utah State (6-5).
``This game is just what we wanted,'' Utah State coach John L. Smith said. ``This is the culmination of our dreams.''
``We couldn't be happier to be playing in this game,'' echoed Cincinnati coach Rick Minter. ``We're anxious to make a good showing for ourselves and for our school.''
Two of the most unlikely bowl teams of the year are doing battle in a game that didn't exist even 10 months ago. Cincinnati hasn't been to a bowl since 1950, while Utah State endured a four-game losing streak and gave up 51 points to lowly North Texas in the season's final game.
SUN BOWL: Arizona State's hopes in the Sun Bowl rest with Steve Campbell, who already has conceded next year's quarterback job.
Campbell, built more like a basketball player at 6-feet-8, 240 pounds, will lead the 16th-ranked Sun Devils (8-3) against Iowa (7-4) Wednesday.
``This will be my first and only collegiate start,'' said Campbell, who was thrust into the starting role because of a knee injury to freshman Ryan Kealy in Arizona State's 28-16 loss to Arizona in the final game of the season.
GATOR BOWL: Jonathan Linton heard all the talk during the preseason, about how after an obligatory start or two as a senior that one of North Carolina's highly recruited freshmen would take over as the tailback of the future.
Linton, a backup early in his career to Leon Johnson who had carried the ball a combined 151 times in mop-up duty the past three seasons, had other ideas.
He dropped 20 pounds to get in better shape and proved from the team's first game - in which he gained 121 yards - that he belonged as the starting tailback, which has been the glamour position for years for the No. 7 Tar Heels (10-1).
``The talk in the beginning of the season was exciting me more,'' Linton said as he prepared to face Virginia Tech (7-4) in the Gator Bowl on Jan. 1. ``I just felt all the people were challenging me to see what I could do.
Williams, who was the passenger in a Jeep, and an unidentified female driver both fell asleep about 1 a.m. while on U.S. 74 near Williams' hometown of Shelby. He said the pair was returning from a friend's house.
ORANGE BOWL: You won't catch Nebraska hoping that Peyton Manning's sore knee keeps him out of the Orange Bowl, despite the risk that he might shred the Cornhuskers secondary.
``It would probably be better for us if Peyton Manning can play,'' Nebraska coach Tom Osborne said. ``I know that sounds like a crazy thing to say, but for things to go best for us nationally, we need to play Tennessee at its best.''
In other words, the Huskers' national title hopes involve not only a Washington State win over top-ranked Michigan in the Rose Bowl, but also a Nebraska victory against the nation's top quarterback.
COTTON BOWL: Cade McNown fades back and hits his receiver with a perfect spiral on a 15-yard out-pattern.
This is at a UCLA practice in Texas Stadium as the No. 5 Bruins prepare for a Jan. 1 Cotton Bowl game against No. 20 Texas A&M.
It's an example of what McNown has done all season. His accuracy is the best in the nation. He's thought of as a left-handed Troy Aikman, who played at UCLA before going to the Dallas Cowboys.
And the best is yet to come for UCLA. McNown, a junior, has decided to return for his senior season and take a run at honors such as the Heisman Trophy and the Davey O'Brien award as the best quarterback in the nation.
ALIOTTI AT UCLA: Nick Aliotti, a coach with the St. Louis Rams, was hired as defensive coordinator by UCLA on Sunday.
Aliotti replaces Rocky Long, who left to become head coach at New Mexico.
Associated Press
Smurf Turf. A flock of lame ducks. Game-time temperatures in the 30s. Teams with a combined record of 13-9.
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