6B
Tuesday, November 28, 1995
UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Florida football escapes curse of the Bowden family
No.2 Gators will battle Razorbacks for conference title
The Associated Press
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Steve Spurrier won't have to answer any more questions about the Bowden Curse. Not that the Florida coach ever will admit to worrying about it in the first place.
In the previous two seasons, Florida had lost four games and tied one — with all five blemishes coming against Bowden-coached teams.
Florida State and Bobby Bowden beat Florida twice and rallied from
a 28-point deficit in the fourth quarter to a 31-31 tie last year. Auburn, where Bobby's son Terry is the coach, upset Florida two years in a row.
But this year was different. Florida overpowered Auburn 49-38 at midseason, then completed a Bowden sweep with a 35-24 victory against Florida State on Saturday.
Naturally, Spurrier was asked about his change of fortunes against the first family of college coaching.
"There never was a monkey on my back," he insisted. "That was (the media's) monkey, that wasn't mine. You can't make me feel bad with what has happened around here."
lack of success against the Bowdens, he had led the Gators to 21 victories, a pair of Top 10 finishes and two straight Southeastern Conference titles.
Spurrier has a point. Despite his
"This win is for the Gators. You guys make too much out of the coaches. I call a few ball plays and hope they work, but the players have to execute," Spurrier said.
Still, even Spurrier would admit that this year has been special — primarily because Florida has been able to beat Team Bowden. The victories against Auburn and Florida State are the main reason Florida is not just a very good team this year, but a great team.
If the No. 2 Gators (11-0) beat Arkansas as expected for the Southeastern Conference champion.
onship Saturday night, they will meet top-ranked Nebraska in the Fiesta Bowl for the national title.
"He killed me," said Bobby Bowden. "He killed me and my boy in the same year."
Some players were chanting "We're No. 1" and "We're on our way to Arizona" as they trotted off Florida Field, but Spurrier keeps insisting that his focus is squarely on 22-point underdog Arkansas (8-3), a surprise winner of the SEC's Western Division.
"Arkansas has had a little time to sort of rejuvenate themselves," Spurrier said. "We'll get over this one, I can assure you of that. If they beat us, there will be no excuses. We'll be ready to play Arkansas."
issue about the SEC championship might be Danny Wuerffel's pursuit of the Heisman Trophy.
Realistically, the most intriguing
The Florida quarterback passed for 443 yards and four touchdowns against Florida State, suddenly emerging as a major contender for a trophy after the favorites, Tommie Frazier of Nebraska and Eddle George of Ohio State, floundered in their final games of the regular season.
While some claim Wuerfel's numbers are padded by playing in Spurrier's "Fun-n-Gun" offense, they are staggering nonetheless.
This season, he has completed 64 percent of his passes for 2,990 yards and an SEC-record 33 touchdowns. He also has 73 touchdown passes in his career, another conference record, even though he is only a junior.
"I don't care about that." Wuerffel said of his Heisman chances. "If people want to talk about that, let em, I don't bother with that."
Wuerffel will get a chance to throw a few more touchdown passes and go over the 3,000-yard mark in the SEC championship game, which is played before the Heisman ballots have to be returned to the Downtown Athletic Club.
When those votes are tallied and announced Dec. 9, Wuerffel will be assured at least one vote. Spurrier, who won the award in 1966 as a Florida quarterback, said he's already written Wuerffel's name at the top of his ballot.
Alt has become the standard
The Associated Press
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — When offensive tackle John Alf joined the Kansas City Chiefs, he didn't think he would have a long NFL career.
"When I signed that first contract, I figured I would play it out and move on to something else," Alt said. "I took it year by year from there, and I am still here."
That first contract was in 1984. Alt never moved on to something else, although plenty of defensive linemen who played against him probably wish he had. In his 12th season, Alt has become the standard against which other NFL offensive linemen are measured.
"He is a very proud guy." Art Shelli, who made the Hall of Fame as an Oakland Raiders offensive tackle and now coaches the Chiefs offensive line, said. "He does not like to make mistakes. He asks very intelligent questions. He wants to know exactly what is going on and what's expected of him."
What is expected of Alt is blocking one great pass rusher after another, whether it is Dallas' Charles Haley, San Diego's Leslie O'Neal or Buffalo's Bruce Smith.
At 6 feet 8 and 307 pounds, Alt does it well. On Thanksgiving Day against Dallas, he faced Haley, the NFC sack leader, with 10 1/2. Haley had only one tackle.
Though the Chiefs lost 24-12, the closest Haley came to quarterback Steve Bono was the postgame handshake.
Last season, when Alt missed all or parts of eight games with a back injury, the Chiefs allowed 14 sacks. In the eight games he was healthy, the Chiefs allowed five sacks.
Shell, who coached the Raiders before joining the Chiefs this season, likes Alt even more now that
they're working together.
"I always thought he was a tough guy looking at it from the outside," Shell said. "But he is a tough guy than I thought he was."
When Alt wrenched his knee before the Dallas game, Shell told him he might rest him for a couple of series.
"That didn't sit very well with him," Shell said. "He said, 'I want this. If I am having any problems at all with my injury, I will let you know.'
"I said, 'OK, big guy.'"
Alt, 33, said that last season's back problems motivated him to play harder this season, especially when rumors of his retirement began.
He has two years remaining on his contract but is not sure how much longer he will play.
"The way I felt last year with the back, I'm a little surprised that it has done as well as it has this year," he said.
Alabama awaits NCAA decision
The Associated Press
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — An NCAA committee has decided Alabama's appeal of sanctions against the football program and likely will release its findings by the week's end, a representative said yesterday.
Given that timetable, the 21st-ranked Crimson Tide (8-3) should know by the day bowl bids go out whether the panel will lift a ban on postseason play — a key request by Alabama.
Representatives from the school argued their case before committee members Nov.16, claiming former faculty athletics representative Tom Jones was cited wrongly for unethical conduct.
"They decided on the day of the hearing generally what the outcome was going to be," NCAA representative Kathryn Reith said. "Then they assigned a member to write up a report on the specific points of the appeal."
The report likely will be sent to the school within two or three days, and it should be made public soon after.
A school representative said Alabama had not
made any bowl plans but could act quickly given a favorable decision.
Alabama was placed on three years' probation for rules violations involving former Crimson Tide stars Gene Jelks and Antonio Langham, a defensive back now with the NFL's Cleveland Browns.
In addition to probation and the loss of a bowl game this season, Alabama had to forfeit eight victories from 1993 and give up 26 scholarships over three years.
In the appeal, Alabama sought to overturn the ban on postseason play, the third year of probation and asked for the return of nine scholarships.
Jelks was accused of wrongly obtaining a bank loan after his playing days were up, and Langham signed with a sports agent the day after Alabama won the 1992 national championship over Miami in the Sugar Bowl.
Jones, who since has resigned as faculty athletics representative, was accused of giving the NCAA incorrect and incomplete information about Langham. Jones denied any wrongdoing.
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