6B
Monday, November 27, 1995
UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Everything is coming up roses for the Wildcats
The Associated Press
EVANSTON, III. — Gary Barnett kept his promise. He's taking the Purple to Pasadena.
Northwestern, one of the biggest losers in college football history, is going to the Rose Bowl. For this season at least, football overshadows academics in Evanston.
You can shake your head and blink your eyes, but the picture remains the same. The Wildcats are Big Ten champions. For only the second time in school history and for the first time since 1949, the football team is going to a bowl game.
The Wildcats got all the help they needed Saturday from No. 18 Michigan, which shocked No. 2 Ohio State 31-23.
For three ooh- and aah-filled hours, 16 Northwestern players squirmed in their seats or paced in a small auditorium about 100 yards from Dyche Stadium.
Barnett, the youthful coach, moved around like the host at a party and was photographed many times as he reacted to the
game at Ann Arbor, which was shown on a large screen TV.
When a late interception finally secured the Wolverines' victory, the Northwestern players exchanged hand slaps and hugs and enjoyed this latest chapter in an improbable, nearly unbelievable season.
"When we were 3-7-1 nobody was in there. It's incredible," said junior linebacker Pat Fitzgerald, the team's defensive star who will miss the bowl with a broken leg. "We took a program that nobody said could win and we turned out Big Ten champions. And we're going to the Rose Bowl. The sweet thing is that we did everything right. We worked hard. We did everything honestly.
"We set a new echelon for the rest of the country. You can have an outstanding academic institution and still play good football."
The Wildcats accepted the Rose Bowl invitation immediately after the Michigan game, and then the players were handed roses. A boom box was brought into the auditorium.
The TV screen showed Northwestern's results, which included only one loss, against Miami of Ohio, in the second week. On the wall there was a list of goals for the season, the final one being the Rose Bowl.
and the school's fight song blared loudly.
"There are no words to describe it," said Barnett, who stood up during a basketball game when he took the job almost four years ago and promised that he would take the Purple to Pasadena.
During his first three seasons, the Wildcats won just eight games, two fewer than they won during this 10-1 season.
"I feel like we delivered, and that's fulfilling. We needed a little help to do it, but we got it," he said.
"This is something else. I wish the entire team was here," said punter Paul Burton, noting that many team members went home for Thanksgiving. "This is something that is going to be with us the rest of our lives."
Punter Brian Musso, whose father was an All-American at Alabama, said he was still
"This hasn't sunk in yet, maybe tomorrow when I see it in the papers," Musso said. "This is harder than playing. I'm more drained right now than I am after a game.
shaking minutes after Michigan's victory
"We've been nervous about this game all week, looking forward to it. It's just a great end to a fun year for us."
Musso said he had appreciated what the season had done for so many former players, who wore the loser's label for many years.
Until this year, Northwestern hadn't had a winning season since 1971. During the 1980s, there was a 34-game losing streak.
Barnett, a college teammate of Michigan coach Lloyd Carr, didn't talk to the Wolverines coach to offer advice or encouragement.
"Lloyd didn't need any help. That team was ready to play for him," Barnett said.
Barnett admitted that the watching and waiting was almost as draining as coaching, but he said that the Wildcats were in a win-
win situation. Even had Ohio State won, the Wildcats would have played in the Citrus Bowl.
"I don't know if it's sweeter, but it's more significant to us because we set our goal to go to the Rose Bowl," Barnett said. "We were going to win either way, play a great opponent at either place. The advantage for us to go to the Rose Bowl is that it represents the standard in the Big Ten," he said.
The Wildcats will play Southern Cal on New Year's Day in one of the most picturesque settings in all of sports. In the 1949 Rose Bowl, Northwestern beat California 20-14.
There are nine other teams that wish they were in Northwestern's position, Fitzgerald said. "Ever bigger is that we're just the second team in school history to go to a bowl game, and that's the Rose Bowl, and that makes it ever greater," he said.
"Hopefully, we can eliminate the negative connotations about Northwestern in the past and write a new history about the Cats."
Huskers prepare for Fiesta Bowl
The Associated Press
LINCOLN, Neb. — With a rare Saturday off to watch football from his home, Nebraska coach Tom Osborne took a living-room seat to see No. 3 Florida march one game closer to a Fiesta Bowl showdown with the top-ranked Cornhuskers for the national championship.
Osborne said he needed more material to judge the Gators (11-0), who beat No. 6 Florida State 35-24. If Florida beats Arkansas in Saturday's Southeastern Conference title game, the Gators will play Nebraska in the Fiesta Bowl on Jan. 2 for what Osborne calls "the whole ball of wax."
"They certainly have a great football team and a very good passing game," Osborne said. "I can't get much of an impression from one game on television. If we play each other, and it looks like we might, we'll exchange tapes and we'll get a better look."
Florida moved up to second in the major polls after Ohio State's 31-23 loss at Michigan.
John Junker, executive director of the bowl, was in Lincoln for Neb
"They certainly have a great football team and
a very good
passing game."
Tom Osborne
Nebraska football coach
raska's 37-0 victory against Oklahoma on Friday. He said an official bid would not come before Dec. 3 but told Osborne and the Huskers not to make other plans.
If Florida beats Arkansas, the Fiesta Bowl will match the top two teams in the country. Only Nebraska (11-0) and Florida are undefeated among the top-25 teams.
"That should quiet some of the debate, at least assuming Florida can beat Arkansas," Osborne said. "That's not a foregone conclusion. I'm sure Arkansas will be prepared."
This matchup would prevent a repeat of last season's finish, in which the undefeated Penn State team finished No. 2 behind Nebraska in the polls.
This is standard stuff from the low-key Osborne, who became the first coach to record 230 career victories in 23 years with the win against Oklahoma.
Nebraska center Aaron Graham had a private wish spoiled with the Gators' victory. He wanted to defeat Florida State, which handed Nebraska two consecutive Orange Bowl losses.
"But I don't really care, just as long as it's the best team," said Graham, a senior team captain. "I'm just glad we're there."
Wingback Jon Vedral said the bowl opponent would not matter.
"It's better to go out there and beat the best team (the voters' choice) and win it and convince everyone that we are the dominant team." Vedral said.
Nebraska has played Florida once, winning 13-10 in the 1974 Sugar Bowl in Osborne's second year as head coach.
Heisman list increases by one
The Associated Press
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Hold on, Tommie Frazier and Eddie George. Don't clear out space in the trophy case just yet. It might be prudent to wait another week before working on those Heisman acceptance speeches.
A two-man race for the Heisman has another contender.
Florida quarterback Danny Wuerfel — who just a few days ago was thought to have only a slim chance — pushed his way back into consideration with a remarkable performance Saturday.
Wuerfel picked apart Florida State, completing 25-of-40 passes for 443 yards and four touchdowns as the second-ranked Gators moved closer to a national championship with a 35-24 victory.
"Wuerffel was tremendous," Florida State coach Bobby Bowden said. "Every time we would start getting momentum, he'd put us away again."
Many voters still won't pick Wuerffel no matter how many yards he throws for or many of his passes wind up in the end zone. They call him a product of coach Steve Spurrier's "Fun-n-Gun" offense, just another clone throwing for 300 yards every week.
But it may be time to give Wuerffel his due. Consider this:
He's one of only two Heisman contenders playing on an unbeaten team. If the Gators (11-0) defeat Arkansas as expected for the Southeastern Conference championship Saturday night, they will meet Fra
zier and No. 1 Nebraska (11-0) for the national championship in the Fiesta Bowl.
■ Wuertel's numbers may be aided by the Spurrier system, but they are staggering nonetheless. He has completed 64 percent for 2,900 yards and an SEC-record 33 touchdowns. As a junior, Wuertel has set an conference-record 73 career touchdown passes.
Wuerffel has been at his best in big games. In Florida's 62-37 victory over Tennessee, he passed for 381 yards and six touchdowns. Against Auburn, he had four touchdowns and 380 yards in a 49-38 victory.
Despite having more than 400 yards, Wuerffel didn't have it easy against Florida State — he was sacked six times.
Frazier — 32-3 as Nebraska's starting quarterback — threw for 128 yards and one touchdown and ran for 35 yards in a 37-0 victory over Oklahoma Friday. It wasn't the kind of performance Frazier needed in his final outing before the votes are counted.
At least Frazier's team won. George, Ohio State's star runner, rushed for 104 yards in a 31-23 loss to Michigan and was overshadowed by Tshimanga Biakabutaka, who gained a career-high 313 yards. Biakabutaka wound up the season with 1,724 yards — only 102 less than George.
Other candidates include Northwestern running back Darnell Autry (1,675 yards rushing), Tennessee quarterback Peyton Manning (2,954 yards passing) and Iowa State running back Troy Davis, the fifth runner in NCAA Division I history to run for more than 2,000 yards.
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