Path: bloom-picayune.mit.edu!snorkelwacker.mit.edu!americast.com!americast.com!usa-post Newsgroups: usa-today.sports,americast.usa-today.sports From: usa-post@AmeriCast.Com Organization: American Cybercasting Approved: usa-post@AmeriCast.com Subject: sports Fri, Oct 30 1992 Date: Fri, 30 Oct 92 09:37:04 EST Message-ID: 10-30 0000 DECISIONLINE: Sports USA TODAY Update Oct. 30-Nov. 1, 1992 Source: USA TODAY:Gannett National Information Network LOVE, CLEARWATER TAKE LEAD: Davis Love III, trying to catch Fred Couples and win the PGA Tour money title, fired a 3-under-par 68 Thursday to tie Keith Clearwater for the lead in the $2 million Tour Championship at Pinehurst, N.C. Love birdied three of his first six holes and was alone in first place until he missed a 2-foot putt on the last hole. Couples scrambled to a 73. EAGLES, COWBOYS SET FOR BATTLE: Let's add some fuel to the fire for Sunday's NFC East showdown when the Philadelphia Eagles visit the Dallas Cowboys. Nobody has rushed for 100 yards against Philadelphia (5-2) in 53 regular-season games. Emmitt Smith of the Cowboys (6-1) has tried five times. On the line: Eagles quarterback Randall Cunningham's 8-0 record against the Cowboys as a starter. STEELERS FACE OFF WITH OILERS: The Pittsburgh Steelers opened the season with a 29-24 victory at the Houston Oilers. Now, both are tied at 5-2 in the AFC Central and play Sunday. Oilers quarterback Warren Moon has been intercepted 15 times in his last four games against Pittsburgh, five times in the opener. In ithe Monday night NFL game, the Minnesota Vikings (5-2) visit the Chicago Bears (4-3). W. KENTUCKY WINS, SETS RECORDS: Eddie Thompson ran for four touchdowns and a school-record 309 yards as Western Kentucky toppled Southern Illinois 41-39 Thursday night. The previous individual rushing record was 297, set in 1971. Western had 617 yards total offense, breaking a mark of 502 yards set in 1948. Also Thursday, Southern Mississippi beat East Carolina 38-21. BOWL BERTHS ARE OPEN: Bowl berths are waiting to be filled. A national championship is waiting to be won. This weekend, college football starts addressing both. No. 7-ranked Nebraska and No. 9 Colorado, the best rushing and fourth-best passing teams, meet in a Big Eight Conference game that will cast the winner as a favorite to land in the Federal Express Orange Bowl. HUSKIES SHOOT FOR TOP: The Washington Huskies are ranked No. 2 and locked in a dogfight with Miami (Fla.) on top of college football polls. Saturday, the Huskies begin a two-week test of strength against No. 16 Stanford. Next week, they play at No. 19 Arizona. Also Saturday: West Virginia at No. 1 Miami, No. 6 Florida State at No. 22 Virginia, No. 8 Georgia vs. No. 20 Florida at Jacksonville, Fla. NORDIQUES STOP GARDEN SLIDE: Andrei Kovalenko scored twice as the Quebec Nordiques ended an eight-game losing streak at Madison Square Garden, beating the New York Rangers 6-3 Thursday. The Rangers lost at home for the first time this season. In other NHL games: Boston 8, Los Angeles 3; St. Louis 6, Pittsburgh 4; Philadelphia 5, Chicago 5, OT. ELLIOTT IS LOOKING BACK: The pack chasing Bill Elliott lost ground and members last week, but the Winston Cup leader still is looking over his shoulder. He goes into Sunday's NASCAR Pyroil 500 at Phoenix with three drivers instead of five nipping at his heels. His lead after a fourth-place finish last week at Rockingham, N.C., grew from 39 to 70 points on second-place Davey Allison, the defending champion at Phoenix. COLLEGE BASKETBALL BEGINS: College basketball teams can officially open practice Sunday. Many will do it as early as the stroke of midnight. The start was moved from Oct. 15 to Nov. 1 by the NCAA. First games: Nov. 18 in the preseason National Invitation Tournament. OWNERS LOOK AT PROPOSAL: Members of baseball's ownership committee and executive council chairman Bud Selig began examining Thursday the latest proposal that, if accepted, will keep the Giants in San Francisco. Selig and the ownership committee, headed by St. Louis vice chairman Fred Kuhlmann, will spend the next 10 days studying the voluminous documents before a joint owners meeting in Phoenix Nov. 10-11. ELWAY, REED AMONG NOMINEES: Reggie White, John Elway, Andre Reed and Troy Aikman are among nominees for the 1992 Edge NFL Man of the Year Award, which honors a player for community service and on-field excellence. The winner will be announced during Super Bowl week at Pasadena, Calif., in January. TIGERS NEGOTIATE WITH PHILLIPS: The Detroit Tigers offered salary arbitration to infielder:outfielder Tony Phillips Thursday, preventing him from becoming a free agent. The New York Yankees did not offer arbitration to outfielder Mel Hall, who is eligible to file for free agency before Nov. 8. Oakland pitcher Dave Stewart was among nine players to file for free agency Thursday. RUDDOCK, LEWIS JAB EARLY: Razor Ruddock and Lennox Lewis came face to face in London Thursday, two days before their heavyweight fight billed as a title elimination, and launched into a verbal sparring contest about steroids. Ruddock, the WBC's No. 1 contender, accused Lewis of refusing to be tested for the muscle-building drug. Lewis, rated No. 2, said he already was tested. THORPE MAY MISS OPENER: Otis Thorpe's reign as the NBA's current iron man (542 consecutive games) is likely at an end. A kidney injury the Houston forward suffered in an exhibition game last week is expected to keep him sidelined past the Nov. 6 opener. WILLIAMS SIGNS WITH KINGS: Walt Williams, the Sacramento Kings' No. 1 draft choice, reached agreement with the team Thursday on a contract reportedly worth $13.5 million over six years. The product of Maryland was the seventh pick of the NBA draft. THOSE ABROAD LIKE YANKEES: U.S. citizens living abroad prefer the New York Yankees, Dallas Cowboys and Chicago Bulls. In a reader mail-in survey conducted by USA TODAY's International Edition, 12% of the respondents said the Yankees were their favorite baseball team, 13% named the Cowboys as their top football team and 21% said the Bulls were their favorites in basketball. SCURRY IN HOSPITAL: Former major league pitcher Rod Scurry was in intensive care Thursday following an incident with sheriff's deputies in Reno, Nev., Police found Scurry outside his home, complaining that snakes were in his house, biting him. Scurry became violent and stopped breathing when deputies were putting on handcuffs and leg hobbles, according to the Washoe (Nev.) County police. 24-HOUR TELEPHONE INFORMATION: USA TODAY Sports Hot Line. 95 cents a minute. 1-900-555-5555. Sports Editor: Kate Coughlin. (919-855-3491) Making copies of USA TODAY Update (Copyright, 1992) for further distribution violates federal law. This article is copyright 1992 Gannett News Service. Redistribution to other sites is not permitted except by arrangement with American Cybercasting Corporation. For more information, send-email to usa@AmeriCast.COM