ALABAMA JOURNAL January 22, 1982 Mosteller Aims Deadly Shot Toward 'Bogs bama. 13-2 overall and 5-2 in the SEC Basketball Roundup By LINDA FUNDERBURK Journal Sports Writer Odell Mosteller watched a last-second desperation shot fall through the net Wednesday night at Louisiana State's Assembly Center in Baton Rouge. Long-range shots are Mosteller's favorite. But not this one. The Derrick Taylor basket gave LSU a 69-68 win over the Tigers and dropped Auburn to 9-6 overall, 3-4 in the Southeastern Conference.
"Yeah, 'it leaves you with a bad feeling." said Mosteller, the Tigers' 6-foot-3 shooting guard. "Yeah, it does. I'd rather lose by 15 points than by one. It's bad after we played so hard and lost on a last-second shot." Auburn's next opponent did lose by a 15-point margin. Georgia fell victim to Alabama 81-66 in Tuscaloosa.
Georgia invades Auburn's Memo-' rial Coliseum Saturday afternoon at 2 for another conference game. Elsewhere in the conference Alabama entertains Florida, Vanderbilt travels to Kentucky, Tennessee hosts LSU and Mississippi State goes to Mississippi. Mosteller is familiar with the Bulldogs' program. He spent his high school years less than 100 miles from Athens playing for Chattooga High in Summerville, before leading Hiwassee Junior College in Madison-ville, to a fourth place finish in the JUCO national tournament last year. Auburn assistant coach Roger Banks recruited the 25.1 point per game performer while Banks was still an assistant under Hugh Durham at Georgia last year.
But following Mosteller's visit to Auburn the decision had been made. scoring 25 points while snaring 17 rebounds. Mosteller hit the 21 point mark twice this season against Tennessee and the Wildcats. "I didn't really think I would be the leading scorer when I came here," said Mosteller. "I just went out to get my shot in and they just fell for me." His shots have been falling at a 58.5 percent clip, five tenths higher than last year's junior college pace.
"I really think my percentage can be better," he said. "I've missed more shots than I usually miss." Joining Mosteller and Barkley as Auburn's probable starters are 6-foot-9 foward Darrell Lockhart, 6-foot-2 forward Alvin Mumphord and 6-foot guard Paul Daniels. Florida could be returning to its orginal starting lineup when the Gators take the court against Ala confernece, Saturday afternoon at 2:30 in Tuscaloosa. The Gators lost to Kentucky 91-76 Wednesday night in Gainesville to fall to 4-11 overall and 1-6 in the conference. Injuries, youth and mere numbers have plagued the Gators for most pf the season.
They started the season with four sophom*ores and sis freshmen. Returning starter Vernon Delancy suffered two broken fingers early in the season. Since his return the Gators lost to Tennessee 69-66 and Ole Miss 69-67 before the Kentucky game. Joining Delancy as probable starters are Ronnie Williams, the SEC's leading scorer (21.8 point av-. erage) and the 24th leading scorer in the nation; guards Mike Moses and Rob Harden and center Eugene McDowell.
"I had some more visits left," said Mosteller, "but when I visited Auburn, I decided I should go to school there." The decision has been good to the Tigers. He is their leading scorer, averaging 16.5 points per game, mostly from long range. The scoring load could fall on Mosteller's shoulders again Saturday. Georgia brings a front line composed of 6-foot-6 sophom*ore James Banks, 6-foot-7 junior Terry Fair and 6-foot-7 junior Dominique Wilkens. Completing the starting lineup at guard for the Bulldogs will be 6-foot-5 sophom*ore Vern Fleming and 6-foot-2 senior Eric Marbury.
"Yeah, it might come down to us not being able to get the ball inside to our big men," said Mosteller. "I might have to take up the slack from the outside. "Yeah, I feel comfortable at 25, 20 or 15 feet. You have to have a strong wrist to shoot those long shots." Wilkens (the SEC's fourth leading scorer with a 19 point average) moved from underneath the basket Wednesday night, against the Tide front line, to the top of the key to toss-in 24 points for the Bulldogs. "I think he will stay on the inside against us," Mosteller said, "because our inside men are small.
He'll feel he can score inside." Wilkens may have a surprise in store for him in the form of Auburn freshman Charles Barkley. Big men have a way of inspiring Barkley. He had one of his best performances against Kentucky's Melvin Turpin, Dark Goods Approaclhiiro I -IV f- January 24.1982 Pontiac Silverdome Slveirdome 22 CINCINNATI BENGALS Regular Season (12-4) PONTIAC. Mich. (AP) Storm clouds have started forming on the National Football League labor front but that's nothing compared to the fullscale storm that hit the San Francisco 49ers three days before Super Bowl XVI.
Representatives of the NFL Players Association and the league's Management Council rattled sabres at separate press conferences Thursday while the 49ers were shaken by a sprained left knee suffered in practice by wide receiver Freddie Solomon. The injury left Solomon officially listed as questionable for Sunday's til le game against the Cincinnati Bengals. In the NFL lexicon, questionable status means a player has a 50-50 chance of playing. Solomon. San Francisco's second leading receiver, was injured when he collided with cornerback Ronnie Lott on a sideline pass pattern during a workout Thursday.
He was treated in the locker room and Coach Bill Walsh said his status would be reviewed today. If Solomon, who caught 59 passes during the regular season, is unable to play, he will be replaced by Mike Wilson, a free agent rookie who signed with the 49ers alter being released by Dallas. Wilson caught nine passes (luring the regular season. The loss of Solomon could seriously alter the 49ers game plan against the Bengals Walsh was refining his team's approach to Sunday's game as SAN FRANCISCO 49ers Regular Season (13-3) By "ir -v Ck fo 27 Seattle 21 31 NY Jets 30 17 Cleveland 20 27 Buffalo (OT 24 10 Houston 17 41 Baltimore 19 34 Pittsburgh 7 7 New Orleans 17 34 Houston 21 40 San Diego 17 24 Los Angeles 10 38 Denver 21 41 Cleveland 21 3 San Francisco 21 17 Pittsburgh 10 30 Atlanta 28 Playoffs 28 Buffalo 21 27 San Diego 7 1 7 Detroit. 24 28 Chicago 17 17 Atlanta 34 21 New Orleans 14 30 Washington 17 45 Dallas 14 13 Green Bay 3 20 Los Angeles 17 17 Pittsburgh 14 17 Atlanta 14 12 Cleveland 15 33 Los Angeles 31 17 NY Giants 10 21 Cincinnati 3 28 Houston 6 21 New Orleans 17 Playoffs 38 NY Giants 24 28 Dallas 27 Related Stories, Page 15 kiekolf neared and indicated that he thought on defense San Francisco's major problem might be containing the running of Cincinnati's Pete Johnson.
My suspicion is he'll be their primary weapon," Walsh said of the bulldozing fullback. Forrest Gregg. Cincinnati's coach, shrugged off Walsh's suggestion. He may be encouraging me as far as my game plan is concerned," (iregg said. "I won't stand here and say we won't give the ball to Pete.
But we got here by throwing the ball. We scored a lot of points throwing. Pete is one of our weapons. We don't put all our eggs in one basket." (iregg also was involved in a brief war of words with CBS television producer Terry O'Neil. The coach was annoyed over remarks printed in a local newspaper and attributed to O'Neil which he interpreted as being a ptiHiown of the Bengals.
I like to apologize to CBS for Cincinnati being here instead of Pittsburgh or San Diego or Buffalo." he said. "But we like it and we're gonn.1 stay." Neil denied any insult was intended when he originally refused to comment on the matchups, causing the flap. He met for 15 minutes with Gregg to work out the misunderstanding. I love the matchup." O'Neil said in a statement issued after Gregg made his remarks: "These are two of the most sophisticated pass offenses in pro football history." Kd Garvey. executive director of the NFLPA, said negotiations for a new ollective bargaining agreement with the league would begin Feb.
16 in Miami Garvey repeated the union demand for 55 percent of gross revenues, position the league has already strongly rejected. Garvey said a survey of NFL players showed that 92 percent supported t'le percentage of gross as the No. 1 priority in a new contract and that 95 pweent the players were willing to strike over that demand. (See SUPER, Page 15) ITWTT I a- AF WWpfcoto Brains Match Super's Brawn Super Bowl Report An Analysis scholar-athlete, graduating in the top five percent of his high school class Then he left the factories of Flint, for the pastoral Halls of Ivy at uanmoutn. "I went there because of the small student body and because I wanted to leave industrial Flint and go to a place renowned for its beauty, peace and serentity," he said.
There had been a time in his life when it seemed unlikely that Williams could go to any college, much less one with the prestige of a Dartmouth. His handicaps as a child limited his early progress in school. "My intelligence was suspect in kindergarten and the first trade." he said. "But my problem was diagnosed early and I got immediate attention A By HAL BOCK Associated Press PONTIAC, Mich. Sunday's Super Bowl between San Francisco and Cincinnati may lack the awesome powerhouses of some of the past showdowns in this series but it won't take a backseat in the brains department.
Bill Walsh, coach of the 49ers, has been described as a genius, a designation that doesn't worry Cincinnati Coach Forrest Gregg at all. How will Gregg deal with coaching against this deep thinker? "He can't play, can he?" cracked the Cincinnati coach. And anyway, the Bengals have their own intellectual connection with two Ivy Leaguers in their lineup. Punter Pat Mclnally holds a degree in art history from Harvard and linebacker Reggie Williams studied psychology at Dartmouth. Most of Mclnally's college classmates are now doctors, lawyers or captains of industry.
He, however, is still kicking footballs for a living. "When my parents sent me to Harvard, they wanted me to be a specialist," he said. "But I don't think this is what they had in mind." Mclnally, who led the league in punting this season and will be in the Pro Bowl, is a renaissance man. Besides his fascination with art, he is a talented guitarist and composer. He's written two recent selections with pianist-composer Cliff Adams, entitled "Even in the Modern World" and "When We Were Young." He describes the songs as "popular music with guts to it." What about writing a hymn to punters, he was asked.
"That's a good idea," he said "I'd call it 'Hang Mclnally also is the Bengals' resident prankster. "Any great institution has some sickos that get out," noted wide receiver Cris Collinsworth, who has been known to live life on the lightside himself. "Mclnally represents that one percent." Mclnally, however, insists he has a serious side, one befitting a Harvard graduate. "In my kicking," he said, "I try to apply the Pathagorean Theorem wherever possible." Williams is an Inspiration. He suffered from severe hearing and speech impediments as a youngster but overcame the problems to become a THE GAME Super Bowl XVI.
THE TEAMS NFC champion San Francisco 49ers (13-3 regular season. 2-0 playoffs); AFC champion Cincinnati Bengals (12-4 regular season. 2-0 playoffs). KICKOFF 3 p.m. CST in the Pontiac Silverdome (Pontiac.
Mich. Sunday. A capacity crowd of 80.638 is expected. LAST OUTINGS The 49ers won their first-ever NFC championship by defeating the Dallas 28-27. on Jan.
10 in San Francisco: The Bengals won their first AFC title by defeating the San Diego Chargers, 27-7, on Jan. 10 in Cincinnati. TELEVISION The game will be telecast nationally by CBS-TV iWCOV, Channel 20 in Montgomery will carry the game locally) with John Madden and Pat Sum-merall as the broadcast crew. SERIES STANDING The two teams have met just three times previously, with San Francisco leading the series, 2-1. In 1974, the Bengals defeated the 49ers 21-3, while San Francisco won 28-12 in 1978.
The 49ers also won an earlier game this season in Cincinnati, 21-3. The 1974 and '78 games were played in San Francisco. THE COACHES Bill Walsh, who has been named NFC Coach-of-the-Year by nearly all possible sources and most recently was selected NFL Coach-of-the-Year by The Sporting News, led his 1981 San Francisco team to its first NFC championship ever and its first NFC Western Division title since 1972. This is Walsh's third season as head coach and general manager. His three season 49ers' mark is 23-27; Forrest Gregg took over the Cincinnati Bengals head coaching position in December of 1979, and led the team to a 6-10 finish in 1980.
Before joining the Bengals, Gregg was head coach of the Cleveland Browns for three seasons (1975-77), compiling an 18-23 overall record. He was named NFL Coach-of-the-Year in 1976 when he led the Browns to a 9-6 record. His career Bengals coaching mark is 20-14. and therapy. Williams said his personal turnaround occurred when he reached the third grade and discovered books.
"I became interested in reading," he said. "It was a personal activity, a solitary experience. I spent less and less time in the sandlots, playing games. Television wasn't as important to me. When I got to school, I couldn't discuss what Batman did or what had happened the day before on the Dark Shadows soap opera." Books opened a new world for him and therapy helped him whip his handicap.
When he got to Dartmouth, he enrolled in a speech class. "I had to get up in front of the class and make a speech," he sai. "Everybody knew me. I was a footbaH player, captain of the freshman team. I tripped over every word.
I Was so embarrassed. Everybody laughed at me. "Ten weeks later, I got up and made another speech in that class. I made it through with no trouble that time. "I'm still not comfortable that everything I say will be interpreted the way I intend," he said.
"I know how Important it Is to express myself clearly." Then he parroted a familiar tongue twister. "Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers." He ran through it smoothly, without any hitch. "I should," he said. "I must have repeated that sentence 100,000 times.".
