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pro scouts drooling by game's end, ami
also earned lofty praise from Davis,
knotted the score, culminating a
12-play, 75-yard drive. His leaping turnaround
catch of a Green pass over
two SWAC defenders from nine yards
out made the comeback complete. The
MEAC failed * to take the lead,
however, when Daniels missed the
PAT.
The MEAC squad looked as if it
would take the lead on its next possescir\r?
oe Cnnrlilonrl ro?iirno/4 n ?? ** 1 O
jivii uo kjuiluiiunu i viui iivu a ^uiu 17
yards to the SWAC 31-yard line. But
Roy Bennett of Jackson State picked
off a Green pass at the four.
With Smith now back at the SWAC
controls, (Brent played the first and
third quarters with Smith handling the
second- and fourth-quarter duties) the
SWAC used 11 plays to cover 96 yards
and score the clinching touchdown.
Smith had three pass^ completions
for 45 yards in the drive, but penalties
also played an important part in the
score. First, the SWAC was hit with an
offensive pass interference penalty that
changed a third and goal situation
^,
*
AScmchild In 1
route to the title came against Union
_ in the first round of the South
Atlantic Regional. UDC won that
game in overtime, then breezed.
Last year, Union knocked off UDC
frn Richmond when the Firebirds
were ranked No. 1 in the country, a
loss that was later avenged by UDC
in D.C.
Union defeated UDC this season
when the Firebirds were missing
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^rom^the five to a fourth and goal at
the 20.
Robinson, however, disdained the
field goal. Smith threw in the direction
of Stamps in the corner of the end zone
but the pass was off. Meanwhile,
Roberts had decked Stevens in the middle
of the field and the linebacker was
called for holding. An unsportsmanlike
conduct penalty on the
defense caused Davis to walk onto the
"We had a lot of kids playing 01
effort and our coaches did a grec
in black college history. "
field for an explanation. What he got
was another unsportsmanlike penalty
and the SWAC ended up with a first
down at the four.
This time, Smith hit Stamps with the
pass and the point after gave SWAC a
29-22 fead and the win. "It was such a
great week and the players were so
friendly with each other," said Davis
in the dressing room after cooling off,
"that maybe we should have played the
game without officials like you do a
fhe f>romi.?Ad I
Jones. If the two clubs should meet
again in post-season play, Robbins
knows it won't be so easy.
"Sure, they're stronger with
Earl," says Robbins. "But that's a
long way off. There's no reason to
speculate about that now."
When Jones and Oakley go at it,
there is no better matchup in Division
II, or perhaps anywhere. It's
the muscle of Oakley against the
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pickup basketfcair game. But I'm not
going to harp on the officiating."
Two turnovers thwarted MEAC
: - comeback attempts on its next two
possessions. Bennett's hard hit on
Fashaw ended one and Alcorn's
Marlon Expose's interception of a
Green pass stopped the second.
The Expose interception put the
SWAC on the MEAC 31, but Smith's
pass was incomplete on fourth down.
it of position but they gave a super
it job. Today was the brightest day
Dill ri/?i I ir.
X-S til LSIA V l>3
The MEAC took over on its nine but
could not move. When the SWAC held
on downs and took over with^ 15
seconds left, Smith passed to Stevens
for the final points of the contest.
'Tm very very happy," said Robinson
Tirthe winners' dressing room after
addressing the players and allowing all
the coaches to have a word as well.
"We worked the kids hard all week
long and it paid off. We were fortunate
to have quality athletes. I'm proud of
' '
.and From Page 15
finesse and smoothness of Jones.
44I like playing Earl,4 4 says
Oakley. 44It brings out the best in
_ . M
me.
Even at less than his best, Oakley
is almost always too much for the
opposition.
Barring injury, he should become
one of a select few to be named allCIAA
four years in a row. It's also
possible he'll be awarded three
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*
FAMU's Ray Alexander cradles a
first-quarter catch against GramblIng's
Eric Scott (photo by James
Parker).
not only the way they played but the
way the MEAC played as well. This is
one of my top experiences in coaching
and 1 was just as determined to win this
game as any game Grambling plays."
While Davis wasn't happy with the
final score, there was still joy in the
MEAC locker room. "The thing 1 hate
most is that these 32 kids can't get back
together again," he said. "Lamont
Green played a super game and Ray
Alexander probably has. the finest
hands in America. We had a lot of Wide
playing out of position but they gave a
super effort and our coaches did a
great job.
"Today was the brightest day in
black college football history and I
think next year we will have a bigger
crowd. I know one thing: The people
who weren't here today missed one hellof
a great game."
v
And with that, Davis forgot about
the penalty and the last SWAC score,
and walked away smiling proudly.
Then he turned and added, "The
MEAC was well-reDresented todav and
there were no losers."
... *
Player-of-the-Year trophies.
Individual honors aren't Oakley's
bag. however.
He's a team man all the way.
"I don't care about being all-this
and ail-that," he says. "I just want
to win a national championship."
Oakley fully intends to go back to
Springfield this March. And this
time he's determined to take his
sneakers along with him.
S5SSS3 January, 1984-Page 15