The Week In Tv Sports

Saturday 12/21
COLLEGE FOOTBALL
I-AA Championship Game
A year ago Eric Kresser was Heisman Trophy-winner Danny Wuerffel's understudy at Florida, and Randy Moss was a redshirt freshman wideout at archrival Florida State. This fall, as teammates at 14-0 Marshall, they have hooked up on more TD tosses (24) than any other quarterback-wide receiver combo in college, and some pro scouts have called Moss the next Jerry Rice. The Thundering Herd hosts top-ranked Montana (14-0) in Huntington, W.Va., in a rematch of last season's finale, won by the Grizzlies 22-20 on a field goal with 39 seconds left.
? ESPN, 2 PM

COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Arizona at Michigan
Only 2:37 of the Wolverines' season had elapsed when corpulent forward Robert (Tractor) Traylor (left) put his mark on it with a backboard-shattering dunk versus Ball State. For the Wildcats, freshman guard Mike Bibby has been a more figurative smash, shattering Arizona's single-game steals record, with eight in only his fifth outing. Sign of the times: a pair of Top 10 teams without a senior on either roster.
? CBS, 3:45 PM

Sunday 12/22
PRO FOOTBALL
Cowboys at Redskins
Washington, D.C., 1961: John Kennedy, having just beaten a Nixon (Richard), moves into a new home, at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. The Redskins, having just replaced a Nixon (coach Mike), move into a new home, at D.C. Stadium (renamed in '70 after John's brother Robert). Now, 229 sellouts later, RFK Stadium hosts its final Skins game. Though they're out of the playoff race, Redskins like Bill Brooks (above) might be inspired by history: Washington's only '61 win under Bill McPeak came at home over Dallas, 34-24 in the season finale.
?FOX, 4 PM

Wednesday 12/25
PRO BASKETBALL
Lakers at Suns
Pistons at Bulls
More entertaining than a Kazaam!-Space Jam double feature, this Christmas-night pageant displays a constellation of NBA stars: Los Angeles's Shaquille O'Neal, Detroit's Grant Hill and Chicago's three kings, Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen and Dennis Rodman. In the evening's main event, keep an eye on Pistons guard Joe Dumars (right). At week's end he was an astonishing league-best 56.5% from beyond the three-point line and a major reason for Detroit's surprising start. Dumars, who usually draws His Airness on defense, is obviously a fan: His five-year-old son is named Jordan.
? NBC, 6 PM

Friday 12/27
COLLEGE FOOTBALL
Copper Bowl
This matchup from Tucson pits 7-5 Wisconsin against 8-3 Utah and showcases a pair of tailbacks who put the f back in phat. The Badgers' 5'10", 260-pound Ron Dayne steamrolled to an NCAA-freshman record 1,863 yards this season behind an offensive line that averages 320 pounds per man. Utah sophomore Chris Fuamatu-Ma'afala (6-feet, 272 pounds), who has a brilliant future as a Wheel of Fortune puzzle, rushed for 122.8 yards a game in '96. Advantage? With Utah's rush defense ranked a sickly 91st in the nation (allowing 214.4 yards a game), the Great Dayne should burn off quite a few calories.
? ESPN, 9 PM