The Week

The Mean Green of North Texas State lost to Leander (Lean) Green of East Carolina. Green, a 5'7" quarterback, directed the Pirate wishbone to 600 yards in total offense as he passed for 195 yards and rushed for another 90 in a 49-16 victory.

1. ALABAMA (10-0)
2. FLORIDA STATE (10-0)
3. AUBURN (8-2)

WEST

A Rose Bowl berth is a Rose Bowl berth is a Rose Bowl berth. Well, maybe. Southern Cal, which thought it had locked up that distinction with a 24-17 defeat of Washington on Nov. 10, found out it must beat UCLA this week to earn it all over again. That's the result of the latest calamity in Arizona State's troubled season, a Pac-10 ruling that the Sun Devils had to forfeit their three conference victories after eight Arizona State players had been declared ineligible. All eight had been falsely credited with successfully completing a summer extension course. Washington, which had its 12-7 loss to Arizona State turned into a win by the ruling, will go to Pasadena if USC is upset by UCLA. The Huskies, who took Washington State 17-7 as Vince Coby ran for 112 yards, will play in the Sun Bowl if the Trojans clinch the Pac-10 title. Raindrops kept falling on Oregon players, and UCLA runners kept running over the Ducks, amassing 446 yards during a 35-0 win. Freeman McNeil rushed for 164 of them as the Bruins threw only six passes. But freshman Quarterback Tom Ramsey completed four, two for touchdowns.

California Coach Roger Theder drew the line when it came to his Bears scoring against Stanford. After a 17-yard Cal pass from Rich Campbell to Joe Rose in the end zone had been ruled incomplete because the catch had been made beyond what was thought to be the endline, Theder protested. He argued that although Rose had caught the ball behind one line, he had made the reception inside another line two feet farther back. And unlike the officials, Theder, who was once an assistant at Stanford, knew the second stripe was the endline. After confirming that, Back Judge John Barger reversed his verdict, giving California a fourth-quarter touchdown and a 21-14 triumph. Campbell had 23 completions in 33 attempts for 314 yards and three touchdowns. Quarterback Turk Schonert of the Cardinals hit on 22 of 32 for 222 yards and two TDs.

Arizona State took its frustrations out on West Virginia, 42-7, as Mark Malone connected on 16 of 24 passes for 239 yards and Robert Weathers ran for 130 yards.

With Quarterback Van Heflin racing 70 and 80 yards for scores, Vanderbilt led 29-23 at Air Force. But as time ran out Dave Ziebart of the Falcons fired a 14-yard pass into the end zone where Andy Bark made a diving catch. Jim Sturch then kicked the extra point and Air Force won 30-29.

"We couldn't sustain anything on the ground and that's our bread and butter," said Utah Coach Wayne Howard after a 27-0 loss to Brigham Young. Cougar defenders sandwiched those bread-and-butter runners by holding them to 167 yards, 83 below their WAC average. BYU's meal ticket, Marc Wilson, equaled an NCAA record with his seventh 300-yard-total-offense performance of the season. He connected on 23 of 37 passes for 374 yards.

A 42-20 conquest of Texas-El Paso kept San Diego State in the running for the WAC title and a Holiday Bowl berth. The Aztecs, who face conference favorite BYU this week, broke a 14-14 tie when Charlie Crews returned the second-half kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown. Two other State backs kept the offense churning, Mark Halda by passing for 174 yards and Tony Allen by rushing for 138.

1. USC (9-0-1)
2. BYU (10-0)
3. WASHINGTON (9-2)