USD Football 1997

RUNAWAY DAYNE Fresh off astunning rookie season,Wisconsin battering ram Ron Dayne may well muscle the Heisman from Peyton Manning. BY PETER HAYES NORTHERN EXPOSURE Hop across the border to Canada and you'll find adifferent brand of college football.

IRON MAN RETURNETH The two-way player,afond memory from abygone era, is making something of acomeback as aresult of NCAA number-crunching. BY MICHAEL BRADLEY

BY Ml KE FAZIOLI COMING IN ISSUE 4

COVER STORY: SNUBBED! With the Alliance calling the shots, the WAC 'snational championship hopes seem as remote as the memories of BYU's 1984 ride to glory. ~ MATCHUPS TO WATCH THE TEAMS: Michigan at Michigan State THE DATE: Oct. 25, 1997 LAST MEETING: 1996-Wolverines 45, Spartans 29 WHAT'S AT STAKE: The Paul Bunyan/Governor of Michigan trophy is on the line in this 90th meeting of intrastate rivals. Though the Wolverines have won twice as many games in this series,this annual matchup always provides ample entertainment. Indeed, when these teams last met in East Lans– ing, two years ago, 4-3-1 MSU knocked off a7-1 Wolverine squad, 28-25. THE TEAMS: Virginia Tech at West Virginia THE DATE: Oct. 25, 1997 LAST MEETING: 1996 - Hokies 31 , Mountaineers 14 WHAT'S AT STAKE: This Appalachian showdown has gained steam since Tech asserted itself as the Beast of the Big East over the past few seasons. The Hokies pushed West Virginia's nationally ranked defense up and down the field ayear ago and ended the Mountaineers' longshot Big East title bid, but with QB Jim Druckenmiller gone to the NFL, will Tech have the same offensive clout? z 0 ~ THE TEAMS: Montana at Northern Arizona THE DATE: Oct. 25, 1997 LAST MEETING: 1996 - Grizzlies 48, Lumberjacks 32 ~ 0 WHAT'S AT STAKE: Almost certainly the Big Sky championship bid and likely the top seed in the Division I-AA playoffs. Montana has ruled the Big ~ Sky roost for years now, but the Lumberjacks - led by QB Travis Brown - are ready to take the final step toward national prominence. This should also ~ be abattle for the Walter Payton Award, between Brown and Montana QB Brian Ah Yat. 6 ::; WHAT'S AT STAKE: While the Sooners lead this series,with 39 wins to the Huskers' 35, Nebraska has taken six straight and eight of nine since 1988. ~ Although the Huskers have won the last three matchups by acombined score of 123-24 and won't hesitate to run it up on Oklahoma, the Sooners are usu- ~ ally capable of giving Nebraska fits. 8 toumm ~ < z ;:: THE TEAMS: Oklahoma at Nebraska THE DATE: Nov. 1, 1997 LAST MEETING: 1996 - Cornhuskers 73, Sooners 21