The Gerrits Foundation-UPI Coaches Trophy, which will be awarded to college football's national champion with a scholarship for a student at the winning school, was displayed in a halftime ceremony at Saturday's game between Alabama and Penn State.
Designed by Tiffany's of New York and given in memory of their father by the Gerrits family, the award is sanctioned by the American Football Coaches Association. In the first four years of the program, schools winning the national championship will receive a total of $128,000 in non-athletic scholarships.
UPI's 50-man Board of Coaches will select the national champion in the final ratings, following the Jan. 1 bowl games.
Two Alabama football players, George Scruggs and Willie Ryles, died within a four-month period this year, and members of the Crimson Tide are wearing two decals on the backs of their helmets in remembrance. Running back Chester Braggs is wearing three decals on his helmet, with the third in memory of his high school coach, Robert Lucky, who died just before the start of the 1986 season.
The Alabama-Penn State game represented the third time both teams were undefeated going into a game against each other. Both teams had 4-0 records last year before Penn State's 19-17 triumph and in 1982, both teams were 4-0 heading into Alabama's 41-21 triumph.
Penn State sophomore Blair Thomas rushed for 132 yards against Syracuse last week -- on just three carries. Thomas had a 92-yard run from scrimmage, the longest in Penn State history, and also had a 38-yard TD run. The 42-3 rout of Syracuse assured the Nittany Lions of their 48th conseuctive winning season, an NCAA record.
Pittsburgh Steelers guard Randy Rassmussen was released from Divine Providence Hospital in Pittsburgh Saturday after undergoing surgery on his left knee, a team spokesman said.
Rassmussen was injured in last week's game against New England and was placed on the injured-reserve list Friday, when he underwent surgery.
Texas A&M's Kevin Murray became the Southwest Conference's all-time leader in touchdown passes with 41 when he threw a 26-yarder Saturday to Rod Harris in the Aggies' 45-10 victory over Rice at College Station, Texas.
Murray, a junior from Dallas, broke the record of 40 held by Texas A&M's Edd Hargett (1966-68) and Southern Methodist's Chuck Hixson (1968-70).
Murray completed 17 of 33 passes with no interceptions and also became the Aggies' all-time passing leader with 5,542 yards, breaking Hargett's record of 5,379.
Michigan State star tailback Lorenzo White was held to 79 yards on 16 carries Saturday by Purdue. His two touchdown runs, though, helped the Spartans to a 37-3 victory at East Lansing, Mich.
White had missed the previous two games with a knee injury.
'I was really watching him very closely and making sure he was in there fresh,' Michigan State Coach George Perles said. 'I didn't want to wear him down. Any time you come back from an injury, the biggest thing is you get some confidence, and I'm sure he has that right now.' UCLA's celebrated running tandem of Gaston Green and Eric Ball has had its difficulties Saturday.
Green, the Bruins' leading rusher a year ago, has been slowed by turf toe. He was not expected to start Saturday against Washington State, but he did. In fact, he rushed for 115 yards and two touchdowns in the first half against the Cougars.
Ball, who rushed for four touchdowns in last season's Rose Bowl, remains sidelined with a hamstring injury.
Ohio State held Minnesota to 189 total yards -- 127 rushing and 62 passing -- in a 33-0 victory over the Gophers in Columbus, Ohio. The Buckeyes amassed 220 yards on the ground and 219 through the air.
'They completed the passes, we dropped them. They tackled very well and we didn't. They consistently made the big play and we did not,' Minnesota Coach John Gutenkunst said.
Missouri's offense had scored on all its possessions inside its opponent's 20-yard line this season before Saturday.
However, in a 17-6 victory over Kansas State at Manhattan, Kan., the Tigers failed to score on all four opportunities inside the Wildcats' 20. Once they threw an interception, another time a penalty stalled a drive and twice Missouri fumbled.
'That's why I made the statement that the defense rose to the occasion,' Missouri Coach Woody Widenhofer said. 'I was very pleased with the defense, which has had its problems the last three years.'
The Tigers' defense went into Saturday's game 92nd in the nation in total defense but limited Kansas State to 237 yards -- about 175 yards better than the Missouri average.
The University of Houston had planned to move its Southwest Conference encounter with Arkansas to their campus stadium due to a possible conflict with Game 6 of the World Series. The Cougars and Houston Astros both play in the Astrodome.
On Oct. 4, Houston announced that the game would be played at Robertson Stadium (capacity 22,000), regardless of the outcome of the Astros' playoff series with the Mets.
Houston had not played a game at Robertson since 1964.
But Monday, Arkansas Athletic Director Frank Broyles said he felt the Cougars had an unfair advantage. All of the SWC schools play on Astro-Turf, and Robertson, where Houston practices, is grass.
A SWC rule dating back to 1915 says that schools must have conference approval to move a game site. A vote was taken and the conference ruled 4-2 to move the game back to the Astrodome.
