ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1995, Roanoke Times
DATE: Friday, December 1, 1995 TAG: 9512010037
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: DOUG DOUGHTY STAFF WRITER
NCAA SANCTIONS against Alabama clear the way for the the 6-5 Bulldogs.
Unranked Georgia, which needed to win its final regular-season game to become eligible for postseason play, is expected to receive a bid to play 19th-ranked Virginia in the Peach Bowl.
The Bulldogs became a more attractive candidate when the NCAA announced Wednesday that it had upheld sanctions against Alabama. Further sanctions are expected today against Miami.
Florida, Tennessee and Auburn are expected to get the first three bowl slots allocated to Southeastern Conference teams. The Peach Bowl, with the fourth choice, is likely to make West Division champion Arkansas available to the Carquest Bowl.
That's provided East Division winner Florida defeats Arkansas next week in the SEC championship game in Atlanta. It is believed that Arkansas fans would be reluctant to visit the Georgia Dome, site of the SEC title game and the Peach Bowl, twice in less than four weeks.
The Carquest Bowl earlier had agreed to the fourth choice of ACC teams and the third choice of Big East teams, but there will be not be three eligible Big East teams if Miami is not available. North Carolina is the ACC representative.
Georgia, which has a strong following in Atlanta, raised its record to 6-5 with an 18-17 victory at Georgia Tech on Thanksgiving Day. The Yellow Jackets led that game 14-0 at the half and never trailed until the Bulldogs' Kanon Parkman kicked a 34-yard field goal with 34 seconds left.
Georgia coach Ray Goff had been fired six days earlier because the program had failed to show ``significant improvement.'' He will coach the Bulldogs in the bowl game, unless he has another job.
LENGTH: Short : 41 lines KEYWORDS: FOOTBALLby CNB