ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Monday, January 29, 1996 TAG: 9601300037
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: TEMPE, ARIZ.
SOURCE: Associated Press
Those limo-ridin' glamour boys from Dallas backed up their bluster, but barely.
And they can thank one of their least glamorous players, Larry Brown, for their third Super Bowl victory in four years.
The Cowboys beat Pittsburgh 27-17 on Sunday night to extend the National Conference's streak of victories in the NFL's showcase game to a dozen.
And while Troy Aikman, Emmitt Smith and Michael Irvin had their moments, the biggest moment was reserved for Brown, the cornerback overshadowed by the spotlight on fellow cornerback Deion Sanders.
Brown came up with two interceptions at moments when Pittsburgh was on the verge of taking control of the game and was named Super Bowl XXX's most valuable player.
``We've got so many stars on our team, I just wanted to go out and play hard,'' Brown said.
His 44-yard return in the third quarter of Neil O'Donnell's pass set up a 1-yard touchdown run by Smith that put Dallas up 20-7 after Pittsburgh, which fell behind 13-0, appeared poised to take the lead.
Then, after the Steelers had closed to 20-17 and had the ball with four minutes left, Brown - just as he did to seal the NFC title game with Green Bay - made another interception, returning it 33 yards to set up another Smith touchdown run, this one of 4 yards.
Only then could the Cowboys and coach Barry Switzer celebrate a Super Bowl victory that capped a tumultuous season. And the hugs in the end zone reflected relief more than the ``in-your-face'' braggadocio with which the Cowboys greeted Super Bowl week.
``There were high expectations, but it was a relief just the same,'' Aikman said. ``It wasn't the prettiest game we played, the defense really stepped it up, but a win is a win. We knew it would be a tough game.''
Dallas controlled the first half, with help from O'Donnell, the Pittsburgh quarterback who was high and outside most of the time, even on his completions.
But while they scored on their first two possessions, they could convert those into only 13 points, leaving the Steelers within striking distance, even with O'Donnell struggling so much.
Then, the Steelers, as they have so often, scored in the last two minutes, turning it into a 13-7 game.
But while the Dallas offense fizzled, the defense didn't, particularly Brown, who joined Miami's Jake Scott 23 years ago as the only other defensive back to win a Super Bowl MVP trophy. And that was enough for the Cowboys to join San Francisco as only teams to win five Super Bowls.
Pittsburgh, which won four Super Bowls during the 1970s, lost for the first time in five appearances.
Dallas' victory also bailed out Switzer, who took over from Jimmy Johnson last season after Johnson and Dallas owner Jerry Jones had their well-publicized divorce. Switzer thus joined Johnson as the only coaches to win college and pro championships despite a season of gaffes that left him labeled ``Bozo the Coach.''
The Cowboys were favored by 131/2 points, but after the narrow victory even the trophy celebration was subdued.
``This ballgame represents the kind of season we've had,'' Jones said in accepting the Vince Lombardi Trophy from commissioner Paul Tagliabue, who had bitterly attacked Jones on national television early in the day.
``This was a struggle,'' said Jones, who turned away quickly as he accepted the trophy. ``But this for me was the sweetest.''
Switzer, however, clearly was elated. He joined the Cowboys in a no-win situation - only a Super Bowl victory could guarantee success - and he got it.
``Are you having a good time, Jerry?'' he asked Jones. ``We did it our way, baby! We did it! We did it! We did it! We did it!''
But it was not the way the Cowboys had hoped.
Aikman, who at one point in the first half completed 10 consecutive passes, tying Phil Simms for second place in Super Bowl history behind Joe Montana's 13, was good early but finished 15-of-23 for 209 yards.
And Smith, whose fourth and fifth rushing touchdowns moved him past Franco Harris and Thurman Thomas for the most in Super Bowl history, was held to 49 yards on 18 carries, far short of the 115 he needed to become the leading rusher in Super Bowl history. Twenty-three of his yards came on the third play of the game.
But it was the defense that did it, led by Brown. The Cowboys registered four sacks, one by former James Madison University star Charles Haley, who was playing his first game since undergoing back surgery seven weeks ago. Haley, who was on two championship teams with San Francisco, became the first player to earn five Super Bowl rings.
That rush, plus some slippery footing might have been responsible for O'Donnell's problems. He finished 28-of-49 for 239 yards and three interceptions, the last on the game's final play.
But the two to Brown were the ones that hurt.
Pittsburgh reached the Dallas 33-yard line on the first possession of the second half. But on fourth-and-eight, coach Bill Cowher elected to punt and Rohn Stark's kick carried into the end zone, giving Dallas the ball on its 20.
Dallas didn't move on offense, but then the defense turned around the game.
On a third-and-nine from the Pittsburgh 48, Dallas' Bill Bates blitzed, both Steelers receivers turned inside and O'Donnell threw outside, right to Brown. He returned it 44 yards to the Pittsburgh 18.
On the first play, Aikman hit Michael Irvin at the 1, and Smith went into the end zone on the next play, although replays indicated he had not reached the end zone until he already was down.
Norm Johnson's 46-yard field goal 3:40 into the fourth quarter cut it to 20-10 after Tony Tolbert's sack of O'Donnell on third-and-eight at the 19 stopped Pittsburgh's next drive.
But then came a surprise onside kick by Johnson, recovered by the Steelers' Deon Figures at his 48. Nine plays later, Bam Morris went over from 1 yard and it was 20-17 with 6:36 left.
The Steelers got the ball back at their 32 with 4:15 left in the game. After an incompletion, O'Donnell threw the pass Brown intercepted, setting up the clinching touchdown.
The Cowboys dominated the first half, scoring on their first three possessions.
But they led only 13-7 at halftime when O'Donnell, shaky for most of the first two periods, hit Yancey Thigpen from 6 yards with 13 seconds left before intermission. It was the 10th time in the past 12 games the Steelers had scored in the last two minutes of the first half.
LENGTH: Long : 130 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: AP. 1. Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Neil O'Donnellby CNB(14) gets sacked by Dallas Cowboys defensive linemen Charles Haley
(left) and Chad Hennings during the second quarter Sunday night. 2.
Dallas Cowboys cornerback Larry Brown was named Super Bowl XXX MVP
after picking off two Neil O'Donnell passes. 3. Dallas Cowboys
running back Emmitt Smith celebrates his second quarter touchdown
Sunday in Super Bowl VVV. color. 4. Dallas' Deion Sanders (21),
playing wide receiver, catches a 47-yard pass in front of Pittsburgh
defender Willie Williams. KEYWORDS: FOOTBALL