CONTENTS

GUTS, BRAINS AND GLORY 12
Underdog Penn State forced five interceptions to win the national championship from Miami's Hurricanes
by Rick Reilly

THE NFL PLAYOFFS 18
Rick Telander reports the Skins' defeat of champion Chicago; Paul Zimmerman tells how the Giants overwhelmed the Niners; E.M. Swift portrays Cleveland's double-OT win over the Jets; Bruce Newman witnesses the Broncos' victory over New England

A REAL NOBODY DID IT BETTER 32
Stevie Cruz was unknown, but then he beat popular champ Barry McGuigan to win the WBA featherweight title
by Ralph Wiley

TIGER OF ANOTHER STRIPE 76
Missouri's high-scoring forward, Derrick Chievous, is a rollicking good story—and he'll write it for you, too
by Alexander Wolff

HOT SCOTT 92
Mike Scott had such a fantastic year for the Astros that people said he must be doing something to alter the ball
by Ron Fimrite

DEPARTMENTS

Letters 4
Scorecard 7
College Basketball 82
America's Cup 86
Pro Basketball 88
College Football 90
For The Record 107
Point After 108

Cover photograph by Jerry Wachter; inset: Mickey Pfleger/Time

PHOTO

JACQUELINE DUVOISIN

HELPING HANDS: It was a tense moment in the Giants-49ers playoff game after San Francisco's Joe Montana took a shot from Jim Burt; Montana suffered a concussion and was hospitalized (page 22).