Bowl Notebook : Bruin Johnson Out of Cotton Bowl

Chance Johnson, an All-Pacific 10 Conference linebacker and UCLA’s leading tackler, will not play Monday against Arkansas in the Cotton Bowl because of a knee injury, Coach Terry Donahue announced Tuesday in Dallas.

Johnson, a senior who made 110 tackles this season, apparently injured his left knee in UCLA’s 31-22 loss to USC last month. He made 17 tackles in the game.

“He’s not sure what happened, but the knee locked up on him when he tried to run last week and it hasn’t responded to treatment,” Donahue said. “Chance believes he must have hurt it during the USC game, but he never said anything.”

UCLA also will be without reserve linebacker Stacy Argo, who sprained a knee last week in practice, and reserve cornerback Randy Beverly, who underwent shoulder surgery this month.

In the past, Rodney Peete has never definitely declared whether he wants to pursue a pro football or baseball career when he leaves USC.

But Tuesday, the senior USC quarterback, who will play his final college game Monday against Michigan in the Rose Bowl, said it will be football.

“Playing quarterback in the NFL is something special,” Peete said. “I’ve thought about it for a long time. After the tough season we’ve had, I think it’s in my best interests to play football.”

He added that he isn’t ruling out the possibility that he might change his mind and pursue a baseball career. However, he’s committed to football now.

Peete, a power-hitting infielder in baseball, said he wouldn’t try a career double, a la Bo Jackson.

Coach Tom Landry of the Dallas Cowboys, who hold the No. 1 pick in the National Football League draft, will watch UCLA practice this week at Texas Stadium, the Cowboys’ home in Irving, Tex.

Although they haven’t announced anything, the Cowboys have indicated they will make UCLA quarterback Troy Aikman their No. 1 choice.

Mark Messner, Michigan’s All-American defensive tackle, who will be making his last start for the Wolverines on Monday, began his college career 2 years ago against Notre Dame.

Talking about it the other day, Messner said:

“I was so nervous. On the third play, on third down, I thought to myself, ‘Oh, my God, they’ll be coming right at me, and it’s on national television.’ And I threw up right on the offensive tackle’s hand.

“Of course, he couldn’t move or they’d get a penalty. He was just looking at his hand and going, ‘U-g-g-h.’ ”

Continuing a tradition he began in New Orleans at last season’s Sugar Bowl, Auburn Coach Pat Dye is saying goodby to his players after practice each morning and giving them the rest of the day and night off.

Dye won’t have a curfew, he said, until at least the weekend--nor is Bourbon Street off-limits

But Auburn trainers are waking the players regularly at 7 a.m for Dye’s early-morning meeting each day.

Asked about Tuesday’s meeting, Dye said: “Some of them seemed pretty sleepy.”

Glenn E. (Shemmy) Schembechler III, the teen-age son of Michigan Coach Bo Schembechler, plans to follow in his father’s footsteps.

After trying his hand at sportswriting in high school, Shemmy, 19, has decided that he wants to be a coach. A freshman at Miami of Ohio, his father’s alma mater, Schembechler is the manager for the football team.

“He doesn’t want me to be a coach. He hates the idea,” said Shemmy, while watching the Wolverines work out for the Rose Bowl. “Would you want your son to be a sportswriter?”

Times staff writers Mal Florence, Bob Oates and Chris Baker contributed to this story.