Freshman Edition
The Battalion
Section Two
I 8
■ation itKij
nd $25 bor
1 $50
e y camp
College Station, Texas Wednesday, August 2, 1972
opes are high for Aggie football
'ns noted
idets
np at Fe-
| 7 A new coach, a new offensive
Hgjpation and, hopefully, a new
Bpord are the feature character-
.tics of the 1972 Texas Aggie
ootball team.
r- Emory Bellard brought the
fTVishbone with him from the
'niversity of Texas, and A&M
, 0 '/ins hope he will rejuvenate the
agyridiron fortunes of a team
backed with quality seniors.
| Rebuilding both an offensive
lackfield and a defensive sec-
Miry were the two most impor-
nr-int goals during spring training,
^nd they seem to have been ac-
Bphshed.
Mark Green (6-3, 218) is back
after dazzling opponents with his
running ability during his sopho
more year. Lining up at a half
back spot, he will be joined by
fullback Brad Dusek (6-2, 212).
Dusek played safety last season
and fullback his sophomore year.
John Bounds (6-2, 206) was
the other halfback during spring
training, but breakaway speed is
needed, so one of the freshman
backs may get a chance here.
Bubba Bean, Skip Walker, Tony
Blankenship, Carl Roaches, Pat
Thomas, Melvin Howard and
David Greeno are the prospects
for that position.
Quarterback is still a question
mark. After an excellent high
school career and a fine fresh
man season, Lex James is yet to
produce. A poor offensive line
in 1970 and injuries last year and
in spring training have stifled the
6-0, 192 pounder.
Other quarterback hopefuls are
sophomore Don Dean, also 6-0
and 192, and junior Tim Trim-
mier, 6-4 and 203. Dean ran the
team in the spring game, and he
is expected to battle James for
the starting assignment.
To solve the secondary diffi
culties, Robert Murski, 6-0 and
189, was moved from split end
to the position he played as a
sophomore, cornerback. Corky
Sheffield, a starter two years
ago, decided to return to football
and nailed down the other corner.
Sheffield is 5-10 and 180. The
safeties are a pair of second
teamers from last year, juniors
Dwight LaBauve (6-1 and 188)
and Larry Ellis (5-11 and 172).
The front lines are sound both
offensively and defensively, and
A&M may be able to boast of the
best offensive line in the South
west Conference. And if it lacks
JKoCY PLAY in A&M’s 17-9 upset of nationally-ranked
pilLjKansas last year was this touchdown run by Mark Green
20). Green scored twice, on runs of three and 20 yards,
for his junior year, and he is expected to improve on his
1971 marks of 181 carries for 593 yards, seven touchdowns
and averages of 3.3 yard per carry and 53.9 per game.
anything in quality, it makes up
for that in size.
The front six, all seniors, are
tight end Homer May, 6-3 and
237, right tackle Ralph Sacra, 6-5
and 235, right guard Buster Cal
laway, 6-3 and 258, center Skip
Kuehn, 6-0 and 225, left guard
Todd Christopher, 6-2 and 237,
and left tackle Mike Park, 6-4
and 232. The average is 6-3 and
235 pounds.
Top substitutes are center
Robert Gerasimowicz (6-0 and
212), guards Dan Peoples (6-2
and 215) and Rick Seeker (6-3
and 238) and tackle Clifton Tho
mas (6-4 and 247). Seeker is a
sophomore, and the others are
seniors.
Defensively, Max Bird (6-0 and
223) and James Dubcak (6-6 and
240) are the ends, and Boice Best
(6-1 and 233) and Bill Wiebold
(6-3 and 224) are the tackles.
All are seniors except Wiebold,
who is a junior.
The linebacking corps, a trio of
seniors, is composed of middle
man Grady Hoermann (6-0 and
217). Hoermann was picked by
Texas Football Magazine to be
the best linebacker in the South
west Conference. Best was named
the top defensive lineman.
The other linebackers are Den
nis Carruth (5-11 and 209) and
Kent Finley (6-0 and 209). The
top subs here are juniors Rusty
Pool (6-1 and 207) and Mike
Bruton (6-0 and 209).
Although the Wishbone is pri
marily a running offense, there
is expected to be more passing
from the formation this year at
A&M than has been seen at Tex
as the past several seasons. The
number one split end now is Mike
Keese, a 6-1, 181-pound sopho
more. Richard Osborne, who may
have been the most highly sought
after recruit last year, should
challenge Keese for his job. Os
borne is 6-5 and 214.
The kicking game is in good
shape with record holder Pat Mc
Dermott being edged by Roberto
Payan in the spring. Both are
soccer-style hooters. McDermott
kicked the longest field goal in
A&M history, 53 yards, to beat
Baylor last year. Also, he is tied
with four others who have kicked
a pair of field goals in a single
game, and he holds the career
record for field goals with 14.
Bill Nutt, who sat out last
year, is the top punter, with Mur
ski and Steve Canter also trying
for the specialty position. Nutt
had a 40.7 average as a Fish two
years ago.
The Aggies face a tough sched
ule, with the first three games—
Wichita State, Nebraska and
Louisiana State — on the road.
The first home game is Sept. 30
against Army. After an open
date Oct. 7, the Aggies begin
SWC play against Texas Tech
and Texas Christian here Oct. 14
and 21, respectively. A&M is on
the road to Waco Oct. 28 to meet
Baylor, and they return home
Nov. 4 to face highly-respected
Arkansas in a day game. Nov.
11, the Aggies play Southern
Methodist in Dallas at 2:30, and
they host Rice at 1:30 Nov. 18.
The Texas game is five days
later, Nov. 23, in Austin. The
time for the Thanksgiving Day
game has not been set, pending
the decision by the American
Broadcasting Company in regard
to nationally televising the tradi
tional battle. If it is televised, it
will be a night game.
%
Head Coach Emory Bellard