Page 14
THE BATTALION
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 13, 1978
David
Boggan
Sports Editor
New line about
Aggie defense?
What was that old line about the Aggie defense of a few years back?
I believe it went something like this, didn’t it:
“On the tackle for the Aggies, Fields, Marshall, Dean and the rest
of Aggie defense. ”
Yes, that was it. And the year was 1975, the same year the Aggies
ranked first in the land in total defense and rushing defense. Edgar
Fields, Tank Marshall, Jimmy Dean and the rest of the Aggie de
fense, most notably Ed Simonini, Robert Jackson, Garth Ten Napel,
Pat Thomas and Lester Hayes, all of whom have played professional
football of varied duration since leaving Texas A&M.
There were two consensus All-America players and five consensus
all-Southwest Conference players on that 1975 Aggie defense. It was
a defense that, in 11 games, allowed only 104 points, the lowest in the
conference that year. And what a glorious year it was for Aggie foot
ball. Glorious until Arkansas and USC, but that is another story.
The following year, graduation took its toll of the Agge defense.
Simonini, Ten Napel and Thomas had departed. And so had all
conference defensive end Blake Schwartz. Enter Eugene Sanders, a
255-pound sophomore transfer who played defensive tackle at Wash
ington as a freshman.
Marshall, Fields, Hayes and Jackson made the 1976 consensus
all-SWC list. Coach Melvin Robertson’s defense finished fourth in
the nation in total defense and second in rushing defense. But Hous
ton and Texas Tech had hit the Aggies where it hurt during that 9-2
season—right in the secondary.
Unfortunately, the Aggies’ defensive problems were to get worse
in 1977. Finishing fifth in the conference, Texas A&M allowed 196
points to be scored last season. No one wearing maroon was men
tioned for SWC defensive honors.
“Our defense last year was young and less talented than a few years
earlier,” Coach Emory Bellard said before the 1978 season began.
“We gave up a lot of big plays and touchdown passes last year. This
year we will be more talented in the defense.”
The Agge coach is not known for understatement but in this case
most talented would have been appropriate. Last week, Texas A&M
once again boasted the best defense in the country. The Agges slip
ped to second in total defense this week after allowing Texas Tech 290
yards total offense. But the Agges have the best rushing defense,
passing defense and total defense in the SWC. The Aggies have given
up an average of 160.2 yards per game while their nearest com-
petetor, Arkansas has allowed an average of 203.7 yards per game.
There is one man who has been there through good times and bad,
Eugene Sanders. The Louisiana native has started with a good Aggie
defense and he has started with a bad Aggie defense. He now has
some very definite ideas about the last Aggie defense he will start
with.
“We have the chance to be the best defense since I’ve been here,”
said the senior, who has gained 13 pounds and two years of experi
ence since coming to Aggieland.
“We were No. 1 last week with a lot of unknown names, like Carr
at middle linebacker, Zachery at end. Little at strongside linebacker
and Steen at cornerback. A few years ago we had names that every
body recognized like Jackson, Feilds, Dean and Marshall. We don’t
have the size and strength that the defense had in 1976 but we make
up for it in quickness. Other than that, I can’t find any differences
between the two.”
If Houston Cougar quarterback Danny Davis has his way, he won’t
find any difference between this Aggie defense and the last Aggie
defense he faced, in 1976. It was Davis who handed the Aggies their
first loss two seasons ago with a 21-10 Cougar victory. Davis com
pleted 11 of 19 passes for 173 yards and three touchdowns against
Texas A&M in that game.
Saturday we will find out if Davis will repeat that performance or if
a new line about the Aggie defense will be created:
“On the tackle for the Aggies, Sanders, Green, Carr and the rest of
the Aggie defense/'
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The Corps of Cadets gets its news from
the Batt.
Houston, Buffalo both need victor
United Press International
HOUSTON — The Buffalo Bills
and Houston Oilers match frus
trations Sunday, and each team
knows it must win or begin thinking
of next season.
“I am bitter about the way things
have gone,” Oilers center Carl
Mauck said. “There are two ways
the guys on this team can go now,
and one of them isn’t pretty.’’
Mauck was upset because the
Oilers’ record is 3-3 and he thinks it
should be better.
The Oilers dominated Oakland
with a ball-control ground game led
by rookie Earl Campbell for 56
minutes last Sunday, but they lost in
the last minute.
Buffalo enters the game after
being embarrassed. The New York
Jets rang up 35 first half points by
toting interceptions, punts and
passes for touchdowns Sunday.
“We are trying to tighten up, but
we have some very, very young
players in there,” said first-year
Bills head coach Chuck Knox.
The Bills have not beaten Hous
ton since 1966, and they have not
played in the Astrodome since 1969.
They should fare no better this Sun
day, judging by comparisons of the
clubs.
The Oilers rushed for 205 yards
against Oakland and have pushed
their per-game rushing yardage to
161 as they kept the ball away from
Oakland and Cleveland in the last
two games. Buffalo’s defense is 13th
against the rush in the American
Football Conference.
Buffalo’s passing offense, built
around quarterback Joe Ferguson,
is its offensive strength. Houston’s
defense, however, ranks second in
the AFC.
The Bills, 2-4, cannot afford to fall
farther behind the two AFC East
Division leaders. The Bills are al
ready two games back.
Houston coach Bum Phillips said
five or six defeats was the maximum
for his team, if it is to be a playoff
contender.
Because of the Pittsburgh Steel-
ers fast start in the AFC. Central Di-
vison, the Oilers must win and hope
for help. The Steelers, 6-0, go to
Cleveland, 4-2, Sunday and then
host the Oilers the following
weekend.
Houston is missing offensive left
guard George Reihner for the first
time in 20 games, and the Oilers
have patched up the hole with
players they would like to keep in
reserve.
Rookie running backTemi
from Oklahoma State and
year fullback Curtis Browr
the Bills' backfield, and E
equally as inexpert
linebacker.
Houston’s running olk
kept defenses so off-balan«
last five games that opponent
rush has not sacked quari,
Dan Pastorini once in tli
games.
Bears prepare for SMU
United Press International
WACO — The Baylor Bears con
centrated on pass defense this week
to prepare for SMU’s effective pass
attack.
The Mustangs travel to Baylor
Stadium Saturday to meet their sec
ond conference opponent, the win
less Bears.
SMU, under Southwest Confer
ence passing leader Mike Ford, is
2-1-1.
“Ford is an outstanding passer
and runs his offense well, but we
will be ready for him,” Baylor Coach
Grant Teaff said Thursday.
Baylor co-captains for the 2 p.m.
game will be quarterback Steve
Smith and tackle David Sledge on
offense and linebacker Jerry Harri
son and cornerback Steve Brothers
on defense.
Batt
Pix
3.
Vol."
14 Pi
Week 6
David
Boggan
Mark
Patterson
GAME
Texas A&M-Houston Texas A&M by 11 Texas A&M by 9
SMU-Baylor SMU by 6 b .y 1 ^-
Rice-TCU TCU by 7 TCU by 6
North Texas-Texas Texas by 15 T? xa . s ] )y ^
Texas A&M1
The first
inducted
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Texas*Tech-New^Mexico .Texas" Tech by 4 Texas Tech by 4
Pitt-Notre Dame Notre Dame by 6 Notre Dame by ^ Notre DameP 0 - 1 ’
USC-Arizona State USC by 20 USC by 17
Buffalo-Houston Houston by 10 Houston by 13 Houston!!
- Dallas
Dallas-St. Louis Dallas by 13 .Dallas by 21
Chicago-Denver Denver by 8 Denver In 12
. Demei
Last week’s record 9-1
Season percentage 780
.8-2
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Now comes Miller time
©1978 Miller Brewing Co., Milwaukee, Wis.