THE BATTALION Page 11
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 1980
A&M loses 4th straight game
^ A IT Staff photo by Pat O’Malley
II Aggie Head Football Coach Tom Wilson son requested. Wilson, whose A&M squad has
Jakes his point to an official Saturday after the lost four in a row, is under fire from some
the higlii official didn’t measure for a first down as Wil- superiors because of his record.
er had,’’said
By RICHARD OLIVER
Sports Editor
Despite beating SMU on paper, the Texas Aggies were smeared on
the field Saturday by the Mustangs, 27-0.
The loss was A&M’s fourth in a row, the first time since 1972 the Ags
had accomplished that less-than-notable feat.
“We’re still learning,” said wide reciever David Scott.
What the Aggies learned however, was just another way to lose a
ballgame.
After fumbling one away one week against Rice in a 10-6 loss and
committing a costly penalty against Houston in a 17-13 heartbreaker,
the Aggies simply couldn’t get the ball rolling against SMU. Not their
way, anyway. For SMU, the ball rolled the right direction all day.
With 7:48 left in the first quarter, freshman A&M punter Kyle
Stuard had to leap to snag a high snap and then watched in dismay as
white jerseys were all over him as he stepped forward.
The result was a blocked punt (the seventh of the year against the
Aggies) by Mustang Byron Hunt that caromed backwards for a few
yards before Hunt snagged it and ran it in for a 59-yard touchdown.
Once again, that first opposing score proved to be the downfall for
the Aggies. Approximately a minute later, Stuard finally got off a punt.
SMU’s John Simmons, however, took the punt and raced 66 yards
for another score. In a little over a minute’s time, the Mustangs had put
the game away.
With 55 seconds left in the half, Alan Smith entered to try a 44-yard
field goal. Once again, John Simmons rammed through the line to
block the attempt and Hunt picked up the ball and sped 51 yards. Only
a fine spirited effort by Mike Whitwell to catch Hunt stopped a TD. A
field goal resulted instead and the Mustangs had a 17-0 lead at the
intermission.
A third quarter field goal and a pass TD in the fourth quarter
rounded out the scoring for SMU.
The Aggies offensively ran up 273 yards to the Mustangs’ 257, but
could not get into the end zone.
Sophomore Gary Kubiak, starting his third game ever as an Aggie,
was eight-for-22 for only 108 yards.
A&M’s pass defense, meanwhile, was having another fine game,
holding freshman SMU quarterback Lance Mcllhenny to 29 yards on
three completions. On the ground, however, the Mustangs were
racking up 228 yards using sterling starters Craig James (92 yards) and
Eric Dickerson (71 yards).
After the game, the scene in the A&M lockerroom was an all-too-
common one, as players quickly dressed and readied for another long
bus ride home.
“They beat us with our kicking team,” said fullback David Hill. “We
basically did a good job. The kicking game is just breaking down.
“We haven’t fallen apart yet. Our defense has never played better.
They (SMU) only got one legitimate TD. They ran one punt back and
the blocked field goal. The rest of the time, they weren’t in scoring
range.”
Scott agreed.
“We had so many penalties,” he said. “We’ve just got to get ready
and learn (because of off-week this week). I just hope everybody keeps
a good head about all this. We need to get ready to play Arkansas and
TCU.”
Kubiak was quiet after the game.
“Something always seems to go wrong. Everything’s happening.
We’ve got to bounce back. We made a lot of mental mistakes.”
Hill said most of the team’s effort is good.
“We moved the ball on them,” he said. “We’re just having some
trouble getting points. I’d say 90 percent of the things we do are good,
it’s just the 10 percent that are stopping us.
“For instance, we had one 80-yard drive and then a holding
penalty. That stopped us.”
n n ti ti ti tt n n n n n n n n n
^ — — ^
r ilson needs support to build Ags’ future
'ou’d haven
Longhorns, t
ol Sullivan J
:h scored hi
laddedanoi By RICHARD OLIVER
1th and 12ll« Sports Editor
ix games, ii|takes time to build a winning
in any sport. Success doesn’t
Carol Gil|ng up overnight. Ask Bear
th goal oftMt. Ask Tom Landry. Even ask
Barrett nettrfcry Bellard.
V, the Aggieifi don’t ask Royce Wisenbaker.
again for i fisenbaker, one of the Texas
in event tlrn University System Board of
past two veients, took it upon himself to tell
tedalotoftewvorld of Wilson’s failures in an
orgeson. I'Eje in the Fort Worth Star-
:y.” Erarn last Thursday. In that arti-
t the nationiijfjie was quoted as saying he
kM tookfilpht Wilson would be fired at the
i Stanford (if of the season.
In 1979-81),with that statement, weeks of
22-2-1 reraUrcover talk about a possible
ing change at Texas A&M be-
public, and Wilson did not ex-
ake the news with open arms.
:, Wilson was downright indig-
their betteriibllowing Saturday’s 27-0 whip-
to Arizonaig at the hands of the SMU Mus-
15,15-11.' gs, Wilson angrily lashed out at
ked fifth intlltersecutor(s).
n straightsarOur program’s got to go on,” he
ine also metol emphatically. “I can’t do any-
team beforeug with just a couple of years re-
, 15-11, 111: ng. 1 must have have a legiti-
of Washinjj chance to build a program.
No. 1USC,a |son glanced out his dressing
kM before li door as a group of somber
[4-16,15-8,1 A&M players filed past.
Jniversityol iey’re (the regents) going to
the nation, i to say they go with me and be-
iwncast A&Mte in the program, knowing our
hg players are going to get bet-
iow 19-30oiii Tllere s 8 0t t0 be an end to all the
ie Texas Stall rs '„ EventuaI1 y ft hurts the
weekend atCil™'
iny intelligent athletic official can
you that. But, talk has it Wilson
0 | not have his chance.
jfilson caused comment early in
season after a bold move which
se action. )cd the removal of two players
• j :i,K ^ ru § possession and several
vin raise Binary moves afterward. This
ie after Georgia stomped the
s 42-0.
four losses later, Wilson is
g comment again,
jmebody has got to stand up
jhy and say, ‘Yeah we caused
the problems ourselves,”’ he
iturday.
t statement takes us back to
§|n e of Emory Bellard.
| winningest coach in Texas
s “htory, Bellard entered the
eason with high hopes. After
imes, the Aggies were undefe-
(nd riding high. But then came
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a 33-0 whitewash by Houston and a
following loss to Baylor, and the all-
too-prevalent talk started. Bellard
listened to the criticism of groups
such as the Association of Former
Students and decided he’d had
enough. Winning may be important,
but Bellard noted it wasn’t every
thing.
Two years later, Bellard has
guided Mississippi State to a brilliant
Comment
season, capped by a 6-3 stunning win
over No. 1-ranked Alabama
Saturday.
The Association of Former Stu
dents is strangely silent now.
Whereas Bellard decided he’d lis
tened to enough babbling and left,
Wilson is not so easily swayed.
“Either I’m going to coach or
they’re going to get another one,”
Wilson commented simply Sunday
night. “Problems this year have been
caused by us, by me, by what I’ve
done. It’s also been a basic inexperi
ence, and problems caused by disci
plinary actions.
“It’s all been done to help the
program. I just hope somebody will
realize how much we’ve done. I’m
the one that’s being criticized. I just
want to be able to continue in an
atmosphere that is conducive to
growth and improvement.
The seemingly hot war between
Wilson and the vocal Wisenbaker
quieted notably Sunday.
When The Battalion called Wisen
baker Sunday night, he refused to
comment about the situation, except
to say he really didn’t want to talk
about it.
“This thing’s gone a little far,” he
said. “We’re just gonna be quiet ab
out it.”
After being more than happy to
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blaspheme Wilson’s name in one of
Texas’ larger newspapers and in front
of several of Texas A&M’s hierarchy
during the week, Wisenbaker said
he hadn’t brought on the situation.
“The gravity of the situation was
not caused by me.”
Some would refute that claim. The
talk was just that — talk — until
Wisenbaker took to the streets.
“The comments really came to
light when one of our Board mem
bers made some of the statements
he’s made,” said Wilson. “Unfortun
ately, that is now out in the open.
“I don’t care to get in a word battle
with him, though.”
While Wisenbaker seems to have
made up his mind about Wilson’s
future as Texas A&M head football
coach, other Aggie officials have
found more solace in being patient
and waiting.
“Tom Wilson is a head football
coach at Texas A&M University and
he has a two-year contract,” said
Athletic Director Marvin Tate Sun
day night. “I’m reading the paper
and hearing those things, too.
“Last year, we recommended a
one-year extension on his contract,
and that’s all we’re going on.
“Oh sure, there’s talk and rumors.
It’s unfortunate. Arkansas has lost
three, but I don’t see any rumors
there. Maybe we can’t parallel those
two programs. I’m getting calls and
letters, and some are in support of
Tom.”
Tate said no action against Wilson
has occurred thus far.
“Nothing official has been done,”
he said. “Not one thing has been
done.”
Wilson, however, has already pre
sented his case before the Board of
Regents. That meeting, on Oct. 24,
was set up to allow Wilson to willing
ly answer questions the Board might
have. A news leak before the meet-
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Vote Aggie Elect
ohn B. Patrick
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Paid for by Campaign to Elect John B. Patrick, 108 Main, Houston, Tx. 77002 Ken Lindsey, Treasurer
ing, though, had speculation of a pos
sible firing flying all over the state.
“He (Wilson) asked to meet with
the Board, ” said Texas A&M Acting
President Charles Samson. “(Board
of Regents Chairman Clyde) Wells
and the chancellor agreed to set it
up. It was in no way requested by the
Board. Some info got out.
“There was some misunderstand
ing ... and Wilson wanted to give
them an indication of some of the
things that had happened.
“There hasn’t been any pressure
from me or from the athletic director
or the Athletic Council.”
And the pressure hasn’t come
from the Aggie players, either.
“We went out trying,” said full
back David Hill after the SMU
game. “Coach Wilson’s a damn good
coach. I’d like to talk to anybody
that’s giving him a hard time. If
there’s some people giving him any
flak I’ll talk to them. If there are,
they don’t know a thing about foot
ball.”
Wide receiver David Scott
agreed.
“He’s one of the best coaches
around,” he said. “It definitely was
not a coaching problem. We’re just
not executing. Boy, do I feel sorry for
him. When your whole life depends
on some players that don’t even want
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“I’m 100 percent behind keeping
him. He’s still rebuilding. You can’t
take over a team and in just two years
just be a national champion.”
Wilson now has two weeks to look
for some word yea or nay about his
future.
“I can’t force them (the regents) to
do anything; it’s in their hands,” said
Wilson.
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