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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 22, 1981)
nunnmi Page 16 THE BATTALION THURSDAY, OCTOBER 22, 1981 Sports TANK MCNAMAIIA by Jeff Millar & Bill Hk New-look Owls Aggies try to halt Rice’s weekly progress you can unperstanc? m CINCINNATI REPS’' SITTERNE^ IN OCCUPYING TME FIEU2 TpIEV MAP TNE BEST EECORP IN BAGEBALU, VET Ti-IEV'RE NOT IN THE |ioBc !£)RLP 5ERIK TUE PIAVOFE 96Xm vm COMMI^IONER'S’ BABT WE'LL PACE THIS’ CRIGIG WI1W HIG U5DAL PECIS-IVENESS’ By FRANK L. CHRISTLIEB Battalion Staff Although it’s been one of the the premier last-place finishers in the Southwest Conference over the last few years, the Rice Uni versity football team has all but shed its losing look. The Owls started down the comeback road by winning five games during the 1980 season, a feat which the team hadn’t accom plished since 1973. Between 1973 and 1980, Rice finished with re cords of 2-8-1, 2-9, 3-8, 1-10, 2-9 and 1-10. Last year, the Owls defeated Texas A&M University, the Uni versity of Arkansas and the Uni versity of Houston on their way to a 4-4 SWC record. In visiting the Texas Aggies a year ago. Rice beat the hosts 10-6, although the game statistics would make one think that Texas A&M had won. The Aggies outgained the Owls 17-7 in first downs and 295-179 in total offense, but 10 second-quarter points proved to be all Rice needed to upset Texas A&M. The Owls host the 4-2 Aggies Saturday in Rice Stadium at 2 p.m., with Texas A&M coming off a 19-17 loss to Baylor University. Texas A&M, Rice and Arkansas are tied for second in the confer ence with 2-1 records, while Southern Methodist University holds down the top spot at 3-0. Again, statistics point to the Aggies as the pre-game favorite, but the two teams are more evenly matched than they seem. The Owls’ 1981 season has been only mediocre from most teams’ standpoints, as the Owls have won only three of their first six games. However, Rice head coach Ray Alborn considers the three wins a sign of the slow but steady im provement the squad has shown so far this season. After starting the 1981 season with consecutive losses to the Uni versity of Texas, University of Missouri and Louisiana State Uni versity, Rice has bounded back by winning three straight over Tulane University, Texas Christ ian University and Texas Tech University. The Owls’ latest win came Saturday in Lubbock over the Red Raiders by a score of 30- 23. Owl junior quarterback Michael Calhoun has thrown eight touchdown passes in the last two games, with Owl split end Hosea Fortune catching four of those. Calhoun, a first-year transfer from California’s Taft Junior College, has completed 54 of 116 passes for 717 yards while Fortune has 14 receptions for 194 yards. Senior tight end Robert Hub ble, cited by some as an All- American candidate, hasn’t really lived up to expectations in 1981, catching 12 passes for only 138 yards. Hubble, who also handles the kickoffs for the Owls, has been slowed the last few weeks by a broken finger. Other leaders for the Rice team are junior fullback Tim Sanders, defensive right tackle Kyle Rice and defensive left end Bryan Hill. . Alborn said that his players didn’t play well in the Texas Tech game, and that to beat the Aggies, they’ll have to play more error- free football. “We played about as poorly as any team since I have been here and still managed to win, ” Alborn said following his team’s defeat of Texas Tech. “It wasn’t very pretty but it was a win, thank goodness. “We did a lot of stupid things, and penalties are from a lack of concentration. The rules say you don’t block below the waist on kicks — we did. They say you don’t clip — we did. They say you don’t grab a face mask — we did. They say you don’t slug a guy — we did. “We were not ready to play emotionally,” Alborn added. “Football is a game of emotion, and to say we played uninspired at Lubbock is being nice. The Raid ers are tough and you look at the film and see they could have beaten A&M and Arkansas, so we had no reason to be overconfi dent.” Alborn said the Owls know that the Aggies offer a serious threat with a 383 yard per game offensive average and a defense giving up 318 yards a game. The defensive unit is led by linebacker Mike Lit tle with 70 tackles and Bobby Strogen with 64. “This is another typical Aggie team,” Alborn said. “They are big, strong and fast. They will bring the best combination of three ex ceptional running backs on one team we’ve played in (tailback) Johnny Hector, (fullback) Earnest Jackson and (fullback) Thomas Sanders. Their offensive line is gigantic, as usual, with a lot of ability.” Hector leads the Aggies with 524 rushing yards and a 6.3-yard average, while Jackson follows with 489 and a 5.3-yard average. Quarterback Gary Kubiak has managed 166 rushing yards, while Sanders has 180. Kubiak has pas sed for 880 yards and four touch downs as well, giving him 1,046 yards in total offense for the Kubiak, who cited senior split end Mike Whitwell for his 5- reception, 160-yard performance in the loss to Baylor, said Rice will offer the Aggies a stiff test before their Oct. 31 game with SMU. “Whitwell made some super catches against Baylor,” Kubiak Confidence vaults NY to Series upper hand United Press International NEW YORK — There is an abundance of confidence filtering through the New York Yankees. Oh, they’ll all issue the stan dard fines about the Los Angeles Dodgers being a fine, competitive team that can come back from the dead. To a man, they all have'the compliments ready and will quick ly express respect and fear for their West Coast rivals. But Tommy John and Rich Gos- sage had a blast in Wednesday night’s easy four-hitter which gave the Yanks a 3-0 victory and a 2-0 lead in the World Series. John, who spent much of his fine career with the Dodgers, baf fled his ex-mates with a vicious sinker that had Los Angeles hit ters pounding ground balls all over the infield. He knew the hit- 1 - ters well, and even though he later denied it, his time spent in Dod ger blue had to help. “Sometimes knowledge can be a dangerous thing,” said John. “If you know too much about a team, you tend to forget about your own game. I concentrated on pitching my game as if they were the Cin cinnati Reds or the Detroit Tigers or the Milwaukee Brewers.” And when the seventh inning had come and gone, John had thrown a mere 77 pitches, 51 for strikes, and Gossage came in to finish up. Gossage, who struck out three batters in his two innings of work after a shaky outing the night be fore in Game 1, secured his second save of the Series. “I knew I had two innings in me, especially with a day off tomorrow,” said Gossage. “Every- bodv knows what I’m going to $2 Off any 17” or 20 one item or more pizza Free Delivery Chanello’s 846-3768 not valid during any other special $1 Off my 10" or 14 two item or more pixAi Free Delivery Chanello’s 846-3768 not valid during any other spei $1 Off your with this coupon if it is not to your address within from the time you ordered r order JL 1 it delivered . 30 minutes * Chanello’s 846-3 7 68 not valid during any other special 2 FREE COKES with every PIZZA purchased 30 MMUTE DEL/YEWf &HABAHTEE FREE 846-3768 DEAR PIZZAEATER, I am writino to let you know that CHANELLO’S is your # 1 Pizza Place at TA&M . AND it is interesting to know THAT besides having THE GREATEST PIZZA made from the highest Quality ingredients available, loaded with melted marzarello cheese that will string two feet, fresh chewy homemade dough, special blend of tomato sauce and spices, and topped with your favorite meats and vegetables, (did u get all that?), we also have FREE HOME E>ELIVERY. Call CHANELLO’S and your FRESH HOT PIZZA will be delivered in about 30 minutes. said. “He has been double- covered in several games and we added a few new wrinkles to get him open. Meyer says defense is kei “We’ve been hanging on and hanging on week after week (four of six decisions decided by one point). You could see it coming because we’ve won so many close ones and it was bound to end. We had the ball down there and should have taken it in and won the game, but we couldn’t get it done.” Hector agreed that the Aggies must move the ball better against the Owls if they’re going to win. United Press International DALLAS — SMU head football coach Ron Meyer said Wednesday that his team’s defense has been one of the main reasons for the Mustangs’ 6-0 season. “There have been a lot of things to contribute to our record, but to have the big year, you have to play well defensively. And we have played good, aggressive football on the defensive side.” The Mustang defense caused 31 opponent turnovers this sea son, but offense has turned the ball loose only 15 times. “I’d have to classify our defense as a big-play defense this year,” said Meyer. “We may bend at times, but we make and come up with a tumow critical times. It was the onlv^ we stayed in the Houston g SMU plays Texas Saturdt Dallas. GRAND OPENING — SUN. OCT. 25 SPJST Lodge #186 Hwy. 36, S. 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