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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 17, 1982)
17, The" Battalion Sports September 17, 1982 'Page 15 I Aggies, Mavs set for Saturday’s showdown Sherrill’s defensive changes stick; Smith, Bryant to start by Frank L. Christlieb Sports Editor \ George Smith knows the I Texas Aggies have a good foot- I ball team. And he’s not ashamed S to let people know how he feels about his team’s character. And Smith, Texas A&M’s freshman fullback from Doug las, Ga., says he hasn’t had much time to get nervous about Satur day’s game with the University of Texas-Arlington Movin’ Mavs. He’s trying to enter the game with a clear mind and con science. In other words, Smith says, forget about Boston College. “Good football teams are the ones that put things like that be hind them, and I think we’re de finitely a good football team,” Smith said after Thursday’s one- rioliings hour workout. Smith should be nervous. It’s I not every day a first-year player ■ gets thrust into a starting posi- em ] tion in the Aggie backfield. But the prospect, of starting his first college football game hasn’t given him the shakes. Smith’s confidence about Saturday’s game, which starts at 6 p.m. in Kyle Field, can prob ably be traced to the Aggies’ 38- 16 loss to Boston College two weeks ago. When starter Earnest Jackson r» ■sustained a knee injury that will Ll B sideline him for about four to six weeks, Coach Jackie Sherrill tos sed Smith into a nest full of elite Cl Eagles. And instead of letting hose Vi the Eagles throw him out of the proffi nest, Smith emerged from the r* too fat Aggies’ loss as one of the few j ire trad bright spots of the evening. )se vers Rushing for 41 yards on four | carries and nabbing two passes | r littleBfor 13 against the Eagles, Smith | : breath* l an Aggie coach Jackie Sherrill has earned a chance to prove his ability as a starter behind quar terback Gary Kubiak and along side tailback Johnny Hector. Although his left ankle, which he sprains every so often, has given him problems since the Aggies’ end-of-summer work outs, Smith says he couldn’t be more ready for Saturday’s game. But he’s not going to make a commotion about his starting spot. “I feel like it’s not that big of a deal,” he said. ‘T’ll just do what ever it takes for this team to win, whether it be starting or subbing or whatever.” In the Movin’ Mavs, Texas A&M will face a team that stam peded past Sam Houston State 63-10 last weekend. It’s hard to judge the strength of the UTA squad on the basis of its one sided victory over the lowly Bearkats, but Smith said the Aggies are aware of the Mavs’ talents. “I feel like it doesn’t matter who you play, but anytime you score 63 points, you’re doing something right,” he said. “So we won’t judge them by what they did last week ... and we won’t take them lightly just be cause they played a bad team.” And in turn, the Mavericks and Coach Bud Elliott don’t re gard the Aggies as pushovers just because they lost — and lost big — a game that everyone thought they’d win. Elliott, who has been coaching at UTA for nine years, said his players know about the offensive unit led by Kubiak and Co. “We’re extremely impressed with their offense,” he said. “Kubiak reads defenses real well and throws the ball well, and we know that Hector is an extreme ly good running back. “We feel that George Smith is a dandy, and overall, A&M has great outside speed. The offen sive line is better than most peo ple were saying, too.” Kubiak opened the season against Boston College by com- See UTA page 17 actress* iam HtM arid olH J cadeir.'l 1 on the e come I ar a fe» ets of Pi I ence o| may e cheonj say it t becoit The Resale Gallery""! Furniture A New and Used at affordable prices | 2795 S. Texas 775-7300 i across from Brazos Savings MISSION CAR WASH 3301 Texas Ave. $ 1 off exterior wash Sundays only 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Student ID Required Buy a Dr Pepper $ 1 25 and keep the mug. Univetf NT While Supplies Last DANVERS AGGIE MUGS! Refills 250 with Mug thru 10/31/82 te 201 Dominik College Station Aggie trainer Bob Bitters cools down a tired Matt Darwin during Texas A&M’s loss to Boston College two weeks ago. The Aggies’ starting center and his photo by Donn Friedman teammates will face the UTA Movin’ Mavs Saturday at 6 p.m. in Kyle Field. SOON IN COLLEGE STATION FUIM • FOOD • DRINKs 693-61 19