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October 1, 1982 Page 11
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Red Raiders to invade Kyle Field Saturday
I Sherrill plans to start Marshall, Smith
by Frank L. Christlieb
Sports Editor
As linebacker Bobby Strogen stood by his locker after
Thursday’s workout in Kyle Field, it didn’t take him
long to state one of his team’s main objectives for the
remainder of the season.
■ “Staying healthy,” he laughed.
But just to make sure one of his teammates felt like
wise, Strogen asked for another opinion.
H “Right Rusty?” Strogen asked starting sophomore
linebacker Rusty Nettles, who hadjustcome in from the
one-hour practice session.
■ “That’s right — we’ve got to stay healthy,” Nettles
said without a moment of thought.
w“We have the material we need,” Strogen continued.
“Wt just have to use it. If we can get everybody back
who’s hurt so they can contribute, then we’ll be in good
shape. 1 don’t see anything else wrong with our team.”
■ For those who aren’t aware of the Aggies’ situation,
the injury problems have increased by the week. Going
into Saturday’s Southwest Conference opener with
Texas Tech, the Aggies have four injured players: tight
end Mark Lewis, fullback Earnest Jackson, tailback
Johnny Hector and tailback Thomas Sanders.
KOnly Lewis will be out for the season, but the absence
ojthree top offensive performers has given Coach Jack
ie Sherrill his thinnest-ever supply of running backs.
I ] But Sherrill’s emergency backfield corps of George
Sniith, Mike Marshall, Elvis Walker and Jimmie Haw
kins has come to the rescue of an injury-plagued offense
that has averaged 450 yards a game.
Smith and Marshall will start against the Red Raiders
in Saturday’s game, which kicks off at 2:45 p.m. The two
combined for 121 yards in last week’s 38-27 triumph
over Louisiana Tech.
The game will be televised on CBS-TV, with Vern
Lundquist doing play-by-play and Steve Davis serving
as the color announcer.
Injuries aside, the Aggies might have a little more
wind in their sails at this point in the season, but the Red
Raiders’ boat is picking up speed rapidly.
The Aggies have won their last two games after a
season-opening 38-16 loss to Boston College. After
scoring 99 points in victories over the University of
Texas-Arlington and Louisiana Tech, Texas A&M has
proved its that its offense has the ability to move the ball
up and down the field.
But like Marshall said Thursday, “This (the South
west Conference) is a whole new ballgame.”
On the other hand, the Red Raiders have endured
losses to New Mexico and Baylor by a total of 15 points.
In last week’s loss to the Bears, Texas Tech’s defense
allowed only 54 yards and four first downs during the
second half.
The Red Raider offense, criticized for its inconsisten
cy after an opening 14-0 defeat at the hands of New
Mexico, has gained 764 yards the last two games. In
Texas Tech’s 31-30 victory over Air Force, quarterback
Jim Hart led the team on touchdown drives of 73, 80
and 79 yards.
So although the Aggies appear to have an edge on
paper, the Red Raiders’ performance of late brings
them a feeling of confidence about this weekend’s
game.
Besides, Tech coach Jerry Moore and bis squad
members still around from last season remember that
they nearly defeated the Aggies in Lubbock. The Red
Raiders’ 17-10 halftime lead evaporated as Texas A&M
won 24-23 with a late two-yard touchdown run from
Johnny Hector.
Quarterback Cary Kubiak, whose offense gained 490
yards against the Red Raiders in last year’s victory, said
this year’s team features talent and a fine-tuned de
fense.
“They’ve played extremely well during the last two
weeks,” Kubiak said. “They’ve got a good defensive
front with Gabe (Rivera, nose guard) and he’s got some
friends up there with him, too.
“They’ll be the toughest defensive front we’ve faced
all year.”
Split end Don Jones, whose seven receptions last
week were good for 60 yards, said the Aggies will face
their toughest foe thus far.
“Anytime you’re in the Southwest Conference,
you’re going to play against top-quality athletes,”
Jones said. “So, our execution has to be up to par in
every phase of the game. ”
jjjg ' . ■ .' . ■ i " •
(Hart not flashy, but a team leader
by John P. Lopez
Battalion Staff
An old song is floating around
Lubbock these days.
You can hear coaches and
fans alike singing “You’ve gotta
have heart.” But they spell
‘heart’ H-A-R-T —- as in fim
Hart.
An old 1-9-1 football record
is also floating around in Lub
bock.
3 : And you can hear coaches
If yH and f ans talking aboul relief.
But they spell relief H-A-R-T
— as in Jim Hart.
FfPl ?i The TexasTech Red Raiders
Y;■.Tmust have Jim Hart at quarter
O back if ihev want to redeem
Texas Tech QB Jim Hart themselves of a lowly 1981 re-
icandovci| eac j s R a iders against Aggies CO rd.
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Hart is not a great passer or a
great runner, but he can do both
adequately and he’s a team lead
er. Red Raider Head Coach Jer
ry Moore says Hart has “intangi
bles” that give him an edge over
most quarterbacks. He says Hart
does things to win games that
don’t show up on the stat sheets.
He says he’s a winner.
Hart hopes Moore is right.
“As a quarterback you always
want to be a leader and be some
one that everyone can rely on,”
Hart said Thursday in a tele
phone interview. “When I go
out on the field I play each play
like it’s going to be the last one of
the game. I go all out. I’m not a
real rah-rah type of player but I
try to lead by example.”
Hart almost didn’t have his
chance to lead the Red Raiders
at all. As a freshman he had the
unenviable job of being backup
quarterback to Ron Reeves who
holds almost every Texas Tech
passing record. As a sophomore,
the Red Raider coaching staff
didn’t think Hart had what it
takes to be a quarterback, so they
moved him to cornerback on de
fense. And last year, Moore de
cided he wanted Hart back at
quarterback — but not just yet.
Hart was redshirted.
“It’s always tough when
you’re sitting on the bench and
you want to be playing,” Hart
said, “but we had a good quar
terback last year (Reeves) and
the season didn’t turn Out to be
so good, so it really turned out
for the better. Now I have two
more years of eligibility and
there are only 10 seniors on this
year’s team.
“The biggest problem I had
before I started playing defense
was being able to recognize
what’s going on. So after I play
ed defense for a year and ran all
the coverages, it made it easier
for me to recognize the cover
ages when I started playing
quarterback again.
“I became much more aware
of the mental part of the game
and it was a bigger help to me
than anything could have been.
At the time I didn’t think so, but
See HART page 13
staff photo by David Fisher
Aggie defensive end Paul Pender goes high to block
a pass from Louisiana Tech quarterback Matt Dun-
igan in last week’s 38-27 Texas A&M victory. Strong
safety Billy Cannon watches as the throw is released.
Texas A&M faces Texas Tech here at 2:45 Saturday
its Southwest Conference opener. The Aggies have
a 2-1 record and Jerry Moore’s Red Raiders are 1-2.
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1982-83 Campus Directory
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