The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current, August 21, 1985, Image 10
Page 1 OAThe Battalion/Wednesday August 21,1985 49ers’ Montana needs long ball Associated Press ROCKLIN, Calif. — Joe Mon tana’s personal training camp pro ject involves gaining confidence be fore the San Francisco 49ers open the National Football League season. It’s not that Montana was running scared last January at Stanford Sta dium, where he set several Super Bowl records while leading Coach Bill Walsh’s 49ers to their second NFL title. “Right now, Bill knows I still don’t have confidence in my long peissing. We’re working a lot on it in practice and it’s improving,” the 49ers’ quar terback said with the season opener 2V‘j weeks away. “But the important thing about improvement is to get it done in games,” Montana added. “It used to be that I’d feel I couldn’t get the ball downfield far enough on some plays, so I might let it go a little too soon,” Montana added. Montana, whose 28th birthday was two months ago, was in his first season as a starter when the 49ers beat the Cincinnati Bengals in Super Bowl XVI following the 1981 cam paign. During last season, which the team finished with an overall record of 18-1, Walsh said he considered Montana at least two years away from fully maturing as a quar terback. Walsh has not changed his mind, Montana’s performance in Super Bowl XIX and his career quar terback rating, highest in NFL his tory, notwithstanding. Montana won the Super Bowl Most Valuable Player award last Jan. 20, for a second time, completing 24 of 35 passes for 331 yards and three touchdowns, and running for 59 yards and one touchdown-in the 38- lb victory over the Miami Dolphins. “Joe will continue to improve as long as he plays,” Walsh said. “At some -point, but hopefully not too soon, the physical erosion will cross paths with the knowledge and expe rience. “But at this point, he’ll improve each year, especially being within our system and playing with this group of players.” In an exhibition game Monday night against the Denver Broncos, Montana played 1'/a quarters and completed 9 of 13 passes for 115 yards, including a 23-year touch down strike to tight end John Frank. This summer, pre-season camp meant parting from a wife. Montana and Jennifer Wallace, an actress-model he met last year while doing a television commercial, were married a month after the Super Bowl, and the couple expects a baby late in the NFL season. SWC Race (continued from page 9) kins, will be back to give the Mus tangs a 1-2 punch that should be the envy of the nation. Make that a 1-2-3 punch with the addition of freshman Bill Jones, one of the most sought- after Texas high school stars. While saying that SMU would have been favored, “every team should be a notch better,” said Ar kansas Coach Ken Hatfield. Arkansas Arkansas is loaded on defense, re turning nine starters. The Razorbacks led the SWC in scoring defense and total defense last fall. Hatfield must find a quarterback to replace Brad Taylor and Danny Nutt. And he’s find them in the presence of runner Greg Thomas and passet Mark Calcagni, brother of former Hog signal caller, Mark. Razorback wide receiver James Shibest, who caught 51 passes for 907 yards and seven touchdowns, is the cream of the SWC crop. Houston Houston, a Cotton Bowl loser to Doug Flutie and Boston College, brings back the exciting Gerald Landry, a veer quarterback su preme. The Cougars have swift receivers, in tight end Carl Hilton and split end Larry Shepherd, and tough running tailbacks, led by Raymond Tate. All-America tackle prospect T.J. Turner will anchor a respectable Cougar defensive unit. Texas A&M Don’t sell A&M Coach Jackie Sherrill’s and his Aggies short. A&M closed fast last year and are loaded in talent positions, particularly at quarterback, where Craig Stump and Kevin Murray can produce in stant excitement. Sherrill said the final victories over the Horned Frogs and Long horns “should serve as' a good springboard for the next year. We reacted well to adversity.” On defense, A&M has nine start ers returning, including pre-season first team All-SWC linebacker Joh- hny Holland and second team All- SYVC end Rod Saddler. Texas Texas could be pesky if Coach Fred Akers can solve his inconsistent quarterbacking. Texas fell from No. 1 in the nation early on last season during a seige of bad offense. Todd Dodge and Bret Stafford will be battling it out at quarteback, while redshirt tailback Charles Hunter is-expected to add punch to his position. “The way things went at the end of last year can be turned into an in centive for this year,” said Akers, whose team was bombed 55-17 by Iowa in the Freedom Bowl. A non-conference schedule which includes Missouri, Stanford and Ok lahoma should tell Texas where it stands. TCU Then there’s the return of Heis- man Trophy candidate Kenneth Da vis at runningback and a resurgent TCU under wildly enthusiastic Coach Jim Wacker. TCU’s 8-4 record and Bluebonnet Bowl bid against West Virginia was its best in two decades. “Who would have ever thought the little of Horned Frogs would be 8-1 and ranked in the Top 10 last year?” Wacker said. “That was a great experience and one we would like to continue in 1985.” Speedy quarterback Scott Ank- rom, a standout at San Antonio Jay High School just two years ago, is now expected to give the Horned Frog Veer offense an added dimen sion. “We’re still have to completely overhaul our offensive line after graduation losses and we’re not deep in the defensive front,” Wacker said. “We still have an inordinate amount of speed at our skill positions. We’ll have three guys in the backfield with 4.4 speed.” Baylor The Baylor Bears have two excel lent quarterbacks in Cody Carlson and Tom Muecke. Coach Grant Teaff has retooled his offense to take more advantage of their passing talents. Freshmen running backs Charles Perry, a former Bryan High star, and Jeff Murray could contribute immediately to the Bears, who have a rugged non-conference schedule which includes Georgia and USC. Texas Tech Texas Tech Coach Jerry Moore has gone from the I-Formation to the “Wing-Bone” attack which was popularized by Hatfield at Arkansas last season. However, the Red Raiders will have to depend on green quar terbacking and that can be fatal in the SWC. Sophomore signal caller Aaron Keesee returns to take back his position, but he’s still unproven. Tech’s defense should again be strong to keep the Raiders respect able. Tech is led by All-SWC hopef ul Brad Hastings at middle linebacker. Rice Watson Brown’s Rice Owls could be much better and still not win a SWC game in ’85. Rice plays Air Force and Miami on its non-confer ence schedule, but the Owls’ best chance for victory appears to be against Lamar. NFL Cuts (continued from page 9 placed nose guard Bob Baumhower and offensive tackle Eric Laakso on the physically-unable-to-perform list, meaning they can not play until at least the seventh game of the sea son. Baumhower is suffering from knee and ankle injuries, while Laakso still is recuperating from a knee injury suffered during the fourth game of the 1984 season. The Indianapolis Colts waived seven players, including four who started last year on one of the wea kest defenses in the NFL, Those four were safety Mark Kafentzis, cornerback James Burroughs, and linebackers Greg Bracelin and Mike Humiston. Also cut were linebacker James Gross, punter Tom Orosz and de fensive end Scott Virkus. Free safety Mike Whitwell of Texas A&M was the only veteran among seven players out by the Cleveland Browns. Cleveland also put 13 players on injured reserve, including veterans Clinton Burrell (safety), Elvis Franks (defensive end) and Willie Jones (defensive end). Veterans Keith Baldwin, a defensive end, and Bill Contz, a tackle, were put on the physically-unable-to-play list. The Los Angeles Raiders released 15 players, among them veteran nose tackle Rick Ackerman and line backers Mark Merrill and Darryl Bird. They also placed eight others on injured reserve, including start ing inside linebacker Bob Nelson. TWIN CITY FURNITURE'S WAREHOUSE CLEARANCE SALE For one week August 23rd thru August 31st, our central warehouse located at 218 South Main in Downtown Bryan will be open for a public sale. The purpose of this warehouse clear ance sale is to liquidate floor samples, freight, damaged items, odds and ends, one of a kind, and repossed merchan dise. During this sale you will find spectacular savings on one of a king sofas, love seats, reclin- ers, headboards, end, cocktail and sofa tables, chest of drawers, dis continued bedding, di nettes, desks, table lamps, wall units all priced for less than their true worth. Sale hours will be 11:00 am until 8:00 pm daily (except Sunday) August 23rd - August 31st All Sales Final! Bring your own transportation and save delivery charges. | Sale will be held at TWIN CITY FURNITURE WAREHOUSE at 218 South Main (Across from Acme Glass) in Downtown Bryan. Voi.. 80 h lec JAUST1 viftive gr Ttxas an movemer Jnav be on collegi HGreg E I Younj said men will muni ellort i material aficed.” If the sot s lecn tact the i choice o Monday. He sai fchcouraj! students If the isn t effe to comae W.ishim firmed i wide, Da The \ iated wit! Ihas soug complair accurate Neal } English r Atadeni: Ifhe Dai itoring is entitled i tive view Forest lessor, ; professo (filferen (aught b i|g their I Hill a who will “I’m Mat the subject r Mon censorsf are plac ion.” \Tuh By dal that rei i osexci Juesdii n ation’s 1 “We’ ■ Ion, he « | 0r of tlr plan to |ut of I*- I • Pecisio*: domy 1^ frtosexL: pcul-a I The u r ee-jt__ ^Ijucf he stc l0 niose “Th<= I'll hie* l°lutelw F e affiri— -Way-