Image provided by: Texas A&M University
About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 13, 1985)
Friday, September 13, 1985/The Battalion/Page 13 tiuk re is ctly whai ian error ut we are iible — i :>r the err- ri ns,"said presidem iters, IM dicopters, le Portu- ■d on the talde and Serra De northeast ned alive, the car- rain win- 37-year- )/s n i walked ■orge C. itv Col- : Iris ex- ded two ing, the an said lolice as 8, killed McGe- nan stu- was se- gunfire ent “ap- pistol- pted, he out, left ust got as 1,400 h voca- college 9 r ‘A Tidal wave of pressure’ Perkins says A&M bigger game than Georgia By BRANDON BERRY Sports Writer The Alabama Crimson Tide faced a three-point deficit to the Georgia Bulldogs in the season- opener for both teams two weeks ago. The Tide had less than a min ute to do something about it. They faced a defense that had bent, but not broken all night long. And they faced the demands and expectations of thousands of tradition-spoiled alumni, boosters and fans unaccustomed to open ing game losses. But Mike Shula’s last minute touchdown pass to A1 Bell stole a victory from the “jowls” of Bull dogs and critics alike and secured a Top 20 ranking for the Tide in the process. Alabama Head Coach Ray Per kins has found the pressure of ex- f ectations to be far from over, owever. “I think the A&M game is a much bigger game than a week ago (against Georgia),” Perkins said Tuesday in a telephone hook-up. “It’s important because I think Texas A&M is one of the best teams we’ll play all year. “They’re better than Georgia.” A&M Head Coach Jackie Sher rill agreed. “This can be a big game for us, but it’s a bigger game for Ala bama,” Sherrill said. “If (Ala bama) loses this game, then they tear down everything that they’ve built up with their win over Georgia. "Their strength is their de fense, even though they won the Georgia game with their of fense. They have a very mature de fensive team.” The Alabama defense, com plete with nine starters and an All-America hopeful at line backer returning, would as “mature” in any football dic tionary. The Tide “roll, roll, roll”-ed over Georgia with a 3-4 defensive alignment, which emphasizes speed and the free-lancing of Cornelius Bennett (6-foot-4, 215- pounds) at linebacker. “Taking (Bennett) and putting him where they put him (outside linebacker) allows him to be a dominating player,” Sherrill said. “There’s no question that there’s a possibility that people are going to see possibly the two best line backers in the country on the field Saturday in (A&M’s) Johnny Holland and Cornelius Bennett. We’re very concerned about how we will match up against Ben nett.” Perkins said he was concerned with how the quick Tide defense, averaging 6-4 in height and 232- pounds, matches up with the monumental Aggie offensive line, which averages 6-5, 270. “It’s a bigger test (than Georgia) because they’ve got big ger people and more talent than we might see all year,” Perkins said. “If they aren’t the most tal ented team we play this season, they’re certainly the biggest.” The third-year ’Bama coach said Sherrill’s decision not to “I think the A&M game is a much bigger game than a week ago (against Georgia). It’s important because I think Texas A&M is one of the best teams we’ll play all year. — Alabama Coach Ray Perkins - S l kickoff isn’t really a concern be cause the Tide defense expected them both to play anyway. But Sherrill disagreed. “They can say that it won’t make any difference, but that’s not really true. If Alabama said they were going to start either Shula or Vince Sutton, their other quarterback who’s more of a runner, you bet that would change our preparations as far as what we would do from the very beginning of the game. “We decided Sunday who should start, but if we have any thing to use as an advantage, we ought to use it.” Perkins said a much more im mediate concern, than who the Aggies start at quarterback, is an A&M defense that looks experi enced and potent, on paper at least. “To me, they rate right up there with the top defenses in the country,” Perkins said. “They played well enough defensively to win every game last year. That’s how good they are.” A&M defensive end Rod Sad dler, inside linebacker Holland and seven other returning start ers hope the defense plays well enough to win this game. “I expect Alabama to be more wide open offensively in this game than they were against Georgia,” Sherrill said. The principal Tide “openers” are an offensive line, which aver ages 6-3, 258-pounds, experi enced receivers and Shula at quarterback, with a year’s experi ence and the confidence of a last- second victory under his belt. “(Shula’s) a lot more mature mentally and has more confiden ce,” Perkins said. “His confidence is the biggest thing he’s got going for him right now. He could be a good one.” And who would know a good quarterback better than Perkins, an All-America wide receiver un der Paul “Bear” Bryant in the Joe Namath-Kenny Stabler days (1964-65) at Alabama? How about Sherrill, fullback and linebacker on those same na tional championship Tide teams. The same Sherrill who coached Dan Marino at Pitt, as theyrolled to three consecutive 11-1 seasons. The same Sherrill who will be re turning to the sidelines of Legion Field as the opposing coach, rather than the prodigal son. “I won’t really have those emo tions until we line up at kickoff,” Sherrill said. “I’ve got some teeth buried at Legion Field, some blood on Legion Field. I broke my ankje on Legion Field. I’ll have those emotions, but it’s not going to make any difference in the game. “It’s going to be Alabama against A&M.” Saddler said, “This is what col lege football is all about. If we go into Birmingham and beat a team like Alabama, then we should be in the Top 20.” And build a little of that pres sure along the way. Shadow of The Bear' covers Maroon and Crimson teams If you’ve been held in Siberia the past few weeks and haven’t heard, Texas A&M opens its 1985 football campaign in Birmingham, Ala. Sat urday. Wnile the Aggie-Tide game has gotten more pomp, grandeur and ceremony by the media, fans, coaches and players, than any game in recent A&M history, its full im pact hasn’t quite hit yet. The Aggies are playing a team that is probably as close to a kissing cousin as any other in the country. Except for a national championship here and there, the teams are am azingly similar. The winningest coach in college football, Paul “Bear” Bryant, arrived in College Station in 1954 to take over a team that hadn’t been to a Cotton Bowl since 1941, a game in which the Aggies lost to the Crimson Tide, 29-21. In Bryant’s first year, A&M’s only victory was a 6-0 win over Georgia. However, in his second year the program pulled a 180-degree turn and finished 7-2-1. Although Bryant was unable to rw-r CHAREAN WILLIAMS Asst. Sports Gdffor 11- lead the Aggies to the Cotton Bowl in his four-year tenure, he did take A&M to the Gator Bowl and even re corded one undefeated campaign — in 1956 the Aggies went 9-0-1, their last undefeated season. Bryant left A&M at the end of the ’57 season to take the r^ins at, guess where, Alabama. Just 20 years ago, two young men named Jackie Sherrill and Ray Per kins weren’t roaming the sidelines for Bryant’s Crimson Tide team, they were out on the playing field. The two coaches were instrumental in the back-to-back national cham pionships won by Alabama in ’64 and ’65. In 1967, Bryant finally made it to his first and only Cotton Bowl. And that year, my friends, also happened to be the last time A&M played in a Cotton Bowl game. The game pitted Bryant against Gene Stallings, one of his former players and assistant coaches who had become head coach at A&M. Current A&M secondary coach Curley Hallman intercepted two er rant passes by Alabama quarterback Ken Stabler to help the Aggies to a 20-16 win. Ironically, Hallman grew up across the river from Tuscaloosa, Ala., and had dreams of playing for Bryant. When Bryant didn’t knock at his door, Hallman headed to A&M toplay for Stallings. Hallman did make his way back to Tuscaloosa when Bryant finally did knock. From ’73-’76, Hallman was the Crimson Tide running back and secondary coach. In ’82, he returned to A&M with Sherrill. Current A&M defensive end coach Bobby Roper was also on the sidelines for the ’67 Cotton Bowl. He was in charge of Alabama’s de fensive ends. So, as you can see, the Aggies and Crimson Tide have more than “The Bear” in common. Like a brother vs. brother rivalry, the two aren’t usually mad at one an other. They’ve only met twice and that was out of necessity — the Cot ton Bowl demanded it. In ’67, the teams last met in the season finale — the Cotton Bowl.In ’85, the teams meet for the first time during the regular season in A&M’s opener. The game has thus had great buildup, and for good reason. However, the game is even more important than the press has built it up to be. Alabama was the key opponent for A&M in ’67, and they are again in ’85. If A&M beats ’Bama, look for the Aggies in the Cotton Bowl. If the Aggies lose, look for the same old A&M team that you’ve seen from ’68-’84. Maybe 1967’s ending was 1985’s . beginning. 5 FG’s help Chiefs rip Raiders, 36-20 Associated Press KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Nick Lowery tied a club record with five field goals and Bill Kenney threw a pair of touchdown passes Thursday night, leading the Kansas City Chiefs to a 36-20 victory over the Los An geles Raiders in a nationally tele vised National Football League game. Lowery tied the record of five field goals by Jan Stenerud, who turned the trick on two occasions in 1969 and again in 1971. The victory improved the Chiefs’ record to 2-0 while the Raiders, who had beaten Kansas City five in a row, dropped to 1-1- i Lowery’s field goals measured 36, 22, 42, 58 and 21 yards. His 58-yard effort with 43 seconds remaining in the first half matched the longest of' his career and pulled Kansas City within 14-12 at halftime. His 21- yarder 4:39 into the second half pro pelled the Chiefs into the lead for good at 15-14. Kenney, who passed for 397 yards Stiri set against New Orleans last Sunday, completed 18 of 38 passes for 259 yards against Los Angeles. He threw for two touchdowns in the third pe riod as Kansas City pulled out to a 29-14 lead. ~ Cornerback Albert Lewis recov ered a fumble by Raider quarterback Jim Plunkett in the end zone for the Chiefs’ third touchdown and a 36-14 lead with 9:48 remaining. The Raiders scored first on Frank Hawkin’s one-yard plunge with 5:59 left in the first period. Lowery’s third field goal put the Chiefs in the lead at 9-7 with 6:52 left in the first half, but Vann McEl- roy recovered a Chiefs’ fumble on the Kansas City 30 and, moments later, Todd Christensen made a cir cus catch in the end zone of a three- yard pass from Plunkett for a 14-9 Raider lead. With the outcome no .longer in doubt, Jessie Hester caught a two- yard scoring pass from Plunkett with 6:52 left. The e? failed. R0SH m HA5HANAH 1984*5745 The B’nai B’rith Hillel Foundation at Texas A&M wishes the Jewish University Community a Healthy and Happy New Year. Everyone is invited to services conducted by Rabbi Peter Tarlow. Rosh Hashanah Services Sunday, Sept. 15, 8 p.m. Monday, Sept. 16, 10 a.m. Tuesday, Sept. 17, 10 a.m. Yom Kippur Services Tuesday, Sept. 24, 8 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 25, 10 a.m. Break-the-fast, Sept 25, 10 a.m. Celebrating the year 5746-1985 Hillel Jewish Student Center 800 Jersey, College Station 699-7313 PLAN ON IT! Desk and pocket planners for home and office! Great gifts, from only $3-95! ~SZ? = STARSHIP == SHOPS Manor East Mall, Bry^n 822-2092 e 1985 Hallmark Cards, Inc. Cullpepper Plaza, College Station 693-3002 extra point attempt A aVuLsv Fall Rush ‘85 Continues... SATURDAY, Sept. 14 The members of TAIT KAPPA EPSILON Invite You To A Sterling B. Bash For information Call 764-0744 s 15% OFF any entree one coupon per customer Exp. 9-30-85 OFFICIAL NOTICE TO TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY STUDENTS In the past, certain Information has been made public by Texas A&M University as a service to students, families, and other interested individuals. Under the "Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974", the following directory information may be made public unless the student desires to withold any or all of this information. Student's name, address (local and permanent), telephone listing, date and place of birth, sex, nationality, race, major, classification, dates of attendance, class schedule, degrees awarded, awards or honors, class standing, previous institution or educational agency attended by the student, parent's name and address, sports participation, weight and height of athletic team members, parking (bermit information, and photograph. Any student wishing to withhold any or all of this information should fill out, in person, the appropriate form, available to all students at the Registrar's Office, no later than 5 p.m. Friday, September 20, 1985. R. A. Lacey Registrar