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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 17, 1985)
Tuesday, September 17, 1985AThe Battalion/Page 11 Ags must be on lookout for SWC half-pint heroes The game was billed as a match-up of “possibly the two best linebackers in the country.” The opposing head coaches were once iraternity brothers and teammates on two national championship teams. The “Spirit of Aggieland” was pitted against the “Legend of the Bear,” before 74,678 onlookers in Legion Field. So, amidst all the hype and hoopla of Texas A&M vs. Ala bama, it seems only appropriate that the game was decided by a 5- foot-8, 163-pound bundle of kicking energy named Van Tif fin. Yes, Van Tiffin — the place kicker who missed 40 percent of his attempts last season. The same guy whose career-best kick was a meas/y 4 7-yarder. The same Van Tiffin whose name sounds more like a mass- transit system for Smurfs, than a big-time college game breaker. “I felt comfortable,” Tiffin squeaked after the game. “Eve rything was perfect — the snap, the hold, the blocking — every thing.” Including the timing. Tiffin was describing the re- cord-setting 57-yarder he kicked just before halftime to give the Tide a 10-3 lead. But he could have equally been talking about the 40 and 5I-yarders he drove through the uprights in the sec ond half to nail shut the lid on the je coffin. Jefore the game, (Alabama) Coach (Perkins) came up to me in the locker room and said he felt a record coming on and, sure enough, he was right,” Tiffin piped in. For his “man-sized” efforts, Tiffin was recognized as the Chevrolet Most Valuable Player — not bad for a guy who could fit in the glove compartment of most Chevys. But, rather than belabor the obvious “shortcomings” of A&M’s 23-10 loss, the Aggie coaches would be wise to take a look at the rosters of upcoming opponents for other “tiny tots of terror” and prepare accordingly. BRANDON BERRY Sports Writer In the past three season-open ers (coincidentally, all those of during the Jackie Sherrill era), trends have been set that the Ag gies have had trouble shaking all season long. Consider the facts: • In 1982, A&M lost four starters to injuries and a 38-16 decision to Boston College and 1984 Heisman Trophy-winner Doug Flutie. They proceeded to lose Gary Kubiak (broken leg), as running back Eric Dickerson (as in NFL All-Pro “Eric the Great”) ran wild for 215 yards in a 47-9 loss to SMU. The names and scores changed, but the 1982 A&M foot ball losses were characterized by two factors —injuries and Heis- man-worthy performances. • In ’83, the Aggies opened with a loss to California in the closing seconds due to defensive lapses in the secondary (Gale Gil bert passed for 260 yards) and tad last-minute play-calling (Jim mie Hawkins was tackled in the end-zone on an ill-advised sweep play with 10 seconds remaining for a game-losing safety). • A 45-13 loss to Texas, as sel dom used back-up ’Horn quar terback, Rick Mclvor, passed for 130 yards and 31 points in one quarter. Add to that a a last-min ute 10-7 defeat at the hands of SMU, when Jimmie “deja-vu” Hawkins was stopped on fourth- down-and-inches and the ’83 sea son could be easily characterized as a year of shaky pass defense and crucial offensive collapses. • Last season, highly-favored A&M sleepwalked through three quarters against Texas-El Paso and escaped with a 20-17 victory. The win came only after a game- tying UTEP field goal hit the goalpost and landed impotently on the Kyle Field Astroturf with 15 seconds to play. Ensuing losses to underdogs Texas Tech and Baylor, along with come-from-behind wins by SMU and Houston categorized 1984 as the year of the underdog and come-from-behind losses. Therefore, A&M’s loss to Ala bama last Saturday was more than just the first game of the ’85 season for the Aggies. It was the stage-setter for what appears to be the “Year of the Small Man.” The list of candidates likely to cause trouble this year begins in< Lubbock with “Titanic” Tyrone Thurman of Texas Tech, who tips the scales and scrapes the raf ters with his mighty 5-2, 128- pound frame. Thurman won last week’s game against Tulsa with a 20- yard TD reception from Tech quarterback Aaron Keesee (an other Conan look-alike at 5-11, 170) with 30 seconds remaining. Don’t be fooled, however — their best is being saved for Oct. 5, when the Aggies come to town. And how about Eric Metcalf, that 5-9 freshman speedster at Texas? Aggie coaches will try to make us believe that they’re really wor ried about the Edwin Simmonses and Ty Aliens, but Metcalf will prove to be the real Thanksgiving spine-tingler against the plump A&M turkeys. The precedent of “half-pint heroes” has'already been set in Alabama, and the Aggies would be wise to roll with the Tide. Rather than concentrate on size, speed or quickness, A&M should field a team comprised of their best leapers. In any crucial situation, they could simply jump over or onto the heads of their enemies like a housewife squash ing cockroaches — sorry, Darrell Royal. Rather than sending game- films to opponents, the Aggies could send elevator cleats. And rather than just accepting the inevitable, for the first time in four years, A&M could adjust to trends employed by rival players and coaches. Because if they don’t, past ex- g erience says the ’85 season will e filled with record-setting kicks, catches and laughs from under sized feet, hands and vocal cords. Aggie golfers only 6 shots off lead in fall SWC tourney LUFKIN — The Texas A&M golf team is in second place, six strokes behind Houston, after the first round of the Southwest Conference Commissioner’s Cup Golf Cham pionships. The SWC Commissioner’s Cup tournament, the first outright com- petitien between conference schools thus far in 1985-86, began Monday at Crown Colony Country Club in Lufkin. As expected, the defending cham pion Cougars hold a slight lead after 36 holes of play. Perhaps a little more surprising, however, was the fact that A&M shot a solid 344 to fall into second behind the Cougars, who shot' a combined 338. The Aggies and Cougars were followed by Arkansas (346), SMU (356), Rice and TCU at 357, Texas (364), and Baylor and Texas Tech at 367. Baylor’s Jerry Smith and Neal Tigers still No. 1 team in AP poll SMU Arkansas remain only Top 20 SWC reps Associated Press Auburn and Oklahoma remained 1-2 Monday in The Associated Press college football poll, while USC moved up to third place and Michi gan ousted Notre Dame from the Top 20. Auburn celebrated its first week as the No. 1 team by defeating Southern Mississippi, 29-18, Satur day. The Tigers received 23 of 60 first-place votes and 1,137 of a possi ble 1,200 points from a nationwide panel of sports writers and sports- casters. Oklahoma, which hasn’t played yet, also received -23 first-place votes out only 1,125 points. The Sooners open Sept. 28 at Minnesota. USC did not play over the week end, but the Trojans moved from fifth place to third with six first- place votes and 1,010 points. Flor ida, which had been third, slipped to 11th place after blowing a 28-7 lead and settling for a 28-28 tie with Rutgers. Iowa opened its season by crush ing Drake, 58-0, and jumped from fifth to fourth with five first-place votes and 998 points. SMU had the week off and climbed f rom sixth to fifth place. The Mustangs received the remaining three first-place votes and 913 points. Florida State, also idle, rose from seventh to sixth with 850 points. Ohio State climbed from ninth to seventh with 761 points by shading Pitt 10-7. Oklahoma State struggled to beat North Texas State, 10-9, but held onto eighth place with 697 points. LSU defeated North Carolina, 23- 13, and shot from 12th place to ninth with 682 points, and Penn State rounded out the Top 10, rising from 11th to 10th with 610 points af ter downing T emple, 27-25. The Second 10 consisted of Flor ida, UCLA, Brigham Young, Arkan sas, South Carolina, Alabama, Maryland, Nebraska, Michigan and Illinois. Last week, it was Penn State, LSU, Notre Dame, Arkansas, South Caro lina, BYU, Maryland, Nebraska, Illi nois and Alabama. Michigan defeated Notre Dame, 20-12, and cracked the Top 20 for the first time since the sixth of last season’s 16 polls. Barfield both shot 64’s to lead the best-ball competition during 18 holes Monday morning. After 18 holes of alternate shot competition in the afternoon, the leaders were A&M’s Jorge Coghlan and Roy Mackenzie with a low of 67. After the morning session, Hous ton and TCU were tied at 201. Three shots back at 204 in a tie for third were Arkansas and A&M. Houston has won 10 fall cham pionships, including the past five. AP Top 20 POLL The Top Twenty teams in the As sociated Press college football poll, with first-place votes in parentheses and season record: 1. Auburn (23) —2-0-0 2. Oklahoma (23) —0-0-0 3. USC (6)— 1-0-0 4. Iowa (5) — 1-0-0 5. SMU (3)—1-0-0 6. Florida State — 2-0-0 7. Ohio State — 1 -0-0 8. Oklahoma State — 2-0-0 9. LSU—1-0-0 10. Penn State —2-0-0 11. Florida — 1-0-1 12. UCLA — 1-0-1 13. BYU — 1-1-0 14. Arkansas— 1-0-0 15. South Carolina — 2-0-0 16. Alabama — 2-0-0 17. Maryland — 1-1-0 18. Nebraska —0-1-0 19. Michigan— 1-0-0 20. Illinois — 1-1-0 Others receiving votes: Tennessee, West Virginia, Air Force, Virginia, TCU, Georgia Tech, Kansas, Texas, Clemson, Arizona, Michigan State, Notre Dame, Rutgers, Miami (FTa.), Army, Bowling Green, Texas Tech, Stanford, Georgia, Pittburgh, Pur due. PRE LAW SOCIETY Twin City Church of Christ / ]\ SPEAKER FROM U TEXAS LAW SCHOOL GOSPEL MEETING September 15-20 f 301 RUDDER AT 8:30 7:30 p.m.-Monday thru Friday ( TUES. SEPTEMBER 17 James W. Adams, speaker INFO ON MOCK LSAT Lufkin, Texas ll FOR MORE INFO. CALL KIM 764-7994 810 Southwest Parkway College Station Tucson Electric Power Co. is an investor-owned utility located in Tucson, Arizona. Continuing growth has created many career opportunities for graduates interested in the electric utility industry. 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