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7
The Battalion
SPORTS
Friday, October 6,1989
No. 19 Ags ready to take their show on the road
Lubbock the setting for Saturday clash of 3-1 teams
By Clay Rasmussen
Of The Battalion Staff
Losing one game in the Southwest
Conference this year could have se
rious consequences for a team’s bid
for a conference championship.
Losing two conference games —
and a team might as well kiss the
Cotton Bowl goodbye.
That’s the situation Texas Tech
finds themselves in as they face
Texas A&M this Saturday to Tight
for life in the SWC race.
A&M Coach R.C. Slocum said the
game may well decide whether the
Red Raiders, who are 0-1 in confer
ence play, stay in the race.
“They’ll be back home for the first
time in two or three weeks,” Slocum
said. “This is a big game for them —
they face elimination from the con
ference race.
“We’ll have our hands full.”
Other than just playing to stay in
the SWC race, the Red Raiders will
be fighting to avenge a 50-15 slaugh
ter last year at Kyle Field.
But Slocum said the Aggies too
have something to prove to Tech.
Last time the Aggies traveled to
Lubbock, A&M suffered a humiliat
ing 27-21 loss.
Perhaps the loss itself w'asn’t as de
meaning to the Aggies as the w'alk
off the field at the end of the game.
“There was a lot said coming off
the field,” Slocum said through
clenched teeth. “People were spit
ting on us. . .1 haven’t forgotten one
bit of that day, I promise you that. A
number of our players made that
trip too, and I’m sure they remem
ber.”
That game’s experience just
might be wdiat the Aggies need to
motivate themselves for the game,
after beating Southern Mississippi
and watching Baylor beat Tech.
Other than just pure motivation,
A&M faces several difficult tasks if
they are to remain undefeated in the
SWC.
Tech, minus quarterback Billy Joe
Toliver who was lost to graduation,
has turned to the running game and
I-back James Gray.
Gray has gained over 400 yards
this year, averaging 6.4 yards a
carry.
“James (Gray) is a good player,”
Tech coach Spike Dykes said, “but
it’s his supporting cast that has been
a little deficient at times."
Slocum said Dykes obviously
wasn’t talking about the Raider’s of
fensive line when using the word
“deficient.”
A&M at Texas Tech
• Site: Jones Stadium
• Kickoff: Noon
• Ranking: A&M (19th), Texas
Tech (—>
• TV/Radio: Raycom SportsNet-
work; KTAM (AM 1240)
“Just look at Tech’s line,” Slocum
said. “Those guys have worked to
gether for so many years. With the
same offensive system, that makes
them dangerous.”
Fortunately for the Aggies, Tech
can’t support the same offensive
scheme it ran last year.
“I imagine the jury is still out as to
where we stand offensively,” Dykes
said.
But Dykes said he will have his
hands full trying to establish any
type of passing attack against the
Aggies.
“The big thing is going to be try
ing to protect the passer,” Dykes
said. “Boy, they (A&M) do such a
great job of pass rushing that it
scares me to death.”
The Aggies shouldn’t have it any
easier, though.
In order to leave Lubbuck with a
win, Slocum said A&M must do two
things: slow down Tech’s running
game and establish a running game
of their own.
“For us to be successful, we’ll have
to keep them from making the big
plays on us,” Slocum said. “I don’t
think we can stop their running
game, but we’ll have to slow it down
to the point where they can’t keep
the ball.”
Dykes said he is worried about
controlling the Aggie’s groundgame
and running backs Darren Lewis
and Robert Wilson.
“It’s going to be an awful big
chore to shut both of those guys
down,” Dykes said. “They’re great
backs behind a big line, so our work
is going to be cut out for us.”
Both Lewis and Wilson had big
games against Southern Mississippi,
combining for 215 yards on the
ground.
Slocum said he was pleased with
A&M quarterback Lance Pavlas and
the performance of the rest of the
team.
“I feel like we’re headed in the
right direction,” Slocum said. “We’ve
gotten Lance off to a good start and
he’s been getting better every week
— he’s gotten to the point where he
feels comfortable throwing.”
A&M leads the series with Tech
26-20-1, but has found Tech to be a
thorn in its side the last five years.
Jones Stadium always has been a
tough place for the Aggies to play.
The last five games in Lubbock have
been decided by a total of 12 points,
with the Red Raiders holding a 3-2
advantage in them.
“We were embarrassed last time
we went there,” Slocum said. “I cer
tainly remember and I’m making
sure our players remember too.”
Photo by Jay Janner
Larry Horton breaks a tackle in last year’s 50- The former running back switched to safety
15 A&M win over Texas Tech at Kyle Field, this season and is second in team tackles.
Big A takes the A’s to avenge last year and win World Series
The Oakland Athletics will win the
World Series in five games.
What about the American League
Championship Series? It’s only a formality
for the best team in baseball.
With a 2-0 advantage, the A’s might as
well set the VGR for the Series, because
they won’t be home to see it.
Granted, the Blue Jays wall win one game
in the Mega-Dome. With quality players like
Fred McGriff and Tony Fernandez, the
Jays should chalk up a win. But they won’t
last longer than five games.
OK, so the A‘s win the ALGS. Who will
face them in the Series?
My heart says Chicago. There’s
something nostalgic about having the Series
in Wrigley. Besides, if the Cubs win the
National League pennant, we won’t have to
listen to their fans whining for another 40
years.
But logic says that San Francisco will bash
the Cubs.
Will Clark and Kevin Mitchell gave Cub
fans a preview of drubbings to come when
i - ||
Alan
Lehmann
Sports Writer
they combined for three homers and nine
RB I Wednesday night. Of course, they
won’t score like that every game, but other
Giants will pick up the pace.
Matt Williams is a power hitter just
waiting for a chance, and Brett Butler is a
proven talent.
If it hadn’t been for Dave Dravecky’s
injury, the Giants would have a chance at
making the Series go the full seven.
Still, pitchers Scott Garrelts and Rick
Reuschel provide veteran leadership as well
as victories.
Although the Giants have lacked a
dominant closer, they have a decent
bullpen-by-committee.
The fact is that it doesn’t matter who the
National Losers send against the Oakland
buzzsaw. The A’s will win.
A sweep is possible, but not probable.
Mitchell and Rueschel will find a way to
make the series last for five games.
You heard it here: the A’s in five.
I know what you’re thinking.
W’hat about last year?
The A’s were supposed to sweep the
Dodgers in 1988, but lost miserably.
There were many explanations, all
bearing some degree of truth:
• The Dodgers were underrated.
Nah. They were actually pretty bad.
Simply the luckiest team to win a Series in
recent memory. Just getting into the
postseason was a small wonder.
• T he A’s mentally weren’t ready. Could
be true, but still no excuse. Pro baseball
players don’t get paid to feel ready, just to
play.
The Dodgers’ batting order had all the
pow'er of a women’s bowling team. So, they
rode the arm of Orel Hershiser into history.
• Pure, dumb luck.
Yep, now you’re getting closer.
The fact is that the A’s w'ere superior to
the Dodgers in every way, except luck.
Statistically, Oakland was better than Los
Angeles in almost every catagory. The A’s
hit for higher average, more home runs
and w'on more games.
I know that stats don’t w in ballgames, but
the A’s were better on the field as well as on
paper. All of the “experts” said so before
the Series last year.
At any level of sport, teams have slumps
and streaks. The A’s simply slumped at tne
wrong time, and the Dodgers played above
their heads.
That’s the Lehmann Theory, anyway.
No matter why they collapsed last year,
Oakland will win this year. They’re hungry
for a Series win. After hearing all of the talk
of their collapse, they played through a
plague of injuries and beat the “No repeat”
rule.
Oakland was dominating last year, but
they are improved this season. The
addition of Ricky Henderson has added a
dimension of speed that they lacked.
Jose Canseco will-have a better Series this
year. After last year’s Fiasco, Mr. “Dial 1-
900 Huge-Ego” has nowhere to go but up.
Dave Stewart will have a good Series, but
not the wondrous one that the media w ill
expect of him. He’s a solid pitcher, but he
gave up 260 hits in 258 innings this season.
Righthander Mike Moore will steal the
pitching show. He finished the season
strong, and allowed only three hits in seven
innings in Wednesday’s wdn. He allowed
only 193 hits in 242 inings this season.
If the A’s starters should falter, they can
fall back on one of baseball’s best closers.
Dennis Eckersley has relieved in each of the
A’s six ALCS games in the last two years.
He’s saved five of them.
The A’s are the best team, and will win
the Series.
\acgi
inema/
Presents
THE ADVENTURES OF
BARON
MUNCHAUSEN
tf p
r/''“
r yyyy.
3
Friday and Saturday October 6 & 7
in Rudder Auditorium
tiaqipM and 9:4S PM)
Tickets will be sold at MSC Box Office for $2.00
with TAMU ID. Aggie Cinema Movie Information
Hotline is 847-8478. The next Aggie Cinema
General Committee meeting is Monday, October 9
in Rudder Tower Room 504.
Friday and
Saturday
October 6 & 7
in Rudder
Auditorium
Tickets $2 w/TAMU ID
Saturday Matinee on October 7
at 3:00 P.M. in Rudder Auditorium
Adults $2.00 w/TAMU ID
Children under 13 - $1
21/20
COPIES
October 6 ONLY! j
*8 1 / 2 ” x 11” white 20# bond,
auto-fed sheets, at participating locations.
re-born!
846-8721
kinko's
the copy center
509 University Drive West Open 24 Hours
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