The Battalion
SPORTS 7
Wednesday, October 11,1989
Sports Editor Tom Kehoe 845-2688
Slocum wary of Cougars
Houston’s Run-and-Shoot next for Ags
By Richard Tijerina
Of The Battalion Staff
Texas A&M Coach R.C. Slocum
and his football team are playing the
waiting game.
After last week’s 27-24 loss to
Texas Tech, A&M finds itself with a
l-l Southwest Conference record
and their backs against the wall. The
team can ill afford to drop another
conference game if it wants to stay in
the race for the Cotton Bowl.
But on Saturday A&M must face
I No. 8 Houston, whose explosive of
fense has been scoring almost as
j many points this year as A&M run
ning back Darren Lewis has been av
eraging rushing yards per game in
1989.
For Slocum, this week’s game
against the Cougars almost has been
like waiting for a spanking.
“It’s kind of like when you were a
little kid and you go somewhere with
your mother and you cut up or
something, and she tells you when
your father gets home you’re going
to get a spanking,” Slocum said
Tuesday at his weekly press confer
ence. “You sit around two or three
hours, just wishing he’d get home so
you can get this thing over with.
“So we’ve been waiting here for a
while and now we want to at least
just find out how bad it’s going to
be.”
If Houston’s previous games this
season are any indication, the game
this weekend at Kyle Field could be
very bad.
The Cougars are averaging 59
points a game and allowing oppos
ing teams an average of only six
points. The Cougars have amassed
over 2,500 yards of total offense this
year.
In contrast, the Aggies are averag
ing 26.3 points a game in 1989, while
their opponents are averaging 16.3
points. The Aggies have 1,830 total
offensive yards in 1989.
UH has been walking, make that
throwing, over its opponents all
year. Andre Ware, Houston’s quar
terback and Heisman Trophy candi
date, has yet to play in the fourth
quarter of any game this season.
Coaches take him out earlier because
the games get out of reach so soon.
It is UH’s explosive offense, called
the Run-and-Shoot, that has Slocum
worried.
“We’re facing a tremendous task
here this week and we have no time
to build up any momentum,” he
said. “We’ll be severely tested this
weekend. Offensively, they look to
me as possibly the most explosive
team I’ve ever seen.”
Ware will be the key on Saturday.
A&M must pressure the quarterback
like it did last year in the Aggies’ 30-
16 win in the Astrodome. If the de
fense can’t confuse him, then it will
be a long day for Slocum’s team.
“None of these other (quar
terbacks) we’ve played are as good as
Ware is,” Slocum said. “He’s an ex
ceptional talent. Ware can avoid the
ressure. He’s a major threat when
e’s scrambling.”
Last year, A&M had an experi
enced defense that revolved around
a strong group of linebackers. How
ever, this year’s unit is young and in
experienced. And Slocum can’t be
encouraged any after seeing the
game films from last week’s UH-
Baylor game, in which the Cougars
humiliated Baylor’s nationally top-
ranked pass defense 66-10.
“Going into the season, without
question you would’ve had to say
Baylor’s got a better defense than we
have,” Slocum said. “When they’re
demolished like they were last week,
it’s really a cause for concern to us.”
Ware passed for 404 yards against
the Bears.
Slocum knows what his young Ag
gie defense is in for.
“It’s real scary,” Slocum said.
“They’re (defense) going to have to
grow up in a hurry. It’s not one of
those games where you’re wonder
ing how much they’re going to
throw. They’re going to throw it just
about every down.
“Just about everyone around ex
pects us to get drilled this week, so
it’s one of those things where you
just go in and say, ‘We’re going to
find out.’”
One of the few things Slocum is
See Slocum/Page 9
Photo by Mike C. Mulvey
Darren Lewis will need to find the form he had
last year against Houston if the Aggies hope
to make a game of it this weekend. Last year
he gained 200 yards on 40 carries as Texas
A&M downed the Cougars 30-16. The game is
2 p.m. Saturday at Kyle Field.
Jinxes, shminxes! Lucky charms work, but not t.u. lucky charms
Baseball players have unique and diverse
rituals they undertake to keep their good
luck flowing.
They wear the same clothes, deny
themselves pleasures of the flesh, carry
lucky charms and do just about anything to
keep from deviating from the pattern they
feel is part of keeping a streak alive.
Football coaches and their teams are a
little more subtle, but they too are guilty of
relying a bit too much on superstition.
Andre Ware, quarterback for the
Houston Cougars, wears the same shirt he
has worn since his high school playing days
under his Cougar uniform.
College and pro teams swear that playing
in some stadiums is bad luck.
Ask the Aggie football team if this is true
about the “Black Hole” in Lubbock.
The Aggies have been unable to win in
Jones Stadium since 1985 and the Houston
Cougars have been unable to beat the
Aggies on Kyle Field since 1979.
Do you think the Coogs are worried?
But by far, the most superstitious people
are sports writers.
A group of us (loyal Aggie sports people)
huddled around the television Sunday,
intent on the game. I was aware of the hard
times that had befallen the Aggies on
numerous occasions at Jones Stadium and
was well aware of what the Red Raiders
were capable of there.
“Don’t worry,” the rest of the group said
as the Aggies went up 7-0, “There’s no way
Tech is going to beat us.”
I told them to hush and crossed myself.
“You’re getting all worked up for
nothing,” they said when the Aggies went
into the half up 10-7. “There’s no way Tech
is going to beat us.”
Angrily, I asked them if they knew what
they were doing.
“You guys are jinxing the Aggies,” I said.
They accused me of being paranoid and
pessimistic.
Non-sports people just don’t understand.
Going into the fourth quarter, the Aggies
took a commanding 24-14 lead, but I was
still being cautious. After all, there was still
over 10 minutes left in the game.
“Quit worrying,” they screamed. “You’re
such a worry wart! The Aggies have got it
all sewn up. There’s no way Tech’s going to
beat us!”
That’s all it took.
A fumbled punt reception by A&M and a
quick drive by Tech pulled the score closer.
Tech was now just four points behind.
I looked right and left and saw concern.
“There’s only five minutes left,” they said
nervously, “I don’t think there’s any way
Tech can beat us, is there?”
I shook my head. I knew it was too late.
After a short punt, Tech got the ball and
began to drive downfield. Then the sports
rituals came into play.
“Sit on the floor, sit on the floor,” one of
our observers said. “My mother’s a Texas
fan and everytime the Lorrghorns-are
behind we all sit on the floor and they win.”
I should have seen the problem with that
logic right away.
After all, why would a proven t.u. luck
device work for the Aggies?
I was superstitious and also panicky, so
what the heck? We all sat on the floor. And
I must admit, it seemed to work.
The first play after we held our “Sit On
the Floor Vigil,” the Aggies sacked Tech’s
quarterback and dislodged the ball. The
fact that the officials ruled the play dead
before the fumble was an ominous sign, but
I still had faith in the floor sitting ritual.
On the next play, the Aggies again
sacked Tech’s quarterback and it looked
like the curtain was about to drop on any
Tech comeback.
“See, I told you,” the t.u. legacy said. “It
always works for the Longhorns.”
I stood up. “Oh great! Do you know what
you just did?” I screamed.
At that moment, fate and t.u. laughed
(not to mention more than 50,000 Tech
fans).
Tech threw a 28-yard pass and sealed
A&M’s fate.
Blame shifted to me for standing up, and
I in turn blamed them for using a t.u. ritual
for an Aggie save.
Notice that neither of us blamed A&M
for missing the coverage?
Homestead Savings Assn.
Plans Move to Shiloh Center
Homestead Savings Association of
College Station has asked state
regulatory authorities to authorize
movement of its headquarters 1 6/10
miles south to the Shiloh Center.
President William F. Phillips Jr. an
nounced the proposed move today, say
ing that the center will be renamed the
Homestead Place if the request is
approved.
“We will more than triple the floor
space available for our headquarters,”
Phillips said. “At a time when our
customer base is growing and our ser
vices are expanding, more space would
be welcomed by our staff and
customers.”
Phillips noted that Homestead has
outgrown the building it has occupied
since 1977.
“We have known for some time that
our present quarters were too small but
we are committed to move very slowly
to incur debt. That policy allowed us
to make profits while other institutions
with more elaborate facilites posted
losses. We have waited for an oppor
tune time to make a move and the
Shiloh deal fell into our lap.”
Phillips explained that the out-of-
state owners of the Shiloh Center
allowed Homestead to assume title to
the property in a friendly repossession.
The center is virtually filled with one
exception: the cornerstone location ad
jacent to Texas Avenue.
“We now have the opportunity to
anchor the center, support our solid
tenants there and become our own
landlord,” he pointed out. “The loca
tion is very visible, it is in the heart of
College Station and is very convenient
for many of our customers. The extra
parking, the extra space and the
favorable timing make the move ir
resistible.”
Homestead’s present location direct
ly across from the TAMU campus will
continue to play a part in the future of
the institution, he added.
“We own 60,000 square feet (1 1/3
acres) of the most desirable real estate
in Brazos County,” he said. “In the
future, we may consider construction
on this site — or we might entertain a
sale to the right buyer. The property is
prime for a major hotel or other
business that would enjoy being in
A&M’s front yard.”
Homestead is College Station’s only
locally owned savings and loan associa
tion. Phillips helped form the institu
tion and is the only president to direct
the 12-year-old banking business.
Homestead Savings Association of Texas
1063 South Texas Avenue in College Station (across from TAMU)
DRIVE THRU BANKING FROM 8 - 6 Monday-Friday
Locally Owned
and Managed
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[ Dr David R Weldon
Dr Frank R. Arko
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Dr. Dirk I.. Boyscn
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» Richard L Ricss. Ph D
Internal Medicine
Dr. Michael J. Miller
i Cardiology
Dr. Valerie Chatham
Pediatrics
Dr. J James Rohack
Dr. Alton Graham
Dr. Daync M. Foster
Dermatology
Dr. David llaekethorn
Dr Mark Sieilio i
Dr. David D barton
Dr. Michael R. Schlabach
Dr. Dan Ransom ]
Family Medicine
Obstetrics/Gynecology
Psychology
Dr. Anne Barnes
Dr Jack L Bodden
Dr Art Cavlor
Dr. James R Meyer
Dr. Patricia E. Tolciu
Dr. Wiliam R. Kiser
Dr. William L Rayburn
Radiology
Dr Walter J Linder
Dr. Charles VC. Sanders
Dr. laiis Canales
Dr Richard A. Smith
Sally Miller, R.N.C.
Urology
Dr. Kathy A Stienstra
Occupational Medicine
Dr. Michael R. Hermans
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Health Education
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4
BLACKS IN POLITICS
Presented By
ALVIN WILLIAMS
DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF BLACK OUTREACH
For The
REPUBLICAN NATIONAL COMMITTEE
Sponsored By
THE TAMU COLLEGE REPUBLICANS
WED. OCT. 11
8:30
701 RUDDER TOWER
CR
College
Republicans