The Battalion
SPORTS 9
Friday, October 13,1989
Sports Editor Tom Kehoe 845-2688
Ags look to quiet Run-and-Shoot
No. 8 Houston, Ware visit Kyle Field Saturday
By Clay Rasmussen
Of The Battalion Staff
Texas A&M has faced some of the
best quarterbacks in the country this
year — Louisiana State’s Tommy
Hodson, Washington’s Gary Conklin
and Southern Mississippi’s Bret
Favre.
But A&M has yet to see the likes
of Houston’s Andre Ware.
The Aggies get their shot at cool
ing Ware’s red-hot arm and the Cou
gar’s Run-and-Shoot scoring ma
chine on Saturday.
A&M Coach R.C. Slocum said it
probably won’t be pretty.
“We nave a team coming in here
that’s one of the absolute best teams
in the country,” Slocum said.
“Offensively, they look to be as
good as any offensive team I’ve seen
in a long time, and maybe as explo
sive as any team I’ve ever seen. You
turn around and defensively they
look to be the same way.
“They can run, they’ve got size
and they’re playing with great confi-
eckles
dence and recklessness.’
The Aggies are coming off a dis
appointing, last-minute loss to Texas
Tech last week,
"Those kind of losses linger,” Slo
cum said. "They take a lot out of
you, but we just have to try and get
ready for our next game.”
And getting ready for the next
game is a particularly difficult task
when you must shut down one of the
highest scoring teams in the country.
The Cougars lead the nation in
scoring offense, averaging 59 points
a game while limiting their oppo
nents to an average six points per
game. They have shattered record
after record in the Southwest Con
ference.
At one point in the season, UH
said the possibility of gaining over
1,000 yards in a single game was a
real one.
Ware broke former A&M star Ke
vin Murray’s record for most career
touchdowns thrown with 49. Ware
and the Cougars lead all other of
fenses in the nation, averaging 647
total yards per game.
He holds the SWC record (7) for
most touchdown passes in a game,
against Temple earlier this year.
Ware has passed for over 400 yards
in five separate games. With the sea
son only half over, he is sure to set
more records.
Houston at Texas A&M
• Site: Kyle Field (72,387 cap.)
• Kickoff: 2 p.m.
• Ranking: A&M C—), Houston
(8th)
• TV/Radio: HSE (Ch. 25)tape de
lay at 10:30 p.m.; KTAM (AM 1240)
But A&M is not without its own
talent at quarterback. Junior Lance
Pavlas set a school record last week
against Tech, completing 11 consec
utive passes. He also set a career
high in passing yardage, throwing
for 202 yards on 28 attempts.
Pavlas has a 61 percent pass com-
letion average this year and ranks
"o. 3 in career completions at A&M.
At his current pace, Pavlas will
challenge Murray’s single season re
cord of 60.8 percent.
R 1
To be able to contend with the
Cougars, Slocum and the Aggies
need to do one thing:
Shut down Ware.
"He is, without a doubt, the key,”
Slocum said. “You plug another guy
in that offense at quarterback ana it’s
not the same show.”
The Aggies had success last year
in limiting Ware by using one down
lineman, four linebackers and six
defensive backs to cover the Run-
and-Shoot.
This year, though, the Aggies are
both thin and inexperienced at the
linebacker position.
"That hurts us some this year,”
Slocum said. “(Chicago Bears’John)
Roper is gone and we’ve had all
kinds of injuries at the linebacker
position. We’re young and thin.
"Last year the linebackers were
the strength of our team. We’re not
in the same boat this year.”
The defense, though, is looking
forward to the challenge of covering
See Game/Page 11
Cowboys
and picks
IRVING (AP) — Dallas run
ning back Herschel Walker has
been traded to the Minnesota Vi
kings and moved his belongings
out of the Cowboys suburban
headquarters Thursday.
"I’m outta here but I’ve got a
lot of good memories,” Walker
told Cowboys assistant equipment
manager Jerry Fowler as he
cleaned out his locker at Valley
Ranch before dawn.
Walker then boarded a plane
for Minnesota with his agent.
“He’s accepted the deal to play
for Minnesota,” said Lee Martin,
producer of Walker’s Dallas TV
show. “From what Herschel told
me, it’s not so much that he wants
to go to Minnesota, he just feels
that he wasn’t wanted here.”
Vikings general manager Mike
Lynn visited Walker’s home
Wednesday to try to convince him
to join Minnesota. The Vikings
and the Cowboys had agreed to a
package this week for Walker,
who had spent several days trying
to make up his mind on the mat
ter.
In Minneapolis, Lynn would
get players
for Walker
not confirm the trade
When told he has a running
back in Walker, Lynn said, "We
do? Can you wait a second.
You’re speculating. You’re specu
lating. The deal is not done until
we announce it. I’ve got no com
ment. If the Cowboys have made
an anouncement, that’s one
thing. Before you run off on a
limb, get your facts straight.”
Cowboys owner Jerry Jones
and coach Jimmy Johnson, who
took over the team in February
and have struggled to an 0-5
start, had no immediate com
ment.
But Fowler said Walker told
him, “I’ll never forget my years in
Dallas. I loved Dallas and I intend
to keep my home here, but it’s
time to move on.”
Walker told Fowler that he will
play against the Green Bay Pack
ers, the Vikings’ opponent, on
Sunday. Ironically, Walker just
played against the Packers for the
Cowboys last Sunday.
Martin wasn’t as sure.
“I haven’t
See Herschel/Page 11
Jones, Johnson finally got one right: Herschel deal is no lemon
Jimmy Johnson and Jerry Jones should
be in the used car business.
With one stroke, Jones and Johnson may
have saved the Dallas Cowboys from a
winless season.
The Double-J braintrust, who fired Tom
Landry and drafted two quarterbacks
during the offseason, traded Herschel
Walker to Minnesota on Thursday.
I can hear the groans, but take neart
football fans: Jerry got this one right. Hey,
give the man credit, the law of averages
finally caught up with him.
The Pokes had, in their infinite wisdom,
decided to give Walker a tiny role in the
offense (or lack thereof) this season.
As a result, he has gained only 246 yards
this year, and Dallas is 0-5.
What a concept, using a man who had
over 2,000 total yards last year as a decoy.
Brought to you by.the same organization,
who made two rookie quarterbacks
millionaires in the same offseason.
I guess the braintrust thought they could
Alan
Lehmann
Sports Writer
swap Walsh tor a defense, or at least some
nifty draft picks.
Can’t you just hear the conversation:
“Hey, J.J, let’s draft this one, too.”
“Another one? They’re pretty expensive.
You think we can put them both on the
field at the same time?”
“Of course not.”
“For that much moolah, we’d better
make use of both of them.”
“Hey, I know what we can do. We need a
defense, so we’ll just trade our extra
quarterback for a team.”
"You think anybody wants him that
bad?”
"Sure, he’s a first-round draft choice.”
Obviously the other owners in the league
were afraid of dealing with such shrewd
operators.
Who wants to be fleeced by a man from
Arkansas?
So, the Pokes were stuck with too much
talent at QB, and none anywhere else.
Luckily for the Plowboys, QB # 1 was
injured at just the right time to make use of
QB #2.
Whew, that was a close one.
“We still don’t have a defense, JJ> and
nobody seems to want our spare QB.”
“Who can we swap for some defense?”
“There’s somebody...! can’t think of his
name...Big guy, ran the ball a lot last
year...It’s right on the tip of my
tongue...help me J.J., you know who I
mean.”
“Darryl Clack?”
“No, he played more than that.”
“Oh, you mean Herschel?”
“Yeah, that’s him. Is he still with us?”
“I think so...Yeah, he is. I saw him at
practice last week.”
“Good. I wonder how he feels about
playing in that God-forsaken wasteland up
north.”
“You mean Oklahoma?”
“No, further north.”
So, they paid Walker’s salary, and
shipped him out of town.
Sometimes a lot of luck and a half-dozen
wrongs do make a right. Defying all logic,
the double-J gang got a defense in
exchange for their most valuable player.
In the trade, Dallas received five players
and several draft picks over tbotoext three
years.
The Vikings gave up linebackers Jesse
Solomon and David Howard, cornerback
Issiac Holt, defensive end Alex Stewart and
running back Darrin Nelson.
Don’t be fooled. The Pokes will miss
Walker.
Their pass-oriented offense hasn’t been
very successful even though defenses have
been keying on him.
With Walker gone, Nelson will have to
establish a running game, or defenses will
be able to blitz every play.
Solomon, Stewart, Howard and Holt
should provide instant defense for the
Pokes, who’ve had trouble stopping some of
the league’s more mediocre offenses this
year.
If they can slow opponents on the
ground, and provide a decent pass rush,
the SlowPokes might win a couple this
season.
’ • . 1 *" * * „
In the meantime, be careful who you buy
a new car from.
BROTHERS
[with
The Brazos Valley
Symphony Orchestra
SUNDAY
OCT. 15, 1989
RUDDER
AUDITORIUM
4:00 P.M.
Tickets available at the
MSC Box Office,
845-1234
and at Dillard’s in
Post Oak Mall.
ATTENTION A&M STUDENTS*
Are You Graduating in 6 Months or Less?
You can qualify for an auto loan to purchase that Wayne
Thomas Volkswagen and have deferred payments.
So stop by
Wayne Thomas Volkswagen
For details
1111 S. Texas Ave.
Bryan, Tx.
775-VOLK
*1 st Time Buyer Program-No Credit Needed to be Eligible.
EXPERIENCE
the culture of the
Dominican Republic.
Summer 1990!
Trip is from late May to late June, 1990.
Proficiency of Spanish language required (2 semesters min.)
GPR at least 2.0 for undergraduates and 3.0 for graduates.
Program seeks to promote a cross-cultural awareness.
Room and Board will be provided by host families.
Student participants are responsible for paying for all
personal needs.
Student participants are provided work experience related
to academic studies or career goals, as available.
Informational meeting: October 16. 1989
in room 228 Memorial Student Center at 5:00 p.m.
Applications Available:
in room 223G MSC Browsing Library
Due : November 6. 1989 at 5:00 P.m.
MSC Jordan Institute for International Awareness