ber 3,1992
nch conver-
51 P.m. in
t-shirts
ts may be
e or the
ormation
k t-shirt re-
t the Class
5-1515.
ications are
ie Student
<ers' Semi-
Adair,
turned no
t Services
vho still
left at
apply,
to Dr. Car-
15-1133.
EF Cards
in the
II Sara at
UDENT
actions and
idder. For
46-8631.
ATION:
in 229
II Javier at
483.
irum" at
lore infor-
1.
'THE-
luriel
er Theatre
eserva-
submitted
Donald, no
before the
'ish the
< contact if
> is a Bat-
of it events
> run on a
’here is no
’ou have
f 845-
LEL A
Students
iotirm
>rd
110
ore)
those
Sports
Thursday, December 3,1992
The Battalion
Page 7
Aggies should
get best possible
bowl opponent
T hose who
support the
Texas
A&M football
team are sure
there is a com
munist plot to
keep the Aggies
from having a
shot at the na
tional champi
onship.
If the officials
of the Mobil Cot
ton Bowl Classic
pass on the high
est-ranked team
to invite Notre Dame to play the Ag
gies, we will be sure that Cotton Bowl
executive Jim "Hoss" Brock is behind
that conspiracy.
We all know Brock has a love affair
with Notre Dame. We all know he
would probably kick his mother if it
meant keeping Lou Holtz happy.
That's because they are Notre Dame.
They are the 'almighty.' They are the
biggest television draw in the entire
nation.
But they are also ranked lower than
the Aggies. They are also 9-1-1 on the
season. Which means the 'almighty'
has lost one more and tied one more
than the undefeated Aggies.
It also means a win over the Fight
ing Irish would get the Aggies ab
solutely nowhere in the final Associat
ed Press poll.
Brock and his crew need to realize
one thing: When the Southwest Con
ference made a deal to send its host
team to the Cotton Bowl every year,
there was an understanding that the
bowl was there to help the conference
improve. The agreement was that the
Cotton Bowl would do everything it
could to bring the highest-ranked
team to Dallas every New Year's Day
for the conference champion. This
agreement becomes even more vital
when your host team is ranked in the
See Foster/Page 8
J. DOUGLAS
FOSTER
Sports Editor
Linebacker Cox becomes
late-season spark for A&M
By RULY MEDRANO
Sports Writer of THE BATTALION
At Texas A&M, the fourth-ranked Ag
gies have a reputation for having an es
tablished linebacker monopoly in the
Southwest Conference.
The traditionally linebacker-rich Ag
gies recently got richer as their present
defensive stock has recently taken a
tremendous rise with the improved per
formance of sophomore linebacker Jessie
Cox.
In last Thursday's matchup with the
University of Texas at Memorial Stadium
in Austin, Cox demonstrated why the Ag
gies' future may be even brighter as he
led the A&M "Wrecking Crew" defense
with eight tackles, including one for a
loss of two yards, and a fumble recovery.
The Texas game was only the 6-2, 220
pounder's second starting assignment in
his fledgling career at A&M.
Cox, a former Parade All-American at
DeSoto High School, explained that his
performance against the hated Longhorns
was a result of a heavy adrenaline flow.
"It's (Texas game) the game of all
games," Cox said. "I was really pumped
up. I was hyped, I was real hyped.
"It was a matter me trying to prove to
myself that I could play and I really
wanted to help the team."
Cox may have also proved his worth
to people other than himself. He began
the season as a reserve and special teamer
and didn't see his first start until the
Texas Christian game Nov. 21. It was
A&M's eleventh game of the season.
Against the Longhorns five days later,
Cox showed that there is no slack in the
Aggies' conference leading defense with
him in the lineup.
Cox explained that whether he is start
ing or not, he takes the same approach to
every game.
"There's no difference," Cox explained
of his roles as a reserve and as a starter.
"I still have the same intensity. I'll al
ways try to make every tackle I can."
Along with success comes notoriety.
That is something that is new to Cox on
the college level and he is not quickly re
sponsive when asked to speak of himself.
But if he continues to produce as he is,
Cox had better get used to it.
His modesty was something that was
apparent on Wednesday when Cox took
some ribbing about being interviewed
from teammates Antonio Shorter and
Wilbert Biggens. Cox only smiled embar
rassingly and mumbled "Where were
we?"
But when it comes to talking football,
Cox is not shy about anything.
See Cox/Page 8
DARRIN HILL/Thc Battalion
A&M linebacker Jessie Cox (48) leaps over Tulsa quarterback Gus Frerotte
during the Aggies' 19-9 earlier this season. Cox has started the last two games
for A&M at the inside position, and recorded eight tackles against Texas in the
final game.
Aggies open 1992 season on road against New Mexico
By K. LEE DAVIS
Sports Writer of THE BATTALION
A new season of hope for Texas A&M
basketball dawns this evening as head
coach Tony Barone and the rest of his Ag
gies travel to Albuquerque to take on the
University of New Mexico Lobos.
Barone picked a difficult site to start
his 1992 campaign as the game will be
played in the University Arena, better
known as 'The Pit,' because of the rau
cous fans and the level of noise that em
anates from it.
The pit has proven to be quite a home
court advantage over the years as New
Mexico has posted a 356-89 record includ
ing winning 14 straight heading into the
tonight's matchup.
A&M lost last year's matchup in Col
lege Station, 94-72.
The Lobos lead the all time series 4-1,
with the Aggie's only victory coming in
1979 by a 79-68 margin.
Barone said he realizes the Lobos are a
tough challenge, especially for an opener,
but if his team is going to improve it is
going to have to do it by playing against
quality teams.
"You have a couple of choices in
scheduling," Barone said. "One, you can
build gradually toward a crescendo. Two,
you can go into the fire right away. We're
going into the fire.
"That may not be the right way, but
you have to expose yourself to these type
of games when you are trying to build a
program."
The Lobos advanced to postseason
play for nine straight seasons, and has
posted four-straight 20-win seasons.
Sophomore forward Damon Johnson
supported the assessment of his coach as
to why such a young team seeks out
tough games on the road.
"If you want to win, you have got to
play winners," Johnson said.
Johnson added that he might have pre
ferred playing a tuneup match before
traveling to 'The Pit.'
"I think I would have liked having at
least one exhibition," Johnson laughed.
Barone said he expects the game to be
an up-tempo affair, and feature a lot of
running.
"I think the game is going to prepare
us for all the running that will go on in
the Southwest Conference this season,"
Barone said. "New Mexico is one of the
best running teams we will play."
Barone also said that he was most con
cerned with Ike Williams, who led the na
tion in scoring two seasons ago in junior
college, and scored 31 against the Aggies
last year.
See Aggies/Page 8
ARE YOU TEXAS A&M’S BEST?
Come one
Come all
Compete against the best
Cheer your friends
presents:
[=□
Register today in MSC 216
(Student Programs Office) or
on December 4th
from 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Memorial Student Center
December 4th 4:00 PM - 9.00 PM
December 5th 10:00 AM - Close
Tournaments
Bowling - Individual
(women & men)
Bridge - Teams
Chess
Spades - Teams
Table Soccer - Singles
Table Tennis - Singles
(women & men)
For more information
call 845-1514
Regional Tournament
February 26-28, ‘93
in Louisiana