Monday • October 24, 1994
The Battalion • Page 5
SPORTS
Owls gunning
for SWC title,
Cotton Bowl
Ok
NICK
GEORGANDIS
Asst, sports editor
W hoa. Two days after the
closest Rice-Texas A&M
game since the Owls’ last
victory over the Aggies in 1980, the
inhabitants of Kyle Field are proba
bly still catching their breaths after
a defensive grudge match with un-
doubtably the best 3-3 college foot
ball team in the nation.
Although many people still didn’t
believe Rice was for real after their
stunning triumph over Texas last
Sunday night, after the Owls’
showing against the Aggies on Sat
urday, there can be no doubt of a
statement that hasn’t been uttered
in conjunction with the residents of
Rice Stadium in about 35 years....
Rice is for real.
Not just for real, but, with the
win over Texas and Baylor’s recent
faltering in conference play, Rice is
in the pole position of this year’s
wide-open Cotton Bowl 500.
A bowl appearance would be
the Owls’ first since December 16,
1961, when they were smeared by
Kansas in the now-defunct Blue
bonnet Bowl. Even worse, a Cot
ton Bowl b^rth would be the Owls’
first in 37 years, the last such oc
currence coming on January 1,
1958 against Navy(who hasn’t
been to a bowl lately, either).
As the 1957 Southwest Confer
ence champions, Rice compiled a 7-
3 overall record (5-1 in the SWC).
1957? That’s horrible! How can a
program go 37 years without win
ning the conference again?
True enough. Rice has always
prided itself on education first and
athletics way down on the totem
pole of importance at the university.
But still, some decent players have
come across the campus that some
how once hosted a Super Bowl.
Through the years, Tommy Kramer,
Trevor Cobb, Courtney Hall and
Bert Emanuel have passed through
Rice with nary a post-season ap
pearance among them.
Since that 1961 bowl game, the
Owls have compiled a record of 95-
240-8, a meager .289 winning per
centage, easily the worst in the
SWC over that time period.
In the last two seasons however,
the Owls have put together back-
to-back years of 6-5 records. With
two winning seasons at such an un
derachieving program, former Owl
coach Fred Goldsmith became a
valuable commodity around the na
tion, and he jumped ship to Duke,
where his Blue Devils are now 7-0.
Enter Ken Hatfield, master of
the option attack. After two disap
pointing losses at the beginning of
the season to Tulane and Kansas
State, the Owls have come togeth
er, especially on the defensive side
of the ball. Through seven games,
the Owls are allowing only 17
points per contest, including only
15 points per game in the SWC
against the usually-potent trio of
A&M, UT and Texas Tech. Rice is
beginning to rival A&M in the line
backer department. Larry Izzo,
one of the stars in the upset of UT,
recorded seven tackles against the
Aggies to run his season total to 52
tackles, including nine for losses.
See Georgandis/Page 6
Wrecking Crew shuts out Owls’ option attack
Thomas' 60 yard score enough for victory
By Nick Georgandis
The Battalion
Never has a unit’s moniker been more
misleading than that which juniors Dennis
Allen and Ray Mickens, sophomore Donovan
Greer and senior Michael Hendricks were re
ferred to on Saturday afternoon. By turning
in so many hustling efforts and clutch plays,
it was easy to see that Texas A&M’s sec
ondary was nothing less than the primary
reason behind the Aggies’ 7-0 Southwest
Conference win over Rice at Kyle Field.
The secondary made its presence known
on Rice’s first possession of the game. After
A&M fumbled the opening kickoff away.
Rice was set up in good field position at the
Aggie 42-yard line just seven seconds into
the game. On a second-down fumbled option
pitch, Greer fell on the loose ball.
“I was really proud of our secondary today,
defensive coordinator Tommy Tuberville
said. “They did everything they could to get
in position and make the tackle.”
On the Aggies’ first play from scrim
mage, it looked like Rice was geared up to
stop the might A&M rushing attack, as
they swarmed Rodney Thomas for a loss of
two yards. But on the next play, the Ag
gies took to the air on a play-action fake.
Suddenly, Thomas had the ball in the flat,
with enough running room to drive an 18-
wheeler through. Thomas turned on the
speed and scampered 60 yards for a score.
With Rice gearing their offense almost
totally towards the run on Saturday, the
secondary unit was mostly concerned with
tracking down big runners instead of tail
ing fleet-footed wide receivers. Greer tied
for second on the defense with nine tack
les, while Hendricks recorded eight, and
both Allen and Mickens each added five.
When Rice's senior quarterback Josh
LaRocca did chance the airways at Kyle Field,
he did so with almost zero success. LaRocca
was a meager 4 of 11 passing for 19 yards.
Despite racking up 395 yards, the Aggie
offense could never get back into the end
zone and during the second half, the defense
was called upon to keep the Owls from tying
the score or getting ahead. When Rice’s of
fense drove into the Aggies' “Red Zone”, the
secondary twice ended the rallies.
Hendricks turned in the game-saving
play for the Aggies with just 57 seconds re
maining in the ballgame. On a fourth and
four from the A&M 31, LaRocca spotted se
nior wide receiver Jimmy Lee, uncovered, at
about the Aggie five-yard line. But just as
LaRocca’s pass reached Lee, Hendricks cut
just in front of Lee and batted the ball to the
ground, sealing the victory for A&M.
“I thought he(Lee) would go on a curl
route, but, instead he went up the seam, “
Hendricks said. “I got a great break on the
quarterback’s shoulder, and even though I
usually get excited when I make a big play,
but this time I just said thanks to God for
letting me be there.”
Hendricks’ play wouldn’t have been pos
sible however, if it had not been for a simi
lar play by Allen midway through the third
quarter. Allen’s leaping interception in the
back of the end zone snuffed out a seven-
play, 40-yard drive by the Owls.
As Hendricks explained, both his play
and Allen’s were expected, by virtue of the
position they play.
“We’re playmakers, that’s what we do, “
Hendricks said. “It’s like Antonio Arm
strong always says, somebody is going to
come up with the big play for us.”
Carrie Thompson/Tm
Running back Rodney Thomas runs down the field for the game’s only :
Stew Milne/THE Battalion
Lady Aggie basketball gets rolling
Lady Ags kick-off the season with practice 7:30 Saturday morning at G. Rollie.
Womens soccer retains title
By Stewart Doreen
The Battalion
The Texas A&M women’s soccer team
dominated Northern Illinois LTniversity
3-0 Sunday to defend their Post Oak
Mall Soccer Classic title this weekend.
“The girls put a little more empha
sis on perfection of technique,” head
coach G. Guerrieri said. “We talked
before the game about how winning
wasn’t going to be enough to impress
the people who are going to determine
our getting into the playoffs.”
The Aggies, 11-2-2 and ranked eighth
in the South region, took the aggressive
attitude into the game and converted on
their offensive opportunities looking to
score early and often. Freshman for
ward Bryn Blalack, the tournament's of
fensive Most Valuable Player, opened
the scoring in the first three minutes
with a header off a crossing pass from
sophomore forward Yvette Okler, the
first of Okler’s three assists.
“We need to score as many goals as
we can,” Okler said. “That’s why we
came out wanting to score. It's the only
way we’ll get recognition.”
From there, the defense held their
ground limiting the Huskies to minimal
opportunites for shots. The tourna
ments’ outstanding defensive player,
senior defender Kristi Dillinger, said
the Aggies used a total “team effort” to
shut down the Huskies.
“Our defense really worked as a
team this weekend to get the job
done,” Dillinger said. “If one person
in your defense is off, the defensive
system doesn’t work.”
Guerrieri said the strength of the
defense will determine the fate of the
team for the rest of the season.
“When it comes down to crunch
time how well we defend as a team is
going to be a big part of ou” success,”
Guerrieri said.
The Aggies continued to keep the
pressure on the Huskies, who regis-
see Soccer/Page 6
Tuesday, October 25, 7:30 pm
Winner of the Naumberg Competition
Theresa Santiago
Lyri<|||oprano
“We provide
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You just sit
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