The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current, November 01, 1994, Image 7

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'November 1, 199 1
i Do Team: An open
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oing until 11 p.m. For
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! information call Donna
A general meeting
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ice is necessary.
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Tuesday • November 1, 1994
The Battalion • Page 7
Are blowouts
just a part
of the game?
tom
day F ^
Sportswriter
T his past weekend, I was in
South Bend, Indiana, to visit
my brother and see a Notre
Dame football game. The Fighting
Irish, who had fallen out of the top
25 for the first time since 1986 fol
lowing back-to-back losses to
Boston College and Brigham
Young, were badly in need of a vic
tory over Navy.
As expected, the Irish pummeled
the Middies to the tune of 58-21.
However, Notre Dame’s final touch
down, a 15 yard scoring strike
through the air in the game’s last
minute, raised a stale and mean
ingless question. Did the Irish run
up the score?
You be the judge.
Up by 30, Notre Dame had the
football on first down, deep in Navy
territory with about a minute and a
half left in the game. Lou Holtz de
cided to have his quarterback take
a knee and let the remaining time
tick off the clock.
But on third down, Navy laughs
at Notre Dame’s mercy offering and
calls timeout to stop the clock. The
Irish responded with a touchdown
pass. Is this running up the score?
After the game, I listened to
the local post-game radio talk
show and the topic wasn’t on
Notre Dame’s dominant win, their
revamped offense, or Emmett
Mosley’s four touchdowns. The
only thing on the locals’ minds
was Holtz’s lack of class in run
ning up the score.
I have one thing to say to these
people. Get a clue.
Think about it. Notre Dame
elected to mercifully let the clock
wind down by sitting on the ball.
^ Whether out of stupidity or a de-
/ mand of respect,-Nav-y call-ed a
tiiphhut, basically forcing the Irish
to run another play.
This was an engraved invitation
for the Irish to stick it to them one
more time, and their competitive
nature guided them to do so. Is it
unsportsmanlike to score in the fi
nal seconds when the other team
dares you to?
Another controversy emerged fol
lowing Penn St.’s 63-14 shellacking
of Ohio St. on Saturday. The Nit-
tany Lions stand accused of running
up the score against the Buckeyes to
impress the pollsters and justify
their number one ranking.
After building a 35-0 halftime
lead, however, Joe Paterno toned
down his offensive blitz to a mere
ground attack. He called on eleven
different players to carry the ball in
an attempt to show he was trying
to slow things down.
However, the yards still stacked
up and the accusations were flying.
Is it Penn St.’s fault that an over
matched Ohio St. squad couldn’t
stop anything they ran at them?
Closer to home, Aggie fans can
recall last season’s game against
Missouri. That day, the Aggies
could do no wrong in a 73-0 trash
ing of the Tigers. R.C. Slocum
called on 2nd, 3rd and 4th string
players to play, and the points
still piled up.
Was this running up the score?
Heck, the next step would be to lie
down and play dead.
To find a real example of run
ning up the score, all you have to
do is look back at the University of
Houston’s play in recent seasons.
Cougar High’s powerful run-and-
shoot offensive assault demoralized
See Day/Page 8
Soccer
By Stewart Doreen
The Battalion
When you look at the five seniors of
the Texas A&M women’s soccer team,
you see how far the soccer program
has come in a short time.
“The program has come so far,” for
ward Anna Whitehead said. “Now we
definitely have a shot at the playoffs.
So it is a new awakening for us. It is
something. We didn’t think we’d have
this opportunity.”
For Whitehead, Kristi Dillinger,
Heather Pinkerton, Michelle Crofts
and April Gallagher, Wednesday’s
game against Southern Methodist
University holds more than the
' opportunity to defeat a nationally-
ranked power or the chance to
make playoffs.
What this will bring is the riches
that come with the sacrifices made
from their first two seasons.
“We gave up two years of our life,
our school, our social life,” Whitehead
said. “We’d drive to the games our
selves, spend the nights four to a
room, pack into vans. We’re not given
any credit for that.”
The first two years were rough
while the soccer program existed at
the varsity/non scholarship level.
There was minimal support from the
the University. They were also disre
garded by their opponents.
Two years later, a decision in
the athletic department to add
soccer changed all that. G. Guerrieri
was named to lead the program
and their soccer lives would never be
the same.
“Its been a great experience,”
Dillinger said. “It was nice to get a
coach in here, have the facilities
available to us and be recognized
by the school and supported by the
student body.”
The seniors are enjoying the
rewards. There is an appreciation
stars recall beginnings
by these five players of what they
have now. Some players think that
both types of lifestyles have had
positive effects.
“It has been the best of both
worlds,” Gallagher said. “It was close
bonding when you had five people to a
seat in a van. People now fight over
getting your own seat on the bus.”
The financial support has im
proved the quality on the field. The
Aggies are now making a name for
themselves on the field against teams
that used to give them verbal abuse
during the lean years.
“The game on Wednesday is impor
tant,” Pinkerton said. “We can be the
best team in Texas. The game is per
sonal because we took a lot of flack
from them.”
Guerrieri said that the seniors have
brought the leadership and experience
necessary to a young A&M team.
“Any seniority and maturity that we
can bring to that group, you can’t put a
price to it,” Guerrieri said. “We have
this seniority and seasoned veterans we
can turn to in tough situations.”
These positives can be seen on
the field.
Whitehead is the physical forward
who Guerrieri said has become a
“huge factor” in the Aggies’ attack.
Dillinger has collected two Most
Valuable Player awards one for her play
last season and another for her play in
this year’s Post Oak Mall tournament.
Crofts is 9-1-2 as the Aggie goal
keeper including five shutouts. Guer
rieri said that her effort “is the reason
we didn’t lose against N.C. State.”
Pinkerton and Gallagher are mid
fielders who give the Aggies added
stability and leadership. Guerrieri
labels their importance in the ability
to push everybody else and the
maturity and experience they bring
to the field.
“They are a tough group for us re
place,” Guerrieri said.
Blake Griggs/THE Battalion
Lady Aggie soccer seniors (L to R): April Gallagher, Heather Pinkerton,
Kristi Dillinger, Anna Whitehead,(front) Michelle Crofts
Mackovic defends
AUSTIN (AP) — The talk around the University of Texas
has moved from Cotton Bowl chances to coaching changes.
With nemesis Texas A&M rolling into town on Saturday,
Texas coach John Mackovic’s weekly news conference normally
would be focused on one of college football’s fiercest rivalries.
But Mackovic on Monday was defending his 2 1/2 seasons
at Texas (5-3, 2-2 Southwest Conference).
That’s because a season filled with Cotton Bowl promise has
crashed in the past three weeks with devastating losses to Rice
and Texas Tech, who now command the driver’s seat to Dallas.
Despite a rash of injuries and player suspensions, Texas
beat Pittsburgh, Louisville, Texas Christian and Oklahoma
to go 4-1 and reach No. 12 in The Associated Press poll with
the only blemish a last-second loss to Colorado.
Mackovic’s preseason claim that the Longhorns be consid
ered a Cotton Bowl favorite, with or without the Aggies on
probation, looked solid.
That was before the Long
horns did what many orange
blood faithful thought was un
thinkable, losing to Rice for
the first time in 29 years and
then showing almost no vital
signs in a 33-9 blowout at
Texas Tech on Saturday.
It was the most lopsided
loss by Texas in SWC play
since a 50-7 defeat by Baylor
in 1989.
The Rice loss also recalled
another crippling defeat under
Mackovic, a 23-14 victory by
TCU in 1992 that ended 24
years of Longhorn domination
over the Homed Frogs.
A column in the Austin
American-Statesman on Sunday said Mackovic and his team
had become emotionless and demanded the coach be fired.
Longhorns fans have jammed radio call-in shows to express
their displeasure with people already proposing replacements.
“Let them talk. I can’t stop people from talking can I?
What is there to say,” Mackovic said.
“Our team does have emotion, and I am basically the same
person I was the week we lined up to play Colorado and Ok
lahoma,” Mackovic said.
“I don’t rant and rave on the sidelines, and I don’t throw
things at people, and I don’t call them down to embarrass
them in public. I know that screaming at people does not im
prove everything. I learned that as a child.”
Players say they support Mackovic, who is 13-10-1 and
team, own ability
without a bowl appearance at Texas. Before coming to
Austin, Mackovic had compiled a record of 30-16-1, including
four bowl games in four seasons alIllinois.
“Everyone is behind coach Mackovic, and I think we are
going to be able to turn it around this week against A&M and
do a great job,” said sophomore quarterback Shea Morenz.
Mackovic, who has repeatedly said it will take up to five
years to return Texas to national prominence, says he should
be judged on more than just winning football games.
“We have done a number of things academically,” he said.
“We have built and mended a number of fences and improved
the quality of life and the quality of academic pursuit on this
campus. Those should be taken into consideration and they
are not always.”
Mackovic lumped himself in with a host of coaches having
down years, including Oklahoma’s Gary Gibbs, Ohio State’s
John Cooper and Michi
gan’s Gary Moeller.
“I am not alone. It’s a
frustrating year for a lot
of us,” Mackovic said.
“We’re at a level where
we have a lot of attention
and people follow our
game and follow it closely.
“We understand that,
and we know that win
ning is important. But
we also know that you
have to look at more
than just a short snap
shot of everything.
“We will put the
Texas football program
in a position with honor,
integrity, with class and
it will be in a position again at the top of college football. I
know that because we are doing it the right way.”
University of Texas Chancellor William Cunningham and
school President Robert Berdahl, who will ultimately make
any decisions concerning Mackovic, didn’t return telephone
calls by The Associated Press.
Mackovic said Monday that he, Cunningham and Berdahl
“have a good relationship. I think they understand. We have
talked many times.”
Meanwhile, llth-ranked Texas A&M (7-0-1, 4-0-1)
should be pumped up for Texas this week after suffering a
loss-like tie (21-21) against lowly Southern Methodist (1-7-
1, 0-4-1) Saturday. The tie ended the Aggies’ 26-game SWC
winning streak.
"We will put the Texas football program in a
position with honor, integrity, with class and it
will be in a position again at the top of college
football."
Texas head coach
John Mackovic
Dallas Cowboys
distracted by
Blake’s Bengals
IRVING(AP) — The Dallas Cow
boys did what good teams do, sur
vive a bad day at the office.
Their 23-20 victory over the
Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday gave
the defending Super Bowl champi
ons a 7-1 record at the midway
point of their first season under
coach Barry Switzer.
“Some days it ain’t easy being a
Dallas Cowboy,” offensive lineman
Nate Newton said.
Sunday was one of those days.
The usually reliable secondary
gave up two long touchdown
passes by quarterback Jeff Blake
and it took some blunders by
the Bengals, including a late
fourth down hit by James Francis
on Troy Aikman to keep a touch
down drive alive.
Distracted Dallas, worried all
week about the traffic wreck that
injured offensive Erik Williams,
showed just enough to get by the
Bengals (0-8).
“Erik was definitely in the back
of our minds,” running back Em-
xnitt Smith said. “We wanted to
win the game for him.”
The Cowboys had Williams’ No.
79 jersey number on their wrist
bands and helmets. They even had
his uniform in a locker in the dress
ing room at Cincinnati.
“There was no doubt we were
thinking about him,” wide receiver
Michael Irvin said. “We were emo
tionally drained.”
Williams suffered a knee injury
in the wreck that will keep him
out six weeks and possibly the
See Cowboys/Page 8
Experience the Culture
of
England!
Germany!
and the
Dominican Republic!
Last Informational Meeting
Nov. 2 at 8:30pm 302 Rudder
Application Due Nov.ll by 5pm
Intern and Living Abroad
Program
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For more information and applications,
contact the
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MSC COMMITTEE FOR THE AWARENESS
OF MEXICAN AMERICAN CULTURE
PRESENTS
El Dia de los Muertos
Come celebrate the annual Day
of the Dead with us. Enjoy pan
de muertos and an informative
presentation!
November 2, 1994
206 MSC
7:00 p.m.
Persons with disabilities please call 845-1515 to inform us of your special needs. We request notification
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