The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current, October 14, 1996, Image 7

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    iy • October 14,1!
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rging Cadets were
lost guests,
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Davis said. “It|
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pirit,”
IV win is a win
the Aggies overcame a sluggish
ffort on offense for 24-21 win
national meetingi
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iture island of
from 3-4 p.nt, ii
West. For mote
845-0544.
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ly disco at 8:30pi
jnners: A2to4rnt
t G. Rollie White 0
i. Different levels d
elcome. For rrer
Dao at 260-2441.
By Heather Pace
The Battalion
acrosse: There*
n 4-6 p.m. at their
more informal®
in at 6966330,
itudents Associi
will be held at
3 All Faith's Cha
impus.
osse Club: Practlc
'om 4-6 p.m. al
Ids. Everyone is
no experience
■ information call
t 764-8561.
iugby. Cm ^
arience necessarj
8 p.m. on Simpsfl
lore informational
3-3710.
sters of Toast'
lal: There will tail
at 8:30 p.m.
help students4:
ive public spa:
i members area'
For details c
at 822-0566.
Baptist Student fi
will be a genera:^
iok study, guests
1 fellowship at ?p
Station Ba
ormation call 7751
is a Battalion
non-profit stude*
its and activities,
submitted no late
in advance off
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iy questions, plea*
om at 845-3313
Relying on key plays and big-
me experience, the Texas A&M
lotball Team brought home a
-earned road victory on a day
offense could not sustain a drive.
The Aggies’ 24-21 victory over
va State at Cyclone Stadium-Jack
ice Field on Saturday marks the
time the Aggies have won two
mes in a row this season.
Hie nation’s sixth-ranked offense
yhave dragged its feet most of
day, but the Aggies made the
yswhen necessary to ensure
ir first road win of the year.
junior quarterback Bran-
Ion Stewart said the win moved
tAggies closer to contender sta
in the Big 12 South Division.
“We took a big step toward get-
ontaining Troy Davis
Rushing
Att-net yards-TD
39 130 1
Pass Receiving
No.-yards-TD
2 23 O
ting the momentum we need,”
Stewart said.
The Aggie win, combined with
Oklahoma’s upset over Texas, puts
A&M in good position for the rest of
the season. The Aggies are tied in
the loss column with Texas Tech,
the Longhorns and the Sooners.
The A&M offense, which en
tered Saturday’s contest averag
ing 513 total yards per game, was
limited to 323 yards by the Big
12’s worst defense in yards al
lowed per game. However, big
plays defined the game.
The Aggies put the first seven
points on the scoreboard during
their second possession, when
sophomore tailback D’Andre
Hardeman broke away for a 74-yard
run that moved the Aggies down to
the Iowa State 1-yard line.
Hardeman took the ball into the
end zone on the next play, giving
the Aggies an early advantage.
But A&M was not done yet.
After a bad decision to field a
Cyclone punt inside his own 5-
yard line on the previous series,
freshman Dante Hall redeemed
himself with a 69-yard touch
down dash on his next return
with just over eight minutes left
in the first quarter.
A 42-yard Kyle Bryant field goal
with 1:33 remaining in the opening
quarter left A&M with a comfort
able 17-0 lead over the Cyclones.
The margin faded midway
through the second quarter as Iowa
State senior quarterback Todd Dox-
zon waltzed into the endzone on a
1-yard run. The play capped a 19-
play, 80-yard drive that consumed
over eight minutes.
After coming out of halftime with
mm
m
F ' —
m
fir * 1
-..... ?
Mike Faas, Iowa State Daily
back Eric Bernard eyes a pass from junior quarterback Branndon
swart during the Aggies' 24-21 victory over Iowa State Saturday.
a 17-7 lead, the Aggie offense looked
sluggish in the second half, while
the Iowa State offense heated up.
After Aggie senior Albert Con
nell fumbled the opening kickoff
in the second half to turn the ball
over, Cyclone junior running back
and Heisman Trophy candidate
Troy Davis scored on a 2-yard run
just 1:25 later to bring the Cy
clones within three points.
The Cyclones seemed to have the
momentum until sophomore kicker
Jamie Kohl missed a field goal.
The Aggies stayed alive by
shutting down Davis. The junior,
who averaged 229.3 rushing yards
per game coming into Saturday’s
contest, was held to only 130
yards on 39 carries.
A&M senior outside linebacker
Keith Mitchell said the defense’s
primary goal was to keep Davis
under control.
“All week long we kept hearing
about Davis,” Mitchell said. “We
had already made a Heisman
candidate out of the BYU quarter
back, and we didn’t intend to do it
again for Davis. We wanted to
shut him down.”
Using an eight-man front and
a strong safety, the Aggies did
just that.
Mitchell said although the de
fense may have been caught off
guard by Davis’ impressive mobil
ity, it was not stopped from doing
its job.
“I would compare him to
Trevor Cobb [former Rice running
back], because he moves well
from side-to-side and is quick on
the perimeter,” Mitchell said.
“Davis surprised us by being as
mobile as he was.”
The A&M offense remained
stymied throughout the game un
til Connell came up big in the
fourth quarter.
Facing a third down-and-12 sit
uation, Steward connected with
Connell on a 70-yard screen pass
as the Cyclones blitzed Stewart.
Stewart said the play was
called to give the defense some
time to rest and to run the clock.
“We expected them to blitz
and we needed to get in there and
take some time off the clock,”
Stewart said. “We didn’t go so
much to Connell in the first half.
But you can throw him a hitch
and he’ll go 80 yards with it.”
Special teams proved to be the
staying force needed to keep
A&M in the game.
In the fourth quarter, Shane
Lechler punted back-to-back punts
of 70 and 76 yards, respectively.
“Before the last punt, they
were right on top of me ... but I
was just thinking about giving the
defense a chance,” Lechler said.
I II A
l&M Volleyball quickly
ismisses Missouri, Iowa State
Rony Angkriwan, The Battalion
homore Stacy Sykora launches a
(against two Iowa State defenders
u. Rollie White Coliseum Sunday.
By Ross Hecox
The Battalion
The mere mention of a Lady
Aggie upset would be ridiculous.
The 12th-ranked Texas A&M
Volleyball Team made short
work of the University of Mis
souri and Iowa State University
this weekend, winning both
matches in three games at G.
Rollie White Coliseum.
A&M defeated the Cyclones
15-6, 15-9, 15-9, on Saturday and
Missouri 15-4, 15-9, 15-4, on Fri
day to improve its conference
record to 6-0 and 15-2 overall.
A&M’s opponents carried a
combined 4-24 record. The
biggest threat facing the Lady
Aggies was looking beyond the
weekend contests and into next
weekend’s matches against the
University of Nebraska and the
University of Colorado.
A&M has not faced a. top 20
team since it defeated the Uni
versity of Texas Sept. 25, and
made it a point not to overlook
Iowa State and Missouri.
Head Coach Laurie Corbelli
said A&M did a good job of stay
ing focused against the un
ranked teams.
“I’m not as worried any more
about preparation for these
teams,” Corbelli said. “I am
pleased with how [the players]
have prepared themselves and
jumped on teams like they
should. They are self-motivated
and confident not to let [an up
set] happen.”
In the first game against Iowa
State, the Lady Aggies held an 11-6
advantage when Smedsrud’s shot
sparked a four-point run. On the
final play, sophomore outside hit
ter Stacy Sykora made a diving
save, setting up junior outside hit
ter Kristie Smedsrud’s game-win
ning block.
Cyclone outside hitter Colleen
Henican’s kill evened the score at
eight in game two, but Smedsrud’s
hard shot ended the Cyclone
threat. A&M followed with a 7-1
run to take a 2-0 lead in the match.
In the final frame, A&M’s lead
was cut to 10-8 on Cyclone middle
blocker Rachelle Van Scoyoc’s kill.
After five scoreless possessions
See Volleyball, Page 8
Page 7
Monday • October 14, 1996
Mike Faas, Iowa State Daily
Sophomore tailback Eric Bernard carried for 42 of the Aggies' 194 rushing yards against Iowa State Saturday.
A&M freshman Jason Webster
continued the day’s trend with yet
another spectacular special team
contribution when he downed
Lechler’s final punt on the Iowa
State 3-yard line.
Mitchell said the kicking game
made a crucial difference Saturday.
“Our main goal in each ball
game is to win with the kicking
game, because that helps the mo
mentum,” Mitchell said.
Stewart and the A&M passing
game were limited as the junior
completed just 9-of-18 passes for
129 yards, his lowest totals of the
season in all three categories.
Although the Aggies’ victory
might not have looked too good
on paper, the scoreboard may
provide them with the motivation
they need for the rest of their
conference games.
Mitchell said the team is start
ing to come together.
“Our teammates are pulling
through ... we never gave up,”
Mitchell said. “We’re on a two-
game winning streak and we’re
going to keep on winning.”
Texas A&M 24, Iowa State 21
A&M 17 0 0
Iowa St. 0 7 7
7 -
7 -
- 24
- 21
A&M
ISU
First Downs
13
17
Rushes-yards
39-194
50-149
Passing yards
129
191
Comp-att-int
9-18-1
13-24-0
Return yards
115
0
Punts-avg.
7-49
8-47
Fumbles-lost
2-1
3-1
Penal ties-yards
4-20
6-38
Time of possession
26:30
33:30
Big 12 South Roundup
(AP) — Texas coach John
Mackovic blamed it on condi
tioning, but the Oklahoma
Sooners likely had more to do
with the Longhorns’ discomfort.
The winless Sooners fought
back from an 11-point, fourth-
quarter deficit to knock off then-
No. 25 and 22-point favorite
Texas 30-27 in overtime in a Big
12 Conference shocker.
While the Longhorns (3-3, 2-1
in Big 12 games) were losing their
third game, Texas Tech (4-2, 3-1)
was rearranging the Big 12 South
standings with a solid 30-17
comeback victory over Kansas
with another 100-plus-yard per
formance by Byron Hanspard.
In other Big 12 South games:
Nebraska blanked Baylor (3-2, 0-
2) 49-0, and Colorado beat Okla
homa State 3-2, 0-2) 35-13.
Mackovic said the Long
horns’ second day game of the
season caused them to tire in
the fourth quarter. Blake was
just happy to get his first victory
as the Sooners’ coach.
“This win is really unexplain
able,” Blake said. “All I can think
about is what we went through.
It really is a tremendous relief.”
Reserve tailback James Allen
scored on a 2-yard run in over
time for the victory ending the
Sooners’ seven-game losing
streak, longest in school history.
“Lose or win, I wanted to be a
part of something,” Allen said.
“The road has been bumpy and
rough, but I kept my head up. I
knew it would turn around
some day. Today was the day.”
Oklahoma rallied from a 24-13
deficit to tie the game on Jarrail
Jackson’s 51-yard punt return
with 6:44 left in regulation play
and a 44-yard field goal by Jeremy
Alexander with 2:26 to go.
Meanwhile, the Red Raiders
moved to the top of the Big 12
South standings and got another
big game from Hanspard, who
didn’t get his fifth 200-yard
game but came close, finishing
with 190 yards on 37 carries. He
also caught his first touchdown
pass of the season.
Zebbie Lethridge had two
fourth-quarter touchdown runs
of one yard each as the Raiders
rallied from a 17-7 halftime
deficit. Both of Lethridge’s touch
downs followed interceptions.
The Aggies used big plays to
win their first Big 12 game. Al
bert Connell caught a pass be
hind the line and produced a
70-yard touchdown play, and
D’Andre Hardeman returned a
punt 69 yards for another score.
The big plays perked up an
uninspired offense.
“We won a conference foot
ball game, I’m not going to make
any excuses for it,” A&M coach
R.C. Slocum said. “We’ll go back
and try to correct the mistakes
we made. We had some bad
things happen, and we hung in
there and found a way to win
the football game.”
Connell’s big play came in
the fourth quarter and gave the
Aggies a cushion because Iowa
State rallied for the final touch
down after intercepting a pass
by Branndon Stewart.
Connell wanted to atone for a
third-quarter fumble that led to
an Iowa State touchdown.
“I was disappointed with my
self because I wasn’t protecting
the ball,” Connell said. “That play
would have been a big part of it tf
we had lost. I wanted an opportu
nity to make up for it.”
Home Sweet Home
The A&M Soccer Team defeated Big
12 opponents Texas Tech and Baylor.
By Nicki Smith
The Battalion
Aside from the fact that 794
seats were added to the stands,
nothing out of the ordinary hap
pened this weekend at the Aggie
Soccer Complex.
It was the usual sight as the
Texas A&M Soccer Team
trounced two more of its Big 12
foes, beating Texas Tech Univer
sity 8-2 on Friday and Baylor
University 4-1 on Sunday.
With the victories, the sev
enth-ranked Aggies improved
their record to 14-1 on the sea
son and 7-1 in the Big 12, which
leaves them in second place in
the conference behind the unde
feated University of Nebraska.
In addition, the team earned
its 14th straight win on home
turf, while improving its Soccer
Complex record to 30-1.
Head Coach G. Guerrieri
said he was pleased with the
way the Aggies came out to
play this weekend.
“We scored 12 goals in two
games this weekend,” Guerrieri
said. “We played two of the better
teams in the conference, and our
style of play proved to work very
well. Not only did we do a good
job keeping possession of the ball
three-fourth of the game, but we
also made several adjustments
that worked well for us.”
As the final score over the Red
Raiders indicated, adjustments
made by Guerrieri in the new line
up seemed to be working in the
Aggies’ favor. Junior forward Bryn
Blalack was positioned closer to
her opponents’ goal in order to set
up more A&M shot attempts.
A four-goal momentum
builder in the opening 10 min
utes of the first half in the Tech
game helped put the game out of
reach. Blalack sparked the four-
goal streak by heading the ball
into the net off a cross from se
nior forward Yvette Older just 36
seconds into the game.
Later junior midfielder Diana
Rowe followed up with a score of
her own, heading in another ball
off of a corner kick by senior
midfielder Tania Castillejos.
Senior forward Kristen Koop
and Okler added their own two
Stew Milne, The Battalion
Forward Kristen Koop collides with
Baylor goalkeeper Amanda Banar
at the Aggie Soccer Complex Sunday.
goals to increase the lead to 4-0
just 10 minutes into the game.
Okler, Blalack and junior mid
fielder Jessica Mouske would add
additional scores for the Aggies
before the end of the first half.
Although the Red Raiders
would score two goals early in the
first half, freshman midfielder
Julie Pinkerton sealed the game
for the Aggies with one more goal.
See Soccer, Page 8