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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 15, 1996)
Paj / • November 15,1 lence The Battalion |n| jf'ii wj rfi 0 Page 7 Friday • November 15, 1996 kf i rec 3t ■ed again in a as the Oct- them St. burg St. Pele’i Ags, Sooners seek to set record straight By Ross Hecox The Battaeion teams considered much gher than their records indicate finally meet this weekend, hen the University of Okla- la (3-6) rolls into Kyle Field Sat- rfiay at 2:30 p.m., the Texas A&M optballTeam (5-5) will i-jd out which team "an truly defy its lack- aster record. JHead Coach R.C. ilqcum said the Soon- 30-27 win against ,rea f riot A/tort'rV hi University of Texas Municipal^12 indicates the po- erltial they have, despite " r 7?iSS h fP 00rreC0rd - ■“You go through a lumber of their games | ind they’ve had some ike aggiore ets. imi th ui no\ •aid. “I novers," Slocum But the Texas game helps get Coquina^ h(> attention of our players. You I^Bk at what they have the capabili- HBo do against a team (like Texas).” • 5r i|A&M and Oklahoma, both 3-3 in :ohference play, share an outside hot at advancing to the Big 12 Cham- reat of violenc )ionship dame in St. Louis, Mo. the city since sir |But A&M junior quarterback Bran- first night of idon Stewart said the Aggies are keep- sed upwards of$ ng their sights set on the present, nage. ’i ■‘Oklahoma is the most important hing to us right now,” Stewart said. We re taking it one game at a time, ^ rrri ind we have a challenge ahead of us.” This weekend’s game is pivotal for the 5-5 team. A win over Okla homa would extend hopes for a winning seqson, a division title and a bowl berth for the Aggies. Al though they cling to a short-term approach, senior linebacker Keith Mitchell said the team realizes the season can be salvaged. “Hopefully we can win out, have a win ning season, get a bowl bid and go out with style,” Mitchell said. The Wrecking Crew faces a Sooner offense that has played two quarter backs this season. Freshman Justin Fuente started the last eight games, but Head Coach John Blake has often re placed him without hesitation with sophomore Eric Moore. Slocum said he expects both play ers to see action Saturday. “They’ve had times when both quarterbacks look good at the same time,” Slocum said. “I think we’ll see both of them in the game.” Mitchell said A&M’s defensive front will have to adjust to the two quarterbacks’ different styles. “Fuente is more like a drop-back passer type, and Eric Moore is a scrambler and is an all-right pass er,” Mitchell said. “You’ve got to “Hopefully we can win out, have a winning season, get a bowl bid and go out with style.” Keith Mitchell Senior outside linebacker prepare for both of them. When Eric Moore is in there, you’re thinking about containing him, and against Fuente, we can cut loose and not worry about containing as much.” The A&M offense has relied heavily on its ground game the last two weeks, rumbling for 579 yards against Oklahoma State and Baylor combined. With the passing strug gles the team has encountered late ly, A&M running backs have seen an increased role. Freshman Dante Hall needs only 12 yards to reach 500 yards rushing on the season, which would give A&M four 500-yard rushers in one season for the first time in school history. Sophomores D’Andre Hardeman, Sirr Parker and Eric Bernard have already surpassed the mark. But Slocum said beating a team like Oklahoma will require a more diverse attack. “If we can’t throw against them, I would think they could give us some real problems,” Slocum said. “We can’t get into a mode where it’s all run.” Sophomore wideout Aaron Oliver is questionable for the game with a lumbar contusion, but junior defen sive lineman Zerick Rollins is proba ble with a sprained ankle. Junior line backer Philip Meyers sustained ligament damage to his thumb, but will play with a cast. He is scheduled to have surgery on Sunday and will be ready for the Texas game on Nov. 29. Tim Moog, The Battalion Sophomore tailback Sirr Parker runs the last play in A&M's 24-7 win over Baylor last Saturday. Lady Ags face USD in NCAA first round By Nicki Smith The Battalion The Texas A&M Soccer Team fell just two and a half minutes short of advancing to double overtime and a possible chance at victory in its 1 -0 loss to the University of Nebraska in the Big 12 Conference Championship game last Sunday. But the team has earned a chance at redemp tion this weekend. The Aggies play host to the University of San Diego in the first round of the NCAA Championships at 1 p.m. Sunday at the Aggie Soccer Complex. Posting an overall record of 19-3, the seventh- ranked Aggies were not only among the 32 teams nominated to compete in the prestigious tourna ment, but they also took home the seventh seed and a host role against the unranked Lady Toreros. Head Coach G. Guerrieri said it did not matter who the Aggies played. “We have learned not to expect a whole lot when this tournament is concerned,” Guerrieri said. “Getting into the tournament was what we hoped for, so now we just have to concentrate on ourselves and not change our game plan according to who we play.” San Diego brings an overall record of 13-5-1 to A&M and has beaten some of the top-ranked teams in the nation, including an upset win over fifth-ranked Santa Clara during regular season play. See Soccer, Page 8 ents legal trouble, injuries keep priori0//Ver from reaching potential McCown patient with position By Ross Hecox The Battalion J (AP) — Peoples': ng-term liver fail! ten seen in alcobf ddicts will no loir A aron Oliver seemed well on his way to an illustri- lor new organs. r\ ous career for the Texas A&M Football Team. As a t, approved Thu- Jk freshman last season, he caught 14 passes in the ncy that sets n na ^ dve games, and in the season-opening Pigskin plane policy, is ^ ass i c this year, he caught a 57-yard touchdown pass, jp priority to pr s i nce then, the sophomore wideout has played est chance of P ai >ngly in only five games. His play has been limited icration, rathsMWpfty by numerous injuries, but his well-publicized sus- are the sickest. iens i° n could weigh heaviest on the hearts of Aggie fans, it years, somepeij O n Sept. 13, prior to the Aggies’ contest tinned wheth 8 a * nst the University of Southwestern Louisiana, 3 ruined their ^' ver was brought up on felony charges of check ■ugs or drink des|_ s — a debate thaiH i/hen Mickey M s” star Larry Haf msplants. ers of the newMj the United Netwofl ring said they w ral judgment on t rave no us drug 'et hepatitis froffl her, they said, tin he most out of a I of donated livers, teria that you al er to the sickest ways a suspect: leorge Annas, pa th (aw at the r School of Pa re real criteria is er to the person the most from it Li ned that the cli alcoholics and c iver patients will er for a new liver, n will die waiting Tim Moog, The Battalion )homore wideout Aaron Oliver is questionable [tomorrow's game because of a lumbar contusion. forgery and suspended from the team. He subse quently sat out the Aggies’ games against USL and the University of North Texas. Oliver said his roommate lent him his check book since his athletic scholarship check had not yet come in. Oliver wrote about $200 worth in checks, signing the name of his roommate each time, until he received his scholarship money. “I had no intention of keeping [the checkbook],” Oliver said. “And I was going to pay him back.” Since then, the charge has been reduced to a mis demeanor and Oliver received a one-year probation sentence with mandatory community service. Oliver said he was unaware of the severity of his actions and viewed the situation as a simple loan. His reputation probably paid dearest. “I would even have the wrong perception of me if I were [the fans],” Oliver said. “But they don’t know me. You really can’t judge a person from hearing [the news]. I'm not a bad person.” In addition to Oliver’s off-field actions, a succes sion of injuries have kept the receiver off the field. His season seemed to get off on the wrong foot. During two-a-days and the Brigham Young game, a pulled hamstring limited Oliver. A groin injury suf fered during the Colorado game kept him out of the Louisiana Tech game the next week. Last week he sat out with a lumbar contusion, which is a swelling along the spine, and he is questionable for tomorrow’s contest against the University of Oklahoma. “It’s been stressful,” Oliver said. “I can go out and practice and work hard, and still it’s sort of like you’re waiting for something else to happen.” Oliver’s health problems have not been isolat ed to the 1996 season. In 1994, he was redshirted after rupturing his Achilles’ tendon during two-a- days. Last year, he missed two games with a sepa rated shoulder, but played in the team’s other 10 games, catching 18 passes for 230 yards. A&M Receivers Coach Les Koenning Jr. said be cause Oliver is hurt so often, it has been hard for him to make an impact on the team. “I have not lost confidence in him,” Koenning said. “If he can just stay healthy and keep working hard, he’ll be OK. He needs to look at this in a positive way.” See Oliver, Page 8 c By Matt Mitchell The Battalion lontrary to popular belief, not all ultrasuccessful schoolboy (quarterbacks are weaned on a steady diet of film study and all afternoon throwing drills with an overbearing father. For Randy Mc Cown, the backup quarterback for the Texas A&M Football Team, the common misconception of signal calling high school phenoms is just that — a misconception. “My dad wanted to do it (play quarterback) in high school, and he just started teaching me how to throw the ball and everything and encouraged me when I start ed out in middle school,” Mc Cown said. “Dad just taught me the mechanics of throwing and the coaches took it from there.” Father and coaches alike surely enjoyed what they saw, as McCown became a three-year starter for Jacksonville High School and one of the most coveted recruits in the state. For his career, McCown com pleted 57 percent of his passes for 4,139 yards and 32 touchdowns. McCown’s father is still his biggest fan and has watched his son blossom into a solid player for the Aggies. The 6-foot-3-inch, 204- pound quarterback has seen exten sive playing time this season, par ticularly during the Oklahoma State contest, in which he led the Aggies to three second-half touchdowns. In five games, McCown is ll-for-24 passing for 186 yards with just one interception. McCown’s ability to feel defen sive pressure and react accord ingly is the clearest indication of his outstanding athletic ability. The redshirt freshman posted the top mark among quarterbacks, and ranked 14th overall in the off season conditioning workouts. Tim Moog, The Battalion Redshirt freshman quarterback Randy McCown calls the play from scrimmage against Baylor last week. His strong arm and mobility was a key to the Aggie offense’s suc cess against the Cowboys. “He’s got a quick release, and he’s an enthusiastic player,” A&M Head Coach R.C. Slocum said. See McCown, Page 8 his Weekend in Sports Rriday imming/Diving vs. TCU, udent Rec. Center natato- m, 5 p.m. Saturday M Football vs. Okla- ma, Kyle Field, 2:30 p.m. oss Country at the Dis- ct VI Championships, Den- n, all day. Sunday &M Soccer vs. San ie go, Aggie Soccer Com- ex, 1 p.m. &SVI Volleyball vs. Okla- oma, G. Rollie White, :30 p.m. The Battalion’s 1996 Staff Picks The Match-Ups Tom Day Kristina Buffin Jamie Burch Sara Duesing Jeremy Furtick Colby Gaines Ross Hecox Matt Mitchell Dennis Ramirez Nicki Smith Consensus Oklahoma at Texas A&M A&M A&M A&M A&M A&M A&M A&M A&M A&M A&M A&M: No soup for you! #11 Penn State at #i 6 Michigan Michigan Penn State Penn State Michigan Michigan Penn State Penn State Penn State Michigan Michigan Michigan: Wolverines win in trials of life #6 North Carolina at #24 Virginia N. Carolina Virginia N. Carolina N. Carolina Virginia Virginia N. Carolina N. Carolina N. Carolina N. Carolina N. Carolina: Put that in your pipe Texas at Kansas Texas Texas Texas Texas Texas Texas Texas Texas Texas Texas Texas: Horns graze on Kansas Nebraska at Iowa State Nebraska Nebraska Nebraska Nebraska Nebraska Nebraska Nebraska Nebraska Nebraska Nebraska Nebraska: Sure Missouri at Baylor Baylor Baylor Baylor Baylor Baylor Baylor Baylor Baylor Baylor Baylor Baylor: Tigers go back to Misery #9 Kansas State at #6 Colorado Colorado Colorado Colorado Colorado Colorado Colorado Colorado Colorado Colorado Colorado Colorado: Rocky Mountain High Southwest La. at Texas Tech Texas Tech Texas Tech Texas Tech Texas Tech Texas Tech Texas Tech Texas Tech Texas Tech Texas Tech Texas Tech Tech: No miracles this time #21 Virginia Tech at #18 Miami Miami Virginia Tech Miami Miami Miami Miami Miami Miami Miami Miami Miami: Storm warning Miami at Oilers Oilers Oilers Oilers Oilers Miami Oilers Miami Oilers Miami Oilers Oilers: Dolphins caught in oil spill Green Bay at Cowboys Cowboys Green Bay Cowboys Cowboys Cowboys Cowboys Cowboys Cowboys Cowboys Cowboys 'Boys: The frozen tundra of Texas Stadium Denver at New England New England Denver Denver Denver Denver New England Denver Denver New England New England Denver: Elway continues Super season Last Week 9-3 8-4 7-5 8-4 8-4 10-2 7-5 9-3 7-5 8-4 81-39: Gaines comes out of closet Cumulative 85-35 74-46 71-49 83-37 78-42 80-40 77-43 77-43 79-41 80-40 784-416: Sports Desk flamin' hot