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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 5, 1997)
AP II nvaioo j sionvuva '3H1. i ». Z661 'S Jaquiaidas . Acpuj S The Battalion couting the Nation Friday • September 5, 1997 It’s Penn State and Peyton in ’97 Orlando Pace and Danny Wuerffel are gone, but plenty of other players are ready to take a place in the spotlight T here was once a time when Joe Paterno didn’t roam the sidelines for the Penn State Nittany Lions. Although the only person who can remember that days is Dirt, who was just a young boy at the time. Paterno has been at Penn State so long that when he joined the coaching staff, rumors were begin ning to circle about a new inven tion called the wheel which was going to revolutionize transporta tion and fire was the latest rage. In actuality Paterno, who enters his 48th season at Penn State (32nd as head coach) has not been in Happy Valley forever, it only seems like it. Paterno opens the 1997 season with a lot to be happy about, pri marily, he has a team that will bring home the schools third national championship. The Nittany Lions are loaded on both sides of the ball and have a schedule that will make national championship dreams a reality. The offense is lead by junior tailback Curtis Enis. If he can stay healthy he may have a shot at a 2,000 yard season. Enis will be helped by an offensive line with a lot of game experience, just not at their current positions. The quar terback is new, but that is proba bly a good thing. Fifth-year senior Mike McQueary takes over the reins from Wally Richardson, who never developed into the quarter back he was expected to be. McQueary saw some action last season and will be helped by a solid group of receivers led by senior Joe Jurevicius. The defense will make Penn State fans reminisce about the days when Penn State was still Linebacker U. Many people believe sophomore Brandon Short is the school’s best line backer in a decade. He will be joined by seniors Aaron Collins and Jim Nelson. Throw in LaVar Arrington, the nation’s consensus No. 1 recruit and it will make for an impressive group. To go along with all the talent in Happy Valley, Penn State has a favorable schedule. PSU’s two toughest conference foes, Ohio State and perennial pretender Michigan, both come to Beaver Stadium. The Oct. 11 showdown with the Buckeyes will be the tell-tale moment in Penn State’s season. If they can survive the Big 10 unscathed (Pittsburgh, Temple, and Louisville won’t cause many sleepless nights early Heisman hopefuls These plants are pretty flashy end can produce numbers worthy of the Heisman Trophy wh ich usually goes to the best placer with the best stats on one of the nations best teams: PEYTOH MAHNNG, QB, Tennessee, Sr. 243 of 38U for3,287 yards, 20IDs, 12ints; ranked 7th in passing efficiency last year and 8th in Heisman voting in 'Q'O. Without question, the Heisman is Manning^ to lose, and he's got the atm, name and poise to justify his decision to stay in school. RON DAYNE, RB, Wisconsin, Soph. 205 carries for 1,863 yands and 18 TDs. Punishing 261-pounderwho bowls o^r defenders; could e>ceed 2,000 yards after an 1 j863-yard freshman season. CURT B EH B R B, Penn State, Jr. 224 carries, 1/10 yards and 13TDs. If coach Paterno lets him, Ennis, too, could top 2j000 'yards by running o\er and around the opposition. KEYH FAULK, RB-KR, LSU, Jk. 248 carries, 1/82 yards, 13IDs; 4to in the nation with 2^04 yards (191.27 all-purpose yards per gam e in "OOI. As long as LSU stays in or around the Top 10, the elusive Faulk should stay in the Heisman tunning. RON POHLUS QB. Notre Dame, Sr. 133 of 232 for 1,942 yards, 12 TDs, 4 ints. Surprise, surprise. With a new coach and an ofense' ready to throw, this maybe Powlus-’ best shot at the Heisman. It certainly will be his last. KEEP AH EYE OH: Ahm an Green, R B Nebraska, Jr.; Donovan McN abb, QB, Syracuse, Ricky William s, R B, Texas, Jr. in the season) the regular season finale at Michigan State could be Paterno’s 300th victory. Besides, is there a better way to bid farewell to the existing Bowl Alliance than with a possible Penn State-Washington title game in the non-alliance Rose Bowl? Let the Hype Begin. The Heisman Trophy may have been won at a press confer ence in Knoxville, Tenn. last spring when Tennessee quarter back Peyton Manning decided to return for his senior season and claim his millions in the NFLin 1998. He once again leads the crop of Heisman hopefuls, and barring another Florida-like dis aster will win it. Here are the guys who will be in attendance at New York’s Downtown Athletic Club in December. 1. Peyton Manning, QB-Tennessee. How popular is Peyton Manning? The Volunteer signal caller is mobbed by students while changing classes, has had teachers ask for his autograph and if that’s not enough, expect ing parents throughout the Ozarks are now as likely to name their son ‘Peyton’ as they are tra ditional regional favorites like Jebodiah and Finneus. 2. Curtis Enis, RB-Penn State. It’s been 24 years since John Cappelletti won Penn State’s last Heisman and Enis could be the man to break the streak. He has good size and speed and always finds room to run. His name might not flow smoothly, but his hips do. 3. Kevin Faulk, RB-Louisiana State. Faulk could be the most excit ing player in college football this year. The junior running back will electrify crowds, and Heisman voters with dazzling runs, catches and kick returns. If Faulk can come up big against Alabama and Notre Dame on back-to-back Saturdays late in the season, he could vault to the top of the list. 4. Ricky Williams, RB-Texas. For the past 20 years, Longhorn faithful have anointed every back who dares to enter the starting lineup as the next Earl Campbell. Let us not forget the ghosts of Butch Hadnot and Phil Brown. This time, they may be on to something. Just ask the opposing defenses who “dread” facing the talented back. 5. Andy Katzenmoyer, LB-Ohio State. The Cat Man was the countries most talked about freshman last season and lived up to the hype, becoming the first Buckeye to start his first game as a true fresh man. At 6-feet, .5-inches and 250 pounds, Katzenmoyer is a physi cally imposing force in the mid dle. He will be this years poster boy for the “Why does it have to be a quarterback, running back, receiver” debate. The future is now With many of last season’s top underclassmen making the annu al pilgrimage to the promise land of the National Football League, coaches around the country will be looking for young players to step up and lead their teams to the top. These are the guys (along with their peers listed above) who will be household names (and the top candidates for next year’s draft) by the end of the season. Ron Dayne, RB-Wisconsin. Big’en looks more like a line man than a tailback (5-feet, 10- inches and 261 pounds), but was able to put up over 1,800 yards as a freshman last season, Dayne is Wisconsin’s only threat and will get the ball 40 times a game. If the line can open holes, a 2,000 yard season is not out of the question. Dayne and Katzenmoyer, neither of which will ever be confused with a rock et scientist, may challenge the NFL’s policy on not drafting play ers until they are at least three years out of high school. Charles Woodson, CB-Michigan. Woodson could have left school after his sophomore season and been a first-round pick. The high- impact junior returns to claim his spot as the top defensive back in the nation. Coach Lloyd Carr who also uses Woodson at wide receiver will need him to have a prime time impact for Michigan this season. Randy Moss, WR-Marshall. The only thing bigger than Moss’s talent is the extra baggage he brings with him. A year ago as a freshman, Moss shattered Division II records for career touchdown receptions with 28. Don’t let the fact that Moss plays for Marshall (who make the jump to Division I in ‘97) fool you. He ended up with the Thundering Heard only after being asked to leave perennial powers Notre Dame and Florida State, defensive backs at those schools could not cover him on the practice field, so don’t expect anyone else to. Peyton’s the man When quarterback Peyton Manning announced that a fourth ■jear al Tennessee sounded like a good idea, it catapulted the Volunteers into the forefront of the national championship picture and made Manning a fa\orite for the Heisman Trophy. Comparison between Peyton Mamang in 1996 and the last five QBs to wm the Heisman Trophy: Year Player Alt. Comp. Yds. ID. bit. 1996 Danny Wuerffel, Florida 360 207 3,625 39 13 1993 Charlie Ward, FSU 380 264 3,032 27 4 1992 Gino Torretta, Miami 402 228 3,060 19 7 1990 TyDetmer, BVU 562 361 5,188 28 28 1989 Andre Ware, Houston 578 365 4,499 46 15 1996 Peyton Manning, Tenn. 380 243 3,287 20 12
