riday • October 3, 1997
Travis V.
Dabney
staff writer
Ugame will
kow state of
[&M program
o passing
game, the
defense is
n’t what it used to
be, can’t win the
big game, too
much staff
turnover, plenty of
talent but not
enough results.
Every Aggie from El
Paso to Texarkana
has either heard it
said it. Will the Aggies silence their
I itics this weekend with a victory over
j ilorado or simply fuel the fire?
Much has been made of the Aggies past
I o seasons and whether they have been
to par with what their fans have come
expect of football in Aggieland. The talk
erthe entire off season was how far had
eAggies fallen and why? The answers are
it an easy thing to pinpoint but many
asons have been given from various
urces about last season 6-6 record.
In 1994 the Aggies were placed on
obation after the Greg Hill/Warren
Ibert scandal that caused A&M to lose
it on several top prospects due to the
arthe Aggies might receive much
ore than probation.
The relative youth of last year’s team
assaid to have put undue pressure on
eAggies who were no longer in the po
tion of facing the small fries of the SWC
teRice, TCU and SMU but rather they
ere lining up against Big 12 rivals such
Colorado, Kansas State and Oklahoma.
For all the talk of 6-6 and the other
items that have been laid out the Ag-
esseemed to have put all that aside and
oved on with their football lives. The
am came out like a locomotive in the
I st two games of the season and bar-
led over their opponents like everyone
pected or thought they should. Then
me North Texas University along with
erest of the Aggies preseason schedule
iras expected that the Aggies would
II.While the team won in a convincing
annersome old problems began to
turface that might send Aggie fans into
r it of anxiety.
The offense appeared to have a great
i alof trouble with the passing game
id the pass protection broke down at
ties when the Aggies needed it the
ost. So what does this mean going
to Colorado? Were the Aggies looking
st the Mean Green contrary to what
eysaid? Only Saturday in Boulder will
l,but if you are an Aggie fan you have
hope that this is the case.
Could part of the Aggies problems last
tekbe the quarterback rotation the
am is running? Other teams have run a
larterback rotation with success in-
uding Mark Brunell and Billy Joe
obert at the University of Washington,
look Berringer and Tommie Frazier at
ebraska and Cody Carlson and Tom
luenke at Baylor when they were still
laying football in Waco.
Problems or not, the Aggies will be in
' atilder this weekend trying to exorcise
anions of the past. The Aggies entered the
S95 season with one goal and that was the
ational championship. The 3rd-ranked
gies went to Boulder and found out that
I is cheap. After the 29-21 loss to the
nffsthey found themselves in a tailspin
iat would see them lose to Texas Tech, re-
pire last second heroics from Corey Pullig
adAlbert Connell to defeat SMU and lose
'The University of Texas at home for their
istloss at home since 1989.
Unfortunately for the Aggies, even
'ilh a victory in Boulder the national
ledia won’t likely recognize them as
ie winners, but rather the Buffaloes as
blosers as Rick Nuheisel steps on the
#tseat at Colorado. The Buffaloes have
fen highly criticized for their play this
fason and a victory over the Buffs at
iispoint hasn’t been worth less in the
^ms of respect from the fan perspec-
i'esince the mid 1980’s.
Win or lose the Aggies will not be ad-
ftsely affected in the chase for the
Hithern division title of the Big 12. Lose
ad all the Aggies have to do is beat every
am in the south along with a victory or
»o against Iowa St. and Kansas St. and
'ey will be in San Antonio. Win and all
'eAggies have to do is beat every team
'the south along with a victory or two
jainst Iowa St. and Kansas St. and they
ill be in San Antonio.
On the surface it is just that simple
"ta victory over the talented Buffs
ould likely give the Aggies that swag-
frthat has been missing since the last
itie they visited the Rocky Mountains.
Putting aside the media criticism of
and Colorado along with the coach
Peak and this is likely a make or break
Pme for both the Aggies and Buffs. Con-
Hence will lead to great things; hesitan-
’ will lead to mediocrity.
Travis Dabney is a
senior journalism major '
S The Battalion
PORTS
Boulder Bound
No. 17 Aggies set for conference opener against No. 16 Buffaloes
By Chris Ferrell
Sports editor
M—1^—B- E i
- 'Tfe,..,: • \ .7 •••••. I
£™;; :
or
//wari. “
1111 v, if
jiioilir olio, i'll!
11 *
;
*
■HP
W ^ '•'p \ I I ( < \
DAVE HOUSE/The Battalion
Sophomore receiver Matt Bumgardner tries to haul in a pass against the University of
North Texas. The Aggies will open big 12 play this weekend when they travel to Boulder to
take on the Colorado Buffaloes.
The 1995 game between the Texas A&M
Football Team and the University of Col
orado was billed as college football’s game
of the year.
ESPN’s College Game Day was there,
along with ABC’s top play-by-play tandem,
Keith Jackson and Bob Griese. There was
talk of national championships and Heis-
man Trophies. There was all of this, plus
about as much big game atmosphere as the
fourth game of the season can have.
It was the day A&M was going to prove to
the world that they were a true national
power. That they were as good as advertised
and not just a bully who beat up on weak
Southwest Conference opponents.
It was their time to shine.
The team had been loose all week and had
what coach R.C. Slocum described as one of
the team’s best weeks of practice ever.
Then something went wrong.
The pressure of the big game got to the
Aggies. With a 29-21 loss to the Buffaloes,
they lost any hope of a national champi
onship, Leeland Mcleroy lost his chance of
winning the Heisman, and most of all,
they lost respect.
“If I learned anything from the game, it
was that I allowed our players to be put in a
situation where its almost like the only way
they could come out there and survive was
to blow out Colorado and that’s really un
fair to them,” Slocum said.
That game was supposed to be a turning
point for the A&M football program. Many
people would argue that it was, only they
took a turn for the worse.
The next week, they were upset by Texas
Tech. The next season, they fell to 6-6.
In the 25 games prior to the match up
they were 22-2-1, in the 25 games since
then, they are 16-9.
Despite the drop off, players and coach
es said the game did not affect the program.
“You can’t blame it on one game,” ju
nior quarterback Branndon Stewart said.
“Sometimes that’s just the way the ball
bounces. Sometimes you have tough
years and it’s definitely not the result of
one football game.”
Tomorrow, when the 17th-ranked Ag
gies travel to Colorado’s Folsom Field to
play the 16th-ranked Buffaloes before a
national TV. audience, they will have a
chance to show the world that they are
back and that their 3-0 record and huge
blow out victories are no fluke.
A&M has rolled over Sam Houston State
University, Southwestern Louisiana, and the
University of North Texas by a combined
score of 161-16 putting up gaudy numbers
on both sides of the ball along the way.
This week the test gets much tougher.
Offensive coordinator Steve Marshall said
the Aggie offense will have their hands full.
“Colorado presents problems in that
they’re dad-gum good,” Marshall said.
“They have very good personnel. The two
inside guys that they start (Viliami) Mau-
mau and Ryan Olsen are tempo setter guys
for their defense. They’ve been in the wars.
“What they present is that they play ball,
they are very talented. They match up very
well. I doubt there is an offense in the coun
try that they couldn’t match up with.”
Last season Colorado took the Aggies
ground game attack and forced the Aggies
to throw the ball.
Stewart set single game records for pass
attempts, completions and passing yards,
going 34-for-64 for 385 yards in the 24-10
loss at Kyle Field.
This season A&M wants to establish the run.
Last week against North Texas, sopho
more Dante Hall and junior Sirr Parker each
ran for over one hundred yards.
On the defensive side of the ball, getting
to the quarterback is the key.
Colorado quarterback John Hessler has
struggled under pressure this season,
posting a 2:7 touchdown/interception ra
tio. Michigan’s attacking defense was able
to rattle Hessler all day in their 27-3 win
over the Buffs.
“Pressure is the key,” former Colorado
and current A&M defensive coordinator
Mike Hankwitz said. “I think that’s true
with any quarterback. I don’t know if it’s
necessarily more true with him. Maybe
this year just because of the circum
stances he’s played in.”
Surely the Aggies would like to see the
pressure on someone else in Colorado.
They, more than anyone can understand
what a burden it can be.
COURTESY COLORADO SPORTS INFORMATION
CU quarterback John Hessler has
struggled this season.
Hessler finding trouble in starting role
By Chris Ferrell
Sports editor
~W jk Then Colorado quarter-
\J\/ back Koy Detmer went
V V do.wn with a torn ACL
against the Texas A&M Football
Team in 1995, an unknown, un
heralded sophomore named
John Hessler stepped onto the
field in one of the biggest games
of the season.
He went 10-for-20 for 177 yards.
He ran for two touchdowns and
passed for another while leading
the seventh-ranked Buffaloes over
the third ranked Aggies 29-21 at
Folsom Field. After the game, he
was named Big 8 player of the week
“More than anything, that
game gave me confidence,”
Hessler said. “I’ve really tried to
build on that. At the time I really
didn’t have much going for me.”
He went on to start the rest of
the season, quarterbacking CU to
a 10-2 record, a win over Oregon
in the Cotton Bowl and a No.7
ranking in the final polls.
The following season, Detmer
returned to the starting line-up
and Hessler returned to the bench.
“Last year was a rough year for
me,” Hessler said. “I told myself
that I can’t let the opportunity go.”
Hessler entered this season
with high expectations, he was
named a preseason honorable
mention All-American.
However, he and his team
“More than anything,
that game gave me confh
dence. At the time I real'
ly didn’t have much going
for me.”
JOHN HESSLER
COLORADO QUARTERBACK
have struggled.
In an embarrassing 27-3 loss to
the University of Michigan,
Hessler felt pressure all day and
could never get in sync.
His 2:7, touchdown/intercep
tion ratio, along with his inability to
live up to the high expectations of
Rick Neuheisel-coached quarter
backs has caused doubts about the
player who at one time could do no
wrong for the Buffaloes.
Despite this, Hessler said he and
his teammates are are confident.
“Right now we’re 2 -1. We were
hoping to be 3-0, but we still con
trol our own destiny,” he said. “We
feel like we’re in a good situation.
After losing to Michigan, our con
fidence was Jow but we had a big
win over Wyoming last week and
we feel like we’re in pretty good
shape.”
+Texas Tech Investigation
Red Raiders used ineligible players
LUBBOCK, Texas (AP) — Seventy-six
Texas Tech athletes in eight sports com
peted ineligibly over the past six years,
leaving it up to the NCAA whether the
school’s 1996 men’s NCAA basketball
tournament run and other games are in
jeopardy, officials announced Thursday.
The ineligibility announcement was
made as athletic administrators released
the results of an audit conducted by an
Overland Park, Kan., law firm that special
izes in NCAA compliance matters.
Since the 1991-92 school year, accord
ing to the audit, athletes in football, men’s
and women’s basketball, baseball, women’s
soccer, men’s tennis, men’s track and
women’s volleyball competed ineligibly at
one time or another.
The audit said 25 football players were in
eligible to compete in 1993-94 and 16 the
next season, the year the Raiders won the
Southwest Conference championship.
The women’s basketball program had
ineligible players in three seasons. Howev
er, the 1993 NCAA national championship
squad didn’t appear to have any certifica
tion problems.
New compliance director Robert Bur
ton said it wasn’t clear whether the school
would have to forfeit past victories or re
turn the $120,000 received for the men’s
basketball team’s two NCAA tournament
victories in 1996.
Most of the violations occurred because
of misapplication of revised NCAA certifi
cation rules passed in 1992, auditors con
cluded. The problem areas were rules gov
erning the minimum number of hours
taken and minimum progress to a degree.
The report, compiled by the school
with the help from the law firm of Bond,
Schoeneck & King, also found that the
school paid out too much scholarship
money in baseball, football, men’s golf
and men’s track.
The NCAA has accepted the audit as
part of its 1 1/2-year inquiry into allega
tions of improprieties in the athletic pro
gram, Burton said. He added that he’s
confident there aren’t further compliance
problems that the NCAA might uncover
later.
Burton added that the problems ap
peared to stem from mismanagement, not
intentional rules violations.
COURTESY TEXAS TECH SPORTS INFORMATION
Coach James Dickey’s basketball team is
one of eight Texas Tech teams to use ineligi
ble players.
The Battalion's 1997 Staff Picks
The Match-Ups
Chris
Ferrell
Paul
Mitchell
Jeremy
FurticK
Kristina
Buffin
Jamie
Burch
Matt Stephen
Mitchell Boudreau
Travis
Dabney
Margaux
Flarris
Nicole
Flooven
Jeff
Schmidt
Jeff
Webb
Jason
Whitcomb
Consensus
#21 Texas A&M @#16 Colorado (-3)
Texas A&M
Texas A&M
Texas A&M
Texas A&M
Colorado
Colorado
Texas A&M
Colorado
Texas A&M
Colorado
Colorado
Texas A&M
Texas A&M
Texas A&M: Aggies nimble; Buffs tumble
#17 Kansas St @ #3 Nebraska (-21)
Nebraska
Kansas St.
Kansas St.
Nebraska
Kansas St.
Nebraska
Nebraska
Nebraska
Nebraska
Nebraska
Nebraska
Nebraska
Nebraska
Nebraska: Another step towards #1
Texas (-7) @ Oklahoma St.
OSU
Texas
OSU
Texas
Texas
Texas
Texas
Texas
Texas
Texas
Texas
Texas
Texas
Texas: They'll wake up sooner or later
Texas Tech @ Baylor (NL)
Texas Tech
Texas Tech
Texas Tech
Texas Tech
Texas Tech
Baylor
Texas Tech
Baylor
Baylor
Baylor
Baylor
Baylor
Texas Tech
Texas Tech: Wbn't be embarrassed this week
Oklahoma (-3) @ Kansas
Oklahoma
Oklahoma
Oklahoma
Oklahoma
Oklahoma
Oklahoma
Oklahoma
Kansas
Oklahoma
Oklahoma
Oklahoma
Oklahoma
Kansas
Oklahoma: Sooners looked tough last week
Iowa St. @ Missouri (-1 7)
Missouri
Missouri
Iowa St.
Iowa St.
Missouri
Missouri
Missouri
Missouri
Iowa St.
Missouri
Missouri
Iowa St.
Iowa St.
Missouri: Iowa St. is just too weak
Miami @ #4 Florida St. (-22)
Florida St.
Miami
Florida St.
Miami
Florida St.
Florida St.
Florida St.
Florida St.
Florida St.
Florida St.
Florida St.
Miami
Miami
Florida St.: This used to be a big game
#11 Iowa @ #7 Ohio St. (-4)
Ohio St.
Ohio St.
Ohio St.
Iowa
Ohio St.
Ohio St.
Ohio St.
Iowa
Ohio St.
Ohio St.
Ohio St.
Ohio St.
Iowa
Ohio St.: Iowa gets a wake-up call
#20 Alabama (-6.5) @ Kentucky
Alabama
Alabama
Kentucky
Alabama
Kentucky
Alabama
Alabama
Alabama
Alabama
Alabama
Alabama
Alabama
Alabama
Alabama: Roll Tide, Roll!
Cowboys (-7) @ Giants
Cowboys
Cowboys
Cowboys
Cowboys
Cowboys
Cowboys
Giants
Giants
Cowboys
Cowboys
Cowboys
Cowboys
Cowboys
Cowboys: Williams should give Emmitlt a rest
Buccaneers @ Packers (-8)
Buccaneers
Buccaneers
Packers
Packers
Packers
Packers
Buccaneers
Packers
Buccaneers
Packers
Packers
Buccaneers
Buccaneers
Packers: Bucs just not at this level, ye.t
Patriots @ Broncos (-4.5)
Broncos
Broncos
Broncos
Broncos
Broncos
Broncos
Broncos
Patriots
Broncos
Broncos
Broncos
Patriots
Patriots
Bronons: Bway; Big game: Mile Hifh: "Nuff said
Last Week
8-4
8-4
9-3
9-3
9-3
8-4
8-4
7-5
7-5
8-4
7-5
8-4
6-6
102-55: Welcome, Mr. Schmidt
Cumulative
25-22-1
2V23-1
21-26-1
26-21-1
21-26-1
23-24-1
26-21-1
24-23-1
21-26-1
24-23-1
7-5
18-29-1
22-25-1
294-282-12: Finally above .500
NOTE: The Battalion Staff will be picking against the betting line this semester. We in no way encourage any illegal wagering with the use of these betting lines, they are presented solely for entertainment purposes.
15
>97
n-
‘S
r
i
re-
fer-
ted
: of
ad-
put
elp
ab-
jisi-
ion
pw
k
30-
?rs,
3P-
in-
an.
2n-
ght
8.
s
r
t
t
t