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By Jamie Burch
Staff writer
BOULDER — University of Colorado
^ lt 7 ser ' arterback John Messier could not
uster the same magic of years past on
turday. In 1995, Messier, who came off
ebench for injured starter Koy Detmer,
led the Buffs past Texas A&M 29-21 in a
me from behind win.
, As the starter in the 1997 contest,
^ eC ™ issler had control of the Buffalo reins
imthe first snap. And with the Buffs
16-10 with 2:15 remaining, Messier
ithe final charge. On third and five from
eA&M 23 yard line, Messier overthrew
deout Darren Chiaverini. A&M strong
fety Rich Coady picked off the errant
issto seal the victory. The loss was Col-
ado’s first in a conference opener since
88 when Barry Sanders led Oklahoma
ate University to victory.
Coady said he simply made an adjust-
ent on the play and found himself in the
fit place at the right time.
‘We were in man-to-man (coverage), so
new there was going to be a lot of pres-
leon the quarterback,” Coady said. “I had
etight end, so when he blocked I was
led up. I tried to read the quarterback’s
es,And his eyes took me right to where
was going to be thrown.”
Coady’s game saving interception was
g A&M, he
and Hen-
ginia and
ity in Al
ight and tessary because of a missed field goal by
Iministra- ier Kyle Bryant on tbe previous drive.
:M failed to convert on third and nine
the Colorado 25 yard line, with the
nic affaiis dorado band blaring in the south end
ty of Ten-ne. Coach R.C. Slocum protested the
ise, questioning why the Golden Buf-
j as presi-oes were allowed to continue playing
Jniversit] hhis quarterback, Randy McCown, ap-
n, he wai aching the line of scrimmage.
“We had three straight plays where the
band was playing while we were trying to
snap the football,” Slocum said. “A team
on the road is supposed to be able to hear
the snap count, so the band should be
hushed. We have 400 members in our
band. We can make a lot of noise during
downs if we want to.”
Unfortunately, the Texas Aggie Band
did not make the trip to Boulder for fi
nancial reasons.
Bryant’s kick sailed wide left, keeping
the Buffaloes within striking distance, 16-
10. The Aggies got the offense rolling in
the second quarter, but had two drives
stall on the Colorado 13 yard line. Bryant
hit field goals of 30 and 31 yards for a 6-3
halftime lead.
Colorado had its share of opportunities
to score. Victimized by a sputtering offense,
the Buffs posted a season-high 91 yards of
total offense in the first quarter, but man
aged just 19 yards for the rest of the first half.
CU’s best opportunities to score came
during the Buffaloes’ explosive first quarter.
A&M committed the first of three turnovers
on its first possession of the game. Quarter
back Branndon Stewart’s pass ricocheted
off tailback Dante Hall’s hands and into
Buffalo middle linebacker Mike Phillip’s lap.
Phillips returned the ball six yards to the
A&M 7-yard line.
On third and goal from the 5, Messier hit
wide receiver Phil Savoy between the 8 and
the 0 in the back of the end zone. Savoy, iso
lated from the Aggie secondary, dropped
the pass, forcing coach Rick Neuheisel to
settle for three points. Savoy, Colorado’s
No. 1 receiver, failed to pull down his first re
ception until five minutes into the third
quarter. He finished the day with three
catches for 29 yards.
Coady said the team just accepted the
numerous turnovers as part of the game.
BRIAN CLIFTON/Special to The Battalion
Sophomore running back Dante Hall lunges for extra yardage in the first quarter of A&M’s game against Colorado Saturday in Boulder.
The Aggie’sl6-10 victory over the Buffaloes was the first in school history against CU.
“That’s something we have no control
over,” Coady said. “Our job is to go out
there and play hard. It doesn’t matter to us
if we start on their 20 (yard line) or our 20.
We go out there and try to play Wrecking
Crew football.”
The Buffs’ other big scoring chance
came in the closing minutes of the first
quarter. Having received the ball on their
own 43 yard line after yet another A&M
fumble, Messier led the Buffs’ to a first and
goal at the 9. Following a quarterback keep
er, a short run by tailback Herchell Trout
man and an incomplete pass, Colorado was
left with a fourth and goal from the 1.
Neuheisel opted to go for six, rather than
end up with two field goals after two trips to
the red zone. But Neuheisel did not plan on
linebacker Dat Nguyen. Nguyen met Trout
man, coming up the middle, at the line of
scrimmage and tackled the Colorado tail
back for a three yard loss.
“We pretty much knew what was com
ing,” Nguyen said. “The coaches told us
their tendencies when they are that close
to the end zone.”
A&M’s other scores came in the third
quarter. On CU’s first possession of the
second half, defensive lineman Zerrick
Rollins popped Troutman at the Buffalo 8
yard line, forcing a fumble. Linebacker
Phillip Meyers recovered. Running back
Sirr Parker then scampered in for A&M’s
sole touchdown.
On A&M’s next possession, Biyant
nailed a 47-yard field goal for a 16-3 lead.
Stewart, who played just 4-of-12 posses
sions, said the win should silence critics
who have belittled all three of the Aggies’
previous opponents.
“Well,” Stewart said, “we played some
body today.”
tore-
nfer-
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nt of
n ad-
bout
help
Triple threat runs all over Buffs with 278 total yards
jdent Unitn
Aggie Ground Attack
845-6790
Parker
17 Carries
89 yards,TD
5.2 yard/carry
A&M Rushing vs CU: 57 carries, 260 yards
CU DefenserAllowed 355 rushing yards in first three games
Hall
22 Carries
123 yards
5.6 yard/carry
Hardeman
11 Carries
59 yards
5.4 yard/carry
By Travis V. Dabney
Staff writer
BOULDER — The now 15th-
ranked Texas A&M Football Team
entered Saturday’s game against
the University of Colorado knowing
it was going to have to run the ball
and that is just what they did.
The triple threat of D’Andre
‘Tiki’ Hardeman, Sirr Parker and
Dante Hall combined for a total of
260 rushing yards for a 4.6 yard per
carry average.
“We knew they couldn’t stop
our running game,” the sopho
more Hall said. “We are just hap
py to be 4-0.”
Parker had similar sentiments.
“We just ran the ball right at
them and they just could not stop
us,” he said.
The Aggies succeeded Saturday
where they had failed in previous
matchups with Colorado. In 1995,
the Aggie running attack, led by
“We knew they couldn’t
stop our running game.
We’re just happy to be 4-0’’
Leeland McElroy, was stuffed by
the Buffaloes and in 1996, the Ag
gies fell behind early and were
forced to throw 62 passes.
As always, the Aggie running
backs were helped by the stellar
play of the offensive line.
“This game was a huge momen
tum boost for us,” senior right
guard Steve McKinney said. “We
knew that we could run all over
them, we just had to come out here
and do it.
“We played with a lot of heart
and intensity today, the defense
played really well and we proved
this team has a lot of character.”
Sophomore quarterback Randy
McCown was also complimentary
of the offensive line play.
“The offensive line did an out
standing job today,” he said. “I can’t
say enough about their play today.”
The Aggie running game did ex
perience a few problems in the first
half. The team racked up six fum
bles of which they lost two.
“The ball felt really light and for
some reason we could never really
get a good feel for the ball,” Hall ex
plained.
A&M coach R.C. Slocum was
unhappy with the Aggies
turnovers, but said he was glad
just to get the win.
“I am never surprised at what
happens in football,” he said. “I am
disappointed in the fumbles, but
we overcame them and main
tained the lead. That is what’s im
portant.”
This victory will likely put the
Aggies in the leaders spot for the
right to represent the South in the
Big 12 Championship game, but
you would never know that from
talking to Steve McKinney.
“We don’t care whether or not we
are the favorite in the South,” he said.
“We just want to play football.”
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Freshman Gillian Gandy scored the Texas
iM Soccer Team’s only goal of the night in dou-
^overtime as the third-ranked
;ies defeated No. 18
PUthern Methodist Sun-
in Dallas.
Gandy scored the
=newinnerinthe 117th
; iute of play off of a pass
‘rt senior Bryn Blalack.
The 1-0 victory im-
oves A&M’s record
H-l overall.
The team will next
^el to Lubbock to
the Texas
^ University
laiders on
586)
way
I
iccer escapes SMU
double overtime
'.a.
the Aggies to a season-high 17 in the match.
The Aggies suited up in Lubbock Saturday
night and downed the Texas Tech Red Raiders
in four games, 15-5,15-10,11-15 and 15-2. The
match improved A&M’s mark to 10-3 and 3-1 in
the Big 12, while dropping Tech to 15-3, 2-2.
Smedsrud again led the Aggies with 24 kills
with Sykora and Lothspeich adding 12 each.
Women Golfers set
for Big 12 preview
olleyball gets two
Ins over weekend
ThelSth-ranked Texas A&M Volleyball Team
• J rned to College Station this weekend after
victories on their two-day, Texas tour to Waco
Lubbock.
On Friday, the Aggies defeated the Baylor
jNin four games, 15-9, 10-15,15-8 and
Kto send BU to 12-5,2-1.
1 was led by Kristie Smedsrud with 20
followed by Amber Woolsey and Cindy Loth-
;%with 14 and Stacy Sykora with 11. Loth-
^h also collected 11 total blocks to lead
The 12th-ranked Texas A&M Women’s Golf
Team will have an early look at Big 12 com
petition Monday and Tuesday at the Big 12
Fall Preview at the Country Club of Missouri
in Columbia, Mo.
All of the Big 12 teams will participate and
the tournament will consist of 36 holes on
Monday and 18 holes Tuesday. A&M is the
conference’s highest ranked team with Texas
ranked No. 20.
“I wouldn’t say we are the favorites,” A&M
coach Jeanne Sutherland said. “It won’t be
easy for any team to win this year. Oklahoma
State beat us in Albuquerque (Sept. 25-27),
Missouri has won twice this year and Ne
braska just won a tournament. They all have
a lot of confidence coming in.”
A&M seniors Isabelle Rosberg and Jamie
Hullett along with sophomore Anna Becker
are among the top contenders for the indi
vidual title. Rosberg is ranked No. 9 nation
ally in the latest MasterCard Collegiate Rank
ings, the highest ranking of qny Big 12 golfer.
Rosberg leads the Aggies with a 74.67
scoring average while Hullett and Becker are
averaging 75.83.
Texas A&M, OSU take control
nd
srs
ro-
Cowboys prove they are for real with 42-16 drubbing of Longhorns
(AP) - The Texas Aggies are rising and the
Texas Longhorns are falling in the Big 12.
The defending champion Longhorns
carried the Big 12 banner into the regu
lar season only to be embarrassed at
every turn, most recently in Saturday’s
42-16 loss to Oklahoma State (5-0, 2-0 in
Big 12 games), a team they beat 71-14
last year.
The Aggies (4-0,1-0), meanwhile, started
the season in uncertainty with dual quar
terbacks and coming off a 6-6 season.
Yet, here they are, back on top once again,
as their trademark Wrecking Crew defense
did a number on Colorado Saturday in a 16-
10 victory that kept the Aggies unbeaten in
the Big 12 South.
Texas Tech (2-2, 1-0) didn’t run very well
but the Red Raiders had a good pass-catch
combination between Zebbie Lethridge and
Donnie Hart for a 35-14 victory over the Bay
lor Bears.
Kansas beat Oklahoma 20-17 in the
95th meeting of the two schools. It is the
longest continuously played rivalry in Di
vision I-A.
Linebacker Dat Nguyen raved about
the defense, which helped the Aggies
jump from No. 21 to No. 16 in the AP Poll.
“We’re just trying to bring back the tradi
tion,” Nguyen said. “It’s big, huge. To beat the
dominant team of the early 1990s and beat
them at home is just phenomenal. We
proved the Wrecking Crew is back.”
The Aggies lost two of seven fumbles
but managed to overcome their own
bobbles and spoiled a late Colorado
comeback attempt.
“I felt confident that we would play well,”
A&M coach R.C. Slocum said. “We prepared
well and I felt good about the character of
this team. There are still some ragged things
Please See AP and ESPN/USA
Today Coaches Polls on page 10
we have to work on. But it’s much easier to
do it after a win than a loss.”
Sedrick Curry blitzed Buffalo quarter
back John He^sler, who tried a desperation
pass. It was intercepted-buy Aggie ,safety
Rich Coady with 2:15 left in the game.
Coady said he was ready for his big play.
“I watched the quarterback’s eyes and he
took me right to the ball,” Coady said. “There
was a sense that someone on our team
would make a big play. I didn’t know it would
be me.”
The Longhorns (2-2, 0-1) got over their
66-3 loss to UCLA in their second game of
the season to squeeze past Rice 38-31 last
week. But they were back in the loser’s col
umn against the vengeful Cowboys.
It was only the second time since 1922
that the Longhorns had crossed the Red
River to play in Oklahoma — and it was
not a good time to return.
“We’re kind of down right now,” Texas
linebacker Dusty Renfro said. “You’re
down after a loss. There’s not a man on
this earth who wouldn’t be down after
something like this.”
Renfro had an interception and nine
tackles but his effort was lost on the
stampeding Cowboys’ offense which
gained 424 total yards.
“We went out there with last year’s
game in mind,” Oklahoma State defen
sive back Trent Alexander said. “We said,
‘That won’t ever happen again.’ And we
didn’t let it.”
The Cowboys are off to their best start
ever and they’re 2-0 in conference play for
the first time since 1972. That should make
them contenders, coach Bob Simmons said.
“Until somebody knocks us off, I like our
chances,” Simmons said.
The Red Raiders couldn’t mount a run
ning game against Baylor but Lethridge and
Hart made certain that didn’t matter. Hart
caught 11 passes for 181 yards and two
touchdowns and Lethridge completed 17 of
28 passes for 243 yards.
“Donnie had a great game plan as
usual,” Lethridge said. “He did a great job
of getting open and once he caught the
ball, he made some big plays. He helped
us get off on the right foot in the confer
ence race. It has been a long time since
we came here and had a big game.”
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