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1998 Texas A&M Football Preview
How TO BE A GOOD AGGIE FOOTBALL FANATIC
H ow maroon does your blood run? If
you’re like the majority of fans at
tending Texas A&M Football games,
you might like a refresher course on the dos
and don’ts of Aggie football etiquette.
Remember: the wave may be classified as
a defensive cheer only at some universities,
but in Aggieland, you can throw it right out
the window.
1. 12th Man Spirit
When E. King Gill displayed his readiness
during the Dixie Classic in 1922 to enter the
game against Centre College for Aggie coach
Dana X. Bible, it began a tradition that has
been copied around the nation but has nev
er truly been understood by other schools.
Show that Aggie spirit by standing from
kickoff to halftime. But don’t sit down while
the Aggie Band struts its stuff on Kyle. That’s
bad bull, Ags.
2. Uncover! Off the wood!
When the unbelievable Aggie Band
strikes up the familiar tunes of the “Aggie
War Hymn” or the “Spirit of Aggieland,”
step off the bleachers and take your hats off
or be yelled at.
3. Forward or back?
The big question facing football fans at
Kyle Field is an important one. When you
stand, is it on your bleachers, or do you
step forward and stand on the bleachers in
front of you?
The answer lies in front of you. Take a
step or two forward and stand on the row
in front of you. When the time comes to
rest your feet, simply take a step back and
sit down.
4. Get those towels a’waviiT
A must-have for the Aggie Football sea
son is a 12th Man Towel.
These babies are great for
waving as support for the
Wrecking' Crew defense and
serve to cool you down dur
ing the hot games if you
soak them in water.
Watch the people in
front of you. It’s bad man
ners to hit other people in
the head.
5. Whose fault was
that?
It doesn’t happen very of
ten, but when it does, fans let
everyone know.
Texas A&M might give up a
sack every now and then, but
gripes about the quarterback
are unwarranted.
Photo Courtesy of the Big 12 Conference
Reveille VI, an American Collie, is the Texas A&M mascot.
Don’t yell at
Branndon Stewart
for taking a sack.
Take a look at the
offensive line.
6. Know your
football
Before you go to a
game, it might be
helpful to be able to
recognize a trap,
screen or option
when you see one.
Visitors some
times judge fans on
their knowledge of
the game, not just
whether they show
up to the games.
Photo courtesy of Big 12 Conference
7. Fill ‘er up ^ one construction on Kyle Field will finish by next season.
* An afternoon ^" he ca P aci ty fo r Kyle for this season has been reduced to 58,000.
football game in
Texas is no time to be dehydrated. Drink
plenty of water before a game and stay
away from alcohol, which only speeds the
process.
This season, the first two Aggie home
games are at night, so heat won’t provide
much of a problem.
8. Keep it down!
Making lots of noise while the Aggies are
on defense makes it hard for the offensive
team to communicate in a huddle.
Make it loud and watch the Yell Leaders
for the right times to yell.
But make sure the Wrecking Crew is on
the field. When the Aggies are on offense,
silent support is usually the best when the
team is in the huddle.
9. Hopefully, it won’t happen, but...
If the Aggies lose on Kyle Field, it is the
duty of the fans to stay and sing the 12th
Man song before conducting a short yell
practice for the next game.
10. Maroon Out!
Anyone who sees the sea of scarlet and
cream at a Nebraska Cornhuskers game
knows how intimidating a united crowd
can be.
Texas A&M class councils are sponsoring
a “Maroon Out” game on Oct. 10. Nebraska
is the opponent and T-shirts will be sold for
$5 leading up to game time.
And the last rule, of course, is to keep up
with the Aggies by reading The Battalion.
Scouting the nation
Would-be Heisman candidates, title contenders flood college football
Y ou’ve read about as much
Big 12 and Aggie football as
you can take. Now, here’s a
look at the larger picture of nation
al college football.
Top-Five Teams:
1. Nebraska. They are No. 1
until somebody beats them. The
very mention of the word “Ne- SCHMIDT
braska” can strike fear into the
hearts of most college football players. The Corn
huskers could be even more explosive this year
with quarterback Bobby Newcombe taking over
the reins from Scott Frost.
2. Florida State. The Seminoles just have too
much talent not to contend for the title. The only
thing that can hold back the ‘Noles is themselves.
3. UCLA. The Bruins’ offense is the most explo
sive in the country. Ask Texas.
4. Florida. As long as Florida coach Steve Spurri
er finds a quarterback, the Gators have perhaps the
biggest upside of the Top 10 teams.
They also have the biggest downside if they do
not find a star quarterback. A voracious defense
will only help.
5. Kansas State. The Wildcats take the prize for
worst schedule. They HOST Indiana State (whom
they have already demolished), Northern Illinois
and Northeast Louisiana.
They also have the country’s most paranoid
coach. Bill Snyder. Against Texas A&M, Wildcat
quarterback Michael Bishop was injured and left the
field. Snyder made players hold towels over Bishop
so TV cameras could not see what was wrong with
his star player.
Honorable mention: Ohio State. Why won’t the
Buckeyes win it all? Five words: Michigan. They
never beat Michigan.
Top Heisman candidates:
1. Kentucky quarterback Tim Couch. The early
favorite for the top pick in the 1999 NFL Draft,
Couch kicked off the 1998 season by throwing for
seven touchdowns and almost 500 yards. It’s funny
how things change.
Jeff Schmidt and Jeff Webb would like to thank the fol
lowing PEOPLE FOR THEIR TIRELESS EFFORT ON THE BATTALION’S
1998 Texas A&M Football Preview.
• Mandy Cater Graeber
• Robert Wegener
• Brad Graeber
• Brandon Bollom
• Aaron Cohan
• Robert Hollier
• Michael Taglienti
• Jake Schrickling
Editor-in-Chief
Adviser
Graphics Editor
Photo Editor
Staff Writer
Staff Writer
Staff Writer
Asst. Photo Editor
Layout by. Mandy Cater Graeber, Jeff Webb, Jeff
Schmidt and Matt Weber.
Special Thanks goes to:
• Alan Cannon, Texas A&M Sports Information
• Veronica Serrano, copy editor
• Manisha Parekh, copy editor
• Matt Weber, Night News Editor
see Heisman on Page 11B.
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1998 Texas A&M Football Preview
THE
BACKS
ARE
BACK
Photo Illustration by Jake Schrickling/The Battalion
The Big Three are bolstered
by the return of Bernard
BY AARON COHAN
The Battalion
Picture yourself on one
of the opposing defenses
as you study the forces
that make up the Aggies’
running attack.
Descriptively, they are the
best combination of run
ning backs a team could
imagine. The power,
speed and agility that
D’Andre Hardeman, Dante
Hall, Sirr Parker and Eric
Bernard bring to the back-
field is unmatched.
The four backs all sur
passed the 500-yard
plateau during the 1996
season. Hall, Parker, and
Hardeman continued the
tradition last year, making
A&M the only Division I
school with three backs
over 500 yards.
“The experience and
depth that we have will be
our greatest strength this
year,” running backs
coach Lawrence
Livingston said.
One of the aspects to
this wide variety in the
backfield is the agility
Hall brings. Hall is recog
nized nationally by
sources like Mel Kiper Jr.
as one of the “Top 20
Threats in the Country.”
As the quickest player in
A&M history to reach
2,000 all-purpose yards,
Hall is consistently relied
upon to get the job done.
“His gritty moves are
always menacing to oppos
ing defenses,” Livingston
said. “Dante is one of the
most complete weapons I
have ever seen. He can run
and return the ball in rare
form at any time.”
Hall’s 7.3 yards per
carry last year proved not
only to be the best in the
Big 12, but the highest
average ever by an A&M
back. Still, Hall said he
does not care.
“The stats don’t mean
anything to me,” Hall
said, “but the wins and
championships do.”
This season looks to be
another groundbreaking
one for Hall as he needs
only 190 yards to become
the all-time leading punt
returner in A&M history.
Sirr Parker, another
facet of this quartet, is one
of the most explosive
backs in the Big 12.
Parker led the team with
10 rushing touchdowns
last year but the ability he
brings to the team is not
limited to his running
attack. Coach R. C.
Slocum plans to send
Parker out as a wide
receiver this season to
take advantage of his
speed.
“It gives us the capabil
ity to have more threats in
the offense at one time,”
Slocum said. Parker’s
A&M record 4.24 in the
40-yard dash last spring
gave Slocum a new view
of what he could use his
talented back for.
However, Parker
remains indifferent about
his new role.
see Backs on Page 11B.
Right: Sirr Parker takes a
breather during a game.
Below: Dante Hall stiff
arms an opponent in last
season’s victory over Sam
Houston State University.
Brandon Bollom/The Battalion
File Photo/The Battalion
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