Page IB • Thursday, September 18, 2003
Sports
Tm: B vnm.ion —1
Hokies led by ground game
John C.Livas • THE BATTALION
Virginia Tech quarterback Bryan Randall eludes Aggie defenders at Kyle Field last season.
Randall and running back Kevin Jones lead an explosive Hokies' offense in 2003.
By Kyle Davoust
THE BATTALION
The Texas A&M football team will
ie in Blacksburg, Va. on Thursday
light. According to the National
Veather Service, Hurricane Isabel will
>e there too.
The Virginia Tech Athletic
Department announced that it does not
inticipate any changes to the scheduled
;ame, but a special University commit-
ee is monitoring weather-related
ievelopments and will decide if it will
>e necessary to move the kickoff.
While the thought of a hurricane
.trikes fear in the hearts of many, the
Aggies will be more concerned with
he hurricane-like power of Virginia
Tech running back Kevin Jones.
For two seasons now, Jones has
been waiting for his opportunity to
stand alone in the Hokies* backfield.
During this time, he has rushed for
more than 1,800 yards while starting
just three regular-season games.
Jones was forced to share the spot
light with the now departed record-
setter Lee Suggs. The two combined
to become the most effective 1-2
punch in Tech history, rushing for
more than 2,000 yards and 31 touch
downs. Jones ran for 871 yards
despite missing the end of the season
with a hamstring injury.
Now that Suggs is gone. Jones fig
ures to be the feature back in the
Hokies I-formation. That is, if he can
avoid the injury bug.
Jones appeared to be headed for a
big day against James Madison last
week until he was knocked out of the
game early in the second quarter. Jones
sprained both wrists on a play that led
to an ejection of a James Madison
player. The X-rays, however, proved to
be negative, and Jones will be ready for
Thursday night’s game against A&M.
The game, which will be nationally
televised on ESPN, will be Jones’ first
chance to shine alone in the Hokies’
backfield. This should concern the
Aggie faithful, especially after watch
ing Utah's Brandon Warfield run for
186 yards and three touchdowns two
weeks ago at Kyle Field.
Making matters worse for A&M is the
loss of its leading tackier and middle line
backer, Jarred Morris, for the season.
See Hokies on page 3B
‘Horns try to rebound,
others battle schedules
‘Horns Look to Regroup
Maybe the Chris Simms Era wasn’t so
bad after all.
Last week’s shocking 38-28 loss to
former conference foe Arkansas likely
dashed Texas’s national championship
hopes for the
umpteenth year in a
row.
But this time
around, fans can no
longer fault Simms,
the Longhorns’ much-
maligned quarterback
the past four seasons,
for losing “the big game.”
Junior Chance Mock, Simms’
replacement under center, threw for 264
yards and three touchdowns but had lit
tle help in the backfield. Running back
Cedric Benson managed just 27 yards
on 13 carries.
Pollsters were not kind to fifth-ranked
Texas (1 -1) after the loss, dropping them
to No. 13 in The Associated Press and
ESPN/USA Today Coaches’ rankings.
What’s worse, the shocking home loss
was the Longhorns’ first defeat at Royal
Memorial Stadium since October 1999,
ending the nation’s second-longest home
win streak.
Texas looks to vent its frustration
Saturday at Rice (0-2) and against Tulane
(1-1) the following week before starting
October against fellow Big 12 powers
Kansas State and Oklahoma.
No Non-Conference Cupcakes
Playing in arguably the toughest con
ference in college football apparently
isn’t enough for Oklahoma (3-0) and
Colorado (2-1).
Facing the likes of Texas, Kansas State
and Nebraska each season is daunting
enough, but the Sooners and Buffaloes
have also played respectable non-confer-
1 ence opponents and
RIQ f ace two more
Saturday.
Having already
■! disposed of Alabama
NUTEBOUK a,K * an underrated
North Texas team, the
No. 1 Sooners will
host a dangerous
Rob Phillips
UCLA team Saturday.
Despite dropping a 16-14 heartbreak-
er to Colorado on opening weekend, the
Bruins (1-1) are legitimate contenders for
the Pac-10 title.
Oklahoma will also be without senior
linebacker and Butkus Award candidate
Lance Mitchell, who suffered a tom left
ACL in the Sooners’ 52-28 win over
Fresno State last week.
Colorado (2-1) survived its first two
games against rival Colorado State and
UCLA before last week’s 47-28 blowout
loss to Pac-10 power Washington State.
The Buffaloes will face their toughest
non-conference test yet when they take
on No. 10 Florida St. (3-0) in Tallahassee
Saturday.
Colorado quarterback Erik Greenberg
will likely start in place of injured starter
Joel Klatt (shoulder). Greenberg com
pleted 19-of-30 passes for three touch
downs and two interceptions against
See Big XII on page 3B
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