Sports
The Battalion Page 4 • Hiday, October I7,2(t :
GUERRIERI
Iowa next
for Aggies
By Troy Miller
THE BATTALION
In women’s soccer, the Big 12
Conference has consisted of three
formidable teams that trade the top
spot and constantly find themselves
in the NCAA Championship tourna
ment each year: Texas A&M, the
University of Texas and Nebraska.
The 2003 season seems to be the
year that the rest
of the conference
has finally
caught up.
“1 think the
results that have
happened so far
are finally illus
trating what we.
Big 12 coaches,
have been saying
the last four years,” said A&M coach
G. Guerrieri. “It’s definitely not easy
to get a result in this conference, and
any time that you go on the road
you’re definitely up against the wall.”
Colorado (4-0-1 Big 12) is at the
top of the Big 12 standings with
Nebraska (4-1) and A&M (3-0-2)
breathing heavily down its neck. The
other usual suspect at the top of the
standings, Texas, has fallen back by
going 8-6 overall and 3-2 in the Big
12, losing to Oklahoma and
Oklahoma State.
It seems that parity is beginning
to take over in the Big 12, and with
two road ties against Kansas and
Oklahoma State, the No. 4 Aggies
realize that being defending Big 12
champions makes them a target.
“We know, especially being
defending champions, that every team
is going to step on the field and play
their hearts out,” said A&M sopho
more midfielder Laura Probst. “They
know that a win against us will be key
so we have to go into every game with
the mentality that they’ll be giving
100 percent, so we have to too.”
The Aggies’(10-1-2, 3-0-2 Big 12)
next Conference test will be at 7 p.m.
when they take on Iowa State.
Aggies taking on unfriendly road
Lord leads ’Husker offense
By Michael Crow
THE BATTALION
In a college football season
defined by parity, Nebraska was
one of six undefeated teams to
fall last week. After entering the
season unranked and underrated,
the No. 18 Cornhuskers had
worked their way into the
national top-10 before
Saturday’s loss to Missouri.
Now, they are hoping to get
back on track in an important
home matchup against Texas
A&M on Saturday, and home is
just where the Buskers (5-1, 1-1
Big 12) would like to be.
Nebraska’s Memorial
Stadium has been sold out every
game since 1962, and this week
should be no different as NU
welcomes back its alumni for
Homecoming weekend. The last
time the Buskers lost a
Homecoming game, Lyndon
Johnson was president and Neil
Armstrong had not yet stepped
foot on the moon.
“(Nebraska has) only won 99
of the last 104 games they've
played (at Memorial Stadium),
so there's some pretty good odds
in their favor in this one in that
regard,” said A&M coach
Dennis Franchione. “It’s never
easy to go to Lincoln and play
those guys.”
Quarterback Jamaal Lord
returns to Memorial Stadium as
both the Buskers’ leading rusher
and top passer, averaging 75.2
rushing yards per game and
104.7 yards in the air. While
Lord’s passing numbers are
nothing to gawk at, the running
game is what Nebraska football
is and has always been about.
The Buskers rank second in
the country this season with a
dominant 243 yards per contest
on the ground. And, once
defenders are drawn in by the
run, play-action passing
becomes more effective.
“What they try to do is set up
the pass with the run,” said
A&M defensive coordinator
Garl Torbush. “So it’s going to
be really, really important for us
to make sure we do a good job
on the early downs of slowing
the run down.”
In last year’s meeting, the
Nebraska running attack sparked
a 38-31 come-from-behind vic
tory at Kyle Field. Returning
Buskers Lord and David Home
ran for 159 and 128 yards,
respectively, rallying NU back
from a 17-point third-quarter
deficit for the win.
The Aggies (3-3, 1-1 Big 12)
have continued to struggle
against the run this season,
allowing a gaudy 196.8 rushing
yards per game in their first
four games.
Still, the past two weeks have
provided some reason for opti
mism. A&M held Texas Tech
and Baylor to a combined 96
rushing yards. Texas Tech clear
ly had little need to run, but
Baylor’s Rashad Armstrong was
the Big 12’s leading rusher
before the Aggies limited him to
just 22 yards last week.
The A&M offense has been
making a name for itself in
recent weeks as well, thanks
largely to last week’s 73-10
blowout of Baylor. In their
last three games, the Aggies
have compiled 1,752 yards
from scrimmage, the most
for any three-game span in
school history.
Along the way, wide receiver
Jamaar Taylor has moved him
self to within 36 receiving yards
of Bethel Johnson’s career
receiving yardage record of
1,740 yards.
However, the Cornhuskers’
File Photo • THE BATTALION
Nebraska quarterback Jammal Lord stiff-arms former A&M cornerback Sammy Davis during last year's game.
“Blackshirt” defense will do its
best to limit any scoring oppor
tunities for Taylor and the
Aggies. The unit ranks first in
the Big 12 and seventh national
ly in total defense.
Linebackers Demorrio
Williams and Barrett Ruud clog
the middle of the field for
Nebraska, combining for 114
tackles already this season.
Williams’ 6.5 sacks have also
discouraged opponents from
passing the football and con
tributed to free safety Josh
Bullocks’ team-high six inter
ceptions.
Nebraska coach Frank Solich
said his defense faces a chal
lenge with a steadily improving
A&M offense.
“I think any time'you have a
new coach, a new staff, there is
that transition period where
players are getting a feel for
what you are doing,” Solich said
“I think it is showing right now,
I think they are playing better
week by week.”
In 10 meetings between the
teams, Nebraska has held tk
Aggies to seven points or les
five times - a trend the Aggies
must overcome to stand a
chance this weekend. Kictoffh
scheduled for 11:30 a.m.
SPORTS IN BRIEF
CC at Pre-Nationals
Tough competition awaits Aggies at Big 12 Relays
The Texas A&M men’s and
women’s cross country teams will
be in Waterloo, Iowa, Saturday for
the NCAA Pre-Nationals.
The men’s team will compete
against 10 nationally-ranked
teams, including No. 1 Stanford,
while the women will match up
against No. 2 Stanford and No. 6
North Carolina.
“This gives us an opportunity to
set a standard where A&M dis
tance running is recognized
nationally like Arkansas or those
boys at Stanford,” said senior
Tommy Bonn.
By Pete Burks
THE BATTALION
There is only one way to describe the
competition at the upcoming Big 12
Relays for the Texas A&M men’s and
women’s swimming teams: brutal.
After facing virtually no competition
thus far, the Aggie swim teams will be
thrown to the wolves on Friday when
they head to Ames, Iowa to compete
against the Big 12’s best. With the likes
of perennial powers Texas, Missouri and
Kansas prowling the scene, there will be
no time to relax for either team.
For the Aggie women’s swim team (1 -
0), the Big 12 relays ought to provide the
first real test of the season. Although it
already has one win under its belt, it came
against a young, and for the most part
inexperienced North Texas team that has
only been in existence for six years.
The Aggies blew past the Mean
Green 171-109 in what amounted to lit
tle more than an exhibition meet com
pared to the competition the Aggies will
see in Ames. This time around, the
women’s team will look to improve on
last year after finishing second to arch
rival Texas.
“We’ll see some tough competition,
no doubt,” said A&M women’s coach
Steve Bultman. “This will be a good
early season test. We’re still learning
about the freshmen, but we had some
very good swims last week, and some
were faster than I thought they’d be.”
Meanwhile, for the Aggie men’s
swim team, the Big 12 relays will be the
first chance to showcase its talent
against conference competition after
having only swam an intra-squad meet
thus far. However, like the women’s
team, the men’s team will be ready to
come out and prove itself after last
year’s second place finish to Texas.
Although the intra-squad meet is all
there is to go on at this point, from some
of the performances he saw there, Aggie
men’s swimming head coach Mel Nash
has reason to be confident heading into
the Big 12 relays.
“The guys really seemed to go after it
when they got the chance to race,” Nash
said. “The freshmen really fought well
in the intra-squad meet.”
However, even with a good showing
in the intra-squad meet, it is still uncer
tain just how good the men’s team is at
this point.
“The Big 12 relays will really give
us a chance to see where we are,” Nash
said.
Corps
needs Americans with skills in
Environment Educati on
Health
Peace Corps needs 5,500 graduates
with skills in agriculture, business,
education, environment, health and
information technology. All majors are
welcome. Benefits include medical,
dental and housing, as well as a
monthly stipend and 24 vacation days a
year. Graduates can defer student
loans while serving.
Visit the TAMU Career Center
209 Koldus Building to pick up
a Peace Corps Catalog.
Agriculture
www.peacecorps.gov • 800.424.8580
Relax, Rejuvenate and Unwind. Let the professionals at
Riviera Day Spa
take care of all your spa needs!
Specials
Microdermabrasion
Riviera Facial
1 Hour Massage
Specials good through Nov. 15, 2003.
Not good on gift certificates or packages.
Call Riviera Day Spa for an appointment.
695-0327 • 1800 Brothers Blvd., College Station
FREE CAREER FAIR
HENAAC cordially invites engineering, science, math,
computer science and MBA candidates to attend a
FREE CAREER FAIR!!
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 18TH, 2003
AUSTIN CONVENTION CENTER EXHIBIT HALL 4
10:OOam - 4:00pm
PLEASE VISIT WWW.HENAAC.ORG FOR A COMPLETE LIST
OF THE OVER 100 ‘FORTUNE 500’ COMPANIES AND
GOVERNMENT AGENCIES ATTENDING.
Tojiace.
Phone 845-0
Office:
Room 015 (t
"94 Mazda Ml
S3600/OBO. 9
1986 Plymoutl
player, new tin
Ctiel 979-268-6
[995 F250 4)
tended cab 35'
6128
1996 FI-50 exl
power. $5800
1996 Mazda 1
WC, very goo
7322.
1996 Mustang
er, all power.
702-89 57.
1998 Mustang
mint condition
Honda Accord
lymore! 1181
741-8325.
Police Impoum
listings, 800-31
BED AN
Brazos Bottom
lor A&M even
weekend, grac
end get-aways,
lions call Rebe
696-0091.
furnished roon
tended stay,
common area,
on beautiful pri
torn campus. (
F(
'Now Leasing
2lxlmi/1,5bth <
duplexes, Gre;
nice properties,
lions,
www.aggielam
1-3/bedroom ap
some near cam
brick home CH
carport. Open t
Ibdrm country
te'i»id,$200/n
1 IMim wflarge
foiling Ians, ic<
W20/mo. $3001
Ibdrm/ibth p e
*1(1 on property
FREE rer
1 car gara
F »lfe, Broker
114.
2 bedroom, i
bailable never
^■duplex of
Me now. $70
288-7443.
2bd/2ba apt,, ;
"M. Call 4p'.rr
^FTapartmi
Wer paid, ide
1s| (honth. Cal
Answer
across
IWine bai
SPeak: At
9 Arab
,, Peename
^Contemp
'*3
"'cknami
trust
'Saree Wl
“ Estuary
^ 9 Hartnoni
»°C"
4'S,
S'
studio
J3 'roop-se
36Ch Ck te
38Mfs 0 c P,in
gSpielber
44 c mu 9gk
? and bo
45 T ugboat
4Rw 0Und
Vlne Pro
49 Diminuti'
47 Annuity
58r l f erna t'
‘DLXXVI
in 2? u bled
“Sharp^