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Sports
The Battalion
Page 5 • Wednesday, November 12, 2003
Aggies trying to move ahead
JP Beato III • THE BATTALION
Texas A&M quarterback Reggie McNeal scrambles during A&M's game against the University of
Kansas on Nov. 1. The Aggies travel to Columbia, Mo., on Saturday to play the University of Missouri.
By Troy Miller
THE BATTALION
The only thing the Texas A&M football
team can do after a 77-0 drubbing at the
hands of the Oklahoma Sooners is try to
move on, and A&M coach Dennis
Franchione said that’s exactly the plan.
Whether that plan pans out is a different
story.
“The good Lord put our eyes in front us
to see where we’re going, not where we’ve
been," Franchione said. “You have to look
at things and learn from them too. I know
all of our guys want to get back out there
and get back to work and get prepared to
play this game.”
The Aggies are two wins away from
becoming bowl eligible, and believe it or •
not, that is still their goal. With only two
games, A&M must win out to even have a
chance at a post-season opportunity.
First up are the Missouri Tigers, who are
fresh off a loss to lowly Colorado. The
Aggies travel to Columbia hoping to get
something that has eluded them all season:
A road win.
“We haven’t won a game on the road yet
this year,” said A&M sophomore quarter
back Reggie McNeal. “We win this one and
then finish off a win against Texas, that
would be big for us. It would have us going
in the right direction going into next year.”
Playing on the road has been tough for
every Big 12 team, except the Sooners. The
Tigers have had their own faults, suffering
all three of their losses on the road.
However, Missouri is undefeated at home
this season.
“I think it’s an excuse,” said Missouri
coach Gary Pinkel. “I get very frustrated
with our football team. There are reasons
why teams don’t win on the road, but good
football teams win on the road.”
The Aggies are looking at just winning
for starters, and it’s easy to understand why
they have the record they have. A&M is
starting a plethora of freshmen and sopho
mores while implementing new systems
from a new coaching staff.
On top of that, they are playing the
roughest schedule in the nation, and maybe
the toughest slate of games for any team in
college football’s recent history. Nine of the
12 teams the Aggies face this season are
already bowl eligible, and Kansas will make
that 10 with one more win.
The sheer volume of star players the
Aggies have faced this year should entitle
the Aggie coaching staff to a Heisman bal
lot. From Pittsburgh receiver Larry
Fitzgerald to Virginia Tech running back
Kevin Jones to Oklahoma quarterback Jason
White, they’ve faced just about every big-
time name college football has to offer.
“If you want to be the best, you’ve got
to beat the best,” said A&M sophomore
safety Jaxson Appel. “I would rather play
teams like that and gain the experience and
become a better football team than beat up
on the Arkansas State’s every weekend.
Beating the good teams is what this game’s
about.”
Forgotten in all the mess of a dismal sea
son is the fact that Franchione and his staff
redshirted a large amount of a promising
recruiting class.
Even though they could have made a dif
ference at certain times of the season,
Franchione says he isn’t here to make A&M
competitive. He’s here to win.
“I don’t believe those young guys
See Aggies on page 8
Halladay wins AL
Cy Young Award
By Ronald Blum
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
NEW YORK — Roy
Halladay bounced back from A-
ball to the AL Cy Young Award
in little more
than two years.
His pitch
ing was so
messed up
during spring
training in
2001 that the
Toronto Blue
Jays left him
in Dunedin to
work out his troubles, causing
Halladay to wonder if his base
ball career was at an end.
Now, he’s left the rest of the
league’s pitchers behind.
Halladay was an overwhelm
ing winner of the American
League Cy Young Award on
Tuesday, easily beating
Chicago’s Esteban Loaiza.
“When 1 went down that far,
and really had no idea what I
was going to do to get it back
until I found that help, (it) was a
little scary for me,” he said from
Hawaii during a telephone con
ference call.
After winning a major
league-high 22 games, Halladay
received 26 first-place votes and
two seconds for 136 points in
balloting by the Baseball
Writers’ Association of
America.
Halladay’s big year included
a 15-game winning streak.
He credited former Blue Jays
pitching coach Mel Queen for
curing his mechanics and sports
psychologist Harvey Dorfman
for straightening out his head.
“I think both of those go
hand in hand as what made the
See Cy Young on page 8
HALLADAY
SPORTS IN BRIEF
Volleyball on road
to play Colorado
The Texas A&M volleyball
team will be in Boulder, Colo.,
today to face the Colorado
Buffaloes at 8 p.m.
The No. 18 Aggies (18-6, 10-
4 Big 12) will be looking to con
tinue their current hot streak
after winning eight of their last
10 matches. Led by junior mid
dle blocker Kendra Felder, the
Aggies have a chance at mak
ing a run at the Big 12 title, as
they are in third place.
Meanwhile, Colorado will
look to continue its winning
ways by beating the Aggies,
who lead the Buffs by 1.5
games in the conference race.
In addition, the Buffaloes, led
by sophomore middle blocker
Allie Griffin, have had success
all season on their home court
(8-1) thanks to a resurgence in
their blocking game.
“It’s going to be a great battle
between two teams that are
playing well,” said Colorado
coach Pi’i Aiu. “We know that
every point counts, and we
expect A&M to play it that way
as well.”
A&M will conclude its two-
game road swing Saturday
against Texas Tech.
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Come talk to us on December 2nd
at the Commons Lobby or over in
Wehner on West Campus.
GET THE FACTS
TELL YOUR FAMILY
www.clonorworld.com
1.800.355.7427
www.organ.org
1.800.788.8058
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JOIN THE MOVEMENT TO END EDUCATIONAL INEQUITY
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TEACH FOR AMERICA RECEPTION:
Thursday, November 13 • 6:00 pm
The Career Center in the Koldus Building
Pizza will be served
TEACHFORAiyifERlCA
www.teachforamerica.org