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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 22, 1998)
It has been a banner year so far for the Big 12 Conference team rushing the football. Four teams are in the top 10 nationally in rushing offense. That includes Missouri, which is leading the country in rushing with 310.7 yards per game. Texas Tech. Nebraska and Oklahoma also are in the top 10. Texas Tech's Ricky Williams is the nation's leading rusher with 221.6 yards per game. Devin West of Missouri, who had 319 yards in the Tigers' game against Kansas, is third. Iowa State senior Darren Davis is fourth and Heisman Trophy candidate Ricky Williams ofTexas is eighth with 139.3 yards per game. In each of the last two weeks, Tennessee and UCLA have jumped No. 5 Kansas State in The Associated Press poll even though the Wildcats haven't lost. The Bruins beat Texas 49-31, while KSU beat UT 48-7. Kansas State Coach Bill Snyder said the polls don’t mean much this early in the year. “We just like to be around at the end of the year,” Snyder said. “It really has no impact with me one way or another.” m The Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week is Texas Tech’s Ricky Williams. Kansas State's Jeff Kelly won the defensive honor. Fellow Wildcat David Allen was the Special Teams Player of the Week. ■ The Big 12 was 7-2 this past weekend against nonconference opponents, and conference teams have compiled an overall record of 22-7 so far this season. Nonconference success has caught the eye of Associated Press poll voters. Five Big 12 teams are ranked in this week's poll, including Nebraska at No. 2 and Kansas State at No. 5. “The Big 12 should be proud in having two teams in the top five,” Texas Coach Mack Brown said. ■ Texas Tech is off to a 3-0 start despite not having the services of starting quarterback Rob Peters. Peters injured his right thumb, which is on his throwing hand, earlier in the season. Tech Coach Spike Dykes said he is pleased with the play of Peters' replacement, junior Matt Tittle "3 hank goodness for Matt i ittle." Dv kes said "He has done a great loh. and he will continue to ■ tie!<’iw i ex as Aik M A game 'satin da ■ against .Southern Mississippi, it was announced run mi.- ham. D Andie Hardeman was suspended mom die learn. Hardeman was flie leading rustier tor tile Aggies a‘ the time he was suspended vt tins tune he is suspended ! >: an indefinite period of time." AcvM ( Mach R.( Slocum said. "1 wouldn't w ant to elaborate on that Big 12 notebook compiled bv staff writer Ja\ Saunders Crouch arrives after tough first year By David Wilson Senior staff writer Eric Crouch is quick to realize how far he's come. A scout team quarterback less than a year ago, the redshirt freshman has already started two games under center for the Comhuskers this season behind an injured Bobby Newcombe. It’s a position he didn't think he'd be in so quickly after ankle and knee injuries sidelined him for nearly three months last fall. Since then, he's also become a little more talkative. “Did you ever think ... "a Crouch rePorter started to ask Crouch in the tunnel under South Stadium on Monday after practice. “ ... That I'd be starting two games, and playing in all three so far - and two nationally televised games?” Crouch said, finishing the question himself as he leaned his head up against the wall. “It's something that you don't think about for very long - all the hype involving all the stuff. “When Bobby came out, I didn’t think his injury was that serious. A split second later. I'm in the ball game running the offense, and for the next two weeks I was running the show.” Crouch, who leads Nebraska with 340 yards of total offense, took over for Newcombe in the Huskers' season opener against Louisiana Tech. Since then, the 6-foot, 200-pounder has complet ed 18 of 36 passes and rushed 24 times for 134 yards. “He's done extremely well,” NU Quarterbacks Coach Turner Gill said. “I'm very, very pleased and very, very happy.” Against California Sept. 12, Crouch played despite injuring his left hamstring earlier in the week. While Crouch is still recovering - and not practicing - Newcombe has recovered from a knee injury and will start Saturday when Nebraska plays host to ninth-ranked Washington. Crouch, Gill said, is doubtful for Saturday. “It's a little frustrating,” Crouch said, “but right now. I'm not thinking about it being frustrating as much as I'm trying to get back on the field. I don’t want to miss too much and get too far behind, because I felt like I could contribute a lot this year.” Gill said that if Crouch had been healthy last fall, the decision whether or not to redshirt him would have been tough. Newcombe, however did play as a true freshman last season behind quarterbacks Scott Frost and Frankie Lon<ipn before moving to wingback. That experience. Gill said, might have been what pushed Newcombe over the top when he was named the Huskers' starting quarterback last spnng. “There’s really not a whole lot of differences (between Crouch and Newcombe) m^ny aspect of the game,” Gill said. “Those guys are very, very sim ilar in every way. They're really, really close.” But Crouch has no hard feelings for Newcombe - and still plans to sit beside him this week in iheir History of American Jazz class. “You would think people are like, ‘Those guys are so competitive, why would they want to sit next to each other?”’ Crouch said. “But that's not the case. We’re here to help each other out. The only way we’re gomg to get to the Fiesta Bowl is through team unity and doing it together.” Evans back after two seasons out He likely will start vs. Huskies By Adam Klinker Staff writer A lot happens in two years. For Nebraska football, there was a new head coach, new quarterbacks and another national championship. Though the successes have been shining in the past two years, there has been one noticeably absent factor in the Comhusker lineup: I-back DeAngelo Evans. A lot happens in two years. Running backs in the NU ground machine come and go, but Evans waits in the wings this week. He's a running back who hasn’t played in those two years. And Evans is ready to go. Since he last carried a football in competition against Texas in the 1996 Big 12 Championship game, NU's last loss, Evans has struggled with injuries that have kept him on the sidelines. "It's been difficult," Evans said. “Rut ! think' it's snmpthino that's rpallv made a man out of me. It's the difficult things that make you stronger" In that 37-27 loss to Texas, Evans sustained a groin injury that kept him out of NU's 1996 41-21 Orange Bowl win ov er Virginia Tech. Two surgeries in 1997 to repair muscle damage to his groin kept him out for all of last season. Evans' latest mishap was a tear to the meniscus cartilage in his left knee suffered in fall practice. It has kept him out of the Buskers' first three games of the loos season. "i ie's kept a great attitude about it Running Backs Coach Dave Ciillespk said He's always looking forward. 1 think he's going to be mentallv in the best shape as he can be in w hen he gets back.' i. ans said a lot of that mental pre paredness has come as a result of sup port from lus teammates and coaches. "1 verv body's been verv support Rvans said "It makes you feel good vhen vou know everybodv think voii're an important part of the team know the world's not over. I'm going to get to play football again." Evans said he is not bitter about his string of injuries, but rather he feels it m % Mike Warren/DN l-BACK DEANGELO EVANS runs through blocking pads at practice in Memorial Stadium as Head Coach Frank Solich watches his progress. Evans returned to practice last week after a long series of injuries. has been a very' sigrnrleant lire experi ence; for him, it's something that goes beyond football. “In football. I've got a talent and I'm out there using it when I'm play ing," he said. “Then, all of a sudden. I'm not playing. I'm not in control of that: I just try to control what 1 can. And in foot ball. 1 try to go out there and be a better player every da\ All of this has translated into a greater anticipation for his comeback. Evans said. iTa 1! tiling.', hold and Evan.-' ha* quality practice time tor the remaindei ot this week. (di.'-pa said he lee A 1-vans could star: •: 'NiUird.n auautv No. ^ Washington. On Monday. Head d oach t rani Solicit said Evans definite!) will plav and most hkel\ w il; ..ar "It will be verv excuinc. ivtno i out on the field with nr. tv •nuna’.e f\an> said. "And it's a me game ! in, game will set the tone for i naiione championship ” Evans said he i> an.xiou>iv awaiiam the chance to take on the roiv he in, missed plav ing since hi> tre.snman a son a role as an on-the-fieid ieader. "1 think we've missed sometning m me." Evans said. "1 think tire coaJie have counted on having me out there DeAngelo’s back... I For the first time since 1996, l-back DeAngelo Evans is expected to see action in a game. Here’s how Evans stacked up as a freshman against other NU l-backs. PlayerYear Car. Yds. Avq. TD Ahman Green 1995 14i 1086 7.70 13 Calvin Jones 1991 108 900 8.33 14 DeAngelo Evans 1996 148 776 5.24 14 Monte Anthony 1974 109 587 5.39 7 Lawrence Phillips 1993 92 508 5.52 5 Source: Nebraska Sports Information .mu ui'.ei! %vii Ur:; t it throw> an; ot! a • - !. a !eamniate> ir. the i-back • -r Hi. ■-11’ioa dar- • m : \ atw ■ i1 read, u .in;, tr I!--. a. * Jv' :Ct. - oad. and lie pu-er • u !iara >■.:! -her.- Purple see that, .aid Hie'. k'u»\\ nek a leader" '<’* ;:e! t '• m- w.;> injured last \ear. iirU' .• w .!'■:i . uueUior a.-> to who would nor v ' i •: ’ir i-buck duties for the throe: ■ \pt’.’.a::1 :reen lore. me reins if the V. Paeki'ieid ir the audition ofi Iusker l-haeks. lieipine lead the iluskers to their : irst Hie 12 (. hampionship at.r another national championship. ■)< r KAM\ 1)A Tins \ear. with Evans' earls injurs, questions surfaced as to who would fill the departed i ireen's shoes Thus far. sophomore C' or re I i Kuckhalier lias shouldered tire majonts of tire I -hack load, running fore 10 sards and two loueirdowirs m tirree games Alexander also has contributed at the position, rackine up te2 sards and one touchdown. Esans, svho ran for ~~o sards and 14 touchdowns as a freshman, said he's reads to step up again and take the leadership role of leading the 1 lusker 1 x. ks io the next lesel. "It's time for me to come back.” i sans said.
