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.