Throughout the three years of
the Big 12 Conference, some have
grumbled the four teams from the
old Southwestern Conference have
brought down the Big 12. Those
critics may be silenced after this
weekend.
a
The four SWC teams did a num
ber on the former Big Eight teams
they played Saturday. That number
w'as 4-0. Texas, Baylor. Texas Tech
and Texas A&M all beat their former
Big Eight counterparts. Those victo
ries were highlighted by Texas
A&M’s 28-21 upset of then-No. 2
Nebraska.
■
One of those former Big Eight
teams that lost Saturday was
Kansas. The Jayhawks gave up 17
unanswered points in the fourth
quarter to Baylor in a 31-24 loss.
KU is now' 0-4 in the conference this
season. In all four games, Kansas
has been in position to win late in
the game.
“It was a very frustrating loss for
us on Saturday,” Kansas Coach
Terry Allen said. “In all four Big 12
games wre have been in the game in
the fourth quarter and have not been
able to put the game away.”
■
The Big 12 has more teams
ranked in The Associated Press top
25 this week than any other confer
ence. After a 6-0 start, Texas Tech
became the sixth ranked team.
The conference with the second
most ranked teams is the
Southeastern Conference with five.
“There is no question in my
mind (the Big 12) is the best confer
ence in college football,” Iowa State
Coach Dan McCarnev said.
■
Junior Brandon Daniels was
named the starting quarterback at t
Oklahoma at the beginning of the
season. But at any given time this
season, you won’t see Daniels
behind center. Five players have
played quarterback in the Sooners’
six games.
“Our quarterback situation is
really tough right now,” OU Coach
John Blake said. “There has just
been an inconsistency in execution.”
■
Missouri is having a lot of offen
sive success so far this season. MU
running back Devin West has rushed
for 1,2 10 yards, and quarterback
Corby Jones has been rushing and
passing the ball effectively.
But Smith said the success can
be attributed to the offensive line.
“The whole key to what we do is
how those guys play,” Smith said. “It
is not two individuals in the back
field that are making the differ
ence”
■
7he No, 23 Baylor soccer team
upset No. 1 8 Texas A&M 2-0 on
Friday. The Aggies, who are the
defending Big 12 champions, have
now lost two straight conference
games. The win was Baylor goal
keeper Dawn Greathouse’s fifth
shutout this season.
Big 12 Notebook compiled by
staff w riter Jay Saunders
NU returns to power rushing game
. ...... .... _
Matt Miller/DN
NEBRASKA l-BACK DeAngelo Evans looks for daylight on running plays this season. In the past two games, the Huskers have had trouble rushing the foot
ball, gaining only 71 and 141 yards against Oklahoma State and Texas A&M, respectively.
By Sam McKewon
Senior editor
These are not the salad days of the Nebraska run
ning game.
In two consecutive weeks, the Cornhuskers’
option attack, considered one of the finest rushing
schemes in college football, has been ground to a near
halt.
In a 24-17 w in over Oklahoma State, NU rushed
for 71 total yards. Texas A&M held the Huskers (5-1
overall and 1-1 in the Big 12 Conference) to 141 yards
in winning 28-21 last Saturday. They had only 58
yards through three quarters.
Now, arter six games, Nebraska averages 237.8
yards rushing. Not a bad number, to be sure it still
ranks No. 11 in the nation. But it’s 154.6 yards below
last year’s 392.7-yard average last season and 51 yards
less than the 287.9 average in 1993 the lowest aver
age in 20 years.
Kansas, a 2-4 team with a problem stopping the
run, presents an opportunity for the Huskers to get the
ground game back on track.
A little more blood, sweat and tears wouldn't hurt
the cause.
“Looking back at it, we beat ourselves,” offensive
guard Ben Gessford said. “Texas A&M gave a better
total effort over four quarters and for the whole ball
game. We didn’t give a total effort.”
Beyond effort, both Husker players and coaches
agree that the Huskers must return to their roots to be
more successful rushing the football. A return to the
roots means a return to the power rushing game.
After practice Monday, Head Coach Frank Solich
said NU ran too many options against Texas A&M.
"We’ve got to get back the power game,” Solich
said. “We ran more options than we would have liked
to against Texas A&M because we haven’t been very
productive in the power game. That’s an area that has
to improve a great deal.”
The power game consists of the inside plays the
Huskers have made a living off of in the past: isola
tions up the middle, fullback dives and other counter
and trap plays. Sophomore 1-back Correll Buckhalter
said not only is Nebraska at its best running straight at
teams, but it’s the style he prefers to the option game.
“We’ve got to open that powrer game,” Buckhalter
said. “We're getting back to good old Nebraska foot
ball where we just line up and run straight at people. ”
«—-—
"We have got to get
back the power game.
That's an area that has to
improve a great deal."
Frank Solich
Nebraska head football coach
Another problem Gessford said the Huskers had
was a false sense of security concerning the offensive
line. Much of it stemmed from a 55-7 win over then
No. 8 Washington, when NU rushed for 434 yards.
“That was a bad win for us,” Gessford said. “We
thought after that we could just show and we'd win.”
For Buckhalter, motivation is not a concern for the
offense Saturday when playing KU.
“I speak for the running backs and enure offense.
1 think, when I say we're going out thereto run that
ball,” Buckhalter said. “We just want to move the ball.”
Red Raiders emerge as Big 12 powerhouse
By Sam McKewon
Senior editor
Who in the heck is Texas Tech?
After a 24-17 victory over
Oklahoma State Saturday, the Red
Dykes
Raiders are now 6
0 for the season
and 3-0 in the Big
12 Conference.
Hell, they’ve
already qualified
for a bowl game.
And now. after
finally entering
the Associated
Press rankings at
No. 22, other
teams in the Big 12 are starting to stand
up and take notice.
“I think they’ve done a great job
down there,” Oklahoma Coach John
Blake said. “They’ve had some good
breaks and they’ve just played hard.”
At the beginning of the season.
Texas Tech was picked to finish fourth
in the Big 12 South Division. Tech
Coach Spike Dykes said that pick is
typical of what people think of the Red
Raider program.
“We’re usually picked fifth, so
we’re used to that” Dykes said. “We’re
still going to have work like crazy to
finish fourth.”
So far, Tech has won games in
almost every which way this season.
The Red Raiders shut down their first
two opponents, holding North Texas
and UTEP to three points combined.
Since then, the offense has come alive
to score more than 24 points in the last
four contests.
Against OSU, Tech got a blocked
punt and fumble returned for a touch
down for the win.
The one consistent element for
Texas Tech has been sophomore run
ning back Ricky Williams. Williams,
who trails only Texas’ Ricky Williams
for the nation’s rushing lead has 1,026
yards this season on 194 carries, scor
ing 10 touchdowns.
Williams had 97 yards against
OSU, 26 more yards than Nebraska had
in an entire game against the Cowboys.
Colorado Coach Rick Neuheisel,
whose Buffaloes play Texas Tech
Saturday, said Williams compares
favorably to the nation’s best backs.
“In the amount of time I have been
watching him, he is an exceptional
back,” Neuheisel said. “He is certainly
gifted with great balance and great
vision.”
Another _*^ent of the Red
Raiders’ success iies in the quarterback «
position, where Rob Peters returned to
the starting role after back-up Matt
Tittle led Texas Tech to four victories
while Peters was injured.
Dykes said the Red Raiders have
received solid play from the quarter
backs, although Peters has had some
problems as the starter again.
“It was a lot harder for Rob to come
in off the bench,” Dykes-said. “He had
a good game last week and I think he
kind of expected it to happen again."