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Nebraska forward Kim
Engesser was named soccer’s
Big 12 player of the year.
Engesser led the league with 54
points in the regular season and
30 in conference play.
■
Along with Engesser, five
other Huskers were named to
the Big 12 Conference’s first
team. Becky Hogan, Isabelle
Momeau, Sharolta Nonen, Amy
Walsh and Lindsay Eddleman
were all named to the first team,
while Megan Anderson was
named to the second team.
■
Texas A&M linebacker Dat
Nguyen is one of four finalist for
the 1998 Lombardi Award.
Texas running back Ricky
Williams tied an NCAA record
for games with a touchdown
(31). With 51 touchdowns in the
last two seasons, Williams needs
one more to tie Barry Sanders
for the most touchdowns in con
secutive seasons.
■
Oklahoma State Coach Bob
Simmons has been selected to
coach the North squad in the
Hula Bowl game to be played in
January in Honolulu.
■
With 85 yards on kickoff
returns, Colorado sophomore
Ben Kelly set a CU record with
1,251 yards, breaking M.J.
Nelson’s mark of 1,198 (1986
1989).
■
Missouri Tailback Devon
West rushed for 146 yards to
improve his season total to 1,402
yards, breaking Joe Moore’s sin
gle season school rushing record
of 1,312 yards in 1969.
■
After Kansas’ 23-14 victory
over North Texas, the Jayhawks
have now won 10 consecutive
home games against non-confer
ence opponents.
■
Texas quarterback Major
Applewhite was named Big 12
offensive player of the week.
Fellow Longhorn Kris Stockton
was named specialty player of
the week, while Missouri defen
sive back Wade Perkins was
named the defensive player of
the week.
■
With three weeks left in the
Big 12 volleyball season, the con
ference title race has turned into
a two-team race. On Saturday
night, Kansas State defeated
Colorado, setting the Buffaloes’
conference mark at 11-3.
Nebraska still leads the confer
ence at 14-0, while Texas is a
game behind at 13-1.
Big 12 Notebook compiled
by staff writer James Nicas.
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Mike Warren/D N
MISSOURI QUARTERBACK Corby Jones drops back to pass against Nebraska earlier this season. Jones and the Tigers, who own a 7-2 record, have a
crucial conference game against Texas A&M this Saturday.
It’s judgment week in the Big 12
Top teams to face off in contests that could decide division titles
--- . * *5
By Christopher Heine
Staff writer
Unless you are fortunate enough to have tick
ets, the Big 12’s version of Judgment Day comes to
a television screen near you this Saturday.
Five of the conference’s teams enter this week
end with a chance of winning their respective divi
sion race. Four of those teams play each other.
No. 11 Nebraska plays at No. 2 Kansas State
while No. 13 Missouri travels to No. 6 Texas A&M.
Losses by Kansas State and Texas A&M would
open a floodgate of possibilities. This complicated
scenario, coupled with a Texas victory over Texas
Tech, would throw all five of the nationally rated
schools deeper into the mix.
Nebraska has the longest road to St. Louis,
where the Big 12 Championship game is played.
The Cornhuskers, who have struggled with
injuries this year, are 9'/2-point underdogs going
against the Wildcats.
Nebraska Coach Frank Solich said he thinks his
team is heading in the right direction.
“We’ve struggled, but this squad has hung
together,” he said during a teleconference Monday.
“We’re capable of playing very good football.
Of course it’s going to take all of that to have a
chance on Saturday.”
Wildcat Coach Bill Snyder said the point
spread doesn’t change the way he feels about
Nebraska.
“They’re doing a fine job carrying on that great
tradition,” he said. “We know we play a motivated
tt
If I didn Y have to coach, I think Id plop my feet up on
something and enjoy some great Big 12 football
Mack Brown
Texas coach
football team this week.
“We have a lot of concerns. Eric Crouch has
come into his own as a very fine quarterback. I
think he adds some diversity to their offense with
his ability to throw the football.”
Kansas State controls its own destiny. The
Wildcats can win the conference outright and chal
lenge for the national championship by winning
their remaining games.
The Comhuskers, uncharacteristically, need
the most help to reach the conference champi
onship game. Because of the long odds, the title bid
would be cause for celebration in Lincoln.
The needed series of events is a mouthful.
First, NU needs to win its own game against
No. 2-rated Kansas State. Second, Nebraska hopes
Missouri loses its 11:30 a.m. contest at Texas A&M
on Saturday. Third, the Huskers would hope for
Missouri to turn around and beat Kansas State Nov.
21.
And finally, NU would have to beat Colorado
on Nov. 27 to win the North Division.
If the Huskers beat Kansas State, the champi
onship door swings wide open for Missouri.
However, first the Tigers must take care of
Texas A&M.
MU Coach Larry Smith said he is concerned
with what his offense will be able to do against the
Aggies.
“They have by far one of the best defenses in
the conference,” he said. “They’re very quick up
front and force a lot of double teams to free up their
linebackers.”
Oklahoma State Coach Bob Simmons, who has
coached against the Aggies this season, was
impressed with the defenses of both Texas A&M
and Missouri.
However, Simmons said, the Tigers have an
advantage on offense.
“They can run the ball against anybody,” he
said. “Corby Jones, Devon West and their offensive
line have done a good job.”
Texas Coach Mack Brown said he knows what
he’d be doing if he didn’t have a big game of his
own on Saturday.
“If I didn’t have to coach, I think I’d plop my
feet up on something and enjoy some great Big 12
football,” he said.
*
Women’s golf overcomes loss of players
By Tom Cosenza
Staff writer
Autumn is a season often associated with
change, something the Nebraska women’s golf team
had to adapt to in the 1998 fall season.
With the graduation of three players last fall,
Nebraska had to develop young players this season.
Junior Elizabeth Bahensky, sophomore Amy Roux,
and freshmen Catha Fogelburg and Amanda
Sutcliffe all stepped up to fill the gaps left by players
who graduated.
Fogelburg opened the season for the Huskers by
placing seventh at the Ram Fall Classic in Ft. Collins,
Colo. Fogelburg led all Husker golfers with a three
round score of224 — 7 shots back of first place.
As a team, Nebraska placed fourth with a com
bined score of 914; 25 shots behind first place.
The next week at Firethorn Country Club,
Nebraska placed second, finishing behind New
Mexico State, which was ranked 19® at the time.
Sutcliffe, who placed 18th the previous week,
improved to shoot 216 for a second-place tie.
Sutcliffe’s score broke NU’s 54-hole record of 217,
set in 1995.
After a week off, the Huskers traveled to Austin,
Texas, to play in the Big 12 Fall Preview. NU fin
ished in seventh place, with a team score of 941.
Leading the Huskers was Fogelburg, who shot a
three-round score of 230, which placed her in a til*
for 10th.
Roux shot a school record-setting round of 68 on
her way to a score of 220 and a fifth place finish at
the Big Ten/Big 12 Challenge in Franklin, Indiana.
As a team, the Huskers finished in seventh place
with a team score of923.
The final tournament of the fall season for
Nebraska was the Fall Golf Classic in Princeville,
Hawaii. Bahensky led the Huskers in Hawaii., shoot
ing a three-round score of 220, enough to earn her a
share of 10th place. As a team, Nebraska finished in
12th place, with a team score of 917.
“This was probably my best tournament of the
season,” Bahensky said.