A&M QB says Aggies ready for Husker hostility ■ Randy McCown has taken a larger than expected role on the Texas A&M offense this season. By Darren Ivy Senior staff writer After being upset by Texas Tech and thrashedby Oklahoma, Texas-A&M Gomes into Lincoln knowing it must win die rest of its con ference games to have a chance to defend its Big 12 Championship. Standing in its way this week, said senior quarterback Randy McCown, is a “sound Nebraska defense with very few weaknesses.” But McCown said the Aggies, 6-2 and 3-2 in the Big 12 Conference, can move the ball against the No. 5 defensive team in the country. “We are confident in what we can do on offense,” said McCown, who completed two out of eight passes for 93 yards in last year’s 28-21 A&M win over NU. “I feel we will be able to get some big plays.” Last year the Aggies got an 81-yard touch down reception from Chris Taylor, a 71-yard run by fullback Ja’Mar Toombs and a 33-yard scramble from McCown that set up 21 points. All three players are back this year. Blit unlike last year, the Aggies are a more pass-oriented, team this year, averaging 255 yards per game ami 153 on the ground. McCown has been die big surprise, averag ing more than twice as many passing yards per game this season. His 237 yards per game is on pace to break A&M’s school record. But he knows that he must get some help on the ground. “We are definitely going to have to be bal anced,” he said. “Being in their place, we will need to have long (hives to take the crowd out of it.” Running the ball has been a problem this year for A&M. No back has gone over 100 yards, and last week’s 80-yard performance by Eric Bernard was the best this season. Toombs leads the Aggies with 340 yards. Last year against NU, Toombs was one of two backs who rushed for more than 100 yards. The other was Dante Hall, who has missed the last three games with an injury. A game-time decision will be made this week about Hall, McCown said. A healthy Hall could give a jump-start to the Aggie offense that has been struggling. In the last two weeks, A&M has averaged 13.5 points per game as opposed to the 36 points per game it was putting up in its first six con tests. I p 1 n I Enc Bernard 57 292 ^.1 1 Dante Hall 52 178 3.4 2 No Yds ■:: ^3 29 552 4v I Bethel Johnson 22 414 1&8 2 [Leroy Hodge 20 ^ “We are starting to get the guys back that have been injured,” McCown said. “That is going to give us a big boost.” McCown said he expects an “exciting and really intense” game, but he didn’t think the Memorial Stadium crowd would affect the Aggies. “We have played in many hostile environ ments, so we are going to be relaxed,” McCown said. “That is one of the main things we have learned from all our big games.” And this definitely will be a big game for both teams. “There is no lack of luster in this game,” McCown said. “It is a huge game for us, and I am sure it is for them too.” f rontcourt players ' 12 list From staff reports According to the media who cover basketball in the Big 12, the top five players in die conference all have one thing in common - height. With two centers, three forwards and no player under 6-foot-8 on the All-Big 12presea son teams, it appears the conference’s strength this season will be post play. Headlining the media team was 7 foot center Chris Mihm ofTexas. Ape season All American, the junior was tabbed as the conference’s preseason player of the year. Mihm led the nation with 19 double-doubles last season. Other players on the first team included Eric Chenowith of Kansas, Marcus. Fizer of Iowa State, Eduardo Najera of Oklahoma and Desmond Mason of Oklahoma State. Najera, the only senior in die group, ted the Soonefs to the Sweet K> lastsea— Son. Fizer led the Big 12 in scoring last year, averaging 18 points per game in 11 ' ' - - the conference. Mason, like Fizer and Mihm, was also a preseason pick last year. Chenowith helped to lead the Jayhawks to the Big 12 Conference Tournament title last year. KU, which lost fewer than 20 points of scoring per contest from last year’s team, was the media’s pick to win the conference. Texas finished a close second. The Longhorns, who won the Big 12 regular season title in 1999, got eight first-place votes to the Jayhawks’ 17. Oklahoma State, with six seniors, was the only other Big 12 team to earn first-place votes and finished third in the balloting. Nebraska was tabbed as the sixth place conference team behind the Sooners and new Coach Quin Snyder’s Missouri Tigers. No Huskers merited votes for the All-Big 12 squad, but junior college transfers Steffon Bradford and Danny Walker both received consideration for the newcom er of the year award, won by Baylor’s Terry Black. Mercy Is that too much to ask? One more dass and you could graduate in December. One. The dass that isn’t being offered until next spring. Before you squash plans for spnng graduation, consider UNL’s College Independent Study Program. You can complete a dass in as little as 35 days and take your [dace at graduation. No joke. Call us at 472-4321 for a free catalog or visit our office at the Nebraska Center for Continuing Education, I Room 269,33rd and HddregeSt. Division of Continuing Studies • Department of Distance Education www.ttil.tdM/coiHsd/diafod UNL’s most popular courses in: Accounting AGECON Art History Broadcasting Classics Ecology Economics English Finance Geography History Human Development Management Marketing Mathematics Nursing Nutrition Philosophy Physics Political Science Psychology Sociology i *» Th* Unimruty of Nabraafca « "J '4 At Home this Weekend NU Women's Soccer takes on Kansas State this Sunday at 2:00 p.m. The game will be played at Whittier Field (22nd & W Streets). -Rain site - Cook Pavilion Upcoming Meetings Climbing - Wednesday, Nov. 10 at 8:00 p.m. Campus Recreation Center Outdoor Adventures Conference Room. Tae Kwon Do - Tuesday, Nov. 9 at 7:00 p.m. Campus Recreation Center TV Lounge. Informational meeting for new members. «For more information regarding any of the UNL Sport Clubs events - Please contact the Office of Campus Recreation 472-3467 Show your support tor NU Sport Clubs! Check out the Crew Erg - A- Than Nov. 5 7:00 a.m. thru 8:00 p.m. Nov. 6 City Union Plaza Club Results Climbing - Pump-kin Pulldown Thornton, CO Recreational (Men) First Dustin Clements Second Bill Barritt Recreational (Women) First Angie Wilhemi Intermediate (Men) Second Justin Reese Third Kyle Hansen W. Soccer - NU lost to Drake University 3-0 in Des Moines, Iowa this past weekend. -; *' ' ' r'~ Tie Pfa T>el&z *7fata, 'pnat&uutty to tec*ce&c*a me* (v&* one iHtene&ted (* ittitcUny t&e&t okmc &upuU$