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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 9, 1999)
r With a career-high 137 yards rushing on 15 carries plus 95 yards in the air, Nebraska quarterback Eric Crouch was named Southwestern Bell Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week. In the third quarter, Crouch called his own number, scoring a 2 yard touchdown. He stunned the Texas A&M defense with a career long 62 yard rush in the third quarter. ■ Nebraska rover Mike Brown and Kansas State linebacker Mark Simoneau shared the honor of Southwestern Bell Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week. Brown terrorized the Aggies’ offense, picking off two passes and nine total tackles, includ ing a sack and two tackles for losses. Brown also had a pass deflection. Kansas State’s Simoneau had six tackles for a loss. ■ Oklahoma Sooner wide receiver Jarrail Jackson was named the Southwestern Bell Big 12 Specialty Player of the Week. Jackson returned a punt 70 yards for a touchdown in a 37-0 Oklahoma win over Missouri. Jackson ended the evening with six punt returns for a total of 146 yards. He also had three pass receptions for 27 yards. ■ Nebraska and Oklahoma defens es made Big 12 history by posting shut outs in their respective contests. It was the first time in the history of the Big 12 that two conference teams shut out their conference foes during one weekend. ■ Texas A&M Head CoaGh R.C. Slocum ousted running back Dante Hall from the team. “Hall is dismissed from the team for violation of team policy.” Slocum said. ■. . With the season coming to a close, the Big 12 still has the possibil ity of eight teams making the minimal six wins for a bowl berth. Nebraska, Kansas State, Texas and Texas A&M have already made the minimal requirement Notebook compiled by staff writer Jason Merrihew. • wmvn-mi - ~ •_ - -___ Dykes l back in gear ■ Coach approves of his team’s position, credits players with the feat. By Joshua Camenzind Staff writer When talking about its Big 12 South title hopes, Texas Tech holds all the cards. The Red Raiders have posted a 4-2 record in the conference thus far, good for second place behind Texas. UT leads the South with a 5-1 record, but the two teams face off in Austin, Texas on Saturday. The scenario is simple: If Tech wins its remaining two games, it will win the Big 12 South, but if Texas beats Tech, it will clinch a spot in the Big 12 Title game in San Antonio, Texas. Very few people are saying Coach Spike Dykes’ team has a chance of beating Texas. The former Longhorn assistant said that is understandable. “I hope we go play like gang busters,” Dykes said. “I hope we understand what we are playing for and we understand the scenario. I know die odds aren’t very good. The decks are stacked against us according to the experts, and I can understand that.” Dykes lost Heisman Trophy candi date running back Ricky Williams in tneiirstgametoa season-ending knee injury. The Red Raiders’ sea son seemed to be doomed. But Shaud Williams and Sammy Morris have stepped in to Djk« rush for 1,125 * yards and nine touchdowns combined. The two have stepped up their play in the conference season after a rough start without Ricky. Tech stumbled early to a 1-2 record in non-conference play, and rumbles could be heard from supporters to get rid of Dykes. “That is the nature of the business, I guess,” Dykes said. “I don’t really worry much about that. I think that, you know, they pay me. I always worry about the kids. The kids, the players, are who you really worry about. “They have handled everything pretty good. They started before the season ever started about me.” Iowa State Coach Dan McCamey, whose team lost 28-16 to the Red Raiders, has nothing but respect for Vols vault past Virginia Tech in latest BCS poll From staff reports An interesting weekend in col lege football resulted in a shakeup in the BCS rankings, released Tuesday. Florida State held on to the top ranking, but every other team contending for the two spots in the BCS title game saw its fortunes change. However, the most surprising move in the poll was a team staying in the same spot. Virginia Tech, which moved up to second in both the AP and Coaches’ polls following Penn State’s loss to Minnesota on Saturday, stayed in third position. The Hokies were jumped by Tennessee, who used a 38-14 win over Notre Dame to vault from fourth to second in the" BCS. Tennessee lost to fourth-ranked Florida earlier in the season, while Virginia Tech is undefeated. The difference proved to be the strength of schedule component of the poll. Virginia Tech’s schedule is rated 60*, while Tennessee has the coun try’s ninth-hardest schedule. Virginia Tech has a chance to gain ground or even pass Tennessee this weekend. The Hokies, who struggled against West Virginia last weekend, host No. 18 (AP/Coaches) Miami on Saturday. Tennessee faces unranked Arkansas, while top-rated Florida State takes on Maryland. BCS Team PA CA SR Scorn FSU 1.0 1.00 16 0.64 Tenn. 3.0 2.71 9 0.36 Va. Tech 2.0 3.00 60 2.40 Florida 4.0 4.57 8 0.32 Kansas St. 5.0 3.86 76 3.04 Nebraska 6.5 5.86 35 1.40 Perm St. 7.0 6.86 19 0.76 Wisconsin 9.0 8.71 36 1.44 Alabama 12.0 8.43 1 0.04 Miss. St 7.5 13.86 94 3.76 Texas 10.0 13.43 28 1.12 Michigan 15.5 10.86 6 0.24 Mich. St 17.0 10.43 7 0.28 BYU 13.5 14.57 45 1.80 Qa. Tech 13.515.29 64 2.56 -** . i The Nebraska^Cornhuskers gained two spots in the poll, moving ahead of Pena State, which dropped from second to seventh, and Georgia Tech. The Huskers are now fifth, right behind undefeated Kansas State. The two teams square off in Lincoln on Saturday. There are three polls remaining before the final poll, which will determine the participants of the BCS title game, played this year at the Sugar Bowl. With a month left, the champi onship game berths appear up for grabs. Each of the top seven teams are undefeated or have one loss, and six of the seven have games remain ing against top 25 opponents. 66 I hope we understand what we are playing for and we understand the scenario. Spike Dykes Texas Tech coach Tech and Dykes. “He has done an excellent job,” McCamey said. “I told Spike after the game that I don’t ever want him to retire. There is not a better ambassador or coach in college football. “It is a close football team. You can see that they are playing for each other. They play for that staff.” Since its rough start, Dykes’ team has beaten the likes of Texas A&M, Colorado and I<Jwa State. But inconsis tency has hurt the Red Raiders with losses coming to Missouri and Oklahoma State. Considering all that, Dykes likes the position of his team. “As strange as it has been and with all the scenarios that have happened here this year,” Dykes said, “we still control our own destiny, both for a bowl and for the Big 12.1 don’t know if you can ask for a better scenario. “I think that is a credit to these kids. I think the resiliency that they have shown this year has been good, and I am proud of what they have done.” Texas Tech comes into its meeting with Texas with a balanced offensive attack. The offense is averaging 169 yards on the ground and 170.3 yards through the air. Its defense is not exceptional but has shown that it can get the job done. Tech ranks No. 5 in total defense in the Big 12, but the most important statistic is 99.8 - the number of yards given up by Tech passing per game. The secondary will be tested often with UT quarterback Major Applewhite and OU’s Josh Heupel. Both have thrown for over 2,500 yards. If Tech does manage to beat the Longhorns, one game will determine its fate - Oklahoma on Nov. 20. The Sooners are 3-2 in the confer ence with remaining games at Iowa State, Texas Tech and Oklahoma State. One slip-up in any of those games and OU is out of the Big 12 race. Huskers use new wingbone offense ■ Double wing set has been in the works since first day of practice. By Darren Ivy Senior staff writer Saturday’s 37-0 victory against Texas A&M brought back memories for sophomore quarterback Eric Crouch. Not since his days at Millard North High School had Crouch run a double wing set with a fullback in die middle. Against die Aggies, it was NU’s pri mary formation. Like his Mustang days, Crouch put up big numbers Saturday in that formation. He rushed for a career-best 137 yards and had a career-best 62-yard run out of the dou ble wing set “I felt like a high school quarterback again,” Crouch said. “That was the same thing my high school did, and per sonally I would like to run it more. I always push for it because I am really comfortable with it. It is a great offense.” In the double wing set, Crouch lines up under center with wingbacks on both sides and a fullback. In past years, they have a used an I-back in that position, but not the fullback. Once Crouch has the ball, he can run an option to either side, keep it him self, drop back and pass, run a reverse, toss a shovel pass or do many other plays. The fullback allows NU to run its complete package of option plays, whereas an I-back couldn’t run the dive. “There are a lot of great things you ' The Dally Nebraskan is now accepting applications for senior positions for the spring semester. Any major and class standing will be eligible as long as you are taking at least six credit hours and have a 2.0 GPA or higher. Positions are ooan for: web editor, assistant web editor, managing editor, associate news editors, assignment editor, coov desk chief, coov editors, soorts editor. A&E editor. a^^papj apee.aps^ apapppjy wwi.w. ^pj ^pgpapv apappaappj apapsaap. j opinion editor, night editors, design chief, designers, art director, photo chief, senior artist, senior reporters, senior photographers, advertising account executives, creative ad designer and classified staff. Pick up an application and lob description and sign up for an interview at the Daily Nebraskan, 34 Nebraska Union. Applications are due Sunday, November 14. Interviews will be held during the week of November 15-19. Positions will ^ fte*nn?Vftceo before Thanksgiving break. The Daily Nebraskan Is an equal opportunity employer and adheres to ^ 0U 1010109a can run off the double wing,” said Crouch, who was named the Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week. “It seems like a lot of teams don’t know whether you are going to pass or are going to run. It puts them in a tough situation. “It gives us a balanced attack so teams can’t line up unbalanced against us. Then it is pretty much talent on tal ent We have a lot of people with ability to beat people one on one.” With a fullback in the game, the Huskers had a lead blocker for those explosion runners. If defenses concen trate too much on that, die fullback can go up the middle. Willie Miller did that five times for 19 yards Saturday. “The formation opens things up a bit because they worry about die outside and that leaves the middle open,” Miller said. “We also are able to run our com plete offense with a fullback in the game.” The Aggies found how difficult the formation was to stop. On the first nine plays of the game, NU lined up in the double wing set and marched down the field. That really threw them off, said junior I-back Dan Alexander, who rushed for 135 yards and one-touch down on 20 carries. “I think that was pretty successful the first drive because they hadn’t seen Nebraska do that before. We really got them on their heels.” The formation isn’t a new one, Coach Frank Solich said. But it hasn’t been used with a fullback before. Solich said the Huskers have prac ticed the double wing set since die first day of practice, but it had taken until Saturday for everyone to be as comfort able as Crouch. “We wanted to make sure that when we came out in, that we pretty much ran it to perfection,” Crouch said. “We wanted to make sure all our timing was down with the option game.” Solich was pleased with the produc tion Saturday. “It was worth the effort to try it,” Solich said. “We may never run it again. Who knows?” Then a reporter said, “You won’t tell us how many times you are going to run it against Kansas State.” Everyone laughed. Then Solich shifted the focus of die question. “It probably won’t bother Kansas State. They are a pretty flexible defen sive team, really athletic. I imagine no matter what formation yott line up in, they can cause you some problems.”