SportsTuesdav
Kansas
The Jayhawks will unveil sev
eral offensive formations
Saturday in the season opener
against Southern Methodist The
team will use No. 1 backs Moran
Norris and David Winbush in
same backfield at times, and it will
occasionally line one up at wide
receiver. Norris is a larger, inside
runner, and Winbush is a shiftier
rusher outside the tackles.
"Well see how the game plays
out,” KU Coach Terry Allen said.
"They’ll actually be in the back
fiekl at die same time quite a bit”
Allen said kicker Joe Garcia,
who had a miserable season in
1999, has shown significant
improvement in 2000 fall camp.
Hell remain the starting kicker for
now. Quarterback Dylen Smith,
who helped die Jayhawks get hot
late last season, also showed
marked improvement.
Oklahoma
Not even in the Barry Switzer
heydays have the Sooners sold as
many season tickets as they have
for the 2000 campaign, with
63,000 tickets sold so far.
"Itfe amazing that the support
is like that," OU Coach Bob Stoops
said. "Hopefully, we can continue
to create that excitement."
Stoops said four or five true
freshmen could play in the first
month of the season, most
notably Renaldo Works, a tailback
who has already moved his way in
the two-deep chart
Oklahoma State
OSU Coach Bob Simmons is
keeping the wraps on the new,
wide-open offense so far this fall
He continues to preach that the
Cowboys will have a balanced
offense for the Sept. 9 opener
against TUlsa. Simmons doesn’t
see Oklahoma State moving away
from its rushing roots too far.
"I don't see this as the end of
Tailback U,” Simmons said.
"Whether it’s one back or two
backs or three, we’re going to run
the football."
Simmons said an injury to
quarterback Tbny Lindsay's pass
ing arm shouldn't be serious and
won’t impede his playing time in
practice.
Kansas State
It may have shown as a 27-7
victory over Iowa, but few posi
tives derived from KSU’s win in
Saturday’s Eddie Robinson
("laacir
The Wildcats lost running
back and punt returner David
Allen “for at least one ball game”
after hurting his ankle, Coach Bill
Snyder said.
Alloa didn’t break any bones,
but he will not play Saturday
against Louisiana Ibch.
Chris Claybon will be assum
ing the starting role at running
back, while receivers Aaron
Lockett and Quincy Morgan will
return kicks.
Missouri
Kirk Farmer “is the guy" at
quarterback for die Missouri foot
ball team in the season opener
against Western Illinois, Coach
Larry Smith said Monday.
Other quarterback ]im
Doughtery suffered a season
ending injury last week. Darius
Outlaw, a redshirt freshman, and
Justin Gage, a converted wide
receiver, will backup
Texas Tech
It may have been his first
game as a collegiate head coach.
But Mike Leach never felt the sud
den rush of excitement that he
was told would accompany the
start of the Red Raiders’ 24-3 vic
tory over New Mexico Saturday.
“I kept waiting for it,” Leach
said.
“People said it would come.
But I’ve been in so many football
games that it was kind of familiar.
You stand in the same place, you
fold your arms in the same way,
and you're looking for that final
detail to go over.”
Baylor
After one full off-season with
his team, BU Coach Kevin Steele
is anxious to see Thursday if his
team is as good as he thinks it is.
Baylor will play against North
Texas in Denton.
“We know what we have;
we’ve known that,” Steele said.
“Now we’ve got to show it
between die white lines.”
Iowa State
The Cyclones shouldn’t be
overlooking anybody, but just in
case ISU is looking past Ohio this
Saturday toward intrastate rival
Please see NOTEBOOK on11
Freshmen at bottom of depth chart
BY JOSHUA CAMEN2ND
The Memorial Stadium sideline is usually
where you will find Comhusker freshmen on foot
ball Saturdays, at least until the waning moments
of blowouts.
Nebraska’s final preseason depth chart,
released Monday, seems to buck that trend on first
glance. Three true freshmen are listed.
But upon further inspection, it’s probably just
a mirage. None of those three freshmen are ranked
higher than third at their respective positions.
Unless your name is Tommie Frazier or Ralph
Brown, don’t expect to see much playing time, said
Rod Baker, a senior linebacker listed ahead of
highly touted freshman T.J. Hollowell.
“It would really surprise me if they played a lot
this season,” he said. “They’re really talented, but
this is a complex program. If they can come in and
take over, they’re going to be NFL stars in a couple
years.”
T.J. Hollowell is third at strongside linebacker,
behind sophomore Scott Shanle and Baker.
Terrell Butler is No. 4 at the left cornerback
position behind junior Keyuo
■ took for the Craver, redshirt freshman Pat
complete Nebraska Ricketts and senior Dwayne
three deep depth McClary.
(hart on 11 The fourth spot at free safety
is filled by Willie Amos. Amos is
listed behind junior Dion Booker
and seniors Clint Finley and TYoy
Watchom.
Senior rover Joe Walker is impressed with what
he has seen from the freshmen.
“They’ve been very impressive throughout
two-a-days and fall camp,” he said. “They are all
very athletic but are still in the process of learn
ing.”
Defensive coordinator Craig Bohl said that
being listed on the depth chart means that the
young players are looking good and are improving.
But Bohl emphasizes that no final determination
has been made on their status for the season.
“I want to make it clear that nothing has been
finalized at all,” he said. “We are in theprocess of
evaluating all of the freshmen, still.
“We have not made a final determination on
whether they are going to play or redshirt yet.”
NU Coach Frank Solich said coaches will keep
evaluating freshmen.
“We have had a number of freshman that have
picked the system up and have performed well
enough that we will continue to look at them,” he
said. “Right now, there could be anywhere from
three to five guys (who) end up playing for us. We
will see how that plays out”
Walker, who played in all 13 games as a true
freshman and bypassed redshirting, said that right
now the freshmen are going through a transition.
“They are in the process of putting their men
tal game and their physical game together,” Walker
said.
Solich said maybe one or two of the freshmen
are ready to play in Saturday’s opener. But he was
n’t offering guarantees.
Other depth chart notables include Thunder
Collins, who is No. 3 on kickoff returns. Bobby
Newcombe will not only return punts this season,
but will return kickoffs, as well.
Because of Dan Hadenfeldt’s suspension, Josh
Brown is the No. 1 punter. Chace Long will kick off
in Hadenfeldt’s place, as well.
Collins is listed as the No. 41-back along with
Freshman
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Oklahoma looking to confuse foes again
BY SAMUEL MCKEWON
It is not the run and shoot
It is not die bombs ahoy attack
of Kansas State, nor the occasional
chuck-and-duck attitude of OU’s
wishbone past. It’s little like
Brigham Young’s passing game, a
lot like Kentucky’s and the exact
same as Texas Tech, whose new
coach implemented the offense
for the Sooners. Then he went to
Lubbock.
And just maybe, it’s not all that
different from those plays you
scrawled in the dirt during grade
school recess.
It takes that much just to
describe Oklahoma’s new-age,
high-volume, relatively low
octane passing offense. Imagine
running it
Oklahoma senior Josh Heupel
did last season, efficiently enough
to lead the Big 12 Conference in
yards (3,539) and touchdowns
(31). His performance helped OU
finish 7-5 and receive an
Independence Bowl berth.
Heupel’s arm, which he
ranked as “average,’’ had less to do
with the Sooners’ success than
another attribute of his. The calm,
even-toned captain tapped his
head and smiled at the reporters
circled around him.
“It’s all right here,” Heupel
said. “It’s all about knowing what
your job is on every play, knowing
the defense, knowing what the
defense will give you and taking it
You don’t have to have a super
strong arm.”
Heupel is a good fit for
Oklahoma’s passing plan, which
doesn’t require a super-vertical
game. Heupel, a lefty, was at his
best last year throwing shorter
slant and hook routes to the four
receivers on the field, according to
OU Head Coach Bob Stoops.
Stoops is a former defensive coor
dinator at Florida and Kansas
State.
Courtesy Photo
OU Coach Bob Stoops hopes to see more running in 2000. Oklahoma rushed for only
1055 yards per contest in 1999, but Stoops has made the ground game a priority
this season.
The coach’s goal this season
will be to establish a better run
ning game and eat more clock-off
drives. (OU’s running game was
worst in the Big 12 last year.)
The conference-high 15 inter
ceptions from Heupel didn't both
er Stoops so much as the 12 fum
bles did.
“Ninety percent of games are
won by the teams (who) win the
turnover battle,’’ Stoops said. “At
times last year, we didn't do that”
Saddled with a tougher sched
ule that includes Nebraska and
Kansas State, OU must make the
offense work without offensive
coordinator Mike Leach.
He left after one season to
coach Texas Ttech. Leach brought
the offense from Kentucky, where
he turned Tim Couch into an
eventual No. 1 NFL draft pick.
In his place is former All
American Iowa quarterback
Chuck Long, who played several
years for Detroit in the NFL. He
called plays smoothly in his debut
when the Sooners played in the
Independence Bowl, even though
they lost 27*25 to Mississippi
“It’s good to have a guy (who)
has been through the same things
you have,” said Heupel of Long,
the 1985 Heismanltophy runner
up. Heupel added he expects few
Big XII Preview
■■■ Oklahoma Sooners
Preseason Rank: 2nd
(South Division)
W 1999:7-5(5-3 Big XII,
2nd in South)
^F Offensive Starters
^ Returning: 7
^F Defensive Starters
^ Returning: 8
Vr Prognosis: Pass-happy
Sooners hope rest of
conference won't
catch on in year of
unusual arial attack.
changes in the play calling.
Even if there were, a called
play in OU’s offense stands only
until the whistle blows. Then, it’s
Heupel’s responsibility to read
what’s given and make decisions
based on it. Heupel often has to
improvise. He calls it a “midplay
adjustment”
What it takes is good rhythm
between the quarterback and his
skill players. Oklahoma may have
problems early, as it has to replace
two starting receivers from last
season, although Stoops expected
improvement
The coach expected the same
from the defense, which was sev
enth in the Big 12 last year. OU will
still employ the “46”defense and
emphasize creating pressure and
turnovers.
Seven returning starters
should produce better results,
said linebacker Rocky Calmus,
who was fifth in the conference in
tackles last year with 114.
"We want to be more aggres
sive,” Calmus said. "We forced like
10 fumbles last year. (It was
seven.) We’ve got to get more
Please see SCHOONER on 11
MikeWarren/DN
Coaches
find way to
beatheat
■ Missouri's Smith remembers
what it was like when gettinga
drink wasa sign of weakness.
BY SAMUEL IICKEWON
There are war stories of col
lege football’s past
When the phrase “two-a-day
practice” ran neck and neck with
medieval disemboweling in
enjoyment
When oppressive heat - the
kind of heat that has blasted the
Plains states during the last week
- was the ominous, looming
enemy for the mortal pigskin
player.
Missouri Coach Larry Smith
remembers. As a Bowling Green
player in the summer of 1961,
there was no water during prac
tice. Spit had to da No sloughing
off, either. It was taboo-apractice
viewed as a weakness among col
lege coaches - to allow players
any mercy.
Player hid lemons in their hel
mets to quench their thirst They
swallowed their spit... and they
liked it
But one day, the douds broke,
the sun rose and, at least at
Bowling Green, there was a water
break.
“We thought we had died and
gone to heaven in the middle of
practice," Smith said. "We
thought the coach was going soft
onus.
"It was really a smart thing to
do because we ended up having
Please see HEAT on 11