Raiders expect more
with Leach at helm
PY JOSHUA CAMENZ1ND
For two years, Texas Tech’s
Ricky Williams toiled in the
obscurity of being known as “die
other Ricky.”
The Texas version had over
shadowed Williams in his first two
seasons at Tech, despite numbers
that would impress any coach in
the country.
Last season was supposed to
be a sort of coming-out party for
the junior running back. He had
preseason accolades galore, and it
looked as if Williams was in for a
breakout season.
But that script was torn up
and shredded to pieces as
Wiliams was injured for the sea
son in the opening game at
Arizona State.
Williams was forced to watch
helplessly as the Red Raiders
struggled to a 6-5 record, and
Spike Dykes was run out of
Lubbock.
But Williams wants to forget
1999, much like many of die fans
ofltech.
It won't take long.
New Tech Coach Mike Leach
brings his passing attack south
from Oklahoma, where he helped
resurrect the Sooner program as
offensive coordinator under Bob
Stoops.
Leach s wide-open passing
scheme will differ greatly from
Dykes’ running attack-and it has
both players and fans excited
about the opportunity it brings.
“I felt (the excitement) the
very first day he walked in,” said
Wiliams, who has his sights on a
1,000 yard rushing and receiving
year. "He came in and talked with
everybody and made us feel as if
we can communicate with him.”
While Wiliams’carries will go
down in Leach’s new scheme, he
will get compensation from
catching passes in die open field.
“I will be getting more catches
and will be in one on one situa
tions with linebackers - which is
one of my strengths,* said
Williams, who had 306 rushing
attempts for 1,582 yards in his
sophomore season.
Leach will try hard to keep his
star running back happy with
touches.
This goal wasn’t completely
accomplished in Ttech's opener, a
24-3 win over New Mexico on
Saturday.
Williams gained 78 yards on
only 15 carries as Tech quarter
back KlifF Kingsbury struggled at
times, hitting only 21 of 47 passes
for 186 yards.
Big XII Preview
Texas Tech
Preseason Rank: 3rd
(South Division)
1999:4-5 (5-3 Big XII,
i - t-2 in South)
Offensive Starters
Returning: 4
Defensive Starters
Prognosis: The guess
^ here is that offensive
guru and new Red
Raider Coach Mike
Leach will take his
team to a mid-level
DOWI.
Tech’s star running back did,
however, catch his first career
touchdown pass in the game
Getting the ball to Williams is
crucial because Leach knows the
running back will be a big part in
his attempt to create the same
turnaround he spearheaded as
• Oil’s offensive coordinator
He doubled OU’s point pro
duction (16.7 to 36.8 per game)
from 1998 to 1999 and made stars
out of Oklahoma's Josh Heupel
and former Kentucky star Tim
Couch.
But Leach’s job won’t be an
easy task. Despite the return of
Williams and 10 starters total on
offense and defense, several ques
tions remain.
The Red Raiders starting quar
terback in 2000 is Kingsbury, a
sophomore who attempted only
57 passes in six games. Kingsbury
will edipse that mark by the Utah
State game -Tech's second of the
year
But Kingsbury's lack of experi
ence running Leah’s new offense
does not detract from the confi
dence his teammates have in him.
"He is a great quarterback and
works so hard,” said strong safety
Kevin Curtis. “He is always run
ning extra or in there watching
film. He is good because he wants
to be good."
Leach stresses that his offense
will not catch anyone in the Big 12
Conference off guard, and execu
tion is the main ingredient to its
But in the end, his philosophy
is pretty simple.
“Wfe want to get Rkky the ball
as many times as possible, and we
want to keep the ball away from
the other team as much as possi
ble," he sakL
Careful optimism merited
MEWL from page 10
NU’s system, sitting on the depth
chart as the inexperienced No. 2
left comerback, he isn't currently
keeping Bill Snyder and his
receivers up at ni^it
Other depth questions are
posed, such as: Can John Gibson
be half as effective as Bobby
Newcombe in the slot? Can red
shirt lineman Chris Loos keep
Casey Hampton off Crouch's
back?
The Big Red will roll through
the first three fourths of the sea
son with its talent, but during a
strong late schedule, some
aspects of NU’s depth could be
exploited.
So there it is, right in your own
hands. Your simple excuse to be
cautiously optimistic about the
prospect of the 2000 Comhuskers.
NU makes history with webcast
WEBCAST from page 10
Lohr’s backup, sophomore John
Canton, has a twisted ankle.
The Huskers still have not
named a clear-cut backup quar
terback to Eric Crouch. Redshirt
freshman Jammal Lord and soph
omore walk-on Joe Chrisman
continue to battle for die spot, but
have not impressed Solich
enough to get the nod.
With All-American candidate
punter Dan Hadenfeldt serving a
one-game suspension for violat
ing NCAA rules by playing in the
Hula Bowl, Solich would not
name a definite replacement.
Place kicker Josh Brown is expect
ed to fill in at punter.
W.C.’s
Downtown
Thursday. August 31st
W.C.’s official Back-to-School Party
The Lincoln return of...
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TAKEOVER
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and Recycled Sounds
$5 in advance • $7 at the door
Wednesday Nights
Penny Pitchers!
Buy the 1 st at regular price &
the second is only a penny!
W.C.’s Downtown • 1128 “P” St. • 477-4006
W - V
Chinese volleyball star helps coach Huskers
....... . _ .1 . __1 n KIT l .ill i ; 111., that kafnni *
imrtfl TTom page iu
the Nebraska volleyball program
and hope to make the most of
this opportunity.”
With all of the high name sta
tus Li carried in China, why
would she want to leave?
In China Li was just an assis
tant coach to a high school vol
leyball team despite being con
sidered one of the best players in
the world and a brilliant volley
ball mind.
Cook thinks Li came over to
the United States not just
because of volleyball but for
equal rights as a woman.
“I think her dream right now
is to maybe come to the U.S. and
maybe coach,” Cook said. ”At the
high school she was the assistant
coach although she did every
thing.
“The guy who was the head
coach looked like he was a custo
dian. But in China women aren't
allowed the status of leadership
positions. I think she feels sti
fled.
“She’s not your typical
Chinese woman. She’s been all
over the world, and she’s played
in two Olympics. I think she
wants the opportunity to have a
more dynamic role of coaching
and America is where that can
happen.”
Even All-American Nancy
Meendering realizes how lucky
she and the rest of her team
mates are to have someone like
Li to work with on a daily basis.
For most of the year
Meendering worked out at the
international level during her
tryout with the Olympic team.
The best comparison
Meendering and Cook could
make on Li’s ability was compar
ing her to former NU All
American and Olympic team
member Allison Weston.
“I think you can even see it
now that she’ll make a dig that’s
just amazing, or she’ll hit a shot
I
tuat jvu iicvci oaw tuiiiiug,
Meendering said. "When you see
stuff like that you can tell when
she was in her prime she just
must have been unreal"
What took Li out of her prime
was an ankle injury she suffered
in the 1992 Olympics in
Barcelona.
At that time China was
favored to win the gold medal,
but when they lost Li they didn't
even advance out of pool play.
"When she broke her ankle
they just took her out, shot her
up with a bunch of stuff, taped
her up and sent her back in,”
Meendering said. "It was broken
in two places. So obviously she's
very tough mentally.
1^11511011 19 31111 lllipiUV*
ing. It’shard to talk to her, but we
can see by the way she plays in
practice she was a great player.”
The thing Wolfe was amazed
with was how many NU students
from China recognized LL
Wolfe said that next to leg
endary coach Lang Pi, Li is the
most recognizable women’s ath
lete in China.
“People on campus come
into the Rec Center and know
exactly who she is,” Wblfe said. “I
think June's probably our biggest
surprise.
“We have been embraced by
the Chinese community here at
Nebraska.
“I’ve never been around
3U1UCUUU0 ■■■**> ---
At first Cook looked at mak
ing Li a part of the coaching staff
as an opportunity to help her.
Now, after having Li on his
staff for several months, Cook
looks at the situation much dif
ferently.
“When I got her in the gym I
realized how lucky we were to
have somebody like her,” Cook
said. “She sees and feels the
game in ways that I cannot
because 1 haven't played it like
she has.
“Just by having that role
model in the gym and our play
ers’ seeing how she plays the
game gives us a tremendous
benefit”
DISCOVER OXFORD
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•Summer, 2001,4-week Program
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