NOTEBOOK from page 10
Oklahoma State (2-6,0-5; lost
21-16 to Texas A&M; at Texas
Ttech)
After a spirited showing
against the Aggies, OSU
announced on Monday Coach
Bob Simmons will not return next
season.
Simmons’ team is winless in
the Big 12 this season after starting
out 2-0. In five years, Simmons has
compiled a record of24-30 with
one bowl berth - the 1997 Alamo
Bowl
Simmons would not com
ment during the Big 12 Coaches
Teleconference on Monday, but
did say his family was holding up
well through the scrutiny.
“When you are in fids profes
sion, you can’t please everybody,"
Simmons said.
Kansas State (8-2,4-2; beat
Iowa State 56-10; Nebraska)
Despite struggling in Big 12
play, the Wildcats can salvage their
season by beating the Huskers on
Saturday. Hie winner is virtually
guaranteed a trip to the confer
ence-championship game.
Coach Bill Snyder said quar
terback Jonathan Beasley, who
struggled against NU in Lincoln
last year, has nothing holding him
back.
"He is in far better physical
shape at this time than he was last
year;" Snyder said.
Defensive end Monty Beisel,
who leads KSU in tackles with 78,
was named die Big 12 Defensive
Player of the Week after racking up
11 tackles and one sack against
ISU.
Missouri (2-7,1-5; lost 28-18
to Colorado; at Baylor)
Saturday’s battle between the
Hgers and Bears will pit the two
worst teams in the conference.
Both teams are 2-7 and have
struggled offensively after losing
their starting quarterbacks.
Mizzou lost starter Kirk
Farmer in the Tigers loss to
Nebraska, and Baylor lost its
starter, Greg Cicero, against
Minnesota in the second game of
the year. Combined, both teams
have used six quarterbacks on the
season.
Itexas Tech (6-4,2-4; lost 29-17
to Texas; Oklahoma State)
Mike Leach’s spread offense
has not only helped the Red
Raiders become bowl-eligible in
his first season as coach, but it has
also put fans in the stands, as well.
In its loss to Texas, Tech set a
single-season attendance record
in Lubbock with 293,013 fans this
season with one game still
remaining.
Baylor (2-7,0-6; lost 56-7 to
Oklahoma; Missouri)
Coach Kevin Steele’s team gets
somewhat of a break this week
after going winless in conference
play against teams that have a 34
12 combined record.
Baylor started Big 12 play
against Iowa State, Mowed with a
trip to Texas Tech and then faced
A&M, Nebraska, Texas and
Oklahoma in a six-week span.
Mizzou, which is 2-7, will offer a
bitofabreatherfor theBU offense,
which hasn't scored more than 17
points in any conference game
Iowa State (6-3,3-3; lost 56-10
to Kansas State; at Colorado)
The Cyclones, while bowl eli
gible, showed against the Wildcats
a gap still remains between ISU
and the upper echelon of the Big
12.
Iowa State has beaten the likes
of Baylor, Oklahoma State and
Missouri but lost by at least three
touchdowns to perennial powers
Texas A&M, Nebraska and Kansas
State.
ISU Coach Dan McCarney
said a letdown may have occurred
against KSU after the Cyclones
became bowl eligible a week earli
er against Missouri.
"It sure looked like it,"
McCarney said. "These kids have
never experienced success, and
we were worried all along that
could happen.”
Texas (7-2,5-1; beat Texas
Tech 29-17; at Kansas)
The Longhorns rattled off
their fourth-straight win after
being throttled 63-14 by
Oklahoma, which remains UTs
only blemish in conference play. .
Texas needs OU to lose to
Texas A&M and Texas Tfech; Texas
needs to win the Big 12 South. The
Longhorns will go about their
business against KU without start
ing quarterback Major
Applewhite, who strained his knee
against Tech and is questionable
for UTs last game against A&M.
Running back Hodges
Mitchell, the Big 12 Offensive
Player of the Week, rushed for 229
yards and two touchdowns
against Tfech and will be expected
to produce a similar performance
with Applewhite out
Texas A&M (7-2, 5-1; beat
Oklahoma State 21-16,
Oklahoma)
After surviving a scare against
the Cowboys, A&M will try to earn
a spot in the Big 12 Championship
game with a win over the No. 1
ranked Sooners.
ESPN Gameday willbe at Kyle
Field for the matchup, in which
A&M will try and avenge last year’s
51-6 loss.
“We looked pretty dumb as
defensive coaches, but since then,
others have suffered the same
fate,” said Slocum of OU's offen
sive capabilities.
Colorado (3-6, 3-3; beat
Missouri 28-18; Iowa State)
The Buffaloes won their sec
ond-straight game and continued
their mastery of Mizzou, winning
14 of die past 16 games.
Freshman Craig Ochs threw
for 119 yards and two touchdowns
in the first half before spraining his
right foot Ochs’ status is up in the
air for the game against the
Cyclones, Coach Dan McCamey
said. CU is hoping Ochs gets
healthy quick, as his backup, Zac
Colvin, was 3-10 passing with an
interception in Ochs’ place.
Nebraska (8-1, 5-1; beat
Kansas 56-17; at Kansas State)
NU, which bulldozed the
Jayhawks behind a renewed spirit
of running the football, lost offen
sive lineman Jon Rutherford for
the season to a tom ACL in the
game. Husker Coach Frank Solich
said Rutherford, who could play
all five positions on die line, will be
missed. But Solich was pleased
that his team took the first step in
getting back in the national-tide
race by taking care of Kansas
handily, unlike in 1999, when NU
trailed KU 9-0 at half
Compiled by Joshua
ramwirind
Fewer ads, more style needed
MdffWON from page 10
His remarks on Nebraska’s lost fumble on a
punt return Saturday were a particularly nice pick
up; he said referees knew nothing until a KU player
pointed it out to them.
But Sharp plays a small role, as do the broad
casters as a whole, at least when they stack them
selves against the commercials. They're oppres
sive, really, almost cumbersome to the actual
broadcast
When Webber has to read a (put sponsor here)
score update right after a analysis-worthy play, it
stuffs up the fun. Pinnacle should work an easier
mix of those promotions and game actions.
And Swain, who has an approach that lacks die
smart-alecky antics of Pavelka, should concentrate
on the nuts and bolts better. Give the time remain
ing every once awhile. Mention after a long run or
pass just how many yards the play was. Sneak in
statistics on the front and back ends of plays.
Swain could do better to bust outside the com
pany-man mindset of “We Love These Huskers!”
Surely, radio listeners want a “homer.”
But in an era where they can see nearly every
game on television, listeners need an experience -
a pleasure to listen to. Not to say that an older ver
sion of Bob Costas must grace the Pinnacle air
waves. But Swain has not yet grown beyond the
event itself.
He’s the voice of the Huskers in name only. At
die very least, Pavelka had 10-year-olds screaming
“Touchdown! Touchdown! Touchdown!” in their
backyard leaves. Lyle Bremser had "Man! Woman!
Child!” What does Swain have?
It's not just about signature, but style. Swain,
even in those HuskerVision replays at Memorial
Stadium, gets annoying with that sandpaper
excitement he invokes. It’s getting old. It is old. This
is not the best $10.6 million can buy.
Lions coach resigns; Moeller steps up
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
PONTIAC, Mich.-The Detroit
Lions replaced a burned-out
coach with one who wore out his
welcome less than 70 miles away.
Bobby Ross, mentally and
physically drained after 3 Vi years,
resigned Monday and was
replaced by assistant coach Gary
Moeller, who was Bred as
Michigan’s coach in 1995, days
after his arrest during a distur
bance at a Detroit-area restaurant
"I really think I can put less
pressure on myself,” Moeller said
Monday after signing a three-year
contract. "But I’m not sure, you
know what I mean? You get into it
things start to tighten and the
screws start to tighten....
"This honeymoon is going to
end tomorrow, probably in two or
three hours. I think I can deal with
that and deal thoroughly with it”
Ross’ resignation is the third
coaching change in the NFL this
season, but it’s the first with a team
that is having a relatively success
ful season.
The Lions are 5-4 and have a
chance to earn a playoff berth.
Ttao weeks ago, Arizona fired
Vince Tobin and replaced him
with Dave McGinnis. On Sept 25,
Bruce Coslet resigned in
Cincinnati and was replaced by
DickLeBeau.
Ross has one year remaining
on his five-year contract with the
Lions. Vice president Chuck
Schmidt said details of the con
tract buyout have not been deter
mined.
Schmidt said Ross had
thought about resigning before
Monday.
"This isn’t the only time he felt
this way” Schmidt said. “He does
n't get too high, but he gets down
pretty low.
“leant say I talked him out of it
before, but has he thought about
this? Sure."
In his fourth year with the
Lions, Ross compiled a 27-30 reg
ular-season record and an 0-2
mark from playoff appearances in
7 think he felt that he just burned himself out
physically and mentally that he didn't have any
more to give. I think he made the right
decision
William Clay Ford
Detroit Lions owner
1997 and last season. He replaced
Wayne Fontes, who was feed in
December 19%.
The 63-year-old Ross, who did
not attend the news conference,
submitted a letter of resignation to
owner Wiliam Clay Ford.
“I am sorry, also, for not giving
you the championship trophy you
so richly deserved. Your strong
support was my constant motiva
tion throughout my time here,”
Ross wrote.
Ford said Ross resigned on his
own.
"I think he felt that he just
burned himself out physically and
mentally, that he didn’t have any
more to give/' Ford said. “I think
he made die right decision.”
The news of Ross’ resignation
surprised the lions.
"We’ve seen how frustrated
he’s been and we understand his
feelings,” Herman Moore said.
“But I don’t think anybody saw
this coming.”
Ross does not want to coach
again, according to Moeller.
The highlights of Ross’ career
occurred before he came to
Detroit in 1997.
He led the San Diego Chargers
to the 1995 Super Bowl, five years
after taking Georgia Tech to the
national championship.
'numuR ,_
cum ^
Has immediate openings for
Courtesy Desk Workers.
We are looking for outgoing,
personable people, preferrably with
experience in running cash registers. *
A background in fitness
is also preferred.
Prairie Life Center is open
24 hours a day & we are flexible
with your schedule.
Stop in to apply or call 475-3386.
Prairie Life Center
330 West ‘P’ Street
SENIORS
We’re*sarrY
JtaV61 hanged!
We’re offering you the opportunity to get your senior portrait taken by a professional
photographer for only $10. We’ll be in the City Campus Union Alcove:
Dec. 4-8 Jan. 16-18 Jan. 22-26
noon to 8 p.m. noon to 8 p.m. noon to 8 p.m.
Walk-ins are welcome. Please bring a $10 sitting fee.
For more information call us at 472-6248 or e-mail yearbook@unl.edu.
ORGANIZATIONS
Looking for great publicity?
Get your organization’s group photo taken
for the 2001 Comhusker Yearbook.
Dec. 13-17
6 to 8 p.m.
Call the Comhusker Yearbook at 472-6248 for a reservation.
The Comhusker Yearbook
^reserving your college memories.
h m
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Buy now and sa#sN$10
$30 until Jan. 1,2001
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ih..
o /
Simmons i
SIMMONSfrompagelO
expansion of Lewis Field, along
with competing with the now
rising Sooner program, the
emphasis is on winning now.
Simmons, who tinkered
with his offense considerably
over the past three years with
off-and-on injuries to quarter
back Tony Lindsay, never field
ed a consistent team.
Rumors about Simmons’ job
security arose as early as last
season, when the coach contin
ued to start his son Nathan at
tailback despite an abysmal
average of 2.5 yards per carry.
In the end, Missouri Coach
Larry Smith said, the bottom
line for Simmons, and many
other coaches, becomes win
rung.
Smith resigned at Southern
California several years ago and
may face the same situation at
Missouri at the end of the sea
son. Smith had two consecutive
winning seasons and bowl trips
in 1997 and '98, but those have
been forgotten by many Tiger
fans in the wake of another los
ing season.
"You have a few good years,"
Smith said, "But those years
don’t seem to exist after a couple
of bad ones.
“It’s become about this: ‘Just
win, baby."
Simmons will be the ninth
Big 12 coach to leave the confer
ence, preceded by Baylor’s
Chuck Reedy and Dave Roberts
(both fired), Colorado’s Rick
'eaves 05U
Neuheisel (left for Washington),
Kansas’ Glen Mason (left for
Minnesota), Nebraska’s Tom
Osborne (retired), Oklahoma's
John Blake (fired), Texas' John
Mackovic (reassigned to the
athletic department) and Texas
Tech’s Spike Dykes (retired).
Only four teams: Iowa State
(Dan McCarney), Kansas State
(Bill Snyder), Texas A&M (R.C.
Slocum) and Missouri (Smith)
have retained the same coaches
since the Big 12’s inception in
1996.
Simmons, who was part of
that group, becomes the latest
victim.
The former Colorado defen
sive coordinator, who many
thought was passed over for the
CU coaching job that Neuheisel
assumed when Bill McCartney
retired, has compiled a 29-36
record, along with a 15-25
record in the Big 12. OSU finish
es the season with Texas Tech,
Baylor, and No. 1 Oklahoma.
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