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| Tuesday, October 24 The other show in town: K-State vs. A&M By Todd Cooper Special to ESPN.com | |||||
For the first time in a couple years, a rivalry will be renewed Saturday.
It'll be a battle of bloodletting proportions between the two former kings of the Big 12.
North vs. South. A ground team vs. an air attack. At stake, a chance for a division title.
So you've heard about it, you say?
Hold on, hotshot. We're not talking about the Battle of the Big Reds in Norman, Okla., Saturday. We're talking about the rile at the Kyle.
The rematch of the 1998 Big 12 championship game. (Drumroll, please.)
Kansas State at Texas A&M.
All right, so at this moment, it looks like a matchup of also rans -- kind of like watching a debate between Ralph Nader and Pat Buchanan.
But those fans who are interested in sequels might want to stay tuned after Nebraska and Oklahoma's opening act Saturday.
For the first time since A&M beat Kansas State in the 1998 Big 12 championship game, the two teams will meet Saturday at Kyle Field.
While perhaps not as dramatic as the storm in Norman, the encore could have a serious impact on the Big 12 race.
"I've said all along to the team, 'The people who try to figure all these things out -- about who's going to win out and who's going to lose -- that all makes for good topics of conversation, but no one really knows,' " A&M coach R.C. Slocum said. "All you can do if you're in a league like we're in is just keep your nose to the grindstone. There are a lot of things that can still happen and probably will happen before it's all over with."
Presumed dead after losing to Colorado, A&M will continue its roller coaster season Saturday. After losing their opener to Notre Dame, the Aggies ripped off three consecutive victories before losing to the previously winless Buffaloes.
The Aggies played uninspired ball in beating Baylor 24-0 but bounced back to crush a tough Iowa State team, 30-7, in Ames on Saturday.
Now A&M will be trying to restore home field advantage at Kyle Field, where they rarely lose once, let alone twice, in a season.
With the Wildcats, Oklahoma and Texas still on the schedule, the Aggies could position themselves to compete for the south division title, provided they establish some consistency that's been lacking this season.
Meanwhile, Kansas State stumbles into Kyle Field, where Jonathan Beasley and company will have to win to save their chance at a Big 12 title.
The Wildcats barely survived a wild night at home Saturday, defeating Texas Tech 28-23.
Oklahoma What better time to recruit at Oklahoma than when you've beaten both Texas and Kansas State and are preparing to play Nebraska at home? Coach Bob Stoops said the Sooners practiced three days during their off week and spent two days on the road recruiting. Stoops said the week off won't slow his high-powered offense. "We feel good about the way we've prepared," he said. "We may be peaking at just the right time." ... While one passes and the other runs, Stoops said, Sooner quarterback Josh Heupel and Nebraska quarterback Eric Crouch have something in common -- unbelievable toughness. "It's what separates a lot of great players -- their toughness and their ability to withstand the blows," Stoops said. "They're both that type of player. They're going to compete all the way through to the end." Nebraska While the Sooners had an off week, Nebraska starters did, too. Most of Nebraska's starters sat out after posting a school-record 38 points in the first quarter. The rest left Nebraska quarterback Eric Crouch loose in the interview room after the game. "What time does our game start?" he asked lineman Jason Schwab. "Oh, wait, never mind." ... Crouch would have loved to have spent the down time on his passing touch. Though he played only one quarter, he was 2 for 6, throwing behind a few receivers and over-throwing a wide-open Tracey Wistrom in the end zone. ... Linebacker Carlos Polk said there's no secret to the success of Nebraska's defense in the past few games. Coaches have kept it simple, asking the players to pin their ears back and attack. Plus, Polk, a captain, chastised his teammates during a players-only meeting before the Tech game two weeks ago. Polk told them that there was no way they should be giving up 300 yards passing a game. The Huskers have shut down Texas Tech and Baylor, but Oklahoma just might be another story. Baylor From the opening gun at Nebraska, the bad-news Bears (2-5, 0-4 Big 12) were about as bad as they could be. The Huskers scored a school-record 38 points in the first quarter on their way to a 52-0 halftime lead and a 59-0 victory. Even after Solich sat several of his starters at the end of the first quarter, Baylor could only manage 84 total yards on the day -- only four yards more than Nebraska wingback Bobby Newcombe had on three punt returns. ... Lineman Joe Jackson, safety Samir Al-Amin and fullback Melvin Barnett -- shaken up against Nebraska -- are all doubtful for Saturday's game against Texas. ... How bad does Baylor miss quarterback Greg Cicero, who is out with a broken collarbone? About as bad as the Bears' freshmen quarterbacks miss receivers. Freshman Kerry Dixon was 0 for 3 against Nebraska. His replacement, Guy Tomcheck, was 7 for 26. ... Baylor hasn't scored in more than 12 quarters. Texas As the Longhorns (5-2, 3-1 Big 12) prepare to play Baylor, they might be without an experienced tight end. Texas coach Mack Brown said tight end Mike Jones is out for Saturday's game and Brown might consider plucking a fullback to play the position. The 'Horns already had lost Bo Scaife to a knee injury earlier this year. ... Hodges Mitchell earned Big 12 offensive player of the week honors for his 198 yards rushing and receiving in Texas' 46-12 victory against Missouri. Most impressively, Mitchell accounted for 90 of the 99 yards in a third-quarter Texas drive that turned the tide of the game, extending Texas' lead from 17-12 to 25-12. ... In Saturday's deluge, the Longhorns had four turnovers. But they forced three. Not bad for a field that could have turned into a flash flood, Brown said. "It was a monsoon most of the second half," he said. Missouri There's no rest for the weary as the Tigers (2-5, 1-3 Big 12) travel to Ames Saturday to face an Iowa State team that's looking to become bowl-eligible. Coach Larry Smith said he normally might consider letting up on his players a little after an emotionally drenching two-game losing streak. But this time, Smith said, he can't afford to because his players are so young. ... Smith said it wasn't hard to chart the change in momentum of Saturday's loss to Texas -- a game that was close in the first half. The Tigers had 12 big plays in the first half but only three big plays in the second half. ... Linebacker Shawn Doyle could miss Saturday's game because of a sprained Achilles' tendon. Meanwhile, kicker Brad Hammerich suffered a dislocated clavicle and will be out at least two weeks and possibly the whole season, Smith said. Iowa State Even after Saturday's loss to Texas A&M, the Holiday Bowl has its eyes on Iowa State if the Cyclones can keep their eyes on the prize and become bowl eligible Saturday against Missouri. Bowl officials would love nothing more than to capitalize on the fan excitement that would be generated if the Cyclones end their 22-year bowl drought. ... Iowa State coach Dan McCarney said he was miffed that the Cyclones (5-2, 2-2 Big 12) wasted the enthusiasm of 48,931 fans -- the fourth-largest crowd at Jack Trice Stadium. "That's the kind of support I dreamed of when I got the job," McCarney said. ... His nightmare also came true Saturday, in the form of an inept offense that produced little over half of its normal output (446 yards per game). "We didn't name an offensive MVP because no one deserved it," McCarney said. Texas Tech After taking Kansas State to the limit Saturday, coach Mike Leach said he needs to tell his players that close doesn't count. Though he was proud of their effort, he's concerned that his players are satisfied with just being close against big teams. "That is an obstacle that we need to overcome," Leach said. "We need to expect to win games like that. We need to not be satisfied just with playing somebody close." ... Tech's high-powered "Air Raid" offense will have to contend with the stingy defensive backfield of Kansas. Colorado coach Gary Barnett said he was surprised at the way Kansas defensive backs manhandled the Buffs' receivers at the line of scrimmage. To combat that, Leach said, the Red Raiders (5-3, 1-3 Big 12) need to spread the wealth to the likes of Shaud Williams and Ricky Williams. "We want to stretch the field as many directions as possible," he said. Kansas Either Kansas or Texas Tech could take a significant step toward a bowl berth with a victory Saturday in Lawrence. Amazingly, the 4-3 Jayhawks (2-2 Big 12) are thinking bowl after a hapless 2-3 start, which included a humiliating loss to Kansas State. After the loss to the Wildcats, the Jayhawks changed their practice routine and simultaneously changed their luck. "We went with a lot more hitting," coach Terry Allen said. "We lengthened practice. We went back to live scrimmaging. When you're in the situation that we were in, you had to do something." Now, Allen said, "it would be hard to tell our players to do anything differently." ... Allen stopped some zealous fans from ripping down a goalpost after the Jayhawks' 23-15 victory against the Buffs. "When you beat a 1-5 team, you don't need to tear the goal posts down. Is there a time and place for it? Yeah. But it would have to be after a more significant win." ... Kansas linebacker Marcus Rogers earned the conference's Big 12 player of the week honors after netting 11 total tackles, including seven solo stops. He also was credited with two tackles for losses as Kansas beat Colorado. Oklahoma State Coach Bob Simmons, who was bypassed for the Colorado job for Rick Neuheisel in the mid 1990s, said he isn't wrapped up in his return to the Rocky Mountains on Saturday. Simmons coached alongside current Buff Coach Gary Barnett when they both were assistants under then-coach Bill McCartney. "When you think about the time I spent there, I really enjoyed it," Simmons said. "When you work alongside some great guys and win a national championship in the process, it's a lot of fun." ... Rather than the reunion, Simmons said the Cowboys are focusing on fundamentals in order to try to turn around their miserable four-game losing streak. ... Freshman quarterback Aso Pogi won't be mistaken for a pogo stick any time soon. Simmons said Pogi has told the coach that he's 220 pounds, but Simmons thinks the 6-3 hurler is more like 230. "We think he is a really special young man," Simmmons said. "He likes to throw the ball. He just needs to learn not to pull it down and throw it long every time." Colorado The only thing worse than a 1-6 record might be the sting of losing to the likes of Kansas. Though Colorado already had more than 14 players hurt for the game, their egos had to hurt worse after Kansas coach Terry Allen stopped a few fans from tearing down the goal posts, saying the victory over the Buffs wasn't big enough to bring down the house. ... Colorado's Roman Hollowell was named the Big 12's special teams' player of the week for his 75 yards on two punt returns, including a 66-yard punt return for a touchdown against Kansas. At 5-5 and 160 pounds, Barnett said, he wishes all of his team had Hollowell's character and heart. "If we all played as hard as Roman, we wouldn't be 1-6," Barnett said. .. You've heard of running back by committee. How about running back by voluntary service? With Marcus Houston out and Cortlen Johnson likely out, Barnett said he'll suit up whoever shows up Saturday. | ALSO SEE Big East notebook Big West notebook Big Ten notebook Mountain West notebook WAC notebook | ||||
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