College Confidential

Happy landings

Just snapped this pic at the TCU-New Mexico game during the half. A former Army sergeant, whose legs were severed while training another parachuter back in 1994, delivered a huge American flag just a few minutes ago. Impressive, considering what that man has lost.

Tracey Myers

OU's best lineman apparently won't play today

Oklahoma left tackle Trent Williams apaprently will not play today against Oklahoma State because of a blow to the head suffered in Tuesday's practice.

Williams appeared in sweats just a moment ago as the Sooners came out for pre-game drills. He thus becomes the 11th starter to miss at least one game for OU this season and his absence portends further problems in an offensive line that will send out its seventh different starting lineup in 12 games.--Mike Jones.

Another Sooner out?

Oklahoma's injury-plagued season may have taken another turn for the worse as the status of the Sooners' best offensive lineman--left tackle Trent Williams--remains in question until kickoff.

Williams "got his bell rung" in Tuesday's practice, according to associate athletic director Kenny Mossman, who said his status for today's game with Oklahoma State will be determined during warmup drills this morning prior to the 11:30 a.m. kickoff. Williams did not suffer a concussion, Mossman said. Plans are for him to suit up and go through pre-game and if he appears to be OK, he will start. If Williams does not play, he would become the 11th Sooner to miss at least one game because of injury.--Mike Jones. 

Brown lauds McCoy's Heisman moment

Texas coach Mack Brown praised quarterback Colt McCoy for being a "great leader" who "never blinked" during Thursday's 49-39 victory over Texas A&M.

In a back-and-forth offensive shootout, McCoy racked up 479 yards of offense in leading No. 3 Texas (12-0, 8-0) past A&M (6-6, 3-5). McCoy rushed for a career-high 175 yards and a touchdown. He passed for 304 yards and four touchdowns.

Texas needed a big night from McCoy to overcome the efforts of A&M quarterback Jerrod Johnson, who completed 26-of-33 passes for 342 yards and 4 touchdowns. Johnson also rushed for 97 yards and another score.

After the game, A&M safety Jordan Pugh said he thought the Aggies played "against the Heisman Trophy winner tonight," meaning McCoy.

"He led his team," Pugh said. "He was terrific ... After the game, I told him to go get (those) championship, the Big 12 and the national championship."

Brown lauded McCoy's Heisman credentials as well.

"Colt McCoy was unbelievable," Brown said. "I don't remember any performance like that, period. I don't get to vote for the Heisman, but if anyone has a better Heisman moment than that, then I'd like to see it."

_ Jimmy Burch

Texas' Beasley passes medical tests, gets game ball

Texas defensive back Deon Beasley, who was immobilized and taken off the field on a stretcher after a violent collision during the third quarter of Thursday's 49-39 victory over Texas A&M, passed all medical tests after the contest, school officials said. Medical personnel on the field immobilzed him because of concerns about a neck injury which was not the case.

Texas coach Mack Brown said Beasely "was up and walking around in the locker room" after the game.

"Deon Beasly is OK ... We gave him the game ball, because all the kids were worried about him," Brown said.

_ Jimmy Burch 

Texas Tech searching for consistency

Just because Texas Tech had its way with Oklahoma last week, coach Mike Leach said that doesn't mean the same thing will happen Saturday at 5 when his Red Raiders face Baylor at the Cowboys Stadium in Arlington.

The Raiders made the Sooners look like mere mortals as they hammered their way to an easy 41-13 victory. Whether Tech will be able to have similar results against the Bears is anyone's guess.

"I think they're a good team,'' Leach said of the Bears. "I think they play hard and I think they've got a good group of players.

"We've got to go out and play the best we can.''

Mainly because of injuries in the offensive line and to quarterbacks Taylor Potts and Steven Sheffield, the Raiders have been a model of inconsistency most of this season. For example, they followed an impressive 31-10 road victory at Big 12 North champions Nebraska with a horrific 52-30 home loss to Texas A&M.

Then came a gut-check 42-21 win over Kansas, that was followed by a ho-hum 24-17 loss at Oklahoma State. Next up was the dominant triumph over Oklahoma, which netted just 310 total yards.

"I think we've been unpredictable,'' Leach said. "Some of it's been we've had a lot of lineup changes, which is part of what we're up against this year.

"We've had to shuffle the (offensive) line a lot, and we've had to shuffle combinations of receivers and quarterbacks quite a loot.

"Also, your opponents have a little to do with that, too. Sometimes they go out and play a little better than you can.''

Leach was delighted the Raiders were able to power their way to 549 yards against OU's potent defense. And they did it while performing a pretty neat balancing act.

Quarterback Potts completed 35-of-53 passes for 388 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. And Tech's running game chew up 187 yards, with Baron Batch rushing for 136 yards on 25 carries and scoring a pair of touchdowns.

"That (OU) defense is everything that it's been cracked up to be,'' Leach said. "Those are all the same guys from last year.

"They have very productive (NFL) draft picks that were there, so it's a defense I really respect and was really glad at how we played against them.''

Now, if only the Raiders can do to other teams what they did to Oklahoma, Leach would be a happy camper.

_ Dwain Price

Baylor's Watkins now knows about big-time college football

WACO _ I always become amused when a player from another country encounter football in the state of Texas for the first time.

Be it high school or college, football is truly king in the state of Texas. Just ask Baylor offensive left tackle Danny Watkins.

A Canadian, Watkins played football for the first time in his life the past two years at Butte College in Oroville, Calif. But it wasn't until he enrolled at Baylor last spring that Watkins truly discovered what big-time college football is all about.

Watkins couldn't believe his eyes when 27,905 people attended Baylor's Sept. 5 opener at Wake Forest. (OK, you can stop snickering now).

"When I walked out on the field at Wake Forest, I said to (center) J.D. (Walton), 'Wow, that's a lot of people,' '' Watkins said. "He said, "Boy, you ain't seen nothing yet.' ''

Later on this year, Baylor played before a crowd of 84,478 at Oklahoma and 82,106 at Texas A&M. Those crowds were real eye-openers for Watkins.

"I never realized how big football is in American, period, until I got to Baylor and somebody said you know Oklahoma's stadium holds 90,000 people,'' Watkins said. "I looked at him and said I've never seen a stadium that holds 90,000 people in my life. That's still crazy to me.''

Watkins grew up in Canada playing hockey and rugby. Crowds were minimal at best.

If Watkins was amazed at the crowds at Wake Forest, Oklahoma and A&M, he's going to really get his socks knocked off Saturday at 5 when Baylor (4-7) plays its regular season finale against Texas Tech (7-4). The game will be played at the world's most expensive stadium -- the Cowboys Stadium, which cost $1.2 billion.

Told that a crowd of approximately 75,000 will atend the game, Watkins said: "75,000 people? Oh, great. I can't wait.''

-- Dwain Price

 

 

 

Art Briles would rather play Tech in Waco

WACO _ Like his coaching counterpart at Texas Tech, Baylor coach Art Briles isn't exactly thrilled about playing the Red Raiders at the Cowboys Stadium in Arlington.

"And I hate to be that way,'' Briles said. "We've got a job to do and our job is to go out there and win the football game, and it really doesn't matter where it's played or any of those conditions.

"I wish I could say really it excites me (to play in the Cowboys Stadium). But I know once the game gets going, then all that's out the window and you just concentrate on what's going on.''

Baylor faces Texas Tech at 5 p.m. Saturday in Arlington, and the game is technically a home game for the Bears. Tech will be the home team when these same two teams play next year at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas while the State Fair of Texas is going on.

Actually, both Baylor and Tech may have a financial windfall because of Saturday's game. Had the game been played at Baylor, the crowd likely would have been smaller, because it's Thanksgivings and the majority of the students will have left for home.

However, a standing-room-only crowd of some 75,000 folks will be at the game in Arlington, which will give both Baylor and Texas Tech a much better payday.

Earlier, Tech coach Mike Leach also said he wasn't exactly happy to lose a home game (next year) while playing Baylor.

"I think it is a big deal, it's a great stadium, it's a great venue, and for our fans it's very convenient being in the Metroplex,'' Briles said. "It's going to allow some people to get to the game that otherwise might not have been able to.

"But for me personally, it's an opportunity to represent this university and have a good chance to beat Texas Tech. That's what I'm concentrating on.''

-- Dwain Price 

 

Baylor won't mail it in vs. Texas Tech

WACO _ If you think the Baylor Bears are going to "mail in'' the last game of the season against Texas Tech, think again.

The Bears (4-7) play their final game of the season against Texas Tech (7-4) at 5 p.m. Saturday at the Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, and they plan on playing it as if it's their first game of the season. That's mean Baylor will bring plenty of enthusiasm to the table.

While a win will put the Red Raiders in position to go to a better bowl, the Bears believe a win will send them to the offseason on a positive note.

"We're playing for a lot,'' Baylor quarterback Nick Florence said. " We're playing for Baylor football, we're playing for each other, we're playing for pride.

"It's unfortunate the bowl is out of the way, but we've still got a lot to play for and to lose out there.''

Thus, will week of practice for Baylor will be the same as the other weeks.

"We practice hard (this week) just like every other week,'' Florence said. "Nothing's going to change in our minds.

"We're still going to fight and go out on top. The stakes are high, so it's going to be fun.''

-- Dwain Price

Any player hit a coach on your staff, Jimmy?

Jimmy Johnson, visiting Cowboys practice Tuesday during a promotion with Crown Royal, was asked about the Terence Newman and Dave Campo scuffle during Sunday's game.

Any player-coach fisticuffs in your day, coach Johnson?

"I’m sure there were words, I don’t recall many of them,” Johnson said. “But I got a kick out of it the other day, watching my old coach, Camps, back from my Miami days and Cowboys days. He’s still feisty even at 62.”

Jeff Caplan