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1993 FOOTBALL PREVIEW UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Fridav. August 27,1993
Big Eight gears up for tough season
Conference teams ready to rekindle last year's rivalry
Change became apparent in the 1992 Big Eight Conference football season.
Colorado and Oklahoma junked their traditional option-oriented running game in favor of highly potent passing attacks.
Kansas football was the sport people in Lawrence were talking about during the fall and even into the early winter — the time when Jayhawk basketball gamers all of the attention on Mount Oread. The Jayhawks were the only conference team to win a bowl game. Now there's a change.
Kansas State put together a respectable, albeit disappointing, 5-6 season. Oklahoma State recovered from an 0-10 1-1 season in 1991 to host a 4-6-1 record in 1992.
10-1 season in 1987. Iowa changed its offense to the triple option last season and it paid off with a 19-10 upset of Nebraska in Ames, Iowa, last November. Missouri changed defensive coordinators in 1992, and the Tiger defense allowed 100 fewer yards a game in '92 than it did in '91.
But no matter how much things change in the Big Eight, the more they stay the same.
ESPN college football commentator, and former Kansas football coach, Mike Gottfred said last year that when it came time for the Big Eight title to be decided in the cold weather of November, it would be won by the team that ran the football the best. And in the Big Eight that team was Nebraska.
NEBRASKA
This year, the Big Eight has only one deluxe running back.
Calvin Jones, who just happens to reside in Lincoln, Neb. And there are no apparent dominating defenses around. Is there any question why the Cormuskers are favored to return to the Orange Bowl for the third consecutive year? When Nebraska coach Tom Osborne has an experienced
running game to go against average defenses, the Husker will win and win big.
Nine wins a season would be acceptable at many programs, but it is not acceptable at Nebraska. Husker fans expect more, and this season could see Osborne earn his first national championship as Nebraska head coach.
Players such as quarterback Tomnie Frazier, running back Calvin Jones and linebacker Trev Alberts are among the best players at their position in the conference. In fact, Jones and Alberts are candidates for All-American status as well as other national accolades.
as well as his Hafen. Once again, Nebraska features the conference's best offensive line to lead Jones to a possible Heisman Trophy award. And this year, the Huskers have a favorable nonconference schedule that will help them in their quest for the national championship.
COLORADO
However, Nebraska must travel on Oct. 30 to Colorado to face the Buffaloae, who want to avenge the 52-7 pounding they suffered last year in Lincoln, Neb.
The Buffalooes return 10 starters from an offense that produced 400 yards a game in 1992. Quarterback Kordell Stewart and 1,000 yard receivers Michael Westbrook and Charles Johnson lead the high-powered Colorado passing attack. However, Coach Bill McCarty must revive a running game that plummeted from 19th to 100th in the nation last season.
Also, six starters must be replaced on a defense that will face the high-powered passing attacks of Stanford and Miami on consecutive September Saturdays.
returns for his senior season with a group of fine receivers to complement the passing game and a pair of freshman running backs, Jeff Frazier and James Allen, to execute the option portion of the offense.
OKLAHOMA
the opener for N.C.A.A. Defensive end Aubrey Beavers leads a group of eight returning starters on defense, which was the Big Eight's second best unit last season. Depth remains a concern, though, as Oklahoma has not fully recovered from the NCAA probation handed down in 1980.
Oklahoma is going back to a dominant running game while
OKLAHOMA
STATE
Lugg to get the fans off Coach Gary Gibbs back. Spring practice at Oldham saw Gibbs and new offensive coordinator Watson Brown implement the option back into the Sooner offense, which dropped to fifth overall in the conference in 1992. Quarterback Cale Gundy
dominant running game while trying to get the fans off Coach Gary Gibbs' back
Oklahoma State, like its intrastate rival, is still trying to
hair case is vital, and he recovered from NCAA probation. Coach Pat Jones, the 1992 Big Eight Coach of the Year, will field his best offensive unit since the 1988 unit that included running back Barry Sanders, quarterback Mike Gundy and wide receiver Hart Lee Dykes.
Z-Back Rafael Denson and receiver Shannon Culver are referred to as "home run threats" by Jones. Quarterback Gary Porter had his moments, both good and bad, in 1992, and Jones is looking for more consistency from him in 1993.
Graduation hurt the Cowboys defense as only four starters return. However, two of those starters are all-Big Eight performers defensive end Jason Gildon and linebacker Keith Burns.
MISSOURI
A two-game winning streak that concluded the 1992 season and a two-year contract extension for Coach Bob Stull have given Missourians an air of optimism.
The Tigers have eight starters returning to a defense that allowed 100 fewer yards a game last season than in 1991. However, Mizzou lost defensive coordinator Don Lindsey to Southern California. New defensive coordinator Skip Hall said he would continue to use the attacking defensive scheme that Lindsey installed a year ago.
One thing Stull won't have to worry about is a quarterback controversy since Phil Johnson transferred to South
west Missouri State in July. Jeff Handy started the final six games last year and ended up as the top passing sophomore quarterback in conference history when he threw for 2,436 yards.
KANSAS STATE
With the new emphasis on the game in the Big Eight.
passing game in the Big Eagle Kansas State should feel safe with three returning starters in the secondary, including Jim Thorpe Award candidate Jaime Mendez.
That might be the only coach Call Snyder feels comfortable with on the K-State defense. Only defensive end John Butler returns on the defensive front seven from a year ago.
Snyder promoted Chad May to the starting quarterback position after Jason Smarglasso did not return for fall practice. Leon Edwards and J.J. Smith are expected to fill the void at running back left by the departed Eric Gallon.
IOWA STATE
After a 6-5 season in 1989, Iowa beat noah Jim Welden thought
State coach Jim Walden thought his program was ready to turn the corner and join the upper division of the conference on a regular basis. It has not happened.
Walden has been under pressure to produce winning seasons, and he switched to the triple option offense last season in hopes of producing success. It produced big yardage against Kansas but could not produce a victory as the Jayhawks rallied from a 26-point second half deficit for a 50-47 victory. The offense, though, paid dividends in the Cyclones stunning 19-10 upset of Nebraska.
Quarterback Bob Uttier returns to direct the offense, but he must remain healthy. Utter suffered three concussions last year and one more could mark the end of Utter's playing days.
Defensive tackle Troy Petersen anchors the Iowa State defense that starred in the upset of the Huskers.
Big Eight previews compiled by Kansan sportswriter Matt Doyle
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