Thursday, October 16, 1997
The University Daily Kansan
Section B·Page 3
A&M splits time between two QBs
Both players pleased with playing time
The Associated Press
COLLEGE STATION, Texas — It has all the makings of a classic quarterback controversy.
But everyone involved insists they are happy with the situation.
Brandon Stewart and Randy McCown share the quarterback duties for No. 14 Texas A&M, which faces No. 20 Kansas State (4-1) this weekend.
One plays a quarter, the other plays the next quarter. Sometimes they swap series. The sharing scheme that began as an experiment now is part of the routine, working perfectly last Saturday as the Aggies dismantled Iowa State 56-17. McCown and Stewart combined for 19 of 26 passes and 226 yards in the victory.
"It has evolved into this and it's never been a problem. And I don't anticipate it being a problem." Aggies football coach R.C. Slocum said. "I do think it's a credit to those two guys."
Stewart has completed 28 of 53 passes for 370 yards and four touchdowns for the 5-0 Aggies. McCown, a sophomore, is 33 of 51 for 443 yards and two touchdowns.
"I'm not going out every day and saying, 'Come on, one of you do something so I can bench you,'" Slocum said. "If I don't have a clear-cut guy who is dramatically going, I'm not going to
flipa coin.
"We grade everything
— the
w he o le
thing. And
it's still a
situation where you couldn't say one guy is better than the other," he said.
Both quarterbacks are quick to say they would like the No.1 job permanently but insist they have helped each other numerous times.
"We do that throughout the game, every game," Stewart said.
Stewart had the edge coming into the season but that did not mean McCown gave up.
"I love a challenge," McCown said. "I have two brothers and have competed my whole life."
Quarterbacks coach Ray Dorr said McCown came to him asking what he needed to do to get better and get playing time.
"We mapped out some things he could do," Dorr said. "And he did a nice job. He did get better."
"We had the opportunity to play two quarterbacks in some games and (the improvement) showed. He did get himself prepared and he was ready," he said.
Dorr said both players were unselfish and were willing to help each other even though both wanted to be No.1.
"But they also realize if both are succeeding, they'll both get the opportunity to play." he said.
"If one of those guys had a different personality, it could have been a problem," Slocum said. "One guy could have messed this whole deal up."
New defensive look benefits Cowboys
STILLWATER, Okla. - Of the many areas where No. 16 Oklahoma State is improved this year, none is more striking than the defense.
By Owen Canfield
The Associated Press
Give Rob Ryan a good bit of credit
Give kob kyan a good bit of credit.
When he was hired this year as the Cowboys' defensive coordinator, Ryan brought with him a passion for the "46" defense he learned from his dad, Buddy Ryan. That passion has carried over to the players.
The players at Oklahoma State have fallen in love with the scheme, and their feelings are reflected in their play.
"Defensive players like to be aggressive, and this is a scheme that allows them to be more aggressive than probably any scheme they've ever played in," Ryan said. "Once they see the differences, then they really invit it."
The results have been striking.
Last year Oklahoma State gave up 225 yards per game on the ground. That ranked the Cowboys 10th in the Big 12 Conference and 97th nationally. During their 6-0 start this season, the Cowboys are giving up just 60 rushing yards per game -- tops in the league, third in the country.
One week after he rushed for 204 yards in a game, Fresno State's Michael Pittman gained 12 yards on 16 carries against the Cowboys. Ricky Williams of Texas has had two 200-yard games this season but gained only 79 yards against OSU.
Last week against Colorado, the defense gave up a season-high 390 yards, but it had six three-and-outs and came up with three turnovers.
Oklahoma State has forced 18 turnovers. The team's plus-10 turnover ratio is the Cowboys' best in years. In Kenyatta Wright, Ryan has an intelligent middle linebacker,
another important ingredient. And the secondary must be able to handle man-to-man coverage. The Cowboys have come up with nine interceptions, five by cornerback Kevin Williams.
"We're just fortunate to have some good people in the right spot," Ryan said. "We have some outstanding defensive backs, guys that'll take the challenge and get after it. They make play after play each week. We put a lot of pressure on those guys, and they come through."
The Cowboys aren't lined up in the "46" all the time. Ryan figures they haven't used it half the time. But that's part of what makes it work.
"No one knows really what we do out of it," he said. "That's not common knowledge and that's not something we want to give away."
One person who knows the secrets is Buddy Ryan, who watches as many Oklahoma State games as he can from his horse farm in Kentucky. The elder Ryan developed the "46" while he was an assistant with the Minnesota Vikings in the late 1970s.
Father and son talk all the time, Rob said.
"It's great to have my father so involved," he said. "He knows all my terminology, so when I talk to him about the defense he knows exactly what I'm talking about. It's a lot of fun to have him there, letting you know what he thought of your performance."
So far, dad and Oklahoma State fans have liked what they've seen.
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