Section A · Page 6 The University Daily Kansan Tuesday, October 14, 1997 Big 12 coaches analyze teams progress highlight season's strengths, weaknesses Nebraska continues to be tough competition The Associated Press Big 12 North Division Kansas (4-2, 2-1 big 12) Next game at Colorado on Saturday The defense is having to prop up the offense for the Jayhawks and so far, Kansas coach Terry Allen says, they're doing a good job of holding up team morale. "When you play so well defensively and so impotently on offense, you could have a problem," Allen said. "The morale part I am most please." with is the way the defense has tried to rally and help the offense. The defense has helped, and I know they [offense] are trying, and that's the most important part." Kansas State (4-1, 1-1) Kansas State (4-1, 11) Next game Texas A&M on Saturday Michael Bishop wasn't supposed to rush for 196 yards and set a school record for quarterback during the Wildcats' 41-11 defeat of Missouri. But coach Bill Snyder is glad if worked out that way: "That was not the intent that he would automatically pull it in and run," Snyder said. "That's certainly an option for every quarter. back, and I think Michael made the right decisions at the right times — when to run and when not to run. It's not that he had antsy feet. He came out when it was appropriate. "He's getting better each week." Next game Texas on Saturday Coach Larry Smith didn't sugarcoat the Tigers' 41-11 loss to Kansas State "Basically, it was a good old-fashioned buttwhipping, every way possible," Smith said. "There are no excuses, and now we have a chance to come back. We've got a critical game this week against Texas coming up here, and we're capable of anything." Smith isn't ready to give up. "I said before the season that this team was capable of anything, and we can't send ourselves to the gallows and jump into the furnace after one game." Iowa State (0-6. 0-3) Iowa State (0-6, 0-3) Next game Baylor on Oct. 25 The Texas A&M Aggies impressed Iowa State coach Dan MCarney as a team, but linebacker Dat Nguyen made a more lasting impression as an individual. Nguyen intercepted a pass by Iowa State quarterback Todd Bandhauer and returned it 32 yards to give the Aggies a 21-3 lead with 1:13 left in the first quarter. "Dat is as fine a linebacker as there is in college football," McCarney said. "The play he made for an interception was outstanding. He is relentless. Every head coach in America would love to have him on their team. "Hopefully, we won't see any more of him this year." Colorado (2-3, 0-2) Next game Kansas on Saturday Coach Rick Neuheisel said he wasn't giving up on this season, but he was beginning to look to the future by getting younger players into games. "We're going to let some of the younger players get more involved," Neueisel said. "We've got some guys we feel will be great players, and we need to start getting them experience. "But that doesn't mean we want to give up the ship and say the season is all for naught," he said. On Saturday, No. 16 Oklahoma State knocked Colorado out of the Associated Press poll for the first time in 143 weeks with a last-minute 33-29 victory. A week earlier, Colorado lost to Texas A&M 16-10. "We have two goals, get to a bow game and nobody gets down," Neuheisel said. "We're going to keep our heads up and keep fighting and see if we can turn this thing around." Nebraska (5-0,2-0) Next game Texas Tech on Saturday Nebraska's offense did what it does best in the Cornhuskers' '49-21 victory against Baylor — run over defenses. Ahman Green did most of the damage. ___ ___ "Ahman runs the ball very well," coach Tom Osborne said. "Last year, he just never got in sync. He started out with a turf toe and then got a stress fracture compensating for the turf toe. His freshman year he ran good, and he's running better now. He's carrying 208 to 210 pounds, and he carries that well. He's probably running tougher than ever." Big 12 South Division Oklahoma (2-4, 0-2) Next game Baylor on Saturday The Oklahoma Sooners have one of the top backs in the Big 12 in De'Mond Parker, who rushed 291 yards on 31 carries in Saturday's 27-24 loss to the Texas Long- horns. Why is he having such a good season? "I thought he ran the same last year," Oklahoma coach John Blake said. "He's just running hard, and he's more determined, and he's older and more mature, so he's running for success and doing a good job." The Sooners will need a big push if they expect to get into the postseason. "You've got to let them know the opportunity is out there," Blake said. Oklahoma State (6-0, 3-0) Next game Missouri on Oct. 25 Cowboy quarterback Tony Lindsay threw the game-winning touchdown with 1:56 left to play in Saturday's 33-29 victory against Colorado, and he had more reps than counterpart Chris Chalouka But the quarterback rotation system will remain in effect for Oklahoma State, which jumped from No.20 to No.16 in The Associated Press poll after beating the Buffaloes. Press pon after beating the Bulleuses. "He got more snaps because the nature of our game plan. The option was a big part of it," coach Bob Simmons said. "It would have been difficult to do some things if we had gone with Chris. That's why Tony got more playing time." Lindsay got most of the attention too. He rushed 126 yards on 21 carries and completed five of 12 passes for 105 yards. Simmons won't start comparing Lindsay's athleticism. "He's got a long way to go," Simmons said. "He's still learning. He's done some exceptional things and he's got a lot of talent but to start comparing him right now would not be fair." Coach Spike Dykes thinks the Red Raiders' schedule will be of some help for Saturday's visit to No.2 Nebraska. Texas Tech (3-2, 2-0) "Ive always said going to places like Tennessee early prepares you to go to Lincoln, Neb." Dykes said. "They are more physical than Tennessee. Tennessee has a great passing attack, and they're a heck of a good Next game at Nebraska on Saturday Big 12 football
| Conference | All Games | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W | L | PF | PA | W | L | PF | PA | |
| North | ||||||||
| Nebraska | 2 | 0 | 105 | 47 | 5 | 0 | 229 | 99 |
| Kansas | 2 | 1 | 42 | 41 | 4 | 2 | 90 | 85 |
| Kansas St. | 1 | 1 | 67 | 67 | 4 | 1 | 195 | 94 |
| Missouri | 1 | 2 | 63 | 77 | 3 | 3 | 159 | 153 |
| Colorado | 0 | 2 | 39 | 49 | 3 | 1 | 93 | 116 |
| Iowa St. | 0 | 3 | 52 | 122 | 0 | 6 | 111 | 294 |
| South | ||||||||
| Okla. St. | 3 | 0 | 96 | 59 | 6 | 0 | 200 | 73 |
| Texas A&M | 2 | 0 | 72 | 27 | 5 | 0 | 233 | 43 |
| Texas Tech | 2 | 0 | 52 | 21 | 5 | 2 | 155 | 117 |
| Texas | 1 | 1 | 43 | 66 | 3 | 2 | 132 | 177 |
| Oklahoma | 0 | 2 | 41 | 47 | 2 | 4 | 148 | 159 |
| Baylor | 0 | 2 | 35 | 84 | 1 | 4 | 189 | 202 |