Tuesday,August 26.1997
The University Daily Kansan
Section B·Page 3
OSU to play football with fewer Cowboys
Grades, discipline factored in slicing team roster by 10
The Associated Press
DES MOINES, Iowa — Oklahoma State still looks like a formidable opponent to Iowa State coach Dan McCarney — academic casualties and all.
Iowa State and Oklahoma State open their seasons and Big 12 Conference play Saturday night in Ames, Iowa. The Cowboys will compete without 10 players, including five starters, lost to grade problems and another suspended for disciplinary reasons.
That would seem to leave the Cowboys easy pickings for an Iowa State team seeking a fast start after going 3-8 and 2-9 in McCarney's first two seasons. McCarney, however, doesn't see it that way.
"There's no shortage of players at Oklahoma State," McCarney said Sunday during a Big 12 teleconference. "They've done as good a job recruiting or better over the
three years we've been here. We're still going to have our hands full Saturday night."
"We very much anticipate good players taking the field for Oklahoma State at every position on the field," he said.
McCarney said he had never seen a team that lost so many players at once so close to the start of the season.
Six of OSU coach Bob Simmons' players were declared ineligible on Friday, including starting tail-
back Andre Richardson and top linebacker Raymond Cato, the team's leading tackler last season.
were dismissed earlier this month, including starting cornerbacks J.B. Flowers and Alvin Porter. Terrance Richardson, a starting wide receiver and Andre's brother, was suspended for the season in a disciplinary move.
Four others
"All of us have a lot of challenges," McCarney said. "One of the toughest jobs we all have as head coaches is to academically motivate and superise and try to get the best out of our kids in the
McCarney said he was trying to downplay Oklahoma State's situation with his team so it did not become a distraction.
classroom, too. It's a tough job — an extremely tough job."
"Our whole focus is the improvement of this football team and the strides we make," he said. "Oklahoma State is a fine program. They have a lot of good players and an excellent coaching staff. We have to be ready to play because Bob Simmons' teams always are."
this always are.
We've got to make
We've got to make sure we're at a peak performance."
Quarterback Todd Bauerhand said that the Cowboys' roster changes
would not affect his team's playing.
"Obviously, we were surprised they lost so many players," Bandhauer said. "But we're really not focusing on who they lost, we're focusing on playing Oklahoma State. We're concentrating on our game and what we're going to see."
McCarney said four Cyclone newcomers definitely would play Saturday night and two others might see action.
"Our whole focus is the improvement of this football team and the strides we make."
Dan McCarney
Iowa State football Coach
Freshman Carl Gomez will be the starting punter and freshman linebacker Reggie Hayward will play as a backup. Another freshman, Breon Ansley, is a second team cornerback and junior college transfer William Perryman will see action as a tight end.
McCarney said freshman Andy Stensrud might play at tight end and walk-on Chris Anthony, a freshman wide receiver, might be on some special teams.
Anthony, a 6-foot-3, 195-pounder has been one of the surprises of fall camp.
"There's no question he's a Division I football player," McCarney said. "If he continues to work hard, like we know he will, he will have a tremendous opportunity to win a scholarship. He's a gem."
New Alabama coach to stroll Bear's old field
The Associated Press
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — After a summer of serving as a keynote speaker, autograph signer and celebrity fundraiser, Mike DuBose can finally concentrate on his most important duty — coaching football.
The Alabama coach's first game is Saturday against Houston, and this week he begins settling into a routine that will become common during the next three months.
"He's busy, but he's dealing with football, not all the other stuff that goes along with his job." Alabama receivers coach Woody McCorvey said yesterday. "Over the last few days, he's been about as relaxed as I've seen him."
Still, McCorvey has noticed
some changes since the Opp, Ala. native saw his lifelong dream come true when he was named to replace Gene Stallings and walk the same sideline as his old coach, Bear Bryant.
"He's the same person, but he's got that look in his eye more often," McCorvey said. "We're not sitting around the office visiting a lot like he did when he was an assistant. He's always got something to do or somewhere to be."
If DuBose is as successful on the field as he has been with the rest of his duties this summer, No.16 Alabama shouldn't have many problems.
The new coach has relished the offseason spotlight, putting on successful charity golf tournaments in four cities, speaking at numerous booster luncheons
across the state and signing more footballs, programs and pennants in eight months than he had in his life.
He has also installed a new offense and tried to develop a rapport with his assistant coaches, some new to the program, the rest unfamiliar with what it's like to have DuBose as a boss.
One of the new faces is Neil Callaway, an old college roommate who, like DuBose, played on the Bryant teams of the mid-1970s. Callaway left his job as Houston's offensive coordinator to become DuBose's offensive line coach.
"He's still a good friend," Callaway said. "But when I walk into work, it's not a friend relationship. It's an employer-employee kind of deal and that's the way it should be."
As is the case with any new coach, DuBose isn't quite sure what product he'll put on the field Saturday. The new offense has had trouble adapting to the split-halfback formation that DuBose hopes will spread out defenses and make it easier to pass. As usual, the defense is expected to be the strength of the team, but has been somewhat sluggish in practice this summer.
DuBose said all the worrying hasn't cost him any sleep although sleep and quality sleep are two different things.
"I don't know if I'm going to make it to Saturday to be honest with you," he said. "I just hope the players are not as nervous as I am about it right now. But it is a special time for this football team, a special time for this program."
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