Section B • Page 6
The University Daily Kansan
Wednesday, December 2, 1998
AP gives Williams, Nguyen accolades
The Associated Press
Texas A&M linebacker Dat Nguyen speaks with a reporter after the Aggies win against Kansas earlier in the season. Nguyen has been the star of a tough A&M defense this season and is the first A&M player to have 500 tackles in a career. Photo by Graham K. Johnson/KANSAN
DALLAS — It was a play in the Texas-Texas A&M game that said a lot about the two most famous players in the game.
Ricky Williams cut back up the middle on one of his 44 runs for the Longhorns and Texas A&M linebacker Dat Nguyen grabbed one of the running back's legs and held on for dear life before Williams went down.
Texas redshirt freshman quarterback Major Applewhite was named the AP offensive newcomer of the year and Missouri defensive end Justin Smith was honored as the defensive newcomer of the year.
Williams also surpassed 2,000 yards for the season as he helped a Texas team that went 4-7 last year go 8-3 in the regular season under new coach Mack Brown.
"It was important to me to help the team win." Williams said. "I grew up a lot this year."
Williams broke Dorsett's record on a 60-yard touchdown run. Williams said the thing he would remember about his season was winning.
Brown said Williams served as an example to youth deciding to stay for his senior year.
"He's a special person and he
turned down $1 million to send a message to kids to stay in school," Brown said.
Williams averaged 193.09 yards per game, tops in the nation. He was also second nationally in all-purpose yards with 216.91 per game.
"He's like the Michael Jordan of college football," said Texas A&M running back Dante Hall. "He can do it all."
Nuguy became the first A&M player to have 500 tackles in a career. He led the Big 12 in tackles by a linebacker.
The senior from Rockport was the heart of a defense that led No. 10 A&M to the Big 12 South title and a berthe in Saturday's championship game against No. 2 Kansas State.
He has been compared to former Baylor linebacker Mike Singletary, who later went to Chicago and the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
"Nguyen reminds me of Singletary because of his intensity on the field," said former Baylor coach Grant Teaff, now executive director of the American Football Coaches Association. "Dat is a first-class, quality person. He's just one of those rare players whom you feel fortunate to be able to watch. He's a tremendous player."
Nguyen dodges compliments like he does blockers.
"I'm just a regular student, one of 100 guys who play on the football team," he said. "I'm one of the lucky ones."
Applewhite shattered numerous Texas passing records while Smith was a starter on a rugged Missouri defense.
Applewhite, of Baton Rouge,
La., hit 159 of 273 passes for 2,453
yards and 18 touchdowns. He
had 11 interceptions.
His pass efficiency rating of 147.4 was 15th nationally and second in the Big 12 behind Michael Bishop of Kansas State.
"He put us in position to score a lot of points." Brown said. "Major's been able to do that all year."
Smith, of Jefferson City, Mo., had 55 solo tackles and 31 assists. He had 13 tackles behind the line of scrimmage for 33 yards in losses. He also
had 3.5 sacks for 11 yards in losses and forced a fumble.
"I would say he has all the same tools and all the potential to be in the same class as (former Nebraska All-American) Grant Wistrom," said Missouri defensive coordinator Moe Ankey.
Writers covering the Big 12 picked the award winners.
West Virginia Mountaineers prepare for Insight.com Bowl
The Associated Press
CHARLESTON, W. Va. — Don Nehlen took West Virginia out west for his last bowl victory 14 years ago. He will have the chance to do the same this year.
The Mountaineers on Monday accepted a bid to the Insight.com Bowl on Dec. 26 in Tucson, Ariz., against an undetermined Big 12 opponent.
Nehlen will take West Virginia (8-3) to its fifth bowl since 1994. The Mountaineers have lost seven straight since winning the 1984 Bluebonnet Bowl over Texas Christian.
"The newspapers will constantly remind us that we haven't won in a bowl game. But I'm just proud these kids have a chance to go," said Nehlen, who is 3-8 in bowls since becoming West Virginia coach in 1980. "It will be a fun time and we're anxious to come."
West Virginia will play either Nebraska (9-3), Missouri, Texas Tech
or Colorado, the latter three at 7-4. But any of them could be snatched up by one of three other bowls with higher tie-ins to the Big 12.
Nehlen said his team is too busy to care who it plays.
"Our kids have to take finals and all the coaches are on the road recruiting. We can't do a whole back of a lot. We'll
know in plenty of time." he said.
It will be a bittersweet end to a season that began with high hopes for West Virginia, which was ranked 11th in The Associated Press preseason poll. The Mountaineers lost the opener to Ohio State and later dropped back-toback games to Big East foes Miami and Virginia Tech.
West Virginia has been out of the
rankings ever since, despite winning its final four games to finish tied with Miami and Virginia Tech in second place at 5-2.
Insight.com Bowl officials scouted the Mountaineers at the Temple game Oct. 10. Bowl officials were impressed with West Virginia's fan support and its offense, which ranks 15th in Division I-A with 459 yards per game and 17th in scoring at 34.5 points per game.
"They travel well to bowls," said Tom Murphy, chairperson of the bowl's selection committee. "We just think it's a great program to bring into Tucson."
The bowl, whose name was changed last year from the Copper Bowl, offers a minimum $750,000 payout. West Virginia expects to take in $1.6 million based on the Big East's revenue-sharing formula, before heavy travel costs are factored in, Athletic Director Ed Pastilong said.
"We will make money. It will be minimal," Pastlong said. "We want to make sure that our players and coaches are represented well. And we'll make sure that our players have a good time out there."
West Virginia will be allotted 10,000 tickets at $40 apiece to the 57,803-seat Arizona Stadium on the University of Arizona campus.
Pastilong is confident the school won't have a problem with ticket sales despite the game being more than 1,850 miles from West Virginia's campus in Morgantown.
Last year, West Virginia had to pay $288,000 for 6,000 unsold tickets to the Carquest Bowl in Miami.
Bowl officials hope the warm desert air will attract fans.
Nehlen said the team plans to get in a few practices before tentatively leaving for Tucson on Dec. 20.
West Virginia is the third Big East team to get into a bowl.
Texas A&M needs to stop Bishop to win
The Associated Press
COLLEGE STATION, Texas — Texas A&M's Wrecking Crew defense couldn't stop Ricky Williams, and all he did was run. Next, they take on Kansas State quarterback Michael Bishop. He can run and pass.
The No. 10 Aggies (10-2, 7-1 in Big 12) have little time to absorb last week's 26-24 loss to the Texas Longhorns and Williams, who rushed 259 yards on 44 carries to become the Division I A-all-time leading rusher.
A&M has another difficult task in Saturday's Big 12 championship game against Kansas State (11-0, 8-0) and Bishop, the league's leader in total offense.
"He's more like a running back who is a good quarterback," cornerback Sedrick Curry said. "They run special plays just for him to run the ball. I don't know if I'd rather see him pass or run. He does both so well."
"He's as dangerous as any quarterback we will play against," coach R.C. Slocum said. "He's like a running back when he runs and he's got great mobility to run around and pass and he has absolutely a rocket arm."
In last year's game against the Aggies, Bishop completed 10 of 21 passes for 173 yards and rushed 53 yards on 14 carries in a 36-17 victory.
"Most guys are either better as a runner or a passer." Slocum said. "This guy has equal talent. He's as fine a runner at quarterback as I've ever seen. He's got arm strength that's the best I've ever seen."
The Aggies expect a tough game defending Bishop.
"Bishop is a tremendous athlete and for the defensive backs, we know that we have to stay in coverage," Curry said. "He is very mobile. He can take off and run with the ball."
it will be hard to keep up with Bishop, who is a year more experienced than 1997, his first season with the Wildcats after transferring from Blimn Junior College.
"I think he's more poised this year," Slocum said. "This year, he'll sit back and hold the ball and he can hurt you passing down field. But if you get too close, he can still hurt you by running."
Bishop has 13 rushing touchdowns and 21 passing this season. The Wildcats offense ranks ninth nationally in total offense, averaging 474 yards per game. Bishop is averaging 286 yards of total offense.
"Michael Bishop is an offense himself," tight end Dan Campbell said. "We just have to go play four quarters. If we stay in the game until the fourth quarter, I've got confidence that we can win."
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