Section B·Page 6
The University Daily Kansan
Wednesday. October 13, 1999
'Huskers silence critics with blowout wins
Nebraska overcomes early-season lethargy
By Michael Rigg sports@kansan.com Kansan sportwriter
The general feeling amongst the Big 12 Conference media one month ago was that the Nebraska Cornhuskers' turbulent season was finished.
They couldn't have been more wrong; Nebraska's season hadn't even started.
After all, on Sept. 15 the team was battling through a quarterback controversy and highly publicized running back DeAngelo Evans had just quit the team because of a lack of playing time. The turmoil was followed by an unconvincing 20-13 victory against Southern Mississippi, and for the first time in years, there was a noticeable chink in the Nebraska armor.
This week, the Cornhuskers find them
But a funny thing happened on the way to Nebraska's imminent demise: they kept on winning.
selves ranked No. 3 in the nation in both major polls and — perhaps more importantly — appear to have left September's turbulence behind them and have their eyes set on a crucial stretch of the Big 12 schedule.
The Cornhuskers followed their lethargic performance against Southern Mississippi with three blowout victories, including a 49-14 victory on Saturday against a much-improved Iowa State team. Nebraska has the nation's third-ranked defense, and finally has settled on a primary quarterback in Eric Crouch. Nebraska coach Frank Solich is happier knowing his team is playing like it should.
"There's not a lot to smile about sometimes," Solich said. "But I'm really pleased. We're heading in the right direction, and the meat of our schedule is still ahead of us."
will be a true test of their team.
Next up, the Cornhuskers face their first tough test of the season when they travel to Texas on Oct. 23. That game is followed by tough games against Texas A&M, Kansas State and Colorado. While Nebraska is pleased with its early-season results, the Cornhuskers know that the next six weeks
"We have to get back and really focus the next two weeks for Texas," Crouch said. "The coaches are doing a great job of preparing us, and we are proving that we can play with the best teams in the country."
In other news, Oklahoma State coach Bob
Simmons told the media before Saturday's game against Texas Tech that there was no reason to panic about his team's mediocre 2.2 start and offensive drought without injured quarterback Tony Lindsay
"I still have a lot of confidence in this football team, and one thing that they have to understand is that there in no panic in me, there is no panic in my staff, and there should not be any panic in this team," Simmons said. "The reality of it is that if you play better and execute better, you'll have a chance to win."
The Cowboys proved Simmons' right on the field Saturday when they pounded the Red Raiders 41-21. Just as vital as the victory was the fact that the Cowboys' offense, which had amassed only 45 yards in the first half of last week's game against Nebraska, piled up 452 yards against Texas Tech. The offensive explosion was a welcome break for Oklahoma State, which has had trouble moving the ball since Lindsay went down in the Cowboys' season opener.
B. J. Tiger and former Kansas recruit Ben Bowling both have shouldered the offensive load in Lindsay's absence, and Simmons is growing increasingly pleased with his youth quarterbacks.
"The opponents respect Tiger's ability to scramble," Simmons said. "Obviously, when you get a kid like him, and Ben has that same ability, it gives you another weapon in the backfield."
As for Lindsay, the Cowboys will learn sometime this week about a timetable for his return. Oklahoma State has an off week this week, then battles Kansas State on Oct. 23 in Stillwater, Okla.
- Edited by Chris Hopkins
Texas A&M fullback gets comfortable in Aggie offense
COLLEGE STATION, Texas — It didn't take long for Texas A&M fans to discover huge freshman fullback Ja'Mar Toombs last season. It was hard not to notice him.
Toombs made all of the typical freshman mistakes and then some, but fans liked the way he threw his 265-pound body into tacklers, and soon they were chanting an extended version of his name, "Tooombolms," after his runs.
Toombs gained 422 yards last season, the ninth best performance ever by an Aggie freshman. He's returned this season a lot smarter and more settled in his role on the team.
"When I was messing up early, I was afraid the fans would hate me," he said. "When they started calling out 'Toooombs,' I appreciated the gesture."
"He is improving all the time," offensive coordinator Steve Kraghorpe. "Last year, he came in as a true freshman and really had to improve his blocking, and he's done that.
"We have been able to put the ball in his hands in different ways at fullback and tail-
back and even in the passing game too."
Toombs is the Aggies' leading rusher going into Saturday's game against the University of Kansas at Kyle Field with 208 yards on 47 carries and three touchdowns.
Coach R.C. Slocu Toombs' progress as a blocker
Coach R.C. Slocum is more interested in Toombs' progress
"He's getting better, but he's still not what I'd call a good blocker," Slocum said. "He was a tailback in high school
Ian didn't have to block. He likes playing tailback. We tell him if he blocks so many plays, we'll let him play tailback."
Tooms is down to 257 pounds this season and likes the backlash plays he gets to run.
"I like it because you can see more what is going on," Tooms said. "It's easier to read the defense and cut. At fullback, you are down and you just drive right into the line.
"At tailback, you get to be seven yards back and get a running start."
Lockett on path for success with Chiefs
The Associated Press
KANSAS CITY, Mo. - With every pass Kevin Lockett catches for Kansas City, history repeats itself.
As he finally emerges as a bona fide NFL wide receiver, it's a history the one-time Oklahoma reject loves being condemned to repeat.
First they said he was too small to play major college football, and he became AllBig Eight. Then they said he was about to fail with the Chiefs. Now he's become a key part of the offense.
"I think it's slowly coming," said Lockett, who has caught four passes in each of the past three games. "I'm making the most of my opportunities."
When Lockett graduated from high school in Tulsa, Okla., the only thing the studious, willow kid wanted was to play for his beloved Oklahoma Sooners. But Oklahoma coaches thought he was too small at 6-foot, 145 pounds. So they paid no attention when Bill Snyder, plotting to build Kansas State into a national power, signed him to a letter of intent.
During the next four years, as Lockett erased most of the Wildcats receiving records and led them to their first-ever Jan.
1 bowl game, some of his finest games happened to come against Oklahoma.
"Just a coincidence," he once said with a twinkle in his eye.
Although the Chiefs drafted him in the second round in 1997, he carried the same too small rap into the NFL. He caught only one pass his rookie season and hardly played his second year as well. Then last summer in training camp, when first-year Coach Gunther Cunningham hardly ever mentioned Lockett's name when discussing how the Chiefs were taking shape, his time with Kansas City seemed to be near an end.
"Being a local guy, I think there was too much pressure on him," Cunningham said. "And I tried to keep the pressure off him by not commenting on him."
Little did anybody realize it was all part of Cunningham's plan.
It must have worked. As former Pro Bowler Andre Rison fades in the Chiefs' plans, Lockett and fourth-year wide receiver Joe Horn have both begun to thrive. Lockett has proven particularly adept at getting open when quarterback Elvis Grbac needs to hit a pass on third down.
“There are still times that I haven't made big plays, but as long as Elvis has confidence in me, I'm on the right path,” Lockett said.
Rams thrower makes name known in NFL
The Associated Press
ST. LOUIS — Move aside Mark McGwire, there's a new sports celebrity in St. Louis.
Kurt Warner was a complete unknown outside of Arena Football and NFL Europe before this season. Warner has 14 touchdown passes in four games for the undefeated Rams. It's extremely early, but he's on pace to smash Dan Marino's NFL record of 48, and he has four more touchdowns than Peyton Manning of the Colts, the next closest player.
And just like McGwire, who hit 65 homers this year, Warner is proficient at the long ball. Already, he has completions of 60, 51, 46, 49, 45 and 42 yards.
Suffice to say Warner, 28, who makes the league minimum of $254,000, stopped being an unknown a few games ago. Not that the homework helped the 49ers, who surrendered five touchdown passes Sunday as the Rams (4-0) ended a 17-game losing streak against San Francisco with a 42-20 victory.
"It doesn't matter where the guy came from, it's where he's at now," 48ers cornerback Mark McMillian said. "He obviously knows what he's doing. People know who he is, and they knew before this game."
So far, success hasn't changed him. Warner helped a restaurant delivery person haul food to the coaches' offices Monday morning.
Warner's touchdown total is a record for a quarterback making his first four starts, eclipsing the 12 by Mark Rypien in 1988.
For the year he's completed 72.6 percent of his passes, and his accuracy the past two weeks — 37-for-44 — have stretched the bounds of credulity.
"I always had confidence in him," said Coach Dick Vermell. "Now, I have blind confidence in him. Now, when he throws an incomplete pass it's like, 'My gosh, what's wrong with you?'
Warner leads the league with a 136.0 efficiency rating, well above that of the normal, average. Super Bowl-winning quarterback. The league record is 112.8, which is held by Steve Young of the 49ers in 1994.
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