Section B · Page 4
The University Daily Kansan
Wednesday, October 6, 1999
College Football
Texas Tech upset secures coach's job
By Michael Rigg sports@kansan.com Kansan writerswriter
Texas Tech coach Spike Dykes had his back against the proverbial wall.
In the two weeks prior to his team's game with Texas A&M last Saturday, the Red Raiders had endured an embarrassing home loss to North Texas, learned that star running back Ricky Williams would be out for the season, and Dykes was looking at the buzzards circling around his job.
After Saturday's 21-19 upset of the then-No.5 Aggies, however, all seemed well in Red Raider land.
The Texas Tech community was
back on the Red Raider bandwagon, tearing down the goal posts at Jones Stadium for the first time in Dykes' 16-year tenure. Relatively unknown running back Sammy Morris, who filled in for Williams, rushed for 170 yards and was named the Big 12 Conference's offensive player of the week.
But, perhaps most importantly,
Dvkes will keep his job. For now.
"We had a good evening to say the least," Dykes said.
After the loss to North Texas, speculation circled around the local media that Dykes would be fired. Much of that talk has been silenced by Saturday's victory, but Dykes still knows his job could be in ieopardy.
"I know the soothsayers are out there." Dykes said. "But you've just got to focus on what's ahead of you and not get distressed."
you and not what's behind you."
The Red Raiders play 2-2 Oklahoma State Saturday in Stillwater, Okla., and a Texas Tech disappointment is possible.
"I think a let-down is a real problem," Dykes said. "If you're not careful, you
can't get ready to play the next week."
The Cowboys have not beaten the Red Raiders since 1989. Dykes said that Oklahoma State would be a tough test for his team. The Cowboys have not won since Sept. 11, and Dykes said he knew Oklahoma State would be searching for a victory on Saturday.
"We have to get ready for an Oklahoma State team that is going to be really hard to beat," Dykes said. "They have their backs to the wall a little bit, so we had better be ready to play."
For Dykes, that sounds all too familiar.
Colorado
Rumors swirled in Boulder, Colo., this week about the suspension of quarterback Taylor Barton for the Buffaloes' season opener against Colorado State.
Yesterday, the Denver Rocky Mountain News reported that an anonymous Colorado official stated that Barton's suspension was because of his illegal telephone calls to recruits. Barton told the newspaper that he had obtained the recruits' telephone numbers during their recruiting visits to Boulder, Colo. and called the recruits after former coach Rick Neuheisel quit in January before the school had hired
current head man Gary Barnett
If Barton did make the telephone calls after Neuheisel's departure and Barnett's arrival, no
"We want to see how it works out," Barnett said.
ROAA rules would have been violated. In other Colorado quarterback news, Barnett has moved former quarterback Adam Bledsoe to tight end in an experimental move.
Bledsoe, the younger brother of New England Patriots quarterback Drew Bledsoe, was a highly-touted quarterback recruit from Yakima, Wash., but was operating as the Buffaloes' third string quarterback.
Edited by Jamie Knodel
Wildcats make quarterback switch
Team readjusts before game against Jayhawks
The Associated Press
MANHATTAN, Kan. — Kansas State's quarterback shuffle is back where it began, but the offense will be without leading rusher Frank Murphy when the No. 9 Wildcats play Kansas Saturday.
After being replaced as the starter by Adam Helm against Texas last week, Jonathan Beasley won back his job on the field. Coach Bill Snider said.
large, he had to play in order for us to win."
"He's playing better than Adam Helm," Snyder said. "I think Jonathan did well. You have to go back and look at some things, and I think there will be some things you'll be upset with. But by and
Beasley started the first three games of the season leading the Cats to two wins and completing 20-of-43 passes. But against Iowa State he had only three completions and one interception before being replaced by Helm
replaced by Helm.
Against Texas, Beasley came into the game in the second quarter and passed for 171 yards.
"There's still room for improvement."
Beasley said. "I just have to go out and improve every time I'm out there."
pleted just one pass in five attempts against the Longhorns.
Helm's two touchdown performance helped the Wildcats engineer a 35-28 comeback against Iowa State, but he com-
Snyder said Frank Murphy wasn't expected to play against the Jayhawks because of a sprained ankle he suffered against Texas.
Murphy broke his foot in summer conditioning drills, but returned for Kansas State's opener against Temple. He has rushed for 450 yards this season, averaging 6.9 yards per carry. He leads the team in rushing touchdowns with four.
"It definitely hurts the team," sophomore wide receiver Aaron Lockett said about Murphy's injury. "He's such a great athlete. He brings size, strength and speed. We've had opportunities to work out David Allen at running back. I think we will have the same confidence that we had before."
Paterno rides Penn State during bye
The Associated Press
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. — Penn State is 5-0 and ranked No. 2. That hasn't stopped Coach Joe Paterno from declaring them stupid, taking them to task for too many fumbles and threatening personnel changes.
"We're undisciplined and sometimes just plain dumb," he gripped last week following four days of idle-week practices.
out there banging, going full speed, conditioning, things we really wouldn't do during a regular week. Coach just tried to get us ready and get our minds right, make sure we stay in shape."
"We called it 'Preseason II,'" Rashard Casey said. "We were
With the season's only week off followed by this Saturday's visit to 1-3 Iowa, the timing seemed right for some old-fashioned abuse.
"I have not been critical of their effort," Paterno said yesterday. "I've been critical of them because I think they've
been careless."
Paterno is talking about a few troubling trends:
The offensive line has given up a conference-worst 19 sacks for 98 yards in losses. The defense only has gotten to the opposing quarterback 11 times, third-to-last in the Big Ten.
The Lions have fumbled 17 times - 3.4 time a game — and lost six, second-worst in the Big Ten Conference.
They've been flagged for 29 penalties for 253 yards.
depend on the running game, averaging only 127 yards in the past three games.
On Friday, Paterno had them on the field at 6 a.m., although players said they asked for it so they could leave early for the weekend.
"We worked very hard, and I think we got a lot out of it," said tailback Eric McCoo. "We made some changes as far as how we run the ball, when we run the ball, aiming points for running backs and linemen trying to get on the same page."
They have not been able to
Tigers stick with two-quarterback system
The Associated Press
COLUMBIA, Mo. — Missouri's two-quarterback system will stay in place for the foreseeable future.
ing off a strong fourth quarter in last week's 27-17 victory against Memphis, his best play of the season according to Smith.
Dougherty, and if it had to be all throwing,
he'd probably go with Farmer.
"I'm quite satisfied with the way it's going right now," said Coach Larry Smith yesterday. "As long as they can continue to produce, that's what it's all about."
"Jimmy us us started," Smith said.
"He's very steady, good on his checks."
Kirk Farmer, a redshirt freshman, has the better numbers thus far, going 25-for-53 for 331 yards and seven touchdowns, with three interceptions. He's also com-
Jim Dougherty, a sophomore, has started all four games and is 25-for-45 for 276 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions. Smith said Dougherty's best asset is getting the Tigers (3-1), who play this week at Colorado, off smoothly.
The combination has worked out well, to Smith's way of thinking.
Smith said if he had time to mix up the run and pass, he'd probably go with
"Kirk's got to learn to get off to a quick start and Jimmy needs to be a finisher," Smith said. "They both have some work to do if they want to be a complete quarterback."
The Colorado game Saturday at Boulder, Colo., begins a rough finishing stretch of seven straight Big 12 Conference games for Missouri.
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