Monday, August 16, 1999
The University Daily Kansan
Section B · Page 13
Big 12 Football
Big 12 Conference faces another season of success, failure
It is the best of times, it is the worst of times.
On any given Saturday, the average football fan can see Heisman Trophy candidate Ricky Williams of Texas Tech tear up the defense, the overwhelming tradition at schools like Nebraska and Oklahoma, the grit and intelligence of Texas quarterback Major Applewhite and Kansas State linebacker Mark Simoneau.
or the picturesque setting of Folsom Field in Boulder Colo.
On the down side, fans wonder why the Kansas State Wildcats couldn't claw their way into the Bowl Championship Series last season despite being the fourth-ranked team nationally, or why programs such as Kansas, Iowa State, and Baylor couldn't quite put together
Rigg columnist sports@kansan.com
Michael T.
Though victories to earn national respect. So goes the life of the average Big 12 Conference football fan.
Four years ago, the Big Eight Conference merged with four members of the Southwest Conference to form the superpower creation that is the Big 12. The plan was for the new conference to win at everything from football to rubber band fights.
As Dr. Evil would say, "Can you hear me when I say, 'world domination?' "
However, now the conference is too big for its own good, which only widens the gap between the haves (see: Nebraska) and the have-nots (see: Baylor). But, as the Big 12 opens its fourth season of football, there is no doubt that the conference has made strides since its inception.
The only question is, which way?
This and many other questions will be pondered in the 1999 season, and no one will know the answers until sometime in January.
Will Nebraska be able to return to its old form with often-informed quarterback Bobby
More information See the Big 12 schedule on page 15B and the coach's poll on page 19B.
Newcombe and a much-maligned running game?
Can Texas &A M duplicate last season's stunning success with many of the same players?
The story of two Ricky Williams will be in place in the Lone Star State as Texas attempts to fill the hole left by its Williams departing, while, on the other side of the state, Texas Tech is grateful that its Williams stayed. How will both of these scenarios play out?
Can Kansas State stay on top of the Big 12 North and possibly top last year's results by winning the Big 12 and not leaving anyone an excuse to exclude the Wildcats from the BCS?
Will Colorado "walk the walk" along with all the talk of their "return to dominance" without a dominating running game?
In coach Terry Allen's third year in Lawrence, are the Jayhawks capable of putting up enough wins to prove Allen's program is headed in the right direction?
Can standout performers such as defensive lineman Justin Smith and offensive lineman Rob Riti offset Missouri's losses of quarterback Corty Jones and running back Deyin West?
In the Sooner state, can new coach Bob Stoops lift Oklahoma back to national dominance? Legally?
Can cross-state rival Oklahoma State turn the fifth-year of coach Bob Simmons' five year plan into a bowl appearance?
And can schools such as Baylor and Iowa State surround the great individual talents they have such as Darren Davis and Gary Baxter with a vehicle to win?
While the questions abound, the season can guarantee good times and bad times, no matter which school you root for. Unless you're psychic, there's only one way to find out how it'll end up in January.
Rigg is a Greenwood Village, Colo., sophomore in broadcast news.
Defeat will motivate new K-State leaders during coming season
By Michael T. Rigg sportswriter @kansan.com Kansan sportswriter
Wildcats regroup after failed title run
As the Kansas State Wildcats begin the 1999 season, the bumper sticker on the K-State bandwagon should "Texas A&M happens."
It was the Aggies, after all, who killed the Wildcats' national championship hopes during the 1998-1999 season with a 36-33 overtime victory in the Big 12 Conference title game.
Even though that loss will be hard to recover from, Coach Bill Snyder said the Wildcats hope to use that defeat as motivation for the coming season and as a springboard for future success.
"I'm proud of the kids, the coaches and fans on how they dealt with the loss," Snyder said. "It's behind us, but it's not going to disappear. Our coaches and players have been able to lean on the experience as a motivational factor for this year. It's important to learn lessons about life. It fortifies character."
Linebacker Mark Simoneau said he agreed.
"As soon as the last game was over, I started focusing on next year," Simoneau said. "We had a great year last year, but that is in the past. All we're thinking about is this year."
K-State is counting on either junior quarterback Jonathan Beasley, who was a redshirt in 1998, or longtime backup Adam Helm to fill in for Bishop, who is one of 11 players from the 1998-1999 Wildcats to join the NFL this season.
Snyder also will take unconventional measures, such as moving second-team
Unfortunately for the Wildcats, they must successfully replace departed stars, such as quarterback and 1998 Heisman Trophy finalist Michael Bishop, all-time leading rusher Eric Hickson, wide receiver Darnell McDonald and linebacker Jeff Kelly in order to avoid suffering more character-fortifying losses in 1999.
Kansas State is trying to recover this season from the loss of quarterback Michael Bishop, picture in the game against Kansas last year. Kansan file photo
All-Big 12 defensive tackle Damion Mcintosh to tackle on the offensive line.
"I was open to the move because I want to do anything I can to help the team win," Mcntosh said. "I plan to use the same aggressive nature on each side of the ball."
"There is nothing comparable about them," Snyder said when asked to compare the two to Bishop. "They can't throw the ball 90-100 yards like the Paul Bunyon stories you heard about Michael. They are not as punishing of a runner as he was. They just can't do the same things Michael did."
Beasley and Helm are competing to replace the most decorated quarterback in Wildcat history.
Snyder is counting on all-purpose running back David Allen to carry much of the offensive load. Even though the team learned last week that Allen would miss the first month of the season because of an injury, Snyder is hopeful that Allen can carry K-State to the Promised Land.
Luckily, two of the games Allen will
WILDCATS QUICK FACTS
1998 Record: 11-2, lost to Purdue in Alamo Bowl
**Coach:** Bill Snyder (10th season)
**Key Losses:** QB Michael Bishop, RB Eric Hickson, WR Darnell McDonald, TE Justin Swift, LB Jeff Kelly, PK Martin Gramatica
Key Returns: RB David Allen, WR Aaron Lockett, OT Damion Mcintosh, LB Mark Simoneau, SS Jarrod Cooper
■ Outlook: After last season's late-season collapse, Bill Snyder and the Wildcats must regroup without many of key players of 1998.
miss will be non-conference contests against Temple and Texas-El Paso. Frank Murphy probably will fill in.
against Tempe and Texas 14. Frank Murphy probably will fill in. Rehabilitation should be no problem for the Wildcat defense, which returns seven defensive starters. Among the returning starters are preseason All-Big 12 picks
Edited by Chris Hopkins
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