10B
Wednesday, August 16, 1995
FOOTBALL PREVIEW
Tigers' offense on a new footing
Football team hopes change to grass field helps running game
Kansan sportswriter
By Jeffrey Auslander
Kansas sportwriter
For the Missouri football team there is a new attitude and new grass in Columbia, Mo.
After winning only three games for the fourth consecutive year, the Tigers believe a higher degree of dedication and the help of second-year coach Larry Smith will bring a change for the better.
The big question the Tigers face: Will they play like the team that held Nebraska to only 10 total yards in a half last year, or will they look like the team that got thrashed 42-0 by Illinois?
Senior defensive end Steve Martin said this year's team had a different approach to hard work than teams in the past.
"A couple of years ago, when we got into summer, there weren't too many guys at the seven-on-sevens or many who came to workouts," he said. "Now it's rare to find one who misses those. Now they realize it's serious stuff, and it's time to play."
Junior quarterback Brandon Corso, who will have to step in for Missouri's career passing leader Jeff Handy, agreed the team's attitude was a lot different.
"We've adopted a never-say-die, we're not-going to lose mentality," Corso said.
Last year the Tigers ranked third in the conference in passing. However, Missouri plans to get things
done with its running game more than in the past.
"Coach Smith wants to run the ball first and throw second," Corso said. "Our offense will be close to 50-60."
Missouri's change in offense may be attributed partially to improved running backs.
"That may be one of the most improved areas of our team," Smith said. "We expect our tailbacks to carry the ball 40 times a game."
The Tigers need to win at home this year. Last year they were 0-6 at Faurot Field. But a change from artificial turf to grass could help the Tigers.
"When you went home and started to clean out the turf burns, you began to curse the field," Martin said. "I'm extremely happy to have grass." It's what I was born and
raised on. You don't have to leave your roots too far."
Corso also supports the change. "It's really pretty, and it's a lot easier on the body," he said.
Another factor that should benefit the Tigers is familiarity. Last season was the first at Missouri for Smith.
"I think the second year as a coach you can tend to a little more detail," Smith said. "What I mean by tending to things is that you can teach. It comes down to evaluation of your players and perfection of your coaching techniques."
"I embrace the fact that he came in wanting to win, not just make changes," Martin said. "His mystique, his attitude...It's a flashback to my high school years."
The players have grown to respect Smith for the attitude he has brought to Missouri.
BIG EIGHT CONFERENCE SERVICE BREAU
Missouri junior linebacker Darryl Chatman (43) grabs an West Virginia opponent. Chattan was the Tigers' fourth-leading tackler last season.
BIG EIGHT CONFERENCE SERVICE BUREAU
Oklahoma State junior tailback David Thompson searches for a hole in the defense. Thompson has been the team's leading rusher the last two seasons, including 819 yards during the 1994 campaign.
Cowboys' new coach sees bright future
By Dan Gelston
Kansan sportswriter
The buzzword around Stillwater,
Okla., this year is new.
The football team has a new staff, a new defense, a new attitude and a new coach. The only question that remains is whether all the changes will translate into better results on the field.
Bob Simmons takes over the coaching duties at Oklahoma State after 20 years as an assistant coach. Simmons, the first African-American coach in Big Eight Conference history, comes from Colorado, where he was part of the staff that molded the Buffalooes into a perennial national championship contender.
It will be Simmons' job to rebuild the fortunes of this once-proud program that has fallen on hard times after being slapped with penalties imposed for committing NCAA rule infractions in the late 1980s. The team hit a low point last year, with a 3-7-1 record and a 0-6-1 league record.
Simmons stressed that his arrival did not necessarily mean national championship contention this year, but he expects to bring the squad back to respectability.
"I've got high expectations," he said. "Everywhere I've been, I've won. I'm looking to build a very good program, and I'm looking to get things done."
One way for Oklahoma State to reverse its fortunes is by winning more of its close games. In this decade alone, they've lost 11 games by seven points or less.
Changing that will begin with a defense that is strong enough to stop game-winning drives. Simmons and new defensive coordinator Ted Gill said they planned to switch to a 3-4 alignment, and experienced veterans would pave the way for Cowboy success.
"Our defense probably would be our strength," Simmons said. "We are going to be a team that has some experience, but we are also going to be looking at freshmen."
The Cowboys are strong defensively with Lorenzo Green (55 tackles, 4.5 sacks), Norman Williams, Jay Grosfield (4 sacks), Louis Adams and junior outside linebacker Jevon Langford. Langford has developed into a strong defensive player and should improve on last year when he racked up 60 tackles and 8.5 sacks.
Three starting linebackers are returning, including Louis Adams, who had 69 tackles as free safety last year.
The offense will rely heavily on the backfield as they have one of the country's more potent combinations. Led by junior tailback David Thompson (819 yards) and sophomore tailback Andre Richardson (774 yards), the Cowboy backfield finished 23rd nationally with 204.6 yards a game.
Sophomore quarterback Toné Jones directs an offense that is supposed to be more consistent.
"The offense is balanced," Jones said. "Two hundred yards passing,
200 yards rushing. I think we are solid on the offensive side of the ball."
Last year he completed 445 percent of his passes for 1,466 yards and eight touchdowns, with 14 interceptions. The Cowboys ranked 95th in passing offense out of 107 Division I teams.
The biggest question mark for the team lies with the receiving corps. It lost both starting wideouts. Sophomore Tim McNaal and junior Kent Luck are the successors, but they have caught four career passes combined.
Four starting offensive innem are returning. They are led by senior Bryan Hope.
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Senior place kicker Lawson Vaughn has been the teams leading scorer the past three seasons. Senior punter Greg Ivy led he conference with a 44-yard average and was a unanimous All-Big Eight selection last year.
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"I'd like to punt a few tines this year, and just enjoy watching our guys win games," Ivy said.
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