Texas happy with QB situation
By Kyle Davoust
The Battalion
(U-WIRE) COLLEGE STATION, Texas -- ESPN's "College Gameday" will be in Austin, Texas Saturday to watch the No. 13 Texas Longhorns host the No. 16 Kansas State Wildcats. The last time the "Gameday" crew visited Austin was in 1999, when the Longhorns upset No. 3 Nebraska on their way to a Big 12 South title. The Longhorns hope to duplicate that success in a game that should be this year's first marquee matchup between two Big 12 teams.
Texas enters this game with the quarterback collaboration of Chance Mock and Vincent Young. UT coach Mack Brown is quick to point out that this time around there is no controversy in Austin.
"We like the fact that both quarterbacks are playing well," Brown said in his weekly press conference. "Right now, we like the one-two punch they bring us."
This one-two punch is making game planning harder for opposing defenses. While the Longhorns are working on the collaboration of two quarterbacks, Kansas State is just happy to have starting quarterback Ell Roberson back. After missing two and a half games, Roberson will be ready to suit up Saturday.
Roberson's return can only mean trouble for the Longhorns.
"He can beat you with the quarterback draw, the quarterback counter, with the option and scrambling," Brown said. "Then he can beat you with his arm. He's a guy that will give us as big a challenge as we will have the rest of the year."
SNAKEBIT CYCLONES
There is not a more lopsided matchup historically in the Big 12 than that of No. 1 Oklahoma and unranked Iowa State. The Sooners hold a 64-5-2 overall record against the Cyclones, who have only one win and a tie to show for their last 37 meetings against Oklahoma. None of Iowa State's wins have come since the inception of the Big 12.
Things aren't looking any better for the Cyclones this time around. The team has 15 players who have been lost for the season or have missed games. The latest victims are running back Hiawatha Rutland, out for the rest of the year, and defensive lineman Jordan Carstens, sidelined indefinitely. "It's one of the very few things I dislike about coaching football," Iowa State coach Dan McCarney said of the injuries while talking to The Associated Press Monday. "You still love them, you still support them and help them in any way we can. But obviously it's one of the toughest things we deal with in this position."
With such a history of dominance and a banged-up team in front of them, many would assume the Sooners would be looking ahead to next week's Red River Shootout against Texas. OU coach Bob Stoops denies this claim.
Stoops refused to answer questions about the Texas game and even grew angry when asked about the upcoming rivalry game. After letups against marginal teams have squashed Oklahoma's national title hopes in each of the past two seasons, Stoops has stressed realizing the importance of each game.
BUFFS WARY OF SINGING BAYLOR BLUES
After losing back-to-back games against Washington State and Florida State, the Colorado Buffaloes are eager to start conference play.
"It is a two-season type of arrangement for us," said Colorado coach Gary Barnett during his Tuesday press conference. "Coming off of two losses, you sort of want that part of the season to be gone. There is no question that this starts a second season, and it's what you gauge all of your goals around in the conference."
Baylor is looking for its fifth conference win since joining the Big 12, and its first victory over Colorado since beating the then-No. 12 ranked Buffaloes 16-14 in 1991. The Bears hope that an improved running game featuring senior Rashad Armstrong will help them finally compete against the big boys in the conference.
© 2002 The Battalion via U-WIRE
