European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - August 30, 1989, Darmstadt, Hesse Wednesday August 30, 1989 the stars and stripes Page 23 College football 89 Auburn boasts King sized to by Kendal Weaver Auburn Ala. A is College football ready for a 270-Pound to Jack son Auburn coach Pat Dye who watched Jackson win the Heisman trophy As a Tiger senior in i98s, used him As a Stan Dard or comparison when talking about a new Tiger Tim Cromartie. He s like a 270-Pound to Jackson said Dye. Actually there arc major differences Between Cromartie and Jackson. Cro Martie does t run with the Ball he s a defensive lineman. Also he has t played in a football game since the fall of1987. And he knows weight lifting but not baseball. Still says Dye if you had a Scalpel and were going to pm out a football player that s what you would Cut Dye s comment about Cromartie a 6 fool-2 Sophomore from Tallahasse fla., who was academically ineligible last sea son and checked in at 265 pounds this summer is one of a series of Dye re Marks stirring interest As the tigers try to improve on last season when they finished no. 8 in the nation and won their second straight Southeastern con Ference Crown and trip to the sugar bowl. "1 think this will be the strongest team we be Ever put on the Field and the fast est team we be Ever put on the Field said Dye who has won three Sec crowns in his eight seasons at Auburn finished in the top 10 three straight years and Over six years had 41 players drafted by the nil More than any other team. Such talk has pumped up expectations but Dye adds that raw Speed and great strength May not make up for what Auburn lost from the 1988 squad. There is no Way we can replace Thi experience the Talent and the character of the group of seniors we lost off the 1988 team said Dye. We Don t have the number of proven players that we had in 1988 or 1987." but the unproven like Cromartie offer Large potential and several key players do return from the 1988 team that went 10-2. The defense was one of the nation s Best last year and was led by now de parted Tracy Rocker Winner of the Lom Bard and outland awards. Returning starters include Craig Ogle Trcic at outside linebacker and Quentin Riggins at inside linebacker with tackle David Rocker the 6-foom. 265-Pound younger brother of Tracy joining a new wave of Talent on the front line including Cromartie. Other potential standouts include Darrel Crawford at the other inside line Backer Slot Ellin Billingslea at outside linebacker and John Wiley at Cor Norback. Arriving with More Advance notice than Cromartie is freshman wide receiver Pedro Cherry a 6-foot-l, 205-Poundcr from Windsor . He joins a Bevy of receivers including Alexander Wright the fastest player on the team in the 40-Yard dash who will be targets for return ing quarterback Reggie Slack a first team Aii Sec player last year. Also returning arc running backs Stacy Dancy and James Joseph and an experienced line including such standouts As 280-Pound Sophomore guarded King who started As a freshman Center John Hudson and tackles Bob Meeks and Rob Selby. Seni9r win Lyle is Back As Auburn s place kicker but a replacement must be found for punter Brian Shulman who was first team Aii Sec last season As a senior. Auburn s schedule includes All of the Sec teams expected to fight the tigers for the title including Louisiana state which beat Auburn 7-6 in a Baton Rouge showdown last season that helped leu earn a share of the Sec title. This year Auburn plays leu at Auburn. Auburn also travels to Tala hassle for a mid season clash with Independent Florida state which finished no. 3 last season and beat Auburn 13-7 in the sugar bowl. But the most important Date on a Burn s schedule and a historic Date for College football in this Gridiron Giddy stale is dec. 2. That s when Auburn closes the regular season with Cross state rival Alabama arriving at the tigers 85,000-scat Jordan Hare stadium for the first time. Alabama which liked playing the tigers on the artificial turf of birding Ham s legion Field resisted moves to put the game on Auburn s Home grass. But Dye won that fight. If he does t Winthe game however All of his talk about a 270-Pound to Jackson won t mean did Dulcy. Leu s Archer has big expectations for his 89 tigers Fla Ledger Birmingham Ala. Louisiana state coach Mike Archer knows big things Are expected of his team this year. In fact he s one of those with High expectations. The tigers were picked to finish a close second to Auburn in a poll of Media at this year s Southeast conference Kickoff 89 Media Days in Birmingham. The biggest reason for the optimism at leu this year is nine returning starters on offence led by heis Man trophy candidate Tommy Hodson at Quarter Back. We have a football team we re excited about said Archer. When you look at what Hudson s done he s performed in All the pressure also the quarterbacking Job will be All his this year. No longer will Hodson be looking Over his shoulder to Sec if Back up Mickey oui dry is strapping on his Hel met As happened several times the past two years. A year ago Hodson entered the season with inexperienced receivers and the team s Best running Back Harvey Williams on the sidelines. I did things last year a younger me would t have done Hodson said. We had a Young team and i tried to do too Many things myself that i was forcing this year Williams who rushed for 1,001 Yards two years ago is fully recovered from reconstructive knee surgery and receivers Alvin Lee and Tony Moss have a full and productive year behind them. That la make a big difference said Hodson. For Hodson it s expected to be a record breaking season. He needs just 1,126 Yards and 10 touchdowns to break Kerwin Bell s Sec career records of 7.585 Yards and 56 to passes. For All of that Hodson spent part of last year being criticized and booed. It was t As big a Deal As a lot of people say Hodson said but it Archer said he does t care about the numbers. I look at wins and losses and there he s 26-8-1," said Archer. Half of those losses though came last year when the tigers were 8-4. We did t have a Large senior class and we lacked some leadership said Archer. This year the experience and leadership Are there As least on offence. On defense it could be a differ ent matter. Seven starters Are gone which Means the offence might have to carry the Load. We be got some holes to fill on defense said Archer. We be got some Young players so it la get More College Ball in is this week thursday is predictions for opening week Friday 1989 team schedules Louisiana state a a Tommy Hodson. No More looking Over his shoulder ends Karl Dunbar and Clint James return up front. Verge Ausberry is Back at inside linebacker and Cor Ner Back Jimmy Young returns in the secondary. The rest of the defensive starters will be be got some Good Young players in the secon Dary who just Haven t played said Archer confident his defense will develop As the year goes re not ready to play it but we be got Talent and More experience Overall than we be had in a Cou ple of have a Chance to be up there with Auburn and Alabama in the Sec race Archer than that the Tigen. Are expected to be up there. Anything less would be a disappointing season. Southern Caleb lost for season by the to Angeles times los Angeles Southern Cal quarterback Pat o Hara s season officially ended in an operating room last weekend when doctors found extensive damage in his right knee. Hit by onrushing lineman . Sullivan during a Friday scrimmage at the University of California Irvine o Hara not Only wound up with two torn Liga ments in the knee but a broken Shin Bone As Well. Or. Richard Diehl who performed the surgery was optimistic that o Hara a Junior would be Able to play next spending three years As understudy to Rodney pc Etc o Hara appeared to have won his Battle with freshman Todd Marinovich for the no. I Job. Marinovich will now Start the sept. 4 season opener at the coliseum against Illinois. I was sick to my stomach watching them take him off the Field said Marinovich. I m going to Pray for him every night. I can l change what happened. All 1 can do is seize the a week earlier starting nose guard Don Gibson suffered a knee injury that will sideline him for another five to seven be been really spoiled the last couple of years As far As said defensive lineman Tim be now lost two key Guys in fall Camp. We re not used to running Back Aaron Emanuel it s almost like we re in the Twilight zone. When i saw him o Hara go Down Ever thing Felt real cold. When you see a Guy lying there on the ground screaming you re thinking lord let it be just Bruise when you hear How bad it is it just tears you up. Here s a Guy who was so patient wailed his turn and never complained. It really does t seem fair. I Hurt for the
