European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - August 18, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse Saturday August 18, 1990 the stars and stripes Page 23 East Pitt is it by Alan Robinson a sports writer a year ago Pittsburgh coach Mike Gottfried wondered How head replace quarterback Darnell Dickerson a Strong armed scrambler similar to West Virginia a major Harris. By seasons end Pitt had successfully replaced not Only Dickerson but Gottfried too. Talk about shaking up your lineup. Now after ceding the 1980s to Penn state and West Virginia Pitt again wants to be the beast of the East a especially since Harris has gone North to Canada at least for now and Penn state has gone West to the big ten sometime in the 1990s. There a a change of direction in the East in More ways than one. A whatever happens its going to be Tough to top last season a new Pitt coach Paul Hackett said. No kidding. All Pitt did in a 7-3-1 season was a replace Dickerson a starter for 1 a seasons with unproved Redshirt freshman Alex Van Pelt who had never thrown a pass in a College game. Scared nervous no Way. Van Pelt passed for More than 300 Yards twice in his first four games and ended with 2,881 Yards breaking Dan Marinous school single season record. A get big production from Curvin Richards nicknamed swerving Curvin. He rushed for 1,285 Yards and six touchdowns giving him a Tony Dorsett like 2,557 Yards in two seasons. A rally from a 31-9 deficit in the Finai 11 minutes to tie rival West Virginia 31-31, the panthers greatest comeback since they overcame a 35-8 halftime deficit to stun the mountaineers 36-35 in 1970. A fire Gottfried after his fourth straight winning season officially replacing him with Hackett just minutes before a 31-28 Victory Over Texas a amp a in the Sun bowl. All Hackett a former nil assistant coach has to prove in 1990 is he a no one game wonder. All Van Pelt has to do is prove he a no one season wonder. And the panthers also must break in a corps of new receivers and Fine tune a Louis Riddick led defense that prematurely lost Star three year starting tackle Marc Spindler to the nil. Dickerson also expects to return after a one year academic suspension but Isnit Likely to unseat Van Pelt and probably will fill in at wide receiver. There is no denying the new enthusiasm at Pitt where Hackett has taken an upbeat almost Gung to approach. He a a refreshing change a at least to Pitts administrators a from Gottfriedt a unpredictable moodiness and frequent criticism of academic policy. Quot i love this Job a Hackett said. Quot in a thrilled to be Here and i mean that. In a thrilled they would select lets see if he a thrilled when Pitt plays Back to Back games against notre Dame oct. 27 and Miami nov. 3which beat the panthers by a combined 69-10 last year. Van Pelt a transplanted West virginian and Richards a native of Trinidad and former Jamaica resident form an unusual geographical combination. But that a nothing new in the East which is College football �?T90. Up / Pitt George Gojkovich Curvin Richards swerved for 1,285 Yards and six touchdowns for the panthers in 1989. Feeling the aftershocks of Penn states Bolt to the big ten. Syracuse already is off Penn states schedule and rivalries Witer West Virginia and Pitt that Are among the oldest in College football May be the next to go. And while Penn state is already looking West it still must play three to four More seasons As an Eastern Independent. Coach Joe Pat Emo 63, says Penn states new affiliation has made him feel Youn again a appropriately enough since he coach one of his youngest teams in years. The Kittany Lions return 13 starters from an 8-3-1 team but 90 percent of their 1990 team will be underclassmen. A i done to recall a younger football team in All my years at Penn state a said Pat Emo who has no plans to retire until he coaches the Lions first big ten game. Penn state has experience at quarterback where Pat Emo must choose Between Tony Sacca and Tom Bill but the problem is both have experienced consistency problems. West Virginia which will learn if there a life after major Harris Isnit the Only Eastern team that lost a franchise player. Penn state will replace Blair Thomas the no. 2 rusher in its history with Leroy Thompson who ran for 68 Yards in the Holiday bowl. A few hours South of state College West Virginia went 8-3-1, but coach Don Nehlen must perform magic to replace Harris. What did Harris mean to the mountaineers Only three bowl games a National title game against notre Dame in the 1988 season and unprecedented National visibility. Taking Harris place will be Greg Jones who has a terrific passing Arm but lacks majors improvisational skills. That Sall right by Nehlen who privately wondered late last season if Harris should stick More to the playbook than the plays he Drew up in the dirt. There will be plenty of unfamiliar names in Syracuse s lineup but coach Dick Macpherson expects no drop off from Orange teams that were 29-6-1 the last three years and 8-4 in 1989. Star wide receiver Rob Moore quarterback Bill Scharr and 1,000-Yard tailback Michael Owens Are gone but Junior receiver Rob Carpenter who had 41 catches and 300-Pound Center John Flannery Are among seven returning offensive starters. Where have you gone Doug Flutie Boston College was 2-9, but eight starters return from a team that lost five games by a combined 14 Points. Ohio state and Penn state Are on the schedule but at least they re at Home where coach Jack Bicknell a eagles have a Knack of knocking off big name opponents. Navy a new coach sex Marshall coach George Chaump does no to want the midshipmen to be anyone a chumps. He has junked the Wishbone offence and restored the pass to an offence led by Alton Griz try who has 3,832 total Yards in three seasons. Army Isnit about to break the a Bone despite a 6-5 season and an upset loss to Navy. Mike Mayweather ran Well enough out of the Wishbone to set school records for single season 1,177 and career 2,961 Yards. Last year Wasny to exactly a lost cause for Temple but it almost was. It took a 36-33 upset Over Rutgers in the final game to prevent an 0-11 season and present first year coach Jerry Berndt with his first Victory. He expects More in 1990 As 16 starters return prompting him to say a a we re going to bigger stronger and helps Hall come Back by Ralph Bernstein state College a. A to probably knew Penn state coach Joe Patci head be asked to defend bringing tired Florida gators head coach Galen Hall in As an unpaid graduate assistant. At least he was prepared for it. Hall fired by Florida last year after he admitted violating Mcaa rules was added to the Penn state Start this season As tight ends coach. The decision was seen As curious by some especially considering Patch not a reputation for running a High class football program. A i done to condone what Galen did but he a paid a stiff enough penalty a Pat Emo said at Penn states Prisca son Media Day. A a in be known Galen since 1 recruited him out of High school when i was an assistant Here. He comes from a Small town 30 Miles Down the Hall who played quarterback for the Kittany Lions from 1959 to �?T61, has been keeping a Low profile. During mondays picture Day he left Early. A just a year ago Hall said he gave a player Money to travel Home for a family emergency and admitted to supplementing inc income of some assistants with his own Money. Both Are Mcaa violations. The school still faces sanctions for Halls violations As Well As those of others at Florida. Penn state sports information director Budd Thalman said Pat Emo had no objection to Hall talking with the Media but added that Hall did no to feel Comfort Mable with the Situa-1 Tion and did no to f want to create a a what he d d at Florida was Mot premeditated murder a Pat Emo said. A a in be been very i close to Galen. We be stayed very close All these years. Ii helped get him Joe Pat Emo coaching jobs a at West Virginia and also Oklahoma. A a in a close to his Mother and family. When it happened 1 called him and told him if he needed help Call me. I told him he could come Back As a graduate assistant take a couple of courses stay in coaching. I feel he should stay in coaching. Its been his Frosh Toots his Horn Austin Texas. Apr no one can accuse Butch Hadnot a University of Texas football recruit of lacking school spirit. To show his enthusiasm the 6-foot-2, 217-Pound freshman running Back has Cut the figure of a longhorn on the Back of his head. A with me Corning to it i wanted to Wear a longhorn at All times instead of every morning and every evening a Hadnot said. A when people ask me if i plan to be a great running Back 1 make this statement. I Tell them in a at the baby running Back stage now. But once i learn and get my full level in a going to do some permanent damage to the
