European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - August 27, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 36 the stars and stripes sports saturday August 27,1994 a state soars on winds of change by Owen Canfield Oklahoma City a in a year when Nebraska played for the National championship. And the big eight sent four teams to bowl games the big Story in the conference last season was Kansas state. The wildcats please no More mild cats references went -1 in 1993. They beat Oklahoma for the first time since 1970, tied Colorado and gave be Plains preview Braska a scare. Then they walloped Wyoming 52-17 in the Copper bowl Only their second bowl game Ever. It was certainly a positive year and we were pleased with where we were when the final gun sounded coach Bill Snyder said. I can t Tell you i was  Snyder has turned around a program that was one of the worst in division i. His five year record is 27-28-1, remarkable when you consider the wildcats were 6-47-2 in the previous five years. Each year under Snyder expectations have risen. They Are higher still this year Given the Success of 1993 and the return of some outstanding players. Leading that list is senior Chad May who was chosen the league s top quarterback by the coaches last year after throwing for a school record 2,682 Yards. He is one of six starters Back on offence. May was kept out of Spring practice due to a knee injury but Snyder said his quarterback is Back to 100 percent. The question is How Good can he arid will he be Snyder said. 4 he s not As Good a quarterback As he can be. We want to see that continued improvement. He could be a very special  a concern is in the defensive secon Dary where All four starters Are gone including ail conference picks Jamie men Dez and Thomas Randolph. Snyder said his biggest concerns there Deal with inexperience not Lack of Talent. The expectation level is greater now than it has been he said. The expectations of our constituency Are much higher. The expectations of the players and people directly involved with the program Are higher. That s a positive. I think we prefer sex freshman sensation James Allen will Start again at tailback for Oklahoma. A file this much More than we do the alternative which is no expectations whats Oev  that s never a problem at Nebraska where the Cor huskers have been to 25 straight bowl games and have won at least nine games in each of Tom Osborne s 21 years As head coach. Last season Nebraska came within a whisker of winning its first National championship under Osborne losing to Florida state 18-16 in the Orange bowl. The players realize last year they came very close and have the Confidence to know they played Well Osborne said. They have the incentive to get the whole thing done this  they have As Good a Chance As anyone in the big eight to reach the Orange bowl. The Cor huskers have lost some outstanding players from last year most notably All american linebacker Trev Alberts and running Back Calvin Jones but As always Osborne has a wealth of Talent with which to rebuild. The person to watch will be Junior quarterback Tommie Frazier who was bothered by ankle and shoulder injuries last year. All eyes will be on the quarterback at Oklahoma which for the first time in four years will not be Cale Gundy. He graduated after setting school passing re cords and the Job now belongs to trans Fer Garrick Mcgee. Mcgee started his College career at Arizona state then moved on to a Junior College for one year. He will have eight returning starters to work with including conference freshman of the year running Back James Allen but his development will be crucial. And he will get tested right away the sooner open on the Road against Syracuse and Texas am. Colorado -1 loses one of the country s top receivers in Charles John son but Little else from an offence that averaged a league High 470 Yards per game last season. Coach Bill Mccartney will also have seven starters Back on de sense. He Hopes to improve in big games. Colorado lost on the last play of the game to Stanford lost late to Miami and lost by four Points to Nebraska. We were disappointed that we did t play better at crunch time in close games Mccartney said. But we were encouraged by winning our last four games and getting a Good bowl  Larry Smith of Missouri is the first new coach in the big eight since Snyder and Oklahoma s Gary Gibbs came aboard in 1989. Smith replaces Bob Stull who went 15-38-2 during his five years in Columbia. Missouri is expected to finish in the Bottom half of the conference standings along with Oklahoma state  and Iowa state . Tulsa has a big void to fill on offence. Sophomores Troy Degar and Casey Borin Are battling to replace Gus fre Rotte at quarterback and neither of them has Ever taken a snap at Tulsa. The Hurr Richane also loses Chris Penn who led the Mcaa in receiving last year. Pitt picks Transfer As starter Pittsburgh a Pitt coach Johnny majors chose a Start ing quarterback and it was not his old quarterback. Sean Fitzgerald a Transfer from los Angeles Valley College has beaten put returning regular John Ryan and will Start the panthers sept. 3 opener against no. 18 Texas in Pitt stadium. The 6-foot-4 Fitzgerald threw for a school record 3,134 Yards in 11 games last season at los an Geles Valley. We have decided to name Sean the starting quarterback and that is it majors said wednesday. I think both 6f them Are ready to do a very Good Job for us at this  by starting Fitzgerald majors believes he improves not Only his no. 1 offence but his no. 2 offence with Ryan supplanting the ineffective Ken Ferguson As the backup. Huskers banking that Phillips can Light up their scoreboard by Tom Vint Lincoln neb. A Sophomore running Back Lawrence Phillips can t wait for the Chance to become Well Law rence Phillips. Phillips will get his first major College football Start for no. 4 Nebraska on Sun Day against no. 24 West Virginia in the Kickoff classic. He figures it will be his coming out party after the departure of Nebraska s two time All big eight run Ning Back Calvin Jones Phillips a 6-foot, 200-Pounder, emerged a year ago when Jones was Side lined Early in the season with a knee in jury and replacement Damon Benning struggled Early against Urcla. Phillips a freshman carried 28 times for 137 Yards and scored on a 5-Yard run. He came in for the injured Jones in the Orange bowl against Florida state to gain 64 Yards on 13 carries in an 1846 loss for the National championship. He s never started a game before but he s been in some very Tough games coach Tom Osborne said. You won t get any tougher than the second half of the Orange bowl and it won t get any tougher than Urcla. It was 14-13 and he Hung onto the Ball. I have no doubts that he will compete. His Talent is very  i guess being behind Calvin gives you a lot of publicity because when Calvin goes Down everybody knows Phillips said. And everyone wants to know who s going to replace him. That kind of gave me and All our other i backs a lot of publicity. I think for right now that s what i am his replacement. I think maybe As the season goes on i la prove myself and be Lawrence Phillips then instead of Cal Vin s  Osborne knows Phillips Talent Al though he is not ready to compare him with such Nebraska greats As Roger Craig Mike Rozier Derek Brown or even Jones. He is a very Good player. But we have some other talented players at that Posi Tion the coach said. Tackle Rob Zatechka is More to the Point. Lawrence is going to be incredible the fifth year senior Blocker said Phillips said he is a different Type run Ner than Jones. Jones was bigger and was More of a Power Back capable of running through a tackle Phillips is elusive and runs away from people. Osborne notes he has 4.48-second Speed in the 40-Yard i.,. � dash. .-.,.had Jones not departed for the nil Nebraska could Jive added Phillips for tandem running backs much like Jones and Derek Brown in 1992. Jones Power and strength was a Good combination for the shifty Speed of Brown. Phillips runs like Brown. He also is like Brown in not getting too excited about much of anything. You Don t really get too excited he said. I Haven t really been the starter for a game yet in the actual  but his showings last year made him a Welcome member of the team head fitted. A lot of the older players give you re Spect now he said. You Don t feel like you re on the outside looking in like a freshman outsider. I guess you feel like you re fitting in. It s a lot