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Show M DAILY H E I A L D Thursday, September 1 2004 COLLEGE SPORTS A win could mark emergence for Utes BYUvoUeybaU welcomes 13 new faces to team Doug Alden THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Utah SALT LAKE CITY opens the season with a chance to show it belongs in the Top 25. With a No. 20 ranking in their first ever preseason poU appear- -' ance, the Utes play host to Texas A&M today. A win solidifies their status as an emerging program; a loss relegates them to just another mediocre team from the West. Although coach Urban Meyer loves the buzz Utah football has created after his first season 10-- 2 and a Mountain West Conference title he's tired of talking about high expectations. "I'm anxious for it to disappear," Meyer said, "and I think it will when that foot hits the ball at 5:45." Local officials have declared today "Utah Day," hoping fans can sneak out of work for pregame festivities before the early evening kickoff. StadiUtah set a um attendance record last season with 46,768 against California, and could top that against the Aggies. "The atmosphere feels way different than when we played a couple years ago. The whole city seems hyped," running back Marty Johnson said. "I'm driving to school, I see 'IPs painted on the street. It just seems like everybody's ready to go." This kind of atmosphere has-- . n't been seen recently at Utah, at least for football. A&M may have more tradition and play in the powerful Big 12 Conference, but the Utes are favored. Aggies offensive lineman Aldo De La Garza remembers that A&M road games against teams usualhr resulted in easy victories. "Now it's different," he said, "but being an underdog can be the greatest feeling in the world." As quickly as the excitement about football has taken over the Utah campus, it could disappear just as fast with a loss.' A&M was the only team to beat Utah last season. The Aggies scored the first three touchdowns, then held off the Utes on a conversion attempt with 8 sec- - Darnell Dickson , mm m Continued from Bl Oklahoma last year. Franchuk sez: Utah 31, Texas A&M 17 I Friday New Mexico vs. Washington State (6 p.m., ESPN) This is another very important game for a MWC team, as far as national reputation goes. Granted, like Utah, it's catching a typically top-2-5 team far from its zenith. But the Lobos can make some noise on this one. The key will be New Mexico's stacked running game, led by DonTrell Moore and D.D. Cox the best duo in the league. If Dos Lobos run wild, New Mexico wins. Simple as that. We think they won't. Washington State has only 13 seniors nine of whom are actually on scholarship but it's stiU a team used to bigger games than New Mexico. Franchuk sez: Wazzu 27, New Mexico 22 I Saturday Air Force vs. California (10 am, ESPN2) OK, this is going to get booed a lot around here, but one of the most fun to watch players in the MWC left after last seasoa Spunky, gritty, a little cocky, and Air Force could sure use its old Quarter back Chance Harridge this year. Alas, he's gone. So are the Falcons' chances against a nationally ranked opponent. Shaun Carney, a freshman, will start against the No. 13 Golden Bears. Whether he lasts more than a week remains to be seea He won the job in part because junior Adam Fitch ruptured an Achilles tendon during spring practices. Oh, Harridge, where art thou? Franchuk sez: Cal 31, Air t Force 12 If BYU men's volleyball coach Tom Beterson gets one of the players' name wrong in . the coming months, please forgive him. Among the 13 new players on BYLTs roster this season will be John Thomas (Chino Hills, Calif.) and Hunter Beaumont (Rancho Sante Fe, Calif.), both members of the Fab50, an elite list of the nation's prep volleyball players. Thomas is a Woot-- 5 outside hitter and Beaumont, also an .outside bitter, stands 6-Seven BYU seniors graduated after winning the 2004 NCAA title in May and another six players on the roster decided to serve IDS missions. That includes Chris Gorny, who was a senior, and Stefan RangeL who decided to transfer but has since chosen to serve a mission. It means a lot of new faces in the Smith Fieldhouse and a lot of new names for Peterson to remember. "We're excited for the new season to start," Peterson said. "For all the new guys, it's just really hard for them to come out of high school and be a factor, right away. Some of . them will probably redshirt. But you just don't know." Many of the new players will be designated for the sec- ond practice court on the west side of a huge curtain in the Smith Fieldhouse, a place the players have dubbed "The Dark Side." While Peterson has just 3 12 scholarships, he usually has 20 to 25 players in the gym vying for spots. More on the other new faces: Mike Pfieffer is a 5 outside hitter, a transfer from Red Deer College in Canada. Peterson said Pfieffer was an outstanding high school player who has had shoulder troubles and hasn't played for nearly four years. "He could be a real Peterson said. m M Ml" JAMES A. FINLEV Associated Press Texas A&M quarterback Reggie McNeal sets tfpass during the first half against Missouri in Columbia, Mo., on Nov. 15, 2003. McNeal will start at quarterback this season, even though he missed all of spring practice recovering from surgery to his bnds left for a 6 win at Col, lege Station. Brett Elliott was Utah's quarterback in that game, but broke his wrist on the conversion attempt and was lost indefinitely. Alex Smith took over and was an unexpected success, passing for 2,247 yards and 15 touchdowns. He also threw just three interceptions in Utah's spread offense. "We did not see him last year, but watching him on tape he's obviously kind of special," A&M coach Dennis Franchione 28-2- that didn't involve USCs Mike 30-2- 3, relaxed and ready. While Utah players are saying little about their lofty goals, fans are already talking about the Utes cracking the Bowl Championship Series lineup. "That's the best thing, when people talk smack like that," De La Garza said. "And then when we go over there and upset them there's nothing better than that. They have every reason in the world to be talking smack like that, but the game is played Thursday night. We'll see what happens thea" dark-horse- "As far as scheme, we knew what they were doing on both sides of the ball," Crowton said. "We moved the ball well but . didn't score as many points as I would have liked. Our defense played well for three quarters but wore down at the end. We know Notre Dame will be real physical right down to the end. We have to do the same." Crowton said he expected Notre Dame's defense to be good agaia "They have six starters ing back," Crowton said. "No. 44 (Justin Tuck) is their best returner. He came off knee surgery and he's an outstanding pass rusher and he's very athletic. Their front seven is the best part of their defense.'' Willingham said he knows BYU wiU throw the baU but he .doesn't want to allow a running game to get established. "We know and recognize that over the years, their preference has been to throw the football," Willingham said. "But at the same time, if we let them have a run game, then they become Beck. Nan-tke- s will be UNLV's starting n quarterback and Shane should see action in every game, coach John Robinson said. He stressed that the coaching staff will not be disclosing when and how Steichen will fit into each week's game plan. Either way, it's Rocky Top all the way this week. Wish that I was on ol' Rocky Top Down in the Tennessee hills Ain't no smoggy smoke on i Rocky Top Ain't no telephone bills Ste-iche- Colorado State at Colorado (6 pm, Fox Sports Net) Maybe the toughest game to call in this week's slate. Both teams are young and this game is one that rides on so much momentum and emotion. Colorado just lost its star spePhone this one in: Franchuk cial teams player, Jeremy sez,UT45,UNLV3 Bloom, who was not given the OK to ski for money and play I Jason Franchuk can be football for free. (Worst rereached at cent decision by the NCAA jfranchukheraldextra.com. 1 u i V."':; 0 down with its outside hitters and its blockers. Utah hit .301. UVSC mustered .034, and Utah's enormous height advantage at the net played a big role.. The Wolverines were victims of 19.5 team blocks. "My goodness, they blocked a lot," Atoa said. Utah, also playing its season opener, jumped out to a 0 lead in the first game to quickly set - 4-- the tone for what kind of quick night it was going to be. A Utah County player had one of the key plays early. Emil-li- e Toone of American Fork, playing in her first collegiate game, recorded a crowd-pleas- ing block that raised Utah's lead to 15-- That came right after Atoa called timeout to try and keep the game from becoming lopsided. Utah has high hopes for the freshman Toone, whose sister, J I n. y-- sitions. Phil Swenson (6-- 5 opposite), Brian Congelliere (6-- 2 setter), Trent Sorensen (&6 oppositemiddle blocker) and Josh Edlinger (6-- oppositeoutside hitter) are all returned missionaries hoping to make an impact on the program. BYU beat Long Beach State in five games in May for the 2004 NCAA men's volleyball championship. Setter Carlos Moreno, the NCAA and MPSF player of the year, returns for his senior season. BYU opens the 2005 season on Jan. 6 in Hawaii at the Outrigger Classic. 5 I Darnell Dickson can be reached at 344-255- or by 5 at ," ddicksonheraldextra.com Utes 24-rank- ed Amie, also plays for the Utes as a sophomore. She's more than she just a tall body. At has skills and athleticism that give Utah a dimension it hasn't had. "We can do a lot of creative things because of Emillie," said Utah coach Beth Launiere. "She's good now. And weonry -expect her to continue to get The third game was the most painful for UVSC One point was lost because of a slip-u- p in rotation order. After putting together a three-poistring that cut Utah's lead to the Utes reeled off 13 of the last 15 points, including the last eight. -r- rAfoa-said nothing stood out v' immediately after the game. better." There were some bright spots, Emillie Toone finished with and it's early in the seasoa The four kills and three assists. stat sheet he held in his hand UVSC actually played a while talking to the media didn't tell the whole story of how well stronger second game, even though the score didn't show , his team played. that. A kill by Alina Wallauer, a But he knows the piece of pasenior who led UVSC with 11 per didn't exactly lie, either. kills, gave the Wolverines a 1 "Right now I'm just thinking lead their first and only of about what we need to do in the night before Utah again practice to get better," Atoa showed its superiority. said. Several times UVSC whittled the deficit to one point. Most I Jason Franchuk can be times poor' serves killed the moreached at ' mentum. jfranchukheraldextra.com. nt 17-1- 4, 2-- y j St. George. "Paul just wanted a chance to play instead of being a backup," Crowton said. "He said he wanted to come back to BYU when he's finished at Dixie. That's a great program." I Walkenhorst still undecided: Crowton said junior wide receiver Michael Morris, sophd-more tight end Phillip Niu and sophomore defensive back ICC Bills are out for the season with injuries and that senior linebacker Paul Walkenhorst has stiU not been cleared by his doctors to play. Walkenhorst had back surgery and missed the ities. p.nv (6-5- 6-- bye week to prepare for Notre Dame and trailed just 16-- 7 at the half. But in a reoccurring theme, the BYU offense couldn't capitalize on its opportun- with Matt Berry and John - 30-1- Continued from Bl quasi-platoo- : 30-1- 9, BYU ' ESPN2) The Rebels Will be doing a n system at quarterback, like BYU did last year senior Kurt HERALD SALT LAKE CITY Never mind the score for a moment. Utah Valley State College volleyball coach Sam Atoa took pride in the team's performance against a tough first opponent. The Wolverines opened the season their first one in which every match must be against a Division I opponent 6 setwith a back at nationally ranked Utah on Wednesday night. "We kept working hard, swinging away," Atoa said. "We just know we have to get better. Utah is a very good team and they presented a number of challenges for us." The Utes are ranked No. 24 in the USA TodayCoflege Sports TV preseason coaches polL UVSC can attest to their worthiness. Utah can put the ball ISU 3 r Fran-chione- DAILY San Diego State vs. Idaho State, 7 p.m. Not a bad week for either team. ISU gets a nice, expenses-paid trip to mainland paradise. The Aztecs get to face the least intimidating Bengals this side of Cincinnati. Franchuk sez: SDSU 41, Fifth-yea- high-powere- Jason Franchuk Wyoming vs. Appalachian State, 1 p.m. If you've been reading between the parentheses, you'll notice this is one of the few MWC games not on TV this week. Wonder why. Scientifically, this game is impossible to figure out. It should still be kind of warm in Laramie, right? We'll base it on this: I know three people who went to school at Wyoming, only two that went to Appalachian State in Boone, North Carolina. Franchuk sez: Wyoming 3, ASU2 I Sunday UNLVat Tennessee X6 said. "He plays a little bit like a seasoned veteran from the way he came in and took off on their offense." d And a offense could be bad news for the Aggies. The vaunted "Wrecking Crew" defense finished 96th nationally in total defense after al's lowing 465 points in first season. Aggies quarterback Reggie McNeal missed spring practice because of shoulder surgery, but returned in time for fall camp. He said he was healthy, shoulder: Wolverines fall to No. Williams.) CSU is young in key spots, too, especially without the Mullet Wonder at quarterback. Goodbye Bradlee Van Pelt, hello Justin Holland. The thing to wonder most is, how will the CU community react to its football team? Just a hunch, Franchuk sez: CU 24, CSU 22 . 2. m m m M Another transfer is Allan Mount, a 5 middle blocker and setter who played his first two seasons at UCLA before serving an LDS mission. At middle blocker, Peterson only returns starters Michael Burke and Victor Batista and reserve Russell Holmes, and Batista could be moved to opposite hitter. That might open up a spot for Mount or UVSC transfer Bryan Stewart ) in the middle. Scot Cox is another UVSC recruit, a 64 outside hitter. Byron MacKay, a Ebero, and Spencer Orr, a Skyline High grad, are other prep recruits. There is one familiar face returning to the Fieldhouse: Casey Patterson, a 6--5 outside hitter who played at BYU in 2002 and 2003. Patterson left the program to pursue a career in beach volleyball but didn't find the opportunities he was looking for. "Casey went to Hawaii and started training, but he found out nobody was playing there much," Peterson said. "He found out he should be in school and wanted to come back. Well see how it goes." Patterson is a versatile athlete who can play multiple po6-- HERALD . Rice-Eccl- Franchuk DALY 2003 JOSHUA MOWNDaily Herald Quarterbacks begin practice Tuesday afternoon at the BYU practice field. The team is preparing for its first game of the season against Notre Dame on Saturday. - , that kind of double-edgesword; that you cant stop it no matter what you're doing. So we have got to first make sure we pay attention to their running game." Fatal Tahi and Curtis Brown figure to do most of the running for BYU with freshmen Bryce Mahuflca and Raymond Hudson backing them up. "Fahu is experienced and he's very physical m running and pass protection," Crowton said. d "He can change directions quickly and he has outstanding hands. Both he and Curtis will play there." I Going South: Offensive tackle Paul Fisher 305 pounds, So.) has decided to transfer to Dixie State College in St. George. He win play on the same offensive line as his brother, Scott, who was also at BYU but transferred in 2003. Both Fishers also played for Dixie High in seasoa "It's getting late in the season and he's stifl not been cleared," Crowton said. "We cant ask for sixth year of eligibility for him until the end of the seasoa We'll miss him right off the bat early." I Good sports At Wednesday's media luncheon, BYU director of athletics Val Hale talked about the school's new "A" program, which promotes good sportsmanship by asking fans to be ftiendly, heard, considerate, safe and true blue. The A symbol wfll be placed are aH BYU sports venues. - I Herald Dickson sports editor Darnell can be reached by ; . dVucfesonheraIdextra.com at 344-255- 5. . or |