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Show SOUTH! CITY THE THUNDERBIRD TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 1989 v N-- I s it 7' mm . ! V . X 'rl S r K u cn 1 .3 V v J r" '' ;v- - x .. U v. L 'I x i Z' 1 Xv Vv E T M R 3 0 The two most potent offenses in the Western P E B E Football Conference will collide Sept. 30 as SUSC travels to Sacramento State. The Hornets lead the WFC in total offense averaging 453.3 yards a game. The Birds are close behind with 424.3 yards a contest. SUSC picks up most of those yards on the ground, leading the conference in rushing with a 248.7 average. CSUS is second with 182 yards a game. But the Hornets rushing defense is a stingy one, giving up just 86.7 yards a contest. Sac St. is led by senior quarterback Drew Wyant, who was named WFC player of the weak after a Hornet victory over West Texas State to begin the season. Wyant is the second rated passer in the conference with a 142.3 rating and a .547 completion percentage. Bird quarterback Rick Carter has a .500 percentage and a 116.7 rating. SUSCs Kelvin Minefee leads the WFC in rushing yards with 352 and has four touchdowns. CSUSs ground game is shared by Ed Bueno and Steve Buccellato. , o t at Sacramento State sX i X I ffjIM d run from scrimmage against Idaho State in a losing effort Sept. 16. The Bird fullback Michon Johnson breaks a run was the second longest in WFC and SUSC history. Thunderbird halfback Kelvin M inefee had a 99 yarder last year. 97-yar- I -- Gridders look to improve on last year, start BY game and a strong showing in fall drills. But Hutchings was 5 for 21 yards and had an BRENT RICHEY 2-- The first three games of the 1989 Thunderbird football season have been strange, each in its own rite. Game one was a faceoff with St. Marys College who last year went undefeated at 10-Game three was a showdown u'ith Idaho State who last year went Game two, the only finishing SUSC home game thus far, was a rematch with one of last years formidable foes Angelo State, a football team in the Texas tradition. What is so strange about these trivial tidbits? The Birds ended St. Marys hopes for a repeat, winning on the road, something they did not do at all last year. They played Angelo State tough at home, losing a heartbreaker on a few fourth quarter d letdowns. And in the third game, the Idaho State Bengals ended their losing Streak Thunderbirds. against the 0. 0-1- 1. never-say-dea- 12-ga- GAME ONE: SUSC 24, St. Mary's 23 The Birds began their season in the City by the Bay, taking on St. Marys who entered the contest hoping to pick up where they left off last year. SUSC linebacker Jason Thornburg made a gamesaving sack of Gael quarterback Tim Rosenkranz on conversion with only 2:00 left an attempted Bird win. in the game to preserve the 3 St. Marys had rallied from a 0 fourth quarter defecit, and pulled to within one point when fullback line. St. James Javier bulled in from the and for Rosenkranz the was win, Marys opted to go dropped before he could get off a pass on the two-poi- nt 24-2- 24-1- one-yar- PAGE 27 d conversion attempt. SUSCs Kelvin Minefee rushed for 117 yards and two scores as the Birds rolled up 210 yards on the ground and 371 yards of total offense. Quarterback Rick Carter passed for 140 yards while playing just the second half. Steve Hutchings started at QB for SUSC, after entering the race for the starting role in the spring interception by halftime? SUSC could muster only field goal by Herkey Marxen. three points a d Second half enter Carter. Carter wa$ 3 for 140 yards with one interception. But the Birds scored 14 points in the third quarter on Minefee runs of five and one. Thane Marshall added a two-yar- d run in the fourth quarter. With SUSC up 24-1the Gaels began a comeback. Rosenkranz hit Jason Sol for a TD that drive with 6:44 a to play. capped SUSCs next drive went four plays and nine yards. SMC took over on downs at the Bird 29. Seven plays later Javier brought the Gaels within one. On the two-poitry, Thornburg sacked Rosenkranz. 32-yar- 9-1- 0, 14-ya- rd 12-pla- y, 74-ya- rd nt GAME TWO: Angelo State 34, SUSC 23 SUSC returned home on a high, confident of their new defense and the return of last years offense under Carter. The Rams entered the game ranked fifth in Division 11. The Angelo State defense was anchored by linebacker Terry Tilton, 6-230, and defensive end 6-260. Bivens, Phillip They held the Birds to 125 Minefee to 77. As a result, the and yards on ground Carter was forced to go to the air, but with little better results. He was 6 for 236 yards and one interception. He had two TDs to Marshall, who had 7 receptions for 88 yards. The Rams jumped out to an early lead on a TD pass from Mickey Russell to Darron Johnson afteT Michon Johnson fumbled a punt to set drive. SUSC had trouble moving the up the one-pla- y ball and could only come up with two field goals before the half. ASU led 17-Russell marched his team downfield to open the third quarter, and threw an touchdown to 24-Junior Bell to stake ASU to a 6 lead. SUSC field goal in the third quarter. added a After a Ram field goal, the Birds drove 55 yards in less than two minutes to score on a TD from Carter 2, 4, 18-4- 41-ya- rd 6. 11-ya- rd 47-ya- rd 1-- 2 to Marshall. A two-poiconversion brought SUSC within 10, 27-1On the next series, Bell, who finished with 123 yards rushing for Angelo State, broke right on first down for a d touchdown that crushed the Bird comeback hopes. SUSC added another touchdown, but the extra point failed. ASU rolled up 370 yards on the ground against the Bird defense, but could only amass 112 yards through the air. nt 7. 36-yar- GAME THREE: Idaho State 37, SUSC 34 The disappointment of game two carried over into game three in Pocatello, Idaho. The Bengals made clear their intentions in the first quarter with two touchdowns to take a 14-- lead early. Minefee ran in from one yard out to end the first quarter to cut the deficit. In the second quarter the 0 Bird offense showed its capabilities as Minefee scored on a field run and Marxen added a But Idaho Bombard States kicked goal. two Troy through the uprights as the Bengals took a 20-1- 7 lead into the locker room. After another field goal to open the third quarter, ISU blocked a Steve McDowell punt and Roy Nebekcr returned it 32 yards for the score. The Bengals led 30-1SUSCs next possession took 14 plays and went 59 yards as Carter hit tight end Mike Schroeder on a d scoring strike to close the gap to 30-2- 4 to end the third quarter. 'Bird fullback Johnson then run from sparked the fourth quarter with a lead. SUSC the The was the to run give scrimmage second longest in school history behind Minefees last year. Minefee and Johnson combined for 62 rushing yards on the next SUSC drive that took the Birds to the Bengal two. But Carter coughed up the ball to ISU. It came back to haunt SUSC as Idaho State drove 59 yards to score on a quarterback sneak from a yard out with under two minutes to play, giving the Bengals the win and ending their losing skid. 49-ya- 28-ya- rd rd 7. six-yar- 97-ya- 99-yard- er rd ! |