Show "iTr 1 t S?arKja'd Examiner Fndav Nov 23 1990 48 Cowboys riding high set sights on playoffs The Assooa'ed Press NFL Not only do the 1990 Dallas Cowboys bear no resemblance to leaders — better than the their hapless of a year ago but they are suddenly chasing an NFC wildcard playoff berth “We’re not just try ing to have a prede-'cesso- one-victo- rs boys Dallas Coach Jimmy Johnson said the Cowboys aren’t going to make the mistake of thinking playoffs yet In fact he ordered conditioning work for the team today “We want to stay close to our routine” Johnson said “We’ll let them off over the weekend I think we’re going to continue to year" Cowboys’ quarterback Troy Aikman said “We’re looking to win the rest of break-eve- n our games Our goal is 9-- Rookie Emmitt Smith rushed 23 times for 132 yards and scored twro touchdowns Thursday as the Cowboys defeated their traditional NFC East 7 the Washington Redskins k victofor their first improve" Johnson said he knows Smith is improving “What can you say about Emmitt Smith?” Johnson said “He’s going to be a great player in the arch-riva- ls 27-1- back-to-bac- ries since 1987 Dallas improved its record to its best mark since the team won seven games three years ago Washington which has now lost all four of its Thanksgiving games against the Cowboys dropped to 5 Both teams are in the chase for d berths the three NFC Philadelphia is 6 and Green Bay 5 with the only NFC records — excepting the division 5-- Cow- NFL" 7 Washington comerback Martin May hew said Smith “is the best back we’ve faced this year The turf was slippery' and it affected everyone’s play except his” Smith said he wants to become more of a force in the Dallas offense 6-- wild-car6-- “I got the ball in my hands enough today and I’m satisfied" 5-- vVo he said “I know this: Winning two in a row is really going to help the confidence of this team It’s the first time in a long time" Washington Coach Joe Gibbs said Smith “is a very very good back We also missed some tackles too that helped him out" Dallas had lost four straight games on Thanksgiving Day It’s on the holiday now Gibbs said Dallas is becoming a force under Johnson “You can see Dallas coming on in leaps and bounds" Gibbs said Johnson wouldn’t declare the victory “All victories count the same" he said “But I’m extremely proud We’ve gone through some difficult times " Smith scored on runs of 1 and 48 yards “That last run just killed us" Washington linebacker Wilbur 15-7- -1 extra-speci- al Marshall said “Smith is phenomenal no ques- tion" Aikman said “He doesn’t have great speed but he’s tremendously quick” Washington’s Mark Rvpien hit See NFL on 7B The Associated Detroit running bee k Barry Sanders weaves his way through Denver defenders during Thurs- - yards in his last five games However Utah State finally found its first consistent quarterback since Brent Snyder in junior college transfer Ron Lopez Even though Lopez’s numbers aren’t quite as impressive as Detmer’s he has passed for 1692 yards this season and has five games over 200 yards But he hasn’t had to throw d with Roger Grant in the Grant has 1319 yards on the ground this season which ranks him fourth in the country The Aggies have already broken their chain of eight losing seasons With a win on Saturday they finish with a winning record for the first time since 1980 Never mind the fact that BYU has had a winning record for the last 17 years “You could see it (the improvement) coming" said BYU Coach La Veil Edwards “This is the best Aggie team in the last 10 years They are coming along offensively and they have always been good on the defensive By TOM CHRISTENSEN Standard Examiner staff PROVO — It’s been awhile but the Utah State-Bngha- m Young University football senes is showing signs of becoming more competitive Consider these facts: will enter The Aggies (5-4-- 1) Cougar Stadium on Saturday e win streak — nding a their longest since 1978 They have won those four games by an impressive average four-gam- margin of back-fiel- 46-2- 0 has Meanwhile BYU (9-d won five straight The their Cougars whipped opponents by an average of 7 since losing to Oregon on 1) fourth-ranke- 50-1- Sept 29 BYU quarterback Ty Det-mwho is already beginning to rake in armloads of recognition (Football News W'alter Camp Western Athletic Conference and has passed for 10121 yards in his career He has thrown for 316 464 397 484 and 451 er Scripps-How-ar- d) all-ti- isfaction m where we are You have no idea how dark and dismal it was" However Shelton knows BYU is on a roll and will provide a bigger challenge than his last four victories over Nevada-La- s Vegas New Mexico State Fullerton State and the University of the Pacific — four sub- - 500 on 7S See tunes turn His first game with the program was a 52-- 0 loss at BYU in 1986 “It (the condition of the program) was bad” said Shelton “as bad as college football could be So I have some personal sat BYU-US- teams are determined strictly by grade point average Schools submit lists of student-athlete- s and their GPAs to the Utah High School Activities Association which releases the rosters on that basis: all-sta- te U - 4 Y w to BYU teammates PROVO (AP) — Sure he wants the Heisman Trophy Brigham Young University’s Ty Detmer will tell you But if he does collect the nation’s highest collegiate football honor two weeks from now Detmer insists it will belong just as much maybe more to his teammates In fourth-ranke- win over BYU’s d 45-2- 2 University of Utah last Saturday Detmer arch-nv- al had five touchdown passes while becoming the first junior quarterback to throw for two seasons of 4000 yards each (he has 4309 this year) The Cougars (9-clinched the Western Athletic Conference crown with the victory and this week Detmer added the WACs Offensive Player of the Year award to the season’s accomplishments His mentor LaVell Edwards won WAC Coach of 1) the Year honors as well “I definitely think we put up the numbers to wn it this year We had a great year” Detmer said “But it’s not just me doing the work it’s everybody combined “I think the biggest key to our offense this year is the offensive line They take the challenge every week I’ve had really great protection” he said Detmer is in a tight race for the Heisman prize with the likes of Notre Dame runner Raghib Ismail Colorado running back Eric Bieniemy Houston quarterback David Klmgler and Virginia quarterback Shawn Moore While Detmer demures Edwards usually a model of reticence forcefully argues his quarterback’s right to the coveted trophy “I think he really deserves the See DETMER on 7B EES '- I 40-2- Wildcats face unknown foe P V as Weber State hosts Prairie View A&M in opener Saturday all-sta- ! will 14-20- 1 Academic that challenge the respective secondaries Utah State's Tracey Jenkins has set a USU record for TD catches in a season with 13 and with a scoring snag Saturday he would be one short of the NCAA record for consecutive games with a TO catch which now stands at nine BYU's Andy Boyce went over the 1000-yar-d mark for receptions this season and has 65 catches Aggies’ running back Roger Grant (1319 yards) will challenge a BYU defense that has only given up 105 4 yards per game on the ground so far this season NOTEBOOK: Utah State beat its Big West Conference foes by an The scoring margin (15 8) Is the best for the Aggies average of 371-21- 3 in their 13 years in the PCAABig West BYU Is riding a seven-gam- e win streak against Utah State and is 13-- 2 against the Aggies since 1975 Utah State is against the Cougars in Provo BYU quarterback Ty Detmer has 10121 yards career passing which is fifth on NCAA list With two games left In the regular-seaso- n the the junior needs only 503 yards to move Into second place behind former San Diego State quarterback Todd Santos at 11425 side of the ball” After five years Utah State Coach Chuck Shelton has finally seen the Aggies’ football for- two touchdowns for 147 yards and die Lions won 7 Detmer gives credit for superb season Aggies are aiming l'gg3mSBME y BYU to shoot down KICKOFF: Noon at Cougar Stadium TV -- RADIO: Channel 5: 1160 610 630 AM LAST MEETING: 1989 BYU 37 USU 10 SERIES RECORD: Utah leads 32-30- -3 ' -1 USU RECORD: BWC overall BYU RECORD: 7-- 0 WAC 9-- 1 overall KEY MATCHUPS: Both teams feature consistent wide receivers t OGDEN — You can’t fight an SATURDAY: Praine View A&M at Weber State 730 pm enemy you can’t see It’s equally K MONDAY: Southern Utah State at Weber State 730 difficult preparing for an unpm known foe E RADIO: KLO 1430 AM A mysterious n eneIn 1989-9E PRAIRIE VIEW RECORD: In 1989-9- 0 my is what the Weber State ESUSC RECORD: men’s basketball team will face In 1989-9WEBER STATE RECORD: 5 E LAST MEETING: Prairie View first meeting 1989-9Weber State 66 Saturday in its regular-seaso- n SUSC 65 opener against Prairie View E SERIES RECORD: Prairie View first meeting WSC leads SUSC 1 A&M Tipoff is scheduled for E KEY MATCHUPS: Nothing is known about Prairie View SUSC boasts a 730 pm m the Dee Events Cenpowerful rebounder In Willie Allen and that could spell trouble for the ter Wildcats who were not a strong rebounding team last season If Bobby knight of Indiana and E NOTEBOOK: Elwood Plummer returns to coach Prairie View He had a Dean Smith of North Carolina record from 1973-7- 9 Weber State was fortunate to beat Southern are at college basketball’s highest Utah State last year The Thunderbirds had a chance to tie and win the profile level the Panthers — game with five seconds left but Richard Barton bncked two tree throws coached by Elwood Plummer — One of SUSC’s point guards is former Layton High standout Rod Dixon are at the other end of the spectrum No one knows anything about them opponenL” Huston said “It’s just sion I opponent to meet Big Sky standards and Prairie View was They aren’t mentioned in any like preparing for our first oppoof the preseason college hoop penent in the exhibition time” all we could find" riodicals There isn’t even a menThere are reasons for the lack Here is what little information tion of their existence in the of n of this is available: Last season Praine notoriety magazines that list the smallest of team from the Texas panhandle View finished 9 in conference schools Problems within the Panthers’ overall and its top play and The school itself doesn’t help athletic last spring two scorers and rebounders arc department matters Prairie View’s sports ineventually led to the resignation gone from last year’s team formation department and basof their athletic director The team might start Lorenzo ketball office didn’t answer their View Praine out of the Tolbert at center Terry Bryant dropped phones this week issued no me- Southwestern Athletic Conferand Daryl Pope at forward and dia guide or press release Not even the Weber State ence and dismantled most of its Deon Samuel and Michael Irvin m the backcourt coaches have a clue There isn’t program Only the basketball team escaped the purge But no one really knows until an inch of video on them or a a conference Without the time game of evidence of who these whisper Panthers play an independent The mystery team leaves HusPanthers are schedule of Division 1 teams ton with a simple game plan Who arc these guys? “The only thing wc know is Since the disappearance of most “We’ll play the way wc know best and adjust to the way we arc they played an exhibition game independents teams like Prairie for being attacked on defense and ofagainst a military base in the View have had to scramble a That with and problem Houston area and won” said games fense" he said WSC Coach Denny Huston “Wc the Wildcats’ schedule brings this And unlike others who might team to Ogden think wc know their proposed fret without access to a scouting “Wc were supposed to play report and video Huston has starters and know we arc looking at a new coach and a totally new Austin Peay and found out they found a silver lining in a had sitweren’t coming" said Huston situation uation “It ts going to he an unknown “Wc had to come up with a Divi Sec Wildcats on 7B little-know- A V 8 l V? jI 0 13-1-5 Si ! i 14-1- 0 0 7-- Robert Elwood Ben Lomond Football Cam Quayle Ben Lomond Football James Saunders Bart Fawbush John Bltner Clearfield Football Bonneville Football Layton Football 101-6- 7 I K- J ' ft i v y 4 f little-know- I 5-- 9-- 18 Michael VanBIbber Jennifer Vahlen Layton Ogden Girls soccer Football Jennifer Steele Clearfield Girls soccer Mary Richards Roy Girls soccer Tiffany McCormick Weber Girls soccer v l ' vj- - jtp j J i v V Hillary Nystrom Rafe Connors Michael Bonneville Ogden Boysgolf Ogden Boys golf Girls soccer Not pictured: Russell Allred Weber boys golf Thorstensen Peterson Jed Brunson Ben Lomond Boys golf Bon Lomond Boys golf Val Press day’s duel Sanders rushed |