Show Section Friday August 30 2002 ) ip-j- Pagel V’ ' TT S t The Herald Journal V Inside still big on defense U Aggie Curtis makes offense to face tough challenge Biletnikoff list By Shawn Harrison aportsedHor Defense That has been die first thought that comes to mind when you mention University of Utah football The Utes have been among the national leaders in teaim defense for years The 2002 season should be no different Utah returns eight starters to a defense that ranked 17th m total defense allowing 3082 yards a game 17th in pass efficiency defense (10300) and 13th in scoring defense (186 points) You can bet Utah State head coach Mick Dennehy is well aware of the Ute D as he prepares his team for the season opener Sat ' Martina Hingis rolls to victory B2 at the US Open Sports briefs Ag soccer opens play Utah State soccer opens its 2002 regular season at Idaho State Friday at 5 pm A win Friday would give USU its second-ev- er win in a season-openicontest as the Aggies beat ISU to open die 1998 season Last year die Aggies defeated ISU 4-- 1 Idaho State was on the season last year and finished second in die Big Sky Conference with a By Shewn Harrison urday at Romney Stadium “I asked our staff in a meeting ‘Do they have an inferior guy that you can pick on?’” Dennehy explained “Our offensive staff felt like they were all dam gprid football players There was It should be no surprise that Utah State wide receiver Kevin Curtis has turned up on the BiletnikoffAward watch list Curtis was one of 32 players named on Wednesday He led the nation in receptions per game in 2001 with 91 per game The Aggie senior set school records for receptions (100) and receiving yards (1531) last year Curtis earned third-teahonors from the Associated Press V M The Biletnikoff Award is in its ninth season not one that really has any weaknesses That becomes a big challenge for us” Senior defensive tackle Garrett Smith and junior defensive end Jason Kaufosi anchor the Ute trenches Smith has started 31 games and is on the watch list for the Outland Trophy and the Rotary Lombardi Award as is KaufusL Senior linebacker Sheldon Deckart led the 2001 Utes in tackles (86) tackles for loss (13) Sacks m : r- - v Time runs down 4-1- -1 record TTie Bengali return six starters from last season The Aggies defeated Dixie State College 2 in an exhibition match in Logan last Saturday Brigid Turner sewed two of USU’s four goals on the day while Lacey Poulton and Charlsie Harris each contributed a 4-- Negotiators still working n effort to avoid strike goal Utah State posted an overall record of last year and tied for eighth place in the Big West Confluence in head coach Jen Kennedy Croft’s first season -1 - Thursday's scores Big 5 football Brigham Young 42 Syracuse 21 WNBA Finals Los Angeles 71 New York 63 AL 1 NL Pittsburgh 4 Atlanta 1 Cincinnati 7 SL Louis 0 Chicago Cuba 13 Milwaukee 10 San Francisco 10 Colorado 6 Houston 5 San Diego 0 Philadelphia 2 Montreal 1 ' PCL Tacoma MCs Kim Crosbie prepares to take at Salt Lake late Pioneer League M© Ogden 15 Idaho Falls 14 Casper 5 Provo 4 On television SC BASKETBALL ESPN2 — FIBA World Championship for Men first round US vs Germany atlndtanapoKs " 8pm Mountain Crest ' girls soccer V 6 pm unbeaten teams “We let Kim go through her front-lin- e rotation and then we put her in on the wing because we didn’t have anybody else7 Mountain Crest coach Steve Saunders said Crosbie's goals were and came within a vs ESPN2 — Brian Viloria (8-(20-8-for vacant GRteflo Ker-BaNABF flyweight championship at New d) 1) York El LucaroHarald Journal and keeper Vanessa Hall defend Thursday minutes late in the game Sophomore forward span of Anna Baugh also found the back of the net while Naomi Felix's goal four minutes after intermission put the hosts up forgood 14) “After they got their first goal we kind of let it get to our heads and we kind of let down a little” Sky View midfielder T&baiha Merrill said “We weren’t talking as much and ' spreading the field like we should have “We weren’t playing our game We just weren’t clicking 10 ' Mountain Crest had been on die doorstep throughout the first halfr but the Mustangs could never punch one in despite having several good chances “We just knew we wanted if and we tried to step it up” Crosbie said of the second half today" - COLLEGE FOOTBALL SeeMConB4 back-to-ba- ck 6 pm NEW YORK (AP) — Baseball negotiators traded proposals and crunched numbers into early Friday morning inching toward a possible labor deal while the nation awaited word on whether players would strike later in the day Lawyers for both sideii shuttled between the commissioner’s office and union headquarters in the rain throughout the day Progress was coming slowly according to people who spoke to negotiators “We’re just going to keep working” said Bob DuPuy baseball’s chief operating officer “I’ve been prepared to stay for the night all week “Of course there is an increase in sense of urgency No one wants to lose a single game or a single day of games" If Moimtairi Crest forward Kimberly Crosbie wanted to thank anyone for her two goals Thursday afternoon teammate Cami Dreckxel would be a good choice Because she was going on a Labor Day vacation to Arizona Drecksel had to leave shortly after halftime of the Muetangs A Mustangs’ 4-- 0 romp over valley-riv- al Bobcats 0 ' —————— Sky View in what was a battle of pole qualifying for Southern 500 at Harris (7) UdD staff writer 1pm — NASCAR Winston Cup TNT BOXING a shot while SVs Reann By Wade Dennlston AUTO RACING Darlington There was no set time for the start of a strike which would be the sport’s ninth work stoppage since 1972 The first game affected would be St Louis at Chicago which is scheduled to begin at 3:20 pm EDT Fourteen games are scheduled at night but the union told players not to report if an agreement isn’t reached “We’re not going to send players to that stadium to take hading practice and open up the gates and all that ' stuff” Tampa Bay player See STRIKE on B4 ' ESPN— Oklahoma at TUsa u See CURTIS on B2 11-7- -2 Toronto 7NY Yt Texas®' Baltimore 6 Anaheim 6 Tampa Bay 4 See BIG mi B2 Region 4 girls soccor ng I OOLFv 7am- TGC — European PGA Tour BMW International Open second round 11am : - ESPN — LPGA State Farm sic second round at Springfield UL PAX —? Senior PGA Tour Allianz Championship first round at West Y i : Dee Moines Iowa (same-da‘ 1pm i y Hi - - ESPN — PGATourAir Canada Championship second round MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL 5pm ' J A I TENNIS ''turn v' r--- : USA — USTA l)S: Open men’s second and women’s third rounds at New York !: 7 M ? USA — USTA US Open men’s iseoond and women’s third rounds at New York TRACK AND FIELD V ’ 11 8pm ' 'iv--'-V- ! ’t f ' ' rahii t ri's i V : Win TheCougarsranoff21 consec- - utivc point! in the final 17:43 to i pullaway from the Orangemen who lost a season opeqer in an opponent's stadium for die first timn since 1985 v “They kept us off balance We thought wC were prepared but foeir speed was better than we ' anticipated" Syracuse linebacker JamMl Dumas uud Engemann wbo last played for BYU in a 4 loss to Syracuse two yean ago when he was knocked out of the game with a shoulder injury completed 35 of 54 passes with just one intercep-tuand also ran for a touchdown : “He prqiared wetl and he exe-' cuted wdLI've been telling ud three touchdowns as B1 kept the Syracuse defense guess- - everybody that he’s good He did-n’tplay a perfect game but he didn’t look like he’d been away for two years” Crowtoa said Part of Engemann’s success was: due to an offensive line that featured four new starters and allowed just cine sack “Wb made it easy for them They could just sit back with no pressure It made fin a really good game l8for Engemann 38 Syracuse cornerback Will Hunter said Syracuse stayed in foe game by turning BYU’s first three turnovers into touchdowns But when the Orangemen starting losing the ball with three turnovers 7 inlhe fourth quarter BYU put it out of reach " “We were right there and then it AP photo' 7 falls BYU’s arealheartbreaker” became across the goal Toby Christenson Ine with Syracuse’s Keoon Walker on Na back v Dumas said r' - 42-1- m pm ESPN2 — Golden League Memorial Van Dammeat Brussels' Belgium (delayed tape) ? 'f 42-2-1 ’ y : with “Bret gained confidence on the first drive and then showed a kit of poise’’ B YU coach Gary Crowton said : ' TBS -- r Atlanta at Montreal opens up PROVO Utah (AP)— Bret Engemann and Marcus Whalen both redshirted the 2001 season when Brigham Young led the nation in total offense They must have learned by watching because the Cougars didn’t miss a beat as Engemann and Whalen helped ' ' roll up 615 total yards as BYU beat Syracuse 42-2-1 Thursday' Bight v" “I knew we would come out and score a iot of points on these guys! They woe confused all night” said Whalen who ran for 140 yards and a touchdown tape) 7- BYU ‘ : i ‘ i : 6 I V Ml |