Thursday, September 9, 1999 - The Michigan Daily -17
.Newcombe to rmansta rting Bat Nebaska, Couch
y
LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) - Eric
Crouch dmits he was upset when
Nebraskacoach Frank Solich told him
he would't be the Cornhuskers' start-
ing quartrback. He played well in pre-
season ompetition with Bobby
Newcomb and thought he deserved
the job, Ut said he didn't consider
leaving th team because he didn't get
it.
Crouh put an end Tuesday to
rumgors tat he would quit the
Corphusks out of frustration.
"Whenrumors get started, people
tend to star believing what was said,"
Crouch said "It was just a bigger case
this time. Yu have to acquire a thick
skin."
So Crouc is the No. 2 quarterback
n an offensethat uses two QBs often
for running tie option. He's leading the
team in tuchdowns with three,
although it's nly after one game.
Crouch wouldn't say he was happy
with his role as a backup, but does
accept it.
"Both of us are very encouraging to
each other," he said. "In this system,
both quarterbacks are going to see a lot
of time."
Crouch spoke to reporters during
the Cornhuskers' weekly news confer-
ence after taking a week away from the
spotlight in the wake of the rumors.
Crouch said he never went to or called
Solich to say he was leaving the team,
but he did admit to being disappointed.
"It was a very emotional time,"
Crouch said.
There was no list of possible
schools Crouch considered transferring
to - rumors had him going to
Nebraska-Omaha, Ohio State and
California, among others - where he
could be a No. I quarterback, he said.
He is staying in Lincoln, but did have
to work through his disappointment
over being a backup.
Crouch, who capped off his tumul-
tuous week with three touchdowns in
the No. 5 Cornhuskers' 42-7 win over
Iowa on Saturday, said he went home to
southwest Omaha after Solich told him
Newcombe was the starter, but it's only
a 45-mile trip and one he makes often.
He wasn't going home to consider
his options, Crouch said.
Solich said last week that Crouch
had never quit the team, but Crouch
wouldn't comment. He said he wanted
to let the commotion subside and con-
centrate on preparing for Iowa.
Crouch and Newcombe were both
effective in leading the Cornhuskers on
Saturday, and Solich said fans can
expect to see more of the same this
week when Nebraska plays its home
opener against California (1-0).
Solich won't set a schedule for how
many series each will play, but said
Newcombe and Crouch will continue
to see time in both halves.
Having a fresh Newcombe or
Crouch was very effective against
Iowa. Crouch scored the team's first
touchdown on a 28-yard run and added
two more in the second half.
Newcombe rushed for two TDs and
threw a pass for another, leaving Solich
perfectly content with a tag-team quar-
terback system.
"For him to run for those touch-
downs really lifted a lot of pressure off
of me and our team," Newcombe said.
Their teammates also aren't con-
cerned about which one of them is tak-
ing the snaps.
"There were times during the game
when I would be split out and wouldn't
know who was in at quarterback," split
end Matt Davison said. "We all have
confidence in both of them."
a
t-
m
Nebraska quarto
back Bobby
Newcombe beat
out Eric Crouch
for the starting
position, almost
causing Crouch
to leave the teal
AP PHOTO
Lou Holtz attempts rebuilding job at South Carolina
RALEGH, N.C. (AP) -The last time Lou
oltz cached a game at Carter-Finley
Stadium he was on the other side of the field,
taking ci a team wearing a deeper shade of red
than the Wolfpack.
A Holtz-led North Carolina State team
beat Suth Carolina 28-21 in his final home
game is coach in November 1975 before a
ne-yar stint in the NFL.
FOur teams, 24 years, one national cham-
jionslip, 170 college wins and a two-year
o mnentating career later, Holtz returned
Siturday as the Gamecocks' coach, opening
tb sason at N.C. State with a 10-0 loss.
'It's disappointing, but it's a start," Holtz
sad dodging most questions about his return
to:>aching. "Right up until the last seconds,
wekought we had a chance."
le said the return was "not nostalgic," per-
haps because his Gamecocks less than impres-
sive than the teams he's known for coaching.
South Carolina fumbled the ball eight times
and converted only eight of 18 third downs.
"We are really not a team that moves the
ball as well as I'd like," he said.
South Carolina had some chances to score,
but it was the defense that showed the most
promise as it held N.C. State to just 126 rush-
ing yards.
"Our defense played magnificently," Holtz
said.
Despite the loss and heavy rains and wind
that swept the field through the entire game
from Tropical Storm Dennis, South Carolina
fans were patient and willing to wait for suc-
cess.
"We love him. We're glad he's here," said
Gamecock fan Dick Childress of Columbia,
S.C. Childress and other fans, many wearing
the garnet and black of USC, huddled under
cover near the concession stands during half-
time to keep dry.
"We might not win a lot of games this
year," Childress said. "He can bring more
character and class and give us a good reputa-
tion."
Holtz unexpectedly left Notre Dame in
1996 after lII years in which he led the Irish to
the 1988 national championship and a 100-30-
1 record.
After leaving Notre Dame, he was a col-
lege football commentator on CBS, but the
desire to coach never went away.
In December, South Carolina named Holtz
its new coach after firing Brad Scott, who led
the Gamecocks to a 1-10 record, the school's
worst in 106 years.
On Saturday, he paced the sidelines and
pointed at officials as they called penalties
against South Carolina -- as if he had never
left.
"I did voice my opinion down there,
because I was frustrated," Holtz said. South
Carolina was penalized seven times for 62
yards.
Gamecocks fans hope Holtz will be able to
make the team successful quickly, but most
admit it will take some time.
"This year will be an improvement just
because the players will be coached better,"
South Carolina alumnus Matt Cobb said.
"The biggest thing is getting recruits we
haven't been able to get," added Smithfield,
N.C., resident Clint Barrish, attending the
game with South Carolina fans.
Holtz said since joining the Gamecocks,
his goals are to recruit good players from
South Carolina, beat a fellow Southeastern
Conference team like Florida, Tennessee or
Georgia soon and take the team to its first
major bowl game.
He accomplished the first goal by signing
South Carolina's "Mr. Football," tailback
Derek Watson.
Holtz's coaching career goes back to 1969
when he started at William & Mary, and then
went to N.C. State, the New York Jets for one
season, Arkansas, Minnesota and Notre Dame.
At Minnesota, he also took over a 1-10
team after the 1983 season. His first team at
N.C. State, the 1972 squad, amassed a school-
record 4,758 yards of total offense and scored
409 points. He took the Wolfpack to four
straight bowl games, and his four teams were
20-1-1 at home and 10-1 in night games.
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Skip Holtz sent to hospital with infection
READ WEEKEND ETC.
CCUMBIA, S.C. (AP) - South Carolina
offenve coordinator Skip Holtz was released
from e hospital Wednesday following treatment
for a were abdominal infection.
Htz, the son of Gamecocks coach Lou Holtz,
respoted to several days of intravenous antibi-
otics,,hool spokesman Kerry Tharp said. It was
not chr if Skip Holtz would be at practice
Wednelay.
Lt Holtz said his son developed a fever a
Week a> and went to the doctor Friday.
"Hwas in great pain Saturday, but he hid it,"
the head coach said. "He's been my son for 30-
some years and this is the first time I can ever
remember him going to a doctor -- ever."
Both Holtzes were at North Carolina State on
Saturday for the Gamecocks' 10-0 loss.
On Sunday, Skip complained of abdominal
pain and went to Lexington Medical Center. He
went to the emergency room Monday for more
tests and antibiotic treatments.
Skip Holtz, 35, has missed the past two prac-
tices and his father took a more active role with
the offense. He spent about 30 minutes with the
offensive linemen after practice.
Lou Holtz briefly lined a few of them up in
three-point stances, but mostly sat on the practice
field talking to them.
Despite Skip's hospital time, his father wasn't
ready to give up on his son making South
Carolina's opening Southeastern Conference game
at Georgia.
Lou Holtz said there was still time to see if
Skip felt well enough to travel, "but I'm counting
on him being there."
YOU'LL LOVE IT.
Ohjuwon approves
ofBarkley's contract
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HOUFON (AP) - Houston
Rocketstar Hakeem Olajuwon said
he's gla teammate Charles Barkley
has a ne contract, and he's hopeful
that the am will either trade Scottie
Pippen,ar the disgruntled player
will staynd "do what's right."
Pippe asked for a trade to Los
Angeleslast month, and Rockets
manageent have not said what they
are goin to do about it. Olajuwon
*old a Histon television station that
he think the team should get the
maximu they can for Pippen if they
trade hir
"I ahwys believe people should
be wher they are happy. You can-
not rell' force people to do what
they der't want to do," a Houston
televisin station reported Tuesday.
"As log as he's happy, they're
#appy'
Olajivon thinks that Pippen will
do the ght thing if he hasn't been
traded by the start of training camp,
he said.
"If they don't trade him, he should
apologize and also do the best he can
for the team," Olajuwon said.
Olajuwon, back in Houston to
begin preparing for the upcoming
season, also said he was pleased to
have Barkley back for another sea-
son.
"I think Charles has paid his dues.
All last year he played for the mini-
mum," Olajuwon told the TV station.
"I'm glad we have him back and he's
happy."
He's also anxious to see what new
acquisition Steve Francis is going to
bring to the Rockets.
"That's a very big move for the
franchise, even though we hate to see
some players. We are looking for-
ward to seeing Steve Francis and
what he is going to bring to the
team," Olajuwon said.
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