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. f q 7 9I ,1 5 f a{ p. y y, ti I. 1 9 r t h A V 4 4 3, r " 4, a' S'. 4 I d r, b' it N 4 A S p' q' 4' N' A' A' 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 ' . . IF. 1' ~ I -.7A i y. h~ . ' 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. '. s4 r Toreah the top you need supot K 'Al . l {. ~ n v. 4x t'. ! ,. , s: y. ,