Saturday, August 31, 1996

Texas opens Big 12 play against Missouri

By Associated Press

AUSTIN - The Southwest Conference is gone, but not forgotten.

The eighth-ranked Texas Longhorns are having trouble getting used to the idea that it'll be a league game when they step on their new grass field Saturday night against Missouri.

It could take Texas awhile to forget the teams normally associated with conference play, such as Rice, Southern Methodist and Texas Christian.

Texas, Texas A&M, Texas Tech and Baylor left the SWC, joining the former Big Eight to create the Big 12 Conference.

"It seems strange," Texas linebacker Tyson King said. "Texas vs. Missouri certainly doesn't conjure up a lot of images of tradition, but we're in the Big 12 now. They are a new rival, I guess you'd say."
The two teams have met 14 times, with Texas winning 10 games. The first meeting was in 1894. At the time of the last meeting - a 27-25 Longhorns' victory at Columbia, Mo., in 1986 - the current players for both teams were still in grade school.

But this is the era of superconferences and megabuck television deals, so everyone will have to get used to games such as Kansas State-Texas Tech, the first actual Big 12 game on Saturday afternoon.
Coach John Mackovic was doing his best this week to get his Longhorns excited about playing Missouri. Texas is considered the favorite to win the South Division of the Big 12 this year. Missouri is in the North Division.

"When you open with a conference game, you have to treat it like a championship game," Mackovic said. "Winning it puts you on the right track and a step closer to the title, but losing it would make everything an uphill battle."

Larry Smith, who begins his third year as coach at Missouri after records of 3-8-1 in 1994 and 3-8 in 1995, said an upset of Texas - a three touchdown favorite - would be a huge boost for the Tigers' program.
"It's first most important to win the games that you figure you better win," Smith said. "Next, you figure a big upset would compel you to win more of those games you're supposed to win because it shoots your confidence up."

Texas' strength is on offense. Missouri, meanwhile, is strong on defense, featuring a secondary led by hard-hitting free safety DeMontie Cross.

The Tigers will be without starting junior nose tackle Donnell Jones and backup cornerback Randy Potter. Both players were suspended after being arrested Monday night for allegedly shoplifting clothing worth $191 from a J.C. Penney store at the Columbia Mall.

Texas, which finished last year 10-2-1 after a loss to Virginia Tech in the Sugar Bowl, features a versatile passing attack that spreads the ball almost equally to its receivers, tight ends and running backs.

The running game features speedy senior Shon Mitchell and punishing fullback Ricky Williams, who last year broke Earl Campbell's freshman rushing record. He has been dubbed "Little Earl" by teammates.

Missouri's offense is led by sophomore quarterback Corby Jones, who gave up his redshirt status midway through last season and inspired the Tigers to install an option attack.

"They do have a real good pro-style attack and a real good option attack and I suspect we will see both of them," Mackovic said.

Texas athletic director DeLoss Dodds called the game historic, noting that it will be the Longhorns' first Big 12 game and their first home game on a new grass field in a stadium renamed Thursday to honor former Texas coach Darrell Royal.

"We'll look back on this game for years to come," Dodds said.