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Saturday, November 29, 1997

Mackovic, Williams may have seen last game at Texas

By CHIP BROWN AP Sports Writer

COLLEGE STATION, Texas (AP) - Texas fans who lingered after Texas A&M's 27-16 victory over the Longhorns on Friday chanted "Stay, Ricky, stay," as mud-stained star junior running back Ricky Williams left the field.

But the only ones cheering for Texas coach John Mackovic to stay were A&M fans.

A maroon-and-white sign in the south end of rain-soaked Kyle Field said, "Aggies For Mackovic. Four More Years. Keep John."

Mackovic, who has said repeatedly that he expects to return as coach next year, did not discuss his job status with players or the media after the loss, which left the Longhorns with a 4-7 record, their worst since finishing with the same mark in 1988.

It was Texas' first losing season since 1991 - the same year David McWilliams was fired as coach - and was hardly expected after the Longhorns won the Big 12 title last year.

Newspaper reports have said that Mackovic either will be fired or reassigned within a matter of days by school regents who have agreed since late October to oust him.

"From time to time, everybody's morale took a hit here and there, but the players never quit," Mackovic said. "They played hard, came to practice and did everything we asked them to do.

"That's all coaches can do is ask them to get out there and give that effort. Our players played well today. We just ran into a very good opponent."

After the game, Mackovic, who is 41-28-2 in six years at Texas but 13-13 over the past two seasons, thanked his seniors and told underclassmen to be ready to work hard in the off-season for a better year in 1998.

Players continued to defend Mackovic, who last year was rumored to be in the running for NFL jobs after taking Texas to its third straight conference title and second straight Alliance Bowl.

"I think he's a good coach, and the things that happened this year weren't his fault," said sophomore linebacker Aaron Humphrey. "If we go out there and don't do the things the coaches want us to do, that's our fault.

"I think it's sad the way the alumni and the media ... have blown it out and made Coach Mackovic look like a bad coach," he said.

Sophomore linebacker Brandon Nava said, "I hope he's back next year.

"Everyone's focused on wins and losses. To be a football player you have to be a good athlete, good student and good person, and he has helped us develop in all those ways," Nava said.

It was a season of lows for Texas, which unraveled after a 66-3 loss to UCLA in its second game and then lost to Oklahoma State, Missouri, Colorado, Baylor, Texas Tech and A&M.

The Longhorns also were consistently among the worst in the nation in defense and turnover margin, averaging three giveaways per game.

About the only bright spot was Williams, who carried 33 times for 183 yards and two touchdowns against A&M despite spraining his right ankle early in the third quarter.

He said he will announce within a month whether he will jump to the NFL or return for his senior season.

He finished the season with 1,893 yards, breaking 1977 Heisman Trophy winner Earl Campbell's single-season rushing record of 1,744 yards. He also maintained his lead as the nation's leading rusher and scorer.

"This game makes me think more about staying because our defense and our team played so well," Williams said. "But I have no clue what I'm going to do. What happens to coach Mackovic will have a bearing on my decision."

Williams has said if Mackovic doesn't return, he won't either.Send a Letter to the Editor about This Story | Start or Join A Discussion about This Story
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