The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, September 13, 1995, Page 9, Image 9
Wednesday, September 13, 1995
h
As the NFL season slowly gets
under way I have already
seen some interesting developments.
We have seen
some players, like Jerome
Bettis apd Randall Cunningham, flounder
in starting roles, while others are
making a big name for themselves.
Team-wise, the early surprise has
to be the 2-0 St. Louis Rams, (Look for
them to go 3-0 after beating Charlotte
in Clemson on Sunday), While the N.
Y. Giants have sputtered out of the
gate going 0-2.
Above all this, it is still clear that
the preseason favorites have played
up to their potential. I would argue
that there is a pair of teams in each
conference that can be considered Super
Bowl contenders.
San Francisco and Dallas are in a
class by themselves in the NFC, and
the league in general, but both teams
still have a tough schedule in front of
them and thev still face each other on
November 12.
On the AFC side, Miami and Oakland
are the dominant teams, but Oakland
still needs to score points running
the football. Oakland has upgraded
their offense, giving Jeff Hosteller some
shorter pass routes to complement the
Raiders ever-present deep threat.
When all is said and done, I am going
to pick the Miami Dolphins to beat
the Cowboys in the Super Bowl this
year.
As most of my more ardent readers
will know, I am a Dolphins fan,
and I have been riding their Super
Bowl bandwagon for a few years now.
I know most of you have heard this before,
but this is the year.
The Dolphins have been impressive
in their two games this season.
AD Hnt* \zfownn V*oo olmo^v nrl
L/aii luai iiiu uao au ivovii^U
midseason form and his receiving corps
3(to[p
;~:YvrStudent
Footba
included in yc
return to Williai
Athletic Tick
Acq
* Miami rea
RYAN WILSON
Sports Editor
is one of the best in the league.
Irving Fryar burned the Pati
twice last week in the Phins 20-3
tory. 0. J. McDuffie is a great yo
talent and Gary Clark provides
veteran leadership and patience
trio needs.
Miami also replaced the stre
Keith Jackson with the man-mc
tain Eric Greene. Greene has y<
make big waves catching the ball,
his blocking has helped the Dolp]
running attack.
What ruined the Dolphins last;
was tne lacn 01 a running game
in the season. Injuries to Terry K
and Keith Byars in the middle of
year, gave undue pressure to Be
Parmalee, and Miami suffered bee
of their unbalanced attack. Also,
mentioned earlier, the addition ol
ic Greene allows Miami to run a
from Pro Bowl left tackle Richm
Webb, something they haven't 1
able to do in the past.
Already this year they hav<
tablished a quality running att
gaining over 180 yards on the grc
against the Pats last week. If the)
keep the threat of a running g
alive, Miami will only get better.
r\ m
(ill h
"Rl
#j if]
He
m Ge
foi
JiS"? - A mm
W(
m ch
foe
II tickets are bein
iur tuition has all
tns-Brice Stadium
et Office on Rosei
SPQ]
nflint r
mivi i
idy to challenge
Yeah, I know, everyone knows the
Dolphins have one of the best offenses
in the league, but what most people
don't realize that the defense is also
a formidable force.
Once again, you can look at the pen
formance against New England on
Sunday, and realize it is obvious the
Dolphins D is very underrated. Holding
Pro Bowl quarterback Drew Bledsoe
without a touchdown, and only ali
lowing three points illustrated the potential
of this defense.
Bryan Cox is one of the best mid|
die linebackers in the AFC, one of the
most vocal leaders on the team, and
held Patriot tight end Ben Coates to
y|c one catch for three yards. Safety Troy
Vincent has already returned a interthe
ception for a touchdown this year, and
the provides great run support.
When talking about the Dolphins
iaky defense, you can't overlook the line)un
men. The Miami line is fast and agit
to gressive, with Marco Coleman, Jeff
but Klingbeil, and Trace Armstrong probins
viding a excellent pass rush. Tackle
Tim Bowens is a rising star in the NFL
year and is The Dolphin run stopper,
late As I said before, this is the Dolphins
year. If they don't make it to the
last big dance then this team will be torn
mie apart by free agency, and key players'
aus? contracts will expire. The Phins raided
the free agent market this year,
war picking up Armstrong, Clark, Greene
tond ^ormer N?-1 pick Steve Entman,
)een in a attempt to give Dan Marino and
Don Shula one more chance.
? e g. In closing, I would like to tell San
ack Francisco and Dallas one thing: Stop
>und looking over your shoulder, the Phins
r can might have already passed you by.
ame Super Bowl 29: Miami 31, Dallas
24. Dan finally gets his.
iBw
Hp ll. : Jl^
Louisiai
ilac nf t
. ' . : ' : : : ' . . : ' ' '. ''' :
jou have not alr<
>use Room 205, 1
tfour ID card sc
ftnefgame.
rive early to shoi
irm-ups (gates o
eer ana scream
>tball team.
l|ea|||tej| #1 nei
g distributed in the Russ
eady paid for your tickel
i for a four game home s
wood Drive or at the Stui
stadium startin
tors
iff inter
! Dallas for NFL
As you all know, the Dallas
Cowboys picked up free agent
Deion Sanders Monday, signing
him to a five year, multi
tnllion-gazzilhon and something
contract. After watching Sanders
and the rest of the San Francisco 49ers
run past his Cowboys to the Super Bowl
last year, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones j
figured that he had to have him. Well, I
he got him, and the Dallas Cowboys
will win their third Super Bowl in four
years in January. I 1
After beating Buffalo in Atlanta to
win their second straight Super Bowl
in 1994, the Cowboys showed no signs I
of letting up. A young, hungry team fl^g
and a solid nucleus of key players made ente<
everyone expect that this would be the
next dynasty. ^
Then came the stepping down (fir- betwe
ing) of Jimmy Johnson, and all hell reme
broke loose. Barry Switzer was hired j^gg
by Jones to replace Johnson, and it was enouj
all downhill from there. Switzer, be- prese
fore the 94 season, told the Dallas play- jnten
ers that it was their team, and that they p(
would determine if the Cowboys were cen^
to win a third straight title. pleas
Well, a torn running back's ham- twee]
string and about four months later, the ]
Cowboys were in the quagmire of Can- cjose
dlestick Park battling the Forty Nin- me(jj
ers for the NFC Championship. 0ff ^
About nine minutes after that, the ^ory
Cowboys found themselves in a 21-0 t^e g
hole that they would never chmD out pjay(
of. The Niners won, and the Dallas Dy- everj
nasty was over ? or put on hold for a ^
while. las. j
Obviously during the offseason, the j)ej0]
Dallas players and coaches needed to ^ra^
do some extensive soul searching - which
they did. What few people seem to re- cosg
alize is the competitive desire of three c]oge
men: Emmit Sinith, Michael Irvin, and
Troy Aikman. The fire that bums these ^ Up
la Tech
; i ; k
Ilk _ jriilk
JtJf J mmmm A A i
>: ! Z^:
ill 1 SI IliSllll.
f ; ' : :-- ig f V :5::: :|p|5.
5ady done soJlru
with your Studei
anned and choc
f If |?:i I! : I!;:
n yoursupport c
pen at 5:00, kic
loudly for your <
\s% N s% *' ll?j| *
s \ 4
ct week.
ell House, Room 205, to
t, so grab a seat and ch<
tand. Any remaining tic]
ient ticket office locatec
g at 12 noon.
c
ests
supremacy?
down.
?n, i SU(
sional
Fn
^ever j
LARRY WILLIAMS tosay
Sports Editor th?n
additu
is enough to propel a team as tal- ^
1 as the Cowboys to the Super
all oft
lose who saw the preseason game _ Sa
sen the Cowboys and Broncos will Micha
mber Michael Irvin on the side- neec^
, blasting a player for not having battles
jh motivation. This was just the every
ason, and Irvin is one of the most ^
se players ever. I don't
or those who would like a more re- saruy
example of the Cowboys furor, their 1
e see the Monday night game be- San F
i the Boys and the New York Gi- would
last week. The game figured to be
, but not on this day. Dallas imately
knocked the stunned Giants ^c
leir blocks, cruising to a 35-0 vie- a
Even in the third quarter when 1
ame wasn't in doubt, Irvin was in ^
)fF form, rising to the occasion at a '
'call.
le must also recall Sunday's Dal- ^ ^
Denver erame. DesDite the whole r
ii controversy that obviously dis- F
id the Cowboys all week, the Pokes
t miss a beat. Beating the Bron1-21,
the game wasn't even that Dai^
i. Every time Denver would get
n seven points, Dallas would turn
a notch and score another touch- ^ go
UfU SIX
iotuixi1
le"
in to the Russi
nt ID card.
isp vnur tirkp
5:5$:
luring pregan
fc-off is 7:00).
Gamecock
day from 9-4. The i
;er on the Gamecock
kets can be picked u
I at the Northeast en
V
I
9"
ccess of the Cowboys aside, I just
lee how this whole Dieon soap
has been good for the sanctity
tegrity of football. Where's the
ft Deion plays for the 49ers one
hen goes to their most bitter rihe
Cowboys, the next. Obviousl
colters around money, and thafs
the major problems of professports.
om a football perspective, how[
am a Cowboys fan, and I have
that I was slightly happy to hear
iws. Sanders will be a welcome
Dn on the field. Notice I said ON
!d It remains to be seen if Sanders
i able to squeeze his ego in with
:he other ones in Big D.
nders will also undoubtedly make
lei Irvin a better player (like he
it). I would pay to see thl one on
3 these two will stage in practice
day.
e thing that intrigues me is that,
t really think that Dallas necesgrabbed
Sanders to have him on
team, they signed Deion so that
"ran, Miami, or some other team
ln't benefit from his Services.
ren though Deion is in Big D, look
e November 12th game between
>wboys and Niners to be the baroms
to who is the better team. San
is still awesome, and it should be
a game; however, wisdom tells us
when Ricky Watters left for the
s, a chunk of their offense did too.
) longer will the 49ers have a quick,
threat out of the backfield to supnt
their deadly passing game. You
to believe that Watters was as imit
a player as any last season, and
him gone the niners will lose to
3 November 12th, and again in the
Championship.
iperBowl29: Tempe, Ariz.-Dal,
Miami 27. You heard it here first
to
i
ell
t
le
it
ictivity fee
s as they
p from die
d of the