FOOTBALL
ASU backs hope to plug hole left by Bates
By Steve Mims
Emerald Sports Reporter
In only a month and a half, the
Arizona Stale running back pic
ture has gone from cloudy to out
standing and is now questionable
at best.
When the Sun Devils opened
fall camp, the coaching staff
knew it had three capable backs,
but none had asserted themselves
as the starter. George Mont
gomery. Mario Bates and [erone
Davison were set to Fight it out
for the starting tailback position
in new head coach Bruce Sny
der's offense.
Tailback is the key position for
Snyder, the former running back
coach for the Los Angeles Rams
when brie Dickerson was running
wild in the NFL. During his Five
years at California, his offense
was run-oriented with Heisman
Trophy candidate Russell White
leading the way. Snyder's first
major task when he went to
Ternpe was to find a tailback to
fit his system.
He did.
Bates, a 6-foot-2, 207-pound
sophomore from Tucson, got the
starling nod and never looked
back After the Sun Devils' first
three games, Bates was third in
the country in rushing with 441
yards and was being talked about
as a Heisman candidate.
Then in the closing minutes of
Arizona State’s 45-24 loss to
Nebraska, disaster struck. Bates
went down and with him he took
the hopes of many Sun Devil
fans. Bates was diagnosed to have
a second-degree tear of his medi
al collateral ligament and a third
degree tear of his anterior cruciate
ligament. He is out for the year,
and Snyder must once again
search for a tailback to lead his
offense.
"We lost the tmsl running back
in the country.” said Arizona
Stale running back coach Hue
lackson, who is apparently living
Jerorto Davison
in .1 Marshall Faulk-less world
"He is a franchise player. Fortu
nately he has not redshirted yet.
sc we will try to make him a med
ical redshirt this season.”
Davison and Montgomery bat
tled for the spot. and Davison will
gel the start this Saturday when
the Sun Devils come to Eugene
to face the Ducks Davison, a t>
foot-1,235-pound senior, is hear
ing opportunity knocking, and he
said he is ready to answer the
challenge.
“I have a lot of confidence."
Davison said. "I've carried the
ball often this year, so I don't feel
any different. I will basically play
the same role as before except
that I will be starting
Davison said he did not think
Bates' injury was serious at first,
but now that he knows it is. he
said he must take more respon
sibility.
"Now that I have found out it
is serious, I figure I have to step
up and play more." Davison said.
Davison's road to Tempe has
not been a smooth one. but he
now has the chance to make it all
worth while. The 22-year-old
played his first season for Ari
zona Stale last year after trans
ferring from Solano Community
College in Fairfield. Calif, where
George Montgomery
he set school records and
received numerous honors
Davison was twice selected as
an All-American by 1C Gnd Hire
after rushing for more than 2.700
yards in two seasons for .Solano
He av eraged 7.7 yards on 353 car
ries and led the conference in
total offense both seasons
After transferring to Arizona
State. Davison struggled during
his first season, gaining only 201
yards on 73 carries He gained a
season-high til yards on 14 car
ries and scored a touchdown
against Washington. Despite the
lack of success. Davison is con
fident that he will he ready on
Saturday
"When the offensive line does
their job. I can do mine." Davi
son said
Jackson says he believes Davi
son is ready for the challenge anti
he does not believe there will be
much change in the Sun Devil
offense without Bates
"I don't expect any change in
the offense," lackson said
"Jerone has played before, so he
knows the system. I don’t expect
any dropoff at all. Jerone is a com
lunation hack; he has speed,
quickness and power.”
If Davison does struggle against
the Ducks, look for Montgomery
toget plenty ofaction Theft-foot
2. 210-pound junior has shown
flushes of brilliance during his
embattled career >il Arizona .Slate,
hul Snyder won't hesil.ile In plav
him against the Ducks
Montgomery led the Sun Dev
ils in rushing lust season with -l'T>
yards despite missing four games
because of injury. He rushed lor
a career-high I t-l yards against
(ISC in Ill'll us well as !2R yards
against Washington State
No matter who is carrying the
hall for the Sun Devils, lack son
has no doubts the Sun Devils will
he able to run against the Ducks
"lerone and George are both
real good foottinll players." lai k
son said "lerone has been a
starter for us before, so we feel
comfortable with him I don’t
expect any change in the
offense."
Davison and Montgomery have
combined for only Hl'l yards this
season in liai k-up duly, but Sat
urdav will lie their first i bailee to
lie the feature back
Oregon's rushing defense has
gotten mixed n-i iews this season,
but it has played well lately I he
Ducks have given up omy a()
yards rushing in the last two
games against Texas l ech and
PNLV, but they allowed up 4Hil
in the season's firs! two games
The lekyll and Hyde defense
appears to t>e on the upswing and
it has lai kson and Davison wor
ried.
"The Oregon defense is very
talented and physical," lackson
said. "We expect a rough, tough
game. I just hope we come away
with no injuries this time."
"Oregon has a really aggressive
defense," Davison said. "They
have a lot of guys flying around
the field."
All compliments aside. Davi
son and Montgomery both know
this is their chance to show Sny
der what they can do. and if
either falters, it may he a while
before they see game time again
Brooks
joins AD
ranks
By Dave Charbonneau
Emerald Sfxirts Editor
Rich Brooks is now offi
cially tint Director of Ath
letics fur the University
On Thursday. Brooks look
over the position from for
mer athletic director Bill
Byrne, who is leaving Ore
gon to lake the position at
Nebraska.
Brooks is also the head
football coach for the Docks
and is in his Kith year as the
Oregon coach
Byrne will leave the Uni
versity after serving eight
years as Director of Alldet
ir s He was named as
Nebraska's athletic director
this summer and will take
over on Nov 1 lor current
Nebraska AD. Boh Devanej
During his tenure at Ore
gon, Byrne played a vital
role in the building of the
(iasanova < uniter, as well as
the renovation of Hayward
field and the addition of
skyboxes to Aut/.en Stadi
um.
But Byrne is most proud
of the reputation Oregon
gained while he was a! the
University.
"I think we gained some
genuine statewide support
for tlm IIniversity." he said
A lot of thiit sup|H>rt could
la- attributed to Brixiks' foot
hall program, which ap
peared in Imck-to-back Imwl
games in lllHtlund 1000.
Brooks will Imt one of only
three athletic directors in the
country who also couches
a Division I team.
Turn to BROOKS, Page 10B
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