Saturday, September 20, 1997

Indians open at home against winless team

By MARK WILSON / Abilene Reporter-News

If ever there were a good time to have five starting players sidelined with injuries, this might be it for the McMurry University football team.

Coach Steve Keenum's Indians, coming off a 38-7 loss to 16th-ranked Trinity University, play their 1997 home opener against winless Southwestern Assemblies of God, a team the Indians routed last season, 57-0. It was the Lions' first-ever intercollegiate game. The Lions were 1-3-1 last year, with their only win coming against the Hardin-Simmons University junior varsity.

Five of the seven McMurry players who went down with injuries against Trinity will be out this week -- and some possibly longer.

Andy Peveto, a starter at right defensive end for the Indians, may be out for the season with torn knee ligaments. And injured left defensive end Brian Valenzuela is listed only as probable.

The rest may play as soon as next week.

"We're hopeful our young guys are going to step up and play pretty well," Keenum said. "We're just going to line up and get after it."

Injured wideout Reggie Sterns, a preseason all-America candidate, went down with an ankle injury on McMurry's second offensive play against Trinity. But Keenum is confident other receivers can take up the slack to provide solid targets for quarterback Braxton Shaver, who threw three interceptions and was 14 of 27 passing last week.

"I think we've got some guys that can do it," Keenum said. "Fred Rau can do that, and Rory Peacock is making his presence felt, and we've got several others ready to make a contribution."

Keenum said there will have to be adjustments made on both sides of the ball because of the injuries, and that could even include moving linebackers Jason Burgess and Torbin Lancaster up to fill in at defensive end at times.

On the other hand, it's unlikely any team would improve enough to make up a 57-point deficit in only one season.

"If we play like we're capable, they're going to have a hard time beating us," Keenum said. "But we don't want to do something stupid and give them something easy."

The Indians also have motivation to drastically improve on last week's performance -- or lack thereof.

"Our players were downright mad," Keenum said. "They weren't happy about what happened.

"We had a very intense week of work. We were embarrassed about some of the things that went on. We didn't play as well as we're capable of, and we're anxious to do that Saturday."

Against Trinity, Burgess recorded four solo tackles and 12 assists. Linebacker Cole Adams returned a fumble for the only McMurry touchdown, and had three solo stops and four assists.

The Lions, a second-year NAIA school located in Keene, got 170 yards passing from quarterback Vince Ford during last week's season-opening 27-20 loss to McPherson (Kan.). SWAGU running backs Steven McKnight and R.A. Winston were limited to a combined 67 yards rushing on 32 carries. The Lions' base offense stems from a set rarely seen in college football today -- the wing-T.

McMurry vs. SW Assemblies of God

n When: 7 p.m.

n Where: McMurry's Indian Stadium

n Records: SW Assemblies of God 0-1; McMurry 0-1

n Last meeting: McMurry 57, SWAGU 0 (1996)

n Injuries: SWAGU: LB Steven Bates, out. McMurry: DE Andy Peveto (knee), out; LB Joseph Bermea (shoulder), out; WR Reggie Sterns (ankle), doubtful; DT Adam Boland (knee), doubtful; DT Hiawatha Hickman (knee), doubtful; DE Brian Valenzuela (ankle), probable; DT Fred Norris (ankle), probable.

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