Thursday, December 30 Applewhite not worried about future
Associated Press
IRVING, Texas -- Major Applewhite insists he's not looking
past the Cotton Bowl against Arkansas.
Texas quarterback Major Applewhite is likely to be in a battle for the starting job next August.
While many view the plan for both Applewhite and highly touted
freshman Chris Simms to play for Texas on New Year's Day as a
precursor to next season, the sophomore starter doesn't want to
discuss it.
"It seems ridiculous to try to predict the future when you have
an Arkansas ballclub that's sitting here fired up and ready to whip
you," Applewhite, the Big 12 offensive player of the year, said
Wednesday.
"Why are we thinking about August? It's time to play football
Jan. 1, not August 2000."
No decision has been made on how the two quarterbacks will split
time, but Texas offensive coordinator Greg Davis said both would
play and that Simms would see action in both halves.
Davis denied, however, that the bowl preparations are providing
any kind of head start for spring practice, saying that the most
important issue for the Longhorns (9-4) is beating Arkansas (7-4)
on Saturday.
"Winning is most important. We can sell all of those other
things in spring training," Davis said. "(Coach Mack Brown) and I
have played two quarterbacks in the past. We are about winning the
game, that's all we're about so we are not opposed to playing two
quarterbacks.
"If we have two guys who can go in and win, we'll certainly do
that."
Applewhite has started 12 of 13 games, throwing for 3,357 yards
and 21 touchdowns.
When Applewhite had a stomach virus before the regular-season
finale against Texas A&M, Simms, the son of former NFL quarterback
Phil Simms, got his only start and played the first three quarters
in the 20-16 loss.
Applewhite finished the A&M game and then played in the entire
Big 12 title game, a loss to Nebraska.
Applewhite has no problem with the plans for the Cotton Bowl.
"It's an opportunity to get Chris in the ball game, give him
some experience. You have to have backups that are able to play if
you want to be a national championship caliber team," Applewhite
said.
"This is a reward for the way Chris has played and this is an
opportunity to get us better as a football team."
While the two quarterbacks have shared snaps in practice, only
Applewhite took part in Wednesday's news conference featuring key
offensive players from Texas.
Applewhite has the experience and weighs the same as Simms at
210 pounds, but the freshman has a four-inch height advantage and
is a lefty.
Senior offensive guard Roger Roesler says the offense is the
same regardless of which quarterback is playing. And he believes
this week will be a preview of things to come.
"Yeah, I think it's definitely the start of a big rivalry that
is going to continue into next year," Roesler said. "It's been
fine, they're friendly about it. That's just football. Definitely
it will carry over, I'm sure."
