CU's Stearns,Orvis disown
image of Big Eight 'bad guys'
by Jim Johnston
John Stearns and Herb Orvis
are not known as nice guys.
Their Big Eight opponents
refer to them as "late hitters"
as "cheap shot artists." Stearns
has been given the name "Bad
Dude" because of his tactics on
the field.
But that reputation,
according to Stearns and Orvis,
is quickly dying.
"THAT 'BAD DUDE' image
just doesn't make it in
football," said Stearns,
Colorado's junior safety. "I
was green when I was a
freshman and made the
mistake of saying I wanted to
be the meanest defensive back
in the conference. Now I'm
trying to live down that
reputation."
Orvis, Colorado's
all-American candidate at
defensive tackle, agrees with
Stearns.
"Our philosophy on defense
at Colorado is to go out and hit
people," said Orvis. "I don't
think it's fair to accuse us of
cheap shots or late hitting. We
just like to crack people."
After the Nebraska
Colorado game at Boulder last
year several of the Nebraska
players charged Stearns and
Orvis with late-hitting tactics.
Stearns feels the Cornhuskers
had a legitimate complaint.
"I'VE WATCHED the films
from last year's game and I
agree with Nebraska,"
said Steams. "There were
several incidents where there
was some cheap hitting. But
that's all changed. Our
philosophy now is to stop
people before they gain any
yards instead of getting in a
good lick after they've already
gained three yards."
Surprising Cyclones meet
. ....... . Th.'c nr. fvaeeeration.
Inhnnv Majors has been
talking about building a winner
at Iowa State. He has
accomplished the task. The
Cyclones are 5-1 on the season
and received mention in this
week's Associated Press college
football poll.
But Majors is realistic when
he talks about being a big
winner in the Big Eight
Conference. This year the
Cyclones must face the
nation's two top rated teams in
league play. To make things
league piay. i" "
. i WW
Nebraska's
That's not the only new
defensive philosophy at
Colorado this year. New
defensive coordinator Jerry ,
Claiborne, who built the strong
defensive units for Bear Bryant
at Alabama a few years ago,
has changed the Colorado
defensive look.
The new defense is a
multiple-front set that often
features an eight-man front.
One of Claiborne's first
changes was to move Orvis, an
all Big Eight defensive end in
1970, to defensive tackle.
"I didn't really mind the
switch," said Orvis. "My duties
are basically the same and I
feel we're a much tougher
defense with this setup."
THE ABILITY of Colorado's
defense was evident in the
early weeks of the season. The
Buffalos used their defensive
strength to stop nationally
rated Louisiana State and Ohio
State.
But injuries have weakened
the Buffs' defense. Three
defensive players who started
in the opener against
LSU-guard Carl Taibi, tackle
Stu Aldrich and end Rick
Kay -will not play against
Nebraska in Saturday's
nationally televised game
starting at 12:50 p.m.
The Colorado defense was
even weaker when the Buffs
dropped a 45-17 decision to
Oklahoma two weeks ago.
Orvis was slowed by an ankle
injury and linebacker Billie
Drake, possibly the Buffs' best
linebacker, didn't see action.
"We're about six positions
away from total disaster," said
Colorado sports information
director Mike Moran. "Our
defensive depth is about as thin
as a ten-cent ham sandwich."
THE LOSS OF defensive
nriallv touch. Iowa State
faces No. 2 Oklahoma and No.
1 Nebraska on consecutive
weekends and both away from
home.
"WE'RE NOT going to be
over-awed by Oklahoma," said
Majors of Iowa State's
opponent at Norman, Okla.,
Saturday, "but Oklahoma
would have to have a bad, bad
day for anybody to stop them.
I think you might have to score
40 points against Oklahoma to
win.
- I r
.r
offense. . .tough test for Buffs
T T
talent has definitely hurt the
Colorado attack...including me
offensive attack.
"The job of our defense is
to give our offense good field
position," said Orvis. "We try
to stop the opponents and
force them to punt so we can
have good field position. We
have a great punt returner in
Cliff Branch (9.2 speedster)
and we can usually get good
field position after Cliff's
return if our defense can just
do the job."
Orvis, who should be at 100
per cent Saturday, says the
Buffs have to stop Nebraska
from making the big play.
"The tough thing about
Nebraska's offense is that they
try to put you to sleep," said
the Buff defensive tackle. "If
they get you used to the same
thing then they'll try to
surprise you. We have to be
ready for the surprise play. "
THE CORNHUSKERS will
also try to hurt the Buffs with
a strong passing attack.
Colorado's defensive secondary
has allowed an average of 1 66
yards passing per game this
year.
"The long pass really hasn't
hurt us," said Stearns, w ho also
does the punting for the Buffs.
"We've been hurt by the dump
pass and then they run for long
yardage."
Orvis says thedefensive line
must get to Jerry Tagge,
Nebraska's quarterback.
"We have to apply pressure
on Tagge," said Orvis. "Our
dream is to make it a long
afternoon for Tagge. If we
pressure Tagge, we're taking a
lot away from their offense."
Orvis' dream is a nightmare
for a quarterback. And Jerry
Tagge is no exception.
That's no exaggeration.
Kansas State scored' 28 points
against the Sooners last week
and still lost by 47 points. In
that game, Oklahoma rushed
for 711 yards to establish a
new national record. The old
mark was 645 yards set by
Texas at El Paso against New
Mexico State in 1948.
When you look at Iowa
State's defensive statistics, it
appears that the Cyclones
could give the Oklahoma
running game a serious test.
Aft ?..
injured defense.
r i
f U
Orvis. . -healthy for Huskers
Oklahoma
But other teams-like Kansas wu
But other teams-like Kansas
State- also brought impressive
defensive statistics into games
against Oklahoma and left
giving up enormous chunks of
yardage.
THE CYCLONES, are
second in the Big Eight in
every defensive department,
trailing the Cornhuskers in
each of the four catagories.
The Cyclones are giving up 258
yards total offense each game
and have limited their first six
opponents to 14.8 points per
game.
Majors doesn t need
reminding about Oklahoma's
75-28 win over Kansas State
last week .
"With us playing them this
week I'm sure not going to ask
Chuck Fairbanks OU coach) if
he runs up the score on
teams."
Kansas State and Missouri,
two contenders for the Big
Fight championship in 1970,
fnWS
V
X mm 1 m
mm m . - a
will he Irvine to avoid the
conference basement this year
when they meet at coiumoia,
Mo. Both teams are winless in
Big Eight play this season.
MISSOURI, a 27-7 loser to
Colorado last weekend, still
hasn't found the ans-ver to its
stale offense. The Tigers are
rushing for only 101 yards per
game and averaging just 8.4
points.
Kansas State hasn't won a
game in Columbia since 1957.
If the Wildcats lose again this
year, it would mean more than
just a discouraging season for
coach Vince Gibson. It would
be a complete disaster.
Oklahoma State and Kansas,
both with a pair of talented
(but lame) rookie
quarterbacks, square off at
Lawrence, Kan., Saturday.
OKLAHOMA STATE coach
Floyd Class, who has seen eight
Turn to page 8.
Colorado at Nebraska
Iowa State at Oklahoma
Oklahoma State at Kansas
Kansas State at Missouri
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 29, 1971
PAGE 6
THE DAILY NEBRASKAN