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Blahakno need for excuses
the same two
by Jim Johnston
Joe Blahak has been answering
questions for the past two weeks.
How did UCLA split end Brad Lyman burn you
for d 46-yard tou-iidown pass? Why didn't you play
tighter on Texas A & M split end Richard Osborne
odd take away that short pass?
Blahak, Nebraska's left defensive cornerback,
offers no excuses for the UCLA game. 'That play was
just a part of the total happening to us in Los
Angeles," he said. "I had the guy covered, but I
missed the ball."
There is no need for Blahak to make excuses about
lotting Osborne catch five passes last Saturday. In
tact, you might say it was in the Nebraska game plan.
Against Wishbone teams-like Texas A & M-the
Nebraska coaches use the philosophy that the four or
fiveyaid pass isn't going to beat you. A defensive
back can't gamble on a short pass and get setup for
the long bomb.
But that doesn't do much for a defensive back's
ogo. And it doesn't do much for his publicity when,
like Blahak, he's been touted as an all-American
candidate.
But Joe Blahak is finally wearing a smile. For the
first time this season Nebraska will not be playing a
Wishbone team when the Cornhuskers play Army
Saturday on regional television.
That means the defensive secondary can play a
zone instead of man-for-man coverage. That also
means the defensive backs can help to stop those end
sweeps, instead of standing helplessly in the
background.
"It's a great feeling to play a team that doesn't tun
the Wishbone," Blahak said. "I always felt so isolated
from the rest of our defense against Wishbone teams.
It's such a helpless feeling on those sweeps. Now the
defensive backs can feel moi e a part of the team."
But Army's standard offensive attack could create
some problems for the Cornhuskers' young defensive
secondary. Blahak, safety George Kyros and right
cornerback Randy Borg have not worked together as
a unit in a game situation against any offense except a
Wishbone.
"We may take awhile to get everything straight,"
Blahak said, "but I'm sure our defensive secondary
can adjust back to zone coverage. In the Wishbone,
when we played man-for-man, the receiver always has
an advantage over you. But against a team like Army
haup the safetv to help you out.
Army hasn't played a game yet this season. The
Nebraska coaches can go only from last year's films
for a scouting report. But one thing appears
certain-Army will put the football in the air. The
Cadets simply don't have the talent to run against
Nebraska.
Army's offensive attack is headed by junior
quarterback Kingsley Fink. Fink, who passed for just
under 800 yards last fall, earned the starting
quarterback job midway through the season and
directed the Cadets to wins in four of the last five
games, including a dramatic 24-23 win over Navy in
last year's Philadelphia grand finale.
Fink's leading receivers are split-end Mike Gaines
and flanker Bob Hines.
Bruce Simpson returns to his left halfback slot and
is counted as the Cadets' leading runner. Simpson
rushed for 399 yards in 108 carries last fall.
The success of Army's offense, however, revolved
around Fink. He is not regarded as a running threat,
but is a tough quarterback to defense against because
he can throw on the run.
But most of the experts don't give Army much of
a chance against the Huskers Saturday. True, Army is
always tough to beat in Michie Stadium. And true, a
service academy team is always spirited.
But it is also true that the Cornhuskers have the
Cadets outmanned at nearly every position.
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Kinney may start in Chiefs' backfield
Don't be surprised to see former Nebraska I back
Jeff Kinney in the starting backfield for the Kansas
City Chiefs when they meet New Orleans in next
week's Monday Night Football game on ABC t.v.
Kinney, in a telephone conversation this week,
told Nebraska co-captain Bill Janssen that he will
probably start against the Saints.
Kinney played the final six minutes in a game last
Sunday which the Chiefs lost to Miami.
Tlit;ie will be mute than a small contingent of
Nebraska fans from Jersey City at the Nebraska-Army
game Saturday.
Nebraska's Rich Glover, who went to high school
in Jeisey City, presented Nebraska ticket manager
Jim Pittinger with a list of 87 names of friends and
telatives who wanted tickets for the game. Thr
request was fulfilled.
Glover also said that several other people have
di.ckled to chatter busses from Jersey City to watch
the game. The game is sold out, but Glover's friends
are hoping to buy tickets outside the stadium.
Jersey City is about a two or three hour drive from
West Point. It will be the first time Glover's high
school coach has seen the Nebraska all-American play
college football.
From all indications, recreation and intramural
pioyrams at the University of Nebraska will continue
to giow during the 1972-73 school year.
Lntiies for a tennis tournament have increased by
more than 60 students. A horseshoe tournament has
attracted more than 70 students this year compared
to 40 a year ago.
The big increase in flag football teams was noted
last year. More than 130 teams competed in the flan
football program in 1971 compared to just 95 the
previous year. The program has remained at the 130
level again this year. Co-rec flag football has attracted
55 teams this year, compared to 30 a year ago.
The expansion of outdoor facilities at UNL and
the interest in students expressed by the Recreation
and Intramurals Department can be credited for the
success of getting students involved in recreational
programs.
But there is a stumbling block. There can be no
increase in indoor recreation programs simply because
there are not enough indoor facilities on campus.
The overcrowded Men's Physical Education
building, built in the 1940s as a temporary structure,
remains as a permanent eyesore for indoor
intramurals. The only available indoor basketball
courts for men are two in the Men's PE building, one
court each at Herulik Hall and the East Campus
Union and two courts at the Coliseum.
The Coliseum courts, however, are available only
part-time for intramurals. The courts in the P.E.
building are not available until later in the afternoon
when physical education classes are over.
That's rather limited space when you consider
there were 130 basketball teams (1,950 participants)
sharing those courts last year.
One outlet is the Women's Physical Education
building. But that's usually off-limits for men. The
proposed fieldhouse on the Lincoln campus won't
daily nebraskan
eliminate the space problem, either. The fieldhouse
will be for varsity competition, so intramurals will
have second priority.
And now they're talking about making the
Coliseum (when vacated by the athletic department)
into a cultural center.
It appears that Nebraska's indoor recreational
facilities will continue to rank among the poorest in
the Big Eight. Oh well, students can always settle for
the annual snowball fight on 16th St. for their winter
recreation.
NEBRASKA 38, Army 3 . . . Nebraska's football
team in general-and Johnny Rodgers in
particular-usually play super football on television.
COLORADO 41, Minnesota 10 . . . New Gopher
coach Cal Stoll may decide to go back to Wake
Forest's schedule after playing Colorado and
Nebraska on consecutive weekends.
OKLAHOMA 49, Oregon 14 ... If Missouri's
Wishbone can beat Oregon, Oklahoma's could win
with an all freshmen backfield. And they might have
just that the second half.
ARKANSAS 35, Oklahoma State 7 . . . The
Raorbacks may not be as good the the pre season
polls indicated, but the Cowboys are really that bad.
IOWA STATE 35, Utah 14 . . . The Cyclones
continue to prime for that Oct. 14 date in Boulder,
Colo.
ARIZONA STATE 28, Kansas State 7 . . . Vince
Gibson will have some task getting the Wildcats ready
for the Big Eight schedule.
KANSAS 35, Wyoming 21 . . . Wyoming has an
experienced defensive secondary, but Jayhawk
quarterback David Jaynes can pick apart some of the
best defenses.
MISSOURI 24, Baylor 17 . . . This could be the
only exciting game in the Big Eight this week. But
who really cares?
friday, September. 22, 1972
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