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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 2, 1974)
doi U Iffc Huskers shine in mist-shrouded CU game, 31 -15 Game analysis by Steve Taylor Traditionally, Colorado fans ;.re about as hospitable toward Jebraskans as sharks are to a nan overboard. The Buffs haven't defeated. Nebraska at Boulder in 14 years, ,iving their exasperated backers !enty of chances to spit sour jrapes. ' Some of those fans down through the years have been partial to swiping Big Red hats. Dthers have vented their frustra ton by simply pelting everyone n sight with spitefully packed snowballs. Who knows what venf on in the mist-shrouded grandstands Saturday while the luskers were thumping Colo ado 31-15? Dave Humm, Don Westbrook and Monte Anthony were the obvious heroes to the millions who watched on television, but much of the credit for the win should go to the offensive line. The veteran crew consistently opened up gaping holes while forming a pass protecion the Six Million Dollar Man couldn't have penetrated. Defense lenient While the offense was click ing, the Nebraska defense was unusually lenient Saturday, sur rendering 430 yards in offensive yardage to the Buffaloes. The fourth quarter was par ticularly troublesome for Husker defensive coordinator Monte Kitfin's bunch, with Colorado controlling the ball throughout the session and scoring two touchdowns. The Buffs were knocking on the door again when John Starkebaum made an acrobatic interception to spoil the drive. Fortunately, Nebraska had wrapped up the contest long before the home team heroics began. The Huskers got on the scoreboard early when quarter back Hurnm hit Larry Mushin skie with a five-yard touchdown pass to cap an 80-yard drive. The drive was aided substan tially by penalties and, to Colorado coaches, it must have seemed as if the referee were marching the ball downfield more than Husker runners were. John O'Leary scored the first of his two TD's and Mike Coyle booted a 37-yard field goal to give Nebraska a comfortable 17-0 half time lead. , Two other drives in the first half had fizzled when fourth and one gambles failed. Nebraska salted the game away in the third quarter with two swift touchdowns. Westbrook gets ninth lu The first was set up when freshman Anthony took a pitch out and rambled 55 yards before being wrestled down. Shortly after Anthony's journey, Humm tossed a 16-yard pass to Westbrook to raise the score to 24-0 Westbrook, the multi-talented senior from Cheyenne, Wyo., has received little publicity this season, despite his being as vital to the Nebraska atfack as Humm. His moves in the open field are rather unorthodox and some times hilarious, yet every time he touches the ball, one can see his intention is to go all the way. Westbrook has accomplished that feat nine times this season while blossoming both as a running and pass catching threat. Westbrook's score and O'Leary's succeeding three-yard run wound up Nebraska's side of the scoring in the 31-15 final. I iiiiiya eiivwwiuyiiiy Several things were encourag ing to Husker' fans Saturday as Nebraska improved their record to 6-2 and 3-1 in the Big 8. One of them was the com bined effectiveness of Anthony and O'Leary. Another was the comingout of the shell by the offense, as they shed their clok of predictability and crossed uo the Buffaloes a few times. The fullback pass by Tony Davis was compete for a long gain and would have been six points had it been a shade lower. The fake inside reverse and bomb play didn't connect, but will give future opponents some thing to think about before they gang up on thes wingback. Against Iowa State, the Huskers will be playing a slightly better team and it might be wise to completely emerge from the shell and peck around a bit. Three weeks from now against Oklahoma, they'll have to spread their wings and fly. v. A yoga class, offered through the Recreation Dept., will start Thursday. It will meet for five weeks, on Thursday evenings from 7 to 8 p.m. in the Women's P.E. Bldg. Registration is $2 and is open to everyone. The second session of dance classes will begin November 13. Lessons in modern ballrooom steps will be taught. Cost will be $2 per person, and classes will meet every Wednesday evening in the Women's P.E. Bldg. at 7 p.m. Missouri and Iowa State tied for the Big 8 cross country champioshlp in Ames Saturday. Nebraska finished eighth. :, J Husker gymnasts challenge ISU dominance Dur ing the 1950s, the Big 8 was known in football circles as Oklahoma and the Seven Dwarfs, with the Sooners being the only team of national stature, winning two national championships while compiling a 70-game win streak over conference foes. It's common knowledge the conference has evolved over the years as the nation's top circuit, with just about every one of its members obtaining a top 20 ranking at one time or another. Something like that has occured in Big 8 gymnastics the past eight years, as Iowa State University's (ISU) gym team has won the national championship three straight years, while cornering the conference title every year but one. As in football, the ISU domination of gymnastics is starting to be challenged from vithin the conference, with the challenger naturally gaining national prestige. UNL becomes challannpr With a team comprised of athletes entirely from Omaha and Lincoln, the UNL gymn astics team has become that challenger, Last Saturday at the Big 8 Invitational in Lawrence, Kan., the Husker gymnasts finished just six points behing the Cyclones, while a 35-point margin separated them from third place Oklahoma. While it was the Huskers best showing ever, Husker coach Francis Alton wasn't completely satisfied with the team's perfor mance. "We could have won it if a few more people would have hit routines," Allen said. Out people were impressed with Gone Mackie and Larry Gerard (who finished first and third in the all-around respectively). Winning tho oll-arcund may have been the end of frustration for Mackie, who has spent paqe 12 a good deal of his time the past two years nursing injuries. "Gene knew all along he was good," Allen said, "but now he's proved it to everybody. More than anything else, the win helped his confidence." Not enough consistancy Another surprise of the meet was Gerard's third place finish in the all-around, unusual for a freshman. "When you get first and third in the all-around, you expect to finish second," orry stunkel Allen said. "If our other guys would have kept up with them, we could have won." Which brings us to Allen's problem of depth. Even though Allen won't admit it, the only thing between his team and an upset of ISU has been that ho doesn't have enough consistant performers. While each man on the roster has potential, ono missed routine in an event has cost the Huskers dearly. Bad showings by Huskers in the floor exercise and in the horse, one of Nebraska's strongest events, hurt the team's chances for the title. daily nebraskan Out-state recruiting Allen, who said he intends to recruit out-state next spring, to remedy this, said Nebraska just won't supply him with the material hell need next year. Cyclone Coach Ed Gagnier, in comparison, has athletes from eight different states, with only two Iowa products on the team he brought to Lincoln two weeks ago. Gagnier, who has praised Allen for the work he's done with home state products, said the high school program in Nebraska has advanced so far, he intends to start recruiting Nebraska athletes. But Allen said Gagnier wouldn't have taken Gene Mackie three years ago when the former graduated from Creighton Prep three years ago. "Our athletes have developed more after they've come here," Allen said. Gagnier gets good material that just remains good." Husker Big S champ One example would be Husker Pete Studenski, who finished first ahead of defending national champion Keith Heaver of ISU in the still rings, Saturday. "Four years ago, Pete finished fourth in the state high school meet in that event," Allen said. "Who would've thought then Pete would eventually .win the Big 8 championship?" Allen still thinks his team can beat Iowa State, and will get a number of opportunities to do so before the dual season resumes in February. Meanwhile, the power structure of the conference isn't about to shift from ISU, although the Huskers and a young Oklahoma team both are coming. And just as In football, It could bo one heck of a race for the conference gymnastics crown in a couple years. novcmbcr4, 1074