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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
