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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 20, 1975)
oung Hoos ier'&s imiiarfo By Larry Stunkai . . For the optimists in Bioomington, Ind., there are a few parallels between this year's Indiana football team and the 1967 Hoosier team that shared the Bit 10 Con ference title and played in the 1958 Rose Bowl. For example, present coach Lee Corso, like coach John Pont in 1967, is in his third season at Indiana after two previous losing seasons. ' - This year's team, as the one in 1967, is youth-oriented with 14 starters who are either sophomores or juniors. There was also a great weight loss on the 1967 team, which shed 600 poinds over that summer to gain speed and agility. This year's team dropped 500 pounds over the summer. Defensive tackle Just as in 1 967, the player that dropped the most weight over the summer is a de fensive tackle who was moved from offense to defense for his senior year. Greg McGuire, a 270 lbs. senior from Middletown. Ohio, weighed 298 pounds last spring. But at a lighter weight, Corso says McGuire will standout this fall. However, Corso's big guns this year could be on offense, as his quarterback, junior Terry Jones, returns after leading the Big 10 last year in passing. Jones's target, senior split end Trent Smock, also returns after averaging 17.7 yards per catch last season and leading the Big 10 with seven touchdown receptions. Junior Courtney Snyder and sophomore fullback Rick Enis give the Hoosiers a pair of hard-running backs, according to Corso. Snyder, from Steubenvitle, Ohio, broke an Indiana rushing record with 1,254 yards on 291 carries in 1974. Line extremes In the line, Indiana has both extremes in size, with two lightweight guards and two heavyweight tackles. Senior Don Schanz, at 219 lbs., 6 ft. 1 in., and sophomore Russ Compton, 220 lbs., 6 ft. 2 in., are both transplanted de fensive linemen, making the change last spring when Corso abandoned the 5-2 de fense. At tackle, junior Dave Knowles, 6 ft. 7 in and 268 lbs., Is a returning starter from last year, along with another junior, Joe Doggett, 255 lbs. and 6 ft 3 in., who started test year at guard. Knowles missed the last half of the 1974 season witb a knee injury, but came back last spring after surgery. Defense is key "We have some good people coming back on offense," Corso said, "but defense is the key to winning more games. Any im provement we make as a team will be primarily through defensive On this season's defense, 31 players re turn who started on at least one occasion last season. Among, the top defenders are line backers Donnie Thomas, Craig Brinkman -and Tom Buck. Generally, the defensive backfield is in experienced with three sophomores, safeties Tim McVay and Kevin Gi ump and corner-back Willie Wilson. More experience can be found in the de fensive line with McGuire and senior Jack Hoffman at the tackles. Hoffman started the whole of last season at the position and had 44 unassisted tackles. Atxthe ends, senior Mark Denning re turns after being injured last season and sophomore Carl Smith is labeled by Corso as being quick and aggressive Offensive formation After a 1-10 season last season, Croto changed his offensive formation from the Pro-I to the Pro-set, which has split backs. The defensive formation also underwent change from the 5-2 alignment similar to Nebraska's, to the 4-3-4 set to take advan tage of Indiana's depth at linebacker. According to Croso, Indiana was a better team than its t974 M0 record in dicates as four of the losses were within ten points. The Hoosiers opened the season by beating Minnesota 20-14 last Saturday. 'This is a good football team," Corso said, "with more of everything It takes to win. There is more depth, more talent and more of everything." ' . "Barring injuries, the team we put on the field this fall will be a good football team, a lot better than people think we are." . . mk.m am Special Editor: Larry Stunkel. Managing Editor: Stan Linhorst. Ad vertising Manager: Mary Ann Myers. Business Manager: Jerri Haussler. Production Manager: Kitty Policky. First Down is a publication of the Daily Nebraskan. Both are written, edited , and managed by students at the University of Nebraska Lincoln. They are editorially inde pendent of the University faculty, administration and students. First Down is published by the publications committee on home game Saturdays. Address: First Down, Room 34, Nebraska Union, 14th and R Streets, Lincoln, Nebrask 68588. Telephone 402472-2588. awe . MfcjwMaMMBwMWfllM-- 'fttimt --lifffBiWi,iirilllll it ' 1 "' ' "" """trm-rni numiniii -im murium win J 1 is", j v .k .J ""H fC s V f . 1 1 --'-r- '5?. , ::) f - v Y' A I- i, L-. . -... ---li " n'ini isaasfeiM-jftui I Dhoto tev Kwbi Hlatov Dave Dutterfleld; (34) and Jim YV.ghtn.an (59) team up on LSU's Charles Alexander (4). Wightman had 10 tackles in his linebacking 'debut. Imte by Ktvlit Hlfitoy Tony Davis (25) eyes LSU'i Ronald Ramsey (71) while running through a hole opened by the offensive line. AU five interior linemen started their first game for the Huskers last Saturday.
