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,
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Lincoln, Nebrask 68588. Telephone
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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.
