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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 16, 1975)
thursday, October 16, 1975 daily nsbrsskan nebroskon cks hirt front enjoys offensive variety By Pete Wegman x ' The Los Angeles Rams had their Fear some Foursome, the Minnesota Vikings had the Purple People Eaters and the UNL football Cornhuskers have the Black shirt defensive line. Although the Blackshirts may lack the experience and size of their counterparts in the pro ranks, they have helped to place the Cornhusker defense among the NCAA leaders. The defense has allowed an average of 83 rushing and 85 passing yards a game this season. Last year Nebraska allowed 263 total yards a game. Nebraska's defensive front line consists of ends Bob Martin, a senior, and junior Ray Phillips; tackles Jerry Weid, a senior, and junior Mike Fultz, and senior middle guard John Lee. Martin, a three-year regular and all Big 8 defensive end last year, is Nebraska's defensive captain. Unwritten rule "I don't feel that much pressure being captain," he said. "There's kind of an un written rule that the captain tries to keep things going all right." Martin said that while he can't compare defenses from year to year, the Huskers improve defensively each week. Oklahoma State, Nebraska's opponent Saturday, runs both an I-slot and a wish bone offense, according to Martin. "It's kind of fun playing against both offenses," he said. "It breaks the monotony of doing the same thing week after week." Martin said the loss of starting defensive tackle Ron Pruitt for the season because of a broken leg could work to the Huskers advantage. Valuable experience "Ron's a great athlete," Martin said, "but adversity brings out the best in you sometimes. A couple of guys are gaining valuable playing experience." Phillips, the other defensive end, was red-shirted last season after transferring from MarshaHtown Iowa Junior College. Phillips said the most important thing in playing against different types of offensive sets is knowing what to do in each situation. "With a wishbone offense, you have so much coming at you, it's confusing," he said. "There aren't any real mental problems, but rather physical problems. You have to play off a lot of blocks." Defensive tackle Fultz, a two-year starter, was the 1974 Big 8 Defensive Sophomore-of-the-Year. "I think we're a little better defensively than last year," Fultz said. "I think we hustle a little more and we don't depend sc much on one or two players." Fultz said OSU's wishbone differs slightly from the wishbone offense run by Kansas against the Huskers last week. Get the job done "Oklahoma State doesnt pull the guard like Kansa did," he said. "The type of offense doesn't make that much difference. We just go out and play and get the job done." Weid, Nebraska's other defensive tackle, took over Pruitt's position. "I think I've done the job and I hope to keep improving each week," he said. "I hope to be looked at as a bonaflde Black shirt starter, instead of just as Ron's replacement. "We're still a little young, but desire and hustle are making up for it," he continued. "It seems like this year we've been able to play more than two or three quarters each game." Weid said if he had a choice, he'd rather play against an I-slot offense. "I like to put pressure on the quarter back. It's kind of exciting to get at the quarterback," he said. Lee, a senior, is the fifth member of Nebraska's defensive line. He led the Blackshirts with 97 tackles last year and is leading again this season with 35. Women gymnasts dive into fall competition preparation By Susie Reitz From dive roll to handspring-backflip-1 ay out-full twist the UNL women gymnasts are learning superior difficulty stunts for competition beginning in November. The gymnasts are taking five weeks of pre session lessons in gymnastics skills, according to gymnastics coach Karen Balke. The lessons arc taught by freshman Tim Matthews from Omaha. Matthews, an Omaha North graduate, was an all-around gymnast in high school and won several medals in his specialty, floor exercise, he said. Matthews helped coach the giris gym nastics team in high school under coach Eugene Williams, he said. He also taught gymnastics in Omaha junior high summer school programs and taught dance and acrobatics in high school. Owoteara "I got interested in coaching in high school," Matthews said. "I always thought it would be great to have my own team. I study the techniques of coaches like Francis Allen (UNL gymnastics coach) to learn a style of my own," Matthews met some of the women on the gymnastics team in a gymnastics class this fall, Balke said. Ha came to open gyr practices and helped with spotting. "Tim's giving the lessons now, and we hope he can be sn assistant coach when organized practices start,? Balke said. His status will depend on funds available, she for the women. "I'm rcaliy excited about how much im provement they've shown," he said. "All the girls are working on new superior diffi culty tricks in all events." Team members Kathi Ruddick and Sandy Czaplewski have improved and learned superior difficulty skills, Matthews said. Peggy Newport, Barb Baker and Carla Gerbig also have improved, he said. According to Balke, 20 women have shown interest in the team and practices will start about the first of November. HA - ' .'-U '- v 2v '.V' . . --5,, i 1 MUM, m f '.. r j t Li" ) W:. v Photo by Tad Kirk Ik'sker tackle Mike Fultz (72) waits for Kansas quarterback Norm Cromwell to make his move during Saturday's 16-0 Husker win. World's largest regatta draws UNL competition By Pete Wegman Members of the UNL crew will travel across half the continent in late October to compete in a three mile race, according to head coach Ron Rusthoven. The crew will participate in the world's largest regatta, the Head-of-the-Charles Regatta in Boston on Oct. 26. The eleven-year-old regatta consists of 18 events, each limited to 40 entries. The regatta's three-mils course will carry the various sculls and shells past Radcliffe and Boston Colleges and Harvard University. UNL submitted entries in three of the 18 events. The Husker.: will send a women's four-person shell, a men's inter mediate four and a lightweight men's four to Boston. Placed ninth Last year the crew sent only a men's eight, which placed ninth of 54 entries. "We're going with fours this year because I didn't think we could field a competitive eight," Rusthoven said. "This way the heavyweight men, lightweight men and the women get to go and everybody's happy, he said. 'This Women's volleyball squad braces for grueling tournament schedule Need tpotSe? "Even if I dont get to be assistant cosch this year, I hope I can still help with rncJctm UzVhtm said. "There are a lot of diUMt Ukkz the girls are woridag on ia dsc lessons tad they need a spotter to prsetic them.' Mat&ews salJ thfl ks&om tie paying off A grueling weekend is in store for the UNL women's volleyball team this week, according to coach Pat Sullivan. UNL, 6-1 on the season, joins seven other colleges in the Graceland College Invitational tournament Friday and Saturday in Lamoni, Iowa, and will face some of the top teams in the region, Sullivan said. Friday UNL plays Augsburg, Miiut., Southwest Missouri State (SWMS) and Kansas University. SWMS won the Association of Intercollegiate Athletics for Women regional tournament last year and KU was third, Sullivan sdd. Saturday, Graceland CoUegs is the lluskers first opponent, followed by Kearney, University of Minnesota and Kansas State. We play one match right after the other, Sullivan said. The toumsrnem last weekend (at Kansas State) was a test of endurance with four matches, but this wi'J be tougher because these are evea better teams. Sullivan said she plans to take team members Linda Brown, Nancy Hamilton, Laury Harmon, Susie Heiser, Janice Kruger, Sue Luedtke, Ann "Tuna Richardson, Marsha Rupert, Nancy Wilkinson, Jan Zink and Paula Walherg. Tuesday, the team avenged an earlier loss to Midland Lutheran CoSege when they defeated Midland 15-1, 15-0. Sophomore spiker Susie Heiser scored 19 of UNL's 30 points, Sullivan said. "We sort of planned it that way," Sullivan said. "We had to get revenge for the loss. We played well and only had two errors in the entire match. Of those two errors, one was while serving and the other while rccdvirtg, Sullivan said, adding that errors were the reason UNL lost ait earlier natch with Midland. "Midland had a different coach this time. They looked like maybe they wtrenl up for this match. We were. does leave some people behind, but it does make for more competition in getting a seat (in a shell). Rusthoven said the crew will have a two-fold purpose in traveling to Boston: to compare favorably with other entries at the regatta; and find a new coach. "We're shopping when we're in Boston, he said. "We need at least one new coach." Rusthoven and Mark Stormberg, women's coach, have shared coaching duties for the 65 crew members this season. Rusthoven said he had hoped for a coaching staff of five when the fall season opened, but because of previous commit ments and other problems, he and Stormberg have been forced into what has become an almost full-time job. "Last year I coached just the varsity and I thought I was overworked," Rusthoven said. "Now I know I'm overworked." Rusthoven said he has already contacted some people involved with crew on the East Coast concerning a coaching position. "I think the improvement in Nebraska's quality of the poeple who have responded to our offers thus far," he said. He said it is difficult to find coaches this year because jnany of the better on are concentrating on training for the 1976 Olympics. Rusthoven cited one problem the crew has that most coaches would like to have: too many people. "We're getting in a much better position equipment-wise, but there are too many people to be on the water at the same time," he said. UNL has 37 freshmen out for crew, according to Rusthoven. "They're (freshmen) ahead in develop ment of the freshmen last year," he said, "but I hope they don't reach that proverbial plateau and level off." Rusthoven said the fall regatta is especially important to freshmen crew members, Nebraska's only Big 8 champions hsi year. "It (the regstia) gives you something to -pint to when you're rowing ia the fall, he said. The regatta wSl be Nebraska's first competition since the Nationals la Syracuse, N.Y., last June.