Home finale finds UNL
heading for Big 8 title
By Bob Barney
After last Saturday's 12-0 victory over
Kansas State (KSU), the UNL football
team finds itself in the driver's seat heading
toward the Big 8 Conference championship.
The Huskers, 9-0 overall and 5-0 in Big
8 play, are a game ahead of defending
champion Oklahoma, after the Sooners
were stunned 23-3 by Kansas last weekend.
Nebraska can clinch at least a tie for the
title by beating Iowa State (ISU) today.
Today's contest is the last home game
for the Huskers this season and marks the
final Memorial Stadium appearance for 19
seniors.
They are: Jim Burrow, Tom Coccia,
Rich Costanzo, Mike Coyle, Tony Davis,
Dean Gissler, Tom Heiser, Brad Jenkins,
John Lee, Bob Martin, George Mills,
Wonder Monds, Larry Mushinskic, John
O'Leary, Rick Panneton, Dave Redding,
Tom Thomas, Willie Thornton, and Jerry
Wied.
"Most Important game"
Nebraska head coach Tom Osborne said
Monday that the ISU game is "the most
important game of my career," since a
win would achieve the Huskers' year long
goal of a Big 8 championship.
It would be Nebraska's first title since
1972, when Oklahoma forfeited three
games, and its first outright since 1971,
when the Huskers won the second of two
straight national championships.
The Cyclones will be no pushover.
ISU possesses the conference's stingiest
pass defense, giving up less than 100 yards
a game. They limited the Big 8's leading
passer, Steve Pisarkiewicz of Missouri, to
just 129 yards on 10 completions in 24
attempts last Saturday.
Omaha native returns
Omaha native Jim Wingender will re
turn to Nebraska ranked second in the
conference in rushing and with a chance
to become the third Cyclone in history to
rush for 1,000 yards in one season.
The Huskers lead the conference in total
defense, after another stellar performance
against KSU. The Wildcats were limited to
131 yards total offense, (84 on the ground
and 47 through the air).
Linebackers Clete Pillen and Jim Wight
man led the defense with 15 and 14 tackles
respectively. Pillen leads the Huskers with
90 tackles this season.
Other outstanding defensive perfor
mances helping to hold KSU out of Husker
territory until the final series of the game
were turned in by John Lee, Jerry Wied,
Ray Phillips and Bob Martin.
Four pass completions
The Husker secondary limited the Wild
cats to just four completions in 14 at
tempts, while Kent Smith intercepted a
pass. Today the Blackshirts face a similar
3uarterback in Buddy Hardeman, as they
id against KSU.
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Brad Jenkins (92) has caught five touchdown passes for the Huskers
this season.
Although the Huskers managed only 12
points against KSU, the offense rolled up
371 yards total offense.
"It wasn't the greatest game weVe ever
played but I wouldn't say it was a lackluster
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Photo by Stovo Boarnor
Quarterback Vince Ferragamo (15) hands the ball to I-back John O'Leary (14) during the Kansas game.
effort," Osborne said. "I thought our effort
was good. It just wasn't sharp.
"Kansas State had a fine defense that
prevented long sustained drives," he added.
'They also kept us from the big play, and
didn't allow the home run pass."
Sophomore Anthony
Sophomore Monte Anthony picked up
:104 of the Huskers 267 rushing yards. It
was his second 100-yard game this season.
That performance -enabled Anthony to
widen his team rushing lead over John
O'Ley, who picked up 63 yards last Sat
urday. Anthony has gained 618 yards on
131 carries this year, while O'Leary has
543 yards on 108 attempts.
Fullback Tony Davis also is nearing the
500-yard rushing mark with 493 yards in
113 attempts. The "Tecumseh Tornado",
rushed for 74 yards moving into second
place on the all-time Nebraska rushing
charts ahead of Bobby Reynolds and 196
yards behind all-time leader Jeff Kinney.
Davis also led the Husker receivers with
three catches, including a 10-yarder for the
Huskers only touchdown.
Poorest showing
Ferragamo had his poorest showing as a
Husker last week. He was 7-18 passing, for
only 105 yards. Ferragamo leads the Big 8
with 10 touchdown passes.
All-American center Rik Bonness heads
the offensive line charge against the Iowa
State defense. A defense that . freshman
coach Jim Ross scouted last week and com
pared favorably with Missouri's.
Except for his final kick, a 12-yarder,
punter Randy Lessman had one of his
better days. He punted twice for more than
50 yards and finished with a 37.8 average.
Placekicker Mike Coyle had two field goals
on three attempts. On the year, Coyle is
8-12.
Sharing the nation's longest winning
streak with Arizona St. (10 games), Nebras
ka set a milepost in Manhattan picking up
its 500th win. The Huskers hope to
depart Memorial Stadium for the final time
this season with number 501.