frfc&y, September 10, 1976
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ByJ-iKsy
Nebraska's offensive and defensive units annually are
among tie best in die nation. But last season there was a
thud phase of the Husker football team that was out
s?Mi ifn
, "Our punt coverage was among the top teams in the
hzt yzzx" liiJ Getus Fischer, kicking and spec
clry teams coach. "Osr opponents averaged something
. Lke ens yard per punt return against us last year. -
Senior punter Randy Lessman punted 65 times last .
'year and had 20 of those punts returned for onh' 35
yarisa 1.75-yard return average for the opposition. Less
msst approaches his final year as punter with optimism.
1 think I could lead the nation in punting this year.
A3 1 have to do is come through," Lessman said. There's
cot much difference between a 40- and a 50-yard punt, .
It's just how your foot hits the balL"
frsm said he usually strives to hang a punt in the
air for four to five seconds on 40- to 45-yard punts.
"GEfT Parsley at Oklahoma State has been the AQ-B& 8
Conference punter for three years straight with a 44-yard
average,' Lessman said. "Out he gave up over 240 yards in
return coverage last season. He has a tendency to outkick
his coverage going for longer punts."
- Lessman expressed a wish that he could play a little
linebacker at Nebraska before he finished his career .
here, but added that it appeared unlikely "because of the
coaches' fear of an injury to me."
Senior Dave Butterfield will most likely be fielding
punts for the Huskers this fall with junior Ted Harvey as
the up man. Juniors Rene Anderson and Larry Valasek
may also see action as punt returners.
u Overall, Fischer sounded optimistic about the kicking
game.
Te lost Mike Coyle to graduation but well havcAl
Eveland and Ron Vandermeer to do the place kicking
tils year," he said. "Ve hope Lessman can do another fine
job but if not, Russ Vanous has been kicking very well
lately."
Eveland and Lessman apparently will be the only two
kickers to make the trip to Baton Rcuge to play against
Ifflriaana State University this Saturday. Lessman wEl do
the punting with Eveland as his back-up, and Eveland will
handle place kicking chores with Lessman as- hi : ?der-"
stssdy. -
Sophomores Richard Berns and Darrel V&!ton wH be
returning kickoffs for Nebraska Saturday.
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Ilszker ceach Tom Os&me cpess hh fourth ssaassi
as head y?i SsSusday. -,.
d pants
UNL's.
NL's recoi
seventh in
ByPeteWegmsn
Editor's nste This is the Cist a a sens ess:
standing m Bh 8 Conference sports.
-. Each year debate continues on UNL's poor showings in
Big 8 all-sports standings. Husker faithfuls may have cause
to rejoice in the exploits of the Big Red's football team,
but die overall picture of UNL sports in relation to other
conference schools is a dismal one.
This writer recently compiled standings for the
1975-76 season (since the Big 8 has discontinued its
official standings). The Huskers finished seventh in' the
eight-team conference.
Kansas State University (KSU), which did not field
teams in four sports and therefore received last-place
points for those teams, finished behind the Huskers.
Based on a system where first place gets one point and
last place eight points, the University of Oklahoma (OU)
Jc picture
all-sport standings
Scott said the representatives felt the standings were no .
longer accurate since some schools do not field teams in
every sport.
"Also, the representatives felt tr2 rpod track schools
had an unfair advantage since they could get points in
cross country and indoor and outdoor track," Scott said.
Sports and each school's finish last season (NT denotes
no team fielded) are as follows:
fourth and
nty
Pi
won the slkports title with 33 points, followed by the
University cf Missouri (MU), 43.5; University of Colorado
(CU) 47; Uafrtrsity-of Kansas (KU), 49; Iowa State Uni
vcriiy (ISU), 52; Oklahoma State University (OSU) 55;
Ui;L55.52dKSU,60.
UI & has fr!;cd first in the standings only three times
sines the 8 Confsrtsce Servks Buresa fksi
cssrpjlls pciat tctils in 1929. Urn Huskers were en top
cf L3 LI? 8 in 1930, 1937 and 1941.
H3 ccsxs frczi 0U have finished first 28 times
? OTs Jryhrr.Ia havs beta on tcp srvea trnts.
Sxtt cf tie turcrj said ths faculty rtprscta
. tirzs -fkcsi essh sod voted lot ytsr to disostiKra the
Gymnasties
1- NU
2- ISU .
3- OU
4-CU
5- KU
7SU (NT)
7-OSU (NT)
74.!U(NT)
Gotf '
1- OSU -
2- CU
3-OU
4- KU
5- ISU
&NU
7- MU
8- KSU(NT)
1 n;u
2CU
3- ISU
4- CU
5-OSU
5-KSU
7-NU
7-KU
Foc?ba
1-NU
1H-OU
3-CU
4- KU
5-OSU
s;u
7- ISU
8-KSU
Tmhis
1- OU
2- 03U
3- MU
4- KU
W4U
7- ISU
8- KSU (NT)
Outdoor Track
1-KU
24L:U
3H-CU
3'A-KSU
5- OU
6- NU
7- OSU
8 ISU
Crosscountry
1- KSU
2- CU
3- ISU
4-OSU ,
544U
&OU
7-KU
B-nu
InckxrTrasfc
1- KSU
2- KU
30U
4- MU .
5-NU
&CU
7- ISU
8-OSU
1- ISU
2- CU
3- C3U .
5U
&CU
r-Kutrrr)
r-Ksu cm
Sjffcwniita
1- ISU
2- OU
3- KU
44.U
&CU
ecsu
7-f4U
S-KSU (TIT)
1- JUSU
2- KSU
3-NU
4 '4-KU
4!-CU
C-CU
ecsu
Futire artides Li the crks x:Zl esamrjs ths Ath
kc Dpts atti&da fejxrd the aSrts str:irns,
the future cf UNL's sports and fkctors whkh m:y t:"p
ispnra UNL's ss!lZ.
Sstiinq orecedsiits
ByMiMcCsrthy
UNL's gridiron encounter with Locidana State Univer
sity (LSU) Saturday wO feature ssverd firsts.
VTjen the Huskers 55-man traveling squad steps on
Tger turf, it wH mark the first time a Nebraska team has
played on the campus of a Southeastern Conference
school.
The game also marks the debut of LSlPs new 450
pound tiger mascot, Mark IV.
Eut perhaps the most important first wO be Vince
Ferragamo's and Ray Phillips' debuts against the Bengals.
Last year the senior pair was among four Nebraska
players declared ineligible for the flicker's first game with
LSU because they had suited up for-the past season's
Sugar Bowl contest after transferring from other schools.
Despite the presence of Fcrrcgamo and Phillips, and
Nebraska's consensus choice in pre-season polls as national
champion, Bengal coach Charlie H!cClendon remains op
timistic. "It's not often mat a team has the opportunity to face
such competition,'' he said. "I wouldn't say we welcome
that opportunity, but we certainly are not going to shy
away from it
Te have played mem twice-in the 1971 Orange Bowl
when their 17-12 victory enabled them to snatch the
national title and again in our season opener last year
when they won 10-7. That's about as close a competition
as you could ask for, wouldn't you say?' ...
McClendon, who begins his fifteenth year as Bengal
head coach, hopes to improve last year's 4-7 record.
"Sure I'm upset over the last two seasons, he said.
We've taken a lot of knocks. Unless I miss my guess, the
players really have their sights set oh' turning this thing
around. : v.-- "
"I don't believe I have ever worked with a group of
young men who are as dedicate?? this group. They have
put the past behind them and are concentrating on what
is to come." . . " ;
Offensively, the Tigers are led by junior quarterback
Pat Lyons. Junior fullback Kelly Simmons, compliments
last year's leading ground gainer senior Terry Robiskie.
Lyons will be throwing to senior split ends Bruce
Hemphill and Carl Otis Trimble. Last year against Neb
raska the Tigers passed for 78 yards while collecting 1 13
yards on the ground. . v
Ferragamo may find trouble throwing to Husker re
ceivers as LSU features an experienced defensive back
field in seniors Steve Jackson, Ronnie Barber, Mike Leo
nard and junior Clinton BurreS. '
The Bengals defensive front four are anchored by 6 ft.
4 in. and 250 lbs. A. J. Duhe. The senior, with 4.8 speed
in the 40 yard dash, has been classed as the test down
lineman in Tiger history. Against LSU last year, the Husk
ers rushed for 138 yards and passed for 81 yards.
LSU returns 19 offensive and 20 defensive lettermen to
Ter Stadium where a capacity crowd of some 67,720
fans, including. 4,000 Big Red boosters, axe expected to
attend. -
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