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By Jen Hcnt
A new season begins Saturday for UNL's football
Cornhuskers as they face the University of Colorado (CU)
Golden Buffaloes at Folsom Field in Boulder, Colo.
"We've had our pre-season," said senior defensive
tackle Ron Pruitt. "Now our regular season is coming up.
This is what we've been waiting for.
"We can't afford to lose or tie any of these games if
we are going to make it to Miami (for the Orange Bowl
New Year's Day). Any-Big 8 Conference school can beat
you."
Colorado, with a 3-1 record, also has Orange Bowl .
aspirations. Last year the Buffaloes played in the Astro
Bluebohnet Bowl, where they lost to the University of
Texas. -
Colorado head coach BUI Mallory h2S made a major
change in CUs offensive backfield for Saturday's contest.
Mallory said he will start sophomore Jeff Knapple at
quarterback in place of Jeff Austin who .started the
Buffaloes first four games.
- Knapple, who originally signed a Big 8 Conference
letter of intent with UNL, has completed 10 of 13 passes
for 137 yards and one touchdown this season.
However, Mallory said Austin also will play against
the Huskers.
The Buffaloes have one of the nation's best tight ends
in Don Hasselback, who has caught eight passes for 109
yards and one touchdown this season.
Wingback Emery Moorehead will be another target for
sports shorts
The Lincoln Track Club is sponsoring a 25
kilometer (153 miles) run Saturday at Pioneers Park.
Entry fee for the 9 am.-run beginning in the picnic area
is$l.
. Awards will be given to the first three finishers, the
first woman finisher and the first finisher over 40 years
old. For additional information, phone 489-4 130.
.
UNL's soccer club will host the Lincoln Soccer Club at
2 pin. in Memorial Stadium.
UNL's women's volleyball team is competing in a
tournament at Graceland (Iowa) College beginning at 8
ajn. Saturday.
The Huskers also will play Kansas State University and
the University of Nebraska at Omaha Tuesday in Omaha
with the matches beginning at 6 and 8 p-m, respectively.
UNL's women's field hockey team will play South
Dakota State University Saturday in Brookings, S.D.
CU quarterbacks. Moorehead has caught eight for 165
yards and this season.
Anchoring the Buffs offensive line is Leon White, a
6 ft. 3 in. and 271 lb. senior offensive tackle who was a
second team All-Big 8 selection in 1975.
. Tailback Tony Reed, a 5 ft. 1 1 in. and 197 lb. senior,
leads CU's ground attack. He has rushed for 395 yards
aad two touchdowns this year, and caught three passes for
21 yards.
Defensively, the Buffs linebacking position is a
question mark. Starters Bill Muxlow (mononucleosis) and
Brian Cabral (twisted knee) won't play against the
Huskers.
"We are thin city at linebacker right now," Mallory
sad. "And what a time to have that happen."
Mallory said he sees no weaknesses in the Huskers.
"Nebraska is such a good balanced ball dub," Mallory
said. "They have no glaring weaknesses."
Mallory said he wished the Buffs had another week
to prepare for the Huskers.
I thought we would be further along than we are
now," Mallory said.
" The Buffs have been hurt by costly turnovers-they
had five in the first half against Texas Tech.
The Huskers also were plagued with turnovers last
week, losing three fumbles and having one interception
in a 17-9 comeback win over Miami.
CU previously beat Miami 33-3.
The Huskers have dominated the series between
the schools, 22-11-1. Last year Nebraska stamped CU,
63-21.
Mallory said he didn't know if the Huskers had a jinx
over the Buffs.
"1 don't know what is is," Mallory said. "We just don't
play well against Nebraska. Last year we played our worst
game of the year against Nebraska. Over the years, "
Colorado hasn't played well against Nebraska. It's kind of
funny me way things work out.
CU hasn't beaten UNL since 1967.
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Photo by KtvinHig!y
Husker Ron Pruitt said he views the Huskers
Saturday dash with Colorado as the start of a new
season. . .
igizigm conference voomuil teGsns
egin long march fo 'Orange Bowl
By Rob Barney
For six Big 8 Conference Football teams, the long road
to the Orange Bowl starts Saturday.
AS teams except Oklahoma and Iowa State Univer
sities, who opened their Big 8 play last week with the
Sooners downing the Cylcones 24-10, get the first taste
of Big 8 play this weekend.
Big 8 Commissioner Chuck Neinas said many of the
Big 8 coaches feel the conference champion probably will
have a loss.
Wanted: Husker teams that can win,
or improved use of taxpayers' dough
ByFeteWegman
Editor's note This is the last in a series examining UNL's
standing in Eg 8 Conference sports and the future of
sports at UNL.
In 1959, UNL's varsity tennis team placed fourth in
the Big 8 Conference. Oklahoma State won the con
ference that year with 17 tournament points. The Huskers
had five, just ahead pf the University of Kansas four.
fourth end U
twenty
There was nothing spectacular about that 19S9 finish
for the Huskers, except it marked the last time UNL's
tennis team has finished in the Big 8s upper division.
Two individual champions and a championship relay
team paced the 1966 Husker swim team to a third-place
finish in the conference tournament.
Since then the Huskers haven't been in the upper
division and have finished last in the conference the past
five years.
In the last ten years the Husker cross country team
has had one seventh and four eighth phce firies in the
Bit 8 while the bassbaH program has produced four
seventh place squads and two ceHars'ellsrs ia the ssme
period.
IkssiXt the dismal records of these four sports, the
. . . ...
VUL Athletic Dipt, continues to pump uousasos or
Cdhn into their programs tsnuslh.
Ths hssball tesn is to recsh'e SSOjKK) this year, the
rr;ia ta gets $45JCC3 tr.i the tsss prcsrra M
Looking back at the last ten years, one finds that
hundreds of thousands of dollars have been spent on pro
grams barely competitive on the Big 8 level.
Yet there have been no ultimatums from the Athletic
Dept. for these programs to produce winners. There have
been no major coaching changes in these sports in the last
ten years. And perhaps worst of all, there have been few
complaints from Nebraska taxpayers who help pay for the
programs.
"A few years ago there were some complaints," said
James Moylan, chairman of the NU Board of Regents.
"But with the new fieldhouse and swimming pool, there
haven't been too many.
With a tradition-rich football program, Nebraska
fans love a winner. Why they permit such lising pro
grams in Big Red Country puzzles this writer.
"I think it's important for students who go to Lin
coln to have the opportunity to play baseball and swim,
Moylan said. "I think it would be unfortunate to drop
those programs.
This writer also thinks it is important that the expendi
tures of large sums of money for less than mediocre pro
grams, which directly affect a small percentage of the
student population, be justified.
The new fkldhouse is the One crutch officials have
used. They can say recruiting will improve, as win the
programs. However beautiful new facilities dont guaran
tee winning projprs
Give cross country, baseball, rrnming and tcri&is at
UNL two yesrs to show sense drastic feprovtrasnt. If
cone is shown the sports should be dropped.
"The coaches are very enthusiastic about the upcoming
season," Neinas said, "and many of them feel it will be
tough getting through the conference schedule without a
loss."
"You know I can't say who my favorites are," Neinas
said. "I have eight bosses. The only team I'm rooting for is
the team that takes the field wearing the black and white
stripes." .
- If history repeats itself this year, either Oklahoma or
Nebraska will reign as the Big 8 champ this season as one
of them has for the past 14 seasons.
Even more impressive is the all-time record the two
teams have compiled in conference play.
Starting with the Missouri Valley Conference, which
was the forerunner of the Big 6 Conference, Nebraska
won 12 of the 21 titles from 1907-1927. Oklahoma
captured one.
The Big Six started in 1928 and operated until 1948.
Nebraska won nine outright titles in that time. Oklahoma
won or tied for five titles.
Colorado joined the conference in 1948, making it the
Big 7. That left only Oklahoma State to join the con
ference, which it did in 1958.
During the 10-year history of the Big 7, Oklahoma
went undefeated (51-0-1) under Bud Wilkinson.
Sarce 1958 and the initiation of the Big 8, Nebraska
and Oklahoma have won or shared every conference title
except for the 1960 and '61 seasons, when Missouri and
Colorado captured the crowns.
"Even though Nebraska and Oklahoma have dominated
the championships over the years they have got nicked
on the way, Neinas said.
Kansas in 1968 and Missouri in 1969 shared the title
with the big two.
Recent NCAA rules, such as scholarship, traveling
squad and the coaching staff limits, could affect the
competetiveness of the conference, according to Nemas.
"Unfortunately, the people who make the rules don't
conduct research on the rules that will affect certain
teams," Neinas said.
"I feel some more flexibility is needed to help some of
the lesser estabhshed Big 8 programs. Some of these new
rules are another indication of national legidatba where
conference leatiQa is needed," he said. "Conference
problems are better understood by the conference.
Thursday the Orange Bowl Corsmiteee made public a
list of teams in contention for the bid to face the r 8
champion in the New Year's Day gsaie.
Included ca the list were Army, Ecstoa Cc!:-?,
Geona, Kentucky, Uaryhnd, Mkhiia, Ohio State,
Notre Dsna, Fiifcburrh, Southern Ol, UCLA, Tcxss
end Texas Tech.
