ps3 12
daily nebresken
thursday, October 4, 1970
NMS
U team injured, depleted for game
Dy Ron Powell
With all the misfortunes the defending Missouri Valley
Conference champion New Mexico State has experienced
this season, head coach Gil Krueger might be singing the
blues.
The problem is no one can hear him singing because
Krueger has a case of laryngitis.
1ie's had a pretty bad case of it for two or three
weeks now said New Mexico State's defensive coordina
to Tony DeBiasse, who is serving as the team's press
spokesman. "I hope he gets better soon because we need
some leadership around here."
The Aggies 2-3 coming Into Saturday! game against
the Nebraska have had so many injuries and players quit
the team, its surprising Krueger hasn't lost more than his
voice.
On offense, the Aggies have lost three starters to injur
ies. Senior flanker Scott Meader was the team's leading
receiver before he broke his wrist. Senior Steve Solaja
and junior Harold Oliver were the Aggies' starting tackles
until knee injuries put them out.
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Photo by M. Billingsley
Nebraska Connie Gonyea lets go during a recent women softball practice.
Creighton game ends softball season
By Shelley Smith
Nebraska women's softball coach Don Isherwood said
hell probably never see it but he would like women's
softball to be moved to a fall sport. -
In the spring, he said, the weather b usually bad and
there aren't enough good weather months, to play a lot of
softball. - "
"In fall, the weather's better and there s more time to
play," he said.
The Huskers, this year, played their first fall season
ever. Isherwood said he likes having the extra playing
time, but added the team wasn't as mentally prepared for
it as he hoped.
Although 10-5, the team's attitude has been somewhat
lax, he said.
Tm not disappointed with their attitude though, I
kind of expected it," he said.
"Fall ball is new for them and spring may mean a little
more mental psyching, he said.
"In spring they really gear towards making nationals,
he said. v
Before a fall softball season was established, the Hus
kers used the fall to practice for scrimmages.
Being good in fall softball, Isherwood said, involves
"justgettingjisedtoit
ISHERWOOD SAID HE would like to expand the pro
gram to include more Bjg Eight schools. Iowa State and
Kansas axe the only other Big Eiht schools participating.
Eherwood said he hopes the fall season will improve
the team, and get it ready for spring, v : 4- $.' ' V
Ttx members hare logged t lot of time together this
spring and sussner by playini summer lesrse soft-
.whkhshoulibebenefkkLkesdi.
: However, he said the team's hittici kasat bees as tood
as it should fee. lis tali he was pirticulxrry dlxppcir.tcd ia
the returning plzyers. ; . ; . t
Hdr hitting is "way down, he said. The Iluders re
turned starters to every position but two, be sii. . :
Tne Iluicrs wQ "wind up their aeasoa Sunday with a
doutb hriJ;r 'tdL Creiiton University and hitting
trc!I is the key to imiln he ssU. ,
Crt'Jhtca hss rpta the I!uen three cf thiir Hte loss
es, and Isherwood said he is looking at Sunday's match-up
as the Huskers' most important fall game.
"It's a coach's job to prepare a team more mentally,"
he said. :
However, he added, it isn't always easy to do so.
"A TEAM CANT really get up mentally for every
game-it's impossible," he said.
Although, he said, Creighton can hit well, he thinks the
Huskers can beat the Lady Jays, and added that it would
be nice to end the season with a win.
The Huskers have beaten Creighton only once this
year-the last contest between the two was. a 10 Nebraska
loss in eight innings. .
The Huskers ? split a double header with Northwest
Missouri State university last weekend, winning the first
game 9-5 but dropping the second game 2-0.
Isherwood said freshman pitcher Linda Mizener from
California is "everything I expected her to be.
Mizener's earned run average is .49 for the season, and
she has begun to hit well too, he said.
Connie Gonyea, who rotates with Mizener has also!
been pitching well, he said. Both have 5-2 records.
Julie Uryasz, a senior first baseman, is the only Husker
to hit over 300 yards this fall.
Uryasz, besides being a good hitter, has also been out
standing defensively, Isherwood said.
ISHERWOOD ALSO PRAISED senior Kathy Foley
who plays cenlerfield.
jr "She's been really effective at centerfold and has
started to rut the ball too, he said.
Foley and Uryasz are the only players that will gradu
ate this spring, and Isherwood said he thinks the team
should be strong next year as wefl.
This year, the Huskers, because of a divisional change
in their region have autonutically qualified for the region
al playoffs, Isherwood said. . -
AH 14 teams ia region six will play at regional, he ex
plained, because Region six is comparatively smaQJ:
Lherwood said the Husker wi3 play several of the'
tessas they wi3 meet ia tegiccd play this spring. By win
ning and proving superiority , he said the Huskers should
be able to "dance ca into the itdcssls? -
Three players who have played key roles in the Aggie
offense have quite. Split end Jeff Evans, who was the
team's leading receiver a year ago with 48 receptions for
926 yards, quit the team before the season started. Gary
Steele, a part-time starter at tailback last year, also did not
rcturn . ... .
THE THIRD PLAYER to leave the team was tailback
Howard Great house. Greathouse, the aggies second lead.
ing rusher, had rushed for 183 yards and caught seven
passes for 44 yards this season before leaving the team.
To add to the Aggies' tailback problems, redshirt
freshman Tryone Pope, the starter at the end of spring
practices, is ineligible.
Despite the problems, the Aggies' offense is still averag
ing 330 yards a game. One of the offensive leaders is
senior fullback Ray Locklin (6 J, 225). Last season, Lock
lin rushed for a teamJeading 866 yards. This year Locklin
has rushed for 450 yards, again the team's best.
"Locklin is a quality back," said New Mexico State
offensive back coach Jim Nagel. "He's a back that can run
with power, and for a back his size, lias good speed as
well."
According to Nagel, the strength of the Aggie offense is
its passing game, which is averaging 1 88 yards a game.
Spearheading the passing attack is junior college trans
fer, quarterback Butch Kelly (6-3, 200). This year the
junior has hit on 59 of 126 passes for 883 yards and six
touchdowns. Kelly, however, has thrown nine intercep
tions, with five of them coming in last week's 30-16 set
back to state rivil New Mexico.
i HOPE WE can do a better job of throwing the ball
against Nebraska than we did last week," Nagel said.
"Although we had 213 yards through the air, we threw it
to the opponents five times, which was a key factor in the
game.
Kelly's main target this season has been junior split end
Chris Holloway (5-10, 175), who has hauled in 17 passes
for 268 yards and three touchdowns. Last year's split
ends, senior Jor Hixon (6-3, 170) is back after 33 recep
tions for 473 yards in 1978. This year Hixon has seven
catches for 92 yards, but has been slowed by bruised ribs.
Taking Meader's flanker spot has been a deep threat,
freshman Bobby Humphrey (5-10, 160). Humphrey has
caught seven passes for 224 yards, an average of 32 yards
a reception. He's scored twice.
The tight end is sophomore Terry Locklin (64, 212).
Terry, the brother of Ray Locklin, has been playing with
a light shoulder separation, but still has five catches for
98 yards.
"Our receivers and quarterback are young and inexper
ienced, but they're doing a good job," Nagel said.
"They've improved every game."
Nagel said one of the problems the offense has had is
inconsistency. In the first five games, New Mexico State
has outscored their opponents 61-23 in the first half, but
the opponents have come back to outscore NMSU 97-27
in the second half.
"When we look at what breaks down, it is usually
something that happens because of inexperience," Nagel
said. "We've had to do some shuffling of positions because
of injuries and this has led to a lot of new players playing
positions for the first time."
'"A BI3 FACTOR in our second half breakdowns is the
fact we 'save people banged up missing all week of prac
tice and then playing hurt on Saturday," Nagel said. "Be
cause of that, their conditioning is poor and they fade by
the end of the game.
"After watching the Nebraska defense on film, I don't
think they have a weakness," Nagel said. "A few teams
have had some success passing against them, and this is
how we're going to attack them. But we hae to establish
a running game first, before our passing game will be
effective.
Injuries also have affected the Aggie defense. The
Aggies lost All-Missouri Valley Conference defensive
tackle Dan Plantz after knee surgery. NMSU's other
tackle, junior David Day (6-3, 248) is a doubtful starter
with a dislocated knee cap.
Cont:cued on Pte 13
All-Stars win title
A seven-run fourth inning keyed The All Stars to a
9-2 romp over Theta Xi fraternity in the All-University
Mens Fast Pitch softball championship Tuesday night
Chris liannix's two-run homer, following Scott Fied
ler's three-run triple sparked The All Stars, who trailed,
2-0 entering the fourth.
The All Stars added two more runs in the fourth and
another two runs in the fifth frame.
Mike Swarts and Steve Mannbc had two hits each for
The AO Stars, who finished the season with a perfect 7-0
record.
Mark Marmix was the winning pitcher. Dave Ernst
suffered the loss for Theta Xi, which finished the season
at3-M.
Dave Fue&erth knocked in both of Theta Xis runs
with a two-run homer in the third inninsL