monday, november 12, 1979
page 10
daily nebraskan
Huskera nip KSU in comedy of errors
By Rick Huls
After the Kansas State and Nebraska football teams ran
onto the field before Saturday's game in Manhattan, a
third group of players took the field and headed for the
Kansas State bench. '
The group-some with casts and some with crutches
were the "walking wounded" of K-State 's football team.
The Wildcats have been plagued with injuries all year.
Saturday, they played without eight original defensive
starters against the Huskers.
But, the Wildcat defense was more inspired than ever,
stalling the nation's leading rushing offense and scaring
the Nebraska dominated crowd of 43,210 before
succumbing, 21-12. -
"I think we gotta give the Kansas State defense a lot of
credit. They played as well as they could," Nebraska
Coach Tom Osborne said. "Kansas State hit the tar out of
us," he added.
For the second straight week, a team "hit the tar" out
of the Huskers.
cr 1
, , . Photo by Mike Sweeney
A backhanded tackle attempted by Kaisas State linebacker Vic Koenning (24) wasn't enough to stop Nebraska
-. fullback And.a Franklin (39) on this run Saturday afternoon.
The result is Nebraska's very own group of "walking
wounded"-also known as the offensive backfield .
OSBORNE SOUNDED more like a doctor of medicine
than a PhD. in psychology after the game.
"We were worried this week because we had such a
physical game last week at Missouri. Kotera (fullback Jim)
was hurt before the game started. Hipp (I-back I.M.)
reinjure4 his toe. I looked at it at half time and decided he
shouldn't play. Jarvis (I-back Redwine) didn't hurt his
knee again, but sprained an ankle. We didn't want to play
him (Redwine entered the game in the third quarter with
Nebraska down 12-7). Johnson (I-back Craig) got hurt. He
was banged around a few times, and Andra Franklin got
hurt at the end. Quinn (quarterback Jeff) was limping
from a charley horse," Osborne said.
The list of injuries seemed to take up half of the post
game interview. I-back Tim Wurth-the only NU back
completely healthy before the game-appeared to be the
only back healthy after it.
Wurth did his part Saturday , rushing eight times for 36
yards, including a three-yard touchdown burst that gave
Nebraska the lead for good, 14-12, with '7:48 left in the
third quarter.
ALTHOUGH FULLBACK Franklin added an insurance
touchdown on a one-yard run with 7:29 left in the game,
the Husker offense spent most of the afternoon
exchanging the ball with Kansas State.
There were a total of 17 errors (not counting seven
penalties) in the sloppy contest. There were actually J 3
turnovers, since both teams recovered two of their own
fumbles. Nebraska lost five fumbles, while Kansas State
lost four fumbles and had four interceptions. '
Even Johnson, who was the Huskers' leading rusher
with 102 yards on 21 carries, fumbled three times and lost
two.
"I never really tjjought about it (the fumbles) after the
first one, but after the second one you start to think
about it," Johnson said. "I just tried to go at it as another
game." ,
Johnson said every team is playing the Huskers tough,
because of their national rating. , x
Tim Hager and Jeff Quinn, who shared playing time at
quarterback, also shared the same feelings about NU's
offensive problems.
"I think we're in a little bit of a slump," Hager said.
"We did some things that were a little frustrating (the
turnovers), but we still have a lot of confidence."
Quinn agreed that the offense is in a slump.
"We should have had a lot more points today . We can't
keep letting that happen," he said. "We're moving the
ball, but stopping ourselves." '
. , Continued on Page 1 1
Gymnastics program devised when coaches were students
By Tom Prentiss ; .
The road to success for the UNL mens'-gymnastics pro
gram has been paved with obstacles as well as good
intentions.
But because the current Husker coaches began planning
a quality program some 15 years ago, that long and
winding road has led down a yellow brick path of
accomplishments.
' Head Coach Francis Allen and assistant coach Jim
1 toward said that last year's national championship was an
i lea the two had when they were Husker gymnasts in the
1960s. ,
Allen and Howard, were both former all-around per
ft rmers for Nebraska. The idea of building a quality pro
gram at Nebraska came to them when they were students.
Both felt that if they were going into gymnastics as a
profession, then they should try and do the best job
possible, they said.
"I think a national championship is the dream of all
young coaches, especially in gymnastics," Allen said.
But, before winning the NCAA championships in
Baton Rouge, La. last year, the program faced many
detours.
FOR INSTANCE, AUen and Howard began coaching at
different schools. .
After they graduated, Allen served as a UNL assistant
coach for two years before taking the head coaching job
at Nebraska in 1969. Howard became head coach for the
University of Wisconsin-LaCrosse gymnastics team in
1966. , ,
In his 10 years at LaCrosse, he captured two National
Association of Intercollegiate Athletics national
championships. '
But, though the two former teammates may have been
apart, Howard said, they never lost contact and were
continually thinking about ways to create a better
program for Nebraska.
He explained that he and Allen kept frequent
correspondence and participated in summer coaching
clinics together.
.- We never lost sight of what we had to do for the pro-
gram if it was going to be the best "Howard said.
In 1976, Howard, joined the UNL physical education
department.' - " '
Although he had successful years at LaCrosse, he
couldn't get a big time program started at a small school,
he said. ' ; '.
Howard said he made the move because, although it
meant a cut in salary, it would give him the opportunity
to work with a better gymnastics program. ,
EVEN THAT was risky, Howard said, because when he
was originally hired, there wasn't an opening for another
coach.
But a change -in the "structure of the gymnastics
program provided Howard the opportunity to become an
assistant coach. He said 90 percent of his time now is
spent on his physical education classes and 10 percent on
athletics, such as , gymnastics, and working with. the
Nebraska School for Gymnastics, a youth organization for
budding gymnasts.
But Allen had started the ground work for the
currently successful program earlier, by working to
become an expert of every facet of the sport. Howard said
he also did this so their coaching abilities would be on par
with or above any in the nation. .
But, two of the most important components in any
program are financial support and the athletes recruited,
Allen said.
Gymnastics was not well supported in the early years
of the building process, he said . .
Allen said once they proved that they (the coaches)
were building a quality program, the athletic department
said they'd support it.
"And they have," he added.
Howard praised Nebraska Athletic Director Bob
Devaney for giving the program the confidence it needed
in the struggling building process.
"HE GAVE US support in more ways than money"
Howard said. -
Allen emphasized the athletes recruited are also of
extreme importance. He said no program could survive
without talented athletes.
v "We used to train these athletes to be national champ
ions Now we recruit national champions," Allen said.
For instance, he said that Nebraska has recruited the
top prep gymnast in the nation each of the last two years
in Jim Hartung and Phil Cahoy, both from Omaha South
The success of the program has been described as "re
warding" by Allen and "gratifying" by Howard.
They said they felt good because they helped build a
championship program, and didn't just step into one.
Howard said another advantage the program has is the
compatability of the two coaching styles.
Howard said Allen is in charge of the program but that
because of their past ties they teach "identical concepts"
and strive for the same direction for the program.
WHICH DIRECTION is that?
Allen said that when they started building, he wanted
the program to get better each year. Coming off a national
championship year, Allen said the Huskers have probably
"the best team any college has ever had."
Howard added that it would take hard work and
healthy athletes for a repeat performance.
He said that when he won the first of his two national
championships at LaCrosse, he found it was harder to
retain the title than it was to attain it.
"I think the same thing will happen this year and many
of the team members aren't aware of how tough it will
be," Howard said.
When Howard looks at his national championship ring,
he savs he thinks of all the gymnasts at Nebraska who
helped make the program what it is today.
'It wasn't just the guys on the floor at the NCAA's in
April " he said. "It was all the people who worked hard
before that to get the program started." '
Howard said this year's team has the potential to be
national champions again, but added that because of
current injuries they are not in top form.
Will the Husker gymnasts and coaches add another ring
to their collection?
Mark April 3-5 on your calendar. That is when
Nebraska will host the 1980 NCAA championships at the
Bob Devaney Sports Center.