The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current, September 03, 1980, Page page 12, Image 12

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    Wednesday, September 3, 1980
pago 12
daily nebraskan
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Osborne pleased after "hard-hitting 'scrimmage
By Pat Beecham
After sending the troops through a lengthy 2 '4-hour
scrimmage Saturday afternoon, Nebraska Head Coach
Tom Osborne seemed pleased with the afternoon's
work.
We had a good scrimmage,' Osborne said. "The
hitting was good and the intensity was great. The hitt
ing was as hard as it has ever been in an early scrim-mage."
The Huskers did have a few casualties as a result of
the hard-hitting. Linebacker Brent Williams sprained
his ankle and Osborne said Williams could be out any
where from two days to two weeks.
Robert Alvin, a sophomore offensive guard, injured
his knee and Osborne said" that it may require surgery.
Bruce Mathison came out of the scrimmage with a hip
pointer. Osborne said there probably are a few who
will be sore later.
Osborne said he was pretty happy with the top units
performances in the scrimmage, but added that it
would be hard to evaluate how everyone did until he
got a chance to look at the films.
The first unit offense started the scrimmage against
the No. 2 defense. The offense took the ball from their
35 and marched 65 yards in 1 1 plays for their first
score of the afternoon.
The drive was highlighted by a 22-yard pass from
Jeff Quinn to Jarvis Redwine. Quinn scored the first
touchdown himself by going in from seven yards out.
Hie No. 3 offense then went against the No. 1
defense, running plays of Nebraska's first four oppon
ents. Osborne said the first team defense "played
pretty well," but said it was hard. to evaluate the third
and fourth team offenses because they were running
unfamiliar plays.
Mark Mauer led the second team offense to a pair of
scores in his first effort of that afternoon. Mauer scor
ed the first touchdown for a second unit on a keeper.
The next score was a 35 -yard field goal by Eddie Neal.
The first team offense then came back and took
five plays to score against the third teamdefense. Jarvis
Redwine took it in from the 40-yard line.
Nate Mason then took over for Quinn about half-
way through the next series and led the first team of
fense to another touchdown, with Craig Johnson scor
ing on a one-yard plunge.
Jim Kotera scored the final touchdown from four,
yards out. Kotera was playing behind the No. 1 line
going apinst the No. 2 defense.
Osborne said the first team offense looked good
and the defense looked more solid than a year ago.
He added that he was still looking for depth at some
positions.
After the scrimmage, Osborne didnH name any
particular players as real standouts, but was pleased
with the general performance of the team.
Former coach's persistence
keeps Williams on the field
By Paul Martin
If it wasn't for David Beral, Brent
Williams wouldn't have been the second
leading tackier on Nebraska's football team
last year. He probably wouldn't be playing
football at all.
Upon completion of high school at Ver
bum Dei, an all-male parochial school in
the Watts district of Los Angeles, Williams
received no scholarship offers and "was
ready to quit playing," he said.
But Beral, the coach of a Verbum Dei
rival who had since become a coach at Los
Angeles Southwest Community College,
found out Williams was not playing and
immediately began a concerted effort to
recruit him.
"He kept trying to get me to play,"
Williams said. "He kept calling and coming
over to my house but I always had a nega
tive answer. He must of remembered me
playing against his team and wondered why
I wasn't still playing ball."
Beral said he more than wondered why
Williams wasn't playing , football some
where, he "simply couldn't believe it."
"After he'd gotten out of high school, I
saw hurt on the street one day and stopped
him to ask if he was still playing football
and when he said 'no,' I was shocked,"
Beral recalled in a telephone interview.
"I asked him why and he didn't say much.
He was despondent, but I wasn't giving
up.
Night classes
At the time, Williams said he was
attending night classes at the nearby
Community College and working at a full
time construction job in hopes of obtaining
enough money to become a full-time stu
dent and "just get an education."
Beral said he occasionally saw Williams
, on the campus at night, and when he did,
he deliberately "tried to run into him.
"I'd go out of my way to talk with him
and convince him he should still be play
ing football," Beral said.
Beral said his persistency eventually
paid off when Williams "finally sat down
one day to really think it (playing) over."
"I decided to give football another
shot," Williams said. "I wanted to see if 1
could play major college football."
Although LASWCC was 0-1 1 during the
year Williams spent there, his talent got the
attention of several major colleges.
"He's got super quickness and he's a
real hitter," Beral said of Williams, who has
4.7 speed in the 40-yeard dash. "He also
has good football sense and is very coach
able." UCLA and Nebraska
Of the offers received after his first
year of junior college, Williams said he
narrowed his choice down to UCLA and
Nebraska, eventually choosing Nebraska
because he "wanted to get away from
home."
Since transferring to Nebraska in 1978,
the 6-0, 227-pound senior has earned two
letters and was a starter at strongside line
backer for the Huskers last year.
"I feel I had a pretty good season last
year," said Williams, who was twice the
Husker Defensive Player of the Game in
1979. "Even though the injury (an ankle
sprain suffered in the Kansas game) put a
damper on it, I still don't think I played up
to my ability."
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Brent Williams
In the Husker scrimmage Saturday,
Williams suffered a new injury (strained
ligaments) to the same ankle that bothered
him during last season.
His playing status in the Huskers' open-
Tve got a good chance of being ready,
though," he said. "I'm hoping so anyway."
According to Beral, if Williams "is at all
able to go (against Utah), then he'll go.
"He's very serious and works hard at
anything he does " IWal saiH Mn rent iiill
er Sept. 13 against Utah is questionable, he have success with anything he wants to do,
said. no matter what it mieht be "
- o ' - -
Husker frosh improving Solich
By Larry Sparks
The 1980 edition of the Nebraska freshman football
team had its second major scrimmage of the season last
Saturday at Memorial Stadium.
The Huskers showed their strength 'at quarterback as
Turner Gill of Ft. Worth, Texas, completed four of eight
passes for 89 yards, including the game's only touchdown
on a 6 1 yard pass to Irving Fryar.
Craig Sundberg of Lincoln Southeast led the Huskers in
rushing with 52 yards on 10 carries. Sundberg also
connected on two of three passes for 28 yards: Dave
Burke of Layton, Utah, was right behind Sundberg, pick
ing up 5 1 yards on 10 carries.
Freshman Coach Frank Solich said he is pleased with
the progress the team has made since practice started.
"It"! a new experience for them, but they are all show
ing improvement," he said.
Several of the Husker freshmen have had a chance at
practicing with the varsity, but Solich said it is still too
early to tell if any of the frosh will be playing on the
varsity.
"That will mostly depend on the varsity's injury
situation," he said.
According to Solich, the team has suffered only a few
injuries and so far, none have been serious. Mike Zierke, a
212-pound center from Pierce, suffered a slight
shoulder separation last week and Kevin McCormkk,
242-pound middle guard from Omaha, reinjured his knee,
Solich said.
The late start of the season this year has both its ad
vantages and disadvantages, Solich said.
"It is difficult for the players to come out and practice
day after day when the first game is so far down the
road," he said, "but the extra time should allow us to
have our plays down pretty wefl."
Solich said the team isn't working on any specific area
right now, but said, it will begin preparing for the game
with Oklahoma State soon.
The Cornhuskers will open their fall campaign against
the Cowboys Sept. 26 in Stillwater.
UNL Women's Crew
will elect new coach
among own members
The UNL Women's Crew team will choose its
coach at Wednesday's meeting.
The team will elect one of its members to be the
coach. It will then be up to the elected person
whether or not to participate in competition.
Matt Kush, coach of the men's crew team, has
agreed to coordinate the women's crew events and
to -tend some practice sessions, but has not accept
ed coaching duties.
Kris Morehead, varsity crew member said coaches
are hard to find for women's crew. In the past the
coach has. been an alumn of the team, but there
hasn t been any continuity she said.
The elected coach will probably be replaced by
an alumna during the spring semester
"We need some direction," Morehead said "The
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