page 10
friday, September 18, 1981
daily nebraskan
so)rGs
Coach calls game
'determining factor'
By Bob Asmussen
Saturday's Florida State-Nebraska football game
could be a determining factor in how the rest of the
1981 season will go for the Huskers, Coach Tom
Osborne said at practice Wednesday night.
"We've got to come battling back this week,"
Osborne said. "If we don't, we're in for an awful
long season."
"We've just got to do the things we're supposed
to do, only a lot better. We've got to work especial
ly on blocking and tackling."
Although Osborne has been pleased with the
intensity of practices throughout the week, he said
he is concerned with the Husker's injury situation.
Split end Todd Brown's status for Saturday is
still questionable, but Osborne said he hopes left
tackle Toby Williams will see at least some playing
time.
Junior Nate Mason gets the nod as Nebraska's
starting quarterback this week. Sophomore Turner
Gill is also expected to see a good deal of playing
time.
Other newcomers to the starting line up include
Kurt Glather at right guard, Jeff Kwapick at right
tackle, Jeff Merrell at middle guard and Dave Ridder
at defensive end. Brent Evans will start for the in
jured Steve McWhirter at linebacker. Scott Woodard
and Tom Vergith are listed as the top prospects to
start in Todd Brown's spot if he is unable to play.
Despite Florida State's heavy graduation losses,
Osborne still had praise for the Seminoles.
"Rick Stockstfll, with a year of experience at
quarterback, is a fine player," Osborne said. "Their
fullback, (Michael) Whitting, is a great player. Rohn
Stark, their all-American punter is one of their most
effective weapons."
"Their whole defense has played very well," he
said.
Florida State enters the game with a 2-0 record,
coming off a 17-0 victory against Louisville and a
10-5 win against Memphis State. Last year's 18-14
win by the Seminoles in Lincoln is the only time the
two schools have met.
FSU's proven quarterback no factor
against Husker 'tradition Stockstill
By Tad Stryker
Quarterback has been called the single most important
position on a football team, and it would seem that the
team with an established signal caller would have a defi
nite advantage over one with an unproven quarterback.
But not so, said Florida State senior quarterback Rick
Stockstill, who last October led the Seminoles to an
win against the Huskers in Lincoln.
Too much is being made of FSU's apparent advantage
at quarterback, Stockstill said Tuesday.
"I don't think it means much at all to a team like Ne
braska," Stockstill said. "It may be a very slim advantage
for us, but I think Nebraska's got too much tradition to
have that bother them.
"I really don't think that's going to be a factor. One
position won't make that much difference."
Stockstill started every game for the Seminoles last sea
son after sitting and watching the fabled "dual quarter,
backs" - Wally Woodham and Jimmy Jordan - lead the
Seminoles for three years. It was then that Florida State
faced a similar position the Huskers face this year - no
experience returning at quarterback.
At that point, FSU Coach Bobby Bowden announced
Stockstill was his quarterback of the future and the job
was StockstiU's. Even with that load on his shoulders,
Stockstill said he did not feel much pressure.
"It didn't bother me too much," he said. "We had two
good quarterbacks there for three years, so all the pressure
I felt was to just continue the good playing that had been
done at the quarterback position. I just felt I had to live
up to their tradition."
Last year Stockstill continued in the tradition well
enough to lead the Seminoles to the Orange Bowl, where
Oklahoma nipped them, 18-17. Along the way, Stockstill
threw only eight interceptions. This year, however, he al
ready has thrown four.
"It's just that I've forced them (passes) too much this
year," he said. "I've tried to drill the ball into crowds
when there wasn't much chance of our man making the
catch. I've got to work on that and improve.'
Stockstill couldn't pick a better time to improve. Al
ter the Seminoles face the Huskers Saturday, they travel
to Ohio State, Notre Dame, Pittsburgh and Louisiana
State before returning home for three of their last four
games.
Continued on Page 1 1
Photo courtesy of Florida State Sports Information
Rick Stockstill
Wild week predicted but Huskers picked to win
It was, to put it mildly, a week of upsets. Besides Ne
braska, such well-known football powers as Michigan,
Alabama and Maine went down to defeat. If last week was
any indication, this is going to be a wild week.
Florida State at Nebraska. Florida State could not have
picked a worse week to play Nebraska. Last year's loss
alone is enough to fire up the Huskers but after last
week's loss to Iowa . . . well, Bobby Bowden is likely to
feel like Daniel in the lion's den.
This game marks the beginning of a road trip for
Florida State which makes the Bataan Death March look
Gfe shorts
The UNL boxing club works out from 5:15 p.m.
to 7 p.m. Monday through Thursday in the base
ment of Schramm Hall.
For more information, call 488-4816 or 475
6144. Mike Minnick, Beta Theta Pi, and George Mussel
man, Abel 11, both shot one under par 69s to tie
for first place in the men's intramural golf tourna
ment. Sigma Alpha Epsilon won the men's team
title with a 296 total.
Mary Sue Hergert, Delta Gamma, won the wo
men's tournament with a 78. Kappa Kappa Gamma
won the women's team championship.
Hergert and Mike Barnhill won the co-recreational
title with a 153 total.
The women's, men's and co-recreational intra
mural cross country meet will be Friday at Oak
Lake Park. The meet begins at 4:45 pjn.
Men's intramural flag football and men's and wo
men's horseshoe singles entries are due before 5
p.m. Tuesday at the Recreation Office, 1740 Vine
St.
like a vacation. The Seminoles must face the likes of Ohio
State, Pittsburgh and Notre Dame - all on the road.
Nebraska has proven in the past that they have the
ability to come back after a defeat and beat a tough
opponent. They should do the same this week: Nebraska
28 Florida State 14.
Notre Dame at Michigan. Gerry Faust isn't the only
new attraction in South Bend. Last week the Irish also
came out in new uniforms, going back to the traditional
blue. Hopefully, we've seen the last of those green
monstrosities, at least until they play USC in 1989.
Michigan has the same coach and same uniforms as be
fore but last week's result was certainly not the same.
Things are so rough in Ann Arbor this week that the
Michigan fight song has been changed to "When the Whip
Comes Down." That's what happens when the Wolverines
lose and when it's Wisconsin they lose to . . . well, people
in Peru can hear Bo shouting.
This should be a close game but Michigan's home field
advantage will help Bo's Boys in blue pull out a narrow
win: Michigan 20 Notre Dame 17.
Tulsa At Oklahoma State. Tulsa is a much better team
than its 0-2 record indicates. The teams that beat them,
Kansas and Arkansas, both had to come from behind to
do it.
This is the first game for Oklahoma State and they re
main a mystery. They were the most disappointing team
in the league last year. (Colorado doesn't count. Every
one knew they were going to be bad.) It remains to be
seen if they can bounce back.
I know it's a cliche, but Tulsa really is due for a win.
The Hurricanes pull a mild upset: Tulsa 24 Oklahoma
State 21.
Other Games
East: Army 26, VM1 14; Texas A&M 28, Boston
College 20; South Carolina 23, Duke 10; North Carolina
State 17, East Carolina 0; Rhode Island 15, Maine 10;
Maryland 34, West Virginia 14; Rutgers 21, Virginia 17;
Navy 37, Western Kentucky 12; North Carolina 44, Miami
of Ohio 9;
Midwest: Illinois 31, Syracuse 17; Iowa 23, Iowa State
17; USC 35, Indiana 10; Ohio State 35, Michigan State
17; Purdue 26, Minnesota 21 ; Missouri 42, Rice 7; UCLA
30, Wisconsin 7; Washington State 17, Colorado 13.
South: Georgia 21, Clemson 7; Alabama 24, Kentucky
3; Florida 28, Georgia Tech 14; Mississippi Stite 38, Van
derbilt 7; Houston 24, Miami (Fla.) 20; Texas 31, North
Texas State 0; Auburn 34, Wake Forest 10; LSU 21,
Oregon State 3; West Washington 31, Kansas State 10;
Stanford 32, San Jose State 7;
Last week: 24-12, .670 Season : 44-16, . 730
Picture unclear for Huskers on TV
By Pat Beecham
Nebraska's chances of appearing on national television
tlus year probably could be best summed up by the say
ing. "Being in the wroin? place at the wrong time."
This week's game against Florida State was under con
sideration but it came in second to the Michigan - Notre
Dame game, said Donn Bernstein, ABC vice-president for
public relations.
And although the Nebraska-Penn State game has not
been ruled out yet, it still is not a definite choice at this
time, he said.
"If we don't use Nebraska-Penn State, we could save
Penn State for later at the end of the year," Bernstein
said. "If we don't use Nebraska-Penn State, it is not neces
sarily because Nebraska lost to Iowa. Nebraska-Penn State
would be a hell of a game, but we might want to save
Penn State."
ABC may save Penn State because the team plays Ala
bama, Notre Dame, and Pittsburg near the end of the sea
son.
Another enticing factor about a Penn State-Alabama
matchup is that if Alabama remains undefeated through
the rest of the season, Alabama's Head Coach Paul "Bear"
Bryant will have a chance to become the all-time winning
est coach in college history in that game.
Penn State, or any team for that matter, can only ap
pear on television twice in one year according to NCAA
rules unless they are picked as a wildcard team.
Bernstein said ABC decides who will be on week by
week and a final decision isn't made until the Monday be
fore the games.
The Husker game could have been televised if Nebras
ka could have moved a game to an "exception date " but
the Huskers were unable to do so, Berstein said.
Berstein said the chances of Nebraska not being on
television at all are not very good.
"Nebraska is a marvelous draw," he said. "They are a
top team with an extrememly successful program. They
are one of the most attractive, magnetic teams. .
