page 10
daily nebraskan
tuesday, October 6, 1981
Osborne reminds fans that 22 men make a team
By Larry Sparks
Pat Dye and Tom Osborne found them
selves in similar situations when they met
before the Auburn-Nebraska football game
Saturday. Both found themselves with an
unsettled quarterback situation and both
were at a loss to explain why the fans pay
so much attention to only one position on
the team.
"You need 22 players to win and what
happens at those positions is really as im
portant (as the quarterback)," Osborne
said at Monday's Extra Point luncheon.
Osborne then outlined a plan for Sat
urday's Colorado game to help take atten
tion off the quarterbacks and place it on
the offensive tackles.
"I thought maybe this week the east
stands could be for (Dan) Hurley, the west
stands could be for (Scott) Raridon; the
north stands could be for (Randy) Theiss
and the south stands for (Jeff) Kwapick,"
Osborne said. "Whenever your guy is in the
game you cheer and when he's not, you
boo."
"It would totally confuse Colorado and
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it might give our quarterbacks a chance to
play," he said.
Osborne said the Husker quarterbacks
currently lack the ability to audible at the
line of scrimmage like Jeff Quinn did last
year. He said learning how to audible
"takes time" and the situation will get bet
ter. Osborne had praise for NU's defensive
play against Auburn Saturday, especially
the ends. He added, however, that the con
ditions were good for the defense because
the wet field slowed down the opponenets
and helped cause fumbles.
"But we felt we forced four or five of
the fumbles," he said. "Everybody on de
fense played well."
The kicking game was another area of
improvement, Osborne said, pointing out
punter Grant Campbell's average of 50.2
yards despite the windy conditions.
Osborne said the offense played better
than most people thought, adding that Au
burn is a "very good defensive football
team".
"They (Auburn) played harder than
anyone we've faced," he said. "Usually, we
just stopped ourselves.
"On that kind of surface, our backs
really couldn't maneuver to make the big
plays. We had to go straight at them. It
was the kind of game where, if you made
four or five yards a crack, you would score
but you were going to take 10 to 12 plays
doing it. When handling a wet football,
sometimes in 10 or 12 plays, you're going
to have a bad play," he said.
Defensive tackles Henry Waechter and
Toby Williams both suffered injuries in the
17-3 win against Auburn, Osborne said.
Waechter re-sprained an ankle and Williams
injured his leg. Osborne also said the status
of linebacker Steve McWhirter, who suffer
ed a knee injury in the Iowa game, is still
doubtful. Quarterback Nate Mason is out
for the season and is scheduled to undergo
ankle surgery today.
Osborne said he hopes the fans aren't
expecting Nebraska to run away with this
week's game against the Buffaloes. CU has
a good offense and an improved defense,
he said.
"I honestly don't know what's going to
happen. We still have some unsettled
things," he said. "If we have the injuries
which we may have on defense, it could be
a very interesting ball game."
Gill starts against Colorado
Photo by Mark Billingsley
Auburn running back Lionel James (6) tries to escape Husker cornerback Allen
Lyday (18). Nebraska defeated the Tigers 17-3 Saturday at Memorial Stadium.
Turner Gill will start at quarterback
Saturday against Colorado, Coach Tom
Osborne said Monday.
Osborne said Mark Mauer will play in
the second quarter and then "we'll play it
by ear afterward. They'll probably both
play about half the game."
The move is not a demotion for Mauer,
Osborne said.
"1 told Mark I'd like to see how Turner
does as a starter," he said.
Steve McWhirter, who was originally
expected to play this Saturday, did not
practice Monday. Osborne said he probably
will not play against Colorado.
The Huskers' defensive tackle situation
remained a bit shaky as Henry Waechter
and Toby Williams were at less than full
speed Monday.
Waechter re-sprained his ankle near the
end of the Huskers' 17-3 win over, Auburn,
but "it's looking better than it did last
week at this time," Osborne said.
Williams has a deep thigh bruise. He
"couldn't do much" in practice, Osborne
said. "He'll probably play, but I don't
know."
Country's "best football fans' may be disqualified
The best college football fans in the country, huh?
Nebraskans have long called themselves that. But the
crowd's performance Saturday did little to back up the
self-proclaimed title.
Actually, Nebraska's claim to that honor has been
questionable the past few years, but the booing directed
at the coaches and players as they left for half time of the
17-3 win against Auburn Saturday removed all doubt. The
incident was uncalled for and an embarrassment to the
state, the university and the football program. It's no
wonder Husker fans have become the most disliked in the
Big Eight.
Certainly, those who follow the team and support the
entire university by way of taxes have a right to their
opinion, but surely there is a better way to express it
than by booing the team.
How many people in the stands can honestly say they
can play better than any particular athlete on the field?
For that matter, how many in the stands can coach better
than any members of the Husker staff? It's a lot easier to
see which play should have been run when the play is al
ready over.
It's no secret that Nebraska hasn't performed up to
past standards in its first four games. If improvements
aren't made, the team may very well end up with a below
average season. But does that mean the fans also have to
lower their standards?
There has to be a great deal of dedication toward the
team for 76,423 people to sit in the rain to watch two 1-2
football teams. It's too bad a few people who call them
selves fans had to make such a poor showing. C'mon
folks, we can do better.
7 $mth$ Husker fan obsessed and proud of it
Florida State Coach Bobby Bowden had praise for Ne
braska fans both times he was in Lincoln and it is hoped
he was talking about the majority of the fans. But anyone
who has followed the Huskers lately would have to believe
he wasn't talking about all of them.
The problems have been building up over the years,
especially in the student section. Various objects have
been directed at visiting teams as they enter the field, all
under the excuse of "they do it to us." What ever happen
ed to the phrase "two wrongs don't make a right'?
Oranges have also become a popular item to throw at
the visiting team or anyone in particular, especially when
the Big Eight season rolls around. This "display of spirit"
caused last year's Oklahoma game to be delayed for
almost 10 minutes while the field was cleared.
An official was hit with an orange in that game, yet the
fans showed little concern, choosing instead to say "he
deserved it.' Has anyone ever stopped to think how much
force can be behind an object thrown from 76 rows up in
the stands? With the large number of cheerleaders, photo
graphers and other people standing on the sidelines, an in
jury is bound to happen.
Still, Saturday's jeering was the worst display seen
around here in many years. After all, it was only a year
ago we made fun of Oklahoma fans for booing their team
in its loss te Stanford.
By Bob Asmussen
There are those who are loyal to the Nebraska Corn
huskers and there are those who are obsessed with them.
Grand Island's Charlie Winkler fits the latter category.
"My son was getting married on a Saturday," Winkler
said. "I told him he was a good son and I loved him very
much but I wouldn't be able to come because Nebraska
had a scrimmage. He changed his wedding to Friday."
Winkler is devoted. He has missed only two Saturday
scrimmages in the 30 years he has follwed the team. He
usually misses no more than one away game a year. He is
so devoted that when he dies, he jokes that he wants his
ashes dropped over Memorial Stadium on a football Satur
day. "I've died there a thousand times," Winkler said. "One
more time isn't going to hurt."
"My wife's not a football fan," Winkler said. "When
she gets mad at me she tells me she's going to have my
ashes dropped over Oklahoma's stadium. I don't think I
could stand the thought of having Barry Switzer spit on
me every day."
Winkler shares many of his experiences in a just-released
book. The book is appropriately titled My Big Red
Obsession. Many of Winkler's stories and anecdotes can be
found in the book.
Winkler started following the team in the 1930's. He
said the reason was because a player from his hometown
of Ravenna, Neb., was on the team.
"Hubert Boswell was the reason I started following the
team," Winkler said. "He was a fine football nlaver
the30's."
Winkler started attending the games in the late 194Q's
after World War II. He was a fan when Bill Jennings was
coach and Nebraska lost more games than it won. He said
this year's troubles are mild in comparison to those days.
"This year's team will come back," Winkler said. "I've
never lost sight of the fact that we're playing good teams.
We lost to a real fine team in Penn State. Iowa's also got
a pretty good team.
"The fair weather fans have thrown the towel in,"
Winkler said. "They think that just because Nebraska
walks on the field it cant get beat. The 30 scholarship
limit has evened thing out.
He said this team will go the rest of the season unde
feated. Winkler said he is a natural fan. He said his obsession
seems built in.
"I didn't get to go to Nebraska because of the depres
sion," he said. "Many people follow the team. I've just
followed it more than most."
Poor practices this fall didn't really bother him, Wink
ler said.
"The 1971 team looked pitiful in practice before the
season " Winkler said, "They went on to a 13-0 season."
Winkler said many people think his obsession with the
Huskers is crazy. However, he said his experiences follow
ing the Huskers over the years have been special.
"I wouldn't trade following this team for all the money
in the world, he said.
