monday, October 19, 1981
page 8
daily ncbraskan
Gill passes more difficult test, prepares for Tiger exam
By Larry Sparks
Manhattan, Kan. - Anybody who
thought Nebraska quarterback Turner
Gill's performance against Colorado was a
fluke had probably changed his mind by
the time the Huskers had finished their
49-3 thrashing of the Kansas State Wildcats
here Saturday.
Gill rushed for 79 yards and completed
10 of 14 passes for 141 yards and two
touchdowns enroute to Nebraska's third
straight victory. Husker Coach Tom
Osborne praised Gill's performance, saying
it was a tougher test than the 59-0 win
against Colorado.
"Kansas State jumped around a lot. He
(Gill) saw a lot of different pictures to
day," Osborne said. "I thought Turner
maintained his composure. He had to
audible quite a big more than he did last
week."
Gill said he has had confidence in him
self all along but agreed he and the team
M eight
Conference Standings
Nebraska 2-0-0
Iowa State 1-0-1
Oklahoma : 1-0-1
Colorado 1-1-0
Missouri 1-1-0
Oklahoma State 1-1-0
Kansas 0-2-0
Kansas State 0-2-0
Saturday Results
Colorado 1 1 , Oklahoma State 10
Iowa State 34, Missouri 13
Nebraska 49, Kansas State 3
Oklahoma 45 , Kansas 7
Games Oct. 24
Colorado at Iowa State
Kansas State at Kansas
Louisville at Oklahoma State
Nebraska at Missouri
Oregon State at Oklahoma
will be tested when they play at Missouri
Saturday.
"We're playing pretty good ball now.
I'm just trying to play good and hope the
team plays good," GUI said. "This (the last
two games) helped get our confidence back
so we can go into Missouri next week.
We're all looking forward to that one."
Nebraska took control early in Satur
day's game as it held Kansas State on its
first series and then mastered a six-play,
52-yard drive that ended in a 23-yard pass
from Gill to tight end Jamie Williams for a
touchdown. Williams got his second touch
down of the day only three minutes later
when he caught a 13-yard Gill pass in the
end zone.
"Turner kind of improvised a little bit
on that. They dropped a guy off my man
and I was covered," Williams said. "He just
kind of lobbed it up. He told me after
wards he knew I was tall and knew I could
get it."
The Huskers were stopped on their final
series of the first quarter, which was the
only time Nebraska punted all day. The
Wildcats put Nebraska in a hole early in the
second period by downing a Scott Fulhage
48-yard punt on the Husker 7-yard line. I
back Mike Rozier came to the rescue with
a 93-yard touchdown run down the side
line. "All I saw was daylight and all I was
thinking was touchdown," Rozier said.
"It was weak on the back side on the
pitch so I just went away from the strong
side- they were in and went to the weak
size of the defense," Gill said.
Nebraska made the score 28-0 late in
the' half when fullback Mark Moravec ran
over from the 2-yard line to cap an 8-yard,
11 -play drive. Kevin Siebel added the extra
point. The Huskers had yet another chance
in the half when safety Jeff Krejci picked
off a Kansas State pass at the KSU 23-yard
line. Rozier fumbled, however, two plays
later on the 16.
The Cornhuskers ate up more than half
of the third period on an 18-play drive that
covered 73 yards but the drive stalled and a
24-yard field goal attempt by Seibel was
wide to the right.
Continued on Page 9
1 VJ
' cfjf
' .-: 4 , , J I
v& L
. -" x- . i
I i I jf &' I -
' .l.y ...iMA ' i'11" ' """" '
Plnjto by Kent Morgan Olsen
Nebraska I-back Roger Craig (21) breaks free for yardage in Saturday's romp of the
Kansas State Wildcats.
Basketball team searching ranks for new center
By Bob Asmussen
There is a familiar name and number on the Nebraska
basketball team. The name is Smith and the number is 40.
The man wearing that uniform number this year is Terry
Smith. He is one of three candidates to fill the center
spot vacated by Andre Smith.
"Center position is a question mark for us," said Ne
braska basketball Coach Moe Iba. "I think we've got three
people who can play center, Terry Smith, Victor Chacon
and Lenard Johnson.
"The loss of Andre is a big minus," Iba said. "We can't
do anything about it. We've got to have someone come in
and replace him."
Iba said the strength of the team will be at guard. The
Huskers return Jack Moore, Eric Williams, Ray Collins and
Greg Downing. Downing and Collins will likely swing be
tween guard and small forward, Iba said.
"Jack Moore is a good player and I imagine he'll start,"
Iba said. 'The other guard spot is wide open. Who we play
will depend a lot on who the opposition is."
Bright spot at guard
One bright spot at guard is returner Ray Collins.
Collins broke his foot last year against Colorado and
didn't play the rest of the season. Iba said Collins foot is
coming along fine and he is at full strength.
Another possible contestant in the guard spot battle
could be Handy Johnson, transfer from Southeastern
Iowalunior College.
"I feel that I can be an asset to the team," Johnson
said. "I think we'll have a real fine team. I hope that I can
help out."
Johnson came to Nebraska along with his coach at
Southeastern, Charlie Spoonhour, and Chacon. After six
years at Southeastern, Spoonhour said it was time to
make a move into Division I. He is the assistant basketball
coach.
"I was in a situation where if I was ever going to go to,
a Division I school, I had better do it," Spoonhour said.
"Time was starting to catch up with me."
Spoonhour said he's happy to be in Lincoln. He said he
likes Nebraskan fans' enthusiasm for basketball.
"There's a lot of interest in our team," Spoonhour
said.
Spoonhour said he is worried people are expecting too
much out of Chacon. He said when people hear height
mentioned, they associate it with the instant stardom.
"Victor's a talented player," Spoonhour said, "but he's
got a great deal to learn about United States basketball.
He didn't practice at all last fall because of an injury and
that hurt him."
The power forward position is also wide open. Iba said
one of the teams strengths is its players that can swing
from one position to another. The main competitors for
the power forward spot will be Jerry Shoecraft, Kenny
Walton, Claude Renfro, Lenard Johnson and Smith. Iba
said those players could also play the other forward spot.
"Last year I didn't have that much experience,"
Renfro said. "The experience I gained will help me to
contribute more this season."
Three seniors
There are three seniors on this year's team: Moore,
Shoecraft and Collins. Moore said seniors will have to set
an example for the new players.
"With seven new kids coming in there's going to be
leadership responsbilities placed on our shoulders," Moore
said. Moore agreed with Iba in saying that finding a
center was of utmost importance, but is optimistic about
the team's prospects.
"We've got to find someone to play inside," Moore
said. "Johnson, Chacon, Smith: one of those three have to
come in and fill the spot."
Moore said the loss of Andre Smith will cause the team
to do different things on offense.
"We'll spread it around on offense," Moore said.
"Somebody's going to have to pick up the scoring slack.
We've got to put the loss of Andre behind us."
Renfro said the team can have a good season. He said
he is optimistic about the team's chances in the Big Eight.
"I think our goal is to win 20 games and get invited to
a post-season tournament," Renfro said. "If we come to
gether as a ball club we have the talent to win a lot of
games this year,"
Moore, who is entering his final year as a Husker, said
he wants to end things on a positive note.
"This is the last go round for me," Moore said. "Per
sonally there's nothing to hold back for. I'vs enjoyed it
here. The media, press and fans have been super."
Other new members of the team are Brett Hughes, a
6-1 guard from Waterloo, Ind.; Terry Scarlett, a 6-6 for
ward from Las Vegas, Nev.; and John Matzke, a 6-6 for
ward out of Lincoln.
sfoxoffte shorts
The Nebraska women's
tennis team lost two games
in a quadrangular meet at
Bloomington, Minn, last
weekend. The Huskers lost
to Wisconsin and Minnesota
with 8-1 scores in both
games. The No. 4 singles
player Susan Hayes account
ed for Nebraska's only win
in both matches.
The Nebraska rugby club
defeated St. Louis Royal
7-0 and Kansas City 14-4 in
the Heart of America tourn
ament at Kansas City Sat
urday before falling to Des
Moines 20-0. The Huskers
are 11-1 for the season.
The Husker volleyball
team lost to Texas 12-15,
13-15, 4-15 in the finals of
the Oral Roberts Invitation
al at Tulsa, Okla. Saturday.
To get to the finals, Nebra
ska beat Oklahoma 15-8,
15-2 and Southwest
Missouri State 15-12, 15-11.
