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friday, november 6, 1981
daily nebraskan
Osborne: Bowl trip depends on remaining games
By Tad Stryker
Saturday's Oklahoma State-Nebraska
football game may not rank up thre with
the 1971 "Came of the Century" between
Nebraska and Oklahoma but in the Corn
husker State it is important enough to de
lay a speech by the U.S. vice president.
Because the game kicks off at 11:35
ajn. on ABC, Vice President George Bush's
Pershing Auditorium speech, originally
scheduled for noon, has been moved back
to halftime so the game can be viewed on
big-scrcen televisions set up in the auditori
um, a Pershing spokesman said.
It would seem to indicate that Big Red
fans are gearing up for the Big Eight race.
Coach Tom Osborne said he hopes his team
is mentally prepared to face the final three
games on the conference schedule, with a
trip to the Orange Bowl on the line.
"I think theyll play hard," Osborne
said. "I hope they're reasonably well-prepared
(mentally) every week. You never
want them to leave it on the practice field!
Osborne said it will be difficult for the
Huskers to hold their Big Eight lead be
cause their final three games are against the
second-, third-, and fourth-place teams in
the conference, and each of the teams has a
chance to go to a bowl game.
Oklahoma State, the third-place team,
has "maybe the finest defense we will have
faced this year," Osborne said. The Cow
boys are rated second nationally in total
defense.
"It seems like every team we play from
now on has a great defense and kicking
game," he said.
In order to prepare themselves for an
expected onslaught of blitzes from highly
regarded OSU linebackers Mike Green and
Ricky Young, the Huskers backs this week
in practice emphasized picking up the blitz,
Two of the Nebraska backs, fullback
Phil Bates and I-back Mike Rozier, missed
practice earlier in the week with lingering
soreness from the Kansas game, but both
have recovered, Osborne said. Mark Mora
vec, a reserve at both fullback and I-back,
remains slightly questionable with a shoul
der injury, he said.
Osborne said Scott Lindstrom, a junior
middle guard from Oakland, Neb., sustain
ed a knee injury in practice Wednesday.
"It looks like a serious knee strain right
now," He said.
Osborne said Wednesday that kicker
Eddie Neil will probably be included on
the Huskers's 55-man traveling roster for
Saturday's game.
Although Oklahoma State has not de
feated the Huskers since Bob Devaney
came to Nebraska in 1962, Osborne said
his team needs only to look back one week
to find incentive for this week's game.
"Our players realize we weren't sharp
(against Kansas) Saturday," he said. "We
won't have any problem getting up, be
cause our players know we're going to play
a real solid football team in Oklahoma
State."
Cowboy 's luck returns
after rough junior year
By Kevin VVarneke
The collegiate football career of Okla
homa State quarterback John Doerner
could be compared to a roller coaster.
Doerner's football career took off on an
upward track his sophomore year as he led
the Cowboys to upset victories against
Kansas and Missouri. Big k things were
planned for him in his junior year.
Then disaster .struck, and Doerner's
career took a sudden nose dive. He broke
his leg, early in his junior year. Doerner
managed a late-season comeback, but he
proved to be ineffective.
This year his luck is back on the upward
track as he has led the Cowboys to a 5-2
record thus far this year.'
Doerner said although he was very dis
couraged when his leg was broken, he never
considered quitting football.
"1 guess what kept me, going was the
fact that I knew I had another year left to
play," Doerner said. "I always had some
thing to look forward to."
Although most of the Oklahoma State
publicity has emphasized the kicking game
and defense, Doerner said he doesn't feel
slighted.
"They deserve all the recognition they
get; the defense is number two in the
nation so they deserve to be publicized "
Doerner said. "Every game is won by de
fense and kicking. That's how we've been
winning our games.
"Our offense has been pitted against
some awfully tough defenses and there -is
always more room for error on offense,"
he said. "Maybe that's why our offense
hasn't been as productive as it should be."
Doerner said the OSU offense will have
to score more points, and the defense must
refrain from giving up easy points. Overall,
Oklahoma State will have to play an error
free game in order to defeat Nebraska, he
said.
But his own performance will not have
to be changed, Doerner said.
"I don't have to have a great game for
us to win because there are so many other
guys on our team that have so much more
talent thaiv I do," he said. "I will have to
come in and execute every play very
calmly."
Doerner lists his experience and offen
sive knowledge as his strong points as a
quarterback, but he said he wishes he were
a better runner.
Doerner said he hasn't given much
thought to playing professional football
yet.
"You can plan and plan-on playing pro
ball and then it doesn't come about and
you're disappointed, so I'm not even con
sidering the possibility," he said.
Doerner said he is confident Oklahoma
State will defeat Nebraska, but declined to
make a prediction on the final score.
"1 never make predictions on games, it's
not my style," he said.
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University of Miami tastes the good and bad
Photo by Kent Morgan Olsen
Nebraska cornerback Rodney Lewis (5) picks up yardage after intercepting a Kansas
pass in last week's 3 1-1 5 win against the Jayhawks in Memorial Stadium.
NCAA system called unfair, but no alternatives
Charles Dickens has to be the favorite writer of the
University of Miami football team this week.
Truly, this is the best and worst of times for the Hur
icanes. They upset Penn State on Saturday and three days
later they got put on probation for recruiting violations.
This will spark cries of how unfair the NCAA's system
of probation is. For the most part these statements are
true. The players are punished for something they did not,
in the main part, do.
iaUJiii
But there is a basic flaw in Dickens' argument. What
better solution is there? So far no one has come up with
one. Sure it's unfair, but so is life. Anyone who's ever sat
through a Nebraska-Oklahoma game knows that.
Nebraska at Oklahoma State. For the second time in
three weeks, the Huskers have hit the jackpot and made
the boob tube. Actually, one suspects that somebody at
ABC has fouled up and mistaken this game for the Oklahoma-Nebraska
game. But why look a gift game in the
mouth?
The Cowboys have a surprising 5-2 record and one of
those was a seven point loss of San Diego State, a team
that creamed Iowa State.
Of course, the other loss was to Colorado. It's difficult
to take a team seriously when theyVe lost to Colorado
but, Tom Osborne wont allow the Huskers to have a let
down: Nebraska 31, Oklahoma State 10.
Kansas at Iowa State. There are certain mysteries that
no one can explain - The Pyramids, Stonehenge, how
Iowa State lost to Kansas State.
About the only incentive the Cyclones will need for
this game is the knowledge that they're playing a team
from Kansas. Look out Dorothy: Iowa State 28, Kansas
14.
Oklahoma at Kansas State. A friend of mine actually
thinks Kansas State is going to beat Oklahoma. I think my
friend is crazy. The only thing that keeps me from calling
the Regional Center is the fact that he picked the Wildcats
to upset Iowa State last week. But there has to be a limit
to his psychic powers.
The Sooners appear to have hit their typical midseason
form, having scored 92 points in their last two games
while giving up only three. They might not score that
many this week but it won't matter: Oklahoma 35
Kansas State 9.
Missouri at Colorado. I said last week that Missouri
would be mad after losing to Nebraska. Imagine how mad
they'll be after losing to Oklahoma State. Actually they
could be quite passive and still wham the Buffs: Missouri
34, Colorado 10.
East: Navy 27, Syracuse 24; Penn State 31, North
Carolina State 20; Army 21, Holy Cross 17; Pittsburgh 34
Rutgers7;WestVirginia21, Temple 10. '
South: Maryland 17, Tulane 10; North Carolina 17,
Clemson 16; Duke 28, Wake Forest 21; Notre Dame 30,
Georgia Tech 7; Vanderbilt 17, Kentucky 14; Florida 24,
Georgia 21; Texas Tech 21, TCU 16; SMU 33, Rice 14
Texas 24, Houston 14; Arkansas 21, Baylor 14; Mississippi
State 14, Southern Mississippi 7; Tennessee 42, Wichita
State 7.
Midwest: Iowa 28, Purdue 27; Michigan 31, Illinois 27;
fconsm 24 Indiana 14; Ohio State 33, Minnesota 21
Northwestern 1 8 , Michigan State 1 7
Static USC 21; 'Stanford 21. Oregon
(nwlyon 7; wWgton State 38,
Oregon 28; BYU 84, Colorado State 7; Wyoming 31 San
Diego State 28; Hawaii 45, UTEP 14 wyomm8 "51'5an
percent l9'?' ?3J percent; Sea50n: y77. 72.2