monday, november 16, 1981
daily nebraskan
page 5
By Cindy Gardner
Nebraska is in an unfamiliar territory.
Saturday's 31-7 football victory against
Iowa State left the Huskers in sole posses
sion of the Big Eight title for the first time
since 1971.
The Huskers were also awarded the title
in 1972 when Oklahoma was forced to for
feit four games because of recruiting vio
lations. The win in Memorial Stadium
Saturday, coupled with Missouri's 19-14
stifling of Oklahoma, gave Nebraska an
Orange Bowl bid, its first in four years.
After a scoreless first period, Iowa State
scored first on a Dwayne Crutchfield 2
yard run with 9:41 left in the half. Crutch
field capped a Cyclone drive of 74 yards in
14 plays.
A 9-yard punt return by Allen Lyday
put the Huskers at the Iowa State 35 and,
after seven plays, I-back Mike Rozier found
the endzone. The teams went to their half
time pep talks in a 7-7 dead heat.
"We didn't play well in the first half,"
Nebraska Coach Tom Osborne said after
the game. "We didn't control the line of
scrimmage on either side of the ball."
The Nebraska offense, which has proven
to be a third-quarter team this season, fail
ed to put any points on the scoreboard
during the period. The Blackshirt defense,
however, rose to the occasion.
Fired up defense
On the first play from scrimmage in the
second half, Cyclone linebacker Doug
Fischer recovered a Rozier fumble at the
Nebraska 25-yard line. But two penalties
and a fired-up Husker defense turned away
Iowa State empty -handed.
"One of the keys to the game was our
defense," Osborne said. "They stopped the
Ankle mjwy slowed Crutchfield
Injuries took
By Larry Sparks
If there was any doubt about how
important Dawyne Crutchfield is to the
Iowa State offense, it was removed in the
second half of Saturday's 31-7 Nebraska
win against the Cyclones in Memorial
Stadium, ISU football Coach Donnie Dun
can said.
0) f k
):
scw.- vKT 111
I 1 u I
Husker kicker Eddie Neil (13) reacts to his fourth quarter field goal which gave Ne
braska a 10-7 lead against Iowa State. Tlie Huskers went on to a 31-7 win and chim
ed the Big Eight title.
Miami
arm tackling and started to control the line
of scrimmage in the second half."
With 1 :54 remaining in the third quarter
the Husker offense reeled off three con
secutive first downs to set up an early
fourth period field goal by Eddie Neil.
Neil's 49-yard kick cleared the cross bar by
inches and put the Huskers ahead 10-7.
It was my toughest show and my. long
est ever in college " Neil said. "Actually, I
kicked it very poorly. It was about 10-feet
off the ground. If someone would have
stuck their arm up, they could've blocked
it."
Neil's field goal opened a floodgate of
Nebraska offense. In 7: 14 Nebraska cover
ed 143 yards. The Huskers scored 24
points in 5:20.
Kicking game important
After the Husker defense stopped Iowa
State, sophomore Irving Fryar took a
Cyclone punt 63 yards for a touchdown
and Nebraska lead 17-7 with 13: 12 remain
ing in the game.
"I knew before the ball was kicked that
I needed a good return. I needed to at least
get near the goal line. The game was still
too close," Fryar said.
'The kicking game was a big factor,"
Osborne said. In addition to the 13 points
it scored, punter Grant Campbell averaged
47 yards per boot.
It was the Blackshirts who continued to
tire an injury-riddled Iowa State offense
and set up Nebraska's next two scores.
Senior Henry Waechter intercepted an
Iowa State pass tipped by Toby Williams.
It was Waechter's first ever interception
and it gave the Huskers the ball at the ISU
21. Five plays later, Nebraska scored on a
three-yard pass from Turner Gill to
Anthony Steels. The catch by Steels, who
the wind from the Cyclones Duncan
The Iowa State running back rushed for
98 yards in the first half and helped the
Cyclones force a 7-7 halftime deadlock on
the Huskers. Bothered by a nagging ankle
injury, Crutchfield was held to minus one
yard in the second half and the Cyclones
fell to a 3 1-7 defeat.
"I hate to keep coming back to this, but
in the first half, Crutchfield was
Photo bv Davt Bentz
after Cyclone defeat
Injury could
A calf injury suffered in Saturday's
Iowa State game has left sophomore
quarterback Turner Gill doubtful for
this week's game against Oklahoma.
"There is a very good chance he
won't be able to play," Nebraska Coach
Tom Osborne said Sunday afternoon.
"We won't know for sure until Tuesday
or Wednesday."
Gill underwent surgery at 1 a jn. Sun
day to relieve pressure in his swollen
calf. Osborne said the sijrgery was
necessary to prevent possible permanent
damage.
Team physician Pat Gare said the in
jury occurred when Gill received a blow
to the outside of the leg. Clare said that
also sang the National Anthem, topped off
what he called a dream day.
"I did everything I've ever wanted to do
today. I sang in front of all those people
and played a good football game, too,"
Steels said.
It was another senior in his last home
performance who set up the final points of
the afternoon. Middle guard Curt Hineline
recovered a fumble at the Iowa State 11
and one play later, full back Phil Bates ran
it in. Mark Hagerman added the extra point
to make it 31-7.
After going into half time tied or behind
for the sixth time this season, Osborne said
the win was a tribute to the Huskers'
ability to come back. He attributed part of
the comeback to the fatigue factor.
"Our defense took a lot out of Iowa
State," he said. "We wore them down
completely healthy and in the second half,
you saw us substituting Tommy Davis for
him quite frequently," Duncan said.
"As long as we've got the power and the
strength inside to run him (Crutchfield),
we've got' the ability to move the ball on
people," he said.
Injuries not whole story
Duncan was quick to add that while the
injury was a serious setback to ISU, it
wasn't the turning point in the game.
"We still moved the ball with some con
sistency in the second half" Duncan said.
"Failure to capitalize (on Husker errors)
were factors, but a lot of teams have failed
to capitalize against good teams like Ne
braska. "In my mind, the change of momen
tum, the rash of points they scored ended
any hope of winning the football game,"
Duncan said of a 5:20 period in the fourth
quarter where the Huskers scored 24
points.
Duncan said he wasn't surprised by
Iowa State's 166-88 advantage in total
yardage the first half and gave credit to the
offensive line.
'The offensive line played very well,"
Duncan said. "We played them better than
most people have been playing them. When
we are healthy, we're good and we can
move the football."
Crutchfield also gave credit for his first
half performance to the blockers.
"Our line did a good job. They opened
up the holes and I just ran through them. I
kind of felt the bumps from a lot of gang
tackles," Crutchfield said.
Score misleading
Duncan said he was pleased with the
effort of his team and indicated the final
score may be misleading.
"The 31 points is not indicitive at all of
the way our defense played," he said.
"Anyone who saw the ballgame recogniz
ed that."
"We just had so many injuries hit our
offensive line we had inexperienced people
playing against Nebraska and that is
sideline Gill
by 11 pjm. Saturday the swelling was
progressing to the point that Gill
couldn't raise his foot. Clare said he
"wouldn't be optimistic" that Gill will
play against Oklahoma.
"Everybody would like to have Gill
available," Osborne said. "But if he's
not, they're going to play as hard as
they can."
Osborne said Mark Mauer will be the
likely starter against Oklahoma.
"Mark has a lot of experience but
Turner deserves to start if he's able,"
Osborne said.
Osborne said Gill is expected to be
released from the hospital today. He
asked that fans not call or visit Gill.
While the defense improved in the
second half, Osborne said he was not pleas
ed with the Huskers offensive performance.
He said the Huskers would need to play
better up front against Oklahoma next
Saturday.
"We've got to play our game," Osborne
said. "This is a week-to-week operation.
We've got to play well enough to win at
Oklahoma."
Even though the Big Eight champion
ship has already been decided, Osborne
said the Huskers will still feel pressure in
the Oklahoma game.
"I don't think well feel like we've
accomplished all we set out to accomplish
if we don't play well at Oklahoma," he
said. "It's a one-game season as far as
people up here are concerned."
tough," quarterback John Quinn said.
Duncan said he was impressed with the
Cornhuskers but said he didn't see any
thing he wasn't expecting.
"They played hard. They are explosive,
they are solid and they are very strong,"
Duncan said. "Having two healthy backs
going into the fourth quarter has to be a
big help."
How do the Cyclones view this week's
showdown between Nebraska and Okla
homa? "There is no comparison between the
two teams," Quinn said. "Nebraska is
physical and Oklahoma is finesse. Okla
homa doesn't have the defense they have
had in the past but Nebraska doesn't have
the offense they have had in the past."
Duncan said it has been too long since
ISU played the Sooners for him to make a
fair comparison, but Crutchfield predicted
a Sooner win, saying Nebraska has more
pride but Oklahoma has better athletes.
Conference Football Standings
Nebraska 6-0-0
Oklahoma 3-1-1
Oklahoma State 3-2-0
Kansas 3-3-0
Missouri 3-3-0
Iowa State 2-3-1
Colorado 1-5-0
Kansas State 1-5-0
Saturday Results
Kansas 27, Colorado 0
Missouri 19, Oklahoma 14
Nebraska 3 1 , Iowa State 7
Oklahoma State 31, Kansas State 10
Games Nov. 21
Kansas State at Colorado
Missouri at Kansas
Nebraska at Oklahoma
Oklahoma State .... .at Iowa State
y eight
