Page 12
Thursday, September 23, 1032
Daily Nebraskan
Perm State football players 'ready, flying high'
By Tad Stryker
Jon Williams of Penn State played in some important
games last year, including the Nittany Lions' 48-14
upset of top-ranked Pittsburgh and the 26-10 win against
Southern California in the Fiesta Bowl.
Williams, however, said Saturday's game against
Nebraska is just as important to Penn State as those were.
"When you're getting ready for a big game like those,"
Williams said, "you're really flying high. That's the way
I feel this week. We all feel good. We're going to be ready
for the Huskers."
Williams, a junior running back, is confident that the
Lions can teach the Huskers a lesson on national tele
vision. "We're going into this game with confidence," he said.
"Two years ago, we didn't have confidence." The Huskers
won 21-7 in 1980.
"Last year, we felt like we could beat them, and we
did. We feel the same way this year," he said.
One reason for Williams' assurance is Penn State's
revamped passing game. Quarterback Todd Blackledge
has thrown 12 touchdowns in three games, and he can
hurt the young Husker secondary, Williams said.
"They're going to have to double-cover (flanker)
Kenny Jackson," he said, "and that will leave things
open for Gregg Canity and Mike McClosky " the Lions1
split end and tight end.
"I think we can run on them, too," he said, "but
we'll have to take what they give us.
"I think the balance works to our advantage," Williams
said. 'Teams that used to key on our run can't do that
now.
"This year, our attack has opened up, but we're still
as dangerous as ever with the run."
But the backs just aren't getting as many opportuni
ties to carry the ball. A Monday column in the Omaha
World-Herald said that Curt Warner, a Heisman Trophy
candidate, has been upset at not getting enough work.
"I don't know what Curt's feeling," Williams said.
"But as long as we're winning, I don't think he cares
how much he carries. I know I don't care, as long as
we're winning."
After losing the offensive linemen Penn State did
last year, any team might suffer a rushing letdown.
However, Williams said that losing All-American guard
Sean Farrell, guard Mike Munchak and center Jim
Romano has not hurt the team that much.
"Losing those guys hurt our strength in the offensive
line, but they've still done pretty well," he said. "We've
had to compensate and depend on more technique this
year. We've still got to iron out some things, like holding
our blocks longer."
Williams expressed confidence in the Penn State
defense, as well.
1
Bar patrons predict victory for Lions
By Jeff Goodwin
Not surprisingly, most Penn State fans polled in a
random, unscientific survey by the Daily Nebraskan
picked their team to win Saturday's football showdown
between Nebraska and Penn State.
Peter Mehltretter, an architecture student from Plain
field, N.J., was confident Penn State would win.
"Oh, yeah, we'll win," Mehltretter said. "We've had
three games to get ready for this game. We've been
looking for Nebraska all year."
Robin Breslin, another patron of The Rathskeller, a
University Park, Pa., bar popular with Penn State
students, also predicted a win against the Huskers.
"The last few games we've been playing a passing
game," said Breslin, an architecture student from
Allenton, Pa. "We've been saving Curt Warner (Penn
State's All-American tailback) for this game. We're
definitely going to be up for this game."
Both Penn State students said the game will be close.
Jerry Payne, a patron of The Phyrst (pronounced first),
another local drinking establishment, agreed that the game
will be close.
"I'm picking Penn State by seven," Payne said. "It
should be a high-scoring game. Both teams will be up for
it."
"This will be a big test for Eastern football," he said.
"Penn State is going to want to make a statement about
Intramural inn
My friends knew about it a long time before I did.
I'm sure of that. However, it's one of those social taboos
that nobody wants to be the one to tell you about. Or
maybe they tried, and I just wouldn't listen.
I always thought of athletics as just a normal part
of college life. Everybody did it. Why shouldn't I? It
was just last week, after a day of three Softball games
Eastern football."
Interest in the game on the Penn State campus has
been high this week, Payne said.
"The fact that it's going to be on TV has helped create
a lot of interest. I would say there's as much interest in
this game as there was for the last Nebraska game or for
the Alabama game last year," he said.
The late starting time could work in Penn State's favor
because local fans will be primed for the game, he said.
"It gives you- a chance to drink some more," he said.
"Most tailgate parties start about ten in the' morning.
That's a little early for some people. This gives people a
chance to wait a couple of hours and still get going. I
think the crowd will be a little rowdy."
The most confidence in a Penn State victory was dis
played by Ellen Meanix, a dining room manager at The
Train Station, a University Park restaurant and bar. She
predicted a 47-20 win for the Lions.
"But I don't know that much about football," Meanix
said.
Not all Penn State fans were so optimistic. Donald
Carr, a junior liberal arts student from Charlottseville, Va.,
said the Huskers will win.
"I think Nebraska is gonna eat Penn State's lunch,"
Carr said. "Penn State hasn't been able to generate a
running attack this year. Nebraska is just too good on
offense. Eight hundred and eighty-three yards. That's incredible."
t1
n
Staff Photo by Craig Andraen
Nebraska reserve quarterback Bruce Mathison
(19) looks for a receiver in last week's 68-0 win
against New Mexico State. The Huskers play fifth
ranked Penn State Saturday in University Park,
Pa.
Me leais life of Gat
ora
de9 Geritol
( $ Bill
2Jb Allen
and a free-throw shooting contest that someone said,
"Bill, don't you think you're involved in just a few too
many intramural sports?"
"No," I replied, "I can quit anytime I want."
That's when I knew I was hooked. That's when 1
realized the whole appalling scope of the situation. I
am an intramural junkie.
Here's my story, told in hopes of preventing this
disease from taking some other unfortunate soul.
I guess I started out like any other social athlete.
Just a few games a week with friends. But it quickly
spread into all aspects of my life.
I noticed I was practicing alone. I was no longer a
social athlete. Every morning before class, sometimes
during class, I would be outside, practicing free throws
or horseshoe pitching. My instructors just looked away.
I'm sure they'd seen it all before.
My friends stayed loyal to me as long as they could,
but I can't blame them for finally drifting away. I don't
know how many times they said, "Bill, you look tired.
Maybe you should quit."
"No," I said, wiping sweat from my forehead, "just
one more inning."
"No, really, Bill, we think you've had enough."
"No."
"At least let us drive you home, or call a taxi."
And on and on we'd go until I finally passed out,
not knowing my limit. My friends would carry me home
and tuck me in bed, my Softball glove still clutched in
my hand.
All the time my life was falling apart around me.
Classes became secondary to intramurals. I even forgot
what my major was.
Physically, I was in sad shape. Oh, I know what you'rt
thinking. With all that exercise, I should be in great shape.
Wrong. Remember, I'm an addict, not an athlete. I never
slept. All I ate was junk food from vending machines and
fast-food joints. My main drink was Gatorade. I con
stantly popped vitamins and Geritol.
I was getting on harder and harder stuff everyday. It
started out with Softball, then basketball. Finally, I
was hooked on everything from archery to raquetball.
I'd play anything just to satisfy my habit.
Don't pity me, please. I brought it upon myself. I
lived for intramurals. Like an alcoholic offered a free
drink, I just couldn't say no. I'm finished, but you still
have a chance. Put down that tennis racket. Go out.
Eat. Sleep. Do anything except sign up for that extra
sport. Moderation is fine, but don't ever reach the point
where I am.
Well, I'd better drag myself out of this dugout and
head for the tennis courts. Hey, brother, can you spare
a dime? I need money for an entry fee.
Harriers will compete at Wesleyan
By Kevin Warneke
The UNL men's cross country team will get its first
taste of competition Saturday when it competes in the
Wesleyan Invitational.
"Right now we are in the training process, but we
should be able to win without any problems," assistant
coach Mark Fkiitt said. "If not, well nave to re-evaluate."
Fluitt added that he doesn't know which teams will
provide tough competition for the Huskers since they
have not been in the meet before. He did say that the
competition will mostly be from small schools.
Instead of the usual seven runners competing, Fluitt
said Nebraska would have 10 runners in the invitational.
Juniors Marc Adam, Mark Gokie and Dave Cudmore,
along with sophomores Jerry Guinan and Tom Hoffman,
are Nebraska's top five runners, according to Fluitt.
"Adam and Guinan would have to be the core of the
team, but Hoffman. Gokie and Cudmore are running
well," he said.
The sixth .through 10th runners will come from the
ranks of Tom Waltke, Mike Herrell, Mark Rooney, Fred
Warbonnet, Gene Moore and Gerard Orallaghan. Fluitt
laid that it looks as if Orallaghan would be the sixth
runner.
Fluitt said the Huskers would like to finish in the top
three or four in the Big Eight meet, which will be in
Lincoln on Oct. 30.
This goal definitely is realistic, but since we haven't
had any meets yet it's hard to judge," Fluitt said. "We
try to take one meet at a time."
Depth, according to Fluitt, is a definite strength of
the squad. 6
"Hopefully we've got more depth than in the past."
he said. In past years, we've had three of four good
runners, but lacked a good fifth man, and since you
score five in the meets that has occasionally been a
problem.
"A weakness of the team would have to be the fact
that we have no seniors on the team," he said. "But this
should be a strength for the future."