Wednesday, August 24, 1983
Daily Nebraskan
Page 17
Preview finds
returning Huskers
talented, powerful
By Scott Ahlstrand
The 1982 Nebraska Cornhusker football team
that ranked third nationally lost 14 starters to gra
duation. But don't feel too sorry for Coach Tom
Osborne. Opposing coaches probably won't.
Osborne returns with enough talented performers
on both offense and defense to pull down another
high ranking this season, despite a stiff schedule
that includes UCLA, Oklahoma and Penn State.
Nebraska will open its season Monday against the
Nittany Lions in East Rutherford, N.J., at 8 p.m.
The Husker offense is again quarterbacked by
third-year starter Turner Gill. Gill completed 54
percent of his passes for a conference-leading 1 1
touchdowns, averaged five yards per rush and ran
for four touchdowns in 1 982. He will be backed up by
senior Nate Mason.
The Huskers are loaded at the running back posi
tion. Senior Mike Kozier returns after rushing for a
school record 1,689 yards last season. He also ran
for 15 touchdowns while averaging seven yards a
carry. As a third-string I-back behind Kozier and
Roger Craig, junior Jeff Smith ran for 571 yards on
just 50 carries for an amazing 10.2 yards per carry
average in 1982.
Nebraska returns four quality wide receivers led
by senior flanker Irving Fryar. Fryar, along with Gill
and Rozier, gives the Cornhuskers three legitimate
Heisman trophy candidates. Most pro scouts con
sider Fryar the no. 1 pro prospect at wide receiver in
college this year.
Starting opposite Fryar at split end is Ricky Sim
mons. Their back ups include Scott Kimball and
Streve Swanson. However, Nebraska graduated the
top three tight ends from last years squad, leaving
senior Monte Engebritson, who caught one pass for
21 yards all year, as the only returner to the posi
tion. The offensive line lost Outland Award and Lom
bardi Trophy winner Dave Rimington and three
more All-Big Eight selections. But this year's starters
are both bigger and quicker, and most played a lot
last season. Senior Dean Steinkuhler is the only
returning starter.
One of the quickest guards in the country, Stein
kuhler, at 257 pounds, will be the smallest player on
the Cornhusker's huge offensive line.
"I think Dean Steinkuhler may be the best offen-
Ticket application dates set
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Stan photo by Dave Bentz
Mike Zierke, a sophomore defensive tackle from Pierce, works out with the rest of the 9 6-man
Nebraska squad in an early season practice at Memorial Stadium. The Cornhuskers will play Penn
State Aug. 29 in East Rutherford, NJf., and open at home against Wyoming Sept. 10.
sive lineman we've ever had at Nebraska," Osborne
said.
Mark Traynowicz will replace Rimington at cen
ter. Tackle Scott Raridon (266) will be one of the
starting tackles and should be jointed by either Jon
Sherlock (260) or Mark Behning (280). The other
starting guard will be either Harry Grimminger
(271) or Anthony Thomas (285).
The defense won't grab the headlines that the
offense will, but Osborne said he thinks they'll get
better as the season progresses.
Defensive coordinator Charlie McBride is not
worried about his front line players, but sees little
depth in the Huker defense now.
"I feel better about the first team right now than 1
did at the start of practice," McBride said, "and I
expect that confidence to grow."
The line is composed of tackles Rob Stuckey (252),
Doug Hermann (270), Mike Keeler (243), and Jim
Skow (225) and nose guards Ken Graeber (238) and
Mike Tranmer (225). The end position will be
manned by Dave Ridder (215), Bill Weber (210) and
Scott Strasburger (207). Also there is converted
monster Wade Bauener, who spent the last two sea
sons at end.
"We feel we have enough good players at monster,"
McBride said, "but we don't have that depth at end."
Linebacker willl be Mike Knox (230) and Mark
Daum (230). Knox is a real head knocker and is a
possible all Big Eight selection, but, again, McBride
said he doesn't think he has many top players to
back up Knox and Daum.
The secondary returns two solid players in free
safety Bret Clark (196) and cornerback Dave Burke
(200). The other two starters should be cornerback
Neil Harris and one of three strong monster candi
dates, Dan Casterline (205), Mike McCashland and
Kevin Biggers.
"Biggers is playing much better than we expected,"
McBride said, "and Neil Harris has enough expe
rience to be a good player."
The kicking duties will be handled by three new
comers. Dan Wingard will be the punter, while Dave
Scheider and Mark Hagerman will place kick. Ne
braska has also recruited junior college transfer
Scott Livingston to compete for the kicking chores.
"Obviously Penn State, UCLA and Oklahoma are
going to be tough," Osborne said, "but Kansas could
surprise a lot of people. I think they have a poten
tially excellent team. Missouri always plays us
tough, so you can't overlook them. You really can't
overlook anyone on this year's schedule."
Osborne enters the season with only one set goal.
"Our main goal is to try to play football as best as we
can," said Osborne. 'There are a lot of factors you
can't control, so we're just going to try to be the best
team we can be."
Several changes will greet new and
returning students who try to buy UNL
football and basketball tickets this fall.
Students whohave not yet applied
for football tickets may do so Monday
and Tuesday from 9 a.m. to noon and 1
p.m. to 4 p.m. at the UNL athletic
department ticket office, 117 South
Stadium.
Because of school starting later this
year and a early Nebraska home game
against Wyoming Sept. 1 0, it will be one
of the earliest deadlines for student
ticket applications.
Tickets will cost $36 for single stu
dents and $72 for married students.
They can be picked up at the ticket
office beginning Sept. 6 at 8 a.m. until 5
p,m. Tickets can be picked up until
Sept. 9.
Jean Walcott of the ticket office, said
students who are not full-time during
the first two days of school can still buy
a ticket at the student price. However,
he or she may not pick up the ticket
until university registration records
show that the student is full-time.
A current student identification card
must be presented before a ticket can
be issued, she added.
Basketball tickets will be issued in
the same manner as football tickets for
the first time this fall, Walcott said.
Instead of general seating on the
main floor, each seat will be reserved.
Applications for basketball tickets will
be available Monday, but will not be
accepted before Sept. 22.
1983 Nebraska Football Schedule
(Ilome games are capitalized)
Penn State Aug. 29, 8 p.m.
WYOMING Sept. 10, 1:30 p.m.
Minnesota Sept. 17, 7 p.m.
UCLA Sept. 24, 1:30 p.m.
SYRACUSE Oct. 1, 1:30 p.m.
Oklahoma State Oct. 8, 1:30 p.m.
Missouri Oct. 15, 1:30 p.m.
COLORADO Oct. 22, 1:30 p.m.
Kansas State Oct. 29, 1:30 p.m.
IOWA STATE Nov. 5, 1:30 p.m.
KANSAS Nov. 12,1 :30 p.m.
Oklahoma Nov. 26, 2:45 p.m.
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Daigle ushers in new Softball era
Staff photo by John Zoz
New softbsll coach Wayne Daisle discusses
pitching with senior Sandy Wolterra&n. Dai
gle was NAIA coach of the year in 1CS1 at
Sam Houston State.
By Scott Ahlstrand
The Nebraska women's softball team enters a new
era this season. Coach Nancy Plantz resigned to take
a position at Eastern Michigan University and was
replaced by 1981 NAIA National Coach of the Year
Wayne Daigle of Sam Houston State University.
Daigle's team won the NAIA National Champion
ship in 1981, a NCAA Division II National Cham
pionship in 1982 and were runners up to Cal
Northridge in the 1983 NCAA Division II finals. In
that span, Daigle compiled a 190-65 record. -
MI think given the time to get my type of lady into
the program, we can be very competitive at the
national level," Daigle said. "It's going to be consider
ably harder to win a national championship at the
division I level, but in a few years I think well be
capable of that. What I'd really like to see, is for us to
be competitive for the Big Eight Championship year
after year."
Daigle is not the typical women's softball coach.
As a linebacker for Southwest Texas State Univer
sity, he was a division II all-American. He played as a
free agent for the Pittsburgh steelers in 1969 before
..entering the coaching ranks as an assistant football
coach at Southwest Texas State University. He
coached for five years at Southwest Texas State and
one year at Sam Houston State before being named
head football coach, three years later he was offered
the women's softball coaching job.
"Really, coaching softball was not that difficult a
change for me, because I had been active in fast
pitch and slow pitch softball for 11 years," Daigle
said.
Despite his winning record, he said he had some
qualms about accepting the coaching job at UNL.
"Nebraska is a heck of a school with a heck of a
reputation. I was honored when I was offered the
job. but I had doubts at first on whether or not I
could do the job here," Daigle said.
Continued on Page 23
