Pago 12
Friday, November 16, 1S84
Daily Nebrcskan
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EyJelf Kcrbelik
Dxily Nebnxkui t&27 Reporter
The stage is set with players, fans and bowl olUcids
hedging on the outcome of the Nebraska-Oklahoma
television football game Saturday at 2:50 p.m. at Memorial
Stadium.
The oddsmakers have the top-ranked Huskers as
narrow favorites over the sixth-ranked Sooners. The
game will more or less decide the Big Eight championship.
It will feature the nation's top rushing offense (Nebraska)
against the nation's top rushing defense (Oklahoma).
But Nebraska Coach Tom Osborne is not as concerned
with getting hi3 team prepared for Oklahoma as he
would be for a team not as strong.
"Sometimes, I get more concerned about games like
Iowa State and Kansas because those are games you're
heavily favored in," Osborne said after Wednesday's
practice.
He said people would have a hard time understanding
a loss against Kansas last week.
There's a certain amount of tension to every game,
but I have fewer things to worry about this week,"
Osborne said. "I'm sure the players are going to play
hard and prepare welL
A win over Oklahoma will ensure the Huskers an
outright Big Eight title and a fourth consecutive trip to
the Orange Bowl and another chance at the elusive
national championship
Last week Nebraska clinched at least a tie for the Big
Eight crown with their victory over Kansas. But a loss
this week will leave the Huskers' future plans uncertain
until after the Oklahoma State-Oklahoma game. Both
Oklahoma and Oklahoma State have a shot at sharing
the conference title.
The only player to miss the Oklahoma game will be
Jason Gamble. Gamble suffered a knee injury in the
Kansas game and has had arthroscopic knee surgery.
Three other players missed practice earlier in the week
but returned Wednesday.
Winghack Shane Swanson missed practice Monday
and Tuesday with a sore leg, kicker Dale Clein was out
for two days with tonsilitis and I-back Doug DuBose
missed Tuesday with a pulled hamstring.
Osborne said his team is reasonably healthy. He eased
up on practices Wednesday and Thursday, allowing the
players to practice in sweats.
The game has been touted as a defense struggle as
Nebraska's number-one defense faces Oklahoma's
second-ranked defense. The Huskers are only allowing
203.5 yards a game and Oklahoma 211.8. Oklahoma's
defense i3 faced with stopping the Huskers' powerful
offense.
Nebraska leads the nation in rushing with 323,5 yards
a game and is ninth in total offense with 433 yards a
game.
Not only are fans, players and coaches anticipating
Saturday's game, but Memorial Stadium's security h too.
Chuck Pool, Assistant Sports Information Director,
said it is natural to increase security for a game like
Oklahoma Nebraska.
Pool said Nebraska officials want to avoid the kind of
ugly scene that occurred two years ego. The stadium's
goal posts were torn down and Barry Switzer was
knocked over by enthusiastic f?ns.
Pool said he urges the Nebraska fans to be a little
creative and come up with something a little less
destructive than tearing down goal posts or throwing
oranges onto the field.
"Now is the big test," Pool said. "We see how truly classy
Nebraska fans are."
R r T3?f 'JgSpl'f Ex-Husker quarterback
r 'V' ."' ftS-i r4N says team effort needed
I - i'," w . t. j 7v- ' - -1 By Kevin Werneke ers must have a good game.
'. , . . m- , : 'T; , & ; J V ' ::J DiUy Nebrin EscJor Editor Mauer said he is confident that
'" SOI -V f i JuJ - ,T V -I starting quarterback Turner will
a&"J '" " - j'T'h L ?JkM ' "i Mark Mauer rewembers Nov. play welL But, he said, he wont
A( -c .' ' vff ;''Trv'AfrV L lV Jfc-4rj. t21.1D3L rive him advice about olavinjz the
r s i 1
3
j
It was one of the highlights of
his collegiate football career, he
said.
He remembers receiving the
starting assignment after an in
jury sidelined quarterback Turner
Gill. He remembers leading the
Huskers to a 37-14 victory over
arch-rival Oklahoma.
Although he remembers the vic
tory, he doesnt remember, the
specifics.
Those specifics show Mauer
turned in an outstanding per
formance. He passed for 148 yards
Sooners.
"Travis will play well because
he wants to play well," Mauer
said. "I'm not in the position to
give advice. He knows what to
expect.
Mauer, who is the offensive
coordinator for the freshmen
team, also scouts Nebraska op
ponents and had the opportunity
to watch Oklahoma defeat Colo
rado.
The Nebraska-Oklahoma game
will be decided at the line of
scrimmage, he said.
Oklahoma has fast, aggressive
on 11 oomptetionsof 16 attempts. ,7
h Krenk touch- aiU
A Mauer-to-Mitch Krenk touch
down pass gave the Huskers a 24
7 half-time lead.
llsxk Maiaer riHea & tcsdidssra piss to tis-t csd ISlich Em&k la I-!nT!s S7-14
24-7.
unaeiea'cea Brig
unranMed about
nam 10UM
By CicLsrd Cpei,,
Two teams in the national ratings are unde
feated 1-1, BYU and South Carolina. But they are
not number one, the Cornhuskers are.
After Nebraska lost to Syracuse earlier in the
season the Huskers dropped to seventh in the
polls. For the last five weeks the Cornhuskers
slowly have moved up. BYU was ranked ahead of
the Huskers until two weeks ago. They are 10-0
and ranked third in the country. So whyisnt BYU
number one?
Pat Arnold, of Associated Press said that when
the writers vote on who is number one, a lot of
times an undefeated team that hasnt played a
very tough schedule will not get as many votes as
a team that has played a tough schedule and has
lost once. .
Brigham Young coach LaVell Edwards said not
being number one doesnt bother him that much.
"There is nothing we can do about it." Edwards
said. "We have never been on national television,
by not getting that national exposure it really
hurte us," Edwards said.
Edwards said he has no complaints about
Nebraska being number one.
"Nebraska deserves to be number one. They
have come back well since their loss to Syracuse,"
Edwards said.
BYU quarterback Robbie Eosco said the rank
ings really dont mean that much to the team
third ranking
because the season still is not over yet
We still have a chance to be number one,
Nebraska and South Carolina still could lose, and
this is the highest we have ever been in the
rankings," Bosco said.
Bosco is currently one of the top passers in the
nation and is a candidate for the Heisman trophy.
Bosco said he hopes BYU will play a team in the
Holiday Bowl that is ranked in the top ten.
"I would love a shot at South Carolina or even
Nebraska because I know that both teams would
be a real challenge to play.Tiosco said.
"But the likelihood of playing these two teams
is real remote," he said.
The Cougars have already received their bowl
berth because they have clinched the Western
Athletic Conference title. The conference has a
contract with the Holiday Bowl so the Cougars
will not be able to play in any other bowl games.
"I am very content with playing in the Holiday
Bowl because if we had a 7-4 record and still won
the conference, then we would still get to go to a
bowl," Edwards said.
A possible opponent for the Cougars in the
Holiday Bowl is Boston College. South Carolina
was being considered until they beat Florida
State last week. They are now in the number one
spot for the Orange BowL
Edwards said he heard from Holiday Bowl
officials that there is still a possibility that
Oklahoma or Oklahoma State could face the
and Nebraska's offensive linemen
will have to come off the ball well
' the V1Ct0ry Was a of scrimmage, he said.
-Twoon 0 . . . If the offensive linemen dont
f I wasnt a great quarterback," dominate Oklahoma's linemen, he
team. It took 11 of us to wm." attack will be hampered.
Now he hopes someone will And Turner, Smith, Sundberg...
have a big game Saturday against wont have big games, he said.
Oklahoma when the Huskers at- Defensively, Nebraska will have
tempt to win their fourth undis- to control Oklahoma's speed, he
puted conference title. It maybe said.
quarterbacks Travis Turner or When the Huskers take the fidd
CmSundbecrrunnmgbacks Saturday, Mauer said, he w!Il be
Jeff Smith or Doug DuBose. cat up in the excitement
But for those players to do well, There's a lot lying on this game,"
Mauer said, all 11 offensive play- he said.
College Football
Bible
Uilsisisa &t KcLrr. Hie formsnce. Based on past perfor
favonte here, despite the records, msr.ee, consider that Minnesota
despite the: loss to Kansas, is leads series 10-4-1, end 4-3 esdnst
Oklahoma Ssnss belongs to Olda- the spread in kst seven glm
homa with 7-4 record in last 11 'KevL?hmvim-inttia ta.
years and 9-2 against the soread.
The Sooners have covered six of
, eight times in Lincoln. The Huskers
on the other hand are 1-5 against
the spread against a top team,
1-3 against heavy runners. Foet-
nit.; I silrJ- r
w vu- -j n iyf tv mt ni.n
pass.
to win it big. The series i3 C-2
against the spread in last eight
games.
Pe&a Etste t Notre Diss; The
Douom line: Do you want your
money on Joe Paterno or Gerry
Faust? Let history be the pnifi
EetPesn Et&t es s deg er pass!
TezsamTez&s Chzjst!2a; With
Horned Frogs' sudden climb to
oaa cr prominence, a low point spread
may favor Texas. Pssi pcifzf-
nuance rtts3 etj-s bet Texaj et
17 isder. Another to double-check
with current performance ratine.
The College footbill Bible is a
nandicapprng guide to college foot-
i3oth teams had a week off to ball published by Chuck Bauer of
prepare ior mis game, and Paterno nacienda Heights, Calif., who
has a history of making t.h met dssimed and rpfsrrhnA toKnv
Cougars in the II
-LOiujr
BowL
of the;
Iowa Minnesota: Another
gime determined by current pcr-
n
cauer encourages prospective
betters and interested others to
call 1-818-336-3745 for current
performance updstes on gsmcs.