Friday, September 6, 1985 ;
Page 10
Daily Nebraskan
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Mark DavisDaily Nebraskan
Nebraska linebacker Marc Munford, 41, helps tackle a running back during a
scrimmage. Munford should get a test from Florida State Saturday as the
17th-ranked Seminoles raid Lincoln.
By Mike Reilley
Senior Reporter
In his 13 years as football coach at Nebraska,
Tom Osborne said he has never been more uncer
tain about an opening game than he is about the
Cornhuskers' game against Florida State Satur
day at Memorial Stadium.
Osborne's justification of his uncertainty is
two-fold.
First of all, he said, the Huskers' inexperience
could cause some probems. They return only four
starters from last year's 10-2 squad, the lowest
total in 21 years.
"We have a lot of kids that haven't been out
there before," Osborne said. "A lot of them have
played in games when the score was 44-0, but
there's a big difference between that and being
out there for the opening kickoff."
An experienced Florida State team is another
cause for uncertainty, Osborne said. The Semi
noles opened their season last week with a 38-1 2
win against Tulane.
"One thing Florida State has going for them is
they already have a game under their belts," he
said. "They went into the Tulane game with
somewhere around 1 3 returning starters whereas
we're going into our first game with six or seven
experienced people."
Osborne said the Huskers view Saturday's
game as "the grand experiment."
"We've done all we can to prepare to this
point," he said. "We've had a good fall camp and
we have some talent on our football team. I just
wish I knew a little more about how they're going
to perform in a game situation."
Another question that may not be answered
until Saturday is whether sophomore I-back
Keith Jones will redshirt. Osborne said the
coaching staff is "still debating" about Jones'
status.
"Keith's ready to play but we'll do what's best
for the team," Osborne said. "We feel like it
depends on the situation. If we have an injury
early in the season, Keith is going to get to play.
But if Doug (DuBose) holds up and plays well
and so does Paul (Miles) and Jon Kelley, he may
redshirt."
If Jones, who is slated to return kickoffs with
DuBose, plays one down, he can't redshirt with
out losing a year of eligibility, Osborne said.
"We don't plan to use him in a frivolous way,"
Osborne said. "If he plays, we'll use him enough
to justify a year of eligibility."
After the Huskers worked out in. sweats
Thursday, Osborne said they looked "fairly
sharp" and "reasonably healthy."
Dana Brinson, who is listed as the No. 3 wing
back and No. 1 kick returner on Nebraska's
depth chart, was sidelined with a knee injury
during practice Wednesday but returned Thurs
day. "Dana was out here and able to do a little bit
but he's still stiff and is still questionable for
Saturday," Osborne said. "I don't think he has a
severe injury that will knock him out of the
Illinois game or beyond."
Except for senior left guard Brian Blanken
ship, who was held out because of a sinus infec
tion, every member of the varsity practiced
Thursday, Osborne said.
Although he was unable to obtain a game film
of Florida State's game against Tulane, Osborne
said he watched the game on televison. Secon
dary coach Bob Thornton went to New Orleans,
La. to scout the Seminoles in person.
"I sent Bob down there to watch all of their
pass patterns," Osborne said.
"Defensively, they have a lot of people return
ing up front," he said. "They look a little stronger
in that area than last year."
Florida State returns six starters from an
offense that ranked third in the country in scor
ing last year with a 35.4 average. But that number
has shrunk to five since wide receiver Hassan
Jones re-separated his shoulder while diving for
"His teams are exciting, well prepared and
well-coached," he said. "He's done a fantastic
job there over the years turning the program
around and bringing it to a higher level."
a pass in the Tulane game. He's expected to be
sidelined for the next two to three weeks.
Osborne said Seminole coach Bobby Bowden
"is one of my favorite people in coaching."
Top twenty teams face off in fflve key games
Writer predicts FSU upset
By Herschel Nissenson
AP Sports Writer
The end of the season usually is the time for
in-state rivalries. But Florida and Miami get
together at the start.
The Orange Bowl will have a rare sellout when
fifth-ranked Florida visits Miami Saturday night.
The game matches two coaches who are former
colleagues.
Florida's Galen Hall and Miami's Jimmy John
son were on the Oklahoma staff together from
1970-72. They arrived in Florida last year by
different routes: While Johnson's travels took
him from Oklahoma to Arkansas to Pitt to Okla
homa State (as head coach from 1979-83), Hall
remained at Oklahoma until last season, when
he became Florida's offensive coordinator.
Hall has yet to lose as a head coach. He
replaced Charley Pell three games into the 1984
season and posted an 8-0 record the rest of the
way as the probation-bound Gators won the Sou
theastern Conference championship at least
the SEC Executive Committee's version. The
presidents took it away from them in May.
The major newcomer is neither Hall nor John
son. It's Vinny Testaverde, who inherited Mia
mi's quarterback job when Bernie Kosar opted
for the NFL. At 6-5, Testaverde is about the same
size as Kosar. What may surprise some people is
that he has a better arm.
But Testaverde has only thrown 46 passes in
two seasons (1982 and 1984), completing 22 for
263 yards and a touchdown.
"Vinny has the capabilities to be a great quar
terback," says Johnson. "He has a great arm and
has studied the system for three years."
The Gators are 3'2-point favorites but the pick
is Miami 24-21.
The first week of the season produced an
overall 8-3 record, which might be good enough
for a major bowl these days, and 5-4 against the
line.
The highlight of the opening week's predic
tions was nailing the exact score of Brigham
Young's 28-14 victory over Boston College in the
Kickoff Classic.
The first major weekend of 1985 features five
games between members of the Associated Press
Top Twenty, and Florida-Miami isn't one of them.
No. 6 Southern California at No. 11
Illinois (favored by 3): You won't find either
of these teams on TV during the regular season
as they finish NCAA penalties, but you could see
them in the Rose Bowl. Illinois 28-21.
No. 19 Penn State at No. 7 Maryland
(by 7): Despite being an underdog, Penn State
leads the series 27-1 and has won 20 straight
since a 21-17 loss in 1961. Maryland 28-14.
No. 20 UCLA at No. 8 Brigham Young
(by 6V4): What's this? BYU, a Western Athletic
Conference "nobody" favored over a Pac-10
somebody? Next thing you know someone will
have the Cougars winning a national champion
ship some day. BYU 30-17.
No. 17 Florida State at No. 10 Nebraska
(by 6): The Seminoles have a game under their
belts, a 38-12 trouncing of Tulane. Nebraska will
never be too far down but the Cornhuskers lost
most of last year's starters. Upset Special of the
Week. Florida State 21-14.
No. 16 Oklahoma State at No. 12
Washington (by 2W): Having knocked off
Oklahoma in the Orange Bowl for a No. 2 national
finish in 1984, the Huskies begin 1985 by taking
on . . . Oklahoma State 17-14.
Other games:
East Boston College (by 7) 28, Temple 1 4;
North Carolina (by 2Vz) 21, Navy 14; West Virgi
nia (by 18) 35, Lousiville 21.
South Duke (by 7) 24, Northwestern 14;
Mississippi 20, Memphis State (by 3) 14; Missis
sippi State 24, Arkansas State 17; North Carolina
State (by 9) 34, East Carolina 20; Southern Mis
sissippi 21, Louisiana Tech 14; Vanderbilt 28,
Tennessee-Chattanooga 14; Virginia Tech 21,
Richmond 7; Wake Forest 31, William & Mary 14.
Midwest Bowling Green 38, Ball State 17;
Cincinnati 35, Austin Peay 14; Eastern Michigan
20, Youngstown State 13; Kansas State 30,
Wichita State 14.
Southwest Baylor (by 8) 37, Wyoming 13,
Texas Tech (by 10) 28, New Mexico 14; Houston
(by 3Vi) 35, Tulsa 14.
Far West Arizona 31, Toledo 14; Colorado
(by bVz) 27, Colorado State 14; Long Beach State
(by 11) 35, Utah State 21; Fullerton State 21,
Montana 14; Nevada-Las Vegas 28, Tennessee
Tech 14; Oregon State 27, Idaho 21; Pacific 24,
Sacramento State 14; San Jose State (by 10) 31,
New Mexico State 14; Utah 24, Boise State 14;
Washington State (by 7) 28, California 24.
DN predicts routine NU win
Well, sports fans, last week was a tough way to
start the season as I went a dismal four of nine.
The big games I missed were Florida State's
win over Tulane the upset special never came
to be Kansas' shocking victory over Hawaii,
California's rout of San Jose State, Oregon's
dramatic victory over Washington State and Cin
cinnati's victory over Virginia Tech.
Before I get into any reasons or excuses for my
poor showing last week, I'll start on this week's
predictions, which carry a 100 percent guarantee
of being more accurate.
Jeff Apel
Oklahoma State 28, Washington 24 at
Seattle, Wash.
Rick Fenney and the rest of the Washington
offense may feel like they are in a galaxy far, far
away once the tough Cowboy defense, whose
linemen are often described as Darth Vader look
alikes, get through with them.
Brigham Young 31, UCLA 17 at Provo,
Utah.
Tradition will make this one closer than it
really should be, since both of these teams are
known as football powers.
However, Robbie Bosco's arm will be too mu ;h
for a Bruin secondary that has proven vulnerable
in the past.
SMU 49, Texas El-Paso 10 at Dallas.
Texas.
If this game was based on honesty, Texas
El-Paso would win easily. But it will take more
than a recent probation and the dismissal of an
assistant coach for the Mustangs to lose to the El
Paso Miners who have shoveled themselves to
the bottom of the college football heap.
Colorado 16, Colorado State 14 at
Fort Collins, Colo.
Anyone who can stand the agony of watching
this "contest" will never be caught thinking they
are seeing the great Oklahoma wishbones of the
1970s when Colorado unveils its new wishbone
attack, but the Buffalo offense should be good
enough to withstand a tough test from the
Golden Rams defense, which will be sky high for
this in-state rivalry.
Fullerton 28, Montana 10 at Missoula,
Mont.
Fullerton is still steamed from being denied a
bowl bid last season after posting an impressive
1 1-1 record and should vent those frustrations on
a lowly Grizzly squad, which posted a dismal
2-8-1 record last season.
Nebraska 31, Florida State 14 at
Lincoln.
The Cornhuskers will pick up their first win of
the 1985 campaign by picking up a victory that
will sound tougher than it is. The Seminoles have
a combination of inexperience and injuries that
will allow them to do anything but pull off
another upset like they somehow managed to do
four years ago against the Huskers.
Bowling Green 30, Ball State 16 at
Bowling Green, Ohio.
Bowling Green will repeat its season opening
performance of 1984 by again defeating the Car
dinals, only this year it will be by a little closer
score than last year's 38-13 contest.
Florida 31, Miami 17 at Coral Gables,
Fla.
It will take more than hurricane Elena and a
stiff penalty for numerous NCAA violations for
Florida to lose this one.
Former Oklahoma State coach Jimmy Johnson
will not only wish he had Bernie Kosar back for
his junior year with the Hurricanes, but he will
also wish he would have never taken the job as
the successor to Howard Schnellenberger since
he will start to feel the heat when he can't
deliver another national championship to Miami.
Illinois 25, Southern California 14 at
Champaign, III
The highly explosive Illinois offense will warm
up for its showdown with Nebraska by trouncing
a Southern Cal team that never has really found a
tailback to replace Marcus Allen.
Maryland 30, Penn State 18 at College
Park, Md.
When Joe Paterno said, "We're not a very good
football team" after spring practice, he con
vinced me that Maryland will avenge last year's
season opening loss to the Nittany Lions by
picking up their first win of the 1985 campaign
here.
