4
I
Pago 10
Tuesday, September 24, 1985
Daily Nebraskan
imba
By Steve Thomas
Staff Reporter
Editor's note: The following is
the first of an eight-part series
on Nebraskan's playing football
at other colleges. Tomorrow
Wichita State.
Nebraska high school football play
ers aren't usually thought of as defec
tors. Eight Nebraskans have cut against
the grain, however, and decided to "go
west" to the University of Wyoming.
Sports Exports
The Nebraska football program has
been a solid recruiting force for some
time. It's front-page material when a
good one escapes the sticky hands of a
II
Nebraska
Hope springs eternal for Nebraska
football fans. This year that hope will
be realized.
On Jan. 1 at about 11 p.m. CST, the
national crown will be sitting on the
head of a Cornhusker.
What would inspire such a bold and
ridiculous statement? Have I lost my
mind? Well, no. The truth is, Nebraska
might just be the best team in the
country, and that's a good place to
start.
Don't mistake me, having the best
team in the country is not a guarantee
of a national title. Nebraska had the
best team in 1983 and came up short.
Florida had the best team money could
buy in 1984, and it didn't win the
championship either.
JlS Asmussen
No one knows that Nebraska has the
best team in the country, and that is
another reason to think they'll end up
No. 1. Two years ago Miami won the
title. What did it do in its first game? It
got destroyed by Florida.
Nebraska's opening loss was more of
a benefit than anyone can imagine. For
one thing, it showed Nebraska that it's
going to have to play with as few mis
takes as possible to win games. The
days of five turnovers in a 40-point
blow-out are over. Secondly, the loss
put Nebraska out of other teams' minds
as a national title contender. No one
expects Nebraska to do anything so, of
course, it will win it all Murphy's
Lnw in reverse.
Another thing in Nebraska's favor is
that it's a running team. Oh sure,
Brigham Young proved that a passing
Hopes to start
linoii
By Chuck Green
Staff Reporter
Nebraska freshman defensive back
Marvin Sanders has set a goal for
himself.
"I'd like to start for three years,"
Sanders said. "I'll play on the freshman
team this year and probably redshirt
next season, but after that, it's all
mine."
Sanders, a 6-0, 175-pound recruit
from South Holland, 111., is the only
player from Illinois in this year's Husker
freshman class. As a senior at Thorn
wood High School, Sanders was an All
State and All-Area selection. He was
also named as one of the top 50 players
in the state, overall.
Sanders also played in the Chicago
All-Star game. He earned outstanding
player honors.
II
native
Nebraska recruiter. Time will reveal
how good these players are, but it
appears that Laramie, Wyo., is estab
lishing itself as an alternative to Husker
land. One Wyoming player from Nebraska
won't have to prove his talents that's
been taken care of. Mitch Daum of
Kimball has held a steady job at tight
end for the Cowboys for two seasons.
Daum, brother of former Nebraska line
backer Mark Daum, couldn't cite just
one reason for going to Wyoming.
"My brother was already at Nebraska,
and I wanted to get out on my own. I
wanted to establish a name somewhere
else. The idea of following in my broth
er's footsteps didn't appeal," Daum
said.
When a player opts to leave Nebraska,
the reasons are usually the same. Not
everyone wants to walk-on, not everyone
team can win the title, but, that was
playing against teams that UNO could
beat.
When it comes right down to it, an
all-run team will beat an all-pass team.
The field shrinks on a passing team,
1 but it gets chewed nip Jby a running
team. When a passing team gets inside
the 20, the pass routes shorten up, and
there's less field for the! defense to
cover. A running team can move the
ball anywhere. Let's put it another way:
a running yard is like an American dol
lar and a passing yard is like any for
eign currency. Therefore, 400 yards
rushing equals about 800 yards pass
ing. Not even Robbie Bosco has done
that lately.
Another factor in Nebraska's favor is
its schedule. Hey, Nebraska plays Okla
. noma, Oklahoma State and Missouri on
the road! Big deal. In the Tom Osborne
era, Nebraska has beat Oklahoma four
times and two of the wins were at Nor
man. Nebraska has not lost to Okla
homa State since 1961 when Bill Jen
nings was the coach. As for Missouri,
Coach Woody's troops lost at home to
Northwestern.
Don't get me wrong; I'm no heigh-ho
Husker fan. I lean toward the cynical
side when it comes to Nebraska football.
. Daily Illini Associate Sports Editor
Terry Hackett was at Saturday's game
and he lived and died with every play.
Not me. After the game I saw Terry and
he looked like he'd been crying. He also
came to and from Lincoln on the Illi
nois team plane. I don't think the
Nebraska football team would let us in
the same airport, let alone on the same
plane.
So why pick Nebraska No. 1? Well, no
one will so we can be a little different.
The simple truth is, given Nebraska's
schedule, its talent, its coaching and
its tradition, it shouldn't lose another
game this seasoa Oregon will be a
tough game for Nebraska as will Okla-
three years
Sanders was highly recruited as a
senior, receiving offers from Illinois,
Iowa, Wisconsin, Miami, Hawaii, Indi
ana, Wyoming and Nebraska. Husker
coaches discovered Sanders while ana
lyzing film of teammate John Banaszak,
a prep All-America lineman.
There was pressure on Sanders to
remain in the state to play football for
the Fighting Illini.
"My girlfriend's father went to Illi
nois," Sanders said. "He didn't really
pressure me, but I know how he felt. I
just didn't like the Illinois program.
"I selected Nebraska because the
coaches came to me truthfully. They
told me I wouldn't play varsity as a
freshman, that I'd play on the freshman
team. I accepted this. Other places say,
"we'll give you this, we'll give you that,'
but Nebraska didn't do this."
Aside from his goal to be a three-year
freshma
happy
wants to be a redshirt, and not eve
ryone wants to wait four years before
stepping on the field. These are valid
arguments for tewing, but why Wyom
ing? 'The fact that it's close to home had
a lot to do with it. Also, I thought
Wyoming had an upcoming program.
They were 8-3 my senior year of high
school," he said.
Contrary to popular belief, Daum
said he thinks Nebraska high school
players aren't under a lot of pressure to
come to Lincoln.
"There really wasn't much pressure
at all. All anyone ever told me was to go
where I'd be happiest," Daum said.
Daum said there really wasn't any
thing he disliked about Nebraska's
program except that "everyone wants
to go there."
o-intorn
I
l At . PIERCE
4-; ... i I 4 1 ' rycy .
11 M J LLl
Cap Boso of Illinois thinks the Illini ere No. 1. Think agsln Cap.
Saturday to even its record 1-1. Illinois' record dropped to 1-2
team to worry about challenging for the national championship.
homa State and Oklahoma. But Oregon
is nicknamed the Ducks, Oklahoma
State fries up against Nebraska, and
Oklahoma has Troy Aikman at quarter
back. Those are three good reasons
that Nebraska will win those games.
Three more good reasons' are Doug
DuBose, McCathorn and the defense.
DuBose has become another in a long
line of great Nebraska I-backs. Next
season he will be a legitimate Heisman
n please
starter, Sanders said he wants to im
prove his speed.
"Right now, I run a 4.7-second 40,"
Sanders said. "That's electronically
timed. It converts to a 4.5 hand-held
time. I'd like to get that down to a 4.4."
The freshman team has played only
one game so far this season, but San
ders is pleased with his performance in
that game.
"I started, but Coach Dan Young
Stroh's Run
Plans for the Stroh's Run for Liberty
II in Lincoln were announced Monday
by Jim Lewis, president of the Lincoln
Track Club.
The race will be the largest single
day running event ever held in the Uni
ted States, with up to 28,000 runners
expected at 127 race sites across the
as a Cowboy
Daum. a senior, relies on his block
ing skills at tight end. Daum said that
blocking is definitely his strength, but
added that he's just like anyone else in
that he enjoys catching passes too.
Catching passes at Wyoming isn't
the norm. The Cowboys are a run
oriented team, which is a rarity in the
Western Athletic Conference. Daum
praised the ground game philosophy
and said he doesn't mind if the Cow
boys keep it on the ground.
On a warm fall afternoon last fall
there were two games on the field. One
involved Nebraska and Wyoming, and
the other, the brothers Daum. At tight
end, Mitch Daum found himself having
to block his brother several times.
"It was pretty exciting to play in
Lincoln, but I really didn't think about
Mark that much. I would block him if I
had to, and he would tackle me if he
Trophy candidate (as opposed to being
an illegitimate Heisman Trophy candi
date). McCathorn Clayton has taken
the starting reins from Travis Turner
and has shown himself as a good
leader. He even completed a pass Sat
urday that turned the game back in
Nebraska's favor for good. The Nebraska
defense seems to have worked the
cobwebs out of the defensive system
and might be a stronger unit than last
didn't leave us in for too long," Sanders
said. "He wanted everyone to play. I
had a pass interference call against
me, but other than that, I thought I
played pretty well."
With a 30-inch vertical jump, a 260
pound bench press, and ever-increasing
speed, Sanders has a chance to fulfill
his dream of being a three-year starter
for the Huskers. But like any goal, it
will take time and hard work to achieve.
for Liberty
nation.
Lincoln is the only city in Nebraska
chosen for the race. All Stroh's Run for
Liberty II races will be Oct. 12, with the
Lincoln race starting at 8:30 a.m. at
Pioneers Park.
At least $2 from each entry fee will
ational title
d to be a Husker
had to. Then again, we were helping
each other off the field after the whis
tle too," Daum said.
Seven other Nebraskans join Daum
on the Wyoming roster. They include:
Steve Bcna, running back, Omaha; Randy
Welniak, quarterback, Ord; Walt Ken
drick, linebacker, Bellevue; Brian Cetak,
guard, Ord; Mark Foos, tackle, Gering;
Pat Arndt, guard, Omaha, and Dave
Sims, tight end, Grand Island.
Of the seven, Daum said Cetak and
Welniak have been impressive. Daum
said the eight Cowboys from Nebraska
are a fairly close-knit group. He said
they all follow Nebraska football and
know what's happening in Lincoln.
The Cowboys started the '85 cam
paign on a sour note by taking beatings
from Baylor and Air Force before down
ing California State-Fullerton on Saturday.
Mark DavitDaily Nebraskan
Nebraska beat Illinois 52-25
and gives Nebraska one less
year. Jim Skow, Chris Spachman and
Danny Noonan give Nebraska a good
pass rush. The defensive ends are get
ting better, the linebackers cover the
field well and the defensive backs are
better than last year. Throw in Nebras
ka's usual solid offensive line, good
wide outs and tight ends and a kicking
game that rebounded from a rough first
game, and you can see things are going
pretty well at Memorial Stadium.
Sanders does think, however, that the
Nebraska program will help him reach
his goal faster than any other program
in the country.
"The Nebraska football program is
about what I expected," Sanders said.
"Maybe even a little more. The place is
just great. The coaches know you by
name, and they all care about you on
and off the field. I think it's the best
program in the nation."
race Oct. 12
be donated to the restoration of the
Statue of Liberty in New York. Partici
pants in the race each will receive a
commemorative medallion cast of
material from the Statue of Liberty.
The race will be run over an 8
kilometer course, just under 5 miles.
