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Daily Nebraskan
Wednesday, October 23, 1985
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Obscure9 wishbone comldl
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By Mike Reiliey
Senior Reporter
An obscure offense, not trickery,
makes the Colorado Buffaloes a dan
gerous football team, Nebraska coach
Tom Osborne said Tuesday.
Osborne said at his weekly press
conference in the South Stadium lounge
that Colorado plays 'Very sound foot
ball." "They're not a team that tries to trick
you offensively or defensively," he said.
"The ultimate matchup is, can we run
our basic offense. against their basic
defense and can they run their offense
against our defense?"
Colorado runs the wishbone offense,
a formation that concentrates on out
side pitch plays using three running
backs. Buffalo coach Bill McCartney
replaced last year's dropback passing
offense with the wishbone. Osborne
said preparing for and playing a wish-
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bone team is a "dramatic departure"
from preparing for teams that run other
offensive formations. Osborne said that
has caused a few headaches for the
Huskers, who will play the Buffaloes
Saturday at Memorial Stadium for
Homecoming.
The problem with defending the
wishbone, is two-fold, he said. First of
all, the wishbone "stretches out a
defense" and forces defensive players
to think, he said.
"The tough thing about the wish
bone is mental errors," he said. "If you
have two people on the quarterback
and no one on the fullback, it's going to
be a footrace."
The wishbone is obscure, Osborne
said. It is "a formation you have to win
with" because fans won't tolerate a
losing wishbone team, he said. That's
why more schools don't use it, he said.
Because of this, teams that do run
the wishbone have an advantage: It's a
difficult offense to prepare for, espe
cialy when a team hasn't worked against
it previously, he said.
"The best friend the wishbone has is
not many people are running it,"
Osborne said.
Although the wishbone is primarily a
running formation, Osborne said it can
also be used to set up a passing attack.
To prepare for the wishbone, Osborne
said the Cornhuskers "work almost
half the time" on pass defense.
But the problem is that the defense
often overcommits to the run, leaving
receivers open in the secondary, he
said.
"The passing game can kill you," he
said. "They may throw only three times
but they may go for 50 or 60 yards."
The Oklahoma Sooners used that
v-v
Courtesy of UNL Sports Info.
Tom Osborne
strategy in the 1970s to win two national
championships, Osborne said.
"When Oklahoma was at their very
best, they'd throw only four to five
times, but they'd hurt you," he said.
Osborne said Nebraska's scout team
has played an important role this week
prcparii the varsity for the Buffaloes.
'IV scouts have done a good job of
imitating Colorado's wishbone, he said.
"You have to have a good picture of
the wishbone in practice, so you know
what to expect in a game," he said.
Osborne said three defensive posi
tions play key roles in stopping the
wishbone.
"We have to hold up well at nose
guard, linebacker and defensive end,"
he said.
But defensive end "is a definite
point of concern," for the Huskers,
Osborne said. Senior starter Gregg
Reeves dislocated his shoulder in the
New Mexico game and has missed the
last two games. Osborne said he should
return for Saturday's Homecoming
game.
But Reeves isn't the only defensive
end who h$ been injured. Senior Brad
Smith is playing with an injured hand
and junior Tony Holloway is "doubtful"
for the Colorado game, Osborne said.
Sophomore Steve Stanard suffered an
injury early in fall practice and won't
play this year.
That leaves senior Scot tTucker, who
Osl-orne said is playing "very well,"
and freshman Broderick Thomas. But
Reeves' return and Smith's healing
hand are encouraging, Osborne said.
Osborne said the return of line
backer Marc Munford is also encourag
ing. Munford has been slowed by a knee
injury all season and missed the Mis
souri game. He returned to practice
Monday.
"I expected to see someone not full
speed, but he was," Osborne said. "It's
incredible considering he had arthro
scopic knee surgery only eight days
ago."
Although the Huskers defeated Mis
souri and Oklahoma State, Osborne
said he was outdone on the sideline by
opposing coaches Woody Widenhofer
and Pat Jones.
Jones, the Cowboy's coach, jumped
up and down during every play, Osborne
said. He said Missouri players bounced
Coach Woody "around like a ping pong
ball" as they ran out onto the field. The
enthusiasm both coaches showed was
appealing, he said. He said he "was
embarassed by my own performance."
"I guess I need to work on that phase
of the game," he said.
CELEBRATE A NU TRADITION
T I V ir T I F
WEDNESDAY, October 23
Talent Show featuring Michael John as
Master of Ceremonies, Centennial Room
City Union, 7:30-10:00 pm, sponsored
by UPC Walpurgisnacht and Main Events
Royalty Elections all day, both Unions
Please bring Student I.D. and a picture
ID.
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 24
Talent Show contestants perform
downtown 12:00-1:30 pm
Dance featuring The Finnsters, Great
Plains Room, East Campus Union,
9:00-12.00 pm, sponsored by UPC
Dances and Cornstock
FRIDAY, October 25
Downtown Festivities 12:00-1:30 pm
Parade Downtown and City Campus,
6:30 pm
Sheldon Art Gallery Tour 7:30-9:00 pm
Theatre Arts and Dance "A Stone's
Throw" Studio Theatre, 8:00 pm
Homecoming Dance featuring The
Front, City Union 9.00-12:00 pm,
sponsored by UPC Concerts and
Coffeehouses
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 26
Nebraska's Largest Ta2-Gate Party
metered lot by Selleck, 8:30-1 2:30 pm
"On The Plaza" metered lot by Selleck,
10:00-12:00 pm
Featuring: Tri Delta Washboard Band
UNL Men's Glee
University Chorale
Scarlet and Cream Singers
Pep RaLy metered lot by Selleck,
12:00-12:30 pm
Geology Dept. Open House Geology
Dept. Morrill Hall
Homecoming Game Nebraska vs
Colorado, Crowning of Royalty at
Hal (time, Memorial Stadium, 2:30 pm
Alumni Reception Hilton Hotel after
the game, sponsored by the Student
Alumni Association
Theatre Arts and Dance, "A Stone's
Throw" Studio Theatre, 8:00 pm
SPONSORED BY
UNL THE CHANCELLOR'S THE GREEK SHOP
OFFICE BALFOUR HOUSE
THE UNL ALUMNI
ASSOCIATION
THE UNIVERSITY FROGRAM
COUNCIL
I
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