Daily Nebraskan
Thursday, December 5, 1985
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By Bob Asmussen
Senior Editor
Auburn running back Bo Jackson
might be the man to beat for the 1985
Heisman Trophy, but you couldn't tell
from a sampling of Nebraska's Heisman
voters.
The Heisman Trophy, won last year
by Boston College's Doug Flutie, will be
awarded Saturday at the Downtown
Athletic Club in New York City. The
award is presented to "the outstanding
football player in America" but in
recent years has become an award for
running backs and quarterbacks only.
And until Flutie won last season, the
award hasn't gone to a quarterback
since 1971.
If five of the nine Nebraska voters
questioned have their way, however,
Iowa quarterback Chuck Long will be
the second consecutive signal-caller to
win.
Long was named on eight of nine of
the Nebraska's ballots. Jackson was
left off two of the nine ballots.
Most of the Long voters acknowl
edged that Jackson probably would win
the award. Jackson has been helped in
his Heisman pursuit by an aggressive
Auburn Sports Information Office that
has been punishing him since day one.
While Jackson was helped by his
school, Long might have been hurt by
his. During the season, Hayden Fry said
that Long should win the award. One
voter said that Fry's pushing of Long for
the award will not help his chances.
Criticisms of Jackson center mostly
on his pulling himself out of both the
Tennessee and Florida games with
injuries. Auburn lost both games. In
stead of playing for a national cham
pionship, as was predicted for it before
the season, Auburn will play in the
Cotton Bowl with little more than a win
and a top-10 ranking on the line.
Auburn's three losses were during con
ference play.
Following are the Heisman votes of
those questioned and comments on
their selections.
Mike Babcock Lincoln Journal
and Star 1. Brian Bosworth, Okla
homa; 2. Jackson; 3. Doug DuBose,
Nebraska.
"I think his (Bosworth's) chances of
winning are nonexistent," Babcock said.
"I think Bosworth is the best football
player. I really do think Bosworth is a
legitimate Heisman Trophy candidate."
Steve Riley Grand Island Daily
Independent 1. Long; 2. Bosworth; 3.
Jackson.
"Long because I think he was worth
more to his team than any of the other
candidates were to theirs," Riley said.
"My idea of a good player is one who
makes the most impact on his-team."
Brent Robinson Kearney Daily
Hub 1. Long; 2. Jackson; 3. Lorenzo
White, Michigan State.
"I think Auburn would have done
everything it did without Bo," Robinson
. said. "Iowa would not have done as well
without Long.
Virgil Parker Lincoln Journal
and Star 1. Jackson; 2. Long; 3.
DuBose.
"I wasn't very imaginative," Parker
said.
Mike Kelly Omaha World-Herald
1. Long; 2. Jackson; 3. White.
"I'm impressed by Long's passing
statistics, not only this year, but in his
career," Kelly said. "He's been able to
help Iowa win some close games."
Kent Pavelka KFAB Radio 1.
Jackson; 2. Long; 3. DuBose.
"I just think he's the best talent,"
Pavelka said.
John Knicely KETV 1. Long;
2. Jackson; 3. Bosworth.
"I went with Long because he has
his team in a position to win the
national championship," Knicely said.
"Iowa without him would not be in the
position it is in."
About Bosworth "When you con
sider outstanding football players in
the country, he has to be at the top of
the list."
Terry Yeager KMTV 1.
White; 2. Long; 3. Tom Rathman, Nebra
ska, t
"He (White) was their whole offense,"
Yeager said. "He was the leading rusher
in the nation and he has played with
pain."
Dave Webber WOWT 1.
Long; 2. Jim Skow, Nebraska; 3. Bos
worth. "I think he's meant the most to the
success of Iowa as a team over the last
three years," Webber said.
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Team bounces back from 6-6 record in '84
Coach attributes Michigan's wins to attitude
By Jeff Apel
Staff Reporter
Michigan coach Bo Schembechler
was able to make amends for a some
what disappointing season in 1984 by
compiling a 9-1-1 record this season.
Schembechler, whose 1984 squad
finished 6-6, said that the big differ
ence between that squad and his cur
rent team is attitude.
"We had a great team In terms of
having fun, being together and doing
all the things that a good ball club
should do," Schembechler said of his
current team. "It was a tremendous
year from my standpoint, one of the
most rewarding years I have had."
Michigan began the 1985 season by
facing three nonconference opponents
who all rated in various collegiate top
20 polls at the beginning of the season.
But, Schembechler was able to de
liver early on his promise to improve
his record. The Wolverines posted con
secutive victories over Notre Dame (20
12), South Carolina (34-3), and Mary
land (20-0).
"I knew we had a better ball club
than we had a year ago, but I didn't
know if we could do what we have done
(earning a trip to the Fiesta Bowl),"
Schembechler said. "Once we started
and got into (the season), all of us.
expected to win everything. But the
time we got into the season we just
didn't think anybody could beat us."
Michigan then opened its Big Ten
conference play with a 3 1-0 victory over
arch-rival iOchigsn State.
The following week, the Wolverines
were handed their only 1985 loss when
they dropped a 12-10 decision to the
then No. 1-rated Iowa Hawkeyes.
That setback, which dropped Michi
gan's record to 5-1, resulted from tre
mendous crowd noise, said Wolverine
quarterback coach Jerry Hanlon.
"It's critical that our quarterback,
Jim Harbaugh, is allowed to audible,
and in that particular situation in Iowa
City the noise level was so great that
no one could hear themselves think,
much less audible," Hanlon said. "In
modern day football, situations some
time arise where the quarterback needs
to change the play at the line of scrim
mage. If we are not able to do that
because of a situation like the crowd
noise then yes, it hurts our offense."
Michigan was able to rebound from
its Iowa loss the following week with a
42-15 victory over Indiana.
The Wolverines faced a situation
similar to Iowa.
In Champaign 111., the Wolverines
were forced to settle for a 3-3 tie
against Illinois.
"Again, the tie with Illinois can lar
gely be traced to the fact that the
crowd noise was so intense that Har
baugh couldn't audible properly," Han
lon said. "Different stadiums will pose
different problems for us. We know
Nebraska fans like to cheer, but we
don't know how bad the noise level will
be because we have never played in the
Fiesta Bowl before."
The Wolverines closed out the regu-.
lar portion of their 1985 season by post
ing a 47-0 victory against Purdue, a 48-7
victory against Minnesota and a 27-17
victory against Ohio State.
The win against the Buckeyes,
Schembechler said, was a perfect way
to conclude Michigan's regular season.
"From the standpoint that we beat
Ohio State and we finished as high as
we did (second in the Big Ten), it was a
great season for us," he said. "We
would have liked to have won the
national championship, and we would
have liked to have won the conference
championship. Out we just missed them
both."
Despite being a member of the Big
Ten, Hanlon said the Michigan offense
favors neither the run nor pass.
Harbaugh already has broken three
Wolverine single season passing records.
He now is throwing for 1,913 yards this
season, a school record.
Hanlon said that while Harbaugh's
performance this season is noteworthy,
it can't be considered the major source
of Michigan's offensive production.
Running backs Jamie Morris and Gerald
White also have played a vital role in
the Wolverine offense, Hanlon said.
Morris, a sophomore, has rushed for
874 yards this season. White has rushed
for 526 yards.
"Generally, we'll take whatever the
defense dictates," Hanlon said. "If they
want to take away the pass, then we
will run. If they want to take away the
run, then we will throw."
Hanlon said the Wolverines' offen
sive line and receiving corps are Michi
gan's strong points.
The offensive line, he said, is big and
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