The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current, September 24, 1986, Page Page 7, Image 7
Wednesday, September 24, 1986 Daily Nebraskan Page 7 Sports t Is it Miller time for Oregon? By Bob Asmussen Niqht News Editor Oregon thinks it's time for quarter back Chris Miller to be named All American. In fact, Oregon is so convinced that it's Miller time, it's sending out digital clocks featuring a photo of Miller to media throughout the nation. Even the Daily Nebraskan got one. Miller is the returning all-Pacific Ten conference quarterback. In three Duck games this season, lie has com pleted 65 of lOti passes for o60 yards, lie has thrown three touchdown passes and has had only two passes intercepted. "I think Miller is probably as good a quarterback we'll play this year of that type," Nebraska coach Tom Osborne said. Osborne, speaking at his weekly press conference Tuesday in the South Stadium Lounge, said he doesn't include wishbone quarterbacks Jamelle Holie way and Mark Hatcher in the Miller comparison. Osborne said Miller and Miami's Vinny Testeverde are probably the two best dropback passers in the nation. "This guy is a great football player," Osborne said. "We think he's a very dangerous player." One thing that makes Miller diffi cult to the defense, Osborne said, is his ability to move from the passing pocket and still hit his receivers. "Miller does have the ability to scramble," Osborne said. Nebraska defeated Oregon 63-0 last season in Lincoln. Osborne said teams usually bounce back the year after that type of loss to a team. Both Iowa and Syracuse in recent years have come back to defeat Nebraska after getting routed the year before. "I'm sure Oregon will have intense practices this week," Osborne said. Osborne said that Oregon's defense will present formation Nebraska hasn't played against this season. Oregon will have defensive players lined up in front of the Nebraska guards. "Normally our guards have been uncovered," Osborne said. "I'm glad Stan Parker has put on about 25 pounds. Those guys (Parker and John McCormick) are really going to have to Jersey Joe's reird Report 8 8)U CMPENT& STOcri) 6UT FW 'THE EST. tfb ft WEG OP FACT , E $T&Ot iM W FfoNl 1WG RST. WMEVW THC TO MUDDJOX Sterna uxild stpnd BY UllAt-F-' WOUlbGETTC PLAYS BY WATCHlUG TH OB'S A MicKJfirrD SllL THS LDH5LY END.' OH 3AT PO(X mi HAS TO ALL & a b do a good job for us." Osborne said Oregon's defense has had an up-and-down season. "At times they've played well and at times they've given up some yards," Osborne said. One area of Nebraska's gam? Osborne said he'd like to see improve this week is the kicking game. He said he'd also like to see the turnover ratio go in Nebraska's favor. "I'd like to see some better punt returns." Osborne said. "I think our punting could improve somewhat." Osborne said he was pleased with the overall performance of the team in its first two games. Osborne said the Nebraska running backs have improved between the Flor ida State and Illinois games. "I think Keith (Jones) ran with a little more confidence," Osborne said. "We're really encouraged by his pro gress. He has good strength." "I think Ken Kaelin is really an underrated player," Osborne said. "He's worked very hard." On defense, Osborne said the Ne braska secondary has played well this season. 'Right now. if they're healthy, we have some of the finest cornerbacks we've ever had here." Osborne said. Younger Cipriano doesn't live up to father's tradition When the name Cipriano is menti oned to Nebraskans most individuals who ever have followed Comhusker basketball remember the late Joe Cipriano. Cipriano, who passed away during the 1979-80 season after a long battle wit h cancer, spent the better part of 17 years toiling away in the now nearly- i lJ::::x:x:::::::::v::::: '4 9 X o -- M' Jeff Apel unbearable conditions offered by the old Coliseum. His style was colorful. Cipriano, or "Cip" as he was often called by fans and members of the media, often made up for a lack of height the Huskers almost always seem to possess by play ing a fast transition game. Because of this, most fans have plea sant memories of the games they saw "Cip" coach. Besides the foot-stomping and the musty smell that always accompanied Nebraska home basketball games, fans remember how "Cip" used to turn teams into winners. When "Cip" died during the 1979-80 season, it appreared former Husker coach Moe Iba would turn the program into a national powerhouse. But Iba made two mistakes. NU's Delaney returns; volleyball team wins By Tim Hartmann Staff Reporter See CIPRIANO on 11 According to Nebraska volleylxJI coach Terry J'ettit, one of the keys to having a good volleyball team is having a good setter. "A team can only play to the level of their setter," he said. "If you have a mediocre setter, you'll have a mediocre team." If that adage is true, then Nebra ska should be in for a very success ful year. Nebraska's setter is senior Tisha . Delaney, a first team all Big Eight selection and Most Valuable Player in the Dig tight tournament last year. She also re-wrote the Nebraska all-time record for assists in a match, by setting assist records for a three, four, and five game mitch. - Evidence of Delaney's importance can be seen in Nebraska's first three games, when she was forced to sit out because she appeared in the Women of Nebraska calendar last year. The appearance was a viola tion of National Collegiate Athletic Association rules. The Huskers got off to a slow start, losing to Division II UNO. : 'I just want us to do really well in the Big Eight Con ference and hope fully, of course, make it to the Final Four.' Delaney Since Delaney has returned, though, Nebraska has improved its record to 7-2. Delaney said she thinks the team is stili improving. "Right now we're kind of adapt ing to one another because I had to sit out those first three games," she said. "It's taken a while for us to adjust, but we're finally coming around. I feel now that I have been practicing with the team as a setter we're really adjusting well " Delaney, a speech communica tions major from Festus, Mo., has been playing well since returning to the line-up. She was named to the all-tournament teams f botlr the Mid-America Classic and the Nbra sl:a Invitational, andwasnamedXig '. Eiji Player cf the Week for lr pcrforraaitce in the Nebraska Invi tational. Among the teams the Huskers defeated in those tournaments were Illinois and Purdue, both ranked in the top 20, and powerful Athletes In Action. Nebraska has a difficult schedule, facing 11 198 NCAA tournament teams, Including nat- 1 ;. -XT'' ; - ,, I i '. ", f i Delaney ional champion Pacific. "It's (he toughtest teams we've ever played," Delaney said. "I love it. The more competition we have, the better we'll be." The Huskers are hoping to improve from last year when they finished 28-3 and lost in the NCAA Regionals. "1 just want us to do reallyvell in the conference and hopel jlly, of course, make it to the Final Four," Delaney said. Nebraska will be the favorite in the Big Eight. When the Huskers beat Kansas earlier this year it extended Big Eight winning streak to 4? games. Delaney came to Nebraska from Jefferson, Mo., Community College, where she was a Junior College All- American.' She chose to attend a junior college because she wanted to stay close to home. She said she wasn't satisfied with the schools that were recruiting her. "I was recruited by various schools, but none that were really at the caliber as Nebraska," Delaney said. "I don't think I was ready to go away. I was really a homebody." After her two years at Jefferson Community College she was recru ited by Minnesota, Missouri and Texas, but she signed with Nebraska. "Actually, I didn't want to come here (Nebraska)," she said. "Then when I came and I watched the team play and I met the girls, they showed me around and I just knew it was just automatic instinct that I wanted to be here." Delaney redshirted her first year at Nebraska and then started dur ing her junior year. She quickly proved that she was a good all around player, not just a setter. "She's one of our strongest def ensive players, and she's also one of our best servers,' Pettit said. The Sweet 16 Rank Team Points 1. Oklahoma 92 2. Miami 82 3. Alabama 78 4. Washington 76 5. Nebraska 74 6. Michigan 63 7. Penn State 49 8. Southern Cal 38 9. Auburn 37 10. Arkansas 19 11. UCLA 18 12. Florida 17 13. Arizona State 16 14. Florida State 14 15. Iowa 13 16. Maryland 12 Basketball schedule cheats UNL student; I always thought I was a smart shopper. But the grocery boy sacked me this time. The price tag said $18. Not a bad deal, huh? I knew there had to be a catch somewhere. I read the fine print; I sorted through my double cou pons. And when I came to my senses, I realized Steve Thomas that the "UNL shaft" had outdone me again. If you bought a student season ticket for Nebraska basketball games, feel free to join me. If you paid the ticket office $ 1 8 for your ticket, you got an abbreviated version. Unlike Coca Cola, your season ticket isn't the real thing. It's called a "season ticket," but that's hardly the proper label. The season ticket will get you into 57 percent of Nebraska's home games this year. The semi season ticket is fine for the Big Eight games, but the non-conference games are another story. Your ticket will work for one non-conference game and one exhibition against Bosnia. The source of the problem is Christmas vaca tion. While most students are home packing their faces with eggnog and fudge, the Nebraska men's basketball team will be playing some home games. Lots of 'em. Six games are on the slate during Christmas vacation. Games that your ticket won't work for include Wyoming, Detroit and Creighton. I was looking forward to seeing these "real" teams. If you go back a few years, you'll remember that decent non-conference foes were a rare commodity. So it appears the schedule has some meat to it, but the timing couldn't be worse. Die-hard Nebraska basketball fans can still get a ticket for the Christmas break games. But let's face it: first, you could probably fit all of the die-hard Nebraska basketball fans into a small foreign car. Second, the cost is a factor. A student who goes to a home game over Christmas break will pay $4 to sit on the floor ($5 for the Creighton contest). Let's not be greedy. After all, twilight movies cost $2, Johnny Carson tickets are free and we can sit by Broyhill Foun tain for eons without paying a cent. For the few, the proud, the students who go to the Christmas games the atmosphere just isn't the same. The obnoxious students who would heckle their grandmothers are home for the holidays. They have been replaced by the geriatrics ward. Hot dogs and frosted malts give way to cups of coffee. The party has become a funeral. It wouldn't be right to not offer a solution to the problem. In this case, there are two answers. First, why not just charge $30 for a real season ticket and include the six Christmas games? Nebraska students would still turn out for the games. Our students are from places like Rising City, Palmyra and Crete. It's no big deal to come to Lincoln for a game. If Nebraska drew students from the tips of the nation, the present system would seem reasona ble. But it doesn't. Nebraska offers the sandhills and a state fair. The second solution is just as simple: the six games that fall during Christmas should have been scheduled during the time when school is in session. I've been too selfish. I'm crying because I'll have to pay a few extra dollars. If I don't, my Christmas entertainment will be sapped. A real tear-jerker, right? The players are the ones who have a right to be upset.