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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 6, 1987)
Snorts Trick plays are an Iowa State specialty By Tim Hartmann Senior Reporter Iowa State, like several teams be fore it, is likely to try to slow Nebraska’s punt-return tandem of Dana Brinson and Rod Smith by trying to punt away from them. In fact, the Cyclones might not punt the ball at all. Nebraska football coach Tom Osborne said he would not be sur prised if the Cyclones try a fake punt when Iowa State faces Nebraska Sat urday at 1:30 p.m. in Memorial Sta dium. “ You’ve got to be expecting a lot of unusual things to happen,” Osborne said. “It might be entertaining for the fans to just come and see al 1 the things. They might see more fake punts Satur day then they’ll see in 10 years of normal football.” Iowa State has attempted seven fake punts this season and succeeded six times. They have also recovered three onside kicks. Iowa State coach Jim Walden said there is a good explanation for the many trick plays his 2-6 team has tried. “Desperation,” Walden said. Walden said the fact that Iowa State has won two games makes call ing trick plays a lot easier for him. “You can kill a season if you’re a potentially good team (and you run an unsuccessful trick play),” Walden said. “I’ve always been aguy that likes to tinker around with the kicking game, so I’m not saying I won’t do it later when I hope to be better. But this was a fun year to be able to go out and explore some things you’ve always wanted to do.” Walden said Iowa State ap proaches the plays enthusiastically. “It’s really enthusiastic for your players. It gives them something to hang their hat on and they get excited about it. You’d be surprised at the intensity we have when we say give me the punt team.’ “There’s still a fun part of this game,and I think the thing you do with the trickery stuff adds spice to teams. I think it keeps the boredom down. Also, I think it helps the intensity of our offense and defense.” Walden was an assistant defensive coach at Nebraska from 1969-72, but his offensive skills concern Osborne. “I think Jim Walden is an excellent offensive coach,” Osborne said. “I think he calls the plays and I think he’s the offensive coordinator, but every place he’s been they’ve moved the ball very well.” Walden coached at Washington State from 1978-86, and in two of his last three years there the Cougars led the Pacific Ten Conference in total offense. Osborne also said Iowa Stale has several talented players, but the loss of scholarships due to recruiting viola tions has hurt the team. “Where they seem to get in trouble, maybe, is in depth,” Osborne said. “But they can put 11 players on of fense out there that are pretty good, I think, and defensively the same way.” Last year Iowa State led the Husk ers 14-7 at halftime, but Nebraska scored 28 points in the second half to win 35-14. There is a discrepancy in the series record between the two schools. Iowa State contends it won a 1907 game against Nebraska by a score of 10-9, but the officials ruled the Huskers won 13-10. Therefore the series record is either 66-13-2 or 65-14-2, depending on which version of the 1907 game is used, in favor of Nebraska. This season Nebraska is 8-0 and ranked No. 2 in the country, but Osborne said he sees room for im provement. “I guess the No. 1 thing we want to sec improved is the turnover ratio,” he saia. i tninK we re currently ou somcthing in the country in turnover ratio, and sixth in the Big Eight Con ference.” Nebraska has fumbled 25 times this season, losing 15. Opponents, meanwhile, have fumbled 15 times and lost six. Osborne said the turnover ratio isn’t a highly publicized statistic, but it might be the most important statistic for a football team. One statistic Nebraska does lead the nation in is rushing defense. Nebraska opponents have gained an average of 68.1 yards per game on the ground this season. The Huskers’ average is 363.5 yards per game. Linebacker LeRoy Etienne said the Huskers enjoy facing running teams. “We always prefer to play against the run,” he said. “I don’t think any body can run on us, but it’s more fun for us to have someone try.” Morris dispels drug myths, misconceptions about 'abuse' By Steve Sipple Staff Reporter Irrespective of the what the choice is, Mercury Morris said, having the choice and making the right one when it comes to drugs is what’s important. “The trick is learn from your mistakes, to have the plausibility to learn from mistakes and make up your mind whether you use drugs (or not),” Morris told an audience of about 200 people Thursday night at the Nebraska Union Ball room . His speech was sponsored by the University Programs Council. Morris, who played running back in three Super Bowls for the National Football League Miami Dolphins, was sentenced to 29 years in prison in Miami in 1983 after being convicted of cocaine trafficking. The Florida Supreme Court released Morris in March of 1986 after ruling he was unfairly prohibited from presenting certain testimony in his 1982 trial. Morris told the story of a friend who picked up a dying snake and helped it regain its health. The snake then bit his friend. Morris said his friend should have realized the snake will always be a snake. “That’s what makes a fool - the things he does,” he said. ‘‘Mercury Morris was a fool in his life for the foolish things he did.” Moths said the label “drug abuse” is a misnomer because it implies drugs are being abused. Instead, he said, people should realize it is drugs that are abusing I ' hen you have drug abuse who suffers?" Morris asked. “It’s self-abuse. It’s not the drug who suffers, it’s the person. “You can’t abuse a drug, you can only abuse yourself,” he said.’The most important aspect of society is you, not drugs.” Morris said society "cushions” the reality by blaming its drug problems on drugs, when they should be blaming themselves. Morris said in 1973, after a game with the Buffalo Bills, he jumped in his sporlscar and passed a policeman going 170 mph. He compared using cocaine to his wild car ride, saying any little thing that might have caused an accident during the ride “could have been my ticket.” Morris said he didn’t just stop using drugs and driving fast; he grew out of those behaviors. “I didn’t stop using coke; 1 grew out of the necessity for that behav ior,” he said. “It’s not the coke, it’s not the car ride—it’s the behavior. The choice is the key. “To stop is not the answer,” he said. “Growth is. Growth is under standing you make the choice on information you understand.” Morris said making outstand ing athletes role models is unfair. He said parents shouldn’t expect athletes to behave perfectly be cause those very parents don’t always behave properly them selves. He said athletes like Kareern Abdul-Jabbar, Dan Marino, and Wade Boggs “can’t effectively effect a kid’s life. Thai’s parents’ and teachers’ jobs.” “The superstar may not want to give the kid the time of day,” he said. “It all depends on the individ- - ual. The choice the individual makes.” Morris said nobody has to teach people how to do wrong, but said people have to be showed how to do right. And that, he said, is the value of the parent: teaching what is right Butch Ireland/Daily Nebraskan "When H comes to drugs, we have the choice," said Mercury Morris in a speech given at the Nebraska Union Ballroom Thursday night. 'The Important thing is we make tne right choice, he said. Revenge will be factor for NU swimmers By Jeff Apel Senior Kditor Revenge will be a key factor when the Nebraska women’s swimming team faces Colorado State and Minne sota Saturday at the Bob Devaney Sports Center. Comhusker women’s swimming coach Ray Huppert said he has chosen not to play up the revenge factor even though Colorado State handed Ne braska a 149-119 loss last year in Fort Collins, Colo. Bui Huppcrt said he knows revenge will still be on the Huskcrs’ minds when they face the Lady Rams and Minnesota beginning at 7:(X) p.m. “1 don’t believe in playing up the revenge factor. Not when you ’re deal ing with different years,” Huppcrt said. “That doesn’t mean our fresh men haven’t heard a lot about the past. They know what happened, so they ’re looking forward to the meet.” Huppcrt said he enjoys facing teams the caliber of Colorado State and Minnesota early in the season because it gives the Huskers a taste of how competitive their season will be. He said teams can also become loo complacent if they schedule Ux> many easy opponents early in the season. “Our athletes need to be chal lenge^ ’ Huppert said. “If they aren’t challenged, they may become loo content and not accept future chal lenges.” Huppert said he expects all three teams will be ranked in the top 20 by season’s end. He said Minnesota, which has fin ishcd as the runner-up in the Big Ten the last two seasons, has established itself as a legitimate top 10 contender while the Huskcrs have used thrcc straight Big Eight titles to gain na tional recognition. Huppcrl said he expects Nebraska will be ranked anywhere from 15th to 20th when the first poll of the season comes out later this month. He said that although he ranked Nebraska 14th in the first pre-season poll, the Huskcrs youth will probably drop them down in the polls. “ Wc ’ vc got a lot of talent to prove,” Huppert said. “We’ll have to work hard to show we’re deserving of a top 15 ranking.” Huppert said Nebraska has spent the last week preparing the freshman for the meet. He said he and Husker women’s assistant coach Mike McManus have emphasized that there is no need to get uptight about it. “There’s no need for anyone to get uptight,” Huppert said.
