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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 9, 1987)
INebraska sweeps past Cyclones, prepares for OU By Tim Hartmann Senior Reporter Nebraska’s 42-3 win against Iowa State Saturday at Memorial Stadium was about what most of the 76,001 fans on hand expected. So were a lot of other things. Before the game, Iowa State coach Jim Walden said he thought the Cy clones would try some trick plays, which they did. Iowa State attempted three fake punts; two were successful. Walden also said he thought Nebraska’s offense would be difficult to stop. The Comhuskers finished with 666 total yards, 604 of which came on the ground. Husker I-back Keith Jones led all rushers with 240 yards on 15 carries, the fifth best single-game rushing performance in Nebraska history. Tyrcesc Knox rushed for 118 yards and quarterback Steve Taylor added 96 yards rushing and 37 yards passing for Nebraska. Despite ihe large victory margin, Nebraska coach Tom Osborne said there were still some areas of concern. The Huskers committed five fumbles, three which were recovered by Iowa State, and threw one interception. “I really was not too pleased with some of the execution out there,” Osborne said. “At times we played sloppy football and at times didn’t I -- play very intelligent football.” The win raised No. 2-ranked Nebraska’s record to 9-0 and dropped Iowa State to 2-7. Nebraska scored on its first posses sion, driving 80 yards on 10 consecu tive running plays. A 9-yard run by Taylor finished the drive and gave the Huskers a 7-0 lead. Iowa State took the ensuing kick off and drove to the Nebraska 3-yard line. The Huskers held the Cyclones for no gain on the first and second downs, and a fumble by Cyclone quarterback Brett Sadek on third down was recovered by Nebraska linebacker Randall Jobman. “I thought our defense, after the first drive or so, settled down and played pretty good football,” Osborne said. “It looked a little scary when it was 7-0 and they just knocked it down the field on us for about 50 or 60 yards, and we didn’t slow them down.” Nebraska took over at its own 1 yard line and drove 99 yards for its second touchdown. Fullback Micah Hcibcl capped the drive, which in cluded a 64-yard run by Jones, with a 3-yard burst to make the score 14-0 with 2:04 left in the first quarter. Jones’ 240 yards was 45 yards short of the all-time Nebraska single game rushing record of 285, held by former Husker I-back Mike Rozier, now with the Houston Oilers. Jones said he wasn’t thinking about the record. “We weren’t going to go out and try to set a record today,” Jones said. “We just wanted to come out and have a good performance and get ready for the next football game ” Jones now has 890 yards rushing this season and 2,146 in his three-year career. He is the 11th player in Ne braska football history to rush for more than 2,000 career yards. Nebraska scored twice in the sec ond quarter to increase its lead to 28 0. Knox had a 6-yard touchdown run and Jones added a 27-yard touchdown run. Jones then opened the scoring in the second half with a 69-yard touch down run to give the Huskers a 35-0 lead. Against Arizona State earlier this season, a fatigued Jones was caught from behind on a long run. He said there was no chance of that happening against Iowa State.. “I had flashbacks of that Phoenix game and I said, ‘I can’t let nobody catch me from behind, because all the guys are going to be talking about that,”’ he said. Iowa State’s only score came on a 44-yard field goal by Jeff Shudak. It was Shudak’s 15th field goal this season, which tics an Iowa State sea son record. Nebraska finished its scoring with a 3-yard run by quarterback Gerry Gdowski with 5:15 left in the fourth quarter. The Husker defense held the Cy clones to 66 yards rushing, the sixth consecutive game it’s held its oppo nent to less than 1 (X) yards rushing. Linebacker Steve Forch led Ne braska with eight tackles, middle guard Mike Murray had seven tackles, and defensive end Jon Marco had six tackles and a fumble recovery. Nebraska defensive coordinator Charlie McBride said he was pleased with the play of the second-team de fensive line. He said depth will be important in the Huskers’ remaining games against Oklahoma and Colo rado. “I thought Lee Jones and Mike Murray came in and really showed they could play,” McBride said. “Mike Murray isa good player against option teams. He’s probably going to see a lot of action against Oklahoma.” Linebacker LeRoy Etienne, who recorded only one tackle, sat out the first quarter for disciplinary reasons, Osborne said. Nebraska will have next week off, and then will face No. 1 -ranked Okla homa Nov. 21 in Lincoln. The Soon ers possess the nation’s top-ranked rushing offense, while Nebraska leads the country in slopping the run. Nebraska defensive end Broderick Thomas said the Huskers will be ready for the Sooners’ rushing attack. “Our defense is going to prepare to stop the run regardless of who’s in there,” Thomas said. “They can bring some old guys back. We don’t care. We’re just going to prepare to stop the wishbone.” Oklahoma quarterback Jamelle Holieway and fullback Lydell Carr both suffered season-ending knee injuries during the Sooners’ 29-10 victory over Oklahoma Saturday. “1 hope they have all their players, I hope we have all ours and we’ll see who’s the best,” Osborne said. Osborne said he expects a strong performance from the Huskers when they face Oklahoma. “1 think we’ll play well,” Osborne said. “I think we can play with any body in the country. We might win big, they might win big. I don’t know what’s going to happen, but I don’t feel it’s a deal where we have to go out and play the best game we’ve ever played in of our lives to win it.” Now that Nebraska’s “pre-Okla homa” portion of the schedule is over, the Huskers say they’re looking for ward to playing the Sooners. “To be honest, I wish tomorrow was (Nov.) 21 st,” Thomas said. “That would make me happy.” Eric Gregory/Daily Nebraskan Nebraska l-back George Achola stiff-arms Waldorf’s Shawn Stewart during the Cornhusker freshman team’s 42-35 loss Friday. Eric Qregory/Dally Nebraskan Waldorf quarterback Pat Jackson eludes a Nebraska defender. Losing season a first for freshman squad By Kyle Schurman and Steve Sipple Staff Reporters Fans who attended Friday’s Nebraska freshman football game may have gotten a preview of the Comhuskers’ quarterback of the future. However, Nebraska will have to offer him a scholarship and get him to transfer first. Waldorf Junior College quar terback Pat Jackson rushed for 149 yards and scored five touchdowns, threw for 55 yards and one touch down, and ran in a two-point con version to lead the Warriors to a42 35 win against the Nebraska fresh men. Jackson, a freshman who could not play Division I football this season because of Proposition 48, dealing with academic require ments', said he attended Waldorf because the Nebraska and Minne sota junior varsity teams were on the Warriors’ schedule. He said he hoped he could impress those teams enough that they would offer him a scholarship. Jackson said he is also an Okla homa fan because his 5-foot-9, 168-pound frame resembles Sooner quarterback Jamelle Holicway’s build. “Don’t get me wrong, though,” Jackson said. “I want to come here. I wouldn’t turn down a scholarship here.” Nebraska freshman coach Shane Thorell said the Comhusker coaches knew Jackson was good. ”Wc told the guys the quarter back was fast and to stay low and play his cutbacks,” Thorell said. Waldorf coach Dave Bolstorff said Jackson didn’t start until Waldorf’s fifth game because he needed time to adjust to the Warri ors’ wishbone attack. However, Bolstorff said, Jackson has been playing very well since he became the starter. Jackson’s performance over shadowed two Nebraska come backs, George Achola and quarter back Tom Haase. Achola ran for 184 yards on 27 carries and one touchdown, and Haase scored two rushing touch downs and threw for 217 yards and two more touchdowns. Nebraska also overcame one 21-point Waldorf lead and nearly overcame a second one. Jackson led Waldorf, now 7-3, to a 21 -0 first-quarter lead on scor ing runs of 3, $5 and 30 yards. But Nebraska came back in the final 4:09 of the first half when it scored on runs of 7 and 22 yards by Haase and on a 25-yard pass from Haase to running back Steve Mitchell to tie the score 21-21 at halftime. “1 thought at halftime we had a chance to win the game ,” Thorell said. “We shut down their option in the second quarter and we thought we could do it in the second half, but we didn’t.” Waldorf scored 21 more unan swered points in the third and fourth quarters on scoring runs of 3 and 2 yards by Jackson, and on a 39-yard pass from Jackson to full back Billy Williams. But Nebraska again came back, as Achola scored on a 71 -yard run and Haase threw a 29-yard touch down pass to Tom Lammcl to pull the Huskers to within seven points. Nebraska had one last drive, but Haase threw a fourth-down inter ception with 1:20 left in the game. With the loss, Nebraska ended its season at 2-3. It was the first time the Husker freshmen have lost three games in a season. It was the first losing season for the team since 1957. Thorell said this year’s Husker freshmen had a good team even though three players redshirted and another three played with the var sity. “Wc thought wc could bounce back after those two losses (to Air Force and Coffeyville),” Thorell said. “It’s tough on the kids. They’re young kids. Hopefully they’ve learned it’s not much fun to lose.” Nebraska gained 464 yards to Waldorf’s 381. However, Waldorf converted on 14 of 19 third-downs. Bolstorff said Waldorf’s offense has been that consistent all year. Thorell said Waldorf’s quick snaps confused the Husker de fense. The Warriors, who do not use a snap count, line up, hesitate and then snap the ball. “Defensively it was hard to know what to do,” Thorell said. “What made it hard was that they sprint to the line. Half the time it’s illegal procedure, but we only got one (called).” Bolstorff said it was great to beat Nebraska. “Whenever the kids come down here they pul on their best perform ance,” Bolstorff said. “To me this is the classiest act in college foot ball. When we beat them, there’s no feeling like it.”