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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 17, 1987)
-Sports ooners' plays no mystery to Huskers Ily Steve Sipple taff Reporter__ Nebraska defensive coordinator 'harlic McBride said he will take reparing for one of the nation’s best ffenscs over preparing for one of the /orst any time. McBride said that’s because he nows Oklahoma is going to run the same plays they run every year, while teams like Kansas and Kansas State force Nebraska to “prepare for any thing.” “You know pretty much what Oklahoma’s going to do,” McBride said. “They’re going to do the things that got them where they are, and we’re going to do the things that got us where we arc.” What the Sooncrs will bring to Lincoln lor their game against Ne braska is the same offense they’ve run for 18 consecutive years: the vaunted wishbone. Kickoff lor the game, to be televised by CBS, is 2:30 p.m. Satur day. McBride said the Comhuskcrs 1$ Wishbonc-T formation. S: Sphtcnd Carl Cabbmess is split to his left. This is basically a $ running formation, however, if Cabbiness is not covered quar || lerback Charles Thompson is :j:j: capable of throwing to him :j:ji while rolling to his left. Halfback’s long gam play. $:§ >•: Quarterback Charles Th :;i; ompson rolls to his left, fakes to $ fullback Roltiei Anderson and :j:j$ :j: then pitches to right halfback :;j£: :: Patrick Collins with left half :ji back Anthony Stafford leading : the blocking. This is the play gg :: where Collins has gamed most of his yards. wggmmm I Quarterback's long-gain play. ■ Thompson rolls to his left, lakes jijijij: : to Anderson and then runs xi$i ; around end with the halfbacks j leading the blocking. This is • where Thompson has gained • most of his yardage. Vt -,.j 11 i .i...yff; ( ounter-divc. Thompson goes fo::: to his left and lakes to Ander son Stafford also flows left. Thompson then changes direc lion and hands off to Stafford up Sxj I the middle. Oklahoma hurt l Nebraska with this play Iasi year Oklahoma try s to get the Sxj defense to flow with the play ijljiilj j and then Thompson switches ;:!;•$ j direction o _ o Stafford (HB) Collins (HB) v__y Anderson (FB) O n>»mp™(QB| Cahbiness (SE| ooo o oo Ip occ oloo I I ( I I won’t change their preparations foi Oklahoma even though two-time All Big Eight quarterback Jamelle Holicway and fullback Lydcll Carr arc expected to miss the game. Holicway and C arr suffered ligament damage during the Sooners’ 29-10 victory over Oklahoma State earlier this year. “We re not preparing any dilferent than we ever wouldMcBride said. “I tell you what, Carr may play. We know Holicway supposedly had sur gery' , but after that wc ’ re not preparing any different than we ever had.” McBride said the key in preparing the defense for the wishbone is instill ing di' upline. “That's the whole thing,” McBride said. “If you don’t carry out your responsibility, it could easily be a touchdow n. If you have the pitch, you take the pitch, if you have the quarter back, that’s who you have and no matter what’s going on, you take him.” McBride said a missed assignment can lead to a play like Keith Jackson’s 41-yard pass reception with nine sec onds left last year. The reception enabled the Sooners’ Tim Lashar to kick a '1-vard field goal that gave Oklahoma a 20-17 victory. "You have to follow your responsi bility every second,” McBride said. McBride said the Oklahoma wish bone has grown more complicated since 1971 — (he last time the teams met while ranked No.’s 1 and 2. The first option available to the quarterback is handing off to the lull back as he runs of! tackle or taking the handofl and keeping the ball. McBride said Nebraska will have to watch full back Rotnei Anderson carefully. Anderson, who replaced C arr as the Sooners’ starting fullback, has rushed 69 times for 467 yards this season The second option available in the triple-option scheme has the quarter hack running the ball. Freshman quar erback Charles Thompson, who re placed Holicway. has rolled to 605 >ards on X4 carries tor a 7.2-yard iverage. The third option has Thompson pitching to one of the trailing half backs It the play goes right. Th pmpson will pitch to the left halfback, ind it the play goes left the pitch goes o the right halfback. Senior Patrick Collins and tumor \nthon> Stafford will receive Ihompson’s pitches. Collins has rushed 69 limes for 495 yards this season, an average of 7.2 yards per carry. Stafford has rushed 72 times for 540 yards this season. McBride said Thompson plays an important role in directing the Okla homa offense. “He’s the leader of the whole thing,” McBride said. “His ability to read defenses and make decisions is a big key, and that’s where Holieway has the experience.” McBride said Thompson has proven he’s as dangerous as Holieway. “We don’t look at Thompson any different than Holieway,” McBride said. “He’s probably faster than Holieway. He doesn’t have the expo ricnce Holieway has. That’s the dil ference.” McBride said pass plays add to the difficulty ot defending against the wishbone. He said the Husker defense must be aware of All-America tight end Keith Jackson. “It’s all deceptive,” McBride said. “The majority ot the passes are run of<' their options and play-action passes. They’ll also run half-back passes ant things like that. So you have to hi aware of everything. ‘ People have said (Thompson is probably a little belter thrower am Jamellc is a very good thrower. The.v say Thompson's got a very good arn so 1 don’t think they’ll be off on that Thompson has completed 11 ol > passes for 207 yards and two tout h - downs this season. McBride said it isn't probable that Nebraska will be able to dismantle th< Sooncrs wishbone a-> they die Missouri’s earlier this season. Tht Huskers held the Tigers to 75 yards rushing during their 42-7 defeat m Missouri on Oct. 31. McBride sau the SoonerN power lul offensive line will make n tough tor the Husket defense to dominate Saturday's showdown. Oklahoma ha^ averaged 503 yards per game for the season “The wishbone s a tough thing to shutdown Me Bride said “I think th» difference inoui team is ll wee an holt up against then offensive line. Then offensive is the best it's ever been Since I've beer here it's the mosi physical one that s been here anc the most experienced one. This is as good as group as they've ever had “I’ve seen Oklahoma run some plays where your grandmother could run through the holes.” b ans wait tor Game of Century II' Coach Tom Osborne to have his first national championship — Sooner, or later? I Oklahoma coach Barry Switzer said Ne braska coach Tom Osborne should compensate lor the Sooners’ loss of quarterback Jamcllc Holieway and fullback Lydcll Carr by silling Sieve Taylor and Keith Jones oul of Saturday’s gam 1 Bui Switzer doesn’i need to resort to such ■aaics to beat Nebraska — he simply needs to Bet the Cornhuskcrs beat themselves. B A quick check of the series history between ■he two teams will reveal that Nebraska has Belatedly thrown away chances at the Big B'-'ghl title by collapsing to the Sooners. 1 There was the 35-10 loss in 1975, the 20-17 B)ss in '76, the 17-14 loss in ’79, the 21-17 loss V HO. the 17-7 loss in ’H4 and the great 27-7 ■>vs in ’85. ■ All of these losses — combined with to Jon I Osborne seeking his first national champion ship after 14 seasons. The fortunate aspect about this year's game is it once again sends Osborne seeking that elusive national title. Regardless of whom the Sooners start in their hackficld whether it’s Charles Thompson or Eric Mitchel at quarter back, or Carr or Roinei Anderson at fullback — Oklahoma will beat Nebraska. That may come as an ironic statement, considering that many Nebraska Ians have pointed out the Sooners have plaved such a weak schedule this season they won’t know how to handle a close game. Granted, non-conference opponents North Carolina, Texas, North Texas Suite and Tulsa won’t earn any national championships or even top-10 rankings, but they provide the Sooners with what will give them an edge — depth. In the process ol whipping North Carolina 2K-0, Texas 44-9, Tulsa 65-0 and North Texas Stale 69-14, the Sooners have played their second and third teams enough that they have a feel for college football. A prime example of this can be found in Anderson and Thompson, both of whom have come off the bench and done a splendid job See SOONERS on page 8 .--.v . .. • .«.-.-X•*..47\ w.T • • The reason the Nebraska Comhuskcrs w ill defeat the Oklahoma Sooners Saturday in Lin coln can be summed up in two words - Steve i aykx Taylor, a junior quarterback Irom Fresno, CaliL, will take the Huskers from also-rans to the Big Eight champions. A consistent Taylor is the missing ingredient from Nebraska coach 1 om Osborne s national championship recipe. Oklahoma coach Barry Sw it/ei has nothing but praise lor the Nebraska quarterback. “They ha\c a very explosive team, and Steve lay lor is die key to their offense,” Swit/.er said. “His ability of run, throw anil make the big plays has been exceptional this year.” Leading die Huskers to a 9-0 record going into the game, Taylor has rushed for 551 yards on 94 carries and seven touchdowns. Last year, Taylor was effective running but had trouble throwing as he completed 41.9 percent of his passes for 808 yards. This year, Taylor has proved he can move the ball through the air by completing 50 percent of his passes for 841 yards and 13 touchdown passes Earlier in the year, against LCLA, Taylor had one of his best passing days as a Huskcr when he completed 10 of 15 passes for 217 yards and a sc hoob record -feve- -touchdown . passes. Switzer said the Soonersmust stop Taylor to be in the game. “I hope it's (the game) dominated by dc Mark Derowitsch fense so we have a chance to be in the ball game,” Switzer said. Oklahoma quarterback Jamelle Holiewas has gained 880 yards on the ground this season, but w ill not play against the Huskers because of a knee in jury he suffered iwo weeks ago againsi Oklahoma State. Sooner fullback Lydell Can strained a knee against the Cowboys but could play against Nebraska. Too bad Holieway is hurt, because Husker Ians across the state would have liked to see the . See. NEBRASKA on page .8......,