-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
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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......,
