Snorts
Buffaloes
Nebraska defensive end Broderick Thomas and linebacker Steve Forch tackle Colorado
halfback Eric Bieniemy.
By Jeff Apel
Senior Editor
BOULDER, Colo. — Long
after most of the temporary lights
at Folsom Field were shut off,
Colorado football coach Bill
McCartney contemplated the fu
ture of Buffalo football.
McCartney, who in 1982 inher
ited a program that posted a 7-26
record during the previous three
years, said Colorado’s 24-7 loss to
Nebraska Saturday at Folsom
Field showed what the Buffaloes
will have to do to compete success
fully against nationally ranked
teams.
McCartney said Colorado most
needs to improve its physical
strength before facing Nebraska
and Oklahoma next season. He
said the Comhuskers manhandled
the Buffaloes’ offensive and de
fensive lines.
“We just have to get bigger and
stronger in the off season,” Mc
Cartney said.
McCartney said the future of
Colorado’s football program looks
bright because the Buffaloes lose
only three starting offensive play
ers next season. He said Colorado
will rely on an abundance of fresh,
new talent to improve on this
season’s 7-4 record.
“We had great morale all year,
(but) 7-4 is not satisfactory,”
McCartney said. “I’m disap
pointed in 7-4, but I’m not disap
pointed in Colorado football.
We’ll be better next year.”
Colorado strong safety Mickey
Pruitt, who closed out his colle
giate football career against Ne
braska along with 26 other Buffalo
seniors, agreed. He said the Buffa
loes are ensuring themselves a
future success by recruiting qual
ity athletes.
“I think (our future) holds many
good things,” Pruitt said.
Pruitt said the loss to Nebraska
was difficult to take because Colo
rado declared the Huskers their
official rival. He said the Buffa
loes tried to gain a psychological
advantage by wearing all-black
uniforms for the first time in their
97-year history and posting the
Nebraska game in brightred letters
on the schedule that lines the
locker-room wall.
But Pruitt said the only pleasant
memory he will have of Nebraska
is Colorado’s 20-10 victory over
the Huskers in 1986. He said that
game became even more meaning
ful after this year’s loss.
“We were wanting to win this
year,” Pruitt said. “Now, this year
is really hurting me.”
Colorado linebacker Eric
McCarty also said his heart ached
after the loss to Nebraska.
“I’m hurting,” McCarty said.
“I’m heartbroken for more reasons
than one.”
Buffalo middle guard Kyle
Rappold said the Colorado under
classmen already have been taught
how to prepare for Nebraska. He
said the Huskers are Colorado’s
natural rival because of the prox
imity of the two states.
“We despise Nebraska, but you
have to respect them,” Rappold
said. “You have to respect your
enemy.”
Rappold denied writing a letter
to Husker defensive end Broderick
Thomas last week that bore his
signature and appeared on the wall
of the Husker locker room. The
letter promised Nebraska a second
straight defeat from Colorado.
“1 have a little bit of class,”
Rappold said. “Not much, but aj
imie.” ’ • nl
Rappold, who answered report
ers’ questions while smoking a
cigar he said represented his four
years as a Buffalo, predicted big
things for future Colorado football
teams.
“I know these young guys are
going to take up where we left off,”
Rappold said.
McCartney said he’s deter
mined to sec the Colorado football
program through its development.
-— I
Letter
More college coaches
should listen to Apel
Jeff Apel is absolutely right. Tom
Osborne has only himself to thank for
his abysmal coaching record.
Osborne’s embarrassing adherence to
the “straight and narrow,” and his
appalling inability to “stoop to the
athletes’ level” arc clearly the reasons
Nebraska is not bereft of football tal
ent.
Collegiate sports could be revolu
tionized if more coaches heeded
Apel’sand followed the “latest trend”
in recruiting. Maybe then Joe Palcrno
would be able to turn around that
moribund program at Penn State.
(Gosh, how long has it been since they
won a national title?) If Bob Knight
would only loosen up at Indiana, per
haps the Hoosicrs could finally put
together a winning season. Imagine
what John Wooden could have ac
complished at UCLA if he had not
been so reserved!
I agree with Apel. Nebraska will
never reach, as he so eloquently put it,
“the top of the peak” of the Big Eight
until Osborne rehabilitates his person
ality so he can qualify for an appear
ance on Hollywood Squares.
I’m certain that Apel would agree
with me that Kansas could end its
football woes immediately simply by
hiring Howie Mandcl as its new
coach, Jay Leno as athletic director
and Cher as academic adviser.
Grant R. Osscnkop
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_ 3
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