Sports
Absence of serious injuries
pleases Cornhusker coach
By Mike Kluck
Staff Reporter
Nebraska coach Tom Osborne said
he was pleased Monday wilh the
Cornhuskers’ first practice after their
23-14 in against Texas A&M in the
Kickoff Classic.
“The remarkable thing is, 1 can
remember very few Mondays where
we've had so few players missing
because of injury,” Osborne said.
“For the two-a-days and a real physi
cal hard ballgamc, I thought we came
out of it in remarkably good shape.
The attitude was good. We had a
pretty good practice for a Monday.”
However, Texas A&M didn't fare
as well after its participation in the
game. The Associated Press reported
Monday the Aggies had eight players
on injured reserve who were ques
tionable for Texas A& M s game with
LSU on Saturday.
The injured players for Texas
A&M include its starting backfield
and receivers.
Senior outside linebacker John
Marco w as held out of practice Mon
day with a cracked thumb, but plans to
practice today, Osborne said. Middle
gaurd Mike Murray, who had a sore
knee after Saturday \sgame, practiced
Monday.
Osborne said junior center Jake
Young is much better after sulfcring a
knee injury last week in practice.
Young was jogging at Monday's
practice al ter hav ing been on crutches
last Wednesday, Osborne said.
Osborne said the Huskers chose I
back George Achola and senior line
backer Brian Miller as two guys who
have done a good job on the scouting
team. This is the iirst year Nebraska
has ever rccogni/.ed somebody from
the scout team, he said.
“The scout team in general has
done pretty well." Osborne said.
“They're really important, because il
you don't get a gcxxl picture the value
of practice really diminishes by 40 or
50 percent.”
---1
Nebraska coach to pin hopes
on talented recruiting class
By Tim Hartmann
Staff Reporter
A dissatisfying finish last sea
son has caused Nebraska w restling
coach Tim Neumann to change his
plans for this season.
Neumann was intent on most of
his recruits redshirting this season.
But because the Comhuskers fin
ished 39th at the 1988 NCAA meet
he decided not to redshirt any of
them.
“We’re not going to redshirt
anyone right away,’’ he said.
“Thai’s different than what I’ve
ever done, probably because of the
disappointing year we had last
year. I’m going to pul my 10 best
wrestlers on the mat, whoever
(they) may be. If we have a fresh
man wrestling, then so be it.”
Neumann thought before last
season started that his Huskers
would finish in the top 10. Though
he was disappointed with last sea
son, he said he was anything; but
disappointed with his recruiting
class.
Nebraska's nine recruits were
ranked No.2 in that nation by
Amateur Wrestling News. Arizona
State was ranked 1st, followed by
three other Big Eight Conference
schools: Iowa State (3rd), Okla
homa
See NEUMANN on 9
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Tuesday August 30, 1988
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! Big Eight Champions During Past 25 Years
OKLAHOMA
NEBRASKA
NEBRASKA
NEBRASKA
NEBRASKA
OKLAHOMA
OKLAHOMA
Kansas
NEBRASKA
Missouri
NEBRASKA
NEBRASKA
NEBRASKA
OKLAHOMA
OKLAHOMA
NEBRASKA
OKLAHOMA
1962
1963
1964
1965
1966
1967
1968*
1969*
1970
1971
1972
1973
1974
1975
Oklahoma State
Colorado
OKLAHOMA
OKLAHOMA
NEBRASKA
OKLAHOMA
OKLAHOMA
OKLAHOMA
NEBRASKA
NEBRASKA
NEBRASKA
NEBRASKA
OKLAHOMA
OKLAHOMA
OKLAHOMA
OKLAHOMA
1976*
1977
1978*
1979
1980
1981
1982
1983
1984*
1985
1986
1987
Famous ‘Big Two and the Little Six’joke
probably won’t be applicable this year
Every football season, the hack
neyed joke begins early, usually
around Aug. 1,
It starts in the Southwest Confer
ence area, ventures up through the
Big Ten slates and trickles out to the
West Coast and Southeastern Confer
ence region.
The joke is in regard to the top-to
botlom talent of the football teams in
the Big Eight, the conference known
around the country as the “Big Two
and the Little Six.”
But this year, the cliche may be
silenced, and early.
Nothing will change at the pin
nacle of the conference. Nebraska
and Oklahoma will still play for the
Big Eight crown on a bitter day in
November—a game which will likely
decide the inside track to the national
championship. But a few other teams
in the conference might be in line for
bowl berths and top 20 spots.
Here’s how the Big Eight should
stack up this season.
l. rveoraska. Yean, I know, bvcry
season, everybody around here says
theComhuskers w ill w in it all and by
the end of every year, there s more
depression in Nebraska than there is
in Chicago midway through any
given baseball season. But Husker
fans have good reason tobcoptimistic
this year.
The biggest reason is that Okla
homa, which has beaten Nebraska the
last four years, returnsonly four start
ers on defense — a defense that made
the Husker offense look foolish a year
ago.
Only one of Oklahoma’s starting
| defensive backs return, w hich is good
news for Nebraska’s receiving corps.
! Richard Bell, Dana Brinson, Morgan
: Gregory and sophomore Nate Turner
return as the major Husker deep
threats, and quarterback Steve Taylor
is probably the second-best all
around signal caller in America, next
to Tulanc’s Terrence Jones.
Now all Coach Tom Osborne has
to do is use his receivers now and then,
and not just on third-and-10.
When the passing lanes arc closed
down, Nebraska’s ground game
should be in fine form with I-backs
Tyrccsc Knox, Ken Clark, Terry
Rodgers and Lcodis Flowers han
dling most of the responsibility. Full
backs Sam Schmidt and Bryan Car
penter should provide tough running
inside and invaluable lead blocks.
The offensive line is once again
solid, but is fairly young and untested.
Defensively, the Huskcrs return
five starters, but must beef up the
interior line. Middle guards Law
rence Pete and Mike Murray will
anchor the inside, with Paul Brun
gardt, Ray Valladao and Kent Wells
as the leading candidates to fill the
vacant tackle spots.
Perhaps the strongest quarter of
Nebraska’s defensive unit is the out
side linebacker roster — another plus
for the Huskers when the battle w ith
the Sooners rolls around. The outside
corners of the line are the areas Okla
homa has exploited to the limit the
last four seasons, but it won’t be as
vulnerable this time around, barring
injuries.
Broderick Thomas and Jeff Mills
will handle the starting honors with
Jon Marco and sophomore Mike
Crocl providing reliable backup.
L.croy Etienne and Pal Tyrancc
will start the season as the top inside
linebackers, with Randall Jobman,
Chris Caliendo and Kenny Walker
vying for playing lime as well.
The secondary is led h\ three-year
starter Charles Fryar, who returns to
his right corncrback spot. Tahaun
Lewis and Cartier Walker will at
tempt to unseal him during the early
part ol the tail. The other corner will
be split by Lorenzo Hicks, Jon Crip
pen and John Custard.
At strong safely, newcomer Reg
gie Cooper is the top man. Tim
Jackson will start at the free safety
position.
Nebraska’s kicking game is strong
with placckicker Chris Drennan and
punter John Krooker reluming.
Nebraska’s schedule isn’t much
easier than last year’s, with non-con
ference games against three national
powers — UCLA and Arizona Stale,
in addition to last Saturday’s game
against Texas A&M in the Kickoff
Classic — in addition to shoot-outs
with Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and
Colorado, and a couple improved
teams to boot. Plus, the extension of
the season by three weeks due to the
Kickotf C lassie could make for a fa
tigued group by Jan. 1.
But if Nebraska’s coaches can
overcome these obstacles and keep
their key players out of jail, this could
finally be the season. You know .
the season.
2. Oklahoma. The Sooners have
nine starters returning from last
year’s team, but the Oklahoma defen
sive unit returns only four of those
starters, which could spell trouble for
the Sooners by the end of the season
But don’t shed any tears for Coach
Barry Swit/cr. Hisoffcnsc, which has
five regulars back, will be just as
awesome as it has for the last 15 years.
Quarterback Jamcllc Holicway is
apparently recovered from a knee
injury suffered late last season and
will likely be the top signal caller. If
he is unable to perform, sophomore
Charles Thompson will handle the
burden.
The Sooners’ offensive backlicld
returns Anthony Stafford and must
fill the fullback and other halfback
position. But somehow. Oklahoma
always does.
The offensive line should once
again be awesome and the receivers
will be more than adequate for the
rare occasions on which Oklahoma
decides to throw the ball.
Defensively, the Sooners are
strong at inside linebacker and in the
line’s interior. Swit/cr, however, is
faced with the unenviable task of
replacing backlield stars Rickey
Dixon and David Vickers.
wkianoma s scneuuie mis season
includes North Carolina, Arizona,
Southern California anti an unproved
Texas leant, as well as the Big Fight
slate. The inexperienced players on
the Sooncrs' rosier may grow up real
last this September. II they don’t, the
“Fire Barry Switzer” editorials will
again be circulating through Norman
Three losses will do that in some
places.
3. Oklahoma Slate. The Cowboy s
return seven starters on offense and
five on defense. The only real chal
lenge on their schedule, outside of the
conference, is a home date with Texas
A&M. The annual showdown with
Oklahoma is in Stillwater.
These areall the makings of a good
season and maybe — gasp! a New
Year’s Day bowl invitation. That is. i!
Oklahoma Slate only loses to Ne
braska and Oklahoma.
The most visible player in the
Cowboy’s arsenal is wide receiver
Hart Lee Dykes, who is the prescason
All-America selection of most col
lege football magazines. Mike
Gundy, the Big Eight's leading passer
in 1987, will also return. Last year,
Gundy became only the second quar
terback in conference history to pass
for more than 2,(XX) yards as a sopho
more.
Oklahoma Suite’s offensive line
returns all but one starter from last
season and fullback Garrett Limbrick
is also back for his final campaign
Barry Sanders appears to be the
heir to the I-back spot, where All
America selection Thurman Thomas
reigned since his freshman season.
See GREEN~onVI
