Injury ladened wrestlers
to face Missouri’s Tigers
WRESTLE from Page 15
weekend,” Neumann said.
Nebraska brought home seven
champions from the Cowboy Open
and had 10 wrestlers reach the finals.
Completing the Huskers’ lineup
tonight will be sophomore Layne
Billings are 150 pounds, senior Jeff
Coltvet at 158 pounds, sophomore
Scott Chenoweth at 167 pounds, sen
ior Cooy Olson at 177 pounds and
sophomore Sonny Manley in the
heavyweight division.
Neumann said Tommy Robbins is
the tentative Huskcr starter at 190
pounds.
Included in the Tigers’ lineup
tonight will be former Columbus
High School graduate Charlie Sher
ertz. Sherertz, a 190-pound senior,
won two Nebraska slate high school
championships before accepting a
scholarship to wrestling powerhouse
Iowa. He transferred to Missouri last
January.
“We don’t have anyone in the
(wrestling) room that can beat Sher
ertz,” Neumann said.
Robbins is slated to face Sherertz
but Neumann said the Huskers will
forfeit the match if they have a com
fortable lead.
NOTES:
• Things won’t get much easier for
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Nebraska on Saturday. Nebraska will
compete in the St. Louis Open — a
meet that will include conference
rivals Oklahoma State (ranked No. 1)
and Oklahoma (ranked No. 13). No. 9
Wisconsin and No. 19 Notre Dame
will also wrestle at the meet.
No team scoring will be kept in the
meet.
“That’s going to be a bear of a
meet,” Neumann said.
Neumann said the Huskers will
enter the meet with the goal of placing
four team members in the finals.
“That would be super,” he said.
This year
everybody's atti
tude is good and
we’re coming off a
great weekend.’
—Neumann
• Missouri’s probable starters for
tonight’s meet: Buddy Smith (118
pounds), Todd Clements or Eric
DeVenney (126 pounds), Brett Gray
or Dan Dunkin (134 pounds), Danny
Hayes (142 pounds), Greg Warren
(150 pounds), Darrin Davis (158
pounds), Steve Blanner(167 pounds),
Reggie Burress (177 pounds), Sher
ertz, and heavyweight Pat O’Neal.
• Nebraska leads the all-time series
with the Tigers 19-13-2 and last de
feated Missouri jn 1987, 22-15, at
Columbia.
Coach looks to
bust weak defense
SOONERS from Page 15
in its secondary and also has had to
replace key people on the line.
Scott Garl, a Sooner reserve last
year, leads the secondary with 63
tackles. He’s also picked off three
passes and has broken up another five.
Vcr Plank said Kevin Thompson is
the best player in the Sooncrs’ secon
dary. Thompson, a 5-foot-11 junior
from Houston, Texas, has been in on
56 tackles has had six interceptions.
“Their defense is tough and very
physical,” Vcr Plank said. “Th
ompson is probably the best in their
secondary.”
Linebacker Frank Blevins leads
the team in tackles with 88. He also
has two quarterback sacks.
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Thursday Night j
Nebraska 177-pound senior Codv Olson attempts a move on teammate Tommy Robbins
during Monday's practice at the sob Devaney Sports Center Arena.
“Since I’ve been a sophomore in high school, I’ve wanted to be an All-American and win a
national championship,” Olson said.
Wrestler reaches toward dream
By Mike Kiuck
Staff Repotter
A seven-year dream could come
true if Nebraska senior Cody Olson
has the wrestling season he hopes to
have.
Olson, a 177-pound wrestler from
Rocklin, Calif., said some of his goals
for this season have been goals he has
had for seven years.
“Since I was a sophomore in high
school, I’ve wanted to be an All
American and win a national champi
onship,” Olson said. “It will be satis
fying when I attain that goal.”
Olson will begin his bid for All
America status tonight when he and
the rest of the Huskers face Missouri
in a Big Eight dual in Columbia, Mo.
Olson said he also wants to repeat
as Big Eightchampion this season. He
won the title at 177 pounds two years
ago belorc redshirting last season.
Olson’s championship was the Husk
ers first individual conference title
since 1984.
At the 1987 National Collegiate
Athletic Association championships,
Olson compiled a 1-2 record.
But six of the eight All- America’s
at Olson’s weight completed their
eligibility last season, which gives
Olson and Nebraska coach Tim Neu
mann optimism for this season.'
“It is definitely possible for Cody
to be an All-American,” Neumann
said.
Neumann said Olson also has a
good chance to repeat as Big Eight
champion because of his improve
ment during his redshirt season.
“He is better this year because of
redshirting last year,” Neumann said.
“If it would be possible for a wrestler
to wrestle himself he would probably
beat the wrestler he was two years
ago.”
Olson defeated last season’s Big
Eight champion at 177 pounds, Chris
Barnes of Oklahoma State, two years
ago for the conference championship.
Olson said he made a goal when he
came to Nebraska to make his senior
year his best.
“I’ve been working as hard as
possible to peak in my fifth year,”
Olson said. “My attitude has been to
go in and work hard every day and I
feel my fifth year will be my best
year.”
Olson’s attitude has apparently
rubbed off on his teammates as he has
been named one of the Huskers’ cap
tains for the season.
Neumann said he recruited Olson
by chance. He said he was in Califor
nia recruiting another wrestler when
he noticed Olson, learned he was a
V ~T
good wrestler and decided to recruit
him.
Olson credited the Husker coach
ing staff and his family for putting
him in position to obtain his dream.
“The support from my family has
really been instrumental and has re
ally been important,” Olson said.
“My family has really been suppor
tive of me and that Is great.”
Olson said his family’s support
involved allowing him to come to
Nebraska to wrestle. Olson said when
he graduated from high school, he
wanted to wrestle in the Midwest.
“This is where wrestling is,’’Olson
said. “Forty people from the Big
Eight qualified for nationals last year
and 18 were All-Americans, which is
most out of any conference. This is
the best conference for wrestling —
but I am biased.”
Olson said he thinks Nebraska has
a good chance of being ranked in the
top 10 this season. The Huskcrs are
currently ranked No. 18.
“Wc have steadily improved over
the last four years, but it has been
frustrating not to be in the top 10,"
Olson said. “I feel wc have a good
chance of being there this year if wc
keep working and have no injuries."
Olson has an overall record of 57
54-5 after compiling a 9-32-2 record
as a freshman.
* i i • 1
LsOacning counts; uu win prevail
APEL from Page 15
earned All-Big Eight honors
while allowing Oklahoma to pile up
419 yards rushing in the Sooners’ 17
7 victory against Nebraska last sea
son.
Oklahoma will also exploit
Nebraska’s glaring weaknesses on
offense. The Huskcrs’ offense has
been plagued by inconsistent efforts
that display its mediocrity. It has also
been bothered by split end Morgan
Gregory, who drops more passes than
he catches.
Even if the Nebraska offense is
tiaving one of its better days — and
that’s doubtful — against Oklahoma,
Gregory will find a way to hinder the
Husker effort.
The remaining area in which Okla
homa holds a superior advantage is
tradition. Nebraska fans like to say
that Oklahoma’s total domination of
the Huskers is due to “Sooner
Magic.”
But the fact is that it all comes
down to coaching. The sooner Ne
braska coach. Tom Osborne and his
loyal followers realize thatOsborne is
the second-best coach in the confer
ence behind Oklahoma's Barry
Switzer, the better off they will be. It
also wouldn’t hurtthem to realize that
Osborne is the third-best recruiter in
the conference behind Switzer and
Colorado coach Bill McCartney.
With factors in mind, it is obvious
Oklahoma will beat Nebraska. The
Huskers and Sooners possess two of
the most respected programs in col
lege football. But the reality is Okla
homa is building for the future while
Nebraska’s future is filled with ques
tion marks.
The biggest question facing the
Husker program is in terms of recruit
ing, in which two mediocre classes
are ready to take their turn in the
spotlightncxt season. Ifthc recruiting
class of 1985 — which included such
players as Broderick Thomas, Steve
Taylor and LeRoy Etienne — can’t
beat Oklahoma, what gives Nebraska
any right to even imagine that any
Husker team can beat tne Sooners?
Sweet dreams, Nebraska fans.
Apd U a senior news-editorial major and
is a Daily Nebraskan sportswriier.
NU to take over ‘Their House’
PEROWITSCH from Page 15
yards on 24 carries to help the Sooner s
down Nebraska. But Anderson is just
a reserve this year. Leon Perry, a
redshirt jg^^ason, has rushed for
547 yaix8j3MB08 attempts this year.
AnotHWmng the Husker defense
has to do is force the Sooners to pass.
A completed pass in Norman happens
as frequently as a Democrat wins the
presidency. But the passes Oklahoma
happens to complete usually occur
during key fourth-quarter drives
against the Huskers.
The only guarantee this game has
to offer is that the Huskers dime de
fense won’t be on the field, unless the
.Sooners find themselves down by 74
points in the fourth quarter.
But to slop the Oklahoma offense
and evict the Sooners from their
home, Nebraska needs the help of its
offense. This was evident in last
year’s game.
After former 1-back Keith Jones
scored on a 25-yard run in the first
quarter, it seemed the biggest drive
mounted by the Husker oficnse was
about 15 yards.
The Huskers must come out and at
least make the Sooner defense work
up a sweat during the first half. And to
do that. Nebraska coaches must use I
back Tyreese Knox more and must
establish a passing game.
Knox, a 5-foot-lO, 215-pound
Senior,Wiust'spell starting 1-back Ken
Clark more. Knox is a hard-nosed
runner who picks up a lot of yards up
the middle, whereas Clark is more of
a finesse runner.
Huskcr quarterback Steve Taylor
must also have a career day against
the Sooners. If he does, and if the
“Sandman” breaks the wishbone, the
Sooners will have to check out the
latest trends in the real estate market.
So Oklahoma, you’re welcome to
come up to Lincoln to live. Because
after Saturday's 24-17 loss to Ne
braska, ‘‘Your House” will become
the new and improved ‘‘Our House.”
Derowltsch is a sophomore news-edi
torial nutjor and b a Dally Nebraskan Senior
Reporter.