The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current, September 08, 1989, Page 7, Image 7
Sports Jayhawks take humble approach to 100th year By Jeff Apel Senior Editor While the Nebraska athletic department is sponsoring several promotions in conjunction with its 100th year of football, the Kansas athletic department is taking a more humble approach. Bob Frederick, the Kansas athletic director, said Thursday that the Jayhawks arc not going all out with their 100th year of football because they are trying to rebuild their program. Kan sas, which has compiled a 452-423-57 record during its 100 seasons of football, has not had a winning season in eight years. Frederick said the only things that Kansas is doing is publishing a book which details the last 28 years of Jayhawk football, retiring a jersey and honoring its All-America selec tions. He said Kansas never seriously consid ered promoting the centennial like Nebraska, which is selling everything from autographed footballs to paintings. “We’re being fairly low-keyed about it,” Frederick said. “If our team was much better, we might do more. But right now, we’ve got more important things to spend time on.’’ Cletus Fischer, a former Nebraska assistant football coach who is now the director of the Husker Wheel and Beef Club, said the Corn huskcrs launched their centennial promotion in hopes of offsetting potential financial prob lems. The Nebraska athletic department has estimated that it will lose $500,000 in revenue this season because of probations which will keep the Oklahoma and Oklahoma State foot ball programs off television. Fischer and Gary Fouraker, the assistant athletic director for business affairs, said Ne braska officials also hope that the sale of cen tennial items raises enough money to build a new trophy display area. They said if enough money is raised, the present trophy room in the South Stadium would be replaced by a new one in the West Stadium. Fischer said the sale of promotional items has gone well. The items which Nebraska is selling include paintings which are auto graphed by Husker football coach Tom Osborne and Athletic Director Bob Devaney for $2,000, autographed footballs for either $100 or $28 and replica jerseys for $29.95. The Nebraska athletic department is also selling baseball caps, plaques that feature busts of Osborne and Devaney, sweat shirts and pants, sweaters, jackets, lapel pins, coffee mugs and felt pennants in conjunction with the centennial. Fischer said the fastest-selling item has been the autographed footballs. The footballs are $100 if a fan wants to purchase a limited edition type that includes a number on it, while the regular ones arc $28. “We’re real happy with the footballs,” Fischer said. “We’re hoping to gel over $200,000 on them.” Fischer said Nebraska needs to “get back to the public’ ’ in future promotions. The Huskers next scheduled public benefit Scpl. 29, when a golf scrambler sponsored by America West will be held at Firethorn Golf Club. / a i Northern Illinois coach presents optimistic outlook By Chuck Green Senior Reporter Jerry Peuibone is happy to be re turning to Lincoln, byt the extent of his joy will depend on the outcome of Saturday’s game. Peuibone, entering his fifth year as Northern Illinois’ coach, was Ne braska’s recruiting coordinator from 1979 to 1981. He returns Saturday with an optimistic outlook for the game against the No. fourth-ranked Comhuskers. The game begins at 1:30 p.m. Saturday at Memorial Stadium. “We’re going to go out there and do the best we can,” he said. “It will be a special time for me -- going back to Memorial Stadium. I had a very positive experience at Nebraska, and I’ve still got a lot of close friends there. It will be special.” Unc ol the greatest experiences in college football is playing in Memorial Stadium on a Saturday afternoon,” he said. Northern Illinois returns with eight offensive and six defensive players from last season’s 7-4 team. “We have the opportunity to have an excellent team,” Pettibonc said. ‘ ‘ We have a lot of experience and we probably have the best depth we’ve had since we’ve been here. ‘‘We want to show people that we can have that type of season (like last season) on a regular basis.” Pettibonc’s main concern is the quarterback position. Marshall Tay lor, who started four years for the Huskies, completed his eligibility last season. Stacey Robinson is Northern Illi nois’ new starter. Against Cal State Fullerton last Saturday, Robinson completed 10 of 17 passes for 114 yards, and rushed for 89 yards and two touchdowns on 19 carries. Northern Illinois won the game 26-17. “I’d give Stacey a passing grade, no pun intended,” Pettibone said. “There’s room for improvement, but I think he gained some confidence.” Defensively, Pettibone said, the Huskies should continue to improve quickly. “Last year, we made some big plays early,” he said. “That set the tone for our defense the entire season. We’ll be bigger and stronger and at the same time, our defense is predi cated on quickness and speed.” Last week, the Huskies’ defense held Fullerton State to just five yards rushing. Nebraska offensive line coach Dan Young scouted the Fullerton State game, and Coach Tom Osborne said he was impressed with what Young told him. “He said they executed their wishbone pretty well, and seemed to do all the basic things wishbone teams do.” Osborne said. Osborne said he and Pettibone have remained in contact since Petti bone left Lincoln in 1981. Pettibone said Osborne is an inspiration to him as a coach. “There’s no question that Tom Osborne is one of the giants of major college football,” he said. “He’s a great man who has had a positive influence on me and my career.” Pettibone said the Huskies arc out to prove that last season’s winning record was not a fluke. “Last year was a positive break through, and we feel like we will have a good team this year,” he said. “ But we have to prove we are capable of lining up and playing good football each week. “We have to show that we aren’t an up-and-down program.” jaagmMB ..fLLnuUi Nebraska linebacker Chris Caliendo puts the heat on Missouri quarterback Mark Ram stack during the Cornhuskers’ 26-18 win against the Tigers last season. Identical twins to play on rival teams at Comhuskers’ football season-opener By Darran Fowler Suff Reporter Having two sons playing Division I football at different schools is an exciting, but sometimes trying, situ ation for the parents of identical twins Chris and Cary Caliendo. Chris is a 6-foot-2, 240-pound senior weakside linebacker for Ne braska, while Cary is a 6-foot-3,242 pound redshirl-junior right defensive end for Northern Illinois. Their parents Chuck and Nancy Caliendo of Brookfield, Wis., suffer and celebrate with them every week during football season. “The excitement is unbelievable, but the frustrations are doubled up,” Chuck said. * ‘There’s a lot of reasons why they’re going to perform well or why they’re not going to perform well, and you kind of live-and-die with them. So it’s hard to concentrate on one or the other, especially when you’re at one game and you’re won dering what’s happening with the other.” • But they never miss a game. “Come Thursday or Friday we’re off someplace,” he said. Whom they go to watch depends on proximity or the significance of a particular game, Chuck said. Saturday’s Nebraska and North ern Illinois contest is a “dream game,” he said. “We got mixed emotions,” Chuck said. “We’ll be cheering for every defensive play. I would be thrilled if Nebraska won it and North ern Illinois put up a good showing.” Cary, who had arthroscopic sur gery on his left knee six weeks ago, said he will be ready for Saturday’s game. The doctors left the decision to play up to him, he said. “I know I’m going to be ready for the Nebraska game,” he said. “I’m going to play my hardest because it’s my brothers team and I love my brother.” Cary had the same surgery done to his right knee at the end of his senior season in high school, but after his knee heals his problems are over, he said. Chris, who will share Husker play ing time with fellow linebacker Pfct Tyrance, said his brother ’ s chances of going to a larger school were dimin ished after his first knee injury. Cary, Who is a two-year starter and will line up against Nebraska left tackle and first-time starter Tom Punt, said Northern Illinois deserves more credit than it’s receiving. “No matter the outcome, win or lose, they’re (Nebraska) going to know they were in a football game,” he said. Cary is self-confident and outspo ken. “I’m feeling very confident in myself,’’ he said. “I don’t get a lot of recognition. I feel like I’m one of the best defensive ends in the country.” Northern Illinois is rising out of obscurity, he said, because the Hus See CALIENOO on 10 Former Nebraska players to challenge softball team By Darran Fowler Senior Reporter An exhibition softball game fea turing former Nebraska players against this year’s team will not be all fun and games. Twenty-six former Comhuskers will team together to play Nebraska at the softball complex at 7 p.m. to day. University of Nebraska-Lincoln students who present their IDs will be admitted free. Nebraska softball coach Ron Wolforth said both teams will take the game seriously. He said team scores will be kept, even though the game will not end until everyone has played. “These arc kids that are really competitive and it would be a dis service not to keep score,” he said. “We’re going to use this as an oppor tunity to have a game-like situation.” Nebraska opens its regular season Sept. 15 with a double-header against Kearney Stale. The games will be played at the NU Complex. Included among the alumni play ers returning are All-America selec tions Lori Sippel, Lori Richcns and Denise Eckert. Sippel holds several Husker pitch ing records. Her 93 wins, 1,052 strikeouts, 10 no-hitters and 0.50 earned run average are the best in Nebraska history. Eckert’s records include: most at bats (864), hits (284), triples (26), See SOFTBALL on 8