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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 8, 1989)
Sports Kansas quarterback concerns Osborne By Chuck Green Senior Reporter After Nebraska’s 27-21 loss to No. 2-ranked Colorado last Saturday, Comhusker coach Tom Osborne’s biggest concern is how well his play ers will react this week. Osborne, speaking at his weekly media luncheon, said it’s important that Lite Huskers practice well this week in preparation for their game against Kansas Saturday in Memorial Stadium. “I don’t think we’ve played a bad football game yet this year, and I sure hope we don’t start in the next two weeks,” Osborne said.4‘I don’t think we will. The team has a good work ethic.” Much of Osborne’s concern about Kansas, which is 3-6 on the season, is based on Jayhawk quarterback Kelly Donohoe, who has completed 116 of 209 passes for 1,748 yards this sea son. His 252-yard effort against Oklahoma State last Saturday made him the eighth Big Eight quarterback to pass for more than 5,000 yards in his career. Donohoe, a senior, has 5,005. “He’s an exceptional player and a good team leader,” Osborne said. “He can give you problems.” The Jayhawks’ offensive scheme utilizes a good balance of the run and pass, Osborne said, and the Kansas defense “is much improved over last year’s.” Osborne said it is important for the Huskers to play well in their final two games of the season. After facing Kansas, Nebraska will close out its regular season by squaring off against Oklahoma. “We’ve got a chance to do fairly well this year,” he said. “If we play well, we’ll still end up in the top five or six (in the college footbalf polls).” NOTES: • Osborne said the team’s health is “relatively good” heading into Saturday’s game against Kansas. Quarterback Mike Grant is “touch-and-go” for the bowl game, Osborne said, and inside linebacker Mike Petko also is questionable until at least the bowl game. Grant separated his shoulder against Iowa State two weeks ago, and Petko injured his knee on Ne braska’s last defensive play against Colorado. “Other than that,” Osborne said, “we didn’t suffer any severe inju ries.” • Osborne said he hasn’t given much thought to Nebraska’s drop to No. 6 in tne Associated Press and United Press Internationa! football polls. The Huskers were third prior to losing to Colorado. “It didn’t seem like we played a whole lot worse than Colorado,” he said. “People frdt and fume about the polls and bowl matchups. 1 haven’t really thought about it until (it was mentioned).” • The loss to Colorado was one of the better games Nebraska has played during Osborne’s 19-ycar tenure, he said. “Mostly, I was pleased with the composure and effort by Our play ers,” Osborne said. “It didn’t seem like the so-called magnitude of the game affected them.” • Despite what fans might think, Osborne said the Husker coaches “weren’t as upset with the punt cov erage (in the Colorado game) as people think we ought to be.” Buffalo split end Jeff Campbell had two long punt returns that set up Colorado scores. “The problem was execution, not coverage,” Osborne said. “People were where they had to be and didn’t make the tackle. What can you do in (hat situation? * ‘Just changing the personnel isn’t the answer.” Huskers get expected win; former star gets surprise By Darran Fowler Senior Reporter _ It was a tale of the expected and the unexpected Tuesday night at the NU Coliseum. As expected, the fourth-ranked Nebraska volleyball team raised its record to 20-2 in overpowering Big Tight Conference opponent Kansas 15-5, 15-2, 15-7 in front of 1,146 fans. Kansas dropped to 12-15. The unexpected was experienced by Kansas assistant coach and former Nebraska standout Karen (Dahlgren) Schonewise, whose jersey was re tired before the start of the match. The Bertrand native and two-time All-America selection said she had no idea her uniform was going to be retired. But she said she did know no other Comhusker player had donned her old No. 13 jersey since she com pleted her collegiate eligibility in 1986. "When I saw my husband here I began to wonder what he was doing here," Schonewise said, "but then I thought he was just seeing some friends. “I just thought they were going to make a few comments about some of my honors. I had no idea they were / going to retire my jersey, but I was beginning to wonder why no one had worn it yet. I just thought they would hold it for a few years and then reac tivate it.” Schoncwise, who led the Huskers to a second-place finish in the NCAA Final Four her senior year and also was the Broderick Award winner as the best volleyball player in the na tion, became the second female ath lete to have her number retired. Former Nebraska setter Cathy Noth, whose last season as a Husker was in 1984 and who is now a gradu ate assistant on the Huskers’ coach ing staff, had her jersey retired last fall. But the pre-game celebration was short-lived as Schonewise watched the Jayhawks get pounded by her alma mater’s relentless attack. Nebraska scattered 39 kills among seven players. Freshman outside hit ter Eileen Shannon led the charge with 10. Two players — Carla Baker and Janet Kruse - totaled nine kills, with Baker posting a .500 hitting percentage and Kruse hitting for a .333 average. Nebraska hit .386 as a team, while See KANSAS on 8 ^-Lit—EBH M«|||U Me Reynolds 7 Dally Nebraskan e Stephanie Thater spikes the ball set by Val Novak during the third game of Nebraska's match against Kansas Tuesday night. No one to laugh if youth holds up for season % Break out the laugh-o-meter. Gel ready to grab your side. And please, no loud groaning. Thai’s right - Nebraska volley ball coach Terry Pettit is speaking again. Pettit rubbed the funnybonc of at least one reporter when he predicted Nebraska would challenge for the national championship. Big Eight championships and tournament titles are the norm at Nebraska, but a na tional championship? No way. Not with a team that lost its setter, Lori Endicott, to the U.S. national team and watched as a rash of injuries claimed one player after another But throughout the season, it has been Pettit who has been doing the laughing, as ihe Comhuskers have rolled over one opponent after an other. Included in that onslaught was a victory against then-No. 1-ranked Hawaii and a road defeat of then-No. 8-ranked Minnesota. That’s scary, considering how young Nebraska is. The Huskers start a Xrcshman, two sophomores and a junior on this year’s squad, and mix that youth with the leadership pro vided by seniors Carla Baker and Virginia Slahr. Youth. It’s a refreshing word that brings thoughts of good fortune, solid foundations and innocence. It also can mean long seasons, disaster and frustration, but Pettit has guarded against that by throwing the young sters right into the fire. That’s right, rather than take the usual approach and ease his players into the situation, Pettit has inserted them directly into the starting lineup. And the result has been phenome nally gtxxl, as the Huskcrs have es tablished themselves as a legitimate contender for the national title. Pettit did give Janet Kruse and Cris Hall time to age, if you call part of a season that. Kruse spent last year as a key reserve, while Hall’s high ’ light had to be the time she spent after matches trying to perfect her power ful arm swing. Eileen Shannon wasn’t given the benefit of anything, as she stepped into her starting role when Linda Barsness suffered a season-ending knee injury. But the Elmhurst, III., native has handled her role well, as she is a leading candidate for the newcomer-of-the-year award which is presented annually by Volleyball Monthly magazine. This youth is nice, but it remains to be seen how it will hold up for the rest of the season. The Huskers, like their counterparts at Memorial Stadium, are notorious for late-season tail spins. And with a regular-season match against Illinois, plus the traditionally tough Big Eight tournament and re gional competition still to come, that could happen. But if it does, no one will be laugh ing. Pettit has already taken care of that. Apd is a senior news-editorial major and is Use Daily Nebradian sports editor. Coach: Split end Gregory bounced back from injuries By Chris Hopfensperger Suff Reporter Nebraska split end Morgan Gre gory entered the season expecting to repeat his stellar performance of a year ago, but injuries have hindered his game. Gregory said he has been satisfied with his season even though injuries have held him out of large portions of three games. The senior from Den ver, Colo., who was Nebraska’s lead ing receiver last season, is the third leading receiver on this year s team with 16 catches for 229 yards. “I’m pretty satisfied with what have done on the field,” Gregory said. “I just wish I wouldn’t have hau as many injuries. “I basically missed three games. I sat out three quarters of three games, but other than that I’m pretty satis fied.” Nebraska receivers coach Ron Brown agreed that injuries have held Gregory back. But he said the re ceiver has come on strong. “His play has been very good,” Brown said. “He was slowed by inju ries earlier in the season, but he has really come on now. * ‘ He had a big game Saturday, and made some clutch catches.” Gregory was the Comhuskers’ leading receiver in their 27-21 loss to Colorado, catching five passes for 77 yards. Gregory said his performance did nol overshadow the loss. ‘‘It’s one thing to lose and to de serve to lose,” he said. “Everything that could have gone their way went their way. “It’s tough to lose that way, espe cially when you’re undefeated.” Brown praised Gregory’s alert ness throughout the Colorado game. “Morgan did a good job of hang ing in there and playing with poise,” Brown said. “It was good to see him have such a good game as a senior in his home state.” One of the biggest factors in the game, Gregory said, was the Folsom Field crowd. “It was the kind of game you like to play,” Gregory said. “It was a big game in front of a loud crowd. “I had a lot of friends and family there. I just wish we could have come out on top.” Gregory said Nebraska can’t af ford to dwell on its loss to Colorado because it still has regular-season games against Kansas and Oklahoma remaining. Gregory said Nebraska did not take its loss to Colorado lightly. The setback knocked the Huskers out of the natiopal championship picture, as it dropped them from third to sixth in the Associated Press poll. “It’s tough enough for the players to bounce back after a loss like that,’ ’ Gregory said. “It’s even tougher for the Fans to stick beside you. Gregory said Nebraska’s game against Oklahoma will be a critical one even though the Sooners are having a lough year. Oklahoma, which is in the midst of a two-year NCAA probation, is 6-3 this season. “They’ve lost three games. We’ve lost one,’’ Gregory said. “1 don’t see how it could be as big a gam^(as Colorado) as far as the na tion is concerned, but-for the players on die team it’ll still be a big game.’’ See GREGORY on 8