Huskies work toward development
By Paul Domeier
Senior Reporter
The Northern Illinois goal: A bowl
game.
Ah, yes, the simple life of the
developing football program, where
a 9-2 record is reason to rejoice, an
invitation to the California Raisin
Bowl, a reason to party.
The Nebraska goal: As always, to
thrash the hell out everyone - po
litely, of course - on the way to a
national championship.
That’s the pressure-filled life of
the college football powerhouse, where
a 9-2 record is a reason to cry, an
invitation to any bowl not on New
Year’s Day a cause of mass suicide.
Which is better? Northern Illinois
coach Jerry Pettibone would prefer
the latter.
Pettibone wasn’t too happy that
his team didn’t get a bowl invitation
last year, when the Huskies went 9-2,
with one of the losses coming at
Nebraska.
“We really felt like we were a
bowl-quality team,” Pettibone said.
He said he understands that last
year was part of the process of devel
oping a nationally recognized pro
gram . Other steps along the way have
been wins over Wisconsin in a 7-4
1988 season and Kansas State last
year. The Huskies, he said, arc work
ing hard to establish a winning tradi
tion, a la Nebraska.
Pettibone, in his sixth year at
Northern Illinois, knows something
about winning traditions. An Okla
homa graduate, he served as recruit
ing coordinator at Oklahoma from
1966-1970 and from 1971-1978, and
at Nebraska from 1979-1981. He also
coached at Texas A&M in the mid
1980s.
The team is growing toward the
top 25, and Pettibone said the team’s
28-17 victory over Eastern Illinois
Saturday showed part of the develop
ment.
In that game, Husky quarterback
Stacey Robinson completed 12 of 15
passes for 211 yards, a career high.
Before that game Robinson was known
as a wishbone quarterback only. He
rushed for 1,443 yards and 19 touch
downs in 1989, and rushed 17 times
for 67 yards versus Eastern Illinois.
Pettibone said the increased pass
ing wasn’t an accident.
“That was just part of the evolu
tion of the offense,” he said.
Northern Illinois returns all 11
starters on offense. Nebraska coach
Tom Osborne said Northern Illinois
will challenge the Husker defense
more than Baylor did. The Huskers
allowed 164 yards to the Bears in
Nebraska’s 13-0 victory Saturday.
“Like all wishbone teams, they’ll
keep feeling around and trying differ
ent things until they find one point
where you come up short,” Osborne
said. ‘ ‘ Hopefully, they won’t find it. ’ ’
Robinson’s chief support comes
from fullback Adam Dach. Dach
rushed for 714 yards last year and had
57 yards on 13 carries against Eastern
Illinois.
On defense, the Huskies have seven
starters back, but one will not play.
Cary Caliendo, the team’s star defen
sive end and the twin of former Husker
linebacker Chris Caliendo, dislocated
his elbow against Eastern Illinois.
Nebraska’s defense took its first
step against Baylor to proving that it
is one of the best in the country.
Pettibone already is a believer.
“Their defense is a lot more im
pressive to me than ever before,” he
said.
Middle guard Greg Koellner stands by as linebacker Mike
Croel celebrates sacking Baylor quarterback Scott Needham
on Saturday.
Joseph to start
at quarterback
By Paul Domeier
Senior Reporter
Mickey Joseph will start at
quarterback Saturday against
Northern Illinois in place of
injured Mike Grant, Nebraska
coach Tom Osborne said Thurs
day.
Grant, who started in the
Comhuskers’ 13-0 win over
Baylor Saturday, probably will
be available if needed, Osborne
said.
Grant, a junior who made his
first start Saturday, suffered a
bruised left knee with 2:03 left
in the first quarter against Bay
lor and had to leave the game.
He returned near the end of the
second quarter and played the
entire second half, but then
missed practice Monday and
Tuesday.
“He’s all right,” Osborne
said. “It’s more of a bruise than
anything else.”
Joseph, a junior who lost the
battle for the starting spot in fall
practice, will be making his first
start in the game, which will
begin at 1:30 p.m. in Memorial
Stadium.
When Joseph replaced Grant
Saturday, he led the Huskcrs to
the team’s first field goal, spark
ing the drive with a 14-yard run
followed by a 15-yard late-hit
penally.
Osborne also said starling left
defensive tackle Joe Sims proba
bly will not play Saturday be
cause of the knee he injured
Wednesday. LeAndre Anderson
will take Sims’ place.
__Z_
Heisman Trophy talk builds on Illinois campus
By John Adkisson
Staff Reporter
A Heisman Trophy candidate from
Northern Illinois?
Unlikely as it may seem, such is
the case for quarterback Stacey Robin
son, who led Northern Illinois to a 9
year and broke
almost every
single-season
rushing record
for quarter
backs in
NCAA history.
Robinson
will lead his
team to Lin
coln on Satur
Robinson day 10 ,ace No
10- rated Ne
braska, but he said he will not be
intimidated.
“1 expect us to play well there,”
Robinson said. “We’re all excited to
come down there and show what we
can do.” Last year Robinson rushed
for 1,443 yards, the highest single
season total ever for a collegiate
quarterback. Such impressive suuis
tics have fueled Hcisman talk on the
Northern Illinois campus.
“The publicity is really rolling in
here.” he said. “People arc really
starting to get behind me.”
Nebraska fans got a taste of Robin
son’s ability last year when he led
Northern Illinois to a 17-17 halftime
tic with the Comhuskcrs in Lincoln.
Robinson said that last year’s per
formance gives him confidence head
ing into the rematch.
“It most definitely allows us to be
thinking about a win this year,’’
Robinson said. “Last year when we
went to the locker room tied, we were
on a big high.”
Robinson said the crowd noise at
Memorial Stadium may present a
problem for him. Last year, he was
forced to spend a timeout because his
receivers couldn’t hear the signals.
“When I got down near the end
/one, the fans were loud,” he said. “I
just tried to regroup my team because
we’d never played in a stadium that
big and that noisy.” Northern Illinois
didn l get a bowl bid after last year’s
9-2 season, arid the Huskies’ goal for
1990 is to sec that they do.
“ We got overlooked last season, ’ ’
he said. “We re just going to go out
this year and accomplish our goal.”
Northern Illinois runs a wishbone
offense, and Coach Jerry Pcttibonc
has compared Robinson to former
Huskcr Turner Gill. Robinson, known
as the “Wishbone Wizard II”, said
the alignment will present problems
for any team who tries to defend it.
“They may try to shut it down for
awhile, but eventually me or some
body else is going to get loose,” he
said.
Northern Illinois opened its sea
son at home against in-state rival
Eastern Illinois with a 28-17 win, but
trailed at the half. Robinson passed
for two touchdowns and ran for an
other in the victory.
“Everybody was excited to play
and we just missed some execution
type stuff,” Robinson said. “But once
we got rolling, it w as all over.”
Robinv;in almost was ineligible for
this season because of academic prob
lems. He attended summer school to
improve his grades.
“I just did what I had to do this
summer,” Robinson said. “I’m just
glad that it’s behind me now and 1 can
concentrate on playing football.”
NU junior varsity coach expects close season opener
By Todd Cooper
Staff Reporter
Nebraska’s junior varsity season
opener with Snow Junior College today
will be both close and rewarding,
according to Comhusker JV coach
Bill Weber.
“It’s a very important game, but
it’s not a must-win situation,’ ’ Weber
said. “It’s important that we learn,
whether we win or lose.
“1 expect a close ball game.”
If it’s anything like last year’s
matchup, Weber will have that light
game. Nebraska and Snow tied 23-23
in 1989, but only after Nebraska ral
lied in the fourth quarter.
“They were very well-prepared
last year,” Weber said. “We just
couldn’t gel much going offensively.”
Weber said a longer preparation
period this year should help put the
two teams even in pralice lime.
“Ten more days will really help
us,” he said. “We’ve gotten better
each day, with more confidence. It’ll
be tough, we’ll have to make some
checks at the line.”
Even though the amount of prac
tice time was extended, Weber still
has concerns.
“I’m most concerned with our
execution, limiting turnovers and
penalties, and getting people in the
right place at the right time,” he said.
He said he thinks Nebraska’s of
fense could catch Snow’s defense off
guard.
“We think our option game will
give them troubles,” he said. “They
play in a conference that’s primarily a
passing conference, but they’re known
for a strong defense up front. We feel
we’ll do a little better in the I-forma
tion.’’
The I-formation could be one of
several offensive looks the Huskers
will see from Snow.
“They have a lot of different sets
and they run a lot of different plays,”
Weber said.
But the plays the Huskers want to
avoid arc the big ones via the air,
Weber said.
“We need to make them drive the
ball all the way,” he said. “We can’t
give up 30- to 40-yard touchdown
passes.
‘ ‘There will have to be a high level
of concentration, but that’s the best
way the players learn.”
The Huskers also will have to learn
to make do without some of its schol
arship recruits, who were redshirted.
“Nobody has really stuck out,”
Weber said. “Certainly some of our
best were redshirted but we have solid
football players.”
Not having those players around
gives the players still active more
playing time than they otherwise would
have had. Weber said.
“There will be quite a bit of ex
citement, probably more than a usual
freshman game,” he said. “It’s nice
to have that.”
Kickoff is at 1 p.m. at Memorial
Stadium and admission is free to stu
dents with their IDs.