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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 4, 1990)
I-back Brown kept from ‘should be’ status George Achola and Leodis Flowers have saved Tom Osborne a lot of grief. They have kept Derek Brown from becom ing “The I-Back Who Should Be Starting.” “The I-Back Who Should Be Starting” is that one great runner who comes in as a fresh Paul Domeier man or sophomore and wins the hearts of the fans. He’s very talented and highly touted, inex perienced and often flashy, usually having one standout skill. But he’s low in Nebraska’s depth chart. When he does get in the game, he runs against the opponents’ worn-out, second suing defense, so he breaks huge runs and looks wonderful. Because of his potential and his success in blow-outs, he dwarfs the less-flashy starter and becomes “The I-Back Who Should Be Start ing.” That could have been Derek Brown. Brown, a freshman from La Habra, Calif., entered late in the Northern Illinois game. He dove over for a one-yard touchdown on his first career carry. Two attempts later, he busted a 59-yard touch down run. Brown started against Minnesota because Flowers and second-string I-back Scott Bald win were injured. He gained 120 yards on 21 carries. He scored two more touchdowns. A Parade high school All-American, Brown was on the verge of creating some I-back contro versy. Achola saved the day. Achola, the fourth string I-back, gained 123 yards in 16 carries. No one is going to suggest that Achola, a junior who was never expected to be Mike Rozier, should be starting. And Brown can’t be “The I-Back Who Should Be Starting” when he gets out-gained by the fourth-string back. Osborne and running backs coach Frank Solich were saved the trouble of having to explain constantly that yes, Brown is an excel lent back with tremendous potential, but no, he’s not going to start because Flowers is also an excellent back with more experience. Flowers completed the rescue Saturday against Oregon State. The junior from Omaha Central returned after missing one game with a knee injury to gain 151 yards on 16 carries. For the second straight game, Flowers set a career high in rushing yards. Brown rushed five times for 27 yards. Flowers leads the team in rushing with 315 yards. Brown has 219 yards, Achola 143 and Baldwin 142. Flowers, a Parade All-American himself, is very susceptible to being overtaken by a flashy sub, too. He’s not an imposing power runner like Baldwin, 6-foot-1 and 200 (?) pounds. He’s not super-slippery, like Brown, 5-10 and 175. Flowers, 5-11 and 200, is sort of in between. He’s fast, but doesn’t look that quick. Against Oregon State, though, he ran hard, ran well and hit holes that only a junior or senior can hit. Ken Clark was the same type of runner. As a junior in 1988, Clark was threatened by Nebraska’s last “The I-Back Who Should Be Starting,’’ sophomore Terry Rodgers, a slip ped type similar to Brown. Clark went on to gain 1,497 yards for the season, 3,037 for his career. Flowers easily will pass 1,000 yards this year if he stays healthy. That will put him in Nebraska’s career top 20. Next year, however, the starter’s role will be fair game again. Osborne and Solich will have five great backs to shuffle. Flowers is a junior, Baldwin is a sophomore, Brown is a freshman, Achola is a junior and Calvin Jones, high school All-American No. 3, is a redshirting freshman. Next year the position will be just as crowded, plus one. In August 1991, all five will have at least one fall and one spring of experience. If Brown improves on his already-impres sive performances, he’ll probably move up one or two spots. He has the potential to threaten Rozier’s Comhusker career-rushing record. But that’s only after more time and im provement. Brown needs a spring to fit fully into the offense. Right now, Leodis Flowers is Nebraska’s best I-back and he should be, and is, the starter. Domeier is a senior news-editorial major and a Daily Nebraska senior reporter. Volleyball team struggles by KU From Staff Reports LAWRENCE, Kan. - The Ne braska volleyball team, struggling to adjust to a change of pace, struggled to a 15-12, 15-13, 15-5 victory at Kansas on Wednesday nighL “We played really sloppy tonight,” Comhusker assistant coach John Cook said. Kansas played well defensively. Cook said, but the Jayhawk offense wasn’t aggressive. ‘ ‘ Kansas just did a lot of off-speed stuff and tips,” Cook said. “Offen sively they just threw the ball around.” This after the No. 1-ranked Husk ers have played UCLA, Illinois and other perennial contenders. “Going from the teams we’ve been playing to that style, we didn’t adjust well,” Cook said. The game was the Big Eight sea son opener for the 13-1 Huskcrs. Kansas is 9-4, 1-1 in the Big Eight. The Jayhawks have beaten Oklahoma, normally one of the conference’s top teams. Cris Hall and Eileen Shannon led Nebraska with eight kills each. The Huskcrs had 20 blocks, eight by Stepha nie Thaler, and held Kansas to a .043 hitting percentage. Adrian Powell had eight kills for Kansas. The environment also contributed to Nebraska’s problems, Cook said. “Part of it was the Phogg rolled in,” Cook said. Attendance at at Phogg Allen Field house was 1,010, the largest in Law rence this year. “Everybody’s after us,” he said. “They played us close, so they were going crazy.” -< « Everybody’s after us. They played us close, so they were going crazy. Cook NU assistant volleyball coach -f f Kansas led 12-8 in the first game and 12-7 in the second game. But despite the sloppy play and hostile crowd, Nebraska was able to rally for the sweep. “As always, we played well at the end of the games,’ ’ Cook said. “Janet Kruse played really well, and Becky Bolli again had some big runs with her jump serve.” Kruse had seven kills and Bolli had three service aces. Nebraska will play Missouri Sat urday at 7:30 p.m. in the NU Coli seum. [ •— W—Al Schab«n Da)lylip~bfBs*kdn Husker JV quarterback Matt Jones (5) runs Nebraska’s offense. Nebraska plays the Air Force JV team Friday at Memorial Stadium at 2 p.m. Air Force JV football coach optimistic of another successful strike in Lincoln By Todd Cooper Staff Reporter The Nebraska junior varsity football team’s annual nemesis pays a visit Friday. Nebraska plays Air Force’s JV at Memorial Stadium at 2 p.m. Air Force has beaten Nebraska three times in four years, including a 38 34 victory in 1989. Nebraska’s lone win came at 35-16 in 1988. “We love to play them,” said Air Force JV coach Billy Mitchell. “They always hustle, and it’s al ways hard-fought” This year, Air Force has lost its first two games to Scottsdale (Ariz.) Junior College and Eastern Ari zona Junior College. ‘ ‘ Mentally, we were not there in the first two games,” Mitchell said. “We were making changes, trying to evaluate people at different places and we weren’t settled until the third game.” Settled enough that Air Force then beat Phoenix Community College and Dodge City (Kan.) Junior College. Nebraska is 2-0. “This is one of the bigger ones,” Mitchell said about Friday’s game. “We always look forward to this game. This game and one of our conference games arc probably the biggest of our season. “1 expect Nebraska to play ex tremely well. It’ll just depend on how well we play.” Air Force’s team is comparable to last year’s, Mitchell said. “We should be about the same,’’ Mitchell said. “ It’s a new group of kids, so we never know what to expect.” Nebraska will see Air Force’s traditional wishbone offense. “We’d rather just run the triple option, but I’m sure we’ll be forced to pass every once in a while,” Mitchell said. “Our quarterback is the key guy, he’s the one that makes things work.” Air Force’s defense relies on the play of the linebackers, Mitch ell said. “We’re prototypes of the var sity, just like Nebraska,” he said, “Whatever the varsity does, we do.” Sickness, not injuries, depletes NU’s practice From Staff Reports Although the Comhuskers escaped injuries during Wednesday’s football practice, illness kept some key play ers out. Wingback Nate Turner and I-back Derek Brown both missed practice because of ailments, Coach Tom Osborne said. ‘‘A few other guys were not feel ing good but did practice. . . (but) I don’t know of any new injuries,” he said. Osborne said he isn’t aware of any viruses spreading among the team. “We have had a couple of guys with bronchitis,” he said. Osborne said the players’ ailments aren’t yet serious enough to keep them out of the Kansas State trip. Tightend Chris Garrett, who broke his ankle during the Oregon State game last Saturday, is the only defi nite casually. Daryl Liescand Johnny Mitchell will back up starter William Washington until Garrett’s scheduled return, against Oklahoma on Nov. 23 in Norman, Okla. Overcoming detriments has been a trademark of this year’s offensive line, Osborne said. “They’re doing pretty well . . . they have a chance to pretty good,” Osborne said. “I think we have four pretty good tackles. (Steve) Engstrom’s improved, (Terry) Eyman’s coming along, (David) Edeal’s playing bet ter, (Jim) Wanek’s grading well, and Wiegert’s groin is getting a little bet ter.”