Sports
[NU special teams
may untwist ISU
By Todd Cooper
Staff Reporter
Iowa State Cyclones relied on tricky
special teams in its 33-31 upset at
Oklahoma Saturday, and they may
try to do the same against Nebraska
this week, according to Comhusker
graduate assistant coach Turner Gill.
Nebraska plays a 1 p.m. game at
Iowa Stale Saturday.
“The one th ing for sure about Iowa
State is they’re going to do a lot of
things— they do a lot of crazy things
on their kicking game,” he said.
Gill, who scouted the Iowa State
Oklahoma game, told those attending
Monday’s Extra Point Club luncheon
that Iowa State is just as unpredict
able with its defensive stunting
schemes.
The Cyclones, facing fourth-and
5 at their own 25-yard line, ran a pass
play from punt formation. Gill said.
“The one thing about it is their
back-up quarterback is the up back on
their punt team, so they have him
doing a lot of audibles,” Gill said.
The coaches give different signals to
him.”
Recruiting coordinator Jack Pierce
also noted that Coach Jim Walden
was emphasizing special teams play
to the Iowa State players before the
season began.
“I went to the Big Eight officials’
meeting in Kansas City,” he said.
Walden expressed then that the offi
cials should take more time looking
at the kicking game. You can tell
right there he has it in mind to do
those things.”
Pierce also doubles as a coach for
the Huskers’ special team units.
He said he sees Iowa Slate's threat
in the special teams as a deterrent to
Nebraska’s preparation for the Cy
clones in other areas.
“All that work (on the special teams)
lakes a lot out of practice time,” Pierce
said.
But Nebraska’s continual empha
sis on the special teams play through
out this season should help counter
Iowa Slate’s success.
“We’ve been pretty good on our
special teams and we’re going to have
to be real good coming up this week,”
Gill said.
Iowa State, which had not beat
Oklahoma in 28 years, played with
desire. Gill said.
“The one big factor is that Iowa
Stale wanted it more than Oklahoma
did,” he said. “You could just see that
they had a chance to win the ball
game and they stayed in there and
played well.” s
Although a lot of publicity at Iowa
Stale has surrounded running back
Blaise Bryant, Gill said Nebraska’s
defense will have to contain quarter
back Chris Pedersen.
Pedersen rushed for 148 yards on
29 carries against Oklahoma and was
named the Big Eight’s Offensive Player
of the Week.
“He’san outstanding athlete,” Gill
said. “He kind of ran up and down the
field against Oklahoma.
“We’re going to have to play well
— do some right things right off the
bat. We’re playing them in Ames
(Iowa), and I think they’re going to be
a little, tougher. Plus, they’re coming
off a big win against Oklahoma, so
they’re going to be enthusiastic and
ready to play.”
CU game to be televised
From Staff Reports
Nebraska’s game against Colorado
Nov. 3 will be televised by ESPN, in
the afternoon. The cable network has
decided to broadcast the game at 3
p.m.
The game will be theComhuskers’
second opportunity to impress the
nation-wide panel of media voters
who leap-frogged Auburn and Notre
Dame over Nebraska in this week’s
Associated Press top 25.
Nebraska coach Tom Osborne
didn’t seem surprised after Monday’s
practice when he saw the poll.
“We haven’t played anybody,”
Osborne said, referring to the na
tional perception about the seven teams
Nebraska has beaten. But, he said, the
Huskers’ schedule is belter than the
national perception.
Injured players include tight end
William Washington (sprained ankle),
tackle Steve Engstrom (turf toe) and
outside linebacker David White (dis
located shoulder), all of whom may
play Saturday against Iowa State.
Barsness falls
two kills short
of NU record
By John Adkisson
Staff Reporter
Linda Barsness was two kills
away from history Saturday.
Barsness, a senior outside
hitter on Nebraska’s volleyball
team, fell short of breaking a
four-year-old record of hitting
percentage. The record is held
by former Comhusker All
American Lori Endicott.
Barsness had 10 kills in 12
attempts in Nebraska’s straight
game winovcrOklahoma for an
.833 percentage, topping Endi
cott’s previous mark of .800.
But a minimum of 12 kills is
required for entrance into the
record books so Barsness’ per
formance was not allowed.
After the game, Barsness
played down her individual
accomplishments and focused
on the team.
“You don’t feel as good if
the team didn’t play as well,and
we didn’tplay like we could've
tonight,” Barsness said.
Although Barsness did not
set any records, she recoided
season bests in hitting perccnt
See BARSNESS on 8
Cornhuskers remain
fourth in AP ranking
Virginia is the clear choice as the
No. 1 team in college football, but
voters are split over who’s No. 2.
Auburn edged Notre Dame by one
point for the runner-up spot in Mon
day’s Associated Press poll. Nebraska
is a close fourth, only 17 points be
hind Notre Dame.
Auburn (5-0-1) and Notre Dame
(5-1) each climbed three spots after
beating Top 10 opponents Saturday.
The Fighting Irish beat Miami 29-20
and the Tigers downed Florida State
20-17. At the time, Miami was ranked
second and Florida State was sev
enth.
Nebraska (7-0), which has yet to
play a ranked team, remained fourth
after beating Oklahoma State 31-3.
Virginia (7-0) lightened its grip on
the No. 1 spot, getting 45 first-place
votes and 1,469 points from a nation
wide panel of sports writers and broad
casters.
Auburn received four first-place
votes and 1,370 points, while Notre
Dame got five first-place votes and
1,369 points. Nebraska received 1,352
points and was also the No. 1 pick on
five ballots.
Illinois (5-1) jumped three notches
to fifth after edging Michigan Slate
15-13 and Houston (6-0), which got
one first-place vote, moved up three
places to sixth following a44-17 rout
of Southern Methodist. Washington
(6-1) climbed six spots to No. 7 alter
stomping Stanford 52-16.
Miami (4-2) fell six notches to No.
8, idle Brigham Young (5-1) remained
No. 9, and Colorado (6-1 -1) climbed
four spots to No. 10 after beating
Kansas 41-10.
Tennessee (4-1-2) plunged eight
places to 11 th after losing to Alabama
9-6 and Florida State (4-2) fell five
spots to 12th. Texas rose six notches
to 13th after clobbering Arkansas 49
17.
Iowa’s 24-23 victory over Michi
gan (3-3) vaulted the Hawkeyes (5-1)
seven spots to 15th and dropped the
Wolverines 10 places to 20th.
Michigan, which was No. 1 before
losing to Michigan State on Oct. 13,
has plummeted 20 places in two weeks
— the largest drop for a No. 1 team in
recent history.
Georgia Tech (5-0-1) fell five places
to 16th after lying North Carolina 13
13. Southern Cal and Oklahoma
dropped six spots each, to 21st and
22nd, after losing for the second time.
Southern Cal was beaten by Arizona
35-26 and Oklahoma lost to Iowa
State 33-31.
Arizona and Oregon, which beat
Arizona State 27-7, moved back into
the Top 25 after a week’s absence.
Texas Christian, which did not play,
is ranked for the first time since 1984.
Cooper enters record books
By Chris Hopfensperger
Senior Reporter
Strong safety Reggie Cooper wants
to be all over the record books as
much as he is all over the Field.
Cooper, who broke the mark for
career tackles by a defensive back
against Missouri last week, scribbled
his name in the charts two more times
against Oklahoma State Saturday by
tackling tailback Vernon Brown in
the Cowboy backfield.
The tackle tied the mark .of unas
sisted tackles by a defensive back and
tackles for loss by a defensive back.
In all, Cooper had eight tackles Satur
day.
Cooper said he didn’t know about
the record, but isn’t arguing.
“I’ll take it,” Cooper said. “I’m
going to go for it, try to get as many as
1 can, try to be all over the record
book.”
Cooper’s 43 tackles are good
enough for third on the team. This
year’s aggressive defensive line makes
it difficult for him to lead the team in
tackles, but the senior is wise and
knows of ways to pad his slats.
“Every time I run up to the line —
Joe Sims, Pal Engelbert, Mike (Crocl),
Kenny (Walker), or Travis (Hill) —
somebody’s on top of him already,’’
he said. “So I just jump on top of the
pile and try to get an assist or some
thing ”
An All-Big Eight and second-team
All-American selection last year.
Cooper is a finalist for this year’s
Thorpe Award, which recognizes the
best defensive back in ihc country.
Cooper, who is known lor vicious
hits took a pretty good shot himself
against the Cowboys.
On a bootleg to the left, Cooper
was chasing down Oklahoma State
quarterback Kenny Ford when he was
blind-sided and put flat on his back by
Cowboy wide receiver Shannon
Colbert.
“I was concentrating on tackling'
the quarterback and the guy peeled
back and got a good lick on me,”
Cooper said. “I didn’t sec him at all,
but he didn’t hurt me. He didn't hurt
me at all.
“I was looking for him, because I
was going to get him later, but coach
took me out of the game so I didn’t get
a chance.”
^ -m
NU middle guard takes down
8 Cowboys — without a chill
lineman to stand out. Joe Sims, the
tackle to his left, had eight tackles.
Kenny Walker, the tackle lo his right,
had 11 tackles despite being blocked
by two Cowboys on almost every
play.
“I think people are beginning to
realize (Walker’s) a great player.”
Engelbert said.
With 16 combined tackles,
Engelbert and Sims won a round in
their competition to beat Walker in
tackles and sacks. The competition
was to beat Walker separately, but
the Oulland Award candidate got loo
far ahead.
So Sims and Engelbert changed
thcchallcngeanditisnowiwoagainsi
one.
“That’s a tribute to his phenome
nal athletic ability,” Engelbert said.
Engelbert helps the deaf Walker
by giving hand signals on check calls.
Walker doesn’t always notice,
though. On one play Saturday, Walker
was lined up across from the Okla
homa State tackle and was supposed
to move in front of the guard.
Engelbert started by waving his
hand, then waved his hand frantic
ally, then started pounding on the
turf. Walker made the play the hard
way, jumping inside of the tackle on
the snap and gelling back outside to
tackle the quarterback.
By Paul Domeier
Senior Reporter
Pat Engelbert said he didn't notice
at first. Then he heard the complaints
and felt the wind.
In the third quarter of Nebraska’s
31-3 win over Oklahoma State Satur
day, the bad weather — 57 degrees
and a strong north wind at kickoff —
got worse.
“It seemed like it dropped 20 de
grees in 10 minutes," Engelbert said.
With the temperature drop came a
cold mist.
“I kind of get a kick out of that,”
Engelbert said.
He said he doesn’t get cold while
playing, and he psyches himself up
knowing he can play without a long
sleeve i-shirt while others in warmer
dress are complaining about the chill.
“It’s just one of those stupid men
tal things,’’ he said.
Whatever advantages Engelbert has
worked Saturday. The Comhuskers’
starting middle guard had eight tack
les, five of them unassisted, two of
them for losses.
Twice he lined up in one guard
center gap, slanted over to the other
guard-center gap and grabbed the ball
carrier behind the line of scrimmage,
almost untouched.
J Engelbert wasn’t the only Huskcr
Linda Bareness keeps the ball In play at a Cornhusker
match earlier this season. _______
