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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 29, 1991)
Sports NU plans battle against Colorado, world By Todd Cooper Senior Reporter If Nebraska has its back against the wall Saturday in Boulder, Colo., the Comhuskers will have last year’s Colorado comeback in the backs of their minds. “It’s like the Comhuskers against the world Saturday,” tight end Johnny Mitchell said. And against the memory of last year’s fourth quarter comeback by Colorado, I-back Derek Brown said. The Buffaloes scored 27 unanswered points in the fourth quarter in Lincoln last year on the way to a 27-12 win. “We’re going out there for revenge now,” Brown said. “They embarrassed us in the fourth quarter last year. “When that fourth quarter comes along (this season), we’ve just got to let it all hang out.” Both Mitchell and Brown said the Huskers will ignore any doubts from last year’s Colorado game and Wash ington’s comeback victory this year. “As long as the top 60 (players) and the coaching staff believe we can win, we really don’t care what other people think,” Mitchell said. “The only thing we want to do is go in and play good football.” That will have to happen in a hos tile environment Saturday, Brown said. “When you’re on the road you have to be even closer as a team,” Brown said. “The odds arc against you — fans, opponents, and maybe even the referees. “Thai’s the time when you come even closer.” And even closer to victory, Mitch ell said. “I think it’s to our advantage to play thcre,” Mitchell sai^. “If we can keep the crowd down and pour it on early, it could be a great victory.” Brown said putting away Colo rado will be more crucial. “The Washington game will help us,” Brown said. “We knew what we did wrong in not finishing off hard.” Like Colorado last year, Washing ton scored 27 unanswered points to win 36-21. “Wc know they’re going to play tough and wc know what we’re going to have to do,” Brown said. “We’re going to let it all hang out in the fourth quarter.” And throughout the game, Mitch ell said. “I can tell you Nebraska’s offense will be ready,” Mitchell said. “We’re going to come and play football Sat urday. That’s^all there is to it.” There’s more to Saturday’s game than it appeared earlier this season, when Colorado lost two of its first I four games. Since then, Colorado has || blown out Missouri and Oklahoma I before beating Kansas State 10-0 I Saturday. Mitchell said that’s all that weighs I on the Comhuskcrs’ minds. “We don’t need to worry about I what happened last year,” Mitchell I said, “because if you want to go back Ijf to history they’ve been beaten up by j us for years. “They kind of got on their feet here in the past couple years.” Nebraska leads the series with 34 wins to Colorado’s 11. The Corn huskers had won 18 in a row before losing three of the past five years, including two losses in a row. Saturday’s game will be proper vengeance for those losses, Mitchell said. “After we win the game, it’ll be a payback,” Mitchell said. “But we won’t try to go out of our way to try to pay them back. “Wc just need to stay within our selves and come out and play good football.” Trtmarchi/ON Nebraska tight end Johnny Mitchell runs tor extra yardage after makings ■jj*i"? Kansas State this season. Mitchell said after Saturday s Missouri game that he likes Ne braska’s chances of beating Colorado this week. Jayhawks in path of hot Huskers ^StadMcKee/DN Nebraska’s Eileen Shannon spikes against Kansas State’s Stephanie Llester during a match last week. The eighth ranked Cornhuskers will take on 21-4 Kansas tonight at 8 p.m. at the Bob Devaney Sports Center. By John Adkisson Staff Reporter Five weeks ago, the Nebraska volleyball team was thirsty for just a victory. Nine consecutive wins and a splash of confidence later, Comhusker Coach Terry Pettit and his team are back in their customary driver’s seat in the Bij ce. i mime it s several things,” Pettit said. “Our setter is more experienced, our starling lineup is now intact and we’re healthy.” The 17-3 Huskers, ranked ninth by the NCAA, will try to push their winning streak to double figures to night in a 8 p.m. match against the Kansas Jayhawks at the Bob Devancy Sports Center. Earlier this year, the Huskers lost three straight matches to UCLA, Brigham Young and New Mexico. But all of those teams were ranked, and Nebraska played two of the matches without two-time All-Ameri can outside hitter Janet Kruse, who was out with an ankle injury. Kruse is back, as was evidenced in the Huskers’ three-game sweep of No. 18 Colorado Saturday. The sen ior from Fort Calhoun racked up 19 kills and a .500 hiuing percentage against the Buffaloes. Pettit said he was impressed with Kruse’s play. “She passed well, she served well and obviously she attacked well,” Pettit said. Nebraska beat Colorado in frontof the biggest crowd to ever watch a Buffalo volleyball game. The win, which gave Nebraska a two-game conference lead with four matches left, was the Huskers’ 12th straight over Colorado. Pettit said more than anything, the win helped his team’s confidence level. “1 think it was a confidence See KANSAS on 8 History, hatred, but no heat Nebraska-Colorado real rivalry, almost It’s time to print up the dirty T shirts, think up new Sal Aunese jokes and derogatory statements that involve acts of bcastiality with a Buffalo. Yes, it’s Colorado week on the Nebraska football schedule. ick Hytrek And if this year is anything like the past four meetings, we’re in for a lot of outrageous predictions from players on both teams, numerous fans of both teams coming up with new “I hale Ncbraska/Colorado because ..one-liners and tons of verbal and written attacks on both programs. Over the past four years, this game has turned into a rivalry that has gotten downright dirty. The rivalry began as a joke, but Comhusker fans have slowly real ized that Colorado is no laughing matter. A few glimpses at the past tells how this rivalry developed. • 1982. Bill McCartney takes over as the Colorado coach. Among his first acts is the designation of Nebraska as Colorado’s official rival. McCartney shows up at pep rallies and even throws logs on bonfires into which anything deal ing with Nebraska football is burned. Nebraska fans choose to laugh at McCartney’s seemingly ridicu lous behavior, figuring he would only last two or three years at best. • 1986. Colorado finally snaps its 18-gamc losing streak against Nebraska, upsetting the No. 3 Huskers 20-10. Nebraskans begin to show ani mosity toward Colorado as Buf falo fans begin to speak of chal lenging Nebraska and Oklahoma. • 1987. Revenge is sweet. Nebraska beats Colorado on ESPN 24-7. Nebraska fans now assume that those feisty Buffaloes arc pul back in their place. • 1988. Nebraska cheers turn to jeers. In the Huskers’ 7-0 win in Lin coln, J.J. Flannigan breaks into the open field, heading for an apparent touchdown. However, he forgets to take the ball with him. Flanni gan drops the ball, without one Nebraska defender even close to him. He manages to recover, but the drive is stopped. • 1989. Things have changed. Aunese is dead, and the whole state of Colorado uses his death as a rallying point for the season. Nebraskans make jokes about Aunese and the fact he had fa thered McCartney’s grandson. Buffalo fans get the last laugh as Colorado’s dream season con tinues with a 27-21 win. Nebras kans officially hate Colorado now, turning the matchup into a real rivalry. • 1990. “Sal is dead. Go Big Red.” Nebraska fans make any deroga tory statement they can to pul down Colorado, only to have it all thrown back in their faces by the Buffa loes, who score 27 fourth-quarter See RIVALRY on 8
