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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 18, 1992)
Sports Coaches agree showdown significant Huskers’hopes rest in defense By Nick Hytrek Senior Reporter 'Nebraska football coach Tom Osborne isn’t one to live in the past. Osborne said he had not used last season’s 36-21 loss to Washington to motivate his No. 12 Cornhuskcrs for this season’s meeting. “I haven’t mentioned last year’s game to themhe said. “We don’t do that very much. We tend to focus on this week, this team. “I think you play belter than to dwell on what happened in the past. We don’t ever try to use revenge as a motive. We just try to play well.” Kickoff is scheduled for 8:45 p.m. at Husky Stadium in Seattle. The game will be televised by ESPN,channel 23 on Lincoln CablcVision. Both teams are 2-0. When discussing this season’s Washington team, Osborne did al I ude to last year’s team, which finished 12 0 and won a share of the national championship. “I’m sure they’re somewhat dif ferent from last year because they have some personnel changes, Osborne said. “But I can’t sec any obvious changes. They seem to have great team speed again which they had last year. They’re very quick, very aggressive.” The No. 2 Huskies arc led on of fense by quarterback Billy Joe Hobcrt. Last season Hobcrt riddled thcHuskcr defense for 283 yards passing and one touchdown. He also ran for two. And if something should happen to Hobcrt, Mark Bruncll, who was the Huskies’ starter two years ago, would be a capable replacement, Osborne said. “At quarterback they’re probably sjaboul as strong as any team in the country right now with both Hobcrt3 and Bruncll,” Osborne said. “Both of them have shown the ability to take a team to the Rose Bowl and win it. Very few people ever have that luxury of having two players with that kind of talent.” Washington also isdeepat tailback, Erik Unger/DN Nebraska’s Calvin Jones (44) eludes the grasp of Middle Tennessee State’s Sean Luckett. The Cornhuskers will face No. 2 Washington on Saturday in Seattle. where Jay Barry, Napoleon Kaufman and Beno Bryant will split lime. Up front, 6-foot-7, 325-pound of fensive tackle Lincoln Kennedy will " try to keep Husker defenders out of the Husky backficld. Osborne said he hoped the experi ence of the Husker defense would be able to neutralize Washington’s of fense. “I think we’re a little more experi enced on defense,” Osborne said. “Wc’rc hoping ihc experience factor will help out.” Husker I-back Derek Brown also said experience would help Nebraska. “There is a lot more experience,” Brown said. “We feel a lot more stable, more comfortable with each other and what wc’rc doing rightnow.” Brown will be running against a defense that lost Outland Trophy and Lombardi Award winner Steve Emtman. But All-America candidate Dave Hoffmann at linebacker, D’Marco Farr at tackle and Walter Bailey atcomcrback give the Huskies a solid defense that Brown said is impressive. “Their aggressiveness is what im presses me,” Brown said. “Not just nine players fly to the ball, but all 11. They really attack the ball well.” Nebraska quarterback Mike Grant See HUSKERS on 9 Huskies expect tough matchup By Jeff Singer Senior Reporter If the Washington football team is to repeat this year as national champi ons, they will need to get by this weekend’s obstacle, Nebraska. But Washington football coach Don James isn’t taking anything for granted when his Huskies battle the ComhuskcYs at 8:45 p.Yn. CDT Satur day at Husky Stadium. James said Saturday’s game might be the toughest hurdle the Huskies would have to face all season. “We’re going to be tested this week,” James said. “Nebraska is the most talented team on our schedule; they will definitely give our defense all we can handle.” The two teams met in Memorial Stadium last season, with the Huskies rebounding from a 21-9 deficit to win 36-21. James said lhaiallhough Washing ton will be playing at home this week end, it doesn’t mean his team would have an easy time with the Huskers. “You get to sleep in your own bed and have your own fans cheering for you, but that doesn’t mean that you ’re automatically going to win,” James said. The second-ranked Huskicsopcncd their season two weeks ago with a 31 - 7 win over Arizona Stale and fol lowed that effort with a 27-10 victory over Wisconsin in Washington’s home opener last weekend. The Huskies have been led by the quarterback duo of Billy Joe Hobcrt and Mark Bruncll. Hobcrt completed 23 of 40 passes for 283 yards and one touchdown in last year’s win over Nebraska, while finishing the season with 177 completions in 291 attempts for 2,312 yards and 22 touchdowns. Brunei! was hampered last season with a knee injury but came back to sec playing time near the end of the season. James said that although he had See HUSKIES on 9 Husky offense should be ready for NU, QB says By Nick Hytrek Senior Reporter Billy Joe Hobcrt’s memory isn’t the best. Last year the Washington quarter back completed 23 of 40 passes for 283 yards and a touchdown in the Huskies' 36-21 win over Nebraska. But that game didn’t leave a last ing impression on Hobcrt. “I don’t really remember last year’s game,” Hobcrt said. “I don’t really know what we did that was loo special except throw a lot and execute.” But Hobcrt docs remember the first two games the No. 2 Huskies have played this season. He has heard the complaints of fans who say Washington’s 31-7 and 27-10 wins over Arizona State and Wisconsin respectively, were not big enough. That criticism wasn’t totally un warranted, Hobert said. “I think we’re pretty comfortable with how we’ve moved the ball,” he said. “We haven’t scored as much as we’d liked to have. “If we don’t score more this week, we’ll get kicked in the face.” Hobert said the Huskies needed to be sharp on offense this week against Nebraska’s defense. “We’ve watched a lot of their de fense,” he said. “We know their per sonnel pretty well. Hopefully Ne braska won’t give us something we can’t handle.” Any hopes for a national title for cither team hinge on this game, Hobert said. “This game is very important to us,” he said. “A loss knocks us out of the race for the national champion ship and it docs for them, loo. “We both need this game.” SE 2. Corey Dixon 5 8 155 Jr. LOLB 93 Travis Hill 6 2 240 Sr LT 77 Lanoe Lundberg 6-4 300 Jr. LT 92 John Parrella 6 5 290 Sr. LG 62 Ken Mehlin 6 0 265 Jr NG 73 David Noonan 6 3 275 Jr C 51 Jim Scott 6-2 265 Sr RT 70 Jamie Liewer 6-4 270 Sr. RG 75 Will Shields 6-1 305 Sr ROLB 34 Trev Alberts 6-4 230 Jr RT 72 Zach Wiegert 6-6 310 So SLB 48 Mike Andtttbn 6 2 236 Jr. TE 89 William Washington 6-2 260 Sr. WLB 32 Ed Stewart 6 0 205 So QB 1 Mike Grant 6 3 205 Sr LCB 19 Kenny WRhito 5 8 175 Sr FB 26 Lance Lewis 6-0 225 Sr RCB 6 John Reece 6-0 200 Jr. IB 21 Derek Brown 6 9 185 Jr SS 31 Steve Carmer 6-2 210 8r WB 38 Vinoent Hawkins 5 11 210 Sr FS 8 Tyrone Byrd 6-0 180 Sr PK 13 Byron Bennett 6-1 160 Jr P 47 1*088990 6-2 190 Sr SE 6 Damon Mack 6 0 182 Sr. OLB 13 Andy Mason 6-2 238 Jr. WT 75 Uftooln Kennedy 6 7 325 Sr QE 47 Jamal Fountame6 3 230 Jr. WG 60 Andrew Peterson 6 5 290 So. DT 75 D'Maroo Farr 6 1 265 Jr C 52 Jim Neva* 6-2 265 Jr NT 74 MikeLustyk 6 3 270 Sr SG 65 Frank Garcia *6-1 283 So ILB 54 Dave Hoffmann 6-2 225 Sr. ST 66 Tom Qafaoher lift 6-6 200 Jr. ILB 63 James Clifford 6 2 230 Sr. TE 85 Mark Bruener 6 5 230 So OLB 3 Jaime Fields 6 0 230 Sr OB 12 fifty Joe Hobart 6-3 226 Jr ROV 20 Tommie Smith 6-2 212 Sr FB 31 Darius Turner 6-0 235 Sr CB 23 Walter Bailey 6-11 190 Sr. TB 42 Jay Barry - 6-11 100 Sr CBl 7 JeahMoaraST' 6-1 190 So FL 9 Joe Kralik 5-10 185 Jr FS 21 Shane Pahukoa 6 3 202 Sr K 4 Travis Hanson 641 166 Jr. pMl 16 John Werdai i 6-2i 188 JrJ Scott Maurer/DN INI U volleyball team taking break from rated competition By Jeff Singer Senior Reporter_ Alter competing against five ranked teams in its first five matches, tie Nebraska volleyball team will fi rally see an unranked opponent this weekend against Wyoming. B u l N ebraska isn’t over look i ng the Cowgirls, who arc off to one of their l»cst starts with a 6-1 record. The No. 6Comhuskcrs, who arc 3 2 after last weekend’s split in the Big Eight-Big 10 Challenge, will play Wyoming twice this weekend. The first match will be 7:30 p.m. tonight in North Plattoand the second match will be played at 6:30 p.m. Saturday at the NU Coliseum. Nebraska volleyball coach Terry Pettit said the Cowgirls can’t be over looked. “The reason we’ve been so suc cessful is because we don’t take any body lightly,” said Pettit, whose teams have won 16 consecutive Big Eight titles. “Looking at their slats, they’re very good, and they usually play us hard.” Wyoming forced a four-game match from last year’s 27-5 Husker team, as Nebraska prevailed against the Cowgirls 15-8,15^12,10-15 and 15-4 in Lincoln. Tonight’s match at Mid-Plains Community College is also a home coming of sorts for Nebraska special ist Tami Thompson, who is from nearby Sutherland. The 5-foot-8 sophomore said she was looking forward to playing in North Platte. “It will be great just to be around my family, because a lot of people don ’ t gel to make i t do wn here for a lot of games,” she said. She said tonight’s match would be good for promotional purposes in western Nebraska. “Nebraska volleyball is pretty much on this end of the stale, so this will help promote it out west,” Thompson said. “It will let the younger kids get to see players like (Nebraska middle blocker) Stephanie Thaler to look up to.” Pettit agreed with Thompson. “We’re doing this so people in the western part of the state can see the Nebraska team play; it’s good for public relations,” Pettit said. Thompson, who came off the bench last weekend to score an ace with her jump serve and helped the Huskers to a three-game sweep of Ohio Slate, said Nebraska was starting to get into mid season form. “We’re improving every game,” Thompson said. “Just because you knock us do\yn once doesn’t mean we’re not going to come back.” Pettit said he had also seen im provement in his squad, as the Hunk ers have rebounded twice from open ing-match losses in their first two tournaments to register wins against high-ranked opponents the next night. “Whether we’re 5-0 or 1-4, the question is how hard you’ve played and are you improving,” he said. “And we arc improving.”