Sports
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NU, Buffaloes charge into battle
Huskers say
focus needed
By Nick Hytrek
Senior Reporter
Nebraska’s matchup with Colo
rado Saturday won’t be a simple case
of running and throwing.
The Comhuskcrs, who enter the
game ranked No. 8 with a 5-1 record,
2-0 in the Big Eight, arc averaging
347.5 yards rushing a game.
On the other hand, the Buffaloes,
also No. 8 at 6-0-1 and 2-0-1, average
334 yards passing a game.
Huskcr coach Tom Osborne said
people tended to overlook other parts
of the game when analyzing big
games.
“I think there’s a lot that probably
will be made of passing game vs.
running game in this ballgame,”
Osborne said.“But there will be many
other factors involved in winning or
losing this ballgame besides running
and throwing the football.”
At the top of the list is defense.
“Defense will be a big factor,”
Osborne said. “Which defense is able
to match up and play the best bal Igamc
will be very, very important.”
From there, the list gets more spe
cific.
“1 think turnover margin will be
very important,” Osborne said. “The
kicking game will be a factor, and of
course all those things have to do with
field position.
“Anyway, it should be an interest
ing game. I think both teams are very
good football teams and it should be a
pretty even, close contest.”
Kickoff is scheduled for 3:06 p.m.
at Memorial Stadium. ESPN will tele
vise the game nationally.
When assessing Colorado’s
strengths, Osborne wasted no time
mentioning one position.
“They have an excellent group of
receivers,” he said. “They have sev
eral that they can run and they have
particularly good speed.”
Leading the Buffalo receiving
corps arc Michael Westbrook and
Charles Johnson. The two have com
bined for 88 catches, 1,566 yards and
11 touchdowns this season.
Responsible for gelling the ball to
Westbrook and Johnson is quarter
back Kordcl I Stewart. The sophomore
has completed 88 of 151 passes and
1,324 yards. Backing up Stewart is
freshman Koy Detrner, who has
thrown for 828 yards this season, in
cluding a 418-yard outing against
Oklahoma.
So far this season, Colorado’s rush
ing game has struggled. Osborne said
hedidn’tcxpcctihc Buffaloes to aban
don their running game against Ne
braska.
“I suspect that they will not come
in here and entirely forget about their
running game,” he said. “I think that
they will try to show some balance in
the ballgamc, although it appears as
though the thing that they have done
the best overall is throw the football.”
The Buffaloes can also get the job
done on defense, Osborne said.
“What little I’d read about Colo
rado before the season, I think that
they felt they have about as much
defensive talent as they’ve had in a
long time, maybe ever,” Osborne said.
“I’d say that looking at the film I’d
have to go along with that. They’re
very, very talented on that side of the
ball.”
Husker I-back Derek Brown said
Nebraska would have to be on top of
its game in order to move the ball on
the Buffalo defense.
See COLORADO on 8
Michelle Paulman/DN
Nebraska l-back Calvin Jones runs the ball in a game earlier this season against Utah. Jones
and teammate Derek Brown rank as the No. 1 and No. 2 rushers in the Big Eight.
CU unsettled
at QB spot
By Jeff Singer
Senior Reporter_
While Nebraska’s quarterback
question has been settled, Bill
McCartney is still wondering who
will be calling his team’s signals Sat
urday.
McCartney, the coach of eighth
ranked Colorado, has seen his top
quarterback, sophomore Kordcll
Stewart, hampered this week in prac
tice by a lingering ankle injury.
Stewart’s backup, freshman Koy
Dcttner, has been an able replace
ment already this season and has
helped the Buffaloes to a 6-0-1 record.
But don’task McCartney lorcvcal
who his starter will be when the teams
meet at 3:06 p.m. Saturday at Memo
rial Stadium.
“On Monday when we went out to
practice, I expected (Stewart) to be .
OK,” McCartney said. “But his ankle
is still gimpy, and he’s still nursing
it.”
Stewart has completed 88 of 151
passes for 1,324 yards and eight touch
downs so far this season, while Dctmcr
has thrown for 828 yards, completing
56 of 88 passes and throwing for
seven touchdowns.
Both quarterbacks have had to learn
the Buffaloes’ new one-back, pass
ing-style offense that was installed in
time for last year’s Blockbuster Bowl
against Alabama.
“It’s a process,” said McCartney,
who used an I-bonc offense in
Colorado’s 19-19 lie with Nebraska
last year. “Nebraska has had the same
offense for so many years that they
know it like the back of their hand.”
The Buffaloes’ only blemish on
their record so far this season has been
a tic with Oklahoma two weeks ago.
McCartney said the tie made
Saturday’sgamcamusl-win situation
for Colorado if the Buffaloes were to
bring home a fourth straight Big Eight
title.
“If we had beaten Oklahoma,
there’d be less pressure,” McCartney
said. “But by virtue of the tic, if we
lose to Nebraska, our chances arc all
but gone.’!
McCarmcy said that if there were
any questions whether the Bulfalo
Husker game is a rivalry, they would
be answered Saturday.
“When you walk out onto the field,
you’re going to see Memorial Sta
dium with more enthusiasm than
they’ve had in a long time,” he said.
Osborne looks
for help from
Husker fans
From Stall Reports
Tom Osborne said Thursday that
he hoped the Nebraska crowd will
help the Huskcrs Saturday.
“We hope the crowd will allow
us to audible,” Osborne said. “I’m
not going to say what they should
do when Colorado has the ball, I’m
just asking forquiet when Nebraska
has it.”
Osborne said practices had gone
smoothly for Nebraska this week.
“We came through the week in
pretty good shape,” he said. “No
one got hurl and everyone prac
ticed.”
While everything is going well
on the practice field, the weather
could be a problem for both Ne
braska and Colorado by kickoff.
The National Weather Service
forecast calls for a 50 percent c ha ncc
of rain on Saturday with a high
temperature between 45 and 50
degrees.
i
Colorado arsenal
loaded on defense
By Jeff Griesch
and Phil Carter
Staff Reporters - 1
Dcon Figures and Greg B ickcrt arc
two — but not the only — dangerous
weapons the Colorado Buffaloes pos
sess.
Figures is a senior corncrback who
owns big-play ability on both defense
and special teams. Bickcrt, a senior
linebacker, has already left a lasting
mark on the Ncbraska-Colorado se
ries.
Both will be integral parts of the
Buffalo defense when Colorado plays
Nebraska at 3:06 p.m. on Saturday at
Memorial Stadium.
A four-year starter, Figures is an
All-American candidate and is in con
tention for the Jim Thorpe Award as
the nation’s best defensive back.
Figures said facing the Buffalo
offense in practice had improved his
defensive play.
“The new offense has helped my
play,especially myjnan-lo-mancovr
cragc,’’ Figures said. “Going against
\
guys like Michael Westbrook isgoing
to make you better.”
Along with his defensive ability,
Figures is also one of the Big Eight’s
most dangerous return men.
“I go in there wanting to run one
back every lime I gel the bal IFigures
said.
Figures is trying to pul profes
sional football out of his mind while
he prepares for the Cornhuskers and
the remainder of the season.
“The NFL is in the back of my
mind,” Figures said. “I am trying to
stay focused so I can go out on a
winning note.”
Last season, Biekert scooped up a
blocked extra point and ran it back for
two points. The play helped Colorado
forge a 19-19 tie in Boulder.
“I think it was one of my better
games,” Biekert said. “I just remem
ber (the ball) kind of bouncing into
my hands. I just started to take off.
“I knew (former Husker tight end
Johnny) Mitchell would be right be
hind me,” Biekert said. “I just had to
weave my way through.”
Biekcri has been a three-year starter This season, the Buffalo defense
atColoradoandisplaying in his fourth gave up 38 points to Baylor, and 20
Ncbraska-Coloradogame. He said this
year’s Buffalo defense, still has room " _ 1 ’ -~
to improve. See BUFFALOES on 8