Net?raskan SPORTS
Huskers aim to be brief at ISU
By Tim Pearson
Senior Reporter_
Nebraska volleyball coach Terry
Pettit is hoping his team’s stay in
Ames, Iowa, will be a short one.
The seventh-ranked Comhuskers
travel to Ames to play Iowa State in
the Cyclones’ Big Eight home opener
Saturday at 7 p.m.
“Our goal is to get in and get out ”
Pettit said. “We’ll be playing in a
small gym with a low ceiling.”
Nebraska, 12-1 and 1-0 in the Big
Eight, is coming ofT a three-game
victory over Kansas State on Wednes
day night.
The Huskers now have won 61
consecutive regular-season confer
ence matches. They’ll attempt to add
one more win to that total against
Iowa State.
The ISU match will begin a three
match road swing over the next 12
days.
Cyclone coach Jackie Nunez, in
her first year at Iowa State, said she
wanted her team just to go out and
play hard against the Comhuskers.
“I just want my team to be able to
say that they went out and executed
the .best they could,” she said. “We
want to play hard and play well.”
The Cyclones opened the year with
five straight losses before rebounding
with back-to-back wins over Virginia
and Loyola.
* Nebraska has won every contest in
the 41-match series.
But the Cyclones, who qualified
for the Big Eight tournament last year
with a third-place finish in the confer
ence, made it tough on the Huskers
when they visited Ames last year.
-
I Just want my team to be able to say that they
went out and executed the best they could. We
want to play hard and play well.
—Pettit
Nebraska volleyball coach
Nebraska won in three games —
but all three games were close. The
final score was 15-13,18-16,15-11 in
favor of the Huskers.
Nunez said her first season at the
Cyclone helm had been a season of
transition for that squad.
“We’re fairly young. We have no
seniors on the team,” she said. “Also,
we have a small squad with only 10
-1?
players, so we have to keep every
body healthy.”
Nunez said she wanted her team to
compete against the best. That’s why
No. 17 Washington State and Big Ten
opponents Michigan and Indiana are
on the schedule, she said.
“We have had the toughest sched
See CYCLONES on 8
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Nebraska l-back Jeff Makovicka, a sophomore from Brainard, keeps his balance during a
second-quarter run against Colorado State. Makovicka, who has averaged just under lO yards
per rush, is trying to find a niche in the Husker backfield. The 5-foot-10,195-pounder has been
working out at fullback this week in practice.
Makovicka fights for
playing time, chance
to prove self on field
By Jeff Griesch
Senior Reporter
Jeff Makovicka is trying to avoid
being the odd man out in the Nebraska
backfield.
Makovicka, a sophomore running
back from Brainard, has been fighting
for playing time with Lawrence
Phillips, Damon Benning and Clinton
Childs since Calvin Jones went down
with a knee injury.
While Phillips and Benning were
getting the majority of the carries in
the Husker offense, Makovicka had
been looking for a chance to prove
himself.
“The coaches have been giving me
opportunities, and I have just been
tiying to make the best of them,”
Makovicka said. “I would like to car
ry the ball more, but I understand that
we have some really talented backs. I
don’t feel like the odd man out.”
Makovicka is doing all he can to
make sure he’s not left sitting on the
bench. He practiced this week at full
back. He’s also a member of Nebras
ka’s special teams.
But at 1-back, during the first three
games of the season, Makovicka was
the odd man out of playing time —
rushing only seven times, with a per
carry average of more than 10 yards.
Makovicka got the chance to prove
himself on Saturday against Colorado
State.
He rushed seven times for 62 yards,
including a 22-yard touchdown in the
fourth quarter.
After entering the game in the sec
ond quarter with the Huskers ieading
the Rams 21-3. Makovicka rushed
three times for 31 yards during the
Huskers’ next scoring drive.
For the season, Makovicka has 14
Hurt Huskers
hurting more
From Staff Reports
Cornhusker quarterback
Tommie Frazier and wingback
Abdul Muhammad apparently
collided during practice Thurs
day, reiiyqring their ankles.
Husker coach Tom Osborne
said both players left practice
early, but he didn’t know how
serious the injuries were. Frazier
originally sprained his right an
kle during Nebraska’s opener
against North Texas.
Muhammad was injured during
practice last week.
“I hope they’re both OK and
will be able to practice Sun
day,” Osborne said, “Sometimes
if you roll it over, it just stings
for a little while.”
Osborne said freshman rov
er Mike Mipter was kicked in
the calf Thursday night.
The Huskers witlTake Friday
and Saturday off before resum
ing practice Sunday.
“I’m hoping some of the guys
heal up,” Osborne said. •
carries for 135 yards, a 9.6-yard aver
age per carry.
Despite his success, Makovicka
probably will be listed as either third
or fourth I-back on the Nebraska depth
See MAKOVICKA on 8
Sportscaster sticks by prediction of Husker prominence
By Jeff Singer
Senior Editor
There arc numerous things Nebraska foot
ball fans have come to expect every year: nine
win seasons, sold-out crowds at Memorial Sta
dium and an endorsement from Lee Corso.
Corso, one of ESPN’s college football ana
lysts, again this year has predicted the
Comhuskcrs to challenge for the national cham
pionship.
But despite years past, which have included
finishes of 11 th, 24th, 15th and 14th from 1989
92, respectively. Corso said, this season’ssixth
ranked Nebraska team might not make him cat
his words.
Corso said he believed this year’s Huskcr
team would pan out to be a national title
contender.
“Nobody on their schedule will be able to
beat them/Corso said from ESPN’s studios in
Bristol, Conn., Thursday.
“They are going to go undefeated and play
for a piece of tne national championship against
either Florida State or Miami.”
1
Corso said Florida State or Miami would be
favorites against Nebraska if the Huskcrs made
the Orange Bowl.
And, Corso said, his list of national champi
onship favorites also includes the Seminolcs,
the Hurricanes, Florida and Alabama.
But, he said, he became more confident in
his prediction of good things for Nebraska after
the Huskcrs’ win over UCLA two weeks ago.
Nebraska squeaked by the Bruins 14-13 in
an effort most Husker players and coaches
expressed disappointment over. Yet, Corso said,
it was a strong showing.
“I was really impressed withNebraska when
they kept UCLA to 13 points,” he said. “UCLA
has a tremendous offense, and they arc a much
better team than that.”
Corso said since the Huskcrs were able to get
through their non-conference schedule un
scathed at 4-0, they should be able to end the
season undefeated. But, he said, No. 1- ranked
Florida State probably won’t be so lucky. The
Scminoles’ non-conference foes include Mi
ami, Florida and Notre Dame.
“They scheduled themselves wit of a chance
for a national championship," Corso said.
Of Nebraska’s Big Eight opponents, Corso '
said, only Oklahoma has a serious chance of
beating the Huskers.
While the Huskers should be able to take
advantage of Colorado’s weaknesses on de
fense, Oklahoma will be a bigger test, he said.
“I think Oklahoma will be their toughest
game,” Corso said. “Oklahoma waxed Texas
A&M (44-14 three weeks ago in Norman,
Okla.), and it wasn’t a fluke.”
Corso coached at Louisville and Indiana
before joining ESPN. He said he felt comfort
able picking the Huskers on a regular basis, .
primarily from wjiat he learned when he was on
the sidelines.
“Tom Osborne is as good a coach as there is
of getting a team ready to play,” he said. “I like
the way Bob Devaney and Osborne have run
that program.”
Nebraska was4-0 against Indiana from 1975
78, including identical 69-17 wins over the
Hoosicrs in Bloomington, Ind., in 1975 and
1978.
“Always play Nebraska on the road,” Corso
-M
They are going to go
undefeated and play for a
piece of the national
championship against
either Florida State or
Miami.
—Corso
ESPN commentator
■ -- mm -
w w
advised. “Never play them at home, because
then your friends won’t see you get whipped by
them.”
As for the Huskers’ chances of beating an
opponent in the Orange Bowl for the national
title, Corso said, a little help from Mother
Nature might be necessary against the Semi
nolcs or Hurricanes for a championship.
“A rainstorm would help,” Corso said. “It
would be the best thing for Nebraska’s speed.”