The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current, October 04, 1993, Page 8, Image 8
After weeks of painful losses, Cyclones need their time off AMES, Iowa (AP)—If ever a football team needed an operi date, it’s Iowa State this week. Stung by four straight losses, injuries and off-thc-field distractions, the Cyclones need time to regroup. Coach Jim Walden says that’s just what they’ll try to do before returning to action Oct. 16 at Kansas. “We’ve got some things we need to correct offensively, Walden said. “We may have to do some rearranging. Maybe we’re doing too much of the same thing. We’ve got to expand. “That’s what an open date allows you — time to reflect, time to get well and time to get better.” A 24-7 loss to Oklahoma on Saturday left Iowa State 1-4 — the Cyclones’ worst start since they lost four of the first five games in 1987, Walden’s first season as coach. While the loss itself didn’t upset Walden, two incidents in the game left him downright angry. One was a fumble on a double reverse when Iowa State was leading 7-0 in the first quarter. Wide receiver Mickal Horacek muffed the handoff from running back James McMillion and Oklahoma recovered. “You’re never going to rise above medioc rity unless you can at least learn to run a reverse without fumbling it,” Walden said. “It was a big play. It had a major influence on the results of this game irregardless of the score. It was a horrendous play, terribly execut ed by two pretty good athletes.” Walden also got mad after Ty Stewart m issed a 28-yard field goal attempt in the third quarter with Iowa State trailing 17-7. He screamed at Stewart on the sidelines, then told reporters he felt he had good reason to be angry. “You don’t patronize kickers,” he said. “ You try to bite their face off if you can because they have a job to do and they’ve got to go out there and do it. If you don’t want to get in those kinds of situations, go some place else.” On his TV show, Walden said he was mad because of the way Stewart kicked the ball, not because he missed the kick. “It never got to the goal post,” Walden said. “If he had hit the ball and knocked the goal post down, I wouldn’t have said a word to him. I would have said, 'Hey, that’s the way to drive that ball, like i you’re mad at it.’ “But when it just goes flutter, flutter, flute, flute and doesn’ t even get to the goal and you’re kicking a 28-yarder, those things stick in our mind. __ Connealy Continued from Page 7 worked real well,” he said. “Having this new defense for this year is just a blast. There is so much more attack there and less reading to do.” Connealy said the new formation should showcase the defense’s quickness as the season progresses. “We have a little more speed on this year’s defense than last,” he said. “We have a lot of great athletes on the defense, and the overall team strength is its speed. Once we get all cylinders clicking, we should be as tough, maybe tougher, than last year.” In 1992, Connealy collected 47 tackles while sharing time at the nose tackle position with David Noonan. “I’m still trying to improve on every part of my game,” he said. “1 don’t really have any individual goals this year. AH my goals are the team goals, so if we accomplish those, then I’m happy.” Connealy said he would be most pleased if the Huskers didn’t suffer a letdown against Oklahoma State or any other Big Eight team this season. “You have to expect to be (undefeated), and there are going to be some rough spots that you’ll iron out along the way,” he said. “The main thing is for us to respect everybody. “Each game will get more important the further along the season gets. I don’t think we will ever be looking past anyone after Iowa State. That’s always a constant reminder to take it game by game/’ Jay Calderon/DN Head to head Nebraska soccer dub member Penelope DeGreif, right, battles for control of the ball Saturday against a Kansas soccer dub player Saturday at Whittier fields. Nebraska won the match. The women’s team played host to a tournament this weekend, which included Kansas, Colorado State and the University of Nebraska at Omaha soccer clubs. Sooners Continued from Page 7 the Sooners play in their annual show down against Texas in Dallas. The NCAA sanctions probably showed their biggest impact last sea son,Gibbs said. He said the recruiting limits placed on the Oklahoma pro gram were felt when the Sooners fin ished the year at 5-4-1 — their worst record since going 3-7 in 1965. The Sooners suffered losses to Southern California, Texas, Kansas and Ne braska and tied Colorado and Oklaho ma State. Afier last season, it was rumored that if Gibbs couldn’t make Oklaho ma competitive again in the Big Eight — the Sooners had made five Orange Bowl appearances in the 1980s under Barry Switzer—he might not be back in 1994. “As a coach, you don’t really con cern yourself with those comments,” he said. “(The Oklahoma administra tors) understand we’ve tried to bring success and respectability back to the program, and for the most part, I think we have done that.” Ex-Husker defensive back cleared of rape charges ATLANTA(AP)—Rapecharg es against Atlanta Falcons’ defen sive oack Bruce Pickens have been dropped. Pickens was arrested Tuesday after a 26-year-old Brimingham, Ala., woman filed a complaint say ing Pickens assaulted her at his apartment Sept. 17. She withdrew the charges in Atlanta Municipal Court, police < said. When the charges were made, Pickens, a former Nebraska :omerback who completed his eli gibility in 1990, told authorities ;arly last week that his innocence would be proven. Cross country finishes leave . members in position to advance By Tony West Staff Reportar A1 though the Nebraska cross coun try teams fulfilled coach Jav Dirksen’s hopes for the Minnesota Invitational on Saturday, Dirksen believes his teams can improve. The women finished second be hind North Carolina State and the Husker men placed eighth. Big Eight rival Iowa State took the top honor in the men’s division. Dirksen said he had hoped for a top 10 finish for the men and a top five finish for the women at the meet in Minneapolis, Minn. Dirksen said he was pleased with the performances on both the men’s and women’s sides. He said he would have liked to see some of his runners break out of the pjack. As expected, Dirksen said, the lead ers of the teams, David ItefTa and Theresa Stelling, have been running out in front. ItelTa finished 10th over all Saturday with a 24:52. Stelling finished second overall with a 17:37 time to lead the Huskers. The rest of the team members are running in the middle of the pack, he said. The Nebraska women ’ s second fin isher placed just 23 seconds ahead of the seventh finisher. The Nebraska men’ssecond finisher and fifth finish er were 25 seconds apart. Dirksen said he now hoped a few of those runners could run closer to Ne braska’s leaders. “I’m hoping we can get some men and women to break out,” Dirksen said. “We have to get people to move up to our front runners.” Six Husker women placed in the top 30 Saturday. “I think as a group, we improved tremendously,” he said. “I think we’re — II By the end of the season, we might be a Big Eight contend er. —Dirksen NU cross country coach -ff — coming along.” Some of Nebraska’s runners will travel to compete in an invitational at Northwest Missouri State Saturday. The other Nebraska runners will have to wait until the Oct. 9 competition in Eugene, Ore. “This is really going to be a fun year to watch and see what we can do," Dirksen said. “Overall, I think the men are improving. By the end of the season, we might be a Big Eight contender.” I No Appointments Necessary I 476-9466 | $6°° Off | ■ Full Service Oil Change ■ j M ® © ; I Now For OQC I | only ^lO (reg. $24.95) | | *We cnange oil. oil filter up to 5 quarts I , *We lubricate the chassis , I *We check and fill: Transmission fluid. a ■ brake fluid, battery fluid, power steering I fluid, and washer fluid | * We check anti freeze, air filter, wiper | ■ blades, tire pressure, vacuum interior. ■ • and wash your windows 1 Best Service In I | Just 10 Minutes | Most brands available a Expires 12/31/93 JL__j Childs hurts foot From Staff Reports Nebraska I-back Clinton Childs sprained his ankle in a non-contact drill during Sunday’s two-hour prac tice at Memorial Stadium. Nebraska coach Tom Osborne said he doubted that Childs would be able to play this Thursday night against Oklahoma State. Osborne said linebacker Mike Anderson missed practice w ith a throat infection. Quarterback Tommie Frazier and wingback Abdul Muhammad both returned to practice after colliding during Thursday’s practice. Frazier practiced well, Osborne said. But Muhammad’s ankle was a “little gimpy,” he said. Nebraska will practice in full pads Monday and then in sweats on Tues day.