Daily
Nebraskan
Monday, October 11,1993
Page
7
Sooners ruin Nebraska’s winning streak
By Tim Pearson
Senior Reporter
Before Ihe Nebraska volleyball
team’s match this weekend, the
Cornhuskcrs’ last regular season Big
EightConfcrcncc loss was to Oklaho
ma on Oct. 1, 1988.
Five years and eight days later, it
happened again.
The Sooncrs gave the seventh
ranked Huskcrs their second loss of
the season Saturday night in Norman,
defeating Nebraska 15-10,9-15, 15
9, and 15-8.
Huskcr assistant coach Cathy Noth
said it just wasn’t Nebraska’s night to
win.
“The clear fact is that they
outplayed us,” Noth said. “It was their
given night and it’s a real disappoint
r
ing loss.” '3
In the first game,Oklahomajumped
out to an 8-3 lead before the Huskers
came storming back with seven
straight points to lead 10-8.
But the 9-7 Sooners scored the
next seven points to nail down the
win.
Noth said it was evident from the
start that Oklahoma had the confi
dence they needed to beat the Husk
ers.
‘‘In the first game, when they
jumped out to a lead, it gave them the
edge that they could beat Nebraska,”
she said.
Several things caused the loss. Noth
said. *■'
“It wasn’t just one person,” she
said. “It was a combination of every
body having their errors at crucial
points.
“We’d run two points and then
miss a serve.”
Noth said she wasn’t concerned
about the five-year winning streak
ending as much as she was about the
team.
“After the loss, that was the thought
least on my mind,” she said. “What is
most important is getting the team
back on track again.” „
Noth said she expected the Husk
ers to bounce back before their next
match against No. 11 Colorado in
Boulder.
“There’s no doubt in my mind that
after a disappointing loss like that,
you’ll really have to turn up the heat
against the next team,” she said. “It
— II
Right after the match, the players had a team
meeting on their own. That shows maturity, and
they’ve taken charge as a team.
— Cathy Noth
NU assistant coach
akcs this to push them over the edge.”
Noth said the Huskers would have
to pul the loss behind them going into
the Colorado match.
“Right after the match, the players
had a team meeting on their own,” she
said. “That shows maturity, and
they’ve taken charge as a team.
“Sometimes it brings out the best
V w
in you and sometimes it brings the
worst out of you.”
ThislossshouldbringouttheHusk
ers’ best, she said. “As a coaehing
staff, we lake the loss harder than the
players do,” she said. “This will help
us grow as a team and build character.
“This team iscommitted to getting
to the Final Four at the end, and that’s
what will gel them through.”
Jay Calderon/DN
Calvin returns
A Nebraska fan (left) sends a
greeting to l-back Calvin
Jones during the
Cornhuskers’ 27-13 win over
Oklahoma State Thursday
night. At right, Jones fol
lows the block of left tackle
Zach Wiegert. After sitting
out Nebraska’s three previ
ous games, Jones rushed 21
times for 136 yards.
Gerik Parmele/DN
Thursday’s win showed I-back Jones nearing recovery
By Derek Samson
Staff Reporter
Despite missing Nebraska’s previous
three games, l-back Calvin Jones showed
he’s almost at top form in Thursday’s win
over Oklahoma State.
Or, at least, he proved he’s close enough
for Cornhuskcr coach Tom Osborne.
“I’m sure he’s not where he would have
been had he not gotten hurt,” Osborne said.
“But he’s still a very good back, even when
he’s 90 percent.”
The junior from Omaha Central rushed
for 136 yards on 21 carries—including a 44
yard touchdown run with 3:38 left — in
Nebraska’s 27-13 win Thursday night.
“Once I started out. it seemed to pull a
lot,” he said. “But the knee didn’t affect me
at all like I thought it would. I’m not 100
percent, but I’m almost there.”
Jones, who injured his knee in Nebras
ka’s opener against North Texas, started the
game with three straight carries for 15 yards.
“I went out and gave 100 percent,” he
said. “That helped me ggl in the mental stale
I wanted to be in. I was glad to get those
carries early to sec how my knee would hold
up. It wasn’t a surprise to me.”
Jones said he had a hard time keeping his
composure while Oklahoma Slate shut down
the Husker offense in the first half.
The Nebraska offense only managed 118
total yards, including just 47 yards on the
ground. Jones rushed nine times for only 26
yards in the first half.
“Once I found out my knee was OK,”
Jones said, “1 started wanting to do so many
things. It got very frustrating.”
Some of the offense’s frustrations had to
do with the Cowboy defense, Jones said.
“The whole Nebraska team knew Okla
homa State would be a tough team not only
offensively, but on defense,” he said. “They
have one of the best defenses in the country
and we just had to keep executing and keep
executing. They never gave up.”
Jones said he expected Oklahoma Slate
to gain respect nationally by the end of the
season.
“The heart and soul of their team is
defense and defense lakes you a long way,”
Jones said. “They’re going to surprise a lot
of teams. I know it is the best Oklahoma
Slate team I’ve ever faced.”
But Oklahoma State didn't face Jones at
-44
Once I started out, it seemed
to pull a lot. But the knee
didn’t affect me at all like I
thought it would. I’m not 100
percent, but I’m almost there.
— Jones,
UNL football player
- 9W
his best. Jones said he thought that would
change in the next few weeks.
“If I keep going through practice the way
I've been,” Jones said, “I’m going to get
smoother and smoother and hopefully I can
get back to where I want'to be in another
week or two.”
Jay vee squad makes triumphant return against Air Force
By Mitch Sherman
Stall Reporter
The Cornhuskcrs’ junior varsity
football team finally found the key lc
defeating the Air Force Academy’s
Junior Varsity.
After cancelling the program foi
two years, Nebraska’s reserves beat
the Falcons for only the second time
since 1986.
It was Nebraskans first junior var
sity game since a 47-0 victory ovci
Waldorf Junior College in 1990.
Quarterback Malt Turman led the
Husker reserves to a 49-20 victor}
over, the Falcons, who came into the
game with a 2-0 record. Turman was
the game’s leading rusher with 73
yards on nine attempts. He also threw
for 182 yards and three touchdowns
on 9-of-l 1 passing.
BrenUan Holbein caught four pass
es for 88 yards and two touchdowns.
And on one of the most exciting plays
of the day, offensive guard Bryan
Pruitt picked up a fumble behind the
line and rambled 35 yards for the
Huskers’ final score.
But plays like those may soon be a
memory.
Nebraska graduate assistant coach
Gerry Gdowski said the Husker re
serves’ rematch with Air Force, Nov.
12 in Colorado Springs,Colo., may be
the end of the road for Nebraska jay vee
games. *
“There’s some proposal in the Big
Eight conference to eliminate jay vee
games and teams all together, starting
next year,” Gdowski said. “So this
could be it. It just depends. If the Big
Eight conference makes a rule, we’ll
have to abide by it.”
Gdowski echoed the comments of
Air Force Junior Varsity coach Billy
Mitchell, who said the elimination of
junior varsity programs is unfortu
nate.
“1 think it’sashame,” said Mitchell,
who runs one of the few jay vee pro
— II
/ think it’s a shame.You’ve got these young men
who work hard everyday in a program and they
wouldn’t have anything to look forward to without
these games.
— Billy Mitchell
Air Force coach
grams remaining in Divisond athlet
ics. “You’ve got these young men
who work hard eyefyday in a program
and they wouldn’t have anything to
look forward to without these games.
¥ ¥
“Ajayvee program gives them the
chanec to play in a game and gives
them the chance they need if they
See JAYVEE on 8
