Nebmskan SPORTS
Coach says team’s
mentally prepared
By Jeff Griesch
Senior Reporter
Although Nebraska is coming off of its
biggest win of the season, Nebraska coach Tom
Osborne said he didn’t think the undefeated
Comhuskers would be emotionally down against
Kansas.
“I would be surprised if we were flat in these
next three games,” Osborne said during his
weekly press conference on Tuesday. “I think
we’ll play well.”
After beating Colorado 21-17 Saturday, the
Huskers will face Kansas on Saturday in
Lawrence, Kan., and then host Iowa State on
Nov. 13 before finishing the regular season
against Oklahoma in Lincoln on Nov. 26.
Osborne said every team the Huskers faced
this season gave Nebraska a strong effort and he
didn’t expect things to change in the last three
games.
He also said that Nebraska was in a similar
position as other top teams around the country.
“Any team that can beat Florida State right
now will make their season,” Osborne said.
“We are in the same kind of position. We’ll
have to play at a top level the next three games.”
Because teams have been gunning for Ne
braska all season, Osborne said, the Huskers
had developed a strong will to win.
“They have been able to find a way to win,
and we hope they can continue to do that the
next three games,” Osborne said.
While Osborne is assured the Huskers will
be mentally prepared for the rest of the season,
he is unsure about the physical health of Ne
braska.
Tommie Frazier has a sore shoulder and
Calvin Jones and Damon Benning are sick.
Osborne said he still wasn’t sure if Frazier or
Jones would be able to play Saturday.
While the injuries at the skilled positions
concern Osborne, the biggest injuries are on the
offensive line.
Right guard Brenden Stai was lost for the
season against Missouri and left guard Rob
Zatechka is listed as questionable after injuring
an ankle in the first quarter against Colorado.
Stai and Zatechka each weigh in at 300
pounds, but their replacements, Ken Mehlin
and Joel Wilks, tip the scales at 275 pounds.
Osborne said Mehlin and Wilks added quick
ness to the offensive line but their lack of size
hurt the Huskers’ power rushing game.
“We are not quite as strong on the inside
running game as we would like to be,” Osborne
said.
Coach says win has Huskers
in national championship hunt
By Tim Pearson
Senior Reporter
With three games remaining, Comhusker
players say they are legitimate contenders for
the national title, especially after their 21-17
victory over Colorado Saturday.
The win over the Buffaloes shows people
around the country that the Huskers have a
definite shot at winning the title, rover Toby
Wright said.
“We showed that we deserve to be consid
ered,” he said.
The Huskers are 8-0 and have the inside
track to the Big Eight title and an Orange Bowl
berth with the win.
Husker coach Tom Osborne agreed, saying
Nebraska had a chance to win the title “for
sure.” But he also cautioned fans that Nebraska
still had three games remaining.
“I think we’re closer than we’ve been re
cently,” Osborne said. “But we ’ re not out of the
woods yet. We have to avoid the Iowa State
syndrome.”
Osborne was referring to last year’s 19-10
loss to Iowa State after consecutive blowout
wins over ranked opponents Colorado and Kan
sas.
I-back Calvin Jones said the Huskers had to
be ready for every game in the remainder of the
season to prevent another disaster like last
year’s Iowa State game.
Nebraska’s solid play against Colorado took
the heat off the Huskers, quarterback Tommie
See TITLE TALK on 8
Travis Heying/DN
Nebraska split end Corey Dixon heads upfield during the 68-yard punt return
that set up the Cornhuskers’ opening touchdown against Colorado. Dixon is
fifth in the Big Eight in punt returns, averaging 10 yards per return. Teammate
Kareem Moss is third in punt returns, averaging 11.4 yards per return.
_; _
Nee’s questions center on lineup
By Jeff Griesch
Senior Reporter_
While the Nebraska football team
is just entering the heart of the Big
Eight season, the Comhuskcr basket
ball team has begun preparations for
its upcoming season.
While it’s still early, Husker coach
Danny Nee, entering his eighth sea
son at Nebraska, said he was pleased
with the effort the players had put
forth in practices so far.
“We went pretty hard on Saturday,
and I was pleased with the way we
worked, Nee
said. “I think ev
eryone’s got a
good idea of what
we need to get
done and they’re
trying to do it.”
One of the big
questions facing
the Huskers at the
start of the season
is how to make up
for the loss of center Derrick Chan
dler.
Chandler started 29 games for the
Huskers last season, led Nebraska in
rebounds and blocked shots and was
the Huskers’ second-leading scorer.
Amos Gregory was expected to fill
at least part of the void, but he trans
ferred to Ball State.
Junior college transfer Melvin
Brooks, a 6-foot-8 forward who aver
aged 15.2 points and 7.3 rebounds at
Chowan College, could step in and
See HOOPS on 8
Welcome to the state of tranquili
ty.
Nebraska is 8-0 and in control of
the Big Eight.
The last time the Big Red was
undefeated eight games into the sea
son was in 1990. They lost that game
to No. 9 Colorado, 27-12.
The Huskers should move to 10-0
with wins over Kansas and Iowa State
the next two weeks.
To find a 10-0 Nebraska team, you
have to look all the way back to 1983.
Remember Mike Rozier, Irving Fryar,
Turner Gill and company?
Why aren* t Husker fans around the
state going nuts about Nebraska foot
ball?
Maybe it’s because Husker fans
have been craving a national champi
onship since Nebraska’s last in 1972.
Maybe it’s because this Husker
team doesn’t look anything like the
Big Red Machine that rolled over
everybody by an average score of 52
lb in its 12 regular season games in
1983 but was stopped by an underdog
Miami team in the Orange Bowl.
Husker fans were heartbroken
when the David-like Hurricanes beat
the Goliath Comhuskers, and fans
have been reluctant to believe in a
national championship since that
night.
Or maybe it’s because every sea
son since the Huskers won their first
national championship in 1970, Ne
braska has been mentioned in the title
hunt, but has fallen short.
Maybe it’s because Florida State
spends its Saturday afternoon crush
ing every hapless opponent it faces in
a way that reminds Nebraska fans of
the ’83 Huskers.
While the Seminoles look invinci
ble, so did the ’83 Huskers. And we
now know that even the unbeatable
can be beaten.
Unless Florida State trips against a
Jeff
Griesch
tough Notre Dame team in South Bend,
Ind., on Nov. 13, or against intrastate
rival Florida, the Seminoles appear
destined for a national championship
game against the Huskers in the Or
ange Bowl.
The only thing standing between
the Huskers and a national champion
ship game in the Orange Bowl is
‘"Oklahoma.
1 am sure Husker players and espe
cially Coach Tom Osborne will say
Oklahoma is the furthest thing from
their minds. They’re lying.
But don’t worry about Nebraska
looking past its next two opponents
and focusing on the Sooners. That
won’t happen.
The biggest concern for fans and
players right now should be Kansas.
Although Kansas is a battered,
bruised and beaten group of birds,
they are still dangerous, and the Husk
ers know it.
After an emotional win against
Colorado, the Big Red might be a
little flat.
They need to realize now, if they
don’t already, that every game is for
the national championship.
Nebraska’s 19-10 loss to the Cy
clones last season embarrassed the
Huskers and cost them a Top 10 rank
ing.
The Huskers have a big score to
settle with Iowa State and won’t even
consider looking ahead to the Sooners
until the Cyclones have been blown
out of Memorial Stadium.
The wins will leave the Huskers
10-0 and facing the Sooners on a
blustery Friday in late November.
The Sooncrs looked like the Okla
homa of old until stumbling against
Colorado. Last week, they fell to
Kansas State 21 -7 and will be fighting
to stay out of fourth place in the
conference.
The Sooners will be motivated but
Nebraska has found a way to win this
season and will find some way to win
the next three games.
Anything can happen when it
comes down to one game.
It would be nice to be David in
stead of Gol iath in a national champi
onship game.
Don’t be afraid to start thinking
about a national championship. The
Huskers have a legitimate shot. Give
them some credit.
Start buzzing about the Huskers.
This just might be the season Nebras
kans have been waitingfor since 1972.
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