NeSkan QPORT^
Tuesday, December 7,1993 IkJX. V_^l V 1
Kiley Timpertey/DN
Nebraska’s Eric Piatkowski dribbles by a University of Texas-San Antonio defender
during the Cornhuskers’ season opener.
Refocusing
Senior: NU can win league
By Tim Pearson
Senior Reporter_
Eric Piatkowski has been apart
of Nebraska basketball for five
years.
But the way he talks about his
performance in the Comhuskers’
loss to Appalachian State on
Wednesday, you’d think he was
taking a step backward into the
past.
Although the basketball season
is only starting, Comhusker fans
may have seen both the best and
worst of Piatkowski.
Mention Appalachian State to
the All-Big Eight player, and you’ll
see him cringe.
“It still hurts real bad," he said.
“That’s the worst game I’ve played
in a couple of years.
“I was very immature on the
offensive and defensive ends. It
was a learning experience, and I’m
glad it happened at the beginning
of the year. I’m not going to let that
happen again.”
Piatkowski’s performance
against Appalachian State came
after a 35-point performance in a
loss to Texas.
But Piatkowski said scoring 35
points in a game televised by Prime
See PIATKOWSKI on 8
Huskers bypass
usual week off
By Jeff Griesch
Senior Reporter
Six years ago, the Nebraska athlet
ic department built Cook Pavilion to
better prepare for bowl-game condi
tions.
Six bowl losses later, the
Cornhuskers aren’t even using the
indoor practice facility —: it hasn’t
been cold enough yet. They’re simply
working harder.
In the past, Osborne has given the
Huskers a week off after their final
game of the season, but Nebraska
practiced on Nov. 30 and Thursday
after beating Oklahoma in its final
regular-season game.
The Huskers had two light work
outs of about an hour each that were
designed to keep Nebraska’s option
offense in sync.
“We started a 1 ittle earlier this year
because we have found that the week
off hurt our timing,” Osborne said.
“With option football, timing is very
important, and we are hoping we can
keep our timing a little better with the
extra practices.”
And after four practices this week,
Osborne said, the Huskers will likely
practice two or three times during
finals week.
Nebraska also will get in extra
workouts in Miami, Osborne said.
He said the Huskers would leave
for the Orange Bowl on Dec. 22,
instead of Christmas Day, the team’s
normal departure day.
Osborne said the extra time in
Miami will give his team a better
Second player
hurt on court
From Staff Reports
Another Nebraska football
player was injured last week —
not on the football field, but on
the basketball floor, Nebraska
coach Tom Osborne said.
Clester Johnson was held out
of Monday’s practice because
of a sprained ankle he suffered
during a pickup basketball game
late last week.
Johnson’s injury comes after
defensive tackle Billy Wade tore
his left patellar tendon in his
knee playing basketball Friday.
Wade underwent successful sur
gery Saturday, but will miss the
Orange Bowl.
Osborne said this should be
the last of those type of injuries.
“We have put a ‘no basket
ball’ rule in until after the bowl
game,” he said.
chance to become acclimated.
This year’s game against the Sem
inoles will mark the fourth time in
seven years that the Huskers have
played Florida State in a bowl game.
The Huskers have lost their last
three games to the Seminoles, but
Osborne said he did not plan to make
See PREPARATION on 8
After two tough seasons,
nose tackle makes strides
By Mitch Sherman
Staff Reporter__
For most Nebraska football play
ers, the chance to play is a small step
toward becoming an established
Comhusker.
For nose tackle Christian Peter,
just playing once was a huge leap.
Peter
In his first sig
nificant playing
time since com
ing to Nebraska
two years ago,
Peter made four
tackles, including
one fora four-yard
loss against Okla
homa.
But more im
pressive than the
statistics, iNcorastca aciensi ve coorai
natorCharlie McBride said, is Peter’s
presence on the defensive line — a
presence he hopes Florida State will
feel Jan. 1.
McBride said Peter wreaked hav
oc on the Oklahoma offensive line
men, causing them to double-team
him at times during the second half.
“He played well,” McBride said.
“But he doesn’t know that. I told him
that he got lucky.”
Peter said he felt lucky just to have
the opportunity after two hard years.
Peter was forced to sit out two
seasons upon his arrival at Nebraska
two years ago. In 1991, the 6-foot-2,
310-pound sophomore from Locust,
N.J., failed to meet Proposition 48
requirements.
Last year, he redshirted.
“It was very difficult not being
able to play, and especially when I
See PETER on 8
Warm-up for jinals with the Sports 101 practice test
Now that finals week is almost
upon us, I figured it was time for a
little warm-up before next week
comes.
While this test might be a little
more challenging than your calculus
or chemistry finals, with persever
ance a passing grade is possible.
And if there are any Oklahoma
State athletes taking this test, it can be
given orally so you don’t have to go
through the agonizing burden of actu
ally having to read.
Question No. 1: The university is
looking for a name for the new
blow-up mascot that seems to ap
pear at every Nebraska sporting
event possible, similar to a curse
that is impossible to get away from.
What should it be named?
a) “I wonder why there aren’t any
recruits signing with Nebraska any
more?”
b) “I’m glad the university is mak
ing cuts in academic programs, yet
still has money for this crap.”
c) “In the contest of looking for a
worse mascot than Kansas State’s
Willie the Wildcat, we have a win
ner!”
Question No. 2: Which of the
following is a requirement for be
coming an Associated Press college
football voter?
a) Try to show your stupidity as
effectively as possible on each week's
ballot.
b) Be as biased as possible without
letting your conscience or pipe smok
ing interfere with your decisions.
c) Become a member of the “Bob
by Bowden Booster Club” and partic
ipate in one of Chief Osceola's “rain
dances foranationalchampionship.”
Question No. 3: Which of the
following are not synonymous?
a) Southwest Conference schools
and athletic programs that don’t cheat.
b) The Cincinnati Bengals and the
rumor that they really are a profes
sional football team.
c) Oklahoma State football coach
Pat Jones and employment in 1994.
Question No. 4: Which of the
following are things that can be
overheard at a Colorado home foot
Jeff
Singer
ball game?
a) “Hi, you’re not wearing Colo
rado colors — would you mind if me
and my friends beat the hell out of
you?”
b) “I think 1 see one of the Colorado
cheerleaders on the field—oops, I’m
sorry, that’s Ralphie the Buffalo.”
c) “It sure is nice that the Colorado
players’ parole officers care enough
to show up to the games.”
Question No. 5: What was the
best moment for Iowa State sports
fans this year?
a) When the floods came, and there
fore the Cyclone fans didn’t have to
sit through any of Iowa State’s sum
mer football scrimmages.
b) When it was revealed that Cy
clone basketball coach Johnny Orr
hasn’t really been in a coma, despite
the fact that Orr hasn’t made a single
movement on the Iowa State bench
for the last four years.
c) That Iowa State could finally
beat cross-state rival Iowa in a sport.
(The Cyclones beat the Hawkeyes 2
1 in a women’s field hockey game
Iowa forgot to show up for.)
Question No. 6: Which of the
following is a person least likely to
want to see?
a) Nebraska basketball coach
Danny Nee’s acting ability in his nu
merous television commercials.
b) The AFC’s representative in the
Super Bowl.
c) Major League Baseball’s World
Series trophy being used as a hockey
puck while being housed in Canada.
Question No. 7: If you’re an ath
letic director and have the choice of
the following bowls, which bowl and
payout would you choose?
a) The Carquest Bowl in Miami,
which gives the winners a free two
day rental car, complete with bumper
stickers that read “tourists on board,”
to drive around the streets of Miami.
b) The Poulan Weed Eater Inde
pendence Bowl and the 200 pounds of
fertilizer that go to the winning team.
c) The Poulan Weed Eater Inde
pendence Bowl and the 3 00 pounds of
fertilizer that go to the losing team.
Question No. 8: What will Ne
braska need to pull off an upset
against Florida State in the Orange
Bowl?
a) A nice blizzard, accompanied
with about eight inches of snow, to hit
Miami at about 6 p.m. on New Years.
b) An accident in which Seminole
quarterback Charlie Ward falls into
the shark tank at Marine World in pre
Orange Bowl activities.
c) Florida State kicker Dan “Mr.
Hook Right” Mowrey to resume place
kicking duties for the Seminoles.
If you didn’t do so well on this test,
don’t despair — I guarantee finals
won’t be half this tough.
Stager ii a senior newt-editorial and po
litical tcleaca major aad It the Daily Nebrat
kaa’i wire editor.