Sports
Wednesday, September 14, 1994
Page 7
Shuffled Husker secondary
will debut against UCLA
By Derek Samson
Senior Reporter
Just when Nebraska may need its secondary
to be at full strength, the Cornhusker coaching
staff will have to switch around the secondary
because of free safety Mike Minter's season
ending injury against Texas Tech.
Mintcr s injury forces
Coach Tom Osborne to sta rt
former quarterback Tony
Vcland at the free safety
spot, while Eric Stokes will
move to safely as Vcland’s
backup.
Octavious McFarlin will
switch to rover back, where
he will back up Karccm
Osborne AH the shuffling in the sec
ondary comes just before the arrival of the
UCLA passing attack, which consists of quar
terback Wayne Cook and his receiving tandem
of J.J. Stokes and Kevin Jordan.
At his weekly press conference on Tuesday.
Osborne said the UCLA game was not the ideal
time to break the players into their new posi
tions.
‘The main shuffling we're trying to do on
our football team probably involves our sec
ondary,” he said. “Their (UCLA) two wide
receivers — Stokes and Jordan — arc very
impressive players. The quarterback. Cook, has
got nice size, he throws the ball well, and he's
experienced. Obviously, they'll give us a test as
far as our pass coverage is concerned.”
Stokes, a Heisman Trophy candidate, caught
82 passes for 1.181 yards and 17 touchdowns in
1993.
The 6-foot-5.223-pound senior did not play
in UCLA's victory over Southern Methodist oh
Saturday, but he caught six balls for 84 yards in
the Bruins' opening win against Tennessee.
Osborne said he doubled the Husker second
ary or any other secondary could completely
stop Stokes.
“He’s a big. strong receiver, and he's a guy
you’re going to have to wrap up. certainly,' he
said. “If your coverage is good, and you have a
bunch of people around him. hopefully it won't
be that big of a factor. To say you're going to
shut him down. I think, would be rather fool
hardy.
“1 think he's a great player. You just hope to
maybe contain him and slow him down a little
bit."
The duty of containing Stokes lies with the
entire secondary, including Vcland. who last
season was a backup quarterback until an injury
forced him to change to defense.
Osborne said the Texas Tech offensive
schemes challenged the Nebraska safeties, so
he expected Vcland to play well against UCLA.
“I think Tony is a great athlete, and he's a
very smart individual." Osborne said. “He's a
physical guy. He's one of the best hitters on this
football team, and that's what your safety has to
be. I don't think it (UCLA offensive forma
tions) will be any tougher than (Texas) Tech,
and Tony did real well there. He played for quite
a few snaps down there."
Osborne said Nebraska would keep plug
ging along even without Mintcr and with the
shuffling of players.
“It's been a distraction, but it's something
we have to do," Osborne said.
NU baseball coach expects
strong fall, spring seasons
By Jeff Griesch
Staff Reporter
While the major league baseball season is
still on hold and maybe permanently finished
for the year. Nebraska opened its fail baseball
season on Tuesday.
Nebraska's recruiting class this season con
sists of seven freshmen and six junior college
transfers, including four players from Riverside
Community College in California.
Along with the new players. Nebraska coach
John Sanders also has an entirely new coaching
staff, as Paul Meyers and Tim Seaton lefi the
stafTthis summer.
Despite the changes. Sanders said he ex
pected the Huskers to have a strong fall season
that would continue into the spring.
“We do have a lot of new faces, but we know
what wc have, and we like it.” Sanders said.
“The names have changed, but the system is the
same, and wc feel like wc have a chance to be a
very good team.”
While many of the new faces are unfamiliar
to Sanders, many of them arc familiar to new
assistant coach Mike Ashman.
Ashman coached Sergio Betancourt. James
Castro. Justin Gomes and Mel Motley at River
side last season. Ashman isalso well-acquainted
with Husker seniors Scott Wulfing and David
Crain, who both played at Riverside two years
ago.
Sanders said Ashman 's presence would cre
ate a smooth transition for the new players.
“Mike knows what his players can do. and he
has confidence in them." Sanders said. “That
See BASEBALL on 8
I
Gerik Parmele/DN
The new HuskerVision screens were used for the first time during Nebraska’s
practice on Tuesday. The screens will be unveiled Friday night during the
HuskerVision Kickoff Celebration.
Cornhusker tans shoulan t take ESPN boys seriously
Warning to all football fans in the
Lincoln area this weekend: Be on the
lookout for three grown men posing as
football experts in the vicinity of Me
morial Stadium.
These men arc recognizable be
cause of weekly TV appearances on
ESPN from late August to early Janu
ary.
Do not apprehend these three men.
Their ideas, commcnlsandbeliefs may
permanently damage your brain.
The “College Football GameDay"
crew, consisting of Chris Fowler. Lee
Corso and Craig James, has a knack
for brainwashing the average indi
vidual.
For instance, the terrific trio boldly
promised a Notre Dame victory over
Michigan while broadcast ng live from
South Bend. Ind.. last weekend. Many
innocent, unsuspecting fans believed
them.
Oops.
Apparently. Corso and James (who
make most of the bold forecasts) again
forgot that you actually have to wait
for the games to be played before
declaring a victor.
One noliceablc trait of the “Col
lege Football GameDay’' crew mem
bers is their inept ability to be wrong.
So when you see Corso and James
declaring this year as the year Tom
Osborne will get his national champi
onship. don't get too excited right
away.
Listen to what they have to say
about it. Maybe the old I ndiana coach
with a career record of 41-68-2 and
the former running back from proba
tion-torn Southern Methodist arc start
ing to sec the light.
More likely they arc just leading
the charge toward the Cornhusker
bandwagon — a wagon that will be
full if the Huskers can cover the 14
point spread against defending Pa
cific 10 champ UCLA on Saturday.
Go ahead, watch “College Foot
ball GameDay'' on vour television
Saturday morning before going to the
stadium. Even better, witness the odd
couple perform their act live from
Memorial Stadium.
However, beware of the predic
tions. and if you hear James say the
word “respect," disregard everything
Mitch
Sherman
» _I '
else that coincs out of his mouth for at
least two minutes.
One year ago at this time. James
was the nation's biggest Florida State
fan. Thc“CollcgcFootball GameDay"
crew was on a mission to award the
'Nolcs a national championship at the
halfway mark of the season.
While they were brainwashing the
nation, the ESPN boys were them
selves being led to believe that Florida
State was far and away the best team i n
America. Don’tget me wrong. Florida
State was very good, but the team of
the century?
No.
When bowl time rolled around, the
Seminolcs drew a game against some
slow, out-of-shape school from the
Midwest.
The “GameDay" irio gave Ne
braska about as much of a chance to
win as they gave Kentucky to defeat
Florida last weekend. Theonly differ
ence was the Scminolcs didn't win by
66 points. They didn't even win by
six.
And as quick as Craig and Lee
could say Tommie, the Huskers were
suddenly worthy of great respect.
There’s that word again.
So, Craig, why the respect all of a
sudden?
Because Nebraska lost. Oh. of
course.
The Huskers lost a game, albeit by
only 2 points with a little help from the
refs, but they lost.
The Huskers completed a perfect
11-0 season, along the way beating
four bowl winners. They got no re
spect from James and Corso during
the season. But when they lose to a
great team like Florida State, all of a
sudden Nebraska's a completely dif
ferent team.
If you turned on “GameDay” on
New Year's night, you might have
noticed a pathetic plea from Mr. James.
He said he judged the Huskers wrong.
Way to make yourself look credible.
Craig. They arc a good team, he said.
A respectable team.
Some people never learn.
In the first two weeks ofthc season,
ihc “GameDay" guys have been tout
ing Nebraska as the team to beat this
year. Aficr witnessing the fall of the
mighty Irish firsthand last week, Craig,
Lee and Chris arc going to be pump
ing out the Husker fight song louder
than the Cornhusker marching band
come Saturday.
If you get lucky enough to sec one
of them mingling with the fans at the
HuskerVision gala Friday night, take
the warning to stay away very seri
ously. Don't listen to everything they
say, and whatever you do. do not —
under any circumstances — stoop to
their level and start throwing around
the word “respect ”
If you do. it will come back to
haunt you. Just ask Craig James.
Sherman la a sophomore news-editorial
major, a Dally Nebraskan senior reporter
and a columnist.