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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 28, 1994)
Husker coach denies rivalry with Colorado By Mitch t*wnMB Senior Reporter Talk about rivalries all you want, but what , ever you do, don’t mention them toTom Osborne. The Nebraska football coach said earlier this week he did not want to hear another question about whether Colorado was Nebraska’s rival. “Don’t ask me about it,” Osborne said. “This is a big game, and we are really zeroed in on Colorado, but I don’t see to turn ugly. ^McCartney is no stranger to rivalries. He spent nine years as an assistant at Michigan, where Ohio State is considered * rival. When McCartney came to Colorado in 1982, he immediately designated Nebraska as the Buffs’ chief rival. “Nebraska has made it clear that they don’t consider us a rival,” McCartney said, “but they will always be a red-letter game for us.” Osborne said he why it has to be an issue.” Rivalry or not, Osborne said, the Husk ers will need support from the home crowd during Saturday’s game at Me morial Stadium against the Buffaloes. ‘‘We certainly have an enthusiastic group of fans,” he said. “I think that is going to be impor tant.” But Osborne said he had reason to be worried “Nebraska has made it clear that they don’t consider us a rival, but they will always be a red-letter game for us." ___ BILL MCCARTNEY Colorado football coach wouldn t complain, as long as Colorado fans were treated with re spect. “It doesn’t mean we don’t look forward to playing them,” Osborne said. “We certainly do. We just don’t have any rivals. “We never have, and we’ve never bought into that kind of thinking. It doesn’t mean we don’t respect Colorado.” that Comhusker fans would not be on their best behavior. “A couple years ago,” he said, “I heard some complaints from people from Colorado saying they had been treated rudely.” Osborne said he spoke to Colorado coach Bill McCartney and some Buffalo fans after Nebraska’s 52-7 win over Colorado in 1992. “In the 30 years I have becrihere that was the first time 1 can ever remember (people com plaining).” He said Husker fans had complained in recent years that they had been forced to change their car license plates before making the trip to Boulder. “If rivalry means what I have been seeing,” Osborne said, “I don’t want any part of a rivalry. I just want to play football. I don’t know where it came from or why it is there. I would just like to see it end.” McCartney said the Huskers always would be a rival for the Buffs, who have beaten the Huskers three times since 1968. However, McCartney said, he didn’t intend for the rivalry un me neia, iNeorasna quaneruac* diuu* Berringer said, the Huskers will not be thinking about a rivalry. They won’t be thinking about anything but winning. “I think a lot of our guys couldn’t care less about this,” Berringer said. “We are iust going to go out, game by game, and prove wnat we can do.” Donta Jones, one of 14 senior starters who have never lost to Colorado, said this game was just one more step toward Nebraska’s ultimate goal. “At the beginning of the season,” Jones said, “we felt as though we had unfinished business. This is part of the business we have to take care of.” A win against Colorado, Berringer said, may be the only way the Huskers can gain back the national respect they have lost recently. “People haven’t been giving us a chance all season/ Berringer said. “Idon t know what it’s going to take. I suppose winning a national championship is the only way todo it. So I guess that’s what we’ll have to do.” A—"_■%_Ift J Memorial Stadium Game Day 94 Lincoln, Neb. ^ MHIB ^ 1 Saturday, 11:08 a.m. Nebraska' Colorado_f W' QB 18 Brook Berringer fi-4 FB 40 Cory Schlesinger 6-0 IB 1 Lawrence Phillips 6-0 SE 7 Reggie Baul 5-8 WB 27 Abdul Muhammad 5-9 RT 72 Zach Weigert 6-5 LT 56 Rob Zatechka 6-5 RG 55 Brenden Stai 6-4 LG 76 Joel Wilks 6-3 C 54 Aaron Graham 6-3 TE 85 Matt Shaw 6-3 PK 31 Darin Erstad 6-2 210 QB 10 Kordell Stewart 6-3 210 230 TB 19 Rashaan Salaam 6-1 215 200 FB 24 Greg Smith 6-0 211 170 WR 81 Michael Westbrook 6-4 210 160 WR 21 RaeCarruth 6-0 180 300 TE 86 Christian Fauria 6-4 235 315 RT 72 Derek West 6-8 285 300 LT 50 TonyBerti 6-6 280 280 RG 65 ChnsNaeole 6-4 280 280 LG 63 Heath Irwin 6-5 280 235 C 64 Bryan Stoltenberg 6-2 265 195 PK 17 Neal Voskeritchian 5-9 165 ..—— LOLB 86 Dwayne Harris 6-2 DT 55 Christian Peter 6-2 NT 99 Terry Connealy 6-5 ROLB 84 Donta Jones 6-2 SAM 4 Troy Dumas 6-4 MIKE 46 Doug Colman 6-3 WILL 32 Ed Stewart 6-1 LCB 14 Barron Miles 5-8 RCB 8 Tyrone Williams 6-0 ROV 29 Kareem Moss 5-10 FS 9 Tony Veland 6-2 P 6 Dann Erstad 6-2 225 OLB 59 Greg Jones 6-4 230 285 LT 92 Shannon Clavelle 6-3 275 275 NT 94 Kerry Hicks 6-6 260 220 RT 93 Darius Holland 6-5 285 220 OLB 97 Mike Phillips 6-3 210 240 ILB 16 Matt Russell 6-2 235 215 ILB 46 Ted Johnson 6-4 240 165 LCB 47 Chris Hudson 5-11 190 165 RCB 7 Dalton Simmons 6-0 180 190 SS 3 Donnell Leomiti 6-0 205 200 FS 15 Steve Rosga 6-1 205 195 P 28 Andy Mitchell 6-2 195 • DN graphtc ABC to televise matchup; ‘GameDay’ live from campus — Nebraska has played one ranked team— UCLA—in Lincoln this season, and ESPN was there. On Saturday, as Nebraska plays Colo rado, ESPN will be there, too. But the cable network is not going to be televising the game, just the pre-game fes tivities. ESPN College GameDay, which airs on Saturday morning, will be televised live from the east side of Memorial Stadium. But ESPN will not be televising Saturday's game. The game will be broad cast nationally on ABC, which can be seen locally on KETV-Channel 7. Keith Jack— i son will provide the play-by-play, and Bob Griese will provide color. Lynn Swann will be ABC’s sideline reporter for the 11:08 a m. game. Nebraska is undefeated on national tele vision this season. The Cornhuskers already have defeated West Virginia, Texas Tech, UCLA and Kansas State on national televi sion. The Nebraska-Colorado game has been televised for the past five years. Both teams have won twice, with a tie in 1991. Underdogs speak softly but stay confident before game Earlier this week, many Nebraska fans were trying to restrain their ex citement for Saturday’s Nebraska Colorado game because they were afraid. Afraid of the 7-0 Colorado team coming into Lincoln on Saturday. Afraid that maybe Nebraska’s na tional title hopes would go up in smoke. While the media tried to create a fever pitch of expectation across the nation, Nebraska fans remained sub dued. But the intensity is building, and the fear is slowly disappearing. Remember, these are the same fans that traveled to Miami on New Year’s Day proudly displaying “Go Big Red” signs in their cars as they drove through a state that had declared open hunting season on tourists. And despite the betting lines that had the Huskers as 17-point under * dogs, Nebraska fans knew their be loved Huskers were going to show the country that they were for real. Even though Nebraska lost the Orange Bowl to Florida State, many fans saw that as a victory rather than a loss. In the minds of Big Red fans, Ne braska has won 20 straight games, and they don’t want to see that streak end. But when Tommie Frazier was lost for the season with a blood clot and backup Brook Berringer went out with a collapsed lung, the fans’ dreams of a national title vanished. And after the Buffaloes’ miracle wins over Michigan and Texas, Colo rado looked like a team of destiny, while Nebraska fans looked to sell their tickets and find a rock under which to watch the game. Alas, Husker fans don’t get to play Saturday, and the mood surrounding Jeff Griesch the Com huskers on and off the field is one of quiet confidence. The Huskers have been listed as much as four-point underdogs for the Colorado game, which is fine with the Huskers. “We love being the underdog,” 1 back Damon Benning said. “It feels just like the Orange Bowl did last year. There are reporters everywhere, and nobody is giving us a chance. I can’t wait. Benning also said he could sense the difference in the attitudes of Ne braska coaches going into the game.. “T O has been the loosest I have ever seen him the week before a game,” Bcnning said. “Usually all the coaches are really tense and seem tight, but this week everybody has been smiling and joking around.” Tom Osborne was cracking jokes and playing for a laugh at his press conference, which was highly un characteristic for him. But he found time to say what any fans or media or gamblers thought didn't matter. “What difference docs it maker Osborne said. “The only thing that matters is what the players and the coaches think.” All the players have been think ing about is Colorado. 1-back Lawrence Phillips and line backer Ed Stewart wore Nike Colo rado caps to the press conference to help them concentrate on the game. And the more the players concen trate, the more they are convinced that the Huskers arc going to win. Brook Berringer appeared confi dent despite widespread criticism of his performance and durability. “That’s to be expected. People haven’t been giving me a chance all season,” Berringer said. “I don’t know what it’s going to take. I sup pose winning a national champion ship is the only way to do it. So 1 guess that’s what we’ll have to do.” With Berringer at 100 percent for the first time, the Nebraska option game back at full strength and a de fense that is ready to prove that it can carry this Comhusker team, the new Berringer-led Huskers will forever alter the course of Colorado’s season of destiny. Grksch b • Motor nrwt-rdttortol major mto • Daily Nebraakan atefT reporter aai •porta cotomubt.