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Mike Kluck
History lesson'
Huskers’ best
game warm-up
No matter how much you try to
forget history, if has a tendency to
rise up and bite you on the—well,
you know where.
Soon after the Nebraska football
team walked off the Sun Devil Sta
dium turf in January following its
rout of Florida, Nebraskans began
talking about making history with
an unprecedented third crown.
But to do this, NU must return
to the same turf and do battle with
not only Arizona State on Saturday
night, but also history.
Back in 1983, Nebraska was
touted as the team of the century.
The Comhuskers were beating op
ponents by never-before-seen
scores. Included in the victims was
a little-known school named Syra
cuse.
Syracuse didn’t just lose to Ne
braska; the Orangemen lost big, 63
7. It was one of their worst losses
ever. Last year, Arizona State lost
77-28 in Memorial Stadium, one of
the biggest losses in Sun Devil his
tory.
However, in 1984, when Ne
braska and its highly touted defense
invaded a loud and noisy Carrier
Dome with a 23-game regular-sea
son winning streak, Syracuse
shocked the nation with a 17-9 vic
tory over the No. 1-ranked Husk
ers.
This week, the Huskers hold the
top spot in both polls; they are
riding a 26-game winning streak. A
loss to ASU would shock the na
tion.
In 1984, Nebraska was replac
ing quarterback legend Turner Gill
and backup Nate Mason with Craig
Sundberg, a Nebraska native.
Sundberg was the son of former
Husker David Sundberg.
This fall, Nebraska is replacing
quarterback legend Tommie Frazier
and backup Brook Berringer with
Scott Frost. Frost, an former star at
Wood River High School, is the son
of former Husker Larry Frost.
In 1984, members of Syracuse's
1959 national championship team
were honored at halftime of the NU
game in an effort to evoke the emo
tions of the Carrier Dome crowd.
Saturday in Tempe, former ASU
coach Frank Kush will be honored
at halftime and Sun Devil Stadium
will be renamed Sun Devil Stadium/
Frank Kush Field.
And many of Kush s former
players will be at the game, includ
ing members of die 1975 Sun Devil
team that defeated Nebraska 17-14
in the Fiesta Bowl. That year, ASU
finished second in the national polls,
its highest ranking ever.
Hie Huskers have been practic
ing six weeks and played just once
this fall. During that time, die most
important drill may have been a his
tory review.
Because if you don’t learn from
history, you're doomed to repeat it.
Khickis a graduate studeat ia
journalism and a Daily Nebras
kan senior reporter.
Step two: Arizona State
Huskers say Sun Devil
offense poses explosive
threat.
By Mike Kluck
Senior Reporter
If practice makes perfect, the Ne
braska football team should be near
perfection when it squares off against
Arizona State Saturday night in Tempe,
Ariz.
The Comhuskers have played just
once since practice began Aug. 14,
which resulted in a 55-14 win over
Michigan State on Sept. 7. The in
creased preparation time has made the
defending national champions eager
for competition.
Saturday’s game at Sun Devil Sta
dium begins at 9:15 pan. and will be
televised on Prime Sports Network.
“Scrimmaging has helped us, but
we just have to have a game against
other opponents,” I-back Ahman
Green said.
Nebraska Coach Tom Osborne
agreed with Green, but Osborne said
he’s worried if the top-ranked Huskers
are ready to play No. 17 Arizona State.
The Sun Devils opened their sea
son with a 45-42 win over Washington
and defeated North Texas 52-7 last
week.
“Arizona State has a very fine foot
ball team,” Osborne said. “I don’t quite
know what the Pac 10 hierarchy is, but
I have picked up on the fact that some
people have felt that Arizona State
would win that league.”
Osborne is concerned about the
play of Arizona State quarterback Jake
Plummer. Plummer, an All-Pacific 10
selection and honorable All-America
selection last year, hasn’t shown signs
of slowing down this season.
In his first two games, Plummer, a
four-year Sun Devil starter has thrown
for six touchdowns and 399 yards.
Plummer’s play has earned the re
spect of the Nebraska defense. Last
season, he threw for 273 yards and
three touchdowns in ASU’s 77-28 loss
to NU in Lincoln.
“He’s a real good player,"said Mike
linebacker Jon Hesse, who will start for
the second time in his career on Satur
day. “He’s a real good scrambler, and
he’s been there a long time. Any time
you get a guy like that who’s played
for a long time, it really moves their
game up.”
Hesse said he is impressed with
more than just Plummer.
“They’re a great team,” he said. “I
don’t think people understand how
good they are. They always play tough
at home, so we know were going to
have to play well.”
After last season’s 49-point embar
rassment, ASU Coach Bruce Snyder
doesn’t need any motivation Saturday.
“I look at it as a hell of a challenge,”
Snyder said. “They are clearly more
advanced and significantly coached
better than so many teams.
“Last year’s (Nebraska) team could
have been the best college football
team that I have ever seen. And this
year, they don’t look that much differ
ent.”
-km
NEBRASKA’S JON HESSE (right) and his teammates will face No. 17 Arizona State Saturday night in Tbmpe, Ariz.
Husker soccer team
risks perfect mark
By Vince I^Adamo
StaffReporter
The 13th-ranked Nebraska soc
cer team figures to face its toughest
competition this weekend after de
feating Duke two weeks ago.
The 5-0 Cornhuskers continue
their 10-game homestand today at
the Abbott Sports Complex against
Colorado College at 7 p.m. The Ti
gers bring a 5-1 record and a No. 5
Central Region ranking to Lincoln.
Despite its record, Colorado Col
lege is not ranked in the USA Tb
day Coaches’ Poll.
The Tigers only loss this season
was to Montana.
On Sunday, Nebraska plays host
to 3-3 Vanderbilt. The defending
Southeastern Conference champion
Commodores are ranked fourth in
the Central Region and have re
ceived votes for the top 25.
“We were a little disappointed
at the beginning of the season,”
Vanderbilt Coach Ken McDonald
said, “but things are starting to fall
into place. Nebraska has a much
improved program, and the early
Soccer
results show that.”
Although Vanderbilts record is
not what it had hoped for before the
season, NU Coach John Walker
holds both Husker opponents in
high regard.
“Vanderbilt has made the final
f6 the last two years,” Walker said.
“Colorado College was a good team
last year, but injuries really held
them back.”
Despite outscoring Oral Roberts
and Loyola Marymount 14-1 last
weekend, the Hunkers fell one spot
to No. 13.
Nebraska continues to get spec
tacular play from its freshmen.
Isabelle Morneau and Lindsay
— r ; .11 I a.. I. II
Please see SOCCER on 7
Pettit wants to see
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balanced NU offense
No. 8 Huskebs will
battle once-beaten
Colorado State on
Saturday.
By Shannon Heffelfinger
Staff Reporter
The Nebraska volleyball team
hopes to bounce back from a disap
pointing loss in North Carolina with a
strong performance in the First Bank
Invite tonight and Saturday at the NU
Coliseum.
The No. 8 Huskers (6-2) will play
host to Iowa (5-4) tonight at 7:30 and
No. 21 Colorado State (8-1) Saturday
at 7:30 p.m. Nebraska will not face the
fourth team in die First Bank Invite—
Kansas State—because the two teams
will meet twice this year in Big 12 ac
tion.
Iowa will bring an experienced
team to the coliseum. Middle Mocker
Jennifer Bell is (me of four returning
starters from last season’s 10-21 team.
The 5-foot-11 junior leads the
Hawkeyes with 0.94 blocks per game
and a team-high .292 hitting percent
•.
| Volleyball I
| Colorado St, Saturday, 7:30 p.m.
age.
Tonight’s match against the
Hawkeyes is the 12th in a series led fey
the Huskers 11-0. Despite Nebraska’s
dominance over Iowa in recent years,
the Huskers know they cannot overlook
unranked Iowa, which has won three
straight matches.
Sophomore Megan Korver said
Nebraska will not experience a letdown
similar to last week’s five-game upset
loss to North Carolina.
“I think everybody realizes we had
a big loss last weekend, and I don’t
think that will happen again,” said
Korver, a 6-1 middle blocker. “I think
we all learned a big lesson from that.”
Nebraska will move on to face No.
21 Colorado State Saturday night. The
Please see VOLLEY on 7
