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mlKe lUUCK
Husker coach
deserving of
appreciation
One of the worst things about
being a sportswriter is that you have
to be unbiased at the events you
cover.
I remember back in 1987,1 was
covering my first Husker football
game on the road as an undergradu
ate for the Daily Nebraskan.
The Cowboys that year featured
a fearsome threesome group of Hart
Lee Dykes, Thurman Thomas and
Mike Gundy. They even called
themselves the Triplets, a name they
had stolen from the Comhuskers.
It was supposed to be a big
game, and I was excited just to have
the opportunity to attend the game -
let alone cover it.
During an early play in the
game, the Nebraska defense
stopped Thomas for a loss, and I let
my excitement get to me. I hit my
fist on the table.
My editor at the time, Mike
Reilley, leaned over to me and told
me that I needed to try to contain my
excitement. I hadn’t yelled or even
said anything, I just hit my fist
against the table.
But I learned then that the role
of a sports reporter is to be unbiased
and not to show emotion about a
play or a team, no matter how excit
ing the game or how much you care
about the team and people you are
covering.
I’ve tried to follow that exanmle
in my remaining years as an under
graduate reporter and since I
returned to Nebraska as a graduate
student and a reporter for the Daily
Nebraskan.
However, a few times this year,
that rule may take a back seat.
I’ve made a promise to myself to
try to step back and appreciate what
Husker football coach Tom Osborne
has done for the university as well
as the state of Nebraska.
This is Osborne’s silver anniver
sary of coaching, and nearly every
UNL student has never experienced
a season without Osborne at the
helm. I don’t expect they will any
time soon.
But more than likely, this will be
my last year covering him.
God willing, I will have my
master’s degree in May and I will
get a full-time position, probably
somewhere outside Nebraska.
When I was an undergraduate, I
took Tom Osborne for granted.
I thought I would always see
Husker football, but when I started
teaching in Houston I had to listen
on a little AM radio station - a reli
gious station during the week - that
cove red Husker games.
People laughed at me when I
stopped conversations to watch
Nebraska highlights on the news.
That won’t happen this year. I’m
going to soak in everything I can
about Nebraska football.
But when it comes to getting the
story for the Daily Nebraskan read
ers, the unbiased objectivity will
remain^
Kluck is a graduate student in
journalism and the Daily
Nebraskan sports editor.
■ Nebraska’s consistency
pleases Frost as Saturday’s
opener approaches.
ByAntone Oseka
Senior Reporter
For the first time in fall camp, the
Nebraska offense showed its capabil
ity.
In Friday’s scrimmage, the last
one before Saturday’s 12:30 p.m. sea
son opener against Akron, the offense
scored 40 points while holding the
NU defense at bay for most of the day.
“The offensive line did a tremen
dous job,” No. 1 quarterback Scott
Frost said. “Usually, we can’t run the
ball right at the No. 1 defense.”
Junior I-back Ahman Green over
came back spasms to have a good day
rushing, at one time breaking away
for a 15-yard gain against the first
team defense. Frost added a 16-yard
option keeper before a fumble by
Shevin Wiggins was recovered by
Jason Peter.
Peter later left the scrimmage
with a mild concussion, but Coach
Tom Osborne said he was happy there
were no major injuries.
“After the spring game, I didn’t
think there were much (injuries),
Pithpr” HcKAmp cdiH “Ttipn \iro lioA
Dan Alexander (with a tom knee liga
ment) two days later.
“Sometimes it takes a day or two
to even know for sure what did hap
pen.”
However, the offense still suffers
from injuries to the I-backs. While
Green plays, backups DeAngelo
Evans, Jay Sims and Alexander are
sidelined with injuries.
In their absence, true freshmen
Correll Buckhalter and Dan White
have seen a lot of carries during fall
camp.
“Buckhalter has generally done
some good things, and Danny White
did a few good things today,” Osborne
said. “Of course, the I-backs have had
a chance to do some good things.”
On the defensive side, NU had an
average day, causing three fumbles
and two punts.
“I don’t think I’m terribly alarmed
about the defense,” Osborne said.
“They had a couple, three easy
scores. We need to get those straight
ened out, too.”
Frost was more impressed with
the consistency on the offensive side
and said he’s ready to start playing
games.
“I think we’re ready to go, but we
could always be better,” Frost said.
“The No. 1 thing we need to do is not
be satisfied. We’re playing pretty
good right now, but it’s going to take a
pretty high level to get where we want
to go. We have to keep it up.”
........... ............ Ryan Soderlin/DN
WINGBACK SHEV1N Wiggins breaks through two tackles while returning a punt during Friday’s scrimmage.
Nebraska opens its season Saturday afternoon against Akron at Memorial Stadium.
D-day nears for frosh
By David Wilson
Senior Reporter
Three weeks is not much time to
learn an offense.
But freshmen quarterbacks Eric
Crouch and Bobby Newcombe said
they will be comfortable playing if they
don’t redshirt.
The decision on who will redshirt is
expected to be announced Monday,
Crouch said Sunday.
Nebraska Coach Tom Osborne said
the freshmen are in control of their own
destinies.
“We’ll sit down and talk to them,”
Osborne said. “Nobody has to redshirt
here. In other words, if we have 22
freshmen come in here, and 22 of them
say, ‘I don’t want to redshirt,’ then we
have 22 guys that play. Now they might
not play very much. It’s kind of their
decision. We don't ever force anybody
to redshirt. So we’ll just see how it all
plays out.”
Though both freshmen quarter
backs have taken snaps in practice,
Newcombe has also established himself
as a kick returner-which may earn him
playing time this season.
“It may not make a lot of sense to
play both of them this year,” Osborne
said. “So we’ll just kind of see how that
shakes out. We’d consider redshirting
the two freshman, but Newcombe - he
may be one of our top three punt return
guys and he may be one of our top two
kickoff return guys. So that may enter
into it, too.”
Newcombe, who returned kicks for
Highland High School in Albuquerque,
N.M., also was a three-year starter on
the basketball team and ran track. At the
New Mexico Track and Field
Championships last spring, Newcombe
won the 100 meters, 200 meters, 400
Please see FRESHMEN on 17
Exhibition concerns Pettit
By Andrew Strnad
Staff Reporter
The Nebraska volleyball team
geared up Saturday night for the
opening of the season by defeating
the NU alumni team 11-15,15-2,15
12,15-3 in front of 1,836 fans at the
NU Coliseum.
The Alumni was led by two-time
U.S. Olympian Lori Endicott. In the
first game the alumni ran out to a 10
2 lead, en route to a 15-11 win.
The Huskers never trailed in the
second game and were assisted by
redshirt freshman Katie Jahnke, who
had five service aces in the match.
Nebraska’s highly touted fresh
man class lived up to its billing in the
third game, as outside hitters Nancy
Meendering, Kim Behrends and set
ter Jill McWilliams helped the
Huskers to a 15-12 win.
Meendering and Behrends com
bined for eight kills, propelling NU
throughout the third game.
Setter Fiona Nepo was impressed
with the freshmen’s first appearance
at the NU Coliseum.
“We all still have a lot to work
on, but I’m comfortable with any of
the freshmen on the floor.” Nepo
said.
Coach Terry Pettit also was
encouraged by the play of the fresh
men, but he had hoped to see a better
overall performance.
“I thought it was an OK first out
ing,” Pettit said. “I would like to have
seen us play defense a little better.”
Individually, outside hitter Jaime
Krondak led the Huskers with 13
kills. Jahnke and Lisa Reitsma had
12 each.
“Krondak played pretty solid,
and Katie Jahnke was pretty consis
tent for the most part.” Pettit said.
The Huskers, traditionally
known for their strong defensive
play, had just 14 blocks for the
match.
“We started off slow and had
some unforced errors,” Nepo said.
Please see ALUMNI on 18