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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (April 13, 2000)
SportsThursday Josh Wolfe/DN QUARTERBACK ERIC CROUCH handles the ball during the final spring practice Wednesday at Memorial Stadium. Crouch will be sitting out of the Red White Spring Game on Saturday after recent shoulder surgery put him on the injured list. QB a surprise for Red-White game By Brandon Schulte Staff writer Just imagine the finger-pointing that would have occurred. And the laughing. If someone had predicted that the starting quarterbacks for the red and white teams in the Nebraska 2000 spring game would be Joe Chrisman and Brett Lindstrom, laughter most certainly would have ensued. And the question “Who?” most likely would have followed. But with starter Eric Crouch receiving limited repetitions and no contact due to offseason shoulder sur gery, and back-up Jammal Lord going down with a knee injury this spring, Chrisman and Lindstrom are NU’s top two signal callers this Saturday. Chrisman and Lindstrom both said that they have to pinch them selves to make sure they are the top two quarterbacks. “I didn’t expect to be here, in this situation, so fast,” Lindstrom said. “When I first came in, I was just going to run the No. 3’s, and I’m just starting H I’ve always wanted to play big time football and you can’t get bigger than this ... kind of a dream I guess. I’m still living a dream.” Joe Chrisman NU quarterback to get in a comfort zone.” Chnsman, a walk-on and native of Longmont, Colo., was a redshirt in 1998 and appeared in four games as a reserve quarterback last year, rushing for three yards on two carries and attempting four passes. Lindstrom, also a walk-on, was recruited as a defensive back out of Millard West before switching to quarterback before the start of spring drills. He played running back his sen ior year of high school after playing quarterback both his sophomore and junior season. The lack of depth at quarterback is consistent with the lack of experience. Chnsman is the only one of the three quarterbacks behind Crouch who has played in a college game. But before Lord, who is the Comhuskers’ only other scholarship quarterback besides Crouch, went down with the injury to his posterior cruciate ligament, the three combined in NU’s first major scrimmage of the spring to rack up nearly 700 yards of total offense. All of them led the offense on scoring drives, but Lord’s ability to make plays on long yardage situations drew rave reviews from Coach Frank Solich. “I think Jammal has really been a big-play guy for us,” Solich said. “Instinctively he’s done a lot of things Eric Crouch _RE Chad Kelsay 'I I II I I I I I—^ Jeff Perino vi uuui i 10 an iv/i ry u IC7 uuoi quai 101 * backs in the nation. There’s little left for him to learn at this point; he only needs to polish what’s already there. Passing situations might be a minor emphasis. for us that many experienced quarter backs just never quite do. We were real pleased with his progress.” If Lord requires surgery to repair his injury, Solich said he’ll miss all of next season. But if he recovers the way the NU doctors think he can, Solich said, Lord might be able to participate in some summer conditioning. In the event that Lord is lost for the season and Crouch is injured next sea son, Quarterback Coach Turner Gill said wingback and former starting quarterback Bobby Newcombe would Please see QBS on 15 Texas shows off depth in scrimmage By Joshua Camenzind Staff writer Texas Coach Mack Brown’s Longhorns have given him something to boast about. Both the first- and second-string players gave solid performances in the annual orange-white game. “This has been the best spring we’ve had since I’ve been here,” Brown said on the university Web site. “We’re better off two-deep than we’ve been since I’ve been here.” But it is that experience and depth that might do in the Longhorns at the quarterback position. It is a position that is assured controversy in the fall. While last year’s starting quarter back, Major Applewhite, was on the mend this spring recovering from knee surgery, sophomore Chris Simms took over and showed he could hold the reins of the offense adequately. Simms played the whole spring game with the No. 1 onense and was near perfect. He completed 10 of 11 passes for 129 yards while his backup for the spring, Adam Hall, completed four of five passes for 85 yards and a touchdown. Looks like Brown has a controver sy on his hands. “Chris is much better now than he was at the end of last year,” Brown said. “I’m really pleased with how Adam is coming along as well.” But can Brown bench the co offensive Big 12 Player of the Year, Applewhite? “We don’t know where Major’s knee is at, but he’ll be ready by the fall,” he said. “And we’ve got another one (Chance Mock) coming in, so we’ll be looking good at quarterback.” Whatever decision Brown choos es to make, the offense will have plen ty of weapons to complement whoev er is running the offense. The Longhorns return Hodges Mitchell at running back and Ivan Williams, a redshirt freshman who had 45 yards on eight carries in the spring game, and both will provide depth at the position. Both scored touchdowns in the game but got help from a solid offensive line. “The offensive line is much better than they were at the end of the year,” Brown said. “They’re more physical - moving better - and we’re running better because of it.” Brown said the linemen would be Please see LONGHORNS on. 15 Notre Dame looks forward to new beginning U Hopefully we don’t have to hear 5-7 again once we get started with spring practice.... Maybe that will be the last time we have to answer questions.” Bob Davie Notre Dame coacft^ By Brandon Schuhe Staffwriter Notre Dame has more than just a storied foot ball program. It’s a place where legends are true and dreams are made. The Fighting Irish have given college football coaching greats Knute Rockne, Frank Leahy and Ara Parseghian. Notre Dame even spawned the career of former President Ronald Reagan, who became famous by playing George Gipp in the 1940 film "Knute Rockne - All American.” But the weight of the golden dome and 10 national titles in the past century can get pretty heavy. Just ask current Irish Coach Bob Davie, who drew fire last season alter his team went 5-7 and failed to qualify for a bowl game. “Hopefully we don’t have to hear 5-7 again once we get started with spring practice,” Davie 5 said. “I doubt it, but maybe that will be the last time we have to answer questions about that.” It’s been a long, cold winter in South Bend, Ind., since ND lost its last four games in November. Eleven starters have graduated (four offense, six defense and the kicker). That includes two-year starting quarterback Jarious Jackson. And Notre Dame has been put on minor probation by the NCAA for improprieties between, former players and a booster. But for the Erst time in a while, Davie and his " players are ready to put the past behind them as they look forward to a new century and a new season. “I think we have a lot of reasons to be opti mistic,” Ik said. “Of course, I realize at this time of the year, all over the country, everyone is opti mistic. “Every team in the NCAAis 0-0 right now and that’s the great thing about thfe'Spring - everybody has a fresh start Therefe a lot of positions open. And everyone is optimistic.” For Irish eyes to be shining in 2000, ND will have to do something about its defense. Five times last season, the Fighting Irish lost games even though they scored three or more touchdowns. Last year’s unit gave up big plays cm a regular basis. And Notre Dame games resembled the offensive shootouts that were prevalent in the old Western Athletic Conference rather than games of the ND championship teams of yesteryear. “We have to eliminate giving up the big plays , that we had a problem with on defense last year,” Davie said. “The second thing is we got to elimi nate the turnovers on offense. I don’t think thereh anything that takes die wind out of you in football as much as those two things. “When you turn the football over as we did last year - a lot - when you give up big plays on defense, ft1s haidibwBmtain that passion when you - have these bad things happen to you.”