.Nebraska coach laud. IP tiio oieiense Oil By HAL WOOD Advertiser Sports Editor What's good about a 45-3 beating? Nothing. Except that it's not bad when it's about par for the course. That's the reaction around the Islands today in the wake of Nebraska's romp over the Rainbows Saturday night. "I'd have to say," said a dejected coach Dave Holmes, "that we played 'em as weU as some of the others. "When you consider the fact that we've lost nine or 10 men from our defense this year by injuries, I'm real proud of the way our boys played." THE CROWD of 23,002 at the old Stadium enjoyed the game so much that it stayed right to the end. The fact that small-time U.H. could make yardage 47 running and 204 passing against the No. 1 college team in the nation, pleased everyone. Even coach Bob Devaney of Nebraska. (Hawaii gained 114 rushing, but lost 67). "You played a much better game against us than some of our opponents on the regular schedule," Devaney told Holmes after the battle. "Your defense was very good. Well devised, well concealed. We weren't always able to audible into the right thing." That was high praise from see Page B-6 for photographs the king of the modern-day coaches. BUT HOLMES figures that the game could have been much closer. Maybe by at least three touchdowns. "I wish we could have eliminated a few of the mistakes," added Holmes. "The same ones we've been making all year. We gave them three touchdowns. This doesn't mean they wouldn't have gotten them some other way. . "We gave them that interception for a TD at the start. Then when Rodgers caught that 33-yard pass from Tagge there was a mix-up on the coverage and nobody was there. Then there was indecision on another one where one of our guys thought we were playing a zone defense, another man-to-man. "It's too bad we didn't have a healthy secondary." THE THING that impressed Holmes most about Nebraska was the great defense featuring Larry Jacob-son, Rich Glover and Bob Terrio. "We've protected our passer well all year," he said. "But they got to him as many times as the other 10 foes all put together." Holmes was proud of the fact that the Rainbows helcf the Huskers to roughly their "season-long average de--spite such long bombs as an 80-yard touchdown pass and another for 33. "WE DID a creditable jotr on handling both their rushing and their passing," he, added. "But it was those big mistakes that ruined us." Hawaii got a couple ol See U.H. B-4, Col. 4
