Oct. 3, 1982 Lincoln, Neb., Sunday Journal and Star It's what's up front that counts! NU quarterback Turner Gill drops back to pass (above) and gets protection from fullback Mark Moravec (40) while Dean Steinkuhler moves back to block out a flying Vernon Blackard (90). But Auburn quarterback Clayton Beauford (11) isn't afforded the luxury of such protection (right) and is sacked by Neil Harris (11). NU passes wishbone test By Mike Babcock Staff Sports Writer AUBURN, Ala. Nebraska safety Bret Clark shouldered the blame for Auburn's rushing success in the first half of the Cornhuskers' 41-7 victory over the Tigers on Saturday afternoon. "I wasn't reading the 'arc options' and *load options' right," Clark said. "I didn't get to the 'alley' when I was supposed to." Put simply, Clark had two main responsibilities when it came to dealing with the options in Auburn's wishbone offense. 01 On some plays, he was supposed to take the quarterback; on others, he wasn't. In those situations, the "are options," he was assigned 1 to help contain the pitch man. In Saturday's first half, however, "I was going for the quarterback on every play, and our linebackers were getting caught inside," he said. "About all their big plays were on are options. If I'd have read them right, Auburn probably wouldn't have gotten anything," said Clark, a third year sophomore from Nebraska City. Clark is one of three sophomores playing regularly in Nebraska's secondary this season. The others are cornerbacks Neil Harris and Dave Burke. After three weeks of defending for an eight-yard loss. against pass-oriented teams, they were In all, Nebraska recovered three Auconfronted with an Auburn wishbone burn fumbles and intercepted one pass, geared to the run. "We went from one that by Lyday with 5:50 remaining in the extreme to another, and all the pressure game. was on the secondary," NU defensive Clark and Stuckey were among those coordinator Charlie McBride said. defensing a wishbone for the first time According to McBride, Clark, Harris, since high school, and "we were less Burke and seniors Kris Van Norman tentative, more sure of ourselves in the and Allen Lyday handled it well. The de- second half," said Stuckey, a third-year fensive backs were hesitant about run sophomore from Lexington. support in the first half; they were over- "We came off the ball with more: auly-cautious about stopping Auburn's thority in the second half," he said. The passing. But in the second half, they re- first half "it was more a matter of feellaxed and made some big plays. ing them out." Nebraska's defense took advantage of Nebraska's coaches didn't use the wishbone's foibles throughout the dramatic locker room speeches at halfcontest, ending more one Tiger time to. motivate players like than Stuckey, scoring threat with a big play. who said: "We knew we had to play Midway through the first quarter, a tougher defense. It all boiled down to us Harris hit caused Auburn fullback Ron in the coming through second half." O'Neal to fumble at the NU 21-yard line, where Clark recovered. Saturday's effort was a big boost to With 4:53 left in the third quarter, and Nebraska, which opens conference play Nebraska leading 21-7, defensive end next Saturday at Colorado. "I know we'll Bill Weber recovered an Auburn fumble have a lot more confidence going into at the NU 14-yard line. the Big Eight now," Stuckey said. Four minutes and 36 seconds later, He wasn't discouraged by Auburn's Cornhusker defensive tackle Rob strong start. "When they popped that Stuckey thwarted the Tigers on a first touchdown, we knew we just had to fourth-and-one at the NU 35-yard line by suck it up. I didn't expect it to be like throwing quarterback Randy Campbell this. It's tremendous." Huskers- second touchdown, a 12-yard sprint around left end with just four minutes gone in the final frame. "And I don't know how he ever made it," Osborne said. "We had given up trying to audible (change the play called in the huddle at the line of scrimmage) because of the crowd noise. Turner had told me early in the game that nobody could hear him. One time he changed to a pass play and none of the receivers heard him and nobody went out. Another time he changed to a run and none of the backs could even hear him. "So, prior to the play that produced the touchdown early in the fourth quarter," Osborne continued, "we called two plays. We had '81 swing pass to the right' as the primary play. But, we were afraid they might try to blitz. If they did, we were sup posed to change to '49 pitch left.' Turner saw the blitz coming and changed to the run. But everyone on the team except Rozier went right. He took the pitchout NU trainer Sullivan questions safety of natural turf AUBURN, Ala. Don't try to convince Nebraska trainer George Sullivan that playing football on natural grass is safer than on an artificial surface. "After two games in a row on natural grass, we're as beat up as I've ever seen us," Sullivan said after Nebraska's 41-7 victory over Auburn here Saturday. "Irving Fryar will be the most, questionable for next week. He sprained his ankle real bad with nobody near him. He was cutting for a pass and his cleats caught in the grass." Cornerback Allen Lyday, recovered from a knee injury suff 0 0 . Husker running back and somehow got into the end zone." With the score up to 28-7, .Nebraska dominated the play the rest of the way. Fullback Mark Schellen broke loose up the middle and powered his way 41 yards for another TD with 7:27 left and I-back Tim Brungardt produced the final count on a 13-yard run at the 1:24 mark. Doug Wilkening (34) breaks through the tackle of Doug Smith and Bob Harris. "We told our defense at the kids do what you tell and they played well, espehalftime that they would them." cially the defense in the sec-. have to stop Auburn at the Did Osborne expect a ond half. That kind of a peroutset of the second half to great comeback after the formance will give them conprevent them getting a 14-14 loss to Penn State? "To be fidence and be a big help tie." Osborne said. "And we honest," he answered, "I was down the road." told the offense it would be a little worried just before Down the road isn't very important for them to score the game started. Our kids far away. The Huskers open the first time they got the weren't jumping around out the Big Eight season next ball. The key was to go out there. In fact, they didn't Saturday with their third there and do it. You look like seem very emotional. But we away game in a row a pretty smart coach when had good practices all week against Colorado in Boulder. From Page 1E - Nebraska's Jeff Smith (28) lost the ball when Jeff Jackson (42) pulled him down. Auburn's Tim Drink ard (18) tried to get back to the loose ball, but Dean Steinkuhler (71) beat him to it to recover for the Huskers. 18 Mike Rozier cut past Tim Drinkard (18) who slipped to the turf, and raced 12 yards for a touchdown. fered against Penn State, came away with a thigh bruise this time, while quarterback Turner Gill wound up with bruised ribs. Bruised shoulders were the most common. Reserve quarterback Nate Mason, fullback Doug Wilkening, wingback Shane Swanson and offensive tackle Jeff Kwapick all had ice packs taped on their shoulders. Sullivan said that 1-back Roger Craig, who didn't make the trip because of a thigh bruise, will be able to return to action against Colorado next Saturday.