The Lincoln Star from Lincoln, Nebraska • 37

Sports ftunbap Journal anb Lincoln, Neb, Oct. 3, 1982 SECTION More sports news in Section 41 7 win TllkeF FeJD)(D)TULn(Dl with fl 1 1 32! tie it up at 7-7. That gave renewed hope for the noisy, partisan crowd of 73,900 the third-largest in Jordon-Hare Stadium history and the largest ever for a non-conference game. They were still noisy after the long pass to Brown produced the 14-7 half time lead for the Huskers and the drive which opened the second half. Nebraska still had a less-then-safe 21-7 advantage going into the fourth quarter.

Rozier soon changed that with his See HUSKERS on Page 4E Vital conversions key to NU success slow in trying to stop their option plays in the first half. Our defensive coaches did a good job of adjusting at balflime. You only have to compare the first-half statistics to those at the end of the game to see what I mean." At the intermission break, Nebraska led in total offensive yards, 232-201. At the end of the game it was 504-287. The Huskers more than doubled their first-half output, while Auburn managed just 86 second-half yards rushing and passing.

In each of its first three games this year, Auburn opened the second half by scoring the first time it got the ball And the Tigers received the second half kick-off. But this time, after just three plays and a punt, the Huskers took over on their own 43 and marched the necessary 57 yards in a sustained 13-play drive to take a 21-7 lead. I-back Mike Rozier went the final two yards for the TD. "That turned the momentum in our favor," Osborne said. "That was probably our biggest key to victory." Nebraska made a similar drive at the outset of the game.

The Huskers received the opening kickoff and drove 73 yards in 13 plays to take a 7-0 lead. Fullback Doug Wilicening, playing in place of the injured Roger Craig, who didn't make the trip, galloped up the middle on a trap play for the final 15 yards. Gill passes to tight end Jamie Williams (16 yards) and split end Ricky Simmons (13 yards) helped get the ball close. When Kevin Siebel added the extra point with nearly 10 minutes still left in the first quarter, the Huskers looked like they might be on the way to a rout. But Auburn had other thoughts.

Speedy halfback Lionel James went 32 yards on a pitchout on the very first play after the ensuing kickoff. In fact, he went all the way. But one of the officials said he had stepped out of bounds at the NU 40. An Auburn fumble stopped that threat, but the next time the Tigers got the ball on an interception of a Gill pass they went 72 yards in 10 plays to Neb Aub First downs 31 13 Rushes-yards 43-171 Passing yards 162 116 Return yards 13 18 Posses 10-19-1 7-11-1 Punts 4-43 Fumbles-lost 4-2 3-3 Penoltles-yards 3-45 3-15 Possession time .36:44 23:16 Third-down conversions 16-20 4-13 Fourth-down conversions 2-2 0-2 By Virgil Parker Sports Editor AUBURN, Ala. If you had any doubts about whether the Nebraska football team would rebound from a disappointing loss to Perm State a week ago, forget them.

The Huskers erased all such doubt here Saturday with a convincing 41-7 victory over Top 20-ranked Auburn. It wasn't as easy as the final score might indicate. It was a bruising, physical battle. The score was tied 7-7 with less than four minutes left in the first half and Nebraska facing a third-and-22 situation on its own 42-yard line. As quarterback Turner Gill faded back for the expected pass, Husker split end Todd Brown went down about 20 yards and started to hook in toward the middle of the field.

When the Auburn cornerback took a step or two to follow, Brown changed course and headed straight down the sideline to run under Gill's pass at the Tiger 20 and coast on in to complete the 58-yard touchdown play. "We had noticed on film that their cornerbacks had a tendancy to take the hook fake," Cornhusker Coach Tom Osborne said. "Once he froze for a stop or two, Todd was by him and was wide open. It was a big play for us, because even with the 14-7 lead, it was still about a50-50gameathalftime." Auburn Coach Pat Dye called the play an "inexcusable" defensive error. Osborne said two other keys to Nebraska's victory came at the outset of the second half.

"Our defense really showed some great improvement in the second half," he noted. "We were a step to S-- Todd Brown (29) and Turner Gill 58-yard touchdown pass. i 'f IT. YT nvjStJll 3 I All (V I I By Randy York Staff Sports Writer AUBURN, Ala. Somehow, it was fitting that Nebraska's most important touchdown in a 41-7 win over Auburn here Saturday was delivered on a third-down-and-23 situation.

If this game had been on television, third-down conversions would have been a redundant graphic. They were surely the most important statistic. Nebraska generated a first down on lfj-of-20 third-down situations. The Huskers converted eight-of-10 in each half. Auburn converted only four-of-13 all afternoon.

To split end Todd Brown, the statistic merely reflects the versatility of the man at the controls Turner Gill. "I don't know if there's a better quarterback in the country. He's so poised, he can do it all," offered Brown, who caught a 58 yard touchdown pass from Gill to give the Huskers a 14-7 lead 3ty minutes before halftime. The play was a hook-and-go where Brown faked a hook pattern, then sprinted deep. "I knew we had it when the comer (David King) came toward me instead of back-pedaling," Brown said.

"He froze for that instant and squatted like he was going to tackle me. When he hesitated, I knew it was over." Brown knew it was over because Gill lofted a pass almost as perfectly as he ran his pattern. "You get used to that from Turner. In fact, you almost expect it," Brown said. Even though Gill appreciates the compliment, he passes the credit to the offensive line.

"They controlled the line of scrimmage," he said. "That's the whole key. On the third downs, we proved we can go into the pressure situations and make the big plays. But we didn't do anything fancy. When you control the line of scrimmage, you don't have to." Gill lit the fuse to an attack that generated 31 first downs and 504 yards total offense.

Gill accounted NU breaks bone9 in second half By Mike Babcock Staff Sports Writer AUBURN, Ala. When running back Lionel James broke loose for 32 yards on Auburn's first play from scrimmage Saturday at Jordan-Hare Stadium, it appeared Nebraska's defense was in for a long afternoon. Nebraska defensive coordinator Charlie McBride said the start resembled the one in last year's Cornhusker-Oklahoma football game. After the first couple of plays, "it looked like a track meet." "1 AT 111 TT JP TrfjLj STAFF PHOTO BY HUMBERTO RAMIREZ celebrate after combining on a McBride expected some early confusion on the part of his young defense. After all Saturday was Nebraska's first look at a wishbone offense.

"Before the game, the thing that concerned me the most was whether we could get adjusted soon enough," he said. According to senior defensive tackle Toby Williams, "you go through that every time you play a wishbone." The NU coaches "told us there would be some big plays, some long gains. They said it was going to happen." As the game wore on, however, Ne- AL pennant races EASTERN DIVISION I Pet. G8 Milwaukee 67 .584 Baltimore 94 67 .581 MILWAUKEE (1) AWAY (l)-Ot Baltimore, Oct. 3.

BALTIMORE (1) HOME (D Milwaukee, Oct. 3. WESTERN DIVISION x-Callfomia 92 69 -clinched division championship. the last month of the year, posted his fifth save by retiring eight of the nine Rangers he faced. With two out in the first, Reggie Jackson belted his 38th homer of the year to set a California club record, but the Rangers took the lead in the second with three runs off Forsch.

Leadoff hitter Larry Parrish popped his 17th homer over the left-field wall and Jim Sund-berg clubed his 10th of the year. Mike Richardt then chased Forsch with an RBI single. California came back in the bottdm of the second to tie the game on Bobby rich's 19th homer of the season, but the Rangers retaliated with a leadoff home run in the fourth by rookie Pete O'Brien. The AL West may be decided, but it's still up for grabs in the Eastern Division. At Baltimore, the Orioles used an 18-hit attack to rout Milwaukee 113 and set up a one-game showdown for the East half-pennant Sunday.

The division will be decided on the final day of the regular season when Baltimore's Jim Palmer faces Milwaukee's Don Sutton at 1 p.m. EDT in Baltimore. Sammy Stewart, 101, stopped the Brewers on a pair of singles after replacing starter Scott McGregor in the fourth and finished the game by retiring the last eight batters as the Orioles notched their third triumph over the Brewers In less than 24 In other games, Kansas City edged Oakland 5-4, Chicago downed Minnesota VS, Cleveland beat Detroit in the opener of a double-header and Detroit took the second game 4-L Boston blanked New York and Toronto defeated Seattle 34, At Kansas City, Mo, Cesar Gerotu-mo't sacrifice fly scored Frank White to cap a two-rua eighth that lifted Kansas Cty. John Wathaa's single tied the score at 44 before Geromnx'i fly gave the Royals their fifth straight triumph. Angels give Mauch elusive first title braska's defense got dramatically better, a generality supported by statistics as well as the 41-7 final score.

Auburn, which ranked third in the nation in rushing offense going into the game, ran 23 times for 138 yards in the first half but gained only 33 yards in 20 ruslung attempts in the second. After intermission, the Tigers made only three first downs and 86 yards of total offense. The explanation for the Cornhuskers' defensive turnaround was simple enough. "The kids got adjusted to the McBride said. For the most part, Nebraska's defenders were in the right places during the first half.

A week's worth of practice prepared them in that way, and "they knew where to go. But they didn't get a true picture (in practice)," said McBride. "They just got an idea about the blocking schemes. "We had kids (on the scout squad) with great speed, but they didn't run the option the same (as Auburn)." Only game experience could teach- the defense what to expect in that respect. "Seeing backs that quick, coming at you that fast, it's hard to adjust sometimes," said NU defensive end Tony FelicL Saturday, Nebraska needed the better part of two quarters to do it.

"A week isn't a lot of time to get ready for a wishbone," Williams said. "It's a full-speed ahead offense, and you gel better against it through repetition. You almost have to adjust to it gradually." The Cornhuskershut down Auburn to the outside in the second half. As a re How AP's Top 20 Fared for 212 of them, passing for 162 yards and rushing for 50. "We've still got a ways to go.

I know I could have passed better," Gill said after completing 10 of 19 while suffering one interception. The strike to Brown was the most dramatic. Brown hauled the ball in at the 20 and could have loped the rest of the way. Afterwards, Gill pointed to the senior split end in the end zone, then hugged him. "They worried about the run so much, they got beat on the pass." Brown said.

"Tennessee beat 'em a couple limes on the same hook-and-go last week." Gill and Brown almost combined for another touchdown in the third quarter. On a third and 11, they made a 20-yard connection that almost broke for another 67 yards. "It was real close. Their safety (Mark Dorminey) didn't get a good bite on me," Brown said. "If I'd gotten out of that, there was nobody deep." Nebraska was in character with its rushing game, grinding out 342 yards.

Mike Rozier, the game's leading rusher with 88 yards on 24 carries, scored on a two-yard run in the third quarter to give Nebraska a 21-7 lead. He added a 12-yard TD for a 28-7 cushion four minutes into the fourth quarter. Rozier credited his ability to read Gill's hps for the 12-yarder. "The crowd was so loud, I was the only one who heard the audible," he said. "Actually, I didn't hear it.

I just read his lips." While Nebraska's interference swept to the right, Rozier took off on a solo flight to the left. He took the pitchout and improvised a woven route into the end zone. By that time, Rozier believes Auburn's defense was so weary from Nebraska's multitude of weapons, "they were just weak and worn down." Gill "takes the pressure off," Brown said. "He seems to move the ball almost at will. I know one thing.

I'd hate to be a defensive coordinator against us." NL pennant race EASTERN DIVISION x-St. Louis 1 70 .54 l-clinched division championship. WESTERN DIVISION Atlonto 72 .553 Los Angeles 73 .547 1 t-Son Froncisco 84 75 .538 JVa i-eilminoted LOS ANGELES (1): AWAY (l)-ot Son Froncisco, Oct. 3. ATLANTA (1): AWAY (l)-Ot Son Dioo.

Ort. 3. SAN FRANCISCO (1): HOME (D LOS Angeles, Oct. 3. Louis 8-4.

At Chicago, Ferguson Jenkins, 14-15, picked up his 278th career victory and Scot Thompson had four hits, scored three runs and knocked in a pair to lead the Cubs. Darrell Porter slugged two borne runs for the Eastern Division champion Cardinals, whose four-game losing streak is their longest of the season. Pete Rose doubled home Luis Aguayo from second base with two out in the bottom of the ninth inning Saturday night to pace the Philadelphia Phillies to a 4-3 triumph over the New York Mets. Aguayo led off with a single off re-bever Pat Zachry, t-t, and was sacrificed to second by Ivan DeJesus. Mike Schmidt drew an intentional walk and, after Garry Maddox died out, Rose doubled to right field to deliver Aguayo.

Mets knocked out starter Marty Bystrom to tie the score 3-3 with two runs in the seventh. next week's oppponent V. Washington (44) del. San Diego 2. Pittsburgh (4-0) def.

West Virginia, 16-1 idle 3. Penn State (4-0) idle ot Alabama 4. Florida (3-1 lost to Louisiana State, 24-13 at Vanderbilt S. Alabama (4-0) def. Arkansas Stale, 34-7 Penn State 6.

Georgia (4-0) def. Mississippi State, 29-22 Mississippi 7. SMU (4-0) def. North Texos State, 38-10 at Baylor 8. Nebraska (3-1 def.

Auburn, ot.Colorodo 9. UCLA (4-0) def. Colorado, 34-4 Arizona 10. Arkansos (4-0) def. TCU, 35-0 Texas Tech 11.

Notre Dame (34) def. Michigan State, 11-3 Miami, Flo. 12. North Carolina (3-1) def. Georgia Tech, 41-0 at Wake Forest 13.

Arizona Stole (5-0) def. Kansas State, Stanford 14. West Virginia (3-1) lost to Pitt, 16-13 Boston College 15. Texas (3-0) plaved Rice Oklahoma 16. Southern Col (3-1) def Oregon, 38 7.

idle 17. Miami, Flo. (4-1) def. Louisville, 28-4 at Notre Dome 18. Boston College (34-1) def.

Temple, 17-7 ot West Virginia 19. Minnesota (3-1 lost to Illinois, 42-24 ot Northwestern 20. Auburn (3-1) lost to Nebraska, 41-7 Kentucky sult, the Tigers "were trying to run a lit tie more inside, and we were alread) stopping them pretty well there," middle guard Jeff Merrell said. Merrell, a senior from Huntsville, playing in front of family and friends, was credited with seven tackles, six of which were unassisted. Three of his tackles were for losses totaling eight yards.

"This game probably meant more to me than any tjne I've ever played at Nebraska," he said. Defensive captain Steve Damkroger, the strongside linebacker, credited the Cornhusker offense with assisting the defense by keeping it off the field for long rest periods. Auburn "couldn't stop our offense," said Damkroger. "They kept taking the wind out of Auburn's sails, I guess you could say." "They held the ball for us, that's for sure," Felici said. Nebraska's defense wasted no time in establishing ground rules for the second half.

Auburn opened at its 20-yard line and lost a net of one yard in three plays. By lhelime the Tigers' got the ball they trailed 21-7. According to Williams, some' good may have coma from last week's 27-24 loss to Penn State. Saturday's slow start defensively didnl bother anyone. "The maturity showed a lot, he said.

"Our young players didnl McBride seemed satisfied, even pleased, with Nebraska's defensive effort. The young players "really developed some confidence in themselves," said McBride. It was just a matter of time. meet in a one-game playoff Monday in Dodger Stadium. The Dodger win knocked the Giants out of the pennant chase.

Atlanta, winner of seven of its last nine games, took a 34 lead after three innings then used the combined relief of Steve Bedrosian and Gene Garber to hold the lead. Garber notched his 30th save. Former Brave John Montefusco, 10-11. took the loss. After Hubbard's single scored Terry Harper in the second, the Braves made it St) in the third.

Claudell Washington led off with a triple and scored on Rafael Ramirez's sacrifice fly, and Chris Chambliss hit his 20th homer over the Sunday Football Mtdtievn Sae vs. Notre Dome kteh-ttehntla (D MMwM-Weitoc at Wittenberg, neon. OQ If NFL HI em. Ce'orr SeefceicM m. 1M a Sen Diege et OccMentat, (ieintd to regress), I p.m.

31 Tern Otberne Shew, 10 p.m., Baseball 1 P.m. AMMtDteg.l:sp.m,l Braves clinch tie; LA ousts Giants By United Prees International The Atlanta Braves, ignited by Glenn Hubbard's RBI single, clinched at least a tie for the National League West title Saturday night with a 4-2 victory over the San Diego Padres. The decision, combined with Los Angeles' 15-2 victory over San Francisco, left the Braves, in quest of their first division title since 1969, one game ahead of the Dodgers. Atlanta can clinch by beating the Padres Sunday with Tommy Boggs, 21, facing San Diego's Tim Lol-lar, 15 1. A Dodger loss would also give Atlanta the title.

In the event of a tie for the division crown, Atlanta and Los Angeles would By United Press International The experts have labeled California Manager Gene Mauch both a genius and a choker, but after a 23-year search, the latter has been erased. The Angels rode Fred Lynn's two-run homer in the fifth inning Saturday to their "second American League West title in four years, edging the Texas Rangers 6-4 at Anaheim, to end Mauch's seemingly endless quest for his elusive first title. Finally a winner only seven men have man-vaged longer in the major leagues and only-eight have won more games, Mauch's best previous finish was in 1964 when, his Phillies finished second with a Maiich was saddled with the choke fcibel after that finish. The Phillies led the National League by 6 games with 12 to play but lost 10 straight to let St Louts slip away with the championship. Trailing 4-3 and knowing that second-place Kansas City had beaten Oakland, the Angels rallied in the fifth off starter Charlie Hough, 16-13.

Rod Carew opened with a walk and Lynn girded his injured ribs and delivered his homer of the year. California got an insurance run in the eighth when Don Baylor doubled and scored on Tun Foil's infield single. Zli Coltt geU win Pave Goltz, 8-5, who picked up for Ken forsch after the Angels' starter yielded three runs in the second, earned the victory with relief help from Luis Sanchez. Sanchez, California's stopper K-State falls TEMPE, Arii (UPI) Bryan Caldwell recovered a fumble to aet up one touchdown and returned a pass interception for another Saturday night, helping Arizona State remain unbeaten with a JO-7 victory em Kansas State. Luis Zendejas added field goals of 41, 47 and yards for the Sun Devils, splitting the upright! for the 15th consecutive gamV to Ik a Pacific 10 Conference Record.

Arizona State's third touchdown also followed a turnover after Jimmy Williams recovered James RktrtU fumble oa the KSU 4ft right field wall. Atlanta scored an insurance run in the ninth on an RBI single by pinch-hitter Bob Watson. The Dodger victory was their third straight and the third loss in four games for the Giants, who started the final week of the season only one game out of first Los Angeles' 1" hit attack featured three-run homers by Ken Landreaux and Mike Scioscia and Ron Cey's solo blast Landreaux's homer capped a six-run second inning and Cey connected in the third for a 7-0 lead Scioscia followed with ius home run in the fifth to make it 104 and the Dodgers scored two runs in the sixth on an RBI single by Dusty Baker and a sacrifice fly by Steve Gar-vey. Bob Welch, lt-U, pitched the first five innings for Los Angeles and held the Giants to only one hit to improve to 44 over the Giants this season and 11 1 in his career. The Giants scored two runs off Dave Stewart in the eighth on a solo homer by Jeff Leonard and back-to-back doubles by Ron Pruitl and Joe PettinL The Dodgers did most of their damage against Al Holland, who replaced starter and loser Reme Martin, 7 10, with the bases loaded and one out in the second Holland served up a two-run single to Bui Russell and aa RBI single to Steve Sax before Landreaui lut his seventh home rua far into the right field bleachers.

In another game, Chicago downed St -inside Saturday's football scores: XVsPrts as a 4 UU 10, IdU Biq Eight roundup, Pagt 2E Fla. St. 45. Ohio St. 17 Big Ten roundup, Pagt 2F Washington 46, SDS 25 Pac 1 0 roundup, Pag IF Kearney 28, Wayne 16 State colleges, Pag 3C Also in today's section Outdoor news Pag8E Johncock in town PegtE i.