The Lincoln Star from Lincoln, Nebraska • 55

I tea UUUk Thursday, Nov. 25, 197 Tlic Lincoln Star 55 eSBEETB-' DHPSREeSL-SIINIIIIIEBS Not Only Vying For National Crown, But Also Big 8 Title Si h.MJnbeatens 1 if sets tuned in from coast to 'coast 'the Sooners TV with a I Norman, By HAL BROWN Star Sports Editor Okla. Kansas State coach Vince Gibson was also will be vying for the Big Eight cham- and Huskers pionship. Ifi the first to say it, more LSU In the Orange Bowl. But they had won the Big Eight championship before winning the national crown.

This year, Gibson's prophesy comes completely true. Thousands and perhaps even millions of words have been written this week about the Nebraska-Oklahoma game here Thursday being for the national championship. But when the two teams line up for the 1:50 p.m. kickoff "That's really something when you're playing for the national championship and if yon, lose, you won't even be, the champion of your own league," Nebraska linebacker coach, John Melton laments. the Big Eight, you've got to win the national championship." Gibson was partially correct a year ago when Nebraska won the national championship with its 17-12 victory, over In in 1 if Many sports subjects have been shoved aside this week as the sports wires, of the two major wire services, The Associated Press and United Press International, have been flooding newspapers with copy on the game that has been -billed by many as the Game of The Decade.

Perhaps, the thing most overlooked in all the hullabaloo -over this game is that Oklahoma still has one conference game remaining, with Oklahoma State next week But the fact that it's taken for granted that the winner ot this classic match-up will be the Big Eight champion may be well founded since ho one has even come close i enough to either the Sooners or the Huskers this season to get a good heartbeat going in their red-clad fans. The closest 'anyone has come to touching the Huskers' unbeaten, string 'of 29, straight was Colorado, which got out Hnl Lincoln with only a 24-point licking, The Sooners closest call was -a 20-3 win over Missouri -at Columbia a couple of weeks ago. v-' "I don't think there's ever been a time when two teams have dominated their opponents as have Nebraska and Oklahoma this season, then met to decide which is the better," says NU head coach Bob Devaney. The two teams' have so dominated the Big Eight this season that one or the other leads the league in every team statistical category. The Huskers are tops, in rushing defense, pass defense, total defense and scoring defense, plus passing offense.

The Sooners lead in rushing offense, total offense and scoring offense. The best example of how dominant the two teams have been, however, probably comes from their games with Colorado. The Buffs with a 9-2 record have included victories over Ohio State and LSU in those nine, while the only two losses-were to Oklahoma by 44-17 and to Nebraska by 31-7 in-games which the Buffs were never in after the opening minutes. The game is a classic in many ways. It's a classic in that it pits the nation's No.

1 ranked team (Nebraska) against No. 2 (Oklahoma). It pits two unbeatens. And it pits the nation total' offense leader with a' per game average of 563.2 yards against the nation's total defense leader, yielding only 171.7 yards per outing. Not much can be said about the two teams' individual stars that hasn't already been said several times this season and repeated more times this week.

The fact that the Huskers landed nine and the Sooners eight for a total of 17 on the 23-man Associated Press all-Big Eight team this week speaks for itself. And while one of the things that puts the game in the classic category is the Oklahoma offense vs. the Nebraska defense, Devaney argues, "Everyone is underestimating our offense and Oklahoma's Devaney figures the Sooners could take two routes in their offensive game plan for Thursday. Having thrown only a minimum number of times out of their wishbone-T attack, Devaney figures, "They could try to surprise us by throwing more. "Or they could figure, 'why say we might not be able to run against you like we have other teams and come out A.

victory Thursday for Devaney would be his 90th as the Husker boss against only 18 losses and one tie and his 125th career coaching triumph against only" '28rsetbacks. and six ties. i i- Champions I 30 Straight Unbeatejt i than a year ago. that "to win By BILL GLEASON (c) 1971, Chicago Sun-Times Norman, Okla. Miss Orr has a Hall of Fame all her own.

Miss Orr, first name unremembered, gave Joe Wylie a in Art when he was in the sixth grade of the junior high school at Henderson, Tex. That is the only one Joe has received through elementary school, junior high, high school and into his junior year at the University of Oklahoma. In every other course, in every other marking period Joe has received an A. Wylie's university grade average has been 4,0, or perfect, and when he isn't looking at books, or taking examinations or wondering just what came over Miss Orr, Joe runs from the left halfback position in Oklahoma's Wishbone offense. This extraordinary manifestation of the scholar-athlete that learning institutions talk about so often but produce so seldom gained almost 1,000 yards for the Sooners last year, his sophomore season.

Ankle injuries have slowed Wylie this autumn but he expected to be very prominent on your television screen when Oklahoma meets Nebraska in Oklahdma The Lineups Wylie Typifies Scholar-Athlete ALL BUT ONE 'A' IN CAREER Offense NEBRASKA (10-0) CI. Pos. Jr. TE 'stance like a and I wasn't sn sure ahnut how I'd Team Statistics 6 Nebraska l- Neb. Opp.

First downs 236 116 First downs "rushing ,.151 First downs passing 78 First downs penalties .7 61 46 Rushing; attempts .589 395 Rushing, yardage 2,570 705 Rushing yardage per game 257.0 Passes i attempted 242 Passes completed 1 141 70.5 232 99 Passing' yardage 1,012 Passing yardage per game 183.9 101.2 Touchdown passes 15 3 Passes, intercepted by Yards returned interceptions .336 6 26 39.0 13 5.5 58 17.7 31 16 51 IPunting. average ....36.7 Number of punts returned 34 Averago per return ........14.9 Numbeof kickoffs returned .16 Average per return 23.4 .....19 Fumbles lost ..14 Times1; penalized ............54 Yards penalized ...569 439 1 Okla. Opp. First downs 227 171 First downs, rushing ..195 96 First do wns passing ..............23 69 First downs penalties ..9 6 Rushing attempts 577 369 Rushing yardage 4,333 Rushing yardage per game ,,481.4 180.8 Passes attempted 56 232 Passes completed .27 ,114 Passing yardage 736 1.418 Passing yardage per game ..78.3 149.7 Touchdown passes ........7 6 Passes' intercepted by Yards returned interceptions Punting average .11 65 ,..40.9 38.9 Number of punts returned 1.21 Averager per return 11.4 Number of kickoffs returned 25 Average; per return .....21.3 Fumbles 38 Fumbles: lost 24 Times penalized .51 Yards penalized 633 5.4 35 25.3 31 13 29 278 North Carolina State Names Holtz Coach N.C. (ffl North Carolina State University announce the appointment of Louis Holtz, who has been head coach at William as the Wolfpack's new head football coach.

Holtz; will succeed A I Michaels, who served this year as interim coach following the resignation of coach Earle Edwards. Sports Menu 'i Thursday FOOTBALL 1:50 p.m. Nebraska at Oklahoma, BASKETBALL Nebraska Junior Col-l9 Tournament at McCook. i Friday HOCKEY Omaha Knight! at Okla. home City.

BASKETBALL State Colleges: Has-; tings at Sioux Falls, S.D.; Nebraska Junior College Tournament at McCook JFK at Yankton, S.D. GYMNASTICS Nebraska at Midwest Open, Chicago. Saturday NOCKBY-Omaha Knights at Kansas City. BASKETBALL Stat Colleges: Hastings at Dakota Wesleyent Springfield, S.D., at' Wayne; Nebraska Junior College Tournament at McCooki JFK at Lea, Minn. WRESTLING Nebraska at Omaha Invitational.

GYMNASTICS Nebraska at Midwest Open, Chicago. it OKLAHOMA (9-0) 'No. Name Ht. 6-3 6-3 6-2 6-2 6-4 6-5 5- 9 6- 0 6-1 5- 9 6- 2 Wt. 234 235 218 231 236 244 157 199 185 176 203 60 73.

Chandler Unruh Emmert Brahaney "Jones Jensen Harrison Mildren) Wylie i Pruitt Crosswhite 54 .72 .79 12 11; 22 30 17 Jr. Sr. Jr. Jr. Jr.

Sr. Sr. Jr. Jr. Jr.

LT La RG RT SE QB' HB HB FB Defense .96 88 Hamilton Selmon 6-1 237 Jr. LR 221 6-1 221 So. LT Sr. 250 -v MG- Jr. 234 6-4 252 Jr.

RT Jr. 228 6-0 236 Sr. RE Jr. 207 6-3 222 Sr. "LB Jr.

'203- 6-2 205 Sr. LB Sr. 209 6-0 208' LB 199 6-0 205 So, CB Jr. 184 97 66. Moore Day Quails Aycock 81 js Dnscoll 28 Pope 18 0'Shauehnessy5-ll 180 Sr.

after three games were played in 1970. "When we were in the pro set, I was third-string fullback "and I would have been fifth string except we had so many people hurt," Leon said. "I got in for one or two plays in our opener last year and two or three, plays the games after that. Then we switched to the Wishbone for the Texas game and I was playing second team." A week, later Crosswhite, a farmer's son from Hennessey, started at fullback and has been starting ever since. "I knew one thing about the Wishbone," Leon said.

'iThe fullback gets the football a lot and every running back likes that. But I also knew that you're down in that four-point For NU-OU Tilt Four feerMines in the Pacific Area will service Alaska, Hawaii, Korea and the Philippine Islands. Three feedlines in the Atlantic area will service Germany, Panama and Puerto Rico. V'T' 'L' Vt.v WUI is a worldwide independent communications company. The game will be televised in the United States by ABC-TV.

halfbacks, ready to catapult into five linemen and three linebackers if that's the way the opposition wants it. Out onr the streets of Norman, though, motherly types and even their daughters want to take Leon into their arms and comfort him. He has sad eyes and sensuous lips and the last place anyone would expect to find his type is at the collision point whenNebraskameets "Oklahoma. All three are beneficiaries of the age of the Wishbone but Mildren and Wylie would have played ven if coach Chuck Fairbanks had chosen last fall to go "back to the single wing. Crosswhite probably wouldn't be playing at all if Fairbanks hadn't decided on the Wishbone Worldwide TV NewYork (fl) The aska-Oklahoma game Thursday will have the largest viewing audience of any game in college football history.

It will be shown around the world. Western Union International reported Wednesday that it will beam the game live and incolor overseas via satellite. i the Big Eight battle of the unbeatens Thanksgiving day, Wylie (jersey No. 22) was one of three points of the Wishbone that met with the press Tuesday; The others were quarterback Jack Mildren and fullback Leon Crosswhite. When somebody asked Wylie if he is a genius, the brown-eyed youngster smiled wonderingly and said, "no, I don't think so.

I just have always believed what the teachers tell me. If a professor says, 'you ought to study this or I go back to my room and study it." Wylie, soft brown hair halfway down on his forehead, looks like a high school sophomore. 1 1 the quarterback and a remarkable scholar, looks like a club' fighter who had 87 matches and lost 64. The rest of Mildren is only 21 but his face is 35. Viewed from a distance across the Club Lounge, Jack reminds of Sammy Baugh, the leathery pro immortal, a few years before Sam's retirement The rodeo face under Mildren's orange hair and his powerful Jboild project strength.

The fullback, Crosswhite, is quite another case. He's the one who sits Tip there on his fists, in' front of the like that." Crosswhite liked it well' enough to run for 568 yards last season and 563 yards going into the 10th game of this campaign. Compared to Mildren's 1,069 yards and the 1,435 yards by halfback Greg Pruitt (No. 30), Leon's 563 doesn't look like much, but he does his jobwith unusual effectiveness .4 What he does'best; is go anct look for people to block after Mildren (No. 11) decides that he will fake the hall to Crosswhite and toss it to Pruitt WyUe1 or joe's uuernaieuy xeu iw keep it A himself.

All those options, plus the implied threat of a pass "(MUdreni has i thrown only 45) is why Nebraska's abrasive defense is anticipating constant pressure. The options work if 6-2 Wylie, who weighs no more than 203, gets off his hands and feet, breaks through the mass of bodies always stacked in front of him and "bursts into the secondary to knock down a potential tackier. After a game, Crosswhite wanders into the twilight where students and old grads "ask me two or three times if I'm really that fullback they saw playing for Oklahoma." 26 Roach 64) 181 176 33 Shelley 6-0 195 Sr. Kickoff 1:50 p.m., Owen Field. Broadcasts KFOR (1240), KLIN (1400), (590).

Telecast ABC-TV nationwide. a Jr. So. Sr. Jr.

Sr. Sr. Sr. Sr. Sr.

Jr. Jr. Wt. 218 238 221 237 238- 252 167 215 210 171 215 Ht. Name List White Rupert Dumler Wortman C.

Johnson Cox Tagge Kinney Rodgers Olds No. 6-1 6-4 6-2 6-3 6-3 6-4 5- 9 6- 2 6-2 5- 10 6- 1 85 72 77 54 65 71 32 14 35 20 44 6-3 6-6 6-1 6-3 6-3 6-2 6-0 5- 10 6- 0 6-0 Adkins Jacobsoa Glover Janssen Harper Branch Terria Mason Blahak 57 75 79 55 81 51 45 25 27 CB' Sr. 180 Anderson! 18 Koech 24 (liib). wow i KFAB i Season Records Nebraska (10-0) 34 Oregon 7 35 Minnesota 7 34 Texas' 7 42 Utah State 6 36 Missouri 0 55 Kansas 0 41 Oklahoma State 13 31 Colorado 7 37 Iowa State 0 44 Kansas State 17 Oklahoma (9-0) 30 Southern Methodist 0 55 Pittsburgh 33 Southern California .20 48 Texas .....27 45 Colorado ,...17. 75 Kansas State V.

.28 43 Iowa State .12 20 Missouri 3 56 Kansas .10 AP's Nissensbn Favors Huskers By HERSCHEL NISSENSON Norman, Okla. WV-Nebraska or Oklahoma? Oklahoma or Nebraska? Nebraska or Oklahoma? Oklahoma's unstoppable offense or Nebraska's immovable defense? Nebraska's own po tent offense against Oklahoma's big play defense? So throwing defense out the window, it says here that Oklahoma's super offense gets overshadowed and outscored by NEBRASKA- Coaches See Ttie How Opposing Wynn, Wise Earn Wayne Grid Honors Wayne (UPI)-Mike Wynn of Grand Island was named most valuable on defense and Mike Wise of Avoca, Iowa most valuable on offense on the 1971 Wayne State College football team. It was the third year Wynn received the honor from his-teammates. ame may suppose Decause of our an assaulting type of attack. downhill, adjusting our offense it Oklahoma's Chuck Fairbanks Nebraska's Bob Devaney aware of what it is facing the best defensive team in the nation.

We'll have to use variety in our attack to dent it and our execution and blocking must be exceptional. You can't have success against Nebraska and have an unusual number of errors. Variety and the ability to adjust to game situations, I feel have been the keys teethe success of our wishbone offense. We are Written For The Associated Press Norman, Okla. 15) Thursday's game will be a rarity in college football history.

Only a couple of times have two teams come to such a showdown. Our players and coaches are proud to be part of it. There is no single key to victory against a team like Nebraska we'll have to play a complete football game. Defensively, we'll have to come up with the big plays. We can't afford to allow rushing yardage, not, as some They've been We like to run Nebraska to control the ball blockers in that line and their quickness is a great asset.

Oklahoma's defense also is underrated. In fact I feel Oklahoma could be the toughest defensive team we have faced this year. To stop Oklahoma and move the ball against them, we simply have to do the things we have been doing, but do 'them better than we have at any time this season. We can't throw out our whole defensive system because we are facing a type of offense we haven't seen yet this year. Yet we have to make some adjustments.

On offense, we will need a sound and solid mixture of passing and running. This balance has been the key to our offense. We can throw the ball and we can run the ball. We are anxious to defend our No. 1 rating and we hope that against Oklahoma we can come up with the best game of the season, because it will require our best effort to defeatJthis fine Oklahoma team.

Written For The Associated Press 'v' From the standpoint of preparation, this Oklahoma game Thursday is the most interesting I have had the opportunity to be involved in as a coach. Oklahoma's wishbone offense is different from any we have faced this year, and they have ideal personnel for it Quarterback Jack Mildren is a fine leader, a good runner and a good passer. Their halfbacks Greg Pruitt, Joe Wylie and Roy Bell have fine speed. Pruitt especially has been a great back all year with tremendous speed and agility. At fullback they have Leon Crosswhite, one of the most underrated ball carriers in the Big Eight Conference.

He is the back that keeps the defense honest inside. Oklahoma also has a fine offensive line. In watching films of their games with other opponents, our coaching staff has been impressed by the way their offensive line gets off the ball quickly. They have some great doing that all year with the passing of Jerry Tagge and a strong running game. have tremendous balance.

In addition, we must have excellent coverage on punts and kickoffs. We'll have to find a way to contain Johnny Rodgers. I don't expect Nebraska to change' its attack much. They've had great success passing off the spread formation. We'll need to put pressure on Tagge 'up front and get excellent coverage in the secondary.

Of course, our offensive team is well to counter the defensive situations confronting us. We will pass when we have to and success in passing has helped us win many games. It is my hope that errors or fluke plays will not be a deciding factor in the game; that it will be won by the team with the1 best players. Then both teams will be able to walk off the field with their heads held high. There will be two fine football teams on the field Thanksgiving Day, but only one win- 4.