The Lincoln Star from Lincoln, Nebraska • 32

6DE 1HUSKEE1S OCTOBER 18. 1989 SUNDAY JOURNAL-STAB Temp ers Offensive line -keeps on rolliiig Doue Glaser started at right tackle but aggravated the ankle sprain that kept him out of practice most of the week and couldn't finish the half. Engstrom filled in wen, according to offensive line coach Milt Tenopir. All the reserve linemen did. They had to.

Nelson and Andy Keeler-J the other starting guard, both were both-. ered by injuries, as was Tom Punt, No. 1 backup tackle, said Tenopir. By Mike Babcock Insatiable. That's it Nebraska's offensive line was insatiable Saturday afternoon.

How many points are enough? "We never have enough," said senior John Nelson, a starting guard. "That's our attitude. Let's score an day. We dont ever want to quit scoring." That's about what the Cornhuskers had to do against Oklahoma State, which seems to have the same philosophy. Nebraska Coach Tom Osborne warned his players they'd have to score a lot of points to beat the Cowboys, ac '-kBf MX) As a result, "we played a lot of kids to there," he saia -we piayea an uve iacx-les and six or seven guards, and we didnt have any procedure penalties.

ir, "I cant evaluate our blocking until cording to wingback Richard Ben, He told us that before the game and see the films, but, obviously, we had to again at halmme, as well as during the be doing something weu." Nebraska finished with 662 yards of first half, BeU said. offense, an average of yards per play, flare up onfield By Mike Babcock By the second half of Saturday afternoon's Nebraska-Oklahoma State football game, there was pushing and shoving and talking, apparent signs of the frustration the Cowboys felt. That's the Cornhuskers version of what was happening, anyway. Broderick Thomas, Nebraska's All-America candidate at outside linebacker, described it as a lot of tip." "They played a fair game, but later on, they started getting frustrated," Thomas said. "There was nothing for us to be frustrated about We were winning the game." That's not exactly true about the frustration, that is.

Thomas and the rest of the Corn-husker defense came away from the 63-42 Jictory a little frustrated. "I'd rather beat 'em by 40 or 50 points," said Thomas, who wasn't happy about Nebraska giving up 42 points. "It doesnt put you in a very fulfilling mood," he said. But then, If nothing was wring with this game (defensively), we wouldn't have to practice Monday." linebacker LeRoy Etienne said the Cornhuskers' 42-0 start may have affected the play of the defense, although it shouldn't have. You've got to play up to your ability every time," he said.

"But when you get ahgad tike that, you tend to lose a notch. There might have been a lack of concentration at times and a little bit of poor tedding." Still, Nebraska won. And that's the bottom line. Cornhusker notes, quotes TED KIRKSUNDAY JOURNAL-STAR After the Cornhuskers jumped out to a 354) first-quarter lead, "I was thinking, This might end up 704 said BelL When Nebraska scored the first touchdown of the second quarter, it looked like 704 might be the halftime score. And still, Osborne was telling the Cornhuskers they'd probably need more.

"I was looking at the scoreboard and thinking, 'But Coach, we've already got a 42-point "Ben said. He understood Osborne's concern, however, after Oklahoma State cut NU's lead to 49-21 at halftime. "When we came in at halftime, Coach (Osborne) told us we needed to get at least two more touchdowns," said Steve Engstrom, a back-up offensive tackle who played most of the second half. The Cornhuskers scored only two touchdowns in the second half, the second corning on a Steve Taylor run five minutes into the fourth quarter. "After that, I thought we pretty much had it," Engstrom said.

and rushed for 570 yards. And the Cornhuskers accomplished those things according to plan. "We didnt do anything out of the ordinary, We just played hard," Tenopir said. Everyone was in synch. "It felt good out there today," said Nelson.

backs were running harder than The whole thing was working." It didnt take long to realize If, it came down to just continuing to we could get the job running. backs coach Frank Solich said. So how much was enough? "Before the game, Coach (Osborne) i told us it would probably take in the 40's" to win," said Engstrom. It didnt take long to convince the sophomore walk-on from Lincoln Pius the Cornhuskers were capable of tag at least that many points. "After we got those first three touch-" downs, we'knew they werent invtad- -ble," Engstrom said.

Oklahoma State's Byron Woodard (56) and Nebraska's Broderick Thomas (behind official) mix it up late in the third quarter. think some fights would have broken out if things kept going on in the second half." Nebraska players are told to "walk away from those things, turn your Etienne said. i "We were winning. There was nothing for us to talk about We just wanted to get it done and go home." more guts than we did today." There was frustration on both sides by game's end, Griffin said. "I was trying to break up fights out there," he said.

"I tried to keep Broderick from getting into "He was mad. We were an mad be-'cause we couldn't stop them, and they were mad because they couldnt win. I "It's a win, no matter how you do it," Etiennesaid. "It reminded me of the UCLA game, except the other way around." Oklahoma State earned the respect of defensive tackle Willie Griffin. The Cowboys had "a great offense, and I'm glad we dont have to play them again," he said.

"The defense has to have i WIJ.llU!MIIIIWIW nK vfw NU's bootleg pass remains a success t.a hi TED KIRKSUNDAY JOURNAL-STAR Cornhusker safety Tim Jackson celebrates after intercepting a pass in the third quarter, HUM Defense 1D By Ken Hambleton Like the heartbreak of psoriasis, or the cold and flu season, the dreaded counter sweep-bootleg pass struck again. This time, the famed play was good for three touchdowns in Nebraska's wild victory over Oklahoma State. "It's the same old thing," Nebraska quarterback Steve Taylor said. "People worry about containing me because I -can run, so the tight end is open, wide, wide open, and Todd Millikan has the great hands to bring the baU in." The counter-sweep is a misdirection play where blockers go to one side and the play goes to the other. The bootleg part is where Taylor takes the ban from the center and rolls out after faking a handoff.

It works because defenses have to respect Taylor's abfflty to keep the baU and run. Defenders must commit to stopping Taylor and giving up coverage of the tight end, or covering the tight end and giving up the run to Taylor. Successful play The first time he ran the play Saturday, Taylor scored on a 60-yard run. The second time, it worked for a 32-yard touchdown pass to Millikan. The third time, Taylor hit Millikan on a 13-yard "The running game was going so well today it reaUy sets up the counter sweep and that leaves the bootleg pass wide open," Millikan said.

"I thought Coach Osborne and Steve Taylor called a great game, even though this wasnt the best defense we've faced. The coaches told us that defense wasnt the strong point of their team and we had to do what we could to get some points on the board." Good blocking Millikan threw a key block on Ken Clark's 73-yard touchdown run on Nebraska's first play of the game. "That was different because I didnt know Ken was coming to my side until I felt someone bump into my back and I saw he was wearing red," Millikan said. "I figured I better hit somebody and get out and get in front of him downfield." Millikan also was instrumental in freeing Taylor on two other runs and wingback Richard Ben on a reverse. blocking was great today," Taylor said.

"We had the execution and the athletes to get 63 points. When we got 35 points in the first quarter, and we an knew we'd score a couple more touchdowns before the game was over, there were a lot of smiles in the huddle. "It was a good feeling because we were hurt that people thought Oklahoma State would beat us and become the first lS Ken Clark, who had 256 yards, passed Rick Bems for the No. 2 spot for single game rushing at Nebraska. Mike Rozier is still the leader with 285 yards in a game against Kansas in 1983.

1-' Coach Tom Osborne said this year's team reminds him of the 1983 team. "While the problem wasn't in the first quarter we looked good andi the1 offense was terrible against Nevada Las Vegas, now we look like the 1983 team with scores like 63-42." Todd MuTIkan tied the Nebraska record for touchdowns in a career by a tight end when he caught scoring passes of 31 and 13 yards. He now has 12 touchdown catches, tying Junior Miller who played from 1977 through 1979. I' Outside linebacker Broderick' Thomas became the 13th Cornhusker to pass the 200 tackles in a career mark with his eight tackles Saturday. He now has 206 career tackles.

His career total of 123 unassisted tackles is one short of fourth place on the all-time list Uf Steve Taylor took the lead on the NUrchart for career touchdowns accounted for when he ran for three touchdowns and passed for two more. He now has 55 touchdowns 28 rushing and 27 passing. Nebraska's injury report: Todd Millikan (ribs), Lorenzo Hicks (back, jammed finger), Willie Griffin (ankle), Nate Turner (thumb), John Nelson (ankle), Doug Glaser (ankle, lower leg), Bryan Carpenter (Charley horse), Andy Keeler (ankle, knee), Tim Jackson (groin), Tim McCoy (turf toe), Jobman (knee). None were considered serious. I I-back Ken Clark, in a radio inter-' view, on his 73-yard touchdown run: "I ran scared all the way." I VJ I I r.

pilll 4 jf mMBmmmnmmMmt fiiPlillililiii (Fryar's), I got a little pressure and I tried to force it in anC got a bad pass. That's my fault The deep one (Blazek's), wj had a busted route and I figured if I could get it in there, fine If not, it's as good as a punt The one in the third quarter (Jackson's) I never saw him and threw right to him," Gundy safd. Jackson, who has three interceptions this year, said Gundy was throwing in some very tough situations. "He has confidence in his receivers and he was throwing in some impossible situations and we felt we had to make him pay," he said. "I know he (Gundy) had to feel he could get the ball in tohisV receivers no matter what He got one in to Hart Lee DykeST that I couldnt believe.

Lorenzo (Hicks) and I had him covered as wen as you can cover a guy and he caught it "But Gundy tried to do that a couple more times and we I stepped up on the ban and got it," Jackson said. Jackson said he and Blazek were both playing off, reading, the quarterback's eyes. "Our cornerbacks were on top of their guys most of the day and Gundy had to throw the ban into the" middle more and that's when the safeties can start to roam'' over and help the coverage," he said. Oklahoma State still managed to score more points against Nebraska than any team has since 1968 and rolled up 455 yards of total offense, but that doesnt cause the Cornhuskers to panic, Jackson said. "We were good enough.

That's all We blitz more. We gamble more and we gave up some points. "But heck, it wasn't boring, was it? We're not a boring team," he said. touchdown pass. Millikan has unnrtd nn five of Ws 11 OSU team to beat Nebraska in 27 years.

receptions this year. The last two years, We 8 evefy year when we Millikan caueht 24 oasses and scored play Oklahoma State. seven times. Former NU tight end Tom TED KIRKSUNDAY JOURNAL-STAR "I think that hype got us fired up for the fourth-down conversions and the third-down conversions," he said. Nebraska was 2-for-2 on fourth-down conversions and 7-for-12 on third-down conversions.

Banderas scored 10 times in 16 receptions during his career with the Most of the touchdowns to the tight ends the last three seasons have come on bootleg passes from Taylor. NU Coach Tom Osborne shows his disgust with a roughness penalty called on the Cornhuskers with 30 seconds left in the first ji.i,wwwii,-i mw. wimiiiMuu.i..wp...,, "jwiwf jwjwiuiji.umi,... s. i i Babcock single-game school record (285 yards), set against Kansas in 1983.

Solich didnt know how close Clark was to the record, but it probably wouldn't have mattered, anyway. Clark gave way to Tyreese'Knox after the first series of the fourth quarter. "I'd already decided Ken was coming out," Solich sail Clark motivated The attention Sanders has drawn motivated Clark, according to wingback Richard BeU, who lives in the same apartment complex as Clark. But Clark didnt want to get caught up in the kind of hype that preceded last year's Nebraska-UCLA game. Much was made of a personal duel between the Cornhuskers' Keith Jones and the Bruins' Gaston Green, who like Sanders, was a Heisman Trophy candidate.

Even the usuafly reticent Jones admitted later that he aUowed himself to be swept along by aU the comparisons between himself and Green. Neither of them played welL The lesson Jones learned that day wasnt lost on Clark. Early this week, Clark mentioned last year's UCLA game, BeU sail "Ken said, 'Hey, I'm not going to worry about stuff tike that'" Clark was true to his word Saturday afternoon, it wasnt what he sail It was what he did No one could comer him. I 111 i mm i li i 'Mi I i will ill ii 'i" TiiiiMiiaiinirrr '-Biiii i immfilr titwiimhi i i GAIL FOLDA SUNDAY JOURNAL-STAR Nebraska's Ken Clark (32) bounces off teammate Todd Millikan as Millikan blocks Oklahoma State's Joe King. Cowboys Rod Smith (45) and Torrance dimming (58) are on the ground as Clark cuts through en route to a 3-yard touchdown run on NU's firsjplay from scrimmage.

IAN DOREWIU88UNDAY JOURNAL-STAR Marvin Sanders (left) congratulates Ken Clark after Clark broke loose for his first-quarter touchdown jaunt. i if if ti tin r- itin it liimn.ft, it 1 1 i ffli Iti "-I i i fc 4.