The Lincoln Star from Lincoln, Nebraska • 34

OCTOBFR 90. 193 SUNDAY 6DC3KUGItOnS oveWdt takes left off starter Lewis where By Virgil Parker SpotttEdttor. I backers up there took us out of a few wanted to do," Tenopir 4 323 "They certainly didnt look like an 0 team," TenqplrjaBsSS we always know that when we play Missouri, to be a v.l:v: iTl While several Missouri drives were stalled by muffed snr-f fmm mntor Pnnner and Vphraska OuarterbaCkS' McOUmp i "Sis: '''VI 'V Clayton and Travis Turner has just single miscue. tt on a crucial fourth-and-uiches siiuauon. viayion was scoop up the ball and gain the first down, i "1 dont know what haooened that time," Cooper-sailLSSIatt COLUMBIA, Mo.

In the last 11 years, a Cornhusker player has been named the All-Big Eight center nine times. Bik Bonness. Tom Davis. Kelly Saalfeld. Dave Bimingtoa Mark Traynowicz.

They took turns winning the honor In past years. And, the odds-on choice (or this season's honor is Ne-braska's Bill Lewis. .8 But 'Lincoln's Mark Cooper, NU second-string center, snapped every down In Nebraska's 28-20 victory over Missouri Saturday. The former Lincoln East standout stepped in for Lewis, who suffered a knee injury against Oklahoma State, to be the point man for. a Nebraska offense that was forced to run straight ahead most of.

the game because of the slippery surface of faurot Field's newiOmniturf, 4 "That was tl real thrill to play every down," Cooper said. "Today was certainly the high point of my football career to date." Cooper said Missouri "didn't do anything we hadn't practiced against We didnt have to change any of our blocking assignments. But they, really came after us and things weren't going our way. We just weren't getting the job done." Nebraska offensive line coach Milt Tenopir had nothing but praise for Coop'Sjjyerformance', however. "Coop played very well," Tenopir said.

ThejSpiled their people Inside, The teams that had hurt them had gotten outside on them. Because (he field was so slick, we had to stay away from the outside stuff. Even on the inside plays we'd make good contact-but the kids had trouble driving because they couldn't get their footing. I'm hot trying to make excuses, but we thought the footing would be better. "Missouri played a fine football game.

By having their line- and I worked together all week. Either he pulled out too sooflf or I was late with the snap. I had no idea the ballhid cOnw loose. I was down on the bottom of th? PJ rTenopir sakl 'oftoopert "I wouldn't take anything awajr from Mark because he worked his tall off In there. But Bui; i.

Lewis) is a more dominant center. We might have had a littl more' movement in there on the offensive line if Lewis ha been able to play. But Mark did a hekuva job. I watched hin closely on almost every play." 6vjfn" Tenopir was more worried about the situation at guard lhaJt he was atcenter. SUrter Stan Parker stayed home with knee.

Brian Blankenship played almost every doWif wjth-g bruised shoulder. i l1 "When John McCormick got dinged and had to com oiO were really thin at guard," Tenopir said. "Anytime yoqke three guys (Lewis, Parker and McCormick) out of there. guy who have played five games for you, you've got a continuu problem. They get used to working side by side.

As a result, were a MUe bit shaky at times. "But, a win is a added. "Against Missouri well take a win any way we can get iL "rm' -mm mummmmmmmmt WidenHofer stands proud By Ken Hambleton COLUMBIA, Mo. Missouri Coach WAV'- V. fj -frMiMtiWii r--n j-twj'iiwai.

Nebraska's Kevin Parsons racks up Mizzou quarterback Warren Seitz on this second-quarter hit. Seitz' pass was intercepted and he suffered a cut chin on this play. Linebacker Parsons wins attleJ on His Jionie tur Tiger linebacker Steve Vandegrift helped make quarterback 1 McCathorn Clayton's afternoon a rough one. i Woody Widenhofer found some consolation after his Tigers lost to Nebraska 28-20 Saturday at Faurot Field. "This has got to be a big boost for our football team, though we lost, we played hard and.

had success on the field," he said after his team fell to 64 on the sea- son. 1 thought that our football-team gave a great effort," Widenhofer said. "We had a problem with bur center in two or three key situations. We had five turn-, overs that gave them at least 15 points." Widenhofer said he couldnt pinpoint the problems with the center snaps. "I dont know if it was the center or the quarterback," he said.

"Marlon (Adler) had two fumbles and. Warren (Seitz) had two. Two of the fumbles came after timeouts and it was unfortunate because we had things set up." Nebraska's Dale Klein startled Widenhofer with his record-setting seven field goals. "If someone would have told me be- 1 fore the game that we'd have' three touchdowns to their one; I would have felt like we would have won the game. We just ran into a hot field-goal kicker.

He just split them (the uprights)." The first-year Missouri coach cited his defense for keeping under wraps. "Our defensive line and inside (line)-backers played well inside," Widenhofer said. "On a couple of plays, (NU's Doug) DuBose would get tackled and then spurt out He's a great back. We were really worried about their of fensive line inside. And they really ran it at us to try to wear us down.

"We rose to the Occasion and stopped their offensive game inside." Missouri safety Erik who had two interceptions and 10 tackles, echoed Widenhofer's sentiments. "I think we know that we can beat anybody" he said. the records didn't matter. Nebraska is always a big rivalry, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State will be big riyalry games also. Anybody can win them and that was the case today." Missouri offensive guard Jeff Rigman concurred.

"I think this game will boost our morale a little hit, by playing a Top 10 team tough. We probably should have beaten. Scoring NU-MU How scored Time left FIRST QUARTER 7:271 :37 3:52,, 12:30 :2 "r- By Ken Hambleton COLUMBIA, Mo. A slash under his left eye, a deep cut off. his chin and a grin across his face made it seem that the only thing missing from Kevin Parsons was the quote, "Hi mom.

I won the fight" In a way, Nebraska's junior linebacker did win a battle Saturday afternoon at Faurot Field as the lluskers topped Missouri 28-20. Jn the first start for the Springfield, native, Parsons led the lluskers with 14 tackles, recovered a fumble and sacked Missouri quarterback Marlon Adler for a nine-yard loss. 5This was a very special game for me," Parsons said. "Playing iti front of family and friends. against guys I used to play against in high school.

"The fact that I had a tough time making a decision between Nebraska and Missouri made this a very important game for me," he said. "I went to all the Missouri games through junior high and high school and I saw a lot of great Nebraska-Mizzou games here" "Despite the fact Missouri was winless and had been out-scored by an average of 13 points a game and was averaging almost 100 yards less than its opponents, the game was in doubt until the final eight minutes, "I wasn't surprised this was-a tough game. I know who they recruit. I know their history. They may be 04 but they are a good team," he said.

feeling was mutual for Husker defensive tackle Chris Spacjiman, a native ofjtaiisas City, Mo. put more pressure on myself than any other game. I wanted to do more than usual and for the longest time, I didn't thinkj did as well as usual," he said. Two other Nebraska players are native Missourians tight end.Tom Banderas and defensive end Brad Tyrer. "You grow up watching-and following the Mizzou games apd this place becomes special," Spachman said.

you come back home you know you'll get ripped if you lose, so you put some extra into playing here." Parsons said part of the Huskers' problem was the slippery new Omniturf on the field and another part was Missouri's linemen picking up the blitzes. "They knew our defenses and it took us awhile to adjust to their attack," He said "We were slanting the linebackers early Und we switched some things around. "The big difference was we just got going harder. We knew we had to get going or we'd be behind like we were at thestart of the game," Parsons said. As for holding Missouri to six pass completions in the second half (just two in the final quarter) Parsons said the Change in the defense helped.

"The best thing to do is to jump on the quarterback," he said. Nebraska had seven quarterback sacks for a total of 55 in losses. "I thought we controlled the line of scrimmage pretty well most of the time" Spachman said. "Missed tackles gave them some yards but you. didn't see anyone running over the top of our "The thing-is, there might have been times when you start to listen to that stuff about -Missouri, being 0-5 before this game.

We knew better, and now everybody else should know better. "Usually missed tackles are dae to lack of concentration. But I know Missouri is worth every bit of concentration we had," he said. Parsons added, "you know I was concentrating. I want to go home for Christmas.

I would have had a hard time facing any body at home if Missouri had beaten us." 3-0 12-7 15-7 15-lJ 18-13 2M3 28-13 28-20 Klein 23 field goal Drive: 11 yards in seven plays. Set up by Washington Interception at Missouri 26. -Moore 33 pass from Seitz Drive: 59 yards in three plays. Highlighted by 14 Setz pass to Johnson. Conversion: Whelihan kick.

Klein 22 field goal Drive: 50 yards in six plays. Highlighted by 40 run by Miles. SECOND QUARTER Klein 43 field goal Drive: 56 yards in five plays. Highlighted DuBose 51 run. Klein 44 field goal Drive: 6 yards In four plavs.

Set up by interception by Carr. Klein 29 field goal Drive: 45 yards in 12 plays. Highlighted by DuBose five runs for 30 yards. THIRD QUARTER Seitz 13 run Drive: 73 yards In 10 plays. Highlighted by Seitz 23 pass to Overshown.

Conversion failed. Klein 43 field goal Drive: 33 yards in eight plays. Highlighted by DuBose 30 run. FOURTH QUARTER DuBose 22 run Drive: 39 yards in three'plays. Set up by fumble recovery by Knox at Missouri 40.

Conversion: Klein kick. Klein 43 field goal Drive: 13 yards In six plays. Set up after 38-yard Missouri punt. Overshown 24 pass from Adlef Drive: 24 yards In one play. Set up by K.

Jones fumble at NU 24. Conversion: Whelihan kick. am 7:52 0:01 them." Staff photos I by Randy Hampton Ted Kirk Humberto Ramirez Harald Dreimanis Husker quotes ff 'A A'-' I I lb -jk Linebacker Mike Knox on a key fumble recovery: i. "We were in a short-yardage defense and (Mizzou quarterback Marlon) Adler pulled away from the center a little too quickly. The ball popped loose and I jumped on it right away.

They did some good things on offense. They are certainly better than their record showed." FaKer Daa Wingard, who averaged SI jar Mf kicks: uktat believe I got 70 yards on, my fx one. I saw the guy signal for a hufdUXl couldn't believe he let it go. Wm I was hist saying ttiM, HA' Tm doing anything differ Mentally, Tm Missouri's Woody Widenhofer (left) motions for an official to come over and talk to him. The Tigers' coach was upset about a holding call against Phil Pettey (above), blocking Nebraska's Danny nan in the econd quarter.

rf ---m mAJk.Cr, 4 imiimiiitntftn i h.i.ui i i i i I i fc.ii a.f.,l ti I i I I I I I I i I I.