Lincoln Journal Star from Lincoln, Nebraska • 39

2E April 25, 1 982 Lincoln, Sunday Journal and Star Young players big hitters in Husker secondary two pretty good leaders in Allen and of establishing ourselves and becoming let those running backs overpower you," he added. "You've got to pop them at the Unofficial reception delights Rimington ever caught. I had to celebrate," said Rimington, who put the ball between his legs, then flipped it over his shoulder. "It might have looked a little hot-doggish, but it was fun," Rimington said. "I was just trying to break up the pile when I saw the ball in the air," he said.

"I thought about running with it But it was kind of congested. I went down right quick. I figure one miracle at a time. Next time, 111 try to run with it- Dave Rimington didn't get official credit for the catch, but that didn't stop him from celebrating the first reception in his football career Saturday. Nebraska's Outland Trophy-winning center caught a deflected pass on the Reds' first offensive possession of the spring game.

Although a pass interference penalty against the Whites kept him out of the official stats, it didnt keep the smile off Rimlngton's face. "I've been playing football for 10 years and that's the first pass I've Kris, ana tnat'S imponani in me way we've come Harris made the move from safety to cornerback, and Is still adjusting a little to the change. "The worst thing is the pressure I put on myself In learning a new position," Harris said. "The best thing Is the hitting. I think all of us are proud of the way we hit We're aggressive.

We go after it We may miss one now and then, but when we miss, we're going to be close enough the back will remember It "The reason we take so much pride in making the big tackle is because it feels so good," Harris said. "It all depends on how much you want it You don't have to be big or fast to hit. You just have to want to hit It wont always be a perfect hit, but if you stay aggressive, you're going to make something good happen." That's the kind of talk that keeps Thornton smiling. By Chuck Sinclair StaH Sport Writer Nebraska secondary coach Bob Thornton, a man who walked into spring practice a month ago obviously concerned about replacing the nation's top defensive backfield. walked out of Memorial Stadium following Saturday afternoon's Spring Game with a smile on his face.

Thorton knows the battle of replacing an entire defensive backfield is not over by any means, but the war has begun and quite successfully at that "I have to admit I was nervous at the start of spring practice," Thornton "Now that things have developed, it's just very typical of a Nebraska spring. You're going into it a little shaky. You don't feel you've had what you had in the past, and all of a sudden these guys turn eut to be great players. "The first few games, we're going to be tested, there's no doubt about that," he added. "But we have the capabilities 'i a very strong defensive secondary." The initial test Saturday under restricted conditions on defensive coverage and offensive formations didn't allow Thornton much chance for analyzing.

But there was one facet of the game that wasn't limited by restrictions that caught the eye of the second-year assistant. "We've got better hitters than we did last year as a whole," Thornton said, "Every one of those kids will come up and knock your socks off. They're all big strong kids who'll knock you backwards when they hit you." They're also big young kids who like to hit. Two sophomores, Bret Clark and Neil Harris, are currently Blackshirts along with junior Jim Murphy and seniors Allen Lyday and Kris Van Norman. The fierce hitting has become a source of pride for all the backs.

"I think part of the reason we hit so" line. This year, we've got a lot more people who like to hit in the secondary. That's going to be beneficial to the team inthefalL" While Thornton calls Lyday his anchorman In the secondary, he has high hopes for the development of Clark at safety and Harris at a corner splitting time with Murphy. "Both those kids made sophomore All-Big Thornton said. "Clark's 40 times over winter conditioning (4.44 the last five times) were faster than any safety who's ever played here.

And he has three years to go." "I expect people to try and go deep on me early because I'm so young," Clark said. "But I know I can do the job. The ability is there. You just have to play smart up here. "I think we probably surprised a lot of people this spring, but it wasnt really a surprise to us," Clark added.

"We have game. When the receivers come out, if they don't get hit, they're not going to worry about it when they go to catch the pass. If you hit 'em, they're going to think about it "As for the running game, you cant. hard is that we've taken a lot of flack about rebuilding the entire secondary," Lyday said. "Everybody says we won't be as good.

That's for us to prove. You've got to play two facets of the game, the running game and the passing Huskers From Page 1 1 iLTf. Husker injury report good e. "3 Mike Babcock Nebraska head trainer and physical therapist George Sullivan said the Cornhusker football team came through Saturday's Red-White intrasquad game "very good. Tm not sure we'll need to have anyone show up in the training room tomorrow (Sunday).

"There are some bruises, but nobody was hurt seriously." According to NU head coach Tom Osborne, the same could be said for the entire four weeks of spring practice. Linebacker Dan McCoy will require knee surgery; otherwise, the Cornhuskers came through in good physical condition. "We've had years where there have been six, seven or eight knee operations" resulting from spring drills, Osbome said. Eye in the sky i a i ties totaling 98 yards; two field goals and four touchdowns, two on the ground and two through the air. In addition, the weather was nice, though perhaps a little windy, and "we got through it without any major injuries," Osborne said.

"I would say the spring game was good from the standpoint of effort and the lack of injuries. And "considering it was a spring game, it wasn't real sloppy," said Osborne, who added the game "was not spectacular in terms of big plays, but that was partly a result of our being a little beat up at the skill positions." The longest play of the game was turned in by Red team cornerback Allen Lyday, who intercepted a pass and returned the ball 33 yards just before the first half ended. "Any time Lyday intercepts a pass, you'd better get your feet moving fast because he could go all the way," Nebraska defensive coordinator Charlie McBride said. "Because of his experience, Allen Lyday is the best player in our secondary right now." According to Osborne, the Cornhuskers' young secondary "has come the farthest" of any position area since spring drills began four weeks ago, "but then they had the farthest to go," he said. With both Gill and Mathi-son out of action and with Mason favoring a sore arm, neither team's secondary "got a good test today," McBride said.

"We'll have to wait until next fall to see how they're going to respond." Keeping things basic may have taken pressure off the secondary and limited the game's excitement but "it's important to know whether or not you're able to run a basic defense against anybody you play; that's what you strive for," said McBride. "Next year, that's what it'll amount to. If we can play a basic defense, that takes pressure off the younger guys because they don't have Nebraska head football coach Tom Osbome called the offensive plays for both teams in Saturday's annual Red-White intrasquad game from the press box on the west side of Memorial Stadium. Afterward, he was asked how he liked the A'iew. "It's okay," he said.

Would he like to have the same vantage point during a regular season game? "You can't do it on a regular basis because you lose contact with your players," Osborne said. "There are times when you'd like to talk to the players or, least, when you feel you need to." Being in the press box, "you can do a better job of calling plays, but you can't make adjustments from there," Osborne Said. "Some head coaches have tried, but most are eventually "driven back to the field." One significant advantage to being nigh above the field is the ability to more accurately gauge down-and-distance relationships. According to Osborne, "if it's third-and-a-foot, you know it, while sometimes when you're at field level, you have to guess how far it is." A bad guess can create big problems. No.

12 came in One of the more pleasant surprises of Saturday's Red-White game was the appearance of quarterback Turner Gill, who held placement kicks for the Red team. Osborne said he wasn't reluctant to use Gill in such a capacity because "he's been doing more rigorous things than that during practices all spring. I imagine Turner could go out right now and play if he had to. "We're not concerned about the nerve being reinjured," said Osborne, who added that Gill's main problem right now, without the return of complete mobility, is that "he's more of a sitting duck" for injuries like ankle sprains or twisted knees. Gill suffered nerve damage in his right leg during last fall's Iowa State game.

"He's come along pretty fast," Osborne said. "Three inonths ago, he had no movement in his (right) foot. Five or six weeks ago he regained the first movement and now he's operating much more normally. "He's shown a lot of quickness and mobility already. There's no reason to believe he won't fully recover." Strength in the middle NU defensive coordinator Charlie McBride won't have to push senior middle guard Jeff Merrell in the fall "IH say right now, he's got his hands full," McBride said.

According to McBride, Mike Tranmer, a sophomore walk-on from Lyons, will be challenge enough. Tranmer "knows what he's doing. He's a self-made man," said McBride. "He's not awesome looking, physically, but he gets to the footbalL" Tranmer is a shade over six feet tall and weighs 225 pounds. He can bench press 390 pounds and has spent part of the spring with the first unit defense while Merrell has been sidelined with a hyperextended knee.

Merrell didn't compete in Saturday's intrasquad game. Ken Graeber, another sophomore walk-on, fits into the same mold and could become a "first-class noseguard," McBride said. "All three of those guys are intense and tough." STAFF PHOTO BY HUMBERTO RAMIREZ White defender Pat Larsen (3) breaks up a pass intended for the Reds' lr-ving Fryar. Pius wins track crown to make a lot of adjustments," he said. Both Red and White defenses posed basic problems for the offense in the first quarter, during which the Reds scored 10 points, enough to win the game.

The No. 1 offense (Red) drove to the Whites' three-yard line on its first series, but couldn't score a touchdown and was forced to settle for Kevin Sei-bel's 21-yard field goal. Seconds later, Red defensive end Wade Praeuner recovered a fumble at the White 11-yard line to set up the afternoon's first touchdown. Mason kept for nine yards, and Roger Craig covered the final two yards. With Seioel's extra-point kick, the Reds led 1(H), less than nine minutes into the game.

The Whites' first touchdown was set up when defensive end David Ridder intercepted a Todd Zart pass and returned it 17 yards to the Red 28-yard line. Nine plays and more than five minutes later, quarterback Troy Ta-larico punched the ball into the end zone from a yard out. Dan Wingard's extra-point kick failed, and the Reds led at halftime, 10-6. In the third quarter, Sundberg directed the Whites on a 69-yard drive, which culminated in Mark-Hagerman's 28-yard field goal, then switched jerseys and took the Reds the final 57 yards of an 80-yard touchdown drive on the next series. Sundberg completed three passes during the drive, the first to Randy Huebert for 12 yards and the others to Brown, who took the second at the six-yard line and carried defenders Kevin Big-gers and Dan Ripa into the end zone.

Seibel converted the extra point. The afternoon's final touchdown was scored with 10:55 left and was set up by defensive" tackle Toby Williams' fumble recovery at the White 30-yard line. Zart and tight end Dave Dietz teamed up on an eight-yard touchdown pass, with Grant Campbell adding the extra-point kick. "I was never disappointed with the defense at any point in the game; I was pleased with the intensity," said McBride, who admitted: "It was about what I expected." No one said the game would be exciting. It was all pretty basic.

liF'-i'l 4 points narrowly edged York, which had 200 total points. Other winners for Pius were Fritz Busch in the 1,600 and the runs, Nancy Kouma in the 1,600 and the 3,200, and Jolene Trainor in the 300 low hurdles. The Pius girls also won the 400-meter relay in a time of :53.6 and the 1,600 relay in 4:26.3. Boys results TEAM SCORING: 1. York 159, i.

L. Plus 113, 3. Crett 10Z 4. Hebron 72.5. Norris 39, 6.

FolrburvM. EVENT WINNERS: olt vault Junior Eklurxj, York, 12-4; long lump Gregg Adams, York, 21-7; 40 Jeff Heng, Plus :50.e (meet record); 1,100 Fritz Busch, Plus shot put Todd Bresec, York, M-5'A; high lump Lorry BarkdolL Crete, -0; discus Greg Bracken, York 141-4V; 1,200 relay Norris. I JS 11 high hurdles Pot Soucle, Crete. :15.9; triple lump Rod Croud, York, ti-TVi (meet 100 Heng, Plus :11.7; 00 Jim Moron, York, 300 Intermediate hurdles Soucle, Crete. :41.

(meet record); MO Heng, Plus :23.4; Busch, Plus 40 relay Crete, :45.5; reloy Hebron, 3:34.4. Girls results TEAM SCORING: 1. Norris lot, 2. L. Plus 09, 3.

Crete 4. Hebron 72. 5. Folrbury 70, 4. York 41.

EVENT WINNERS: Shot put Sandy Bender, Crete, 14-5'A; discus Bender. Crete, 9t-9Vi; long lump Julie Keefever, Norris, 15-7; high lump Kellee Hart, Folrbury, 5-1; 400 Kathl DeBoer, Norris, 3,200 Nancy Kouma, Plus It hurdles DeBoer, Norris, :17.0; tot Laurie Forrest, Hebron, 100 Morv Pat Sawdon, PlusX, :13.t; MOO relay Hebron, MO hurdles Jolene Trainor, Plus :49.9; IM Kouma, Plus Sawdon, Plus 4M relay Plus :M.4; 140 relay Plus 4:26.3. YORK Mary Pat Saw-don and Jeff Heng led Lincoln Pius to the combined title at the Yowell Track Classic held here Saturday. Sawdon was named the meet's Outstanding Female Athlete after winning both the 100-and 200-meter dashes. Heng won the 400 in a meet-record time of :50.6, the 100 in :11.7 and the 200 at :23.4 to be named the meet's Outstanding Male Athlete.

The Thunderbolt boys finished second behind York, while the girls trailed Norris. Pius' combined total of 202 STAFF PHOTO BY HUMBERTO RAMIREZ Red split end Todd Brown hauls in one of three passes he caught in the NU Spring Game. Red-White statistics Brown From Page IE- sr? fun W-RSS iwm vards; Zort 4-7-1, 28; Sundberg 4-5-0, 52. White Sundberg 8-17-1, 89; Ta-larlco 1-3-1, 19. RECEIVING: Red Kosmlckl 1-7, Brown 3-51, Pokornv 1-12, Llnd-Strom 1-3, Dletz 3-24.

White Kimball 2-36, J. Smith 2-11. Schoettger 1-20, Swonson 2-24, Curtis 1-6. Ver-githl-11. limemen (unassisted tackles-total tackles): Red Fellcl 2-3, Relnhards0-3, McCormlck 3-4.

Herrmann 1-2, Tranmer 3-5, Reynolds 0- 1, Strasburger 0-2. Praeuner 3-3, Weber 2-2, Tucker 0-1. Williams 2-4, Bachman 1-1; White Hill 2-0, Shead 1-1, Keeler 3-8, Graeber 4-2, Skow 2-3, Waechter 0-1, Zlerke 34, Newton 3-5, Buchanan 3-4, Rldder 1- 4, Reeves 1-1. LINEBACKERS: Red Oamkro- ger 5-7, Knox 1-4, Baker 2-3, Evans 3-4. White 3-3.

Armstrong 3-4, Seibel 1-1; White ProHitt 4-5, Whlteman 5-7, DeBus 4-4, Buret) 1-2. Doom 4-6, Rloa 3-6, Fraln 1-1, Dlttmer 1-1. BACKS: Red Juelfs 1-1, Clark 3-3, Murphy 0-1, Lyday 1-2, Peterson 0-1, Napodando 2-3, Clare 1-1, Mc-Callum 1-2, Van Norman 3-3, Llnd-strom 1-1; White Larson 3-1 Haase 1-2, Roller 1-1, Blggert 1-1, McCasfiland 2-2. Rlsher 2a Tim Peterson 0-1, Burke 1-1, Haywood 1-1, Holbrook 1 Wodt 1-3, Ruhl 1-1, Campbell 1-1. Reds 24, whites 9 Reds 10 0 7 7 24 Whites 0 6 3 09 Red Seibel 21 FG.

Red Criog2run iSelvel kick). White Talanco 1 run (kick failed). White Hagerman MFG. Red Brown 14 poss trom Sund-berg (Seibel kick). Red Oeitz 8 pass from Zarl (Campbell kick).

Reds Whites First downs 20 13 Rushes-yards 61-255 4J-125 Passing yards 97 101 Return yards 4-44 M7 Passes 9-14-1 9-20-2 Punts-ovg 2-290 Fumbies-lost 9-4 7-5 Penalties-yards 7-44 6-54 INDIVIDUAL LEADERS RUSHING: Red Mason 13-77, Rozier 9-30, Craig 1-35. Wilkenlng 2-9, Schellen 2-8. Home 3-7, Dlvls 3-5. Brungardt 7-45. Sundberg 4-9, Kingston 4-16, Zart 4-11, Pokorny l-(-)3, Smith 1-4.

White Sundberg 6-14, J. Smith 7-22. Woravec 2-9, Rathmon 4-17, Curtis 2-14, Thompson 1-5, To-lorlco 8-1, Patterson 5-10. Robinson 2-7, Swanson 2-17, Brungardt 1-2, Porter 1-3, Miles 2-4. PASSING: Red Mason 1-2-0.

17 leading rusher with 77 yards on 13 carries. "Next year," Mason said, "we're going to need at least two quarterbacks, and maybe a third." Sundberg embellished his reputation by completing eight of 17 passes for 89 yards for the White team. Midway through the third quarter, he changed jerseys and drove the Beds 57 of their 80 yards en route to a touchdown. For the Reds, Sundberg completed four of five passes for 51 yards, giving him 12 completions in 22 attempts for 140 yards and a touchdown. "I'm pretty pleased," Sundberg said.

"It's tough to put anything on the ball when you're going into the wind. But I can't be disappointed with my performance. I'm optimistic. I'm going to keep a positive attitude and not get down on myself. take the breaks as they come.

I'm ready to roll with the punches." Nebraska Coach Tom Osborne has insisted all spring that the Huskers can win with Sundberg at the controls. "I know I'm a lot more confident," Sundberg said. "I'm stronger, I'm faster and I'm a year older. I'm ready to work hard this summer and see where I end up this fall We still have 30 more practices before our first game. A lot can still AK-SAR-BEN TURF NEWS MONEY HORSES EXPERT SELECTIONS GOLFERS 1 Why Wait Hours To Play Golf I Play Golf.

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