Lincoln Journal Star from Lincoln, Nebraska • 13

lincoln Journal Tuesday, January 2, 1979 1 3 Sports Spies hurt Nebraska, but mistake decided game Ok In uih bwwb Oklo Neb i Osborne didn't want to blame the out First downs 18 53-292 47 27 542)7 220 2 18-31-2 Rushes-yards Passing yards Return yards Passes Punts Fumbles-lost Penalties-yards 2 3-0 1-1 0-0 650 come of the game on the "leak" of his special plans, but he was obviously disturbed. "What concerned me was the fact that, we had never even used that formation this season and never with motion (putting a back in motion prior to the snap)," the Busker head man said. "Yet that note pad not only showed the play with motion but how they intended to defense it. They couldn't have learned that from looking at the films of our past games." Osborne insists he isn't accusing Oklahoma of illegal activity. "I can't say for sure they watched our practices.

Sometimes we sit around tn our coaching meetings and try to guess what the opponent will do and what defensive adjustment we'll make if they actually try such a play. I don'thave enough proof to accuse them." Then the Cornhusker coach observed, "Anyway, based on what I saw out on the field (the number of Nebraska mistakes), I'm not sure it made any difference, anyway." Ilusker quarterback Tom Sorley and ace running back Richard Berns were more vocal. Sorley said even when he audibled (changed the play at the line of scrimmage from the one called in the huddle), the Oklahoma defensive players seemed to know exactly what Nebraska was going to do. Berns expressed amazement at how well the Sooners seemed to have Nebraska scouted. HUSKERS: Continued page 14 r- ryfX -r.

1 jF jgt. 1 By Virgil Parker Sports Editor MIAMI, Fla. Spies. Inside information. Espionage.

Intrigue. James Bond fans would have loved it. Nebraska football coach Tom Osborne didn't. The stuff of which mystery stories are written may have played a crucial role in the outcome of Oklahoma's 31-24 Orange Bowl victory over Nebraska here Monday night. The plot began weeks ago when Osborne and his staff dreamed up some special plays for the post-season rematch with the Sooners.

Top secret! It thickened two days before the game when the Cornhusker coaches learned that their Oklahoma counterparts knew in complete detail all about the plays, right down to the intricate blocking assignment for each player. The NU staff came in possession of an Oklahoma coach's note pad. "It had our terminology and other information in it they shouldn't have known about," Ilusker defensive coordinator Lance Van Zandt says. "The plays, diagrammed in detail, had never been used in 11 games." Van Zandt implies ithout making a direct accusation that there is no way Oklahoma could have obtained that material without a spy or an inside APCOLORPHOTO Nebraska senior I-back Rick Berns picks up yardage in the first half against Oklahoma. Berns led NU rushers with 99 yards in 19 carriers.

To gamblers, NU a winner Buckeyes OU defense uncanny in sensing NU plays Randy York MIAMI The touchdown, of course, was meaningless, because Oklahoma still won and Nebraska still kM. But when Junior Miller snagged Tom Sorley's two-yard audible pass for a touchdown with no time remaining here Monday night in the Orange Bowl, the size of some farms in Nebraska may have doubled and the size of some oil wells in Texas and Oklahoma may have shrunk. Yes, Nebraska had beaten the spread and although that's almost a cuss word in Coach Tom Osborne's vocabulary, it's a football fact of life. Fans bet money, big money on football games especially big football games. Those fans include influential alumni, many of whom had put their money down on the Buskers, a 10 to 13-point underdog in the rematch of Big Eight co-champions.

Since betting is illegal, no one will ever know how much money was affected by that last touchdown, but one insider in Miami insisted bookings in Nebraska totaled well into the millions of dollars, perhaps as high as $5 million. For obvious reasons, coaches don't cotton to bookmaking. They even avoid glorifying the point spread. But Nebraska's staff had to feel some measure of relief and find some sense of satisfaction in that final touchdown. After all, many of the fans who won with their bookies, but lost with their hearts, will winter a lot better with heavier pock-etbooks.

It's no secret. The coaches know that more than a handful of the heavy bettors are merely backing their Ilusker pride with their Ilusker money. And that's important because many of those same men also back the Busker program in the form of summer jobs and other contributions. Maybe we're" dwelling too much on the game's final play, which had nothing to do with winning or losing. But there was some drama in it, even though many in the disappointing crowd of 66,365 had filed out of the stadium and most of the estimated 70 million watching on television or listening on radio had probably pushed the off button.

By that time, the crowd had about as much charge as a dead battery and the viewers had about as much interest as a small savings deposit. Not used to losing post-season games the 31-24 loss was only Nebraska's second in 10 consecutive bowl appearances (sborne was genuinely sapped by the outcome. But there should be some satisfaction in knowing that for two straight seasons now, Nebraska has beaten what Osborne believes was the best team in the country. Last year, the Buskers put the only blemish on Alabama's 11-1 record and this year, they did the same thing to 11-1 Oklahoma. The irony, of course, is that neither team was set up in the right curtain call to snare the national championship.

eyeing Bruce? AMES, Iowa (AP) Iowa State football Coach Earle Bruce said Monday night that he doesn't know what to say about speculation that he is a top possibility to succeed recently-fired Ohio State Coach Woody Hayes. "I haven't given it any thought," Bruce said in a telephone interview. "That's my alma mater, but I haven't seen anything in the paper that says anything but (Arkansas Coach) Lou Holtz. When asked if he would take the Ohio State job if it was offered to him, Bruce said, "I've got a fine job at Iowa State." Ohio State Athletic Director Hugh Hindman said he will meet Tuesday with university President Harold Enarson to establish a process with which to select the Big Ten power's 20th football coach. Holtz seems to be the frontrunner, but Hindman said present staff members will be considered, including defensive coordinator George Hill and quarterback-receiver coach George Chaump.

Other possible candidates besides Bruce being mentioned are: Bo Rein of North Carolina State, a former Buckeye halfback and graduate assistant, whose team beat Pittsburgh in the Tangerine BowL Rudy Hubbard of Florida Hayes1 backfield coach from 1968 to 1973. His team was 12-1 for the season and won the NCAA Division I-AA championship. Ralph Staub of Cincinnati, Hayes' offensive coordinator when he left Ohio State in 1977 after seven years on the staff. Bill Mallory, former Colorado coach, who was Ohio State defensive tackle coach from 1966 to 1968. He took Colorado to a Big 8 title and the Orange Bowl in 1976, but was fired after a 6-5 performance this year.

By Mike Babcock Staff Sports Writer MIAMI, Fla. The Amazing Kreskin would have been pleased. It was uncanny, almost like Oklahoma's defense KNEW what was coming each time Nebraska snapped the ball The Huskers had some offensive surprises planned for OU in Monday night's 45th annual Orange Bowl football game. Like the appearance of K.C. and the Sunshine Band during the halftone festivities, the looks Nebraska gave Oklahoma were supposed to be unexpected.

But the Sooners didn't seem to be befuddled, shocked or surprised by anything Nebraska did. Either someone couldn't keep a secret very well or the Sooners were using ESP to analyze NU's offense. "It was really a weird night as far as our game plan went," NU running back Rick Berns said. "We had a few things different we were going to run, but they adjusted well and seemed to know what we were running; they knew our schemes." Then Berns paused and selected his words carefully. "It looked funny," he said.

"Oklahoma sure must have some good scouting." Nebraska quarterback Tom Sorley agreed. He couldn't even audible without the OU defense adjusting. The Sooners were in a mood to play follow the leader. When Sorley called for switches, Oklahoma switched, too. "Sometimes when I audibled I was decoying and they jumped," Sorley said.

"But a lot of times they were yelling 'sweep right' or 'sweep left', "pitch right' or 'pitch left1, 'iso(lation) right' or 'iso left', 'pass right' or 'pass left'." OU's defense shouldn't have known, but it did. "They knew our automatics and all," "I don't know if I'll vote Oklahoma No. 1 (on his UPI ballot) or not," Osborne said, "but I do know I haven't seen a quicker team in my six years as Jiead coach." The Sooners are quicker than instant coffee and lleisman Trophy winner Billy Sims sometimes looks like he's been shot out of a cannon. Such speed affords OU the luxury to dance to a faster beat 'than the Mftime ceremony dedicated to disco and it was just too much for Nebraska to wrap into another winning package less than two months after the Huskers had already done it. "Oklahoma," Osborne observed, "has the best personnel in the country.

I've seen a lot of teams on TV the last two or three weeks, but I haven't seen anyone with the horses Oklahoma has. I'm not trying to put Alabama down because they have a great team, too. But I jusj don't think there's anyone better than Oklahoma." The Sooners whipped five bowl teams this season Nebraska, Missouri, Texas, Stanford and Iowa State. "I'll have to wait to see how I vote," Osborne said. "But I am sure of one thing.

If I were a betting man, which I'm not, I'd take Oklahoma against any team in the country." Naturally, non-gambling Osborne was talking about a bet, straight up, something true gamblers don't even consider. To some, Oklahoma's failing to beat the point spread was more important than beating Nebraska. An OU supporter told a Nebraska coach that one of the Sooners' biggest financial backers lost $150,000 on that last Sor-ley-to-Miller pass. Millions more were affected by the same play in Barry Switzerland. As disappointed as he is, even Tom Osborne should be able to smile about that.

Nebraska backs suffer injuries Nebraska's offensive backs absorbed the most punishment in Monday night's 31-24 Busker loss to fourth-ranked Oklahoma. I-back Richard Berns required ice to soothe a sore wrist and a sore shoulder. Fullbacks Andra Franklin (sprained ankle) and Jim Kotera (shoulder) also were unable to finish the game. Berns said. The Sooners were well-prepared.

"We had a few plays that I thought might work. A couple were new plays from an option-read formation that really didn't go like I thought they would. "And we told ourselves we were going to take it right down the middle on them, but then we didnt" Berns said. "We went out of our game plan." Part of Nebraska's game plan was to run right at Oklahoma the way the Huskers had in their 17-14 victory during the regular season. That philosophy enabled Berns to gain 99 rushing yards and go over 1,000 total for the season.

He finished with 1,032 yards for the year and 2,704 for his career NU's all-time best Running mate Isaiah Hipp managed 66 yards against the Sooners to produce his second straight season by a scant two yards. The effort marked only the ninth time in college football history that two running backs from the same team each rushed for more than 1,000 yards in the same season. Sorley also performed welL completing 18 of 31 passing attempts for 220 yards and two touchdowns. "Tom had a superb game," Berns said. "I'm glad he went out that way." Sorley passed two yards to Junior Miller on the final play of the game to produce a touchdown and enable the Huskers to finish with a respectable 31-24 loss.

That last play might have been one of the few times the Sooner defense was genuinely surprised by something Nebraska did. "I had called an option, and they came with a corner-fire," Sorley said. "So I just checked off and threw it to Junior." But if the Huskers had. been able to fool Oklahoma inside its own 10-yard line on two other occasions, the game's outcome might have been radically changed. The first occurred with 4:29 left in the third quarter when Nebraska had to set-' tie for Billy Todd's 31-yard field goal The second came when the Sooners stopped Craig Johnson short of a first down on a fourth-and-one at the OU seven yard line 4:24 remained in the game at that point, and the score stood 3117.

"That was the key part of the game," Sorley said. "If we had scored that time, we knew we had a chance to get the ball back, score again, and beat them 32-31." But unlike the first time the teams played, Nebraska was more error-prone than Oklahoma Monday night "It seemed just about every time we were getting in close, we'd make some mistake we dkt make the last time," Sorley said. "The last time we played them, when we got down there, we kept on going." And the last time, Oklahoma's defense appeared to be more surprised by the things the Huskers did. That didnt happen Monday night the Sooners were well-prepared. When Nebraska adjusted its alignment, so did they.

It was uncanny. Penn St. fails math exam, flunks Sugar test the Nittany Lions didnt get high enough. No sooner did Fusina pitch a 17-yard scoring pass to Scott Fitz-kee than Lou Ikner was returning a punt 62 yards and Alabama was ready to bang in the day's last touchdown. It would have been so much easier if Penn State had acknowledged its fate then.

But instead it went and courted frustratioa First Fitzkee caught a pass and got hauled down a yard from the end zone. Then, on fourth-and-goal from 10 inches, tailback Mike Guman collided with destiny. "I thought I was gonna get across the goalline just a little bit" he said. "I guess I didnt "Under the circumstances, there would be second-guessing about why Paterno ordered Guman to run up the middle immediately after fullback Matt Suhey had tried and failed. There might even be sympathetic ears for safety Pete Harris' bleats that the officials done Penn State wrong.

And surely there would be louder cries of outrage over Paterno's muddled thinking. But The twelfth Man, bless his heart, did away with all that He replaced mere dyspepsia with questions about academia at Penn State, guessing games about his identity, and internal debates about football decorum. "We've had a lot of middle guards hurt this season," said captain and linebacker Paul Suhey. "I thought I saw Rick Donaldson running around like he didnt know what he was doing. Ah, I'd better not say any more." It was time for Suhey to get away from the overheated dressing room and the unpleasant memories, and out where he could cool off.

On that much at least he had been well-coached. its proclivity for craziness, Oklahoma, which avenged its only loss of the year by beating Nebraska and Alabama, which was assured the votes of the South bloc and the Nittany Lions. "Why shouldn't Alabama be No. said quarterback Chuck Fusina. "They beat us, didn't they?" That was the way Paterno wanted his kids to walk away from the wreckage tough, proud, cocky.

"I told them they shouldn't go into hibernation just because they finished 11-1," he said. "They had aspirations and they almost fulfilled all of them, and there aren't many people who get the chance to do that. That sounds like comball stuff, but it's true." And if the Nittany Lions wanted to think that he, the infinitely wise Joe Paterno, let them down, well, that was all right too. To be sure, it was why he tried to punch a hole id the dressing room door after the game. "I got outcoached," he said.

It was painfully obvious. Bear Bryant, the oracle of Tuscaloosa, had hidden Alabama's porous defensive secondary with more blitzes than he has state troopers guarding him, and Paterno spun his wheels trying to adjust The harried Fusina ended up throwing four interceptions and losing 150 yards in sacks. That was just part of the damage Paterno wrought, though. Late in the second quarter, he tried to set up a field goal by calling two timeouts, but he succeeded only in leaving Alabama in position to go ahead 7-0 with eight seconds left Blame his gaffe on wishful thinking, if you want Penn State had minus seven yards on offense in the half. There was no place to go but up.

The trouble was, cals are judge and jury as they convict Penn Stale of having too many men on the field. As reparation, Alabama gets the ball back and a first down. As punishment, The Twelfth Man gets the accusing stares of his teammates. "Twelve men on the field," defensive end Joe Lally would grumble after the nightmare was complete. "That's just silly." II was silly, it hadn't happened at Penn State for at Jeast five years, and it might have gone undetected if the Nittany Lions had kept their mouths shut.

"The officials didnt start counting heads until we yelled at the kid to get off the field," said Pater-no. 1 So maybe honesty isn't the best policy, but try to be philosophical about it: Sometimes The Twelfth Man helps you and sometimes he doesn't. Ask Pa-terno. He'll tell you about the 1969 Orange BowL when another twelfth man suited up for Kansas and handed Penn State a victory. "What's red and blue and has 24 legs?" Pepper Rodgers, the losing coach, asked rhetorically.

"The Kansas football team." It was a memorable line, certainly better than anything Paterno though up Monday, but he had other priorities, other concerns. "No, I'm not going to tell you who The Twelfth Man was," he said again and again. "What difference does it The damage had been done. After playing 12 games before it finally lost, Penn State had seen its dreams of its first national championship washed into oblivion by the Crimson Tide. Now the right to argue over No.

1 belonged to USC, which overcame By John Schulian (c) Chicago Sun-Times NEW ORLEANS He should be back on the Penn State campus by now, whoever he is. Until somebody spills the beans, the only printable tiling he can be called is The Twelfth Man. He gets the Nittany Lion's share of the blame for what happened when the Sugar bowl turned sour Monday. What he did was worse than Joe Paterno's shabby coaching and more important than Alabama's rush to greatness, and yet it was so simple. For one fatal play, The Twelfth Man forgot that football is an 11-man game.

Instead of a national championship ring, he earned a seat in a remedial math class and a nightmare'to last him a lifetime. In it, Alabama faces fourth-and three from its own 8 and Woody Umphrey is punting from the end zone. The first half had been his; everything he kicked came down miles away covered with ice. But now the third quarter is almost over, the Crimson Tide is nursing a 14-7 lead and Umphrey can't help remembering that his last punt traveled nine measlyyards. When the snap from center bounces back to him, he wonders if he will get this punt off at all He does, but it slithers off the side of his left foot and wobbles out bounds at the 38.

Hallelujahs ring forth from the Penn State Only miraites before, Alabama' had stopped the Nittany Lions 10 inches from a touchdown, and now the gods of football have willed them a second chance. Or have they? A penalty flag sits accusingly on the 20. The offi- "rT" Sports 1 Scene Tuesday BoiklttMll Suns vs. Knlckt, 6:30 p.m., mm i.