Lincoln Journal Star from Lincoln, Nebraska • 26

Myr MlMMMirMM.mMrrt Mf TMMII I 'vvrrr 0rrr trr SECTION May I 1977, Lincoln, Neb. Reds nip quarter sports backs tie in spring game 4 U12TLA NTwYT-? mntmmmmm AT1 fell yarder in 1963 was the standard that had lasted 14 years. "Earl had a good day," Osborne said. "And Curtis Craig (the No. 1 wingback) has had a good spring.

We have a couple of good athletes at that position." Lockett, a junior college transfer from Contra Costa Junior College in San Pablo, twice rallied the Reds from behind. The 6-1, 190-pounder caught a 39-yard scoring pass from Ed Burns in the second quarter to push the Reds to a 14-9 half time advantage. After Wurth scored the first of his two touchdowns on a four-yard run, Lockett showed why he led the nation's junior colleges in punt returns last season. He grabbed punter Tim Smith's boot on his 26-yard line and scooted down the left sideline for the score with 1:35 left in the third quarter. Osborne tempered the excitement of Everett and Lockett's runbacks a bit when he said, "you have to realize we had some players who are a bit down the line (third and fourth team) in the game on those plays." But the sizzling performance by the speedy Lockett pleased Osborne.

"Frank hasn't done that much this spring because he's had some problems with his ankles," Osborne said. "We knew when we recruited him that he could do a lot of things. He can play split end or wingback, can block and is a fine return man. He is still a little raw, but definitly has the talent to play somewhere." Osborne knows he has some talent at quarterback, but he still does not know which of his five signal callers will be the starter when the Huskers open the season at home next Sept. 10 against Washington State.

"I thought each of the quarterbacks did a good job," Osborne said. "They did some bad things, too. But not as many bad things as in the past." Like they have been doing all spring, each quarterback had a flash of brillance. Four of them, Randy Garcia, Ed Burns, Tom Sorley and Tim Hager, led their teams to a score. The fifth quarterback, freshman Jeff Quinn, continued to be impressive running the option.

The Ord native rushed for 37 yards. "Quinn is obviusly a better runner than the others," Osborne said. "But as a passer, he is no better than fourth or fifth." Quinn completed one of three passes for 13 yards, while Garcia and Hager topped the passing department with 84 each. Burns and Sorley were close behind with 63 and 62 yards respectively. Osburne said the offense may have to shift its emphasis more to a running game next fall if Quinn wins the job.

"It's not a matter of re-designing the whole offense if we go with Osborne said. "We would be running more off the option. But we are going to continue to throw the ball. "It could still happen that Quinn will be redshirted, too. But if we change the offense, Quinn is definitely in the picture." "A of players think everything is over after spring practice," Osborne continued.

"But we still have 16 to 20 practices in the fall to look at players." Calling it a successful spring, Osborne said, "the attitude of the players has been very good. We may be short on talent at some spots next yeafTBui we will have to make up for that with hard work and a good attitude." More football, 4C Red 7 6 3-23 White 9 0 6 6-21 Red Eirm 1 run (Todd kick) White Everett 96 kickoff roturn (kick failed) White FG Sukup 21 Red Burns. 39 pass to Lockett (Bergkamp kick) Whit Wurth 4 run (kick failed) Red Lockett 74 punt return (pass failed) Red FG Todd 36 White Wurth 4 run (run failed) By Dave Sittler Staff Sports Writer Fullback Keith Steward fell two inches and two points short Saturday of putting the crowning blow to a spring that could best be described as a toss up for Nebraska's football team. The dominant theme from start to finish of the spring drills has been the No. 1 quarterback, or the lack of one.

Entering the spring game, Nebraska coach Tom Osborne had indicated the race among five players who were trying to' replace Vince Ferragamo as the Cornhuskers No. 1 signal caller was a toss up. After 19 practices, all five appeared about even in talent and in a tie for the top spot. After the 20th practice the annual Red-White spring game at Memorial Stadium which was viewed by 13,038 fans all five still appeared deadlocked based on their performances in the spring finale. Had Steward, the White team's fullback, been able to bull his way up the middle of the Red defensive line a couple more inches, the game would have ended in a similar deadlock.

But Steward, who was trying to tie the game by converting a two-point extra point late, in the fourth quarter, was stopped inches short of the goal by Red monster back Kent Smith and linebacker Jeff Carpenter. The crucial tackle by Smith and Carpenter preserved a 23-21 victory for the Reds as Nebraska closed out its spring drills. "I've had three guys tell me he (Steward) was over," said quarterback Tom Sorley, who had marched the White Team 72 yards to score in a frantic attempt for the tie. The last drive was capped by Tim Wurth's second four-yard touchdown run with 1:35 left in the game. It was mounted against the Red's fourth team defense after Red kicker Billy Todd had given his team a 23-15 lead on a 36-yard field goal.

After Wurth's score, the Red coaching staff hustled the No. 1 defense back intp the contest for the extra point. They came through denying Steward and his White teammates the score and the tie. "1 really thought he was over," Sorley continued. like to win.

I don't like White coach Jerry Moore, who could still manage a smile and joke in defeat since he lost to a group of his own players, said, "there was no question he was over I think they (referees) homered us." Osborne said, "from where I was standing it looked like he was over." Osborne was standing in the press box. He decided to view the action with the press while his assistants handled the coaching duties on the sidelines. What he saw pleased Osborne, who said "up in the press box it's hard to tell, but I thought the 'intensity of the game was good. The players were going after one another pretty well. "I'm satisfied with the game and the spring.

We're still not set at some positions, but we did clear up some other things." While the quarterbacking position remained one of the unsettled spots, the return of the big-play an aspect which has been missing in recent years at Nebraska may have returned. Split end Frafiir 'Lockett and wingback Earl Everett brought back memories of. the big-play era of Johnny Rodgers, with a couple cross-country jaunts. Everett, the senior who has bounced around from quarterback to defensive back and finally wingback, pulled the fans uut their seats early when he returned a kickoff 96 yards for a touchdown with 5:55 left in the first period. After 1-back Rick Berns bad posted the Reds to a 7-0 lead on a one-yard scoring run, Everett fielded kicker Billy Todd's boot on the four and bolted down the right sideline.

A senior from Kansas City, Everett's scoring romp was a spring game record, performance. Kent McCloughan's 88- Earl's Pearl Earl Everett (9) finds plenty of daylight (l) behind Keith Bishop (53) on this kickoff return which went for 96 yards longest ever in the Nebraska Spring Game. Everett faces his last challenge (2) from Paul Letcher (36) but eludes Ins grasp (3) and has clear sailing. STAFF PHOTOS BY HARALD DREIMANIS the sweep. Arkansas miler Niall O'Shaughnessy had to overcome more than the competition while anchoring the Razorbacks to victory in the distance medley.

O'Shaughnessy, an Olympian for Ireland at Montreal, was eighth when he received the baton. He swiftly moved up to third on the stretch run with a lap to go. Then somebody stepped on his heel and his right shoe came off. "It didn't hurt my running any," Niall said later. "I didn't let it psyche me out.

I just concentrated on winning." With one shoe off and one shoe on, O'Shaughnessy completed his mile in the excellent time of 4:00.7. Oklahoma had the chance for two Triple Crowns, but the Sooners were denied the first in the 440-yard relay when Southern Illinois' Mike Kee overhauled OU's John Garrison in a race for the wire. SIU was clocked in :40.46, while the Sooners were timed in 40.62. It was one of just many exciting, photo-finishes during the day. Oklahoma made good on its other "Everybody really came on strong," Lockett said.

"Nebraska leveled with me. I wanted to come here anyway because Nebraska goes to a bowl game every year." Lockett gave West Coast schools reason to' come on strong with their recruiting pitches. Last fall, he led the nation's junior colleges with six punt-return touchdowns and caught 37 passes for 784 yards and nine more touchdowns. In the Bay Area Bowl against San Jose City College, Lockett caught five passes for 191 yards and two touchdowns. He not only offers 04.4 speed in the 40, but was a standout junior college wrestler with a physique that would qualify for a bodybuilding magazine.

With all his credentials, why did it take Lockett so long to make his name in a Nebraska uniform this spring? "Because he played better today than he has all spring," Nebraska receiver' coach Jerry Moore replied. "He's had to Relays OU, Arkansas top www. fe-f chance, however. Randy Wilson, who beat Olympians Rick Wohlhuter and Mike Boit in a special 800-meter race Friday, breezed through his two laps to anchor the sprint medley team to victory. Nebraska's top effort came in the concluding mile relay event when the quartet of Tom Doval, Scott Poehling, Pat McKenzie and Ray Mahoney finished third behind Texas with Olympian Johnny Lam Hones running the anchor and Jackson State.

The Huskers were clocked in 3:08.83, which tied the second-fastest time in school history. The other Nebraska showing of note was Keith Whitakers effort in the open run. Whitaker fought his way out of several jams in the crowded field to finish fifth in 3:49.59. Iowa State's Jeff Myers made a great stretch run before the home folks to win in the record time of 3:47.31. Other outstanding performances and notes of special interest to Nebraskans included: be patient to learn our offense.

It's pretty complicated. For three weeks, he was having trouble picking up an audible. You can't hold up a whole team because of one player. I knew one of these days it would just open up for him." Lockett said there's another reason his spring progress has been slowed. "There was the ego problem, sure, about thinking I should be No.

1," he said. "But my ankles have been weak, too. I almost broke one playing basketball in winter conditioning and I sprained the other one early in the spring." Consequently, Lockett's speed hasn't peaked all spring. He hopes a hard summer's work will correct that and help him become Nebraska's No. 1 split end next fall.

He also has a goal to lead the nation in punt returns. "I got a bigger kick out of the punt return than the touchdown pass today," he admitted. "But I'd just as soon be doing both next fall." Drake By Virgil Parker Sports Editor Des Moines, la. Oklahoma and Arkansas claimed the spring Only "Triple Crowns" while Nebraska saved its best showing of the day for the last event as the 68th annual Drake Relays concluded here Saturday. For the I2th straight final day featured a sellout crowd of 18,000.

But something new was added. It didn't rain. While the final day of the Drake Relays has been inundated by a down; pour each of the past three years, this weekend the crowd enjoyed the action under sunny skies. The "Triple Crown" is a coveted mythical award for' those who win the same event at the Texas, Kansas and Drake Relays three of the nation's most prestigious track events which come on consecutive weekends. Four relay teams and one individual came here with a chance for the honor.

Only Oklahoma's sprint medley relay team and the distance medley quartet from Arkansas were able to complete Geroge Darlington were sitting in a United jet last January, waiting for it to leave San Francisco for Denver before going on to Lincoln. "There was a call for me at the check-in desk and coach Darlington and I got off the plane, thinking it was my mother," Lockett related. Instead, it was White, Cal's head coach, making a last-ditch effort to lure Lockett to the Berkeley campus, located only two miles from the family home in Richmond. "He had seen in the paper where I'd signed with Nebraska. He got me in a corner of the check-in room, told me it was too cold in Nebraska and that I wouldn't get any publicity because I wasn't a hometown boy." According to Lockett, White also told him to go ahead and enrol at Nebraska but not to attend any class for a week so that he could change his mind and return to Cal without NCAA-Imposed penalties.

Eight other record performances Saturday in addition to Myers' mark in the 1,500. Those especially worthy of note were the 7-3 high jump by Missouri's Nat Page and the 8:31.02 clocking U.S. Olympian Henrv Marsh of Brigriam Young in the steeplechase. That broke the existing record by more than 12 seconds. A big upset in the special 100-meter dash, featuring Jones of Texas and Auburn's Harvey Glance, who were on the U.S.

Gold Medal 440-relay team at Montreal. Florida State sophomore Mike Roberson nipped them both. UNO, which was edged by Oklahoma Christian Friday in the sprint medley, reversed the role Saturday by winning the college division distance medley in 9:51.53. A state college individual who performed well was Kearney State's Jill Stenwall. She was second in the women's shot put after a 47-7 effort.

Ex-Nebraskan Sam Francis was made one of the proudest folks in the sellout crowd by his induction into the Drake Relays Hall of Fame. Francis, in addition to earning all-american honors in football for the Cornhuskers, was an Olympic shot putter in 1936 and '37. Dave Jones, a grade school teacher from Owatonna, won the marathon in 2:23: 49. It was the first time he'd ever run the distance competitively. Defending champ and ex-Husker Greg Carlberg didn't compete.

Omahan Kim Keuter was 23rd. Just for the record, here's how other Nebraska entries fared or failed. The Huskers distance medley relay entry was next-to-last by the time miler Harold Stelzer got the baton. He moved up, but never threatened the leaders. Four Huskers were entered in field events, but high jumpers Dern Herzog and Doug Phelps; pole vaulter Dean Ross and triple Jumper Neville Murray failed to place.

Nebraska Wesleyan triple jumper Jim Glen was the only other area entry and he suffered the same fate. Coach Frank Sevlgne's Cornhuskers make their only home appearance of the outdoor season next Saturday afternoon when they host Missouri in a dual meet. Lockett proves why lie was hot recruit Conference after he earned all-American recognition and led the nation's junior colleges in punt returns at Contra Costa. He scratched Southern Cal and UCLA from consideration, saying those two schools prefer to play Los Angeles area athletes over Northern California Arizona State and California refused to take no for an answer from Lockett. "Arizona State kept bugging and bugging me," Lockett said Saturday, enjoying his new identity after toiling all spring in relative obscurity.

"Arizona State offered me a new car and a job that paid $200 a week if I'd sign with them," Lockett related. "I knew the whole thing was foul. The phone was bugged and taped. I'm still getting calls from the director of the Pacf-8." Lockett's experience with California recruiting didn't trigger an investigation, but it was equally exasperating. Lockett and Nebraska assistant coach By Randy York Sports Editor Frank Lockett Saturday found Memorial Stadium's end zone a lot easier place to get to than Lincoln.

Lockett, a 6-1, 197-pound split end, scored twice in Nebraska's annual spring game: on a 39-yard pass from Ed Burns in the second quarter and on a 74-yard punt return late in the third quarter. These were cakewalks though compared to the route Lockett took in transferring to NU from Contra Costa Junior College in San Pablo, Calif. Before arriving in Lincoln, Lockett was such hot recruiting property that he holds the key to possible NCAA recruiting violations by Arizona State and he was almost hijacked by University of California coach Mike White at San Francisco International Airport last January, 4 Lockett was offered a scholarship by every school the Pacific Eight.