Lincoln Journal Star from Lincoln, Nebraska • 65

Hincoln Journal Thursday, November 24, 1977 65 Soorts A Underdog Hiiskers ready to eiid long wait Like all Nebraska-Oklahoma showdowns of recent vintage, this year's contest offers a potful of spoils to the winner. A Big Eight Championship (tie for NU, outright for Oklahoma), a high national ranking and an Orange Bowl berth in Miami are the stakes. The loser won't be left out in the cold in post-season bowl competition but almost. A Liberty Bowl berth in chilly Memphis against North Carolina is the consolation prize. Bowl games, national rankings and championships aside, the bottom line is still victory and whether or not Nebraska can achieve it.

Most of the experts say no way. The oddsmakers have made Barry Switzer's second-ranked -Sooners 10- to 12 -point favorites over Tom Osborne's No. 10 Nebraskans. In addition to the home-field advantage and the psychlogical edge of five straight wins, Switzer's 9-1 Oklahoma club is favored on the basis of an offen sive backfield that has been labeled one of the finest in collegiate history. Led by the masterful quarterbacking of Thomas Lott, the Sooners' wishbone attack is powered by fullback Kenny King and halfbacks Elvis Peacock and Billy Sims.

With King the only senior, Oklahoma's explosive runners are third in the nation with a 320.1-yards-per-game rushing average. Lott's 618 yards lead the way, while King and Peacock have chipped in 580 and 572, respectively. Stopping the Oklahoma wishbone in recent years has not been one of Nebraska's claims to fame, as the five losses obviously point out. In an effort to change things, Osborne hired Lance Van Zandt to direct the defense this season. Van Zandt gained a reputation for being a king-sized wishbone breaker in 1975 when he helped coach Kansas to a stunning 33-3 win over the Sooners.

It was Oklahoma's only loss as the Sooners rebounded to win the national championship. "Pursuit is the big key and always will be in stopping the wishbone," Van Zandt said. "You've got to have a lot of people going after the ball." In a statement that will shake Nebraska fans, Van Zandt said there's no comparision to the 1975 national champion Oklahoma offense and the current Sooners. "This team is a lot better," Van Zandt said. "The '75 team had Joe Washington (OU Ail-American) and he was great.

But Lott is a better quarterback than (Steve) Davis, and King is a much better fullback than (Jim) Littrell. "There offense is much belter overall. It's similar to Alabama's. They both break the bone and shift into a proset or go in motion." But don't get the idea Van Zandt has given up the ship without a fight. Hardly, "We've been working on a few new things to stop them," he said.

"Of course of Bobby Reynolds' 1950 Nebraska season record of will start, along with fullback Dodie Donnell, wingback Curtis Craig and quarterback Tom Sorley, in the Nebraska backfield. Osborne, who has surprised many experts by molding his inexperienced Huskers into a championship contender while building an 8-2 mark, is still looking for his first win over the Sooners since succeeding Devaney. "According to people who are supposed to know, Oklahoma is better than we are," Osborne said. "But we think we are close enough to them in talent that we can win." The Husker coach, who has lost four in a row to the Sooners, indicated a win over the Sooners is not a must to make Nebraska's season, but it's close. "The Alabama win was a great one for us," Osborne said, "but because of what this game represents, It's much bigger.

"One game certainly is not the whole season, but considering all that is wrapped up in this one, it's going to mean an awful lot of the season. A win would also mean the end of an awful lot of waiting. Like 2,224 days' worth. Mere Huskers, page 67 another key to beating any wishbone team Is to get them down early and make them do things they don't spend time practicing like passing." Oklahoma wasn't supposed to be able to pass a year ago, but the Sooners stung the Huskers with two fourth-quarter passes, one a halfback Job and the other a flea-flrter, to claim consecutive win No. 5.

20-17. While Lott has improved his passing and Oklahoma has a tendency to throw more often this season, the Sooners won't have the only potent offensive machine Friday. Despite Oklahoma's strong running game, Nebraska is still the total offensive leader in the Big Eight with an average 424,7 yards per game, compared to the Sooners' 386.4. Although their passing attack is pale compared to recent years (110.9 yards a game), the Cornhuskers' rushing attack is nearly as awesome as Oklahoma's. Rolling behind the running of I.M.

Hipp and Rick Berns, the Huskers' 318.8 rushing average is second to Oklahoma's in the league and No. 4 in the nation, a notch behind the Sooners. Hipp, the Husker walk-on who has walked into stardom in his sophomore season by rushing for 1,268 yards (74 shy 1 U'X IT V'. Confident Sooners certain of victory nm iii-m ivtff iwnr lTf n-i -finir nwnnitf -i iiiiihiii wimiTnim liiiiin.r Tfii iiiTaiTioiiwnWrwuiiin ri.af STAFF PHOTO BY HUMBERTO RAMIREZ University of Nebraska sports office secretaries tion office; Terr! Simmons, football secretary and have the winning spirit prior to Friday's OU-NU Norma Knobel, sports business office. game" Pictured are Susan Landen, sports informa- Lineups By Dave Sittler Staff Sports Writer "Will, maybt next year From Hit song "Sand In the Clowns" NORMAN, Okla.

Any way you slice it, 2,224 days is heckuva long time to wait for "maybe next year." But that's how long Nebraska football fans have been forced to mutter those words while waiting patiently until next year with "hopes their beloved Cornhuskers can whip bitter rival Oklahoma. Not since Nov. 26, 1971, when Bob coin Journal still sold for a dime, have the Cornhuskers been able to celebrate a victory over the high-flying Sooners. "Next year" and opportunity No. 6 arrive here Friday at 1:25 p.m., when a sellout crowd of more than 70,000 at OU's Owen Field and a national television 'audience (local channels 7 and cable 4) will watch the frustrated Huskers try to snap, the five-game losing streak.

That's the SPirit! Embattled ousted at COLUMBIA, Mo. (UPI) AI Onofrio, whose Missouri teams earned the reputation of regularly upsetting national powers while losing to lesser opponents, was fired Wednesday night as the Tigers' head football coach. The 56-year-old coach's dismissal came just four days after a 24-22 loss to arch-rival Kansas. It was the third consecutive year Onofrio lost to the Jayhawks. Missouri closed its season at 4-7, Onofrio's worst showing since his debut in 1971 at 1-10, "Naturally, I am extremely disap--pointed that I have not been allowed to continue to serve as head coach at the University of Missouri for the next two years as previously agreed upon," said Onofrio.

"I sincerely feel that circumstances beyond my control led to a poor won-Ioss record this season. We were very close to having a very good record as well as a very good team." A statement issued by Missouri's intercollegiate athletic committee made It Basketball The Boston Celtics have activated forward Steve Kuberski from the in jured list and cut guard Kevin Stacom." Forward Marvin Barnes has been traded to Buffalo for forward John Shumate, a player to be named later and a first-round draft choice in 1979 or 1980. Baseball The San Diego Padres have signed Chicago White Sox outfielder Oscar Gamble as a free agent. Other Sports A battery complaint against ABC-TV sportscaster Howard Cosell by a newspaper sports reporter who says Cosell struck him, has been dismissed by the Los Angeles City Attorney's Office on the grounds of insufficient evidence to support the charge. Meanwhile, Cosell has refused to discuss a Congressional report labeling him the key figure in the scandal surrounding ABC's telecast of the U.S.

boxing championships. fai-M-Wrwai miMnyi mi isii 1 NEBRASKA Offense OKLAHOMA No. Name ht wt yr Si Spaeth i-S 230 Sr. te Jr- M' "3 Hicls 80 73 Clark 250 Jr. LT Sr 276 4's Baldischwller 67 63 Jorgensen 4-2 235 Sr.

LG Sr. 255 6 Melendez 60 57 Davis 6-3 238 Sr. Jr- 237 4-4 Paul Tabor 73 68 Lindquist 6-6 250 Jr. RG 24a 6-3 Robert 65 62 Waldemore 6-4 260 Jr. RT Sr.

284 6-6 Claphan 63 84 Smith 6-3 194 So. SE S). 87 6-0 Rhode 24 18 Garcia 6-1 196 Sr. Jr. 5-1 Lott 6 32 Hipp 6-0 200 So.

IB Sr. 206 6-1 Peacock 4 45 Donnell 6-2 219 Sr. FB Jr- 208 5-11 King 30 33 Craig 5-U 183 Sr. WB So. 201 5-11 Sims 20 Nebraska Defense Oklahoma 98 Samuel 6-3 210 Sr.

le SOi 210 6-3 Taton 5 54 Cotton 6-5 245 Jr. Sr. 235 6-5 Hudgens 70 51 Weinmaster 6-0 207 So. MG Jr. 225 6-2 Kinlaw 62 75 Poeschl 6-9 270 Jr.

rt sr. 258 6-2 Murray 76 96 Andrews 6-4 223 Jr. re Sr. 216 6-3 Mathis 86 47 Vering 6-2 205 So. LB So.

209 6-0 Cumby 28 38 Kuni 6-3 206 Jr. LB Jr. 218 6-3 Hunt 85 29 Pillen 6-0 193 Jr. won. Jr.

186 6-1 Taylor 31 31 Harvey 5-10 174 Sr. CB Sr. 173 5-11 Peters 16 2 Anderson 6-2 175- Sr. CB Jr. 202 6-2 Babb 14 4 Valasek 5-10 150 Sr.

Sr. 184 6-1 Henderson 19 By Virgil Parker Sports Editor NORMAN, Okla. The conversation with Oklahoma football coach Barry Switzer here Wednesday concerned Friday's showdown clash with Nebraska for the right to represent the Big Eight in the Orange Bowl. Naturally. What else? Would the game be a high-scoring or low-scoring affair? It was suggested the score might reach the same total number of points as the classic 1971 game between the same two teams here in Norman.

"I really don't think so," Switzer said. "The offenses of both teams are much improved. But so are the defenses. I don't think either team will score anywhere near that much." At that moment, Sooner defensive coordinator Larry Lacewell walked by. "Hey Larry," Switzer called out, "do you think Friday's game could end up 35 to 31?" "I suppose it could be that close," Lacewell answered quickly, "but I sure don't expect it to be." Who was talking about "close?" We were discussing total number of points.

Not Lacewell. He was talking about the margin of Oklahoma's victory. All the Sooners are brimming with confidence. Take Sooner quarterback Thomas Lott. "I've been watching a lot of film on Nebraska," the OU signal caller says.

"They look to have a strong defense, but I don't think Nebraska is as fast as Colorado a team Oklahoma swamped 52-14 in its last outing). I think Nebraska's lack of speed might hurt them." Oklahoma tight end Victor Hicks agrees with Coach Switzer that Nebraska will have the second-best defense the Sooners have faced this year. Texas, they both feel, was the best. "But when we played Texas we Just didn't play very well," Hicks recalls. "That game really hurt us.

But there's nothing we can do about it now. It was a shameful performance." Hicks feels a good game and a victory over Nebraska will take the sting out of the loss to the Longhorns. "I always knew we had the talent," Hicks says. It was just a matter of time for us to get it all together. That last few weeks we have really done a great Job." Hick3 feels there will be a lot of pressure on the two teams in Friday's game.

But he thinks the pressure will show more on Nebraska. "I'm confident we can get the job done. We've been averaging between 35 and 40 points a game the past month. The Nebraska players have to be thinking about that. "I know Nebraska has a good team," Hicks admits.

"They always do. We just have to go out there and do our thing. I'm a real loose type of player so I don't think I'm gonna let the pressure bother me." Among the Sooners who will be closing his Big Eight career is halfback Elvis Peacock, who scored the winning touchdown against Nebraska in Lincoln last year with just 38 seconds left in the game. Peacock won't make all-Amerlcan this year or finish high in the Heisman Trophy voting, but he has been a starter for three seasons and was second-string as a Sooner freshman. The Florida native ranks among the top 12 career-wise in both rushing and scoring at Oklahoma.

"I'm satisfied with what I have done because when you're In a wishbone offense you're not going to carry the ball 30 times a game," Peacock says, "When you're in a system like ours, you might not get all the notice because of all the other running backs we have. We dish things out evenly, If was in an Bud picks NU NORMAN, Okla. In recent weeks Sports Editor Virgil Parker has been picking Nebraska to lose, hoping to inspire the Cornhuskers to win. Perhaps former Oklahoma head coach Bud Wilkinson will be doing the same type of thing Thursday night when he picks Nebraska to defeat Oklahoma on a local TV show here. Whatever his motivation, Wilkinson will indeed do just that pick Nebraska on top.

Beyond his loyalty ties to OU, the pick is surprising since OU is rated as high as a 12-point favorite to win the game. Wilkinson notes, "I don't think I've ever seen a game where the teams are so equal in every phase of the game." But Wilkinson picks NU on a comparison of offense and defense statistics. He notes NU has a wider offensive advantage so far this year than OU has as a defensive advantage. formation, I think I could gain more yardage. "But the reason I came to Oklahoma was to win a national championship.

That was the important thing to me. And we've already won two in three years and have a chance to make it three this time." The firsf step to bring that about must be a victory over Nebraska here Friday. "Nebraska has a good team they always do," Peacock says. "I expect them to do the same things they usually, do. They're always big and strong on defense and they have good speed.

We're not thinking about the Liberty Bowl. We want to win this one and go to the Orange Bowl. I think it would be just great to finish my college career in my hometown of Miami." According to those three offensive Oklahoma players, Nebraska won't be able to use the phrase from the old Perry Mason reruns "The defense rests" at least not until after 60 minutes of hard football here Friday afternoon. Louis reported as 'good' Houston (AP) Joe Louis, the former world heavyweight boxing champion, was reported Wednesday to be making good progress from his Nov. 3 heart surgery.

A Methodist Hospital spokesman said Louis was moved Tuesday from an intensive care unit to a private room. Louis, 63, entered Methodist' on Oct. 28 after being hospitalized about a week in Las Vegas, Nev, "TV Sports Thursday Volleyball Nebraska high school championships, 8 p.m., 33. Friday Football Nebraska vs. Oklahoma, 1:15 p.m., rC4, KLIN, WOW, KFAB, KFOR; USC vs.

UCLA, I p.m., dC4. Soccer Pro soccer, 9 p.m., m. Kickoff 1:25 p.m., Owen Field, Norman. Broadcasts ABC-TV (Ch. 7, Cable 4), KLIN, KFOR, KFAB, WOW.

TV scorecard Onofrio Missouri clear that alumni displeasure was a major reason for Onofrio's dismissal. "Consultation with the director, of athletics, members of the commission on intercollegiate athletics and with thoughtful long-time supporters of our program has convinced us that not meeting the expectations, not only this year but in preceding years, of those whose support for the program makes our total athletic operation possible, will mean steady deterioration of the support a solid and well-balanced athletic program requires," the statement said. Onofrio was 38-41 in his seven seasons as head coach. During his career, it became traditional for Missouri to beat nationally-ranked powers while losing to lesser teams like Army, Illinois, Wisconsin and Kansas. His triumphs included a 30-26 win over then unbeaten and seventh-ranked Notre Dame in South Bend in 1972, a 20-7 victory over No.

2 Alabama in Birmingham in a nationally televised season opener in 1975, and a 46-25 win over Southern Cal in Los Angeles in the season opener in 1976. It was the only loss suffered by both Alabama in 1975 and Southern Cal in 1976. Onofrio also directed the Tigers to upset victories over Ohio State in Columbus and Nebraska in Lincoln in 1976. His teams never duplicated those outstanding performances at home. The Tigers bordered on mediocrity at home with a 22-17 record in front of the hostile Missouri fans.

Onofrio posted upset victories over Arizona State in Tempe and Colorado in Boulder this season but Missouri was a meager 2-4 at home with losses to national powers Southern Cal, California, Oklahoma and Nebraska. Onofrio took over at Missouri in 1971 when Dan Devine left to coach the Green Bay Packers. He guided the Tigers in 1972 to the Fiesta Bowl, where they lost to Arizona State 49-35, and in 1973 td the Sun Bowl, where they beat Auburn 34-17. Last season Onofrio came under pressure from the alumni association for Missouri's 41-14 loss to Kansas in the traditional season finale which dropped the team to 6-5 and knocked them out of bowl contention, But chancellor Herbert W. Schooling gave Onofrio a three-year verbal agreement last December to continue as coach for $30,000 per year.

Onofrio became the second Big Eight coach to be dismissed this year. Ellis Rainsberger of Kansas State resigned under pressure with two weeks left in the season although he finished out the year for the final game with Colorado, Nebraska No. Name 2 Anderson, Rene 4 Valasek, Larry 12 Sorley, Tom 14 Todd, Billy 16 Fischer, Tim 18 Garcia, Randy 22 Brown, Kenny 23 Smith, Kent 26 Lee, Jeff 29 Pillen, Jim 31 Harvey, Ted 32 Hipp, I. M. 33 Craig, Curtis 35 Berns, Rick 37 Carpenter, Jeff 38 Kunz, Lee 39 Franklin, Andra 45 Donnell, Dodit 47 Verino, Tom 48 Hansen, Jeff 49 Anthony, Monte 51 Weinmaster, Kerry 52 Davit, Tom 54 Cotton, Barney 57 Saalfeld, Kelly 62 Waldemore, Stan 63 Jorgensen, Greg 65 Lee, Oudious 66 Pullen, Jeff 67 Cooley, Lawrence 68 Lindquist, Steve 70 Moritz, Brett 71 Glenn, Steve 73 Clark, Kelvin 74 Ohrt, Tom 75 Poeschl, Randy 80 Lockert, Frank 84.

Smith Tim 86 Spaeth, Ken 87 Loken, Rocke 88 89 Miller, Junior 90 Rick, Randy 94 Young, Larry 96 Andrew, George 97 Barnett, Bill 98 Samuel, Tpny. Pos. DB DB OB DB OB WB DB SE DB DB IB WB IB LB LB FB FB LB DB IB-FB MG OC DT OC OT OG MG MG OG OG OG OT OT OT DT SB TE TE SE TE TE DE DE DE DT PS Oklahoma No. Name 2 Blevins, Dean 3 Ray, Darrol 4 Peacock, Elvis 5 Taton, Bruce 6 Lott, Thoma 8 Antone, Tony 9 Hover, Lee 10 von Schumann, Uwe 11 Nixon, Freddie 14 Babb, Mike 15 Jimerson, Jay 16 Peters, Terry 17 Banks, Basil 19 Henderson, Zac 20 Sims, Billy 21 Kimball, Bobby 22 Overstreet, David 24 Rhodes, Steve 26 Burger, Barry 28 Cumby, George 30 King, Kenny 31 Taylor, Sherwood 34 Rogers, Jimmy 38 Dittman, Barry 43 Anderson, Vickey 45 Simcik, Doug 52 Lucky, Mark 53 Farthing, Jody 55 Curtis, Joe 57 Moore, Obie 58 Mathis, Reggie 60 Melendez, Jaime 62 Kinlaw, Reggie 63 Claphan, Sam 65 Roberts, Greg 67 Baldischwller, Karl 70 Hudgens, Dave 72 Goodman, John 73 Tabor, Paul 74 Tabor, Phil 76 Murray, Richard 80 Hicks, Victor 82 Valora, Forest Hunt, Daryt Pos. OB CB HB DE OB DB SE-DB SE CB QB-DB CB DB FS HB SE no SE-DB DE LB FB DB HB LB HB LB LB TE OL MG OL OG OL DL DT CG DT DL TE TE LB.