Lincoln Journal Star from Lincoln, Nebraska • 39

September 18, 1977, Lincoln, Sunday Journal and Star 7D to get Craig into the end zone NNf A-Michei IF Vf. lrl I Craig continues to roll, leaping over Jorgensen (5) as Mike show everyone, including an on-the-spot official, that it's Kramer (23) and Dewey Mitchell (61) draw near (6). Mitchell trips up Craig (7) at the a Nebraska touchdown. three, but the Husker senior stretches out into the end zone (8) holding the ball up to another lesson til 4 -fc. CSV learns Capt.

W.O. Nichols, an Alabama state trooper who has accompanied the Bear on road trips for 15 years, handed the Bama coach the final statistics. Bear paused a few seconds to gloss over them, then walked out the door before most of his players had finished dressing. No one grabbed for his black and white checkered houndstooth hat. (He had lost it briefly as he returned to the field for the second half, but a Nebraska fan stole it back and gave it to Nichols).

Nichols accepted the programs of a few Nebraska funs and handed them to Bear for autographs as the two walked toward the two buses waiting to take the Tide back to Tuscaloosa. Bryant slowed up three times for pictures and stopped to shake hands with one Nebraska fan who said his brolher-in-law was a law professor at Alabama. Nodding his acknowledgement. Bryant was obviously immersed in deeper thought -with one more line etched on his face. i 1 Vi VitiMmi Alabama coach Bear Bryant talks to the press alter the game.

W' 1 (apt. W.O. Nichols -A lit i Urn i TfA T'l 'A A 1 N-Andrews fSro T4 Intercepted 1 u-t Bryant By Randy York Staff Sports Writer For each of the hundreds of lines in Bear Bryant's weathered 64-year-old face, there's a lesson he has learned. And Alabama's legendary football coach said he learned another lesson Saturday afternoon in Memorial Stadium. It took a couple of minutes of wiping the sweat from his brow in a humid locker room and a few pensive puffs on a friendly cigaret for Bryant to reach the moral of his 37th loss in 20 years with the Tide.

Finally, he decided his first team had spent too much time on Nebraska's new AstroTurf. "If we'd have had fresh people in there, that fourth quarter might have been different," Bryant said after greeting the press immediately following the Crimson Tide's 31-24 loss to Nebraska. "I guess I'm going to have to go back to my old philosophy of playing a lot more people," added the sage of 18 straight 'Bama bowl teams. In some respects, the Bear might have been striking back at an Alabama writer who seemed to chide Bryant for using the second offensive unit during one stretch of the second quarter. "Why did I do that? Because I wanted to win the game," Bryant said.

"I probably didn't play the second team enough. I used the first team today more than I have in years. They got too tired. A fresher lineup would have done a better job." After averaging 69 players a game the past six or seven years, Bryan said he changed his participation philosophy just this season. "We started going more with our first team," he said.

"Hindsight tells me I shouldn't have done that. Our kids aren't used to playing that long. That's why Nebraska dominated the fourth quarter." The Bear wadded a Kleenex as he slowly analyzed the game. He managed a weak smile once during the press conference. "How many players did Nebraska have over there?" he asked.

"There must have been 150. Isn't there any limit on numbers?" The Bear didn't even appreciate his own humor. He had let the press inside the locker room in almost record time "because there isn't a helluva lot to talk about. I know the squad feels like I do. They just want to hurry up and get home." With that, Bryant stood up, walked over to see how injured quarterbek Jeff Rutledge was and started for the door.

ll Vjv 4' 1 rr- 3. 4 Tired Alabama back Major Ogilvie fir Photos By Bob Gorham Web Ray Willis Van Sickle Randy Hampton Harald Dreimanis Frank Varga Humberto Ramirez V' 1 VtVt 1 V-h 4 (42) makes a solid hit on Nebraska linebacker Lee NU defensive end George Andrews (96) gives a victory salute after sacking Tide quarterback Steadman Shealy (10) for four-yard loss to force an Alabama punt late in the third quarter. Andrews had seven unassisted tackles in the game. Kunz (38) after the latter picxea on a jett rtuueage pass, one 01 nve nusner interceptions for the day. Kunz' interception set up an NU score two plays later.

Things aren't always what they appear to be. Husker quarterback Randy Garcia (18) picks up ball (1) and kicker Billy Todd (14) carries out a fake field goal attempt as Keith Steward (41) heads upfield. Garcia rolls out (2) as defensive end Wayne Hamilton (94) gives chase. Garcia sidesteps Hamilton (3) and takes aim. I-back Rick Berns (35) gathers in the pass (4) at the Alabama three and lowers his head (5) to challenge cornerback Mike Tucker (21).

The outcome js obvious (6) as Berns falls into the end zone, capping the seven-yard play and giving the Huskers a 10-7 lead. i ii-.