Lincoln Journal Star from Lincoln, Nebraska • 34

WM.yyMiTin.ii 1 -m'm r.8D ituGtuzn inoiiucurrs. SEPTEMBER 18, 1984 SUNDAY JOURN AL-STAR 1 t-i Smith getting call more than Kozier early iri '8- iSejasoB- I I TtTT r-l 'T 77rrrn By Mike Babcock Jeff Smith fieured carries or so'" tff wear down Smith, even in combination, with the kickofl return and three punt returns, one a 48-yarder which came within a step or two of becoming his second touchdown of the'game. He was finally brought down at ttie Minnesota 2' Smith scored the game's first touchdown on a-13-yard run with, 14:20 re-. mairting in the second "I feel pYetty good," Smith said after the busy afternoon. "Right really don't mind.

I'm not exhausted." in a row, might be his limit, After that, "I'd probably start getting tired," Nebraska's I-baclc after rushing for 183 yards on 26 carries during the Comhuskers', 38-7 victory over Minnesota on Saturday afternoon. v. "The total was purely hypothetical, of course. Smith carried on five consecutive plays and eight of 11 to Nebraska's first touchdown drive against the Go-, phers, but never more than five. Jeffs in good shape," said Nebraska Besides, -i aonx mlndgetting the They can give it to jrhe as many quarterback Craig bal- I imn.

mo if f1'-. JinrpH Smith's nine uifh hiQ num iLnf.lA times as they want." said nassin? for 'IM varrts and twn tniirh. if ine first two games this season are any indication, Nebraska's quarterbacks may hand the bal to the 5-9, 195-pound senior from Wichita, more often than they handed it to Heisman Trophy winner Mike Rzier, last year. A week ago against Wyoming, Smith carried 28 times for 170 yards. By the end of the jrst quarter Saturday, he had earned 16 times! Smith made his final run, a 13-yarder, midway through the third quarter, after the Comhuskers had established control of the game.

His only other action after that was a 17-yard kickoff return, early downs. "He's one of the hardest workers I've ever seen, and he's got only ne speed full speed." "He's an excellent, athlete; he's got the lowest body fat of anybody in history," Cornhusker middle guard Ken Graeber said of Smith. "He'd be on every (special) team il he could. "He can't get enough of it" i Heisman candidate? i "Sundberg said Smith is deserving of Heisman Trophy consideration, a Smith accepts with deference. "I don't think about the' Heisman rr iT vtr a in tnefourtn quarter, Trophy.

I'm just thinking about running 1 thinking about running Rozier averaged 23 carries a game a nard and P13 a Sood 8ame- MJf 8oals 1 STAFF PHOTO BY HAHALODREIMANIS A trail of Gophers are left in Scott Porter's path as lie scores from 26 yards out with 7:1 6 left to play in the first half. are team eoals." said year ago, and only carried as many as 26 times in four games. His busiest afternoon was against Oklahoma, when he rushed 32 times. Not surprised Going into this' season, Smith expected, to carry "about 20 times a game." But "it doesnt surprise me that carrying more than Mike (Rozier) did? he said. "We're trying to establish ar ago, and only carried as many as PdriFB plemsfqmi With that in mind, he attributed much' of his success 'to Nebraska's offensive line and the down-field blocking of the Cornhusker receivers.

Senior offensive tackle Mark Behning considered it all in a day 's work. "We're a ground-oriented team," he said. yi Minnesota attempted to defense Ne- braska differently than Wyoming did, but the results; were the same. By Chuck Sinclair "Dad and I pretty much folded under the pressure then three maior knee surnrips nf his num our running game more. 'The' Gophers "were sitting: there.

Nebraska ground 'down Minnesota, reading what we were doing and then running 68 times for 405 vards. The 26 carries, many of 'them plays up the middle, weren't enough What the Comhuskers did was hand the ball to Smith, time and time again. p'iaW iLiy i A On the artificial turf in the northeast corner of Memorial Stadium Saturday, Nebraska City's Mort Por-ter knealt by his son Budge's wheelchair. It's a ritual repeated game after game after game, ever since Budge was strong enough to return to the field where he suffered a paralyzing football injury in the spring of 1976. They watch Nebraska football they talk Nebraska football and they cheer Nebraska football But most of all, they watch Scott Porter, the youngest of three generations of the Porter clan to play for Ne-v braska.

Saturday afternoon they all received what they've ten yearning for, the first touchdown from the fifth-, year senior. fit was no fourth-quarter cleanup score. It came with 7: 10 left in the first half while Nebraska was nurs--. big a 7-0 lead. i It was also ironic that the Porters' customary side- line position was just a few feet from the goal line that 1 cott would cross.

The emotion of that moment was overwhelming. I 4 Porter embraced Orton i i Scott crossed the goal in a gallop from 26 yards out, handed the ball to the official and gave his family the sign, like he always does when things go right He then turned away, by design, and shared his own emo-(vtion by embracing high school teammate Greg Orton, V. who threw the block on the linebacker that sprung porter Into the opea While Scott turned away, Budge repeatedly wiped the tears of joy that were streaming down his cheeks with his shirt Mort Porter reached into his pocket for a handkerchief and took care of his own. "It was very emotional after he scored," Budge said. bui, ooy, were we ever nappy." "Really, we're thrilled.

It was almost like Budge scored, too," Mort Porter said. "We kind of lost it at the time, but there's joy in Porterville tonight." "I heard it got pretty emotional over there," Scott said. "It's a good thing I wasn't over there. I knew I couldn't look over there again for a little while." Others share emotion The emotion wasn't limited to just the Porter family. Orton shared in it.

So did safety Bret Clark and linebacker Chad Daffer. Orton, Clark and Porter were all high school classmates together while Daffer was a sophomore when the other three were seniors. "It meant a lot to me, too," Daffer said, 'i ber when I was real little, about five years old. Those three guys always let me tag along with them to play, even though I wasnt ready yet. They were the best influence that a kid could ever have.

I owe so much to them." Daffer was 'proud when Porter scored. He was proud when Orton threw key blocks to spring both Porter and Jeff Smith toward the goal, and he was proud when Clark intercepted a pass and returned it 68 yards to the Minnesota 13. "When all of us play pretty good, it's really special," Daffer said. "But Scott's play was really special To see somebody go through everything he's gone through, and then get rewarded like that, it means a little bit more." Scott Porter had the trauma of his brother's injury when he was an eighth-grader, the internal struggle over whether to continue playing football after that, "The first dream you have when you come to Ne braska is just to play," Scott said. "After that, if you have a chance to touch the football, your next dream is to score a touchdown.

When I do something I think is halfway good, I look to them (Mort and Budge) and give them a sign. That makes me a little more comfortable out there. Reached dream "I know it got pretty emotional over there. It's been a long road for both Budge and me. We reached a dream together today." Clark has that same dreaih, reaching the end zone, but his eluded him Saturday when he was chased down from behind by Minnesota's Tony Hunter.

"It was like I had a piano on my back," Clark said. "I tightened up. Getting into the end zone was one of my goals this year. I didn't make it, but I'm glad Scott did." 1 Clark was sitting on the bench when he heard over the P.A. that Porter had scored.

"He's my roommate and, my lifelong friend. You can't believe how I felt when I heard that My stomach was turning I was so 1 excited. He's been waiting for that moment for a lone time." Orton was just pleased he could be a part of the moment "It meant a lot," Orton said. "After Scott scored, I looked over at Budge, and he was just going crazy. We like to see everybody (from Nebraska City) play well It really makes it special." i "It felt just like old times at Nebraska City out there," Clark said.

"It's a good feeling to have all your friends out there with you. And Scott's touchdown re-' ally made the whole day." oltz Hunter effort praise Burke's arm. "The strength of Nebraska is its ex. was never a hooelfss came like it was ByflandyYork Assistant Sports Editor I rff STAFF PHOTO BY HUMBEHTO RAMIREZ Nebraska Tom Rathman powers his way through- four Minnesota defenders, Including Scott Tessler (69), Steve Thompson (96) and Joe Chtlstopherson. huskers Last week, it was Bret Clark.

This week, it was Dave Burke. Wyoming raved about Nebraska's America safety, candidate. But saved its most eloquent praise for he Buskers' senior cornerback. Asked if anyone on Nebraska's defense Impressed him, Minnesota Coach Lou Holtz said: "Yeh, their left corner-pack. He made a hit in front of me that so good, I got behind the bench." Holtz wasn't the only one impressed With Burke.

Tony Hunter, Minnesota's -leading rusher with a mere 28 yards-on eight carries, said "No. 33 chases the ball like a dog in heat fe "That'sr the only way I can think of describing him," Hunter said. "That guy can hit I think he can play not only on Saturdays, but on Sundays, too if not ihe NFL, then the USFL for sure." Holtz suspects Hunter may be exaggerating; "But I do know this. He played a great football game against us today," rHottzsaid. perience," he said.

"They have 19 senior starters who must average about 22-years old. We bring 17 freshmen to Nebraska and they're just starting to register for the draft." Holtz wasn't in the mood to nominate all-Americans Saturday. He was in the mood to measure progress. One reporter asked Holtz what he told his team when he gathered all the players on the sideline during a timeout with 6:52 remaining in the fourth quarter. V- "Thai's something confidential something personal" Holtz said.

If it was a secret ceremony, someone forgot to tell Hunter. He was willing to share it "All Coach Holtz said was to get a hold of our heads," Hunter said. "He told us to keep 'em high in the air and hold 'em there that we had nothing to hang our heads over." No jokes The Gopher players agreed. "We lost, but we got some respect back. We're no joke," offered quarter- last year.

We never quitfighting." Linebacker Peter Najarian led the Golden Gophers with 12 tackles, eight of which were solos. "I sure feel a lot better than I did a year ago," Najarian said. 'We got beat bad today. But I feel like I played in a game, not a track meet "Nebraska's offensive line is tough," Najarian said. "Those fifth-year seniors know how to block." But Holtz is convinced "their fullback blocking makes that offensive line.

(Tom) Rathman is the best blocking fullback I've ever seen, He brought violence back to the game." Saturday, Minnesota neutralized the violence by forcing Rathman to fumble. But it still wasn't enough tp beat the Huskers. "Ill say this. When we get in the Big Ten schedule, we ought to be the best prepared team on fourth-and-one I've ever seen from anywhere on the field," Holtz said. Even though the Gophers forced that extra down, "Nebraska made every one of them," Holtz said.

"They're" a great Dave Burka with four and his five total tackles were one short of the team lead and sophomore Marc Munford. 4 solo stops Holtz wasn't counting tackles, but he oacKBretSadek. program ana a great team. They've got r-iwum a ucai fccaui. lire Burke led the Huskers in solo tackles was counting numbers.

"We never gave up," added Sadek. "It; a good chance to go undefeated. gophers DE Greg Reeves Comparing this year's Minnesota team to last year's: "They were much more well-organized than they were last year. They played hard. Lou Holtz is a talker, and at half time he talked them into tWnking they were still in the "There wasnt any of the talking they did last year.

They were really, really good sports. They'd hit you, then help you up. Holtz is also a (lisdplinarian coach and, he taught them that They're a totally turned around Harry Grimminger On Minnesota: "They varied their; defenses some, but didn't blitz like last year. They had more confidence in themselves. Their mouthing off was virtually non-existent' That can be attributed to the fact they felt better about themselves." Mark Traynowicz; On Minnesota: "They weren't a gamblin' team like last year when they plugged from everywhere.

They sat back and tried to play with us. If you're-foing to beat us, that's, the way you're going to do it If you're jumping around all over, you're going to get burned." On ball control offense: "That's what we wanted to do last year, a sustained offense. I'd just as soon have us with ball control. The de- fense is doing a great job this year and the longer we have the ball the better." TE Brian Hiemer On 29 Iso option pass, the play he scored a first-half touchdown on: 7 We show a nice iso like we're running the balL but the tight ends mainly want to get off the bant pretty quick, can't tell why we I were so open until we look at the films." On the running game: "We drive the ball really well We don't have the big plays like last year, but we're pretty consistent" WB Jim Thompson On bis touchdown: "it: was an audible at the line. The corner-back was up and he was firing, so I knew there wasn't going to be anybody there and Craig knew it too.

On Increased playing "When Shane got hurt, I played most of the rest of the time, until I got tired. But it's really a rotation and I dont expect that to change." On being No. 1 and playing UCLA: "Well find out how good we are next week. I dont know how good UCLA is but I think weYe readyWe're rated number i one, but we dont really show it We dont act cocky, we're real close as a team. We just take it game by game," In Quarterback Brett Sadek Linebacker Peter Naiarian Nebraska had to be joking in practice this week, "I think people got to see the real Minnesota in the thinking about playing us again after last year.

We first quarter. After that it was kind of spotty play for saw the main thing as regaining some respect back us. They got the the long passes, the big last year. plays. But I memorized those stats from last year, SI It was never a hopeless game like it was last yards a- play, 84 points and all that We proved we Linebacker Joe Christopherson "Nebraska is very physical and that's what it takes.

We gained their respect because we were physical too." On bis two fumble recoveries: "The first one, the ball just squirted loose and it was laying there on the ground. I dove for it We needed breaks to win the game and we all thought that might be a big break. It sure kept the defense hanging in there. We just didn't do well enough on defense. The second fumble, Andre Harris stripped from the receiver and the ball just came to me." Center John Kelly 1 "We never quit and though we're not feeling good about the defeat we reached a goal of gaining respect" down and one plays were the keys.

We were starting I to do Jhings right but give Nebraska credit they're a great team and they did the right things all game long. "Nebraska's defense is underrated, they are good, solid on the fundamentals and they dont make misses. I think they are a great defensive team. On his pass that Brett Clark intercepted and returned 68 yards: "I just threw the ball too late. That's what I mean about bad breaks and Ne- braska not maidnH those mistakes." Fullback Valdez Baylor "Nebraska didn't run over us.

We wanted to play, hard all game and we did. They are quick reacting and fundamentally sound. We did well, but had too -many mistakes and mental errors." On the touchdown: "It was a called play in the huddle. I was wide open because Nebraska was playing two deep. Maybe we should have called that play more often..