Lincoln Journal Star from Lincoln, Nebraska • 17

Sports Xiitcoln Journal Friday, Septembers, 1978 17 Huskers in must win situation already with key showdown against California By Randy York They have to beat California in Saturday's home opener or the wolves will be howling from the Sandhills to the eastern-most banks of the Platte River. Never mind that California has promised its alumni a rose garden this year and has the talent to back up that promise. Nebraska fans are spoiled fans and they subscribe to one theory "Don't tell us how rocky the sea is. Just bring the ship in." They expect results and have grown accustomed to nine-w'n seasons. Fourteen such performances in the last 16 years help explain the lack of compassion for legitimate excuses.

Forget all about California's cocky attitude of "Nebraska, Here We Come," and just remember this, Tom Osborne: Nebraska hasn't lost its first two games since Bill Jennings went 1-9 more than two decades ago. Staff Sports Writer Maybe heaven can wait, but Nebraska can't. Seven days ago, the Cornhuskers were a football team punch drunk with optimism. Then, quicker than you can say Bear Bryant, they were a sorry mess, sobered up with something quite different than a cold shower and a hot pot of coffee. The Huskers suddenly looked in the mirror and saw a very strange sight indeed embarrassment and the worst part of it was everyone else saw It, too.

National television can do that. The spotlight on the stage has an automatic cue to perform and Nebraska broke its leg trying, but swallowed hard in the process. Now, even though the Huskers did strike out against the nation's No. 1 team, they find themselves in a rather unenviable situation. 1 If i Bouton finally back, to start against L.

A. No wonder Osborne has been a little edgy this week. He may be the only Ne-braskan in the world who truly appreciates how dadgum good California really is. It has to be a lonely feeling, knowing the truth and knowing how everyone else interprets the truth. Still, Tom Osborne isn't backing away from the flood of positive comment emerging from the Golden Bear camp.

"I'm not so sure we're not good," he said Thursday, halfway expecting a be-lieve-il-or-not reaction from the reporters clustered around him. "A lot of people still don't seem to want to take into account how good Alabama is." That's where the "heaven can wait, but Nebraska can't" syndrome fits in. The Huskers, a proud program which generated about as much offense against Alabama as you would expect from a TCU, can't wait to prove their mettle. Beating heat key for fans The temperature on Nebraska's Astro-Turf should be anywhere from 115 to 120 degrees Saturday afternoon when Nebraska and California collide at Memorial Stadium, but don't worry about the players. Worry more about yourself.

Nebraska head physical therapist George Sullivan said Nebraska's 95th consecutive sellout crowd will feel the impact of the heat more than the players. "The players have been out in this heat practicing every day," he said. "The fans are the ones unconditioned for it." Actually, Sullivan said the torrid Astro-Turf temperature is somewhat misleading. "The heat works most on the legs and the feet because it's coming right up off the surface," he said. "From the waist on up, a player's temperature is the same as the fan's." Sullivan's remedy to beat the heat will be the same as it is for practice-plenty of water on the sidelines, some electrolites with potassium and calcium and some sodium tablets.

"We think we're pretty well climatized to the heat," he said. "We won't do anything special" Even though California experiences cooler weather this time of the year cause of the breezes off the bay, Cal Head Coach Roger Theder said "We're used to the heat. It's never bothered us. If you're a Californian, it's a lot easier to go into the heat than it is to go into the snow." Nevertheless, California is taking one extra step Saturday. The Golden Bears have rented some giant fans to cool the sidelines.

Perhaps Nebraska should have done the same thing, strictly for the benefit of Head Coach Tom Osborne, Sullivan said the sun's ultra-violet rays affect redheads more than anyone else. np sprts The feeling would be the same if the Dallas Cowboys were next up instead of the California Bears. It's time to get rid of the bad and the ugly and time to get on with the good. Cal's arriving two days early, cutting into normal Nebraska practice time, canceling out of a spring film agreement when it found out NU would open on national television' and demanding such things as air fans on the sidelines to combat the heat only serve to heighten the drama, not lessen it. The Huskers may have more passion to beat the Golden Bears than they have to beat Oklahoma.

The unfortunate thing is they may need to beat them worse than they need to beat the Sooners. The way the preseason trumpets blared, how much would it prove for Nebraska to bounce back from an 0-2 start next week against Hawaii, then have an idle week and win the following week at Indiana? The thought, as realistic as it should be, is almost too much for most to lake. The simple solution, then, is to make California happy it doesn't compete in the Big Eight. And that may be a tall order since the league in which the Bears competed last year was judged the finest in the land. Yes, California-Berkeley, the campus most Midwesterners used to refer to as that pot-smoking haven for student radicals, is now very much a blossoming major college football power.

If it went 74 last year and whipped Southern Cal, it can sure as heck whip Nebraska on the road with 14 returning starters and 44 returning lettermen. First-year Cal Head Coach Roger Theder knows that and if he's caught licking his chops while waiting for the chance, so be it "Nebraska," he said, "can react two ways from the loss to Alabama. They can be extremely mad and try to take it out on us or they can lose some of their confidence and start to question their own abilities.Of course, you know what we're hoping for." You also know what Cal is looking for to fill Memorial Stadium with more passes than there are balloons to celebrate a Nebraska touchdown. Rich Campbell, the Bears' sophomore quarterback who beat out last year's two best who accounted for almost 2,700 yards and 17 touchdowns, will come out of I he locker room wearing a holster and ready to shoot. Theder insists his Bears will strive to establish a running game to make Nebraska respect the pass.

But don't be fooled. California may send more men in motion Saturday than some local draft boards used to send to the war. The Bears have an offense so complex, it would make most pros spend time after school figuring it out. Don't even be surprised if Cal puts the ball in the air 50 times. The Bears are so pass-oriented, they're a bigger broken record than the worst bridge player.

"We've lived with the pass and I'm a pass-minded guy," Theder admitted Thursday when he arrived in Lincoln for an afternoon workout. Nebraska had already gone to the showers, but that didn't mean Tim Fischer, Jim Pillcn, Russell Gary and Andy Means didn't know what they were in for. California expects to pass the Husker secondary to death Saturday and if the Bears accomplish what they expect to accomplish, that could be a very accurate term. Death, after all, is one thing, on which heaven will have to wait. ATLANTA (AP) The betting was that Jim Bouton wanted material for a book about a 39-year-old former baseball star who made one last effort to recapture the glories of his youth and failed.

Eight years ago, after all, Bouton wrote a best seller the reminiscences of a 31-year-old pitcher trying to hang on in the major leagues after losing the ability to throw the ball past hitters. But the plot to the second book will have to be changed. One year shy of his 40th birthday, Bouton has made it back to the majors after an eight-year absence during which he earned his living as an author, actor and sportscaster. Thursday the former New York Yankee fireballer was called up to the Atlanta Braves and told he would pitch Sunday's game against the first place Los Angeles Dodgers. But Bouton wasn't talking about it.

His thoughts on his dramatic comeback would be reserved for a news "i If rr linn il 11 Jim Bouton Called up by Braves conference scheduled later today by his boss, Braves owner Ted Turner. Nebraska defensive captain and end George Andrews. Nebraska-Cal lineups Patek absence angers Kansas City teammates NEBRASKA OFFENSE sis I 'y vi 1 No. Name 89 Miller 73 K. Clark 54 Cotton 57 Saalfeld 67 Cooley 71 Glenn 84 Smith 12 Sorley 32 Hipp 35 Berns 22 Brown NEBRASKA No.

Name 92 Nelson 55 R.Horn 51 Weinmaster 97 Barnett 96 Andrews 40 Dunning 38 Kunz 29 Pillen 14 Fischer 34 Means 9 Gary Ht. wt. Yr. Pos Yr.Wt. Jt.

6-4 222 Jr. TE Sr. 225 6-3 64 275 Sr. LT Jr. 245 6-3 6-5 245 Sr.

LG Sr. 250 6-5 64 237 Jr. Sr. 240 6-2 64) 235 Sr. RG So.

250 6-3 6-3 250 Sr. RT Sr. 250 6-5 6-3 194 Jr. SE So. 195 6-2 6-2 200 Sr.

QB So. 215 6-5 6-0 200 Jr. IB So. 185 5-10 6-2 205 Sr. FB Jr.

225 6-2 64) 176 Jr. WB So. 170 64 DEFENSE Ht. Wt. Yr.

Pos Yr.Wt. Ht. 6-1 212 SO. LE Sr. 255 6-5 6-5 259 Jr.

LT Sr. 265 6-5 6-0 216 Jr. MG 6-5 242 Jr. RT Jr. 245 64 64 223 Sr.

RE Sr. 235 64 6-3 216 Sr. LB Jr. 220 6-2 LB Sr. 225 6-2 6-1 218 Sr.

LB Sr. 205 6-2 6-0 183 Sr. So. 190 6-1 5-9 165 Sr. CB Jr.

200 6-3 64 172 So. CB Jr. 190 6-2 5-11 184 So. Jr. 185 6-1 Name No.

Lundy 81 Har mon 76 Leffler 75 Shaw 51 Bailey 71 Watkins 63 Bouza 10 Campbell 19 Blackmon 33 Jones 46 Eddings 99 CALIFORNIA Name No. De Loach 94 Miller 98 Skaugstad 70 Rozier 96 Hill 80 Shaw 58 Bracelin 38 Coccimiglio 27 Washington 2 wanton 25 Chapman 22 i KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) -Freddie Patek, the diminutive shortstop of the Kansas City Royals, is in the doghouse. "We feel like he's let us down," one player was quoted anonymously as saying in California, where the Western Division-leading Royals are on a road trip. Patek, voted to the starting all-star team this year, was expected to rejoin the team in Anaheim Thursday.

But there was no indication he would move right back into the lineup. He's been in Kansas City nursing a virus. He's missed two road trips this year and was refused permission to bypass a third The Royals are upset with the veteran shortstop for what they believe is his reluctance to tough it out when he gets an ache or a pain. Complaining of dizziness and sickness, the 5-foot-4 Patek entered a Kansas City hospital last Saturday. He was released Tuesday morning and club officials said tests were negative.

"We've got a lot of guys out there playing with injuries and when they 1 Scene Site: Memorial Stadium. Klckoff: 1:35 p. m. Broadcasts: KFAB, KLIN, WOW, KFOR, KRNU-FM. Friday Tennis U.S.

Ooen. 10:30 Dm. io: 11 p.m., 4. Footboll Lincoln Southeast vi. Fremont, 7 p.m., C.

Baseball Royals vs. Angels, 7 p.m., C9. Staff college football picks Saturday Freddy Patek In Royals' doghouse don't feel good," said a teammate. "But we're in a pennant race and that's part of the game. We'll have all winter to rest.

We're in this as a team and there's no time to feel sorry for ourselves." Tennis U.S. Open, 1,1 a.m., 10. Baseball Maior league contest, 1 :15 p.m., 3 CS. Wide World of Sports Ali-Splnks 7C4. Football UCLA vs.

Washington, 5 p.m.,7C4. Borg, Connors frustrate foes Virgil Randy Mike Chuck I Ken I Tom Parker York Babcock Sinclair Hambleton Novak Consensus Cal at Nebraska C3 Nl N3 N12 CU N14 OU at Stanford 09 Q6 06 OU SI 08 09 KSU at Arizona, A17 KS1 A8 A16 Alft A13 AH Oregon at Colorado CM C18 C10 Cli C20 C14 C17 Texas at KU T21 TW TU T9 TU TS Tli Miaou at Notre Dame ND NB7 ND10 NDI0 ND19 ND3 NDS OSU at Wichita OS10 QS7 OS3 Osii OS7 OS12 OS8 Iowa State at Rice IS25 1S21 ISlt IS18 iiii ISW Texas Tech at USC- SC27 SC17 SC10 TT3 SC12 SciT UCLA at Washington UC7 UC1 WS Uc5 W3 W3 Even Fla. St at Syracuse S4 SI SI rsl S2 FS7 ET Rutgers at Penn St PS21 PS24 PS14 PS6 PSM PsiT Ga. Tech at Duke 6T11 GT3 GT7 GTS GT5 bl GlT- N. Merit Haw.

M4 HI H3 N8 N14 NT N'western at Illinois 111 it is 13 j) Tulane at Maryland Mlt Mlfl MS MS M2 MH M8 BYU at Oregon St. BY3 BY1I BY3 BY8 BYU osl ByT TCUatSMU S7 S7 SS S9 si T5 Vaat Wake Forest V3 WFf WF3 V2 v7T WFW WR Mem. St at Ole Miss QM7 QMS OMt OMU OM7 OMU OmT" in the tourney, said he was gradually getting accustomed it. "Still I think it might be too fast," he maintained. "I'm getting more used to it, but I'm still not comfortable." It was Ramirez who looked uncomfortable Thursday, especially following the opening set, which he took by winning the tie-breaker 8-6.

It was downhill from there. Borg began to dominate play at the net tn the second set and that turned around the match. It quickly developed into a rout, with Ramirez winning just seven games in the final set "I'm a little more aggressive than I used to be," said Borg, when asked to evaluate his game. "I'm feeling more confidence in my volley. I know that I can come in and win points." The second-seeded Connors used those same serve and volley tactics to rout Gottfried.

Only the second set was a contest, Connors taking it with a 7-0 score in the tie-breaker. Connors declined to be interviewed after his match. NEW YORK (AP) Playing tennis against Bjorn Borg or Jimmy Connors can be a very frustrating experience. "I hit short, long, everywhere and I can't beat him," Raul Ramirez said Thursday after bowing to the top-seeded Borg 6-7, 6-4, 64, 6-0 in the quarter-finals of the U.S. Open Tennis Championships.

"Is there anything tougher than playing Jimmy Connors? Maybe fighting Muhammad Ali," said Brian Gottfried, the No.6 seed who was eliminated by Connors 6-2, 7-6, 6-1 Thursday night The victories moved Borg and Connors into Saturday's semifinals, where Borg will face his friend and practice partner Vitas Gerulaitis, the No.4 seed, and Connors will meet 15th-seeded John McEnroe, the brash 19-year-old. In women's action, 16-year-old Pam Shriver, the No.16 seed, became the youngest semifinalist U.S. Open history with a 6-2, 64 victory over Australian Lesley Hunt and fourth-seeded Wendy Turnbull of Australia struggled past 15th-seeded Kathy May 3-6, 7-6, 6-1 The women's semifinals were scheduled today, with Shriver facing top- seeded Martina Navratilova and Turn-bull opposing second-seeded Chris Evert in a rematch of last year's final In that one, Evert won 7-6, 6-2. A crowd of 19,433, including 17,862 paid, attended Thursday night's session, a U.S. Open record and the first sellout for the new National Tennis Center.

According to a U.S. Tennis Association spokesman, it was the largest crowd ever to watch a tournament tennis match, surpassed only by two crowds in Australia for Davis Cup matches and the crowd of 30,472 that watched Billie Jean King beat Bobby Riggs in the Houston Astrodome Sept. 20, 1973. Ramirez, the No.8 seed, said that playing Borg creates special problems. "I have to do a lot of thinking out there because I know I cant overpower him," said the mustachioed Mexican.

"He's volleying better, his serve is stronger and it's still not easy to pass him because he's so quick. There really isn't much you can do." Borg, who has complained about the fast artificial playing surface being used tacn week a guest forecaster will pit his skills against sports staff members. This week, former Nebraska all-American grader Tom Novak is in the hotseaL '1.