Lincoln Journal Star from Lincoln, Nebraska • 36

6DLZZUHUSKEnS OCTOBER 12, 1988 SUNDAY JOURNAl-gTan Noisy crowd gives NU assist 4., after causing 0U miscue I CD By Chuck Sinclair Officially, 76,041 fans braved the elements Saturday night to. watch third-ranked Nebraska's 30-10 triumph over Oklahoma State in the Big Eight Conference opener for both teams The unofficial observer might estimate several thousand of those 76,041 fans watched the Huskers In the comfort of their homes, in front of their televisions. But credit the stout-hearted fans who actually occupied seats in Memorial Stadium with a major assist for the ease in which the Huskers were able to put away the stubborn Cowboys. To be specific give a lion's share of that credit to those spectators who occupied the north end zone stands when Oklahoma State was knocking on the door with just over five minutes left in the first half, threatening to tie the game, 14-alL Oklahoma State bad a first-and-goal at the Nebraska 2-yard line after freshman quarterback Mike Gundy had connected with Bobby Riley for a 27-yard pass completion. That riled a crowd that had been called gentlemanly compared to South Carolina's rowdy crowd last week at Columbia, S.C Noise upset OSU timing Chanting "Defense" along with the normal screaming and hollering, the crowd was noisy enough to upset the signal-calling of Gundy, and resulted in a 5-yard penalty that made the Cowboys settle for a field goal instead of a touchdown.

"We couldnt hear at all," Gundy said. "The noise just too much. The lineman couldnt hear me, and I couldn't hear myself." Gundy said after the first or second series of the game that his linemen told him he'd have to speak up. "I was hollering as loud as I could," he said. "You all need to move those stands back a ways." Zentic returns Lincoln East graduate Mike Zentic, who served as a co-captain for the Cowboys in his own homecoming, said the noise was unbearable in the penalty-halted drive that resulted in a field goaL "We couldnt even hear in the huddle," Zentic said.

"That was the real problem. The left side of the line thought the play was on go, and the right side thought it was on one. That just killed us." Cowboys Coach Pat Jones paid the ultimate tribute to the Nebraska program, and the fans who were caught up in the excitement "The crowd here is a great spectator crowd," Jones said. "It's one of the classiest crowds that I've ever been around. "I sensed the same type of crowd involvement in 1984, and again here tonight When the game gets close, the Nebraska crowd really gets involved.

I really have to salute the-Ne-braska crowd." Jones breaks loose The turning point of the game followed the goal-line stand by the Nebraska defense and its supportive fans. On the first play following the kickoff after OSU had closed to 14-10, Keith Jones went off right tackle for 47 yards before Sim Drain pulled him down at the Cowboys' 14. Three plays later, Jones scored from five yards out to put: Nebraska up 21-10. "That had to hurt us," Jones said. "The most part we played; well defensively, but we gave up some big plays.

"That was one of two real deciding phases of the game, the. pass to the 2, then settling for the field goal and the kicking; game. We got beat bad in the kicking game. "I'm still proud of our kids," Jones said. "We came in here overwhelming underdogs, and we competed.

We're gaining confidence all the time." Apologized for penalties At the same time Jones was praising his team, he wa apologetic for the actions of his own players following a couplet of altercations on late hits involving Mark Moore. Husker quarterback Steve Taylor was nailed on theIe-braska sideline by Moore after he went out of bounds, -and after Taylor was knocked out of the game temporarily, Mebre nailed Taylor's replacement Clete Blakeman after he scoreX-the touchdown that put Nebraska up 28-10. Z'. "That is uncharacteristic of our kids," Jones said. "I gize for those two hits.

It's out of character for our guystWj certainly apologize, and hope Nebraska didn't get anyone InuV" That's just not like our team." In the end, what it came down to was just an overabiiC dance of talent leaning toward Nebraska. "We played them tough," Zentic said. "But they just hadjoo much talent for us." I I I JL-if 's I 1 i s-1 til "i 2 i. 15 9" JIM 1. I I Nebraska's Keith Jones celebrates after scoring his second touchdown on a 5-yard run late in the first half.

Cowboys' rough-and-tumble play motivated Huskers to play harder hitter and an All-American," Lightner said. "That wasn't an All-American move that I saw." Husker defensive end Broderick Thomas, who was standing on the sideline when the play occurred, agreed with Lightner. "We don't appreciate teams coming in here and knocking our boys around," said Thomas, a sophomore from Houston. Lightner said the score, which was 21-10 in Nebraska's favor, motivated Moore's hit and another later in the drive. "When we saw Steve get hit we ran" over there," Lightner said.

"It was a big brawl, and fortunately none of us threw any punches. "It showed that they were getting frustrated. That's when we knew that we had to take it to them." And the Huskers did, Thomas said. By Mike Reilley Three Nebraska football players disagreed on whether a late hit by Oklahoma State free safety Mark Moore on Corn-husker quarterback Steve Taylor Saturday night was intentional or not. But they agreed that the hit and two other personal fouls that occurred on the third-quarter drive had a positive effect on the Huskers in their 30-10 win at Memorial Stadium.

Taylor, who was knocked out of bounds on the Nebraska sideline, said he wasn't sure if Moore's hit was intentional. After the play, Taylor sat out the rest of the drive. "I wasn't angry about it," he said. "I think his momentum was what carried him into me. 1 just got the wind knocked out of me and I was dizzy." Nebraska offensive tackle Keven Lightner called the hit a "cheap shot." "That Moore is supposed to be a good Clete Blakeman, Taylor's replacement, capped the 58-yard drive with a 1-yard touchdown with 6:05 left in the third quarter.

Thomas said he made the offensive players a promise as they walked off the field after the score. "I told them I wanted to go out and do something for them because I didn't like seeing, them get up slow after those hits," he said. Thomas lived up to his promise a minute later when he tackled Oklahoma State quarterback Mike Gundy in the end zone for a safety. The Cowboys started the drive at their 9-yard-line. "Our intensity level went way up when we were out there," Thomas said.

Oklahoma State's only touchdown came in the second quarter when Cowboy defensive end Jerry Deckard intercepted a Taylor pass. t. Si -k. i 0 "'Hvv ft Huskers From pag 10 A. 0 ball and returned it 63 yards for the touchdown.

With 8:17 left in the first quarter, it appeared Nebraska had established control of the game. That was reinforced when Oklahoma State's second series ended with an unsuccessful 49-yard field goal attempt by Brad Dennis. The kick appeared to be tipped by the Cornhuskers' Cleo Miller. Nebraska took over at its own 32-yard line and drove to the Oklahoma State 23-yard line before Deckard's first interception ended the-threat His second interception came early in the second quarter and put the Cowboys back in the game. On a second-and-8 from the Nebraska 47-yard line, Taylor attempted a cross-field pass to Jones.

But Deckard cut in front of Jones, caught the ball on the dead run and didn't stop until he had gone 45 yards to the end zone. "That was really a shame," Osborne said of the interception. Taylor finished with only three pass completions in nine attempts, good for 46 yards. "Steve had his confidence shaken with the (second) interception. He didn't have good rhythm tonight," said Osborne.

"Steve is, in some ways, still a young quarterback." Besides, "it was a tough night to play quarterback," Osborne said. Dennis kicked the extra point after Deckard's touchdown return, and with 12:32 remaining before the intermission, Nebraska's lead had been sliced in half, 14-7. The Cowboys pulled to within four points on Joey O'Donnell's 27-yard field goal with 4:42 left in the half. Nebraska responded by scoring its third touchdown four plays from scrimmage later. Jones carried on two of the plays, going 47 yards to the Oklahoma State 14-yard line on the first and 5 yards on the fourth for his second touchdown.

Klein's extra-point kick put Nebraska up 21-10. fa. -cX- jm? A Oklahoma State's Leonard Jackson bulldogs NU l-back Keith Jones (6) (top) and the two roll ovet Husker tight end Todd Mllllkan (43). Statistics Scoring OSU-NU How scored Time TeH Fryar 2 0 Blazek 3 2 1 3 Oklahoma State Offense Yds. 41 Yds.

45 R. Smith 2 Klckoff return No. Brlnson 1 Dalton 2 Rodgers 1 Interception return No. 69 Yds. 58 23 26 Yds.

0 Rushing No. Gundy 5 Thomas 22 Llmbrlck 1 Williams 3 Sanders 4 Nash 3 Passing Yds. 20 30 2 -12 16 3 Nebraska Offense Rushing No. Yds. Ave.

Taylor 11 51 4.6 Helbel 16 72 4.5 K.Jones 14 85 6.1 Brlnson. 8 34 4.3 Blakeman 2 7 3.5 Rodgers 4 15 3.8 Wheler 2 2 1.0 Clayton 2 13 7.5 Knox 2 8 4.0 Passing No. Co. Yds PI Taylor 3 46 2 Receiving No. Yds.

Mllllkan 1 17 Gamble 1 17 R. Smith 1 12 Punting No. Yds. Ave. Kroeker .......4 157 39.3 Punt return No.

Yds. ftrlnson 38 Klckoff returns No. Riley 3 Interception returns No. Defense Tackles UT AT Shaw 3 3 Bailey 9 4 Jones 0 3 Jackson 13 2 Deckard 3 2 Williams 0 1 Vice 1 0 Pegram 3 2 Drain 3 1 Cumby 6 0 Nunn 4 2 Moore 2 2 Hudson 9 1 Gilliam 1 1 Smith 1 3 0 3 W.TT 2i5' 0-7 8-14 7-14 10-14 10-21 10-28 10-30 FIRST QUARTER K. Jones 1 run EfiHn 8, pls- bv Brlnson klckoff return.

i S7fi3! ,0 Gambl on down' R. Smith 43 punt return Conversion: Klein kick. SECOND QUARTER Deckard 45 Interception return Conversion: Dennis kick. O'Donnell 27 field goal Drive: 53 yards In 8 plays. Highlighted by Gundy 27 pass to KH0Y K.

Jones 5 run Drive: 61 yards In 4 plays. Highlighted by Jones 47 run to OSU 14. Conversion: Klein kick. THIRDQUARTER Blakeman 1 run Drive: 58 yards In 10 plays. Highlighted by four K.

Jones runs Ir.lVards aJd.ed wwnal foul penalties against OSU. Conversion: Klein kick. Team safety Zentic recovered Gunay fumble In OSU end zone. Ave. 4.0 1.4 2.0 4.0 1.0 PI 0 1 Yds.

26 68 46 10 17 Ave. 38.4 TT 13 15 10 TT 11 Defense Tackles UT AT Thomas 5 3 Spachman 5 3 Noonan 3 5 L. Jones 1 1 Holloway 5 3 Tyrer 2 0 N. Smith 1 2 Peete 1 1 Rother 1 0 4 2 Parsons 3 4 Munford Etl6OO0 3 1 Davis 2 4 Slebler 2 "1 No. Co.

Yds Gundy 14 7 109 Williams 15 4. 58 Receiving No. Dykes 2 Riley 3 Dlllard 3 Thomas 1 Brown 2 Punting No. Yds. Cooper 7 6-8S".