Lincoln Journal Star from Lincoln, Nebraska • 35

OCTOBER 19B8 SUNDAY JOURNAL-STAR iUGKEElG I 17D NU9 lack of execution dooms offensive scraacl By Mike Babcock yf -() r-'xW iBr- Cornhuskers only 110 yards on the ground in a 20-3 opening-game victory in 1978. Nebraska's leading rusher was Tyreese Knox, the second-string I-back, who gained 55 yards on 10 carries. Cornhusker head Coach Tom Osborne said Colorado's defense did "a little stunting, not so much blitzing with linebackers as moving their people around, looping a little bit inside." South Carolina, which pushed Nebraska to the brink before losing 27-24, used similar defensive tactics, according to Osborne. They "seemed to give us some trouble," said Osborne. "We just missed some blocks, and as a result, we weren't getting anything on first and second down." So eventually, "we had to start throwing." The Cornhuskers had similar problems when they went to the air, completing 10 of 28 passes for 123 yards.

Two Nebraska passes were intercepted. Sophomore quarterback Steve Taylor threw the interceptions. "Steve had his troubles today," Osborne said. "But we didnt play as well at a lot of positions as we needed to play. It certainly wasn't any one person's fault." Colorado nose tackle Kyle Rappold, who was credited with seven tackles, was one reason the Buffaloes were effective at looping and stunting, according to Welter.

"He's a quick individual," Welter said. "But it's not like an offensive lineman shouldn't be able to block stuff like that South Carolina did it, too. We've got to be agile enough to do that (block such stunts). Otherwise, people will be doing that to us the rest of the season." BOULDER, Colo. Tom Welter, a senior tackle, assumed feasibility on behalf of the Nebraska football team's -The line possibly played its worst game of the year today," welter said after Colorado's 20-10 upset of third-ranked Nebula Saturday at Folsom Field.

SEto not attributing that to any one individual II take the blgmt, too. I had a lot of bad blocks, a lot of whiffs. I dldnt do things I needed to do. I hated that game. It made me sick," WLUarsaid.

Given the way the Buffaloes responded, it made up for the losses with which they began this season. made them 3-0 in Big Eight play, tied with Oklahoma for first place in the conference. 3fle 34 start in the Big Eight is Colorado's best since 1967, season in which it defeated Nebraska. belter was willing to shoulder some of the blame. "It an bolls down to the offensive line," he said.

Jit's sickening not being able to move the football. We shtffi) be able to rush for 300 yards every time we step on the fiHtiot just because weTe Nebraska but because of the type ofjjeam we are, hard-hitting, with down-field blocks stuff like (hat We just weren't able to do that today." JJebraska went into the game ranked second in the nation in offense, averaging 335.2 yards per game and 5.5 yards pefrush. The Cornhuskers managed only 123 rushing yards and 19 yards per carry against Colorado. Alabama was the last team to hold Nebraska to fewer than 123 lushing yards in a game. The Crimson Tide allowed the Huskers huskers the designation didnt mean much, McCartney said earlier this week.

It meant something to Colorado on Saturday, though. The Buffaloes "couldn't get any higher," Nebraska middle guard Danny Noonan said. "They had to throw it all into one game. It's tough to get that kind of emotion going week-in and week-out "But they were the better team today," said Noonan. Colorado kept Nebraska off the scoreboard until late in the third quarter, when the third of three fumble recoveries by defensive end Broderick Thomas gave the Cornhuskers possession at the Buffalo 14-yard line.

On the third play from scrimmage, Nebraska quarterback Steve Taylor ran into the end zone from 2 yards out Dale Klein kicked the extra point and with a minute left in the quarter, the score was 10-7. "I thought after we got the first touchdown and starting getting some good runs, it'd be a typical Nebraska football game, that we'd wear 'em down in the fourth quarter," said Cornhusker offensive tackle Tom Welter. CU's Dave DeLine gets off his 36-yard field goal over NU's 6-foot-6 Neil Smith in the fourth quarter." Instead, Colorado countered with Oliver's 52-yard touchdown pass eight seconds into the fourth quarter. The only other points Nebraska could manage came on Klein's 29-yard field goal with 12: 14 remaining. Colorado responded with three points on DeLine's second field goal, a 35-yarder that capped an eight-play, 62-yard drive, which consumed 4 minutes.

DeLine's first field goal, late in the first half, was a 57-yarder, the second longest in Colorado history. That's the kind of day if was for Nebraska. Afterward, Osborne told his players "we've still got a chance to have a very fine football season. "But how they react to this is very critical," Osborne said. Saturday's game attracted a sellout crowd of 52,440, nearly one-third of them Nebraska fans, according to a Denver newspaper.

Many of those wearing Colorado gold reacted by storming Folsom Field before the final gun. The goal posts came down, and the celebration began. Buffalo quotes of media relations, estimated the Nebraska crowd Saturday at 15,000, down from the 20,000 in recent years. Split end Jeff Campbell, on his 3S-yard reverse for a touchdown "We had the greatest blocking in the world on that play. All I had to do was to beat ony guy and I did." Quarterback Mark Hatcher "Ne Colorado Coach Bill McCartney "Coach Tom Osborne was so gracious in defeat He's such a class person a pacesetter in our profession.

He was very complimentary of our kids. "Our crowd was great I would hope the next time we play at home there wont be as many red shirts in the stands." Dave Plati, Colorado diorector braska was not playing the defense theyp are capable of playing. When they'goj'; behind they played like they wanted to. hurt somebody. That gets you out of your game." Linebacker Barry Remington "Yoif'; cant believe how much better this.

tie4 fense is than it was, a week ago, less four weeks ago." PS Huskers romises Thomas that it won't happen again We couldn't -run the ball on early downs, and that's not characteristic of us," Osborne said. offensive problems began up-front, according to Osborne. "We didnt block well enough, and when you dont block, you just dont get things started," he said. the Cornhuskers "played pretty well, except for a couple of three big plays. They (the Buffaloes) executed weU, and we didn't get the job done," said Osborne.

Colorado's touchdowns came on freshman Jeff Campbell's 39-yard run on a split end reverse, and a 52-yard pass from freshman halfback O.C. Oliver to split end Lance CarL Add those touchdowns, in the first and fourth quarters, to a pair of extra-point kicks and field goals of 57 and 35 yards by Dave DeLine and you've got Saturday's upset in a nutshell. "And I think we've got a rivalry now," Colorado Coach Bill McCartney said. When McCartney arrived in Boulder five seasons ago, he designated Nebraska as Colorado's official rival. But until the Buffaloes could beat the Corn- Husker quotes Quarterback Steve Taylor "It makes it harder knowing that we had beaten them 18 times in a row.

But you just have to go out and make it happen." On working with center Jeff Sellentin instead of regular Mark Cooper, who was injured "We didnt have any problems with exchanges and Jeff did a good job. It's hard to say what difference it might have made if Cooper had played." On how well Nebraska can rebound "Our attitude is pretty good we tried and never gave up. This isn't a disaster. We'll just go back and do our best." Cornerback Charles Fryar "We had a couple of calls on a couple plays that just didn't go our way and that definitely affected us. "The pass for the touchdown (a 52-yard halfback pass from O.C.

Oliver to Lance Carl to give CU a 17-7 lead) was the back breaker because we dont normally get beat deep." Defensive tackle Neil Smith "You have to give them (Colorado) credit But we can come back and finish with just one loss in the Big Eight They just ran the wishbone pretty welL They went about as far (side-to-side) as they can and the quarterback ducked under some. We just had some assignments that didnt get done quite Marc Munford "Colorado is a good ball club and they probably should have won three of their first four games (CU opened the season 0-4). They seemed to find ways to lose them in the fourth quarter, but not this time. "We'll regroup and bounce back. This isrft going to ruin our season.

But it sure puts; a damperon it right now." lent defensive backs and a good line." Blakeman agreed that the Colorado defense caused some problems, "but we just didnt execute very well "Our defense played well but they got a couple of big plays and they were real momentum-builders for them," he said. "And our offense wasn't clicking like usuaL We just never got going." The first big Colorado play, a 39-yard reverse for a touch-1 down by freshman Jeff Campbell, wasn't an unexpected play. "We practiced that reverse and knew they were going fto, run it" said linebacker Marc Munford. "We had a breakdown and no one heard the reverse call "When you've got everyone going one way and nobody hears the reverse call, it can be a big play." Munford said it was a bit discouraging to get turnovers and not capitalize on the miscues more. The Huskers scored after just one of Thomas' three fumble recoveries.

"Our offense didnt move the ball welL We gave up 20 points and they didnt move and that adds up to a loss a team loss," he said. "But we never gave up. I wasnt worried when we were down 10-0 because I've been around when we have scored 21 points in less than two minutes. "I knew we could come back. It was just a matter of getting it together." After Colorado increased its lead to 20-10 with 7:44 left in the game, Taylor had his eyes on both the clock and the end zone.

"I knew we had to score and score fast We just wanted to get the ball in the end zone," he said. Nebraska had never lost a game in which Taylor started, but it just wasnt to be this time. "This was my first loss as a starter and I hope it's my last, -he said. By Ryly Jane Hambleton BOULDER, Colo. Broderick Thomas took Nebraska's loss to Colorado in stride.

But never again. "I promise as long as I play at Nebraska, Colorado will never ever beat us again," he said. "I raise my right hand and say they will not beat us again as long as I'm at Nebraska." Thomas' somber confidence came in the wake of Colorado's stunning 20-10 upset of the Cornhuskers. "There wasn't a thing they ran we hadn't practiced on all week. But things happened that we weren't able to stop," Thomas said.

"They tried to put our backs against a wall and we tried to fight them off. We just didn't get it done. "I think we're still a great club. Sometimes wins are not the best thing for you all the time. But this was not the best loss in the world I'd rather win.

"But well learn from it and it will make us a better team. We lost a game and IU take it like a man." While the defensive players saw nothing new, NU quarterback Steve Taylor said the offense ran Into some different wrinkles. "They had a very aggressive defense and had good pursuit They just outplayed us," Taylor said. "There wasn't really anything we hadn't seen but they did run some stunts that the line was prepared for, but they did the opposite of what we expected. "They'd slant the opposite way and I think that confused the line a little." Taylor said sitting on the sideline to open the second half helped him.

After playing the entire first half, the sophomore quarterback gave way to Clete Blakeman for two possessions. "I didn't do too well in the first half. We were down 10-0 and when you get that far behind, and you had a hand in it you want to be in the game," he said. "Clete did a good job, but I wanted to get back in." Taylor said he misread the defense on his two interceptions. "On the hooks, I didn't see the guy coming in for the interception.

But if I had just thrown right to the receiver, we probably would have had completions," he said. "The combination of their rush and coverage gave us problems. They have excel- I i A. 1 1 1 iVf 1 'Vr J) I Vv Journal-Star photos by Randy Hampton, Ted Kirk and David Fahleson -5 NU's Broderick Thomas celebrates third-quarter fumble recovery. Scoring story Nebraska-Colorado Statistics Time left How scored Yds.

52 Yds. 53 Nebraska Offense Rushing No. Yds. Ave. Knox 10 55 5.5 Tavlor 13 27 2.1 Brlnson 4 16 4.0 Helbel 2 13 6.5 Kaelln 3 9 3.0 K.Jones 9 9 1.0 Blakeman 2 -6 Passing No.

Co. Yds PI Taylor 21 7 102 2 Blakeman 5 3 21 0 Receiving No, Yds. 3 52 2 25 K. 2 18 Smith 1 13 Gamble 1 10 1- 5 Punting No. Yds.

Ave. 8 305 38.1 Punt returns Colorado Offense Rushing No. Yds. Ave. Oliver 18 47 2.6 Hatcher 21 40 1.9 Weatherspoon 13 34 2.6 Campbell 2 53 26.5 Klsslck 4 8 2.0 Passing No.

Co. Yds PI Oliver 1 1 52 0 Hatcher 3 1 29 0 Marquez 1 0 0 0 Receiving No. Yds. Carl 1 52 Embree 1 29 Punting No. Yds.

Ave. Helton 7 314 44.9 Punt returns No. Yds. Campbell 3 19 Ferrondo 1 15 Klckoff returns No. Brlnson 4 Kickofff returns No.

Brlnson 4 Defense Tackles UT AT Washington 0 1 Fryar 3 1 Tomlack 1 1 Slebler 5 1 Blazek 0 1 Davis 2 2 Parsons 5 3 Welnlak 0 1 Munford 5 6 Etlenne 3 3 Spachmon 1 0 Rother 1 0 Tvrer 0 1 Thomas 7 2 Holloway 3 3 Noonan 4 2 Pete 0 1 L. Jones 5 5 N. Smith 5 5 No. Nelson 2 Interception No. Wilcox 1 1 Colorado Defense UT AT Rogers 1 3 Nalrln 2 3 Beck 1 0 6 2 Tate 5 2 Wilcox 3 2 McCarty 3 1 Stone 2 0 Remington Quackenbush 1 0 DeLuzIo 5 3 J.

Smith 1 2 Walker 3 2 Schubeck 6 0 Rappold 4 3 Koch 3 4 Relnhardt 5 1 FIRST QUARTER Campbell 39 run 4:39 Drive: 46 yards in 2 plays after 15-yard NU punt. Aided by two NU offsides penalties. Conversion: DeLine kick. SECOND QUARTER DeLine 57 field goal 4:33 Drive: 5 yards in 4 plays after Koch recovered Taylor fumble at NU 45-yard line. THIRDQUARTER Taylor 2 run 1:00 Drive: 14 yards In 3 plays after Thomas recovered Hatcher fumble at CU 14.

Highlighted by Helbel 11 run. Conversion: Kjleln kick. FOURTH QUARTER Carl 52 pat from Oliver 14:52 Drive: 61 yards In 3 plays offer Klein missed field goal. Highlighted by Hotcher-to-Oliver-to-Carl halfback pass for touchdown. Conversion: DeLine kick.

Klein 29 field goal 12:14 Drive: 58 yards in 8 plays. Highlighted by Taylor 25 and 9 runs, and Knox 21 run. mt DeLine 36 field goal 744 Drive: 62 yards In 8 Plays. Highlighted by Hatcher 29 pass to Embree and Campbell reverse for 14 yards. 7-10 7-17 10-17 10-10 4 2 9 1 fit'' '7 7 4.