Lincoln Journal Star from Lincoln, Nebraska • 30

Jar dine Points to Poise Key AS 10 mistier N-Manstedt" P'---'-M0rSl fall Pi rxV rvJ' 'v i 1 a v- By Randy York Selvie Washington can see farther than he can reach, but it doesn't mean that he should quit reaching. Like the guy who never can quite catch the brass ring, the Wisconsin tailback intends to keep reaching until he catches it. "We're going to beat somebody. I don't know who, when or where. But we're going to beat somebody.

The Big 8 knows we're around. Now, we're going to let the Big 10 know," offers Washington, who whisked 96 yards for a touchdown on a fourth quarter kickoff return in a 20-16 loss to Nebraska Saturday. The Badgers may be snake-bitten after their third loss to Purdue by one, Colorado by three and Nebraska by four. But Washington's comment is characteristic of those in the Wisconsin locker room where the atmosphere was one more of quiet pride than silent depression. Wisconsin coach John Jardine prefers to accentuate the positive in wake of his team's gritty persistence to upset the Cornhuskers.

"I really believe this is a much better football team than we played last week because Nebraska has the great quarterback," says Jardine, whose Badgers still must face Ohio State and Michigan this season. Jardine admits Saturday's setback "didn't tear us as much inside as last week's did. Maybe that's because we can't tear much more. We ought to be proud. The players realize they're getting better.

"Nebraska is a helluva football team. When they had their backs against the wall, they really came out of the chutes. That kind of poise is the mark of a good football team." adds Jardine. Sophomore tailback Bill Marek says Wisconsin's game plan was "to run and attack right at Nebraska. Because they're so quick, that's the onlv way to beat them." Marek, only 5-8 and 186, was an indefatigable running threat.

He carried 30 times for 145 yards, fulfilling a dream "I've had in the last two years after watching Nebraska piay so well on television." Washington, who rushed for 119 yards last week against Colorado, says "we had a middle return on" for his 96-yard dash late in the fourth quarter. "When I saw it was closed off to the right, I went outside to the left, then cut back right again. When I saw the last block on about the 25, I knew I was gone," relates Washington. The Ferrum, junior college transfer had never returned a kickoff for a touchdown before. Jardine was most impressed with the time Nebraska's line gives Dave Humm to throw.

"When you get protection like that, you're going to burn people. Our defense rose to the occasion and put them in bad spots, but Nebraska kept getting itself out of them," Jardine says. The fifth-year Wisconsin coach says his team was ready for a fake punt by Nebraska in the fourth quarter, "but had no idea how they might try it." He also indicates his own punter. Randy Rose, "took his eyes off the ball" when a snap from center sailed over his head in the fourth quarter. i 4 1 1 8 Wisconsin Bill Marek (26), with his more than 140 yards Tom Ruud (45) makes a crunching tackle.

Bob Martin (87) rushing, was a thorn in Nebraska's side most of the after- and Steve Manstedt (82) close in to make the stop certain, noon. He didn't gain much on this play though as lineback 4th Quarter Rally Wins for Big Red I r.i.-.'.J-'-,-!!'-( Continued From Page 1C to contribute to the win." Davis said he didn't expect to be in for the final touchdown drive which provided victory. "I had fumbled the last time I carried before that. It led to Wisconsin's field goal that gave them the 10-7 lead," Davis recalled. "I was sure glad the coaches gave me another chance." Humm started the final march with four passes three complete for two first downs, then wingback Ritch Bahe roared 40 yards on an inside reverse to the Badger 15.

"We decided right then we wouldn't throw any more passes," Osborne said. "We only trailed by two points, so we thought we'd try to run it as close as possible and then have (Rich) Sanger try a field goal." But two plays later Davis ripped off right tackle and into "Probably a lot of people in the stands were wondering what kind of a dumb coach I am," Osborne said of the play. "But it can work if the defense follows the flow of the play. There's no blocking for the guy (Dave Goeller) who winds up with the ball. It's a matter of deception.

This time it didn't work." As far as Osborne is concerned, however, the final outcome is all that matters. "We didn't want to pass so much," Osborne noted of his game plan. "We wanted to mix it up more, but we just got shut off from the run. "We thought we could pass on their three-deep zone defense. Their linebackers were very run concious.

But we had hoped we could run against them too. We're going to have to improve our ground game if we hope to continue winning." The victory was the 12th straight for Nebraska over a Big Ten foe. And more of the same now faces the Cornhuskers in enemy territory. Nebraska travels next to Minneapolis to face Minnesota, now 1-2, after losing 34-19 to Kansas Saturday. "I'm not really disappointed," Osborne insists.

"We may suffer in the national ratings. At this stage of the game the important thing is to keep winning. But that was a long, long afternoon. I don't like them to go down to the wire like that." The 76,279 fans would be quick to agree. Things didn't work out so well on this handoff (above) as Dave Humm (12) and Jeff Moran (30) had trouble making an exchange.

Wisconsin recovered the fumble to thwart a Nebraska drive. Such mistakes led to a pensive Tom Osborne (left) who probably wondered why things couldn't always be like the perfect handoff (below) from Humm to Dave Goeller (28) in the first half. First 1 his Two running plays, similar in excitement but different in form, brought the Cornhuskers their victory-grabbing touchdown in the final minutes. Wmgback Ritch Bahe (24) picked up a 40-yard chunk of turf using the finesse of a sharp cut past Wisconsin's Terry Buss (10). i.

the end zone. "The line opened up the biggest hole of the day on the play," Davis recalled. "I hardly remember what happened, but when I hit that last guy and spun off I knew I was in." The key play of the entire game was undoubtedly the fourth-down touchdown pass from Humm to Anderson which overcame Wisconsin's 10-7 lead. "It's a delay pattern," Anderson described. "I shoot across the middle after the I-back clears out the area." Humm says he didn't even know it was fourth down.

"I try not to think about things like that," he said. "Coach Osborne had called the play and we just wanted it to succeed." Osborne said he was glad Humm didn't realize the down. "I sure knew though," he assures. "But I don't want credit for calling the play. I called a heck of a lot of others that didn't work." One was a nervy run attempt on fourth down.

'V Vi if fC; i rU CSS If 1 tf if IX fj zJ .1 1 Ir' 1 KfS tl I 1 if II Til I rim ItMn'T mil ItUum Photos By Bob Gorham Web Ray Randy Hampton Frank Varga Harold Dreimanis Willis Van Sickle Then Thisl 1 wo Dlavs later Tony Davis (25) had to use more toughness than finesse Joel Thorson in scoring the touchdown as he absorbed stiff punishment from Badgers Rick Jakious (34) and Mark Cullen (11). It was worth it though as the result was a 14-yard scoring run which put the Huskers ahead for good. 20-16. A two-point conversion try failed.