Lincoln Journal Star from Lincoln, Nebraska • Page 40

4D 2, W75, Lincoln, Soaday Journal aad Star Nearly Everyone Fell for Buskers' Fake Swung Momentum By Virgil Parker "Bummerooski" is what Nebraska calls its fake punt play. But it was no "bummer" Saturday. Cornhusker coach Tom Osborne called the play as the momentum was swinging to Missouri and Nebraska was clinging to a narrow 10-7 lead. The play faked out the Missouri defense, the capacity crowd of 68.195 fans and the national TV' cameras. Officials Knew But Nebraska, and fortunately the officials, knew what was happening as John O'Leary streaked 40 yards unmolested to give the Huskers a 16-7 intermission advantage and spark them to a 30-7 victory.

Receiver coach Jerry Moore brought the fake punt to Nebraska from his days as an assistant at SMU. "It's an old play." Moore admits. was first designed by Bum Phillips (now head coach of the NTL Houston Oilers) when he was an assistant. coach for Bear Bryant at Texas AsM. That's where the name bummer comes from.

"It's three-for-four in my experience." Moore adds. "I used it once as a high school coach and when I was an SMU we scored a touchdown with it against Ohio State." One Failure The one failure came two years ago when the Huskers tried it against Wisconsin. we want the opposition to think- it's going to be a fake punt," Moore explains. "We 'cheat' the punter (Randy Lessman) up a few yards from his normal 15 yards back. "The (Tony Davis), who is normaR' near the punter as a final blocker, also sets much closer to the line of scrimmage.

The other two backs (John O'Leary and Monte Anthony) take their normal positions behind the two guards. Davis is just a stop behind O'Leary. instead of several yards." Now the stage is set. Between O'Leary's Legs The ball is snapped directly to Davis. He steps forward and from behind, stuffs the ball between O'Leary's legs.

O'Leary stays down in a crouch, as though he's going to be a biocker. Davis then spins around -without the ball--to fake a handoff to Anthony coming around to the right side on a With Davis and even punter Lessman running around Honor Set For Heiser Nebraska wingback Tom Heiser has been selected by the National Football Foundation and Hall of Fame as one of eleven 1975 Scholar-Athletes. Heiser joins Rhodes Scholar candidates Brian Bashnagel of Ohio State, a wingback. and Robert J. Elliott of Iowa, a defensive back, on the list of six running backs and five lineman.

The II scholars will receive SI .000 -National Football Foundation graduate scholarships and will be honored along with the latest College Football Hall of Fame enshrinees at a dinner next month. Other scholar athletes selected include Army quarterback Scott Gillogly, North Carolina State defensive back Darryl Jackson, and UCLA quarterback John Sciarra. Linemen cited were Mississippi tackle Richard Lawrence. Michigan guard Kirk Lewis. Oklahoma tackle Dewey Seknon.

New Mexico State guard Ralph Jackson, and Utah State defensive end Randv Stockham. the right end, O'Leary stays crouched down for a count of two seconds, then takes off around the left side without any interference help. "I didn't even look up to see what was going on," O'Leary said later. "I just kept my head down and prayed nobody would see that I had the ball. The whole thing depends on deception.

Their end came in and bumped me. thinking I was a blocker. but kept right on going after Anthony, who he obviously thought had the ball." "Reverse" Yelled Davis said he tried to help out by hollering "Reverse!" as if he were a Mizzou defender tipping off his mates. "They didn't know where the ball was." Davis laughed. "They were tackling all of us except O'Leary." Lessman said somebody even broke through to tackle him, fearing he might be getting a lateral.

"We aren't supposed to look back for fear we'll give away the play," tight end Brad Jenkins added. "It was all I could do to keep from doing so. Finally, I couldn't stand it any longer. But when I looked out of the corner of my eye. O'Leary was almost to the goal line and I just started jumping up and down like a cheerleader." Biggest Victon Davis Called the victory "the biggest and most satisfying ever for Ever? "Any game.

Any he repeated. "When you beat Missouri at home you've really done something. They've got a class program and class players. Nebraska employed a new defense, taking out an end and inserting an extra defensive back on obvious passing situations. "Our pass rush still wasn't what we'd like," Osbome said, explaining that getting to the quarterback four or five times wasn't sufficient.

When informed his troops had sacked the Mizzou quarterback nine times. he decided. "Oh, well that's as much as we can expect." Continual Worry The Cornhusker coach said pass defense is a continual worry. "Quite a few times it looked like we had them stopped then we'd let them off the hook with a long pass completion." "I've never been happier in my life," defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin insists. "With (Tony)-Galbreatfa healthy they figured to hive a good running game.

But we shut that down. "I thought the real turning point was the way our kids hung in after (Gary) Higgs' fumble. We were tired. But they "wouldn't let Missouri take ad'- vantage of the break. "I thought that Mike Fultz, John Lee and Jerry Wied were super when we had just a three- man rush.

Three More Games "They typified the kind of play, as did our entire team, of which Big Eight champs are made." Kiffin added. The Huskers must pass three more tests before they reach that goal. They are three tests in which the Nebraska coaches and players expect to get some more passing grades of Nebraska coach Jerry Moore diagrams the "Bummerooski" fake punt play which sparked Nebraska to its win over Missouri Saturday. Punter Randy Lessman (1) and fullback Tony Davis (2) are closer to the line of scrimmage than normal. The ball is snapped directly to Davis.

He steps forward and stuffs the ball between John O'Leary's legs (3) from behind then spins and fakes a reverse to Monte Anthony (4) going to the right. O'Leary delays two seconds then runs left, without interference. The key is the Missouri right end (E) who must run right past O'Leary, chasing the "reverse" which he did. For a more detailed explanation, see Virgil Parker's dressing room story on this page. For a reaction story from the Missouri dressing room, see Randy York's story on Page 5D.

John O'Leary (14) is all by his lonesome after fooling the IVIizzou punt team. a a line- a i a halts Tiger running ace Tony Galbreath 3 0 It's James Wightman (59) down low and Clete Piilen (61) up high to make the play. Piilen was in on nine tackles for the day and Wightman six. It was stops such as this which limited Galbreath to 36 yards on 15 rushes. Missouri scored its only touchdown of the day after the Jones (35) was called for pass interference on this play at the Nebraska goal line.

As a result of the call, Mizzou got the ball at the one-yard line and punched it over on the next play. The intended Tiger receiver is Joe Stewart (32) while Kurt Stacey (3) is the other NU defender. Ferragamo to Thomas It Worked Twice Nebraska Touchdown The Huskers zapped Missouri twice with the long-range passing combination of Vtace Ferragamo (15) to Bobby Thomas (8). The first strike came with 15 seconds remaining in the third quarter. Ferragamo has good protection as he prepares to fire (1).

Thomas is shown after making the catch as he dances (2) to avoid the sidelines as well as fallen Mizzou defenders Rob Fitzgerald (41) and Bruce Carter (2). As the Tigers tumble, Thomas spins (3) to stay inbounds and does a full turn (4) before crossing into the end zone (5). The touchdown play covered 37 yards. NEWSPAPER!.