The Lincoln Star from Lincoln, Nebraska • Page 29

Cyclone Wind Blows Down Fumbling NL Nebraska Loss STAFF photo by frank VARGA The loss of six fumbles haunted the Cornhuskers Saturday. On recovery is made by the Maynard Stensnid (90), this play, Stan Waldemore (62) reacts to a loose ball, the result however, at the Nebraska 29-yard line. Several plays later, ISU of a fourth quarter bobble by Monte Anthony (49). The added a field goal for a 30-20 lead. LSE Captures Rating Crown By Randy York Prrp Sports Southeast.

Gordoo, Tekaoiah- Hermao. St. Edvfard. Wolbach aod Adams. Those are your 1976 state high school football champioos lo the Suoday Journal aod Star.

But try cooviociog Rabtoo, Schuyler, Hebroo. Battle Creek, Pleasaotoo, Cambridge aod Madrid Wheatlaod. likely to get some rather heated debate those commumties. Class Giirdoo aod eight-mao champioo Adams represeot firsts to the brief two- year history of Nebraska prep football playoffs They are teams accorded state utles without having qualified for the playoffs. Battle Creek (Class C-li, Pleasanton (C- Cambridge and Wheatland (eight- man) have the most conspicuous recortb nunus final No.

1 distincuon They all finished unbeaten and untied It was the second straight 19-0 finish for Cambridge without qualifying for the playoffs. Wheatland may feel the worst about final rating developments The Madrid school defeated previously unbeaten Hampton in the state eight-man championship finab to finish 11-0. But Adams, twice defending state champion and unbeaten in its last 31 games, finished No. 1 in the final analysis. The Hornets have avoided defeat in 53 of their last 54 games.

By the same token. WheaUand has lost only nine games in the 10-year history. Obviously, changes are needed in the Nebraska Activities Assn. (NSAA) playoff system to reduce, if not eliminate Uie injustices. Leungtim's Norm Goracke believes he has the answer.

seems to complain with the way we determine our state basketball champions." he says. not determine our football champions the same way? believe there should be eight qualifiers in each class, so let the NSAA divide the teams into districts Just as they do for basketball." offers Goracke. teams in that district would play each other and the district winner would quahfy for the state playoffs." he explains. this system, each team would play in Its own class. undefeated team would be assured of a playoff spot," be emphasim.

case of a Ue, the winiier of the regular season game between the two teams would qualify Three-way or more (which would be a rarity) could be decided by the fhp of the mn According to Goracke. here's the way it would work: Class A Four districts of seven or eight schools The two top teams in each district would quahfy (lasses B. C-l, C-2 Eight districts of eight sK-hools, Each district winner would quahiy (lass Eight districts of six to eight schools. Each district winner would qualify Eight-man Sixteen districts of approximately six si'hools The 16 winners ould play on Tuesday of the ninth week to determine the eight quahfiers. Goracke the regular season be cut back from mne to eight weeks to comodate the expanded eight-team playoff field in each Conferem-es, in most cases, would be ehminated under Goracke's plan with the playoffs, he reasons, are secondary any-way.

i-onference playoffs this year mvolved se- i-ond place teams With eight qualifiers in each cla.s.s, they would become even more meaningless." tioracke i-ontends his system, used in Colorado, always produce a true champion Any point system devised will not always produce a true champion since an undefeated team could miss the playoff btvause of its poor records The Lexingtmi booster offers one more idea "Why not have all the championship games at Memorial Stadium on Friday and Saturday or Thursday and he asks "What a day of football! Games I'ould be played at 9 30. noon and 2 30 each day. Whiat an honor for the athletes! What a convenience for all those college recruiters! What a financial windfall for the NSAA!" Prep Ratings By Randy York All Ratings Final Class A 1. Lincoln Southeast (8-1-2) 6 2. Ralston (8-1) 7 3.

Grand Island (7-1-2) 8 4. Creighton Prep (8-3) 9 5 Omaha Northwest (7-3) 10 Class 1. Gordon (10-0) 6 2 Schuyler (10-0) 7. 3. Lincoln Pius (7-1) 8.

.4 Grand Island CC (7-2-2) 9 Genng (6-2) 10 Omaha South (8-2) North Platte (8-2) Scottsblutf (8-1) Omaha Westside (7-3) Lincoln High (5-3-1) Plattsmouth (91) Gothenburg (7-2) Lexington (8-2) Columbus Scotus (7-3) Fairbury (7-2) Class C-1 1 Tekamah-Herman (11-0) 2. Centennial (10-0) 3 Hebron (9-0-1) 4 Battle Creek (10-0) 5. Gibbon (8-1) 6 Hastings Adams Central (7-1-1) 7 Omaha Holy Name (6-3) 8 Bridgeport (9-1) 9 West Point 1 8-2) 10 Emerson-Hubbard Ciass C-2 St Edward (10 0-1) 6 Pleasanton (9-0) 7 Alma (10-1) 8 Ansley (9-0-1) Anselmo-Merna (8-1-1 Meridian (9-1) Walthill 8 2) Grant .6 2-1 Orchard (8-1 Neb City Lourdes (7-2) Class 1 Wolbach (12-1) 6 2 Cambridge (10-0) 7 3 Falls City Sacred Heart (8-1) 8 4 Alliance St Agnes (9-1) 9 5 Dorchester (9-1) 10 ClarKS (8-1-1) Homer (7-1 (7 2) Amherst (5-2-2) Cedar Bluffs (7-3) 1. Adams (9-0) 2 Wheatland (110) 3 Hampton (10-1) 4 Lyman (9-0) 5. Odell (7-1) Eight-man 6 Trumbull (9-0) 7 Mullen (8-1) 8 Humphrey (8-1) 9 Decatur (7-2) 10.

Shelby (7-1-1) Nth low St 14 19 38-77 70-321 1W 47 30 45 12-27-13-11-1 8-6 5-3 3-15 First Downs Rushes-yards Passing yards Return yards Passes Punts Fumbles-Lost Penalties-yards By Virgil Parker Sports Editor Ames, la. Battered and blue. Add in some tears. Nebraska had its hopes for an undisputed Big Eight Conference football championship blown out by a cyclone here Saturday afternoon. On the way to a 37-28 setback at the hands of the Iowa State Cyclones, the Cornhuskers surely must have broken the major league record for errors in one game.

Nebraska was guilty of 14 major mistakes, Count 'em 14. With downcast eyes and soft-spoken voices, the theme was the same from coaches and players alike in the Nebraska dressing room: "Iowa State has a good team, but they didn't beat us. We beat ourselves." A howling mob of 51,500 turned out in Iowa State's new stadium. They were in a raucous. Roman Holiday mood from the beginning Four sky-diving parachute jumpers were landing at midfield while the captains were trying to have the coin flip with the refs.

Three hot-air balloons floated over the stadium at halftime The only thing missing was a dirigible named the Hindenburg for the Huskers to fly home "We re not dead yet," Comhusker coach Tom Osborne observed "We have plenty to play for A win over Oklahoma will still give us a share of the conference championship Since that game until 26, Nebraska fans can spend next Saturday pulling for Oklahoma State to knock off Iowa State in their game at Stillwater. Right now, five teams are tied for the league lead with 4-2 records Nebraska. Iowa State, Colorado and both Oklahoma schools If Nebraska doesn't beat the Sooners, whatever else happens won't matter If Iowa State beats Okie State and finishes 5-2 in the league and 9-2 overall, the Cyclones will have the best season-long mark But an Oklahoma State victory and a Husker victory over Oklahoma wail reduce the co-champions to three. assuming a near-sure Colorado victory in its final game over winless Kansas State. If that becomes the case, Nebraska would have an undisputed claim to the Orange Bowl bid having beaten both of the other co-chamjK Oklahoma State and Colorado We won't have any trouble getting up for the Oklahoma game." a dowmheaned NC quarterback Vince Ferragamo said "After what happened last year, we've just gotta beat them Such hopes for the future were made neces.sary by a fired-up band of Iowa State players who are obviously tired of being underdogs and underrated that wild- eytnl mob in the sunds and a ragged per- tormance by Nebraska The Huskers.

who have "audibled nearly half the time in recent games changing the play called in the huddle after getting to the line ol scrimmage were unable to use that weapon here Even if 1 could spot a defensive weakness. I couldn change the play. Ferragamo said "I couldn make myself 8 All 4 4 4 ysao 4 an.tm* 4 iVCKir, 1 0 4 Saturday's Rasults 0 SI 44 Ka-'iat 11 Next WaaX't Gamas SI al Si 'aSc al Si al Friday, Nov. 34 Oaiaauma Nar'tika Mizzou Loses to Big-Play Sooners Ma.Okia 2T IT 4T2IS tf 0 it 1 mil 440 tit 14 12 120 411 7 7 Sunday gt Footbd iiliiiillaiifB Colit Damt Football Notrt dii Coilogt Footbolt I p.m.. (Z)(D(; Tom Otbfriio ilifWi 10:30 p.m., (DO.

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OtkiMtfa 3 p.m,. airtf aowfw Buahatyardi Pauing yards Rtturn yards PaaMt Puntt Pwmoiaaloat From Newi "They have a big-play offense and the big play caught up with us in the second half," Coach A1 Onufrio said Saturday after the Tigers fell to resurgent Oklahoma, 27-20, a loss which knoc ked them out of the Big Eight title chase Sooner quarterback Thomas LoU, one of three OU bacim who rushed for more than 100 yards, scored two tmicMowns in the key game Lott rambled 66 yards for one score. Later the quarter fullback Kenny King ripped off a 4l-yard scming run, then followed that with a 23-yard sprint. "Oklahoma just plays Uw wishbone and Onofrio saul. "Lott is doitm very well King and Horace Ivory ran we had people to tackle them on several occasions, but they got by him." The Soonen held a 13-10 at the end of the first half as they put (w an effective pass rush against Missouri quaitvhack Pete Steve Pisarkiewtci came in for Woods in the second half sod led the Seasons Records OKtAHOMA (7-2-II 21 24 Va-iOa'C 1 21 a 17 21 74 10 2 24 10 a 10 21 a 21 2 Ka'nac 24 24 $1 21 20 21 Coiocaao 42 27 2T 2 at MISSOURI (Ml use 4 lllmoiy 24 21 Kanyay Si IT Sta 14 Nacn 1 15 Colorado 20 Kanyay Tigers to two final-period touchdowns Missoun scored on an 11-yard pass from Woods to Leo Lewis, a 33-yard Pisarluewicz to fullback Earl Gant pass and field goals of 37 and 22 yards by Tim Gibbons Ivory, who picked up vWds on 17 carries, was the leading runner in the Soonen' offense, which amassed yards without throwing a pass King earned 18 times for 128 yards and Lott had 126 yanfi on 24 rushes The Oklahoma defense turned back two late Missouri offensives With the Tigen on the UU II.

cornerback Terry Pften intercepted a Pisarkiewici pass at the three and returned it to the 18 On Its last posaesston, moved to the (XUahoma 11 again, but the Sooners UxA over ini downs and ran out Uw clock PiaarkiewM3 complied 13 (rf 23 passes (or 193 yards aod one touchdown aod Woods added 96 aerial yards on ax of 15 Fullback Rich Dansdill was Missoun leading rusher with 129 yards on 18 cames Missouri was the first to score. Oklahoma tackle Phil Tabor reiwered a tumble by I'urtis Brown on the second play of the game, but the Tigers held at the 11 Missouri then mounted an 88-yard dnve, capped by the Wood-Lewis TO strike The Tigers lost the ball four times on fumbles and ont'e on an interception, and the StHiners gave up three fumbles Oklahoma, ranked I4th by the AssvK uled ITess, Uk now 6-3-1 and tied for the Big Eight lead with a 4-2 record The lllh- ranked Tigers fell to 64 and 4-3 They lust 504 total yards in offeme. Journal, Star To Pick Teams How many athletes wall slate football champion Lincoln Southeast place on the Sunday Journal and Star ali-city You can find out in cdnesday I edifiOBS oi Uw Lm- ioln Star and when allcity fall prep sports November 14 1976 1C heard I only audibled twice the whole game and both times we wound up with a broken play because they (his teammates) couldn hear me. Ferragamo complained to referee Vance Carlson several times about what he thought was excessive, pre-planned noise to keep him from changing the play. "I asked him if there wasn something that could be done to quiet the crowd down a little," Ferragamo said, "and he told me.

what college football is all about' From then on, we just had to go with the play called in the huddle, even if Iowa State changed its defen.se and the play had Uttle chance for success." The Huskers weren able to capitalize on an early advantage Iowa State hobbled the opening kickoff and had to start from its own nine. Neither team moved on its first possession and the Huskers downed Randy Lessman first punt at the ISU two The Cyclones proceeded to march to the Nebraska four and a chip-shot field goal and a 3-0 lead famed "bend but do not break" defense broke the big plays that kill you." Husker defensive coordinator Kiffin often says. Cyclone tailback Dexter Green was the killer He ripped off a 48-yard run. then caught a 20- yard pass. A sei'ond major error occurred immediately Byron Stewart fumbled the ensuing kickoff and seven plays later Green scored and Iowa State was on top.

lO-O. Nebraska seemingly found itself. Ferragamo up with Bobby Thomas with two passes, the second a 43-yarder for a touchdown That closed the gap to 10-7. But not for long Luther Blue took the kickoff on his own five Fifteen seconds later it was 17-7. Blue that slow He fleet-footed Most of that ume ticked off while he squirmed and struggled around the 30-yardbne The Huskers had him surrounded and seemingly slopped Then suddenly he was off and running again to compiete his 95-yard jaunt.

Another major error. fumbled a couple of more times they had eight all but those affect the score. Season Records NEBRA1KA (T.2-1) IOWA 1TATE (421 0 SS 14 '0 a-a '3 4 A 1- ft 4T 'T ai-f a 24 24 fo.Kaao 44 4 0 2 '7 24 24 '4 aao 33 21 2 a '444 it 4 0 31 '7 28 2T 37 at 0 0 at Then came a buzare play Iowa State was Sooner oach Barry Switzer called the win one of the happiest and most satisfying events in hu career "We became a good football team today," said Switzer He said the game was one of the most emotional ones he can remember The crowd was an inspiration," he said Onufriu pointed to a few key that made the difference in the outcome "Those key plays were the defense breaking down on the fullback play for those long gains, the late in the game hen we were about to go in and our iming possession aiKi the end and at cnUoii places on turnovers, he said 0 0 oaia 1 14 I- 22 II pau FG Stna'-xaaa FO GiSeont JT FO 21 lyfl 21 itiym M'X FG G'Mont 21 21 OaOiVlOUAt tIAUARS RUtNIM4 OaaMtM 124. IWI4 a IHM iMwri 141 OAianoiHRL 4 PASSINO 21 I rtrgi II. OkkAAomA.

I short with a 53-yard field goal attempt. safety Larry Valasek fielded the ball ui the end zone and started out' The gamble worked He reached the 32 Eight plav-s later the Huskers scored of the ground was covered on a pair of Ferragamo to Dave Shamblin passes Monte Anthony ran the final 14 yards, and though Al Eveland missed the extra point, the Huskers trailed by just four, 17-13 In the last minute before intermission, Nl Dave Butterfield fumbled a punt and Iowa State got another field goal Mercifully, the gun stTunded to signal the iniernussiun Despite su fumbles, the kukoff runback for a touchdown and Green 46-yard scamper, was still in the conteNt. traibng just 20-13 Neither team scored in the third quarter, setting the stage for a wild finish A 15-yard pass to Shamblin and another great Thonus catch wfule diving into the end zone, followed by an Eveland FAT boot knotted the at 2U-1W Of little ivnsolaUon as the game turned out. that was Ferragamo I8lh touchdown pass 01 the sc'ason, tying him for the si hool rcHsird with Dave Humm 1 thought once we tied it up, we win tor sure, Osborne said later But a wasn lo be Iowa Syie took the ensuing kickoff and marched 80 yards for a 27-20 lead which almost immediately became 30-20 Anthony on first play after the next kickoff and the I'yclones the Huskers doom with still another shtirt field goal Time was running out Nebraska tried to throw a I ouple of long bombs and one was picked off. returned 34 to the 34 and five plavs later quarterbat Buddy Hardeman who came on in the second half after an injury lo starter Wavne Stanley swept right end for 16 vards a toui hiiown and an insurmountable 37-20 The Huskers pulled out all the stops, but It was too bttle too late I'urttf Craig fielded the next kickoff, threw a lateral the width of the field to Richard Bems who got all the way down to the Iowa State two and scored on the next play But that just pulled Nebraska to a more respeciabks-sounding final score Chanting Big Red is dead, the mob had both goal posts torn down before the game over and the teams stood helplessly by as the final seconds ran off the clock with thousands of extras on the tield It 11 Uke a few "ifs," but Big Red may not be dead yet likely to all bod down as usual to shootout sMfe imim from Nurnuut..