The Miami Herald from Miami, Florida • 82

6-D THE MIAMI HERALD Tues Jan 2 1973 OK Vieiorv' flUist of Devaney: Much Better to Go Out Winner NEBRASKA COACHES any guy in the country who think Johnny Rodgers deserves that Heisman Trophy now he ought to quit writing sports or bro'adcasting or whatever he does" Devaney said emphatically RODGERS who scored four touchdowns and passed for a fifth in the 40-6 Orange Bowl rout of Notre Dame has been a key figure in 33 of 136 coaching victories 'in his three-year playing ca- y- -reer Devaney noted had never run from the paunchy 56-year-I-back formation since his freshman Then the for not using the By GARY LONG Herald Sporti Writer Bob Devaney exhibited little sentiment over the fact that his 173-game college coaching career had just come to an end so piuch better to go away a he said simply But the ultra-successful Nebraska coach gathered a little steam when the talk turned to versatile superstar Johnny Rodgers old coach second-guessed himself slippery scatback there before his i-vr- -s ii U'-VS I EDWIN fr POPE sports editor Johnny Ran Like None Ever Seen 4 tk A i -iPSLM'Ff Nebraska swan song thing Devaney explained felt we could gain so much more by getting the ball to Rod- gers on the outside Up until the Oklahoma game (a 17-14 Nebraska loss) we had been able to Oklahoma covered Rodgers so tough we figured have to get him the ball from somewhere i The success of the shuffle was reflected in the Cornhuskers overwhelming 560-yard show of power on bffense club had a somewhat disappointing 8-2-1 record in its unsuccessful quest for a third straight national championship and he admitted the thrashing of the Irish was our best game of the 1 'After a pause he added no doubt in' my -mind that Southern Cal should be No 1 But on a given day when we play like this have a chance' at least with anybody in the country 1 difference between this year and last year (when Nebraska capped a 13-0 season with a 38-6 annihilation of Alabama) is that last year we have any bad days This year we had a couple And we lost to a very fine Oklahoma THE DISCUSSION returned to future1' Right now it involves continuing in the Nebraska athletic post he has held since 1967 Asked if listen now to any talk from the pros he quipped on how they talk and if they talk I had anybody batting my door One rumor had a friend of buying the struggling New Orleans Saints from John Mecom and then naming Devaney head' coach and general manager But that talk has evaporated credentials would suggest a shot nine bowl trips seven Big Eight' championships and the two national titles in his fine at Nebraska But he added think the pro owners think mature enough THOUGH he explain that last might reflect philosophy that playing the game should be fun Certainly he made his Orange Bowl trip fun with a jam-packed schedule of entertainment But the Cornhuskers have been more ready to play And Devaney took pains to ease the pain Notre behalf they could have been on the scoreboard there in the first he said they had some misfortunes one of Notre Dames lucky Some 80010 Orange Bowl fans would have unanimously concurred Continued From Page ID skinny 5-9 173-pounder is going after them like a rat after cheese Especially a kid with two broken ribs and the virus If Rodgers had been healthy Notre Dame would have had to call everything off after the first quarter heard some pro scouts and coaches say they draft either Rodgers or middle guard Rich Glover on the first round They probably draft Larry Brown or Dick Butkus either You put a computer on pro potential and better stand back and put your hands over your ears and wait for the explosion Machines been built to program Rodgers Glover at 6-1 and 233 may not be size but he has the same nose for the football The best way to follow the ball in the Orange Bowl was to watch Rodgers when Nebraska had it and watch Glover when Notre Dame had it Too bad so many people paid so much mqney to see a non-game Perhaps though they saw something better In Rodgers they may have seen the greatest bowl performance of all time Who ever did better? JbgSir mm A file 4 TIIE MAN: Rodgers Takes Time Out for a Pit Slop Refueling Four Scores for Johnny on the Spot NUMBER ONE: Rodgers Skirts End for 8-Yard TD NUMBER THREE: Rodgers Uses Dmnlers Big Block on 5-Yardcr -J.