The Lincoln Star from Lincoln, Nebraska • Page 39

Gotham Bowl Gamble Worth It After All I Victorious (36-34) Miami Played Like Pros By DICK BECKER Yankee Stadium, New York City The house that Ruth built, the sport most hallowed stadium, becomes part of Cornhusker football legend. There have been more important games played here, certainly greater financial successes, but to Nebraskans the 36-34 win over Miami in Gotham Bowl will long rank with the most satisfying wins in the revered history of University of Nebraska football. The Cornhuskers came here for 3 important reasons: win the first bowl game. win on national television. improve their image which was shattered by a 34-6 loss to Oklahoma.

All 3 goals were accomplished with Gusto as George Mira, a mignificant moleskin matador, lost out in a i The University of Nebraska football team and coaches i i will return to Lincoln Monday afternoon. Gotham Bowl victors will arrive at Municipal i Airport at approximately 4:30 p.m. Monday. iiiiiiiiiiiniiiiuiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiitiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiifiiiiiiiiiiitiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii brilliant individual fight against superb team effort. The little junior from Key West established a school record.

He threw 46 passes and completed 24 of them for 321 yards. When you consider that the Hurricanes also ran for 181 yards for a total offense of 502 yards, hard to believe the Huskers were in the ball game with a total of 296 yards. But as with the bowl finances, the Huskers interested in figures just the final score. And you can take it from such big town writers as $nniiao JInurnal anir SEC. Red Smith and Jce Sheehan, some 12 million New Yorkers missed a chance to see one of the best college games of the year, a contest that rivaled even the performances by the New York Giants who make this arena their home.

For there were just 6,166 paid admissions to the game with another estimated 5,000 on hand in the person of youngsters who were let in free. This hardly makes a dent on the 62,700 seats. But the financial problems of the Gotham Bowl were of little importance here after one of the wildest football games you could imagine. Read in Sporfs is the Sport RED Sequence Photos Wirephoto Outdoor Page LINCOLN, SUNDAY, DEC. 16, 1962 In the final analysis, the Huskers were a better balanced ball club.

They got powerful, exhilerating running from Willie Ross, Bill Thornton and Dennis Stuewe. There was a masterful quarterback performance by Dennis Claridge. And there was some rugged line work with the Huskers appearing to get the edge over the Hurricanes in this department when the going really got rough in the second half. But, again, in the long run it appeared that over-all attack was just a bit better than Mira. And in running their record to 9-2 for the year, the best since 1905, coach Bob scrappers proved themselves to be gridiron gamblers.

After a 20-20 halftime tie, the Huskers twice went for the two-point conversion and made it both times. This was the difference in the game. And although Mira made them look helpless on pass defense, the Huskers intercepted twice and these were the key plays. Claridge got the first one in the 4th period and it led to winning touchdown. The second was by guard Bob Brown who alertly nabbed a deflected Mira toss at the Busker 43 to halt Continued on Page 21), Col.

1 Willie Ross Rambles 92 Yards to Score on Kick-Off Return mr This second-quarter dandy put Nebraska back in the game after Miami took a 12-6 lead. Willie Ross followed sideline got help from Jim Baffico Pass Defense Hurt By Turf and then crossed the goal with Dennis help, tying the score. Husker Cagers Suceumb to Denver, 63-54 By DON 8UMMKRSH)E Denver University's balanced attack combined with a sub-par Nebraska output to hand the Cornhuskers a 63-M basketball defeat at the Coliseum Saturday evening. The Pioneers, taking vantage of a 3-minute NU scoring drouth in the second half and a 3Kr Scarlet game percentage from the field, broke the lilt open in the last 8 minutes. The two teams battled on even terms throughout the first half with Nebraska taking a 26-25 lead to the dressing room at intermission.

The first 12 minutes of the second stanza was much the same story; neither team being able to mount a consistent attack. The Husker woes began shortly after Bill Vincent departed from the game with 5 fouls. At that time theHusk- ers were on the short end of a 43-41 score, with 10:16 remaining. Tw'o minutes later the loss of the 6-7 junior became apparent under the boards. The Huskers held a 34-21 rebound margin for the first half But with 7:42 left to be played in the contest, Pioneers spurted for 8 straight points to lengthen lead to 54-47 and the 1 Huskers never pressed again.

burly trio of 6-7 Bill Mumma. 6-4 Tom Vezie and 6-5 Tom Oglesby took command of the boards for the last 4 minutes and the Pioneers padded out their final 9-point edge at the free throw line. The opening half saw the game tied on 8 different occasions and the lead switch hands 4 times. Nebraska jumped off to a 5-2 lead but quickly lost it as the Rocky Mountain club knotted the game at 7-all and then moved to a 13-8 advantage ith 14:54 yet to be played. The Pioneers struggled through the next 11 minutes wiihoul a field goal I Nebraska, however, could do no better than a mere 9 points during the same interval and blew a golden opportunity to break the game open.

Husker coach Jerry Bush attempted to light some sort I of fire under NU during this period, but to no avail, The Coliseum Bear sent in his version of a unit; the lineup consisting of Earl Wright. Neil Nannen, Denny Pueiz. Joel Kortiis and Ivan Grupe, The results were no better. For the Pioneers, the victory was their 2nd in a row after 4 opening losses. by, Mumma and floorlcadcr Dennis Hodge shared scoring honors, notching 15 point apiece.

Vezie was close be- Sports Slate Siiiitlav Local No events schechilccj Naiional Focthail Detroit Chica'io. TVai 10, p.m. DaliUN San Diego, TV-7, 2 30 p.m. Moixlay iaieal Basketball Nebraska v. Miami of Ohio.

NU Coliseum, 14th Si Vine, p.m. hind with 14 and contributed a tine rebounding eifort, snatching 13 to top both teams. Daryl Petsch hit on 9 of 17 attempts from the field for 18 points to lead Nebraska. Charlie Jones added 10. record now stands at 3-2 ith the next opponent' being Miami of Ohio, a Coliseum visitor Monday night.

Nl.BKVSKV ursviR i NiUtiuiia I inil OKlf.sb.v I' ir H) 1 1 Ui hi Hu. NaiitU'ii Kiirtu.s .11 Tittalk lialftiniF Nebraska, 26 25 (eat) (I 0-1 1 0)4 3 0 0 0 16-21 By DON New York City George Mira of Miami had a field day passing against Nebraska in a losing cause Saturday. But Nebraska Coach Bob Devaney would have no part of blaming the Husker pass defense. I think the weather was a factor and may have handicapped his Bob said. the condition of the turf handicapped the pass defense, so they offset each Devaney took time between accepting a congratulations and issuing individual handshakes to his players to assure New York writers that the Gotham Bowl made any enemies at Nebraska because of pre-game foul-ups, think the Gotham Bowl deserves another he said.

Just got to get an earlier start and better organization. i ball game might help their situation a NU Assistant Coach Jim Ross, who tutors the pass defenders was happy about the final score but blue about Mira's aerial mark against the Huskers. were terrible," he groaned. But Devaney told him, feel bad about that pass defense. That turf was tough on a running game and it was worse on pass defense.

Our guys learned a lot about pass defense today guys like McCloughan. He played better The Husker coaches were elated about the victory because they feel it will give NT big recru tiiig uisl. will really help Freshman Coach John Melton grinned. I And Defensive Line Coach I George Kelly had the most graphic summation of game: people of New York missed a tremendous football Devaney hide the fact he was proud of his performance in the vastness of Yankee Stadium. like to have played before a bigger crowd but anyone who saw the game live or on TV will remember us as a bunch of fighters our kids could have quit anytime the way that Mira was Bob said Mira a lot more to his right end than we thought.

We just Continued on Page 2D, Col. 3. StoMlci NU Miami First Downs 12 34 Rushing 5 9 Passing 7 21 Penalties 0 4 Rushing Yards 130 181 Yards rushing 161 184 Yards lost 11 3 Plays 36 42 Net Passing Yards 146 321 Passes 14 46 Completed 9 24 Intercepted 0 Total Yardage 296 502 Total Plays 30 86 Interceptions Yards Returned 2 0 Punts I 37 35 Penalties 6 I Yards 69 5 Kiekofts Returned 5 4 Yards 211 78 Fumbles 2 3 Lust 3.