The Lincoln Star from Lincoln, Nebraska • Page 33

Up and Down I 3 1 JUiiiniiii aiio Siar Best Read Sport Red Flying Larry Valasek (4) leads a Husker charge that includes George Andrews (96) and Ted Harvey (31) and blocks an attempted punt by Monte Montgomery (12) from deep in Tiger STAFF BV WtB MAT territory. block resulted in the first Nebraska touchdown when Kent Smith fell on the ball in the end zone. The Bomb That Killed NV Nebraska's View Missouri's View By Virgil Parker Last year. Nebraska came up with the on its way to a football victory over Missouri. Mizzou countered with its Pahseroosky" to stuu pie Cornhuskers Saturday.

A 98-yard bomb friwj quarterback Pete Wtxxls to slotbadi Joe Stqwart the longest touchdown pass play in Big Eight Conference history pulled the visiting Tigers from a 24-23 deficit and led then to a 34-24 triumph. The result, coupled with loss to Oklahoma State, leaves five teams log- jammed into a first-place tie for the conference lead We had a mwup in our coverage, ornhusker coach Tom Osborne admitted. It was a breakdown in communication. One pass defense was called in the defensive huddle, then it was changed. I don't know if it was the noise of the crowd or what, but missed the DaVe Butterfield.

Nebraska's all-Big Eight cornerback, took the blame. "1 thought I was supposed to hit the guy in the flat That was the huddle Butter recalled there was a defensive audible and I should have picked it up the other three guys (defensive backs Kent Smith. Larry Valasek and Ted Harvey) did. Playing in the flat. I was going to move up and jam (bump) the guy But, 1 slipped and Saftey Valasek.

who made a desperate dive to catch Stewart after the catch, said the play did not come as a total surprise. practiced against that very play all week, Valasek said. saw on the films that they liked to throw the takeoff pass when they are deep like that. We even kept reminding ourselves of it in the huddle. That what makes it hurt so Valasek echoed the sentiment that football is a game of inches.

I had reacted a split second earlier I might have got Valasek said. was just two feet away when I dove (for him. That play was the biggest blow of my Leading by a point at the time, Nebraska had pushed Missouri back. The Tigers faced a third-and-14 situation from their own two-yardline was so fired up just before that Vala.sek remembers had backed up We had the lead I looked up in the stands and saw all those fans yelling. 1 was really up Then that play.

What a "There were lots of turning points, what with all our Osborne observed. that pass had to be the biggest. We had things under control. It looked like we'd be getting the ball in good field position Then and his voice trailed off. "We were in a very basic run-pass defense.

defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin said. we had the mixup in our coverage We weren't trying to blitz or anything. We had the lead and the momentum That long pass changed everything. When he (Stewart) was running down the field, it was one of the worst moments of my coaching By Randy York Missouri's A1 Onofrio may vote Kepubhcan next month elections, but somehow it would out of character. If he conservative, CharUe Fmley is predictable why Tiger quarterback Pete Woods was not the least bit surprised early in the fourth quarter Saturday when tight end Mike Williams came into huddle with the play left, tight 127, Third and 14 on your own two-yard line isn't the typical time to isolate your best receiver on a streak pattern.

A quarterback in a different system might have fainted when he heard the message. He would have at least cleared the extra wax out of his ear. But not Woods, Steve replacement he said, pri-ses me on this football team anymore We re nut type to play it conservative and that wasn the time to get conservative. It was a helluva call If the tide was going to turn, that was going to be Woods laid the pass into the hands of split end Joe Stewart, former Illinois prep I'JO and 220 -yard dash champion. The 98- yard bomb and two-point conversion pass from Woods to Stewart transformed a 24-23 Muzou deficit into a 31-24 cushion.

"All I had to do was throw it out there, Woods said "You overthrow Joe Stewart. I just let it fly. I knew get under It one can cover him one-on-one, not even Dave Butterfield All-Big Eight cornerback Butterfield, who did not hear defensive audible, said he slipped while trying to bump Stewart for someone else to cover him deep don't know that he slipped," Stewart said see that 1 just think I put the move on him I was talking to myself all the way down the field. I said have to catch It and after I caught it. I just kept saying drop it don drop Mizzou linhd up with two tight ends and StQwart the only wide receiver.

Woods sensed Nebraska was run-conscious when he saw safeties play in Woods, who compiled an 8-1 pitching record on Big Eight champion baseball team last spring, faked handoffs to both running backs, then threw over the middle. Dean Leibson, the third team tailback, my fake and carried it out. I was pursued and all I had to do was bring those linebackers up like he said, snapping his fingers, we were On the conversion. Leo Lewis movc'd from spht end to tailback. Lamont Downer was the split end on the play and Stewart the slotback.

sent Leo in motion the opposite way of the play to loosen them up, so they double cover Woods said left Joe in a one-on-one situation again with Butterfield and it was a matter of me lofting the ball over his head into the corner of the end zone You get Joe into man-to-man coverage and going to beat people. One Enough for MO Neb First 15 23 50-223 Passing 191 191 Return 32 11 Passes 13-22-2 6-40 3-44 Fumbles lost 2-1 5-4 5-52 2-10 By Bob Owens box pundits jokingly called it the ID when Monte Anthony wtober lu dropped the ball and Chuck Malito The try for point, however, was recovered at the four to set up the blocked by Tom Hodge, a fact which touchdown that gave Nebraska its first lead created dilemma for the Buskers the rest of the game early in the quarter Oio afternoon It worked so well, the Cornhuskers kept The fumble-roosky" carnc when on fumbling the rest of the foggy afternoon Anthony broke through the line on the in NU's Memorial Stadium. fourth play of the stHond quarter and then Unfortunately, found that fumbled after running about 15 yards Two fumbling, like crime, does not pay and Buskers, Dodie Donnell and Ken Missouri went home with a 34-24 victory. had chance to recover it and turnovers were disastrous, Coach Newman al.so had a shot at it before Tom Osborne said the subdued Husker split end Chuck recovered at the locker room the long run we fumbled yjti 4 away any chance we had had Anthonv took it over two plays later, some costly turnovers, too. but when two making the score 12-7 good teams are playing, a discrepency of That set the stage for the first of two un- five turnovers make it difficult, if not im- succe.ssful two-point tries possible, to win Missouri took a 20-12 lead after The loss for the No 3-rated Nebraskans, Nebraska third turnover, Kichard with defeat by second lost fumble of the game which Oklahoma State and the win by Colorado followed a 9-yard Woods to Kellen Winslow over Iowa State left the Big Eight touchdown pass.

took over at the Conference race in a five-way tie for first 20 Spht end Leo Lewis scampered 19 place yards on a reverse and Woods sneaked it It marked the fourth time this season iicro.ss the goal. Gibbons kicked the point Missouri has whipped an undefeated and onlv turnover, a fumble bv nationally ranked team All four of the vie- bowman covered' by Curtis Craig after a tones were engineered by reserve quarter- Lessman punt, enabled Nebraska to ba( Pete Woods, a junior from University to with 19 left in the half Quarterback Vince Ferragamo scored Woods scored two touchdowns on one- on a sneak, but his two-point pass to Bob- yard runs and then virtually settled the bv Thomas was broken up bv MU defensive issue when he threw to slotback Joe Fitzgerald The earlier trv was Stewart for the longest touchdown pass in incomplete to Anthony Big Eight hi.story first of two field goahs. a 23- rhe play covered 98 yards early in the attempt, made it 23-13 with eight fourth (juarter A subsequent two-point to go before the intermis.N*on conversion on a Woods-to-Stewart pass, jp to be turning to the wiped out a 24-23 lead the Huskers in the third quarter They got only Buskers had gained on Lveland 20- points out of the 15 minutes of action, yard field goal on the first play of the however, despite producing 198 yards in lourth quarter tQtjj offense, po.sting 11 first downs and "This Is a great thrill, but the Ohio State holding Missouri to no first downs and a game was even greater because it was my of 10 vards on just six first start, W'oods said fun to be on jjuskers drove 78 vards to the MU 4 the roller coaster as long as we get off it 2 but had to settle for Eveland from now own 2 l-vard field goal, cutting their to Missouri, now 5-2 for the lost to 23-21 Thev drove 81 vards to the MU on Illinois the week after beating Southern their next po.s.>ession! but DonnelHumbled California in the season opener Then they defensive tackle Donald Cole beat Ohio State, but last week fell to Iowa recovered State at home In between, they won over from their own to the North arolina and Kansas State Tiger three on the last play of the quarter. After VViHids pass ahead 31-24, jy accept three points from Osborne said tlie Buskers might well have Eveland toe on the first plav of the last played for a tie if they had scored again quarter bt'cau-se they already knew Oklahoma had 24-23. but it was been beaten.

lived despite the ensuing kitkoff now our players are down and which put Mi.s.souri in poor field position, discouraged, but Oklahoma lost and win- was third down and 14 yards to go with ning the Big Eight title is still our goal. jjis own 2 when Woods Osborne said. would have liked to spt'ctacular pass to Stewart have been national champions, but that yg-vard pass, which came with 12 53 will be difficult now. But. we re in as good game, broke the old Big Eight a as anybody else in the conference record of 97 vards set in 1983 wfhen Bill race.

We re nOt done by a longshot This is ppmyn Willie Hiv Smith of fcan- a tough league We just that at the end we re the survivor Nebraska still had plenty of and got Long bt'fore the play jj fyyj. game, but -SO calk'd because of the fake punt called twice more lost it on turnovers the bummeroosky which produced a ppp jjusRers fumbled it at their 32, Busker touchdown last year at Missouri Gibtxms a shot at a 41-yard field Nebraska was mistake ridden which sailed wide to the left. Then The Buskers lost the ball the first two Perragamo threw his second interception times they had the ball, the first time on an (Jipfxjns converted from 34 interception and next on a fumble. ty yj After the interception Woods pas.sed 44 only apparent injury the Hu.skers yards to Stewart to the NU l-yard hne and suffered was the recurring knee problem of then took it in two plays later on a keeper Anthonv. through right tackle.

Tim kick made it 7-t) The race for the conference title con- The Buskers got that one back, despite next Saturday when the Bu.skers go the tumble, when Larry Valasek broke to Kansas goes to Oklahoma through to bliK Monte Stale. Oklahoma to Uolorado, and Kansas punt and Kent recovered in the end Slate to Iowa Stale Osborne Hopes Lightning Strike Again By Kaody York Spurts Playing the football playoff waiting game IS tough on any prep coach, even if he's armed with a trusty calculator and a world of confidence But as the curtain gest ready to drop on regular season next weekend. John Osborne has to be the most apprehensive coach of all Osborne, heed coach for No 1-rated Kalslon. knows the frustraUon of thinking you have something and then not getting it. While coaching at Nevada, he had teams edged out of the state playoffs each time by less than a tenth of a peri entage point His 1971 Nevada team finished 8-2, but lost a playoff berth to St.

Louis Chaminade High School His 1973 team went 10-0, but lost out to Joplin Memorial. In 1974, final year at Nevada, his team finished 9-1. This time, Jefferson City Helias edged Nevada out of the playoffs. start to feel a little Osborne observed "Of course, Missouri ra tified the problem by expanding to an eight-team playbff two years ago instrad of a four team playoff I hoping Nebraska makes the same type of change for next Osborne "IKm get me wrong I'm not complaining Having a playoff is the most important thing The bugs will eventually work themselves out There may be more than one team complaining next weekend when aU the remits are in. Ratings on Sunday To bring high school football fans up to date as quickly as possible in the late stages of the season, the Sunday Journal and Star's prep ratings for Classes A and will be carried in Sunday editions for the balance of the season, instead of the customary daily editions Ratings for Classes C-1, C-2, and 8 -nian will appear, along with the School Activities Assn district point standings, in Tuesday editions of the Lincoln Journal and Lincoln Star, as has been the case in the past if you re a betting man, you might want to go with these teams in Class A Lincoln Southeast, Ralston, and Grand Island in three of the districb The other district battle between Omaha Westside and Omaha Northwest appears so evenly matched, the representative might have to be determined by an overall percentage of the two respective opponent.

Things are that close The name of the game is to still win to avoid complicated point hassles. The Nebraska School Activities Assn will not name playoff quahfiers officially until next Sunday But, unofficially, it's fun to play the point game According to Sunday Journal and Star computations. Southeast need only a win at Papilhon Friday to quaUfy from district I It Grand Islaiida8-d-2) defeats Hastirms (2-8) Friday nigfit, the Islanders are seen as the district 4 playoff representative of outcwne brtween Scottsbluff (84ij ami Nmrth Platte (8-2). Only a very bizarre set of point circumstances figures to keep Ralston out of file playoffs, if the No. l-rated, district 2 Rams finish the regular season with a win over Lincoln Friday night at home Second-ranked Creighton Prep still has a chance to overtake the Rams.

But if Ralston wins. Prep must hope that Omaha Gross upsets Bellevue and Lincoln East upsets Lincoln High That, of course, is contingent on Prep beating rated Omaha Northwest The variables are even greater in Westside and battle to the wire in the district 3 point standings is a solid favorite to defeat Omaha Ryan in its season finale against Onwha Ryan But should Northwest upset nliu Sunday College Football Ntfre Oamt itA Cell Temi ixm irWiivUfi rwwiMiPM rvweew ime hlfpliligliH, I a.m., id) liete Otberne Shew, 10:30 p.rp., Prep, the Huskies could tie Westside in the point standings That would force a comparison between individual records and right now. Northwest toes have won two more games than Westside opponents. A Gross upset of liellevue would further enhance prospects As unlikely as it seems, Lincoln High remains in the playoff picture with Southeast in district 1 In fact, if Southeast (5-1-2) loses to Papillion and the Links (4-31 defeat the two are projected to tie in the final point standings That would force an analysis of individual records and Lincoln High would be the team to profit because it has played a confirmed winner in North Platte compared to playing a confirmed hwer in Fremont Eight opponents are common on the schedules of Southeast and Lincoln High. A point deadlock could be reached because of tie with Fremont (worth 30 points) and Lincoln loss to North Platte (also worth 30 points).

They are the teams not common on the Capitol City Schedules 11 Ha.stings upsets Grand Island and Scottsbluff defeats Platte, Scottsbluff would edge out the Islanders in district 4 Should Grand Island and Scottsbluff lose their final tests. Columbus (8-1-1) could tie Grand Island in the final point standings with a season-ending win at Norfolk That, too. would comparison of individual recortb. Prep Ratings By Randy York Class A Ralston (8-0) Creighton Prep (7-1) 3 Scottsbluff (8-0) 4 Grand Island (6-0-2) 5 Bellevue (6-2) 6 Lincoln Soutlieast (5-t-2), 7 Omaha South (6-2) 8 Omaha Westside (6-2) 9 Omaha Northwest (6-2) 10 Columbus (6-1-1) Comment Unbeatens Ralston and Scottsbluff face maior challenges m. next weekend's season finales Scottsbluff hosts strong finishing Platte, a 6-2 team with an eye on the top 10 Ralston hosts Lincoln Another key matchup is Creighton Prep at Omaha Northwest, which used 3-0 upset win over Omaha Sooth last week to return to the top 10.

Class 1 Gordon (8-0) 2 Lexington (7-1) 3 Lincoln Pius (7-1) 4 Plattsmouth (8-0) 5 Geriny (6 2) 6 Fairbury (7-1 7 Schuyler (7-1) 8 Gothenburg (6-2) 9 Columbus Scotus (6 2)! 10 Blair (6-2) Comment Columpus Scotus and Blair replaceCozad and Grand Central Catholic the top 10. Gordon, having survived Goring, 1-7, receive little argument from Crawford in its regular season Plattsmouth faces a stiffer challenge in its bid to finish the regular seasoo unbeaten, playing at Nebraska City (5-3) Friday night..