The Lincoln Star from Lincoln, Nebraska • Page 26

October 31,1971 Lincoln, Sunday Journal and Star Johnny Rodgers (20) waits for the ball as BUlie Drake (51) starts moving in, but Drake misses and Rodgers keeps going. Cullen Bryant (16) also tries and misses. Seconds later, Glen Bailey and Lome Richardson bring Rodgers down on the two-yard line. Johnson Anxious for OU-NU Clash Nebraska Black Shirts Bill Kosch (left) and Bob 'rerrio can testify to the wetness of AstroTurf on a rainy day. By VIRGIL PARKER Colorado quarterback Ken Johnson knows where going to be Thanksgiving Day.

be in front of my TV set just like everyone else watching that Nebraska-Oklahoma game. going to be unreal! There any question in my mind. They are the two best football teams in the Though coach Eddie Crowder compare the top-rated clubs the only teams to shoot down his Buffaloes this season Johnson was more talkative. When asked which team bet on if he were a betting man. the Colorado signal caller said, bet.

Nebraska has the better defense in fact by far the best defense faced all year but Oklahoma has the best The Buffalo quarterback feels will have to score a lot of points to win. no way that shut out Oklahoma. The Sooner triple-option offense will move the ball against Nebraska. be a heckuva game. Just Johnson feel the Nebraska defense hit that hard.

They dump you on your back too he said. so consistent. They are seldom out of position. And they miss the tackle once got you The Colorado game plan was to run the option play a lot with enough passes tossed in to keep the Huskers off balance, Johnson added. the option went well.

We pull one guard to lead the play and the slotback, fullback and tailback are also all out in front of me. No defensive end can stand up under that. Then the end goes down alx)ut 15 yards and cuts either in or out. That takes the secondary back so if not open I wind up with quite a lot of running room. But our blocking would break down just often enough to keep us from getting a consistent drive Both Crowder and Johnson admitted the Colorado touchdown was scored on a but that split end Cliff Branch was the primary receiver.

was supposed to go down about 15 yards and buttonhook, Johnson explained. he open and the defense came blitzing in on me. Cliff just started running across the field looking for an open area. I saw him all the way and waited till the lasi moment to unload the ball. If he been free have just thrown it over his Crowder called Nebraska magnificent football team.

Their balance is what beats you. They are excellent on the run and the pass and play fine defense. And that (Jerry) Tagge is just a super player. When a team has everything, like Nebraska, take quite a ball club to beat INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS Nebraska Rushing No. Yds.

Ave. Kinney 81 3.0 Olds 639 6.5 Damkroger 5 35 7.0 Dixon 718 2.6 Tagge 10 6 0.6 Brownson 1 8 Rodgers 2 trussing No. Com. 9 4.5 Int. Yds.

Tagge 17 10 0 144 Brownson ..4 2 Pass Receiving Rodgers 3 Anderson List Damkrogcr 2 Longwell Cox Kinney .......................2 Punting No. Yds. Ave. Hughes 6 194 32 3 Pass Interception No. Yds.

Ma.son 1 9 Returns No. Yds. Rodgers 1 13 Kickoff Returns No. Yds. Rodgers 1 17 Damkroger ................1 7 Coloratlo No.

Yds. Ru.shing 3 54 No. Yds. Ave. 117 Tarver .........8 36 4.5 10 Davis .17 764.5 2 4 Johnson .........15 221.5 9 -27 15 Mathews 2 31.5 Branch 1 3 3.0 Brunson ............1 -3 Mendez 2 2 Passing No.

Com. Int. Yds, Johnson 2 1 1 0 0 Pass Receiving No. Yds. Mendez 1 18 Branch .....................1 34 Punting No.

Yds. Ave. Stearns 5 163 32.6 Punt Returns No. Yds. Branch 1 10 Kickoff Returns No.

Davis 1 1 2 Yds. 22 17 27 The team on the field may have been Colorado, but some people in the stands were thinking of other things game against second-ranked Oklahoma for instance. the Thanksgiving 43 Willie Harper Lootm Imposingly Nebraska Offense Anderson LT-White, Wolfe Weber -Jamall, Dumler Beran Austin TE Longwell, List QB Tagqc, Brownson IB Kinney, Dixon SB Rodgers, Hughes FB Olds, Damkroger, Carstens Defense LE Adkins, Hyland LT -Jacobson MG -Glover, Johnson, Peterson RT--Janssen, Dutton Manfledt Morell Hauge, Sloey Pitts LCB-Btahak, Hollstein RCB Anderson, Borg Kosch, McClelland Sanger (Colorado Offense Cain Parr, Emmerling -McDonald, Bevans SG-Baln ST-Zumbach, Houck SE--Branch, Nichols 7 B--Davis Mathews Whitaker, Mendei Defense LE-Dean Darovec, Sens Cooney D.OrvIs Clufo Bailey Richardson I Plutlo.s by I I Hob (xorliuiii I I ilarabi I Kaiuly llaiiiploii I Web Hay I WilliH Van Sickle I John Hennings i Charlie Davis (26) seemed to he in good position to recover teammate Joe fumble. 11 Willie Harper (81) looked imposing to Charlie Davis (26), what did he look like to Bo Mathews (41) who was on the ground? But Nebraska monster-back Dave Mason (25) got there first..