The Lincoln Star from Lincoln, Nebraska • Page 29

Huskers Ready, Confident and BAM UCLA Wishbone Attack Stymied, 40-13 By Virgil Parker Nebraska combined a new coach and a second-string quarterback with a mixture of newcomers and veterans to produce a 40-13 football victory over highly-touted UCLA in Memorial Stadium Saturday afternoon. was a quiet confidence all Comhusker coach Tom Osborne observed after garnering his first triumph after taking over the reins from highly successful Bob Devaney. entire team showed a tremendously calm Osborne added. this was my first game as a head coach, I've been associated with a lot of great Nebraska teams the past, and I can't recall ever having a group of kids more ready to The Cornhuskers waste any time justifying that feeling. After kicking off to open the clash before 74,966 red-clad fans and a nationwide TV audience, the Black Shirt defenders stopped the Bruins from the west coast on their first series and forced a punt Behind second-string signal caller Steve Runty, forced into action by a leg injury to regular Dave Humm, Nebraska moved 56 yards in 11 plays to take a 7-0 lead.

sive line. And they (flayed just super." cai -ind Sept. 9, ID Tony Davis, the sophomore Iback from Tecumseh, carried on seven of those plays, forecasting what UCLA could expert throughout the grey, overcast afternoon. 327 yards I gained in one high school Davis admitted, do that some other Davis felt he would be a key to the Husker success or failure. Davis ended with 24 carries fw 147 yards.

quite equal the knew win if I had a good game," he explained, if I had a good game so would the fullback and the offen- Davis, rattling off his words a mile a minute, admitted he was excited and elated by his debut. (Runty) is not only the best quarterback in the Davis claimed, the best first-stringer around. There may have been some apprehension on the part of some fans and you he added, 1 can assure you the whole team had full confidence in After Runty sneaked the final yard in the opening drive the Cornhuskers wasted no time in pushing the score to 14-0. Three plays and a punt after the ensuing kickoff safety Randy Borg returned a UCLA punt 77 yards for another touchdown. ny Rodgers Ikst Borg reminded.

have to signal for a fair catch if it didn't go far enough for Johnny. But I did return one for a touchdown against Army. But believe me, this was a much bigger thrill." Borg fielded the punt, headed for the left sideline, picked up a bevy of blockers and raced for daylight. had to slow up about midfield and wait for a couple of Borg remembered. guess I must have done it about right Sometimes if you try to go too fast, you'll get tangled up with your own Borg there had been some apprehension while the team waited for the late 3 50 m.

kickoff. dictated by TV. i was the man for John- usually a fairiy loose bunch. This was a good not a scared feeling. However, you could feel the electricity in the air all day.

There was an inner eonfidence. We were sure ready when game time Near the close of the first quarter Nebra.ska made one of its few mistakes and UCLA capitalized on the miscue to narrow the margin to 14-6 Second-unit fullback Ralph Powell fumbled at the Husker 14, and two plays later Kermit J(flinson slashed 12 yards for the score But the extra point try by Efron Herrera, who beat Nebraska with a field goal in the final 22 seconds in Los Angeles in last fall's opener, pulled his boot wide left. Nebraska roared right back to take a 20-6 advantage, going 77 yards in eight plays. The big gainer was a quick fiip in the flat from Runty to Davis for 39 yards and a 13-yard keeper by Runty. a new Runty offered.

it worked real well several Runty, a walk on from Ogallala, played his frealman and first varsity season (as a red shirt) without a scholarship. spent my entire career here preparing niiyself so I'd be ready when called Runty said It's a great feeling to have come through in my first real Runtv said the key was lack of mistakes. year out in LA we fumbled four or five times and made a lot of other errors. Our first team called for a single penalty today. We were very consistent.

And you can credit coach Osborne for that. a real STAFF PHOTO BY HARALD DREIMANIS The Nebraska defense rose to the occasion Saturday and effectively stopped the UCLA wishbone attack directed by Mark Harmon 17). Here, Huskers John Lee (69) and John Starkebaum (48) smack Harmon to the artificial turf. Nebraska's seemingly safe lead quickly disappeared just before halttime. UCLA got the ball in the closing two minutes.

A double reverse picked up 18 yards and four plays later Johnson took a pitchout and rambled 43 yards to the Husker three. The Brums scored to pull within seven point, 20-13, just 11 seconds before intermission. it was fourth down we were in a goal line Osborne explained. (Mark, UCLA quarterback) bareContinued: Page 2D, Col. 5 Safety Proves Costly DcVQUCy Wayne Ruins NWU Opener Enjoys New Role Wayne St.

NWU First Downs .86 Rushing Yards 35 75 31 P.tssinq Yards 96 105 Return 153 167 Passes 16 7 1 20 5 3 Punts 6 39 5-36 6 Fumbles lost 4 3 3- 2 Penalty Yards 5-65 By Dave Sittler Wayne ebraska Wesleyan's 1973 football opener was spoiled here Saturday night when Wayne State College hung a 16-14 loss on the Plainsmen. A first quarter safety proved to be the difference in the contest that was viewed by 1900 fans at Wayne's wet and muddy Memorial Stadium Field. Wayne scored the safety when defensive tackle Tom Allie tackled Wesleyan punter Joe Neumann in the end zone. Neumann was trying to retrieve a high snap from center Bob Creighton when Alley broke through to score the two point safety for the Wildcats. The contest started out as if Wesleyan was going to take an easy win when Scott Votava raced 75 yards on a punt return to give Wesleyan a 7-0 first quarter lead.

Wayne had failed to move the ball on their first series of downs and was forced to punt and Votova grabbed the ball on his 25 yard line and set sail to the Wildcat end zone. But Coach Del Stoltenderg's Wayne squad came roaring back to tie the game on their first play from scrimmage following Wesleyan kickoff. Wayne quarterback Dave Miller fired a 70 yard bomb to Maurice Mintken. and the Gretna Nebraska native raced into end zone untouched to tie the game at 7-7. Trailing 9-7 late in the second quarter, Nebraska Wesleyan strick back on a 20 yard run by senior quarterback Ross Stephenson to go ahead 14-9.

Stephenson had driven the Plainsmen to the Wayne 20 yard line via a 45 yard pass to Gary Lessman. Following Lessman's catch. Stephenson dropped back to pass again and finding no one Colorado Col. Blanks Hastings COLORADO SPRINGS. Colo.

College smothered Hastings 23-0 Saturday in the non-conference opener for both teams here. Fullback Oaig Wilson scored one touchdown and was the top ground gainer. He grabbed a pass in the end zone for the final and gained 66 yards on the ground in eight carries. In the first quarter, Scott Robinson put the home team on top with a 22-year scoring run. Ted Swan added a 47-yard field goal in second quarter to put C-C ahead 9-0.

Sports Inside Came Photos 4D Davis Dazzles Hal Brown Sez Like TV Rerun Jim McAlister Sez Kiffin to Genius' Smith Martiri to Rangers 7D open, the Lincoln East product scampered the final 20 yards up the middle to give Wesleyan the lead at halftime. While passing was the only bright spot in a weak Wesleyan offense, his third quarter fumble on a quarterback sneak led to winning score. Stephenson fumbled on his own 33 yard line and Wayne quickly marched to the winning score. The touchdown came on a five yard pass from Wildcat quarterback Rick Benedetto to halfback Dean Ott. Wesleyan was never able to untrack their rushing attack against a rugged Wildcat defense.

Wayne held the Plainsmen to a -36 yards rushing for the game and only six first downs. Stephenson's passing accounted for 105 yards but he was able to connect on only 5 of 20 passes while having three intercepted. It was a tough loss for Coach Harold squad which was trying to attone for a 32-6 thrashing by the Wildcats in the final game last season. Wayne victory gives them 17 wins to 10 for Wesleyan and three ties in the series Uiat started in 1921. By United Press International High atop Memorial Stadium here Saturday sat a retired football coach Bob Devaney.

The game he was watching from a seat in the press box ended in a 40-13 win for the University of Nebraska Cornhuskers the same team he was head coaching last year when the score went in favor of the Bruins 20-17. His reaction to the game: was He made the comment as he was trying to get out the back door of the Husker locker room after ttie game a place he resist being in the wake of victory. But his ideas on where to be during a game were slightly different. really enjoyed it up Devaney said. known how much fun it was up there watching I would have gone up years Wayne St ...........................9 0 7 0-16 Wesleyan .............................7 7 0 0-14 Wesleyan Votava 75 punt return (Thompson kick) Wayne St Mintken 70 pass from Miller (Davenport kick).

safety, Allie tackled Neumann in end zone Wesleyan Stephenson 20 run (Thompson kick). Wayne St. Ott 5 pass from Benedettp (Davenport kick). mm' STAFF PHOTO BY BOB GORHAM An effective new weapon in the Nebraska offensive arsenal Saturday was the screen pass to I-back Tony Davis (25). Davis awaits the throw from quarterback Steve Runty (13) (1) then heads upfield as A1 Austin (78) and Rik Bonness (54) form a blocking convoy (2).

Austin blocks Matt Fahl (35) and Dan Anderson (67) joins the Husker party (3). Davis eludes (4) the Kent Pearce (13) and Jimmy Allen (83) with help from Brent Longwell (86) and continues on a long Husker gain (5). to how his former team looked and how well his handpicked successor Tom Osborne did Devaney said they were made for each other. team was well prepared for the game and say it was very well he said. iWaney also said it was the first time since 1953 that he and his wife, Phyllis, watched a football game together.

UCLA Player Is Hospitalized A UCLA football player was hospitalized Saturday night after he collapsed while boarding the plane at Lincoln Municipal Airport. Acting Lt. Glen Brazee of the airport fire department said Bill Sandifer, 20, apparently passed out while boarding the plane shortly after 7:50 p.m. for the return trip to Los Angeles. The airport fire department arrived first at the plane, Brazee said, and Sandifer was and An ambulance arrived a short time later and took the football player to Lincoln General Hospital.

The hospital later reported that Sandifer was admitted foe observation. A team doctor said Sandifer apparently suffered mild cerebral when he was hit on the head during the UCLA-University of Nebraska football game about an hour bejore he collapsed at the air- pcirt..