European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - August 23, 1987, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Sunday. August 23, 1987 the stars and stripes Page 23 College football 87 sooner huskers May Settle 2 titles Oklahoma Aims to improve on ? i -1 Yowe Canfield Norman okla. A in the Pas two seasons the Oklahoma Sonners have gone ii i and won a National championship and ii i and finished third in the nation. This year they could be even better. With virtually everyone Back on of sense and seven starters resuming on de sense plus a schedule that should give the reserves plenty of playing Lime okla homa i Pean to be in great shape for a run at its seventh National title. There arc some problems of course but we will be very disappointed if we Don t contend for the of spot said Barry swim in entering a i5lh season As coach. The problem Are mainly at defensive tackle and place Clicker. Ail Bis � Rose Lection Steve Bryan and three year letter Man Richard Reed graduated leaving the tackle position wide open placekicker Tim Lashar graduated after setting an Mcaa record wild Bijj consecutive regu Lar season extra Points. The key i Ihrk is Curtice Wil Liams Switzer said of the Frfool-1, 265 Pound Junior lineman. William started at nos guard Las season but an injury allowed freshman Dame Williams to move into that spot and hold it. Curtice can play tackle and with Danic at nos guard then we re Down to Only one lineman we have to have tallow us to have close to the same kind of defense we had last year Switick said that will take some doing however. Oklahoma s defenders set an Mcaa re Cord last year by leading the nation in six major statistical categories. Senior Dante Jones a part time starter the past two seasons lakes Over Abrian Bosworth t Strong Side position. The new Man is Richard Dillon a Junior. Richard Dillon ii an excellent player. Richard Dillon will play like an experienced first team player. There s no doubt in my mind said Switzer. Dante Jones is As Good a linebacker As there is in the big eight conference and Richard Dillon will be too he said. Defensive end i solid with three Timell conference pick Darrell Reed return ing along with starter tray Johnson. The secondary lost Sonny Brown who played everywhere. But among the returners Are All big Kight selections Davi Vickers and Rickey Duon. Switzer says flatly that the secondary should be better this year. On of tense Oklahoma looks o be stronger than at any Lime since the Billy Sims Era in the late 1970s. Four of five starters including 1986 All America tackle Mark Hutson Are Back in a front line that helped Oklahoma Rush for More than 404 Yard per game last year. Tight end Keith Jackson another All America from a year ago when he averaged 28.8 Yards per catch returns for his senior season. In the Backfield. Two year starter Jamelle Holieway should be 100 percent after breaking a thumb and missing Spring practice. Holieway was the big eight s offensive player of the year in 1986, Rushing for 811 Yards and his Tal ent forced Back up Eric Milchel to switch to halfback. Halfback Spencer Tillman and ear Johnson Are gone but returnees Anthony Stafford and Patrick Collins plus Mitchel give Oklahoma tremendous Speed. Stafford has been hand limed at 4.29 seconds in the 40-Yard dash while col All amt Hcan the Keith Jackson. Lop receiver on running team Lins and Milchel Are consistently in he 4.3 3  fullback spot in the Wishbone is secure with three year starter Lydoll can sharing time with Junior Leon Perry. Nebraska so Daf skill positions uht Tutto a a Steve Taylor Lud stir Long com Hisker Backfield. By Tom Vint Lincoln neb. Jap the Rainy weather was a contrast to a Bright forecast Given by coach Tom Osborne and the 140-plus Nebraska football players he greeted to begin the 1987 season. The athletic Talent is there. If we can avoid injury and if the Altitude is right we can have a Good football team said  s preseason assessment has been similar in each of his previous 14 seasons. His teams have never won fewer than nine games. The 87 Cor huskers return five starters on offence and seven on defense headed by All big eight Confer ence i Back Keith Jones quarterback Steve Taylor All conference defensive end Broderick Thomas and defensive tackle Neil Smith. Jones fastest Cor Husker Ever with a 4.33-second time in the 40-Yard dash is defending big eight Rush ing Champion and led the league with 14 touchdowns. Taylor was the sugar bowl s most valuable player on new year s Day when he completed ii of 19 passes for 110 Yards and rushed for 63 More Yard on 20  threw for one touchdown and rushed for another. The skill positions Are in pretty Good Sli pc Osborne said he said that Taylor and backup Clete Bla Keman give the huskers something they be lacked the past two years experienced depth at quarterback. The Only offensive position of question is fullback where projected starter Micah Heibl is coming off a foot injury that threatened to sideline him. Jones. Tyreese a Jinx and Terry Rodger will provide an explosive Trio at 1-Back, Rod Smith and Morgan Gregory offer split end Speed burners and the tight end tandem of Tom Banderas and Todd Millikan will be among the Best in the nation Osbo Roc said. Overall defensively we have Good athletic ability Speed of bomb said. Well be strongest up " he said the most interesting position could be Wing Back where Dana Brinson Hendley Hawkins Jamie Worden and von Sheppard will be battling. The offensive line returns Only one starter right guard John Mccormick. But it will be improved Over fas year once such players a Andy Keeler Bob Sledge John Nichols Jake Young and Kevin Lightner become acquainted with playing together the coach said. An  Smith and ice Jones will play on either Side of Middle guard Lawrence Pete. Neil is probably As Good a player As we be Ever had at defensive tackle Osome said. That list includes John Dulton Larry Jacobson Mike full. Jim skew and Chris Spachman. Broderick Thomas will be a great player Osborne  opposite Thomas at the right defensive end will be Jeff Jamrog. A two year Letterman senior and sophomores Jeff Mil and Kenny Walker. Osborne said inexperience could be a problem Early for the Quick and talented line backing corps. Lucro Letienne and Randall Jobman will be on the Strong Side while weak Side linebackers will be Sieve Forch and Doug Letniak. Dante Wiley a Junior linebacker who also May be the team s top punter was the Only academic question for the huskers Osborne said Wile won t practice with the team until his academic status is known around the end of the week the coach said. I guess we could fed a Lille More comfortable on defense but Overall we will be ok., i think Osborne said. Britton s blast Powers Giessen Over Ramstein Vogel Weh Germany Jerry Britlon did t have a bad Day at the plate saturday for the German american baseball league Champion Giessen brew ers in the opening game of a Best of three showdown against the Continental sports conference Champion Ramstein rams. Britlon smacked a couple of base hits in his Early Al Bais. Then busted a 360-foot, two run shot Over the left Field Fence in the ninth inning to lift the Brewers to a 9-7 Victory in a Back and Forth Battle. And it was l a particularly Good Day for the Rami Ace Pitcher Dan Woltemath. The Brewers Sheld Woltemath for eight hits Over three innings for is runs. In Csc play Woltemath scorched the opposition while holding a 2.10 earned run average in route to an 8-1 season. Dan s got a  said rams manager Mike Ste Venson. I guess he picked up the flu Bug. He told us and we watched him. He just did t have  the Homer came off rams reliever Bud Alloway who had what Woltemath did t for the Bevier part of five innings until dishing Britlon a Pilch in the wheel House. Eugene Bragano pitched he final iwo  got one up in the zone to Britten. Nuon s a helluva Good ballplayer Stevenson said. Brilton s smash countered a rams blast an inning earlier when left fielder Terry Haswell orbited a two run shot -100 feet to dead Center Field o tie the game at 7-7. But rams Cin s scoring opportunities came to a screeching halt in the eighth when hurting Pitcher de Nugent was replaced by Han Guin care. Nugen finished with seven runs charged to hint after serving up seven hits gut Ieraci gave up two Hili in his two inning Relief Saint. Giessen scored three rims in the first three in the third and one in the fifth to build a 7-5 Lead Over Ramstein. Which had single runs in the second and fifth innings and three runs in the third. Game 2 of the series is scheduled for 1  Sun Day at Mainz Gonse Necmi s san Flora Field with a seven inning game 3, . Immediately fal lowing