One-half Of Six Is Three

What Devaney has accomplished since then is regarded on the Nebraska campus as something of a miracle. Everyone agrees that the coaching staff—Devaney brought most of his assistants with him from Wyoming—is the best organized they have ever seen. When they arrived at Nebraska, Devaney and his men spent hours watching films of last year's Nebraska games. "I hear Paul Dietzel didn't want to look at any films when he went to Army," Devaney said the other day. "Wanted everyone to have an equal chance. I'm not that smart." After studying the films, Devaney decided that Quarterback Dennis Claridge could run well enough to use the sprint-out pass-run option play effectively. Claridge has been among the top offense leaders in the country and is one of the big reasons Nebraska has been winning.

Devaney clings to the almost obsolete belief that there is room for humor in football. Last year at Wyoming, on the morning of a tough game against Kansas, he had a magician entertain the team to relieve the tension. Wyoming, a two-touchdown underdog, held Kansas to a tie. This season at Nebraska, the sound of laughter ringing across the practice fields is not unusual. Devaney believes in short workouts and no scrimmaging. "The boys get hit hard enough on Saturday," he says. When the team runs through kickoff drills, he lets almost anyone try kicking the ball. Recently a big lineman named Bob Browne begged Devaney for a chance. Browne kicked the ball about 20 feet straight up in the air. The team collapsed laughing.

Of course, laughter without victory is a hollow sound, but Nebraska isn't worrying about that at the moment. Devaney has the team back near the top of the ladder, and if it takes a dozen magicians to keep it that way he'll get his dozen magicians, no questions asked. Nebraska's only worry is whether or not Devaney will stick around for another season. There promise to be several openings in the Big Ten soon, perhaps one at Michigan, Devaney's home state, and coaches almost never turn down Big Ten offers. Devaney says he plans to be at Nebraska next year, but that's what he said about Wyoming. Perhaps this time he means it. After all, he'd love to get another crack at Missouri.