The Week

MIDWEST

Nebraska and Michigan, unpleasantly surprised in openers last season against Iowa and Wisconsin, respectively, each got revenge. The Cornhuskers did it with a new formation that allows Mike Rozier and Roger Craig, who split the I-back duties in 1981, to play at the same time. They combined for 184 yards rushing in a 42-7 rout of the Hawkeyes. In the Wolverines' 20-9 defeat of Wisconsin before 104,932 in Ann Arbor Tailback Lawrence Ricks ran for a touchdown and 153 yards on 24 carries. The Badgers were assessed eight penalties, including four for late hits, one for face-masking and one for roughing the passer. "The penalties played a major factor in this game, because the fans just intimidated the officials out there," said Wisconsin Coach Dave McClain.

Indiana had revenge on its mind, too, against Northwestern because the Wildcats' 21-20 loss to Indiana in '81 was as close as Northwestern had come to not losing in 32 games. This time Indiana rolled 30-0 as sophomore Tailback Orlando Brown ran for 110 yards and two TDs.

Early in the second quarter of Michigan State's game at Illinois, Big Ten official Richard McVay, 55, who had recently shed 17 pounds and passed a conference physical, collapsed of a massive heart attack. He was rushed to Champaign's Burnham City Hospital, where he was pronounced dead a short time later. The Illini won the game 23-16 behind Quarterback Tony Eason, who completed 25 of 41 passes for 301 yards and one TD.

"John Elway told me last night before he went to bed, 'Relax, Coach, everything's O.K.,' " Stanford's Paul Wiggin said after a 35-14 victory over Purdue. El way's four TD passes shattered Jim Plunkett's and Jack Thompson's Pac-10 career mark—Elway now has 57—and he connected on 29 of 36 for 333 yards. "It was a little easier getting back this year," said Elway, who spent six weeks during the summer as an outfielder for the Yankees' Oneonta, N.Y. farm team, for which he hit .318. "My arm was in shape."

Ohio State Coach Earle Bruce wanted junior Fullback Vaughn Broadnax to know that there are several Buckeye freshmen who can hit a hole as hard as he can. So Bruce stuck Broadnax on defense—at middle guard—for half of spring practice. Thus enlightened, the 6'3" 258-pounder became the first Ohio State fullback since Ricardo Volley in 1979 to rush for more than 100 yards—101, in fact—in a game as the Buckeyes beat Baylor 21-14.

SOUTH

At USC games in Los Angeles, taking laps around the field is usually reserved for Traveler III, the Trojan horse. But after Florida had beaten Southern Cal 17-9 for its second win over a Top 20 team in as many weeks—Miami had been the earlier victim—Gator Coach Charley Pell couldn't resist leading his players and assorted followers, including Florida alumnus and pro golfer Andy Bean, in a jog around Florida Field. "It was a salute to the fans," he explained. "They haven't seen a Florida team reach this high in a long time." For his part, Gator Quarterback Wayne Peace hit 12 of 19 passes, including a fourth-and-goal TD pass to Wide Receiver Spencer Jackson from the USC one late in the first half. Jackson made an over-the-shoulder catch. Soon thereafter Peace directed a six-play, 97-yard TD drive, finding Wide Receiver Dwayne Dixon for 47 yards on a look-in, and handing off to 235-pound Fullback James Jones on a draw for the final 22 and a 14-0 halftime lead. Linebacker Wilber Marshall led a Gator defense that forced five turnovers. USC Coach John Robinson later told Marshall, "You are the greatest."

"I decided to be the best decoy I could be," Herschel Walker said after Georgia's 13-7 defeat of Clemson on Labor Day night. Fitted with a special rubber cast over his broken right thumb, he gained only 20 yards but drew enough attention from the Clemson defense so his teammates could knock off the defending national champs on Kevin Butler's two field goals. On Saturday Walker was fitted with the football, too, running for 124 yards on 31 carries and a TD as Georgia rallied from seven down to beat Brigham Young 17-14. Butler hit from 44 yards with 1:11 left for the game winner. Cougar Quarterback Steve Young proved to be Brigham's not-so-great great-great-great-great-grandson, throwing six interceptions, which included one in the last minute at the Georgia 27.

Playing Alabama in your opener is bad enough. Playing 'Bama on Coach Bear Bryant's birthday—his 69th—is worse. But playing the Tide when you'd upset them the previous season...well, to get an idea of how vengefully wide open the Alabama offense was in its 45-7 rout of Georgia Tech and how lonely it was being a Tech defender, consider this: The Yellow Jackets had 72 unassisted tackles. "They offensed us to perfection," Tech Linebacker Robert Jaracz said. 'Bama scored on its first five possessions en route to a 31-0 halftime lead.