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Victory comes as a relief
to Huskers after close game
, 4,
It' 'c
Staff Photo by Dave Bentz
Missouri free safety Raymond Hairston (6) watches the final minutes of Saturday's
football game in despair as the Cornhuskers came from behind for a 23-19 win
against the Tigers in Memorial Stadium. It was the third time in four years that
the Huskers have defeated Mizzou in the closing minutes. Nebraska, now 3-0 in
Big Eight play, is tied with Oklahoma for first place in the league. UNL plays at
Kansas Saturday.
By Cindy Gardner
, "Relieved" was the word Bruce Mathi
son used to sum up his feelings after
Nebraska's 23-19 victory against . the
Missouri Tigers Saturday in Memorial
Stadium.
Mathison took over Husker quarter
backing duties with less than five min
utes remaining in the first half after star
ter Turner Gill went down with a concus
sion. Mathison completed the scoring
drive Gill had begun and mounted three
point-producing charges of his own in
the second half to lift the Huskers up
and over the Tigers.
"Bruce showed a lot of class being
able to come in there in that kind of a
ball game," Nebraska Coach Tom Os
borne said. "It was the first time he's
ever really played when it was tough."
When Mathison was called into ac
tion, the Huskers were on the short end
of a 7-3 score.
Missouri took the opening kickoff
but was forced to punt eight plays later
from its own 34-yard line. Nebraska
then took the ball right toward the goal
line on its first possession, but came
away empty-handed when Tiger defen
sive tackle Randy Jostes recovered a
Doug Wilkening fumble at the Missouri
11.
Huskers score first
After a second Tiger punt, the Huskers
put the first points on the scoreboard
when Kevin Seibel hit a 33-yard field
goal with 5:24 remaining in the first
period. Mizzou was again forced to punt
on its third possession of the ball game
as a stingy Nebraska defense refused to
let the Tigers enter Husker territory in
the opening quarter.
The quarter ended Nebraska 3, Missouri
0, after a 51-yard field goal attempt by
Seibel fell short as time ran out. Osborne
said the Huskers should have been out
in front by a larger margin at the end
of the first quarter.
"I think we ended up with three points
out of maybe a chance to get as much as
17 to 21," Osborne said. "Normally,
we've been able to get those in there."
Missouri opened the second quarter
with a 12-play, 66-yard drive that cul
minated in a touchdown pass from Brad
Perry to tight end Andy Gibler. The
scoring catch was Gibler's 91st career
reception, a new Missouri school record.
With the Tigers leading 7-3, Husker
I-Back Mike Rozier entered the game
for the first time. Rozier, who suffered
a hip pointer in Nebraska's 4213 win
against Kansas State Oct. 16, had not
been expected to play Saturday. After
suffering a 2-yard setback on his first
rushing attempt of the afternoon, Rozier
refused to be shut down for a loss again.
He covered 139 net yards en route to
becoming the game's leading ground
gainer and ABC television's most valuable
player.
Rozier shows courage
"I don't really think very many people
will probably ever realize the amount of
courage that Mike Rozier showed today,"
Osborne said after the game. "He was
really hurting bad and he's hurting bad
right now."
Osborne said he had thought about
starting Rozier after he told the coach
before the game that he was ready to
play. Osborne said he opted not to start
Rozier for fear that it would be psychologi
cally damaging to the team to lose him
after just three or four plays.
Rozier, however, was able to play three
quarters of football. On the final drive
of the second quarter, he covered 29 of
the 70 yards that set up a 24-yard Seible
field goal, bringing the Huskers within
one at tfie half, 7-6.
Earlier in the second period, Seibel
had missed a 42-yard attempt that was
set up when Husker safety Bret Clark
intercepted a Perry pass and returned it
20 yards to the Missouri 25-yard line.
Seibel said he tried not to let his 2-of-4
first half performance get him down.
"I was just trying not to let negative
things get in the way because I figured
we might have to kick some more field
goals in the second half," Seibel said.
"I was just trying to keep my confidence
up.
Continued on Page 14
Tigers coach predicts team to make comeback
By Larry Sparks
Warren Powers would be the first to admit that his
Missouri Tigers played a hard-hitting football game
against Nebraska Saturday in Memorial Stadium, but
he denies that any of those hits were made with the
intention of hurting Nebraska players.
Powers, the Tiger coach, was heckled by a Nebraska
fan as he entered the locker room following the 23-19
Nebraska victory. The comment, which brought Powers
back out of the locker room with a few choice words
for the fan, was centered around a second quarter hit
by defensive tackle Randy Jostes that put UNL quarter
back Turner Gill out of the game.
Powers, however, said that it was not a "cheap shot,"
as the Husker fans had claimed.
"Cheap shot is a ridiculous word," Powers said. "That's
hard football out there. Nobody out there is trying to
hurt anybody. They're just out there to win.
"We don't cheap shot. I don't know if Tom (UNL
Coach Osborne) is in there crying about it or not, but I
wouldn't think that he would be. First of all, he was
on the field. He should have gotten a 15-yard penalty,"
he said.
Powers said other comments from Nebraska fans were
directed at him and his team throughout the game, but
he said he tried to ignore them.
"They (UNL fans) don't know what goes on on the
football field. Half of them never compete in their life,"
he said. "They're up there paying their money and
drinking their beer and having a good time yelling what
they think they see."
Tiger fans boo ties
The Tigers, now 3-2-2, have been booed recently at
their own stadium, especially last week after their second
straight tie, but Powers said he has kept confidence in
the team and wasn't surprised Mizzou came so close to
beating the Cornhuskers.
I am very proud of the way our team played today,"
he said. "But they've always given a good effort. I've
never doubted this team's ability to play good."
Powers said he was pleased with Mizzou's defense and
passing game. He praised the play of reserve quarterback
Mike Hyde, who came into the game with 2:36 left and
the Tigers trailing 23-13. Hyde moved the ball down
field for the touchdown that put MU back into the game.
"Mike Hyde is that kind of player. If you really want
a pure passer, Mike can come in here and pass with the
best of them. He's done it for us in the past and I'm
glad he got a chance to do it today," he said.
Powers also had praise for the play of another reserve
quarterback Saturday - Nebraska's Bruce Mathison.
Mathison showed a lot of poise after being called upon
to replace the injured Gill, he said.
"Here's a young man who came into a big game and he
was behind, but he executed very well," Powers said.
Husker defense underrated
The Husker defense looked good, he said, pointing out
that the Blckshirts probably have been underrated by the
fans.
"Nebraska's got a good defense. People worry about
stats too much," he said. "Worry about the points that
people score on you and not the stats and you'll be better
off."
MU tight end Andy Gibler agreed.
"It's a good defense," Gibler said. 'They haven't
really had to play tough games. They've been blowing
people out and that kind of relaxes the defense."
Powers said the Tigers' inability to capitalize on some
of Nebraska's early errors could have cost MU the game.
Despite those failures, he said he "felt we were in very
good shape" after Brad Burditt booted through a field
goal with 9:07 left to put MU on top 13-9.
Nebraska took the ensuing kick and drove the length
of the field, but Powers said the Huskers made several
third down conversions by just a few inches.
If UNL had missed on one of those attempts, the
Tigers probably could have held onto the ball long enough
to run out the clock, he said.
Powers had stressed last week that beating Nebraska
was vital to keep Mizzou's Big Eight title hopes alive. So
where do the Tigers go from here?
"You just go on and play the rest of your games and
win them all, and go to some other bowl unless Nebraska
loses to somebody else, which is a possibility," Gibler
said.
Powers also doubts that there is a chance his team
will fold after three straight weeks without a win.
"This football team has got a lot of character. If
there was any chance of their folding, they would have
done so a long time ago with the way people have been
down on them," Powers said.
"We believe in ourselves," he said. "We'll come back."
Husker-Tiger Statistics
3
3
9-19
14-23
Missouri 0 7
Nebraska 3 3
NU - FG Seibel 33
MU - Gibler 1 pass from Perry (Richmond kick)
NU - Seibel 23
MU - FG Burditt 23
NU - FG Seibel 29
MU - FG Burditt 51
NU - Schellen 1 run (Seibel kick)
NU - Mathison 16 run (Seibel kick)
MU - Gibler 24 pass from Hyde (pass failed)
Attendance - 76,406
First downs
Rushes -yards
Passing yards
Return yards
Passes
Punts
Fumbles-lost
Penafties-vards
MU
20
40-86
21i
0
21-41-3
6-45
04
415
Time of Possession 31: 16
NU
22
54 319
77
120
9 20O
3-38
43
4 19
28:44
RUSHiwr ,N2,V,DUAL STATISTICS
HUSHING - Missouri. Soowden 11-48, Mack 13 36.
Malvern 3 Nebraska, Romr 17-139. Sm.th 82. Mathi
son B-37.
PASSING -Missouri, Perry 18-34-150-3 Hvria 3-7-fil
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HtCEIVlNG i - Missouri, Caver 7 90, Gibta 43.