Page 12 Daily Nebraskan Monday, September 8, ,1986 Sports o "km By Bob Asmussen Night News Editor Saturday night was cold and drizzly. It was the kind of night that Ernie Banks would have said, "Let's play two." The Nebraska football team was happy to be playing even one. The Cornhuskers beat Florida State Saturday night in Memorial Stadium, 34-17. The game brought to a conclu sion a week that was not happy for the Nebraska players. Trouble began on Wednesday when Nebraska coach Tom Osborne was told by the NCAA that 60 players had been suspended for Saturday's game. The suspensions were the result of an NCAA finding that the players misused complimentary game tickets. On Thurs day, the NCAA granted a stay of the ruling until an appeal is heard Tues day. After the game Osborne said he was happy Nebraska won. "That's a relief," Osborne said. "You never know what you got. The way we played tonight, I think we have a good team. I was pleased with the players' response to the adverse conditions they had earlier in the week." The first drive of the game byFlorida State had to leave the Nebraska players Bowden full of praise By Chuck Green Sports Editor Florida State coach Bobby Bowden has always been one to heap praise on the Nebraska football program. Satur day night's 34-1 7 Cornhusker win didn't change anything. "They (Nebraska) didn't look that sharp at first," Bowden said, "but they kept getting better and better. We tried the trap, off-tackle, everything, and they just killed us." Their quarterback was the difference. He made some plays that we just couldn't stop. Without him, Nebraska doesn't win. Any superla tives about the Nebraska offense had to start with that quarterback. Bowden Bowden said he was particularly impressed with Husker quarterback Steve Taylor. Taylor rushed for 139 yards on 22 carries Saturday night a 6.3 yard per carry average and two touchdowns to lead all Husker ball car riers. Taylor fell just four yards short of the Nebraska single-game quarterback rushing record of 143 yards, set by John Bordogna against Iowa State in 1952. "Their quarterback was the differ ence," Bowden said. "He made some plays that we just couldn't stop. With out him, Nebraska doesn't win. Any superlatives about the Nebraska offense have to start with that quarterback." Taylor also completed 10 of 16 passes for 130 yards. Bowden said he never saw much of former Husker quarterback Turner Gill against the Seminoles, but "I don't remember him (Gill) being that much better," he said. "He (Taylor) was fan tastic. "The first big run on third-and-long (in the second quarter when Taylor sprinted 34 yards for a first down) was unbelievable. He broke out of there and we couldn't get to him. And then when he ran for that touchdown I've never seen a quarterback cover 20 yards that fast." Bowden was equally impressed with the Nebraska defense. He said it was the best Husker defense he has seen in the four years Florida State has played in Lincoln. "They just crunched us," Bowden wondering whether or not having the 60 suspended players would be enough. The Seminoles took the opening drive 74 yards in six plays to lead 7-0. The big play in the series was a 33-yard forward fumble that Florida State's Mark Salva recovered at the Nebraska 43-yard line. Three plays later, Florida State quarterback Chip Ferguson hit Victor Floyd with a 30-yard touchdown pass. Derek Schmidt added the extra point. Florida State led 7-0 at the end of the first quarter. Nebraska scored its first points of the 1986 season at 9:11 in the second quarter. Sophomore quarterback Steve Taylor, starting his first varsity game, gained all 54 yards of the four-play drive. After two incompletions, Taylor scrambled 34 yards for a Nebraska first down at the Florida State 30-yard line. On the next play, Taylor ran to the left side of the field and scored. Dale Klein converted the extra point kick. Nebraska took its only lead of the first half, 10-7, on a Klein field goal with 51 seconds left. The lead lasted all of 18 seconds. Following a kickoff and a f; Nebraska penalty, Florida State's Sam ? raie Smith scored on a 57-yard run. The Seminoles led 14-10 at halftime. said "Wei couldn't get nothing inside. They were an outstanding, pretty phys ical bunch. They whipped us up front." Many of Bowden's players agreed with their coach on the intensity of the Nebraska defense. "They didn't allow us to score in the second half, so they must have been tough," Seminole quarterback Chip Ferguson said. "They were certainly tougher than Toledo." Ferguson said he didn't think the game was really out of reach for Florida State until the final minutes. "They put a lot of points on the board in a hurry, but we still felt we could come back," Ferguson said. "It might hurt us for a day or two, but we'll get over it." Seminole cornerback Eric Williams echoed the thoughts of his quarterback. "I didn't really think the game was over until they were at 30 and we were still at 17 with about three minutes left," Williams said. "They made some big plays on defense. It was a big win for them." Bowden said Florida State's biggest problem throughout the game was their inability to maintain a consistent run ning game. "If we could have gotten our running game going, w e would have had them," Bowden said. "But once our short run ning game broke down, we didn't have anything to throw them (Nebraska) off balance. They just crunched our run ning game. I've been worried about 'that game." They put a lot of points on the board in a hurry, but we still felt we could come back.' Ferguson Bowden may be more worried about the Seminole running game after Sat urday night. Florida State was able to generate only 76 yards rushing and only 97 yards in the air. "We've got a lot of going back to do and we've got some shortages to fill," Bowden said. "They shut our offense down completely. They stuffed us back completely and forced us out of the things, that we wanted to do. They forced us into things that we didn't want to do." Though Bowden is upset about the loss to Nebraska, he isn't quite ready to throw in the towel for the season. "I don't know how good they (Nebra ska) are," he said. "We may have gotten beat by a great team and if that's the case, then we're not too bad. But we still have a lot of question marks left." The second half got off to a bad start for Nebraska. The Huskers couldn't move the ball on their opening series. After Florida State was stopped on its first series of the second half, Nebras ka's Dana Brinson fumbled a Louis Berry punt and the Seminoles reco vered at the Nebraska 35-yard line. Schmidt kicked a 46-yard field goal to push the Florida State lead to 17-10 with 10:12 left in the third quarter. Nebraska took the kickoff following the Florida State field goal and drove 63 yards for the tying score. The key play in the drive was a pass interfer ence call against Florida State at the Nebraska 6-yard line. On the third down and eight play, the ball and defender appeared to get to Nebraska's Rod Smith at the same time. But the official ruled Smith had been hit early, and Nebraska got the ball at the six. Taylor scored to his right on the next play. Florida State used the Tango Attack on its next series one-two-three-kick and Nebraska got the ball at its 49-yard line. Taylor hit tight end Todd Millikan for a 12-yard touchdown with 45 seconds left in the third quarter. It was the first touchdown catch of Milli- By Bob Asmussen Night News Editor Jamellewho? That might be what Nebraska fans are saying to themselves after ' watching the opening act of the Steve Taylor Show Saturday night. , Taylor, a sophomore from San .. Diego, Calif., started his first varsity game against Florida State: Taylor rushed for 139 yards, ran for two touchdowns and passed for two more. He accounted for 269 yards total offense. "1 thought Steve played very, very well," Nebraska coach Tom Osborne said. "He has that kind of talent. He told me as the game came closer, he started to feel better and more con fident, I think earlier in the week, he was feeling pretty nervous." Taylor agreed with Osborne about his nervousness. "Preparing for the game, 1 was very uptight," Taylor said. "But, as the week went along, I began to feel more confident, I was nervous be cause t was starting my first game, against a team with a game under their belts. The first quarter showed that Florida State had already played a gsme, and v& hadn't." Taylor get ever Ms pregame ner- -vousnsss encih to impress his I'm so prrcicf Steve," Nebraska erosive cusi'i and co-captain Stan Parker said. "List yea" in the hud dle he was a little hesitant. This year, from the first play on, he was calm and cool and was in totd charge." "I'm impressed as can be," Nebra ska fullback Micah Heibel said. 'He's just a leader out there." . "He really helped us out," wins back Von Sheppard said. "He's al ways been confident, Dow. the ro:J, he's going, to be a greet quarter-. back." - Dc-vn the read might be sooner than She;: pari thinks. Taker's p:r- fonnar.ee outdid the performance cf : r.ul:s to the south, C'.-.tehcr.s on 10 carries in leading Okhhc.a to a 3 win against UCLA. Holt way hit only one cf six passes in the . game for nine yards, He.was inter cepted twice. Taylor's 22 carries in the game were three short of the Nebraska record for a quarterback set by John Bordogna in a 1952 game, Taylor said he didn't think he would have that many rushing opportunities in emmojie kan's career. Several players on the Nebraska of fense said the defense was the key to taking the lead. "You have to give credit to the defense because they did come back in the second half," Nebraska wingback Von Sheppard said. "When the defense started stopping them in the third quarter, that's when the momentum started to go our way." Florida State, which gained 175 yards in the first half, was held to minus two yards in the second half. The Seminoles had only two first downs in the second half and eight in the game. "I've got a world of confidence in our defense," Nebraska offensive guard and co-captain Stan Parker said. "They're the ones that got the momentum back our way." Parker said mistakes kept Nebraska from controlling the game early. "I think we dominated pretty well early, but we kept stopping ourselves," Parker said. "We didn't quit. We just kept coming at them." Nebraska added to its lead early in the fourth quarter on a 46-yard touch down pass from Taylor to Sheppard. Klein ended the scoring with a 38-yard fT V- j. 4r 1 fry , 1 ST ; a j Richard WrishtDaiiy fJebrstkan Nebraska defensive end Brcdarials Thomas lets the crcvid know who's No. 1. ; , the game. ' . "I've never heard cf John Bor dor -V Taylor said. "But I wouldn't mini if I don't carry that much or rr.ore in the future. Every time yea carry the ball you've got to get hit." Taylor had two touchdown runs, ijm from six yards and cm ttm 20, , H&aiso had ioiicfaJownp c$ rfit -yard to Taii ! M'&z n er. J 43 ) .ri j the there." Vtiii FlavidaStcte was en cfTense, Taylcr's rocMiate, Eroderiek Tho mas, tried to disrupt the Seminole offensive line. Thomas had five tackles, including a nine-yard sack of Florida State quarterback Chip Ferguson. Thomas said he has one goal for his Nebraska career. "My goal is to be one of the best defensive players in Nebraska his 4-17 9 field goal with 1:23 left in the game. Taylor led Nebraska with 139 yards on 22 carries. He also completed 10 of 16 passes for 130 yards. Taylor missed by four yards the Nebraska record for rushing by a quarterback. In 1952, John Bordogna gained 143 yards against Iowa State. Nebraska outgained Florida State 427 yards to 173 yards. Nebraska had 24 first downs to the Seminoles eight. Unlike last year, when Nebraska had several turnovers in a 17-13 loss, the Huskers were able to hold onto the ball. Brinson's fumble was Nebraska's only turnover of the game. Florida State had no turnovers. "Defensively, we played a great foot ball game," Osborne said. "I was very pleased. I hope we have the kind of people and attitude to overcome what ever they throw at us." On Tuesday, the NCAA will decide whether or not to throw a one-game suspension at 60 Nebraska players. If the decision is upheld, Osborne will likely hold out 10 players for the next six Nebraka games, starting with the Sept. 20 game at Illinois. Florida State, now 1-1, plays North Carolina Sept. 20 in Tallahassee. 1 I tory," Thomas said. . Thomas said he thinks Nebraska: 1 has a good chance to win a national ' championship, "When you have a potent cfTense and a top-ranked defense, that can ' equal a national championship," ' . i rmas sad. "i g-pss it's ne?nt f. : C3 to v.ia a nuticrd tub." Thcnas said his Mcndshis wit5-. ' : Tcjlcr ha.i helped hi.n bece-,.: : jMLierpiayer:; : "We talk a let," Tkciaas sail "Steve's my best friend. He's jua a great guy. It helps me to be sround a guy like that." Thomas said the NCAA ruling to suspend 60 Nebraska players for one game made the game a must win situation for him. "I think we proved a point to the nation. No one thinks we're in the wrong. I don't think they (the NCAA) should be so hard on us." )'