Huskers bum Sun Devils in Tempe
By Chuck Green
Senior Editor
TEMPE, Ariz. — Nebraska’s foot
ball team accomplished something
Saturday no Comhusker squad ever
had before — it won a game in Sun
Devil Stadium.
In 1975, Nebraska lost to Arizona
State 17-14 in the Fiesta Bowl. In
1986, the Huskers lost to Michigan
27-23 in the Fiesta Bowl at the same
site.
With the score tied 21 -21 at the end
of the third quarter, the field tempera
ture standing at 122 degrees and the
highly partisan crowd of71,264—the
fourth largest in Sun Devil Stadium
history — screaming for an upset, a
third loss in Tempc seemed to be
unfolding for Nebraska.
But Nebraska, led by a 145-yard
rushing effort by I-back Keith Jones
and a 134-yard, two-touchdown per
formance by quarterback Steve Tay
lor, defeated No. 12-rankcd Arizona
State 35-28 to increase its record to 3
0 and likely keep its No. 2 ranking.
Nebraska generated 459 yards of
offense — 364 rushing — while the
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ran for 177.
Ncbraska’sdcfensiveeffortdid not
impress Husker coach Tom Osborne.
“I was surprised at the way they
moved the ball on us,”Osborne said of
Arizona State’s offense. “I am pleased
to get out of here alive. Arizona State
will win a lot of games this year.”
After a scoreless first quarter,
Nebraska safety Mark Blazck inter
cepted a pass from Arizona Stale
quarterback Danny Ford in the end
zone, giving the Huskcrs the ball at
their own 20-yard line. On the first
play of the drive, Taylor scrambled 32
- yards to the Sun Devil 48-yard line.
Eleven plays later, Taylor scored the
first of two touchdowns from 1 yard
out. Chris Drcnnan’s extra point gave
Nebraska a 7-0 lead.
Arizona State answered with a 13
play, 62-yard drive that ended with a
36-yard field goal by Alan Zcndcjas.
Nebraska then marched 85 yards in
12 plays on its next possession to
increase its lead to 14-3. Fullback
Micah Heibcl capped the drive with a
1-yard touchdown burst up the
middle.
Zendejas then booted a 28-yard
field goal as time ran out in the first
half to cut Nebraska’s lead to 14-6.
Arizona State received the kickoff
to start the second half and drove 80
yards in eight plays to cut Nebraska’s
lead to 14-12 on a 2-yard pass from
Ford to flanker Chris Garrett. The Sun
Devils tied the game 14-14 on a Ford
pass to Aaron Cox for the 2-point
conversion.
Huskcr wingback Dana Brinson
returned the ensuing kickoff 29 yards
to the Nebraska 30-yard line.
Nebraska’s drive stalled at the Ari
zona State 27-yard line, and Drennan
came in to attempt what appeared to
be a 44-yard field goal. But Cletc
Blakeman received the snap and
passed to tight end Todd Millikan on
the left sideline. Millikan rambled to
the 1-yard line for a first-and-goal.
Jones scored on the next play, giving
the Huskers a 21-14 lead after
Drennan's extra point.
“We didn’t do anything great on
it,” Osborne said of the play. “It’s just
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it hadn’t, it would have been a dumb
call.
“It really wasn’t any stroke of
genius at all.”
After the Huskers stopped the Sun
Devils on their next drive, Taylor
fumbled at the Nebraska 15. Arizona
State middle guard Saute Sapulo re
covered, and the Sun Devils scored
four plays later on a 4-yard sweep by
tailback Darryl Harris.
After both teams traded posses
sions, Nebraska took over at its own
30. Taylor hit Millikan on a 12-yard
pass over the middle to give the Husk
ers a first-and-10 at their own 45-yard
line. On third-and-two from the Ari
zona State 47, Taylor carried the ball
over the right guard for a 24-yard gain
and a first down at the 23-yard line.
Three plays later, Taylor found split
end Rod Smith wide open in the end
zone for the go-ahead touchdown.
“I thought that touchdown would
lake the wind out of their sails, but it
didn’t,” Smith said. “They just kept
coming.”
After stopping Arizona Slate on its
ensuing possession, Nebraska began
another drive at its own 12-yard line.
On third-and-15 from the 7-yard line,
Taylor tried to pass out of the end/one
but was forced out of the pocket. He
was hit and fumbled the ball, which
was recovered by Sun Devil strong
safety Nathan LaDuke at the Ne
braska 13.
Five plays and 13 yards later, Ari
zona Slate tied the game 28-28 on a 1 -
yard run by Harris with 4:55 remain
ing.
Nebraska began its final drive at its
own 18-yard line. After a 12-yard run
on the first play, Jones took a pitch and
sprinted 62 yards to the Arizona State
7 before Anthony Parker ran him oul
of bounds.
“It was a 49 Pitch,” Jones said. “I
was definitely tired, but if Coach
(Osborne) hadn’t been switching I
backs the way he did, I don’t think I
would have had enough energy to get
as far as I did.”
Taylor scored from 3 yards out two
plays later, and the extra point by
Drennan was the final point of the
game.
But the contest remained in doubt
until the game’s final minute. On
Arizona State’s ensuing possession,
the Sun Devils drove to the Nebraska
47-yard line before linebacker Steve
Forch intercepted. After failing to
move the ball, Nebraska was forced to
punt.
Ford had one more chance. But on
fourth-and-14 from the Arizona State
44-yard line, Ford threw his third
interception of the game, this lime to
Husker strong safety Brian Washing
ton.
Taylor then dropped on the ball on
the game’s last play to preserve the
win.
“People say that a game like this
will build character,” Smith said. “1
think it will. I’m not disappointed in
the score. We can do better, but a
win’s a win.”
Taylor said the heal and the crowd
at Sun Devil Stadium was a factor in
the Huskers’ performance.
“The heal wore us down a bit,” he
said, “and the crowd had a large effect
on the game. At times, the offensive
line couldn’t even hear me, so we
couldn’t audible. That took some
things away from us.”
Andy Mrozinskl/State Press
Nebraska quarter back Steve Taylor fumbles during the fourth quarter of the Cornhuskers
35-28 victory over Arizona State Saturday at Sun Devil Stadium.
AbU players say bun Devils as good as Huskers
By Jeff Apel
Senior Editor_
TEMPE, Ariz. — A teary-cyed
Daniel Ford learned a painful lesson
during Nebraska’s 35-28 victory over
Arizona State Saturday at Sun Devil
Stadium.
Ford, who replaced Jeff Van
Raaphorst as the Sun Devils’ starting
quarterback this season, said he
’ learned he has to have a better pass
selection and a more efficient
middle-range passing game to be
successful.
Ford said he was upset with his
middle-range passing game because
he halted two Arizona State come
from-bchind attempts by throwing
interceptions.
With Arizona State trailing by the
game’s 35-28 outcome, Ford halted
the Sun Devils’ ncxt-to-last drive
when his pass was intercepted by
Nebraska linebacker Steve Forch.
Comhuskcr strong safety Brian
Washington then preserved the Ne
braska victory when he intercepted
Ford’s final pass of the game at the
Arizona State 44-yard line.
“I believe in myself, that’s not the
problem,” Ford said. “I sec myself as
I can gel in there and get the job done.
It’s not a case I can’t make the big
plays.”
Ford said he felt the Sun Devils
would win the game until Washing
ton intercepted his pass with :01
remaining. He said Arizona State is
still as good as Nebraska.
“They’re good, i expected them to
be good and they were,” Ford said.
“They beat us; they got the happy
rights for the day.
“But no one should beat us. We’re
as good as they come—we just do our
jobs.”
Arizona Slate cornerback An
thony Parker agreed.
“They’re a good team,” Parker
said. “But we feel like we’re just as
good as they arc.”
Arizona State coach John Cooper
said he was pleased with the effort the
No. 12-rankcd Sun Devils delivered.
He said they showed they were ca
pable of playing with any team in the
country.
“I didn’t think we could play like
this,’’Cooper said. “The biggest thing
I was concerned about was what kind
of character they showed, because
they could have taken a back scat.”
Cooper said Ford will have lo
improve if the Sun Devils are to be
successful in their game against Uni
versity of Tcxas-EI Paso Saturday.
He said the junior from Tulsa, Okla.,
needs to be more consistent.
“He has to get lo where he’s in the
middle of the road,” Cooper said.
“Unfortunately, he made some bad
choices at bad times.”
Parker said Arizona’s 94-degrcc
heal look its toll on both teams. He
said Nebraska and Arizona State were
playing tired by the fourth quarter.
“But I don’t think it made a differ
ence cither way,” Parker said.
Osborne says Comhuskeriiyjuries are minimal
By Mike Kluck
Staff Reporter
Nebraska football coach Tom
Osborne said Sunday theComhuskers
emerged from their 35-28 victory over
Arizona State with only one major
injui >.
Osborne said the injury that was of
immediate concern was a shoulder
separation suffered by defensive end
Broderick Thomas. He said the sepa
ration wasn’t normal because it ap
peared to be more of a bruise since
Thomas’s shoulder slipped back into
place.
Osborne said other players who
were injured in the game at Tempe,
Ariz., included strong-side linebacker
LcRoy Etienne and left tackle Neil
Smith. Etienne and Smith both suf
fered sore knees.
Coach: Husker freshmen ready despite three-week layoff
FarmAid III placed a damper on
the Nebraska freshman football
team, but Coach Shane ThorcII
said the Comhuskers will still be
ready for their 1 p.m. game against
the Bethany (Kan.) Junior Varsity
today at Memorial Stadium.
Thorell said the game against
Bethany originally was scheduled
for Sept. 21, but was pushed back
because Nebraska coaches were
concerned that the stage used for
FarmAid III wouldn’t be taken
down in time. FarmAid III was in
Memorial Stadium on Sept. 19.
Thorell said the delay created a
slight problem because the Husk
ers didn’t want to have three weeks
between their season-opening
game against the St. Thomas
(Minn.) Junior Varsity and the
Bethany game.
Nebraska defeated St. Thomas
62-0 on Sept. 7.
“Three weeks is a lot of time to
prepare, so we would have liked to
had two,” Thorell said. “But there
was nothing we could do about it”
“Most of our injuries are defensive
players,” Osborne said. “We arc going
to have some sore players. I’m con
cerned to find out where we arc
Monday with injuries.”
Despite the injuries, Osborne said
he was impressed with the play the
Huskers delivered in Saturday’s
game.
Osborne said Nebraska did several
good things despite having to deal
with adverse conditions that included
71,264 Sun Devil fans. He said the
noise level created by the fans created
problems for Nebraska quarterback
Steve Taylor.
“There were two or three limes we
wanted the audible and didn’t gel the
command,” Osborne said.
Osborne called the game with Ari
zona State as one of the toughest road
games he’s ever coached. He said the
circumstances of the game were the
same as the Huskcrs’ games agai* t
South Carolina last season and
Clcmson in the 1982 Orange Bowl,
when the fans were vocally present *
throughout the contest.
Osborne said Arizona’s 94-degree
heat (122 degrees on the playing sur
face) didn’t bother Nebraska. He said
the heat actually worked against the
Sun Devils.
Osborne said the Nebraska defense
played well even though it surren
dered 28 points to the No. 12-ranked
Sun Devils.
The Big Eight allowed Nebraska
to lake 70 players to Tempe rather
than the usual 6() because of the heat.
“It is foolish for the Big Eight in a
non-conference game not to take as
many players as we want,” Osborne
said. “Why should we handicap our
selves?”