INU blows past Cyclones
Gdowski’s touchdowns set record
^ ii iKK vireen
Senior Reporter
What began as a quarterback duel
Saturday turned into a record-break
ing. one-man show as No. 4-ranked
Nebraska blew past the Iowa Slate
Cyclones 49-17 in Memorial Sta
dium.
Comhusker quarterback Gerry
Gdowski led all rushers with 176
yards and four touchdowns on 17
carries, and completed 3 of 6 passes
for 62 yards and two more touch
downs to lead Nebraska past Iowa
State - the final tune-up for the Busk
ers’ showdown with No. 3-ranked
Colorado Saturday in Boulder, Colo.
Gdowski’s tour touchdowns set a
Nebraska single-game record for
rushing touchdowns by a quarter
back. He said he wasn’t thinking
about setting a record against Iowa
Stale, or in any other game.
I “It’s nice, but in anything I do, a
lot of the credit has to go to the
blocking of the line up front, and the
blocking of the receivers down
field,’’ Gdowski said.
Gdowski wasted little time getting
his record-setting performance roll
mg. On the game’s third play from
scrimmage, he ran an option play to
the right. Gdowski turned the comer
and saw running room.
Gdowski cut to the inside, tucked
the ball away and rambled 74 yards
into the end zone. The extra point by
Gregg Barrios gave the Huskers a 7-0
lead with 13:32 left in the first quar
ter.
But then it was Iowa State’s turn to
show off its quarterback.
Bret Oberg, who passed for 411
yards and four touchdowns last week
against Oklahoma, engineered a 10
play, 66-yard Cyclone drive which
was capped by a 3-yard touchdown
run by tailback Blaise Bryant.
Oberg completed 14 of 23 passes
for 158 yards and rushed for 57 yards.
Iowa State has a very good, well
conceived offense,” Nebraska coach
Tom Osborne said. ‘‘They have a
good offensive line, a fine running
back and a good quarterback. That’s
all it takes.”
But against the Huskers Saturday,
it wasn’t enough.
After Nebraska was unable to
move the ball on its next possession,
the Cyclones had a scoring opportu
nity. Iowa Slate placekicker Jeff
Shudak lined up to attempt a 58-yard
field goal. But the holder, punter
Judge Johnson, received the snap,
stood up and tried a quick kick to pin
Nebraska deep in its own territory.
But the punt hit an Iowa State
lineman in the back, giving the Husk
ers the ball at the Cyclone 38-yard
line. Four plays later, Gdowski
scored on a 26-yard option keeper.
Gdowski added touchdown runs
of 3 and 4 yards in the third quarter,
after throwing 16- and 25-yard scor
ing strikes to wingback Tjrone
Hughes in the first half’s final five
minutes.
“He was really on today,”
Osborne said of his senior signal
caller. “That’s why he’s No. 1. I
can’t understand why people are so
surprised at how well Gerry’s per
forming. I saw him all spring and fall,
and I wouldn’t have him starting if I
didn’t think he deserved to.”
Shudak booted a 46-yard field
goal in the second quarter, and Bryant
added an 11-yard run in the third
quarter for Iowa State.
Bryant led the Cyclones’ rushing
attack with 89 yards and two touch
I
downs on 24 carries.
Reserve quarterback Jerry Dunlap
closed Nebraska’s scoring with a 1
yard touchdown run with 24 seconds
left in the game.
The only major injury suffered by
the Huskers was a separated shoulder
by quarterback Mike Grant, who may
be out for three weeks or more.
Comerback Bruce Pickens suf
fered a shin bruise when his leg was
sandwiched between two players,'
and wingback Nate Turner, who has
been slowed by a thigh bruise for
much of the season, re-aggravated it,
Osborne said.
With the win, the Huskers turned
their attention to Saturday’s game
against Colorado — a game that likely
will decide the Big Eight champion
ship and possibly the national title.
Gdowski said he’s relieved that
the Colorado game is now only a
week away.
“It’ll be nice to finally stop talk
ing about the game and play it.’’
Osborne agreed.
“It’ll be good to be writing, talk
ing and practicing on the same game
for a change,” he said.
David Hansen Dally Nebraskan
Clockwise from top left:
Nebraska’s Andre McDuffy dives for extra
yardage, setting up the Cornhuskers’ final f
touchdown from 1 yard out. \m
Starting quarterback Gerry Gdowski on ^
his way to breaking the single game rush- "
ing touchdown record for a Nebraska
quarterback. Gdowski rushed for four
touchdowns and passed for two more. »m
Inside linebacker Hat Tyrance and outside Hr
linebacker Jeff Mills bring down Cyclone r *
running back Blaise Bryant.
Bob Frost, an accounting and finance
major from Omaha, and Tiffany Seevers, a
business administration major from Lin- W
coin, were elected Homecoming Royalty w
during halftime. * " I
Nebraska fullback Bryan Carpenter
evades Iowa State defenders.
i
Eric O? y/Dally Nabraskan
Melissa McReynolds/Daily Nebraskan
Eric Gregory/Daily Nebraskan