ICo I or ado jolts NU; Buffs top Big Eight
I By Chuck Green
Senior Reporter
BOULDER, Colo. — Long after
most of the 52,877 fans had filed out
bf Folsom Field Saturday, the sta
dium’s main scoreboard lit up the
Chilly night sky.
It read: “Colorado 27, Nebraska
21. Things have changed.”
But on the game’s final play,
things were just a few inches from
staying the same.
The Comhuskers, trailing by six
with a first down on the Buffaloes’
42-yard line, had six seconds left in
the game to work with. Nebraska
quarterback Gerry Gdowski, who had
completed 11 of 27 passes for 211
yards and three touchdowns, had one
more chance.
I As he rolled to his left, Husker
split end Jon Bostick sprinted into the
end /one, under a shrcud of double
coverage by Buff defensive backs.
The ball came in, Colorado comer
back Dave McCloughan hit Bostick
and the ball tumbled harmlessly to
the AstroTurf.
‘‘I had the ball in my hands for a
second,” Bostick said. “But it was
gone and on the ground just as
quickly.”
The goalposts were on the ground
a few minutes later, after thousands
of Colorado fans poured onto the
field. It was the second time in the last
ihrcc visits to Folsom Field the Husk
ers came away with a loss, and the
first time in 28 years the Buffs had
defeated Oklahoma and Nebraska in
the same season.
The win also put Colorado alone at
the lop of the Big Eight standings
with games against Oklahoma Stale
and Kansas State left, and almost
assured the Buffs of a trip to the
Orange Bowl Jan. 1.
‘‘1 would like to congratulate
Colorado,” Nebraska coach Tom
Osborne said. “They’re a great team,
and today was an excellent day for
college football.”
The game, which was broadcast to
a national television audience by
CBS, was expected by many football
prognosticators to be a Colorado
stampede.
But the stampede carnc from the
Buffs and the Huskers.
Colorado rushed for 205 yards,
while Nebraska rolled up 186. Tail
back J.J. Flannigan led the Buffs’
rushing attack with 96 yards and two
touchdowns, while quarterback Dar
ian Hagan added 86 yards and a
touchdown on 25 carries.
I-Back Ken Clark rushed for 95
yards on 21 carries for the Huskers,
and Gdowski rushed for 69.
usDome said the Huskcrs deserve
a lot of credit for their effort Satur
day.
“Colorado’s got a great football
team, but so do we,” he said. “I think
those two teams can play with any
body in the country.”
Nebraska’s last drive came after it
stopped the Buffs on their own 25
yard line. Colorado punter Tom
Rouen got the ball off, while Husker
wingbatk Tyrone Hughes stood wait
ing to field the punt.
“I saw the ball coming and I took
a step back,’ ’ Hughes said. ‘41 saw the
rotation of the ball in the air, and I
thought it was going to bounce back
to the Colorado side. By the time the
ball hit, I was out of position.
“Looking back, I should have
Fielded it. It was a crucial moment.”
But Hughes didn’t, and the ball
rolled to the Nebraska 12, pulling the
Huskers farther from their end zone
and, more importantly, eating 14
seconds off the clock.
Nebraska’s final drive was kept
alive by two fourth-down conver
sions - both passes from Gdowski.
It was evident from the start that
the game would be a see-saw battle.
After Nebraska comerback Tyrone
Byrd intercepted a Hagan pass on
Colorado’s first possession, the
Huskers had the ball on their own 49.
On Nebraska’s first play, Gdowski
floated a screen pass to fullback
Bryan Carpenter, who cut to the in
side, juked a defender and ran 51
yards for the score.
The extra point by placekicker
Gregg Barrios gave Nebraska a 7-0
lead with 13:30 left in the first quarter
and stunned the highly partisan Colo
rado crowd.
But after the teams traded posses
sions, the fans again came to their
feet.
un nrsi-ana-iu at ms own ju,
Hagan ran an option to the left and
kept the ball for 20 yards before
pitching to Flannigan, who sprinted
untouched to complete a 70-yard
touchdown run. Ken Culbertson’s
extra point tied the game at 7-7 with
8:22 left in the first quarter.
Hagan added a 1 -yard touchdown
run on Colorado’s next possession to
give the Buffs a 14-0 lead.
The play was set up by a 47-yard
return by Colorado split end Jeff
Campbell, who gave the Buffs the
ball at the Nebraska 4.
Campbell also returned a punt 55
yards to the Nebraska 19 in the third
quarter, setting up a 2-yard run by
Flannigan that gave the Buffs a 24 -14
lead.
Nebraska’s other first-half touch
down came with 11:30 left in the
second quarter on a 12-yard pass
» - -.- - — ■ - -.-.— - --— .. ■
David Hansen/Daily Nebraskan
Nebraska defensive tackle Ray Valladao upends Colorado
quarterback Darian Hagan.
from Gdowski lo split end Morgan to light end Chris Garrett, which cut
Gregory. Colorado’s lead to 24-21.
Culbertson added field goals from But that was as close as the Husk
49 and 28 yards for the Buffs, and ers would come.
Nebraska’s only other score was a 26- -
yard touchdown pass from Gdowski See LOSS on 10
^ ' A_]
David Hanaan/Daily Nabraakan
Colorado outside linebacker Alfred Williams prepares to hit Nebraska l-back Ken Clark.
CU coach praises fans,
quarterback for Buffs win
By Chuck Green
Senior Reporter
BOULDER, Colo. -- After Colo
rado beat Nebraska 20-10 in 1986,
Bill McCartney told his team that “it
doesn’t gel any sweeter.’’
Now, the Buffaloes’ football
coach has changed his mind.
“This is sweeter and I couldn’t be
prouder of our guys,’’ he said after
Colorado’s 27-21 win against Ne
braska Saturday. “Obviously, this is
the greatest win I have ever been
associated with. The things that are
going through my mind right now
center on all the problems we’ve had
to overcome to get here.”
Colorado’s main “problem” was
the loss of former Buff quarterback
Sal Aunese, who died last September
after a long bout with stomach and
lung cancer. Colorado players and
fans have rallied this season to win
the Big Eight championship for
Aunese.
“People think it’s crazy, but those
were Sal’s last words: ‘Bring home
the Orange Bowl trophy,’” Buff tail
back J.J. Flannigan said.
McCartney praised the play of
Colorado quarterback Darian Hagan,
who rushed for 86 yards and a touch
down on 25 carries,
• Hagan’s biggest play of the day
was a pitch to Flannigan early in the
first quarter, which went 70 yards for
a touchdown. The play tied the score
7-7, after the Cornhuskers had scored
on their first play from scrimmage.
‘‘The pitch by Hagan to Flannigan
was a play we needed,” McCartney
said. ‘‘They (the Huskers) stunned us
early in the game with the intercep
tion and then coming right back and
scoring on a screen play on the very
next play.”
Flannigan said the play boosted
his confidence for the r:*5t of the
game.
“Hagan is unbelievable,” he said.
“No matter where he is on the field,
he can always pitch it. As 1 was going
down the sideline, I was thinking
‘hold on to the ball, get in the end
zone and celebrate.’
“I didn’t think about fumbling
any other lime during the game.”
See BUFFS on 11
I Women swimmers earn second-place finish at Iowa meet
By Jeff Apel
Senior Editor _
The Nebraska women’s swim
ming team answered a big question
during the Iowa quadrangular this
weekend in Iowa City, Iowa.
Nebraska coach Ray Huppert said
the young Comhuskers showed that
they have adjusted to collegiate
competition. He said adjustment is
always a big concern, because some
teams take longer to adapt than oth
ers
Nebraska freshman Michcile
I Butcher showed that she is adjusted,
as she set a school record in the 1,650
yard freestyle. Butcher’s time of
16:43.84 shattered the old record of
16:51.66 that was set by All-America
selection Emily Ricketts in 1985.
Butcher’s performance helped
Nebraska earn a second-place finish
at the two-day meet. Sixth-ranked
Michigan won the meet with 199
points, followed by Nebraska with
137. Iowa finished third with 94
points, and Brigham Young was
fourth with 57.
Huppcrt praised the performance
of Butcher, who also became the first
Huskcr to complete the 500 freestyle
in under five minutes when she re
corded a 4:56.42 clocking.
Huppert also praised the efforts of
Jenell Garcia, Melanie Winner,
Chris Frederick and Mindy Mathcny.
Matheny finished third in the 50
freestyle and teamed with Lynne
Braddock, Frederick and Kristen
Neucnfeldl to form Nebraska’s 400
free relay team, which finished sec
ond.
Winner, a junior transfer from
Alabama, teamed with Carol
Johnson, Jenny Baucrnfcind and
Frederick to form the Huskers’ 200
medley relay team that also finished
second. Garcia won the 100 butterfly
and finished second in the 200 butter
fly.
“You can really see the experi
ence Jancll has,” Huppcrt said.
“She’s been here two full seasons
and she knows how to swim her
races.”
Huppcrt said Nebraska showed
that it is a team not to be taken lightly.
“I’m very, very happy,” he said.
“We’re young, and we’re going to
get better.”
Huppcrt said the Huskcrs cannot
afford to savor their performances,
because they face Colorado State and
Minnesota Saturday at the Bob Dcva
ncy Sports Center.
The meet, which is free for Uni
versity of Nebraska-Lincoln students
who present their IDs, begins at 7
p.m.
Huppcrt said this week will be a
busy one in practice.
“There’s still quite a few things
we need to work on,” he said. “It
really is going to be an important
time.”
Huppcrt said he is anxious for
Saturday’s meet.
“It’s going to be nice to be at
home,” he said. “I’m hoping we can
get a lot of fans to come Jo the meet.
Aihleles always perform belief if
their friends arc in the stands.”
•
