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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 4, 1991)
Colorado blocks Cornhuskers from win By Alan Phelps Senior Editor BOULDER, Colo. — The Nebraska Comhuskers, after braving the bitter cold, snowballs and an occasional orange to try to get revenge on Colo rado, went home a little disappointed. “It’s a bad feeling when you don’t win and you don’t lose,” fullback Lance Lewis said. The Huskers fought the Colorado Buffaloes to a 19-19 tie Saturday night at Folsom Field before a crowd of 52,319 and in a wind chill well below zero. But by the last play of the game, Nebraska had a chance to ease the fans’ chills with thoughts of a warm Orange Bowl trip to Miami in Janu ary. With four seconds left on the clock, Byron Bennett attempted a 41-yard field goal to put Nebraska over the lop but it was blocked in the midst of a snowball and orange barrage from Colorado fans. “I’m not sure the ball got up very good,” Coach Tom Osborne said of the kick. “It was well inside of By ron’s range and all he had to do was get it up and it would have been a good kick.” Osborne said it was unfortunate that crowd interference such as the snowball throwing never gets called by the referees. “When you’re trying to kick the winning field goal and you’ve got about 10 snowballs and a couple of oranges rolling in there, it didn’t help,’’ he said. The section of red in the northwest comer of the stadium had something to cheer about when Husker I-back Derek Brown ran up the right side of the field for a touchdown on the sec ond play of the game. It was called back, however, because of an extra man Nebraska had on the line, and the Huskcrs were forced to settle for a field goal with 11:20 left in the first quarter. Colorado was quick to answer. The Buffaloes marched down the field, piled up four first downs and capped off the drive with an 11-yard touchdown run by quarterback Dar ian Hagan. With 7:20 left in the quar ter, Colorado had taken the lead at 7 3. The two teams took turns frustrat ing each other for the next 10 minutes of play until a 27-yard field goal by Colorado’s Jim Harper put the Buffa loes up 10-3 with 6:54 left in the second quarter. Nebraska returned fire late in the quarter when a short punt by Colo rado punter Mitch Berger set up a Jon Bostick 49-yard touchdown pass from Keithen McCant. The subsequent extra-point attempt by Bennett was blocked and Colorado linebacker Greg Biekert scooped up the ball and weaved his way through 85 yards of Nebraska defenders for a safety. Instead of a 10 10 tie, Nebraska trailed 12-9 at halftime. The Huskers were quick to even up the score in the second half; Ben nett kicked a 35-yard field goal on Nebraska’s first possession. On Colorado’s next possession a Nebraska personal foul gave Colo rado a first-and-goal situation on the Nebraska 10-yard line. After two runs by running back Lamont Warren were stuffed, Hagan went in himself from four yards out to give Colorado the lead back at 19-12. Nebraska answered with 9:19 in the fourth quarter after a 55-yard, seven-play drive capped off by a 7 yard run by Brown. Although Nebraska players were disappointed with the tie, they said the game still proved something about Nebraska. “We didn’t lose,” Huskcr wing back Nate Turner said. “We proved we can play in the fourth quarter with anybody.” Outside linebacker Travis Hill agreed. “Everyone who said we couldn’t win, we couldn’t do anything, we shut them up,” he said. “We’re still in the front seat for the Big Eight cham pionship.” Turner said he felt Nebraska was the better team, but it was “a little sluggish coming out.” “For a while we were beating our selves,” McCant said. “You can’t do that when you’re playing a team like Colorado in their own backyard.” Brown said he also thought the team could have done better in the first half. “I don’t know if it was the cold, or a lack, of confidence,” he said. Osborne said he thought the Husk ers played well throughout the game, particularly in the second half. “We’re pleased with the effort of our players. Naturally, we wanted to win, and I thought we could get it,” he said. Osborne pointed to the game ’ s two blocked kicks as plays that hurt the Huskers, especially the first block, which led to a three-point swing after Colorado’s defensive extra point re turn. Brown said the game also height ened the Colorado-Nebraska rivalry. “It’s war now, not just any game,” he said. “It’s war between us.” TOP: Nebraska quarterback Keithen McCant gets off a pass during Nebraska’s 19-19 tie with Colorado. ABOVE: Derek Brown bobbles the ball as he follows the blocks of Nate Turner (22), against Joel Steed, and Lance Lundberg (77). RIGHT: Colorado quarterback Darian Hagan is pursued by Cornhuskers Kevin Ramaekers (67), John Parrella (92) and Travis Hill (93). Photos by Jeff Brown/Special to the DN NU - FG Bennett 27 CU - Hagan 11 run (Harper kick) CU - FG Harper 27 NU - Bostick 49 pass from McCant (kick failed) CU -Biekert 85 blocked conversion return NU - FG Bennett 35 CU - Hagan 4 run (Harper kick) NU - D. Brown 7 run (Bennett kick) .a' First downs 10 15 Rushes-yards 51-160 40-112 Passing 140 181 Return yards 56 20 Comp-Att-Int 10-23-0 8-20 0 Amis DaFrain/DN
