Frazier passes test;
Huskers win ‘dogfight’
By Jeff Griesch
Senior Reporter __
The final score was no indication
of the scare Texas Tech put into the
Nebraska football team at Memorial
Stadium on Saturday.
Despite beating the Red Raiders
50-27, the Cornhuskers trailed Texas
Tech 21-20 with 8:37 left in the third
quarter. _
A 26-yard touchdown pass from
Texas Tech quarterback Robert Hall
to fullback Bruce Hill gave Texas
Tech a 21-20 lead. It was the first lead
of the game for the Red Raiders, and
the first time the Huskers had fallen
behind this season.
Nebraska coach Tom Osborne saia
that he was not surprised that the
Huskers fell behind the Red Raiders.
“This was a good football team
that I think has a very good shot at
winning the Southwest Conference
championship,” Osborne said. ‘We
thought we were in for a dogfight
coming into the game.”
But the Red Raiders’ lead was
short-lived as the Huskers retaliated
with an 11-play, 68-yard drive that
resulted in a Byron Bennett field goal
to put Nebraska ahead 23-21 with four
minutes left in the third quarter.
On the next series, Texas Tech’s
chances for an upset began to unravel.
Husker outside linebacker Trev
Alberts sacked Texas Tech quarter
back Robert Hall on the third play of
the series, forcing a fumble.
Mberts dxwruplcd Texas Teen of
fense with 10 total tackles, including
three sacks of Hall and another tackle
for loss. Nebraska recovered Hall’s
fumble and the Huskers took posses
sion at the Red Raider 23-yard-line.
Tight end Gerald Armstrong gave
the Huskers a 30-21 lead five plays
later, scoring on a five-yard touch
down pass from quarterback Tommie
Frazier.
On the day, Frazier completed 12
of 27 passes for 206 yards and one
touchdown.
Senior split end Corey Dixon was
Frazier’s number one target. Dixon
caught six passes for 116 yards.
Despite Frazier’s 200-yard pass
ing day, the Huskers could have been
more proficient, Osborne said. It was
the second consecutive game Nebras
ka passed for more than 200 yards
the first time Nebraska had thrown for
more than 200 yards in two consecu
tive games since 1976, when Vince
Ferragamo did it against TCU and
Miami, Fla.
“We had 217 yards passing, but
that figure should have been 317
yards,” Osborne said. “The way they
played us, we had to throw the ball tc
win.”
Osborne said rnzier s inconsis
tency Saturday may have resulted froir
Frazier’s injured ankle.
“Frazier just wasn’t in his rhythm
and as the game went on he got bet
ter,” Osborne said. “Frazier didn’t do
anything in practice until Thursday,
and I think it showed a little bit.”
Frazier saw almost all of the action
at quarterback for the Huskers, de
spite his sore right ankle.
Back-up quarterback Brook
Berringer attempted only two passes
and had limited playing time. Tony
Veland took only three snaps before
leaving the game with a ruptured
Achilles Tendon.
After the Armstrong touchdown,
Texas Tech returner Derrell Mitchell
bobbledTom Seiler’s kickoff, and the
Huskers recovered the bail at the Red
Raiders’ five-yard- line.
Osborne said Mitchell’s fumble
may have been the key play of the
game for the Huskers.
“If we wouldn’t have gotten that
fumble, 1 think it could have come
down to the last series of the game,”
Osborne said.
Running back Damon Benning
scored two plays later on a pitch to the
left side which gave the Huskers a 36
21 lead with :34remaining in the third
quarter. .
For the game, Bennmg had 127
yards on 19 carries and two touch
downs in the first start of his career.
Lawrence Phillips, a true fresh
man, saw the first action of his career
and gained 80 yards on 14 carries.
As a team, Nebraska rushed for 317
yards despite the absence of starting I
back Calvin Jones who sat out with a
knee injury.
Osborne said he was pleased with
the performance of the back-up run
ning backs.
“I thought Damon Bennmg played
well and theotheryoungbacksshowed
that they can play, but they’re still raw
and you can see it in the mistakes they
make,” Osborne said.
The Huskers jumped to an early 7
0 lead on aneight-play, 80-yard drive,
capped by a 45-yard touchdown run
by Benning.
Confusion among tne lexas teen
returners on Seiler’s kickoff gave the
Red Raiders poor field position at its
own 12-yard-line.
The Red Raiders were forced to
punt three plays later, and Nebraska
took over at the Texas Tech 40-yard
line.
After only five plays and 16 yards,
Nebraska had to settle for a 41-yard
Bennett field goal, which gave the
Huskers a 10-0 advantage with 7:45
remaining in the first quarter.
Texas Tech got on the board before
the first quarter ended, as Mitchell
caught a 34-yard touchdown pass from
Hail with three seconds remaining.
After Tommie Frazier scored on a
one-yard run to give the Huskers a 17
7 lead, the Red Raiders answered with
a 51-yard touchdown pass from Hall
to split end Lloyd Hill to cut the
Husker lead to 17-14.
Bennett added a 45-yard field goal
with :23 remaining in the first half to
give Nebraska a 20-14 at halftime
edge.