By Tim Pearson
Senior Reporter
BOULDER, Colo.—AsColorado
threatened to score and win the game
in the fourth quarter of Saturday’s
matchup with Nebraska, Cornhuskcr
linebacker Trev Alberts had visions
of the Buffaloes’ 27-12 comeback
win in 1990.
But Alberts and the Huskers made
sure the Buffaloes’ fourth-quarter
magic didn’t work this time.
The Cornhuskers, on the strength
of three interceptions and stingy de
fense, pulled out their first win at
Colorado since 1987. The sixth-ranked
Huskers beat the No. 20 Buffaloes 21 -
17 in front of a crowd of 52,277 at
Folsom Field.
The win propelled the Huskers into
the foreground as a contender for the
national title, coach Tom Osborne
said.
“The players want to win every
game, and I think we have a chance
for sure,” he said. “They’ll find a way
to get it done somehow. This is a
better team than we’ve hail for a
while.”
Alberts said the Huskers, now S-0
and 4-0 m the Big Eight, didn’t want
their hard work to end in a loss.
“My biggest fear was to play this
well and then see them gel lucky like
they have in the past,” he said.
And the Buffaloes, who fell to4-T
I. almost did pull off some fourth
quarter magic.
Colorado stormed back from a 2 1 -
3 deficit to make it 21-17 with 2:54
left in the game. Alter forcing the
Huskers to punt. Colorado got the ball
at its own 47-yard line with 1:41 left.
After a 13-yard completion by
Colorado quarterback Kordell
Stewart. Huskerfree safety John Reece
w
intercepted a Stewart pass at the Ne
braska 30-yard line to seal the win.
Alberts said he didn't know what
happened on the play.
“1 heard the Big Red fans go crazy,
but I thought it wasjust an incomplete
pass,” he said.
Osborne said his team was glad to
get out of Boulder with a win and their
perfect record still intact.
“I was pleased wuth the win,"
Osborne said. "It was more of a
nailbiter than it should have been.”
Injuries to quarterback Tommie
Frazier and I-back C'alv in Jones made
the game closer than it should have
been, Osborne said.
Despite suffering a sprained shoul
der in the third quarter, Frazier threw
for 167 yards and rushed for a team
high 69 yards.
"Jones had leg cramps and proba
bly didn't play half the game,"
(Jsbornc said. “Fra/ier said his shoul
der was hurting so bad that he couldn’t
run the option.
"Not having Tommie hurt us at
times."
Alberts said the Huskers were still
confident they could win without
Fra/ier and Jones.
“They’ve been down earlier in the
year,” he said. “We just find a way to
win.
“That’sour motto. C oach Osborne
said we wall find a way to win."
But when the Huskers did have
Frazicr and Jones, the offense clicked.
Alter stopping the Buffaloes on
their first possession, split end Corey
Dixon returned Mitch Berger's punt
6K yards to the Colorado 4-yard line.
J *
Then Jones, who finished with only
31 yards rushing, went fouryardsover
the middle for the touchdown to give
the Huskcrs a quick lead 1:43 into the
game.
After a Colorado field goal. Ne
braska scored again on a Jones’ 10
yard mn.
The Huskcrs forced Colorado to
punt and then Frazier hit Dixon with
a 60-yard touchdown pass to put the
Huskcrs up 21-3.
0
After Colorado running back
Rashaan Salaain. who rushed for 1 b5
yards, scored on a 15-yard run to
make it 21 -10. Nebraska had chances
to increase its lead, but misfired on at
least four possessions.
Placekickcr Byron Bennett missed
three field goals and Frazier threw' an
interception in the end zone to end the
Huskers' scoring threat in the third
quarter.
In the third quarter, the Huskers,
w ith Brook Berringer at quarterback,
for the injured Frazier, had the ball at
the Colorado 1-yard line, but the Buffs
held them and forced a Bennett field
goal attempt that sailed wide left.
“Their goal-line stand put them in
a position to win the game,” Osborne
said. “I thought we could get up by 14
points.”
Colorado then drove 80 yards and
scored on a Salaam 1-yard dive to
make it 21-17.
After Nebraska was forced to punt
with 1:43 left, it was up to the
Blackshirts.
Nebraska defensive coordinator
Charlie McBride told his players that
it was their job to win the game.
“I told them you can’t win champi
onships without defense. Defense wins
championships. Period.”
Clockwise from ab<
ka quarterback Bro
(right) eludes Colo
Hudson during the
of Nebraska’s 21*1
day. Colorado’s R
laam leaps over del
le Bruce Moore am
Mike Andersen. I
fans celebrate wit
David Seizys (righ
game. Nebraska’s K
flies past Colors
Russell on a punt r
Photos by Trav
Nebraska 21
UCiIIIG Colorado 17
SCORING 1st 2nd 3rd 4th Total
Nebraska 21 0 0 0 21
Colorado 3 7 0 7 17
SCORING BY QUARTER Time lcft
Nebraska Colorado
7 Calvin Jones 4-yard run
3 Mitch Berger 22-yard field goal
14 Jones 10-yard run
21 Tommie Frazier-Corey Dixon
60-yard pass
10 Rashaan Salaam 15-yard run
17 Salaam 1 -yard run, -■ *3
I
RUSHING
i • rancor NcI Long
I LtAlltnS ATT yards Ave. gain TD
T. Frazier 15 69 4.6 26 0
L. Phillips 16 58 3.6 17 0
Clones 12 31 2.6 10 2
TOTAL 55 190 3.5 2
PASSING Comp - Comp - Yds TI)
Att. Pet.
T. Frazier 7-17 .42 167 1
PASS RECIEV1NG No. Yards I D
A. Muhmmad 4 80 0
C. Dixon 1 60 1
TACKLES jota| unassjstC(j Assists
Toby Wright 10 6 4
Ed Stewart 9 2 7
Trev Alberts 8 6 2
^ . - - - * ># « • •
RUSHING Nct Long
LEADERS ATT yards Ave. gain jp
R. Salaam 25 165 6.6 36 2
L. Warren 3 16 5.3 9 n
TOTAL 40 189 4.7 2
PASSING Comp- Comp.- Yds TD
Att. Pet.
K. Stewart 8-28 29 115 0
PASS RECIEV1NG No, Yards TL>
C. Johnson 4 65 0
R. Salaam 3 37 0
TACKLES Total Unassisted Assists
Ted Johnson 12 8 4
Matt Russell II 3 8
ON graphic