NU-CU showdown is special to McCartney
ly Twvw Pirki
Staff Reporter
Colorado plays against another
ranked opponent this Saturday, but
for Coach Bill McCartney, this game
means something more special.
This season Colorado has defeated
five ranked opponents, including wins
over Michigan and Texas on the road.
But the Nebraska game has been
special to McCartney since he came to
Boulder in 1982.
“When I came here, I asked around,
and we didn’t have anything like that
(a rivalry),” McCartney said. “It
seemed like the logical team was Ne
braska, even though they were much
better than us at the time.”
But Colorado seems to be on Ne
braska’s level now. Thisyear,although
the Buffaloes have played a top-notch
schedule, McCartney said about the
only advantage Colorado would have
in Saturday’s game was a high confi
dence level.'
“I'm really pleased,” McCartney
said. “We’ve had a tough schedule,
and we’re lucky to get by being 7-0.”
Two of Buffaloes’ seven wins have
come down to the final seconds.
McCartney said beatingTexas with
one second left and beating Michigan
on the final play with a Hail Mary
touchdown pass had shown his team
wouldn’t give up.
The fourth-quarter heroics contin
ued last weekend as well.
On a fourth-and-one against Kan
sas State from the Colorado 39-yard
line, McCartney decided to go for the
first down with a little more than 10
minutes remaining.
“That play was real important
momentum-wise,” McCartney said.
“They had the momentum, and when
we scored on the next play, it was back
with us.”
After converting the fourth-down
play, Kordell Stewart scored on a 60
yard run to give Colorado a 28-21
lead.
Stewart’s run enabled the Buffs to
enter this Saturday’s showdown un
defeated.
And as for Colorado’s latest oppo
nent, McCartney said the 11:08 a.m.
start time shouldn’t be a problem for
his team.
“I don’t think it gives either team
an advantage,” McCartney said. “I
hate to think that it has come to morn
ing football.”
McCartney said it was important
for anyone in a game like this to play
well early.
With quarterback Tommie Frazier
out for the season, McCartney said the
Huskers would be in good hands with
Brook Berringer at the helm.
“Frazier is like a tailback at quar
terback,” McCartney said. “Berringer
“Berringer can run the option well. He’s what I
would call a prototype quarterback’ ...he’s tall
and has a very good touch. ”
■
BILL MCCARTNEY
Colorado coach
can run the option well. He’s what I
would call a ‘prototype quarterback’
... he’s tall and has a very good touch,”
But a bigger concern for McCartney
is Nebraska’s offensive line.
The Huskers should be a test for
Colorado’s defensive line, which has
given up 98.6 yards per game.
“It’s real hard to match up with
them,” McCartney said. “With their
size, mobility and experience, they are
1
really diversified, and it will really be
a test to play hard for 60 minutes.”
Although each team offers Heisman
Trophy candidates at running back—
Colorado’s Rashaan Salaam and Ne
braska’s Lawrence Phillips —
McCartney said there was more to
both teams than just one player.
“I don’t look at it like that,”
McCartney said. “The way a lot of
other guys play will be key.”
Nation’s top runner prepared
and owes Nebraska no favors
ly Dwk Imhwi
Senior Reporter
It's been a long time since fans watching a
Nebraska game have seen the nation’s top run
ner without an “N” on his
helmet.
But when Nebraska
has the nation’s top rush
ing offense on the field
Saturday against Colo
rado, the country’s lead
ing rusher will be watch
ing from the other side
line.
Heisman Trophy
front-runner Rashaan Sa
laam has rushed for 1,267
yards in seven games,
good enough to lead tne country witn an aver
age of 179.4 yards per game,
i t*t However, when Salaam came to Colorado,
he said he took his social life more seriously
than football, and he almost lost the opportu
nity to help Colorado win a national champi
onship this year.
“It had to change or else I wouldn’t be sit
ting here in front of all of you (national me
dia),” Salaam said. “I was out there trying to
live a double life (night life and football life),
and that doesn’t cut it in this kind of program.
“Coach Mac (Bill McCartney) has always
been in my comer and supported me since Day
1.”
Salaam, who never has defeated Nebraska,
saw Colorado lose to the Comhuskers 32-7 as
a freshman and 21-17 as a sophomore — when
he rushed for 165 yards.
But Salaam remembers the most about Ne
braska and its fans from his freshman season,
when the Buffaloes lost in Lincoln.
“Two years ago, when I was a freshman, it
was just a real wild and fun place to play. Their
fans are real crazy, but they’re not too crazy
about Colorado,” Salaam said. “I don’t feel
like we owe them a win; I just think we have
to go out and play our game.
“Defensively, we need to force turnovers,
and offensively, we need to score points. We
just need to go out there ami play Colorado
football.”
After having to face five ranked opponents
already this season, Salaam said he didn’t
think the 7-0 Buffaloes would ever get to this
game.
“This is the game we’ve been waiting for
all season,” Salaam said. “I’m so glad itTs fi
nally here. I know it’s going to be a tough
game against a tough team, and a tough week
of practice. Whenever we play each other,
anything can happen.”
When Colorado marches into Memorial
Stadium on Saturday, the Buffs will be led by
two Heisman Trophy candidates — Salaam
and quarterback Kordell Stewart.
Salaam said having two Heisman candi
dates on the same team did nothing but help.
“I don’t think it hurts either one of us,”
Salaam said. “It ultimately comes down to the
voters. They see Kordell ami I having solid
games, solid seasons, and we’re both game
breakers. It will just make it harder on (the
voters).”
Buffalo wide receiver ready
to avenge Halloween of‘92
ly Twvor Pita
Staff Reporter
For Colorado wide receiver Rae Carruth,
Halloween night of 1992 won’t soon be for
gotten.
“That’s the best crowd I’ve ever seen,”
Camith said. “That night Nebraska really
had the home-field advantage.”
The Comhuskcrs won 52-7, and Camith,
a freshman then, said he wanted to come
back to Lincoln and leave a better impres
sion on Nebraska fans.
“The guys that were there are using it as
motivation for this game,” Camith said.
“The younger guys probably won’t know the
frustration we had, and hopefully we can
avenge it.”
In that game two years ago, Camith
caught three passes for 19 yards and fin
ished his freshman year up with 14 catches
for 161 yards.
Camith will get his chance for revenge
when the Huskers host the 7-0 Buffaloes on
Saturday.
Last year Camith didn’t play Nebraska.
With Charles Johnson, Michael Westbrook,
Blake Anderson and James Kidd at the re
ceiver position, Camith redshirted.
However, this season, Camith is fourth
in receiving statistics for the Buffaloes, with
11 receptions for 204 yards.
Camith was one of the wide receivers
involved in the Hail Mary play that helped
CU beat Michigan 27-26 at Ann Aibor on
Sept. 24.
Although Colorado has pulled out some
miraculous victories — on the road at
Michigan and Texas — Carruth credited
that to playing complete football games.
“We are a 60-minute football team,”
Carruth said. “The wins helped us gain con
fidence. To win at Michigan and Texas is
something special.”
A major reason for the Buffaloes’ great
season is quarterback Kordell Stewart.
Carruth said that like himself, Stewart
still couldn’t forget about playing Nebraska.
In the 1992 nightmare, an injured
Stewart passed for 17 yards on only eight
attempts.
Last year in Boulder, Colo., Stewart
again struggled, completing eight of 28
passes.
But this season Carruth said he hoped
things would be different.
“I think week in and week out he
(Stewart) has proven himself,” Carruth said.
“He can play in the big games.”
, Another aspect of that complete team is
the offense, and Carruth said it was impor
tant for Colorado to jump out quick on the
Huskers.
“Over the years we have never had an
offense that can hang with them,” Carruth
said. “The winner will probably be the team
that makes the least mistakes and whoever
plays the best game.”
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