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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 23, 1995)
Travis Heying/DN Sfiurday’s game. Green rushed for 109 yards on the day and was the u-- .....——...*********** Travis Heying/DN jzier runs through the grasps of Wildcat linebacker Travis Ochs (No. E (No. 21). Frazier threw for four touchdowns. Travis Heying/DN Nebraska linebacker Luther Hardin celebrates after intercepting a Matt Miller shovel pass and returning it 3 yards for a touchdown in the second quarter. By Derek Samson Senior Reporter Kansas State was excited to play Nebraska. But Wildcat coach Bill Snyder said it was that excitement that hurt Kansas State in its 49-25 loss to Nebraska Saturday. “Our players were emotionally charged to play this football game,” Snyder said. “I think we were prob ably too emotionally charged, and that’s my responsibility. I think I put them in a position where maybe we were destined to fail. Wejust couldn’t handle the emotion of the ballgame.” Snyder said when playing a team like Nebraska, it’s important to keep the emotions in check. “I’ve seen us play well when we were emotionally at a peak,” he said. “But I think it wasn’t the right thing for us at this point in time.” Kevin Lockett, a junior wide re ceiver, agreed that the Wildcats’ per formance was impaired by the emo tion of the game. “This was definitely the most ex cited that I’ve ever seen the team,” Lockett said. “It kind of hurt us. Ev eryone got so caught up in the game that we forgot about our assignments. Wejust didn’t play with our heads.” Kansas State receiver Mitch Run ning, who had 10 catches for 110 yards and a touchdown, said it was difficult to keep emotions at a mini mum against No. 2 Nebraska. “To a point, I think maybe we were a little too excited,” Running said. “But everyone is going to be excited ^———■ ■ ■■ ■■ Q|f Ia<hhc This week's polls are shown with IU|J fcw ledlllo first-place votes in parentheses M about playing Nebraska. They’re the defending national champions. We were emotional, but that wasn’t the key to our loss. We just didn’t ex ecute.” Running said the atmosphere at Memorial Stadium was enough to get an opponent overly excited. “Until you’ve played here, you don ’ t know the feeling,” Running said. “It’s a sea of red. It’s hard to describe what it’s like to play here. You walk out on that field, and it’s hard not to let emotions take over.” If Kansas State looks at the prob lems it had against the Comhuskers on the field, it would be hard to look past the punishment that Wildcat quarter backs Matt Miller and Brian Kavanagh received. Nebraska’s defense had nine sacks for 82 yards. “Thoseguys are good,” Miller said. “I know they gave me a dizzy head and some bumps and bruises. I prepared well for them, I thought. I know the coaches prepared us well. I guess you just have those games some days.” But Snyder said the Wildcats were lacking in all phases of the game, as Nebraska got touchdowns from its offense, defense and special teams. “We were not very good in any aspect,” Snyder said. “We were not very good on offense, we were not very good on defense and our kicking game was not very good. You can’t make some of the mistakes that we made against a team like Nebraska. “If you do, I don’t think anything can happen other than what did hap pen. I don’t care who you are. They’re just too good of a football team.” • Nebraska cornerback Mike Fullman was penalized for unsports manlike conduct for high-stepping the final 10 yards of his 79-yard punt return for a touchdown in the first quarter. It was the second time this season that a Nebraska player had been a victim of the NCAA’s tighter rules on player celebration. Reggie Baul was penalized in Nebraska’s season-opening 64-21 win over Oklahoma State. “It’s very difficult to show any kind of enthusiasm out on the field anymore,” Nebraska coach Tom Osborne said. “I don’t know quite what you do.” • Fullman’s run was the first punt returned for a touchdown by Nebraska since Morgan Gregory ran 64 yards for a score against Kansas on Oct. 8, 1988, and the longest punt return since Irving Fryar went 82 yards against Florida State on Sept. 19, 1981. Fullman was sprung tree because of a crushing block to Wildcat cornerback Joe Gordon courtesy of Nebraska’s Mike Rucker. Gordon’s helmet was sent Hying 10 yards on to the Nebraska sidelines after he was hit by the freshman outside linebacker. “I wasj ust doing my job,” Rucker said. “It was nothing personal or anything like that.” • Kansas State’s minus-19 yards rushing were the fewest number of yards gained by a Cornhusker op ponent since Nebraska held Oregon State to minus-36 yards on Sept. 30, 1987. Saturday’s game, which was the fifth-best performance ever by the Nebraska rushing defense, was the second straight year Kan sas State had been held to negative yardage on the ground against Ne braska, which has allowed 20 yards rushing in its last two games. The Huskers now are allowing 73.1 yards a game rushing, which ranks second in the nation behind Geor gia Tech. • Osborne said after the game that backup quarterback Brook Berringer, who missed the past two games with a knee injury, probably would be able to play next week against Colorado. Berringer was in uniform Saturday, but did not see action. “Brook warmed up a lot better today than I had seen him move,” Osborne said. “He had a lot of trouble moving around before. That will be kind of a relief to have him back.” • Nebraska’s 190 yards rushing were the fewest yards gained by the Huskers this season, and the lowest total since last season against Okla homa, when Nebraska ran for 136 yards. I-back Ahman Green’s 109 yards raised his season total to 724 yards. He is now only 164 yards shy of Calvin Jones’ Husker freshman rushing record. • Injury report: Green sprained his left ankle on a fourth-quarter touchdown reception. Green may miss practice today. Other injuries included: guard Jon Zatechka (ham string), split end Brendan Holbein (jammed neck), tight end Sheldon Jackson (hippointer), tight end Tim Carpenter (sore knees), outside line backer Grant W istrom (ri ght knee), tackle Chris Dishman (knee/thigh bruise) and rover Mike Minter (left knee). No players are expected to miss more than one day of practice. Notes cooplled by assistant sports editor Mitch Sherman.