I —
JNo. 1 kluskers rumble
over Buffs in Boulder
By Derek Samson_
Senior Reporter
BOULDER, Colo. — Tommie
Frazier showed Colorado what it
missed out on last year.
Frazier, who missed Nebraska s
24-7 win over the
Buttaloes last sea
son, racked up 281
yards of total of
fense in the
Cornhuskers’ 44
21 win over No. 7
Colorado Saturday
in front of a Folsom
field record crowd
Osborne of 54,063 fans.
The win pro
pelled the Huskers past Florida State
into the No. 1 spot in both the Associ
ated Press and USA Today/CNN
coaches polls. But Nebraska coach
Tom Osborne said Sunday that he was
wary of being in the top spot.
“I think it’s still too early to get too
excited about it,” he said. “Being No.
1 has its pluses and minuses. You
attract a lot more attention when you’ re
No. 1, and that sometimes takes more
time and energy and everyone gives
you their best shot.
“The plus side, of course, is it puts
you in the position you are striving for
— to play for the national champion
ship.”
The victory was Nebraska’s fourth
straight over Colorado. The Huskers
improved to 8-0 and 4-0 in the Big
Eight. Colorado fell to 6-2 and 2-2 in
conference play.
“We got a win on the road against
a very good football team,” Osborne
said. “I like the chemistry ofthis team.
1 enjoy being around them. I like the
way they play. I like the way they
approach the game. I like the way they
practice.”
Freshman I-back Ahman Green
didn’t waste time getting the Huskers
on the board. He took an option pitch
from Frazier and turned Nebraska’s
First play from scrimmage into a 57
yard touchdown in front of the Colo
rado bench.
Green’s run, sparked by down Field
blocks from fullback Jeff Makovicka
and split end Brendan Holbein, put
the Huskers up 7-0 with 13:13 left in
the opening quarter.
“They told us al 1 week that that was
going to be the First play, and I was
prepared for it,” Green said. “I knew
where my linemen were going to be,
and everybody did a good job. Jeff
always gets out there and cuts them
down, and Brendan does a good job of
holding the defensive backs up.”
but atter the teams traded punts,
the Buffaloes proved they weren’t
ready to lie down, as they put together
a seven-play, 85-yard scoring drive.
Phil Savoy capped the drive when
he hauled in an 18-yard pass from
John Hessler to tie the game with 8:19
left.
Colorado regained possession af
ter it stopped Nebraska on a fourth
down, but gave the ball right back
when Husker linebacker Terrell Farley
intercepted a Hessler pass and returned
it 42 yards to the Colorado 13-yard
line.
“Our defense is getting a little bit
better,” Osborne said. “I thought the
strongest part of Colorado was their
offense. So, I still think we played a
good defensive ball game, even though
we gave up 21 points. We made some
big plays.”
Green scored four plays later on a
1 -yard run to give the Huskers a 14-7
lead.
Nebraska looked to have taken
control when it followed Green’s sec
ond score by holding Colorado to three
\ VvN \'h * Jl 4 4 V l »* . j . 1. |L • i . 4 I « u I M . v •
3m
M&Hr ^ fj-|f ®’g* |k| a This week's polls are shown with
1^^III d*3h%Cl Si 1)10■ first-place votes in parentheses
Associated Press
Bank School Record Points Pvs.
1 Nebraska (23) 8-0-0 1,501 2
2 Florida SL (31) 7-0-0 1,498 1
3 Florida (2) 7-0-0 1,417 3
4 Ohio SL (6) 8-0-0 1,412 4
5 Tennessee 7-1-0 1,299 5
6 Northwestern 7-1-0 1,216 8
7 Michigan 7-1-0 1,180 9
8 Notre Dame 7-2-0 1,042 12
9 Kansas SL 7-1-0 1,038 14
10 Colorado 6-2-0 880 7
11 Kansas 7-1-0 833 6
12 Penn SL 6-2-0 828 16
13 Texas 5-1-1 764 15
14 Southern Cal 6-1-1 759 13
15 Washington 5-2-1 554 17
16 Alabama 6-2-0 544 18
17 Texas A&M 5-2-0 512 19
18 Arkansas 6-2-0 487 —
19 Oregon 6-2-0 457 10
20 Syracuse 6-1-0 354 21
21 Auburn 5-3-0 330 11
22 UCLA 6-2-0 328 24
23 Texas Tech 5-2-0 307 22
24 Virginia 6-3-0 305 20
25 Oklahoma 5-2-1 172 23
USA loday/CNN Coaches Poll I
Bank Sfihofil BfiSfirg Points Pvs.
1 Nebraska (28) 8-0-0 1,505 2
2 Florida St. (24) 7-0-0 1,491 1
3 Florida (1) 7.0-o if418 3
4 Ohio SL (9) 8-0-o i,414 4
5 Tennessee 7-1-0 1,237 5
6 Northwestern 7-1-0 1,212 8
7 Michigan 7-1-0 1|159 9
8 Kansas St. 7-1-0 1,030 14
9 Texas 5-1-1 902 13
10 Notre Dame 7-2-0 837 15
11 Southern Cal 6-1-1 800 10
12 Colorado 6-2-0 784 7
13 Penn St. 6-2-0 772 16
14 Kansas 7-1-0 765 6
15 Syracuse 6-1-0 717 17
16 Texas A&M 5-2-0 580 18
17 Washington 5-2-1 427 jg
18 Arkansas 6-2-0 401
19 Oregon 6-2-0 400 12
20 Virginia 6-3-0 364 20
21 UCLA 6-2-0 349 24 I
22 Alabama 6-2-0 347 22
23 Auburn 5-3-0 312 tl
24 Texas Tech 5-2-0 249 25
25 Oklahoma 5-2-1 248 21
downs and forcing a Buffalo punt.
Frazier then connected with Clester
Johnson for a 52-yard touchdown pass
on the Huskers’ first play of the drive.
But Colorado again bounced back,
this time with a 15-play, 78-yard drive
that used up 7:08 of the clock.
The Buffaloes’ touchdown came
when Lendon Henry fumbled the ball
on the Nebraska 1 -yard line, and guard
Heath Irwin recovered the ball in the
end zone to cut Nebraska’s lead to 21 -
14 with 9:34 left in the first half.
Nebraska came back with scoring
drives of 72 yards and 83 yards, the
first ending in a 35-yard Kris Brown
field goal and the second in a 7-yard
touchdown pass from Frazier to Jon
Vedral, giving the Huskers a 31-14
halftime lead.
After stopping Nebraska on fourth
down in the opening drive of the sec
ond half, Colorado faced a 4th-down
and-2 on its next possession, and
Hessler hit James Kidd for a 49-yard
touchdown pass.
::::
JQl/fr • • • t • • • • • • • • •
UN Graphic
“That certainly regenerated the
crowd and gave Colorado momen
tum,” Osborne said, “That was a real
credit to our team. I think most teams
would begin to crumble a little and
begin to doubt themselves. We seemed
to be able to regroup defensively.
Nebraska, leading 31-21, began to
work on the clock and took its next
possession 69 yards on 14 plays in
6:12, and Brown capped it with a 36
yard field goal.
After trading punts, Colorado took
possession at its own 13-y ard line, but
it didn’t last long. On Colorado’s first
play, outside linebacker Grant
Wistrom hit Hessler as he released the
ball, and linebacker Doug Colman in
tercepted it.
Nebraska could do nothing with
the ball and settled for a 37-yard field
goal from Brown and a 37-21 lead
See GAME on 8
■hihhv—m-wm
Nebraska quarterback Tommie
by Nebraska’s Chris Dishman.
B
Jay Calderon/DN
Nebraska split end Reggie Baul looks for yardage while Colorado’s Mike Phillips attempts to s
make the tackle. Baul caught two passes for 12 yards. I
I *
I . ; l ■"
Nebraska l-back Ahman Green looks for a hole as fullback Jeff
Merkerson. Green ran for 97 yards on the day.
