Storming
Pacific
Travis Heying/DN
Nebraska l-back James Sims runs the ball for a third-quarter touchdown against Pacific to put the Huskers up 35-0.
Sims rushed for 55 yards on the day.
apljfo iflferent team, same results.
I jB Even though Nebraska scored
^^Vfewer points in its 49-7 win over
Pacific, most everything else was
just a replica of the Comhuskers’
prev ious three wins.
“We’re glad to get this one behind
us,” Coach Tom Osborne said. “Our
players responded about as well as they
could under the circumstances. I don’t
think we were flat, but I don’t think we
were quite as excited as we have been
or will be.”
Nebraska continued running over its
opponents, totaling 731 yards, with 569
of those coming on the ground. Going
into the game, the Huskers were
averaging 674 yards of total offense a
game, including 486yards rushing a
game.
“We had a lot of yards — a lot more
than the points would reflect,” Osborne
said. “I thought we moved the ball
pretty well.”
And like in its previous three victories,
Nebraska put away its opponent eariy.
Benning, who gained 98 yards on five
carries for three touchdowns in the first
quarter alone, said he still wasn’t fully
recovered from the hamstring injury that
sidelined him the past two games.
The Huskers
marched 80 yards on t
seven plays on their "
opening drive —
capped by Damon
Benning’s 26-yard
touchdown run.
After the Tigers went
three plays and out, it
• \
|| think they've taken I
their kind of offensive
football to another level.
Pacific coach Chuck Shelton ^ ^
“I didn’t really let
I loose at all today,” he
said. “The offensive
| line did a good job of
j protecting me. I’m
sure on paper the
^ numbers probably
p look pretty good, but
I was probably only
took only one play for Benning to find
the end zone again — this time on a 17
yard run.
Two possessions later, Benning broke
loose for a 43-yard touchdown run,
putting Nebraska up 21-0 at the end of
the quarter.
about 80 percent. I never actually went
all out.”
The names changed in the second
quarter for Nebraska; the efficiency
didn’t
I-backs Ahman Green and James Sims
each scored on runs in that period to
give Nebraska a 35-0 lead at halftime.
The Nebraska defense was the biggest
story in the first half. Pacific gained only
73 yards in the first two quarters,
compared to 446 by Nebraska. The
Tigers did not cross midfield until 6:59
left in the third quarter.
“A lot of the young guys stepped up
and played really well on defense,”
defensive tackle Christian Peter said. “I
thought the defense, as a unit, stepped it
up and played really well.”
Nebraska turned die opening
possession of the second half into
points when Tommie Frazier finished
off a seven-play, 80-yard drive with a 5
yard touchdown run.
Green scored his second touchdown
of the game on Nebraska’s next
possession with a 13-yard run for a 49-0
lead.
Much like last year's
win against Pacific,
the Huskers jump out
early as the
overmatched Tigers
are helpless against
the NU offensive
juggernaut.
By Derek Samson
Pacific 7
Nebraska 49