STILLWATER, Okla. — Next,
please.
The Nebraska football team
picked up where it left off last
season, pounding Oklahoma State 64-21
in front of 42,100 fans here at Lewis
Field.
“I thought our top units played quite
well,” Nebraska coach Tom Osborne
said. “Obviously, after we got beyond
those, we knew we had a little depth
problem in some spots.”
The second-ranked Huskers, 1-0, who
dominated Oklahoma State in every
phase of the game, thwarted any hope
of a Cowboy upset early.
After a sluggish start offensively, the
Huskers scored at will for much of the
game. Nebraska failed to capitalize on
its first possession, after a Lawrence
Phillips fumble on the sixth play of the
season.
But the defense picked up the slack.
Oklahoma State’s first two possessions
of the night resulted in a loss of 22
yards. The Cowboys gained only 95
yards in the first half, 79 of which came
on an Andre Richardson run to the
Husker 1-yard line midway through the
second quarter.
Nebraska pummelled the Cowboys on „
the ground, running for 513 yards. The
Husker quarterbacks also completed 12
of 20 passes for 158 yards.
The Huskers struck first with 4:59 to
play in the first quarter on a 3-yard
Phillips run. The junior I-back scored
three touchdowns and rushed for 156
yards on 12 carries.
Quarterback Tommie Frazier hit six
of 10 passes for 120 yards and ran for
65 yards. The senior from Bradenton,
Fla., played the entire first quarter
before giving way to Brook Berringer.
“I expected them to give us a harder
test than they did,” Frazier said. “We
were better conditioned than them,
and I think it really showed.”
Berringer, also a senior, directed
Nebraska to two second-quarter
touchdowns and threw for 31 yards,
completing five of eight passes. He
ran for 17 yards on one carry.
The Cowboys’ second drive of the
night stalled at their own 13-yard line
following a 15-yard personal foul that
negated Oklahoma State’s only first
down of the opening quarter.
I-back Damon Benning replaced
Phillips on the ensuing possession
and ran for 36 yards as the Huskers
needed 3:42 to drive 42 yards and
take a 9-0 lead on a 24-yard field goal
by Kris Brown.
Osborne said he was pleased with
the play of Brown, the first-ever true
freshman to open a season as
Nebraska’s top kicker. Brown missed
his first extra point attempt of the night
but after overcoming a shaky start, he
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nailed his final eight tries.
Less than four minutes after Brown s
field goal, inside linebacker Terrell
Farley, playing his first game in a
Nebraska uniform, picked off a pass by
Cowboy quarterback Tone’ Jones at the
29-yard line and returned it to the end
zone, giving Nebraska a 16-0 lead.
Oklahoma State’s lone highlight
before halftime came on its next
possession on third and 10 from the
Cowboys’ 20-yard line, Richardson
broke free for a 79-yard run. Husker
free safety Tony Veland dragged the
sophomore to the turf at the 1-yard
line.
Two plays later, Richardson
plunged into the end zone from three
yards out, drawing the Cowboys to
within nine points at 16-7 with 9:53
to play in the half.
That was as close as Oklahoma State
would come.
Nebraska scored on its next five
possessions, the first of which came
on a career-long 80-yard run by
Phillips.
“They started to flow outside,”
Phillips said, “so I just cut it back
under, and there was no one there.”
The junior Heisman Trophy candidate
added a 27-yard touchdown run six
minutes later.
Phillips’ second score of the game
gave the Huskers a 28-7 lead. Oklahoma
State followed witlj a three-and-out
series, allowing the Huskers to march 33
yards in six plays, scoring on a 1-yard
Frazier run with 59 seconds left to claim
a 36-7 halftime lead.
Nebraska came out firing in the third
quarter. After a penalty-riddled Cowboy
possession, Frazier connected with split
end Regf,ie Baul for a 76-yard touch
down pass.
The remainder of the game showcased
a variety of reserves. Several Huskers
made their college debuts, including
freshman I-backAhman Green, whose
first carry netted 18 yards. Green
finished with a touchdown and 52 yards
on six carries.
Osborne said Benning was the only
Husker to leave the field injured.The
junior I-back reaggravated a pulled
hamstring.
“Overall, we ll have a good offense,
and I think we’ll have a great defense,”
Osborne said. “The biggest thing we
need to do is develop depth. I think a
night like tonight might be helpful ”