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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 21, 1996)
The best way to describe a game in which Nebraska and Texas.Tech combined for 12 fumbles and 15 penalties is ugly. “It was winning ugly for us, and I think it was los ing ugly for them,” Nebraska quar terback Scott Frost said. “Both teams can play a lot better.” Rover Mike Minter said all the miscues woe unbelievable, leaving him shaking his head that Nebraska escaped with a win. “That was the ugliest game I’ve ever been in volved with,” Minter said. ■ Despite winning ugly, NU won its 26th-straight conference game, fourth-straight game overall and recorded its 703rd all-time win. Nebraska also improved its overall record to 4-0 against Texas Tech. The Nebraska players and Coach Tom Osborne were glad to see a hard-hitting football game Saturday. “It was a head-banger out there,” free safety Eric Stokes said. “It was a good physical game for us, and that’s what we need.” Osborne also liked the hitting. “It was a head-knocker,” Osborne said. “It was a hard-nosed football game, and I enjoyed that part of it It was a contest where everybody was playing full out” 'ajsp Injury update: NU defensive tackle Jason Peter broke his hand Saturday and is questionable for this week’s game against Kansas. Peter will be fitted with a cast and should be able to play before it is removed. Fullback Brian Schuster suffered a partially separated shoul der and is also questionable for Saturday’s 6 p.m. game against KU at Memorial Stadium. No otter injuries appeared seri ous, but I-back Ahman Green re aggravated his sprained toe, and right guard Jon Zatechka and right tackle Eric Anderson suffered sprained ankles. ■ Both NU and Texas Tech liked the idea of a rematch in the Big 12 championship game at the Trans World Dome in St Louis on Dec. 7. Frost said he wouldn’t be sur prised to see the Red Raiders rep resenting the South Division in the championship game. Tech has three remaining games against South Division opponents — Texas A&M, Texas and Okla homa^— and the Raiders need to win all three to make it to St Louis. “If Tech plays like they did to day, 1 think they have an awfully good chance to come out of the south,” Osborne said. ■ Florida tightened its grasp on - the nation’s No. 1 spot Saturday with a 51-10 win over Auburn. Notre Dame, now ranked 19th, lost to Air Force 20-17 in overtime and No. 17 Penn State lost to Iowa 21 20. Nebraska fell behind Arizona State in the USA Today Coaches’ are now ranked ny senior reporters irevor rants NU escapes Wwi Huskers win despite 5 turnovers, 11 penalties 1 -—- -.-i;:-aaite'- Thmlir* H g. By Trevor Parks Senior Reporter LUBBOCK, Texas — As hard as Nebraska and Texas Tech tried to hand each other Saturday’s football game, the Comhuskers happily accepted an ugly victory. Fifth ranked Nebraska beat the Red Raid ers 24-10 Satur day afternoon in front of 51,344 fans—the largest crowd in Tech Coach Spike Dykes’ 10-year career — at Jones Stadium in Lub bock, Texas, de ties and five turn overs. The 11 penalties were Nebraska’s most since committing 11 in 1992 against Washington, and the 99 pen alty yards woe the most since the 1992 Oklahoma game, in which NU was flagged for 101 yards Saturday was the time Ne braska turned the ball over live times in a game since the 1994 Kickoff Clas sic against West Virginia. “We shot ourselves in the foot so many times we didr’t feel like we had any toes left, , quarterback Scott Frost said. “We hung in there, though. It was the same kind of circumstances „ we had at Arizona State a little bit “Instead of hanging our heads, the guys kept fighting and kept plugging through it” Tech gave the ball up three tunes, all (m fumbles, and allowed a Jeremy Hernandez punt to be blocked by Jon Hesse, who led Nebraska wi nine tackles, includinff four behind IJ“ of scrimmag Frost s —e performan rowmg for only-55 yards: For game, Frost led the NU offense to only 238 total yards* 218 yards below its season average. Ahman Green led Nebraska with 76 rushing yards on 19 attempts. NU improved to 5-1 overall and 3 • v u in tne mg iz, oecoming tne nrst team to beat die Red Raiders at Jones Sta dium in 12 games. Texas Tech dropped to 4-3 overall and 3-2 in the confer ence. Despite the victory, which left NU in a first-place tie with Colorado in the North Division of the Big 12, Coach Tom Osborne said his team’s perfor mance needs to improve before Satur day night’s game at Manorial Stadium against 3-3 Kansas. “We need to play better,” Osborne said. “We are trying to get to the top somehow, and I don’t worry about rankings. But I worry about how we play, and we need to play better than what we did today.” At times, things did go well for the Huskers. With the game tied at 10, Texas Tech faced a third down and 1 from their own 42 when free safety Eric Stokes knocked the ball loose from Heisman Trophy candidate Byron Hanspard. Ralph Brown recovered the fumble at the Tech 41-yard line. Hanspard finished the afternoon with 107 yards rushing — his lowest total of the season — on 31 attempts with two critical fumbles. The Tech running game, ranked iourtn in me nation entering me game, mustered only 102 yards against the Huskers. The Red Raiders finished with 214 total yards. Seven rushing plays later, Frost kept an option around the right side for a three-yard touchdown run, giving NU a 17-10 lead with 9 minutes, 29 seconds left in the third quarter. Bothteams had opportunities ifc the second half. But two Joel Makovicka fumbles — one of which was on die Tech 5 yard line and bounced through the end zone — and a fumbled NUpuHtby Tech’s Cliff Robertson at d$ Raider 13-yard line ended any thoughts that one team may gain control. The Huskers finally-sealed die win, when Damon Benning returned a punt SI yards to the Tech 5 with just more than eight minutes to play. Benning stayed in die game, and after picking up two yards on first down, he dropped a second-down'^itch from Frost But the ball bounced back into thei-back’s hands andbe.$co&d from diree yards out to give the Husk ers a 24-10 lead with 8:16 left in the ballgame. : '• ,r'3S “We did what we had to do to win, but it definitely wasn’t pretty out IL—; there,” Benning said. “It's important for us to find some consistency.” With the exception of the first play from scrimmage, things didn’t go ac- > cording to plan for NU in the first half. Seven seconds into the game, the Husker defense scored the fastest touchdown to begin a game in school history. • . Jason Peter stripped the ball from Hanspard and Terrell Farley scooped it up and raiced 21 yards for a touch down, putting Nebraska in front 7-0. “It was an emotional lift for every one,” Mike Minter said. “That is big. s Terrell is known for big plays, and hie made another one. “We are just thankful that he is on f our team.” Nebraska's defense shined 1 throughout the afternoon. The Husk ers sacked Red Raider quarterback Zebbie Lethridge six times, including three sacks by Mike Rucker. Tech used defense for its first points as well. Frost, throwing out of his own end Please see TECH on 11 Scott Bruhn/DN