After Nebraska’s 27-24 win over
Colorado, the polls stayed the same
* with NU at No.*2 in both. Colorado
has faced both of the top teams, losing
to Michigan 27-3 earlier in the year.
Colorado Coach Rick Neuheisel,
however, declined to compare the
Huskers and \Nfolverines.
“The pollsters have their votes,
and I don’t want to get involved in
that at this time,” Neuheisel said.
“Both teams are good football
teams.”
■
- The 52,738 fans was not a sell
out at Colorado’s Folsom Field. It
was the first time the NU game has
not been sold out since 1968.
■
Nebraska senior Scott Frost
became only the 12th player in col
lege football history to rush and pass
for more than 1,000 yards in a single
season. Of the 11 before him, only
one other quarterback from the Big
12 earned accomplished the feat.
Colorado’s Darian Hagan sur
passed the 1,000 pass- and rush
plateau on Nov. 18, 1989. It was
Hagan’s sophomore season and he
was the sixth player to pull the dou
ble-1,000.
■
With 8:10 left in the game, CU
quarterback John Hessler headed to
the bench with an injured right
thumb.
Sophomore Jeremy Weisinger
entered the game to a chorus of
cheers from the CU fans. Hessler
took a seat on the bench to have his
thumb examined.
In their next series, the Buffs
were forced to burn a timeout
because Neuheisel wanted Hessler
back in the game and couldn’t find
him.
“That was just a big miscommu
nication between me and him,”
Hessler said. “He thought I broke
my thumb, and I thought he benched
~ 95
me.
Hessler’s thumb was still
swollen after the game.
■
Nebraska’s Ahman Green broke
his longest run of the season on the
first play of the second half, a 64
yard scamper up the middle on a
trap play. He had 202 yards on 29
carries and is second on NU’s all
time rushing chart, trailing only
Mike Rozier. He’s 1,079 yards
behind the 1984 Heisman trophy
winner.
Despite being underdogs,
Colorado didn’t lack motivation to
play the Huskers. Signs posted
throughout the Colorado locker
room reminded CU of their chances.
The sign next to Hessler’s locker
said:
“Nebraska is more concerned
about who they are going to play in
the Orange Bowl.”
A win over Nebraska would
have secured CU a bowl berth and a
winning season.
“Everybody was expecting
Nebraska to just run right through
us,” senior wide receiver Phil Savoy
said, “but it didn’t happen that way
because we fought.”
Gameday Notebook compiled
by senior reporters David Wilson
and An tone Oseka.
Hu
close t_
By Antone Oseka
Senior Reporter
BOULDER, Colo. - Nebraska
learned on Friday why football games
last four quarters.
The Comhuskers seemed to play
only three quarters aslhey put the
finishing touches on an 11-0 regular
season and kept their conference- and
national-championship hopes alive
with a 27-24 win over Colorado. - •
Second-ranked Nebraska led 27
10 going into the final quarter when
NU place-kicker Kris Brown nailed a
46-yard field goal with 20 seconds
left in the third quarter.
It seemed to the 52,738 fans at
Folsom Field that the kick ended any
chance of a Colorado upset and an
Aloha Bowl bid for the Buffaloes (5
6 and 3-5).
However, Colorado mounted a
comeback with less than five minutes
remaining in the game. CU got its
biggest break of the game when NU
I-back Ahman Green fumbled at the
Colorado 23-yard line. Ryan Black
recovered the ball to give the Buffalo
offense life with 4:59 left in the
game.
Colorado quarterback John
Hessler passed the Buffaloes down
field in six plays, hitting Marcus
Stiggers in the end zone for a touch
down to cut the lead to 27-17.
After recovering an onside kick
that bounced qf.Husker T.J. DeBate|’
hands, Hessl^bit the Ikies agag||
covering 45 yards in four plays tpgagl’
the lead to 27-24.
Preparing for a second onside
kick, Nebraska inserted its hands
unit, a kick-return squad composed
of the team’s surest ball handlers.The
kickoff bounced out of bounds and
Nebraska took over at the Colorado
49-yard line.
With less than a minute left,
Nebraska punted the ball after gaining
nine yards in three plays, giving CUlife
again.
After taking over at its own 20
yard line, Hessler hit senior wide
receiver Phil Savoy for a first dowifat
the 36-yard line. After two incomple
tions, Hessler hit Savoy again for
what appeared to be a first down at
midfield, but Savoy was called for
pass interference.
Instead of gaining a first down at
midfield Colorado had a third-and
25 situation at its own 21.
On fourth and 25, with only 21
seconds remaining, Hessler spotted
wide receiver Phil Savoy in the flat.
Hessler hit Savoy, and he rumbled
toward the first-down marker. But
NU freshman Erwin Swiney spun
Savoy out of bounds three yards
short, preserving the Husker win.
“That late fumble hurt us pretty
badly,” Nebraska Coach Tom
Osborne said. “It looked like we
maybe were going in for a score that
would have iced the game. We got in
the soup in a hurry.”
Nebraska managed its way out of
the soup through staunch defense
when necessary. For many players, it
was a reminder of the overtime win in
Missouri on Nov. 8.
^^5tall came do\
Please see FOOTBALL on 10
Sandy Summers/DN
A COLORADO PLAYER IS COMFORTED by a teammate Friday. The Buffaloes
finished with a 5-6 record and are ineligible for a bowl game.
Football Bane Review sssssr »
Nebraska Gelorado Q&
BlSblH ** Rosilao
No. Name Yds Avg TD No. Name Yds Avg TD
7 Scott Frost 76 5.4 1 5 Herchefl Troutman 26 3.2 0
No Yds TD
30 Ahman Green 2 -8 0 18 Chris Anderson 3 39 0
Passim Passim
No. Name Att Cmp Int Yds TD No. Name Att Cmp Int Yds TD
aawMi'* - in t o sr - n Mtiniminf m! fit t w r
1 Jeremy Weisingerl 0 0 0 0
Bans Stats mnm a innm n
miwai |imi|hii^'iiii|niiiii,iiiiiiimi ii mi—iin 'i iitomiih ....i.
Rushing attempts 58 25 interceptions 0 2
36 Punt return®/yards 5/192 4/156
362 Time of possession 33:51 25:09
442 455 Fourth-down conversion 2 of 2 1 of 2
a^^w^wwmwwi^^^mmfflwwiiii
ABOVE: NEBRASKA l-BACK AHMAN GREEN is tackled by Colorado’s Ryan Sutter (left) a
with 202yards on 29 canies and two touchdowns.
TOP: NEBRASKA QUARTERBACK SCOTT FROSt breaks from the hold of Colorado
Tim Carpenter throws a block on Colorado left comeiback Damon Wheeler. !to
ing and 92 yards passing, allowing him to become the first NO player over to wi