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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 1, 1997)
Sandy Summers/DN ind Damen Wheeler. Green finished the game Ryan Soderlin/DN strong safety Ryan Black as NU tight end DSt finished the game with 76 yards rush n and throw for 1,000 yards in a season. Sandy Summers'DX ABOVE: COLORADO WIDE RECEIVER Phil Savoy appears to fumble the ball as Kusker Ralph Brown (Bottom) and Eric Warfield try to recover. Savoy was ruled down on the play, Sandy Summers DX LEFT: COLORADO QUARTERBACK JOHf* HESSLEfi stretches for yardage during a broken play against the MO defense. Near upset ends sour season By David Wilson Senior Reporter BOULDER, Colo. - With a sea son-ending loss to Nebraska, Colorado finished with a losing record for the first time since 1984 and will not qualify for a bowl game for the first time in 10 years. But not all was lost for the Buffaloes (5-6 overall and 3-5 in the Big 12 Conference), who rekindled their rivalry with the Cornhuskers, losing just 27-24. The 21 seniors who were playing their last game for Colorado left Folsom Field on a positive note. “It took a game like Nebraska to get the meanness and the attitudes out,” CU senior receiver Chris Anderson said. “We should have done that eight games ago. “I feel like the younger guys are going to step it up. They were able to witness a season of ups and downs.” Though Colorado Coach Rick Neuheisel said he was satisfied with his team’s performance Friday, the game was similar to the Buffaloes’ entire season. “Basically, it was who we’ve been all year,” Neuheisel said. “Part of the time we executed terrifically and part of the time we didn’t. And that’s the reason we find ourselves finishing Scoring Summary Colorado 0 3 7 14 24 Nebraska 3 7 17 0 27 Team Qtr Scoring play Conversion Score Nebraska CU NU 1 c K. Brown 25 yd FG 3 0 NU 2 S. Frost 19 yd run K. Brown kick 10 0 CU 2 J. Aldrich 30 yd FG 10 3 NU 3 A. Green 16 yd run K. Brown kick 17 3 GU 3 J. Hessler, 35 yd pass to D. Cherrington J, Aldrich kick 17 10 NU 3 A. Green 11 yd run K. Brown kick 24 10 NU 3 ^K. Brown 46 FG 27 10 CU 4 J. Hessler, 32 yd pass to M. Stiggers J. Aldrich kick 17 27 CU 4 J. Hessler, 18 yd pass to R. Toler J. Aldrich kick 24 27 with a 5-6 year.” A lack of talent had nothing to do with the Buffaloes sub-par season, senior quarterback John Hessler said. “This is a damn good football team,” Hessler said. “We just didn’t live up to expectations.” Despite the loss, Hessler said, he was satisfied with his final game at Colorado. One offensive pass interfer ence call with under a minute remaining, he said, was the difference in the game. The Buffaloes pulled together in the fourth quarter and backed by a recovered onside kick, CU rallied from a 27-10 deficit to score twice in the final four minutes of the game. Colorado’s second onside kick failed, but the Buffalo defense stopped Nebraska in three plays and forced the Huskers to punt with one minute remaining in the game. Beginning from its own 20-yard line, Colorado began a drive that had the potential to save its season. Hessler completed a pass to senior receiver Phil Savoy for 16 yards before throwing two incom plete passes. Facing a third-and-10 situation at the CU 36, Hessler hit Savoy at midfield, but Savoy was called for offensive pass interference. Though Neuheisel said it probably was interference, most CU players dis agreed with the call, including Savoy. “That’s just the way I play,” Savoy said. “I like to play aggressive and use Please see BUFFS on 10 ij) Rank School Record Pvs 1 Michigan (69) 11-0 1 2 Nebraska (1) 11-0 2 3 Tennessee 10-1 3 4 Florida St. 10-1 5 5 UCLA 9-2 6 6 Florida 9-2 7 7 North Carolina 10-1 8 8 Washington St. 10-1 10 9 Ohio St 10-2 9 10 Kansas St. 10-1 11 11 Auburn 9-2 13 12 Penn St. 9-2 4 13 Georgia 9-2 14 14 Texas A&M 9-2 15 15 Syracuse 9-3 16 16 LSU 8-3 17 17 ArizonaSt. 8-3 12 18 Purdue 8-3 18 19 Missouri 7-4 19 20 Colorado St. 9-2 20 21 Washington 7-4 21 22 Southern Miss. 8-3 23 23 Air Force 10-2 25 24 Oklahoma St. 8-3 25 25 Michigan St 7-4 - USATODAY/Coaches TOP 25 1 Michigan (58) 11-0 1 2 Nebraska (4) 11-0 2 3 Tennessee 10-1 3 4 Florida St. 10-1 5 5 North Carolina 10-1 6 6 UCLA 9-2 7 7 Washington St 10-1 10 8 Florida 9-2 8 9 Kansas St. 10-1 9 10 Ohio St. 10-2 11 11 Auburn 9-2 13 12 Penn St. 9-2 4 13 Georgia 9-2 14 14 Texas A&M 9-2 15 15 Syracuse 9-3 16 16 LSU 8-3 17 17 Purdue 8-3 18 18 Colorado St. 9-2 19 19 ArizonaSt * 8-3 12 20 Missouri 7-4 20 21 Air Force 10-2 23 22 Washington 7-4 22 23 Southern Miss. 8-3 24 24 Oklahoma St. 8-3 25 25 New Mexico9-2 -