|sas State 40y Nebraska 30
Photos by Matt Miller/DN
FAR LEFT: KSU QUARTERBACK
MICHAEL BISHOP runs for KSU’s first
score of the game, a 2-yard run.
Bishop had 140 yards on the ground
and 306 through the air.
LEFT: JEFF KELLY AND JARROD
COOPER slam NU quarterback Eric
Crouch to the ground on second and
goal from the 3-yard line in the sec
ond quarter. The Huskers had to set
tle for a field goal.
BELOW: NU SENIOR WINGBACK
LANCE BROWN reaches for the ball
after bobbing it as he was knocked
down by KSU’s Travis Ochs. Brown
made the catch for 3 yards — his
only reception of the game.
HI Photos by Matt MillkrDN
|j LEFT: NU WINGBACK SHEVIN WIGGINS dives after being tripped up by KSU’s
Jerametrius Butler in the second quarter. The 28-yard reception helped set
up an 18-yard field goal for the Huskers.
ABOVE: NU QUARTERBACK ERIC CROUCH is tackled by Lamar Chapman (No.
1) and Jarrod Cooper (No. 40) in the fourth quarter after rushing for a first
down. Crouch rushed for 108 yards in the game.
Kb U survives miscues, gains respect in victory over NU
By Darren Ivy
Staff writer
MANHATTAN, Kan. - Kansas State
had a lot riding on Saturday's game
against Nebraska.
A No. 1 ranking. National title aspira
tions. A Big 12 Championship bid. And
most of all, 29 years of losses and frustra
tion against the Comhuskers.
The Wildcats had the national media
spotlight on them. too. ABC and ESPN
were there. The Chicago Tribune and
Washington Post e\en popped in for a
\
visit.
"We knew if we lost, people would
call us flukes,” defensive end Joe Bob
Clements said. “We had to beat them to
get the respect we deserve.”
Mission accomplished.
The Wildcats outlasted NU with a 40
30 come-from-behind win before a
school-record 44,298 fans at KSU
Stadium. It was the Wildcats' first win
over the Huskers since 1968.
"I can't think of (a win) that was big
ger." KSU Coach Bill Snyder said.
The win erased a painful past for
Kansas State players, coaches and fans.
"We wiped away 30 years of losses
with one win,” senior tight end Justin
Swift said. “1 think we are the new domi
nant team in the Big 12. We are a team to
be reckoned with."
It appeared NU was going to continue
its dominance of the Wildcats on the first
drive. The Huskers went 80 yards on eight
plays in three minutes and 31 seconds to
go up 7-0. It was the first time K.SU had
trailed all season.
"They came out and ran some things
we hadn't seen." Clements said. "We
weren't expecting the one-back set. It’s
hard to shut a team like that down."
Snyder said NU’s early success didn't
worry him or the other coaches.
“When we entered the game, we had a
feeling of confidence that we may have
been the better team,” Snyder said. “We
knew if we played well, we could win."
What Snyder didn’t expect was so
many mistakes. KSU had five turnovers
and eight penalties for 83 yards.
"In the previous games, we had cut
down the penalties,” Snyder said. “We
had cut down the turnovers. Then all of a
sudden, they popped up on us”
Nebraska coaches and players were
pleading for one more flag, a face mask
penalty against linebacker Travis Ochs,
who grabbed onto quarterback Eric
Crouch's helmet on fourth and eight with
2:53 seconds remaining.
But they didn’t get it. And Kansas
State took over and essentially ran out the
clock before Crouch fumbled and KSU
linebacker Jeff Kelly returned it for the
game's final touchdown.
“The ref was standing right tnere,”
Ochs said of the face mask call. “I don't
know if I grabbed his face mask or not.
You can look at it on video. 1 was just try
ing to get him down. I don't know how
pretty it was.
“Once the offense scored we knew it
was up to us. We had four plays against
their offense. I knew if we stopped them,
it was our game.”
The KSU defense was put in that spot
after senior quarterback Michael Bishop
found senior receiver Darnell McDonald
wide open in the end zone to put the
Wildcats ahead 34-30.
McDonald, who finished with 12
catches for 183 yards, said the touchdown
was a broken play.
“It was designed to be a five-step
Please see KSU on 14