Huskers fall to Wildcats,
ending with four-loss year
HOLIDAY from page!3
they had,” defensive tackle Jason Wiltz
said. “It was cutback, cutback. Our
guys would get pursuing one way and
their guy would cut back the other way.
There’s a lot of open grass. That’s how
football goes.”
After the Crouch-to-Wistrom
touchdown, Arizona took over again.
Canidate got five yards. Then 21 yards.
Then 18. And when the Wildcats had a
third down and six at the NU 17-yard
line, it was quarterback Keith Smith
who scrambled for 9 yards. Two plays
later, UA had retaken the lead.
“I thought we had momentum after
our score,” Crouch said. “But Arizona
came back. And Keith Smith did a great
job of leading his team down the field.”
Nebraska would have two chances
to win after that. But McAlister
snatched a Crouch pass away from
Wiggins for an interception, and a Hail
Mary try fell short. It ended a season of
missed opportunities and close defeats
forthe Huskers.
It will begin an off-season of reflec
tion, re-evaluation and recommitment.
“It’s been a season where we made
some big plays, but certainly there’s
some plays we’d like to have another
shot at,” Solich said.
“I decided going into this thing I’d
coach this team my own way under my
own personality. There’s always
changes that will be made from season
r
a
I thought we had
some momentum
after our score. But
Arizona Came back”
Eric Crouch
NU quarterback
to season by any head coach. We’ll go
about looking at things, and we’ll make
the change, if necessary.”
As for the departing seniors, many
say, predictably, that NU will return to
the top 10 next season. Some compared
it to the 1996 season, when NU lost two
games. Others said that 1990 will be a
chance for the team to grow.
“They’ve got some work to do,”
Foreman said. “But if they’ve got the
right attitude, they’ll do it. Hopefully,
the defense will be in a better situation
than we were this year and not always
have their backs against the wall.”
Jackson agreed.
“We wanted it enough. Oh, we
wanted it. We just had a couple guys
that might not know how to win yet.”
But will NU be back to its old self
next season?
“Oh yeah, I’m pretty sure of that,” ,
Jackson said. “I’m sure of that.”
Arizona rejoices after victory;
records first-ever 12-win season
By Lisa Vonnahme
Staff writer
SAN DIEGO - At the break of
each Arizona huddle, the Wildcats yell
“stay together” - this year’s team
motto.
That motto was demonstrated
when the sixth-ranked Wildcats were
able to show their “togetherness” with
a 23-20 victory over No. 16 Nebraska
in the Holiday Bowl in San Diego on
Dec. 30.
The Wildcats were able to make the
most of their Holiday Bowl trip after
getting knocked out of the Rose Bowl
picture when UCLA was upset by
Miami on Dec. 5 and ended their sea
son with a 12-1 record.
For Arizona Coach Dick Tomey,
the win over “a name like Nebraska”
meant more than just a “W” on the
Wildcats’ season.
“This win is going to do us a lot of
good,” Tomey said. “In the off-season,
we do get the chance to feel better than
we had if we would have lost. We’ll get
some recognition for our players and
our program.”
The Wildcats took the lead when
junior Keith Smith, who shared quar
terback duties with sophomore Ortege
Jenkins, threw for one fourth quarter
touchdown that set up the 1-yard, up
the-middle score by running back
Kelvin Eafon with six minutes and
eight seconds remaining in the game.
Arizona’s All-America comerback
Chris McAlister secured the win as he
intercepted a pass by NU quarterback
Eric Crouch with 3:03 left. McAlister
leaped in front of Shevin Wiggins at
the 6-yard line and returned it to the 30,
handing the Cornhuskers a four-loss
season for the first time in 30 years.
“On their last drive when they had
to do it, they got it done,” NU Coach
Frank Solich said. “They made the
plays when they needed to make
them.” ~
After a scoreless third quarter, the
Wildcats and Huskers battled for con
trol as three lead changes took place.
* ^ Arizona took a 16-13 lead when
Smith’s pass was complete to Brad
Brennan for a 15-yard touchdown on
the first play of the fourth quarter.
McAlister kept the Wildcats’
momentum alive with another inter
ception from Crouch. However, NU
split end Kenny Cheatham forced and
recovered a fumble, keeping the ball in
Husker hands, but drawing special
praise to McAlister from Tomey.
“Chris (McAlister) is not die best
comer I’ve ever coached. He’s the best
comer I’ve ever seen,” Tomey said.
“I’ve never stood on a field with a cor
ner like Chris McAlister.
“Chris has made so many plays for
us time and time again. He continued
to do that today.”
Nebraska went on to complete an
eight-play, 88-yard drive with two
catches by tight end Tracey Wistrom,
including a 4-yard touchdown pass,
that pulled NU ahead 20-16.
Smith then led the Wildcats 68
yards to the winning score.
“Our first half was shaky,” Smith
said. “We came out and moved the ball
during the second half. I have to credit
the offensive line for letting me do that
- they gave me a lot of time.”
For the first time all season, the
Wildcats trailed at halftime after NU
scored 13 points in the final 4:58 of the
second quarter to plunge ahead 13-9.
The Wildcats were able to hold the
Huskers to just 87 yards of rushing,
their second lowest of the season.
In earning the win, Tomey and
Smith credited the team’s “chemistry
and togetherness.”
“This group was so tight,” Smith
said. “You had to be at our meetings
and practices to believe it. Getting 12
wins this year, it feels like high school
again.
“Hopefully, with this win, we’ll get
the respect we deserve.”
.
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