Sports
Monday, April 19,1999•Page 9
Fumble returns save Red team in game
First-team defense stuffs Husker offense, many questions still to be answered in fall
a-—
At the end of spring
ball you d like to see
good execution. But
with a number of
players out and
jumping a lot players
back and forth, some
of that is
understandable.”
Frank Souch
Nebraska head coach
ByAdamKlinker
Senior staff writer
The Nebraska Red-White Spring
Game usually serves as the prelimi
nary answer to all those lingering ques
tions that vex the Comhuskers after the
end of any season.
But after yesterday’s edition of
NU’s annual rites of spring, which the
Red squad won 27-12, Husker Coach
Frank Solich said some things remain
to be seen.
And then again, Solich said, it’s
only spring. Twenty-four NU players,
including eight starters, missed all or
most of the spring and the Spring
Game with injuries.
“The execution was not where you
would like sometimes,” Solich said.
“At the end of spring ball you’d like to
see good execution. But with a number
of players out and jumping a lot players
back and forth, some of that is under
standable.”
While the execution may have been
down, both the Red and White squads
gave the crowd of 29,739 at Memorial
Stadium some extended, improvised
entertainment on offense and most
notably on fumble and kick returns.
The scoring on both sides took on a
big-play look as the Whites scored
their only touchdown on a 47-yard gal
lop by reserve I-back Chris Butler. The
Reds scored on fumble returns of 94
and 23 yards and a Spring Game record
100-yard kickoff return by Mike
Demps.
Scoring the only offensive touch
down for the Reds was Correll
Buckhalter on a 1-yard push into the
end zone with two and a half minutes
remaining in the game.
“It was big that we got that,” said
Buckhalter, who led all rushers with 90
Red 27
White12.
yards on 14 attempts. “We had to at
least get in the end zone once, but we
should have gotten more out of some of
our drives.”
The score capped an 87-yard drive
by the Red squad highlighted by Eric
Crouch’s 45-yard bomb to Matt
Davison that put the Reds on the 2-yard
line to set up the touchdown.
It was the only time Crouch con
nected for long yardage in what he
characterized as a disappointing show
ing for himself and the Red offense,
which gained only eight first downs
and averaged 3.6 yards per play.
Crouch, wearing the green jersey to
signify that he was off-limits in the
contact category, was 4-13 passing for
63 yards. He also threw two intercep
tions and was sacked once.
“Any time the No. 1 offense does
n’t get on the scoreboard we have to
reevaluate and see what’s going on,”
Crouch said. “We had chances all day
long. It was frustrating.”
While the first-team offense on the
Red squad stymied several times on
their drives in the first half, it was
helped by the White squad’s offensive
miscues and Demps’ long return in the
second quarter.
Both Solich and Crouch credited
the first team defense (the White
squad) with keeping the Reds in check
and not allowing either the passing or
running games to be firmly estab
lished.
“They’re a really good defense,”
Crouch said. “It really helped out this
spring being able to work against those
Please see GAME on 10
NU beats Santa Clara, gains confidence for fall
■ Jenny Benson returns as
Huskers score three in a win over
the highly touted Broncos.
By Jay Saunders
Staff writer
One statistic jumped out after the Nebraska
women’s soccer team’s victory over Santa Clara
on Saturday night.
The Broncos allowed only three goals in 23
games last season. The Comhuskers equaled that
output in 90 minutes with a 3-1 win. In the final
game of the spring exhibition season, NU beat the
team that many expect to be No. 1 next season.
“Once we got the first goal, we knew we
coul^e^ign^imi^Uinds^^d^CTnansaid^
Nebraska 3
Santa Clara 1
“This kind of tells us where we are.”
A crowd of 1,019 at the Abbott Sports
Complex watched as Santa Clara got on the board
first when junior Jacqui Little stole a ball in the
midfield and scored past a reeling Karina
LeBlanc.
In the second half, NU Coach John Walker
used four forwards in a game for the first time to
try to spark the offense.
The adjustment worked. NU rattled off three
second-half goals.
“It was a tale of two halves,” Walker said.
“They dictated the tempo in the first half.”
Freshman Becky Preston struck first after a
free kick taken by fellow freshman Meghan
Anderson.
With.14 minutes and 41 seconds left in the
match, a Bronco collided with freshman Kelly
Rheem. The official awarded NU a penalty kick,
and Jenny Benson cashed in to give the Huskers a
2-1 lead.
The freshman scoring continued when
Shannon Tanaka scored a goal with less than four
minutes left.
Walker said he didn’t know if he would use
the four-forward set again, but it was effective
against Santa Clara.
“It really limited their time with the ball,”
Walker said. “We were able to apply more pres
sure.”
While the offense scored at will, the defense
was keeping the Broncos away from good scoring
opportunities.
Sophomore Lauren Tatum said most of the
second half was played with Santa Clara on their
heels.
“We showed what we are capable of doing out
there,” Tatum said. “We definitely dominated
them in the second half”
The Broncos were without four players.
Three of those players were named All
Americans last season.
• Matt M n .i ,rr./T)N
TOP- SANTA CLARA FORWARD RACHEL WEBER throws tho ball In play In the first
half of Nebraska’S 3-1 win. Although Santa Clara dominated the first half, the
Huskers’ three second-half goals were as many as Santa Clara allowed all last
season.
RI6HT-SHANN0N TANAKA, left, hugs Amy Walsh after the Huskers defeated
Santa Clara 3-1 Saturday night at the Abbott Soccer Complex. Tanaka scored
the Huskers’ third goal to seal the come-from-behind victory.
U-T- |
(Our players) played with a lot of emotion and
rightly so. This will be a confidence booster.”
John Walker
NU soccer coach
But the Huskers were not exactly at full
strength.Only six players were completely
healthy this weekend.
That number went down as soon as junior
Lindsay Eddleman hit die turf. Eddleman injured
her right ankle, but she came back into the game
and had an assist.
Even though it was an exhibi
tion game, Walker said the victory
would be important down the line.
“(Our players) played with a lot
of emotion and rightly so,” Walker
said. “This will be a confidence
booster.”
