, Nebraska 28
FAR LEFT: Alexia
Bonte, a freshman
Nebraska cheer
leader, cheers for
NU in the dosing
minutes of the
fourth quarter.
Players and fans
had to battle wind,
snow, rain and sleet
with a game-time
temperature of 34
degrees and a wind
chill estimated at
14 degrees
LEFT: Kansas State
students ding to
the goal post in the
north end zone as
the snow continued
to fall immediately
following K-State's
29-28 victory over
NU. Students were
able to bring down
only one upright
not the entire goal
post
Scott McQurg/DN
MikeWarren/DN
Morgan, KSU defense stop NU
BY BRIAN CHR1ST0PHERS0N
It was as if God stood in heaven with
his purple Quincy Morgan jersey on,
stomping on the clouds, causing snow to
turn green AstroTurf into a powdery
white Slip ’N Slide obstacle course as
50,000 purple-clad parka wearers
screamed for an early Christmas pres
ent
When Kansas State senior wide
receiver Quincy Morgan scampered
across the barely visible snow-covered
goal line ona 12-yard reception with 2:52
remaining, the white flakes began to fall
more rapidly.
It was up to the KSU defense now, the
same KSU defense that had reverted
from Mr. Hyde to Dr. Jeckyl in the fourth
quarter.
For three quarters, Wildcat defend
ers had tossed the mighty Nebraska
offense around like rag dolls, allowing
quarterback Eric Crouch and Co. only
105 total yards.
“You stop Crouch, and you stop
Nebraska,” Kansas State safety Jarrod
Cooper said. “We keyed on him and took
him out of the game.”
Then, the purple menaces under
went a change of character, offering no
resistance to the power running game
that Nebraska finally discovered. NU
began to pass up Crouch option plays
and decided instead to give die Wildcats
a dose of locomotive running back Dan
Alexander, who would compile 132
yards on 18 carries, including a 45-yard
touchdown run that put Nebraska in
front 28-23.
“You look up, and all of a sudden
they’re running die ball north and south
and getting big chunks of yardage and
getting the ball into the end zone,”
Kansas State Coach Bill Snyder said of
the sudden change.
Snyder said his defense had lost its
mental edge after seeing the offense go
three and out on successive possessions.
But with 2:52 left, Synder's defense
had the Huskers where it wanted them.
Thanks to a Jonathan Beasley to Morgan
pitch and catch, Crouch was going to
have to throw Nebraska into the Big 12
championship game amidst the winter
wonderland atmosphere.
If Crouch had fleet-footed Quincy
Morgan on his team, perhaps Nebraska
never would have been in this situation,
or perhaps Nebraska fans would have
been tipping beers all night long
Saturday celebrating their team’s magi
cal comeback.
Scott McOurg/DN
Wildcat running back Josh Scobey pushes away Husker linebacker Scott Shanle on Saturday. Scobey
led the Wildcats with 62 yards rushing.
But Morgan was a Wildcat, and,
undeniably, “Q,” as his teammates affec
tionately refer to him, was the difference
in the game.
Playing in his last home game,
Morgan sped by Nebraska defensive
backs, notching seven catches for two
touchdowns and 199 yards. It was the
second most receiving yards in KSU his
tory and the fifth most ever rendered by a
Blackshirt defense.
iviurgaii tuuiuii i ncip uui 511111c
afterwards, flashing his gold teeth as he
hugged family members who held deco
rated “Morgan 4 President” signs. After
Saturday, Morgan might have been the
projected presidential winner in Kansas.
“I asked the Lord to help me have a
big game, but I had to deliver my half,
and I think I did,” Morgan said.
Most leaving the stadium would tell
you without hesitation that Morgan
delivered his half of the bargain.
The speedy wideout dropped a few
passes early, including a costly mishan
dle that was eventually plucked out of
the air by Nebraska defensive tackle
Loran Kaiser, who returned the ball to
the K-State 17.
“I told Coach Snyder on the sideline
that I dropped a few passes, but you go to
me again, and I’ll make the big play, and
they called my number,” Morgan said.
When there was a big play on
Saturday for K-State, Morgan was proba
bly in it
Besides the eventual game-winning
touchdown, he hauled in a 41-yaider on
a first-quarter possession that moved
the ball to the NU 7-yard line. KSU run
ning back Josh Scobey took it in for the
touchdown three plays later to knot the
game at 7-7.
It was Morgan who kept alive an 18
play drive with a 35-yard grab that
moved the ball from the KSU 2-yard line
to the 37 and turned the fan's teeth chat
tering into a roar. KSU cut the lead to 14
10 on that possession.
we maae some spectacular piays,
Kansas State quarterback Jonathan
Beasley said. “He was making diving
catches, spectacular catches. That’s what
we count on Quincy for... to make the
big play.”
Morgan made it 17-14 when he
caught an inside screen, made a move
that left NU safety Troy Watchom grasp
ing for air and jetted in for the 49-yard
touchdown reception.
Morgan humbly gave the credit to
his offensive line and to “Beas” for stick
ing in the pocket
"Beas” would be KSU's Beasley, the
senior who had obsessed about aveng
ing Nebraska for the 41-15 butt-kicking
they delivered to his team a year before
in Lincoln.
Beasley could finally tear down the
Husker red sheet of paper that was taped
to his locker door. All that was written on
the paper was “41-15.”
Please see MORGAN on 11