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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 27, 2000)
Going from nightmare to bliss €ASKINSfrompaqe6 His mother consoled him. His girlfriend consoled him. His friends and teammates consoled him. People told him his time would come. But he knew how he rated deep with most of the state and Husker Nation. Hewasthegpat “I started doubting myself,” he said. “All kickers do when they miss like that It's human. It’s not what the team needs, but it was like that” Then Friday, his time came It came in the form of a 29-yard pot of gold set up by a beautiful 47 yard drive in 41 seconds by his compadres on offense - who he would thank later for making it that much easier for him. Still, the nightmare and groans from fans stuck in his head. But so did his faith in him self. He had gained confidence with a 20-yarder earlier in the fourth quarter to tie the game at 24. With five seconds left and the weight of a major bowl game, a dramatic win over hated Colorado, the prevention of the first back-to-back losses in 24 years and non-nine-winning sea son in 32 years, the hopes of 77,000 fans and his own self esteem riding on Brown’s right foot, the entire Husker nation held its breath... rather merciful ly. Everyone thought, “Please, God, let him make this one.” Grown 300-pound men grabbed each others’ hands and prayed. Some couldn’t bear to watch. Even Brown said to himself, “Don’t yank it Please don’t yank it” When he nailed it through the uprights on that kick, players, coaches and fans rejoiced and embraced their new hero, this for merly unproven kicker. The rest is history. Brown is history, a highlight reel on a Greatest Moments video. Lord knows someday we’ll see a framed picture of his celebration in the hallways of the South Stadium complex or on die walls of Misty’s. And die kicker in that picture deserved Friday’s game-winning field goal Because he’s one of the most well-liked players on the team - one of the most laid-back jokesters you’ll ever meet Because he came from Foyil, Oklahoma - population of less than 1,000 - and eight-man foot ball, something you’ll rarely see in top-tier Division I football. He was not only a record shattering quarterback and kicker there, he was also the town’s pride and joy - the choir boy, the church-goer, the poster child for the kid par ents dream of raising. Most of all, because of his pain from previous heartbreaks. Because we all can relate to what l Brown has gone through in our own lives - failure, having people tell you you're no good. Having worked your tail off only to come up empty. That’s why we all felt his joy and tears in the celebration after The Kick. And until he “loses” a game with his foot, he'll always be known as the hero who won this one - a game that, make no mis take, was one Husker Nation badly needed. Just ask the 27 sen iors who were on their knees before the snap. That’s how kickers are remembered, like it or not Brown said he had never experienced a top-of-the-world thrill like that and probably never will again. His jubilation, his smil ing and his sense of humor after ward had even the media a little choked up about the whole thing. “There must have been 1,000 pounds of football players on top of me,” Brown said about the dog pile. "When you've got Schwaby (300-pound tackle Jason Schwab) on top of you, it’s not looking good. I honestly didn't know if I would make out of there alive.” Thankfully, he did. Now, he can live to tell about it It couldn’t have come at a bet ter time. It couldn't have hap pened to a more deserving guy. Sometimes, our best dreams come true. How sweet they are when they come on the heels of our worst nightmares. Huskers gain easy victory SANPIRFORP from page 10 Nebraska boldly assaulted SLU right out of the gate by feed ing 6-5 center Casey Leonhardt cm offense and forcing an intimi dated SLU backcourt to 17 first half turnovers on defense Leonhardt made her first four field goals and scored nine of her career-high tying 21 points in die first four-and-a-half minutes of the game. Freshman K.C. Cowgill’s 3-pointer at the 10 minute mark capped a 15-0 NU run and the Huskers, up 24-5, never looked back. "We've been working hard on pressuring the ball and coming out very strong in the first half,” said Leonhardt, who made 8 of 12 field goals and 5 of 6 free throws. "We started slow a couple games, and we wanted to make a state ment, which we did.” The Huskers’ early romp also allowed Leonhardt and other top Huskers to sit out at least half die game. The NU bench became a revolving door, as every player saw at least six minutes of action and most saw more than 10. That could explain NU’s lack of conti nuity and slacking defense which allowed SLU to shoot for 56 per cent after the break. Sanderford took the blame, but said it was good for his reserves to get playing time and his thoroughbreds some rest They’ll need it for Wisconsin on Wednesday night. The Upskers have held all four opponents to 61 points or less, but die second half showed they still have some work to do to hang with the Badgers - who beat NU CU just can't find a way to beat NU COLORADO from page 7 “You try your whole career (to beat Nebraska),” Green said. “That's what I came here for. I visited Nebraska out of high school, and they had a cocky attitude kind of like, ‘We're everything.' So I went with my attitude and the school that was more humble. “Every time I came out here for the last five years it was ‘try to beat Nebraska,’ and for the last five years, we’ve come close.” For the last two years, it seems that the Buffaloes have been closer than ever, especially this year when they were just 47 seconds away from being the first team to walk out of Memorial Stadium victorious since Texas in 1998. Green said it was obvious to “everyone in the stadium” which team won the game phys ically. Colorado Coach Gary Barnett and his players lauded the offensive line for blowing NU’s linemen off the ball all game long. “I thought the offensive line pretty much controlled the line of scrimmage,” Barnett said. That allowed running back Cortlen Johnson to be the first back to romp for over 100 yards on NU since Notre Dame's Amaz Battle on Sept 2. Johnson scored on runs of 39, two and one yards on his way to 157 yards for the game. In addition to having the game’s leading rusher, CU also outgained Nebraska by 16 yards. But, once again against Nebraska, they didn't have the most points. “They pull a trick out from under their sleeve in the fourth ' quarter of every game," Green said. “It just comes out in their favor. They just made a couple plays at the end.” The biggest was obviously Josh Brown's 29-yard game win ning field goal, which was set up by a 47-yard Nebraska drive against Colorado’s base defense. Barnett said he should have thrown a dime package at the NU offense on the last drive. Barnett, who said he was feeling upbeat about CU’s chances on the last drive, then had to watch his defense give ground on the game-winning drive. “With 10 seconds left I still thought we were going to win the game," Barnett said. “Then after the pass (to Bobby Newcombe at the 12 yardline), I knew we were going to have to make a play on the block team." Said Green: “My heart fell in my lap when they made that third catch on the 12 yard-line.” One play later, Colorado players fell to their knees and flat on their faces as they watched with dismay Nebraska carry its kicker on their shoul ders. Ochs, a youthful optimist who looks to the future as one of the brightest of CU’s 17 return ing starters next season, said he never gave up on his special teams unit “I thought we we're going to block it,” he said. “I kept believ ing until the last second that we we’re going to block it" Didn’t happen. Instead, another close Nebraska win. Instead, more Colorado frustra tion. 9£-00 ill UVcTUlIlc laSl yciu. “(Sanderford) told us after the gamete was disappointed; we all I were,” said senior guard Amanda I ■ Went about the second half “Defensively, we didn’t do \*9oi* what we’re supposed to do. Offensively, we weren’t taking care ofthebalLYou can’t quit, no mat ter how many points you're up by.” \A/EIV Karaoke! 8-12 Every TuesdayJ KOI SPRING BRCRK PRCKRGC INCUIDCS • Round-trip olrfore • Packages ovolloble to Negri I ond Montego Soy • 7 nights hotel accommodations • Professional on-site tour reps • Round-trip airport & hotel transfers • Complete weekly activities program offering optional • Free welcome, beech & evening parties sunset cruise, booze cruise, toga party & more • frt# admission to night clubs • Fro# bonus party pock • Discounts on restaurants, water sports & side excursions • Optional meal plan including 7 breakfasts ond 7 dinners ^uh Tbuy$ 1 00*4rl£*l~l \Q ylcgs Pitae is per person based on quad occupancy; from select departure cities. Other dkes may quaMy lor reduction or require surcharge. U.S. and Jamaica (topartum taxes (currently $88) end $12 handing charge additional. Rdee increase $30 on 12/15/00. Peak-week surcharges/off-weak discounts may apply. _n—Monona and nsnriBMon pandlles sppfr Unddd sietotillfr Subset to change without notes CM tor mil details on hotel selection and ayakabWty. NU wins against CU with kick GAME from page 6 on that one,” Solich said The groans turned to cheers when Crouch again hooked up with Newcombe on a 17-yard pass down to the Colorado 12 on the next play, setting up Brown for the dramatics. “It's one of those things where you’re just reading coverages,” Crouch said of Nebraska’s last drive. “You just have to find the open area in a situation like that Everyone was just on the same page and we did a great job.” Solich said his team showed a great deal of heart, not only in this game, but throughout the season. “I'm very proud of our football team,” Solich said. “They’ve always been the type of players who have never quit They never quit in this game. They’ve never quit in a season. And for the guys that have been here a while, they’ve never quit in their careers.” In hindsight, it was surprising that the game came down to Brown's foot, considering how the game started for Colorado. On Colorodo’s second play from scrimmage, CU's true fresh man Craig Ochs fired a strike right into the arms of senior Nebraska linebacker Carlos Polk, who raced 39 yards into the North end zone to spot die Big Red a 7-0 lead only 49 seconds into the game. The Polk interception was just a prelude to the sloppy play that would define the first half. In the half, the two teams combined for four missed field goals, a blocked punt and four turnovers. Sophomore Colorado kicker Mark Mariscal was a main culprit in the sloppiness, making only one of five attempts for the game, two of which were blocked. Mariscal’s first blocked field goal came at the hands of NU sophomore linebacker Randy Stella late in the first quarter. NU senior rush end Chris Kelsay picked up the loose ball and raced it down to the Colorado 27. On the next play, Crouch ran an option to the left side and zipped through a gigantic hole for a touchdown to mate it 14-0. Nebraska’s comfortable lead had evaporated to 14-10 when junior Colorado running back Cortlen Johnson ripped through a hole for a 39-yard touchdown run. It was a banner day for Johnson, who ran tide ball 26 times for 157 yards and three touch downs. Those were tough statis tics to swallow for the Blackshirts. “It was a frustrating game, because we pride ourselves on stopping the run,” said NU rush end Kyle Vanden Bosch. “And it seemed like they ran it well right at us for most of the game.” The score stood 14-10 until die second half when Ochs began to heat up the Colorado aerial attack, finding junior wide receivers John Minardi and Javon Green on multiple occasions. Ochs finished the day with 254 yards on 25-41 passing. “I didn’t even know he was a freshmen how he was playing today,” Polk said. “In the begin ning, I said, ‘Yeah; he's a fresh man,’ and then towards the end, he calmed down and got the job done.” ucns lea Colorado on a 12 play, 73-yard drive on the Buffs' first drive of the second half. Johnson finished the drive with a two-yard touchdown rim that put CU ahead 17-14. After the teams traded touch downs, CU still held a three-point advantage with 14:17 remaining in the game, and the Buffaloes appeared to finally have stopped Nebraska on its next possession. On third down and 12 from the Colorado 38, Crouch had completed only a five-yard pass to Gibson. A roughing the passer penalty on Colorado senior line backer Jashon Sykes kept the drive alive and gave NU a first down. Nebraska was unable to take the lead, as Crouch missed on a pass to a wide-open sophomore tight end Tracey Wistrom in the end zone on third and goal from the three. It forced the Huskers to settle for a tie game with a Brown field goal Colorado drove die ball down for a field goal opportunity to I regain the lead, but Keyuo Craver blocked the 41-yard held goal attempt by Mariscal. Kelsay picked up his second loose ball of the day and returned it to the Nebraska 43. “This is what it comes down to,” Raiola said in a pep talk to the Husker offense as they took the field. “We’re going score to score with these guys. Mistake-free foot got their score on a 26-yard touch down run by Crouch on a third and-8 play. Only 5:20 remained in the game, but Colorado had an answer. ucns ana me nuns came nacK with an 11-play, 68-yard drive that ended on a 15-yard touchdown pass from Ochs to Minardi. With 47 seconds remaining and the Buffs down 31-30, Barnett called a timeout and huddled his whole team together on the Nebraska 30-yard line, telling them that he was going to go for two. Ochs completed the 2-point conversion to Green, setting off a crazy celebration on the Colorado sideline. “There was a little confusion on the defensive part of it when they showed us a formation that we weren't used to seeing,” Polk said. “We knew the game was on our backs, and we didn’t feel like we got it done on our end of it” Of course, Nebraska got the ball back. "It became obvious in that fourth quarter that the team that had the ball last would probably win the game,” Solich said. Unfortunately for Colorado, that was Nebraska. As the holiday season draws near, UNL Landscape Services will protecting campus evergreens with a coating of fox urine to deter any would-be Christmas tree poachers. E. N. THOMPSON I_I ru lA FORUM ON WORLD ISSUES A cooperative project of The Cooper Foundation and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Justice After Injustice: What Response After Atrocities DAVID P. FORSYTHE Charles J. Mach Distinguished Professor, Political Science, University of Nebraska—Lincoln I Forsythe suggests that there is no one form of justice appropriate for ail situations; one must tailor the response to atrocities in order to fit the situation. The future protection of human rights may in some cases be best served by avoiding judicially mandated punishment A world authority on human rights, Forsythe has received numerous research and teaching awards and is the author of more than 75 publications on different aspects of international law, organization and human rights. His most recent book is titled “Human Rights and International Relations” (Cambridge University Press, 2000.) For more information, contact our website at<dcs.unl.edu/acpp/thompson/> TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 28,2000, 3:30 PM. LIED CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS 12TH&R STREETS Cl Tin Untxoty ot N»bi«*a » «n ttmwtut micmqual opporturtly muMon. CeOOO UnfrwHy d N«t)m»»-tjncoln. 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