immovable Defense holds Huskers to 50-yard FG, 23-3 By GREG COTE Herald Sports Writer The Orange had never been SO bittersweet as it was Monday night for the University of Miami football team. The Hurricanes dominated Nebraska in a defensive swarm to claim the 55th Orange Bowl Classic, 23-3, in an OB jammed with 79,480 fans. But the New Year's triumph meant consolation, not champagne. No. 1 Notre Dame's 34-21 victory over No. 3 West Virginia in the Fiesta Bowl earlier in the day meant No. 2 UM was playing only to keep its runner-up perch in the final rankings against No. 6 Nebraska, the Big Eight champion. Five OB Classics ago, UM parlayed a 31-30 upset of Nebraska to a national championship. The rematch saw a clearly greater Hurricane dominance; it's just the aftermath that won't be as great for Miami. Today, the polls will anoint the Irish (12-0) as national champions and leave defending champion Miami (11-1) as runner-up for the second time in the past three seasons. "We might not be No. 1 in the polls," Coach Jimmy Johnson said. "But right now we are the best team INSIDE Edwin Pope: The Hurricanes are the best / 1A Hyde on TV coverage / 4D 1 Andre Brown: I'll explain next week / 5D Conley's big night / 5D Statistics from game / 6D Osborne's comments / 7D. in the country." A missed two-point conversion pass in October - spelling a 31-30 UM loss at Notre Dame proved to be the single play separating Miami from its third straight unbeaten regular season, and from its second consecutive title. "In our hearts we think we're the best team in the country," quarterback Steve Walsh said moments after the overshadowed bowl had ended. To the surprise of many, Walsh was chosen as one of the game's two MVPs (Nebraska defensive back Charles Fryar was the other) by NBC-TV after he completed 21 of 44 passes for 277 yards, two touchdowns and three interceptions. The Turn to ORANGE BOWL / 6D Johnson: This proves we're best in nation Hoarse and drenched in victory sweat, Jimmy Johnson defiantly claimed national supremacy for his University of Miami, 23-3 Hurricanes night over Nebraska in the Orange Bowl Classic that was a far more thorough whipping than the score indicates. "We wanted to prove to the country that we are the very, very best team in the country," Johnson said. "We might not be No. 1, but right now we are the best in the country.' Notre Dame will be No. by virtue of finishing an undefeated season with a 34-21 victory over West Virginia Monday afternoon in the Fiesta Bowl. Johnson doesn't quarrel with that. He has no second thoughts about having gone for two at the end of a 31-30 loss to Notre Dame Oct. 15 - the play that cost the 11-1 Canes their second straight Bob Rubin national championship. "We weren't good enough that day," Johnson said. "We were too inexperienced to overcome all those turnovers. But we've come a long way since then." All the way. Johnson's right. The Canes are the best team in the country, and, if pressed, probably a majority of the coaches and media Turn to RUBIN 4D
