The Times from Shreveport, Louisiana • Page 19

WWW.SHREVEP0RTTIMES.COM CEhc Qlimcs SATURDAY, DECEMBER 28, 2002 1 OLE MISS REBELS 27 NEBRASKA CORNHUSKERS 23 0 Ik- 9 STlTlTlflV Jill HllM. Comeback victory stops Huskers' 40-year streak i 'Si 'J at By Brian McCallum The Times Ditto the Huskers. Oklahoma couldn't. Texas Tech couldn't. Friday, Nebraska followed suit as the Big 12 representative went down again at the hands of Ole Miss in the MainStay Inde INSIDE 3 Defense falters: Offensive adjustments by Ole Miss helped eliminate pressure by Nebraska's defense.

Groce sparkles: Huskers return specialist Dejuan Groce had a punt return for a touchdown. Concession sales brisk: Bowl does nearly $150,000 in concession sales. 4MVPs: Ole Miss QB Eli Manning and Nebraska lineman Chris Kelsay earned top player honors. Key Play: A 41-yard pass to Mike Espy set up an Ole Miss score late in the first half to give the Rebels momentum. Ole Miss 4D' Strong: Led by a senior linebacker the Rebels hunkered down in the second half.

pendence Bowl. The Rebels, finishing with a winning record at 7-6, took their fourth win in five tries at Independence Stadium, ow until the end when they turned on the favorites and bit them with a more diversified offense than was ad-. vertised. The Rebels, behind offensive MVP Eli Manning and his 313 yards passing, got their points through the air but buried the Huskers (7-7) on the ground despite being outgained 266-52 in that category. Ole Miss took its first lead 24-20 on a Toward Sanford 1-yard dive at 3:24 of the third and then watched as Nebraska failed at the Rebels' game, passing.

Despite rushing for over five yards a carry, and much of that up the middle, the Huskers went to the air unsuccessfully and saw its last five drives die in the hands of quarterback Jammal Lord. The one before was killed by a blown fake punt as an attempted pass by fullback Judd Davies hit the turf and gave the ball to the Rebels at the Nebraska 35. See REBELS Page 3 i "Don't play us in Cutcliffe Slireveport," Ole Miss coach David Cutcliffe said after the game. "We found a way to win again." The Rebels did it with a late field goal over Oklahoma in 1999 and a romp over Texas Tech in 1998. This time it was by playing their assigned role slouching just inside Nebraska's shad- f', b-- A'- I (The Climrs i Li.

v. w. Va t.3-1 i i'-r f. I Mf snreu open Go online for photo galleries, audio and additional I-Bowl coverage. Jim Hudelson The Times celebrate their victory.

Shane Bevel The Times Fans yell at Nebraska quarterback Jammal Lord (left) as he leaves Independence Stadium while Ole Miss players Daniel Booth (61) and Doug Buckles (62) This gamble doesn't pay off for Nebraska Maybe it was the billboard outside of Hollywood Hotel boasting of an $8.1 million slots winner. David Cutcliffe said. "I was over there thinking, Turnover, "When we had an opportunity to make a play like thai it gives you the field position that a turnover or a kick return would give you. It was a big it ever. This one turned the long time." And maybe the last.

This gamble was going to swing the game's momentum one way or the other. Had Davies completed the pass to Marques Simmons, Davies and Solich would have been hailed for the gutsy call and the Huskers Maybe it was a chance to Uirow a knockout punch at an Scott Ferrell opponent. 1iatever the reason, the Nebraska Com-huskers took the oblong dice and rolled them on Independence Stadium's green carpet Friday. And as hapiened in momentum to the Rebels. And they never really gave it back.

Of course years ago the Huskers wouldn't need fake mint nl- Inside the numbers 12 5 "10 Number of rushing yards for Nebraska and Ole Miss in the first quarter. 15,20 Police officers and security guards it took to retrieve a third-quarter field goal from fans in the south end zone. 2 Fans arrested after try ing to hide the next ball that entered the south stands. 36 Inches from its own end zone Ole Miss started their first possession. 1 Number of LSU chants started in the stands.

Also the number of eaten cobs of corn thrown into the north endzonc. mm 1 W'wil 1 Solich could have been on their way to extending a 20-17 lead at the time. Instead, Ole Miss' Tavarus Home was enough of a nuisance on the play to keep Davies from completing the pass to Simmons. the 2002 season more Opinion speed on the Nebraska side of the field. Wliile Nebraska enjoyed the strength edge, Ole Miss had the edge in speed and it showed.

There is probably as much work to be done recruiting as there is putting a new staff together. As for Ole Miss, the I-Bowl victory put a happy ending on an up-and-down season. The Rebels, 7-6, dodge a losing season with the win. They also stayed perfect under Cutcliffe in Slireveport at 3-0. "We played the whole game and never got down." Rebels quarterback Eli Manning said.

"It's a big win for us. "I know a lot of people didn't give us a chance to win this game. They expected Nebraska to come in and power over us. We hung with them and we made a lot of big plays." None may have been bigger than the gamble where Nebraska lost and Ole Miss won. Scott Ferrell is The Times' sports editor.

He can be reached at 459 3299 or by tax at 459-3301. E-mail address: sportsshreveporttimes.com than Nebraska fans can 4 tempts. Years ago the ia fefc I Huskers rolled over ev-Mannlng ervone in sight. the fact that the Huskers were (A) playing in Slireveport and (B) needing a fake punt attempt to seize the Independence Bowl speaks volumes of the current state of the Nebraska program. It may even say more than the Huskers' 7-7 record.

This not only isn't your father's Nebraska program, this isn't even your big brother's Huskers program. All the coaching changes in the world may not make up for the lack of remember, the Huskers came up a loser. Their third-quarter fake punt attempt from the Nebraska 35-yard line failed miserably when Judd Davies' pass fell to the turf. Four plays later, the Ole Miss Rebels took the lead for good on their way to a 27-23 MainStay Independence Bowl victory over Nebraska. "We thought that gave us an opportunity as we looked at it on film." Nebraska Coach Frank Solich said.

"We worked hard on it. It was the first fake punt that we showed in a long. The fake punt came on an audible at the line of scrimmage, though Solich tried to shoulder die blame after the game. "All those decisions come back to me," Solich said. "Really, there is no good answer to that.

Other than it did not work." Not only did it not work, it gave Ole Miss a short Geld and a chance to take the k'ad. The Rebels seized their opior-tunity. "That was a big play." Rebels Coach out an play Tost Times: Older 1 1:25, Aqueduct 1 1:30, Turfuay Fork 12:10, Fair Grounds 12:30, Santa Anita 2:30, Delta Downs 6:45, Australia 7:00, Sam Houston 7:00 and mon 318)742-5555 (318) Racing from around the country. Doors open 11 a.m. daily.

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