Lincoln Journal Star from Lincoln, Nebraska • 15

OB SPORTS 1 4 Comlrakeir ram roigttisMoi Gordon I Winters jf'y BY KEN HAMBLETON Lincoln Journal Star Huskers get momentum from media I took myself off the travel roster for the Michigan State game with a project in mind. My idea was to spend the day surfing television on college football Saturday to get an idea of how the rest of the country sees Nebraska. After all, that's how most of the nation forms its perception of the Huskers. I found out what a great idea this was even before ESPN's "College Game Day" began at 10:30 a.m.i There I was on the couch, hot cup of fresh-ground coffee in hand, laptop computer handy on the couch, VCR set up for CNN's "College Football day pack of Colby Ridge popcorn handy for later, when my wife walked in. She surveyed the scene, put her hands on her hips and asked, "When do you think you're going to mow the lawn?" "I'm working," I protested, expecting her to give me one of those looks that if looks could whup you upside the head, your ears ring until the second quarter.

"Oh," she said. And that was that. So there I was, hours of football ahead of me in the comfort of domestic harmony. Not bad for a day job. First topic opinions from the broadcasters.

Nebraska's reputation seemed to be gaining luster this day. The strongest statement came from ABC's game announcer Todd Blackledge, who said flatly, "I think they should be the No. 1-ranked 'I EAST LANSING, Mich. Stop me if you've heard this one before. Tommie Frazier, Nebraska's starting quarterback, goes down in the second quarter.

Michigan State quarterback Tony Banks appears to be having a great day on his way to 290 yards passing. the Cornhuskers stumble at times in the first half, with two turnovers, give up 123 yards passing and commit four penalties Still, No. 2 ranked Nebraska rose above the chaos to stomp Michigan State 50-10 Saturday afternoon before 73,891 fans at Spartan Stadium and a regional television audience. "Sometimes it wasn't pretty but it was a pretty good score," said NU safety Tony Veland. Nebraska was composed enough on defense to hold Michigan State to a touchdown in the first half and a field goal in the second half.

Meanwhile, the Cornhusker running game chewed up 552 yards and produced six touchdowns, including four by I-back Lawrence Phillips, and three field goals by freshman Kris Brown. All that running, including 206 yards by Phillips, came against a defense formed by new Michigan State Coach Nick Saban. A year ago, Sa-ban was the defensive coordinator for the Cleveland Browns, one of the best defenses in the NFL. And while Phillips nursed a sore ankle, Nebraska's other backs carried the load. Clinton Childs rushed eight times for 83 yards.

Freshman I-back Ah-man Green carried four times for 74 yards, including a 57-yard touchdown. Nebraska's fourth I-back, James Sims, carried just once, but it turned into an 80-yard touchdown. Frazier and Brook Berringer rushed nine times for 50 yards combined, and fullback Jeff Makovicka added 38 yards on nine carries. "It just shows that no matter who the quarterback is, no matter who the running back is, there are going to be holes to run through and chances to score," said Phillips, who scored on three 1-yard runs and one 50-yard burst. "They got to us pretty good in the first quarter, but I think like our last game, we wore them down," Phillips said.

"We had a few mistakes, a few wrong reads, but 552 yards rushing that's pretty good. "The line made those holes and the fullbacks took care of the linebackers and all I had to deal with was the defensive backs a lot of the time," he said. Phillips didn't have to deal with More on NU, Page 4B A Nebraska I-back Lawrence Phillips (1) dives over the goal line in the second quarter to give the Huskers a TED KIRKUna! Joimrt star 17-7 lead against Michigan State Saturday. Phillips scored tour times in nu 50-10 victory. Frazier bruises thigh; playing status uncertain Game statistics Nebraska 10 10 16 14 50 Michigan State 7 0 3 0 10 NU FG Kris Brown 22 NU Lawrence Phillips 2 run (Brown kick) MSU Muhsin Muhammad 16 pass from Tony Banks (Chris Gardner kick) NU Phillips 1 run (Brown kick) NU FG Brown 47 NU FG Brown 20 MSU FG Gardner 24 NU Phillips 1 run (run failed) NU Phillips 50 run (Brown kick) NU Ahman Green 57 run (Brown kick) NU James Sims 80 run (Ted Ret-zlaff kick) A 73,891 Li i 1 A O-frX Li: (f ft around the right end and cut back, but was hit on the left thigh, in an area not covered by a pad.

and limped to the sideline. "Some ice and some wraps should do it for Tommie," said Dr. Pat Clare, NU team physician. "I've never seen anything quite like it. But it shouldn't be too bad.

We're not too worried about a clotting problem right now." Frazier started the first four games last year before he was sidelined with blood clots in his "ght leS- He started and finished the Orange Bowl game. He started NU'S 1995 season-opening victory a6ainst Oklahoma State. Nebraska Coach Tom Osborne said he was encouraged to see Frazier walking under his own power in the second half. "I cer- tainly wanted him in uniform if he was able." NU MSU 28 17 58-552 34-45 114 290 666 335 7-14-0 21-35-1 15 2 8-43 0 I 4-2 6-2 5- 55 11-91 28:40 31 20 6- 13 5-161 1-1 0-1 First downs Rushes-yards Passing yards Total yards Passing Return yards Punts Fumbles-tost Penalties-yards Time of possession Third-down conversions Fourth-down conversions Graf, first-set line call combine to stop Seles NEW YORK (AP) The ace vanished even as Monica Seles danced off the court in celebration, and with it went the U.S. Open championship.

That one disputed call, on the line or a fraction of an inch from it, made all the difference Saturday between Seles winning the first Grand Slam tennis tournament in her inspired comeback and an emotionally drained Steffi Graf capturing her third of the year. It was a call that snatched the first-set tiebreaker from Seles and lingered on her mind too long, a call that changed her from a straight-sets winner to a three-sets runner-up in a dramatic final that Graf won 7-6 (8-6), 0-6, 6-3. "I was reminiscing so much keep them apart during the ongoing investigation. "I haven't talked to my lawyers pr his lawyers in the last few weeks, so I am going to have to do a lot of a-. catching up on that issue," Graf said.

After one more question about her father, she broke down in tears. She covered her eyes a moment, then bolted away to compose herself for interviews in German. On a day like this, after winning an 18th Grand Slam the way she did, Graf couldn't stand being reminded of her family's -problems. Unserving for the first set at 6-5 in. the tiebreaker, Seles drilled an ap- parent ace down the middle and ca- pered off the court certain she'd won it.

But the linesman called it wide, and the umpire declined to overrule. -J More on OPEN, Page 5B I BY KEN HAMBLETON Lincoln Journal Star EAST LANSING, Mich. Nebraska quarterback Tommie Frazier was sent to the locker room at halftime of Saturday's 50-10 victory against Michigan State with a deep thigh bruise. He returned to the field late in the third quarter, fully dressed, but did not play after leaving the game on Nebraska's sixth play of the sec ond quarter. FYaiipr's status fnr SntnrHav'e home opener against Arizona State is uncertain arrnrHino tn tpam trainers.

Frazier said he was "a little sore. "Hopefully, 111 be out there Mon- day or Tuesday ready to practice." He finished 1 of 2 passing for 8 yards and rushed five times for 30 yards. On the play on which he was in- jured, Frazier took an option play about that one serve," Seles said. "But, oh boy, there were so many emotions out there today." In the end, they embraced and kissed across the net, two women who needed each other more than they knew, who gave the nearly 20,000 fans, in the stadium a match of elegance and courage and brute power. It was a show that highlighted a truly Super Saturday, a nine-hour day and evening of tennis that began with Pete Sampras beating Jim Courier 7-5, 4-6, 6-4, 7-5 in one men's semifinal and ended with defending champion Andre Agassi beating Boris Becker 7-6 (7-4), 7-6 (7-2), 4-6, 6-4 in the other.

"Pete, if you're watching, I'm coming," Agassi said, looking forward to a renewal of their rivalry as were- supposed to, we proved we could stop them," said Wesleyan safety A.J. Santos, who finished with eight total tackles. "But I would say we had a number of breakdowns often, and when that happens against a team like Carroll, they're going to score some points." Turnovers and Carroll's special-team play didn't help the Plainsmen any. The Plainsmen offense turned the ball over four times, Avansino returned a punt 32 yards for a touchdown in the second quarter, and punter John Van Gemert's 33-yard run out of punt formation set up Carroll's first score. Despite all the mistakes, the Plainsmen who trailed 39-12 at halftime clawed back into the game with two third-quarter touchdowns.

Sophomore- quarterback Dusten Olds, making his first start of the season, hit wide receiver Jason Bell on a 32-yard touchdown pass to cut Carroll's lead to 39-18. On Wesleyan's next series, Tony Williams scored on a 3-yard run. Olds found More on NWU, Page 2B team in the country. Most people say Florida State, but Nebraska still hasn't been beaten. They were the best team in the country last year and they haven't dropped off much this year.

Even though they lost 14 starters, I think they're the best team in the country." Seminoles doubted Meanwhile, top-ranked Florida State was in for some bad-mouthing by the ESPN crew. "If I was Bobby Bowden right now, I'd be very concerned right now," said Lee Corso, citing Clemson's 321 yards rushing against the Seminoles. Bbothmate Craig James agreed, saying that in the country, he thinks only Texas and Nebraska have defenses that are capable of dominating. "Those are the teams I said all along would go Undefeated this year." Second topic running up the score. "The pollsters put a lot of pressure on coaches," said CNN's Danny Sheridan.

"(Last year) Penn State let Indiana score two meaningless touchdowns in the fourth quarter and they rewarded Penn State by dropping them from No. to No. 2. That cost Penn State a national championship." On ESPN, James obj ected to big scores. "You're sending a signal to America that sportsmanship means nothing." "What did sportsmanship get Penn State? Corso asked rhetorically.

"Nothing," he answered. Lots of Herbie Third topic: mascots and cartoons. In every ABC halftime show I saw, announcer John Saunders used the line, "and the big news from Nebraska's game with Michigan State is that Herbie Husker is back on the sidelines." The Daily Nety-askan student newspaper came in for some scathing comments from CNN's Sheridan for the cartoons that have prompted NU Coach Tom Osborne to stop talking to its reporters. The network displayed the cartoon showing Riley Washington on the football practice field in a ball and chain and a prison uniform. Sheridan, saying that both Osborne and the newspaper overreacted, added, "the Nebraska student newspaper was very irresponsible and owes someone an apology." Last topic: hope for the best Oklahoma's 38-22 win against San Diego State shows new coach Howard Schnellenberger may have turned the Sooners' program around.

Wouldn't it be great if the Nov. 24 showdown in Memorial Stadium was a fitting high-stakes finale to the last football game of the, Big Eight? I RANOY HAMPTONLincoln Journal Star A NU quarterback Tommie Frazier grimaces in pain on the sideline after suffering a thigh bruise Saturday. emotional problems to add the UJS. Open championship to the Wimbledon and French Open titles she won earlier this summer. "This is the biggest one I have ever achieved," Graf said.

"Nothing can ever come close to this one. I had a lot of obstacles to climb over. Every time something else was coming up. I ust didn't expect it." She has a painful bone spur in her back and a sore foot, but nothing has worn her down like the imprisonment of her father. Graf, who won $575,000 to push her career earnings to $16.6 million, sobbed uncontrollably when asked about her father and manager, Peter, who is in a German prison on tax fraud charges.

She said her prospects of seeing him are "very slight," because prosecutors want to 4 Vk -l-i-l Foe needs nothing fancy on way to beating NWU the top two men in tennis. Graf and Seles will still share the No. 1 ranking even after the German's victory, appropriate after seeing how little separates them on court. Away from the court, Seles was still smiling, taking in stride her first defeat in a dozen matches and putting behind her the stabbing by a fan of Graf's in Hamburg, Germany, nearly 2Vi years ago. "It has been very exciting to me playing again, and just being out there feeling everything once again what was such a routine before," Seles said, giggling as always.

"As long as I keep having fun, that is what is going to matter to me the most." Graf couldn't have been happier about overcoming her physical and 1 i. Dallas outbids 49ers, Broncos to get Sanders BY TIMOTHY W. SMITH BY MARK DEROWITSCH Lincoln Journal Star Nothing Carroll (Mont.) College executed offensively surprised Nebraska Wesleyan Saturday. Still, the Plainsmen did very little to stop the Fighting Saints. Carroll's veer offense ran almost at will against Wesleyan, piling up 443 yards on the ground.

And when Carroll passed, that worked, too. And special teams? Carroll dominated that area as well. Add it up, and it translated into a 52-25 victory, spoiling Wesleyan's home-opening football game before 1,500 spectators at Abel Stadium. The Fighting Saints scored 39 first-half points to break open the game, thanks mostly to running backs J.J. Lamb and Dan Avansino.

Lamb gained 166 of his game-high 200 rushing yards and scored three of his four touchdowns while Avansino had two scores and 83 of his 132 rushing yards before intermission. "When everyone did what they New York Times After weeks of courting and days of arduous negotiations, Dallas Cow-i boys owner Jerry Jones finally got'l coveted cornerback Deion Sanders 1 signed and sealed. Jones won't know whether the 't two-sport star will be able to deliver. until late January, when the boys hope to be in the Super Bowl. was a window to get some 'i great talent for the Cowboys, so that -1 these players can have an opportu-U nity over the next five or six years to get to the Super Bowl," Jones said I Saturday.

Jones outbid the San Francisco 49ers, for whom Sanders played last season, and the Denver Broncos tp 'v'j obtain Sanders, who also plays base- ball for the San Francisco Giants. Jones would not reveal the coif- tract figures, but reports out of Dal-1 las place the deal at $25 million to More on SANDERS, Page 11B i V': GERIK PARMELEUncom Journal Star A Dan Avansino (32) leaps over Nebraska Wesleyan's A.J. Santos on a first-quarter run Saturday at Abel Stadium. Carroll, defeated the Plainsmen 52-25..