Lincoln Journal Star from Lincoln, Nebraska • 16

-l" 4D Lincoln Journal Star Sunday. September 24. 1995 HUSKERS Page design: Karl Vopal BMtoinu Tigers 3TT" v. 1 MA- 0 credit Huskers i -A ft 4 iifiiliniTtti-ririinn "i IAN DOREMUSUncoh Journal Star A Pacific's Chris Wallace (bottom) falls on a muffed kickoff as teammates Tyrone Watley (81) and Andy Naylor (29) join Nebraska's Jon Hesse -(44) in pursuit of the ball. when walking into this sea of red." Pacific's offense, which had averaged 313.7 total yards per game through its first three games, was held to 197 yards and just 73 in the first half.

Running back Joe Abdullah was averaging 123.7 yards a game, but gained just 25 on 13 carries against a Nebraska defense that crowded the line of scrimmage with four linemen and linebackers or safeties coming up to rush. "Basically, they had seven in the box all day," Abdullah said. "When our fullback went down and we had to go to a single-back formation, our linemen couldn't get to everyone.We never got a chance to get outside or downfield. so I couldn't show my talent. They have a hell of a defense.

They are twisting with their defensive linemen and their linebackers are able to get in the backfield. "Running out of a single back against them isn't going to work" Pacific's starting fullback. Kerry Blakney, was injured on the Tigers' first offensive play when Jason Peter pulled him down for a loss, and backup Michael Edwards was hurt two plays later. The injury that worried Pacific's players most, though, was on Nebraska's first play. Defensive back Ed Atlas lay still on the turf for nearly five minutes before being removed on a backboard.

His neck was X-rayed, said Nebraska trainer Duke LaRue, and he returned to watch the game, "although he was very sore." "Because he was moving before he left the field. I don't think the players were bothered," Shelton said. Shelton said his team will bounce back from this loss. "You never come out with a bad attitude or frame of mind, not the way I presented it to the kids." he said. "I don't hold them accountable to beat Nebraska.

I do hold them accountable to play hard and they did. We played the best team in the United States, in my opinion, and we can't dwell on this. All I ever asked of them is to play hard and play the best they can play. You get tired of reading about lambs going for slaughter." Linebacker Clint Carter may have summed it up best. "When we first ran out on the field, the adrenaline got pumping," he said.

"Playing Nebraska allows us to play against a high-caliber team and that's what you want when you're getting recruited. As an athlete and a competitor, you love games like this. "As a team, we don't." Pacific notes, quotes never drops. I watch them all the time." Are you a Nebraska fan? "I'm a fan of college football." I Punter Roger Fleenor, who had a career-long 76-yard punt and averaged 43.7 yards on 11 punts: "The ball bounced over his head. I got a nice bounce, which you don't always get on turf.

Either it bounces directly back or you get a nice roll." I Fleenor, on not having any punts blocked (last year, NU blocked one and got a hand on another): "It was on my mind. It's humiliating to be blocked and knocked around. The punt team stepped right up and gave me confidence. The wind was swirling when we went out, so I could figure out what I needed to do." I This Pacific team was the fifth squad that Coach Chuck Shelton has brought into Memorial Stadium to play against the Cornhuskers. His Tigers lost 70-21 last season and three of his Utah State teams lost there as well 56-12 in 1987, 63-13 in 1 988 and 59-28 in 1 991 In 1 9 years as a college coach, Shelton's teams are now 79-121-1 overall and 13-24 at Pacific.

I Running back Joe Abdullah, on why NU's defense was so effective: "They get to all of their assignments. Their defensive line is so good, our offensive line never had a chance to peel off and get to the linebackers and get those combo blocks going." I Quarterback Nick Sellers, on why the Tigers went to the shorter passing routes: "We knew we wouldn't have a lot of time. Those guys are very good athletes. We decided to have me drop back to a seven-step drop instead of a five-step to get more time and it worked a bit in the third quarter, but I don't know what kind of substituting they were doing." I Defensive tackle Jyme Daniels, on the Nebraska offense: "They are a big machine. We didn't have enough.

When you have all the best athletes on one team, it's hard to match up. We came in to win, we didn't come to try to hold them under 70 points." I Daniels, comparing Nebraska's team to the Husker national championship team: "I didn't play last year, but their talent level. j' ffr TED KIRKLincoln Journal Star Pacific fullback Kerry Blakney (26) is 'dropped for a 2-yard loss by NU defensive tackle Jason Peter (95) on the Tigers' first offensive play of the game. The Nebraska defense limited the Tigers to only 60 yards on 17 carries. BY RYLY JANE HAM BUTTON Lincoln Journal Star The University of Pacific players and Coach Chuck Shelton didn't mince any word Saturday.

"I told the kids we probably played the best team in the United States, at least in my opinion," Shelton said after Nebraska beat his Tigers 49-7. "They have taken their kind of offensive football to another level. Even if you can match up physically, it's difficult to deal with, and certainly we couldn't match up physically. "We got beat by a good football team, and, I might add, by a class program. If you're going to do these things, it's better to do it in this environment.

This is a class place and I hope I don't ever come back" i Pacific received more than for playing at Nebraska last year (a 70-21 loss) and this year. i "They let their actions talk for them. They are one of the best we'll ever face." said quarterback Nick Sellers. "Up front (defensively), they're real solid and their linebackers are fast, real fast. And they flow nfell.

They have the makings of a national championship team. It's hard to see much of a difference from last year. "Wjth their offense, they're a machine up front, and I thought we played real well defensively." i Shelton anticipated preparing for a) Nebraska team that wasn't as good as last year's national championship team. "They're better. I didn't expect he said.

"When I started looking at film last week, I bawled, because I thought they were good ehough last year and they'd be down a bit because they lost some of those linemen. But they're better. With Tommie (Frazier in there, they are bit more physical, and you'd think you might have to change the way you play them with (Brook) Ber-ringer in there. But you don't. "They do an amazing job of keeping you on your heels, just with what they might do from an offense which you should know what they're going to do.

But they don't let you do that with the way they present it." Sellers, who was completed 13 of 25 passes for 132 yards, was sacked just once, but was pressured on a regular basis. I "I bet you say that a lot he injected when asked about having defenders in his face early in the game. "I don't know a team that can play with these guys Florida State, but they won't meet until a bowl. There are a lot of factors when you play Nebraska. I don't care what team you are, there's a little awe HuskersOffense earns passing grade Continued from Page 1B "Our players responded about as well as they could have, under the circumstances," said Osborne, whose club was such a prohibitive favorite that Las Vegas oddsmakers kept the game off betting lines.

"I didn't want to embarrass them and I think we gave everybody a chance to play. Other than just maybe a little bit of offensive execution, I was fairly pleased with the game. We had two interceptions that you'd rither not have and a couple times we stalled out we just didn't get done what we needed to get done. But I think part of that was just mjaybe not being quite as into it as they should've been." 1 Nebraska was into things well enough at the start that it could afford to begin thinking about next week's game against Washington State, which upset 16th-ranked UCLA 24-15. The Cornhuskers marched 80 yards on the opening drive, which Banning capped with a 26-yard touchdown run on a pitch play, to go ahead 7-0 just 2:01 into the game.

Fmr plays later. Kenny Cheatham returned a punt 33 yards to the Pacific 17-yard line and Benning took another pitch into the end zone to make it 14-0 with 10:49 left in the first quarter. Another run by Benning. courtesy of; a nifty pitch from quarterback Tommie Frazier and a nice down-field block by Graham, went for a 43-yard score to finish off NU's fourth drive with 1:31 left in the quarter. I-backs Ahman Green, who finished with 112 yards to give the Cornhuskers two 100-yard rushers in the 'same game for the second straight week, and James Sims then got into the act and capped Nebraska's next two drives with 4- and 9-yard touchdown runs, to make it 35-0 with 7:46 remaining in the half.

At that point, Pacific had man-aged ust one first down. "It's great blowing these teams out, but I'm sure eventually down the line we're going to run into a real good team and they're going to hang in there four quarters with us," defensive tackle Christian Peter said. "We all look forward to games like that." After reaching the end zone on their first two possessions of the second half, the Cornhuskers put it in cruise control and looked anxious to put the game to bed. The j)nly draw- Black Shirts simplify plan, make going tough for UOP 6' In last week's game, we got Why did Nebraska even play Pacific again this year after ahead and got lazy. For this game, we tried to keep up the intensity all week in practiceand we kept it up throughout the game.

Jared Tomich, Nebraska linebacker BY STEVE SIPPLE Lincoln Journal Star Nebraska defensive coordinator Charlie McBride simplified the Cornhuskers' defense for Saturday's football game, and he liked the results. Pacific rushed 17 times for only 60 yards and had just seven first downs. The Tigers, who had 137 yards passing, did not cross midfield until 6 minutes, 59 seconds remained in the third quarter. By that time, Nebraska led 49-0. "We cut a few things out defensively and concentrated on basic stuff." McBride said.

"We played a lot more zone defenses than we have played in awhile. I'm pleased. I thought we improved we improved an awful lot mentally." McBride said the Huskers stayed with their base defenses more than had in their first three games and ran only about three of the nine blitz packages Nebraska has available. Nebraska outside linebacker Jared Tomich liked the Huskers' 91 and second-string defensive players had retired to the bench. Coach McBride said the Huskers' top priority Saturday was to stop the run, which meant slowing running back Joe Abdullah, a 6-foot, 220-pound senior with good speed.

Abdullah entered the game averaging 123.7 yards per game, but was beating them 70-21 last year? What about future schedules Pacific was a replacement on the schedule when Utah State dropped out of a two-year contract with Nebraska two years ago. Pacific did get another for playing here. The "million-dollar tour concludes next week at Oregon. Nebraska officials claimed to have searched the country for an opponent to play in Lincoln but found no takers other than Pacific. And Nebraska does try to get at least six home games a year, so the field was limited somewhat by those who wanted a home and home.

Nebraska does have a non-conference opening in 1997 and 1998 and is currently trying to get Washington for a home-and-home series, according to Nebraska Athletic Director Bill Byrne. "We're just held up in getting the 1997 game here and the 1998 game there. They want it the other way around." Nebraska has those -two openings because Texas was on the schedule but since is now a part of the Big 12 Conference that begins next year, there had to be a change. What was the problem with Nebraska's punt returns bouncing over Kenny Cheatham's head? "I got some pink-eye on Thursday and I almost had to pry my left eye open this morning. I thought it would be OK, but when I was facing south, into the sun and the punt was up there, I just lost it and the ball bounced to my left.

Then I really lost the ball. After the second one bounced over my head, I told the coach to take me out so I wouldn't hurt the team." What happens when an official, like the side judge on Saturday, gets hurt and can't come back into the game? When side judge David Warden was run over on a play in the second half and sent to the sidelines for x-rays, the back judge moves up to the side judge position and the (new) side judge and field judge take over the duties of the back judge. What's up with the proposed Big 12 Conference playoff game for 1996? Byrne clarified that the Big 1 2 presidents have voted only to look at the possibility of a playoff game and having a such a game is still not a done deal. The study includes looking at five sites, Houston, Dallas, St. Louis, Kansas City and San Antonio and the offers those cities can make for such a game.

game plan. held to 25 yards on 13 carries. "When you don't have to run a lot of stunts, you get to play basic smash-mouth football," Tomich said. "You relax more, let loose more." Tomich agreed with McBride that the Huskers improved mentally, Abdullah carried for gains of 7 and 9 yards on outside sweeps in the first quarter but was shut down the rest of the way. In addition to stopping the run, McBride said, the Huskers con- said.

"We really thought we were4; giving up so many big plays that it was kind of ridiculous." A strong Husker pass rush helped slow Pacific's passing game, McBride said. "We got in Sellers' face quite a few times," he said. "We didn't tear up the league in terms of sacks, but we made him throw some pretty bad balls. On probably half his passes, we had good pressure on him. A couple times, he had no idea where he was throwing it (because of Nebraska's pressure)." Nebraska weakside linebacker Terrell Farley recorded the Huskers' only sack, pouncing on Sellers for an 8-yard loss early in the third quarter.

The Huskers figure to get their toughest test so far this season next Saturday against Washington State. The Cougars' offense is tough to defend, McBride said, because of its variety of formations. Tomich said he is concerned how Nebraska's defense will respond if a team battles the Huskers evenly into the fourth quarter. So far this year, Husker defenders have been able to relax by the fourth quarter, he said. TOMICH MCBRIDE saw intensity likes results centrated on containing Sellers, a mobile lefthander.

Sellers completed 13 of 25 passes for 132 yards and one touchdown. The Tigers' longest pass play was a 38-yard completion. Last week against Arizona State, the Huskers, playing man-to-man coverage, were burned for touchdowns on pass plays covering 80 and 38 yards. A 66-yard reception set up another touchdown for the Sun Devils. "I think the secondary played a lot better than last week," McBride particularly the way they remained focused in the second half "In last week's game, we got ahead and got lazy," said Tomich, referring to Nebraska's 77-28 win against Arizona State.

"For this game, we tried to keep up the intensity all week in practice, and we kept it up throughout the game." Pacific scored its only touchdown on a 12-yard pass from Nick Sellers to Tyrone Watley with 5:24 remaining in the third quarter. By then, though, most of Nebraska's Frazier agreed. "I'm really glad," he said. "It's hard when you're expecting to beat a team and you go out and score 14 quick points. The tendency is to drop off and that happened a little bit.

"We hear Washington State has a great team, I think we're due for a good challenge. That's all this team has really asked for since we started." back to the final 30 minutes was Benning spraining his right ankle on the third play of the half, two plays after he busted a career-long 62-yard run. Benning did not play again but is not expected to miss the game against Washington State. "I think it'll be a horse race next week and that'll be good," Osborne said. I'm looking forward to a tough game." "We have to be able to keep up the emouon me whole game." he said.

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