Lincoln Journal Star from Lincoln, Nebraska • 43

Lincoln Journal Star 51C7 Sunday, October 8, 2000 7T UTT '1 KUSKGHE GAME It. BALLS it If HUSKER EXTRA A II Hambleton it 1 -J Dejuan Groce Sophomore comerback DeJuan Grace had the most spectacular breakups of a burgeoning secondary against Iowa State. The backup to Er-win Swiney defelected three Iowa State passes. He had a key breakup of a pass with his head when Sage Rosenfels tried to hit Chns Anthony to open the second half. Groce leaped over Anthony to tip away a pass in the fourth quarter; and knocked one down in the second quarter, "We knew we'd get better and we all did something to show we did that in the second said.

NT, izt f' 1 1 i Li LJ John, LANE HICKENBOTTOMLincoln Journal Star in i i T.J. Fullback Willie Miller (15) leads Nebraska quarterback Eric Crouch around right end on an option play in the first half. Dan Alexander Alexander didn't cross the goal line, but he left the Cyclones black and blue with his bruising runs. Iowa State strong safety Adam Runk wasn't feeling so strong after spending the afternoon standing in front of NU's backfield semi, license plate No. 38.

When asked if he had ever faced a back like Alexander, Runk said: "With his size and speed, I don't know. There is no one who runs quite like him. He runs to run you over." Over and out. 9 Croiicli takes Melon QB responds with career day on ground 'NrJlVlcKeeverJ J- Tracey Wistrom and Eric Crouch (f It will be a huge upset if this is the last game ball of the season for these guys. Crouch blistered Iowa State with 302 yards of offense.

Of those, 104 went to Wistrom, who would have had another 15 and a TD had he not stepped on the sideline chalk while catching and run 14 'J TEO'KIRKLincoln Journal Star Husker tight end Tracey Wistrom (87) breaks away from the Iowa State defense on a 21 -yard reception in the first quarter. ning for 20 yards on a critical third-and-10 play early in the fourth quarter. You're excused, Tracey. In the wind tunnel that is Jack Tnce Stadium, there's no shame in getting blown out of bounds. BY STEVEN M.

SIPPIE Lincoln Journal Star AMES, Iowa Eric Crouch said he felt about 85 percent healthy Saturday, admitting his legs were sore. Iowa State must feel fortunate the Nebraska quarterback wasn't operating at full-speed. All Crouch did was rack up a career-high 302 yards of total offense in the Huskers' 49-27 triumph before 50,074 frigid spectators at Jack 'Trice The 6-foot-l, 200-pound junior's total yardage ranks sixth on the school's all-time single-game list "It was a little tough for me to make some cuts early in the game," Crouch said. "I just kind of felt like my legs weren't there the whole time." One would've never guessed. At least not by looking at the stat sheet Crouch rushed 19 times for a season-high 138 yards, including a 40-yard sprint early in the second quarter that set up Nebraska's first touchdown.

Crouch's passing was somewhat erratic at least when compared to his recent success. In the previous two games, he had completed 21 of 36 passes for 322 yards. Saturday, he was 7-for-17 for 164 yards, with one interception He scored Nebraska's fifth TD Saturday on a 1-yard sneak and was named the ABCChevrolet Player of the Game. Not a bad afternoon for a guy feeling a little rough. "It's just an accumulation of the games we've been playing," said Crouch, who topped 200 yards of total offense for the third straight week.

"As the season wears oa your body's probably never going to be 100 percent The hits and the pounding I take, it kind of wears on me a little bit iSteven: 1 "In practice, I'll probably have to take it a little bit easy. I'll see how I feel (today) and Monday. But those are things you have to work through." Crouch untangled himself from the ground slowly on a couple occasions Saturday. For instance, on the first play of the fourth quarter, he was crunched simultaneously by 290-pound Nigel Tharpe and 250-pound Reggie Hayward right after completing a 25-yard pass to Correll Buck-halter. "It was a physical day," Crouch said.

"We were playing our first game in the cold, and that's a factor. But every game feels physical." "He (Crouch) took a beating today' said Nebraska tight end Tracey Wistrom, who caught four passes for 101 Nebraska Coach Frank Solich has said he would like to rest Crouch more often. But the Huskers (5-0) have been unable to put foes away early. Saturday they led 21-20 entering the fourth quarter before exploding for 28 fourth-quarter points. In the final period, Crouch rushed for 42 yards and passed for 53.

Afterward Solich offered glowing praise of his QR "I think he's had a great season," Solich said. "You look at his season last year and you think a guy probably isn't going to beat that type of a season, because he was spectacular. But when you really look at it, I think he's beating it with his play this year. "There's no question he gives you the extra dimension. He gives you someone who, at any time in the football game can step forward and make the plays and win.

"We have ourselves a great one here. We already knew it The people who follow Nebraska football know it And I think people around the country are getting to where they know it." Kyle Vanden Bosch Vanden Bosch felt he was playing OK this season. OK, but nothing special. Against Iowa State, the Larchwood, Iowa, native was special. In addition to his eight tackles including the first sack against Iowa State by anyone this season he caused two false-start penalties and a holding call.

This defense is hungenng for playmakers. Perhaps Vanden Bosch is answer- ing the call. "As a senior and as a cocaptain, I have to step up and make those plays," he i Vanden Bosch has coming-out party Here's what NU's top two coaches said when asked to talk about areas after Saturday's game: Frank Soich, head coach and offensive coordinator: "There's nothing that really jumps out at me without looking at the film. Iowa State is so good at throwing the football that you know they're going to have some big plays. So defensively, I was actually really pleased with what we got accomplished.

You see iLl. BOHL SOLICH those big plays and you BY STEVEN M. SIPPLE Lincoln Journal Star AMES, Iowa It had to be music to Nebraska football coach Frank Solich's ears Friday when Kyle Vanden Bosch unleashed his rather bold predictioa "Kyle said, 'Coach, I'm coming out this Solich recalled of their conversation in the Huskers' training room underneath Memorial Stadium in Lincoln. Sure enough, Vanden Bosch turned in a performance Saturday against Iowa State that was pleasing to Solich's eyes. "He's a very intense young man, and he gives you his best every tkne he steps on the football field," Solich said.

"But he just felt he was ready to play the kind of football he wanted to play. He certainly had a big game today." Vanden a senior rush end, made a team- and season-high eight tackles, including five for 26 yards in losses, in Nebraska's 49-27 triumph before 50,074 spectators at Jack Trice Stadium. "I told (Solich) it was my time to step up," said Vanden Bosch, a native of Larch wood, Iowa, who was recruited heavily by Iowa Stata There's something about playing in Iowa, in front of family and friends, that gets Vanden Bosch's blood pumping especially fast Plus, Vanden Bosch knew Ne braska senior middle linebacker Carlos Polk (one tackle) was slowed by an ankle sprain, and that starting defensive tackle Loran Kaiser wasn't playing at all Someone had to take charge. "He's really been pressing hard," said Nebraska defensive coordinator Craig Bohl. "I know last week he was frustrated with the play of the defense and his play.

I thought today he played an exceptional game." Just as he had predicted. "I've been working hard on trying to make big plays," Vanden Bosch said. "As a senior and as a co-captain, I have to step up and make those plays." So there he was Saturday, hammering Iowa State quarterback Sage Rosenfels with 9'A minutes left in the second quarter the first sack anybody's recorded against the Cyclones this seasoa There he was again, stringing out an option play, harassing Rosenfels into pitching the ball, then tackling the ballcarrier himself Vanden Bosch said he's been doing his job but he wanted smore than that Looking back, he has shown signs a big game might becoming. After recording only one tackle against Notre Dame, he made four against Iowa and then five last week against Missouri. He was solid, but he wanted spectacular.

1 TED KIRKLmcoln Journal Star want to say that's some- thing we need to work on but that's something everybody needs to work on." Craig Bohl, defensive coordinator: "I think certainly we'll look at the secondary. I think Iowa State did a great job. But for us to be a 'man-to-man' team, we probably have to win more battles out there. I think there were too many times today where they came up with the play and we didn't. That will be a point of emphasis this coming week." Iowa State tailback Ennis Haywood (2) is brought down from behind by NU rush end Kyle Vanden Bosch.

Buckhdlter poster Monday Vanden Bosch said. "We showed flashes of being a great defense. I don't think we had done that I think well come out next week (against Texas Tech) and put it all together." Rosenfels riddled Nebraska with a career-high 346 passing yards. "He's a scary quarterback," Vanden Bosch said "He doesn't look like a great quarterback, but he makes big plays. We knew we had to get to him." Vanden Bosch took it upon himself And he came trurmgh.

"You can play your gap, but it's when you start two-gapping and making big plays that you become a great player," Vanden Bosch said. In addition to the 26 yards in losses he caused with tackles, Vanden Bosch forced Iowa State into two illegal-procedure penalties and one holding calL He added two quarterback hurries. He shined on a day when Nebraska held Iowa State to 37 yards rushing, 190 below its average. "I'm more confident in us now," Husker senior I-back Correll Buckhalter rushed for "only 20 yards on nine carries, but he scored three big touchdowns, tying his career-high, in Nebraska's 49-27 win over Iowa State Saturday. Buckhalter is honored as this week's Husker Extra athlete of the week.

A full-page, full-color poster of Buckhalter will appear in Monday's Journal Star..