Lincoln Journal Star from Lincoln, Nebraska • 14

Lincoln Journal Star HUSKER EXTRA Saturday. January 3. 1998 Page design: Karl Vogel Volunteers' QB Maiming disappointed in college finale BY STEVE SIPPLE Lincoln Journal Star SI MIAMI Peyton Manning returned for his senior season to make noxe memories -tup 1 Unfortunately for the Tennessee quarterback, much of what he'll remember about his final game will be watching Nebraska players run up and down the field in a devastating display of power in the third quarter. All Manning could do was watch helplessly from the ildeline. Nebraska ground attack was simply too much for the Volunteers, who fell 42-17 In Friday night's Orange Bowl at Pro Player Stadium.

"I'm disappointed for our whole team," said Manning, who completed 21 of 31 passes for 134 yards and a touchdown with one interception. "As a senior, it'i sort of disappointing to go out on this note. But like Coach (Phillip) Fulmer said, we can't let this overshadow the great things we've done this year." Manning, who entered the game with 89 career touchdown passes, didn't get his first touchdown toss against Nebraska until less than two minutes remained in the third quarter. By that time, the Cornhuskers had built a 28-3 lead, using their powerful ground game to score on their first two drives of the second half. Television cameras zoomed in on Manning after the Nebraska scores, and he looked at the scoreboard and grimaced in frustration.

"There's no question, they're a physical defense and just a physical football team," Manning said. Manning appeared unaffected by the knee injury that drew so much attention in the days leading to Friday night's game. He completed his first six attempts, using quick drops and short passes. Manning never completed a pass for more than 20 yards. Manning's longest first-half completion went for 18 yards to Andy McCullough.

He finished the first half completing 13 of 19 passes for 96 yards and one Interception, The New Orleans native ruptured the bursa sac in his right knee during Tennessee's 30-29 victory against Auburn in the Dec. 6 Southeastern Conference title game. He later spent a week in a Knoxville. hospital to receive treatments for swelling and soreness that eventually dropped down to his ankle. Art a.

TED KIRKLincoln Journal Star I Sandwich: Nebraska's Jason Wiltz (99) and Jason Peter (55) bring down Tennessee freshman running back Jamal Lewis In the third quarter. Manning came to Miami a week before the Orange Bowl with the rest of his teammates and practiced each day, improving steadily throughout the week. The Orange Bowl capped a memorable senior season for the son of ance against Kentucky. SEC champion in a major bowl' Manning made Tennessee fans game. Of course, he would have pre-; happy last March, turning down the ferred a victory in his swan song.

fnillions of dollars afforded top NFL draft picks to return for his senior Manning is projected to be select-; seSsonr ed No. 1 in the NFL draft by the Indi-; He said he did it to play as the anapolis Colts. average led Tennessee to an U-l regular-season record, throwing for 3,819 yards with 36 touchdown passes. On six occasions, Manning passed for at least 340 yards, including a 523-yard, five-touchdown perform former New Orleans Saints quarterback Archie Manning. The younger Manning the SEC's all-time passing leader who completed his undergraduate degree in speech communications in three years with a 3.60 grade-point Frost throws whole package at Vols Scott Frost's total offense 1997 STATISTICS RUSHING PASSING TOTAL BY CURT McKEEVER Lincoln Journal 8tar Opponent Art Yds TD Cm Att Int Yds TD Yds TD Akron 11 123 2 7 13 0 67 0 190 2 Central Florida 10 52 1 9 14 0 120 1 172 2 at Washington 18 97 2 8 15 0 88 0 185 2 Kansas State 17 98 1 6 13 1 94 0 192 1 at Baylor 12 71 1 5 8 0 103 0 174 1 Texas Tech 19 83 0 5 12 1 46 1 129 1 atKansas 21' 121 2 4 9 0 33 0 154 2 Oklahoma 8 66 1 6 10 0 107 1 173 2 at Missouri 23 141 4 11 24 2 175 1 316 5 Iowa State 8 88 2 8 9 0 111 1 199 3 atColorado 14 76 1 7 14 0 92 0 168 1 vs.

Texas 15 79 2 12 18 0 201 0 280 2 Totals 176 109 6 19 88 154 4 123 7 5 233 2 -24 vs. Tennessee 17 60 3 9 12 0 125 0 185 3 and scored on an 11-yard keeper off right tackle to make it 28-3. In the third quarter alone, Nebraska rushed for 227 yards and scored three touchdowns. Frost had two and added another in the fourth quarter. "Could I have been more effective? I missed a block late in the game," joked the 6-foot-3, 220-pounder.

"No, I had a good game." In the first half, the Cornhuskers, who own the nation's most productive running game, were outrushed 80-69. However, Frost, a senior from Wood River, kept NU moving by throwing for 109 yards. Meatiwhile, Tennessee's Ail-American quarterback Manning completed 13 of 19 tossses for 96 yards in the first two quarters, but also threw an interception. "Scott outplayed Peyton Manlng without a doubt," NU defensive tackle Jason Peter said. "Scott was THE man on the field." After Nebraska netted just seven yards on its first two possessions, the Cornhuskers went to the air, and Frost was three for three on a 78-yard touchdown march that I-back Ahman Green capped with a one-yard dive.

Frost hit junior tight end Sheldon Jackson on a fly pattern down the middle for a gain of 25 on third-and-five. Three plays later, he connected with freshman split end Matt Davison near the NU sideline for 16 more yards and a first down at the Tennessee 35. On the next play, -Frost found freshman wingback Bobby New-combe on an down-and-out route for 22 yards, and the Cornhuskers were knocking at the door. Wingback She-vln Wiggins then took a pitch right for 12 yards to the one to set up Green's score. Wiggins would add a 10-yard TD on a dive, a new play for Nebraska, to make it 14-0 with 11:28 left in the second quarter.

Nebraska had to go just 15 yards for that score after Lance Brown recovered a punt fumbled by Terry Fair. "We threw with precision," offe-sive guard Aaron Taylor said, "and it loosened their defensive backs off the line of scrimmage. NU missed a scoring opportunity late in the period after Frost had completed a 29-yard shovel pass to Green. On a first-down play from the Volunteers' 11-yard line, Frost made a bad pitch to Green that defensive end Jonathon Brown recovered at the 18. But with Frost leading the way, the Cornhuskers got rolling in the third quarter, and there was little Tennessee could do to stop the thundering.

"Seeing Coach Osborne go out like this is the best thing that could happen to us," Frost said. MIAMI Scott Frost's package was too complete for Tennessee. Frost, the 10th player in NCAA Division I-A history to both run and throw for 1,000 yards in the same season, turned to his right arm early and his legs later to push second-ranked Nebraska past No. 3 Tennessee 42-17 in the Orange Bowl Friday night. With Tennessee's defense effectively shutting down NU's high-powered rushing attack in the first half, Frost completed seven of 10 passes to help the Cornhuskers take a 14-3 lead.

Then, on the opening possession of the second half, Nebraska marched 80 yards on 12 plays 11 of them runs to take control at 21-3. Frost followed by engineered a 73-yard drive on six running plays Big 12 Championship; Orange Bowl. CAREER STATISTICS RUSHING PASSING TOTAL Opponent Att Yds TD Cm Att Int Yds TD Yds TD 1996 126 438 9 104 200 3 1440 13 1878 22 1997 176 1096 19 88 159 4 1237 5 2332 24 NOTE: NCAA does not recognize bowl game statistics for its What others said BY RANDALL MELL Sun-Sentinel, South Ftorida Tom Osborne's fingerprints were all over this final act. Though Nebraska's 42-17 victory against Tennessee in the Orange Bowl Friday won't be remembered as thrilling, it will go down as an Osborne Classic just the same. His final game as head coach looked like a series of snapshots from a scrapbook of his 25-year career.

Run 'em over, wear 'em down, physically dominate them. It wasn't particularly exciting, but Professor Tom was never big on excitement anyway. He won No. 255 of his career, the last, just the way he won the 254 before it. And, Big Red fans loved it.

that had buried Tennessee. Almost all of the yardage had come on the 1 ground. I Osborne stood there after Ahman Green's 22-yard touchdown, his arms crossed, chewing gum slowly to whatever rhythm that it is. he hears. You would call him impassive, hut you would hate to use any word that included the letters p-a-s-s in I BY WENDELL BARNHOUSE I Fort Worth (Texas) Star-Telegram MIAMI Nebraska doesn't get much practice in saying goodbye trj, its football coaches.

Over the past years, the Cornhuskers have done it twice Bob Devaney in 1972 and Tom Osborne now. But like most things Nebraska' does, the Cornhuskers did it up right: Devaney bowed out with a 40-6 Orange Bowl victory against Notre Dame. Second-ranked Nebraska gave Os borne victory No. 255 as a away present. Mil 1 4' BY RICK MORRISSEY Chicago Tribune This was vintage Tom Osborne.

His Nebraska team had just put together the second of two long drives MabryCoach didn't want focus 1 UN 1r Continued from Page 1B Osborne repeated many times in the days leading up to Friday's game that he didn't want to be the focus of the Orange Bowl. It's just another game, he The last game of an Incredible 25-year career at head coach Is not just another game, but that's what he insisted. He made you want someone, Grant Wistrom, Jason Peter, anyone, to shake him and scream, "Coach, this is a big deal Snap out of It" But he didn't snap out of it. came into his post-game press con ference Friday night with hardly a smile. Just thanks for the staff and the players.

He opened his brief visit with porters by giving everyone credit except himself. "I just stood there," he said. For 25 years, for 255 victories. Vij John Mabry is the sports editor pf, the Journal Star. He can be reached at (402) 473-7320 or jmabryneU web.com IAN DOREMUSUncdn Journal 8tr Fumblititis: Tennessee kicker returner Terry Fair fumbles a punt in the first quarter Friday.

Fair recovered this miscue but a later fumble on a J)unt Wat recovered by Nebraska'! Lanca Brown and ted to touchdown..