The Lincoln Star from Lincoln, Nebraska • 19

1 I Lincoln Journal-Star SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 1993 le-pokt NU wiim is psrfeci psM to BY KEN HAMBLETON Lincoln Journal-Star TEH STATS Nebraska 0 7 7 0 14 UCLA 3 7 0 313 UCLA FG Bjorn Merten 39 UCLA Skip Hicks 6 run (Merten kick) Neb Lawrence Phillips 1 run (Byron Bennett kick) Neb Gerald Armstrong 11 pass from Tommie Frazier (Bennett kick) UCLA FG Merten 27 A 50,299. Defense doesn't say die PASADENA, CaUf. The story goes that during the Nebraska football team's 41-28 loss to UCLA in 1988, Cornhusker linebacker LeRoy Etienne told position coach John Melton that he'd do anything, even die, for him. Melton, ever quick with a response, replied that instead of dying for him, 1 he'd settle for Etienne's making a tackleortwo. I A lingering image of the 1988 game is of Nebraska's defenders failing to bring down UCLA's ball carriers, 1 1 I a- 'ft NU UCLA 22 19 49-208 43-192 145 134 353 326 13-19-1 11-22-0 21 6 First downs Rushes-yards Passing yards Total yards Passing Return yards Punts Fumbles-lost Penalties-yards ht Time of possession jThirdrdown conversions fourth-down conversions 4-3 1-0 5-45 28:00 7-15 0-0 7-67 32:00 4-13 0-0 arid said 'No And all we had to do was make sure we didn't have another turnover." MThe Cornhuskers.

gave up.thelr fourth turnover of the game with 4:39 left when Tommy Bennett recovered a fumble by Corey Dixon at the UCLA 14-yard After a short run, Cook completed a pass to J. J. Stokes, but Nebraska's John Reece stuffed the play for a 3-yard loss. Cook completed a 14-yard pass to Stokes on the next play, but the Cornhuskers jammed the Bruins on three straight plays, forced a punt and ran out the "We started twisting the outside guys to the inside, and that cut down their running plays in the second half and helped us get a better pass rush, too," Connealy said. The chang was obvious to UCLA's offense on its final drive of the game.

"All we needed was another few yards and a field goal, and we didn't get it Nebraska's defense wouldn't allow it" said UCLA offensive coordinator Homer Smith, an Omaha Benson graduate. Nebraska outside linebacker Dwayne Harris batted down the first-down pass. Alberts tipped a pass on the next play. Then cornerback Lorenzo Brinkley covered Mike Nguyen to the sideline on an incomplete pass to force the punt with 2:32 "Nothing different, just executing and doing it the way we should have all game," said Nebraska cornerback Reece. Nebraska's defense was riddled for the most bjf Hicks, who finished with 148 yaifds and UCLA's touch- down run with 6:06 left in the first half that gave the Bruins their lM lea.

PASADENA, Calif. A couple more twists on Tommie Frazier's ankle and a couple of twists in the defensive line helped Nebraska wring out a 14-13 victory against UCLA. "I feel the pain, but it doesn't hurt as much as another two points the other way would feel," said Frazier, who hobbled on his sore right ankle and threw a third-quarter touchdown pass Saturday to lift the eighth-ranked Cornhuskers at the Rose Bowl. "I'll keep playing on this ankle as long as it takes, and the rest of the team will keep pouring out everything it has to keep it going," said Frazier, who was injured in the 3-0 Husk-ers' opening game against North Texas. UCLA led 1(H) when Frazier hit tight end Gerald Armstrong on a 31-yard pass to spark Nebraska's first scoring drive of the game.

After four runs for 21 yards by freshman Lawrence Phillips, Frazier shoveled a pass to Abdul Muhammad fora 16-vardeaintothe UCLA5 vard line. Phillips, who finished with 137. yards, scored on the next play to cut the deficit to 10-7 with 2:54 left in the half. Phillips played as the backup to freshman Damon Benning, who started at I-back in place of the in-, jured Calvin 4 "We started moving the ball without losing it, and that kept us on the field and helped us get in sync for once," Frazier said. After the Cornhuskers lost a fumble three plays into the second half, they rallied for a 14-play, 80-yard scoring drive that ended with an 11-yard pass from Frazier to Armstrong.

During the winning drive, Nebraska converted on third-and-4, third-and-12 andthird-and-2. Nebraska's defense, which was hammered for 192 yards rushing and 134 passing, also came to life in the Cornhuskers' narrowest victory since a 21-20 decision against Louisiana State in the 1983 Orange Bowl game. UCLA's Skip Hicks sped 23 yards thrciugh five would-be tacklers on a draw play to open the fourth quarter. One play later, Bruin quarterback Wayne Cook was pounded by the on-rushing Trev Alberts and Billy Wade. As Cook was going down, he tried to pass the ball, and Terry Connealy recovered.

However, the officials ruled Cook was down. But the message was clear. The Bruins didn't get another yard rushing and had just 17 yards passing the rest of the game. think our defense Ijroke them down and wore them out." Frazier charge of the gamf Gators go GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) Even after leading ninth-ranked Florida past No.

5 Tennessee, Danny Wuerf fel w39 hesitant to say he had settled Florida's quarterback controversy. So Coach Steve Spurrier did. 'He's our quarterback until something happens to change that," Spurrier said after a 41-34 victory made the Gators 3-0 overall and 2-0 in the Southeastern Conference the only unbeaten team in the SEC East. "He took care of the ball very well," Spurrier said. "I had hoped to play Terry Dean, too, and I feel bad I didn't But the way the game took off, 4 -l i 1 7" MIKEBABCCXK Sports often for no apparent reason.

It was as if the Cornhuskers had forgotten how to tackle, the most fundamental of skills involved in winning football. For a time Saturday afternoon, in a half-full Rose Bowl, Nebraska's defenders seemed to suffer from a -1 similar memory lapse. Maybe the Rose Bowl's grass field was a factor. Maybe it was something mysterious in the southern California air. No telling what was suspended in that haze set off against the San Gabriel Mountains, above the east rim of the stadium.

Or maybe it was" because the game was televised regionally by ABC and the defense, wanted to put on a good show. Television's Emmy Awards are to be presented at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium tonight. Nebraska's defense might have been looking for some sort of nomination. Whatever the reason, "we missed a lot oftackles," Coach Tom Osborne said.fThe difference was, the 1993 version of UCLA wasnt nearly the 1' quality of the 1988 version, which had the CqVnhuskers down 28-0 by the time tbey cleared their heads and remembered the correct way to tacklei Please see BABCOCK on page 4C TED KIRKUNCOLN JOUHNAL-STAR Nebraska linebacker Ed Stewart sacks UCLA quarterback Wayne CooK (15) for a 9-yard loss in the second quarter of the Huskers' 14-1 3 win Saturday at Pasadena, Calif. I themselves.

"Any time you have a minus-four turnover ratio on somebody else's field, you are fortunate to win," said 'NU Coach Tom Osborne. "We stopped their running game, and that saved our bacon in the fourth quarter. Please see NU on page 4C witli WuerfM, defek drills this week," said Connealy, who had two tackles and 1H sacks. "We couldn't hit better or harder. But we weren't wrapping up people, and they got some big plays that shouldnjt have been." The Bruins made their fortunes with the help of the four Nebraska turnovers, while not giving up the ball P.

5 Longhoms tie No. 6 Orangemen. Page 2C. Texas makes Missouri pay in big way. Page 2C.

pleted 25 of 41 passes for 355 yards and five touchdowns in a losing cause. Billy Williams had TD catches of 41, 70 and 13 yards, and Cory Fleming scored on a 56-yard pass play after the Volunteers fell behind 21-0. Shuler's 5-yard toss to Joey Kent and Charlie Garner's two-point conversion run trimmed Florida's lead to seven points with 1:46 left. it was just a matter of sticking with one quarterback and keeping whatever momentum we had to try to win the game." Wuerffel, who came off the bench to direct two fourth-quarter scoring drives and beat Kentucky a week earlier, threw for 231 yards and three touchdowns against an outmatched Tennessee secondary. The redshirt freshman finished with 19 completions in 38 attempts.

Errict Rhett rushed for 147 yards and two touchdowns for Florida, which is trying to repeat as champion in the SEC East i KOW feP'S TCP 25 FARED Result This week 1 Florida State (4-0) def North Carolina 33-7 Georgia Tech 2. Alabama (3-0) def. Arkansas 43-3 Louisiana Tech 3. Miami, Fla. (2-0) def.

Virginia Tech 21-2 at Colorado 4. Notre Dame (3-0) def. Michigan State 36-1 4 at Purdue 5. Tennessee (2-1) lost to Florida 41-34 Louisiana State' 6. Syracuse (2-0-1 tied Texas 21 -21 Cincinnati 7.

Colorado (2-1) lost to Stanford 41-37 Miami, Fla. 8. Nebraska (3-0) def. UCLA 14-13 Colorado State 9. Florida (3-0) def.

Tennessee 41-34 Mississippi State 1 0. Michigan (1 -1 was idle Houston 1 1 Ohio State (3-0) def. Pittsburgh 63-28 idle 12. Oklahoma (2-0) was Idle Tulsa 13. North Carolina (3-1) lost to Florida State 33-7ai North Carolina State 14.

Penn State (3-0) def. Iowa 31-0 Rutgers 1 5. Arizona (3-0) def. Illinois 16-14 at Oregon State 1 6. Texas (2-1 def.

Missouri 73-0 at Southwestern Louisiana 17. North Carolina State (2-01 was Idle North Carolina 18. Washington (1-1) was idle East Carolina 19. Brigham Young (3-0) def. Colorado State 27-22 Air Force 20.

Stanford (2-1 def. Colorado 41 -37 UCLA 21 California (3-0) def. Temple 58-0 San Jose State 22. Boston College (0-2) lost to Northwestern 22-21 Temple 23. Arizona State (1-1) lost to Louisville 35-17 Oklahoma State 24.

Wisconsin (3-0) def. Iowa State 28-7 at Indiana 25. Virginia (3-0) def. Georgia Tech 35-1 4, Thursday Duke Carroll's offense takes control in NWU's first loss BY MARK DEROWITSCH Lintoln Journal-Star running game. Running back J.

Lamb 165 yards on 15 carries out of the Saints' Teammate B.J. Cozzie added 119 attempts. Carroll gained 305 yards on the ground trying to adjust for a wishbone Wesleyan Jim Svoboda said. "You haven't seen it then you have one week to prepare for try to do is give and keep trying to Please see NWU on page 3C clock, preserving the Saints' 20-17 win in a small college football game before an estimated 400 spectators at Abel Stadium. The loss was the first of the season after two straight wins for Wesleyan, ranked 16th in NAIA Division II.

Carroll, an NAIA Division I school improved to 2-0. "We knew they had a good offense," Carroll Coach Bob Petrino said. "We used some different coverages, and we blitzed a lot The defense played pretty well." The Saints kept the ball away from Wesleyan Carroll (Mont.) College saw enough of Nebraska Wesleyan's offense during pregame film sessions. The Fighting Saints' offense made sure the defense didnt see much of it Saturday. And late in the game with Wesleyan driving, Carroll defensive back Brian Farren ended the Plainsmen offense's day, picking off a Jeff Lindquist pass at the Saints' 4-yard line.

Carroll's offense then took over and ran out the Hicks broke away from would-be tacklers four times for 29 yards in the first half, and teammate Shannon Shah gained 12 yards on a similar hit-and-miss by the NU defense. The Bruins gained another 59 yards on hit-and-miss tackles on pass playsto Stokes and Kevin Jordan. "I imagine we'll do a few tackling The Gators, who have not lost at Florida Field since 1989, extended the nation's second-longest home winning streak to a school-record 20 games. The 2-1 Volunteers lost for the first time in seven games under Phillip Fujmer, who replaced Johnny Majors last season. "We thought they were an outstanding team, and they did nothing to change that" Fulmer said.

"We have to look at why we lost. One, we were playing a good team. Two, we had too many turnovers and penalties." Tennessee's Heath Shuler com- fx." ASSOCIATED PRESS with a solid rushed for option attack. yards on 25 As a team, on 67 carries. "It's like Coach all year, and it.

What you Yanks rally with fan support Metsgive the Giants an assist ASSOCIATED PRESS The. last-place New York Mets put the hurt on first-place Atlanta Saturday. The Braves, one out away from another victory, blew a two-run lead in the ninth inning and lost 3-2 in the 10th at Atlanta when Mets rookie Tito Navarro got his first major league hit The loss snapped Atlanta's four-game winning streak and trimmed the Braves' lead in the National League West to three games over San Francisco. New York is at tbe bottom of the NL East standings. r'y Trailing 2-0, the Mets tied the score in the ninth to deny Greg M-dJui his 19th victory.

Maddux struck out two batters before Jeff McKnight singled. Pinch hitter Ced Landrum singled and Ryan Thompson walked to load the bases. Greg McMichael relieved, and Todd Hundley followed with his Please see NL on page 5C ASSOCIATED PRESS All season long. New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner has complained about the crowds at Yankee Stadium. Maybe it's time he started thanking them.

The Yankees wound up with a win Saturday at New York because of a crazy contribution from a fan. A fan ran on the field just as the apparent final out was being made. Given another chance, the Yankees rallied for three runs in the ninth inning, the last two on Don Mattingly's two-out single, and beat Boston 4-3. "I am sure there are several things we don't understand," Yankees Manager Buck Showalter said. "But in my job, I cant get involved in fate and destiny." Instead of falling four games behind American League East leader Toronto, which would have given the Blue Jays their biggest lead of the season, New York remained three back.

That's if the victory holds up. The Red Sox said they planned to file a protest Exactly what happened, however, wasn't completely clear. The Yankees trailed 3-1 in the ninth and had two outi and none on when nings and struck outifive consecutive batters in one streflph as the first-' place Blue Jays won their seventh straight game. i Athletics 3, Whke Sox 2 Bobby Witt settled down after a shaky start to combine with two re- -Levers on a five-hitter, beating Chi-' cago and and suddenly slumping Jack -McDowell at Oakland, Calif. Royals 1, Mariners 0 Kevin Appier pitched a three-hitter to outduel Chris Bosio at Seattle and win his sixth straight decision.

Appier (17-6) stretched his scoreless streak to innings and low- ered his American League-leading ERAtoltt Tigers 7, Indians 6 Eric Davis continued his hot hitting for the Tigers with a two-run home run at Detroit Detroit led 5-0 after one inning but squandered the lead, and trailed 6-5 before Davis' fourth homer since being acquired from Los Angeles on Aug. 31 in the fourth inning. I Brewers 3, Orioles 0 The Orioles fell further behind in the AL East as rookie Angel Iiranda and Jesse Orosco combined on a four-hitter for the Brewers at Mil wauk e. i 1HSUE Mike Gallego was hit by a pitch from Greg Harris. Boston seemed to have it won when pinch hitter Mike Stanley hit an easy fly ball to left field that was caught But the play didnt count because third-base umpire Tim Welke had called time when a young man bolted from the box seats toward the field.

Boston Manager Butch Hobson briefly argued, but replays clearly showed Welke stopping play. Mean while, a couple of Red Sox players who had raised their arms in triumph went back to their positions. Stanley took advantage of his second chance, singling on the next pitch, and Wade Boggs followed with an infield hit that scored Gallego and made it 3-1 Dion James walked on a full count bringing up Mattingly, who capped off the improbable comeback by singling sharply to right field, driving home the tying and winning runs. 'Blue Jays 5, Twins 1 At Minneapolis, Toronto continued its strong stretch run behind the solid pitching of Dave Stewart Stewart flowed five hits in 6 in- Detroit's Eric Davis hits a twcnun Cleveland 7-6 Saturday at Detroit home run to lift the Tigers past.