The Lincoln Star from Lincoln, Nebraska • 15

The Lincoln Star Pag 15 Friday, September 3, 1994 Scat i X'Cr tA Scoring, Team Stats 1 1 SI "0 4 Nebraska 1 7 14 14 42 Texas Tech 0 3 6 7 16 Ml Tommie Frazier 58 run (Tom Sieler kick) NU Frazier 3 run (Sieler kick) TT FQ Jon Davis 49 TT Scott Aykx 6 pass from Zebbie Lethrtdge (run failed) NU Lawrence Phillips 2 run (Sleter kick) NU PhWIps 56 run (Sieler kick) NO Eric Aiford 35 pass from Frazier (Sieler kick) TT Ben Kaufman fumble recovery In end zone (Davis kick) NU Clinton ChlWs 30 run (Sieler kick) NU TT First downs 26 17 Rushes-yards 63-524 42-147 Passing yards 88 150 Total yards 612 297 Passing 5-17-1 11-29-1 Return yards 40 11 Punts 841.4 Fumbtes-tost 0-0 1-0 Penalties-yards 5-44 4-30 Time of possession 33:50 26:10 Third-down conversions 7-15 5-17 Fourtrnlowncorwersions 2-3 1-2 No. 1 Cornhuskers get 524 of 612 yards on ground, finally pull away against Tech. By Ken Hambleton of The Lincoln Star LUBBOCK, Texas Once Nebraska got its offensive line sped up and its defense slowed down, the Cornhuskers cruised to a 42-16 victory against Texas Tech Thursday night at Jones Stadium. It was the sputtering in between that gave Nebraska coaches and players pause while answering questions about being rated No. 1.

"We had the yards (612 total offense, S24 rushing), and we had the points but maybe not the ingredients that add up to No. 1," Nebraska center Aaron Graham said. Even Cornhusker Coach Tom Osborne said the win was "workmanlike." "We did a job tonight, and that's about It," he said. "We played good but not inspired. I think they were more excited to play Nebraska than Nebraska was excited to play them." Playing before a national television audience that was watching the first Nebraska team since 1987 to be ranked No.

1 in the media poll, the Cornhuskers were rocked in the third quarter. Texas Tech stopped Nebraska's last three drives in the first half and scored on the opening drive of the second half to cut NU's lead to 14-9. "At 14-9 1 thought we were going to offense blasted through the Texas Tech defense, with fullback Cory Schlesinger breaking away on a 41-yard trap play behind center Graham and guard Joel Wilks, then for 24 more yards on a dive behind right guard Brenden Stai to the Red Raider 2-yard line. Lawrence Phillips, who finished with a career-high 175 yards, then scored on a 1-yard dive with 9:01 left to pad the lead to 21-9. The Cornhusker defense, reeling from the scrambling of Red Raider freshman quarterback Zebbie Le-thridge, also found some resolve.

"We were getting a little too deep, too fast on the quarterback and he was ducking under the rush and ing off on the run," said Tony Samuel, NU outside linebackers coach. "We started stunting and slowing down a little and took care of that problem." Lethridge, who almost doubled Tech's first-half rushing with two runs of 18 yards, was corralled on the Red Raiders' next possession. Nebraska then counted on the blocking of Schlesinger and the running of Phillips to end the Red Raiders' hopes of an upset Phillips ran for 20 yards around the left end on NU's first play of the drive. After reserve fullback Jeff Mako-vicka ran for 6 yards, Phillips ran behind a devastating block by right tackle Zach Wiegert and broke away on a 56-yard touchdown run to give NU a 28-9 advantage with 4:19 left in the third quarter. "The traps, the dives and the power Please turn to: NU, Page 18 1 fl Ground game has unstoppable look Page 18 Red Raiders say Nebraska No.

1 Page 19 win, but if we had dropped the ball, we would have been in trouble," Osborne said. Instead, a rejuvenated Nebraska Td KrUncaln Slor Nebraska l-back Lawrence Phillips (right) makes a first-quarter carry as Texas Tech's Byron Wright defends. Phillips finished with 175 yards rushing and scored two touchdowns. It appears Huskers might have looked good Mike Babcock 7 Sports Columnist However, no one knows what pollsters will think of NU's 42-1 6 victory. LUBBOCK, Texas Maybe Nebraska was testing the resolve of those who vote in the Associated Press and USA TodayCNN college football polls.

That describes Thursday night's 42-16 victory against Texas Tech as well as anything. It was something of a solidarity check, you might say. The Cornhuskers moved up to No. 1 in both polls after a week off. So how will the voters interpret this? That's assuming, of course, those teams immediately behind Nebraska in the rankings win this weekend.

If the top challengers were to lose, the Cornhuskers undoubtedly would remain No. 1. They could anyway. But those who doubted Nebraska in the first place must have watched ESPN's telecast Thursday night convinced they were right all along. That's how it is with the perceptions on which the rankings depend.

In fact, the victory probably was as decisive as the one against West Virginia in the Kickoff Classic. But it will be interesting, and perhaps frustrating, to see how those who shape national opinion interpret it. Offensively, Nebraska was overwhelming on the ground, which is to say the performance was vintage. As soon as Texas Tech's defense adjusted to one thing, the Cornhuskers did another. Early on, the Red Raiders had trouble containing Tommie Frazier on the option.

When they focused on him, he pitched to I-back Lawrence Phillips. When they concentrated too much on Phillips, fullback Cory Schlesinger ran up the middle. And ran, and ran. and ran. Before Texas Tech joins Nebraska in the incomplete passes during the second half, he was still able to connect with Eric Aiford on a 35-yard touchdown play.

i That's what I mean. All of a sudden, Frazier takes off to his right, like he's either going to run with or pitch the ball, and when the defense comes up, he passes to Aiford. Frazier's passing statistics were a little misleading, anyway. His second pass, on the game's fifth play from scrimmage, went through the hands of Reggie Baul, who was open at the Texas Tech 30-yard line. Baul catches that The Red Raiders become more conscious of the pass.

Frazier gets in one of those "zones" coaches and athletes often talk about and who knows what might have happened? As it was, Frazier took it upon himself to run 58 yards for a touchdown on the next play. Before a surprisingly sparse crowd of 32,768 had completely settled in, Nebraska led 7-0. As hard as it played, the Red Raider defense seemed constantly on the brink of disaster. The Cornhuskers averaged better than 8 yards a carry. Suffice it to say, Nebraska's running backs produced some good footage for a highlights And though it wasn't as impressive statistically as in the shutout of West Virginia, Nebraska's defense played well enough.

At -often as not, Texas Tech gained yardage after plays broke down. The Red Raiders were scrambling most of the evening. They lived on the edge offensively. In any case, Nebraska was supposed to win big Thursday night, with all of the nation ii watching. The Cornhuskers did, or they didnt, depending on the definition of big.

Some people will come away from watching Nebraska Thursday night satisfied that the Cornhuskers are worthy of a No. 1 ranking. How many of them vote in the polls, though? Big 12 two years from now, it had best learn to defend all elements of the option. What the Cornhuskers did Thursday night they'll still be doing in 1996, or whenever these schools next compete. The Red Raiders would shore up one area of defense, and Nebraska would test another.

Even though Frazier's passing isn't what makes him a Heisman Trophy candidate, and even though he threw seven consecutive Baseball players pitch new plan Ex-Husker Fryar has seen light DAVIE, Fla. (AP) Irving Fryar towels off after lifting weights, a muscular athlete doubly blessed with inner strength. The calendar suggests Fryar's career should be in decline because he I turns 32 this Jl 7 month. But the Miami receiver is coming off the best game of his pro career Sunday five catches for 211 yards and three touchdowns after the best season of his ca- paa. In 1009 Owners to study 'taxation' proposal, give response Friday.

NEW YORK (AP) With the World Series one day away from being wiped out striking major league baseball players delivered a "taxation" plan to owners Thursday and hoped it would be accepted in place of a salary cap. Owners said they will study the plan and respond Friday, their self-imposed deadline for canceling the rest of the season. The plan calls for a 2 percent payroll tax and for clubs to split 25 percent of gate receipts, according to sources who spoke on the condition that they not be identified. Union head Donald Fehr said players wouldn't agree to any large tax that might be "inhibiting" to the free-agent market He said the plan didn't alter the basic structure of free agency and salary arbitration. Acting commissioner Bud Selig said his deadline for calling off the rest of the season still applies.

If so, it would cancel the World Series for the first time since 1904. "Everything is as it's been all along," Selig said in a telephone interview from his Milwaukee office. If there is a deal Friday, players probably would return to the field Sept 16 or Sept 19, depending on how many days of workouts the sides agree to. "Well be in touch with the union in the morning," management negotiator Richard Ravitch said. Players hoped Selig would reconsider Friday's deadline and allow talks to continue.

"If there's a settlement within reach, or a possibility of that coming, I don't think there's a time frame on this," Los Angeles outfielder Brett Butler said. The proposal, according to the union, is based on a framework similar to the revenue-sharing agreement owners adopted last January. Instead of a salary cap, however, it includes a taxation concept in which clubs could have any payroll they wanted but would be forced to share a larger amount of locally generated revenue as their payrolls increased. Currently, American League teams share 20 percent of their gate receipts. National League teams share just 43 cents per ticket which amounts to about 4 percent Five more games were wiped out Thursday, increasing the total to 357, more than 15 percent of the season.

The strike began Aug. Auoctottd Ptim Michael Stich makes a return during his quarterfinal match against Jonas Bjorkman. Stich survives sloppiness rryar "TcaXx divine intervention," said Fryar, picked No. 1 overall by New England in the 1984 NFL draft after completing his collegiate career at Nebraska. "There's a reason for me doing what I'm doing as well as I do it at the age I'm doing ii There's a bigger picture than just football." In Fryar's mind, celebrity as a Pro Bowl receiver provides an audience for his religious beliefs.

He knelt in prayer after each of his TDs Sunday as Miami beat the Patriots 39-35. "I'm a minister of the word of Jesus Christ," Fryar said. "I'm spreading the Gospel" Fryar is a minister, licensed and ordained. Devout athletes are commonplace, but Fryar's background makes him different He has struggled with substance abuse, a turbulent marriage and thoughts of suicide. The turnaround came about three years ago, when Fryar began to find solutions to his problems in religion.

The Dolphins provided Fryar with a fresh start in April 1993 when they acquired him from New England. He went on to catch 64 passes for 1,010 yards and made the Pro Bowl as a receiver for the first time. "When I die and go before Christ, he's not going to ask me how many touchdown passes I caught," Fryar said. That's not what is important to him." Montana picked to beat old team Page 1 7 5 Manning takes a cut PHOENIX (AP) Free-agent tor- No. 4 seed has 1 5 double faults but still advances.

NEW YORK (AP) Michael Stich double-faulted 15 times Thursday night in his worst match of the S. Open as he stutter-stepped into the semifinals. At 4 the highest-seeded man left in the tennis tournament Stich created trouble for himself and got plenty from young Swede Jonas Bjorkman before escaping with a 6-4, (7-1), 6-4 victory. Stich's next opponent is Karel Novacek, who served 28 aces to beat Jaime Yzaga 6-2, 6-7 (7-9), 6-L 5-7. 6-3 and reach his first Grand Slam semifinal after 30 early exits.

Andre Agassi and Todd Martin will play in the other semifinal Saturday. Stich, the 1991 Wimbledon champion, had never gone past the quarterfinals at a U.S. Open. There were times Thursday when it seemed be wouldn't make it this year. "I was serving very, very badly." said Sikh, whose double faults more than offset his 13 aces against the player who upset Stefan Edberg.

"Right now I'm really, really tired. All the credit to Bjorkman, the way he kept fighting. He never gave up. Not many guys are doing that "Today I played my worst match of the Open. But it's very important to me that I made it into the semis, that I stayed in there." Stich said he knew his performance would not convince many people he could win this tournament but he didnt care.

"Let everybody think Agassi's supposed to win," SUch said. "I like that" Stich cruised in the first two sets and held a Mlead in the third. But he let the opportunistic Bjorkman back in by serving erratically. Stich, who also blew a 5-2 lead in the third-set tiebreaker, succumbed to tiredness and lost his rhythm as the match wore on. Novacek, a 29-year-old from the Czech Republic who typically logs more miles and plays more tournaments than anyone else, relied on his serve to get him out of trouble as he eliminated the man who upset defending champion Pete Sampras in the fourth round.

After playing well against Sampras, Yzaga played sloppily and slowly Thursday, spraying 73 unforced errors. He changed his shoes near the end of the first set and changed his rackets several times. But he couldnt change the way he was playing. "The Sampras match took a lot out of me," Yzaga said. "I was sore yesterday, and I was sore today.

It was hard." In five previous VS. Opens, Novacek had never gotten past the third round. Despite his height at 6-foot-3 he towered eight inches over Yzaga the 56th-ranked Novacek's style is best on clay, and hardcourts have rarely been kind to him. "It was the dream destination to break the quarterfinals of the Grand Slams, and I am endlessly happy that I did it today," Novacek said. "I won 13 tournaments.

I have been playing Davis Cup. I have been playing Master. I have been playing everything basically that exists in tennis, but I never went to play semifinal of Grand Slams." ward Danny Manning signed a one-year, $1 million contract with Phoenix, accepting 20 percent of his market value to join one of the NBA's highest-profile fered $5 million a year for seven years," Colangelo sail This is so unique and so refreshing, and 111 repeat what I said earlier I think it's something that should be championed by the league. Here's a classic case of a player who yearns to be with a winner, with an organization that he's respected." Manning fits into the salary slot of Mark West who was traded to Detroit Manning had said this summer he would sign for whatever the Suns could offer under the salary Manning made Wi.c-a last year, ending the season with Atlanta after a trade that sent Dominique Wilkins to the Los Angeles Clippers. E3 El President Suns Colangelo Manning Jerry announced the signing Thursday and said the action by an established star was unprecedented in his experience.

"The speculation is that he was of-.