The Lincoln Star from Lincoln, Nebraska • 9

Monday, August 29, 1994 The Uncoln Page 9 ran am a West Vi Frazier, Phillips 4 offense spark if -tJ- win UJ time on the booming punts of Todd Sauerbrun. The Mountaineers managed less than 1.8 yards per play, and that included a 14-play, 79-yard yard drive to the Nebraska 1-yard line with 2 12 left in the game. Frazier ran for three touchdowns, passed for another and came up with 100 yards passing and 130 yards rush-. ing to earn the game's Most Valuable Player award. West Virginia saw 14 plays fall for 72 yards in losses and had just 22 plays for more than 2 yards.

"I don't know that the result was a lot different than it was in the Orange Bowl in terms of what was expected from Florida State on New Year's Day," said Nebraska linebacker coach Kevin Steele, referring to Nebraska's 18-16 loss to FSU in the na- tional title game last Jaa 1. "We could have called anything, and it would work because our guys were having fun, our offense kept them fresh, and the guys did it right" Nebraska was not perfect An almost sure touchdown pass to Clester Johnson ended up in the hands of West Virginia defensive back Harold Kidd at the Mountaineer 8-yard line with 7:39 left in the first quarter. Abdul Muhammad had what looked like another touchdown pass slip through his hands at the Mountaineer 14-yard line in the second quarter. And Nebraska's offense sputtered in the third quarter, with one drive ending on an interception and the next two on fumbles. Please turn to: NU, Page 10 Husker defense blanks Mountaineers Kickoff Classic.

By Ken Hambleton of The Lincoln Star EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ. -West Virginia's defense called a time out with 11:03 left in the first half. were on their knees, sucking deep breaths," Nebraska I-back Lawrence Phillips said. "Tommie Frazier talking in the huddle about how (his was the time to take the game." Nebraska did just that I plays after the timeout, Frazier scored on a 25-yard option around leftend. junior quarterback Scored on another run of 27 yards and hit Reggie Baul on a 12-yard touchdown pass before the end of the first half to boost the Cornhuskers to a 31-0 flattening of West Virginia on Sunday in the 12th annual Kickoff Classic at Giants Stadium.

Before the end of the game, Frazier tacked on a 42-yard touchdown run, and the Nebraska defense demolished and demoralized the West Virginia offense. While Frazier and Phillips earned the oohs and aahs of the crowd, the defense earned the praise from Nebraska Coach Tom Osborne. "I think we have a great defense," said Osborne. "In order to have a great team, you need to have a great defense." The Cornhusker defense made it seem as if half of West Virginia's time of possession was in the form of hang f' mmmA f- -7 Td KirkUncotn tMr Nebraska linebacker Doug Colman (right) dives for the ball after sacking West Virginia quarterback Eric Boykin and forcing a second-quarter fumble. Colman recovered at the Mountaineer 1 3, and Tommie Frazier threw a 1 2-yard pass to Reggie Baul two plays later for the Cornhuskers'.

second touchdown of the game. Husker outside linebacker Donta Jones is at left. Huskers' defense demoralizes Nehlen Scoring, Team Stats Nebraska 3 21 0 7 31 West Virginia 0 0 0 0 NU FG Tom Sieler 32 NU Tommie Frazier 25 run (Sieler kick) NU Reggie Baul 12 pass from Frazier (Sieler kick) NU Frazier 27 run (Sieler kick) NU Frazier 42 run (Sieler kick) Mike Babcock A 00,2.33 a Sports Columnist and Frazier threw two interceptions the first wasnt his fault; the second was a result of poor judgment forcing a pass. Such mistakes are to be expected in a first game, a fact that causes coaches considerable concern. Nebraska's mistakes were rendered inconsequential by its defense, which produced three turnovers and didn't allow West Virginia to capitalize on any of the five.

Defensively, the Cornhuskers also made mistakes, though, by their nature, they were less Obvious. For example, "we were Uned up in the secondary wrong a few times," McBride said. "There was some screaming and yelling (from the sideline)." Still most of the screaming and yelling came from the West Virginia sideline. Nebraska's defensive effort was consistent from beginning to end, with the reserves preserving a shutout by stopping a West Virginia drive that reached the Nebraska 2-yard line, first down, in the closing minutes. "The Mountaineers' final offensive play, on fourth-and-goal from the 9, was a pass intercepted by Sedric Collins in the end zone.

By then, it's safe to assume, Nehlen had decided he'd rather be elsewhere anywhere. quick defenses. v. In that context, what set last season's team apart, and enabled Nebraska to regain national respect eroded by seven consecutive bowl game losses, was defense. Just because that defense was extraordinary, there is no reason to assume this year's will be as good.

And it still might not be. We shouldn't conclude too much based on one game, no matter how impressive which Sunday's was), against an opponent of determinant strength. The West Virginia of 11 consecutive victories in 1993 was hot the West Virginia that Nebraska trashed on Sunday, as Nehlen was quick to point out Having acknowledged that however, this 1 defense well could be of the type and quality necessary for the Cornhuskers to have a shot at being voted a national championship. Nebraska's defense was as stifling as the weather 90 degree temperatures and high humidity, which took a toll on a West Virginia defense left defenseless by its own offense; "Our offense is our best defense when UVs rolling," Cornhusker defensive coordinator Charlie McBride said. i Nebraska lost three of four fumbles Sunday, EAST RUTHERFORD, N.

J. Don Nehlen seemed a bit testy late Sunday afternoon, as he answered reporters' questions in an interview area set up in the New York Jets' locker room at Giants Stadium in the Meadowlands. "Personally, I just want to get out of here," he said. Nehlen, no doubt was wondering why he had agreed to bring his West Virginia football team here to play in the 12th Kickoff Classic, what with two inexperienced quarterbacks and all Probably, the Mountaineers' head coach was irritable because the questions reminded him of his own mistake. Someone asked Nehlen if something positive could be found in a 31-0 loss against Nebraska.

"When we study the film, we're bound to learn something," he replied, providing absolutely no insight into what had happened to the Mountaineers. What West Virginia will learn, assuming it hasn't already, is that Nebraska's defense has national championship potential The Cornhuskers have speed and, it appears, sufficient depth on defense to make another run at a mythical national title. Not that Nehlen will care now, but Nebraska NU WV; 28 60-368 38-8' 100 468 89- 8-17-2 6-m 152 10 4-3 4-1 6-41 5-44 33:52 26:08 2-2 First downs Rushes-yards Passing yards Total yards Passing Return yards Punts Fumbtes-tost Penalties-yards Time of possession Third-down conversions Fourth-down conversions showed the makings of a defense comparable to last season's, which ranked among the best during Tom Osborne's tenure as head coach. Predicting the Cornhuskers will be strong offensively isn't that risky, with their experienced line and with Tommie Frazier at quarterback. In any given season, Nebraska can be expected to have an outstanding run-oriented offense.

On a graph of recent seasons, there would be no offensive lows. Some Cornhusker offenses have been better than others. But they've never really been mediocre, even though they might have seemed so when matched against exceptionally athletic and Frazier expected more from himself Page 10 Husker defense feels at home Page It PBA Tiger's reaction tells the tale Toy pro Abbqud for sml out ces DOmahan edges NFL teams but three ex-Huskers From The Associated Press Former University of Nebraska defenders John Parrella, Jimmy Williams and John Reece were among the casualties Sunday as NFL teams cut their rosters to the 53-man limit Buffalo waived nose tackle Parrel-la, the Bills' second-round pick in the "1993 draft Parrellaa Grand Island native tak- Kansas bowler for regional title. -V. By Steve Sipple Straub finishes third MUNDELEIN, III Lincoln's I Kim Straub finished third Sun-: day at the Mundelein Midwest Open, a regional stop on the Ladies' Pro Bowlers Tour.

Straub finished with 5,181 pins for 24 games and earned $625. Winner Aleta Sill of Detroit fin-' ished with 5,735 pins. ing up a $435,000 -i i V- 5' i salary cap slot was cut instead of Ed Philion, an un-drafted free agent out of Ferris State. Philion was selected Uth overall by Calgary in the CFL's 1994 draft "It's touch to when he went 7-L V'- However, Abboud was surprised hV won the event, in part because hjs-practice has been limited since he' and Doug Laird opened a pro shop Bowlers' Choice on July 18 in north-west Omaha. Abboud said he plans td -sharply reduce his time on the PBA; national tour and devote most of his attention to the pro shop.

'Thirty weeks a year on the road is' brutal," said Abboud, who teamed with Teata Semiz for a PBA national tour doubles crown. Sunday, Abboud earned $200 for the victory. 1 Glass, who performs economic re search at the University of Kansas, took home $1,400 for second. He said he switched to his "cheapo, ball" a Brunswick Extreme for his final five games of match play. He' averaged around 240.

during his late run, topped by a 278 game. "It doesnt hook much; it just goes' dead straight" he said. He said be switched to it "because I wasn't reading the lanes very welL" NOTES: McGerr bowled his 27th career 300 during match play. 1 Dennis Phillips Jr, an 11th-grader at Lincoln East won the adult pro-am a nine-pin no-tap event with a 1,649 total He had a 752 series and added 132 handicap pins and 765 more from the pros. "I really didnt think I'd do thai well," said Phillips, whose father finished 12th in the PBA regional of The Lincoln Star After opening with Ave straight spares, Omaha's Rich Abboud had a realistic outlook about his chances to capture the title match in the PBA Midwestern Regional Sunday at Sun Valley Lanes.

ul was thinking that if I struck out I'd have, at best a mediocre chance of winning," said the 34-year-old Abboud, a five-year veteran of the PBA's national tour. Abboud gave himself a chance to beat Bob Glass of Lawrence, Kart, by recording strikes on his final seven shots in a 245-243 victory, which gave Abboud his fourth career PBA regional crown. After Abboud finished his 245, Glass needed a strike on his first ball of the 10th frame. He nailed it He then needed to knock down at least nine pins and pick up the spare to win. But Glass, using a $50 bottom-of-the-line Brunswick ball, left the 6-7 split and missed the spare when his final shot went right of the 6-pin, leaving both pins standing.

Glass, who splits his time between the PBA's Midwestern and Southwest regions, felt little consolation in winding up second. "No, I'm not happy." he said. "But then again, I havent made the finals in this region since last fall IVe been drilled in this region." After 16 games of match play, Glass was the fifth and final qualifier for the stepladder finals. In the step-: ladders, he beat No. 4 qualifier Bryan O'Keefe of Lincoln 231-212 in the first match before topping No.

3 Kevin McGerr of Lincoln 215-194. Glass beat No. 2 Mark Zamora of Omaha 220-205 for the right to face Abboud, who caught fire Sunday after struggling some during Saturday's 10 games of qualifying. He finished Saturday with a 160 game and was the -15th of 16 qualifiers for Sunday's match play. But he went 12-4 and averaged 233 in match play to qualify in the top spot for the stepladder finals.

"I'm shocked I won this," Abboud said. "But I had a lot better shot today. (Saturday), I had a good shot sporadically. Today, there was a little more oil (on the lanes), and I had great reaction." That was particularly true during his final eight games of match play. Parrella cut one guy, let alone seven or 20," said Bills Coach Marv Levy, whose team waived even players Sunday to get done to the limit "One, you want to be fair.

Two, you dont want to tell somebody who has worked hard. And three, you can never be absolutely certain that you're right "Other than that it's a lot of fun." Linebacker Williams, who spent most of his pro career with Detroit was released by Tampa Bay one week before the start of what would have been his 13th season in the NFL Williams, a first-round pick of Detroit in 1982, played for the Lions from 1982-90. He spent the latter part of the 1990 season and 1991 with Minnesota before being acquired by the Buccaneers in 1992. Indianapolis cut rookie defensive back Reece, who was drafted by Arizona in the fourth round this year. The Cardinals cut Reece last week, and the Colts had invited him to camp.

Rams release Gary Page 12 Salem; eliminates Nebraska Sports Legion team' mm- I wm 111,11 m.iw'0 PtHif Tiger Woods reacts to sinking a putt Sunday during the 36-hole final of the U.S. Amateur Golf Championship at Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. The 18-year-old Woods defeated Trip Kuehne 2-up to become the youngest winner of the 94-year-old event. Story, Page 14. BOYERTOWN, Pa.

(AP) Todd Bramble hit a two-run home run in the third inning Sunday as Salem, Ore, defeated Omaha Nebraska Sports 5-1 in an elimination game at the American Legion World Series. Nebraska Sports, a team consisting of Omaha Northwest baseball players, got its only run when Brian Blessie homered in the sixth inning. The Omaha ns went 1-2 at the double-elimination tournament to finish the season with a 4t record of 59-4. Salem starter Josh Lokan improved his record to 11-0, going eight innings against Nebraska Sports. Ben Long pitched a scoreless ninth for the winners, who advanced to a game Monday against Chino, Calif.

It was the second day in a row that Nebraska-Sports scored just once. That was enough Saturday when Drue Council pitched a two-hit shutout vs. Russellville," Ark. a ca Jl.