The Lincoln Star from Lincoln, Nebraska • 11

nw yw I Monday, August 29, 1994 KICKOrF CLASSIC 61 4 f'i i the end zone for Nebraska's first touchdown. J1 4 Tommie Frazier (1 5) beats West V'" sin 'w v. III fffV I I 1 Si? -V, The Lincoln Star Page 11. hell," Peter said. "Plus, we've got those outside guys and the ones be-' hind us.

Any time we get burned, we've got studs like Colman back there waiting to drop the Added Osborne, "We tried to show them a lot of pictures, and I think our defensive people did a good job of mixing it up. The interior of our defensive line will be stronger this year." Speed is the reason. In 1983, Ne-. braska beat Penn State 44-6 in the inagural Kickoff Classic. "We played Penn State with one de? fense," defensive coordinator Charlie McBride said.

"This team's different You can make some but with speed you can make up for them." WEST VIRGINIA guard Tom Rob-sock, one of three returning offensive starters for the Mountaineers, was' too busy to notice mistakes by the Cornhuskers. "They were bringing guys off the corners and just messing us up," he said. "We couldnt block some of the. guys, and they made some great plays. They were a great team.

I have to compliment Coach Osborne for how well-prepared they were. I think man-for-man we could hang with them, but as far as taking care of the schemes, they did, they were a little bit ahead of us for this point in the season." Nebraska's defense prepared for Sunday's game not knowing what to expect from Johnston and Boykin. -Johnston was the Mountaineers' No. 3. quarterback last year, while Boykin, a transfer from Michigan, had never taken a varsity snap.

"We thought we could put pressure on them early, but we thought they, would run more to keep the pressure off them," said outside linebacker Grant Wistrom, the only true freslK man to play for the Cornhuskers. Nebraska held tailback Robert Walker to 46 yards rushing on 12. carries. Last year, Walker had seven 100-yard efforts while setting West Virginia's single-season record of 1,250 yards. Sunday's result was Nebraska's first shutout in two seasons.

West VTr- ginia hadnt been blanked since 1986. "We showed people what pur de- fense is about" Peter saicL' "We're! ready to go now not-that we. werent ready before." 4 Virginia's Aaron Beasley (32) to AMocioMd Prtn a sn i rf 4 i. Nondv HonwtmUncoln Star Nebraska safety Sedric Collins (1 7) leaps into the arms of Clinton Childs after a goal-line stand in the fourth quarter. Defense sets records in stifling Mountaineers yvesx Virginia i oaa dauerorun punrs in tnewira quaner.

RyMooip)ouocinnor Including one 90-yarder. Sauerbrun averaged 60.1 yards Nebraska's Ed Stewart (right) tackles West Virginia quarterback on nine punts, in setting three Kickoff Classic records. Chad Johnston (8) on a third-quarter draw play. Td klrkLlncoln Star rr'c Randy HomptonLtncom TM KlrVUnraM tNV to show support. A 1 New Jersey natives Peter, Colman help Huskers to shutout.

By Curt McKeever of The Lincoln Star EAST RUTHERFORD, J. Not perfection but pretty close to it "I think they got a first down," Nebraska defensive tackle Christian Peter said after the Cornhuskers crunched West Virginia 31-0 Sunday in Kickoff Classic XIL "We didnt hold them to zero yards, either." No, but the play of Nebraska's defense did lead to these Kickoff Classic records: Fewest total offensive yards by a team (89). Fewest first downs by a team (nine). Fewest rushing first downs by a team (three). And most punts by a team (nine).

"It's just one game. It could've been a fluke, I dont know," Peter said without cracking a smile. "We're proud, but it's just one game." It's one that West Virginia will want to forget The Mountaineers' offense, guided by untested quarterbacks Chad Johnston and Eric Boykin, ran the ball 38 times. Of those, li went for negative yardage. NITS DEFENSIVE aggression also deflated West Virginia's passing game.

Johnston and Boykin combined to hit just six of 19 passes, including a pair of interceptions, for 81 yards. They were sacked eight times and rarely had the luxury of being able to stand in the pocket and look for receivers. "I'm not saying their quarterbacks didnt play very well I don't know," NU Coach Tom Osborne said. "They didnt have' much chance today. Our defensive front was dominant" Peter, a junior from Locust NJ, making his first start for the Cornhuskers, led the way.

He finished with a career-high seven tackles, two of which went for losses, and had 2Vi sacks. Behind him, middle linebacker Doug Colman, a junior from Ventnor, also making his first start at NU, recorded eight tackles and on one play had a sack and a fumble recovery. "We just go out there and give it 7" NU Coach Tom Osborne (center) gives his special teams instructions before the opening kickoff. i a2 1a yf A 0 VAGO With temperatures on the field tM KirtLlnCTtii IW above 100 degrees. West Virginia fans still painted their bodies.