Lincoln Journal Star from Lincoln, Nebraska • 39

SUNDAY, JANUARY 2, 1994 LINCOLN JOURNAL-STAR 35E ORANGE OOVLC 7 'TV' vut 7 li i 4 'tilk if Jl''- Nebraska defenders Terry Connealy (99), Troy Branch (54), Doug Colman (46) and Trev Alberts celebrate after a third quarter sack of Charlie Ward. Quarterback Frazier gives everything O-- yf'-if J' 1 i I v. 7, 1 Llj r.f ASSOCIATED PRESS Florida State kicker Scott Bentley (3) and holder Danny Kanell celebrate the go-ahead field goal with 21 seconds to play. That gave the Seminoles an 18-1 6 lead. Bentley happy? That's right on target 1 1 TED KIRKUNCOLN JOURNAL-STAR Charlie get sacked." Florida State quarterback Ward, the Heisman Trophy winner, was sacked five times, including three by Cornhusker outside linebacker Trev Alberts.

Seminole quarterbacks had been sacked only 10 times all season. "They put a lot of pressure on him," McCorvey said. "The receivers were breaking free, but they were in his face." "But we just didn't get the job done. He's a good quarterback. We're not taking anything away from Charlie Ward." Asked it Nebraska deserved a piece of the national championship, Alberts said: "I know I'm glad that I don't have to decide that kind of stuff.

There's three pretty darn good football teams, and on any given night Except maybe Jan. 1, 1994. "I play every play as hard as I can and at the end of the game I'm satisfied," Alberts said, "and I think most of the guys are satisfied because we all committed to each other that we were leaving everything on the field, and we did that. Certainly, there were some tears, but guys understand the idea of football is laying it on the line and giving everything you have evey play. "This is a great college football game.

I don't know how you could get a better national championship game." i -j nr TED KIRKUNCOLN JOURNALTAR An official gets between NU's Trev Alberts (34) and Florida State players William Floyd (44), Warrick Dunn (28) and Charlie Ward (17) during a minor argument in the second half. played well," Osborne said. bit after we got the one field goal. We "We felt like we were the fourth still had a chance at the end. quarter team all year long, and we felt we tired them out a bit," Osborne "We got a shot at it and just didn't said.

"We just let them off the hook a make it." BY KEN HAMBLETON Lincoln Joumal-Star MIAMI Nebraska quarterback Tommie Frazier said there was nothing left. "I'm out of energy, and I'm out of everything else I ever had to give," said Frazier, who was named most valuable player of the game for Nebraska in Saturday's Orange Bowl. "We got in position to win. I thought we had it, and our kick was just a little off. "That's a team thing.

Nobody takes the blame, and nobody gives up now. We come back next year and get it going and play for the national championship here again." Frazier hit 13 of 24 passes for 206 yards and tied his season best for passing yards. He also rushed for 77 yards. "I was on my knees praying for Byron Bennett to make that last kick because there was nothing else I could do. I had done everything I could to get us to that point" Frazier said.

"I felt confident all game long, from the time we stepped on the field tht we could play with these guys, that they weren't supermen. "Coach Osborne said we played like champions, and I thought we did. Next time, we'll get the Osborne cited the fact his team lost Abdul Muhammed to sore ribs and Calvin Jones to a bruised shoulder as problems for the of fense. "We're pretty beat up, and we were hurting in there, so a lot of guys showed a lot of courage tonight and ORANGE BOWL NOTES Calvin Jones suffered what team trainers called a possible rotator cuff injury to his left shoulder in the second quarter. Jones, carried one play for one yard after being injured, but then left the game for good, gaining 28 yards on nine attempts.

i Wide receiver Abdul Muhammad i -c TED KIRKUNCOLN JOURNAL-STAR without a first-half touchdown since a 19-16 loss to Miami (played in the Orange Bowl) during the 1992 season. Saturday's crowd of 81,536 was an Orange Bowl record. The 1990 game between Colorado and Notre Dame drew the previous high. tT: ASSOCIATED PRES ASSOCIATED PRESS Trumane Bell is tackled bv Florida nusKers goi a Tinai cnance to win 1 1 i i i FSU's William Floyd (44) loses the ball after crossing the goal line in the third quarter. Many thought that Floyd had fumbled before crossing the line, but the Seminoles were awarded the touchdown, making the score 1 2-7 in the early moments of the second half.

fense. But just knowing we have Charlie Ward, that's what made the difference on the last drive. Nobody panicked." Though it didn't panic, "the offense sputtered all night," wide receiver Kez McCorvey said. "We were on the verge of making big plays. But our timing was just off.

"But I'm happy and thankful for the win. They had an unbelievable pass rush. This was the most I've seen J- JOURNAL-STAR WRITERS MIAMI Scott Bentley was, predictably, happy. "I feel great," he said after kicking an Orange Bowl record-tying four field goals, including the game-winner from 22 yards out with 21 seconds remaining as Florida State edged Nebraska 18-16 Saturday night. "Danny Kanell (his holder) said, You better jump in my arms because I know you're going to make said Bentley, a freshman from Aurora, Colo.

"I just gave him a big smile, and I was very confident "All year, people said I wasnt a pressure kicker. But I knew that if the Lord gave me the chance, I'd make it." And he did. "We did what it took to win," Florida State outside linebacker Derrick Brooks said. "Our offense struggled but did enough to win. We don't plan on sharing anything.

We beat the No. 1 team, and we're the national champions." Seminole wide receiver Matt Frier echoed Brooks. "We beat the No. 1 team in the nation," he said, "and we deserve to be the national champions." Florida State's powerful offense had problems against a fired-up Nebraska defense. Frier said the layoff after the end of the regular season contributed to that.

"It's been a month since we've played," Frier said. 'That played a big part with the timing of our of- Alberts says BY CURT MCKEEVER Lincoln Journal-Star MIAMI Nebraska outside linebacker had a hard time controlling his emotions following Saturday's 18-16 Orange Bowl loss to Florida State. In particular, the Cornhuskers' But-kus Award winner was uncharacteristically upset over the way he, and his teammates were treated by the Big East Conference officials who worked the contest. "I feel like a champion because we gave our all. We played a great game, and I won't take anything away from Florida State.

They've got a great team, a great quarterback and a fine program," Alberts said. But "nothing was in our favor today, and it's amazing. "The officials, to me, seemed like and I'm not the type of person to (sound off), but honestly they were the worst I've ever seen in my life. You guys can't all see it, but every time we touched (FSU quarterback) Charlie Ward we were getting also injured his ribs while trying to catch a pass from Jones on the second play of the second quarter. He also did not return to action.

Linebacker Lorenzo Brinkley broke his right arm in the fourth quarter. Florida State had not been held 1 Jt Huskers got no breaks screamed at. It seemed like they wanted to protect him real bad for the basketball season. I don't know what it was, but he was like their little baby out there. That's part of the deal, I guess." Nebraska was penalized 11 times for 115 yards, including one that cost the Cornhuskers a first-quarter touchdown on a 71-yard punt return.

Florida State was flagged 10 times for 69 yards. "They were just ridiculous officials that had no common sense," Alberts said. "They didn't get one holding call, they fumbled in the end zone that one play. It wore on me." Particularly hard for Alberts was Florida State's final drive, a 60-yarder that netted the Seminoles a game-winning 22-yard field goal "As with any last drive, you're always concerned about giving up the big play, and I think sometimes that can be your worst nightmare. Instead of doing what got you there, instead of blitzing and those sort of things, you tend to lay back a little," Alberts said.

In this photograph taken from NBC's television signal, Nebraska's o. r-N dmim im 11 oiaio LciiiL-r Diuura iu; wmi uiw oowiiu itimcjHiiiiy in me game, me the game, but Byron Bennett's 45-yard field goal missed..