Lincoln Journal Star from Lincoln, Nebraska • 46

HUSKERS SUNDAY, OCTOBER 16, 1994 LINCOLN JOURNAL-STAR 4E Disappointed Kansas State still waiting MVS "Aid 1 nivii Cjr Mfiv BY KEN HAMBLETON Uneoln Joumat-Star MANHATTAN, Kaa Kansas State was left waiting another year for a shot at ending Nebraska's win streak against the Wildcats. K-State hasnt won in the last 26 games against the Cornhuskers, but getting closer all the time. "I think with Chad May in there and Tommie Frazier out of there, they're real close," Nebraska Coach Tom Osborne said Saturday after his team's victory. "Coming down here, I Wasnt sure that they weren't better. I think they can beat anybody left on their schedule." That may or may not ease the pain for the Wildcats, according to K-State Coach Bill Snyder.

"We cant Uck our wounds because we only have six or seven days and have to do it again," he said. K-State plays at Colorado Saturday. have a feeling that Monday will be painful for our youngsters," Snyder Said. "Our team put a great deal of emphasis on this game. I thought we were capable of winning it, and so did bur players.

We made a great invest- i -iJi j' 1 I ISA win, but It didnt turn out that way. Everybody is kind of upset" May said Nebraska's pass rush was important to slowing the Wildcats. ''Sometimes I couldnt see where I was throwing the ball," he said. "I dont want to make excuses, but there was a few times when the ball was slipping out of my hand. I had some-guys open, but the ball slipped." KSU receiver Mitch Running, who grabbed a 29-yard touchdown pass and four other passes for 50 more yards, said Nebraska was better prepared this year.

May threw for 489 yards against NU last year. "Last year, they werent ready for us, and they didnt think we could beat them deep," Running said. "This year, they played more relaxed and more loose, and they weren't going to give up those big plays." Snyder echoed that assessment "We have moved the ball against Nebraska and made big plays in recent years but not today," Snyder said. "We had no big plays at all, and we needed them because we were working out of the shadow of our goal line." NU I-back takes licking, still ticking BY MIKE BABCOCK Lincoln Journal-Star MANHATTAN, Kan. Lawrence Phillips didnt catch the screen pass, near the end of the first half of Nebraska's 17-6 victory against Kansas State on Saturday.

But he got hit "The guy hit me with his helmet," said Phillips, whose left thumb absorbed most of the impact TED KWKrtJNCOLN JOURNAUSTAH KSU Coach Bill Snyder (right) makes a point by grabbing the jersey of tyson Schwieger. ment in emotion, work and attitude. yards oT total offense said he was "Itjustdidntpayoff." disappointed by the loss. KSU quarterback May, who threw "We're all hurt right- now," May for 249 yards KSU finished with 242 said. "We expected to come.

in and jBlack Shirts jsave day, again TED WRMJNCOLN JOURNAL-STAR K-State's Chris Canty (17) tries to intercept a pass intended for Husker Reggie Baul (7) late in the first half, but Baul reaches in to knock the ball away in the end zone. JBYCURTMCKEEVER Lincoln Journal-Star KU-KANSAS STATE NOTES t. -V 1 "ki pjrs sr. r. 5 i MANHATTAN, Kan.

Brenden Stai wasn't wondering which Nebraska defense would show up during the Corn- huskers' game against Kansas State Saturday. know our defense is one of the best in the country and when they have to play like that, they Ye going to play like that," the NU offensive guard said following Nebraska's 1 17-6 victory. "They saved our ass." What a difference a year makes. In 1993, Kansas State quarterback Chad May ripped the 'Cornhusker defense for a Big Eight-record 489 yards, Saturday, the Black Shirts forced the senior quarterback, Routed as a Heisman Trophy candidate, into a 22-for-48 passing performance that included his first interception of the season. i think he had some problems, at times, figuring out what we were running," said NU secondary coach George players gave a great effort.

They're tired 5 of hearing how bad they are." May also was sacked six times Saturday, one shy of his Jeason total entering the game. "I think we did a good job of keeping him in the pocket and making him look around a lot," said outside linebacker Pmta Jones. Linebacker Ed Stewart complimented the defensive poaches for their game plan. Darlington returned the fomment by saying Stewart played a big part in making it Iwork. '7- ,71 ill UrfwiMk.

li.tllltl'-TT' 4 I -s' ft Berringer downplayed his role in the outcome, stating "I was just getting in the huddle telling people what had to be done." He did, however, hook up with wingback Abdul Muhammad for a 34-yard pass on a second-and-14 play during Nebraska's game-clinching drive that was capped by Darin Er-stad's 24-yard field goal The play illustrated how much progress Berringer has made since he stepped in for the injured Tommie Frazier three weeks ago. 'y "Game by game, experience and repetition are what you need," said Berringer. "I feel like I've been starting for a long time. You just go out and get it done. We're not a one-man team." TED KIRIWJNCOLN JOURNAL-STAR NU comerback Barron Miles (14) breaks up a pass intended for K-State's Kevin Lockett (83).

Nebraska also got a boost when Troy Dumas leaped to block an extra-point kick by Martin Gramatica that would've tied the game 7-7 early in the second quarter. "That changes the tempo of the game a lot," Jones said, "because we knew if we kept them to six points we win the game." But the Cornhuskers still had to keep May in check. "I watched him warm up and I thought 'Holy I've never seen a guy throw fade routes 40 yards (so smoothly) one right after another." Jones said May was as good as advertised. Last year, "We really didnt know too much about Chad," he said. "We prepared more for the run." Saturday, it was May who was usually on the run.

"I think we screwed him up a little bit," Stewart said. Jones predicted the Wildcats would rebound. "They have a very good team," he said. "I think they're going to go undefeated the rest of the season." As long as its defense steps up like it did Saturday, Nebraska might stand a good chance of doing that too. "I think we've been improving every game and will continue to improve," Stewart said.

Two Nebraska player suffered injuries of note Saturday. I-back Lawrence Phillips jammed a thumb and reserve offensive tackle Steve Ott sustained a broken ankle. NU now has the nation's long-, est regular-season winning streak of 21 games. The Husker win ended KSU's 16-game home win string and was NU's third straight victory against a ranked opponent. NU Is 7-0 for the eighth time under Coach Tom Osborne.

KSU's minus 7 yards rushing was the 11th-best in history for a Nebraska defense. The NU offense had season-low totals of total yards, rushing yards, first downs, rushing attempts, pass attempts and pass completions. Matt Turman became the first walk-on quarterback to start at Nebraska since Travis Turner started in 1985 (although Turner had a scholarship by the time he started). Turman and Brook Berringer accounted for a season-low 67 yards of total offense by the quarterbacks. Osborne said he hopes Berringer Is back to fun strength this week.

"I called this game In such a way that unless something wrong happened, he wouldn't get hit I'm hoping he'll be sound enough to do all the elements of our offense next week. We were pretty handicapped today in the things we tried to do." Unoffically, 38 of Nebraska's 61 offensive plays were run in between the tackles. NU defensive tackle Terry Connealy: "I think we had Chad May flustered and a little shook up because of our coverage and our pressure. We kept pretty much the same stuff all game a four-man rush usually." Jeff Makovicka, on his first SCORING SUMMARY "I was most concerned that they would lock us into an offensive set we couldn't handle. Most of the times, they came out and matched a great receiver on Ed Stewart I jrould think that's the matchup they wanted That says alot about how well Ed Stewart played." Cornhuskers occasionally showed a defensive look that Darlington said "we couldn't have done in the history of Nebraska.

We didn't know about it 1 cant tell you where I got it v. They had a problem we fcouldnt handle, so we did a great deal of research." ts mm "xi tv. 1. 5 "A -il touchdown of the year on a 15-yarrJ trap play in the fourth quarter: "The play was sealed off perfect and all I had to deal with was the comer-backs. We have a line called the 'Pipeline' and they showed why.

"The traps worked for the fullbacks because they were concentrating on Lawrence Phillips getting the ball. We did a lot of learning because we were in a lot of situations we hadn't been in before with the quarterback situation and aD that was going on here." NU senior offensive tackle Zach Wiegert said the running plays through the middle set up the trap plays. "They were stacking up the middle after awhile and just like we always do, they take something away, and we find another answer. It's a real dilemma for a defense. We ran all those isolations and that opened up the other plays.

"That's a real pounding for a de-. fense and it's hard for those defensive linemen to recover." Will NU go back to No. Kansas State Coach Bill Snyder said he feels Nebraska should be on top of the ratings. "They miss (Tommie) Frazier but they're still a great, great football team," he said. "Until they get beat, they should be right up there and they deserve it." SCHEDULE Nebraska (7-0) Aug.

NU 31 West Virginia 0 Septt NU 42. Texas Tech 16 Sept 17 NU 49. UCIA 21 Sept 24 NU 70. Pacific 21 Oct 1 NU 42. Wyomng 32 Oct NU 32.

Oklahoma State 3 Samrdey NU 1 7, Kansas State 6 Oct 22 NU at Missouri, 1 p.m. Oct 2t Colorado at NU, TBA Nov. Kansas at NU, 1 p.m. Nov. 12 NU at Iowa State.

1 m. Nov. 25 NU at Oklahoma, 1 :30 p.m. Kansas State Offense Rushing No. Yds.

JJ.Srmth 14 29 Chad 9 -36 Passing No. Co. Yds Chad May 48 22 249 Ave. 2.1 4.0 PI 1 Yds. 29 79 78 44 Receiving No.

6 J.J. Smith Mitch Running Kevin Lockett Ron Brown Tyson Schwieger Punting Erie Hardy 5 Scott Collins 3 5 5" 3 3 Yds. 196 92 19 Ave. 39.2 30.7 Yds. Kick oft returns No.

Mike Lawrence 2 Ron Brown 1 Punt returns No. Mitch Rurrtng 3 Defense Tackles ut Chuck Marlowe 3 Tim Colston 4 DeShawn Fcgie 0 Percet Gaskma 3 Chris Canty 1 Steve 4 Joe Gordon 1 Kelly Greene 4 Nyle Wren 1 Dirk Ochs 1v- Laird Veatch 2 Matt McEwen 2 Dans! Harbert, 1 KirtjyHocutt 1 Ray 1 MikeEkeler 1 Jason Johnson 1 MattHemphi 0 51 21 Yds. 17 AT 13 8 8 4 6 2 4 0 3 3 1 0 1 0 0 .0 0 1 16 12 8 7 7 a 6 4 4 4 2 1 1 1 1 1 NOTE K-State had given up just seven sacxs tour games but gave up six aaiuroay. ii 1 NU simplifies attack, keeps Berringer healthy BY CURT MCKEEVER I kincoln Journal-Star "We came out with a good game plan and things worked out good," said Berringer, a junior from Good-land, Kan. "For a team to be successful, you've got to establish the running game before you can throw the ball.

"Lawrence is a great back. He showed a lot of heart, but the offensive line was knocking people back." Berringer, who started Nebraska's previous two games, gave way to Turman as the starter Saturday. Berringer entered late in the first half, when he threw two incomplete passes into the end zone, "I was ready to go," said Berringer, whose lung was X-rayed as late as Friday morning. "I knew as long as the game went OK, hopefully I wouldnt have to play in the first half." MANHATTAN, Kaa Brook Ber-Jtinger didnt care how Nebraska's 17-, 5 victory against Kansas State looked to those in KSU Stadium Saturday. With walk-on Matt Turman making tftis first start at quarterback, the 'Cornhuskers were conservative with Qieir passing game tl When Berringer came in, NU went leasy on the option game in order to improve the odds of preventing his jteft lung from collapsing for a third straight week.

That left a lot up to I-back Law-Irence Phillips, who responded with a tin-yard, one-touchdown effort on 31 carries. NU-KSU Howscored Time tall FIRST QUARTER 7-0 Lawrence Pnffllpa 2 run 6:12 Drive: 28 yards 6 plays. Set up by Tyrone Williams 14 return of short KSU punt. Mghighted by Phips 7. 6.

6, 2. 3 runs. Cowersicffi Oam Erstad kick. SECOND QUARTER 7-6 Mitch Running 29 pats from Chad May Drive: 62 yards in 5 plays. Highlighted by May 9 pass to J.J.

Smith, May 21 pass to Kevin Lockett. Conversion: kick blocked. FOURTH QUARTER 14-6 JeftMakovtckslSnm 1141 Drive: 75 yards in 11 plays. Highlighted by Brook Berringer 9 run, Phillips 4, 3. 10, 17, 3 runs, Makovicka 4 run.

Conversion: Erstad kick. 17-6 Erstad 24 fleM goal 1:32 Drive: 63 yards in 12 plays. Highlighted by Phillips 6 run, Makovicka 7, 15, 12 runs, Bemnger 34 pass to Abdul Muhammad. After the final play of the half, and after players from both teams had gone into their locker rooms, Phillips was taken from the sideline riding the back of a cart Then, while hie laammatoe listened to the ncePhiHips coaches map strategy for the second half, he went to a hospital for x-rays. There was no fracture, and he returned just after the second half started.

Midway through the third quarter, he was back in the lineup. The thumb was swollen, and it hurt, "but I didn't carry the ball in this hand," Phillips said, demonstrating. Well, maybe he did. But "once you're in the game, you don't really feel it (throbbing)," he said. Phillips was visibly angry following the injury but not necessarily because of it Rather, he was upset at himself.

"I didn't think I was finding what was there, I guess," he said. Phillips needn't have been so hard on himself, not after rushing for 117 yards and one touchdown against a defense stacked against him. The Wildcats expected him to get the ball, which he did 33 times, 31 by handoff or pitch and two by pass. As a result "they were loading up, stunting a lot," he said. Despite anticipating he would get the ball, Kansas State still had difficulty stopping him.

"Lawrence is amazing," said the Cornhuskers' Matt Turman, who started at quarterback and was responsible for getting Phillips the ball during the first half. "He's a great back," Turman said. "But you have to give a lot of credit to the men up front, too." As the game wore on, those men up front the offensive line, began to wear down Kansas State's defense. 'They always have a mentality that the fourth quarter is theirs," said Turman. "I could sense that feeling on the sideline." Brook Berringer was Nebraska's quarterback most of the second half.

Saturday was Turman's first start at Nebraska. Even so, "I was more nervous yesterday (Friday) than today," he said. "I was thinking about what needed to be done." What needed to be done was get the ball to Phillips, "a great player," Kansas State Coach Bill Snyder said. "He's pretty special, and he's got a lot of help. I dont think we played bad defensively.

Our defense played welL But Phillips kept fighting and made some plays." That all in a game work, said Phillips, who was asked if he had thought about possibly winning the Heisman Trophy. He now has rushed for 1,123 yards this season. Win the Heisman? No, Phillips said. "We're just trying to win games, and our quarterback is out" Because Tommie Frazier has been lost for the season, Phillips has become a more important part of the offense. But "I dont try to take everything into my own hands," he said.

By mid-afternoon Saturday, the thumb on one hand was hurting. PHILLIPS THE RUM Lawrence PhiHips' IV game-by-game rushing All Yds TD x-West Virginia 24 126 0 at Texas Tecti 19 175 2 UCLA 19 178 1 Pacific 9 138 1 Wyoming 27 168 3 Oklahoma State 33 221 3 at Kansas Stete 31 117 1 Total 1 .162 1123 11 Career 244 1621 1( ft Ka i it on as Huskers defeat Kansas State jNUDefense pours Continued from page IE INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS Nebraska Offense Rushing No. Yds. Ave. Lawrence 31 117 3.7 Jeff Makovicka 7 56 8 0 Cory Schlesinger 3 24 8.0 Matt Turman 4 10 2.5 Brook Berringer 2 5 2.5 Clinton ChUds 2 0 00 Damon 1 -2 Passing No.

Co. Yds PI Brook 7 2 37 0 Matt Turman 4 2 15 0 Receiving No. Yds. Lawrence 2 15 Abdul Muhammad. 1 34 Clinton ChUds.

1 3 Punting k. Yds. Ave. Darin 7 267 37.3 Kickott returns No. Yds.

2 '39 Punt returns No. Yds. Tyrone WHtiams 2 15 Karoom Moea. 1, 5 Interception returns No? Yds. Troy Dumas 1 54 Defense Tackles UT AT TT Ed 3 6 9 Dorrta 3 4 7 Troy Dumas 3 3 6 Christian 3 3 6 Tyrone Wittams 3 1 4 Barron Mtes 2 1 3 PriElis 2 1 ,3 Terry Connealy 12 3 Dwayne 1 2 3 Eric Stokes 1 2.

3 Grant Wistrom 2 0 2 Doug Colmen 1 1 2 Kareem Moss 112 Jason PesterfWd 1 1 2 Tony Veland 1 0 1 Jared Tomch 1 0 1 Ryan Terwrfcger 10 1 Darin Erstad 1 0 1 JonVedral 1 0 1 Jon Hesse 1,0 1 for-28 for 76 yards, and the Wildcats had just two plays in Nebraska territory. "Our defense really stepped it up," Osborne said. "This was physical-style football, and I was really pleased with the performance in the fourth quarter." May said the difference was in Nebraska's defense. "When they're pushing upfield and guys are in your face, it's kind of hard to throw," he said. "Sometimes I couldnt see where I was throwing the balL" May was sacked six times for 53 yards in losses.

But he said his toughest play was a quarterback sneak in the middle of the second quarter, when he had to can time out because his eye had been poked. "They tried to poke my May said. "I know because someone was reaching and starting digging with two fingers. They grabbed me in places you dont want to know." Some of those places May didnt want to be grabbed could have been 8 yards deep in the backfield while being chased by NU freshman Grant Wistrom on KSlfs first series. Or on a sack by NU linebacker Ed Stewart in the third quarter.

"Nebraska is still Nebraska, and K-State is still K-State," Stewart "There were a lot of times when they were throwing the ball and no one was there. I think we did fluster them a bit "And as we started playing better on defense, our offense started wearing them down." In the second half, Nebraska at- most doubled its offensive output and time of possession. "We wore them down, and in the second half the holes were getting bigger and the gains were getting longer," said Berringer, who didnt get into the game-'until the final 1:15 of the first half. He finished the second halt "It was pretty evident that we were the physical team," he said. "We ran up the middle because we had two phases of our offense on hold the option because they (the coaches and doctors) didnt want me to run it, and the passing because they didn't want me to take a big bit and it still worked." The extent of Nebraska's offensive variety was limited on purpose, Osborne said.

"Offensively, we were handicapped a bit in what we wanted to do, but we wanted to get Brook through the game without having that lung collapse again," he said. "We were holding our breath that he wouldnt get hit hard, and our offensive line did a great jobbf protecting him," Kansas State threw Nebraska for losses five times and held the Cornhuskers to less than half of their offensive average and just four pass completions. "You could tell our offense was going to do the job because they kept smashing everybody In front and we got that same old feeling we'd wear them down," said NU defensive, tackle Terry Connealy. "At the same time, on defense, we knew they had to pass to get the lead and all we had to do was pin our ears back and let it fly." Thereafter, Nebraska's defense held the Wildcats scoreless despite May's 249 yards passing on 22 completions and an edge of 20 more plays than the Cornhusker offense through third quarter. "We had no big plays at all, and we Ishot ourselves in the foot with near misses and penalties," K-State Coach rBill Snyder said.

"We werent domi-jiating because we couldn't get the, jjall off our end of the field. "Nebraska is a better team, and Jclose don't count" Nebraska broke the game open on a 15-yard touchdown run on a trap tplay by fullback Jeff Makovicka and ta 24-yard field goal by Erstad 10 niinutes later. "There was no doubt we'd win, but did know we'd be in a dogfight at t7-6," said Dumas, who also intercepted May in the second quarter. fWe just didn't have the breakdowns on defense, and our offense took over 'where we left off." I May hadn't thrown an interception 148 attempts a Big Eight record t-rCuntil Dumas stepped in front of a ipass over the middle at the Nebraska 7-y ard line and returned it 54 yards jo the KSU 29 with 1:43 left in the first alt didn't seem the same after that interception," Dumas said. Erstad missed a 35-yard field goal fter Dumas' interception.

Before the interception, May had completed 12 passes for 173 yards and teemed close to repeating his league-record 489-yard passing performance gainst the Cornhuskers last year. I After the interception. May was 10- r. 7j 0 a. ft 4..