Lincoln Journal Star from Lincoln, Nebraska • 32

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 31. 1 993 LINCOLN JOURNAL-STAR 3HUSKERS 4 I A' rT, i- 2 a) t'i, tO iU SjP4 I Jr. I --if RANDY HAMPTONLINCOLN JOURNAL-STAR Colorado's Rashaan Salaam (19) gets a handful of Nebraska defensive back Tyrone Williams' face mask on a 7-yard gain in the second quarter. Salaam rushed for 1 65 yards in the game. LOR m.

IAN OOREMUSUNCOLN JOURNAL-STAR Nebraska l-back Calvin Jones (44) braces himself as he returns to earth after leaping across the goal line for his second touchdown in the first quarter. Jones scored on a 10-yard run with blocking help from teammates Clester Johnson (33 and Lance Lundberg (77). Alberts' praise is no comfort to CU 5 BY CURT MCKEEVER Lincoln Journal-Star Stewart says Buffs must share blame for loss ft- AMi T- BY KEN HAMBLETON Lincoln Journal-Star BOULDER, Colo. Even though he completed just 8 of 28 passes and threw three interceptions. Colorado quarterback Kordell Stewart said there was plenty of blame to go around Saturday for the Buffaloes' 21-17 loss to Nebraska.

"We all made mistakes; mine show up more," he said. "I tried to do a lot of things, and I misfired a couple of times." to. 9 knew pressure was coming from behind me," Stewart said. "I saw the tight end over the middle, but I didn't see the DB (defensive back John Reece) on his hip. "It's just one of those bad days, I guess." Colorado Coach Bill McCartney shared the blame.

He went into the CU showers to console Stewart after the game. "That's a class guy that will come in there and tell you to keep your head up and that good things are coming my way," Stewart said. "What else can you ask of a coach?" McCartney said he was puzzled by Stewart's worst passing day of his career. "I thought about putting Vance Joseph in, but I also realized that Kordell is capable of snapping out of it," McCartney said. "He's got tremendous talent, and he's capable of bringing you back.

So I left him in there." Stewart hit just three of his first 21 passes. He said his biggest mistake was Kordell Stewart guessing that tight end Christian Fauria was open at the Nebraska 30-yard line with 1 :21 left. "All our receivers were on a streak downfield, and I BOULDER, Colo. Colorado takes no comfort in being what Nebraska outside linebacker Trev Alberts called the best 4-3-1 college football team in the country. "I couldn't be more disappointed," Coach Bill McCartney said after Saturday's 21-17 loss to the Cornhusk-ers.

McCartney didn't need to elaborate any further. For the fourth time this season, the Buffaloes had a chance to win in the final minutes. For the fourth time, they lost. "Our offense just didn't come through," said tailback Rashaan Salaam, who did his part by rushing for a career-best 165 yards. "These last-minute games sum up our season." Despite its record the result of having lost games to Stanford and Miami by a combined total of 10 points Colorado entered Saturday's contest in position to move into the driver's seat for a Big Eight Conference championship and Orange Bowl berth.

In all likelihood, those hopes ended when Nebraska's John Reece intercepted a pass by Kordell Stewart at the NU 30-yard line with 1:21 left in the game. It was the Cornhuskers' third pickoff of the contest "Compared to Kansas State (which tied CU 16-16 a week earlier), they did a lot of different stuff, both in their secondary and their interior," said Colorado wide receiver Charles Johnson. "They had their safety help out on passes, and they put three DBs on 1 i me and (Michael) Westbrook when we were on the same side." Johnson, whose reception average was 100.4 yards per game, caught four passes for 65 yards. Westbrook was held without a catch for the first time in 20 games dating back to 1991. Even Salaam said he could have had a more productive game.

"The offensive line was giving me big holes, but the Nebraska defense was good," he said. "They wouldn't allow us to get it into the end zone. Their linebackers worked real fast to cover both sidelines." Colorado's defense was stingy after the first quarter. During that opening 15 minutes, however, they gave up all of Nebraska's points. Statistically, that represented the Buffaloes' worst opening quarter since they gave up 21 to Notre Dame in 1984.

"We didn't want them to get out fast today, but that's exactly what happened," said linebacker Ted Johnson. "The early scores put the momentum in their hands, and we had to play catch-up the whole day." For a while, it looked as though the Buffaloes would get that accomplished. Because of the defense's play in the final three quarters, they at least had a chance. But Stewart's final interception brought about a horrifying preface to Halloween in Boulder. "This was a big game, and we didn't come through," Salaam said.

Added outside linebacker Ron Woolfork: "It's real tough to stomach. It just didn't happen today." Colorado, tied with Kansas State for second in the conference, plays next at Oklahoma State. Then the Buffaloes play host to Kansas before ending their regular season at Iowa State. "We stayed together as a team," cornerback Dennis Collier said. "It's just not the boat we want to be in." Added Johnson: "There's a lot of pride on our team.

From here on out, wejusthave to win." i 5 i i a ASSOCIATED PRESS Nebraska's Corey Dixon (2) breaks away from CU punter Mitch Ber-ger on a 68-yard punt return that set up NU's first score. if' ,0 N-w 4 l-- AW- .4" JfVVLi 1 i iSA. 'r I '4 1 v-c- r'N EL it 1 '( 'ill i I OlMnV UAIifiTDIkiii lurni TED KIRKUNCOLN JOUflNAL-STAH Colorado's Shannon Clavelle (92) knocks the ball away from NU's Calvin Jones (44) In the first quarter. CU's Sam Rogers recovered the ball, setting up the Buffaloes' field goal. Colorado's Chris Hudson (47) gets high enough to get a hand on the second quarter field goal attempt by Nebraska kicker Byron Bennett (13) CU's Darius Holland (93) and Kerry Hicks (94) also try to fight through NU's line.

Bennett's field goal landed to wide to the right In the end zone." I1 4 i O'.