Lincoln Journal Star from Lincoln, Nebraska • 30

6DE 1 HUSKERS NOVEMBER 29. 1987 SUNDAY JOURNAL-STAB Clock strikes 12 on Cornhiiskers Virgil Parker Columnist BOULDER, Colo. As it turned out, Nebraska's snafu at the end of the first half of its game against Colorado Saturday didnt matter. But the Huskers lost an opportunity to score another touchdown and take a 17-0 lead by not knowing a basic rule. When a penalty is called after a running play, the clock is stopped.

But, after the penalty is accepted and the yardage stepped off, the referee is supposed to start the clock. Obviously, if a penalty is called on a incomplete pass play, after which the clock would be stopped penalty or not it isnt started until the ball is snapped. This is more of an explanation of what happened than an attempt to assess blame. But, any way you cut it, somebody should have known the rule and called time out as soon as a penalty was called against Colorado (with 11 seconds remain-tag before halftime). Ifthat had been done, the full 11 seconds would have remained and the clock wouldn't have started until the ball was snapped.

That would have left plenty of time for two more plays, since Nebraska would still have had one more timeout if the first play had failed (as it did). Instead, the half ended with Nebraska having two timeouts remaining and no additional points. Could have been disaster It didnt affect the outcome Nebraska won 24-7. But it could have. And, a similar situation might arise sometime in the future.

Here's what happened: 1 Nebraska started the drive at the Colorado 46-yard line following Mark Blazek's interception of a CU pass. A little less than three minutes remained before seconds left when the ball was snapped. By the time the play was over Taylor was stopped short of the goal line it looked like one second was left when the Huskers started frantically signaling for a timeout But, of course, (especially with a home field timer) time ran out Nebraska Coach Tom Osborne said he "didnt realize they were going to start the clock after the penalty." Even though the referees did, Osborne felt there were "seven or eight seconds left when we snapped the ban." Osborne didnt think the last play took more than a maximum of four seconds, thus leaving plenty of time for a timeout Regardless, let's hope a lesson was learned. Win an emotional lift Almost more important than the victory and the resulting 10-1 record Nebraska win take into the Fiesta Bowl, is the mental and emotional lift the win will give the Huskers. Instead of trying to get ready for 10-1 Florida State after a disappointing loss to Oklahoma, the Huskers win be riding the crest of a victory with a much-improved frame of mind.

Big Red fans who still hope for a national championship now need four things to happen. First, South Carolina must beat Miami next week. Then the Hurricanes need to bounce back and beat Oklahoma in the Orange BowL Third, Syracuse must lose to Auburn in the Sugar BowL Nebraska would then have to post a convincing win over Florida State. It's a long shot The last of the four requirements, could be the toughest Florida State1 may have the best team in the nation. But the dream continues.

After one first down, less than a minute was left on the clock. Then came the "Bouncerooksy" a cross-the-field lateral from quarterback Steve Taylor to wingback Richard BelL The lateral was intentionally bounced off the turf. The Colorado defenders, who were supposed to quit pursing after the failed to do so. So Bell, who intended to throw a pass, instead had to run with the balL Reversing his field, Bell gained 18 yards to the CU 5. Taylor kept the ball on the next play and was forced out of bounds at the 1.

That stopped the clock with 14 seconds Although Keith Jones was held for no gain' on the next play, Colorado was called for being offside. The clock showed 11 seconds left when the officials marked off the half-yard penalty half the distance to the goal line. Referee started the clock Correctly, once the ball was positioned and ready for play, the referee started the clock. As the seconds ticked down, Taylor was barking out signals. Press box observers agreed there was just five Jones game-by-game Nebraska assistant John Melton (right) debates with an official? after time ran out on the Huskers in the first half.

i Cornhusker notes and quotes Opponent Att. Yds. TD Utah State 18 118 3 UCLA 6 18 0 Arizona State 17 T45 1 South Carolina 25 129 2 Kansas did not play Oklahoma State 21 115 2 Kansas State 8 41 0 Missouri 19 84 0 Iowa State 15 240 2 Oklahoma 15 94 1 Colorado 26 248 2 Totals 170 1,232 .13 Top rushing games Plover Yds. Opponent Yr. Mike Rozler 285 Kansas 83 Richard Berns 255 Missouri 78 I.M.

Hipp 254 Indiana 82 Mike Rozier 251 Okla. St. 82 Keith Jones 248 Colorado 87 wingback raced back to the left sidef; the field for an 18-yard gain. "My main concern was controlling tfie baU. When I saw the Colorado come up, I danced awhile," he said.

"Bev cause I was a quarterback, I'm used to" having things like that happen. I guess kind of panicked in that I didn't throw the baU, but I didn't want to turn. over." Chris Drennan's 50-yard field goal in the second quarter was a career best1 The longest he'd hit before Saturday was, a pair of 43-yard kicks earner thislseaP son. "I noticed in warmups that the ban traveled a long way," he said. "I kiew the distance wouldn't be a problem 4 knew I could get it there.

But theac curacy was the key." Drennan also finished the regular se, a -son with a perfect mark kicking extra From pagcID Jones I -P. 'fl', 'f ff, X. LP t) TV'--. ff''- y'S ') yp" if '''3 4 I points he converted 53 of 53 this year, i Rod Smith said Nebraska players had a difficult week because the Huskers and NU fans had pinned so much importance to the Oklahoma game. "But we knew we couldn't do that here because we came in flat last year and they beat us," he said.

"We showed a lot of character." Smith started and played through the third quarter despite a bruised leg which had appeared serious enough to keep him from playing. "If it had been anybody but Colorado, I probably wouldn't have taken the chance and played. But I wanted to play and make a difference in the game," said the Colorado native. "I dont know if I made a difference, but at least I made itout there." 1 Defensive coordinator Charlie McBride said that Colorado probably wasn't affected by the loss of quarterback Sal Aunese, who separated his right shoulder last week. "(Mark) Hatcher beat us last year.

We had trouble with him ducking behind the fullback with the ball," he said. "We thought if we shut down their inside game, we could win. We didn't shut it down they hammered us for awhile butweslowedit "With the wishbone, you cant let them get a big play and get the momentum with the crowd." 1 The crowd wasn't quite what McBride expected. "At the end, you could see them (the Colorado team) going in the tank and the crowd didn't stay behind them," he said. "They said it was a seUout, but I saw a lot of empty seats.

I guess they were holding back tickets." Richard Bell said his experience as a quarterback kept him from pushing the panic button when the "bounceroo-sky" didn't work quite as planned. With time running out at the end of the first half, quarterback Steve Taylor rolled to his left and bounced the ball to Bell, who was then supposed to pass the baU. But a Colorado defender was storming in on Bell, so the sophomore 1 In addition to becoming the nintiV rusher at NU and moving into third on the career rushing list Keith Jones also moved into third place on the Nebraska career scoring list (188 points) and into fourth on the career touchdown list (31). His 248-yard performance' the second 200-plus day of his career. (240 against Iowa State this year) and was the fifth highest in Nebraska history.

said. "You cant let up because you dont know when hell need you. Keith used us well today and he ran as weU as he ever has." But it wasn't that run, or his 44-yard touchdown run, that stuck in Jones' mind after the game. Instead, it was a 13-yard gain he made when Nebraska was facing fourth-and-2 at the Colorado 22-yard line. "An iso was called, but the linebacker blitzed and stuffed up the fullback and I got stuck a little," he said.

"One of the. defenders had me by the facemask, so I just spun out and headed the other way. That run sticks out because it gave the. team new incentive and kept the drive going." Two plays later, quarterback Steve Taylor scored from the 5. Jones was' surprised that he carried the ban 26 times.

The coaches had told the team the game plan would be the isolation plays, pitches and other plays that had been the Cornhuskers' bread and butter this year. "Coach (Tom) Osborne told us 'Don't leave the field wishing you had played We just wanted to give 100 percent and be exhausted when it was over," Jones said. "Last week, that wasn't us out there (in a 17-7 loss to Oklahoma). We didn't do what we did all year. I wish we could have that game back to do over, but we can't It's history.

"So we had to come out and stick it to Colorado because this was their bowl game." IS Strong safety Brian Washington watched the second half from the side line, in street clothes, after suffering hyperextended knee near the end of the. first half. According to George Ne-braska's head trainer and physical therapist, Washington's injury was Nfts-braska's most serious. Quarterback Steve Taylor missed a few minutes; early in the game with a twisted ankle. Middle guard Lawrence Pete and I-back.

Keith Jones also played with ankle lh2 juries, neither of which was considere NU l-back Keith Jones breaks the tackle of Colorado linebacker Eric McCarty on a 50-yard touchdown run early in the third quarter. nur II ii ii i iniiiiiii mmmmmmmmmimmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmi ym" i wiiiuinui. ui ymmmni. in i in iivip i noimiiK i I imriiiaiiMifiifrr" mtmmmmmmmmmimimmmmmmmmmmmmmi Nebraska safety Mark Blazek (23) makes an open-field tackle of CU quarterback Mark Hatcher (6) in the second quarter. A Nebraska) fan is removed from Folsom Field toy a Colorado University policeman.