The Columbus Telegram from Columbus, Nebraska • 9

Sunday, Sept. 19, 1999 Page IB yj Mwtm-w n-wf'wa Mgjfwwjj.iiijgiiMM fcifppM Huskers claim win in name only nm'' mi 0 outstanding defensive football team, but no one could've predicted the train wreck the Golden Eagles unleashed on the Husker offense. Nebraska gained 185 total yards, turned the ball over five times, and had as many punts as first downs (eight). The Husker defense (actually linebacker Julius Jackson) accounted for two of the team's three touchdowns. For Nebraska players, coaches, and fans all of whom are used to watching the Huskers win with offen By KYLE SCHURMAN Special to the Telegram LINCOLN When does a win feel almost like a loss? When it's Nebraska 20, Southern Mississippi 13.

When defensive players are the stars of the game both in scoring and preventing points. When the phrase "winning ugly doesn't do the game justice. Nos. 4 and 6 Nebraska may have remained undefeated by defeating Southern Miss 20- 13 at Memorial Stadium Saturday, but from the reactions of the offensive coaches and players, it was a win in name only. "I think team-wise, it was very frustrating," said I-back Dan Alexander, who led Nebraska with 54 rushing yards in his first start of the season, but who had two critical turnovers.

"More is expected from me, and more is expected from my team. I think we really let down our fans." Southern Miss (2-1) has an sive onslaughts Saturday's result was far from satisfying. "There's no question that we need to execute a lot better than we did today," Nebraska Coach Frank Solich said. "Some were just sloppy plays. Add up (five turnovers), and it's not going to look very pretty." It was ugly enough that Husker fans began booing late in the game as Nebraska looked inept while trying to run out the clock and protect its seven-point lead.

See NAME, Page 2B rn 3 uvi ft fc Ms Jackson gives Huskers punch A v. game for Craver, who tipped the pass that Jackson returned for a TD. Eagles coach Jeff Bower said his team was just a play or two away from an upset. "Lots of people will ask, What's wrong with Well, give us credit. We have a good team," Bower said.

Nebraska needed a big day from its defense, because the offense never got going. Earlier in the week, Solich moved Bobby Newcombe, who started the first two games at quarterback, to wingback and replaced him with Eric Crouch. The move didn't spark Nebraska's offense, which turned the ball over five times and gained just 183 yards. It was the second straight week Nebraska, which rushed for 114 yards last week in a 45-0 shutout of California, struggled offensively. "It's obvious we didn't play well across the board on the offensive end of it," Solich said.

"I'm concerned that this is two weeks in a row we've not been able to run the ball. "The passing game was OK in the first (Cal) ball game, but this one we had a tough time." LINCOLN (AP) If Nebraska coach Frank Solich "has any more offensive changes in mind, he might consider giving linebacker Julius Jackson a look. It was Jackson who scored two touchdowns as No. 4 Nebraska overcame its worst offensive game of the season and got past Southern Mississippi 20-13. "After I scored, I was like, they need to move me to offense," said the 6-foot-4, 240-pound Jackson, who scored on a fumble and a deflected pass.

fThis was a dream game for anybody on defense, to be able to intercept the ball and run it back for two touchdowns. "It hasn't hit me yet, but it will." The Huskers (3-0) gave up 209 passing yards by Jeff Kelly, but also forced five turnovers and held the Golden Eagles (2-1) to 25 yards rushing. Derrick Nix ran for 70 yards, but Kelly was sacked five times for minus-45. Southern Miss threatened to tie the game late in the fourth quarter, but Kelly's pass to the Nebraska 1 was intercepted by Keyuo Craver with 1:17 left to play. It was the second interception of the 1 ''WMKm) IN BIG TROUBLE Southern Mississippi quarterback Jeff Kelly is sacked by Nebraska's Jeremy Slechta in the third quarter Saturday in Lincoln.

Nebraska won 20-13. AP Photo Huskers: Crowd a big factor in win fe-r2Pk a By KYLE SCHURMAN Special to the Telegram back, leaving Crouch and Alexander to start for the first time this season. All three players had difficult debuts in their new roles. Newcombe, who hasn't played wingback since his freshman season in 1997, muffed a punt on his only return attempt, setting up a 45-yard touchdown drive for Southern Miss. He also made a great move to free himself in the end zone on a pass route, but he dropped the pass in the second quarter.

Nebraska eventually scored on the drive. "It was my first week out there, and IH get better," Newcombe said. Crouch rushed 16 times for 26 yards and didn't score a touchdown for the first time this season. He completed six of 10 passes for 66 yards, but threw two interceptions on passes he forced. He also fumbled a snap in the closing minutes that could've proved disastrous had he not recovered it.

See NOTES, Page 2B done it. In a normal situation, Jackson might not have been on the field for his two touchdowns. Starting linebacker Eric Johnson, who recorded a sack on the first play of the game, was injured in the first quarter with a knee sprain and didn't return. Johnson may miss 4-6 weeks. Jackson, who normally splits time with Johnson, played nearly the entire game.

He missed about half of the second quarter after suffering a knee sprain of his own, causing the Huskers to use third-team linebacker Mark Vedral. TOUGH DEBUTS: Nebraska players and coaches had mixed opinions on whether the week's controversies led to mental breakdowns in the game. Leading up to the game, Solich announced starting I-back DeAngelo Evans had quit the team and starting quarterback Bobby Newcombe was switching positions to wing- LINCOLN Saturday's Memorial Stadium-record crowd of 77,826 had a role in the Huskers' victory, according to linebacker Julius Jackson. "You don't know how it feels to have the whole stadium yelling for defense," Jackson said. "That just sends a rush through you, that just brings the intensity up another level." Jackson scored a pair of defensive touchdowns to help make up for the ailing offense.

Jackson's two defensive touchdowns marked the first time the Huskers had scored twice defensively since 1996 in a Nebraska victory against Michigan State. It wasn't immediately known the last time a Nebraska defensive player scored twice in a game. Records dating back to 1974 showed that no Husker player had yet Lt A MS. i. Ijf1'' KEYING ON CRAVER Nebraska's Keyuo Craver is dragged down by Southern Mississippi's Todd Pinkston (80) after he intercepted a pass in the fourth quarter Saturday.

AP Photo Newcombe falters in new role s4 1 4 vr- iX Jew i -J- fir LINCOLN (AP) Quarter-back-turned-wingback Bobby Newcombe ruined his own coming-out party Saturday in Nebraska's 20-13 win over Southern Mississippi. Newcombe, who switched to wingback on Monday after starting Nebraska's first two games at quarterback, had hoped the move would add spark to the Cornhuskers' offense. It didn't. THE JUNIOR muffed a punt in the first quarter that was recovered by USM's Roy Magee at the Nebraska 45. Southern Miss scored six plays later to take a 7-6 lead.

In the second quarter, Newcombe outran an USM defender but dropped a sure, 31-yard touchdown pass from Eric Crouch in the end zone. "I got really excited because I burned the guy pretty good," Newcombe said. "I was wide open and started accelerating. I took my eyes off it at the last second." IT WASNT just Newcombe, however, who struggled against the Golden Eagles. Southern Miss outgained Nebraska 293 yards to 185.

Nebraska had five turnovers. Newcombe, who played wingback as a freshman in 1997, was not despondent about his performance "It was my first game playing receiver and I just wanted to go out there and not make too many mistakes," he said. "I knew I wouldn't be as sharp on the blocking thing and maybe some of the routes. "It was the first week trying it and IH get better next week," he said. Head Coach Frank Solich agreed.

"It's just very unfortunate," Solich said. "Its kind of a rough start for him." Newcombe dazzled fans with his athleticism and speed at wingback his freshman year, when he had seven catches for 173 yards and returned 12 punts for 244 yards. He tore a knee ligament in last season's opener. He returned three games later but was not nearly as effective and opted for reconstructive surgery in December. He finished the season with just 228 yards rushing and was 50-of-79 passing.

IN HIS two games at quarterback this year, he was 10-of-17 passing for 213 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. He rushed for 46 yards on 27 carries an average of 1.7 yards scoring three times. Solich said he was confident Newcombe will have a productive season in his new role. -53 fx: I GOING TO THE HOUSE Nebraska's Julius Jackson (50) runs for his second touchdown of the day off an intercepted pass in the third quarter Saturdayin the game against Southern Mississippi in Lincoln. AP Photo.