The Columbus Telegram from Columbus, Nebraska • 9

page ib Husker faithful Frostbitten Sunday, Sept. 21, 1997 0 by quarterback's performance I'M By STEPHEN SOBEK the bar which often has standing room Associated Press Writer only on game days every time the score flanhed on during the post-game show. "The adrenaline was really going here," said employee Adam Schlager. "And then, when Washington started getting things going and almost came back, people got very intense." As did Randy Howard at the Upper Deck Sports Bar Grill in Grand Island, 15 miles away from Frosts' home town of Wood River. His first reaction to the game? "WOO-HOOOO!" the Grand Island resident shouted.

"I would probably have to say that was the best Nebraska game I've watched since the Fiesta Bowl," Howard said, referring to Nebraska's 62-14 win over Florida in 1996, which gave the Huskers their second-straight national championship. See FROST, Page 8B Nebraska fans were in CoinhuBker heaven Saturday aa their underdog football team and embattled quarterback defeated No. 2 Washington 27-14 in Seattle. "I think he's proving himself," said Dertha Maldonado of Scottsbluff about Scott Frost, who was booed in last week's narrow win over unranked Central Florida. "I think a lot of people will be changing their minds now." Maldonado and her husband, Jesse, cheered on their team at O'Hara's Lounge in Scottsbluff as Frost rushed for 97 yards and two touchdowns.

"I expected Nebraska to lose. I couldn't believe how it went," Mrs. Maldonado said. At The Sidetrack in Lincoln, fans couldn't control themselves, even more than an hour after the game ended. A cheer rang through VOTE OF CONFIDENCE Nebraska quarterback Scott Frost turns to Husker fans to signal his team's third first-half touchdown against the Washington Huskies during Saturday's showdown in Seattle.

AP Photo ECT; Huskers, earn it NU players prove worth to the nation 7 i i a THE NU GAL --BREAKERS Vs Nebraska que. rarbac1-' i Frost (7) lervn a wa. Washington dfrnder JL-, A 2. r' heads toward his t- r-X s3 Vtj Av quarter touchdown Saturday Jr tts CLJ in Seattle. Teammate Ahman ly (Mi SKA 1 Green (30) follows.

Green and irV XrSXZZsn Frost combined to scc-d all i A tVeeofNU'stouchdo; -a SEATTLE Nebraska is back. After an 11-2 non-national championship season last year and a narrower-than-expected victory in last week's 38-24 win over Central Florida, the Huskers were hearing doubts locally and nationally about how good this year's team really waa Nebraska even came into the game against No. 2 Washington (2-1) as three- point underdogs. But after Saturday's 27-14 victory front of 74,023 at Husky Stadium and a regionally televised audience, No. 7 Nebraska (3-0) proved it was back to make another run for a national championship.

"We came out against Washington, the second best NU's execution leaves Washington wondering about QB controversy By JIM COUR AP Sports Writer team in the coun- try, and probably the best offensive team," -Nebraska senior defensive tackle Jason "our performance. Peopls.kjn of recognisy usnow." PETER FINISHED the day with four tackles, fourth best overall for the Huskers, but his leadership was shown more before the game. The senior from Locust, N.J., was vocally leading the Huskers in pregame trying to motivated the team. "I told them when the team came together out there on the field and then in the locker room," Peter said. "I got up and said, 'Don't forget we're Nebraska.

We're the back-to-back national champs. We're the ones that have dominated college football and don't you forget that. They (Washington) have to prove it to Nebraska proved it on both sides of the ball on Saturday. ON OFFENSE, the Huskies were sixth in the nation, averaging 522 yards a game. But against NlTs pressure defense, Washington accumulated just 342 yards.

The Huskies' rushing attack, which had averaged 231 yards in the first two games, only had 43 yards against the Huskers. But the Husker offense also had something to prove, senior guard and captain Aaron Taylor said. "We felt around the nation that we haven't been getting the respect that we should have this year," Taylor said. "We just wanted to go out and say, "Hey, look. We're still ninning the ball and let's go out and prove that.

We did that. Overall, it was a great performance." DEFENSIVELY, WASHINGTON led the nation in rushing defense, holding opponents to a minus 2.5 yards a game. The Huskers ran for 384 yards on Saturday and finished with 472 total yards for the game. It was the second-most rushing yards the Huskies have given up since 1978. Last season Notre Dame had 397 yards in a 54-20 Irish victory.

For the third time this season, Nebraska junior fullback Joel Makovicka bettered his career-best day by rushing for 129 yards on 12 carries. "IT DOESNT matter what other people think about us," Makovicka said. "We have a lot of confidence in all the guys on the team and everybody knows we're a good football team. "We had an aura of quiet confidence around this team. We've just got to go out and prove to everybody we're one of the better teams in the country." But the Huskers will have to wait and see whether or not Saturday's victory has earned them the respect they seek, said senior free safety Eric Warfield, who had two tackles.

"We're just going to go out and play hard, no matter what anybody is going to say about us," Warfield said. "Coming in as underdogs is going to make us play harder. We played an excellent game and came out with a win." OVER, AROUND AND THROUGH THE HUSKIES Washington's Joe Jarzynka, right, trips to avoid Nebraska's Carlos Polk (13) on a kickoff return in the first quarter, following Nebraska's second touchdown. In the pnoto below, Nebraska's Joel Makovicka (45) is brought down by Washington's Tony Parrish on a fourth-quarter run. Makovicka ran for 1 29 yards in Nebraska's 27-1 4 win.

AP Photos lu.V Atia IIusxeks Tim Carpenter, senior, tight end: Carpenter didn't have a catch but made a key block on Scott Frost's 34-yard touchdown in the first quarter. Jesse Kosch, senior, punter: Kosch had four punts for 169 yards, averaging 42.3 yards a kick. Kosch, who turned 23 on Saturday, had a long kick of 52 yards. Joel Makovicka, junior, fullback: Makovicka again improved his career best statistics with 12 carries for 129 yards, it was the first time in his career he has rushed for more than 100 yards. Brandon Drum, sophomore, defensive tackle: Drum played but didn't have any tackles.

Jeff Lake, senior, split end: Lake did not have a reception as Nebraska threw the ball just 1 5 times and had eight completions. Huskies' first two games. Tuiasosopo, who was 12-of-22 for 270 yards, rallied the Huskies with two touchdown passes, but it wasn't enough. "It certainly hurts to lose your starting quarterback," Washington coach Jim Lam-bright said. "To have a chance to come back in the game, you have to have all your tools." NEBRASKA (3-0) handed the Huskies (2-1) their first loss at Husky Stadium since Oregon won 24-22 on Nov.

4, 1995. It was only the sixth loss in Washington's last 46 games at home. The Huskers from the Big 12 befuddled Washington, the Pac-10 favorite to go to the Rose Bowl, with their option attack and won the battle at the lines of scrimmage. They beat Washington after losing here in 1992 and at Lincoln in 1991. NEBRASKA ROLLED up 384 yards rushing and 472 yards overall while holding Washington to 43 rushing yards.

Ahman Green and Joel Makovicka each gained 129 yards for the Huskers, Makovicka on a dozen carries and Green on 29. "Our offense put it to 'em and stuffed it down their throats all day," said Nebraska's Grant Wistrom, who was last year's SEATTLE Scott Frost heard cheers on Saturday and he was playing in Seattle. What a difference a week makes. "I'm happy for the fans who have supported us throughout," the Nebraska quarterback said. "Those are the true fans." Booed last week in Lincoln after Nebraska's lackluster first half against Central Florida, Frost redeemed himself to the few thousand fans wearing red in the sellout crowd of 74,023 in a 27-14 victory over No.

2 Washington. He scored on runs of 34 and 30 yards and accounted for 185 total yards as Nebraska won impressively on a day when it was an underdog for the first time in four years. ASKED IF he had won back some of his fickle friends in Lincoln, Frost said: "The friends I want and the friends I have are the only ones I care about." After the game, some of the Nebraska players, including Frost, ran over to the Huskers fans in the stands. Presumably, none of those fans were calling for Frost's demotion in favor of backup Frankie London last week. London didn't get onto the field Saturday.

Said Washington's Jason Chorak, last season's Pac-10 defensive player of the year: "I don't see why there's any quarterback controversy in Nebraska." Frost, a senior, ran 18 times for 97 yards and passed for 88 while hitting 8-of-15. The Huskers played near perfect football. They didn't turn the ball over and were penalized only six times. "WE REALLY took the ball and jammed it down their throats the first couple of drives," he said. Washington lost its starting quarterback, sophomore Brock Huard, with a sprained left ankle in the first quarter and Big 12 defensive player of the year.

"Every i replaced nun witn iresnman maruueo i.o; Tuiasosopo, son of former NFL defensive ZZZT? weights and day every during two-a-days, lineman Manu Tuiasosopo. this is the game I thought about." See HUSKERS, Page 8B Huard was 4-for-8 for 29 yards after throwing seven touchdown passes in the.