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Finding a silver lining Nebraska hopes to end trying season on high note
Posted: Saturday December 19, 1998 05:34 PM
LINCOLN, Nebraska (AP) -- No national title is at stake and No. 14 Nebraska has its lowest end-of-season ranking in 18 years. Yet while the Cornhuskers of 1998 aren't the same seemingly invincible machine of recent times, coach Frank Solich still expects his team to give its best effort against Arizona in the Holiday Bowl. "We will not have an attitude problem," he declared at a news conference Thursday. "We'll have an attitude but it won't be a problem." This season has been a step through the looking glass for the Huskers (9-3), who went 60-3 over the previous five years and won two national titles and a share of a third. When Tom Osborne retired in January after an Orange Bowl win over Tennessee, the program was proclaimed intact with the appointment of 19-year assistant Solich as head coach. But injuries, particularly those at quarterback and running back, slowed the once-mighty Huskers. A loss at Texas A&M ended a 19-game winning streak and a defeat to Texas snapped a 47-game home winning streak. Nebraska began the season shooting for a fourth national championship in five seasons, but those dreams evaporated. "We're not satisfied with what we got done, as a team and as a coaching staff," Solich said. "But this team has been able to overcome quite a lot to end up where it is now." After Kansas State beat Nebraska 40-30 on November 14, the Huskers also lost a chance to play in a third straight Big 12 title game. Nebraska was on the outside looking in when the Wildcats met Texas A&M. "It was weird watching it on TV," said linebacker Jay Foreman. "It was hard for me to be interested. "I was just down about the whole thing, watching two teams we felt we should have beat," Foreman said. "They were playing for something Nebraska usually plays for." Solich said the troubles of this fall has been forgotten, and now the Huskers are excited about going to San Diego and focused on No. 5 Arizona (11-1). "We've gotten a lot done in terms of preparation," Solich said. "We have had good practices. I think the players are very sprited and working very hard to make sure end this on a very high note." That's the goal for the Huskers, especially for the 21 seniors who will end their careers at the Holiday Bowl. "This is the last time we're going to be putting on a uniform for Nebraska," said defensive end Chad Kelsay. "If that doesn't get you fired up, I don't think anything will."
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