| |
|
EVENTS Fantasy Central Inside Game Multimedia Central Statitudes Your Turn Message Boards Email Newsletters Golf Guide Cities Work in Sports
CNNSI.com GROUP
COMMERCE |
LINCOLN, Nebraska (Ticker) -- It was not new starting quarterback Eric Crouch who bailed out No. 6 Nebraska, but linebacker Julius Jackson and cornerback Keyuo Craver who came through when the Cornhuskers needed them most. As the Nebraska offense sputtered under Crouch, Jackson returned a fumble 16 yards for a touchdown in the first quarter and ran back an interception 28 yards for the go-ahead score in the third quarter in a 20-13 victory over Southern Mississippi. Craver tipped the pass that Jackson intercepted, then sealed the victory with 1:17 left by picking off Jeff Kelly at the Nebraska 6-yard line with Southern Miss driving for the potential tying or winning score. "We have a very confident defense," said Craver, who had another interception earlier. "We feel that if everyone does their part, we can shut down any team. It was hard for our offense to get going today, they just couldn't get clicking. We just picked up the intensity and didn't get down on each other because it is a team effort." Crouch could muster little against the defense of Southern Miss (2-1), but Jackson came to the rescue 7:10 into the game when he picked up a fumble by Kelly after a sack by Kyle Vander Bosch and ran it in for a 6-0 lead. "This was a dream game for any defensive player," Jackson said. "As a defense, we feel like we had to win the game today. It gets frustrating, but sometimes that's what it takes." Crouch ran 12 times for 27 yards and completed 6-of-10 passes for 66 yards with two interceptions. He was awarded the starting job this week ahead of Bobby Newcombe, who moved to wingback and fumbled a punt that led to the Golden Eagles' first touchdown. "After everything that happened this week, they were just a little distracted and frustrated, but they will move on," Jackson said of the offense. "They definitely had the best defense we've played this year," said Crouch. "We won today because of our defensive play." Nebraska was limited to 185 yards of offense, its lowest total since gaining 179 in a 21-7 win over Oklahoma on November 26, 1993. The Cornhuskers did not get a first down until the 12:08 mark of the second quarter and could not eclipse 100 total yards until 5:17 was left in the third. "I'm not quite sure why the execution is at the level where it is now," Nebraska coach Frank Solich said. "Anytime you play a defensive team that is that good, you're probably going to have some problems. We need to not make so many problems for ourselves. I don't believe that moving personnel around affected it all that much, because those guys have executed well at those positions before." Nebraska (3-0) found itself behind for the first time this season, 7-6, just under seven minutes later when Kelly threw an eight-yard scoring pass to Todd Pinkston. It came six plays after Newcombe's fumble. "Nebraska has made a name for itself by hassling the quarterback and getting in your face," Kelly said. "We came in here knowing that, so I would drop back and try to get the ball out of my hands right away. They got the best of me sometimes, but we made some big plays, too." Pinkston had 11 catches for 163 yards and has at least one reception in 32 straight games. Fullback Willie Miller gave the Cornhuskers a 12-7 edge with 9:45 left in the second quarter when he ran eight yards for a score. But Dan Alexander fumbled on Nebraska's first play of the second half and Kelly gave the Golden Eagles a 13-12 lead at 2:06 with a five-yard TD pass to Sherrod Gideon. Gideon, along with starting rover Leo Barnes, sat out last week's win over Northwestern State due to violations of a team rule. Gideon made eight receptions for 81 yards and Kelly was 19-of-39 for 268 yards with four interceptions. Kelly made a mistake that cost Southern Miss the lead with 8:25 left in the third quarter. Craver got a hand on a pass that Jackson corraled for an interception and a touchdown. Alexander ran for the two-point conversion and a 20-13 cushion. "He ended the season with an excellent football game in the bowl game," Solich said of Jackson. "He has really come into his own. Now he is a very confident, athletic football player and a guy who is capable of making big plays for you." "We have a mission and we know we can't win the national championship without a good defense," Cornhuskers defensive coordinator Charlie McBride said. "I can't say enough about these players because it's not the coaches, it's the players on the field that get it done." Alexander will receive the bulk of the work since DeAngelo Evans left the team earlier in the week. He carried 16 times for 54 yards. Nebraska's Matt Davison made a pair of receptions for 19 yards and has caught at least one pass in 20 straight games. Derrick Nix carried 29 times for 70 yards for Southern Miss. "You have to stop the run, and that's what we did," Golden Eagles coach Jeff Bower said. "We ran our defense, we played hard and we played physical. With the exception of errors and turnovers, we played well enough to win this football game. We had our chances and that's all you can ask for. You have to make the plays."
|
