NCAA Football Recap (Tennessee-Nebraska)
Posted: Sat January 3, 1998 at 2:20 a.m EST
Ahman Green ran for a record 206 yards and two scores in coach
Tom Osborne's final game as Nebraska made its
final push for national championship consideration with a 42-17
blowout of number three Tennessee in the Orange Bowl at Miami,
Florida.
Quarterback Scott Frost ran for 60 yards and three scores for
Nebraska (13-0), which trailed Michigan by a wide margin in both
the ESPN/USA Today coaches poll and the Associated Press media
poll. But the Cornhuskers sent Osborne (255-49-3) out a winner
and did their best to sway voters with an opportunistic
first-half defense, some uncharacteristic pass plays and an
old-fashioned third quarter that featured their trademark
unstoppable ground attack.
Osborne was dunked with water and enjoyed cheers of "Osborne,
Osborne" from the Nebraska part of the crowd, which remained
until the end of the game, long after the Tennessee faithful
departed.
"We can't do anymore than win 13," Osborne said. "So, a great
way to end 25 enjoyable years. Been a few bumps along the road,
but I can't think of a better way to go out."
The Cornhuskers held a 21-6 advantage on the scoreboard in the
third quarter and ran the ball 21 times for 185 yards. Tennessee
(11-2) never got untracked and was forced to play from behind
after three key first-half turnovers halted their drives or
handed Nebraska golden scoring opportunities.
"I will vote for Nebraska as the number one team in America,"
declared Vols coach Phillip Fulmer. "They certainly showed us
in the third quarter. They especially won the third quarter
when they took over the game physically. They're as advertised
from that standpoint."
Despite a 35-9 lead midway through the fourth quarter, Osborne
did not take out his starters, letting Frost work for another
score. Frost made an errant pitch on 4th-and-1 in Tennessee
territory with just over 10 minutes left, but helped make good
on the next drive, increasing the lead to 42-9 on a nine-yard TD
scamper with 4:24 left.
After that, Tennessee replaced All-American quarterback Peyton
Manning with Tee Martin. Manning completed 21-of-31 passes, but
totaled just 134 yards and one touchdown with one interception,
ending his stellar collegiate career.
"So many memories," he said. "Tennessee has been good to me. I
can't pay them back enough, the great things they've done for
me. I'll always be a Tennessee Volunteer for the rest of my
life."
Green, who carried 29 times, set a Nebraska rushing record for a
bowl game, eclipsing the 199 yards by quarterback Tommie Frazier
in the 1996 Fiesta Bowl blowout of Florida. He also broke the
Orange Bowl record of 205 yards, set by Roland Sales of Arkansas
against Oklahoma in 1978.
Green helped put an end to the Southeastern Conference's
nine-game bowl winning streak. He also was named Most Valuable
Player.
"They came out fired up and stopped our run," Green said. "We
had to looosen up their defense with passes. They were getting
fatigued in the middle of the third quarter. You could hear
them huffing and puffing. They eventually rolled over and we
could do what we wanted to them."
The first quarter belonged to the Nebraska defense and the
Cornhuskers' passing game. On its first scoring drive, Nebraska
used the passing of Frost to move 78 yards in eight plays. Green
bulled in from a yard with 1:10 left in the opening quarter to
make it 7-0.
On the drive, Frost threw a 25-yard pass to tight end Sheldon
Jackson, a 16-yarder to Matt Davison and a 21-yarder to Bobby
Newcombe, bringing the ball to the Tennessee 14. Shevin Wiggins
carried on the option 13 yards, setting up Green's plunge. The
drive started after Jamal Lewis fumbled to linebacker Mike
Rucker on the Nebraska 22. Cornerback Ralph Brown made the hit
that jarred the ball loose.
Frost was 9-of-12 for 125 yards through the air, hitting Jackson
four times for 56 yards and Green three times for 31 yards.
Frost also posed a question to the coaches who vote in the top
25 poll.
"If you can look yourself in the mirror and say if your job
depended on it playing either Michigan or Nebraska, to keep your
job, who would you rather play?" he asked. "You watched the
Rose Bowl and the Orange Bowl. The Rose Bowl won with a
controversial play at the end. We took apart the
team in the country."
Tennessee had another costly turnover on the final play of the
first quarter as Manning's pass went off the fingertips of
Jeremaine Copeland and into the hands of free safety Eric
Warfield, who returned it 28 yards to the Tennessee 26.
The Cornhuskers actually lost 17 yards on the series, but
Cedrick Wilson fumbled Jesse Kosch's punt at the 15 and Lance
Brown recovered for Nebraska. Wiggins took an option pitch three
plays later and ran 10 yards for a score to make it 14-0.
Tennessee regrouped after the kickoff and marched 35 yards in
seven plays with Jeff Hall's 44-yard field goal getting the Vols
on the board with 8:28 left in the first half.
The Volunteers' early turnover problems offset punts of 78, 51
and 55 yards by Chris Hogue. The 78-yarder was a Tennessee bowl
record.
Nebraska patiently made an attempt to score before halftime, but
Frost botched a pitch attempt and Jonathan Brown, a defensive
end who led Tennessee in sacks, was there to pounce on the loose
ball at his own 17. On the ensuing play, Lewis rambled 26 yards
to the 43 and Manning followed an incompletion with a 17-yard
pass to Marcus Nash. Manning hit Copeland with a nine-yard pass
on the next play but failed to get out of bounds as the clock
ran out.
At halftime, Nebraska still held the advantage in passing yards,
while Tennessee was the rushing leader. But that turned around
on the first drive of the second half as Nebraska marched 80
yards in 12 plays over 4:49 with Frost scoring on a one-yard
keeper to make it 21-3. Frost started the drive with an 11-yard
pitch-pass to Green. Fullback Joel Makovicka, battling a
sprained ankle, ran 24 yards, and Green followed with an 18-yard
scamper to set up the score.
Makovicka carried nine times for 61 yards.
Rucker closed Tennessee's next drive by sacking Manning for a
nine-yard loss and Green took care of the rest. He carried
twice for nine yards before ripping off a 43-yarder to the
Tennessee 21. Makovicka carried for five yards, and Green
secured his 12th straight 100-yard game with a five-yard run to
the 11. On the next play, Frost ran around right end for a
score that made it 28-3.
Tennessee finally fought back, traveling 72 yards in nine plays
en route to its first touchdown, a five-yard scoring toss from
Manning to Peerless Price that made it 28-9 with 1:58 left in
the third quarter. A pass to Price on the two-point conversion
attempt was imcomplete.
The Tennessee defense, missing its best player, Leonard Little,
who left with a neck stinger, could not hold Nebraska as the
option attack kicked into high gear. Green ripped off a 47-yard
run after the kickoff and Makovicka scooted eight yards up the
middle. Green carried for three yards and a first down, then
took a perfect pitch from Frost and went around left end for a
22-yard score run that capped the Cornhuskers' 21-point outburst
and made it 35-9.
Lewis finished with 90 yards on 14 carries.
© 1998 Sportsticker Enterprises, LP
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