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Huskers defense primed for K-State
Posted: Tuesday November 09, 1999 01:05 PM
By Tim Griffin, Special to CNN/SI It’s as much a part of November around the upper plains as a chill in the air and pumpkin pie cooking in the oven. When conference championships are settled, Nebraska’s defense usually is rounding into gear. This year appears to be no exception. The Cornhuskers prepared for Saturday’s North Division showdown with Kansas State by snuffing out Texas A&M in a devastating performance. Nebraska registered eight quarterback sacks and forced five turnovers including four interceptions. A&M was limited to season-low totals of 118 yards and 2 yards rushing. It was the first time the Aggies were shut out in 142 games. “This is as good a defensive performance as we’ve had since I’ve been here,” said Huskers defensive back Mike Brown. “We came out and dominated. And a game like this gets the momentum going.” The Cornhuskers might need the bounce heading into Saturday’s North Division showdown, seeking revenge after last year’s 30-20 loss at Kansas State. That defeat snapped a 29-game winning streak in the series. After that game, Husker defensive back Ralph Brown proclaimed the victory “a one-year deal” and guaranteed that Nebraska would win this year. Ralph Brown repeated his prediction earlier this week. “I’m going to stick to that. We’re not losing on Saturday,” he said. To continue a possible run toward the first national championship in school history, the Wildcats will have to beat Nebraska at Memorial Stadium for the first time since 1968. Kansas State coach Bill Snyder has lost all five games in Lincoln as Kansas State’s head coach. Kansas State has claimed a Big 12 record 21 straight conference wins over the past three seasons and is 13-2 in league road games since 1996. The Wildcats have won 10 straight road conference games since losing to Nebraska in 1997, 56-26. The 'other' big gameWith most of the attention directed to the Kansas State-Nebraska game, the Texas Tech-Texas showdown in the South Division will similarly help clear the path to the league championship game Dec. 4 in San Antonio’s Alamodome. Texas can claim its first South Division title since 1996 with a victory over the Red Raiders. Tech can earn the title with victories over Texas and Oklahoma next week.After losing Ricky Williams with a season-ending knee injury in the season opener, the Red Raiders were written off by most as a serious title threat. Their up-and-down season, which has included victories over Colorado and Texas A&M and losses to North Texas and Missouri, has helped make them one of the nation’s most inconsistent teams. “I know they will play us well,” Mack Brown said. “There will be no inconsistency from them this week. I thought they were one of the best teams in the league last year, and I also thought they would be one of the best teams in the league this year as well. I think they are as talented as anybody in the Big 12 South.” The Red Raiders have claimed four of their last six games against Texas, including two straight. Despite that past history, they are heavy underdogs for Saturday’s game in Austin. “I know our odds aren’t very good, according to the experts,” Dykes said. “But we’re just going to go play out and see what happens. “If you would have told us last July that we’d control our own destiny, that with two games to go we could win out and win the Big 12 South, I think we’d have had a parade.” Oklahoma maintains a slim shot at the South title. The Sooners must win their last three games against Iowa State, Texas Tech and Oklahoma State and hope Texas loses its last two games.
Short, but to the pointMissouri coach Larry Smith may have set a record Saturday after his team’s 37-0 drubbing by Oklahoma.The veteran coach spoke to the media for 18 seconds in a 59-word statement before storming off without answering any questions. After the game, Smith called the game “the most embarrassing loss I’ve ever encountered in my whole life,” and said Missouri’s offense “absolutely stunk. It was the most pathetic thing I’ve ever seen in my life.” Several reporters noticed blood oozing from an open wound on his right hand as he made his short statement. Smith defended his comments two days later by saying he was looking to control his emotions. “I was very angry and upset,” Smith said. “If I started talking, I might have made statements that I might regret later. I felt that was the best judgment in that situation.”
Blocks bringing down A&MWhile awarding kicker Terence Kitchens a scholarship earlier this season, Texas A&M coach R.C. Slocum had a stern admonition for his player. “Congratulations,” Slocum said. “Now, don’t go in the tank for me.” Kitchens initially obliged his coach, drilling a 62-yard kick against Southern Mississippi and converting four kicks of at least 50 yards. But Slocum’s worst fears are being realized as Kitchens struggles through a slump. Kitchens had two kicks blocked against Nebraska, costing A&M early chances that could have changed momentum. “It was very disappointing,” Slocum said. “It’s something we’ve worked on. The trajectory of his kicks are too low, and we worked this week on it, and we got in the game and both his kicks were low.” Kitchens has converted 15 of 23 field-goal attempts this season but has had seven kicks blocked, including his last three attempts. All-American punter Shane Lechler has been told by A&M coaches that he will work as a potential field-goal kicker for this week’s preparations for Missouri. Lechler kicked along the sidelines at Nebraska. “Something has got to change,” Lechler said. “Seven blocked kicks in a year is ridiculous.”
Extra! Extra! Davis fumblesForget about Minnesota-Penn State. The biggest surprise in college football last week might have been a rare fumble by Iowa State tailback Darren Davis, who saw his streak of 707 straight rushes (and 874 “touches” including receptions and kick returns) without a fumble, spanning the last 25 games, snapped.Texas Tech defensive end Tim Duffie’s hit caused Davis to fumble into the Red Raiders' end zone on a fourth-quarter drive where the Cyclones were poised to reclaim the lead. Instead, the Red Raiders marched 80 yards for a clinching touchdown in their 28-16 victory. “My heart broke for Darren on Saturday,” Iowa State coach Dan McCarney said. “But it was miraculous that he had not fumbled in 874 touches. I've never heard of anything like that. And he's been hit as many times as I've seen any player hit in 20 years of college football. We wouldn't have anywhere close to the foundation we have built without Darren Davis. I wouldn’t trade him for anyone."
Baylor's last standRemaining home games against Colorado and Oklahoma State will provide Baylor with one more chance to win a Big 12 game this year. No Big 12 team has ever gone winless for a season in league history. First-year Baylor coach Kevin Steele doesn’t expect his team’s efforts to lag over the last two weeks of the season. “We aren’t going to quit,” Steele said. “America is filled with fluctuating people. If you coach like that, you send a message you aren’t stable. We’re going to keep chopping wood and being consistent in what we do.”
Worth notingNebraska has won 94 straight games when it rushes for at least 300 yards. The Cornhuskers outrushed Texas A&M on Saturday, 335-2. … Oklahoma freshman RB Quenton Griffin had a big debut as the Sooners’ featured back, earning a game ball from coach Bob Stoops after rushing for 69 yards in his first extensive action of the season. Griffin was forced into action with the season-ending injury of leading OU rusher Michael Thornton. … Kansas State’s offense sputtered to the tight victory over Colorado, producing a season-low 197 yards and converting only 1 of 14 third-down plays. The Buffs failed on all 13 third-down plays and all three fourth-down attempts. … Texas Tech freshman tailback Shaud Williams averages 7.8 yards a carry on artificial turf and 3.0 a carry on grass. … Kansas’ 373-yard rushing effort against Baylor was the most in coach Terry Allen’s three years at the school. Included in the total were eight runs of at least 10 yards in the first half. … Oklahoma QB Josh Heupel’s two touchdown passes give him a Big 12 single-season record of 25 for the season. The record is also more than any quarterback in the old Big Eight or Southwest conferences. … Texas QB Major Applewhite had two school-record streaks end in Saturday’s game, throwing his first interception in 156 attempts and being held without a touchdown pass after 19 straight games. ... Oklahoma State RB Nathan Simmons’ woes continued with 21 yards on nine carries before leaving the game against Texas with a knee injury. Simmons has rushed for 53 yards on 31 carries in his last three games.Tim Griffin covers the Big 12 for the San Antonio Express-News. Check back every Tuesday for his latest CNN/SI Insider.
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