Desert Storm

Nebraska rushes the passer with its front four, tackles (and brothers) Christian and Jason Peter and ends Jared Tomich (page 88) and Grant Wistrom, and it rarely blitzes. However, the Cornhuskers often leave their cornerbacks, Michael Booker and Tyrone Williams, in man-to-man coverage, and against Florida's army of skilled wideouts ( Chris Doering (page 82), Ike Hilliard and Reidel Anthony chief among them), that is dangerous. Says Bowden, "The problem with playing against Steve's offense is that you get fooled, and once you get out of position, Wuerffel is so accurate and they're so good at catching the ball that you're in big trouble. Now, Nebraska made a physical transplant about four years ago and got faster boys to play in the secondary. But Wuerffel, I see him as hot and hotter. He'll have to be hotter for them to win, and that's what he was against us."

For the sake of variety, the Gators will try to run, and they gained an average of 173.6 yards per game on the ground merely by keeping the backpedaling and blitzing defenses honest. However, as with any pass-heavy offense, the Gators' favorite running play is the draw. "And here's the question," says Neuheisel. "Will Steve have a running offense other than the draw? Because the draw was not an effective play for us against Nebraska."

It comes down to the quarter-back. Wuerffel is going to get hit, but "he'll sacrifice his body," says Arkansas defensive end Steven Conley, whose team lost to Florida 34-3 in the SEC title game. Nebraska will blitz Wuerffe and try to confuse him by mixing in zone defenses, but if he hangs in, Florida will score touchdowns. Colorado and Washington State had the right plan, Florida has the right people.

2 We know Nebraska can run, and so does Florida. Can the Cornhuskers overpower the Gators or, failing that, diversify their offense?

Nebraska is the most physically imposing team in college football (tackle to tackle the Cornhusker offensive line averages 298 pounds). "I'll tell you what the deal is with Nebraska," said one Florida State defensive veteran who played in the '94 Orange Bowl against Nebraska and has played more than once against Florida. "They are tough mothers, no other way to put it. I saw [offensive tackle] Zach Wiegert [now with the St. Louis Rams] hit [linebacker] Derrick Brooks [now with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers] like I've never seen anybody get hit in my life. I don't know if Florida can deal with that physical toughness."

Nebraska lost four starters from its offensive line of a year ago, yet it may have improved. The Cornhuskers rushed for an average of 399.8 yards a game despite losing starting I-back Lawrence Phillips (after a much-publicized arrest for assaulting a former girlfriend) for the middle six games of the season. " Nebraska can grind you," says Neuheisel. "They take that thing down and sledgehammer you, sledgehammer you."

A year ago, when Nebraska won the national championship by beating Miami 24-17 in the Orange Bowl, the Cornhuskers beat the Hurricanes into mush in the fourth quarter, primarily with brutal offensive-line play. They will attack Florida similarly and blend in quarterback Tommie Frazier on the option. Florida's defense is going to take a pounding. But the Gators are very quick on defense, which helps against the option. "And they're what I call a closet eight-man front," says Bowden. "I mean, you think they've got a lot of coverages and drops, but they wind up with eight men close to the line of scrimmage."

That's what Colorado employed, and held Nebraska to 226 yards on the ground, the Cornhuskers' second-lowest total of the season. But Frazier killed the Buffaloes by passing for two touchdowns and a career-high 241 yards. If he puts up similar numbers against Florida, the Gators will croak as well.

3 Which team will thrive in the Big Howl atmosphere?

Football teams thrive on routine. They are like little armies, their coaches like little generals. A major bowl game—with, its endless press conferences, interaction with fans and unfamiliar practice surroundings—works to disrupt that routine. "And that is a factor," says Bowden. "If you've never been through it, it can be difficult." It can be difficult even if you have. Once, when Bear Bryant brought a team to play in the Orange Bowl, they brought the wrong practice shoes. It happens. This will be Nebraska's third consecutive appearance in the de facto national championship game. It's as routine for this year's Cornhuskers as fingerprinting and mug shots.