Rule No. 1 of football is that you never look past an opponent.

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So what is Nebraska doing talking about the 2000 season when Tennessee awaits in the Fiesta Bowl on Jan. 2? Nothing more than motivating itself.

"If we could win this game convincingly, it would put us in great position for next year,'' wingback Bobby Newcombe said. "We have a great opportunity next year to set some things off. We have a great team coming back, and to win this game would put us in the driver's seat.''

The once-beaten Cornhuskers would have a good chance of finishing No. 2 in the major polls if they beat Tennessee. A win would guarantee the Huskers a Top 3 finish for the fifth time in the 1990s.

Coach Frank Solich didn't dismiss the notion that a victory could have a carryover effect for a team that returns most of its offense and half its defense.

"We have only one game left, and you would like to have it propel you forward,'' Solich said. "Come next season, when you roll around and are playing in September, it's probably not going to have a great deal to do with the type of football team you put on the field. But it certainly can affect the way you look at winter conditioning, which starts almost immediately after the bowl, and the way you look at spring practice.''

Though Solich and his players ponder what a win would mean, they know that in order to get it they probably will have to play their best game of the season.

The Huskers seem to recognize the Tee Martin-led Tennessee offense will be the toughest they've faced. And the Volunteers' defense, with All-Americans Deon Grant at free safety and Raynoch Thompson at linebacker, is one of the best in the nation.

If the Huskers can win, it would give them victories over five ranked teams.

"We struggled early in the season, so I think people aren't quite convinced how good a team we really are,'' I-back Dan Alexander said.

Said split end Matt Davison: "A good performance would really let people know what Nebraska is all about. We're playing a great opponent, and to come out and have a great performance would really impress the whole nation.''

The Personnel File

OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Eric Crouch, sophomore, QB. Given the chance, Crouch assumed total control of the offense. He is too good to keep off the field, but it took coach Frank Solich until the third game to realize that he needed Crouch as his full-time quarterback and Bobby Newcombe as a wingback and return man. The transition was smooth. Crouch went on to become co-offensive player of the year in the Big 12 after rushing for 817 yards and a team-leading 14 touchdowns (he added 72 more yards and two touchdowns in the Big 12 title game). He improved from last season as a passer, completing 52 percent of his attempts (83 of 160) for 1,269 yards and seven touchdowns, with just four interceptions. The great intangible is that Crouch was a go-to guy during a season marred by turnovers.

DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Mike Brown, Sr., rover. Long overshadowed in the secondary by cornerback Ralph Brown, Mike Brown (no relation) couldn't help but find the spotlight in his final season because he was, by far, the defense's biggest playmaker. He has led the Huskers in tackles for three straight seasons and ranks second career-wise, with 279. He leads the team with five interceptions -- three in his past four games -- and six fumbles caused.

COACH UPDATE: Frank Solich (20-5, second year). Solich was the consensus coach of the year in the Big 12. He stayed on an even keel during turbulent times early in the season. His best decision was to move Crouch to starting quarterback and Newcombe to wingback. Not so obvious, but perhaps more important, was his decision to bar disgruntled I-back DeAngelo Evans from returning to the team. Solich might have prevented a mutiny by making that call. Evans was a bad influence, and Solich knew it. There were questions about whether Solich could make the tough decisions. He proved he could. The chemistry that developed after the third game was as good as on any team Nebraska has had.

STRENGTHS: At one point, retired coach Tom Osborne said this year's defense was the best unit ever at Nebraska. That may or may not have been hyperbole. But the fact is, the Huskers ranked in the top seven nationally in every major statistical category on defense. When the offense managed to hold onto the ball, it was among the best in the nation, as well.

CONCERNS: It's been the same story all season: The Huskers have been plagued by fumbles. For the season, they've lost 24 of 49. It could be argued that their three fumbles were the reason for their 24-20 loss to Texas in October. Twice in that game they fumbled inside the UT 20-yard line, once at the goal line. In all, the Huskers lost 10 fumbles this season in the red zone. The turnovers, no doubt, were the difference between this year's team being good and great.

INJURY REPORT: I-back Correll Buckhalter (turf toe) should be ready by game time. I-back Dan Alexander (cut hand) and linebacker Jamie Burrow (broken hand) returned to practice last week. Tight end Tracey Wistrom (knee) has been moving around better of late and is expected to play.

WARREN AT BEST: Steve Warren, a college football suspect not so long ago, has blossomed into a pro prospect with the kind of season he's enjoyed in 1999. The 6-2, 300-pound defensive tackle was fifth on the team in tackles with 45, which is the number he combined for in 1997 and '98 while plagued with weight and back problems.

Warren will be a key figure against Tennessee, what with Nebraska facing a mobile quarterback in Tee Martin, a top-flight running back in Jamal Lewis. Defensive coordinator Charlie McBride likes how he matches up against the Volunteers and compared him with ex-Nebraska All-Americans Neil Smith and Jason Peter.

"Steve has always had a great deal of ability,'' McBride said, "but injuries have slowed him down. Those problems are behind him. He was able to get into great shape, stay in great shape and play some great football.''

Noteworthy

ON THE RUN: Nebraska doesn't have the same kind of running game it did two years ago when it played Tennessee in the Orange Bowl. In that game, Ahman Green set an Orange Bowl and school bowl record by rushing for 206 yards in the 42-17 victory.

This year's squad failed for the second straight year to produce a 1,000-yard rusher, and its per-game average of 265.9 yards was the second-lowest since 1976 (though it ranked fourth nationally this year).

But Solich is comfortable going into the Fiesta Bowl after seeing his team average 308 yards rushing in the past four games after failing to crack the 200-yard mark in four of its first eight games.

"There were times last year and early this season where we were scrambling a bit,'' Solich said. "We've been able to move the ball on the ground against some very good defensive football teams. That's very encouraging.''

LESSONS LEARNED: Solich is 0-1 in bowl games. The Huskers lost 23-20 to Arizona in last season's Holiday Bowl.

Asked what he learned from the experience, Solich said: "When you think you've covered all the bases, you better re-think things as you go into the game and make sure your team understands you're going to play a great opponent in the bowl game. It takes only one or two mistakes to turn it the other way. I kind of knew that, but it was a good reminder, with how things turned out last year.''

The Huskers saw Shevin Wiggins muff a punt, setting up an early Arizona field goal, and later Kris Brown had a 51-yard field-goal attempt blocked.

RECRUITING REPORT: Highly touted junior-college running back Thunder Collins out of East Los Angeles College signed a letter of intent and will be on campus for the start of the spring semester.

The Huskers lost a top prospect, though, when running back Ja'Maine Billups of Omaha announced he had picked Iowa State over Nebraska. Two top high school quarterbacks, Chris Kelley of Germantown, Md., and Corey Webster of St. James, La., were among players making recruiting visits this month.

A Look Ahead

Here's a glance at who the Cornhuskers will have to replace in the starting lineup next season.

OFFENSE: Three. Left tackle Adam Julch and left guard James Sherman have been durable linemen. Jon Rutherford is heir-apparent to Julch, but that's not to say other candidates won't get a good look. Toniu Fonoti is a true freshman who is playing this season, and he has a chance to be better than Sherman.

Sean Applegate has been listed as the starter at wingback, but Bobby Newcombe has played as much or more and will take over as the full-time No. 1 wingback next season.

DEFENSE: Six. Rover Mike Brown and cornerback Ralph Brown are the key losses. Joe Walker has played a lot already and will slide into Mike Brown's spot.

Erwin Swiney, out with an injury this season, may replace Ralph on the right side. Huge holes at linebacker, where Eric Johnson and Julius Jackson depart from the weakside and Tony Ortiz and Brian Shaw leave in the middle.

SPECIAL TEAMS: One. Punter Dan Hadenfeldt has ranked among the best in the nation. He has petitioned for a medical hardship that would give him an extra season of eligibility.