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Jan. 2, 2000 SportsLine wire reports |
TEMPE, Ariz. -- Nebraska tight end Aaron Golliday thought Tennessee was
prepared, maybe too prepared, for the Cornhuskers' option offense.
Nebraska, Crouch roll past Tennessee 31-21 Nebraska sends retiring defensive coordinator out a winner
The Volunteers seemed to forget about Golliday and fellow redshirt freshman
Jon Bowling, who caught several key passes while filling in for injured All-Big
12 tight end Tracey Wistrom in Nebraska's 31-21 victory in the Fiesta Bowl on
Sunday night.
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Game summary T O P N E W S
"They prepared hard for our option. When the guys start keying on our I-back or our fullback it's easy to slip a receiver down field -- especially a big fat one who looks like a lineman," said Golliday, who caught a 13-yard touchdown pass from Eric Crouch in the third quarter.
Golliday and Bowling gave Crouch an extra target when he needed it while passing for 148 yards.
The sixth-ranked Volunteers (9-3) scored two straight touchdowns to cut Nebraska's lead to 17-14 and had the Huskers facing a third-and-13 at their own 23-yard line. Crouch found Bowling alone near the sideline for a 17-yard gain and a first down.
Third-ranked Nebraska (12-1) got a 47-yard run from fullback Willie Miller then Golliday caught a 13-yard pass from Crouch to put the Huskers up 24-14 with 4:44 left in the third. Golliday's catch capped a 9-play, 96-yard drive.
Nebraska, which added a 99-yard touchdown drive on its next possession, didn't throw another pass in the game after Golliday's TD.
"They had all the momentum," Bowling said. "It took all the air out of them. They couldn't stop us."
Wistrom, who was third on the Huskers with 16 catches, has been out since Nov. 29, after partially tearing a knee ligament during practice.
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| Nebraska QB Eric Crouch had more than 200 combined yards and directed a relentless option attack against the Vols.(AP) |
Golliday caught two passes for 45 yards, giving him five catches for the season.
Bowling, who didn't have a catch this season until making two while playing for Wistrom in the Big 12 championship against Texas on Dec. 4, had two catches for 25 yards. He caught a 28-yard pass from Crouch in the first quarter. Nebraska didn't score on that drive, but pinned Tennessee at the 5-yard line. The Volunteers went three-and-out and Nebraska's Bobby Newcombe returned the punt 60 yards for a touchdown, giving the Huskers a 14-0 lead.
"The tight end is an important position in this offense, so we knew we were going to have the chance to make some big plays," Bowling said.
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