CBS SportsLine wire reports
Sept. 26, 1998
LINCOLN, Neb. -- Nebraska is running smoothly, thank you.
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Operating on all cylinders for the first time this season, No. 2 Nebraska showed why it is the team of the '90s, powering to a 55-7 rout of No. 9 Washington on Saturday.
"It was our intention to build some confidence in the running game, to run at them," Huskers coach Frank Solich said after his team piled up 434 yards on the ground. "We ran the option well, then we threw in the power game and we didn't have to throw in too many passes."
And that's because DeAngelo Evans and Bobby Newcombe returned from injuries and ran for three touchdowns apiece and the Cornhuskers produced six turnovers in extending the nation's longest winning streak to 18 games.
"IT WAS KIND OF A fairy tale thing," said Evans, who had touchdown runs of 60, 14 and 19 yards and finished with 146 yards in 13 carries in his first game since 1996. "Everything worked out well. I was nervous, but I felt relaxed. When I got the first hit, all that went away."
The same was true for Newcombe, the flashy quarterback who returned after missing two games with a knee injury. Newcombe scored from 3 yards out on the opening drive as the Huskers built a 35-7 halftime lead, and added two 2-yard TD runs in the third quarter before leaving.
"Me and DeAngelo talk quite a bit about making the first guy miss, maybe making the first two guys miss," said Newcombe, who ran the option to perfection with 14 carries for 79 yards and added five completions in eight attempts for 84 yards. "We have quite a bit of confidence in ourselves. I think that showed today."
Washington (2-1) was never in the game, trailing 35-0 before a late first-half TD, and the 48-point loss was its worst since 1975, when Alabama beat the Huskies 52-0.
"COMING IN I FELT GOOD, but `Oh, man,"' said Huard, who was 18-of-32 for 160 yards, one TD, two interceptions and two fumbles. "It's one thing to lose, it's quite another to get blown out."
Evans and Newcombe had plenty of help from teammates returning from injuries. On defense, tackle Jason Wiltz was back from an ankle problem and intercepted a pass by Huard to set up a TD. And end Mike Rucker, out the past two games with a groin injury, harassed Huard all day and caused him to fumble early in the third period to set up another TD.
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Washington receiver Gerald Harris tries to
keep Nebraska defender Erwin Swiney from intercepting a pass during
the second quarter.
(AP)
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In extending their home winning streak to 45 games, the Cornhuskers also avenged their last loss at Memorial Stadium -- a 36-21 defeat by the Huskies on Sept. 21, 1991. Nebraska, which has won or shared a national title three of the past four years, also improved to 11-0 against Top 10 teams since a loss to Florida State in the 1994 Orange Bowl.
Even though the game was a match of Top 10 teams, the Huskies were no match for the Huskers in Solich's first "big-game" test.
Huard, so eager for a second chance at Nebraska after a sprained ankle in the first quarter knocked him out of last year's 27-14 loss at Seattle, rarely had time to throw. The Huskers, playing before a crowd of 76,372 -- the 223rd consecutive sellout -- mixed blitzes and pass coverages so well, the left-handed quarterback either overthrew receivers or ran for his life.
HUARD LEFT IN THE THIRD quarter in favor of Marques Tuiasosopo. Huard's 6-yard TD pass to Joe Jarzynka with 1:07 left in the half prevented the Huskies from being shut out for the first time since 1981.
"This stings, this hurts," Huard said. ``You just want to crawl into a hole. You can't believe this happened on national TV."
Washington could do nothing against the Huskers. By the end of the first period, the Huskies had more penalty yards (65) than total yards (57). By halftime, the Huskers had 327 yards to Washington's 168 and the outcome had been decided.
Nebraska's 1-2 punch didn't take long to warm up. On the Huskers' first play, Newcombe ran 24 yards, but a holding penalty negated the gain. Undeterred, he scrambled for 9, then 13 yards to the 30 before Evans broke a 12-yarder. Newcombe's first pass went for 12 yards to Matt Davison, fullback Joel Makovicka ran 17 yards to the Huskies 3, and Newcombe ran it in from there just 4:23 into the game.
"That first run felt good," Newcombe said. ``I wasn't thinking about my knee. I was going to go with what I had."
Then it was Evans' turn.
ON NEBRASKA'S NEXT POSSESSION, the I-back took a pitch from Newcombe and ran 60 yards for a TD, getting a nice block from wide receiver Kenny Cheatham at the Huskies' 40 and then bulling past cornerback Jermaine Smith at the 3 and into the end zone.
The Huskers defense, criticized for inconsistent play in their first three games, got into the act, too. Wiltz, who missed the last two games with an ankle injury, intercepted a pass by Huard and the Huskers were in business at the Washington 22.
After Makovicka ran eight yards, Evans took a pitchout, bowled over linebacker Lester Towns at the 10 and then finished off a 14-yard scoring run, putting the Huskers ahead 21-0 just 12 minutes into the game.
Evans' 19-yard TD run -- with 10:59 left in the half -- extended the lead to 28-0 before his backup, Correll Buckhalter, scored on a 3-yard run with 5:12 left in the half.
"Those two guys are big-play type of guys," Solich said. ``They will give you that kind of threat when they are on the field."
Starting the second half, Huard lost two fumbles and Makovicka one, but Huard's second fumble at the Washington 4 was turned into a 2-yard TD run by Newcombe. Newcombe added his final TD with 5:58 left in the third quarter, and Willie Miller closed out the scoring with a 1-yard scoring run with six seconds left in the third quarter.
"We just wanted to show everyone in the nation that Nebraska is back," cornerback Ralph Brown said. "We've been the most consistent college in the country when it comes to winning, but I think people forget about us."