The Michigan Daily - SportsMonday - October 12, 1998 - 58
Nebraska husked; stunned
players 'don't understand'
The Asocited Press
On a streaky day in college football,
UCLA, Tennessee and Kansas State
came up winners, Nebraska was a rare
loser and top-ranked Ohio State kept sail-
ing along toward a trip to the Fiesta Bowl
on Jan. 4 for a shot at its first national title
in 30 years.
Nebraska (5-1) was outplayed for the
second week in a row, but this time No.
10 Texas A&M came away with the 28-
21 upset Saturday at College Station,
Texas.
The loss ended the Cornhuskers' 19-
game winning streak, 40-game confer-
ence winning streak and probably their
chances for a fourth national title in five
years. Nebraska fell from No. 2 to No. 8
in this week's AP poll.
"We're struggling and that doesn't
happen to Nebraska," wide receiver Matt
Davison said. "I really don't understand
what we're doing."
The Aggies built a 28-7 lead but need-
ed Sedrick Curry's interception with 59
seconds left to secure the school's first
win over a top five team since 1975. The
loss was just the fourth in 69 games and
the first since a 37-27 setback against
Texas in the Big 12 title game in 1996.
"We're down and hurt right now,"
Huskers coach Frank Solich said after his
first loss since replacing Tom Osborne.
"We're not accustomed to taking a loss."
No.2 UCLA, No. 3 Tennessee and No.
4 Kansas State, meanwhile, were happy
to take advantage of the Huskers' misfor-
tune as the trio came out on the winning
side in games matching unbeaten teams.
No.2 UCLA 52, No. 16 ARIZONA 28
Cade McNown passed for two touch-
downs and ran for another as UCLA (2-0
Pac-10, 4-0) pulled away from No. 16
AP PHOTO Arizona (2-1, 5-1) for its 14th consecu-
tive victory - the longest winning streak
among major colleges now that
Nebraska's has ended.
"They were guessing all night. and for
most of the first half, they were guessing
right," McNown said after the Bruins
scored 28 consecutive points in a 6:10
span of the second half. "But you can't
guess nght the whole game. Eventually
we knew our offense would turn on.~
McNown did plenty nght against the
Wildcats. Tailbacks DeShaun Foster and
Keith Brown, who took turns subbing for
the suspended Jermaine Lewis, ran for
two touchdowns each and combined for
209 yards, Arnzona's nine-game winning
streak ended.
No. 3 TENNESSEE 22, No. 13
GEORGIA 3
Tee Martin threw two three-yard
touchdown passes in the third quarter as
the Volunteers (3-0 SEC, 5-0) beat No.
13 Georgia and extended their winning
streak over the Bulldogs (2-1, 4-1) to
eight games. Georgia has now lost nine
straight at Sanford Stadium against top-
25 opponents.
The Vols, playing their first game
without injured tailback Jamal Lewis,
relied on a stingy defense against the
'Dawgs, holding them to 59 yards rush-
ing.
"I think we were favored before Jamal
was hurt, then all of a sudden we were a
three-point underdog," said Al Wilson,
who led the swarming Vols defense.
"That really motivated us. It was like
people look at us as a one-man team."
No. 4 KANSAS STATE 16, No. 19
COLORADO 9
Kansas State won its 13th straight
game - tying the school record - but
was less than impressive in a win over
No. 19 Colorado (2-1 Big 12, 5-1). The
Wildcats (2-0, 5-0) entered the game
averaging more than 60 points, but 137
yards rushing from Eric Hickson and
three field goals from Martin
Grammatica were enough for the win.
"If there really is such a thing as an
ugly win, then you've just witnessed
one," Kansas State coach Bill Snyder
said even though his team won in
Boulder for the first time since 1973.
"This is not a joyous locker room."
Next week, there's one major matchup
of unbeatens when No. I1 Oregon (5-0)
plays at UCLA.
No.5 FLORIDA 22, No.21 LoUISIANA
STATE 10
At Gainesville, Fla., receiver Travis
McGriff took a lateral from Doug
Johnson and threw a 49-yard touchdown
pass to Travis Taylor for the clinching
score.
The Gators (3-1 SEC, 5-1) suffered
several key injuries. Jesse Palmer, who
started the game, may be out for the sea-
son with a broken right clavicle; defen-
sive lineman Ed Chester has a dislocated
knee; running back Terry Jackson has an
ankle injury; and linebacker Johnny
Rutledge has a concussion.
No.6 FLORIDA ST. 26, MIAMI 14
Peter Warrick caught a 62-yard scor-
ing pass and set up another touchdown
with a 50-yard catch as the Seminoles (5-
1) beat the Hurricanes (3-2) for the fourth
consecutive year. Chris Weinke passed
for 316 yards and two touchdowns;
Warrick finished with 190 yards on
seven catches.
No. 11 OREGON 51,WASHINGTON ST.
29
The Ducks (2-0 Pac-10, 5-0) kept their
50-point average intact as Reuben
Droughns ran for 217 yards and scored
four touchdowns to get ready for next
week's game at UCLA.
Akili Smith, the nation's leading pass-
er, was 15-of-22 for 280 yards and three
touchdowns. The Cougars (0-3, 3-3) had
an eight-game home winning streak bro-
ken,
Looking remarkably like Michigan's players did when their hopes of repeating as national champions were dashed, the
Nebraska bench is downcast in the final moments of the Cornhuskers' 28-21 loss to Texas A&M Saturday.
State Sparties on after OT
victory; Ohio State whips Ilhini
EAST LANSING (AP) - For most of four quarters,
Antwaan Randle El was putting on a brilliant display of
football at Spartan Stadium. Then he stepped into a hit by
Michigan State's Robert Newkirk.
The redshirt freshman tried to play on, but his Indiana
teammates saw it was a mistake. Their quarterback
couldn't remember the plays.
Indiana coach Cam Cameron had to take Randle El out
of the game and Michigan State pulled out a 38-31 win
over the Hoosiers in double overtime Saturday.
"Tyrone Browning came off the field and told me that
basically Tyrone had to call the plays in the huddle,"
Cameron said.
Still, it was clear that Indiana will be a force to be
reckoned with as long as Randle El is around. As he has
been in every game this season, Randle El was a man of
many talents.
He was the Hoosiers' leading rusher with 134 yards on
21 carries. Randle El also completed 10 of 16 passes for
147 yards, including a 43-yarder to Levron Williams that
got Indiana untracked late in the second quarter.
"Did he play as good as I thought he did?" Cameron
asked rhetorically. "Antwaan goes down, a play here, a
play there ..
"Everybody around the country is going to say, 'Look,
Indiana got beat again.' But we're not going to measure
ourselves like that. We're a young team and as long as we
stick together, we'll be fine."
Bill Burke and Sedrick Irvin pulled the game out for
the Spartans, who went from a 16-0 lead to a 24-16
deficit while Randle El was doing his magic.
Burke threw for a career-high 324 yards and two
touchdowns, including a 25-yard strike to Plaxico
Burress in the first overtime. Irvin rushed for 130 yards
and won the game with a 25-yard scoring run in the sec-
ond overtime.
"There was nothing anyone could tell us," Burke said.
"We knew what we needed to do, we just had to go out
and make the plays. I just told myself not to try to create
something out of nothing - I had to just execute the
plays that were called, and stay in the system."
Jay Rodgers, who lost the starting job to Randle El in
the first week of the season, hit tight end Craig Osika for
a 15-yard touchdown in the first overtime.
"We're this close to being 5-0," Rodgers said, holding
his thumb and index finger inches apart. ""We're this
close to being a great team."
Paul Edinger kicked field goals of 48, 47 and 22 yards
for Michigan State (1-1 Big Ten, 3-3).
Frankie Franklin, Chris Gall and Randle El ran for
Indiana touchdowns and Andy Payne kicked a 32-yarder
for the Hoosiers (0-2, 2-3).
NO. I OHIO STATE 41, ILLINOIS 0
Joe Germaine threw for 307 yards and three touch-
downs as No. 1 Ohio State defeated Illinois Saturday.
Ohio State (2-0, 5-0) racked up 24 points and 326
yards in the first half as Germaine spread his passes
among Dee Miller, David Boston, Reggie Germany and
John Lumpkin - with the latter three scoring touch-
downs.
Germaine was 17-of-28 for the game, and Miller had
99 receiving yards and Boston 96.
The defense scored a touchdown, kept constant pres-
sure on Illinois quarterback Kurt Kittner and his
receivers, and limited Illinois (1-2, 2-4) to 57 yards rush-
ing.
Ohio State got the only points it needed on its first pos-
session of the game, a 40-yard field goal by Dan Stultz at
the end of a nine-play, 59-yard drive.
Kittner, who was 19-of-36 for 156 yards, had a number
of passes batted down or tipped. Rocky Harvey, third in
the Big Ten with 99 rushing yards a game, was limited to
29.
NO.9 WISCONSIN 31, PURDUE 24
Mike Echols had an interception in the end zone and
Jamar Fletcher had a 52-yard interception return for a
touchdown as Wisconsin (3-0, 6-0) overcame a record-
setting effort by Drew Brees.
Brees tied an NCAA record with 55 completions - 18
to Randall Lane - and set an NCAA record with 83
attempts. He threw for 494 yards but had four passes
intercepted.
IOWA 26, NORTHWESTERN 24
Randy Reiners, making his first start since the season
opener, threw for 249 yards and two touchdowns to lift
Iowa to a 26-24 victory over Northwestern.
Reiners, a junior who hasn't played since Iowa beat
Central Michigan on Sept. 5, started in place of freshman
Kyle McCann, who was out with an ankle injury.
The Hawkeyes (2-1, 3-3) ended a three-game losing
streak against Northwestern (0-3, 2-4), a team they had
beaten 21 consecutive times before those losses.
Reiners, who started four of Iowa's last five games last
season before losing his job to McCann, completed 17-
of-30 passes and had an interception.
No. 13 PENN ST. 27, MINNESOTA 17
AP PHOTO
Wisconsin pointed out that turnovers like the one Donte King recovered for Wisconsin in the first quarter can make the differ.
ence in a Big Ten game. Wisconsin won, 31-24.
Minnesota made things tough for No. 13 Penn State
again this year, just not tough enough.
The Nittany Lions, who rallied for a one-point victory
at home last season, broke open a close game with Corey
Jones' 65-yard touchdown catch in the third quarter of a
sloppy victory.
Penn State had three lost fumbles, including two on
botched snaps by Kevin Thompson, two missed field
goals by Travis Forney and a dropped touchdown pass by
Bruce Branch.
But the Nittany Lions (1-1, 4-1) also got a career-best
four field goals from Forney, an awesome performance
from their defense and Jones' game-breaking catch after
the Golden Gophers (0-2, 3-2) closed to 16-10.
Staff Picks
- all picks made
against the
spread.
Winning teams in
bold.
Game (HOME TEAM IN CAPS)
Ohio State (-36) vs. ILLINOIS
MICHIGAN STATE (40) vs. Indiana«
Nebraska (-11) vs. TEXAS A&M
IOWA '(40) vs, Northwestem
Kansas State (-15.5) vs. COLORADO
Penn State (47) vs. MINNESOTA
ARIZONA STATE (-3.5) vs. Notre Dame
GEORGIA (-3) VS. Tennessee
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The Associated Press
Nebraska's loss turned into UCLA's
gain. And if the season ended today,
UCLA and No. 1 Ohio State would face
off in the Fiesta Bowl.
After Texas A&M ended Nebraska's
19-game winning streak with a 28-21
upset, the Cornhuskers tumbled from
No. 2 to No. 8 yesterday in The
Associated Press' top 25 college football'
poll - their lowest ranking in more than
five years.
The Bruins (4-0) beat Arizona 52-28
on Saturday night and moved up to No. 2
in balloting by the 70 sportswriters and
broadcasters on the AP panel. It marks
points, with Florida (5-1) - a 22-10
winner over Louisiana State - moving
up to No. 5.
Florida State, which defeated Miami
26-14, was No. 6, followed by No. 7
Virginia, No. 8 Nebraska, No. 9
Wisconsin and No. 10 Texas A&M.
Nebraska (5-1) was last ranked lower
than No. 8 on Sept. 5, 1993.
Wisconsin (6-0), a 31-24 winner over
Purdue, has its highest ranking since
winning the Rose Bowl and finishing
No. 6 in the final 1993 poll. The Aggies
(5-1) returned to the top 10 for the first
time since 1995.
Oregon, which beat Washington State
Colorado
Penn State
Arizona State
Georgia'
Colorado
M nnsots
Notre Dame
Georgia
Kansas State
Arizona State
Tennessee>
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