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College FootballNebraska finally faces challenge
By BOB HARIG © St. Petersburg Times, published September 26, 1998 The ninth-ranked Washington Huskies (2-0) visit the second-ranked Cornhuskers (3-0), who put a 44-game home winning streak on the line. Washington was the last team to defeat Nebraska at home, on Sept. 21, 1991. Nebraska has the nation's longest winning streak at 17 games and has defeated 10 straight Top 10 teams. The loser is all but out of the national championship picture. All of which makes Washington coach Jim Lambright a bit uneasy. A win over Nebraska would be huge. But ... "I am still a little bit unbelieving at how high we are ranked," Lambright said. "You look at what you are and what you are doing, and I know I'd trade straight across for (Nebraska's) depth right now. "This is something where their program has been there and they are established on top. We still have a lot more work to do." Lambright has 21 freshmen or sophomores on his two-deep chart, and although he has an all-world quarterback in Brock Huard, the Huskies didn't look like world-beaters against BYU last week. Huard completed just 16 of 33 passes for 178 yards in a 20-10 victory, and the running game struggled, gaining 100 yards on 32 carries. Last year, Washington had a difficult time stopping Nebraska's option, which piled up 384 rushing yards, including 129 by fullback Joel Makoviccka, one of just three returning starters this season on offense. But Nebraska has its woes, too. Quarterback Bobby Newcombe has not played the past two weeks after injuring his knee in the opener against Louisiana Tech. Other injuries have made Nebraska look far from dominant. The secondary allowed 590 passing yards in the opener, and the running game is averaging 150 yards less than a year ago. "I think we're on track," Nebraska coach Frank Solich said. "There are some things we could have done better. But if you look at the great teams, none have played perfectly." BAD BREAK: This was to be a big weekend for UCLA's Freddie Mitchell. The former Lakeland Kathleen star was looking forward to playing against Miami. But Mitchell was not going to make the trip -- even before Hurricane Georges forced UM to cancel the game. The wide receiver/return specialist sustained a gruesome injury Saturday against Houston, breaking his left leg and horrifying television viewers who saw replays. Mitchell was injured at the end of a 47-yard punt return when he was tackled near the UCLA sideline. His bone snapped, and it could be seen protruding against his uniform pads. "It was devastating," UCLA coach Bob Toledo said. "Not for us, although obviously he was important to the team, but for him. He was excited about the season." A redshirt freshman, Mitchell had a huge game in his college debut against Texas, accounting for 267 yards by throwing for a touchdown, catching one, running a reverse and punts and kickoffs. He had surgery in a Houston hospital and had a rod and two screws inserted into his femur, the bone that extends from the hip to the knee. HARD TO ARGUE: Many wondered why Syracuse coach Paul Pasqualoni pulled Heisman Trophy candidate Donovan McNabb early in the third quarter of a 70-14 victory over Rutgers. McNabb could have used more time to pad his numbers. At that point, he had thrown for 119 yards and one touchdown. "When you're up by a large score and you have an opportunity to play the next quarterback, who eventually has to take over the program in a very short period of time, that is the far bigger priority than worrying about how many times you throw the ball, who catches it, what the statistics are, and all that stuff," Pasqualoni said. "That stuff does not win football games for you. That stuff does not build a program for you." OUCH: Missouri quarterback Corby Jones was miffed when his team kept running the ball in the second half of the Tigers' 35-14 loss at Ohio State. Jones threw just 11 passes. "That's sick," he said. Missouri coach Larry Smith said basically the same thing about the passing game. "I've watched them practice. There's no reason to have any confidence in our passing game," Smith said. "We say we do, but we don't. I'm not going to call things I don't have confidence in. ... "When I see my wideouts not being able to get off the line ... all you're asking for is sacks. No coach in his right mind is going to throw into the teeth of a secondary like that." AROUND THE NATION: Texas tailback Ricky Williams needs to average 189 yards over the final eight games to break Tony Dorsett's NCAA career rushing record of 6,082 yards. His 43 yards Sunday against Kansas State was his lowest output since UCLA held him to 36 in a 66-3 defeat last season. ... Kansas State's David Allen had four punt returns for 172 yards, a Big 12 record. It also broke the Big Eight record of 170 yards set by Nebraska Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Rodgers. ... Iowa State's 38-0 shutout of Ball State was the school's first since a 14-0 win over West Texas in 1984, a span of 153 games. It also gave the Cyclones back-to-back victories for just the second time this decade. QUOTE MARKS: Vicky Fulmer, wife of Tennessee coach Phil Fulmer, after the Vols ended a five-game losing streak to Florida: "We finally beat the Gators. We've won a lot of big games, but they have been underrated because we haven't beat the Gators. This gets rid of the last few years of frustration. This helps him (Phil) turn a corner. It lets him be a respected coach."
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here have been few non-conference threats to Nebraska's home winning streak over the past several years, but the Cornhuskers run into one today.
