Nebraska Shucks Off Loss to Bruins, Routs Arizona State

It wasn’t UCLA, but it was the next best thing for Nebraska--another Pacific 10 team.

After a 41-28 loss to the Bruins 2 weeks ago, the 10th-ranked Cornhuskers bounced back with a 47-16 rout of Arizona State Saturday night.

“We didn’t think of this game so much for revenge as redemption,” said Nebraska free safety Tim Jackson, who had a pair of interceptions. “We knew we had to play well and we did.”

Quarterback Steve Taylor rushed for 116 yards and a touchdown to lead a 441-yard ground assault that also had I-backs Ken Clark and Terry Rodgers over 100 yards on the ground. Taylor threw for another touchdown.

Clark had 122 yards and Rodgers added 113 yards rushing for Nebraska (3-1).

“It’s been a long 2 weeks,” said Nebraska Coach Tom Osborne, who collected his 150th career victory. “I think some of the weaknesses that showed up at UCLA, we corrected today. ‘We tackled better, the turnover thing was better, Steve hung up one pass in the end zone but we ended up plus-3 in turnovers and we did win the kicking game, which was critical. I thought we played acceptable football. I think Arizona State played hard, but I don’t think they have as good a football team as last year.”

Nebraska, plagued by slow starts against UCLA and Texas A&M; earlier, took the opening kickoff and marched 49 yards to Chris Drennan’s 40-yard field goal. Taylor quickly added an 11-yard touchdown run to make it 10-0 following an interception by Husker free safety Tim Jackson at the ASU 28.

Sun Devils quarterback Daniel Ford brought them right back with a 54-yard scoring pass play to Chris Garrett and set up a 2-yard touchdown run by Bruce Perkins that made it 14-10 with a 46-yard pass play to Leland Adams to the 3.

Clark put Nebraska back on top to stay with a 31-yard run with 13:04 left in the first half. Dana Brinson scored on a 75-yard punt return 2:04 later to make it 24-14.

“The punt return was certainly the big play in the game because we didn’t make them work for it,” Arizona State Coach Larry Marmie said. “I think our kids were responding to a sideline return and getting the field covered and we got punched out. They had too many big plays. They scored one touchdown on a fourth-and-one, and Taylor made a bunch of big plays. He’s that kind of player. He can take a play that doesn’t look like it will make a lot and make a lot.”

Alan Zendejas added a 22-yard field goal for the Sun Devils before Taylor found Morgan Gregory crossing the back of the end zone on a 9-yard scoring pass with 37 seconds left in the half and Nebraska had a 30-16 lead.

After a scoreless third quarter, Nebraska drove to the ASU 1-yard line but failed to score on a fourth-down sweep. But the Huskers picked up two points on a safety when Jon Marco and Mike Murray tackled Perkins in the end zone on the next play.

Rodgers added another Nebraska touchdown on a 3-yard run and added a 2-point conversion for a 40-16 lead with 11:11 left. Reserve quarterback Mickey Joseph capped the scoring with a 6-yard run for Nebraska with 5:42 left.