PRO FOOTBALL : Foster of Old Helps Steelers Freeze the Colts : AFC: Running back recaptures 1992 form, rushing for 179 yards and one touchdown as Pittsburgh defeats Indianapolis, 31-21.

Barry Foster, fully recovered from ankle surgery, ran for 179 yards and a touchdown in his biggest game in two years to upstage Marshall Faulk, and the Pittsburgh Steelers beat the Indianapolis Colts, 31-21, Sunday.

It was supposed to be Foster vs. Faulk, but it ended a mismatch. Foster had as many yards as the Colts offense and the blitzing Steeler defense limited Faulk, the AFC’s leading rusher, to 61 yards.

“He wasn’t the challenge,” said Foster, who gained 1,690 yards in 1992 before missing half of 1993 with a bad ankle. “I respond to the challenge the defense gives me because every defense is determined not to give me 100 yards.”

Foster, averaging 2.8 yards per carry through two games, had his best game since a career-high 190 yards against the Jets on Sept. 13, 1992. Overall, the Steelers (2-1) outgained the Colts, 500-179, and outrushed them, 261-73, as Foster and rookie backup Bam Morris rushed for 235 yards.

Morris also turned a routine screen pass into a 49-yard gain ahead of Neil O’Donnell’s go-ahead eight-yard touchdown pass play to John L. Williams in the fourth quarter. Morris later put it away with his first NFL touchdown on a one-yard run.

Ronald Humphrey returned the opening kickoff 95 yards and Quentin Coryatt returned O’Donnell’s fumble 78 yards for a touchdown--the ninth and 10th return touchdowns against Pittsburgh in two seasons--as the Colts (1-2) opened a 14-0 lead. But they didn’t have the offense to sustain it.

Harbaugh, who had a 77.8% completion rate through two games, was only nine of 20 for 120 yards, was sacked three times and threw an interception.

“They stopped our running game pretty good but we also stopped ourselves,” Colt Coach Ted Marchibroda said.

Faulk had no chance to become the only rookie to rush for 100 yards in his first NFL three games. Outrushed by Foster, 104-29, in the first half, Faulk had to work hard for his yardage.

“We read all week about how good he is,” Lloyd said. “We said in the huddle that we couldn’t trust one guy to bring him down, that we had to gang tackle and pursue him.”

Harbaugh was effective only during a 66-yard scoring drive capped by his 19-yard touchdown pass to Sean Dawkins that made it 21-17 in the third quarter.

Pittsburgh regained the lead, 24-21, as Foster, held to 128 yards in 45 carries in his first two games, rushed for 22 yards in three carries ahead of O’Donnell’s second touchdown pass.

O’Donnell, 22 of 35 for 254 yards, had earlier connected with Green on a 27-yard touchdown pass play that cut the Colts’ lead to 14-7.