Nebraska’s Defense Delivers : Big Eight: Weather also plays role in keeping Wildcat quarterback Chad May under wraps.

A strong defensive performance and the running of Lawrence Phillips helped No. 2-ranked Nebraska defeat No. 16 Kansas State, 17-6, in a Big Eight showdown on a dreary, rainy Saturday.

Kansas State quarterback Chad May, a transfer from Cal State Fullerton, threw a 29-yard touchdown pass to Mitch Running early in the second quarter, but rain that started falling after halftime took away his passing game and he finished with 249 yards on a 22-of-48 day.

“Some of them slipped out of my hands,” said May, who had passed for a Big Eight-record 489 yards against Nebraska last year. “But I can’t make excuses. They had a very good pass rush. It’s kind of hard to throw with guys in your face.”

Nebraska clung to a 7-6 lead until a 15-yard run by Jeff Makovicka with about 11 minutes to play broke the game open. The Cornhuskers won their 21st consecutive regular-season game and beat Kansas State for the 26th consecutive time.

“Our secondary really played outstanding because they have got a great quarterback,” Nebraska defensive coordinator Charlie McBride said. “If you would have told me we’d hold them to six points, I wouldn’t have believed you.

“I heard some guy in the hotel say last night that we were OK, but that our only problem was the secondary. Well, today it wasn’t.”

Phillips ran for 126 yards in 31 carries for his seventh consecutive 100-yard game and scored the first touchdown of the game. The Nebraska defense made it stand up until Makovicka burst through a big hole in the fourth quarter.

“It’s my first touchdown of the season. I guess it was a good place to get it,” Makovicka said. “We came into their lair and they played well against us. But it was the offensive line who opened the hole. I just happened to have the ball.

“They are called the pipeline. We have the best offensive line in the nation. There’s a feeling at Nebraska that if we stay in the game until the fourth quarter, we’re going to win. I had that feeling on the sidelines today.”

Sophomore walk-on quarterback Matt Turman started the game and played most of the first half, spending his time handing off to Phillips. The Huskers (7-0, 2-0) had only 18 passing yards by the end of the third quarter.

Brook Berringer played the final series of the first half and the second half as the Huskers try to replace Tommie Frazier, out for the season with blood clots in his leg.

The Huskers blocked Martin Gramatica’s extra-point try after holder Matt Miller fumbled the snap following the only touchdown by the Wildcats (4-1, 1-1).

“We had problems with penalties and that put us in a hole,” Kansas State Coach Bill Snyder said. “We also had difficulty running the ball. Our field position in the second half was terrible.

“All losses are painful. I just told our players that the more investment you put in the game, the greater the loss.”

The Wildcats, using four and five wide receivers throughout, outgained the Huskers most of the game, but mistakes and poor field position conspired to keep them out of the end zone after the lone score and they remain winless at home against Nebraska since 1959.