FIESTA BOWL / Nebraska 62, Florida 24 : Nebraska Far Superior : Phillips States Case on the Field

The long, long season of Lawrence Phillips came to an end Tuesday night, with a tremendous performance by the Nebraska junior in his third consecutive national championship game. Phillips scored three touchdowns, rushed for 165 yards in Nebraska’s 62-24 Fiesta Bowl victory and looked like his old self, the one whose running had made his hometown of West Covina so proud until his run-in with the law.

His reaction?

“Feels pretty good to be back with another championship team,” said Phillips, who was lucky to be out in public, let alone playing college football, after a conviction for assault in a Sept. 10 incident involving a former girlfriend.

The player who wears jersey No. 1 for the nation’s No. 1 team was reinstated by his coach, Tom Osborne, to the team’s starting lineup only a few days ago. His skill at carrying a football intact, Phillips enjoyed his greatest game since gaining 206 yards on Sept. 9 against Michigan State in his final appearance before being arrested.

Did he belong on the field?

Many thought not.

Did he tear up the field?

That he did.

Phillips scored the first touchdown of the silver-anniversary Fiesta Bowl, catching a 16-yard screen pass from quarterback Tommie Frazier that put the Cornhuskers ahead, 6-3. He scored again by exploding over right guard for 42 yards in the opening minute of the second quarter, in giving Nebraska the lead over Florida for good, 13-10.

Late in the game, with the Cornhuskers doing pretty much whatever they pleased, Phillips burst 15 yards up the middle for another score.

It was no contest.

No contest, which was the same plea Phillips made to charges of misdemeanor assault and trespassing in a Lincoln, Neb., courtroom, after the most indefensible move of this running back’s life.

His goal is to get it behind him.

Playing a position that Nebraska’s program calls “I-back,” the 6-foot, 220-pounder was, without a doubt, back. Phillips sat idle for six weeks during his suspension from the squad, and many people professed astonishment that Osborne would restore him at all, much less to the starting backfield. The coach’s choice seemed to place winning over character.

Phillips did not gain 100 yards in any of the three games he played after returning to the team. He came through Tuesday, however, with the postseason game of his life, after having rushed for only 64 yards in the 1994 Orange Bowl defeat to Florida State and then 96 yards in the 1995 Orange Bowl triumph over Miami.

His was the first 100-yard rushing performance by a Nebraska running back in a bowl game since 1985.

“Lawrence never looked better than he did tonight,” Frazier said.

Phillips is thought by many to be the equal of Nebraska’s greatest running backs, from Johnny Rodgers and I.M. Hipp to Roger Craig and Mike Rozier, and whatever the circumstances, his teammates were happy to have him back. They relied on him heavily, handing Phillips the ball on four of the first six plays. He went 23 yards on his second carry.

Running behind an NFL-sized offensive line, Phillips found daylight easily while would-be Gator tacklers went flying.

“I knew we were going to try to run the football and wear them down, and we did,” Phillips said. “I think they got tired of getting blocked and getting cut. There were a lot of big, big holes.”

His undeniable ability makes Phillips a candidate to be drafted by an NFL team this summer, should he not return for a fourth year of school. Tuesday’s game made a strong case for him, professionally. His personal reputation could take longer to restore.

Mum about the incident, Phillips answers questions about it with two words: “Next question.”

Florida’s team wishes Nebraska had expelled Phillips for the rest of the term. Not only did he score on runs and catches, but during the third quarter, Phillips passed the ball, with a wide-open teammate, Reggie Baul, standing by himself in the end zone.

But the pass by Phillips wobbled and fell nowhere near the receiver.

“That was ugly,” Phillips said, shaking his head.

Nothing else about his return to the Nebraska lineup was the least bit unattractive, compared to the behavior that kept him out of that lineup for several weeks. The national champions were lucky to have him back. Phillips was even luckier that they would have him.