Cornhuskers Zip to Big Victory, 59-14

Coach Tom Osborne wasn’t thrilled that No. 6 Nebraska continued a tradition of one-sided games on opening day.

Quarterback Scott Frost ran for 123 yards and two touchdowns and tailback Ahman Green scored twice as the No. 6-ranked Cornhusker relied heavily on reserves and defeated Akron’s Zips, 59-14, in Lincoln, Neb.

“These kind of games don’t give me any great joy or pleasure,” Osborne said. “Akron did the very best they could.”

The Cornhuskers were kept out of the end zone on their first possession, but little else went wrong from there. Nebraska gained 472 yards rushing and 644 overall in winning its 12th consecutive opener.

Akron Coach Lee Owens said Nebraska’s option game made it tough for his defense--which tied for 26th in the country last season--to know what was coming next.

“If we take the fullback away or we take the pitch away, then the quarterbacks are going to run for 1,000 yards,” Owens said. “It’s hard to defend it all with a team as talented as they are at every position on both sides of the ball.”

Frost endured criticism last season in following Tommie Frazier, who led the Huskers to national championships in 1994 and 1995, especially when Nebraska lost its second game, 19-0 at Arizona State. This season, Frost said, will be different.

“I’m more confident running [the option], and that’s obviously where it starts,” he said. “The timing was better.”

Frost completed seven of 13 passes for 67 yards. Green had scoring runs of seven and 45 yards in the second quarter and gained 99 yards on nine carries.

Owens said he felt his team played on an even physical level with the Cornhuskers.

“Everybody was all worried about us getting banged up and needing doctors and IVs and stretchers to get home,” the coach said. “I think we have one sprained ankle.

Akron was paid $450,000 for the appearance.

No. 14 Miami 45, Baylor 14--Sophomore Edgerrin James, replacing the injured Dyral McMillan, scored three touchdowns and rushed for 120 yards at Waco, Tex., as the Hurricanes soured Dave Roberts’ coaching debut.

McMillan, Miami’s starting tailback, left with a strained hamstring in the first quarter. But James, the former prep All-American who averaged 6.3 yards per carry last season and totaled 446 yards in all, quickly picked up the slack. Facing the NCAA’s worst team against the rush in 1996, James scored on runs of 23, five, and 37 yards.

“I was real nervous when I got into the games last year as a freshman,” James said. “I told myself I was just wasting time being nervous and to do what I was capable of doing. It really feels good getting a game like this. I think this puts me ahead next week.”

Miami Coach Butch Davis said McMillan’s injury was the most serious among the Hurricanes, although they had a number of players helped to the sidelines.

“We got a little banged up,” Davis said. “It was good to see James come in and do the job he did. We have a lot of confidence in our running backs. We think he’ll be a really good one.”

Temperatures reached 120 degrees on the artificial turf of Floyd Casey Stadium. At kickoff the temperature was 92 degrees.

Oklahoma State 21, Iowa State 14--Kevin Williams’ fourth-quarter interception set up a one-yard Nathan Simmons scoring run that gave the Cowboys the victory at Ames, Iowa.

Oklahoma State rallied from a 14-7 halftime deficit to win the Big 12 opener after being stunned earlier this month by the loss of five starters and six other players. Ten were declared academically ineligible and another was suspended for breaking team rules.

Simmons replaced one of the players declared ineligible, Andre Richardson, and finished with 85 yards on 16 carries in his first start. The third-year sophomore also had a 31-yard run in the first half. Jamaal Fobbs alternated with Simmons and had 85 yards on 15 carries.

The Cowboys tied the score at 14 in the third quarter when redshirt freshman quarterback Tony Lindsay kept the ball on an option play and went two yards for a touchdown to cap a 14-play, 80-yard drive.

Then, with a little more than 10 minutes left, Williams stepped in front of receiver Ed Williams to intercept Todd Bandhauer’s pass at the Iowa State 22 and ran to the three. Lindsay scrambled for two yards and then Simmons, the son of Coach Bob Simmons, went up the middle for the touchdown with 9:31 left.

Lindsay entered in the second quarter after starter Chris Chaloupka failed to move the Cowboys in three possessions. Lindsay was at the controls for all three touchdowns.

Bob Simmons had planned to rotate the two, but Chaloupka was in for only four more plays the rest of the game.