Defense Gets Cornhuskers Out of a Tough Spot

When Nebraska’s offense misfires, the defense can still deliver a shutout.

Ahman Green ran for 178 yards and a touchdown and No. 2 Nebraska recorded its first shutout of the season, 29-0 over Texas Tech. With No. 1 Penn State struggling to a 16-15 victory over Minnesota, the Cornhuskers could move to the top of Top 25 this week.

Green led a powerful Nebraska rushing attack that started slowly but eventually found its stride. The Cornhuskers, 6-0 overall and 3-0 in the Big 12, rolled up 400 yards, just below their 401-yard average.

“I think we have a good team and I think we are playing well,” Nebraska Coach Tom Osborne said. “We are not unbeatable. We didn’t run away from these guys.”

Texas Tech (3-3, 2-1) could do little against the swarming Cornhusker defense. The Red Raiders finished with 127 yards and didn’t reach 100 yards until 3:24 remained in the third quarter.

Texas Tech’s first possession ended with a missed field-goal attempt and the Red Raiders didn’t penetrate Nebraska territory again until the 11-minute mark of the fourth quarter.

“We decreased the number of big plays against us,” Osborne said. “The pass coverage was good. The pass rush was good. The run defense was solid and we just made fewer mistakes. I’m satisfied with that progress.”

Texas Tech Coach Spike Dykes is a believer in Nebraska’s strength.

“It’s just a hard day at the office when you play these folks,” Dykes said.

Green, who carried 24 times, has 2,873 yards in his career. He is fourth on Nebraska’s career list. Mike Rozier, the 1983 Heisman Trophy winner, is the school’s top rusher with 4,780 yards from 1981-83.

Green gave credit to Nebraska’s defense.

“All we had to do was worry about moving the ball down the field and putting it in,” Green said.

After punting on its first two possessions, Nebraska opened the scoring with a 32-yard field goal by Kris Brown.

In the second quarter, Scott Frost capped a 10-play, 71-yard drive with a three-yard touchdown pass to fullback Joel Makovicka. Four plays later, the Cornhuskers took over again, this time near midfield.

Green carried five times on a drive that died near the Texas Tech 25, and again Nebraska settled for a field goal from Brown, a 41-yarder.

Brown began the third quarter with a 44-yard field goal, finishing a nine-play, 44-yard drive to give Nebraska a 16-0 lead.

Nebraska was threatening to score again when Green started a bizarre play. After Green’s 13-yard gain to the Tech 13, he gained nine yards and was inside the Texas Tech five when he fumbled. The ball rolled into the end zone, where offensive lineman John Zatechka recovered for another score.

“I just fell on the ball. Ahman brought it up there for me,” Zatechka said. “There’s not a lot of chances for me to touch the football.”

Dykes said Zatechka’s score was “the key point” of the game. Down 16-0 with five minutes left in the third quarter, Texas Tech was still within striking range.

“When they did that, it was just a matter of them finishing out the game and not letting us have anything,” Dykes said.

The Red Raiders lost kicker Jaret Greaser to a broken right leg on a freak play on their first possession. A Nebraska rusher collided with Greaser’s kicking leg after his 52-yard field goal attempt.