Defense Carries Nebraska Again

If Nebraska Coach Frank Solich has any more offensive changes in mind, he might consider giving linebacker Julius Jackson a look.

It was Jackson who scored two touchdowns as No. 4 Nebraska overcame its worst offensive game of the season and got past Southern Mississippi, 20-13, Saturday in a nonconference game at Lincoln, Neb.

“After I scored, I was like, they need to move me to offense,” said the 6-foot-4, 240-pound Jackson, who scored on a fumble and a deflected pass. “This was a dream game for anybody on defense.

“It hasn’t hit me yet, but it will.”

The Cornhuskers (3-0) gave up 268 yards on 23-for-45 passing by Jeff Kelly, but also forced five turnovers and held the Golden Eagles (2-1) to 25 yards rushing. Derrick Nix ran for 70 yards, but Kelly was sacked five times and lost 45 yards.

Southern Mississippi threatened to tie the game late in the fourth quarter, but Kelly’s pass to the Nebraska one was intercepted by Keyuo Craver with 1:17 left to play. It was the second interception of the game for Craver, who also tipped the pass that Jackson returned for a touchdown.

Southern Mississippi Coach Jeff Bower said, “Lots of people will ask, ‘What’s wrong with Nebraska?’ Well, give us credit. We have a good team.”

Nebraska needed a big day from its defense, because the offense never got going. Earlier in the week, Solich moved Bobby Newcombe, who started the first two games at quarterback, to wingback and replaced him with Eric Crouch.

The move didn’t spark Nebraska’s offense, which turned the ball over five times and gained only 185 yards, compared to 293 for Southern Mississippi.

Colorado 51, Kansas 17--Mike Moschetti threw two touchdown passes before leaving the game with a knee injury late in the first half, and Jeremy Aldrich kicked a school-record five field goals as the Buffaloes routed the Jayhawks in a Big 12 opener at Boulder, Colo.

The Buffaloes (2-1), avenging a 33-17 upset at the hands of the Jayhawks last year, raced to a 33-3 lead early in the third quarter.

Moschetti, who set school records for passing yards and total offense in a 63-35 victory over San Jose State the previous Saturday, threw second-quarter scoring passes of 21 yards to Javon Green and 16 yards to Marcus Stiggers before spraining his left knee.

Moschetti also established a school mark for consecutive completions at 15, having completed his last nine passes a week ago and his first six against Kansas.

Besides setting a school record with his five field goals, Aldrich also set a school career record of 37, one more than Tom Field (1979-83).

No 7. Texas A&M; 62, Tulsa 13--Randy McCown accounted for three touchdowns, one running and two passing, including a school-record 96-yarder to Chris Taylor, as the Aggies (2-0) capitalized on six turnovers to rout the Golden Hurricane (1-2) at College Station, Texas.

Texas A&M; converted the turnovers into 34 points.

The Aggies (2-0) ran their home winning streak to 14 games while playing at Kyle Field for the first time since The Zone, a $32.9 million, 22,720-seat section at the north end, was added.

The Aggies are 50-4-1 at Kyle Field in the 1990s and haven’t lost there since a 13-10 loss to Texas Tech in 1996.

Oklahoma 41, Baylor 10--This time, bad luck and bad judgment had nothing to do with Baylor losing as Josh Heupel set Oklahoma single-game records for completions, attempts, passing yards and total offense as the Sooners won big at Norman, Okla., in the Big 12 opener for both teams.

Baylor (0-3) lost its season opener to Boston College on a missed extra point in overtime, and lost to John Robinson’s Nevada Las Vegas team on a 99-yard fumble-return touchdown on the game’s final play when all the Bears had to do was take a knee.

Heupel was 37 for 54 for 420 yards and three touchdowns for Oklahoma (2-0). He had set school marks for completions (31) and touchdowns (five) and had tied the record for yards (341) the previous Saturday in a 49-0 victory over Division I-AA Indiana State.

Baylor applied pressure to Heupel, sacking him twice and knocking him to the turf several other times. But his quick-hitting passes got the best of the Bears.

Also, Heupel’s 397 yards of total offense broke the Oklahoma record of 351 set by Cale Gundy against Iowa State in 1992.

Heupel was sacked twice and intercepted twice. But after each interception, Oklahoma intercepted Baylor on the next play. And after a muffed punt gave the Bears good position in the third quarter, they netted minus-four yards.

No. 16 Kansas State 40, Texas El Paso 7--Frank Murphy rushed for 162 yards and Quincy Morgan caught two touchdown passes as the Wildcats (2-0) sputtered past the Miners (1-2) before a record 50,923 at renovated KSU Stadium in Manhattan, Kan.

Texas 18, Rice 13--Hodges Mitchell rushed for 188 yards and Kris Stockton kicked four field goals as the Longhorns (3-1) struggled to beat the Owls (0-3) at Austin, Texas.

Texas, which averaged 42.3 points in its first three games, rolled up 455 yards on offense but had trouble finding the end zone and the Owls scored their first two touchdowns of the season in a second-half rally.

North Texas 21, Texas Tech 14--Ja’Quay Wilburn ran for 151 yards and Jason Attaway threw a 46-yard touchdown pass to Broderick McGrew to lead the Eagles (1-2) over the Red Raiders (1-2) at Lubbock, Texas.

Missouri 48, Western Michigan 34--DeVaughn Black ran for 205 yards and two touchdowns, Zain Gilmore ran for 139 yards and tight end Dwayne Blakley tied a Missouri record with three touchdown catches to lead the Tigers (2-0) over the Broncos (1-2) at Columbia, Mo.