Iowa State was 0-8-1, Nebraska football 10-0 and top-ranked, when the teams met in Ames, Cyclone Stadium-Jack Trice Field, in mid-November 1994. Again, the Cyclones were winless with one tie.
But Nebraska led only 14-12 going into the fourth quarter.
The game was going according to the Cyclones’ plan, which was “to try to get into the fourth quarter if we possibly could, squeeze the clock,” Iowa State Coach Jim Walden said.
Two years before, Iowa State had upset the seventh-ranked Huskers in Ames 19-12. Would this be a replay? “We just wanted to get into the fourth quarter close,” said Walden.
Close wasn’t good enough, however, although there was some Nebraska uncertainty. After back-up I-back Damon Benning ran 6 yards for a touchdown with 12:09 remaining to give the Huskers a 21-12 lead, Iowa State responded with a drive to the Husker 29-yard line.
On third-and-13 from the 32-yard line, Iowa State quarterback Todd Doxzon threw what would have been a touchdown pass to Geoff Turner, except the Cyclones were called for holding before he released the ball. Iowa State faced third-and-28 from the 47-yard line.
Linebacker Ed Stewart sacked Doxzon for a 5-yard loss. The Cyclones punted.
Three plays later, Nebraska I-back Lawrence Phillips broke loose for a 61-yard run to the Cyclone 6-yard line but fumbled the ball into the end zone.
Iowa State couldn’t capitalize, however. The Cylcones punted, and the Huskers went 60 yards on 10 plays, the 10th a 21-yard touchdown run by Phillips with 1:25 remaining. Tom Sieler’s extra-point kick made the score 28-12. That would be the final. The Cyclones had managed to get into the fourth quarter close, but …
Phillips carried nine times for 120 yards in the fourth quarter to finish with 183 yards and two touchdowns on 36 carries. He also caught four passes for 40 yards. The 183 rushing yards gave him 1,672 for the season, breaking the Big Eight sophomore record, held by Oklahoma State’s Thurman Thomas (1,553). Phillips had rushed for 100 or more yards in every game.
Quarterback Brook Berringer was the Huskers’ second-leading rusher, with nine carries for 61 yards. He was 11-for-18 passing for 193 yards, including 38 yards to Abdul Muhammad for a touchdown.
Stewart finished with 13 tackles and two quarterback sacks. Defensive tackle Terry Connealy also had 13 tackles, and one of the Huskers’ six sacks, for 33 yards in losses.
Nebraska started the game as if it would be the blowout fans expected. The Huskers took the opening kickoff and drove 80 yards on 15 plays, with Phillips scoring from 1 yard and Sieler kicking the extra point. The drive used 7:26 of the quarter. But Nebraska wouldn’t score again until Berringer and Muhammad teamed up on the touchdown pass with 57 seconds remaining in the half.
“I don’t know why we were struggling,” Muhammad said. “But I wasn’t concerned.”
A pair of Ty Stewart field goals made the score 14-6 at halftime. The Cyclones cut the lead to two on a 58-yard Doxzon touchdown pass with 3:42 remaining in the third quarter.
A 2-point conversion attempt failed.
Nebraska led the nation in rushing, averaging 365.9 yards per game. The Cyclones “limited” them to 265 yards on 56 carries (4.7 yards per carry).
“Coach (Tom) Osborne said we would have to play 60 minutes,” said Benning, whose only carry was for the touchdown. “I’m not sure we believed him. But I’m happy we did.”
