After defending national champion Nebraska football opened the 1995 season with a 64-21 victory at Oklahoma State, Tom Osborne said, an oft-quoted part of his coaching philosophy: “A lot of times a team will improve the most between the first and second game. We hope that is true. But a lot will depend on attitude. We have a lot to prove before we can say we’re good.”
The Huskers’ second game, also on the road a week later, was against Michigan State, under the direction of first-year head coach Nick Saban, the Cleveland Browns’ defensive coordinator the previous four seasons. The game was the first for Saban’s Spartans, which presented something of a predicament from Osborne’s point the view. Saban and staff could study Nebraska-Oklahoma State film, while the Huskers could only speculate on what Michigan State would do, offensively and defensively.
“We were fairly well-prepared for what we saw,” Osborne said afterward. “We guessed pretty well.”
Nebraska had studied the Browns’ defense and Virginia Tech’s offense. Saban’s offensive coordinator, Gary Tranquill, had come from Virginia Tech.
“Fairly well-prepared?” The Huskers left East Lansing with a 50-10 victory. They rolled up 666 yards of offense, including 552 rushing on 58 carries — an average of 9.5 yards per carry. “There were penalties and more execution problems, but you certainly can’t fault the production,” said Osborne.
Penalties. Nebraska had five for 55 yards, Michigan State 11 for 91 yards. And the average fan probably couldn’t identify any execution problems. The Huskers did lose two fumbles. But the Spartans lost three-of-six fumbles and threw an interception — yo rover Mike Minter.
Linebacker Phil Ellis led the defense with nine tackles, and one of four quarterback sacks. Linebacker Terrell Farley had two sacks, and six tackles. Outside linebacker Jared Tomich also had a sack.
As noted earlier, however, Nebraska’s running game stole the show.
The Huskers scored 10 points in the first and second quarters, both touchdowns from 1 yard out by Lawrence Phillips and two-of-three Kris Brown field goals.
Phillips finished with 206 yards and two more touchdowns on 22 carries. Clinton Childs, who didn’t make the trip to Stillwater for disciplinary reasons, rushed for 83 yards on eight carries. Ahman Green had 74 yards and a touchdown on four carries. And James Sims carried once, for 80 yards and a score.
All were I-backs. Plus, Damon Benning, who had been second behind Phillips the week before, didn’t make the trip to Spartan Stadium because of injury. How’s that for depth?
After a Michigan State field goal with 6:27 remaining in the third quarter made the score 23-10, Nebraska scored four touchdowns in 12 minutes of game time, two by Phillips, the second on a 50-yard run; a 57-yard run by Green; and Sims’ 80-yarder.
Tommie Frazier started at quarterback but left early in the second quarter with a deep-thigh bruise. Brook Berringer stepped in, completing 6-of-11 passes for 106 yards.
“I didn’t think we’d win real easily,” Osborne said. “I thought it was likely to go into the fourth quarter, out of respect for Michigan State.”
The Spartans, who finished 6-5-1 with a bowl, won their second game, 30-7 against Louisville. Improvement first to second game, maybe?
And you know where Saban’s career went, one national championship at LSU and six at Alabama.
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Husker Athletic Director Emeritus Bob Devaney and wife Phyllis were on hand for the game, though Devaney had suffered a mild stroke in the spring. He had begun his college coaching career as an assistant at Michigan State, the first year under “Biggie” Munn and then Duffy Daugherty.
Daugherty had recommended Devaney, then the head coach at Wyoming, after turning down Nebraska’s head-coaching job, following the firing of Bill Jennings, in 1962.
