Questions remained for 1996 Nebraska football because of the 19-0 loss at Arizona State, even though Nebraska had defeated Colorado State in its third game a week later 65-9. At least some of those questions were answered when the seventh-ranked Huskers defeated Kansas State, in Manhattan.
“Today I feel a lot better, a lot more confident, about the team we have,” Tom Osborne said following the decisive 39-3 victory. “We were concerned about the reality of this team, whether it was the one that played Arizona State or the one we thought we had.”
The Wildcats were 4-0 and ranked 16th. They had outscored the opposition 149-24. “Obviously, our defense played one of the finest games they’ve ever played,” said Osborne.
Kansas State had a net of zero yards of offense in the first half, 18 yards in the third quarter and 86 for the game. The Wildcats’ scoring drive was minus-2 yards on four plays. Jamie Rheem kicked a 51-yard field goal to cut the score to 6-3, three and a half minutes into the second quarter.
Nebraska’s offense got off to a slow start. Kris Brown kicked field goals of 45 and 27 yards in the first quarter. He kicked two more late in the second quarter, from 28 and 50 yards, the last as time elapsed. In between, Ahman Green ran 8 yards for a touchdown, capping a 17-play, 80-yard drive.
Green, who finished with 66 yards on 14 carries, was sidelined early in the second half by a turf toe, giving way to true freshman DeAngelo Evans.
Evans shared second at I-back on the depth chart with senior Damon Benning, climbing from fourth after the Colorado State game. Benning didn’t make the trip to Manhattan because of a groin injury. Evans stepped up in a big way, drawing the particular ire of the crowd of 43,915 — third-largest in stadium history — because he was from Wichita and had been recruited by Kansas State, and Kansas.
Evans ran 69 yards for a touchdown on the third play of the second half — Green gained 8 yards on the first carry then left with the injury — and scored the last touchdown on a 5-yard run, finishing with 168 yards on 21 carries, to boos from the crowd.
In between Evans’ touchdowns, Scott Frost threw a 21-yard touchdown pass to tight end Vershan Jackson. Frost finished 8-of-16 passing for 79 yards, with an interception. He ran 11 times for 35 yards.
The Huskers finished with 432 yards of offense, including 341 rushing.
Nebraska’s defense was balanced. Linebackers Terrell Farley, Jon Hesse and Jamel Williams each had five tackles. Farley and Hesse had sacks, as did tackle Jason Peter. Cornerbacks Michael Booker and Ralph Brown and free safety Eric Warfield had interceptions.
Following the Colorado State victory, rush end Grant Wistrom said Kansas State and Colorado, the final regular-season opponent, “are two of my favorite teams in the Big 12 to play.” The Kansas State game was Nebraska’s first as a member of the Big 12, North Division.
The Wildcats had opened the season against South Division Texas Tech.
The Huskers climbed to fifth in the Associated Press rankings following the victory. “I’m encouraged about the future now,” Osborne said. “If we lost this one, it was going to be tough.”
