Nebraska football scored 21 points, Colorado managed a field goal, in the first quarter of the eighth game of the season, on a cold day at Folsom Field in Boulder, October 30, 1993.
Couldn’t ask for a much better start, right? But the Huskers wouldn’t score again, while the Buffaloes would score two more touchdowns, the second on a 15-play, 80-yard drive, ending with Rashaan Salaam’s second touchdown, from 1 yard, with 2:54 remaining. The drive followed a missed 26-yard field goal by Byron Bennett, his third miss of the game, the others from 52 and 50 yards.
“We have a bunch of players who keep finding some way to get it done,” Tom Osborne said.
After Salaam’s touchdown, Nebraska went three-and-out, with Colorado taking over at its 47-yard line after a 19-yard punt return — 1:41 remained. A pass gave the Buffaloes first-and-10 at the Husker 40-yard line. Another pass landed in the hands of cornerback John Reece, with 1:21 remaining.
Game over. Nebraska 21, Colorado 17.
The interception was Reece’s first of the season and Nebraska’s third of the game, half as many as the season total. Linebacker Ed Stewart and cornerback Barron Miles made the others.
Colorado quarterback Kordell Stewart finished 8-of-28 for 115 yards. He took four sacks, including two by outside linebacker Trev Alberts, the others by linebacker Mike Anderson and outside linebacker Donta Jones. Alberts increased his season total to 14 and his Husker career record to 28.5.
Rover Toby Wright was the Blackshirts’ leading tackler, with 13. Alberts had 10.
Back to the first quarter. Nebraska had 142 yards of offense in the quarter, with I-back Calvin Jones scoring the first two touchdowns, on runs of 4 and 10 yards. Quarterback Tommie Frazier connected with split end Corey Dixon on a 60-yard pass for the third.
Jones, who carried eight times in the first quarter, would carry only four more times. He was dealing with the flu and leg cramps and gave way to Lawrence Phillips, who carried 16 times for 58 yards.
Frazier was the Huskers’ leading rusher, with 69 yards on 15 “carries.” Two of the “carries” were sacks for 9 yards in losses. Frazier completed 7-of-17 passes for 167 yards and the touchdown. His 236 yards of offense were especially impressive considering two plays into the second half he suffered a shoulder injury. Brook Berringer replaced him.
About five minutes of game time later, Frazier returned and played to the end of the quarter. The shoulder soreness was such, however, he asked to be taken out. However, his decision was, “if they went down and scored, I was going to go back in, no matter what,” Frazier said.
After Colorado scored with 2:54 remaining, he returned.
Jones was back, too. Even so, Nebraska went three-and-out, setting up the Reece drama.
The Huskers had “four or five home-run opportunities in the second half, and we didn’t hit the open man,” said Osborne. “Part of that was Tommie’s injury.” And part of it was Colorado, which went into the game 4-2-1 and ranked 20th. The tie was the week before, 16-16 at Kansas State.
“Their record belies the fact they’re good,” Osborne said. “They’ve had bad luck. In almost every close game they had, they had not been able to pull it out.”
Colorado’s losses were by four at then-20th-ranked Stanford and six to then-third-ranked Miami.
Orange Bowl officials were on hand in Boulder. “We think we’ve got a great chance with Nebraska coming in undefeated and a possible national championship (game),” Ed Williamson said. “Colorado played well, and we would have been glad to have them come.
“But we feel Nebraska will give us a great game.”
The Huskers remained sixth in the AP rankings.
