Calvin Jones was a “participant” in Nebraska football’s 48-13 victory against Colorado State in the fourth game of the season at Memorial Stadium, Sept. 25, 1993.
The senior I-back didn’t “play,” he “participated.” It was semantically important.
The day before, Coach Tom Osborne told reporters Jones wouldn’t play because of a knee strain, suffered early in the third quarter of the opener against North Texas. And he didn’t. But he did “participate,” on Nebraska’s first play from scrimmage.
Jones lined up but didn’t move, as instructed. Fullback Cory Schlesinger took the handoff from Tommie Frazier and gained 3 yards. Then Lawrence Phillips replaced Jones, whose day was over.
During the week, running backs coach Frank Solich asked Osborne if Jones could “participate” for one play. Qualification for Big Eight and NCAA statistics required players to “participate” in at least 75% of a team’s regular-season games. And since Jones had already missed two, he couldn’t miss a third and still qualify. That was important because he was on the preseason Heisman Trophy Watch List.
“Anything Calvin can earn, we want,” Solich said.
So he was on the field for one play then off, to watch from the sideline, pad-less, as the Huskers posted their third blowout victory, which began with Rover Toby Wright’s interception and 32-yard return for a touchdown on the game’s second play from scrimmage. “That killed us,” said CSU Coach Sonny Lubick.
That and a Husker offense that rushed for 254 yards, led by Phillips, who ran for 79 yards and a touchdown on 14 carries; Frazier, who rushed for 75 yards and a touchdown on 11 carries; and back-up I-back Jeff Makovicka, who rushed for 62 yards and a touchdown, on seven carries. Seven other Huskers carried at least once.
Frazier completed 7-of-13 passes for 79 yards and touchdowns to tight end Gerald Armstrong and wingback Abdul Muhammad. Brook Berringer passed to back-up I-back Clinton Childs for a touchdown.
Colorado State managed two field goals and a late-game touchdown.
“They’ve got a good, solid football team and they just keep coming at you and at you,” Lubick said.
Quarterback Anthony Hill was the Rams’ leading rusher, with 65 yards on 17 carries, and completed 12-of-35 passes for 144 yards. The 35 passes were a career high.
Actually, Hill rushed for 109 yards on 11 carries. Six of the “carries” were sacks, one each by Trev Alberts, Ed Morrow, Larry Townsend, Dwayne Harris, Ernie Beler and Billy Wade. The sacks increased Nebraska’s season total to 26, led by Alberts with eight. Alberts led the Huskers with 10 tackles, giving him 35 for the season.
Jones would start the remaining seven regular-season games, as well as the bowl game. He would finish the season rushing for 1,043 yards and 12 touchdowns. He would not finish in the top 10 in voting for the Heisman Trophy, however, won by Florida State quarterback Charlie Ward. The top running back vote-getter was San Diego State’s Marshall Faulk, who finished fourth, rushing for 1,531 yards and 21 touchdowns.
Nebraska, which had just moved up to sixth in the rankings, dropped to seventh, despite the win.
The Huskers used 102 players, including Jones.
