Nebraska football outside linebacker Trev Alberts was apologetic after the sixth-ranked Huskers won their sixth in a row, 45-27 against Kansas State at Memorial Stadium in mid-October 1993.
“I’m disappointed,” he said. “I don’t feel good about my own effort today.”
Neither did his teammates, Alberts said, “if they’re honest about it.”
Disappointed? Kansas State came to Lincoln 5-0, after edging rival Kansas 10-9 the week before. That one-point victory probably helped explain the disappointment Tom Osborne shared, sort of. ”I was disappointed in some things and pleased we had enough in us to win,” he said.
OK, first consider some numbers. Nebraska’s defense, which went into the game leading the Big Eight, gave up 565 yards of offense, half as many as the Wildcats had gained, combined, in its first five games. And quarterback Chad May completed 30-of-51 passes for a Big Eight record 489 yards and two touchdowns. “That’s evidence of vulnerability, isn’t it?” said Alberts.
Kansas State showed vulnerability, too. The Huskers rushed for 391 yards, finishing with 545 yards of offense, and forced three turnovers, two interceptions and a fumble recovery. Without that plus-three in turnovers “we probably don’t win this game,” Osborne said.
The first interception came in the final minute of the first half, with Nebraska leading 28-14. The Wildcats lined up second-and-goal at the Husker 4-yard line, and attempted a pass by halfback J.J. Smith to May. Nebraska cornerback Tyrone Williams’ interception came with 45 seconds remaining.
Williams returned the interception to the Nebraska 19-yard line.
The Huskers reached the Wildcats’ 31-yard line on three Tommie Frazier passes to wingback Abdul Muhammad, who finished with six catches for 91 yards. As time ran out, Byron Bennett kicked a 48-yard field goal to increase the halftime lead to 31-14.
Nebraska wouldn’t score again until 5:25 remaining in the game, after a Smith touchdown run and a May-to-Kevin-Lockett touchdown pass, with 7:44 remaining, cut the score to 31-28. The Huskers responded with touchdown runs by fullback Cory Schlesinger and I-back Lawrence Phillips.
Phillips’ touchdown, on a 46-yard run, came with 29 seconds remaining. It followed a goal-line stand at the 4-yard line by the Blackshirts with 3:04 remaining. Linebacker Ernie Beler ended the Wildcats’ next possession by intercepting a May pass with 1:35 remaining.
Frazier led Nebraska in rushing with 158 yards and a touchdown on 16 carries and completed 9-of-19 passes for 154 yards and a touchdown to tight end Trumane Bell. Calvin Jones carried 29 times for 138 yards and two touchdowns. Fullback Cory Schlesinger ran for the other touchdown.
Linebacker Ed Stewart led the Blackshirts with 11 tackles. Beler and cornerback John Reece each had 10 tackles. Stewart also had a sack and fumble recovery. Alberts had Nebraska’s other sack, his 10th of the season, boosting his total to a school-career-record 24.5. He had at least one sack in every game.
Smith rushed for 102 yards and two touchdowns and caught a touchdown pass. Despite his success, Kansas State finished with a rushing net of 76 yards on 30 carries.
The victory ensured the Huskers’ 32nd-consecutive winning season and allowed them to climb one spot in the Associated Press poll, to fifth.
The Memorial Stadium crowd of 75,721 was the 192nd-consecutive sellout.
“We’ve got the players, I guarantee you,” Alberts said. “We’re just not getting the job done.”
Disappointing? A win’s a win, right?
Note: This will be the last Hail Varsity Historical until the Husker baseball season ends. Then we’ll resume with the seventh game of the 1993 season, against Missouri.
