Media members knew the plan for Nebraska football. Fans did not.
“We told reporters yesterday, and that’s the thing I want to get very clear to everybody who goes to that stadium, what we’re trying to do is make ourselves a better football team,” Tom Osborne said after sixth-ranked Nebraska’s 38-24 victory against Central Florida in mid-September 1997.
Boos were the basis of his comment, boos when starting quarterback Scott Frost returned to the field after back-up Frankie London directed an eight-play, 65-yard touchdown drive in the second quarter. London capped the drive with an 8-yard run, to give the Huskers a 14-10 lead.
When Nebraska’s next possession began with 3:58 remaining in the first half, Frost returned.
And the booing began.
“I didn’t like that,” said Osborne. “I don’t think that has any place in this stadium, to boo a player who’s playing well. I don’t think that’s even in the realm of what’s practical.”
Especially when Osborne told the media his plan was to insert London when there was uncertainty about the game’s outcome, in the first half. It was intended to give London confidence so if circumstances were such that he could go in, he could handle the pressure.
London was a sophomore. Frost, a senior, had started every game after a redshirt, following his transfer from Stanford. That he had picked Stanford out of high school in Wood River, Nebraska, probably had something to do with the boos in a Memorial Stadium crowd of 75,327.
In any case, Central Florida regained the lead after recovering a Shevin Wiggins fumble on a punt return and covering the 45 yards to the end zone in two plays, the first a 43-yard Dante Culpepper pass. The Knights held the lead at halftime, 17-14.
Culpepper was the problem for Nebraska’s defense, completing 24-of-35 passes for 318 yards and a touchdown, with one interception, by cornerback Jerome Peterson. Culpepper also ran 10 yards for a touchdown and was Central Florida’s leading “rusher,” with 34 yards on 13 carries.
Three of those “carries” were Husker sacks, by Jay Foreman, Jason Peter and Grant Wistrom, for 21 yards in losses. The Knights finished with 47 net yards rushing.
Nebraska had 514 yards of total offense, including 364 rushing. I-back Ahman Green led with 113 yards on 25 carries. Freshman Correll Buckhalter carried 11 times for 82 yards, including touchdowns from 5 and 13 yards. Fullback Joel Makovicka ran for 68 yards on 11 carries. In addition to rushing for 52 yards and the game’s final touchdown with 3:08 remaining, Frost completed 9-of-14 passes for 120 yards and Nebraska’s first touchdown, 63 yards to tight end Sheldon Jackson.
Kris Brown kicked a 21-yard field goal 5:40 into the second half to tie the score at 17.
Central Florida didn’t score after intermission until midway through the fourth quarter, after the Huskers had taken a 31-17 lead on Buckhalter’s second touchdown.
The Knights, who finished 5-6, were in their second season in NCAA Division 1-A. Ironically, Frost coached Central Florida to a 13-0 season in 2017; came to Nebraska for five seasons, in which his teams won 16 games combined; and is now back at UCF as head coach.
