Conditions weren’t right for passing when fifth-ranked Nebraska football played Kansas in late October 1996 at Memorial Stadium — the Huskers’ first home night game in four seasons.
Temperature at kickoff was 71 degrees but the wind was gusting from 30 to 45 miles per hour.
When all was said and done, however, Nebraska quarterback Scott Frost completed 12-of-18 passes for 254 yards and three touchdowns in a 63-7 victory, the Huskers’ sixth in a row.
Frost also carried six times for 35 yards and two touchdowns. His touchdown passes went to tight end Sheldon Jackson and split end Brendan Holbein, twice.
“I thought Scott Frost played very, very well tonight,” Coach Tom Osborne said. “He threw the ball well, ran the ball well, ran the team well. There’s no question if you looked at that game that he’s got the skills to be an outstanding player. So we’re very pleased with him and really have been generally satisfied with him all year. But tonight I thought he played his best game.”
Consider the first six games. He completed 44-of-93 passes for 595 yards and four touchdowns, with two interceptions. The week before at Texas Tech, he was 4-for-12 for 55 yards with an interception.
Nebraska’s running game contributed to Frost’s passing success, of course. The Huskers rushed for 322 yards and four other touchdowns, on 63 carries. I-backs Ahman Green, Damon Benning, DeAngelo Evans and Josh Cobb ran for touchdowns. Green was the leading rusher, 65 yards on 12 carries.
The defense also contributed, limiting Kansas to 209 total yards, including a net of 21 yards rushing on 30 attempts. Even adding the yardage lost in sacks, the rushing yards would have been 38. The Jayhawks were without June Henley, who had been ranked seventh nationally in rushing. But Coach Glen Mason said Henley wouldn’t have made that much difference against Nebraska’s defense.
“Although we won last week, it really felt like a loss with all the mistakes we made as a team,” Husker defensive coordinator Charlie McBride said of the 24-10 victory in Lubbock.
Rush end Grant Wistrom led the defense with nine tackles and one of the Huskers’ three sacks, the others by defensive tackle Jason Peter and rush end Jared Tomich. Linebacker Jon Hesse had seven tackles. Cornerbacks Mike Brown and Greg List intercepted passes.
Ben Rutz, who began his collegiate career at Nebraska, threw the interceptions.
“I think the perception out there is that we can’t throw it — or catch it,” said Osborne. “I’ve been seeing things in practice that lead me to believe we can. I think we can do it.
“I guess it was a little surprising tonight because of the wind factor. It makes you think with the wind blowing like it was that you might not throw it that much. And I’m sure they loaded up on the run. I think to throw the ball well will serve us well. It might back people off a little bit. They might not crowd the line of scrimmage as much as they have lately.”
Mason agreed, the Jayhawk defense had focused too much on the run.
“We seemed to be more sure of what we wanted to do, be a great football team,” Osborne said.
A sellout crowd of 75,158 cheered Nebraska on.
“Husker fans are really great, except for a few bad apples,” said Frost, who had taken some criticism in his first season at Nebraska after transferring from Stanford and redshirting. “As a team we believe we are still in the hunt for the national title, as long as we continue to improve.”
