RUN, RUN, RUN – By Mike Babcock
Nebraska rushed for 524 yards in its 42-16 victory against Texas Tech at Lubbock’s Jones Stadium, September 8, 1994, a Thursday—524 yards on 63 carries.
Believe it or not, the rushing total didn’t rank in the Huskers’ top 10 all-time. Nebraska had rushed for more than 600 yards five times, including a record 677 against New Mexico State in 1982.
I-back Lawrence Phillips led the way with 175 yards on 19 carries. He rushed for two touchdowns, as did quarterback Tommie Frazier, who rushed for 84 yards on 13 carries. Fullback Cory Schlesinger also rushed for 84 yards, on six carries, and I-back Clinton Childs rushed for 59 yards and a touchdown, on 10 carries. Frazier was 5-for-15 passing for 88 yards and the other touchdown.
The Huskers finished with 612 net yards.
“I felt I started getting tired and the whole offense starting dragging a little,” said Frazier, whose touchdowns, on runs of 58 and 3 yards, came in the first half.
“But overall, the running game went really well.”
If the offense started dragging, the numbers didn’t reflect it. Nebraska rushed for 335 yards and scored four touchdowns in the second half. Phillips ran 2 and 56 yards for touchdowns in the third quarter. Childs ran 30 yards for his touchdown in the fourth quarter, after Frazier and tight end Eric Alford hooked up on a 35-yard touchdown pass early in the quarter.
Despite the lopsided outcome, “I’m disappointed that we missed a couple of field goals, and I made a couple of mistakes that can be corrected,” Coach Tom Osborne said, not elaborating.
Darin Erstad missed field goals from 42 and 49 yards.
Nebraska ran only nine more plays than the Red Raiders, who finished with 297 total yards against the Blackshirts. Rover Kareem Moss and linebacker Ed Stewart led the way with seven tackles each. The Huskers had three sacks, to bring their season total to 11.
Safety Tony Veland, a converted quarterback, had an interception.
The defense suffered a significant blow when free safety Mike Minter went down with an left ACL injury requiring surgery two weeks later and sidelining him for the season.
Attendance was 32,768, about 60 percent of Jones Stadium’s capacity, the fewest to attend a Huskers’ game since 1988 against Kansas in Lawrence. Nebraska had played in front of smaller crowds only 14 times since 1962, Bob Devaney’s first season as Husker head coach.
Not that those in attendance lacked passion. A Nebraska fan was involved in a fight in the lower stands near mid-field late in the game.
The Huskers, No. 4 in the AP preseason poll, climbed to No. 2 behind Florida after the Kickoff Classic, then moved to No. 1 following a bye week, even though Florida defeated New Mexico State 70-21. So Nebraska went to Lubbock atop the rankings. Despite the decisive victory against Texas Tech, the Huskers dropped to No. 2, after Florida defeated Kentucky 73-7.
The Huskers have “a great team,” Texas Tech linebacker Zach Thomas, the game’s leading tackler with 14, was quoted in the Lincoln Journal. “They’ve got a great chance for a national championship.”
Thomas, whose remarks proved insightful, gave a shoutout to the “Pipeline.”
“They have great talent, especially in the offensive line,” he said.
The 1994 “Pipeline” included tackles Rob Zatechka and Zach Wiegert, guards Brendan Stai and Joel Wilks and center Aaron Graham.
That’s where the running game began.
*Note: In 1996, Nebraska and Texas Tech became conference rivals in the Big 12.
