European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - January 2, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse Page 32 the stars and stripes sports saturday sunday january 1/2,1994 it huskers pose weighty problem by Steven wine Miami apr they re farm boys from the Snowbell. Countless hours at the training table and in the weight room have made them massive and muscular. Nebraska linemen look a lot like those from notre Dame and the similarity could spell trouble for Florida state. The top ranked seminoles lost to notre Dame in november and face no. 2 Nebraska on new year s night in the Orange bowl. Quot we think Nebraska a going to use the same Type of game plan notre Dame did a Florida state linebacker Derrick Brooks said. A they have big linemen and a big team and they re going to try to use their weight to their that approach worked for notre Dame which ran through the seminoles defense and flustered their offence to win 31-24 at South Bend. Quot notre Dame came off the Ball and tried to Wear us Down a Brooks said. A when you have 300-Pound Guys leaning on you it a ikes a toll in the fourth the fighting Irish gained 239 Yards Rushing against Florida state which allowed an average of just 87 Yards in its 11 victories the Orange bowl May swing on whether Nebraska can find room to run. As always the Cor huskers Are at their Best on the ground. They finished third in the nation with an average of 288 Yards Rushing per game behind an Interior line averaging nearly 295 pounds. Quot i think try to do the same thing notre Dame did a lean on us a Brooks said. Defensively the fighting Irish harnessed Keisman trophy Winner Charlie Ward who struggled through his worst game of the season. He threw just one interception but it was critical setting up a touchdown that gave the Irish a 21-7 Lead. A. A a Quot they were putting pressure on Charlie with three Guys Rushing a Nebraska linebacker Mike Anderson said. Quot if you can do that you can drop everybody else and make it virtually impossible to do it May take More than three people but the huskers Hope to pressure Ward they had 44 sacks during the regular sea soft led by Butkus award Winner Trev Alberts with 15. Containing the elusive quarterback will Orange bowl also be critical. Quot notre Dame flustered Charlie a Little bit and kept him in the pocket which he Wasny to used to a Nebraska Strong safety Toby Wright said. Quot at times i saw him unsure of h itself which is the first time i saw ,. Ward said the fighting Irish repeatedly anticipated what the seminoles were going to do. A a notre. Darne had two weeks to prepare for us and they did a great Job scouting our offence a Ward said. A they recognized what we did and had a defense for the Corn husked 11-0 have had More than a month to get ready for Florida state 11-1. A a they re probably going to present problems for us Early a Ward said. A hopefully we can make Nebraska coach Tom Osborne acknowledged similarities Between his team and notre Dame but noted that the huskers Lack a couple of advantages the Irish enjoyed against Florida state. A i done to think we can approximate the setting that notre Dame had or the weather conditions a Osborne said. A but we be certainly studied that film a i while the Irish discovered ways to attack and defend Florida state they also provided another revelation a the seminoles Are human. Prior to the loss in South Bend Florida state had outscored nine opponents 399-58. A before that game we had an image that there a no Way these Guys could be beaten a a Nebraska safety John Reece said. A Quot. A a v state coach Bobby Bowden also finds something positive in the outcome. It reduced pressure on the seminoles he says by terminating talk that they were the Best team of All time it file still allowing them time to climb Back to no. 1. A a a. A a a. A a a a. They did just that by closing the regular reason with impressive victories against North Carolina state and at Florida. A a. A a a if we re Able to win against Nebraska the notre Dame game is probably is the Best thing that could have happened to us a Bowden said. Seem by Ben Walker new Orleans apr to hear coach Don Nehler Tell it a few weeks ago it was going to be either Quot the biggest College Ginia did not get to play Nebraska in the Orange bowl. Whatever West Virginia wound up in the sugar bowl. Now though Nehlen sounds Content. A we feel very strongly that if Ana i mean if we win against a team the Caliper of Florida Well probably earn a part of the National championship a Nehlen Nehlen said. West Virginia is no. 3 at 11-0 and is almost certainly shut out of winning the associated press title. Top ranked Florida state 11-1 and second rated Nebraska 11-0 should decide that in Miami. The mountaineers however Are no. 2 in the Usa today can coaches poll behind Nebraska and ahead of Florida bowl twice in the last three seasons the National championship has been split Colorado and Georgia tech in 1990, Miami and Washington in 1991if could happen again if the mountaineers win on new years Day a Nehlen a 58th birthday a and Florida state wins the Orange. \ West Virginia is a seven Point underdog to no. 8 Florida while Florida state is a 17-Point favorite. The contenders will be Able to follow each others Progress because the Orange bowl starts about a half hour before the sugar bowl begins at 8 30 . Est at the super Doc for Nehlen and West Virginia this is a familiar position. Five years ago the mountaineers also were 11-0 and no. 3 As they went into the fiesta bowl against no. 1 notre Dame listen to Nehlen then a it does disturb me a Little bit that we Haven to been Given quite the credit we deserve. I think we have a tendency to think we never get credit because for so Many years we never West Virginia did no to get much after that game either. Quarterback major Harris was injured on the third play and the mountaineers were never really in it file photo Nebraska anchors its Lin with 300-Pound Sophs Lance Lundberg and Zach Wiegert. Losing 34-21. Listen to defensive Back Tommy on now a somebody can to add or see or something. The Media has been dissing us the whole time. They re portraying us As a Bunch of Hicks. We be been winning and we be been underdogs every big that West Virginia made it even this far surprised Many. West Virginia was not ranked in the preseason poll receiving fewer Points in the voting than Green Hawaii and Maryland and Only a couple More than Toledo. Not until the mountaineers beat Virginia tech j4-13 for their fourth win did theyt5l�alr1nto the rankings albeit at no. 25. Later wins Over Louisville 36-34 and at Syracuse 43-0 moved them up and victories Over Miami 17-14 and at Boston College 17-14 in the final two games put them in position. Florida meanwhile was ranked no 9 in the preseason. The gators started off with five straight wins lost 38-35 at Auburn and did not lose again until falling 33-21 to Florida state. In the Southeastern conference championship game Florida and coach Steve Spurrier avenged last seasons loss in the first Sec title game by beating Alabama. The gators goal is to win the sugar bowl for the first time. Florida lost 20-18 to Missouri in 1966 a Spurrier the heis Man trophy Winner led an 18-Point rally in the fourth Quarter that fell Short a lost 13-10 to Nebraska in 1974 and lost 39-28 to notre Dame in 1992. Florida was ranked no. 3 in its last trip to new Orleans for new years Day and had a Chance for the National championship. Instead Jerome Bettis and no. 18 notre Dame romped. Spurrier later said his team might be spent too much time seeing the sights and not enough focusing on football. A hopefully Well be a Little bit More serious in new Orleans than two years ago a Spurrier said. A a we la be a Little bit More a West Virginia lost its Only trip to the sugar bowl 42-19 to Georgia tech in 1954. Some Florida players recently said they thought West Virginia a players might be distracted in new Orleans Al though Nehlen did not think so. A your kids Are no different than any others. Bourbon streets full of bars and my kids Are going to peek in them a Nehlen said. A when they do peek i May be inside waiting for them. A these kids should have fun at the sugar bowl but that fun comes at the beginning of the week a he said. A at the end of the week buckle
