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Huskers Shut Out Kansas, 41-0

Lincoln -- The Nebraska ground attack, held below 200 yards in the previous two contests, rushed for a season-high 466 yards as the Huskers rebounded from their loss to Texas A&M to shut out Kansas, 41-0.

The shutout was NU’s first since back-to-back shutouts against Texas Tech and Kansas during the 1997 season and its third straight on Homecoming. The Huskers held the Jayhawks to 220 yards of total offense and 99 yards rushing.

Nebraska opened the scoring on its first possession as sophomore I-back Correll Buckhalter’s 32-yard touchdown run capped a six-play, 47-yard drive to give the Huskers a 7-0 lead four minutes into the game.

NU extended the lead to 10-0 on a 27-yard field goal by Kris Brown. In the closing seconds of the first half, the Huskers drove to the Kansas 1-yard line, where they faced a fourth-and-goal. NU quarterback Bobby Newcombe fumbled the snap and was stopped, but the Jayhawks were offside, giving the Huskers a second chance. Newcombe made the most of the opportunity, sneaking in from the 1 to put the Nebraska ahead 17-0 at halftime.

Buckhalter and the Huskers broke the game open with a pair of third-quarter touchdowns. The sophomore from Collins, Miss., scored on runs of six and three yards, as he finished with 133 yards in place of the injured DeAngelo Evans. Brown added a 28-yard field goal, while reserve fullback Billy Legate scored from six yards out for the final score.

Nebraska vs. Kansas Postgame Notes, Homecoming, Oct. 17, 1998
The No. 8/8 Nebraska Cornhuskers continued their winning ways over the Kansas Jayhawks with a 41-0 shutout in Lincoln on Homecoming. For the Huskers, it was their 46th straight home victory (leads the nation), their 30th consecutive win over the Jayhawks, and their 30th consecutive win on Homecoming. Nebraska improves to 6-1 on the season, and 2-1 in Big 12 Conference action, while KU drops to 2-5, 0-5 in the league.

* NU vs. KU...in the longest consecutive Division I-A series at 93 games, Nebraska has dominated, posting an 81-21-3 series advantage. The Huskers have won the last 30 meetings and in that streak have outscored KU 1,377 to 230. Nebraska has scored 40 or more points 23 times in the 30-game win streak against KU and held the Jayhawks to 10 points or less 21 times in the same span, including 10 shutouts. Kansas has not scored against Nebraska in 10 quarters (since third quarter of 1996 game).

* Shutouts...NU posted its first shut out since back-to-back shutouts last season of Texas Tech on Oct.. 18 (29-0) and Kansas on Oct. 25 (35-0).

* Long Drives...Nebraska dominated the ground game pounding out a season-best 466 rushing yards. NU held nearly a 20-minute edge in possession time at 39:47 to 20:13 and had three drives of 10-plays or more, and all three of those drives were five minutes or more.

* I-back Correll Buckhalter earned his fourth start this season (also first three games) and posted his second 100-yard rushing game of season/career. Playing just three quarters, Buckhalter rushed 18 times for 133 yards and a career-best three TDs. His previous 100-yard game was the season opener when he rushed for a career-best 19-143-2. This marks the fifth time in his career that he has rushed for two or more TDs in a game. Buckhalter scored on a 32-yard run on Nebraska’s first drive in the first, and on runs of six yards and three yards in the third quarter, to put NU up 31-0. Buckhalter started in place of sophomore DeAngelo Evans who sat out with a bruised tailbone.

* Turnovers...Both teams lost two fumbles and KU also gave up an interception. KU did not convert on either on NU’s miscues and the Huskers scored on two of the three. Rover Joe Walker recorded his second interception of the year (also had one for no yards vs. Washington) when he intercepted Zac Wegner just out of the KU end zone (1-yard line). NU turned it back over 14 plays later after driving to the KU 18. After DT Loran Kaiser caused Moran Norris to fumble, senior Butkus semifinalist Jay Foreman recovered at the KU 24. Correll Buckhalter ran 18 yards and then followed with a 6-yard TD run to put NU up 24-0. Early in the third quarter, FS Clint Finley (who started his first game this year after recovering from a knee strain suffered in fall practice) caused David Winbush to fumble, Mike Brown recovered and was credited with a 26-yard fumble return to the KU 29 (ran it inside 10 but a 15-yard penalty put it back on the KU 44). The Huskers scored six plays later on Buckhalter’s 3-yard run, set up by a Newcombe-Matt Davison 21-yard pass (Davison has caught 15 passes in the last three games).

* Quarterback Bobby Newcombe...completed his first four passes before throwing a incompletion. He was 5-8 on the day, for 79 yards and no intercpetions, and completed two passes of 20 yards or more on NU’s second scoring drive. He completed a 21-yard pass to tight end Tracey Wistrom (second catch of season) and a 25-yard pass to fullback Joel Makovicka (second catch of season) a long of 25 yards on NU’s second scoring drive. He drove it in himself on a 1-yard dive over the top. Still nursing a sore left knee, he played series 1,2 and 4, and was spelled by senior walk-on Monte Christo (sophomore Eric Crouch did not play except to hold).

* Fullback Joel Makovicka...had a complete game. He had a touchdown breaking block on Correll Buckhalter’s 32-yard TD run to open scoring on NU’s first drive, he rushed 11 times for 61 yards, marking the fourth time this season that he has had double-figure carries (career-high of 13 vs. Cal). He also caught one pass for a career-long 25 yards which led to Bobby Newcombe’s 1-yard TD run. It is the fourth time this season that he has rushed for at least 50 yards (season best of 77 vs. Cal).

* Career-Best Individual Efforts...I-back Dan Alexander, who came in second at I-back behind Buckhalter rushed a career-high 15 times for a career-best 90 yards, including a career-long 20-yard gain. Billy Legate scored his first career TD on a 6-yard run with 6:53 in the fourth quarter to give NU a 41-0 lead. He had a career-best 23-yards on three carries. Quarterback Jay Runty a sophomore walk-on, had a career-long 26-yard run (also career game best). Fullback Ben Kingston tied his career best with six yards on two carries. I-back Dan White had a career-best five carries for 23 yards, including a career-long 7-yard run. Quarterback Monte Christo had a career-best 62 yards rushing on seven carries (previous best 13-32 vs. California this season). He had a career-long 42-yard run on the first play of Nebraska’s final scoring drive.

* Place-Kicker Kris Brown...Brown scored 11 points, boosting his career-record total to 348 in his four years at NU. Brown was successful on two field goals, a 27-yarder in the first quarter and a 28-yarder with 13:10 remaining in the fourth quarter. Brown has made 5-7 this season, 21 of his last 23 attempts and 48 of 63 in his career and extended his Nebraska record of consecutive PATs to 116. He has connected on 204-208 PATs and is nearing the NCAA record in both categories (216 PATs made and 222 PAT attempts). It is the first time this season that Brown has kicked more than one field goal in a game.

* Break ‘Em Up...Sophomore corner Erwin Swiney had two pass breakups and junior corner Ralph Brown had one giving them eight each on the season. True freshman Keyuo Craver also had one--first in career.

* Team Highs and Lows...HIGHS--Rushing--yards--466; Carries--79; Total Plays--88 (ties Cal); Total Offense--545; Most Penalties--9; Most Penalty Yards--69; LOWS--Passing Attempts--9 (ties Washington, NU’s season low last season was 10 vs. KU); Completions--5; Yards--79.; DEFENSE LOWS--first time this season that NU did not have a sack and first time in 19 games that NU did not record at least one sack. Nebraska had a season best 4-5 fourth-down conversions and was 6-16 on third-down tries. KU was a season-low 1-12 on third downs and 1-2 on fourth-down tries.

* Known Injuries...Wingback Frankie London--fractured left tibia (leg); Sheldon Jackson--right knee and foot sprain; Loran Kaiser--right knee bruise; Joe Walker--right knee MCL sprain (not serious); Dan Alexander (left ankle sprain). Walker and Alexander could miss practice time, none, except London, are expected to miss next game or significant practice time.


SOURCE: NU ATHLETIC DEPT.