DREAM BOWL 1998, CONTINUED
THIRD QUARTER
Nebraska receives the ball to start the second half. Judging from the extra spring in the Huskers' step, it appears the Cornhusker coaching staff has had a few things to say during the halftime break. Walker scoots to the 28 yard line to on the opening kickoff, and Nebraska looks at first-and-ten from there.
Frost runs an option to the left side, holding the ball until he is nearly collared by Sword. At the last second, he flips the ball forward to Green, who grabs it in full stride and scoots for six yards before being forced out of bounds. Second and four. Green blasts for six yards off right side this time and first down at the 42.
With a new set of downs, Frost runs option right, keeping this time for seven yards. The linemen up front, led by Pollack, Heskew and Taylor, are beginning to blow holes in the rugged Wolverine defense.
From midfield, Makovicka gets the call. He rumbles forward and appears to be stopped by Renes at the line of scrimmage, but continues plowing forward and regains his balance. He plows up the middle of the field for 28 yards before finally being drug down from behind by Marcus Ray. The Big Red Machine is starting to roll.
Green takes a pitch to the left and slashes for five more yards, and it's
second-and-five from the 17 yard line. On the next
play, Frost rolls right
and lofts a perfect pass to Sheldon Jackson in the corner of the endzone, just
over the outstretched hands of Woodson, who was fooled into supporting the run on the
play but nearly recovers for an interception. Jackson comes
down with the ball in bounds, and just like that, Nebraska roars back into the
ballgame. With Brown's extra point, it's suddenly Michigan 17, Nebraska 14
with
10:06 left in the third quarter.
"Whatever Tom Osborne said at halftime, it certainly worked," Donahue says. "Nebraska is really fired up to start this second half."
The rejuvenated Blackshirt defense wants to get Frost and Co. the football back, too. Sensing Michigan may want to control the ball and turn the game over to its fortress-like defense, Charlie McBride calls a run blitz on first-and-10 from the Wolverine 20, and it pays off. Howard is snowed under instants after being handed the ball by Griese, and it's second-and-14, UM.
Wistrom breaks through on second down, and wraps his long arms around Griese's legs to drop the quarterback for another loss, this time for six yards. The Husker D is in a craze, forcing the Michigan quarterback out of the pocket again on third down. Brian fires over the head of Tai Streets on third-and-forever, and the punting unit comes on again.
Standing in his own end zone, Vinson launches a line-drive kick that is fielded by Newcombe at the Michigan 44. He is momentarily collared, then bursts of left side for another eight yards before being dropped by a host of tacklers. But the Huskers have the short field at the Wolverine 36.
Again, Green gets the carry, this time picking up short yards to the 34. On second down, the Huskers come out in the shotgun and try to confuse UM's defenders with a quarterback draw. Frost drags Steele for four yards, and it's third and four from the 28 yard line.
Calling an audible at the line of scrimmage, Frost runs an option to the left. The maize-and-blue get good penetration, though, and force Scott to pitch quickly to Ahman Green. Meanwhile, Joel Makovicka buries Sword with a crushing block, and Green sees a running lane you could drive a Scarlet-and-Cream truck through. The speedy runner from Omaha blasts to the Michigan 10, and it's first-and-goal, Cornhuskers.
Osborne calls for the Huskers to come out in the double-wing set. Wiggins gets the call on a pitch right, and is tripped up after gaining five yards. On second down, NU gets fancy and tries to hit Jackson in the back of the end zone, but Frost misses his target. On third down, it's option time again -- this time, Frost keeps but is driven down just shy of the goal line. Third down and less than a yard for a score.
"You thinkin' Iso?" says Osborne to his assistants in the booth.
"Sounds good," says the voice of incoming head coach Frank Solich. "Give it to Ahman."
The Cornhusker linemen produce an inspired surge, pushing the vaunted Michigan defense back enough for No. 30 to vault over the pile and in for the score. Nebraska, once down by double digits, has just climbed into the lead in the Dream Bowl! Brown knocks home the extra point, and as Woodson, Ray and Steele begin to point fingers at one another, "Hail Varsity" rains down from the stands. The score jumps to Nebraska 21, Michigan 17 with six minutes are left in the third quarter.
Howard gets a good return on Brown's ensuing kickoff, setting up the Wolverines at their own 30. Griese, noticing that Nebraska's defense is crashing and playing aggressive, checks from a draw play into a slant to Marcus Knight. The Michigan wideout snags the pass on the run at the 38, burns past Foreman at the 41, scoots past midfield and is finally drug down by Warfield at the Nebraska 40.
The Blackshirts strengthen their resolve, however, as Grant Wistrom teams with Jason Peter in recording the Cornhuskers' third sack of the night on Griese. Second down from the 49. A draw to Anthony Thomas, who has replaced Chris Howard for the time being, nets three. With four minutes left in the period, UM suddenly faces third and long.
Enter Charles Woodson. The cornerback lines up wide in UM's I-formation, then goes in motion and receives the handoff from Greise on a reverse. As the Husker defense keys on stopping Woodson, No. 2 flips the ball quickly to Streets on the double reverse. The speed-burner blows by a penetrating Grant Wistrom and heads down the right sideline, not stopping until he is drug down by Nebraska's Mike Brown at the Cornhusker 9. As Streets goes down, he loses the ball, and backup safety Clint Finley falls on the football. But the referees blow the crucial play dead, though television replays show otherwise. Would Nebraskans be cursing the officials all winter?
On the next series of downs, it appears so. Thomas, still in the game, bulls
to the NU 4 on first and goal, followed by a powerful run to get the ball within
a hair's breadth of the goal line. On third down, with the Cornhusker defense
packing in tight, Griese flips a short pass to a releasing tight end -- Tuman --
for six. Michigan's sideline explodes! The gut-check Wolverines answer the Cornhuskers'
call, and have seized back the lead!
"The sign of a great team is to take someone's best lickin' and to give one right back," Jackson says. "And Michigan just happens to have one of those great teams."
The celebration is tempered, however, when the extra point is blocked, leaving UM with a two-point lead late in the third quarter.
Nebraska, which looked dominant on its first two drives of the second half, can't get anything going on its next possession. Neither can Michigan, however, and trades NU's punt right back as the third quarter comes to an end.
Third Quarter Score:
Michigan 23, Nebraska
21
Following a short punt return by Bobby Newcombe, Nebraska starts its first drive of the final quarter at its own 40 yard line. Frost spins to his right on first down to run an option play, but is grabbed from behind and spun down in the backfield before the play can develop. The Michigan defense, riddled for a ton of yards in the third quarter, is beginning to stiffen.
On second and 13, Frost rolls left and throws a flare to Matt Davison, who had run a short timing pattern. The hero of the Missouri game gains 10, bringing up a key third-and-three from the NU 47. Again, Frost checks into an option, running right. Electing to keep the ball, No. 7 is lassoed short of the first down by more than a yard. The Wolverine defense dances off the field after stymieing the Huskers for the second consecutive drive.
"I don't think Nebraska can afford to run any more options tonight," Donahue says.
The Cornhuskers are the ones doing the celebrating moments later, however, when Kosch's pinpointed punt is downed one yard from the UM goal line. Taking over with just over 10 minutes left, the Wolverines are 99 yards away from the Nebraska goal line.
On first down, Floyd carries off-tackle left. But Jay Foreman bolts past Wolverine center Zach Adami, plugging the hole and dropping the big back after a gain of only two. On second down, Griese gets good protection and fires a pass toward Streets at the 20, but the pass is low and out of the reach of the diving No. 86. Third down. Howard bulls off right side, carrying two Blackshirts to the Michigan 8, but that's all the further the Wolverines will go. Time for a punt.
Again backed up to his own end zone, Vinson lets fly a high, hanging spiral. Newcombe gets ahold of the ball at the 42 and is collared almost immediately. First down, Nebraska, at the Michigan 40 with 8:11 left.
Frost runs the option toward the short side of the field, bringing the entire Michigan defense flowing toward him. Again, deep penetration by the Wolverine defensive line -- a unit which has gotten its share of licks in against the mighty Nebraska front seven -- forces the quarterback to pitch early. Green, silent for the last few drives, takes the pitch at the 38 and runs right into Sam Sword and Dhani Jones. But Ahman busts through the tackles and scampers down the right sideline, tearing up turf in his wake. Marcus Ray finally comes across the field and bumps him out at the Michigan 15-yard-line.
On the very next play, Frost gives to Makovicka. With a majority of the
Wolverine defense chasing after Frost and Green,
Joel bursts into the clear and
barrels in for another Cornhusker touchdown! In this defensive
struggle-turned-shootout, the Cornhuskers have just seized the upper hand! Brown's conversion is
good, and with 6:59 left, it's Nebraska 28, Michigan 23.
"You can almost feel the momentum moving back over to the Big Red sideline," Jackson says to Donahue. "I think Michigan is getting tired."
Nebraska, however, looks stronger than ever. Adrenaline flowing, Brown bombs his kickoff through the Sun Devil Stadium goal posts, setting up Michigan first-and-ten at its own 20. Against the fired-up Blackshirts, Michigan can't get anything going at all. Two runs and an incomplete pass quickly end the Wolverine drive, and UM gives the ball back to NU with 5:05 left in the game.
Osborne, realizing a ball-control, clock-chewing drive could give him the Dream Bowl title, keeps it on the ground. The Wolverines crowd nine men at the line of scrimmage in an attempt to stop the Cornhuskers from achieving a first down, and they succeed. Frost for three, then Green for six sets up a short third-down conversion attempt at the NU 41. But with 4:17 left, Frost fumbles Heskew's snap and has to pounce on it for a two-yard loss. The frustrated Huskers know they've got UM tired, but must punt the ball back.
Again, Kosch doesn't give the slippery Woodson a chance to return his offering, and his punt sails into the end zone for a touchback.
"This is what college football is all about, Keith," says Donahue. "Eighty yards to go, four minutes left, tight ballgame ... I love it."
On first down, the Huskers blitz. Griese can't adjust in time and is knocked down -- hard -- at the UM 14. The Big Red crowd roars, smelling victory. But on the next play Griese rights himself, rifling a strike to Tuman over the middle for a gain of 16 to move the chains.
As the clock winds under four minutes, Griese begins hurrying his offense to the line. A fade pattern to Marcus Knight falls incomplete, but the senior quarterback goes back to Knight, quiet most of the game, on second down for a gain of 13. Needing a touchdown, UM begins picking up the pace. A quick pitch to Howard catches the Blackshirts playing too much pass defense, and the big back squirts free for nine more yards. Suddenly, the Wolverines have the ball second-and-one at the Nebraska 46.
"Michigan is slow and steady," Jackson says. "They're moving the ball, but they might just run out of time before they can get it in the endzone. They need a big play, and they need it quick"
As if on cue, Woodson checks into the ballgame, lining up wide and drawing double coverage. Instead, the Wolverines use him as a decoy, utilizing the speed of Marcus Knight to catch a high pass over Ralph Brown to the Cornhusker 30 with 2:30 remaining.
On the next play, the Huskers blow the coverage. But Wistrom and Peter bear down on Griese and force No. 14 to overthrow Tai Streets by at least 10 yards. Second down.
Thomas, bringing fresh legs into the game, takes a handoff to the right and surges for six. But a flag comes in, and it's holding against Michigan. The spot foul makes it second and 18 at the 38.
Griese throws again, but the pass this time is broken up by Warfield. On third and long and with 1:48 remaining, the Wolverines operate out of the shotgun. A pass to Tuman over the middle comes up short of the first down by less than a yard, and now Lloyd Carr is stuck with a tough choice.
Fourth and one. Timeout, Michigan.
"Through the whole bowl season, the speculation always centered on how Nebraska's offense would fare against that rugged Michigan defense," Donahue says. "It's funny that when clutch time arrives, it's the other units that are duking it out."
Ninety seconds remain in the college football season -- ninety seconds left in a controversial, emotional ride that for the unbeaten Wolverines, began back with victories over Colorado, Notre Dame and Baylor and culminated with a thriller over Washington State. Do they have some more magic in them?
The blue-jerseyed Wolverines come over the ball, bringing the capacity crowd to its feet. As Griese barks his signals, Foreman races to the line in an attempt to blitz. As the ball is snapped, Griese fakes the give to Floyd and sprints to his right. For a moment, Tuman is open, but Griese throws the ball a half-step too late. With an acrobatic, stretching leap, Warfield knocks the ball to the Sun Devil Stadium turf. Incomplete! The Blackshirts hold on the drive of the season, and the Cornhuskers take over at their own 18 yard line!
Knowing that Nebraska needs but a first down to bring home the National
Championship, Frost keeps the ball on an inside option run, picking up 5 yards
and forcing Michigan to burn its final timeout. On second-and-five, Frost hands
to Green, who, cradling the ball like it was an day-old infant, gets past the first wave
of gambling UM defenders and bursts into the clear. A spinning, juking, driving,
game-clinching run from the junior finally ends with fist-pumping celebrations and cheers from the red-clad
faithful at the Cornhusker 47-yard line.
On the final play of the game, Frost takes a knee, then thrusts his fists into the air victoriously as the crowd's roar crescendos. Once down by as many as 10 points, Nebraska's offense has worn out Michigan's nigh-invincible defense, scoring three second-half touchdowns and carrying the Cornhuskers to a Dream Bowl triumph!
Pandemonium breaks out on the Sun Devil Stadium field as the clock hits zeros. The downcast Wolverines trudge into the locker room, while hundreds of Nebraska faithful storm onto the turf and embrace the 14-0 Cornhuskers in a giant, joyous scrum. "We Are The Champions" by Queen blasts from the public-address system.
Later, Osborne accepts the victory, National Championship trophy, and the congratulatory phone call from President Clinton in stride. "It's a nice way to go out," he tells CBS' Michelle Tafoya in his usual vanilla tone, eliciting chants of "T.O.! T.O!" from the crowd. "We just appreciate the chance to get to play in this game."
They not only got a chance to play in the Dream Bowl, they won it, earning the title of National Champions, 1997.
Score By Quarters
1
2 3 4
Nebraska
0 7
14 7 -- 28
Michigan
0 17
6 0 -- 23
Game Scoring
First Quarter
No scoring.
Second Quarter
NU -- S. Frost 5 run (Brown kick) 12:07
UM -- FG Chandler 40, 9:38
UM -- C. Woodson 91 punt return (Chandler kick), 6:14
UM-- A.Thomas 24 pass from B. Griese (Chandler kick) 0:47
Third Quarter
NU -- S. Jackson 17 pass from Frost
(Brown kick) 10:06
NU -- A. Green 1 run (Brown kick) 6:01
UM -- J. Tuman 1 pass from Griese (kick failed) 2:37
Fourth Quarter
NU -- J. Makovicka 15 run (Brown kick) 6:59
Game Statistics NU UM
First
Downs
18
14
Rushes-Yards
46-258
28-120
Passing C-A-Int
6-8-0 12-24-1
Passing
Yards
87
178
Total
Offense
355
298
Turnovers
1
1
Time of
Poss.
32:44 27:16