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Friday, December 13, 2002
No. 1 Nebraska 49, Iowa State 27
Associated Press
BOX SCORE
AMES, Iowa -- Eric Crouch ran for 138 yards and a late
touchdown as No. 1 Nebraska rallied to keep its national title
hopes alive with a 49-27 win over Iowa State on Saturday.
|  | | Correll Buckhalter scored twice to help Nebraska improve to 5-0. |
Correll Buckhalter scored on two short touchdown runs for
Nebraska (5-0, 2-0 Big 12), which could be back at No. 1 after
dropping a spot last week. Second-ranked Florida State opened the door
with a 27-24 loss at No. 8 Miami on Saturday.
The Cyclones (4-1, 1-1), off to their best start in 20 years,
led 14-13 at halftime but could not stop Nebraska in the second
half as the Huskers scored five touchdowns.
Sage Rosenfels was 22-of-42 for 346 yards and two touchdowns to
lead Iowa State, which is the third straight team to pass for more
than 250 yards against Nebraska. But the Cyclones, who averaged
227.5 rushing yards per game, couldn't run the ball and finished
with just 37 yards on the ground.
It was the first time since Dan McCarney took over at Iowa State
in 1995 that the Cyclones haven't lost to the Huskers by at least
35 points.
Iowa State was within range of the upset until Crouch took over
in the second half, shaking off a second-quarter interception that
the Cyclones returned for a touchdown.
Crouch was nearly flawless in the second half, completing 3-of-3
passes for 53 yards. He also rushed for 79 yards in the half to
lead Nebraska on four of its final five scoring drives.
Crouch finished 7-for-17 for 164 yards.
Crouch's 1-yard touchdown run with 4:05 left was the Huskers'
fourth of the second half. It was the first of the game for Crouch,
who has eight touchdowns both rushing and passing on the season,
but he played a large part in the Huskers other three.
Crouch had a 22-yard run in a 39-yard drive that set up
Buckhalter's goal-line dive that gave Nebraska a 19-14 lead early
in the third quarter. Crouch also hit Aaron Golliday with a pass
for the 2-point conversion.
After an Iowa State touchdown and failed point-after try brought
the Cyclones to 21-20, Crouch led the Huskers on an 11-play,
70-yard drive for a 28-20 lead that ended on Willie Miller's 9-yard
touchdown run. Crouch kept the drive going with a 25-yard pass to
Buckhalter and a 20-yard strike to Tracey Wistrom on third downs.
Buckhalter added a 1-yard touchdown run in the fourth and backup
QB added a late TD on a 6-yard run.
The Cyclones took a 7-0 lead on Rosenfels' 53-yard pass to Craig
Campbell, who got behind Nebraska's secondary and scored untouched
in the first quarter.
Jamarcus Powers stepped in front of Crouch's pass and outran the
quarterback in a dash for the end zone and the Cyclones led 14-13
at halftime. It was the first time Nebraska had trailed at the half
this year.
Buckhalter scored on a 9-yard run that tied it at 7 and Josh
Brown hit field goals of 40 and 24 yards.
The Huskers drove inside the Iowa State 30 three other times in
the half, but did not convert. Crouch was stopped on a fourth-and-3
at the Cyclones' 24 and Brown missed field goal attempts of 39 and
48 yards.
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| | AUDIO/VIDEO |
 Nebraska's Correll Buckhalter goes airborne for the TD against Iowa State.
avi: 787 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
Nebraska's Correll Buckhalter muscles his way 9 yards for the touchdown.
avi: 1030 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
Nebraska's Willie Miller rumbles his way 9 yards for the TD
avi: 997 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
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