Solich Pleased with Opener Louisiana Tech's Offense Can't Spoil Day for New Coach Jti- ~ by Shannon Heffelfinger Turning Point
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Solich pleased with opener Louisiana Tech's offense can't spoil day for new coach Jti- ~ By Shannon Heffelfinger Turning point .. a Senior staff writer Joe Walker’s 99-yard kickoff return after In all my days, I have Louisiana Tech cut NU’s lead to 21-6. Sometime in the third of the quarter Walker’s return put Nebraska back up by never seen a person do Eddie Robinson Classic on Saturday at three touchdowns and out of serious harm for the rest of the Memorial Stadium, Louisiana Tech’s Troy game. what (Edwards) did to Edwards crashed a game that, up to that point, had been a Nebraska celebration of us Jon Frank/DN today. That is the everything that was new. The third-ranked Cornhuskers opened Buckhalter, making his first start in place most impressive their 1998 season with a 70-yard scoring of injured DeAngelo Evans, rushed for drive that took only 48 seconds, calming 143 yards on 19 carries behind four new performance I have the nerves of first-year Coach Frank starters on an offensive line that drew Solich, first-year quarterback Bobby only one penalty. ever seen in my life.” Newcombe and an inexperienced offen- “I thought Bobby did a great job for sive line. And for its part, the NU defense his first start,” Solich said. “He showed a Ralph Brown held Tech to minus-7 yards rushing and lot of composure, a great deal of poise and NU comerback 156 yards passing in the first half, good great deal of athletic ability. He threw the for a 35-6 Husker lead. ball well, and I thought we probably put it Then Edwards intruded on the party, up a little more. But we had some success line for an 80-yard score, Rattay’s fourth scoring on receptions of 52 yards and 94 running the ball. And we saw enough touchdown pass of the day. yards on his way to an NCAA-record 405 passes from them.” Edwards impressed Mike Brown so yards receiving, 21 receptions and three rorty-six too many, to be exact. lech much that he apologized for the sec- touchdowns. quarterback Tim Rattay passed for a ondary’s performance. But the first-half lead proved too career-best 590 yards, completing 46 of “He kept telling us that we couldn’t much to overcome as Nebraska (1-0) 68 attempts. It was the most passing yards cover him and that he was the best, and he defeated the Bulldogs 56-27 in front of ever gained by an NU opponent. is the best,” Mike Brown said. “We’re 76,021 at Memorial Stadium. Rattay and Edwards dominated the embarrassed by the way we played and we The numbers for Louisiana Tech (0-1) Husker secondary in the third quarter. have to apologize to all of our teammates may have been large, but for Solich, the Rattay hit Edwards for a 52-yard touch- for not holding up our end of the bargain.” day was still a good time under the cir- down reception on the Bulldogs’ first NU Defensive Coordinator Charlie cumstances, that is. drive of the second half. McBride labeled NU’s tackling “pathet- “I’m glad it’s over and I think our On Tech’s next drive, Rattay threw ic,” and said the Huskers’ makeshift sec- players certainly are,” Solich said. “It was over NU’s Mike Brown and Ralph Brown ondary accounted for some of the defen- pretty difficult in terms of all of the media and found Edwards again, who scored on sive problems. attention. the 94-yard reception to close Nebraska’s An injury to starting free safety Clint “In a program like Nebraska’s, you’re advantage to 35-21. Edwards averaged 19 Finley forced McBride and Defensive going to attract a certain amount of atten- yards per reception. Backs Coach George Darlington to move tion, but when a new guy comes in and “I think they set us up and they caught No. 1 rover Mike Brown to the position. takes over, it’s going to be virtually me relaxing in that long one,” Ralph No. 2 rover Joe Walker, who would have impossible to prepare for. Brown said. “They had been throwing played nickelback against Tech’s impres- “All in all, I was pleased with the team Edwards short passes the whole game. sive passing attack, moved to No. 1 rover. and their performance. Louisiana Tech The play before the bomb, Rattay threw Solich, however, downplayed has a very fine football team, and I don’t long, but Edwards wasn’t even near the Nebraska’s defensive lapses. think there is any questions about that. All ball. Then boom. He’s by me and gone. “That’s a tremendous amount of yards, in all, it was a win, and we are delighted.” “In all my days, I have never seen a but that’s the way it goes on a first game,” The solid performance of several person do what (Edwards) did to us today. Solich said. “We have work to do, but I’m inexperienced players highlighted a slop- That is the most impressive performance I satisfied with the effort of our team. py game, Solich said. In his first start at have even seen in my life.” Certainly we need to work on some areas quarterback, Newcombe, who suffered a The Huskers countered with two scor- of the game. For a first game, it’s OK. left knee injury during the game, com- ing drives, the first a nine-play, 77-yard “Rattay and Edwards are truly great pleted 9of 10 passes for 168 yards, drive that culminated in a Dan Alexander players. People have had trouble slowing including a 46-yard touchdown bomb to four-yard touchdown run to put NU ahead them down, and we did also. Sheldon Jackson on the third play of the 42-21. “But all in all, it was a win. Now we're game. Tech struck one more time when ready to move on.” Sophomore I-back Correll Rattay hit Edwards down the right side- .