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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) -- As Nebraska's only experienced quarterback,
Eric Crouch was off-limits to tacklers during fall camp.
It looked like much of the same Saturday in the No. 1 Huskers
season opener, when Crouch scored three touchdowns and passed for
another as Nebraska beat San Jose State 49-13.
|  | | Nebraska's Dan Alexander pushes aside San Jose State's Willie Adams on his way to one of two touchdowns Saturday. |
The junior quarterback had only eight carries for 57 yards, but
the Spartans couldn't stop him when the Huskers got close to the
end zone. Crouch scored on runs of 6, 4 and 9 yards.
"If I get the ball 25 times a game and we're successful, fine.
If I get the ball five times in a game, that's fine," said Crouch,
who led the Huskers with 180 carries last season.
Crouch didn't need to be the leading rusher Saturday. Dan
Alexander ran for 208 yards and two touchdowns and Correll
Buckhalter had 117 yards on 13 carries for the Huskers, who scored
on their first four possessions and didn't punt until the fourth
quarter.
"It's nice to have all those running backs doing such a great
job. We can be physical all game long and that takes a lot of
pressure off me," Crouch said. "There weren't too many trickery
plays in what we did. It was just option football -- power football.
That's what we do."
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Opening Act
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Nebraska extended its NCAA record to 15 straight opening-season wins on Saturday. Here is who the Cornhuskers have beaten.
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1999: Iowa, 42-7
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1998: Louisiana Tech, 56-27
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1997: Akron, 59-14
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1996: Michigan State, 55-14
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1995: Oklahoma State, 64-21
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1994: West Virginia, 31-0
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1993: North Texas, 76-14
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1992: Utah, 49-22
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1991: Utah State, 59-28
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1990: Baylor, 13-0
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1989: No. Illinois, 48-17
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1988: Texas A&M, 23-14
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1987: Utah State, 56-12
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1986: Florida State, 34-17
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Nebraska wore down the smaller Spartans on an afternoon when it
reached 100 degrees by the beginning of the fourth quarter and the
temperature on the artificial turf was 120.
The Huskers had 596 yards, 505 rushing, of offense while winning
their 15th straight opener.
"We pretty much had our way," center Dominic Raiola said. "We
were trying for 350 or more but when you see the numbers going up
like that you just don't want to stop."
San Jose State didn't stop Nebraska in the first half until the
Huskers' final possession, and that was an interception off a
tipped pass.
"That offensive unit is very, very dominant. We could not stop
them all day," San Jose State coach Dave Baldwin said.
While the offense backed up the Nebraska's No. 1 ranking, the
defense did not. Nebraska has six new starters on defense and it
showed early Saturday as the Huskers missed several tackles early.
"We were disappointed with the tackling," defensive
coordinator Craig Bohl said. "I do think we showed some signs of
improvement during the course of the game, but there's no doubt
we've got to be a better tackling football team."
The Spartans gained 346 yards and had three apparent touchdowns
nullified because of penalties. Nebraska had trouble stopping
Deonce Whitaker, a speedy 5-foot-6 senior, who rushed for 147
yards, 121 in the first half.
Marcus Arroyo was 10-for-23 with two touchdowns for San Jose
State.
"We tried to spread things out and do things that make us a
tough first game," Baldwin said. "They came right after us. I
don't know if they have a weakness."
Nebraska was never threatened, but didn't put the game away
until the second half when Alexander broke free on an option for a
56-yard run. Crouch added a 9-yard touchdown run late in the third
for a 42-13 lead and the starting backfield was done for the day.
Crouch, who had surgery on his throwing shoulder in January, was
just 4-of-10 for 67 yards with two interceptions. But Crouch had no
trouble leading the option attack.
Crouch accounted for Nebraska's first two touchdown runs and a
27-yard TD pass to Tracey Wistrom. Each scoring play capped an
80-yard drive.
The Huskers' longest drive of the first half, 97 yards, opened
with Buckhalter's 26-yard run and ended on a 1-yard dive by
Alexander that gave the Huskers a 28-6 halftime lead.
Whitaker opened San Jose State's first possession with a 6-yard
run, then sprung free for 69 yards to set up a first-and-goal from
the 7, but the Huskers were able to avoid giving up a touchdown.
Two penalties pushed the Spartans back, then Nick Gilliam's 29-yard
field-goal attempt bounced off the right upright.
The Spartans got to the Nebraska 8 on their next possession and
scored on a pass in the flat from Arroyo to An Truong that cut
Nebraska's lead to 14-6 when the extra-point try was blocked.
Arroyo brought San Jose State within 35-13 on a 19-yard pass to
Rashied Davis after Josh Parry's interception gave the Spartans the
ball at the Nebraska 21.
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ALSO SEE
COLLEGE FOOTBALL Scoreboard
San Jose State Clubhouse
Nebraska Clubhouse
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