Tennessee wide receiver David Martin, left, can't reach a pass from quarterback Peyton Manning as Nebraska's Erwin Swiney defends during the Orange Bowl at Pro Player Stadium in Miami Friday, Jan. 2, 1998.AP Photo/Hans Deryk

Nebraska coach Tom Osborne leaves with win over Tennessee

Web posted January 3, 1998

Associated Press

MIAMI - The Nebraska Cornhuskers' retirement gift to Tom Osborne was an Orange Bowl rout and a perfect season. Next he'll find out what kind of sendoff the poll voters give him.

Osborne's team, needing a lopsided win to have any hope of overtaking Michigan in the final rankings, fueled the debate about who's No. 1 Friday night by beating third-ranked Tennessee 42-17.

Ahman Green rushed for an Orange Bowl-record 206 yards and two touchdowns to lead the second-ranked Cornhuskers, who limited Peyton Manning - also in his last college game - to 134 yards. Nebraska's Scott Frost was 9-for-12 for 125 yards and scored on runs of 1, 11 and 9 yards.

The Cornhuskers capped a 12-0 season in Osborne's final game. But No. 1 Michigan (12-0) beat Washington State 21-16 Thursday in the Rose Bowl, and every top-ranked team that won its bowl game has been crowned the national champion.

When the polls are released Saturday, Nebraska could become the first undefeated team denied the national championship since Penn State in 1994, when the Huskers finished No. 1.

Nonetheless, Osborne capped his 25-year career by dominating Tennessee (11-2). The Big Red's red-haired coach, who announced his retirement Dec. 10, finished with a record of 255-49-3, including 60-3 in the past five years.

His play-calling clicked with surprising success through the air in the first half, when Scott Frost was 7-for-10 for 109 yards, before Nebraska's vaunted running game buried the Volunteers in the second half.

The Cornhuskers' pass rush, meanwhile, forced Manning to hurry his throws, and the All-American completed 21 of 31 passes in his final game. He was replaced by sophomore Tee Martin with four minutes remaining.

Nebraska led 28-3 before the Vols scored their only touchdown on a 5-yard pass from Manning to Peerless Price. Tennessee committed three turnovers during a 10-minute span in the first half, which helped Nebraska go ahead 14-0.

After Jamal Lewis' fumble ended an early scoring threat by the Vols, Frost hit passes of 25, 16 and 22 yards to set up Green's 1-yard touchdown run. Nebraska took over at the Tennessee 15-yard line when Terry Fair muffed a punt, setting up Shevin Wiggins' 10-yard touchdown run.

Jeff Hall kicked a 44-yard field goal for the Volunteers, but in the second half, the powerful Huskers stayed on the ground and wore down a tiring Tennessee defense.

Nebraska rushed for 227 yards in the third period alone, throwing just one pass. Three long drives were capped by touchdown runs of 1 and 11 yards by Frost and 22 yards by Green, making the score 35-9.

Green, who rushed for 1,925 yards and 22 touchdowns this season, was held to 38 yards in the first half but gained 159 yards on 13 carries in the third quarter.

Green, named Nebraska's most valuable player, finished with 29 carries and broke the Orange Bowl record of 205 yards set by Roland Sales of Arkansas against Oklahoma in 1978.

Martin threw a 3-yard TD pass to Andy McCullough in the final minute. Jamal Lewis, who rushed for 90 yards on 14 carries, was named Tennessee's MVP.

The victory gave the Huskers their third undefeated season in the past four years.