No. 2 Nebraska 17, No. 16 Kansas State 6

(c) Copyright the News & Observer Publishing Co. and The Associated Press, 1994

MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) -- Nebraska coach Tom Osborne doubted the Huskers could win here. Defensive coordinator Charlie McBride couldn't believe Kansas State was held to six points.

A strong defensive performance and the running of Lawrence Phillips made believers out of both of them as the second-ranked Huskers beat No. 16 Kansas State 17-6 on a dreary, rainy Saturday.

Nebraska clung to a 7-6 lead until a 15-yard run by Jeff Makovica with about 11 minutes to play broke the game open. The Huskers won their 21st straight regular season game and beat Kansas State for the 26th consecutive time.

"Our secondary really played outstanding because they have got a great quarterback," McBride said. "If you would have told me we'd hold them to six points, I wouldn't have believed you.

"I heard some guy in the hotel say last night that we were OK, but that our only problem was the secondary. Well, today it wasn't."

Lawrence Phillips ran for 126 yards on 31 carries for his seventh straight 100-yard game and scored the first touchdown of the game. The Nebraska defense made it stand up until Makovicka burst through a big hole in the fourth quarter.

"It's my first TD of the season. I guess it was a good place to get it," Makovicka said. "We came into their lair and they played well against us. But it was the offensive line who opened the hole. I just happened to have the ball.

"They are called the pipeline. We have the best offensive line in the nation. There's a feeling at Nebraska that if we stay in the game until the fourth quarter, we're going to in. I had that feeling on the sidelines today."

Sophomore walk-on quarterback Matt Turman started the game and played most of the first half, spending his time handing off to Phillips. The Huskers (7-0, 2-0 Big Eight) had only 18 passing yards by the end of the third quarter.

Brook Berringer played the final series of the first half and the second half as the Huskers try to replace Tommie Frazier, out for the season with blood clots in his leg.

The Huskers blocked Martin Gramatica's extra-point try after holder Matt Miller fumbled the snap following the only touchdown by the Wildcats (4-1, 1-1).

"We had problems with penalties and that put us in a hole," Kansas State coach Bill Snyder said. "We also had difficulty running the ball. Our field position in the second half was terrible. We couldn't get out from underneath our own shadow.

"All losses are painful. I just told our players that the more investment you put in the game, the greater the loss."

Kansas State quarterback Chad May threw a 29-yard touchdown pass to Mitch Running just after the start of the second quarter, but rain that started falling after halftime took away his passing game and he finished with 249 yards on a 22-of-48 day.

"Some of them slipped out of my hands," said May, who had passed for a Big Eight-record 489 yards against Nebraska last year. "But I can't make excuses. They had a very good pass rush. It's kind of hard to throw with guys in your face."

The Wildcats, using four and five wide receivers throughout the game, outgained the Huskers most of the game, but mistakes and poor field position conspired to keep them out of the end zone after the lone score and they remain winless at home against Nebraska since 1959.

May had a pass intercepted by Troy Dumas in the second quarter, the first interception thrown by the junior in 184 career attempts.

Nebraska clung to the one-point lead until an 11-play, 75-yard drive finished off the Wildcats. Makovica's scoring run came with 11:01 to play.

Darin Erstad kicked a 24-yard field goal with 1:32 left in the game.

Both kickers missed makeable field goals in the second quarter, and Kansas State came away with no points on two drives deep into Nebraska territory as the half ended with Nebraska leading 7-6.

Gramatica missed a 37-yard try for the Wildcats after they had held the ball for about seven minutes of the quarter on a 14-play drive.

Erstad missed a 35-yarder late in the half for the Huskers after Dumas intercepted May's pass and ran the ball back 54 yards to the Kansas 29.

The lengthy Kansas State drive was kept alive by a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct call on Nebraska.

On third-and-24 at the Nebraska 42, May was hit from behind and fumbled. Kansas State recovered for what would have been a 6-yard loss, but a flag was thrown as the officials uncovered the pile.

The 15-yard penalty gave the Wildcats an automatic first down at the 33, but the drive finally stalled and Gramatica missed his kick.

Game Statistics


Nebraska     	7  0  0 10--17
Kansas St.   	0  6  0  0-- 6

NU--Phillips 2 run (Erstad kick).
KSU--Running 29 pass from May (kick blocked).
NU--Makovicka 15 run (Erstad kick).
NU--Erstad FG 24.
A--42,817.
Neb KSt. First downs 16 17 Rushes-yards 50-168 23-(-7) Passing 52 249 Return Yards 74 17 Comp-Att-Int 4-11-0 22-48-1 Punts 7-37 8-36 Fumbles-Lost 2-1 2-0 Penalties-Yards 9-70 12-102 Time of Possession 31:26 28:34
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING--Nebraska, Phillips 31-126, Makovicka 7-5, Schlesinger 3-24, Turman 4-10, Berringer 2-5, Childs 2-0, Benning 1-(minus 2). Kansas St., J.Smith 14-29, May 9-(minus 36).
PASSING--Nebraska, Berringer 2-7-0-37, Turman 2-4-0-15. Kansas St., May 22-48-1-249.
RECEIVING--Nebraska, Muhammad 1-34, Phillips 2-15, Childs 1-3. Kansas St., Running 5-79, Lockett 5-78, R. Brown 3-44, J. Smith 6-29, Schwieger 3-19.