Husker Football

Nebraska Rolls Up 66-17 Alamo Bowl Win Over Northwestern

by Ed Howard

December 30, 2000

Nebraska and Northwestern will certainly remember the 2000 Alamo Bowl. They'll just remember it in very different contexts.

The Huskers and their fans will recall NU's record-setting 66-17 victory over Northwestern with fondness. Nebraska's performance before 60,000 fans in San Antonio was, in large part, an exercise in traditional Nebraska football. That is, football of the kick-butt, smash-mouth, knock 'em sideways, backwards and down, variety. Eighth-ranked Nebraska looked every bit like a team that was playing in an NCAA-record 32nd consecutive bowl game. Those 66 points also set a Nebraska record for a bowl game. And Nebraska completed another 10-win season, finishing 10-2.

Nebraska's offensive line was too strong, too fast and too consistent for the No. 18 Wildcats, who finished the regular season with a share of the Big 10 Conference title and a 8-4 record. In short, the game was a joyful close to the Nebraska season and some compensation to players and fans who, in September, thought that January might well bring a shot at the national title. For the record, NU's tally broke the previous Alamo Bowl scoring mark of 37 points, reached by Purdue and California.

Northwestern and the Wildcat fans will have much different feelings in recalling the contest. No doubt they will have recurring memories (unless they find a way to block them out) of NU I-Back Dan Alexander running through large holes in the Northwestern defensive line. Often. He rolled to 241 yards on 20 carries and had two touchdowns.

Nebraska ripped the Wildcats for 475 rushing yards and another 160 passing. NU's Blackshirt defenders gave up just 235 rushing yards and 151 to the pass.

Although Nebraska looked dominant from the outset, the Huskers got off to a stutter-start in the first quarter, scoring just one touchdown on a 15-yard Alexander run. The Huskers gave up a 44-yard field goal to Northwestern's Tim Long, and held a 7-3 lead when the quarter ended.

With visions of their regular-season win over Michigan dancing in their heads, the Wildcats started a drive at their own 33-yard-line and, 16 plays later, scored on a 10-yard pass from Zak Kustok to Teddy Johnson. The clock showed that 44 seconds had elapsed in the second quarter, and that Northwestern led Nebraska, 10-7.

Maybe there was something in being behind that helped the Huskers find their wheels. Maybe it was the old team spirit coming to life. Perhaps it was a particularly effective, inspirational thought or two shared by a coach with his charges on the sideline. For whatever reasons, the NU offense found the right gear, particularly for its ground game, and Northwestern's fate was sealed. Nebraska went on a scoring rampage for the remainder of the second quarter, rolling up 31 points.

Crouch opened the onslaught with a 50-yard scoring run, Alexander scored from the 2, I-Back Correll Buckhalter scored from the 2, Josh Brown booted a 51-yard field goal.

Northwestern's Damien Anderson interjected himself in the game at that point. The speedster ripped off a 69-yard scoring run. Score: 31-17. Could the Wildcats yet make a go of it?

There is at least the possibility that Anderson's effort annoyed, or provided additional inspiration to, the Huskers. Bobby Newcombe scored on a 58-yard pass from Crouch with 20 seconds left in the quarter. At the half: Nebraska 38, Northwestern 17.

Northwestern wasn't able to make effective adjustments at halftime. When the third period started, the Wildcats looked like a bunch of gutsy but overmatched fighters. They were wobbly, they were on the ropes, and they got hit with everything Nebraska threw at them. They simply could not match NU when it came to muscle on the line, and speed in the offensive and defensive backfields.

Nebraska's Matt Davison got on the board with an 11-yard pass from Crouch. Crouch then scored on a 2-yard run. Northwestern was then subjected to a quintessential insult to accompany its injury, as one-time quarterback Newcombe connected with Davison on a 69-yard scoring pass.

And, just like that, bang, bang, bang, the Huskers had put another 21 points on the board and the contest was no longer a contest as NU led, 59-17.

Nebraska kept it on the ground and pretty much up the middle in the fourth period. Dahrran Diedrick added a touchdown on a 9-yard run.

The display of Husker power could help to boost Nebraska into the top five in the final AP and USA Today/ESPN Coaches polls.

While Nebraska's 66 points are a natural attention getter, the Husker defense was altogether thorough in mastering Northwestern's offensive effort - and the Wildcats came into the game with one of the nation's most productive offenses.

Northwestern, making only its fourth-ever postseason appearance, had averaged 475.6 total offensive yards before running into NU.