1998 Ad

Sporting News, The, Dec 28, 1998

ADVANTAGE:      QB   RB   WR   OL   DL   LB   DB   ST

Arizona          X    X    X              X    X
Nebraska                        X    X              X

SEASON RESULTS

Arizona (11-1)

at Hawaii                 W        27-6
at Stanford               W       31-14
vs. Iowa                  W       35-11
at San Diego Stat         W       35-16
at Washington             W       31-28
vs. UCLA                  L       28-52
at Oregon State           W        28-7
vs. NE Louisiana          W        45-7
vs. Oregon                W        38-3
vs. Washington State      W        41-7
at California             W       27-23
vs. Arizona State         W       50-42

Nebraska (9-3)

vs. LouisianaTech         W       56-27
vs. UAB                   W        38-7
at California             W        24-3
vs. Washington            W        55-7
vs. Oklahoma State        W       24-17
at Texas A&M              L       21-28
vs. Kansas                W        41-0
vs. Missouri              W       20-13
vs. Texas                 L       16-20
at Iowa State             W        42-7
at Kansas State           L       30-40
vs. Colorado              W       16-14

TSN VERDICT:

Arizona    35
Nebraska   27

The explosive Wildcats kick-start their drive for bigger and better things in '99, but not without a fight. Should be a good one. Enjoy it.

LIBERTY BOWL

Tulane vs. Brigham Young

1:30 p.m. ET, December 31, Memphis, ESPN

Why you should watch: Tulane, playing its first game for a new coach, can achieve perfection by beating a team that is accustomed to putting together excellent seasons in relative obscurity.

BYU: This isn't your typical BYU team. A slugging defense, not a fancy offense, is the Cougars' biggest attribute. Good luck running against these guys. The leaders are ILB Rob Morris and OLB Brad Martin, who pile up tackles the way Cougars quarterbacks used to pile up yards. DT Daren Yancey is another excellent run-stuffer, and DE Byron Frisch is a good pass rasher. The pass defense is strong, too, particularly CB Brian Gray. The secondary will be on the spot facing Tulane's formidable passing attack. That's not to say BYU can't put points on the board. QB Kevin Feterik had a good season, but he'll have to carry a big load with RB Ronney Jenkins, who ran for 1,307 yards and 12 TDs, suspended for breaking school rules. Feterik threw 17 touchdown passes and should be able to exploit a Green Wave defense that lacks speed and talent. Two others to watch: OT John Tait, a probable first-round NFL pick this spring, and K Owen Pochman, who kicked 20 field goals this season.

TULANE: A strong case can be made for Shaun King being the best quarterback in the nation. He directed an explosive offense and set the NCAA record for passing efficiency (183.32 rating) while throwing 36 touchdown passes with six interceptions. WRs P.J. Franklin and JaJuan Dawson combined for more than 2,000 yards receiving and 22 touchdowns, and RBs Toney Converse and Jamaican Dartez combined for 1,500 yards and 14 TDs. The defense isn't on the same level as the offense. Basically, the game plan each week was to outscore the opponent. So far, it has worked. BYU has a big, strong offensive line that could manhandle the Tulane front. It's a good thing the Green Wave won't have to contend with Jenkins. This will mark the first game for head coach Chris Scelfo, the former Georgia assistant who took over for Tommy Bowden, who left for Clemson after guiding the Green Wave to an undefeated regular season and Conference USA title.