Cornhuskers' Sundberg Engineers Sugar Bowl Night of Redemption

1985 Sugar Bowl

LSU's Garry James has nowhere to run and the Cornhusker defense clamps down near the goal line.NEW ORLEANS - Nebraska, stunned early by Louisiana State's speed and the passing of Jeff Wickersham, bounced back for a 28 - 10 victory Tuesday night in the Sugar Bowl.

The Cornhuskers used five pass interceptions and big plays from quarterback Craig Sundberg to overtake the Tigers, who opened a 10 - 0 lead in the first half before the Husker offense could get untracked.

It was a big night of redemption for Sundberg, who lost his starting job after throwing three interceptions in the Oklahoma State game. Sundberg's Sugar Bowl start was his first since the 17 - 3 win over the Cowboys in early October. Travis Turner started Nebraska's final six regular - season games.

Sundberg was named the game's most valuable player. He hit 10 of 15 passes for 143 yards and three touchdowns.

Two TDs by Frain
Sundberg gave Nebraska its first lead of the game at 14 - 10 when he scored on a 9 - yard run with 8:14 left in the third quarter.

Then he clinched the victory with two fourth - quarter touchdown passes to junior tight end Todd Frain a 24 - yarder to cap a 69 - yard drive and a 17 - yarder following an interception by defensive end Scott Strasburger at the Tiger 34.

Wickersham passed for 214 yards in the first half, but his five pass interceptions proved costly. The five interceptions tied the record that Nebraska set against Alabama in the 1967 Sugar Bowl.

Nebraska linebacker Chad Daffer picked off two of Wickersham's passes, the first leading to Sundberg's go - ahead touchdown.

The victory, before a crowd of 75,608 at the Superdome, was also redemption for the Huskers as a team, coming after the 17 - 7 loss to Oklahoma in the final game of the regular season when the Huskers were ranked No. 1.

The win should have guaranteed the 10 - 2 Huskers another high finish in the national polls. The Huskers entered the game ranked fourth by United Press International and fifth by the Associated Press. LSU, ranked 11th and 12th, finished 8 - 3 - 1.

LSU Builds 10 - 0 Lead
Nebraska won the coin toss and elected to defer its choice to the second half. LSU took advantage of the decision, choosing to receive and establishing momentum that the Tigers sustained through the first quarter.

The Tigers kept the ball for 9:49 and gained 122 yards to just 29 for the Cornhuskers in the first quarter.

LSU used its early domination to open a 10 - 0 lead on Dalton Hilliard's 2 - yard touchdown run with 13:11 left in the second quarter and a 37 - yard field goal by freshman Ronnie Lewis with 4:40 left in the first quarter.

Hilliard's touchdown was preceded by a pass interference call against NU cornerback Denis Watkins, covering LSU's Herman Fontenot, that gave the Tigers a first down on the 2. LSU drove 73 yards on 10 plays for the touchdown.

DuBose Scores
Nebraska, limited to nine plays from scrimmage in the first quarter, finally exploded with a quick touchdown drive that momentarily silenced the noisy Tiger fans. The Huskers struck on a 31 - yard screen pass from Sundberg to Doug DuBose that capped a 70 - yard drive in seven plays. Tackle Tom Morrow and tight end Brian Hiemer threw the blocks that enabled DuBose to score.

LSU followed with a time - consuming drive that produced nothing.

Actually it produced a 28 - yard field goal by Lewis, but the Tigers gave it up when Dave Burke was called for roughing the kicker.

The roughing penalty gave the Tigers a first down at the 6. Garry James carried 5 yards on first down to the Husker 1. Nebraska was called for an offsides penalty on the next play, giving the Tigers the ball inside the 1 with three plays to score.

But Nebraska escaped damage with the help of a procedure penalty that made it second down on the 6. James gained 4 yards on the next play and NU's Burke broke up a third - down pass pass from the 2 intended for Fontentot.

Touchdown Erased
On fourth - and - two, the Tigers went to Lewis again. This time he was wide right on a 16 - yard attempt.

With the miss the score stayed 10 - 7. Nebraska was probably lucky to be that close. LSU settled for just a field goal in the first quarter after a holding penalty wiped out a 26 - yard touchdown pass from Wickersham to James.

The Tigers came out passing right from the start. On the first three plays of the game, Wickersham completed passes of 7 yards to Hilliard, 9 yards to Fontenot and 18 yards to Eric Martin. The drive was halted when Wickersham threw incomplete on third - and - two from the Husker 39, forcing a Tiger punt.

Nebraska hoped to get off to a better start than it has the last three years in the Orange Bowl when the Huskers fell behind in each game.

But the Husker bid for a quick start slipped away immediately when Sundberg stumbled and fell for a 5 - yard loss on Nebraska's second play from scrimmage. The Huskers were forced to punt and LSU quickly started to move the ball again.

Double Output on NU
On the first play after the punt, LSU's James showed his speed to the outside with a 35 - yard gain to Nebraska 27. Four plays later, Wickersham threw the touchdown pass to James that was nullified by holding. LSU settled for Lewis' 37 - yard field goal.

Wickersham's passing was LSU's big weapon as the Tigers moved the ball for 291 yards in the first half against the Husker defense, which ranked No. 1 in the nation this season in total defense.

Wickersham completed 17 of 25 passes in the first half for 212 yards. The best passing game against Nebraska this season was 242 yards by Oklahoma State.

The Tigers more than doubled Nebraska's yardage output in the first half. The Tigers held Nebraska to 141.

Martin and Fontentot were LSU's leading receivers in the first half. Martin caught four for 58 yards and Fontenot four for 56. Rogie Magee got behind Burke for a 49 - yard pass to the Husker 16 on the drive that ended in Lewis' missed field goal.

The two teams ended the first half by trading turnovers. They were LSU strong safety Jeffery Dale's interception of a Sundberg pass, NU middle guard Ken Graeber's recovery of a Craig Rathjen fumble, LSU safety Liffort Hobley's interception of a Turner pass, and Nebraska linebacker Marc Munford's interception of a Wickersham pass.

Daffer Intercepts
It was another Nebraska interception of a Wickersham pass in the third quarter that helped the Cornhuskers take the lead, 14 - 10.

Reserve linebacker Daffer, a member of the Hawk team that Nebraska uses in passing situations, made the interception to spoil a Tiger threat. LSU had moved into Husker territory on runs of 27 yards and 10 yards by Sammy Martin. Daffer stopped the Tigers with his interception and 8 - yard return to the Husker 33.

From there, Nebraska launched a 67 - yard touchdown drive in nine plays. Sundberg scored the go - ahead touchdown on a 9 - yard run.

Sundberg rolled right to pass, but found running room behind a block by center Mark Traynowicz for the score.

Sundberg produced two other big plays on the drive a 21 - yard pass to Shane Swanson and a 17 - yarder to Hiemer that carried to the 9.

Sundberg threw Nebraska's third interception of the game late in the third quarter. Hobley made the interception, his second of the game, and returned it 15 yards. Husker tackle Mark Behning was called for a personal foul a late hit on the tackle. The 15 - yard penalty gave LSU the ball at its own 36.

Decision Is Booed
On the first play of the drive, Hilliard exploded wide for 44 yards to the Husker 20. The Tigers' misfortune continued after Hilliard gained 5 yards to the Nebraska 2.

From there on third down, Wickersham passed to a wide - open Magee in the end zone. It appeared he would score, but right before he caught the ball, Magee stumbled. The momentum of the slip carried Magee out of bounds before he had control of the pass.

LSU fans booed Coach Bill Arnsparger's decision to kick a field goal on fourth down. It proved to be the wrong decision when Lewis missed his second easy attempt of the game this one a 24 - yarder.

Nebraska expanded its lead to 21 - 10 in the fourth quarter with an 80 - yard drive in 11 plays.

DuBose did much of the work with runs of 17 and 11 yards and an 8 - yard pass from Sundberg. The Huskers scored when Frain shook free from Hobley and grabbed a 24 - yard Sundberg pass at the goal line.

An interception by Strasburger, NU's fourth against Wickersham, set up the final Husker touchdown. Starting at the LSU 34, Swanson ran 11 yards on a reverse, Scott Porter ran for 6 and Sundberg hit Frain for a 17 - yard touchdown.