Nebraska 27
Notre Dame 24

Sept. 9, 2000 • 1:30 p.m. Central
Notre Dame Stadium •South Bend, IN • NBC
1st2nd3rd4thOT F 
Nebraska7770627
Notre Dame0777324

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1st quarter
NU: Crouch 62 run (Brown kick) 1:10 
2nd quarter
ND: Fisher 2 run (Setta kick) 10:44
NU: Crouch 1 run (Brown kick) 2:24
3rd quarter
NU: Alexander 28 run (Brown kick) 8:47 
ND: Jones 100 kickoff return (Setta kick) 8:30
4th quarter
ND: Getherall 83 punt return (Setta kick) 12:48
Overtime
ND: Setta 29 field goal
NU: Crouch 7 run 

                         NU       ND
First downs              20       11
Rushes-yards         59-274   40-184
Passing                 103       40
  Comp-Att-Int       7-15-1   3-15-1
Total offense        74-377   55-224
Return Yards             21      113
Punts-Avg.             7-42     7-39
Fumbles-Lost            1-0      1-0
Penalties-Yards        6-44     7-65
Time of Possession    36:06    23:54

RUSHING
NU: Alexander 24-112, Crouch 16-80, Buckhalter 9-43, Miller 6-17, Davies 2-15, Newcombe 2-7.

NN: Battle 14-107, J. Jones 15-52, Fisher 6-11, Howard 2-6, Lopienski 2-4, Getherall 1-4.

PASSING
NU: Crouch 7-15-1-103. 
ND: Battle 3-15-1-40.

RECEIVING
NU: Davison 2-29, Wistrom 2-26, Newcombe 1-36, Buckhalter 1-9, Alexander 1-3.

ND: Holloway 1-25, Givens 1-9, Howard 1-6.

Attendance: 80,232

Coverage

Stats & Recap
Complete Stats

Huskers pull out overtime victory

Eric Crouch ran 7 yards for a touchdown in overtime as No. 1 Nebraska fought off No. 25 Notre Dame 27-24 on Saturday in a game matching two of college football’s most storied programs.

The Irish, who rallied from a two-touchdown deficit with long kickoff and punt returns for scores, took their first lead at 24-21 when Nick Setta kicked a 29-yard field goal on the opening OT possession. The Huskers’ Jeremy Slechta sacked Arnaz Battle for a 6-yard loss on a third-and-goal from the 4 before the kick.

But the Huskers would not be denied against a team trying to return to national prominence after four years of mediocrity under coach Bob Davie.

Starting at the Notre Dame 25-yard line on the second OT possession, the Cornhuskers faced a third-and-9 from the 24. But Crouch hit Tracey Wistrom with a 9-yard pass to keep the drive alive. Dan Alexander burst up the middle for 8 yards, and then Crouch took the next snap, rolled left and ran into the end zone untouched for the winning score.

Omaha World-Herald
Grand Island Indep.
Scottsbluff Star-Herald
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Big 12 sources
South Bend Tribune
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Natl. sports media
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Photos/Audio/Video
Pregame & team info
2000 schedule
04/15Red 21, White 21
09/02San Jose St.W 49-13
09/09@ Notre DameW 27-24
09/23IowaW 42-13
09/30MissouriW 42-24
10/07@ Iowa St.W 49-27
10/14@ Texas TechW 56-3
10/21BaylorW 59-0
10/28@ OklahomaL 14-31
11/04KansasW 56-17
11/11@ Kansas St.L 28-29
11/24ColoradoW 34-32
12/30NorthwesternW 66-17
Sea of Red at Notre Dame

Commentary

Colonel Mustard

Our best bet anytime, anyplace was to put the ball in #7's hands.

Shatel

What mattered most on Saturday, besides a very classic scene, is that the Huskers are 2-0 and know so much more about their identity. That's why you schedule Notre Dame.

Omaha World-Herald
Dodd

The Huskers, two-touchdown favorites, blew a two-touchdown lead and even trailed in overtime. But the one constant was the faith that Crouch would get it done.

CBS SportsLine
Douglass

What was supposed to be a Big Red party with 25,000 fans who somehow worked their way into Notre Dame Stadium almost turned into a funeral for Nebraska's national title hopes.

Grand Island Independent
Hamar

Kick coverage - or the lack of it - kept the game close. It had nothing to do with the Notre Dame mystique.

Grand Island Independent
McKewon

Had Notre Dame a Crouch to lead it, Saturday would have been a much different day.

Daily Nebraskan
Howard

It was a slugfest. Not always pretty, but bursting with effort.

Nebraska StatePaper
Haugh

For 59 minutes, this was the Notre Dame football program everybody remembered. Now fans expect to see it for the next three months.

South Bend Tribune
Van Dyck

Nebraska's defense nearly lost a game in which opposing quarterback Arnaz Battle completed only three passes.

Fox Sports
Mandel

Eric Crouch is the country's most underrated quarterback.

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