1
Watson’s Wildcat Shawn Watson gets the last Shawn Watson gets the last laugh, pulling a Wildcat out laugh, pulling a Wildcat out of his hat with this effective, of his hat with this effective, multidimensional offense. multidimensional offense. Page 9C Page 9C Whipped Wildcats Arizona thought it was Arizona thought it was prepared for NU’s defense. It prepared for NU’s defense. It wasn’t. “Nothing we did was wasn’t. “Nothing we did was working,” Nic Grigsby said. working,” Nic Grigsby said. Page 11C Page 11C Big Red runaway A full-page photo of Niles A full-page photo of Niles Paul running past the jubilant Paul running past the jubilant Husker bench for a TD. Husker bench for a TD. Back Page Back Page More Huskers Pages 8C-12C POST GAME Watch video from Bo Pelini’s Watch video from Bo Pelini’s postgame press conference and postgame press conference and other postgame interviews other postgame interviews Replay the Husker Talk Replay the Husker Talk Live postgame chat Live postgame chat Omaha.com/ bigred IN SPORTS: IN SPORTS: After a 15-game suspension, Christian Standhardinger counts down the days until his regular-season debut with the NU basketball team. Page 3C After a 15-game suspension, Christian Standhardinger counts down the days until his regular-season debut with the NU basketball team. Page 3C THURSDAY, DECEMBER 31, 2009 • • GAME 14 • 12 PAGES • SECTION C H O L I D A Y B O W L 33 0 RAZING ARIZONA Blackshirts bludgeon Wildcats as Nebraska’s offense finally hits high gear Bowl blowout and 10-win season make Husker prospects bright for 2010 MATT MILLER/THE WORLD-HERALD NU’s defense lived up to the hype, shutting out Arizona and holding the Wildcats to 109 total yards. Linebacker Phillip Dillard, left, and safety Larry Asante sent an early message in the first quarter to running back Keola Antolin. SAN DIEGO — Do you believe in omens? Karma? Fish tacos? Let me put it this way: When was the last time Nebraska won the Big 12 championship? Here’s a hint. It was 1999. OK, now when was the last time NU ended the season with the best team in the land, though it didn’t get to play for the whole enchilada? Again, that would be 1999. Now, for 50 bonus points and a free bike rental at Pacific Beach, name the bowl game that Nebraska played in the year before 1999. That would be the 1998 Holi- day Bowl, last time the Huskers played in America’s Finest City. I’m just saying. Pardon the stretch, but op- timism reigned on Wednesday night, like the light rains that fell on Qualcomm Stadium. Nobody was predicting a title run in 1998, after Arizona beat NU 23-20. Eleven years later, different story. Much different story. Nebraska beat the Wildcats 33-0 on Wednesday night, in a game so ridiculously easy it was over by the halftime fireworks. The Huskers beat U of A in every area, and the only upset was that it was Nebraska’s of- fense that brought the fireworks. Yet another reason for a sunny forecast in 2010. They got the first shutout by a Nebraska team in 46 bowls. No surprise there. They scored the most points of the season against a non-Sun Belt team — all on offense, for those keeping score at home and in the press box. Big surprise there. They put an exclamation point on the first 10-win season since 2003, when coach Bo Pelini was NU steamroller a scary sight for rest of the Big 12 North See Shatel: Page 11 SAN DIEGO — Arizona called a timeout on fourth down at the Nebraska 8-yard line. 1:41 left. The ensuing play carried absolutely zero significance to the outcome of the Holiday Bowl. The Huskers led 33-0. They were finishing a turbulent 2009 on top. But during the timeout, Nda- mukong Suh and Barry Turner traded barbs with Arizona of- fensive linemen. “What could they say?” linebacker Phillip Dillard said. “They had 5 (total) yards for like an hour and a half.” Arizona players had called Nebraska’s second-ranked scor- ing defense “overrated.” They had said the Big 12 was “soft.” At least that’s what Bo Pelini told his team. (A coach would neeeeever embellish or fabricate details for motivational purposes.) On fourth down, P.J. Smith blitzed the quarterback and knocked down Matt Scott’s final pass. Nebraska’s first-ever bowl shutout was secure. Except Suh wasn’t done talk- ing. He had a few last words for those Wildcats. When he finally pulled himself away from the debate, college football’s best defender did something very unlike Ndamu- kong Suh: He curled his mammoth arms and flexed like Hulk Hogan. The Huskers showed character Wednesday night, and that’s nice because a frustrating night in Dal- las could’ve left them apathetic. The Huskers showed chemis- try, and that’s nice because those frustrating few months on of- fense could’ve left them at each other’s throats. But you know the adjective I like best after watching this ridiculous mismatch? Their biceps flexing, Huskers deliver message of meanness Tom Shatel See Chatelain: Page 9 Dirk Chatelain
