Senior quarterback Eric Crouch sparked the Nebraska Cornhuskers with a school record 95-yard touchdown run as the fourth ranked Huskers defeated the Missouri Tigers 36-3 in the Big XII Conference opener for both teams.

Crouch's highlight run came in the third period with the Huskers up 16-3 and pinned back deep in their own territory. On a third-and-eight, Crouch narrowly avoided a safety when he sidestepped a Missouri defender. he then headed up-field, out-manuevered a defensive back, then another. He then out-raced everyone to go 95-yards for the longest touchdown run in Husker history.

"I kind of amazed myself," Crouch said. "I was just trying to get as many yards as I could, trying to get to that end zone, and there was a lot of daylight out there for me to make some moves and try to get something going."

Crouch rushed for 191 yards, a school quarterback record. He also passed for another 120 yards giving a total offense mark of 311 yards for the game.

The run shook the Huskers out of what to that point had been a sluggish performance. The first two Husker drives of the game ended with a blocked field goal and an intercepted pass. Plus, they fumbled a punt over to the Tigers. Nebraska trailed 3-0 at the end of the first. It was an unfamiliar position for a Husker squad that had outscored opponents 65-14 in the first quarter up to that point.

Nebraska took the lead for good with 10:39 left in the half on the first of two Dahrran Diedrick touchdowns in the second period.

Diedrick finished the game with 88 yards on 24 carries and two touchdowns. His first was a 1 yard run. The second score came with :23 left in the half on a 4-yard run.

A 37-yard Josh Brown field goal made it 16-3, setting the stage for Crouch's dramatic run.

Crouch eclipsed the previous Husker TD run record of 94 yards set by Craig Johnson against Kansas in 1979, and matched by Roger Craig in 1981 against Florida State. Crouch's rushing totals bettered the quarterback mark of 174 yards set by Gerry Gdowski against Iowa State in 1989.

Crouch's second touchdown run came in the fourth quarter when he took the ball in from 15-yards out with 9:58 left. He then made way for the reserves.

The Husker defense provided enough dominance for the Huskers to win without Crouch's heroics. Missouri was able to log a first-quarter 28-yard Brad Hammerich field goal, but could not threaten after that. The Tigers rushed for 66 yards and passed for 138 in the contest.

Tiger quarterback Kirk Farmer completed 15 of 39 passes for 128 yards.

"I didn't make enough plays to win," said Farmer.

The win was the Huskers' 23rd straight victory over Missouri, dating back to 1978.