By DOUG ALDEN
AP Sports Writer

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) - For a team that had just 25 sacks a year ago, Nebraska seems to have solved the problem.

The No. 4 Cornhuskers had eight sacks while holding Division I-A newcomer Troy State to 165 yards of offense in a 42-14 victory Saturday.

"I think the whole front four got sacks. That's big-time for us," said tackle Jon Clanton, who returned a fumble 20 yards for a touchdown off of one of the sacks.

The Huskers (2-0), who held TCU to 187 yards of offense in the season opener, needed a solid defensive performance for the second week. Nebraska allowed just two total yards in the second half as Nebraska's offense added a pair of touchdowns to pull away.

"At halftime we just got everything down and came out with the attitude we weren't going to give them anything," cornerback DeJuan Groce said.

Dahrran Diedrick rushed for 177 yards and three touchdowns in his first start, and Eric Crouch and Thunder Collins each added TDs for the Huskers, who are home again next week against No. 18 Notre Dame.

Nebraska finished with 457 yards of offense after having to rally from a surprising 7-0 deficit. Crouch rushed for 48 yards on 15 carries and was 8-for-15 for 109 passing yards. Collins had 11 carries for 52 yards.

Brock Nutter, who had never been sacked more than five times in three previous years as a starter, was 15-for-36 for 190 yards with a touchdown for the Trojans (0-1), who finished with minus-25 yards rushing.

"We shut down the run, made them throw the ball and made them throw it in a hurry," said defensive end Chris Kelsay, who had two sacks. "I don't know too many people who didn't get a sack today. That really feels good."

Seven players had sacks for Nebraska.

The Huskers led 28-14 at halftime and finally pulled away with two touchdowns in the second half. Nebraska had a chance at two more TDs, but was stopped twice in the fourth quarter on fourth-and-goal from inside the 5.

Diedrick was suspended for the season opener against TCU last week because of his arrest for failure to disperse from a disturbance outside a bar the weekend before. He gave the Huskers a 35-14 lead when he broke through on a run up the middle and took it 33 yards for his third TD with 6:26 left in the third quarter.

"I'm really happy with the way things went today," Diedrick said. "We didn't make any mental errors. I'm glad for the numbers but I'm more happy for a win."

Early in the fourth the Huskers failed to score after getting the ball with first-and-goal from the 5, but the defense held and Nebraska got the ball back at the 29. Backup quarterback Jammal Lord took the Huskers on three-play scoring drive that ended on Collins' 7-yard run with about seven minutes left.

With the Trojans' offense going nowhere in their first game since moving up from Division I-AA, the two second-half TDs were more than enough.

"They're defensive team is very tough and very versatile," Troy State coach Larry Blakeney.

"Nebraska is probably the best program in the world if you look at the last 20-25 years. And today they sure looked the part."

The Huskers held the Trojans to minus-4 yards rushing in the first half after getting five sacks. Nutter completed 12 of 27 passes for 167 yards, including a 31-yard pass to Heyward Skipper with about seven minutes left that cut Nebraska's lead to 28-14.

Nebraska scored on two touchdown runs by Diedrick, one from Crouch and Clanton's 20-yard fumble recovery off a sack by Lannie Hopkins, who knocked the ball lose on a blind-side sack.

The Huskers had an opportunity for another score when Troy State punter Lance Lieb bobbled the snap and Nebraska recovered at the Trojans' 7-yard line, but couldn't convert. Nebraska went backward on the drive and Troy State blocked Josh Brown's 35-yard field-goal attempt to stay within two touchdowns.

Diedrick had 14 carries for 89 yards in the half, including touchdown runs of 1 and 11 yards. Crouch scored on a 1-yard run.

Troy State shocked the Huskers by taking a 7-0 lead after a botched punt return set up the Trojans at the Nebraska 29. Keyuo Craver fielded the ball cleanly, but lost it when he was caught from behind by David Philyaw. After a 20-yard pass from Nutter to Skipper, Carter took it in on a 9-yard run.

"We did not handle the Cornhuskers by any means, but we handled the situation well for our first time out," Blakeney said.