TEMPE, Ariz. -- Keithen McCant ran for one touchdown and passed for another and Derek Brown rushed for 135 yards Saturday night to lift 16th-ranked Nebraska to an 18-9 victory over No. 24 Arizona State.
Brown gained more than 100 yards rushing for the fourth straight game this season.
Nebraska safety Steve Carmer recovered two fumbles and intercepted a pass as Arizona State committed seven turnovers.
The Cornhuskers clinched the victory on a 10-yard touchdown pass from McCant to Jon Bostick with 12:04 remaining. That came after Kevin Ramaekers had recovered a fumble by ASU quarterback Bret Powers at the Nebraska 23.
Following the ensuing kickoff, Powers was intercepted on the first play by Jamie Liewer who returned the ball to the ASU 10. Nebraska had to settle for a 30-yard field goal attempt by Byron Bennett that hit the right upright and bounced wide.
Moments later, Carmer recovered a fumble by George Montgomery at the ASU 11. Four plays later, Bennett tried a 23-yard field goal that hit the left upright and bounced off.
Earlier, Bennett had field goal attempts of 30 and 52 yards blocked.
Arthur Paul's block of Bennett's 52-yard attempt early in the third quarter set up Arizona State's only touchdown. Shante Carver recovered the ball and returned it to the Nebraska 43. Montgomery ran for three yards, Powers hit Kelvin Fisher on a 39-yard pass to the Nebraska 1 and Montgomery powered in for the touchdown to give ASU a 9-8 lead with 11:35 remaining in the third.
Nebraska regained the lead 11-9 on a 28-yard field goal by Bennett with 6:18 left in the third.
Nebraska scored on its first possession of the game after Nate Turner took the opening kickoff and returned it 42 yards to the Nebraska 48.
Seven plays later, McCant scored from the one on a quarterback sneak. The big play of the drive was a 34-yard run by Brown.
Bennett's conversion kick was blocked, but William Washington recovered in the end zone and Nebraska led 8-0 with 3:28 gone in the game.
The teams then exchanged turnovers. ASU's Jerone Davison fumbled at the Nebraska 49 and Carmer recovered. Three plays later, McCant's pass was intercepted by Sun Devil linebacker Brett Wallerstedt at the ASU 45.
Arizona State marched to the Nebraska 22 where the Devils faked a field goal, and Adam Brass was thrown for a 13-yard loss.
The Devils lost another fumble, to Curtis Cotton after a 20-yard pass from Powers to Fisher, and Nebraska took over at the ASU 48 late in the first quarter. The drive stalled at the ASU 13 and a 30-yard field goal attempt by Bennett was blocked by Pat Mason, who returned it to the ASU 38.
The Devils, with Powers hitting Bob Brasher for 18 yards and Eric Guliford for 12, marched to the Nebraska 20 and Mike Richey booted a 37- yard field goal to cut Nebraska's lead to 8-3 at halftime.
Powers, a sophomore, completed 14 of 20 passes for 174 yards before he left late in the game with what appeared to be a shoulder injury. His status was not known.
The loss was Arizona State's first of the season after two victories. Nebraska boosted its record to 3-1.
