Sooners praise conquered Huskers
By Steve Taylor
An umbrella of gloom set in over Memorial
Stadium Saturday as Nebraska's chances of
upsetting the nation's top-ranked team
fizzled and eventually died.
The Huskers kept their fanatical fans in a
state of exhilaration for three quarters,
battling the mighty Sooners to a 14-14
standoff.
There was even a time in the tense contest
when the Huskers had a chance to take a
possibly insurmountable lead.
Broken play
But a broken play, then a missed field goal
rom extra-point range kept the score at 1 4-7.
The Sooners reacted to this reprieve by
marching straight down the field to knot the
score. After that, it was just a matter of when
the dam would burst.
In the jubilant Sooner locker room,
Oklahoma coach Barry Switzer said he was
relieved the Huskers were not able to widen
their margin.
"It might have forced us out of our game
plan," he speculated. "I don't know if we
could have overcome another touchdown. ' '
In another section of the locker room, Joe
Washington behaved as if he had just come
in from a friendly round of golf.
No fatigue
The deadly elusive junior betrayed no
signs of either fatigue'or emotion.
He described Nebraska as an especially
hard-hitting team, expressed confidence in
his chances with the pros and declined an
invitation to transfer to Nebraska next year.
"I really like the program at OU," he said.
"Besides, I would have to sit out a year."
Onnrtprhack Steve Davis wished the
Huskers well in the Sugar Bowl and
expressed respect for his conquered
adversaries.
'True athletes'
"You love to play a team like Nebraska,"
he said. "They hit as hard as they can, but
then they pick you up. They are true
athletes." Running back Elvis Peacock was generally
ignored by the press because he played very
little in the game.
"I'm still learning," explained the much
heralded freshman, as if he was beginning to
believe it himself.
With Peacock, Washington and almost
everyone else returning next season, the
Sooner wishbone is going to be twice as hard
to crack.
OU win streak nation's longest
By Dennis Onnen
With their victory over Nebraska
Saturday, the Oklahoma Sooners pre
served their perfect record, won the Big
8 title and practically assured them
selves of the national championship.
Ranked first in the Associated Press
(AP) sportswriters' poll last week, the
Sooners stretched their season mark to
10-0 (6-0 in the Big 8) and extended
their winning streak to 19 games,
longest of any major college in the
country. They have not lost in their last
28 games, the only blemish being a tie
with Southern California early last
season.
Because of recruiting violations,
Oklahoma la1. Hoi ranked in the. United
Press International (UPl) coaches' poll
and is prohibited, from playing on
television or in a bowl game this season.
The only obstacle remaining for the
Sooners is Oklahoma State, whom they
play in a home contest Saturday. Even if
the Cowboys win, Oklahoma would be
Big 8 champion since Nebraska and
Missouri have completed their regular
seasons tied for second with 5-2 league
marks. The Cowboys would move into a
three-way tie for second if they won.
Their defense held Nebraska to seven
points earlier this season, the Huskers'
worst output of the year, and could
prove to be a problem for the Sooners.
Besides Oklahoma, Alabama (top
ranked in the UPl poll) is the only
unbeaten, untied team in the nation
following losses by previously unde
feated Michigan and Yale Saturday.
However, the Crimson Tide faces stiff
competition against Auburn this Friday
and against Notre Dame in the Orange
Bowl. Each cf those opponents has lost
just once.
A national championship would end
three years of frustration for Oklahoma.
The Sooners finished second, second
and third in the AT poll in 1971. 1972
and 1973, respectively.
Nebraska needs a victory over Florida
in the Sugar Bowl New Year's Eve to
assure itself of a spot in the AP Top Ten
for the fifth year in a row. Michigan is
the only other school to have accomp
lished that feat. A win over Florida also
would give the Huskers six bowl
victories in a row, another record.
They ended the regular season with
an 8-3 record, their worst since 1968
when they finished 6-4.
v.
Luck just didn't last
By Becky Morgan
Even the charms of a Husker troll decked out in
scarlet and cream couldn't give Nebraska the edge
Saturday as they became the tenth victim of
Oklahoma's "Boomer Sooners."
Nebraska fan? wore superstitious about Nebras
ka's clash with tf.r- Big Red fiom the South.
Rabbits' feet wao numerous in Memorial Stadium
and crossed fingers and closed eyes tried to help
the Huskers clear goal posts and cross goal lines.
The magic power may have been with Big Red
for a little while. O Leary's Irish little people were
working hard as the. junior halfback completed a
touchdown toss n Husker quarterback Dave
Humtn. The Hunkers led 14-7 and the security of
Sooner fans was fast becoming panic.
After Oklahoma fumbled The ball away in the
next series of downs. Sootier fans began to wonder
if the bad plights wished upon them by Husker
fans were corning true.
Unfortunately, coach Barry Switzer's Sooners
did not let a 7 point deficit threaten their
composure. They hold the Huskers well and
prevented them from capitalizing on a third down
and 1 situation within the Oklahoma 20-yard line.
Coyle's 17-yard field goal was wide and the little
people closed up shop.
Huskers knocked out
By Pete Wegman
Saturday's Nebraska-Oklahoma game resem
bled a boxing match. The field was the ring,
Oklahoma was the champion, and Nebraska the
upstart challenger with the fans' solid support.
The crowd reached its frenzy point in the third
quarter when Nebraska scored and then recovered
an Oklahoma fumble on the ensuing kickoff .
The challenger had 'struck and sent the
champion reeling. All that remained was the
knockout punch and the fans clamored for it.
The Huskers, leading 14-7, pushed inside the
Oklahoma 10-yard line and shouts of, "We're
number one" prematurely arose.
A Nebraska score failed to materialize,
however, and the remainder of the game sent the
crowd on an emotional roller coaster ride, reaching
the heights when Nebraska recovered a fumble or
made a long gain, then plunging when Oklahoma
began to move again.
When the final bell rang, the champion was still
Oklahoma, by a unanimous decision, but the
Cornhuskers were still on their feet.
The crowd's feelina was summed ud bv an
elderly woman, a 37-year fan of Nebraska football,
as she left the stadium. "The boys have nothing to
be ashamed of; they played a real good game.
Goodness, I can't wait until next season."
Loss: momentum played big part
By Larry Stunkel
Momentum played perhaps the big
gest part in Saturday's 28-14 loss to
Oklahoma. When the Huskers had it,
they almost put the game away. But
Oklahoma took it away and scored three
touchdowns. Nebraska miscues at cru
cial times snuffed out any hopes of
upset.
The key play, according to Husker
coach Tom Osborne, was the third and
one situation the Huskers had on the
10-yard line after recovering a fumbled
kickoff in the third quarter when they
had a 14-7 lead.
Wingback Don Westbrook thought
Dave Humm had changed the play at
the line, and wasn't where he should
have beenin the end zone waiting for
the pass.
Sooner coach Barry Switzer admitted
mem
he would have had to change his game
plan is the Huskers had scored.
"Both teams made mistakes," Os
borne said. "There were a couple of
scoring opportunities we didn't take
advantage of, and we didn't stop them a
couple of times when we had to."
Osborne said he wasn't critical of any
of the players. "I told them I was proud
of them after the game," he said.
"Sooner quarterback Steve Davis was
most impressive," Osborne said. "I
didn't think Davis could carry as many
times as he did. He's a great player,
tough, competitive and durable. I have a
lot of respect for him."
Osborne pulled out all the stops
against the Sooners. The team first
came out in a power-l formation with
two tight ends. Two new plays resulted
in easy touchdowns, other new plays
accounted for long gains.
SKI COLORADO
i7 "1
V-V -t 1
La -tt
"Good day, ray little cactus flower..."
Y Sum of the
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LCacti' house pants,
pn succulents,
wDotterv
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1036 "P"
Jan. 2-4
Monarch Resort
The Department of Recreation is now accepting
reservations for a Christmas Break Ski Trip. Four full
days of skiing on the slopes of Colorado Mts.
WHEAJ : January 3-6, 1975. (Leaving L incoln January 2
and returning January 7).
COST; $145.50 COST INCLUDES: Transportation
(Chartered Bus), 4 full day3 of skiing, boots, and poles,
lodging, 2 meals per day, trip insurance, ski lift tickets,
tax, & tips. Cross-country ski package for $121 .00.
WHERE: Monarch, Colorado.
SLOPES FOR: Beginning, Intermediate. & advance
skiers.
SIGFJ UP: Recreation Department, 1740 Vine
42-346, prior to December 18, 1974. A $25.00 deposit
due upon signing up with balance1 due on or before Dec
18, 1974.
page 16
daily nebraskan
monday, november 25, 1974
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