Daily Nebraskan
Monday, November 24, 1986
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By Chuck Green
Sports Editor
Page 8
Sooners slam Himskeirs
Before Saturday's game, Oklahoma
came onto the field and warmed up in
new red shoes. Nebraska then got into
the act by taking the field in red game
pants that matched their home jerseys.
And, of course, the stadium was filled
with its usual red clothing.
But perhaps the brightest red after
Oklahoma's 20-17 comeback win was
that on the Cornhuskers' faces.
"I felt like we were the best tiam
today, but we just choked," Nebraska
middle guard Danny Noonan said. "It's
always bad to lose but it's worse when
you're that close."
A 41-yard pass from Sooner quarter
back Jamelle Holieway to tight end
Keith Jackson spelled disaster for No.
5-ranked Nebraska, which led by as
much as 1 7-7 late in the third quarter of
the game. The pass put Oklahoma at
Nebraska's 14-yard line with nine se
conds left in the game to set up a
I felt like we were
the best team
today, but we just
choked.1
Noonan
31-yard field goal on the next play by
Tim Lashar to give the Sooners the win
and another trip to the Orange Bowl.
"We told the players before the game
to play as best they could for 60 min
utes," Nebraska coach Tom Osborne
said. "But you've got to be willing to
live with the results. I'm proud of the
team, and in some ways, I think they
played well enough to win."
The game marked the third time in
the last 10 years that Oklahoma has
won the game in the final minute. Each
time, the Sooners pulled the trick in
Lincoln.
In 1976, Oklahoma trailed the Huskers
17-13 with less than a minute to play.
Sooner quarterback Dean Blevins passed
to split end Steve Rhodes. Rhodes then
lateraled to halfback Elvis Peacock
coming around the left side. Peacock
carried the ball to the Nebraska 2-yard
line and scored on the next play with
38 seconds left.
In 1980, Nebraska led 17-14 with just
over three minutes left in the game.
With 58 seconds remaining, Sooner
halfback Buster Rhymes darted into
the end zone from the 1-yard line to
give Oklahoma a 20-17 win.
Saturday was the same old story.
Nebraska opened the scoring Satur
day with a 2-yard run by I-back Keith
Jones with 6:27 remaining in the first
quarter. It was the first time since the
first quarter of the 1986 Orange Bowl
against Penn State that Oklahoma had
given up a rushing touchdown. Dale
Klein added the extra point.
Oklahoma came back on the ensuing
drive to tie the score, 7-7, on a 4-yard
run by Holieway. The run capped a
nine-play, 70-yard drive with 2:36 left in
the first quarter.
Both teams were unable to score on
their next two drives, but Nebraska
extended its lead to 10-7 on a 32-yard
field goal by Klein with 4:46 left in the
second quarter.
Nebraska passed for 99 yards in the
first half. Husker quarterback Steve
Taylor completed seven of 13 passes
during the first two quarters, an effort
Osborne said he was pleased with.
"Steve Taylor had a fine, fine day,"
he said.
But one hundred percent just wasn't
enough for Nebraska in the second
half.
Oklahoma's defense held Nebraska
to only 68 total yards in the second half
while the Sooner offense rolled up 281
second-half yards 163 of which were
on the ground and 13 points.
Nebraska extended their lead to 17-
7 with 10:48 left in the third quarter on
a 25-yard pass from Taylor to split end
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Andrea HoyDaily Nebraskan
Oklahoma quarterback Jamelle Holieway is stopped for a short gain by Nebraska defensive end Tony Holloway.
Husker linebackers Marc Munford (41) and Kevin Parson (35) move in to assist. Holieway gained 75 yards and one
touchdown on 25 carries in Oklahoma's 20-17 win Saturday.
return by wingback DanaBrinson. Klein
added the extra point.
Oklahoma cut Nebraska's lead to 17
1 0 on a 22-yard field goal by Lashar with
10:39 left in the fourth quarter, ending
an 11-play, 56-yard drive set up by a
fumble by Nebraska's Jones at the
Sooner 35-yard line.
Oklahoma tied the game 17-17 with a
17-yard touchdown pass from Holieway
to tight end Keith Jackson with 1:22
left in the game and Lashar's extra
point. Jackson caught three passes for
87 yards and the touchdown.
Many of t he 76,198 fans on hand were
upset that Oklahoma coach Barry Switzer
opted to tie the game rather than
attempt a two-point conversion to win.
Just over one minute later, it didn't
matter.
Oklahoma gained 371 total vards
OU tlkrow win
same
By Jim Ballard
Senior Reporter
Oklahoma ranked 105th out of 105
teams in the country in passing Satur
day morning. But for the last four min
utes of Saturday afternoon's game, the
Sooners pulled out an offensive weapon
they're not known for.
"A lot of people don't think we can
throw the ball, but we practice on the
two-minute drills every week," Sooner
tight-end Keith Jackson said.
Jackson proved his point by making
two big catches late in the game. The
first was a 17-yard touchdown pass that
compared to Nebraska's 232. Holieway capped a 94-yard drive to tie the game,
led all rushers with 75 yards and one Tne second, and possibly the biggest,
touchdown on 25 carries. was a 4 1-yard play with 1 8 seconds left
Nebraska's defense was led by Line- in the 8ame- That set up the winning
backer Marc Munford, who totaled 16
tackles. Though the effort tied Mun
ford's personal best, it didn't ease the
pain of the loss, he said.
"We played our guts out and I think
we deserved to win," Munford said. "It
was tough to lose this one."
Munford said there was one good
aspect of the game for Nebraska, though.
"I think we gained some respect
today," Munford said. "I don't think
they (the Sooners) thought it would be
that kind of a ball game."
Nebraska's loss puts Nebraska in
the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans Jan. 1 to
face either Alabama or Louisiana State.
According to Taylor, that doesn't mean
much to Nebraska's players right now.
field goal by Tim Lasher.
A lot of people
think we can't
throw the ball, but
we practice the
two-minute drills
every week.'
Jackson
Oklahoma coach Barry Switzer said
he knew his team could pull out the
win, but he wasn't happy with their
play.
"We didn't play well, a lot of penal-
"We've lost a lot of ball games we ties. They had penalties, we had penal-
should have won," Taylor said. "Michi- ties, we had more turnovers than any
gan last year, Colorado and Oklahoma other game we've played this year. We
this year ... I'm getting tired of it. nearly beat ourselves," he said.
We'll just have to try to pull it all Oklahoma's All-American linebacker
together, and next year we'll try not to Brian Bosworth said the difference was
make it so close."
Nebraska defensive end Broderick
Thomas was not so subtle.
"I'd like to apologize to Nebraska's
fans," Thomas said. "I've got two more
that Oklahoma played hard the full
game.
"We kept our poise out there. You
win the ball game in 60 minutes, you
don't win it in 30 or 35. It's a 60-minute
ball game," Bosworth said.
He also said he knew if the defense
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years to make good on that apology.
"The next time they (the Sooners)
Rod Smith. The pass capped a two-play, come in here, they can expect to get kept doing their job, the offense would
28-yard drive set up by a 48-yard punt punished." See SOONERS on 9
Linda StoryDaily Nebraskan
Nebraska defensive tackle Neil Smith watches as Okla
homa players celebrate Tim Lashar's came-winninq field
goal. 3
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