By Jeff Griesch
Senior Reporter
Nebraska has been unspectacular,
unappreciated and on Friday, the
Cornhuskers were unable to move the
football.
But, somehow, they remained un
defeated.
The Huskers stumbled for onlv
179 total yards offense in their 21-7
win over Oklahoma, which moved
Nebraska to 1 1-0 on the season.
The offensive output was the Illth
lowest ever bv a Tom Osborne
w
coached Nebraska team and the low
est yardage ever in a Husker win, but
it was enough to give Nebraska a
national-title shot against Florida State
m the Orange Bowl on New Year's
Day.
“One way or another, we have got
the job done,” Osborne said. “We
have played well together all year,
and the resiliency and resolve of this
team sets it apart from other teams.'
The Huskers (unshed the season
No. 1 in the coalition poll released
Sunday. Nebraska was No. 1 in the
USA today/CNN poll and No. 2 in
the Associated Press poll. Florida State
finished second in the coalition poll,
edgingoulundefeated West Virginia,
which finished third.
The defense picked up the slack for
a sputtering offense Friday by holding
the Sooners to 294 total yards — 94 in
the second half while forcing four
turnovers.
The turnovers turned out to be the
difference in the game, as the Huskers
converted two of the (our Sooner mis
cues into touchdowns.
Oklahoma, which was seventh in
(he nation in (urnover margin, forced
two Huskcr turnovers but were unable
to convert them into scores.
The Nebraska defense’s play was
even more impressive considering the
loss of the Huskers’ defensive
playmaker, Trev Alberts, who left the
game after sufferini: a dislocated el
bow during the ninth play of the Soon
ers’ opening drive.
Despite his absence, Alberts said,
he knew the defense would come
together.
I knew that we would win be
cause I could see it in my teammates'
m
eves,” Alberts said. "All year w;e just
keep overcoming obstacles. When it
comes down to it, we keep finding a
w av to win.”
Coalition Bowl!
Poll
Coalition Poll Point Total!
1. Nebraska (11-0) 3,005
2. Florida State (11-1) 2,956
3. West Virginia (11-0) 2,887
4. Auburn (11-0) 2,732
5. Notre Dame (10-1) 2,706
CNN/USA Today Poll <First -place I
' votes)
1. Nebraska (43) 1,525 '
2. West Virginia (8) 1,477 .
3. Rorida State (10) 1,448
4. Notre Dame (1) 1,367
5. Tennessee 1,276 I
AP PolKFirst -place votes) I
1. Florida State (42) 1,508 I
2. Nebraska (17) 1,480 I
3. West Virginia (1) 1^410 I
4. Auburn (2) 1,366 I
5. Notre Dame 1,339 I
DN graphic
Dwayne Harris, a b-foot-2, 215
pound, iiimoroulside linebacker lrom
Bessemer, Ala., replaced Alberts and
made some big play s of his own for
the Husker defense.
Harris finished the came with six
tackles including three sacks ofOkla
homa quarterback ('ale (iundy.
Nebraska tied the score 7-7 earlier
m the second quarter after! obv Wright
intercepted a (iundy pass and returned
it 25 yards to the Oklahoma 15.
r
Tommie Fra/ierdovc m for the touch
down four plays later
After a quiet third quarter for both
teams, Fra/ier connected with
w ingback Abdul Muhammad for an
1 1-yard touchdown to give the Husk
ers a 14-7 lead.
On theensuingkickoff, Mike Mmt
er forced Oklahoma return man
Darrius Johnson to fumble and Dav id
Sei/ys recovered for the Huskers.
On the next play, Calvin Jones,
w ho finished with just N5 yards on 25
carries, scampered 2d yards to give
the f fuskers a 21-7 lead.
r\o mailer how uizly it was, Jones
m
said, Nebraska was happy with the
win.
“I’m just glad my teammates ha\e
given me a chance to play for the
national championship,” lie said. “I
couldn't even put into words what it
would mean for me and for this whole
team to win it.”
%
m
Shaun Sarfin/DN
By Derek Samson
Staff Reporter
The magic in the Oklahoma
Nebraska rivalry finally may have
•> w •
switched sidelines.
Oklahoma’s "Sooner Maeic."
which spoiled Nebraska’s national
championship hopes many times m
the past, looked as il it had returned
for the first three quarters of Ne
braska’s 21-7 victory Friday.
r *
But when Nebraska broke a 7-7
tie by running off 14 points in 1 '
seconds during the fourth quarter,
the Sooners’ hopes of upsetting the
top-ranked Huskers were ruined.
Oklahoma coach Gary Gibbs
said Oklahoma gave Nebraska too
many opportunities.
“Nebraska made some key plays
when they needed to and got the
turnover that led to an easy score to
wrap it up,” Gibbs said. “You can’t
turn it over and miss opportunities
like this and expect to beat a team
like Nebraska.'
The Sooners’ turnovers helped
Nebraska improve to 1 1-0. Okla
homa gave up three fumbles and
threw one interception.
With Oklahoma up 7-0, Sooner
mnnmgback Jerald Moore coughed
up the ball after rambling 47 yards
to the Nebraska 14.
“We turned it over a lot in anoth
er game we played, which was a
de feat .’’Gibbs said. “Field position
played a major role, and then the
turnovers played a major role in the
outcome of the game.”
Oklahoma gained 204 total yards
compared to Nebraska’s 170, in
cluding outgaining the Huskers 220
to 78 m the first half.
“I thought m the first half, we
probably controlled both sides of
the ball,” (iibbs said. “In the sec
ond half, their defensive front look
charge. I thought our guys, from a
physical standpoint, played excel
lent.”
(iibbs said he was impressed
with hisdefcn.se, which held Musk
et l-back Calvin Jones to 83 yards
