Ftatball Starters Nebraska Starters f k Nebraska Coach Tom Osborne goes for his 250th win this Saturday against Oklahoma. This week the Daily Nebraskan highlights Osborne’s five most memorable games. Nebraska^ second national cham pionship under Osborne was perhaps the Comhuskers’most dominating per formance ever in a bowl game. ‘ The top-ranked Huskers entered the 1996 Fiesta Bowl with an unblemished record and were looking to become the first team in 40 years to repeat as nation al champions. The only thing that stood in the Huskers’ way was Florida, which was also undefeated and ranked No. 2 in the nation. After two lead changes in the first quarter alone, the game looked to be a true national championship contest. But in the second quarter the Huskers scored 29 unanswered points, die most ever in one quarter of a bowl game, to take a 35-10 lead. NU quarterback Tommie Frazier added two touchdowns in the third quar ter - a 35-yard run and a 75-yaid run in which he broke seven tackles before running down the sidelines for the score. Frazier finished the game with 199 yards and I-back Lawrence Phillips added two touchdowns and rushed for 165 yards. The win expanded Nebraska’s win streak to 25 consecutive times and marked the third time in three years he Huskers played for the national champi onship. JOHN f KANK/JJIN Osborne focused on Sooners OU from page 9 _ that he won't have a chance to face a pure drop-back passer. “I don't face option enough in practice, now I have to play against it on Saturday," Peter said jokingly. “I was looking forward to Fuente (hop ping back mid throwing.” Oklahoma’s switch to a rushing attack is led by Daniels, who led all Sooner rushers last weekend against K-State with 83 yards. The Sooners will not have the services of their leading rusher, senior De’Mond Parker, who is suf fering from an abdominal injury and will notsuit up against the Huskers. Sophomore Bennie Butler and freshman J.T. Thatcher will play in the place of Parker. The absence of Parker, who has rushed for 1,123 yards and six touchdowns so far this season, might help the Husker defense. -m Aria M I don’t get caught up in the sentiment of some people.... I’m just interested in who we play” Tom Osborne NU head football coach But senior defensive end Grant Wistrom said with OU installing the option, the Blackshirts will have to put a lot of emphasis on stopping the run. “More than usual we will have to worry about stopping the run,” Wistrom said. “We really don’t know what they are going to throw at us. We are guessing right now, and hope fully we’ll guess right.” If Wistrom and the Huskers guess right, NU might record its third straight shutout. A win would also give Osborne his 250th victory in 25 years of coaching. The Husker play ers are excited to be a part of an Osborne coaching milestone, but Osborne said the main focus is get ting ready for Oklahoma. ^ “I don’t get caught up in the sen timent of some people,” Osborne said. “You don’t have time to reflect in this business. I’m just interested in who we play.” i *i • . n • T i W i If fi k i I i i i Sooners q ‘Game* Alter Saturday’s game against Oklahoma, the NU/OU rivalry will take a two-year hiatus. This week the Daily Nebraskan reviews the top five games that have made this an intrigu ing rivalry. It was dubbed “The Game of the Century II” after the 1971 classic NU/OU matchup, but in reality, No. 2 Oklahoma outplayed No. 1 Nebraska for most of the game and a 17-7 win. In front of76,663, the largest crowd in the history of Nebraska’s Memorial Stadium, the Huskers drove 94 yards in the first quarter to draw first blood with a 25-yard Keith Jones touchdown to lead 7-0, a lead that would hold up through halflime. -w ^ ft Oklahoma, behind quarterback Charles Thompson, threatened to score several times in the first half, but was stifled by five turnovers. In die second half, OU cut down on its mistakes and took control of the contest 1' It began with an interception of a Steve Taylor pass at the NU 13-yard line early in die third quarter. Two play slater, OU back Anthony Stafford ran it in to tie the game at 7-7. OU running back Patrick Collins put the Sooners up for good with a 65-yard touchdown run. The Sooners added a field goal to ice the win. Oklahoma went on to lose the national championship, while NU lost * to Florida State 31-28 in the Fiesta Bowl. Minnesota next on Jtiusker mt list By Darren Ivy t Staff Reporter Eleven months ago, Nebraska and Minnesota met on the cold tundra of the Abbott Sports Complex soccer field in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. The Huskers were victorious winning 3-2 in four overtimes and advancing on in the NCAA Tournament while the Golden Gophers' season came to an end. This Sunday, the two teams meet again at 1 p.m. at the Abbott Sports Complex. The game won’t be an all-or-nothing game this time. However, it will still be important, senior All-American Kari Uppinghouse said. “Coming into conference (tournament) and the (NCCA) playoffs, it will be good prepara tion to play a quality team,” Uppinghouse said. Nebraska Coach John Walker said No. 10 Minnesota along with Duke and Texas A&M will be the Huskers toughest games this regular season. Nebraska lost to Texas A&M 1-0 in September in College Station but beat Duke 5-0 on Oct. 20 in Durham, N.C. Minnesota (16-1-1 overall) is coming off the Gophers’ first undefeated conference season in .Big 10 history and returns eight starters from last year’s tourna % -~~ ment team. The Gophers have also won 13 straight games and not lost on the road this season. NU (15-2) has some streaks of its own. The Huskers have won 11 straight games and not lost at home in more than two years. Nebraska was scheduled to play St. Louis tonight but the game has been canceled due to poor field conditions at the Abbott Sports Complex. “We are playing as well as we have at any time in the past two years,” Walker said. This is bad news for NU opponents since- the Huskers made it to the semifinals of the NCCA Tournament last season. One of the reasons NU has been playing so well lately is improved defensive pressure, Walker said. He said NU is win ning more balls, so they have more possession of the ball and more chances to score. One of those defenders who has come on the past six games is midfielder Kristen Gay. Walker said she has really solidified the midfield for the Huskers. Gay's improved defensive play has allowed All-American midfielder Kari Uppinghouse to become more aggressive on offense. This past week Uppinghouse became the team's M We are playing as well as we have at any time....” John Walker NU soccer coach leading scorer by netting five goals and adding one assist in two games. “I have been able to go for ward because I know she is going to dominate the midfielcUbehind me,” Uppinghouse said. NU will need to have another strong defensive game Sunday because Minnesota has two for mer Big 10 players of the year in Jennifer McElmury and Jennifer Walek. Walek was unable to play against NU in 1996 because of an ACL injury. “They have so many sign of a good team to have more than one scorer ” One advantage NU will have is that they have played in poor conditions the past four games. Walker said the forecast for the weekend is good, but he is not sure what shape the field will be in. He doesn't think it will bother his team, though. “We are more used to playing in bad weather than good*” Walkersaid. ^ Huskers commence soars for OU matchup By Andrew Strnad Staff Reporter Nebraska will try to fight off a second dose of Sooner Magic Saturday night at 7:30 as the Huskers play host to Oklahoma at the NU Coliseum. No. 11 Nebraska (15-6 overall, 6 4 in the Big 12) will try to rebound from a three-game loss to Colorado on Wednesday night with a victory against the Sooners (15-6, 6-4). The match will be televised on a tape delay basis on Fox Sports Net With Wednesday night’s loss, NU has now lost four of its last six match es, including a three-game loss against Oklahoma on Oct. 10 in Norman, Okla. NU junior middle blocker Megan Korver said the Huskers* recent slide has taken a toll on the minds of the players. “We have no doubt in our physi cal abilities at all,” Korver said. “I think it’s all mental and 1 think it’s been mental the whole time.” The Huskers have been hampered this year with key injuries to ttyo of their best passers and outside hitters, Jamie Krondak and Renee Saunders. Saunders will be out a few more weeks with a broken foot Krondak, who practiced On Thursday but didn’t make the trip to Colorado, is battling an injured back and her status for Saturday fc match is uncertain ?' C One thing that is certain for Saturday^ match; according to senior outside hitter Lisa Reitsma, is the Huskers’ home court advantage. Nebraska has won 41 consecutive matches at the NU Coliseum and Reitsma said Oklahoma is going to have a difficult time coming into the NU Coliseum and beating the Huskers a second time. “The coliseum just gives us so much energy and excitement, and if we play the way we can, we definite ly should win,” Reitsma said. The Sooners dealt NU its first three-garhe loss in conference history on Oct 8 (17-15,15-11,15-10). OU outside hitter Melissa Peterson led the Sooners with 16 kills in the match, and Korver said the key to the match is getting an effective block Da4a*AAM AA/t fltA A^ illA Sooners. “(Patrice) Arrington, Peterson, they’re all great players, but they’re not unstoppable,” Korver said. “The whole game starts with the block