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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 23, 2000)
NUvs.OU: Game of century? % Forty seconds remained in the first quarter when I began hal lucinating. Nebraska had just scored its 38th point against a Baylor team, which looked right out of the movie Necessary Rouehness. and that’s when I saw it I could describe it mujch like the night o e i o r e Christmas e x c e p t Davjd visions of ni h. crimson and schooners danced in my head. The halluci nation was more befuddling and exciting than it was psychedelic. Barry Switzer was at the reigns of a speeding covered wagon blazing down die field, as if it were a jet named Johnny heading for die end zona There was music booming all around my head, although the tune was quite repetitive and became rather maddening, much like a tell-tale heart “Boomer Sooner, Boomer Sooner; Boomer Sooner, Boomer Sooner!” Enough already, say something else in the damn song! After foe music, more images and sounds were ablaze inside my head. Triple option, wish bone, Brian Bozworth, Johnny Rodgers, “Man, woman and child! He put’em in foe aisles!” Owen Field, Game of the Century, smashmouth, in-the trenches, down-and-dirty, Oklahoma against Nebraska AH of that, and Nebraska was just in the second quarter playing Baylor. I can’t imagine what’ll happen Saturday morning. An infection has risen across the state in the past week and will only be inflamed as Nebraska’s most anticipated matchup with Oklahoma in six years approach es. And you better believe Coach Frank Solich was planning ahead to Oct 28 after the first quarter. He gave backup quarterback Jammal Lord the most playing time of his young career, as Eric Crouch saw foe turf for just one quarter. Giving Crouch foe hook may hurt his chances at the Heisman, but Crouch can't beat OU with a broken leg. “We were able<o rest some people, and that came at a very good time for us,” Solich said, “if you look at foe rest of our sched ule it will be a very demanding stretch. And Solich’s plan was a good one. Holding out the starte^ served two purposes. 1) It avoided any problems the scoreboard operator may have encountered hadNUputuptripledigits.2) Itlet the Big Red heal a little more. As Solich said, he was trying to let Crouch and receiver Matt Davison, among others, “get back to 100 percent.” Even Loran Kaiser, Who hasn’t played in three games with a sprained foot, was heard telling a reporter he wiU pray against me aooners. All of that is just as well because Oklahoma had an off week to soothe any bumps and bruises it may have encountered in its physical 41-31 thumping of Kansas State a week ago. “The momentum is there for us and for Oklahoma,” Solich said "They should be healthy and rarin'toga” Even though players will tell you otherwise, it’s probably pretty hard not to look forward to a team's biggest game of the year when you’re sitting on your hel met, pads long since removed and your team is up 59 points on die Bad News Baylor Bears. “There wasn’t a thought in my mind until the end of the game,” Crouch said And if you’ll buy that he'll throw the Golden Gate in free. Coming at the turn of a new millennium, this Oklahoma Nebraska matchup couldn’t have happened at a better time and been bigger or more important After the series’ two-year hia tus, the resurgence of crimson colored blood in Oklahomans, and the serious national title implications, the game has much the same flavor and hype of a Game of the Century. Good thing it's a new century. * + v ABOVE: Huskers Keyuo Craver and DeAntae Grixbyblocka punt by Baylor's Adam Stiles which was recovered by Craver for the first Nebraska touchdown less than two min utes into the game. ABOVE: Senior wingback Bobby Newcombe is tackled by a Baylor defender after a punt return. Baylor was forced to punt 12 times. RIGHT: Nebraska rush end Kyle Vanden Bosch bats down a pass by GuyTomcheck. Tomcheck completed only 7 of 26 passes against NU.