Former Hmker Kiffin - now the man on the spot By Randy York Staff Sports Writer NORMAN, Okla. Don't talk to Nebraska football coaches about an Oklahoma jinx, even when they're not Nebraska football coaches anymore. A prominent Oklahoma City sportswriter dangled the bait in the press box here Friday, but Arkansas defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin wasn't biting. "Nobody's got a jinx on me. I'll line up and play Oklahoma tomorrow," Kiffin said when the Daily Oklahoman's Bob Hurt asked him about the OU jinx, Kiffin won't get another crack at the Sooners tomorrow, but he's the man in charge of trying to shut down the vaunted wishbone Jan. 2 when sixth-ranked Arkansas battles third-ranked OU in the Orange Bowl. As Nebraska's defensive coordinator the previous four years, Kiffin was unable to accomplish the Sooner ambush. But it never gave him nearly the complex it gave Nebraska's general fandom. "I believe Oklahoma beat Nebraska the last five years, but I don't believe in jinxes," Kiffin said. After clearing his press box appearance with both OU Coach Barry Switzer and Nebraska Coach Tom Osborne, Kiffin paid his own expenses and made the 4V2-hour drive from Fayetteville, Ark., to Norman Friday with Arkansas offensive coordinator Larry Beightol. It was the first time since 1968 when he was a Nebraska graduate assistant coach that Kiffin had not been on the sidelines for a college football game. This feels strange," he said after spending the first quarter in the veritable silence of the working press box. He then moved to the photo deck where he could hear the crowd, which turned into a familiar chorus of "Boomer Sooner." Only this time, as much as his heart was with Nebraska, Kiffin couldn't feel as sick listening to it not when Oklahoma is the nation's second- or third-rated team (depending on which wire service poll you are looking at) and Arkansas still believes it has a shot at the national championship. "If Texas gets beat, we could be playing for No. 1 in the Orange Bowl," Kiffin observed. "I'm just glad Lou Holtz (Arkansas's head coach) convinced the Orange Bowl people last week that we were going to beat Texas Tech in Lubbock. I bet they were squirming yesterday." Arkansas struggled before scoring a 17-14 win over Tech to complete a 10-1 regular season, the only loss being 13-9 to top-ranked Texas. "This year has been quite a feat since the Southwest Conference Skywriters picked us to finish sixth in the preseason," Kiffin said. "Coach Holtz said they got it mixed up. They should have meant sixth in the nation, not in the conference." Arkansas, 5-5-1 last year in Frank Broyles final year, was supposed to be a year away in Holtz's return to the college ranks after leaving the New York Jets head job. "We'll have 18 of 22 starters back next year and 38 of our top 44 back," Kiffin pointed out. "But after watching Oklahoma today, I can't be thinking about next season. I've got enough to keep me busy this next month." Kiffin went to the OU locker room to congratulate Sooner defensive coordinator Larry Lacewell after the game. Lacewell promptly coerced him into flying to Tulsa with him Sunday morning to appear on his live television program. "But I drove my car," Kiffin told Lacewell. When Beightol told Kiffin he'd drive his car back to Fayetteville, the problem appeared solved. "But how do I get from Tulsa to Fayetteville?" Kiffin interjected again. "We'll fly you," Lacewell replied. "We're very dear friends," OU's defensive coordinator said of Kiffin. "I've long contended he's the best defensive coach in the country. He still is. ". . . And he's going to get a chance to prove it against us," added Lacewell with an impish smile. rk 'lVl Xy yr N-CottonQ Ncm Mi 'ff h . I;' v t f'jA . :y J I s' O-PeacockJ &m Nebraska linebacker Lee Kunz (38) had an extremely busy afternoon Friday against Oklahoma with 23 tackles, 13 of them unassisted. Here he stops Elvis Peacock (4) as Barney Cotton (54) joins in to bring down the speedy halfback.