Never Ran Harder-Kinney NORMAN, Okla. (UPI) - There were 2:20 minutes left to play in the college football of the year and the nation's first-ranked Nebraska Cornhuskers, trailing 31-28, faced a 2nd down with six yards to go for the winning touchdown. Jerry Tagge, the Huskers eve -confident quarterback, called a timeout. "To give Jeff Kinney a rest," he said. Tagge trotted to the sideline and huddled with his coach, Bob Devaney. "We're going for the touchdown," Devaney said. "'What's the best play you've got?" Thus was removed any thought of a field goal that could bring a stanfoff like the 10-10 Notre Dame-Michigan State deadlock in 1966. Tagge told Devaney, "the power play off tackle." When Tagge returned, he handed to Kinney for 4 to the 2 yard line, then 2 more to collect all the marbles. Few who had witnessed the second half heroics of Kinney, 210-pound workhorse from McCook, Neb., doubted he would d find his way through Oklahomas' line to score his fourth touchdown of the day. Kinney made just 20 yards the first half. But he simply would not be stopped after intermission, churning and slashng for 154 yards. "I ran harder than I ever had, Kinney told reporters, "This was the most important game of my career, my life, | anybody's life," he said. "I don't think we established our kind of game in the first half," he added. "We were too fancy. In the second half, we came out and did what we do best." Devaney called Kinney's performance "the finest job of running the football by a back I've ever seen." Oklahoma Coach Chuck Fairbanks watched the National Championship slip from his grasp in the waning moments, then spoke quietly, eyes lowered. Played Hearts Out "Our guys played their hearts out, but we just came up short," he said. "We ran out of holes," said Fairbanks, an avid golfer. "We needed one more birdie." "We've got a great bunch of young men," he said. "We worked real hard to get into this position. Not to fullfil what we were working for was my greatest disappointment." Fairbanks said later he would not discard the wishbone offense that took the Sooners to the No. 2 ranking, although Jack Mildren will not be back next year. "He's the guy that milks the cow," Fairbanks, said of his quarterback. "Mildren is extremely intelligent and extremely knowledgeable about football. It's like having a coach out on the field." But he said he has two other varsity quarterbacks and four or five on the freshmen team and "they look like they could handle it." Mildren played himself a whale of a ball game Thursday. He ran for two touchdowns and passed for two more, rushing for 130 yards and passing for 137. "Nebraska has by far the best t defense we've played," Mildren said. "But we didn't do too badly moving the ball." Devaney said Mildren's passing was his biggest surprise. "Jack Mildren threw the ball like a pro quarterback," he said. But neither Devaney nor Tagge said they had doubts about cashing in on their last drive. "When we were down 31-28 I thought we could score because our offense had been moving the ball the second half," he said. "But I hoped we wouldn't score too quick. Their offense is pretty potent, too. "In the first half our game plan was to run wide, but the second half we decided to run right at 'em." "I never thought about losin g,'' Tagge said. "I only thought about scoring." Devaney made it clear where Thanksgiving Day, 1971, stands in his coaching career. "This is possibly the greatest victory to date, the greatest of my career, coming from behind against a great Oklahoma team. Area Net Card Tonight Wayne County Dayton Chaminade at Richmond. Earlham tourney (Oakland City vs. Mar.
