, 22 Friday, Nov. 26. 1971 THE D.AILY OKLAHOMA of Johnny Rodgers I, M Sa3 SSElSC. jfficial and streaks down the this 72-yard punt return for the first touchdown. Tagge Puts the Tag on Victory: We Knew What We Had to Do' NORMAN He wore Hie Nebraska governor's crumpled red fedora on his head, a wide smile on his (ace and a soiled No. 14 jersey on his back. Some an had spilled coke on bis )eney. "Thing s," said Jerry Tagge, "go better with Coke.". Certainly, Nebraska's ootball team went better with Tagge at quarterback. The clock was licking off lis final minutes and 1hc red-speckled crowd, looking like a giant case of measles, was tense as this young man guided the Huskers 74 yards in 12 time-sapping plays to the winning touchdown. Tlmt did if. Nebraska won, 35-31, over Oklahoma In one of those rare cases when the game was as good as the buildup. It was a case of who had the last bats. Tagge did. And he hit a home run. , , The 6-2, 215-pound senior talked about it afterward. "II we had lost that one. I'd have killed myself," he said. He was looking back to a fumble, a fumble which , had touched off the drive putting Oklahoma ahead,' 31-28. But the memory of the fumble was erased in the methodical drive to victory and pcrhans the national championship, , Tagge had no doubis. "You never think about losing." he said. "You're just thinking about moving the football and we felt we could do that." . His confidence was catching. "There wasn't a word said in Ihe huddle on that drive," he said. "We just knew what we had to do." He said he warned the team only to avoid mistakes and penalties. "We A sideline view shows just how close Greg Pruitt came to stopping Rodgers' long run wanted to run out, the clock," he said. And the Huskers .did. 'Hie drive consumed 5:32. Nebraska hadn't been behind before this year. "It was kinda unfamiliar," admitted Tagge. But Tagge knew the game was in the, balance when, the Huskers took over. at their 26-ynrd-llnc with 7:05 remaining. "We put. all our marbles on the horse BOB HURT . lie carried seven heart bigger than his jer- last drive. We definitely ijmCS for 50 of the 74 soy. felt, we had to score." Tailback Jeff Kinney, who can find daylight in a darkroom, was the wheel- yards. Tagge looked at Kinney in Ihe dressing room," shook his head, and sighed: "That guy's ,got a Tagge changed signals "J5 or 30 times" at the line of scrimmage, He explained afterwards, During the first half, Nebraska had attempted to loosen up Oklahorna with passes'. In the second half, the Huskers ran straight at the Sooners namely with an off-tackle power play featuring Kinney. "1 just went up to the line and looked where their safety was coming up," he said. "Wherever he came up, we went the other way." The game had more turning points than a country road. Tagge pointed to nnc, the one which kept the last drive going. Give Us Time! OK, so now you know-how the game came out. But we have sn ninny entries in the Special BIG (rAME Oiliest, we haven't even counted all of them yet more than 75,000 anyway. So please, don't call the Oklahoma!! & Times to ask if you won. The winner's name will be announced in (ho sports sections of both papers as soon ns Ihey can he graded. But it'll he a while. The Husker thrust was about": to wilt on the Oklahoma 46. It was third down' and eight yards to go.' "That , was the biggest , play of the game," said Tagge. "We sent four receivers out, they were supposed to hook 12 or 14 yards deep, Oklahoma rushed onk three men. I'm supposed .to read the . middle linebacker. "Which ever way he .'goes, I throw to the other .side. But he went straight r.back and Oklahoma had everybody and ihis sister back .there "in .the hook zone;" In effect, the Sooners were in a perfect defense for the call. Tagge has a way of messing up perfect defenses. He scrambled. He slipped out of Raymond Hamilton's hands. And he spotted Johnny Kodgers working free between two Sooner linebackers. "It was a poor pass, good catch," said Tagge. Rodgers dove for the low toss. He caught it on the Oklahoma 35. From there, the Huskers slashed home in five plays. Rodgers said he was bumped coming off the line by Sooner cornerback Kenith Pope. "When that happens," said Rodgers, "Jerry knows I break the pattern. He knew I'd be there some where," .. And the pass? "I never think about dropping it," said Rodgers. "It was third and nine and I was just looking at the yard marker for the first down. It was low but not hard to catch as long as you concentrate." Any doubis? "No," said Johnny. "I would have had to walk to the Oklahoma side if I'd dropped that. I wouldn't have had any friends loft." Rodgers has lots of friends. So ' docs Tagge. Tl was Taggo's scrambling which made the key play work. Hamilton nearly nailed him. "It was our best player against their best player," said Oklahoma defensive coach Larry Lacewell. "I guess Tagge is their best player. If he doesn't got the" most valuable player at their banquet, then its fixed." Reciprocating, Tagge had kind words for the Sooners. Someone asked who he'd vote for as the No. 2 team in the nation. "Ok! a ho ma," ho responded quickly. Then he paused, thinking of Nebraska's Orange Bowl foe, "and Alabama," he added. College Football ( V' c. w, post 9 A i H? STCM.fnilO STEAKS Holstra ...... 0 14 0 0-1.4 ( Mnfc n'Muvri Has-ftUCDonsip lo vm irom uwiu- i ; - . nss from Doollllle FIII3.50 IOBSTU and OWE STUK WNNIM OPEN SUNDAY 5 P.M." 4910 N. LINCOLN - OlNNebraskfl pictures by chief photographer Al McLaughlin and staff photographers Bob Albright, Jim Argo, Dave Heaton and Dave Pate. RENT A MOTOR HOM U wasn't all oeachos 8.nd croam for Jerrv Taaao. oithw. Here He's snowed bv lucious, Solmon The IdeaTWay To Take A Sfciing or Hunting Vacation! 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