"jf SHOOTOUT AT Jerry Tagge Johnny Rodgers Jeff Kinney si. OK L! By Volhey Mecca Staff Writer NORMAN The dream game. The Big One. , THE GAME! ' The Classic Confrontation. The White Meat on the Turkey Day Menu. The game of the year. The game ol the decade. The game of the century. The greatest attraction in collegiate football history. '. Those are a lew of the superlative descriptive phrases used so far on the Nebraska-Oklahoma football game. But the time for flowery phrases is past because The. Day is finally here. The '.Cornshuckers, No. 1 nationally, and Sooners,. No. 2, finally come to the junction of that collision course they've been on for a month and a half 30:50 p.m. this pulsating Thanksgiving in the sardine-like , surroundings of Owen Stadium and on nationwide television. This might not be the greatest attraction in collegiate football, hislory after all, that's almost 102 years of history but neither is it your average backyard game of touch. . . The championship of the. prestigious Big Eight Conference will be nothing more than a fringe benefit for the victor in this one. Aprobablo national title is the big prize. . There's still the Hangover Day bowling to be considered, Nebraska, having a date with Alabama in Miami and Oklahoma with. Auburn in New Orleans. But very, few observers think the outfit which gets 'a stranglehold on the national champeenship by -winning Here will blow it New Year's Day. This is not 'the first No. 1 vs. No. 2 'matchup, but: it is the ' longest time fans have liad to sit around gnawing on their fingernails wailing for it to come off. Nebraska and OU have been one-two since the second week in October, right after the Sooners shellacked Texas, 48-27, and zoomed from eighth to second in the poll. Nebraska, the defending, national champ; trailed Notre Dame by a nar- Thurs Nov. 2S, 1971 45 row margin in the pre-season Associat-, ed' Press balloting. But as soon as the' season started and the Huskers started beating up on people, they were back on top to stay. . At least until today, when the real No. 1 will stand up. Of course, Michigan, Alabama, Auburn and Penn State partisans are praying for a tic. Rival coaches Bob Devaney of Nebraska and Chuck Fairbanks of Oklahoma are just praying, . period. If Oklahoma offenses Nebraska to death or Nebraska defenses Oklahoma to-death, it'll be the death of a lot of folk. Cause of said death: Bad predict-ing-itis.- This is supposed to be "The Shootout." Texas and Arkansas THOUGHT they had a couple of those tilings. But their meetings offered, nothing like this coming.together of the No. 1 offense in the nation and the No. 1 defense. Oklahoma lias averaged 45 points and 5G3.2 yards, 481.4 .of it on the ground, in annihilating nine foes. Nebraska has yielded only. 6.4 points and 171.7 yards, 70.5 of it running, in wiping out 10 opponents. But anybody who thinks this is just Oklahoma's offense vs. Nebraska's de-, fense needs some of his screws tightened. 1 Nebraska has scored at a 38.9-point pace, averaging 256.!) running and 1S3.9 throwing, Oklahoma's defense, subject of considerable bad-mouthing whilst giving up 29 points to Pitt and 28 to Kansas State", has limited Iowa State, Missouri and Kansas to 12, three and 10, respectively, of late. If key up-fronters Derland Moore and Raymond Hamilton are at full ef-ficiency, as advertised, the Sooners may be able to make enough big plays to throw the Huskers' well-balanced offense off balance. You might say Nebraska's offense is awesome but not awe-inspiring. Howz-at? Well, the Huskers do not cause ' people's, eyeballs to pop out as consistently as do the Sooners. The Big Rodders of the North keep throwing Jeff Kinney at you for four, five, seven and eight yards, catch you off guard with a jaunt by fullback Bill Olds and then slip in a Jerry Tagge bomb to fleet Johnny Kodgers or split end Woody Cox. Impressive as the Cornhuskers have been, they've had to play second fiddle offensively to the Sooners. That's probably because the Big Rodders of the South have averaged scoring 30.6 points each first half this fall. That's more than all but 12 major Continued on Page 18, Column 3 'High Noon Is 1:50 p.m. in the Gunfight -tor-No. Oklahoma OFFE.VSB , SK 12 Jon Hiirri.soii LT (ill Dean Unruh US 73 Darryl Emmert . C &l Tom Brilliancy .. lid 72 Ken .Tonus 1ST 79 Robert Jensen ... TK 8'i Albert Clmnulur QB 11 Jack Allldren ... LH sr, Roy Hell 1SH 30 Greg I'niitt KB 17 ICon Crosswliilo DEFENSE MS 90 ltay Hamilton . . LT SS Lurious Selinon . 1ST 97 Derland Moore . KB GO Lionell Day , U5 81 Albert Quails ... I.I! 13 Sttwc Aywefc ... :.! .Mark Uriseott .... 1.0 2 Kenllli Pope; ISC 18 S. O'SliaiiKbiie.ssy S 25 Larry ISoneh S IIS John Shelley KICKERS 1' II) John Carroll .... VO ill Jolm Carroll Nebraska OEI-'ESSB SB S3 Woody Cos LT 72 Daryl Wlilto LG 77 Mick Rupert C 51 Doiik Duniicr . 1SG GJ Keith Worlnmn ., KT 78 Al Austin TE 85 Jerry I.i.sl QB II Jerry TaSKB IB 3,1 Jeff Kinney SB 20 iloliimy Rodgers . I'll 11 lllll Olds I,E 57 John Adlclns LT ," Larry Jaeobson ., ."MG 7,1 Well Glower 1ST 55 Bill Jansscn ISK 81 Wlllo Harper .... LI! 15 Bob Terrio Lit 51. Jim Branch MB 25 Dave- Mason I.C 27 Joe lllaliak ISC J8 Jim Anderson S 21 Bill Koscli KICKEISS P 26 Jeff HiiRlies Ffi 13 Rich Sanger NEBRASKA .205 .17U .203 m Mm Sen OKLAHOMA 9-0 I ALABAMA MICHIGAN AUBURN- PE'NU&TATE IIP" GEORGIA COLORADO ARIZ. STATE LSU OFFENSE Oklahoma Opponents Rushing yardaqo" Passing vardaga Team J-OKLAROMA ... 2 Arizona State. .... 3 New Mexico I Venn Stnto 3-CtlnileI C Houston . 7 Arknnsas 8 NEBRASKA' ..... 9 Colorado 10-MIehlRan , Rushing Team 1 OKLAHOAIA 2 Now Mexico . 3 Michigan ...... 4 Alabama . .... 5 I'enn Stalo ... 0-Cornell 7 Arizona Stnto 8 Vak Vwcfi 8-GnOTRla 10 Colgate ...... Scoring Total .Scoring Per G Team Vis. Per fl Team Yds. Vor.G Team ; Pis. Per 0 .. .563.3 1-OKLAUOMA .....15.0 ' J -NEB IS ASK A .171.7 l-Mlchlffan' 6.3 ,.. 1U. 5 2 Venn Stale' ..H-3 2-Tolctlo ...170.5 2 NEBRASKA. G.i ,...163.1 !i NEBRASKA' 38.9'. .'I-Mlchlgan .179.7 .1 Alabama ". 7.' ,.103.0 4 Arizona State 38.6 , .I-MIaml, Ohio 1K9.3 , .1 Toledo ...157.3 5 Mlcldgan .' 37.'i 5-Nolro Dame- 398.1 5-Nolro Dimio ...8.C ,..116.0 G Auburn 31.0 fi-I.onisvillo .206.2 ft-Gcorgia 8.8 ,..115.3 7 Cltade! ...33.3 7 Stanford '.230,-t 7-Penn Stnto .............10.0 ,,.110.9 8-Alabama 33.1 8-Alabama -.i 348.8 . 7 Teniiesxeo 10.O ,...112.5 .'l-Geortfn St.r, o-(ierin .347.1 9-rLoulsvliIo 1U.2 ...393.7 10 WnsliiiiBton .34.1 ID-San Diego Stutu 231,0 ' 10-Bistn'ColIego ....11.0 Passing Rushing Passing Yds.. Per G -181.1 390.0 337.1! ..' 348.7 320.2 819.7 .1 Floriiln Stall; 3 Virginia Tecli Sh-WnHliington . I Auburn 5-San Diego Stu . (I Wyoming ... . 7 Stanford Arl(unsa .... O-Utab Stale ., In NEBISASKA , ...2;iii-9 ...230.1 . .. .246.6 ...219.6 ...219.5 ...211.3 ...I98. .,,1833 Team 1 Michigan .... 2- XE11KASKA . . 3 Notre: Uamu . 1 Georgia 5W. Mlcldgan ., C-Mlnmi, Olilfi ' 7 (ieorgln Tech 8 Toledo . ! l.oiilsvlllo 10-l'eim Stale .. Team 1 Texas Tech , 2 Cincinnati . . 3 Toledo 1 NSI State; 5 Vanderbilt G Arlington . 7-Wam, Ohio 7 Louisville- '.' ,U Kent State d., 10 Nortli'TcjMis TV-Radio Log THURSDAY COLLEGE FOOTBALL-. 1:50 p.m. Nebraska at 01:1a-lionin, KOCO-TV (S) and Sooner, network including -WKY (930);. KNOB (1-100). ami WNA1),,(610). 8 pimi Clmck "" Fairbanks Show, WKY-TV (1). ' 7:05 p.m. Georgia at Georgia Tech, KOCO-TV (5); . ' V1SO FOOTBALL M aim. Kansas City nt. I)c troll,- WICY-TV (4) .; 2:30 p.m. Us- Angeles nt Dalian, KWTV (ft) ami ' MI (02.5), COLLEGE BASHETBAIX ,. 7 p.na. .liliUiDiiiii Christian' In' John Brown Toiunametit,' KWIIP-FJI (97.7). FRIDAY PKEP FOOTBALL 7;S0 p.m. Lawtoii al ailtlwost City, Class i A Playoff, K.JEM- , KU (104.7). ' HOCICEV 8' p.m. OmaJia, at Blazers) HOCY(liMO). PRO BASKETBALL 1 p.m. Baltimore Bullets nt Strategy? It All bepends on People 'Pull up tlie Xs and Os'and dust oil the' blackboard, iollcs. It's strategy . time. ..'."'.'',.. Strategy. That's, what you flaunt ,i it: works, forgetif it doesn't, And, somb-oy, strategy works ..better when "used by. better people. But what role for strategy in that football game Thursday between Nebraska and Oklahoma? , Chuck Fairbanks shrugged. Heck, he-almost chuckled. The Oklahoma coach foresees no "strategic gems" affect-ingthe outcome. . Chuck is a spoilsport. Fans love to talk of blitzes and traps and everything nice, Such terms appropriately applied wltn a knowing wink and a nudge in the ribs, can do wonders for one's grandstand esteem. So, for the fans, a layman's scouting report. It was compiled by talking with fniii- Rlcr 'Ripl'ir hpnrl nnnphns and two assistants'. In return for privacy, they promised frankness, Their .names,, then,, will be withheld to protect them from reprisals. Conclusion No. 1 advanced by our anonymous scouting board was a stunner.. It was the same conclusion you can 'find lying around at any barber shop, pool hall or corner tavern: In a big one, the team with the most defense and fewest errors will win, That description fits Nebraska. Statistically, Nebraska's defense is the best on this planet. Oklahoma, which handles, the ball' often in close quarters, is more error-prone. The Huskers averaged 2,0 turnovers per game to 2.9 for the Sooners. What about individual mruehuis? Do any loom large? One coach recalled Notre Dame somewhat slowed Texas' Wishbone in the Cotton Bowl last voar with a nhvsl- BOB f HURT cal mismatch in the middle. That seemed to put extra emphasis on the duel, between Oklahoma's All-America type center, Tom Brahaney, and Ne-b r a ska's super-quick, super-strong middle guard, Rich Glover. The collision may be recorded on Richtcr scales. But Oklahoma . double-teams the middle miard much 'of the 'time, any way. True,: a guard could be released to mess up, linebackers if Glover couia be handlcd;by a single mortal. Another. coach asked if : Oklahoma' had a good enough athiote to cover flanker-spilt end Johnny Rodgers. onc-on-one. . That would be . handy. But, heck, Ringling Brothers doesn't have a' tent big enough to cover the flitting, I-lusker receiver. What about team w e a k n e s s e si Areas to probe? The scouting panel was unanimous on this. Nebraska has, none and Oklahoma has one, pass defense. That's not exactly a trade secret. Statistics show the Sooners Havc. yielded 157.6 passing yards per game, "Oklahoma. pass defense is most vul-nerable," said one coach. "The two safeties are. so deep they become vulnerable. It's not a' bad pass defense if yoti- get a, good - rushbut -they're not getting it."-;- 'VM.;.','-'1;1, ; A'nodicr 'cpach'.stltgsted , Oklahoma has good aUiletesf:iht9e;secondary but appears weak ,bec4us'e 'it concedes' the short pass. '"Certainly Spotier pass defense is based on a-briij-the-bomb principle. It-has, yieldedro'riiy two "bombs" 'this year. ' ' -V, , ; ' -Nebraska's Jerry.TaggeV' with radar in his arm i and fine receivers, is well equipped to probe the'soft' middle. Still another coach "offers hope, for Sooner fans.' "Oklahoma's'-defense is underrated," he said. ' Everybody compares it.'withtlie'Vof fense ''which'' is the best ever. But it's',,pretty good; I think the defense' 'may1: let-: up 'a little when the offense ltfql.fig well 2 ve got a hunch you niight 's'ee-'Oklalioma.play a lot better on' defevn'se,'!; ',-' Most interesting, t6yie: coaches will Coiiiiiiucd on Pagqf. ailuiiin e
