The Lincoln Star from Lincoln, Nebraska • 32

The Sooners do it again Rhymes Husker 'busts' defense 6D Nov. 23, 1980 Lincoln, Sunday Journal and Star Watts' Miami tradition intact? 1 jJk By Brent Robinson SloHSportt Writer It's almost a tradition for Oklahoma quarterback J.C. Watts. Three times in Watts' college football career, the senior has awakened New Years morning in Miami. Fla, and after Saturday's 2117 victory over Nebraska, only a victory over Oklahoma State next week separates Watts from trip No.

4. A win over the Cowboys will give the Sooners an undisputed Hig Kight championship and will set up a rematch of sorts with the Florida State Semi-noles, the same team the Sooners defeated in last year's Orange BowL Watts admitted that a change of scenery would be nice, but, under the circumstances, he wouldn't want it any other way. "It gets old going to Miami," said Watts. "But hey, if we're going, it means we won the Big Kight. We're sure not disappointed with that kind of an accomplishment." One thing that has upset Watts and his teammates is the Orange Bowl committee's announcement that the Sooners would have to beat both Nebraska and Oklahoma State to get a bid.

It wouldn't be automatic. Watts reasoned that a win over Nebraska and a loss to OSU would still tie the Sooners for the conference crown, and the win over Nebraska would give OU a victory over the team they tied with. But he also acknowledged that the "barrier" had aided the Sooners against Nebraska. "It gave us a lot of incentive," said Watts, "but you really can't get caught up in all the hype. We had a lot of things which got us fired up.

For one, I think Jams (Redwine) is a lot classier than he showed in the newspapers this week, lie said they would kick our butts. 1 really respect him though they really thought they could doit. "But this was definitely the biggest win over Nebraska I've ever been involved with," he said. Watts rushed for 78 yards in the first half on 17 carries. Most of those yards came on the option when, instead of pitching the ball to backs, Watts turned the ball upfield himself.

The second half wasn't as productive for Watts, but it was for freshman sensation Buster Rhymes. "Buster has really come on. lie's done everything we could ask of him," said Watts. "Plus, he'll be around for a few more years." "The pass Walts made to Bobby Grayson set up the touchdown. On the first play, I went up the middle and it seemed like everybody was on me," he "But the next play, we went back to that wide pitch and I got into the end zone," Rhymes said, making him the second OU back from Miami in four years to beat the Huskers in the final seconds.

AU-Amencar Klvis Peacock, who wore No. 4 like Rhymes, broke the Huskers on a flea-flicker play Jo give the Sooners a 20-17 win in 1976 in Lincoln. "It was instant Florida flashback. I knew if I'd score, we got the Orange Bowl. And going back home to play in fronCof the home town fans will be great," he said.

It was also instant fear, Rhymes explained. "I've never seen a crowd like this. They got to me. They were so" hostile. With those oranges and funny things they said, it was like i' Nebraska wasn't going to tne Orange Bowl, nobody was.

Maybe the fans would kill the whole Oklahoma team," he said. "You didn't see me waving my finger at anybody the way Redwine did on his touchdown. Heck, you just make people madder. Maybe the next time, they'll try to knock you out. But Redwine had been comparing us to Kansas State and Iowa State on television Friday night, so our defense was pretty mad already," he said.

"I don't know how to explair it, but that's the way we play best. Mad, but loose. That's why I came to Oklahoma in the first place. "I cuuld've gone to a school where I'd carry the ball 30 or 40 times every game, but I wanted to learn how to block and how to run," said Rhymes, who has 74 carries for 55-i yards and nine touchdowns this season, after his 10 rushes for 85 yards against Nebraska. "I didn't want to stay around home, so I chose Oklahoma because they make you feel like you're back in high school, with all the joking around and stuff By Ken Hambleton StaH Sports Writer If George Rhymes' grandmother had seen her grandson score the winning touchdown against Nebraska, she wouldn't have been surprised.

Afterall, she nicknamed him "Buster1' he explained, "be- cause when I was a baby, I was about 11 pounds and I guess to her; it looked like I was going to bust out of the incubator they had me in," Rhymes said. And since he was able to put on a football uniform, the high- ly recruited Miami, fresh- man has been busting loose, in the same style he used to help Oklahoma to a 21-17 win over Nebraska Saturday at Memorial Stadium. After Nebraska scored to take a 1714 lead with 3:16 left. Rhymes ran for two yards, but the Huskers were penalized for a late hit. The Sooners fumbled or.

the next play, but recovered for a six yard gain the OU 43 yard line with emaining in the game. On the next play, lihvnit-, at 6-3 and 195 pounds, took an option pitch from -quarterback J.C. Watts and broke loc se on a 43-yard run to the Nebraska 14 yard line. The defensive ends had been playing the pitch all after- noon, time, 1, but this time, the only the end crashed down in side. It was the wrong decision," Rhymes said.

"Watts pitched the ball to me and somebody took the corner-back out and I was going. "I saw the sideline and the little red cone in the end zone. That's where I was headed, ('net (Winters) was right beside me, but I tried to put some moves on. My feet got tangled and that No. 6 (NU's Sammy Sims) pushed me out of bounds before I got to the end zone," said Rhymes, who scored two touchdowns and rushed for 132 yards against Missouri last week in his first start of the season.

Two plays later, Rhymes ran one yard around the right end and scored to put the Sooners ahead with 56 seconds left in the game. VT O-Rhymes Fine finale i III! 'SMS- iJflfch j.HV c-- 1- and Greg Pruitt, then it was I ill IIIIHWIIHIMII mm A i i VJV 5M3Ui and another win over Ne- .1 ft A AT El, 1 A win would have made Husker fullback Andra Franklin's (39) final home game a much better memory for the Annis-ton, native, but he still had an outstanding day, rushing for 122 yards on 20 carries. His longest run was this 21-yard burst to the OU 15 late in the third period. Staff photos by: Harald Dreimanis Gail Folda Bob Gorham Randy Hampton Humberto Ramirez Web Ray Willis Van 'Sickle First it was Jack MUdren wishbone option to perfection Meve uavis ana joe wasnington, men i nomas Lott and Billy Sims. Saturday, it was J.C.

Watts (1) and freshman halfback Buster Rhymes (4) who combined to work the braska. This 31-yard gain to the NU three late in the first half set up Oklahoma's second touchdown, a three-yard run by Chet Winters on the next play. "What does a guy have to do?" could be what Nebraska coach Tom Osborne was saying as he watches a Husker scoring threat come up short in the fourth quarter. Xw 41 iJ iJrr 9 Kind Words They were central characters in the Husker-Sooner shootouts the last two years, but quarterbacks J.C. Watts (1) of Oklahoma and Jeff Quinn (11) of Nebraska obviously didn't let the rivalry carry beyond the field as they shared a few words after Saturday's contest.

HI III ll I rTrmmmmmrrmmmm. 1 1 Ilfl Iliillll I I III i i wiimmiimiii i Oklahoma's J.C. Watts (1) had to endure the slings and arrows of outraged Sooner fans early in the season when OU lost a pair of games, but the senior had few detractors yesterday when he rushed for 73 yards and directed three scoring drives. i 1.