The Lincoln Star from Lincoln, Nebraska • 37

BUSKERS 39D NOVZmm 20. 1 988 SUNDAY JOURNAL-STAR 1 iiiiiiiiiiiiii jmmm upmi mm 5 IliilH Anthony Stafford (25) fumbled on the Sooners' first play from scrimmage as he was hit by Nebraska's Lorenzo Hicks (8) and Tim Jackson (right). OU's Mike Gaddis recovered for a five-yard Sooner gaiir Oldahrnna caititm defensive pursuit he said. "I didn't expect our offense to score a lot on their defense but I also didn't think they'd score much on us." Switzer said miscommunication caused the Sooners to waste a scoring chance at the end of the first half. I "We were out of timeouts and we were going to try a field goal," he said.

"But we had to stop the clock first We yelled 'field goal team' and wanted them to gather, but they went on the field. "By the time we finally got them off, we didn't have time to stop the clock." But even to the end, the Oklahoma players thought, the game could be salvaged. "I was looking for 'Sooner Magic' to show up," said Evans. "I thought we were going to win," said offensive tackle Mark VanKeirsbilck. "Even as badly as our offense played, we were only behind by four points when we got the ball back with two minutes left "Everyone on the offense thought that we could go out there and score and win." impress me," he said.

"But they played an outstanding game today. They were clogging things up in the middle, which allowed the linebackers to scrape real hard and they'd have a man free to come up with the tackle." While Nebraska's defense halted Oklahoma, the Sooner defense kept the Huskers in check after Steve Taylor capped NU's first possession of the game with a 1-yard touchdown run. A 30-yard pass from Taylor to Richard Bell and Ken Clark's 33-yard run sparked the drive. "Our defense played extremely well and kept the offense from blowing us away," Switzer said. "They got the big pass play and the scramble, but our containment of them was better in the second half.

"If anyone had told me before the game that we'd hold Nebraska to seven points, I would have said we would win. On the other hand, it anyone had told me we would score only three points, I would have thought they would beat the hell out of us." Defensive tackle Scott Evans agreed. "I thought the score would be 10-3 or 10-7 with us winning," Adding injury to insult, Thompson will be lost for Oklahoma's Citrus Bowl meeting with Clemson on Jan. 2. The sophomore quarterback broke his right leg on the Sooners' final offensive play of the game.

"It was tragic. He played extremely well," Switzer said. "He. made a big play when he ran inside the 20, but it was called back on the holding penalty. That was the first time in the game we were in scoring position." Thompson scrambled 20 yards to the NU 17-yard line on the Sooners' first possession of the second half, but the penalty left Oklahoma facing third-and-13 at the 47.

Thompson was dropped for a 4-yard loss on the next play and Oklahoma had topunt Both Switzer and Stafford attributed part of the Sooner problems to Nebraska's defensive line. "Nebraska sometimes can do that to you. Their interior defensive line played well," Switzer said. "They have good players who were playing strong." Stafford said that wasn't a surprise, but it was unexpected. "I'd seen the Nebraska defensive line on film and they didn't By Ryly Jane Hambleton NORMAN, Okla.

Oklahoma's wishbone couldn't outrun Nebraska's defensive pursuit "Our ineptness on offense obviously did not allow us to com-1 pete," said OU Coach Barry Switzer. "We never did anything ell except when Charles (Thompson) was able" to run around." The Sooners were limited to 137 yards of total offense in surrendering the Big Eight championship it had held for three straight years. Nebraska's 7-3 victory also ended OU's 31-game conference winning streak. "We have to take our hats off to them," running back Anthony Stafford of the Comhuskers. "We had busts on certain plays and didn't get the blocking you need in the wishbone.

"They were just executing better than we were. We had a lot of lost yardage on first down and you can't have that in the wishbone." Thompson's statistics made that particularly evident He ran for 71 yards but had 42 yards in losses for a net total of 29 yards. Bowl bid soothes Sooners somewhat chance to make something happen out of a scramble with bis speed and quickness." That speed and agility will be missed, but Switzer said there are other advantages with Holieway. "Well go play in the bowl with jamelle and he's still a fine quarterback one of the best we've ever had here he said. "Because of his injury, he doesn't have the speed, but hell do a good I Nebraska will have the job of stopping Miami and according to defensive tackle Scott Evans, it won't be easy.

"NU against Miami?" he said with a I smile. "I think Miami might be the best team in the nation. Add to that the pressure of playing them at home. 2 "I hope anybody can get MiamL But I'd especially like to see Nebraska beat them." bowl game. Thompson broke his right leg on OU's final offensive play of the game.

In his place will be Jamelle Holieway, who was the Oklahoma starter before injuring his left knee last season, and Thompson's success. "Ill be ready," Holieway said. "I've been ready." Switzer said he considered switching to Holieway late in the game against Nebraska. "With about three minutes to play, we talked about sending in Jamelle," he said. "We talked to Jamelle about ifand he wanted to go in.

But our offense wasn't protecting against the blitz and we didn't want Jamelle to play his last home game scrambling around, trying to make something happen. "We felt Charles would have a better we wanted to win the (Big Eight) championship. We had our bats three times with Miami Now it's Nebraska's turn. And they'll have to score more than seven points to beat Miami" The Hurricanes have beaten the Sooners the past three times they have met 20-14 in the 1987 Orange Bowl, and twice in regular-season games, 28-16 in 1986 and 27-14 in 1985. Unlike Switzer, Stafford would like to have played Miami one more time.

"I would have preferred the Orange BowL We wanted to win and get a crack at them again but Nebraska got in the way of four in a row," he said. "We always have the feeling we can pull it out, that we can get the big play on them and win. But that didn't happen today." The Sooners will be without starting quarterback Charles Thompson in the By Ryly Jane Hambleton NORMAN, Okla. The Oklahoma football team isn't accustomed to being second. "But if you're going to lose, you want to lose to a team you have respect for," Sooner halfback Anthony Stafford said after Nebraska downed OU for the Big Eight championship.

"You're always disappointed when you lose, but when you lose to a team like Nebraska, it makes it a little easier to take." The loss sends Oklahoma to the Florida Citrus Bowl Jan. 2 against Clemson. A victory would have meant another matchup with Miami in the Orange BowL "We're happy to be going to the Citrus BowL Miami's not going to be there, are they?" Switzer asked with a laugh. "But 1 -J -'4 i 'qr'-'l 1 Sooner notes, quotes I a Journal-Star photos by: Ian Doremus Harald Dreimanis Randy Hampton Ted Kirk moved around today more than" they have in the past" he said. "They brought the linebackers a little more and they just kept us off balance most of the game." I Offensive tackle Mark VanKeirsbilck "They outplayed us today.

They deserved to win," he said. "We expected them to do a lot of dif ferent things V-stunts, things like that but they didnt What else can you say. The scoreboard shows it We did not play up to our potentiaL" Oklahoma was held to 2 yards or less on 32 of its 56 plays. a series to get our feet on the ground. Well pick up the pieces and go on from here.

Good gosh, we're not dead. We have a good football team." I Garl, on the NU-OU series was just one of those close games and we came up short," he said. "Nebraska is always going to have a good team and going to be a war when we play them. We did not get a couple of breaks that we were hoping for. There is not much else to say." I Offensive pard Anthony Phillips, on NU's defensive linemen "They Halfback Mike Gaddis, on the weather conditions "I'm still freezing," he said nearly a half hour after the game.

"It was something you just had to get used to. The ball was wet and slippery but the field wasn't too bad." lS Gaddis, on the Nebraska defense "They played a great game and we just weren't executing." Defensive back Scott Gari, who had both OU interceptions "After the first series (which resulted in Nebraska's only score), I believe the defense played well," he said. "It takes us about Alii yr i i i Nebraska's No. 1 cheerleader, Broderlck Thomas, jumps in joy after time ran out to thwart an Oklahoma threat at the end of the first half. Defense i iaVnr; itv XteH.

f- I and win championships with defenses," he said. "Those pys played better than ever before. Our defense played it's best "We stopped it alL We stopped everything. We knew some things weren't working for them and we took advantage of that" he said. Linebacker LeRoy Etienne said it.

was the biggest game of his career. "It's the biggest game of an the seniors on this team. When we get older, well be able to ten we won the Big Eight title with great defense. "God, I loved it How can you not love thaVesaid. sive line showed what it was about Our" defense showed it is a cohesive bunch.

We wanted to dominate from start to finish. "That was a finish wasn't it" he said. There was a lot to be said after the game, Wells added. "All the hype, saying we weren't physical and good enough. And we didnt say a thing," he said.

"Wen, they talked and we played." Thomas said he had never seen the defensive line of Willie Griffin, Pete and Wells' play better. "That's proof to the old saying, you win games with offenses Cornhusker fans get psyched right before the game at Norman. Okla. Roger Abel of Omaha is waving the flag, while Husker Bob Rowa (right) has his sign ready. v-.