Lincoln Journal Star from Lincoln, Nebraska • 33

i -y nyi, Yyyyyoy y' r'T'T" fyy''' yyy Sports SECTION 0imiiaB Journal and $tar Nov. 12, 1978 Lincoln, Neb. SV fans et wisni'JnLusKers Okla Neb First downs 11 18 Rushes-yards 61-339 62-550 Passing yards 0 HI Return yards 4 2 Passes 02-0 8-201 Punts (33.2 Fumbles-lost 94 2-1 Penalties-yards 41 5 35 Third down conversions 717 919 Time of possession 26:04 33:56 By Virgil Parker 3 '-A fT 7 Jiff i i HI 1 (J La 5TAFF COLORPHOHTO BY HARALD DREIMANI5 The Sooners have had trouble hanging onto the ball all season and Saturday's game with Ne- Husker linebacker Lee Kunz (38). Oklahoma fullback Kenny King (30) is under Lott with Rod braska was no exception. Here, OU quarterback Thomas Lott (6) loses the ball when hit by Horn (55) and Bruce Dunning (40) in the background.

Few heads hanging in Sooner locker room Sports Editor Nebraska finally put the shoe on the other foot Billy Todd's left one. The Cornhuskers, who hadn't scored a fourth-quarter point against Oklahoma since Jeff Kinney's touchdown against the Sooners in the 1971 classic a tally that propeled Nebraska to a Big Eight Conference title, an Orange Bowl date and an eventual national championship set up the same three possibilities Saturday in Memorial Stadium after Todd connected with a 24-yard field goal early in the final quarter to earn the Huskers a 17-14 triumph. Nebraska's defense, which played gallantly throughout the hard-hitting contest between the Barry Switzer-coached, wishbone-wielding offense of the top-rated Sooners and the No. 4-ranked Huskers, this time did the blanking them-sleves. The Black Shirt defenders, held off two furious Oklahoma comeback attempts to preserve the victory.

Oklahoma, which had scored 71 fourth-quarter points in the last six years to none for Nebraska, had the ball twice after Todd left-footed his fielder squarely between the uprights. The first drive started from the Sooner 19 yardline after an officiating error allowed Oklahoma to retain possession despite a fumble on the kickoff which followed Todd's fielder. (For a discussion on the officiating, see Virgil Parker's column, Page 2D). OU's Kelly Phelps was blasted by Nebraska's John Ruud and the Huskers recovered at the Sooner 14, but Phelps was ruled down before the bobble. The Husker defense, almost as "mad over the call as the Nebraska coaches, stormed in to throw OU quarterback Thomas Lott for a 12-yard loss after the Sooners were first penalized five yards for motion.

A delay of game penalty'then put the ball back on the one, but Oklahoma fullback Kenny King rambled 47 yards to get the Sooners out of trouble. Seven plays later, Oklahoma threatening to take the lead. The Sooners gained the Nebraska 22, but at that point a hard hit by NU tackle Rod Horn caused OU ace Billy Sims to cough up the ball and the other tackle, Dan Pensick, recovered. The Huskers were far from being out of the woods. Three plays and a jiunt later, Oklahoma had the ball again this time at the Nebraska 47.

After just six plays, Oklahoma -was knocking at the door again at the NU 21. Again it was Sims, who had gained over 200 yards in each of his last three games. He took a pitchout and circled the right side, skipping to the Nebraska three yardline where this time safety Jeff Hansen applied the crunching tackle. Again the ball popped loose and monsterback Jim Pillen, who was named ABC-TV's defensive player of the game, cradled the ball. Shades of the 1974 Oklahoma State game.

In that one, Cowboy quarterback Charlie Weatherbee fumbled on the same yardline in the same southwest corner of the field in the closing moments to enable the Huskers to preserve a narrow 7-3 win. This time, three and a half agonizing minutes still remained to be played. "It was far from over," Osborne observed later. "We had to move the ball to get away from our goalline and use up some time on the clock, and the offense really came through. Richard (Berns) made some nice runs to take care of that" Berns, who paced the Husker runners with 113 yards on 25 carries to earn ABC's offensive player of the game honor, zoomed off right tackle for 13 yards and one first down, then punched out runs of 5 and 9 yards to get another.

When Berns carried next, with time running out, OU defensive back Basil Banks took a swing in frustration and was ejected from the game. The resulting 15-yard penalty moved the ball near midfield, where Nebraska since Oklahoma had no time outs remaining was able to run out the clock. Talk about pandamonium. It looked like the entire crowd of 76,015, Memorial Stadium's 99th consecutive sellout, raced onto the field as one. A few minutes later it seemed that all of the 76,000 who weren't busy tearing down the goal posts ere in the Nebraska dressing room.

Osborne, wedged into a corner of the room, tried to holler his feelings above the bedlam. "I'm elated but also relieved," the Husker head man said. "Late uuthe game, things just weren't going too yell for us. It almost seemed like it (a victory over Oklahoma) wasn't meant to be. We NEBRASKA: Continued Page 2D Our football team played hard, and they played good.

We didn't embarrass ourselves, we just beat ourselves." Switzer was referring to a case of the drops that plagued the Sooners throughout the game the ball bounced to the turf nine times, and six times ended up in the possession of Nebraska players. But it was fourth quarter bobbles, two of them by Sims halting two late drives, that were deadly. "We had an opportunity to win the ball game, and possibly should have right there in the fourth quarter, but no one player loses a ball game," Switzer said. "Billy Sims is a great football player. Thomas Lott is a great football player.

"It was just a case of us making too many mistakes, turning the ball over, too many fumbles and allowing Nebraska to make too many third down and long situations today," Switzer added. "We gave them the big play, but still, when it came down to the wire, we could've won the football game, and we gave it away. "We've won some of the close ones like that, and we haven't lost many," Switzer admitted. "I think Nebraska certainly played great, and I want to congratulate By Chuck Sinclair Staff Sports Writer There were few heads hanging in the Oklahoma locker room Saturday afternoon following Nebraska's stunning 17-14 upset of the No. 1-rated Sooners in Nebraska's Memorial Stadium.

Barry Switzer wanted it that way. And what Barry Switzer wants, Barry Switzer usually gets. There was one ex-. ceplion, however, and a big one. He wanted a win against Nebraska when a whole bushelful of Oranges, and more, was at stake.

On the line was a trip to the Orange Bowl, an undefeated season, and the Big Eight and national championships, to name just a few things. It isn't often that Switzer lets so much get out of his grasp, or has it snatched away, or fumbled away as was the case Saturday when Billy Sims lost the handle on the football, and the game, with 3:27 remaining on the Nebraska three-yard line. "A lot of people all over the country support our program, and it'll be a long night for them," Switzer said. "But we don't have anything to be ashamed of. as well as their football team represents them.

I'm talking about one-millionth of their fans; I'm talking about the young drunks out there. The vulgarity they used it's just ridiculous." But for the team, and the rest of the fans, Switzer had nothing but respect. After finishing with the press, Switzer stood in front of the mirror combing his hair, and a representative from the Orange Bowl approached him. "What do you say Orange Bowl?" Switzer said. "You get Penn State now.

Don't let them run out on you. They are champions (Nebraska). They're a great football team." "Right now, I think they are the No. 1 team in the country," linebacker Darrell Hunt offered. "A lot of people across the country saw what they accomplished today.

I wish them the best of luck, but we're not through. We're not out of the picture yet. You just don't break down and give up. You try a little harder next time out." "I want to congratulate them for winning the game," Lott added. "But I think we've still got class.

It's not the end of the world. It's just a part of life. You just come back the best you can. You can bet we ill." Tom Osborne for what certain'y was a great victory for him. Nebraska is a great football team, and will represent our conference extremely well in the Orange Bowl." Sims called his most crucial fumble careless; Thomas Lott said fumbles are just a part of the game; Kenny King thought they may have been caused by thinking too much about the possibility, and David Overstreet said the ball just squirted away.

Switzer thought it was just a simple case of trying too hard. "You get a back running hard with the ball putting out that extra effort, trying to make the big play and he gets hit that last time," Switzer said. "That's all it takes." Switzer was asked if he thought this was the hardest hitting contest Oklahoma has ever been involved in. "Yeah, I believe so. Nebraska's hardest hitting, too, I imagine.

You been to a bunch of Nebraska-Oklahoma football games?" Switzer countered to the writer. "Same old story. Two great football teams. "But this certainly has to rank as the most disappointing loss we've had, too," Switzer said. "We haven't had many of them.

With this one here, you know you're ranked No. 1 with an undefeated season ahead, and you know you can win it right there in the fourth quarter. Two fumbles two drives. Two drives right there in the fourth quarter. I wish they'd stopped us and made us kick a field goal.

A field goal puts us in the Orange Bowl." Now Nebraska appears headed towards the Orange Bowl with a share of the Big Eight Conference crown clinched. Switzer was asked who will get his vote next week as the No. 1 team in the country. "I don't know. Penn State is a good football team, but I guess they were struggling today too.

I've got to think Nebraska is as good as anybody in the country right now," Switzer said. "It's a shame they lost their first game to Alabama. "It's also a shame that some of the fans mar a ball game like this," Switzer said amid pounding on the dressing room doors. "The things that they said to our players as they came into the locker room that's a disgrace. "I told some of them they ought to act like their football team does.

They certainly don't represent their football team NU completes image change How AP's top 20 fared Next week's opponent 1. Oklahomo (9-1) lost to Nebraska, 17-14 Oklahoma St. 2. Penn Stale (10-0) def. N.

C. State, 19-10 idle 3. Alabama (9-1) def. LSU, 31-10 idle 4. Nebraska (9-1) def.

Oklahoma, 17-14 Missourf 5. USC (8-1 def. Washington, 28-10 at UCLA 6. Texas (6-2) lost to Houston, 10-7 at TCU 7. Michigan (8-1) def.

Northwestern, 59-14 Purdue 8. Houston (8-1) def. Texas, 10-7 idle 9. UCLA (8-2) lost to Oregon 15-13 USC 10. LSU (6-2) lost to Alabama, 31-10 at Miss.

St. 11. Georgia (8-1) def. Florida, 24-22 at Auburn 12. Purdue (7-1-1) tied Wisconsin, 24-24 at Michigan 13.

Maryland (9-1) del. Virginia, 17-7 Clemson 14. Notre Dame (7-2) def. Tennessee, 31-14 at Ga. Tech 15.

Clemson (8-1) def. North Carolina, 13-9. Maryland 16. Arkansas (6-2) def. Baylor, 27-14 Texas 17.

Michigan St. (6-3) def. Minnesota, 33-9 at Northwestern 18. Navy (7-2) lost to Syracuse, 20-17 at Florida St. 19.

Washington (6-4) lost to USC, 28-10 Idle 20. Pitt (7-2) def. W. Virginia, 52-7 Army iH either they were going to beat us 60 to nuthin' or we were going to get them. It's probably been a few years since they got hit like they got hit today." Cornerback Andy Means said "you could see in all the films that Oklahoma would cough up the ball without anyone really popping them.

It looked like some people played patty cake with Oklahoma and we wondered what kind of damage we could cause by sticking them hard." Monster Jim Pillen, named by ABC-TV as the Defensive Player of the Game, said "I dont know if Oklahoma really respected us before the game, but I guarantee they respect us now. They made me look like a fool a few times, but they had to take a lot of nasty strikes from everyone on this team." Defensive captain George Andrews, of course, reveled in the Huskers' physical approach to shutting down the wishbone. "There was a lot of aggressive gang tackling," he observed. "Most of the time, you won't cause a fumble on the first hit. You have to get it on the second and third hits to really pop the ball loose and that's what we did.

"We attacked them from everywhere," Andrews said. "We didn't read anything or slow play the quarterback. We just came at them and made them think as fast as they could." George Darlington, the Huskers' defensive end coach, pointed out that "George Andrews would never harm a flea off the field. He'd never do anything illegal either, but you better not ever get in his way because he'll come at you with both barrels blazing. "To a great extent," Darlington said, "Oklahoma quit running in the second half to the side where Andrews was charging hard on a crash.

One time, he decked the fullback and one time he tackled the quarterback. "Oklahoma's not stupid. Finally, they decided to heck with that stuff and started running away from him." Darlington considers the retreat a wise move. "About one more shot on Thomas Lott by George Andrews and he might have been out of there bandana and alL" Darlington said. Cornerback Tim Fischer called the stick 'em tackles "music to everyone's ears.

It was just like a symphony for our defense." PuTen thought it sounded more like a rock concert, but as he sat on the sidelines as the final seconds ticked away, he admitted to more tranquil feelings. "When I saw that 1:16 on the clock and no more timeouts for Oklahoma," he said, "I could start to feel the sand sifting through my toes." Nebraska, a program which has undergone a philosophical change in its approach to the game, is headed to Miami for the first time in seven veats. By Randy York Staff Sports Writer Nebraska's conversion from a push and pull football team to a knockdown, dragout, blood and guts outfit reached its zenith Saturday in a nationally-televised 17-14 upset of Oklahoma's top-ranked, but physically battered Sooners. The Huskers, who less than 12 months ago "got whipped so bad physically" against North Carolina in the Liberty Bowl "that you wouldn't believe it," according to Lance Van Zandt, struck OU from opening whistle to final gun. "As fast as they are, you better outhit 'em because you sure as heck aren't going to outquick 'em," linebacker Bruce Dunning said after muscling for a team-leading 19 tackles.

Van Zandt, Nebraska's second-year defensive coordinator, knew the physical battle was the actual war not the ballyhoo of the nation's top two offensive teams colliding like two highspeed freight trains in an out-of-the way tunnel. "You cannot beat Oklahoma with a push and pull team," Van Zandt said. "If you want to beat 'em, you better strike 'em every play." And that's exactly what the Huskers' aggressive Black Shirts did, causing OU to fumble more than a drunk trying to strike a match in sub-freezing weather. The Sooners fumbled nine times and lost six. If you think that's out of character, it should be pointed out that they'd lost only 11 in six straight wins over Nebraska.

"We knew they'd fumble if we hit em hard enough but I couldn't believe all the balls laying all over the place just waiting for someone to pick up," middle guard Kerry Weinmas-ter said. The best part about the fumbles, Barney Cotton said, "was that they weren't cold weather fumbles. They were sticking fumbles." Cotton, who moved to the offensive line this year after starting in the defensive line last year, said the fumbles were understandable. "Believe me," he said, "you figure to fumble a little more when you get the hell kicked out of you." Linebacker Coach John Melton used similar terminology to describe Nebraska's brawling, gang-tackling performance against the semi-shocked Sooners. "They pushed us around a little," Melton said, "but I'll tell you something.

There are a lot of sore guys sitting over there right now on those Oklahoma buses. They got the living daylights knocked out of 'em today. "You have to hit them to make 'em fumble. Maybe last year we didn't hit 'em hard enough. Maybe we didn't hit 'em hard I enough the year before or the year before tat "This year we decided we were going to after them and CS cH'f va Sports Scene TV Football Notre Dame vs.

Tennessee, 8 a.m., Giants vs. Redskins, noon, 03 Broncos vs. Browns, noon, LIC) Jt-i College Football 78. 1 p.m., ID Packers vs. Cowboys, 3 P.t MTV, QQ .03) Steelers vs.

Rams. 8 p.m.. Tom Osborne Show, 10:30 p.m., CD UPI TELEPHOTO BY TED KIRK Bowling The coin toss, as viewed through a fisheye lens, shows Nebraska captains Tom Sorley (12) and George Andrews (96) shaking hands with the Oklahoma caDtains. Leisure Lanes, noon, Hockevj Islanders vs. Rangers, 6 $0 p.m..

(J) 5.