Lincoln Journal Star from Lincoln, Nebraska • 23

Cornhuskers Survive Sooner Scare, 28-21 mgjtffitM) i 1 Mildren, who had directed a well-conceived ground attack which ripped the Nebraska defense for 276 yards, didn't have time to do anything but put the ball in the air. He nibbled away with short pitches and one run to move the Sooners to the Nebraska 32 with 37 seconds left. Everything finally boiled down to a fourth and five bid from the Nebraska 27 with just five seconds left. Mildren called on ex-high school teammate Jon Harrison for a deep pattern over the middle. Harrison went up amidst three Cornhuskers Bill Kosch, Joe Blahak and Dave Morock in a giant tangle of arms and legs.

The ball was tipped up and Cont. on Page 2D The Orange Bowl-bound Cornhuskers rallied twice to earn a 14-14 halftime tie and went ahead by a touchdown twice in the second half, but everything they had going in maintaining a shot1 at the national title was on the line in the last 85 seconds. Oklahoma took possession on its own 20 when Paul Rogers' bid for a clinching field goal from 37 yards sailed outside the right upright. Cornhusker middle guard Ed Periard broke through to spill Sooner quarterback Jack Mildren for a four-yard loss on the first play, but his big effort was wiped out as the Cornhuskers were detected holding at the 25. That gave Oklahoma the ball at their own 40 with 1:15 remaining.

been about 20 degrees higher, Memorial Stadium's AstroTurf surface might have been inundated with nervous sweat by the time the unbeaten Cornhuskers finally escaped, 28-21. It wasn't until Cornhusker cornerback Jim Anderson picked off a deflected pass in the Nebraska end zone as the clock ran out that any of the 67,392 folks on hand could relax. Ending the longest 85 seconds the Cornhuskers have endured all season, the late theft gave Nebraska its sixth Big Eight title in nine years and extended an unbeaten string to 18 games, longest in the Bob Devaney era. The Sooners, who in 1964 and 1966 ruined unbeaten Nebraska seasons and ended long Statistics OU NU First downs 20 23 Rushing yardage 276 217 Passing yardage 95 200 Return yardage 10 57 Psse 7-14-3 14-22-0 Punts 6-30 5-39 Fumbles lost 0 2 Yards penalized 30 40 By DON FORSYTHE Late in the first half Saturday, as Nebraska was playing catch-up to Oklahoma, Orange Bowl representative Frank Rentz nervously noted "this is a pretty good football game but that's not what I came to see." Rentz wasn't alone. Had the temperature SECTION 10 PAGES LINCOLN, NEBRASKA NOV.

22, 1970, PAGE 1 winning streaks, came agonizingly close to doing it again. Their strong showing against the nation's third-ranked team was impressive enough to earn them an invitation to play in the Astro-Bluebonnet Bowl in Houston New Year's Eve. 1 1 3C I fi Devaney Retains Opinion By HAL BROWN Nebraska football coach Bob Devaney, who made a pitch last week to the nation's football pollsters for No. 1 votes for his Huskers, still thinks they are No. 1 after completing an unbeaten season Saturday with a 28-21 win over Oklahoma.

"Sure, I still thrak we're No. 1," he told writers in response to a question. "We had a close call, but Texas has had close calls also, such as against Baylor and I don't think Baylor is as good a team as Oklahoma." The Husker boss figured there were a couple of key happenings during the season that helped the Huskers turn the corner, so to speak, toward the unbeaten season, but he pointed to a Jack Mildren pass in the end zone on the last play of the game Saturday. "There were a lot of key things during the season that it's hard to single out one or two," he said, "But I think our first Big Eight win over Missouri, the team we shared the championship with last season, was important. "And when we were able to play well against a team that many people considered the top team in the nation at the time and do it on their field, that gave us confidence and poise," 1 he added referring to the 21-21 tie with Southern Cal.

"And the last turning point in the unbeaten season had to be Jim Anderson's interception ou the last play of this Devaney pointed out that back in September when the season opened he had hopes of an undefeated season, but thought the chances were slight. "You always have that hope," he observed, "but with all the fine teams in the country and the fine teams we have in the Big Eight, the chances of going undefeated are always slim any more." Devaney credited quarterback Jerry Tagge with "doing a great job of finding his receivers under pressure" on the crucial scoring drive late in the game that gave the Huskers their 28-21 lead. "And Dan Schneiss made a great catch," he added referring to the reception his fullback made in a crowd for a first down at the OU three-yard line." One of the switches the Huskers made defensively in an effort to stop the OU ground game was to insert another i lineman in the lineup. i(K" vo I I. f- fft 1 i -vii V4'- i 1 'vlf Nf'-4 I -imnrrLf niTi'nV ftimffi STAFF COLORPHOTO BY WEB RAY Nebraska quarterback Jerry Tagge (14) had 255 yards total offense against Oklahoma Saturday, 200 of it on passes like this over Sooner defensive tackles Kevin Grady (75) and Der- land Moore (97).

Providing blocking are Bob Newton (74), Dick Rupert (77) and Donnie McGhee (on knees). Nebraska Confident Sclmeiss Reassures Tagge Opponent Huskers 'Ice Man Helps to Freeze Oklahoma TT 1- 11 unaeciaeu Compiled From News Wires On The Inside Irish Escape 2D 1 I Buffs Romp 2D 1 'A' AH-State 3D iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiinin great for the fans to watch." Periard figured the close game "proved we can also come from behind to win and that we can win the close ones as well as the runaways. And it's got to be better for the fans than watching those 66 to 20 games. "It's more fun to play in also after it's over." The Husker middle guard, who was forced to make a lot of stops against the OU rushing game, explained one thing that made it difficult was the double-team blocking the Sooners did on all-American linebacking candidate Jerry Murtaugh. "They always had two guys on Murtaugh and when Jerry's not there to make the tackle, we're in trouble." had to do it." "Somehow, the plays just kept working," Tagge explained of the key plays.

"Most of them came from the bench. "I just wanted to get that game over with. Their best defense was their offense because they kept the ball so much and we couldn't score if we didn't have the ball. "This meant that when we got it, we had to score with it." Tagge pointed out that the unbeaten season had been so enjoyable that it "is hard to believe it's over. It seems like we just started fall camp the other day." And he agreed with an observation made by middle guard Ed Periard that the close games are more fun than the routs "after they're over.

Those exciting finishes are By HAL BROWN When Nebraska was faced with a third and 11 at the Oklahoma 27 with the score tied late in the game Saturday, there was little doubt in his mind as to who he was going to go to, Husker quarterback Jerry Tagge joked. Tagge flipped a 24-yard pass over the middle to fullback Dan Schneiss, who grabbed the ball with a trio of Sooners hanging around him. "He kept telling me all week that he was the best pass catcher on the team," Tagge broke in as writers talked with Schneiss after the game. "So there was no question about going to him." Then a teammate chimed in, "Yah, he's our ice man," referring to Schneiss. "He's our ice man, but he doesn't have ice hands.

He had warm hands today." Actually, however, Schneiss was not the intended receiver when Tagge called the play in the huddle on the do-or-die play. "The primary receiver was either Guy Ingles or Johnny Rodgers," Tagge explained, "But I spotted Schneiss and threw to him. It didn't seem like there were that many people that close to him when 1 threw it, but they sure converged. He made a great catch." An authority on catching passes, Ingles described it, "he made the catch when he had to and he made it in a crowd. You can't ask for any more than that.

Dan has been a fine captain for us and there's not a better fullback in the league." Tagge agreed, adding, "He's Nebraska's Orange Bowl opponent New Year's Eve in Miami was still unknown after Saturday's games, but other bowls complete their lineups. Notre Dame, which squeezed out a 3-0 victory over LSU, received bids from both the Orange and Cotton Bowls Saturday, but coach Ara Parseghian said the Irish would not decide on a choice until this morning. In the meantime Oklahoma after closing, 28-21, to Huskers, elected to go to the Astro-Bluebonnet Bowl i Houston to meet Alabama. Thus far Oklahoma and Nebraska are the only Big Eight teams going to a bowl. Other bowl matchups will Schneiss and Tagge, "laid it right in there and all I was thinking about was catching it.

I didn't think about missing it because I figure if it comes my way, I can catch it." Of the key third down plays on the drive, the Husker fullback and co-captain claimed, "Tagge just read their defense well and we knew we the most underrated player in the Big Eight. He's the best blocker in the league. He doesn't get to run much with the ball, but when he does, he does it well. "And he doesn't get to catch it much, but when you throw it to him, he grabs it and most of his catches have come in key situations." "We went to an even front, he explained, "and when we went to that we put Monte Johnson in as the other lineman." The Husker coach said the team would take next week off, then work on their own from Nov. 30 to Dec.

10 when full- scale workouts for the Orange Bowl will begin. Devaney said the Huskers would fly to Miami cither Dec. 23, 24 or 25 depending somewhat on the availability of an airplane. Informed that NU middle guard Ed Periard and quarterback Tagge had told writers they preferred the close games to the routs, Devaney responded, "they must have gotten bumped in the head out there. My idea of a good ball game is Cont.

on Page 2D Later Than Sooner I AvJfcy fAi 'iQAef! rd tewaHirat.wt 1 -HUw .1 have Tennessee taking on the Air Force in the Sugar Bowl, Stanford facing Ohio State in the Rose Bowl, Auburn meeting Mississippi in the Gator Bowl and Georgia Tech getting Texas Tech in the Sun Bowl. Penn State said it would turn down a bid to the Peach Bowl if one were offered. Texas, Arkansas, LSU and Arizona State were major teams still in the running for other open bids. Major College Post-Season Games Dec. 12 Liberty Bowl, Memphis, Term.

Both teams to be named, 1 p.m., EST, ABC-TV. Dec. 19 Sun Bowl, El Paso, Tex. Texas Tech (8-3), vs. Georgia Tech (7-3), 12 noon, EST, CBS-TV.

Dec. 19 Pasadena Bowl, Pasadena, Calif. Long Beach State (8-2) vs. Louisville (5-3-1 p.m., EST. No TV.

Dec. 25 North-South Shrine Game, Miami, Fla. 4:30 p.m., EST, ABC-TV. Dec. 28-Blue-Gray All-Star Game, Mongomery, Ala.

7:30 p.m., EST. Dec. 28 Tangerine Bowl, Orlando, Fla. Toledo (10-0) vs. William Mary (54) 8 p.m., EST.

Dec. 30 Peach Bowl, Atlanta, Ga. Both teams to be named, p.m., ESDec 31 Astro-Bluebonnet Bowl, Houston, Tex. Alabama (6-4) vs. Oklahoma (6-4) 7:30 p.m., EST, Hughes Snorts Network TV.

Jan. 1-Sugar Bowl, New Orleans, La. Air Force (9-2) vs. Tennessee (8-1) 1:30 p.m., EST, ABC-TV. Jan.

1-Cotton Bowl, Dallas, Tex Texas (8-0), or Arkansas (9-1) vs. oooonent to be named, 2 p.m., EST, CBS-TV jan 1 Rose Bowl, Pasadena, Calif. Stanford (8-3), vs. Ohio State (9-0) 4:30 p.m., EST, NBC-TV. Jan 1 Orange Bowl, Miami, Fla.

(75.385), Nebraska (10-0-1), vs. opponent to be named, 8 p.m., EST, NBC-TV. Jan. 2-Gator Bowl, Jacksonville, a. Auburn (7-2) vs.

Mississippi (7-1) 2:15 p.m., EST, NBC-TV. Jan 2-East-West Shrine Game, Oakland, 4:30 p.m., EST, JanTV-Hula Bowl All-Star Game, Hawaii 4:30 p.m., EST, ABC-TV jan Senior Bowl Mobile, Ala. 2 P.m., EST, NBC-Tv. Jan 10 All America Bowl, Tampa, Fla. 2 p.m.

EST, Time Left NUOU 0 6 10:02 0 6 7 7 7 13 14 8:30 6:30 1:35 Second Quarter Mildren 6 run Derr kick Rodgers S3 pass from Tagge Rogers kick Wylie 37 run Derr kick Orduna 3 run Rogers kick Third Quarter Ingles 13 pass from Tagge Rogers kick Fourth Quarter Franklin 10 pass from Wylie Derr kick Tagge 1 run Rogers kick 20 14 5:54 21 14 21 20 14:48 7:42 21 27 Nebraska defenders Larry Jacobson (75) and Ed Periard (56) corner Oklahoma quarterback Jack Mildren (11) as he tries to roll out to throw a pass (1) and thenmove in for the tackles with help from Dave Morock (43). 5 t-ii- f- 11 (i.