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The Columbus Telegram from Columbus, Nebraska • 9

Location:
Columbus, Nebraska
Issue Date:
Page:
9
Extracted Article Text (OCR)

I TWT rrm -t fji ounuay, rxov. ivvi jrage it Wi nNo. 250 coin easily vr lVfl I Osborne celebrates milestone in 69-7 thumping of Sooners 971 mH Husker players win game for 'football's greatest coach' CELEBRATING NO. 250 Nebraska head football coach Tom Osborne faces the crowd while being honored with fireworks after winning his 250th career victory after Nebraska defeated Oklahoma 69-7 Saturday in Lincoln. AP Photo By TIM KORTE Associated Press Writer LINCOLN A landmark day for Tom Osborne was also a big day for Grant Wistrom.

The Nebraska coach reached 250 victories faster than any coach in college football history on Saturday and the top-ranked Cornhuskers said goodbye to long-time archrival Oklahoma with a record-setting 69-7 victory. Wistrom forced three fumbles, recovered one and had two sacks for Nebraska (8-0, 5-0 Big 12). Osborne, in his 25th season, got No. 250 in his 302nd game, 18 fewer than Penn State's Joe Paterno needed to reach that plateau. Osborne is 250-49-3.

THE NU-OU series has been played annually since 1928 and almost every year produced the champion of the Big Eight. When the Big 12 was formed, Nebraska and Oklahoma went into different divisions and aren't scheduled to play again until 2000. Osborne said he would miss the Sooners. "It's kind of sad not to play them f6r a couple of years because of the history, but life goes on and we have to play Missouri next week," he said. The 62-point margin was the worst in Oklahoma history, exceeding the 52-point deficit in 1 -XJ LINCOLN A few minutes after Nebraska had finished its 69-7 romp over Oklahoma on Saturday, NU coach Tom Osborne walked into the South Stadium interview room, hooked a small microphone on his shirt and giving some general comments on the game Just like he had more than 300 times before that, and with much the same emotion.

would've had to have been out in the rain of Memorial Stadium just a few moments earlier to see the HuskerVi-sion tribute, to hear the fire Pom 8mm works and to witness those diehards remaining among the 219th straight sellout crowd to know anything special had happened. To know that Osborne had won his 250th game. TO BE honest, nobody expected anything different. In the days leading up to the game, he had downplayed the moment. And for 25 years, Osborne has spent much of his time deflecting praise directed at him to his players, his coaches and the Husker fans.

Saturday, he was quick to do so again. "I've never won a game," said Osborne, who raised his career coaching mark to 250-49-3 with the win. "One thing that's helped is that we have a continuity in our coaching staff. We don't seem to have any turnover. Most teams lose three or four coaches a year and we lose maybe one every three years.

We have some people that are capable of being a coordinator or a head coach. But for whatever reason, they stay here. "AND THEN I think the sellouts help the fans have been coming since 1962. That attracts recruits because they know they're going to play in front of a full house." Appropriately, Osborne's 250th came against a team that was his biggest nemesis in the early years. It took him six tries to beat the Sooners and his second win over OU came four contests later.

But even more appropriately, -A 11 ir in I 1 the landmark game also con- tained several aspects of the old NU-OU battles that decided so many Big Eight titles in the past. There was cool weather, which got colder as the game went along, and the wind, a biting wind that made it seem even colder at times. And the rain came in various brands, from the few drops that fell just as the ABC regionally-broadcasted game started at 2:37 to the briefs downpours in the third and fourth quarters. There was the Sooners, complete with their 30-something member pep band playing "Boomer Sooner" after what seemed like every play. And was that Sooner quarterbacks Eric Moore and Brandon Daniels running the option albeit not nearly as well that predecessors Thomas Lott and J.C.

Watts ran to perfection? THERE WAS even an orange on the field, thrown there by some Husker fanatic with the game's final seconds winding down. The only thing missing was a competitive game, which the Sooners weren't capable of giving the Huskers. By the middle of the third quarter, OU would've needed every single ounce of "Sooner Magic" just to beat the 37-point favored Huskers in Vegas, let alone in Lincoln. That this was No. 250 week at NU didn't help the Sooners' chances any With the amount of-" respect the players have for Osborne, there was no way they were going to come out and lay an egg Saturday.

"NO ONE wanted to let Coach Osborne down today," Husker rush end Grant Wistrom said. "Although he downplays it, we knew that 250 wins meant a lot to him. He is the greatest coach in college football and it would have been a shame to ruin his chance at 250 victories today." If Osborne stays in the game long enough and the Huskers keep winning at their current rate, win No. 300 should roll around in another five years. And chances are, when it does, he will come into the interview room, put on a microphone and give his comments about the game.

Like nothing big happened. And well know better then, toq, Atia Erm fca Tim Carpenter, tight end: Same old story for the starter from Columbus High, who didn't have any receptions but still was an essential blocker on NU drives. Jesse Kosch, punter: Kosch had one punt for 30 yards with a 20-30 mph -wind at this back. But the punt was low -enough and the Huskers downed the kick at Oil's 21 -yard line. Joel Makovlcka, fullback: Makovic-; ka had a 101 yards rushing on 10 carries and set a Nebraska record for touchdowns for fullbacks in a game with three.

It was the 1 second time In his career he has rushed for more than 100 yards. Jeff Lake, split end: Lake had one catch for a negative one-yard. He almost had another reception In the first quarter, which would have given the Huskers a first and goal at the OU 3-yard line but Okla-' noma's Corey T. Ivy made a nice job break- ing up the pass; Lake also suffered a sprained ligament In his left elbow and will have an MRI on Monday. Brandon Drum, defensive tackle: Drum played but didn't have a tackle and had only one deep snap for a punt.

Craig Fischer, split end: Fischer played but didn't have a tightly to his waist. "We tried to tape it up," Brown said. "But at that point in the game, with the score the way it was, we decided not to take a chance on hurting it worse." The Sooners were probably glad to see Lake out of the game. Last year he caught a 51-yard touchdown pass from Scott Frost during the Huskers' 73-21 blowout of Oklahoma in Norman. It was the second career touchdown catch for Lake, who also had a TD grab against Pacific in 1994.

See LAKE, Page 2B last year's 73-21 loss to the Huskers. Oklahoma had its lead in the series reduced to 39-36-3. After the game, fireworks exploded above the stadium and Nebraska's captains presented Osborne with the game ball, drawing thunderous cheers from the scattered faithful who endured a fourth-quarter rain- storm. OSBORNE TOOK a microphone at midfield and, in typical fashion, downplayed the accomplishment by giving credit to others. "I would like to thank the players and the coaches," Osborne said.

"You've given us great dedication over the years. In particular, I would also like to thank the fans, who have been very faithful over the years." Wistrom said the team was inspired by the possibility of helping Osborne make history. -NOBODY WANTED to be the one who let coach Osborne down," Wistrom said. "He will downplay this win, but we all really wanted to make this game special for him." Other than Ahman Green's fumble on the first possession, the Cornhuskers faced few difficulties against the Sooners (3-6, 1-4). Oklahoma looked hapless against a defense that recorded a "I didn't do anything really special," Makovicka said.

"We just wanted to go right at them Last week, we came out in the third quarter a little flat and we didn't want to do that this week." Last week, in the Huskers' 35-0 victory against Kansas, the Nebraska offense produced less than 40 yards of total offense for about 25 minutes, including the entire third quarter. AGAINST OU, the Huskers scored on all three possessions in the third quarter and compiled 214 yards of total offense. Makovicka ran for 78 yards during that time. For the game, Makovicka, who was featured in an ESPN spotlight during the network's Game Day program, finished with 101 yards rushing on 10 carries while aver ON THE LOOSE Nebraska's Eric Johnson (1 dives for the loose ball after Oklahoma's Jarrail Jackson (1 fumbled after being hit by Nebraska's Kyle Vanden Bosch (83) during the first quarter of Saturday game in Lincoln. Finishing off Johnson is Nebraska's Carlos Polk (13).

In the photo below, Oklahoma receiver Stephen Alexander (80) can't come down with the pass over the top of Nebraska linebacker Jay Foreman (44) during the first quarter in Lincoln. AP Photos school option quarterback who; started the year as a defensive back, had three of the Sooners' seven first-half fumbles. "You can't cause yourself to make mistakes and turnovers and expect to have any Blake said. "We hurt ourselves." Nebraska struck for 20 points in the first quarter, turning three Oklahoma fumbles into two field goals by Kris Brown and a 15-yard touchdown run by Correll Buckhalter. See HUSKERS, Page 2B V.

1 back there. There is Joel Makovicka back there doing the job and getting the job done." But Makovicka said there is only one job to do, and that is to stay focused while making sure the Huskers get to the Orange Bowl to play for the national championship. "I THINK our biggest enemy right now is lack of focus to get the job done," Makovicka said. "We want to go out there and play every game like a team is on a roll. If we can do that we will be alright We just have to take one game at a time." "I have confidence in my ability.

We have a great offense and a defense and if we keep playing that well we are going to be where we want to be come Jan. 2." 29-0 win over Texas Tech on Oct. 18 and a 35-0 victory last week at Kansas. The Sooners have struggled under second-year coach John Blake, who last week said Oklahoma would return to variations of the option offense that made the Sooners a national power before the 1990s. Mixing the option with the multiple set used earlier in the season, Oklahoma produced only 85 rushing yards and 154 overall.

Brandon Daniels, a high aging 10.1 yard a carry. It was the second time in his career Makovicka has rushed for more than 100 yards. Makovicka had also scored two touchdowns in both the Akron and Kansas games. "I THOUGHT Scott Frost really played well today and so did Joel Makovicka," Osborne said. "If they are playing well the offensive line must have had a good game." Nebraska junior I-back Ahman Green, who was the leading rusher with 105 yards on 18 carries, said Makovicka's performance Saturday was fitting.

"(Makovicka) played great today," Green said "I say this is past due for Joel to have another big game like he did today. This just shows everybody else that it is not just me back there or Scott Lake's injured elbow has receivers coach concerned Makovicka not satisfied with records By MIKE KLUCK Special to the Telegram LINCOLN Records are nice, but they are not what Joel Makovicka wants his Cornhusker career to be remembered for. Makovicka would rather be remembered as the starting fullback on the Huskers' 1997 Championship season. "I would like to be remembered But hopefully, if we keep on winning, that's the way to be remembered," Makovicka said. "We just want to keep it rolling and we want to be where we want to be on Jan.

2." Where the Huskers want to be is the Orange Bowl in Miami, competing for the national championship. FOR NOW, however, the junior fullback from Brainard who played football for East Butler is combining both winning and setting records. Makovicka's three-touchdown performance in Nebraska's 69-7 victory over Oklahoma on Saturday set a new NU record for most touchdowns in a game by a Husker fullback. But Makovicka, like head coach Tom Osborne, who celebnted his 250th win Saturday, both took their accomplishments modestly. "WE'VE JUST got so many weapons on offense that if they are keying on any one of them any other weapon is going to break out," Makovicka said.

"I just take my hat off to the whole offensive football team. It's just not about me getting three touchdowns, it's about the offense doing the job." Makovicka did break out Saturday, scoring his first touchdown on a 5-yard run with 9:26 remaining in the first quarter. But in the third quarter, the 5-foot-11, 235-pound back busted free for touchdown runs of 37 and 32 yards. The second run gave the Huskers a 55-0 lead. By DON STRECKER Telegram Sports Writer LINCOLN On a day when top-ranked Nebraska gained an additional reason to celebrate a win, the Huskers may have also lost their best blocking wide receiver for a while.

Senior split end Jeff Lake was forced to leave late in the second quarter of Saturday's game when he came down hard on his left elbow after making a catch. It was believed the Lakeview High School graduate had sprained a ligament in the elbow, and he will have an MRI done early this week to assess the extent of the damage. According to NU receivers coach Ron Brown, Lake will be sorely missed if he's forced out of action. "HE'S A very valuable guy," Brown said. "He's a tremendous perimeter blocker.

He's so valuable to the offense, and that's why we wouldn't want to lose him." Lake appeared to injure himself on a play Brown termed a "jailbreak" screen. On the play, Lake, split out to the right side of the formation, hesitated at the snap of the ball, then cut to the middle where he caught a Frost pass. He was immediately tackled by OU defensive tackle Kelly Gregg for a 1-yard loss, coming down hard on his left elbow. He left the field holding the elbow.

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Pages Available:
239,232
Years Available:
1883-2024