The Daily Oklahoman from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma • 37

Snorts THE SUNDAY OKLAHOMAN November 23, 1975 1 FUMBLES CAN BE GOOD NEWS So Oil's Headed To Orange, 3 5-10 what had won for the Sooners all season. It was a capitat defense and an opportunistic offense guided by quarterback Sieve Davis who bowed out at Owen Field in grand style. The stocky senior carried 29 times for yards and scored two TDs. Shades of Jack Mildren, The defense made big. big play s.

It sagged Nebraska hopes the first half, stopping the Huskers at the 13, eight and one-yard lines. OU thus led at intermission, 7-3. Nebraska lost, but ,11 fumbles pre- By Walt Jnyroo Staff Writer NORMAN Oh. sure. The clan of that collected this very important, afternoon in Memorial Stadium well knew the fumble.

And to be sure, as usual, those folks mak-in' 'em were draped in red. t. lo and behold, it was Nebraska, not Oklahoma red. And red things turned to "orange" for the Sooners, who latched keenly to four Huskcr fumbles and a pass interception for a near-incredible 35-10 triumph over No. 2 ranked Nelir a a here Saturday.

From every one of those Nebraska errors came an OU touchdown. The Sooners had only 23, 10 and 13 yards to go for three fourth-quarter touchdowns, ending a close football game in which Nebraska led 10-7 midway of the third quarter. Twenty one points. And suddenly it was a runaway. In more meaningful terms, the victory propelled OU to a Big Kight co-championship along with the stunned Huskers and its first trip lo the Orange Bowl since 19G7.

The combatants finished 10-1 overall, and li-l in the conference, ft is the first shared Big Eight i it lo since 1969 when Missouri and Nebraska tied. The opponent in Miami, of course, is Michigan, the Big Ton runnerup with a record of S-l-2. "It's like a renin come true," said OU conch Barry Switzer, emerging from an unscheduled shower. "I can't believe what happened out there today. "It's the biggest win I've been associated with.

It wipes out the lo.ss two weeks ago and a lot of other unfortunate things that have happened to us this season." Behind it nil was soi'led, 21-10. Soon after, Jerry Anderson's 23-yard pass interception and freshman Greg Sellrhyer's fumble recovery led to 14 more, points. Davis scored' from' the seven, thou touted freshman halfback Billy Sims circled in for a four-varcl TD. Nebraska's i e'f weapon, the passing a of quarterback Vince Ferragamo, was fleeced for two important fumbles. The second led to OU's go-ahead points late in the third quarter.

Fcrragamo''i was blind-sided by Leroy Selmon, coughed up the football and Mike Phillips recovered for the Sooners at the Huskcr 17. Davis had 37 yards on keepers during that drive. Ivory finally "scored from the five, going over right tackle Mike Vuughan. Only 1:14 remained to the end of the period and OU was in front for good, H-10. Ironically, almost, it was a fumble that placed Nebraska ahead for the last, time, 10-7, at of that very same quarter.

Fullback Jimmy Lit-trell departed from the ball at his 32 and Huskcr middle guard John Lee covered it. Tailback Monte Anthony thrust into the line three times from the three before scoring. Little did Nebraska know its afternoon was over. li were hints, though, the first half. Golden were Nebraska's opportunities, ashen were its results.

First time out, Nebraska a bed (i7 yards to OU's 13 where Mike Coyle failed on a 30-yard field goal. The next three possessions for Nebraska fared little better: Joe Washington fumbles at the 38. Nebraska en n't budge a foot. Littrell fumbles at the 32. but the Huskers Conl.

on Page 2, Col. I Turning the corner, OU quarterback Steve Davis rips off some of his 130 yards as Jerry Wied pursues for Nebraska. (Staff 'Photo by Bob Albright) 1 Not the Usual Conservative Defense Sooners Gambled and Won NORMAN Somebody turned the script upside own or inside out on this brisk Saturday after-oon. Oklahoma was cast as the fumbling stumble-um. Through an erratic season, the Sooners had lore turnovers than Joie Chitwood's auto circus nd the Pancake House combined.

The Sooners ad fumbled 54 times, losing 21 of them. And they ad been intercepted 10 times. Nebraska was cast as the conservative, cau-ious team which protected the football like it was old. Only four teams in the nation had turned the all over fewer times. Nebraska had lost 11 unites and three interceptions.

But history was ditched and the projected roles -ere switched. Nebraska iumbled. Oklahoma apitalized. Oklahoma won, 35-10. And all five ooner touchdowns sprung from Nebraska turno- ery cull in the first ha Iff," said Lacewell.

Oklahoma fumbled on its first two possessions. But Nebraska got only three points out of it because the Sooner defense was guessing right and trying hard. The key play popper up unexpectedly late in the first quarter. On irsl-and-15 from the" OU -13, Nebraska quarterback Ferragamo faded to pass. Lacewell called, for the "Nebraska blitz." a special defense designed for (his game.

Eight Sooners rushed, including strong safety Scott Hill. saw him coming," said Ferragamo, "but I thought he was faking the blitz and would drop back." Hill kept coming. He hit the quarterback. The ball popped loose. Leroy Selmon recovered.

"We used that defense about five times," Hill Continued on Page 2, Column 2 Steve Dnvis viously this season. The first throe were doozies Saturday. Bach led to Sooner TDs from -12, .17 and 13 yards. With them went the game. The last one, Jim 's, dealt the Huskers out ol it lor Trying to return a punt inside his 20, Burrow fumbled and swift Lee Hover recovered a I the Nebraska 13.

It was the fourth quarter and the Sooners led only M-10. Joe Washington, Horace Ivory and filvis Peacock needed only shot apiece to stuff it in the end zone at 10: 10. Following Peacock's three-yard run to score and Tony IHIiienzo's placement, Ol' had it vers four fumbles and an interception. So, the big question is: why did Nebraska fumble? Well, coaches tell you fumbles aren't planned. No one practices them.

They just happen. Maybe, so. But fumbles also happen because of aggressive, gambling defenses. That's what Oklahoma played Saturday. It was an all-or-nothing roll of the dice defensively.

Larry Lacewell, defensive coordinator, had warned coach Barry Switzer before the game, "Hang loose, coach, because this isn't going to bo the kind of conservative Oklahoma defense you're used to. We'll be blitzing and firing and doing everything because we want to go to Miami." Lacewell sat at a desk in the coaches' booth in the press box while calling defensive signals. He felt like he was at a dice table. "It was like my life savings were riding on ev Ohio State Rally Thwarts Michigan Penn State Halts Late Pitt Bids PAGE FOUR Thefts Aid OS Miller 'One-Grand' Runner Weatherbie pile By Hay Soldan Staff Writer AMES, Iowa Okla-loma State seemed on he verge of breaking he game open for the ingest time Saturday. iut at the finish the 'owboys wore happy ust to escape with a 4-7, season-closing i over Iowa State.

Both of the Cowboy ouchdowns were cored on fourth down uns by Terry Miller. you can see how-lose the visitors came 0 running into their lustomary Ames am-lush. But the defense aved the day with five 1 a interceptions, hreo of them inside the )klnhoma State five, 'wo of the thefts came the fourth quarter ifter a 98-yanl Iowa State drive had cut the mv'l'm to 14-7 and in-ected new life into the Cyclones. "I thought it should have been 28-0 at half-time," said coach Jim Stanley. It very well could have been, but Oklahoma Slate turned the football over six times before intermission on five fumbles and an interception.

Yet, the Cowboys led, 7-0, at halftime because the Cyclones were also treating the game more like a season opener than a season ender. They had five turnovers in the opening half. An Iowa State mis-play, which didn't even count in the turnovers, set the stage lor Oklahoma State's opening touchdown. Cyclones were attempting a ID-yard field goal when the center snap sailed over both the holder and the kicker for a 23-yaiu loss. to reach the Iowa State seven.

Miller then just did gel a first down at the six on a third-and-oue play. Had he missed, the Cowboys might have settled for a field goal. Before the ball was snapped again, tackle Derrel jumped offside and the Cowboys were back on the 11. Turner then was held to a two-yard gain and Skip Taylor was nailed back on the Cyclone 15 on an attempted pitchout. On third down, quarterback Charlie Wnath-erbie passed 1-1 sards to Sam Lisle, who made a leaping catch on the one.

The fourth-down call, from the wishbone lor-matiori. was an option. Weatherbie was in read the tackle and go from there. he a r-klo came dowr inside, so I had tu said. "But the corner man came at me, loo, and I wasn't expecting him.

He took a gamble because it left our hall-back free." The gamble almost worked because Wenth-erbie's pitch was hur-r i and made olf stride. It bounced on the ground but right up into the hands of Miller, who just did beat a defender in a the end zone corner. "If it had been a good pitch, he'd have walked in." said Weatherbie. Oklahoma Slate never turned the football over in the second half, except tor the firsa two powsMnn1-. but the Cowboys never got anything fcoing.

either. Skip Taylor earl broke the second-half kickoif lor a touch-down. He fielded ii on hf- live and x-od 53 Cunt, on Pime (, i Terry Miller That gave the Cowboys the football on the Iowa State 4G. They scored from there in HI plays, but it wasn't easy. Robert Turner Mailed the Mirge by carrying five straight times Tasting the "fruits of victory." soph' omorc nge Bowl-bound Sooners smiles approval.

Statf Photo by Clitt Iraversel defensive tackle Richard Murray chomps an oranae whilo roach Rarrv Wtjrr of th,.