The Daily Oklahoman from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma • 39

Sooner Defense Hits Its Target Stopping Davis Key to 2nd Half By Hnnk Ininan Staff Writer NORMAN Nebraska's Tony Davis accused Oklahoma's Jimbo EI-rod of lackluster play during the game. "He told Jimbo," said Sooner cor-nerback Jerry Anderson, 'You haven't hit anybody in two years'." So what did EIrod do? "I just showed him what I HAVEN'T done in that time," Elrod laughed. The fierce, aggressive but nice-guy-off-the-field Elrod seemed to typify the Sooners' effort in the 35-10 Oklahoma win over Nebraska Saturday afternoon. Elrod busted Davis a lew times, as did his defensive teammates. Stopping Davis, it seems, was the key to the Sooners' second-half success.

"We played a little looser on pass defense in the second half," said Dewey Selmon. "I was put one-on-one against Rik Bonness (Nebraska center), then we just had. a four-man pass rush. They kept me inside and they couldn't run the fullback up the middle all the time like they did in the first half. "We knew if we'd shut down their running game, that that was the key.

We did, too." Bonness agreed. "He (Dewey) had a good day today," said the Huskers All-America center about the Sooners' All-America nose guard. Anderson echoed, "There's nobody in the country that can Dewey Selmon one-on-one." Brother Loroy said of the Davis Theory, "I think it helped out quite a bit. We quit worrying about the run in the second half when Davis was by himself (in the backfield). We knew what they were going to do then pass it was a giveaway." Dewey said defensive coach Larry Lacewell made them aware of the Davis thing.

However, Elrod said, "He helped us out, but everyone knew about it. It was a team effort. I'll tell you, Davis was real frustrated today. "We just played good football. Their whole team was really frustrated.

When they started passing, you knew exactly what they were going to run." Tackle Anthony Bryant felt about the same way as his counterparts. "Things just started going our way. We didn't do much differently than what we've done all year. We were due for a good game and we just put everything together. "Lots of good hits caused all of their fumbles.

We haven't been having the breaks go our way, but today they came to us. After that, we got it all under control and took it to 'em." Coach Barry Switzer praised his troops and emerged from a post-game soaking by his players to a crowded press gathering. "It's like a dream. I can't believe what happened out there today. "We took advantage of the mistakes and that was it.

It's the biggest win I've been associated with. It's especially pleasing after our loss to Kansas two weeks ago. I gave game balls to all of our groat seniors who were playing their last game on Owen Field. "You can't take anything away from Nebraska. They are a great team.

I think our team was awful lucky today." Switzer said of the four Nebraska fumbles, "I can't really explain it. Those things happen I know that for a fact. It was a very physical game and when there's good, tough re No. I at least in the aye of So oners Hko Terry Peters (16), Glen Comeaux (56) and Jerry Anderson. (Staff Photo by Jim Argo) formance," said the veteran Sooner "healer." "Seven minutes after the game, the guys are vacuuming the floor." Where were all of the injured warriors? "They're all next door (in tha locker room) shaking hands with each other," he laughed.

He meant there were no injuries except a minor knee sprain to Mika Birks. The breaks finally went Oklaho- hitting those things will happen." Asked what he thought was the turning point in the game, Switzer said, "In the second half when it was 14-10, I thought if they had broken loose they could' ve made it a better game, but then the guy fumbled a punt and that was it. "It would have been awfully tough to beat them, had they not turned the ball over as much as they did." As it was, the Huskers lost "four of five fumbles and were intercepted twice. All season, the Nebraskans had turned the ball over only 14 times. "Our team was on edge today," Switzer continued.

"Dewey Selmon made some great individual plays and I think everyone on our team wanted the game badly. "I mean it was for the co-Big Eight championship and the Orange Bowl. It feels great." But it was a team effort and who else but Joe Washington would be more aware of that? "I thought I had a good game," he said. "Statistically it wasn't great, but we won and that's what counts. Elvis Peacock blacked very well today.

Ho made a couple that really blew the tacklers off balance. "Our offensive line is getting better every game and our defense what can you say about themjust super." Trainer Ravlinson probably had his best day this season. "I think definitely, this was our finest per Hy skers to Vote on Fiesta By J. Carl Guymon Staff Writer NORMAN All in ail, there just wasn't much to talk about, from Nebraska's standpoint, with visions of the Orange Bowl and national title erased Saturday afternoon. So, Cornhusker head coach Tom Osborne thought the Fiesta Bowl might be an interesting subject: "I'm going to bring it up again to our players (who twice have voted not to go to the Dec.

26 game, although the invitation still is there)," Osborne told writers. "I'll let them choose, and whatever they decide is fine with me. But I probably won't even mention it to them today. We'll probably talk about it tomorrow or Monday. "It's a little soon, after a game like this, for them to think about it." Osborne was asked if he has a personal "Yes, I do, but I'd rather not comment on it.

I don't want anything I say to influence the players. Because if we go, I want them to be ready to play. It has to be their decision." The Fiesta talk isn't meant to imply that Osborne wouldn't discuss the game. He has shown far too much class to pull a stunt like that. It didn't take long to sum it up: six turnovers made a huge difference.

"I felt like, from looking at films, that we had played a little better football than Oklahoma through 10 games. But today, they were the belter team. They have some great players the Sel-mons, Steve Davis, who is a great player and a fine person and has my greatest respect, and El-rodthey have some really great athletes. "But as long as we were hanging onto the ball, our defense was playing pretty well. But turnovers take something out of your defense.

And ours started to crack when we gave Oklahoma the ball too many times past the 50. You know', sometimes it bounces your way and sometimes it doesn't." Osborne thought the turning point came in the third quarter with Nebraska leading, 10-7. "We had the ball near midfield, and even if we don't move we're gonna kick them deep in their territory. But we fumble, and they score. Then, the turnovers from that point on were our downfall." Osborne didn't think the final play of the first half was that crucial (the Huskers were at OU's one with seven seconds and no timeouts left.

A running play fell a half-yard short). "We could have thrown. If I had it to do over again, that's probably what we would do. We thought about it. But we have a big, strong back in (Monte) Anthony and we ran over (Bob) Lin-genfelter, our best lineman.

We thought we could score. "I don't really know what happened, but I imagine Elrod pinched in on our tight end and. got the first lick in on Anthony." Defensively, Osborne said the Huskers "didn't want the halfbacks to run with the football. But Davis had a great day. He played well." Osborne hid lu's grief far easier than the Nebraska players, who took the loss hard, extremely hard, but with pride and class.

Quarterback Vince Ferragamo stood by his locker, staring vacantly at the east wall, seeing nothing, hearing little. When he spoke, it was very softly: "I don't know what to say. We had a lot of turnovers. Six, Is that how many? We've only lost 11 fumbles all year until today. I don't know what's more discouraging, the loss itself or the fact wo made many turnovers.

I made some myself. I got blind-sided twice and fumbled. "The second half they (Sooners) came more on the pass rush. We just didn't do well." Ferragamo and seven other Huskers were asked about Fiesta interest. None was really interested, although two said they might think about it "in a day or two." Nose guard John Lee, a senior, was emphatic: "I still would vote no if we vote again.

I don't want to go, personally, but I'll do what the team wants. "I'm still thinking about today, really." He sighed. "In the Big Eight, a team capitalizes on turnover, and that's what they did. They're a balanced loam on offense and defense. AH I said to any of them out there was ka offensive tackle Bob The realization of defeat sinks Lingonfelter.

(Staff Photo by Jim in on huge Nebras Argo) Statistics OU-Nebraska Scoreboard Nebraska Oklahoma ft in 21 3 0 0 7 How They Scored Time J-oft MS RECEIVING gamo and Anthony 1.1 pass from Ferragamo. Coylo kick. t-Ifl luiry run. Drive: 17 yards in seven plays. Di-Rienzo kick.

FOURTH QUART KR M-10 IVncock 3 run. Drive: 13 yards in ihice p'ays after limible recovery by Jlowi. kick. 7 run. FIRST QUARTER C'oyle 21 field goal.

3: 18 Drive: 28 yards In six plays. Big Play: Heiser 13 pass from Ferragamo. SECOND QUARTER l)nis 1 run. 11:30 Drive: -12 yards in 13 play. I'lay: Washington IS pass irotn Davis.

Diltirno kick. THIRD (CARTER Anthony 1 run. 8: lit Dme: y.srd- in nine Hi Play--: Heiwr in pass frnm ferra PASf, RECEIVINO There's nowhere to go and nowhere to throw as Nebraska quarterback Vince Ferragamo faces the awesome rush of Sooner middle guard Dewey Solmon. (Staff Photo by Jim Argo) DiRicnn kick..