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Nebrrraska Chills Sooners, 21-7 // Pair of Bam-Bam TDs, 4 Turnovers Daze OU
By Staff Reports
Published: 11/27/1993
Last Modified: 2/27/2007 8:17 AM
LINCOLN, Neb. - A finger-numbing cold put a premium on offensive
football. But Nebraska found a way.
The opportunistic Huskers won Friday with field position
and Oklahoma turnovers, and most likely will play for a
national championship in the Orange Bowl on New Year's Day.
Abdul Muhammad and Calvin Jones scored fourth-quarter touchdowns
13 seconds apart, providing a 21-7 victory and unraveling
a determined OU bid that fell short due to a lack of second-half
offensive firepower.
"You can't turn it over and expect to win against a team
like Nebraska, and you can't miss opportunities and beat
Nebraska," said OU coach Gary Gibbs.
Oklahoma rang up 200 yards in the first half, but had only
94 in the last 30 minutes and 62 of that came on an end-of-the-game
possession that ended at Nebraska's 37 with four straight
incompletions by Cale Gundy. When Nebraska regained the
ball with 18 seconds left, spectators flooded the field.
Officials allowed the final ticks to run off the clock.
"We didn't play very well in the first half. It took a
lot of character to come back," said Nebraska coach Tom
Osborne, whose teams have never won fewer than nine games
but also have never gone undefeated or won a national championship
in his 21 years.
The No. 2-ranked Cornhuskers (11-0) won for the fifth time
in their last six tries against No. 16 Oklahoma (8-3), which
will await a bowl bid next weekend, probably from the Hancock,
Aloha or Copper bowls. Nebraska, which has lost six straight
bowl games, will make its third straight appearance in the
Orange Bowl.
"Unfortunately in athletics, you're always remembered for
your last game, and there will be one more," said Osborne.
"It looks like, with today's performance, we should have
a chance to play for the whole ball of wax. At this point,
that's all you can ask for."
Osborne last took an undefeated Nebraska team to the Orange
Bowl after the 1983 season, suffering a 31-30 loss to Miami
(Fla.).
James Allen led OU runners with 81 yards, all in the first
half. Jones, held in check most of the way, still finished
with 82 yards on 25 carries. He eclipsed the 1,000-yard
mark for the second straight year with 1,043 despite playing
in only nine games.
On a sunshine-filled 19-degree day - the wind chill was
minus-7 - Oklahoma dominated early. Much to the annoyance
of 75,674 well-bundled fans, the Sooners stampeded 74 yards
with the game's opening kickoff.
Gundy, who completed only 8 of 22 throws, misfired on all
three throws he tried, but he tucked the ball under his
arm and ran 26 yards on the game's fourth play. Allen ran
19 yards to Nebraska's 7 on a play that cost the Huskers
their Big Eight defensive player of the year, Trev Alberts,
with a dislocated elbow. Dwayne Chandler scored his 10th
touchdown of the season from the 1.
The 13-play drive took 5 minutes, 16 seconds. Unfortunately
for OU, it was the final hurrah.
They had other chances, like in the second quarter when
three straight turnovers undoubtedly robbed the Boomers
of points. And a 44-yard field goal by Scott Blanton sailed
wide midway through the third quarter.
OU's first turnover - there were four in all - probably
sealed its fate. Jerald Moore scampered 41 yards to Nebraska's
20 before losing the ball to Donta Jones. Gundy threw an
interception and Terry Collier fumbled on the Sooners' next
two possessions.
Nebraska turned Gundy's miscue into points. After Toby Wright's
interception set up the home team at OU's 15, Nebraska received
a personal-foul penalty to the 7. Tommie Frazier rolled
out from the 3, scoring 5:38 before halftime.
OU enjoyed the wind in the third quarter, but managed only
one first down. That came on a 16-yard run by Chandler after
a short punt gave OU possession at Nebraska's 43. Blanton
eventually missed his field-goal effort, which was just
wide.
OU's defensive dam finally broke early in the fourth after
Blanton's punt was returned to the Sooners' 38. Frazier
hit Muhammad for a 12-yard gain and ran 10 yards on a keeper.
On third down at the 11, Muhammad came back for a Frazier
pass and spun into the end zone at 13:20.
On the ensuing kickoff, Mike Minter shook Darrius Johnson
loose from the football and David Seizys recovered at Oklahoma's
20. Jones scored on the next play, splitting defenders with
a pitchout at 13:07.
OU had the ball three more times, even trying and failing
on a fourth-down play at its 10. Frazier, however, fumbled
the ball back at the 1 when he tried to reach for the end
zone.
That prompted the Sooners' 62-yard sortie, including four
Gundy completions, to the final loss of the ball on downs.
By Staff Reports
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