Tulsa World: Sooners can't win big one

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Sooners can't win big one

By DAVE SITTLER
Published: 11/30/1991
Last Modified: 7/4/2008 7:05 AM

LINCOLN, Neb. - The University of Oklahoma's football record
the past three seasons against the Sooners' three biggest
opponents - Texas, Colorado and Nebraska - stands at 1-8.
To some critics, that mark suggests the Sooners can't win
the big one.
"That would probably be the correct thing to say," Oklahoma
tailback Mike Gaddis said after OU's 19-14 loss on Friday
to Nebraska. "I mean, we haven't won one."
Well, yes, they have.
The 45-10 victory over Nebraska last season was OU's only
triumph over the "Big Three" since Gary Gibbs replaced
Barry Switzer as head coach of the Sooners.
The Oklahoma players said they expected the criticism to
intensify after the latest loss to the Cornhuskers dropped
them to 8-3 overall and to third place in the Big Eight
Conference's final standings at 5-2.
"I've already read it and I've already heard it," senior
Z-back Ted Long said. "I'm pretty sure people will continue
to say it until we pull one out."
The pressure of losing close contests to highly ranked opponents
or bitter rivals has affected the Sooners, Long said.
"We were so hyped up before this (Nebraska) game that some
guys were crying because they wanted to win one so badly,"
Long said. "We're all so tired and frustrated from losing
the big games."
Long said the No. 19 Sooners might have had a better chance
to upset No. 11 Nebraska if they had opened up their offensive
attack with more pass plays.
With less than three minutes left in the game, Oklahoma
had attempted just three passes and had completed one for
8 yards.
After Nebraska took the lead on tailback Calvin Jones' 15-yard
run with 2 minutes, 57 seconds left, the Sooners attempted
11 passes in a futile comeback attempt.
Long said he didn't think the poor weather conditions had
anything to do with OU's conservative game plan.
"They (Nebraska) passed throughout the entire game and
our coaching staff refused to," Long said. "We didn't
start to pass until it came down to some must-pass situations.
"I think we could have done anything we wanted to do, but
coach Gibbs had the mentality that we were going to bash
them and assault them with the run, and that's what we did."
OU quarterback Cale Gundy completed 5 of 14 passes for 40
yards, while Husker quarterback Keithen McCant hit 9 of
13 attempts for 149 yards.
"Keithen McCant played a good game, and it (weather) didn't
bother him throwing the football," Gundy said. "So if
the passing plays were called, we could have thrown the
ball just as well as they did."
Oklahoma's rushing attack was effective in the first half
as Gaddis gained 54 yards on 17 attempts. But Gaddis, who
had rushed for more than 200 yards twice this season, got
just 9 more yards after intermission on five more carries.
Gaddis said his performance was hindered because of the
effects of a flu virus which hit him late in the week. The
OU senior became physically ill Thursday afternoon on the
team's flight to Nebraska.
"It really affected my wind," Gaddis said. "Everytime
I carried the ball, I was dead tired. I was just drained."
Gaddis said he should be back at full strength when the
Sooners close the season Dec. 29 in the Gator Bowl against
No. 20 Virginia (8-2-1).
The Jacksonville, Fla., bowl will give Oklahoma one more
chance to win a big game.
"I don't think it's a deal where we can't win a big one,"
Gaddis said. "We just haven't yet. But I think we'll find
a way to win the bowl game."
By DAVE SITTLER

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