OSU sophomore quarterback Bobby Reid's 56-yard, second-quarter run was the longest of his career.

Cowboy tailback Dantrell Savage's four touchdowns this season have been scored from 70, 60, 20 and 18 yards.

The Cowboys rushed for 267 yards against a Nebraska defense that had allowed only 102.0 yards per game. It was OSU's best rushing performance of the season. The Cowboys ran for 246 yards against Florida Atlantic.

OSU is 6-26 in its last 32 games against nationally ranked opponents but has prevailed in two of its last three meetings with ranked teams. The Cowboys beat then-No. 13 Texas Tech last season, lost to then-23rd Texas A&M last week and defeated No. 20 Nebraska on Saturday.

The new Nebraska: In 25 seasons (1973-97) with Tom Osborne as the head coach, Nebraska had only 22 conference defeats.

In the nine seasons since he retired, the Huskers have 24 conference losses.

In their last 38 Big 12 games, dating to a 62-36 loss at Colorado in 2001, the Huskers are 18-20.

What might have been: If the Cowboys hadn't squandered late leads in a 4-point loss at Kansas State and last week's 1-point overtime loss to Texas A&M, O-State now would be 7-1 overall and bowl eligible.

"We were talking about that in the locker room," OSU wide receiver D'Juan Woods said. "We had chances to win. We had to find the kinks and find what we did wrong."

The Cowboys remain one victory shy of bowl eligibility. Next Saturday, OSU plays at Texas. The rest of the schedule includes home dates with Baylor (Nov. 11) and Oklahoma (Nov. 25) and a trip to Texas Tech (Nov. 18).

Memory lane: About 100 former Cowboys from the 1973-78 OSU teams, coached by Jim Stanley, were recognized during a halftime ceremony on the Boone Pickens Stadium turf. Terry Miller and John Corker were among the '70s-era Cowboys who attended a weekend reunion.

Barry Sanders, OSU's 1988 Heisman Trophy winner, also attended Saturday's game.

Busy scoreboard: In their first three conference games, the Cowboys scored a combined total of nine first-half points. During a second-period span of less than eight minutes against Nebraska, the Cowboys scored 20 points on touchdowns by Keith Toston, Dantrell Savage and Adarius Bowman.

OSU's 41-point total was its second-highest ever against Nebraska. In 1988, the Huskers defeated the Cowboys 63-42.

Fun afternoon: During his senior season at Tulsa's Union High School, defensive end Nathan Peterson was recruited by Nebraska. Now an Oklahoma State junior, Peterson scored OSU's final touchdown on Saturday (a 19-yard fumble return).

"I committed here so early that I never really gave them a look," Peterson said. "The only thing that crossed my mind (during the touchdown return) was just how much fun I was having. It's just an extremely fun game. I've never been around a team that wants to win so bad."

Peterson also had two sacks on Saturday. Through eight games, he and end Victor DeGrate have a combined total of 14.5 sacks. Last season, they had a combined total of 7.5 sacks.

Prolific Jackson: On his 12th carry of Saturday's game, Nebraska I-back Brandon Jackson not only scored a touchdown (on a 24-yard run) but surpassed the 100-yard mark. He reached the 100-yard mark with less than five minutes gone in the second quarter. Jackson finished with 182 yards.

Statistically speaking

8.0: OSU's average yardage per play against Nebraska. Before Saturday, the Husker defense had given up 4.9 yards per play.

40,108: Saturday's attendance at Boone Pickens Stadium. It was OSU's smallest crowd in four home dates this season.