Tulsa World: Huskers Did Little to Win Converts or Scare Seminoles

TULSA WORLD HOMEPAGE | Tuesday, February 09, 2010 | WIRELESS

OU | OSU | TU | ORU | HIGH SCHOOLS | COLLEGE FOOTBALL | COLLEGE BASKETBALL | NFL | FANTASY | OUTDOORS | GOLF | PROS | ALL

HOMEPAGES

SPORTS EXTRA BLOGS

		Sports Editor Mike Strain
		Sports Columnist Dave Sittler
		The Picker Entertaining & Infuriating

LOCAL PROS

ALL SPORTS

PHOTOS & VIDEOS

OUTDOORS

FIND A STORY

Search the World's archives

EMAIL ALERTS

SOCIAL MEDIA

RSS FEEDS

CONTACT US

BUY PHOTOS & PAGES

Buy a published photo by clicking the "Order this Picture" link on the photo. For a full-color page reprint, call 732-8198 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday-Friday or order online.

TULSA WORLD

ADVERTISE ON SPORTS EXTRA

Learn more about the site.

Bookmark

Huskers Did Little to Win Converts or Scare Seminoles

By BILL CONNORS
Published: 11/27/1993
Last Modified: 2/27/2007 8:17 AM

THE MANNER IN which Nebraska defeated Oklahoma on Friday
makes one think the Cornhuskers might, somehow, win the
national football championship.
But such a possibility seems highly unlikely. But no more
unlikely than the way the Cornhuskers' 21-7 victory at Lincoln
was played.
Only the outcome of the ragged affair followed form. Two
good offensive teams getting stuffed by undistinguished
defenses. An Oklahoma team that owed its success to avoiding
turnovers losing three fumbles and one interception.
An OU defense that had made 100-yard rushers of a string
of obscure running backs making Calvin Jones look ordinary
for more than three quarters.
Tom Osborne, who built a Hall of Fame record on power running,
virtually giving up on his running game and trying to win
with passing from an option quarterback. Watson Brown, OU's
bold strategist, turning conservative in the third quarter
when the game was tied and OU had the wind.
The most surprising and becoming development was OU's defensive
performance. It was the finest against a reputable opponent
of Gary Gibbs' regime. OU's defenders deserved a victory.
Next to the Cornhuskers and relieved members of the Orange
Bowl committee, the happiest group about the outcome must
be Florida State.
If the Seminoles had an opportunity to take a break from
preparation for their crucial game at Florida on Saturday
to watch Friday's telecast, they must have watered at the
mouth about the prospect of playing Nebraska in the Orange
Bowl.
Nebraska did little to win over critics of its No. 1 ranking.
It's doubtful Nebraska could play the Seminoles close or
defeat Notre Dame or any other contender for the Orange
Bowl.
But there has been no form chart for these opportunistic
Cornhuskers and they defied it again Friday.
Louisville coach Howard Schnellenberger thought the resourceful
Cardinals' 28-0 victory over Tulsa would have reminded Howard
Twilley of the Miami Dolphins' 17-0 Super Bowl champions.
Schnellenberger, who was a Dolphin assistant on that storied
team of 1972, said when his passing quarterback, Jeff Brohm,
was injured, "We ran the ball more than we ever have and
let the defense win the game.
"That's the way the Dolphins played in '72. Some of us,
including Twilley (who scored Miami's first touchdown against
the Redskins in the Super Bowl), probably wished we had
thrown the ball more. But it sure was fun. Winning any way
you can is fun."
Schnellenberger said Twilley conducted Louisville's chapel
services at previous games in Tulsa. "I don't know why
he didn't this year." Said Twilley: "No one asked me."
Louisville athletic director Bill Olsen said basketball
coach Denny Crum is "happy again. He has his kind of guards
and two great freshmen."
All-American candidate Cliff Rozier, 6-9 junior center,
and two solid 6-6 seniors, Dwayne Morton and Greg Minor,
are the backbone of a team that opens its season at Kentucky
on Saturday.
But the reason Louisville might become a national championship
contender is the hometown and freshman pair of 6-8 Jason
Osborne and 6-0 DeJuan Wheat.
Olsen, who once was an assistant to Crum, said Osborne,
named Mr. Kentucky last year and co-national schoolboy player
of the year, and Wheat "are great prospects. Osborne has
a chance to be one of the greatest players to ever play
at Louisville."
North Carolina's loss could vault Arkansas to No. 1 in
the basketball polls by the time the Razorbacks play their
opener against Murray State in Walton Arena Monday night.
By BILL CONNORS

Bookmark

COMMENTS

Add your comment

Show: Most Recent Comment First

0 comments have been made for this team so far. Tell us what you think below!

Reporting Comments

If you see a comment that violates our terms and conditions, please help us by clicking the "Report this Comment" link next to a comment. That will alert the web staff to review the comment. Thank you. -- Web Editor Jason Collington

Add Your Comment
In order to post a comment on this article, you must sign in to Tulsaworld.com. If you do not have a site account, you can create an account for free.