Sooners handle Huskers
Print
digg it!
Facebook
del.icio.us
Seed Newsvine
Fark It
Reddit
BY BRIAN CHRISTOPHERSON / Lincoln Journal Star
NORMAN, Okla.— Halloween had nothing on this scary sight.
With national television cameras rolling, Nebraska looked a mess from the time the Sooner Schooner rolled onto the field Saturday night.
It looked like a schooner. Felt like a Mack truck.
Related Link(s):
This was not fit for kids to watch. Oklahoma had four touchdowns and Nebraska had three turnovers before the game was 5½ minutes old.
It took fourth-ranked Oklahoma more than three hours to record a 62-28 victory, but it took only about 20 real-time minutes of Husker misery to know the winner from the loser.
Even in your worst nightmare, you wouldn’t believe a game could start like this, the worst first quarter in Husker history. It was 35-0 after 15 minutes, the most points given up by a Husker team in one quarter.
Oklahoma had 225 yards. Nebraska had 32. Joe Ganz’s first three passes all ended in turnovers. ESPN officials were wishing they were televising poker.
By the second quarter, OU fans at Owen Field were keeping track of the Texas Tech-Texas game as closely as the contest they were watching. The loudest roars went up after Tech scores.
The fans had already seen enough Sooner scores to be satisfied.
Oklahoma returned the opening kickoff 62 yards and scored a touchdown seven plays later.
That was just the beginning. The avalanche came next.
The Sooners scored another touchdown just four plays later when Ganz’s screen pass, intended for wide receiver Todd Peterson, was intercepted by Dominique Franks at the NU 18-yard line. Ganz knew it was six points the moment the ball left his hand. Franks breezed into the end zone.
Score: 14-0. Time played: 2 minutes, 47 seconds.
Bo Pelini motioned to his players to remain calm, but the worst was yet to come.
Two plays later, the Huskers turned it over again. This time, Dreu Young fumbled at the Sooner 47. OU scored three plays later when wide receiver Quentin Chaney split Nebraska’s safety and corner for a 48-yard touchdown catch. Score 21-0. Time played: 4:29.
Two plays later, another turnover. This time Ganz sailed a pass high and the ball deflected off the hands of Marlon Lucky and into the hands of Oklahoma’s Lendy Holmes, who returned it 26 yards to the NU 9.
The Sooners scored a play later on a pass to Jermaine Gresham. Score: 28-0. Time played: 5:33.
Oklahoma scored again with four seconds left in the quarter. Chris Brown caught a 1-yard touchdown pass after a season-long 97-yard drive.
What followed was just about pride and filling out statistics.
Nebraska got on the board with 11:20 left in the second quarter on a 2-yard run by Quentin Castille, set up by a 67-yard pass to Nate Swift.
But whatever success Nebraska had on offense — running back Roy Helu provided flashes of goodness — was quickly overshadowed by Oklahoma’s no-huddle offense that did whatever it pleased.
The Sooners already had 49 points by halftime — tying the most a Husker team has given up in a half. Nebraska gave up 49 in the second half of the Texas Tech game in 2004.
And OU had 62 points by the end of the third quarter and 486 yards of total offense.
The Husker defense did finally get a turnover late in the third quarter when a Sam Bradford pass deflected into the air and was picked off in the end zone by Rickey Thenarse.
But Nebraska fumbled on the next play. OU scored three plays later to make it 62-21.
Husker backup quarterback Patrick Witt scored a run with 21 seconds left in the game.
With such a lead, Bradford didn’t play in the fourth quarter. He ended the night 19-of-27 for 311 yards, with five touchdowns and one interception.
Husker frustrations took over late. Nebraska defensive end Terrence Moore was ejected from the game in the fourth quarter for a personal foul.
Now it’s time to regroup for the Huskers, who fell to 5-4 overall and 2-3 in the conference. With winning the North Division title seemingly not within reason now, Nebraska must turn its attention to trying to get eligible for a bowl game, with a home game against Kansas next week.
Reach Brian Christopherson at 473-7439 or bchristopherson@journalstar.com.
Most Commented Football