Huskers shut down Oklahoma
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By BRIAN CHRISTOPHERSON / Lincoln Journal Star
They will be toasting the Blackshirts into the wee hours.
Pick a name and pass your compliment. Ndamukong Suh. Phillip Dillard. Matt O’Hanlon. Prince Amukamara.
Those guys will be giving Oklahoma quarterback Landry Jones nightmares tonight and likely several days after that.
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In a showdown of great defenses, the Huskers emerged victorious 10-3 Saturday at Memorial Stadium.
Suh was a beast. O’Hanlon had three interceptions. Anything less than great by Nebraska’s defense and there would have been some tears spilled on Nebraska’s side of the aisle.
But Nebraska’s defense was great and then some.
The final moments were filled with great tension. Suh was cramping. Alfonzo Dennard was holding his injured shoulder. But on a fourth-and-4 from the Husker 33-yard line, Nebraska’s defense again made the play.
Jones felt heat on the play, and the ball was batted into the air and landed in the arms of Dillard, who ran it back to the Husker 41 with 2:32 left. Chants of “Go Big Red” filled the stadium.
Nebraska’s offense did not pick up a first down on the series that followed. The Huskers had just seven first downs all game.
The Husker defense faced more heat when Oklahoma’s Ryan Broyles returned the ensuing punt 35 yards to the NU 49 with 41 seconds left.
Two plays later, O’Hanlon intercepted a pass at the OU 7 with 27 seconds left, sending the crowd into delirium.
Nebraska forced five turnovers and wouldn’t break despite several serious advances by the Oklahoma offense. The Huskers also got some help from OU kicker Tress Way, who took over the starting place-kicking job two weeks ago.
Way missed two field goals and had another blocked by Suh.
By beating the 20th-ranked Sooners, Nebraska claimed its first win against a top 20 team in the Bo Pelini era and first since defeating Michigan in the 2005 Alamo Bowl.
With the win, Nebraska seriously helped its chances of winning the Big 12 North. The Huskers (6-3, 3-2 in Big 12) remain a half-game behind Kansas State. But if Nebraska defeats the Wildcats in Lincoln on Nov. 21 and wins at least one of its other two games, it takes the North Division.
Nebraska’s 10 points were all set up thanks to the Husker defense. O’Hanlon had two earlier interceptions, the second halting a Sooner drive at the NU 19 on the first series of the fourth quarter with the Huskers hanging on to a 10-3 lead.
Husker fans could hardly relax. The Sooners were threatening again on the next series, driving to the Husker 24. But on a fourth-and-7, perhaps not trusting their kicker at this point, the Sooners went for it.
The pass sailed high and the crowd exhaled with 8:54 left. At this point, OU had 20 first downs and Nebraska 5.
Nebraska’s offense, which switched quarterbacks from Cody Green to Zac Lee in the first half, awakened a bit on the next series. Roy Helu, who did break 100 yards, busted off runs of 13 and 25 yards and it looked as if the Huskers might be able to put the game away when Alex Henery lined up for a 43-yard field goal.
He had made 25 in a row from inside of 50 yards but he pushed this one wide-right with 5:32 left.
Fortunately for the Huskers, the defense had one more stand.
The first half was the same. At halftime, Oklahoma had 10 first downs and Nebraska 1. The score: Huskers 7, Sooners 3.
Nebraska’s defense was a wall despite awful field position to start the game. The Sooners started each of their first three drives at midfield or better but came away empty despite two field-goal attempts.
Way pushed a 46-yarder wide-right and then had one from 45 yards blocked by Suh.
The Husker defense all but scored Nebraska’s first touchdown when Prince Amukamara stepped in front of a pass near the OU 20 and did some nifty maneuvering on a return to the OU 1.
At that point, Husker coaches brought Lee into the game off the bench to replace Green. The true freshman started but looked uncomfortable, completing 2 of 5 passes for 4 yards.
Lee’s first snap resulted in a touchdown, as he found tight end Ryan Hill in the corner of the end zone for the first points of the game with 13:36 left.
There would be one other highlight for the Husker offense when Helu, looking more like his old self, ripped off a 63-yard run to the OU 11. The crowd roared and then groaned two plays later when Helu mishandled an option pitch from Lee. OU recovered on its 20.
Helu’s big run, the longest of his career and this Husker season, came from the I formation. The Huskers used the set often Saturday, with Tyler Legate playing fullback.
The Blackshirts hung tough despite Oklahoma’s up-tempo offense. Like everyone else, the Sooners had trouble handling Suh and Jared Crick. Linebacker Phillip Dillard also seemed to be everywhere.
The Blackshirts made a crucial stand midway through the second quarter when Eric Hagg wasn’t fooled by a misdirection pitch to DeMarco Murray on a fourth-and-1 from the Husker 20.
OU did make the scoreboard blink just before the half when it drove 59 yards in nine plays, settling for a 28-yard field goal by Way with 24 seconds left in the half.
It would be all the points the Sooners would score. That’s 59 less than they had against the Huskers last year if you’re keeping track at home.
Reach Brian Christopherson at bchristopherson@journalstar.com or 473-7439.
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