Curt McKeever: O’Hanlon finds redemption against Oklahoma
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Something tells me Matt O’Hanlon won’t have to do any extra running for his unsportsmanlike-conduct penalty following Oklahoma’s final offensive play at Memorial Stadium on Saturday night.
How do you punish the toast of the Huskers?
O’Hanlon’s penalty came as he celebrated his third interception of the game at the Nebraska 6-yard-line, a play that preserved the Huskers’ 10-3 lead with 27 seconds left.
How perfect for the senior free safety from Bellevue, someone who overcame unbelievable odds five years ago by making the team after a brief performance at an offseason tryout, that he gets to be the one to stick the dagger in the Huskers’ longtime rival.
Remember, this the same guy who went into hiding back on Sept. 19 in Blacksburg, Va. You do remember how you felt about him that day, right?
O’Hanlon was the one you wanted to never see the field again after he got caught peeking at scrambling Virginia Tech quarterback Tyrod Taylor and let flanker Danny Coale streak past him en route to an 84-yard reception that set up the Hokies’ improbable last-minute win.
It was a play O’Hanlon probably figured he’d never live down, even if he did scramble to pull down Coale shy of the goal line.
Well, consider that a closed case.
Saturday was his sweet redemption.
“Matt has great character and resolve,” Bo Pelini said after his team improved to 6-3 overall and 3-2 in the Big 12 to keep the heat on North Division leader Kansas State. “He’s went through a lot and I’m proud of how he’s come through.”
O'Hanlon discusses NU defense
The Nebraska baseball team already had a pretty good center fielder in Khiry Cooper, who just happens to also be a decent wide receiver for the Huskers.
Saturday night, O’Hanlon, who also produced a career-high 12 tackles, looked like he’d been taking some tips from the fifth-round draft pick on how to play the deep ball.
Even more impressive was the patience he showed on a night when he also got flagged for pass interference and defensive holding.
Consider that all of his interceptions came after halftime.
The first theft ended Oklahoma’s second possession of the third quarter after the Sooners had driven to the NU 38. On that one, O’Hanlon made the stab at the 26, then flashed some open-field speed on a 30-yard return to set up a drive that ended with Alex Henery’s 28-yard field goal.
His next theft came early in the fourth quarter on a first-and-10 play from the Husker 39. Again, O’Hanlon held his ground and made an easy pick at the 19 on a sailing throw by Landry Jones.
Oklahoma, which has a history of breaking Husker hearts with a late score, still had one more decent chance following a 30-yard punt return by Ryan Broyles that put the ball at the NU 49 with 41 seconds left.
O’Hanlon probably should have intercepted Jones’ next pass, but if he was upset at himself for dropping that one, it had to fade when on the next play Oklahoma’s quarterback lofted another high-arcing throw down the middle of the field.
“Luckily, I got a mulligan,” said O’Hanlon,” who came down with the ball at the Nebraska 6. “It seemed like it was up there for 10 seconds, and I thought somebody would knock me down, so I might’ve gotten lucky.”
When he came down with the ball, O’Hanlon became the first Husker since Ric Lindquist to have three interceptions in a game. For Lindquist, that feat occurred in 1979.
O’Hanlon then flung the ball high into the air, drawing a flag that moved the ball back to the Husker 3.
Perfect. Wasn’t it 31 years ago that Oklahoma’s Heisman Trophy-winning halfback Billy Sims left a ball at the Nebraska 3 in another Husker upset?
Billy Sims and Matt O’Hanlon — never could have imagined drawing that comparison.
Reach Curt McKeever at 473-7441 or cmckeever@journalstar.com.
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