College Football Old School Game of the Week: Sooners Dominate Huskers in "Game of the Century II"

 

On November 25, 1971, the #1 ranked Nebraska Cornhuskers took on the #2 Oklahoma Sooners in what was nicknamed the "Game of the Century" as the winner of the game would clinch the Big 8 conference title and play for a national championship in the Orange Bowl.

The game lived up to the hype as both teams traded the lead four times with the final lead change coming on Nebraska fullback Jeff Kinney's fourth touchdown of the game with 1:38 remaining to give Nebraska a 35-31 victory as the Huskers would go on to win the Orange Bowl as they destroyed the Alabama Crimson Tide 38-6 to claim their second straight national championship.

Nearly 16 years later on November 21, 1987, the Sooners and the Huskers meet again as the two top teams in the country in a game that was dubbed as "Game of the Century II" as #1 Nebraska hosted #2 Oklahoma where once again the winner of the game would win the Big 8 conference championship and earn a trip to the Orange Bowl.

Nebraska come into the game with a 10-0 record, bolstered by the nation's #1 offense which averaged 524 yards per game and had scored at least 30 points in every game this season while its defense had allowed a combined 15 points in the Huskers' previous five games.

While the Huskers come into "Game of the Century II" riding high, the same could not be said for Oklahoma, where two weeks prior they lost starting quarterback Jamelle Holieway for the rest of the season after he tore his ACL in his left knee as well as fullback Lydell Carr who went out with a knee injury in the same game

Holieway was replaced by redshirt freshman Charles Thompson while Carr was replaced by Rontei Anderson, as the two helped Oklahoma to a 29-10 win over Oklahoma State, which was followed by an rather lackluster performance the following week as the Sooners defeated the Missouri Tigers 17-13, causing voters to drop Oklahoma from #1 to #2 and moving Nebraska up to #1.

This led to several Nebraska players talking a lot of trash in the lead up to the Oklahoma game as quarterback Steve Taylor "The flat out truth is Oklahoma can't play with us. The Sooners aren't good enough. It might not even be close and I mean that". 

This bravado was backed up by Nebraska tight end Tom Banderas who predicted that the Huskers would win 42-10 while All-American defensive end Broderick Thomas to proclaim Memorial Stadium, the Huskers' home stadium as "our house and only we have the key".

All this talk came at the expense of Nebraska head coach Tom Osbourne, who was in his 15th season as the Huskers' head coach and had complied a 140-36-1 overall record but was 4-11-1 against the Sooners and head coach Barry Switzer, having lost the previous three game with the Sooners including two in Lincoln, Nebraska.

Before the 156th straight sellout at Memorial Stadium, the #1 9-0 Nebraska Cornhuskers hosted the #2 10-0 Oklahoma Sooners in "Game of the Century II".

Oklahoma quarterback Charles Thompson is chased by Nebraska defensive tackle Neil Smith.

 The Sooners got the ball to start the game and proceeded to drive 72 yards in 13 plays until Anderson was hit by Huskers linebacker Steve Forch, causing a fumble which was recovered by linebacker LeRoy Etienne to give Nebraska the ball at its eight-yard-line.

After both teams traded punts on their ensuing possessions, the Huskers had the ball at their 16-yard-line as Taylor lead the Nebraska offense into Sooner territory by completing a 11-yard pass to Richard Bell, then running for 16 yards on a quarterback draw, and then scrambling for 11 yards when a reverse flea flicker failed to fail the Oklahoma defense to give Nebraska a 1st down at the Sooners' 31-yard-line.

Following a holding penalty that pushed the Huskers back 10 yards to the Oklahoma 41-yard-line, Taylor handed the ball off to Keith Jones, who ran the ball on back-to-back plays for 41 yards, with the last one being a 25-yard touchdown run to give Nebraska a 7-0 lead with 1:28 left in the first quarter.

It was the first time all season that the Oklahoma defense had allowed a touchdown in the first quarter and the Sooners would make the Huskers pay for it as they did not allow Nebraska to pick up another 1st down for the rest of the first half.

Despite the Sooner defense hunkering down on the Nebraska offense, the Sooners were unable to get any points on the board in the second quarter despite three drives deep into Husker territory.

The first drive went 52 yards but ended with R.D. Lashar' 44-yard field goal attempt sailing wide right with 11 minutes left in the second quarter, which was followed by a 50-yard drive to the Nebraska 25-yard-line which included a 20-yard pass from Thompson to All-American tight end Keith Jackson, only to have end with another Anderson fumble which was recovered by Huskers linebacker Jon Marco.

The third and final wasted opportunity came late in the half as the Sooners drove from their 18-yard-line to the Nebraska 36-yard-line thanks to the legs of Thompson who ran the ball three times for 46 yards until the drive ended when Thompson was intercepted by Nebraska safety Jeff Tomjack at the Huskers' 10-yard-line, which allowed for the Huskers to run out the clock and go into the locker room with a 7-0 halftime lead.

The Huskers would get the ball to start the second half, hoping to get their offense back on track only to have disaster strike on 3rd & 10 from the Nebraska 20-yard-line when Taylor's pass intended for Dana Brinson was deflected by Oklahoma cornerback Derrick White and into the hands of Sooner safety Rickey Dixon, who returned the interception 24 yards to the Nebraska 13-yard-line.

After a two-yard run by Anderson on 1st down, Thompson ran around the right side and just before he was able to be crushed by the Nebraska defense, he pitched the ball to Anthony Stafford, who ran it in for the 11-yard touchdown that with Lashar's extra point tied the game 7-7 with 12:48 left in the third quarter

Following an exchange of punts, the Huskers would pick up their first 1st down since their touchdown drive when Jones ran for 13 yards to the Oklahoma 46-yard-line, only to have the Sooners defense stiffen and force a punt that went into the end zone for a touchback to give the Sooners the ball at their 20-yard-line.

Four straight running plays gaining 15 yards set up a 3rd & 5 at the Oklahoma 35-yard-line when Thompson pitched the ball to halfback Patrick Collins, who thanks to a key block from backup running back John Green, was able to run down the left side relatively untouched for a 65-yard touchdown run to give the Sooners a 14-7 lead with 1:39 in the third quarter.

Oklahoma running back Patrick Collins races down the sideline for his 65-yard touchdown run.

Though they were down only a touchdown, the seven-point deficit seemed insurmountable for the Huskers especially with their offense shut down.

Things did not get better for the Huskers when the fourth quarter began as Dixon made his second interception of the game on the first play of the fourth quarter to give the Sooners at the Nebraska 45-yard-line.

The Sooners appeared as if they were going to have a 1st & goal at the Nebraska eight-yard-line after wide receiver Carl Cabbiness made a spectacular catch, only to have it called back because Cabbiness stepped out of bounds before he made the catch, making him ineligible to catch the ball, forcing an Oklahoma punt.

The Sooners would force another three-and-out from the Huskers to get the ball back at their 48-yard-line when Anderson busted loose for his longest run of the game, a 28-yarder to the Nebraska 20-yard-line where at the end Anderson fumbled only to have his teammate Stafford recover it.

Three straight running plays picked up nine yards to set up a 27-yard field goal by Lashar to increase the Sooners' lead to 17-7 with 7:40 left in the game.

The Sooners would drive to the five-yard-line on their next possession only to have with another fumble which was recovered by the Huskers, who then in turn gave it right back to Oklahoma on the very next play when Taylor was intercepted by Sooners cornerback Dante Jones to give the ball back to Oklahoma at the Nebraska 20-yard-line.

Three runs only picked up two yards, forcing the Sooners to settle for a 35-yard field goal attempt by Lashar which he missed to keep it 17-7 with 1:43 left.

The Huskers would then put together their best drive since their 10-play, 84-yard touchdown drive back in the first quarter, as they drove from their own 20-yard-line to the Sooners' 20-yard-line only because Oklahoma went into a prevent defense.

The final play of the game was an incomplete pass into the end zone which summed up Nebraska's day as the Huskers fell to Oklahoma 17-7 in a loss which Osbourne said in the locker room was the most disappointing in his career.

Oklahoma defensive back Rickey Dixon would have two interceptions in the Sooners' 17-7 win in "Game of the Century II".

The game was not as close as the final score indicated as the Sooners outgained the Huskers 444-235, with 419 of those yards coming on the ground as the Sooners had three players ran for more than 100 yards as Collins lead the way with 131 yards on just 13 carries while Anderson ran for 119 yards on 24 carries and Thompson in his just his second career start running for 126 yards on 21 carries.

Plus, the Sooners picked up 23 1st downs compared to the Huskers' 11 and drove into Nebraska territory on 12 of their 14 possessions, while the Huskers only made into Oklahoma territory three times.

The win clinched the Big 8 conference title for the Sooners to send them to the Orange Bowl where they would play the Miami Hurricanes for the national championship where they entered the game #1 while Miami was #2.

The Sooners would fall to the Hurricanes 20-14 to give Miami its second national championship in five years and denying Switzer his fourth national title.

As for the Cornhuskers, they would finish with a 10-2 record following a 31-28 loss in the Fiesta Bowl.

However, the rivalry would turn in Nebraska's favor as they would beat Oklahoma the next two years and go 9-1 in Osbourne's last 10 meetings against the Sooners to improve his record against the Sooners to 13-13-1.

College Football Old School Game of the Week: "Sooner Magic" Strikes Again as OU Holds Off OK State and Barry Sanders

Oklahoma head coach Barry Switzer is carried by his players after the Sooners' 1988 win over Oklahoma State.

" Sooner Magic" is described as some sort of supernatural force that allows for the Oklahoma Sooners football team to pull out victories when less expected or when the team is in dire circumstances.

Such was the case on November 5, 1988 when the Sooners traveled to Stillwater to take on their intrastate rivals, the Oklahoma State Cowboys in a Big 8 showdown.

The Sooners came into the game ranked #8 with a 7-1 record, with their only loss being a 23-7 defeat to the USC Trojans back in September.

Oklahoma was led by head coach Barry Switzer, who had led the Sooners to at least a share of the Big 8 title 12 times in his 15 previous seasons and three national championships, thanks to his wishbone offense which in 1988 was led by redshirt sophomore quarterback Charles Thompson.

Meanwhile, the Cowboys entered the game ranked #12 with a 6-1 record under fifth-year head coach Pat Jones.

The Cowboys had a high-powered offense which had averaged 48 points per game up to this point thanks to quarterback and future Oklahoma State head coach Mike Gundy, wide receiver Hart Lee Dykes, and Heisman Trophy candidate running back Barry Sanders.

Sanders, who had been the back-up to Thurman Thomas during his first two seasons, became the starting running back in 1988 and exploded on to the national scene as he ran for 1,476 yards and scored 24 touchdowns, 22 of those on the ground.

The nation would finally get to see Sanders as the game would be televised on ESPN, marking the first time the Cowboys had been on national television all year as they hoped to defeat the Sooners for the first time since 1976.

 The Sooners got the ball to start the game at their 20-yard-line where it took them only one play to drive into Cowboys territory as running back Mike Gaddis took a pitch from Thompson and ran 50 yards to the Oklahoma State 30-yard-line.

Gaddis would end the seven-play drive with a 13-yard touchdown to put Oklahoma ahead 7-0 just 2:27 into the game.

With the Sooners kicking into a swirling wind, the  Cowboys got good field position for their initial possession of the game as they took over at their 35-yard-line.

On 2nd down, the Cowboys attempted a flea-flicker but Gundy was sacked for a six-yard-loss, which was followed by a 10-yard pass to Dykes to set up 4th & 1 from the Oklahoma State 44-yard-line.

Jones decided to gamble and go for the 1st down but Sanders was stopped for no gain by Sooners defensive tackle Scott Evans to give Oklahoma the ball at the Cowboys' 44-yard-line.

Jones' decision would be made even worse when on the very next play Gaddis busted through the middle for a 44-yard touchdown to give Oklahoma a 14-0 lead with 10:21 left in the first quarter.

Down two touchdowns with a little less than five minutes into the game, the Cowboys needed a score as they took over at their 41-yard-line for their next possession.

Gundy would find Jarrod Green for 11 yards and a 1st down at the Oklahoma 47-yard-line, then scrambled away from the Oklahoma pass rush, to find Dykes, who made a spectacular one-handed catch at the Sooners' 18-yard-line for a 28-yard gain.

Then after three straight runs by Sanders for 14 runs, Gundy ran it in for the four-yard touchdown to put Oklahoma State on the scoreboard and cut their deficit to one touchdown at 14-7 with 6:52 left in the first quarter.

The Sooners would get the ball back at their 20-yard-line where they ran the ball three straight times, gaining 23 yards, before Thompson fumbled a snap from center to which he recovered to prevent a turnover and allow Oklahoma to keep the ball as they would face a 3rd & 2 at their 42-yard-line which they converted as fullback Leon Perry picked up the two yards needed for the 1st down.

Seven plays later, Perry was in the end zone as he scored from seven yards out to increase the Sooners' lead to 21-7 with 2:35 left in the first quarter.

Oklahoma running back Mike Gaddis would run for 213 yards and two touchdowns on 18 carries.

Following an exchange of punts, the Sooners would produce the first turnover of the game as defensive end Greg Dixon intercepted a Gundy pass to give Oklahoma the ball at their 47-yard-line.

The Sooners were in prime position to blow the game wide open as Thompson ran the ball 47 yards to the Oklahoma State six-yard-line on the first play after the interception to set up 1st & goal.

But after two plays lost two yards, the Sooners would lose the football as Thompson fumbled the football which was recovered by Cowboys defensive back Lamar McGriggs at the Oklahoma State nine-yard-line, preventing Oklahoma from extending the lead.

It looked like the Sooners were going to force a three-and-out as a sack of Gundy forced the Cowboys into a 3rd & 16 where Gundy attempted to pick up the 1st down with his feet as he ran for 13 yards, three yards short of the 1st down.

But Dixon was called for a face mask, which was ruled incidental, but enough for the Cowboys to pick up the 1st down as the five-yard penalty was added to Gundy's run to give Oklahoma State a fresh set of downs at their 21-yard-line.

After being held in check for the 1st quarter, Sanders would explode on 2nd & 7 when he took a pitch from Gundy and ran around the right side for a 67-yard run to give the Cowboys a 1st & goal at the Sooners' seven-yard-line.

Sanders would get ball the next two plays, picking up only four yards, before Gundy went back to the air and hit Dykes for a three-yard touchdown to cut the Sooners' lead to 21-14 with 5:06 left in the second quarter.

With Oklahoma State now kicking into the wind, it would be the Sooners who would get good field position as they took over at their 35-yard-line for their next drive

The Sooners would go back to Gaddis who ran for 13 yards to start the drive, then ran for 37 yards on the next play to put the Sooners at the Cowboys' 15-yard-line.

But the Oklahoma State defense would hold as they would only allow five more yards on the next three plays, forcing the Sooners to settle for a 27-yard field goal by R.D. Lashar to increase the Sooners' lead to 24-14 with 2:08 left in the first half.

Following an exchange of punts, the Cowboys would run out the clock as the first half came to an end with the Sooners ahead 24-14.

Oklahoma would go three-and-out to start the second half, punting the ball back to the Cowboys who would take over at the Sooners' 44-yard-line as Oklahoma was kicking into the wind.

Three plays picked up nine yards setting up a 4th & 1 from the Oklahoma 35-yard-line when Jones again decided to go for the 1st down and again was denied as Sanders was tripped up for an one-yard loss by Sooners defensive tackle Curtice Williams giving Oklahoma the ball at their 36-yard-line.

The Sooners would drive to the Oklahoma State 42-yard-line before punting the ball back to the Cowboys who took over at their 20-yard-line, only to give right back to the Sooners as Gundy was intercepted by Oklahoma linebacker Kert Kaspar at the Oklahoma State 25-yard-line.

Oklahoma would run the ball three straight times but did not pick up the 1st down as they were inches short as 4th down approached.

Instead of attempting a 32-yard field goal, Switzer decided to go for the 1st down, but was denied as Perry was stopped for no gain giving the Cowboys the ball back at their 16-yard-line.

The Cowboys drove to the Sooners' 43-yard-line thanks in large part to a 24-yard screen pass from Gundy to Sanders but a holding penalty pushed the Cowboys 10 yards back to their 47-yard-line when Gundy was picked off again, this time by Oklahoma defensive back Kevin Thompson at the Sooners' 41-yard-line.

Running back Anthony Stafford would run for 15 yards to start the drive, but the next three plays picked up eight yards setting up 4th & 2 from the Cowboys' 36-yard-line.

Again, Switzer decided to go for the 1st down and this time it looked like they were going to convert as Thompson ran right past the markers until he was stripped of the ball by Cowboys defensive lineman Devin Jones, leading to a fumble that was recovered by Oklahoma State linebacker Sim Drain at the Cowboys' 32-yard-line with 1:20 left in the third quarter.

Dykes would make another one-handed catch, this time for 15 yards to give Oklahoma State a 1st down at the Sooners' 49-yard-line which was followed by two plays that picked up eight yards setting up 3rd & 2 at the Oklahoma 41-yard-line as the third quarter came to an end with the Sooners still up 24-14.

Oklahoma State running back Barry Sanders would run for 215 yards on 39 carries and score two touchdowns.

Sanders would pick up the 1st down with a six-yard run, then ran for 34 yards on the very next play to put the Cowboys at the Oklahoma one-yard-line.

After Sanders was stopped for no gain on 1st down, Sanders dove over the top for his first touchdown of the game to cut the Oklahoma lead to 24-21 with 13:37 left in the fourth quarter.

The Oklahoma State defense would force a three-and-out to get the ball back at their 23-yard-line when Sanders ran for 14 yards to start the drive, which was followed by a 13-yard pass from Gundy to Green to put the Cowboys at exactly the 50-yard-line.

That is when the Cowboys called for the end around where wide receiver Curtis Mayfield ran around the left side and ran for 30 yards and a 1st down at the Oklahoma 20-yard-line.

Five plays later, the Cowboys were back in the end zone as Sanders took a pitch from Gundy and ran around the right side for a two-yard touchdown to give Oklahoma State its first lead of the game at 28-24 with 8:45 left in the game.

The Sooners would take over at their 20-yard-line and began the drive with back-to-back nine yard runs first by Thompson, then by Gaddis to give Oklahoma a 1st down at their 38-yard-line.

That is when Thompson completed his first pass of the day, a 22-yard screen pass to Perry to give the Sooners a 1st down at the Cowboys' 45-yard-line.

Three straight runs by Gaddis gained 11 yards and another 1st down, which was followed by a four-yard run by Thompson to set up 2nd & 6 from the 30-yard-line.

That is when "Sooner Magic" struck as the Sooners would fumble the football on back-to-back plays without the Cowboys recovering.

First on 2nd & 6, Stafford dropped a pitch from Thompson, only to recover it for an one-yard-loss to set up 3rd & 7 where Thompson connected with Gaddis on a screen pass for seven yards when Gaddis was hit by Cowboys linebacker Rod Smith, knocking the ball loose only to be recovered by Oklahoma offensive tackle Mark Van Keirsbilck at the Oklahoma State 25-yard-line to set up 4th & 1.

This time, Switzer had no choice to go for the 1st down, and it appeared for the third time he would not get it as Thompson dropped back to hand the ball off to Stafford only to collide with him.

But Thompson regained his composure to ran for two yards and pick up the 1st down at the Cowboys' 23-yard-line.

Then after Perry ran for five yards on 1st down and Gaddis was stopped for no gain on 2nd down, Thompson rolled around the left side and ran for a 18-yard touchdown to give the Sooners a 31-28 lead with 2:33 left in the game.

Oklahoma quarterback Charles Thompson leaps over an Oklahoma State defender for the game-winning touchdown with 2:33 to go in the game.

The Cowboys would get one more chance to either tie the game(There was no overtime in FBS in 1988)or pull out the win.

Jones put out Sanders for the kickoff, who unwisely took it out of his end zone and was stopped at the Cowboys' nine-yard-line.

However, it would take the Cowboys to get into Sooners territory as Gundy connected with Dykes for 23 yards to begin the drive, then hit him again for 24 yards to give the Cowboys a 1st down at the Sooners' 44-yard-line.

An incomplete pass and a six-yard completion set up 3rd & 6 from the Oklahoma 38-yard-line when Gundy handed the ball off to Sanders, who picked up 10 yards and a 1st down at the Sooners' 28-yard-line as Sanders crossed the 200-yard rushing mark for the third time in the 1988 season.

Following another incomplete pass, the Cowboys went back to Sanders who picked up eight yards on 2nd down, then was stopped inches short of the 1st down on 3rd down to set up 4th & inches from inside the Oklahoma 19-yard-line.

However, the referees called a dead ball personal foul penalty on fullback Garrett Limbrick for pushing Oklahoma linebacker Richard Dillon, though in the eyes of Oklahoma State fans it looked like the fullback was finishing his block.

The penalty meant instead of 4th & inches from the 19-yard-line it would be 4th & 15 from the 34-yard-line.

Jones could have had kicker Cary Blanchard attempt a 51-yard field goal to salvage a 31-31 tie but instead went for the 1st down.

That is when Gundy took the snap, rolled his right and fired a pass to the end zone for Brent Parker, who had the ball in his hands but dropped the sure touchdown, giving the ball back to Oklahoma at their 34-yard-line with less than 50 seconds to go.

"Sooner Magic" had struck again as the Sooners ran out the clock to come away with the 31-28 win, their 12th consecutive win over the Cowboys in the "Bedlam Series".

The loss knocked Oklahoma State out of the Big 8 title race, but not Sanders out of the Heisman race as he was just getting warmed up.

In the Cowboys' final three games of the regular season, Sanders would run for 847 yards and score 13 touchdowns to clinch the Heisman Trophy becoming the first and thus far only Oklahoma State football player to win the award.

Sanders topped his historic season with a 29-carry, 222-yard and five touchdown performance against Wyoming in the Holiday Bowl which the Cowboys won 62-14 to finish the season with a 10-2 record and #11 ranking in both the AP and Coaches polls.

Meanwhile, the Sooners would fall to Nebraska 7-3, denying the Sooners their fifth straight Big 8 title as they would conclude the season with a 13-6 loss to the Clemson Tigers in the Citrus Bowl to finish the season with a 9-3 record and #14 ranking in the AP and Coaches polls.

But the worst was yet to come for Oklahoma as Thompson would be arrested for selling cocaine to an undercover FBI agent in February 1989, which led to Switzer's resignation after 16 seasons as the Sooners head coach.

Switzer's depature would lead to a steep decline for the Sooners as they would not compete for a conference or national championship until Bob Stoops' arrival in 1999.

As for Thompson, he would be sent to jail following his arrest and be convicted and sent to prison in September of 1989 where he would spend the next 17 months in prison.

However, Thompson would redeem himself after his release from prison as he would go back to school and get his degree and become a motivational speaker talking to kids about not the mistakes he made in his life and how they should avoid them.