Peterson, Sooner D rough up NU
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BY STEVEN M. SIPPLE / Lincoln Journal Star
Lincoln Journal Star
He had evidently seen enough of Nebraska’s first-half lollygagging Saturday, because Christian Peter suddenly appeared in no mood for reminiscing.
Peter, a former wild-eyed Husker defensive lineman, was on hand as part of a celebration that honored NU’s 1995 national championship team. It’s safe to say his alma mater’s performance during the first 30 minutes fell short of national-title material.
After a halftime ceremony, Peter found himself near the tunnel from which Nebraska players spill onto the field. Suddenly, there were the 2005 Huskers, fire in their eyes, eager to begin a second-half struggle. Perfect.
“Pick it up!” Peter shouted toward the players and coaches. “This is OU!”
Nebraska did in fact pick it up during the second half. Indeed, the Huskers somehow positioned themselves for a memorable win. They willed their way back into the contest, only to succumb 31-24 before 77,438 fans at Memorial Stadium.
It marked the first time since 1968 that Nebraska suffered back-to-back home losses in the same season. In losing for the third time in four games, the Huskers fell to 5-3 overall and 2-3 in the Big 12, essentially dropping from title contention in the Big 12 North Division. Colorado leads the race at 4-1, a game ahead of second-place Missouri with three games to play.
Meanwhile, Oklahoma (5-3, 4-1 Big 12) remained in contention in the South with its first win in Lincoln since 1987, a span of seven games.
Nevertheless, it was easy for Nebraska to find a bright side. The Huskers’ climb from a 21-3 halftime deficit showed spirit and determination. In fact, NU coach Bill Callahan said his team’s moxie made him excited about the future.
“We just didn’t have enough in the second half for the second week in a row,” he said, referring to last week’s 41-24 loss at Missouri in which the Tigers bolted to a 21-3 lead.
Nebraska’s tendency to start slowly has nagged it throughout the season and first manifested itself to a large degree Oct. 8 when Texas Tech jumped to a 21-0 lead. The next week, Baylor went up 7-0 with a game-opening march.
Who could forget the efficiency with which Mizzou quarterback Brad Smith sliced through Nebraska’s defense in the first quarter?
Now it was Oklahoma’s turn. On the third play of the Sooners’ first possession, All-America tailback Adrian Peterson clutched a play-action handoff, surged through the arms of safety Daniel Bullocks near the line of scrimmage and bolted into open field, carrying cornerback Zack Bowman the final few yards into the end zone.
The 6-foot-2, 220-pound Peterson, a sophomore, finished with 146 yards on 24 carries. He said he was about 85 percent of full strength after sitting out last week against Baylor with a nagging high ankle sprain.
Peterson added a 2-yard touchdown run early in the second quarter, and cornerback Chijioke Onyenegecha’s 63-yard interception return a minute before halftime pushed the lead to 21-3.
Nebraska, however, didn’t roll over. After surrendering 240 first-half yards, the Huskers allowed only 5 in the third quarter and 97 during the final 30 minutes.
Oklahoma’s plethora of formations confused Nebraska in the first half. The Huskers changed defenses at the line on a few occasions and were burned. In the second half, NU defensive coordinator Kevin Cosgrove said, “We decided that whatever we called (initially), we were going to play.” In other words, no more last-second adjustments at the line.
Meanwhile, Nebraska’s offense kicked into gear. Well, at least enough for the Huskers to pull to 24-17 on Zac Taylor’s 25-yard touchdown strike to wideout Nate Swift on the first play of the fourth quarter.
Now the stadium was in a frenzy. Nebraska had life, not to mention a 30 mph wind at its back. Oklahoma was pinned at its 15, needing to somehow pierce the Huskers’ strong suit, their defense. The Sooners did it. They drove 85 yards in 12 plays, seemlessly executing a fake field goal on fourth-and-3 at the NU 23. On the next play, backup tailback Kejuan Jones sprinted 17 yards for a touchdown, sparking a chorus of boos from Big Red fans who were sure OU blockers held on the play.
“That had to be the biggest drive of the game,” Bowman said.
Nebraska responded with trickery of its own — I-back Cory Ross’ 18-yard touchdown pass to Swift — with 6 minutes remaining to pull the Huskers to 31-24.
Oklahoma picked up two time-eating first downs on its ensuing drive, essentially leaving too much ground for Nebraska to cover on its last possession, which ended somewhat appropriately, with Taylor being sacked for the ninth time at the Husker 22.
For Nebraska, it was too little, too late — another example of an early deficit telling the tale.
Reach Steven M. Sipple at 473-7440 or ssipple@journalstar.com.
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