BRIAN ROSENTHAL / Lincoln Journal Star | Posted: Wednesday, October 26, 2005 7:00 pm
Sherwood Taylor and his son, Nebraska quarterback Zac Taylor, have weekly conversations about the Huskers’ upcoming opponent.
They’ll talk about keys to the game, the other team’s players, areas where Zac believes he can attack through the passing game.
One of this week’s phone calls took place Tuesday night. And it involved a little extra message from Sherwood.
“I just told him he has to win,” Sherwood said. “No pressure, but we need a victory.
“I usually never say that.”
Part of that feeling, Sherwood said, is because Nebraska needs to win to stay alive in the Big 12 North Division race.
The other part, of course, is that Saturday’s game is against Oklahoma.
Most Husker fans, by now, are well-versed on the Taylor’s ties to the Sooners. Sherwood and his wife, Julie, live in Norman, Okla. They’re neighbors and friends with former OU coach Gary Gibbs. Sherwood lettered for the Sooners from 1977-79 and was a team captain under Barry Switzer. Julie’s parents have held season tickets to OU football games for 48 years.
Yes, they’re rooting for their grandson on Saturday. But how hard will that be?
“Honestly,” Julie said, “it might be a lot harder, maybe if OU was undefeated. But I don’t think so.”
Sherwood understands the Nebraska-Oklahoma rivalry as well as anyone. He played in three games against Nebraska. He said his most memorable was the Orange Bowl rematch following Nebraska’s 17-14 victory in 1978. Sherwood missed the game in Lincoln because he was recovering from a broken neck.
“It was the game you just wanted to play,” Sherwood said. “You knew it was going to be a real physical game, and that somebody was going to run a trick play.”
Zac, too, understands the rivalry, and with no help from his father, thank you.
“He hasn’t had to educate me about this series,” Zac said. “I’ve lived in Norman long enough to know how big the Nebraska-Oklahoma game is. Nobody ever had to tell me how big of a game it was. I figured it out for myself.”
Zac says he remembers watching NU-OU games on television with Gibbs’ daughters, who were his age. That’s when Gibbs was coach.
And Zac won’t deny that he, too, wanted to one day play for the Sooners.
“Growing up as a kid, that’s where you wanted to play,” said Zac, who served as a ball boy for former OU basketball coach Billy Tubbs. “It would be like Bo Ruud saying when he grew up he wanted to play for Nebraska, because he grew up in Lincoln.”
Zac’s parents, grandparents and several aunts and uncles will attend Saturday’s game in Lincoln. So will his younger brother, Press, who’s bringing three of his high school friends — normally Sooner fans, except for this day.
“They’re all cheering for Zac,” Julie said. “They’ve all come and got Nebraska T-shirts out of Press’s closet.”
Most people Julie has talked to in Norman generally share the same feeling: Zac can do well … but not too well.
“A lot of people say, ‘We’re pulling for Zac,’ and a lot of people say, ‘I think Nebraska’s going to win,’ ” she said. “And a lot of people say, ‘I want Zac to do great, but I want OU to win by one point.”
Sherwood said he’s excited but not nervous about Saturday’s game.
“I told somebody the other day I don’t think it will be that big of a deal until I see both team’s guys warming up on the field,” he said.
“People ask me who I’ll be rooting for,” Sherwood said. “I say, ‘Who do you think? Is there even a question?’ ”
Reach Brian Rosenthal at 473-7436 or brosenthal@journalstar.com.