RYLY JANE HAMBLETON / Lincoln Journal Star | Posted: Friday, October 28, 2005 7:00 pm
Bob Stoops threw conventional wisdom out the window, and the Nebraska wind whisked it away.
Oklahoma decided to take the wind and put its defense on the line to start the game when Nebraska gave the Sooners the chance to choose. The result was an early lead when OU scored touchdowns after two relatively short Nebraska punts into the 25-mile-an-hour wind that gusted up to 35.
“I just felt warming up that it was a big factor. I felt that away from home, with the crowd into it, I didn't want to get behind early,” Stoops said. “We went in knowing that if they deferred, we were going to take the wind and defend. And if we won the toss, we were going to take the wind.
“I wanted to ensure that we had it and played it to our advantage. Fortunately, it did really help us so much in the first half, so luckily it worked out that way. There was a lot of field position that changed there.”
But the Sooners didn’t rely just on the flip of a coin and the vagaries of winds across the plains. The Oklahoma defense hounded NU quarterback Zac Taylor, sacking him nine times for 57 yards in losses and intercepting two passes. One was returned 63 yards for a touchdown by Chijioke Onyenegecha, and the other, by Dusty Dvoracek, set up a field goal.
“We just teed off and got them in long-yardage situations, and we just tried to pin our ears back and go get it,” said Calvin Thibodeaux, who opened the game with an 8-yard sack of Taylor. “We knew we were going to get opportunities to rush the passer and we just wanted to take advantage. They like to throw the ball this year, so we figured we’d get our chances.”
Stoops credited co-defensive coordinator Brent Venables with a solid game plan.
“Brent did an exceptional job of designing the blitzes, and we came free a few times,” he said. “When we had to at the end, we got a lot of pressure. I don’t know how many sacks we had, but I felt like we had a lot of good pressure. They threw it quite a few times, and sometimes you're going to get something, but for the most part we did pretty decent.”
A little trickery also figured into the Sooner game plan. Kicker Garrett Hartley took a pitch and picked up a first down early in the fourth quarter after lining up for a 40-yard attempt. On the next play, Kejuan Jones raced 17 yards for a touchdowns and a 31-17 lead. The fake came after Hartley missed a 44-yard field goal in the first quarter, had a 35-yarder blocked in the second and connected on a 50-yarder in the third.
“I actually had the fake on earlier on the one they blocked. I was really furious that he didn't run it then because I felt he would have walked in,” said Stoops. “To me, that helped them block it. They did a nice job pushing, but there was a little bit of confusion because we were supposed to run it then.
“I just felt that the way they were rushing, they were not regarding any fake whatsoever. So if they were going to rush that way, we were going to take advantage of it. I felt the first down there and the way it was all happening, I knew we’d need it."
After Cory Ross threw an 18-yard pass to a wide-open Nate Swift, cutting the Sooners’ lead to 31-24, Stoops’ hunch proved to be right. Oklahoma ran more than three minutes off the clock before Nebraska forced a punt and had one last shot. NU picked up a first down, but a pair of penalties, two incomplete passes and a 7-yard sack by Dvoracek left the Huskers facing fourth-and-26. Clint Ingram ran down Taylor for another 7-yard sack and the Sooners ran out the clock.
Thibodeaux said he challenged his defensive teammates in the huddle.
“I told the guys, ‘It’s on the defense now. The offense has scored 31 points and so if we’re going to win this game, it’s going to be because of us.’ And we did it,” he said.
After playing the last four games essentially without the services of Adrian Peterson, the sophomore ran for 146 yards and the first two OU touchdowns, including a 36-yard run on the Sooners’ third play from scrimmage.
“He’s a big boost and having him back was a big plus. Everyone talks about how talented he is, and to me he is just so tough and competitive when he plays and when he runs,” said Stoops. “To have him out there, I think everyone feeds off him.”
Peterson said he wasn’t completely healthy but was happy to be back on the field.
“I enjoyed myself today. I just told myself I was going to go in there and do what I could. When I got the ball the hole was wide open,” he said. “That first touchdown was a big play for me. My first play from the line of scrimmage and I saw a lot of green and got it going.”
Redshirt freshman quarterback Rhett Bomar had one of his best games of the season, throwing for 157 yards while guiding the Sooners to 337 yards of total offense.
“He was on the money, some of them in tight situations. The third-down pickup over the middle to Travis Wilson was a huge play,” Stoops said of the 21-yard pass that kept the Sooners’ final scoring drive alive.
Reach Ryly Jane Hambleton at 473-7314 or rhambleton@journalstar.com.