Oklahoma State University Athletics
Huskers Remember Oklahoma State Close Call Last Year
September 30, 1999 | Cowboy Football
Sept. 30, 1999
By DOUG ALDEN
Associated Press Writer
LINCOLN, Neb.-- Last year, Oklahoma State threw nearly every defense it had at Nebraska. It nearly worked.
The Cowboys shut down Nebraska, ranked No. 2 at the time, holding the Huskers to 215 total yards, including just 43 on the ground. But Nebraska avoided the upset with a late punt return for a touchdown and a goal-line stand in the closing seconds.
Cornhusker coach Frank Solich expects more of the same on Saturday, when the Cowboys (2-1) play their Big 12 opener after a weekend off.
"Right now, I wouldn't mind having two weeks to get ready for Oklahoma State. But that's not going to happen, so we just do our best in the time slot we have to make sure we're organized going in," Solich said.
No. 6 Nebraska (4-0 overall, 1-0 Big 12) is coming off a 40-10 rout at Missouri last weekend. The Huskers' offense, which had struggled in consecutive wins over California and Southern Mississippi, finally showed some consistency against the Tigers. Nebraska rushed for 333 yards and passed for 143 in Eric Crouch's second start at quarterback this season.
Solich will likely find out Saturday whether the Missouri game was a fluke or if his offense is on a roll. While the Huskers have relied heavily on their defense this season, so have the Cowboys.
Oklahoma State actually is ahead of Nebraska in total defense, allowing just 182.3 yards per game to Nebraska's 195.3. The Cowboys rank third nationally, followed by the Huskers at No. 4. Nebraska linebacker Julius Jackson, who leads the defense with five turnover recoveries, says the Huskers belong on top.
"We just feel like we're not getting the respect we should be getting," Jackson said. "They're ranked above us defensively, so we've got to go out there, do everything right and play a very physical football game. We're definitely going to have to be ready to bang heads with them." Nebraska has dominated the series 34-2-1, but Oklahoma State coach Bob Simmons isn't worried about history. It was just one year ago that the Cowboys nearly pushed the Huskers into overtime in the 24-17 loss. Oklahoma State successfully shut down Nebraska's offense, but allowed Joe Walker to return a punt for a touchdown midway through the fourth quarter and couldn't score from the Huskers' 1-yard line with seconds to play.
"It came down to special teams and it came down to executing a play on the goal line," Simmons said. "Had we done that, who knows what would have happened? But that's really what it came down to."
Despite last year's close call, the Huskers are favored by nearly four touchdowns at home. The Cowboys haven't played since a 29-11 loss at Mississippi State, where they turned the ball over eight times and gave up eight sacks.
Still, defensive end Zac Warner wants to know who came up with a 26-point spread.
"That's something our team should take on as pretty much a slap in the face, going out and saying they're that much of a better team than we are," he said.
"Anytime a team's a 26-point favorite, it's a total lack of respect. We lost the game (to Mississippi State), I can understand that, but I don't think we deserve to be 26-point underdogs, not with the way our defense can play football."
