Oklahoma’s offense misses defense’s party at Nebraska

By MIKE JONES

jjones@star-telegram.com

LINCOLN, Neb. — There had been promising signs in Oklahoma’s victories over Kansas and Kansas State that the offense was coming to the aid of the party the defense had been throwing all in but a few isolated moments of this season.

But OU hadn’t seen a defense like Nebraska’s since that seemingly long-ago sunny afternoon in the Cotton Bowl against Texas.

At least the Sooners squeezed 13 points out of the point-stingy Longhorns.

The Cornhuskers defense, however, played like the Black Shirts of old. OU did not cross the goal line for the first time this season and in more than a decade, and, thanks in part to three missed field goals by Tress Way, failed to get anything out of decent drives.

So it was that Nebraska (6-3, 3-2 Big 12) gained the first signature victory under second-year coach Bo Pelini with a 10-3 mild upset of the 20th-ranked Sooners. There was last season’s Gator Bowl victory over Clemson, but nothing to match this since the Cornhuskers handed the Sooners one of two defeats in 2001.

Oklahoma moved the ball with some success, but not when it mattered.

Way did kick a 28-yarder just before the end of the first half, but missed from 42, 46 and 45 yards.

Not that OU’s defense — one of the top three units both in the Big 12 and nationally, along with that of Nebraska and Texas — didn’t once again hold up its end.

"It would be hard [for them] to have played a whole lot better," coach Bob Stoops said. "You force 11 points in somebody’s place you feel you have a good chance to win."

Huskers tailback Roy Helu, looking sufficiently recovered from a shoulder injury that has plagued both him and the offense through the middle of the season, did rush for 141 yards on 20 carries. But 63 of those came on one first-half pop that didn’t produce points.

OU outgained Nebraska 325 to 180 and had a 23-7 edge in first downs. But the Huskers harassed quarterback Landry Jones into a school-record five interceptions and a less-than- 50-percent completion average.

One of those picks in essence decided the outcome.

Nebraska corner Prince Amukamura read and broke on Adron Tennell’s route, snatched Jones’ pass and returned it 22 yards to the Sooners’ 1-yard-line.

After a half-the-distance penalty on OU for jumping offside, quarterback Zac Lee came off the bench to throw the TD pass to tight end Ryan Hill in the right corner of the end zone.

It was the second catch of the season for Hill, who is not listed in the four-deep at his position.

"That one turnover in our end just killed us and gave them the touchdown," Stoops said. "And that’s the difference in the game."

OU did not score a touchdown for the first time since 1998 in the last season of the ill-fated John Blake era.

"I thought we moved the ball well, but we didn’t produce points," Stoops said. "We have the first three possessions in the first half inside the 50 and we have no points.

"In the end, when you’re away from home, you’ve got to put the ball in the end zone. Some stupid penalties once in a while or some execution things ... and then they rose up and played better than we did in those red-zone situations."

OU’s first two possessions after punts started at the Huskers’ 45- and 30-yard lines — and all the Sooners had to show for it were Way’s two misses from 46 and 45 yards. The first had plenty of distance, but was wide right. The second was low off his foot and Ndamukong Suh got a big hand on it for a partial block.

OU lost that first-half field position after a 66-yard punt and then on its next possession, on third-and-10 from its 8-yard-line, Amukamara made the game-changing pick.

The Sooners fall to 5-4 for the first time under Stoops.

"We’re not going to let anything come between us," linebacker Ryan Reynolds said in a question about any frustration the defense might feel.

"We know where we are and what’s going to be said. We’ll keep fighting in the games we have left."

Mike Jones, 817-390-7760

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