OU-Nebraska Through the Years

2010 Big 12 Championship

 

 

Two Traditions, One Rivalry OU NU  Seasons 116 121  Wins in Series 44 38  All-Time Wins 809 837  Winning Percentage .717 .702  Wins Since WW II 565 528  National Titles 7 5  Conference Titles 42 43  Conf. Titles Since 1928* 39 28  Bowl Appearances 43 46  Bowl Wins 25 24  Heisman Winners 5 3  College Hall of Famers 24 20  All-Americans 151 108  All-Conference Selections 448 503  Weeks in the AP Top 25 702 668 *The first year as members of the same conference.

Tradition. Respect. Champions. Rivals.
 
One of the most storied rivalries in all of college football, the Oklahoma-Nebraska series is defined by these words.
 
The programs have combined for 12 national titles since 1950. In the 81 seasons since originally joining the same conference in 1928, either the Sooners or Huskers have won or shared the league crown 67 times (OU 39, NU, 28).
 
After their first meeting in 1912, OU and Nebraska played in 71 consecutive seasons (1928-1997) before rotating off each other's schedules as part of division scheduling in the Big 12. Still, the schools have managed to only add to the rivalry's lore, with the Sooners appearing in eight conference title games and the Huskers six.
 
As much as they are defined by their individual traditions, these two programs have become known for their history together. It's only fitting that Oklahoma and Nebraska meet in the final Big 12 Championship game.
 
With this being the last meeting between the Sooners and Cornhuskers as members of the same conference, we take a look back at some of the biggest games in the series' history. While some are more important than others to different people, the following are generally regarded as having had the greatest impact on the rivalry between OU and Nebraska.
 

The Early Years The first recorded footage of the OU-Nebraska series takes us back to 1932, which was also the first time the schools met with conference title implications. The Sooners entered the contest at 3-1 in the Big 6 and could win the title by beating the Huskers, who were 3-0 with two games remaining. Nebraska held OU scoreless, however, winning 5-0 in front of 15,000 fans in Norman.   Evenly-matched battles defined the series over the next 18 years, with Nebraska holding a 9-8-1 advantage. The next landmark contest came in 1950, with the game again determining the conference champion.   A sophomore halfback named Billy Vessels ran for 208 yards and three touchdowns and passed for another as the Sooners topped the Cornhuskers, 49-35. The win secured the Big 7 title and Oklahoma went on to win the school's first national championship under head coach Bud Wilkinson.

 

Nov. 24, 1966 | Oklahoma 10, Nebraska 9 Nebraska strolled into Norman with a perfect 9-0 record and a national title on its mind, but the Sooners spoiled their hopes. The Huskers took a 9-7 lead with a touchdown late in the third quarter, but OU's Bobby Stephenson blocked the extra point try. That opened the door for the upset. Mike Vachon hit a 21-yard field goal with just 48 seconds remaining to hand Nebraska its only loss of the season.

 

Nov. 25, 1971 | Nebraska 35, Oklahoma 31 The "Game of the Century" pitted No. 1 Nebraska against No. 2 Oklahoma with the Big 8 title and a chance to play for the national championship on the line. Both teams had dangerous weapons on offense -- the Sooners with Mildren, Pruitt and Harrison; the Huskers with Rodgers, Tagge and Kinney. Oklahoma came back twice from 11-point deficits to take the lead, the final time with 7:10 left in the game. Nebraska responded with a 12-play, 74-yard scoring drive to win the game. The Huskers did indeed go on to win the national championship by beating Alabama in the Orange Bowl.   1971 Hype Exceeded by Performance (ESPN.com)

 

Nov. 26, 1976 | Oklahoma 20, Nebraska 17 With a late come-from-behind 20-17 win in Lincoln, the term "Sooner Magic" was born. Trailing by four with less than five minutes to play, Oklahoma dug into its bag of tricks. First, a halfback pass from Woodie Shepard to Steve Rhodes, OU's first pass attempt of the game, gained 47 yards. Later, facing a 3rd-and-19 at the Nebraska 34, a hook-and-ladder got the Sooners to the two. Elvis Peacock provided the winning score on the next play with only 38 seconds remaining. Switzer declared after the game, "This was one of the biggest and most satisfying wins we've ever had."   1976: Sooner Magic Born vs. Nebraska (Tulsa World)

 

Nov. 25, 1977 | Oklahoma 38, Nebraska 7 No. 11 Nebraska came to Norman with hopes of sharing the Big 8 crown but left on the short end of a 38-7 defeat. OU's backfield of Thomas Lott, Elvis Peacock and Billy Sims shredded the Husker defense as the Sooners racked up more than 400 yards on the ground. With the win, Oklahoma jumped to No. 2 in the polls with a 10-1 record and earned the right to play No. 1 Arkansas in the Orange Bowl.

Jan. 1, 1979 | Oklahoma 31, Nebraska 24 Oklahoma fumbled away its chance to beat Nebraska during the regular season, falling 17-14. But after the Huskers were upset by Missouri in the final game of the regular season, the schools shared the Big 8 crown and the Orange Bowl pitted them against one another in a rematch. The Sooners got their redemption with a 31-24 victory in Miami.    1978: Orange Bowl Selects OU-NU Rematch

 

Nov. 22, 1980 | Oklahoma 21, Nebraska 17 The buildup to this game featured some good old-fashioned ribbing between Switzer and Devaney on the NU coach's weekly TV show (view video to the left). After the Huskers took the lead late in the fourth quarter, the Nebraska faithful began celebrating by throwing oranges onto the field. The party was premature, however, as OU marched right back, going 80 yards in eight plays, with Buster Rhymes diving into the end zone for the decisive score in the final minute of play.

 

Nov. 22, 1986 | Oklahoma 20, Nebraska 17 Known for its vaunted running game, Oklahoma turned to the pass to steal a victory in Lincoln. Tight end Keith Jackson provided the heroics, snagging a one-handed catch for 30 yards before stepping out of bounds. Tim Lashar nailed a 31-yard field goal to secure the victory. "This was no comeback," linebacker Brian Bosworth said after the game. "It was destiny."   1986 OU-Nebraska on YouTube  1986: Keith Jackson One-Handed Catch  1986: OU-Nebraska First Half Highlights  1986: OU-Nebraska Second Half Highlights     Nov. 21, 1987 | Oklahoma 17, Nebraska 7 Billed as "Game of the Century II", No. 2 Oklahoma disappointed the record crowd in Lincoln by dominating much of the game against No. 1 Nebraska. The Huskers crossed midfield just three times in the entire contest as the Sooner defense held them nearly 300 yards below their nation-leading average. The win completed an undefeated regular season for the Sooners.   1987 OU-Nebraska on YouTube  1987: Patrick Collins Races 65 Yards and Bows  1987: Oklahoma-Nebraska Highlights Part 1  1987: Oklahoma-Nebraska Highlights Part 2

 

Oct. 21, 2000 | Oklahoma 31, Nebraska 14 After defeating a pair of ranked teams in its previous two games, Oklahoma completed a memorable "Red October" by toppling the No. 1 Cornhuskers. Nebraska took an early 14-0 lead with scoring drives of 76 and 91 yards on its first two possessions, but it was all Sooners from there. OU stormed back with 24 points in the second quarter and never looked back on its way to the program's seventh national championship.    2000: OU-Nebraska First Half Highlights  2000: OU-Nebraska Second Half Highlights

 

Dec. 2, 2006 | Oklahoma 21, Nebraska 7 In their most recent meeting in the conference title game, Oklahoma defeated Nebraska, 21-7, amid freezing conditions in Kansas City. Senior quarterback Paul Thompson threw two touchdown passes and led the longest scoring drive in Big 12 Championship history to secure the victory.   2006: OU Tops Nebraska for Big 12 Title

 

Additional Video on YouTube | OU YouTube Channel Although not produced by the OU Athletics Department, following are more classic OU-Nebraska clips on YouTube:    History of the Oklahoma vs. Nebraska Rivalry  Oklahoma vs. Nebraska: Rivalry & Respect  1955: Oklahoma 41, Nebraska 0 Highlights  1975: Oklahoma 35, Nebraska 10 Highlights  1983: Spencer Tillman Leap Into the End Zone  1984: Brian Hall Stuffs Nebraska on 4th-and-Goal  1985: Oklahoma 27, Nebraska 0 Highlights  1985: Keith Jackson 88 Yards on the Reverse  1990: Oklahoma vs. Nebraska Big Hit Remix  1990: OU 45, Nebraska 10 1st Half Highlights  1990: OU 45, Nebraska 10 2nd Half Highlights  2004: Jason White's 18 in a Row vs. Huskers 2005: Oklahoma 31, Nebraska 24 Highlights

SoonerSports.com Features Recognized as one of college football's greatest rivalries, much has been written about the OU-Nebraska series:   Sooner Scrapbook: Win No. 600 vs. NU in 1986 Game of the Century Reunion One of Mutual Respect Win No. 4 of the 2000s: OU vs. Nebraska (2000) Play No. 4 of the 2000s: Woolfolk One-Handed Catch Stoops Appreciates OU-Nebraska Rivalry (2004)   Around the Internet | Boomer Bytes Nostalgia Plentiful as End Nears (ESPN.com) Top Five OU-Nebraska Games (FOX Sports) Five Classic Oklahoma/Nebraska Games (ESPN.com)