'One of those rare cases': What did The Oklahoman have to say about OU vs Nebraska in 1971?
Ryan AberNORMAN — On Nov. 26, 1971, Nebraska beat OU 35-31 in The Game of the Century in Norman.
The Oklahoman, then known as The Daily Oklahoman, had the game covered from all angles.
“It’s a Sad Day in Soonerland,” the sports cover from that day read.
With the Cornhuskers coming back to Norman on Saturday to commemorate the 50th anniversary of that game, here’s a look at the first few paragraphs of some of the stories in the paper the next day:
Tramel's ScissorTales:OU-Nebraska ranks No. 1 among college football 'Games of the Century'
“Two Champs Meet and Ours Loses, 35-31”: Page 1
NORMAN — They talk about how distasteful some of those four-letter words are, but of all the bad words in Webster’s book, the worst is defeat.
It has no niceties about it. It’s a word that slaps head-on, then sneers and lingers around to watch the victim suffer.
Some folks can take it and some cannot.
It will not be registered in any football polls, but Oklahoma’s football team displayed class in defeat here Thursday. That is the most difficult time to show off that stuff.
Chuck Fairbanks showed some. This will go down as the major defeat of his lifetime, perhaps. Certainly it is until now.
“Obviously, I am extremely disappointed in losing,” said the coach. “I am not at all disappointed in our football team. They played their hearts out today and came up short. There is no reason to drag our heels or be ashamed or anything of that nature.”
Only the brave were present at the finish when Nebraska, truly the nation’s No. 1 football team, was hammering and clawing and battling for its life en route to the touchdown which resulted in the Huskers’ escaping with that dramatic 35-31 conquest.
-By Frank Boggs
Tramel's ScissorTales:Why Scott Frost's favorite game as a kid was OU-Nebraska
OU football vs. Nebraska:Can the Sooners keep rolling against stiffer competition?
“It’s A Sad Day In Soonerland: Mildren Runs Out of Miracles”: Page 21 (sports cover)
NORMAN — Nebraska’s No. 1.
But Nebraska won’t argue if you want to rank Oklahoma No. 1 1/8 in the world.
Sometimes sensational and sometimes methodical but always relentless and always poised, Nebraska conquered explosive but fumbling Oklahoma, 35-31, here this chilly Thanksgiving afternoon before a crowd that was 61,726 officially but 63,385 counting newsmen and officials.
There was also a worldwide TV audience which must have been just as lump as the live spectators at the end.
College football’s game of the year, decade and — yes — all time was every bit the Big Red bloodbath anticipated. And it wasn’t decided until only 70 seconds remained on the clock.
That’s when Oklahoma’s hopes of pulling off a miracle similar to the 78-yard, 4-play, 39-second excursion that vaulted them into a 17-14 halftime advantage came to a dismal, but fitting end.
Sooner quarterback Jack Mildren, who ran for 130 yards and passed for 137 after the Huskers deprived him of his third option in the Wishbone-T attack, the lethal pitchout to his fleet halfbacks, retreated to pass on fourth and 14 from his 15.
When he looked down field for Jon Harrison, who’d nabbed four aerials for 115 yards and two touchdowns, or Albert Chandler, who’d snared a pair for 73, all Mildren saw was hulking Husker tackle Larry Jacobson.
When Mildren escaped from Jacobson and got off a desperation heave, it was knocked down by middle guard RIchard Glover, who’d been outstanding throughout the windy, 49-degree day.
-By Volney Meece
More:Ranking the Game of the Century and the top games in Sooners-Cornhuskers football rivalry
“Helicopter has fire: It’s Exciting Before Game, Too”: Page 1
For Gov. Hall and Nebraska Gov. James Exon, the excitement started Thursday even before they got to the OU-Nebraska football game.
A minor fire broke out on the helicopter carrying the governors, their wives and guests to Norman. There were a few tense moments, but the craft landed safely, and no one was injured.
Jerry Tolson, crew chief on the helicopter, said as the craft was preparing to land neat the University of Oklahoma golf course and engine seal blew out. Sparks flew and smoke billowed out of the helicopter, but there were no flames.
The other passengers on the helicopter were David Albert, son of U.S. House Speaker Carl Albert of Oklahoma, and Mr. and Mrs. Bob Creager, guests of the Exons.
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“OU Great in Defeat, Says No. 1 Cornhusker”: Page 19
NORMAN — Nebraska supporters left Owen Stadium Saturday afternoon chanting “We’re Number One!”
Somehow, though, the volume of their chants didn’t seem as convincing or overwhelming as their pre-game boasts.
Take, for instance, one of the Cornhuskers’ most prominent fans, Nebraska Gov. John J. Exon.
“There isn’t a Cornhusker fan alive who will tell you Oklahoma has anything to be ashamed of about the game they played us today,” Exon said only moments after the final gun had sounded.
In the nationally televised battle of the unbeatens, top-ranked Nebraska had prevailed over No. 2 Oklahoma, 35-31.
Prior to the kickoff, Exon was down on the field, predicting great things for the Cornhuskers.
Exon, who shared Thanksgiving dinner with Oklahoma Gov. David Hall, said he had wanted to bet Hall a side of beef on the game, “but Hall knew better than to take the bet.
“He (Hall) is a smart man, so he decided instead just to bet a hundred pounds of peanuts,” said Exon. “I don’t even like peanuts, but they’re better than nothing, I suppose.”
The largest crowd ever to witness a game in Oklahoma, 63,385 was on its feet most of the game as the verdict was in question up to the final seconds.
-By Fred Davis
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“Nebraska Also No. 1 In Poise”: Page 21
NORMAN — The Oklahoma Sooners found out Thursday afternoon at Owen Field that when you try to shuck a Nebraska Cornhusker, you don’t find corn underneath the husk, you find true grit.
Nebraska, finding itself behind by three points with 7:10 left in the game, showed its intestinal fortitude and poise that makes a No. 1 team with a 74-yard touchdown drive that pulled out a 35-31 victory over the Sooners.
“We put all of our marbles on the table in that drive,” exclaimed Jerry Tagge, who quarterbacked Nebraska to its 21st consecutive win. “We knew that was it. We knew we had to score.”
Tagge, wearing a Cornhusker red hat that Nebraska governor J.J. Exon presented him after the game, then added, “We felt like we could score, but we didn’t want to do it too quickly. We wanted to take up as much time as we could so Oklahoma wouldn’t have an opportunity to come back and score.”
“We knew we had to score the last touchdown to win,” Kinney smiled.
-By Lynn Garnand
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“The Got Last Bats”: Page 21
NORMAN — Defensive coach Larry Lacewell whose battered forced gave supreme effort Thursday before bowing to No. 1 ranked Nebraska best summed up the collision of the gridiron giants with the comment: “They got last bats.”
Lacewell added, “It’s the seniors I am sickest for. As a coach, I have a chance to be associated with a national championship team sometime. But the seniors lost their chance today. I’ll never forget their effort.”
Sooner coach Chuck Fairbanks made not attempt to hide his disappointment.
“Obviously I am disappointed in the loss,” he said. “But I’m not at all disappointed in our football team. They played their hearts out today and came up short.”
At 5:45, Fairbanks received a telephone call from President Nixon which he took high up in the stadium press box on the breezy photo desk. Chuck’s end of the conversation was:
“Hello, this is coach Fairbanks, yes. It’s awfully nice of you to call. I presonally am very proud of our team. Nebraska has a great football team. We just came up short, Mr. President.”
“I can’t tell you how much I appreciate your call and your comments.”
After the conversation, which didn’t appear to exceed the three-minute limit, Fairbanks said: “The President was very complimentary. He said he didn’t like some of the calls they made. The President said if we played again OU would probably come out on top.”
-By Ray Soldan
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“Tagge Puts the Tag on Victory: ‘We Knew What We Had to Do’”: Page 22
NORMAN — He wore the Nebraska governor’s crumpled red fedora on his head, a wide smile on his face and a soiled No. 14 jersey on his back. Some fan had spilled coke on his jersey.
“Things,” said Jerry Tagge. “Go better with Coke.”
Certainly, Nebraska’s football team went better with Tagge at quarterback.
The clock was ticking off its final minutes and the red-speckled crowd, looking like a giant case of the measles, was tense as this young man guided the Huskers 74 yards in 12 time-sapping plays to the winning touchdown.
That did it. Nebraska won, 35-31, over Oklahoma in one of those rare cases where the game was as good as the buildup.
It was a case of who had the last bats. Tagge did. And he hit a home run.
-By Bob Hurt