in NCAA F Props
NCAAF XBOX 360 Sim - Nebraska Cornhuskers vs. Oklahoma Sooners
by Mike Rose
Week 10 of Oklahoma Sooners; kick-off is slated for 8:00 ET and can be seen nationally on ABC.
The Cornhuskers let their Baylor Bears. The 32-20 combined score saw the ‘under’ cash in a “Big Red” game for the third straight time this season, and the Huskers have played to the low side of their posted ‘totals’ in five of their eight 2008 lined games.
The same can’t and won’t be said about the Sooners who after last weeks road win and cover at K-State (58-35), saw the ‘over’ cash for the sixth time in their seven lined games this season. Oklahoma has won and covered in each of its last two meetings with the Cornhuskers, but Nebraska holds a $$$-making 6-4 ATS mark throughout their L/10 overall meetings.
Weather: mostly clear. Lows in the mid 50s. Highs in the mid 70s.
1st Quarter:
Memorial Stadium was in a frenzy leading up to the opening kick, but it quickly became very quiet after Nebraska’s special teams unit set the tone for the game after returning the kick all the way to Oklahoma’s 25-yard line. RB Marlon Lucky rattled off five yards on his first carry from scrimmage, and then QB Joe Ganz moved the chains after scrambling for six on the next play. OU’s defense stonewalled the Huskers rushing attack on the next two plays, but then Ganz connected with senior WR Nate Swift for the six yard TD pass. Memorial Stadium soon got very quiet….
Oklahoma looked to get right back in the game when QB Sam Bradford led the offense onto the field for the first time, but it wasn’t meant to be; at least not yet. Bradford got dropped for a seven-yard loss on OU’s first play from scrimmage, and then came up a yard short after he found TE Jermaine Gresham for a seven-yard gain on 3rd down; punting time!
If Sooner nation was stunned after the Huskers first drive, they were noticeably agitated after their second. It took QB Ganz and the offense one play to get back on the scoreboard after WR Nate Swift hauled in the WR screen and rumbled 59 yards to pay-dirt. Maybe last weeks game at K-State was a mild indicator that this OU defense isn’t as good as originally thought.
Head coach Bo Pelini’s defense frustrated the Sooners offense on its next possession limiting it to one 1st down before having to punt the ball away again.
The Sooners looked to force its first three and out after they limited Nebraska to just two yards on its previous two plays, but WR Swift reared his ugly head once again and gained 20 yards on his third catch of the night. Nebraska’s drive got stymied at OU’s 34-yard line, but they still increased their lead after K Alex Henery nailed the 51-yarder. It was all Nebraska as the 1st quarter came to a close.
NEBRASKA 17 OKLAHOMA 0
2nd QUARTER
The Sooners offense took the field in the second quarter being held scoreless in the 1st quarter for the first time all season. This didn’t sit well with Mr. Bradford and company who proceeded to go right down the field picking up huge chunks of yardage. The biggest play came when Bradford found TE Gresham for a huge 35-yard gain to set the offense up 1st and goal at NEB’s three-yard line. RB DeMarco Murray picked up OU’s first points of the game thereafter on a three-yard scamper.
The rest of the quarter saw both clubs offenses hold onto the ball, but never get into scoring territory. OU had the ball at midfield with three ticks left on the clock, but Bradford’s Hail Mary pass got batted down by the Nebraska defense forcing Oklahoma to go into the locker room losing at the half for the first time all season.
NEBRASKA 17 OKLAHOMA 7
3rd Quarter
Oklahoma received the second half kick-off, but could do nothing with the ball after getting to its own 40 yard line.
Nebraska’s first drive of the second half started off nicely with a big gainer from QB Ganz to RB Lucky for 25-yards, but OU’s defense forced its first turnover of the game when LB Keenan Clayton stripped Lucky of the ball and pounced on it at the Sooners 47-yard line.
Bradford’s first two passes fell incomplete, but he hooked up with WR Juaquin Iglesias for 22 yards to move the chains. The offense continued to be out of rhythm on the next two plays, and HC Stoops called upon K Jimmy Stevens after RB Murray gained 5-yards on 3rd down. His 43-yarder sailed wide right allowing the Huskers to hold onto their 10-point lead.
The defense didn’t allow the Huskers to gain a single yard on its next possession, and Nebraska had to relinquish possession with less than a minute coming off the clock. You have to question the visitors play calling on that drive.
OU was on a mission to get back on the board on its next drive, and they did, but only of the three-point variety after Nebraska’s stop unit buckled down in the red zone.
NEBRASKA 17 OKLAHOMA 10
4TH QUARTER
The fourth quarter started off wildly exciting. After Nebraska milked some time off the clock before punting, the Oklahoma offense surged right down the field looking to tie the game up.
The drive was highlighted by a miraculous one-handed catch by WR Quentin Chaney that got the ball down to Nebraska’s 13-yard line. After the Sooners offense could only muster up nine yards on its next three plays, HC Stoops elected to gamble on 4th and short, but Bradford’s play-action pass went off the fingertips of TE Gresham to give possession of the ball back to Nebraska.
QB Ganz and the offense then put forth its best offensive possession of the second half, but K Alex Henery failed to increase their lead to double-digits when his 47-yarder hit the crossbar with less than two minutes to go in the contest.
The tension in Memorial Stadium was as thick as it could possibly get as QB Bradford and the rest of the Sooner offense took the field knowing full well a loss here would drop them from National Championship consideration. OU’s first play from scrimmage saw Bradford hit WR Ryan Broyles in stride for a 21-yard gain. After Nebraska’s defense jumped off-sides, Bradford was sacked for the second time in the game. He dusted himself off and then calmly hit RB Murray out of the backfield for a solid 12-yard gain. Then lightning struck when RB Murray went off left tackle and scampered 32-yards before getting tripped up at NEB’s six yard line. Bradford found a wide open WR Iglesias in the back of the endzone, and this puppy was all tied up at 17 apiece with 47 seconds left in the game.
Nebraska did nothing on its last possession, and the folks in Norman were about to be treated to at least one extra session of pigskin.
NEBRASKA 17 OKLAHOMA 17
OVERTIME
The Sooners got the ball first in the extra session and started off poorly after the O-Line was flagged for a false start. QB Bradford took matters into his own hands on the next play, scrambling for 12 yards on the next two plays to set up a 3rd and 8. He then found WR Iglesias over the middle for an 18 yard gain, and RB Murray got the home team in front on the scoreboard for the first time in the game when he raced into the endzone from six-yards out.
Looking to match the Sooners score, QB Ganz and the offense took the field amidst a chorus of hecklers in the Memorial Stadium seats. That didn’t phase them whatsoever though as Ganz hooked up with Sooners arch nemesis WR Swift for a 26-yard strike, and then RB Lucky dove in from two yards out to knot it up at 24 apiece.
The Sooners were the benefactors of a pair of holding calls made against Nebraska that ultimately forced them to kick a FG. K Henery nailed it to put Nebraska back on top. Now it was up to the defense to secure victory or force another OT period.
A TD wins it now, and the Sooner offense took the field knowing exactly that. That said; Bradford’s first down pass was deflected by a Nebraska lineman and fell comfortably into CB Armando Murillo’s hands to allow the Cornhuskers to pull off the unlikeliest of feats. “Big Red” went into Norman and upended the Sooners in OT to put Nebraska football back on the college football map!!!
FINAL SCORE: NEBRASKA 27 OKLAHOMA 24
This game simulation calls for a shocking Nebraska outright victory and for the game to go Over the posted ‘Total’. You can get Nebraska (+22) –110 and the Under 74 –110 at BetUS.com right now!
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | FINAL | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NEBRASKA | 17 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 27 |
| OKLAHOMA | 0 | 7 | 3 | 7 | 7 | 24 |
QB Joe Ganz: 15/33 230 yards 2 TD 0 INT
QB Sam Bradford: 26/46 331 yards 1 TD 1 INT
RB Marlon Lucky: 22 carries for 68 yards 1 TD Long of 11
RB DeMarco Murray: 26 carries for 106 yards 2 TD Long of 32
WR Nate Swift: 6 receptions for 124 yards 2 TD Long of 59
WR Juaquin Iglesias: 5 receptions for 62 yards 2 TD Long of 18
| NEB | OK | |
|---|---|---|
| TOTAL OFFENSE | 329 | 442 |
| RUSHING YARDS | 99 | 111 |
| PASSING YARDS | 230 | 331 |
| 1ST DOWNS | 15 | 18 |
| TOTAL YARDS | 432 | 556 |
| TURNOVERS | 4-45 | 8-75 |
| 3RD DOWN CONV | 7/19 36% | 7/18 38% |
| PENALTIES | 4-45 | 8-75 |
| TIME OF POSSESSION | 29:51 | 30:27 |
