Recap
It was an upset for the ages as NU broke Oklahoma’s 74-game conference unbeaten streak with a 25-21 victory in Lincoln.
Oklahoma, favored by 14 to 17 points, fell to the Huskers for the first time since 1942. It was the first conference defeat in the 13-year career of Sooner coach Bud Wilkinson.
The Sunday Journal & Star reported: “It was the Tolly-Meade-Fischer combo that really stole the show this happy afternoon, Harry with his field generalship and punting, Ron with his game-winning field goals and game-saving pass interception, and Pat with his spectacular punt return which set up NU’s third TD.”
In the first half, Nebraska matched OU’s two TDs but missed both conversion tries and trailed 14-12 at intermission. The first Husker touchdown came on a 3-yard Harry Tolly pass to Dick McDaniel, capping a 47-yard drive, and the second came on a punt block by Jim Moore that was picked up by Lee Zentic and returned 36 yards to paydirt. OU’s first-half scores came on marches of 72 and 56 yards.
In the second half, NU took the lead for good on Ron Meade's 22-yard field goal in the third quarter and added a TD and another Meade field goal in the fourth period to take a 25-14 lead. The touchdown was set up by Fischer’s 61-yard punt return, and the field goal was set up two plays after the ensuing kickoff when Don Olson recovered an Oklahoma fumble at the Sooners’ 43 yard line. Victory seemed in peril when Oklahoma proceeded to march 67 yards in nine plays for a touchdown and then forced a Nebraska punt. But Meade sealed the win in the last minute of play when he picked off an Oklahoma pass in the end zone on a third-and-10 play from the Nebraska 27.
H’MAX NOTES: The 1959 team went 4-6 but featured three members who would become the longest-tenured pro players to come out of Nebraska: Ron McDole (18 seasons in the AFL & NFL), Mick Tingelhoff (17 NFL seasons) and Pat Fischer (17 NFL seasons).
Coverage
• Sports Illustrated
• Associated Press
• Huskers.com with video
• Husker Press Box
• LJS: 2007, 2012
• Play-by-play highlights
• Golden Football Rankings
• Recollections: Tolly, Fricke
• Mike Babcock book segment
• Yearbook photos: 1, 2
• Rosters: NU | OU
• Series history
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The Sunday Journal & Star sports front, Nov. 1, 1959. The photo shows
Jim Moore’s punt block, which gave NU a second-quarter lead.
Oklahoma 21
Oct. 31, 1959
— Lincoln, NE | Order the game on DVD
Oklahoma 7 7 0 7 -- 21
Nebraska 0 12 3 10 -- 25
First Quarter
OU - Prentice Gautt 3 run (Jim Davis kick)
Second Quarter
NU - Dick McDaniel 3 pass from Harry Tolly (pass failed)
NU - Lee Zentic 36 return of blocked punt (kick failed) 
OU - Bob Cornell 6 run (Jim Davis kick)
Third Quarter
NU - Ron Meade 22 field goal
Fourth Quarter
NU - Harry Tolly 1 run (Ron Meade kick)
NU - Ron Meade 33 field goal
OU - Prentice Gautt 3 run (Jim Davis kick)
OU NU
First downs 19 8
Rushing yards 240 127
Passing yards 100 34
Comp-Att-Int 7-16-1 2-8-2
Total offense 340 161
Punts 9-30.8 7-41.0
Fumbles lost 3 1
Yards penalized 61 9
Attendance: 32,765
RUSHING
NU: Tolly 8-37; Fischer 10-32; Fricke 9-12; Zaruba 9-30;
Dyer 5-11; White 3-4; Meade 3-1
OU: Boyd 8-36; McClellan 3-33; Hobby 11-60; Gautt 13-53;
Cornell 5-20; Holt 3-2; Hartline 8-36
PASSING
NU: Fischer 1/2 30 yards, 0 INT;
Tolly 1/4 4 yards, 1 INT; Meade 0/2 0 yards, 1 INT
OU: Boyd 5/14 76 yards, 1 INT; Cornell 2-2 24 yards, 0 INT
RECEIVING
NU: Fricke 1-30; McDaniel 1-4
OU: McClellan 1-17; Hobby 4-50; McDaniel 1-18; Holt 1-15
PUNTING
NU: Tolly 5-43.0; Bond 2-36.0
OU: McDaniel 7-34.4; Cornell 2-18.0
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