Nebraska 17
Oklahoma St. 3

Oct. 6, 1984 • 2:50 p.m. Central
Memorial Stadium •Lincoln, NE
1st2nd3rd4th F 
Oklahoma St.30003
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First Quarter
OSU: Larry Roach 40 field goal, 11:45
Fourth Quarter
NEB: Dale Klein 36 field goal, 13:05
NEB: Shane Swanson 49 punt return (Klein kick) 8:51  
NEB: Jason Gamble 64 pass from Travis Turner (Klein kick) 1:49

                        OSU       NEB 
First downs ............ 13        14
  Rushing ............... 4         9
  Passing ............... 9         5
  Penalty ............... 0         0
Rushes-yards ........ 42-82    56-205 
Passing yards ......... 242       147 
  Comp-Att-Int .... 14-28-1    9-17-3
Total offense ...... 70-324    73-352
Return yards ........... 49        47
Sacks by ............. 3-21      2-19
Punts ............. 10-39.0    8-43.5
Fumbles-lost .......... 2-2       0-0
Penalties-yards ...... 5-45      4-20
Possession time ..... 27:13     32:47
Third-down conv. ..... 5/17      6/18

INDIVIDUAL LEADERS
Rushing
OSU: Charles Crawford 20-61, Shawn Jones 7-18, Thurman Thomas 6-12.

NEB: Doug DuBose 30-157, Jeff Smith 6-19, Tom Rathman 6-17, Swanson 1-13.

Passing
OSU: Rusty Hilger 14-28-1-242.
NEB: Turner 5-10-0-100, Craig Sundberg 4-7-3-47.

Receiving
OSU: Malcolm Lewis 6-96, Thomas 2-34, Terry Werner 2-32.

NEB: DuBose 3-30, Swanson 2-17, Gamble 1-64.

Missed field goals: OSU, Roach 42.

SCORING SUMMARY & MORE STATS

Attendance: 76,368

Coverage

Recap
Danny Noonan and Rusty Hilger

Danny Noonan makes life difficult for OSU quarterback Rusty Hilger. | Courtesy of Nebraska Athletics

Swanson’s punt return breaks deadlock

For the first time ever, Oklahoma State (4-0) came into the Nebraska game with a better record than the Huskers (3-1). And for three quarters it looked like OSU might win for the first time in 23 years.

The ninth-ranked Cowboys carried a 3-0 lead into the final period before No. 8 Nebraska finally tied the game with a Dale Klein field goal with 13:05 left. A few minutes later, the Huskers downed a Scott Livingston punt at the OSU 5 and forced the Cowboys to punt on fourth-and-inches. Senior wingback Shane Swanson fielded the ball at the OSU 49 and took it back for an electrifying touchdown to get the Huskers over the hump and on their way to a hard-fought 17-3 win.

The Huskers sealed the victory in the final two minutes when quarterback Travis Turner connected with Jason Gamble on third-and-10 from the Nebraska 36. The freshman split end caught the ball at the NU 47, shook off a defensive back’s hit and took it all the way to the end zone.

NOTES: Coming into the game, Nebraska ranked first nationally and OSU fifth in total defense. … The teams punted a combined 18 times and committed three turnovers apiece. … The Huskers were shut out in the first half of a game for the first time in three years.

Game on YouTube
Lincoln Journal Star
More sources
Omaha World-Herald
Daily Nebraskan
The Oklahoman
Associated Press
Pregame & team info
1984 schedule
04/28Red 35, White 13
09/08WyomingW 42-7
09/15MinnesotaW 38-7
09/22@ UCLAW 42-3
09/29@ SyracuseL 9-17
10/06Oklahoma St.W 17-3
10/13MissouriW 33-23
10/20@ ColoradoW 24-7
10/27Kansas St.W 62-14
11/03@ Iowa St.W 44-0
11/10@ KansasW 41-7
11/17OklahomaL 7-17
01/01LSUW 28-10
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